tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75811199537969105262024-03-14T17:04:20.545+00:00make my funk the pea-funkjust trying to find the funk...Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-15264349332169016082016-06-04T21:59:00.000+01:002016-06-04T21:59:45.042+01:00Still in limbo?A lot has changed in 3.5 years. 2 daughters. A new flat. A new job. A Phd. A teaching job.<br />
<br />
The one thing that hasn't changed is the state of limbo.<br />
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For years now, we've been planning our move. At first, it was anywhere. I wanted to stop drifting and make a decision about where we were going to live our lives. With kids in the picture, we decided on Los Angeles - near my family, and where I grew up.<br />
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We were so close, we had R's visa done and dusted. He literally had his medical appointment in London and the next day an email arrived about a teaching role at the university he was working at.<br />
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This was fantastic news. We weren't quite ready to be calling quits on Brighton and our life here just yet. The fear of the unknown in LA was eating away at me. We had some breathing space to figure things out. And he had the chance to get a real academic job (well, at least HE teaching...)<br />
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But following Christmas, the same questions came up again. Can we afford to live here with two kids in daycare? What jobs are we going to do? What happens in June when his contract finishes? The breathing space quickly ran out and turned into panic. We found ourselves in limbo once again.<br />
<br />
R's role was a 10 month contract. He found out they were advertising a 3 year position. How did this fit in with our plans to start our family life in Los Angeles? Regardless, we knew he had to apply for it. And he did, and got an interview and of course got the role. Because R is amazing.<br />
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And while I knew in my heart this was going to happen, it means we continue in our state of limbo. Maybe not quite as limbo-y...we can finally think about buying a home, the Bug will be starting school next year, I've started a new job as well. I am so incredibly proud of him, where he's ended up and the work that he is doing.<br />
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But LA is still on our minds...I can't give up on the dream of returning home one day. So while we can settle down a little bit over the next few years, a move is still visible up ahead on the horizon.Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-88988267883101026952013-01-21T17:51:00.001+00:002013-01-21T17:51:37.791+00:00A little bit of a lag...It's funny. I'm sitting here, looking over the inauguration stuff, when it dawns on me that one of my first posts was <a href="http://makemyfunkthepeafunk.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/oh-say-can-you-see.html">President Obama's inauguration 4 years ago</a>...including Aretha Franklin's amazing hat (I want please!)<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293773272891455058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-Bh9P-Jn2Knca3ZhREkGf2jlO-bavbsHZWNbpWzTqzXyWMRqbxAFhBKTGzKVuo4z4lQCuRPdasQc4eJyOw7V3z88yjhByOBlbXfkwjBWtmCAKsQyS2yhTr3NS2GjY-xgcVvYrPS-uuTI/s320/Aretha_AFP-7907.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 288px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
So much has changed since then, including a new flat, a new job and (soon-to-be) a new baby.<br />
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Maybe this is the kick in the teeth I need to get motivated to start blogging again.<br />
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Seeing as how Thursday is my last day of work before I maternity leave, I really don't have any excuses anymore do I?Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-38785316352552932302012-06-05T15:29:00.000+01:002012-06-05T15:29:01.219+01:00Currently...<b>What am I currently up to? Have a look.</b><br />
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<i><b>Reading</b></i>...The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I've been meaning to read this book for years, and I picked it up second hand a few years ago. I'm not very far in, but it makes the commute a little bit easier.<br />
<br /><b><i>Watching</i></b>...The Queen's Jubilee Celebrations. All. Weekend. Long. And actually? I've really enjoyed it. I'm no royalist (nor am I married to one...) but 60 years is a bloody long time. I work in the center of London, and sometimes I have to just stop and appreciate all the history around me. Watching the parades, flotillas, etc, has had the same effect on me...I just need to stop and appreciate all the history.<br />
<br /><b><i>Anticipating</i></b>...summer weather. I thought you were here to stay, but it seems I was wrong! I can't wait to see you again sun!<br />
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<b><i>Making</i></b>...a Hawaiian shirt for my newphew. The pattern is all cut and marked, and now I need to get over my fear of the new and just SEW IT! It's super cute, and I will post a picture when it's finished.<br />
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<b><i>Listening to</i></b>...the sound of rain. Lots of rain. Did I mention I live in England? Hello rain!<br />
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<b><i>Eating</i></b>...vegetarian English fry up! <a href="http://godwhenhesdrunk.wordpress.com/">Alicia</a> was down for the weekend, and we had yummy poached eggs, vegetarian sausages, baked beans and toast for lunch as a send off for her long journey home. We always have delicious food when Leashie's down to visit and this was no exception! <br />
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<b><i>G</i><i>iving thanks for</i></b>...my awesome family, both the one I was born into and the one I married into. Leaving after college was me running over my perceived overbearing-ness of my family, and now I just miss them like crazy. But I also love family I've gained over here, especially my two adorable little nephews.<br />
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<i><b>Staying fit with</b></i>...my new jump rope! I bought one yesterday and I can't wait to get started! We had a jump roping session yesterday, and I don't think I've ever seen anything more amusing than my husband jump roping.<br /><br /><i><b>Wishing</b></i>...I was closer to friends and family. Every day. :(<br />Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-3664344330138202342012-01-02T18:42:00.001+00:002016-06-04T22:13:45.908+01:00New Year's ResolutionsI tend not to be very good at keeping up with New Year's Resolutions - maybe I pick resolutions that are too big for me to realistically keep... But I feel like 2012 has big things in store and there are some changes I'd like to make to help them along! Nothing too big, just little tweaks to help me feel better about myself, mind, body and soul.<br />
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</b><br />
