Team Run, Fat Girl, Run

Here we go again

2011-05-07T14:12:00.003+01:00

So, here we go again, training proper begins for Race for Life 2011.

First a little recap:

I am a big fat girl. I founded Team Run Fat Girl Run with my best friends in 2008 when we did our first Race for Life.
I'm doing a 5k Race for Life at Nottingham Holme Pierrepont on Sunday 31 July - 12 weeks away.
I had my second baby 5 months ago and between now and race day I will go back to work, finish my MA dissertation and see Take That twice (very important).
I go a fightening shade of beetroot at the merest exertion never mind distance run.
My mum has brain cancer.

I've been signed up for this year's race for a while but haven't got round to training until now. I always seem to find some excuse but today they ran out and so I downloaded the NHS Couch to 5k Week 1 podcast, donned an old Biffy Clyro tea and hesitantly set off.

I actually think the NHS are quietly brilliant at this community and self-help stuff. I blogged my second pregnancy for NHS Choices and found it invaluable in helping me get through anti-natal depression and other complications. I'd heard of the Couch to 5k scheme and just from the name it sounded tailor made for me. I am a couch potato, I do have a 5k race to do and I have more than 9 weeks to do it - hoorah!

As it started playing and I walked through the meadow at the end of our road I did my 5 minute warm up walk as a plethora of wild flowers glistened from the recent rain at my feet. Clover, buttercups, daisies of many sizes, a few blue bells beneath the trees, and the air heavy with the threat of rain and the heady scent of hawthorn blossom. It was all quite beautiful and I didn't even notice the time passing.

Out on the road I managed the eight sets of 60 second gentle runs and 90 second brisk walks without keeling over. It got harder toward the end but the podcast is a bit like having a personal trainer and the encouraging instructions of when to run, when to walk really helped me make it through. Coming in at 30 minutes and being expected to do it three times before moving onto week 2 seems achievable to me - even with a hectic life and lack of motivation!

So, I've got started. With 12 weeks to go I think I might actually have a chance of keeping up with my fellow team members (who aren't fat at all but are very kind to me) Vena and Lauren. They've both done this course in less than 30 minutes before so I've got a lot of work to do!

I came into this thinking that I can't do it. I'm too fat, too unfit, too lazy, too busy. What I know though is that I won't ever achieve running 5k if I don't try. And that's what I'd say to people who say Cancer Research won't solve anything, that cancer will always kill. We won't find a cure if we don't try.

You can sponsor me online (warm fuzzy feeling guaranteed).
And you can get the free NHS Couch to 5k plan too.

Finally - a plea. The number of women taking part in Race for Life this year is down and Cancer Research UK are desperate for more people to sign up and raise money to try and find a cure. To all the women who are reading this please, please sign up to a race near you. If you sign up to Nottingham Holme Pierrepont you'd be more than welcome to join us. And to the men, please encourage any women you know - partners, mothers, daughters, sisters, colleagues - to sign up too.

You can find races and sign up online on the Race for Life website.

All signed up

2011-02-11T18:40:00.002Z

So, it's all official. I am embracing my official Race for Life alter-ego 'Sarah Champagne-Perspiration' and getting ready to run around Nottingham Holme Pierrepont on Sunday 31 July 2011.

I'll be joined by at least one other member of Team Run fat Girl, Run and will be using the NHS Couch to 5k to get race ready. No, really, this year is the year I *will* do some training!

As I've had my postnatal check up and am back on the weightloss waggon as well (feel free to join me up here, the lettuce is...crispy) it seems as good a time as any to get my wobble on the road. I'll blog the highs, lows and many 'meh' moments I'm bound to encounter over the next 6 months here.

Wish me luck and if you have a few spare pennies at any point you can donate them to me here: http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/sarahlay2011

First steps

2011-01-11T15:41:00.002Z

I've been out for a little walk with the baby in his pram today. We didn't go very far - about a half mile round route but as it was the first time I'd been out since having him I didn't want to push it.

It felt great to be out in the open air and it wasn't too hard. The hills were challenging enough and my back was aching by the time we got back (I still get pain where the spinal went in for my c-section). I'm confident we can build it up though and make it part of the training for Race for Life.

Registration opens next week so I'm having a last think about which event to enter and will be hassling the other Fat Girls to see whether I can talk them into it again!

Top five songs on today's soundtrack:
Junk Shop Clothes - The Auteurs; Lazarus - The Boo Radleys; Mancunian Way - Take That; Other Too Endless - Polly Scattergood; Near Wild Heaven - REM.

Getting set for 2011

2011-01-07T11:20:00.004Z

Happy New Year everyone! Made any new year's resolutions? Have you pledged to eat less chocolate, take more exercise, get off the fags & booze, marry a member of Take That??? Yeah, me too... (Howard Donald, obv).

My focus is on the first two resolutions - pretty much staples in my annual portfolio of good intentions. I'm no further back than I was last January, which is a relief seeing as I spent most of 2010 pregnant (my baby is now three weeks old) and seem to have managed not to gain any weight (this time, first time was a different story!).

So, I'm trying to wean myself off the Christmas excess and the cravings I gave into when pregnant and make a plan for when I get the exercise all clear in about three weeks. And of course my thoughts turned to setting a 2011 Team Run Fat Girl, Run goal for myself.

The obvious place to start is with Race for Life. This will be the fourth year I've signed up and taken part to raise money for Cancer Research UK. I'm sure some of the other girls will be running (walking / stumbling) alongside me.

Last year myself, Vena, Kelly and Lauren faced the monster 10km route at Kedleston Hall in Derby. We made it round despite having forgotten to train at all and I feel intensely proud of us all. However, I'm thinking of going back to where I started my Race for Life participation and tackling the 5km course at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham again.

With this in mind I'm also moving my blogging for NHS Choices from the pregnancy blog to the Couch to 5km blog. I'm going to give their training plan a good go and hopefully make it round the course in my best time yet! *

I'm also thinking about setting a goal for later in the year. I'm open to suggestions here - commitments mean I can't do any of those amazing challenges abroad but if anyone can suggest a challenge I could sign up for I'd love to hear it (leave me a comment, yeah?).

While I don't know what I'd like to do I do know why I want to do it. Last April my mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour, a cancerous brain tumour, a brain tumour for which there is no cure. She's undergone surgery and chemo and radiotherapy and all the side effects of those. However, we're now concentrating on whatever time is left. This situation haunts me at night while I'm awake feeding the baby so signing up for a challenge in which I can raise money for the hospitals or charities which are helping mum (and dad) is a way of creating positivity in a situation where there is no happy ending.

So - any ideas? Any body want to take a challenge alongside me? Anyone is welcome to be a 'fat girl' - you don't even have to be fat, or a girl! If you'd like to do a Race for Life or other challenge and blog about your progress here let me know. I'd welcome any support I can get - I have the feeling I'll be struggling with more than the physical training at times this year.

Leave me a comment with suggestions for challenges, words of wisdom or requests to be a 'fat girl'.

* You can see this pledge in posts at the start of every year we've been running this blog.

In the meantime I dust off the old Team moniker and sign off, yours with good intentions, Saira Champagne-Perspiration. xxx

Run, Fat Boy Run

2010-07-29T09:58:00.002+01:00

Some people do amazing things.

Carl Bembridge is one of these people as tomorrow he will be running 26 miles between his home in Mickleover and his workplace in Matlock, both in Derbyshire. He's doing it as a personal challenge to himself but also to raise money for the mental health charity Mind. And he's doing it before a day's work at the digital coalface for Derbyshire County Council.

That's right, Carl is a Big Damn Hero and most definitely an honourary member of Team Run Fat Girl Run.

You can read Carl's personal story about what made him, a 238lb man, decide to take on this tremendous effort on his sponsorship page - http://www.justgiving.com/carlbembridge. Of course I would wholeheartedly recommend you also donate a few pennies in support.

Once you've sponsored Carl head over to the Facebook group and take a guess at how long it will take him to complete the route - whoever gets the nearest time (within 15 mins) can win an iPod Touch. How can you resist the chance at getting your hands on something shiny while also getting a warm fuzzy inside from supporting a great cause and a great man?

Go, go sponsor him now.
S C-P x

Race for Life, Kedleston Hall, Derby, 18 July 2010

2010-07-19T10:37:00.003+01:00

Another year and another successful negotiation of a Race for Life course for Team Run Fat Girl Run!

Our numbers may have been down to four (me, Kelly Race, Lauren Noakes and Vena Redshaw) but we put our collective lack of training and one of us being pregnant and another one still drunk from the night before aside and headed to Kedleston Hall to face our nemesis: the 10km course.

Perhaps the first mistake was looking at the route map when we arrived. However, whatever fear this instilled the lack of contours on it meant we were still oblivious to exactly what lay in store.

But we took on the hills, the kamikaze sheep, the need to pee in the woods and the uneven surface and managed it with very little moaning in 2 hours 15 minutes. Not bad, not bad at all.

We owe at least a little bit of our success to Take That (no, really). Anyone who knows us knows we like a good old chat about what the boys are up to. Not only did this week's official reunion news provide some food for thought but with five members in the band again we were able to neatly divide the course up and 'do' each member as the kilometres passed.

(If you care we divided it thus: Jason 0-2km - characterised with overexcited waving of arms; Mark 2-4km - surrounded but lots and lots of excited women; Robbie 4-6km - lots of up and downs; Gary 6-8km - started off a bit dull but ended up being very pretty; Howard 8-10km - lung-popping and with speech impediments all round.)

What else were we chatting about? Well, the worrying realisation that all our fingers had swollen up en route; Lauren's fear of sheep; getting a hot pork cob at the end and how much more difficult the terrain was than the flat concrete of Holme Pierrepont.

Anyway, with a tremendous sense of achievement and an even bigger hunger we wobbled across that finish line and can proudly say - we did it!

Between us we've raised about £700 sponsorship so far - feel free to visit any of our pages (listed below) and add a few more pennies to the pot.

Thanks to everyone who has given and shouted out support for us. It definitely made a difference to each of us to know so many people were wishing us well.

Next year? Who knows...

Sponsor us:

Picture: At the half way mark - Vena, Lauren and Sarah. Photo by Kelly.

Next: Lauren Noakes is the next Fat Girl on a charity mission. She'll be abseiling down Dudley Castle at night in the autumn. More soon...

Slight return

2010-06-08T14:30:00.003+01:00

So I've been off the Race For Life radar for a while - partly because of my mum being diagnosed and treated for brain cancer but also because I've been harbouring a little secret.

I'm currently coming up to the end of the first trimester of my pregnancy with my second child. I'm due on Christmas Day and have been rolling with the punches of morning sickness that lasts all day, dizzy spells and constant unfightable tiredness.

This means training has been completely off the agenda for me. And to be honest, I'm wondering if I'll make it round any distance of course this year never mind a 10km for which I'll be ill prepared!

My plan at the moment is to do some light training this week while I'm off work (working on my university dissertation *sigh*) and see how it goes. I really don't want to pull out of taking part this year. Some of that is my competitive streak (last year it drove me to run days after having swine 'flu) but also because it is a need rather than simply a want to raise money and complete the course because of my mum's condition.

Obviously I can't risk my own health now I'm pregnant and if I can't take part so be it but at the moment I still fully intend to do a Race for Life even if it can't be the 10km.

So, give me even more reason to start doing what I can training wise and hand over your money - you can sponsor me online.

S C-P x

One in Three

2010-04-30T11:08:00.005+01:00

Having taken part in Race for Life the last two years running (pardon the pun) I'd read the statistic that one in three people will get cancer in their lifetime. I'd never really thought about that statistic in a tangible term though.

Me, my mum, my dad - that is three people, right? So statistically, one of us will get cancer in our lifetime. I hate it when numbers turn out to be right.

About three weeks ago my mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour and last week she had surgery to remove it. We now know that tumour is malignant (cancer) and my mum will have to have both chemo and radiotherapy to try and treat whatever cells of nastiness weren't scooped out in the operation.

We're remaining positive and have been pleased with the speed of diagnosis and treatment as well as utterly, utterly overwhelmed by the support for all of us from friends both on and off line. That support is definitely helping to keep us positive.

However, for me, I think it is still to fully sink it. Telling people about it sometimes feels like I am recounting a plot line from Holby City rather than talking about my mum.

My mum who I haven't always got on with but now my teenage angst is (mainly) behind me has been a big inspiration to me.

My mum who is amazingly intelligent in a number of ways and whose success always makes me strive that little bit harder for my own success.

My mum who didn't always do things the conventional way but did things without a fuss (unlike me).

My mum who has been a massive support to me and is an amazing Grandma for my little boy.

I know nearly everyone thinks their mum is the best mum in the world and I'm sure they are mostly right. Except, to me, obviously, my mum can't be beaten in that field.

I wish, of course, that this was all a plot of a hospital drama show and not happening to my mum, my family. But these things do and so we'll get on with dealing with it and taking the positive energy for the aforementioned amazing support as well as how well things have gone so far.

I'm now seeing those statistics as a real person and this year when I take on the 10km Race for Life (Kedleston Hall, Derby, 18 July 2010) I already know whose name will be the story on my back, and who I am running and raising money to help - my mum.

If you can spare a thought to hope this story has a happy ending I promise it is very much appreciated and if you'd like to sponsor me you can online.

Jog on

2010-04-24T10:03:00.004+01:00

I must have used up a good proportion of my energy whining about having to go out training before I'd even stepped out the door this morning. But make it out I did.

I have to admit I do feel better for having done it and I am moderately impressed with this morning's effort - 3.5 miles of which 2.25 miles I jogged! This is the longest continuous stretch of jogging I have EVER done (EVER!) and the shine of achievement is only slightly dulled by the realisation I jog at the same pace as I walk.

Still, keeping positive, this is about a quarter of the distance I've got to do in July and I'm starting to feel that may actually be possible. Sure, I'm not going to finish fast or looking pretty but I may manage to jog most of it if I can keep training up.

With a walk with Mind Marathon pioneer Carl Bembridge scheduled for tomorrow and jogs on Monday and Wednesday for starters next week I'm actually looking forward to the next opportunity to get my run on.

If you want to spur me on with cash you can sponsor me here.

S C-P x

PS - Good luck to all you marathon runners in London tomorrow :)

Run, Fat Boy, Run

2010-04-23T16:35:00.002+01:00

A break from our usual programme of blog posts about our consistent failure to train for our own events by bringing you an endorsement for Carl Bembridge and his marvellous Mind Marathon.

In Carl's words his Mind Marathon is a '238lb man vs a 26.01 mile route' which is completely in the spirit of Team Run, Fat Girl, Run!

Carl will run from his home in Mickleover (Derby) to his work in Matlock on Friday 30 July 2010 as a personal challenge to get fit in mind and body and to also raise money for the mental health charity Mind.

