Too Much Rest for the Wicked

This is me about ten years ago finishing a 10k race. Hoping to get this fit again (not there yet!)

Writing a series of books takes a lot out of you. In the last weeks before the final book of the Perceivers series, Mind Power, went to the editor, there were a lot of 5am starts. After all that, I needed a bit of a rest.

I promised myself a week off.

I also promised myself to tidy up all that mess that had accumulated while I busied myself writing with no time to be diverted. One of the messes was my body which had been deprived of exercise as it was full steam ahead with bum-on-seat writing. I can’t say I was eating healthily either. That was something I told myself would change once the series was complete.

My best discovery was low carb / high fat and the overwhelming science that shows the official advice we’ve been given on eating for the past forty years has been wrong. Suffice to say, I have lost about a stone (14 pounds) so far eating real food with lots of fat (like butter) and cutting the sugar.

Homemade moussaka: part of my new healthy regime

I managed to get off my bum and, with the better weather, went out for a few walks locally. I thought I might re-kindle my running, but it turns out I’ve lost more of my fitness than I thought. Memories of those three and five mile runs I used to do were swept away by the reality is it’s really quite hard to run when you haven’t done it for ages. I’ve now progressed to a bit of walking/jogging. At least it’s getting out there and getting some exercise.

Meanwhile, my new series of novels has been bubbling. They are all planned out (well, as much as I plan, which is more sketchy). So it’s down to work. I just need to try to keep up the exercise and the healthy eating at the same time. If I can stop bits and pieces accumulating in unsorted piles on my desk and in the lounge, that will be a bonus.

View from the top of the hill on my walk