February goal - conscious eating

This went well - I don't mind how I've eaten this last month (with two weak spots) - and better carb planning has negated the blood sugar incidents, especially on running days. I've instigated "daily chocolate", which is very nice, and I've not gone mental on caffeine or alcohol after January's detox.

The two weak spots are eating crappy biscuits at work (which I'm still working on, and is mostly boredom related) and finishing off the child's leftovers (which I've pretty much nailed by combining composting, better portion management and better management of my own hunger levels).

February goal - conscious eating

This went well - I don't mind how I've eaten this last month (with two weak spots) - and better carb planning has negated the blood sugar incidents, especially on running days. I've instigated "daily chocolate", which is very nice, and I've not gone mental on caffeine or alcohol after January's detox.

The two weak spots are eating crappy biscuits at work (which I'm still working on, and is mostly boredom related) and finishing off the child's leftovers (which I've pretty much nailed by combining composting, better portion management and better management of my own hunger levels).

Monthly goals - March exercise

I've taken the conscious decision to reduce to two runs + a swim each week until the slightly sore ankle has sorted itself out. It's actually fine for running, but sore on lateral movement which I only found out when swimming, so I'll build it up before increasing mileage.

This month I want to make my medium run a 5-miler, and do my 7-mile long run without walking breaks. Then I'll gradually build up to 10 mile over the summer and hope adrenaline does the rest for the Great North Run

Monthly goals - March exercise

I've taken the conscious decision to reduce to two runs + a swim each week until the slightly sore ankle has sorted itself out. It's actually fine for running, but sore on lateral movement which I only found out when swimming, so I'll build it up before increasing mileage.

This month I want to make my medium run a 5-miler, and do my 7-mile long run without walking breaks. Then I'll gradually build up to 10 mile over the summer and hope adrenaline does the rest for the Great North Run

Book review - "Two Caravans" (Marina Lewycka)

Started doing book reviews so that when I get to the end of the year, I feel I read something. This will be the year I get my book mojo back on :)

This book was very enjoyable, like the Ukrainian Tractors one, but didn't really have any substance. I think it was trying to be hard hitting to some extent - it was dedicated to the Morecambe Bay cockle pickers - but I didn't learn anything new, and for most of the characters in the story, at least, it all turned out for the best. Which is not a fault in the book, but is a bit disconcerting at times. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it :)

Book review - "Two Caravans" (Marina Lewycka)

Started doing book reviews so that when I get to the end of the year, I feel I read something. This will be the year I get my book mojo back on :)

This book was very enjoyable, like the Ukrainian Tractors one, but didn't really have any substance. I think it was trying to be hard hitting to some extent - it was dedicated to the Morecambe Bay cockle pickers - but I didn't learn anything new, and for most of the characters in the story, at least, it all turned out for the best. Which is not a fault in the book, but is a bit disconcerting at times. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it :)

Book review - "She-Wolves: The Notorious Queens of England" (Elizabeth Norton)

I picked this book up as an impulse in the local library. It's basically a history of a dozen or so notoriously bad queens, from Anglo-Saxon to Tudor, with explanations why they weren't really so bad. Which boiled down to the fact that they tried to do a man's work, were considered evil because they did so, and HIStory treated them badly. Which is interesting, but kind of repetitive after a while. I enjoyed the first third because it was about Anglo-Saxons, then I wondered for most of the rest whether it was worth reading, o whether I could assume a foregone conclusion and move on to something else. Not that I regretted the rest, just that although the idea was interesting and it was an engagingly written book, slightly less queens and slightly more social context and analysis of the female role would have suited my tastes better.

Book review - "She-Wolves: The Notorious Queens of England" (Elizabeth Norton)

I picked this book up as an impulse in the local library. It's basically a history of a dozen or so notoriously bad queens, from Anglo-Saxon to Tudor, with explanations why they weren't really so bad. Which boiled down to the fact that they tried to do a man's work, were considered evil because they did so, and HIStory treated them badly. Which is interesting, but kind of repetitive after a while. I enjoyed the first third because it was about Anglo-Saxons, then I wondered for most of the rest whether it was worth reading, o whether I could assume a foregone conclusion and move on to something else. Not that I regretted the rest, just that although the idea was interesting and it was an engagingly written book, slightly less queens and slightly more social context and analysis of the female role would have suited my tastes better.