What have I got myself into?

I ran over that tyne bridge! How cool is that?!

Last year, I went to a pub by the quayside seeing people running getting their medals and seeing their massive grins on their faces. You know what I can do that! So here I am, writing this with achy muscles the day after the Great North Run. What was I thinking? 

Most people who run a half marathon train 16 weeks, me nope! I somehow did the Gateshead 10K and haven't put my running shoes on to do serious running since the children break up for summer holiday. What was I doing? I could of logged in some miles at least get my legs going but hey ho. I was walking from town to Byker four days a week, that counts as exercise. Right?

The day before arrived, it hasn't sank in that the next day I'm running 13.1 miles. I did knitting and had to redo my seaming, I was not a happy bunny when I had to take my lastest seaming apart but I must say my knitting does look neat now.  After knitting it was time to get some pasta and oh my goodness look at how many people they are at the Quayside. My friend and I were on a tight schedule, I am not keen on huge crowds either. A a nail hit my head when I was reading the good luck messages while queuing for the pasta party.  That's when reality sank in I am doing the great north run, without sufficient training. What have I done?

So yes, I did the great north run yesterday (Sunday 10th September) with no training. Something I don't recommend! Please don't do it. Note to myself, please train more than you did.

Pasta with leftover chicken from chicken fajitas 

Dinner was two huge bowls of pasta.  I watched a film with cake and a cup of tea before bed. I woke up 6am to make sure i'm up and awake and get a lot of food down me. Porridge, jelly babies, and tracker bar. Yes all of this for breakfast is needed!! Time to get ready, and that's when I cired. I'm doing this!!

I got the bus in to town each direction you looked you saw loads of people, people wearing costumes people wearing charity tops, people wearing running clubs vest. It was awesome. Everyone so excited at the same time nervous. Put the bag on the bus felt like I was heading home. Such a shame I wasn't otherwise I could get a cup of coffee! Then it was time to find my pen and start warming up. That's it, no turning back. I made it! It was awesome, how people talked to each other, amazing people were fundraising for such amazing cause. And yes, I cried by looking at people messages on the the back infact I cried quite often more of that later.

Look at me, at the start line!

The run was good the atmosphere was amazing, people cheering you on, children giving you high fives and throwing water at you. People giving you  jelly babies, ice pops, biscuits and sweets. If you were fast enough and liked beer at mile 10 you could get beer.  I will definitely do this run next year and this time I would train a lot more and maybe get my time down.

I love all of the great north run, firstly was to see Mo running the route backwards. Yes after he ran the route he decided to run it again from South Shields to Newcastle. Because why not? Second was to run on the iconic tyne bridge. I actually ran on the Tyne Bridge where the cars are normally are but not yesterday, yesterday the roads were covered with runner's. Then going underneath the tunnels people were saying 'oggy oggy oggy' towards the end people were saying it though we had no energy to say 'oi oi oi.' Running over the bridge brought me to tears! I was very emotional yesterday.

Lindisfarne, run for home

And they even sang this song, which always gets me. Ever since hearing it in Ryton last year in our local pub at the time just reminded me of all my friends back down south. I was in tears and not just little tears literally sobbing so everyone asked 'Are you OKAY?' I just said yes, it this song. It's weird how a song can bring you to joy but also sadness.

I planned my route out, the first 6 miles was supposed to be a really s-l-o-w pace, then the second half the first half of the half (got that?) was gonna be a really slow parkrun then the second bit of the half a really fast parkrun. What I didn't take into account? Is people. Yes people. Mostly everyone were walking and when you were running it was draining you had to weave in and out of people so sometimes it was quicker to walk than run. How does that even make sense?

Anyhow I made it to the end with a sprint. My instinct is to sprint at the end, don't give me those eyes. When I was younger I used to do running so I can do a mile in a 5 minutes and kilometer in three minutes when I would like to try. I just want to end the run mentally even though my body can easily carry more. Drum roll please. My time was 2hr:58mins:08sec. I'm so chuffed with that, just under three hours with no training mostly walking at a fast pace.

I wanted to phone my Mum saying 'I actually finish the Great North Run, I did it!' Though my phone died or it switched itself off. Hey ho! Why does phone always play up at the moment you need it. I just want my blue hoodie (the one that I'm always wearing). I talked to this person and we were using the same transport to get to town which was the metro. I was so glad we meet each other. Could you imagine queuing a line with no phone, no one to talk to? Me neither. So I got on the metro, it was like back in London on the underground! Yep it was that bad. I went to a shop in the Haymarket (metro station) To ask if I could use a phone to contact Mum to ask where my Mum and Dad are. And this person said yes because A) You ran Great North Run B) The boss is at home. Luckily my folks chose a pub which is two minute walk away and I even had a meal out. And I told my parents and friends, i'm going to run a marathon next. Challenge here I come!!!! With open arms and yes I will do more training this time.

