All in the new

A new parkrun personal best, a new gym membership and two new pairs of trainers – what a great way to start October!

I completed my 25th parkrun this morning in 31 minutes and 10 seconds at Kingsbury Water Park, which is 2 seconds better than my previous parkrun at Braunstone Park a few weeks ago. To be honest I was surprised that I beat my recent personal best, as I slowed down on muddy parts of the route due to rain. However, I did need to get back home and take my car to a garage shortly after the parkrun, so I was keen to keep up the speed this morning.

With the recent change in weather, including plenty of rainfall and the drop in temperature, I thought it best to look into joining a gym again. I used to go the gym fairly regularly in Leicester, but I cancelled my membership when COVID-19 caused the first national lockdown in the UK. Since moving to Tamworth I have been running outside, but I feel comfortable enough to go back to the gym again, especially with being fully vaccinated. It’s not pleasant running outside when it’s pouring with rain and it can be tricky running in icy conditions, so the gym is always a nice go-to option in the cooler and darker months.

After a tour of the gym and facilities, I decided to take up a 12 month membership with the Atherstone Leisure Centre. The gym has decent looking cardio equipment, a free weights area and weight machines. My membership includes access to classes, so I’ll be trying out a Zumba class tomorrow afternoon. I’ve enjoyed Zumba previously in Leicester, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Atherstone has to offer.

My current trainers are looking a bit worse for wear and I can feel the outsole starting to wear down, especially while I’m running. They are almost three years old now, so I treated myself this afternoon to not just one pair of trainers, but two pairs! The black pair in the photo below are Asics running trainers and the grey/pink trainers on the right hand side are Slazenger running shoes. My previous two pairs of trainers have been Slazengers, and they’ve lasted very well in various weather conditions and a few washes in the washing machine.

Brand spanking new trainers!

On this occasion, I decided to push the boat out and buy a slightly more expensive pair of trainers which have been specifically designed for running. They felt comfortable enough when I tried them on in Sports Direct, so I’m looking forward to trying them out during my next run. The Slazenger trainers will be for use in the gym and at classes. I know these trainers will be fine since I’ve been wearing Slazengers for the past 5-6 years.

I’m feeling chuffed with running my fastest 5km yet and buying two new pairs of trainers today. I signed up at Atherstone Leisure Centre on Thursday and I’m raring for Zumba tomorrow. I’m also close to losing two stone since February and have the 10km Running Grand Prix in a few weeks’ time, so overall things are looking great in terms of my fitness and overall health.

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂 xx

Out with the old, in with the new

I’ve had my trusty pair of trainers for nearly three years. They’ve endured various sessions at the gym, lots of running outside on different terrains and my first half marathon in October 2018. My trainers have been through various weather conditions as well, getting drenched and/or covered in mud, so they’ve been through the washing machine a few times. They are still in a fairly good condition except for the lining on the heel which is becoming loose.

From having a quick search on Google, it is recommended that you change your running shoes after running 300 to 500 miles. As an estimate I would say that I’ve done at least 300 miles over the past three years. I went out running at least once a week for eight months when I was training for the half marathon, and prior to that I was running 5km-10km when I was training for the Race for Life. In addition, I’ve done workouts at the gym in these trainers, so they’ve gone through a lot of intense exercise.

As a result I thought it was about time that I invested in a new pair of trainers for running and general exercise. I was out shopping yesterday afternoon and found a lovely new pair straight away. They are the only pair I tried on, as they are so comfortable due to having memory foam soles. They also feel very similar to my current pair of trainers. As an added bonus, they were a really good price in the January sales, so overall I’m chuffed!

My beautiful new trainers

To test them out, I went to the gym this morning for an intense cardio session on the cross trainer. I completed one hour at varying intensities, while keeping up my usual speed. I aim to complete 250 metres in four minutes, which works out at 16 minutes for every kilometre. I felt very proud of myself this morning as I just managed to reach in 3.75km in one hour, plus I burnt 953 calories which was much needed!

One hour workout on the cross trainer

My new trainers fared well and were comfortable to wear at the gym this morning. They didn’t give me blisters which I thought might happen, with them being a new pair of trainers and going straight into an intense workout. I’m very pleased with them so far, but the next test will be to see how they manage with running outside, especially when it’s wet and/or raining.

