Belated Blogtember: Nike running app

Hello chaps and chapesses!

So Blogtember is running on a little past the end of September but that’s no bad thing – I’m enjoying it so much I thought I’d keep it going a bit longer.

I’m a bit of an on-off runner.  I used to run quite regularly, and I liked it, but over the last year or so I’ve fallen out of the habit, and tried to make an effort to get back into a routine, and fallen out of the habit again so many times I’ve lost count.

Enter the Nike+ running app.  This is a free app that tracks your time and distance as you run.  It uses GPS to plot your route, and it times you.  It also lets you choose a playlist from your music collection to listen to while you run.  Pretty standard, you may think, what’s so special about that?

What I love is that at the end of each mile you run, a little voice tells you how far you’ve run, your total running time, and your average pace.  This is great because it really motivates you to keep going.  I’ve heard an update and thought ‘ooh, that’s a good time, I need to keep this up!’  Other times, I’ve heard an update and thought ‘bloody hell Rach, put your back into it!’ and it’s spurred me on to ramp it up a gear.

The other good thing is that you can share your stats on Facebook and Twitter after you’ve finished.  For people who like to show off, like me, this is a winner.

For me, the only downside is that as I tend to strap my phone to my upper arm, I can’t see my progress.  I've used running watches before, and it's good to be able to glance down at my wrist and see how far I've got to go before completing another mile.  You could get around this by holding your phone in your hand, but as I frequently trip over my own feet, this would be a recipe for disaster.  The more graceful and co-ordinated amongst you may be ok with this, though.

As a general all-round running app though, this is great, and I recommend it.

Blogtember: Life lately

Hello chaps and chapesses!

I can't believe September is nearly over - this month has flown by!  Actually, this whole year is passing way too quickly.  Does that make me sound like an old lady?

Here are a few things I've been getting up to this month:

 

Retail therapy:  I went shopping on Saturday, and treated myself to a few little treats, including these cute ankle boots from H&M.  I'm going to do a proper haul post soon, my first one ever, to show off what I got.  I bet you're on the edge of your seat!

Rush:  Graeme and I went to see Rush last week.  It's a film about the famous rivalry between two Formula 1 drivers in the 1970s, and it's awesome.  The cinematography, the chemistry between the two drivers, the tension.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

Running:  After reading this running advice for beginners, I was inspired to get back into running properly.  So I went out and bought a few bits of new running gear (including this very attractive hat) and off I went.  I've been enjoying running again recently, for the first time in ages, and I really think it's down to the advice about regulating your breathing - it's been a revelation!

The Silver Linings Playbook:  This is what I'm currently reading on my Kindle.  I don't know what I was expecting, but this is not it - the way it's written is really sweet and different to anything I've read in a while.  I'm only about a third of the way through, but I'm really enjoying watching the story unfold.  Maybe I'll watch the film when I'm done - any excuse to drool over Bradley Cooper....

Spa day:  A couple of weekends ago, Graeme surprised me with a spa day, because he is an Awesome Boyfriend.  It was lovely, just relaxing, getting massaged, and doing a whole lot of nothing for a whole day.  Pure bliss, and major boyfriend points.

Bimbling with Toby:  We've recently discovered a couple of new routes around our village to take Toby for walks.  It's been great to explore, and get to know our local area a bit better.  

Blogtember: Comfort

Hello chaps and chapesses!

I've banged on about this before, but I do really love autumn.  There are lots of reasons (brisk walks, chunky knitwear, scarves, hot chocolate....) but I'd have to say that the main one is because autumn is the most comfortable time of year for me.

The temperature is just right for  me - not uncomfortably warm, like the summer we've just had, and it's not freezing cold and wet the whole time.  It's that just right in-betweeny-ness.

Also, I get to spend cosy evenings watching Downton Abbey with the fire on.  Toby is a big fan of autumn for the same reason....

Blogtember: Photos only

Hello chaps and chapesses!

Waaaaayyyyy back at the beginning of August, when the weather was sunny and warm (remember that?) Graeme and I went to Anglesey for the day.

