F words

Sorry for the punny title (#sorrynotsorry) but I've just returned from a 5 hour drive to Kent and back, and I've been chewing a few things over in my mind!

Fear is something I've been well acquainted with for most of my life. I'd hazard a guess that my parents would have described me as an 'anxious child' on many an occasion. Panic attacks and 'phobias' were a fairly regular occurrence of bedtime and my thought processes from around age 9 or 10 until I was 20 or so. It didn't help that I am a perpetual and exceptionally prolific over-thinker: something I've learned about myself over time is that anxiety seems to be the consequence of not keeping my brain suitably occupied- it will turn on itself as it were and find anything at all to worry about: money, relationships, nuclear armageddon, Trump etc. Even as a committed Christian and fairly well 'adulting' young professional, anxiety has always been my Achille's heel- before presentations, performance management or even just robust conversations with colleagues I've often had to fight hard and long to avoid falling into the 'panic pit'.

The thing underpinning any of the fears relating to myself was usually either a fear of death or a fear of failure. Death took care of itself as my faith grew and I gained an understanding of where I believe I'm going... but the fear of failure in the here and now wasn't going anywhere, and was really affecting my life.
My fear of failure had actually served me quite well in my life so far: As and A*s at GCSE and A level, merits and distinctions in music exams, first class honours degree- unfortunately the material gains it gave me was always balanced  with the emotional pressure I was putting myself under.
I was perfectly functional and successful in my day to day life- getting promoted at work, leading ministries at church and blessed with a great friendship group- but ticking away under it all like a time bomb was my fear of failing at it- at my job, at being a friend, at leading.
My fear of failure was so extreme that at times it almost kept me in situations that were counterproductive, and nigh on dangerous (in terms of emotions and stress levels) as I refused to stop doing things and be labelled a 'failure'.
Then, last September, my entire life collapsed in on itself, or so it felt at the time. As the dust has settled, and the air has cleared, I realised my whole life didn't collapse- but one, key, central, load bearing pillar of it is no longer in place and as a result some serious restructuring has had to take place.
I had to face my fear. For one of the first times in my life- the worst had actually happened. It was over my head and outside my control but I had failed at something (in terms that something that had once worked now no longer did)- and the consequences were showing all over my life for the world and his dog to see.
But: (starting a paragraph with a conjunction. Uh oh  teacher fail!) My life didn't end. My friends didn't run. God was still God and He still loved me. My heart was still beating, my participants at work still needed me and slowly I realised that I was surviving this failure, and, as time moved on, not just surviving but thriving.

This in turn lead me into my 3rd F word! Freedom. Now I've conquered this fear of failure, I've never  felt so free. Now I don't feel the need to be great at things, there's so much more that I can enjoy trying and exploring without fear. Ceramics has been FULL of failures, (last week's best one was slicing straight through a plate that had been air-drying nicely for a week and was about to be fired). I'm relearning skills I haven't used since I was in school, playing more music, singing more songs, learning drums and signing up for crazy long walks (120km with a bestie in April) and mad running challenges (there's a half marathon in my future at some point this spring- still working out when!). I'm able to write honestly about how I feel (like I am doing here) because I'm not worried if the people reading this think I've failed or not. I feel like I'm finally beginning to understand what Jesus was talking about in John 10:10  "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." I have not been killed or destroyed- I am living my life and living it abundantly.
There are a few more 'F' words that are helping me;

The primary thing that has kept me walking through this season of rubble and dust is faith that this is not my destination: it's just a particularly messy and odd part of the journey. As a Christian, I believe that God's plans for me are good- and that what I'm currently walking is not what He planned or chose for me. However- He makes beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3) and I'm excited to see how  He can make something this messy beautiful!

I am not kidding when I say I have the BEST family and friends. They laugh with me, cry with me, run with me and eat with me on a weekly if not daily basis. They have hosted me, dragged my butt to therapy, prayed with me, encouraged me, read me the riot act when I'm down in the dumps and cheered my every step along this new path. Even if I never had another penny- I'd still be rich indeed from the amazing people I get to do life with! (Soppy burst over!)

When the anxiety rears it's head, a decent run or swim is always a great way to shut it back up. I'm a ridiculously slow runner (and swimmer)- so theoretically a 'failure' in that regard- but running and swimming is such a win for me I couldn't care less about how far or fast I go. Combined with my other 'fs', fitness is a key way for me to look after myself both physically and mentally.

