365 Days: The Wake Up Call

On Sunday, I woke up pretty early and felt quite determined to start my training for the Hampton Court half marathon.

I haven't run for months so I knew that it wasn't going to be much fun. In a word, it was AWFUL! I was still recovering from a really chesty cough plus being horrendously unfit. The first km was fine and after that, it was agony. I couldn't run the whole way, I had to stop twice to catch my breath because my chest was in so much pain. I was really unhappy with how far I've let myself go. I can still remember what I felt like when I used to be able to run 2 or 3 10ks in a week and now I can't even run 3km without stopping for a break.

I know that in the last few months I've really not treated my body well. I've over eaten, drank way too much booze and not done nearly enough exercise. I knew it wasn't going to be a good run because of all of this but it was definitely a wake up call as to how much work I have to do to get back into shape. My fitness is something I always used to value, even when I was still over weight I was quite fit so I was happy that I could run and not feel like I was struggling. 

In a way, it's a good starting point because it can't get any worse. I mean, not unless I fall over or run in front of a car or something. So, it can only get better from this point onwards. I can only hope that the next time I go out on a run, I can get the whole way round without stopping and then I'll think about extending my running route.

I've done 3km now, only 18 more to train for. I've made a start and that's the main thing. Just need to keep going now.... things can only get better......

Check back soon for more runs and hopefully, more updates on weight loss.

Megan :)

365 Days: Have Something To Work Towards!

With no sign of things calming down at work at the moment, I've had to give myself some serious goals to work towards. The last few weeks have been literally mental! Half term came and went in the blink of an eye. I spent the week off seeing friends, catching up on sleep, being treated to a night away for our anniversary...... and not much time at all working out. I did lots and lots of walking but no runs, no swims, no classes..... NOT GOOD!

So, because it seems I cannot get myself exercising unless I have a goal to work towards, I have set myself two challenges between now and February half term! The aim is to get me up and moving around so that some of this spare tyre goes away. I'd like to look a little slimmer in the family Christmas photos this year!

The first challenge I have set myself is a swim challenge. At my gym, the pool has this gadget called a SwimTag. I'd never heard of it before until I started swimming there - basically, it's a pedometer that you wear in the water, around your wrist and it tracks your swim. How many lengths you've swam, the time you swam for, the time you rested for in the pool between your lengths, your average pace - all sorts! SwimTag links up to a website which keeps logs of all the swims you have done whilst wearing a swimtag wrist band.

Another feature of the website, is it's virtual challenge set up. You can 'swim' around parts of the world, different landmarks, cities, islands, canals etc. It's great fun and a little challenge never hurt anyone. My parents when to Venice for their wedding anniversary this year and had a wonderful time and because of that, I have set myself the challenge to swim around Venice before Christmas. Every time I swim, I will put on a swimtag and it should update the meters I swim in the pool online. I have to finish the challenge by Dec 31st this year. I want to start a new swim challenge in the new year.

I've not done my first swim yet, but once I have, I'll screen shot the updates and post them in a blog entry.

The second challenge that I have given myself is a little more long term. I am going to run a half marathon in February. The Hampton Court half marathon. It's been a long time since I have done any running and even longer since I've been in a run/race (apart from my triathlon). The longest distance I have ever run is a 10K so I am really excited to push myself past my last achievement and extend my running ability.

Also, for me, running is the best way to shift some pounds. So to have a major goal, which means major training, will hopefully really get the weight dropping off. First training happening today - hopefully do 5km and see what my time is like. I've got a long time to train so I'm hoping to bring my times down on my distances as well as get used to longer runs.

I downloaded Strava onto my phone yesterday to track my running and I've added a few friends who are also training for the half marathon. Just another way to keep myself accountable. If I see that they are running and I haven't... I'm sure as hell going to need to go for a run too! Hopefully, that'll mean we all do a good amount of training before the run.

I'm actually really excited for this half marathon, it'll be a great way to get to my goal, really improve my fitness and muscle tone and it'll be a huge achievement which should spur me on to keep going. As the race approaches in February, sign ups should open for my next HumanRace triathlon too - just another event to work towards.

Stay tuned for updates on my first few workouts working towards both of my challenges!

Megan  

365 Days: 47lbs To Go!

What a week! Work was so busy I didn't make it to the gym once. I was doing 12 hour days+ at school this week. I'm a trainee teacher and as I take on more of the teaching, it means more marking which means more hours in school after the children have gone and it means more planning - which means more hours! Not that I'm complaining. I love my job, it's full on, it's really tough. Some days suck - I ended up having a little cry in the ladies toilet on Wednesday because on my lessons was pretty awful. But then I got some great feedback on an observation the next day and I was really pleased.