<b>1. Blog/document more</b><br />
Well, 2011 saw 6 posts for <i>Make My Funk the Pea-Funk</i>! As this is my second post, I'm already 1/3 of the way there : P I also want to keep track of all the books I read, and all the films I watch!<br />
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<b>2. Detox January</b><br />
Every January, R and I give up booze for the month. It's a nice cleanse after the festive period! This year, we've gone a step further, and we're going proper vegetarian for the month. I want to try and document some of our yummy recipes (once my camera is fixed!)<br />
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<b>3. Start up my exercise regime again</b><br />
When I started my new job in late 2010, I got the added bonus of a 2 hour commute each way. Now I don't get home until about 7pm, so I've definitely slacked off on the exercise-front. While I get a 2 x 30 minute walks everyday, I want to try and start running again, at least twice a week - hopefully once on the weekend, and once during the week. <br />
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<b>4. Learn new crafts</b><br />
Last year, I did plenty of crochet projects, including numerous baby blankets, scarves, hats, etc. While I still have plenty of hooking to do this year, I really want to try and work on other skills. I'd like to try knitting again, get more use out of my sewing machine and finally learn how to make a quilt!<br />
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<b>5. Finances in order</b><br />
This is always an ongoing resolution, but I feel like I'm making headway on it! I've been good about my pension, been setting aside money into an ISA account and making significant payments on my credit card. This year will also be my 4th year of student loan repayments, and it feels good to know I'm almost half way done with paying them off! I would like to be debt-free (minus student loans) by December 2012, with a decent amount of dollars set aside for our potential move to the US in 2013!<br />
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<b>6. Plan for the future</b><br />
R and I first moved to Brighton more than 4 years ago when he started his PhD. A lot has changed since then, including jobs and flats, but we have known that we'd be here for at least 4-5 years. Well, we're finally coming up to the end of our stay here. There's no immediately plan to leave yet of course, but R's definitely gearing up to finish this bad boy, and it looks like he should be finishing up this year. This means we can finally start looking forward, and plan the next step of our lives! It depends on a lot of things, including where he can find work, where I can find work, etc, but it's exciting to think we might be in a new city 365 days from now : )Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-84855963833362805972012-01-02T18:13:00.000+00:002016-06-04T22:10:26.163+01:002011 - A Year in ReviewAll in all, 2011 was a pretty good year. No significant changes, but a nice slow and steady year. Both R and I started new jobs in the end of 2010, and did pretty well for our first proper year. The rest of the year was spent enjoying friends' babies, travelling, not winning Olympic tickets, and thinking about our plans for the future.<br />
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Some travel highlights include:<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Los Angeles</b></span><br />
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R and I enjoyed another trip to Los Angeles for my cousin's wedding</div>
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While there we also had a chance to visit Disneyland! First time for R</div>
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<b>France</b><br />
In early September, we went to France to visit R's parents. His sister and her boyfriend were there too! Perfect sunny trip away, with lots of hikes and walks!<br />
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We also went out for a lovely dinner for R's 35th birthday while we were there!</div>
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<b>Edinburgh</b></div>
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R and I had a chance to go up to Edinburgh this year, just before Christmas, to visit some old friends! </div>
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Zonko and me</div>
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A castle of some sort outside North Berwick </div>
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<b>Cambridge</b><br />
We also got the chance to go up to Cambridge a few times this year, to visit R's brother and sister-in-law, and our adorable nephew A.<b> </b>I'm so happy we're able to see him getting so big! We spent Christmas-time in Cambridge, too.<br />
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R had a pretty exciting 2011! In October, he ran his first ever half-marathon, in the Royal Parks Foundation race.<br />
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He also had an amazing month (or two!) of Movember, and raised over £350! Of course, it took more than 3 weeks for it to reach maturation, so it seemed like such a waste to get rid of it at the end of November. So R decided to keep it for December as well. (Un)Fortunately, we have finally said goodbye to the 'tashe, and it was shaved off today! Here it is mid-December: <br />
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How was your 2011?<br />
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Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-72403584601872579352011-04-11T19:30:00.000+01:002011-04-11T19:30:47.523+01:00Celeb spotting in Brighton - of the A-list variety!So last Sunday, I was at the gym, per usual, just minding my own business on the cross-trainer. I love me some people watching, and the gym is a great place to spy. As I was looking around, I noticed a slim blond woman, and thought to myself, "Ha, that woman looks like Renee Zellweger!" I didn't think much of it and carried on with my cross-trainer.<br />
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Hmmmm, let me take another look because it's Sunday and not very busy....<br />
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"Wow, she REALLY looks like Renee Zellweger...she's a total doppleganger!"<br />
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More cross training.<br />
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More looking.<br />
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"Dude...that IS Renee Zellweger..."<br />
<br />
"What the hell is she doing in the LA Fitness at Brighton???"<br />
<br />
