The hobbie i love turn job i love!

Some times i think im the luckiest person alive, despite the long hours i work there are those few hours a week i spend teaching or traning others that are just moments of true joy.

wether its spin, box fit, circuit, inductions or personal training... i am in my element. I now have my first few clients and god i love training them.

I am finally on the way to making a difference in other peoples lifes! and when you see that smile on someones face (generally a very sweaty one) you know you are doing the right thing.

here are a few of things which make me smile:

- Putting on my Personal Trainer T
- setting up a circuit
- Putting on my Boxing mits
- that first punch a client throws into my boxing mit, with no hesitation.
- the first time a client conquers a difficult excercise
- seeing smiley sweaty faces
- seeing someone achieve something they thought they couldnt do
- seeing a full spin class put every last ounce they have into the last 30 seconds of the class...

- making a client laugh in their work out

- when the little boy im training scores his first goal

- the appreciative thank you you get at the end of every class, especially when i feel like i should be thanking them because i enjoyed it just as much!

I've gotta admit although its not full time yet... i have one of the best..... actually no THE BEST job in the world.

One little knock or three wont keep me down!

Well what a couple of months its has been, i have either been the unluckiest person in the world or jst horrificly accident prone!

Having run the half marathon at the beginning of september, i decided to run the sprint triathlon that i missed out on last year due to ITB issues.... i was feeling good i had a few muscle aches after the marathon but nothing too bad, so i thought what the hey lets do it :-) last of the season and i couldnt resist, however as it got closer to race day i noticed a nagging pain in my right shin..... a little research told me it was shin splints but i wasnt too worried and determined to race... as always.

Race day came and before i knew it i was in the pool, i had a good swim (even though i accidently swam an extra few lengths! wally) headed out onto the bike... very hilly, very wet, but none the less i got a good time. heading in on the last leg of the bike i was on for 1 hr 20 finish which was brill....... then i steped of the bike.... oh lordy the pain that shot through my right shin was incredible! but gritting my teeth i was determined to finish and i headed out convincing myself that the short 5 k run was do able.... i couldnt have been more, after much hobbling and many tears i finally pulled out less than 1.5 k from home i was devastated but for once in my life i knew i had to stop. some times you cant just bully on through! take heed as this little hiccup saw me on crutches with a severly inflammed anterior tibialus for 2 weeks!
but i wasnt too hindered, it was the end of the season and due t the fact i was now ridiculously busy with work i wouldnt have trained much anyway... it was about time i had a rest even if it was mildly enforced.....

soon however i was off the crutches and beginning to feel better, and mostly looking forwards to training again..... but low and behold strike 2 was just around the corner.... driviing to work in very heavy rain a driver infront of me had to slam their brakes on due to an idiot infront, unfortunatly when i slammed mine on i skidded into the car infront wrote of my car, tore ligaments in my finger and gained my first and boy i hope my last case of whip lash................training was going to have to wait, after a week of barely being able to roll out of bed i was back at work but struggling with severe back and shoulder pain.

my friends mocked me... and stated i deserve the title of A&E to whihc they have me registered in their phone :-)

well im now 5 weeeks post accident, the shoulder is getting there, work is calming down, i have my first real PT client (more bout that in my next post) and im back to training...... and here in lies strike 3...

sunday i finally headed out to join the boys from the gym for a bike ride, some new to triathlon, some iron man pros... now i just hoped i could keep up, and that my shoulder would not play up too much.
We headed out early sunday morning and the early signs were good, i was enjoying the ride and holding my own........ that is until i hit the first half decent hill... gained a puncture and had to be rescued by the boys (and yes they did moch me\) soon we were back on the rd, but not for long and i mean 3 pedals later my chain slipped..got caught and again i had to be rescued by the boys. however the chain was freed, but then came the clunk every 4th pedal, my chain was warped and slipping off the gears which meant i soon had to split from the boys and head home.

so now along with the mahusive amount of moching the boys have done since the ride, my poorly bike is in the shop to be fixed.

but you know what despite the rubbish and somewhat troublesome few weeks i wont let this get me down, im back training, gradually building strength, and loosing the couple of pounds i gained while not training (yes i know not great but 5 weeks off training with such injuries a gain of a few pounds is to be expected... and do you know what who cares they will soon be banished) and ready to rock out a winter season of strength and endurance training along with some techinque practise (all the more important whilst recovering from injury)

so i guess the lesson oday is, no matter what life throws at you, or in what frequency or severity.... im still here, im alive and im getting back on that bike this weekend to whip the boys A**** :-)

You Can

Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?'. The answer is usually: 'Yes'.


