Able Fitness - The Site - The Blog!

Mountain Excitement - Return to the Hills

2012-01-16T22:08:00.000Z

That's where we're heading

It was a great day to test out my new pair of walking poles yesterday. Beautiful blue sky and glittering frosted grasses. The mountain peaks beckoned. So armed with the essential flask of strong black coffee, the important packed lunch and the even more critical bottle of water, we set off.Parking at the base of the Marchlyn Mawr Reservoir, at the lower end of a very long and winding access road, we looked towards our planned route. Elidir Fawr, a sharp ridge across to the second peak, Mynydd Perfedd and a craggy final peak, Carnedd Filiast.

Getting used to my poles took a few minute to be honest, having previously always relied on body power alone, it was a welcome and noticeable change to be able to push back on them for additional propulsion. We set off in brilliant sunshine, but soon hit the vast shady side of the valley below the mass of Elidir Fawr, so we stopped for hot coffee at the reservoir dam, before proceeding further up the spur towards the summit.

Mmmmm!

The track followed a zig zag trail right alongside the huge rock back-dropped void to the lake below and we had to be careful not to slip on the scree and icy grass. The last hundred yards were a bit of a scramble, the rough boulders looked like a bank of broken grey biscuits, dusted with frozen icing sugar, and were as slippery as they looked.

Slippery when icy

A view of the Reservoir beyond the frozen biscuits

We reached the sunlit ridge and ascended the final 100 meters to the summit cairn. We sheltered from a bitterly cold South Easterly in the sunny side of the cairn, and absorbed the fantastic views across Anglesey to one side, – from Newborough to Penmon, and the whole of Snowdonia to the other. I even phoned my mum and gave her a wave – not that she could see me!

Lovely view, brilliant sunshine

The descent down the sharp ridge from Elidir Fawr to the col was exposed and exciting, and made a change from the hard slog up. After a short scramble we headed towards the summit of Mynydd Perfedd and the increasingly blustery wind forced its way into every gap in my winter clothing. Brrrrrrrrr!

This last stretch along the shoulder between Mynydd Perfedd and Carnedd Filiast, was spent admiring the stunning open views over the Carneddau to the cold North and our first peak of Elidir Fawr to the South. We found photographic opportunities up here, and I was particularly impressed with a frozen pool, full of tiny mosses caught along with bubbles in the thick ice. The descent from Carenedd Filiast down alongside it’s rocky crags took about twenty minutes, before the final easy leg down the tarmacked road to the van.

Champagne on Ice!

Last of the Sunshine over Elidir Fawr and Frozen Pool

As we sat drinking a last cup of coffee at the open side door of the van, we reflected on our fantastic day out as we watched the sun set over the sea beyond the peninsula.

We're Walking in the Wind

2011-12-31T15:00:00.002Z

Don't blow me in please :-)

It turned into a wind blown Christmas Day, but at least therain held off as my husband, Glyn, and I set off for a brisk walk along theAnglesey cliff tops. From PorthDafarch towards Holyhead we head butted the wind, eyeballed a cauldron of cold blue sea, passed several sleepy cows and sang "Happy Christmas" toone man and his dog. It was fantastic to simply indulge in some atmospheric quality time with no-one around. OccasionallyI had to clutch Glyn's arm to prevent myself form being blown into the sea as the might of the blustery weather pushed at me. I wasn’t in the right mood for swimming!

Christmas lunch for cattle - what a view they have!

Just the ONE mince pie!

While most people were enveloped in warmth and good cheer, we were pushingour way past stormy seas and tracing ancient paths. When we found a favourite small pebbly cove, we hunkered down to eat our deliciousChristmas lunch - egg sandwiches and a mince pie each, chased down by hotsteaming coffee. Heavenly! What awonderful way to celebrate Christmas day, no hectic cooking, no monotonous TV, nomad rush to open presents. Justthe sea and it’s crashing waves, the blustery wind and good sturdy calorieburning walking.

Heading back to the car and another coffee!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas too, but still managed to get outfor a healthy food burning walk ?

Yule Be Grateful Next Year :-)

2011-12-23T21:55:00.002Z

"Winter snow walk" © Glyn Davies

How many times have you woken up on New Years day regretting those two weeks of over indulging, neglecting your fitness regime and feeling extremely guilty? Year on year people tell me things will be different, but then the festivities take hold and suddenly a little too much of what they fancy has done them no good at all! There is a saying “A moment on the lips …….!”Well this year you COULD make a difference by setting a few simple rules:

• Don’t buy the largest tin of chocolates on offer at the supermarket, tempted by the 2 for 1 offer as well - buy a smaller box!

• Don’t be tempted by all the selections of liqueur flavoured puddings and creams that are now available - opt instead for more healthy options such as tasty fresh fruit selecions topped with a lashing of organic natural yogurt.

• Mince pies have an average of 185 calories, so make it a maximum of one a day!

• It only takes 3,500 calories to add an extra 1lb in body fat. Standing at the party buffet picking at what look like harmless morcels of food could well contribute considerably to additional body fat!

• Avoid piling butter on the fresh bread rolls, quality ‘naked’ bread can be still be very tasty!

• Opt for healthier, low-fat cheese such as Edam - Blue cheese is full of fat calories.

• Try drinking white wine spritzers or low calorie drinks. Sparkling water will help re-hydrate and prevent that mind-blowing hangover!

• Walk wherever you can. Why not walk around delivering your local cards, leave the car at home, maybe take the dog with you - if you have one, don't steal one ! :-)

• Why not take the family out for an extended Christmas/Boxing Day walk and burn off a few of the extra calories about to be consumed.

"Getting over Christmas" © Glyn Davies

The season’s festivities don’t have to be spoiled, just controlled. Ask yourself, “Do I really need all this extra food and alcohol? Do I need to ignore my fitness routine completely and ruin a whole year’s hard work?”

Think about entering 2012 de-stressed and relaxed - Wake up on New Years day, pat yourself on the back and say “I did it, I survived, I took charge and now I’ll carry on keeping fit, staying healthy and I can be happily guilt free!” After all, no one is forcing you to put all those extra calories into your mouth, it’s ONLY you who can take control.

"A brighter outlook" © Glyn Davies

So here’s wishing you a very Happy Healthy Christmas and a Joyful ‘Hangover Free’ New Year' :-)

Carol xx

This is why I do what I do.

2011-10-26T19:03:00.000+01:00

When you spend time working on a one to one basis with clients, its always nice to get feedback. especially when they say you have made such a difference to their lives!

Today I was sent a testimonial from someone who had finished his sessions over a year ago, but who still appreciates the time he trained with me.

This is what makes it all so worth while :-)

................................................

Testimonial

"I would like to say a big thank you to Carol for all she has done for me and helped me since I started with her back in March 2009.

I am a totally different person now and want to thank her, especially for a life changing decision I made in late 2010 when I decided to go to college in September 2011 and study a full time course in Sport and Exercise Science and give up my full time job.

I had been considering going to college for a couple of years but just didn't have enough courage to do it! Ever since I started with Carol and started exercising and eating healthy I became interested in fitness and was encouraged by Carol to look into doing a college course or to do something I enjoyed.

I have suffered with my back for a long time and knew that my work was the main cause. I finally plucked up enough courage to enroll with college and I am now a couple of months into it and I'm enjoying it more than I could have ever imagined.

Although I am new to all the subjects, training with Carol and my one to one sessions have helped give me a good background knowledge which is helping me in college now.

I would like to once again say how grateful I am to Carol because without her I wouldn't be where I am today with dreams and the prospect of a future, something I didn't have before!

If you are reading this and thinking of seeing Carol I would highly recommend you do as she has not only changed the health and fitness part of my life, she's made my whole life a lot better!

I will always be grateful to you Carol.

Thank you xxx"

Aled October 2011

................................................

Thank you Aled, this brought tears to my eyes and made my day. :-) xx

Are you Drinking Enough - WATER!

2011-08-23T20:52:00.000+01:00


Photography by Glyn Davies

It is important that you keep drinking – WATER !

•    Did you know that our adult bodies are estimated to be approximately about 60 – 70% water? (Our blood is mostly made of water and our muscles, lungs and brain all contain water).
•    Are you aware that we should all drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, as it’s essential for good health?
•    Do you know that exercise increases our fluid requirements? The more we sweat, the more we need to drink to replace the fluid we have lost. If you are very active, you will lose more water than if you are sedentary.
•    We lose water through sweating, respiration and urination?

Every function within the body is dependent on water. Our bodies need water to regulate body temperature as it provides transportation for vital elements such as oxygen, hormones and chemical messengers. Water is the environment in which every single bodily chemical reaction takes place. Without sufficient water to hydrate all parts equally, some more ‘remote’ parts of the body will not receive the vital elements it requires. Water acts as a natural remedy to help detoxify and cleanse, thereby promoting beautiful healthy and glowing skin. It helps to keep our hearts healthy; boosts our energy levels; helps reduce blood pressure; helps reduce cholesterol; decreases the risk of some cancers; reduces the risk of kidney stones and helps us lose weight by boosting our metabolism. There is no other substitute, water plays an irreplaceable role within our bodies.

•    Do you suffer from dizziness, palpitations or lack of concentration?
•    Do you suffer symptoms of lethargy, chronic pains in joints and muscles, lower back pain, headaches and constipation?
•    Have you noticed a strong odour to your urine, along with a yellow or amber colouration?

These are some of the symptoms which can be signs of common ailments caused by dehydration. In fact, you need water long before you feel thirsty. Dehydration of just 2% of one’s normal water volume can decrease physical and mental performance; a loss of 5% can have more serious consequences and a loss of 10-15% can be fatal. We require even more fluids during periods of hot weather. Most of us could last about a month without food but depending upon ambient air temperature, we would only last between 2 and possibly 8 days without water, this does vary from person to person depending on exterior influences such as heat, shelter, fitness level.

In general we need about 2 – 3 litres of fluid a day to be properly hydrated – about half of this can normally come from food. To be more exact, each individual needs a different amount of water, dependent on gender, height, age and weight.

Here is a simple formula for you to work out an approximate daily requirement, for an average fairly sedentary healthy adult:

Weight in kg x 0.033 =

For example: A person weighing 65kg x 0.033 = 2.14 litres needed per day

NB: you will need to drink an extra 400-600ml when physically active. This can also be vary depending on climate, altitude, whether you are pregnant/breastfeeding, type of exercise intensity or if you have/are drinking alcohol.

I try to drink at least 2 litres of fresh water a day. It’s not always easy, but the benefits outweigh the effort.

Here are some tips I’ve listed to help you feel fresher this summer!

•    Start the day with a glass of water, sparkling or still
•    Keep a bottle of water wherever practical, and sip regularly
•    Make yourself regular drinks during the day – even tea and coffee surprisingly count, as well as squash and juices. (Just watch out for the amount of calories contained in the sugar of many soft drinks!)
•    Eat fruit and vegetables high in water content such as melons, oranges, grapes, pineapples, celery and cucumbers
•    Get into the habit of having a glass of water with every meal
•    Drink extra water before, during and after exercise
•    Keep a glass of water beside the bed at night to quench thirst at night
•    For help with weight loss or for those who simply find water unpalatable, try drinking water with sliced lemon, lime or orange. Mmmm!

The primary rule has to be “Drink before you feel thirsty!”

“DO YOU?”

A Shimmying Saturday

2011-07-30T22:23:00.000+01:00

The 'Seaweed' group!

At the end of a busy week there is nothing nicer than attending a workshop taught by someone else. For a change! Instead of the usual, cardio pump, weight training or aerobic style class I had signed for a day of ‘Beauty through Belly dance’.

Ramona leading her group of trees!

