Things that make me mad

ok so i know i have been on and off the radar for a while now but im still fighting the good fight.

To Summarise, Ive had a few issues with health which has now finally seemed to have come down to a very deficient me in Vitamin D (levels which are barely detectable). This has meant Ive been battling to maintain my fitness due to some of the side affects of low vit D which include muscle and bone pain and tiredness, not to mention the affect on the immune system which has meant it seems like Ive just had one bug after another over the last year. However all that aside im battling on and despite a weight gain over the year of 1 stone im am not to concerned as theres light at the end of the tunnel....... at least i now know im not going mad and there has been a cause to the various symptoms which i just couldnt conect the dots on.

anyway... now that i have filled you in on whats been happening with me on to my main topic which is Things that make me Mad!!!

Now obviously i blog about fitness and health but always try to remain objective and encourage a healthy balance but sometimes you hear people doing or saying things that just make you want to scream:

1. Fad Diets
2. LOW CARB!!!!!
3. Being a slim healthy size yet still saying you need to loose weight!!
4. as long as I count my calories its fine
5. I want to build tone but loose weight

ok so these are just a few of the things which make me mad but they are all very common themes i hear day in day out being discussed by people in the gym

Fad Diets - as I've said and will always say moderate what you consume but do not cut out/replace or overly restrict. if a diet is telling you to cut out one of the main food groups steer clear. we are omnivores for a reason and need every (Natural) food group to help sustain healthy bodies and minds. the worst in my mind is the NO CARB diet..... Carbs are our most important and basic form of energy resource they are not bad as long as you stick to natural unprocessed forms (remember if its white its more than likely processed... nothing but coconut in nature is naturally white)

OK now im all for being aware of what calorie intake you have had in a day..... its obviously a simple equation energy in - energy used = energy stored. But i am not keen on diets which allow you to eat anything as long as you count it..... for example its ok if i have a mcdonalds today as long as i eat nothing else!!! NOOOOO a mcdonalds as a treat if you really want it (and ask yourself if you really do) is fine but please learn not only to be aware of calories but also which foods are healthy choices, and which should be avoided such as highly processed meals/snacks or treats.

Now on to those you here in the gym discussing the fact they cant understand why they arent loosing weight (you look and see a slim toned normal person and wonder what the heck have they got to loose? a butt cheek?)....... ok now when you are carrying excess weight you can slim and tone up at the same time.... however if you have reached the normal to lower levels of your weight range and you are doing a significant amount of muscle building/toning excercises.... well im sorry you are unlikely to loose much weight its known muscle is heavier than fat and you may even put a few pounds on (good pounds) but you will find your shape changes........ GUYS PLEASE STOP OBSESSING ON WEIGHT AND CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK TO LOOKING AT HOW YOU LOOK OR FEEL....... DO YOUR CLOTHES FEEL LOOSER? YES? THEN GREAT!!!!!! WHO CARES IF THE SCALES SAY YOUVE LOST NOTHING.

At the end of the day people we all make mistakes we all have bits of us we dont like, but please start to be happy with who you are, dont follow trends or new celeb diets or take those models in the magazines to be ideal examples.... just learn to make healthy choices, live energised lives and treat yourself every now and again....... after all we are all meant to be different... imagine how boring life would be if we all looked the same.

Rant over

loving autumn running

ok so maybe its not most peoples idea of fun, and ive gotta admit often I have a full on argument in my head with myself to get that motivation to go out in the cold and run, but once I'm there its really quite peacefull and it feels great to be reclaiming my own time and along with it my own body.

You will all be pleased to know i kept to my word and despite only taking the tiniest 4.5 kilo rucksack with me on holiday to portugal i managed to get in there my trainers and running gear........ oh yeah now your impressed lol... well thats the dedication im putting into myself im determined to shift this bit of weight ive put on this year and get back on track.

Im beginning to slowly but surely get my feel for running back, ive recently downloaded a personal running trainer ap which has a 16 week marathon program on it. so i started it this week (i know winter .... hummm maybe not the best timing.... looks like ill be running in the snow) and although i think 16 weeks may be a bit optamistic im going to follow the program and if one week feels a little tough i will just repeat it then move on ....... but you never know i may surprise myself and do it in the 16 weeks.