The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.

If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run

Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?

 
What distinguishes those of us at the starting line from those of us on the couch is that we learn through running to take what the days gives us, what our body will allow us, and what our will can tolerate
 
If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, the triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise

 
 
My therapist is the pavement. My drug is endorphins. My foe is the next hill. I am a runner.

My lunch hours aren't for eating, my Saturday mornings aren't for sleeping, and my holidays aren't for taking it easy. I am a runner

What a week

well this week i have started my new Personal Training job at david lloyds, moved house, and taught spinning at my local gym.... its been hectic to say the least especially when im still recovering from the previous weekends triathlons!

and what is this i have coming round the corner.... oh yeah thats right in my insanity i decided it would be a great idea to do the half marathon again! less than 2 weeks to go and i am still struggling with ITB, however it is far less severe, and i have been sent a sample of K-Active Tape which i am hoping will help keep the ITB at bay through the run.

However i have a plan.... i may not beat last years time with it, but hopefully i will get round without exacerbating the knee issues.... believe me i do not want to go back to the days of crawling upstairs and siding down them on my butt... comical yes ... pleasent NO!

where were we oh yes... sorry my master plan.... well today pinky we are going to take over the world .. lol sorry little joke there for my sis Mrs B who is also running with me...(also injured what a pair we make), and my lil bro who is also coming up to run it although he has been poorly so its going to be intresting for all of us i think but as long as we make it back over the line running, walking, crawling or crying we will all have done our best.

Anyway back to the plan, obviously im still getting some long runs in over the next 2 weeks, but when it comes to run day my plan is to run up to 10k (as long as i have no pain) then walk a k or 2, then run again for 5-8k litle rest then run the last K or 2..... simples.

Now this all depends on how my legs hold up, but i will be strapped to the nines, and also helped by some anti inflamms, and plenty of rest/ice the night before not to mention my million and one butt exercises that i have to do every day :-)

But the main aim is to run till i start to feel even the slightest twinge... walk till it goes, run again till i feel twinges etc etc

this could go well and i may be able to run all 13 miles.... or i could be walking most of it :-) but i will have done it and thats all that matters.

it will be a family affair, and after all these years and each of us having our own battle with the bulge.... all three injured or not will be crossing that finish line to show just how far we have come :-)

What A Weekend

Well every year i think i get a little bit more insane :-) not only did i decide to do the nottingham triathlon this year but i also decided to do the club relays the day before.... yes i know 2 triathlons but only one weekend... i dont know what i was thinking!

Well the truth is i thought the relays would be an easier warm up, as you get a break inbetween each discipline whilst you wait for your team mates to complete their laps..... well the truth is this made it harder... not only did i get beaten up royally by fellow swimers (i have the bruises to prove it) and attacked by monster weeds in the open water swim (i started first amongst over 200 people) but because i was the first swim, bike and run in our team, i had an hour and a half wait inbetween my bike and my run.... the cooling down after the bike and then trying to get yourself up and sorted again over an hour later to run was not just mentally challenging but physically exhausting too. however i did it, and over all in my team came first in the swim, second in the bike and last in the run (i never proffess to be a great runner... however although slower in the run then the rest of my team it was a PB for me... ) and over all due to my fast swim and bike our times were pretty similar... this was a great confidence boost for me as one of the girls in my team won the lincoln tri just a few weeks before... and guess what i beat her in the swim and the bike...only by a few seconds mind and i think she was holding back for the nottingham tri the next day but hey ho it still felt pretty good.

god im rambling again... appologies where was i?

oh yeah... well as much as i enjoyed the club relays (and well done to Louise in her first ever Triathlon) i was really more excited by the individuals the next day. Last year i just wanted to see if i could do it..... this year i wanted to beat my time.

so before i knew it i was back in the water sunday morning waiting for the start of the swim.... off we went on the starters horn.... i was fairly relaxed this year... anaged to steer away from too many punches and generally keep chilled, however some lady kept grabbing my leg and the lake was full of weed i practically ran aground at one point... so my swim was a little slower than last year.... then out of the swim into T1  (where i faffed a little too long) and out onto the bike....
now last year on the bike despite a fast swim i was then over taken constantly due to a poor bike performance.... this year however things have changed... i am more confident and have stronger bike legs and i began to overtake others! i knocked over 20 minutes off last years bike time woohoo...
then it was out onto the run.... here was where the question "why am i doing this?" popped into my head.... due to my knee injury and general exhuastion i had to fight myself the whole way round just to keep running... but i did and my time was the same as last year on the run and i managed a sprint finish too.... woohoo, overall i knocked nearly half an hour of last years time.