A great idea and a challenge most people would find difficult. I know how difficult I am finding it to get my head around running (or even jogging or walking 10km) so I am 100% this effort and will be endeavouring to run alongside Carl for at least part of his distance.

If you can spare a few pennies to encourage Carl on his way and support this important charity please visit his Mind Marathon Just Giving page.

In the meantime Team Run, Fat Girl, Run salutes Carl and are honoured to bestow upon him the dubious pleasure of being an honourary Fat Girl.

Run, Fat Boy, Run!
S C-P out x

Running away

2010-04-11T12:18:00.002+01:00

You're probably quite familiar with this introductory spiel now - haven't been out for ages, not looking forward to it, just about 3 months until race day blah blah blah.
But the spring sunshine and a powerful need to keep myself busy booted me out the door and training was underway.
I managed 1.66miles (about 3km?) in 30 minutes through a combination of walking and jogging. In fact I managed the longest continuous jogging stint yet (possibly ever for me).
I soundtracked the whole thing with EV001: Manchester even though I usually favour bleeps to beats when out training. The Manchester mix worked better than I thought though, particularly Stone Roses I Am The Resurrection which had me slowly wobble-jogging down a field with one hand self-consciously pumping the air in an attempt to set free some emotions.
I feel pretty pleased with this mornings effort and not as grouchy / knackered as usual. Oh, my knees and ankles still hurt for sure and I'd go for a nice sit down if anyone is offering but it didn't leave me feeling awful and this is a positive sign.
I learnt also that while running on pavements and roads is easier, it hurts more while fields are easier on the joints but really hard going. All of this is useful information which I can use to plan training in the future.
I'd love to say that I am definitely heading out again this week but personal circumstances mean I don't actually know where I will be in a couple of days time, or when I'll come back.
The best I can say right now is I'll be getting back to training as soon as I can...

S C-P x

Onset of Panic

2010-04-06T10:36:00.001+01:00

And so the panic begins. It's less than 15 weeks till R4L 10k!!!
Going to get my jog on and my sponsorship on this week.
Aim to hit all those dates i wrote down in my last post. I will start and i will maintain the training!
It's time to bring it!

Diaries to the ready

2010-03-26T17:34:00.002Z

OK so i've been off training for a few weeks now and it has taken its toll. Im now fat and unfit. More so than i have been in the last year so time to buck up ideas and get out there again. I dont know where it went wrong, all of a sudden i hadnt been to the gym or the Bowl of Hellfire in ages and i'd gained another stone... and that was weeks ago, before more gin and whiskey nights and before the unadulterated booze/burgerking exploits of Butlins!

Got dates in the diary for APRIL so calling all fat girls:

EASTER- who's free and when! Lets burn off those easter treats (that we've been scoffing since Feb!!)
Thursday 8th 7:30pm Ice Skating
Friday 9th 4pm The Bowl
Sunday 11th 10am The Bowl
Wednesday 14th 4pm The Bowl
Thursday 15th 7:30pm Ice Skating
Friday 16th 4pm The Bowl
Sunday 18th 11:30am Keddy Hall (Bluebell walk for £2.50on but great excuse to check out the terrain!)
Monday 19th 8pm Dancing wildly (but in sync) at Pipettes gig in Notts
Wednesday 21st 4pm The Bowl
Thursday 22nd Ice Skating
Monday 26th 4pm The Bowl
Wednesday 28th 7km strutt round Manc!

The journey ahead

2010-03-20T12:42:00.004Z

A walk in the spring sunshine was irresistible this week despite the fact I was recovering from tonsillitis.
So with Vena in on the jaunt and a borrowed dog we set off on a little jolly. Well, not that little as it turns out. Actually near enough the 10km distance we've got to cover in the race come July.
We walked it while covering our usual range of topics (trains, Take That, old times on trains and with Take That, Richard Hammond, nights out and love lives) and we may have had a quick half in the pub midway. But now I've actually done the distance I must admit the race is feeling more daunting.
I know I have to grasp the training nettle and get on with building up my stamina and ability to actually, you know, run.
So, yes, overwhelmed by the task ahead again. It's a hell of a long way and just walking it in the sunshine, with friends, with no particular rush to get there or back left me feeling weak, tired and as if traveling around in a motorised armchair would be a pretty sweet way to live out my days.
But quitting is not an option...so on with the training. I think my overall lack of general fitness is part of the problem so I'm trying to build in swimming and cycling to the schedule as well as the walk / running. And say it very quietly - I'm giving the dieting thing another go too.
And every journey begins with the most hesitant, shaky, unenthusiastic small step right?
S C-P x

Team RFGR Loves RaceforLife

2010-03-19T09:02:00.002Z

There are less than 18 weeks until race day now (18 July) and I can't say that any of us are training as hard as we should be. But our lack of physical effort is completely outweighed by our enthusiasm for taking part in Race for Life.

So when the Race for Life Get Social team asked "what do you love about taking part in Race For Life?" the team smiled and shared their reasons.

We've all got a personal reason and seen lives around us be touched by this disease. Raising funds to find a cure is obviously important to all of us and is the reason we all signed up in the first place.

Race day itself is full of emotion; that for me is part of the glory and the challenge. Reading the stories on everyone's backs is incredibly grounding, a sometimes harsh reminder that this disease is indiscriminate but those words are also an uplifting, intimate and unifying motivator to breakthrough personal barriers.

The other girls said the same, Vena Redshaw described her experience running with the Team in 2009: "I found it extremely humbling reading all the stories and felt like had actually achieved something important when I finished.

"The fact my best girls were there too was amazing, the healthy and the sick, all made me feel very proud of us as a team and friends. GO TRFGR!"

Kelly Race also joined the team in 2009. She said: "I love seeing everyone dressed up – young and old alike. It makes me smile."

So the team loves taking part in Race For Life because it bonds us as best friends together in silliness and a worthwhile cause and allows us to be with a group of amazing, inspiring and sometimes equally silly women all fighting this common foe in a way that doesn't even fill like full on battle.

In other news: We all got our numbers and packs this week and have made new resolutions to follow the training schedule included with them. In the meantime if you'd like to show me your support in a financial way you can join the fight against cancer by sponsoring me online!

S C-P
xxx

London Loves

2010-03-12T23:02:00.002Z

I never thought I'd see the day when I said this but London has managed to raise itself from loathe to like in my 'favourite cities' list.

Why didn't I like it before? Well, it's the Tube you see. I am simply not a creature meant to be transported at speed, in close proximity to strangers, beneath the ground. And that can really ruddy put you off a place.

But today I did the city a different way (and there is a Team RFGR point to this!); I walked.

Arriving into St Pancras station I had an hour to get to Barbican for a workshop I was attending. TfL journey planner gave me an estimated 25 mins on the dreaded Tube while a walk was estimated to take 40. A peek outside showed a favourable Spring sky and air as fresh as it can be in Kings Cross. I loaded up iMapMyRun on the new iPhone, stuck some tunes on (somewhat unimaginative of me but went with Blur) and off I went down the Pentonville Road.

Winding my way along to Angel and then down through Islington I really enjoyed the hotch potch architecture and effect of new buildings leaning on new. And strolling through Smithfields market, although it was way past it's rush hour, was pretty cool.

My heart was thawing for this city and I admit, it was a little disappointing to reach Barbican (great, brutal, 'cities in the sky' buildings) seemingly so soon. I perked up though when I realised I was not only far more relaxed than on usual trips but that I'd completed a 1.96mile route (and only 15 mins slower than if I'd gone underground).

I was so pleased with how well this had worked for me – no panicky escalator rides down, down, down into the depths or confusion about which line I needed or pushing or getting in the way – I decided to reverse it all and head back to St Pancras on foot at the end of the workshop.

So I've completed nearly 4 miles walking today and learned to like this place a little more. I also proved to myself that being busy or away from home for the day doesn't have to mean I'm entitled to excuse myself from training. It might not have been a run but it's all counting toward being able to make it round that ten km route come July.

I'm chalking today up as a good day – and thinking about when next I can come back and explore more of the capital on foot.

S C-P x

A Cautionary Tale

2010-03-10T08:31:00.005Z

DO NOT go shopping after a really long and dull day at work, you will find yourself compelled to spend money you dont really have on things you never even knew you wanted.

For example. After a long and dull day staring at code, frozen progress bars and debug messages i thought i'd pop to IKEA on the way to Sarahs. After all i need a sofa bed still and some light bulbs. Whilst i'm over that way i thought, i'll just nip into Decathlon and see if they do sports bras. BAD CHOICE.

Short of it is that i never got to IKEA. I spent over 2 hours in Decathlon and spent £70 on things i didnt even know i needed. And i forgot to even look for sports bras!

So now i have to take training more seriously because i've spent money on it, which i guess is a good incentive but one my bank balance could've done without. The only worrying thing is i need to return a few items because they were damaged (in my frenzied end of day shopping state i forgot to check for pulled seams etc) and im worried i might spend even more. It was only because i had my hands full already that i didnt come away with a HRM, GPS, bike, boots, jacket, day pack and archery set! If i can find the will power not to purchase these things when i return then maybe i can find the will power to train harder, better and faster!!

Pause

2010-03-07T21:52:00.002Z

Im having a pause in training. I havent done anything since bake day. Or did i go for a 5k jog? Oh i cant remember seems ages ago now. Did go ice skating on Thursday evening and that was hilarious. Was shitting myself to start with, its been YEARS since i last went and i remember spending most of that clinging onto the sides. This time i was with Mackenzies, Tim and Nick and it was great. I fell over in quite an understated and yet really retarded fashion, i also managed to get round without holding onto the sides or stopping so quite chuffed. Sarah did really well too seeing as it was her first time ever on the ice. I think there'll definetly be other times, hopefully we'll make it a regular thing as it was really good exercise. I felt great the day after but really really aching on Sat!! Muscles that i never knew existed in my legs hurt and my arms feel like they should be black and blue. Hopefully some rowing and weights at the gym tomorrow will help me stretch out and tone up. Fingers crossed!

BGS Bake Day

2010-02-26T14:47:00.004Z

I'm proudly wearing a red tshirt covered in crumbs...... it's all in aid of the British Heart Foundation and National Wear Red Day. Yup that's today, it's here at last and I'm chalking it up as a big old success.

I organised a Bake Day (aka frantic 10 minute scrabble for cake) at work. It was only a small affair but I'm rather proud of how it turned out. Alex, Jackie, Sheila and Debbie all baked wonderful cakes so combined with my massive batch of cherry and choc muffins we had enough to feed the BGS rabble.

Everyone gave very generously and together we raised £71 for the British Heart Foundation! Not bad at all, makes all the organising and kitchen caos worth it! I'm going to send a cheque off tonight... after I've been to the gym to work of 6000 kcals!!

A massive thanks to everyone who helped. Visit the British Heart Foundation to see where the money goes and why it is so desperately important we're heart aware!

Future Events

2010-02-25T14:38:00.003Z

This week i've been pondering bigger challenges. Perhaps further away challenges.

The BHF And CRUK both do really exciting and amazing fund raising events abroad. Hikes, bike rides, runs and swims all over the place. I'm seriously thinking about Peru Trek, Berlin Marathon, 3 Capitals Cycle Challenge or something equally as far fetched and inspiring to do in 2011. For definate i'm doing the Three Peak Challenge ... could Team RFGR be the super team in 2011? This year i want to do the Winter High Peak Challenge .

Hmmmmm i'll deliberate and cogetate a bit more before i decide 100% on next years events me thinks, it's a serious undertaking for a Fat Girl and i have to be sure im dedicated and could do the charity justice. Exciting though!!

Bad biscuit day

2010-02-25T14:20:00.006Z

Today has been exactly what is says on the tin. A bad biscuit day. Actually that's not entirely true, it's been a really bad biscuit and flapjack day. I did the gym, again, yesterday and it's still not getting any easier. Having a minor sulk about it. I know i cant expect results straight away but i want to go climbing mountains and running 10k NOW! I don't want to be fat and unfit anymore, now I've made the decision it's getting tiresome waiting for the results of my labour! Of course eating biscuits is quite the wrong thing to do when having a tantrum about being fat, darn the stupid wiring of my brain! Hopefully the weather will stay reasonably clear this afternoon so i can actually get to the Bowl this week, need to jog off these biscuits and try to reprogramme my brain!

Talking of sugar and sweet things. It's the big awaited BGS BAKE for British Heart Foundation tomorrow so I'm over Mackenzies tonight stealing muffin trays and recipes! Hopefully between me and the other super gals in my dept we'll have baked up enough treats to feed our colleagues and raise a lot of cash for BHF!

Groundhog Day

2010-02-24T14:16:00.004Z

I'd just got my running shoes laced and was hurrying out of work to get over to the Bowl when i noticed horrid cold freezy white stuff falling from the sky. Bloody bloody bloody bloody snow! Now don't get me wrong i love snow- when it's a weekend and and i can go play and get drunk- not when im wearing shorts and trying to keep my balance! So with another epic weather fail I abandoned the Bowl and headed to the gym instead. Armed with my chum Jane's mp3 i started on the treadmill. Thanks to a great mix of tunes incl Feeder, Foo Fighters and Nirvana i jogged 2 miles. That's the furthest i've managed to go on the treadmill without being so bored i had to fall off!!! RESULT!! Also did 10 minutes on the rower and even did some weights. It's amazing the difference an empty gym and some great tunes can make, I might try going after work more often if it's that productive. I went at lunch today and it just felt like a chore, having to wait for people to get off stuff and not being able to sing out loud makes it really boring. I'm not good with boring, not when it comes to exercise.

So with a gym session on Mon and Tues i was expecting aching muscles and sore limbs today but low and behold todays session has been pain free. I'm not sure if that's because im not working hard enough or because of the new shakes im drinking but im happy with the result! I'm positively busting with enthusiasm for tomorrows 5k jog, which is weird. Very weird. But good i guess!

Snow interupts training

2010-02-23T11:35:00.002Z

What a bummer. Jog scheduled for weekend had to be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions! Annoyingly though so too did my big house move! Instead of 5k and moving house i ended up putting more time into my alcohol endurance training. Booze is bad, but then again i may have slightly (kidding ones self) balanced this out with a lot(ish) of walking. OK so all be it drunk and in the middle of the night but it all counts if my calf muscles were anything to go by yesterday! I still went to the gym though and lasted a dissapointing 10 minutes before wanting to throw myself out the window through boredom not pain. So it's all about the 5k jog tonight round the Bowl of ~~Hellfire~~ Iceyslush.

Seriously though I must curb it on the alcohol front because i really do want to get fit by spring, i will be able to ascend mountains and jog 10k without an oxygen mask and need for hospitalisation. I will, i will, i will, i will, i will... am i convincing anyone else because it's not working for me! Also pissed off the smoking has crept back up again too, a definate side affect of the increased booze consumption. So that is all the news i have. I've concluded drinking is fun but it must be balanced out with better eating and more fitness. Bring on the 5k waddle tonight.

