From Ursula to Ariel: Where’s Bridget?!

*Waves* Hello!

Oh it feels like such a long time since we last spoke, but it’s only been 2.5 days! I didn’t write yesterday as promised , giving both of us a rest day. I also didn’t really have much to write considering I spent most of the day enjoying the beautiful weather, in a semi permanent state of:

Ash only works 5 minutes away so was lucky enough to be able to come home for his lunch which consisted of an Asian noodle salad (made by moi) and an ice cream.. had to be done!

Of course Poppy couldn’t be left out, bless her with her big woolly coat! Don’t worry, she didn’t get any of the chocolate (I know it’s VERY bad for dogs).

So all in all it was a pretty nice relaxed day. I did spend a bit of time working, I set up a Facebook page for my Ursula to Ariel adventures, you can find the link to that right here: https://www.facebook.com/ursulatoariel and it would be amazing if you could hop over, ‘like’ the page and contribute any tips/ideas or anything else you like (non abusive if possible!).

My Dad was a photographer and I have been discussing potential opportunities with his business partner, I would hate to see his good work go forever  so have been working on a little re-brand and am intending to take the business forward. Our new website is here: http://candyflossandbowties.com/ and again, we have a new Facebook page for this too: https://www.facebook.com/CandyFlossBowTies - You can also follow both projects via my Twitter page @LucyBartholomew.

(Apologies for all the self promotion!)

The other news from yesterday was that our ‘BOSH’ wristbands arrived, officially making us part of the BOSH family. For those who missed it in my earlier post, This is a group that Ash and I joined on Facebook (they also have a website – boshrun.com) it is a forum for like minded runners to share training stories, race information and motivational tips. We’ve ‘met’ some lovely people through here and it was the BOSHers that originally motivated me to give this running lark a go!

We rounded off the evening sitting in the garden discussing our Disney trip in January. Something very exciting happened this week, Ash had an unexpected payout from a mis-sold PPI plan. The gut thoughts were to plough it into the black hole known as ‘debt’ however this trip means so much to us and is much needed. So, given everything that happened with my Dad, Ash did a big Carpe Diem and called Disney to pay off the balance. We had hoped to put a little money aside each month to try and pay for it, but this is a huge weight off our minds and means we are 1) definitely going so can start planning and 2) there’s no turning back from the half marathon either.

Now, Disney fans.. I need some help. We are going to be on the Deluxe Dining Plan for our week long trip and have 2 ‘evenings’ catered for with marathon related things. So we are hoping to knock 5 signature restaurants out on our other evenings. I asked Ash which he wanted to go to and he said the Californian Grill (which he’s never been to) however I’ve read some rumours that it is closing at the end of the year for a refurb? So, I’ve pencilled in Narcoosee’s as an alternative (we’ve both been here and loved it) and for the other nights are thinking Jiko (never been), Flying Fish Cafe (never been), Yachtsman Steakhouse (I’ve been, not Ash) and Fultons Crab House (never been and we are staying close by at Saratoga Springs). What do you think? We haven’t tried Bistro de Paris or Le Cellier, Cinderella’s Table or Citrico’s – all of which I like the sound of. Any help appreciated!!

In bed, I was looking at the iPad and had a little look at The Dibb – This is a Disney based fan forum site which I love but try not to torture myself with when we have no trip booked. Lots of people write Trip Reports (including me - my trip report) and I immediately started reading Paul’s ‘Rumour has it’ report.. well I got completely hooked and couldn’t put it down! It feels so nice to be back in the Disney loop!

So this morning was another early start. I only have one sleeping tablet left and I’m a bit worried that I’m going to start struggling again once I’ve finished them! However, I made the most of it, dropped Ash at work and drove to the gym. I hopped on the treadmill (I didn’t actually hop) and set off. As a bit of a change from the music, and following on from last night’s chat, I listened to episode 4 of the Disney Food Blog Podcast. I am a huge fan of the 2 host sites, Disney Food Blog and WDW for Grown Ups and AJ & Brad remind me of my friends Bobbie & Jay in Boston. The Podcast was 31 minutes long which was absolutely perfect and incidentally, brilliant! Highly recommended to any like minded fans!