i never thought i would say this... but now i dont want to just get round... i want to train for the medals, this year has proved how far i have come, my swim is strong, my bike has gotten stronger... and my run ... well it needs work but with a few minutes knocked off here and there i could do it.

i am no longer that over weight unfit girl.......I am now a triathlete

oh p.s i got the job at david lloyds and also a cover job at my gym, so im now a personal trainer at david lloyds and a spin instructor at my local gym :-)

Time for an Update me thinks

appologies all, i know it has been some time since i ranted on about things, however im sure you did not miss me too much.

so much has happened in the past few weeks.... i have officially become a fully qualified Personal Trainer, come back to my dreary job, had several interviews with David Lloyd Health club in nottingham (to which the final one is tuesday... and its looking good for my new life to start there), made home made jam (which i am utterly proud of and generally started making some positive changes to my own fitness and nutrition regime.

so where do i start.... well the Personal training bit is my most exciting news i guess, however i will miss the many fun times we had in london i am now raring to go with it and all being well David lloyd will be the place for me to do this. i still have a mountain to climb doing my normal full time job as well as part time PT at david lloyd but it will hopefully be an enjoyable and challenging moutain....and eventually will lead to me reducing my dreary hours behind an office desk and filling them with far more exciting times running round studios helping my clients find the fun in fitness!

changing my nutrition regime.... well would you  believe it i now have full fat milk (yes full fat read my previous blog to see why) in the fridge as well as unprocessed full fat orgainic butter, my cuboard is bursting to the seems wth organinc natural products, and i am carefully monitoring my sugar intake..... my house mate who has always been very pro organic is proud of me, although my pockets are a little emptier i feel satisfied knowing my body will reep the benefits... plus if you shop savvy you can still get good wholesome organic low processed food for less if you get the shops own brand rather than brand names :-) and the look of the food on my plate is highly satisfying, and lets face it butter just tastes far better than marge :-)

Jam making...... ooooooo i had fun here, my loacl parks are currently bursting to the seems with blackberrys and with a little help from my sister Mrs B a jam recipe was gained and the jam challenge set :-)http://afteralltheworldisabeautifulplace.blogspot.com/

now in this process i learnt a few things....

1. firstly do not go blackberry picking in shorts and flip flops injuries will occur

2. always watch out for bees.... it is not wise to pick them,,,,, you are infact after blackberries after all

3. never leave blackberry jam unattended...... unless you want your kitchen to look like someone was murdered bruttaly in it.

4. if removing seeds from jam do this speedily time is of the essence before the jam sets

5. only ever keep one pot for you and give the rest to friends they will throughly enjoy this.

Fitness regime creation..... well this is still a work in progress and will be for a while as i have 2 triathlons and a half marathon coming up running steadily and building my miles without knee issues is currently my main aim... but to be honest getting out on my bike or running round the lake is still just a joy, with my ipod on and my new iphone tracking my progress with runkeeper im steadily getting there :-)

so there you go a wordy and waffly update..... i will try to ensure i do more

i cannot quite believe all the hard work is finally paying off and i am now in a position to truely share this with others..... if i help but a few my job here will be done.

xx Mairi

What is good nutrition?!

what is good nutrition?????? well that is certaininly the question.
Many times i have believed that my general food intake is pretty rich in the nutrients that i should be getting, however being a vegetarian for 15 years (recently fallen off the wagon) i often dont get enough protein, but generaly i try pretty hard to take in the right foods and not too many calories.
However today we have been taking a bit more of an indepth look at nutrition and it turns out its a bit of a political quagmire, with companies bribing scientists to research the benefits of their food... and then blatently lieing about the result.
Now how many of you out there  grab the low fat this and the low fat that? or use marg instead of butter?

