Cadbury World!

Last Saturday my cousin (from now on referred to as C-Bear) and I went to Cadbury World in Birmingham. It was magical in so many ways – we had a blast driving up, which took 2 ½ hours from where we live. C-Bear kindly drove so I actually managed to get loads of work done, too (which paid off as on Monday I taught my ‘best lesson yet’ on the CELTA course).

As soon as we arrived, we were greeted with the most wonderful, rich smell of chocolate. I don’t know what I was more excited about, getting free chocolate on our walk around, seeing how the magic happens or going to the shop afterwards. C-Bear had definitely sold the tour to me; she told me that, just before the end, you’re given a pot of melted chocolate with a choice of toppings. C-Bear accurately described it as ‘a pot of joy’, which it so was!

Pot of joy time

The first part of the tour documents the arrival of Cortez and the fall of the Aztecs, how chocolate came to England, and, of course, the conception of Cadbury’s. Did you know, in the time of the Aztecs, 10 cocoa beans could buy you a rabbit? The second part is focused on how the factory works, so you see the staff creating and packaging the different products. I admire them for being so focused with hundreds of people staring at them while they're working!

That's right, Cadbury's was originally a tea shop which also sold cocoa

We didn't have time to explore the 4-D experience, but we did wander round the museum on the town of Bournville. It was heart-warming to read about Mr Cadbury's concern for the people of Birmingham and how he improved welfare. I found it particularly interesting reading about how the staff contributed to the war effort, either by caring for injured soldiers, sending chocolate to the front, or actually fighting in France.

Visiting Cadbury World was probably one of my favourite days out this year. I'd recommend it for all ages because the tour is interactive, fun and informative. There's plenty to see but you can explore at your own pace.

Ticket prices and booking details can be found here. It is recommended that you book in advance to guarantee entry!

Dressage Competition: 11.10.14

I'm sorry I've been so absent little bloggy... I've been super busy on the work and study front. By the end of November things will be much less busy as I'll have finished my CELTA. 
Last Saturday, Ernest and I went to a dressage competition at the same venue as the 20th September - thankfully, it didn't rain, even though it poured on the Friday night. 
Due to a complete mess up of sending me my times, I had to do Novice 30 first. My mistake was not looking at the tests until Friday, when I realised how many canter moves I had to do: change leg across the diagonal, medium, walk to canter. Not in that order. While our schooling session was good, I should have practiced these moves more, and earlier, than the evening before.
It was frustrating because Ernest and I had a successful warm-up, and he was going beautifully, but in the test he just seemed to lose all energy. I then began to ride like a flappy child, losing my composure as I tried to push him on and keep him in a contact at the same time. Overall, I came out feeling irritated and baffled. 
I had an egg on my face, as I acted, quite frankly, like a bit of a twat. I was really annoyed because I felt the test was rubbish and I rode badly and I didn't understand why Ernest wasn't going anywhere. Then, after watching the video, it really wasn't that bad - although I was right about the flappyflapflap. We got 59.62%, which I was happy with as there was plenty to work on. And, after my terrible attitude, I didn't really deserve higher, although Ernest did. I feel a bit ashamed even now. 
So, I got back on for Prelim 19 - the most popular Prelim of all time, according to every time I've entered it and there's been 5000 other people in the class - with a better attitude after apologising for being an idiot. We had another lovely warm-up, and rode a pleasing test. For this, we got 65.45%.
No rosettes this time, but a healthy reminder to not behave like a spoilt butthead when things don't go to plan. Ernest will be getting clipped before our next dressage outing at the end of November, which will make things more comfortable for him as he gets so hot in his excessively fluffy winter coat.
We're hoping to go showjumping tomorrow with some friends from the yard - it's not a competition, just a chance to practice jumping a course. Ernest has a busier social life than me! Since 20th September, he's done two dressage competitions, a sponsored ride, and, if tomorrow goes ahead, a showjumping event!

D-Day - after

We did it! We did it!  2 hours 9 minutes...
... and we ran all of it!
So I know earlier I said I wanted to finish in less than 2 hours 7 minutes, but I actually cannot believe we ran all of it (well, I had a 30-second walk up the steepest hill but apparently that doesn't count). By mile 6 I was having some serious issues with my left ankle, by mile 10 Maxx was in agony with his knee, but we just kept pushing on.
I'm pleased that I felt pretty good from the start to about mile 8, but after that my ankle did start to really hurt. The last 3 miles were gruelling for both of us and we are very sore now - I have the biggest blister on one of my toes. I wanted to post a photo of it, but I also like having people read my blog, so thought better of it. 
The highlight for me (aside from running the whole damn thing!) was running up the longest hill - about 2 miles - without walking. I've never done this before, in training and during the half in 2012. It's a real achievement for me, but because I kept a slow but steady pace it didn't feel horrible, surprisingly! Maxx encouraged me when I was tired and I couldn't have done it without him - I'm so proud of him for pushing through the pain and completing his first half in such a good time. He's been a real source of support for me during training and during the race, and I'm truly grateful. Thanks Hen!
I love this half marathon. There were people lining the streets cheering, clapping, offering sweets and high fives and support for all the runners, and it really created a great atmosphere. Everyone who came out today - to support or to help at the water stations - deserves a medal too. It really makes a difference when you reach mile 9, your body is aching but someone shouts 'Well done 966 and 965, you're doing great!'. Four runners actually went back to help carry someone who couldn't weight-bear on one leg across the finish line, and one of the guys shouted 'Come on, give him a round of applause!', which everyone duly did. Now that's sportsmanship. You can see them behind us in the picture below.
We've now raised £425 for Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare, but if you'd like to sponsor us after hearing about our HUGE SUCCESS please go to: https://www.justgiving.com/pipandmaxx/

