Training Run

I've been quite bad with my run training really. I could blame my shin injury and it is true it's still playing up. But generally I just haven't been pushing myself enough.
I went for a first run post injury last week and it felt good. Ran further without stopping than ever before which considering 6 months ago I couldn't make it down the block is a massive achievement really.

Anyway this week we are away visiting family and I got the chance to run with a new training partner.
She certainly pushed me harder than I'm used to and we had a great time running together!

Half husky half gsd one hell of a runner and great time had by all :)

Women of the Year

Over the last few weeks across the country groups have been voting for their women of the year within their own classes.

This year within my group I was lucky enough to be nominated through to our groups final which was held last night :)

I didn't win but honestly I wasn't expecting too with so many other inspirational women it was just nice to be part of it. We had to answer a couple of questions about our journey and selves and share around some before and after photos.

My Before and Now - Journey so Far

I have been struggling of late to appreciate the progress I've made especially after being quite stagnant for a while but putting together my before and after made me appreciate it a bit more and hopefully inspire me to continue on the rest of my journey.

It was also nice that all of us nominees got a yellow rose to take away as well as the winner getting her flowers and a beautiful canvass.

My Rose <3

I'm in a tired phase at the moment and class really took it out of me last night but it was a lovely experience and also being taster night was yummy fun.

My Taster Night Contribution 

Reflections

So 2 years ago I started a blog, not this blog but another one (i'm quite bad for this oops) that was supposed to be about my weight loss journey starting not long after I had my youngest child.
I was really (so very really) bad at updating it (yeah I know I'm not that great at this one but trust me this was far worse lol) and it just faded into nothingness until I decided to start this more general one.

But it occurs to me that really the start of my weightloss journey isn't documented in this blog and so I would like to share with you the first post from my old blog which gives a brief insight....

The Beginning

3 months ago I had my second baby. It wasn't an easy time and some major complications left me quite poorly afterwards. Finally I feel well enough to start working on getting back to me again. On Saturday i finally bought some scales to assess the extend of the "damage" i had to contend with and I was shocked and saddened with the results :(

15 and a half stone

The heaviest i have ever been! A stone more than pre this pregnancy and I was unhappy then.

I have struggled with my weight and appearance for many years but always knew I would have another baby and just didn't see the point of loosing weight and working hard when it would only be ruined later. Well now I am done with the babies its time to really sort myself out. No more excuses.

So i have made this blog. A kick up the bum in public to keep me going and a way to track my progress and experiments.

So this is me, mum of two wonderful little girls, ready to be me again. My aim is 10 perfect stone (lol) so five and a half to loose.

Wish me Luck x

After that post I went on to try a few different diets from slimfast to raspberry ketones and do you know what I achieved? Not a lot really. Half a stone for almost two years of effort (ok some effort), not great. I guess this makes me appreciate how far I have come in the last six months, and a lot of that is down to having tried slimming world and a new found positivity (yeah there's some under all that angst really) towards it all and getting exercise (occasionally).

I still have some way to go but for the first time in my life I feel like I will actually get there (albeit slower than I would like) :)

Flarring Up

I can go long periods of time without major painful days so I guess another flare was on the cards at some point. I have been quite down over the last few weeks and low mood brings low energy but I haven't really experienced any considerable pain for a while.

So with the 3k's I was running (ok ok mostly walking but there were periods of jogging involved i did ok!) last week, the exercise induced injury to my shins and extreme stress and worry about a friend recently, it really is no surprise that I woke up today feeling like I had been hit by a truck.

The fact remains though that I am still a mum, and it is still the holidays and life has to go on.

So here I am fighting through the pain and tiredness looking after my babies (watching Rio and eating ice pops counts right?) and doing what needs to be done. I will still cook a meal tonight whilst struggling to lift the pan, i will still make lunch (ok we've done lunch its past noon and it was sandwiches but hey im writing poetically or something) whilst my back cries out. I will still laugh and cuddle my girls, never letting them know truly how much it hurts to move.

That is my life, it's how I've always lived and nothing new to me. A new label doesn't change the way I feel and I will not let it change the way I live my life (for the worse anyway).

Back on Track

Since my birthday I have struggled with getting back on track with the weight loss and exercise etc bobbing up and down on the scales and not really training.

If the 3k on sat showed me anything, it's that I really need to get back on it! I've already been out once this week although my shins are complaining and the wii fit is making an appearance (well getting used as it's usually in sight....glaring at me...) again and I'm feeling a bit better for it.

Weigh in last night went well with 3lb off so let's hope this is the start of a new good streak :)

And do you know what else I love? This morning I had 2 chocolate (hifi) bars, a muller light yoghurt and pot of mixed fruit for breakfast and it's all free (bars are hexb) on slimming world! Get in 

Healthy Breakfast - why I love slimming world

History in Colour

Yesterday I ran my first ever organised run! Well when I say run I mean attempt to run a bit, walk a bit, complain lots and breath really really hard! But I did it, in around 30mins too, so not too bad :)

The colour road rush was a once in a lifetime charity event in aid of rowcroft hospice, along the newly built south devon link road. It was a bit of history in the making and will never happen again. When the road opens later this year we will have been the only people to make run along it in a blaze of colour (and sweat lol).

It was hard I will admit, I haven't been keeping up with my training and I felt it, but it was a good start!

I have my second run, also in aid of rowcroft, in September and I better get back to actually training. Especially as this time it is a 5k! I'll post the link at the bottom of this blog if you would like to sponsor me, would be nice to smash my (small) target for a worthy cause x

And how has fibro been throughout this? Not too bad on the whole, I was alright during my practice run on Friday night but feeling tired throughout the main event. Blimey did I hurt this morning and of course energy levels are pretty low now, but all in all it hasn't been too bad really. I guess I am just really lucky on that front, and I am grateful for that :)

Ready to go!

A colourful ending :)

And a link to my justgiving page xxx
https://www.justgiving.com/jema-payne/