Came across this man's work on my sister in law's blog BANG TIDY BANGS - awesome!
American artist Ray Villafane's pumpkins
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2052779/Halloween-2011-Ray-Villafanes-ugly-faced-pumpkins-wouldnt-want-patch.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Happy Halloween everyone.
Saturday 29 October 2011
Friday 28 October 2011
DISTANCE OF CHOICE - WHO KNOWS!!??
To 10K or not to 10K now that is the question.
Since I completed my last half marathon in 1901, whoops sorry, March 2011, I seem to have stumbled upon the shorter distance and am liking and liking alot. Not only does it mean I get round quicker but it makes way for more training in other disciplines.
Since Mr T signed up for the Exmoor Beast ( he gets to come face to face with said Beast this weekend) I have been following a fairly regular training program on the turbo trainer. I have to admit to being a little dubious as to how I would fair with the fact that I would be a) going nowhere and b) sat in our garage for up to an hour at a time. I have to say I have found it surprisingly easy and enjoyable as I have my ears plugged into my iPod and have been finding some great tracks to help with the various interval training I am doing.
My session of choice is lovingly called Stairway to Heaven. This comprises of a 10 min warm up spinning the legs, working my way through the cogs whilst on the small chainring at the front. After 10 mins I move to the big ring at the front and keep towards the smallest ring at the back. After 5 mins of riding hard, I take it up at the back by 2 and down to the small ring at the front for 2 mins to spin the legs out and recover. I do 5 x 5 mins sessions with recovery in between, then have a 10 min warm down. Throughout I am listening to a variety of tracks but there is one that takes me through even the hardest climb. The most amazing track to exercise to ( in my opinion) has to be this:
If that won't get me climbing those hills then don't know what will!
The only problem with enjoying other disciplines is that the running gets pushed into a tighter gap within the week, therefore the 10K distance has worked into this new phase of training beautifully!
I very much enjoyed some great runs with the Bude RATS recently. Myself, The Day to Davis, Mr D and Avril enjoyed a morning on the coastal paths and countryside around North Cornwall participating in the Grrrr Rats Relay in September. On 15th October the National Trust supported by Bude RATS held their first Mouth to Mouth race. This couldn't have been planned any better, the weather was AMAZING, blue skies, no wind and I was keen to get into the 10K course. 1 hour and 8 minutes later I felt like I had not one ounce of energy left in my lead legs. The hills were incredible and took it out of me more than I could have realised but I must admit to having had enjoyed it so very much. The atmosphere was so very friendly, with a great RATS turnout, visiting runners from various other clubs gave us some amazing finish time to marvel at, and I came away with a 2nd in age category medal which I was totally amazed at!!!
My next race is on 6th November in Plymouth. Another debut race, the Plymouth 10K, looks set to be a fast course, am hoping I can do it justice. Good to see some new races being added, lets hope both the Mouth to Mouth and Plymouth 10K become yearly additions to the running calendar.
Since I completed my last half marathon in 1901, whoops sorry, March 2011, I seem to have stumbled upon the shorter distance and am liking and liking alot. Not only does it mean I get round quicker but it makes way for more training in other disciplines.
Since Mr T signed up for the Exmoor Beast ( he gets to come face to face with said Beast this weekend) I have been following a fairly regular training program on the turbo trainer. I have to admit to being a little dubious as to how I would fair with the fact that I would be a) going nowhere and b) sat in our garage for up to an hour at a time. I have to say I have found it surprisingly easy and enjoyable as I have my ears plugged into my iPod and have been finding some great tracks to help with the various interval training I am doing.
My session of choice is lovingly called Stairway to Heaven. This comprises of a 10 min warm up spinning the legs, working my way through the cogs whilst on the small chainring at the front. After 10 mins I move to the big ring at the front and keep towards the smallest ring at the back. After 5 mins of riding hard, I take it up at the back by 2 and down to the small ring at the front for 2 mins to spin the legs out and recover. I do 5 x 5 mins sessions with recovery in between, then have a 10 min warm down. Throughout I am listening to a variety of tracks but there is one that takes me through even the hardest climb. The most amazing track to exercise to ( in my opinion) has to be this:
If that won't get me climbing those hills then don't know what will!
The only problem with enjoying other disciplines is that the running gets pushed into a tighter gap within the week, therefore the 10K distance has worked into this new phase of training beautifully!
