Painful and annoying week where my fitness is concerned, or should I say, I am concerned about my fitness.
This time last year I was in incredible shape, running 20 miles every Sunday on the Coastpath. Yesterday I struggled with 7k.
The flu virus I had has knocked my fitness levels, but I am determined to get back to what I was before.
Monday night I struggled to do a decent turning kick in class, it annoyed me so much I've been practising ever since.
Yesterday I felt like a beginner at running. My whole body hurt, I felt fat and bloated and heavy. Inclines hurt my lungs and I struggled to recover.
With all that in mind I decided to go again today, I'm usually just a once a week runner as I do so many other forms of exercise in between but I broke my own rule today and decided to do the exact same route again!
Beautiful day again, the steam engine in the distance, running along the cool river Dart. Perfect 'Darling Buds of May' Day, smells of wild garlic, spring flowers everywhere. Perfick!
I kept my shoulders back and down, relaxed, lengthened my stride, breathed easily and enjoyed every second. The inclines were ok and I came back with a smile.
What a difference a day makes! Goes to show, don't ever give up, it takes a struggle but it's worth it in the end.
Think I'm going to go out again tomorrow too!
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Monday, 27 February 2012
The 24 Hour Gymathon!
Just sat down to blog this and realised I have no coffee, this is essential today, I'm feeling a tad sleepy. Be right back!
I have coffee!
So, Saturday 25th February, 6am I was up! Legged it out with the dogs round the field, packed the last of what I needed for the epic and then I was off to Torquay!
I unlocked the gym, but today was like no other, no setting up, no hoovering, no work except hard physical endurance.
Not long after I got there the lovely Spartan Survival Team turned up. So then there were 3!
I put on some music and started to get my head in gear for a slightly different kind of Torquay all-nighter!
The 3 of us started to warm up whilst we waited for the tiny and indestructible Julie aka Twitter lady (according to Amy) eventually she turned up making us 4!
To be fair, I had a flu virus the week leading up to this, I had some medication which was working ok and I felt the best I had in days, but my cough was still there, for the entire 24 hours! There is nothing more annoying than a sinus headache and a 24 hour endurance event!
So the first hour of cardio circuits went ok! I will say this, and I know that all concerned in the event will agree with me - rowing! Never again! You will never get me on a flipping rowing machine for more than 5 minutes ever again! I think I am mentally damaged from it, sat in the corner staring at the wall going forwards and back and never getting anywhere! I'm getting a Flashback, I think I may need therapy!
Onto the first area of resistance - I trained my back! Which was nice :)
Gemma, the tiny little dancing Zumba Queen arrived and promised us an easy time! Cardio-wise I thought it was ok, however, I dont think any of us managed to get any of the routines right, but we did laugh, and laugh and laugh at ourselves an awful lot!
As many of you know I'm not a fan of the Zumba, but I am a fan of the way Gemma takes her classes, if you've never tried Zumba and want an ace instructor she's your gal! Enthusiatic, smiley and great fun.
And then on we went, I attempted a pilates-style class which half killed the Spartan Survival Team haha but they were to get revenge in the Boxing session.
I loved the Boxing section, it's nice for me to get taught new skills, I know I do Kickboxing, but there is a difference between what I do and straight Boxing. To be honest, I fancy getting into it in a bigger way now,the way we were taught was fun, but firm and I have to say it was the first time in the event that I struggled with my lungs! With some marching (fast) and exercise military-style to finish the Spartan Team were a huge success.
I don't want to bore you anymore with individual sessions, but a brief run-down of what went on for the rest of the time we were there.
Ed' abs! Never have I been in a class where the Instructor starts every exercise with the words, 'well go on then!' Ed is hilarious and seriously worked our abs. I am still in pain now, I have also made a mental note to nick his exercises for my classes now! You lot are going to hate me even more when I introduce these bad boy exercises!
Late night aerobics, 11pm, Jo had joined us and the Spartan Team left, so instead of just staying in the studio for the aerobics, we decided to take it round the gym, making full use of the steps and punchbags. It was hilarious, and the cancan-style legwork laying on the benches was so so funny it really picked up the mood and kept us going.