So- I'm guessing none of these were the F words expected from the title! Living life free, vulnerable and honest about where I'm at is still a new thing for me- but here's to the journey! Onwards and upwards.

Self Care (Unforced Rhythms of Grace)

Sorry for another huge hiatus!
A lot has happened and changed in my world since I last blogged.
Man V Horse went well- and that's all I'm really willing to say about the past 6 months on a forum as  public as this: those of you who know me in real life may know more, those who don't, don't need to worry about it!

Anyway, in honour of Talk for Change day today, I thought it was time to come out of my self-imposed blogging pause and talk about something I've been learning a LOT about in the past 6 months: self care.

Now, ironically, this has formed a big part of my work in the past 18 months, I work with my trainees a lot around managing their own well being for resilience, handling stress effectively and achieving a strong work life balance.

However,  I've never been good at practicing what I preach, and lived most of the past 10 years or so at approx 110 miles an hour, flooring it from when I woke up in the morning (often around 5.45) until I fell back into bed around 11,often working at 2 jobs in the course of a day.

Circumstances last autumn caused me to stop, reassess my life, and make some radical changes in how I viewed and looked after  myself.

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

I realised that I needed to take the 'real rest' described  in Matthew 11. I was great at showing grace  to others, but absolutely terrible at showing it to myself. I was my own task master, critic and worst enemy- and I needed to learn to live 'freely and lightly' as Jesus describes here. I ended up in therapy with a great therapist, and her refrain for the first few months was 'Sarah, you need to be your own best friend!'

Well,  I was clueless about how to do that- so in the hope that it helps someone else- here's how I've gone about re-organising and restructuring my life to ensure  that I am living these 'unforced rhythms of grace' and loving myself as well as I aim to love others!
In my head, I've split what I do into caring for myself Mind, Body and Spirit. Obviously some of my activities help with more than one but hey, we've got to start somewhere and a badly organised blog is better than no blog at all!

Mind:
1) Therapy. Everyone should go to therapy! I have the most wonderful, Christian Gestalt therapist. She is a hard taskmaster but a great woman and she has been of tremendous help of late.

2) Morning Pages. I can't do mindfulness- I think too much! Seriously- it's not for lack of trying. Enter morning pages. 3 pages of A4, longhand, every morning by hand. Sounds crazy right! Well, in 4 months of practicing morning pages I've discovered that there is no bad day or gloom you wake up in that can't be at least processed, understood or somehow helped by 3 sides of writing. It clears my mind, centres my thinking, clears the way for my creativity and gets me ready for the day. I never would have dreamed I'd be able to find 30 mins (ish) per morning to do this- but now wouldn't be without it! Don't knock it til you've tried it.

3) Making. Ceramics, crochet, sewing, reupholstery, writing- you name it, I'm happier if I'm making it. Taking time to keep a scrapbook, record ideas and projects as they come to me, and leaving enough space in my schedule to go to ceramics once a week and get some making done at the weekend definitely keeps me balanced.

some of this course's ceramics

4)  Treacle. Yep-officially a mad cat lady! Just a little 'chat' and cuddle with this naughty one is enough to put a smile on my face.

Body:
1) Exercise. On a bad day, even just a walk will do! Ideally, running/swimming/lifting weights is something I really enjoy. A decent long run outside with my girlies can put the world to rights! Call it endorphins, but the world really is a better place once you've been for a good run!

2) Face care. I've used simple facewipes for years, but decided it was time to show my skin some love. I now have a lovely, organic, pampering face care routine from Liz Earle- it's like a little treat to myself each time I do my face morning and evening. I especially love their night time oil- smells divine!

3) Night time tea. This one in particular. A cupful whilst I do my devotionals is always a good start to a decent nights sleep

4) Socks. Silly I know, but a soft, cuddly pair of bedsocks is an utter winner for making me feel all cosy and relaxed! I've got quite the collection!

5) Vegetables. When I plan what  I eat, and make sure that most of each meal is veg, I feel way better in myself. Also, I'm one of those odd people who genuinely just loves vegetables! Any veg, any way- delicious.

Spirit:
Last but most definitely the most important! How can I go about resting and caring for my spirit?

1) Prioritising my devotional time. In previous attacks of depression and/or anxiety, this has been one of the very first things to go. This time round, that wasn't an option! I've moved my devo time to the evening (never been a great morning person!). I read the HTB bible in a year on the bible app, you can get it here. I like that the devotionals are a really good length and can point things out to me that I'd not notice for myself, especially on a down or stressed day.

