Hello and welcome to my first blog!
Now that’s a sentence I never saw myself writing! It has been a very eventful couple of years, Covid pandemic aside. By way of background, in 2019, having worked as a lawyer for almost 20 years, I finally got the courage to leave that world behind and step into the unknown. What was I going to do? I didn’t know, I just knew that I didn’t want to be a solicitor anymore.
Of course it didn’t take long for the self-doubt and guilt to set in. As a 40-something mother-of-three, was I not too old to have made such a drastic move? What about all those years of study and legal work, was I right to throw them all away? “Sure, you can always go back to it”, many people told me when they heard I’d quit. Yes, I reassured myself that was true, but I was certain I wouldn’t. I needed to say goodbye to the uptight, anxious and stressed-out person I’d become.
My daily runs gave me the head-space I needed once I’d finished work. Running has been a lifelong passion of mine. It’s what I do to keep fit and be a nicer person! My kids and I are all members of Thurles Crokes Athletic Club and look forward to when the club can re-open. In the meantime, we are surrounded by stunning scenery here in Upperchurch, but oh the hills! They play havoc with the hamstrings and hips! I had practised Pilates for many years but had let it slide as work and home life got in the way. However, within a few weeks of resuming a Pilates programme to strengthen my glutes and lengthen my hamstrings, my hip pain disappeared. I don’t know if you can ever describe running up a hill as ‘enjoyable’ but it definitely wasn’t painful anymore!
It was soon after that I had my Eureka moment – I would train as a Pilates instructor, learn as much as possible about this amazing form of exercise and share the benefits with others. I qualified with an Advanced Diploma in Pilates from the National Training Centrein Dublin in 2020. After a few weeks of ‘real life’ classes, Covid restrictions gave me no choice but to move my classes online. While it is not the same as being physically in the room with the class, the fact the classes are live means it is the next best thing for now.
Along with these group classes, I have also begun one-to-one online sessions with new mothers keen to rebuild their core and pelvic floor strength. Pilates is a fantastic way to strengthen the body from the inside out, post-baby. It also gives a new mum an hour to focus on herself which is invaluable.
I have started recording the live beginner and intermediate classes each week and building up a library of videos, available on the website, that you can access if the live class times don’t suit. I’ve also started recording shorter 30-minute videos with Pilates exercises that are particularly suitable for the runners among you. Again these videos are available on the website and I will add to them each week.
I really want to thank everyone who has attended my classes so far. Your commitment, enthusiasm and feedback have been a fantastic motivator for me. I have found what I want to do for the rest of my life, every day is a school day and I’m loving every second!
Kelley
