Shingle Bells, Shingle Bells, Shingles all the way...

As you may have gathered from the title (apologies for the pun- got to find my giggles somewhere!!) the last gap in posting was due to yet another bout of shingles- that's 4 in 2 years and 3 since April!

Bleargh.

The annoying yet good news, is that after a full immunology work up, it seems that the recurring shingles is 'just' due to how run down and stressed I was over my last few years in the classroom. It seems prolonged stress and insane working days will take their toll, whether you want them to or not!

After round 3 in October, I was determined to be back out and running as soon as possible- so headed out for a 5 miler about a 2 weeks after the rash had gone. Bad, bad plan! Within 24 hours the rash was back and shingles round 4 was in progress.

I've listened to the doctor this time, have taken some time to let the new medication kick in, and headed out today for my first run since the last bout. It was so, SO frustrating to be back to run-walking 4k after the great south and triathlon last year, but if it prevents a 5th episode of shingles, run-walk it is! I'm heading for a swim tomorrow (hopefully) and taking baby steps to get back into my routine!

However, those of you who know me will know that I am not one to sit around idle, so I decided to fill the increased amount of sofa-time with a new hobby- Crochet!

I've always knitted, but wanted to be able to make a blanket for our sofa, and couldn't work out how to find knitting needles big enough!

A few balls of chunky wool from B&M and a giant crochet hook later, and I was away.

Unfortunately, I hadn't accounted for my ridiculously short attention span, so the blanket is still very much a work in progress, with a little bit being done here and there.

Alongside, I've been really enjoying making some smaller projects, like this hat:

With Christmas coming, I decided to spend the sofa time making something to add to our stash of christmas decorations; enter the most addictive and wonderful crochet blog- attic 24.

In one of my rambles around Pinterest, I came across Lucy's beautiful winter wreath:

pic from Lucy at attic24

I was inspired! Something to make, full of little bits and bobs, which suited my short attention span perfectly.

I'm not a pink and purple person, so I took her design and played with the colours and design a little bit to match it better to our Christmas decorations.

I crocheted evenings and train journeys for about 3 weeks to make my wreath. This thing took a LOT of bits and bobs to make:

Weirdly, I found doing all the stripes for the wreath more annoying than the 32 leaves, or 18 little balls- evidence yet again of my appalling ability to do any one thing for longer than 5 minutes!

I was so chuffed to find a tub of tiny polystyrene toadstools for £1 whilst stocking-filler shopping at Tiger- 7 of these babies ended up on my wreath.

Once it was all done, it was time to pin all of the components in place. 

I took a break for a couple of days, then took time last night to sew everything into place. A lot of crochet fans I know hate the sewing up stage, I found it weirdly satisfying. Better than making the wreath background anyway!!

So, without further ado- here's my surviving-shingles-with-my-sanity-intact Christmas Wreath!

I am over the moon with it! I love the warm colours, the cheeky little robin in the middle and the sparkly snowflakes. Hopefully this will become a family heirloom for many Christmases to come.

So less running has made for more crochet- here's hoping for plenty of time, and health, for both over this festive season!

Slowing Down (reluctantly!)

Long time no see!

It's been a hectic few months down here past the promenade.

I've changed job, Jon's finished his masters and started his new job(s) and it's been all change, all round.

To add to the fun, I've been having a frustrating battle post shingles to get back to the fitness I was at before the pesky virus entered my world.

Long story short, I've had to scale my training right back and take it very slowly, as I've picked up a few other bugs in my post-viral state and the doctor has said to chill out and take my time rather than jumping straight back in and flooring it immediately!

plenty of opportunities to cuddle Treacle- less opportunities than I'd hoped for to compete!

To say I was gutted to miss everything I'd planned for the 2nd half of the year's racing is an understatement- I marshalled at June's triathlon with every intention of being in September's; a summer of new job, no routine and fatigue hitting after exercise and September's tri joined the growing list of 'races I missed because of ***** shingles!'

That said, I've learned so much about myself and my relationship with exercise by being forced to slow it down.
-My garmin has been gathering dust on my dressing table- I've been out running for the pure joy of running and being outside with no reference to pace or time.
- I've learned that a 1 mile run after a bug can be as big an achievement and give as huge an endorphin boost as a 10 mile run when you're well.
-I've been loving helping one of my besties get into running, and working through various bits of C25K with her.
- I've realised that it isn't training for an event, or beating a PB, or going further/harder/faster than I've ever gone before that gets me out and moving. It's the solitude, the freedom to go wherever my feet take me, the feeling that my body is doing what it was made to do and will thank me for moving a bit quicker, and knowing that I'm staying strong by exercising that makes it worth an early start or a rainy run!
- picking blackberries or wrapping up and getting out for a walk is still better than sitting in the house on your bum- it's not triathlon-or-nothing when it comes to exercise (this one has taken some work!!)

I've got a few posts saved on here; some great recipes I've adapted over the summer, my bizarre experience marshalling the baby triathlete kiddos in June and a few inspiring ladies- it's time to get back on it with blogging and keep sharing what we're up to- whether that's a triathlon or a autumn walk around the headland.

Watch this space!

Working it Out Wednesday

So here goes with an idea which has been bouncing around my brain for a while!

We live in a connected world, rife with social media which I firmly believe can be used for good or ill.

