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?

Thanks @londonmummy1966. The set up of the marathon swim is quite clever I think, you move from lane to lane across the pool to complete 10 x 1000m ‘reps’, with the 50 metre format. So not stuck in the same lane throughout, and the transition back to the start allows for hydration, a rest etc. I currently do around 3k for a swim at the moment so it feels doable (though broken up into sets rather than continuous swimming).

I know there are some outdoor 10Ks and while I have some open water experience, I think I’d find the training for it trickier due to (lack of) access to open water venues near me. Pool is easier.

Best of luck to those of you with events at the weekend!

@FlySwimmer - that is quite clever actually and should stop you losing count of lengths. I've wondered about doing one of the shorter distances on the Serpentine swim - open water isn't too daunting as I have been using the local lido all year. (Next trip tomorrow when I suspect it will be around 7 degrees 😨)

@londonmummy1966 Brrr!! I swim outdoors often but it’s a heated pool. Though it’s so choppy at times it’s good training for open water probably 🤣

Back home. Nothing yesterday as was having essay crisis reminiscent of my undergrad days ( doing online MA but lost interest in it tbh) . Bit of a sore throat so just an easy ish 6k round the park just get get back into the habit.

@londonmummy1966 sounds like you are going to smash the LM.

I have tried to get back into swimming a few times but I just can’t drift off the way I can with running so I get too bored. Still contemplating return to CrossFit but can’t decide.

12k today- last 4k was hard work but I’m a bit coldy so that might be why. Tomorrow I’m going to do a shorter run but then also try to get the the gym.

No, a bit more wild than that!
The weather looks decent for it. When I last did it 3 years ago, there was sleet 🥶

I've done some strength work today.
My leg seems to be calming down with the rest week. I'm just hoping it's enough to be happy for race day and continuing marathon training.

@BogRollBOGOF - last time I did this particular half there was snow on the ground.....
Good luck (and good weather) for Sunday!

@illiterato - MAs are bad enough when you're interested, really tough when you're not...

Swimming, strength work and then a 5 mile Jeff today. Plan is 8 miles tomorrow and then back on the elliptical to finish the week off.

Bashed out a 5K for the first time in a while - shorter runs were OK to get me going again after Christmas but I do need to start pushing myself a bit, in terms of distance at least. Now at 23.65/35.60

Now at 23.65/35.60- sorry being thick- what does this mean?

Another 6k today. I am nothing if not predictable. Did get the the gym afterwards but just couldn't get into it. I used to love weights but now I'm really meh about them. Still haven't decided about Crossfit.

Run and yoga tomorrow. Might try to push up to 15k and just take the pacing very easy.

@illiterato I've got a basket of skincare stuff on The Ordinary website which costs £35.60. Once I've run that distance in miles I'm allowing myself to buy it It's not a huge amount but I did just spend quite a bit from Beauty Pie so wanted to give myself more of an incentive, plus at this rate it'll take me past my next payday so more affordable!

@SydneyCarton Gotcha- you are more disciplined than me. I am forever setting myself spending treats and then cracking and getting them anyway and then not keeping my end of the bargain up. I cheat myself out of a lot of clothes.

10k today - bit ploddy but still. Plus went to yoga as well.

12k yesterday when dc were at climbing. Made it a total of 46k for the week- the most in a very very long time- possibly 2 years or so.

After yelling at my dc for being disorganised this morning - where’s your school jumper? Literally no idea. Probably in someone else’s PE bag, crumpled up on the floor of the car or in lost property - I then forgot my gloves and both my running jumpers were wet so a very brisk 6k for me this morning to avoid freezing to death. Really trying to up the pace on the shorter runs as otherwise they feel a bit pointless.

@illiterato I haven't done 46K this whole month! That is impressive.
We haven't lost any kit for a while so no doubt due for a bunch of stuff to go missing before Easter. DP is all about hats and gloves for most of the year, but the children get too hot and take them off, then they get lost. Water bottles tend to go awol as well, but they usually turn up.

