Muscle Strains and Show Songs

Saturday 26^th May

Distance: 4.08 mile
Time: 55:11 min
Avg Speed: 4:43 mph                            
Avg Pace: 13:32min/mile
Calories Burned: 502

First run for a fortnight due to the daftest of injuries and no it was not a running injury. I was at rehearsals (more info to follow) and as I stepped down from a platform, which was only about 10 inches off the ground, TWANG! Something in my leg went snap and boy did it hurt. Think I must have pulled a muscle. I have hobbled around for a couple of weeks but I decided that today was the day to get out there again. I went with great trepidation and with the intent of not going very far. As it turned out I was able to comfortably do 4 miles I could have gone further but there were a lot of constraints on my time today. The run itself was on a glorious morning, the sun shone and added to my overall feeling of wellbeing. It was so warm that by 7am I was having to peel off my jacket but as I use it as a butt/midriff cover I kept it fastened round my middle as I am not happy to show that area off to the poor unsuspecting public of Headingley. As summer is approaching I will have to look more closely at my diet and start a better eating schedule. Think I need a personal trainer!! I also realise that I now need to up the ante on the number of runs I do in a week. The trouble is I don’t like evening runs I get home tired and my raison D’etre hardly ever gets home before 6.30-7.00pm by which time I am in no mind to venture out. Also I find that the car fumes are heavier in the evening unlike the early morning when the air is fresher. Will have to try some PMA and psyche myself up. Or maybe join a gym and do the pointless treadmill thing. Either way I need to get myself sorted.

Now earlier I mentioned constraints on my time and how I got my injury so to explain the previous rehearsal statement. Those of you who read my ramblings who know me will also know of my penchant for amateur dramatics (some of you are performers with me). For those readers who do not know of my proclivities and those who I have never met, the explanation is that I have been a life–long member of a group who put on pantomimes and musical shows. This week we are performing a show called ‘60 Glorious Years’ which is a celebration of British songwriters over the last 60 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The show includes a pie and peas supper for those attending.

We are singing songs by writers such as Lionel Bart, Lloyd –Webber, Lennon and McCartney, Elton John and Gary Barlow. The group is made up of between 20-30 folk, ranging in age from 10-50+. This particular show has taken about 12 weeks to rehearse and tonight is the last night. Speaking from a purely personal stance, I love doing the shows, I always have. I love being on the stage and looking out into the lights and seeing the faces of people who are enjoying what we do. I cannot imagine how wonderful it must be to be a real life performer and every night to walk out onto a stage and receive the applause of a grateful audience and to be paid for it…. Fabulous.

Consequently the show has pulled on my time this week what with shopping for the food, preparing the decorations and bunting at the hall, and generally setting everything up I have had little time to call my own. Tonight though, all that effort will come to fruition in the final performance.

All this said the decision to run just 4 miles this morning was a wise one as I suppose my body is trying to tell me to take it easy. Now that the show is all but over I can take it easy for a few days. However I have plans for next weekend ……..but you will have to tune in next week to find out what they are!

So for now I will keep running  and if any of you good blog readers out there want to sponsor me in my endeavours you can follow my link to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign its work, outreach, campaigns and research just log on to www.muscular-dystophy.org  and see why I am doing this. If you feel you want to support me then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’ account and make a donation www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC. A huge thanks you to all of you who have donated already.



Thank you for your support.

2 blogs to keep you going

Sorry blog fans I have been a little tardy in posting these but life is hectic!!!

Monday 7^th May

Distance: 2.40 mile
Time: 30:33 min
Avg Speed: 4:71 mph                            
Avg Pace: 12:43min/mile
Calories Burned: 325

Bank Holidays don’t ya just love them? An extra day to do what you will with. Having had a lovely weekend I’d done my run on Saturday (see Nature versus Nurture Blog) then had visited my niece to drop off the 40^th birthday present for her hubby. My gorgeous great nephew (and Godson elect) entertained us with his new piano and my Raison D’etre found himself the centre of attention with the family dog who in the absence of her normal male hero adopted my beloved as a lap to rest on, that was until the birthday boy returned and her affections reverted to her normal love.

Family visit done we then travelled on to Skipton where, unbeknown to us before we got there, it was the waterways festival so the place was busy but at least the famous pork pie shop still had enough pies left to satisfy our needs. I know I know I hear you shout ‘PORK PIES! You are in training woman’ but if you have never had one of the, hot from the oven, delicious creations that can be had from Stanforth butchers in Skipton (www.stanforthbutchers.co.uk) then I am afraid you have not had a pork pie. We had a lovely afternoon pottering around Skipton then headed home. Now comes another food confession, we had a yen for fish and chips so we indulged ourselves a little more in the diet (not!) stakes. It was a lovely day though.

