It wouldn't be January without a trusty fitness post, would it? Or rather it has been and this has drifted into February. Over the years the level of content has shifted from the way it started, which is just a natural progression. I've developed some interests while others have ebbed and flowed with some being dropped altogether.
It was around 9 years ago I found myself re-connecting with exercise after the time that I imagine many people find themselves in once school finishes and they don't have any ongoing sporting commitments. That void that you don't even notice until one day you realise that you can't just pick something back up, like running and your body has changed without you having ok-ed that.
Since then I have had peaks and troughs in my relationship with exercise but it's not fully lapsed except for times of injury.

I'd say I'm at my strongest and most capable at present than ever before. No, my running isn't up to scratch but after a knee scare last year it gave me a fright and I haven't wanted to push my luck. I would definitely classify myself as someone with the fitness bug. There's nothing I enjoy more than exceeding my own expectations or taking others by surprise. Lets smash goals and grow, I have the appetite. An easy workout leaves me feeling grumpy yet one which wears me out to the point of wanting to throw up is fully satisfying.

The strategy of exercise has changed too, I'm now happy taking control of the direction of travel instead of feeling like a passenger on a package trip. Once a week I attend the hour long outdoor bootcamp which has been a mainstay for years. Not only does this prove challenging physically but also serves to tick off the social side of things too, technically I am mixing with others. An hour of hard-as-you-make-it bodyweight exercise is great for endurance, keeping myself competitive against myself and naturally others. Sorry guys, I secretly beam every time I note my form is better, or I'm faster or I have better recovery than anyone else. I know it's childish, but that part of me that wants to win surfaces frequently in this environment. Quite often I'm last to finish because I'm doing everything properly which also makes me smug, you get out what you put in and if you think skimping on effort and form in a bid to finish first is worth it then you can keep your results. The only thing I really hide away from is the group games and swapping partner work, help!

Much of my self identity is made up by my physical build and capability. I've got very fixed ideas about who I am in terms of health and I'm unwilling to budge on that.

A couple of years ago my Mum of all people introduced me to YouTube Hiit workouts (High Intensity Interval Training) which are by nature short and intense. Through these I've maintained a good rhythm of working out 4 or 5 times a week, kept up the momentum and enthusiasm with really quite minimal time commitment.

This year more than ever I want to set some goals, tangible ones, not just feeling more comfortable in my clothes (although that would be awesome too). I want to learn to master pistol squats and handstand press ups. These are two easy to see results - either you can do it or you can't. Aside from this I want to dedicate different days to different muscle groups in a bid to get stronger in a more organised way. A full body workout is great but a focused workout might be the way forward from now on. It's going to take a bit of sussing out but I'm ready to give things a whirl.

Take care,
Sophie

It's become tradition to make rose hip syrup each autumn, I wrote a rough method last year. While out and about each year we try to earmark particular locations for the future gathering of fruits. Our go-to hedge for foraging has a marvellous quantity of several bounties, one of which being roses. Back in spring we gathered rose petals and in early autumn it became time to harvest rose hips. There doesn't seem to be a 'right time' to pick them; they're either solid bullets or already a pulp so just gather any red ones that haven't started to go rotten and be glad there's enough to make a meaningful batch.
I use my hedgerow cookbook recipe as always which this time made 3 bottles' worth; my winter cold avoidance ritual wouldn't be complete without it.

Take care,
Sophie

We had a little pear tree, nothing did it bear...
I haven't made mention of the 'orchard' patch in terms of the trees on the blog mostly due to having reaped virtually nothing off them. Their original site was the main plot but once we took on the extra half they were dug up and moved, so we lost a year while they were settling. A few years ago we had very hard frosts while they were in blossom. I remember is trying to wrap them in fleece which not only didn't keep them warm but knocked off a fair amount of blossom in the process. The years we have grown fruit it either fell off, got eaten or never amounted to more than a handful. The cherry tree produced enough for one jar of jam last year.

