I managed to get in a disagreement on Facebook this morning mainly because I scrolled before I’d had my coffee.

I was on the Les Mills on demand page and someone was talking about atrocities in the world and I just put a comment about it being a fitness page and probably not the correct forum for this conversation. In hind sight I was wrong and should have just scrolled past and gone and drank my coffee. Which I admitted on the post because who am I to say what can and cannot be spoken about.

Just one woman was so rude and personal to me and it got me thinking when did it become perfectly ok to just slag someone off you don’t know at all who hasn’t actually said anything offensive towards you and just expressed their opinion.  Can I point out my post was polite and basically a throw away comment.

Would this woman say that to my face or is it just because she’s sat behind a screen.

I’m a big girl and can deal with people like that and I will definitely be scrolling past and not having an opinion on anything other than exercise on that page in future.

I’ve seen it a lot recently where people are just being out and out rude with their opinions on Facebook.

If you take offense are you being a snowflake, surely it shouldn’t be acceptable to behave like a complete nob. Doesn’t matter if your opinion is right or not.

I would tell me kids off if they spoke to anyone in that manner.

I guess my point is should I just harden up and accept that’s how people are now or should I continue wanting a world with manners and decency.

I haven’t written a blog for a while. I was ill and couldn’t exercise and my head wasn’t in the right place to write anything positive.

Thankfully I’m feeling on top form and back at it. I wanted to write about my experience of body pump and the other Les Mills classes.

I had never heard of these classes until about 6 months ago and then the actual thought of doing a class filled me with dread. When I finally started going to classes at the gym and did a body pump class it was a revelation to me. I could get my weights done in a format that I enjoyed, made me sweat and feel like I’d achieved something.

I’d only attended a few classes and the virus struck the world, the gyms closed and I thought that was that. Until I realised my son had a bar bell and all the weights he’d been bought for Christmas stashed away in my wardrobe and Les Mills has an app with many many workouts on and a free trial. So I ordered a step and set to work trying the workouts at home.

My weights have increased, I’m definitely getting more toned and more importantly I enjoy the workouts. I’ve discovered body combat and body step as well. Which I also love and use to do my cardio if I’m not going for a run.

I don’t want to sound like a sales rep for Les Mills (I’m not getting commission 😂). I just wanted to say that if I hadn’t left my comfort zone to go to those classes I would never have found something I love doing that has helped keep me sane during lockdown. It also sorts the strength training out I need for my marathon training which was always the side I wasn’t great at.

I’m actually considering carrying my workouts out from home after all this because I can do the classes whenever I want. I don’t have young kids so I know that’s not an option for everyone.

So what I’m saying is don’t always stay in your comfort zone because leaving it has changed my life on many occasions now 🙂

I’m having the same conversation with myself every morning when I get out of bed at the moment.  I’m usually trying to make excuses not to workout, but thankfully I’m not listening and I’m getting them done.

Once the first 5 minutes is up I’m enjoying them and when they are finished I feel so much better.

I’m also seeing some new muscle tone and although I’ve gained a bit of weight my clothes feel the same and I’ve lost half an inch off my waist 

I am missing running though but I just don’t want to go out and run if people are being aggressive to runners. 

I’m not sure how much this is actually happening but the fact it makes me anxious ruins the run before I’ve started. So I’ve decided to wait and start marathon training when this madness is over.

I start my furlough tomorrow so I intend to up my exercise. I’m loving the body pump, I’m going to up the cardio workouts and I’ve ordered some resistance bands with handles so going to start the CX Works abs training when they arrive.

I’m actually exited to see if my body shape will change or if the fact I’m not running will be a negative and I’ll inflate.

I do know all this isn’t important but as I’ve said before it’s something I can control and it helps my anxiety and stops me going back to drinking alcohol. Which in my book is big plus.

I’m walking the dog 2 miles a day still so still getting outside.

So let’s see if I can keep my sanity whilst furloughed (well what’s left of it 😂)

I don’t know about you but it’s felt like the end of the world recently.

I’m running on constant anxiety but humour, friendship and family are seeing me through. Last year when Sam was in the coma and I was waiting for him to wake up the lack of control was massive and now I’m feeling the same feeling again.

What I learned from last year was to concentrate on what I can control which at the moment is work and my exercise.

I can’t run outside because I’m using my outside exercise time (even typing that seems mad) to walk the dog and get my son’s out of the house.

So I’m doing Les mills on demand body balance and body grit. I’m also doing some HIIT and ab blast workouts. My plan is to hopefully when this madness is over start a 16 week training plan in June ready to take on the London Marathon in October.

Praise to all the key workers can not thank them enough.

As I’ve mentioned before I’m not feeling well. Nothing serious or life threatening. But it has meant I’ve had to have a week off exercising and not do my long training run this week. I’m a bit fed up about it but I know I have to listen to my body and rest up.

Just wanted to point out that this is the first illness I have had this winter since going vegan in October.

Previously my winters have seen me have cold after cold and deal with sinus issues and infections constantly.

Believe it or not even with this bug I think I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve also managed to go to work with this bug and walk there most days. What I’ve also noticed is even though I have cold like symptoms my nose and breathing have been completely fine.

I will rest up, I will get better and I will carry on marathon training. I will also carry on being vegan as I literally haven’t had one downside yet.

I’m feeling so deflated that the London Marathon might be cancelled. I got up to 20 miles for Lochness Marathon last year then my son was seriously ill and I couldn’t do it. I’m now at 16 miles and the thought of doing all this training for another marathon I might not run is really getting me down. I know I have to look at the bigger picture and there are more important things but I’m still feeling down about it.

