Centr…Week 1

So as some of you may know, I have kind of hit a plateau with my running, not improving but not declining, so it was time to take the next step, stepping out of the running comfort zone and work on my body to push the running even further.

So with that I have taken up the option of an online app, as i mentioned just a week or so ago, created by Chris Hemsworth, they is the whole shebang, exercise, food and mindfulness, all with the support of Chris’ own team and the community that has built around the founding members of the app (those that took up earlier subscription)

Now I knew this was never going to be easy and boy it hasn’t been but the benefits are already noticeable after only a week and a half.

Let’s start with what I went with. Despite running for 5-6 years now I still consider myself a beginner, so I went with that. Now I have lost a bit of weight already so I skipped past the lose weight option and went with the tone up option. I am looking to this to strengthen my body.

Now don’t get me wrong not all of the app works wonderfully for me and we will get into that but lets get to the things that have been wonderful.

The exercise program has been intense and immense. From weight training (small weights for me at the moment as thats all I own, I don’t belong to a gym and don’t intend on becoming a member of one again unless I really have to), Boxing and MMA, to Pilates, a lot of stuff I really haven’t done before

There is also some great basic technique and stretching classes thrown in as well, which is great for someone who over last few (middle-aged) years has struggled with little niggling injuries.

Chris’ coaches are great, really encourage you during the workouts, but outside of that I have been lucky to interact with a few on social media since the app went live

The meditation has been fantastic as well. I had been lightly taking part in some in recent months to combat my anxiety etc, but this has taken another step. Not only is the regular meditation been amazing but the sleep visualisation has been working not just for me but my wife as well, very rarely are we actually making it to the end of each one!!!

Some of the coaches are also taking part in that as well as some great voices in meditation.

Let me put this into context. In December I took an exam and failed. After that I went into a bit of a melt and it took me weeks to have any interest in retaking the exam anytime soon. Eventually I retook just this week, sadly, despite making a massive improvement, I didn’t pass again. this time I didn’t freak out instead went straight to the exam booking page and rebooked it for next week. I am in a much healthier place mentally than i was before.

Now don’t get me wrong, the food is wonderful. But people have their limits. And meals are my limit. Not that the food is wonderful or anything, but for me it comes down to time and money. With a young family, both of us working and a 5 year old to bring up, we don’t have an awful lot of time for meal prep, especially or breakfast and lunches. We work hard on our evening meals and had some wonderful dinners over the last few weeks. The other issue is cost, these meals aren’t cheap to make, so we have picked a few a week and stuck with the healthier meals we were eating before the app came along.

My saving grace for breakfasts have been smoothies. My problem has always been get fruit and veg in me, but times have changed. As well as sticking to salads mainly for my lunches, the smoothies have been my saviour to getting fruit in me, bananas, berries etc have all become part of my daily diet due to the home made smoothies.

So after the first week and a bit am I seeing results?? Well I have dropped a couple of pounds so far, not the rapid loss compared to say cutting back on calories, but more noticeably is how I look. I posted a comparison on the Facebook page which I have included here as well, of my a month ago and one this past weekend, so you decided whether it is working.

I am also noticeably stronger when I am out pounding the pavements, a lot less run/walk, more running for longer periods

I believe this is what I have been searching for and I really think this is going to pay off in the long run(!!)

So a thumbs up from me to Chris and the team over at Centr, I will be sticking around for the long haul

Here We Go!!!

So we have come to the entry that I have been looking forward to the most… the start of something new!!

Not only that I am combining it with something old, so let’s start there….

So this morning I reset my Nike Run Club training plan, set out 20 odd weeks before my next planned half marathon, I am not going to get into when and where just yet until I am happy that all my training is going to plan, no injuries etc kick in as my training cold well be heading to 7 days a week from now on.

So some of you may know I have never taken great care of my body, I try desperately but I always fall off the wagon. My diet has been pretty poor and when it gets better, it gets fairly lazy and boring. Fruit and veg were never really on the agenda and even now I struggle to get what I need, even though I try, I don’t really know what to do with it!!

To top that off, I don’t really indulge in much other exercise. Again I try but it always falls away. I have tried The Body Coach and DDP Yoga etc but I either don’t have the constant reminder to do it or other circumstances get in my way.

Adding in to the equation that I do struggle with my mental health sometime, with stress, anxiety and depression creeping in some times I find it all a little too much on occasion.

So combining that all together I am not model health and fitness guy, always looking for things that can help me with out having to do too many things and I think I have finally found the right place for me.

Not only does it tick all those boxes but it also features one of my geeky heroes.

Let me introduce Centr, home to some great physical trainers who teach things from HIIT to Yoga, as well as Meditation and mind exercises, great nutritionists who provide meal plans and great recipes who cater for meat eaters to vegetarians.

This great team didn’t just come together on it’s own, yes this team was put together by Marvel’s very own God of Thunder, Chris Hemsworth.

Chris has always been know as a hard worker when it comes to getting in shape and now he is happy to pass along that knowledge alongside his team, which also includes his wife Elsa Pataky.