well i tell you now be very careful of what you are picking up..... it could indeed be far worse for you than the original full fat version.
for many years people have been afraid of fat (did you know someone was paid to do some research to say how bad it was for you and when he actually found out it was near the oposite he was paid to tell us otherwise!)... we are constantly told of how bad it is, and how much it will clog our arteries.... and eat our low fat spread because its far better for you and will lower cholesterol too.
what they dont tell you is that to make their spread look or taste similar to the real thing they have prodded and played with and mutated what was once a good food and created a monster TRANS FATS being a prime example.
stay away from anything that says hydrogenated... or partially hydroginated, steer clear of anything white... nature doesnt do white (except coconut) and instead reach for the most natural and unprocessed food you can, it will take longer to break down and thus keep you on a more even keel.
Many processed foods will cause the dreaded sugar spike... most people just associate this with a sugar low after and as long as its only a couple of hundred calories (that yummy twix) think its fine if its in my daily limit. but actually its far more than that,  high GI  foods (those that break down into energy/glucose/sugar easily) with high Glyceamic loads (increased blood insulin levels for longer) can cause havoc with your system.
Most are more afraid of fat than they are sugar... when the truth is sugar is by far the greater evil, by causing increased levels of blood glucose they increase the levels of blood insulin which in turn stops you from burning fat. Put it this way insulin loves to store fat, imagine it running round your body stealing any free floating fat and wacking it straight into those bumby areas! Now i know i would rather burn it than store it so im going to be far more careful about my sugar intake and a little less fearful of my GOOD fat intake (after all your spinal cord is primarily made up of fat amongst many ther things)
so if you really want to make sure you are eating the right things by all means listen to the advice but keep an open mind about where that advise is coming from and who it might actually benefit. and most of all try to avoid highly processed food.... if its been bashed, microwaved, rolled, frozen whatever its guna be far easier to absorb and thus the body will use less energy to break it down... and roll on thunder thighs.
but dont think this means you cant have a little of what you want.... i will still have my chocolate bar, pizza or my caffee late.... ill just be far more aware of its affects and limit the times i have it.

Mairis army

Well it's been one heck of a week. I have taken part in more aerobics classes then I ever would have thought humanely possible in a week!

I have side stepped,grapevined and leg curled my way to a very sweaty victory.

Now I have never been the most comfortable aerobics participant often feeling more like a baby elephant on ice than anything else. But through sheer determination, sweat and tears not to mention a few hours in London fields park prancing around like a looney..... I have made it through.

Today was assessment day and along with a banana a few of what looked like the cast from frame, and myself dressed as an army sergeant we pranced our way through aerobic hell and came out the other side qualified!

Oh yeah me and my barmy army can dance and no we will bring forth our aerobic prowess to the world 

Today has definatly been a Fat Day

It has been so hot in london today..... which completly blew out any plans we had to go wondering far or do revision.

So instead we had a rather unsuccessful trip to primark (short shopping) and then headed to the market where a mahusive slab of water melon was bought and some cucumber and strawberries! yes you have guessed its pimms O'clock and today was going to be a pimms day :-)

We then headed to sainsburys and after getting various bits for sandwiches we also had some mint icecream fall into the trolley along with various ice cream sundae making materials.... such as that chocolate sauce you had as a kid which goes hard on contact with the icecream yummmy.

I know its bad but it was just too hot to do anything today other than chill out, drink pimms and eat icecream.

we all deserve a Fat day everynow and again. but i will do the gym time in the week as penance :-)

Happy Pimms Day

Now i guess i should go on and do a little revision for my Personal Training exam now its a bit cooler.

Now heres where it gets interesting

Well im now nearly half way through my PT course and im still loving every minute. Now most of the anatomy and physiology we have done up to this week has been more of a refresher for me, but we are now getting deep into the practical applications of the science and all i want is more.....
Im learning so much about myself and the reasons both mental and physical as to why i have plateauxed! and Yes Toby i can now see what you mean about over training.....and i admit im falling firmly into that category.
All this time i was thinking ive been training less vigorously than last year and couldnt quite see why i have not managed to loose this last stone and a half... its been so irritating.... stubbourn fat!
I thought i had a fairly mixed up routine, but when i look at it now, even though many of the excercises may change i have been training in the same zone and essentially my body has got bored. Its desperate for a change. imagine how bored you would get eating the same breakfast every day for a year.... well thats pretty much how my body is feeling.
Now much of the reason my routine is set is due to work and time i have availible.... but its no excuse for me not to change it up a bit more..... as the saying goes "if you always do what you have always done you will always get what you have always got!"
I cant wait to start instigating some of the training methods we are learning, now i have a better understanding of what works what and why, and how it will make it so much easier for me to apply logic and get gains ( or losses dependent on how you look at it :-) ).... not just for me but for my future clients too.
i can barely control the excitement of the potential for me to not only change my life but also improve others too. as i have said before if i can just change a handful of peoples lives the way i have what better reward could i have... and i really hope that i can be just good enough to do that.

