Not your normal Mothering Sunday 🏃‍♀️

Hello - I’m back! Sorry been feeling uninspired of late 🙁. But there we go - park that there because today was a big day - nope not Mothering Sunday - Cardiff Bay 10k race.  That will be the race I hadn’t  really trained for - well not as much as I should have or would have liked! However as we all know we cannot turn back those pesky sands of time - no man or woman can do this aside from Dr Who of course 😂.

I was where I was - still stood on that start line with my chubby thighs and unfit body - stuffed full of cake from the day before - I’m sure that is not in the runners manual - stuff face full of cake before race day🤔. However brownie points for me - no alcohol pre-race 👍🏻.

So back to the yellow wave of runners - stood in a very cold and windy Cardiff Bay - edging forward step by step to the rainbow shaped start line arch - they really should paint those rainbow colours 🌈 and maybe have unicorns 🦄 jumping out of the rainbow. After all we are chasing some dream or other, some goal - mine just to finish - to finish and hope that they’ve still got a medium t-shirt left and a medal.

I love the medal - it’s like a permanent reminder of your achievement- same medal for everyone - same distance for all - the medal is a leveller - it doesn’t matter if you are first or last it’s the same medal and it means as much to the person coming in first as the person who endured and maybe struggled over that distance! Love my bling ❤️🏅.

Anyway back to the start line being blown away by the welsh winds - thankfully no rain ☔️ 🌧. We were off. I like to take things with me on my run - usually my music but not on a race day - my water bottle, my Gymboss timer,  my running belt with some sweeties, plasters and a tissue in oh and a full bladder 🙈. Yup I would say that it was probably about two minutes after crossing the start line that I really needed a wee. So here I am running and feeling like I’m bursting - giving myself the runners toilet talk - it’s all in your mind - it’s all in your mind - which to be fair is better than down your leg 🙈. I powered on weighing up losing time to have a wee or putting the mind over matter concept into action.  About 3k for the first time ever I could have just stopped and gone back - I had complete end of financial year exhaustion - how ironic that this race was held on the 31st March - my nemesis day - end of financial year 🙈. I gave myself a strict talking to - I was not giving up- I was not injured - being “a bit tired” was NOT an excuse. I set my mind to sticking with my 1:30 v 30 run walk run.

Before I knew it we had reached the 5k mark (still no toilets by the way 😂). Now it was downhill all the way - not literally! I had found my stride - just kept going run walk run walk - closely followed by a large group of adult sized bumble bees 🐝!  I thought that there mustn’t have been a 6k marker, great I was thinking 3k to go surely. Then I saw it - the 6k marker - nooooo - 4K to go 🙁. Could I do it? Then about 300 yards on the 7k marker - realising I’d looked at the marker on the other side of the path - result 3k to go 🏃‍♀️👍🏻. Funny what a difference that makes from down to up in a couple of minutes (still needing a pee mind 😘).

So there it was the 1k marker - the final countdown - the last hoorah- legs like lead, stuck to my intervals and ran for the finish line. What a glorious feeling, crowds cheering and all of a sudden you realise it’s over - at last - then you laugh to yourself as you recall thinking the night before maybe you would go a marathon 😂😂😂🙈🙈🙈. Oh man I can barely get round 10k - I couldn’t have gone and done it all again and a bit more to clear a half - marathon what was I thinking. More like pass me a Snickers bar!

Brexit shaken not stirred

We decided to leave the EU - there was a vote and it was go
Brexit was on the cards - Cameron turned tail becoming the foe.
So we were out - run for the hills
No wait first stock pile all the pills!

Years of negotiations with European nations
Wish I had gone into hibernation 😟.
Not before I’d stock piled some goods
Surely the media’s not full of falsehoods?

