Run Forrest Run!

So, last night I reached week 8, day 2 of my couch (potato) to 5k program, and ran for 28 minutes without stopping or dying..... How do you like them apples? Yep, the eight week program may well have taken me more than twelve weeks, and I may only just be meeting the definition of running, but for me this is MASSOOF!

You see,  naturally I'm an eater not a runner (sorta like, I'm a lover, not a fighter, only less worthy), and I arrived late to the party when it came to exercise of any kind. The truth is, I was very overweight for a very long time, hugely self conscious and pretty crap at everything in PE really, so I simply avoided it altogether.

I should come clean and tell you that that doesn't run in the family- I'm the eldest of six children and the others are all super fit and super trim-I'm the yin to their yang, if you will.  In fact, I'm the only one who HASN'T run a marathon, and one annoyingly sporty brother has even run 12 of them. (Freakshow). And I'm totally fine with that- NO worries being left out of THAT particular little Venn diagram-thank you very much. Each to his own, and major kudos to anyone who feels the need to run 26.2 miles, but personally my knees and pelvic floors will pass.

So anyway, eight years ago, after decades of avoidance, punctured by pregnancies and short lived bouts of group exercise classes (step aerobics, anyone?),alongside yet another Weight watchers sign up, I got into walking. I mean obvs I'd always walked,  (why did I feel the need to clarify that, why?), but now it became a regular  3 mile gig, 3 or 4 times a week. And this time, instead of giving up like I always had with everything else, I kept going and I loved it- still do actually. It clears my head, calms me down, and helps me think. It also doesn't hurt that I tend to go early in the morning, giving the added bonus of leaving the breakfastandgettingreadyforschool bedlam with Loverboy. Sweet..

Then this summer-I'm not quite sure why- I felt the need to step it up a bit. Maybe I was a bit bored, maybe I was encouraged by several friends who ran a little and seemed to love it, maybe I  wanted to test myself, maybe I'm old enough  to finally not care what I look like, or maybe I realise that no one gives one anyway!

The major issue was that physically and mentally, I'd always just assumed that I couldn't run, and indeed I never actually had. I literally only had to think about running and my breathing was all over the place and the mantra 'YOU can't do this!' was on a constant loop in my head. But I started the Couch (Potato) to 5K anyway- the first time that I ran for 3 minutes without stopping, I thought I was going to expire on the road then and there.
Then my good friend J, also new to the running lark only much less rubbish, advised me to slow the running parts right down-although in truth, any slower and I'd have been walking on the spot. Gradually though, it DID help me get control of my breathing and my shitty mental attitude. There were days that were awful, and weeks I repeated because I couldn't face stepping up to the next level, but little by little I began to improve. And yes, I know its all relative, and for so many it probably seems such a meagre little achievement, but when those downer thoughts flood my mind I try to tell myself  not to compare and despair....and sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't.

I knew I'd keep at it when last week I invested in a few running essentials- (No, not Tena Lady, SmartArse) but a neon green t shirt and proper leggings. I even bought a pair of running shoes (neon green and pink- matchy matchy) and a black arm holder for my phone. Up to that point, I'd been sporting my old velour track suit bottoms that flapped around my ankles, and had to be constantly hauled up mid run, with grotty old t shirts that belonged to Loverboy. Oh the transformation, and you wouldn't believe the difference the new gear's made too! I'm exactly like a whippet now ....NO not really, but it does LOOK so much better.

Oh and alas no, I haven't lost any weight yet, but I HAVE  been eating and drinking for Ireland all summer long, so I'm not overly surprised. I'm secretly hoping that once the kids go back to school, and I get back on my 5:2, and keep going with my running/plodding I might shift a few pounds. And that would be great, but honestly, even if I don't, that's OK too. Because as long as I'm working at getting the balance right health wise, I'm going to try not to waste any more time beating myself up for being the curvy size 14 that I am right now, and not the slim size 10 I probably  never will be anyway. There's that compare and despair again! Happy weekend sweeties,
Peace Out,
Emx

Hello There!

