Marathon update Jan 2014

Hi again, hope you're not getting bored of these updates!

Since my last update I have had a "running rest day" and a running day.

Yesterday was my rest day, though I wanted to go for a run I resisted temptation and looked for something which I can do at home. I decided on Yoga - I've never been any good at it, my flexibility needs a lot of work but I thought since I wasn't keen on Pilates I thought I'd give this a go instead. I was amazed to find that I could manage just about all of the "beginner poses" with one exception - I've not been able to do the splits for at least 8 years.

Yoga seemed to go well, especially with the help of my puppy Mollie jumping on me, licking me, lying under me etc and since she was such a good help I took her for a walk / run with her ball.

Plenty of protein for lunch after this - ANYTHING to help my body recover is good with me!

Today I did a very slow mile this morning, half a mile sprinting with the dog this afternoon and a 3 mile run this evening with a client which was nice. Running is a very lonely sport at times and it is nice to have someone to talk to!

Hip feeling fine now but whilst on the 3 mile run it felt a little iffy - I put that down to the first  mile and a half being up hill. I've done some proper stretches once again tonight and with any luck I will be able to get a long run in on Thursday.

Check back soon for more updates and thank you for coming back to share my journey with me :-)

Marathon training Jan 2014

Hi everyone! Apologies for being away for so long, I have been (and still am) injured with bursitis in my left hip. It is getting stronger now and I've continued to run through it but been doing very few miles.

In the last 2 weeks it has been much better, I changed my asics training plan so it plans 3 runs per week instead of 4. Allowing my hip to rest the day after a run really helps me be able to keep my running regular even if I lower the distance.

I've reduced my pace from 9'30 per mile to around the 10'30 mark which also helps a great deal and I find that if I lengthen my stride it doesn't hurt as much when I'm on the move. I'm trying to incorporate a 15 - 20 minute stretching and Pilates session after a run to help my hip strengthen which seems to help though I'm really not a fan of either!

My motivation sometimes goes away which I'm sure happens to everyone. When it does I try to do something positive with myself such as a strength session or a run with my charity vest - after all MacMillan are the reason I'm doing the marathon in the first place.

I try to incorporate lots of fruit & vegetables in my diet as well as pasta, rice and sweet potatoes. I know carb loading isn't necessary for short distance running but they have always been part of my diet. Since I got an amazing blender for Christmas I've enjoyed lots of nice all fruit smoothies which give me massive energy for a morning run without having to eat an early breakfast - I'm not an early breakfast person, I find it very hard to eat first thing.

I managed 6.3 miles today, took it slowly and thought I had found a nice flat route - how wrong I was! I hate to say it but I think it feels more satisfying knowing you've managed several big hills on a route than a fast run around a very flat route. Today I can say I went slow but managed those killer hills!

Tomorrow is a rest day but I'm planning a strength session instead of a run and Tuesday is a 5km run.

If you've ever had bursitis in the hip or have any advice / comments about running a marathon then please feel free to comment below and get yourself involved!

Thank you for taking time to read this blog, come back soon for further updates on my progress.

Marathon training Oct 2013

Hi everyone, apologies for not posting for ages, I had my broadband changed so was without WiFi for what seemed like forever.

Since my last blog I completed the Great North 5km with a client in 36 mins - a new PB for her and The Great North Run (13.1 miles or 21km if you prefer) in 2.16.50 which is 10 seconds faster than I had hoped for.

Since then I have purchased a Garmin running watch since my phone battery isn't great for long runs. The garmin works perfectly and has a huge battery life which is great, I certainly can't blame the tools for a bad run anymore!

I'm off to give it a proper test at my first ever Parkrun in Gateshead or Newcastle on Saturday morning which I am really looking forward to doing. Hopefully I can beat my 5km PB of 28.50 but if not I would hope for sub 32 minutes which is my average 5km time.

Since the GNR I have been doing shorter runs with my running clients as a few of them have decided to do the GNR next year. I downloaded a "beginner" marathon training plan to work on and I start with cross training on Sunday. It's a 16 week plan which takes me up to 20 miles. Everyone I know that has completed a marathon say that 20 miles in training is enough (my knowledge seems to stop at 14 miles as that's the furthest I've ever been). I'm sure I will find out as time passes.

After the 16 weeks is up I will still have 2 months until the EMF marathon so I might attempt to increase my pace over long distance in this time but it will depend on how the training plan goes. For cross training I will be doing some strength and conditioning with some weights and some hill training or speed training depending on time.

