A healthy obsession?

Yesterday I went and took part in a free taster session of something called Forces Fit. A lot of my friends have been doing British Military Fitness but for some reason that hasn't come to the wretched provinces yet. A chance and bizarre conversation at my PT course a few weeks back about tabards (!) revealed that instead we have Forces Fit.

I was a little apprehensive as I thought it might be too hardcore but due to my fairly good fitness levels I was fast tracked into the green tabards, bypassing the beginner's blue. I took part in the green-blue workout, eschewing the slightly more hardcore chance of a red-green one. Confused? yes so was I!

Anyway, it was great! I thought it might be too much like P.E lessons where I was always picked last and no-one wanted me on their team. Consequently I've never been a fan of team sports and prefer to work out alone. But yesterday I really enjoyed being part of a small group and let my competitive streak come to the fore as we had a few tournaments mainly involving sprinting and then grappling in the mud going under your team mates' legs!

And so today my abs, quads and glutes are telling me that I definitely did something out of the ordinary yesterday! ouch...

So why is it then when it's cold, wet and windy and my trainers are still sodden and muddy did I feel the need to drag myself out for a run? I mean, it was nice and warm indoors, Huey Morgan's show on 6music was particularly good and there are a lot of nice bits of leftover food from last night... but no, I had to go and do it; convinced that the run would loosen up the tight muscles and also more to the point is that I make myself feel incredibly guilty if I don't exercise 6 days out of 7...

I mean, it's not going to make any difference if I miss a session. I know that. I know that I'm not going to suddenly go up two clothes sizes if I miss a few sessions. But that doesn't stop me. So even with my aches and pains and filthy trainers I went and did it. I went and dragged myself out for a 3 mile run whilst the wind howled and the rain beat down on me until I was soaked to the skin...

And it's Valentine's Day tomorrow...and yes, that means I'll still be going to the gym...

I have a business trip next week to Milan & Rome. How exciting, I mean, I have dreamed of those cities for ages. But what was I most concerned about when I was told what hotels I'd be staying in? yes, first thing I did was look at their websites to see if they have gyms. It's okay, they do, and if they didn't I'd be dismantling hotel rooms to do press ups, sit ups, squats, tricep dips etc etc. And not for the first time.

Most of the time the obsession is okay and it's in perspective.

And some of the time it's not and I hate myself for being like this.

Keep On Running...

I’m training for my first ever half marathon this October and although I don’t wish this blog to become a ‘training diary’ it’s inevitable that the odd post is dedicated to running as it’s going to feature heavily in my life. This is one such post…

I’ve been running for ‘about ten years’ now. At first it was a hellish lap around a nearby field as my then boyfriend sped off into the distance and I lagged behind cursing, puffing, panting and generally hating the whole experience. Then a stitch would occur and I’d give up.

I did stick with it though and annually would enter my local ‘Race for Life’. My training started around Easter and my running for the year would usually finish pretty much after the event. Ok, I slogged it out on the treadmill from time to time but essentially I was a fair weather runner. Still, I enjoyed the challenge of the 5k event and attempted to better my time every year.

Once I started travelling regularly for work, and gyms were not always readily available, then a running kit could be squeezed into my luggage and used just about anywhere. And believe me…I have… round the Royal Palace in Oslo with snow on the ground, the city park in Tallinn also in the snow, along the harbour in Stockholm, round the lake in Zurich. A great way to see the sights and sure beats traipsing round the back of housing estates!

I got a whole load of new running kit for Christmas. You’ll see me coming now for sure in my garish mix of neon pinks and yellows! I am experiencing teething problems with some of it though. The reflective ankle straps have already lacerated my ankles and my new arm strap for my I-pod likes to work its’ way down until I am running with I-pod at elbow height.

The best part of any run is usually in the middle of it, towards the end. The euphoria levels are high and at last! Your brain and your body are working together as one amazing, powerful machine. I know the ‘science’ behind it but won’t bog you down with the minutiae. Basically at the beginning of a run your brain is trying to tell your body to move and run and your body is basically thinking ‘WTF?’ until the signals and chemicals reach your muscles. That’s why it’s advisable to warm up before a run. I don’t have to practice what I preach: fact.

But God I mean, half marathon? What was I thinking? That’s going to be about two and a half HOURS of running?

Two and a half hours of RUNNING!

TWO and a half hours of running!

I mean, really…what have I done? The self doubt it beginning to creep in now even though I have ten months to get my act together and that means no more crafty cigarettes on a night out, cutting down the vino, sorry to say cutting back on carbs and dairy also. No, they’re not bad for you per se and they’re full of good stuff but I experimented with trying to eat more of them last year and now hardly any of my clothes fit me. Case rested.

Watch this space for more updates...

When faced with my demons I clothe them and feed them...

Yesterday I passed an exam which means I am (almost) a qualified Fitness Instructor. I was very nervous and didn't expect to pass it first time but I did, yahoo! Without wanting to sound all "X Factoresque" this was hugely important to me and I have been on an incredible journey (feel free to pass yourself a sick bucket...)

Fitness and exercise is a major part of my life but it wasn't always that way... I was an overweight child who was teased and bullied for this from roughly the age of 6-13 and obviously I was crap at anything sporty. I never even tried to ride a bike! Apart from the odd bit of swimming I didn't do anything active and if I did I usually used to get laughed at for my rubbishness. I still get the sweats in the presence of skipping ropes after a particularly disastrous sports day at infant school.

My Mum frequently wrote me notes to get out of P.E as she too had hated P.E as a child so much so she learnt the violin at grammar school so she didn't have to participate! Believe me if there'd been that option at my school I would've done that too. On the rare occasions I bothered to do P.E I was always picked last or told off for not trying hard enough, no I am trying I am just bloody useless at it!

The irony is never lost on me about my 'transformation' and I would actually love to bump into my old P.E teachers and tell then what I'm up to!

I expect I will do some more blogs about all the other issues that are related to this: diets, eating disorders, body image etc but this is just a taster for the moment!