Now phones are weird! I thought my phone was dead, so when I charged my phone up in the pub as you do. I switched it on in order to get to Grandpa's house as I use my phone as a bus ticket. How cool is that? Strava managed to track my run, and even when I was on metro it still managed to track me. How is that even possible? I had to switch my phone on. It makes no sense at all. Technology is now beyond me. You can even get a Garmin watch and pay for something with your watch. That is pretty cool but just weird.

After all that running, i'm having hot coco and rocky roads chocolate brownies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Introvert

Hi! I'm Rebekah and I am an introvert.

Introverts I'm sure you know the word and I'm sure you heard it. Maybe you know a lot about it maybe you don't. Basically, introversion is the opposite off extroversion which is on the opposite spectrum off personaility traits they dictate how your brain wired, works, function and how you act around people. But more important how you energize. However, you can be both this is called ambient where you are on the fence of introvert and extrovert. Usually, you lean more towards one or the other and I think my case is more leaned to introvert. For example, I prefer a lot of time inside reading a good book(if you haven't realised, well only if no assignments need my attention) than going out to a party.

I find small talk really boring. I tend to go into a deeper stuff which can be off putting I think and intense. I find it difficult to talk to new people and meet new people because I feel really shy, awkward and weird. I even feel weird when talking to a group of friends whom I haven't seen a while I don't know why I feel this way, just do.

These things don't make me an introvert but they are definitely common traits of personaility and I think you know which one you lean towards.

I know my family whom I won't shame them on here since they do actually read this blog. But because I don't like going out in a big groups or talk about the small stuff they label me being 'anti-social.' Maybe you get this in your life. Well I always getting annoyed at this but I have come to realization that people whom call you 'anti-social' haven't seen us the right way. Have they?

Just because you feel so tired after talking to people or like talking about the deep stuff or even feel so awkward when talking to people. DOES NOT MAKE YOU WEIRD. Or anyway being labelled introvert for just being the way you are.

Being introvert is not a bad thing either. I think there is a stigma because extroverts are seen as a norm. In order to be successful in life or even your chosen career. You need to be a big, social, beautiful butterfly, you need to be super confident and good at talking to people. I believe that is not true there are so many people who shaped the world who were introverts, such as J.K. Rowling, Emma Watson, Bill Gates, and Albert Einstein.  All these people are introverts and responsible for shaping the world.

Don't be scared for being weird you still capable of doing wonderful things in life.

I'm not writing this post to say extroverts  are bad. On the contrary, I think some of my friends are extroverts. But I do think there is a stigma on introverts as it not as respected like extroverts is. Which is dump and stupid. You should be how crazy or weird as you want to be. Just be yourself.

I would really appreciate if you would comment down below and let me know whether you an introvert or extrovert perhaps both. I'm kinda interested in what you folks say. Hopefully you know me and I get to know you better.

Be weird stay weird.

It's that time again to make targets for the year ahead.

Every year comes. People make resolutions. Reason behind that is to either get fit or be happy person really is to make a better person. Aren't they good intentions? It may come across surprising but only 8% actually achieve their New Year's resolution.

Every year I try and cut down on my hot chocolate intake, or how much chocolate I have. Does it work? No not really. It does until February then I revert back to my old ways again. It is easy right.

This year I had an intention to read more, one of my friends and I loved reading but never really had time with the revision we had to do in year 11. To overcome this problem we had set a challenge to read 17 books this year 2015. Drum roll please. The answer is yes we did the challenge. I actually read 18 books. I do not know the exact number my friend read.

Let me guess, you want to lose weight, or maybe just eat healthier. Perhaps you want to spend more time with your friends and family.

I know I do.

Right since you got the your new resolution for 2016. You might be thinking how can I succeed this year? Well read on then.

I  do not like having one resolution for the entire year, I like to have mini targets if I achieve them I get a reward like a book. Yippee! You can also try that. I particular find it helpful to analyze my mini month resolution by asking these questions to myself Why? Why not? working.

I am very competitive person. If you and a friend got a same resolution then compete with each other. If you are keen on running then why not see who can run 5k the fastest? You sure will keep your resolution.