Boris Johnson so full of promise
He and Nigel were oh so honest 🙈.
Now Nigel’s walking north to south
With new nonsense coming from his mouth 😜

To hedge my bets I’m boxing clever
Over- react - me - what - never.
I’m taking quite a serious stand
Stocked full of gin - it’s really grand 🍸😂

Now two years on the people are worn down
Mention Brexit and smiles turn to frowns 😣.
Surely we must be nearly there
The mood is now full of despair 😩

I think I may just have the answer
We will send in an army of belly dancers
The politicians would be distracted
And May could be quietly extracted.

But nobody really wants Mays mission
Not even someone full of ambition.
She’s really got the poisoned curse
And there’s no going in reverse!

Let’s turn off the lights and hunker down
Is the Country being run by clowns 🤡🤣
Teresa May is pushing forward
Her manner generally quite awkward 🙈

So here we are so much time has gone
And nobody has sounded the exit gong.
We best all just try and stick together
Remember the gin is dry whatever the weather 👍🏻

#notdoingpolitics #justforfun #onlyjoking! #smile #laugh #wave
#BrexitmeansBrexit 🙈🙈🙉🙊

Petrol Station Straws

New game - new game - who wants to play.....

So billy bonus travelling home today - got to the bridge - no tolls due to staff sickness - result. Happy bunny - yes it’s the small things - get well soon toll operators.  So on I go to get petrol.

Fill up my little beauty and go in to pay. Stand in the queue (because I’m British clearly 😂) and the till operator gentleman says to the lady at the front “pump number?” - pump number 2 she replies. Oh oh I start bouncing “that’s me”. “What pump number?” He repeats. “Number 2” she says “I’m 2 I am 2” .  The man continues “that’s £35.75”, “oh no” she says.  I’m still bouncing behind her “hello hello I’m number 2 that’s me, that’s me - hellloooo”.  The penny drops - man cancels transaction turns to the lady “that’s £10.05” . Ever wish you had kept your mouth shut 🤐 . Lady “oh I’ve only got £10 I will have to look in the car for 5p”. Man “don’t worry love drop it in again”.

So I had a barter with the lady in front of me - would you like to swap pump numbers - we could run the gauntlet - petrol pump Russian roulette. She was not up for that. “Pump number?”. Lady “Number 1”  man “£28” - man I would have been onto a winner there too 🤣.

Get to till - pay my dues - give man 5p “here you go put that in for the lady who was in front of me” - see I’m all heart. 😂😂😂😂

Next stop - Chinese - well I mean I’d save a bridge toll surely that means I deserved a treat?  Nobody wanted to swap bills in there either mind 🤔🤷🏻‍♀️.

#keepsmiling #smallthingss #makeuslaugh #makepeoplesmike

Ironing to victory

I’ve heard of a lady who loves to iron
Especially if the dragon is slaying a lion.
I’ve not gone mad - I’ve not gone crazy
And this woman is far from lazy.

Whenever the boys don their red shirts
She will be away to iron trousers and skirts.
It’s become quite a local Carew tradition
Helping Wales beat off the competition.

As soon as Gatlands army comes out
Clear the decks you hear her shout.
The iron board takes centre stage
Her body trembling with rugby rage.

The referee blows his whistle
A team led out for dismissal.
But it’s not Galands coaching powers
Or the team training long hard hours.

Oh no it’s really Carol’s hot plate passion
For the opposition she has no compassion.
She sets her iron to hot and steamy
A proud welsh win is always dreamy.

She irons like her life depends on it
She doesn’t tire not one bit.
She’s Gatlands secret lucky mascot
So long as there’s washing in her basket.

So when we win the grand slam or lift the triple crown
One lady has been collecting washing from all around.
It’s all down to this one welsh woman
Helping us avoid the spoon which is wooden 👍🏻

Thanks Carol.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Dragon slays all its prey a grand slam came our way

It started back in February and we needed some convincing
Could the welsh team seek out glory and leave the others sinking?
First it was the fresh faced French who stood in our way
Initially we didn’t think it was going to be our day.

