The Tri-Suit...

This Tuesday, just before lunch, I found myself in the changing room of the new Pearl Izumi store in Gunwharf Quays, trying to contort and squeeze myself into the most lycra I have ever voluntarily put onto my body- a trisuit! For me, a perpetually 'bigger' girl, and proud exercise avoider for most of my adult life, standing in all-in-one spandex in front of a fluorescent lit floor-to-ceiling mirror threw me into a bizarre 'what the heck am I doing here, in this ridiculous suit' moment, causing me to pause and take stock of the past 12 months, and the various factors which had led to that particular point, and that particular changing room!

My shiny and oh-so-spandex trisuit

A year ago, I was tired, stressed and overweight. (Obese, if you ask the lovely people who make the BMI!) A history of being in bottom set for PE, punctuated by a run in with ME/CFS for over half my teenage years, as well as some pesky hypermobile joints, meant that I could barely run for a bus, although I could hold my own in a sailing dinghy! I lost some of the weight around age 18, but Uni, marriage, starting work and holding down some pretty insane working hours for the last 4 years had watched it creep back on and I was back at the biggest I'd ever been.
Something had to change, and change it did! Exactly a year ago this week, the hubs and I embarked on our first Whole30 and ate clean for a month (punctuated by a lovely bout of shingles!) 30 days later and shingles beaten in record time, I wanted to continue to make healthier lifestyle choices, so embarked on the couch25k programme. 8 weeks of mostly eating clean, and running 3x a week later, and, to my amazement, I could run 5k without stopping once!

Straight after running my first ever 5k- in 25 degree heat!

A few weeks post 5k and I realised that without a goal, I wasn't going to keep in my new routine for long (I kept stopping when my feet hurt!!). I searched for a 5k race, and, in all of my searching kept coming across the Great South Run. 10 miles! If anything, I'm stubborn and once the idea of running the Great South took hold, I just couldn't shift it! So, in August I downloaded this fab beginner-10 mile running plan on the advice of a great friend and ultra-marathon runner who seems to think one can do anything, as long as one sticks to the training plan!
12 weeks of training later and it was GSR day. God had my back and it was a cool bright day for my first ever race; 1.52 later and it was all over! (Particular thanks to a lovely friend Emma who bumped into me at the 6 mile mark and ran with me through my toughest half mile!)

Post Great South Run

My hypermobility has gifted me with a knee which is flaky at best, and has dislocated a couple of times. In the run up to the GSR, it had really begun to pickle and it was only with the help of a great physio that my knee and I made it to the finish line!

It became clear that further distance running could prove expensive and problematic for the gammy knee and I, so I needed to find another way to meet my new-found enjoyment for endurance sport!

I started cross training at the gym while I pondered my options- my newfound confidence from running carried me into classes which I'd never have dared to even peek through the door at 3 months previously.

At Christmas, I decided to bite the bullet and head into the next challenge- Triathlon. 2/3 disciplines are low impact- excellent for the gammy knee and still letting me get my running fix in! I started swimming and going to spin to prepare for the Portsmouth try a tri in June, as well as keeping the running going. This routine, combined with my faith, great friends and wonderful family actually carried me through a pretty rough patch this winter, giving me something to clear my head and a lovely endorphin kick afterwards!

I'd started to lose the momentum in my training as June is still pretty far away; luckily I found out on Monday that David Lloyd (the gym where I'd gone for physio) are running a Sprint Tri on April 26th. Even better, it's a pool swim (far less scary than the Solent!). So; I signed up- leading me to a suddenly urgent need for a tri-suit, and that scary changing room in Gunwharf!

1 year, 4 stone down and 1 trisuit later- I'm kitted out and ready to rock and roll!

I'm hoping to use this blog to continue to document my journey into health and fitness, and my training for the triathlon. I'll probably include a few food-y and travel posts (2 other massive passions of mine). My faith is a huge part of my story so expect it to also be making an appearance!