Another highlight for me was the 2am kettlebells! Jo had never done them before and Julie and I shared exercises. It was a brilliant session. All of us counting, together in sync smiling away in the mirror giving ourselves the biggest round of applause between sets.
I think if anyone had been filming us in those early morning sessions they would have thought that we should have been locked up. I think an endurance event, particularly one that involves a lack of sleep will make your mind a little muddled at times. But I also think with this muddling that it helps you get through it.
Every time my pain killers wore off I suffered, but the next lot kicked in and I was up and at it again, the music helped, we had some old skool dance music on for most of the event and when I hear the Urban Cookie Collective - The key, the secret again I will have fond memories of us doing the conga around the gym as part of our cardio aerobic session!
We made it though, for the stretch at the end we tucked ourselves into the the Boxing ring with the mats, like we were in a playpen, we stretched all that was possible to stretch and finished the event with a massive cheer and group hug!
Amazing time, amazing company, and I would like to thank Oscar Phillips for letting us use his gym, Peak Physique TQ, very generous. I hope that the donations to VETERANS CHARITY will give some relief and benefit.
There is still time to donate - justgiving.com/FightingFitDevon
Thanks for reading :)
I have coffee!
So, Saturday 25th February, 6am I was up! Legged it out with the dogs round the field, packed the last of what I needed for the epic and then I was off to Torquay!
I unlocked the gym, but today was like no other, no setting up, no hoovering, no work except hard physical endurance.
Not long after I got there the lovely Spartan Survival Team turned up. So then there were 3!
I put on some music and started to get my head in gear for a slightly different kind of Torquay all-nighter!
The 3 of us started to warm up whilst we waited for the tiny and indestructible Julie aka Twitter lady (according to Amy) eventually she turned up making us 4!
To be fair, I had a flu virus the week leading up to this, I had some medication which was working ok and I felt the best I had in days, but my cough was still there, for the entire 24 hours! There is nothing more annoying than a sinus headache and a 24 hour endurance event!
So the first hour of cardio circuits went ok! I will say this, and I know that all concerned in the event will agree with me - rowing! Never again! You will never get me on a flipping rowing machine for more than 5 minutes ever again! I think I am mentally damaged from it, sat in the corner staring at the wall going forwards and back and never getting anywhere! I'm getting a Flashback, I think I may need therapy!
Onto the first area of resistance - I trained my back! Which was nice :)
Gemma, the tiny little dancing Zumba Queen arrived and promised us an easy time! Cardio-wise I thought it was ok, however, I dont think any of us managed to get any of the routines right, but we did laugh, and laugh and laugh at ourselves an awful lot!
As many of you know I'm not a fan of the Zumba, but I am a fan of the way Gemma takes her classes, if you've never tried Zumba and want an ace instructor she's your gal! Enthusiatic, smiley and great fun.
And then on we went, I attempted a pilates-style class which half killed the Spartan Survival Team haha but they were to get revenge in the Boxing session.
I loved the Boxing section, it's nice for me to get taught new skills, I know I do Kickboxing, but there is a difference between what I do and straight Boxing. To be honest, I fancy getting into it in a bigger way now,the way we were taught was fun, but firm and I have to say it was the first time in the event that I struggled with my lungs! With some marching (fast) and exercise military-style to finish the Spartan Team were a huge success.
I don't want to bore you anymore with individual sessions, but a brief run-down of what went on for the rest of the time we were there.
Ed' abs! Never have I been in a class where the Instructor starts every exercise with the words, 'well go on then!' Ed is hilarious and seriously worked our abs. I am still in pain now, I have also made a mental note to nick his exercises for my classes now! You lot are going to hate me even more when I introduce these bad boy exercises!
Late night aerobics, 11pm, Jo had joined us and the Spartan Team left, so instead of just staying in the studio for the aerobics, we decided to take it round the gym, making full use of the steps and punchbags. It was hilarious, and the cancan-style legwork laying on the benches was so so funny it really picked up the mood and kept us going.
