As effective, and motivating as this type of training may be, I’m here to defend the treadmill (and the gym experience as a whole) as I believe, as much as it’s not an environment liked by everyone, it’s still a great space to workout in. It all depends on what you want (and need) from your workout.

As a marathon runner I’ll always do my distance training outside. And I’ll admit it’s an amazing feeling when you’re in the ‘zone’ as if you could give Forest Gump a run for his money (pun intended!),  feeling strong in the fresh air and taking in everything around you. Mainly trying not to fall over studying the terrain beneath your feet, avoiding any dogs bounding around like mad things and pushing your head into the wind (as no matter how many times you think you change direction the wind, guaranteed, is always in your face)!

There is an awful lot to be said for exercising outside. For a start you’re away from artificial lighting (and the general hum drum of electricity), music that’s really not to your liking, and of course, those people that may feel a little intimidating to be around (you know the ones I’m talking about, lycra clad muscled up folk that do more posing than working out!)

Arguably, when training outside you can also achieve a better workout more easily. With weather conditions, terrain etc you will employ far more muscle groups, including core strength without even realising it, compared to simply sticking to a treadmill where exactly the same muscle groups are engaged with every step.

However, I believe there’s definitely still a place for gyms and all they offer.

When I’m not training for a long distance running race you’ll always find me in the gym, and here’s why:

• There is no weather to contend with (wind, rain, sleet, snow and general ‘cold’ doesn’t sit well with me!)
• If I want to engage in conversation I can but it’s also accepted that if I don’t want to chat I’m not being rude, I’m simply in my workout zone!
• If anything happens and I need to cut short my workout I can. When I’m in the middle of a 14mile run, I simply have to run home before I can do anything else! When on a treadmill I can hit STOP at any time.
• I love to people watch. It’s not just music that helps me complete 10k on a treadmill!
• I am a firm believer that treadmill running has dramatically helped my marathon times and overall fitness.
• Arguably there is less chance of getting injured from treadmill running compared with the increased chance of sprains and strains when you run outside (although I’m in danger here of readers shouting at my blog with thoughts of RSI!)

The other pro to running in the gym, compared with running outside, is that I secretly compete with other people who start running alongside me. I actually find a busy gym a motivating one and when another runner takes up on a treadmill next to me I always aim to run faster and for longer (unbeknown to them) no matter how long I’ve been running for already. There is also a lot going on in a gym environment to actually distract me from the actual running: the boys looking at themselves in the mirrors ogling there biceps *yawn*; the personal trainers with their clients; and perhaps spotting the odd friendly face who acknowledges my regular gym presence.

Despite having used gyms for the last fifteen years I will admit that even I still get a little intimidated if I go at certain times of the day, due to the pure volume of people that are there. Being self employed I’m lucky that I am not restricted to peak gym times and I think this is key. On the occasions I’ve had to work out between six and eight PM the gym is a totally different space and I can see why they are totally off putting for newbie gym goers.

Interestingly, the issue surrounding other people and feeling self conscious relates also to training outside. I know several people who wouldn’t want to run outside for fear everyone is looking and judging their running style or their puffed out red cheeks. Fact is (and this is a big one) NO ONE is looking at you. Whether you’re running on a treadmill or running along the river, everyone you see if far more concerned with their own lives.

This revelation completely transformed my decision about training both in a gym and outside years ago. They both have their merits as well as their negatives so as long as you get out of your personal comfort zone, increase your heart rate, stay injury free and improve your strength and stamina. I say train in the environment that works for you. NO JUDGEMENT

Come January it’ll be my five year anniversary of being a self employed massage therapist in SW London. It’s been ridiculously hard work and, as a client pointed out to me a while ago, I don’t seem to have a first, second or third gear when it comes to business. I’m either operating on fifth or sixth gear (which then results in a burnout) or not at all. Goal after business goal is set, making the pressure of ‘success’ a permanent fixture of my life. The pressure has undoubtedly only come from me, always striving to be better; to do better and eventually end up in the land of accomplishment (and without the useful tool of a business satnav. I’m more of a ‘google map on the steering wheel’ kind of girl anyway, basically making it up as I go along, heading in vaguely the right direction but perhaps with a few unnecessary detours along the way!).

