Well, yes it has been a while but (almost) all for a good reason. The last three weeks have seen birthdays, trips to London, hangovers and long walks, but to catch up on progress...
The first few weeks of my absence saw me not shift a single pound. Or even a quarter of a pound! To be honest it was more surprising I hadn't put weight on as the diet has slipped a couple of times - the day of the hangover saw me eating oven chips for breakfast and Dominos for dinner. I stayed exactly the same, until Thursday of last week when magically I'd managed to lose two whole pounds. Probably due to the run (I'll tell you all about it in a minute) which I'm sure almost killed me.
So, that brings me down to 11st 7lbs. Eleven and a half stone! It really does feel like a milestone because I can't remember the last time I was eleven and a half stone. I've got so used to being 'twelve stone' that it feels a bit weird actually. This means my BMI is now 26.7, a bit closer to that nice green section of the BMI chart! I haven't measured my waist and as I'm writing this in bed, I'm not going to now either - it'll make next Sunday's weigh in full of suspense.
So, the run. I've signed up to do the JCB Mud Run in July as part of a team of four. The JCB Mud Run is 5 miles of muddy, obstacled (is that a word?) chaos. There are a few important facts to take into consideration when you think about me running.
Firstly, I haven't run any kind of distance since I was at school and even then, when I was at peak fitness, I was at the back of the cross country group with the fat kids and the smokers.
Secondly, thanks to joint hypermobility my joints are, for lack of a better word, useless (there are better words, but there might be children reading). Basically, where most people's joints are supported by tendons or what have you, mine are a bit floppy so the muscles have to work harder to provide the support. This means a jaw that cracks because it can't stay in place, knees that crunch because they bend back too far and a thumb that comes out of place almost as and when. Plus that party trick where you can twist your arms too far round. I know - what a freak. Most frustratingly though it means my ankles are a bit weak which causes pretty bad lower leg / ankle pain when I run as the muscles are working extra hard and tugging where they join to my bones. Minging. I've just got to a point where they're actually getting better but it's taken SO LONG. As in years, rather than months.
Finally, I'm the only girl on the team so my natural pace is a bit slower than my team mates (I should mention, my very supportive team mates)... oh yeah and I'll be dressed as a duck - a pretty risky word to type when you're doing it in the dark I might add.
So, last Wednesday the team and I went for a run. The route was two miles. I made about a quarter of a mile before I stopped the first time, and from then on it was pretty much every couple of hundred yards. I can't even tell you how tired I was when we'd finished. My thighs stopped aching on Saturday - my lower legs / ankles haven't stopped hurting yet.
For everyone's sanity I've decided that before I go running with my team again I'm going to do the couch to 5K program, so I've downloaded the NHS version from iTunes and went for my first run tonight around Westport Lake. In week one you do a five minute warm up run, followed by 20 minutes of alternating walking and running and then a cool down walk. I was out of breath, but not totally destroyed which felt good. My lower legs and ankles were hurting but actually I think it did them some good. I'll keep you updated on my progress but I'm feeling pretty positive about it at the moment.
And most importantly of all, Westport Lake is great for dog spotting! Tonight there was even a pug!!
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