Take a hike into 2011

Ok so i know its been a little while since i have been on here, but it is one of my new years resolutions to ensure i post at least once a week...... dont say i didnt warn you :-)

As with many of us i have decided that this year there are a few things i want to improve....

1. post every week to my blog - why? well i hope it will inspire and help others

2. Eat better.... you can always eat better :-) (and lets face it even the most angelic of us need a little detox after xmas)

3. work less..... lets face it having a full time job of 50+ hrs a week and a part time job of 10-15 hrs a week can take its toll.... even though i dont intend to drop either job i do intend to find more time for me

4. socialize more.....never let the fact your tired stop you getting out there

5. do something for me every sunday (this is my one quarenteed day off)
6. Train more.... yes i know im a PT but fitting training in when you work a 60-70 hr wk can be a little hit and miss

so with these i started this week to really make some of these happen.... i have been out every day, trained 5 times, met friends, and generaly enjoyed myself.

One of the best outcomes of this was a day hiking in the peaks with a good friend of my lightning (dont ask why). we headed out early in the morning to kinderlowemin the peaks, a fair hill, with a massive plateau on the top and some great views or so i was told.
bags packed, jackets on, and compus at the ready we began our climb. At first it was farly sedate and i was lulled into thinking we were going to have a nice gentle hill walk..... when round the corner the path began to be less of a path and more of a bolderous, craggy, muddy and icy scramble and i began to wonder what id let myself in for.

However not far up i was rewarded with the spectacular view of some massive icycles. after taking a few shots we continued the scramble, a few times i thought about the fact that not so long ago i would never have been able to climb this crag let alone the little hill walk at the start, yet here i was doing it with relative ease..... well when i wasnt trying to figure out how not to fall in the river over a particularily icy boulder.

soon we reached the top and i was met with an alien landscape.... we were up in the clouds, and believe me without a map and compas there was no way you would find your way along the peat plateau with its crazy boulders scattered everywhere like some giant had spilt his box of nerds :-)

i must admit i was glad to have Lightning as my map reading isnt up to scratch, but we had great fun clambering our way across the top, slipping over frozen rivers, attempting to get pictures of black grouse, and climbing boulders...

all too soon we were heading back down, however the route down was just as treacherous as the one up, and we had many giggles as either myself or lightnings arms were suddenly flung into the air, our mouths gasping random eeks as we desperatly tried to regain balance after the latest slip.

we managed to get down of the hill just before dark having spent about 5 hours climbing, walking, and generaly trekking.... it was an awesome day, and i tell you what i missed training that day but my legs didnt realise that i had :-)

so heres to a new year full of spontaneous days, treking adventures and generally living life to the max ...

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