Before completing the all-time Ady movie top five in the world ever - and in so doing, drawing the latest subject of the 'month' to a close - some honourable mentions of movies that almost made it....
Lean On Me - Morgan Freeman as headmaster; 'you know what that guy is saying right now? "that black person can't throw me out!" You know WHERE he's saying it? In the parking lot!!"
Return To Me - David Duchovney (spelling?!) in an unlikely story of romance.
"Would you go out with me?"
"Yes"
"Tomorrow night?"
"Yes"
"Pick you up around 8 o'clock?"
"Yes"
"Wow, you're a very difficult woman!"
Christmas Movies - I decided not to include these in the top five; firstly as it feels weird to have seasonal films on the list, and secondly because if I had to include them picking a top five would have put me in therapy (my blog, my rules; so there!). Fret not though, you won't miss out, as guess what the subject of the month is going to be this CHRISTMAS.......!!
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.......
I should imagine The Shawshank Redemption will make it into the top films list of most people. Just like the four other movies in the top five; it is a story of struggle, of misfortune, of friendship, but above all it is a story of and about hope.
Set predominantly in a prison which we are told 'is no fairytale world', Andy Dufresne - a convicted murderer, sentenced to incarceration for the rest of his days - meets Red, an old man who has lived longer behind prison walls as he has outside them. There are so many stories - and stories within stories - during its two-plus hours (the warden, the library, Brookes, Zihuatanejo!......); all fantastic, but the relationship between the two main characters is what sucks me in. A man who has every reason to give up, yet finds that place in his soul that springs eternal - the hope that noone can touch - pitted against a man whom not only has hope long ago deserted; actually believes that 'hope is a dangerous thing; hope can drive a man insane'.
It's what we say isn't it? "Dare to hope". Do we dare? Do we recognise the possibility of something so good happening? Do we give that thought weight? Do we commit ourselves to it? Or do we shrink from it for fear of the misery should these dreams not come true? I believe most of us start off in the world with hope; lots of it, and it is such a shame that people - through cuts and bruises (metaphorical and literal), misfortune, struggle - start (as did Red) believing hope is to be avoided; a negative emotion.
If a movie is to get into the Ady charts (alright? not 'arf!) it cannot just be 'that's a good movie'; it has to speak to me, resonate with me; even teach me. The Shawshank Redemption is no exception. I'm with Andy (not the murdering part you understand.....mind you.....!!) when he says 'hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things; and no good thing ever dies'. It is a beautiful sentiment; one to live by.
I have had my knocks in the past. I have dared and succeeded, and yes I have certainly dared and failed (sometimes devastatingly so); but I am proud to say that my hope is very much intact. My life, my actions, my outlook on life is one of optimism and growth (albeit not in the waistline!), and I am all the better for it. I hope there will always be a part of me untouched by the negativity that life can bring, and I hope I will always look towards the future with...........hope!
So who wins? The hopeful or the hopeless? See it - if you haven't already - and find out for yourself!
Friday 31 August 2012
Wednesday 29 August 2012
Weigh in (61)
You know how I said 'sorry for not blogging so often, from here on in I promise to post at least 3 times a week' (or words to that effect).......hmmmmm......yeah...........oops....... Okay, from here on in I will be posting at least three times a week......honest........no really I will.........
The worst was well and truly prepared for last night; it has not been a great week. As you know it started with the Chinese takeaway, but as you don't know the bank holiday weekend was about as nutritionally controlled as Sarah Millican in a doughnut factory (love her; but on some freaky chance she might end up reading this, I've seen your DVD intro!!). Much of it came and went in a bit of a blur, but the highlight was - visiting the folks on Saturday with nephew, niece, brothers, in-laws, John-Boy, Jim-Bob, Grandpa...... - a sister special for lunch, consisting of mini pork pies (more pie than pork), slices of pizza (more cheese than you could shake a Babybel at), quiche (more egg than can possibly be good for you) and ham in extremely doughy baps (more tea vicar?.....nope, can't think of a 'more' line for doughy baps); oh, and a choccy choclatey chocolitious birthday cake for my nephew (no more, PLEEEASE, NO MOOOOORE!).
There was also a lonely looking bowl of salad leaves on the table - trying to hold up the healthy side of life and straining it's neck above the goo of indulgence in the forlorn hope of finding a friend like a carrot or a stick of celery - but it wilted in the face of such overwhelming odds.
So virtuous felt I when choosing only a couple of sandwiches and a handful of salad; I even left the squidgy half of my birthday cake wedge. Yay me! Unfortunately I was unprepared for the doggie bag which went home with me (quite of it's own volition, nothing to do with me) containing said pizza, salmon (missed that one didn't I?), pork pies and further doughy baps. Getting in at about 8 o'clock in the evening with little inclination to cook anything, I was helpless against the lure of the dark side and my friends, I ate the lot.
Both a positive and negative is the effect this little bingette had on me, as I was up most of the night with pretty intense stomach cramps. I won't go into the gruesome details, but it is safe to say that my body gave a pretty clear message if its reluctance to take that amount of fat all at once.......and oh did it make me pay! Not something I care to put myself through again, and may I say it made the gym 17km on the following morning the hardest run I've had to do so far (almost didn't, and may well have been justified in the didnting, but nevertheless, I did!).
....and you know the real lemon juice in the wound?! Clare - instigator of said feast, and may I say packer of doggie bag - 'didn't eat very much, and didn't take anything home'. Do I sense sabotage in the air?.............! First the concert picnic (see previous) and now this!
Add to this the fact that I appear to have demolished much of a loaf of bread in the space of a couple of days, my hopes for the weigh in were not high. At best I hoped that I would put on sufficiently little weight still to be rounded down to 15 stone 11. It was with some sense of relief therefore that the digital read-out settled on 11.2 pounds, followed by unbridled joy when at the last minute it blinked back down to 15 stone 10.6!! Not so much as a decimal point change from last week....and yes, I did re-weigh a couple of times to make sure!!
Boring it may be, but that is a bullet which even Matrixing Keanauauenaau Reeves would struggle to dodge. Considering the expectation, it actually feels like a success to stay the same!