So yeah, my job can be manic and it also means that I don't get to the gym much.... however, because my week was so hectic and I was running here and there and everywhere around school. Plus, my diet was pretty on point this week and.... I lost 2lbs!!! Hooray!

I was getting a little worried because I wasn't getting to the gym. I thought that maybe I wouldn't drop any weight but I got on the scale on Friday morning to a really lovely surprise. I'm really motivated now to keep it going for another week. I love how one good result can give you the push to up your efforts again going into the next week.

I've cut out a lot of carbs in my diet over the last week as well and I feel like my tummy is much less bloated than it was. I don't think that will effect my weight loss much but I do feel as though it looks better so I feel more confident in myself.

This week at work is going to be even more manic than the last and my evenings are looking pretty full too with a work meal, book club, dog sitting at my parents (at least I'll be walking the dog) and Cubs. So I'm not planning on getting to the gym at all this week - there is no point trying to cram everything in and then not have any energy for work. This week, it's really important that I am 100% on form at work so am not doing anything to jeopardise that. I'm pretty sure it'll be another week of dashing around and running on alll cylinders at all times so hopefully that will burn some extra calories and I'll just have to make sure that my diet is really good again. No snacks, low carb, low sugar. That seems to be working so far.

The week after that is half term so I have a week to really ramp up my exercise, swimming, dog walking, a few runs maybe and then Martin and I are off to Portsmouth for our first anniversary. Looking forward to that very much,

Just need to push on through the next 5 days - they are going to be manic, but at least they'll fly by.

So, 47lbs to go on my first goal. Really pleased with my progress so far. Looking forward to getting on the scale next Friday and hopefully seeing another loss.

Thanks for reading,
Check in next week,

Megan

A Very Long Absence....

So, I haven't written anything on this blog in such a long time! Life got pretty crazy and my blogging just sort of drifted off into obscurity.

Since I last posted I've lost a stone, fallen in love, moved into a flat with my new man, put back on nearly all of the stone that I lost, landed a new job and probably a lot more along the way.

Living with a man isn't half interesting..... getting to know someone's most private habits and nuances is an interesting journey to embark on. Who knew that the way someone squeezes the toothpaste tube could be so frustrating??!!

It's been a really intense few months, bloke wise, trying to impress a new family. A new part of a family you are hoping to become a part of. The pressure of that is immense at times, making sure that I don't let my other half down, making sure that I impress the people closest to him and show them the best version of me.

For me, this all very new. I've not met a boyfriend's family since I was about 14 and you had no choice but to have tea with the family after school if you ever wanted to see your 'boyfriend' outside of the classroom. But this, this is proper, grown up, I-think-this-is-forever kind of love and meeting the family of that sort of love is quite genuinely terrifying (sometimes).

Having said that, all of the family I have met, I've loved straight away and have made me feel so welcome into their little (or actually not that little) clan. I've still got lots of family members to meet as well apparently..... so there are more nerves and anxiety and stresses to come. :P It's all part of this amazing new journey of meeting all the people who are going to be a major part of my future. I can't quite believe how stupidly happy I am, how lucky I am to have found the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with and for them to feel the same.

Because I'm so stupidly happy, the weight loss/training has gone a little off the rails which is one of the reasons I wanted to start blogging again. I think if I put more focus on writing about my weight loss and training for my next triathlon, it might encourage me to actually stay on track a little more. I'm trying to courage M (my man) to do the same. Hopefully, we can get fit and healthy together, and then enjoy being slightly slimmer on our holiday to Croatia in the summer.

I've got a triathlon in just over a month and training has been really tricky since Christmas as my back has been pretty dodgy since then. There have been weeks where I literally haven't been able to do more than walk because I've been in so much pain, which means that I'm really behind on where I'd like to be fitness wise for my upcoming event. I doubt I'm going to get a PB this time around which is quite frustrating really. I can remember the buzz I felt at the end of last year's triathlon when I knew that I could get round the course faster than I'd completed it.

I know that I am smaller than I was when I competed last year, and I still have time to slim down about but I do seem to be finding it very hard to say no to the bad foods. It's becoming all too easy to skip a workout and come home to M instead. I know that this is pretty stupid and counterproductive to feeling good about myself. Spending time with M gives me the same happy feeling that I get when I work out, and it's so much more tempting to come home for dinner and a cuddle than it is to slog it out in the pool or in a gym class.

