This is a view of the countryside surrounding Whissendine from the church tower. An idea of the type of runs I can do - very lovely! Roll on the Spring.

January 31st

Well the regime is working - I have lost 4 pounds over the past two weeks according to Judith's scales so that is great. Now down to 12:12 and have lost another inch off my upper legs. I have run a lot this last week and been good with the food so I guess my metabolism is changing and adapting. Taken four weeks to go through the barrier! Head a lot stronger now - the strong side is able to talk down the weak side...Today I also did my first attempt along the Whissendine 6 route and covered 4 miles in all - that was power walking (well my power walking - sounds more impressive than it actually is!!! ) up the big hills when my heart got a bit too fast then ran down the other side. On the long slow hauls I managed to run and walk intervals using the trees as guide posts!! It was also FREEZING cold so I had to keep going.
So feeling pleased with myself and motivated to continue the journey.
Really good news today in that Katie's Craig has been accepted by the Kent police - all very relieved - the first day of the rest of their life.
Here's thinking of you too Phil as you start your journey to fitness. I know how hard it is - so will be willing you on...
Fancy a new pair of boots.......

January 25th

Again - no weight loss but inches and none put on - it is clear that I am still eating too much so this week while I am away I will count calories - pain but obviously necessary!
Update sometime again this week.

Saturday Jan 24th

No weigh in today as I was down doing training at Walthamstow Academy - yes really - on a Saturday! Ah well, I will get a day off to pay back the time so it'll work out. I will weigh and measure tomorrow but I don't hold out much hope of having lost weight this week again even though I have been very hungry a lot of the time. However I am very pleased with the running schedule - the 35 minute run is working well and I'm feeling gradually stronger. It's great not to be puffing up stairs. It has a very positive effect - all you out there that suffer from the winter blues - one could get quite addicted to the way it makes me feel when I stop!! My mother always used to say it was the same (Not sure that that makes sense!!) So all in all my recommendation to all that suffer from feeling low at any time is to EXERCISE! Get out there and MOVE your bod! It has almost better impact on your mind than your body.
Amazing how quickly I can get into preaching mode and take the high moral ground - ...I can just hear people say --- 'It's OK for you, but....'

January 22nd Ashford

Had a good week so far. Lovely to see lots of Katie and popped over to see Phil. Lovely time and so pleased to see him so happy. Sitting at Katie's now writing this feeling very hungry!
Have had a check up at Katie's gym - thank you dear! Then done one of my old routes round Kennington - really weird! Very pleased though because they were 35 minute runs non stop so that it a great improvement. Legs feel very strong and breathing fine. I can get into a good rhythm quite quickly now. So, that is nearly three weeks now of the new regime so habits are being formed now. Went to the Harvester for a meal and felt sick at the sight of very large people stuffing their faces indiscriminately - I suppose that shows that my habits are changing!! Anyway - thanks everybody for the support, cajoling and encouragement! I will get there and stay there but hopefully not get to be a bore!!

Weigh day 2 Jan 17th

Not such good news today even though I had a good week. By Judiths scales I put on a pound! But my measurements showed 1 and half inches off all over so that is encouraging. If I look back I was a bit lax with the eating but it gives me a clear boundary now. Next week isn't going to be as stressful as last week - a bit of time to draw breath on each day but I'm travelling straight after the service tomorrow! Will need to make sure I rest this week as well need not fill each evening with visiting and talking incessantly.

We went for a walk round the Whissendine 6 today at a good fast pace. It was good to realise that I wasn't puffing and panting. Then I had a Weightwatchers meal to get used to the proper portion sizes. Only sins today (well food sins that is!) - two shortbread biscuits.

Hope you enjoy keeping up with this Phil!

January 15th

I have had a good week so far - I have stayed in a hotel which has a gym but unfortunately had equipment that was badly dated and the gym was very hot so I decided to take to the roads again. That worked very well and I did a good solid 2 mile run on the roads each day after work. Then as there were so few guests in the hotel I could order a specific meal which also worked out well. I have to say I haven't eaten that much this week so here's hoping that a few more pounds have dropped off. I am now in London with David and Suzy overnight and off to the BETT Show tomorrow then HOME! I am hoping to get home in time to do a run before I get too hungry.

