Forwards

Back at least to yoga

2010-09-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

Well September has arrived and I am not back training. My back still hurts and no matter what treatment I have the pain does not subside. It has been months since I last went inside a gym. I am at least walking every day, my dog sees to it that I am well exercised!

Last week I decided that no matter how stiff I feel I was going to find a way to recover that did not include any therapist. So I took myself off to a new gym which has yoga classes every day and as of today I have been to yoga twice this week.

Despite having practised yoga for many years I am stiff and less flexible than I would have liked. I have done the classes and very pleased to have stretched myself.

So the journey has begun. Once I feel the yoga has bought back some balance and flexibility I shall commence with some running and weights.

Will I make the try a tri next May, who knows? What I do know is that I shall take little steps to reach my goals.

Here's to pilates in the morning :-)

Truly madly not there

2010-08-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

As much as I hate to admit to defeat, there comes a time when you have to give into your aches and pain, sort them out before you can subject your body to the rigours of a training program.

So, for the moment, training is on hold. My back is being worked on by Rachael Talbot at Chiropractors 4 Health in Cardiff. I am on track to be training again at the end of September, which should mean I will make the ball (or is that tri a tri...).

In the mean time I am still walking Ferdy dog and swimming. I have even signed up for swimming lessons and now have to wait for the list to whittle down to my name. Then I will learn the art of overarm....

Watch this space.

The week behind me

2010-05-22T01:58:00.000-07:00

Today I have a hangover and a sore body, the reason for 1 is too much wine in the neighbours last night, the reason for 2 is a Pilates workout on a box which was challenging for 2 reasons, balance and resistance and maybe a 3rd reason. I had never done it before so it was kinda weird. I loved it and I think its going to become an addiction (bit like my Lindt chocolate addiction). The class was at 7am which meant that whilst my body wobbled for the rest of the day, my mind was as sharp as a razor. I managed to contemplate a lot and luckily I didn't need to run away from any strange men.

Strange men? A funny thing happened on the way to the park. At the pond in StellaArtiosVille I came upon a gaggle of drunk men, fishing, drinking and making merry. The birthday boy threw me a chat up line, we bantered and his friends said, that he had said, that today he would meet his perfect woman, he would know her when she walked into the park with a ginger dog. They thought it was funny anyway. Not sure Ferdy likes to be called ginger.

This week has also seen me at my personal trainers and we planked. The plank looks so simple when demonstrated by others, lie in a line with your body raised off the ground and just hang around. Except that when your body is corrected into the right position its just a tad harder. I managed 2 lots of holding it for not many seconds, if you push me I will confess. Twice for only 20 seconds. I have had a problem laughing as my tummy muscles are objecting. Memo to self need to practise plank more.

So in the spirit of training I hauled myself to the gym to row, cycle, run and a few weights. This was also at 7am on another day now lost in the mists of time. In the gym were some non communicating humans. Stare straight ahead, don't look at anyone, mustn't speak we are robots we have come to train................. Pretty boring.

In amongst all of that I have of course walked Ferdy dog everyday, several times......

So its with glee that I observe our wonderful weather and I can take Ferdy dog out with me and we can train together in the wetlands.

Final memo to self, I have considered the hangover thing and it must be a sign of maturity, I think I prefer chocolate......

Motivate me

2010-05-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

After my first personal training session on Monday I decided that I would, yes I would do something in the week. I did, I walked Ferdy dog, I didn't run or go to the gym or do anything other than walk. The plain and simple truth was my legs hurt and my sleep was disturbed and now I am procrastinating and making up reasons why I haven't trained.

Motivation is a strange thing and I have been wondering why I haven't been to the gym and I have figured it out. I did not commit what I was going to do in my diary. Simple. I had no plan.

My MPI-Test@Work results show that I am in time. Which means I will do it now, that's right now. My boyfriend knows that when I say I will do it now, now means when I get around to it, so he will go off and do his own thing until my now becomes now and I am ready. Does that make sense? Of course its does if you are in time. However if you are through time and a planner like him you want to know what the plan is and when exactly when the plan will be executed. So here is my plan, I will put what I am doing in my diary, visualise myself putting on my kit and going and then when now arrives I will be off. Here's to my plan.

All joking apart I have actually started a plan in a spreadsheet and I will review it, later and when I print it now in a minute I will staple it to my vision board. Now that will work!

