La Niamh
Random thoughts from the moosique loving geek!
Motivation and running checkpoint!
Jun 4th
hi Folks
I had intended on my updates being weekly but that plan hasn’t worked out! Sitting here watching the Jubilee concert and Cliff Richard just came on, so hey presto – time to blog!!! he’s not bad actually!
So firstly, how is motivation going for me? So far so good!!! Me likey 
I’ve done 5 weeks and I’m down 13 pounds already – so only 15 more to go, but I suspect these will be a tough 15. So the diet is strict enough and it does require will power. I have cheated a few times, so I think it I were a little more religious about it I’d have lost more. but hey, I’m really happy with what I’ve done so far. Aiming to get another 6 or 7 pounds off before my birthday! The program I’m on involves a normal breakfast, protein snack, regular light lunch, protein snack and dinner int he evening. The toughest bit is that I can only have two small portions of carbs a day so I’m keeping them for breakfast and dinner. I load up on veggies during the day and the protein snacks are great for filling me up. Like I said, I have been cheating so I’d say others have better success than me in the first 5 weeks!
As for the running, I’m not doing to bad either. I got my 5K docklands done in 31mins 19 seconds, which was deadly. I did the mini marathon today but the time wasn’t great as I was mostly walking with a friend of mine so it was 85 minutes about. Next race is the docklands 8K on June 19th. Bring it on.
Besides all of this we have the big move to Clare coming up in a few weeks – eeeekkkkk!!!! So lots of packing / cleaning and panicking to do in the next few weeks – in addition to the slimming and running. le sigh!
Motivation and more running
Apr 19th
I’m either good or I’m bad. there is no in-between, and for the last 6 or 7 months I’ve been bad….. eating all around me and not really running anymore. So I’ve decided to take action in the form of
(1) Motivation weight-loss – it is a diet program focusing on protein (not Atkins though) and a calorie controlled diet. The target is to lose 30 pounds by the end of July, so that’s about 15 weeks away. reasonable objective? I don’t know! I hope so!
(2) Running – between now and October I’ve enrolled for about 10 races ranging between 5K and 13.1 miles… actually, the last three are three half marathons!
so will I succeed? All I’m saying is a winner never quits and a quitter never wins.
I’m on day 1 of running plan (3.5 miles in 37 mins – I’m happy!) and day 2 of the diet.
Watch this space for updates. I will not fail this time!
oh and did I mention that while I’m doing this I’ll be moving to Co. Clare! More drama on that one to follow!!!
Rugby World Cup – Paul O’Connell
Sep 16th
Paul O Connell can assemble the entire contents of an IKEA store without instructions or an alan key.
When Paul O Connell was a child, he made his mother finish his vegetables.
Every mathematical inequality officially ends with “< Paul O Connell”.
If you wake up in the morning, it’s because Paul O Connell spared your life.
Paul O Connell won the Tour de France on a unicycle to prove to Lance Armstrong it wasn’t a big deal. He thinks yellow wristbands are gay.
What color is Paul O Connell’s blood? Trick question. Paul O Connell does not bleed.
Paul O Connell once forgot where he put his keys. He then spent the next half-hour torturing himself until he gave up the location of the keys.
When Paul stares into the sun, the sun flinches.
If it tastes like chicken, looks like chicken, and feels like chicken, but Paul O Connell says its beef. Then it’s beef.
James Bond has a license to kill. Paul O Connell don’t need any licenses.
Paul O Connell’ calender goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd, no one fools Paul O Connell.
1.6 billion Chinese are angry with Paul O Connell. Sounds like a fair fight.
Paul O Connell played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.
Paul O Connell once won a game of Connect 4 in 3 moves.
You can lead a horse to water. Paul O Connell can make him drink.
Paul O Connell once ate an entire bottle of sleeping pills. They made him blink.
When you open a can of whoop-ass, Paul O Connell jumps out.
Simon Says should be renamed to Paul O Connell Says because if Paul O’Connell says something then you better do it.
Killing Paul O Connell doesn’t make him dead. It just makes him angry.
Paul O Connell does the Sunday New York Times Crossword Puzzle in ink.
When Google can’t find something, it asks Paul O Connell for help.
There is the right way, the wrong way, and the Paul O Connell way. It’s basically the right way but faster and more deaths.