It's a lovely time at the moment, as everyone to a man - or woman - who sees me is commenting on how good I am looking and how much weight I have lost. This sort of validation is way down the list of 'reasons why I am doing this' but I would be lying if it doesn't give me a bit of a buzz to hear it! May I say for the record, that I agree with them! I look better, and more importantly I feel better. Significant though they are, the benefits of weight loss are not confined to appearance and health; the effect on someone's state of mind cannot be dismissed. It has certainly affected mine. Let's face it; life is hard, but from this new - lighter - perspective, the good things seem so much gooder, and the difficult things so much more fixable. Feels good!
Two more weighs until the Great North.......would be great to get another 4-5 pounds off.
The worst was well and truly prepared for last night; it has not been a great week. As you know it started with the Chinese takeaway, but as you don't know the bank holiday weekend was about as nutritionally controlled as Sarah Millican in a doughnut factory (love her; but on some freaky chance she might end up reading this, I've seen your DVD intro!!). Much of it came and went in a bit of a blur, but the highlight was - visiting the folks on Saturday with nephew, niece, brothers, in-laws, John-Boy, Jim-Bob, Grandpa...... - a sister special for lunch, consisting of mini pork pies (more pie than pork), slices of pizza (more cheese than you could shake a Babybel at), quiche (more egg than can possibly be good for you) and ham in extremely doughy baps (more tea vicar?.....nope, can't think of a 'more' line for doughy baps); oh, and a choccy choclatey chocolitious birthday cake for my nephew (no more, PLEEEASE, NO MOOOOORE!).
There was also a lonely looking bowl of salad leaves on the table - trying to hold up the healthy side of life and straining it's neck above the goo of indulgence in the forlorn hope of finding a friend like a carrot or a stick of celery - but it wilted in the face of such overwhelming odds.
So virtuous felt I when choosing only a couple of sandwiches and a handful of salad; I even left the squidgy half of my birthday cake wedge. Yay me! Unfortunately I was unprepared for the doggie bag which went home with me (quite of it's own volition, nothing to do with me) containing said pizza, salmon (missed that one didn't I?), pork pies and further doughy baps. Getting in at about 8 o'clock in the evening with little inclination to cook anything, I was helpless against the lure of the dark side and my friends, I ate the lot.
Both a positive and negative is the effect this little bingette had on me, as I was up most of the night with pretty intense stomach cramps. I won't go into the gruesome details, but it is safe to say that my body gave a pretty clear message if its reluctance to take that amount of fat all at once.......and oh did it make me pay! Not something I care to put myself through again, and may I say it made the gym 17km on the following morning the hardest run I've had to do so far (almost didn't, and may well have been justified in the didnting, but nevertheless, I did!).
....and you know the real lemon juice in the wound?! Clare - instigator of said feast, and may I say packer of doggie bag - 'didn't eat very much, and didn't take anything home'. Do I sense sabotage in the air?.............! First the concert picnic (see previous) and now this!
Add to this the fact that I appear to have demolished much of a loaf of bread in the space of a couple of days, my hopes for the weigh in were not high. At best I hoped that I would put on sufficiently little weight still to be rounded down to 15 stone 11. It was with some sense of relief therefore that the digital read-out settled on 11.2 pounds, followed by unbridled joy when at the last minute it blinked back down to 15 stone 10.6!! Not so much as a decimal point change from last week....and yes, I did re-weigh a couple of times to make sure!!
Boring it may be, but that is a bullet which even Matrixing Keanauauenaau Reeves would struggle to dodge. Considering the expectation, it actually feels like a success to stay the same!
It's a lovely time at the moment, as everyone to a man - or woman - who sees me is commenting on how good I am looking and how much weight I have lost. This sort of validation is way down the list of 'reasons why I am doing this' but I would be lying if it doesn't give me a bit of a buzz to hear it! May I say for the record, that I agree with them! I look better, and more importantly I feel better. Significant though they are, the benefits of weight loss are not confined to appearance and health; the effect on someone's state of mind cannot be dismissed. It has certainly affected mine. Let's face it; life is hard, but from this new - lighter - perspective, the good things seem so much gooder, and the difficult things so much more fixable. Feels good!
Two more weighs until the Great North.......would be great to get another 4-5 pounds off.
Thursday 23 August 2012
Weigh in (60)
Now, be honest; has someone been putting me on an intra-venus drip of liquidised chocolate brownie while I've been asleep?!! Come on, I won't be angry; just tell me!!
I have lost precisely nothing....and have gained precisely......nothing....which means........yes, still 15 stone 10.6 pounds (officially 11 pounds then). A little surprised if I am honest, but there have been a few naughties this week which although not excessive are a clear indication of - as the amount to lose is steadily reducing - how much harder it is getting to shed the load.
Was a bit stymied on Friday night as - at an open-air concert (Kate Rusby....fab-u-lous!) - my Sister Clare (not a nun - faaaaaar from it! - my sister called Clare) put together a picnic which was 50 shades of unhealthy (see what I did there?!). I could have turned down the bad stuff, but a combination of not wanting to be rude, not wanting to limit my dinner to a couple of sandwiches, and not by any means least thinking 'stuff it, I'll stuff myself' meant mini pork pies, pesto pasta and chocolate fudge dessert went places which haven't seen such delights for quite some time. That was the killer blow; but during the rest of the week I did on occasion slip into the 'blob of margarine on everything' syndrome as I recall. Don't know why I do it, as it just makes everything taste of melted margarine!
Prepare yourself now people; I am about to come out with the classic cliche. It may be the first - and hopefully last - one I will ever use, but in this case it might actually hold some validity. Are you ready?!!!.....here it comes.........
Muscle weighs more than fat......
There, I said it; the classic excuse for 'I exercise a lot, so why am I not losing weight'. That said, I do look in the mirror from time to time and although hardly Mo Farah, I can see my body shape is changing, and I am toning up. Much less wobbly these days (don't worry, as my wobble quotient (wq) used to be extraordinarily high, 'much less wobbly' still makes me a bit wobbly! Do you get the impression I like the word wobbly?!). It may be clutching at straws of justification, but as the fat goes down and the muscle goes up, maybe the weight loss is not going to be as pronounced as I would expect - or like - it to be without keeping tight control of the diet.
