Poppy fields and sparrowhawk - @30DaysWild day 23

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I've been making the effort to notice the world on my daily commute, so yesterday instead of engaging the mental autopilot and GET HOME mentalilty, I saw this heavenly site and instead of whizzing by, I pulled over and got out with my camera. I spent a while just marvelling in the beauty of a meadow full of poppies.

Not my best photo ever, but later on we went out on a wildness adventure along a local footpath. The most wild thing about it initially was the fact that the nettles were bigger than us, and possibly a danger to life and limb. However, when we could go no further and turned back we could hear an incredible ruckus in the trees. The birds were going mental about something, and then we saw it. I'm pretty sure it was a sparrowhawk, but my camera reaction time was so slow that I only just caught it.

C25K - Couch to 5k Week 8

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Another week and yet more pain. This week it's 28 minutes running. I mean, it's only 3 minutes long than last week so why does it feel so much harder? Oh well, at least I am doing it and I won't give up. The first run of week 8 was a bit damp. We had torrential rain the day (and night) before and the long grass was very, very wet. Most of the time I'm running on well-walked short grass, but there's the odd bit's on the corners where the grass is longer. Squish, squish.

The last run is done and another week over. The last run of the week seemed a bit easier, although I'm a bit cream crackered now. I have new trainers because I needed (yes, I really did need) a quick drying pair, and now I have a new blister. That will teach me to rip them out the box, whip them on and set off around the field. I needed to set up the laces a bit better so that there was no bagginess and rubbing. Well that's a lesson learned the hard way. Apart from that they were lovely and bouncy - and a super bright purple colour. Whilst running I could hear a tractor in the next field, so when the run was done I grabbed my camera and went to have a look. There are no more buttercups. They've all gone and so has all the grass. The tractor emerged out of the field just as I was reaching the top of the hill, the trailer full of black plastic silage bags. Before and after pictures below.

Random Acts of Wildness @30DaysWild

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Wildlife Trust - day 18 of 30 days Wild

Wildlife Trust - day 18 of 30 days Wild

I'm a little bit late to the party, but better late than never. 'What party' you ask. Well, it's the Wildlife Trust 'My Wild Life' campaign, and you're all invited. The basic premise is to notice nature and do something different in your day to bring you closer to your local wildlife - a random act of wildness. This is every day in June, but I guess that if you get into the habit in June, you will do it every day forever.

A walk in the park

A walk in the park

My random act of wildness today is to walk through Queens Park in Chesterfield in my lunch break with my camera. I noticed a couple of days ago how comically huge the canada geese babies are. Yes, I know they are goslings but canada geese goslings doesn't sound right. They are enormous compared to the ducks and moorhen(s) (how do you say the plural of these birds?). One of the funny moments was when a moorhen snatched a piece of bread and sprinted for the lake, dodging all the ducks and geese like a rugby player.

C25K Week 7

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I know that I'm a better runner than I was at week 1 because I couldn't run at all before then without limping and puffing, but it all still seems such an effort. But......every run this week was 25 minutes and I did it. Whoop, Whoop. Whenever I'm heading into the wind and up a hill (read slight incline when I say hill), I force myself to look at and appreciate the buttercups and the way that grass flowers are making swathes of red across the yellow. It makes me smile and forget the pain. For a nano second.......but it helps.

When I finished my run I had a wander into the next field with my camera, partly to check out an extension to my running track and to well, nose around. As you can see, it's all very picturesque, with a sneaky view of our barns through the wood.

C25K Week 6

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y25k week 6

Back on home turf and week 6 is done. It was lovely to be back running around the field. Whenever I'm puffing and struggling, I make myself look around at the buttercups and the may blossom and the sheer loveliness of it all. It just makes me smile and forget the pain for a bit. I know, I'm gushing, but it is very pretty. I did find that the little hill felt like a big hill, especially on the second run when there was a howling head wind up the hill. How unfair, but probably character and fitness forming. I was glad when that one was finished. The last run of the week was a bit of a killer at 25 minutes, but I couldn't have done it a few weeks ago. 

Sunny Sutton on Sea

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We managed a few days away to Sutton on Sea, a small seaside town on the Lincolnshire coast, for the half term holiday. It's our familiar and favourite place to go to for a relaxing holiday. Along the promenade, I just had to show a photo of my favourite beach hut. The front is amusing, but the back really shows the skill of the painter.

In between walks (and runs's -see C25K blog posts) by the sea and visits to the pub and the cinema I have been beavering away with some crochet - all will be revealed when I get around to finishing it all. I'm good at starting new things and a lot slower at finishing and taking photo's of  them! 

We went to the Saltfleetby and Theddlethorpe nature reserve at Rimac a few times. We are not really very good at identifying birds and butterflies but have a go and it is so beautiful down there on the salt marsh, especially as it was mostly sunny and not too windy. We heard a cuckoo and saw a sparrowhawk hunting quite spectacularly close to us. It was also really quiet being off the beaten track.

C25K Week 4 and Week 5

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Phew, week 4 is over. A bit more of a challenge with a total of 16 mins running and a lot less walking. But.....it wasn't too bad. The first run in the block is always the worst, but by the end of the session I felt like I could run further. Wow. I might just get to that tantalising 30 mins running and 5k distance. After having a bad back for, well, ever..... at least it seems for ever when you are used to being reasonably fit, it's nice to have aches from sore muscles rather than tight tendons and joints. I absolutely love my running track - it has views, a gentle hill (up and down - so time for a breather), a grassy track and the grass is not too long. Perfect. And, it is just over the garden wall from our new (future) home. Happy, happy person.

Week 5 and a new location during the half term holiday. We were at Sutton on Sea on the Lincolnshire coast, and just look at my running track.

No hills on this track, and I most definitely didn't run on the soft sand -  that would be a challenge too far. I stuck to the hard sand near the sea and it was lovely. I was fortunate in that the wind wasn't too strong because that can really make it feel like running up a hill. Week 5 has three different runs with the first having three 5 minute runs, the second run has two 8 minute runs, and the third has just one 20 minute run. Yes, I know......20 minutes. I nearly choked when I heard that on the podcast. I managed it, but it wasn't fast. I must have been a bit conservative with my energy because I was able shuffle a bit faster for the last 2.5 minutes to compensate a bit. I was really pleased that I could do it, but it makes me a bit nervous for the week 6 runs. On the whole I am enjoying that I can keep up with the programme and that I'm definitely getting fitter. The only negative point I have is that I'm getting really fed up with being attacked by dogs. On my second beach run a dog bit me. Not a big bite, and if I had long trousers on then it would have just got a mouthful of trouser leg, but it flipping well drew blood. I regularly have to stop and wait for an owner to get their pesky animals under control. Anyway, gripe over. It's not going to stop me running.