So roll on a winter of running, of wooly hats and foggy mornings, of crispen air and frosty footprints.... whatever the season may bring im ready.

To Eat or not to eat......

OK so i was talking to one of my PT clients the other day and we got to talking about food. Now i am as you know a believer in everything in moderation.... never make yourself feel guilty for having that weekend chocolate, or the sunday fry up... it is these simple pleasures that make food a joy and we should not spend our lives chastising ourselves for having the odd treat.
However there is always a balance... unfortunatly like many of us including me at one stage the need to loose weight and feel good about yourself often sees you making some of the worst mistakes you can in nutrition:

- skipping breakfast
- reducing you calories to such an extent it wouldnt keep a toddler going
- cutting carbs
- eating only protein
- eating only veg
- eating nothing all day (so no one sees you eat) and then binging in the evening
- feeling guilty about having a treat
- taking diet pills
- taking laxetives (i for one have never done this but its crazy what people will try)

now all of these are bad enough on their own, but if you combine them with the fact you are attempting to train... oh my lordy your body will not be thanking you and this is why....

Breakfast.... as my mother always said is the most important meal of the day.... it kick starts your metabolism and gives you the energy to begin your day in a positive way. if you skip this you will ultimatly feel sluggish and more hungry and crave highly processed foods..... (why? because your body knows it can break them down easily and get energy - all beit poor energy- fast)... this is your fast track to reaching for that nasty pasty, or bag of crisps at 11am.

Breakfast should be a good sized portion with foods that have slow energy release like whole grains (porridge/muslea etc) and a portion of fruit either juice or fresh to get you on your way to a minimum of 5 a day.

ok people lets stop obsessing about calories!!!! eat when your hungry, stop when you are full and make good food choices. If you restrict your calories to such an extent that its below 1500 a day and you are also training your body goes into preservation mode and will actually store more calories because it is worried you will starve. instead of using your proper energy pathways and burning fat reserves and sugars you will start breaking down muscle for energy (the weight loss you see is an unhealthy one which could lead to severe health consequences)

As for cutting carbs lets all stop being so ridiculous.... if you completely cut carbs you would be cutting out fruit and veg too... yes they are carbs. im all for reducing bad carbs like white bread and pasta, but carbohydrates are your bodies main energy source and it will struggle without them. yes limit them a little in the evening but they are still part of a healthy balanced diet!!!

eating only protein.... seriously people would you believe anything you see/ hear we are omnivoures for a reason we are not meant to just eat protein we are not carnivourous... and its very dangerous to health... our kidneys help with the breakdown of protein but diets like the atkins can cause excess ketones which not only means bad breath, bad skin and a whole host of other unpleasant things but worst of all you can end up with severe liver and kidney issues SO DONT DO IT!!!!!

As for treats if you want something nice have it.... plan it into your week for example on a saturday let yourself have that favourite treat, or head out to a restaurant with friends for a guilt free evening.... wouldnt life be boring if we couldnt enjoy the odd something naughty... easter wouldnt be the same without chocolate eggs, or birthdays without a cake.

as for diet pills.... where do you start - BUT REALLY IF THERE WAS A PILL THAT WORKED DO YOU REALLY THINK WE WOULD STILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH OBESITY?

Laxatives just dont go there do you really want all the issues that come with malnutrition... or spending hours on the loo!!!

so here are my rules for eating healthily:

- EAT BREAKFAST!!!

- Eat 4-5 small meals a day

- downsize your meals as the day goes on

- stop eating when you are full

- drink plenty of water
- If it glows in the dark, we don’t eat it.
- if you cant understand the ingrediants on the packet......leave well alone
- if you go to buy chicken pie and the word chicken isnt on the packet its not going near my body!

- dont chastise yourself for having the odd treat just plan it into your week

- Eat more whole foods, You don’t have to think about high fat when you are eating whole foods. You don’t have to think about toxic waste when you are eating whole, real food. You don’t have to think about preserved, pasteurized, and pummeled when you eat whole foods, which makes your new life a whole lot easier.

Am i Fat?

Somebody asked me the other day if i thought i was fat.... my answer without even thinking came out as yes... I KNOW ridiculous isnt it!