However, this year we were shocked to see so many pears on our little pear tree. The other pears being devoid of any fruit, of course. I assumed many would fall off in due course as the season progressed, but no! About 6 weeks ago I decided to take one off the tree which did have a glimmer of pink and give it a try. Ok, so it was quite a 'firm' eat, not juicy but had a lovely flavour. I took around a dozen off over the next week to give away and eat myself. Since doing that I was told that pears don't ripen on the tree and need to be picked and stored to ripen. Now you tell me!!!
The weather had other ideas and the hoolie that blew in, you guessed it, knocked all the pears off bar a couple, leaving them in a heap around the tree. Of course, I was dismayed at the prospect of all the fruit going to waste so we gathered them up in a big trug bucket. Aside from maybe 5 which weren't going to make it, the rest seemed absolutely fine, I suppose the short fall onto a soft surface hadn't hurt them. Even so, I was concerned that any mild bruising might lead to the fruit rotting so we pondered what to do with an enormous bucket of potentially damaged pears.
Being a pudding glutton I was keen to make a pear sponge. I did find a recipe which sounded pleasant again on Delicious Magazine which I already had all the ingredients I wanted - always a winner. The ground almonds were previously used by C for his horrible healthy cookies and had sat opened but unused for months so I was doing a good thing by setting about using more of them up. I've made a big thing of my journey to try eating more nuts even though they are not something I enjoy at all. Anyway, ground almonds are a fairly innocuous way of consuming a nut portion especially as the crunch and texture of nuts is a significant part of the reason I don't like them. I did make this sponge three times in total though the last time was with a lovely little pear which lingered sadly in the fruit bowl with two surplus bramleys. I didn't change the recipe at all except for I didn't use the lemon juice on the fruit, just chopped it quick, added a spoonful of water and a little sugar. One time I chopped up a stem ginger ball and added some of the ginger syrup to the fruit which added a lovely wintery warmth. I didn't add the rosewater or almond extract as I don't have any but I wasn't after an especially almond taste.
The main thing we did with the fruit was to 'can' it in jars. A while ago, C bought a canning machine which basically looks like a big slow cooker. Apparently 'canning' relates to the process rather than the vessel. He had intentions of ale brewing but safe to say that's not happened in there as yet. We squirrel away all jars, bottles and glass containers in boxes, ready for such occasions as this but even our stock wasn't going to cope with this alone so we did buy some nice tall jars from Wilko to go with our mostly mayonnaise jars. The pears were peeled, cored and quartered-ish. C made a different syrup on each occasion, one was lightly spiced and the other was vanilla spiced. We had put a used vanilla pod in a kilner of sugar which resulted in a lot of highly scented sugar - this recipe put some of it to use, finally!
Pears were plopped to jars and filled with syrup then left to bubble away in the canning machine.
Unsure how they were going to turn out I opened a small jar a week later to test for whether they were edible or pleasant; it's no good giving away anything that's no good to eat. We'd forgotten to label soon enough so they're all pot luck on flavour. The pears were absolute heaven. Soft and tasty, sweet and utterly delicious. They will last a long time too so we can keep a few, while giving away some too.

We have ideas about being able to can more things in a similar way next year too.

Take care,
Sophie

Crab apples look decidedly ugly and unappetizing. As someone who operates a blanket policy of hating small fruit, I would automatically have ignored crab apples even if they did look like perfect little examples. There's something good you can make with these unloved fruits, crab apple jelly!
There's a bountiful supply of them in hedgerows and just alongside roads (presumably where drivers have lobbed apple cores and a gnarly tree has grown) although of course, there's ever so many more out of reach than you can collect. On our second trip out to forage some we found the wind had taken most out of the trees and left them on the floor like giant perilous marbles - I nearly went base over apex to my horror.


We vowed to make use of some this year. Our first haul was decent, alongside our blackberry haul so C decided to make a crab apple and blackberry batch as well as a spiced crab apple batch.
Both have set perfectly and I find myself seeking it out to eat with chicken (sadly our redcurrants didn't materialise this year). They are much sweeter than expected and for that reason I think C will give it a wide berth by I don't mind. To be honest they would work as a sweet treat too, like little jellies as part of a dessert or on toast. Yum.
They both taste delicious and very different. So cheap to make too, just the price of sugar and a few store cupboard spices. We save jars and bottles furiously and acquire them from others too and have a decent preserving kit now.

On our second trip out to forage some we found the wind had taken most out of the trees and left them on the floor like giant perilous marbles - I nearly went base over apex to my horror.

