Looking back and moving forwards

Wow!  For some reason I decided to log in and read back through my old blog posts today.  It was quite emotional.  I must apologise that I have not updated since April. things really hit rock bottom when I had a really bad M.E relapse on my birthday in May.  It has taken such a long time to pick myself up and it has been a slow recovery but I am getting somewhere now finally.  Exercise has been very limited but my weight loss has continued.  I have lost a total of 38lbs now which feels amazing, keeping it off it is the hardest part though!

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me over the past 14 months.  It's been tough but so worthwhile.  I have amazed myself at times with what I could achieve and also exceeded my own expectations by getting 8lbs below my target weight.   

THANK YOU ALL AND MERRY CHRISTMAS :)

The first photo was taken at the Run Geordie Run Ball in September 2011 the night I decided that a change had to happen, the second was taken this summer when I was a bridesmaid. Big difference!

Swimathon

This morning I completed the Big Splash Mile for Sport Relief.  64 lengths of a 25m pool.  I woke up this morning feeling very nervous and tired but once I got in I enjoyed it.  I seemed to slow down the longer I swam and length 57 seemed to take a decade but I got through it and completed it in 55 minutes.  I have already registered my interest for next year 2.5km swim (100 lengths) to keep myself motivated.  Don't want to waste the effort I put into it.  I am still going to the gym and enjoying that, outdoor running has really gone on the back burner now and couch to 5k seems a daft name for my blog now too!

The gym!

So, today I joined the gym!  I never thought I would say it but I really enjoyed it and came away feeling a real buzz.  I got weighed when I got home and I have lost 30lbs in total since September.  My BMI was 29.7 when I started so I was almost obese, now it it 24.9 which is in the normal range! That feels great!

I can mix running, swimming, cycling, cross training and various other randomly named machines to keep the weight off and get toned up.  I never thought I would grow to love exercise but I really do!

New approach

I have been feeling for a while now that Couch to 5k isn't really working out for me.  I am enjoying running but I am not managing to get out for 3 runs a week and it has been really slow progress.  I have just got a new fancy phone and decided to download an app to track my runs and just go out for a run without any pressure or anyone telling me when to run and walk etc.  I gave it a go this morning and I loved it.

I run for fitness and fun not to train for anything specific.  I think Couch to 5k is a fantastic program if you need to complete a 5k and it you have the time to train regularly and would highly recommend it to anyone it just wasn't right for me.  I do love it because without that plan I would never have got into running and found a new hobby to share with so many amazing people.

I ran and walked for 2.53 miles this morning in 33 minutes, I ran as much as I could and pushed myself to keep going, there were so many other runners, cyclists and dog walkers out it was like being in an outdoor gym.  Everyone said good morning and I was actually breathing well enough to be able to reply to them all. 

I have finally graduated away from my field and can now run past people without feeling embarrassed, I am a proper runner!

Lack of exercise

So the past few weeks have been a nightmare trying to get time to run.  Firstly I had a gum infection where my wisdom tooth is coming through and then had an allergic reaction to the antibiotics.  Once I was fully recovered my son got a sickness bug and just as he was getting better my daughter got a bad ear infection in both ears and her temperature was so high that she had a convulsion and ended up in A&E so obviously running was the last thing on my mind.  Just as they both returned to school I have now got a head cold.  I know you can run with a cold however I have had a chesty cough and been coughing stuff up so really don't think it would be a good idea, especially with my M.E I have a lower immune system than most and don't want to overdo it while I am run down. 

The only couple of days I did have to run things cropped up in every day life and I still didn't make it out.  I am really missing it but I have done some zumba in the house so I haven't stopped exercise altogether. 

Huge positives to take from this week though I have hit my 2 stone weight loss target.  I needed to lose 30lbs to get to a healthy BMI but 2 stone was my personal aim so I am absolutely thrilled and I did a before and after photo and was shocked to see the difference in myself. 

So the couch to 5k journey is taking much longer than I ever expected however the fact that I miss running is a huge leap from where I started and could barely run for 60 seconds.  I still have the sport relief big splash mile to focus on too so need to get swimming next week. 

I just want to say yet again thank you to everyone who has supported me, if I had tried to do any of this alone I would have failed at the first hurdle but I have overcome so much, lost 2 stone, dropped 2 dress sizes and I am a happier, more positive and much more confident person. 

Not a good start to the day

Headed out to do week 2 day 2 today, woke up feeling really tired but got my running stuff on and went out anyway, I started out well but as I got further into the podcast I started to feel sick and by the end I had horrible stomach pains too!  Uh oh I hope its not a bug or something.  I got through it but it was pretty horrible and I feel dreadful now.  Plan for the day is to lie on the sofa and do nothing until I have to collect the kids, fingers crossed it disappear sharpish as I had planned swimming tomorrow and another run on Friday. 

Moving forward

Having done the week 1 podcast twice quite comfortably I decided to move onto week 2 today.

It went really well, no issues, no aches and pains and the 90 seconds were easily achievable.  I think I will do it again on Monday and then move onto week 3.  Because I have done this part of the plan before I feel like I can get away with skipping through it a little bit to allow me to improve and move forward.

I am still swimming and I managed 44 lengths (1100m) yesterday in 41 minutes which I was really pleased with.  I have about 8 weeks until the swimathon so plenty of time to build up to 64 lengths.

I just need a bike now to be training for a triathlon!  Quite a way off that just yet I think!