I have to admit it isn’t quite that new to me, over six years ago I did spend about five months attending basic lessons and even joined in a Hafla show! But after all that time, I must admit I went with a little trepidation. Would I be good enough to keep up with the others? I needn’t have worried, the two teachers Ramona and Lyza were very welcoming and explained the session had been geared to suit all dance levels. I already knew Ramona as she was the one who taught me all that time ago.

Lyza leading us

The morning started with a demonstration, by the two of them, of the routine we were about to learn. Mmmmmm I began to have my doubts! After the initial warm up we began to learn stage one, taught by Lyza, she was great and broke down each section until we got it right. Ramona then took over with section two.

Preparing to start

We then combined both routines. Surprisingly not that different to aerobic ‘add on’ formats. The day continued by adding more moves, section by section, to complete the whole routine. We finished off by breaking into two separate instructor-led groups to perform in front of each other.

Jellyfish arms and shimmying

What made the day so lovely, was meeting up with lots of like-minded people, and the freedom of allowing myself to simply ‘go with the flow’ and basically ‘let it all hang out and wobble’! We also listened as Ramona and Lyza explain what had influenced them to dance to this particular piece of music.

Ramona – “I love to feel the spirit of the dance and use visualization, the creative part within me - so that I can dance with feeling.”

“ It’s as if I am dancing at the top of a pyramid.”

“There is something magical about dance.”

“ This particular piece of music made me feel as if I was a tree, with my branches waving in the wind.”

Lyza – “I felt more like I was floating in the water, deep down in its depths like a jellyfish. Hence the jellyfish arm movements today. I loved the notion that I could allow my arms to flow and move like seaweed through the ebb and flow of the sea.”

Ramona

Mermaids and Seaweed

Whatever they felt, it certainly inspired me.

When considering belly dancing or Raqs Sharqi, (an Arabic term meaning 'Eastern Dance'), it is interesting to consider the health & fitness benefits, which is why I would recommend it as another exercise discipline.

Belly dancing exercises the whole body without stressing the joints, whilst burning calories and improving muscle definition, leading to a more toned body. As it is centered around the core muscles it can help strengthen the back, waist, stomach and pelvis. It is also particularly good for the legs, arms and hip area. This in turn should improve posture, breathing and flexibility whilst creating a more ‘curvy feminine’ body.

What a great day

There is no limit to age, fitness level or dance skills – anyone can try and most classes are suitable for beginners to advanced. The wonderful thing about belly dancing is the complete feeling of stress release and the liberation. Most women find it to be almost instinctive as it is generally a female form of movement, it can also be a sensual activity, which can’t be a bad thing?

Jane, Ramona, Lyza and me

'Able to Lose' - Safely

2011-06-28T12:32:00.000+01:00

I have been considering recent comments from people that they are not keen on attending slimming clubs and groups, where participants are given specific aims and goals but not given enough advice about combining good nutrition with exercise. I am also aware that not everyone can afford Personal Training so I have created small friendly groups of just six members who receive advice about diet AND training as well as nutrition, who meet on a regular basis at my gym. At each meeting, members of the group are weighed and given a body fat analysis, BMI and skeletal muscle reading. We then spend time discussing eating habits and any associated problems, exercise routines and any potential issues, followed by a 30 minute fitness workout.

The workouts are structured to suit the appropriate level of each participant and ideas are given to each member of the group to continue with a plan of action at home between meetings.

Between them, the first groups of ladies lost a total of 9k (19.8 lbs) and overall felt much better about themselves, their new healthier eating pattern and sense of direction.

There have since been two further groups and the feedback has been very encouraging :

I have gone down a whole trouser size and people are starting to notice. It’s a wonderful feeling when someone comments on your figure changing shape. ‘P’

I feel motivated. I am wearing clothes that were too small before. This is the second session with Carol and I'm really feeling the benefits. Wendy

Excellent. Lots of information, very supportive. Good job! Good value for money. Have enjoyed! Would recommend to others! Joan

A very good way of getting us thinking about food more proactively. Supportive environment. Thank you. ‘L’

Thank you Carol, since joining your Able to Lose group I have lost 7lb. You have made losing weight fun and achievable. Lynsey.

The next set of six sessions are about to start in July, so why not give these sessions a go?

Please contact me for more information on 0776 4694297 :-)

Make no Boobs - this is about LIFE!

2011-05-13T21:34:00.000+01:00

Windy waves!

We raced to raise money,
have fun,
get fit!
But what WAS
the purpose
of it?
Perhaps - to -
let the world know that
WE CARE
About the women who fought to
SURVIVE
Or - for those who
have lost the
BATTLE
and sadly,
sadly
DIED
Yet again, many of us
were there
Wearing our numbers
PROUDLY
Across our chests
COVERING our
living
BREASTS
Because the aim of
SHOUTING
This is the
“RACE FOR LIFE
Give us your money"
Is to help
Cancer Research
CONTINUE
The search
To save lives......... and
The race is STILL on.

Thank you to all the girls who raced with me in the Able Fitness Team AGAIN this year and to the new team members who joined me:

Ceinwen, Clare, Donna, Ffion, Gill, Glenys, Jane, Jeannie, Lowrie, Mari. Maria.

Well, we have raised over £2,000 between us

Donna & Me - good friends, 'old' friends :-)

Team bottoms!

Me, Lowri & Mari - first three in from the Able Fitness Team (Mari 1st)

The Team! (Oh no, missing some, can never quite find everyone!)

Me, Maria, Clare & Jane - nice medals girls!

I know technically Dad was a man - but I'll never forget he died of Cancer :-(

If you fancy joining us next year, please let me know. You won’t regret it. Carol xx

Wonderful Wenlock Weekend

2011-05-07T20:36:00.000+01:00

True to my promise to myself, from last year’s blog post April 19th 2010 I have returned, inspired, motivated and enthralled from another trip to the beautiful Shropshire town of Much Wenlock. Once again I have spent time “ooing” and “ahing” at the beautiful village buildings and streets around me, but unlike last year decided to spend not one day at the Wenlock Poetry Festival but two! Tickets were booked further in advance this time and although, unfortunately my last two companions could not attend, two other friends were delighted to join me.

Roz, Me, Maggie, Paul & Hazel

So early last Saturday we set off with high hopes for a wonderful day of poetry and prose. We were not disappointed. Our first workshop was booked for 10.30 a.m. with the welcoming and very approachable Roz Goddard, a poet and short story writer based in the Midlands. We had a great two and a half hours of creative writing and produced some exciting work, we should all be very proud.

The Sunshine Table :-)

Then it was time for a quick one hour lunch break and a spot of Shropshire sunshine before starting our second workshop entitled “Putting the Performance into Poetry” with Mark Niel. Spelled Niel! Basically he put us through our paces about how to prepare to read or perform in public. What absolute fun, we had to learn to breathe, play games, jump up and down, wiggle around, pull faces, act like crazy people and read enthusiastically - now if that wasn’t putting on a performance I don’t know what is! Mark was an absolute breath of fresh air.

The Performers - Me, Mark, Hazel and Maggie

We then had a couple of hours to settle into our quaint accommodation at The Gaskell Arms Hotel. As I was the driver, the girls kindly gave me the double bed in the huge family room which we had reserved (thanks Hazel and Maggie) and then we decided to have supper on the church green as it was a gorgeous sunny evening and we had been indoors for most of the day. So provisioned with a takeaway we sat out under the shade of a beautiful wild cherry tree and soaked up some of evening sunshine whilst discussing the day’s workshops, and we read out our creative writing to each other.

Yum, yum Takeaway

Colourful summer buntings

We then headed towards The Edge Arts Centre to listen to the Poet Laureate and founding patron of the Wenlock Poetry Festival, Carol Ann Duffy who was also accompanied by poet Paul Henry and musician John Sampson. What a wonderful way to end the day.

Sunday morning saw us wandering around the village breathing in the warmth of the sunbeams, absorbing the magic of the village and feeling completely chilled and relaxed. I had booked myself onto a Children’s poetry workshop with Angela Topping, who promised, according to the programme, to create ‘a classroom full of magic’. Well it was absolutely true! She held all of us, me, the children and a grandmother behind us completely spellbound. We all had a thoroughly brilliant time and produced some fantastic poems including a group poem which I see she has dropped into her blog. Well worth a read. I am very proud of my ‘Purple Vampire living in a Wardrobe’ and my Kenning poem about a TV. Thank you Angela, I learned a lot.

Angela and Me, hiding in the book shop

I then allowed myself a three hour gap to enjoy more of the sunlight and found Maggie and Hazel sitting on the green. We shared a leisurely lunch break and tied parcel tags, on which we had written little individual poems, onto the branches of a towering evergreen, before Hazel raced off to a reading.

Hanging my poem

Ok so Maggie is a bit taller than me!

Obviously Hazel wrote something really funny!

I wandered around enjoying the serenity of Much Wenlock's Anglo Saxon Church and admired some striking painted sheds by Sheilagh Jevons before going to have a chat with the lovely Wren Miller who was this year once again collecting books to send to Mali, which unfortunately I didn’t know about. I have promised to get some books to her at another festival. What an inspirational woman Wren is, (in fact I have just been distracted from writing my own blog whilst spending time reading hers!).

A beautiful painted shed - The Spirit of Kindness Shed

Woman on the Edge of Time

Inside the Spirit of Kindness Shed

Inside Much Wenlock Church

Then our last reading was with Pauline Prior Pitt at the Wenlock Pottery. “Pauline writes about the relationships between men and women, family life, the domestic scene, gynaecology, political issues, dresses, the ageing process, and love and death.” So Me, Maggie and about forty others joined her for tea and cake while she made us laugh, cry and think!

Fancy a cuppa Pauline :-)

And then it was all over and time to drive home and we couldn’t believe the weekend was over – so soon!

"What a brilliant weekend girls" xxx

Once again I want to thank Wenlock Books for organising such a wonderful and successful event. I want to thank Hazel and Maggie for such lovely company, we did have some fun didn’t we girls! ? So much so that we are now planning a trip to the Hay-on-Wey Festival aren’t we! Who is planning that by the way? Urm excuse me girls, hello, what’s happening ? Are we going ……? Oh and yes, I would like to thank all the poets for such inspirational and motivational workshops because without you, I wouldn’t be writing this, would I?

An illuminating trip to Blackpool !

2011-04-05T12:59:00.000+01:00

25 - 27th March I spent three days stepping out, stretching out and searching out new moves, new ideas and unintentionally new friends at the International Fitness Showcase at The Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

What an enlightening and energizing few days with some great classes and fantastic presenters. I went to support familiar faces and check out what’s new and who's teaching what and as usual I wasn’t disappointed. Although I didn’t feel I learned anything especially new I still believe it’s important to be aware of ANY changes within the fitness, exercise and training industries, and to continually update and embellish present approaches - one can never get too complacent in the fitness world.

I particularly enjoyed the Stott Pilates, the Chek Faculty Sessions, Drummond Education, Premier Training and Modern Pilates. On Sunday morning's "Partner Stretching Class" with Simone Hodgkinson I had a great opportunity to stretch out aching muscles with a new friend, Sean Pettit.

The weekend concluded with two fantastic and energetic classes which are a 'must do' ! Diva Fever, with dare I say the ‘two biggest diva’s in town’, Stuart Harrop and Neil Bates who did a great job of impersonating two other diva’s - Madonna and Lady Gaga – FANTASTIC!

Lady Gaga and Madonna !

My new pal Sean from Reebok Education

Then one final class and one I make sure I never miss. WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get!) with the one and only Ceri Hannan – AWESOME! Thanks lads, what a way to finish such an exhausting but illuminating and motivating three days before the long and tired journey home.

The WYSIWYG class!

