Inside I’m dancing…

Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

 

No I have not dropped of the planet I have been busy dancing, I’m enjoying my life a lot at the moment even though it is raining. Lots of things has happened and currently I am trying to finish of as many of my 2010 NYE resolutions as possible…lol yes I did have 31 resolutions so I am running out of time 😉

But for now enjoy this beautiful piece of India, a country very dear to my heart ♥

I survived!

Yes I survived!

This was without a doubt the hardest and wort race I have ever done. Everything was against me, London marathon injury stopped training in spring and early summer, in India I only had time to run 3 times, and due to the altitude damn that was some hard going. Then when I got back I couldn’t train as I had severe pain in every joint in my body, nope I have no idea what it is?!? It started around 18th of August in India and it still bloody hurts. Theories of anyhting from normal wear and tear due to hard work which will subside (I hope for this one) to Arthritis has been thrown around. So obviously not the greatest preparation for a half marathon. I am generally fit and I always keep very active and did so in India too even though I wasn’t running so I knew I could run a half otherwise I wouldn’t have done it and I DO NOT recommend anyone to do it unless they are fit enough. Also only reason I did run was that it was a charity place for Oxfam and backing down was therefore not an option for me.

So race day came, I had slept badly but my pre-preparations were spot on so the morning went by smoothly. The race organiser was superb, they texted me and all other participants to warn us about delays on the Jubilee Line, then they postponed the race for 45 minutes to give everyone a chance to get there on time.

The race itself was hard, cold, heavy wind and rain this is just the kind of weather I hate. The track was ok and the first half went well, then my joints said NO, NO MORE, but I pushed on and despite all things mentioned above I finished in a time of 2h 13 min and 26 sec. The race organisers texted me both the gun time and chip time within 3 hours of finishing the race WOW even more impressed with them now. I thought the time was quite rubbish but my friends have convinced me that it was really good after all my bad luck and bad preparations.

Today the joint pain is back to where it was before the race and the muscles feel fine.

Thanks to all and everyone that has sponsored me already and to the lot of you that have promised to sponsor on completion cough up the money now 😉 Click on the sponsor me button or click here http://www.justgiving.com/Running-Frog. Remember none of this money goes to me, they do not even pass me but go straight in to Oxfam.

Edit: just to add so it is perfectly clear, I DID NOT take any painkillers before the race. I want to feel the pain and if it becomes unbearable I would stop, masking the pain is a very bad idea and you can damage yourself terrible. I took painkillers 2 hours after the race, why 2 hours? Well I read somewhere in a very plausible study that it can be good to let your body’s own anti inflammatory system work a bit on its own before you help it a long. If I find the study again I will publish links to it.

Next a Half Marathon

Yes I’m out running again, this time it will be an achievement just getting to the start let alone past the finishing line as already I’m slightly injured. But hey ho I’m not injured enough not to run and it shouldn’t get worse by running either. This half marathon is for Oxfam, Oxfam is trying to overcome global poverty and suffering, they focus on Emergency Response (Pakistan Flood, Haiti Earthquake), Development Work and Campaigning for Change. To find out more click here Oxfam

£ 7  – could buy a school kit for kids
£11 – buy a mosquito net to protect people from malaria
£26 – could help fix a village water well
£50 – could train a farmer
£84 – can feed 12 families in an emergency

So please dig deep and donate now by clicking here http://www.justgiving.com/Running-Frog.

I am back

Yes I have returned from the best thing I have ever done in my life. Although I had good values before I have decided to re evaluate my life and take stock and then decide what really matters to me and what to do next. But I can say I am truly happy at this moment, I know myself and I know what is important in life.

Will probably update you more on India in the near future but at the moment I need to digest it properly first, the true impact of it all has not hit me just yet.

So for now here is a little video lovely Hannah made of us in India, my Foxtrot 2 group shows up after the guitar solo. Also some pictures of my various sleeping arrangments, no one can say I’m spoilt and need luxury, or that I am vain (*cough, cough* mum) 😉

My lovely bed on the concrete floor at Moraji Desai School

Foxtrot 2’s home

Brief 1 day visit to Gandathur, Foxtrot 1’s home

Anthony’s Camp, Base Camp near Munnar in Kerala

Anthony’s campsite is on a slope, very cleverly done

“Survival Night” or this is what hell is like

Toilets were mainly either a short drop like this or a longdrop

My luxurious camp :)

Just a brief update, I am having a good time even though we are working hard and long days. My camp bed is the best, such luxury

and yes it is luxury and not sarcasm.