Powered by vitriol

2010-02-20T10:27:00.003Z

Got out there. Jogged 1.6 miles in 18 minutes and feel, frankly, miserable, a bit angry and not very healthy at all.

I am therefore giving science the finger as this stuff about endorphins is clearly codswallop. I'm feeling angrier now than I did before heading out and that's saying something given the whole endeavour was powered by a doozy of a tantrum.

My whole right leg is a series of niggles now - one in the inside of my ankle, then the outside of my knee and the familiar pain in the lower right of my back. Further convincing me I have one leg shorter than the other or (new option) they unbalanced my core by removing the left hand side of my reproductive system.

Anyway. I did it. I got out there and did my first training in 16 days. Now sponsor me. Please.

S C-P x

Total training fail

2010-02-20T09:40:00.004Z

Well as per usual my good intentions have been scuppered by a hideous cycle of illness leading to mood lowering leading to lack of will power leading to further illness. In short I haven't done any training since I walked 5km with Kelly more than two weeks ago.

I don't feel good about it. Especially seeing as the Race For Life Get Social team have sent me a bag full of goodies (inluding the cute as anything rubber duckie) as a thank you for blogging, tweeting and generally yakking online about taking part. It's a shame that the effort I put in online won't help me survive the 10km race in July.

So, it's time to pull myself up by my trainer laces and get back on with training of some sort or another. I was feeling motivated 30 minutes ago but the discovery that my iPod is at work has diminished that get up and go somewhat. Running (alright jogging. Alright ALRIGHT walking) 5km on my own with no tunes really isn't appealing to me.

A failed attempt to hijack my husband's iPod means I'm expending more energy on sorting out this perceived problem than I am on actually getting on with training. If there is one thing I need no more practice in it is procrastination.

I need somebody to tell me to get out there. Someone to have some friendly competition with. Anyone about to administer a kick up the ass?

A lazy-as-you-like S C-P x

Snow Day

2010-02-19T10:13:00.001Z

This was the view from my window as i got up to leave the office yesterday night. This would've been a much welcomed sight if i hadn't been on my way to the Bowl to do a 5k.

I know from experience that running in rain round the Bowl is beyond miserable let alone sleet and snow so I decided against it. But instead of buggering off home and snatching a biscuit from the tin before i left i got my gear together and headed to the gym. As usual it was a total waste of time because there's a big red button which says STOP on the treadmill. I'm a sucker for doing what I'm told.

The final result was 10 minutes on the rower and 1.5 miles on the treadmill. Rubbish but better than nothing?

Good Times Bad Times

2010-02-17T06:12:00.016Z

[For the purpose of the following statement i need you to assume that training now consists of whiskey monopoly, Wii fit games a la whiskey, takeaways post whiskey and sleep deprivation]

It's been an awesome weekend of training!

Hmmm so maybe the training has taken a bit of a back seat to fun this weekend but I'm back on track now. In Fridays post i said I'd go to the bowl again that night but work scuppered my good intentions and i stayed at my desk till gone 6:30pm. I had been to the gym at lunch and done a bit of rowing and walking but found it surprisingly frustrating that i couldn't go jogging. Being a Fat Girl it's obvious these periods of enthusiasm don't come often and I'm only too aware if i let it slide it'll be harder to get off my fat arse the next day. Then came the weekend of anti-training and plans of a Sunday jog fell to the wayside. However i think if giggles and guffaws count then I'm ready for a marathon!

Monday was a total exercise fail as didn't get to gym and traffic stopped me getting to Sarah's in time for a jog. I did however have a good session of bopping and clapping at a really really great HotChip gig in Notts.

So with a steely determination to get this fat arse moving I went to the gym at lunch on Tuesday. Only to suffer another fail as it was closed! So Jane and I went for a brisk walk into the village instead, not much of a workout but better than vegging at my desk. I followed this with a 5k jolly round the Bowl later that night! I'm really getting into sunset jogging, it's really beautiful and if i didn't have to focus all my attention on keeping my legs working I'd take my camera along and show you. The skies were an amazing display of burnt amber and crimson, it would've taken my breath away if i had any left. The setting sun also helps keep me going because i don't want to be caught out in the dark half way round a big hole of water, that would be bad times!

So my 5k time on Tuesday wasn't anything special, but i did find it easier going than last week which must prove the faffing about in the gym is doing something. That or being sleep deprived and trying to hold a convo with your mum whilst jogging is the way forward. So even though my speed leaves something to be desired I'm pleased I'm getting out there and staying motivated. I just need to keep it up and hopefully I'll start feeling the benefits soon. That and some of my winter blubber should start shedding in time for a lean mean bikini summer!

P.S Tuesdays walk/jog was brought to you by the music from Maximo Park and the company via mobile of Mrs Mack and Mum!

Don't let the sun go down on me

2010-02-12T08:07:00.007Z

Stupidly i weighed myself at the gym the other day. First time back to the torture chamber since Christmas and it showed, i was bloody knackered and the scales said FAT. This didn't help my mood, in fact i think it broke me. After a bit more melodramatic 'woe is me' tantrum i decided to pick my self up and shut up. Crying wasn't going to help anything and tears don't weigh enough to make a difference on the scales. So last night i laced up my running shoes and went to Holme Pierrepont for a jog after work.

It was a beautiful evening and although there was a freezing wind i soon warmed up after 5 minutes of fast walking. I even broke into a jog a few times and made it round in a time of 45 minutes. This was the time i managed a year ago when training started for the 5k. Since then I've lost 1.5 stone, got fit, got healthy, jogged 5k in 28 minutes, then stopped. Winter has been miserable, with darkness coming so early and crap weather i've done nothing. Im back to square one with an additional 0.5 stone to weigh me down. Oh well we all have to start somewhere and if i have to start from the beginning again so be it. Will power growing and stubborn determination back on track.

I'm planning to go to the Bowl of Hellfire again today, but I'll time it so as I'm not walking into the setting sun. The burning amber sky made the water look like the fiery pits of hell and running with bleeding retinas isn't too pleasurable, although that did take my mind off the fire in my lungs and the burning in my knees. And it's soooo much easier to keep good pace with pumping tunes, praise be to the Ministry of Sound and HotChip :D

Oh and I've just found out there's going to be a Race For Life Charity Single, if you want to be part of it and literally sing for your life go here, they're recruiting folk to sing on it all over the UK so take a look for when RFL scouts will be near you!

One thumb up one thumb down

2010-02-10T16:19:00.004Z

I can report the Team has had some 'tactical training', this is the thumb up part! The newly wed Mrs Mackenzie and I had a jolly old time boozing it up at the Beer Festival on Sat afternoon. We also celebrated Vena and Michaels birthday at the local pub with Sarah. So all in all I've managed to widen the Fat Girl part of our team but as for the Run part it's been a disaster! I'm wallowing in self pity and muffin crumbs, and that's the thumb down part! Next week will be the start of better things.... i hope! By then some will power will have kicked in and i can go back to those happy enthusiastic times gone by! Oh and I've had no replies to our Dine At Mine letters, not even a 'thanks but no thanks'. How rude and disappointing, calls for another muffin i think :(

Training #fail

2010-02-05T14:57:00.007Z

This was the weather on the way to Holme Pierrepont Wednesday night. It was rain, sleet and snow, all rolled into one horridly freezing evening. Combined with the fact I was really miserable (5 days semi-no-smoking) I decided to turn round and go home. So training was a fail. I paid for it at weigh in yesterday with a 3lb increase, darn it! I should've braved the bloody weather... one training session certainly would've counter-acted the week of replacing fags with foodie treats! Hmmmmm???

I may have jacked in the training plan but I still did something for the good of TRFGR. I spent over an hour in Westfield hand delivering begging letters to our favourite stores! I really hope we get some positive responses. I also hope the letter made sense. Basically I said the Team and friends are meeting each month. We're cooking a meal and all chipping in some money for CRUK. All we need is a few businesses to recognise they could help us and be generous. We're not asking for cash, we're asking for food so we can add the shopping budget to the donation, and any products from their stores we can raffle off or give as prizes for quizzes or games. I hope I'm not the only one that can see the potential boost to our fundraising this could generate. It's all for Cancer Research UK, who could say no to finding a cure for Cancer? Well apparently Next can, they wouldn't even take my letter, instead they gave me a slip with head office phone number on and told me that was all they could do. Was I naive to expect more, am I going to be disappointed when we get no replies?? Oh dear!!

Guess I'll concentrate on the training and sponsorship for the 10k, always a great comfort to know I can count on the generosity and kindness of my friends and colleagues! I'll start passing round the sponsorship forms soon! If you want to sponsor me online go here !

Expect another update on training early next week. Well it's the beer festival tomorrow so I HAVE to fit training into the weekend else next weigh in will be another disaster! The plan is to go for a jog Saturday morning then do a MEGA walk on Sunday with Phil. Fingers crossed for better weather!!

Hesitation

2010-02-03T15:39:00.002Z

Look out the window. It's getting dark, it's raining, it's freezing cold. I don't want to go jogging, I don't want to get out my nice warm clothes, I don't want the rain to sting my face and lose all feeling in my fingers. I don't want to go jogging!!

Well OK I do a little bit, I'm still feeling guilty about the whole cake thing last week but I'd be a little happier if I was setting off to gracefully jog along a stretch of golden sand and sparkling blue surf. Instead I have to get my stupid shorts on and go waddling round a wet, dark pond in Nottingham. Not really inspiring or motivating but if it's what I must do then so be it.

Off I go :(

Style and sobriety #fail

2010-02-02T12:10:00.013Z

The training on Friday went well. We showed up and we jogged a good chunk of the 1.6mile circuit. For this I am proud, we started with gusto and we followed through on our fighting talk. What I'm less proud of is the fact that I was fuelled by a whole Victoria Sponge and Sarah was quite tipsy after a few afternoon pints! Vena, however, was sugar and alcohol free, but still managed to pull off the most amazing impression of a chav I've ever seen. I know what our next theme night will be!! I'm not being mean, i'm allowed to mock because I rocked an even more ridiculous ensemble (see photo evidence- cheers Vena!!)

So with training for the Race For Life 10k underway it's time to start our second fundraising attack. Every month most of the TRFGR girls are meeting under the guise of Gourmet Night. It's a great excuse to eat quality grub and spend the night drinking wine and catching up with friends. Every athlete needs a breather from training every now and again! So taking this idea on board we've decided to open up these events and hold them as Dine at Mine events for Cancer Research UK.

We're appealing to local business' and supermarkets to help us maximise the amount of cash we can raise from each event. If we're supplied with food or vouchers it'll enable us to donate the shopping budget as well. And if we get given free goodies we can raffle these off or use them as prizes for competitions and challenges. I've signed us up and written letters to our favourite supermarkets and shops so I really hope we get a positive response, we REALLY want to make these nights a success and raise as much money as possible!

Now onto the serious business of training.... I'm heading down Holme Pierrepont tonight to see how good/bad a 5k walk in the rain can go. Then I'm home to deliver the Dine at Mine begging letters! Wish me luck!

Top five: things learnt in training #2

2010-01-31T08:44:00.002Z

So, grasping the training bull firmly by the horns I headed out again yesterday for training session number two.
With my three-year-old taking on the training partner role we set out in the bright sunshine for what was supposed to be a walk of a 10km circuit. I thought this would set in my mind the distance I'm aiming for in July. Nothing like seeing the whole of the desert before trying to move it grain by grain.
Anyway, we managed 8km. These are the top five things I learnt from it.

Ten kilometres is a long way. A really long way. A really really long way.
Surprisingly good tunes to train to include Belle and Sebastian Sleepyheads and St Etienne Join Our Club.
Yesterday was a really beautiful cold, crisp, sunshine and blue sky of a day with a hint of Spring in the air. Even with the physical struggle of making it as far as I did it sure is good for the soul to get out and about.
So adept am I am moaning that with each mile that passes another made-up malady strikes. Yesterday I was mainly suffering from a popped lung (a dramatic spin on the not-made-up asthma) and the conviction that I have one leg shorter than the other and this is what makes my back hurt (right leg shorter if you're interested).
That however big a challenge I have given myself by deciding to do the 10km it is nothing compared to the challenge facing those with cancer or their friends and family. I was reminded why raising this money is so important after hearing about an associate's current battle. I'd gladly up my distance if it meant we were one step closer to finding a cure for cancer.

Today is a day off. All the girls in the team who are taking on the 10km are getting together to eat a hearty Sunday lunch and no doubt talk training. Next week sets me off on my schedule proper and I'm still feeling pretty positive about what I can personally achieve.

If you want to sponsor me you can do so online: http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/sarahlay

S C-P x

Training session #1

2010-01-29T18:41:00.004Z

I'm not sure if this is the way that serious athletes do it but I started my training session by drinking two pints and talking about the money to be made from selling virtual nipple tape in Second Life with a great bunch of geeks.
Something powered me on though as I headed out into the twilight with Lauren and Vena for our first official training session for Race for Life 2010.
We did a short 1.6 mile circuit round my way but was mightily impressed that we jogged most of it - even the hills! It was certainly easier on my lungs that the 5k was last July as the pig 'flu ravaged them.
It wasn't a full throttle start to the training but we feel it is sensible to start slow and short and build up so we feel we've achieved something each time.
In fact, rather than feeling knackered and overwhelmed by the task ahead, I feel motivated and incredibly positive about making it round the 10k come July.
I've now mapped a 10km walk from my door and back again and plan to load my three-year-old into the pushchair and walk this route tomorrow morning. I think this will give me a good idea of the final distance and what lies ahead.
And then onward with the 12 week training schedule I've been recommended by a friend. I think training together is a great giggle (although everything we do is laughs-a-go-go to be honest) but I'm also looking forward to getting my music on and tackling these routes alone sometimes.
I don't think I could have hoped for a better start. The next 6 months of training are going to be challenge - but I'm ready to face it head on as part of Team Run, Fat Girl, Run.
S C-P x

Todays exercise was brought to you by the emotion GUILT

2010-01-29T12:15:00.005Z

I was planning to start my training campaign next week when I could say I was 100% recovered from the cold/cough/snot bug I've had. But today I have eaten a whole victoria sponge (which follows an evening of ultimate choc brownies and blueberry muffins). This may well have been in the name of charity but I am still fleeing work in a cloud of woe and self hatred to join my fellow team mates for a spot of afternoon jogging. Hopefully this early start to the training regime will boost my confidence and start me on the straight and narrow. I need to find a path paved in willpower and sucess rather than jam and cream. Darn that cakey goodness.

