Today I am going to talk about the long runs. Those dreaded grueling long runs. They're not that bad. Really.
Showing posts with label Motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motivation. Show all posts
Monday, 28 March 2016
Marathon Training - The Long Runs
After consuming our body weight in chocolate yesterday, let's think about exercise. Everyone who knows me must know by now that I am running the London Marathon on the 24th April which is now JUST UNDER FOUR WEEKS!! Help. You can check out previous updates of my marathon training here.
Today I am going to talk about the long runs. Those dreaded grueling long runs. They're not that bad. Really.
Today I am going to talk about the long runs. Those dreaded grueling long runs. They're not that bad. Really.
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
7 reasons why I am glad I applied for a marathon
Almost a year ago when I applied for the London Marathon, I didn't actually think I would have any chance of even getting in. Then there's the first run I did back in October. I only just completed 2 miles, my lungs hurt, my legs didn't know what was happening and I thought there was no chance of me being able to run a marathon. Then there was my knee trouble. Iliotibial band syndrome is a bitch.
But nonetheless I am still glad that I applied for the London Marathon and this is why:
1. Motivation
Before training for the marathon I did exercise. I have a gym membership and I attended classes and sometimes went into the gym. There were weeks when I went three times a week, which I thoought was a lot, there were weeks when I didn't go. Now, I exercise almost everyday. Because I have to, but because I also want to. I feel motivated. I don't just feel motivated to exercise, I feel motivated to do other stuff too now. If I wake up early to go for a morning run or gym session, I then feel motivated to achieve loads in my day.
2. Fitness
Like I have said, it's not like I was a lazy slob before but my fitness levels have increased SO MUCH!! I can really tell the difference and I am loving it. I am able to go faster and for longer on my runs and I am able to work at a much harder level in the gym. I think I might be the fittest I have ever been in my whole 25 years of existence. I am super proud of this.
3. Looking good
I can officially say, this is the first time in my life I have been able to see my abs. I knew they were in there somewhere!! My stomach is far flatter than it's ever been and my legs feel far more defined. Even if no one else could tell the difference, and just I could notice it, I would be happy, but other people have commented on it as well. I feel great!! Which brings me nicely onto the next section.
4. Diet
My diet has always been good (for the last 2 years) but it has increased dramatically and is so much better. I'm not on a diet, I just have a good diet, and I enjoy my food. This includes alcohol. A year ago I used to drink every weekend, now I drink about once a month and my body loves me for it!!
5. Confidence
This ties in with looking good and fitness. I was never terribly un confident about my body, but since I have seen improvements I feel so much more confident about my body. Before, I would be self conscious about wearing a bikini, now I cannot wait to go on holiday and strut about in a bikini with my new found confidence.
6. Achievement
I love a challenge and I love feeling success. Every time I run a longer distance, or beat my previous fastest time I feel success. When I did the half marathon, crossing that finish line was such a great feeling. I had done it!! I love each step of achieving and it leaves me wanting to achieve more.
7. Challenging yourself
As I have said, I like being challenged. I like setting targets and getting to those goals step by step. It not only gives me a sense of achievement but motivates me and keeps me going. These days I never think, oh I can't do it. I think I will do it and will work out a way to get there.
Are there any goals you have set out to achieve this year?
But nonetheless I am still glad that I applied for the London Marathon and this is why:
1. Motivation
Before training for the marathon I did exercise. I have a gym membership and I attended classes and sometimes went into the gym. There were weeks when I went three times a week, which I thoought was a lot, there were weeks when I didn't go. Now, I exercise almost everyday. Because I have to, but because I also want to. I feel motivated. I don't just feel motivated to exercise, I feel motivated to do other stuff too now. If I wake up early to go for a morning run or gym session, I then feel motivated to achieve loads in my day.
2. Fitness
Like I have said, it's not like I was a lazy slob before but my fitness levels have increased SO MUCH!! I can really tell the difference and I am loving it. I am able to go faster and for longer on my runs and I am able to work at a much harder level in the gym. I think I might be the fittest I have ever been in my whole 25 years of existence. I am super proud of this.
3. Looking good
I can officially say, this is the first time in my life I have been able to see my abs. I knew they were in there somewhere!! My stomach is far flatter than it's ever been and my legs feel far more defined. Even if no one else could tell the difference, and just I could notice it, I would be happy, but other people have commented on it as well. I feel great!! Which brings me nicely onto the next section.
