At the end of April I finally managed to swim 400m (the super-sprint triathlon distance) non stop in the pool. But my triathlon event is at Eton Dorney and the swim takes place in the olympic rowing lake – quite a different prospect. With the weather approaching something that looked almost like Summer, I decided it was time to get outside and have a go at swimming in open water. I’m very fortunate that there are plenty of open water…
When I signed up for the triathlon I wasn’t sure if I wanted to use it to fundraise for charity. But after some thought I felt that it would be a wasted opportunity if I didn’t. I’ve been supporting MSF (Medecins sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders) for the last few years and I’m in absolute awe of the work they do. Going into the most difficult situations and helping people in desperate need. From being bombed in Afghanistan to working on…
I’d been planning to leave the cycling part of my triathlon training until the warmer weather kicked it, but with running out of the question for a while at least, in February I decided to get on my bike. Except I didn’t actually have a bike – and hadn’t ridden one since I was in my 20s (a very long time ago…….). My idea of cycling was to sit and watch the Tour de France during my afternoon coffee break….
When it comes to triathlon it’s the swimming that’s intimidating for a beginner. Especially if, like me, you’ve never progressed beyond slow breast stroke with your face kept well out of the water. I love swimming in the sea – provided it’s warm, sunny and clear. Think Australia, the Med, Malaysia. Swimming pools bring back horrible memories of freezing cold school lessons and nasty changing rooms with unknown substances lurking in the corners. But I got myself down to my…
My road to triathlon started in September 2015 when I decided to get serious about getting fit. A week of using a pedometer revealed the sad fact that the recommended 10,000 steps per day was going to take a bit more effort than the occasional walk to the shops. Faced with a choice of walking further or moving faster, I went for the latter. I’d tried running (or, let’s be honest, jogging) before and failed. The minute the evenings got…
I’m currently training for a triathlon. Yes me. Wrong side of 50. Unfit. Utterly useless at sport. Must be mad. Exactly one year ago today I was told I had breast cancer and needed a mastectomy. That was a bit of a shocker. I’d no lump or any of the other symptoms we’re told to look out for. I’d gone along for my first mammogram like a good girl. Breezed in and out so fast I didn’t even need to…
I’ve been playing around with collages for a while, but without producing anything I really love. But I’m really pleased with this effort – not exactly a masterpiece but some nice little touches. The background I took from a very old paperback copy of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca which was falling to bits plus some scrapbooking papers. The paper flowers are also from scrapbooking papers. I don’t have a die cutter so used this tutorial from YouTube. The caption was…
I just created my first infographic and I’m so pleased I wanted to add it here as well as on the main Paprika Marketing website…….. Courtesy of: Paprika Marketing
It’s been an exciting summer planning my new venture and this week I’ve just launched Paprika Marketing – a new marketing consultancy offering hot and tasty online marketing for small businesses. Having decided that going back to full time employment wasn’t for me, the next step was to decide what type of new business I wanted. I looked at what I’d enjoyed most while running The Wedding Crafter and the answer was easy – the marketing. And with my technical…
What a frantic first 4 months of 2011! Having decided in late 2010 that it was time to sell the business and move on to new challenges, I was thrilled to find a buyer just before Christmas. However, if you think selling a house is fraught, selling a business has even more pitfalls. Finally, after one false start and a VERY busy time keeping things going through the peak period, everything was completed at the end of April and I’m now a lady…