So it’s that time again – Janathon time! This year I am giving it my all! Working out every day (some days more gently as it’s important to let the body recover too!) – and I am also aiming to get in 10,000 steps every day as well (though will be satisfied if I manage 5 out of 7 days for this!)
So what have I been up to for the first seven days, well if you follow me on Instagram you probably already have an idea, but here are a few more details!
Day 1 – New Years Day
Double parkrun (Greenwich – Avery Hill Park and Bexley – Danson Park) with my lovely friend Helen of helsbels.org – we started 2016 off in the same way, and I think it’s a great way to start the year! Read More »
Today was Parkrun – my lovely friend Kay was doing her first ever Parkrun so I was very happy to be going along to support her!
It was a beautiful day and I was quite delighted that it was considerably warmer than last Saturday – the only downside to this was that the mud was decidedly squelchy again and this makes me very careful as it can be so slippery!
See – it was muddy!
I felt pretty good this week and Kay did amazingly well and stuck with me for the most part! My time today was 00:32:55 – slowly going in the right direction – my dream for 2016 is to do 5km in 30 minutes, but we’ll see! I was very happy to see that my splits were pretty even and if I can gradually keep shaving off a few seconds each time I know I can get there! Because we good girls and walked to and from Parkrun – I’d already taken over 10,000 steps by the time I got home at around 10am and covered over 8km! Good start to the weekend!
After a spot of lunch I went and did the big Morrisons show – which is definitely a work out and whilst in store racked up another 2,000+ steps and 1km in distance – not mention all the lifting and carrying!
The Big Shop!
This afternoon (and evening) has been all about the OU study – but I initially struggled as I felt so sleepy after the mornings exertions!
It was an exceptionally cold, but very beautiful Parkrun at Danson Park today! It did take all my effort to get myself there, especially as I had to clear ice off my car and the thermometer in there said it was -2, but get there I did. For the majority of the run I couldn’t feel my feet – and it took finishing and being back in my car to get any feeling in my fingers! I am a bit of a plodder and seem stuck at about 7 minutes a kilometer, really hoping over time my speed will increase, but with how icy the conditions were today I was extremely happy to stick to my plod! Though least with the ground being slightly frozen it had hardened up some of the muddier patches, which made them easier to run on. Danson Park is a two lap Parkrun, and after the first lap my right ankle did give me some pain, but not excruciating so I was able to keep going and fortunately it did ease.
By 10am I was back in the warmth of my car and heading hope. Not my fastest 5k by any means, but a respectable 00:34:42 which makes for a new PB at Danson Park, so I’ll be happy with that!
I then had a quick, but delightfully hot shower, dried my hair, got dressed then out again to pop to Bromley as I had an appointment with the Benefit makeup team at the Boots in the Glades, sorry I mean Intu (it will always be the Glades to me), which was part of my Christmas present.) I enjoyed my half an hour of pampering, and do like the Benefit makeup, and the lady dealing with me was very jovial and helpful, though I do feel she put the make up on a bit heavy for my taste!
I then did lots of walking to various shops, picked up a few bits in Primark – managed to get a t-shirt I’ve been after and picked up a lovely jumper dress in the sale, my final visit was to Argos – I am now the proud owner of my first set of dumbbells! A set of 2 x 0.5kg weights, 2 x 1kg weights and 2 x 1.5kg weights – carrying 6kg of weights, plus my additional shopping was a second work out in itself!!! My arms were burning by the time I made it back to the car park! I look forward to using them!
Lifting some Weights
I am currently feeling absolutely exhausted, though do need to get on with some OU study and sorting receipts for my sister – I think the reason may be that I have in total today (well whenever I was carrying my phone to record the information) covered 12.44km (16,014 steps) – don’t think tomorrow will be quite as active, but happy with my efforts for Janathon Day 16! 🙂 xxx
After a fairly gentle night in for our New Years celebrations (my hubby and I are hard core, comfy clothes on, sat on the sofa watching a film!), I’d agreed to go with Helen to Greenwich Parkrun followed by Bexley Parkrun. All these running ideas always seem great when you’re planning them – but then the morning dawns and you suddenly realise that you have to go through with it!!! 😛
So on the 1st January 2016 I left the house, to have to come back in to grab some bits to defrost my car! Not had to clear frost in ages…
It was really cold, but I collected Helen, and soon it was 9am and we were in Avery Hill Park and after the briefing we were off. It was cold and slippery, I ran the first two laps with numb toes and taking it carefully on the mud, but I was happy to complete my 5km in a time of 00:34:48 – which is faster than my Parkrun on the 1st Jan 2015. Though towards the end my ankles were hurting, which made me think I would probably have to walk my next Parkrun.