2) Journalling. My evening journalling is also super-important 'Sarah and God' time to process everything that's happened that day. I always write down 3 things I'm thankful for, to try and keep some perspective on life! Reading back through my journal is a great way to see how far I've come and how much good is in my life, even if it doesn't always feel that way!

3) Words- particularly scripture but also poetry and great quotes. Words have always been my love language, so I've put key thoughts and verses in different places around the house to keep me positive and plugged in! I found a lot of these on pinterest.

Postcards and Words around the house

4) Worship: Playing piano,singing, listening to music are all a great way to calm my soul and focus on God and His goodness- whatever my day is like.

5) Community. My friends rock my world. Whether it's meeting weekly at 7am for a bible study and prayer time, or hanging out watching amazon prime or the Christmas 24 channel- my friends have lifted me up, cried with me and loved on me incredibly over the past few months. It's been a journey to get vulnerable enough with them to hang out even when I'm just napping in the corner, or feeling poop. I find my strength in my community and I wouldn't be without them. (Same goes for my wonderful family but they're further away for napping purposes)

6) Church- sounds simple, but it isn't! On a bad day I know well how tempting it is to hide in the house and not go anywhere. A massive part of caring for myself is forcing myself to get out and mingle with other people who love me, care for me and are praying for me. My church have been truly like family to me in the last few months- I LOVE them!

So there you have it- a little glimpse into how I look after myself and keep my mental health and well being a priority! None of the above are non-negotiable- of course I have days where I do few/none of them, but as principles for how I can better steward myself- as part of God's amazing creation- they are pretty good for the time being!

A Nutty New Challenge

Sorry for the gap in posting!

The doctors have got me on a great new combination of medication which has got the shingles completely controlled- as you may have noticed from my recent posts on Facebook and Twitter!

In February, myself and 2 of my best friends applied to be Team Whole Earth 2016.
We didn't really know much about Whole Earth Man V Horse, but the offer of a Spa day and a personal trainer to get me over the post-shingles slump was too good to turn down, so we pinged in an application and forgot all about it!

I was heading out for a run in late February and got a call from a number I didn't recognise; usually I don't answer at all (too many PPI callers) but for some reason I picked up. I'm thrilled I did, as it was Abbie calling on behalf of Whole Earth, letting us know that we were down to the final 2 teams.

Suddenly the prospect of running through the Brecon Beacons was real- and I hadn't run more than once or twice since October-December's run of shingles!

A week or so later, and we got the email letting us know that we were successful and had been chosen as Team Whole Earth 2016! Cue giant panic at my end!

Ever since I started running, I've done my utmost to avoid running near anyone faster than me/who knows about running! The only exceptions were Great South and the triathlon, but the idea of having a trainer, or even joining a running club filled me with fear. (Hangover from the days of PE lessons!)

The first part of our Team Whole Earth experience was a fitness assessment with one of our 2 endurance coaches, Martin Yelling (his wife, Liz is our other coach.) Their website is here. I was so, so nervous coming to the assessment, even more so than going to Great South! I was scared I'd lost too much fitness and Martin would be panicking that I wouldn't get fit enough to handle Man V Horse!

I needn't have worried. Martin and Liz are possibly the nicest, most encouraging people I have met in my life! We ran our fastest mile (mine was 8.49) and chatted through our fitness background, and goals for the race (survival is my #1!) They then used this info to make our training plans.

We also met our fab nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed, who talked through our diet and eating habits with us, before drawing up a bespoke nutrition plan for each of us.

On 23rd March we headed to London for the press launch, a very surreal day of exercise and peanut butter in Hyde Park! Our hours of posing, interviewing and another really great workout (with Liz not Martin that time) became this rather snazzy video:

After all the excitement of the launch, it's now been a slow and steady slog working through our training plan and getting ready for race day on 11th June! Ironically this has coincided with my busiest time at work, with lots of overnight stays and residentials, as well as 2 weekends away.

That said, I've weirdly enjoyed taking my running stuff and getting out and about exploring- as well as my usual stomping grounds of Southsea and QE country park, I've been running in Marrakesh, through Primrose Hill and along the Regents Canal in London (running past the zoo was cooler than the mansions en route!), Parkrun in Sheffield, round Sunningdale Park in Ascot, and along the canal towpath in Leeds! My strategy for running in a new city seems to be to head for the canal- it's worked so far!

