Confessions of a Single Mother: POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE

I have a new found love. Well a re-discovered love: RUNNING. My new relationship is with a treadmill; it’s fabulous. It does what it’s told and never argues back. We took things slowly at first and now things are getting serious; yesterday I ran four miles.

It all began weeks ago when my fitness fanatic cousins came to stay. As much as I love them; the fact they run 5-10 miles every morning before I’ve even had my cereal does make me feel pretty…shit/podgy. The day’s barely begun and they’ve burnt all of yesterdays calorific consumption and I’m still full from last night’s bed time snack. So this time I was determined to take action. I wanted whatever they had; that runner’s glow, that energy, that drive. ( I just wanted to be really really sweaty, like they were upon return from their mini-marathon. Sweaty and fulfilled. Loud, proud and soaking. Just dripping really.)

So after her own 6 mile run, Rach kindly accompanied me on a light two and a half mile jog shouting PMA to the heavens and back. “WHATS PMA?” I panted.. “POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE” she replied. I began shouting it too. (Shouting accompanied with a fist in the air in a Superwoman sort of fashion..) We ran and ran, admiring the sunshine and overtaking dog walkers. I felt amazing. It was euphoric. Especially when a group of people stood outside a house having a cake sale shouted “cake ladies?” …“CAKE?! Do we look like we want to stop and eat cake?!! Does Gisele Bundchen stop and eat cake during a workout? NO!!? We want Victoria’s Secret not Betty Crocker! Get outta here you bad bad people!!”

Besides, I was pretty sure Mum had just made a cake and I also had a Betty Crocker brownie mix sat waiting for a rainy day. We ran off and I began thinking I wanted to do this more often. I liked this feeling. But how could I without Rach’s energy and encouragement “ah you’re doing so well Ange! PMA PMAAAAAA”. I knew I’d struggle outdoors on my own with only dog walkers and apparently cake bakers for company. So I’m sticking to what I know best: the gym-where I seek comfort in seeing others break a sweat/dripping in it. Sometimes I worry I’ll push myself too hard, get light headed, lose my footing and fall off the treadmill (ending our blissful steady relationship for good); so now if I get the slightest bit tired I immediately slow down (I think it would be hard to bounce back from falling off a treadmill, hard to ever get my stride back).

The treadmills are one thing but I also go for the atmosphere. There’s just such a positive vibe in there. These people care about their bodies. These people want to be healthy. These were my people. (Okay well maybe not the guys in the corner who grunt loudly every time they drop those giant heavy weights. Or the teenagers; kids should be out having fun, playing sports like tennis or football not in a gym with old people; you have all your life to go to the gym; go be fourteen!) But everyone else; they are my people, I like to think we’re all in it together. One big happy fitness journey.

Well I’ve been at the gym for a few months but only recently have I formed this attachment to the treadmill, (a healthy one, I’m not dependant on it or anything, sometimes we don’t see each other for weeks, then when we do it’s like no time has passed). We’re certainly taking our relationship to the next level (literally, I want to try an incline next week) and I’m really enjoying our time together. I hope we can make it last. I’ve never felt anything like it. I feel this could be the one. 

A hair dryer, some hand moisturiser and myself sucking in and holding my breath just for this photo.