I appreciate there are many people (you may well be one of them) who operate in this way. It’s human nature to want to continue achieving (I stress here in what way is extremely personal, as is what it means to be ‘successful’). However, I hadn’t realised that the way in which I have been viewing the way my business has developed over the years has been extremely negative. It took a client to ask me the simple question ‘when do you ever stand still?’ to give me a powerful ‘light bulb moment’.

Now, whether it’s the case that I’ve reached a stage in my life when I’m ready to actually listen I’m not sure, but the clarity that came to me with that simple question has impacted on my perspective in such a way I felt the need to blog about it!

I realised, for the first time, that I never acknowledge my achievements. I’ve always been looking ahead at the next goal and, as a result have been living in a perpetual state of failure. It doesn’t help that I happen to be a very impatient person so even if I have recognised achievement no doubt I think it should have been accomplished a long time before I was able to, so inevitably there has always been failure attached in one form or another!

To feel this kind of ‘failure’ has inevitably led to ‘success’ being pretty much unattainable. When have I ever really stopped for a second, looked around and appreciated what all my hard work has resulted in? Never. Until now…

Almost instantly, I finally got it. Where did all the pressure come from? Me. Who can take it away? Me. In one afternoon I managed to lift the biggest boulder of weight ever off my shoulders and not feel guilty for ‘standing still’. When was the last time you did that? I find myself on unfamiliar territory here, as for the first time for as long as I can remember, I don’t really have any big business goals (although please appreciate that I’m not saying I no longer have them or want them, they are imperative to business success). But I guess I’ve taken the pressure off myself to achieve anything new for the time being.

Since making the conscious decision to nurture the business I have, in the form that it’s in now, there has been a massive domino effect on the way I’m living my life. Now I feel that I have achieved so I’m taking the time to really ‘be’ in that achievement: continual growth of a client base from both my Teddington and Harley Street clinics, and looking after that client base. And that really feels enough for now!

What’s even more interesting (and I’ll just make this last point and then I’m finished, promise!) that since I decided to tread water for a while new business ideas have occurred to me. But, and here’s the difference, although I’ve started brainstorming and making notes on this new business venture I’m in absolutely no great rush with it. As and when ideas and concepts pop into my head I jot them down, but really for now, I just want to focus on my existing business as I’m seeing it with fresh eyes.

My business, to me, is actually exciting. It doesn’t feel like the hard slog it has felt like over the years. I have renewed energy and vigour which, I’m hoping also has a knock on effect during the treatments I give. So far, feedback has been amazing, and yet, technically all that’s changed is my perspective!

I feel these lightbulb moments are few and far between. When you have one, don’t dismiss it as a crazy thought or notion. Grab on and nurture it, suddenly your whole world shifts and you enter new thought processes that continue to affect one after the other. Truly incredible!

September is the obvious month to start with, as it feels like a surrogate January. It’s a natural place for routine to begin once again after the summer months have left us, roads are busier, days are shorter and stress levels slowly start to rise. It’s an obvious month to introduce new commercial offers; a different exercise regime or, in my case, move to new business premises.

Yes, I’ve finally done it. Moved out of my home and asked my very patient client base to move with me, yet again to a new clinic.

As September strikes and the kids go back to school, it always seems that we’re in a better mind set to absorb new information and, more importantly stop putting things off and crack on. To this end it worked out perfectly that my new office, in Teddington, was available for me to move into a week after my own holiday, although to say that it hasn’t been a frantic effort over the last ten days would be a fib.

Having to brave IKEA on a Saturday afternoon, in order to get all that I needed to get started from the following Monday, was scary to say the least. Busier than the M25 during rush hour my patience ran out after thirty minutes (which, by my standards was a pretty good effort anyway!) Luckily, my housemate very kindly offered to come with me (I think she was more concerned that I may grab a fork from one of many bargain cutlery sets and stab someone) so when the death stare started to appear on my face as I got shoved from teapots to chopping boards without even a mutter of the word ‘sorry’ she was able to diffuse the situation and guide my hand (containing said fork) gently back down to the display table.

