So this is Christmas,
and what have you done?
Another year over,
a new one just begun.

2012 was a bit of a strange year for me… I seemed to change direction quite a bit… less competing in my own events, trying to see if I could change direction a bit and more helping others to achieve.

Looking back, it’s been a challenging but good year for me… I’ve come a long way, and here’s what I’ve done:

January:

• All set up to train for the Highland Fling, and walking the  West Highland Way in April, I ran long one weekend and walked long the other.
  First long run of 2012 on the West Highland Way
  Wk3 – 15.4M WHW Rowardennan to Balmaha and back
• I did the  Two Week Food Test which limited my carb intake had quite a detrimental impact on my long run training and recovery after my long run. I learned I NEED CARBS to run and train.
• I got to 1,000 days off the booze.

February:

• A quiet month, where I continued to train for running the Highland Fling, and walking the West Highland Way in April 2012 (and I got a bad cold).
  Wk8 WHW – 13M walk from Milngavie to Drymen
• I entered the Barrathon (June), and the D33 (March) and the GSR Half Marathon too (September).
• I ran a marathon / 26.2 miles up and around Gleniffer Braes:
  Wk5 – 26.2M Gleniffer Braes and Pollok Park
• I did some weekly speed work (1 hour each time):
  Wk6 – 8.23M speedwork

March:

• Ran the D33 in 4:54 and achieved all of my (10) goals.
• Climbed Ben Lomond (again)
• Came up with the idea for my Super Human Club and Super Human Test.
• Changed the way I wrote my blog, less cataloguing of my training and more tips, advice, quotes or special event posts.
• Posted my motivational tips, marathon tips, downhill running tips and uphill running tips.

April:

• I pulled out of the Highland Fling.  (more about the Highland Fling).
  The long and short of it was that as much as I thought I could do it, it just wasn’t for me. I reassessed my goals and now that I’d done many marathons and an ultra-marathon, I decided I’d like to change direction and help others run instead.
• I walked the West Highland Way in 5 days (and got sore ankles after).
• I wrote about Carb Loading, why I like to go Fly a Kite , Goal Setting and about being who you want to be.
• I met the great guys at Kaizen for the first time and was well impressed by them. That meeting with David and Gordon would lead to great things for all of us.
• I set up my Lorn Pearson Trains Facebook page which links to my blog.
• I also started doing more strength work, boxing and circuits work in the gym.

May:

• I attempted, and completed some handstands in the park.
• I wrote some Tips for running in hot weather, and about Why you should use compound exercises?, choosing to eat right,
• I helped pace (50) at the women’s 10k and had a great time.
• I decided on some New Running Horizons: I signed up for the Jog Scotland Jog Leader course, and aimed to get a better balance with everything in my life.

June:

• I got my Jog Scotland Jog Leader qualification and started working for Kaizen, leading the Kaizen Run Club and starting off their first Zero to 5k course.
  Sign up to come to Kaizen Run Club here.
  Tues: 18:15, Sun: 10:30am 🙂
• I went for a new job at the BBC and was successful (out of 60 candidates!) – a new challenge in a job I’m loving.
• I learned about The Smarter Science of Slim and the Men who made us fat, and I got spoiled on my 32nd birthday.
• Ran a half marathon in preparation for the Barrathon.
• I wrote about How to get up and running?
• Travelled to Barra with friends, and the Barrathon half marathon and came in 2nd in my age group (5th out of the 96 women)!

July:

• I continued with Kaizen Run Club: Zero to 5k: I got to know a great group of people who I got from non runners to runners by the end of July.  🙂  Then we started the Kaizen Run a Great 10k course.
• I helped Lynsey by being her Running Coach and helped her train for the Great Scottish Run.
• Started to take part in Metafit at Glasgow Club and did some work with Glasgow Running Network as a running coach.
• I wrote about How to be active and enjoy exercise, 50 fitness facts, The do’s and don’t of successful strength training, Hangovers, 10 ways to stay motivated and lose weight, how to make Choconanna Protein Milkshake

August:

• I learned about and started Intermittent Fasting (after watching the Horizon programme: Eat, Fast and Live Longer).
  
