Back to Touch

01/01/2024

New day, New Year - New sense of hope, New plans, New Goals... A blank book waiting to tell this years story...
Happy New Year everyone!

24/07/2023

And so it begins! The journey to The London Marathon 2024.
Have a read, and follow along the journey to the big day.
I'm in the process of linking everything together today and in planning mode so I stay on track.

Fitness gear all dusted off -
Tyres, battle ropes and KO8 ready for strength & conditioning,
Yoga Mat, Wheel and Trapeze ready for stretching & flexibility
Essential Oils & Icepacks ready for recovery...

Time to lace up and do this!
Much Love
Corrina



www.justgiving.com/fundraising/corrinajelleyman-lm24

19/08/2022

My last run for a while... 😭😭😭

It's been a week of ups and downs. After my longest run ever last week - I was feeling good about being able to complete the Marathon. I had a couple of ni**les and my feet felt like they'd been battered with a club hammer - but I put it all down to the trials of marathon training. I don't think anyone goes through Marathon training without a certain amount of pain (mental and physical!).

Wednesday was my "race tester run" with 1/2 Marathon Distance at race pace.
As the weather was still warm and rain seemed to be avoiding Windsor - I got up early to get it done.
It was misty, warm and humid. But without the direct sun, the heat was more manageable.

Route set - off I went. Starting point Queen Annes Ride.
My right foot started tot ache and hurt pretty early into the run - by 19k it was agony. I had kept my race pace pretty well to that point. Slowed from 19k to the end, but it was done.

The foot pain didn't ease off when I stopped. I knew something wasn't right. Knew I needed to get it checked out.

I've had it checked out - and the Dr I saw was also a runner - which helped - but he informed me in no uncertain terms that my Marathon journey for October is over. I have a stress fracture in my right foot and if I continue it would most certainly develop into a complete break.
😭😭😭😭

I am completely gutted.

However, my marathon journey isn't over completely!

I have contacted the charity Brain Research UK - and cried down the phone at the lovely Emma (the runners' coordinator) and they are waiting for their allocation for the April 2023 Marathon. So will confirm my deferral in the next week.

It's not over - just delayed!

Saw a Sports Therapist/Physio yesterday and have been given some strict instructions and advice to rebuild and come back stronger. She didn't pull any punches! But I prefer the direct - no faffing approach when it comes to injuries.

I have a semblance of a plan and working on a more detailed one. Need to do some running gait corrections, and change of running shoes and walking footwear - especially with my wide foot.
Have a list of dos and don'ts.

💪 Lots of strength training over the coming weeks - before I'm allowed to start running again.

😵‍💫Mentally need to refocus on the new journey.

For now - having to not run and limit my walking. (And stand like a flamingo as much as possible - should I wear pink for the next few weeks)

Much love
Corrina xx

11/08/2022

Long run this morning... Went out early to try and avoid the heat - ending up going MUCH further than expected. 🙈
Furthest run to date - aimed for 26k and ended up doing 30k.

Totally feeling it now!

Lessons learnt...
👉 Go out even earlier to avoid the heat 🔥
👉 Finding sprinklers and using them to cool down is heaven! 💦
👉 Have a route you have refill water 🙈
👉 Don't try and be clever and "go investigating" shady routes and end up lost & back tracking on the second "lap" - adding 4k to your run 😭🙈😭🙈
👉 Running next to Smith's Lawn is like a Furness!
👉 I'm bloody stubborn - so good mental training today!
👉 Will probably loose my big toe nails (again - seems to be a given for me & endurance events).
👉 Heart rate still all over the place.
👉 I'm privileged to have such a beautiful place to run on my doorstep.

Feet still feel like they've been battered with hammers.

Much love
Corrina x

03/08/2022

60 Days and counting!!!
Really starting to feel very real now!

* Getting time on my feet - and long runs are ramping up.
* I do not love the heat! Training in the heat is not great - for me. I know some people love the warmer weather (nutters).
* Loving my skorts! Wearing them a lot with the heat. (lucy also wants matching ones!)
* Playing about with nutrition for longer runs - not sure if hitting the wall is due to hydration or running out of energy. General hydration needs to be better...
* Love my skorts! Wearing them a lot with the heat. (lucy also wants matching ones!) then I thought it would.

