Moving the goal post…

The last seven days have been an emotional roller coaster and not just in regards to running…but for today we’ll focus on running.

Because I’m a good little runner, after work on Friday I donned my trainers and running gear and headed off to the gym. Friday evenings at the gym are awesome as it’s fairly quiet, plus being a Friday I have that smug (and slightly sad) feeling of being at the gym instead of the pub and earning my gin and tonics before I’ve drunk them. However this Friday didn’t go so well; I got on the treadmill and started running, trying out some new ‘running’ songs to see how they transfer from solo car karaoke, to motivational move my feet soundtrack. 

Friday Nights have changed...#icedknee

I think I may have got into the music too much, and I had a little stumble on the treadmill, which kind of shook me up a little, so I lowered the speed and just started brisk walking to compose myself for 30 seconds or so. As I started to increase the speed and running again I felt a twinge in my knee, almost like the bones were rubbing against each other – I’ve spent enough time on running blogs to know that as soon as you feel a pain like that you stop. So I stopped and went off to talk to the trainer at the gym, who made me stretch it out and move it in all kind of funny motions, then told me to go home, ice it and stay off running, the treadmill and any high impact sports. So I headed home, put me feet up, iced my knee, held back the tears and felt like my world had fallen apart.

So now I’m one of those stupid crazy people who cry about exercising (or lack off). I feel like I’ve worked so hard to reach my half marathon goal and just as that goal is becoming reachable I’m hit by a massive road block. On Friday I felt determined that I’ll rest it on Saturday and that by Sunday I’ll be back to running,  but when I woke up on Sunday it still hurt, so instead of running I stuck to the low impact machine that is the cross trainer. It’s Thursday today and it does not feel much better….I’ve missed out on 3 runs now and my average weekly mileage is decreasing dramatically. The finish line of the Oxford Half is looking the furthest away it’s ever been.

HOWEVER…because I’m not giving up, I am becoming a runner, and I have not let all these months of training go to waste, I have made myself a contingency plan. Half Marathons happen all the time, so if I’m not able to make Oxford, I’ll just run the Reading Half Marathon instead, which is in March. It means these months of falling in and out of running have not gone to waste, I’ll still run 13.1 miles, I’ll carry on training, I’ll be able to run off Christmas Pudding and I’ll still get a shiny medal at the end of it. So it looks like the goal post is going to be moved from October 12^th to March 22^nd, with some knee rehabilitation and extra training thrown in.

So as this blog url is thejourneyisme – my running journey has hit a little block in the road, but that doesn’t mean the road stops there. As the saying goes ‘the road goes on forever and the party never ends’.

This also means I’m now going to keep blogging (ranting / complaining / moaning) till March at least, you lucky readers!

Focus, Focus, Focus

It’s been a bit quiet on here; which either means I’ve given up and failed completely or life has been so busy that I have not had time to update my going-ons. Fortunately it has been the latter.

Last week at work was hellish and super busy, lots of late finishes in the office, lacking in energy, not exercising and making bad unhealthy choices – also known as falling off the wagon.  But now I find myself in the middle of a new week, 2 workouts in and lots of healthy clean eating back on the cards – officially back on the wagon.

‘Falling off the wagon’ comes round a little too easy; there are many triggers that can cause a fall. As I’m starting my health journey, clean eating and training had been one of my main focuses; but as a busy week at work was brought on by  a looming deadline at work, my overall focus for the week was the project I was working on in the office, and not my training plan. This temporary focus then caused me to take a step back from my loving friends and family that are my support system, as I was too stressed to have proper chats with them and reach out to them.

So with one little trigger of work; it became a tumble weed of other excuses. With 5 months to the half marathon I can’t be losing my focus on running too often, so from today I pledge to make healthy eating and half marathon training my main focus in life, finding time and not having lots of excuses. I'll update you later in the week on how I am planning to stay focused in more details. 

1 hour is only 4% of your day. 