Now dont get me wrong i am happy with my size, i feel fit and healthy and i know i look good (well i hope i do) but i guess this is the one last hurdle i have to face... starting to realize that dispite what i think, or feel, or what the media want me to think I AM NOT FAT.

I think as a prevously seriously obese woman ive never quite lost the feeling that people look at me, or the fear something wont fit, or ill be too heavy for that, or will i fit into that seat? its ridiculous i know... im sure i would be some psycologists wet dream but its hard to shake a lifetime of learned responses and fear.

It doesnt help that as a size 14/16 woman the media percieves me as PLUS SIZE, that there are charts out there such as BMI which still classify me as over weight without taking into account excess skin weight, and lean muscle mass... (please dont think these scales are the be all and end all they are merely a guide).

If size zero was the way we should all be.. why are so little of us there?

I guess its a little unfair that not only do i have to learn to battle with my own warped sense of body image but the societies as well... but i guess writing my blog is one way to help defeat these

 But the real reason im writting this particular page is to let others know we are all the same, we all have that little inner demon and that this.. the last hurdle can be conquered.
It will take time i know that, but as each day goes by i catch myself smiling at my image more than i do cursing it, i feel sexy more often than i do ugly, and i smile more with every day that passes.
 I am gradually training out the immediate learned response that is "I'm FAT" from years of being that way. now I need to realise im a normal healthy sexy woman with a long life to lead..... "I AM beautiful"  both inside and out :-)

MMA boot Camp

Well some of you have heard me talk about Toby before... he is the Personal Trainer i started with and who changed my life so dramatically that i became a PT myself. Well i still see toby... wether its for a booster PT session (we all loose motivation some times) a sports massage for one on my mainy niggles, or just for a chat on how i can progress myself.
Well a few weeks ago Toby started talking about doing a MMA (mixed martial arts) boot camp, 4 weeks 3 group sessions a week (at 6.30am i may add)..... so i thought what the hey, ill sign up... i love training with toby anyway, and the car accident i had last autumn has played havoc with my training so it will be a good boost to get me back on form... not to mention i can pinch a few ideas for my clients :-)

well we started last week.. ive gotta tell you im not a fan of 5.30am wake ups and i will be glad of getting back to a normal sleeping routine but i dragged myself up, got ready, walked the dog and headed to tobogym.

i walked in to see matting, punch bags, ladders and much much more and the huge grin on tobys face told me we were in for a tough session!

Now here i will introduce you to the Sprawl! this is somewhat like a burpee (and we all know how much we love those!!!) but you get your hips low to the ground they are used in MMA to avoid a punch, grab whatever and allow a quick gettup. These were to become my nemesis! now one is no problem ... even 3 or 4 in a row... if only things were that easy! every time Toby shouted and i heard the word SPRAWL my heart sank a little..... but i kept fighting through.. this and shadow boxing, boxing, kicks and whatever else toby had to throw at us.

by the end of the session i was pouring with sweat and laughing hysterically (always a theme in tobys sessions) and looking forwards to the next beasting... or so i thought.

Tuesday morning came... and along with it the dreaded DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).... my body had not felt this way in a long time my glutes were screaming, my deltoids burning, and my ABs... well you get the picture.

However after the next two sessions of the first week i was no longer having to roll myself out of bed and dispite the early mornings i was feeling pretty sprightly.

now half way through week 2 and dispite still being tough and having the fun of sprawls and turkish getups to deal with my muscles have adapted... and by the end of the four weeks of i hope to have regaioned much of the tone and fitness i had lost due to the accident.

so if you have an opportunity to get involved in MMA, you dont have to be a fighter... its a great all round work out and brilliant fun.... roll on the next session with tobogym.

Shake it up baby!

So im sure many of you out there are now well into your post christmas detox, maybe its your first attempt taking on the war against the flab (if so go you :-) !!!), or maybe your a regular excerciser just trying to shed the christmas excess (weve all done it). which ever you are we all know the january blitz comes with its own challenges, from that inability to convince your body to get up on the dark dismal mornings, to getting back into a gym routine when all you want to do is snuggle up inside with a coffee and whats left of the christmas chocolates.

Many of us are now back at work and for some that will bring its own challenges, long hours, relentless sales, battling with budgets etc etc.
Some of the best advice i can give is to have a routine set in your head, know what you will be doing each day of the week and make sure you do it. Believe me the endorphins released from excersise will more than make up for those winter blues.

