A couple of years ago my fitness was on point. I was running or cycling or going to the gym almost every day. I’d never been fitter, physically or mentally. It had become a habit and I hated the days when I couldn’t exercise.
In 2015 I climbed the 3 peaks and cycled the 500 miles between them for charity. It was grueling but I felt so fit I could’ve done it again and again. Running down Mt Snowden remains one of the best experiences of my life. I’d cycle with friends or on my own, always looking for ways to get faster and stronger. The following year I turned my attention to running, which was equally tough but less time consuming. That year I ran 500 miles.
The year after that, I did absolutely nothing. All the motivation I had for fitness had gone. I was still able to run, I just didn’t want to. I watched myself get bigger and, weirdly I felt better for it! I was more my natural weight again and I’d convinced myself that this was a good thing. What I’d forgotten is that the exercise was never just about physical fitness, it was about mind, body and soul. General wellbeing. It was making me FEEL better, de-stressing me, giving me a release.
So I carried on being lazy AF. To be fair, I was (and still am) between houses so my bike and kit has been in storage for 18 months. But that was just an excuse; my trainers weren’t out of bounds!
Fast forward to April 2018 and my clothes which used to fit perfectly are now bursting at the seams. This was the kick in the arse I needed! I woke up one morning and had a sudden urge to run again! So I went for it before I had chance to convince myself it was a bad idea.
Two miles in. It WAS a bad idea! I was struggling and it hurt. I didn’t enjoy it. But I knew from experience that’s what getting fit feels like. It gradually gets better. So I decided to go again the next morning. 5.5 miles this time. I kept pushing myself and I felt better. I don’t know how far I was aiming to go, I just wanted to see what happened! 5.5 miles in and I was still feeling ok but my legs were gone. I know when to listen to my body so I called it a day.
This time though, I can feel the bug again! I’m buzzing afterwards and I even start writing this blog to celebrate! I’m on Strava again and I’m motivated by everyone else’s efforts.
So I’m 40 in June and my goal is to keep this going. I want to hit 40 in good shape, fit and healthy.
Writing a blog about it seems like a good way to commit to this. If I say I’m going to do something it’ll happen.
So this IS happening and I hope to post my progress as I go along.
Thanks for reading.
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