Either that or somebody really IS injecting me with 'essence of lard' in the wee small hours......be warned, CCTV is now in operation in the bedroom area (that sounds so much more pervy than intended).
Not a good start as succumbed to a Chinese after weigh-in; got my work cut out now to salvage the week!
(P.S. Sorry I've not been posting enough over the last few days. Very little in the way of excuses, but I make a promise to be blogging the crap out of this thing 3-4 times a week from here on in. It's kind of like going out for the evening; you feel like you're not in the mood, but once you get started, YOU LURRRRVE IT!!)
I have lost precisely nothing....and have gained precisely......nothing....which means........yes, still 15 stone 10.6 pounds (officially 11 pounds then). A little surprised if I am honest, but there have been a few naughties this week which although not excessive are a clear indication of - as the amount to lose is steadily reducing - how much harder it is getting to shed the load.
Was a bit stymied on Friday night as - at an open-air concert (Kate Rusby....fab-u-lous!) - my Sister Clare (not a nun - faaaaaar from it! - my sister called Clare) put together a picnic which was 50 shades of unhealthy (see what I did there?!). I could have turned down the bad stuff, but a combination of not wanting to be rude, not wanting to limit my dinner to a couple of sandwiches, and not by any means least thinking 'stuff it, I'll stuff myself' meant mini pork pies, pesto pasta and chocolate fudge dessert went places which haven't seen such delights for quite some time. That was the killer blow; but during the rest of the week I did on occasion slip into the 'blob of margarine on everything' syndrome as I recall. Don't know why I do it, as it just makes everything taste of melted margarine!
Prepare yourself now people; I am about to come out with the classic cliche. It may be the first - and hopefully last - one I will ever use, but in this case it might actually hold some validity. Are you ready?!!!.....here it comes.........
Muscle weighs more than fat......
There, I said it; the classic excuse for 'I exercise a lot, so why am I not losing weight'. That said, I do look in the mirror from time to time and although hardly Mo Farah, I can see my body shape is changing, and I am toning up. Much less wobbly these days (don't worry, as my wobble quotient (wq) used to be extraordinarily high, 'much less wobbly' still makes me a bit wobbly! Do you get the impression I like the word wobbly?!). It may be clutching at straws of justification, but as the fat goes down and the muscle goes up, maybe the weight loss is not going to be as pronounced as I would expect - or like - it to be without keeping tight control of the diet.
Either that or somebody really IS injecting me with 'essence of lard' in the wee small hours......be warned, CCTV is now in operation in the bedroom area (that sounds so much more pervy than intended).
Not a good start as succumbed to a Chinese after weigh-in; got my work cut out now to salvage the week!
(P.S. Sorry I've not been posting enough over the last few days. Very little in the way of excuses, but I make a promise to be blogging the crap out of this thing 3-4 times a week from here on in. It's kind of like going out for the evening; you feel like you're not in the mood, but once you get started, YOU LURRRRVE IT!!)
Thursday 16 August 2012
The Movies.........Field of Dreams
This is getting tougher. Picking the all-time Ady film five is starting to feel like pulling off a plaster....do it quickly before you change your mind!! (Having said that, I have just now changed my mind and put a different film in the subject line......that's it now....totally decided.......I think.....).
There will be honorable mentions later on, but Field of Dreams has just got to go on the list. The to-ing and fro-ing as to whether it should be there is down to the fact that I haven't watched it for quite a while; and shouldn't a nominee for the best film award be one that never strays too far from the DVD player? Weeeeeeeeeeell..........maybe; but this is one which you need to really make time for, and in my defence there hasn't been much of that flying around lately!
Known by the uninitiated as 'that film about baseball'; Field of Dreams can be summed up for me in a word....magic! Granted, baseball is involved in the movie; but rather than being all about the sport - which I am sure turns most people off before they even start - it serves as the vehicle to tell what is a lovely story.
I distinctly remember the first time I watched it. It was at Mum's and Dad's house over the weekend of a family gathering (don't know which one....okay, I can't remember THAT part so distinctly). A brother (Paul, if you're keeping track) who had seen it before, rented it on video (aaah video, remember that?!) and virtually forced us to sit round and watch it (now I know why). We were all a bit quiet at the end, asides from the sobbing that is! The following day another brother arrived, and at about 6pm he sat down to watch it while the rest of us were playing a board game. We warned him that he wouldn't have time to finish it as it had to be back at the video library by seven. Dismissively we were told 'don't worry, I just want to have a little look at what all the fuss is about'........
.....at quarter to seven he popped his head round the door and asked how much it would be to extend the rental to another night!
As I've said before; I am loathed to give too much away about the movie, and in the case of Field of Dreams there is just so much happening it would take too long anyway. It is a film about ghosts, about hearing voices, about heaven, about redemption, and it is a film about unending belief and limitless faith (are you starting to detect a pattern emerging in these films?....yep.....me too!). Belief that - regardless of how weird it might seem to everyone - what you are doing is right, and faith that if you stick to your guns and 'go the distance' the world will be a better place, and you will be a better you. Now that doesn't seem like a bad way to spend a couple of hours does it?!
Since achieving pride of place in the DVD rack, Field of Dreams has become more than just a movie; it now serves as a personality barometer (I could leave you there, but I really have to explain myself don't I?!). If someone doesn't like Star Wars, I can understand that; they are just not into science-fiction. If City Lights (see previous) is not your cup of tea I can live with 'don't like black and white movies' or 'not too keen on Charlie Chaplin'; but I have to be honest, if someone fails to be moved by Field of Dreams it affects my opinion of them. I'm not saying I will instantly despise them or anything; of course not, but I can't help feeling that it is an indication of something missing in them; a something which I prize greatly. No idea what I would call it; depth? freedom? or perhaps a belief that there is something more in the universe than what we can see, hear, touch and smell.
All the psychobabble aside.......bottom line.......it's a flippin' good film!