• I wrote my Top 10 tips for the Great Scottish Run and had it published on the STV website.
• I helped our Kaizen Runners train for the Great Scottish Run 10k, by taking them on the route and building up their strength, endurance and running experience.
• I gave blood for the 21st time.
• I wrote about how to make protein / milkshakes, and How to improve what and how you eat.
• I got my new Nike Fuel Band and loved it!

September:

• I continued with Intermittent Fasting and started to really enjoy doing it – it has become an integral part of my life.
  See here for   How to: Intermittent Fast.
•  I ran with Pauline and Paced 2:15 at the Great Scottish Run Half Marathon.
• I wrote about the Amazing Margaret McGuire (aged 65)
• I had a PT session with Gordon from Kaizen which gave me some ideas for improved strength workouts for myself.
• I went on holiday to Lake Garda, Italy and ate lots of ice cream!
• I created my Super Lean Regime and Body Shock Power Workouts.

October:

• Started doing my Super Lean Regime: 3 cardio, 3 strength work a week.
• I continued with Kaizen Run Club:  Sprint Pyramids and Power Blasts!, Kaizen Run Club Hill Reps, Kaizen Run Club train to run November 10k, New Nike gillet courtesy of Kaizen Runners!
• I continued with Intermittent Fasting, and after 10 weeks of fasting for 18 hours 1 day a week, I progressed to 2:5 days per week fasting.
• I learned about Paleo… the jury’s still out on this one.
• I answered Johanne Begg’s question about how to go about training for a marathon and posted about My books
• Got to 100,000 hits on my blog!

November:

• I continued with my Super Lean Regime: I started training more in the gym more: strength work 3-4 times a week, cardio 3 times a week.
• I continued to help Kaizen Runners evolve… training for and completing the Bellahouston 10k and training for the Santa Dash. , Kaizen Run Club tonight, Kaizen Run Club does FLAT hills!
• I climbed 50 peaks of Glen Douglas with Jackie, then went back for more with a group of crazy women 2 weeks later.  🙂
• I came up with some Smoothie Ideas, wrote about numbers, Giving up Smoking, Fatter Lorn and where I am now, how to become a morning exerciser, Zombies holding onto treadmills, Hey Fat Girl, and 5 miles of thoughts and snot 
• I bought an iPad Mini and some new Rohan walking boots and I got another cold.

December:

• I continued with Intermittent Fasting and progressed to exercising on my fasting days.
• I helped Kaizen Runners train for and complete the Glasgow Santa Dash.
• I wrote about my Granny, 10 years on since she passed away, and I had a dream where I was running with my Granny. 🙂
• I got a half marathon PB.
• I also wrote about Running in Icy Conditions, the Commonwealth Arena Glasgow Club, Bellahouston Refurb, The Happiness Code and Taking time to progress your distance running.
• I continued my strength training 3-4 times a week and had the gym to myself,
• I created a new tasty recipe for Nutty Oaty Cinnamon Delight (porridge) and wrote about weekly food preparation.
• I wrote about how I’m a sucker for numbers and and achieved my goal of completing my 1.000th mile run for 2012.
• I came up with the ideas for me to train for and complete the Glasgow Marathon and to Fast, Fuel, Use Fat on the Run.
• I reached 130,000 hits on my blog! 🙂  Thanks again for visiting and keep in touch / keep asking questions of me if you want. 😀

So that’s what I’ve done in 2012.  Less events, more of plenty of other stuff.  I’ve really enjoyed helping others achieve and hopefully I’ve also helped others believe in themselves.

My saying for 2012 is most definitely, You can be who you want to be, and I’m seeing more and more  proof of this.  You can choose to be exactly what you want to be.

I’m looking foward to 2013, and I hope you are too.  🙂

Tell me, what have you done in 2012?