A year ago, I was spending a fair amount of time online, whilst poorly and very stressed. Facebook was showing me that, while I was on the sofa, some of my friends were out and about, active, and making some far healthier choices than I was!
I had no idea where to start on my journey into fitness, let alone how to fit it into my life, or if women 'like me' even were out there exercising amongst the hundreds of fit-freaks I imagined to be powering up and down the promenade.

So- working it out Wednesday is my contribution!
Each Wednesday, I'm going to interview a different lady who has inspired me on my journey into fitness. Some are hard-core, running ultra marathons or pursuing qualifications within fitness. Some are like me- committed plodders who love how exercise makes them feel! There are single ladies, married ladies, ladies with kids and ladies without. Some have faith, some don't, some I've never asked so wouldn't know! All of them are amazing, and were key inspiration to me in starting and continuing exercising regularly.
I've asked the questions that were on my mind when I was starting out on this path- if there are any other questions you can think of- stick them in the comments and I'm sure they'll be willing to start a conversation!

So, without further ado- grab a coffee, settle down on the sofa and let me introduce Amy!

Amy is a lady who I've known, by association since I started dating Jon. She's also married to a Marine- who's still serving in the RM Band Service. We've not seen each other much in real life, but her couch to 5k journey was one of the biggest motivating factors in getting my bottom off the sofa and out of the door. Last year, she posted this picture:

I'd just finished C25k, and it made me realise that maybe, just maybe, I could manage a triathlon one day! 

Enough from me- let's hear from Amy and how she makes it all work for her:

Tell us a bit about yourself:

My name is Amy Rushton, I am 31, married to Jon who is in the Royal Marines Band and mum to Evan 7 and Lucas 3. We live in Emsworth in Hampshire. A long time ago I was also in the Royal Marines Band and enjoyed sport but a series of health issues put an end to that!

What sports do you like to do in your free time, and how did you get into it in the first place?
When I decided I wanted to get fitter I was 4 stone heavier than I am now. I'd had 4 knee operations and my joints weren't coping with all that weight, so I started walking. Initially it was to the shops, round the block etc but soon I was upping the distances. I started walking 5 miles most nights and frequently spent whole Saturdays on 20 mile+ walks. This alone helped me lose 2 stone. Once I had lost a bit of weight I decided to try running, which I hadn't done properly since leaving the Marines 14 years before! I found it VERY hard! But I stuck at it and coupled with some cycling I soon saw improvement. Now I frequently run 5km, enjoy parkrun, and cycle distances of around 40km.

What drew you to the sport?
I was drawn to running after seeing a good friend of mine go from a non runner to completing the Thames Path Challenge (100km in 24 hours). She achieved so many amazing things and as I watched her progress I was inspired to try myself. (See- we're all secret fitness fan girls really! -Sarah)

Was it easy getting started? Did you start alone or have company?

When I first started I was incredibly self conscious so I ran alone and at night so no one would see me. I found it so very difficult but I discovered perseverance I never knew I had. Once I started seeing improvements I was hooked. I prefer to run alone, a combination of still being self conscious of my running ability and enjoying the time alone.

What's your biggest achievement in your fitness to date?

To date my biggest fitness achievement is competing the Great South Run in Oct 2014. I'm especially proud of that since I fractured my foot in 3 places half way and still managed to finish! (Madness! -S)

Are you working toward a goal at the moment? If so, what?

At the moment I am training for an event I am doing with my online running club Thunder Runners. We are all competing at the Adidas Thunder Run at the end of July, which is a 24 hour endurance race where a team of 8 take turns to run 10km laps. I think I'm down for 3 laps! This is easily my biggest challenge to date, especially as I'm battling persistent niggles in my lower legs. I am really looking forward to it though!

Let's be real- working out takes time! How do you fit it in? What's your weekly schedule like?
Training does take time, something as a military wife and mum to 2 sons with autism, I don't get a lot of! I tend to run at night once the boys are in bed or squeeze a run in as the kids eat tea. I try to keep weekends for family time where I can so I run early in the morning or go to parkrun. When my husband was in Edinburgh for 6 weeks with the Royal Marines I took to putting the boys to bed and then running up and down my 80m street until I had reached 5km! I had a baby monitor with me so I could hear them and always could see my front door so I was happy that they were safe, and I did that almost every night. My neighbours thought I was crazy.

If you could say one thing to someone sat on the sofa, considering starting a fitness programme, what would it be?

Be sensible, Start slowly, Dream big! I overdid it off the bat and hurt myself as I didn't know that I'm a severe overpronator. Consider getting a gait analysis and start with a Couch to 5KM app to get you started. Trust me, if I can do this, you can do this!

Amy before she started

Race for Life Pretty Muddy, June 2014

After the Mo-Run November 2014 (complete with broken leg!)

See- one inspiring lady right?! I couldn't agree more with so much of what Amy says- if we can do it- so can you! Her commitment to getting out and exercising is amazing- you should see her map my runs for the 5ks outside her house- it's like a very cross toddler went mad with a crayon in a very small area! Thank you Amy so much for taking the time to answer my questions.

I'm blessed with a very inspirational friendship group, so stay tuned for another working it out Wednesday with another fab friend next week.

Any questions- bring them to the comments!

baja(ish) fish tacos

As I'm stuck at home, waiting for this rash to sort itself, I've slept a tonne, read a few books and enjoyed having time to cook dinner for myself and Jon.