I also would like to know if I get to keep my ballot place and not just get a refund if it is cancelled as there is no way I’ll get another place.

I know I have to suck it and see and everyone doing marathons is in the same boat but I’m still not a happy bunny.

On top of that I’ve been ill since Monday night. No I haven’t got the Corona virus. I’m not really sure what I’ve had my glands are up, my throat is sore and I’ve literally slept at every opportunity. I’ve made it to work but exercise wasn’t even an option as my battery was on zero percent. I think I’ve turned a corner today. So I’m hoping another rest day tomorrow and I’ll be ok to do my long run in York on Saturday.

I’ve also been blocked for a week on my Instagram account. I have no idea why and I’ve appealed but I’ve given up now so I’ll have to wait until Monday. This is obviously a minor nuisance but I use Instagram to motivate myself and try and motivate others and I feel a bit lost without it.

So all in all it’s not been a very positive week. My hands have never been so clean so there is that!

So yesterday I managed over 15 miles on what can only be described as a bit of a disastrous training run. I was trying to follow directions on my phone as I was running through Peterborough (my husband was doing a Cycling sportive there). I never got in to the flow of it. The wind was horrendous. Mapmyrun sent me on an interesting route. If you are looking for a new build in Peterborough give me a shout I know the new estates really well now and they have a lot of cul de sacs and dead ends.

I then wound up at a road I couldn’t cross which lead to the meltdown I described on Instagram yesterday.

All in all it’s not a training run I want to repeat. I have taken some things away from it though, my husband is very calm when I’m having a meltdown and gets me back to thinking like a rational person. I need to take some spare cash running for emergencies. It doesn’t matter how bad your training run went if you run over a half marathon distance your legs will let you know about it the next day.

Next week my husband is doing another bike sportive in York and I’m going along to run again. Thankfully I know York a lot better than Peterborough (where I had never been). So I’m planning on running by the river, so I won’t be able to help you if you want to buy a new build in York….

The world just seems to be worrying about the Corona virus and I can see it’s really scary. But all we can actually do is try and stay healthy, follow the same guidelines you should always follow re hygiene and hope that it stays controlled. Probably stay away from the airport’s if possible.

You can worry yourself sick and get in a state about it if you like, but it’ll still have the same outcome.

I think a lot of people have got a bigger chance of dieing from not looking after their bodies properly than they do from the Corona virus and as an ex lazy bugger I am not judging. But if we all worried a little more about things we can actually control like eating better, exercising more. Cutting out the booze and the fags if something like the Corona virus does come a long and you catch it you have a much better chance of fighting it off.

If I catch it next week and drop down dead then I obviously have no clue what I’m talking about…..

Waking up and not feeling like life is a drudge is the biggest gift I’ve given myself.

My outlook on life has changed so much and I now know that you can’t control everything. But you can control the small things and this helps keep your anxiety at bay if you concentrate on what you can actually change.

I’ve been feeling very conflicted this week. When I gave the newspaper agency the hospital pictures of Sam I was in two minds. I’d only taken them for personal reasons and in case school questioned his absence. In their defence they didn’t and have been amazing throughout.

When I took the pictures I never in a million years thought they’d be in Newspapers or on Newspaper websites. I find a couple of the pictures very hard to look at and they bring back very dark memories and instantly take me back, but the reason I said they could be used (after clearing it with Sam obviously) is because I think it’s important people realise that sinus infections can get so serious and in the hope of raising a good amount for the Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

I don’t regret my decision, but I never imagined that the article would be printed in different variations so many times and today when I saw it on the Fox News website I was amazed.

The articles fill me with the strangest of emotions but I think it’s just the reminder that our story could have so easily taken a different turn and I can’t let my mind go there as it is just to scary to think about.

So I’m focusing on the positive side of the article and pictures and knowing that although those pictures break my heart they are doing good and may possibly save someone else’s life.

I’ve just done my first body pump class ever at Xercise4less.  I really wasn’t sure what to expect and was worried I’d get confused and fall on my bum.

I absolutely loved it and the hour flew by.  I’ve booked this class twice then cancelled as I bottled out.  I will definitely be going again.
So definitely push yourself out of your comfort zone you might surprise yourself.

My training routine is now 3 x classes, 2 x treadmill and weight machine sessions at the gym  and one long run that gets longer every week.  I also walk about 21 miles a week.  I have Monday as a rest day.  I thought adding the classes in might be to much but I have more energy and I’m sleeping better.

I’ve also started taking vitamin and iron supplements as my iron level is always low and I feel better for that as well.

I have to contend with Storm Dennis tomorrow and a 14 mile run, I’m really not looking forward to that but I’m determined to get it done.‍♀️

The reason I’m waffling on about my new exercise regime is that 5 years ago I couldn’t run for the bus without being out of breath and I classed walking to the shop and back as exercise.  I obviously have an addictive personality hence why I’ve stopped drinking and I think I’ve replaced drinking with exercise.

I don’t see this as a bad thing as I make sure I incorporate rest and try and get plenty of sleep. I also get to eat a lot of calories now about 2200 a day which is a definite bonus.

I am not a natural athlete, I think the key is finding something you enjoy and sticking at it. If you don’t enjoy it you will definitely make excuses and stop in the end. Also I do have a love hate relationship with running sometimes whilst running I hate it, but I love the feeling afterwards and I love the amount of calories it burns!

If you can’t face the gym or running outside, start with walking and up your steps or miles each week. If you count your calories and drink lots of water you will definitely see results.