I have signed up for a month to start with, and in doing so I have become a founding member of the program. Our trial begins on Monday 11th February and I honestly cant wait to get stuck in .

I feel this structure and having everything in one place can only help me and achieving my running goals for 2019.

This program isn’t just aimed at beginners, but also people who want to move to the next level. The are programs for all different reasons and levels, if you want lose weight or build muscle. I am there to tone up and increase my strength, while I will be starting at the beginners level, there are multiple levels depending where you are on your journey.

It’s not just the exercise, I am really looking forward to the food side of things. As I said I really struggle with knowing what my body needs through out training and I really think this can only help. Not only do they give you the recipes they give the shopping list that you need and that is a godsend to me.

So Monday begins the next chapter in my journey. Here is to the next step

You can join up with the program over at https://centr.com/ and stand alongside myself and thousands of others as we journey beyond the reaches of Asgard

Struggling Through, Before We Go Again

So I left you as I came to the end of my Nike Training Club plan, and boy did it end in spectacular fashion.

My last workout entailed a 30 minute run at a fast pace. Now before Christmas I had be testing new run, walk ratios. You see ever since I started running 6 years ago, I have been following the Galloway method.

Jeff Galloway is a former US Olympic 10,000m runner, who never really retired and just kept on running. Over the years he has become an author and trainer, and developed his own running method, which entails running for set period of time then taking a walking break, again for a set amount of time. I have completed 6 half marathons and a full marathon using this method.

So as I said I had upped my game before Christmas but was sick just before the Holiday period, plus the over indulgence of Christmas I had taking a step back which I knew.

This final run called for me to step it up a little, so I though right I won’t go as hard as I was before Christmas but I should have some more in the tank now than I did when I started the training plan 5 weeks prior, little did I know it wouldn’t be what I had in the tank that would cause me problems but what I had in my chest that would be the issue.

I had a little cold but thought nothing of it when I started out. It was cold out, in the minus figures and snowing. Not long in to the run I was struggling with a stitch which is something that doesn’t come about very often for me these days, but I battled though the snow and kept going. At stages I wanted to change my run walk ratio but I keep on going.

It was only once I got home that I knew I really wasn’t right. I just couldn’t catch my breath and felt quite sick. Sadly I had a lovely chest infection brewing that I didn’t know much about until the cold air and the effort of running got to it.

So I have been nursing it for the last 5 days and it seems to finally be breaking.

I am hoping I will be better in time for the launch of Centr, so I can get straight into it. I am really looking forward to having someone lay out for me what I need to be doing to really start to push my body to my targets for 2019. The main thing for me is getting a better structured diet, as with being poorly and not being on a plan my resolve with food has wavered in the last week or so, so to have some one tell me to eat this, eat that, will be great for me as it’s where I really struggle.

I did in fact buy a smoothie maker a week or so ago, so I am sure that is going to come in handy once I get into it.

Getting Over Another Hurdle

So after my birthday trip away this week has thrown out another challenge…change of diet.

So after losing stone in weight at the back end of last year, sickness, Christmas and trips away really killed my eating habits. So it was getting back in the routine this week.

I follow Weight Watchers when I get in the zone. But I wouldn’t call it being on a diet. WW helps me follow a healthier lifestyle, knowing what I can fit into my meals etc, but also showing me the stuff that is really not good for me.

Now for the bulk of my life I have struggled with fruit & veg, like literally not eating any. But with running being part of my life now for 5 years something had to give if I want to improve. So over the last 6-12 months I have slowly be adding fruit and veg to my diet.

Obviously when you are following a regime, you really don’t have a choice in the matter. So this week lunches have become salads, snacks have become protein heavy (nuts, natural yogurts, jerky etc)

This is where the hurdle appears in front of me…. a lack of sugar. Through choice I have more or less cut any sugar out of my diet (unless natural).

So the side effects have hit me in waves. Early in the week my main issue was headaches. Now I am prone to a headache or two but they really hit me for the first 2-3 days, when I was getting home and just couldn’t do any thing but sit and wait for dinner time to come round.

But over the last two days I have had other symptoms. Yesterday just felt like I had flu, achy muscles, sweaty etc which was not nice at all. Though this morning was the weirdest one yet, I woke up very confused, I was completely convinced it was Saturday, despite it only being Friday. I spent 15 minutes laying in bed working out in my head what I need to do today and that I really needed to get out of bed and get on with it, even thinking I will do my work out first to get the adrenaline pumping and get me ready for the rest of the jobs I needed to do.

But despite all this I know it will be worth it in the long run (!!) when I have a healthier body and mind.

I am coming towards the end of my 5 week plan with Nike Training Club that I have enjoyed immensely and will probably use again (and certainly will be using Nike Running Club in the coming months as I move in to training for an upcoming half marathon that I hope to talk about soon)

Saying that, I am going to move on to a new training routine and app that some may have heard of, some maybe not. So for any one that knows me know I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Avengers etc for those not in the know) and I was excited to see that Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, is launching his own fitness and well being app, called Centr, in the coming weeks and I plan to give that a try once that launches. (https://centr.com/join-us?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhKviBRCNARIsAAGZ7Ccz-wkjZiy5cG2UI6dZEDVcEJIm7PGg5mQcbjfAwuPgQIm2ZW-XGfUaArT_EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)

So next week I will be coming to the end of that plan, finishing with a run. So I will give you an update on that and an update on the healthier eating.

