Keep it fun!!

A few weeks ago we were staying in a beautiful holiday cottage in the heart of Wales – 10 minutes from several beaches. Views of mountains and ocean, swimming in the sea, which was crystal clear, I could see crabs scurrying about their business, pods of teeny weeny fishes floating around – ok I’ll shut up!!

So the idea was to chill, it was our wedding anniversary, which obviously requires lots of beer and prosecco (and pizza and chocolate!!!) I was looking forward to this R&R.

Then we met our holiday cottage neighbours. They were so lovely – really friendly, told us about different places to visit – that they had been to… on their bikes!!
We had temporarily moved in next door to the equivalent of Jason and Laura Kenny!! These 2 were MEGA fit, they cycled up hills we needed to take in second gear in the car, then they’d go for a swim, or an evening walk.

My idea of R&R suddenly made me feel like the laziest person on the planet. I went swimming everyday and did a minimum of 800 metres, yet I was feeling totally inadequate – and felt I should hide my bottle(s) of prosecco and packet of mini cheddars!!

Then I gave myself a good talking to!! You can only do what you can do!! We put so much pressure on ourselves with work and family. You don’t want to start putting pressure on yourself to exercise.

Summer holidays are the prime example of people putting pressure on themselves to ensure everyday is filled with something, to makes sure the kids are looked after/have something to do/are entertained.  But at Fuelled By Fun we don’t want you to feel pressure to have to do something every day – sometimes it’s not possible, and sometimes you might not want to.

The point of Fuelled By Fun is exactly what it says on the tin – it has to be fun!

Fuelled By Fun - July/August Challenge - Final Week

The challenge was set for members of the Fuelled By Fun Facebook group to (virtually) cycle around the Mainland UK & Ireland.

Collectively we have been gathering the cycle mileage - whether it's on a spin bike, out on the open road, commute to work or turbo trainer in the kitchen!

The miles have been collated each week and by week 1 we made just outside Cardiff!!

By week 4 the Fuelled By Fun team collated enough miles to make it all the way over to Ireland.

It seemed a shame to stop there, so we carried on the cycle challenge into August, and by week 5 the Fuelled By Fun team took us nearly all the way around Ireland.

We knew the team were pretty amazing - and everyone went above and beyond for Week 6 - which as it turns out is the final week!! We collected a fantastic 1352.72 miles, which has taken us all around the rest of Ireland and back over the sea back to Chester!

It has been a great journey - we've seen everyone dig in and have a go - whether it's seasoned cyclists, newbies or people dusting off their bikes after spending years in the shed.

If you fancy joining us for future challenges (the next one is a run/walk one) just join us on Facebook.

GUEST BLOG: Anything is possible!

Fuelled by fun is the perfect phrase to describe how exercise feels to me. Running is my thing, and I didn't expect to fall in love with it as much as I have done, it's been hard work with plenty of bumps in the road. I’m a single mum with three Autistic children. Running is my saviour, I run off the crazy, I run off the upset, and I run to feel like me again.

Now, I’m not perfect, and I’ve realised mental health is so important. Throughout my years I’ve suffered with depression and anxiety, never quite feeling like “me”. I’ve gone through a lot, always blaming myself and feeling pretty guilty about what I should and could be doing, never feeling I reached my full potential.

I let people walk all over me, made mad decisions, and felt trapped in general. I started to take control, and with the help of clearing my head with exercise, I’m now the full free spirit I always felt was there inside of me.

I started running properly 3 years ago, gave up smoking, and began the best phase of my life so far. All my children were diagnosed within the past few years with ASD, I fought for them, had to give up working, and went through a hell of a journey to get the best support for them all.

Running has helped me keep a level head and showed me that anything is possible. I had a hysterectomy in November last year and had to start my running journey from the beginning again in February. In March I was diagnosed with ADHD, which made everything fall into place for me, and I now understand my behaviour and struggles over the years.

What did I do next? I ran, and ran some more!

I have just completed 75 miles in July, ran a 10 km PB, and I am also fundraising for an autism charity. Absolutely anything is possible. Running is much more than just keeping fit, it’s a way of life for me. It helps me with excess energy, helps me de-stress, has introduced me to some of the most lovely people, and I feel happy and free.