Sometimes changing behavior can be challenging. It’s simple in theory, but when the rubber hits the road, we can easily fall back on old bad habits. Light a fire under your goals to make yourself accountable for what you really want to accomplish.

Consider using negative consequences when you don’t complete the action steps you’ve committed to. I will let you decide on that one.

If you are very busy person or forgetful. Hey, do not point me! What I am trying to say, if you need some thing to nudge you. You can always put a reminder on your smartphone. For example, if you want to start running, You can then always put running in your calendar and set a time. This makes sure you do it and get a rest day in between.

Now you have the key things to accomplish your New Year resolution. You may wish to make your New Year resolution as a target in which case. Read on and I will explain how can you write one that will work!



Specific- The target must be clearly stated, saying exactly what is meant, such as walk for 20 minutes a day for one week. This is clear and cannot be misunderstood or used as an excuse.

Measurable-Is it too vague too say do more exercise, an amount must be stated, therefore you can prove that you have met the target.

Achievable- You must feel it is possible to achieve the target set otherwise you will give up. If someone said they would like to exercise for 4 hours a day is not achievable but 20 minutes a day is reasonable.

Realistic-Target must be realistic, you must be able to do it. It is unrealistic to to expect who is older and not very fit to run for 30 minutes a day, but it is realistic to ask the same of a fit younger person.

Time-related- You should set a deadline set by which you reach the target therefore the progress can be assessed.

I might as well share you my two resolution. Most of you know that I like to run. But only when I would like to. I am going to make running a part of my life. I am training myself to do 5k run in about 20 minutes after I done that. I also want a challenge and going to do 10k run.  Hopefully I can train myself to run 10k before the Yateley 10K run. If you are available to, comment downstairs what is your New Year resolution/

The New Year is a time to hope and dream and to make those dreams a reality, but it takes work. You can set yourself up for success by starting early, setting up realistic action steps, and engaging supportive people so 2016 becomes a year of great accomplishments for you.

Do you worry?

It's been a while, so I begin with a huge apology to all those crowds of you who have been anxiously refreshing your web browsers waiting for the next instalment.  Well for my weekly post apart from the Writing Wednesday post. What's that? Oh, well an apology to my two readers then.
 
I have been worrying lots about not meeting my expectations. I also bumped into my long friend from dancing who was also worrying. So I'm glad I'm not the only one worrying. So I was walking to the train station and picked up my phone read a long email message from my friend. Who gave me such an inspirational bible verse. O.K. it's a bible verse. What's so uplifting about that? You have to answer that question yourself!
 
Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
 

Worry does rob us of our strength for today doesn’t it? Have you ever been so worried about something, that you felt paralyzed by fear? Have you ever been so worried or fretful that you found it difficult to concentrate or accomplish anything worthwhile or be productive? Have you ever been so worried that you failed to follow through on something good God had called you to do?

Worry does that to us—it robs us of precious opportunities to do what is right, to do what is good, to do what is helpful. We get so gripped by worry that it hinders us from being effective for the Lord. Instead of standing fast in the Lord and being spiritually stable, when we are filled with worry we are wavering, ineffective and unstable.

Notice the first part of verse 6. Be anxious for nothing. Commenting on the word anxious, Warren Wiersbe says…"What is worry? The Greek word translated “anxious” (careful) in Philippians 4:6 means “to be pulled in different directions.” Our hopes pull us in one direction; our fears pull us the opposite direction; and we are pulled apart! The Old English root from which we get our word “worry” means “to strangle.” If you have ever really worried, you know how it does strangle a person! In fact, worry has definite physical consequences: headaches, neck pains, ulcers, even back pains. Worry affects our thinking, our digestion, and even our coordination."

All of us at some time in our lives have probably experienced worry. Some of us may spend a lot of time worrying. Maybe you think you are just a “worrier” by nature and there isn’t much you can do to change it. Well I have good news for you this afternoon. There is a cure for worry and it’s found right here in the passage. We don’t have to be enslaved by our fears. Worry doesn’t need to overwhelm us and keep us from being our best for God. There is freedom from worry for the believer.

 

Paul tells us to be anxious for nothing. Now we can’t say back to him, “well that’s easy for you to say, you don’t face the kind of trials I’m facing.” If anyone had cause for worry don’t you think it was Paul? He is writing this while he’s a prisoner chained to a Roman guard. He faces an uncertain future. He could be facing death for all he knows. Yet he tells the Philippian believers to be anxious about nothing. Don’t worry, Paul says.

