I began the 12 months with nice gusto.
Not due to the entire New 12 months, New Me bullshit, however as a result of I had an concept for a ebook that I needed to check with my neighborhood…and I wanted one thing to inspire me to maneuver.
The reality is so many ladies had been nonetheless feeling the after results of the pandemic, and had been beating themselves up greater than ever for not having gotten again into the behavior of working, or maybe extra usually had been simply scuffling with the stop-start nature of working.
So mid January I launched Kickstart Your Operating, a ebook and a web-based course/problem (I will probably be working it once more this 12 months should you fancy it), greater than 150 ladies took half and we had a blast.
I had a little bit of an ulterior motive often because I needed to kickstart my very own working, as a result of on the finish of 2021, whereas recovering from COVID, I made a decision I wanted a problem, and I’m not positive there’s a problem greater than working the Sierra Leone Marathon….in help of the charity Streetchild.
So in January I dedicated to doing parkruns weekly once more, as I labored in direction of hitting my one hundredth parkrun aim.
February noticed the launch of up to date branding and a brand new web site for TFTR which was lengthy overdue, the unique web site hadn’t actually been touched in 9 years. For anybody new to this weblog, I set it up after coming final in a race again in 2010…however didn’t flip it into a correct enterprise till 2013 after being made redundant from my job, and welcoming my daughter Rose into the world.
In March I headed off to FitFarms, a health bootcamp which over the previous 15 years I’ve attended a variety of occasions. The break from regular life, and being catered for (in all methods) for a couple of days was precisely what I wanted to help my marathon coaching.
I took half in my first half marathon (London Landmarks) in additional than 2 years upon my return to London…and remembered simply how a lot I like BIG races. It did nevertheless make me realise how far more coaching I wanted to do for my upcoming marathon.
And so I began to essentially dig deep.
I did loads of coaching on my Peloton bike…home windows closed, fan off, to try to replicate the situations of West Africa. 10 mile rides on drained legs after parkrun on most Saturdays. I additionally frolicked within the pool and at my closest open water swimming venue The Royal Docks…my technique for this marathon wasn’t nearly miles within the legs, it was about getting again my energy and health extra usually.
In April I headed off to Ibiza for per week with Rose…it was what my soul wanted, however I didn’t do as a lot coaching as I’d have preferred. I did nevertheless end the month off on a excessive, celebrating my one hundredth parkrun with buddies, huge pik hellium balloons and cake…I imply what’s to not love?
The next day I did my longest coaching session, 18 miles run strolling across the imply streets of London, adopted by 10 miles on my bike.
As a part of my partnership with Streetchild I used to be taking a small workforce of ladies from the TFTR neighborhood, Adele, Francis, Trudy, Kate, Rachel, Paula and Victoria…what courageous souls they had been to say YES to this journey of a lifetime. I had set us the bold goal of elevating £100,000 for the charity…we might go on to boost simply in need of £20,000 and my partnership with the charity continues (so should you fancy it for subsequent 12 months, let me know ASAP)
Might flew previous in a blur and earlier than you knew it we had been on a flight on path to Freetown…you possibly can learn in regards to the EPIC journey right here, evidently this journey was lifechanging.
Once I got here house, I discovered it laborious to get again into on a regular basis life. I didn’t need to run and I used to be in a little bit of a mojo funk with the whole lot. I did nevertheless knuckle down and write the ebook I had been that means to jot down all 12 months, Half Loopy…a ebook about lengthy distance working and psychological well being, the teachings from the Sierra Leone marathon made for an ideal last chapter in actual fact.
And with that I launched a web-based programme for girls desirous to rise up to the half marathon distance, and between July and October greater than 70 ladies did simply that. It was my fav problem of the 12 months, the help for each other was unbelievable.
I took a little bit of a break from sport in July and August, took myself off to some music festivals and a cheeky little vacation to Portugal with Rose. I used to be speculated to be coaching for a half marathon, however I dipped out of that dedication despite the fact that I felt a bit dangerous doing so.
To make myself really feel higher I up to date my hottest ebook The Fats Women Information to Marathon Operating, which I initially wrote again in 2018 (and has greater than 200 constructive evaluations)…and I’ve run 3 marathons since then, and we’ve had a world pandemic, so it felt solely proper to replace it.
In September I began a brand new fulltime job. I haven’t had a fulltime job since my final redundancy 10 years in the past, with my working enterprise and my work as a life and enterprise coach conserving me busy, however now felt like the proper time to make this shift, and I nonetheless get to do TFTR stuff on the aspect which is nice.
This job safety helped me to made the daring resolution to begin searching for a brand new property to maneuver into.
I’ve lived in East London for greater than 40 years, and with the pandemic, and a spread of different elements I simply knew it was time to go. One of many first issues I did was put a spreadsheet collectively of the areas I used to be taking a look at, and what sporting/leisure services that they had…together with which native parkruns had been close to.
Bishop Stortford in Hertfordshire ranked extremely on my record, I’ve buddies who reside right here, it’s straightforward to get again into London, and there have been greater than 10 parkruns inside a 30 minute drive, which felt thrilling. So I continued to have a look at properties, but in addition did a little bit of parkrun tourism to go examine them out.
Then I discovered it.
The place.
My dream house, in a tiny village in East Herts, a 15 minute drive to Bishop Stortford.
We’ve got been right here for simply in need of a month now, and I find it irresistible. YES it’s a huge change from our lives in East London, however the house, the slower tempo of life, being in nature…it has made such a distinction to my psychological well being, and to my need to train.
Since transferring in, I’ve acquired again into the behavior of yoga, I’m having fun with my Peloton bike which now has its personal house, I’ve been for an early morning run, and probably the most superb 4 mile hike. We’ve got had snow since then, so out of doors stuff has kinda stopped a bit…however I do know it’ll ramp again up once more.
The information and stats from the 12 months…
- I ran 150+ miles over the 12 months
- I took half in 16 parkruns (6 totally different venues)
- I cycled on my peloton for 30+ hours
- I coated greater than 400 miles on my bike
- I took half in 1 marathon, and 1 half marathon
- I swam in 2 docks, 3 oceans, and 1 pool
- I attempted 9 rounds (boxing circuits), fitclub (boxing to music), a peloton tread, and vivobarefoot footwear for the primary time
Once I sat down to jot down this evaluation I questioned if I’d have a lot to share. It’s so straightforward to skip previous what you’ve achieved. It’s straightforward to overlook the teachings, to beat your self up for not being constant, or taking breaks or not hitting different objectives.
It’s straightforward to have a look at different ladies and examine your self to them, however the reality is we solely should reply to ourselves.
I’m ending off the 12 months so happy with what I’ve achieved, and extra decided than ever to proceed the work of TFTR.
In January I will probably be sharing a number of the ways in which ladies can become involved, so should you haven’t joined our FREE neighborhood but what you ready for?
Be part of our e-newsletter under.
I hope 2022 was sort to you, and that you just acquired to maneuver your physique in ways in which felt good to you.
I hope 2023 brings with it simpler occasions, and the energy and braveness to do the issues we set our hearts to.