Ceri and Lydia Hannan and me.

I will be going again next year, so who fancies joining me in Blackpool for another action packed event hosted by world class presenters ? If YOU do, add your name in the comments below and I will start making a list ! :-)

Walking for Health

2011-03-09T13:35:00.012Z

What's better than being in the Great Outdoors?

I love to walk, whether a gentle stroll along the cliff-tops or power walking along the beach. It makes me feel good, the fresh air is a boost, I get to see areas of our beautiful countryside and get to choose whether to go alone, with clients or with friends. It is a great way to exercise as it is so natural – it’s just what legs are for. Even better - it’s always available and usually free!

Some of the many benefits of walking include lowering cholesterol and blood pressure; reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes; strengthening muscles; improving flexibility; weight loss and improved mood.

If you are new to walking as an exercise then make sure you start off gradually, by walking short distances. Once you become fitter and stronger, you may gradually increase both the pace and distance.

Before setting out I always make sure that I’m wearing comfortable and appropriate footwear, dress in practical clothing, and wear several layers, which can be removed to adjust to changing temperatures. It’s better to have too many layers than not enough!

I always make sure that I warm up. This usually requires about five minutes of ‘gentle’ walking. At the end of a session I always cool down by slowing my pace, and stretching my muscles, which are still warm and compliant; these stretches include the calf, quadriceps and hamstrings. This helps to reduce the chance of injury and also increases flexibility.

Calf stretch:
Take a long step forwards with one foot and bend the knee, keeping it above the ankle. Push your other heel down into the ground and keep the back leg straight, keep your abdominal muscles gently contracted to protect your back - hold for approximately 15 seconds before repeating with the other leg.

Quadriceps Stretch (front of thigh):
Standing vertical, grasp one foot with your hand and pull it up to touch your bottom - keep the other, supporting leg, relaxed - hold for approximately 15 seconds before swapping legs.

Hamstring Stretch (back of thigh):
Stand with your feet together and your knees relaxed (do not lock out the knees). Bend forwards from the hips and allow your head and arms to hang loosely under their own weight - don’t try to touch your toes! Hold for approximately 15 seconds and then slowly return to your standing position.

A beam of light on a drizzly day at Penmon Point

2011-02-25T20:06:00.003Z

Ben Fogle, what a lovely guy! Last Wednesday I had the wonderful opportunity to meet him at a windswept and drizzly Penmon point, where in a very short time we discussed personal training, the royal wedding, changeable Anglesey weather and purely by chance, my "Sea Things" children's illustrated poetry book :-) Then followed a photograph of us with his arm around me :-)

And why was I so lucky ? Well Ben was being filmed interviewing my husband Glyn for NBC America, for a programme about the Isle of Anglesey now that it's the new home for Prince William and Kate Middleton. I was nominated official photographer by Glyn which was great as I could walk about freely catching images of him and 'Ben' as they walked along the cliff-top chit-chatting about light, exposure, lenses etc,' click, click' and generally looking as official as possible whilst trying not to grin like a Cheshire Cat - which naturally I was!

When the filming and photography had finished, and Ben had thanked me for posing with him :-) I gave him a copy of my Sea Things book for his kids and am really chuffed to think that my poems may be read out to his little ones before bed. It was nice to meet you Ben, good luck with the new baby and for all the new challenges you undertake. x

Here is a poem about a lighthouse from my "Sea Things" book:

'The Warning Light'

Tall, majestic, solid, strong

Beam of light all night long

Lighthouse stands against the storm

Blasting sound from it's foghorn

Sailors heed the warning sound

Steer ships away from rocky ground

From shallow water, swell and waves

To sail away from murky graves

If any night the squall blows through

Keepers know just what to do

Flash the light to guide the way

Warning boats to keep away

"For the Love of Llanddwyn"

2011-01-25T17:15:00.007Z

Llanddwyn Island on the West Coast of Anglesey is one of my favourite destinations and I have to take a walk there at this time of year for one very special reason, Gŵyl Dwynwen!

Most of us are familiar with the traditional St. Valentine's Day when lovers celebrate by giving each other cards and presents, but are you aware that in Wales we celebrate our own patron saint in a similar way? Today, 25th January we observe our own romantic celebrations in honour of St. Dwynwen. Some call the day Dydd (or Diwrnod) Santes Dwynwen, but more accurately it is called Gŵyl Dwynwen - but who was St. Dwynwen and how did she become a patron saint of Wales?

There are a few legends surrounding the story of Dwynwen who is said to have lived during the 5th century and was reputed to be one of twenty four sisters born King Brycan Brycheiniog. She was renowned to be very pure, deeply religious and extremely beautiful. According to one legend Dwynwen fell deeply in love with Maelon Dafodrill, a young prince who won her heart at a banquet held by her father.

There are various versions as to why she couldn’t be with Maelon, and why Maelon was turned into a block of ice. And why eventually Dwynwen begged God to help her forget her feelings for him and why she was then visited by an Angel who brought her a potion to help her forget him.   Once the potion was drunk she was granted three requests in return for devoting herself to God forever.

1.    To have Maelon thawed;
2.    That God would look kindly on the hopes and dreams of true lovers;
3.    That she would never marry

Dwynwen then became a nun and founded a convent on Llanddwyn Island which is set off the west coast of Anglesey, where a well named after her became a place of pilgrimage after she died of natural causes around 465AD. Visitors believe and possibly still do that there are sacred fish or eels that live in the well that can foretell whether or not their relationships will be happy or not.
The remains of Dwynwen’s church still stand today.

This is a poem of mine in celebration of Llanddwyn:

For the Love of Llanddwyn

I take a path where pilgrims walked before,
And think of wishes made from hearts entwined,
I follow fingers pointing to the sea
And touch the grasses strewn amongst the dunes
They sigh and whisper “Dwynwen”

Within the blue I watch the seabirds soar
And on my lips a splash of ocean spray
I taste the salty bitterness of loss
A ruined church, a wishing well, a cross
They hold the prayers of “Dwynwen”

Here in a valley pilots lived to save
‘Twr Mawr’ was built to guide them on their way
From out of Valley rookies learn to fly
I watch them trailing letters in the sky
They stir the words “Dwynwen”

Then on a pillowed rock I lay my head
To listen to the sounds around me now
Jets, a barking dog, a laughing child
As to the west I watch the setting sun
But on the breeze - a curious cry ….. "Maelon,
Maelon"

Gŵyl Dwynwen Hapus i bawb heddiw X

© Carol Mead 2011 - All words and pictures remain the property of Carol Mead - All rights reserved.

A not so Happy New Year VAT increase!

2011-01-04T15:42:00.000Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL

Unfortunately from 1st January 2011 VAT has increased to 20% and whilst I don’t charge VAT to my clients, all of my own business overheads are increasing accordingly, as of course are the general costs of living.

It has therefore been imperative to make adjustments to all my professional fees slightly earlier than normal this year, in order to ensure my own business survival. I have only made the most modest of increases to my prices, so that personal training remains affordable to you all.

However, for those of you who have already started on a block of six or twelve sessions you will not notice any change to your payments until such time as you need to start a new series of sessions.

All the new prices have now been published on my website.

For those who attend my group classes at the David Hughes Sports Centre please note that there has also been an increase of £1.00 per session.

Should you require any further information and that all important Personal Training please do not hesitate to contact me,

With very best wishes for a very happy, healthy, fit and prosperous 2011

Carol :-)

All in a good cause

2010-11-28T19:59:00.000Z

Last Friday I organized a Ladies Fund Raising Evening at the David Hughes Sports Centre, Menai Bridge, Angelsey, with the aim of raising much needed money for the specialist baby feeding unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd.

I had scheduled four fitness classes to be run back to back, and these were all taught free of charge by the following; Ffion, of Bangor Dance Studio, who took the women through their paces in a sizzling Salsa class; Ramona with a wonderful hip & tummy-wiggling Belly Dance session; Gudrun and Andy with a fantastic Aikido session, and finally, myself, Able Fitness, with a 30 minute cool down and stretch session.

In addition to the studio sessions, nine local Welsh businesses attended who again, free of charge, gave up four hours of their time to come and talk about hair and beauty, physiotherapy, foot-care, nails, nutrition, laser treatment, personal training, diet, fitness and the benefits of massage.

There was also nail-painting, physiotherapy assessments, podiatry assessments, skin assessments, fitness and nutrition information and massages, with all proceeds donated to the charity.

There was also a fantastic display of Tom bola prizes which had been donated by local business and members of the public. Aside from the ladies who turned up to spend the full four hours attending classes, many other women arrived just to donate money, have a massage and chat to stall holders.

On the night we raised the fantastic sum of £487.11 which considering the cold and freezing weather conditions is very, very impressive.

Donations are still being accepted, so if you would like to send some money to help increase the total further, please contact me on info@ablefitness.co.uk or tel: 07764 694297.

I would like to thank Ffion, Ramona, Gudrun and Andy for turning up and teaching brilliant classes. Also “The Salon”, “The Laser Clinic”, “Jane Wood Physiotherapy”, “Clinic Podiatry”, “Clinic Menai”, “Lighter Life” and “Polished” for giving up so much time on a cold Friday night, and ALL the local businesses for the great prizes they donated. Also a GREAT big thank you to all the ladies who turned out and made the evening such a successful event

Carol x

Snowy mountains

2010-11-21T21:10:00.001Z

From foggy hills to snowy mountains within one week. Following on from the trip up Yr Eifl, one week later Glyn and I decided to trek up into the glorious sunny snowy Carneddau.

The day started off brilliantly, sunshine and clear blue skies. Dressed in layers like purple onions we set off up the tarmac track, past a herd of dozy cattle, and hiked along rocky paths and past small shaggy wild ponies. Not before too long we had to start removing jackets as we walked, stripping to t-shirts and trousers as the warmth of the sun penetrated and our mountains jackets did their job.

Fresh mountain smells, bubbling streams, autumn colours and a hint of fresh white light in the air - awesome.

As we climbed higher, it was amazing to watch the world around grow smaller and smaller, the lake Ffynnon Llugwy shrink to a puddle and the livestock appear as dots on the now orange and green patchwork landscape.

We finally started to put feet into snow, it was so exciting, the first snowfall of winter, soft, clean and bright, like an advert for washing powder! We met our first like-minded walker and passed him the camera, he obligingly took a photo of us both, before pushing on, advising us to do the same as the snow was thick at the top of Carnedd Llewelyn and the clouds were darkening, a little bit daunting I have to admit.

We then started a scramble ascent of a rock buttress, about 25 ft high, very wet, quite slippery, a bit cold and for me, a bit scary! I do not have a very good head for heights and was glad Glyn was behind me, encouraging and motivating, freeze is the word I may have used! I made it to the top though and we then scrambled over this mini summit to bunker-down for a well deserved coffee and lunch break. Glyn with his bag of sandwiches and me with my lunch box full of cheese and apple salad (yes folks, I eat salad in the snow!)

The cloud base was now dropping and I was not too sure about the final slog to the top of the mountain, but as I'm not one to give up easily and having never been up this particular mountain before, the fourth highest in Wales, I was determined to succeed!

Thirty minutes later and after passing a group of six people descending, we made it to the summit in heavy cloud and thick snow, and I mean deep - thigh-high for me, shin-high for Glyn! We shared another coffee in the cairn and then started to worry about the thickness of the hill fog and the fact that time was getting on and daylight fading.

So we started our descent towards the col and the ridge to Carnedd Dafydd beyond. Not such an easy task. The cloud was thickening, visibility decreasing and the wind was strenthening considerably. The path was now virtually invisible but thankfully we could make out footprints from the group we had passed earlier and Glyn showed me our position on the GPS! I was becoming increasingly nervous - to say the least! Just occasionally the sun managed to squeeze through and show its face to light our way, revealing incredible views into the voids around, before fading once again to grey.