I very much enjoyed some great runs with the Bude RATS recently. Myself, The Day to Davis, Mr D and Avril enjoyed a morning on the coastal paths and countryside around North Cornwall participating in the Grrrr Rats Relay in September. On 15th October the National Trust supported by Bude RATS held their first Mouth to Mouth race. This couldn't have been planned any better, the weather was AMAZING, blue skies, no wind and I was keen to get into the 10K course. 1 hour and 8 minutes later I felt like I had not one ounce of energy left in my lead legs. The hills were incredible and took it out of me more than I could have realised but I must admit to having had enjoyed it so very much. The atmosphere was so very friendly, with a great RATS turnout, visiting runners from various other clubs gave us some amazing finish time to marvel at, and I came away with a 2nd in age category medal which I was totally amazed at!!!
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| Mouth to Mouth 2011 |
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| My medal! |
My next race is on 6th November in Plymouth. Another debut race, the Plymouth 10K, looks set to be a fast course, am hoping I can do it justice. Good to see some new races being added, lets hope both the Mouth to Mouth and Plymouth 10K become yearly additions to the running calendar.
Thursday 27 October 2011
1,2,3,4...........wowsers how did we get here!
My little man saw the arrival of his 4th birthday yesterday. Not like it was unexpected or anything, he had been talking about it non stop since his brother's birthday in June!!! Every conversation in the last few months has pretty much commenced with the words, "When I'm 4, I will..........." Why is it that when we are young we so desperately want to be older and when we are advancing in years we seem to hark back to our younger years?! C'est la vie.
It was a fun packed day, with a young boy who was so very excited by presents, by "the best party" at the local playzone and by being the centre of attention all day.
It was a fun packed day, with a young boy who was so very excited by presents, by "the best party" at the local playzone and by being the centre of attention all day.
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| 2008 |
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| 2008 |
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| 2009 |
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| 2009 |
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| 2010 |
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| Birthday 2011 |
HAUNTINGLY GOOD FUN
I always get excited at the thought of getting the craft box out with the boys, very often they lose interest all too quickly for my liking and we end up with half finished projects.
Not so this half term week.............
we attended a creative craft session at Bude Life Centre on Tuesday with Ayres Rocks and her lovely boys. The projects ranged from intricate Christmas cards for the older children to making moving Santa's and snowmen for the smaller hands, with other great projects in between to suit all levels.
We came away after 2 solid hours, yes you read correctly 2 HOURS, where my boys were engaged in making some wonderful decorations for xmas, to either decorate their bedroom or to give as gifts.
This morning I had intended on having a quiet day with the boys after we had a manic day yesterday with the arrival of TJ's 4th birthday. I had seen a post on a lovely blog http://www.makeandtakes.com/spooky-house-pop-up-cards and had wanted to attempt this with the boys before halloween past us by. This morning was the day to do it, wet and miserable outside, warm and crafty inside!! What a treat it turned out to be. We were joined by Jamie, JT's best friend, all 3 boys made some wonderful, highly individual pop up cards. I made up different templates for them to decorate as they wished and they were off. I left them too it with "one I had made earlier" and the laptop on showing the various cards shown on the blog. I loved the way they commented on each other's cards with praise and complements flying, just lovely.
I can honestly say we had a wonderful morning creating these, ahh, long lazy crafty days, I love you.
Not so this half term week.............
we attended a creative craft session at Bude Life Centre on Tuesday with Ayres Rocks and her lovely boys. The projects ranged from intricate Christmas cards for the older children to making moving Santa's and snowmen for the smaller hands, with other great projects in between to suit all levels.
We came away after 2 solid hours, yes you read correctly 2 HOURS, where my boys were engaged in making some wonderful decorations for xmas, to either decorate their bedroom or to give as gifts.
This morning I had intended on having a quiet day with the boys after we had a manic day yesterday with the arrival of TJ's 4th birthday. I had seen a post on a lovely blog http://www.makeandtakes.com/spooky-house-pop-up-cards and had wanted to attempt this with the boys before halloween past us by. This morning was the day to do it, wet and miserable outside, warm and crafty inside!! What a treat it turned out to be. We were joined by Jamie, JT's best friend, all 3 boys made some wonderful, highly individual pop up cards. I made up different templates for them to decorate as they wished and they were off. I left them too it with "one I had made earlier" and the laptop on showing the various cards shown on the blog. I loved the way they commented on each other's cards with praise and complements flying, just lovely.
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| The process |
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| TJ's finished card |
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| JT's finished card |
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