First Day of Summer

Summer’s here! And if you’re Spanish, it starts today, St Juan. Last night all over Spain they lit bonfires, threw crackers, partied with fireworks. If you live near the sea, after a midnight dip, your sins of last year are cleansed. Others jump bonfires 3 times for good luck for the year ahead. Pagan mixed with todays religion and it goes on until 6am. Don’t expect much sleep if you live near a beach (me)! Cycling back yesterday afternoon, I saw tucked out the way in the Forum, the clean up tractors all ready! Skips, extra large wheelie bins and pottapotties lined up all along  the beaches. It’s a big night! Schools out until September, Summer’s begun!

I hope you had a great weekend! My only plans were training, running, sorting out and catch up on sleep. Exciting.

Hairdressers Friday and no Hilary blow drys this time. I got the girl who I should have cut it on my last appointment (Last time they gave me the Hilary blow dry. I’m not that old!). I’m hoping I got the day right with the Summer Solstice for making it grow longer quicker. This year, I’m trying out cutting it by the lunar cycle to make it grow. Different sites say different times. It was last cut at the Spring Solitice, but I feel it’s only grown a little. She didn’t take much off this time as it’s in better condition though I forgot to ask for a blunt cut, which you’re meant to do if following the lunar chart. Various lunar cycle days are recommended for root work, strengthening and stopping hair growth, based on farmers planting crops by the moon cycle (it’s been done for years apparently!). If it works for them it must work for hair right?!

Placa Catalunya, Friday afternoon

Saturday I’m not sure what happened. Maybe as I was tired from the week I felt like I had a hangover. A hangover from tiredness. It wasn’t until about 10pm I left normal. Groggy all day with little motivation. Head space not with it and it took a little while to get in training at home or anything. Recently I’ve been feeling like I can’t get a break from anything. I train at home at the weekends to get a break from the gym. Travelling there and back is about an hour and the theory is, save time have more of a life. However there are days, my mind just can’t catch a break. Plan this, plan that, do that, this hanging over me, post this way, change it that way, that needs tidying up. All I want to do is sleep, eat a healthy dinner, make time to draw, make bracelets, write posts that pop up, read others, read a magazine, be outside or do those things outdoors and still train of course! I’m a different person afterwards. Some days I haven’t got time for social media and there’s always a new one to be on. What did people do before before social media? Where do they find time to be on it all day? Do they have a life off their phone? Do they need to be liked to feel validated? What would they do without being cheered on? It’s like we’re still in high school and those that don’t know how to play, want to play or are picked last are still wondering what the popular ones IT factor is. Then we realise we sparkle just as much. It’s how we play the sparkle!

My training partners. AJ wants the mat, D joined me for yoga

30 burpees are nearly mine. 5 more to add to be average a Saturday practice set in my circuits for October’s Spartan Race. I do them at the end of my circuits, when I have less energy so I get used to them more easily on race day when I’m knackered. I also finally sorted out my make up collection. I collect vintage make up compacts and pots from the 20’s to 70’s, when it the packaging had an air of glamour. I haven’t added to it for years aside from my own make up made up of old favourites, which I recycled. It’s not as beautiful and was taking up space. I can’t believe how much I had and it’s better recycled. It doesn’t hold the same appeal. A lot of the packaging is generic with different labels. The place felt lighter afterwards. It’s really is amazing what we keep!

Sunday run. 14km up the coast with packed beaches!

Sunday, fully recovered from my tired hangover, I felt rested! So rested I whipped up banana and oat cookies, TIU blueberry protein bars, juices for the week before my run. I was on fire! And I started my run before midday. Definitely on fire! I switched up travelling across the monkey bars coming back. Rather than just going forward, I travelled across laterally and spent longer without rest. Felt fine until I looked at my hands. Shredded! Popped blisters! I’ve spent the past 2 days with paws hands. The only way to keep them clean and plasters sticking is with white tape wrapped around (don’t buy cheap tape, it doesn’t stick. Go for the more expensive brands. The tape sticks!). I look a sight! But they still function, it’s better they shred now than on race day. I hoping they allow tapping on the day (one of the guys I’m running Spartan with recommended taping up when I practice). I can still lift weights, I modify chin ups, I carry on, just with paw hands. I got just a little jealous of the monkeys and lemurs running and jumping around at the zoo later. It’s so easy for them! The beach, I went to for just 20 minutes. I forget how noisy and busy it gets on a Sunday. I prefer to hang out with the lemurs!

Monkey bar blisters

Lemur, Barcelona Zoo

I got a little jealous of this guy wading in the cool water!

1st baby peacock/hen at the zoo!

Do you celebrate the summer Solstice? My thing is no lights until it dark if I’m at home. What’s your view on social media? Too much pressure or just a current fad? I try to limited myself to blogs and Instagram. I want to know what did all the programmers and hackers do before the internet was invented.