But one and half hours later we dropped below the cloud base and scrambled down the boulder-lined hilly ridge towards the lake and safety.

It's funny, but when we were back down at the bottom and looking up at the mountain, now revealing it's peak, the fear factor seemed ridiculous and I couldn't believe I had even felt nervous. Of course things always seem better in hindsight! Especially while I was dangling my feet over the gurgling river and singing a song of relief!

Sunday on the three peaks of Yr Eifl, Gwynedd.

2010-11-07T19:41:00.000Z

What a fantastic two Sundays I have just had. Last week Glyn and I decided, at the last moment, to walk the three peaks of Yr Eifl. After parking the van at the top of the Nant Gwyrtheyrn hill we set off in lovely sunny weather to walk up to the ancient iron-age settlement of Tre'r Ceiri. I couldn't help but snap a copy of Glyn's shot of the lovely amber grasses! As we arrived at the summit, thick cloud descended and obscured what could have been a lovely view, but equally there was something strangely beautiful about being surrounded by hill fog amongst one hundred and fifty, 3,500 yr-old stone houses. I longed to have a glimpse back in time to witness the lifestyle of our ancestors. I tried hard to spot a ghost or two, but to no avail :-(

After a coffee and lunch break we set off towards Yr Eifl, or Garn Ganol as sometimes referred to. The hill fog was a little thicker and the terrain more slippy, but we made it and felt we deserved another coffee break!

The sun managed to break through the cloud now and then, revealing snippets of the awesome views we were missing!

Then the last and smallest peak to conquer was Garn For, so after a surreal ascent of a long concrete set of steps to a radio transmitter and then a scramble over wet rocks beyond, we reached the summit. The sun broke through once again and revealed fantastic views across Trefor up towards Caernarfon and beyond towards Anglesey. Over the other cliff we could see the tiny almost desolate village of Nant Gwrtheyrn and the bays of Nefyn and Porth Dinllaen in the misty distance.

The sun looked surreal obscured by clouds and fog as the evening light descended.

We left the crag and the diminishing views to head back along the rough track towards the van. We walked in beautiful light which shone on large puddles in front of us as we looked forward to reaching the comfort of the van.

Wiggling our bits!

2010-10-25T13:08:00.001+01:00

Once again I have just been to the annual Autumn Tour hosted by Fitness Wales.

This year we were taught by Alex Carr and Rachel Hubbard. Both were brilliant. The day was kicked off with a fantastic latino routine with Alex, we wiggled our bottoms, gyrated our hips, performed the cha cha cha and spun to the sexy rhythm of Latino Music while clapping our hands and clicking our tongues. What an exhilarating experience!

Rachel then delivered a trio of moves, from a basic 70's style aerobic routine moving into a challenging step and tone session - just what we all needed - some good old fashioned fun.

The day ended with a wonderful yoga routine led by Alex giving us the opportunity to stretch out our tired muscles and learn some interesting and new flexibility moves.
From an instructors perspective, it's always great to be taught by peers, to get the chance to meet up with other professionals in the area, to catch up, swap e-mails, phone numbers and generally let our hair down.

Can't wait to do it again next year!

Litter Picking People

2010-09-23T22:19:00.003+01:00

On Saturday 18th September I was a volunteer litter collector along with approximately 28 others at a local beach. We had to not only pick litter but as importantly, complete a full survey detailing all the pieces of rubbish we found on the beach. This was in connection with the Marine Conservation Society Big Beach-watch Weekend.

This particular event was held at The Tan-Y-Foel beach near The Anglesey Sea Zoo in Brynsciencyn and was organised by the zoo’s managing partner, Frankie Hobro. It was also arranged to coincide with the launch of “Tidy Wales Week” so Ieuan Wynn Jones AM and Councillor Hywel Eifion Hughes came along to promote the launch and start the initial collecting. In support of the launch, Tidy Towns team-members Gareth Owen and Elin Jones provided equipment, advice and arranged rubbish collection but also collected litter.

The weather looked slightly ominous, though initially the sky was blue and the sun was shining, but several dark, menacing clouds were racing in from the mountains. After being organised into different groups and given gloves, bags and litter picking tools we set off along the shore. I was teamed with two women I’d not met before but we ‘got along’ really well, had a great time and even swapped contact details. We took it in turns to hold the clipboard and tick boxes while the other two picked litter. The ‘fun’ of the day was weighing the rubbish and determining which group had collected the ‘heaviest’ load. Naturally we wanted to win and were delighted but appalled to find a whole plastic bag full of set cement!

Although it was enjoyable rifling through the seaweed and rummaging through the stones, what we found most disturbing was the sheer amount of litter we collected in the space of sixty minutes. Our group covered approximately 100 meters of shoreline and amongst our collection we picked smashed bottles, fizzy drink and beer cans, a wooden stacking pallet, concrete, scissors, ceramics, sweet wrappers, cotton wool buds, plastic containers and bottles and lots of fishing twine and string.

Overall, in Frankie’s own words:

“We surveyed 400m of beach and collected a total of 190.5kg of rubbish in the hour that we were all collecting! This is a lot considering that we only did the last beach clean a couple of months ago. The data from the surveys will go to the Beachwatch global database complied by MCS.

The largest items included a blue door covered in stickers and still with the hinges on (36.5kg), a large support from a boat trailer (31kg) a bag of set cement (32kg) and a whole stacking pallet (30kg) - all shown in the photos attached. We also found a pair of size 10 Wellingtons and a load of old carpet”.

We met at the gateway to weigh and photograph all the rubbish, just before the rain started. Our team rubbish total was 65Kg (the cement and pallet helped!) but I’m not sure which team won, because basically at the end of the day it was our collective effort which mattered most.

I found it surprising that only two families turned up, one of which was my friend Jo Quinney and her two lads (Jo’s and Karen’s photos attached). I know it might not seem everyone’s idea of a fun morning but personally I found it satisfying, significant and vital.

Our beaches and marine life are important, litter is not only an eyesore but can be dangerous to humans, animals and of course marine-life. Here on Anglesey we rely on our beaches for tourism and our own pleasure.

To quote the MCS - “Pollution from sewers, farmland and city streets is a serious concern at almost half of the UK's bathing beaches, and beach litter levels are at their highest since records began. On average that means about two items for every step you take on the beach!”

These are the reasons I found it necessary to devote two hours of my own time, to meet like minded people, make new friends and help to keep our beautiful Anglesey coast clean even if only a small part of it!

p.s. Check this week’s Chronicle newspaper for media coverage!

… from outer space to China, from China to Syria, from Syria to home, to Wales

2010-09-02T21:29:00.000+01:00

Last week, Friday to be precise, I went for the trip of a lifetime from the Ucheldre Centre in Holyhead! Yes, I repeat – Holyhead! Whilst surrounded by local artwork, heavy red velvet drapes, tall church windows and cold stone columns I experienced a most wonderful and memorable creative journey. While the afternoon sun beat through the clear glass, as the polished wooden flooring gleamed and the seating spaces became occupied I sensed a small thrill of expectancy in the air.

Along with several others and comforted with my cup of coffee, I found myself captivated by the marvelous poetry of Dr. Richard Marggraf-Turley.

Richard began reading a poem from his recently published book, “Wan Hu's Flying Chair” (Salt, 2009). Almost immediately I felt myself being blasted into outer space, thinking of space suits and rockets before finding myself airborne with a Chinese official surrounded by fireworks and dreams. I was then brought directly back to earth listening to the footfalls of a roman legion, while dreaming passionate thoughts about history and romance. Within minutes I was floating in a sea of green, diving for ‘sea-eggs’ as the tropical sun blazed overhead, strange birds sang and the enormous ocean rolled.

Dr. Richard Marggraf-Turley did not disappoint - his words brought legends to life and romance to the room. He delivered snippets of history and questioned the ‘what if?’ His poems were as fascinating as they were awe-inspiring.

Then, almost as soon as he had settled back into his chair, I became intoxicated, almost spellbound by the exquisite music of Abdullah Chhadeh, the celebrated Quanun master of Damascus. What soulful and compelling notes he created through his instrument and what emotions he inspired. While playing the Quanun, a traditional Arabic instrument, I fantasized about riding a legendary flying carpet, plunging and swooping through ancient empires, waving at camel trains carrying Frankincense and Myrrh along the Barada River before flying off through one of the seven extant city gates. I yearned to experience the golden sandy deserts, a cool palm tree oasis, feasts of plump fresh dates and to inhale rich aromatic spices and tobaccos, before slumbering exhausted into a traditional Bedouin tent. His magic affected us all and we were eager to hear more.

It was staggering to hear that these particular pieces he played for us were unique - that he had played them from the heart and had been directly influenced and inspired by the atmosphere and feelings at that particular moment. Remarkable.

The next venture brought me back to Wales with intimacy and familiarity contained in poems written and read by Richard Douglas Pennant. I felt elated by his words of love and then saddened by his words of loss. I traveled through Welsh lanes and drove along Welsh country roads before hiking with him up to the Druids Circle in the mist and rain. His emotional final poem about a father losing his son to ‘university and student life’ was poignant and resonated with me at this point in my own life.

And then it was over. Two hours riding an emotional roller coaster from outer space to China, from China to Syria, from Syria to home, to Wales!

What an exciting way to spend a bank holiday afternoon. Thank you to both the Richards and to Abdullah for making the end of the week so uplifting. Thanks also to my dear friend Chas Parry Jones for arranging it all.

xxxx

Sennen Cove, Cornish Cream Teas, Tall Ships and Elvis!

2010-08-11T23:04:00.000+01:00

Almost winter seas at Sennen Cove

I recently had a few days away in Cornwall, my favourite holiday destination with many of my favourite harbours and beaches. The small seaside cottage had been booked for several months and Glyn and I were looking forward to a much-needed break, the last respite being somewhere back in September 2009! One of the problems of being self-employed is the inability to take too many days off work and the risk of losing out on vital income. This however, was our official ‘time out’ - time away from work and the family, and we were both really looking forward to it.

Britain – a fantastic country with amazing places to visit and wonderful beaches to explore. British weather – well what can I say? Throughout June I watched and felt the beautiful sunshine blasting through the gym window, whilst I motivated and encouraged customers to ‘row a little bit further’ ‘run a bit faster’ ‘complete more repetitions’ and ‘improve your balance on the stability ball’. I planned what summer clothes to take, and dreamt of swimming, snorkelling, walking and sunbathing in Cornwall.

Taken on my new Olympus MijuTough (a lovely suprise holiday present from Glyn)

By the time we had packed our bags and had jumped into the van the weather changed – what a surprise! Being a fairly positive person I refused to let this get me down and ruin my holiday.

The weather was inclement for the week, but its funny how us British deal with whatever the climate has to offer!

After battling through traffic jams on the notorious M6 and staying overnight with a friend in Plymouth, we finally arrived in Cornwall by Saturday lunchtime.
Several stops later and after devouring a traditional ‘pasty’ we arrived at Sennen Cove and unpacked.

The weather was pretty decent on Sunday so we spent most of the day ‘chilling’ on the beach. Glyn had his first Cornish swim, but in true ‘Carol’ style I chose to lie on my towel and bury my head in a book - well I was on holiday!

From Sennen to St. Just

We embarked on a five-mile cliff walk on the Monday from Sennen Cove to St. Just and only just made it before the clouds burst! That night I developed a sore throat!

Tuesday morning and I was feeling pretty rough with a bad throat, temperature and thumping headache. I was not a happy bunny. I spent the rest of the week feeling grotty. I am usually the instigator of long walks and ‘vigorous exercise’, but this time, nothing! I spent most of the week coughing and sleeping. I trudged behind Glyn in Falmouth and slept in the van while he went on walks. I slept on the beach while he swam and read books when it rained.

