Bargain Blues

Yes, Yes, I haven't blogged for aaaaages. But as we all know life can catch up with us and it gets real busy and you haven't really got time for the Internet malarkey. All I seem to have been focusing on recently is work and the gym. And there are a few exciting things happening relating to both of those things  but lets just say I've learnt a few good lessons from the past few months too, chiefly that people can be fickle and can drop you like a hot potato as soon as something (one) new comes along. But like I say, lesson learnt.

I've been loving my gym routine lately, especially the PT sessions with Sarah at The Peak. She gives me a different and very tough session each time I see her. The last one with a 1000m row finisher. Ouch, but 4m33s beat my last attempt so that was fantastic!

With the gym in mind it was with great delight that I managed to find a bargain pair of Nike Free trainers at the local Nike Outlet. And because I can buy kids sizes, these really were a bargain. I know they're supposed to be for running but I like them for my training. I love the dark electric blue colour contrasting with the bright pink and since I've been (strangely) buying lots of blue gym gear then these will co-ordinate nicely. Because we all know you gotta have matching gym gear, right?! (You don't really, in fact there's nothing I like more than clashing colours).

Anyhow, I browsed the shop for ages and put back the pair of Nike Legend capri pants i had in my grasp. I just don't need another pair at the moment and at £45 they still weren't enough of a bargain. But ladies, I've tried a few pairs of the Nike training trousers and the Legend ones are a great fit and the material is quite thick so hugs you in all the right places. Having put those trousers back I did pick up another Dri-Fit top and you can't grumble at £14. Luckily it's almost a direct match for the trainers so I will be all matchy matchy, haha.

I tell you what I need ideas about though... Sports bras. I've got a few of the Nike ones in my collection but being small chested I don't really need anything with all sorts of support but I do need something to combat the 'see-through' nature of a wet sports top - if you know what I mean! I hadn't noticed it until I was in a body pump class with a light t-shirt on and there it was... so embarrassing! So I suppose what i need is something with support but also something that has enough padding to hide your assets. Thoughts?

Fitness Update

Hello! Yes, I'm still here. I've had an extended blogging break and i've no excuse other than i've been really busy with life. Well, mostly work and being at the gym, and then you're tired when you come home and the last thing you want to do after you've showered and fed yourself is fire up the laptop. So there it is...

Anyway, since I've been spending most of my non-work time at the gym, I thought I'd do a fitness update post about what I've been up to.

After Christmas I made a conscious decision that I was going to mix up my training a bit. Rewind. When I say training, I just mean my fitness classes and gym sessions because I'm not actually in training for anything as such. So yeah, i wanted to mix up my training routine because I felt I'd been stuck at a plateau for a few months and wasn't seeing any changes in my body that I want. I want to be stronger, a little bit leaner and fitter - although I am pretty fit. Losing weight is not my goal since I haven't actually lost or put on any weight for about 6 months. Apart from 2 weeks ago when i lost 2 lbs, but that aside I'm the same weight as I was 6 months ago.

My routine went a little something like this:
Monday - Circuits
Tuesday - Shockfit circuit (weights, body weight exercises)
Wednesday - morning Metafit - HIIT; then gym session
Thursday - insanity OR Metafit - HIIT
Friday - Spin class
Saturday - insanity - HIIT
Sunday - spin (every other Sunday)

But then i started to get bored. After I got my MyZone belt and was getting readings after each class, I realised that my Monday night circuits weren't giving the results I thought they were. I wanted more. My Tuesday shockfit class is all about strength with a little bit of cardio. It's mostly body weight and heavy weight lifting techniques and again my calories burned reading wasn't that high. Now it could be said that I may not be working hard enough but trust me, I am. Wednesday morning class gets the blood pumping then we do a little session in the gym afterwards. Thursday again, high intensity. Friday is my favourite spin class. I've been doing Friday night spin for about 3 years now and boy has it been getting tougher recently. Saturday was a half hour insanity class which is great and Sunday is spin. And so all of that wasn't producing the results I was after.

Then I mixed it up a little. And now my routine looked a little like this:
Monday - Circuits, then Spin
Tuesday - Shockfit
Wednesday - morning Metafit, then gym session; evening Spin
Thursday - Metafit, then Body Pump
Friday - Spin
Saturday - Metafit
Sunday - Spin (every other Sunday).

I've been doing that for about 6 weeks now and my legs are really starting to show good definition. My upper arms have great shape as well as my upper back and my abs are coming along nicely too. My butt is still a bit wobbly and bigger than I'd like but slowly does it. I can see change and that's a good thing. There was nearly a set back though when I accidentally dropped a 20kg weight plate on my foot the other night at Shockfit. Right on my left metatarsal. Luckily there's no break but it is quite bruised now. Wowsers.

I love a nice bright trainer and tight - Nike Free trainers, Nike Legend capri tight

To shake things up a little bit more I've booked a session with a personal trainer at the gym to see where i can improve and get tips and tomorrow I'm going to start the Kayla Itsines BBG workout guide. I'm committing to those 12 weeks because i believe it will add to my routine or I can substitute a class for the BBG workout in the gym. I'm inspired by all those women who post amazing transformations on Instagram. So much so this morning I posted the picture at the top of this post on Instagram and immediately got great support from a good few people. Hopefully that community will push me through.

