Fundraising collection at Morrisons, Stirling corner at Borehamwood. ( 19th to 24th July)

The forms will be in the office from Tuesday  (5th) for people to add their names to, so we know how many volunteers we have for each time slots.

Whether you can only spend an hour or 6, the team would love to see you down there helping shoppers to pack their bags while hold onto your wonderful green Penniwells RDA collection boxes.

In other news today was very hard work. My feet are throbbing. There were only 2 volunteers and 3 staff all afternoon. Hard work for certain on a sunday afternoon.  I'll sleep well tonight!

"Dream chaser wear trainers"

Quite proud of my achievement today - i may not have run all the way but i don't think thats a bad attempt for a first attempt.  I ran continuously for about 1.8 miles then switched to run for 4 mins and walk for 1.  When the hills became too much i switched to run for 3 mins and walk for 2.  By that time i reached to road opposite to the lane for Penniwells.  Now I know i can run all the way back to my base from there so i set myself that challenge - and succeeded!! 

Even though i didn't run all the round, I'm proud and its something to work on - Especially now that i have lots more freedom.  I'm going to try to commit myself my to alt least one longer run a week and a shorter one to the stables and the back perhaps.  Plus a bit of a strength training in  the form of Body Pump, some stretching via Body Balance.  Hopefully the makings of a marathon plan - to begin with until I start the Bupa formal plan in December.

The latest Penniwells member.

Meet Anna! I can't wait to spend more time With her.

I walked there are back today. Good job too as a lot of the day was spent walking around the fields fixing electric  fencing. I actually miss the extra tasks. I love poo picking. I love emptying wheel barrows (that aren't too heavy for me to lift) - oh and putting up muck heaps.

Like I said in the last post, you don't need to be horsey or go near the to volunteer. Riding for the Disabled needs all sorts of people.

GPS Tracking a Lesson (or Going around in circles!)

 So I decided to run to RDA for a short afternoon where I had a couple of free hours.  I managed to run all the way there without stopping, the hill out of the dip is less of an incline on the way there, plus it is at the start of the mile.  However, on the way back the hill is steeper and its right at the end of the mile!

I'm getting closer but i still haven't completed the challenge of this epic hill climb! It doesn't show very well on the GPS, in fact depressingly so because this is one heck of a hill!  I've made it about 3/4 of the way now but i'm hoping that eventually i can include this hill in a loop. Eventually......

I also put my watch on for one of the lessons outside when i was side helping at Penniwells.  This is what an RDA lesson at Penniwells looks like via GPS!  Half a mile for one lessons - Some days volunteers can do up to 5 or 6 lessons a day, thats after tidying and tacking up horses etc.

RDA Volunteers work hard.  When I get changed into my jods, people ask me if i'm going to ride.  When i reply that i'm going to help others ride, I feel it often gets dismissed as "thats a nice thing" However many don't often know that works that goes on behind the scenes.

As well as raising awareness of the 2 RDA groups and the marathon and the fundraising, one of the reasons i love blogging about this is to let others know what goes on at Riding for the Disabled.  All the little jobs that go on, the fact that you don't even need to go near a horse to help out with a group.

 Or if you love horses it can be a great way to spend time with them, helping others whilst the horses help you.

It's a Puzzle

It really was just all too much for Puzzle last Wednesday.

Meet the Penniwells team

Treadmill running is just not the same...... This was a week or 2 ago but as much as it has its uses I hate it!

On to more fun things....  I spent 6 hours at Penniwells today. Leading, side helping, skipping out, sweeping, filling water buckets, putting ponies in fields, putting up posters with the just giving code, sorting out hay and the haysteamer.... oh and finally sorting out the dishwasher.

A little bit of everything you could say.  I also managed to keep hold of my phone on my way to Penniwells (unlike the week of regionals!)  See?

Because today I walked there.  No more car lifts for me, I'm getting there under my own steam.  However, having done a Body Pump class at the gym yesterday and also because I was carrying my boots I decided to walk there today and think about a jog back.  So 20 mins later I arrived.  Ever since I moved to my current location, in fact even before hand i think, I had looked up where the nearest RDA was.  Being a mile down the road was a big selling point for me being in Borehamwood!!

Anyway, a few other photos from today during the changeable weather....

Somewhere over the back there is the London skyline - when its nice and clear!

So anyway back to meeting the Penniwell team.

Here's Coco - otherwise known as Bean  (I'm slightly embarrassed to say it took me a couple of weeks to get the connect between these names).  On the right is his cheeky face, also known as "Watch out i'm going to get you as you walk out of the tack room Ha Ha Ha!!"  but he does have a cute look too and as much as he tries to nip sometimes I do have a big big soft spot for him.

This is Peggy.  Very sweet but does need to learn some manners, she is the baby of the group though.

Pod is a sweatheart, a gentle giant.

 Here we have Mr RDA Horse of the Year 2015 himself - Prince.  He does like to think he's a racehorse at times though and if he wants to walk, we walk.  Very Huggable.

