If you've lost your exercise/running mojo, come on in for a Christmas countdown .....

[lechatnoir]

I've not done any significant exercise for the past 9 months, have put on 1.5 stone, taken up smoking again after years away and feel like shit as a result plus add peri-menopausal symptoms Working from home , lack of money and general feeling of negativity everywhere hasn't helped and I'm sure I'm not alone.

In a fit of madness I signed up for a HM for next March but need a kick up the arse and a serious overhaul before I can even start to think about following a running plan. Ive got 7 weeks before I start training but think 8 weeks is more realistic and will also tie in nicely with the festive season (right now I just want to hibernate not party).

So aims are:
Get basic fitness levels up and gently resume running
Build some strength and flexibility
Stop smoking (day 3 and counting)
Include some proper self-care - early nights, hair colouring more regularly, just a bit of pampering occasionally.

Get back in the habit of regular exercise with some sort of weekly timetable.

Anyone want to join me and post for support, encouragement, ideas and give each other a proverbial kick up the arse along way?

I'm still suffering with a cough but I dragged myself out for a long Jeff - took it slowly and cut it slightly short so 14 miles rather than the planned 17 but it was getting really heavy going after 2 hours so I thought I should play it safe. well done to everyone else who has been exercising through the lurgy/injury etc.

I have planned a very short route for tomorrow morning that spells out NOEL on the map to amuse some of my facebook running mates...

Now off to undo all the good work with the food mountain for the next 3 days.....

@BogRollBOGOF it’s better but not best. I did a course of shockwave therapy but think I might need to go back. (Like your son I am not great at doing the exercises tbh.)

12k steps today including a 30 minute GFWR workout, plus yoga.

I hope everyone has lovely days tomorrow!

Christmas parkrun was a great start to the day!
I'm not the snuggle all day in pajamas type 😁

Fairly slow 5K today ujust to get some miles in - plan is 12k on Wednesday and 16 miles on 30th to round the year off

Two lazy days here - I’m laughing that I am reporting in 12k steps when you guys are running 12 actual K, but we move! I did 30 minutes of body combat and yoga today and yesterday as well as steps if that makes it better.

I whacked on a stone in a month after starting HRT in the summer - thanks, peri - then stopped (obsessively) weighing altogether. The scales are in the shed. I did get a tape measure though and I’ve lost an inch off my hips and off my waist since starting on this thread, so it really has kept me motivated. Still too big at 28.5 and 38 respectively, but my body feels like it has “settled” again and I look/feel more like myself.

Only two ticks today - steps and yoga. I went for a very nice lunch with an old friend and was too full to do a workout afterwards! (I’m going with doing the best I can rather than being the best during the holidays.)

I did a post-family-visiting run for 30 minutes. By 8pm I'd only done 1.2k steps for the day so had lots of energy to burn off!

12.5k Jeff this evening - quite a bit slower than usual but I was taking it easy as I'm still coughing away and it had quite a lot of hills whereas my usual route is flat. Rest day tomorrow and long run thereafter...

I have a rotten cold, so yoga and steps only today. Tomorrow might be a sofa day.

Happy New Year all! I’ve done very little exercise over the last ten days but have managed an average of about 8000 steps a day with general life stuff. Went for a 3K Jeff this morning and it wasn’t too bad. Will work back up to 5K over the coming week 😀

Happy 2023! I’ve kept up my steps/workouts/yoga this week. It’s not been brilliant. I am finishing the week on 87k steps versus last week’s 100k, but I’ve been consistent which is fine.

Happy New year everyone.

I managed to end the year on an 18 miler and challenged myself to do a shorter loop in 23 minutes today to welcome in 2023. Then added on the end of that loop to make 5k. I did a further km to try out a new pair of trainers. They have a carbon plate in the sole and I'm not sure if I like them. They work well at a faster pace as they have masses of forward bounce but at my usual plod they feel a bit uncomfortable under the arches of my feet (which are ridiculously high tbf).