Another highlight for me was the 2am kettlebells! Jo had never done them before and Julie and I shared exercises. It was a brilliant session. All of us counting, together in sync smiling away in the mirror giving ourselves the biggest round of applause between sets.
I think if anyone had been filming us in those early morning sessions they would have thought that we should have been locked up. I think an endurance event, particularly one that involves a lack of sleep will make your mind a little muddled at times. But I also think with this muddling that it helps you get through it.
Every time my pain killers wore off I suffered, but the next lot kicked in and I was up and at it again, the music helped, we had some old skool dance music on for most of the event and when I hear the Urban Cookie Collective - The key, the secret again I will have fond memories of us doing the conga around the gym as part of our cardio aerobic session!
We made it though, for the stretch at the end we tucked ourselves into the the Boxing ring with the mats, like we were in a playpen, we stretched all that was possible to stretch and finished the event with a massive cheer and group hug!
Amazing time, amazing company, and I would like to thank Oscar Phillips for letting us use his gym, Peak Physique TQ, very generous. I hope that the donations to VETERANS CHARITY will give some relief and benefit.
There is still time to donate - justgiving.com/FightingFitDevon
Thanks for reading :)
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Inner child
Again? I hear you cry? Have you gone totally Totnesian on us? Inner child blog?
Bear with me, and maybe I have spent too long in this town, but I've always had some hippie tendencies so it's only to be expected.
My BounceFit spacehooper classes were born from my need to embrance my inner child. Otherwise known as - runabout laugh and scream without a care in the world without responsibility for as long as you can get away with it, before returning to the normality of adulthood and bills!
I know myself well enough now that I have to have these episodes of lunacy to keep myself sane the rest of the time.
I've always said to people, 'you know when you see kids running around the playground or after school just running about, well I never stopped that!' At some point in a persons life they decided to just walk around without the excitement and exuberance of a child. It seems a sensible approach to be fair, but I still think it's so much quicker, and more fun to have a little run or skip there!
And talking of skipping! I just flipping love it! Nothing like a skip along the sea front!
I think I have more inner child to be embraced than most, either that or I just realise it and try not to cover it up! There's no fun in behaving like an adult all the time, I have to be let off the lead for a good run in the fresh air! (oh wait, thats a dog reference, not child! Save that for another time - Blog about animal instincts! Hmmm, maybe not!)
Today I took my little ballerina self off to the new studios.
I made sure my shoes were right, dance tights and top and ballet cardigan.
Little Deborah was ready to do big person Ballet!
I felt strange, slightly lost, my Mum always was with me for Ballet, and in a strange way I'm quite upset she wasn't there to see me go back to it after so long.
Mum did Ballet too and encouraged me to do it, which I loved. And I am so glad she did as it set up my legs for life! Today I was watching our Ballet teacher, I looked at the shape of her legs, in particular her quads, and then looked at mine in the mirror next to her. They were the same shape! Ballet does set your posture and your shape if you do it from a young age and for a long time.
I still have good posture and a natural way of pulling in everything when I stand. More people should do Ballet I reckon.
So, stood at the barre, not the bar as I usually do! Feelings came flooding back to me. The nerves of Ballet exams, remembering what Pas de chat means, remembering my Grand jete from my petit jete, my little pink cardigans that my Mum knitted for me. Sewing the ribbons onto my pink shoes.
So I guess what I'm saying is - Ballet, another excuse for me to leap back into the innocence of my childhood. Another form of escapism to leave the world that is so scary and full of responsibilities and worries. Another tiny escape that is so necessary for me, so when I step out again into the real world, I can cope with it.
Everyone needs to escape sometimes, escape into the innocence of your past, when life was easy but you didn't quite realise it at the time. If you try this you will really realise how good we had it.
That's it, I'm off to do some drawing now and maybe a little colouring in! ;)
Go on, be a tad childish today!
Bear with me, and maybe I have spent too long in this town, but I've always had some hippie tendencies so it's only to be expected.
