11 WEEKS TO GO!!

Sometimes I get a good Feeling…

That time of the week already? Fly’s around doesn’t it! Seems like only 20mins ago I was posting the last one, and here I am again typing away. Time does zip by so quickly though. I got asked a question this week, which I couldn’t initially answer, I had to go away and think about it, and I promised to reply via the blog. The question was, ‘do you ever regret not doing this sooner’. Now clearly the question wasn’t targeted at writing just me writing this blog! Do I regret not losing weight and getting fit sooner in my life? As I said, I had to go away and think about this, because it’s seemed far too simple to just say yes or no. So I’ve thought about it, and although I spent far too many years being overweight and unfit, I’m not sure I would have succeeded a few years ago like I am now. Now, I know I can’t say that for sure, because quite frankly, I didn’t try before. It’s hard to explain, but you have to want to do something like this for yourself, doing it because you think will make other people happy and proud of you won’t work. You need to have a passion for doing it for yourself, finding that passion was the hardest part. Which is why for the first 6/8 months I kept what I was doing as quiet as possible, I needed to know I was doing it for me and me only. And I was. I am.  So no, I don’t regret not doing this any sooner, 5 years ago, it would have been  formed out of a passion to make someone else happy, and I think the regret would have been that I wasn’t doing  for myself and  ultimately I don’t think I would have gotten to where I am now as quick and happily. Now its 100% driven by a passion to make myself happy. The other thing is the network of support, everyone I know has been a fantastic support to me and amazing at keeping me pushed and focused, but again, 5years ago I’d lost all confidence, and I don’t think I would have embraced the compliments etc, nor do I think I would have been willing to share any of the story, because I hated it. But now I get to share my journey with all you amazing people. And not only have I got a fantastic support network in my lovely family & friends, I’ve got a network of new friends and strangers who’ve I’ve only met because of this journey of mine! I can’t imagine  life as it was just over an year ago anymore, this past year has been the best, and literally everyday it gets better and better……Oh Sometimes I get a good feeling, I get a feeling that I never never never never had before! Yeah, I get a good feeling!

Regrets? Never!

The other thing about time zipping by so quickly is it can make you feel guilty, in any sort of situation. It can be something as big as loosing contact with someone and suddenly realising it’s been years since you spoke, or something as easy as having great intentions on Friday, and suddenly realising the weekends almost over and you’ve not doing any sort of training!!!! Yup the latter is  what happened to me this weekend, I skipped out of the office at 4pm on Friday,  happy as could be, with my weekends programme jotted out on my iphone (ah where would we be without them?!)  & all the good intentions the world has to offer, and before I knew where I was it was Sunday morning and I’d missed Friday and Saturday’s training, good intentions lost somewhere within the funniest weekend ever.  So with my body broken from the Champagne Mojito’s that were consumed Saturday, off I went Sunday for my run. Feeling guilty about missing the 2days training seemed to give me some sort of amazing push. Either that, or the Champagne Mojito’s gave me some sort of superhuman adrenaline!! Because I ran my best time so far, 4.9K nonstop - notching up to 9.24min/KM. This means, with only 11 weeks to go I just need to shave at least 20/30mins off my time, and double the distance.  Sure that’ll be easy peasey wont it? Like hell it will! This challenge is not easy, far from it! The hills need to get steeper, my pace needs to go faster and the distance needs to get further. But am I still confidant I can do it?  I sure am! A'int no stopping me now as they say! If it wasn’t challenging it’s be pretty stupid to refer to it as a challenge now wouldn’t it!

So my week over all, you mean other than pondering the past and drinking Champagne Mojito’s? Ah the training!! Yup it was good, I’m learning to push away the aches and pains the inevitably come with starting at the bottom of a training programme. I’m stretching out properly before and after, this is a must do! But I’ve told you all that before, so I know I don’t need to nag, because I know you’re listening, right?! J My training programme takes me all over the place, literally! One day I’m running for 15mins up a hill and that’s enough, the next can be 35mins on a flat track.

Although I am running at the moment, I am more concentrating on getting the fitness levels up and up. And they are, I can feel it, and I can see it! For the next 3 weeks I will be doing everything I can to be as fit as I can, and then on week 7 that’s when the running will take a serious U –turn, I am hoping to be running just over 5k in 35 mins by then, so I will be completely on track to take the 10k in around 60.

For those of you who have been asking, no my training doesn’t just involve the running; I do 3 dance classes a week at Spin Dance & Fitness (which I just love, & would recommend to everyone!!) – And I try to do as much of the class as possible with weights for toning. I also try to get in at least one 10k walk a week, to keep the weight going down, and the legs moving so they get a little  less of a shock everytime I run!

I went out for a run every day last week, till I hit the weekend, as I mentioned above! We all get times like that, so if you’re only getting out once or twice a week to exercise, don’t feel guilty, once you’re giving it your hardest push! And even though my blog last week was about making time for exercise, every now and then life will get in the way, and it should be fun, so as long as its only every and then you let it slip (and you’re straight back on!!) don’t feel bad! Those drinks were totally worth it, I am sticking by that…. see, who could resist these?? :) :) - Thanks Alfie!

And do remember folks, with the exercise, try to get the diet healthy too, the two do really do go hand in hand, they like each other, love each other infact, so keep them together. Eating out doesn’t have to be bold either, you can enjoy eating out healthily – you deserve a treat every now and then after all the hard work!  Just don’t spend too long deciding between the Calamari and the Squid ;) (Sorry Shaz!)

And that’s me pretty much done for this week. To the guys in the white van who beeped & whistled at me today, thanks a mil, I really appreciated you bringing me to the attention of the other truck drivers who joined in! And to the woman  coming out of the garage who decided to stop and fix her hair, thanks for parking so awkwardly I had to stop running and wait for you to move… did you not notice me glaring?? Haha J

Just to say thanks to you all once again for the support, keep with me guys, only 11 more blogs to go! Please keep sharing the blog… I’m hoping to get to a 1000 reads this week, so any help will be appreciated! Post it on any sporting-type sites you might think are relevant J

See ya next week, (if  I don’t see you out on the Greenhills!!)

Av xx

Running Track of the Week;

4) – Flo Rida … Good Feeling (this is my feel good song, you may have noticed my cheeky use of some of the lyrics in my blog today... it’s also my favourite song to dance to! (Quick Emma, play my song for me!!) haha)

3) - Rui da Silva... Touch me - (yep, Spawell days anyone!!??)

2) - Boney M - Gotta Go Home (you may feel the urge to do a little dance whilst running to this one!)


1) - Energy 52 - Cafe Del Mar