I found the first couple of ‘jogs’ a little tough this morning but I do have a cough and cold (AGAIN!) – It’s also been really warm the past couple of days so that may have something to do with it. But I did it all, so that’s my Couch to 5K week one done – finally! Next week I think I progress onto 90 second jogs and 2 minute walks.. oooooh!! My pace stayed about the same, covering 1.6km with a fairly steady heart rate. I do find myself glancing around at other treadmills and thinking how slow I jog compared to everyone else, but I know that will come in time.

After that I took on the Power Plate and worked through some stretching exercises. I also found a workout card which had some ‘relaxation’ techniques to try on it.. they were great! Well, as much as relaxation techniques on a giant vibrating plate can be (oi.. I know what you are thinking!!). I did the lower back exercises so will be interesting to see if my back pain eases at all.

Not content with that, I followed this with an Aqua Zumba class. I absolutely love this class as many of you know and I’ve really missed it the past 3 weeks. However, this is when I needed Bridget, as in Bridget Jones. You know the story, swimwear only lasts so long and then it goes all loose and see-through. Well, I noticed my pants had died a death so I grabbed a different pair from my drawer this morning. What I didn’t realise until I came to wrestle into them was that they were at least 2 sizes to small. I felt like this:

I was in a dilemma, I REALLY wanted to do the class but I knew it would be risky. “Oh heck” I thought, “What’s the worst that can happen?”. Well, I now know the answer to that, your trunks can fall down. I had barely made it into the pool and they’d already started slipping. How on earth was I going to get through 45 minutes of booty shaking and b-bouncing?! I pretty much had to hang on to the top of the pants for the whole class and felt VERY uncomfortable. What I’d have given for a pair of Bridget’s right then cannot even be expressed in words!

The class was made slightly more bearable by Hilda & Mavis (names have been changed for their protection) who came into the pool for a swim, as they walked through from the changing rooms I couldn’t help but smile at them in their matching pool ‘dresses’ and pink crocs. Bless them.

After the class, I dashed out before anyone fell victim to a total eclipse and got dressed. Whew, dignity restored. Note to self – I need new swimwear. ASAP.

Lunch was courtesy of Subway – Gotta love the loyalty card! (I’m also sure it’s vaguely healthy?!)

 The afternoon was then spent in the garden again – well, let’s face it, a couple of nice days and that could be our summer!

Poppy was treated to a mini milk which she loved, I also figured this was a better option than a magnum (although not half as tasty..!).

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend, please keep the comments coming, I love reading them. Look forward to chatting to you all next week…don’t forget to come and see me on Facebook!

Lucy x

From Ursula to Ariel: First Video Log!

From Ursula to Ariel: Back in the Game

It’s an understatement to say that the last couple of days have been horrible. After nearly 3 weeks of keeping busy and having ‘stuff’ to do, Dad’s funeral on Wednesday was not only a fitting goodbye but the beginning of my grieving process. In short, I’ve been tearful, sad, grumpy and angry. I understand that this is all ‘normal’ and I’m trying to ride the wave, confident that the next day is brighter than the last.

In the back of my mind I’m getting frustrated as I am falling behind on my training schedule and I’m missing that boost of endorphins. This morning Ash woke me shortly before 8am and asked if I wanted to be left in bed to sleep. I grumbled some sort of a ‘yes’ and rolled over, covering my head with my duvet.

OK, here I have a choice. I can immerse myself in tears and sadness for another whole day which is exhausting and painful – My back has been very sore and my GP has advised it is stress. OR I can take a deep breath, put my gym clothes on and give it a go.

This would be a pretty boring blog if I just stayed in bed and went back to sleep so I got up, got dressed, made myself get on the scales and found that I had lost 2kgs (I so nearly didn’t get on so I was pleased with this!). I grabbed my water bottle and headphones and after dropping Ash at work, headed to the gym.