Oh my lovelies- how I have missed you! This has most definitely been the longest break I've had from writing for two years, and I don't think I realized quite how much it meant to me until now. Over the last weeks there's been so many times that I've seen or heard or laughed about something, and then automatically thought  'I must put that on the blog!' I suspect it might be part of who I am now..this writing lark, I mean.  I've really no clue where I'm going with it or what direction it'll take me, but now I'm here, wherever that is, I can't go back. Am I even making sense or just rambling incoherently? (Don't answer that!)

I'd also love to be able to tell you that I've had the most delicious rest and discovered a hidden talent for flower arranging or yoga or salsa dancing over the last month...alas no. Every moment I would have been writing, I've instead been totally immersed in home improvements. Remember the plan to stay put and 'live in the house, the very big house in the country?' (Sorry - couldn't resist!)

Well, it's all been part of my 'falling in love with my own house' process and now that we're staying put, it means tackling stuff we've hitherto neglected. So we've had double glazing replaced and wallpaper removed, dull floors polished and pictures hung, cupboards cleared, and new carpet on the stairs, new curtains on the landing and bright cushions in the sunroom that make you smile when you see them.

I've scoured Gumtree for a fireplace which we then painted 'french linen' with Annie Sloane chalk paint....and by 'we' I obviously mean Loverboy, and by 'french linen' I obviously mean beige.But it turned out so well that our tired pine coffee table we got as a wedding present will be getting the same treatment - I've even pushed the boat out and ordered sparkly glass knobs to set it off. Go me!


BUT oh my, home improvements are exhausting, especially when you're a bargain queen on a budget and with ideas and notions well beyond her station.  It also doesn't help that I'm a bit of a ditherer and I doubt and second guess myself ALL THE TIME, and then turn around and blow the sitting room budget on curtains anyway....which means that now it's paint instead of wallpaper. (Someone once confidently  informed me that there's simply no luxury in paint... I say what-ev-er!) But very very slowly the late nights are paying off as rooms are taking shape and at last it feels like home- a place to hang your hat and linger awhile and isn't that the point at the end of the day?

I'll not dwell on it here but sadly there's been a family death in the last few weeks as well - a life cut tragically short and the disbelief and grief that inevitably follows. Blessedly, the ordinary busyness of  this time of year is a distraction-the exams and school trips, the (so called) Fun nights, the car boot sales, the sports days and the end of term get togethers . Not to mention the ritual buying of teacher's presents- we've covered THAT little conundrum before!

Not my actual child...

The icing on the cake was the chicken pox that descended several weeks ago and is now doing the rounds. Cormac had it first and now it's the turn of the two youngest. Luke isn't too bad-he's just covered in spots and now actually clucks when spoken to, but Rory is  floored with it. In fact, today he's so miserable that I cancelled my desperately needed and long awaited hair appointment.. which was like hens' teeth to get! Now I can't decide if  it makes me a good mother for canceling it or a bad mother for doing it through gritted teeth.



I'm also on the third week (of eight) of the app 'Couch to 5k' and this week I graduated to the 3 minute running bursts.... Oh. My. God. I honestly thought I was going to expire in a hedge halfway up the hill and as if that wasn't embarassing enough, the app then thoughtfully updated my Facebook page with the wholly unnecessary detail that my overall speed was 14.75 minutes per mile....Yes I know, I'd actually be quicker walking. Maybe some of us just aren't meant to run? Maybe we're born with have other talents...like shopping or big boobs?

Now I must go- Ive kept you chatting long enough and anyway, I've calamine cream to rub in and a coffee table to paint. Hmmmm, Maybe I should take before and after shots of both?
Laters, Emmax
PS Barack and Michele and the kids in Belfast? What can I say except- tote amaze!