Beautiful smooth boulders at Porth Nanven

Glad the sea is a bit calmer! Sennen Cove

Towards the end of the week the weather started to improve. Glyn and I packed the van, moved out of the cottage and set up our tent - at our friends Wendy & Frances’ caravan park, “Kelynack” at St. Just. That evening we went with them to the Lafrowda Festival in St. Just. We watched the lamplight parade and enjoyed the warmth and friendliness of the local people.

Elvis floats at Lafrowda

We spent Monday, our last day, on the beach savouring much-wanted sunshine, watching a pod of dolphins in the bay and enjoying a last Cornish cream tea.

We may not have seen much decent weather this visit, we may not have done as much swimming, walking and snorkelling as we would have liked, but it didn’t seem to matter that much - what mattered was that we had a real ‘break’ from the hours at work. We had a break, away from family and home, and most importantly enjoyed at least ‘some’ decent quality time together. No matter how lousy I felt and how bad the weather, I still had a nice holiday!


Black and White house at Chy Chysauster

Where Donna said goodbye to her Frenchman - Loe Bar, Porth Leven

We experienced a stunning sunset at Lands End, a pod of dolphins at Logan’s Rock and saw tall ships in Charlestown harbour. I took my one and only cliff walk, had a chance to read a couple of decent books and write poetry, I ate several pasties and cream teas and paid a visit to Loe Bar, photographed granite boulders on Porth Nanven beach and had an opportunity to chill out and enjoy Glyn’s company. These things are what made my time away so special.

Tall ships - Charlestown

I’m not sure when we will be taking another break, hopefully this side of Christmas but what matters most is the chance to simply get away - to recharge and spend quality time together.

And I don’t really mind ‘where’ we go - just so long as it is somewhere far away from home and preferably HOT!
Beyond enjoying the holiday I also managed to find fragments of time to sell my Sea Things poetry book to several local Cornish outlets, including The Minack Theatre and The Roundhouse Gallery in Sennen, both extremely popular tourist attractions.

A month of Firsts - from misty mountains to sunny seas.

2010-06-30T17:13:00.000+01:00

What a month. Fantastic weather and some fantastic trips out.

For instance, I have never been up to the Druids Circle, Penmaenmawr, until earlier this month, when armed with waterproofs and our wet weather gear, Glyn and I set off up the well worn path to find the spectacular stone circle nestling in our lovely welsh hills. About five minutes into our walk, and until then on the only wet day of the month, rain started and a heavy fog descended. Being determined to get there, we pushed on, with hoods tied tightly and over-trousers tucked in. Glyn had been before and knew what to expect so as he waited for my reaction as we crossed a small brook the stones suddenly loomed up out of the fog directly in front of me. I was gobsmacked, they looked magnificent, more so in the foggy setting. Unfortunately, somebody had decided to paint a round Celtic tattoo on the face of the most prominent stone, how thoughtless. But despite this, I walked around each stone, touching and talking to them as if they were old friends before standing in its core breathing in the ancient mystery and feeling it's magical atmosphere.

Further along there is another smaller monument, which also had its own eeriness and bronze age history.

I have been doing a bit of research on the site and it is extremely interesting, check http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/celynog/druid%27s_circle.htm for more detail.

This month has also been another first for me! Kayaking. I have a friend, Dave Smith, who runs his own business promoting Outdoor Activities www.outdooractivesports.co.uk and he offered to take a group of us out to get a flavour of this popular water sport. What a brilliant afternoon, the sun was shining, the sky was blue and we were out of work and playing in the sea! Thank you Dave for a brilliant time, not so sure I was happy falling in, but hey someone had to and I was the first of the day! Definitely going to book a course and learn how to do it properly.

Glyn and I dragged out the snorkel gear this month too and we have snorkeled with dog fish, spider crabs, lobster, sea bass and more. It has been like swimming in a welsh fish tank. The water has been wonderfully clear with visibility @ 100%, we have been several times this month, even daring each other to swim towards a couple of inquisitive seals, but they were far too fast for us!

Another first will be my 10k first race of the season - tonight in Y Faenol, support needed if you're not too busy :-)

All in all, a great month, lots of sunshine, lots of fresh air, some great sunsets, some lovely BBQ's and quality time spent with old and now several new friends.

I hope next month is as exciting.

Did I mention I picked my first courgette from my veggie patch?

Help for - Help for Heroes

2010-05-31T23:05:00.004+01:00

Last Monday I received an e-mail from a member of the Wales Universities Officers Training Corp (WUOTC), asking if I would be prepared to rent out one of my exercise spinning bikes. The plan was to use it for a twelve hour charity fund raising session outside the Bangor Tesco Supermarket, primarily for the Charity: Help for Heroes on Thursday 27th May. There would be 12 members of the WUOTC taking it in turns to pedal for one whole hour each. No easy thing if not used to cycling! This was in preparation for their main event to be carried out from the 3-11 June 2010, a relay involving 50 participants from WUOTC covering 284 miles, from the top of Wales to the bottom.

I had absolutely no hesitations in responding and offering to loan it for the day, free of charge, and immediately set about arranging collection. The young guy in charge of it Mikael Norton, was both charming and polite and a credit to his unit.

I called over to Tesco on Thursday to find out how they were getting along, and as you can see took the opportunity to get in on a photo! They kindly put up a couple of posters advertising Able Fitness, and then gave me a box of delicious chocolates for my help. Totally unnecessary as this is such a worthy cause and I was more than happy to be able to assist. I would like to wish them good luck with the relay and was pleased to hear that they had raised over £2,000 on the day.

Racing to help save lives.

2010-05-15T16:08:00.000+01:00

Sunday 9th May, Caernarfon, Gwynedd 5k route. My slightly smaller than last year's Race For Life team. But what a great time we had.

The whole purpose of this event, which is carried out over several months at various locations throughout Britain, is to raise an awareness and money in aid of Breast Cancer Research.

Another great reason is to run in memory or celebration of someone we know or have known and have loved dearly. Every year I run this race to honour my Step Dad - Peter Jackson, who died 19 years ago, not of breast cancer but of throat, lung and liver cancer, due to heavy smoking. He was only 56 and I still miss him dreadfully and think of him often, especially as my own children grow. They never got to meet or know him. I also run it for Aunty Pat and a lovely lady called June who both died slowly and painfully with Breast Cancer, but not without putting up a very brave fight.

There is usually someone, somewhere that we may have met or known at some time who has been affected by this dreadful disease. Maybe a friend, or a partner or even a child who has been inflicted. It holds no boundaries and can attack anyone, it always seems to be the one's who were the most loving, innocent and wonderful we knew. I can assume that most of us live in fear of being told that we have the big 'C' . To those who have managed to survive it, 'I celebrate you all'.

This will have been my 15th Race For Life and the 11th team I have entered, but it still affects me as much as the first time I ran. It is always great fun, but due to the seriousness I always feel extremely emotional and choked up as cross the finishing line.

The wonderful part of being involved in this particular race is the immense feeling of bonding and shared emotions. It is only open to women, but these range between 0 months old and 80+, it is a fantastic feeling to be running as 'one' together. Not every one runs, there are different groups, runners, jogggers and walkers, walkers with pushchairs. Some who have survived, some who are still fighting, at the end of the day we are all aiming for the same goal. To honour our dead, cheer our survivors and raise as much money as possible to help prevent any more sorrow and death in the world.

Of course, we have fun, after all that's what 'life is about' and are all pleased with our 'times', maybe even succeeding in beating our personal best. We all get a medal and goodie bag. It's such a wonderful event, not only for those of us who have been attending year in year out, but for everyone involved as it just gets better.

For those of you who joined me this year, 'well done to you all' and 'please - do it again next year!' For those of you who haven't please, please either sponsor someone you know who has or is going to run, or even register now and join a race near you. Its not too late.

It's never too late to do your bit for Cancer Research. God forbid, but it could be someone near you or even you who one day hears those dreadful words.

To those we've lost we will never forget you, I know it would mean so much for them to know that we are out there 'doing our bit'.

I am absolutely certain they would be extremely proud of us all.

Rest in Peace Peter Jackson, you were a fantastic Step Dad, we shared so much and you brought so much fun and joy into my life. Let me take this opportunity to let the world know how much I loved and still love you, how often I think about and remember you and how dreadfully I miss you and always will. Carol xxxx

In his shoes

2010-04-28T21:56:00.000+01:00

I just couldn't help putting this on my blog! There is an old saying: "stepping into someone else's shoes" and after taking this silly photograph recently I have been having a think about it!

Over the years there have been several films made about people exchanging bodies and becoming their mother, father, brother, friend, alien etc., and getting a feeling for how that person thinks and reacts to life and its problems, communication and challenges. So the saying "stepping into someone's else's shoes" made me think about how wonderful it would be if we could - step into someone else's shoes!

Surely if we spent a day wearing their shoes then relationships such as work colleagues, clients, parents, children, bosses and friends would improve as we increased our awareness and insight into how they feel and think about life and its situations. Why does that particular person react the way they do and how do they view the world and it's never ending problems. Surely this would help communication, whether it be written, text or verbal? It would make life so much easier, although there is the danger, of course, that you might not like what you discover! But how much nicer the world could be, if we all had that experience to grow and develop personally by getting an insight into someone else's world.

So I think that each day, before I act and react, I will consider wearing the other person's shoes, metaphorically speaking, and look at both sides of the relationship. Let me know if you do the same ? Better to step into their shoes than on their toes :-)

Not sure how easy it will be to walk around in my son's shoes all day, as you can see, I can get both feet into one :-) Perhaps he should try mine as well, for that would be an eye opener for a teenager ! http://www.ablefitness.co.uk/about.asp

Poetry, friends and daffodils!

2010-04-19T21:26:00.001+01:00

Much Wenlock has to be one of those beautiful Shropshire towns worth another visit! I recently attended the Wenlock Poetry Festival with a couple of friends, Shereen and Elaine. What a beautiful place, we spent hours walking around just "ooing" and "aahing" at the beautiful buildings and streets around us. At the amount of daffodils happily nodding their golden heads at us and the crispness and cleanliness of it all.

During the day, we were meant to be listening to poetry readings and possibly attending workshops, but because the sun was out, we were on a girls trip and were lulled by the sleepiness of this pretty little town we got sort of sidetracked! We did, however, have pre-ordered tickets to sit and watch the "Welsh Poets" spin their magic, and oh boyo they did. We were captivated by John Barnie, enchanted by Menna Elfyn and spellbound by Gillian Clarke, what amazing poetry and how extremely motivating. Of course we just had to buy their books and queue up for the official book signing! Gillian Clarke was convinced she had met me before and Menna Elfyn was delighted to have a complete conversation in her mother tongue of Welsh with Elaine, I even managed to have a basic conversation in Welsh with her too!

Whilst walking along the street we were stopped by John Gorman, founder member of The Scaffold and listened as he recited Hamlet ! We then sat under the shade of a beautiful old oak and wrote a few lines on the coloured parcel tags supplied to hang on the "poetry tree". Lunch was enjoyed sitting outside in the sunshine of a local pub, surrounded by fellow travelers, beer and poets, who were discussing their latest poem or novel.

It was a magical day. The only unfortunate part was that we couldn't get tickets to sit and listen to Carol Ann Duffy, CBE, FRSL who is a poet, playwright, and currently holds the position of Britain's Poet Laureate. Tickets were SOLD OUT! She had written a special poem for the festival in her role as patron of the event, titled:

Bees

Here are my bees,
gold blurs on paper,
besotted; buzzwords dancing
their flawless airy maps.