Three hours (and what felt like two years) later I emerged with new office furniture and itching to get back to Teddington to start the construction. Now, I should really highlight here that I had been very excited to even go to IKEA as it happens so rarely and that enthusiasm lasted all of ten minutes after entering the store. There is a pattern here so you know what’s coming…

An hour after construction began the familiar words ‘I’m bored of this game now’ flew out of my mouth before my cup of tea was cool. Tiredness had set in and I had reverted back to being twelve years old! Bottom lip stuck out I had to continue (but with lots of big sighs for effect!) and I’m thinking no wonder school term times still hold so much emphasis. I’m still a child just playing at adulthood!

So, is it simply that school is so ingrained in us, as we enter the system at such an early age, that it continues throughout adulthood? I never go on holiday after the schools break up (although thinking about it I rarely go on holiday full stop) but those two months of longer and warmer days seem to create a holiday atmosphere anyway. I certainly notice a difference in my clients. And even those friends and clients I know without children will allow a ‘summer life’ to permeate the months of July and August and then ‘start again’ when September rocks up.

With the start of the ‘new year’ then, I have moved into a new work space (furnished with IKEA goodness) and loving it. With routines firmly back in place I of course expect you all to book in and pay me a visit! Website has been updated so all details of where I am can be found there, and in a few weeks (if not before!) it’ll be the Christmas prep (oh joy).

Thanks everyone for being so supportive this last year, I promise not to move again any time soon!

I’m lucky enough to be able to say that for the majority of my life I have been injury free (and given how much I’ve put my body through over the years I can only put it down to pure fluke!) so when clients come to me with back pain, shoulder pain, pulled hamstrings, tight calves (and so on and so forth) for the most part I can only sympathise. Listening to what someone is experiencing in their body is key, in my opinion, to being a good therapist and being able to deliver the appropriate treatment. It is, in fact, an essential part of any treatment I give.

However, recently I have had a sharp wake-up call from my own body. A few weeks ago my body decided it was time that I get on board with empathising rather than sympathising.

I awoke one morning with a stiff neck which, like most of you would agree isn’t a big deal so I went about my day dismissing it from my mind as nothing to worry about, expecting it to ease off as time passed.

Several clients and one gruelling gym session later (perhaps in retrospect I really should have given the gym a miss) I found myself on unchartered territory. I could barely move my head without severe pain running down my neck and into my upper back as well pain radiating up and round my right ear.

I couldn’t sit, stand, or even lie down without feeling agony. Pillows, no pillows, on my side, on my back, on my front (wait…this is starting to sound like an x-rated erotica blog!). Any which way, you get the picture, there was a lot of pain involved!

With each client I saw I was silently whimpering and trying not to think of how much I wanted to trade places with them and be the one having the massage. The sheer effort of holding my body was becoming unbearable so after my last client of the day had gone I headed straight for my freezer and fished out a bag of ice. My housemate found me later stiffly sat on the sofa, ice melting, t-shirt soaking and me, unable to move and upset that icing had not had the desired effect (and that being pain relief!).

In my freezing, and somewhat distressed state, I manoeuvred myself into bed and hoped that by the morning the muscle spasm would have calmed down…

But noooo! In theory the only time the body is able to properly heal and regenerate is when we are asleep. Sadly, no sleep for me that night as with every slight movement I was jolted back to consciousness by the pain. Now, I appreciate you may be thinking I’m exaggerating but, for those of you who know me what I’m about to say next is only proof that this is not the case. The following morning, at the earliest opportunity I went and bought….ibuprofen.

It was bad enough to be in that state but I felt even worse that I had to give in to pills in the vain hope it would help me get through the day. Which they did, but (and now I’m being REALLY honest) I took more than the recommended dosage. And why? Because even by exceeding the dose* I was STILL in pain!