There will be honorable mentions later on, but Field of Dreams has just got to go on the list. The to-ing and fro-ing as to whether it should be there is down to the fact that I haven't watched it for quite a while; and shouldn't a nominee for the best film award be one that never strays too far from the DVD player? Weeeeeeeeeeell..........maybe; but this is one which you need to really make time for, and in my defence there hasn't been much of that flying around lately!
Known by the uninitiated as 'that film about baseball'; Field of Dreams can be summed up for me in a word....magic! Granted, baseball is involved in the movie; but rather than being all about the sport - which I am sure turns most people off before they even start - it serves as the vehicle to tell what is a lovely story.
I distinctly remember the first time I watched it. It was at Mum's and Dad's house over the weekend of a family gathering (don't know which one....okay, I can't remember THAT part so distinctly). A brother (Paul, if you're keeping track) who had seen it before, rented it on video (aaah video, remember that?!) and virtually forced us to sit round and watch it (now I know why). We were all a bit quiet at the end, asides from the sobbing that is! The following day another brother arrived, and at about 6pm he sat down to watch it while the rest of us were playing a board game. We warned him that he wouldn't have time to finish it as it had to be back at the video library by seven. Dismissively we were told 'don't worry, I just want to have a little look at what all the fuss is about'........
.....at quarter to seven he popped his head round the door and asked how much it would be to extend the rental to another night!
As I've said before; I am loathed to give too much away about the movie, and in the case of Field of Dreams there is just so much happening it would take too long anyway. It is a film about ghosts, about hearing voices, about heaven, about redemption, and it is a film about unending belief and limitless faith (are you starting to detect a pattern emerging in these films?....yep.....me too!). Belief that - regardless of how weird it might seem to everyone - what you are doing is right, and faith that if you stick to your guns and 'go the distance' the world will be a better place, and you will be a better you. Now that doesn't seem like a bad way to spend a couple of hours does it?!
Since achieving pride of place in the DVD rack, Field of Dreams has become more than just a movie; it now serves as a personality barometer (I could leave you there, but I really have to explain myself don't I?!). If someone doesn't like Star Wars, I can understand that; they are just not into science-fiction. If City Lights (see previous) is not your cup of tea I can live with 'don't like black and white movies' or 'not too keen on Charlie Chaplin'; but I have to be honest, if someone fails to be moved by Field of Dreams it affects my opinion of them. I'm not saying I will instantly despise them or anything; of course not, but I can't help feeling that it is an indication of something missing in them; a something which I prize greatly. No idea what I would call it; depth? freedom? or perhaps a belief that there is something more in the universe than what we can see, hear, touch and smell.
All the psychobabble aside.......bottom line.......it's a flippin' good film!
Wednesday 15 August 2012
Weigh in (59)
WE'RE WORKING, WE'RE MOVING, WE'RE IN THE ZONE WE'RE GROOVING!!!!
Sorry, I seem to be channelling 'Friends' quite a lot at the moment - hopefully it will be flushed out of my system sooner rather than later - but now I am on the subject noone did ever tell me that life was going to be this way.
That said, my life is certainly not stuck in second gear (stopitstopitSTOPIT!!!); two more pounds off this week (actually 2.2!) bringing me to an incredible 15 stone 11 pounds (actually 10.6, do the same again and that registers as a 3 pound loss!). After last weeks wobble it is pleasing to have regained control, not to mention positivity. Okay, I admit to a sneaky chicken fried rice and prawn crackers (still haven't found a party hat in there) at the weekend; but to be honest with the amount of exercise during the week I can get away with the odd dodgy meal, as long as - like me - they stay odd!
Apparently my body mass index has now gone from 'obese' to merely 'overweight'. Yay!
The usual gym visits on Thursday, Sunday and last night; plus there was the text of doom at the weekend asking 'can you play a match on Monday night?!!'. Saying yes seemed like a really good idea at the time...... Heaven knows what state I would have been in taking on this sort of schedule at 19 stone plus, but ankles and knees would surely be damaged beyond repair. I find it extraordinary that although occasionally wearing precautionary knee supports between exercise sessions, my joints are surviving incredibly well. It is a screaming indication of how well I am doing, how far I have come. Feels pretty good I can tell you. (Just watch; my cruciate will go as I am walking up the stairs at home now; me and my big mouth!).
I also heard a story which I think serves as a strong incentive for anyone who wants to lose some weight and get fit. I will mention no names, and will not even divulge my source; all I can say is that it is extreeeeeeeeeeemely reliable. An overweight woman was admitted to hospital with what can best be described in layman's terms as 'weight-related problems'. In order to discover a successful diagnosis, it was decided a CT scan would be the best course of action (you know, that tubey thing that they slide you into? just watch an episode of House MD; they use it all the time!); you can see what's coming can't you?! Yes, that's right; regretfully - tubey meeting tubby - she wouldn't fit in the tube (why do I have the image of someone trying to cram toothpaste back in from whence it came?!), and the only piece of equipment big enough to get the results they need was an MRI Scanner at.......wait for it......Chester Zoo!! (ouch!!). Can you imagine the queue for the machine?!! Whether you find this a funny or a sad story (both in my case) it is certainly a motivating one.
It's a night off from exercise tonight; really looking forward to it. I feel a stir fry coming on......
Sorry, I seem to be channelling 'Friends' quite a lot at the moment - hopefully it will be flushed out of my system sooner rather than later - but now I am on the subject noone did ever tell me that life was going to be this way.
That said, my life is certainly not stuck in second gear (stopitstopitSTOPIT!!!); two more pounds off this week (actually 2.2!) bringing me to an incredible 15 stone 11 pounds (actually 10.6, do the same again and that registers as a 3 pound loss!). After last weeks wobble it is pleasing to have regained control, not to mention positivity. Okay, I admit to a sneaky chicken fried rice and prawn crackers (still haven't found a party hat in there) at the weekend; but to be honest with the amount of exercise during the week I can get away with the odd dodgy meal, as long as - like me - they stay odd!
Apparently my body mass index has now gone from 'obese' to merely 'overweight'. Yay!