Fiddling with this recipe has been on my to-do list for months, ever since Jon and I had dinner at Wahaca in March and I had these delicious fish tacos:

Crispy fish, crunchy, citrusy slaw and creamy crema- it was absolutely delicious despite my nerves about the impending job interview I was facing the next day.

Life's been pretty hectic since, but to celebrate being well enough to return to work tomorrow, I decided to finally have a crack at making my own version- which actually turned out far better than I was expecting!

So, without further ado- here's my recipe for homemade fish tacos: (serves 2-3)

Ingredients:
2 large fillets of white fish. (I used Basa- it's sustainably caught and very reasonable if you buy it frozen)
1 egg
2 tbsp plain flour
1 avocado
1/4 white cabbage
1 red onion
2 tbsp garlic mayo (I used homemade olive oil mayo, mixed with 1/2 clove of crushed garlic)
3 tbsp sour cream
a big bunch of coriander
1 lime
1tsp cayenne pepper
1 sachet discovery crispy coating (or polenta- I just find this quick and easy!)
1 large tortilla per person (I like multigrain to up the fibre).
2tbsp sunflower oil

Method:
The cooking part of this is incredibly quick- so I prepped all the trimmings first then cooked the fish so that we could eat it whilst it was hot and crispy.

Slaw:
Grate the white cabbage on the coarse side of a grater or in a food processor. (I'd food process but I've lost the spindle for mine! Must order a new one!)
Finely chop the red onion and mix 3/4 in with the grated cabbage.
Juice 1/2 the line into the bowl, and scrape the little limey citrus bits (that stick out of the lime when you squeeze it) off with a sharp knife and stir through the mix with salt and pepper to taste.
Take a big handful of coriander, chop and stir through the mixture.
That's the slaw done- zingy, crunchy and fat free!!

Lazy Guacamole:
Dice the avocado (I score mine in the skin then scoop the whole lot out with a big spoon!) Mash lightly with a fork, then stir in the other 1/4 red onion, 1 tsp chopped coriander and a sprinkle of cayenne to taste. It's not really guacamole but it's tasty!

Crema:
Mix the garlic mayo, the other 1/2 of the lime's juce and the sour cream together in a bowl. Stir well and add chopped coriander to taste (there is quite a lot of coriander going on in this so bear that in mind! I had about 1tsp coriander in the crema.)

Fish:
Cut the fish into 1.5 inch cubes. Try to keep the bits similarly sized, so that they cook in an equal amount of time. Put your flour on one saucer, your beaten egg on another and your crumbs on another. Roll your fish in flour, then egg, then crumbs and lie on a plate ready to fry. Repeat until all the fish is prepped. (I find it easiest to do 4 bits at a time, using my fingers for the flour and egg, and a fork to cover with crumbs and move onto the plate.) Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan, then fry the fish in batches until golden brown and crispy. I'd imagine you could bake the fish in the oven if you were feeling super health conscious! Cooking the fish really doesn't take long, a minute or so on each side tops. You don't want to over cook it!
Remove from the pan onto a piece of kitchen towel, then serve!

I chopped the tortillas into 4 so that they better resembled the little soft tacos I enjoyed so much at Wahaca. Microwave them for 30 seconds so they're soft and pliable.

To serve, I just put all the different components on the table and let us tuck in!

Beginning to end, this recipe takes about 20 minutes to cook- it's healthy, fresh and tasty- why not give it a try?!

Saturday Summer Salads

Well it's been a fairly crazy week!

Shingles hit, and I've been sleeping around 16-18 hours a day. Craziness! Even at my poorliest with ME, if I'd slept all day I struggled to sleep all night, but shingles has pulled my power plug out, well and truly, and I just can't get enough sleep!
That said, my school have been insanely supportive, they've rallied round and covered everything so I've been off without worrying and able to be unconscious most of the day!
In good news, the antivirals seem to be working and the rash has stopped spreading, and the odd, burning, electrocution-y pain is less frequent, even if there's still more of it than I'd like!

As I've been asleep all week, I've only been enjoying the gorgeous blue skies and sunny weather from my vantage point curled up on the sofa, but yesterday I decided to celebrate the sunshine, even if I'm indoors, and make a scrummy summer salad!

Salad for me has always been one of those things that I love to have out, but never replicated in a way that I actually wanted to tuck into at home! It always seemed to end up being the same salad veg (lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes), some kind of super healthy protein (fish/chicken) and feeling hungry again within 2 hours. Salad in a restaurant was usually accompanied by chips!

When I started paleo last year, I knew that to make it a goer through the summer, I needed to change my viewpoint (and 'recipe bank') of salads- and over the course of the summer, I discovered a whole repertoire of easy, delicious and interesting salads that even Jon enjoys eating!

In doing so, I found a few things that I needed each time to make a salad go from boring to blooming irresistable!

