Farewell

Goodbye 2010.

You were an awesome year - you had some ups and downs, a few frustrations but some successes when I rode the rough times out.

I've gained and lost this year, hit a new low, but (I suspect after Xmas and New Year) ultimately maintained. And I'm happy with that.

The travelling was amazing, the parties were awesome, my friends went above and beyond the call of duty because they cared.

I've got a new job, and a new flat in a new city.

I ran my first ever 10k, and feel I can call myself a runner. I did my first black runs on my bike and on skis.

I achieved a lot. I'm content to let 2010 to close out and say good-bye. I'm looking forward to 2011.

I have one resolution for next year: to keep trying.

I've already entered a 10k and a duathlon. But they're just personal goals. Overall - my resolution is just to try.

So hello 2011. And welcome.

Oh yeah - and Happy New Year!!


- Posted from my iPhone

The Chocolate Pledge

My actual eating today (and over the last couple of days) hasn't been terrible. What's not been ideal has been the amount of chocolate and biscuits consumed. Being back at Dad's means numerous boxes of open chocolates laying around, as well as a fully-stocked biscuit tin. And today I had an explicable need for fudge and devoured an entire box of Divine Dark Chocolate Covered Salted Fudge. On. My. Own. (And yes, that is one of the things I tracked honestly - all 19 sodding points of it).

Well, since I have successfully reached the bottom of the open bags of chocolate (yes, I pointed those too), that's one temptation removed.

But I hearby pledge to keep my grubby little fingers out of the chocolates tomorrow. And the biscuits. Also mince pies, fondant fancies and whatever-else-is-hiding-in-the-corner-cupboard-of-treats.

Let's aim for a day without silly snacking, people!

Christmas Coma

Eaten rather too much but tracked the lot. Went for a snowy walk on the hills yesterday and will go for another one tomorrow to try and fight the feelings of total lethargy.

Have seriously cursed not bringing my running gear home, but have spent time plotting more races to run in the New Year and devouring Womens Running magazine this afternoon and generally getting excited about getting back to it after the festivities are over.

Other than that I'm plotting my costume for New Years Eve and trying to work out what starter I'm taking to the dinner party on 29th. Hmmmm - so that's lots more food and some drinking then - phew - think I'm going to need all this running in January!!!


- Posted from my iPhone

Try

This post was originally something I was writing off my own bat about and for next year.  But then I came across the next prompt for the Reverb10 project (late of course, because I’m behind but still going  - story of my life):

Prompt: Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn't go for it?

Well – I’d already started it, so that slots in nicely:  Please See Below!!

 

2011 – Things to do.

I have tons of things I want to achieve in 2011 – some are things I’ve been pondering over for a while, others are things that are brand new goals for this year – maybe prompted by something I achieved or discovered last year, some just wild, out there and shiny brand new.  Currently, they fall into two categories – already committed to and on the list, but will not be planned in just yet.

Already booked:

Run Bristol 10k – May

Every Woman Duathlon – June

Yep – last October wasn’t enough, and I’ve gone back for more.  I’d been considering it for a while anyway, as I a prompt to get my running kick-started again in 2011, and because the 5ks I have run recently have been feeling good.  Yet again, it’s come about in support of another friend who’s running the distance for the first time, but for me it’s a well-timed challenge to try and beat my time and set a new personal best (I never thought that would be a phrase I would using about myself).  So, I’m aiming to try and run it in less than 1:12. 

Well, after saying yes to the invite to Run Bristol, I got a bit excited chatting to Hannah, and we talking about maybe trying a Tri sometime.  Off the phone, and doing a little research on the internet, I stumbled on the above Duathlon.  A text to Jo (my fellow health-chaser / conspirator from the start of the whole 2009 challenge) and my fate was sealed.  She got so excited that she signed up for not just the 10k, but the challenge distance of the duathlon too.  So on the 4th of June, 3 weeks after my 2nd ever 10k, I’ll be participating in the Every Woman Duathlon on Clifton Downs – 5k run, 20k bike, 5k run.  The current training plan for these, also includes the 5 mile Weston Promenade run in Feb or March too.

Now perhaps you can understand, why the Bristol Half conversation came about last night (Jo was out too), and why I half want to do it, but also think it’s a hell of a scary jump in my running.  I liked the fact though, that the pact that was drunkenly proposed, was that all 5 of us run it together …  at my pace.  That group consists of Ben (NY Marathon), Koks (Royal Parks Half and Great South Run), Kate (2 x Great North Run) and Jo (just ridiculously fit and naturally athletic).  I’m touched that these guys would do it, and do it at my pace to support me, but also a little intimidated by their combined credentials!

 

To try, and see if I like it:

Spanish lessons

Salsa

Street Dance

Mountain-biking club

British Military Fitness class

Zumba

Bikram yoga (hot yoga)

One of my tactics for approaching my new life in Bristol, as I’ve mentioned several times before, is exploring what it is I like to do, and trying a few new things that I’ve been meaning too.  I’ve been doing a fair amount of online research over the last couple of weeks of possible classes / clubs / sessions I want to try in the New Year.  It would have been sooner, but things like terms starting afresh in Jan, the big freeze and lack of money at the moment, made January seem like a good time.  I’ve already worked out that all of the above things are available in Bristol, nearby and at not-ridiculous prices.  To spread the fun (and the cost), and to prevent me over-complicating my diary, and over-committing myself, and to make sure I give each one a fair chance, I’m going to give them a one-at-a-time approach.  I’ve got a provisional plan of which terms / sessions I’d like to try the Street Dance and Spanish classes, and we’ll see how everything else slots in around it – especially as I need to leave plenty of time for running!

 

What I’ve learned from 2010

What I’ve learned from 2010 is this:  it really is true – you never regret the things you did, only the things you didn’t do.