Definitely fuelled by fun :)

Fuelled By Fun - July/August Challenge Week 5

The challenge has been set - members of the Fuelled By Fun Facebook group have joined in the July Challenge which is to (virtually) cycle around the UK & Ireland.

Collectively we're gathering the cycle mileage - whether it's on a spin bike, out on the open road, commute to work or turbo trainer in the kitchen!

The miles have been collated each week and by week 1 we made just outside Cardiff!!

Week 2 proved even more amazing - a collective total of 1070 miles took us all the way around the South coast to Norwich!!

Week 3 just surpassed all expectations with a whopping 2034 miles, which meant we made it around most of mainland Scotland.

Week 4 and the Fuelled By Fun team have not let us down - we collated an amazing 1236 miles, which means we made it all the way over to Ireland.

It seemed a shame to stop there, so we carried on the cycle challenge into August, and this week the Fuelled By Fun team collated an amazing 1089.49 miles, taking us nearly all the way around Ireland.

If you fancy joining in the fun for the remainder of the cycle challenge, join us on Facebook.

There’s no better medicine than exercise!!

The one thing in life we all experience is the death of a loved one, and I’m no exception. July in particular is an emotional time for me, it’s the month in which both my beloved nan & grandad passed away. Now you may be thinking what the heck has this got to do with being fuelled by fun 🤔 well I will tell you .... 

What being active with friends has taught me about life and about death is that there is no better grief counsellor or therapy session that you could ever attend anywhere in the world that is a fact!

I looked after my nan for 5yrs before she passed away, she was my world and my inspiration, she always used to look forward to a Sunday evening and our mini show and tell sessions after either my running, cycling or swimming exploits, she loved looking at the selfies with my friends beaming with pride and there would always be the compulsory marks out of 10 for the medal and T-shirt, she loved the fact that I was fit having fun and most of all happy 😁 So when she passed away I was lost, I become withdrawn, anxious and began suffering from panic attacks, now I know everyone deals with grief in different ways but my way of coping was by exercising and by doing it with friends, the endorphins from the activity coupled with the love, friendship, support and just general chit chat from like minded folk was better than any tablet that any doctor could have ever have prescribed. 

So in a nutshell me keeping active and doing it with friends got me through some of my darkest of days, therefore proving that the benefits of exercise are in fact not just good for your physical fitness but also for your mental health .. FACT 😁 

Nic K 

Fuelled By Fun - July Challenge Week 4

The challenge has been set - members of the Fuelled By Fun Facebook group have joined in the July Challenge which is to (virtually) cycle around the UK & Ireland.

Collectively we're gathering the cycle mileage - whether it's on a spin bike, out on the open road, commute to work or turbo trainer in the kitchen!

The miles have been collated each week and by week 1 we made just outside Cardiff!!

Week 2 proved even more amazing - a collective total of 1070 miles took us all the way around the South coast to Norwich!!

Week 3 just surpassed all expectations with a whopping 2034 miles, which meant we made it around most of mainland Scotland.

This week the Fuelled By Fun team have not let us down - and amazing 1236 miles, which means we've made it all the way over to Ireland.

So, it seems a shame to stop now - although it's the end of July - so we're carrying on the challenge throughout August to see if we can get around Ireland in the next couple of weeks.

If you fancy joining in the fun for the remainder of July and August, join us on Facebook.

Fuelled By Fun - July Challenge Week 3

The challenge has been set - members of the Fuelled By Fun Facebook group have joined in the July Challenge which is to (virtually) cycle around the UK & Ireland.

Collectively we're gathering the cycle mileage - whether it's on a spin bike, out on the open road, commute to work or turbo trainer in the kitchen!

The miles have been collated each week and by week 1 we made just outside Cardiff!!

Week 2 proved even more amazing - a collective total of 1070 miles took us all the way around the South coast to Norwich!!

Well, week 3 just surpassed all expectations - a whopping 2034 miles means that we've made it around most of Scotland and to Loch Lomond & the Trossachs!!!

If you fancy joining in the fun for the remainder of July, join us on Facebook.

GUEST BLOG: Not letting 'life' get in the way!

In my school days I was one of the 'sporty' ones. I loved P.E and never had to worry about my weight or watching what I ate. Unfortunately when I left school I never pursued my love of hockey. I wasn't a very confident teenager and didn't believe I was good enough to play for a ladies team. Then life got in the way and all my exercise dropped off. 

