Fitspiration Series – Finding Carol

As part of my Blog every day in January series, I thought it would be a nice idea to connect with other bloggers out there.

I love reading fitness interviews on other blogs. So I thought I would start a series (I’m hoping it will be a monthly feature) called “Fitspiration”. *

I initially was going to call it ‘Runspiration’, but then I realised not everyone is a runner. Fitspiration seemed like a better fit (pun intended).

So let us kick the Fitspiration series off with Carol.

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Name:  Carol G
Age:  50 (cough cough), yes okay I’m 50.
Location:  Mortlake Victoria
Blog:  www.finding-carol.blogspot.com

What made you decide to start blogging:

I have been blogging for ages.

My first blog was Pins & Needles (www.pins–needles.blogspot.com) and it was mainly about family and craft work, it was an easy way to show off pics without sending emails to other crafty friends.   I started that back in 2006.   It was fun, I’m a bit nerdy when it comes to computers so I like the visual, one of my crafts that I’m passionate about is digital scrapbooking, so it kind of goes hand in hand.

When I started Michelle Bridges 12WBT I wanted to talk about this journey I was heading on, but no way did I want my everyday friends and family to know how much I weighed, perish the thought.  So I started up my current blog (www.finding-carol.blogspot.com) which mainly dealt with what I was going through, health, fitness and running, losing weight and all things like that.

Well over the years the lines kind of blurred till I realised that well health and fitness and running were my ordinary everyday life, and more and more I was just copying/pasting stories to each blog.  So I did away with the Pins & Needles one and the Finding Carol one is my ordinary everyday blog now.

What has been your greatest fitness achievement:

The greatest achievement in running would be the Geelong Half Marathon I ran last year (2014).

Considering I took up running at age 48 and could barely run around the backyard, I may as well have flown to the moon than to run 21.1 kilometres.  But my goal was to run a half marathon before I was 50 and I did it five months shy of my 50th birthday, in my hometown, in front of my husband and my mother.

Another great achievement that will stick with me is climbing to the top of Mt. Abrupt.  I did it with a group of ladies, I was the last one up there but what a prize when I got to the top and saw the view.  It will stay with me forever.  I think it was at that moment that I believed in myself that I could do anything I set my mind to.

What has been your fave race experience?  And your worst?

My Fave race experience would be the Great Ocean Road Paradise Run 14km.

It was my favourite race of all time because of the scenery.  Running from Apollo Bay through the countryside up to the beautiful area of Paradise in the Otway Rainforest.

The whole run was spectacular.   I particularly remember running through the countryside and it was a magical day there was a paddock of horses and they ran alongside the runners through their paddock along the fence.  The whole memory of that just makes me smile.

The worst race experience was the race that never happened.  I was travelling with my husband to Forrest for the Run Forrest where I had entered the 10km trail run.

I was so excited to do this, it was the anniversary of my grandfather’s passing and I was carrying a photograph of him in my pocket.  This run was to be for him.  And we broke down in Camperdown on the way.

I know it was just a race, but I cried the whole way home as we limped the car back to Mortlake.

I think I had built this as the race I would run with grandpa, silly stuff I guess.  So we got home and I sulked for a bit and then put my runners back on and went out and did 10km around town with him in my pocket anyway.

If you could talk to yourself ten years ago what would you say?

Start running!

If I had started running at 38 instead of 48, it would mean I’d have 10 more years of this joy.

I’m a plodder.  We laugh that people run tempo pace, or race pace or LSR, but I run HICO pace (how it comes out)!    I’m always going to be on the last page of the results.  But I keep coming back time after time because I really love running.  That’s been a surprise to everyone who knows me, that I’ve stuck with this.

I can only imagine what if I had discovered this love of running 10, 20 even 30 years ago what might have been.

What makes you happy?

Can I say chocolate!!?? 😉

Seriously my husband and step-children make me happy.  Cuddling my new little grandson makes me happy.

The fact I memory keep doing scrapbooking makes me happy.   And taking photographs and creating and giving gifts of my knitting and quilting and crocheting makes me happy.

Shopping for tights and race shirts and runners makes me happy (go figure! I’d rather do that than buy dresses now).

I am definitely a cup is half-full kind of girl, so if I find myself in a situation where I’m not happy I will usually turn it around somehow.

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Thank you Carol for letting me interview for my Fitspiration series.
I hope you get the chance to have a do-over on the Run Forrest Race this year.

Footnotes

1 – If you would like to be a part of my Fitspiration Series feel free to contact me