Having started running in 2013 to try and help me with some issues I was having with my mental health, I ended up with an injury and enforced break in 2014. In May of that year I kicked out my then-partner of 12 years and started doing basic HIIT routines at home. I lost a little bit of weight and got bitten by the fitness bug, but failed to take it further.
Then, in April 2016 after a period of bad life luck, I lost my oldest cat unexpectedly. Feeling bereft I spent three days sat in my pants weeping. By the end of day 3 I decided to pull myself together, to be strong. Mentally I was a wreck, so knew that I would have to be physically strong instead. I called a local free weights gym and went over for an induction session.
As of 2024, I have run several marathons, I'm a national medal winner for patterns (tul) in ITF taekwon-do, I strength train at least 3 days a week and I’ve competed in a handful of powerlifting competitions.
In addition to these regular sports, I have spent time learning to pole dance, play netball and generally move as much as possible. As an unexpected side effect my mental health is better than it’s ever been and I’m well equipped to deal with everything life throws at me. Never underestimate the power of strong!
I currently have several posts in the works about specific aspects of my training — my macro counting, my latest runs, my weights progress — but I don’t quite have enough time or energy to give each their due, and so have fixed that by writing nothing. D’oh. To prevent an extended writers block I’ve… read full entry »
I first tried to take part in Juneathon in 2015, and managed to just about drag myself to day 7 before pitifully failing and never mentioning it again. (You can see how it went over on my other blog, but it’s not inspiring.) Of course, I’m a tad more active these days, so it seemed… read full entry »
If you’d have asked me this time last year whether I’d ever be able to run a marathon, I’d have probably laughed in your face. Not because I didn’t think I was potentially capable of running 26.2 miles, but because I knew that to do that sort of distance I’d have to train, and my… read full entry »
I run in barefoot shoes. Vivobarefoot, to be precise. Now, to describe a shoe as “barefoot” seems somewhat of an oxymoron, but barefoot shoes — shoes with a flexible, minimal sole with generally a zero drop between the heel and toe — are designed to give you that barefoot feeling but with added protection for… read full entry »
I am now about 2 weeks out from Edinburgh Marathon, with my last long run programmed for this weekend (20 friggin’ miles?!). I’m dreading this last long one, although I’m not sure why. As usual, I have full support of my running club who’re pacing me around different segments. Despite not having run the marathon… read full entry »
I’m less than 4 weeks out from Edinburgh and I’m currently sitting here having a bit of a mini breakdown. I knew that training for a marathon — and doing so while working, keeping on top of my strength goals, raising kids, volunteering etc — would be hard. I knew it would take up lots… read full entry »
This weekend saw me diverting from my Edinburgh marathon training plan to run Shrewsbury 10km, a race I’ve run and enjoyed 3 times now. I should have been clocking up around 26km but I didn’t feel like dropping one long run would dramatically affect my prep at this stage. Having made the decision to forego… read full entry »
Although I frickin’ love working out for the physical changes its given me over the past few years (and in particular over the course of 2018 and into 2019, where I’ve been more consistent with my workouts) it is hands-down one of the most beneficial hobbies for day to day life too. Here are five… read full entry »
I bought a pair of Reebok CrossFit Nano 8.0 trainers back in November 2018 after my old asics gave up the ghost (and took a chunk out of the back of my heel in the process). Although I don’t actually do CrossFit, I do a variety of sports on a regular basis and adaptability is… read full entry »
I am now two months in to my training for Edinburgh Marathon, which is at the end of May this year. I knew when I signed up for the Edinburgh marathon that training would always be the hardest part. Yes, running over 26 miles isn’t exactly going to be a walk in the park, but… read full entry »