The usual gym visits on Thursday, Sunday and last night; plus there was the text of doom at the weekend asking 'can you play a match on Monday night?!!'. Saying yes seemed like a really good idea at the time...... Heaven knows what state I would have been in taking on this sort of schedule at 19 stone plus, but ankles and knees would surely be damaged beyond repair. I find it extraordinary that although occasionally wearing precautionary knee supports between exercise sessions, my joints are surviving incredibly well. It is a screaming indication of how well I am doing, how far I have come. Feels pretty good I can tell you. (Just watch; my cruciate will go as I am walking up the stairs at home now; me and my big mouth!).
I also heard a story which I think serves as a strong incentive for anyone who wants to lose some weight and get fit. I will mention no names, and will not even divulge my source; all I can say is that it is extreeeeeeeeeeemely reliable. An overweight woman was admitted to hospital with what can best be described in layman's terms as 'weight-related problems'. In order to discover a successful diagnosis, it was decided a CT scan would be the best course of action (you know, that tubey thing that they slide you into? just watch an episode of House MD; they use it all the time!); you can see what's coming can't you?! Yes, that's right; regretfully - tubey meeting tubby - she wouldn't fit in the tube (why do I have the image of someone trying to cram toothpaste back in from whence it came?!), and the only piece of equipment big enough to get the results they need was an MRI Scanner at.......wait for it......Chester Zoo!! (ouch!!). Can you imagine the queue for the machine?!! Whether you find this a funny or a sad story (both in my case) it is certainly a motivating one.
It's a night off from exercise tonight; really looking forward to it. I feel a stir fry coming on......
Sunday 12 August 2012
5 Weeks......
Time is going by frighteningly quickly my friends. Is it really only five weeks until the day of the Great North Run?!! Wait a minute.....let me just consult the calendar.....yes.....I can officially confirm that it is only five weeks to go until the day of the Great North Run........
.....OH......MY.......GOD.......(in Chandlers best 'meeting Janice again' accent).
It's all become a bit more real again, as the greatrun (all one word apparently; go figure) pack arrived yesterday. The usual fayre; timing chip, instructions, last-minute training advice ('if you can't run more than five minutes without having to sit down, this might not be the distance for you'), map of the run, and yes....on the the flipside of the really optimistic 'please contact this person in the event of my death' form.....the all important race number (I was kinda hoping for the medal in there aswell, but it seems they don't trust you to run the thing if you already have it; SO unreasonable). So it is now come in number 45792 your time is up (let me guess Ali......that's your second favourite number?!!!).
The only trouble is that I'm stuffing pink again!! What is it with the girly colours? I'm doing a manly thing like running a half marathon so is it too much to ask for a manly colour?? It's the usual reason; whatever time I forecasted when applying has relegated me once again to the back of the bunch with the other pinkies (including the guy running backwards, the pantomime horse and the guy in the deep-sea diving suit.......I'm counting myself lucky, in Manchester I was beaten by a guy in a canoe.......you don't want to know.....!).
It looks like I am up against that Gebreselassie geezer again (sadly not wearing the diving suit). I tell you, that guy is fast becoming my arch nemesis......so far Haile has won the first battle, but the war is not over let me tell you. My name is Adrian Francis Michael Blaydon, Business Development Manager of Arkoni of the north, loyal supporter of the true football team; Stockport County, plasterer of a blistered foot, owner of a sweaty team GB headband; and I will have my vengeance, in this race or the next.....
Although the rear will be brought up by...well.....my rear.....it looks like I will make it in front of the cameras for most of the race. Makes a nice change! It was slightly frustrating to know that the TV coverage of the Great Manchester had ended before my race had started; but the Beeb have afforded this one a few more hours of their precious air time (no doubt for me!). There is even a highlights show later in the evening (which in my case could actually still count as live coverage!)! There is usually a camera trained on the finish line, so anyone feeling brave and short of something to do about two and a half hours into the race can look out for the lumbering ox with a British Heart Foundation vest on......not to mention a team GB headband.
I am pleased to report than I am currently still in the 'looking forward to it' phase of the training; the panic of 'bloody hell its a long way' doesn't kick in until a week or two before. Optimistic, but cautiously so as logistics are as sorted as they can be, and I am only 3km off target distance in training (11 miles); to be hit a fortnight before the big day.
Bring it on baby......!
.....OH......MY.......GOD.......(in Chandlers best 'meeting Janice again' accent).
It's all become a bit more real again, as the greatrun (all one word apparently; go figure) pack arrived yesterday. The usual fayre; timing chip, instructions, last-minute training advice ('if you can't run more than five minutes without having to sit down, this might not be the distance for you'), map of the run, and yes....on the the flipside of the really optimistic 'please contact this person in the event of my death' form.....the all important race number (I was kinda hoping for the medal in there aswell, but it seems they don't trust you to run the thing if you already have it; SO unreasonable). So it is now come in number 45792 your time is up (let me guess Ali......that's your second favourite number?!!!).
The only trouble is that I'm stuffing pink again!! What is it with the girly colours? I'm doing a manly thing like running a half marathon so is it too much to ask for a manly colour?? It's the usual reason; whatever time I forecasted when applying has relegated me once again to the back of the bunch with the other pinkies (including the guy running backwards, the pantomime horse and the guy in the deep-sea diving suit.......I'm counting myself lucky, in Manchester I was beaten by a guy in a canoe.......you don't want to know.....!).
It looks like I am up against that Gebreselassie geezer again (sadly not wearing the diving suit). I tell you, that guy is fast becoming my arch nemesis......so far Haile has won the first battle, but the war is not over let me tell you. My name is Adrian Francis Michael Blaydon, Business Development Manager of Arkoni of the north, loyal supporter of the true football team; Stockport County, plasterer of a blistered foot, owner of a sweaty team GB headband; and I will have my vengeance, in this race or the next.....
Although the rear will be brought up by...well.....my rear.....it looks like I will make it in front of the cameras for most of the race. Makes a nice change! It was slightly frustrating to know that the TV coverage of the Great Manchester had ended before my race had started; but the Beeb have afforded this one a few more hours of their precious air time (no doubt for me!). There is even a highlights show later in the evening (which in my case could actually still count as live coverage!)! There is usually a camera trained on the finish line, so anyone feeling brave and short of something to do about two and a half hours into the race can look out for the lumbering ox with a British Heart Foundation vest on......not to mention a team GB headband.