Tuesday Thoughts

I found this little nugget on an e-newsletter I receive from a nutritionist and seems it fits in very well with my new attitude to healthy and nutrition.  Since starting my new journey to a healthier and fitter me I have felt like a new person and haven't got a cold once, and hay fever doesn't seem to have caught me this season.

More updates to come this week :-).

“Nutrition is to your body, like fuel is to a formula one engine.  Your body is amazing, one of a kind.  There is only one of you and food should be tailored to what makes you feel your best!  Getting your food choices and eating habits right is THE most important thing in your life.  Without it, your body slowly weakens much quicker than it should, you get ill more often and colds and flu’s last longer, you are more prone to attack, you feel lousy and are not focused or productive in your every day life”.

New Month – New Challenges

My alarm is set for 5:55am from Monday to Friday – I don’t make it out every morning to go to the gym or for a run, but I manage to make around 3 mornings a week on average, combined with a boxercise class and an outdoor run on the weekend, I’m hitting my 5 workout a week target.

So with the number of workouts sorted and being the 1^st May (New Month – New Challenge), time to start the half marathon training, and to push me along I’ve only gone and signed up for the Oxford Half Marathon on the 12^th October. AHHHH!!!!!!!! 

However I am up for the challenge, and I’m going to do it, and going to ACE IT!

With just under 6 months to go – I have hopefully got enough time to get fit & ready and do it in a decent time. Instead of laying out a 6 month plan, I’m going to split it into a monthly plan. Really long plans do not work for me – I see them as far too daunting, and give up too easily. 

So the May monthly plan:

• Sort out my running technique - as my shins are hurting a little after a run
• Get proper running shoes
• Run outside more (don't be a chicken and get off the treadmill)
• Keep to 4 runs a week

It's not much really - but 4 weeks goes so quickly,  before you know it, its the end of the month and I've only done one run outdoors.

Surround yourself with people you love

Being healthy is not just about eating well and exercising, don’t get me wrong, that plays a big part of it – but it’s not all. You have to be healthy and happy with yourself as a person too.

Life is a journey, along the way you will find people who have a positive effect in your life and people who have a negative effect. Try and focus, spend time with and love the people who have the positive effect in your life, they are the ones who help in the make you feel happy.

So as a little dedication to some of the people I love in my life I’m going to write about the people who have a really positive effect in my life, and use this as an excuse to show off how AWESOME my friends are.

Amanda

All great people are named Amanda – it’s a fact that my best friend Amanda will agree with me. This girl is AMAZING, a pillar of strength, a heart of gold, amazing baker and awesome dancer. For me spending time with her is complete therapy for me, as she has such a fresh outlook on life. 

*she also has an awesome blog which you should follow here

Beth

Summing up most people in three words is hard – but with Beth it’s the easiest thing ever. Crazy. Happy. Lovable. Everyone needs a Beth in their life, just for the positivity she exceeds out 24/7. I’m pretty sure ‘because I’m Happy’ was written just for her. Your never sad when Beth is around as her happiness is infectious. She’s also great at giving advice and has always got your back.

Zoe

Inspirational, motivated, determined and amazing taste in music – who wouldn't want to be her friend? If this girl wants something, she doesn't let anything stand in her way and goes and gets it. She’s also not afraid of telling everyone and everything as it is, what you see is what you get with her and I love that (especially when you’re trying on clothes). A great workout buddy, drinking partner and makes an awesome cup of tea – everyone needs a Zoe in their life.

Mat

Who would have thought the boy who use to scribble all over my homework diary turned out to be like a brother (even my Mother worries about him). He’s my go-to bloke when I need a rant, moan, artistic advice and a bitch. Before twitter he was the one I would text my general moans about throughout the day. He’s the boy I tell everything too, and even if we haven’t spoken for a while when we’re together it’s like we’ve never been apart. He’s always finding strange new bands before they make it main stream – keeping me one step ahead of the charts.

Kyle
My boy, my love, my pillar of love, hope and strength - more on him soon.

These five people are literally some of the best people I have in my life. There are lots of others who contribute to my life – especially my family, but more to follow on them soon. Love you all X