Tag: running

Panthera – please support us and therefore them if you can

Jess GuthLeave a comment

If you have read the previous posts on this blog you will realise that this running thing is a massive massive challenge for us and for me in particular. Part of what helps me get my backside out there plodding round is that it is a way I can help change the world. Yep here’s the slightly cliched vomit inducing bit about changing the world… Those of you who know me already know that changing the world and helping others (mostly my students) change the world is kind of my thing. Making a small difference is really important to me. I’m not naive I know I make a tiny tiny difference if I make one at all but that’s enough. If we all try and do that every day the world will be a much better place. So if I am going to run, drag my moomin butt round a stupidly high number of miles and go through that physical pain and mental struggle then there has to be some changing the world happening as a result of that. Otherwise I am not playing.

Any money we raise in this slightly insane endeavour is going to an organisation called Panthera. Their mission is this:

Panthera’s mission is to ensure the future of wild cats through scientific leadership and global conservation action.

Panthera and their ethos speak to us on a number of levels: Panthera’s work is science based and at the cutting edge of conservation. It understands that there are a number of factors that have to come together to make conservation possible and that dealing with any one of them in isloation will not work. Education and training are fundamental to what Panthera do. Have a look at the letter from the Chair on their website to get more of a sense of what they do. So, education and training, programmes/projects which target the specific needs of the big cats they are focused on as well as the communities sharing the geographic area with the cats and work underpinned by the latest science are all things that earn my respect. The other reason to support Panthera over any other conservation charity is that 100% of the money raised will benefit the coservation programme/projects as the running costs and non-programme costs are covered by the Panthera board of directors. It seems that these people believe in what they are doing and are prepared to put their money where their mouth is and that passion and commitment is something I am delighted to be able to support. They really do change the world and they change it big time. With your support for our running challenge, we can help them do that! If you can sponsor us, however small the amount, please do. It really does mean a lot to us and seeing the amounts of money raised go up over the next few months is really going to help keep us going!

Sponsorship page is here: https://www.justgiving.com/Jessandkath/

Back on the road

Jess Guth1 Comment

We are back on track. After having tweaked something in my calf muscle on Sunday I was a bit fed up and disillusioned with the whole running thing. I did get a bit excited about registering for the Marathon weekend but everything felt a bit flat. I felt a bit foolish for thinking that running might actually be something I could do and there was a whole lot of ‘you should have known, you can’t run, you know this, why bother trying, you just look silly…’ kind of stuff going through my head. I have to admit that I was relieved when Kath suggested giving us another day’s rest yesterday. I didn’t want to run. I was back to thinking that running is not for me and I am not for running.

However, we have registered. We are committed to doing it and even at my grumpiest there was still a part of me that wants to show that I can do this or that, at the very least, I can try. So today I came home from work and with considerable anxiety, though not reluctance really, I got changed, put my trainers on and we headed out. I really wasn’t sure about my calf muscle so we set off very very very very slowly (there might have been people walking their dogs faster than we were running). My calf was tight but not painful so on we went.

The aim was 3.5 miles – the 3.5 miles we didn’t do on Sunday. We went along the canal to have somewhere flat to run and because there is always lots to distract as we run. Because we were going so slow we actually chatted a little bit which is something I never usually do (Kath has since said that it freaked her out a bit because if I say anything at all normally I just swear). We saw lots of ducks and swans, a few little ducklings, two herons (or possibly one heron twice), a mad labrador type dog jumping into the canal after a squeaky toy and a few other runners and cyclists. It felt good to be out.

I felt comfortable plodding along. I was happy with the 1.5 minutes running and 30 secs walking. When we had a bit less than a mile left I suggested leaving out a walk phase so we tried that and ran for 3.5 minutes. Still comfortable and not really puffing much at all so we walked the walk phase and then started running again and just kept going until the end of the 3.5 miles.

So, 3.5 miles in 48 minutes with average pace of 13.49 minutes per mile. Yes, slow – but well within allowed pace for the marathon and I felt like I could have kept going at that for a much much longer distance. Importnatly my calf muscle is behaving itself. It’s a little tight but not painful so with a bit of tlc, heat and ice I think it’ll be fine.

