Run for it!

I don't like running, I've never liked running. I fully accepted it when I was told not to run because of HEDS, and on the odd occasion I've tried running, I've not really enjoyed it, it hurt and well it's just a bit boring.

However, the whole Spartan thing requires me to run. This is the bit that worries me the most. Climbing ropes, scaling walls, crawling under barbed wire and running through fire have not stressed me out as much as the running part of it.

Turns out I love running! If it's along muddy paths, jumping over stuff, sliding down hills and risking losing your trainers. Today I ran just over 4k in under 35 minutes. I probably could have run a little bit more and walked a little bit less but I pushed myself to run for longer times and I ran up all the hills so I am happy.

My trainers are not fairing so well!

I think that running on the sodden ground, it is really muddy, takes away a lot of the impact and that's why I'm finding it more enjoyable. I also know I'm concentrating on my stability and core to ensure I don't fall so I'm not hyper extending. Good job it's not going to dry up any time soon!

My aim is to build up to 5k in 40 mins then try and get the time down to 30 mins. I never thought I'd be confident in saying that.

I'm also feeling the benefit of just eating what I have planned, I'm making healthier choices, not over eating and not feeling bloated and sluggish. I'm not weighing or measuring until the end of March so I don't get disheartened if there isn't much progress. Although to be honest, I feel so much better I don't really care if I've not lost much. For me this is all about being healthy.

It's been a good week!

Just do it?

I have been rubbish. There I've said it. Training has not happened, food has been rubbish!

I have always been a firm believer of listening to your body, but it would appear my body has been talking rubbish and mostly convincing me to eat toast and sit on my bahooki!

But I have had a slight revelation, thanks to a hypermobilty post on Facebook. So, as hypermobilty sufferers we are stretchy that's our thing, so what if our stomachs are stretchy too? I have a very bad habit of eating until I feel a bit sick, I don't get that comfortably full feeling, I go from hungry to totally stuffed. Hunger also attacks rapidly I don't tend to get a bit grumbly I proceed directly to ravenous. Now it may well just be that I am a greedy little piggy but there was a number of people who has the same issues. Could it be that a hypermobile stomach doesn't communicate properly with the brain? Or maybe like everything else it just stretches a bit more than it should. There is also the issue of getting light headed and dizzy if you don't eat regularly.

I have also been listening to my body when it says it is to sore or tired to exercise with the result that I have done nothing. Now it has been a bad couple of weeks, C had chicken pox so I was getting a couple of hours of sleep a night then I was away with work quite a bit. But nothing, well some walking ans swimming and bits but nothing proper. Because well it was just such an effort. So either I need to stop being so hard on myself or I just need to man the f**k up (sorry mum)

So I have made the decision to stop listening, I'm going back to planning my week out and eating just what is on the plan, no more no less, eating at regular intervals and most importantly eating well. I am going to push myself, no pain no gain and all that. Tiredness is not an acceptable excuse for not training, training will only be missed if I'm at a pain level of 7 or more.

So the answer is man up and just do it!

The fog

It is not the fog outside that is hampering my progress, although going out in the freezing fog is not that appealing! But the brain fog. One of the issues with Hypermobile EDS is tiredness. Which sounds a bit pathetic doesn't it? I mean everyone gets tired. I have a 5 year old sleep terrorist so I am permanently at some level of tiredness but when EDS tiredness hits it is on a different level.

This week it hit, I can only describe as being a bit like when you have flu, you  know when everything aches, and you are just so exhausted you could happily cry. Even the thought of actually walking upstairs to go to bed is a bit much of an effort and you think twice about having a drink of water because lifting the glass just seems like an impossible task. So once C has been in bed this week I have barely moved off the sofa, tea has been drunk and not much else has been achieved.

I have stuck to my 30 minutes a day but this has mostly been walking and I really need to up my game. Food wise has not been too bad have resisted the extremely strong urge to survive off toast and toast alone.

On Monday I did venture off the sofa and have a clear out of clothes - I have a vac pack of stuff that is a wee bit too tight, it will be opened at the end of April and my word it had better fit!

So the moral of the story is I need to man up, I genuinely think if I can push myself to be more active through the day I will be less tired at night, if I can strengthen my muscles it will not be as much of an effort to hold everything in place. That's the plan anyway - I'll keep you updated!

Please give me a kick and make sure I move my bahooki!