Been deep, my poet bees,
in the parts of flowers,
in daffodil, thistle, rose, even
the golden lotus; so glide,
gilded with talent, thuswise-
and know of us:
how your scent pervades
my shadowed, busy heart,
and honey is art.

Carol Ann Duffy

I was also impressed with the beautiful letter carvings and designs of John Neilson, who was busy carving the "Bees" poem on a gorgeous piece of stone. He had a display board of previous commissions and was quite happy to discuss carvings and stone masonry with me.

Before attending I had been crawling around in my attic find some second hand books for the WREN Community Artist and Book Sculpture whose theme for the day, was surprisingly, a beehive! What a lovely lady and what a brilliant achievement.

I took this photo because I spotted one of my donated books at the bottom!

All in all, we had a great and inspiring day out. It was nice to meet other poets, listen to their work, come away feeling motivated and energised and basically have a good old fashioned girlie day out!

Thank you Wenlock Books for organising this, and thank you Elaine for your lovely company and for driving us there, and thank you Shereen for your lovely, last minute, company too :-) xx

Looking forward to going again next year, but this time we must get our ticket order in earlier!

And it is ...............

2010-04-15T08:57:00.001+01:00

Yep, Mrs. Williams you got it right!

It is a Shakey Machine! Otherwise known as a Vibrostation- Vibration training plate. How cool is that!

And now you want to know what it does?

Well firstly using a vibraton plate can improve muscle strength by up to 30% more than with other power training and in a fraction of the time. Now that sounds good :-)

The plate produces a vibration through which energy is transferred from platform to body. This then stimulates the stretch reflex which then results in rapid and intense muscle contractions. These contractions can be adjusted through frequency and time selected. Minimum effort is required during training so you can relax and let the vibration plate do all the hard work.

Using a Vibrostation can offer a number of benefits such as: improving muscle strength, range of motion, bone density, flexibility, increased metabolic rate, improves circulation, weight loss and helps with recovery of damaged muscles and tendons, lower back pain, enhance pain reduction, improve collagen production, reduce appearance of cellulite and eliminate the effects of stress!

Which is why I now have one in my gym! If you are a member of a gym and they have one of these machines, please go check it out, and if you are not sure how to use it, get one of the instructors to show you. You will love it and the benefits it has to offer.

There are unfortunately, recommended contraindications :-(
and, although not absolute, if you do have one of the conditions listed here, It is advisable that you do not use the vibrostation.

Pregnancy, Acute thrombosis, serious cardiovascular disease, recent wounds from an operation or surgery, pacemaker, acute hernia, spondylolysis, severe diabetes, epilepsy, severe migraine, any metal pins or plates or coils, tumors and cancer.

If you want to know more, please check the website: http://www.vibrostation.co.uk/ or give me a ring on 0776 469429

HAPPY SHAKING!
.

WHAT'S NEW IN THE ABLE FITNESS STUDIO?

2010-04-11T18:37:00.000+01:00

Here I am about to unwrap a new piece of equipment for the studio, guess what it could be??

How Exciting!

MORE SPORTS RELIEF PHOTOS :-)

2010-03-26T13:22:00.002Z

WORKING OUT FOR SPORT RELIEF 2010

2010-03-23T22:49:00.015Z

At last I hear you shout, she has finally decided to change her blog and has just managed to squeeze a post in for March, by the skin of her teeth!

I am so sorry about the delay, life has been hectic and extremely busy, I have missed out on so many opportunities to let you know what's going on, but getting to the computer to do just this has been almost an impossibility. Why? I hear you ask, well I will tell you, work, work and more work! And I'm not complaining about it at all, in the present climate I am glad to be so busy. The other excuse, and a very reasonable one me thinks, is that I am presently in my first year at university studying for a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, so am bogged down with homework on a weekly basis BUT loving it :-)

So today's post is regarding my latest event and activity, which was on the evening of Friday March 19th, I organised and taught a ‘Fitness and Fun Session’ at the David Hughes Sports Centre in Menai Bridge, to raise money for Sports Relief 2010. A raffle was also held with many prizes kindly donated by local businesses such as a photo shoot with Glyn Davies, a full Fitness Assessment with me at Able Fitness , an MOT with Anglesey Arms Garage, a full gym membership and induction with the David Hughes Sports Centre, and many more. Over £400 was raised at the event.

I am really pleased with how much we raised in just one and half hours and its great to know that the proceeds will genuinely contribute to helping change the lives of poor and helpless people both in Britain and throughout the world’s poorest countries. It was a good turnout and people were delighted to be able to show they care about this cause, at the same time as enjoying a good workout and fun raffle.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following businesses for their fantastic donations and support for Sport Relief.

Anglesey Arms Garage, Menai Bridge
Anglesey Farm Foods, Penmynydd
The Auckland, Menai Bridge
The Play Centre, Bangor
Celtic Floral Creations, Menai Bridge
Clinig Menai, Menai Bridge
Clinig Chiropody and Podiatry, Menai Bridge
Divas Hair Salon, Menai Bridge
David Hughes Sports Centre, Menai Bridge
J.W. Health and Physiotherapy Limited, Waunfawr
Krypton Clothing, Bangor
Menai Bridge Post Office
Menai Ski and Outdoor
Oriel Glyn Davies Gallery, Menai Bridge
The Victoria Hotel, Menai Bridge
Vion, Llangefni

MOTIVATION/CYMHELLIANT/MOVERE – we all need it!

2010-02-06T12:15:00.002Z

I have been thinking about the meaning of the word motivation and how it can affect us all at some time.

Intrinsic Motivation - is being moved from within
External Motivation - is when we are motivated outside of ourselves to do something

Whether it is for intrinsic or extrinsic reasons, motivation is usually attributed to goal-orientated behaviour. Without a reason or an incentive to do something, most of us lack the enthusiasm or energy to simply “do it”! Whether it be as simple as ‘washing the dishes’ or as daunting as ‘losing weight and getting fit’.

Most people go to a personal trainer for help with achieving personal goals such as weight loss and physical exercise training. They receive lots of encouragement, programme design and that lovely word - motivation. But even a Personal Trainer may need to be motivated once in a while (we are only human!) which is why a lot of us attend workshops, seminars and fitness events.

For example: last Sunday it snowed, we had a huge flurry of snow and the day was cloudy, dull and cold. For those of you who have followed my blog you will know that I love the great outdoors, I love the sun on my face, the wind in my ears and am quite happy to don my rain gear and take a walk or a jog in the wet weather, either at the seaside, out on the road or up in the mountains. But last weekend I lacked motivation! I simply “couldn’t be bothered to go out” and was quite happy to lie on the settee and watch TV! I am not making excuses for my behaviour, I am a firm believer in listening to your body and understanding when it needs a rest, but I also know that if I don’t manage to get out for a long walk or jog at least once over the weekend, I can be unhappy and miserable.

I needed a motive, something to make me want to do it! From experience I knew that once I had managed to get out and take a walk I would feel better about myself, I knew that the fresh air would do me good, the walk would help burn off a few calories, the physical benefits would reap rewards and that I would experience that “feel good” factor. But, still, this wasn’t enough. There was no external reason, no prize, no certificate, no money or golden medal for making the effort, so what was the point! I needed motivation.

And then it happened! My husband Glyn had been keen to get out with me for an early walk into the snow covered mountains for some good old “quality time” and I was preventing this. At about 12.30 p.m. I had turned to look at him sitting next to me and suddenly realised that I was ruining our chance to do just that, I felt guilty, and that was the turning point. We see so little of each other, we are always busy running our own businesses and rushing around on a daily basis, that Sunday’s have become the only time we get for some “time out”. Glyn, therefore, in a roundabout way, became my motivator, my reason for getting up off the settee and moving! He supplied the motivating stimulus, the driving force behind the action, the reason I finally went out and had a fantastic two hour walk in my new boots in the snow and I’m so glad I went. I felt better for two reasons,:

Intrinsic satisfaction - I felt so much better for it.
Extrinsic satisfaction - the happy look on my husbands face :-)

Motivation – think about it!

"Now can anybody motivate me into cleaning out the attic"?

These Boots were made for Walking!

2010-01-20T21:13:00.004Z

and that's what I'm gonna do!

After a trip into the foothills of Snowdonia on Christmas Day, I realized that, although I love walking on the beaches of Anglesey, I really miss walking in the mountains. As a busy full-time Personal Trainer running my own company, a part-time student and a full-time mum, I find it really hard to plan and then get out for a good old stomp up a mountain. Sunday is the only day this is possible, and as you will all appreciate, sometimes other things 'just get in the way'! So Glyn (husband) and I have decided that we will commit to venturing out into the wild unknown at least once a month!

Over the last 18 months I have been wearing a pair of lightweight summer walking boots, but during our lovely recent wet and snowy weather realised that they were sadly developing a leak. So last Sunday, instead of walking up mountains, we found ourselves walking around outdoor gear shops! Not quite what we had in mind! (but good fun) and with the help of a lovely assistant, I finally found a fantastic pair of boots in the Joe Brown's shop in Capel Curig.

This took me over 1.5 hours but I wanted to get a pair that felt right, fitted well and were extremely comfortable! It has been a while since I bought a decent pair of winter boots and couldn't decide between two makes and styles, but finally decided on the Asolo Stynger GTX ML. I hope I made the right choice, there is nothing worse than getting nasty blisters! Luckily I am not the type of girl that worries too much about the colour! Just as long as they were BLUE! I then spent another 30 minutes choosing a new back pack and some snug woolley organic socks! Retail therapy - wonderful :-)

We then moved on to Betws-y-Coed, for copy-cat Glyn to find himself a new pair of boots! So by and by, we didn't actually manage the walk we set out for, but did get some great new gear in preparation.

So this Sunday we will definitely get out and walk ........ we just have to agree a route!

CHRISTMAS 2009

2009-12-28T12:01:00.001Z

Well after weeks of rushing around, shopping, wrapping and preparing food, presents etc, it's all over! Christmas 2009 officially done!

Every other year my kids take it in turns to spend the day with myself or their father. This year it was their father's turn, so, as I cannot bear the house so quiet and empty, presents still under the tree and the turkey in the fridge it was a chance to get out into the Snowdonia mountains.

So armed with flasks of coffee, sandwiches, mince pies and warm clothing, Glyn and I headed off to find some snow. Unfortunately, I was suffering with quite a bad head cold (and still am!), so didn't fancy going up too high into the cold ice and deeper snow. We, therefore, headed for the Crafnant Valley, Trefriw, as recommended by one of my friends, Sharon. (Thank you Sharon :-)

There is a lake in the valley and a walk around it, which at a fast pace, would probably take about 1.5 hours, but we weren't in any hurry.

We spent our time, mooching, taking photographs, sitting and talking, walking, exploring and generally enjoying a bit of "time out" from the stresses and strains of life!

At the first coffee break, Glyn surprised me with a new "fish" charm for my Pandora bracelet, which was a nice treat as we had agreed "not to give presents this year"! At the second coffee break, I surprised him with a small bottle of champers and a mince pie! (well it was Christmas day after all!)

All in all, a peaceful, relaxing and brilliant day, and I would like to thank Glyn, my gorgeous husband for sharing it with me, and making it so special.

It is always a difficult day, when the kids are not with us, but to get out and be at one with the environment and find a bit of peace and quiet is also such a bonus, especially when the rest of the world is caught up in the madness of the day!

By the way, Boxing Day was our official Christmas Day and the peace and quiet was definitely broken! But still lovely :-)

Dressing Up!!

2009-12-06T22:34:00.003Z

Well the silly season is almost upon us, and what better way to enjoy it, than taking the opportunity to dress up and look silly!