Legs and abs of steel

well im now 1.5 weeks through my PT course and its going great. i have passed my first assesments with flying colours and have been told by my trainer that i have a flair for the job and great personality she thinks i will make a great PT.
Its so good to feel like im making the right choice im loving every day from theory in the classroom to bench pressing with the guys.
we also did some fitness testing today... a bit like a body MOT... and i have got the all clear. not only is my BP is normal, my lung capacity well over average, and my resting heart rate is low (but not scary theres an issue low just my body is chilaxing low).
We also did a fitness step test in which i scored higher than the girls and up there with the boys, as well as a sit up test where i also beat the girls and to the boys shock beat most of them too tehehehe.
We also tried out our max strength today. this is basically how much can you pull, push, lift etc in one repitition... i.e its as heavy as you can go you will be able to do one but no more. I (again to the boys suprise) leg pressed 185 kilos more than double my weight, and chest pressed 55 kilos.
All of the above just goes to show that you dont have to look ultra skinny or fit to actually be fit. im a good size 14-16 and i am right up there with the best in my class. i think i earned a little respect today from those in my class and gave myself a pretty good boost of confidence too.
Roll on tomorrow. i cant wait to get out there and start helping others.

Day 2 down 28 to go

Well im now 2 days into my pursuit of ultimate job forfillment.... training to be a Personal Trainer.
So far im loving it.... we have pushed weights, spinned our little legs off, disected the human body (on paper nor for real) and much much more. the best bit is every day i keep catching moments where i suddenly realise im training... but it feels like im just having fun at the gym.
Turns out im not too bad at it either :-) whilst training my partner today teaching her how to dead lift (the chicken laying an egg as i have affectionally called it) i got some good comments on my lingo and genuine enthusiasm from the tutor .... Maybe i should bring her an apple tomorrow lol.
But seriously the more i do the more im beginning to think i have made the right choice.... and that i really do have the potential to help others change their lives as i have.
Role on Day three.

London Baby!

well im finally here... down in london after a small train trip... on which sheamus helped me with some anatomy revision....and getting nervous about starting my course tomorrow!

However im also so excited about the things i will learn and the people im going to meet... maybe they are all just as insane as me! I cant believe its actually here and that i am actually just about to start my personal trainer course.... again who would have thought that someone like fat mairi could turn away from the cakes and head into the fast lane :-P

ive also just been out on a 3 mile run with my little brother (who is kindly putting me up fo the duration of the course) heading out along the canal and through victoria park... it was pretty nice and my knee seems to have held up, but is nagging a little so i will stick with this distance for a while till it stops complaining.

hopefully if i can get up to around 4 miles in the next week or so, i will actually be able to run along the canal to the course each morning as its only about 3.5 miles and means i will miss the rush hour madness which i am not looking forwards to at all!

but hey ho.. here we go. im off to spend the day in the park for a parks festival to relax before the madness begins... look out world here i come.

Woohoo New Legs

well as you all know i have just recently started running again.... well jogging and for just a few minutes at a time :-)
But yesterday i went out for a slightly longer jog with a friend...... 3k no knee pain (well not while i was running) then a little walk followed by another 1k jog .....wehey! god i have missed it and it seems so far so good ...touch something woody (fumbles around and finds a small wooded pencil grabbing it quickly)
Unfortunatly as i havent run for so long albeit my legs seem to be taking the reintroduction to running fairly well my lungs are not!... i have kept fit, but it seems the loss of running has had a severe effect and its going to take me some time to convince my lungs that running really is fun :-) there was a little bit of screaming coming from the lung area they were not happy.... but soon i will whip them back into shape.

so the new plan is up 1k in distance every week with at least 2 runs at that distance each week for 6 weeks. After this time if all is well and the lungs and knees have settled i will up it by 1.5 k each week for 6 weeks which will get me to 18k just befopre the half marathon setting me up for a good injury free run :-)
oooh i do like a good plan :-) bring on the next few weeks and my new legs :-)
(shussssssssssh lungs you will learn to love running again)

