January 20th

I was going to go for a cycle ride today but I did my stupid thing again and talked myself out of it. Why?

I did have to go and buy two birthday presents though. One for my friend's son who is 18 on Sunday and one for another friend who's birthday is also Sunday.

I decided to go to an out of town place where there is a very big M & S and Asda next to each other. I got a few mega bargains in M & S but nothing really significant individually.

I did find a nice watch for Brett's 18th and it was only £15. On my way into the car park I got a terrific chest pain that didn't really go away. It didn't hurt as much as the initial pain but it was still there.

I decided to go and see the doctor on the way home but as it was only around 1.30pm there would be no doctor in until 4pm so I went home.

Thought it was prudent to rest today so that's the first day with no exercise in January.

January 19th

At last it is a no work day and what do I get up to? Nothing in particular. How annoying. I did go aquarunning this evening though so all was not lost.

January 18th

Another day at work but was office bound all day. It was okay but nothing exciting.

Just a quick walk round the block again with the dogs after work as it was parent's evening at school. So 1.5 miles again.

Today was also the seventh anniversary of my dad dying!

January 17th

Today was a busy day at work and I managed to get out to do my visits in good time. I didn't have as many as usual as they are running the visits down at the moment as I am being seconded to help with more routine work so will not be out and about visiting until April. Oh well at least I won't be out in the freezing cold.

I finished my visits early and managed to get out for a quick walk with the dogs. Just round the block which is 1.5 miles. It is my stepson, Tom's 21st today and we were going out for a meal but I had to get to Slimming World as well as have a shower before the meal.

I was chuffed to bits that I lost another 4lb this week so 9lb lost in just two weeks.

We then went out to the Aagrah for Tom's birthday meal. There were about 15 of us and Tom enjoyed his night. I didn't stick to my diet but I didn't go stupid just because it was a buffet.

January 16th

Working today so nothing too exciting to tell.

Went aquarunning in the evening. It's certainly getting busier in there.

January 15th

Today was a Coach Ramble day. We were picked up in Bradford and transported to Pateley Bridge in North Yorkshire.

It was very cold, frosty but lovely and sunny - a perfect Winter's day.

We set off out of the town and straight up a hill. My legs have just about forgotten what hills are about so they did ache a bit but got there okay. The views from the top were fabulous. Everyone was well wrapped up and in good spirits. There was some interesting chatting going on.



There were three new girls on the walk and I made a point of talking to them to make them feel welcome. They all seemed very nice.

At lunchtime we stopped to eat by a derelict mining building which was down the side of a hill. However one of the guys suddenly slipped down the frosty hillside and landed awkwardly. He said he was okay but was uncomfortable when we were eating.

After lunch we set off again. The weather was being very kind to us.

One of the other guys, Peter had literally just got back from New Zealand the day before and I think the jet lag was beginning to catch up with him. Alan, who had hurt his ankle earlier was struggling too so they decided to take a shorter route back to the town.


Meanwhile we carried on with our circular work and got back into town a bit later on. It was only 8 miles in total but what a glorious day it had been.

We then went back to the coach, got changed and headed for a pub where we had a carvery meal. Being on a diet I was very good and only had a few syns.

January 14th

Not a lot planned for today so went out with the dawgies for a nice walk on the moor. The weather was cold, crisp and sunny and we did about two miles plus lots and lots of ball throwing.

A good to be alive day (as long as you're well wrapped up)

January 13th

I have neglected my poor little blog again partly due to laziness and partly due to it being very cold and draughty in the corner where the PC is. I have to wrap up in a blanket to sit there. My laptop died just before Christmas and I can't afford a new one.

Talking of laziness I nearly talked myself out of a ride today. I'm good at that, talking myself out of things.

Anyway having donned my cycling gear and it being a beautiful morning I had no excuse at all so off I went. I cycled up our road, along the main road and joined a busy dual carriageway to the top of the motorway M606. Don't panic I might call myself mad but I'm not mad enough to cycle down a motorway. The roundabout takes me to another exit that joins a lane that is parallel to the motorway for a while. It climbs up for a short while then it is a long, long downhill onto an industrial estate. From here I can then join the Spen Valley Greenway from the top.

The Greenway is a disused railway line converted for non motoring use. It is popular with walkers, runners, cyclists and horseriders. It goes through urban, suburban and rural areas in it's 7 or so miles from Bradford to Dewsbury.

