The Riddall Effect

I mentioned The Riddall Effect in my last blog and wanted to talk a bit more about it in this post.  Caroline Riddall is my personal trainer and the lady behind The Riddall Effect.  Only a few weeks before I embarked on this adventure Caroline was recommended to me by my Yoga teacher as I was looking for a personal trainer.  Caroline had done training with Jo before and she couldn't speak highly enough of her, so that, along with the fact she worked out of my gym, was enough for me!
I initially started PT as I needed to make a change, I needed to do something to get fit & strong and get some confidence back along the way.  I'm 41 and was determined not to let the mid-life spread set in too soon.  I have had health issues in the past that have caused some issues for my joints and bones, so my exercise options have been limited.
Starting Yoga a couple of years ago has really helped me get some flexibility and strength back - it may seem like a simple thing but six weeks after starting yoga I was able to sit crossed legged on the floor for the first time in 14 years - and now I'm bending in to positions I never knew were possible.  Yoga has been a great help getting me where I am now.  More on Yoga in a later post.

Me and my elephant top hard at it on a PT session

My body is no different to many women, and as I'm getting older it's sagging in all the wrong places!  As Caroline calls them, my "wobbly bits" are expert wobblers!  Bulging belly, bingo wings and saggy boobs are just some of the joys of getting older.  I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that they also lead to a lack of body confidence and a wardrobe full of floaty tops.
Caroline was recommended to me not just because she is a personal trainer but because she works with women of all different shapes and sizes, helping them with fitness, confidence, mental and physical strength....she even throws in a few laughs along the way!

Caroline has done wonders for me already in the 2 months I have been seeing her.  I am getting stronger, more flexible, toned....and with it more confident.   My loose fitting tops at the gym have slowing been replaced with more fitted fitness clothes as I lose weight, tone up and make sure I show my wobbly bits that the best thing they can do is wobble off!
I wouldn't normally post photos like this, but my blog is about my preparations to climb a massive mountain - figuratively as well as literally - so Im embracing the wobble and sharing in the hope that others can see whats possible....and watch my wobble turn to a wobbl, and then a wobb, wob....me and The Riddall Effect are going to nail this.

My poor booty...

....yes thats right, this post is all about my bum.
I should be more specific, my gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and of course my poor piriformis.  Don't get me wrong, I knew I wouldn't be getting to the top of the mountain without any pain, but I wasn't expecting pain so early...and certainly not in my bum!
It all started a few PT sessions ago when The Riddall Effect started a chain of events leading to tonight.  Caroline my personal trainer was putting me through my paces and gave me some exercises for my glutes, she said that my glutes were essential muscles to get me up Kilimanjaro.  As she is a professional, an expert and my friend (but not my bums friends at this point!) I took her advice and imagined how I would feel at the summit of Kilimanjaro with a booty to rival Beyonce's.
On Saturday I went to see another friend, Sarah, who had recently started an "advanced clinical massage" course - sounds lovely right.  Sarah is currently thinking of joining me on the climb so as we were talking about training I was telling her about how my bum was in training, and she suggested she tried out her new skills on said bum muscles to make sure they were loose and flexible.  Oh. My. Actual. Goodness.
Don't get me wrong, it was a lovely massage, but boy did I need it!  I had the tightest bum in Berkshire.  The trigger points were the only sort bits, and whilst I clearly needed it - I now have little fingerprint shaped bruises all over both cheeks.  Ow.  Thank goodness for foam rollers, although even that made me weep a little for a few days after.

This is me volunteering at the Elephant Nature park in Thailand - the elephant had just 'let one off' in my face, it was so powerful it actually blew my hair off my face!  But my bum will never be as big (or windy) as hers.

Wednesday was the return of PT - I dutifully told Caroline about my bruised bottom and how my glutes were 'a little tight & tender' after my massage.  So she kindly proceeded to spend 20 minutes working on my bum, my poor poor bum.  Now it was bruised and stiff and was today still recovering from the traumas of the week - the stretching and rolling is helping a little.
Tonight was Fight Klub and I was quite relaxed about it as it involves little effort for the bum and is mainly upper body work.
Oh. My. Flipping. Goodness.
Duane & Darren decided that plain old boxing wasn't enough...we were going to do some kick boxing.  Front kicks, side kicks, back kicks, high kicks, low kicks....you get the idea....any leg movement that is done by using your glutes. I was managing to kick about one meter off the floor and Duane (bless his little cottons) kept coming up and shouting "higher!" at me.  I tried, I really tried.
I would like to say thank you very much to Caroline, Sarah, Duane & Darren as they help me get in shape. Joking aside I do appreciate their support and I know that "no pain, no gain".  But right now I just needed to let people know that I HAVE A MASSIVE PAIN IN MY ARSE!!
I'm off to cry on the foam roller......