Ball week is officially over..... now to conquer the world

Well this week has been hectic, i made it to the gym only once..... but i spent more than 80 hours working much of which involved heavy lifting, tractor driving (yes tractor driving the only way to get much of the stock and equipment to the grand marquee... one of my now many talents), decorating, being a make shift maintenence girl, electrician, and general all round organiser! but i loved it.. the ball went amazingly, i even wore a little black dress. And i managed to eat fairly well dispite the hectic days and long hours even resisting the free chocolate fountain.
Now i am so looking forwards to heading back into the gym..... im also really excited because i have now recieved my final info and exceptance letter  for my personal trainer course! i start in 2 weeks and i cannot wait! Finally i will gain the experiance, knowledge and qualifications to enable me to help  others who are in the situation i was in. If i can motivate just a handful of people to a happier healthier more balanced life... my work will be done :-)

Where has my sunshine gone?

we all have bad days and good ones...... i must admit im having a bit of a rough time at the moment! i know crazy huh and we all thought i was invinsible lol....
i think i will always have to battle my evil little inner monkey, and the last few months being unable to run have not helped. i still train 4-5 times a week, but ive missed my running. Ive noticed the naughty snacks creeping back in... i can see it hapening but sometimes its just to hard to resist and you think theres always tomorrow!... well there is always tomorrow but if i want to see lots of them i need to rein my evil little monkey in.
the good news is im now running again... well jogging and only a few minutes at a time while i build up my leg strength, but its given me the light at the end of the tunnel. ive gotta admit work has been tough recently and im now hitting one of the hardest weeks of the year where my training routine will thoroughly be upset and the food on the run more of a frequent occurance. however ive stocked up m fridge at work with fruit and i intend to have a good long session in the gym tomorrow (possibly the only chance i will get this week).
i guess what im tryng to say today is we all have hard weeks, but when you have been overweight like me, its so important not to let them get the better of you.. as its a slippery slope which is easily fallen on. so take stock, dont feel guilty, and prepare the best you can for whats to come. i may not train much this week, but i will be running round like a looney at work and as long as i try to make the best food choices i can this week, i can make up some gym time next week. and i know my sunshine will return...... i may have had a hard few weeks and made a few bad choices but im aware of them enough now to stop it becoming a snowball effect. I even bought myself a new animal top this week a SIZE 14 woohoo.... i love it and its perfect for summer, fat mairi will not win because the new more balanced mairi is now in da house :-)

The Challenge Begins

Last year i conquered my first half marathon, now i loved it, (not at the time - i cried towards the end) BUT FINISHING WAS AMAZING.
now i did a none too shabby 2 hrs 33 mins, and for someone who was many stone heavier and hadnt run at all till 6 months earlier this wasnt bad.
well as some of you already know im doing the same half marathon again... hopefully a bit faster and with less tears :-)
Luckily for me i have been invited by Shape up Notts (see link at side) to be part of their marathon team, not only will they pay for it but i also get a load of free new balance running kit too woop woop. I am running with them as they found my story inspiring and hope that it will continue to inspire others just as i do.

so i got home from work and there was a parcel note for me ( i love getting parcels its so exciting)... off i went to collect and excitedly rushed home to try it all on.

i love it all matching capri's, t-shirt, running jacket and Trainers, and couldnt wait to use it... even the trainers match a lovely pair with pink trim. I have yet to run in them but as i have now had the go ahead from my physio today to start running again next week i am raring to go!

Look out robin hood half... here i come!

Having Fun and enjoying my new body

Well as you all know the days of Fat mairi who was 21.5 stone and at a peak a size 26-28 are fading away and ultra fit and happy mairi is appearing. I am sorry to you all that i havent blogged recently but i have had a manic but thoroughly enjoyable and exciting couple of weeks.

Recently it was my best friends 30th! he decided on a heros and villans theme..... now i agonized for ages about what i could go as until someone suggested lara croft to me. Initially i thought no... i cant pull that of (fat mairi was wispering away in my head saying id look fat, people would stare... and not in a good way!)... but i carried on, and began to think why not.... ill go shopping see what i can get and how it looks and if its awful rethink.

Now i have never worn short shorts in my life... except for maybe when i was 5, so the thought of doing this was ultra scary but luckily being summer i had plenty to choose from and finally found a pair of brown short shorts and a black T which i could accessorize. of to the changing room i went... all i could think was nah this wont look very good ill have to think of something else. but i put the shorts and T on and took a look in the mirror!