Aside from all of the fitness stuff above, I've been really trying to watch my eating. Eating healthier than i have done in years but not denying myself a pancake or a burger if i want it. Everything in moderation. Need to up my protein though, that's a fact.

My real struggle comes with sweeties. Chocolate. I have about 1 can of Coke a week, but still drink little Irn Bru bottles. Only 1 a day mind - I know, I shouldn't. Maybe I'm hoping that if I write it down here it'll kick me into really trying to give. Really making that final effort to cut out the sugary stuff.

We can only hope. I'll update in a few weeks when I'm further into my new routine but feel free to leave any tips, comments below.

Angela x

Been Busy

Wow, it's been ages since I've posted here. Sorry!

There are only a few reasons why. Mostly because life has taken over and I've started having much needed early nights so by the time work is over and the gym has been ticked off my daily list. It's dinner and then pretty much bed time. Phew. But I'm going to try to really put the time in and get this blog up and running again.

So, what's been happening? Well, as sure as night turns to day it's only four and a bit weeks until Christmas. Where has 2014 gone?! I mean, wow, it's flown by. It's been quite a year. I finally started Christmas shopping last weekend. Got the nephews some stuff. Then I picked up loads of stuff from the Boots 3 for 2 shelves and then promptly put them all back when I decided they weren't what I wanted to buy. I was thinking, there's too much choice in there. Does anyone else get that feeling in Boots?

View from the gym at 7.30am

The Gym... has pretty much been my life for the past month or so. I've upped my fitness game and am there 7 days a week. My exercise classes change everyday but this week i even started running again (and we all know how much i am so not a runner!). I've not gone crazy though, 10-15 minutes on the treadmill, some weights, some rolling and stretching... It all adds up. Classes are mostly metafit; Shockfit circuits and strength training; and spin classes. Almost two weeks ago I got this heart rate monitor device called a MyZone that they sell in the gym. I mostly got it because I was curious to see how hard i am working and how many calories are being burnt off with each bead of sweat that drips off my pink face. I was surprised. In a good way! I seem to be working pretty hard. I mean I kinda knew that anyway, I can't really give anything more by the end of a workout, but the heart rate thing appears to be saying I work in the 'red zone' pretty regularly during a workout. (The red zone being 90-100% of your max HR). A few people have said it's not working properly - cheeky things(!), but after a week it's settled down and I think it's bang on. How dare they say I'm not working that hard. I know I am. The good thing about this Myzone belt is that you can set challenges up with groups of friends or other people at the gym, you can push each other on and get motivated. I'm currently 3rd in our little Christmas challenge. I plan on being at least 2nd (the guy in 1st place is wearing his all day every day i think!). We'll see how i get on in the next few weeks.

Work has been really busy and really crazy just now. There's loads going on and my workload is doubling. I seem to be at too many meetings for my liking plus I've got a full days' training next week that couldn't have come at a worse time. On the upside I got a new computer last week and it's great. Quite fast and I can still listen to my music during the day. Being busy is good but sometimes it's a bit overwhelming. I'm learning just to take a few moments out to have a cup of tea a put things into perspective. There's only so many hours in the working day and there's only so much one person can do. My mantra.

Anyway, they are by no means excuses but just some of the reasons this blog has taken a little back seat for a few weeks.

I'll be back...

Angela x

Shockfit Banter

So, if you're visiting this here blog via some banter at tonight's Shockfit class, welcome. Hello RYAN! Don't go back and read my deepest darkest thoughts, and if you do then don't ever mention them to me. Okay? Good.

Right. I thought i'd do a little update on my fitness routine since it's been a few months and some things have changed. There's no more Grit classes. Boo. But there's a strength training programme of weights in the gym. Yay. I don't know why I say yay because i've only ever ran through it once. It's really good too but I'm not really comfortable being in the gym lifting weights on my own when there's a few bods around. What I need is a gym buddy 1) for moral support and 2) for when the weights fall on me and I need someone to lift them off! I'd hate to be awkwardly stuck horizontal on a weight bench unable to get up whilst the life drains from me under a 40kg weight bar. Dramatic!

Anyway, if you're free one day a week, come be my gym buddy?

Here's how my week is supposed to look, training wise...

Monday - was Metafit, now Insanity (cardio)
Tuesday - Shockfit circuit (strength)
Wednesday - Spin class (cardio)
Thursday - free day or could be weight session in the gym
Friday - Spin class (cardio)
Saturday - Insanity and weight session in the gym (if not done on a Thursday). (cardio/strength)
Sunday - NO TRAINING ON A SUNDAY! my rule.

Ideally I'd do this every week and perhaps mix it up a bit but i definitely need to get these weights sessions going. It's only a few months until summer and it would be good to feel like I've finally reached a target. HELP!