Psychologically this was a big barrier to break through, it was 3 weeks ago to the day that I did exactly the same thing, dropped Ash off at work and drove to the gym. I had just been about to go in when Ash phoned and told me to drive straight back to collect him. I thought he was sick and needed to come home, I wasn’t expecting him to tell me that my Dad has suffered a heart attack and died. Anyone who’s been through the loss of a close loved one will know about the ‘markers’ – the first Christmas without them, their Birthday.. for me, this was one of those moments because of the similarities to the day Dad died.

I took a moment in the car to take some deep breaths and headed in. I was greeted with a cheery ‘hello’ and immediately I felt vulnerable. After being surrounded by that blanket of people who all know the situation, it’s strange walking into a place where no one knows. On one hand the anonymity is pleasant, on the other you just want to tell everyone that your Dad has died, so they are kind to you & don’t risk upsetting your already fragile state.

I got on the treadmill, not having a clue what I’d be able to do. As my followers will know, I hadn’t got far in the C25K training and had previously managed to complete the early sessions, jogging for a total of 7 out of the 8 required minutes.

I plugged my iPod in, Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey started and I pressed ‘start’. I was off. I had got here, which quite frankly was a big enough achievement for me. My starting heartrate was 93bpm and I completed the 5 minute warm up at a pace of 3km/hr – a little faster than I had previously done.

This week’s training consists of a 5 minute warmup, 8 x 60 second jogs alternated with 8 x 90 second walks and a 5 minute cooldown.

I was halfway through my second jog when I felt overwhelmingly sick. I was irritated as I had secretly hoped I would get further than that but appreciated that I had been through a lot and hadn’t trained for over 3 weeks. I carried on jogging and thought I’d see how I felt through the next walk. I kept going, the sickness passed and I picked up the pace a little. I was jogging at 5km/h (previously 4.7) and my heart rate increased to 144bpm.

The music spurred me on, Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Stronger’ was perfect and I was beaming from ear to ear as I started my 8th minute of jogging – A new PB! I felt euphoric.. how on earth am I going to feel when I actually do the half marathon?!

As my cooldown track started – ‘Shake it out’ by Florence, I felt like I could cry, not through sadness for the first time in days, but through joy. I was elated. I’d covered a distance of 1.6km and I finished up by stretching out on the Power Plate which did my legs the world of good. I had felt some tightness in my right calf through the session which I thought may have been over compensation from my back but the power plate really helped.

I texted Ash straight away “I DID IT” – His reply said it all.. “Positive Mental Attitude”. He’s so right. You can achieve anything you put your mind to.

I know grief is a rollercoaster, with ups and downs but as Ash said this morning, whilst I may not be able to fix my heart, I can take care of the rest of me in the meantime. My best friend Trilby also texted me over the weekend about the importance of wellbeing during tough times: good food, exercise and all round balance. So very true.

So, I feel like I am back on track, today has given me a real boost and I’m looking forward to getting into the pool tomorrow.

I AM going to do this and I AM going to make Dad proud.

Regaining some normality.. starting with my blog!

I could quite easily have been asleep for the past 2.5 weeks given how quickly the time has flown. Life has mainly consisted of helping my Stepmum, Brother & Nan with paperwork and planning Dad’s funeral.

It took place on Wednesday and after allowing myself a day to wallow in a hungover state, I am trying to get some order back in my life! I thought a good place to start would be right here, touching base with all of you wonderful people. I’ve missed writing & exercising but needed the time to focus on Dad and can now throw myself back into the routine that I was doing so well with. I’ll be re-starting my C25K training on Monday and then it’s onwards and upwards on my quest to become Ariel. I now have even more of a heartfelt reason to accomplish such a challenge.

I just wanted to say, before I move onto some slightly happier news from the week, that the funeral went so very well, the staff at the Co-Operative Funeral Care in Worthing were just amazing and opting for a non religious ceremony allowed us to devote the whole slot to Dad’s life and pay him a fantastic tribute. Dad was never one for sorrow or mourning and really disliked funerals so we were determined to make it as upbeat as possible. The hearse was silver rather than black, the bearers wore red ties in honour of Dad’s football team, I did a reading – without crying – and we had a photo slideshow. His ‘after party’ was in his local pub and we had a huge turnout. We had plenty of drinks and a live band who knew Dad well played for us in the evening. I think I can safely say that any funeral that ends in laughter, dancing, falling over and my Gay Best Friend wearing my dress can only be described as a fairly decent goodbye. If mine is half as much fun, I’ll be very happy

Will miss you Dad!

