Signing Out

Well, I have decided after a great deal of thought that this will be my final post... for now anyway.

I haven't run since the Great North Run and I have, to be honest, loved it. I never tire of waking up on a Sunday morning and thinking "I don't have to go out and run today" I'm not saying never again. If all the stars line up and the wind is in the right direction then it may happen again, but for now I have other things to enjoy and look forward to and it has absolutely nothing to do with mountains.

Of late I have been trying to keep this blog alive but it's all a little disjointed and lacking of any direction so I think it's time to call it a day... for now at least.

I have so enjoyed writing this blog, I haven't had a huge following but it's been nice to keep the people who have supported us up to date with our progress - or lack of!!!

I have discovered a great deal about myself and the world around me through running...

I know that I can achieve more than I ever believed possible but I also know that sometimes the true achievement isn't about the goal you had in mind when you set out on the journey. I've learned that seeing someone cross a line is nowhere near the whole story and that there is no difference between the achievements of the front runners and the one's who finish at the back.

Because of the marathon I now believe in Angels, I know that when you think you can't go on someone will always say or do something that will spur you on and that will reassure me for the rest of my life . I've learned that your truest friends, supporters and champions are not always the people you expect.

I'm learning to let go of the people who have done me harm, there are unfortunately constant reminders of them all around but I'm gradually cutting the pathways so they don't feature so regularly in my vocabulary.

I've learned that I love to write and I would love to do more of that in the future.

I'm so happy that we managed to do something positive in Malcolm's memory. Of course he will always be with us. My medals that are now in frames on the wall are for and because of him and I look at them and smile and that's how everyone should be remembered.

So, to everyone who has stayed with me throughout my 'journey'

Thank you
Viv x

Three Years Ago Today...

I can't believe it's been 3 years today since Malcolm passed away. So much has happened in those years but at the same time it feels like only yesterday.

We don't have a place to remember Malcolm, nowhere we can take flowers or spend a bit of time so I guess for now this has to be the place, I decided to take on the marathon because of Malcolm and because of running I started this blog.

so, I went in search of a quote, and this is what I found:

"When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure"

Remembering you not just today but every day... miss you xx

youtube link for the cake

I thought I would post the youtube video that I used to make the cake, the instructions were really easy to use, just make sure you have plenty of icing and the sticks she uses for the pleating would be useful too:

There are links on the right for a couple of the tins you would need, the tiny ball is available at Lakeland.

The Pregnant Belly Cake Got Made!

So the cake got made and I was somewhat impressed with myself. It had to be viewed from a particular spot and I needed a strategically placed flower... I had vastly underestimated the huge volume of icing that I needed.

Baby Shower was great too. Lovely company, lovely bodyshop lady and Madi had lots of lovely presents for baby. Haven't done a lot today - totally shattered!

VivsMountain is Available on Amazon

Just to let everyone know, my book is finally available on Amazon & you can get free post and packaging on it. There won't be as much profit for the charity because both Lulu and Amazon will be taking a cut but if I manage to sell loads then it would soon add up!

Of course, unlike the authors of the thousands of books released on 'Super Thursday' in time for Christmas, I won't be able to go on the endless chat shows and talk about my book. So I have to rely on you. If you have read it and you enjoyed it please tell people about it, if you could write me a review I would be very grateful.

If you hated it, then don't... please, just quietly forget about it!

Thank you


http://www.amazon.co.uk/VivsMountain-Vivienne-Kanharn/dp/1300751142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381779801&sr=8-1&keywords=vivsmountain

Taking Stock

Well the running machine has been unfolded and has moved to the middle of the room. It has been turned on and running has been performed on it... but not by me.

The book has sold, ohhhhh..... 5 copies and I have no idea of how I can get it promoted on a budget of... nothing! With the exception of my lovely Madi I have yet to hear from someone who has read all the way to the end.

I have purchased a baking tin for the pregnant belly for the pregnant belly cake but couldn't run to the boobs so the cake could end up looking a bit like... well, like me.

&

I have finally managed to set up hosting for my new blog but can't now think of a thing to write on it.

All going well then...

As luck would have it though the weather is turning, it's going to get a lot colder and wetter towards the end of the week which is much more my kind of running weather... I wouldn't go placing any bets though.

If you would like to buy my book and help the Association for International Cancer Research in the process just click on the Lulu link to the right of this page.

Going Nowhere!

Despite many 'would be a good day for a run' days I haven't actually managed to get out of the door!

When you are training for an event (at whatever level) it does give your life a focus, I think I've talked about this before, and when it's over you do feel a bit lost. Do I keep on running? if I do, why? if I don't then what, because when you are over fifty and you spend hours of the day sitting down there has to be something in order to hold off the 'jelly belly'. The hours I used to spend training have been filled but I have no idea with what. I've looked at doing yoga or palates, zumba or the gym but it all costs money and one class a week just isn't going to crack it!

I think for now I shall take a few more weeks to decide and just see how I'm feeling, maybe as the pounds begin to pile on I will be prized out of the door?

To be getting on with, I have a little project, I'm attempting to make a 'pregnant belly cake' for Madi's baby shower... just how much do fancy cake tins cost????? I'm trying to improvise but struggling to find anything that might do, at this moment in time the belly and boobs may end up flat on top!!!!.... I shall, if it's anything like ok, post a photo when it's done.

I have for now given up with transferring my blog. I have come to the conclusion that there is an age when the internet, possibly computers in general, overtakes you. I guess that age is different for everyone but for me it's fifty five and a half! I used to think I could work out most things online but this was just beyond me. I managed to find a different host last weekend that did appear to be a lot clearer. I signed up for what I thought was one month and they swiped 2 years worth of payments from our account... panic!!!!  we have yet to check but I believe they have thankfully refunded the money which is great but still leaves me 'host-less'. Following a few angry/frustrated tears Andrew said to me 'just write - you've been so tangled up trying to work all this out that you're not doing what you set out doing only because you loved doing it - writing' of course he's right, he's always right. For a man who's always right I can't work out how we get so much wrong! Anyway, for now I'm going to keep writing and hopefully the rest will work itself out.