So yes, I saw RZ at the gym last Sunday, with another woman (who I believe is her trainer) and it was very bizarre. But awesome to have a PROPER celeb spotting!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2009/galleries/bodywatch/090831/renee-zellweger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2009/galleries/bodywatch/090831/renee-zellweger.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-8792239177679449212011-03-27T17:54:00.002+01:002011-03-27T17:57:17.775+01:00I'm in the mood for....shoesSpring is in the air, and this past week, it's actually been warm enough to kick off the boots and enjoy some bare legs in the sun! I'm itching for some new shoes, and found some cuties at <a href="http://schuh.co.uk/">Schuh</a>. Better get my butt over there and pick them up before the sun goes away!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1916546734" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxmU6JtSAV_iT7LWFWKG6tkhdERgEMOJl1pbUMtFqt9BrUDCkOgiTd_uXqZcJN31V5pXp51ZCcr02NW3ysreAXHyeuIKn1KIb4SdvGDpBBI3sa-t4JLSf8zp9QGMI8xKf6eOCdW06M7F4/s320/boat+shoe.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://schuh.co.uk/womens-white-and-blue-schuh-charlie-rope-boat-shoe-stripe/1315003170">Oh I do love to be beside the seaside</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1916546738" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VkahM81XmlUtk1s9ZaR5kojRWIX8AjyVPg-szv4RwyRGFdWmhrrkHb74yIJ82xgPwOXJRzb2sG4pstHGLavbxNyEzuq3yxmYIpQLaxGLv46O9_cklpoSr2MDbDk_8ulU4PTuHBbyj7h6/s320/brown+loafer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://schuh.co.uk/womens-tan-schuh-mindy-bow-loafer/1337096220">Perfect loafers for work, miniskirts and dresses!</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1916546742" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWilvYsV5Rt1mFZq8wgDIINTL3nH-Ul-XDZm1S13bBMtt03-Pchr3Ap0HbJuZhvjpfWmag02F6LqtcDO8r_AD5ghxEsKqvuhenwTMlKrVt9_MFaN89VqUxVuorQGXIW3_sndxpxm4QeH8G/s320/leopard+flat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://schuh.co.uk/womens-brown-and-black-rocket-dog-vera-leopard/1370469270">Gah, amazing! Leopard print and red bows, what more could a girl ask for?</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_436526026"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNSAmhqK9PZtC1xsG2tSGP00K1mq2jE82vTYOpIH6CY0XVc6MY__KCnLbuKG92g-W5hpekCSGPT3oOexvBwpL6aB6DoADLmTTdqZI4D2K2Bn6pU5yBFRTS7WnTDN17wPJjf9PoEao661z/s320/red.jpg" width="320" /> </a><br />
<a href="http://schuh.co.uk/womens-red-bronx-gabri-loafer-point/1310033040">Red and shiny!!!</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1916546749" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUnwpkIIE-2TQ4TciBYqDZB-CEYFumwvqs4Oj5vU6bha78MVKb280C0TuMF-OixU6T9hq_PC2PSguCg_ntzBh_uSMWCmg3iiCsHHjX1xW4v4lAHroMaXkrr9i3iE2R5Cs6RC_YkvPv5Ha/s320/saddle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://schuh.co.uk/womens-white-and-black-red-or-dead-janelle/1373131220">I have always always always wanted a pair of saddle shoes to complete my poodle skirt look.</a></div><br />
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Now I just need some dresses, too!Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-71804949331624974942011-03-21T20:21:00.000+00:002011-03-21T20:21:33.160+00:00peevedNumber one pet peeve of commuting to work?<br />
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">People who friggin READ when they're WALKING.</span></b><br />
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Is that really necessary? Can't you wait until, I don't know, you don't need to see where you're going?<br />
<br />
Worst example of above pet peeve: A man pushing his baby...in a pram...crossing a busy London road...at rush-hour...while reading his Kindle. Oy vey.<br />
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/rantKirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-24161559551109375052011-03-09T21:20:00.000+00:002016-06-04T22:13:14.734+01:00Love is a mixture of desire and misunderstanding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't particularly like Valentine's Day and try my best to ignore it. This year we were going to get dirty Chinese takeaway and call it a night.</div>
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But to my surprise, I received this lovely card in the mail at work :) I was very excited indeed for dirty Chinese!</div>
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But to my even bigger surprise, as I was leaving work, who should I see but R? Who travelled all the way up to London to surprise me!</div>
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We went to the pub, and then out for dim sum, and it was the loveliest Valentine's Day I've ever had!</div>
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And it only took me 3 weeks to blog about it, oopsies!</div>
Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-77771196831575012972011-02-02T20:31:00.002+00:002016-06-04T22:14:24.844+01:00London Triathlon - been there done thatSo Monday was the last day to enter into the <a href="http://www.thelondontriathlon.co.uk/">London Triathlon</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
and I'm not on that list.<br />
<br />
I'm a little sad about it, it's something I wanted to do every since I moved to the UK, and I've done it two years in a row (remember?)<br />
<br />
I just honestly don't have the time or engery to put in the effort I would expect of myself. In fact, I don't think I'll be entering any races this year. Maybe 2012? Right now, my goal is just to make it to the gym, or go for a run, once or twice a week. I think once the weather improves, and the days are lighter longer, this will be easier to achieve.<br />
<br />
But I have made it to the gym the past 2 Sundays for 2 hours each! I walk R to the train station then head down, do 45 minutes on the cross trainer, 30 minutes doing weights, 20 minutes swimming and then relax in the hot tub/steam room. It's a good routine to get in, and I hope to carry on with it.<br />
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I'll also make it to the gym tomorrow after work, and will hopefuly schedule in a run next Thursday when I work from home (weather permitting, of course!)<br />
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How are your 2011 fitness resolutions coming along?<br />
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Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-27897333502860844082011-01-27T21:34:00.000+00:002016-06-04T22:14:57.066+01:00question mark?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
What's going on with my blog? That's a good question. As I've been working and commuting more, I haven't had a chance to spend time updating. Which is just as well as my life at the moment is pretty much eat, sleep, work, commute.<br />
<br />
But even before I changed jobs, I hadn't quite grasped what I wanted to communicate. I read other blogs, and see great ideas I'd like for my own blog, but never quite seem to take the leap to actually do it. I also have lots of thoughts, opinions, persuasions in my head that I'd like to talk about, but never seem to have the time to form coherent arguments. And while it's sometimes enjoyable to just write about <i>what happened today</i>, especially when looking back, all in all it makes for kind of tedious reading.<br />
<br />
So my goal for the weekend is to have a sit down and figure out what I really want this blog to be, and what I want to write about. Yesterday, I sent R a work email I had sent out, with a nice comment from my boss. And he said, "That was great, I haven't read your writing in ages, and I really miss it". And this was a boring direct marketing email! How the mighty have fallen. Anyhow, I really would like to get up and running and find something I'm passionate about to take this blog in a new direction.<br />
