Diaries to the ready

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!

Bad biscuit day

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!

Snow interupts training

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.

Good Times Bad Times

[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

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!

Style and sobriety #fail

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!

TRFGR in 2010

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 :)

Race for Life Reflection

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

Race For Life: T-6

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

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!

Practice run!

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

From this point, forward I go

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