Centr…Week 1

So as some of you may know, I have kind of hit a plateau with my running, not improving but not declining, so it was time to take the next step, stepping out of the running comfort zone and work on my body to push the running even further.

So with that I have taken up the option of an online app, as i mentioned just a week or so ago, created by Chris Hemsworth, they is the whole shebang, exercise, food and mindfulness, all with the support of Chris’ own team and the community that has built around the founding members of the app (those that took up earlier subscription)

Now I knew this was never going to be easy and boy it hasn’t been but the benefits are already noticeable after only a week and a half.

Let’s start with what I went with. Despite running for 5-6 years now I still consider myself a beginner, so I went with that. Now I have lost a bit of weight already so I skipped past the lose weight option and went with the tone up option. I am looking to this to strengthen my body.

Now don’t get me wrong not all of the app works wonderfully for me and we will get into that but lets get to the things that have been wonderful.

The exercise program has been intense and immense. From weight training (small weights for me at the moment as thats all I own, I don’t belong to a gym and don’t intend on becoming a member of one again unless I really have to), Boxing and MMA, to Pilates, a lot of stuff I really haven’t done before

There is also some great basic technique and stretching classes thrown in as well, which is great for someone who over last few (middle-aged) years has struggled with little niggling injuries.

Chris’ coaches are great, really encourage you during the workouts, but outside of that I have been lucky to interact with a few on social media since the app went live

The meditation has been fantastic as well. I had been lightly taking part in some in recent months to combat my anxiety etc, but this has taken another step. Not only is the regular meditation been amazing but the sleep visualisation has been working not just for me but my wife as well, very rarely are we actually making it to the end of each one!!!

Some of the coaches are also taking part in that as well as some great voices in meditation.

Let me put this into context. In December I took an exam and failed. After that I went into a bit of a melt and it took me weeks to have any interest in retaking the exam anytime soon. Eventually I retook just this week, sadly, despite making a massive improvement, I didn’t pass again. this time I didn’t freak out instead went straight to the exam booking page and rebooked it for next week. I am in a much healthier place mentally than i was before.

Now don’t get me wrong, the food is wonderful. But people have their limits. And meals are my limit. Not that the food is wonderful or anything, but for me it comes down to time and money. With a young family, both of us working and a 5 year old to bring up, we don’t have an awful lot of time for meal prep, especially or breakfast and lunches. We work hard on our evening meals and had some wonderful dinners over the last few weeks. The other issue is cost, these meals aren’t cheap to make, so we have picked a few a week and stuck with the healthier meals we were eating before the app came along.

My saving grace for breakfasts have been smoothies. My problem has always been get fruit and veg in me, but times have changed. As well as sticking to salads mainly for my lunches, the smoothies have been my saviour to getting fruit in me, bananas, berries etc have all become part of my daily diet due to the home made smoothies.

So after the first week and a bit am I seeing results?? Well I have dropped a couple of pounds so far, not the rapid loss compared to say cutting back on calories, but more noticeably is how I look. I posted a comparison on the Facebook page which I have included here as well, of my a month ago and one this past weekend, so you decided whether it is working.

I am also noticeably stronger when I am out pounding the pavements, a lot less run/walk, more running for longer periods

I believe this is what I have been searching for and I really think this is going to pay off in the long run(!!)

So a thumbs up from me to Chris and the team over at Centr, I will be sticking around for the long haul

Here We Go!!!

So we have come to the entry that I have been looking forward to the most… the start of something new!!

Not only that I am combining it with something old, so let’s start there….

So this morning I reset my Nike Run Club training plan, set out 20 odd weeks before my next planned half marathon, I am not going to get into when and where just yet until I am happy that all my training is going to plan, no injuries etc kick in as my training cold well be heading to 7 days a week from now on.

So some of you may know I have never taken great care of my body, I try desperately but I always fall off the wagon. My diet has been pretty poor and when it gets better, it gets fairly lazy and boring. Fruit and veg were never really on the agenda and even now I struggle to get what I need, even though I try, I don’t really know what to do with it!!

To top that off, I don’t really indulge in much other exercise. Again I try but it always falls away. I have tried The Body Coach and DDP Yoga etc but I either don’t have the constant reminder to do it or other circumstances get in my way.

Adding in to the equation that I do struggle with my mental health sometime, with stress, anxiety and depression creeping in some times I find it all a little too much on occasion.

So combining that all together I am not model health and fitness guy, always looking for things that can help me with out having to do too many things and I think I have finally found the right place for me.

Not only does it tick all those boxes but it also features one of my geeky heroes.

Let me introduce Centr, home to some great physical trainers who teach things from HIIT to Yoga, as well as Meditation and mind exercises, great nutritionists who provide meal plans and great recipes who cater for meat eaters to vegetarians.