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Any thoughts or ideas?Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-88216895599010115092010-12-01T19:37:00.000+00:002016-06-04T22:16:50.500+01:001st day of Christmas...Wow, my last blog is from 1.5 months ago! A lot has happened since then.<br />
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R and I moved into a new flat...about 2.7 seconds away from our old place! What can I say, we like the area! It's purpose-built, and therefore built with purpose in mind! Very comfortable and warm and cozy.<br />
<br />
I started a new job in London! It's with the same large company, but in a completely new department/brand. It's very exciting, but still very new. The commute's a bit of a pain, but I've done a ton of crochet and reading so it's not too bad.<br />
<br />
And I haven't done a lick of running in a very long time. With my new commute, I don't get into Brighton/Hove until almost 7 so I haven't been feeling like gyming it lately. I'm hoping to get in a session tomorrow and definitely a run in on Saturday morning.<br />
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3/5 of our friends due in November/December have had their babies! We now have James, Freddie and Seren in our circle of friends, and they're super duper cute. We're still waiting for Hannah, as her due date was 30th Nov, and Kate, who's due the 20th Dec.<br />
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We decided not to go to Ireland this Christmas, as R is doing seasonal work, so instead...we will be hosting Christmas dinner! Yes, R's parents are flying down the South East England, visiting the McFannys, then coming to stay with us. It'll just be the four of us on Christmas, but it looks like we're all meeting up at ours on Boxing Day! That'll be me, R, J&J, Sister E, Brother O, SIL M and little A! Eep! I've done a Thanksgiving dinner for that many people, but it's normally for friends. Christmas dinner is a big deal! I'm a little nervous, but very excited to have everyone around. Now that it's 1st December, I'm officially allowed to start decorating the place. I need to put up my santa sign, and get some mistletoe. We might try and get a tree this weekend, as well, as we get the potted ones which don't dry out too bad.<br />
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I've also booked a weekend trip up to Edinburgh for next weekend! Although at this rate, there's a very good chance I won't make it up with all the snow. I really hope I get a chance to see Claire and James and Zonko! And of course, the Christmas Market :)<br />
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So all in all, I'm really looking forward to December, and seeing through 2010, which has been a pretty great year! I just hope I'm able to get a few runs in before I turn into Jabba the Hut!<br />
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<a href="http://www.neonbubble.com/picture/Photoshopped/Jabba+Christmas">ho ho ho (from Neonbubble!)</a></div>
Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-62685829338363867582010-10-15T16:25:00.003+01:002010-10-15T16:26:44.623+01:00Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs291.snc4/40874_157527600945623_105748332790217_333306_4945128_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs291.snc4/40874_157527600945623_105748332790217_333306_4945128_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>and they're off!</i></span></div><br />
This past weekend, I had the chance to run my first ever half marathon race! On a whim, I decided to sign up for the <a href="http://www.breastcancercampaign.org/">Breast Cancer Campaign</a> team to run the <a href="http://www.royalparkshalf.com/">Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon</a>, and I'm really glad I did. While I wasn't religious about following my training schedule (2-3 days a week average, instead of the prescribe 4), I did make sure to keep up with my long distance runs on the weekend and it was great to keep training after the tri. And it paid off! I felt calm and relaxed on the day, and chugged on to a 2:13 time. Not lightening speed, but certainly respectable, especially considered I split 1:06/1:07!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>showing off my medal (and so happy it's over!)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>Look at that, I didn't even break a sweat! But I did hobble around like a granny for a full 48 hours before I could even think about a swim.<br />
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I enjoyed the race so much, I'm thinking of signing up for the Brighton Half Marathon in February, to see if I can get closer to a 2 hour time. And of course, the next obviousl step is the...<b>Marathon</b> (dun dun dun). Unfortunately, Brighton and London are now full, but I have my eye on both the Belfast and Edinburgh Marathon (early and late May), so I have plenty of time to think about it.<br />
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Where has water-logged Kira gone??? Who would have never ever in a million years contemplated running 26.2 miles??? I dunno, but I'm really enjoying myself, and hope to keep up with the running bug :)Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-30421893317786074412010-10-08T15:52:00.000+01:002016-06-04T22:17:32.327+01:00ch-ch-changes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lots and lots of changes!<br />
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Let's see....<br />
<br />
R's turned 34 (whoops, missed a birthday post) <br />
I've turned 26<br />
R's quit his job...<br />
...and started tutoring full time<br />
And most exciting of all!<br />
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We're moving!<br />
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Our landlady is selling our flat, so we decided to take a look and see what kind of flats we could see. Well, we found one we liked, and places are going like hotcakes so the next day we gave them a deposit and we move in on the 29th!<br />
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We're super busy this month with the half marathon (Sunday), ballet tickets (happy birthday to me, from R!), and R's folks coming to visit on their way home from France, not to mention the gazillion baby blankets I have left to make for friends. But I'm seriously looking forward to sorting out our stuff and getting moved into this nice, clean, fresh, spacious, <i>purpose-built</i> flat. Did I mention it has a fire place? I GET TO HANG STOCKINGS!!!<br />
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Only downside is we'll probably be too busy to do anything fun for Halloween. Do you have any fun plans?Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-84348221019604897542010-09-24T20:06:00.000+01:002010-09-24T20:06:00.441+01:00Happy Birthday Dad!Happy birthday to my dad! I wish I could be in LA to celebrate with him - I'd take him for steak!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/2806451813/" title="wedding by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="wedding" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/2806451813_381b5cc1bd.jpg" width="334" /></a><br />