I had a pleasant but uneventful ride to just over halfway when I had just said hello to another cyclist and then realised it is one of my team-mates for the ride to Hamm. We both stopped and had a chat. She was supposed to be meeting Adey (yet another victim er rider for Hamm) but he was in a cafe with a friend and Helen didn't know where this was. So she said she would ride with me.

I was glad about this as it always makes the miles go quicker. We got nearly to the bottom of the Greenway when I mentioned a diversion that took you a different way. I had been that way once but wasn't 100% sure how to get to this other bit. So we diverted through some industrial units and then it is a glorious little oasis. A river, a bridge and a weir.



I stopped to take a photo and while we were stopped I recognised an old man on a bike who I had been talking to whilst walking the week before. He stopped for a little chat before continuing on his way.

This is where we then turned and headed for home again. Now it is uphill all the way back, not steep but continuous. This is where it is good to be with another rider as chatting to Helen made sure I kept going and the miles ticked by quickly.

She jumped off the Greenway about a mile from the top as that's where she had parked her car. I continued to the top and then had to face another long uphill, Staithgate Lane. This one does make me puff and pant a bit. It's the one I came flying down on the way there! I made it without stopping and then rejoined the ring road and went home. Twenty three miles in total, not amazing mileage but satisfying.

January 12th

Another non working day and I was going to go for a cycle ride but it was blowing a hoolie out there.

Peter wasn't working today so I suggested a drive out somewhere, coast or Botany Bay. He was agreeable to this but left it for me to decide so we went to Botany Bay which is near Preston.

Botany Bay is a big old mill that is next to the canal. Last time we went there it was divided into antiques, collectables and junky type stalls and was really interesting.

However several years have passed and to say I was disappointed is an understatement. It is now all new and repro stuff and nothing was reasonably priced. What a waste of a day. To top it all the wind had dropped and the day had turned beautiful, bah!

I went to aquarunning this evening. It was busier than I have seen it in a long while. Oh well at least the exercise was done.

January 11th

Not working today so was a bit undecided what to do. I eventually decided to go to aquafit at lunchtime. It was cool in the water today but I got to work and soon warmed up. I noticed Chris using a few new moves! I enjoyed it today.

Then, after a chat with Chris I went for a swim. The lanes area was reasonably busy but I managed to find myself a space and do 32 lengths (half a mile)in 20 and half minutes which is 30 seconds faster than last week.

January 10th

In the office again today. Not too bad as I caught up with all the backlog.

A quick couple of miles walked when I got home and then I went to Slimming World. First week back so hoping for good things. 5lbs lost! First week is usually good so not too much of a surprise to be honest. I have done lots of exercise and been good on my diet apart from Sunday when I apparently had 54 syns but I had cycled 46 miles so I think one cancelled the other out.

January 9th

Back to work today.

Thought I would be going out visiting but no, I had no work to go out visiting to so I stayed in the office and cleared my back log of administration work.

This evening I went aquarunning. Chris, who was my circuit training instructor, had booked in too. She was already there when I got there.

Chris is superfit and very slim but she found it hard work. Partly because it is learning new techniques and something she hadn't done before. She said she enjoyed it though and picked up a few new moves for her aquafit groups to use.

January 8th

Second training ride for me and Mike scares me with the mileage estimated at 40 miles! That's a heck of a jump from 28 miles. that's for sure.

Anyway there were a few missing in action but 8 of us turned up at the right time and place.

We set off from Pool Bridge and hadn't gone far when my chain came off. Good start. We went on the Arthington Road towards Harewood and then joined a faster road and took the lanes towards Kirkby Overblow. That is some hill up to the village but I made it.

A quick breather and off we went again through country lanes and into Wetherby. We ambled through Wetherby and then joined a bypass where just over half of the group put on some speed and disappeared into the distance.

We eventually got to Askham Richard where we had a rest and a drink. Adey was suffering a bit and close to 'bonking' so we shared a Go bar and discussed various energy gels etc.

We then set off back towards Wetherby into the wind. It seemed a long way back but we eventually made it although Adey and I were struggling a bit by then.

We got into Wetherby and dived into a cafe that we have used in the past. Lots of banter and a plate of beans on toast and a cuppa were soon consumed. Then we were off again.

This is where it got hard for me. Several hills through villages and I was tiring. When we got to Kirkby Overblow area we stopped to regroup and I took a gel to keep me going. Then we whizzed down a very steep hill. I was at the back of the group and was admittedly struggling on the Arthington Road.

