Reality Check - the low tech version. in Hot town, summery in the city - 2017

WHERE: this is the low tech version of the reality check. Not that low tech, to be fair, but my phone battery is only just above 30% and, despite the new battery I got a few weeks ago, using wifi and Spotify together drains the battery like me with my first (and only) coffee of the day! So I’m writing this on my notes app so I can play Spotify offline. And yes, Spotify is essential, if you were wondering 🤣 how many others of you are there who’s teenagers tell you to turn the music down 😜 (currently Crosby, Stills and Nash).
Anyway, I have not, at this point, answered the question so I’m going to put it out to tender… the lowest bid gets it.. no, that’s not right. I want to see if you can guess correctly where I am 😘😉

WEARING: again, this is up for points and what do points mean? No, not prizes, I’m not some ridiculously over funded game show 😅 however, for those in the know, what I’m wearing is very much linked to where I am…

FITNESS UPDATE: now for the exciting stuff. An update on fitness-esque stuff. I am on week 5 of (dammit, that overfunded game show host is back), Baaaaaaccckkk tooooo Baaaaasssiccs!! Today I did the final run of the week, tomorrow is the last strength training of the week and Sunday is hiking which I loosely consider to be cross training. So, anyone who remembers, by Christmas I couldn’t run for more than a mile to a mile and a half. I could travel for ten miles but had to have increasingly frequent walk breaks. Back to Basics is about bringing it all back to short distances, base my runs on time rather than distance and get my bloody fitness back! Today: week 5 long run. I had to run for 45 minutes. I have to tell you; it fucking hurt!! A lot!! Halfway through I had to have a serious talk with brain and legs, both of whom were beyond ready to have a long walk break. I pushed through that utterly agonising bit and, gradually, it got easier again. It helped that I spent a bit of time straight afterwards working out the logistics of running past the bloke up ahead of me on the path. I’m incredibly aware that a lot of people are not happy with runners right now so I literally go out of my way to move for people. This bloke was walking towards the turn off on the narrower path that I was aiming for so i decided that, if he went along it, I would carry on straight. I was psyching myself up for that as it was a gradual incline all the way along (one of the reasons it was so hard at that point). Anyway, he then veered at the very last second and didn’t take that path so I had to quickly stop and loop around so as not to stop while not coming too close to him before I turned off. All that brain work took my mind away from the burning pain screeching through my calves and lungs! Anyway, in 45 minutes, I ran a very, very slow 3.76 miles! I’m finding the strength training is getting easier, I’m almost at the point in which I could add weights to the squats (although not quite to the lunges yet). It’s the one thing I’ve always slacked on as part of my running training: strength training. It’s quite fun though. Oh, for those who guessed my positioning correctly, I’m accompanied by a couple of
cups of Himalayan salt. I would have used Epsom but Asda didn’t have any. I’m hoping the Himalayan will have a similar effect… if not, at least my skin will be divine 😜

THE NEWS: nope, no fucking clue. I’ve given up on the news. I’m so tired (have I mentioned this before 🤣) off all the negativity in the world, all the “I know my rights”, “no, but I know my rights!” And the utterly ridiculous arguments! On a Facebook page I follow there was an argument about whether a photo of a reading nook looked cosy or not!! Seriously, full on arguing! What in the hell is wrong with people?! You like it, you don’t. Both options are fine!!

Anyway, other than my rant about rants, the world in the U.K. it’s about to all open back up, I’m still not totally happy about this, about the fact that the day after the announcement ticket sales were booming for mass participation events. 🤷‍♀️ what can you do?

READING: The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie. One of her very early ones, published in 1924 (just post previous pandemic). It’s all very exciting and cloak and dagger. I feel that the people she (the main character) thinks dunnit are actually trying to protect her, but we’ll have to see as the book progresses.

ACTIVITIES TODAY: Roller coaster park followed by a trip to the beach, maybe in Ibiza. Then a lazy afternoon in a bar with loads of other people. Short of that, I’m giving blood this evening and that’s the height of my excitement!

THINKING ABOUT: how to make life more thrilling while staying within the confines of the house and garden. My thoughts aren’t really going anywhere.

PLANNING: what to write in my current assessment on how to plan an exercise and nutrition routine.

And that, as they say, is all folks!