Take heart in what we are told in 1 Peter 5:7.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (NIV)

But a little worry is okay, right? No—we are not to worry. We are not to worry at all. We are not to worry about anything. Paul says be anxious for nothing. He doesn’t say it’s okay to worry about a few things or that one thing that is heavy on your heart. No—He says be anxious for nothing. Don’t be worried about anything.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying we shouldn’t care or be concerned. We should care enough and be concerned enough to do what we can in a situation that could potentially worry us. For example if you are in college and you have a test coming up you should care enough about your grade that you take time to study and prepare but you shouldn’t sit around worrying about your grade. If you have an unsaved friend or loved one you should be concerned enough to share Christ and to be a good testimony and to pray for their salvation but you shouldn’t be overcome with worry.

Maybe you’re thinking, I do worry too much and I would really like to be obedient in this area. I want to stop worrying. I’ve tried not to worry but the harder I try the more it seems I worry. How can I quit being such a worried person? There is a cure for worry. Instead of worrying we need to be prayerful.

 

Look again at verse 6. "but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;"

 

 

Prayer is the replacement for worry.

 

 If you don’t want to worry then you need to pray. Are you to only pray about a few things and worry about others? No, it says in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Pray about everything! Pray about the big things and the little things that concern you. Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything! As Matthew Henry said…

When any thing burdens our spirits, we must ease our minds by prayer; when our affairs are perplexed or distressed, we must seek direction and support. 

Prayer is vital and important in the life of the believer. Jesus told us to pray and not lose heart. It says of Jesus in Luke 18:1;

Luke 18:1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, (NASB)

And in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 we are told to pray without ceasing.

 

When you find yourself tempted to worry about something get on your knees instead. Replace your worry with prayer to your Heavenly Father. Charles Tindley, who wrote many Gospel songs was visited by a man who was a constant worrier. After listening to this man for a while Tindley said, “My advice to you is put all your troubles in a sack, take ‘em to the Lord, and leave ‘em there. Tindley wrote the song, Leave it There and the chorus goes like this;

 

Leave it there, leave it there,
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out.
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

 

That is what you need to do. You need to take your burdens to the Lord and leave them with Him. Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything. Instead of worrying, take your cares to the Lord in prayer.

 

Our prayers and supplications are to be offered up with thanksgiving. Don’t miss this! If you want to be free from worry then you not only need to pray about everything, but you need to pray with thanksgiving. What a wonderful cure for worry is prayer with thanksgiving. When we have grateful hearts our attention is focused on God and His goodness and we get our eyes off our feeble, puny selves and on our mighty, powerful, sovereign, loving God.

 

Did you realize that when you worry you aren’t trusting God like you should. Is it easy to pray and trust and not worry? No—it’s not easy, otherwise Colossians 4:2 wouldn’t tell us that we are to;

 

Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

 

Did you realize that when you are focused on God and His goodness it gets the focus off of you and your problems and instead of worry you can rest confidently knowing that God is working everything in your life for your good.

 

If you have difficulty praying with thanksgiving maybe you need to understand and know God better. The more you get into God’s Word and the closer you are to Him and the more you experience His faithfulness in your life, the more your heart will be filled with thanksgiving.

 

As you learn and understand and know how wonderful God is your heart will be filled with praise and thanksgiving. If you lack gratitude in your life then you need to know the Lord better. He is good and gracious and the better you know Him the greater your reasons for thanksgiving.

 

Worry robs us of joy, but when we get our eyes back on the Lord through prayer that is filled with thanksgiving our worries fade. We understand that God is in control and even in the troubling circumstances He is working it all out for our good.

When there is cause for alarm or worry in your life, pray with thanksgiving. God is in control. No matter how bad your situation is God can use it to strengthen you, to grow you. His purpose will prevail and you can trust Him even in the midst of difficulty.

 

And look at the results with me. When you learn to stop worrying and start praying about everything with thanksgiving the results are peace.

 

Do you want to experience His peace? When you replace thankful prayer for worry, God graciously gives you His peace.

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

He gives us peace that is beyond all understanding. It’s beyond our comprehension. God can give you inner tranquillity when the storms are raging all around you. When your mind is focused on God through thankful prayer He gives you peace.

 

God’s peace protects you from anxiety and worry. As Christians we don’t have to be worried and fretful and uptight. There is a cure for worry and it’s found through prayer with thanksgiving.