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Visit his <a href="http://mazsiam.wordpress.com/">blog</a> and wish him a happy birthday :)Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-84536497162317594652010-09-09T21:05:00.000+01:002010-09-09T21:05:59.160+01:0010 milerI just ran the farthest I've ever run. Booyah bitches. 10 miles (actually 9.8, damnit gmap-pedometer, why do you have to be so precise!). I ain't fast. I ain't pretty. But I put one leg in front of the other, and, an hour and 40 minutes later, I arrived back where I started, albeit with very sore legs.<br />
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3 miles is easy peasy now. 5 miles is my normal 'go out and chug away' run, still feels good, but can be rough around the edges. During triathlon training, I got into 7 and 8 miles, and they felt okay, just a bit longer than my 5-6 milers. But I definitely felt the extra 2 miles today. By the last 20 minutes, my knees started aching, and it became more and more difficult to maintain my pace. But I pushed myself the last 5 minutes and finished strong, woot woot. My legs will be sore tomorrow, but it's good to know I can do it!<br />
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And suddenly, 13 miles doesn't seem so bad...good thing because I'm running it in one month! <a href="http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=kirasiam">Sponsor me!</a>Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-30247190984241212552010-08-15T17:19:00.000+01:002016-06-04T22:18:25.186+01:00RelaxingIt's been great to take a week off after the triathlon. I don't think I needed it physically, but I definitely did mentally. I went for a swim on Monday and the gym on Thursday for a new weight training plan, but other than that I did nada!<br />
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Wednesday, I took a couple hours off work and went to get my hair cut and coloured. I found a great deal on the <a href="http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/brighton">Brighton Groupon</a> site, for £33 instead of normally about £90. Woot woot! Afterwards, R and I went for a nice Thai meal in the Lanes and I enjoyed a Chang beer! Oh how I've missed you, you delicious amber nectar you!<br />
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This weekend has been equally lazy (only temporarily interrupted with a 3 mile run this morning). While there was talk of camping on Saturday, it rained and rained and rained on Friday/Saturday morning so we decided to give it a miss. Instead we went into town and:<br />
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had MORE beer (yay for Guinness!)<br />
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got new (matching) phones<br />
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picked up some fabric for skirts to make for France<br />
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and bought season one of<br />
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So the rest of the weekend is going to be spent crocheting, watching TV, eating and looking for local Speech and Language therapists (not to visit but to shadow!)<br />
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How was your weekend?Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-75460445175103876042010-08-12T14:31:00.000+01:002016-06-04T22:24:05.407+01:00London Triathlon Race ReportWoot woot, I had a great day on Sunday! How could I not when I had these guys cheering me on?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4877167870/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Epic support team by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="Epic support team" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4877167870_9bf5c7582b.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4877159994/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Team Kira by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="Team Kira" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4877159994_668e668fc5.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Just as a recap, last year I did the triathlon in 3:29.07, and was 114/122 in my age group (ouch). I was really uphappy with my time, but I don't think I realised what a big impact being sick made on me, it really made me lose my edge. This year, I dropped a whopping 18 minutes off my time (okay, I'm rounding!) for a 3:11.55! And I was 87/133 (there were 140, but 7 DNF). I'd like to be in the top half, but I definite improvement over last year!<br />
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Itching to start!<br />
<b><br />
Swim</b><br />
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25.58<br />
<i>Last year:</i> 29.39<br />
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Um, how did that happen? The one leg I certainly WASN'T working on was my swimming leg! But this year, I decided to hire a proper swimming wetsuit and what a difference it made! Last year, I was so exhausted after the swim, I barely had the arm strength to unzip myself. This year, I felt just amazing on the swim, I could have gone on forever. In fact, about 2/3 in , I remember thinking, 'Boy, I really don't want the swim to end because then I have to cycle and run.' I just kept everything nice and smooth, breathing every 3rd and sighting every 8-10 strokes. I wore a watch this year, and caught a glimpse coming into T1 and saw I swum sub 27, and it felt awesome! I think if I worked on my swimming, I could definitely knock a couple more minutes off, but I was so chuffed to knock 4 full minutes off my time from last year! And I'm pretty sure I finished in the top 15 in my age group.<br />
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And they're off!</div>
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<b>T1</b><br />
5.43<br />
<i>Last year:</i> 7.24<br />
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Like I said, I felt great after the swim, and really wanted to push it through to the bike. Last year, I was so miserable at this point, but I felt really optimistic this year that I could hit 3 hours. Side note, I'm really disappointed <a href="http://www.sportcam.net/">SportCam</a> doesn't have the women's swimming photos up! Who can I complain to???<br />
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<b>Bike</b><br />
1:31.29<br />
<i>Last year: </i>1:39.27<br />