When Paul O Connell watches a pot, it boils immediately.
Paul O Connell once killed a group of Samurai Warriors with only a ball point pen. This lead to the phrase “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
Paul O Connell has been to Mars. Thats why theres no life on Mars.
When the boogie man goes to sleep, he checks his closet for Paul O’Connell.
Superman wears Paul O Connell pyjames
People with amnesia still remember Paul O Connell
Hildegarde and Fernando – seperated at birth
Jun 30th
Seriously – new mayor of Galway (west of Ireland) is the absolute spit of the Spanish international footballer Fernando Torres. Judge for yourself!
Hildegarde: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcS2Po5f6_Olfjll9rWK9tGyLqgZ4xp416eCpQuUtkUOMyhduaYq
Torres: http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcTtaIXgpn_67CXEq5CAvVSgr7fIXsdsWPD-zJ8ogc39v6MB4f2p
Half Marathon in 9 weeks… watch this space!
Apr 30th
Rightio people… I’ve been very half hearted about the running to date, but given that I’ve enrolled for a half marathon which is taking place in 9 weeks I think it is about time I got my ass in gear and start taking it seriously. I figure if I set out a schedule and start to blog about it, I’ll put myself under enough pressure and might actually do it! So… here goes. 13.1 miles in 9 weeks. Can I do it?
Since my 10K training last year I’ve kinda kept it up, and have been out about 1-4 times a week – depending on the week. With the new job I’m traveling a lot so it is more difficult to get the time. Come back next week to see what my week 1 progress is! By the way – I just want to finish it – I’m not aiming for a time, I reckon I’ll be about 2 and a half hours, so there will be no heroics on this one!
The Best of 2010
Mar 14th
This blog is especially for Cian! Just cos…..xoxo
So last year I did a top 10 of 2009 and got to a list of 5! Let’s see if 2010 had better things in store!
Top Albums…
1. Villagers – Becoming a Jackal
2. Plan B – The defamation of Strickland Banks
3. Mumford and Sons – Sign no More
(I already think that 2011 is going to have more in store for me!)
Top Gigs
1. Paul McCartney
2. Mumford and Sons
3. Plan B
4. Lady Gaga
5. Gossip
6. Stevie Wonder
7. Newton Faulkner
8. Alicia Keys
9. Florence and the Machine
10. Paulo ‘mon amour’ Nutini
Top Days:
1. July 17th
2. May 5th
3. June 12th
4. November 14th
5. January 27th
Worst Days:
1. 27th November
2. 19th October (Cian and Andrew went to Oz).
3. 5th September
4. 8th September
Best Gadgets / Beauty Stuff / Other Purchases:
1. My iPhone, which I’ve named Ewok!
2. Moroccan Oil… the one and only
3. Sew Psyched and Louvre me, Louvre me not!
What will I remember 2010 for
1. Very unstable climate in Ireland
2. Lots of great concerts
3. Changing jobs, again
4. First time skiing and I loved it
5. Definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results! (And I’d probably do it all over again, just cos!) (and BTW, that doesn’t make me insane, that makes me an optimist and a believer in the good in people!).
6. Taking control and managing to run 10K
7. Sad times as my two best friends lose a parent
8. Beating my brother in Fantasy Football (or did he beat me? who cares… I’m fair competition for him which is victory enough!)
9. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” (Charles Dickens).
Live life as if you’re dying
Mar 14th
With everything that’s going on in the Middle East, earthquakes in New Zealand and the Tsunami in Japan, it really does make you wonder what it is all about. The news from Japan is particularly fresh given that it only happened over the weekend. Thousands of lives have been lost and the country is in utter devastation. Apparently half of one town has been wiped out. They were saying on the radio on Friday that apparently the Mayans predicted that the world would end in December of 2012. While I don’t believe all that (even though I am quite the fan of the Mayans thanks to James Redfield’s Celestine Prophecy), it still brings it all back to the fact that there are only two certainties in life, death and taxes. Of course, there are three certainties in my life, death, taxes and my unconditional love of REM! So tis all very morbid, but it doesn’t have to be. I was chatting with a friend this morning and she had the best quote – Live life as if you’re dying. It made me think. I recently started looking at ‘The Big C’, which is a 13 episode drama/comedy about a lady who finds out she has stage 4 cancer and has about 18 months to live. She doesn’t tell anyone (not her husband, son or brother) but really takes life on to the full. One of the best bits (and I’m not giving much away cos it is in episode 1) is that she vows to only eats desserts and takes up smoking! genius!!!