When you feel like worrying you need to pray instead—pray with thanksgiving and God will give you peace that you can’t explain.

 

J. Oswald Sanders said…

Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.

And he’s so right. If you’d rather experience God’s peace than be worried about your troubles, then pray about everything with thanksgiving. That is the cure for worry. That is the key to peace in your life. It doesn’t mean your troubles will vanish but in the midst of your troubles God can flood you with His peace.

 

Worry won’t bring you peace. Prayer with thanksgiving will. Worry isn’t the answer to all your grief and trials but faithful prayer with thanksgiving is.

If you're feeling anxious you may want to try these things out.

 

Control your breathing

If you're feeling so anxious that you can barely think or stay still, then it's likely that your heart rate is up and that you feel like you can't get enough air -- even if you're breathing twice as quickly as you normally do. If you want to control your breathing, then you should take the time to sit down wherever you are, to close your eyes, and to focus on returning your breath to its normal state. You can also try this exercise for good measure

• Breathe in slowly through your nose for 5-7 seconds.
• Hold your breath in for 3-4 seconds.
• Breathe out slowly through your pursed lips like you're whistling for 7-8 seconds.
• Repeat these steps 10-20 times, until your breathing has returned to normal

Know what you can and can't control

 

Knowing what you can and can't control can go a long way in preventing your anxiety. Make a list of all of the things that are worrying you, and mark the ones that you can and can't control. Tackling the ones you can control will make you feel more productive, and realizing that there are some things outside of your control will help you let go of your anxious thoughts.

• Tell yourself that you're not helping anyone, not yourself, and not anyone around you, by wasting your time worrying about things you can't fix.

Learn to live in the present

Learning to live in the present can take a lifetime, but it will be worth it. Embracing every moment and opportunity that comes your way will help you stay grounded in the present instead of worrying over something in the past or in the future that can cause you harm. Take the time to "wake up and smell the roses" by slowing down, enjoying your relationship, taking a daily walk, and unplugging from your computer and phone for several hours every day. Can you manage that?

• Meditate. Meditating for 10-20 minutes every day can help you focus on your body and your mind and on what's happening around you.
• Use all of your senses. Take the time to appreciate the sights, smells, and feelings around you.
• Don't take a day of your life for granted. Write down all of the things you're thankful for and embrace them as much as you can.

 

 

 

Who are you again?

I should know you, shouldn't I?
It's in your face, a taut, expectant smile.

that hopes I do. God knows, I don't want to offend-
a perfect stranger? A long-last friend?

I may not know you,
but I want to!!!!

I sit here in my bedroom on my sofa and trying to work out what poem to write today. Most of you know that I suffer from face blindness in case you don't here is the link. I can't recognize myself in photos or even my friends in the photo. Which is ever so annoying, especially when your friends think it's so funny. Well to assure you, it's not funny. It is rather embarrassing. The worse scenario  is when you try new clothes and can't work out who the person is in the mirror. Wait it's you, 

When I meet new people I have to try to remember who is wearing what. Though people keep taking their hoodies, jumpers you name it they take it off with in reason. They form a different person. So there's me saying 'hello, my name is Rebekah what is yours?' I always get 'hello, we met in about ten minutes ago.' It's O.K. if you can't remember names but faces. Oh even people who you just met around ten minutes ago.

I am not good with reconsigning faces. However I am really good at remembering people by their clothes and type of style and I know people far away just by the way they are walking. So there is an advantage of being face blindness. Apart from that it sucks.

There was an encounter today when I was drinking my coffee in a pub while I was waiting for my friend. Who had a haircut. Did I recognize her? I'm afraid not. O.K. that was one of them then a few minutes went by and another person walked by, my friend Tia goes 'hang on, that person over there is from church.' I'm going 'no, it can't be. I don't remember that person. It's a stranger.' Then Tia goes' it's Louise from church'. I know Louise for about three years now and Tia only met this person about two times. 

So if you have face blindness or just can't recognize people. Here are some tips that I learned on the way that can help. 
1) At gatherings where there are some people you know, treat everyone in a friendly
way. Smile and say hello to people in passing and this will prevent people thinking you
are ignoring them. 
2) Get people to wear name tags if appropriate. 
3)  Make diagrams and notes of where people are sitting in class. This only helps if people stay in it that place. 
4) Try to work out what that person likes wearing or what they tend to wear. 

If you got any other tips that I haven't mentioned then pop them downstairs. 

Oh I forgot to mention. I gone over 1,000 page views. How did that happen?