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Last year, I had almost zero on-bike training. I literally bought a bike with less than a month to go, and had maybe an hour total time on the saddle before the big day. And boy did it show. I was so stiff and achy and sore on the day because I just wasn't used to it. And I was being passed by everyone and their mother and their dog. This year, I made sure to put in the hours on the bike. And it really helped. I only got passed by everyone and their dog. After the first lap, I was a few minutes under 1:30, so I really thought I was on course to go sub 3 hours. But coming off the bike, I saw that I was already over 2 hours at that point and wasn't going to sub an hour on the run. Looking over other people's times, I can see that the 14km/26km laps they said just weren't the case, as I split 25.31 and 1:05.58, and others were similar to that (with the second lap being a good 10 - 15 minutes slower than a double first lap). Oh well. I felt strong on the bike, took in plenty of water, and thought I would be good going into the run. R suggested I might need new/more gears though, because I definitely maxed out a lot where I didn't have any range left to power through flats/downhills. Is it time to invest in a proper bike?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4876544435/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="whizzing past by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="whizzing past" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4876544435_809b317a51.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Too fast for the camera man!<br />
<br />
<b>T2</b><br />
2.25<br />
<b> </b><i>Last year: </i>5.18<br />
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Wow. Spot the difference! I think this goes to show just how incredibly knackered I was last year, I had NOTHING left in me. This year, I wanted to hustle hustle hustle. I literally just dropped my bike and helmet and head for the run. My time is faster than some of the top ten girls in my AG!<br />
<br />
<b>Run</b><br />
1:06.23<br />
<b> </b><i>Last year: </i>1:07.20<br />
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This is definitely the most baffling part of the triathlon. I checked my watch on the start of the run, and I was at 10.35, so I would have needed a 55 minute run to hit my 3 hour mark and I knew that just wasn't going to happen. So my adjusted goal was to hit 3:09, so I could say I cut a full 20 minutes off my time. But the power just wasn't there. I hit the jelly legs definitely, and after a km or two, I started to feel a bit more normal. But I just didn't have the speed. It was really frustrating because I focused on brick sessions a lot this year. I had in a good 3-4 sessions in July, including 17 mile bike ride with a 4.75 mile run (which I did in 45 minutes!!!) And I ran the whole 6.2 miles this year. Which is why it's so disappointing to see me drop less than a minute off my time from last year. I honestly think I would have gone faster if I had walked a bit, but I'm proud of myself for charging through the whole thing. And the worst bit? 4 short laps instead of 2 longer ones. Mentally, 4 laps is just a nightmare. UGH! But check out that finish:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4877165074/" title="finished! by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="finished!" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4877165074_ac89baf6b1.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
So so so glad to be done!<br />
<br />
<b>Overall</b><br />
I am so happy I dropped almost 18 minutes from last year's time. I felt solid and strong throughout (except the run of course!) And I know with the right training, I could easily break 3 hours. Despite concentrating on my running and cycling, I dropped the most time from my swim and my transitions. I think I could easily drop another 5-10 minutes on my cycle, too. The demon? That run. I was dissapointed at the time, but can still appreciate that I had a great race overall. I've learned that no matter how slow you train, you're gonna race even slower! So, if I want to run 9.30-10 minute miles in a race, I need to be running faster than that in training. I've got the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon in 2 months, and I'm hoping to run that in under 2:10, so I've got my speed and endurance to work on!Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-55112083797915041122010-08-06T19:56:00.001+01:002010-08-06T19:56:55.680+01:00Cherry TreatsLast year, I thought it would be nice to make my friend Jen a bag for her birthday. She love love loves cherries, in all their cuteness, so I decided to adapt a bag from <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stitch-Bitch-Crochet-Happy-Hooker/dp/0761139850/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281120721&sr=1-1">Stitch 'n Bitch: The Happy Hooker</a> and turn it into a little cherry bag for Jen.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4809601977/" title="Cherry treats bag by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="Cherry treats bag" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4809601977_e85e004404.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Here's the plain bag, in nice simple white.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4810223394/" title="Cherry treats bag by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="Cherry treats bag" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4810223394_e73c3ee09b.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
With some cutie cherries attached.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4810227882/" title="Cherry treats lining by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="Cherry treats lining" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4810227882_12d4e3b02e.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
And then finally lined, with a pocket!<br />
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I actually finished the bag part in time for her birthday <i>last year</i>, but it just took me FOREVER to get around to lining it. And while I finally sent it to her for her birthday <i>this year</i> it was still late! Whoops! But I think she liked it :)<br />
<br />
Now enough homemade pressies for others, I need to make something for myself for a change!Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-65258948340169986682010-08-06T14:33:00.000+01:002016-06-04T22:25:45.969+01:00My running futureI haven't even done the triathlon yet, and I'm already onto my next big project - the <a href="http://www.royalparkshalf.com/">Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon</a> on 10/10/10!<br />
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I had been contemplating a half marathon for awhile now, and wanted something to dive right into after the triathlon. I've already pushed myself to 8 miles, so I feel like I could join into a 16 week plan at the half way point. I looked at the <a href="http://www.runtothebeat.co.uk/">Run to the Beat</a> race, but it's the weekend before my *gasp* 26th birthday and I'd really rather relax that weekend :) Then on Twitter, <a href="http://twitter.com/ZESTmagazine">Zest Magazine</a> tweeted that the Breast Cancer Campaign had two places left for the Royal Parks Foundation HM, so I got in contact with the BCC and two days later....Bob's your uncle! With the triathlon on the 8th, and say 2 days off for good behaviour, that gives me officially 2 months (8 weeks and bit) to get myself into half-marathoning shape. I'll scope out a few training plans, but I already have a workout strategy in mind to be honest. I'd like to start doing yoga a bit more, and try to fit in some strength training. My tentative post triathlon workout schedule looks a bit like this:<br />