Today I bought another Rosemary Conley inspirational magazine with loads of interesting recipes in - better than the Weight Watchers ones. So generally, I am still feeling positive and focused on the goal although this week has been harder. Having folk to dinner twice over the weekend caused me to focus more on food but then the conversations we had with them were so good that I shall truly say - my food and my drink is the Lord!

Looking forward to the next week I can again focus on the fitness. Katie has organised an induction at the gym with a personal trainer who is going to give me guidance on heart rates etc.. I am quite interested in what he will advise. I am also staying in the middle of Ashford so I can run some of my old routes!! To think that every weekend I used to do a 10k route and regularly ran 3 miles home from school.

Hope this blog isn't too self indulgent as my dear old Dad would say!!

January 11th

Well, all the hard work paid off and I lost 3 and 3/4 pounds this week. Also lost inches but it is not appropriate to say where in public.

Lovely if busy weekend - used the gym here at home yesterday but took today off. Thanks for all the encouragment this week which is always so difficult to get started.

Off to Caterham this week until Thursday in a good hotel with a leisure centre and spa so there will also not be any excuse to continue. There is still a long way to go.....but that's fine.

Just thought I'd put here an inpsirational photo of me doing the Maidstone 10k some years ago now - I dragged all the family there! Very satisfying doing it. I'm now toying wiht the idea of setting a goal of doing the Whissendine 6 this summer. What do you all think?

January 6th - So far so good

Great day - nice teachers but an effort to get everything covered without freaking them out! Ran again as soon as I got back to the hotel - REALLY cold but new trews pretty good. I forget how much more alert and buzzy my brain is when I am exercising properly. I am really pleased with how strong my right leg is - last year it was like putty. In the gym here they have a good selection of machines - I did a rotation after I did the run today. Exquisitely cooked smoked haddock for dinner - well worth waiting for! Each day that goes by establishes more securely good choices and decisions.

Yes the hotel really is next to the big dipper!!!

Jan 5th

Well - here I am in Blackpool! Fortunately, the weather was great and there was no excuse for doing what I had commited to do - by publicly telling people I was going to do it. I got here in really good time and after having sorted my room and checked emails etc.. I put on my new running togs and went off to down the prom! I have forgotten my stop watch so I just kept going til the prom disappeared into a carpark and there were some joyriders whizzing about. I ran all the way back as well -no stopping at I suppose a really slow rate of 4mph. My injured leg held out really well -felt very strong and solid and my breathing was fine. It was really interesting that before I started I actually had the same 'symptoms' as before a new presentation - quite shaky! I was SO determined to do this as I had thought so long about it and my target was going to be today along the prom here and YEAH I didn't let myself down. So, now it will be a lot easier from now. The option of not doing it was too awful!

The room is really nice - they upgraded me because I am staying here for a week - well 'til Friday- so I have a big sofa and a fire! The staff are very nice and helpful. When I got back from the run I decided that I needed to up the anti as they say and so did a stretch and firm up routine - using my old and trusty Sue Barnett workout. To think I first did that with the boys on the floor of the sitting room at the cottage at Cheeseman's Green- David used to crawl all over me while I was doing it! Very funny and tickled!! Phil was younger so was in his pram asleep while I did it! Worked then so I guess it'll work now!!
Then ................ahh the other aspect today - what did I eat? Hotel food? Biscuits etc? It wasn't difficult to be restrained and controlled all day - even only had a Crispie bar with my cup of tea at thr service station on the way over on the M62 from Hull. Then, tonight I have been to the restaurant and it was a 3 course but I found that I couldn't eat half of it - pity really but a good sign. So I guess the best thing is to go to Morrisons tomorrow and get only what I need. Will I be able to resist the cooked breakfast tomorrow that is the burning question!!

Watch this space!

Jan 2nd 2009

So far so good. Did a long walk yesterday round the 'Whissendine 6' - a 6 mile circuit that takes us out of the village and then circles round to bring us back in at the top of the village. It was really cold - the moisture on our fleeces turned to frost! I also kept to the correct eating plan even though we had friends round for supper - I even put the ice cream and meringues I had put in my plate back!! Impressive!
Measured my 'bod' as well and can't believe how large I am - but the stats don't lie!