As fate would have it, that day I received a call from a newly qualified sports massage therapist who was actually keen to do a treatment swap. Needless to say I accepted his offer and arranged for him to head over as soon as possible. Now, if I had stopped for a moment to think about this I would have postponed his offer of treatment (I blame the drugs, I was clearly delirious!). Usually I rave about how fantastic massage is for injury recovery, and whilst I stand by that there is a golden rule: when in the acute stages of muscle spasm it’s generally not advised to have massage treatment as you’re in danger of making the problem worse.

To be fair the massage didn’t seem to make my condition worse (although again, that could be down to the amount of ibuprofen I had taken!) but it certainly didn’t make it any better. So, instead of calling my chiropractor and asking for help I opted for walking and moving around like C3PO, which, I found made crossing the road really hard work. By the time I’d managed to look one way, then the other and back again I’d missed my opportunity of crossing altogether. Never in my life had I been so grateful for the flashing green man to help me get from one side to the other!

It wasn’t until I actually bumped into my chiropractor in the street and he asked me why I was moving around like a robot that I realised I had to accept his offer of help.

The next day came the help, and relief, that I had been too stubborn (or simply crazy) to ask for in the first place. Thanks to both my chiropractor and physiotherapist I was able to look over my shoulder again…still sore but to have the movement back was heavenly.

And now was the time to have a massage! Indeed the treatment swap was a success and the massage relieved the muscle soreness, so not only could I move like a normal person but I didn’t have any pain when I moved like a normal person (handy!)

My own experience not only highlighted the importance of health professionals working together, and just how effective that can really be, but I now really empathise with how exhausting it is being in pain all the time. It’s often confused me why people put up with aches and pains for so long without seeking any kind of treatment for pain relief and yet, there I was, exactly the same! Putting up with pain in order to get through my working week and putting my own body as low on my priority list as possible.

The help is there folks, whether you choose to accept it or not (and I think that may be the hard part), so whether it’s a ‘niggle’ or a full on debilitating problem I have confidence that those people in my professional network (myself included of course!) will be able to help your body move, in any way you want, pain free.

*please understand I would NEVER advocate my behaviour and as general practice I also advise taking anti-inflams as a LAST resort only (just needed to stress that!)

The Edinburgh Marathon (marathon number five no less!) had been in my diary since last November. I ran six races in 2010 and was pumped to get more booked this year. To that end I decided to run The Grizzly (20mile multi terrain, the most gruelling race I’d done to date!), The Kingston Breakfast Run (easy 16mile flat) and then the Edinburgh marathon scheduled for the middle of May. However, I had severely underestimated how tired I would be after such a crazy 2010.

Business was, well, busy (!), training had been consistent and inevitably time consuming and, by the start of 2011 I really wasn’t in the mood to train outside in the cold, wet, British winter! So, every time I climbed into my gym kit with the very best intentions of going for a run along the river, or round Richmond and/or Bushy Park, I only ever ended up on a treadmill at Fitness First with the justification in my head that I had plenty of time to get some training in outside before race day.

Well, we all know the saying ‘time flies’ and that’s because it does! I found myself at the start line of The Grizzly before I realised it was 2011. But did I learn my lesson after rocking up to one of the toughest multi-terrain races in the country? Nah…after all, I’d never done a race like this before so there was no pressure to do a decent time…I’d just take it easy..use it as a crazy training run for the Edinburgh marathon which was my main focus anyway!

Now, I could chat about The Grizzly and how my body coped with it quite happily here but, with a view not to waffle on until the end of time I’ll jump ahead to my continued lack of preparation for the Edinburgh race….

No real outdoor training and therefore no real mileage. The planned 18mile training run a month before race day got cut short at 12miles as my right knee decided enough was enough and caused severe pain from 7miles in. I panicked. I’d never had a real injury before, and like most of us I had been taking my body for granted and now it was payback time! I’ve always talked about body maintenance (and the importance of massage in injury prevention) but I clearly hadn’t been looking after myself.