I'm looking forward to getting started on this and seeing how different distances will change my fitness and body composition!

I will update again soon and keep you all in the loop. In the meantime if anyone reading this is a runner (marathoner or not) and you have anything you would like to share then please do comment on this blog!

Thank you for taking the time to read this update, I hope you enjoy following my journey. If you would like any information on my fitness business then visit my website - www.bx3pt.moonfruit.com, find me on Facebook by searching Bx3 Personal Training or "follow me" on twitter @Bx3_PT.

Come back soon for more updates!

Find your fitness, my story.

Hi everyone, I hope this blog finds you well.

Today I want to discuss fitness and exercise as well as my personal story.

At school I was never a sporty person, I hated P.E in any shape or form and sports day was my nightmare. I wasn't much good at running even though I was told that I had "the legs" for it. Didn't have much hand eye co-ordination so ball games were a big no and I didn't feel that the teachers liked me much. It seemed that if you weren't naturally gifted then you didn't get any help (I was NOT naturally gifted!).

It seems silly to think that I didn't do any exercise at all from the age of 17 - 20 between when I left school and starting my Degree, all because I felt that I would be laughed at in gyms and stared at when running ect.

However, I started running whilst taking part in a 4 mile fun run, I thought it would be easy, that 4 miles isn't far and that I would be finished in about 35 minutes! How wrong was I. It took me 54 minutes with a mixture of running, jogging and walking and I was over taken by children no older than 5 (Cringe)! I've improved a lot since then I'm pleased to say but it took me a lot of effort to overcome my bad attitude towards exercise which I gained at school.

Personally I can't stand working out in the gym, I find it boring and repetitive. I love running since gaining some confidence and self belief by running with others and not letting myself quit. I also do a few home weight sessions (no longer than 20 minutes) using some fitness equipment and body weight which I don't find boring.

There is so much choice and variety when it comes to exercise which doesn't limit you to being in the gym. Workout in the home or outdoors to mix things up or join different fitness classes.

Since becoming a Personal Trainer I have discovered many different ways to exercise and have regular clients who told me at the start that they didn't like any form of exercise. They have tried lots of things, some which didn't suit and some which did. The persistence to keep going and trying new things is the key to successfully finding a type of exercise that you like, I call it "finding your fitness". Be sure to change your routine every 4 - 6 weeks to prevent the body from becoming bored and hitting a plateau or even regressing for example add a class into a gym program or add a speed session into a long distance running program.

No matter what your mindset towards exercise is or how long it will take to actually enjoy exercise I can promise that it is worth it in the end. Keep persisting and keep pushing towards your overall fitness goal. You CAN achieve.

I hope you can relate to this blog, take something positive from it and maybe try something new. You never know .. You might like it!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, If you would like any information about my fitness business then visit my website www.bx3pt.moonfruit.com, Find me on Facebook by searching Bx3 Personal Training or Follow me on Twitter @Bx3_PT.

Motivation. Why did you start?

Hi everyone, todays blog is about motivation and remembering why you started.

I know all too well that approximately 70% of people will drop out of  an exercise plan or healthy eating plan within their first 6 weeks. This is a shame because it takes around 8 to 12 weeks to form a proper habit.

Getting bored or frustrated with exercise or sport is far too easy and a lot of people (including the old version of me) would just give up, especially when it gets tough to carry on or when you've had a bad training session. Let me tell you that it does get better and you will get stronger if you persist.

When you start an exercise program try to set some goals to achieve but make them small, reasonable and realistic. Nothing is worse than setting a very unrealistic goal then getting no where near it to destroy self confidence. Set time frames to go with the small goals so you can keep track of your progress too.

Most of all make sure you understand why you are doing it in the first place. Whether the reason is to improve your health, to lose weight or something else try to find your emotional connection with your goal and think of this when you get frustrated, it might just keep you going.

Stay grounded when setting goals and set up a small reward system for when you do achieve a goal. For example, one of my clients puts £1 into a jar for every workout she does and when she gets to a goal she uses that money to buy herself a treat.

I hope you can take something positive from this and can apply it to your personal situation.

I hope you have enjoyed my blog and thank you for reading.

If you would like any information about my fitness business then visit my website www.bx3pt.moonfruit.com, find me on Facebook by searching Bx3 Personal Training or follow me on Twitter @Bx3_PT.

Come back soon for more updates!

Everything in moderation

Hi Everyone.