I would always wear baggy clothes but gradually those clothes started to get a little clingy. The penny dropped when I was in a changing room with mirrors all around showing each and every angle. Until then I was a bit blinkered and oblivious to the shape and size I had become. This was approximately 6 years ago. 

Around that time a friend was signed up to do a "Race for Life" 5km and persuaded me to sign up too. We completed it in about 48 minutes and were chuffed to bits. I posted up on Facebook and one reply which has stuck with me forever was 'I could walk it faster'. That spurred me on to try and get myself fit again. 

I became pro-active and found a hockey team that were looking for new players, at this time I was in my mid 30's so had more confidence. I turned up to a training session but didn't feel very welcome. I also couldn't run. I pulled my quad as soon as I tried to run. I never returned. Back to square one.

A few months down the line a friend was interested in playing hockey and had found a team in Runcorn who were looking for players. We were both made to feel very welcome. I was far from match fit and spent most of my time on the subs bench. I hated that so had to get fit and lose some weight. 

I set myself easy and manageable challenges. Something so simple as running up all stairs was a good start. I started to lose weight but was far from fit. I then tried to go for a 1 mile run. I hated every second of it. My head thumped, I could not work out how to breathe, my legs hurt and I focused on all of these things.

Over summer 3 years ago some of the hockey girls decided to start a running club, we downloaded a couch to 5k app and followed it. 3 years down the line I have completed 2 half marathons and rarely sit on the subs bench! 

Keeping fit is now 1 of the most important things in my life. It keeps me happy and the friends I have around me are very much like minded. I still struggle to run on my own, it is definitely nicer and easier with friends. We run, we chat, we rant and we laugh! Oh and we also eat cake! 

I no longer worry about my weight. I feel good and know I am possibly the fittest I have ever been. Everyone who has helped me along the way know who they are. This blog could so easily have been a book. There are so many more things I could say. I truly believe we can all be fit and healthy.

Fuelled By Fun - July Challenge Week 2

The challenge has been set - members of the Fuelled By Fun Facebook group have joined in the July Challenge which is to (virtually) cycle around the UK & Ireland.

Collectively we're gathering the cycle mileage - whether it's on a spin bike, out on the open road, commute to work or turbo trainer in the kitchen!

The miles are collated each week and so far on week 1 we've made it all the way to south wales - just outside Cardiff!!

Week 2 has proven even more amazing - a collective total of 1070 miles take us all the way around the South coast to Norwich!!

If you fancy joining in the fun for the remainder of July, join us on Facebook.

Choosing to be fuelled by fun!

Smiley happy faces

I was feeling a bit frustrated with myself – contemplating where I was in life, versus where I see others, where I thought I should be etc etc. You know, the good old “how-to-make-yourself-feel-like-crap” tactic - to compare your life with other successful people (or at least people you see as being successful,  whether they feel that is a whole other blog post!!!!!)

Don’t underestimate the skill of getting to 42 and still being on the same wage packet you were on at 32!! It is quite an achievement to work your arse off and not actually get anywhere.

So, after beating myself up for a while, I came to realise that the reason for this wasn’t my lack of desire to move up the career ladder, but more to do with my desire to achieve much more fun stuff and live a fun life NOW! Rather than work my backside off, and work myself into the ground just so I can retire early and do the fun stuff I’ve always wanted to do – I want to do the fun stuff now!

There’s a saying that what you focus on the most is what you get (I think winning lotto tickets are exempt from this rule!).

My main aim/focus over the last few years is to actually love life and enjoy it to its fullest, and while I need to work to pay the bills etc, it doesn’t mean having to work every hour to move up the career ladder – that, for me, is not loving life. 

More smiley happy faces

My main focus now is my mental health and physical health, which comes from what can only be described as “playing out with my mates!” We run, we swim, we cycle and occasionally go out for a cheeky beverage or 10. Whatever we do we’re all fuelled by the same ingredients – fun (and cake!)

So I can’t berate myself for not earning more money, because that is definitely not where my focus has been. My main focus has been on having fun, supporting those I love and care for, to make sure they’re having fun, or at least not getting into a black hole.

That’s what I’m still focussing on, but now, with the help of those amazing friends, the focus is on encouraging more people to look after their mental and physical health. Taking time out for yourself is not a bad thing – your family/friends/kids/grandchildren would much prefer you to have that run or that bike ride if it makes you happy, rather than see you in a black hole.

