So... will I do?

Wow! Has it really been a year? A whole 12 months since I turned 40??

What an amazing year!

At the beginning of last summer I had a shaggy shapeless mop of hair and had been wearing glasses since the age of seven!

I was a busy working Mum with no time for myself and had been that way for over fifteen years!!

2005

So what is new?

Well... my haircut is new! My contact lens are new! My wardrobe has taken a leap of faith and won and... I even own make-up!!

So what happened? My daughter happened that's what!

We both loved watching Gok Wan and we love his way of changing a girls clothes and making her look again at the way she sees herself.

As my 40th birthday approached I could only focus on the number - it was everywhere, overshadowing everything! I became obsessed with my age and everything else paled into insignificance!

Eventually, my 15 year old daughter Emily suggested that I should have a new haircut and lose the glasses!

So I did!

She came with me to the hairdressers and the hair went! Well not all of it but alot of it! I loved it! Why didn't I do this years ago??

Next I saw the optician and had a contact lens trial which went so well that I started wearing them full-time and haven't looked back since!

After that came the shopping - oh yeah! It's what girls do best!! Previously I had been a frustrated shopper, looking for clothes which covered me up and hid the parts I didn't want to show! But now... I looked for tops which showed my shape, and wasn't afraid of wearing things a little tighter instead of simply picking a larger size!! I tried high heel shoes and it felt good - really good!

I even bought make-up and used it!

The absolute icing on the cake for me was when I went to Reading, got naked in front of a stranger and had him take photos of me! It was the wildest, most scarey thing I had ever done but it was great!!


My confidence soared and I started thinking about my life and about other things I wanted to do...!

I have had many opportunities in my life and I'm ashamed to say that I have passed many of them over through lack of confidence. Missed adventures simply because I was too scared to try!

What did I miss out on? You wanna know what? Well, the biggie, for me was missing out on a weeks sailing trip on a tall masted rigger when I was in the Sea Cadets. I had the chance to sail for a week on T.S. Royalist but they wouldn't let me go when I said I didn't like heights - one of the tasks aboard would be to climb the mast and rig the sails... I regret to this day ever letting on that I was scared!

Another time we were on a camping trip and I had the chance to go abseiling... once again I chickened out for fear of the height! It wasn't even a high one!! What was it with me??

So I decided... I was gonna take the bull by the horns and make my 40th year one to remember!

Life begins at 40 right?

So I wrote a list - yes there is an actual list!

WHAT DID I DO? Oh My God - LOADS!! I don't think I can even remember stuff!
Go Windsurfing - I did this for my birthday on 7th September 2008 - Great fun but Gary had the patience of a Saint!
London Theatre Trip - John took me to see 'Jersey Boys' September 2008, it was a brilliant show and a fantastic start to my year!
Do the Playtex Moonwalk - On 16-17th May 2009 I completed the 26.2 mile power walk and raised £375.50 for Breast cancer Charities!
Amsterdame09 - In June 2009 I cycled 250 miles from York to Amsterdam and back and raised £651.50 for Marie Curie Cancer Care
Great Yorkshire Show - I went for the first time ever and spent the day taking photographs - doesn't sound much to some but I loved it!!

WHAT HAVEN'T I DONE? (Yet...!)

Walk up Snowden - maybe combined with white water rafting??
Abseil Down the Humber Bridge - This is no longer allowed but I do have an abseil challenge planned to replace it!
Attend a Rock Concert - This is definitely gonna happen!!
Have a go on a Climbing Wall - not done yet - its gonna be scarey but I'll do it!
Lose a stone in weight - not holding my breath for this one but you never know!
Indoor Sky-Diving - I haven't done this yet but I will - in fact this is looking like it might be a family trip :-)
Walk the Catbells - a weekend in the Lake District should do it!
Nightclubbing - just never had the opportunity!
Be at the London Eye for New Year 2009 - no tickets booked yet but let's see!!

So, the highs... were the highest, the low was sooo low (there was only one - Battersea Park at about 2.30am on the morning of Sunday 17th May 2009 - but it got better!) - MY WHOLE YEAR WAS AMAZING!!