I’ve mentioned recently that I start a new job soon, which will be on Monday! It will be a challenge to fit my fitness in a new schedule, as more of my time will be spent commuting. However, once I have settled in I am tempted to see what gyms are close to where I will be working. In the meantime I will aim to continue going to my current gym at the weekends.

Another thing I need to do is face the scales. I’ve been dreading to do this since the New Year has started, as I did pig out a bit over Christmas! The last time I weighed myself I was 18 stone, so I’m hoping to still be at that figure or just a few pounds over. I’m hoping my recent exercises are helping, and the new tupperware I bought recently will help to encourage healthier eating at work. I will weigh myself soon, and then I will start keeping track as I’ve set the aim of losing three stone by July.

 

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear 🙂

12.5km (round 2)

I was going to run at the Braunstone parkrun this morning, but it was cancelled due to the peril of Storm Doris which battered the UK on Thursday. The volunteers said there were damaged trees and branches obstructing the route, and that the safety of the parkrunners is crucial. The Leicester Victoria parkrun was still on, but I will try out that one another time. I imagine it would’ve been extra busy today due to the Braunstone parkrun being cancelled.

Instead I went out for another attempt at 12.5km. I decided to change the route slightly to add some variety and try running somewhere new, but most of the route was similar to last Sunday. Storm Doris had affected my chosen route, with some fallen trees and branches all over the path, but it wasn’t anything that I couldn’t pass by.

I mentioned in my blog about running 12.5km for the first time that the route involved a large field which was wet and muddy. This was the same story today, and I decided to step up to the challenge again. I made it even more challenging for myself by running around other fields which were also wet and muddy.

Just to make it that little bit harder, it was rather windy this morning. This made it feel more difficult to run when the wind was against me. I ended up with teary eyes by the end of the run, as well as wet and muddy feet.

Muddy feet and legs after 12.5km

Furthermore, I got my first blister from running. I was surprised that I didn’t get a blister sooner when I took up running. It’s on the right side of my left foot, but it’s not too bad really. I think it was caused from running in wet shoes, as I did feel some friction in the same area last week, but a blister didn’t form. I should probably not run so much in wet fields. It will be nice when it starts to warm up and the fields aren’t so wet.

But other than all of that, I felt good about myself once I got to the end. I finished 12.5km today in just under 1 hour and 31 minutes. This is a few minutes slower than last week, but the route was slightly different and I had the wind against me. So I think I did pretty well today. I will probably run 12.5km again in the near future before attempting my next target, 15km!

 

Happy reading and blogging!

Clare Bear

14.5km!

After singing at church this morning I was determined to run further than I ever have before. The furthest I had completed was 10km, which I did for the Race for Life last July and which am doing again this July. However, this year I am also training to run a half marathon in October. Half a marathon is 13 miles, which is just over the equivalent of two Race for Life (10km) races, aka 20km!

I was running into unknown territory today once I had reached the 10km point, where normally I’d be in the mindset that I’ve finished. I kept thinking to myself that I must carry on, that I still had further to go. Once I passed that point, I was rather nervous but felt exhilarated at the same time. My legs were hurting but I persevered, not over doing it by running too fast and slowing down when I needed to.

The way I went after my usual 10km point is a route which I thought was 4km, until I had a look online. I went this way once before, which is ideal for a short run, but it’s actually about 3.8km. I found a more accurate website called Mapometer, which makes it easier for runners, walkers, cyclists etc to plan and draw out routes, compared to runningmap which I originally used. My 10km route is actually 10.68km, so I’ve been running slightly further than I thought.

So overall, I ran 14.48km in 1 hour and 37 minutes! (just 2 metres off 14.5km). I’m thrilled that I was able to carry on after the 10km mark. Of course, I still have a lot of work to do. It was challenging to carry on running further than I ever have before and I could’ve stopped running out of tiredness. But I managed to carry on and I feel so much better for it at the moment (especially because I had eaten a lot of unhealthy food during the week, including various cakes and takeaway pizza).