Sunday naturally followed as it has a habit of doing and this passed in its normal way with us attending church in the morning then heading off to rehearsals, for a show I am producing, in the afternoon.

Then comes Monday and a Bank Holiday to boot. So up I got and went for a quick sojourn around the locality. It being a non-Saturday day I went up the street and turned right, then headed down to Hyde Park having thought for a long time about jogging around Woodhouse Moor I decided that today was the day I would have a go at the circuit round the Moor. So around the Moor I went, it measured out at just about 1 mile around. I had walked it many times when collecting my son and heir from school, I had cycled over it as a child, it was one of my playgrounds. So today it was different - I ran it. I love the Moor it is one of those gifts of an open space from the Victorians that serves the city well, the Victorians knew how to be philanthropists. Queen Victoria sits in splendour at the Clarendon Road end surrounded by neat borders tended by the gardeners, looking out from the park towards the pizza take away shop that once housed my great grandparents shop. So historically and emotionally I am attached to this area. I enjoyed my run today it was quick and effective I will probably do it again soon. Watch this space!  

So here I end with my usual link to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign its work, outreach, campaigns and research just log on to www.muscular-dystophy.org  and see why I am doing this. If you feel you want to support me then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’ account and make a donation www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC. A huge thanks you to all of you who have donated already.

Thank you for your support.

Here is my second late post for you..... sorry will try to be more organised!!

Saturday 12^th May

Distance: 9.49 mile
Time: 2:09:38 min
Avg Speed: 4:39 mph                            
Avg Pace: 13:39min/mile
Calories Burned: 1313

My longest run yet 9.49 miles I ran all the way to Bramhope and back I felt inspired to push myself today for no other reason than my bloody mindedness or as I call it Yorkshire grit! The underlying cause for my ‘inspiration’ is down to the fact that my son and heir along with long suffering girlfriend are home for the weekend and when last night I asked if he wanted to come out for a run with me his response was provocative to say the least. ‘Mother, you run too slow to run with me I can’t go as slow as you.” That was like a red rag to a bull. Today, out I went at 6.30am I was tempted to wake my little one as he slept on but early morning runs are my thing he prefers the evening ones, mind you after his scathing comments about my speed I was tempted to knock on his door just out of spite but that would also disturb his long suffering girlfriend and she’s just lovely, so I could not do it.

I ran well today. I tried to up my speed but the best I could manage was a 10.07 min mile I am getting closer though to breaking the 10minute mile. Not so long ago I was happy to get below 12 minutes. I must be getting better. What I didn’t realise was that I was actually pushing myself harder and my muscles would let me know later in the day just how unhappy they were with me.

It was a lovely morning the sun was shining I had remembered my sun glasses and my face cream but like a fool I forgot my water bottle. By the time I remembered I did not want to turn back but I knew I would need it. So as I passed the newsagents I popped in and got a bottle of water ‘on tick.’ It is good to have local shops and shopkeepers who know their regulars. This notion of regulars got me thinking about the regulars I see on my runs. There are a few runners that I see most weeks. There is little guy who always look so angry and hot in his sweat pants and top. There is the Chinese man who I often see on my way home, the friendly guy who always nods. I find that male joggers tend to be friendlier than women. Female joggers rarely look up or smile, (and how come they can be bothered to put makeup and perfume on?) whereas the men will nod a good morning and acknowledge your existence. I find that early morning cyclists will also wave as they peddle by. There is solidarity in the shared insanity of getting up at 6.30am to push your body to extremes so we nod, wave or grunt and go on our way.

As I said earlier my muscles let me know later in the day that I had pushed them although I don’t think that the 4inch heels of my new shoes that needed breaking in, helped. We went out for a meal on Saturday night and heels were essential. The Bird at Clarence Dock is a fabulous restaurant where we had a lovely night out I can thoroughly recommend it. The reason for my Son and heir and long suffering girlfriend to be home was that they are God Parents to my great nephew who is being baptised on Sunday with his sister; it is also my Raison D’etre’s birthday this week. I treasure every day I have with him and his birthday gets bigger every year the ‘day’ became a birthday week the week became a birthday month and the month is in danger of becoming a bi-month. He enjoys his birthday and celebrates to the full, playing the birthday boy role to the full. I enjoy making his birthday month special. This year he is still upright and walking, with a stick, but upright and walking and that is a birthday worth celebrating. Muscular Dystrophy will never take away my fight for him.