My flatmate

My group on a little walkie (26km) with heavy bags

I have also found out what my community project is, it is a water sanitation project building two toilet and shower units for a boarding school for poor children

Above a is picture of part of the school, if we get time over we might build a playground and dig and plant a small vegetable garden for them.

For brief news of my team and my colleagues teams check this blog http://raleighindia.blogspot.com/

So this is it for a while!

Last day in London for a while, tomorrow morning I’m flying off to India for 8 weeks of charity work. I will probably not have any internet access during this time (or mobile or anything else :s ) but if I get close to a computer with internet I will try to write a quick update.

In the mean time you can follow my expedition and maybe even spot me here http://www.raleighinternational.org/expedition-blogs just scroll down to the bottom of the page to read the India blog.

See you all when I get back and thanks to all of you that turned up to the pub on Friday.

Also to any would be thief;
1. I have absolutely nothing worth of stealing in my flat, I am sooo not materialistic and I certainly have no money…if you do decide to break in let me know if you find something 😉
2. Actually don’t bother breaking in because my flat (read shoebox) won’t be empty, a friend will live in it the whole time.

To a certain other person;
1. My internet duties in moderating a certain forum will go on as I am only 1 out of 7 people moderating it…although I get blamed for 100% of the removals.

Midsummer was Fab!

For once we had the weather on our side, otherwise rain and cold weather is almost part of Midsummer eve festivities. I had a fantastic time with my nearest and dearest friends, we didn’t want to leave and stayed on way past the sun gone down. Wasn’t in bed until 4ish in the morning. The picnic food was fantastic, we had Västerbottenpaj, Smörgåstårta, pickled herring, potatoe salad, pasta salad, smoked, grilled and gravad salmon, knäckebröd, cheese, meatballs, new potatoes with sour cream and chive sauce, strawberries and cream and much more. Midsummer like it should be in other words.

Hyde Park was full of picnicing Swedes

I tried to take photos of all my friends at our picnic corner but I didn’t fit us all in even though I took TWO pictures.

Of course we had the Little Frog dance around the Maypole, bet a few eyebrows were raised by the none Swedes in the park 😉

Midsummer Eve

We Swedes love to celebrate things, we dance away Christmas in January, Easter of course, we sing the winter away on Walpurgis night, Midsummer Eve, Crayfish and Surströmming Parties in Aug/Sept, Lucia in December and obviously Christmas. I have probably missed a few. This year summer solstice occured on the 21st of June which naturally makes this our Midsummer Eve. However our spoil sport politicians decided to move our Midsummer Eve celebrations to the nearest Friday, I think this is a bit evil as many of the traditional things we do cannot be done any other night, like picking 7 different flowers and jumping over 7 fences to dream about the man you’ll marry etc.

However on Saturday masses of us Swedes will celebrate Midsummers Eve by attending a picnic in Hyde Park. We will have flowers in our hair, sing drinking songs, dance and sing the little frog dance around the maypole and eat pickled herring and potatoes with sour cream and chive sauce.

We did it!

Thanks to everyone that have helped, together we can move mountains. My friend is in Sweden, her husband has started to study Swedish and her son is enroled in school. But the best thing is her son can run wild and free like kids should.

If you understand Swedish then you can read more about her trip to Sweden here.

World Cup Fever – Waka Waka

Yes it has started, the Football World Cup is here and it feels fantastic, the energy is electric and I got some major World Cup Fever 😀 And Sweden isn’t even in the World Cup, but hey I’m quite glad we’re not, if that’s what it took to get rid of our USELESS coach Lagerbäck then it was a price I am more than happy to pay. Just feel sorry for Nigeria getting stuck with him, unless the Nigerian players are absolutely brilliant then I don’t think they’ll do to well…..

Hehehehehehe would be nice to see how the Nigerians act when Lagerbäck goes on TV saying how happy he was with the team, the game and the performance even if they loose every bloody game. Hmmm somehow don’t think they will be as nice about it as your average Swede…

So yes I’m I am watching and supporting my adopted country England in this tournament, come on! Will probably be found in the pub for most games (apart from the last 4 games when I’m in India) cheering and drinking 😉 And don’t forget there is still time to enter a Fantasy Football team here http://fantasyfootball.metro.co.uk/worldcup/ if you hurry, don’t pick any players from South Africa or Mexico as they have already played a game, also make sure you register your team before 19.30 GMT as the 2nd game of the tournament starts then.

When you fall get up, oh oh
If you fall get up, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Cuz this is Africa
Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

Listen to your God
This is our motto
Your time to shine
Don’t wait in line
Y vamos por todo

People are raising
Their expectations
Go on and feed them
This is your moment
No hesitations

Today’s your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Believe it