Yume No Chikara

So far so good. The plan is working well. No snacking and complete food control! Looks like I have lost the weight gained on my course and a bit too I think so happy. I'm even having those TW moments of "oh that's real hunger!" which is excellent! This week I have joined the gym, had a CV and weights induction and then been to the gym alone (whilst Gnome had his swimming lesson). I hope to get my PT session next week. This weekend I have been cleaning the hall walls and painting. 5-6hrs of cleaning yesterday and 3-4hrs painting today is a great workout I can assure you! Not actually got to cleaning the brushes yet mind as Gnome is installing XP on his PC and keeps on calling me! I feel a long soak in the bath coming on!

Yes today started Operation Goldfish! I've counted calories, took hot water and milk to work to make tea (money saved covers gym/pool membership) and I've joined the gym! The gym gave me a free bag with water bottle, tee and towel too which was nice! Tomorrow I have my 1-2-1 induction and I also have a voucher for a 30mins PT session. The pool re-opens on Monday (has been closed for re-tiling) and they even have a running club taken by the PTs twice a week after work for when I start back running! So plan is: Monday, Wednesday, Friday:- lunchtime walk. Tuesday, Thursday:- lunchtime gym Saturday:- gym whilst gnome swims Sunday:- swimming with Gnome (aqua jogging maybe?) Gym will include weights work, rower and stepper and bike. I never do weights so this is a great opportunity to improve in this area. As it's during lunch it will only be a short session so doing weights then will be ideal as I also won't get boiling hot and we all know more muscles mean more calories bei...

OK so I expect a few of you may be confused about the Goldfish. Well let me explain. Goldfish: Know for short memory Elephant: Know to "never forget" Gazelle: Fast and athletic When it comes to losing weight I am very much a goldfish. I wake up full of good intentions, have breakfast and go to work. By the time I get there I have forgotten the diet. Then I eat something and remember it. Then ... the circle continues. So yes I am a goldfish with a short term memory for losing weight. I need to become an elephant and therefore remember that I am trying to eat less, eat healthy and lose weight. Elephants never forget and if I can remember and become more conscious of my diet then I will become that gazelle I want to be! At the end of my course we were given a free gift. Not the usual pen and mouse mat ... no ... we got a "Fit Kit". This contains a body fat monitor, blood pressure monitor (that gives pulse), booklet (10 weeks to a healthier you - stop dieting, eat an...

I've decide I am a goldfish, but I need to be an elephant so that I can become a gazelle!

My house is on a hill and that hill doesn't get gritted. The journey to work yesterday wasn't much fun so given last night's freezing conditions I opted ('cos I can now!) to work from home today. Currently I am on my lunch-break! I've enjoyed my day and got a lot done, mainly documents as I have to pay to dial into work (then claim it back) I first dialled in last night to test it then again at 7.40AM to mail in that I was working from home. It's a novelty! The hire car for my course also turned up which is good but they were unable to clean it because of the snow!! Just not good enough hey!

Well I can't sit on a fluffy cloud of "winner" happiness for ever now can I!?! So ... Been out walking again today having failed to get up this morning to use the bike. It was far to cold (heating hadn't gone on yet) and I was tired. In fact I failed to get up for another 50mins and I have to admit I have felt more alive today because of it. Lunchtime saw me out for my 3m walk in the crisp clean air and I still have hopes of 30mins on the bike tonight > failed again as tired and I want a nice hot bath and snuggly bed! I really want to get in some doubles and up to the 90mins a day. I think the mornings are harder for me, I am not a morning person! Or it could just be that I have been getting up earlier for over 2 weeks and body is telling me this! I will be joining the gym when I get back from my course, so that I can use it whilst Gnome is in his swimming lesson, swim more and also do 1or 2 classes (body balance and or body pump). Again this will enable me to con...

YES!!! I have actually won something running related! I won a RW online competition to get a new sports bra! So one new Enell (crimson or ink) on order! Great news cos they cos over £40 by the time you add postage! Other news ... exercise bike is now in the spare room and will stare at me every day as that is also where my hair and make-up "stuff" is!

Doesn't seem that long but yes I've not run for two whole weeks. Normally in two weeks I would have run about 18m or 6 runs and about 4hours of exercise. Here is my 2 weeks break down: Walking - 19.4m in 5hrs 12mins Stepper - 12378 in 2 hrs 45mins 1 swim - 1 hour So that's 9hrs exercise or double my normal exercise. Result! Weight has stayed stable but that's more to do with calories in rather than calories out! Posture/form has really improved in fact I think my figure is starting to reflect the improved posture. Niggle-wise I still have a few minor niggles (I wouldn't have run anyway I expect and would probably have sat on my butt). The front of my right hip has adjusted to upright walking but I still get the occasional niggle on the quad that 1st bothered me 3 weeks ago, but very minor and rare now. Calves are behaving too so all good. I have done some fizzio exercises but not too many and with the improved posture I have already noticed an improvement anyway whi...