1: Fat. Yep; you read that right! One of the most eye opening things I discovered whilst eating paleo is that your body needs good fat- and you can still lose weight if you eat it- so long as you're not padding out the rest of your diet with processed foods, sugar and refined carbs.
Fat for me takes salad from penitence to treat- and also triggers the satiety receptors in your head making you feel fuller and satisfied faster. Some good fats that I love to add to my salads are:
-Avocados.
-Nuts (toasted or raw- try pecans, walnuts, peanuts, macadamias)
-Homemade, olive oil mayo (This recipe is bulletproof- I've made it at least 10 times and it's never failed)
-Olives

2: Protein. Not just for decorative purposes- a fist sized portion per person. Protein is such a key to staying full, controlling blood sugar and building/repairing muscle- don't skimp here! Obviously if you're using a fatty protein like chorizo or cheese, you may want less added fat from the fats section.
- Meat- Chicken, Chorizo, ready cut bacon lardons if you're in a rush (Lidl do a great beech smoked packet). Try roasting off a whole pan of chicken drumsticks at the weekend and using them through the week for lunches. Ham, parma ham, charcuterie.
-Fish- smoked salmon, prawns (both really easy and quick, if a bit expensive) squid, trout. I'm not a huge fan of white fish on salad- all a bit too healthy! - maybe one day I'll change my mind!
-Cheese- crumbly goats cheese, feta, applewood smoked, cheddar, parmesan. Experiement with grating, finely grating, crumbling and cubing to get maximum cheesey flavour for minimum cheese!

3. Veggies. I have a confession to make: I detest iceberg lettuce. As in, cannot stand the stuff! I'd not be sad if it was wiped from planet earth tomorrow! That said, there's still loads that I love putting in salads to keep them interesting:
-Leaves: Spinach, watercress and rocket is my go-to bagged salad- tonnes of flavour and super easy. Cos lettuce and mini cos are crunchy and tasty if you've got a bit longer. Raddichio is tasty but bitter so go easy- same with endive.
-Fruit: I love fruit in salads- especially if you've got a salty or very savoury element like cheese or cured meat. Crisp apples, pears, raisins, melon, orange segments- all scrummy and one of your 5 a day!
-Veg: Veggies as well as leaves make for variety and taste; I love frozen, pre grilled mediterranean veggies- oven cook them and stir them in- easy and tasty! Mushrooms, grilled/poached asparagus tips, hot or cold peas, petit pois or french beans, grated carrot, grated cabbage (red or white)- the list could go on and on!

4. Dressing. For me this is where it can all go terribly, terribly wrong! Sometimes, if a salad's got a mixture of all of the above, it doesn't even need a dressing! That said, a sparser, simpler salad can go from dull to delicious with a good dressing. Remember dressing can count for your 'fat' as well if you're going for a mayo or oil heavy dressing:
Zingy- Lemon/Lime/Orange juice. Balsamic/White Wine/Cider/Champagne Vinegar. Buttermilk
Creamy: Mayo/Yoghurt/Sour Cream based dressings
Oils: Olive, rapeseed, walnut, sesame, tahini (obviously not an oil but tasty!)

5. Garnish. Add the final flavour punch you need to balance everything else in the salad; I love:
-finely chopped shallots/red onion
-herbs- dill for fish/ a scandinavian vibe on anything! Coriander for an asian/mexican flavour, Parsley goes with anything!

6. Carbs. Especially in summer when you're having salad as a main meal!
-New potatoes, sweet potatoes, beetroot, roasted butternut squash,
-Pasta, wholewheat pasta, quinoa, rice, wild rice, noodles
-fresh bread, wraps, croutons

7. Temperature.  Obviously not an ingredient, but can go a long way toward making a salad taste more interesting (and less like it's been in a tesco chiller cabinet for the last 2 days!) try;
-frying bacon lardons and leftover cooked chicken and scattering on top
-roasting baby new potatoes, chopping roughly and stirring through
-roasting aubergine, courgette and peppers and adding to a mediterranean salad.

I've found that trying to get a good balance of these 7 things has saved me spending loads trying to cook exact salad recipes, but also means that I'm not stuck eating a plate of iceberg lettuce and cold chicken (eurgh!)

That said- here's a yummy salad we had yesterday to celebrate summer!

Watermelon, fish and cheese may sound like an odd combo, but the hot prawns, cold, crisp watermelon and salty, creamy cheese are a really delicious, summery combination!

Watermelon, Prawn and Goats Cheese Salad.
Serves 2-3 as a main, more as a side.
Ingredients:
1/2 a bag of spinach, rocket and watercress salad
3 thick slices of watermelon
1/2 a pack soft goats cheese (approx 75g)
20 prawns (we bought ours in a bulk freezer pack at Lidl when they were on offer. Even 10 prawns would increase the protein and still be delicious)
handful of fresh parsley
2 cloves of garlic
Salt & Pepper
Flatbread (to serve)

Empty the salad into a big bowl. Chop the watermelon into big cubes, and mix through.
Crumble the cheese into fingernail size bits and scatter across the salad.
-at this point, just this salad by itself is really refreshing and a great side for a BBQ or lunch!-
Put a glug of olive oil into a pan, chop the garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
Add the prawns (still frozen if needs be!)
Stir around until prawns are heated through, add the parsley, salt and pepper and keep stirring.
Once the parsley is wilted, pour the prawns onto the salad.
Serve with side plates, a finger bowl and flatbread to wipe up and creamy cheesey bits stuck to the plates.

In an ideal world, I'd have used shelled prawns for this to make eating it easier. That said, these were on an insanely good special offer and due to shingles tiredness I couldn't be bothered to peel them first. It was still really tasty!

A spanner named shingles

There's a spanner in the works for operation triathlon, and it's name is Shingles!

As you may have noticed, things have been a little quiet over here past the promenade! My apologies. We are in the middle of a truly mad time of year for all Year 2 and Year 6 teachers- it's SATS season and all of my non-essential life activities (blogging, preparing interesting meals rather than grazing the fridge, sleeping before midnight) have ceased in a flurry of moderation prep and drawing up class lists for next year. The kids haven't noticed anything different though, which, in my opinion, is exactly how it should be! Happy kiddos= happy teacher.