I am pleased to report than I am currently still in the 'looking forward to it' phase of the training; the panic of 'bloody hell its a long way' doesn't kick in until a week or two before. Optimistic, but cautiously so as logistics are as sorted as they can be, and I am only 3km off target distance in training (11 miles); to be hit a fortnight before the big day.
Bring it on baby......!
Thursday 9 August 2012
Weigh in (58)
The good news is that I have lost weight, the bad news is that it ain't much! Precisely 0.2 pounds, taking me from 15 stone 12.8 (rounding up to 13 pounds) to 15 stone 12.6 (rounding up to...errrr.....
13 pounds). So still officially the same weight. Not great, but not bad.
On reflection I have to be happy with this, it has been a bit of a topsy turvy week all told; and if I am totally honest I find myself writing this at a bit of a low ebb; rare for me, I know; and probably all the more disturbing for me (and you!) for that very reason.
I'm no different from anyone else when it comes to low moods (except that I think I may be better able to 'look at myself' and work out why I am feeling the way I am feeling, which is a help). One thing happens which knocks you, then as a result of this little wobble, everything which on a normal day would be water off a ducks back suddenly becomes a big problem (big wobble); adding to the misery, and all the people and things which you ordinarily have the patience to suffer with a smile become the MOST ANNOYING PEOPLE AND THINGS ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET (EARTHQUAAAAAAAKE!). It is a really nasty snowball effect, and all this because of that initial wobblette.
It was the schedule towards the end of the week which caused the problem. Following 9km on Thursday night, there was social badminton (non-stop as low on numbers) on Friday night, over at Mums all day Saturday (lovely to spend time with her, but again; physically and mentally taxing) then up with the larks for Sunday morning's 15km followed by squeezing the usual weekend jobs into the rest of the day. Monday night out at the cinema to see Batman (stuck in traffic for two hours getting there; great film though) and not getting to sleep until gone 1am followed by the plan of a shortened trip to the gym in order to get to a badminton committee (of which I am now a member) meeting on Tuesday night. It tires me out just to write about it!
It's no wonder that come Tuesday I was starting to have a physical reaction to the busyness. Eyes and nose streaming repeatedly and feeling like I could happily curl up into a ball and sleep for a week. It was my body telling me in no unsubtle way that it had had enough. So no gym Tuesday night, and no committee meeting either. First gym session I have missed for quite some time which - along with everything else - has really cheesed me off (highly likely to have been the difference between break-even and losing for this week's weigh in).
On top of all this, you know what really got to me? On sending a text to one of the committee members my apologies that I couldn't go because I wasn't well, I received......nothing. Not so much as a 'no problem, get well soon'. I ordinarily would not think twice about it (see above) but it would have been nice to have heard something......it's what I would have done anyway.
Bet you're REALLY glad you started reading this post aren't you?!!!
Ironically I count myself pretty lucky not to have more of these dark moments during the course of training. The time it takes out of my life is significant to say the least (and it ain't gonna get any better!), leaving much less time to squeeze everything else in. Most of the time I have managed to manage it (?!) pretty well, but this week I will begrudgingly concede that my life has caught me out. A lesson learned.....
This is a test. It's one thing keeping up the exercise regime and healthy eating when things are going well; but a challenge would not be as much of a challenge without experiencing times where life is neither hunky nor dory. Will I stay the course? Will I be able to turn things around? You bet your sweet ass I will. Back in the gym tonight - tired though I may be, I need to go; can't miss two on the bounce - and looking forward to a free weekend. Plenty to do (not least of which is to send out the final sponsorship cheque for the Great Manchester Run, and launch the sponsorship for the Great North) but it will be lovely to have more time on my hands to do it. I do also intend to find some time for sitting out in the sun and just 'being'! Can't wait to find that calm after the storm of the last seven days.
Call it determination, call it bounce-backability; whatever it is I have a bucket of it, not to mention a couple of six-packs in the fridge. Don't worry; I'm nowhere near done yet.
13 pounds). So still officially the same weight. Not great, but not bad.
On reflection I have to be happy with this, it has been a bit of a topsy turvy week all told; and if I am totally honest I find myself writing this at a bit of a low ebb; rare for me, I know; and probably all the more disturbing for me (and you!) for that very reason.
I'm no different from anyone else when it comes to low moods (except that I think I may be better able to 'look at myself' and work out why I am feeling the way I am feeling, which is a help). One thing happens which knocks you, then as a result of this little wobble, everything which on a normal day would be water off a ducks back suddenly becomes a big problem (big wobble); adding to the misery, and all the people and things which you ordinarily have the patience to suffer with a smile become the MOST ANNOYING PEOPLE AND THINGS ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET (EARTHQUAAAAAAAKE!). It is a really nasty snowball effect, and all this because of that initial wobblette.
It was the schedule towards the end of the week which caused the problem. Following 9km on Thursday night, there was social badminton (non-stop as low on numbers) on Friday night, over at Mums all day Saturday (lovely to spend time with her, but again; physically and mentally taxing) then up with the larks for Sunday morning's 15km followed by squeezing the usual weekend jobs into the rest of the day. Monday night out at the cinema to see Batman (stuck in traffic for two hours getting there; great film though) and not getting to sleep until gone 1am followed by the plan of a shortened trip to the gym in order to get to a badminton committee (of which I am now a member) meeting on Tuesday night. It tires me out just to write about it!
It's no wonder that come Tuesday I was starting to have a physical reaction to the busyness. Eyes and nose streaming repeatedly and feeling like I could happily curl up into a ball and sleep for a week. It was my body telling me in no unsubtle way that it had had enough. So no gym Tuesday night, and no committee meeting either. First gym session I have missed for quite some time which - along with everything else - has really cheesed me off (highly likely to have been the difference between break-even and losing for this week's weigh in).
