12 November 2013

Run, Fat Girl, Run



I hated cross country running at school. We used to shuffle out of sight of the school, sit in a field, and smoke, until we saw the fit girls heading back to school. We shuffled in after them, tucking our lighters in our knickers.

I'd always looked at runners as if they were from another planet. In my entire adult life I had never run for a bus. I had never run at all.

Then I met Dawn Walton, Cognitive Hypnotherapist.

Dawn has been helping me get my head in the right place, so that I could lose the excess weight I have carried all my life. It's working, I've lost 4 stone.

One entirely unexpected benefit of her Weight Loss Coaching is that I am far more active that ever before. I choose to walk over taking the car. I walk faster than ever before. I now run things up the stairs, instead of waiting until there's a huge pile of stuff to go up. I'm not scared of stairs. I no longer get out of breath running up them. I used to have to sit down to recover after any burst of activity.

Six weeks ago I thought I'd have a crack at the Couch to 5k training programme. I never expected to get past the first week, but I did. Every time I looked ahead on the app, to see what future weeks held, I thought I'd soon reach a point where I couldn't keep up.

Today I completed Week 5, Run 3.

Week 5, Run 3 is as follows:
Walk 5 mins
Run 20 mins
Walk 5 mins

Guess what? I did it. I ran for 20 minutes.

Unbelievable.

I think 20 minutes, non-stop, makes me a runner.

I get it now. I get why people love to run. There's something primal about it. It's just you and the path. I love the fresh air and I love the feeling of all those endorphins rushing around my body.

Three words I never thought I would write:

I love running.



Disclosure
Dawn let me try the Weight Loss Coaching programme for free, in exchange for a review on this blog. If I need Dawn now, I pay her. Just so we're clear.
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12 comments:

  1. Sandy - kudos! I am soooo impressed and wish you much success on your (running) path ahead. It is a truly wonderful way to enjoy the fabulous outdoors, whatever the weather!
    And the weight loss is an added bonus to feeling even better.

    LCM x

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    1. @LCM, thank you. I still can't quite believe it. I'm even running in the rain. The additional weight loss will just be a bonus. I am enjoying getting fit x

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  2. You looked AMAZING. You're ridiculously beautiful, which you always were, anyway, but you have the most breathtaking cheekbones and you just looked so *well* on Saturday. So so happy for you. Dawn is bloody amazing.

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    1. @Rachael, aww, thanks. What a lovely thing to say. I'm blushing now. It was great to see you looking gorgeous too :) x

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  3. Well done Sandy. Welcome to the world of running! xx

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    1. @Gayle, thank you. I'll take me a while to catch up with you guys xx

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  4. Absolutely brilliant. (and I could have written this post myself....word for word)

    I did week 5 back in July. Ohhhhhh the sense of satisfaction was imense. I've since let it slip and I'm starting off back at wk 1.

    Keep at it, that is amazing x

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    1. @Rachel, you're spot on there, it does give you an enormous sense of satisfaction. I love C25k x

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  5. Hi Sandy, that's amazing!! And four stone is brilliant too... I can't run, i look ridiculous - but after reading this, perhaps there's hope?! xxx

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    1. @Elsie, I'm not really worried about how I look. I just feel fantastic. Go on, give it a try xxx

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  6. oh well done Sandy I am 6 stone obverweight and just been disagnosed with hypertension and advised to make lifestyle changes you are inspiring

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    1. @Becky, just make small changes to start with and they will soon mount up to a big difference, a little more walking, reach for the fruit bowl over the biccie tin. Always here if you fancy a chat xx

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