We went into the half way point losing 16 nil
The thought of losing to the French filled us with a chill.
We came into the second half our bellies full of fire
You’ve got to give it to George North he ain’t half a trier.

So the victory was ours we really were delighted
However to go all the way - some of us were doubters.
Next up were the Italians
sometimes known as the pesky stallions
Surely we could win this game
With very little pain?

The win was not convincing but a record had been set
The longest winning run for our boys had been met.
The biggest worry for the squad was who they next would meet
The English were rolling in and our hearts were missing a beat.

Only the hard core true believers thought we’d win this match
To beat the English would really be a catch.
A nation sat with bated breath while the dragon roared into the game
A game where the welsh really needed to breathe pure flames.

The English were defeated and the nation went wild
Murmurs of a grand slam were rippling through the crowd.
Our next opponents were the Scots who weren’t going to make it easy
I won’t lie but during that match at times I felt quite queasy!

But here we were the win was ours the Scots had been defeated
That fire in the dragon’s belly was huge - the temperature quite heated.
Thirteen wins in a row - Gatlands magic working well
 These boys knew another win would certainly be swell.

The final game was on our patch - the Irish stood in our way
The rain was lashing from the sky - the roof was open way up high
Perhaps those Celts thought that the dragon could be dampened
And our grand slam dream would be  trampled.

The welsh came out to a roaring crowd
These boys had served their nation proud.
Within a minute Parkes crossed the line
A try so early how devine.

The game continued in this vain
Nil for Ireland how insane.
The Welsh could smell that Grand Slam victory
Anscombe boot was kicking history.

The Irish fought their battle hard
But dreams of winning truly marred.
Our captain Alun Wyn Jones served us well
Every opponent the welsh had fell

Garlands boys had done the deed
The grand slam was truly theirs indeed
The English game was last to play
They’d beat the Scottish the fans say

The Scottish team were having a thrashing
31 nil - the Scots were crashing
Never had the nation seen
such a comeback from a team

The Scots came thundering back to life
Causing the English trouble and strife
The victory was nearly theirs
The English nearly left in tears

And so it came to pass this very day
Gatland’s coaching on display
The dragon roared the opponents toppled
Well done boys you never bottled ❤️


🏉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏉

The Grand Slam On......

Is that a dragon I heard roaring
Is that flames I see it snorting
Is that a dragon flying high
The weather being far from dry

The Irish wanted the stadium roof open
They thought the rain welsh hearts would dampen
But they were oh so wrong
Don’t they know that Wales are strong

The rain will not hold us back
Grand Slam hopes must stay on track
The Welsh are powering on
Quite the Celtic phenomenon

We are nearly there - not far to go
Keep the pressure at full flow
The Irish lads mustn’t be underestimated
The games not won Til their abated

So come on lads drive it home
You know you are not alone
The rain may keep on pouring down
But you can win in your hometown

🏉❤️🏉💪🏻

Dad

I thought I saw you standing there just the other day
I turned around to wave to you but you must have gone the other way.

I thought I smelt that cologne you used to wear as I walked down the street
I felt sure if I kept on walking we would be bound to meet.

I thought I heard your laughter rising up above the crowd
It truly felt it was just above me like a joyful bursting cloud.

I thought I heard your voice today as I went about my day
So many times I looked for you hoping I’d see you come what may.

I thought I felt your warm embrace wrap around my body
You used to give me cuddles despite me being stroppy.

I thought I sensed your presence as I rested in the sun
But then I came to realise I was not with anyone.

I know that you are with us as each second ticks on by
For you never really left us despite us saying goodbye.

I know that you are guiding us as you watch from far away
Willing us to succeed as we live our life each day.

I know that you are watching us and wishing you were here
With all the folk that loved you and held oh so dear.