Now, here I was, the patient and not the therapist and as it turns out I’m not a very good one! Thanks to the powers of twitter I had connected with an excellent Chiro local to me in Teddington. Bless him, he saw me immediately and half an hour later we thought it was a pelvis problem (that he was able to correct) and with a bit of rest (and ice!) I should be ok.

Phew! But my renewed optimism was short lived. Even back on the treadmill my knee and leg were in agony after only half an hour of running! Then, just to add serious insult to injury I caught a bug which affected my breathing so I couldn’t train at all!

Race day: what to do? There was no way I was going to go all the way to Edinburgh and watch the race! No way. In my world, I’m either in or I’m out. Which meant of course that I was going to run it…my chiro thought I was insane to even attempt such a distance due to the pain and inflammation and had I gone to me for treatment and advice I would have agreed with my chiro, no way should I be running!

So I did what any running nutter would do. I dosed up on anti-inflammatories and hoped for the best! Now, it’s important for me to stress here that under no circumstances would I recommend doing this! Do as I say and not as I do!! But I also wanted to be honest with you because it’s really the whole point of this blog.

Just for the record I rarely take painkillers or anti-inflams of any kind (I always like to feel exactly what my body is doing and if any problems are occurring), but all I needed to do was get through this race. After this race I could relax for the rest of the year, get fit again and enjoy running without the pressure of racing. Just get through….

And…not only did I ‘get through’ I was only six minutes slower than my personal best! Six minutes!! Seriously, why had I even bothered training for the other races?!! Coming in at 3:37 for a marathon not only without the proper training but also injured was quite simply insane.

But is it? Really? I’ve been running regularly for nearly fifteen years. I think it’s important to recognise how amazing base fitness is and how powerful regular workouts are. Regardless of whether I have a race coming up I like to hit the gym 3-5 times per week without fail. I can only put my crazy time down to all the work that’s been consistently going in to my body and fitness over such a period of time.

Mentally, I just had to finish..I could sort out the physical consequences of my decision later.

I was lucky. Delayed onset of muscles soreness was kept to a minimum and I haven’t done damage that isn’t able to heal. With some quality treatment, a bit of rest and confining my workouts to a spin bike and running distances of no more than 10k I’m well on the mend so it looks at though I can still enjoy some outdoor summer river runs this year after all.

The body blows my mind. But so does the power of mental strength. Clearly, when the two work together you can achieve literally any goal you have set. I think we underestimate just what awesome beings we are. It’s important to listen to our bodies more and look after ourselves as effectively as possible. This year I strive to be kinder to my body and pay attention to its’ needs otherwise the injury recovery may not be so successful.

I would also like to take this opportunity to tell you about a client I have who I met only a couple of months ago. After a major accident when fell running (no pun intended!) where he smashed up his leg, neck, back, arm, hand and also technically died he was informed he may not only lose his leg but unlikely he could walk/run again. This man started racing triathlons last year. They saved his leg (and apparently ‘chicks dig scars’!) so there was nothing stopping him getting through rehab and racing again. Granted, he should never run a marathon distance again but I have no doubt he’ll enter one in the next couple or years as it seems he’s as stubborn as me!

This client, like so many, is an inspiration to me and yet another example of how amazing the body is. I feel privileged I now massage him regularly as he realised the importance of body maintenance.

Thanks to my body for my own wake up call!

This latest post really should have been written/posted quite some time ago but due to a hectic diary and suddenly busy weekends (certainly not complaining!) I seem to have stumbled across the month of June without realising we were in even in May yet! But that aside it’s also been a matter of what to blog about (never have I been one to ramble on about rubbish just for the sake of getting a new post out there although even as I type that sentiment I realise it’s a very real possibility that the content of previous posts, to some, may have been complete rubbish!).

Now, however, I have a topic to chat about (yes, I have finally got round to my actual blog and this time it only took me two paragraphs to get into)…CPD.

Due to business commitments over the last couple or years I’m afraid I have been guilty of neglecting my personal Continuing Professional Development (CPD) but this year, as an effort to make a bit of a fresh start I have been getting involved again, signing up to courses and making sure that whatever I have scheduled will only enhance what I do already in terms of Remedial and Deep Tissue Massage.

