I am Spartan!

Yep we did it! Yesterday we ran the Spartan sprint and yes it was we, it was most definitely a team effort and thanks go to the rest of the team for making it such a great experience.

Yep it was tough, there was mud, there was fire, there was lots of half naked men, which may have helped us girls round the course....

There were some truly remarkable people there and I feel very proud to have been part of it.

That me in the middle!

 

 

Ok so we conquered wall climbs, not easy when you are wee, thanks go to the boys for a leg up! We walked for, what seemed like, miles through a freezing river and deep is all relative to how tall you are. We climbed over stuff, we crawled under stuff, including barbed wire, up and down a hill! We tried (and I failed) to do the monkey bars and the rope climb, we tried to throw an arrow into a bale, so close but it didn't stick. We jumped over fire, we pulled tires, we hoisted the Hurcules Hoist and we did a whole heap of other stuff that I can't remember. But most of all we had an amazing time! And we did it, we finished it and we finished it with a smile!

 

 

 

For me I made it through with only dislocated toes and a heap of bruises so I am delighted! I think I am still functioning on adrenalin so waiting for the catch up exhaustion but it was all worth it. I met a fellow Bendy in the car park whose friend had been taking part and she was so happy to see someone doing it for EDS, really made my day! Yes I wish I'd trained harder and prepared more but am delighted with how well we made it through.

 

So that is it the challenge is done.......

 

 

What's next?

 

There is still time to sponsor me if you would like, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/bendyspartan/

 



Nearly there

Today is the last day of the detox. Yes I have stuck to it. No it's not been as hard as I thought. Tes it has made a difference.
I have definitely lost weight, official stats tomorrow. But I am half a stone lighter so happy with that. But more importantly my pain levels seem to have improved. So for me it's not a case of going back to 'normal' I might relax it a little bit so it fits with family eating but this is definitely something I am going to keep up. Going to try really hard to reduce sugar as a whole for the family.

It is also nearly Spartan day....... I'm a mixture of excited and terrified, not helped by an email warning of deep water on a river run!

Am I ready? Well I guess, I wish I'd trained more, I wish I'd started going to Bootcamp in January but hey life got in the way. I am ready to give it my all though.

Wish me luck!

Cheating!

Saturday was a cheat day. We could eat whatever we fancied either for a meal or for the whole day. I was apprehensive, I've been enjoying this healthy eating lark and not struggled anywhere near as much as I thought I would. even under extreme temptation my resolve has remained strong. but what if I started then couldn't stop??

I went for the cheat meal and a treat approach, so stuck with the plan all day. I struggled to think what I wanted, I had no major cravings so went the tried and tested bread, cheese and chocolate!
Tuna and cheese melt baguette, it was nice enough and I do love bread (and cheese for that matter) and yes I enjoyed it. However, it left me feeling bloated and overly full (even though I ate the same amount of calories as I have been eating). I stood for quite sometime at the chocolate counter deciding what to have, nothing really grabbed my fancy, but its chocolate it's all nice, right?

Went for a twirl and (I can't believe I am typing this) had one finger and to be honest that was plenty, it was a bit too sweet and sickly! Obviously I struggled through and ate the other finger - it was a cheat day after all, but I left myself feeling sick!

So it would seem that by cutting out the bad stuff, only a tiny bit will be sufficient to satisfy cravings.

Saturday night was also the first night in the past couple of weeks when I have been kept awake with EDS aches and pains. Now it may well be coincidence but I have noticed an improvement in the general pain levels while I have been on the 'detox'. Hmmmm this healthy eating might just be worth it.

Only 6 days left of the plan, then it is the Spartan Sprint (gulp) and then what? Watch this space.....

Nearly half way

I am on day 10 of the big detox. It is over a week with no bread, no pasta, no cheese, no chocolate, no potatoes... I could go on!

The weekend was a test, I was down at my mums and despite telling her before I was not eating sugar she still made a heap of cake, they all had a big gooey cheesy pizza, two lots of Mr Whippy ice-cream and all sorts of other goodies. I actually stayed strong and didn't cheat - not even a lick of C's ice-cream. All the foods 0 - Willpower 1.

So how is it going? Surprisingly well. I genuinely thought I would struggle, but I'm doing OK. I'm not saying I could do this forever but it has definitely shown me that I do not need to rely on those foods as much as I did. Once the 21 days are over (and I've stuffed my face after the Spartan race!) I think I am really going to try and stick to it 80% of the time. Although potatoes will no doubt make a triumphant return :-)

Here is the thing, I feel so much better. I'm a little bit disappointed as I wanted it to just be the same and then I could justify eating all the yummy foods but alas it is not to be. I am not as bloated and don't have that really full feeling after eating. I'm not hungry but not stuffed, can't move full. Now it has only been 10 days so it could well be coincidence but I have also not had as much EDS pain. It's still there, but has not been as bad. So it looks like eating well really is good for you!

The change in diet has been a bit tough in that it means cooking different meals for the family, whereas we normally just all eat the same. So it has been time for me to really think about me and not everyone else, which has been a bit hard. But most meals we have managed to adapt a bit so everyone is happy. I have also committed to going to bootcamp at least once a week and really trying to make some time for me!