So, last week saw me at the Victorian Extravaganza in Beaumaris. A collection of street vendors and crafts people selling a range of goodies from soft toys to local produce. I hired a table within the craft section at the Beaumaris Canolfan/Leisure Centre and used it to promote my very own Poetry Book, published earlier this year called "Sea Things" . "Come dressed up as a Victorian" said the organizer, "everyone does"! Therefore, I turned up decked out in my best (and only) outfit suitable for such an event, finished it off with my sister Gill's lovely black top hat, Which I decorated with Christmas ribbon and a fake robin. And yes, you've guessed, I was the only one in fancy dress! But what the heck, I had loads of compliments and I felt rather special in the hat.

I sold a few books and was a happy lady and Glyn Davies (my husband) grabbed the opportunity to take some nice studio pics of me later.

Then today, I had the opportunity to get dressed up again! It was off to the Ty Gobaith Santa Dash in Llandudno this morning with my good friend Clare, my daughter Steph and her two friends Emily and Polly. Together, with over 500 other dressed up Santas, we jogged the 1 mile course along the Llandudno Promenade.

The weather was fairly kind to us, only raining as we got to the end line. Between us 5 we managed to raise over £450 for the Ty Gobaith appeal. The suits kept us nice and warm, although I didn't wear the trousers as they were far too long on my little legs! I consider this as a practice run, next year I intend to get a bigger team organized and dress up our suits in style under the Able Fitness banner!!

and by the way ....... It's not too late to donate :-))

Working out in Llandudno

2009-11-27T10:25:00.002Z

Last weekend saw me catching up on a few CPD points (Continual Professional Development). Stuart Harrop (British Aerobics Presenter) was flavour of the day, leading a 4 hour workshop for us "keen to learn more" instructors!

It was also a great way of catching up with long lost friends, getting the latest gossip, learning some new moves for our own classes and generally having a workout, without having to teach it!

Suzie Hopkins (Cheshire College) also threw in a mean circuit training session, just to completely finish us off. Before Stuart completed the day with a Broadway dance routine.

A big thanks to Stuart and Suzie for such a great day. Not sure if I can remember any of the moves tho! What the heck, it was good fun :-)

Clair Pugh (my unsuspecting friend I took with me), Stuart Harrop and me.

Rolf Harris sings to me!

2009-11-23T16:06:00.001Z

On Friday the 20th November 2009 my husband and I were invited to the launch of a new Art Gallery here on Anglesey.

There were quite a few people there, some I knew, some I do now! But the person we were all waiting to meet was Rolf Harris - yep, Aussie Rolf. As everyone else no doubt has, I have strong memories of watching him on TV painting his amazing LARGE picture, singing and telling jokes, so was really excited about his visit to the gallery. I grew up singing "Two little boys" and "Tie me Kangaroo down sport".

When it was my turn to be introduced to him, by a mutual friend, he put his arm around me and started singing "Oh Carol", he knew quite a few verses. I have to admit I did turn a shade of red!

He then had a chat with me, posed for a photo and agreed to buy me from my husband for a bag of grapes! (which he apparently had in the car)

What a lovely man, even though he was completely worn out (or spaced out as he put it) from a very long day of interviews and traveling, he found time to speak, sign autographs and have photos taken with everyone.

Even the next night when my mother Barbara met him, she reminded him that he had met me the night before, he remembered!

I am therefore and will remain his "number one fan" (Oh! Wrong celeb!)

The Food Chain

2009-11-15T17:51:00.001Z

I was standing on the beach today watching the seagulls soaring above me , listening to their calls, like cats meowing in the sky, and it made me consider living life from above. How wonderful would it be to hang motionless on invisible puppet strings in the air? I watched them in the blueness, swooping and diving, as I attempted to compose a poem about them, but I was too caught up watching their antics to concentrate.

As I listened I thought about how their calls reminded me of all the seaside towns and resorts I have ever been to - how seagulls are such a strong feature of those places, and how much I love to hear them above me. I love the size of them, the whiteness of their feathers, the orange of their beaks, their cheekiness and courage when trying to pinch food, and how much I would miss them if they ever became extinct.

It was then that I looked down towards the beach and realized why they were circling above me and hanging on the wind, mouths open, screaming and screeching. Two of them were down amongst the rocks pulling and wrestling with something between their beaks. I watched, trying to figure out what the 'something' could be, until I finally decided to investigate. They were not very happy about this interruption, and with some reluctance flew up to join their noisy friends. I looked and to my surprise saw that the 'object ' was a beautiful orange octopus, quite big too, about 12 inches long and the first one I had ever seen on this beach, and actually, the first one I had ever seen out of water.

I couldn't decide if it was dead or not, so I kneeled down to watch it for a while. It's tentacles moved slowly, and practically lifelessly, if not dead, then almost. I couldn't bear to leave it at the mercy of the seagulls, so very carefully I lifted it and put it in the nearest rock-pool, hoping it might recover under water. Nothing, no movement, no more sign of life, had I finished it's last few moments by drowning it? I didn't know, all I know is that I had taken a meal away from the birds but given this beautiful creature an underwater burial, back in the sea where he belonged.

As I left, I looked up at them again, I could almost hear them complaining to each other about their lost meal and cursing the human below who was walking away from their insults and angry comments, but I also felt a huge sense of sadness for the octopus lying at the bottom of the rock-pool, and then maybe a little guilty for interfering with the natural food-chain of the seaside.

Perhaps, he didn't die, perhaps once I had left and walked away, he slowly recovered. I'd like to think so :-)

Cornish Tor, Mists & Marconi!

2009-10-29T14:21:00.000Z

I can't think of a better way to be spending the half-term holiday than here in St. Just, Cornwall. Glyn and I have returned to the same apartment we had back in June earlier this year, but have brought daughter Steph and her boyfriend Ben with us.

Luckily for Glyn and I, the youngsters like to have a lie in (strange that for 16 years olds!) so we keep grabbing the opportunity to take an early morning walk and chance for Glyn to take photos (no surprise there!)

This morning we took a stroll up to Carn Kenidjack in what I can only describe as thick mist! It was surreal, the Tor just loomed up out of the cold and damp mists and looked like something out of an Arthurian tale, Glyn took the chance to photograph while I cowered down behind rocks out of the wind to write a poem.

Then I heard a call and Glyn was standing at the highest point of the Tor, obviously I had to climb up too :-)) although not having much of a head for heights I stood hanging on to him in the wind screeching! Until it was time to pose for a piccie that is :-)

After a delicious banana and jam sandwich (very healthy!) a flask of tea/coffee we made our way back down the track.

Apparently there is an inscribed stone in the area? We searched for it, but only found bracken, gorse, muddy tracks and lama's!

Oh, well next time we will visit in the sunshine, I would like to see the view anyway!

Just to add, yesterday whilst Steph and Ben paid a visit to the Gweek Seal Sanctury, Glyn and I took a walk along to the Marconi Centre at Poldhu cove.

Some may call it sad, others cool, but I really found it quite exciting to be standing on the spot where the first ever wireless signal was created on 12th December 1901 with only 3 dots = S.

Obviously I posed with a mobile phone in my hand, because after all, this is where it all started!

Another important thing for me was 89 years to the date of this event I gave birth to one of my sons's, now how cool is that! (Or is that sad?)

A Sunday morning road race

2009-09-29T15:20:00.002+01:00

I haven't run any 10k races for a while, but this year, and for some unknown reason, decided to enter the Faenol race way back in July. Not only did I enter, but I persuaded one customer and two friends to run it with me. We all ran a really good race, considering it was a baking hot summers evening (yes we did get one of those this year and yes it did happen to be the night of the race!)

Anyway, because I enjoyed it so much (?) I decided that I would try the Anglesey Marathon 10K which I never have. This was a much better race, 10.30 a.m. on a sunny but not too HOT Sunday morning (last week actually)! Once again I also persuaded another customer and one of the same friends to enter.

I really enjoyed it, and ran a better time, knocking over 1 minute off my Faenol run. I was also 17th woman in, 1st woman in my age group (not saying!) and 64th overall out of approx 170 runners.

Not bad for an old woman eh!!

So guys, when and where is the next race and who is going to run it with me this time ???

BRING IT ON! :-)

Just a few more pictures from Corfu!

2009-09-25T11:23:00.000+01:00

This is the boat ride to Erikoussa island. Here I am under the Greek Flag, "what a beautiful morning for a boat trip". I could get used to this :-)

Alex, the groom to be, and myself having an early morning chat, "Hey Alex where is my cold coffee??" "and is that Jane, bride to be, behind us steering this boat??"

Just helping with the steering! While Kate moves away from the small nutter sitting next to her!

Work, books and Corfu

2009-09-20T22:04:00.002+01:00

Hello - at last! Yes I can hear you thinking, it has been a while ... and I apologise for this :-)) Anyway just to fill you in with the last few weeks here goes!! Busy, busy, busy and very happy to be during this depressing climate of money troubles and job losses.

I have taken on several new customers with a huge range of needs and goals, which makes my job all the more interesting and challenging. I have recited more poems at the Anglesey Sea Zoo and am selling a steady 10 books a week, all good stuff.

I have also had a weeks holiday!!! My good friend and physiotherapist Jane tied the knot, Greek style, out in Corfu and so armed with wedding outfit, snorkel and mask, suntan lotion and sunglasses off Glyn and I flew for a week away.

I haven't actually been abroad and met up with friends before, it was really quite nice to spend days out and about on our own and then catch up with everyone at Smiley's Taverna, Roda where Alex, Jane's husband, runs a very pleasant and efficient restaurant.

It was a great week, Jane even managed to organise a day's boat ride to a Erikoussa island, 2 hours away from Roda, for those who were keen to go - we were and did! Great day out, Glyn & I had a great snorkel.

The weather was lovely, the apartment, Fiona Theodores, brilliant, the wedding was very greek and great fun and all in all it was wonderful to "get away from it all" :-))

But , now I am back and raring to go! Customers have been seen, classes have started up again and books are still being sold. I do need to get more books 'out there' though guys, so if you have any brilliant ideas please let me know.

Videos of me reading Me & Mr Shark on YouTube

2009-08-23T19:59:00.000+01:00

Today Glyn shot a video of me in his gallery, against one of his seascapes whilst reading Me and Mr Shark, one of the poems from my first ever poetry book "Sea Things". If you are inspired and would like to purchase a signed copy of my book click HERE

It was an empty room, so excuse the hollow sounding recording, but at least you can hear the poem clearly! I would be delighted if you would also visit YouTube and leave feedback on there for me? :-))

I will post another poetry reading video tomorrow.

Farewell to a lovely man

2009-07-27T19:14:00.002+01:00

On Monday 20th July my lovely step-father Dave passed away peacefully sitting on a bench in his garden in the sunshine. It was expected, he has been ill with kidney problems for over 2 years, but it was still a shock. Dave was a "character" always chatting to people in the street, always fiddling around in the garden, in his shed, in the house and growing his vegetables in any corner of the garden he could find. Whenever I saw him he would remind me how much he loved my mother and sing bits of welsh songs to me.

The bench is now in our garden, because mum found it too painful to look at, so today in memory of Dave I put a pot of roses on it.

Today, 27th July, we went to his funeral at the Bangor Crematorium. Over a 100 people attended, family, old friends, new friends and all those he had touched with his special magic over the years. The vicar, who had never met Dave, gave a lovely service and having spoken with my mother earlier this week, highlighted attributes about Dave that would remind us all of what a kind, loving man he had been. He then suggested we all remember Dave in our own special ways, the way we all knew him.

For me, the little wave through the window at work every Friday morning.