What's your weekly fitness routine like? Is cardio your favourite or do weights fit you better?

I'm off for some chocolate, ha.

Angela x

Healthy and Fit, a little old update

It's been a few months since I wrote about my fitness routine. To be totally honest, in December it kind of fell by the wayside. I was down to one or two classes per week. This was due to a combination of external factors. Work being busy, rubbish dark weather nights, not 'feeling' it, and generally just feeling out of sorts really. All pretty lame excuses I know but I feel it was an inner voice telling me I needed a little break. And so I did just that. And then I got the worst cold i've had for a while. Typical.

Over Christmas there's a limited timetable of classes taking place at The Peak (my local gym). But I did manage to drag myself along to about three of them and I tell you something for nothing, it really made me feel better. I didn't feel as guilty that I'd been overindulging in all things chocolate related. It really was good to get back into the swing of things too. Last Friday night's spin class was amazingly hard but brilliant feelings afterwards. Exercise where you almost del sick will do that to you.

Yesterday the timetabled classes started afresh for the new year and I'm planning on hitting up my regular classes and perhaps add more actual gym work in a few days too. As the truth is I haven't actually been in the gym part of the building in over a year. I do classes and then go to the smaller gym over at the Forthbank football stadium to do shock fit (HIIT (high intensity interval training) weights class).

So the routine will go something like this:

Monday - Velocity blast (high intensity 30 minute spin bike class) and then Faster, higher, stronger class (30 minute HIIT with agility, strength and plyometric exercises).
Tuesday - Shockfit (50 minute weight and body weight routine class)
Wednesday - Les Mills RPM (50 minute spin bike class)
Thursday - no gym day, but may become a gym session day, we'll see.
Friday - Velocity (1 hour high intensity spin bike class)
Saturday - Faster, Higher, Stronger.

EDIT: Monday's Faster, Higher, Stronger class was cardio heavy so I may swap the Velocity Blast class for a body pump class - with weights.

At the moment I'm giving Sunday a miss.
I might slowly introduce the double Faster, higher, Stronger class back into my early morning Saturday routine. You're done by 10.45am, feel great and you're free to fill the rest of your day as you please.

Anyway, this is my motivation. This below and those rock hard abs above, which are mine by the way! ;)

This was about 2 years ago when I was at my slimmest I'd been for years. Granted it's only about 7lbs less than I weigh just now but still, I know I'll feel better about myself when I get back there.

A funny thing happened last week too. I weighed myself. I know, I know you shouldn't really do that during Christmas but much to my utter surprise I've only gone and managed to lose 2 pounds. I know! I don't know how I did that either. It's a Christmas miracle.

In all seriousness, I think it might be due to the fact I didn't eat as much carbs. I opted for a slice of grilled bacon and an egg for breakfast most days of the holiday. I mean it can't be all down to that but it played a part I think. I'm not a believer in diets but i do think I could eat healthier and that's what I tried to do. In saying that i totally ate loads of chocolate (my great big downfall). I've scoffed one Terry's chocolate orange; two bags of Thornton's strawberry creams; most of a tub of Jacob's cheese lets; ice cream; a bag of chips from the chippy; fudge; a large Galaxy Caramel bar; some Quality Street sweets (all over the two week period)... need i go on. So you'll see, there be no diets going on around these parts. But looking at that list right there I know that i need to cut some of that very bad but oh so tasty stuff down (I'll never cut it right out) and start introducing more vegetables and fruits. So that's one to stick on a list, say, of resolutions, maybe...

Angela

Fitness routine, an update

I thought I'd give a little update on my fitness routine lately. This weekend has I've been out the game so to speak. I got my first cold of this year and i think it was my body's way of telling me to slow as since about February i have been exercising at least 5 days per week. Phew. I couldn't have imagined doing that a few years back. So with me having a cold for a few days I haven't been to the gym since Wednesday nights spin class.

Other than that I had a blip the weekend i went to Alton Towers. Well, the week after to be exact. I just didn't feel like exercising so i cut it down and got back into my stride. And you know what, that's ok. If your heart's not in it then you won't enjoy it.

After I posted a few months ago about my routine which was every day of the week, i have made a few adjustments that have really just happened organically. I've cut out the Thursday night shock-fit (weights class) and only go to the sunday morning spin class every other week. I needed a little lie in every now and then. The Thursday night class is one I want to get back to because I love the weights and the changes that you see in your body from doing them. But here's what happened...

I'd been going to Tuesday and Thursday night shock fit classes since about Feb/March time. That's months! They used to be at 7pm and there was usually me, my cousin and a few other regulars on a Thursday, and me and maybe one other woman on a Tuesday. Those classes were cancelled in July due to low attendance, so I switched to the busier 6pm classes. Now, those are fine but the first week 12 people turned up and it was a very tight squeeze to say the least (since they're held in the smaller gym inside Forthbank stadium).

Anyway, about a month ago i turn up to the Thursday class. There's 4 of us there, including a few regulars to other classes. We were doing a new circuit so the instructor showed us each of the moves and we were soon on our way.