There are so many varieties to make with crab apple as the base. Ones with herbs in, rowan, haw, blackberries... It does seem to be quite adaptable. It's not something you hear much about now but we're firmly set on foraging for treats. I'll be sharing some more of our makes in posts to come.

Take care,
Sophie

Although time is tight, I've tried to make a comeback with a relatively regular exercise regime following the spring allotment and garden madness. I try to fit in 2 to 4 sessions a week of between 15 and 25 minutes of hiit bouts or strength based weighted stuff like flinging a kettlebell around. I've only been to about 2 in every 5 weeks of bootcamp which were mainly not my fault - and I even went before shaking off my rotten cold which made for recovery time being more of a nose blowing marathon than a rest.
There's no denying I feel so much better about myself when I keep up a solid workout schedule. It gives me such a boost. It's got to be healthier to love your body and show that by taking good care of yourself than to just accept the neglect you show it and call that love instead?

I've still got goals which aren't goals - to reach a point I feel like is the optimum balance. Where I find the middle ground between the right nourishment/exercise/sleep routines. Mindset ought to come into that as well, I've put off yoga or meditation. When I did try a meditation app it asked me what was on my mind. When I frowned and thought, well nothing except listening to the app and then drifted off in a still awake but switched off doze I figured it probably wasn't the right app for me. It's not that there's too much whizzing on my mind it's more my mindset isn't in the right level of positivity. I love listening to positive, enthusiastic people but it doesn't stick with me long. I suppose that's much the reason I love to blog, it's my most optimistic and happy tone (except the grumbly posts - but that's balance).
 
How often do I wear all black? I feel like a ninja.

Here's to warrioring or way through life.

Take care,
Sophie

I don't like to bang on too much about exercise because I strongly suspect it's dull to read about unless you happen to be in the exact same position. Maybe you're already stifling a yawn - for which I can absolve you for. Continue at your own risk.
The year started with resolving to push myself harder and broach a more challenging regime of exercise. I've done some searching on YouTube and have settled on some channels that offer a good range of mirroring workouts. Some are so hard they make me want to wave a white flag from the floor or retch onto my shoes. These are my favorites. There's no doubting I like to be pushed to my limits because you don't know where your limits are unless you find them. Then maybe set about nudging them a little further. The 20 minute time frame is most pleasant as it is all over and done with quickly but I have to agree that a longer endurance session once in a while is also key to stretching myself in another direction. Varying intensity, weights, equipment and even maneuvers is the way to mix things up. How can I expect to change myself by keeping things the same?

We bought some body composition scales last year and although I hate getting on them barefoot because they make me yelp with the cold surface (and they weigh me heavier than the other scales- come on guys!) they track some interesting information.
What I don't need the scales to tell me is that I've put on fat as a consequence of 'maintaining condition/the pre, during and post Christmas overindulgence'. But it is interesting to see how much and when. What I'd like them to start reporting is that I'm losing it and FAST!
It's ok though, I knew it was happening. It was a self aware 'food is amazing and I'm going to eat all of it' in a cookie monster style scoffing. But food is just so delicious! I'm just eating too much of the high carb and high fat things.

Here's the plan. Take steps to lose the 3.2kg of fat I have gained.
Exercise is going fine and I'm feeling pretty much the fittest and strongest ever except for my running.
I need to sort out my eating. Yes, I eat a predominantly decent balanced diet with lean meat, plenty of veg and drink lots of water. However, I suspect my snacking on chocolate, biscuits, sometimes having a dessert and occasional lot of crisps has caused the majority of the gain. I also point the finger at bread for having crept back in to my life at too higher a frequency. Naughty loaves.

As I write this the clock starts at 26.6% fat mass compared to the 22.7% I would like to return to. Of course it's not about the numbers, it's not. I want to wear trousers and shorts with greater comfort again. It's strange really because 18 months ago when I felt really out of shape it was a different feeling. I feel like the fat is being stored and held differently on my frame. My arms make me feel happier now, they're more defined and less wobbly. Overall I don't feel too bad at all but I know that I'll be better off physically and mentally on a slow but sure journey to shedding the excess fat which is currently weighing me down.

It's all good. Just with a little less carbs.

