Showing posts with label plans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plans. Show all posts

Thursday, 2 November 2017

Accountability

A wise lady keeps reminding me that I need to be accountable for my health. I need to put my aims out there, tell the world, let people know what I am trying to achieve and who knows maybe others can then help me, spur me on, encourage the changes I need to make?

My health has come along way in the last year but there is so much more I could be doing to help myself. My diet has gone miles down hill since new shops opened a very short scoot from my house. More and more often I'm "treating" myself, rewarding myself for the trip to the shops, or for a job well done, or just because it's Monday...

This needs to change.

I would also like to incorporate some gentle exercise into my routine, but this is far trickier than managing my diet. I have to factor in pacing and recovery time. I used to love exercise. I used to walk everywhere. I still miss playing cricket and badminton. But aside from the logistics of getting back into sports it is also unrealistic.
So, things I can do to help myself;

  • Meal plan,
  • Stop "treating" myself,
  • Walk a little more of the school run,
  • Take the basketball to the court once a week,
  • Make daily stretches part of my routine.

Right, that's it, that is me being accountable, let's see if it works!

**Edit**

Having thought a bit more about this through the night I realise all of the above are targets for physical health, but mental health is just as important so perhaps I need to set targets there as well.

I have a very quiet life during the week usually, and I really do not crave a busy life, but a little more interaction with the outside world which doesn't happen via my phone screen would be nice. The highlight of my social week is the school run and some days that can come and go with barely a word spoken.

So perhaps I need to put myself out there. Not be scared of other people's busy lives. Ask the people I want to spend time with if they are free. Who knows I might be surprised?

This is probably the hardest target of all those set above.

All of this has come about from a bad week mentally and physically. Funny how bad times give you the encouragement for change.



Sunday, 22 October 2017

Kickscoot The Coast: Winchelsea - Bexhill-On-Sea

Winchelsea - Bexhill-On-Sea

I am doing this scoot to raise awareness and funds for the ME Association so if you would like to you can sponsor me here.

Here are the links to the previous sections of this trek;
Whitstable - Broadstairs
Broadstairs - Walmer
Walmer - Capel-le-ferne
Capel-le-ferne - Littlestone

Littlestone - Rye

I didn't think I was going to get a scoot in this weekend, the weather forecast for Hastings yesterday was winds up to 60mph, torrential rain, then today wasn't supposed to be much better, but I checked the forecast this morning and it said 18mph winds and sunshine so I thought why not!

I started by skipping ahead just a little, I ended my last scoot in Rye which is a fair way inland and I wanted to start today by the sea! So please excuse my naughtiness, though I'm so glad I did it!



The start of my scoot was down a very windy stretch of road below a bank shielding me from the sea, after that I came face to face with my first hill. There were quite a few long winding, fairly steep hills. I didn't want to waste my battery by making the scooter work hard up these hills so I walked and it showed me just how fit I am not! My lungs were burning with the effort! It made me think "Why am I doing this again"? However it did warm me up and my multiple layers kept the warmth in for the rest of the scoot so I didn't get too cold!


Since my last scoot I have finally invested in a handlebar mount for my phone, so this is the first scoot I have done without having to stop and look at the map! It made such a difference, I wish I had started my adventure with it! Although my phone is also my camera, so it was a bit of a palava everytime I wanted to take a photo, but I percerviered and think I got some nice shots.



The joy of having to go up all these hills is that the view was spectacular and then of course you get to go back down the other side! Very carefully because I only have a front brake (must get a back brake fitted).

Once at the bottom of all the hills I found myself on Hastings seafront, which was very busy, people everywhere who were completely oblivious to cycles of any kind! I stopped here and had a chat with someone about my scooter and I took the opportunity to tell him all about the challenge I have set myself.



The next stage was wonderful, one of the nicest stretches of seafront so far. Possibly the prettiest cycle path I've ever traveled on too. A variety of interesting sculptures, lots of happy families out enjoying the sunshine.




Gorgeous sunshine bouncing off of the crashing waves, just beautiful, made me think "Yes! This is why I am doing this".




Next I found myself in Bexhill-On-Sea, I knew I was almost out of battery and that my family were somewhere nearby, so I stopped here. It felt like a good place to start next time, on a nice coastal path right by the beach.