I was paired with a woman. (I'd rather have worked my way around on my own). Every now and again she would comment like this "you're not doing that right"... "i think you need to move forward a bit"... and so on. It really really put me off. I ignored her as best I could, not responding at all. What I really wanted to say was "please, you're doing it al wrong but i won't comment on your technique. And anyway if I were doing it wrong I'm sure the instructor would have told me since there's only 4 of us in the class". That's what I was saying in my head. I never said it out loud of course. Typical me, but i;m sure my lack of facial expressions told her what I might be thinking.

It's such a shame because when it was my usual group at those classes, we had a good rapport. But most importantly we encouraged each other and had a laugh. This other group really seem to be too serious and actually truth be told, their techniques are way off. I mean we're not talking athletes here who are training for anything but still. I'm surprised one of them hasn't put their back out.

So, I'll try to get over that and hope she stops going to that class because it really did put me off.

Other than that, I am still going to spin bike classes as well as GRIT strength and GRIT cardio classes. I do love the feeling you get afterwards having completed the high intensive training. Although my pink sweaty face may tell a different story!

What are you doing to keep fit?

Angela x

Positive

They say you should surround yourself with positive people. Get rid of the dead wood and the drains on your life. Well, since I spend most of my time at work, or at the gym, or with my family, there aren't that many drains on my life. However, there could be a few more positive people in my life. I find it hard to make friends. Real friends. That friends for life sorta thing, you know. I'd love that. LOVE.



Most of my time is spent at work, and yes, this past year at work hasn't been easy. There is a lot of negativity and drains on your time which in turn becomes a drain on your health and well-being. But only if you let it. Which if I'm honest I did let it for a few months since about Christmas. I let it affect me because I'm a worrier and an over-thinker. That was wrong of me. And looking back I've come to realise that you can't change what you don't have control over. What you can change is yourself because you control yourself. So I've changed myself in a good way. I've channelled my energy into different things and it has been good for me. Granted, there are still things that niggle away at me but I find deep breaths and happy places help me.

With all of the above being said, I look to other people, places and things for my positivity. And those places are mostly online. Blogs, Pinterest inspiration boards, look books, mood boards, travel destinations, amazing Twitter conversations and such like.

I thought I'd share a few of my positive people, places, blogs and things with you. And remember, We all have our own Everest to climb.

1) A HUGE factor in helping me through the past few months has been exercise. Honestly. Especially my gym, The Peak in Stirling. Its a large fairly new brightly lit and coloured building. Immediately putting you at ease. Also the instructors who's classes I attend: Ryan, Claire, Ross, Tim, Fabienne, Colin - lovely, lovely, positive people. They're so welcoming, happy and above all a good laugh. At the end of the day i like nothing better than to head to The Peak for my daily dose of torture.. err I mean, fun exercise. I push myself as hard as I can and it clears my head, gives me something else to think about and generally makes me feel good. And that's no bad thing now is it. So get up off your chair and go out for some exercise!

2) Blogs. You only need to take a look down the right hand side of this page to see the blogs i read the most. There are others but too many to list. One day I'm gonna put a blogroll page up here with everything that keeps me entertained throughout the weeks. It's funny too because I don't read these blogs every day, there wouldn't be enough time. Instead I usually fit them in when i have a spare hour or so. I love reading several posts at a time from my favourite bloggers. Soaking up their stories and awesome pictures. That of makes me smile.

3) Pinterest. I was early to the party on this one. Invited near the start, I was immediately drawn in by Pinterest's ability to transport me to that fantasy land we all live in 'if money were no object'. There's not juts material items on there. There's handy hints about anything and everything, there's recipes, there's some amazing quotes and some hilarious ones, there's pictures that i'd never seen if they weren't Pinned and then there's the clothes, shoes, gadgets, holidays, hairstyles and hot boys! What more could a girl ask for.

4) people. Although I'm a pretty shy person (until I get to know you) I do actually like people. Not all people mind you, but most people. Some people can be nasty or some other trait that I don't like but for the most I do like people.



What do you to get into that positive state of mind?

Angela x

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Get Fit and Healthy: Motivation and Perseverance

Despite the weather, summer should be here. For some it may already be here. And with the imminent arrival of summer, comes that ever more important need to sort your body out for the beach (if you're lucky enough to be going away for a beach holiday, that is).

The magazines are filled with the way they think we should be. All tall, bronzed and with the perfect beach hair. The reality is more often than not the total opposite to that. Women start to panic themselves into eating less. Filling themselves up with artificially sweet smelling gloopy liquids that promises them one step closer to that beach body. Again, the reality being that you will only lose weight (the healthy way) by exercising and eating healthier. I say healthier because I myself do not get enough fruit or vegetables in my diet. I am no expert when it comes to weight loss. But what I do know is that I'm only seeing results through hard work and cutting back on the crap in my diet. Incidentally, this weekend a newspaper here had pull-out booklets on a diet called "The bikini panic diet" - how utterly ridiculous and irresponsible to call it that.

