Saturday, September 20, 2008

Update on swim

I went swimming yesterday at a time which for the past few months has been really quiet, so quiet in fact occasionally I’ve been the only swimmer in the pool. However although it wasn’t too busy when I got there as time went on it got busier and busier. Having to weave around so many people, some swimming widths, some just bobbing around, and others doing lengths like me, did make my swim yesterday a bit more of a challenge. Anyway as it is generally a quiet time to swim, I had set myself the target of swimming a mile and I wasn’t going to let a busy pool stop me achieving my target for the day. So after an hour and 15 minutes I finished swimming 66 lengths (64 is a mile but I did 2 for luck). This makes my grand total 154 lengths this week, which I am really pleased with.

I have also had a thought: why don’t I add a link to the page where you can sponsor me on my blog? So you should now be able to click on Sponsor me on the right of this page. I also got my fundraising pack through today, with sponsor forms, record card, a swimming hat and some information about what Aspire do (the charity I am raising money for). Aspire work with people with spinal injuries. There are around 40,000 people with a spinal cord injury and every day another 4 people are told they may never walk again. Aspire raise money for specialist equipment (£350 will pay for Smartnav technology for a PC to enable someone with a spinal injury to use a computer), adapted housing, and independent living officers to provide support and help to people who have been recently injured and are leaving hospital. As you can see it is a very worthwhile cause.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Swimming the Channel

You’ll never believe what I’ve gone and done. I say that because it’s taken a week for what I’ve signed up to, to sink in. Last Friday, while just browsing the internet, I signed up to swim 22 miles which is the length of the channel in 12 weeks (the time scale is from this Monday 15th September to December 7th). That’s 1416 lengths in all! As I signed up I thought am I mad, or actually is it a really good idea to set myself a challenge? It will give me something to work towards, give me a tremendous sense of achievement if I do it, and will keep me exercising which will help with the release of feel good endorphins which I really need at the moment to get me through a low patch.

It is all in aid of Aspire who are the UK’s leading spinal injury charity and of course I also need to get sponsored. If any of you lovely readers would like to sponsor me then click on my ‘my space’ link on the right of this page, and on it I have a widget which will take you to my fundraising page where you can donate money.

I feel I can achieve this, as some weeks I have managed 96 lengths (a mile and a half). In order to complete the challenge I need to swim 118 lengths a week, which means I maybe have to go swimming three times a week instead of two times. This week I swam on Monday and Tuesday and did 44 lengths both times making 88 in all and I’m also going swimming today. I am going to aim to do more than 118 if I can as many weeks as I can, as if I get a cold, or injure myself and have to miss some sessions, then the likelihood of me completing the challenge will be lessened.
Anyway I’m off for a swim now I will keep you informed how I get on.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

It takes around 21 days for new activities to become a habit, and 6 months for them to become part of a lifestyle.

You may have noticed I haven’t posted a blog for a long time; unfortunately I’ve not been in a good place. I won’t bore you with the details, but it’s actually not surprising with what has happened in the space of a few months. I was saying to my lovely bestest buddy yesterday that I had a feeling 2008 would be a good year for me, but instead it has thrown challenges at me left right and centre. She pointed out that by my thinking it would be a positive year has probably helped me through it. So I’m going to focus on positives! One really positive aspect of 2008 is, of course, my bid to be healthier. I am eating really well, I am a weight I am happy with, and with all the swimming and exercising I am also fitter. I’ve swum a mile (which had always been an ambition of mine) a fair few times now, and I’m able to work so much harder with the exercise/dance DVD’s.

Also as I haven’t posted a blog for a long time, you may not be aware I am still not smoking (It’s been about 2 ½ months now). I started on patches at the beginning of July, as I was slipping up once or twice a day without them. With patches I didn’t crave cigarettes at all. About five weeks ago I went down to 5mg patches, and then a couple of weeks ago I forgot to put one on one day and I haven’t used them since. If you really want to give up smoking I really would recommend trying the patches. I can also congratulate myself for staying strong and not grabbing for the cigarettes through quite a traumatic time.

Anyway with what I’ve achieved I think it’s about time I ease up on the ‘New Year new me’ diary, and I went back to writing about whatever springs to mind. However I may have to throw in a few updates just to keep myself on track. It takes around 21 days for new activities to become a habit, and 6 months for them to become part of a lifestyle, and apart from the smoking, I would say healthy living is now part of my lifestyle.