Knowing what courses to take is always a bit tricky. I’m super impatient and also (like most people) have a high regard for value for money. You’d be amazed at the cost of additional courses for established therapists, which are then only a couple of days but it depends what the training involves and what you get at the end of it. And then there’s the issue of time one can afford, being self employed, when I’m not actually earning…

It wasn’t long before I came across Gateway. A massive range of courses, whether you’re looking to qualify as a therapist, or long established, there seems to be something for most and what really caught my eye was the length of most additional CPD. One day courses (not eating too much into my working week and to be fair some are held over the weekends anyway..bonus!) reasonable price and properly accredited diplomas – yay!

With so many ticks in boxes from what I need from CPD courses it was actually quite hard, in the end, to stop clicking ‘book now’! So, what have I added to my repertoire?

• Myofascial Release Techniques (I know, ‘what on earth?!’ I hear you cry but check out my website for info)
• Advanced Deep Tissue (that’s right…it’s all the advanced stuff I need, and have, now!)
• Pregnancy Massage (to keep my hand in with all the latest stuff)

It’s amazing how once you start these CPD diplomas you just want to do more and more of them. Why had I left it so long? Not only has it renewed my motivation in practising massage but it’s just also really great to confirm that I’m at the top of my game. The end goal is to help clients when they’re in pain and I strive to be one of the best massage therapists to go and see when the body is in trauma. I don’t mean to sound arrogant here, the point of this blog is to highlight the importance of CPD for any therapist (or even profession!) in order to have the knowledge and confidence to practise. And let’s face it, we’re all pretty vulnerable when in pain and discomfort so a therapist you knows what they’re doing is of the utmost importance….

As some of you who will read this know, I am one of those ‘all or nothing’ types so needless to say I did the above three courses in the space of two weeks. I’m loving the results I’m getting with clients and the positive feedback is fab (I always encourage positive feedback..if you don’t like the way I massage please keep it to yourself, damages my ego too much lol!)

So, if you’d like to try out the ‘new and improved’ stephanie blake massage stylee please feel free to book in. It’s still me, only, I think, better…needless to say I think CPD should really feature a lot more regularly than it has done for me, but hey you live and learn (and learn, and learn, and learn…..!)

If you want to check out Gateway workshops enter at your own risk, you may sign up for more than you thought you would!

• The importance of tapering the week(s) before race day
• The excitement of the expo (where you collect your number and various goodies)
• The buzz of the crowd on race day and atmosphere as you run the course
• The feeling of crossing the finish line and receiving that all important medal! (surely why else would you have done it?!)

What experienced runners fail to tell you (and I’m admitting that I, too am guilty of this) is what happens over the days after your fantastic achievement.

So, you’ve completed the race. You have your medal (and possibly t-shirt, energy drinks etc etc). Friends and family think you’re fantastic (which, of course you know already but it’s always lovely to hear from lots of sources within the space of an afternoon!).  But now, suddenly you’re back at work. After all that build up, weeks/months of training, it’s now all over. Work colleagues have stopped asking how the running’s going, how you’re feeling about the ‘big day’ and all you’re left with are DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness!).

It’s not surprising that, after a couple of days, you feel…well…low. But why? How come 48hours before you were sky high, feeling like you can run any race in the world and perhaps you are the next Paula Radcliff! Nobody mentioned feeling a bit depressed in the following week? No indication from anywhere that you’ll go off the boil as far as training is concerned? Regretting, that in the midst of excitement that you’ve gone and entered another five races that are longer, tougher and all within six months of each other?!

Firstly, the couple of days after a race, when you’re on your ‘race high’ (and quite rightly so..what an achievement!) STAY AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTER! You are likely to enter lots of races, keen to run them all immediately! But..and possibly more importantly..

Secondly, be prepared for one of the most neglected pieces of information when it comes to racing: the race ‘comedown’. As your adrenaline levels finally normalise, lactic acid dissipates and endorphin levels subside you are more than likely to feel a little low for a couple of days (and sometimes longer). THIS IS NORMAL!