It is tough. I'm now exercising for 7 days a week and I'm into week 4 of that. It's starting to become a habit. An amazing habit. Progress! I try to separate out different forms of exercise into different days of the week. It goes something like this...

• Monday - Spin class (cardio), GRIT Strength class (cardio and weights).
• Tuesday - ShockFit TRX suspension class (weights, strength).
• Wednesday - RPM biking class (spin, cardio)
• Thursday - ShockFit bells class (weights).
• Friday - Spin class (cardio)
• Saturday - GRIT cardio class
• Sunday - Spin class (cardio).

Gym for ShockFit - "there is no strength where there is no struggle"

It is tough. It requires focus and perseverance but I do like it, a lot. It wasn't always like that. I'd need no excuse some days just to give up on the Monday classes and then that knocks your week all to pot. Then you'd feel bad and it would all start again. But thankfully I've managed to get right out of that habit and into another more healthier one. My fitness is improving, although I can tell you that since introducing the GRIT classes, i feel like they could move me up a notch. Don't get me wrong, i am by no means an athlete. I'm just a girl who wants to get fitter and leaner and healthier.

I've never been into faddy diets. I was never allowed to when I was younger and I thank my mum for that. She was never into diets either. I tend to hold all my weight on my bum and thighs. I'm blessed with a fairly flat stomach and small chest so i do kinda look out of proportion.

Before January, my routine only consisted of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday spin bike classes. All cardio and no weights at all. I'm not really a fan of the gym - well, not a fan of the body builder types that hang around the weights, so it always put me off. Then I started the ShockFit classes twice per week and the difference in tone of my arms, quads and stomach is great. My bum could really do with a really big tone up though. It's my hardest part to shift any weight or tone up. But I'm determined. Of course the chocolate i eat doesn't help, nor does the juice. But they're my only vice and I have to try to wean myself off them. Well, that's really only an excuse now isn't it.

pic from a few months ago

At the start of June the gym introduced the Les Mills GRIT classes and I've added them into my weekly routine. I really hope they can help shift those last few pounds.

I've never really been a weight watcher, except in my mid 20's when I reached 10 and a half stone. At 5ft 2in, that could almost be considered obese. Probably is, I haven't checked any charts. I lost a bit of weight about 2 years ago through eating less crap and doing exercise. Then by February of 2011 I let it go a bit and put some more back on. For months I hovered around 9st 6lb. Which was better than 10st but still not ideal. Currently I'm sitting at 8st 6lb. Ideally I'd like to get to the lower end of 8stone. So that's my summer challenge to myself. To do just that. 6 pounds to go.

It'll take some real discipline on my behalf. You don't understand how panic starts to set in if i don't have a chocolate Freddo or something in the house to quash my cravings. Argh! But, the motivation is being able to wear the clothes I want to wear. The perseverance will come from my own inner and outer strength and the will to succeed at something that I control. Only I will know whether or not I succeed or fail but I think, this time, I'm going to succeed. I've written it down here after all and that means I HAVE to stick to it. Eek!

Join me. Let's motivate each other. I'll check in on you, if you check in on me.

Remember "there is no strength where there is no struggle", virtual gym buddies!

Angela x
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Fitness Friday #1 - Strength and Grit

For the past 2-3 months I've been incorporating ShockFit into my weekly fitness routine, along with my usual 4 spin bike classes. If you missed the previous post on the explanation of what ShockFit is, it's basically a set of different classes that are of the short, sharp, intense nature. There are different classes focusing on different parts, so for example, there are kettle bells classes, TRX suspension classes, core classes and a general ShockFit class incorporating all of the above. My favourite is the kettle bells.

Since starting these classes in February I've really noticed a difference in my body from the few months that I've been attending. My weight hasn't really dropped a huge amount but i can get into smaller clothes - result! My arms are more toned and sculpted. My quads are fierce and I'm getting that nice muscle definition on the front of my thighs. My bum could be a little tighter admittedly and my tummy has always been relatively flat so it doesn't take much to keep that in check. I'm pleased with these results so far.

In a few weeks time the ShockFit classes will be added to the main timetable at The Peak meaning that you can have them as an add on to your main membership. Nice one. Although edging towards £60 per month!!

As well as the ShockFit, there'll be Les Mills Grit series classes too. Cardio and Strength. I've signed up for a Grit strength taster class to find out what it's all about. But in general i think they're almost the same format as the ShockFit classes. I'm excited to try them out and then get into it proper good. Upper body strength has always been my weakness. Not any more!

Angela x

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Spin class - what goes on

So what goes on at a spin bike class? i hear you say. Actually, I don't hear you say that but I'm going to tell you anyway. Because there are a few things that goes through my mind when I'm there.

First of all, spin bike classes take place at my local sports centre. There's a room set up with about 40 static bikes. These are bikes that have no wheels and are stationary. They have 'gears' on them which is basically resistance. The higher the resistance the harder you are working, depending on the speed you are going of course. There's an instructor and very loud music. Most of it's pretty decent and is fab loud. In our classes they always put the lights out but there are some coloured lights the trove with the music so that's ok, plus light from out in the atrium shines in too. So it's not completely dark.