So, onto a slightly lighter topic of conversation.. 3 exciting things happened last weekend. On Friday I went to Bournemouth to help my good friend Katie out with a photoshoot. She is the MD of Wonderful Wraps - A fab company offering bespoke accessories for weddings & special occasions. The theme for the shoot was the glamorous 1920′s and we had use of The Print Rooms in Bournemouth, a BEAUTIFUL venue. I MUST go back and have a champagne cocktail there soon! Thanks to Andy and the team for giving us access to such a special space. We had great fun at the shoot and the girls were excellent models to work with. Here is a sneak peek at a few of the pictures I took:

I shall let you know when more are available!

From Bournemouth we drove down to Devon, Ash’s cousin Kristy was getting married to Robin on Saturday and the Bartholomew’s went en-masse for the celebrations. We stayed in a super little B&B called Ashleigh House where we were made to feel very welcome by Sue. We were allowed to have Poppy in our room which was so lovely and to be honest, it was just refreshing to have a couple of days away. Jemma, my Sister in Law arrived home on the same day after spending 7 months travelling around South America so this added to the celebratory vibe of the weekend!

On the Friday evening we went for a pub dinner at Ring o’Bells, I had the Salcombe crab salad – so fresh and tasty and resisted the rather delicious looking chocolate brownie desert! Poppy had a good fussing from everyone in the pub – I just love the West Country for their dog loving nature and after a long day at the shoot, it was a perfect unwind.

The only downside was that we failed to realise that the 10 minute walk to the pub was up a hill – now, I know that Ash will say it was a gentle hill, but to me it felt like Everest! I was so embarrassed to keep stopping, I was sweating like a pig in a sauna and I was on the brink of an emotional breakdown! Luckily Mum in Law was on hand to calm me down, she is BRILLIANT at that and I made it – woo! A taxi was offered for the trip home but in the back of my mind I knew I’d be OK as it was downhill! To be fair, the distance wasn’t the problem, it was the incline. note to self – incline training on the treadmill required!

We were in bed at a decent time and watched a bit of TV. I know this is going to sound terrible, but we loved that we had separate beds!! I adore Ash, of course, but after 10 years together, there is something rather lovely about having a bit of space to yourself! Who says romance is dead?! So earplugged up and sleeping tablet popped, I drifted off into the land of nod. And woke up to see this…

We then had our wonderful breakfast (HAS to be done when staying at a B&B!) and we went off to drop Poppy at a local kennels for the day/night so we could go and enjoy the wedding.

Our Nephew, George

Pops enjoying the view from the room before taking her to her ‘holiday in a holiday’:

The wedding was beautiful. I couldn’t believe how lucky we were with the weather after such an awful couple of weeks. Kristy & Robin had a traditional church ceremony followed by a reception in a marquee.. it looked stunning, as did they! As always, these events are a great opportunity to catch up with the family and it was lovely to see Kristy, Sian, Tash, Sue, Chris, Alan, Shirley, Rob, Lisa, Amelia, Beth & all the others that I have no doubt forgotten to mention!

We enjoyed some delicious food and several drinks before hitting the dancefloor. You know you’re beating an anxiety disorder when your Nephew wants you to dance before anybody else is up and you do it. OK, slightly warmed with beer but even so, I would NEVER have done that a few months ago.

It was a big wedding with about 100 seated guests and more in the evening. Kristy’s dress was absolutely stunning and I loved the detail. The speeches were some of the best I have heard – Hilarious!!

Many congrats Mr & Mrs Giles.

