WELCOME

Hello there everyone, and welcome to my blog (hats off to 'Blogging for Dummies' for teaching this dummy how to....you know!).

I am overweight; make that very overweight. I think the technical term is 'morbidly obese'....ouch! Over the last few years I have had a few health warning shots, enough to make me realise that although there is nothing going on with my health that can't be reversed; my time is running out to do something about it before something really bad happens.

So this is my journey to health, and the plan is an ambitious one. I want to lose weight, and I want to get fitter; fit enough to run the Manchester 10k in May of 2012, fit enough to run a half marathon towards the end of 2012, and then fit enough to run the London Marathon in 2013, where the blogging journey will end at the finish line down the Mall.

I write this in the hope that the words and thoughts of both myself and readers can inspire me when the journey gets difficult, then hopefully people can be inspired by my story; believing that the most difficult journey is possible.

I make a promise to you that I will be honest - if the wheels fall off and I have six pizzas in two days, I will come clean - and I will do my very best. Share it with me.

......Wish me luck!!

Sunday, 31 March 2013

21 days to go.......Smashed it!!

Possibly the most surreal Easter Sunday of my entire life!! The hour going forward, which meant that the half seven start was actually a......yaaaawwn......half six start. Yes, at a time when I was traditionally on my third chocolate egg (the Easter breakfast of champions!) I was leaving the house, desperately trying to remember the 'new route'.

Despite last Sunday's tricky-run, I was in good spirits, first of all for having the gumption to get up and out, second with me being a three pound lighter me, and thirdly I was looking forward to a flatter run than the rolling, brutal hills of Edenfield!

It was all going so well until I realised something - a little late. You know how I was thirdly looking forward to a flatter run? Well I realised that in order to look forward to a flatter run, and RUN a flatter run; you have to PLAN FOR a flatter run. Note to self - and a cautionary tale to the rest of you - a run which takes you over, up to and around an area called 'Marple Ridge', is NOT a flatter run; in actual fact it is EVEN BLUMMIN' HILLIER, than Lancashire!!! Let that be a lesson to you; a lesson to not be a total idiot!

Hard though it might have been, it was of huge benefit that the steepest of the hills were through the middle of the route (and not towards the end), when I was still full-ish (very -ish) of running/staggering. Plus not being too sure when the hills were coming along meant my body stayed relaxed; need to keep it loose in future, keeps the muscles from over exerting (do I sound like I know what I'm talking about??).

Noone else was daft enough to be out at that time of the morning, but they started to emerge when turning for home. I've said it before and I'll say it again; I love the 'mini-community' which you join as a roadrunner. Thumbs up, waving, high-fiving, not to mention the respect of your fellow joggers. So cool!

I'd planned on seventeen miles, but factored in an option for an extra mile if I felt like having a crack at it. Hitting eighteen miles - with hills - might well afford me the opportunity of this being by last long run before 'tapering down' (technical term for 'put your feet up and give the road a chance to recover, as well as your legs'). I'd like to be all dramatic and say that at seventeen miles I was on my last legs yet screwed my courage to the sticking place and soldiered on; but to be honest I felt pretty okay so there was no reason to literally go the extra mile. Eighteen miles!!!! Yes, you heard me.....eighteen miiiiiiles! That's like, running a mile....eighteen times. Lots of pumping the air, lots of yelling; and the best thing is that being at Mum's meant there was a hot bath already run and waiting for me (thanks sis!).

After that it has been a slightly less successful day; no chocolate (despite being bought four chocolate eggs.....saving those for post-marathon, when they may well vanish in a frenzy of cream eggs, Lindt bunnies and Twirls....oooh it's gonna be ugly), but did succumb to a couple of slices of my brother's Victoria sponge, not to mention a lovely, biiiiiig turkey dinner. I sense damage limitation in the air this week....... Can't afford to reverse all the good work I've done; time to batten down the hatches!!!

As for whether I am long-running next week; time will tell!!  

3 weeks.........3WEEKS!!!!!!

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