Saving myself

Did you read this post from LBG? It's about a friend of her's who saved her own life from the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia by running up stairs for over a mile! And I seriously doubt it was running up stairs like I run up stairs to grab my phone or go to the bathroom. She must have been sprinting up them to get away from that water because it came fast. I mean those things come in at 50-60 mph. Faster than cars on standard roads around the UK. About a mile a minute! With a 3 minute head start, you may out run it doing a 4 minute mile!!! Seriously. 15 mph. Can you run that fast? I can't. Even doing 30 second intervals. I can't. Not even remotely close. And that's on the flat. I couldn't have saved myself. I would have been one of the people she passed on the steps, unable to go faster, unable to catch my breath, even though I am fitter than I have been in years, even though I can run hard intervals, push my heart rate into the 170s, lift weights heavier than my dad and run up two or three flights of stairs, I could not have come close. I said as much to LBG. I told her I would use this story to get my arse back into exercise mode. I will tell it to myself every day. I will say over and over again, "I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SAVE MYSELF!"

The thing that gets me most though, is that she didn't just save herself, she picked up a toddler and carried that child from certain death to safety. She's a heroin. I couldn't save myself and she saved another person. How many parents, climbing those stairs, couldn't pick up their own child and run with them?  How many of us bandsters couldn't pick up our children when we started our journeys? How many of us could pick up a child and run down the street? For a bus? Out of a tube station?

I made a decision today. I want children. I always have. I want to be a good parent. I've waited to meet the right man and to start a family when the time is right. Today I realised that I have to be able to save my children in an emergency. I'm not talking running a 4 minute mile carrying a 30 lb toddler but I have to be in the best physical shape of my life. I will be. I am not just saving myself, I am saving my children.

I started today. I kicked arse at the gym. Yes, I've been away from there for nearly as long as I've not blogged. I pushed hard. I did my old program but added on weights and used a harder level on the bike and cross trainer (elliptical). I dripped sweat on everything. It was disgusting. The result was 560 calories burned. I am proud. Have you made yourself proud today?

Missing blogger found safe and well in England

Oh my goodness, it has been so very long since I last blogged. I can't quite believe it. I knew it was November but I really thought it was nearer the end than the beginning. I always feel bad when I post without reading so I've started a few times but never got to the posting bit. My new year resolution is going to be to make sure I post at least 3 times a week. And get to the gym come to that. And maybe even church.

In the last 8 weeks, I have been crazy busy at school. Every week I thought it would get easier. It didn't. Every week A2 and I have tried to get midweek time together, it hasn't happened. Every week I have meant to watch my calories, get to the gym and loose more weight. I haven't done that. I meant to blog. I meant to read your blogs. I've been slack. I've missed you all.

So the highlights of the last nearly 2 months

*     I have put on 6 -7 lbs. That includes Christmas but it was largely across the whole of December. Bad Sarah!

*     I had a very small defill at the start of December. I was getting stuck several times a week. I focused on chewing, small bites, taking it slow etc. It didn't help much. There was no 'wiggle' room. The slightest mistake and the whole lot came back up. I had 0.05ml taken out. ("What was the ****ing point in that?" said A2) I've PBed only twice since. Tiny bits! whoop whoop. I'm still not hungry but I do still crave chocolate and other such crap.

*    A2 and I are still going strong. It's a bit weird because we are still not officially in a relationship but neither of us is/wants to/intends to see anyone else and there has still been none of the preferred exercise (yes we are very restrained) but the "L" word has been exchanged (starting with him!)Watch this space.

*   I'm feeling about 100 billion times happier than this time last year. I can see good things in my future. I can see myself succeeding in my ever ongoing weight battle (I mean if I had ever taken 2 months off before, I would have gained a lot more than 6-7 lbs) and I am so much more positive about my mum's illness. I know she is still terminally ill but her treatment is extending her life and every single day is a blessing.

That's all for now. Please excuse the lack of comments as I read. I can't wait to find out how you're all getting on. I've missed you.

xx