My main problem is finding time to eat, now i always have a healthy breakfast, this is a must and i never miss it, however lunch and dinner can be very late due to long hours. I pack all sorts of healthy things for my lunch and snacks at work. but when i get home either after working late or a late gym session (basically every day its one of those) i get home and im starving, the cold weather makes me reach for the carbs, and all beit there are only good carbs in my cuboards large amounts of them at 9/10pm are not good.

so as much as i hate to say it, im experimenting wth the world of protein and recovery shakes. My general rule of thumb is to get all the nutrients you need from fresh food, not packages or prossesed gunk, however as a previously seriously obese woman, my health comes first. if a couple of well placed protein shakes can stave off hunger and prevent fat mairi rearing her head and leading me into having a late night carb binge then im up for giving it a go.

My first challenge is finding a shake that works for me, the information out there is overwhelming, sites filled with "BUILD MUSCLE FAST/ LOSE WEIGHT/ TONE UP/ LEAN AND TONED/LOW CARB/ISOLUTE/GLUTAMINE/WHEY,SOY OR EGG/MICROFILTERED/CROSSINFUSED" blah blah blah

 but as a simple guide im looking for pure cold pressed natural protein, low in sugar fats and carbs that can be mixed just with water and tastes ok. As a women i also don't want the proteinper serving to be too high (im not looking to be arnie, or one of those women built like a brick .... well you get the idea).
currently im using NRG pure whey protein powder (purely as a friend gave me it for free to try) but i will be looking for a more tailored one for me later.
all i will say is dont focus on brand names as that is all you will be paying for, have a look around, check out the labels for the ingrediants and well give it a whirl.... or a shake as the case may be.

I have been using the shakes for a week now, just 1 or two a day either as a post excercise fuel, a early evening snack (when working late) or a late night meal replacer. and so far its working :-). im craving less, shedding a couple of those winter pounds and generally feeling a bit better about getting the fuel i need without compromising my health.

but hey protein shakes arent for everyone, and i wouldnt suggest them as a total meal replacer, or for those who do not excercise regularily. Good fresh food will always be better than a powder but i guess sometimes they do have their place.

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

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 

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.

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)

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 :-)

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.

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!)

Yoga

After my last trip to the physio she suggested i try out yoga.....  now this is not normally something i would have considered.. i just get images of old ladies and hippies lying around flexing their body into positions that are just.... well unatural! not to mention the fact its slow and how on earth could something like that burn any calories.
However i am doing everything my physio says so i can get running fit again as soon as possible so off to yoga it was.
As i headed in there i realised a few of my preconceptions were true... old ladies and hippies abound.. but yet there were many of your average day to day gym folk there too.. so i thought ok here we go.

Now before i knew it i had my head down bum up and heels on the ground in bowing dog i think........
leading into arms back head down and one leg up of the something swan. It was actually quite difficult, but the yoga teacher (apparently a fully fledged yogi master who cant even kill the mosquitos which feasted on him the night before) was very calm and helpful, and i began to strangely enjoy the challenge of getting my body into shapes i never believed possible..... not only that but managing to hold it, and hold my own with the rest of the far more experianced hippies and oldies :-)

During the session i even noticed my heart racing so there were definatly a few calories being burnt in crouching swan hidden doggy :-)

By the end of the 1.5 hours session i was actually very tired but extremly peaceful and positive about the whole experiance. it was very strange but i certainly felt the class was benefiting me and my inner balance, not to mention my outer stability.

All in all i think yoga was good for me, and i will certainly be seeing how the next class goes and if i at all improve my downward dog. And to what effect it may indeed help my nagging leg injuries. My physio will be proud.

Training isnt all about the gym, classes or PT's

Dont you just love a little bit of sunshine... nothing better to get you up, out and happy. Indeed is is true that sunshine actually does make you happy by improving levels of chemicals in your brain.
Any how the sun is definatly a good vibe for me.... walking home from the gym this morning i decided to get out in the garden and tackle all those overgrown slabs, the dead tree and generaly have a good tidy of the garden.