Was planning on a 5K this morning, but it felt very good, sun was shining, and I have nothing urgent on today (hence posting here rather than working) so I took a detour and did 6.5K. Now up to 27.68/35.60

Very glad I'm out of the missing school uniform years - I ended up buying 1 inch high name tapes and sewing them on the front of PE kit in the end as I was so fed up of it walking......

I managed an 8 mile run on Thursday, an elliptical session on Friday, 13 very slow miles (that felt fast so I was really disappointed) and an S&C session and a swim today. I also saw the physio who spent the whole 30 minutes prodding away at 2 knots - it was excruciating. Its a really heav week in my training plan coming up (36 miles) so am a bit apprehensive although I'll do 5 on the elliptical.

Hope everything calms down again now half term is over.

@londonmummy1966 yes, tbf I am lazy and use those stick on ones. They survive pretty well but I do need to check they're still attached more often. So possibly I am complicit in my own downfall. Until last year I never had to name stuff as in HK (where I used to live) kids just wear PE kit on PE days so they never get changed at school and cant lose their clothes.

10k yesterday and (drum roll), 15k at a fair clip with my new running buddy today. Effort was at the top of the range on Strava. Had to dig v deep on the last 3k but kept telling myself that I'd regret it later if I walked and if I didnt I get to be smug all day and eat loads of cakes and little sandwiches at match tea later (my DC' school is famous in the county for their match teas).

Targeting a 60k week this week. So far on 31km so will aim for 6k tomorrow, 10k Friday, 10k Saturday (plus 5k park run with DD first). Rest Sunday.

Our school does the PE kit on PE days thing, which I think is a great idea. It's a big school (three form entry) and by the time you've got 90 kids all changed and ready to go it's almost time to get changed again, especially with the smaller ones. Stick-on nametapes here too, just the DC surname and my phone number - fortunaely they are the only ones in the school with that name

Another couple of miles today - not especially feeling it as I left it too late, but it was OK. Better to have done it than not. I am in awe of your mileage @illiterato , or should it be kilometrage?

27.68 + 2.32 = 30/35.60

@illiterato - really well done - wish I had a running buddy as I'm sure it must be much more fun to run with someone. Good luck with the rest of the week. About to head out now for 5 miles - never thought I'd see that as a "short" run....

@SydneyCarton ha- yeah- got used to km living in Asia and now I just can’t think in miles- think I also prefer them as it seems like more? You’re v close to your shopping cart of goodies now!!

@londonmummy1966 yes- amazing how the once long runs become short runs v quickly. My new run buddy is a triathlete so once I get above 17k she’s out as specialises in half iron man. Her training plan maxes out at 1:30 for running. Will have to find some good podcasts.

6km today. Legs tired but plodded round.

Two gym sessions & two swims this week. Hoping next week to do 3x of each. I hope everyone who had events etc this weekend, that they went well!

3.62 miles during DCs football session yesterday, which ticked off my Strava weekly mileage goal for the first time in ages. 33.62/35.60, one more run for the skincare!

Well done @SydneyCarton - enjoy the skincare - such a great idea to incentivise yourself.

Well done everyone else too on getting out there and sticking with it.

I survived the most brutal week so far in my training plan with 18 miles in short runs, 2 swims and 4 short S&C sessions and then an 18 mile Jeff today. My legs are now exhausted but "only" 31 miles in total next week.

@SydneyCarton it will be yours by tomorrow (assuming next day delivery!).

@londonmummy1966 well done! Only 6 weeks to go and 2 of those will be taper!

I did 8k on Friday - tbh was a mixture of walking and running as trying, and mostly failing, to figure out a new route, so lots of stopping for Google maps.

12k on Saturday the DC were doing their climbing class. Didnt do Parkrun in the end as DD had a netball tournament all day Friday so was pretty shattered and I didn't want to wake her up.

@FlySwimmer sorry- missed you off! Well done on your efforts. What do you do at the gym?