On top of all this, you know what really got to me? On sending a text to one of the committee members my apologies that I couldn't go because I wasn't well, I received......nothing. Not so much as a 'no problem, get well soon'. I ordinarily would not think twice about it (see above) but it would have been nice to have heard something......it's what I would have done anyway.
Bet you're REALLY glad you started reading this post aren't you?!!!
Ironically I count myself pretty lucky not to have more of these dark moments during the course of training. The time it takes out of my life is significant to say the least (and it ain't gonna get any better!), leaving much less time to squeeze everything else in. Most of the time I have managed to manage it (?!) pretty well, but this week I will begrudgingly concede that my life has caught me out. A lesson learned.....
This is a test. It's one thing keeping up the exercise regime and healthy eating when things are going well; but a challenge would not be as much of a challenge without experiencing times where life is neither hunky nor dory. Will I stay the course? Will I be able to turn things around? You bet your sweet ass I will. Back in the gym tonight - tired though I may be, I need to go; can't miss two on the bounce - and looking forward to a free weekend. Plenty to do (not least of which is to send out the final sponsorship cheque for the Great Manchester Run, and launch the sponsorship for the Great North) but it will be lovely to have more time on my hands to do it. I do also intend to find some time for sitting out in the sun and just 'being'! Can't wait to find that calm after the storm of the last seven days.
Call it determination, call it bounce-backability; whatever it is I have a bucket of it, not to mention a couple of six-packs in the fridge. Don't worry; I'm nowhere near done yet.
Monday 6 August 2012
Inspiration....Inspiration.....Inspiration.....
I tell you, if my Mum wasn't hard of hearing before..she certainly is now! She had the dubious pleasure of sitting next to me on what turned out to be the most momentous night for British athletics.
After winning three gold medals during the day (cycling and whatnot) - and with attention turned to the Olympic stadium - we doubled that tally in the space of 45 unbelievable minutes. First there was Jessica Ennis (who started me off on the Great Manchester Run dontcha know?!), not settling for just winning heptathlon gold; but doing it in style by blasting away from the field in the 800m. Then there was Greg Rutherford becoming the surprising (to all but him it seems) long jump champion; and the night was rounded off with the crowd (and me!) screaming Mo Farah round the last lap of the track to 10,000m glory. What a blummin' night; not one to forget in a hurry, if ever!
What made it all the more special for me, was the people themselves. They were not only role models for how to be athletes, they were role models for how to be human beings. It is clear to see that they are dedicated and disciplined individuals - not to mention talented - who possess a will to win, but when you see how popular Ennis is with her fellow competitors, when you hear Rutherford thanking all the fans, his parents, and his 'most beautiful girlfriend'; when you see Farah's daughter running along the track to find her daddy....you realise that wanting to win does not have to mean sacrificing your humanity; quite the opposite in fact.
At the risk of making a ridiculous comparison, that night held particular meaning for me. It inspired me. I am never going to run at the pace of a Farah, I am never going to have abs like Ennis, and the only long jumping I am going to do is over a deep puddle (and even then will probably not jump far enough and end up sklooping right into the middle of it); but they talk of training, they talk about determination, they talk about challenge, they talk about fear of failure, they talk about discipline, they talk of ups and downs, they talk of wanting to succeed. All of these things I can relate to wholeheartedly; and their success gives me hope.
So on my Sunday morning runs I will continue to wear my Team GB gear with pride (regardless of how much of a wally I look). This; here, now, is my training; this is my Olympics, and I am striving for my own, personal gold medal.
After winning three gold medals during the day (cycling and whatnot) - and with attention turned to the Olympic stadium - we doubled that tally in the space of 45 unbelievable minutes. First there was Jessica Ennis (who started me off on the Great Manchester Run dontcha know?!), not settling for just winning heptathlon gold; but doing it in style by blasting away from the field in the 800m. Then there was Greg Rutherford becoming the surprising (to all but him it seems) long jump champion; and the night was rounded off with the crowd (and me!) screaming Mo Farah round the last lap of the track to 10,000m glory. What a blummin' night; not one to forget in a hurry, if ever!
What made it all the more special for me, was the people themselves. They were not only role models for how to be athletes, they were role models for how to be human beings. It is clear to see that they are dedicated and disciplined individuals - not to mention talented - who possess a will to win, but when you see how popular Ennis is with her fellow competitors, when you hear Rutherford thanking all the fans, his parents, and his 'most beautiful girlfriend'; when you see Farah's daughter running along the track to find her daddy....you realise that wanting to win does not have to mean sacrificing your humanity; quite the opposite in fact.
At the risk of making a ridiculous comparison, that night held particular meaning for me. It inspired me. I am never going to run at the pace of a Farah, I am never going to have abs like Ennis, and the only long jumping I am going to do is over a deep puddle (and even then will probably not jump far enough and end up sklooping right into the middle of it); but they talk of training, they talk about determination, they talk about challenge, they talk about fear of failure, they talk about discipline, they talk of ups and downs, they talk of wanting to succeed. All of these things I can relate to wholeheartedly; and their success gives me hope.
So on my Sunday morning runs I will continue to wear my Team GB gear with pride (regardless of how much of a wally I look). This; here, now, is my training; this is my Olympics, and I am striving for my own, personal gold medal.
Saturday 4 August 2012
Olympic Challenge - The Conclusion?
I am so SO sorry to do it to you; you really have been awake nights haven't you? Fretting away over the outcome of the challenge to run 201.2km between 1st June and 12th August. If you recall - which of course I know you do...hanging on every word arentcha?!! - prior to last Rundays sun (?!), success was a matter of a few kilometres away and the delight is mine to tell you that the aforementioned km's were comfortably ko'd; challenge succeeded and last box on the chart ticked!
Puffed up with pride, I went to ask - purely out of curiosity you understand, not really bothered either way......ahem - what we get for passing the challenge; sadly no medals (am I becoming a prize 'prize snob') but a certificate will do very nicely thank you. Then I made the ultimate error, asking whether I would get a distinction for finishing two weeks early. Why oh why oh why did I not keep my trap shut? as I was then told that 'any people who finish the silver challenge early move on to have a go at the multiple-bronze challenge' (running 20.12km in the same allotted time) 'and try to complete it as many times as possible'.