I've just spent some of my Christmas money on a running jacket in the Sweaty Betty sale. I'm just hoping it will do up over my enormous norks which no amount of exercise ever seems to reduce.

[slinks back into thread ]

hi everyone. Basically I did no exercise between getting back from skiing on 23rd and today. But back on it for 2023. Car in the garage and no taxis due to train strike so I ran the 10km back. Think I might have to beg MIL to take me to pick it up as no way I’ve got another 10k in me today 🤣

Tried out my new Decathlon top (tenner in the sale, nothing fancy) on a 4K Jeff this morning and nearly boiled myself it was so hot! DP commented on my red face when I got back . Good job I didn't wear anything else under or over it, but useful to know it's nice and warm for when I'm standing on a freezing football pitch. Felt a bit creaky and slow and had a bit of pain in my side, but glad I went

I started yesterday with good intentions and hit the outdoor pool only to suffer cold water shock - never had it before - so I didn't stay in long. Substituted a 5k Jeff for my swim only to find I now have a niggle in my hip. Not good given my training for the marathon. I've awarded myself a rest day (and the last of the mince pies) and will try to get a swim in tomorrow and see how I go. Rather frustrating though.

I’m keeping up steps/workout/yoga every day but balanced with lunches out and wine. I’m off until Monday and need to get myself in check as a matter of urgency!

Great catching up here again, the updates are positive and great to see the regular posts.December was hit and miss as I battled sinusitis and worked over Christmas etc. Back walking alternate days this week and have weight trained twice. Glad to have the distractions of Christmas behind me now, have planned my walks & workouts for the next week.

I was back at the gym yesterday, and today… 😫major DOMS!

@FlySwimmer sorry to hear that.

My hip is still niggling and the ache is moving a bit - really hoping its not my ITB as that could mean no marathon.😟I've booked physio on Tuesday to look at it and will be taking it easy until then. Provided its OK I don't think a week out of training will be too much of a problem as I was almost to 20 miles anyway.

Oh no @londonmummy1966 . Hope it’s just a bit of tightness. I sometimes find a really mean sports massage will sort these things out as I seem to get unbalanced quite easily. My hips get tight and that then pulls my back or knees out of alignment.

I am struggling with consistency - builders who I can’t really leave as they need to constantly check things at this stage, plus plumber coming on Tuesday as well. I did get to Parkrun with dd and ds this morning. I ran with DD (10) and we got round in 34 mins- was really proud of her. DS (12) a bit faster. He is really not a runner but could do with some fitness for rugby. They do a lot of sport at their school but not a lot of steady state cardio. You can always tell the club swimmers when it comes to the team sports as their stamina is so much better.

next week: I’m writing off gym until builders gone but can squeeze in a daily 5k after dropping kids at the school bus so will just do that.

Did a 4K Jeff yesterday and again today, which is the first time for ages that I’ve run two days in a row. I’ve upped my walking intervals to 45 seconds but took it down to 40 today and looking to work back to 30. Can feel myself slowly getting a bit fitter again, although the crappy damp cold weather isn’t helping!

Thanks @illiterato - I'm hoping it is just a bit of old age creakiness..

I managed to get to the pool today and got a Km swum. Hip seems OK after that so hopefully nothing serious.

Then went to John Lewis to try and buy the garmin I want to find that they don't stock that model (and had no new models in stock....)

@londonmummy1966 hope you get your problem sorted.

I was back at the gym today. It wasn’t as bad as I feared. Going for a swim tomorrow which I hope will ease out the aches.

well done @FlySwimmer . I will get back to the gym next week once the builders are done.

6km run this morning. My quads are killing. I'm wondering if it's because I ran with a weird short stride to pace DD at Parkrun on Saturday. I can't think of any other reason.

well done @FlySwimmer and @illiterato. I got out for a quick 5k today as a new running jacket and new trainers arrived in the post. On the basis that you shouldn't wearr more than one new thing per run I tried the trainers out and then realised that my old ones (same model) have lost a bit of their bounce. It also means I can wear my very lovely new jacket to the pool/physio tomorrow.