A piece of heaven in the Peak District

Last weekend 'P' and I took a trip to Hartington in the Peak District for a little weekend break.  The kids and dog were unceremoniously dropped off at Mom-in-laws and we headed off for a weekend of walking and relaxation.  Although we only live 90 minutes away this was the first time either 'P' or myself had visited the Peak District, but now we've been we can't wait to go back.

We arrived in the small village of Hartington around 7.30pm on the Friday evening.  The Charles Cotton Hotel where we'd chosen to stay looked very welcoming and we thought the lanterns that had been lit and scattered on the outdoor tables was a lovely touch.  The reception staff were very friendly and we were shown to our room which was small but clean and comfortable.

We ate in the bistro, just off the bar area, on both nights and the food was to die for, both times served promptly and by friendly service staff.  We were also surprised that there was entertainment on both evenings which we didn't expect in a small village hotel.  Friday nights entertainment far outweighed Saturday's though, it has to be said.  After an hour of Alan 'Shakin' Dakin (aka Vic Reeves 'in the style of a club singer') we almost gave up the will to live and retired to our bedroom :).  The bar area is very 'country' and has a super open fire to sit by.  We found that not only were the hotel staff extremely pleasant but also the locals who would pass the time of day whilst propping up the bar.

"'P' and I in the Charles Cotton bar

Breakfast on both mornings was served in 'The Cotton Room' which had a beautiful hand painted mural around the top of the walls depicting a countryside scene.  Once again the food was delish and the lady that served us on both mornings was a treasure.



Saturday unfortunately started off foggy so we had a short stroll around the village and then back to the hotel for cappuccino's and read of the paper.  The village itself is very small with just a couple of general stores, an antique shop, cheese shop (?) and another inn.  Luckily by lunchtime the fog cleared, the sun appeared and we headed off on a circular walk using a map purchased from the hotel.



The walk took us out of the village and onwards to Wolfcote and Beresford Dale which was very scenic and great for photographs.  Lots of little bridges over the River Dove and many unusual rock formations jutting out from the landscape.  Being fairly early in the season it wasn't too busy either so all in all we had a lovely peaceful 5 mile walk.



Circular Walk from HartingtonBridge of the River Dove

Both 'P' and I returned thoroughly relaxed from our weekend in Hartington and have already enquired as to their availability for May so that we can visit again for our wedding anniversary.

Finally......Four Miles!

Have done great work with my training plan this month.  All my hard work has been logged on Runkeeper and this month I've managed to accumulate 26 activities over 31 days.  These includes walking, skating, hiking and most importantly, running.

I've continued with my short runs twice a week accompanied by my friend Jane and my long weekend run is now up to just over 4 miles which I'm quite chuffed about.  Tomorrow night also see's the start of the new beginners class at our local Cobra Running Club.  This will only be a couple miles but I thought it would be a great starting point for me to be able to work my way up to the clubs more advanced Tuesday and Thursday classes.

So far, I've managed to keep injuries at bay *touches wood* and just hoping with the gradual increase of 5 minutes per long run, I'll be able to keep things this way.

Here's my totals for the month:

January 2012

Runs to date: 10
Walks to date: 14
Hikes to date: 1
Skates to date: 1
Miles during Jan: 58.3 miles
Workout time during Jan: 16 hrs 15 mins
Calories burnt to date: 4907

A cold canal stroll

Last Saturday, as part of our new weekend regime, we headed over to Stourbridge.  Not very exciting you might think but we set off on the canal tow path from the Bonded Warehouse to the Red House Cone Museum at Wordsley.  It was a lovely, cold and frosty January afternoon and once on the tow path we were away from all the hustle and bustle of Stourbridge and could have almost been in countryside.

[caption id="attachment_1193" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Stourbridge Canal"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1194" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="'P' & 'A' on the canal walk"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1198" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Canada Geese on the Stourbridge canal"][/caption]

We stopped off at the Red House Cone Museum and 'A' and I had a quick look round while 'P' waited outside with Arnold.  There were some fab studios inside including a pottery workshop where you could actually 'have a go' but due to the fact 'P' was sitting outside on terrier duty we thought we'd leave it for another day.  We headed on through to the main cone section and watched a glass demonstration where the man made long thin pieces of glass that looked like spaghetti and then a demonstration of how the glass can be twisted with different colours.