Take care,

Sophie

If you haven't yet caught up on the post I wrote recently about dabbling in essential oils then maybe now is a good chance to do so before tackling today's post but here we go.

Fitness in 2019 will be interesting. I've had a brilliant year and a half which has set me up for feeling super motivated for 2019. A healthy balance is for every day, not just for new year's resolutions which is why throughout the festive period I kept up my regular regime of exercise. Usually in a week I have one 5K run outdoors, 4 hiit workouts, a one hour outdoor bootcamp session (if not, then another indoor hiit workout) and a day of rest. It felt good to workout as part of a routine and maintain the continuity of activity despite the abandonment of most other parts of daily life over the Christmas break..
Back in 2017 I was in despair about how I had put on weight and lost my fitness mojo. It was around September 2017 that I finally found a way forward when I was introduced to High Intensity Interval Training workouts on YouTube. Joe Wicks 'The Bodycoach' was the channel of choice  initially and continued to be so up until a couple of months ago when I decided that I really wanted to up my game and challenge myself. I've dabbled with new channels and have found a couple which tick the box of kicking my backside. Heather Robertson has some really tough workouts (and she's got such a calm manner with no shouting or faff, just a clear video) and BodyFit by Amy has some good kettlebell sessions.
I love high energy cardio, strength and endurance. Give me a kettlebell and a pint of water and I'm away. The videos you shadow are absolutely essential for me; I can mimic along for an eternity but the ones which tell you what to do then expect you to crack on under your own steam are a complete no-no, I just can't be bothered.
Fitness has never been this accessible before. Thousands of free channels for inspiration, guidance and following along. Remember back in the old days where you had to buy a video or dvd? Now there's infinite choice on tap. We are so lucky!
So what's new? I'd like to try keeping up with running 5k as much as possible. It's great to try bettering myself and attempt to make inroads into my target time. Running a sub 23 would be perfect for me. I came close to a 22:30 a couple of times last year but didn't quite reach it but if I put in the effort then maybe I can run a sub 23 a few times and feel like I've achieved something. Finishing a good run and not feeling like I need to throw up would also be nice.
I want to find challenging workouts to do this year, ones that push me to grow stronger and for my heart to become fitter. It's not all about physique, your heart is the most important piece of kit you own - without it there's nothing so getting fit isn't just about dropping a few pounds and creating a better silhouette. I don't think this is emphasised enough throughout health campaigns and across the fitness industry in general.
I want my heart to become not 'the best it can be' because that sounds to pinnacle-esque really but just to gradually become stronger. A resting heart rate gets lower the healthier and stronger your heart becomes as the beat becomes more efficient. Measuring fitness is more about how quickly you recover, rather than what you can do.
Yes, I'd like to shed a few pounds of fat, just so that I feel a little happier in my clothes.
Also there are some fitness goals I'd like to reach, though these my be adjusted through the year and added to.

• I want to reach level 11 on the bleep test (gracefully, no grim consequences!)
• I desperately want to better my planks which are my worst aspect of fitness - still haven't addressed this. 3 minutes of strong frame would be amazing.
• Stronger everything and to work on this I intend to do more kettlebell and dumbbell workouts
• Increase my fitness test scores at the monthly bookcamp check in. We do 90 seconds of (jump) squats, press ups, burpees and then the plank to expiry. 
• Back in the mists of time - so far back I can't even find the post I declared I wanted to get washboard abs. I didn't remotely manage it. But this year I want to lose the fit round my middle and feel like I have toned up enough to feel fit and healthy - and like I can wear a cropped gym top without feeling grim.

Have you considered your fitness aspirations for 2019?
Take care,
Sophie

Just over a year ago I wrote about my turning point in taking back control of my fitness.
Things had lapsed into excessive eating, scant exercise and an ever increasing waistline. Then I gave the 15 minute hiit sessions a try and suddenly I'd found the answer to some of my problems. High intensity intervals are great value for money workouts. They maximise your benefits in that short space of time and have an enormous impact on the rest of your day.
Since January I made a streamlined effort to eat in a way that suited me, my goals and my allotment produce. By mid March it was evident how far I'd come, I wrote an emotional post back in April and I'd say my form peaked in May/June. Inevitably, the hardest part by far, as I've found in the past, was finding balance once 'goals' have been reached. Yes, I've put a little weight back on, off and on and off and on but that's the way of it. The scales we use every Saturday morning measure water, fat and muscle content too. I don't much care for them only as a habit now really but measurements say far more. Knowing that I'm able to wear my clothes without having to struggle into them (or giving up and buying something bigger) has been a load off my mind. I'm about 3/4 pounds more than my 'lightest' but once you reach a point where you're satisfied, which I did, it's almost impossible to stay at a constant and although I could go back in heavy to reclaim my best form I'm satisfied with a step down in favour of a good healthy mix of lifestyle.

