We all have a moment we look back on.

For me it was getting some old long riding knicks on that I had used years before.  Amazing, the lycra was still stretchy and it had to stretchy over quite alot more of me.

I had my favourite tshirt to try and cover as much of me as possible because I was that very typical, fat, fair and nearly 50 female who we all aspire to be (NOT) so by covering up in as much black would surely help me become less conspicuous.

And before you start thinking I’m getting hard on myself, or trying to run myself down, have a moment to think about a couple of things… I’m a straight shooter and say it as it is.

I know my good points which I have many, and I know my shortcomings and being the very typical stereotype I have described was because as I get older and read about people getting sick or dying, some I know personally, but some are just statistics that can read in the online, you’re a fool if you do not look at your own lifestyle and assess where you are and what your risks are.  That’s what I did.

My fear of dying from being unfit and not having enjoyed life more than I had was suddenly becoming a priority.  I guess some might call it a mid life crisis but for me it was like a discovery of the fact I just wanted to get out and do something I like.  I was sick of excuses and had already assumed the following -

• My rowing machine was not going to get the use I thought it would
• My walking machine bored me to tears
• Running – I was not built for running, and it’s incredibly boring to me
• Walking – ditto – feet flatter than a pancake and boring boring boring
• Exercise trampoline – how much jumping up and down can one do?
• Dance Mat – I did like that and still have it but the view was always the same
• Going to Gym – I used to do that alot when I was much younger.   Things have changed and too many mirrors, and beautiful, younger people.. yes, a confidence boost for anyone my age, my size and my choice of  gym wear in the cupboard.
• A dog would make me exercise – I have three cats… I am a responsible pet owner, and no matter how I think that, based on the previous comments, you don’t have to be a genius to work out that was not going to happen either.

Everyone starts somewhere.

That’s my take on things in life. It does not matter who you are or think you are, you started somewhere.  And for some of us we may have the ability to grasp things at a moments notice, but for the most of us, it’s a hard grind.  And alas, I am one of those people who has to work that extra bit hard to make anything work in my favour.

For some of us, it’s easy to wonder ‘why on earth would I bother’.  That’s how I felt when I would watch the guys go off for their weekend ride.  It looked very intimidating to me.  It’s crazy to think that I let things intimidate me the way I did and still do to a certain extent.

I wondered if it was to do with my upbringing, my personality, my direction life took me, who knows.. all I can tell you is that I spent way too much time in thinking that I was too old, too fat, too unfit and too uncoordinated to ever seriously consider riding a mountain bike. I thought it was a man’s sport and too technical for someone like me and anyway – who wants to ride in the dirt, in the dark, in the rain, in the mud anyway.

I think the tipping point for me to just get out and start to do something was when I started waving goodbye to my husband (Mr.A) and family (by family I mean at times my husband, my son, my son-in-law, my grandson and not always together or in that order) as they went off for weekend race events.

They would plan to ride an event a few months before, and train for it.   So as the events came closer, the longer and more frequently they would be away leading up to the event.

While it gave me the weekend to do the things I wanted to do, it seemed strange as I’ve always been able to do the things I want to do most of the time, and in reality, I really missed being with my husband.  There are very few people in my world that I associate with, so if I’m not working, or not with my husband doing our things around the home, then I would get quite sad.

Being sad is something I do not recommend for anyone.  I have spent many, many years, on the outer in life in general.  I didn’t want to ask Mr.A to stay home and babysit me, and it wasn’t that I didn’t like my own company, as I do not mind being alone, it is the worry as you get older, you get this realisation that time does not wait for anyone… so I would be at home working way, literally just working all the time while the guys would living and enjoying the moment.

I wanted to be part of that moment too.

Yes, this is the first post I’ve managed to get working properly.   I have been busy getting everything to work properly and was happy when I made the decision to split the social / personal from my work or it would get too messy.

I kept the theme similar to the business blog because I’m a simple person like that and can’t wait to get my paying work done so I can post more fun things here about the world without work!