Being Sick Sucks

So after being massively positive that I was in the zone, the last 5 days have been a killer. Despite it only being a common cold, being ill has sucked

I managed to get my final work out of the week done on Saturday, but how I was feeling was all about to change. I can normally tell when I am going to be sick cause I have a really bad night’s sleep the night before. That’s what happened Saturday night.

Sunday came and I felt rubbish, got up at 6, but a couple of hours later I went back to bed. Sadly couldn’t stay there, as we were going out to a Chinese restaurant for lunch (not great for the healthy eating, but had the matter taken out of my hands). Got home and once again went to bed for a few hours.

So over a few days I have had all the symptoms you would expect with a cold, blocked nose and sinuses, temperature, sore throat (have a history of tonsillitis so have to protect the throat) before finally getting the tight chest, which is where it always ends up as I have slight asthma.

Now I can cope with the bad chest as there are so many things you can do to sooth that, starting with a lemon and ginger tea, as well as plenty of water. Tonight will consist of steaming my head and chest, as well as hopefully getting back on the workout mat, as I have pushed back the first one of the week as far back as is really possible.

But today I see the light at the end of the tunnel, positivity has seeped back into my veins, I am going to concentrate on improving the things I have got, rather than dreaming about the things that are untouchable at the moment.

Here is to a positive end of the week, before I hit my 35th Birthday on Sunday!!!

One of Those Days….

So after writing my first article yesterday giving my reasons for doing this as sort of a diary, one of those reasons reared it’s head today.

I spent the bulk of yesterday nursing a headache, caused by changing my diet up and more or less cutting sugar out. I am trying to keep it at bay by drinking loads of water, but yesterday it just didn’t want to know.

Now the headache has subsided to a less irritating dull throbbing but it’s what comes after.

I woke up this morning in absolutely no mood to get up and go to work. It’s been busy since Christmas and New Year and that is fine by me. But it is something else that is really getting to me.

You see I am currently studying to get me on my way to becoming an accountant. It wasn’t something I ever really considered. I always knew I would probably end up working in an office just because most of life outside of work rotated around weekends. Sports were a big part of my early adult life, not really playing it, but watching it. You see I was a season ticket holder at Watford Football Club for 15 years before making the move North to Nottingham.

Not only that but my other major hobby was, and still is one of them, collecting autographs from actors I admire. These events always fall on weekends, so I knew I always need those days off.

So as I said I fell into finance as a fresh faced 16 year old school leaver, and nearly 20 years later I see my only path of making a move up the chain was to actually get some qualifications.

This is where the problems lie. I don’t deal with stress very well. So you can imagine this isn’t easy for me to do. I passed my first two exams with no problems. Come to the third one, I was sick in the week of my exam (nothing to do with the exam, the family caught a virus) and that complete threw me. I failed the exam and was complete shattered.

The other problem with this was I was thrown into something new for the company I work for, an apprenticeship. The guidance I have received from the company the apprenticeship is run through has been pretty appalling. I was just getting over the exam and actually booked to resit the failed one, when I realised I had another review with the person who really hasn’t been much help.

There is always last minute things to do, things that I have no idea about and am expected to complete before hand.

This just throws me into a blind panic, causing anxiety and stress. And because of that I struggle to talk up to anybody about it so therefore not actually fixing anything.

I am honestly not sure if I am even doing the right thing studying in this way. Probably actually would have been better going through the study myself.

For a first real entry into my diary of sorts, it’s a downer, but that’s why this is here. Not just to talk about the great bits of living the healthy life, but the crappy bits that a lot of people deal with.

Life will pick up I am sure. I have a wonderful family around me, who pick me up when they can. And this is in part, a way to try and improve our lives together, it isn’t all a bed of roses, but hopefully I can make it just that on more occassions.

My Accountability

Welcome to my site. I have set this up to keep me accountable.

I don’t claim to know an awful amount about health and fitness, but I want to use this as something to keep me on track and to learn as I go and hopefully help some others in a similar situation.

As some of you may know I am a Disney fan, blogging, vlogging and podcasting and really that is where my fitness journey began some 5 years ago, when I trained for my first half marathon.

And since then both my fitness and mental health has fluctuated. I have done multiple half marathons since, as well as my first full marathon, but I have never been overly happy with any of them and know I can do more.

But I never hold up to the training, mainly something that I think is mental rather than physical.

I take on other ways of training at times then that goes by the weigh side and I have to start again.

I am hoping by doing this, it will hold me to it.

I will be doing weekly updates on how I am doing as well as hopefully review products I use, both the things I actually use during training to apps I use to keep track of progress etc.

I will also be talking about some of the issues I suffer from that can some times hold me back in my progress.

Hopefully you will join me as I continue my journey to a healthy and fulfilling life