I guess, with hindsight, I was burning the candle at both ends (and in the middle!!) and went down with a bug at the start of half term. A lot of work came home with me for the holiday, and I kept on with my training plan, admittedly doing far less than I'd planned to, as I felt under the weather for most of the break.

I started sleeping badly, and my skin began to flare up (usually a sign my immune system isn't doing it's thing), and on Monday night I found myself at the out of hours doctor for 2 hours, waiting to be told that, for the second time in 2 years, I've managed to get shingles. Same side as last time, but going up and down my back, with pain in my ear, shoulder neck and arm.

"Take it easy and rest" is the doctor's advice, which doesn't sit well with someone who's been training hard for a triathlon since January, and that triathlon is in 12 days. As in, 288 hours. I'm not allowed to swim until the rash has gone, and, despite catching it really early this time, currently the rash is spreading rather than retreating.

Gutted is an understatement- but I'm trying my best to hold it all really lightly, rest and let my body do it's thing. I'm taking the huge antiviral tablets 5x a day, cracking the pain killers and even taking a bit of time off work as the pain has made me so tired and irritable I'm not much use to anyone.

Even if the rash clears, I need to get my head around the fact that I'll be 3 weeks behind my ideal training schedule (due to busyness before half-term, illness in half term and shingles now) if I do make it to the starting line.

However, I've been praying for perspective (and for the shingles to go away!!) and I've realised that actually this particular triathlon isn't the be-all and end-all. A 3 week (or longer) dip in a lifetime of health and fitness isn't a huge deal. I'll encounter other dips in the future, for other reasons, and the key thing is that I don't let them derail my determination and the enjoyment I get from training.

All of my hard work will be used and pay off on a triathlon this summer, even if it's not on the 14th of June. The stress-busting benefits and health impact that training since last May has had on me can't be taken away by a bug now, even one as sore and annoying as shingles. Worst case scenario that I miss it- I get even longer to work on my sea swimming and to get along to the transition trainings that Portsmouth Triathletes run. I'll still be there cheering my awesome training buddies as they chase their goal.

I'm off to curl up under a blanket, eat a tonne of fruit and veg and rest this virus out of my system!

nurse Treacle is in business

living electric blanket

Any home remedies for shingles pain- share them in the comments and I will love you forever!

What Happened?

Whilst trying to ignore the burning in my legs on a recent (frustratingly slow) 20k training cycle, my mind was wandering. As usual, it eventually found it's way to work, which in my case is the wonderful and wacky world of teaching; little people are my area of expertise and I teach some of the littler ones in our system.

I have the pleasure and privilege of watching (and helping) these awesome kiddos acquire the skills that most of us take for granted; reading, writing, counting, throwing, catching- the list goes on!

My class are getting ready to leave me in July, and I've had a lot of them for 2 years- from age 5-7. We've gone from huge, scrawling letter shapes to (mostly) sensibly sized, joined up, legible handwriting. Counting to 10 has increased to 100, 1000 in 1s, then 2s, then 5s.

Emergent writing- a language all of it's own and different for each and every child!

You get the picture!

However, they haven't made that progress without an absolutely phenomenal amount of personal effort and resilience! I teach children who have written illegibly day after day for months, yet every day will come into school with a smile on their face, ready to have their thousandth try at the same skill. They don't get disheartened or mardy, they just pick themselves up and have another go; over and over again! Their excitement and pride when they finally crack it (whatever 'it' was) is a joy to behold- scraps of paper photocopied to flap, with sticky fingers, in Mum or Dad's face at home time, team points in the jar, and a real, shared sense of celebration and pride amongst the whole class.

When does this go wrong? Where does it all stop? Why are adults so blinking learning-averse?!

Simple- fear.

Until I started running a year ago, I genuinely don't think I'd started learning something new (from scratch) for over 10 years (except for a brief dalliance with Samba drumming when I lived in Germany. I was too weak to hold most of the drums and didn't enjoy the finger blisters so stopped!) 

I wasn't even particularly good at making the most of skills I already had;

I was a grade 8 flautist, but wouldn't join any local orchestras or music groups for fear of embarrassing myself with how much I'd forgotten or lost in technique.
I have a German degree (and family!) but was too scared to go to Kaffeeklatsch or conversation groups in case my grammar let me down.

I spent 5 years learning to sail and did all my RYA qualifications, but was too scared to go on a refresher course (despite living on the South Coast) in case the instructors laughed at me for how much I'd forgotten.

Paranoid much?!

My kids at school have blessed my socks off by showing me- graciously- what learning should look like: going in with little skill, an open mind and a barrel load of enthusiasm, picking yourself up each time you don't quite get it, and supporting your friends (and not-quite friends) in whatever they're trying to learn. The one thing they haven't learnt yet, is how to be scared of getting it wrong- and I am going to put that moment off for them for as long as I possibly can.

Running (and triathlon) has been a watershed for me in that respect; it's the first time I've consciously gone out to do something I know I will be terrible at (to start with, and quite possibly to end with too!). I've had to increase the distance, the speed, the intensity incrementally and learn to pick myself up each time I fail. I've huffed and puffed along the sea front, being over taken by every Tom Dick and Harry, and learnt to still feel pride in the time I've run, or the distance I've covered; regardless of what everyone else is doing. I did my first triathlon knowing there was a hefty chance that I was going to come last and doing it anyway.

