Exercise Is Better With Friends. Training Week 2 And 3.

So, I missed last week's training update... that doesn't surprise me does it?!

So I've joined together week 2 & 3.

Week 2 saw me get back into the 9-5 life. Oh hello Dolly Parton...

This also means the commute and less time for cycling, or so I thought.

I made a deliberate effort to go out for a couple of rides. I fought 2 hills each ride. Well they were bridges, but quite steep!

I was, and still struggling with the diet side of training, but with some unexpected encouragement from a friend yesterday, I'm going to give it a go next week.

At the end of week 2 one of my good friends came over and we went out for a 5.5 mile ride, we went steady, my choice, and did it in about 45 minutes riding time, not too bad I guess.

What I did learn in week 2 was that exercise can be dull and boring, but only if you make it that way, and having a friend to exercise with makes it so much more enjoyable and bearable.

With the highs of Week 2 I hoped I was onto a winner, but then Week 3 came and everything went out of the window. I just lost ALL motivation and became a lazy slob for the week. I felt pretty low and I know those lovely little endorphins from exercise would have helped a lot.

I knew all week that I wouldn't be able to do the ride in September without training, but something in me just screamed NO! I'm not exercising, and I won't eat healthily!

I never realised how tough having this much a lifestyle change would be, but I'm determined to make small changes and get there.

As always I would love for you to donate to the ride. You can do this here.

Lydia
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Training Week 1.

This is the start of a new feature/update thing I'm going to be doing on the blog for the next couple of months. 

If you read this post last week you'd know that I'm doing the London to Brighton Cycle in September, and I NEED to train.

So, I thought I'd share with you all how it's going.

This week, week 1, was a bit slow for me, I was busy with work so only got 2 half hour rides in. Each time doing about 2 miles. 

The thing that has stuck out for me this week is how difficult this training will be, I have not done exercise recently and, having broken my right leg last year, lost a lot of the muscle. This means that my leg is burning, and really hurting after about 10 minutes on a bike. I'm dreading spending 6 HOURS on one. 

I just hope that I get a bit less lazy. Not just cycling, but anything, I can do easy things like taking the stairs instead of the lift in my block of flats and I think I will.

I want to do this, not just for the charity, but for myself, to prove to everyone that just because you're fat, doesn't mean you have to be unfit. I guess I also want to have a deadline to lose weight for. I'm not saying you'll see my being a skinny size 10, but what I am at the moment is not healthy. 

A positive thing I'll say about the training is that; I'm loving the countryside any scenery that I get to go through, check this out; not bad for an afternoon ride heh?

I would love for you to sponsor my sister and I as we complete the challenge, all donations with go directly to Child Bereavement UK. 

Sponsor us HERE.

Lydia

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Cycling London To Brighton.

So. This is happening.

I signed up to cycle 54 miles, in one go, from London to Brighton, with my baby sister, Beth. 

You may remember the post about last year's event here. Beth completed it in an amazing time, and I decided I wanted to join the challenge.

So on the 7th September 2014 I will be cycling from London to Brighton.

All 20+ Stone of unfit me.

 

As much as I'm excited for the challenge. I would not be doing this if it wasn't for the amazing work that Child Bereavement UK do.

Such as;

-Direct support for parents after the loss of a child

-Support for children suffering from bereavement

-Providing training for teachers, nurses & other professionals

-Providing media resources for families

Overall, a really well-deserving cause.

In the profession I am learning and heading into, I will experience death. Such an awful thing sometimes. And I cannot imagine how horrific it is to lose a child. So any help for families experiencing this are a blessing.

The organiser, doitforcharity, have so many helpful resources, and other challenges if cycling isn't you cup of tea.

 In the meantime, I am hoping to keep you all updated on the training I am doing going to start.

You can sponsor Beth and I here.

https://www.justgiving.com/LydiaBethCycling

Learn more about Child Bereavement UK here.

And contact me here.

Lydia

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Christmas Fair Goodies.

My mum, sister and I took a little trip over to the annual Christmas Bazaar hosted by the Chiltern American Women's Club. It hosted in aid of local charities and is filled with homemade produce, clothes and beauty products. 

After having a wander around all of the stalls, we decided it was time to spend money.

The first thing we bought were these candles by WoodWick, these candles smell so good, but they also crackle when the burn so you get the sound of a wood fire, without the wood fire. My sister has been raving about these for months but has never been able to find stockists in England. Until Now...

This Christmas set is £26 and the Cinnamon Cheer & Frasier Fir really creates a heavenly Christmassy smell. 

This candle is a Trilogy, I persuaded my mum to buy it for me as a Christmas present, so I haven't lit it yet. I usually get a little bored with having the same scent, especially as these candles burn for 100 hours each. 

The lid that comes with the candle is a perfect coaster to protect the surface the candle is sitting on.

You can buy WoodWick Candles here.

The next product I bought is from Ruby Red, It is a completely natural lip balm. I think it Vanilla & Honey, and it smells good!

The lip balm was £5 and is very smooth to put on, such a bargain espcially in time for the cold winter we're expecting.

You can look at the other products in Ruby Red's range on their website.

Last but not least, I purchased these two lovely scarves. I'm absolutely in love with wearing scarves at the moment, unfortunately I cannot remember the company that was selling these, but they were 2 for £15.

 

I don't have any scarves with stars on, or any with a darker colour, so though I would definitely be able to wear this regularly.

How pretty is this bird print?

 

Lydia

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Brighton.

Hello Lovelies,

On Sunday my family and I took a little trip to the wonderful town of Brighton, there was only one reason for this trip. My younger sister, Beth, took part in the London to Brighton cycle ride. This is 54 miles on the road with various landscapes to admire. Beth completed this cycle in 4 hours and 38 minutes, which is not bad for a 16 year old. Tearfund is the charity she was completing it for, a wonderful charity that works in third world countries, they are such a deserving cause and any donation to them is amazing.

After meeting Beth, we took a little trip down the pier, I visited it last year and I love it, even if I didn't have any spare change for the 2p arcade machines! Unfortanately the weather was not on our side when we were in Brighton so we decided not to go shopping but, I am already planning another trip to venture into the little lanes filled with rows of querky boutiques. 

 

 

Oh and Tilly loved making new doggy friends on the beach.

 

Bye Lovelies

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