Look at those nostrils, sucking in all the air

D-Day - before

Jimmy, our first hound

It's D-Day and I'm nervous! I had a dream about running last night - but not even the running part, just getting ready to go to the race and picking up my number and going to the toilet.
I had a run on Tuesday, which went well (6 miles in 52 minutes), and I do feel confident I'll finish the race, but I'm starting to have stupid doubts, like: what if I can't do it? what if I'm really slow? what if AAAHHH all of the 'what ifs'. I really just want to get going now!
We've smashed our fundraising target, so thank you to everyone who's sponsored us! We were aiming for £300 but have actually raised £400. It's a definite motivator, knowing how many people are supporting us. I'll also be thinking about all the rescue hounds at Hersham today, imagining them waiting for us with wagging tails at the finish line. And, of course, my hounds past and present.
Ultimately, no matter how hard the race is, nothing beats that euphoric feeling when you cross the finish line. Running long-distance is such an emotional journey - you battle pain and exhaustion, and if you can keep going, it's a real achievement. 
We're hoping for under 2 hours, but anything less than my 2012 time of 2 hours 7 minutes would be good. 
See you on the other side! .

Dressage Competition: 20.9.14

Last Saturday was our first competition since October 2013. By the middle of the week I was getting really excited - it had been a busy and somewhat stressful week with starting 2 new teaching courses, so training was therapeutic as I was thinking about something completely different!

Ernest had been going extremely well in our practices, so I knew it was just down to me. I ride very strongly with my left hand, which you can see in the videos (I tried to upload them but they're bigger than 100MB, so follow this link to watch online), which results in him 'wagging' or 'nodding' his head, especially in walk.

My legs were shaking when we were warming up, but Ernest was a true gentleman - he was unfazed by everything else happening around him, focusing only on what I was asking. Cool as a pony-shaped cucumber!

Overall, we got 70.00% for Prelim 17 - our highest score for a long time! - and came 6th. We got 66.88% for Novice 28, and came 3rd. Novice is the next level up from Prelim and basically requires you to do more stuff, including different types of trot and canter. I was delighted! It was such a positive way to start competing again, but even if we hadn't placed I would have been delighted with our tests.  I thought I was going to cry when I read the judge's comment for Novice: "A very honest pony who tries his heart out for you. Very pleasing trot work. Needs to be more supple on left rein especially in canter. Well ridden test." That's my Biff! Judges do tend to like Ernest, obviously with good reason, but it's always lovely to read compliments about my baby boy.

We've qualified for the Championships in the Prelim class, which will be held next year. Our next dressage outing is October 11th - less than a week after the half marathon! - so in the meantime I'll be working on my contact and hand position. Thank you to my friends and family who came and supported us!
Remember to look here if you want to see the videos! Check out the rest of Simon's website, too - he's very talented. My favourite, and best, pictures of Ernest were taken by him.

Guest Post: Basingstoke Half Marathon Training Run (4.9.14), by Maxx Le Hen

With the half marathon coming sooner and sooner, I felt really strange on Thursday. Firstly I went to badminton on Tuesday (I joined a badminton club last April) from 19.40 to 22.40, so I was really tired and my legs ached (it’s for this reason I couldn’t go with Pip on Wednesday). In the other hand I didn’t run for a week and a half, and the half marathon is coming with the speed of a Formula 1 car - it’s what I feel - and Pip had run the day before, so when we run again together I’m worried I will have lost my running stamina. So on my way back from work I found some motivation to go and run a big loop, to carry on the good training we have. When I was home I climbed the stairs and changed my clothes to go running while I had the motivation. 

I did an 8-mile loop around the house. I start running in what I felt the same rhythm that I run with Pip – to keep having the same rhythm all the time – I reached the next village (2.8 miles) in 26 minutes, which gave me the reason why I was feeling so bad. Everything was hurting me - like if it was 6/7 miles I was running - because I ran faster than I thought. I decided to walk a bit, when I say a bit it was a bit, I walked for 20/30 seconds then  I restarted running on the same rhythm that I started – I don’t like changing my rhythm. I did another 2.6 miles, I ran this 2.6 miles in 26 minutes as well. 