Prince has lodgers in his stables and they have increased in number in the last few weeks - not sure whether he charges rent

Tyson, who i also have a very big soft spot for because he is hugely huggable and has such a gentle nature, didn't have time for a selfie with me.  His hay might have been stolen or disappeared so he had to concentrate on eating it.

See? No interest at all.

Anyway, after those 6 hours, that stubborn determination in me decided to try and run back, having left me boots in the staff room ready for wednesday.  I managed most of the way, just not the final hill which is so steep my car would probably only take it in 2nd or 3rd gear.  Something to work on I think.

I still made it back it half the time it took me to walk it though.

That's good enough for now.

Thank you for reading (if you made it to the end) and please do donate to either Bambers Green if you are a Bishops Stortford person or Penniwells if you are connected in some way - any way! It really doesn't matter.  They are both amazing groups, doing amazing things.

A few more Team Penniwells photos

Greater London Regionals

So i spent 5 and a half hours at Penniwells today helping out with the regionals competition.  For me taking 5 hours out or any time for that matter isn't so easy. I believe in honesty, so I'll tell you why.

Being in hospital means I have to get it confirmed by a doctor that I'm allowed out, and then there's all the paper work. It gets very complicated.

Anyway it's time out for me as much as being able to give something back and help out.

Having managed to leave my phone in the taxi, I managed to take absolutely no photos of own. But there will be a few I can share from Facebook and some of the others who didn't misplace their mobiles.

So the photos I have so far are beauty and her countryside challenge team. And the beautiful Pipsqueek who had a couple of lovely dressage tests later on in the afternoon.

It was so well organised, but that's not suprising given that a lot of the staff and volunteers started just after 5am!!

Despite the stress of mobile phone displacement, before I realised this I was able to help out on a dressage test for a blind rider. I was so proud to be able to help out, even if it was something so simple as to repeat the letter K as the rider came towards me.

A moment I will not forget and something that will help carry me around Brighton next April.

The Garmin watch is back out

The first proper chance to give my legs a go on the roads...



Average pace of 12.46 min per mile is better than I thought - I'm not a speedy runner for my first marathon it was 10 min per mile  and a bit faster for the 2nd.  I'm not expecting this one to be as fast so this pace would probably do.

A busy day of administration and crafts.

Well mainly crafts. I'm attaching the photos from my phone so I have no idea what order they will appear in! I'll edit later if needed.

But there's been laminating, wax melting, gluing and sticking, cutting up card...... As well as a bit of gardening, clearing out my room (so mum can redecorate), body combat to increase that fitness level......ummm what else? Lunch and shopping with mum. Plus a bit of my own crafts with some left over diet coke can tabs. Turned into an anklet  due to skinny wrists.

Now its 10pm, Britain's Got Talent is over and I'm  of to bed as tomorrow I plan to try and get some miles into those legs. Better go charge the garmin up!

A Baby Riot

I found some old photos of Riot  on Instagram  a while ago. I have no idea when they were  taken  but he looks so little there!

Managed 1.85km on the treadmill tonight plus some floor work. Running on the  treadmill is ok but I'm sure that I could run for longer out on the road. You never know  maybe I'll  ask to start  running back from Penniwells!

And thank you again to another  anonymous sponsor for helping team Bambers Green reach 1% of the target I set.

The sponsorship has begun!

So the sponsorship is off the mark and going. Thank you to my anonymous sponsor who donated to team Bambers Green. Only another £2980 to reach the target.......

Every little bit counts - exercise as well as pennies!

Another 20 minutes on the cross trainer tonight, building it up day by day.

4.5 hours at Penniwells yesterday with the majority leading or side walking on lessons plus a bit of trotting.  It's been a long time since I ran a whole lap of the area but that's what happens when you are shadowing  able riders.

I love seeing the range of abilities. From games with the 4yr old to figure of 8's, 3 loop serpentine and bow ties with the saddle club.  To be honest it's testing me knowledge it's been so long since I've been in a schooling ring.

Apart from wet ragging to 2 ponies for the Windsor show the highlight of my evening was seeing a more confident rider canter using reins that they hold in one hand. Truely amazing.

Just giving and BT my donate pages will be set up soon and the blog layout will have contact details of both groups plus contact details for me if you want paper forms.

However ONCE I'VE FINISHED MY COURSE!! I am trying to keep telling myself but it is hard when I'm playing around on my phone in the evening.

Getting back on the treadmill

So I know it's not much but 15 mins of a walk/run getting 1.5km (according to the treadmill) is a start.

Now the gym is open it will be 5 day a week at least to build my fitness back up, hopefully avoiding injury and getting myself back to where i used to be.

Talks with Penniwells on Wednesday and Bambers Green I need to sort the online stuff myself, but once I've finished my course.  Couldn't help starting this tonight, but the assignment deadline is the 31st May.  So other than the occasional check in to track progress I shouldn't really be putting too much on here yet.