Most of the classes I go to are called Velocity classes. Apparently some guy has trademarked the word 'spin class' and no one else can use it. Some gyms call them vibe cycle classes too. Velocity classes can vary depending on who's teaching it. My Monday class is by Claire and has a range of fast and slow paced tracks. She has kinda chilled out Ibiza type music. She's really motivating and i do like her classes.

On a Wednesday night I do two classes back to back. It's not as bad as it sounds and you feel so great afterwards. First class is Velocity with Julie - again more fast and slow paced tracks. Julie is a fantastic instructor. She's really smiley and has a fun personality. This helps towards the end of a class. I always find this one flys by. Second class is RPM Biking with Tim. Now, RPM Biking is from the Les Mills range of classes. These are classes which have set routines that change every 10 weeks or so. But more or less every class is the same, including the same music, which can get a bit tedious if I'm honest. Hence the reason i only go to one of those per week. But Tim's class is good. Plenty of fast paced tracks in here. Fast and push it hard i.e. up your gears as high as you can put them. It's a killer. Fantastic feeling afterwards though.

My favourite class is my Friday night hour long velocity class with Ross. A nice guy whose class is more slow paced but higher gears. It's over a year since i started going to this class and he's changed it up and around at a steady pace. We're now doing long slow and heavy hill climbs. In my head we're heading up the Col du Tourmalet! It's really good. By the end I'm totally dripping with sweat, as i am with all of these classes. I know, what a picture to paint eh.

So that's a little bit of an explanation about what happens at spin bike classes. You should try one. It's not for everyone by any means but for me it's a way for me to keep fit without aggravating my knees. Long time regular readers will know that my knees ache when i run, so cycling is better, for me.

Whilst I've been on holiday I've been going to daytime classes which are less busy. Friday night Ross has been doing these classes, which for me is great. Not one of the classes have been exactly the same, he changes it about every day. Today was a killer. Longer higher up through hills we went. Fab.

I actually love the classes. Granted, there are days when i so cannot be bothered going but once I'm actually there and have completed then, i feel great.

I go to The Peak in Stirling. Classes are £5 on a drop in basis but i pay monthly membership so can attend as many as i like, as well as having access to the gym and swimming pool. Pop along to your local sports centre and try one out.

Angela x

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Stress, what is it?

Stress. It's a funny old thing, or word. It conjures up an image of a crazy, eye-bulging person tearing their hair out. The only thing being that's not strictly the truth about it, is it.

I used to think I never got stressed. I mean I'd get nervous at exams and the like. Heck, I breezed my driving test, but a funny thing started happening a few years back for no particular reason. Well none that I could fathom. It's only in the past 6 months I've realised that this 'thing' was stress. For me to say that is both frightening and yet enlightening at the same time. I've been brought up in quite a traditional way and stress and depression were never really mentioned in the family. I used to think it was easy for some people to say they were stress, truthfully I still do think people jump on that label for themselves all too easily, but like I say, in the past 6 months I've realised that this stress thing had been happening to me for a couple of years without me realising it.

I thought I'd pulled a muscle in my back. I thought I had wisdom teeth problems with the most tense jaw you could ever imagine. At one point I thought I had a brain tumour as a 3 week long headache was not for subsiding no matter how much ibuprofen i fed it. Then when I went went deaf in my left ear twice over the past 2 months I thought it was because the pumping bass beats at spin class were causing it. I started to get really bad headaches (I used to never believe in migraines) but they were in actual fact migraines. so bad the I could quite easily have stuck a fork in my and took my eye ball out to massage for a few hours if it brought some relief. Then I started to take note and thought I was only getting this due to hormones at certain times every month but then it became more frequent. Every day frequent. So frequent that I wished it would relent some times.

Then came a strange feeling. I was dizzy when I got up off a chair or from a lie down. Strange. I've never felt that before. This is at the same time as the deaf ear bear in mind. Perhaps I had that thing you get with earache, you know, when you lose balance.... Also, one night after eating my dinner I sat in my chair for a good hour with my first ever nausea inducing migraine. Ouchie. I think it's safe to say there was something not quite right here.

I'm not really one for bothering a doctor, although I probably should have gone ling before now. I did go a few years back, um about 5 years ago, when i had a two week long headache then. Back then i did really think something bad was wrong. He told me there wasn't and to take ibuprofen, i'd be fine. And I was after a month. But slowly these symptoms keep recurring.

The funny thing is that I don't really know what i'm stressed about. Actually that's a lie, I do. Because, as i mentioned above, although big occasions such as tests or the like don't really phase me, it's petty things that happen at work that do. It's silly things that happen in the house that does. If i drive a long way I can tense up like a rigid rubber band. It's people being late if we're going somewhere. All these little things that add up and make me feel like my shoulders are at my ears and my jaw is about to crack. That's how stress manifests itself in me.

