January 2025- first week review!

To welcome in the New Year, I enjoyed two whole bottles of wine over the evening, stayed up until midnight and enjoyed myself! Minimum fireworks so no stressed doggies, and good company from the husband.

As planned, January challenges:

• Dry January
• RED January
• Month one of trail to 5k
• Month one of 1000 mile challenge

No issues with Dry January so far :)

RED Jan is going really well, I will break down all the movement for Rise Every Day challenge, which was started to help people with their mental health. I have sponsored myself £30 to complete this for the month. RED lines up well with the trail running challenge, and the 1000 mile challenge. 

https://join.redjanuary.com/

https://www.walk1000miles.co.uk/

January 1st- New Years Day

Feeling ok, despite my wine party last night! Can't have wine sat in the house when going dry, too much temptation haha. Beauty of working in the community is also getting to enjoy all the bank holidays off work, woohoo! Headed out with the youngest dog, walked from home and did a loop which includes some road walking but some nice off road walking too. Flooded in places careful walking, keeping my eyes well open, don't want soaking feet or to be sliding in the mud! Only a couple of slides and no falls thankfully. We also took the elderly dogs out for a pootle, not a long distance, but a long time! They enjoy this time out, and it is definitely all for them, so they can take as long as they want. Not a bad first day for the new year. 'Boots on' completed 4.11 miles today, no alcohol!

January 2nd

Back to work today, completed my lunchtime walk. After work, met husband and youngest dog and went off for a walk along the old railway line. It is a single track route, so up and down the same way, but a nice off road walk where Flora can run free and do all the spaniel things. Finished off the day with an old dog potter, if map my walk used the averages from all my walks, my walking speed would be ruined by these hahaha. 

January 3rd

No lunch walk today, didn't get chance as work was busy. So I did some weights (3kg dumbbells) when I got home, according to fitbit I did 12 minutes of exercise. I think it would have been more, but the 3kg dumbbells even though my muscles fatigue quickly, don't make my heart race enough for fitbit to be like, oh yeah, you exercising! So anxious about trail running class tomorrow, joined the facebook group and everyone looks so much slimmer, so this has triggered me so much! Also, weather warning for snow is being bandied around.... good excuse not to go maybe?? Decided, if the weather is ok, I have to force myself to go.

January 4th

First trail to 5k class today, I was absolutely terrified, hoping the weather was going to be awful so I would have a good excuse to not go! Sadly, it was a lovely morning haha. Drove the 45 minute journey, making myself more and more anxious as I went. Hugely struggling with extremely negative thoughts about my body and capabilities, desperately wanted to just go home. But that is not what I did, I forced myself to go. Group and instructor were really nice, where the class is, is beautiful, so that helps. We started with 30 seconds of running, 1 minute recovery, man this was hard. Walking is so different. We then did hill sprints, 15 seconds as fast as you can walking or running, then 45 seconds walk back to place. I did better at these than I thought, I think knowing it is only 15 seconds helps, though, 15 seconds can feel like such a long long time! As I feared, I was definitely the fattest there, but I think I am the only one who actually cares about that! 

After the session, I decided to carry on a bit more and go for a walk. Loggerheads is a place I have been to once before, around April 2024 I think. So back when I was heavier and even less fit (!!), there are steps up, these are steep and uneven. When I went up last, I was exhausted, my asthma felt out of control and I wondered if I actually could make it, I did make it and there are some beautiful views from up top. These stairs are part of the 5k trail in March- holy crap balls! Anyway, I decided I would walk them. I found it hard, my legs were already fatigued from running, but my breathing was so much more controlled than previously. I stopped frequently to manage my breathing, every time my brain gave me shit, I told it 'it doesn't matter how long I take, I am doing it', and turned Taylor Swift up really loud on my headphones! It was hard, but less hard. I cried when I was at the top, I felt overwhelmed and filled with pride, I just couldn't have guessed this is how my first Saturday in January would be. Such a huge contrast from January 2024. 

Later on we took the youngest dog for a walk, taking it easy and just enjoying being out in the fresh air, before visiting my newest baby nephew, he is so adorable. Like a little doll! Great end to the day. 'Boots on' miles 5.1, no booze. 

January 5th

No walking today, legs still very tired from yesterday so decided to find some stretching and upper body stuff on youtube. Something different to keep RED going. Completed a total of 29 minutes exercise, tried a stretching video, seemed so focused on squats and my legs just couldn't take it, so did 7 mins. Then found a 10 minute upper body dumbbell video, this was good, I think my 3kg weights are too heavy but will persist haha. Finished off with 14 mins of plus size beginner yoga, this was lovely and simple, one move at a time, for a set amount of time, then a 15 second breathing break. I like exercise which is structured in this type of way, it's uncomplicated, you know exactly how long you have and no matter if it burns you know its almost time to move on! No booze.

January 6th

Ah Monday, and the first full week in work for a few weeks, boo! Not feeling the thought of early mornings 5 days in a row, just not a morning person. Walked on my lunch break today, no other planned movement and felt like this was enough for my poor jelly legs! 1.16 miles 'boots on', no booze. Lovely chilled evening at home with husband, dogs and guinea pig. 

January 7th

I did a slightly shorter lunch time walk, still over a mile. Husband had walked the youngest dog with his friend, who also has lots of spaniels so just the two of us went for a walk after work. Wind was howling, it was so cold again! Seems a theme for January so far. We were going to go along the prom, but decided on the road instead as more sheltered. I managed to run for 1 min 30 seconds without stopping, this was hard. I then proceeded to carry on walk/running for 27 minutes covering 1.64 miles. We went all the way to the main road and I was so anxious about being judged and laughed at, husband kept me focused and challenged me to go further, just a bit more, just to the lights... he is good at it! Felt a mix of pride and anxiety throughout haha. Finished the day with a little old dog potter, which is always slow and chilled, nice time to chat. Total 'boots on' miles 3.3, no booze. 

So first full week saw 19.49/1000 miles, to complete the challenge you need to average 2.74miles a day, 19.18 miles a week. So on track for my first week! No alcohol and I 'rised' every day for RED! Ticking all the challenges so far this week.