Curse my radical thinking

2010-01-27T17:21:00.005Z

So yesterday I had the brain wave about doing the 10k run instead of the usual 5k. I even wrote a small blerb in this Blog and shared my insanity with a few of the Team. But then i talked training regimes with some gym-keen friends and I quickly saw the error of my ways! The kind of plan I'd need to get myself to where I could jog 10k at a respectable pace was colossal and so much harder than the one I failed to keep up for the 5k! The idea was dismissed. I was a little disappointed I'd not got the courage to challenge myself to that level but the commitment filled me with dread, the sheer size of the task and the totally dedication to not looking like an idiot... it just goes against every lazy bone in my body.

Then out of the blue the other Team members agreed with me, but a day too late, they agreed the 10k was a good idea! Oh how easily my mind is swayed, about 2 seconds later and I'm all fighting talk again! WE CAN DO IT!! If only my fitness was as strong as my will is weak! *urgh* now we're signed up for the 10k EEEK and there's no going back. I'm going to have to do my very best to kick my lazy bones into gear, because if I fail at training I'll fail on the day. I do not want to let the Team or Cancer Research down.

So all that training I baulked at before is now back on the table and being designed into a spreadsheet of woe as you read this. I'm going to be using and abusing all my kind friends and fellow TRFGR members who've pledged help, support and training companionship! The countdown is on: 18th July 2010!

This Fat Girl is getting her game on!! My sponsorship page is up and running already so it has officially begun. 6 months to train and raise a load of cash. I'm going to try and remember the reason behind it all when my legs are aching and my feet are bleeding, all the training pain and tears will be worth every penny of sponsorship.

What could be better motivation than helping find a cure for Cancer?

On your marks....

2010-01-27T12:11:00.005Z

So, here we go again.

I am not sure what magic is at work but each January when the registration opens for Race For Life the unwavering belief I can run (yes, run) easily, happily and fast by July takes me over.

Consequently, having overcome the challenge of completing 5km at Holme Pierrepont in 2009 with swine 'flu and a chest infection raging through my system this year I've registered for the 10km.

Yes, 10km. Which I am convinced I am going to run with the carefree smile and graceful gait. The image in my head looks like a BodyForm advert - the sun is shining and I am laughing, barely noticing that I am running at speed. Sweat, wheezing and moaning doesn't come in to it. Neither does the inevitable crying when I finish slower than the rest of the team.

Right now I am uninterested in the reality of what 18 July 2010 will bring. I am signed up and ready to become S Champagne-Perspiration again. I fully intend to get further along my training plan than merely printing it off this year.

So, yeah, 10km. Bring it on.

And if you could sponsor me that would be awesome: http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/sarahlay

The rest of the team are also ready to go again - I've already had news that superspeedy Fat Girls of 2009 Vena and Lauren will be taking on the 10km, as will self-confessed lazy arse Kelly Race while Sarah Hutchinson heads to Nottingham again to take on the 5km.

I am sure news of what the other Fat Girls are doing will feed through soon. So watch this space (and the roads of Derbyshire as I get training!)

S C-P xxx

TRFGR in 2010

2010-01-26T12:25:00.007Z

It's 2010 and thoughts have started turning to what challenges lie in wait for TRFGR this year. Registration for Race For Life 2010 has opened so the wheels are being put into motion to gather the team together once more for the 5k walk/jog/run. I've decided to change venues to Kedleston Hall this year as I'm heading to wales on holiday again the weekend of the race at Holme Pierrepont. The only problem is they do a 5k and a 10k race. I'm not even sure why I'm contemplating the 10k, it's a crazy idea, or is it?? YES it is! I barely survived the 5k run last year. But it would be a challenge, and that's what it's all about in 2010! So I'll think about it a bit more, this shouldn't be rushed into after all, 10k is a serious distance and I'm not sure i could get that fit. I still want to enjoy it after all!

What else have TRFGR got lined up for 2010? Urm... nothing which involves fighting the flab as yet. The opposite in fact, oops!! Following the success of the annual Macmillan Coffee Morning I'm having a bake day at work for the British Heart Foundation. I dropped a few bags off to their charity shop the other day and found out that February is National Heart Month and they're running a 'Red For Heart' campaign. I'll be making cherry sponge cake, red iced cupcakes and rasberry cookies mmmmmmmmmm to sell at work on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th. Hopefully they'll be delicious and raise a few quid for BHF :)

Macmillan Coffee Morning

2009-09-26T18:00:00.002+01:00

Two members of TRFGR were up till the wee hours Thursday night doing their bit for another charity. No we weren't walking, jogging, running, hiking, swimming or anything that could remotely be called exercise or fighting the flab. We were baking. But baking hard and baking good. Every year my work support the Macmillan Coffee Morning and it's always an event to behold. I've never seen such wonderful cakes and with Sarah Lays help I managed to rustle up a few batches of scrumptious cupcakes to add to the feast. I took the morning off to help and donate my own cakes and pennies, my Blog has pictures and more details. It was awesome, bring on MCM2010!

Race for Life Reflection

2009-08-05T08:11:00.006+01:00

So the race is over for another year.

We did it!

Im so proud of all the girls for overcoming everything thrown at them in the weeks preceeding the race and for making it another proud year for the team! We all did it, we ALL did it, we RULE! Im so proud of Team Run Fat Girl Run!

It was ideal weather for the race this year, Hellfire was replaced with overcast, cool, damp conditions. There was a good turn out and it all got a little emotional again, it really hits home at these events just how many people are touched by Cancer and how important the race is. Spurred on by this, Vena and advice from the running bible I got my jog on and both Vena and I made it round in 27 minutes. Im so chuffed with this, i never thought i'd really do it in under 34minutes. And im pleased to say Nick is staying true to his word and coughing up the sponsorship he bet me!

A MASSIVE thanks to everyone who supported us by coming on the day and by sponsoring a Fat Girl. It meant so much to us and Cancer Research UK. We're proud to have done our bit in the fight to beat cancer, so thankyou on behalf of all the Fat Girls, we did it together xx

So anyways, i know i said before i'd never do it again, im too fat and certainly too unfit to undertake such a challenge. But you know what i cant wait for next year. It's true that i got the usual 'i can conquer the world' rush after finishing the 5k, but it's been a week since we did it now and i still want to do it all over again! I suprised myself and maybe if i did have a plan and stuck to it then i could be fit enough to beat 27 minutes?.... have i heard that before?

But first things first we have a whole year of other charity events to try! So what's our next game plan..... watch this space!!!! Or send suggestions to our Facebook group!

Lauren xx

Latest tally of funds for Race for Life '09

2009-08-01T09:30:00.002+01:00

I've had a quick add up this morning and the current team total stands at £1,264! This is a great amount and there may even be a little bit more as sponsorship is still trickling in.
A week on from the race and muscles have almost stopped aching but the sense of achievement is still in the air. Well, I am guessing about that given I can't actually successfully take on air given I got myself a chest infection from limping round the course last week!
So while I wheeze like a Lynda Le Plant serial killer we're gathering in the pennies and starting to think about what the team can take on next.
We're open to suggestions for events and charities - so let us know what the Fat Girls should turn their athletic prowess to next :)
And thank you - again - for supporting us. Fat Girl followers rock!
S C-P (or should that be C-I for Chest Infection now?) x

Race for Life 2009: Done!

2009-07-27T12:21:00.003+01:00

Yesterday Team Run, Fat Girl, Run gathered at Holme Pierrepont near Nottingham and took part in the five kilometre Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK.
The team was down to seven members on the day and one of them was in the early stages of recovering from swine flu so wasn't really any use!
However, the girls gathered and we all tackled the course at our own pace. Lauren and Vena were speedy superstars and completed in less than 30 minutes, followed by Kelly, Sarah B and Toni with Sarah H and myself bringing up the rear. The whole team finished in under an hour and all the girls should be very proud of themselves for taking part!
And our sponsors should be very proud of themselves too. The team are still totting up how much cash we got but the total stands at over £1000 already! If you didn't manage to sponsor us before race day there is still time - links are on the right of the page, just pick your favourite Fat Girl and off you go!
Now all we have to decide is what our next challenge will be!

T-19.5 hours

2009-07-25T15:27:00.005+01:00

Image by deadheaduk via Flickr

Last year I earned myself the nickname Champagne Perspiration for running (OK, walking) the Race for Life mere hours after stepping off a wedding dance floor.
This year I will be running (OK, walking) mere hours (alright, a day) after rising from my sick bed having succumbed to the disease de rigeur, swine flu. I'm still a bit sniffly but most definitely not contagious. This will not stop me from joining my band of Fat Girls and getting our active on for 5km in order to earn the money people have so generously donated via us to Cancer Research UK.
As an overweight asthmatic (and a great self-promoter I am sure you will agree) undertaking five km isn't as easy as it sounds. But that is part of the ethos of Team Run, Fat Girl, Run - to do it even though we know we aren't super-honed athletes!
I've been pretty ill for a week...more ill than I have been in a very long time. But that is nothing compared to the fight people put up against cancer every single day. By supporting causes like Cancer Research UK we can help more of them win.
I'm already feeling emotional about tomorrow. That may partly be down to it being the first time I will have left the house in a week. But mainly it is because, and get ready for the cheese, the hero that is every woman taking part tomorrow and the heroes whose stories are told on the dedications on their backs.
Thanks again to everyone who has supported a Fat Girl so far - the team total is now nearing £1000. And that makes all of you Big Damn Heroes too.

The race is...on?

2009-07-23T09:33:00.002+01:00

Image via Wikipedia

Ok - so it is T-4 days now until Race for Life 2009 (I think). I sort of lost count as I've been hit with swine flu (second team member to contract after Sarah B) and to be honest I have doubted I would make it *to* the Bowl of Hellfire nevermind round it.
But, despite my melodramatic proclamations to my darling husband last night that I was soon to be carried off by the pig flu I am feeling marginally better this morning. Well enough that I can believe a few more doses of Tamiflu and some rest and good food and I will be non-contagious and at least able to limp round.
It means the training I've put in over the last few months is all but worthless. Yes, that's right, I am holding swine flu responsible for a poor performance now - not my laziness and general un-fitness! But I am still gonna do it! Well, probably.
So -I'm taking the actual decision on whether to race or not up to the line. I clearly won't be there if there is any doubt that I am still infectious. I may not be able to run/walk/stumble if I can't get my lungs to work better than they do right now. What I can definitely do is support the girls who are going to be there for sure - and will my immune system to keep fighting so I can be with them come Sunday!
Watch this space...
S C-P
News Just In: We're another team member down - Ace can't make the race :( Hopefully she will be able to transfer to another event as she still really wants to take part. We'll miss you on the day Ace!

Race For Life: T-6

2009-07-20T08:31:00.004+01:00

Righto then, it's 6 days till Race For Life 2009. Im so proud of all our friends and family for really stepping up to the mark these last few weeks and digging deep to sponsor us all! Late minutes sponsorship is more than welcome as we need a last burst of encouragement as race day literally races towards us! If you want to support us and help beat cancer follow the links on the right of this blog and donate to your fav Fat Girl. No matter what you can afford it all goes to an amazing cause, see what Cancer Research UK do with your money.

I've done NO training since my last post, and i've no time for any training till 'Race For Life: T-1' aka Saturday, which is taking shape as a fun filled afternoon of poolside chitchat and munchies with TT dvds in the evening at Mrs Sarahs house. We'll be working out those core muscles through a strict schedule of belly laughing till it hurts and dancing our carbs off to our boys! It's exhausting training but we're dedicated! You'll have to wait to hear if we're sweating alcohol like the Sarahs valiant effort last year!

REMEMBER you can not only support us with money but with your presence at The Bowl of Hellfire on SUNDAY 26th JULY. The Race starts at 11am and as we found out last year the traffic gets worse the later you leave it so pack a drink and some suntan lotion and get there early, we'll be limbering up from about 10am so come give the Fat Girls a wave!!

Photos will be posted here and on our Facebook group so check back for those on Monday!!!
Do i sound more jovial about race day? It's a lie, im bricking it!

Race For Life: T-13

2009-07-13T15:30:00.007+01:00

So it's less than a fortnight till Team Run Fat Girl Run will be limbering up and taking their place at the start of the Race For Life. Granted we wont be first out the blocks when the whistle goes but we've all got our own goals for how we'd like to complete the race. I have my own challenge, set down by Nick who knows my stubbon and competitive side only too well. If i do it in under 34:01 minutes (his time doing 5k/3.1miles with injury) then he'll give me a considerable donation. Now this seemed ridiculous at first thought because last year we did it in over AN HOUR! So i'd need to cut that in half to be able to stick two fingers up at Nick. So i was thinking, can i do it? Will the smug satisfaction of getting under that time push me round the course; will the blood, sweat, tears and lung collapse be worth that...... bloody darn right it will! So that's the target, i'll fight hard for that time. If i dont do it fair enough, it's a pretty high bar for me to reach but i'll give it a bloody good go, all in the name of raising more money for charity (and in no way just to stick two fingers up at Nick.... you reckon?)

For the last few weeks i've been down the gym quite regular. Dont misconstrew this as enthusiasm or dedicated training... its been purely to balance out the fact i've been eating like a horse and smoking like a trooper. OK so i've resembled a lame asthmatic donkey whos left her artillary and marbles back at base. But i have been jogging a mile a time and doing it in a smudge under 10 minutes. It hurts but it's possible now without too much loss of vision and coughing up blood. So if i can keep this pace up for 3 miles i might just make it under 34:01 minutes. So THE Plan has been revised and crammed into 2 weeks of panic training. 1 mile in 10 minutes is achievable. This weeks phase will be to jog 2 miles in 20 minutes and then final weeks phase will be 3 miles in 30 minutes.

Hang on. Reality check! This reminds me of something.. oh yes.. this reminds me of THE Plan i had when i signed up for the race, the first time and the second time. I had a plan to increase my fitness slowly over the year so it wasnt such a panic in the first few weeks before race day. Which, I believe, is exactly where i find myself now and i suddenly feel a little reflective...

Oh how we had such enthusiasm, we were driven, we were determined..... ''we'll do the race again but this time we'll write a blog, have a plan, stick to it, i know we said that last year but this time it'll work, come rain or shine we'll train hard, we'll get fit, we'll do it proper, we wont leave it all till the last fortnight...''

So when im sat there after the race next Sunday, with my heart hammering through my chest, sweat pouring down my back, lungs bleeding trying to smoke a fag and choke down a greasy burger with my final breaths...... PLEASE stop me. Stop me, Stop me, Stop me. And i dont mean the burger or the fag but from repeating all this again! The Plan didnt work, it failed, again. Im not race fit, im terribly unprepared, and im actually going to attampt 5k in 30 minutes! Im a Fat Girl in a two week training panic! AGAIN! So remind me after the race it's just adrenaline making me feel good, explain to me this is a near death experience and my body is in shock, it is not feeling good it is in shock, it doesnt want to do it again and it will hate you for it. Dont let me sing the praises of The Plan and suggest all this again in 2010. DO NOT LET ME SAY THIRD TIME LUCKY! And never never let me talk to Nick again!

