titilayo

FINALLY! I went to the gym today, not even intending to do a personal best time today, just to do a good run, and things just fell into place. About halfway through I saw that my target was within reach, and I stuck in there and pushed myself just a little bit harder, and I did it, with seconds (8 seconds, to be exact) to spare. I am really really happy with this; I’m running at a pace that a year ago I did not seriously think I would ever attain. I’m very proud of myself.

A tip for anyone reading this: hill training. I think that the reason I was able to achieve this goal so quickly and re-setting my mind to it was that I was doing two hill runs a week – they are hard, but they’ve worked better than just about anything for me in terms of increasing speed.

I think that I may be able to do this this summer – it looks like I don’t need a visa in advance, and flights from the UK are quite cheap, so I really don’t have an excuse not to. I’m going to try to get to Turkey this August.

I let my running lapse for a long time (more than a month), and lost all of the time that I’d gained. Bah to my lack of drive and self-discipline. Anyway, I re-started my training a week ago, and I’m just over a minute away from my target time. I’m travelling in a few weeks and probably won’t do any running while I’m away, so I’m going to push and see if I can knock off that extra minute before I leave.

This is the kind of thing that will never be completed. The things I’m working on this year aren’t quite the same as those I was working on next year. But I’m going to mark this one done, because what I wanted from it was to be more conscious and conscientious about how I was living, the choices I was making, the things I was doing, and to be actively working to become the person I want to be. It’s a never-ending process, but I’m doing it, little by little.

Nearly there! Since making this goal, I’ve improved my time by more than a minute. Only a few more seconds to go!

I’m taking a woodworking class, and after a few mishaps, I’ve finally gotten started on this. I cut and planed my wood last week, and this week I should start putting it together. I really need a bookshelf, and it’s going to be awesome to have a useful item of furniture that I made myself.

I chickened out on doing the 10K road race, but I did manage to do a treadmill 10K in the last week of 2007, so I consider myself to have achieved this goal in the timeframe I set for it. This year, though, I want to run a 10K race!

Running on the treadmill at the gym has helped me better assess my running, and to realise how I can improve. I realise that I’ve really just sort of been trundling along, and not extending myself. I can (and intend to) run faster and farther than I have been doing. I’m working on improving my pace, and I’m hoping that my the end of July I’ll have achieved this goal.

Eh. I’ve hit a slump, but should be able to pick this up again in a couple of weeks. I’m going through a big change in my life right now, and crochet is really not a priority.

Even the sexton at the church doesn’t know where the grave might be, and I haven’t been able to face up to wandering around the church yard trying to identify it. This is still something I want to do, but I think that maybe it’s not entirely necessary. I carry the memory of my mother in my heart and in everything I do. Finding the location of her physical remains would be nice, but isn’t essential. I will honour her in other ways.

I’ve been doing pretty well at this over the past several months. Recently I joined a gym and have been working with a trainer, as well as doing some treadmill running. It’s been an interesting experience so far; I think it’s given me a more informed perspective on my fitness and strength. And it’s really motivating me to work out and strength train regularly. I’m going to mark this one done, because I think I’ve achieved what I was going for when I set the goal, i.e. making exercise a regular, routine part of my life. Obviously, marking it done doesn’t mean I stop working at it!

I think I’ve been doing well at this over the past year or so. Got back in touch with some friends I’d lost contact with. Made more of an effort to try to e-mail/talk to loved ones on a regular basis. It wasn’t always as satisfying as I hoped. Sometimes talking or visiting with people you care for is energising and joyful, but not always. Sometimes people’s responses are less than enthusiastic (I guess that’s karma coming back to bite me in the ass for all the years of semi-neglect). In at least one case, a “friend” complained to someone else that I don’t really keep in contact with her, when, if you look at it, 95% of the times that we’ve conversed in the past year, it’s been me calling her, not her calling me, and just about every time we talk, it’s me asking what’s up with her and expressing an interest in what’s going on in her life, as opposed to her showing any interest whatsoever in mine. But, I guess with some folk you just can’t win. I’m not going to let her break my stride.

The best thing about working on this goal has been that I have developed a real appreciation for my friends and family. Keeping in touch isn’t just something I feel I should do, it’s now something I take pleasure in doing, because the folk I love bring so much joy into my life.

I started working on the tablecloth again and have been making good progress. My new trick is to crochet while I’m watching movies (at home, not in the cinema). With that approach I find myself completing row after row without really thinking about it (and therefore without getting bored/frustrated). I’m at row 51 of 102 right now.

I should be doing this next week. Looking forward to being there, but not looking forward to getting there. Pictures when I get back, yay!

You know what’s better than going to the market and getting fresh vegetables for cheap? Visiting my uncle the farmer and getting fresh vegetables for free! What he offered was way more than I could reasonably use — I only took a small bit of what was available and I still ended up giving some of that away. So my fridge is stocked up for the week: okras, beans, eggplants, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, squash, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, broccoli, sweet potato, onions, garlic…

Unfortunately I sort of fell off the good food wagon this weekend. Had a lot of bread and eggs and cheese and not enough veggies and then overloaded on pasta and carrot cake (with cream cheese icing!) at lunch today. But I plan to get back on the good foot with the good food again, starting tonight.

I’m doing pretty well at this for this week. I think there’s something about market shopping and having all that good raw food in my fridge that’s inspiring me.

Monday night dinner:

Cous cous with vegetable sauce
Steamed okra and broccoli
Cucumber salad

Tuesday night dinner:

Bulghur wheat
Tofu and spinach curry stir-fry
Steamed carrots and green beans
Lemony tomato and cucumber salad

Wednesday night dinner:

Omelette with spinach, basil, onion, tomato, sweet pepper, garlic chive, and cheese (so tasty! I was surprised by how tasty it was)
Two slices multi-grain toast

That’s pretty good, right? Hope I can keep this up.

I’ve started going downtown on Saturdays and stocking up on fresh fruit and veggies from the market. It’s good to know that I’m getting fresh produce, locally grown, and support small farmers with my purchases. Plus it’s way cheaper that buying from the supermarket, and I find the vegetables are tastier too. So now I always have good fresh veg in my fridge. And I go to the supermarket less, so there’s less opportunity for me to buy processed food. All of which means that, although I’m not cooking as often as I’d like, when I do cook it’s generally something nutritious and tasty. I think I’d forgotten how yummy fresh vegetables can be.

I just got an e-mail! I’ve been accepted! I’ve been offered a place! In the programme at my first choice university! Dude!!!! I’m so fricking excited right now. Up till ten minutes ago the possibility of this coming through and working out for me didn’t even seem real and now it’s real and I AM SO THRILLED AND EXCITED AND SCARED!

Of all the goals that I’ve marked done since I started using 43things, this is the most exciting, no doubt. So many things to get working on from here, so many things!

!!!!!!!!!!!

I’ve started to do the research to plan and prepare for this trip. I recently discovered that Grenada Carnival takes place right at the start of the week when I was planning to be there, so that should be two days of fun and frolic and jump-up at the start of my holiday. Then I plan to take some time to explore the island, maybe rent a car, do some hiking. Also want to take a ferry over to Carriacou and wander around there for a bit, hopefully go to the ecological station and hang out with the turtles. But most of all I’m glad about the timing of my trip in relation to Carnival because now there’ll be an added element of enjoyment in my vacation that I wasn’t even expecting.

I’ve been doing this and it feels like a habit now. Sometimes I surprise myself with how natural and automatic it has become for me to get up and get out there on the days I’m supposed to. Things that used to be excuses not to exercise aren’t anymore.

Going to keep this on here for a little while longer, just for reinforcement.