So what would you do differently if you were to live life like you were dying? Would you still work crazy hours? Would you give up smoking? Would you only eat desserts? Would you take back up smoking? Would you tell your secret crush that you are totally hot for them? Would you stay in that broken relationship? Would you travel the world? Would you jump off that bridge? Would you get out there and meet your friends every time you possibly can? Would you cash in your pension and buy a sports car?
I suppose in that list there is affirmative action (like taking life on)and negative action (i.e. the smoking!).
I just googled the words of wisdom, and guess what… there is a second part to the quote! “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever,” is a famous quote by Gandhi. Now that is something to make you think and put more affirmative action into your life plan. I like it a lot.
So what am I going to do about it? I guess it is March, and I still haven’t made my new year’s resolutions so I might start there.
When I grow up I want to be…
Nov 25th
I never knew what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I still don’t! It changes; I wanted to be a nurse when I was younger, and then an ambulance driver, then a teacher, then a doctor, then a biotechnologist and then I decided to go with what I was good and studied languages. Along the way I picked up a passion for philosophy and science, if you could believe that! I love the discipline that philosophy gave me, and really am continually fascinated by technology and science… and it is still handy to be able to converse with French and German people.
But, on mature reflection, I want to be Victoria Coren! Have you seen Only Connect? I’m not for a second professing that I have the intellect to actually BE Victoria Coren, but I’m sure that if I had been doing sudoku or the Times’ crossword from a young age that I actually COULD be Victoria Coren. So who is she? Right… She is known to most as the BBC4 presenter of the super brainy programme ‘Only Connect;, but people…. she leaves Carol Vordeman looking boring, dowdy, and dumb. ‘Only Connect’ is just the most intelligent programme on television. It requires a logical mind, intense knowledge of science and the arts, and a bit of general cop on to complete the challenges that Victoria puts in front of you. When you look at it you might be fooled into thinking that Victoria is a silly blonde with a huskey voice who presents intelligent programmes quite well. But no, Victoria is actually a prize winning professional poker player, and a journalist form a very young age. She has won so much money playing poker, that she doesn’t even need to be presenting super brainy programmes on BBC4. Yes indeed… when I grow up I want to be…. Victoria Coren! See more about only connect here, and try out some of the games as well (if you dare!): http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lskhg
10K training plan – weeks 3 to 8
Oct 27th
Week 3 started on Monday 18th of October. Tuesday I was meant to jog 3.5 miles, but I had to go into town for work so ended up walking to town, walking to work and walking home, so 8 miles in total. Didn’t feel too bad about that! I did my job on Wednesday night, and then went out again on Thursday but didn’t do half as well 2 nights in a row. Saturday I rocked! 4 mile run in Galway! I’m still slow, but damnit I like it. Sunday, I went for a walk with my mother and sister (3 miles) and went for a 2 mile job when I got home. I did it as fast as I could and got a decent speed.
Week 4: Tuesday night I went to the gym for my 4 mile job. Man ALIVE, it is HOT in there. Good grief, I was roastin – running outside is so much more pleasant! I’m getting confident that I’ll make the 10K, but I certainly won’t be fast. I went again on Thursday night and did the 4 miles in the gym. Cannot bear the heat in there! Friday, no running – sure I had go to and see Lady Gaga!! Saturday – urghhh, was meant to do 2 miles, but just had no energy after Friday night and spending a few hours in work as well. Then this morning it was lashing rain, but around 10am it was clearing a bit, so I got on my gear and went to go outside and it had started raining again. So off I went to the gym, and in total did 5.5 miles, albeit very slowly, but I kinda felt that I needed to make up for Friday and Saturday. all good. Bring it on week 5!!
Week 5: well I went on Tuesday and did 5.5 miles again – very slowly and again it is in the gym, so while it is obviously good, it is too easy to slow down and speed up on a whim. I stop kinda every kilometer or so and then start up again. I had a friend around on Wednesday night which resulted in a lot of red wine and 2 cigarettes… tut tut, as a result I didn’t get to the gym again or out for a run until Sunday! eeekkkkk…. But then Sunday morning I got up and went straight out, without brekkie (I never leave the house without brekkie). I did my 5 miles and was thrilled with it. 5 miles is quite the distance; I had to keep veering off on side roads to make up the distance. Came home and treated myself and my brother to a yummy fry. Naughty, but nice!