I took a few more risks, sucked up the nerves, and found great rewards at the end.  Or at least, knowledge.  Sometimes it was small things like finding the nerve to contact the Gloucestershire mountain biking club that I went out with – I had a great ride, and met nice people, but realised that I needed to find a club that ran dedicated novice rides.  That was good thought, because it meant I knew what I should look for in a prospective Bristol club.  Others were bigger risks like booking my flights to go travel, and then having to jack the job.  No regrets.

What I didn’t have so much of in 2010 was focus.  I didn’t make an actual list of things to do, so I tried things as I thought of them, or got invited.  Now I have a list!

You’ll notice what’s not on this list, is any goal about getting to … well, goal.  Obviously, it’s something that’s on my agenda, but I’m not going to make it a specific goal with a timescale.  I was initially frustrated with my lack of progress in 2010 on the weight front, but I have come to realise that I have achieved something fantastic: I lost 4 stone in a year, and then kept it off for another year.  What’s more, I’ve finished that second year, still focused on eating healthily most of the time, but living a lifestyle I can maintain, making improvements where I can, and just trying to move forward and improve a tiny bit at a time.  I have work to do on my eating habits, but I’m confident that having fitness goals will help achieve a balanced outlook and help me to move further towards the shape I want to have.

Ha!! I wish!

Dad's scales are clearly kinder than mine - back in the parental home now and apparently weighing 12st 4.5 this morning - funny how I lost 4 lbs overnight lol!!!

Had a lovely night out with my schoolfriends last night, doing much over-excited, very fast gabbling, catching up - it was great. I always come away from time with them feeling well-loved and like I'm awesome.

Also - I blame this on the drunk people present (and this will probably make more sense once I've done my "things for 2011" post) - there appears to have been some sort of drunken pact made for the 5 of us present last night to run the Bristol half marathon in September. Let us just pray (as the only sober and driving person there last night) that they've forgotten about that this morning. A Half might be a bit of a scary step too far at the moment!!

Ate a few naughties yesterday, but all tracked and not ridiculous - hopefully that was the start of my Very Reasonable Christmas that I'm hoping to achieve this year :-)

Off to open pressies now and forage for some breakfast!

- Posted from my iPhone

Merry Xmas Eve!

It's nearly time ... I'm pretty excited to be going home for the best part of a week, catching up with friends, and enjoying some time off to just relax, read, finally get to play in the snow (since Bristol never did catch any proper white stuff). And not eat too much.

I can't hide that my eating this week has been pretty close to the atrocious end of the scale. That in itself has displeased me no end, but I have still eaten badly regardless. At least I know exactly how badly I ate, because I forced myself to write it all down - so I know that my gain at the scales this morning to extremely displeasing 12st 8.5lb (3lbs up on last week) is down to the might 74 points deficit in my tracker. I have definitely reaped what I sowed.

Let us not dispair though. I'm off home this afternoon, and I know that a lot of my eating this week has been down to boredom and home-baking. It's been really freaking quiet at work this week, and that's always been one of my biggest triggers to eat. Combine that with me spending Sunday afternoon last week in a festive whirl of baking very belated birthday cakes for the office, and there's me with an empty in-tray and a box of chocolate and hazlenut cupcakes and a tin of sugar biscuits on the desk next to me all week. Not a great combination. Then there was pic'n'mix at the cinema on Tuesday evening (I haven't been for weeks, and forgot how sick that stuff generally makes me feel afterwards - now I remember, and hopefully won't make that mistake again too soon), and the fact that I haven't done a proper food shop in a couple of weeks and have been polishing off whatever's in the fridge combined with dropping in at the local supermarket on the way home each night to pick up "essentials" and there's me eating a lot of bits I wouldn't usually. Oh yeah - and there's too much ice to run, and the gym's cancelled loads of classes for Xmas .... boooooo.

Anyhoo - my fault. Move along.

What I did have on Wednesday was my second personal trainer appointment at the gym. Jesus Christ is that boy evil!!!! Hill sprint intervals on the treadmill, for crying out loud?!?!? I didn't even know I could do those (well, I can, but only with accompanying thoughts of passing out or throwing up), many weights, prolonged abs, and just as I was ready to drop, he wanted to see how many proper press-ups I could do. The answer's 6, but not with great form, but in my defence I'd just done a chest / arms / shoulders weights work out.

Sooooooo - next week. I'm off home to Dad's tonight. He tells me he's stocked the cupboards up, but I'm bringing in fruit, veg and healthier options. Plus, I don't get so bored, so I'm damn well aiming for next week's weigh in to be lower. I initially packed my running gear, since I'm no longer a member of the gym at home, but then realised that with 6 inches of snow down, that wasn't a practical reality. Instead, I've got walking gear for lots of exploring all the snowy goodness on the hills and sledging (that should burn a few Xmas calories!), and also my swimming cossie, as I reckon the pool should be open at some point.

I'm taking the laptop home over Xmas so expect further updates!! Hope you all have an amazing, enjoyable, not toooo over-indulgent Xmas's!!! xxx

Lesson learned

Prompt: Lesson learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

That I am stronger and better than I think I am. I constantly doubted myself and put myself down, and that stopped me from achieving things .... mostly because I'd not believe I could do it so I wouldn't even try.

I have learned over the course if this year (and last year too), that if I put my mind to something, and have a little self-belief, I can achieve loads of things.

For me, that's a self-fulfilling prophesy. If I see I can do something, then I'll try it. And when I succeed at that and feel how good that feels, I'm motivated to do more. I'm less afraid of failure, because I see it as being less of an inevitability, but also, like my fear of rejection, I realise it's also not as utterly terrible as I'd thought.

2011 is going to be all about trying things.

- Posted from my iPhone