I reached 2 goals since the last post. I reached the landmark of 50lbs lost and I also raised the minimum amount needed for me to do the Great North Run in September. Both goals are absolutely remarkable. The weight loss has made a massive difference in my life. I feel so much better health wise, I feel that I am in control of my weight, not the other way around. The sponsorship target being met means so much more than £400 raised for the NSPCC. In reality it shows me how much my friends and family believe in me. I want to thank each and every one of you who has helped me, not only to reach the £400 for the NSPCC but also for helping me to raise over £500 for Mental Health Matters in the year previous.
I have had a bit of a sore hip at the moment, but with some ice on it after training and some ibuprofen I am not hurting too much. I went to bootcamp on Saturday, and despite it being cold it was an exhilarating experience. I came away from the session feeling like I had worked hard and I knew I had worked hard.
This week saw me try something brand new. For a while my friend Mark, aka Run Geordie Run, has been encouraging me to come along to Tyne Bridge Harriers to go running. I was going to go in November but I picked up the calf strain. Then if I am honest I was too scared to go. Social anxiety is a problem I have to deal with and I have been avoiding going to the club as I was scared that I would be too fat and too slow to run with a group, and I didn't know if I could deal with.
Last night I went to my first training session. I was the slowest in the group, and I was last, but it didn't matter. The group was so encouraging. One of the trainers ran with me, and I managed to complete the circuit. Then I read something this morning that made me think about what I was doing, it said "It doesn't matter how slow you go, you're still lapping those sat on the sofa!" That's what matters to me, I might be the slowest runner BUT I am doing something about it. Last night made me think back to last August when I struggled to run for 30 seconds when I started couch to 5k. Now I have completed two 5k runs, can run 5 miles and am confident that I'll manage the 10k I'm booked in for in March.
I think losing weight, and getting fitter, has a lot to do with mental attitude. If you think you'll fail then you will fail. If you believe you can do it, if you eat less, move more and keep going then you will lose weight, get fitter and feel better. It sounds simple because really it is. Willpower, motivation and dedication is what you need (as Roy Castle would have said). I plan to go back to the running club, and it doesn't matter if I'm the slowest, lagging behind at the back because at least I'm trying and that is the most important thing.
Wednesday 25 January 2012
Sunday 8 January 2012
Participate, Enjoy, Suceed.
I travelled up to Edinburgh for my second ever 5k run. The run was the Great Winter Run organised by the same company who organise the Great North Run.
This run was definitely more professionally organised. The pre-run pack included a timing chip for my shoes, my race number with my name on it and loads of information about Edinburgh and the run itself.
I stayed up in Edinburgh on the Friday night and can't fault Premier Inn once again. The staff at Haymarket Premier Inn were really great, warm and friendly.
On the Saturday morning we headed over to Holyrood Park. The park was buzzing with people watching young Scots children running cross-country and they were very impressive.
At 10.50am we lined up and were led in a group warm up. I couldn't see what was going on at the front so at first I tried to copy everyone. In the end I just concentrated on stretching as best I could and getting myself warned up.
There were a lot more people at this event than the last one and we were separated into 4 different starting groups depending on our predicted finish time. I was in the last group to start, Green.
When the run got going it was hard to find my own place to run. For the first half mile people were bunched up before the steep climb began. The uphill section must have continued for about a mile and a half. I found it hard to regulate my breathing, and I was pleased to get to the flatter section. Some people had stopped running and were walking so I passed a lot of people on the uphill section.
After the 2km sign, which also had music blasting, I ditched my gloves as they were annoying the heck out of me. The views were completely stunning, but I didn't have much time to admire them.
My first mile had been slower than I had wanted, due to the vast uphill section, but once the ground was flatter I managed to pick up my pace. I just kept my own run going, occasionally focussing on someone in front as a target to catch up with then once I'd passed them I focused on a new person.
My last mile was the quickest I've ever done at 10.38. It was all downhill and I had to hold myself back, from running even faster. At the mile point I had known I wasn't going to beat my Personal Best from Glasgow, which was 36.37 mins.
As I saw the finish line I heard shouting over my music in my headphones. It was my mam and my two oldest daughters cheering me over the line. After handing over my timing chip, picking up water, a foil blanket and my goody bag I met my family at the well sign posted meet up point.
The organisation of this run was fantastic. There were plenty of marshalls who clapped the runners on around the course. The goody bag included a weighty medal, a training shirt, a bottle of powerade (yuck), an Eat-natural bar, several travel cans of deodorant, some biscuits, some energy sweets, some tissues and body lotion.
By the time I got home to Newcastle I was able to check my official time on the Great Run website and was pleased with the finish time of 38.49, which considering the slow uphill start was better than I thought.
I've been drinking Cherry Active drink after training and did immediately after the run yesterday and can honestly say that my legs felt great today. I've had no aches or stiffness at all.
My next run is in March in Leeds and is a 10k. So now I'm increasing my training run distances. I'm looking forward even more to the Great North Run in September after experiencing Great Run's organisation.
This run was definitely more professionally organised. The pre-run pack included a timing chip for my shoes, my race number with my name on it and loads of information about Edinburgh and the run itself.
I stayed up in Edinburgh on the Friday night and can't fault Premier Inn once again. The staff at Haymarket Premier Inn were really great, warm and friendly.
On the Saturday morning we headed over to Holyrood Park. The park was buzzing with people watching young Scots children running cross-country and they were very impressive.
At 10.50am we lined up and were led in a group warm up. I couldn't see what was going on at the front so at first I tried to copy everyone. In the end I just concentrated on stretching as best I could and getting myself warned up.
There were a lot more people at this event than the last one and we were separated into 4 different starting groups depending on our predicted finish time. I was in the last group to start, Green.
