Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hello!!

I hope you've all had a very merry Christmas and that you're set for a super sweet '16. 

I walked out of the office at 5pm on 23rd December and it seems like an absolute age ago! Like quite a few people I think, I head back to work on Monday and I'm beginning to wonder if I've forgotten how to get up that early. It's going to be so hard - I suppose I can take from this the positive thought that no matter how had it will be for me, it will be 10 times worse for my morning zombie husband. 

He's got this not-so-brilliant habit of not sleeping very well through the night, until about an hour before he needs to get up, when he'll be comatosed and incapable of coherent thought. Meanwhile, I'm like one of those dolls you get when you're a child, that closes it eyes the minute you lie it flat. Then I don't move. I've been woken up before because the person sharing the room with me thought I was dead. 

Resolutions... has anyone made them? I've not (ish). I've had a considerably merry time over the festive season and have piled on more than a few pounds. So, one of my resolutions should be to try to reverse that process - I started by cancelling my gym membership and eating a tube of smarties. That't the right way to do it isn't it? It's not that bad though, I suppose. I have downloaded an app to help me get marathon ready and been on a few runs, but I know that's not enough. Running simply fuels my food habit. I love eating. I need to run for an hour tomorrow, and I know it's going to be hard, but I'm oddly excited to see how I get on (and then to eat afterwards...).

We did start the year quite well though. Instead of rolling around rat-arsed at a friend's house party, or battling at the bar of some overpriced and overfilled club in town, the hubby and I walked up Moel Famau, along with about 300 other people. It was brilliant; like some bizarre pilgrimage of lights from the car park to the summit. There were campfires and picnics and head torches galore, and at the stroke of midnight, the skyline was a twinkling array of fireworks being set off across the Wirral, North Wales and Liverpool. Definitely worth the walk, and worth braving the bitter cold. I think we'll do it next year.

Then I thought "What about dry January?!" And then we went to the in-law's for dinner and I had wine and Baileys, so that went well. Is it wrong to start now and then add a day on at the end? It'll help the weightloss goal, if nothing else. 

To refer back to running again (as I inevitably do), I have decided to try and run 1000 miles during 2016. That means an average of 20 miles a week - which I can definitely maintain for the beginning part of the year, but who knows how I'll do post-marathon?? I really hope it's doable.... what do you think?

After all this waffling, I think I might have found a purpose for this blog. Perhaps if I document my running, I might keep it up and reach this goal... and maybe lose some weight along the way?

Anyway... Happy 2016! It's a brand new year, a fresh start, and a new chapter in the story. Let's keep writing it!

Petition for a 3 day weekend...

Hello all!

I hope you've had a lovely weekend. I have mostly spent this Sunday in a seated position with a heated blanket wrapped around me; I feel like this is the manner in which a Sunday should be spent. 

I think this post will mostly be about food. 

Firstly... everyone needs to go to Egg in Liverpool. It's a vegetarian/vegan cafe in Newington. It doesn't have a particularly extensive menu, but what it may lack in choice is made up for in a core few delicious dishes! The 'specialties' change around frequently and to name a few that I've sampled, I've enjoyed a Quorn satay, a lovely leek and cream cheese quiche, sumptuous veggie burgers... all dishes are accompanied with a delightful pasta and bulgur wheat salad. You can take your own alcoholic drinks in if you pay a £1 corkage fee, and then there's the cakes... So, go to Egg. 

Then... Yay for the German Markets in Liverpool! There's nothing quite like a traditional German Chinese BBQ Street Food box. Ha! While a little off the usual curry worst and Erdinger track, it was actually quite nice. My bestie and I went wandering around the market before embarking on bar crawl (and ending up Out Out) and delighted in a Gluhwein. It felt thoroughly festive! 

On reflection, my eating habits of late have been awful. My arteries will not be thanking me right now, and with Christmas approaching, it's not likely to get better. To add further to my woes, it's absolutely arctic out there so I really don't feel like running at the moment. I just hope my clothes don't start ripping at the seams. Watch this space for some panic dieting post-Christmas. 