[caption id="attachment_1197" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Red House Cone Museum"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1196" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="'A' at the Red House Cone Museum"][/caption]

Arnold was so good on the trip out, passing lots of strange dogs, swans and geese and not getting drawn into a barking contest.  But unfortunately, on the trip back he'd obviously decided, no more Mr polite dog, and barked and growled at every passing canine (especially a poor border collie who jumped out of her skin!).

[caption id="attachment_1192" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="No more Mr Nice Dog!"][/caption]

The mojo is back

I'm what you'd call an irregular runner (plodder).

I see running as a means to an end, the end being a sleeker body and the opportunity to not look like a beached whale whilst on holiday.  But saying this, I do very occasionally actually get what is known as the 'running bug' - that buzz you get from continually improving and an urge to get out there for your next run.  I hasten to emphasize here that this 'buzz', for me, is infrequent and more often than not I require a bad result from the scales or a kick up the arse to actually get me out there.

This is kind of how 2011 panned out.  My best laid running plans went out of the window.  Races I'd intended to do, I didn't and by September I could tell the jelly belly was making a return.  I felt that in order to progress I needed to change the way I trained.  Too often I was plagued with shin splints and achy knees which made me think I was going about it all in the wrong way.  My aim has been for a while now, that I get back to 10K races but the same thing happens every time.  I enter a race to give me 'motivation' then I put far too much pressure on myself to get across the finish line in a good time and by doing so end up knackering myself completely in the run up to the big day.

From October last year I decided to ask my friend Jane to come out with me twice a week. Although we spend far too much time talking, the commitment to get out there each week is there regardless of speed and distance.  In addition to running with Jane I also tried to add in a longer run each weekend which I sometimes do with 'P'.  This time though, rather than increasing my distance I just run for an allotted time and try to keep my pace slow to steady,  I then increase my long run by around 5 minutes each weekend.

Now this was all going well until Christmas and New Year loomed.  Work commitments increased, Jane and I had other engagements (yes, yes, excuses I know!) but basically it all went kind of crappy for a while.  However, 2012 has seen me return with a vengeance.  I've not only been running regularly but also walking much more than I normally would.  My 'time' rather than 'distance' regime seems to be working well and wait for it..........I actually got up this morning aching to go for a run!  Yes, the BUZZ is back.

I opted in the end for a brisk dog walk rather than push myself on a rest day but at least I know the urge is there and hopefully will stay.

January 2012

Runs to date: 5
Walks to date: 8
Hikes to date: 1
Calories burnt to date: 2449

Welcome back weekends

We decided that 2012 would see us making a little more of our weekends.  It's all too easy to fall into the trap of housework, DIY and general 'vegging' as the weekend passes by. Running our own business we also seem to spend a lot of time planning our workload for the coming week and before we know it, Sunday evening has arrived along with the ironing of school uniform and work shirts.

Arnold, for one, has been rather pleased by the new approach to our weekends as the last two have seen us taking him on a countryside ramble and a walk by the canal.  Last Saturday we headed to Abberley nr Great Witley in Worcestershire armed with a circular walk we'd downloaded from the web and our O&S map.  I will be the first to admit here, that our map reading skills aren't the best and 'P' out and out refuses to look at the map at all due to his 'inability' in this area.  Now, you've probably guessed where I'm going with this, we did get kind of lost due to turning left instead of right at a very strategic point.  Never the less we had a lovely walk finding our way across country fields, past farms, animals and many, many (many) stiles.  The stiles themselves gave us a new challenge as most didn't have Border Terrier sized access therefore leaving us to pass Arnold back and forth between 'P' and myself.  I think he was starting to get a little narked towards the end of our 90 minute walk, God knows how St Bernard owners get on?



[caption id="attachment_1173" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="One of the few stiles with Arnold access"][/caption]



At the end of our walk we stopped at the Manor Arms in Abberley village for a quick half.  Although it was January 7th and 5pm, we sat outside with our muddy boots and muddy dog and didn't once feel the cold.  The landlord was extremely welcoming and we can't wait to pop in again.



