I made it out of bed to run a park run

Excuse my posing skills. Though pleas bear in mind this is me after run a 5k!

I'm writing this post and my body is rejoicing "that was good, Rebecca. But why do it again?"

Yeah, come out of nice warm bed to run a 5k in the early morning when most people are still in bed. Doesn't sounds appealing, does it?  What about the coffee and cake afterwards? That does. OK you might just put back on the calories that you burned during the run. Though surely that doesn't matter. Once now and again you have to treat yourself. Especially if you are like me coming out of bed when its a nice and warm,  turn that annoying buzzing sounds, is not a nice morning! Actually I don't have that buzzing noise to wake up. I have the Sherlock Holmes theme tune to look forward to wake up to, And my Fibit buzzes on my wrist 30 minutes after. I have to have a bit of lean way, after all its winter. Cold winter.

I'm afraid to say I actually got lost on my way to the Exhibition park where the parkrun takes places. I'm sure I am known in Newcastle "The girl in the Blue coat with coffee take out cup and a map is once again lost" You have to get lost in order to get to know the place. Don't you?

Though I managed to find someone who goes to the parkrun and they walked me to the start line. I then find two new runners. Which is also their first park run and one of them live around a corner from me. Yeppe!! It's a small world isn't. We actually run together then separated for a bit we tried to get back together though doesn't help that the last 100 meters I sprinted. When I say I sprinted like Usain Bolt. Well not that fast, but you get the generally idea.

I am only on my week 3 workout two so I know I won't be able to run a 5k in 20 minutes which I used to be able to do. Though I am alarmed to tell you I actually done  5k in 37 minutes. Now that does deserved coffee and a flapjack.

So why do it again? Because it was good fun surprising myself. When someone say's you can't do that? Why not? Prove them wrong. Getting out of bed into the cold morning was good fun seeing Newcastle when no one is around. Walking on Grey Street without people bumping into. Running in the cold hearing your footsteps and hearing someone footsteps behind you actually makes you want to run faster so they do not over take you. I'm not competitive. (Maybe a little)

Right enough of me bragging. I'm getting off my bed to do some yoga to ease my muscles a bit.

How's your New Year's resolution doing? Have you broke them yet?

Second run this year

I learned the hard way don't eat and run you get stitch. A rather painful stitch. It was a Sunday but it wasn't a Sunday roast that I ate before my run it was soup and a slice of bread.

It went OK, though I push myself far too hard. I thought I could easily run 175 beats per minute. UMMMMMMM  no I can't. Never mind. Pushing yourself to achieve more is a good thing don't get me wrong. But push yourself too hard also demotivates you. Though one good thing I learned is to get my bearings. I DID NOT GET LOST. Result. 

Even though I couldn't run 10 minutes in my free form fun. Which I was aiming for. I did not get lost. I also discovered paths and wonder where they go. 

Though doing 15 seconds of running and a minute walking is going fine. I can do that without any problems. Honestly. 

I have now signed up for the Great North Run and a 10K. The 10K is in July. So not long to go. 

How is everyone doing with their New Year Resolutions? 

My first run this year

I did it! OK it was a start. It wasn't difficult to run 15 seconds and walk a minute and repeat this ten times. Though imagine yourself not knowing your area and yet you decided to run.  Never mind it's dark and cold. I got lost though managed to find my surroundings by a MacDonald's. Thank goodness I brought no money otherwise I would go there and have coffee and anything that looks nice. I did had a porridge after my shower.

Yes I only done one run this week because it happened to be snowing on Thursday morning therefore no run on Friday. I do have common sense, only a little bit though. Next week I would do more running, well that is the plan.

I have also registered the park run which I will be doing next Saturday at nine. No more lie ins for me, Not even my Sunday as I wake up early to go to church. Never mind. The great north run is partly completed just have to pay. Put the 10th September in your diaries as that is when I doing the half marathon.

I ordered my self a new fitbit as mine decided to break well you can still use it though it is an air bubble. My Dad got its eye on. Maybe I could add my Dad as friends on Fitbit. I could have a healthy competition too see who take most steps for the day.

Normal New Year stuff

You know the drill! Every year people make new year's resolutions. Though how many of us actually met our goal at the end of the year? I didn't last year. Don't give me that look. It's not normal in life to move twice. Or why move once within two months when you can move twice.

I haven't been running for ages. I keep saying to myself "I'm going to run and even to a 5K sometime." Yet something happens and I put it in the back seat. Something comes along and running just get abandoned. I am determined to stop this habit of mine. Yet, I left running in the backseat. Thanks to the Great North Run email saying its time to subscribe. I got eight months to train from nothing to run a half marathon. Maybe you could call a bit crazy? I totally agree with you. 

Though I haven't been running for a long time. The last I did some serious running was when I was in Ryton. I'm determined to get back into running. I thought about how to do this. Every week, I'm going to upload my progress for running. OK, maybe not every week.  Though I am a people pleaser and going to use this in my advantage for once. I hate letting people down. The plan is do couch to 5K then attend the park run for a 5K then plan for a 10K then do a race for a 10K then train for a half marathon then my finish line (no pun intended) to do the Great North run. How hard can it be? 