Sheffield, Marrakesh , London and Leeds

It's also been a huge learning curve getting confident on hills and trails- I remember running through the Braidburn park near my parent's house in Edinburgh and making a 5k route which avoided both any hills and any grass/non tarmac surfaces! Hill reps have been an essential yet challenging element of this- luckily Lauren and Helen are always up for a quick set of hills and we definitely cheer each other on as we plod away up and down. (Except for Helen who is still cheering but definitely not plodding- the girl is quick!). We even went out on a 7 mile trail run with Martin, something I'd never, ever have imagined myself voluntarily doing a few months ago! Except for falling down the hill right at the very end, it was great, and Martin did a great job of boosting our confidence and giving us each a few pointers for the rest of our training.

Hill and Trail Adventures

It's 2 weeks to go, and I'm actually feeling alright! We had a group 8 mile trail run with Liz on Monday, something that would have seemed impossible 8 weeks ago but actually it was a really fun, enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours!

Life has eased up slightly so I'll endeavour to keep you all better updated on our Man V Horse training. I've also got a couple of recipes I've tried out with my years supply of super-yummy peanut butter- watch this space!

Run! When you can't run, walk! When you can't walk... crochet?!

Sorry for another gap! I've been entertaining myself with Christmas, round 5 of shingles, a ear infection and a sinus infection. Living the dream!

I had a fabulous break over Christmas this year- it was great to spend a nice big chunk of time with my family, Jon's family and our friends down here on the South Coast.

Treacle settling in under the tree at my Mum and Dad's house

I'd asked for predominantly fitness related gifts this year, including a new Sweaty Betty sports bra (my old one was giving me crazy eczema all down my back!), blue tooth head phones, and a lovely shiny set of kettle bells.

Unfortunately, my body had other ideas and all of the above are still sat, in their packaging, collecting dust in my living room. As shingles gave way to infections, I ended up back at the GP and have been put on strict 'rest and recuperate' instructions whilst we wait for the 10 tubes of blood they took from me to come back and, hopefully, shed some light on what on earth is going on!

Happily, lots of my friends have been very busy popping out babies, so I've had plenty of opportunities for cute crochet projects whilst resting!

Lovey comfort blanket for the newly arrived Emily

A hat for new baby Ciara and head bands for her two gorgeous big sisters

Comfort blanket for Cam (the whale rattles! I was disproportionally proud of myself for that.)

Bootees and a hat for Matthew

Over the past few days, the sun has come out and I've been out and about walking every day. I may not be running yet but I'm determined not to sit on my backside and wait for this bug to sort itself!

The weather and the sea have rewarded me for bundling up and braving the cold:

I've really enjoyed taking it slower and stopping to enjoy the beautiful sunrises. (Not too slow though- it's minus 1!)

It's quite frustrating knowing how hard I was training to start Tri at this point last year, however I know I've come from being far less fit than this in the past, and if the doctors are saying rest, rest I must.

Now who else has got a baby on the way? I need another crochet project!!

Shingle Bells, Shingle Bells, Shingles all the way...

As you may have gathered from the title (apologies for the pun- got to find my giggles somewhere!!) the last gap in posting was due to yet another bout of shingles- that's 4 in 2 years and 3 since April!

Bleargh.

The annoying yet good news, is that after a full immunology work up, it seems that the recurring shingles is 'just' due to how run down and stressed I was over my last few years in the classroom. It seems prolonged stress and insane working days will take their toll, whether you want them to or not!

After round 3 in October, I was determined to be back out and running as soon as possible- so headed out for a 5 miler about a 2 weeks after the rash had gone. Bad, bad plan! Within 24 hours the rash was back and shingles round 4 was in progress.

I've listened to the doctor this time, have taken some time to let the new medication kick in, and headed out today for my first run since the last bout. It was so, SO frustrating to be back to run-walking 4k after the great south and triathlon last year, but if it prevents a 5th episode of shingles, run-walk it is! I'm heading for a swim tomorrow (hopefully) and taking baby steps to get back into my routine!

However, those of you who know me will know that I am not one to sit around idle, so I decided to fill the increased amount of sofa-time with a new hobby- Crochet!

I've always knitted, but wanted to be able to make a blanket for our sofa, and couldn't work out how to find knitting needles big enough!

A few balls of chunky wool from B&M and a giant crochet hook later, and I was away.

Unfortunately, I hadn't accounted for my ridiculously short attention span, so the blanket is still very much a work in progress, with a little bit being done here and there.

Alongside, I've been really enjoying making some smaller projects, like this hat:

With Christmas coming, I decided to spend the sofa time making something to add to our stash of christmas decorations; enter the most addictive and wonderful crochet blog- attic 24.

