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My Journey


Perkil8r

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Well done Mike - but do try to ditch the fags mate. I found switching to vapes was a good start (much less damaging), and then later on it's easier to give up those too. ?

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Well done Mike, not an easy subject but I thank you for your candidness mate. You didn't mention Bob but I'm sure he had a lot to do with your turn around.. Again, well done and keep it up..

Cheers

Ron 

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It is very brave and honest of you to open up like this.  The more people talk about mental health the easier it is to over come.

 

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Nice one Mike and credit to you for sharing.  Not many folks do.  I sincerely hope that you are well on the way to sorting all

your issues out and that any personal problems are also on the way to getting better.  You know we are always here is you need to talk

 

Sheila

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Pleased things are on the up Mike, and thankyou for sharing your 'journey'

 

I often have a bit of depression, but have never seen anyone, or taken any meds.

I don't think popping pills is the answer for me. I think a lot of it is that 'seasonal adjustment disorder thing'

 

Best thing for me is weightloss and exercise.

That clears my head better than anything.

 

I hit 17 stone a couple of months ago....to my horror.

I've been dieting and am now down to just over 16.

I've also upped my running and i cycle and do gym as well.

 

Are your 5k runs at Long Eaton Parkrun by any chance ??

I visit there from time to time and will be there on the 13th of this month.

It will be my 90th parkrun.

 

 

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Top job mate, well done. But just dont push yourself too far, I speak from experience.

 

One thing Ive learnt in my journey with ME is that as we go through life we learn to cope by hiding stuff which will eventually come out in some form, stress, illness, anxiety etc. We all do it, some are lucky and can stay that way all their lives but with others it gets us in the end.

The answer? Be true to yourself, dont say yes when you want to say no and look after yourself, thats what Ive learnt.

 

Well done mate for looking after yourself and you know where I am for a natter

 

 

 

 

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Wow an amazing story there Mike, I'm so proud of you opening up and telling us your story. It is very inspirational and I'm sure will help many people. 

 

It's timing couldn't have been more relevant as I'm nearly 15 stone in weight now and the heaviest I've ever been. I was only thinking yesterday of joining a gym.

 

Well done Mike.

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Thanks for the kind words.

 

I had toyed with the idea of sharing for a week or so and last night seemed as good a time as any. To come back to a couple of points raised.....

 

Quitting smoking: I thought about vaping but realise that if I can kick sugar and junk food so easily and make it stick (I honestly thought I might last a month at most) then I have the will power to beat smoking without it. Fair play to those who quit by going that route but for me I had to see an immediate benefit. For me that was joining a gym without costing me any extra money. As a result of cutting back I am now paying for the gym and have some extra cash left over. I keep cutting back an extra one every now and then and convince myself that it's what I've always done. I'm slowly making it stick.

 

The 5km runs are mostly at West Park at the parkrun yes. I also volunteer for the junior parkruns on Sunday mornings as a marshal. It gives me reason to get out of bed earlier and get outside and do something worthwhile rather than sit around wishing I was doing more. I've also run the Sherringham parkrun while I was at Kelling last month and also did a 5km race at Shipley Park the other week.

 

My son, Bob, has been an inspiration to me. He has picked me up on days when all seemed lost, he has also dragged me back down when I've been quite happy :lol: It is seeing him "exercising like daddy" and such that has made me realise I am also making a positive impact on him, setting the right example.

 

Mental health has a habit of sneaking up and kicking you up the proverbial. I had thought it was just a case of wanting winter to be over. Then on the 13th I woke up and just sobbed. Bob wondered what was wrong with me and I got him ready, took him to nursery and went to work to "just carry on". That day my world came crashing down. All the little things had finally broken me. It really was a case of the straw that broke the camel's back. I guess what I am saying is, don't dismiss any feelings of sadness as just a phase. Sure, they may well be, but if they get too often and you hide them away they build and build until they overwhelm.

 

I'm in no way "fixed", but I am on a much better path. The one thing that somebody said to me that has stuck with me is something I will leave here now.....

 

It's okay to not be okay.  

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Well done mike , my dad was very stubborn when it came to giving up fags , then had throat cancer caught in the early stage , funnily enough this grounded him very quickly,  good luck with your journey you seem to be heading in the right direction ?

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Good for you Mike! A frank and honest account, with a good outcome! ?

Thanks for sharing that, it is inspirational!

Forwards and upwards! ?

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Great to hear you are feeling better mike.

Well done with the weight loss. I'll have to give it a go too as I could do to lose a few stones ?