I was asked the other day as a flippant question which had an unmistakably rhetorical undercurrent how do you stay so slim, Soph*?
It was a relative easy one to answer and as I feel strongly about how to quantify the recipe I listed precisely how: (and I think if you ask a question then expect to hear an answer, even if it's not one you want to hear).

• 4 High Intensity Interval Training (hiit) sessions ranging from 15-25 minutes each per week 
• an hour of bootcamp a week
• a hard 5k run a week (ideally although I don't beat myself up if I miss one, or two)
• Cut out/right down on carbs like pasta, rice, bread, too many potatoes and instead fill up your plate with extra vegetables
• Drink plenty of water
• Get enough sleep
• Walk and get fresh air regularly - I also do a lot of allotment pottering

Did I buy a new pair of trainers to co-ordinate with the muscari in bloom? Possibly. Did I buy them because an old pair have worn out to the extent of being unwearable and consequently binned? More likely.
I treated myself to this pair in a vibrant shade of blue as a reward for my hours of good behaviour; New Balance always feel good on my feet.
It's high time I spill the beans on how the first quarter of the year has panned out and a jazzy shot of shiny new kicks is a good way to start. Back in January I wrote about how I'd made some changes to my lifestyle with regard exercise and set some goals for the year. Meal planning is an essential part of our eating as living with such a laissez-faire attitude towards the day's main meal is too-too relaxed for me. How will I know what we need to get, or allow time to cook, or if I'll be eating too many similar things in the day? At the weekend we plan the week's dinners and have the groceries delivered accordingly.
This year I've prioritised eating porridge for breakfast, usually with a generous dollop of usually homemade jam to turn it a frightening shade and tried to slash the amount of bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. I've made a good go of attempting to eat less manufactured crap like crisps, biscuits, bought cake, sweets. Mindful portion sizes as opposed to shovelling away a small family's worth...
Snacking on nuts and fruit rather than chocolate or biscuits. Eating fish frequently and ever so many vegetables. Salad. Plenty of good meat. Not fretting remotely about fat. No numbers, no calorie counts.
What difference has it made? Well, a whopper really. I did intend to measure myself at the start of the year but that fell by the wayside, unlike a weekly date with the scales which I have yet to shirk. They do say that the scales should be ditched and while I wholeheartedly agree they also do reflect change of some nature. My clothes have mercifully felt more comfortable to wear and belts can be done up as opposed to threatening not to reach end to end. I've noticed definition in my body and a general absence of constant bloatation and feeling like a souffle having risen out of all proportion.
How do I feel? Mostly great! I've not counted calories, just been sensible with portions, balance and variety. The 15-25 minute high intensity interval training Youtube workouts from Joe Wicks The Bodycoach are motivating to follow along, take hardly any time up in the day and have become a regular feature in my week if you have been wanting to get into regular exercise I cannot recommend these enough - they range from very beginner to brutal*. About 4 of these, plus a one hour boot camp class, plus one 5k run and a rest day is my usual week's exercise now. Dog walking and allotment toiling on top of course. It's not taken any thinking about - shall I/shan't I - it's just a given that's what's happening. Drinking plenty of water I guess around 6-7 pints a day, 3 - 4 mugs of coffee. Plenty of liquids. A good amount of sleep and an early morning.
*my favourite

Exercise ought to be a celebration of what you can do and not a punishment for what you ate and it's so true. I look forward to pushing myself, noting improvement in recovery times and numbers of reps. Finding something that works for me has been key and I don't want to let go of that in a hurry. It's crushing that I used to feel this way before something went wrong, though I can't pinpoint what it was, for the months and years to slip by in a vicious cycle of not wanting to do any exercise because I felt rubbish because I wasn't exercising. Now that I'm back in a healthy routine it feels so different - I've got my mojo back at last. How did I lose it? I never want to go back.

