Her latest quest  is to raise funds for the Royal Marsden Hospital who look after her and so many others like her while they face down this most devastating illness.  She’ll be be  taking part in sponsored  6k run on 30 April and I’m proud to have been asked  to join her.  In my case it will probably be a 6k fast hike as the man-child /baby Luca (now weighing in at nine and a half kilos!) will be coming along too!

If like me, you believe in the indomitable human spirit  then please help Christina to help others by sponsoring either of us. Visit  www.justgiving.com to make a donation.  Type in either me or Cristina Bottrill under sponsor a friend  then double click on the page.  The rest should be easy, just follow instructions!   I’d be really grateful.  Lots of love.  Kate x

“I started Boot camp about 9 months ago and I was not in good shape at all. Two years prior to that, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a bi-lateral mastectomy. I lost all of my upper body strength, gained 20 lbs and was feeling very low about myself – a good friend persuaded me to try Adventure Boot Camp.

In my first session, the run was a walk for me, I was barely able to do a few crunches and I could not do one press-up. I just broke down in tears. Kate is a fantastic motivator and has continued to gently push me along with positive reinforcement. It is great to be outdoors with a great group of women, all just basically trying to stay healthy.

It is nine months since that awful morning when I couldn’t do one press-up – now I’ve just done 31 press-ups in a minute! I feel so good about myself, have lost most of the weight that I had put on and I am a happier person because I am back in a body that I feel comfortable in.

Thank you!

Fran

Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve taken a break from training and keeping fit.  Let’s be positive, make a plan and focus on the ways to bounce ourselves back into shape.  Getting back into a fitness routine after a break can be scary, especially when you consider that such breaks can cause you to lose 50 percent of your lean muscle mass and cardiovascular strength.  However, if you were fairly fit in the first place you will be surprised how quickly you will bounce back.  I had my third casearian in October in my early forties and It has surprised me how long it has taken this time round for me to be able to exercise and get back into shape.  However,  this last week I had to share at camp that I had dropped over an inch and a half off my waist in one week!!  Fantastic.  It’s all about mind set and a postitive attitude.  Make yourself a goal, a realistic one.  We thrive on that.  Then plan it and put it into your diary.  Then get a friend to train with you or try training in a group environment (seriously it works!).

We have the marathon coming up and I’m sure many of you have been training hard for the big event.  If you fancy training for a marathon but have been out of action for sometime you might like to start with a short term goal such as a 5k.  At our camp we run a timed mile and over the four weeks many ladies drop up to two minutes off their times .  5k is a lovely distance and there are so many wonderful charities to work for and there is no better feeling than completing your first race.    Remember though returning you will be more prone to shin splints and a sore back because of possible muscle inbalances so I would suggest doing a 2 mile walk three times a week for three to four weeks plus some strength training.  Or alternating between walking and running, many clients of mine come to adventure bootcamp not being able to run but by running 30 paces and walking paces your fitness will increase very quickly.  After a few weeks, you will be able to start adding mileage to your runs but still avoiding the hard roads if you can.  At this distance, you won’t have to to put in high mileage, the focus should be on quality rather than quantity.

Make sure that you go and invest in a pair of good running shoes before you start training and make sure when you do enter that first race do a thorough warm up.  Go off at a comfortable pace and if you feel good, pick the speed up and try to pass runners ahead of you.  Keep well hydrated and remember to let your body recover.  Its really important  to  have some rest periods with your training and to keep your training varied.  However, at the top of my list?  To have fun and embrace life.

To your health. kx

5 km beginners; programme

Week one:  Monday rest
Tuesday 3km
Wednesday 3km
Thursday 3km
Fri – sat rest
Sun 3km

Wk 2
Monday rest  Tuesday 6km Wednesday 4 x four hundred m faster pace
Thurs sixkm Friday 5km sat rest sun 6km

Week 3 mon rest tues 5km wed 4 x four hundred fast thurs 3km fri 5 km sat rest Sunday  Wed
Rest  Tuesday 5km Wednesday 4.400m faster pace thurs3km fri 5km sat rest sun 5 km

Week 4 Monday rest tues 5km wed 3 x 1000reps Thursday 3km Friday 5 km Saturday rest Sunday six

‘With the snow blanket falling to cover our training spaces this week I was reminded how lucky we are to have such a beautiful exercise environment right on our doorstep’

All the more reason to be agog when I stopping  by the coffee shop near our office after training today I heard two ladies behind me in the queue complaining about the gym they belonged to.

“The trouble is,” said one, “since they had that big membership drive there are so many new people that the place is packed and they all seem to arrive at the same time as me. Last night I actually had to queue to get on to some of the machines.”

I was so tempted to turn round and ask them why they felt they could only get fit indoors!

At Bootcamp we exercise outside every day, except when the rain is really heavy, and the ladies who train with us will all tell you that it’s perfectly possible to get fit and stay fit with just a pair of dumbbells, a mat, a pair of running shoes – and access to that great big playground created by nature.

We are seeing more and more evidence that exercising outside helps you to exercise better and feel better. When you are exercising outside your body works harder to regulate its temperature and resist the wind, while you are filling your lungs with fresh air, not someone else’s perfume, cologne or sweat! It really is so inspiring to work out among the trees and hills.

Just ask yourself whether you would prefer to pound away at the treadmill plugged into your iPod in the gym or, like we did this morning, stretch in the sun shining through the trees and then hike through the snow filled wood?

Working out in the open air means you are exposed to natural light, which is our only source of vital Vitamin D. And as your body is forced to work harder to adapt to ever-changing surfaces and contours it helps improve core stability and work that midsection which is the bane of so many women’s lives.
There are so many natural and man-made features which you can use to help you in your workout, stretching against trees, benches, railings or other equipment, and running up and down flights of steps or with the natural rise and fall of the land. You can even alter the intensity of exercises such as sit ups by positioning your mat on level or sloping ground.

Don’t forget the wonderfully energising effect which you get when you work out outside – it’s a feeling you just can’t get in the gym.

And can you remember when you last queued to use your local park or sports field?

See the latest action from our Camps