I thought I saw you standing there just the other day
So I looked up to the skies and gave you a great big wave 💞🥰

Ode to Benji Boo

Sometimes I think I’m the only one who loves you Benji Boo
You are definitely my Tigger to my portly Winnie the Pooh.
You are so full of energy bouncing all around
It’s true, your paws are barely on the ground.

There some moments when you are also like Houdini
Popping through the conifer hedge - almost routinely.
One look back then off you trot a million miles an hour
Following that cat scent because to you it smells of flowers.

I swear I see you smirking as I’m bringing up the rear
You take another look at me and move it up a gear.
Eventually the game is over and home again we go
It’s getting very tiresome I will have you know!

Sometimes it is known for even Tiggers to take a  rest
And when you snuggle up to me it really is the best.
I love the way you look at me with your gorgeous deep brown eyes
Then you’ll leap up pulling at my hair taking me quite by surprise.

You must think you are popular as we all call out your name.
But really it’s because we don’t enjoy your little game.
You love to steal our tissues and eat them if you can
We’ve had to introduce a complete wastepaper bin ban.

But we wouldn’t be without you, truly we would not
Well maybe Georgie boy doesn’t like you a lot.
He thinks you smell quite badly and he hates your Tigger ways.
But I think you really melt his heart with your supersonic gaze.

So if you see me and my boy out running round the place,
I give you word of warning this tigger needs his space.
See that monkey Benji Boo will want to come and play
So he starts to jump and bark and you may think you are his prey!

He really doesn’t mean it he’s quite a socialable dog
He just can’t stand the lead and the fact he has to jog!
So yes I love my tigger with all his faults and flaws
From his floppy ears, waggy tail - I even smell his paws 🐾.

Benjo Boo 💜

Gusty day - run - come what may... 🏃‍♀️

Facebook - it’s a helpful little blighter at times isn’t it.  Cardiff Bay 10k page post this morning - "3 weeks to go - are you ready?"  No - clearly not 😂.  So despite the 50mph winds there was nothing for it I had to pull on that running gear and get out there.  So I did. 🍃🌬

What a delight it was tearing across the village in my usual “I’m half dying” style the wind blowing straight through every item of clothing I had on - bitterly regretting my decision to leave my gloves at home.😰  I took the wild idiot dog known as Benji Boo - even he was looking back at me as if to say “really, we are really doing this?”. Yup boy we are! So we battled onwards.

Very interesting moment as we entered the castle grounds - I dropped the lead (it was the cold 🤣) - that would be at the same time Benji spied the Shetland ponies🐴 - oh man - he’s dashing towards them being very vocal - meanwhile I’m trying to drag my poor exhausted legs UP the hill to try and grab his lead. Flipping dog I’m thinking - I have to say the Shetland ponies did not flinch 😂.

I was determined now I was out (not the only mad fool I have to say) I was going to do at least 5k. So I took my usual route towards our neighbouring village.

At this point I was trying to take in the wonder of nature all around me (ignoring the main road and the juggernauts flying past me at 60mph - about the same speed as the wind 😱). Looking up at the trees swaying - well I say swaying .... more like wildly flapping, branches being tossed like a surfer in the waves; anyway it was at this moment I thought .... I hope one of those trees doesn’t come down on me. I would not want that moment to be my glorious exit! Quickly followed by the thought of my sister standing delivery my eulogy saying “she died doing what she loves”. Errrr no she flipping well didn’t! As much as I love a little run. More apt would be if I left this world whilst in the middle of the dance floor busting out my best dance moves whilst my friend is at the bar getting us a tray full of rainbow shots 🌈😂. That would be more like it!

Anyway as if it could not get any worse and I was wishing I hadn’t taken myself further away from home and kept it short the heavens opened. Hail - lovely HARD hail 🌨- Benji looked at me and if looks could kill. I swear I heard him say "if only that tree has taken her out". Ouch hail being blown horizontally hurts! It’s like someone sticking needles in you. Thankfully it was a short downpour.

Too cold to even take a proper photo!

