Yume No Chikara

So I have a few busy weeks ahead that may, or may not, affect what happens here. So this weekend I am running the Chester metric marathon - should do about 3:30 and get a PB by around 30 mins if things go to plan. Next week I am on holiday and have the in-laws visiting which will be nice. Then after then I have 2 weeks of jury service in Derby. I really want to get a case as I am really interested in knowing what actually happens and what it's like in court. But knowing my luck I will have 2 weeks of waiting for nothing. I have Ami's zoom calls to review and take notes on, books to read, coloring/drawing to try my hand at and Loki to watch! After that the exciting news is my part time request has gone through so from 4th December I will be part time. Very exciting. Then hopefully I can start a potential path to being a swimming teacher. Fun days ahead

I know this as I feel awful! 😂 Tired and achy is apparently proof that it’s working! Not sure i like it 😁 Last night I did a short run with a few fast bits. It was hard work again this is apparently all good.  Trust the taper they say.  Only Sunday will confirm if training and taper were right. 

Had a brief conversation with boss today…. Looks like my request to go part time is successfull! I will change after jury service so I get paid full time for that which is good. Obviously this then brought up the money bills can we afford it conversation when I got home! But all good news I think 😁

AKA Not allowing myself to sulk and moan. I'm healthy and can exercise when I want for as long as I like I have a loving husband a great son a job that pays the bills I am clever I can amuse myself  I have the skills to learn new things I have the skills to plan new exciting things and changes I have 2 amazing funny fluffy cats I am safe and secure and financially safe I have the technology to entertain myself  I will add to this list!

I'm moaning here because I can. I'm fed up with being tired thanks to disturbed sleep. I'm fed up with being bored at work. I'm fed up with being ignored at work and feeling like the admin girl who doesn't deserve being spoken to. I'm fed up and tired and had enough. I want change but NOW and I know change can't happen now. Plus I know my moaning won't be appreciated or understood at home so I am moaning here.

I’m racing next weekend so currently tapering which means I’m achy tired and grumpy! Yesterday I did a 5k run and some kettlebells. The run was my fastest in years.  The kettlebells weren’t heavy but I did buy some new heavier ones that needed moving.  Today I am tired and achy and can’t pinpoint why.  But a rest is always good so that’s what I’m going to do!

I’m very poor at pushing myself and doing speed work but recently I’ve started doing a virtual mile “race” each month and 5k too. Last weekend I got a season best on my mile at 10:50 which isn’t fast but the fastest I’ve run for way over 10 years! Today I did a speedier 5k. My last couple have been on the same “course” at home but today I was having my car MOTd so ran were I was. This meant a lot of corners and looping so I wasn’t expecting any improvement but I managed to take 5s off my time!  Ok so again not fast at 36:42 but I’m slow and fat! and I’ve been running for distance and endurance for the last few months.  My “A” race is next weekend after that I’m going to try and work on my speed. I’ll be doing a 5m race series over the winter which will hopefully help.  So I’ll using Ami’s teachings and focusing on imagining working hard to keep going when it hurts.  I won’t get to PB shape yet (well possibly not!) but I hope to take minutes off the best tim...

Monday is the start of a new 10 week training block. Well Ok it's the start of my second round of The Six Pack Revolution this time I am doing the sculpt program. I did Signature in May and did really well. Lost 21lbs and rediscovered my love of running lots (rather than just running!) which has meant that I have had a great, extended, training block for my race next weekend. Problem was that at the end of the 10 weeks I slowly but surely reverted to a lot of my old habits and as such have regained 4-5lbs. Luckily my running has kept it to just 4-5lbs - I know if I hadn't been doing so many miles then it would have been more. So next week I start again, and I am trying a different mindset. Instead of seeing it as a 10 week program I am thinking of it as a 10 week training block. The say Winter miles make for Summer smiles but also the winter is a time for more indoor training! When most runners hide away a bit but do more of the stuff we should do all year as we then have an ex...