Start as you mean to go on

I went on a walk on Sunday, the first of many I'm sure.  I'm not a great walker, I walk to work and back each day (weather permitting) but that's a leisurely stroll along the Thames, feeding the ducks and passing the time of day with dog walkers.  Two and a half kilometers each way so I guess 5k walking is a good start for someone that "doesn't walk".
Sunday was a rare day in the UK as the sun came out - and its true what they say "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid day sun."  My husband suggested we went for a walk as I need to start getting used to walking for hours at a time on rough terrain....and uphill!  He was being kind and suggested a short 4k walk along the Thames to Sonning.  An easy walk, passing George Clooney's house and ending in a quite little village pub that's great for Z list celebrity spotting.  But where's the fun in that??
So out came the book of walks in Berkshire and instead I suggested a slightly more challenging 10k walk around the village or Wargrave.  This walk was listed as 2 out of 3 difficulty and 2 out of 3 gradient, reaching 248ft.  The walk was meant to take a minimum of 2 hours 15 minutes, so perfect in the midday sun!
Ten minutes in and already I was thinking "What am I doing? Why didn't I agree to Sonning?".  But I kept quiet, smiled sweetly and secretly felt a little smug that I had thought to put my elephant trousers on whilst Grahams bare legs were getting attacked by thistles over every stile.

After a short break to play with some horses we crossed a bridleway that took us out of the fields and into a dense forest. I have to admit I got a bit spooked at this point, we really were out in the middle of nowhere, hot and running out of water.  But then I started to look around, what a beautiful place. Dense tall trees with the sun beaming through onto the ground below that was covered in wild flowers.  Perfect.  All I needed was for Legolas to come galloping through on his white horse and look deep in to my eyes and I would be in heaven.  It would have been wrong not to stop and get at one with nature so a less than elegant tree pose, on a slope, in chunky walking boots and we were on the home straight.
I survived with no cuts, no blisters, no sunburn....and still 18 months to go.  I think I'm going to enjoy this training (still waiting for Legolas).

Motivation

Its been a while since my last post, I guess I'm still getting used to what I should post and what people might be interested in.  This blog is all about my journey to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.  Im not actually climbing it for 18 months but I wanted to share why, what, how etc.
As I sit here watching the British F1 Grand Prix I thought I would talk a bit about motivation.  It's no secret that Lewis Hamilton is my hero.  Lewis was just an ordinary boy from Stevenage with a passion for racing.  Lewis started go-karting as a young boy, had a cheeky chat with Ron Dennis and here he is, a three times F1 World Champion with many more to come I'm sure.

I'm not at all comparing my challenge with what Lewis has to do day in day out, my point is that with hard work, commitment and belief you can do anything.  Lewis has not let anything, or anyone, stand in his way as he has followed his dream with sheer determination.  He has had many challenges to face along the way, but as they say "you never lose, you win or you learn".  Lewis is always putting that learning to good use - and I intend to learn a lot from his drive and positivity as I take on a massive challenge of my own.

So whats motivating me?  I wouldn't say climbing mountains is something I do.  I'm not big on exercise, trekking or anything some might class as 'extreme'.  I just needed to do something, have something to focus on, to work towards, to challenge me, to scare me.  I'm 40 years old and not getting any younger......I want to look back on my life and feel proud, feel that I have lived life to the full.   Don't get me wrong, I have a very good life - but like many people my age I am starting to question what it's all about, why am I here and what can I do to feel that its not all over just yet!!

I will be climbing Kilimanjaro to raise money for charity, but my motivation is more than that.  I'm climbing it to get myself physically stronger, mentally stronger and emotionally stronger.  I want to look back and say "I did that".  I have nothing to prove to anyone, this is for me, to give me something to be proud of.  Lewis just won the race, another achievement, another success - I will most certainly being following his ethos.  Well done Lewis, Africa here I come.

Cuddles, laughing, fighting and dancing

My training is already underway for climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. This weekend sees the return of 3ness to Reading for another fitness weekend.  I came to my first one back in February and had such a good time I'm back for another round.  These weekends have a full programme of fitness classes to choose from, all a little different from what you would normally get offered at the gym - and all delivered by the most professional, warm, fun loving people.

The thing I love about these weekends is just how welcome you are made to feel by everyone involved, its basically one big love in of people from all backgrounds and all fitness levels.  My day started as I was welcomed by a big hug from Paul Francis (the man behind 3ness) luckily this was before classes had started and I was still smelling of roses! I've never met him before but thats what 3ness is like - everyone is treated like family.

I started with an hour of laughing yoga which was basically an hour of giggles so whats not to like?  Then I stepped it up a bit (a lot!) with Fit2Fight before embarking on a 90 minute Fight Klub - see my last post to find out more.  Having already been at it for 2 hours all I really wanted was another cuddle but I dug deep and thought of this small(ish) hill thingy in Africa I was going to be conquering and somehow got through the whole session without passing out.  Troy Dureh (Fight Klub founder) led the class and handed over to Dean Heitman for a 'Totally Shredded' session straight after.  Its no secret I love FK but wow - Dean was mental!  Photo below of me with Troy & Dean afterwards - not sure if I was smiling because of the company or because it was all over! Muscles rock.. 😉

Lovely lunch and off we went again - Kangoo Karnival with the two Jasons.  You have to google this, so much fun once you are brave enough to let go of the wall and let your boots do the bouncing.  Final class was the Michael Jackson experience with Troy (I did say in my last post I would talk about him again!).  This time we learned the routine to 'remember the time'.  I was hoping for Earth Song or Heal the World just to give me a little rest, but maybe my arms couldn't have coped with all that swaying following Fight Klub and Totally Shredded.

Thats it for today - home for a long bath and a catch up on the F1 qualifying - Lewis on pole I hear!! 😀

I would like to close by thanking everyone involved in this event yet again for a fantastic, professional, fun day.  Im going home broken but with my timetable for tomorrow all sorted - see you tomorrow 3ness for some pure relaxation.  Kilimanjaro training has begun.

Links to websites etc will be posted shortly!