The fact I only have 11 days left, also means I only have 11 days left to the Spartan race, which is a little bit scary! However I have so far raised £250 for EDS which is halfway to my target of £500 so if you are able to donate a few pennies it would be greatly appreciated. https://www.justgiving.com/bendyspartan/
I know that more people are now aware of EDS than at the start of the year so I am happy about that.

Thanks to everyone for there support it really does mean a lot x

Giving up!

No don't panic I am still doing the Spartan - even after seeing the photos from the London one this weekend which have filled me with absolute terror. Take a look http://www.muddyrace.co.uk/race-reviews/10-amazing-things-you-achieved-at-spartan-race-london/ those monkey bars.............

But no I am not giving that up. However I am giving up sugar (not fruit though), wheat and dairy. You are also not allowed caffeine or alcohol but that's grand for me.

21 days from the 31st of August it is all about the good stuff and not being allowed any of the good stuff. So no toast, no pasta, no chocolate, no cheese!!!!! All of my default I am feeling rubbish, give me the stodge kind of foods.

I am hoping it will mean shedding a few pounds, which has to make those monkey bars easier right? But also to reset my go to foods. I'm not normally one for cutting out complete food groups, however, I have been spending much to much time having a slice of toast, a bit or cheese, a bar of chocolate and I need to get back to these being occasional rather than regular.

I am also interested to see if it makes any difference to my hypermobility. I know too much sugar can result in a flare up for me. I wonder if 'clean' eating will help at all? Is it wrong that there is a part of me that hopes not, I don't want to give up all this stuff completely, forever!!!

It is going to be tough, in fact I reckon this deserves sponsorship almost as much as doing the Spartan :-)

Fair weather blogging!

It would appear I am a fair weather blogger! I have been struggling a lot and if I am honest I am not good at admitting it. So the fact that I am here typing shows I am feeling better. I think when you have a condition that leaves you in pain pretty much all of the time you become really good at putting on a front and looking to the outside world that all is fine. It is hard to let that guard drop because if it does you might just not get back to functioning like a normal human again.

But actually this time it was not so much a really bad flare up, although I have been knackered and things have been popping it wasn't really any worse than normal. It was more of a mental thing.

When I started this the Spartan Sprint was very much the end game. That was what I was working towards, while trying to raise a bit of awareness (and money please feel free to donate https://www.justgiving.com/bendyspartan/) about EDS. Within my circle of friends I have done that, people who have people I their family have been in touch and it has been great to feel like I have aided understanding a little bit.

So the Spartan, well I think that has been part of the problem. With less than a month to go I am not as fit as I wanted to be, although my expectations were perhaps a little unrealistic. I was genuinely concerned about making it round, both because of fitness and the fear of something dislocating. In my head I think I had convinced myself that if I got fit enough EDS would magically heal itself. Hmmmmm that isn't going to happen, you numpty!

So yes I have been struggling, I have still been plodding along and training, maybe not as much as I could have but I have been trying.

Yesterday I went to bootcamp. Now I would like to point out that this isn't a military style shout at you till you cry kind of bootcamp. It is a very lovely group of folk that just want you to do your best. I went. It was a struggle to get there but I went. First off it was blooming freezing, I had a subluxation of the shoulder after dislocating it on Saturday with a heap of muscle pain around it, my back is not 100% aligned and is refusing to go back in and I have the usual dislocating toes. I thought about not going. But I went. I told myself I would modify and I wouldn't do any shoulder stuff. But I was there and I thought well I just try and do as much as I could. I did it, I gave 100% and I completed everything. It might not have looked like it to anyone else but it was a huge achievement for me.

Not only did it get me through bootcamp but it has given me the confidence to believe I can get round the Spartan. I had visions of galloping round the course, leaping over obstacles, gracefully rising to the top of the rope climb. Yeah, there is going to be nothing graceful about me hauling my bahooki round, over and under to get to the finish! But I will get to the finish, dislocations, subluxations it doesn't matter I can push on through and I can do it.

And do you know what the Spartan isn't the end, I have a feeling it is just the beginning!

51 days......

51 days until the Spartan Sprint! 51 days! I feel a bit sick.

It has been a while since I have last blogged, now I would love to tell you that it is because I have been so busy training I have not had time to put finger to keyboard, but, well, erm, not so much.

Chloe broke her arm and had to have an operation which combined with being busy at work, planning a party for my mother in law just left me with not much extra time. It is hard work trying to entertain a child who is used to being on the go ALL of the time when she couldn't.

Anyway, she was fixed by the end of June, then we went to Disneyland Paris (which was amazing!)and now all of a sudden it is the 1st of August and I have 51 days until D-day!

Now time is always a bit of a struggle, as a full time working mum it's always tempting to use any spare minutes just having a bit of a sit down.

I have been training, I have been out running in the mid-day heat (living in Scotland I'm not used to this big orange thing in the sky) but after a morning at the park with Chloe where we both discovered we are still rubbish at monkey bars I don't feel I am doing enough!

So here it is, no excuses, 51 days to get ready, 51 days to dig deep, build strength, build speed, build stamina.

My plan is to keep myself accountable by blogging DAILY what I have done. If I don't post please shout at me :-)