My BounceFit spacehooper classes were born from my need to embrance my inner child. Otherwise known as - runabout laugh and scream without a care in the world without responsibility for as long as you can get away with it, before returning to the normality of adulthood and bills!
I know myself well enough now that I have to have these episodes of lunacy to keep myself sane the rest of the time.
I've always said to people, 'you know when you see kids running around the playground or after school just running about, well I never stopped that!' At some point in a persons life they decided to just walk around without the excitement and exuberance of a child. It seems a sensible approach to be fair, but I still think it's so much quicker, and more fun to have a little run or skip there!
And talking of skipping! I just flipping love it! Nothing like a skip along the sea front!
I think I have more inner child to be embraced than most, either that or I just realise it and try not to cover it up! There's no fun in behaving like an adult all the time, I have to be let off the lead for a good run in the fresh air! (oh wait, thats a dog reference, not child! Save that for another time - Blog about animal instincts! Hmmm, maybe not!)
Today I took my little ballerina self off to the new studios.
I made sure my shoes were right, dance tights and top and ballet cardigan.
Little Deborah was ready to do big person Ballet!
I felt strange, slightly lost, my Mum always was with me for Ballet, and in a strange way I'm quite upset she wasn't there to see me go back to it after so long.
Mum did Ballet too and encouraged me to do it, which I loved. And I am so glad she did as it set up my legs for life! Today I was watching our Ballet teacher, I looked at the shape of her legs, in particular her quads, and then looked at mine in the mirror next to her. They were the same shape! Ballet does set your posture and your shape if you do it from a young age and for a long time.
I still have good posture and a natural way of pulling in everything when I stand. More people should do Ballet I reckon.
So, stood at the barre, not the bar as I usually do! Feelings came flooding back to me. The nerves of Ballet exams, remembering what Pas de chat means, remembering my Grand jete from my petit jete, my little pink cardigans that my Mum knitted for me. Sewing the ribbons onto my pink shoes.
So I guess what I'm saying is - Ballet, another excuse for me to leap back into the innocence of my childhood. Another form of escapism to leave the world that is so scary and full of responsibilities and worries. Another tiny escape that is so necessary for me, so when I step out again into the real world, I can cope with it.
Everyone needs to escape sometimes, escape into the innocence of your past, when life was easy but you didn't quite realise it at the time. If you try this you will really realise how good we had it.
That's it, I'm off to do some drawing now and maybe a little colouring in! ;)
Go on, be a tad childish today!
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Steam, water, ether
Welcome along to my cold-fuelled very Totnesian blog this afternoon!
Still snotty I decided that I cant stay in on a beautiful sunny day, I needed the fresh air and so followed my plan and went to the South Devon Railway.
I don't want to tell you today in what order things happened, how I had a hot chocolate at Buckfastleigh, how there was a massive Owl at Totnes, how I chatted to Wendy at the museum, instead I've decided to blog what I wrote in my notebook on my journey home. As some of you know, I love writing and the journey back from Buckfastleigh inspired me and lifted my snotty spirit! So here you have it.......
My day in my words.
Leaving Buckfastleigh, grassy banks either side of the train, the water soaked tufts, sitting in lumps, big tufty mounds, the kind you can turn your ankle over on. The kind of water soaked tuft that shows a true wet winter and requires a good rolling come spring, if the ground is ever to be any good.
Over a little bridge that took us over the Dart, below were deep cool clear pools of metallic water, you can almost smell the iron content as the water flows from the moor.
The water takes a turn, patterns changing around the rocks in white egg-whipped fury. Little white clouds of watery passion shoot up from either side of the rock and pass back into the flowing river.
Spots of winter in clusters between the trees, tiny little white bobbing heads of snow, waving in the chill winter breeze. Snowdrops showing a sign of spring for us, a little white glow of hope.
Nature shows us the time of year so faithfully, the green of ivy, the only green to be seen. The brown Beech leaves hanging on tight onto the tiny whips, showing no sign of growth or bud.
No signs of buds among the still stark trees, dead-looking, but patient, so powerfully growing within, yet giving nothing away.