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Mondays<br />
<b>Gym</b> - 30-60 minutes on the cross trainer with 30-45 minutes weight training<br />
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Tuesdays<br />
<b>Run</b> - 30-60 minutes, either intervals or hill runs<br />
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Wednesdays<br />
<b>Yoga</b> - my gym has a class from 5-6, plus some jacuzzi action afterwards<br />
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Thursdays<br />
<b>Run</b> - 30-60 minutes, either intervals or hill runs<br />
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Fridays<br />
<b>Gym</b> - 30-60 minutes on the cross trainer with 30-45 minutes weight training<br />
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Saturdays<br />
<b>Run</b> - long easy runs, working on increasing mileage<br />
<br />
Sundays<br />
<b>Rest!</b><br />
<br />
Most HM training plans have you do 3 mid-week runs, plus the longer Saturday runs. However, I want to take that down to 2 mid-week runs, so I can give my legs a chance to recover and do some cross training as well. And I've already managed to increase my distance to 8 miles with only 1-2 runs a week. <br />
<br />
I've finally reached the point where I (kinda, sorta, maybe) ... <i>enjoy running</i>. I'm not sure how that happened, but I slowly started noticing things like, perferring a run to a bike ride, or pushing R to go out for a run (and not vice versa). And then one Saturday morning, I said to R, 'I'm going to go a bit longer today, I'll meet you at home.' I was actually enjoying myself and wanted to push myself further. Well, K, you've got over 13 miles to push yourself, that's definitely further than you've done before!Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-83238878971776845242010-08-02T13:56:00.001+01:002016-06-04T22:27:48.058+01:00sum sum summer timeI've been having a really awesome summer so far! We've been really good about going out and seeing friends, soaking up the sun and doing fun outdoor activities. And even better, we've had decent weather (sorry England, you never have better than 'decent' weather!)<br />
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<i>golfing!</i></div>
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<i>kite flying!</i></div>
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<i> jumping!</i></div>
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<i>aunting!</i></div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<i> eating!</i></div>
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<i>puppy watching!</i></div>
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<i>flopping!</i></div>
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<i>wading!</i></div>
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I've got the London Triathlon coming up this weekend, on Sunday, and my support team (R and Leashie) are getting ready! I feel really good about my training this year, so I'm hoping to shave off quite a bit of time this year. I've also given up The Booze since the end of June (with a few lapses, including a glass of champagne, and a half glass of Pimm's!), and have also lost 7lbs, too! My outdoor runs and cycles have also helped me develop my tan (funny lines included). And! On Saturday, R and I went out for his boss' birthday and I fit into my skinny jeans. I haven't been able to wear them since I first bought them in 2006, BEFORE I met R! Woot woot to exercise, healthy eating and no booze :)</div>
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The weekend after the triathlon, we're hoping to do a little mini camping break, and then we're off to France on the 19th, yippee! It's R's dad's 70th birthday, so all the kiddos, plus partners, plus babies, are heading off to France for the week. I'm looking forward to red wine, tennis and swimming! After we're back in the UK, we're off to Edinburgh for a wedding. August is going to be amazing!</div>
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Do you have any fun plans in the works for August?</div>
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Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-55240920552891156032010-07-19T15:44:00.000+01:002010-07-19T15:44:36.591+01:00Tri training updateI thought I'd do a quick update on my triathlon training this summer. It's been going much better than last year (exactly one year ago I was battling a gnarly strain of the flu and was bed ridden - less than 3 weeks before the big race!)<br />
<br />
So how is training going better this time around? Well first of all, I'm actually getting in my proper cycling. I've done a few 20+ mile rides along Brighton, and into Shoreham and Worthing. On a nice day like today, how can that not be totally awesome? It's all along the coast, too, which is a definite (and flat!) bonus.<br />
<br />
Here's my little baby:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/3721397204/" title="My brand new bike! by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="My brand new bike!" height="300" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3440/3721397204_aa2f3da4b9.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Last year, I was a little frightened of the drop handles, but I'm finally starting to get the hang of them. After about 20 miles my neck starts to stiffen a bit, but all in all I feel pretty good on it.<br />
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My runs have also been going well. I was battling some leg/hip/back pains last month, but I took a bit of time off, and now I feel much better. On Saturday, I did my first ever 7 mile run! And I felt great, totally in the groove and I definitely fel like I could have kept going. I've also done a brick workout, with a 12 mile cycle and a 4 mile run, and I felt pretty good. I'm looking forward to my 27 mile bike ride tonight, and my 8 mile run on Friday.<br />
<br />
It's still tough to try and balance in 6 workouts a week, and to be honest, I'm mostly doing about 4 a week. But as long as I make sure to get my long cycle and long run in, I'm okay. The other thing I need to focus on is a couple of outdoor swims in my new wetsuit. I'm not swimming as much as I should be, but I'm glad that I'm focusing on my weaker legs. Maybe this week I'll get a proper swim in!<br />
<br />
I also got my start time - I'm in the 8.30am wave on Sunday morning - look for number 6664! Last year, I didn't start until around 12 or so, and I felt awful all morning, too anxious. I'm glad I won't really have time to think about it, I'll get up, eat, head out and go! All in all, I'm feeling really pumped! :)Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-51374728434585289982010-07-14T22:32:00.000+01:002016-06-04T22:28:10.834+01:00cropOn Monday, R and I went to go see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053472/">Breathless</a>. How very French, oui oui! And oh, how I was taken in by lovely Jean Seberg and her beautiful pixie crop!<br />