Firstly I would like to thank you for the amazing support of my last two blog entries! It is lovely to know that people are reading and enjoying what I have to say.

Today's blog is about my way of training and eating - Everything in MODERATION!

I am not now and never have been the kind of trainer to tell a client what they can't eat, I do believe the strategy of cutting out EVERYTHING bad works for some people but for me personally and quite a lot of my clients it would never work.

I know quite a few people who have followed the 'No Carbohydrate' diet and yes, it worked for a while and I must admit that they looked really good BUT what happens after you have finished this diet and you get down to goal weight? Do you have to cut out Carbs forever to maintain your figure and keep losing? Or do you pile the weight back on again now you're allowed carbs? Neither of which sound like much fun to me.

I'm the kind of person that absolutely LOVES food!! I eat a tonne of food everyday (perhaps not an actual tonne), I don't count calories or fat / sugar content because I tend to eat REAL food. By 'real' food I mean fruit, vegetables, home made sauces, everything fresh. I do this because I can really keep an eye on what exactly I eat. Don't get me wrong I like a treat just as much as the next person, really sweet things like chocolate and jellies or take out like chinese or pizza BUT one bad meal won't damage your body if the rest of your diet is balanced and healthy just like one good meal won't make you healthy if the rest is junk. This is what I mean by moderation (a bit of everything).

Go and pick up a tin, jar or packet from your cupboard / freezer / fridge. Read the ingredients and tell me if you recognize ALL of them. I bet 90% of you can't identify at least 20% of what is in processed food because there are so many chemicals. PLEASE don't treat your body like a bin, It is the only one you have and it is supposed to last a lifetime!

The same applies to exercise. 3 - 5 varied workouts per week is great for a nice healthy lifestyle but who has the time to do this? Am I right? Keep in mind that a 'workout' does not have a specific duration. You can take 20 minutes out of your day in TWO 10 minute blocks and do some high intensity work, i'm sure even the busiest of people can find 20 minutes in 24 hours!

I balance my diet and exercise and make sure that my diet is working in favor of my exercise schedule (this is when you might want some advice from a Fitness Professional). It's really not as hard as you may think! Give moderation a go for a few weeks and see if your health improves. Add 3 workouts into your routine, even if they are only 20 minutes long. I'm sure you will be surprised with what you can achieve!

If you would like some help with planning meals with exercise or making an effective 20 minute workout suited to YOU then get in touch via any of my sites below OR please leave a comment on the bottom of this blog!

Thanks for reading!

If you would like any information about my Fitness Business then please visit my website www.bx3pt.moonfruit.com, Find me on Facebook by searching Bx3 Personal Training or Follow me on Twitter @Bx3_PT.

Check back tomorrow for my next update!

Anything abdominal

Hi everyone, todays blog is a short one about abdominals.

I have had a lot of clients coming to me for help with 'flattening' or toning their stomach. When I've asked what kind of exercises they have tried they usually reply with "I do lots of sit ups and other ab specific exercises". This is all well and good but I have had to explain where they have been going wrong and would like to share my views with you all. 

Firstly, take a look at your body - if you have fat over your abdominals the sit ups and crunches will be toning the muscles but not helping with the fat loss, so in theory you may have fantastic abs which are hidden, "a wash board with too much washing on it" as one of my friends describes it!! A little crude I know but hopefully you can laugh at that!! :-) 

I always say that you can't really target a certain area when trying to lose fat and change your body shape, for me it's all about full body exercises which are high intensity for fat loss. Not necessarily all cardiovascular either as some people may think. I like a good mixture of CV and Strength training for a good, effective workout. 

Secondly you are looking at your diet. Even if you do proper workouts 4 -5 times per week your body isn't likely to change much if your diet is high in sugary foods or foods drenched in saturated fats. My diet isn't 100% amazing all of the time, as a trainer I do eat healthily for the majority of the time but as a 23 year old woman I do like to have a treat now and again. Everything in moderation. 

I currently have lots of clients working specifically on diet and toning the stomach area and they are doing extremely well following my advice and program's, some of them are losing up to 3 inches per week off their stomach alone!! 

If you are seeking advice about how to get the perfect summer stomach then I hope this blog has helped a little. 

If you would like any more information about my fitness business or any of my packages and prices then please visit my website www.bx3pt.moonfruit.com, find me on Facebook by searching Bx3 Personal Training or follow me on Twitter @Bx3_PT.

Thank you for taking time to read my blog, check back soon for more updates!