Wednesday 20 February 2013

From Clogger to Jogger


A weird thing has happened to me.

A thing that feels new and exciting.

A thing that I can feel doing me good from the tips of my toes to the inner workings of my being.

It helps me breathe deeper.

See more clearly.

It helps me pause.

At the very end of last year I had started to come out of a blinding fog and was ready.

I was ready to start thinking about making some changes for myself that had been murmuring.

I needed to start giving back to ME.

I made some goals for myself.

Not in a new years resolution kind of way....that never works for me.

I don't like the idea that we kind of wait until a new year comes to reassess things we aren't happy with.

The thing I wanted to give myself the very most was good health.

That was my primary goal.

I am surrounded by people who I love and who love me.

I want to be around.

I want to be able to enjoy it heartily.

That to me is the greatest gift I can give myself.

So.....I set about learning how to jog.

I have watched people jogging forever.

I LOVE watching them.

I LOVE all the different styles.

All the different shapes.

All the different outfits.

So many ways.......

I looked and wished.

And wished a bit harder.

Wished that one day that could be me too.

Then I just decided to get going.

I used an app.

Who knew that a device that sometimes we see as being the very thing that stops us doing exercise could be the very tool that helped me get there?

Over 8 weeks I practised, running a little, walking a little until the running took over the walking.

Every day I would make time for myself - it took 40 minutes of my day- and I would swap my clogs for my jogs.

And then I would hop on my treadmill and just go.

It felt hard.

Really, really hard.

But then something magic happened and my legs just kept going.

I listened to awesome people sharing awesome stuff here and here.

I got to think.

Alone.

Unhurried.

for FOURTY minutes.........

every.

single.

day.

And then this week I graduated.

From Clogger to Jogger.

I am heading towards my goal of feeling healthy.

I have some way to go yet but my mind is set & I know I will get there.

So there you have it............

The tale of How I Turned from Clogger to Jogger in eight weeks.

GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S ZUCCHINI, CARROT & HALOUMI FRITTERS with Chipotle Yoghurt:
The other new thing I do for myself every day is to make myself a really lovely brekky.
I am up early and I like to give myself that time.
If you are on Instagram you can find me at gourmetgirlfriend and you can find all of my brekkies at the hashtag #ggbreakfast
I LOVE fritters.
This was todays brekky.
SO good for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Go to it!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
(this makes about 10 fritters)

  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 carrot
  • 200g Haloumi
  • 1 spring onion
  • 2 tablespoons baby capers
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup SR flour
  • S & P
  • 3 chipotle chillies (i buy the ones in adobe sauce in a can from Casa Iberica
  • 3 tablespoons low fat Greek yoghurt
METHOD:
Grate the zucchini, carrot and haloumi into a large bowl.
Crack the eggs and add the flour.
Chop the spring onion finely and add.
Add S & P and mix through ingredients well.

Add a small amount of oil to a non stick fry pan at medium heat.

Grab a handful of the mix and drop carefully into the pan.  Flatten a little.

Fry gently till  brown - about 5 minutes.

Flip and cook other side till brown.


Serve with Chipotle Yoghurt (simply chop the chipotle chillies and add to yoghurt).

Oh Howe....... I never tire of your voice. Never ever.








11 comments:

  1. Go GG!

    I did the C25K programme too. Having never thought I could shuffle/jog/run, I did!

    I remember the graduating run of the programme. I cried running the last 5 minutes. One of the most special moments of my life.

    Cheers for the recipe...another GG wonder to add to our lives!

    Monnie.

    All the best on you

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  2. You have inspired me Ruth! I too have always wanted to run, but somehow never could. I'd put it down to big boob's - they arent going anywhere anytime soon - so i downloaded your app and so i begin!!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Dear Anonymous,
      I too suffer the big boob thing. It used to hurt too much to run!
      then I asked some advice about a good bra form peeps that knew about such stuff- and went and got fitted (and found that i was a GG cup- weird co-incidence?!!!) and got a great bra (google Enell bra) that keeps them tight & comfy. It really is ace to get a good running bra if you can afford it.
      Good LUCK!!!!!!
      I will be cheering you on!
      YOU. CAN. DO. IT!!!!
      xxxx

      Delete
  3. Clogger to jogger, BRILLIANT!!
    Go you gorgeous girlfriend.
    If you wear lycra, I hope it's stripey.
    xxxxx

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  4. UNREAL. Go you. I'm mid-way thru a learning to run thing - I'm so excited I can run!

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  5. Good health and longevity to you GG.
    Fritters fantastic, fitness fantastic, music sublime

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very timely for me to read this - I had my first appointment this morning with a nutritionist/naturopath and one of the things I came away with was that I needed to make more time for breakfast and to think of it like dinner instead of grain-heavy breads etc. She suggested leftover soup or lamb from the night before! Not sure I'm up for lamb first thing in the morning, but I'm liking your idea of fritters and yogurt for breakfast. I just need to tackle the getting up early bit! x

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  7. lady lay - since your advice about taking the time to do something nice for me to help with the missing of the children to school - well guess what, running seems to be the thing! coinkidinks...yeah for everyone posting here whose learning to run! we are all super ace xoxo

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  8. Isn't running exhilarating. I did exactly what you did last year and it is the best. I love how much stronger I felt too. Go girlfriend.

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  9. Clicked on over to find your fig and pistachio tart recipe and have become distracted by all your lovely stories. This one especially resonates because I do took up the trot a few weeks before Christmas (I don't believe in NY's resolutions either) also using an app. All of your words ring very true for me as well - I'm doing this for me, me, me and I'm loving every second of it! Even when I had a twisted anterior fibula something-or-other and had to run all strapped up I still loved it! So I say go Ruth! Now to find that tart recipe ...

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  10. Just checking back in to say thanks for a great recipe - cooked these last night, very easy and very tasty. Thanks for the continual food inspiration!

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