This great team didn’t just come together on it’s own, yes this team was put together by Marvel’s very own God of Thunder, Chris Hemsworth.

Chris has always been know as a hard worker when it comes to getting in shape and now he is happy to pass along that knowledge alongside his team, which also includes his wife Elsa Pataky.

I have signed up for a month to start with, and in doing so I have become a founding member of the program. Our trial begins on Monday 11th February and I honestly cant wait to get stuck in .

I feel this structure and having everything in one place can only help me and achieving my running goals for 2019.

This program isn’t just aimed at beginners, but also people who want to move to the next level. The are programs for all different reasons and levels, if you want lose weight or build muscle. I am there to tone up and increase my strength, while I will be starting at the beginners level, there are multiple levels depending where you are on your journey.

It’s not just the exercise, I am really looking forward to the food side of things. As I said I really struggle with knowing what my body needs through out training and I really think this can only help. Not only do they give you the recipes they give the shopping list that you need and that is a godsend to me.

So Monday begins the next chapter in my journey. Here is to the next step

You can join up with the program over at https://centr.com/ and stand alongside myself and thousands of others as we journey beyond the reaches of Asgard

Getting Over Another Hurdle

So after my birthday trip away this week has thrown out another challenge…change of diet.

So after losing stone in weight at the back end of last year, sickness, Christmas and trips away really killed my eating habits. So it was getting back in the routine this week.

I follow Weight Watchers when I get in the zone. But I wouldn’t call it being on a diet. WW helps me follow a healthier lifestyle, knowing what I can fit into my meals etc, but also showing me the stuff that is really not good for me.

Now for the bulk of my life I have struggled with fruit & veg, like literally not eating any. But with running being part of my life now for 5 years something had to give if I want to improve. So over the last 6-12 months I have slowly be adding fruit and veg to my diet.

Obviously when you are following a regime, you really don’t have a choice in the matter. So this week lunches have become salads, snacks have become protein heavy (nuts, natural yogurts, jerky etc)

This is where the hurdle appears in front of me…. a lack of sugar. Through choice I have more or less cut any sugar out of my diet (unless natural).

So the side effects have hit me in waves. Early in the week my main issue was headaches. Now I am prone to a headache or two but they really hit me for the first 2-3 days, when I was getting home and just couldn’t do any thing but sit and wait for dinner time to come round.

But over the last two days I have had other symptoms. Yesterday just felt like I had flu, achy muscles, sweaty etc which was not nice at all. Though this morning was the weirdest one yet, I woke up very confused, I was completely convinced it was Saturday, despite it only being Friday. I spent 15 minutes laying in bed working out in my head what I need to do today and that I really needed to get out of bed and get on with it, even thinking I will do my work out first to get the adrenaline pumping and get me ready for the rest of the jobs I needed to do.

But despite all this I know it will be worth it in the long run (!!) when I have a healthier body and mind.

I am coming towards the end of my 5 week plan with Nike Training Club that I have enjoyed immensely and will probably use again (and certainly will be using Nike Running Club in the coming months as I move in to training for an upcoming half marathon that I hope to talk about soon)

Saying that, I am going to move on to a new training routine and app that some may have heard of, some maybe not. So for any one that knows me know I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Avengers etc for those not in the know) and I was excited to see that Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, is launching his own fitness and well being app, called Centr, in the coming weeks and I plan to give that a try once that launches. (https://centr.com/join-us?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhKviBRCNARIsAAGZ7Ccz-wkjZiy5cG2UI6dZEDVcEJIm7PGg5mQcbjfAwuPgQIm2ZW-XGfUaArT_EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)

So next week I will be coming to the end of that plan, finishing with a run. So I will give you an update on that and an update on the healthier eating.

My Accountability

Welcome to my site. I have set this up to keep me accountable.

I don’t claim to know an awful amount about health and fitness, but I want to use this as something to keep me on track and to learn as I go and hopefully help some others in a similar situation.

As some of you may know I am a Disney fan, blogging, vlogging and podcasting and really that is where my fitness journey began some 5 years ago, when I trained for my first half marathon.

And since then both my fitness and mental health has fluctuated. I have done multiple half marathons since, as well as my first full marathon, but I have never been overly happy with any of them and know I can do more.

But I never hold up to the training, mainly something that I think is mental rather than physical.

I take on other ways of training at times then that goes by the weigh side and I have to start again.

I am hoping by doing this, it will hold me to it.

I will be doing weekly updates on how I am doing as well as hopefully review products I use, both the things I actually use during training to apps I use to keep track of progress etc.

I will also be talking about some of the issues I suffer from that can some times hold me back in my progress.

Hopefully you will join me as I continue my journey to a healthy and fulfilling life