So I'm going to do more running, while you are going to keep reading.

Monthly musings: December

Merry Christmas and a happy new year

I thought it should have a bit of festive theme to it, after all it's December wrap up. I thought of taking a photo of the Christmas tree so you can see all of its glory. Though you always see the Christmas tree like that. I decided to get close by and take a photo of that.

I looked up on Google for the best quotes of the end of the year, And what a year it has been on a personal note, twelve months ago I didn't know we where moving 300 miles up north. One of my relatives passed away or that I would be attending Newcastle college. On a more general note I didn't know United Kingdom would leave the EU or Donald Trump be a president for the US. I really liked Hal Borland quote. Which is the quote I am going to share to with you, Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."

A month where all you eat is mince pies and chocolate that says "eat me". I don't like chocolate but this month every chocolate that was in sight managed to get in my hands. Espscially those dark chocolate. My Mum and Dad got worried when I had the celebrations box to myself. (NOT ALL IN ONE GO) They hid there chocolate from me. Never mind, I just got my matchsticks left which is really nice in the evening when I have a cup of coffee I stir the matchstick in my coffee it taste really nice.

Thought you might like to see Alex.

At the start of the month, I kept forgetting to take pictures of my outings. One of which was going to Starbucks with my friend Alex (don't get any ideas.) I didn't want him to be one his own so went to Starbucks for a lovely afternoon. Who else uses a fork while eating a cake? Honestly we were having a lovely at Starbucks despite our face expressions.

There's only so much TV you can watch when off college. For my first time in ages I didn't had enough work to do keep myself entertained. So in the evenings I am tired of watching TV even then I don't like sitting and doing nothing. I keep finding myself doing Sudoku's it took me a whole month to do all three. Though I did, and you have evidence.

I had a flying visit down south. Though really it shouldn't be called flying because I didn't flew down. I got the train down south. A very long train journey down but you do get to see amazing views and you get to see Angel of the North not as clearly as you could when I was smaller as those trees have decided to grow and hide the Angel. Here are some of the photo's I took. And thanks for everyone who said I could stay with them. Especially to my grandparents who hospitality was amazing!!

My grandma and granddad taking a photo of me and Seth

From the left you have Auntie Clare, Cousin Seth and Uncle Stuart

Seth's attempt of taking a photo of me. (you have to start somewhere)

This was about two or three years ago, so I thought we should a take another photo

Here you go, a more updated photo. From the left you have Lawrence, of course me and then Tia.

Time for silly poses

Whose gonna win the starring competition? Tia or Rebecca

I forgot to take photos when I met up with my friend Emily and Lawrence in Camberly to do last minute Christmas shop and a well deserved coffee. I also went to my previous church Christmas party again forgot to take any photos. I told you i'm bad at remembering taking photos.

While at the party we had to create things. Here is my attempt at making a snowflake. Maybe I should improve for 2017.

Now that's the end of my photos when I went down south. As I said it was a long journey from Blackwater to Newcastle. Very tiring. So I tried to sleep on the train. I learned from my mistake though, I put an alarm on for 4:30 my train stops at Newcastle at 4:45 it's enough time to have a chocolate bar to wake myself up. Think again. The kind gentleman next to me woke me up saying, "Sorry to wake you up, but i'm getting off at Doncaster don't know when you are getting off." Maybe I should have a sign saying, "don't wake me up." or "I'm getting off at Newcastle," But never mind. I got a cup of coffee instead. This month has really been full of drinking coffee.

Can you have too much popcorn?

My Mum and I watched beauty and the beast at the ptomaine. Yes we did! It was really good despite all the Georgie jokes. Getting rice thrown at you. But you do get sweets you just have to be a good catcher or go with someone who is a good at catching. Then went for a bite to eat.

My first ever alcoholic drink

Now I thought this was a dessert where you had a Tiramisu in a cocktail class with  amaretto and the other liquor not a cocktail.  It taste's alright, but something I won't have again. I didn't like the strong taste of it. And a lesson to myself not to order a dessert when tired you will pick something you don't want. Go home and have ice cream that way you won't pick up an alcohol drink by accident.

Quote of the month:

I can't remember the conversation but remember my response which was, young enough to know I can, old enough to know I shouldn't, stupid enough to do it anyway.

This month contained lots 

• Board games, which I did not win😞
• Drinking far too much coffee
• Lots of walking, (another blog post coming up)

I finally sorted all my boxes out for my bedroom. Yeppe!! No more boxes that just appear out of no where. It's amazing how much stuff we accumulated got rid of. Yet takes a l-o-n-g time to sort everything and fine a new home for everything. 

Just how much books have I got.

(Why did it changed front?) Enough to start a small library. If you don't see another blog post appearing it's because I got my head in one of these books. Now the choice I have to make is which one to read first!