This will work because I am also towards, I like to work towards my goals and my goal is big, important, a challenge and fun. I love a challenge and to prove that I can and I can, I need to plan and I need to do it now, so I will.

Decision to Tri

2010-05-08T00:32:00.000-07:00

This time last week I was discussing my bf's try a tri which he was doing the following day. We made plans to drive into Cardiff and go around the track so that he could get a visual picture of what would follow and allow him to mentally prepare.

Never in a month of Sundays would I imagine that after the event I would be agreeing to also take part.... Though not this year in 2011, the year that I am 50.

I stood outside in the cold and watched a whole bunch of brave men and women who bought with them an assortment of bikes and friends and wondered what made them even contemplate this. As the first people emerged from the swim I gazed in wonderment, flabby, fat, old, not any firm, fit young flesh anywhere. My mind started to wander.

I had always hated running it was something I did because I thought I had to. I was so pleased when my knees started to hurt and announced the end of my short lived running career.

Over the years I had been obsessed with exercise, weights, classes and swimming dominated my early 20's. I can remember using the multigym in Bridgend Rec which was locked away in a broom cupboard, in stark contrast to the gym that is there today, what a difference 30 years makes. Jeff's Gym in Aberkenfig was my home for many years before I ventured to Reading to live and then Kirtons Farm became my posh training haven.

Time flew by, my life changed and my exercise habits teetered between sporadic and non existent, I never seemed to recall the zest that I once had. As my last relationship bore down on me I found great solace in walking and so walked for hours nearly every day and turned to yoga to also calm my mind. There were small challenges but nothing that pulled me screaming out of my comfort zone.

And so last Sunday evening after some contemplation and a few too many wines I agreed that I could try a tri in 12 months time.

Inspired by Michelle Clarke a friend who often posted FB comments about her personal trainer, I surfed for my own PT considering that if she valued herself enough to pay for someone to help coach her so will I, and anyway isn't that what I ask my business clients to do?.

I start on Monday with the lovely Leandra Rizza http://leandrarizza.com/. When I met Leandra last week, she opened the door with a big smile on her face and warmly welcomed me in, I knew then that we would have a great relationship.

My training has already started. I told myself that when I was in Birmingham on business this week that I would go to the hotel gym come what may and run even if it was for only 5 minutes.

Arriving at the hotel at 6.30 I found all sorts of excuses about why I couldn't go to the gym, but found myself strangly pulling on my kit and admiring my brand new running shoes. Yes I had already been out and had some shoes fitted by Moti in Cardiff who video your running style to ensure that you get the right support.

Brand new shoes on I floated down to the gym, pleased to see that there were no running machines available I clambered onto the only available bike and cycled for 6k. It was BORING!!!! At the end I was even more pleased to see that there were no running machines available, but not wanting to look like a wimp I jumped onto the cross trainer and spent another boring 20 minutes, thank goodness for the One Show to keep me company. As I came to the end of my mind numbingly push and pull, there was a running machine free. Oh no!!!!! My legs wobbled as I strode over to the machine and pressed the start button. I told myself 5 minutes that's all you have to do.

5 minutes and .5k later, sweating I got off. Pleased as punch I wandered back to my hotel room to call my bf to proudly tell him, I've started.

Expectations of what my bf who has has always run and is fit and might say, careered between 'was that al?'l and 'you could try harder!'. You may ask why I thought this and what kind of man would be so mean? Past experiences are scratched in my mind like groves on a record, the songs all the same, useless girl (sung to the tune of Stupid Girl). He was wonderful and so encouraging. I am further inspired by his support.

My training continues. After my visit to Leandra who said keep it simple, run 3 minutes and walk for 7, I packed Ferdy (dog) into the car and headed to the Wetlands.

I was out for an hour and followed her advice, my mind rallied against me, I kept looking at my watch - what only 1 minute it screamed. Come on you, come on you, come on I cried to myself. Ferdy dog happily trotted by my side. At the half way mark I stopped and thought how can I challenge myself now? In the distance the lighthouse loomed, white, erect and waiting. 10 minutes of focused running(ish) later I was there. 3 and 7 all the way back to the car. Rejuvenated, alive!

Taking the first step towards your goals are the biggest, this week I took my first tentative steps. My mind is full of limiting self beliefs, however my life is full of inspiring loving people who will work with me and this time next year dear readers I will be telling the time I succeeded in for my first try a tri. Who knows what else I can do?