Thanks John - you have been such a rock in supporting me throughout all of this! I love you I have only one thing left to say ... There ain't no stopping me now!!

Moonwalk 2009 - Walking the Walk

I awoke on the morning of 16th May with the biggest butterflies in my stomach! I felt nervy and anxious... the guidelines said to spend the morning stretching and relaxing but no time for that! I had to get on... there were kids to take and pick up on the usual saturday morning run-arounds, my bumbag to check, my 'other' bag to pack and re-pack...

Anyway, after all of that my stomach was still very unsettled and I had to forgo my lunch - I just couldn't keep it down! This wasn't good as I would need the energy later but there was nothing I could do but hope that I'd feel better by tea-time and eat something then...

The train was due to leave Selby train station at 3.42pm and as we were waiting on the platform we had a surprise send off from My brother, Ian, his wife Louise and their son Sam - who had brought us a bun each that he had made for us to eat on the train! Bless Him! That bun proved to be the starter for my appetite to return...

The train picked up more Moonwalkers at each station - easy to tell from the array of pink caps and bra T-shirts :-) We even got two mentions from the on-board announcer! Even the solitary chap sitting across the aisle wished us good luck as we got off at Kings Cross!

We got a cuppa and found ourselves a place on the station concourse, waiting for the rest of our team! The pink caps multiplied quickly as each new train arrived and the station was alive with excited chatter!!

Once we were all together we set of for the tube and the escalators were even more densly packed with pink caps! I heard a man tell his boy "Look at all the Moonwalkers" - it made me proud!

After a very welcome take-away sandwich we decided to get changed and after seeing the queue for the loos we all squashed into a disabled toilet! It was a giggle but no time to be bashful!!

And so it began... as we made our way back onto the tube to get to Hyde Park we attracted grins, stares and wolf whistles! I'm not ashamed to say I liked it!

As we got out at Hyde Park Corner there was just a sea of pink caps and fancy bras!! The chatter had reached an all time high and we were all buzzing :-)

The queue to register was huge but moved along rapidly and at last we were there - Playtex City! A huge pink Big Top with two rows of 9 turrets!! The periphery was home to an array of tents and marquees all labelled with the appropriate colours and purpose - we were yellow and therefore destined to be off first!!


As we made our way in there were official photographers waiting to take our picture, marshalls handing out space blankets and rain capes and there were even stiltwalkers welcoming us to this amazing event!

In Playtex City we found a place to call camp and dumped our bags. We creamed our feet, applied plasters in all the appropriate places and enjoyed the entertainment! There were singers and a live band and the mood was great! The costumes and bras were fantastic and some people had gone to so much trouble!! Just in front of us were a team of about 8 ladies dressed as clowns, with hula-hoop trousers and wigs and everything! We later saw them on the way around and they still had full costumes on!!

The race wasn't closed to men but they had to wear a decorated bra and join in the spirit of it all! There were some men but not many - one guy - it was his 40th birthday that day! One guy was walking for his wife... One guy was walking with his daughter... you can imagine their stories...

A hot pasta meal was provided and was actually rather good - although I must admit I couldn't manage it all! As the evening wore on we started to get restless and were really just ready to get started! At one point the queue for the loo was 30 minutes long!

They announced that there would be 17,000 of us walking and the start-time was rescheduled for 11.15pm. We listened to the talk and the explanation of why we were there and we had a minutes silence for those who could not be with us...then it was bending and stretching and ready for the off...

Then there we were - standing at the start - counting down 10, 9, 8... the rush was incredible! Fortunately the decorated bras made it easier to spot our team and we managed to weave through other walkers and try to get ahead of the crowd. Alot of us had the same idea!! London traffic was carrying on as normal and as we got to the first of many road crossings the traffic was held back by police and marshalls... horns honked and people cheered!

I took a stumble early on and then my lace came undone - I had to stop to tie it and then run to catch up with my team! We were going at a fair old pace I can tell you - it felt like more than 4mph - my maximum pace during training and a helluva walking pace at any time!!

We walked under Marble Arch, rising above us in the darkness, all that could be seen of the walkers was a swarming mass of reflective cap bands and space blankets tied to our bumbags!