Final countdown

2009-07-10T12:26:00.001+01:00

Blogging has been kind of slack of late, I know. We now have two weeks to go until Race (for Life) Day so expect a flurry of posts about training (right girls?).
My own training has taken a back seat for a while but kicks off again this weekend with practice runs and gym sessions pencilled in. I'm counting much walking, dancing and moshing (thanks to Take That and Blur on their support on this) over recent weekends as training though!
As for the rest of the team - well, we have one member down with swine flu. Sarah Barker has succumbed to the virus but is fighting a good fight against it so should be race fit :)
Keep an eye on the blog for more news and don't forget you can still sponsor a Fat Girl through the links over there --->
Mucho love, S C-P (not in anyway consuming chips while writing this) xxx

Katie's Midnight Walk II

2009-06-21T10:19:00.006+01:00

Last night member's of Team Run, Fat Girl, Run gathered in Somercotes to take part in Katie's Midnight Walk.
If you've seen previous posts you'll know this is a walk organised by my husband's aunt, uncle and cousin in memory of their daughter (sister), Katie Taylor. Katie contracted malignant melanoma and died days before the first walk, aged 15, on 17 June 2008.
The walk is intended to highlight the dangers of skin cancer and raise money for research into treatment and ultimately a cure.
By walking at midnight it matches the theme of Melanoma Awareness Week - walking from darkness into light.
There was a small number of people who gathered and, led by Katie's father Wayne, completed the five mile circuit around the area where Katie lived in just under two hours.
The Fat Girl's don't just turn out for anything and when we do we always think of safety and style (not necessarily in that order) so last night we turned out in neon. Sarah, Lauren and Sarah neoned up with added glo-sticks and got their walk on.
As the walkers returned to cups of tea and sausage cobs the total raised (so far) was revealed - more than £4,000 - which will go directly to Dr Patel at Nottingham Hospital. He was the doctor who treated Katie and by funding his research there is a better chance of a cure being found and this disease which affects one in 50 and kills one in four will be eradicated.
If you haven't given and would like to do so you can still make a donation online here: http://www.justgiving.com/katiesmidnightwalk/
The Fat Girl's would like to thank everyone who supported them - thank you!
S C-P x

Katharine Alison Taylor 1992-2008

2009-06-16T11:12:00.011+01:00

This post is in memory of Katherine Alison Taylor, or Katie as I knew her, my husband's cousin who died a year ago today, aged 15, from malignant melanoma.

To be honest, I don't really know how to write this post. And if I don't know how to write it with the distance of 365 days and of only knowing Katie briefly and mostly through family gatherings I can't imagine how those closer to her feel today.

I wish more than anything I didn't have to write this post. That Katie was about to complete her GCSEs and dreaming of what the future might hold for her. That her adventure was just getting underway. That today was just another day in the year. But it's not, so I do have to write.

Let me start with telling you what I know: Katie was a beautiful, brave young woman, who inspired me with her attitude to life well before and of the bad stuff hit, and even more so after it did.

Perhaps you feel you've heard all about the brave fight and the tragic ending before, about people who have contracted terrible diseases and fought long and hard against them? Maybe, but I truly believe with Katie it was never a truer word.

She was not a sunbather or reckless tanner. She was outdoorsy but never careless about looking after her skin. She lived in a quiet part of Derbyshire not in the glare of the desert sun. But she still contracted skin cancer.

She was treated quickly and expertly but despite valiently fighting with a smile on her face and compassion for those around her she didn't survive.

I feel honoured to have know Katie through my husband. Even though I didn't know her well I feel blessed that she touched my life and proud that she obvisouly touched the lives of so many others. She was wonderful to be around. She was happy, she was kind, she was positive, cheeky and full of personality and dreams.

There is no way to justify this loss. Katie being gone is indeed senseless. But if there is one good thing to come out of Katie's death it has to be raising awareness of this disease (which now strikes one in 50 people and one in four will die as a result) and the funds they (you) donate help to pay for prevention and research into a cure.

So, I am going to tell you should now do. I want you do to at least the first if not both of the following:

Give your money to Katie's fund. This goes toward vital research into malignant melanoma being undertaken at Nottingham, where Katie was treated. Every penny counts in stopping more lights like Katie going out and more families and friends having a big hole in their hearts and lives where a loved one used to be: you can give your donation online on the Just Giving website.
If you are around the East Midlands area and at a loss for how to entertain yourself at midnight this Saturday (20 June 200) come and join the second Katie's Midnight Walk. The first took place days after Katie died and we want to do her proud this year. It takes place in Somercotes near Alfreton and is five miles long. All are welcome to join in and there will be early morning refreshments for walkers at the pub afterwards. Message me on Twitter or comment here if you want more info.

And if you're still wondering why this is so important to me, and the other Fat Girls, read the honest account of this brutal disease written by Katie's family on the Katie's Midnight Walk

Thanks for taking the time to read this, for sharing in Katie's memory, and on the assumption you will donate thank you for that too. S C-P x

Katherine Alison Taylor - 1992-2008 - Per aspera ad astra

Fat Girl goes public!

2009-06-09T14:33:00.007+01:00

Just thought i should update the Fat Girl blog with some exciting news. I awoke on Saturday morning with a bad case of dieters guilt brought on by late night munchies of the flapjack/supping vino variety! Thinking something must be done to quell the guilt and reduce the monsterous effects of a whole night of binge eating, i adorned my leggings, popped on the mp3, laced up my trainers, waved good bye to a open mouthed dad and started my morning jog! Yes that is right TRFGR followers, i took my jogging public! Granted it was 8am on a saturday and Folkestone is quite sleepy at this time but there were people in cars who passed me and im proud to say i wasn't spectacle enough to cause any traffic accidents. And in a town recently famous for earthquakes i didnt even make the local news with a tremor!!

I do have to admit that I purposefully didnt check the time when i left, i decided the sweat produced was a greater measure of the activity than the time it took. And sweat i certainly did, it was a struggle the entire way! To start my leggings disagreed with their position and fought to be in the more favourable location near my ankles. I took a break from cursing my leg wear to complain loudly (in a language constructed from painful wheezing) about the stupid stupid nature of hills. I strongly dislike the UP part of any hill. Unfortunatly i started half way up a hill and in my enthusiasm to tackle the jog i'd confidently started the jog heading UP. This proved unwise as half way round the block i realised i'd be finishing the gruelling jog in the same stupid stupid direction. I greatly enjoyed the DOWN part of the jog, wind in my hair, air forced into my collapsed lungs, what could be better. Then with heavy legs and a drastic change in pace i hit the UP section again, but dispite my complaining and cursing i did it all again.

So i went round the block twice! In my defence it is a big block and the UP is significantly UP. I finished it still jogging and as im measuring its success in sweat and not time i can report that i did very very well! So yey for this Fat Girl who took her jogging public and lived to tell the tale. So far i haven't seen any clips of it on YouTube so mission successful. But don't think for one minute this means im going to start jogging on the streets of Derby! Oh no! I have to actually live in Derby, so now it's back to the air conditioned gym for a nice secluded jog :)

Is Facebook trying to tell me something.....

2009-06-03T18:22:00.005+01:00

I just uploaded my latest blog entry ':Confessions of a Fat Girl' and as usual i added the link to my Facebook profile so all my friends can read and laugh along with/at me!! And what should the security check words be.......

I kid you not. it asked me to type in THINKING BLUBBER!!!! Uploading to Run FAT GIRL Run and it asked me to think blubber! I swear on all that is true and dear to me that this is no word of a lie! Im outraged with Facebook, i need no more proof that it is evil and against me!!!

Confession of a Fat Girl

2009-06-03T17:42:00.004+01:00

I meant to go out jogging ...... i had a whole evening set aside for Fat Girl training, i was going to the Bowl of Hellfire!! I had a bagged packed up with jogging clobber, a fully charged MP3 and TWO bottles of water! Sounds good so far doesn't it? Well, dont get too excited. I'm not sure if you remember what the weather was like on monday but it was blazingly hot..... BLAZINGLY HOT! And with memories of the skin blisters i got after burning at RFL2008 i hung my head in disappointment and wimped out of the run. In my defense i didnt have sun cream and what with Katie's Midnight Walk II only a few weeks away i thought it foolish to risk it.

The guilt at maybe using malignant melanoma as an excuse to avoid going jogging has led me to hit the gym three times this week already. OK so i'm not exactly doing much whilst i'm there but it all counts. I've even developed the confidence to really jog on the treadmill.... even when other people are present! I know!!! Progress or what!

So i've jogged about 1 mile in 10 minutes each day as well as using the bikes and rowing machine to combat those calories (kitkat craving is back, bad times). I really need to increase my time and pace on the treadmill but it's so hard, my stamina is poor and my knees burn almost as much as my dirty smokers lungs!

What's a Fat Girl to do?? Perhaps organise another training session...?? Well low and behold it's only my ruddy birthday soon and i think it only right to celebrate it in true TRFGR style....... DANCING! So grab your gladrags Fat Girls and our beautiful supporters, it's your duty to come train with me....... :D

Oh and there's a theme, and it's electric blue. Be it a bangle, belt or bow i want you all wearing it and being Eclectic in Electric!!!!

Slight return

2009-05-31T11:52:00.003+01:00

A bad workman blames his tool and a bad athlete blames her sports bra. And her stupidly thermal jogging bottoms. And possibly the contents of my Shuffle too.
But these are but excuses and things that I mutter about, barely keeping my angry ramblings out of ear shot of other gym goers. The truth is, and this I must face, is that I was not born to run. I'm not even sure I was born to jog. I may be destined for more of a stumbling pace and gait.
I've not trained since Lauren and I (with honourary Fat Boy Michael and the toddler) braced ourselves against the elements of HellFire around a month ago. Life has conspired to make it far to easy for me to find a reason to duck out.
This morning though I forced my Fat Girl ass out of the house, through the sunshine and into the artificial ambiance of the gym.
I then proceeded to walk / run / jog / wheeze for 15 minutes in which I completed a paltry 1.6km. Using my (shaky at best) mathematical skill I calculate that this still brings me in around the 50 minute mark for the full 5km (ok, you got me, I didn't calculate that at all I guessed). I rate myself Poor to Lame.
Race day is eight weeks today (which means I hit the big 3-0 nine weeks today - there is nothing positive about this post). I'm not sure how I will manage to get any faster or any more stamina but I'll give it my best.
If you sponsor me I will try to be better than my best.

Tactical training: Liverpool

2009-05-24T22:32:00.003+01:00

Team Run, Fat Girl, Run Tactical Team Training Liverpool

This was the training session which nearly wasn't after much trouble with original plans, coordinating the diaries of eight social butterflies and then last minute illnesses.
But in the end, half of us got there. And we had a wonderful time!
Toni, Lauren, Kelly and Sarah headed up to Liverpool with the sunshining and the laughter filling the car. We managed to get to a car park without much trouble and headed into town and straight into Primark.
We checked out options for race day outfits and think we have finalised the theme but then the shopping was verging on the practical rather than the tactical. So, off we headed, down Matthew Street where we were enticed into Reminiss - the '90s bar. Neither the music or the decor was from the '90s so it was all a bit odd. One quick (soft) drink and off we went again.
A brief, lustful, glance in the window of Vivienne Westwood and then comedy photos with the statue of John Lennon before wombling off in the direction of Pier Head. We admired the architecture, we wondered at the marvellous weather and how quiet it was down there. Then we realised we were hungry so headed down the waterfront to grab some nosh at Albert Dock.
Here some serious team work went into devouring scrummy food and chatting away as a Fat Girl supporter (hello Sefton) put in a cameo.
Then we were off again and took in the culture of the Tate (not all rules were obeyed): a forthcoming team activity to look out for is our entry to the Turner Prize, we could so win that baby.
We all enjoyed the Saturday Night Fever-style dancefloor in one of the exhibitions, especially as we were given headphones and encouraged to dance! There is no greater joy for a Fat Girl than a dance and certainly training would not be real training without it.
We headed back out of town through the revamped streets distracted by spotting Lauren's sock soulmate and some amazing shoes.
Then it was back in the car for a candy cigarette and a game of top trumps and home.
A long but lovely day in Liverpool. We just wish the other Fat Girls could have come too...next time ladies!

Support Katie's Midnight Walk!

2009-05-19T12:25:00.003+01:00

All our Fat Girl followers have been very generous in supporting us as we undertake Race for Life but we also want to remind you we are supporting Katie's Midnight Walk.
The walk takes place on Saturday 20 June in Somercotes, Derbyshire and is memory of Katie Taylor and raises funds for research into Malignant Melanoma.
Katie was my husband's cousin and died last June from this form of skin cancer. She was 15 years old.
Research now shows that one in 50 people will contract a melonoma during their lifetime and so this research and quest for a cure is invaluable. It may one day help you or someone you love.
If you'd like to join us on the walk we'd love to see you there! It starts at midnight (you might have guessed from the name ;-D ) from St Thomas Centre in Somercotes. If you're unsure then get in touch and meet up with the Fat Girls first (our team theme is neon so we're easy to spot wombling about in the dark).
Or, even if you can't join the walk, please consider making a donation. You can do this online through the Katie's Midnight Walk Just Giving page.
You can read Katie's story, and the story of her family, on the website they set up.
Cheers muchly,
S-CP x

Here we go again

2009-04-30T20:41:00.004+01:00

Another yomp round the Bowl of Hellfire - which is totally failing to live up to its name. The weather was horrid. Blustery rain coming straight at us no matter which way we were facing. Not decided whether I prefer being sweaty and damp or just sweaty like in the hot hot heat of race day.
The same rowing people were there being shouted at by sporty types on the bank. The geese were there, inhibiting us slightly by being all over the path and hissing as we tried to pass. The bloke who rows up and down in a canoe in Hawaii 5-0 position (down on one knee) was there as well...it's all becoming very familiar. So to spice it up we went round in the anti-race direction.
I made a bit of a stab at jogging again. At one point both Lauren and I completed a 500m stretch at a reasonable jog. However, it made no odds and final time was 47 minutes, so slower than two weeks ago. Or maybe about the same. Still, for me, could do better.
Factual reporting over I feel entitled to let out a bit of a whinge...my right leg REALLY hurts. I have various pains all down it and after first mentioning it somewhere around the halfway mark formed a hypothesis that it could be down to an injury I sustained to my kneecap some 12 years ago. I think it is making me run gammy and therefore my right leg is now all out of whack. I don't really know what to do about that...
It's not gonna stop me running that's for sure. Just under three months to go and have a clear 15-20 minutes to knock off my time in order to come close to achieving my goal time on the day.
For now though - totally physically tired out. S C-P x

Playing around with training

2009-04-27T15:06:00.003+01:00

"We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing"
Someone much wiser than me said this, I can't recall who, but I think there is more than a grain of truth in it.
I'm supposedly resting this week and not really supposed to be doing any exercise (part of an experiment which is too dull to go into) but that's left me feeling kinda fidgety.
So it was good that the sun shone this weekend and I could use my toddler as an excuse to do pseudo-exercise on play equipment around Derbyshire. This weekend I have mainly been sailing on a large wooden pirate ship in Matlock Bath and monkeying around in a frankly amazing adventure playground at Chatsworth. My toddler enjoyed it too.
Technically then, no further training to report. But I am really great at slides and wobbly walkways so if they throw any of these in as a surprise on race day I am well prepared.
Back to the bowl of hellfire this week with Fat Boy Michael and Fat Girl Lauren (plus motivational coaching from P in his pushchair - nothing like a screaming child to make you want to get finihsed and go home)- anyone else want to take on the course???
And thanks to recent sponsors too - the team is now just shy of £300 in all which is a great amount. However, I think we can do better. We've just under 13 weeks to go until race day so get your fundraising on girls! Let's break last year's £800 total!!!
Keep runnin' (and raisin')
S C-P xxx

Exercise down south

2009-04-24T19:59:00.005+01:00

So while I haven't been to the gym today i did walk from Dover to Folkestone and back again, i'm predicting that is about 8 miles in total. Im not saying i jogged it or walked any quicker than a stoned snail but it's better than nothing i say! I also went swimming.... well i ran in the English Channel, dunked my shoulders in, three breast strokes and then flapped out as fast as my frozen body could manage. Ursula Andress out of Bond it was NOT. Oh and i do have slight sunburn from today but compared to after the Hellbowl last year i'm still anemic !!!