So happy birthday my angel you know I love you but here I declare it for the whole blogsphere to read. You are my reason for living, my reason for being, my reason for all that I do. I will keep running for you and if any of you good blog readers out there want to sponsor me in my endeavours you can follow my link to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign its work, outreach, campaigns and research just log on to www.muscular-dystophy.org  and see why I am doing this. If you feel you want to support me then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’ account and make a donation www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC. A huge thanks you to all of you who have donated already.

Thank you for your support.

Nature V Nurture

Saturday 5^th May

Distance: 5.01 mile
Time: 1:06:36 min
Avg Speed: 4:51 mph                            
Avg Pace: 13:18min/mile
Calories Burned: 678

Oh my! Today was one of those runs. You know the type - spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I actually hurt today mainly in the lower right side of my back around the rib cage. I was about half a mile into the run when I realised that I was struggling above and beyond the warm up mile. Then I realised what the cause of my discomfort was! This week had seen the school where I am currently working, closed for the local elections, as the school is used as a polling station. Although closed to children the staff are still expected to work. As the regular staff were engaged in a training day I was not expected to attend this as I am only there for a limited time, so it was a false economy for the head to pay me to attend. Instead I was paid a day’s salary to write the children’s annual reports. I sat for over 6 hours with only a (10 minute break) in the same position, writing at a computer. Now I realise that a lot of you will do this all day at your jobs anyway, ‘so what’s the fuss?’ you may ask. My answer … I was sat in a non-ergonomic chair with my lap top set slightly to the left thus allowing me room for all the data sheets I was working from. Consequently I sat in a left ward twisting incorrect posture for far too long. As a result today I ached down my right side and this really affected my run. I ran out as far as the cemetery, paid my obligatory visit to mum and co. Had to apologise to them for the brevity of my visit but I just wanted to get home. I ran a good lap in 10.4minutes and managed a length of 1.6miles non-stop. So all in all in spite of my lack of physical prowess I think I did quite well.

I had one of those runs where my mind wandered today and I found myself pondering the Nature v Nurture debate. I have always believed that I am a good example of the fact that neither is independently mutually exclusive. I was one of those 1960’s babies given up for adoption. Mum and dad are ‘mum and dad’ they are the ones who took the 6 week old me into their home and loved me. Sadly daddy died when I was only 4. So mum was left to bring me and my sister up alone. She was the one who ‘nurtured’ me. She gave me my value system. Although not a political animal she influenced my political choices. Through her I have my faith. She taught me how to love without question, with all my heart and without asking for anything else in return.  Because of her choices for me and my schools I have my friends and my social networks. The things I enjoy and hobbies I have were influenced by her. The way I brought my own son up was as a result or possibly even an antithesis of my own upbringing. I am who I am because of her.

However I have a genetic make-up too which I also believe is a prime example of the ‘nature’ debate. 20 years ago I was fortunate enough to trace my natural parents. Unlike many adoptees my search was easy and I was able to locate both a birth mother and father who by the same token wanted to meet me.  In finding them I was struck firstly by the huge physical resemblances. I have so many similarities of appearance to both. That of course is to be expected I have their DNA. Here though is where I find myself asking is what else is in the DNA? My birth mother is so like me emotionally, we are both strong willed, hold strong opinions and are not afraid of voicing them. She is a strong woman with a joy of life-so am I.  I have sisters through my Birth mother and I find similarities between myself and them too.

My birth father is a loving, generous man who has a passion for cycling. His children are all actively sporty some of them even make their living from sports related employment. So there I was pounding the streets today as my thoughts wandered and I thought about my birth father and I couldn’t help wondering if it is programmed deep within my genetic blueprint to enjoy this sporty stuff and to find it easier than someone less predestined to be sporty.

My ‘nature’ has given me the advantage to succeed in the task I have set myself. My ‘nature’ has given me the bloody minded determination to do it. And why do I do it? One reason my ‘nurture’ I was nurtured to care, to love, to give.

So world there you have it my nature and my nurture will get me through with you all behind me too I cannot fail. So here I end with my usual link to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign its work, outreach, campaigns and research just log on to www.muscular-dystophy.org  and see why I am doing this. If you feel you want to support me then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’ account and make a donation www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC. A huge thanks you to all of you who have donated already.

Thank you for your support.