In one of my rambles around Pinterest, I came across Lucy's beautiful winter wreath:

pic from Lucy at attic24

I was inspired! Something to make, full of little bits and bobs, which suited my short attention span perfectly.

I'm not a pink and purple person, so I took her design and played with the colours and design a little bit to match it better to our Christmas decorations.

I crocheted evenings and train journeys for about 3 weeks to make my wreath. This thing took a LOT of bits and bobs to make:

Weirdly, I found doing all the stripes for the wreath more annoying than the 32 leaves, or 18 little balls- evidence yet again of my appalling ability to do any one thing for longer than 5 minutes!

I was so chuffed to find a tub of tiny polystyrene toadstools for £1 whilst stocking-filler shopping at Tiger- 7 of these babies ended up on my wreath.

Once it was all done, it was time to pin all of the components in place. 

I took a break for a couple of days, then took time last night to sew everything into place. A lot of crochet fans I know hate the sewing up stage, I found it weirdly satisfying. Better than making the wreath background anyway!!

So, without further ado- here's my surviving-shingles-with-my-sanity-intact Christmas Wreath!

I am over the moon with it! I love the warm colours, the cheeky little robin in the middle and the sparkly snowflakes. Hopefully this will become a family heirloom for many Christmases to come.

So less running has made for more crochet- here's hoping for plenty of time, and health, for both over this festive season!

Slowing Down (reluctantly!)

Long time no see!

It's been a hectic few months down here past the promenade.

I've changed job, Jon's finished his masters and started his new job(s) and it's been all change, all round.

To add to the fun, I've been having a frustrating battle post shingles to get back to the fitness I was at before the pesky virus entered my world.

Long story short, I've had to scale my training right back and take it very slowly, as I've picked up a few other bugs in my post-viral state and the doctor has said to chill out and take my time rather than jumping straight back in and flooring it immediately!

plenty of opportunities to cuddle Treacle- less opportunities than I'd hoped for to compete!

To say I was gutted to miss everything I'd planned for the 2nd half of the year's racing is an understatement- I marshalled at June's triathlon with every intention of being in September's; a summer of new job, no routine and fatigue hitting after exercise and September's tri joined the growing list of 'races I missed because of ***** shingles!'

That said, I've learned so much about myself and my relationship with exercise by being forced to slow it down.
-My garmin has been gathering dust on my dressing table- I've been out running for the pure joy of running and being outside with no reference to pace or time.
- I've learned that a 1 mile run after a bug can be as big an achievement and give as huge an endorphin boost as a 10 mile run when you're well.
-I've been loving helping one of my besties get into running, and working through various bits of C25K with her.
- I've realised that it isn't training for an event, or beating a PB, or going further/harder/faster than I've ever gone before that gets me out and moving. It's the solitude, the freedom to go wherever my feet take me, the feeling that my body is doing what it was made to do and will thank me for moving a bit quicker, and knowing that I'm staying strong by exercising that makes it worth an early start or a rainy run!
- picking blackberries or wrapping up and getting out for a walk is still better than sitting in the house on your bum- it's not triathlon-or-nothing when it comes to exercise (this one has taken some work!!)

I've got a few posts saved on here; some great recipes I've adapted over the summer, my bizarre experience marshalling the baby triathlete kiddos in June and a few inspiring ladies- it's time to get back on it with blogging and keep sharing what we're up to- whether that's a triathlon or a autumn walk around the headland.

Watch this space!

Working it Out Wednesday

So here goes with an idea which has been bouncing around my brain for a while!

We live in a connected world, rife with social media which I firmly believe can be used for good or ill.

A year ago, I was spending a fair amount of time online, whilst poorly and very stressed. Facebook was showing me that, while I was on the sofa, some of my friends were out and about, active, and making some far healthier choices than I was!
I had no idea where to start on my journey into fitness, let alone how to fit it into my life, or if women 'like me' even were out there exercising amongst the hundreds of fit-freaks I imagined to be powering up and down the promenade.

So- working it out Wednesday is my contribution!
Each Wednesday, I'm going to interview a different lady who has inspired me on my journey into fitness. Some are hard-core, running ultra marathons or pursuing qualifications within fitness. Some are like me- committed plodders who love how exercise makes them feel! There are single ladies, married ladies, ladies with kids and ladies without. Some have faith, some don't, some I've never asked so wouldn't know! All of them are amazing, and were key inspiration to me in starting and continuing exercising regularly.
I've asked the questions that were on my mind when I was starting out on this path- if there are any other questions you can think of- stick them in the comments and I'm sure they'll be willing to start a conversation!