Hopefully im going for another few walks this weekend and im staying off the booze so i should be able to hold my head up high and tick the 'exercise' box off my list of thing to do! Also looking forward to trip to Bowl of Hellfire on Thursday with Sarah (queen of all things), anyone else coming??

...2.....

2009-04-20T13:49:00.003+01:00

....1 ..
is the time it took me in seconds before i was sweating and wishing i had kept up a more regular gym routine! Darn it that hurt and i was only walking at 4mph, seriously lame and my lungs HURT! Right that's it smoking is officially bad, because it wasn't official before but now i say it is! Bad bad bad and smelly and dirty. So i'll just pop out for one more and then that's it. I quit!! Until someone cuts me up on the commute home and then maybe just one more, then i quit!

Regardless of my weakness for nicotine i am certain that i need more practice and im going to bully my mum into coming walking with me round the cliffs when im at home by the sea this weekend. She'll love it and i certainly need it!

So a wheezy goodbye from me and i hope your training is going better than mine this month!! If anyone fancies a trip to the Bowl of Hellfire during the week let me know, nights are longer and it's only a stones throw from work... why have i never thought to go there before?? Ah yes... the clue is in the name

Gym... in 5... 4.... 3....

2009-04-20T11:25:00.003+01:00

... 2 hours. Very nervous about this visit to the gym. I've slipped back into dirty chain smoker habits and my lungs are really feeling the abuse over the weekend. That combined with minimal gym attendance and SC-P's sterling efforts have got me a little paniced about race in July. I may have lost 10lbs but im no more fit than i was a month ago. I plan to blog after im back from the gym... if you hear nothing expect the worst!!

Katie's Midnight Walk - 20 June 2009

2009-04-17T11:09:00.005+01:00

A little reminder about the other event the team is taking part in - Katie's Midnight Walk II.

Katie Taylor died in June 2008 from malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer. She was just 15 years old.

She and her family and friends were already campaigning to raise awareness and fund research into the disease when she died and the first midnight walk took place just days after her death. More than 200 people took part and raised a phenomenal amount - more than £8,000. This is an important cause to the whole team but particularly to me (S-CP) as Katie was my husband's cousin.

This year the walk will be held again on Saturday 20 June - the first week of Melanoma Awareness Week and a few days after the first anniversary of Katie's death. Many of Team Run, Fat Girl, Run will be taking part and we'd encourage you all to come and join us if you can or consider making a donation.

The five-mile walk is in Somercoates in Derbyshire and begins at midnight - to follow the theme of melanoma awareness of going from dark into light.

Please take a moment to read Katie's story and find out more about the walk and how you can support it on Katie's website.

If you'd like to come and join us on the night walkers meet at St Thomas Hall, Somercoates at 11pm with the walk getting underway at 12 midnight. Team Run, Fat Girl, Run will be rocking a neon theme so we can be safe while walking about in the dark so feel free to neon-up and join our gang. We hope to see you there!

You can also join the Facebook group if you want to show support and get hold of a paper sponsorship form!

S-CPx

Jogging through Hyde Park, London

2009-04-16T16:53:00.008+01:00

Patch of Daffodils!
More photos from the jog are here!

The thought of jogging down polluted noisy streets of London is far from appealing. Unless ofcourse you are no stranger to the city and are aware of the numerous beautiful parks sprawling through the centre of the city!

One Sunday, several weeks ago, the sun decided to be generous and was shining so bright. I decided the day was brilliant to be out and about and train for the RFGR pledge. Very surprisingly, I didn't even have to coax Mark to come out with me. A simple “Would you like to go jogging with me in the park?” yielded a prompt “Sure!” (I am used to hearing a loud groan instead).

We jogged down to the main road i.e. Bayswater Road, past the famous Sunday art-displays and entered Hyde Park. I had checked the map for areas of the park we hadn't seen. Come on, follow the map, and jog with me!

Down Bayswater road to Marlborough Entrance
Then further to the right past Buckhill's lodge and victoria gate lodge
Across the road and the yellow 'dirt track for horse riding'
Down the diagonal path that goes past the Central Royal Parks Nursery and then down to the Sheep Trough. There is a hand pump at the sheep trough and Mark tried to pump water out of it but it appeared to be no longer in use.
Further on to the new lodge, we took a look at the information centre then ran back up and to the right and stopped between new lodge and reformer's tree to exercise (jumping, skipping, cross-touching toes, jumping jack/ star jump). You name it, we did it. Ofcourse, the exercise routine was filled with laughs and giggles because Mark was a little stiff from lack of exercise - all the more reason to do it! Especially, if you sit at the computer all day the way we do.
Then we went on to reformer's tree and headed down south to the river Serpentine, and back up towards the east, along the river path.
We stopped at the boathouse which has a tourist shop = children's paradise = parents’ hell and decided to update ourselves on the latest ‘cool kids’ paraphernalia. Fancy-pants pencils, erasers, pens, and toys in bright colours and all shapes and sizes were overflowing from every shelf.
When a kid started crying, probably due to a demand unmet, we quickly took leave and continued jogging. A gust of wind blew my cap off and luckily I was able to save it in time before it flew off into the river. By this time the breeze was very strong and it was starting to grow cloudy and chilly.
So we headed back north again. Mark stopped at the 'Norwegian War Memorial' which is literally a giant piece of 'natural rock' with a plaque. The Norwegians gifted the rock to the British as a token of thanks for saving their lives in World War 2. There was a plaque at the back of the rock as well. While Mark was peering at it, I to play a trick on him. I took off quietly, up the hill, towards policeman's path, turning occasionally to see if Mark had noticed. He hadn't but by the time I turned again, he had noticed and was laughing helplessly. He started chasing me and knowing that Mr. Super Long Legs would reach me in no time, I stopped at a patch of spring daffodils that were just starting to bloom. Mark told me had no idea I wasn't right behind him and had to say something to me only to find that I was 250m away, running at top speed. Oh, we laughed for the longest time (and continued to laugh about it all day).
We then jogged down to the main road (west of policeman's path) and jogged up the bicycle/foot path and exited at Victoria Gate.

What followed after? A scrumptious brunch of eggs, bacon (not for me, I’m vegetarian!) and fresh bread, cooked by Chef Mark. By the time it was over, we were so tired and full, we fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon as a storm cast itself on London city in full swing.

Do you reckon you will go for a run in your city this weekend? If this post has entertained you or better still, motivated you to go and explore hidden delights about town as you jog, please sponsor me!

Cheers,
Aakanksha/ Ace

Practice makes...

2009-04-16T15:01:00.003+01:00

...for a shorter time!
Headed out to the grey, wet and windswept Bowl of Hellfire again today for another practice lap, this time dragging my own Fat Boys (M and the Boy Prentice).
Making good time into a full on headwind I was motivated enough to put the jog / walk / jog / walk theory into practice. And I think it paid off.
Completed the 5km circuit in 45 mins or just over...hard to be precise, reasons why to be explained. This time is around seven minutes faster than Sunday's Hellfire practice and around 20 faster than last year's race day performance.
So, I feel pretty smug but also spurred on to keep training going for the next 14 weeks in order to make it round in 30 minutes or under on the day. It seems ridiculous to think that me, a non-runner if ever there was, may actually run most if not all of it.
Anyway, the reason for slight guess work on the time is because not being fully knowledgeable about my equipment (a hoodie) I didn't realise my phone fell out of my pocket around the 3.5km mark (top left corner of rowing course) until we got to the end and I tried to check the time.
However, my Big Damn Hero of a husband duly jogged off back the way we'd come while I took Prentice to the playground.
Phone back with me and M having completed around eight km in less than an hour we fed some ducks and a couple of rather pushy geese and then left Holme Pierrepont to the misty rain and lacklustre rowing practice.
Considering making trips out there a frequent thing over the next couple of months so if other Fat Girls fancy it give me a shout. I shall make sure all belongings are secured about my person from now on so no one has to go further than they should.
Surely this kind of progress is worth a few extra pennies in sponsorship? Remember - free badge for every sponsor!
Keep runnin'
S-CP x

Practice Run

2009-04-12T14:06:00.004+01:00

A depleted Team gathered this morning at Holme Pierrepont for the Easter Sunday practice run.
No longer the bowl of hellfire, the watersports centre was overcast and damp as Vena, Sarah L and Sarah B crossed the start line and 58 minutes later crossed it again, knocking a full seven minutes off last year's Race for Life time.
The drab weather and missing team members did nothing to dampen spirits though and motivational talk covered last night's Dizzee / Prodigy rave; Manchester apartments and TT; the weirdness of boys and individual race training plans and progress. Oh, and shoes, obviously!
So the time may not have been world record breaking but at this point in our training and after raving for a full three hours (in this style - see from 1'43" for our dance inspiration) not long before we were pretty pleased with ourselves. We feel sure we can knock more minutes off when race day does appear on 26 July.
One thing which will surely spur us on to speediness is more sponsorship. Please use the links over in the side panel to support a fat girl - Sarah B; Vena; Sarah L; Lauren; Toni-Anne; Ace; Sarah H or Kelly. Every person which sponsors us is entitled to wear the badge of honour, which is, in fact, a Fat Girl badge.
We'll probably head over to Holme Pierrepont again at the start of June to have another practice run. If not, next on the Fat Girl calendar is 'tactical' training on 23 May and then Katie's Midnight Walk on 20 June.
'til then - keep running.
S-CP x

The great outdoors

2009-04-05T14:01:00.003+01:00

Five things about training today (I love top fives for those who didn't know):

I ran outside today for the first time since Race for Life 2008. For saying I don't like to be spotted choosing to do it in the middle of a sunshine-laden Sunday does seem a bizarre choice in retrospect. Still, made the transition from gym to field.
The insulating properties of these M&S jogging bottoms is still totally baffling one year on. Why, oh why, Mr Mark and Mr Spencer would you line such a garment with what can only be a fabric facsimile of the tiles from the nose cone of Saturn 5??? I am sure Toni will back me up - I just don't get why anyone wants to feel like their legs have been set on fire when running is hard enough anyway.
I really need to start taking my inhaler out. Clinging onto a five bar gate trying to get even the smallest amount of oxygen into my struggling lungs totally ruins any chance of looking like a keen jogger.
While my athletic prowess has someway to go before being described as 'honed' the tracks on my training playlist do not: Hadouken! - Crank it Up; The Prodigy - Omen; Groove Armada feat. Mutya Buena - Song 4 Mutya; Bodyrox - Yeah Yeah; Kano - Typical Me.
I have no idea how far I went or how many calories I burned so not only am I breaking with my Statto persona but not helping me gauge how I might cope with the practice run next Sunday or ensre I am within the strict limits of calorie-burnage allowed on my current eating plan. I guess I did about a mile and it took me 20 minutes at run / walk / wheeze / walk slower.

See you all next Sunday for the practice run at Nottingham Holme Pierrepont around 3.30pm.
S-CP x

Fat Girls get thanks

2009-04-03T22:35:00.004+01:00

Looking back for a moment Aspire have been in touch to thank everyone who took part in the Channel Swim in 2008, including Team Run, Fat Girl, Run!
The Team completed the 22-mile swim between September and December last year to help raise funds for the spinal injuries charity.
Altogether more than £400,000 was raised for Aspire and they say: "The vital funds you worked so hard to raise have already been put to good use throughout our projects. Some of these projects include our Human Needs Fund which provides grants for people to buy specialist equipment and our specially adapted short term housing for patients newly discharged from hospital.
"Aspire also have Independent Living Advisors and Assistive Technology facilities at Spinal Injury Centres across the UK providing practical support and advice. The Aspire National Training Centre in Stanmore is the first fully integrated leisure centre leading the way in accessible and inclusive fitness training and sporting activities."
Thanks to everyone who sponsored us for this event - and well done girls!

And she's off...!!

2009-03-30T23:05:00.002+01:00

So I'm back from Texas, and after shaking off my jetlag I've managed the incredible walking total of .......(cue foghorns, drumrolls & angels singing)....ZERO minutes! I know, I'm a terrible person, but I was officially still on holiday & didn't go back to work until today so I kind of didn't bother. Although, all that walking around Texas & running from the police after trying to kidnap Graham Coxon must surely have had an effect.
Anyway, I am back at work now & have sent out my "please sponsor me" email this morning. I have had my first donation of £10....yay! I am now (sort of) back on my healthy eating plan - I even got up early this morning to make an extra healthy packed lunch, and the wii fit will be making an appearance shortly.

K xx

Practice run!

2009-03-27T08:31:00.004Z

Team Run, Fat girl, Run have decided to return to the Bowl of Hellfire for a practice lap on the afternoon of Easter sunday (12 April 2009).
At least six members of the team will be training together at the location of the actual race with the idea that not only can we jolly each other on in our continued training but alos work out how fast we're completing 5k in at the moment to spend the next two and a half months getting that time down.
Exact time to be decided but this is an open invitation to all Fat Girl supporters to come along and burn off some calories while watching the team in action!

