Happy birthday to my blog!

[PeterJemmett]

THE YEAR THAT WAS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my blog - part 1 inspired by an interview with Phil Catchpole (BBC 3CR) was published one year ago today!

In that time I have written a further 7 chapters using some 21,338 words in 198 paragraphs covering everything from my heart attack to fairly recent events. The blog has received 6,168 page views with 4,405 coming from the UK, 510 from Ireland, 370 from USA, 257 from Russia with Ukraine, Germany, Indonesia, Poland, Spain and France also making the top 10 countries. Other more recent locations include Brazil, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Vietnam and Finland.

It’s been fun having strangers coming up and telling me they follow the blog and I have received many complimentary comments (see my testimonials), most pleasing are those from recent heart patients saying how much the blog has help to inspire and give them resolution in their own recovery, this in turn has given me a renewed determination to carry on.

I hope that in some small way I may persuaded other folk to consider their own health and fitness needs and possibly even got a few to join the FFIT programme or parkrun.

I have never really considered myself a writer and continuously tweaking the content as I’m never happy with it, but what I hope comes across is a positive and determined attitude to overcome any problems I have faced and in sharing ‘my story’ has given me a new confidence in myself.

I leave you with this quote from my blog …..

“Though I am no medical expert, I have written this blog in the hope that it might be informative and offer help, encouragement or inspiration to others who have suffered a heart attack or anything similar - there is always hope and with determination things can improve and life get better – it doesn’t have to be the beginning of the end, but more the start of a new beginning! For me the cardiac rehab and then FFIT turned my year around, gave me the knowledge, confidence and encouragement to make changes and I am so grateful for those opportunities. It could be viewed that having a heart attack was a good thing for me as it kick-started my health & fitness mission but in truth I left it 3.5 years too late [see part 1]. I would say to others don't wait to be forced into action, improve your lifestyle before letting it get that far - to this end the guys on the FFIT courses are an excellent example.”

And this from a heart patient (“so get off and stay off your butt") ……

“I came to this site, from the States, when looking for information, support, etc, post HA and stenting back in March. Found a lot of information, and found some blogs to follow - yours being one of them! And of the most interest is following your progress of getting out there and actually running 5K's. Something I have not done yet -- frankly I hate to run. BUT I stayed in rehab, stayed in the gym and still hit it at the gym at least 5, sometimes 7 days per week. Treadmill, Elliptical, Stair-machine, weights. It gets boring and then I think "but your lack of exercise was probably very contributory to your heart attack, so get off and stay off your butt". Your blog and progress has been one of my inspirations, so I'm saying stick with it. I need your encouragement!”

But that’s enough blowing my own trumpet!

P.S. feel free to ‘share’ my blog - peterjemmett.blogspot.com/

[PeterJemmett]

The photo above was actually taken at the scene of my heart attack, I had just climbed the hill which brought on the chest pain which I dismissed as angina.

[dunestar]

Well done Peter!! You are brave to go back to the scene of your heart attack - I would want to run a mile in the opposite direction (if I could run, that is).

[PeterJemmett in reply to dunestar]

The above photo was taken during my heart attack! .... but I did revisit in the summer time which was covered in this chapter - peterjemmett.blogspot.com/2...