Sunday 26 June 2011

Dog Day

Dog days are great! I spent yesterday with a friend who has 5 dogs. A couple of retired greyhounds, a lurcher, a beddington terrier and a whippet. I had the loveliest time. Dogs don't care about your appearance, they only care about the affection, food and safety we can offer them. In return we get oodles of affection back. I swear I have muscle ache from all the stroking and cuddling I did! I only wish I was fitter so we could have played more in the garden.

Today I got back and squeezed my cat, lovable little spikey rogue that she is. Pets are wonderful. I'm so glad we have them in our lives.

Five good things about my week:
1. I've lost 3 lbs! Hooray!
2. Today was a beautiful sunny day, and really hot. (It has been cold and blustery and wet most of this month here in England)
3. I've been getting gazillions of strawberries from my very own plants. Yum Yum!
4. I've realised that my month of swimming during May has paid off - I feel far less creaky. Time to hit the pool again.
5. It is 10 months since I started this journal, and although I may have not lost weight, I have gained in other directions. I feel far more centred in my life than I was last year, and far more hopeful that I can make changes for the better in my life. :)

Tuesday 7 June 2011

pool inspiration


This is the pool that I swam in for the whole of May. It is so lovely, surrounded by palms, serenaded by a rushing gurgle of a fountain, hot and tranquil and quiet on most late morning/early afternoons when the sun is high overhead and most sensible people stay indoors. That time however is and has always been my favourite time to swim. I just don't get the attraction of swimming in the shady evening when one can do so in the sun and enjoy the contrast of cool water and sunshine. Plus, solitude is something I particularly enjoy. It is nice too, when there are others in the pool, but much less easy to meditate or zone out for all the body dodging of boisterous children required!

I swam a total of approx 540 laps of 25m each making that 13.5 km or 8.4 miles over 14 visits. I'm a slow and sedate swimmer, doing breaststroke or backstroke, taking around 50 mins to make 40 laps. My mum says my shape changed and I do know that I do feel a little fitter, and amazingly, have remained the same weight as I was last month. Smiles all round.

June so far, back in England has been alternately hot and freezing! After recovering from jetlag last week, I've done one small walk to the park, visited my sister in Yorkshire and collected my cat from lovely kind friend in Manchester who catsat for a whole month.

I'm also downsizing my obligations - I'm giving up my allotment because I'm not making the most of it. And that is a relief! For me, I have realized, proximity is key. Being able to step outside and muddle around anytime in my garden is easy. Kind of like how quick it was to step outside my mum's condo, hop in the lift and be at the pool in a matter of minutes, made it easy to go swimming so often during May. I'm working on my attitude - my goal - a walk a day. That will be a Good Thing, every minute I make an Active minute is an Excellent minute!

Hmm, I'm Thinking like a Bear by the name of Pooh...one can learn a lot from A. A. Milne's stories - how to enjoy life in the moment for instance. :)