As we walked the river of ladies started to thin out and each road crossing thinned us even more! Soon our team got separated by a road crossing, four managed to cross and two of us were held back ... that would be the last we saw of them until after we finished!

The traffic was honking and waving and voices were shouting as we walked along, people on the footpath cheered and egged us on - you would never believe how many people are out and about in London in the early hours!!

We strode out past Horseguards Parage and saw the London Eye all lit up behind, Big Bens Clock Tower, the white dome of St. Pauls, it was like an eerie late night sightseeing tour...

We passed the 6 mile marker and Val pointed that we only had 20.2 miles left to do and we had done a 20 mile walk in training and so knew we could do that! We strode out and felt really good...

All kinds of folk were lining the streets - not in any great numbers but regularly and often... lads in football shirts were sitting atop a wall shouting and cheering... couples out walking would wish us luck... as we walked along the Enbankment clubbers came out from the floating nightclubs and shouted and clapped as we went by... it was amazing!

The half-moon was due to finish after 13.1 miles and we had decided to not stop for a toilet break until after they had left the route. This would mean shorter queues and hopefully less interruption to the walking. Battersea Park was therefore the first 'milestone' in my mind...

We passed along a riverbank lined with trendy restaurants and bars, all closed and in silence. The trees in the courtyards hung with bright white and blue fairy lights - beautiful and maybe left on for our occasion? Further along we saw a businessman in suit and overcoat, lingering between two colums in the shadows - waiting just to wish us luck? Or grateful for our presence - an excuse for him being there?

We reached the 10 mile marker at 2am and felt pleased with our progress ... but unfortunately my feet had other ideas as I developed blisters on my toes!! I had never had blisters whilst training!! They were very painful but I was determined not to let them slow me down - I had set myself a time of between 7-8 hours to finish and fully intended to do it!!

My bra started rubbing under my arm and got very sore - good job I had brought a small pot of vaseline in my bumbag - I resolved to apply a liberal smearing once I stopped at Battersea!!

My lack of food also began to take effect and I soon felt sick and aching - I was beginning to wonder why I had bothered with all the training - it felt like it had served no purpose at all!

By the time we reached Battersea I was at a real low... my feet were killing me, my bra was rubbing and making me really sore and to top it all I had no energy and felt really sick! I foolishly allowed myself to sit on a curb edge and almost immediately wished I hadn't!

After a few minutes rest and a welcome interaction with the vaseline I forced myself up and started moving around. I had an energy tablet - 57p a packet - bargain!!

As we set off again the marshalls offered us pieces of orange or banana - I chose banana for the energy but it was a bad choice...

I was not about to give up but couldn't believe that I was only half-way!! The only way forward was to walk through it... I forced myself into a fair pace and set off - I have to thank Val massively at this point as she kept me going and didn't allow me to wallow in self-pity!!

As the night got darker some parts of the walk were very quiet and it was in these times when it was hard not to think of the aching and the blisters! Sometimes we were all chatty and it kept the mind on track but sometimes we just walked in darkesss..

At about 3am we were walking along a residential street in Kensington. The houses were Victorian with high fronts and steps leading up to the front door. A lady was sitting on the steps of her house with a cardigan around her shoulders. She looked up as we walked by and said ‘I just wanted to stay up and thank you to you all for what you are doing – I have just finished my radiotherapy’ ... those few grateful words really hit home just why we were doing this and we were all lifted and spurred on…

As we walked through an underpass a marshall encouraged us by saying that there were firemen in uniform on the other side waiting to cheer us on... and sure enough we passed the Chelsea Fire Station and all the firemen had come out and lined up along the path in full uniform, shouting and clapping and cheering us on!!

We walked passed the home of the Chelsea pensioners, silent and in darkness in the wee small hours... the dawn came up over the Thames as we trailed along... quiet talk overtaking excited banter...

But still the cars supported us - fewer in number now but still as keen to hang out of their windows and shout and cheer! Still honking their horns at the endless line of us ... walking through the London in the dark of the night... in fancy bras ... raising money ... for Breast Cancer...