WOW is all i could think, i can pull this off, and actually i look pretty damn good, nope scratch that pretty damn HOT!

I think this was the first time since loosing the weight that i really believed it, im not ultra skinny im a size 14-16 but i feel i fit my skin, and im starting to fit it pretty well!

i never want to be a size 10 or even 0, and i think anyone who trys for that is setting unrealistic goals (unless your under 5 feet), but a happy 12-14 where you can still enjoy moderate treats... why the hell  not! (please remember everyone has their own body proportions and i am not slating anyone who is naturally thin, but saying that people should be happy with whatever their size as long as they are healthy).

So not only did i head out to the party feeling sexy for the first time in years, i also got a few wolf wistles (of the authentic kind) and had an amazing night with my friends without feeling self concious.

i am truly beginning to love my body :-)

dispite the ruts and pitfalls ....just keep on riding!

Bank holiday sunday..... now most are lazing about, doing a few errands and having a bevy. Me im up and getting my bike gear ready for a trip out. As much as i would love to spend the day lazing in a pub the triathlons i have planned are not far away, and if im to do the iron man 70.3 next year i need a good set of bike legs..... and believe me i dont have them yet.

i decided to try out some of nottinghams cycle routes today, thinking this would be much nicer and easier than braving my life out on the nottingham roads! ive had a near squished bus experiance before which i am not keen to repeat!

today though in the typical blighty style of our fair country despite being May it was pretty cold and miserable outside, and although i know i need to get out on my bike more the weather wasnt making it very easy. but i got my stuff together planned a route and headed out.

now this is where i begin to smile i had a few miles of road to tackle before hitting the bike lanes, and i remember how much i love the ease at which you can pick up speed on a road bike. and being sunday the roads werent too busy so i could enjoy the rush of zipping down the streets.

soon i joined the embankment and had a pleasant trip onlong the river narrowly missing some pigeons who decided to fly as close as they possibly could to my head!

but soon the bike route had dissapeared... to who knew were and i was faced with carrying my bike up some stairs (not too much of an issue, road bikes are light but it was annoying none the less)

soon i rejoined the route only to spend the next half of the route dodging raised tarmac ruts and potholes! i began to realise cycle routes were not made with thought to the road bike user who with no suspention feels every rut and dimple let alone the sysmic holes i was encountering. the road would have been safer!

however i pushed on and after meeting a colleague out at work for a quick chat, i headed back to join the river route..... here i realised it was indeed a good day.

why you may ask? well as i turned the corner i joined the most scenic rive path and suddenly my ride (even if it was still a little bumpy) was becoming more enjoyable. and as a plus the path down here (despite being slightly gravel topped) was far more smooth and suddenly i could get a good pace up again. yes i had to dodge a few ducks, and duck under a few canal bridges but it was so worth it! and i made it home after a couple of hours feeling refreshed and thoroughly suprised that the may bank holiday weather hadnt rained on me!

so despite the ruts, potholes and manic pigeons.... it was so worth keeping on riding (a bit like life!)

2 weeks to go..... my itchy feet will soon feel the tarmac again

well as you all know i have been struggling with ITB syndrome, this has meant over 3 months without being able to run. But good news! i saw my physio yesterday who along with giving me a million more excercises to do (where i will fit them in to my day i have no idea!) she has also said that all being well i will be back to running in 2 weeks! woohoo
now ofcourse this does not mean i will be sally gunnel straight away... its more likely i will be just running a few minutes a day to build up gradually, and believe me i will be listening to all the advice i am given. i aim to run the half marathon again this year and hopefully shave some time off and i can only do this if my ITB stays under control. so a gradual build up it is, first to 5k ready for the triathlons i have planned and then on to the 21 k i need for the marathon. but no problem it will be fine as long as i listen to my body.
i cannot wait to get on that treadmill or out on the road again. i cant believe how much i have missed running. only just over a year ago i would never have even run for the bus.... if i had attempted it i would no doubtedly fall over in a fat sweaty lump and miss the bus anyway! Now i reckon i could beat the bus!
So come on 2 weeks run by so that i too can feel the pleasure of a sunday morning jog or the elation of crossing a finish line... i have missed you my friends.

working hard... snacking well

we all know that when your having a hard day at work a quick sugar fix from a sweet hot drink or biscuit or even a muffin can be hard to resist. and i for one have many a time relented and given in to the temptation. I often work long unsociable hours unexpectedly which means i fnd myself still at my desk past tea time with a mars bar calling my name.

