Fitness family

I always thought of myself as a sporty kid. When I was in primary school & high school I played the usual school sports. I was rounders & hockey captain & played on the netball team, all to a high standard at school level. Obviously once I’d finished school & went to college & University I drifted away from sport. I played the occasional hockey match but was then a small fish in a big pond rather than being one of the best & therefore became disheartened. I went into my early 20’s gradually getting more & more unhealthy & overweight although still had the mentality that I was sporty at heart. 

So those who have read our blog before will know that I started running in 2014 at 33yrs old by doing the couch to 5k after I was inspired by my BFF Hayley who had started running the previous year as part of the Run to Remember charity. I did my first 10k within 6-8 weeks of starting & have never looked back. Now my wife Frankie runs with me too. 

She had some ups & downs in 2014 due to having shoulder surgery but at the earliest opportunity got running with me & even signed up for her first triathlon when she was at the Run Expo & completed the North West Triathlon at Nantwich Sept 2015.  

  

Now having an Aunty as a fitness instructor & fanatic always puts it at the forefront of conversations & she’s amazing at giving motivation, advice & encouragement, so much so that last year I joined the gym again & took up doing step class. I started off not knowing what on earth I was doing, being out of time & exhausted that I really struggled. However, with determination, patience, effort & some family step classes I know love it! Although I have temporarily given it up to concentrate on our marathon training but can’t wait to get back. 

Now comes my sister. For the majority of her life she has battle with her weight. She has 2 beautiful boys & as a lot of women has struggled to lose baby weight also. The majority of the problem with people trying to lose weight is the mental battle & I hope she won’t mind me saying that she has previously tried to lose weight & get fit but hasn’t given it her all as she hasn’t been in the right mind set. However, luckily we live within a council borough that has implemented a campaign called I Will If You Will which is basically a concept of getting people of all ages & abilities either in to or back into fitness and/or sports by setting up classes at local church halls for example which makes it accessible to most people. Caroline took this opportunity to start some fitness & took up Belrobics & then progressed onto Boogie Bounce. Over the last 3months she has now got herself a Fitbit, walks miles nearly every day, does boogie bounce class once a week & the dreaded #torturetuesday with me on a Tuesday night, a double back to back class combo of Fight FX & Kettlecise. What’s most impressive is that she now has the mental attitude she has desired for yours to get out & do it regardless of whether she is on her own or with me. When she’s not doing something physical she’s thinking about what she can do next, whether that’s a class or going to the gym whilst the boys are at their karate class. There aren’t words for how proud I am of her & the changes she has made over the last few months.  

 Our post #torturetuesday selfie!

Now last night was a first, but the first of many I hope. My 11yr old nephew Theo has recently taken up playing rugby for Sedgley Tigers. He has some level of fitness from doing karate for a number of years but needs to up his fitness & strength to be able to compete with bigger & fitter lads on the rugby pitch. So last night after I had done my marathon training run with Frankie, I picked him up from my mum’s (whilst his mum was at her Boogie bounce class) & took him to a hill on our estate & did sets of hill sprints combined with some jogging around the block & then more hill sprints. At the end he was tired, red & out of breath (as was I!) but he loved it & will now become part of his weekly routine. 

 Now that’s what you call a family fitness night!!

Jacqui x