I did also ponder as I plodded along - this time last year I didn’t even own a pair of trainers and had only run for trains or buses. What a difference in 11 months - couch potato to mascarading as a “runner”. If I can do it - anyone can - just believe you can - no matter how slow you are or how short your distances - it doesn’t matter - it’s your time, your goal, your life, your glorious moment of peace and quiet (or in my case your chance to listen to cheesy 80s music).







So to the homeward stretch - little blip when I discovered my Fitbit had stopped tracking 😡 I need to count every centimetre of my journey - honestly. Never mind - I was home - 6.4k under my belt. Big whoop whoop 🙌🏻.

I added a final mile to my run by running to this sign - this was the sign I was running to when I did RED January as I knew if I ran to here and back home that was my minimum 1 mile.

10k in three weeks time - maybe, just maybe I will able to get through it.

Just to say despite all of the above I actually found it quite exhilarating- I know I’m strange like that 🏃‍♀️🤔🤷🏻‍♀️.

#runnersblog #cold #windy #MIND #runforyou #mentalhealth #staystrong 💪🏻

6.4k done and dusted - yay!

one slice or two 🍋

So another late shift - massive dilemma.....

Running in pouring rain

Or


Make pancakes 🥞 .......

I wrangled for oh gosh it must have been oh let me see mmmmm probably all of 60 seconds before plumping for.....

Oh come on what do you think 🤔😂🤷🏻‍♀️

Next dilemma

To give up chocolate for Lent or not ........,😱

PS - the moment you realise you’ve nothing to put on your pancakes and have to resort to your emergency frozen lemon slices (reserved normally for G & T) ..... that was interesting 😂

Round and round the money tree 🌲😂🏃‍♀️

What can I say
Sometimes things just don’t go your way.

You wake up and in your head plan your day
Determined it is all happening come what may.
The day which then unfolds hour by hour
Each moment like petals falling from a flower.

At 7am you are absolutely sure
You will be definitely be heading out the door
By 6pm it’s becoming oh so clear
You won’t be home to don your running gear.

And so alas it was not meant to be
The day really did just escape from me.
I really really did intend
To join the runners just round the bend.
But by the time I crawled home tired and hungry
The running club gals were done and dusted.
(And guys 🏃🏻‍♂️)

So just another mental run for me!
Round and round the money tree.
The money tree that is just not growing
Despite the hours of work .....and hoeing. 😂

Maybe tomorrow will be my day
I may just run come what may ......

Or not 😔

I will of course keep you posted and needless to say I’ve consoled myself with chocolate 🍫🙈

Out of hibernation ..........

Well today was the day - I had checked my big book of excuses and yup I had definitely exhausted all of them.  There was nowhere else left to hide so the only thing to do was ........run.

Before I knew just had bad it was going to be

So I fuelled up with my raspberry yoghurt and fresh raspberries followed by a mouthful of a cinnamon bun (just for sugar purposes you know).  Took me about half an hour to get ready - honestly I can get ready for a night out quicker than a run.  Perhaps that says more about me than I care to acknowledge; when a night out often involves alcohol so I must be psychologically thinking quick, quick get ready - get out there - let the fun begin.  As opposed to when getting ready for a run thinking - oh man this is going to hurt - why am I doing this again?

Run commando I don't think so

Today I was road testing my new underwear as well - I know you probably don't need to know that but I do like to share 🤣.  Just as well I bought them as they came with special instructions "Don't run commando" - gosh I wasn't planning on doing that!  So I was ready, go faster pants on, leggings on, long sleeved top on - trainers dusted off.  Water bottle filled - headphones (so hoping that they were not flat after lying idle for 3 weeks) and my running belt.  I was ready.  Deliberated a while on what music to go with - decided on my faithful running playlist as I thought this may transport me back to a time when I ran a little bit more than of late 😒.  Surely The Greatest Showman would spur me on.