I went surfing for my birthday last year- trying something new (and physical) as a result of my newfound, emerging confidence!

I hope, desperately, that the resilience and 'have-a-go' attitude of my little Starfishes doesn't get bashed and beaten out of them by a system that values numbers and letters over personalities, attitudes and human qualities.

Equally, I hope that, as a product of that über focussed, academic system, I will continue to learn to try new things, take risks, put my ego on the back burner and have a go for the sake of trying and living each day to it's maximum potential!

My list of things to try keeps getting longer- BSL classes, re-learning Spanish, Stand Up Paddleboarding (after the train wreck that was surfing last year!) and swing dance, to name just a few!

You name it, nowadays I'm up for having a go; and for that I am eternally grateful to the 24 little people who challenged me to listen to my own teaching and rhetoric and "just have a go!"

What do you want to learn?

You never know until you Tri...

Well if there was ever a sentence I thought would never be typed by me, it's this one, but; Yesterday I did my first ever Triathlon!

Health warning; this is potentially a very over detailed account of my first Triathlon. However, I found reading about other people's experiences quite handy in prepping for my Tri so I'm just going to stick it all in. 

I've been planning to do the Portsmouth Try a Tri in June since January (New Year's Resolution gone mad!) but had been falling into a real lull in my training, unsure what to do to progress or where my strengths/weaknesses were.

Cue a random facebook post on the Portsmouth Triathletes group (who I've been stalking since Feb but am too chicken to actually join!) advertising the David Lloyd Sprint Triathlon- 400m pool swim, 20k cycle and 5k run.
The pool swim element made this a very appealing first event, as the try a tri is an 750m open water swim but otherwise identical in terms of distance, so cutting my teeth on a less fish-infested, current-riddled body of water sounded like a plan!
I signed up 3 weeks ago on a whim and proceeded to freak out.

My training up until that point had consisted of teaching myself to swim once a week, spin followed by a 5k on the treadmill on Tuesdays and a run at the weekend (with a few resistance/weights sessions thrown in when time allowed).
I upped the swimming to twice a week, went on a few Easter Holiday bike rides, accidentally took a whole week off training in Copenhagen (more on that amazing trip to come!) and suddenly it was Saturday and the triathlon was tomorrow!

Tri lesson no. 1: "novice friendly" does not mean the same as "there will be lots of novices". Pulling into the car park outside David Lloyd at 6am, we were greeted by the scary sight of lots of very muscly men, unloading bikes from their vans/cars which probably cost more than our car, if not our house! We went in to registration and everyone was already milling around, chatting and prepping for the race. I freaked OUT and just wanted to run away and hide in the car! My inner PE-hating teenager was back, with a vengeance!

Note the eminently more chilled and well-trained triathletes chilling behind me!

I filled out my medical questionnaire, got inked up with my race number (right arm and left calf) and headed out to rack my bike. We were seeded into 4 waves by our predicted swim time and our novice-ness. I was number 102- 1 for the novice wave and number 02 for speed of swimming (01 being the slowest...). On reflection, telling them I thought it would take me 25 minutes to swim 400m didn't help- turns out yesterday it took me 11. Oops!

Bike racked and transition mat (towel) set up ready

Before I knew it, it was 7am and time for race briefing, which due to my panic went completely over my head. I was relying completely on following whoever was in front of me. In briefing I met a couple of novices, one who had run 20+ marathons and the other who'd attended multiple training sessions for novices with Portsmouth Triathletes! (At this point I was cursing my antisocial sport tendencies and deep rooted hatred of doing exercise near other people, especially if they're better at it than me! My secret facebook stalking of Portsmouth Triathletes was eminently less useful than actually manning up and going to their training sessions!)

Regardless, it was too late to panic and we lined up at the start of the pool for the swim leg.

Clearly I need to work on my triathlete power stance! (or get a float!)

I think I'd under estimated the effect panic would have on my breathing; but we were only 3 to a lane and 2 lengths in I'd found my groove and was merrily front crawling up and down. We overtook at the end of lanes (something I'd been worrying about) and touched the person in front's leg when we wanted to pass at the next turn. I started to get a stitch around length 10 (despite a 4.30am breakfast!) but by length 13 it was gone and I made it to length 16 without mishap, although I was the second last out of the pool!

I'm in the pink hat

It was time for my first transition and I ran out of the fire exit and across the cold car park! Luckily the sports bra that came with the Trisuit worked it's magic and I definitely experienced less cold-induced embarrassment in the chest region than a lot of the other female triathletes!

Out for a casual jog in a swim suit and bare feet...

I'd practiced this transition multiple times the day before, without once taking into account the fact that, on the day, I'd be soaking wet! I'd laid out my long-sleeved top for the cycle, already tucked into my windproof jacket. In my living room I was getting pretty fast at putting both on at the same time!
The same could not be said for yesterday! The long sleeved top ruched up on top of my boobs, the sleeve holes got stuck at my elbows and 8 inches+ of sleeve was hanging out the end of the jacket. The lycra covered my whole face and the hood of the jacket got stuck up, and I was entirely incapable of freeing myself!! After flapping around transition like some kind of stranded bird for what felt like an hour but was probably about 10 seconds, the lovely marshal came and tried to rescue me! I ended up having to re dress myself to remedy the messed up layers.

marshal to the rescue!

redressing myself after the clothing fail

finally made it!