I feel the heat on my back from the vast steam engine behind me, I feel the powerful motion and the drive of the steam. Beside me moss-covered rocks line the Dart edge, moss spreading through the trees.
The train letting off steam like an emotion, a cry of excitement, rushing along the bumpy track. Racing to get somewhere, beside the racing flowing river. The two were inseparable at this point, both moving swiftly with a purpose, both on a mission of excitement and drive to get somewhere, but where?
River and Railway separated only by a brambly bank, both going back to Totnes, both hurrying to be home.
Steam clouds puffing out by the window like fairytale magic. This magnificent puffing machine, so powerful as to carry us, so majestic in it's appearance, slowly pulls into Staverton Station and rests awhile.
As we move from the Station I notice freshly ploughed fields to my left. A sign of a move forward. Ploughing means growing and growing means sunshine.
Sunshine wasn't lacking today though, it was ever-resent to warm me and make me smile.
At this point it was burning through the window warming my face and making my eyes shine.
The train engine, panting, seething, puffing in the station, the smell of soot, it exhales and then leaves again as though on an effortless long run.
Again, the excitement, the noises, but this time the Dart is still and glimmering gently in the sun. Now the river cannot understand the fury of the train's movement, when before, train and river were acting alike.
The very essence of unpredictable nature which makes it so perfect.
Again, a magical mist appears to my side and flows into the twigs of the dormant trees, catching in it like silver.
Branches of the trees hanging into the cold cold Dart water, branches reaching and arching, as though to capture a special secret, or precious item from the depths, lichen hanging from their tender limbs.
And now, the excited release of the thundering engine faster and faster.
We slow, we stop, the engine gives out a sigh of beautiful sooty pleasure.
She had brought me home.
Still snotty I decided that I cant stay in on a beautiful sunny day, I needed the fresh air and so followed my plan and went to the South Devon Railway.
I don't want to tell you today in what order things happened, how I had a hot chocolate at Buckfastleigh, how there was a massive Owl at Totnes, how I chatted to Wendy at the museum, instead I've decided to blog what I wrote in my notebook on my journey home. As some of you know, I love writing and the journey back from Buckfastleigh inspired me and lifted my snotty spirit! So here you have it.......
My day in my words.
Leaving Buckfastleigh, grassy banks either side of the train, the water soaked tufts, sitting in lumps, big tufty mounds, the kind you can turn your ankle over on. The kind of water soaked tuft that shows a true wet winter and requires a good rolling come spring, if the ground is ever to be any good.
Over a little bridge that took us over the Dart, below were deep cool clear pools of metallic water, you can almost smell the iron content as the water flows from the moor.
The water takes a turn, patterns changing around the rocks in white egg-whipped fury. Little white clouds of watery passion shoot up from either side of the rock and pass back into the flowing river.
Spots of winter in clusters between the trees, tiny little white bobbing heads of snow, waving in the chill winter breeze. Snowdrops showing a sign of spring for us, a little white glow of hope.
Nature shows us the time of year so faithfully, the green of ivy, the only green to be seen. The brown Beech leaves hanging on tight onto the tiny whips, showing no sign of growth or bud.
No signs of buds among the still stark trees, dead-looking, but patient, so powerfully growing within, yet giving nothing away.
I feel the heat on my back from the vast steam engine behind me, I feel the powerful motion and the drive of the steam. Beside me moss-covered rocks line the Dart edge, moss spreading through the trees.
The train letting off steam like an emotion, a cry of excitement, rushing along the bumpy track. Racing to get somewhere, beside the racing flowing river. The two were inseparable at this point, both moving swiftly with a purpose, both on a mission of excitement and drive to get somewhere, but where?
River and Railway separated only by a brambly bank, both going back to Totnes, both hurrying to be home.
Steam clouds puffing out by the window like fairytale magic. This magnificent puffing machine, so powerful as to carry us, so majestic in it's appearance, slowly pulls into Staverton Station and rests awhile.
As we move from the Station I notice freshly ploughed fields to my left. A sign of a move forward. Ploughing means growing and growing means sunshine.