Next decision - dogs - dog - or no dogs.  Well I am so sorry Lady Lucy Lou this was one mission that was beyond your chubby little legs so you were definitely not coming.  Benji was jumping so high he was actually touching my face so I figured with that much energy he probably needed this run more than I did!  Right - so we were definitely off this time.  Why did I feel so ridiculously nervous and a bit sick.  My head is just saying well you can't run now - you've not run for weeks - what makes you think you can just stick some trainers on and run pah! Then my inner "Rocky" was trumpeting out - yeah you got this - in the bag baby in the bag.   You can run 5k easy - you know you can run 5k so it will be fine,  just get going and you will be away.  You will probably end up running all morning - I had a vision of me breezing back into the house saying "oh yes I just did 10 miles - well I was out and I just kept going".

Benji keen to set a PB 🐕🤣

Yes none of that happened 🤣.  I had my faithful Gymboss with me (man I love that little device) - it was all set run for 1:45 and walk for 30 seconds.   I started off with my little warm up walk. Ah what was I so worried about.......

And beep beep - ok so we are off - run - well what on earth - nobody told me that your legs actually can completely forget how to run.  Jeepers I was thinking, I cannot breathe and my legs will not lift themselves off this pavement.  It was like the pavement had turned into a vat of quick sand and my feet were sticking to the tarmac.  What was going on.  Beep beep - thank goodness for that - walk - phew.  Gosh doesn't 30 seconds go fast!  Right come on now this is ridiculous I tell myself - you can do this.  Oh yeah no maybe you can't mmmmmm I was starting to think "so glad I left the house and put these concrete boots on".  Every step was an effort but I was determined no matter how slow I was plodding along I was not going to stop until that little Gymboss man went beep beep beep.  Oh what a wondrous sound that little beep is. (As wonderful as Carol at running club with her whistle!). Benji was going 100 mph - I am never going to be fast enough for that little beast - he was jumping all over the place - looking back as if to say come on what is taking you sooooooo long.  Alright Benji - I mean I have got a few more years on him, he is not even 2 yet - what is that in dog years - what does that make him - probably about 24.  See he is in his prime -  I am 51!

I powered on - anyone who would have passed me would have thought I was having some sort of episode - I am not really breathing but doing this massive huffing and puffing noise sprinkled with "come on" "come on" "you have got this" "you can do this" "Benji no no slow down"!

I was determined that I was doing 5k no matter what - those thoughts that I had not but a few minutes earlier about breezing through a 10k run were a distant memory, what was I thinking!  Then at about 4k my legs decided they have had enough of feeling like to concrete pillars - no they would now turn to jelly.  Gee whiz were these wobbly bad boys going to get me home, I felt a bit like Bambi.  What was going on.  The whole run was also made more uncomfortable by the fact that the tops of leggings were rolling down - why was this - well that will be due to the expanded muffin top I have spent a month nurturing.  Stern talking to going on in head, pretty much going along the lines of well you sat and eat all those sweets, chocolate and biscuits.  Night after night sprawled out on the sofa the only exercise was something like - lean forward, stretch out arm, slide lid off top of sweetie box, grab sweets (like one of those arcade grabbing claw games), bring arm back and up to face and ram goodies in mouth. Repeat.

So no more - lesson learnt!  I have Cardiff Bay 10k run on 31st March - THIS YEAR - could I have carried on today and done this route again - no!  Finger well and truly pulled out - well I hope!  My top tip today:-


DO NOT GO THREE WEEKS WITH NO RUNNING - YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR IT!

This was the sign back in January

Today the daffodils are in full bloom - I hope they don't ask me to strim here! 

Snowdrops peeping through

On the plus side it was lovely to come home to a nice long soak in the bath (with my epsom salts and lovely bubbly some fab friends bought me - that is bubble bath NOT champers - I am not that rock and roll you know!) and yes Benji felt he had to spectate.  He loves me so much 💌.

Happy Saturday!