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I have always wanted to chop off all my hair, but alas, you normally need a beautiful pixie face like Winona Ryder or Halle Berry (or Jean Seberg!) to get away with it. I've cut my hair pretty short in the past, but have always shied away from the proper pixie crop. Should I finally go for it for the summer?<br />
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Here is a pic of the sorta-short crop I've done in the past:<br />
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Should I go the full monty, or grow it out? Decisions decisions!Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-62588623401661037912010-07-07T15:27:00.000+01:002010-07-07T15:27:22.680+01:00Rainbow Extraordinaire!A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, I decided to make a baby blanket for my niece/nephew to be. As we didn't know the sex, I decided to go for something bright, colourful and <i>gender neutral</i>: <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">R</span><span style="color: orange;">A</span><span style="color: yellow;">I</span><span style="color: lime;">N</span><span style="color: cyan;">B</span><span style="color: blue;">O</span><span style="color: purple;">W</span><span style="color: magenta;">!</span></span><br />
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And I thought to myself, "Well, it needs to be substantial enough, with lots of colours...." so I decided on six colours. I've done stripey blankets before, so I decided on granny squares. I found a neat pattern on Ravelry called <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/around-the-world-crochet-quilt">Around the World Crochet Quilt</a>, and therefore went forward with my 13x13 blanket. 13x13=169 squares. That's a lotta squares. A lot a lot. I started this back in March, with the baby due in May. I have to admit, I slacked a bit, especially when we went to LA. But all in all, it didn't take too long to make all the squares. I was still working on it when Aodhan was born (May 10), but I finished the squares soon after. Don't they look pretty?<br />
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And I thought to myself, "Goody! The tough part is over!" All that was left was to sew them together. Easy peasy, right?<br />
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Oh. My. God. Wrong. First, I needed to sew them into 13 strips. It took me over an hour to do one strip. So 13 hours later, I had 13 strips that still needed to be sewn together. But that should be easy enough, right? No stopping and starting at ends? <br />
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Oh. My. God. Wrong. To sew one strip to another took OVER an hour. Aye Caramba! But I missed my first deadline anyway (seeing him at 2 weeks old), so I worked to my new deadline (seeing him at 2 months old). Sew sew sew. Sew sew sew.<br />
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I finally finished sewing it together and it looked bloody fantastic!!!!!!!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4768996178/" title="Rainbow blanket for Aodhan by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="Rainbow blanket for Aodhan" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/4768996178_97ec9a13ec.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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I quickly added a thin red border around it (once again thinking, "Oh this part should be easy", and once again, being totally wrong), and voila!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4768991184/" title="Rainbow blanket for Aodhan by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="Rainbow blanket for Aodhan" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4768991184_154bc8b1e7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Slightly blurry!</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4768988984/" title="Rainbow blanket for Aodhan by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="Rainbow blanket for Aodhan" height="425" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/4768988984_238a345889.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pea-funk/4764917215/" title="Almost finished rainbow blanket! by Pea-Funk, on Flickr"><img alt="Almost finished rainbow blanket!" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4764917215_72d649851d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>pre-sewn, foolishly thinking I was almost finished! Ha!</i></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">All in all, I'm very pleased with the results, but very finished to see the end of it! Now on to something for meeeeeeeeeeee!</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581119953796910526.post-29710897771311234282010-06-21T21:26:00.000+01:002010-06-21T21:26:22.789+01:00world cup world cupI've caught the World Cup fever something fierce!<br />
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I've got my two teams I'm routing for. First (of course) is the USA, Group C. Being in England, it's pretty tough supporting a team that more likely than not might just knock their team out (after England's abysmal performance last Friday...). But I'm looking forward to watching USA v Algeria and Slovenia v England on Wednesday. And check out my USA pride (and not how gross our windows are)!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8ZGmcS5Hz1TLvot9GUwukTu8iFvj6jxJ92sALR87v0ksiLsAnc1DJXEo9LTaI4jnmtawuX043ie3ur4PAldBSwFNHBvRGn_9e4uf51YS4DiJPztgz2OHFbPwG45HdyJC-lraZB23-CHa/s1600/summertime+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8ZGmcS5Hz1TLvot9GUwukTu8iFvj6jxJ92sALR87v0ksiLsAnc1DJXEo9LTaI4jnmtawuX043ie3ur4PAldBSwFNHBvRGn_9e4uf51YS4DiJPztgz2OHFbPwG45HdyJC-lraZB23-CHa/s320/summertime+047.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I also made a 'stars n stripes' outfit to wear, but I was too chicken to wear it out for the England v USA match! But I wore the top to the top for the Slovenia v USA game, and someone even commented on it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXSs6rAizDrb-EkmXI4jCPjeT29ZPt5Bp5amqc9Y_zoddh65vsjYIIdxE1YwRR73LTFFM8GixilM0CXgi4VTr8HHx1L1UbLaVZQfD5tlC16RnhBIn880QkaHObtduOF1j4j-qv3xKcpRC/s1600/summertime+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXSs6rAizDrb-EkmXI4jCPjeT29ZPt5Bp5amqc9Y_zoddh65vsjYIIdxE1YwRR73LTFFM8GixilM0CXgi4VTr8HHx1L1UbLaVZQfD5tlC16RnhBIn880QkaHObtduOF1j4j-qv3xKcpRC/s320/summertime+049.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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My other team is my work sweepstake draw - Uruguay, Group A.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.newspapercountry.com/Uruguay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.newspapercountry.com/Uruguay.png" width="320" /></a></div>There has been some discussion on pronounciation at work. Everyone here seems to think it's Yoor-u-guay. But of course, if you actually want to say it <i>correctly</i>, it's Oor-u-guay, because that's how you pronounce it in Spanish. But that doesn't stop anyone from saying it exactly how they want to say it (which is the wrong way).<br />
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So far, so good, and both teams should should should qualify to the next stage. Woot woot!Kirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13114341322822282715noreply@blogger.com0