Did you sign up to something positive?

So...what did you sign up to? Did you sign up to anything? Surprisingly I did, although it's not going all that well. This month money was particularly tight and where the sensible thing would be to tighten the purse strings and forego some luxuries I just can't seem to do that.

I can't resist a meal deal!

As an Intellectual Dinner Club member the lack of not going out for dinner each month is proving too difficult for me. When our boiler broke during one of the coldest weeks of the year so far I used it as the perfect excuse to visit my favourite restaurant right on my doorstep, Mustard and Punch. Three courses for just £22 and half a bottle of wine thrown in, well that's a bargain isn't it? And then a visit to the Woodman in Thunderbridge was just too tempting to turn down, their menu of delicious warming dishes proved too much to resist and I overindulged by again choosing three courses...Yorkshire pudding and onion gravy, slow roasted belly pork, STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING! How could I not?

So all this over indulging and sampling beautiful, local food meant that my lack of funds were becoming increasingly worrying and my growing waist band was making my clothes disturbingly tighter...although it was the double chin that was bothering me the most (I still tap it with the back of my hand hoping it will gradually go back up to where it came from.)

Sign up to something positive.

Signing up for something was proving to be difficult. I had no money and my energy levels were sinking rapidly thanks to a new desk job and my over indulgence. Then a friend recommended The Park Run to me, it was genius and the perfect thing to start off my year positively. Park Run is genius, it's a nationwide event that takes place every Saturday morning in various locations up and down the country, in my case it starts at 9am (eek!) at my local park. It's completely free but all you have to do is sign up on their website and print off a barcode, which you have to present when you complete your run each week. Your results are then published on their website and you can track your progress...brilliant! Each run is 5k and you can run, walk, jog, take your Dog however you want to get around, but the idea is to run. So I did it...I did my first run on a freezing cold morning amongst people of all shapes and sizes. I ended up at the finish line 35 minutes later, propped against a tree trying very hard to get my breath back and not throw up in front of everybody. It was such a friendly, jolly place to be and everyone spurred each other on shouting encouragement and inviting us to have a nice warm drink in the cafe afterwards. Unfortunately with the snow and a wine-fuelled Friday night the other weekend it's been a while since I've been back but I've got my barcode ready, my IPod charged and I'm ready for another go on Saturday. I have to say I'm actually quite proud of myself...even if I am booked into the 3 Acres Restaurant in two weeks time, well everything in moderation I need to have some fuel to burn off at Park Run!