I've been on holiday for the past two weeks. I don't mean i've been away anywhere. No, I've just been off work and it was very much needed as there are changes going on that may or may not be a good thing. But i feel refreshed and raring to go tomorrow. For the first 5 days of my holiday i was still taking pain killers for the headache/neckache/tense jaw but for the rest of the holiday I've been fine. I think the sunshine and my daily spin bike classes at The Peak have also helped. I went to one every day last week apart from Thursday and i totally missed it. I now have set a plan in place for going back to work and am ready to fight this stressyness.

I don't know what i wanted this post to be about. Just a little chance for me to get this down on paper so to speak. If you've got any tips to stay stress free leave them below in a comment. I'm keen to know if other people get it this way.

For now, i'm off to watch Dragons Den. Have you seen that new lady?!! Scary or what!

Take care
Angela x

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It's been a while

Doodoo dododoo, bzzzzz... text comes through.  It's from Linda who's busy sunning herself in all inclusive luxury at a resort in Egypt having arrived there yesterday safe and sound.  As I sit here and daydream what that must be like I get roused by the wind and rain battering off the window and i watch as one by one the raindrops hit the window and slowly make their way from top to bottom whilst randomly heading off in different directions, but always down....  

Today's soundtrack on iTunes is Snow Patrol.  I'm not hitting shuffle cos I've never listened to the new album yet.  They are familiar songs but in a different order.  I like that though.

I decide a new blog post is needed as it's been a while I feel.  Not that there's too much to report so I'll just fill you in with what's been happening around my life that is Project Everest.  Jees that sounds so lame now because when you think of Everest you think giant, grandness, amazing... you never really think small do you.

So alas there have been no outdoor activities apart from trying out my new wheels in a car park at the Uni last Sunday morning!!  It appears I'm in the process of buying a very cool bike courtesy of Freeflow Bikes and Flying Fox Bikes.  Why 2 bike shops you may wonder?  Well i've been thinking of getting a bike since I came back from Nepal in April.  You see I go to the gym and I like it but i'm not really a gym bunny.  I now also go yoga and to Spin Bike classes at the new leisure facility in Stirling called The Peak.  It's a brand new sports centre with state of the art gym, swimming pool, curling rink, ice rink, a few studios, a large sports hall and a few climbing walls.  It's a great place and Stirling was well overdue something like this.  Anyway back to the bike!  Work has started the Cyclescheme which entitles you to a bike and equipment up to the value of £1000 and you can get some sort of discount via tax and NI payments (or something like that!) through a salary sacrifice scheme.  Anyway when I enquired about it I was told that the University only runs the scheme in 2 months of the year - April and November.  This meant I had to wait until November before I could get the bike.  Why wait you may ask?  Well simply you end up getting a pretty good discount on a decent bike which for me equates to about 31% off a brand spanking new bike.    

After asking people I knew about certain bikes it came down to a choice of a few.  I mean I just thought bikes were bikes unless you spent a fortune.  Don't ask me about hydraulic disc brakes, forks, seats, bottom brackets...  These are things I've heard my dad talk about in the past few months since he started his new job.  But it seems there are a load of different variations of bikes out there so best to ask some experts.  I set about posting a question on a forum and got a shed load of advice and recommendations.  Initially I put a price ceiling of £500 on my spending and then folk tell you if you're going £500 you may as well go a wee bit further and get a whole more of a decent bike.  A nice girl gave me good advice, she was a novice mountain bikers who'd got into it a few years ago and had just taken delivery of some carbon featherweight bike but she'd rode a Cube Access for a few years beforehand.  Her other bike was a Kona Lisa for 'running about'.  Now these bikes don't come cheap.  No siree.  I toyed with the idea of other cheaper bikes and visited a few shops locally.  In one establishment I waited for over 20 minutes pawing the bikes and stuff and no-one came near me.  This instantly put me off from giving them my custom.  Other places were trying to palm me off with pink or pastel shaded colour schemed bikes - do I look like a pink kinda girl!?  No!  I know that sounds silly but let's face it, how a bike looks has a lot to do with my purchasing it.  In fact that goes for anything I buy really.  Doesn't everyone think like that?  Function is good but how it looks is also important.

Anyway via the magic of Twitter I 'follow' a local bike shop called Flying Fox Bikes.  In fact it's local and also very, very new - the shop just opens this Saturday.  After a few exchanges I asked if they stocked Cube.  (I think there's only one other place round this way that does).  He said he did and will have more in March but all demo bikes were sold but his wife and sister have Cube's and I could have go and try them out if I wanted.  

After a few weeks exchanging emails and info on all things bikes, I met Pete from Flying Fox bikes in the car park at the University to try out this new beast!  He'd brought the two bikes.  A Cube Access WLS SL and a Cube AMS WLS Pro.  To be honest, they both looked very smart indeed but I knew the Pro would cost a fortune and was a full-sus which honestly would just be wasted on me.  I tried them both and the Access SL was instantly rideable.  WLS in the names means Woman Like Series - built for women's geometry basically.  I'd been told by men in bike shops that I could get a small size men's bike if I wanted but it's subtle things like narrower handlebars and a seat for women's..er... 'geometry' that i thought i'd stick with a woman's bike.  Anyway after my test drive my mind was pretty much made up.  It was to be the Cube Access WLS SL.  