But from this point I started paying for the silly mistake I did: before running I always drink a big glass of water to hydrate my body during the run (and Pip often brings some water) but because I was so motivated to run this loop I forgot to drink my water.  Anyway, from this moment I started to feel my mouth and my throat becoming dry, and it was more difficult to run like this so I decided to walk another 20/30 seconds only and then carry on running. 

After another 1.5 miles (in 13 minutes) I felt really low, my mouth and throat were dryer and dryer and it became really difficult to run like this. At this point I was in the park and it left me only 1.3 miles to finish. But my body was too tired to carry on running, my legs were aching a lot, my ankle starting to hurt as well, my mouth and throat were dryer than the water in the middle of the Sahara… So I decided to walk home. 

When I was in the park after a 20-second walk, it was downhill, so it was faster to run down the hill than walk. I restarted running without forcing anything, I just let my body go down the hill. Then, when I reach the end of it I felt that I did rest my legs a bit so I carried on running until home. 

I did the 8 miles in 77 minutes in total, which is not too bad. I’m happy with myself, I know I did not too bad. But to be honest today my legs are killing me! Each step I’m taking is really hard (but I like it).

Please don’t forget to sponsor Pip and I for the half marathon, we are running for Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare. Every donation is important; every little penny will help them to carry on doing a great job for all the greyhounds. Please don’t forget, WE COUNT ON YOU!

Princess' Voice: YEAH give some money for Pickle and the Big Wuss! (that's right, we have voices for our greyhounds).

Book Review: Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy

Today is Leo Tolstoy’s 186^th birthday, so it seems timely to post my review of Anna Karenina. My grandparents bought me the book for my 23^rd birthday, but I didn’t actually read it until this year. I say read – I devoured it on holiday and on every work lunch break until I finished it.

 

Published in instalments between 1873 and 1877, the novel documents Anna’s ill-fated affair with Count Vronsky. Contrasted with this is the story of Levin, a pensive man who’s searching for meaning in his life.

First, let me give you a bit of history – I watched the Kiera Knightley version of the film a few years ago and, while I was quite disappointed, I became curious about the book. In the film, Levin’s story felt like a random addition rather than an important part of the story, so I wanted to know what significance he held in Tolstoy’s novel.

 

Anna Karenina opens with Anna’s brother, Stephan Oblonsky, in trouble with his wife, Dolly, for having an affair with the children’s nanny. Anna comes to their residence in Moscow to resolve the dispute and keep the marriage together. Levin, Oblonsky’s friend, also travels to Moscow from his farming estate in the country to propose to Dolly’s youngest sister, Kitty. 

 

He learns that Kitty is being courted by Alexei Vronsky – Kitty turns down Levin but, at an important ball, she realises Vronsky has fallen in love with Anna and won’t marry her. Anna and Vronsky met briefly when Anna arrived in Moscow, after travelling with Vronsky’s mother. 

 

Anna is shaken by her reaction to Vronsky – who declares his love for her – and realises, when she returns to St. Petersburg, that she does not love her husband. She remains devoted, however, to her son, Seryozha.

She does, eventually, leave Alexei for Vronsky, and so the drama unfolds...

 

AK is rich in issues of class, gender, politics, religion... but, overall, I felt the main theme was social inequality – particularly the differences between men and women, and rich and poor.

 

I thought I would find Anna a strong, admirable character, but as her affair progresses with Vronsky, she changes from confident and respected to jealous, volatile and manipulative. I can’t say I felt sad for her at the end. However, it is deeply unfair how Vronsky is still welcomed in society and the political arena, while Anna is wholly rejected by society and her supposed friends. Twinned with this is Alexei’s loss of respect and power because of Anna’s affair – deemed unmanly for not being able to keep his wife, he, too, suffers. The affair demonstrates the rigid social expectations of men and women in 19^th century Russia, which I found fascinating and a little disturbing.

 

While Anna is acting out her own ruin in the cities, Levin escapes back to the country after his failed proposal to Kitty. I found him bad-tempered and a little self-absorbed, but his narrative gave the novel a more philosophical edge – he questions how to make changes to farming, and how to make his workers more effective, but their adversity to change and his inability to implement it seems to be a wider reflection on 19^th century Russia as a whole.

 

I was fond of Stephan Oblonsky - he is a bit of a rogue, not paying his debts and being unfaithful to his wife, but his actions do provide light relief. I laughed out loud when Levin, Vronsky, Oblonsky and a few others are voting in Parliament, and the vote counters pull out a nut and a button from the ballot box. It was so unexpected that it really made me giggle!  

Anna Karenina is an intelligent read and a true classic; I can’t wait to read more of Tolstoy’s work.

Happy birthday Tolstoy!