Much love
Corrina xx

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/corrina-jelleyman2

24/07/2022

This time in 10 weeks I will have completed The London Marathon...
I'm just going to let that sink in for a second!

THE ACTUAL LONDON MARATHON!!!

I'll have the medal, the sore feet, and a massive sense of achievement.

From here on in with the training plan - the long runs will be further than I've ever run before (up to tapering). The reality is certainly kicking in. Thankfully with being on summer break I can jig the training plan about a bit to accommodate the weather (avoid the heat!). Take a nap in the daytime if needed, and do additional stretching and recovery to ensure I get to the start line in good shape.

Testing nutrition for the day, seeing how my feet cope with the additional miles and how much fluids I actually drink on long runs.

Although it "should" be cooler on the day - mentally I need to know what I'll need and when.

The training is tough - but I know if I can survive the training then the day will be my victory lap!

My motivation for doing this is Lewis. After everything he has been through - I have him in my mind when I get to the tough bits of training.

Brain Research UK are an amazing charity. Currently doing more and more research on child-brain tumours, detection and treatment development.

So if you fancy giving up a coffee this week and adding the amount to my charity fundraising page - here's the link...

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/corrina-jelleyman2

Much love
Corrina xx

24/07/2022

https://lifehandled.co.uk/f/when-theres-so-much-you-want-to-get-done?fbclid=IwAR32GUaJ4ep_Yo06slyWC9Nw48RBdZf2WFqwilC7y2TSgBdaWaXlj0tfTso

Now that we're on summer break - I'm on a bit of a declutter and organise mission.

I have plenty of those weeks when my routine goes to pot, and I’ve been in “fire-fighting mode” for too long when it comes to the house!

15/05/2022

Since watching "freeze you fear" I have been interested in the methods used - in particular the breathing method.

On the programme there is obviously a lot missed out and it's seriously edited to show the "most dramatic" bits. That said the breakthroughs that the individuals have had can't be faked. And it makes me curious!

So, for the last week I have done the morning breathing, and just over a week - the cold shower. (I have a warm shower first then finish with a cold).

In that time I have noticed a difference. My resting heart rate is beginning to lower, and although I still slightly dread the cold shower - afterwards it's worth it! (And I no longer have a sharp intake of breath!) I am aware that the cold shower water temperature will drop when it comes to winter - but I should be well on my way to being used to it by then.

I am yet to go for the ice-dip / immersion in icey water - am mentally building up to that! It seems that others that follow the Wim Hof method find the immersion easier than the shower... I will hold judgement on that!

The next training I had my eye on was breathwork coaching. Having experienced various forms of breathwork over the past 20odd years - there is more too it than meets the eye for sure.

Loving the breathwork journey - getting used to the cold showers.

Much love
Corrina x

12/04/2022

174 Days to Go...
The Dreaded Threshold week!

Pre Marathon Training - wk 2 - threshold run1 done.
I'm smiling because it's done!!!

Round 1 wheels started to come off 30seconds to go.

Round 2 - holy hell where's the oxygen.
Took an extra minute of recovery

Round 3 - that was seriously tough and my head was having a full-blown argument with my body. Literally counting down the seconds!!

The cooldown easy was very welcome!!

I know these won't get easier the fitter I get (the thresholds will just get longer and faster! 😳) - and may well need to have an oxygen tank on standby - and they seem to be the running coaches' equivalent of Burpees!

Thresholds are very much mind training for me as well as the physical benefits (Lactose levels etc.) I'm hoping as my confidence improves in my running ability - mentally I won't find these so tough.

The first one is done - let's see how the others go!
Much love
Corrina xx



https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/corrina-jelleyman2

06/04/2022

179 Days to go. I can see the day's going down rather quickly!!

Progression run 2 ✅
Bit windy but at least I avoided the rain!
Core & Upper Body ✅

Better pace for heart rate at each progression - so hopefully that means improvements - or maybe today was a good day.

Stability and legs tomorrow (think that might hurt!)

Need to be better at hydrating during the day!

Drivers need to not shine full beam into your face! My high viz running jacket means they would have seen me!

Much love
Corrina xx

04/04/2022

181 days to go....

Sweaty selfie time.

Progression Run 1 done. ✅
Core & Hip strength done ✅
Long stretch done ✅

Just following the plan. Think I might hurt a bit tomorrow - at least it's core and upper body - not leg day!

