And so it begins..

[Ash gets fit]

 Hey there, I found this place a few hrs ago when I searched Google for fitness advice/coaching company. Lost those few hours in the forums & articles and decided to hang around since it felt like I'd walked into a coffee shop with comfy sofas rather than teetering bar stools 😊

 

So.. About me.. 20yrs ago I was a very fit 30yr old, size 8, walked loads, had a social life & I was a single mom of 2.  20yrs on.. 50 is rapidly approaching, I've been married 19yrs, have 2 more kids (who just left home to go to college) I've suffered high photosensitivity for 19yrs & 8 months following emergancy surgery and antibiotics for sepsis (said antibiotics triggered the supposedly temp photosensitivity... I'm still waiting for the temp part to kick in). 

 

I haven't worked out in a long time, I haven't done any real walking for 15yrs..outside activity is governed by how long sunscreen will last & the only safe time for me to do miles outside would be during winter if its seriously cloudy/pouring rain & chilly... 

 

So... When the youngest two fledged the nest a few weeks back I bought a treadmill. 

 

My goal.. Is to get half marathon fit & I'm realist, if that takes me 2yrs so be it. 

 

Short term goals.. I signed up for a virtual 5k at the end of October, I'm currently doing 3.5k at speed intervals of 4, 5 & 6mph. 

 

Short goal no2, to add in workouts to tone the bits of me that treadmill training never will & to start doing yoga..its gentle... I like gentle. 

 

Nutrition wise I need to figure out ways to get more protein into me. I'm a good eater as in I make good choices, don't eat a lot of meat but I do to often... Bag of chips & a book 😒 so chips out & cucumber in. I'm kinda hovering around keto but I can't go full keto as I don't have the gene that deals with cholesterol so all that high fat diet... It'll likely kill me 🤣 low fat, low to medium carb, high protein is what I Aim to try and find. 

[Stickman_11]

Hey Ash!  I too am "new" to Nerd Fitness, so let me be the first to say Welcome fellow Level One-er! 

 

I don't have a lot of sage wisdom to share with you, but I will be following your journey and cheering you on!  Just remember that 50 is the new 40!  

 

How often do you train on your treadmill?  Are you following a plan, such as C25k?  

 

Anywho, welcome again, and you totally got this!  

 

 

[Ash gets fit]

Thanks for the welcome 😁. 

 

I'm not really following any set plan other than carefully pushing my truely dreadfully stamina levels and gently gently increasing my 6mph run times.  I do a session on the treadmill every day, 5 days I work stamina & cardio with multiple 45 sec jog sets in my 3.5km program then I have 2 active rest days where I stroll through 3.5km at a brisk but not breathless walk having done a good stretch workout & 1/2 km at 3mph gentle walk. So, nothing seriously taxing yet, I want to get into the city this weekend and get fitted for a pair of running shoes before I start pushing myself more, current training shoes were bought for comfort not running  & I've noticed they really affect my stride at speed, not enough arch support. 

 

Looking forward to winter when I can run outside having put in all the groundwork to tackle our terrain of endless hills & farm dirt tracks. 

[Elastigirl]

Hi and welcome! I'm in my 50's now , joined NF in my late 40's. It's a great time in life to focus on fitness and reaching your fitness goals

[Ash gets fit]

Thanks @Elastigirl

I'm treating 50s as my 40s 🤣 my 40s were mostly spent battling the issues that come with photosensitivity & finding yet more ways around them. 50 is where I'm determined to start living more of a life 😁

[Sloth the Enduring]

Welcome Ash.

[cd667]

Hello Ash.

This sounds like a great challenge, and I am delighted that you're here.

[Artemis Prime]

Welcome, Ash! If you want a little nerdy fun and encouragement for your running, check out the Walk (or run) to Mordor thread: 

 

It's pretty quiet over there right now but I'm starting my own Walk to Mordor on September 1 so I'm hoping to see it pick up a little.

[Xena]

Hi Ash! I'm psyched to have another runner on here. Feel free to swing by the Scouts forum if you like.

[Ash gets fit]

Thanks @Xena 😊

 

Heading for my first fortnightly weight & inches check 😁 I already know its gonna be reasonable, my jeans hang off me 😂 

 

Finally seem to be getting somewhere with treating long term rotator cuff issue (9 months now 😕)  I requested a change of physiotherapist, see if a new take on things might change things & now we're cooking, every day it gets a little better and I get more movement in that shoulder.  Soon I will be able to a workout without having workarounds on the left arm. 

 

I walked 37 miles last week,ran 5 & did 4hrs of yoga 😊. Rewarded myself by ordering new compression running socks 

. 

[Xena]

That's great news about the rotator cuff!!

[Xena]

Hope your week has been great!

[Ash gets fit]

Yeah its been good, a learning trip but good 😎

 

Dietary changes are starting to settle in, the biggest being ditching any form of grains & all added sugar, I was so unprepared for the onslaught of hunger that would come from ditching grains while I scrambled around looking for suitable replacements especially to my fast breaking bowl of special K + fruit. I'm not an eggs on a daily basis kind of person so this took some experiments to find something that served the hunger lvls and didn't upset my stomach. I don't really eat breakfast till nearly 11am so by that time I've walked either 3.5k or 5k, done a yoga workout on short days & a few circuits of strength training on long distance days, so by breakfast I'm starving. I now have a baked sweet potato with crispy bacon or paleo pancakes with avocado. 

 

Dodgy arm is way better but still being restricted to low range of movements until I'm finished the next 3 weeks of physio.

 

Biggest thing I've done to give me a feasible goal is enter a monthly accumulated miles virtual challenge. 200km for September, I've found it frees the head up on distance pressure and allows me to start focusing on warming up correctly...I no longer have the calf muscles of a 20yr old 😂 and gently pushing my stamina to in turn push my speeds. 

 

Husbeast bought me a training bench & was so scared I'd take it the wrong way 😅 🙃 so my strength training now includes the start of an evolving Abbs & core workout.