As he talked he walked over to yet another chart and more bloody boxes to tick. The name 'Val' appeared on it four times over; meaning not only has she done the silver but has gone on to a total distance of nigh-on 300km...with a fortnight still to go, and she is still ticking not only boxes; but me right off I can tell you! 300km in ten weeks???? Do me a favour!! Apparently - according to the guys at the gym - she is a 'plodder' (someone who just takes her time and gets there eventually) but between you and me, she must be a cyborg. I am totally convinced one day I she is going to walk up to me with a blank expression and say 'I need your clothes, your boots, and your Skoda Octavia'.
So by a week on Sunday I will have one silver and two bronzes; which currently makes me the Denmark of Haslingden Leisure Centre! Could be worse!!
Puffed up with pride, I went to ask - purely out of curiosity you understand, not really bothered either way......ahem - what we get for passing the challenge; sadly no medals (am I becoming a prize 'prize snob') but a certificate will do very nicely thank you. Then I made the ultimate error, asking whether I would get a distinction for finishing two weeks early. Why oh why oh why did I not keep my trap shut? as I was then told that 'any people who finish the silver challenge early move on to have a go at the multiple-bronze challenge' (running 20.12km in the same allotted time) 'and try to complete it as many times as possible'.
As he talked he walked over to yet another chart and more bloody boxes to tick. The name 'Val' appeared on it four times over; meaning not only has she done the silver but has gone on to a total distance of nigh-on 300km...with a fortnight still to go, and she is still ticking not only boxes; but me right off I can tell you! 300km in ten weeks???? Do me a favour!! Apparently - according to the guys at the gym - she is a 'plodder' (someone who just takes her time and gets there eventually) but between you and me, she must be a cyborg. I am totally convinced one day I she is going to walk up to me with a blank expression and say 'I need your clothes, your boots, and your Skoda Octavia'.
So by a week on Sunday I will have one silver and two bronzes; which currently makes me the Denmark of Haslingden Leisure Centre! Could be worse!!
Thursday 2 August 2012
Weigh in (57)
Hello, good evening (morning/afternoon) and welcome to wildlife on blog; I am Adrian Blaydonborough and on this momentous day I will be showing you - deep in the depths of this unknown and unforgiving landscape - a creature hitherto considered extinct these last 25 years; its discovery will re-write the past and change the future of natural history as we know it. Come with me now, and with luck on our side we will catch our first glimpse of this most elusive and mysterious of creatures. In sixty years of wildlife reporting I can hardly contain myself, as this will be by far the highlight of my entire career.
We must be as quiet as possible, as one loud noise, one crack of a twig, one light shone in the wrong direction, or even one solitary chippy tea might scare it away, never to be seen again. When we are this close it would be devastating. I can see the clearing just ahead, moving one branch carefully to one side and........oh my god......if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes I would not believe it, but there it is......
......the fifteenstonesomething.
With all its stories committed to the many volumes of folklore and legend, and its very existence questioned by the most open-minded of naturalists; the fifteenstonesomething has often been treated with the same mysticism as other unlikely animals such as the yeti, or the Loch Ness monster. A delicate creature though it might be, the sight of it now puts tears in my eyes, a song in my heart, and wings to my soul. This my friends, is why I do, what I do.
Not wanting to intrude for too long, we depart the nest just as slowly and carefully as we arrived, and as we leave I start to think of what else might still be out there. Are we yet to discover brand new, exciting species, or might there be other thought-to-be-extinct creatures hiding from human view alive and well in some distant corner of the globe? This experience here today gives me hope. The dodo? the woolly mammoth? or - please let it be within my lifetime - might we even see the ohmygodfourteensomethings? I know how insane it sounds, but as we have proved that an extinct species is not extinct; maybe.......just maybe.......
This has been Adrian Blaydonborough, reporting for wildlife on blog, in the dark depths of who knows where.
Sorry about the wait, but not sorry about the weight (has it really been 57 weeks before using that play on words?? I must be slipping); actually 3.4 pounds off this week weighing me in at 15 stone 12.8 pounds; so rounding up and 0.2 in the bank for next week! Felt pretty sure it would be a good 'un after the week gone by, and feeling good. As always I will keep you posted my friends, but for now GET IN THERRRRRRRRRRRRRE!! FIFTEEEEEEEEEN STOOOOOONE!!!!!'
We must be as quiet as possible, as one loud noise, one crack of a twig, one light shone in the wrong direction, or even one solitary chippy tea might scare it away, never to be seen again. When we are this close it would be devastating. I can see the clearing just ahead, moving one branch carefully to one side and........oh my god......if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes I would not believe it, but there it is......
......the fifteenstonesomething.
With all its stories committed to the many volumes of folklore and legend, and its very existence questioned by the most open-minded of naturalists; the fifteenstonesomething has often been treated with the same mysticism as other unlikely animals such as the yeti, or the Loch Ness monster. A delicate creature though it might be, the sight of it now puts tears in my eyes, a song in my heart, and wings to my soul. This my friends, is why I do, what I do.
Not wanting to intrude for too long, we depart the nest just as slowly and carefully as we arrived, and as we leave I start to think of what else might still be out there. Are we yet to discover brand new, exciting species, or might there be other thought-to-be-extinct creatures hiding from human view alive and well in some distant corner of the globe? This experience here today gives me hope. The dodo? the woolly mammoth? or - please let it be within my lifetime - might we even see the ohmygodfourteensomethings? I know how insane it sounds, but as we have proved that an extinct species is not extinct; maybe.......just maybe.......
This has been Adrian Blaydonborough, reporting for wildlife on blog, in the dark depths of who knows where.
Sorry about the wait, but not sorry about the weight (has it really been 57 weeks before using that play on words?? I must be slipping); actually 3.4 pounds off this week weighing me in at 15 stone 12.8 pounds; so rounding up and 0.2 in the bank for next week! Felt pretty sure it would be a good 'un after the week gone by, and feeling good. As always I will keep you posted my friends, but for now GET IN THERRRRRRRRRRRRRE!! FIFTEEEEEEEEEN STOOOOOONE!!!!!'