I look so thrilled :’)

I did actually have a photo before I went out, but I accidentally deleted it so here’s just the one photo when I got back home after running almost 14.5km. My back was very sweaty and you can see the circles around my armpits. I was surprised that my hair wasn’t covered in sweat, but maybe that was because it was quite cool outside. The weather conditions today were very ideal for running.

As you can see I am wearing my new running shoes. They are so comfortable! They have ventilation which means I can feel air coming into my shoes when I’m running, which keeps my feet cool. Whether it’s because they make my feel snazzy or the comfortable support, these trainers have made running feel better and more enjoyable for me!

Since I wasn’t far off 15km and I have found a better website for calculating routes, my next target is to run 17.5km. I am not currently concerned with meeting time targets. I just want to be able to run 20km non-stop, which is the attitude I adopted when I first started training for running 10km. I want to prove to myself that despite my body weight and fat, I can still accomplish great things in terms of fitness. I’m still working at breaking the stereotypical notions and judgments that overweight people are unfit- this is so untrue.

 

Happy reading and blogging!

Many thanks,

Clare Bear

 

A “fit” week

I wrote a blog recently on adaptability, in regards to fitness and my new full-time job as a copywriter. I mentioned that I would aim to get down to the gym during the week and consider walking to work. I’m glad to say that I managed to go to the gym twice during the week, both during the early morning, and I felt much better for it while I was at work.

In order to go to the gym and get to work on time, I have to drive to the gym. Therefore a good way of getting myself up at 6:30am rather than 7:30am is to park my car on the very front of the drive. This means that I have to get up early and leave before my dad, which is at 7:10am, as my car is in such a place where it blocks my parent’s cars.

Wednesday was the first day I went to the gym in the morning. I started exercising at 7am, and was cautious of the time because I didn’t know what the traffic would be like from the gym to work. I spent 45 minutes on a cross trainer, but it was different from the ones I have used before. It’s a tougher work out because you push down harder and the leg motion isn’t as circular. I can’t describe it very well- I probably should’ve took a picture of the cross trainer! Anyway, according to the machine, I burned about 650 calories, which is great.

By the time I showered, changed and was about to drive past my house, it was only 8:15am. There was hardly any traffic, since I was driving away from Leicester city centre; for people driving into town, it was a different story. I drive past my house after the gym to get to work, and when I’m not at the gym, I don’t have to leave home until 8:35am to drive to work. So I had breakfast at home.

Therefore on Friday, I was a bit more lenient and decided to run for an hour on a treadmill. I was so proud of myself, as I almost ran 8km! I turned up the speed for the last minute, but I reached 7.98km when the hour was up. I ran 8.5km/h for the majority of the run, and increased the speed to 9km/h for the final 11 minutes. This is really good progress, since the fastest I have ran 10km so far is 1 hour and 8 minutes.

I got to work for 8:35am, which gave me plenty of time to have breakfast and a cup of tea before starting at 9am. My face was red for a while, even after having a shower at the gym. I have noticed that across my upper cheeks they stay red for a while after I’ve completed a long-distance run, but it dies down after time.

I didn’t get a chance to walk to work and back this week, as I had a few busy weeknights, but at least I got down to the gym twice. I’d like to have a go at walking at least once this week- I’m considering Tuesday at the moment as I haven’t got anything planned for the evening.

Other good news- I am starting to lose body weight again! I lost 2 pounds this week, so I’m at 15.7 stone. I did reach 15.12 recently which scared me, since I weighed 15.9 stone when I went to the doctors about a month ago. Looks like I’m getting back on track!

I also treated myself to a decent pair of running shoes yesterday. They cost £31 (reduced from £43) and are Adidas running trainers. They were the first pair I tried on in the shop, but I did try on another 7 pairs! I didn’t realise that there is so much choice of running shoes, but I bought the pair which I thought were most suited for my purpose.

My beautiful new running shoes!

The trainers have a slightly raised heel at the back and when you walk in them, you can really feel support and a bit of a bounce from the heel. Out of all the shoes I tried on, these ones gave me the most support, and I thought they would be the most durable for running long distances outside. Since I am training to run my first half marathon in October this year, I believed it was time to invest in my fitness and get myself a good pair of trainers. I also believe the shoes will be a good motivator. I can’t wait to have a go at running in them!

 

Happy reading and blogging!

Many thanks,

Clare Bear