This week is progression run week. The threshold/80% effort section was seriously though - thought I may need oxygen!!!
Not going to lie - I'm not looking forward to threshold run week!

Now to crawl up the stairs, shower and get some zzzzzzz

Much love
Corrina

30/03/2022

186 days to go. Various bits of "kit" causing various amounts of "pain".

So a whole body strength training tonight.
Those of you that remember the TABATA workouts in the field. Well it just went down!!!

Total sweat-fest... 💪💪💪💪

Note to self
➡️ Need to find my exercise ball and inflate it.
➡️ Probably need to workout in the garden as I slide about like in a mud pool doing mountain climber otherwise!! (BRB lot I'm sure you remember it well)

I remember how much strength and conditioning improved my running previously (even though I didn't run that much I did feel strong when running). Just a tad older now 😳

Now a relaxing stretch and getting the magnesium onto what will probably be sore muscles by morning! once I peel myself off the floor!!!

Much love
"Slightly beetroot face" Corrina xx

23/03/2022

On 2nd October 2022, I will be taking part in the TCS London Marathon for Brain Research UK. I share the charity's vision of a world where everyone with a neurological condition lives better, longer.

Brain Research UK has three current research priorities: brain tumours, brain and spinal cord injuries, and headaches and facial pain. The charity also funds projects in other neurological areas, such as epilepsy and dementia.

I have very personal reasons for running for this amazing charity.

2 years ago we were entering lockdown and Lewis was having "absent seizures" and was the start of a long process of finding out what was the cause of his seizures. With COVID and lockdowns and the outside world being a scary place it was a tad stressful. We also had ASD assessments into the mix - it was a lot for an 11year old to handle.

We had to see how his seizures progressed before epilepsy medication was an option. His 24Hour EEG was inconclusive, as not a lot matched up. It was a frustrating puzzle - and one that would only be resolved once he had a really big seizure - where the progression of the seizure was more pronounced and things started to match up. Diagnosis - Focal Epilepsy. Now with focal epilepsy - it's one part of the brain showing something not quite right in terms of electric signals - and an MRI is done to check for any anomalies in the brain. It is rare that tumours are the cause - and in this instance, Lewis was a rare case. So as we broke up for
Christmas 2020 - we got a call to go and see the consultant - and the news of his tumour hit us like a freight truck! This is a few weeks after his ASD diagnosis.

More scans & tests - and with Lewis' growing dislike of hospitals, needles (we have a whole process for tests etc. down to a well-rehearsed routine) it was not a great start to 2021. Along with another lockdown.

This time last year, we had the devastating news that Lewis' Brain tumour had grown significantly since Christmas. It was now a little smaller than a tennis ball-sized lump in his head. It was now impacting other areas of his brain, so we had moved from "Monitor & Control Seizures" - to "this needs to come out - and soon". It was a far less relaxed and comfortable conversation with our Neurosurgeon at John Radcliffe. We had a face-to-face with him, some pre-surgery tests, and surgery three weeks later.

I am in a VERY fortunate position to say that the surgery went exceptionally well - amazing in fact. Lewis is currently seizure-free (although still on medication for a while yet - so we don't know if the medication is keeping the seizures at bay yet). We are onto annual scans and consultation with the Neurosurgeon and 6monthly checks with the epilepsy consultant. There is an area of his brain that is being watched very closely that could possibly be re-growth - but we will deal with that - if/when something happens.

Without the research into tumours and epilepsy, and treatments we certainly wouldn't be in the fortunate position we are in now. So as you can see this charity and the research it does is so important for people like us to be able to live "longer & stronger" as more research is done into the brain - the control centre of our bodies.

So, anything anyone can give to help motivate me around the marathon, be it loose change in your pocket (is that such a thing anymore?) the price of a coffee - it's all very much appreciated.

Much love
Corrina ###

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/corrina-jelleyman2

01/11/2021

More updates - on various things health and wellbeing as I get the pieces of the puzzle together that form the plan on my 0-Marathon Journey.

It's not just about the running.

https://lifehandled.co.uk/blog

Much love
Corrina xx

Get to know me!

26/10/2021

Proudly presenting lifehandled.co.uk. Check it out and let me know what you think! via

Get to know me!