We'll be running round the rowing course as this is the route of the Race for Life and handily measure 5k. We'll meet by the building at the bottom end of the course (ie the start / finish line)!
S-CP x

It's all about feet

2009-03-26T08:00:00.009Z

We're all trying in our own ways to get ready for the walk and race but for some it seems the deck is stacked against them? What hope, really, when even stationery attacks?

I speak of course of the freakish, and yet squimish, accident befalling Sarah H. I can't tell you the full story but I can tell you what I know and what I know is this: Sarah H was stabbed in the foot by a Biro.

I don't know if the Biro is magical and did it of it's own free will (and if so whether the attack was premeditated or provoked) or if someone else, or Sarah herself, was wielding the brand-name-writing implement at the time.

Who can say for sure? Well, probably Sarah H. She was there at the time afterall.

Anyway, I am certain that this picture doesn't do justice to the pain that Sarah H is surely in. I am also certain that if our fundraising total shot up (find the links in the side panel) it would mystically swiften the healing process allowing her to to get back to training asap while we all bask in the warm fuzzy of do-gooding.

What news of other Fat Girl feet? Well, the most comments on our tactical training night out were about the wonderous shoes we adorned our tootsies with. There were high heels, mid heels, sparkly heels, animal print heels but all very cute.

We strutted and danced in them and then we wobbled slowly away into the night. But if there is one thing a Fat Girl loves, it's a good pair of shoes.

If you don't want to donate because you think we are awesome for putting ourselves through 5k for Cancer Research UK then do it in honour of our footwear.

And in non-foot news: the practice run (or possibly walk) will take place on the afternoon of Easter Sunday (12 April) at the Bowl of Hellfire. Please feel free to come along and cheer us on or burn off some of those delicious Easter egg calories while keeping pace with us and providing motivation, water and quite possibly medical support.

The next 'tactical' meeting is lightly pencilled in the for end of May and there are high hopes that all eight team members will make it. Fabulous shoes are guaranteed.

Total currently stands at £154 but we need more folks. If you haven't sponsored us yet please take the time to click a link on the left - you can donate as little as £2 online, make a Gift Aid donation (if you're a UK taxpayer) and know you've made the Fat Girls and Cancer Research UK happy.

Keep runnin' - S-CP x

Team meet

2009-03-22T10:41:00.006Z

The first 'tactical' training session of Team Run, Fat Girl, Run has been held for 2009.
I'd love to say we talked tactics and got a plan underway but in reality we had fun with the badges, relived last year's stagger around the Bowl of Hellfire, and then got down to the serious business of pulling shapes. All while wearing fantastic, beautiful shoes - which hopefully has helped to tone our leg muscles.
We blessed the, er, Bless with our hospitality but after losing out to Noel Edmonds on the quiz machine headed off to Mosh to pull some shapes. And what shapes they were! Some frankly stunning synchronized dance routines reminiscent of The Supremes (but with better shoes and adorned with Fat Girl badges) stunned the other punters.
I'm convinced that the effort it takes to perform such a technically demanding creative flow of dance moves counts as training, especially when heel height is taken into account.
Unfortunately, the effort was detrimental to some as early doors were called for the team when Sarah B's back problems of last year threatened a painful reoccurrence.
Thanks must be given to the Street Pastors who complimented our footwear before fulfilling the role of team support with the handing out of free flip flops; much needed by the team at this point.
A few pictures are available in the Facebook Fat Girl group so get over there and check them out. Hopefully a few more will be added in the next few days.
And so with Lauren strutting away to home Fat Girl Cabs (as driven by Sarah C-P) called through the all-night Maccy D's and delivered fat girl's back to their beds. Excellent meeting and we can't wait for the inevitable frolics to be had when all eight of us manage to get together in one place!

Which brings us nicely to a quick round-up of team members:

Sarah C-P is 10lbs down and has had a couple of week's off training but made a return with Body Pump today - whatever wasn't hurting from dancing in six inch stilettos last night is definitely feeling the burn now;
Sarah Barker was making excellent progress with her running but will now be resting her back for a few days / weeks / hopefully not long;
Lauren is still battling the treadmill for superiority, and starting to win;
Vena plans to begin training on 1 April and is spreading the sponsorship word;
Sarah H was training hard but now will be limited by a foot injury;
Ace is showing dedication to the cause with plenty of training in Londinium and living healthy too;
Toni is in training and hoping the foot pain of last year stays in the past;
Last but not least is Kelly, currently at SXSW in Texas most recently understood to have had a chat with Graham Coxon about Sarah C-P wanting to kidnap him. Sorry about that Graham.

See the pain that we go through - the least you can do is donate a few pennies :-) I am sure both injured Sarah's would welcome the healing power that comes from people sponsoring us (see side panel for links to online sponsorship sites).

In other news:

Badges (not badgers - there has been some confusion) have arrived and will be passed out / sent to all those who have sponsored us so far. Please model your badge in a way you feel is a fitting tribute to the team and post pic to the Facebook group - there may even be a small token of recognition for the one that pleases / shocks us the most! Big thanks to Badges for Bands for making our buttons a reality.
The total raised by the band so far stands at £149. A Blue Peter-style totaliser is over in the side panel for your pleasure.

Next team meets are a practice run around Holme Pierrepont over the Easter weekend and a 'tactical' meeting in May, possibly at St Pancras Champagne Bar (if V gets us all on the train for cheap!) or Derby / Notts way.
For now...keep runnin'
S C-P (hoping that injuries to Fat Girls called Sarah don't come in threes)
xxx

Now fully open!

2009-03-19T14:34:00.002Z

Just a quick note now all the Fat Girl team member's have their online sponsorship pages up and ready to receive.
You can find the links in the side panel over there >>>>>>
Pick a girl and give what you can. And to show how much we appreciate your support we'll send you a little Fat Girl memento!
Look out for blog posts from Sarah B and Ace in the near future and thanks for all your support so far!
S-CP
xxx

Stage one of sponsorhip: complete!

2009-03-16T09:26:00.005Z

I'm very pleased to announce that thanks to the generosity of those who have already sponsored us the Team has now raised more than £100! This is already one eighth of our target stats fans!!!

So let's start the week with a woop woop for our sponsors. Woop Woop!

We've had a little gift made for everyone kind enough to show us the money. We like to think of it as a medal awarded for kindness. And it's completely secondary that by wearing the 'medal' the Fat Girl word will be spread and potentially garner more money!

But it is for a very worthy cause - vital funding for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. By sponsoring the team now you can help more people survive cancer.

You can find links in the sidebar to the online sponsorship pages for the team which are up and running. Pick a girl and within minutes you will have joined the fight against cancer!

S-CP x

PS - check it out >>>> you can now choose to sponsor seven out of the eight Fat Girls! Vena just opened her page and would gladly be the conduit for donations to the cause!

Sweaty Betty not just in name...

2009-03-12T12:50:00.004Z

Just been down the gym at lunch, boy what a sweat i've got on! Hot.... but not in a sexy way!

Wish I'd done a little more work to earn this 'healthy glow' though, just a minute of quick walking is enough to get the beads of perspiration rolling down my forehead. I have to use the treadmill under the AirCon machine else I'm likely to cause a site wide melt down with the heat radiating from my beetroot face.

I took a big step today (well a few actually but i meant that more figuratively).... I measured my progress on the treadmill in distance and not calories! This took some big determination and although I'm pleased I now can measure my pace like a big girl, I'm also very disheartened by what the numbers told me today. I walked 1.5 miles in 20 minutes, that's a pace of 4.5mph. So I think if i can at least maintain that then i can do the Race for Life in a little less time than last year. This is good but not great. I'm going to have to put a lot more effort in and make that treadmill my bitch if i want to seriously improve on 2008, bring it on!

I'm loving the merch designs by S-ChampPersp, good work fellow FG. I'm brimming over with other ideas of themes and tshirts, and im sure we'll discuss these over a good few glasses of wine at the first TRFGR MEET on 21st March! Not long now till we can swap training tips and dance moves, see you then ladies. I hope we'll get a few of us to meet at Holme Pierrepont for an Easter practice walk/jog/run too, (top idea Sarah!) it'll be good to test out the gym training in the field. It'll probably be the kick up the wobbly rear I need!

One (still) Sweaty Betty signing off x

Running on the spot

2009-03-11T12:39:00.005Z

And I was doing so well! Alas, my training needs to be cut back for a couple of weeks due a totally forseeable circumstance which I did not factor in. My bad...
Anyway, while my training turns light and frequent I may as well get my Statto kicks elsewhere by bringing you a round up of our current total.
This total is only from online sponsorship and is calculated by my not-completly- foolproof method of visiting each girl's site.
So - from the six site's currently available we have raised a total of £97!!! Round of applause please...
BUT this is nowhere near enough! Thankfully there is still 19 weeks left until race day so lots of opportunity for more people to show their support for the Fat Girls while getting the warm fuzzy glow that comes from joining the fight against cancer.
Many thanks to those who have already given us cash...the free gift I promised to all supporters will be with you, sometime...possibly even before race day!!! Now I'm not pitched in a battle of wills against a treadmill (and the music policy person of my gym) I can get on with the Fat Girl merch! Swings and roundabouts you see...
S-ChampPersp x

JUST ADDDED: A little sneaky peak of one of the designs for the free gift soon to be adorning our kind supporters. Whaddya thinks?

I am not a number

2009-03-08T09:35:00.004Z

Actually, I am. I am number 684. Or 648 I can't remember now.
Anyway, the postal pack came yesterday with my race number (down from 2557 last year! Although it bears no relation to ability merely the order in which you register), the dedication thing for my back and ye olde fashioned paper sponsorship forms. So it is all official. Very, very official.
I assume that all other Fat Girls received a similar gift from their postie???
Back to training then.
Back at the gym this morning and feel somewhat stupified by the leap in effort and endurance required for today's session.
Yes, the walk/run ratio has increased (now four mins walk followed by two mins run) but you still have to repeat this five times. FIVE. Yes, FIVE!
So yesterday I was quite pleased with my own self being able to complete 10 mins alternating between one min walk and one min run. Then suddenly *wham* 30 full on minutes. If Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories (almost makes up for the Annie Lennox faux pas yesterday gym music policy person, almost) weren't soothing my sweatsome soul I may well let out a few choice expletives.
But, hey, I did it.
(NOOOOOOOOOOOO...Annie Lennox is back. Expletives coming up like word vomit. I don't deserve this kind of aural punishment after such supreme physical effort, surely?)
Statto facts for today; three km in 30 minutes, 137 kcals burned.
And when I am in charge of the music what did I listen to in order to spur me on?

Justice V Simian - We Are Your Friends
NERD - Rock Star
Prodigy - Omen
The Massed Pipes whatsit from Help album ('95) - The Magnificent Seven
MIA - Paper Planes

Not sure how I am going to cram those other two kms into (this is the most random music playlist - it's only ruddy Lional RichTea now) the 30 mins but hey, I guess I'll find out as the weeks go on and the training increases in intensity.
Right, I'm off to stuff myself with all you can eat Chinese food for Fat Girl-supporter Stuart Lydon's 30th. I am sure my 137kcals will account for my consumption.
S-ChampPersp x
Any of the Fat Girls fancy a practice run at the Bowl of Hellfire sometime over the Easter Weekend (April 11/12)???

Week one progress / lessons

2009-03-07T08:42:00.003Z

To say there has been progress may be slightly misleading. However, I have just completed another training session following my schedule (off t'internet) and managed to do five sets of walking for a minute and running for a minute. Covered just over one kilometre in the ten minutes so not really getting much faster (maths gives me 5k in 50 minutes so perhaps 2 minutes faster than last week).
This also only burns a rather meagre 44 kcals. But maybe this is because I just pressed quick start on the machine and didn't give it my real information. It may have assumed I was Linford Christie (on a bad day) so more efficient at burning calories? I feel sure given my Fat Girl status my body will panic at the merest exercise and burn like there is no tomorrow. Burn Baby Burn!
Anyway, for the moment the run / walk cycle is getting better. Although I should probably get round to finding my inhaler just in case. And stop relying on the A Team theme tune to get me to the end of the session.
Followed the run up with a cool down in the pool - first time swimming since completing the Aspire challenge at the tail end of 2008. I would have done longer but the gym played the Annie Lennox version of Shining Light and I had to get to a place of safety quickly.
So now, it's 8.50am and I feel I have done something with my weekend already! Am moving onto the next step of training tomorrow morning with a shorter walk to run ratio!
S-Champ-Persp (or Statto given my obsession with distance / speed / calorie burn)
PS - Two Ash references in this entry...what do you think that means???

Howdy!!

2009-03-02T15:06:00.003Z

Well I have finally managed to sort out my fundraising page, although I can't get a photo to upload. I think the organisers are probably offended that all of my photos seem to have beer, vodka or food on them - not really the greatest images for a 5k run !
I got myself a wii fit to start my training on, I set it up but was then mortally wounded when the little mii of me was made fat after I got weighed, so I have packed it away again haha.
Seriously though, I am a member of the gym so I will be making full use of the facilities to try & hit the target time (instead of just bobbing round in the pool then going for a sauna). I also need to invest in a super strength sports bra, as my bosoms are not used to exercise more strenous than walking to the bar.
I'm loving the idea of a theme, but I'm struggling to think of one. (although 2 members of the team will already have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles outfits haha)
Kelly x

Sponsorship begins...

2009-03-01T08:58:00.010Z

Just a quick note to give some kudos to our first sponsors - Michael Reek and David Bull pledged support to Sarah Reek-Lay and Vicki and Pete showed Lauren Noakes the money. Team total already stands at £55!!!

Obviously thrilled by the news that Team RFGR will run again they were quick to pledge their monetary support as soon as sponsorship opened.

Don't get left behind - sponsor a Fat Girl NOW!!!

S-ChampPersp

(links in side bar to sponsorship sites which are now open)

From this point, forward I go

2009-02-28T11:19:00.004Z

Fresh from my first training session I now know from where I start and what I have to improve upon for race day.
Last year we walked the 5k at a decent pace considering the heat (and the hangovers) and completed in 65 mins. We thought we'd done alright considering none of us had trained, we ran out of water and at least one team member lacked proper trainers.
I've just done 2.5k in 26 minutes so using the power of maths (a mysterious force over which I have no grasp) I can extrapolate this time / effort and hypothesise I could currently do 5k in 52 minutes. Which is clearly 14 minutes faster than last year.
Not so impressive when I count in factors such as it being much cooler in the controlled gym environment, me being 21lbs lighter and the lack of hangover. In my head I did think I could easily run the whole 5k in 30 minutes by now.
But, alas, that was fanciful thought. I now aim to spend the next five months getting my time down and my run / walk ratio up so that I can get nearer my goal time.

Other things I found out during the course of my training session:

Las Ketchup is quite a good BPM for my current jog-ability
Completing 5k in a pack is much more fun than going lone ranger
I need a new sports brassiere as my bosom is clearly where some of the weight has dropped from.