Week 6: Started the week with a nearly 5 mile walk on Monday with a friend, and we borrowed a dog (Jessie, beautiful cocker spaniel!). Tuesday night I went to the gym and did 4.2 miles. not too shabby considering the previous Sunday and Monday. I was working late then for the rest of the week, so didn’t get out. Walked in and out of town yesterday (so about 5 miles), so was a bit anxious about whether I’d manage the run this morning… but I did! I ran 6.2 miles in 64 minutes. thrilled to bits. I came home and converted it into kilometers and it is 9.98? I thought 10K = 6.2 miles. Anyway – how bad, I rock! ha ha. 2 weeks to the run
Week 7: After the earth shattering experience of completing a 10K on my own, I did a nice few steady runs during week 7 and managed to improve on my pace. then, towards the end of week 7 I got a head cold. really bad. So, not the best week.
Week 8: I did a 5 mile run at the start of this week, and then my head cold came back. Towards the end of the week the weather got really cold,so I figured that I was best off to stay in doors. Then on Friday we had snow, Saturday more snow, and Sunday… guess what? more snow. the race was cancelled…. after all my hard work, there was no race….
I’m not nearly 10 weeks since I started my training and haven’t been out for a run since the start of week 8. After all the snow, the footpaths are still lethal so even walking is treacherous. I was saying to my walking buddy that our 3.5 mile walk home from work is so lethal that they will be making a national geographic documentary about us soon! I kid you not.
Looking forward to the big thaw so that I can get out on the pavements again!
Run 10K in 8 weeks – weeks 1 and 2
Oct 16th
Alright people. I’ve decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and doing this running thing properly. Up until now I’ve been on and off at the gym and never really taken to the streets. About 2 weeks ago I took a notion and registered for a 10K run on November 28th in Marley Park. I went on the interweb and found myself a 10K running plan, which coincidentally was an 8 week plan. right… registered for race, downloaded plan, what is left to do but train!
So.. the plan. I copied it into Excel, as you do, made it all pretty, printed it off and stuck it up on the fridge. holy crap.. what have I done? I’ve installed ‘RunKeeper Pro’ on my iphone – it is the business and tracks all miles, calories and my pace (which is slow!). This training plan has me out running 5 times a week with the longest run on Sundays. I managed to convince a friend to do it, who is facing the same training challenge as me. I’m going to keep a training diary below – I hope I make it!
Week 1
The first week was OK. I had a few 2 mile runes. the first was really hard but then I got into it. Wednesday is my ‘challenge’ day where in week one I needed to find hills and run up them. grand. I got through it and to be fair, by the end of the week, 2 miles was fairly achievable. I’m already finding it hard to do 5 runs a week though and missed Friday night (had to go to the pub).
Week 2
On the last day of week 1 I had to run 3 miles. I was so scared and afraid that I would collapse, but I did it, and it was fine really? Tuesday night I opted to run in the gym so did 5K, which is a whole 0.2k more than I was supposed to do! What an overachiever I am! ha ha. It took about an hour for my face to return to a normal glow. I missed the Wednesday night run (had to go out and bid farewell to my darling Cian, and incidentally met super hot Andrew who is the spit of Louis Theroux.. hot hot hot!!!) and couldn’t replace it with Thursday night (residents’ meeting – I’ll blog about management companies another time). I did go running on Friday night though and it felt great. Yet again I had myself eaten apart with nerves thinking that I couldn’t do it, but I did it and it felt amazing. This evening I went out for a 2 mile jog and I thought I was going to collapse. For whatever reason I was winded, weak and slow. very disappointing.
After Saturday’s 2 mile disaster, I was a bit apprehensive about making the 3.5 miles today. I went to the gym and figured I’d just do what I could and wouldn’t be too hard on myself… and guess what? I did it! all 3.5 miles – albeit at the gym so no hills or anything, but an achievement nonetheless. Looking forward to my running free day tomorrow.
ooohhh whatcha say