Ok so technically I'm cross training the whole time these days, that is if you still say I am a runner! If you say I am a walker just now then yes I've been cross training! Over the week I have done lots of sessions, in fact I've done 2 sessions on a few days! My stepper has been used 4 times (7905 steps) and I've walked 7.1m (3 sessions) during the working week, not bad! Yesterday I did no formal exercise. I did walk to the paper shop and butchers in the village. Then we all went shopping and marched round "Swad" (I got accused of walking to fast! That's a first!) trying to locate our local tile shop to get the kitchen finished. Local shop is closed :-( so we then had to waste some time before Gnome's swimming lesson. £50 later Gnome has new foot wear and it's time for swimming. Later in the day we went off to Homebase and bought a load of paint (for me!) to paint the hallway and kitchen (boring but bright Classic Cream) and then finished the day ...

Well OK so Monday I slipped but Tuesday I did 2 full sessions and today I did 2 half sessions. One thing I have really noticed is that my body is having to adjust a lot more than I expected it too. It's not the level of exercise or the impact it's simply my posture. For what must be the 1st time in ages I am concentrating 100% on walking upright and using muscles that aren't used to it. The front of my quads and hips are stretching (especially my right side - the weaker side) and my butt is having to work. So surprisingly I have a few niggles but I know that it is use not injury so I am carrying on. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit so ... :-D Work weigh-in saw 1lb off or 3lb in 3weeks which is good, slow but steady and that's what I need. I hope to, over time, increase my low impact sessions so that I exercise more too. On the whole my eating has improved with me being aware of hunger vs emotional eating. Today however I was tired very tired and head said SUGA...

Just thought I would share that quote with you! I won't, however, tell you that it was said by Mr Motivator in his latest exercise DVD 'cos then you might think that I was a sad person and had said DVD which >blushes starts to burn up Another good one is: “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal;nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” Thomas Jefferson Now that is a quality quote and SOOOooo true isn't it! Anyway last week. Thank you for the kind comments! Now as a follow up I can update you on my week (well 6days): Walked : 12.5m Stepper : 2118 steps Exercise bike : 6.4m Not bad if I say so myself! This is a lot more exercise than I have been doing and I am working at a low level so hopefully this is not only burning calories but building base fitness too. So as a follow on to this I have some targets for me! By the end of April I want to have: " Walked " the Grand Union Canal - 175m " Ste...

Well actually it's good! I did 2.6m walking yesterday and 3.2m today. I've also not suffered my normal "have run must eat" post run munches. This I think will be very helpful and hopefully will help break that habit! Yesterday I decided to work out my rest heart rate, as I am useless at finding my pulse I put on my HRM and was delighted to get a reading of 48. Then for some kind or warped laugh I decided to wear it for the day! Now I only had it reading not recording so can't give you lots of stats but I did discover a few things. Walking round the office I am nice and chilled with a HR around 100. Climbing the stairs (all 72) sees my HR shot up to 165 (and lots of heavy breathing). Driving is about 80-90. Now if I sit "normally" my HRM bleeps at me! It can't get a reading as I lean forward and slouch so much! So a HRM can also be a useful tool to help you watch your posture! At lunch I went for my walk, the 1st part was a continual slight incline an...

It's no good I can't take any more. The feelings of failure, being demoralised and just feeling constantly useless. Never feeling good enough, never managing to get it right ....So that's it, I've had enough. I can't take any more. It's with great regret and heartache that I have to say yes to a trail separation. The affair started in July 2002. I was approaching 30 and fat and frumpy and unfit. So on 4th July and I pulled on my trainers for the 1st time. Since then the lure of being hot and sweaty and out of breath has kept the affair strong. Through the years I've suffered heartache and pain, injury, joy and frustration. The love is there and it's strong but I can't take any more upset. So ... me and running are having a trial separation. I don't want to split but it's no good. I can't take the mirror laughing at me anymore. I can't take the "impact ripple" of my thunder thighs, the chaffing from my bra or HRM and the nigg...

Well been a bit of a mixed time since I last blogged! The weekend was good! OK so I didn't run but I did have another great day at the Cavern and swimming with the Buzzy ones and Raptorites and Gnome! Saturday I did a "lets empty the kitchen so I don't have to worry about time tomorrow" thing. Monday I had a sore quad. This I decided was a slight touch of DOMS (after I had cancelled my run!) from the kitchen clearing (think climbing on stool and going on tip toe of one leg (same one) to check cupboards are empty). Tuesday (Kitchen day!) and I decided I would try a run alone so no pressure. Leg better but not 100%. This is my Fetch report: "Really awful run, didn't run yesterday due to sore right quad (believed to be DOMS (el-Bee) due to kitchen work!) but wasn't bad today so thought it would be good to run it out. Solo run and horrid. Calves a little tight but not too bad, form awful (had to keep on relaxing shoulders) and was aware of quad. In the last 1...