Being fuelled by fun is a choice, it’s not something for the rich/beautiful/famous, you might have to sacrifice something (in my case a pay rise), but I feel it’s definitely a better choice.

Fuelled By Fun - July Challenge Week1

The challenge has been set - members of the Fuelled By Fun Facebook group have joined in the July Challenge which is to (virtually) cycle around the UK & Ireland.

Collectively we're gathering the cycle mileage - whether it's on a spin bike, out on the open road, commute to work or turbo trainer in the kitchen!

The miles are collated each week and so far on week 1 we've made it all the way to south wales - just outside Cardiff!!

Amazing effort from everyone. If you fancy joining in the fun, join us on Facebook.

Map courtesy of MapMyRun

GUEST BLOG: Head in the Right Direction

Exercise for me is my way to keep stress under control. It keeps me ‘normal’ and I swear blind that I haven’t had a ‘proper’ argument with my partner since I took up running (whatever he may say!).  I knew that exercise benefitted my mental health but I didn’t realise just how much…..

Now I like to think I’m the sort of person that keeps emotion at bay, looks at things in black and white and is quite grounded.  I’ll always help and support anyone that wants it or I feel could do with it.  My home, work and exercise elements of life have always been pretty stable until my Iife got crazy busy.

At the beginning of winter I got a promotion and spent the next six months working 100 hour weeks, trying to get up to speed and also recruiting for my own replacement (completely all my choice). At the same time I took up the role of secretary to my father-in-law who had been diagnosed with vascular dementia a few months earlier.  Over the next six months he moved in to independent living and then a care home, had two long stints in hospital, many doctors’ appointments and at the same time his condition was quickly deteriorating.  Doing all the admin for this was easy, watching the most incredible man you’ve ever met deteriorate before your very eyes, not so much.

In my simple world I prioritise my domain with home life and family (nothing more important), work as you spend so much time doing it and it pays or the home life and then exercise is the nice to have, but also the one to forfeit when time doesn’t allow.  So as life got busy my training went to pot, I was supposed to be training for London Marathon – this consisted of a half marathon PB, a DNF and not much else – I was failing. The one thing that kept me sane and de-stressed was getting further away from me. 

Sparing you all the details, I reached my limit walking out of my father-in-law’s apartment on a Friday evening after having ‘do not resuscitate’ conversations with the doctor, receiving a text from my mother that she’s splitting up with her partner and knowing that I was behind at work and needed to work all weekend just to keep afloat. I cried, I didn’t feel I could cope with anything else that was out of my control. I hate feeling sorry for myself so I cried some more.  Even if I had the time for a run, this stuff couldn’t be run off.  I’ve seen a few people that have gone to really dark places when they are forced not to exercise due to injury – it’s pretty scary seeing people shut out their familiar worlds and detach themselves from their exercise buddies.

My exercise buddies up to now were like-minded people who we had a laugh together, life never got serious, we always encouraged each other whether it was learning to swim or competing at ironman.  I completely underestimated this type of friendship.  Friends because we choose to be, because we like each other, because we have common interests and not just because we’ve known each other for years.  I know I didn’t ask for help out loud but whatever happened, they heard me, they checked up on me, they gave me so much support mentally and they gave me a focus. I began to focus not on what I was missing out on but what I was going back to after everything settled down.  I knew they’d still be there, all the same friendly faces with chat, hugs, cake, encouragement, more hugs and undoubtedly more cake.

The thought of this, along with so many support messages got me through the marathon. The mind is so powerful and I knew that if my mates believed I could do it then I could.  Mental positivity far outweighed the lack of training. Said mates came down to London to support and knowing that I was seeing them on course was the final bit of encouragement that I needed.  The run may have been a personal worst for me but I never felt so supported and loved in my entire life.  I knew it wouldn’t be quick or pretty but I also knew that I wouldn’t let them down by pulling out.

So a few months on, my father-in-law is now at peace, work has settled to a manageable level and I’m back in the exercise circle.  The lesson that life taught me is not the benefits that exercise can have on your mental health but the benefits of the people that you meet through it. These guys and girls in my life won’t ever realise how much I needed them, I am always in their debt for such kindness.

My exercise buddies keep me sane, they keep me motivated and they absolutely fuel my fun.