This lovely weekend was rounded off on Sunday with lunch at my Auntie & Uncle’s. They only live 30 minutes from Kingsbridge (where the wedding was) so it was perfect. My cousin came with his wife and baby – I haven’t seen my cousin for about 20 years so it was just awesome. My Uncle Bert & Auntie Glo also came over. Auntie Pauline pulled out all the stops and after a couple of glasses of wine in the sunshine we sat down to a full 3 course lunch. I cannot tell you how much effort went into it and after losing my Dad so recently, along with all the ‘troubles’ I’ve had with my Mum’s side, I had a real sense of belonging and it was just amazing. We didn’t end up leaving until 5pm and Ash got us home just before 9pm.

So, what a week ‘eh?!

I just wanted to say thanks again for all the lovely messages of support during this difficult time and I look forward to continuing my Ursula – Ariel journey with you!

Have a wonderful weekend!

A little update from me: 3rd May 2012

Firstly I just want to say thank you for the overwhelming number of messages, texts, calls, tweets, flowers, gifts & cards that I’ve received since Monday.

It goes without saying that this week has been incredibly tough and I’m in a state of shock & sadness. I’m not disbelieving of the situation, I just feel very sad about not having my Dad here anymore.

It’s quite staggering the amount of ‘paperwork’ that has to filed after you lose someone. I feel like we’ve just started with the tip of the iceberg and have lots more to do. You can however only do so much at a time and with my Stepmum we’ll get through it together.

We have made funeral arrangements and we are trying our best to make it a positive celebration of life rather than a somber occasion – that just wouldn’t have been Dad.

Food & exercise wise it’s been an erratic few days, from eating nothing & skipping meals to grabbing convenience foods on the go. Ash has also perfected the cup of tea and those have been going down well, well we are British after all.

I tried to go to the gym this morning as I do not want to undo my good work so far. I thought some alone time would be good thing. I don’t think it wasn’t, but 15 minutes on the treadmill was enough. Physically I felt good, I did 15 minutes of interval training as per my C25K schedule, I just came over sick and sad after that and felt I’d had enough. I have a really upbeat playlist for the gym and it just felt odd listening to those songs while life carried on around me. I’m really glad that I did go though & I’m sure it’ll get easier as I come to terms with what’s happened.

Anyway, I don’t have too much more to say right now but just wanted to keep some little updates going until a time when I have more to write about.

30th April 2012: Sad News

I never expected to be typing this when I got dressed this morning in my gym gear excited (yes, really!) to go to the gym…

I just felt I owed it to everyone to let you know that my Dad died suddenly this morning aged 54 with a heart attack.

We’ve had a terribly sad today and I’m sure the worst is yet to come, personally I’m feeling very raw and have a long road ahead.

I have always been ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’ despite being 31 years old (!) and I just need some time to get my head around this and be with my family.

I’m certainly not bailing on any of my training, my Dad LOVED WDW and I will be running the half marathon in his honour. My updates may just be a little sporadic for the next few days etc..

Thank you for all your support & kind messages and I look forward to blogging again soon.

Lucy xx

 

From Ursula to Ariel: Good Vibrations

“Roobs… it’s raining, so do you want to stay in bed instead of coming to the park run?” My answer? “Nope, I’ll still come!”. 7am on a rainy Saturday morning and we’re getting our stuff together for the pre park run race. For those who don’t know, Park Run is an initiative being run around the country where local volunteers set up and run the free 5km run on a Saturday morning in conjunction with the local council. It’s a fab idea to get people of all ages and abilities active and for the more serious runners, the barcode scan offers a competitive element and opportunity to try and improve on PBs.

Clearly I had no intention of running but I went in the ‘unofficial photographer’ capacity. I love photography but am still very much learning and do not take pictures in a professional capacity. Ash had already volunteered to be a marshal and we took Pops along too.

The turnout was fantastic and it was our chance to show the council that we could make it a success in order to to secure the required funding. We had plenty of keen volunteers & a great turnout of runners – something that will only continue to grow I’m sure. The official runs start from 9th June & I am hoping that I might be well on my way to joining in by then!

Here’s a few of my pics:

There were a few of our fellow ‘BOSH’ runners and families there, absolutely lovely to meet them and put some real faces to names rather than Facebook profile photo’s!

