Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’ve battled with food all my life. I love it. I love cheese (boards in particular) and chocolate (‘finest’ moment: scoffing 2kg of Quality Street in one go in front of the TV) and pick ‘n’ mix and crisps (big bags of onion rings) and ICE CREAM. None of this Mr Whippy nonsense though: the best ice cream comes in a 2ltr tub and is dense, custard-based, home-made vanilla. Feeds one: me. So it’s no surprise I tipped the scales at 25st 2.5lbs when I joined a local Slimming World group in January 2009.
I joined Slimming World with a friend, fully expecting to stick with it for a few weeks then give up and instantly regain any weight I’d lost. However, I left that first group buzzing with excitement at the possibilities. I went home and read my new member’s pack from cover to cover and didn’t sleep a wink. I was planning meals in my head for the rest of the week. I got to grips with the plan pretty quickly (I’m vegetarian so only had to grasp the Green plan at the time) and in my first week I lost six pounds. After four weeks I’d lost a stone and although my initial plan had been to ‘coast’ for a bit and just stick to the plan I was itching to hit the gym. So I did.
Joining a gym when you are completely unfit and weigh 24 stones is daunting; no matter how friendly the gym claims to be. Most people in that situation would feel conspicuous. I knew the lay of the land: I’d done the whole gym thing before and enjoyed it, but I did feel like I had to swallow my pride, ignore all the athletic-types in their Lycra, and just get on with being red-faced and sweaty in my own corner.
I became a total gym-bunny that year and over Christmas my colleagues started to discuss the BUPA Great Manchester 10k as the charity we work for had places. I agreed to run. Then I panicked. I hadn’t run since school and six miles seemed like an awfully long way. Failure wasn’t an option, especially when my amazing friends started pledging cold hard cash for my efforts. The first time I ran was on the treadmill; I managed ninety seconds and thought I was going to die. I was purple-faced and wheezing like an asthmatic bulldog. January to May 2010 was spent in a heady routine of panicking, wheezing and interval training. The first time I ran outside it was -4°. I managed ⅓ of a mile and my lungs BURNED. The first time I ran a complete mile I thought my legs would give way. But they didn’t, and I realised that I was capable of focusing on a goal and pushing myself to achieve it.
I’d not really thought much about what would happen after the 10k. Once it was done and dusted it felt as if I’d be going backwards if I stopped running, so I just kept things ticking over on the treadmill. I’d only really been able to run for a maximum of about fifteen minutes indoors because I was a clock-watcher who imposed her own restrictions: ‘You’re struggling. You can’t do more than fifteen minutes.’ One day something just clicked and I knocked out an hour. I’d found my ‘place’ where you hit your rhythm, your stride feels relaxed, and you completely zone out. I ran the Wilmslow Half Marathon in March 2011, completed the Total Warrior 10K assault course in August 2011, and shortly afterwards I applied for a Marathon place through Slimming World.
At the beginning of December 2011 I reached my weight loss target. I've lost a total of 12st 2.5lbs and no longer recognise myself. I've gone from being a defeatist couch potato to someone who will put her fear to the back of her mind and give pretty much anything a go.
I want to run the marathon because I’ve watched it on TV and thought ‘It must be amazing to be able to do that’. What better way to celebrate losing 12 stones than by running VLM 2012? I’ve got a fabulous opportunity to challenge myself and raise money for the NSPCC. I’ve pledged to raise £1000 and it would mean so much to me if you would support the NSPCC by sponsoring me. Anything you can give will be appreciated and I can guarantee that thinking of your generosity when I’m fifteen miles into a cold and wet, training run will keep me going.
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