Category: Uncategorized
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Gamifying fitness
I’ve been having fun recently with some apps that make fitness into a game. There are a lot of games based on different concepts, but I’ve been experimenting with Pathbound and Ascended as the heroic quest theme works nicely for building fitness. I started with Pathbound first – it is focussed on running and it…
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Shifting rhythms
It’s been interesting adjusting to a new working pattern. I don’t have particularly extreme shifts but it’s still hard to switch off after a late evening. It’s tricky working out how to relax in the most time efficient way possible – it’s hard to start yoga after 10pm when I just want to flop into…
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Menopause and diet
I joined a very interesting session on menopause nutrition today. There’s so much hype around menopause at the moment and it’s frustrating. For far too long it was something that never got talked about, which obviously isn’t good. But just now everyone and their podcast cohost seems to be trying to sell some sort of…
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Variety and consistency
It’s fascinating how people carry their history of activity in their body. They may walk in with a similar goal, and I am building up a repertoire of basic starting workouts and sections of workout. But every client is different and so their workouts need to be different too. Balance. Strength. Body proportions. Old injuries.…
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Settling in
When you start a run aiming to keep a target pace, it’s really hard to hit that pace in the first minute or so. It’s really easy to go a little bit too fast, or a bit too slow. Your pace jumps all over the place because you’ve just started. As you get further into…
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Turning 50
I recently turned 50 which feels like an important milestone to celebrate. Somewhat unconventionally, I started my day with work – an early morning personal training session with a client. I did take a bit of time off later to celebrate, but starting the day that way felt right. How better to start my sixth…
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Responsibility and partnership
One of the big differences between life/work coaching and personal training is how much subject-specific expertise the practitioner needs. As a coach there’s a huge emphasis on asking questions but leaving the decisions on what to do firmly in the client’s hands. This partly reflects the fact that in most cases the client will know…
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Podcast
I’ve been listening to podcasts for almost as long as I’ve been running, so it was fun to actually be part of one for the first time, as part of an episode of Another Mother Runner focussing on how perimenopause affected athletes and triathletes. I really enjoyed the opportunity to reflect on the journey I’ve…
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Aiming beyond your limits
In my spare time I’m a singer, and I’m currently preparing a solo for a choir concert in the autumn. It’s the sort of vocal line that is high, utterly exposed and needs to sound effortless and floaty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ4fK7PGhWo There’s something odd which happens when you’re aiming for a top note in a phrase, as…
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Much more
I love walking out from the gym through the cafe at Fareham Leisure Centre. Most times of the day there’s a real buzz to the place. There’s often a toddler or two dashing around, still damp-haired from the splash pad or bouncing with excitement from soft play. Plus lots of parents enjoying a quiet coffee…