By 20 miles the walking was slower and Val and I each had our own demons to face! Val was beginning to develop shin splints - painful cramp in the legs! It makes my blisters sound petty but the pain was dreadful and sometimes it was really hard to raise a smile for the marshalls and the public - who were there at every crossing cheering and clapping and keeping us going!

By 23 and 24 miles we were walking along the Mall and back towards Hyde Park - and by this point we were really slow and felt certain someone was playing silly buggars with the mile markers as they were taking soooo long to come up... we were positive someone had stolen the one for 25 miles! Hyde Park wasn't quite the end and as we walked along the path one of my blisters finally burst - the pain was excruciating and I almost cried! I had been fighting back tears for so long, the pain and the aching and the emotion of the walk was all too much! I was determined not to cry as I knew if I started then I wouldn't stop!

John had told me that i could ring him anytime I wanted throughout the night but I had forced myself to keep my phone in my bag - if I rang him I would find myself admitting the pain and that would diminish my resolve...

Eventually the finish line came into sight and the path was lined on both sides with family and friends of walkers... everyone clapping and cheering... the tears were so hard to keep back but I was determined not to cry yet!

And then there we were ... the finish line, receiving our medal, posing for photographs, I was desperate not to be crying on the medal photo...

We'd done it! We finished in 8 hours and 4 minutes... outside the time I'd set myself but not by much! The tears flowed! It all hurt so much! I was physically and emotionally drained!

Sniffling I agreed to hobble as far as a white van displaying a sign for the 'Well Hung Meat Company' manned by young men (yes - the pain didn't affect my vision!) and we managed to get a cup of tea and then move just far enough from the queue to lay out a space blanket and drop onto it!

The tea was too hot so I steadied my nerves and pulled out my phone... there were text messages from Emily 'keep going Mum, I love you' at 4.50am, from John 'You can do it, keep going' ... I rang home ... and the tears flowed again!

John agreed to let everyone know that I'd finished as my swollen fingers just wouldn't work well enough to text everyone and my composure wasn't good enough to call them...

We allowed ourselves to sit awhile and Fiona, Sarah, Janet and Nicky came to find us! They had finished in about 6hrs 30 minutes - a fantastic time! We sat and talked and had photos taken and I resigned myself never to walk a marathon again!


The bags needed to be claimed from the bag store and so we hobbled over and then made our way, very slowly away from Hyde Park...

As we hobbled out of Hyde Park to catch the tube back there was still a steady flow of ladies coming in through the gate – it had been such a hard place to be for us at that point and so we egged them on and gave encouragement…

Once again the tube journey was dominated by pink caps and once again we had to make do with the station floor to drink our cups of tea! Fiona and the others caught their train before us and Val and I were lucky enough to grab a seat on a bench - I felt really bad as an old lady came up needing to sit down but as I got up a few minutes later to find our train she gave me such a look of pity - I felt vindicated!

Out train finally arrived at 10.35am and we got seats, settling in didn't take long - it was the first proper sit-down we'd had since getting off the train at 6.45pm the previous evening! Val put her head against the window and I'm sure she was asleep before we left the station!

The journey was quick and we were soon pulling back into Selby Station - we must have looked a state - I still had my space blanket tied around my waist like some kind of long skirt! I could barely walk and I winced with every step!

We were met at the station by John and Isaac carrying a bunch of flowers for each of us! Hugs and kisses all round - Val even got a hug from Isaac - a VERY rare event!!

Needless to say home was very welcome and a hot bath was waiting! Bed followed and a few hours restful sleep!

And now I'm back!

The MoonWalk was incredibly hard but the highs were high and the lows were low - I'm so glad I was there! It was amazing! So many women, all ages, all shapes and sizes, so many costumes, so much energy and such high spirits!!

The firemen cheering us on in the darkness, the clubbers who came out to shout, the guys (and girls!) hanging out of their cars cheering and honking their horns, the cameraderie, the achievement and the tears ... it was all a part of the Moonwalk!

Bats in the Belfrey!!