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Blimey Mike, I didn't know you'd been going through any of this. It's amazing to read about your challenges and how you've turned it around, very inspiring. I could do with losing some tubbiness so I might follow your lead!

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Well done, Mike. I did wonder why I hadn't seen you around at any meets lately. Takes a lot to come to terms with depression and you are heading in the right direction. 

 

As you've discovered, exercise is one of the most effective anti-depressants. The hardest part is finding the initial impetus, but once your doing it, it works wonders.

 

Kev

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Hi Mike,

 

You may (or may not) remember me posting about depression in the past. Like you, I prefer not to disclose too much on a public forum, mostly out of respect for those I'm close to. I decided recently, after getting my fingers burned, not to post much personal stuff online. Some of the underlying causes of my depression are still with me. I can't change them, I can only change how I deal with them. It's no secret that I am equipmentally challenged and wish I had a bigger budget. You can probably deduce from that that I'm short of money for other stuff as well.

 

I haven't felt really bad for some time but things come to the surface from time to time. I never judge anyone for being depressed, as I've heard so much from people that it is very common indeed. I haven't discovered a magic cure. I just take one day at a time.

 

Take care,

 

Phil.

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I'll also add that a good session under the stars/moon/planets is a great help, as is the Sun (and sometimes Moon) in daylight.

 

Under those circumstances, I try not to be too ambitious about photos, as I can wind myself up when a photo session goes wrong.

 

My wife, daughter and dogs are a great help.

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I’ll look out for you at Parkrun. 

If you see a vaguely familiar fat bloke cheering you across the line, it will be me.....?

 

.......having said that, i’ve just spotted your time this morning.....i think those roles may be reversed !! ?

Well done on your PB....great running ! ??‍♂️

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8 hours ago, Bino-viewer said:

I’ll look out for you at Parkrun. 

If you see a vaguely familiar fat bloke cheering you across the line, it will be me.....?

 

.......having said that, i’ve just spotted your time this morning.....i think those roles may be reversed !! ?

Well done on your PB....great running ! ??‍♂️

I am lucky to have a supportive work friend who is the reason I got into parkruns. He is much faster than me but he comes along when he can to encourage me by running with me. He was pacing me today to aim for a sub 26min run. 26.11 was close! Previous to last weekend my pb was 29.34 and I ran 27.03 last week. So I decided I had to try for my end goal. 

 

I'll be training this week hoping to crack my goal next week. It's amazing the support shown by fellow park runners. I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning volunteering at the junior event. 

 

I'll look out for you too, although it has to be said I'm rubbish at recognizing people, especially if they're not wearing the same thing I'm used to seeing them in! ? 

 

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Good to see you this morning @Bino-viewer, it was certainly a challenge in this weather! I managed 28.06 in the end. I need to try and pace myself better, too fast too soon and just never managed to regain my breathing composure. Next week! 

 

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You look a good strong runner to me Mike.

I'm sure you'll be knocking on the 25m door pretty soon.

 

I always find its better to set off at a slow to steady pace.

As you say if you go out like a greyhound, YOU WILL pay a price on the second lap.

 

After i passed you on lap 1, i was expecting you to come past me again at some point.....that might have been one

of the few times i finish ahead of you ! I am giving away a couple of stone (maybe more !) and about 10 years though....!!! ?

I had intended to have a crack at my Long Eaton PB (25:53) this morning, as i've been in decent form the last few weeks,

and was planning on doing the first lap in 13mins. But i clocked 13:20 and i knew with the wind blowing and me feeling a bit

off it (aching knees) it wasn't going to happen. I finished in 26:40 so i'm certainly consistent with my pace. Still a 'Seasons best'

at Long Eaton though, i think.

 

Good to see you running this morning....i'm glad i'm not the only Parkrun nutter on here ! ?

Are you off to the IAS later ? I forgot to ask you. I was there yesterday for my annual visit.

 

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I didn't go, no. I've been once but to be honest it doesn't really hold my interest enough to warrant me going often. 

 

I ended up going to pick up a 2nd hand racer this afternoon. It needs some tlc but it'll be perfect for me to train on for the triathlon. This evening I've been to the gym too while I had chance. 

 

I'll be doing a parkrun next week, just not sure if it'll be long eaton or rushcliffe, I keep saying I'll do one with a teacher from work. If I am at long eaton I'll look out for you. We could run together if you fancy it. Perhaps you'll be the encouragement I need since your pb isn't far off mine. 

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