Now for the business...  Since Flying Fox Bikes are a fairly new business they don't have the Cyclescheme up and running yet but he pointed me in the direction of Freeflow Bikes of Glasgow.  He recommended Freeflow as a good place to buy your bikes and gear from.  So that's what I've done.  The bike is on order (hopefully) and the Cyclescheme voucher is being processed by work but I'm not sure when my maiden journey on my new bike will take place.  You might hear of it here first!!

Anyway Flying Fox Bikes opens it's doors on Saturday 21st November.  Drop by!  Details here.

Last Thursday saw me, Susan and Chris make our way to Glasgow to see Sir Chris Bonington do a lecture about how he got started and his early climbing career.  It was a great wee night once it got started - albeit a bit later than we expected.  It was great to hear him talk about his early days and still his enthusiasm for mountains and climbing and nowadays walking and trekking.  He spoke of people he climbed with such as Doug Haston, Don Whillans, Mick Burke and Hamish McIntosh.  It was great to hear the stories and see pictures of places such as Patagonia and Nepal from back in the day.  Their gear was pretty basic but was probably the best of their day and they seemed pretty fearless.     

What else?... hhmmm... Well work has been somewhat strange recently.  I don't know what's happening to the place but people seem to be... changing (?), that or going a bit daft.  I'll put their selfishness and mentalness down to the dark nights fair drawing in...  Cos nothing else can really explain the strangeness about the place.  You know, you think you're doing a good thing but it ends up being the excess water dripping off the end of an as yet uncooked chip and into the chip pan and you just end up with spitting chip fat in your face!  We've decided, in our wee oasis of calm office, just keep our heads down and get on with it.


Mountains and hills.  Yes I see some everyday but haven't ventured up them in anger for ages.  Not likely to be this weekend either - have you seen the weather?!  And KIT.  Well I cheered myself up the other day with a purchase of the kit kind.  It'll be quite useful I'm sure and I'm just waiting on delivery of it now.  Bridgedale and Smartwool PHD socks - yes they are very cosy and keep my feet warm at yoga class.  They're also useful in that the bottom of my too long trackie bottoms can be tucked into them so they don't get wet!  Genius, but can attract some strange looks as I wonder through the aisles of the supermarket on my way home.  Mountain Equipment Chamois trousers - yes they were comfy when I went for my bike test drive.  I still can't get over that wee bits of fluff (pooly wool) have gathered at the back though and can't be removed.  I didn't think the material would do that.  They're also comfy and free moving when I'm lounging about and as is sit here and type this story.  Mountain Equipment Astral softshell jacket - again kept me warm on the test drive.  Light enough to wear around the house when my mum refuses to put the heating on early and I'm freezing.  So there you go.  Not your normal kit reviews but kit's not just useful on the hills you know!  Oh aye, and I'm hoping I might have 'won' a pair of red down booties - get that competition going Bobinson!!  (mind don't tell anybody though!)  :o) 


Decorating... that's what's happening in our house just now and it always seems to be that 2 weeks before Christmas our house is a tip because they're always decorating then!  this year is a major one.  The spare room has been transformed with a lick of paint, new carpet and new furniture.  It's great as I've bagged half a wardrobe and set of drawers in there for my kit.  Yay!  The stairs have had a lick of paint and are awaiting the fitting of a new carpet.  And The Boy is scared to go down them now after stepping on a carpet gripper nail that was sticking up - wee shame.  The living room will likely get started next week.  And the front door lobby is currently having tiles laid by my Dad who has been using an electric saw thing to cut the tiles all night and the noise is going through my head into my toothache!  ouch!  Can you hear it??...  Why oh why do they wait til now to decorate every year?!  Also, in thinking about this... does anyone else clean the house from top to bottom on 31st December each year? or is it just us???.. Don't know if it's a tradition to start the new year with a clean house and a huge pot of home made vegetable soup?!  Ah it's those wee quirks that I love.


Soon it will be Christmas and I can't wait.  For the holiday.  2 weeks off work - nearly.  Bliss!  Went shopping with mum today as I had a day off.  We went for stuff for the boy(s) but his Fireman Sam scooter was out of stock.  It's ok I can write this here cos he can't work the computer yet to read this, ha ha.  So we got another thing for him that he'll love.  And when he gets it and uses it I'll post some of the results on here.  It'll be interesting to see things from a kids viewpoint.  He loves photies...  So then mum asked what I wanted for Christmas and whilst i like this it also pains me too cos I end up not getting any surprises for my Christmas presents.  I mean I don't really like surprises as such but I'd prefer if she just went and got me something rather than me being there when she buys it.  So for Christmas this year I'm getting a ....  nope not telling.  I will put more on my list to Santa and hope he delivers, I've been a good girl afterall. 


Time for me to go.  This has been an epic update.  Sometime, perhaps in my next post, there will be some of the great outdoors in it.  Hopefully.


peace out
Ange xx