The rest of the pictures are on my Flickr account if anyone is particularly interested! http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucyandash/sets/72157629917237945/

This afternoon I was scheduled to do my 3rd C25K session and I had planned to do this at the gym. I’ve fancied giving the Power Plate class a go for a while and booked in. Ash has had a really hectic week so I suggested he come along on a guest pass and enjoy the facilities. We both did the PP class followed by a swim, steam, hot tub etc.. was nice to have some down time.

If I’m honest, I thought the power plate would basically involve standing on the machine, letting it do it’s thing and I’d get off 30 minutes later toned and buffed. I was wrong, by a LONG way. I have to say it was super and really beneficial, it sorted out my tight calf and I think it will be excellent for stretching. However, the class was bloomin’ hard work and I was not prepared for quite how much I would sweat, it was borderline embarrassing. One of the exercises involved us laying down on the plate to do some stomach crunches. I got stuck and couldn’t get back up!! I felt like I’d really got one over on everyone else though when the instructor ‘forgot’ to turn mine on for one of the plank exercises, personally I think he was a little worried that I might kark it there and then.

By the time I finished, I felt like I had been riding a horse for 6 hours, I swaggered off looking like a slightly larger, female John Wayne. There was no way I could get on the treadmill and run. I was annoyed but equally was proud that I had got through that class and felt it had been really beneficial. As I mentioned above we followed this up with a swim and steam which felt good.

I need to give a shout out to my lovely friend Heidi Richardson and her gorgeous boys Daniel & Harry who we saw in the pool. Was just wonderful to see them!

I’ve decided that I’m going to have a rest day tomorrow as I have exercised every day this week (who am I these days?!) and start my C25K again on Monday. I think that this week has shown me that I really can do this and after my jog on Wednesday compared to Monday, I know I can dig deeper this week. The programme did say you could repeat weeks and I think that’s what I’m going to do. I don’t want to forget though that this week I have done 2 C25K sessions, 3 Aqua classes and 3 dog walks, which whilst not a lot for some, is a really big deal for me.

I feel that today has lacked comedy so just to finish off, when we got home, Ash went into the back garden and as he stepped into the kitchen – on the tiled floor, he slipped over. I heard a big ‘wooooo’ as he grabbed onto the counter and I know it’s evil but I absolutely laughed my head off!

I’m now trying to have a calm evening as that power plate seems to still be vibrating my inners and without wanting to be disgusting, it’s certainly seems to be shaking everything I’m putting in it straight back out! Oh well, can’t grumble, all helps with the weight loss!

OOOOH I don’t think I mentioned it but just so you know, we have ‘offically’ signed up and paid for our half marathon places in Orlando.. so we’re definitely on!

Day off tomorrow, I don’t think I’ll have much to report so will give you a day of rest. Thank you for reading and I’ll be back on Monday! Enjoy the rest of your weekends!

BOSH - What's it all about?

Reblogged from jamesy1978:

A lot of people when they find BOSH run on Facebook ask what does BOSH mean? Does it represent anything? Is it a club? Where do I go for a training session?

Running, and most certainly training quite frankly for the majority of the time, is an isolated sport. It means getting up at strange times to exert your body into exercise, waking up whilst the other half or the kids are asleep to face the elements outside.

Read more… 1,010 more words

A super blog about the running group that inspired me to get started.

From Ursula to Ariel: The Great Big Bra Wrestle

Classes at the gym are extremely beneficial, be it cardiovascular training, core work or even freeing your mind with an hour of yoga. However, it has become apparent to me today that the toughest part of my workout is the ‘getting dressed’ part.

Aqua Zumba is on a Friday morning and I absolutely love this class. The music of Zumba is (for those who aren’t aware) upbeat with a South American flair and often mid class my mind will wander to thoughts of a wild night out with our favourite Brazilian friend Nilton. It’s nice on the joints as you have the water to support you and being on a Friday, it gets me straight in the weekend mood.

The hard work really starts though as soon as the class finishes. I have to manoeuvre myself from my pleasantly submerged state, I love the pool for hiding my multitude of sins and head for the showers. I’ve been going long enough now to not need my towel right by the steps and will happily get myself to the changing rooms without slipping over (well, that was only once…) The showers at my club are individual cubicles (whew) but have frosted glass dividing them up. Well that’s all fair and well but I CAN STILL SEE THE PERSON next to me. Even worse, that means that they can see me too!