29/09/2021

Having an end of day stretch on my yoga trapeze... Inversion feels sooooo good on my back!!

Now qualified to teach yoga trapeze - watch this space for "hang out" sessions!

Much love
Corrina

15/06/2021

Making time for yourself and looking after your body are so so important. Often the recovery part of an exercise program is over looked... Or self-care is seen as a 'luxury'.

So we carry on regardless of aches and pains, ni**le injuries and mental fatigue from too much stress and not enough R&R.

Book in the get some R&R and see where your body's at.

Much love
Corrina

11/05/2021

Why I love Aromatherapy so much and choose the Oils I do…

There are many layers to this answer. From an olfactory sensory level – smells invoke emotional responses. It is used in many ways, the smell of coffee when you view a home, the smell of fresh-baked bread piped around a supermarket store – both designed the evoke a sensory emotional response.

Aromas of all kinds (not just essential oils) evoke a response – they tell us when milk has gone sour, when food is burnt, slow us down as we walk through a garden (literally stop to smell the roses). The perfume industry is primed to make you FEEL a certain way through the smell of their perfume, through their precise blending of aromatics.

Ever wondered why ginger biscuits are often eaten for morning sickness? Ginger is best known as a digestive aid to help with nausea, travel sickness, indigestion and used in tea to ease cold and flu symptoms. I know when I have ginger (in tea or water) it has such a warming comforting effect.

Peppermints after dinner – brought to you with the bill? Peppermint is another digestive aid, known for easing indigestion, stomach cramps and flatulence. I am sure restaurant owners would prefer you to leave their restaurant without the negative effects of over-doing it on the food front and return another day.

Aromatherapy is entwined into our lives without necessarily realising it and it has an exceptionally long history.
Aromatherapy has been used for centuries in different ways in most cultures. (Frankincense & Myrrh in biblical times). Using plants/oils from their local environment. As the world opened many of these remedies were shared through the spice routes and used in apothecaries and by medicine-men and Ayurvedic practitioners worldwide. Out of which grew, specifically, Aromatherapy.

I find it an incredible shame that many of these natural gifts have been downgraded to being “old wives’ tales” and “woo-woo science” as lab-grown chemicals take the lime-light when getting back to nature – on many levels, would assist both ourselves and the planet.

I have tried different oils from various companies and look for the field to bottle traceability. For the past year, I have switched to doTERRA. Every bottle of oil is traceable to source, every batch and harvest is extensively tested – and if it doesn't make the grade, it doesn’t get bottled.

Even within the “aromatherapy industry” there are many adulterated oils. Oils manufactured to have certain chemical levels, chemical extraction to make the process “quicker” – altering the effects of the oils and adding a chemical load. Within the Essential Oil industry – in my experience – you tend to get what you pay for on the high street – and it all gets a bit murkier when you start looking online.

CPTG – Certified Pure Testing Grade. This means that the oils are tested for purity and consistency – within a very narrow band. The oils are unaltered and are as nature intended. It also means that certain oils are starting to be used in clinical trials – because of their consistency.

As a therapist, I have noticed the quality of the oils – and fewer drops are needed than from oils from other places. You get plant power from every drop.

From an ethical and sustainable viewpoint, the plants from which the doTERRA oils are obtained are grown in areas that are native to the plant. They also source for economical sustainability for the growers and communities. A big tick from me.

With many homes becoming more chemically toxic with cleaning products, personal care products, products to mask smells, enhance smells– and don’t get me started on the “Pure” Essential Oil plug-in things - I have been on a bit of a personal mission to gradually make a switch. To reduce the chemical load within my home environment. By using ethical and sustainable products that are low chemical, making my own cleaning products for example. And making changes that are also sustainable for me to implement.

Aromatherapy is so much more than something that smells nice – although by the rule of thumb in aromatherapy if you like the smell of an oil it is generally one you need. Letting the aromas of the oils destress, calm, invigorate or soothe you is a good place to start your journey with oils. I use oils every day – and I wouldn’t be without them.

For a 1-1 aromatherapy consultation – book in with me where you can discover which oils will work with you and start your journey of discovery with Essential Oils. Whether you need better sleep, help focusing, have achy joints or muscles, ease breathing and reduce seasonal conditions or just want to keep the flies out of your kitchen.

Let the oils support you.
Much love
Corrina xx