 Now dont get me wrong, i have learnt my lessons from the past and i certainly dont chow down on chocolate or cakes every day (albeit fat mairi happily would). infact i more often reach for the fruit bowel that sits on my desk, and ofcourse its fine to have a treat now and again.... its all about the balance!

But i have found the soulution... or at least something to help me make a better choice. Its called graze.com... an amazing company who produce healthy snack boxes for a very low price which you can have delivered through your door or even to our office. its full of great things like nuts, seeds, dried and fresh fruit and even a bit of chocolate... yes you heard me right chocolate but in small healthy amounts........ i love it. they are pre portioned and in perfect snacking portions with the rght balance of yum versus healthy.

 i get one a week and put the four treats by my desk for those munchy moments... my latest favourite being cherry infused raisins they are gorgeous!

not only that but these graze boxes help you graze healthily avoiding those sugar highs and lows which lead to unhealthy choices.

check out the web link at the side of my page to get yourself a free box with no commitment but a great step forward to making healthy yet convienient and yummy choices!

so go on treat yourself to something a bit healthy but nice :-)

The Marathon saga

Well yesterday was marathon day, true to form my little brother got up got dressed in his running kit with no fear of the day ahead, and a chilled its just a marathon man! outlook. i think sarah and i were more nervous than he was... or he was just being cool and hiding it.
we waved him off at 7am to head down to the south of london where he would be starting, we then headed to central london to pick up my sister (Mrs B).
Once together we headed off to  greenwich and the cutty sark for the 6 mile point to see if we could catch a glimpse of william and cheer him on. soon we got a text message to say he had crossed the start line at 10.04 am... so with a little calculation we reckoned he would be with us just gone 11am. we had 40 mins, but this didnt stop us from balancing on our tip toes the whole time to make sure we didnt miss him... this was quite difficult as it seemed everyone taller than us decided the best spot to stand was right infront of us... much to the annoyment of the mere 5 foot 2 Mrs B. Soon we spotted an empty bench and quickly we invaded it giving us a far better non calf wrenching view of the marathon.... however this then distracted us from our searching for yellow bib white top ( the grament choice of my bro) which was actually suprisingly diffucult and a little stressful, as we constantly wondered if wed missed him, and the many false alarms that we had seen him!

But just as we started to chit chat there he was... running along behind a rhino! go will! he was having a breeze at this point which was great to see.
now we had to get to tower bridge for the half way point! we made our way through a see of people, actually correct that a mud of people to the station only to find they had closed that entrance and we had to make our way back again elbows out back to our oringinal point were a nice policeman told us about a free ferry...we thought why not the cue for the tube was just as insane.

 we started to get a little worried as we didnt think we would make it in time to see will, and this wasnt helped by the man who told us there was only 2 ferrys left and that we wouldnt make it! turned out he was wrong and not too long after we were heading across the water  to canary warf where we had decided to stay to see him at the 15 mile point.

We amazingly got a great view across a bridge but we knew we had to make sure not only that we saw him but that he saw us as this was the point at which he would be starting to hurt, and he would be a little dissapointed that he hadnt seen us at mile 13 where he expected to see us.

many a teagbag, girrafe, wombel and toilet passed below us, but we still hadnt seen will... then all of a sudden there he was still going strong we were so proud, and hollered at the top of our lungs till he looked up, we got a few pics then Mrs B and i ran comically at full pelt across the top of the round about to catch a glimpse of him again, despite nearly face planting into the road due to an extremly slippy marble step we made it incross in time to see him come out of the tunnel.
right time for us to headm for the finish line, get some food (watching a marathon is hungry work), and wait for will to finish. we headed to buckingham palace... the queen was not in, but it was a gorgeous day and we had will on the tracker, 24.2 miles..... then 25 miles.... 25.8 miles.. 26 miles he was so close we were so excited, soon there he was the smile on his face reaching from ear to ear.... and we were so proud!

5 months will has lost 9 stone, raised over £300 for the childrens trust and run a Marathon ! it just shows what can be achieved with a little bit of determination. 

(however be warned loosing weight this quickly must be monitored by your doctor, and the marathon can bring painful consequences... yu should have seen the blisters on wills feet... or should i say the feet on wills blisters!)