So, without further ado- grab a coffee, settle down on the sofa and let me introduce Amy!

Amy is a lady who I've known, by association since I started dating Jon. She's also married to a Marine- who's still serving in the RM Band Service. We've not seen each other much in real life, but her couch to 5k journey was one of the biggest motivating factors in getting my bottom off the sofa and out of the door. Last year, she posted this picture:

I'd just finished C25k, and it made me realise that maybe, just maybe, I could manage a triathlon one day! 

Enough from me- let's hear from Amy and how she makes it all work for her:

Tell us a bit about yourself:

My name is Amy Rushton, I am 31, married to Jon who is in the Royal Marines Band and mum to Evan 7 and Lucas 3. We live in Emsworth in Hampshire. A long time ago I was also in the Royal Marines Band and enjoyed sport but a series of health issues put an end to that!

What sports do you like to do in your free time, and how did you get into it in the first place?
When I decided I wanted to get fitter I was 4 stone heavier than I am now. I'd had 4 knee operations and my joints weren't coping with all that weight, so I started walking. Initially it was to the shops, round the block etc but soon I was upping the distances. I started walking 5 miles most nights and frequently spent whole Saturdays on 20 mile+ walks. This alone helped me lose 2 stone. Once I had lost a bit of weight I decided to try running, which I hadn't done properly since leaving the Marines 14 years before! I found it VERY hard! But I stuck at it and coupled with some cycling I soon saw improvement. Now I frequently run 5km, enjoy parkrun, and cycle distances of around 40km.

What drew you to the sport?
I was drawn to running after seeing a good friend of mine go from a non runner to completing the Thames Path Challenge (100km in 24 hours). She achieved so many amazing things and as I watched her progress I was inspired to try myself. (See- we're all secret fitness fan girls really! -Sarah)

Was it easy getting started? Did you start alone or have company?

When I first started I was incredibly self conscious so I ran alone and at night so no one would see me. I found it so very difficult but I discovered perseverance I never knew I had. Once I started seeing improvements I was hooked. I prefer to run alone, a combination of still being self conscious of my running ability and enjoying the time alone.

What's your biggest achievement in your fitness to date?

To date my biggest fitness achievement is competing the Great South Run in Oct 2014. I'm especially proud of that since I fractured my foot in 3 places half way and still managed to finish! (Madness! -S)

Are you working toward a goal at the moment? If so, what?

At the moment I am training for an event I am doing with my online running club Thunder Runners. We are all competing at the Adidas Thunder Run at the end of July, which is a 24 hour endurance race where a team of 8 take turns to run 10km laps. I think I'm down for 3 laps! This is easily my biggest challenge to date, especially as I'm battling persistent niggles in my lower legs. I am really looking forward to it though!

Let's be real- working out takes time! How do you fit it in? What's your weekly schedule like?
Training does take time, something as a military wife and mum to 2 sons with autism, I don't get a lot of! I tend to run at night once the boys are in bed or squeeze a run in as the kids eat tea. I try to keep weekends for family time where I can so I run early in the morning or go to parkrun. When my husband was in Edinburgh for 6 weeks with the Royal Marines I took to putting the boys to bed and then running up and down my 80m street until I had reached 5km! I had a baby monitor with me so I could hear them and always could see my front door so I was happy that they were safe, and I did that almost every night. My neighbours thought I was crazy.

If you could say one thing to someone sat on the sofa, considering starting a fitness programme, what would it be?

Be sensible, Start slowly, Dream big! I overdid it off the bat and hurt myself as I didn't know that I'm a severe overpronator. Consider getting a gait analysis and start with a Couch to 5KM app to get you started. Trust me, if I can do this, you can do this!

Amy before she started

Race for Life Pretty Muddy, June 2014

After the Mo-Run November 2014 (complete with broken leg!)

See- one inspiring lady right?! I couldn't agree more with so much of what Amy says- if we can do it- so can you! Her commitment to getting out and exercising is amazing- you should see her map my runs for the 5ks outside her house- it's like a very cross toddler went mad with a crayon in a very small area! Thank you Amy so much for taking the time to answer my questions.

I'm blessed with a very inspirational friendship group, so stay tuned for another working it out Wednesday with another fab friend next week.

Any questions- bring them to the comments!