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“On Monday I start my training.” I told my husband this as I ate the second scone! He has been my inspiration and encouragement over the past two years of working out a fitness regime to loose and keep weight off.  He just smiled when I said it but was pleasantly surprised when on the Tuesday I did my first run.

Hal Higgdons chart gets you to do stretches and strengthening the first day. This I don’t have too much trouble with because I really love yoga and stretching.

DAY 1. 20 mins basic yoga moves and 15 mins of a training program from another source which included leg lifts, part push ups and also some table holds (I call them that) you look like a table and have to hold it. The push ups and pull ups killed let me tell you and the arms wobbled considerably but hey, it helped and I could imagine the shape of those tuckshop mothers arms making way for the nicely toned shaped arms of the woman I once was.

DAY 2. Mind set challenge – do I want to get out of my nice warm bed! Shoes at the ready and I am off. It kills – I do as they suggest. 5 mins walking – 5 mins running.  I try to increase it but it hurts and I am a woos. But I persist.

I remember the story of the man who had severe arthritis and used to run – he couldn’t walk for a day or so after but figured he wouldn’t be walking at all. Use it or Loose it. So I suck it up and despite pain to a knee press on. I run 3miles or 4.8 kil. Preeeetty darn proud of myself.

DAY 3. What a shame! I have to go to Sydney. Mind you I can hardly walk anyway. However, the sitting makes it worse. I determine that tomorrow I will have to go for a run. Why do they call it a fun run?  That muscle in the leg is attached to places unmentionable and all up it hurts! And yet! – there is a secret smell of succulent success in myself in knowing I have achieved something for myself that I haven’t done before. Hmm someone mentions half marathon again on FaceBook. Perhaps -??

Day 4. Down at Coloroy Beach in Sydney. The kookaburras and parrots wake me up early and the clothes are all ready. I set out down to the beach just on sun rise. It is delectable. I have been told that running on the beach counts for double the distance on normal land. This is a real comfort as I struggle to get those darn muscles working again. I work off time as I didn’t want to disturb my roomy rummaging for the pedometer. I take the sand count as gospel and decide the 1 hour run on sand must count for nearly a 2 mile cross country run. Good enough for me at this stage anyway.  But then they spring a run around the beach in the afternoon as part of our leadership training. So another hour running the foreshore. It all counts!

DAY 5.  Slept in and too late to run in the afternoon. Oh well. Can’t give up. Will try again tomorrow.

DAY 6. This is delegated rest day anyway and travelling home didn’t get time to run anywhere.

DAY 7. A run with my man. He is injured so plodded along. I think he was faster than me with two reasonably good legs. However, 30 mins was all we had to do and did much more up hill too…Was not a great time. I felt very woosy and did not seem to have much stamina. However I will persevere.

DAY 8. Wanted to run – I actually felt like it but too many visits to people and church.

Oh well. Week one ends and what have I learned. Just keep running – Just keep running. Every step is worth it. Every finish is a victory. Even if you miss a day get back up and keep going. A plan is paramount. It really helps you to stay focused and literally on track.  Smile…it helps ease the pain!

I learned that wellness and better health cost time and effort!

http://digitalebooksunlimited.com/wellness/better-health

Back again after a long interlude. Today I start my diary of my “jalking experience” – running and jogging for health. Two years ago I was involved in a car accident. My injury was severe whiplash. After a lot of visits to chiro and massage and some good hits of Valium I was good to go – but found something distressing. I couldn’t walk far. A few minutes meant a day or two in bed from pain. So started my bed exercises. Some old stretches learnt from the Readers Digest many years ago called Joe’s Back started to strengthen my back, legs and tummy muscles all while lying in my bed. Pilates, yoga and stepping to music started my exercise regime. It took me quite a few months to strengthen and tone muscles that hadn’t moved that well for a long time. Well then 50 rolled on and I decided two things – I didn’t want to diet ever again and I wanted to run. Close your eyes and imagine yourself running down the beach in slow motion. That’s what I started to see. The beach beckoned and I started to walk each day at a quicker pace and for longer distances…Oh how I hated watching the back of “that” 30+ girl with legs that came up to her neck, jogging off down to the next beach some 10 kilometers away. She looked like a gazelle while I felt like an elephant. Or “Miss Pink” the 20 something who in the middle of winter had a singlet top on and tight butt encased in black shorty things, make up and smelt great. I checked my heavily ladened shadow out and wondered if I would be mistaken for the abominable snowwoman. But I persisted. My first 3 kilometer part jog was a time for celebration. Ecstatic I told my Saudi homestay student my good news. I “jalked ” 3 kilometers today I happily told him. “You Joked?” he said in his new language.  I laughed and said no but I looked like a joke…and so now I “jalk” – jog and walk. I have gained weight since the death of my mum a few months ago but I love one of my books http://www.digitalebooksunlimited.com/diet/weight-loss which has a really common sense approach to weight loss and health. Again I realized I needed to get the shoes back on regardless of excuses. So regardless of weather, pain I was off. Hear is an account over the next few weeks of how I have done it, and how I am progressing. I am passionate about staying healthy to see my grandbabies walk down the aisle and even have their own babies and explore their worlds…can’t do that from a nursing home bed. Come on follow me and lets do health and fitness together. http://www.digitalebooksunlimited.com/diet/weight-loss get the info and lets get started.