Try visiting Walking Britain to download details of the same walk.  Maybe you'll have more luck at map reading :).



 

A bank holiday stroll

Last Sunday saw us taking a lovely trip to Ludlow, in particular Whitcliffe Common.  We decided to have a family day out and asked Mom-in-law, Mom, Dad and bro along.  Our original plan was to head down to the Cotswolds for the day but unfortunately at the last minute we discovered the M5 had been closed due to a major accident so Mom suggested heading over to Whitcliffe.

[caption id="attachment_1051" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dinham Bridge"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1057" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Weir along the River Teme"][/caption]

We parked the car in a little layby right next to Whitcliffe Common and then headed down and along the path towards the River Teme taking in the very scenic bridges and weirs along the way.  Arnold as ever felt the need to lead the group and wasn't happy unless out in front, showing the way!  When we arrived at Dinham Bridge we realised that our last visit there had been around 14 years ago when 'S' was just a baby.  We decided to try recreating the photo we'd taken all those years ago.

[caption id="attachment_1052" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Me and 'S' at Dinham Bridge, Ludlow in 2011"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1053" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Me and 'S' at Dinham Bridge, Ludlow in 1997"][/caption]

(Sorry terrible photo! Original was awful and then a photo of a photo is never good lol)

[caption id="attachment_1054" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Arnold has an afternoon swim"][/caption]

After our leisurely stroll, which included a lunchtime swim in the River Teme for Arnold, we headed back to the car for lunch.  I'm glad to say that this is when we had our one and only heavy shower of the day which we thankfully missed whilst tucking into sarnies galore.  We headed on further up the road after lunch to Mortimer Forest.  This was a real little gem of a place and not too busy, even considering it was bank holiday weekend.  Again, the showers held off and the weather stayed clear and warm.

[caption id="attachment_1055" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A stroll through Mortimer Forest"][/caption]

A little detour was made on the way home to Titterstone Clee Hill.  Although we'd driven over the Clee Hills many times this was the first time we'd headed right up to the top.  The views were magnificent and well worth the trip.

[caption id="attachment_1056" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="View from the Clee Hills"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1058" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="'A' and 'S' on top of the Clee Hills"][/caption]

The 2011 mission to get fit - Update 1

Thought you might like to know how my 2011 'mission to get fit' was going, so here is a brief post to update.

I went into 2011 knowing we were going away to Florida in Feb and potentially away again for a second time in the Summer for P's 40th birthday.  The prospect of walking, walking and more walking around the Orlando theme parks and having to wear a bikini had me a little worried.  I'm certainly not overweight by any means but my fitness levels are, well.......*blows raspberry* and I really do have far too much flab hanging round the old tummy and hips.

Since January the 1st I have been keeping a food diary with the aid of Nutracheck (which I find extremely helpful) and limiting my food intake to 1500 calories and 52 fat grams per day (as Nutracheck suggest for my size and weight).  In addition to this I am now visiting the gym 2 - 3 times per week along with running, walking or kinect on the other days.  Obviously, I occasionally have bad days where my calorie and fat intake goes over what I'm allowed (yesterday being one of these days...whoops! ) but as long as I don't let it happen too often and keep up the exercise then everything is fine and dandy.

I am 5ft 3 and when I started out with my 2011 healthy life plan on Jan 1st I was 9 stone 5.  In the first couple of weeks I lost 6lbs taking me down to 8st 13 but this was probably mostly due to water retention and just basically getting rid of the initial crap out of my body.  I was a little disappointed to have not lost any weight over the last  couple of weeks but upon measuring myself I have now lost 1.5in from my hips and bust and 1in from my waist so my body is now adapting muscle wise to all the exercise I'm doing.  Losing weight isn't so much a priority for me but more so toning up, although I know I need to lose just a few more lbs for any muscle to start showing definition.

I am planning to let go with the old food diary while we're away (yes, I will be sampling the american cheesecake!) but hopefully the constant walking will help me maintain my current size and weight.  Will keep you posted!