Saturday 27 August 2016

Sooooo - ok, I'm crap!

Not tooo crap, but crap.  After all the big promises, I've fallen off the exercises wagon 'WITH STYLE'!

Ok, so that's not something to actually be proud of - I'm currently hitting the scales at the heaviest I've ever been, and I'm not thrilled.  But, I am looking at my body and thinking that I'm no where near as awful as most of my mind tells me.

I know what I have to do - and drinking less wine is a huge part of that!  But it's a huge part of my/our life.  But less is achieveable - none is just too painful to contemplate!

But the exercise thing needs to pick up, massively.  So, I'm signed up for the BHF - 'Run a marathon in September' charity fundraiser.  It will give me the focus to run over 26.2 miles over the month.

Just wished people would support me!  I have a modest £100 target and I've managed just over £15.  sad really as I've sponsored so many people in the past. I'll just have to plod on and hope that the money will come in sometime before September ends!


If you fancy supporting me in any way (given that no one reads this, the chances are infinitesimally small!) you can donate here:

https://mymarathonsept.everydayhero.com/uk/BeckyJonesmarathon#/?_k=f0m1zp

Sunday 21 August 2016

Rest day today

Today is Sunday.  Depending on your beliefs and practices it's either a day of rest or of a duty or practice which may feel like a rest, or it's pretty much a day like any other day of the week  . . .

Well, for me, in regards to exercise, it was a rest day.  I'd gone out every morning this week for a run - ridiculously early on Wed through to Friday, and for the more civilised 9am start for the local parkrun yesterday.  So today was a day of 'resting'.

Although there was a fair amount of washing to get done, some gardening, tidying, nagging kids to do chores, breakfasting, lunching, tidying . . . . .  even though it's a rest day, it's still been quite busy, and I've still managed to get nearly 14,000 steps in already and there's still a few hours before bedtime!

Son has said he'll come running with me so I'd better get to bed and get some much needed sleep!

In the meantime, if you want to start running but think you're too out of shape, please consider finding a C25K (Couch to 5K) app that suits you and get started - but do invest in some good running shoes (and a great sports bra ladies, especially larger busted ladies!  Shock absorber do a great one that has been my life-saver (and black-eye preventer) many a time!)

Here's the Run Double link if you're interested:

Saturday 20 August 2016

My first Parkrun!

ok - it's been a good long while!  Life just got too depressing there for a while.

Quick overview of life right now:


  • Have held down my little job for over a year - and loving it!
  • Doing less crochet - in part because of the work and also because I'm going through a low crojo phase!
  • #1 son starts secondary in Sept - scary growing up stuff!
  • Am on yet another health kick and this one is slightly more consistent . . . .I hope!
  • Hubby got made redundant and is now setting up his own business - fingers crossed.

So, mostly from the point of view of the current health kick, I joined up with an online plan back in March and did well-ish for a while.  A combo of weight training, walking and a better diet began to see some improvements.  And then I tried running.

Now, to be clear, I hate running.  Never wanted to do it at school, was always crap at it and my breathing would go wildly out of control to the point that although not truly asthmatic, I needed a pump for any 'strenuous' activity.

But, I'd heard about the C25K thing - Couch to 5K, and I thought it might be worth a go.  

I downloaded the app in April, and started.  It felt exhausting but strangely exciting to be doing something I'd never thought I could do.  It starts off easily enough - 8 x 60 seconds of running interspersed with 90 seconds of walking.  It was surprisingly tough though for someone as overweight and unfit as me.  I got up early in the mornings, and did the run before having a quick swim, and dashing home to get packed lunches ready and doing the school run.

I managed to be fairly consistent for the first few weeks, apart from the swimming which was just too much to fit in so early in the mornings, and also managed some of the online workouts too.

Then, as with all things I managed to fall off track - depressing news, being under the weather and giving in to my inner laziness all took it's toll.

However, after a fab holiday in Norway (totally beautiful country, but eye-wateringly expensive!) I figured it was time to get back on it.  The whole family decided that we wanted to get fit - parents because we really need to fight our flab a bit more, and the kids who have been inspired by the Olympics. We arrived back home on Tuesday evening and I started running again on Wednesday morning, after 8 week hiatus.

I went back to wk 3 day 3 of the plan.  Tough, but exhilarating to be back.  Then back to wk 4 day 1, and day 2 on Thursday and Friday.  

Today, the whole family did the local Parkrun - Hubby and son for their 3rd time, and me and DD for our first time. Friday was the furthest I'd run in ages and that was only 2.8k, in intervals.  This parkrun was 5k - massively different!

To say it was tough was an understatement.  DD 'ran' with me, but she was champing at the bit to get going when I was already struggling to breath!  Overall my official time was 40:30, and a lot of that was walking and desperately trying to catch my breath!

But it's a start!

Am going to track my progress here and see where I end up!