Quiet celebrations

Part of one of my goals for the new year, in a year where everything had been a bit mad, I lost some loved ones, and gained some - I wanted to make sure I spent time more thoughtfully in 2016.

Whilst I was raised Catholic, I'm not really religious, I can see the appeal in marking the year with specific dates and days. I seemed to blink and miss 2015, I'm not really sure where it went, it was a blur of new jobs, travels and trips and a flurry of activity. Therefore I wanted to make sure I made time to celebrate the turning of the year - I've always been interested in the idea of the wheel of the year - the equinoxes and solstices punctured by festivals throughout the year to celebrate the year. More importantly, they make me think about spending time outside, and remind me to make time to take time. 

So earlier in the year, to celebrate getting rid of the darkness, the first signs of spring, and about letting light in, I decided to light candles wherever I could, and spend a little time to celebrate the time of the year. I'm harsh on the winter, however I do forget that it's necessary - and it makes the spring all the nicer when it does arrive, with sudden showers and spring buds.

Some other dates for your diary... 

20 March - Vernal Equinox
20 June - Midsummer Solstice
22 September - Autumnal Equinox
22 December - Midwinter Solstice

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on losing weight: tips for first time runners

I've been running on and off since January now - and although I've had to hold it in a bit recently, due to some health problems, it's something I was surprised at how much I loved.
I was posting updates in my couch to 5k weekly updates, but those have stopped and I now just run when I feel like my knee can take it! As a note: my knee was bad before I started running, but the running may have exasperated it. However, I think my tips are all valid! I was an absolute beginner, I'd never run before, outside of the gym - these are a few things that I wish I'd been told before I started running!

KIT YOURSELF OUT PROPERLY:

This doesn't have to be expensive, but get some decent gear. The first few runs, I wore my gym pants, some old trainers, a vest and a hoodie. It was fine, but I found problems, like my phone slipping out of my pocket, and my gym pants getting all muddy because they're not tight like leggings.. After a few runs, I decided to get sorted properly, so I bought a lightweight, warm and zip-up hoodie, with zip pockets (£20) and some running tights (£22). This stuff works a lot better, and even though I feel a little self-conscious in it because I'm not a ~serious runner~, I just stick on my headphones and put on some Queen Bey and I care a lot less. Go to a sports-wear shop, I recommend a place like Decathlon, H&M, Marks and Spencers, or even Tesco, because their stuff is relatively cheap, which is good if you're not convinced you're going to stick at it. I like Decathlon because they have a lot of menswear stuff, and I prefer things that DON'T come exclusively in pink (my pet peeve)!

DO YOUR STRETCHES:

I never really 'believed' in stretches, I'll be honest. I just figured a warm down was enough, but it really, really isn't. I found that running outdoors uses completely different muscles to the ones that I'm used to exercising, and when I don't do them after running, my legs and thighs are in agony the next day. I don't do them pre-running, but make sure I get a good blood-flow going by walking briskly to the place where I run. I do some hamstring and glute stretches, mostly ones I've found just by googling or on Pinterest.

BE SAFE:

I don't run on the streets, but I do cross them to get to my route, so be mindful of wearing headphones whilst out and about. Also, if you're running somewhere secluded, try and let someone know when you're going to be back, and where you are going, and if you run at night or very early in the morning, wear high-visibility clothing. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD PLAYLIST:

Where I run is good because it's flat and straight and car-free, and mostly people free (just the odd dog walker, cyclist, other runner, or this one old guy that inline skates verrry slowly...), but it can get a little dull because I run loops of a track with no much to look at apart from the occasional red-kite or puppy that runs across my path. I've learned the hard-way that a bad playlist makes for a less than good run. I shelled out for Spotify premium in January, when it was 99p, for the offline tracks and I've been using it ever since. I went through all their recommended fitness and running playlists and found the tracks I like best and keep me going. They change occasionally when I get bored, but I need something good to listen to!

REPETITION IS JUST FINE:

Some weeks, I repeat the same runs. Before January, I've never ran outside, and I wanted to make sure I could do the runs properly before moving on to the next week. I know this means that the 9-week plan will be longer, but that's okay, I've got the time.

TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH:

The first few weeks, I couldn't even run for 60 seconds. My first run, I only ran for about 4 minutes out of the 8, and had to walk the rest. Looking back now, I was definitely trying too hard. I was trying to out and out run, when my body just couldn't cope with that. I've run at the gym but outdoors, it feels completely different, so I needed to slow down. After a bit I slowed down to a slow jog, and this works better - it's gentler on my knees, hips and ankles.

ZERO CARES, ZERO REGRETS:

I am an incredibly shy and self-conscious person - I hate doing anything that involves me looking sweaty around people, I hate being laughed at or made the centre of attention.. But I've pushed my way through all these self-esteem issues, because sure, a few kids have shouted comments at me, but I just jack my music up and ignore them. Why would I let what they think bother me?

I know these things are all probably very obvious or silly to the well-seasoned runner - but they were things I didn't consider at all when I first set off on that first run on a grey January day...

For more of my On Losing Weight series, click here!

couch to 5k - week 2 review

I did this this for Week 1, and here is Week 2! I had said I might re-do week 2, but Jenny told me to just give it a try, and it went really well! I'm enjoying getting out in the fresh air (even though it's freezing most days) and I think the extra cardio in my fitness routine is doing me good. Anyway, here is the run down...

