2020 Visions and Goals
It's all been quiet on the W&S blog for many months, as I have been going through lots of changes. Too many times I found myself on train platforms wondering why I am living to work and coming home in the company of weary travellers every day. I desperately needed to make amends, as the city lights of London finally lost their sparkle for me.
But... I am now a part time visitor to London for work and full time resident of Birmingham, the 'City of Enchantment'. Closer to my mum, back in my hometown and enjoying a slower pace back in the Black Country. I'm still finding it hard to slice up the week to find enough time for movement... but all that is a work in progress.
I've made it to my 15th ParkRun.. A minor achievement and I am still super slow, but Dudley ParkRun is no walk in the park. A consistent Saturday morning with old skool friends Maz and Suzanne and familiar faces each week, this ParkRun starts on the track at the Dell stadium, before a canal side run and a trail run through the woods. It is enjoyed complete with mud, hills and even more mud. My pace is not going to win any medals, but I love the social side of getting out with the girls each week, even though I still have mental nightmares getting motivated for the actual running part each week. That negative voice has grown huge these past months.
I'm getting back out on my bike too.. Dad and I have started riding out on Sunday mornings and we're hoping to make it a regular pootle.. At 45 and 74 we are not exactly burning up the country roads, but we're out and pedalling and feeling good to be outdoors. Following my crash I have really struggled to get on my road bike in London, but out in the rural Worcestershire country roads, it feels lots safer.
January often feels like the perfect time to make a new start at healthy promises to yourself. This year I decided to keep making changes and see how much easier, I can organise exercising regularly. I was working away in January and on another timezone, but I decided that rather than booking meetings at 6am, perhaps going to the Gym for an hour was a better way to get past the jet lag and start the day motivated. And I loved it.. I've been really worried about working out in strange places, but it was 100% okay and I wasn't the only big bird on the cardio machines, so it felt like I should keep it up when I got home.
After the longest financial month of the year was over, I decided I'd quit the gym! Not outright - I mean I left the Gym that is 20 minutes walk from my house and which has classes that are always overbooked and I have joined the one next to the office.. like right next door to the office - Where I can't find excuses to avoid it, on my route to or from the building.
I also found a new Gym within 5 minutes walk from my house.. so I'll be heading there to Bootcamp once a week, to push myself further than I will under my own steam. I love to exercise alone, but I do really benefit from doing at least 1 session a week with other people. I miss the Running Crews in London and I hope to join them occasionally again soon, but I am also enjoying meeting new people and old friends on this years' journey to keep the body mobile.
As far as races / events are concerned, I'm also making plans to keep the goals smaller and achievable this year. I have a couple of 10k runs booked for May and a hike, but for now its all about making the ParkRun easier, losing some pounds by lifting some weights, enjoying some dog walking and getting the wheels out more often. Meditating daily and trying to pause, breathe and reassess what's important. Fewer weary platforms - more boundaries and a better relationship with looking after my own wellbeing..
Taking small steps, to make big changes xx
