CADENCE COUNTS - JANATHON DAY 12

After the epic mud run of yesterday, my ITB is a little tender to put it mildly. Going downstairs ensures that I look like I have aged 20 years, say no more.

Tonight I took to my turbo trainer for a spin session to ensure I was not going to do too much damage to an already painful ITB. Whilst buying black trail socks for my mud runs ( my white socks are white no longer!), I also purchased a foam roller as I am sure this will not be the first time that an area of my lower half will need to have acquaintance with such a piece of equipment. Therefore to keep my legs working with less impact I went to greet my bike.



iPod on and a cadence workout set, I was working my way through the rear cog with 10 mins at each cog working my way towards the smaller one. Once my cycle computer is set up I will be able to see exactly what my cadence is doing but for now I use a rhythm in my head and check my cadence every now and again by counting the reps.

Tonight my heart rate monitor came along for the ride and was showing me a time of 50min 22secs with 446 calories burnt. Average heart rate was 146 with maximum at 161. It was a sweaty affair but then when is it not when it comes to turbo training.

I will keep this short and sweet as I have a date with my book now, it is an amazingly compelling read Forgetting Zoe by Ray Robinson. Unfortunately I have no idea how some people can read whilst spinning but it gives me an excuse to snuggle down for what is left of the evening and become engrossed in my book.

Good night.

SO MANY REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL!

I was slightly concerned about suffering from and lingering within the post holiday blues that set in once the grey skies had made an appearance last week. I need not have worried as I received my first copy of the Saturday Guardian for 5 weeks, I realised what I love about being home and what I enjoy about my life. My friends who are just around the corner or down the street, the familiarity of the faces and places I see each day, the lovely school which I see my boys enjoy and a lovely big queen size bed!!

Two articles this week really hit home. The first was detailing the Reading Promise that Alice Ozma and her father made to each other, I immediately ordered the book online and can’t wait to delve into it. Resumed our nightly reading with JT in earnest, The Scarecrow and His Servant by Philip Pullman was started last night!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/10/alice-ozma-dad-read-every-night

The second article was on mothering and the way in which has not been very “fashionable” of late, the word parenting has replaced it in everyday use. Many articles and books show us how to “deal” with our children and control them, whereas Naomi Stadlen talks about understanding them and comforting them. I know I have been guilty of being torn in two by not knowing how I should bring my boys up, there is so much out there making mum’s feel guilty about their relationships with their children. I am guilty of listening to opinions from “experts” whose opinions are regarded as more important than a mother’s.

Over the years I have meandered around parenting forums on a website, reading books written by Baby “experts” and getting advice from friends and childcare workers. I think this is very much a first mother experience for me and found that when TJ arrived, I felt more “established” as a mother and much more confident in the way our family unit was making it’s merry way through life. The boys still give me many sleepless nights when I regularly have to understand the way they react to things and compensate for that in my relationships with them. All in all I feel like I can mother the boys confidently and try not to “control” them but enable them to explore the best way to deal with events and feelings they experience in life.  

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/10/mothering-parents-naomi-stadlen-psychotherapist

All in all, it’s good to be home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHEOF_rcND8&ob=av2n