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| Image Source |
4. Diet
My diet has always been good (for the last 2 years) but it has increased dramatically and is so much better. I'm not on a diet, I just have a good diet, and I enjoy my food. This includes alcohol. A year ago I used to drink every weekend, now I drink about once a month and my body loves me for it!!
5. Confidence
This ties in with looking good and fitness. I was never terribly un confident about my body, but since I have seen improvements I feel so much more confident about my body. Before, I would be self conscious about wearing a bikini, now I cannot wait to go on holiday and strut about in a bikini with my new found confidence.
6. Achievement
I love a challenge and I love feeling success. Every time I run a longer distance, or beat my previous fastest time I feel success. When I did the half marathon, crossing that finish line was such a great feeling. I had done it!! I love each step of achieving and it leaves me wanting to achieve more.
 |
| Image Source |
7. Challenging yourself
As I have said, I like being challenged. I like setting targets and getting to those goals step by step. It not only gives me a sense of achievement but motivates me and keeps me going. These days I never think, oh I can't do it. I think I will do it and will work out a way to get there.
Are there any goals you have set out to achieve this year?
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Review of New Years Aims. One Stone Down.
On 14th January I set some goals for the year. Some of them were based around exercise and healthy eating, and that is what I am going to review today.
The whole point of trying to get into better shape is because I want to love the way I look. I don't hate the way my body looks at the moment, I think it's OK. But I want to think it looks more than OK, I want to love it. I would also love to increase my fitness levels.
For the last month I have been very careful with my diet and have been going to the gym a few times a week (or at least trying to) and...
I have lost a stone!! ONE WHOLE STONE!!
Cue celebratory dance.
I don't feel like I have been trying particularly hard either. By cleaning up my diet and ensuring I go to the gym I have managed to lose weight. I feel like these are all lifestyle changes, and it has motivated me to go on. I know I will have to try and bit harder now if I want to see further progress, but I want that awesome looking summer body!!
What changes have I made so far?
Breakfast
The first thing I did was look at what I eat in the morning, In the past I had some sort of breakfast cereal, with a mug of tea, and usually a mug of coffee too. Sometimes I swapped it around for Nutella or peanut butter on toast. Maybe I would have some orange juice too.
I have started to look at food packaging more and breakfast cereal tends to contain lots of sugar. Even the cereal that you think will be more healthy for you, really isn't. Breakfast cereal doesn't tend to keep my hungry stomach satisfied for long either, and by 10 or 11 AM my stomach is grumbling away.
I have swapped the cereal for smoothies. They are much yummier and fill me up until lunch time. My smoothies tend to consist of a banana, some sort of berry (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry etc), spinach, some sort of milk (dairy milk, almond, coconut etc), and nuts or seeds.
Occasionally I will have peanut butter on toast, and make my own fruit juice. Or now and then I will have an oatmeal breakfast. I have given up the coffee saving this for weekends, but haven't been able to give up the tea.
Lunch
I have always eaten fairly healthily at lunch time, however packing your own lunch for work is time consuming and sometimes I can't be bothered, meaning a trip to the shop during my lunch break. I would pick up a salad, but then a packet or crisps or chocolate bar as well.
So now I always make the time to make my own lunch. I usually make a salad with plenty of spinach and other veg such as carrot, pepper, cucumber, celery. Then I add cous cous, chicken or tuna.
On days when I am fed up of salad, some warm soup does the trick.
If I am still hungry then I usually have some sort of fruit in my bag whether it's a banana, orange, blueberries or apple.
Dinner
I'm not always hungry at dinner time as I try to make lunch my main meal of the day, so I would often reach for a bowl of cereals or toast but I am trying to get out of that habit. My dinner will often consist of a smoothie, small portion of soup or some veggies. However if I am making a proper dinner it will usually involve vegetables with some sort of meat or meat substitute. I am constantly trying out different recipes and will be sharing them with you here!
Exercise
In the past I would go to the gym once a week, twice if my body was lucky. But I have been determined to go more. So now in a usual week I will do exercise four times a week, this usually include a circuit class and a pole fitness class, as well as other fitness classes depending on what my shift pattern is like at work.
Alcohol
One of my aims was to stop drinking as much alcohol, and I have done just that! I don't drink every week and when I do drink I am careful what I drink. I haven't given up on trips to the pub or nights out but I certainly have stopped drinking as much. This will have contributed to the weight loss too.