Yep it's been raining lots and lots and I was out for a run today!! LA and I almost forewent today's run as the rain was fantastic this morning but come 11:55 it seemed to slow and by the time we had changed it had stopped. It was still windy mind! We decided to do our normal route in reverse. The golf course we cross was deserted and water logged! Then we discovered the side gate out of the golf course was locked (no golfers so closed I guess!) meaning we had to double back and "jog" through the actual leisure centre!! I then realised that the road through the village was actually all downhill for most of the last mile meaning that there was a huge chunk of uphill to do! Pixies are very bad at going uphill's (I'm not allowed to say Pixies don't do hills since TW or buzzy people shout at me!). I have no hill stamina what so ever (yes I know I need to do some hill work!) so I struggled. Once I was up the hill I made up the 20-30ft gap between LA and I and m...

Yep twice already and another planned Thursday and maybe even a short trot on Sunday with a buzzy one following a splashing session! >beams enthusiastically Ok so Monday. Got up and again massaged legs. Was conscious of last week's bad runs and running with LA. She had a meeting at 1 so I knew she would want to get on and run. As it turned out she was late getting to the changing (so I stretched and warmed up! >listens for applause Today LA decided we would do the slightly longer route. Down hill for the 1st 1-1.5m then uphill all the way home. Today was also VERY windy. Dry but very very strong winds. I just couldn't cope, I was running but felt like I was going nowhere. We've only done this route once and my 1st checkpoint (!! end of downhill section) was 2mins slower. After that I was just too shot to take advantage of any time we were sheltered. The other checkpoints were only 30secs out which I was pleased with! Again I kept running like yesterday but my legs wer...

Well it seems to have passed fairly quickly doesn't it, but yes we are now at the end of week one of 2007! Surprisingly I am not reporting failure left right and center! So far I have eaten more fruit and veg, run 3 times, stretched and done some abs work! I've also swum once and I will be doing a double today (morning run, afternoon swim) as Gnome wants to swim today! This morning I have been out and done my 3rd run of the week. Three short runs see just 8.42m clocked up so this month looks like it will be short on the 40m, but consistency is the key and the last 2 years have seen a good week 1 and 2 then nothing! Today's run was better than Friday's in that I didn't walk and the legs were less tight but was still slower than I had been running. I got up, made some tea then massaged my lower legs for 30mins. Drank my tea, changed and headed out the door. The 201 wasn't playing ball today saying I had done 1m within 3mins! So I just ran. After Friday's effor...

OK so I'm a tad late on this post, I'll blame my course as I was away in Manchester for 2 nights with no Internet access! Right then resolutions? Hmmm Ok here goes. Stop eating diet food - was sent a free sample of slimfast soup which was so foul I didn't eat it and when I looked at it the slimfast was worse nutritionally than Heinz Big Soup! Run 500m in 2007 , did 400m in 2006 and if I can do 40m per month this is 480m, just add a couple of races and a couple of good weeks and Bob's your uncle! Aim to do the 5K swimathon (did my fastest 1m swim Christmas week - 43mins) This means I need to do some swimming! Gnome wants to do the Green Park Challenge at the Reading half marathon so I may see if I can swim this at Reading. Drink more eat less lose weight eat more fruit (the normal!) Well you expected that didn't you! The ladies in the team attached to mine are doing a team "diet" as of Monday so I am joining in. This also means I will/have stopped WW. I ...

That was the year that was as they say. I won't miss 2006. It hasn't been a brilliant year really has it! OK so TrailWalker was a definite high! Getting a new job was too but there was the car crash, the PF, the tendon strain and a huge dose of "CBA 'cos it's too hot". On top of that was was a half PB that was beaten by another PB, a 5k race which was my 1st 5K race without walking and then my best run of the year averaging 10:44 pace a few weeks ago. That left me with an annual mileage of 397 that was just too close to the 400 to leave. So today I got up, dragged Gnome out of bed and headed towards the Cavern. After much discussion my car was loaded with Mr Speedy, Gnome, el Bee and Haggis and we were off to Lichfield for the Last Chance 5k and 2k fun run. Gnome and I were going to do the 2k but we got there too late so had no choice (coughs loudly and forgets the organisers offer of waiting for us) but to do the 5k! Gnome has only run one race before (the 3k...

Ok so it hardly sounds a lot and if I had put more effort into exercise rather than being a dutiful daughter and eating too much last week then there would be no talk of needing 3m! So this is what I have been up to lately ... Tuesday I finished work at 4 and headed home. Car was filled, literally!, and Gnome and I set off. As I had finished early I was able to plan food at mum's rather than a maccy d which was good! Soon I realised that the journey would be slower than normal due to fog. Through Oxford I was almost navigating by the cats eyes in the road. It wasn't nice. Journey time just over 3hrs and 1 shattered Pixie. Wednesday saw my 1st supermarket visit of the week oh and computer shop as Gnome broke dad's monitor! I mean found it broken!! hehe. Thursday was a day at Nirvana! Nothing all day apart from chill and chat with mum oh and a 1m swim in my best ever time of 43mins!! >beams Friday, more shopping. Farm shop and Morrisons + 4.2m foggy walk run stagger (tired...