So, this needs to change.... quite a lot of it really. The eating habits, the work out schedule, I need to stop skipping the gym to see M.... I mean, I live with him, he's not going anywhere in the extra hour that I might spend in the pool/gym.

So my new blog posts will pretty much be about my weight loss, training, eating habits. If I can hold myself accountable to my (very few) readers then maybe I'll be able to get back on the band wagon and shift some weight.

I've started to doubt myself again and started to dislike what I look like in the mirror. It was such a great time when I actually liked what I saw in the mirror and didn't worry about my big, wobbly belly during the day in whatever it was that I was wearing. I want to get back to that point. Just before Christmas, I felt really great about the way I looked and now.... I feel pretty flabby and unattractive most of the time.

So, here is to getting back on track, a pound at a time, no crazy diets, no banishing certain foods, no deprivation.... just steady, sensible training and diet. I know it works, I know that I have done it before and that I can do it again. I just need to keep it up and not let my new found love sabotage my goals.

Stay tuned in for updates.

M xx

Rolling In The Deep - A Triathlon Diary

Wednesday has become lake day - actually, I'd try and get to the lake every day if I could and if it was open.... I am totally in love with the whole thing. It is so tranquil and just the sound of the swimmers in the lake makes me feel utterly at peace!

I mean, who wouldn't love to spend at evening with this view. Obviously, when you are in the water you don't spend much time looking around but you do know that you are surrounded by so much beauty. 

I was the 126 swimmer in the water on Wednesday (not including new swimmers to the lake - they get there own number/colour system) and by the time I was leaving, the team were signing in swimmer 170. You never feel like there are that many people to fight through when you're in the water though, it feels like you're out there pretty much by yourself which is just lovely after a long day at work. 

And here I am..... looking my best, ready to get into the water for a splash around. I really focused on my stroke on Wednesday. I wanted to work on my hip rotation and pull of my arms under the water. It felt good once I got into a good rhythm and I could feel the difference in speed when I was really pulling with my arm in the right angle under the water. I also worked on my sighting, I want to make sure that I don't lose time by swimming in the wrong direction on race day. My technique is coming along nicely. I think I've got the hang of raising my head to just under the goggle line before going to breathe. It's feeling more and more natural every time I go.

For anyone looking for a new experience or wants to give open water swimming a go - come on down to Shepperton Lake. You will not be disappointed! 

M xx 

C9 Days 1 and 2 - The Cleanse

I suppose the hardest thing about the C9 cleanse is the first two days. There is no real food that you eat... Well not meals anyway. You are allowed a certain amount of fruit and veg but other than that, no solid food passes your lips. It is all liquid!

I was kind of expecting this, a cleanse usually flushes everything from your system, which involves a lot of liquid but I don't think my bladder was prepared for the sheer volume of liquid that my body would be processing.... If that's too much information, I apologise whole hardly to you, my lovely readers.

I did the first two days over a weekend so I knew I wouldn't have to be dealing with low calorie, very little food grumpiness syndrome which I was very likely to get.... And by Saturday afternoon I was very glad that I had made that decision - not because I was grumpy, I actually felt really good, I just needed to be near a bathroom all afternoon as my bladder went into hyperdrive!!

The weighing in times work really well, you only weigh in on days 1,3,6 and 9 (although I might weigh in on the morning of what would be day 10 to add in the last day to the process). You weigh yourself on the morning you start, obviously, but you also take a load of measurements which help track how your body changes. This was particularly good for me as the scale has not been budging since January but the cm's have been coming off, so I was more interested in my measurment changes than the scale.

Having said that... Over the two days of detox I dropped 1.9kilos which I was over the moon about. Giving my system a kick start seemed to be working. I'd lost cm's around the main areas I wanted too as well - waist and hips. Knowing that some of this could just be bloating going down I tried not to take it too much to heart. I focused on the physical changes I noticed. I had more energy on day 2, let alone for the days since (I'm writing this whilst on day 6 - energy levels still really high) and there is a pair of particularly tight jeans which are slipping on easier now so somewhere around my body has gotten smaller.

All results so far have been great and I've genuinely not found it that difficult to be on mainly liquid.... (After day 2, you get to eat food!!!)

Come back soon for a review of days 3 to 9... I have my fingers crossed for good things.

M xx