Sunshine wasn't lacking today though, it was ever-resent to warm me and make me smile.
At this point it was burning through the window warming my face and making my eyes shine.
The train engine, panting, seething, puffing in the station, the smell of soot, it exhales and then leaves again as though on an effortless long run.
Again, the excitement, the noises, but this time the Dart is still and glimmering gently in the sun. Now the river cannot understand the fury of the train's movement, when before, train and river were acting alike.
The very essence of unpredictable nature which makes it so perfect.
Again, a magical mist appears to my side and flows into the twigs of the dormant trees, catching in it like silver.
Branches of the trees hanging into the cold cold Dart water, branches reaching and arching, as though to capture a special secret, or precious item from the depths, lichen hanging from their tender limbs.
And now, the excited release of the thundering engine faster and faster.
We slow, we stop, the engine gives out a sigh of beautiful sooty pleasure.
She had brought me home.
Saturday, 18 February 2012
Spacehoppers, Kickboxing and preparation!
Hi All,
I've been a little too busy to blog lately so thought I'd have a massive catch up of so far this year!
I'm currently on the sofa in my sleeping bag feeling like pants :( I've had a cough for a few weeks and now it's decided to turn into a mini virus. I made it through both Boxercise and BounceFit this morning (with the aid of some hardcore painkillers) and now I'm doing the resting thing.
So, back to January - the first exciting thing is obviously the new Agatha Christie Book Collection series! haha, and with that in mind, and the fact that my birthday is in January I decided to have a murder mystery evening at The Bayhorse.
20's style dress code and a lot of writing for me.
I mostly planned this in between my Kickboxing sessions at Winners in our hours break. With the likes of an actress (me!) Vicar, Lord and Lady of the Manor, a Maid, stablegirl and many more obvious suspects I thoroughly enjoyed planning it all.
So just before my birthday I had a little excitement - BBC Spotlight contacted me as they had heard about my BounceFit classes. Hamish asked if they could come over to Marldon and film it.Of course I jumped at the chance for the free publicity and let everyone know who had booked that they would soon be local celebrities!
It was a great evening, tiring though, a lot of 'free-bouncing' whilst we were waiting for the cameras to be on us.
I did my best promoting the class and little Lauren was speechless for the first time in her life!
All in all, it was a great boost for Fighting Fit Devon.
Now to my birthday - Champagne, pearl necklaces, feathers, lippy and a couple of murders in the pub. The good old days eh?! haha I loved my 1920's dress, felt quite at home in it.
The Murder Mystery I guess was a bit of a success. Everyone got into their characters and the bubbly flowed!
My birthday ended up with me annoying my neighbours by playing 'Fame' really loud at 4.30am and dancing around in my hotpants!! Oh well, it's the first time I've ever done it in 6 years. They seem ok now haha :()
With all this excitement going on, work was building. I have more hours at Peak Physique and more and more Kickboxers have joined. I now have 9 Juniors :)
I am still staying patient, classes are ok, I will just keep pushing for more. This time next year?! haha
So in a weeks time I will be part-way through the Gymathon, I just need to rest up this week and get myself fit and well for it.
Will be in touch soon
:)
I've been a little too busy to blog lately so thought I'd have a massive catch up of so far this year!
I'm currently on the sofa in my sleeping bag feeling like pants :( I've had a cough for a few weeks and now it's decided to turn into a mini virus. I made it through both Boxercise and BounceFit this morning (with the aid of some hardcore painkillers) and now I'm doing the resting thing.
So, back to January - the first exciting thing is obviously the new Agatha Christie Book Collection series! haha, and with that in mind, and the fact that my birthday is in January I decided to have a murder mystery evening at The Bayhorse.
20's style dress code and a lot of writing for me.
I mostly planned this in between my Kickboxing sessions at Winners in our hours break. With the likes of an actress (me!) Vicar, Lord and Lady of the Manor, a Maid, stablegirl and many more obvious suspects I thoroughly enjoyed planning it all.
