so, it is a little over three years since I started my fitness journey - April 1st 2014 was the day I stepped out the door for C25k W1D1 ( and threw up in a field). It seems a lot longer somehow in terms of the things I have done and how much fitness has become part of my life - I can scarcely imagine my life before, and yet it seems only like yesterday that I was slogging along obsessing about my breathing, feeling the elation of running for 3 minutes joined-up for the first time panicking about W5R3 and all that.
In that time I have bounced between a variety of different disciples: distance running, cross-country, obstacle racing, crossfit, weightlifting, even a bit of MMA. I have shed fat, built muscle, done things I had never been able to do in my life before. I have broken bones, torn ligaments, lost toenails, survived heart incidents, contracted water-borne diseases. I've eaten high carb vegan, low carb Paleo, experimented with all manner of weird and wonderful superfoods and supplements, made some truly grotesque smoothies and found more culinary uses for protein powder than I've hat hot dinners.
I have had a great time and I have learned an enormous amount. I have read literally hundreds of books, watched thousands of hours of You Tube fitness videos, listened to days of podcasts and audio books.
But one of the things that has struck me has been how little there is out there aimed at or by people of my age group. I'm 49 now. I meet loads of people in their 40's and 50's and beyond who run, do crossfit, lift weights etc. And, from what I hear on the news week in, week out, there are even more people of similar age who need to be getting out there and exercising. Sure there are forums like this and guidance for 'senior mobility' etc. There are also some high profile athletes who are now in middle age and still in gret shape, but that is not the same thing. I follow loads of fitness vloggers on Youtube but the number who are not young enough to be my offsprong I could count on one hand.
So, I decided to do it myself.
I am setting up a website/blog and YouTube channel focusing on fitness issues for the 40, 50+ brigade.
I shall be going around different gyms, Crossfit boxes, boxing and running clubs etc interviewing people who are of the age group and dsicussing the the specific issues that arise. I will look at all the usual stuff - nutrition, mobility, injuries, supplements, weight loss, learning exercise techniques etc etc as they pertain to us more "mature athletes". I am hoping as it goes on to talk to doctors, dieticians, coaches, sports masseurs etc... we will see where it all goes...
The other side of it will be documenting my efforts to get back in shape, after the rather on and off training pf the past months due to a series of health and personal woes. I have a bit under 9 months until my 50th birthday and it is my mission to be in the best shape and health I can by that time. I figure if 9 months is long enough to create a whole human being from scratch, it should be feasible for me to manage a bit (well okay, a lot) of body recomposition by then. I'm goint to have fun with it, trying different things. I have a little list of goals I want to achieve, exercises I would like to learn etc. Hopefully having to post the blog and vlog regularly will help keep me accountable and not be such a lazy slacker.
So, after that long rambling pre-amble, getting to the point: One of the projects I have planned for the You Tube Channel is to vlog myself redoing C25k from start to finish - over the full 9 weeks, each run, 3 times a week, to the letter, and in each episode discuss some of the issues that regularly come up for new runners. An on-the-hoof FAQ of common forum questions- how do I start? Am I too slow? do I need gait analysis ( I will also go and show gait analysis in a shop for example) etc etc.
Some of the runs I will do solo, some in the company of another runner, with whom i will discuss the topics. The ever-fabulous Panther extraordinaire JuicyJu has kindly agreed to join in and will be my sparring partner for some of the runs.
obviously also we will discuss the actual runs themselves - the progressions, the common problems/worries people have with each weekm how the added distances feel etc.
So, I thought i would run this idea past you peeps. Do you think that would be an interesting/useful thing? Would you watch? Do you watch You Tube fitness channels or is it (as has been suggested to me) a young person's medium? If you would watch what topics do you think should be covered?
Oh, and if anyone is in the environs of Somerset and wants to take part, do shout!
I hope this is okay to ask here. This isn't a commercial venture. It is intended as an information thing.
and yes. There will be Skwaats. Lots of Skwaats.