3 walks this week

Successful week, managed to get 3 walks done this week!
Feeling really good and want to keep it going next week as best I can.
I have a ticket for Bradford's Inspirational Women's Awards next Saturday, something great to look forward to!
I went last year with Sarah and will be going with her again, which is brilliant. It was a gorgeous meal, wonderful atmosphere and was a big part of my recovery after being away in Tenerife which was also life changing.

So much has changed and improved since this time last year, mainly my physical health. It's brilliant.
Very happy x

First after work walk

Last week I didn't have any success with walking, work has been very difficult with one thing and another and frankly I just felt so emotionally drained.
I felt determined to get at least one walk in to this week and it would be a step forward.
Success. 1 mile done straight after work. I'm feeling very tired now but I know I will start to feel the benefits if I keep trying to do this. Plus the endorphines should kick in soon! Did the important stretches and will be having a nice hot soak later to ease my muscles!
Any walking tunes to recommend?

Unplanned big one!

Woke up this morning and felt really positive. So i took the opportunity to go for a walk, early on, to start my day off well. I felt the need for music so I searched for my small ear phones. No luck. But I did find Anthony's Sony headphones. Brill. They won't fall out of my ears! I also picked up his ipod. It was fantastic listening to someone elses collection of music! it gave me a boost of energy added to the positivity I had woken up with. As I set off, I felt, yes, a longer walk today. The icy breeze blew over my face, refreshing at first. After a mile and a half it was stinging quite a bit. It pushed me on though. Before I had chance to realise I had walked 2 miles. Up the hill getting nearer to home and I felt so warm. My face was tingling! Prodigy, firestarter, came on the ipod and it really helped get me home! Got in and was absolutely roasting! 2.61 miles. Stretch.stretch stretch! I think I will still ache a bit tomorrow!
Feeling very proud.

Chilly walk!

Ventured out for my walk today, totally unprepared! It was freezing! Should have worn a hat.
It was a really good even though it was a short route, I upped the speed a little.
Did some stretches when I got home, as I could feel my muscles were aching a bit from the other day.
I used my weights and did some bicep curls.

Feeling much more positive today and yesterday. It's great how making a small change and start in this active challenge.
I want to make this work for me next week when I go back to work. My thinking is that I would like to fit in 2-3 walks a week, as long as it is at least a mile then that's great. I will also use my weights and do some stretches in the evening before bed.
All these little changes should help me to feel good and confident :)

Couch to 5K

Eddie told me about Couch to 5K this morning, thought I would share this link with you all.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/get-running-with-couch-to-5k.aspx

I'm going to read up on it now.
It's definitely giving me something to think about.
Especially since I have got Cancer Research Race For Life in June!

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/wizbuf


I already have some sponsors and would like to thank those special people that have already contributed. It means a lot. xx

The first walk

Woke up early this morning when Anthony was going to work. I had thought about going very early but didn't feel up to it. So I decided to sleep in a little bit.

After breakfast: 2 wholemeal slices of toast with marmite, a large orange and a banana, coffee and a pint of water, I got ready to go for my walk. Putting my new trousers on, they felt really nice, I felt positive about starting up walking again.


I took some photos of myself in my bikini yesterday, the before shots, to track my progress. So I took some more today in my workout clothes. I cringe a little but I know that this is what I need to do to motivate myself to doing something.

As I stepped outside I saw how it was such a beautiful morning, fresh, crisp and lots of warm sunshine.
I am still coughing and spluttering a bit from the cold and awful flu I had last week. So I wanted to walk at a steady but reasonably brisk pace. I was talking to Eddie on Twitter this morning and we both agreed how it is difficult to get a balance of doing it but not over doing it when you first start out walking, jogging or running.
It's got to be enough to make a start but not too much to wipe you out on day 1!

As I was walking I felt a little bit self concious to begin with, in the light of day, walking along, feeling like every one is noticing, but they're not! That's just me being silly! I became more comfortable as I went along.
I became aware of my posture and walked a little bit taller which felt good. I had read some bits online yesterday about how to walk, sounds a bit daft, but it's focusing on how to move your feet flat on the ground and the type of stride to take. Conciously being aware of how the move of walking can benefit your body and taking clear, deep breaths and breathing steadily.

It felt really good to be out in the fresh air. As I walked up the hill home, I remembered doing the same a year ago and being painfully out of breath and so tired all over. Today I felt a little out of breath, no pain and so proud. Amazing isnt it...

I am going to go and do some more reading and will blog again soon.

Fresh start

So, here I am, again, starting a fresh to try and make myself feel better about my body, get fitter and healthier.
Been to buy myself a new pair of workout trousers and the latest edition of Top Sante magazine to motivate myself.

I know I can exercise little and often and get great results without having to spend a lot of money. I had a spurt of energy before Christmas and did well with the Wii. Then I became fed up and bored with it, poorly and for one reason or another, I stopped. I go in phases of exercise and never really keep going with things. I lose interest very easily.

Right now I am still trying to weigh up whether or not I want to join the local council gym and swim membership OR do it alone with my Endomondo app and walk myself fit. I have had success with both ways in the past, but now more than ever I feel different. I'm not sure how to explain how or why.
I think the gym puts me off, money wise and the self concious bit of having the induction (agaiiiiiiiiiiiiiin) when what I really want to say is , 'yeah yeah yeah, I KNOW how to use this and that and every bloody machine in here, leave me alone!' Then having to get in the car, get there, etc, you know, the usual gym excuses.
But also the gym does have great benefits as well as the swimming option which is very relaxing.

This time last year I was still building up stamina and more strength to walk further distances without getting too out of breath (chemo greatly affected my lungs and breathing)
On holiday in Tenerife in Feb last year, we walked a lot every morning into the local town. This set me up well for walking when I got home and continued it well, walking at least a mile a day. Bearing in mind I was off work still at this point. Half term holidays are an ideal time to get going with exercise as it gives me that boost and chance to see and feel the benefits before going back to work. The challenge then is to fit it in with a working day and week. There are ways and it is possible, it's making a good habit.
Plus, the lighter mornings and nights are coming, well, they're nearly here, already seen a difference in the evenings. It's lovely. I do get very down in the Winter months, I know a lot of people do.
I have been weaning off my anti depressants and I am back down to 10mg now. Ideal time to start coming off them in the Spring and Summer. I hope to be off them by Autumn.

So. I have a decision to make. Do I go to the induction I booked for Wed or do I do it alone and use my app and share to encourage myself and others.

Either way, I want to blog and record my exercise and activities through photos and stories. I hope it will give me a focus and help me to move forward to feeling better about me.

I also have the Race For Life in June and would like to feel fitter to take part in that. If I can jog part of the way round Lister Park, that would make me so happy and proud.