Embarassed but dressed, I pushed my bike up to the mount line and headed out for 5 laps of Port Solent. The cycle was the discipline I'd definitely prepared least for. My logic was if I can't swim, I drown; If I can't run, I have to walk but I already know I can ride a bike, so what's the worst that can happen?!
Bad, bad logic! Turns out, there's a lot of technique to riding a bike fast and I don't really have any of it! A first step is going to be learning what on earth is going on with my gears as I'm pretty sure I did the first 4 laps in entirely the wrong gear. Once I realised and changed gear, I picked up my pace and really enjoyed the final lap.

 My second transition into the run was a lot faster- jacket off and off I went!
 I haven't felt many things as unpleasant as trying to run on legs which have just cycled 20k! They felt like steel marshmallows and I had no idea how I'd get through the next 5k, especially without my beloved running playlist (no headphones or music at all!)

However, I plodded on and soon realised I was actually running my fastest ever 5k- my first mile was 9.48 (I'm usually around 10.15).
Hoping to finish the 5k sub 30 minutes gave me a new goal to aim for and I knuckled down to the run. I found the lap element really demoralising- running to the finish line to then run away and do another lap made me want to cry, but, due to the phased waves of triathletes there were lots of incredible cyclists and great runners to watch on the run which kept me distracted from my sore legs! I was far too hot by this point, so broke the one rule I'd set myself of never running in just the trisuit in public, and left my top with Jon.

I was over taken in my last lap by 2 runners from the 4th wave (elite) and both of them slowed down to encourage me and cheer me on! It was just a little thing but it really perked me up and gave me the boost I needed to head to the finish line, and use every last ounce of energy for a sprint finish.

In 1 hour 31 minutes I was done and over the finish line! Exhasuted was probably my main emotion but over the course of the day I felt so chuffed that I pushed a boundary and tried something that, a year ago, I never would have dreamt was possible!

So: 5 things I learned at my first triathlon

1. Someone will always run/swim/cycle faster than you, have better kit than you or a more exciting bike than you. Who cares? Crack along and do what you came to do- prove to yourself that you CAN do it and ignore the distractions.
2. Triathletes are actually a really friendly, kind, welcoming bunch of people. Put your high-school prejudice on a back-burner and go in with an open mind. These are not the cliquey, horrible top-set PE people of Year 10. Everyone I met was amazing, to the point I may actually join Portsmouth Triathletes (eek!)
3. Spin followed by a run is not adequate prep for how hard a cycle-run transition is. I need to cycle a LOT more!
4. Never shave your legs on the morning of a triathlon. Chlorine+rain+sweat+permanent marker=Oooooow (still- 48 hours later!)
5. 3rd from last is still not last, even if one of the people you beat was dressed as a gorilla!

June 14th- here I come!

Numbers

Weight.

It's a loaded word isn't it?! Discussions about weight seem to have an ability to polarise opinion and offend like no other conversation can, especially in this online sphere.

As numbers go, weight is a number everyone seems to know about themselves, (along with their postcode and phone number) yet are infinitely less willing to share with others. Any corner shop or doctor's surgery is rammed with glossy magazines stacked with the latest fad diet formula to lose 10 pounds by next Tuesday.

It's a headspace I bought into, wholeheartedly for my entire adult life (until very recently!) Seeing the numbers drop= success, good Sarah, permission to feel attractive; seeing the numbers rise= failure, bad Sarah, what a heffer etc. I've tried Atkins, Slimming World, Weight Watchers- all great programmes and all entirely fixated on WEIGHT.

Except those numbers had no way of knowing or relating to what else was going on in my life at the time. 2 1/2 years in a wheelchair? Your weight may well rise. Beating on yourself and feeling like a failure is not a headspace conducive to recovery or health. Depressed or having an emotionally rough time? Factor in a weight gain and make yourself feel even worse about yourself! How about an amazing, sunny holiday? Eat what you like, come back heavier and guilt trip yourself- undoing all the relaxation and calm of the previous week.

I started my journey into fitness and healthy living with a huge weight focus- I wanted to see those numbers drop so that I would know that it was 'working'. Amazingly (although it did my head in at the time) the Whole30 programme forbids you from weighing yourself for the whole 30 days that you follow the regime- forcing you to focus on how you're feeling, your health, energy levels, skin, sleep quality and mood. The first few days of eating avocados, nuts, coconut oil, olive oil etc without being able to weigh in and 'check' if it was working or not really freaked me out! However, after 30 days I felt incredible- and was measuring my health and 'success' in a far more holistic way than just a number on a scale. When I then weighed myself, as it turned out, I'd lost a stone- the worries about eating so much fat were totally unfounded.

That 30 days kickstarted my journey into a healthy lifestyle, and I now measure my health in a huge range of ways, how I feel, how healthy/ill I've been, the amount of weight I can lift, the distance I can run/swim/cycle/walk, how hard I can jump around in praise and worship at church without getting out of breath, how fast I can run in a game of duck duck goose with the kiddos at work without breaking a sweat, and how many chips I can eat without that horrible little voice in my head telling me they are bad, will make me fat, are 'naughty' or 'wrong'. I've also learned that I can change shape drastically without changing weight (due to muscle building or starting a new type of exercise) and that hormones or neglecting my hydration can wreck havoc on the numbers on the scale on one day, without having any lasting impact on my weight.