Arrived back to the car safely but very tired. A tad under 46 miles done! Bloody hell!!!

January 7th

Okay so this is a bit of a cop out but I had to take my daughter to a large out of town shopping centre and leave her and her boyfriend there.

I thought while I was there I would have a wander round myself. I need a calendar and haven't found the one I want yet so started with looking for that in Smiths and Sainsburys. A long walk walk round Sainsbury resulted in me finding Kirsties Homemade Britain book reduced to £6 and then a book called Running Made Easy reduced to £4 but they were on BOGOF so the second one was FREE!!! (My favourite price)


Then I walked purposefully down to the far end of the shopping centre. I walked around a large Debenhams. several times! Then walked purposefully back up about three quarters of the way up the 'mall'

I then trudged around BHS and went upstairs there and trudged around there. Then walked around the top floor and food court but wasn't tempted by anything (mainly due to the prices). I them tried M & S food hall but only got a collection of cheeses reduced to £2 and some beetroot. By this time I was pretty hungry.

A quick trip around La Senza then a good walk back to where I started from. So this was about 3.5 hours of walking and I estimate that I did about 2 miles carrying some weights (books).

Tomorrow will be another day altogether.

January 6th

At last there was a break in the howling gales and horizontal rain. So decided to take the dogs out for a longer walk.

We set off at 10am when it was still frosty on the ground. However there was a bright winter sun and it felt good to be out.

We went down into the village and then across the golf course into Toftshaw.

We took a footpath that cuts a corner and avoids a bit of road walking.

Eventually we come out into Bierley and walked down to Bierley Woods.

Now was brought up in Bierley and Bierley Woods was my childhood play area. There used to be a very old hall there called.....Bierley Hall that was laterlly used as a hospital. This eventually became derelict and burnt down. Before it burnt down though it was used as a squat and my eldest brother (who was eccentric but very intelligent) actually slept in what was the morgue! There nothing much there now although you can see some of the layout of the grounds.

Leaving Bierley Woods we went into the industrial estate and out again as we took a footpath that took us into another green area. It is now known as Toad Hole Beck although locally it was always known as the Rowdy Dowdy for some reason. Its a couple of ponds and lots of roughish grass and bullrushes surrounded by trees.

Leaving this we come out into Oakenshaw and walked down the road and into the park. There was no-one about and I noticed that they have a couple of exercise machines here (adult playthings) so tied the dogs to a fence and had a go on them.
Well it would have been rude not to! Anyway we carried on through the park and out the other side and walked up Green Lane and joined the Spen Valley Greenway.

It was fairly quiet on the Greenway and we only encountered maybe half a dozen people. One lady had the prettiest little Westie puppy. Evie made friends with her but Bear looked like he was going to eat her so we didn't go near.

After a fair walk on the Greenway we came off and walked down to the main road. On the way down I was looking forward to getting a coffee at the cafe on the corner. What, oh no! It was closed!!!!

Putting aside my disappointment we set off up the lower part of Hunsworth Lane and I started thinking that when I got a bit further up I might have a sit down on the first bench I saw. However benches were few and far between. In fact there were none right up to the main road. Crossing this road and carrying on up Hunsworth Lane a bench was becoming more attractive but very elusive.

I noticed a cyclist go past me that I had seen on the Greenway. He was an elderly chap but he continued up the lane unperturbed whereas I wibble about going up here on my bike. Then what did I see......a bench and decided against a sit down as it was starting to look a bit dark. So we went up the hill and near the top there is another bench. The old man was sat here having a cup of coffee from a flask.

As I got nearer I had a little chat with him about cycling and it turned out he had done quite a lot of cycling including Lands End to John O'Groats and a lot of the continent. In return I regaled him with my Bradford to Hamm and back adventures. (I didn't sit down on this bench by the way).

We set off again up the rest of the hill and back into East Bierley Village and home.

We had made it without getting rained on or blown about. A tad over seven and a half miles in total and three hours of actual walking, not counting the chatting time.

A daisy in early January

January 5th

Today was mostly spent putting away the Christmas stuff.

It's surprising how many Christmas items we had out and I am sure once they are put back into storage there will be one we have forgotten to take down. In fact as I write I have just remembered there is a Christmas hat sat on top of a glass head on the top of the bookshelves, bugger!

Anyway after all is tidied away I took my daughter, Isobel over to the other side of town so that she can deliver a homemade birthday cake to her boyfriend. Aren't I a kind mummy!