I often wonder how other people regard food. I don't know if I'm abnormal, but I just never seem to want to stop eating. I love food. I get so much joy from it. If I didn't run, I would most certainly be a size 20. How do people stop this? Do I need to change my mindset for food? As much as I enjoy food, I quite often get a sense of guilt from binging on that whole bag of popcorn that I didn't need, or that Koko noodle box that I 'needed' because I couldn't be bothered cooking after a busy day in work. Does anyone else get that? How can I make my willpower better and perhaps avoid that extra fruity flapjack biscuit because it's just sat there looking at me in work?

Anyway, on that note, we're headed to the bestie's for dinner tonight. And tomorrow is Monday... already?!

Hope you've all had a nice weekend. xx

Happy Tuesday

Happy Tuesday to those of you who have successfully made it this far through the week!

When is this abysmal weather going to end? I vow never to moan about the weather when it's too hot... But I will incessantly whinge whenever it's cold and miserable. I'm currently sat, waiting for my nails to dry and listening to rain slapping the house and the wind whipping round the walls. 

Ok, so... Rant: Why is MS Word so ridiculous when it comes to formatting?! And does bad weather impact on the network at work, resulting in super slow save times? I literally sat for about an hour in work today just watching a usually slow Excel file at the best of times just flicker at me while it got stuck on a loop moving the curser from one cell to the other. Something that could have taken about 10 minutes took me several hours. Massively frustrating!

On a plus though, hubby and I cycled to the train station this morning (miraculously avoiding the rain!) which was so refreshing! Took a bit of planning, but so worth it. AND we somehow missed the rain on the way home too - mildly uphill - but I'll take the small victories. We even then went for a run. Finished off our healthy activity with a pizza and prosecco as one does. 

Let's see what Wednesday brings!!

Hi!

So... 

Hi!

It's quite early on a Sunday morning and I've been awake for a while now, listening to the wind battering against the house and in a bid to keep myself occupied, I've downloaded The Sims to my phone, and also decided to start a blog.

This is something I've dabbled in before, but never stuck to.

I failed a blog designed to make me a bit more fashion forward, and another once aimed at inspiring other ACCA students lost in the world of exams and work experience. Needless to say, I finished studying and I'm no more fashionable for it. 

There's no real aim for this blog other than to document some thoughts, provoke others' thoughts and maybe (read: likely) just to rant.

Topics that are present in my life at the moment include:

• Running - I'm a keen runner with a Good for Age place in the next London Marathon. Providing I make it there injury free (or even with minor injury) this will be a life goal fulfilled. I love running. I genuinely believe it keeps me sane and it also means I can take part in my other favourite activity...
• Eating - I love food. I think my favourite is pizza, but generally anything with melted cheese on is a winner. I'm not a very good cook however, and I'm generally quite lazy when it comes to cooking. Despite my lazy attitude to cooking, my husband and I want to own a food related business together one day; something like a greasy spoon or a food van. One day.
• Work - yes! I'm one of those people that does enjoy going to work each morning. I work with a bunch of lovely people, doing a job that I've worked hard to get, and facing challenges that I enjoy every day. That's not to say I don't have the odd bad day, but who doesn't? 
• House decoration - This is a topic that I can't escape, although wish I could. I mentioned before that I was lazy... Well, we bought a project of a house and then didn't do a lot to it. Many workmen have entered our house and commented on how good a job our plasterer did on the hall stairs and landing (4 years ago, still not painted or wallpapered over it). We've also been searching for someone to fit our bathroom for the last year and made zero progress. We will get there one day, I just don think that day is any time soon.
• Travelling - Whether we are headed to Wales for a walking weekend, or to Canada for our next big adventure, I love seeing different places. I've not done the whole travelling for a year and sleeping in hostels type thing, and not really had a desire to if I'm honest. Instead, I've worked hard to be able to afford nice holidays with my husband. Our next big one is a driving holiday round Canada and I cannot wait! Also can't wait to go to Holland in a few weeks time and visit my aunt.

As for today, I'm going to go for a run and brave the weather and then maybe for a ferry trip across the Mersey, just because. We shall see what I can find to rant about next time!