Well ... tomorrow is 16th May 2009 - the day of the Moonwalk and I'm sitting here thinking that I must be completely and utterly bonkers!!

I'm going down to London to walk 26.2 miles in a decorated bra in the dark with approximately 15,000 other women!!!!

It will be no lazy wander I can asure you (far from the 'stroll' suggested by this weeks edition of the Pocklington Post!!) 4mph is rather a hasty pace, best described as charging around in a mad rush for - ooh probably 7-8 hours!!!!

In January when I started my training I relished the thought of taking a three mile walk up to Cliffe and back. Even as the walks grew longer they were still enjoyable -- offering an escape from hustle and bustle and a chance to settle my mind to things still needing my attention when I got back...

I must admit that there were times when the walking became rather a chore. It wasn't easy trying to find time to fit in 'a cheeky 8-miler' when you knew that it would take you at least 2 hours and that when you got back you'd be fit for nothing but a hot bath and a cuppa!!

There was a point a couple of months ago when I didn't seem able to find the time or the motivation to get beyond 13 miles ... but I did it!!

Who'd have thought that I would even look back on a very wet 16 mile walk and laugh at the thought of being soaked to the skin, with wet clothing, wet feet and hair in rats tails... especially as the weather forecast for tomorrows big day varies hugely depending on which weather channel you watch...

But here I am ... bats in my belfrey there may be but I am excited and raring to go...wish me luck :-)

...and not a Pina Colada in sight!!

Last Thursday afternoon and I had arranged to do a training walk with my friend, Val. The mid-week walks are only 3-4 miles and the once-a-week long walk is (supposed to be) getting longer but it is also getting harder to fit in as they take longer as the mileage increases...

We are averaging 4mph so the 14 mile walk we had planned for this afternoon was due to take us 3.5hours ... trouble was that we hadn't planned for it to rain!

The walk was good to start with, although pace was a little slower than anticipated we did get into a rhythm and set off.

About half-way through the walk it started to spot with rain but this was soon replaced by a definite shower and then a much heavier rain which certainly qualified as a downpour!

We had no choice but to soldier on ... cars passed us and looked at us as though we were totally mad! The rain persisted and Val found her glasses nigh on impossible to see through!

We strode on with our clothing soaked right through, our joggers were so wet they were plastered to our legs and it made the walk hard going! The rain was stinging our faces and the wind was howling round our soaking wet clothes - good job we were active otherwise it would have been seriously cold!

As we followed our chosen route the rain eventually slowed and stopped. For three miles we had walked in the rain, about 50 minutes! But now the sun was trying to shine and our joggers, although still moulded to the shape of our legs, even started to dry a little!

We walked the final stretch of the walk, alongside the main road, turning away from the big trucks who thundered past with a strong side-draught and showered us in muddy water from the roadside!

Eventually we arrived back at mine where my thoughtful boy found us each a big bath sheet and handed us each a steaming hot drink!

We removed our squelching wet trainers and sat down wrapped in our towels and felt the heat from our drinks as it ran down inside us...

Energy was distinctly lacking and so I was very thankful that I'd had the forethought to buy a pack of pink iced doughnuts that morning - they absolutely hit the spot and gave us the boost we needed!

Training is fabulous on hot sunny days but we needed a day like this one to remind us that it is possible that it may rain for the big event and it was good that we have had the experience - but it also made us add 'spare set of clothes' to our list of stuff to take ... just in case :-)

I have now set up my Justgiving page for donations and so if you would like to sponsor me for this event then please visit www.justgiving.com/dianewass

P.S. Yes I did have a white T-shirt on and yes it was very wet but no - it didn't qualify as a wet t-shirt competition (sorry guys!)!

To walk or to bike that is the question!

I can't believe it's been 6 weeks since my last blog entry! That's really poor! I wouldn't blame you if you stopped reading ... oh - you have!

Well I promise to try and do more posts and try to keep your interest up!

It's now only 10 weeks until I set off for Amsterdam with 60 other ladies (well actually there are still a few places left - any takers??). 250 miles round trip with a day off in the middle to see the sights...

Cycle training should be foremost in my mind but the trouble is... the Moonwalk is looming even closer and is only 6 weeks away!