Anyway, will try and get some cardio training in tomorrow with a one mile swim (which I know I can do in 30 minutes) and then on with the dedicated run training in the week.
If any Fat Girls want to keep me company I am making use of a little known establishment - the Virgin Active. I am sure Mr Richard Branson (proprietor) will find his fledgling business flurishes now he has the endoresment of Team RFGR.

S-ChampPersp x

2009-02-27T11:41:00.003Z

I'm off the blocks and my Race For Life page eagerly awaits it's first donation! Have a look at it here, Lauren Noakes, I chose the photo very carefully to reflect the overwhelming accomplishment I felt last year!!

I've set the target at £100, double the target for last year, i hope you are all as confident as I am about it this year, i need your support and your cash. To illustrate how determined i am im off into town at the weekend to buy some running shoes and then the training seriously begins!

Anyone had any ideas about a theme yet? I'd also like to see our supporters on the day co-ordinated in some way, i'm thinking 'Run Fat Girl Run' tees!!??

On your marks...

2009-02-26T16:40:00.004Z

As the poignant strains of M People's What Have You Done Today echo through the minds of all team members we can inform you we are officially registered for Race for Life 2009.

The training and the fundraising begins here (no more chewwy cornflake tart goodness for me for a while) so get ready to get your support on.

Two team members streak into an early online-fundraising lead with their sites already open for business.

Other team members will surely be on hot on their heels with online sponsorship so pick a girl and give us your money (or if you can't pick a favourite Fat Girl then just give us all some cash)!!!

S-ChampPersp x

PS - Five months until race day!!!

It's the final line-up

2009-02-25T08:39:00.005Z

Right, we've now doubled the size of the team for the Race for Life so the recruitment drive will now be ending!
It is with great pleasure I introduce the latest member - and our first international member - Aakanksha Chhikara. Or Ace to you and me!
So one final time - let's hear the role call for Team RFGR for Race for Life 2009 and Katie's Midnight Walk II:

Sarah Lay
Sarah Barker
Toni-Anne Sanderson
Lauren Noakes
Kelly Race
Vena Wheeldon
Sarah Hutchinson
Aakanksha Chhikara

Last year the four of us raised more than £800 for Race for Life so with twice as many of us let's try to double the amount we gather while also managing to get round the Bowl of Hellfire faster than anyone on crutches.
(Please feel free to sing the post title to the tune of Europe's Final Countdown for the rest of the day).
Thanks to Carl Bembridge for clever Photoshop skillz!

Katie's Midnight Walk 2009

2009-02-24T14:37:00.005Z

With extra members falling over themselves to be in the team (falling over? that bodes well) we're in the process of signing up for Race for Life 2009.

As well as a stringent and very cutting edge training programme (fnar) we'll be fitting in another event as a team as well.

Katie's Midnight Walk will take place on 20 June 2009 and is a five mile walk in Alfreton, Derbyshire. The aim is to raise awareness of malignant melanoma (a type of skin cancer) hence the walk from dark into light.

As well as raising awareness of this disease and making a team donation to Professor Poulem Patel's research project into malignant melanoma we will also be remembering Katie.

Katie Taylor was my husband's cousin and died last June from malignant melanoma, aged 15. The walk is open to all and we'd encourage Team RFGR followers to join in if you are able. While the Race for Life is a girl-thing we'll be encouraging blokes, thin girls and even our four-legged friends to join KMW too!

Please take a few moments to read Katie's story and we hope to see you at midnight on 20 June 2009.

S-ChampPersp

(If you can't take part please consider making a donation to help fund research into the disease)

And one more makes seven

2009-02-18T14:01:00.002Z

More new member news just in:

The team are welcoming another new member to the squad for the Race for Life 2009.

Sarah Hutchinson will be joining us on the run / walk / crawl in order to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

So we now have a full starting line up of seven for Team Run Fat Girl Run Race for Life 2009!

Joining stalwart FG's Lauren Noakes, Sarah Lay, Sarah Barker and Toni-Anne Sanderson will be new girls Kelly Race, Vena Wheeldon and Sarah Hutchinson.

More girls surely means more money folks - so get those donation digits at the ready to encourage us on our wobbly way!

S-CP

And then there were six...

2009-02-15T12:34:00.003Z

Just a quick note to welcome another new addition to Team RFGR - Vena 'Hammond' Wheeldon! Hello V!

Along with Kelly, Vena will be in the starting line up with original Fat Girls (myself, Sarah, Toni and Lauren) as we take a second sprint (for sprint read wheezy stroll) around the Bowl of Hellfire.

We're very pleased our numbers are expanding as not only are there more of us to carry a theme (have your say on what it should be over on our facebook group) but also means we can raise more money for Cancer Research UK.

I would love to say that training has started in earnest but it hasn't even started at all. It's nearly 1pm and I am still in my PJs. Still, as soon as one of us moves a muscle we'll be sure to update you here Fat Girl fans!

S-CP

and so it begins.....

2009-02-13T12:33:00.006Z

The challenge is being signed up to as we speak. 5km of power walking and puffing lungs is on the horizon. The clock is ticking and the blogs begin. Race for Life 2009 is now offically under way and I begin this momentus day with an evening of chinese and cider! Maybe i'll call Monday the first official day of training and put this weekend of naughtiness down to a fond farewell party for my fat and flab. Smoking is at a minimum but kitkat consumption is at a maximum, the two are not unrelated. So it's down the gym with religious gusto and a firm shake of the head to the kitkat cravings. This time it's serious, we're aiming for a better time round Holme Pierrepont (otherwise known as the Bowl of Hellfire) and to beat the pegleg. I hope we get the same level of support this year as we were truely humbled by the amount we raised in 2008. A big thanks again to everyone who helped us and Cancer Reasearch UK and we hope we'll do you proud again if you're so kind as cough up some cash this year. I'll be updating with training photos and progress reports asap!!

Here come the girls

2009-02-13T12:10:00.003Z

I'd like to say that we are back from a planned hiatus over the winter months but truth is we just haven't done anything much since completing the Aspire swim challenge at the start of December.

We are starting to plan in our events for 2009 now though and where better to start than, well, where we started from - Race For Life!

Team RFGR will be participating at Nottingham HolmePierrepont again, sweating round the five kilometre course on Sunday 26 July. This year we aim to finish before anyone on crutches, use sunscreen and take plenty of water with us!

We've already gathered a new Fat Girl to our collective bosom and so we welcome the rather marvellously-named Kelly Race (marvellous because we're racing see...oh forget it).

In the next few weeks we'll begin with training (no, seriously, we will this time) and then pestering you all for donations!

Saira - AKA Champagne Perspiration

Another mini update stats fans

2008-10-31T12:32:00.003Z

74 lengths added to my batch totallying 400 altogether. Meaning just 72 left until I have completed my team milage!!!!
I have 616 left to complete the full 22 miles and plan to do this in 21 sessions over the next month. I'm determined to complete it all so am stepping up my game!
And for those of you following this really closely I have started to vary my stroke. I am now doing a mixture of breast stroke (no jokes thanks) which is my strongest and front crawl which is my weakest. Sometimes I throw in a couple of back stroke or work with floats to alleviate the monotony.
I can also report that there is no motivational value in Wonderwall by Oasis. Good song it may be but when it starts playing as I hit my 68th length of the day it doesn't really do the job of giving me the energy to push through the last few lengths....

Anyway, back at the pool over the weekend so will hopefully be able to report the completion of my 8 miles!

Short and sweet

2008-10-24T08:01:00.002+01:00

Did another 36 lengths.
My total now 286 lengths / 4.5 miles.
186 length / 1.5 miles left to swim on team total.
Getting quite bored of swimming up and down now. More sponsorship money might help :)

Half way point

2008-10-20T16:16:00.004+01:00

Or at least this is the half way point in terms of time allowed!
I think we have completed around 600 lengths between us (well, between some of us lol) so this is just about half way in terms of distance (a little under 12 miles).
I'm hoping to edge closer to my personal allocation for the team in the next couple of weeks and think Lauren will be just ahead of me! Sarah is on holiday but has pledged to do her bit while away in order to relieve the hardship of sunbathing by an infinity pool on the Thai coast.
The amount we have raised seems to have stalled around the half-way mark as well. So if you haven't already been generous please do so! You can sponsor us online through the widget over on the right (minimum £2 which is only one drink less in the Bless this week) or see one of us to submit your spare coppers via our paper forms.
Remember all the money we raise is going to Aspire, the leading spinal injury rehabilitation charity.

We're also starting to think about our 2009 programme of events (programme sounds so professional!) so if you have any suggestions for challenges you would like to see us struggle to complete get posting here or on Facebook!

Back to the pool

2008-10-06T19:59:00.002+01:00

It's me. Again.

Made it back to the pool today after a hiatus due to illness and then a debilitating motivation problem. I've whooped my own ass over it though and eased myself in with a cool 20 lengths this afternoon.

I have five more sessions pencilled in this week so should bring my total to somewhere around the 260/300 length (or 6 mile) mark depending on how my interest / wheezy chest holds out.

That does mean that I will only be around 160 lengths away from completing my 8 miles for the team - aiming to do this by the end of week 8 (it's the start of week 4 today) and then will see how much more I can top up with as a challenge to myself!

Amphibian!

2008-09-21T14:46:00.003+01:00

It's the end of week one of the Channel swim challenge and I've now completed 120 lengths, which is somewhere around the 2 mile mark. That puts me on target to complete the full 22 miles in 12 weeks. And means I only have 6 miles left to complete my share of the team's distance!!!

I'm hoping I'll be able to break it down into shorter sessions over the next few weeks as 80 today was challenging mentally as well as physically. Somewhere around the 68 mark I really started to have to push myself to carry on and by 75 I had a proper thousand yard stare going. I think 40 is a nice number for one session - and this is now taking 33 minutes so I've knocked another 2 mins off my average time.

Other things to report...not much really. My ever-decreasing boobage means tumble turns now need some thrilling heroics to ensure I don't reveal my bangers to the rest of the pool users but I take it all as part and parcel of the challenge. And losing pounds while raising pounds is the motto of the team. Or it might be if we started having a motto. Anyway, I think, for me, it's going good! Bring on the rest of the distance!!!

First laps on the clock

2008-09-15T21:24:00.004+01:00

This is Saira checking in at the end of day one.

Unlike the other RFGRers I won't be taking my challenge further than Derby so I thought I may as well get started and I've put 40 lengths on the clock for the team so we are underway!

While doing this I have managed to confuse myself about whether we are doing 22 miles between us or 22 miles each. I must check this at the soonest as option one means I have completed my share for this week and option two means I still have 78 lengths to complete in week one alone.

Anyway, technicalities of the challenge aside day one went a little like this: forgot swimming hat (bad times); increased swim speed so 40 lengths now coming in at 35 minutes (good times). I can also report that Monday night is most definitely boys night in the spa. Jeez, do those regulation hotties like to steam...

So, swimming my 40 for the team gave me the sense of achievement and self-worth sadly elusive the rest of the day (if I'm gonna, I'll blog elsewhere about that).

But where is the sponsorship??? Come on people...

THE CHALLENGE HAS BEGUN!

2008-09-15T09:14:00.003+01:00

Today is kickoff for our channel swim, that's 22 miles of sweat, tears and water inhalation to come over the next 12 weeks.....

Wisely i've actually done no swimming to train for this event, odd you may say and you'd be right, i've just been lazy. But i have been getting into quite a sweat at the gym thrice weekly in the bid to increase my cardio and stamina. However, the exciting part for me is that I've decided to combine this crazy feat with my holiday to Marrakech next week. I'll be attempting to swim my 8 miles in the luxury of the 4 star pool. Only problem i envisage is there being a bar at the end of every lap. Wish me luck i shall need it, oh and yes i'll be sure to get Sarah Bibb my holiday companion to record my splutterings from poolside where she'll be working on a mean tan!

Remember we're doing this crazy challenge for Aspire, the UK’s leading spinal injury charity. Please help them by sponsoring us whatever you can, see us in person or give online at ....
http://www.justgiving.com/teamrfgr
http://www.aspire.org.uk/channelswim/default.html

Training resumes

2008-09-03T16:04:00.002+01:00

After a short summer break to enable us to go to Leeds (Sarahs) / Reading (Lauren) and then recover (festival plague gets worse each year) training is about to resume.
There is just under two weeks now until the Aspire challenge begins and we've made some headway towards our modest £60 fundraising target. Any donations you wish to make would be gratefully received - widget to do so online over on the left.
I am pleased with my own progress so far - currently swimming around 30 lengths in 30 minutes and hope to maintain this speed and just extend the quantity now.
Anyway - just a quick update for you as an excuse to post this picture of Lauren combining the joy of wearing a swimming hat with the thrill of Reading festival. Good work!

Train Fat Girl, Train!

2008-08-13T08:35:00.002+01:00

Not a particularly thrilling update but here goes anyhoo...
Our Aspire Challenge swim hats have arrived along with our sponsorship forms and the start of the challenge is 5 weeks away!
I have been in a pool once so far in my stringent training regime - completing 4 (oh yeah - 4!) lengths before retiring to the spa.
Probably the most exciting news is that we now have a Facebook group where you can support our efforts in this and other challenges. If you're friends with any of us on there you'll probably already have an invite - if not check us out! Join the Team RFGR Facebook group.
Not only can you support us through this group - but we will support you with any ongoing effects of having seen us sweaty and whining.

And don't forget you can show your support by sponsoring our swim - handy widget to online donations!

Swim Challenge for Aspire

2008-08-04T12:42:00.002+01:00

We've signed up for our next challenge!
Between 15 September and 7 December we will be swimming a total of 22 miles to raise money for Aspire.
Aspire's projects and services have a very simple goal - to provide the practical support needed for people with spinal cord injury, from injury to independence.
If you'd like to sponsor us please use the link to our fundraising page - http://www.justgiving.com/teamrfgr.
It's not the only thing we've got going on so look out for more opportunities to part with your cash for worthy causes coming soon from Team RFGR!

Race for Life 2008

2008-08-01T13:30:00.002+01:00

Hoorah for us!
We've completed our first event. We took part in the 5k Race for Life event at Nottingham Holme Pierrepont on Sunday 27 July 2008 along with around 3700 other women!
It was the hottest day of the year (so far) and we hadn't trained as hard as we should have (and at least two members had drunk too much the night before) but we completed the course in a very sweaty 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Between us we raised around £700 for Cancer Research UK and a further £140 for the Myfanwy Townsend Melanoma Research Fund.
The sense of achievement in completing our first event was only matched by the ice cold showers later that day!

Another big well done to us, the other runners, all who sponsored us, Oscar, Sam and Sheba who supported us in person on the day, honourary team member and photographer Tricia and everyone who wished us luck!!!