I have to admit I am struggling now. A half marathon seems such a long way off from where I am and just too difficult – and the time is disappearing with the big day getting closer. I signed up for the Half with the intention of trying to get the fastest time possible – but also knew that it did not matter how much of it I walked – the goal was to cross the line and raise funds for The Roses Theatre. I have a cold and it is really on my chest and really I want to cuddle up in a duvet and stuff myself full of chocolate – and sleep more.
Revisiting last week’s Goals
I guess I set myself up for not pushing myself by not accepting the Weekly Showdown Challenge on my fit bit. TMI but it was my time of the month and I really didn’t fancy moving anywhere! However, Tuesday I still went to running club (covering 4.7 miles I believe it was but that is stop start) and Wednesday I walked to town with the intention of doing Circuit Training (but actually it hurt to move and it wasn’t on where I thought it was at least). I planned to go running on Friday whilst the boys were at running club – but alas I just sat down! I also got my car back from Thursday – so you can see where it was all heading. I went to bed early Thursday night too (like really early) and still fell asleep Friday afternoon – so I knew I wasn’t well. Saturday I did Parkrun and ended up walking some of it – and got a new PB (for Parkrun) at 30 minutes and 5 seconds – how I wished I had jogged a bit more instead of walking! I KNOW so much of it is in the mind and I keep telling myself that I can’t do it when I need to tell myself that I CAN. I always get depressed around this time of year and hopefully by the time race time comes a long I will have well and truly snapped out of it. I have also seen it first hand with The Sensory Seeker (aged 7) wanting to sit in the park whilst we run because he says he can’t do it – and for the last few weeks we haven’t got him to (he has enjoyed going to his Nan’s) but this week we told him that he could, that it didn’t matter how long it took. He completed it in 34 minutes and 55 seconds – beating his previous PB which was over 43 minutes!
I did try a bit better with diet this week. I signed up for this plan that suggests that it is about food pairings and how often you eat (eating regularly) so that your body burns off what you eat and doesn’t try to store it. I spent ages swapping things around, trying to fit it in to our busy lifestyle and find combinations that I felt I could do something with. I discovered that I cannot stand 100% fat-free cottage cheese – it is the most disgusting thing ever! You get masses of grapes for a “cup-full” and that full-fat milk (when you haven’t touched it for forever) has an amazing taste! But obviously even a little bit of milk in tea is helping me to put on weight! My shopping arrives on a Tuesday evening so I started this on Wednesday. It was really nice to sit down, come away from my computer and have a proper cooked lunch. But in reality by Friday having 3 meals a day that each have “snacks” either side – a lot of which needs cooking just wasn’t practical for me and I really didn’t like not being able to just have things that I consider are good for me but more practical (like Weetabix instead of cooking eggs before the school run).
I have not seemed to fit any yoga or other form of exercise into my week and it really is essential. Running club didn’t have the training plan but said I need to add an extra mile every week to my run and every fourth week rest. That I need to do any other form of exercise (swimming, cycling, circuit training, yoga, etc) on top to strengthen my body – as running just increases stamina. That this was particularly important over the 6 mile mark or it would increase the risk of injury.
Half Marathon Goals Week 3
I need to maybe find motivational quotes to keep telling myself I can. I shall keep looking at the reasons why I am doing this to help inspire me. Keep working on the diet – I did manage to snack on healthy foods and had no chocolate last week (I did get very drunk on Saturday though when out for a friend’s birthday and erm we had takeout a few times!). This week no takeout I think would be a start – and I will not be drinking either. As the new week starts today I can say that I have started some other form of exercise by using my Microscooter on the school run – but I do need to add more in than that. Obviously I need to aim at a 5 mile run this week! I have pledged that I will run twice with my running club before Valentine’s and the first 2,000 runners get a medal – because it is the time of year when people give up.
Thank you for reading and your support.
Here is what will happen to the money I raise:
Using arts to change people’s lives – projects which make people feel happier, become more confident, have higher self-esteem, and feel better connected. This improvement in mental health can lead to general improvement within families. Giving people the chance to see things differently and to better understand the word in which they live. They lower the risks of social exclusion within the parish, lower risks of crime and channel that energy into benefiting the community and developing investable key skills in individuals.
- Working with the Police Commission and NHS to work with the students and raise the understanding of those who have experienced a disruptive upbringing.
- 5361 participatory sessions each year to young people. Projects include weekly youth dance and youth theatre sessions (Some places are funded to enable people on restricted income to participate); Future Film Makers, working with children at risk of exclusion; Your Future, activities for young people who have witnessed domestic violence; Hatch, for young people keen to develop skills in administration; Autism Awareness, working with children with special needs through accessible workshops and many more.
- 892 participatory sessions each year for people with additional needs. Projects include relaxed film screenings which give an opportunity to those living with dementia to enjoy a social activity together. Sensory Friendly film screenings for carers of children with special needs; Subtitled Screenings, for people with impaired hearing and Audio Described screenings, for the visually impaired.
- 200 participatory sessions each year to people experiencing domestic violence through creative arts workshops for women who have been signposted to the programme. We also work with perpetrators of domestic violence, that focus on developing team skills which they can then employ back in the home environment.
None of this work is funded through income generated through ticket sales with every penny being raised via fundraising.
Please sponsor me at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/GlosBloggers – Thank you.