RUN 1: 25/01/2015, 9am, frozen ground, a bit cloudy, a bit windy, brightening up towards end of run.
As I said in my last post, I had my concerns about being able to do week 2, if I hadn't run for the whole 8 minutes. However, I attempted it and did really well! I think I actually quite enjoyed today's run, weirdly. Missed one of the intervals because I was fiddling with my headphones, so actually replayed it instead of just cheating myself and giving up, so feel really proud of myself for that. Had a bit of an ache in my hip from the previous runs, but I made sure to do a good few stretches when I got home and hopefully that will help.

RUN 2: 01/02/2015, 9.45am, 2.36 miles, cloudy with a bit of sun, two degrees and very windy.
I was actually really looking forward to todays run, I'm annoyed that I didn't manage to go at all this week because it's been snowing. It was SO cold out and very windy but I'm proud of myself for running the whole 9 minutes. I was actually really getting into it, even though I felt kind of sick at the end, I didn't look to see how far through I was until I was on the very last run, so obviously my stamina is improving! Breathed better this week, and had less muscle pain (none in my hamstrings!), just the same ache in my hip, that I need to work on stretching out.

RUN 3: 04/02/2015, 8.30am, 2.32 miles, very cold and cloudy, icy ground with some snow. 
The ground was very icy and I slipped several times (no falls though, my balance is improving!) so I had to go very slow. My time per mile was awful, but at least I went! I ran through all 9 minutes of it with a lot more ease this morning. Hip still ached post-run, no hamstring problems anymore.

Thoughts at the end of the week?
Need to research some better stretches for my hip, as nothing seems to be helping it. I also have a reoccurring pain in my knee that I've had for years (and attributed to be overweight) that I want to get seen too, as it feels like I've got a lump of cartilage or something where I shouldn't have... Also worried about being able to do week 3, but my lovely friend Tara is encouraging me on Instagram, so are my friends and family, so hopefully I can keep on going!

Weight lost?
A tentative 3lbs, that I'm mostly attributing to last week when I ate better. I feel like I look thinner though in the mirror, particularly around my hips/bum/lower stomach where I hold a lot of weight. I posted a little picture of my progress over on my Instagram, if you're interested! 

Well I feel like I'm making some progress, even if my last run was painfully slow. Finally got my GPS tracker working, so I can see the sort of miles and speed that I'm doing. Got myself some new tops and stuff to run in, invested in an Under-Armour t-shirt and an Addidas vest, so now I've got some options. I'm also thinking about getting myself some better shoes, still, going to check out a running shop this week or next to look into it.

Are you doing couch to 5k?! How is it going? Please share your story below, I need inspiration and motivation! 

on losing weight: one year on, six stone lighter

A year ago, today, I made the decision to lose weight - I knew I'd gained a lot of weight over Christmas, so on the 1st of January I made a 'resolution' to try and get a bit fitter, but I sort of felt at the back of my mind that it wouldn't really stick. Stupid, I know. But then I had one of those 'light-bulb moments' - I was on a mini-break in Scotland with my friend, and I was struggling to keep up with her. I kept blaming it on my shoes, on the cobbles, on the Edinburgh hills, but really it was my bad health and I just wanted to be able to do the things that she did so easily. 

I've had a life-long struggle with weight which I've started to document here, but something about this realisation felt pretty permanent. I made a note to myself, on my phone, that I have saved to this day, on the 12th of January at 23:59PM, that was a little reminder of how shit I felt, about my health, and how I needed to do something about it.

The next day, I came home from Edinburgh and I joined my local Curves gym - I'd been there before, and I really enjoy the women-only nature of it all, and how it suits my lifestyle - a 30 minute work-out is easy to fit in, the girls there are so lovely and genuine, and there is just no judgement involved. I've ventured into regular gyms before, and I won't lie, I don't like being around men in that environment, it makes me uncomfortable. Me and my mum got out our recipe books, and sat down and made plans, talked about what we could have for lunch and how to keep motivated, how to make our own recipes healthier. I didn't stop baking, either, there's been plenty of that on this blog this year!

But, somehow, all of it worked...

I say that like I shed 6-stone overnight, which I in no-way did, and I'm still losing weight now, still want to lose a lot more. But I'm still sort of shocked, I'll be honest, that I enjoy eating healthier and losing weight, that yesterday I willingly went for a run in the freezing cold wind with a bit of a hangover...

It's really hard work, but it's really interesting also, to see how your body changes and your strength improves, how your attitudes towards things change, and how you realise you can do a lot more than you ever thought you could. My first run yesterday was horrible and so bad, and I had to walk a lot of it, but I think about that first work-out I did when I got back from Scotland and how I was so red and sweaty and unable to move the next day, from something that is now just part of my routine... and I think maybe in another year, I'll be able to run a 5k. In 2 years I'll be to run a 10k, or more. In 3 years I could be so freaking strong, I could be a machine! Just kidding, sort of, but hopefully you get the point!

So, if you think that new years resolutions don't work, or that you could never make that big of a lifestyle change and have it stick, then maybe rethink that shit, because it's so fucking cool to know what your body can do and to learn your limits.

The rest of the On Losing Weight series can be found here!

[Side note: I know these pictures aren't the best before and after photos, but this isn't really about that. Also, this isn't even an after photo, it's just a photo of me, a bit less heavy and a lot healthier! And I know that these kind of photos can be triggering, so I apologise for that, too. I'm also making a very stupid face in the second photo, but I wanted to get this post up, and also, do you like my new sweater? Got it in the sale!]