The kids had spent the entire time in Edgerton Park which they happily took me to once we had had some lunch. This is an AMAZING park! Lots of lovely equipment and beautiful sculptures to see. I think they will enjoy coming back here when I head off for the next part of my epic adventure.






Oh yes and to top my day off I stopped right on the front to take a panoramic of the sea and a lovely lady came up to me to tell me how much she loved my hair, this made my day! I love when people go out of their way to compliment others especially if it is a genuine compliment to someone they don't even know.



Driving back tonight at 6pm has made me realise just how far I have come with my health over the last 4 years. 4½ years ago I vividly remember a family outing to KFC, I was driven from home to KFC where we ate then driven home and it floored me, I was exhausted before we had even left the house, but it was a special treat for the kids as they had been stuck inside with me being unwell for sometime. Skip to today, 2 hours running around the house making lunches, 1 hour drive, 1½ hours scooting/walking, 1½ hours in the park 1 hour drive, dinner out then ½ hour back home. I am still standing. I will probably have to write off most of the week as I will hardly be able to move for a day or so and energy levels will be very low, but still what an improvement!



Sunday, 30 April 2017

Kickscoot The Coast Broadstairs - Deal

After my fabulous first scoot out I thought right so next time I will easily get from Broadstairs to Folkstone, no problem. I am very glad I didn't set out today with that aim in mind!

I haven't been feeling great the last week and we went for a big family day out yesterday to Rochester sweeps festival, so I can safely say I am not on top form today but I wanted to make the most of the bank holiday weekend. So I decided to half my expectations, Broadstairs to Deal it is.

I am so glad I did as it turned out to be quite a trek. Parts of the journey were beautiful, but a lot of it felt far from the coast and involved a lot of roads or cycle paths next to large roads.

I covered just 16miles today, but it seemed to use just as much battery on the scooter. Lots of full power against the wind riding, far less coasting along the beach path. I can safely say that I am just as exhausted as after last time, though I was pretty knackered to start with!

I had made a few adjustments for this part of the journey. I had my fabulous hi vis vest, which I was very pleased to be wearing with the number of times I found myself on a road! I also had some foot supports as I suffered with very sore feet after last time, we'll see tomorrow if they helped.

No one spoke to me on this stretch. The closest to conversation I came was a small boy around 3years old asking his nan "Why is that man wearing a builders jacket?"... (I was waiting for him to finish climbing on a sculpture so I could photograph it).

I was quite disappointed riding into Sandwich seeing the signs for a food festival happening next weekend. However there did seem to be a festival happening as I went through (see photos).
















Wednesday, 4 January 2017

Grand Plans

This post could also be titled "Bucket list" or "Resolutions".

This is the time of year where people think about resolutions and what they wish to achieve in the coming months. I've been thinking for a while now about things I would like to achieve. The trouble with spending most of my time at home and alone is you have far too much time to think, so I am going to try to do something about that.

I am going to work on a list of things I have always wanted to do because I've decided that if I never write the list then the things will never happen, but some of these things are definitely achievable! Also this year I am going to work on going out more and generally being less hermit like.

In the last 6 months my health has improved in leaps and bounds so fingers crossed I can continue to improve which will give me even more chance of achieving some of my goals!

The biggest things I would like to work towards won't happen this year, but they will go on the list anyway just to keep them in sight.

Ok here goes!

- Kick scoot the south coast (all along the sea front from Kent to Cornwall) this is a biggie and will require a lot of planning, energy and stamina. It won't happen this year, but I can start laying the foundations.

- Lapland, New Zealand, New York...
- Jersey isles, Norfolk, Pembroke, Scotland, Lake District... I could write a long list of places I would like to visit at home & abroad...

More achievable ones...

- Kayaking
- Snow tubing
- Indoor rock climbing
- Segway Leeds castle
- Shooting a handgun in a range
- Getting a new tattoo (or 2)
- Dancing - would really love to get back to dancing
- Reliving after school cricket practices with Mr R. (Happy memories)
- Having a go on a ski-doo
- Having a go on a jet ski

I intend to keep adding to this list as well as ticking things off, wish me luck!