So just before my birthday I had a little excitement - BBC Spotlight contacted me as they had heard about my BounceFit classes. Hamish asked if they could come over to Marldon and film it.Of course I jumped at the chance for the free publicity and let everyone know who had booked that they would soon be local celebrities!
It was a great evening, tiring though, a lot of 'free-bouncing' whilst we were waiting for the cameras to be on us.
I did my best promoting the class and little Lauren was speechless for the first time in her life!
All in all, it was a great boost for Fighting Fit Devon.
Now to my birthday - Champagne, pearl necklaces, feathers, lippy and a couple of murders in the pub. The good old days eh?! haha I loved my 1920's dress, felt quite at home in it.
The Murder Mystery I guess was a bit of a success. Everyone got into their characters and the bubbly flowed!
My birthday ended up with me annoying my neighbours by playing 'Fame' really loud at 4.30am and dancing around in my hotpants!! Oh well, it's the first time I've ever done it in 6 years. They seem ok now haha :()
With all this excitement going on, work was building. I have more hours at Peak Physique and more and more Kickboxers have joined. I now have 9 Juniors :)
I am still staying patient, classes are ok, I will just keep pushing for more. This time next year?! haha
So in a weeks time I will be part-way through the Gymathon, I just need to rest up this week and get myself fit and well for it.
Will be in touch soon
:)
Monday, 2 January 2012
Dartmoor escape
Monday 2nd January 2012 - sounds odd, 2012! I'm sure I'll be used to it by around May.
Yesterday was a chill and start of a little detox after the festivties. I didn't eat rubbish but I did drink my own weight in wine and bubbly! Decided to have a good system cleanse and get back my energy levels.
This morning I was up and about early, the sun was shining and I needed to get out of Totnes, let alone the house. I've been feeling a little 'town suffocation' again. I have to just leave and breathe some different air and come back refreshed both mentally and physically.
Having some kind of female hormone episode at the moment as well, you know how psycho women are when that happens?! So slightly grumpy I went out to improve things.
Dogs packed into the van, waterproofs on, although it was sunny I was visiting Dartmoor, who knows what kind of weather would be going on out there. Final decision, which part of the moor?
I drove and finally decided that I hadn't seen the area around Haytor for some time, I knew it would be heaving with people, it being a Bank Holiday but I know the places to avoid them now!
The sun was still shining when we got there but the wind chill was epic. I got fully kitted up, gloves, waterproofs etc and leashed up the hounds.
There is something wrong, in my mind with having dogs on leads with such a vast expanse of landscape to run around and sniff and bounce over, but there were some sheep and the usual crew of Dartmoor ponies kicking about so I thought I'd better keep them close by, particularly Paddy loopy chops!
This is the fun part, massive puddles, mud, slippery rock and tiny paths in the gorse and heather and me on the end of 2 Dog leads, with the Dogs pulling to get to who knows where they were thinking.
5 near slips later and we were up the top on Haytor, the wind was so cold, whipping through Paddys Furry hind legs, I thought it was going to knock them over.
The weather was changing, rain was spitting in the air and as I passed over the top of the hill I could see a Rainbow below. There are always Rainbows on Dartmoor, because there is always rain somewhere!
Nice easy descent with the boys, they were getting used to my constant nagging about not pulling and we made it to the bottom in one piece.
Started along the old track and all of a sudden, Murphy pulled to the right, Paddy to the left and I went flying over into a puddle. The dogs actually seemed concerned for me and I hurt my arm. Even more hormonal now, there were no creatures in sight so the boys came off the lead!
Now the fun started for the dogs and I got to enjoy my walk.
There is something about Dartmoor that is soul saving, whenever I have difficulties, a bit of time on the Moor makes everything well again.
Today was no exception, and even moreso as the rain hit! Refreshing at first, then the snow hit, then the hail came down with the wind whipping it up and smashing hard against the side of my face. I didn't care, the dogs were happy, I was out in some of the most beautiful scenery you can get and fresh new air was in my lungs.
We are now all huddled round the wood burner drying off, but a happy day was had by all.
See you soon :)
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