This evening I went aquarunning. Not an easy form of exercise as you are fighting the water all the time. If you've never done it it is different to other forms of water exercise. You wear a buoyancy suit and you are in the deep end of the pool. There are two tethers on the back of the suit which you attach to a rope that is across the pool.

Bacause of the buoyancy suit you don't need to tread water so you can concentrate on the techniques of running in water. It's not just running though there are other exercises which go by the names of stairclimbing, long armed fist and rockclimbing amongst others.

There is one section where we use foam weights and instead of lifting you are pushing or pulling against the water.

When I first started going I thought they were quite an unfriendly bunch as no-one spoke to me or even smiled at me so I have made a point of doing this if I think it is someone elses first time. Having said that I have got to know a few people now who I get on okay with.

January 4th

Well, fired up with enthusiasm today.

The weather was not pleasant at all, blowing a hoolie and the sort of rain that really gets you wet. I didn't hang about playing ball with the dogs today. We went on a walk and more or less kept walking. It wasn't weather for hanging about. We were out for 35 minutes and it wasn't pleasant but got us all exercised.

Then I got changed and went to Aquafit at Richard Dunn Sport Centre. Blimey, I thought Chris, our intructor, had been on boot camp training. It was hard work!

After a bit of a chat with Chris I went and swum 32 lengths ie half a mile in 21 minutes.

That's not a bad start to my campaign. I was really good with my diet as well.

January 3rd

What a horrible day! Horizontal rain, sleet and snow accompanied by gale force winds. Pah!

This calls for drastic action. The Wii!!!! Yes I managed over an hour on the Wii doing Just Dance mainly. Feel a bit silly on my own but even sillier when my partner comes in and sits and watches but never mind it is needed.

Have been a bit naughty today though as there were some 'going out of date' chocolates and Isobel opened them and I aided and abetted her.

Having said that though I joined slimming World today. Daren't tell you how much I weigh but I could give a rugby player a run for his money!

Right, now I need to get determined head on without a doubt.

January 2nd

I'm tired at the moment as I am taking antihistamines but I have got a lot of weight to shift so must do whatever I can other than sit on my backside.

As it was the last day of the school holidays my daughter wanted to 'do something' but she didn't know what so we ended up going shopping. Not my idea of fun on a bank holiday but she wanted to get James, her boyfriend, his birthday present.

So we went to the Mill shops at Batley and wandered around there for a while. Then we were going to go to Ikea but the car park was chocka so we decided against that. Next stop was The White Rose centre, a large shopping centre. We walked up and down the full length of it and all round the upper floor. Apart from that we wandered around numerous shops and we eventually sat down with a sandwich as my feet were killing me.

Got a really good bargain though. A couple of weeks ago I got a bright pink sports bra in La Senza reduced to £5 so I had a look in the one in this centre. Bingo they had one in my size and again it was £5, yippee! Except when I got to the check out it was down again to £2.50! Result!

Anyway #i reckon I walked about 2.5 miles again today so I am adding that to my Janathon.

January 1st

Well this is the start of Janathon. I need to do some form of exercise every day in January.

Today I set off walking with the dogs. It was a bit miserable and starting raining within a few minutes of leaving home. However it was a short shower and was soon over.

We went down into East Bierley village and took a footpath out of the village into a field. There was no-one else around so I took Bear's muzzle of and we played ball. After a few minutes I espied someone coming through the top gate with a dog so I lunged at Bear to get his muzzle on. (He is a bit naughty with other dogs and sometimes nips them, hence the muzzle). However I had grapped his DAP collar and it came off in my hand and he went and chased the spaniel A quick squeal and the spaniel disappeared back up the field.

Thankfully it's owners seemed unaware or weren't too bothered and walked by with a cheery 'good morning'.

At the end of the field the footpath becomes a narrow track bounded on both sides by fences and barbed wire. This was originally a narrow gauge rail track for transporting the coal from the mines. The track finishes on a road and then crosses to another footpath but I decided it was looking a bit dodgy weatherwise so turned left up the road.

About a quarter of a mile up the road there is a small park area which we walked through until we got to the village pond. The skies were very dark and even the ducks looked miserable.


just then it started raining and got worse and then it hailed like mad. The dogs weren't happy and neither was I but there wasn't really anywhere we could shelter so we walked rapidly home and looked like drowned rats when we got home.

Didn't measure it but it was about 2.5 miles.