The thing is though, I never really believed I could turn things around. The last year or two felt so much like I was on a downward spiral that my mind couldn't bear to believe that I could get back on the straight and narrow but yet here I sit, feeling better than I have in forever. My goals are half smashed already. I've got the close arm push ups, one decent diamond press up and broken 23 minutes 5k and want to dance with the fact that I physically feel capable and energetic and lean again. I feel sprightly and uplifted, positive and just feel more like I can tackle so much more.

What's next? Keep up the good work, enjoy feeling in happy place and make some more goals. Yes, I want to achieve a good plank time and break 22:30 5k and make sure I don't throw away all sense of good proportions on summer bbq nights.

Yes I can wear those shorts/that dress and jump around like Tigger. I'm going to live happy because what else what it all for?
I feel quite emotional after that. Take care,
Sophie

I suppose the norm is to feel heinous about what happened in December and in a fit of insanity to start on lettuce and join a gym on 2nd January (after the new years' eve hangover has finally worn off) but quite contrary to the trend, I feel good. Back in September I wrote about where I was at at with my healthy lifestyle - trying to haul myself back on the bandwagon with bloodied broken nails and how I envisaged turning things around. Well I'm pleased to say that I've kept up a regular amount of exercise since then, with great results. My fitness levels seem to be better, I'm feeling more inclined to start a workout than try to bunk off with excuses. With the dark evenings it's been impossible to run outside although each weekend we do try to get out for a 5k as long as it's not icy. Over the Christmas break I think I ran about 25-35k in total and it left me feeling uplifted instead of guilty. So what if I over-indulged in food and drink for the best part of a month? That's just life. I stuck with exercise and have no regrets. That said, this year we are trying to pack in more vegetables and less processed food especially carbs. The main change being porridge for breakfast instead of toast. No biggie.
I bought myself a new pair of running shoes as my others are so worn away inside that it looks like a rodent as been in and nibbled away for nesting matter. I like the way they match almost identically with the colour of the cyclamen flowers (apparently this may be an indoor variety but it is hanging on even though the deer munched half).
So what goals should I set? It's a tricky one because there are not an awful lot of ways to measure if you don't use weights or weigh yourself or measure yourself. Although I would obviously like to slim down so I can wear my clothes again (yup that would be nice), I want to stretch my physical capabilities disregarding appearance.
Here's a few goals for 2018 (some more optimistic than others)

• Our best 5k run to date was at the weekend (23:55) and I'd like to run sub 23 minutes. Breaking my PB of 21:47 sounds too much of an ask so I'll see how running goes this year.
• I'd like to be able to do 10 of those close arm press ups with your elbows in to your sides
• I'd like to do one respectable diamond press up
• I'd like to work on doing a handstand push up (best try a handstand first!)
• I'd like to do a convincing 2:30 plank. My planks are terrible - I can't breathe and my main risk is passing out if I push too much. I need to research how to improve this
• I'd like to get up to level 11 on the beep test. We do one at boot camp and I believe it's the 15 meter one.
• Pull ups - I want to try these and get better. 

That sounds like plenty to be getting along with for now.
Take care,
Sophie

There's been a little bit of quiet on here this week. I've been feeling poorly with a cold and while that might well have given rise to opening up plenty of time to get some pictures edited or posts written I instead opted to rest and recover. It's dawned on me, this morning in fact, how many times I've soldiered on through illness of some nature, going to work, carrying on as usual, battling through it. It's becoming apparent that the best way to get better is to give yourself the time and strength to do so. Stop making excessive demands on your system. Sleep is the way to repair. Water. Vitamins. Fresh air. Eating.
By depriving the body of it's requests it can only serve to protract ill health. A couple of days of taking it incredibly steady and getting some good rest in have worked wonders and now I feel like I am able to pick up where I left off instead of cajoling my weakened self into co-operating. Self-care is a term used a lot these days and I'm becoming much more of an understander now. I want to be more aware of how I'm feeling and ensure that when I'm under the weather, I listen.
Sophie