 The great outdoors wether its your garden or a park.. is a great way to burn a few extra calories. You dont have to be in a gym or have your own trainer to loose weight... i have just finished 3.5 hours pulling, pushing, squating, lifting and generally getting a bit manual in he garden.  Believe me no machine in the gym has me working as hard as the dead tree in the corner of our yard did... i must have spent 1 hour just breaking and pulling that down... it is definatly the most stubbourn dead tree i have ever known, i also discovered the tree bites! i am now covered in bruises scratches and splinters lol. Its so good for the soul though... its like a good spring clean of the garden, and after all my huffing, puffing and lugging round the yard im very chuffed with my achievement.
so if there are any of you out there who are wondering how to get a little more active but are too afraid of the gym, just get out in your garden and have a bit of spring clean... it will do you and your garden the world of good. and if you havent got your own.. help a friend :-)

It's a Deep Burn!

When you first start training for whatever reason it may be... either to tone up, increase your fitness, or loose a little  of the excess (or in my case A LOT) you expect there to be a bit of pain and aching muscles involved. Some people will get put off in just their few sessions because of this (please dont be). And i for one remember the many times i was unable to walk down stairs without resorting to sliding down on my bum or roll out of bed without considerable time being taken to try to assume the least painful method! I even remember one time when my gluts (bum) was so sore on one side that i couldnt get into my car properly and had to try to sit only on the other side (extremly difficult whilst driving and not recommended!).... much to the ammusement of my so called friends!

However if you manage to push through this - which i highly recommend you do - the BURN becomes a little less each time and you soon find it takes a lot for you to get the same degree of Burn. i now get the occassional minor ache but nothing in comparison to the early days unless i have a big routine change and work hard on something i havent done before or for a while.

However this is where i made my mistake... i jokingly said to my trainer whilst training yesterday morning that it had been a while since he had managed to make me feel the burn to which he joyously replied we will fix that! Many one legged squats, squats, straight legged dead lifts, and one legged planks later i was feeling pretty beasted, and my bed was certainly a joyous place to be last nite...... But then the morning came... and oh my god i could FEEL THE BURN! my thighs feel like they have been run over by an elephant.... each step comes with its own cry for redemption and stairs are yet again my biggest nemesis! everytime i squat down to pick something up (and im trying to limit the times i need to do this!) i feel like my legs have bought a one way ticket and arent going to be able to make the return journey back up to standing!

But do you know what... i love it.... i wont be going to the gym today as my aching muscles need a day to recover. But its strange to think that the fact im hurting means i have done some good, and given my body a change in tempo to keep it on its toes. Yes one day you too will yearn for the feeling of the burn and be happy with the aching steps down the stairs and the comical effort you put into getting up or down.

The burn is my friend but one that i am happy to have just occassional visits with as it reminds me im alive and kicking :-)

p.s Thank You Toby for my ass whooping

Do i have the time?....... the answer has to be yes!

All day i had been planning to head out on a bike ride after work, i knew what time i needed to leave and how long it would take me.... but today was one of those days where everyone and everything was determined to thwart me!

Despite trying to finish work on time the cash machine broke in the venue which then had to be fixed, i had several last minute phone calls which turned into mamouth conversations where i truly find myself wondering if the person on the other end really needed to tell me this right now!

I finally manage to set off in the car only to find im stuck behind a dear old lady doing 35 max in a 60 ahhhhhhhhh im beginning to wonder if i have the time before it gets dark

I get home and im madly running about again with the phone tied to my head as i try to sort ourt some work stuff and try to carry out my road bike at the same time..... the bruises on my legs show this really wasnt working :-)

finally i head off in the car to the bike ride location on the way i manage to persuade a friend to meet me out there.

Finally im there i get on the bike and i realise the scambling to get away from the office, the falling out of the door as i try to rush out the house with the bike, and the keeping my patience with little old ladies was all .....................completely worth it!

Later as i ride my friend joins me, and we soon realise its time to head in... partly due to the fact it was now difficult to see where we were going, note to self get light for road bike to avoid near death collisions with geese!

So when you are wondering do i have the time..... just make that concious decision to push through and do it anyway. whats the worse that could happen.... you finish a little later than you had planned. get up get out and have fun. After all whats the point in working if you dont have the time to enjoy yourself every now and again.