When the run got going it was hard to find my own place to run. For the first half mile people were bunched up before the steep climb began. The uphill section must have continued for about a mile and a half. I found it hard to regulate my breathing, and I was pleased to get to the flatter section. Some people had stopped running and were walking so I passed a lot of people on the uphill section.
After the 2km sign, which also had music blasting, I ditched my gloves as they were annoying the heck out of me. The views were completely stunning, but I didn't have much time to admire them.
My first mile had been slower than I had wanted, due to the vast uphill section, but once the ground was flatter I managed to pick up my pace. I just kept my own run going, occasionally focussing on someone in front as a target to catch up with then once I'd passed them I focused on a new person.
My last mile was the quickest I've ever done at 10.38. It was all downhill and I had to hold myself back, from running even faster. At the mile point I had known I wasn't going to beat my Personal Best from Glasgow, which was 36.37 mins.
As I saw the finish line I heard shouting over my music in my headphones. It was my mam and my two oldest daughters cheering me over the line. After handing over my timing chip, picking up water, a foil blanket and my goody bag I met my family at the well sign posted meet up point.
The organisation of this run was fantastic. There were plenty of marshalls who clapped the runners on around the course. The goody bag included a weighty medal, a training shirt, a bottle of powerade (yuck), an Eat-natural bar, several travel cans of deodorant, some biscuits, some energy sweets, some tissues and body lotion.
By the time I got home to Newcastle I was able to check my official time on the Great Run website and was pleased with the finish time of 38.49, which considering the slow uphill start was better than I thought.
I've been drinking Cherry Active drink after training and did immediately after the run yesterday and can honestly say that my legs felt great today. I've had no aches or stiffness at all.
My next run is in March in Leeds and is a 10k. So now I'm increasing my training run distances. I'm looking forward even more to the Great North Run in September after experiencing Great Run's organisation.
Wednesday 4 January 2012
New Year, no excuses.
Well Christmas is well and truly over. I don't think I'd ever write that I was on Tynemouth beach participating in a bootcamp on both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, but it happened. If this impossible thing can happen then maybe Newcastle CAN win a trophy in my lifetime, well maybe, well ok I know it's unlikely, lol.
I didn't go overboard with my food at Christmas, but I definitely relaxed a bit. Last year (2010) I found Christmas and New Year a really difficult time to deal with being sober. It seemed like everyone was out drinking and it drove me crazy not being able to drink. This year though, drinking hasn't even crossed my mind, and the 2 year and 5 month mark of my sobriety passed without me even noticing. I see this as progress as when I first stopped drinking I was counting hours, not even days, and now months are passing and I didn't even notice.
I weighed myself on Christmas Eve, and again on the 2nd January, and was really surprised and utterly delighted that I had lost 1.5lbs. But instead of making me think "Heck I can just relax my food and I'll still lose weight" it's made me more determined to stick to the healthy lifestyle I was before the depression hit me really badly. I know that for my long term goals to be realised I need to stick to the regime, and that is a healthy diet and exercising.
I am doing the Great Winter Run in Edinburgh this Saturday. This is going to be only my second ever 5k and I'm really looking forward to it. It's hard not to want to beat my time in Glasgow, but I'm going to try and be a realist and just set myself a time I want to beat generally, without taking Glasgow into consideration. I ran 4.13 miles on New Years Day and felt really sluggish and my legs felt really heavy, but I ran 4.22 miles today and was over 4 and a half minutes quicker. This leaves me feeling positive for Saturday. I'm just going to go out there and do my best.
I am also delighted to say that my fundraising for the NSPCC was boosted massively over Christmas and New Year and through my friends generosity currently stands at £351. I feel genuinely humbled by people's belief in me and it spurs me on to keep going. September's Great North Run seems a long way away but I know it will be here before I know it, and so each and every donation means so much. My justgiving page is here if you want to look. Thank you to everyone who has donated and given me moral support. I can't tell you how much it means.
I didn't go overboard with my food at Christmas, but I definitely relaxed a bit. Last year (2010) I found Christmas and New Year a really difficult time to deal with being sober. It seemed like everyone was out drinking and it drove me crazy not being able to drink. This year though, drinking hasn't even crossed my mind, and the 2 year and 5 month mark of my sobriety passed without me even noticing. I see this as progress as when I first stopped drinking I was counting hours, not even days, and now months are passing and I didn't even notice.
I weighed myself on Christmas Eve, and again on the 2nd January, and was really surprised and utterly delighted that I had lost 1.5lbs. But instead of making me think "Heck I can just relax my food and I'll still lose weight" it's made me more determined to stick to the healthy lifestyle I was before the depression hit me really badly. I know that for my long term goals to be realised I need to stick to the regime, and that is a healthy diet and exercising.
I am doing the Great Winter Run in Edinburgh this Saturday. This is going to be only my second ever 5k and I'm really looking forward to it. It's hard not to want to beat my time in Glasgow, but I'm going to try and be a realist and just set myself a time I want to beat generally, without taking Glasgow into consideration. I ran 4.13 miles on New Years Day and felt really sluggish and my legs felt really heavy, but I ran 4.22 miles today and was over 4 and a half minutes quicker. This leaves me feeling positive for Saturday. I'm just going to go out there and do my best.
I am also delighted to say that my fundraising for the NSPCC was boosted massively over Christmas and New Year and through my friends generosity currently stands at £351. I feel genuinely humbled by people's belief in me and it spurs me on to keep going. September's Great North Run seems a long way away but I know it will be here before I know it, and so each and every donation means so much. My justgiving page is here if you want to look. Thank you to everyone who has donated and given me moral support. I can't tell you how much it means.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)