I am keen to walk and to cycle but in truth am feeling a little past my best!

My mid-week walks of 3-4 miles are supposed to 'keep my pecker up' in between my ever-increasing weekend wanders but so far my busy diary is not doing much to help me find time to fit them in!

I managed a 12 mile walk the week before last and did it with my friend and fellow Moonwalker, Val. We managed it in 3hrs 20 minutes which isn't too bad but it was hard work! At least the weather was on our side and I think I even caught the sun a little :-)

This weekend just gone was a bit hectic though and I only had time to squeeze in an 8-miler before going over to Manchester ... better 8 miles than none at all I told myself!

On top of training I'm trying to keep a close eye on Emily - she leaves schoool on 8th May (nooooo!!!) and will have exams coming at her from all angles... I need to make sure that she does herself justice by doing plenty of revision in between shopping trips with friends and days out with her boyfriend!

On top of that the house is still cluttered up and STILL in need of a serious sort-out and I'm doing that whenever I have a spare hour or two (ha!)...

On top of that the gallery is coming up to its year end and I have all sorts of stuff to do for the accountant! John, bless him, is busy on with the stock-take and is being a real gem in the house so I'm hoping that if I just keep walking, cycling, revising, Phoenixing... that eventually it will be summer and I can take a break :-)

So, why Manchester I hear you ask? Well I went to collect my naked photos which have now been beautifully framed by my good friend Ian (great job Ian - thankyou so much xx). He has used a white triple mount and a stunning high gloss black frame - they look amazing!

All I have to do now is redecorate the bedroom and hang them (say it quick - it doesn't sound as much!!).

In fact they look so good that I'm thinking if getting another couple done ... I hope I'm not being vain but they are for my bedroom and they do make me feel damn good!

So here I am ... walking, cycling, phoenixing, revising... and looking forward to summer :-)

Shakin' that Ass!

Well, January came quick and I now find myself in the middle of the biggest training schedule my life has ever seen!

I have downloaded a marathon-walking-for-beginners training schedule and faithfully begun my programme.

On Tuesdays I do 3 miles, then 2 miles on a Wednesday, then 3 miles again on Thursday. On Friday I need to do just 30 minutes cross-training or similar and then Saturday is a big walk - increasing in distance and getting longer every couple of weeks.

The longer walks are done at regular pace whilst the shorter distances are walked at a quicker pace - like power walking! (Thankfully there are rest-days too otherwise I would be done for!).

At the weekend I dutifully sat down and wrote on my dates, starting with week 1 of the programme and the date I started it... and continued until the date of my event drew nearer ... and to my horror I realised that my event was only 19 weeks away - making my 24 week training plan somewhat ambitious!!

I have therefore had to amend my schedule, step-up the training and skip a few weeks (well, 5 weeks actually!).

So here I am - week 8 in my schedule and doing pretty well I think, although I am annoyed at the Wii fit machine - this new-fangled piece of kit was very impressive when I started out but this over-egoed creation is now insisting that despite doing more exercise I have ever done in my life I am gaining weight rapidly and aging faster than Benjamin Button in reverse!

I reassure myself by the firm knowledge that muscle weighs more than fat and what do machines know anyway??

As for my cycle training - well this has to fit in around my walking - yes I know - it will get harder to fit it all in, I need that time-spinning thing that Hermione had in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban...

Well the biggest part of my training for Amsterdam is to get my bottom in the saddle for as many hours as possible! The exercise bike is useful as this means that I can get some practise in an evening, leaving daylight hours for walking!

Yesterday, Sunday, the family took a cycle ride to Skipwith Common - not too far but with kids along it was far enough believe me! The pace was somewhat slower than I prefer and poor Emily was in some discomfort - in fact at one point on the way back I had to ride in front of her as following made me laugh so much that I almost fell off my bike!!

Her poor bottom was so uncomfortable that she had a little rhythm going all of her own ... rise, wiggle, down and pedal... rise, wiggle, down and pedal...

Talk about shakin' that ass!

Anyway, more training this week so let's see how I get on...anyone fancy a walk? :-)