So here are some numbers that tell far more of my story- some from the past, some from the present, some are set and some are changing but every single one of them are infinitely more important to me than any number on a scale:

1 husband,  2 amazing parents and 2 wonderful parent-in-laws
1 naughty kitten and 1 slightly better behaved guineapig
2 brothers and 13 brothers- and sisters-in-law
5 awesome, hyper little nieces and nephews
2 BAs, 1 PGCE and almost 1 Masters between me and the boy
8+ jobs between us in the last 3 years
1 illness in the last year (requiring 4 days off work- Norovirus (yuk!)) In previous years I've often jumped from bug to bug throughout the winter without ever really feeling 'healthy'.
Kicked shingles with no time off within 14 days
I can run 10 miles in under 2 hours
I can swim 1k
I can cycle at least 20k (haven't tried further yet)
2 Triathlons booked for this summer
1 10k race booked for May
151 children in my class since I started teaching
Over 250 kids reached through our community kids club since it began
I've lived in 3 countries since I was 18
2 years using a wheelchair
I can speak/read 3 languages
1 cross+ 4 nails= my worth being defined by something far, far bigger than anything in this list!

Focussing your view of your health and fitness on just your weight will only limit, frustrate and demotivate you! Be brave- set goals for yourself based on something other than your weight- a new sport, a new distance, a new race or a new PB and watch how your relationship with your body, exercise and food changes!

The Tri-Suit...

This Tuesday, just before lunch, I found myself in the changing room of the new Pearl Izumi store in Gunwharf Quays, trying to contort and squeeze myself into the most lycra I have ever voluntarily put onto my body- a trisuit! For me, a perpetually 'bigger' girl, and proud exercise avoider for most of my adult life, standing in all-in-one spandex in front of a fluorescent lit floor-to-ceiling mirror threw me into a bizarre 'what the heck am I doing here, in this ridiculous suit' moment, causing me to pause and take stock of the past 12 months, and the various factors which had led to that particular point, and that particular changing room!

My shiny and oh-so-spandex trisuit

A year ago, I was tired, stressed and overweight. (Obese, if you ask the lovely people who make the BMI!) A history of being in bottom set for PE, punctuated by a run in with ME/CFS for over half my teenage years, as well as some pesky hypermobile joints, meant that I could barely run for a bus, although I could hold my own in a sailing dinghy! I lost some of the weight around age 18, but Uni, marriage, starting work and holding down some pretty insane working hours for the last 4 years had watched it creep back on and I was back at the biggest I'd ever been.
Something had to change, and change it did! Exactly a year ago this week, the hubs and I embarked on our first Whole30 and ate clean for a month (punctuated by a lovely bout of shingles!) 30 days later and shingles beaten in record time, I wanted to continue to make healthier lifestyle choices, so embarked on the couch25k programme. 8 weeks of mostly eating clean, and running 3x a week later, and, to my amazement, I could run 5k without stopping once!

Straight after running my first ever 5k- in 25 degree heat!

A few weeks post 5k and I realised that without a goal, I wasn't going to keep in my new routine for long (I kept stopping when my feet hurt!!). I searched for a 5k race, and, in all of my searching kept coming across the Great South Run. 10 miles! If anything, I'm stubborn and once the idea of running the Great South took hold, I just couldn't shift it! So, in August I downloaded this fab beginner-10 mile running plan on the advice of a great friend and ultra-marathon runner who seems to think one can do anything, as long as one sticks to the training plan!
12 weeks of training later and it was GSR day. God had my back and it was a cool bright day for my first ever race; 1.52 later and it was all over! (Particular thanks to a lovely friend Emma who bumped into me at the 6 mile mark and ran with me through my toughest half mile!)

Post Great South Run

My hypermobility has gifted me with a knee which is flaky at best, and has dislocated a couple of times. In the run up to the GSR, it had really begun to pickle and it was only with the help of a great physio that my knee and I made it to the finish line!

It became clear that further distance running could prove expensive and problematic for the gammy knee and I, so I needed to find another way to meet my new-found enjoyment for endurance sport!

I started cross training at the gym while I pondered my options- my newfound confidence from running carried me into classes which I'd never have dared to even peek through the door at 3 months previously.

At Christmas, I decided to bite the bullet and head into the next challenge- Triathlon. 2/3 disciplines are low impact- excellent for the gammy knee and still letting me get my running fix in! I started swimming and going to spin to prepare for the Portsmouth try a tri in June, as well as keeping the running going. This routine, combined with my faith, great friends and wonderful family actually carried me through a pretty rough patch this winter, giving me something to clear my head and a lovely endorphin kick afterwards!

I'd started to lose the momentum in my training as June is still pretty far away; luckily I found out on Monday that David Lloyd (the gym where I'd gone for physio) are running a Sprint Tri on April 26th. Even better, it's a pool swim (far less scary than the Solent!). So; I signed up- leading me to a suddenly urgent need for a tri-suit, and that scary changing room in Gunwharf!

1 year, 4 stone down and 1 trisuit later- I'm kitted out and ready to rock and roll!

I'm hoping to use this blog to continue to document my journey into health and fitness, and my training for the triathlon. I'll probably include a few food-y and travel posts (2 other massive passions of mine). My faith is a huge part of my story so expect it to also be making an appearance!