I’m back to thinking that maybe, just maybe I can do this. Maybe

Registration for the World Disney World Marathon Weekend

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We have registered. Yep, that’s it. We have actually committed to giving this a real shot now. We booked our holiday to Disney a while ago. We fly out on 5th January 2016 and we will be staying at the Bay Lake Tower which is part of the Contemporary Resort.  Now we are also officially registered for the RunDisney event. Gulp.

All the details for the marathon weekend can be found on the RunDisney Disney World Marathon Weekend website and I am now scared and excited in equal measure.

Weekly Weigh-In and Food Plan

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In my grumpiness yesterday I forgot to tell you about how the losing a few pounds thing is going. We weigh on on a Sunday morning. The idea of the weekly weigh in is taken from Slimming World which I have joined twice and left twice. I know it works but it isn’t for me long term because I can only take being patronised for so long and I find the meetings etc patronising on one level (the so, Jess, you’ve put on a pound this week, are you ok? What went wrong?) and incredibly frustrating on another because the meetings I have been to seem to be full of people who just don’t have a clue about healthy eating and exercise (‘Oh well I only had two cream cakes yesterday, a bottle of wine on Wednesday and a take away curry –  I have no idea why I’ve put on). I’m not knocking slimming world or weight watchers or whatever – it obviously really works for lots of people and it worked for me for a while, then it didn’t. Anyway, what does work is having a set day/time to get on the scales – that does two things. It means I don’t get obessive. I easily could. I am a control freak and I could easily check my weight daily or more and then worry about it – not healthy. Having a set weekly weigh in stops that and it makes me do it even when I don’t really want to. Writing it down shows me I am going in the right direction overall even when there is an odd week where I don’t lose any weight or put some back on. My little notebook in which I record the numbers every week has been titled ‘Operation Eliminate Moomin Butt’ – it keeps me on track.

So the weigh in yesterday – I lost just under 2 pounds and that’s in spite of cake at work, a few drinks during the week and a meal out. What that means is that planning our meals and trying to be really conscious about every decision we make about food is working. Yes I had cake, but I didn’t have cake and a packet of crisps with my lunch. Yes I had a rum and coke on Saturday night, but I had one not several. Yes we had popcorn with our film on Saturday but we made it with as little oil as possible and put very little sugar on – much less than you’d get with ready bought popcorn. Our eating could be healthier, of course it could but I’m not made for diets and banning things etc – I just want them more. So for me it’s about making better choices and accepting that every now and again that choice is to not give a toss about how unhealthy what I choose to have is.

Plan for the week. We had pork chops with new spuds, purple sprouting broccoli from the garden and sweetcorn today. We have a quorn chilli, tuna steaks with veg, stir fry and wraps and a spag bolognese on the list for this week I think. Kath is away Tuesday night and back late on Wednesday so I’ll be fending for myself which is always problematic. I may see what there is on offer at work and just have a salad and few crackers in the evening.

For our naughty nibbles and treats, Kath made some cereal bars yesterday – they are definitly healthier than bought ones although they do contain a bit of honey and sugar. I love them because they’re  a real energy boost and really help get me through my afternoon lull.

Progress…? Not so much

Jess Guth1 Comment

Frustrating. Very frustrating. I am now sitting on our sofa watching the London Marathon coverage and I pretty much feel like I just want to cry. I am of course being over dramatic. We set off for our 3.5 miles run this morning. We walked down to the canal and then set off towards Bingley. We got to just over 1 mile and I tweaked something in my right calf muscle. I kept going through that run and stretched it out in the walk interval and then started running again but it felt really tight and weird. We stopped and walked back. I was really upset about that and Kath was clearly frustrated that we couldn’t complete the run so we walked back in rather grumpy silence.

I have stretched and had some ice on it and it is beginning to ease. Let’s see how it goes. Maybe we can try again tomorrow. If it’s no better I will be making an appointment with our osteopath to take a look. I think though I am struggling more mentally with the setback. Running is such a huge deal for me and I feel so insecure about the whole thing that any setback is really really hard to get my head round. 3.5 miles not done, right calf tight and a bit sore, Jess tearful and grumpy… I guess tomorrow is another day.