It's going to be OK

My lovely mum & dad, with best beloved husband in the mad red shirt, over our non-traditional lamb Christmas dinner

It's been over a fortnight since any activity - blog, gym or otherwise. At this time of year, that's not really surprising - although I have been surprised by my "green-eyed monster" reaction to some folk I saw out running over the Christmas period. I so wanted to be doing the same.

Food, drink, chocolate (have you tried the Lindt Dark Chocolate Lindor???)... no activity... asking for trouble. And when I checked the other day - I'm still 147 lb. Hey, must be something wrong with the scales!

So on today's gym visit, I checked on their scales - and it's absolutely right. My weight hasn't moved from 147 lb since July - apart from a brief dip to 145 lb back in the summer, and a scary elevation to 150 lb after our holiday in France, both of which were very short-lived. Phew.

Anyway, the gym was a much-needed relief. Ten minutes each on bike, rower, cross-trainer, walking on the Nautilus (fancy treadmill) and back to the bike; then 20 minutes of weights. The ankle felt a bit sore after the Nautilus, so it's clearly not ready for much of that sort of action yet (I was looking longingly at the treadmill and wondering do I dare try to run a mile?...) but I was surprised at how quickly it recovered after I moved onto the weights.

Kim is back from her Christmas in Spain, and we've promised to manage at least 2 sessions a week at the gym. I've a fortnight for that, then we're off to see friends in Bolton for our post-Christmas break (which is always serious Rest, Recuperation and Retail Therapy - not to mention Repasts), so hope to be able to run even a tiny bit during that week.

A mile at a time wouldn't be asking too much, would it?

Just 11 minutes or so? ?

Please???

Getting better - slowly

My foot is now not so much painful as a bit uncomfortable; I walk slowly, but without hobbling.

Whisper it. Ever so quietly. But it seems to be improving.

A great gym session with Kim last night; ten minutes each on cycle and cross-trainer ("will you slow down, woman? You're supposed to have a bad foot!") followed by about half an hour of weights, and 15 minutes' swim.

It's five weeks since I realised something was seriously wrong: when Kim & I went to try to run round Thorpe Marriott, and I had to give up after less than 2 miles. In that five weeks, I've had just four gym sessions, including last night.

And you know what? My weight is still the same. In previous attempts, even a few days off the wagon would have been enough to cause disaster. After five weeks' absence from running and an average of one gym session a week, and eating absolutely normally, I'm still 147 lb, still with a BP of 118/85, and still fitting into my size 12s. Triumphant.

I am determined to take it very slowly. A couple more weeks of gym sessions, then in the new year I should be able to start using the Nautilus and the treadmill again. I've resigned myself to the fact that the Wymondham 10K isn't going to happen, but there will be other times for that. If I can be running again by the end of January, and keep everything else under control in the gym, that's fine by me.

And what a lesson to have learned.

I'll be there next year

Today was the Buxton 5K Christmas Fun Run. Kim and I had planned to do this together, with Kim's dad Malcolm and his wife Sue (and Henry the dog). Being out of action, I went along to cheer them on - happily the weather was reasonably kind, but they still had a very muddy time! You can see a selection of photos on Picasa by clicking on the album link below...

Buxton Christmas 5K 2007

Malcolm came in at 26:25, Sue (and Henry) at 33:00, and Kim at 34:34. (Kim's time was just 2 seconds slower than at Wroxham in August. Given that this race was a heck of a lot harder, cross country and muddy, and that my injury had slowed up Kim's training - it's hard for her to train on her own at night at this time of year - this is pretty impressive.)

You just wait. I'll be back.

Proud of my friends

One thing that really delights me about this new world of Running (when, that is, I can rejoin it) is the sharing of my enthusiasm. If an old slouch like me, who took virtually no exercise for 44 years, can achieve nearly 5 miles in a non-stop run, a BP of 118 over 80, and a 21 lb (variable!) weight loss, then anybody can.

Recently I've heard from two friends who, apparently, have me to blame for getting hooked on this activity. Sandy wrote:

I have only just started really – running for about 30–40 mins with fab fast songs on my iPod! Not far – about 1.5 pathetic little miles I should think. Still – I feel SO much better for it and can see how it MIGHT get addictive but not quite there yet as always seem to procrastinate about getting myself out of the door!

Well, if she's running 30-40 minutes, it's going to be a lot further than 1.5 miles. I pointed her towards the running plotter on FetchEveryone, and was so proud of her when I got this:

SO – I checked out fetcheveryone and you are right – it’s FANTASTIC to be able to plot route – can you believe that - BRILL – and – you are right x 2 because discover my route is just under 4m and not 1.5 as thought – am superSTAR!!

And then today I got this email from Pat in Minnesota:

I did my first 5K on Saturday. It was called the Reindeer Run and it was around Lake Harriet and the temperature was 9F with a stiff wind off the almost frozen lake and the beginning of a 5" snowfall. Luckily, we finished in 38 minutes so the snow wasn't deep enough to shovel at that point but it got steadily worse all day. But I earned my first running t-shirt and I feel good about that!

I have to include Pat's wonderful photo, too, with her friend Sue, who has been her equivalent of Kim:



Honestly - and we worry about a bit of rain in England.

Ladies - I salute you. I'll be back with you as soon as I can!