It was gorgeous.  Anglesey is beautiful, and we had a lovely time exploring Beaumaris, Newborough and Ynys Llanddwyn (the lovers' island - witty woo!).  Here's a glimpse of what we got up to:

Blogtember: If I had a time machine....

Hello chaps and chapesses!

If I had a time machine, and could go back to any one of my memories and relive it, I'd go back to mine and Graeme's first date.  Well, maybe not 'relive' it, but be a fly on the wall.

I was really, really nervous before our first date.  Nauseous, shaking, the works.  We'd met online, and had been emailing and texting for about a fortnight before meeting in person.  In all his messages, Graeme seemed like a Genuinely Nice Fella, and we seemed to be getting along well, so a part of me was scared that it was too good to be true, and that meeting in person would burst the bubble.

We'd planned to meet at the Cross in Chester.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Chester, the Cross is a monument in the middle of town, at the point where the four main streets meet.  I had to walk up the length of one of these streets to get there, and was worried that it would be a bit awkward if Graeme was waiting there, saw me walking up the road and a) decided he didn't like the look of me and scarpered, or b) made eye contact and then had to wait an awkward couple of minutes while I hurried up to meet him while still trying to look classy, calm and collected.  

The solution, suggested by a good and wise friend of mine, was to walk along the Rows, rather than the main road.  The Rows are covered walkways with shops, cafes and bars, above the main shops that are at street level.  I made my way along the Rows, had a peek to make sure Graeme had turned up, and then went over to him.

The first things that struck me were his height (he is 6 foot 4), his greying hair, and his deep, manly voice.  After that initial first impression, my memory of the evening is a bit patchy.  I remember that we had a few drinks in Bar Lounge.  I remember that we chatted quite easily and comfortably.  I remember that there were no awkward silences, and we never ran out of things to talk about.  I remember there was chemistry.  I remember Graeme walking me home like a gentleman.  I remember our first kiss.  But there's also a lot that I don't remember.

If I could go back, I'd  pay more attention to the details - what we talked about, how we responded to each other, that sort of thing.  I'd also like to have that first-date-excitement again - not the nausea and anxiety, but the butterflies in my tummy.  Know what I mean?

I'm happy to say that first date was a success, and we had a second date that week, then a third and a fourth, and we're still loved up nearly two and a half years later.  I'll stop now, before the soppiness makes you feel sick.

Blogtember: Dear Toby

Hello chaps and chapesses!

Today's post is dedicated to a very special young man in my life. His name is Toby.

Dear Toby,

I remember the day we met - it was love at first sight.  You were so full of life and such a cutie, there was no question that you were coming home with us. You've been with us for nearly a year now, and there are so many things I love about you.  Here are just a few:

I love the way you look at me with puppy dog eyes.

I love that you're a shameless flirt.  You're such a tart.

I love that you're a Proper Action Dog.

I love how you stand at your gate and have a friendly chat with us, y'know, just to catch up on the day's gossip.

I love that you protect us from baddies by barking like a Big Badass Guard Dog when you hear something suspicious going on outside.

I love how much you love the great outdoors.

I love that you like snuggling up in front of the fire to watch Christmas movies, like me.

I love that your face always, always looks sad, even when you're feeling pretty chipper.

Everyone who meets you loves you - and rightly so.

Blogtember: Life changing

Hello chaps and chapesses!

Strictly speaking, I've only been doing this blogging thing for about three months, so you may think it’s a bit soon for me to start talking about how it’s changed my life.  I have noticed a difference in myself, though, even over such a short time.

The main difference is that these days, when I'm out and about, going about my daily life, I find myself thinking ‘Could I blog about this?  What would I say?’  

Blogging has made me more observant of the details of life.  This means that that I generally pay a bit more attention, because if I'm going to be telling the world about what’s going on with me, then I need to have something decent to say, don’t I?

So I guess what I mean is that, even in a short space of time, blogging has made me sit up and take notice a bit more than I used to.