I don’t know about you but I don’t seem to be able to dry myself properly at the gym. I can do it at home and I don’t see why it’s so hard there? After showering I take myself into one of the 3 individual changing rooms – well cubby holes with a bit of curtain to hide some of your modesty – I am certainly not yet brave enough to whip it all out for everyone to see (but I admire any woman who does – I’m not prudish, just shamefully embarrassed!).

I rub and pat and even sit for a moment to try and dry off but even when I feel dry, I’m really not. Today I thought I’d try a new technique and went and did my hair & make up before getting dressed, I thought I was bone dry but I can assure you, when it came to putting my clothes on, they told a far different story.

My leggings were getting twisted up as I tried to pull them on and the heel of my sock ended up on the top of my foot. I then put my foot (with sock) down into a wet patch – I could swear that wasn’t there a moment ago! The absolute worst part for me is the bra. I hate bra’s anyway, I’m awkward sized and never completely comfy. Honestly, trying to get into mine today was an absolute joke. I don’t have the flexibility to reach around and do it up at the back so I have to clip it at the front and swivel it round. I literally had to do it in 3 stages. I’m sure it shouldn’t be so hard! I could feel perspiration forming on my forehead, meaning my make up would be sure to slide right off my face. I even had a moment of panic where I literally thought I wouldn’t be able to get it on. I was pulling and pushing, grimacing through the pain, all so my boobs could sit in this poxy thing which does nothing but cause me grief anyway! All the while, as the changing room is so small, I kept whacking the curtain and I’m sure that from the outside, it must have looked like there was a wrestling match taking place.

I’m feeling flustered just thinking about it!! Next time I think I might throw caution to the wind, or maybe my ‘bangers’ (thanks Gok) and try and start a new trend of being ‘free’ – although then I would run the risk of tripping over them

I went to meet my work colleague Beth for lunch and had a lovely couple of hours catching up and playing with her gorgeous little boy Cameron, who is 1 next month. Was so great to see them and luckily by the time I got there, I felt completely dry (god, I sound like I’m being potty trained!).

I came home to see the following video had been posted on Facebook by a friend – Dan Aubrey. It totally broke my heart and as well as giving me something to think about with my upcoming training programme, it also did put the bra wrestling into perspective. I’m sure once I’ve shed all this weight and I’m left with a couple of little bee stings, I’ll be longing for the booby wrestling days again. Not!

Anyway, here’s the video link as I think some of you will really enjoy it. Thank you for the wonderful comments, I’ve had some emails asking if you can share my blog, please do!

Inspirational Runner

From Ursula to Ariel: Giggles & Gurgles

I have a habit of categorising people at my gym, I can’t help it! I’m a people watcher & I love observing how my fellow beings act, talk and engage with others. Infact I find it absolutely fascinating.

I put most people that I see at the gym into one of my ‘boxes’ – it entertains me and passes a bit of time when I’m walking up and down in the pool (if you read my earlier posts you will know why I don’t swim yet!).

In no particular order of preference we have:

The Beefcakes – These are always men & they only use the main gym floor, followed by the sauna and steam rooms. You will find them working out in the weights area, grunting and groaning louder than the women in the Wimbledon final. They carry around protein shakes and look freshly spray tanned. Vests are a staple uniform along with some sort of slick in the hair (or no hair). They also wear those funny belt things which I presume aid their workouts rather than just act as a fashion accessory. You need to be thinking Sly Stallone meets Vin Diesel (or so they think anyway). The Beefcakes often work their way around the gym, greeting people as if welcoming friends into their home. They are most definitely there to be seen.

Doris & Mavis – I have an off peak membership and thanks to my sabbatical, I am mainly there in the mornings, along with half of the pensioners of Crawley. They’re there to lose weight but over the course of a week they only attend the 2 aqua classes where they stand in the shallow end and make half hearted attempts at the moves, well it’s difficult for them to hear the instructions over the loud music. They’ve been members since retirement as ‘something to do’ and haven’t done anything different in that time. Infact they have actually gained weight. This is because they always meet up with Joan and Beryl for a coffee and a cake after each ‘workout’.

