Yesterday I headed out at 6pm in the dark, cold and drizzle.

Not running, I jumped on my bike to ride the 20 minutes to where my daughter was to drop her some workbooks. She is staying with her Dad during this lockdown and he is taking on the task of homeschooling as he is currently not working…and doing it the first time while running two businesses almost killed me.

I didn’t want to leave the warmth of my home…but it was important that I did.

It would be so easy for me not to leave my home. Fear of getting the virus as I live in a high transmission area, and simply cracking on with work, which I can be a bit obsessive with.

I must leave the house.

On New Years Day I drove for 20 minutes to a local beauty spot on the London/Essex border and walked for an hour and a half around a lake…just because I could. I can’t tell you what that did for my soul.

As a single mum, it has always been a challenge to get out the door. Over the years I’ve had to run during the day while she was at school, or at the weekends that she went to her Dads…so I try to appreciate the opportunities I get to just grab my trainers and go.

Early morning or late evening runs are almost alien to me now.

During the first lockdown, my exercise levels went right down. We did some short cycles together in the nearby Olympic Park, and I did some running in my underground carpark…but being stuck (Sorry Rose) with a 7 year old who didn’t really want to leave the house either for 3 months limited my choices.

But I don’t have that pressure now.

Instead, I have the fact that it is cold, and wet and dark all the time.

I know I need to do things differently this time round, my mental and physical health took a massive hit in the Spring, and its taken me months to feel like myself again.

I am committing to not drinking alcohol for the foreseeable future and I am working with a nutritionist to support my immune system and to give me more energy.

And I am going to get out every day…even if for just a 10 minute walk outside.

This blog is by no ways instructional, we are all just doing the best we can. Our circumstances will all be different. I am instead just sharing my take on things, like I have the last 10 years on this blog.

This morning I was up at 6am to work on my upcoming book “Pass me the Lube” which is rising up the Amazon preorder charts.

The book is a look back at the last decade and my role as a plus size athlete…as I look back at old blogs I get emotional sometimes about the highs and lows of it all….the fear, the judgement, the quest for acceptance.

I don’t know what I would have done, or who I would have been without this blog as an outlet, or this community as my support…and I know it will go on to continue giving me those things.

So my top tips for getting out the door if you can

• Make a commitment to yourself
• Don’t beat yourself up if it can’t happen sometimes
• Try not to put conditions on what constitutes exercise (a walk to the shop to get milk counts)
• Even just getting out of the front door and breathing for a bit can change your mood
• If you have small people in your life…include them if you can, but also try and get some you time
• Don’t feel guilt for needing this…self care is not selfish
• If mileage or speed goals motivate you great, but do not beat yourself up about them if not
• Share your thoughts (you never know who will be inspired)
• Remind yourself that you are doing your best

For folks who would like a bit of extra support with their fitness or wellbeing, I have two programmes coming up which you might be interested in.

5 weeks to 5K

This is my beginners/returners programme I run 3 times a year…we have around 100 women registered for it so far and we start on the 18th January. The programme is not like couch to 5K, instead, we focus on mindset and habits, and you work to your ability

Register here

The Big Fat Wellbeing Experiment

What would working on your wellbeing for 90 days with a group of similar women and a kick-arse transformational coach do for your health and sanity right now? This is a new programme which brings together a decade of experience and expertise. We start on the 1st February…you need to register to be sent further information.

Register Here

Stay safe, and stay well

The post If you can get out…do appeared first on The Fat Girls’ Guide To Running.

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