Don’t forget, after a marathon, you’re body takes at least a full month to fully recover (so therefore a good couple of weeks for a half marathon etc etc). Moreover, you’re body may feel recovered fairly quickly but expect to feel tired. Going for those first runs after a race will be slower, shorter distances and perhaps not as comfortable as they were prior to race day. ALL NORMAL.

The one thing I can promise though is that this does pass. But don’t beat yourself up for feeling down (more out of confusion than anything else). Experience what you’re feeling fully and then move on knowing that the race comedown is always inevitable. Will it affect people in different ways? Absolutely! But only after it’s passed may I then give you permission to enter future races

With clear mind, recovered muscles and renewed energy levels, go forth and find that next challenge! And start the process all over again..nobody ever denied that racing is addictive. But, remember, like with any addiction the buzz can’t be sustained..what goes up MUST comedown!

So after the initial excitement of starting your business has passed, it’s not long before the sleepless nights kick in as your business has you waking up several times during the night demanding your attention! In the early hours of the morning, as a sole trader, it can sometimes feel awfully lonely as you try to rock your business brain back to sleep knowing it won’t be long before the new working day begins.

But as there are numerous baby groups and classes available for new parents, there are also groups available for the self employed. Groups which provide lots of support, advice and variety all geared up to help you grow your business!

What am I talking about here? Yep, networking!

I am amazed at the number of sole traders I come across that are still unaware of networking and more to the point the importance of networking! Admittedly I stumbled across the concept completely by accident after being self employed for only a few months, however I will always be grateful for the introduction. I didn’t even know what networking was really all about or that there were lots and lots of different types of networking groups that met up regularly (whether it be once a week, once a fortnight or once a month!) and that different groups naturally attract different trades.

My first experience with networking was with Athena, back in 2007. A group specifically for women in business. An opportunity to meet others who were also sometimes struggling to sleep through the night or pin down some kind of daily routine! Suddenly I realised that my doubts and worries were not unique to me but were in fact ‘normal’! Not only that, but here was a platform for me to promote my business: my baby (as much a chance for others to enthuse over their “babies”!)

Over the next few months I formed some fantastic business contacts, meeting some fabulous people and created new friendships. My business took it’s first real step forward as new clients found me through meeting other ladies that I had simply met networking!

But as babies become toddlers and toddlers become children (and so on and so forth…you see where I’m going with this?!) my business also grew, developed and its needs changed as the years went on. I needed to expand my network more and more…surely unless people know who you are, where you are and what you do you can’t expect new clients to find you. Don’t get me wrong, direct referrals through word of mouth are always fantastic, however, being the impatient person I am I couldn’t afford my business growth to move at a glacial pace! To generate a client base purely through word of mouth simply takes ages!

With business growth in mind I finally accepted an invitation to a networking breakfast run by 4Networking. This time, open to both men and women as well as the actual meeting being structured in a completely different way. New faces, new banter, new business! So refreshing and, despite all of us having the same goal of creating new contacts and promoting our individual trades, so much fun.

Networking has become a big part of life. Without it I would be far more lost and clueless in business promotion and marketing than I am (and I’m still learning all the time!) Where I need help on any aspect of my business I know exactly the person to call, knowing they have the expertise and skills I trust are right for the job. And having these contacts means I can, in turn, recommend them to friends, family and my own clients when appropriate (which then makes me look super useful and the more gold stars I get from clients the happier I am!)

I think I can now say my business, thanks to networking (and obviously being good at what I do haha!) my business has now moved from primary to secondary school! I still have a long way to go but it’s good to know I’m not alone!

Now if you’re self employed, like me you’ll understand that, while a well deserved break from all work related activities is necessary (and apparently helps maintain sanity? Who knew?!) it’s also one of the hardest things one can do. No work, no money. No money, no rent (or more to the point no food!). So it’s back to striking a balance between work time and playtime but moreover, making sure that work time is productive and play time really is a proper break (I find surrounding oneself with quality playmates makes leaving the laptop untouched much easier!)