Finishing my Greenwich Parkrun – Photos courtesy of Helen
Then we were back in the car (heating on full to warm up) and on to Danson Park for our second Parkrun. We were there a little early, so stayed in the warm of the car and munched a few jelly babies – Helen had the last green one, I was disappointed, I wasn’t…honest… 😛 And I didn’t throw mud at her, well not intentionally!
Then we got out of the car and made our way to the start of the course, as we walked past the lake, I very helpfully told Helen that water is at it’s most dense at 4 degrees Celsius (information from my dad) – if she wins a quiz with that answer you know where she learnt it from!!!
After a quick briefing we were off again. There was a lot of people at this Parkrun (a lot doing the double) and so there was a bit of a bottle neck and it was slow going over the first kilometre, but my ankles felt ok which was a relief.
I kept with Helen most of the way, but there was bit towards the end when she was able to go ahead and I got slowed down by a little girl on her scooter! I was beginning to feel a little disheartened, but then I saw a robin, and there’s just something about a robin, makes me feel someone is watching over me and gave me the ability to go on and get to the end in 00:35:11 – which I was rather chuffed with after already doing one 5km!
So, it was done! 10km! I feel a real sense of accomplishment! Not bad for the first day of the year and the first day of Janathon!
After dropping Helen off, it was home for a very wonderful hot shower there’s nothing more amazing after running – no photos for that, so here’s a screenshot of my step count for the day!!!
Happy New Year to you all!
Not sure rest of Janathon will be as energetic, but we’ll see… until tomorrow! 🙂 x
That saying couldn’t be more appropriate today! All very exciting for me today – I did Parkrun at Dulwich Park – not only is this the first time I’ve attended a Parkrun somewhere other than Greenwich (Avery Hill Park), which I am feeling a little disillusioned with the moment, but it also took me back to where I grew up and brought back so many wonderful happy childhood memories! I already knew I’d love the Parkrun here before I even arrived!
Beautiful Park – Beautiful Weather
It helped that it was beautiful crisp sunny morning, with blue skies which puts you in a positive mood to start with! I collected Deputy Helen and off we headed, meeting with the lovely Jo and her friend Jane once we got to the park. Parking was reasonable as we got there quite early.
It’s obviously a very popular Parkrun as there were lots of runners in attendance (many visiting from Bromley Parkrun too) – all seemed
very friendly. The only issue this morning was the cold and the waiting in it whilst the announcements were made! Also the slight fear of icy patched under foot one we started running!
The standing in the cold affected me in the fact that when I started to run my toes were numb and it felt like I was running with concrete blocks on my feet – this sensation eventually wore off half way into the second lap of the park!
The course was lovely and flat with tarmac pathways or the option of running in the sand track (meant for horses), this was actually my saving grace as during the second lap my left ankle started to hurt, but I didn’t want to stop running as it’s the best I’d felt running a 5km in ages, so instead I ran on the sand and this lessened the impact and reduced the pain.
I have been on UK Fitness Bloggers facebook page asking on what exercise I can do to strengthen my ankles and it has been most useful with some great responses! Well worth joining – as it’s a group of like minded individuals and you can get advice etc.
I did seem to have my invisibility cloak on today as it felt like people were deciding to come off the pathway and on to the sand and vice versa directly by me, a couple of dogs also decided to go directly in front of me to get back to their owners! I am sure this wasn’t just happening to me though! This feeling did lessen on the third lap as all the speedy runners had already finished so didn’t need to get passed!