Many years ago I did a weekend camp for marathon runners. I will always remember that the chap who ran it (an former Olympic runner) said "Every single one of you here is an Athlete. It doesn't matter what speed you run at you are an athlete. If you put your trainers on and train then you are an athlete" So that's me. I'm an Athlete in Training. Why an athlete in training and not just an athlete? Well I firmly believe that we can always improve. Or aim to improve in one small way or another. Perfection is not a thing and therefore we are always improving and therefore training! One thing that Ami has said is that the mind likes to work, to be used and to do "stuff" (she might have been more technical than me there!). So if you stop using it and doing things then you are actually doing your brain harm. Not using your brain is the worse thing you can do - it is, just like your muscles, a case of use it or lose it. And the less you use your brain the greate...

Keep the mind working and try to learn something everyday.  Be creative even if you don’t have or at least think you have any creativity! These are things you can do to help keep the brain healthy and active.  Next month I have jury service so today I set out to find things I can do whilst, potentially!, waiting around.  Pinterest has the answers ti so many things 😂 Today I was looking at crocheting granny squares but not sure if that is allowed…. Knitting isn’t as the needles can be dangerous! So I thought of mandala patterns! Which morphed into Celtic knots! I’m definitely in the non creative corner so these are totally out of my comfort zone so they are definitely on my to do list! Keep the brain active keep challenging it!

We all need goals! As a runner on of the little goals that I have is …. Can I run 100+ miles a month.  I don’t do it often but when I do it’s special! Last year I managed 4 months in a row of that magic number. The previous time had been January 2008 😮 Today I clocked up 100+ for September my 3rd month in a row.  The best bit? I’ve done more miles in these 3 months than last year and in less time! It’s just a number.  But it gives me a little goal that’s just hard enough that it’s achievable but in,y if I keep focused and work for it.  That’s another Ami trick!

I’ve signed up for my second wave of The Six Pack Revolution and this time I’m doing their Sculpt program. This week is prep week. We get our plans tomorrow which is exciting! Today I was looking at gym memberships and the cost of buying some more kettle bells myself.  It was then I remembered a voucher from work I could use at Argos! Add some Nectar points and I was effectively able to buy 4 kettle bells for free 😁 Just need to work a bit more on the environment I am in. Removing the potential problems like snacks! More planning tomorrow.

Vision boards are great for thinking about and laying out your future. All the fab things you want to do. They can be fun to make and inspiring to look at.  That’s what I read and heard.  Then the lovely Ami gave some advice.   Not a vision board … make it an Action board. Think of all the things you need to do to achieve your goals be them the nice things or less nice.  I’m a runner and one of my goals is to get a great PB at my next race in two weeks. Today I went out to do my run with Ami’s words ringing in my mind.   She’d said that I needed to think about and visualise doing those runs I dint really want to. The weather is cold wet windy or I’m tired etc.  I had a poor sleep last night and the weather was very autumnal today. It was breezy and cool and that wet drizzle that gets you wet and steams up your glasses! But I went out and ran because I knew I could do it and I wouldn’t freeze and give up because I’d already thought about it. I deliberately r...

One of the things that Ami has been helping us with on her course is mindset.  I’ve been running for years. As age and waistline have increased (haha) my pace has reduced. I’ve become a plodder. My pace per mile for a 15 mile run isn’t much different to that of a 4 mile run. Logically the shorter the distance the faster the pace. But not me. I’m a one pace pony.  Whilst doing Ami’s course I’ve started to work on believing in myself and one area that I have focused on is my running.  I’m not fast by no means but in recent runs I have noticed a definite difference in my attitude to running.   Today I decided mid run to try and run the next mile as fast as I could. And I did … doing a mile today about 3 minutes quicker than the last time I tried to do a fast mile which was in May! There were several moments when I thought nah this is hard work I’ll stop but I didn’t I changed my mindset to say I believed I was strong enough to keep going and to push on again.  On a...