I have to admit that I’ve been lucky enough to have one of the best Christmasses that I’ve had in years. I laughed so  much with my family that my stomach ached for days and there were times when I was laughing so hard that I could no longer breathe (and when was the last time you did that?!). Forgetting work was easy for those precious few days but, despite deciding that now was the time to have a quality break, it wasn’t long before the need to be online and back in the land of social media living made me restless and unable to relax.

But upon reflecting (something that I really do far too much) I’m not sure this need to be back working after such a short spell away from everything is necessarily a bad thing. I’m self employed after all. It’s all down to me whether new clients can find me as well as me checking in with my existing client base to see how everyone’s doing and whether they need a treatment. And, perhaps more to the point, I ENJOY my job. Social networking is great fun as well as great business and I always love catching up with clients and hearing all their news.

So perhaps there’s been a shift in perspective when it comes to self employment. Surely successful entrepeneurs don’t view ‘work’ in quite the same way. They simply love what they do which, in itself brings a motivation to get up in the morning and invest their time in themselves which, in turn brings about business success making the need ease of taking a break from it all increasingly hard each year.

This way of thinking certainly makes me feel a lot better when I realise I’ve only taken about forty-five days ‘holiday’ in about four years! However, a new year’s resolution has been to make more time for me…as much as I pride myself for being a workaholic (I don’t recommend being self employed unless you are one!) I also think there is a real danger of ‘burn out’ if I continue to justify not taking time off.

So, in order to be the best I can be may 2011 be a year of business prosperity and fantastic playtime!

It may seem a little odd that, as a massage therapist, I should be so concerned with the weather (although I am a Brit and isn’t that all we talk about?!) but, in this instance, it’s because I’m a massage therapist that I thought the issue of snow and ice is perhaps more relevant than normal.

Last January, I found myself walking home from a long day at work, wrapped up like the female counterpart to the one and only ‘Michelin Man’ (several layers underneath a thick coat, big scarf and gloves and I had even given in to wearing a hat – which in itself never happens so it must have been cold!). I also had my laptop and other work stuff in a rucksack strapped to my back. Now, I’m sure in these icy times you will agree with me that once you’re finally dressed for the crazy cold temperatures your movements are pretty much restricted to walking and perhaps sitting…try turning your head and it’s simply not a goer!

So, I remember carefully walking along, compacted snow under my feet, possibly also with a thin layer of ice on top of that, cars moving extremely slowly along next to me when all of a sudden I was no longer walking along thinking about the events of the day. No, instead my feet shot out from under me and I landed flat on my back.

Now, I believe that I’m not the only one to have taken a tumble last winter or even this winter. However, after realising I wasn’t in any pain anywhere I then tried to get up as quickly as possible in some vain attempt to cull any more embarrassment from onlookers in passing cars (they were pretty much stationary to my delight!). Sadly, it was not meant to be. With all the clothes I had on (and don’t forget the rucksack) I was stranded turtle-stylee on my back, arms flailing as I tried to gather momentum to get my increasingly wet rear up and off the snow! In the end I had to somehow use my bodyweight to roll over so I could then move onto all fours and finally get back to a standing position!

If I hadn’t been so aware of how I must have looked I would have felt very sorry for myself. Instead, thankfully I did see the funny side and laughed heartily and then continued to giggle to myself the rest of the way home (possibly then risking just looking like a bit of a nutter!).

Anyway, my point (and yes I got there eventually!) is that we have now entered the season of slipping, sliding and quite frankly falling flat on our backs. Therefore, enter Steph to help you recovery quickly (sadly only physically, I can’t help the dent in your ego) and get you back on your feet!

Remedial massage is a great way to help torn muscles and ligaments, so it may be that you don’t actually fall right over but strain or sprain muscles in an attempt to save the ego and keep walking (hoping that nobody saw the backward swimming motion we all do when trying to keep our balance!).

On a more serious not, be careful this winter, massage is also great to help prevent muscle atrophy that may occur with broken bones, but fingers crossed there won’t be many of those this winter! If you need more info or would like to book a massage you know where to find me!