The Scene Queens – I love my gay guys and there are a collection of them at the gym who love nothing more than donning their teeny speedos and sitting on the edge of the pool. They like to steam and get sweaty in the sauna, maybe even dip into the jacuzzi, but no pool action. However, like I say, they will sit on the edge of the pool and maybe dangle their legs in! I could understand if it was outside and 80 degrees but the last time I checked, it was indoors and not that warm! They will give any passer-by a full body scan and then proceed to discuss said person, how they look, what they’re wearing. Anyone would think they were on South Beach, not in the Cote de Crawley! Given the hours they are there, their perfectly plucked eyebrows, the Hollister flip flops and the tans that they sport (very well I might add!), I know that these boys are mainly cabin crew – probably detoxing before their next trip.

The Yummy Mummy’s – A competitive breed. I usually split these into 2, there are the Mum’s who drop their sprogs in the creche whilst they go to Zumba or Yoga and then congregate in the cafe where conversations about who has the newest car or the best buggy will echo around the room. These conversations are consistently broken up as little Harmony & Melody run a mock, squeeling and rubbing their sticky mitts all over the chairs. The other Mums that I see are in the pool, with their offspring. The swimming classes are a particular highlight with each trying to show that their little darling is the most advanced which inevitably ends up with the Mummy’s practically throwing the child in or pushing them under water when they don’t feel like showing the teacher how they can put their face under. It’s brutal.

There is another group of ladies, I haven’t yet thought of a name for them. They are quite brash, they know best, really they do. They’ve been going for ‘AGESSSS’ and know all the staff & routines back to front and upside down. They basically have to show off in each class and are really irritating. These ladies are partial to a couple of glasses of red & a cheeky ciggy of an evening and have grown up children.

I saw a new one of these today. I’ll call her Sharon for the sake of the story. I LOVE Thursday’s. Thursday’s are aqua aerobics days but it’s the one class where we have a male instructor who happens to be very easy on the eye. All I’m saying is that it helps, OK?! Anyway, I got there a few minutes early and Sharon was getting in at the same time. I didn’t recognise her so asked if she’d been to the class before. “Oh YES, I have been to aqua THOUSANDS of times, but not this class’. Right, well that’s what I was asking, I already know you’ve done it before just by looking at you, infact you’re probably the National Champion! “I go to Rob’s spin class you see..” she continued.. “I’m just hoping that this will be difficult enough for me”. I could feel myself do an invisible eye roll as I caught myself thinking “she’s one of them”.

She was stood next to me through the class, flapping her arms unnecessarily, causing splash and thinking that she was really the bee’s knee’s! At the end we had to extend our legs out in front of us (one at a time) and stretch forward, I could foresee what would happen before it did – whilst the rest of us where stretching as far as we could, her leg came flying up out of the water whilst she hung onto her toes and made a real point of showing that she could do it. Whooppeeeee!

We actually had a great class, my new friend Mandy was there and we giggled our way through, I laughed so much at one point that I started coughing and copped a mouthful of pool water, ewwwwww!!!  I was trying to tell Mandy that I needed mouth to mouth and maybe she should grab Rob, but I couldn’t get my words out without either laughing, coughing or drinking the pool!

The 45 minute class was a great thing to do today after yesterday’s 7 minutes of jogging. I didn’t hurt which was really encouraging and this class focus’s on interval training and arm exercises which is great for the weight loss.

I can’t believe my first thought when I woke this morning was “Is it a running day today?!” and I actually felt dissapointment when I realised it wasn’t. Long may this last that’s for sure!

I’ve been connecting with some fellow C25K & Disney runners on Twitter and received this super quote from Wild Scarlet. I thought I’d share it with you today:

“no matter how fast you are running, you are lapping everyone on the couch!”

This is perfect after I was worrying about my running speed and I’m sure many of you can relate!

Have a good Thursday evening & thanks for taking the time to read.