Welcome back to the Athlete in Training . Here I am still running and still wanting to change and improve. I've been working with Ami Porter and I have taken her Clear and Clarity 28 day programme which has been a huge help to me. I have been lucky to have had Ami as a friend for several years now. When I was teaching she was a great friend and ear when stress took over my life and since then she has trained as a Life Coach. I am looking to change my career - I currently work for McVities and I am lucky enough that I can change to working part time and I have asked for this to happen.  My goal is to train as a swimming teacher!  As I can now work part time I want to do a job that makes me happy and that feels good. I loved teaching and working with the kids and I have always liked helping people. As someone who also loves exercise when I saw that there was an opportunity to work at the pool it seemed ideal.  So, thanks to Ami I have been making plans. My short term p...

Another dragon was slain. This time to dragon was called The Outlaw Triathlon and back in 2013 I started this event. I just managed the swim and then got stopped on the bike. On Sunday I did the run. It started the week before when a pirate team posted that they needed a runner. Foolishly and somewhat jokingly I said I'd do it. I added that I'd take 7-8 hours and was confident of being ignored. I wasn't! So  I checked .... did they really want me? and the answer came back YES! My last marathon was 2010 when I did London as part of the Lucozade Super Six. I'd trained well then it all went to pot on race day. This was followed by teacher training and a massive drop in exercise. In 2013 whilst watching a channel 4 program on the Outlaw son had said I couldn't do it ... so I entered and proved him right. So since July 2013 I've sulked and struggled to do anything apart from get fatter and more unfit. Anyway back to last week and still convinced I wasn...

Wow what a lot has changed! I'm now a short, overweight, over stressed, unfit, middle aged TEACHER! How did that happen? Well the short bit is genetics. The weight is too much food (stress) and not enough (read as hardly any) exercise. Unfit? Err try exercising! Middle Aged .... yeah getting old sucks! Teacher?! Well yes in 2010-11 I trained as a teacher. It's the best job I have ever done I totally love it but it has a lot of downs, like almost having a breakdown with stress! Anyway I'm not going to drag up the past or re-think the years since the last post (I may comment later) ... instead I'm going to leap forward to now!

Just for bear!! he-he I was very tempted just to say that but I shant!! If, like bear, you wondered where I am these days ... well mainly on Fetch and RealBuzz as I can get to both of those places during work. Unlike the old days, when I was at college and the old work place, I can't chat all day and I don't tend to go online much at home. Anyway that promised update. Good News: I won a 32" LCD TV!! I'm running 6 times a week! I'm using not wearing my HRM. I'm averaging 20m+ a week now!! Bad News: Despite lots of running I'm still err lardy because I'm comfort eating constantly. My phone is by my side 24/7 and I am expecting a call any time, to be honest I am amazed grandma is still with us, so yes I'm expecting the call, dreading the call and stuffing my face. Good job I am running lots then really! I'm worried it will become a habit though so I am trying to adjust the eating, I'm trying to bring in lots of fruit and eat that, or low fat ...

Sorry for the delay in service! My old PC was playing stupid and I have been unable to log into blogger! But 1 new puter later and I'm back! Last weekend was the Trailwalker .... which made me re-read my 2006 blog and brought back many memories. I've read v- rap's and bee's and even slowboy's blogs and yep very emotional! BUT TW will not be for me in 2008 because 2008 is my FLM year Grandma is very ill and I am amazed she is still with us. It's for her that I am running FLM 08. Since her diagnosis I've been running loads, and I am now averaging 20m a week. Loads to say but not much time so I will say TTFN and I'll be back!

Right no more sulking. Time for being serious. This is a proper blog from a proper aflete after all. For those who don't know my grandma has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has a limited time left. The emotional blog is elsewhere (mail me fetch mail me if interested). This blog is now dedicated to lots of running. This Pixie will be running FLM 2008 for Macmillan Cancer Research. When I say I WILL I mean there is now way I will not be at Blackheath on 13th April 2008. I will apply via the ballot, bequeath, ask for a Gold Bond place and will be re-joining my club just in case! If I have a serious set back injury wise I will walk FLM but my goal is to run it all (apart from a hug stop at mile 17!) not just complete it. I also want to raise at least £2000 for Macmillan who were at grandma's side within 24 hrs of her being told the news. I have 10 months. The next 5 or 6 will consist of lots of slow HR based runs, 1 club run/tempo run and lots of attitude. This will be my ...