Further Aims
Now I have my diet pretty much sorted I would like to clean up my gym attitude. Whenever I go into the gym I tend to use the tread mill and the exercise bike, perhaps one or two weight machines if I am feeling brave and that is about it. I feel like I would look silly trying to use anything else, as other people would be lifting much heavier weights than me, or I may do it wrong and look like an amateur. But everyone has to start from somewhere and I am sure no one would be paying me any attention anyway. So my next step is to get over this silly fear. I need to branch out in the gym and make the most of it!!
Have you stuck with your New Year Resolutions?
The whole point of trying to get into better shape is because I want to love the way I look. I don't hate the way my body looks at the moment, I think it's OK. But I want to think it looks more than OK, I want to love it. I would also love to increase my fitness levels.
For the last month I have been very careful with my diet and have been going to the gym a few times a week (or at least trying to) and...
I have lost a stone!! ONE WHOLE STONE!!
Cue celebratory dance.
I don't feel like I have been trying particularly hard either. By cleaning up my diet and ensuring I go to the gym I have managed to lose weight. I feel like these are all lifestyle changes, and it has motivated me to go on. I know I will have to try and bit harder now if I want to see further progress, but I want that awesome looking summer body!!
 |
| Image Source |
What changes have I made so far?
Breakfast
The first thing I did was look at what I eat in the morning, In the past I had some sort of breakfast cereal, with a mug of tea, and usually a mug of coffee too. Sometimes I swapped it around for Nutella or peanut butter on toast. Maybe I would have some orange juice too.
I have started to look at food packaging more and breakfast cereal tends to contain lots of sugar. Even the cereal that you think will be more healthy for you, really isn't. Breakfast cereal doesn't tend to keep my hungry stomach satisfied for long either, and by 10 or 11 AM my stomach is grumbling away.
I have swapped the cereal for smoothies. They are much yummier and fill me up until lunch time. My smoothies tend to consist of a banana, some sort of berry (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry etc), spinach, some sort of milk (dairy milk, almond, coconut etc), and nuts or seeds.
Occasionally I will have peanut butter on toast, and make my own fruit juice. Or now and then I will have an oatmeal breakfast. I have given up the coffee saving this for weekends, but haven't been able to give up the tea.
Lunch
I have always eaten fairly healthily at lunch time, however packing your own lunch for work is time consuming and sometimes I can't be bothered, meaning a trip to the shop during my lunch break. I would pick up a salad, but then a packet or crisps or chocolate bar as well.
So now I always make the time to make my own lunch. I usually make a salad with plenty of spinach and other veg such as carrot, pepper, cucumber, celery. Then I add cous cous, chicken or tuna.
On days when I am fed up of salad, some warm soup does the trick.
If I am still hungry then I usually have some sort of fruit in my bag whether it's a banana, orange, blueberries or apple.
Dinner
I'm not always hungry at dinner time as I try to make lunch my main meal of the day, so I would often reach for a bowl of cereals or toast but I am trying to get out of that habit. My dinner will often consist of a smoothie, small portion of soup or some veggies. However if I am making a proper dinner it will usually involve vegetables with some sort of meat or meat substitute. I am constantly trying out different recipes and will be sharing them with you here!
 |
| Image Source |
Exercise
In the past I would go to the gym once a week, twice if my body was lucky. But I have been determined to go more. So now in a usual week I will do exercise four times a week, this usually include a circuit class and a pole fitness class, as well as other fitness classes depending on what my shift pattern is like at work.
Alcohol
One of my aims was to stop drinking as much alcohol, and I have done just that! I don't drink every week and when I do drink I am careful what I drink. I haven't given up on trips to the pub or nights out but I certainly have stopped drinking as much. This will have contributed to the weight loss too.
Further Aims
Now I have my diet pretty much sorted I would like to clean up my gym attitude. Whenever I go into the gym I tend to use the tread mill and the exercise bike, perhaps one or two weight machines if I am feeling brave and that is about it. I feel like I would look silly trying to use anything else, as other people would be lifting much heavier weights than me, or I may do it wrong and look like an amateur. But everyone has to start from somewhere and I am sure no one would be paying me any attention anyway. So my next step is to get over this silly fear. I need to branch out in the gym and make the most of it!!
Have you stuck with your New Year Resolutions?
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