I actually really enjoyed the final lap, which was unusual as I am normally thinking “just need to finish”, as I came to the home straight I tried to step it up a gear and really wish I’d tried even harder as I did feel I had it in me but came in at a very respectable 00:32:09 – only 3 seconds slower than my PB at Greenwich and a 2015 PB which I am very happy with as my previous timed 5km this year was around the 37 minute mark – so this was a vast improvement!
Then this afternoon I had to meet with someone in Bounds Green – so there was four rather brisk walks to and from various stations. Made enjoyable as I travelled with my hubby, we were childfree and the sun was shining, an additional plus point was that I got to read my book whilst on the train and tube – which I haven’t done in ages!
Once we were home, I collected the kids from our amazing neighbours who looked after them whilst we were travelling across London, and they very kindly lent me a Garmin Forerunner 10 which I am very excited about. Can’t wait to test it out!
The hubby made us dinner he did the most amazing homemade pot noodle from the River Cottage Veg Everyday cookbook and it was delicious – highly recommend it!
Then after the kids were in bed we watched Maleficent – and it was phenomenal! Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Hope you all had fun bringing in the new year and are feeling good and positive for the new year ahead!
So today is the first day of 2015 and I managed to get up and out and go for a Parkrun!!!
Now my usual way of thinking is to look at all the negatives – so I could waffle on about how bad a run it was and how slow I went etc etc, but no one wants to read about me whinging and berating myself – there are people suffering a lot worse then a bad park run!!!
Instead, as a New Years resolution, I’m going to try and look for the silver linings in my efforts and not immediately dwell on what went wrong! So here are the silver linings…
1. I woke up!!! Big plus there in itself! I am relatively happy and healthy (give or take a few stomach issues!) and I was surrounded by my beautiful family – and I mean this literally as we stayed at my in-laws for New Years Eve and so the kids were asleep on a mattress on the floor next to us!!! Haha!!! 😄
2. This counts towards my first Janathon!!! Of which I am very proud to be a participate and I just hope I can do well. If you fancy giving yourself some motivation to get exercising this month – it’s not too late, you can still sign up until the 7th Jan! For more incentive, there are prizes to be won!!!
3. I wore my Stephen Amell F&@k Cancer T-shirt!!! Very cool T-shirt, bought for a worthy cause and I feel rather privileged to be wearing one! Stephen Amell is an amazing actor, charity supporter and father/husband – plus as an aside is in a fab series called Arrow. I am happily married women, but I think it’s always good to appreciate beautiful things… ;-P
F&@k Cancer T-Shirt
4. I cleaned my trainers – this may be a small thing, but I did bring home most of Avery Hill Park on the sole of my trainers, so it’s quite a plus that I’ve already done it! I’m sure my trainers would say ‘Thank You’ if they could!
Avery Hill Park on the sole of my trainers!!!
5. I saw my friend – Janathon’s Deputy Helen. It’s always lovely to see friend – especially one who is offering me so much support and encouragement at the moment! Can’t thank her enough!
6. I wrote this blog! Hoping to blog a bit more regularly – I’m not saying everyday, but at least once a week (if I can!) Also I’ve published it earlier than 11pm at night – which is a novelty for me!
7. I made it – despite the pain in my hip, slipping in the mud and considering bowing out after the 2nd lap – I finished! I didn’t give up!!! This is a good thing – and what I need to focus on and not that it was my worst Parkrun time so far – and also remember it was excessively muddy/slippery and I haven’t been running as often as I usually do due to a poorly November/December!
It really was muddy – More Evidence!!!
8. Also need to take into consideration it may be the 1st January – but it’s not the first exercise I’ve done this week! I managed 10.66km on Monday (walking & running) with my greatest motivator Helen and on Wednesday I walked quite a distance round High Elms with the family – occasionally carrying the Pink One and the Blue One (surely that counts as weight training!)
9. It’s all good preparation for my first official 10km run on the 18th Jan at the Olympic park (should’ve been Hyde Park, but there was a venue change!)
So feeling positive – I celebrated with a hot shower, a cup of tea and a yummy sarnie made by my fabulous hubby (and some chocolate)!!! I’m so rock ‘n’ roll!
Mmmmm, Yum! Yum!!!
Great start to the new year – so let’s try and keep up the positive thinking! Until next time, have a wonderful day!!! 😊 xxx
Jog on Mum 