He then read us a beautiful poem by Henry Van Dyke about a ship leaving port and heading out of sight over the horizon, which brought tears to my eyes and made me think a little more about life and death.

"I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says "There, she is gone."
"Gone where?"
"Gone from my sight. That is all."
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at that moment when someone says "There, she is gone" there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout - "Here she comes!"

I would like to thank all those who attended today to pay their last respects, I would like to thank the vicar for a wonderful service, I would like to thank John the Undertaker for his kindness and support he has shown my mother over the last 7 days and most of all I would like to thank Dave for loving my mother as much as he did and for touching me and my family with his lovely, cheerful, singing, gardening, handyman, wonderful and caring soul.

Rest in Peace David John Roberts.

xxxxx

New Poetry Book

2009-07-17T17:13:00.005+01:00

I cannot believe it has been a month since my last blog!! Not good, I apologise to all! It has been a very busy month though, I returned from my lovely relaxing trip in Cornwall to organise the launch of my new book "Sea Things", hectic isn't the word! As well as teaching 1-2-1's, classes and running a household I was trying to make puppets, order puppets and generally invite as many people as possible to the launch. If you didn't already know - I have published a book!! A % of which is being donated to the Marine Conservation Society . They were so delighted with the offer and the link between the arts and how my book can help play such an important role in their work that Simon Brockington, Head of Conservation, travelled, with his family, to open the launch with me!

I love my little book, and all the fantastic illustrations by Gareth Davies, my father in law. Check out able creations for more info.

Anyway, the book is selling well and I have arranged readings in various places on Anglesey over the summer, so watch my website for more information.

Hope to see you at some of them?

Oh, yes, as far as Fitness goes - ran the Y Felinheli race recently and was very proud of my 55 mins time over 10K.

A Cornish Postcard

2009-06-19T11:51:00.009+01:00

Here are a few pictures from my holiday, which unfortunately ends this weekend :-((

But it has been great, lots of walking, swimming and sunbathing, just what a holiday is all about. As you can see from some of the pictures, standing on cliff tops, sitting on rocks watching the sun set and oh yes, walking through a path of stinging nettles!! Check out the professional photograph of my leg!

It has been fun, fun and more fun.

Did I mention the Basking Sharks? Watched them from our apartment window and then ran down to the Cape Cornwall footpath and watched them from there too - amazing!

Perhaps I should also mention the cornish pasties, clotted cream teas, ice cream .......... !!

Last few birthday pix :-)

2009-06-04T22:50:00.011+01:00

ABLE Proves it's able! First Birthday Celebrations

2009-06-03T22:51:00.011+01:00

Tonight along with friends, customers and one or two family members, I thoroughly enjoyed celebrating a highly successful first year for my business, AbleFitness. Against all odds and in one of the toughest years in decades, I have actually INCREASED my client base, had more enquiries than ever and have even had to turn people away through lack of available slots!

My initial worries about never finding new customers have been largely unfounded and I have learned SO much about business, it's joys and it's pitfalls.

So a year after I started, surrounded by such great company and supportive people, with a short congratulatory speech by my husband Glyn, I am even more confident than ever, that year two will be a good one, and that the treadmill is now rolling at a great pace :-)

© All images Copyright Glyn Davies 2009

Special thanks to Shirley Charlton for creating the AMAZING buffet; to my lads Rich & Ed for serving the drinks; to Steph, for helping with the layout & food.

"Sixty Able Women"

2009-05-10T20:14:00.008+01:00

A big thank you to all the women who joined my team for the Caernarfon Race For Life, 10th May 2009 :-))

"Sixty Able Women"
A poem by Carol Mead 2009

Sixty brave women
Running together
Racing for Life
In dubious weather.

Under one banner
The Able Girls team
T-shirts and tut-tu’s
With a pink theme

Running united
For such a good cause
Sunday, Caernarfon
Amid the applause

Thoughts of our loved ones
Some from the past
But never forgotten
And in our hearts last

Hugs, tears and kisses
Bonding with others
Sisters and friends
Daughters and mothers

Medals and goodies
Laughter and fun
But bearing in mind
The aim of the run

Warm dedications
Pegged on the wall
The dead, the survivors
We remember you all

© Carol Mead Able Creations 2009

No copying or re-use of this image OR TEXT is permitted by any means or in any media including web use.

A fine day for the Mountains

2009-05-05T20:50:00.005+01:00

What a beautiful day Bank Holiday Sunday turned out to be. Glyn & I decided we would try an amble into our beautiful Snowdonia. We scoured the maps and found two parallel valleys, Cwm Silyn & Cwm Dulyn which just sort of ‘looked interesting’ and faced the right way!

Armed with back packs, coffee, (biscuits!) and cameras we set off for a leisurely stroll to the lake of Llynnau Cwm Silyn. Here we sat and watched rock climbers, ate sandwiches and drank coffee. The sun appeared and it felt good. Eventually we decided to move on and head up the mountain, Garnedd Goch. Not a bad little climb really, nothing too strenuous for me! Glyn isn't feeling particularly fit at the moment and didn't appreciate me stomping ahead of him!!

Once we reached the summit and after only seeing one lone walker and another couple, Glyn took some Landscape shots and I, well I just sat around enjoying the view and the peace and quiet, and the warmth of the sun.

It reminded us both about how little time we spend in the mountains and it was nice to have reacquainted ourselves with them. In fact another trip is in the offing! Snowdon anyone??

MORE RUBBISH

2009-04-28T12:16:00.005+01:00

Sorry to harp on about the state of the rubbish littering our roads, walkways, footpaths, beauty spots, beaches etc., BUT here I am, outside The Glyn Davies Gallery, Menai Bridge where I have my Able Fitness Studio. Can you spot the rubbish bag!! Yep, I had just been out with a customer for a good old power walk along to Llanfair PG and I just happened to pick up a few bits of debris on route!! Once again I am shocked with the amount of litter I can manage to pick up just simply going out to enjoy
our beautiful island!

Thought I would show you and remind you that
"I AM ON A MISSION, TO CLEAN UP OUR COUNTRYSIDE".

I must remember to take more than one collection bag out next time ..........

What a Load of Rubbish

2009-04-15T13:23:00.004+01:00

Well what a brilliant Easter Bank Holiday! I had a lovely time, walking, gardening, sunbathing and generally finding a bit of peace and quiet.

My husband and I went over to the East Coast of Anglesey on Monday for a long walk and as we walked noticed just how much litter people drop! So, armed with a carrier bag (found in my backpack) we proceeded to collect as walked the final 20 minutes of our path, We managed to fill the bag! A collection of tins and paper that could easily be taken home with whoever threw it down. I find it pretty sad that visitors to the area do not consider the mess they leave behind, never mind the impact it has on the natural environment e.g. birdlife, sealife etc., It wasn't a difficult task and from now on I will make sure that I always carry a spare bag to collect other peoples rubbish - but really - should I have to??

The International Fitness Showcase, Blackpool

2009-04-08T21:06:00.011+01:00

Just a few pix from my recent visit to the The International Fitness Showcase, Blackpool.

The Showcase lasts three days and was a brilliant opportunity for me to pick up some new ideas, find out whats new in the industry, learn some new moves and actually take part in classes rather than running them!!!!

I went to classes run by various companies and presenters and generally worked my butt off!

Stuart you were definitely my favourite presenter - again! Thanks for a great couple of classes.

Also Bianca Karel I think I finally learned to hip-hop in style - thanks!

I went with a great bunch of girls, lots of fun, lot of laughs and really looking forward to going again 2010 :-))

A New Path

2009-03-21T14:45:00.004Z

It is always great to discover a new path in life! Last Sunday, my husband and I pulled up at our favourite beach and decided to take the left hand path along the coast, one we had never taken before!

How refreshing this was, it was great to get a different view of our gorgeous Anglesey coastline and discover small coves to explore. The path finally stopped at an old military fence that was a bit to difficult to climb over, lots of rusty razor blade wire and rusty barbed wire, which was a complete shame as we would like to have walked a little bit further on. I sat for a while and while Glyn took a few photographs I sat and pondered on life and paths, changes and choices we can make each day.

It was a lovely afternoon off from the pressures of work and family life and a great time for a bit of time out and reflection.

BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION

2009-03-04T21:27:00.007Z

Thank you to all those who supported my effort to raise money for the British Heart Foundation last week, especially to those girls who made the effort to wear something red to your fitness class. Some great ideas e.g. hats, jackets, t-shirts and that fantastic wig Shan!

The Sweepstake raised £60 which I have posted to this worthwhile charity. Winner of the Healthy Bottle of Red Wine, donated by Able Fitness goes to Aleks with the winning song "Red, Red Wine" how appropriate!

Once again, thanks for the great support guys,

Carol x

British Heart Foundation

2009-02-22T08:48:00.004Z

February is National Heart Month

To help raise awareness of this important event, I have ordered a fund raising pack from British Heart Foundation. I will be asking for donations during the week 23rd - 28th February.

For those of you who attend my classes or training sessions, I suggest we show our support and have a bit of fun by adopting a 'red theme' ?! - and don't forget to bring some additional pennies to sessions!

The pack includes a Sweep Stake draw which I will have with me. There is a 'healthy' bottle of red wine for the winner :-)

Remember we ALL need to look after our hearts to ensure a fitter healthier life!

RACE FOR LIFE

2009-02-11T11:30:00.006Z

"Do something amazing this summer with thousands of women across the UK"

LADIES - Why not join me in the Race for Life event, Caernarfon 10th May 2009? I am organizing a team of women to either walk, jog or run the 5K sponsored event. If you are interested please give me a ring on 0776 4694297 by the 20th February.

We will be wearing matching team t-shirts, more info on these later, and having a picnic at the end of the event.

This will be my 11th year supporting RFL, some of you have been in my team before, some it may be a new experience but guess what - it is well worth it.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Carol xx

Rock Climbing at Lleiniog

2009-02-08T22:47:00.005Z

When I was a child, my mother often took me and my younger sister Gill down to Lleiniog beach near Llangoed for days out. Today, after some persuasion I managed to convince Gill that we should once again trek down through the glen to our old beach haunt. On arrival we felt like we had stepped back in time. It was a powerful nostalgic moment.

Then we spotted THE rock - what seemed like a unscalable mountain as a child, was in reality just a huge boulder! Nevertheless the challenge was still there and we both HAD to make the summit on this freezing day, just like the old times! I made it :-))

The Need for Relaxation!

2009-02-01T20:11:00.005Z

Well here I am!! An icy but sunny Sunday afternoon at the beach - it had been a long cold walk and while Glyn my husband was busy with the camera I thought "Hey, why not ............. chill" (mmm good choice of word considering I was pretty chilly) and found a nice sheltered spot in the grasses - but got caught napping!

We all need to relax guys, the body needs time to repair and recover :-))

Caz, & Lincoln Bryden work out in Llandudno, 2008

2009-01-31T18:31:00.008Z

Learning new moves with other keen instructors!
A rewarding day in Llandudno acquiring loads of great new dance/aerobic moves with one of my favourite international presenters, Lincoln Bryden. Thanks Lincoln - a FANTASTIC FUN day - PS. I used most of your routine in my next class!!
Love Carol XXX

Having a cuddle!

Caz & Colin Jackson at The Anglesey Marathon 2008

2009-01-31T17:29:00.003Z

At the Anglesey Marathon 2008 I decided to promote my new business Able Fitness. Great event, I offered free fitness tests, sometimes to weary runners and discussed the results with them straight away.

With my posters up and my t-shirt on I chatted with Colin (great friend of course lol !), about his great footballing talent :-) Oops! I think he saw the funny side of it and realised I was actually joking! What a great guy and advocate for Welsh running.

Of course really I was just negotiating how much to pay him for teaching an aerobics class for me :-)