Recently, Project HB made it to the grand old age of two! Yep, this journey started back in March 2013 when, incidently, I turned 29- and had a bit of an “Oh. Holy. Fuck” moment. I was living in a gross houseshare in Bermondsey, I was recovering from the end of another crappy, short-lived online dating failure, and honestly- I was looking for something, anything, to get me out of my situation. I felt like I wanted to scream “IS THIS IT?!?!”

So I ran. Something snapped in me. And I ran and I ran and I ran. And I started to walk home from work. I got a Boris Bike key. I treated myself to a few Hot Bikram Yoga sessions down in London Bridge, and I discovered spinning at Boom in Shoreditch. I started making a few friends who were interested in the same sort of thing.

I ate scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and spinach every night for dinner, for about 4 months. How very decadent.

My clothes got looser. I came off of the dating sites, realising I probably wasn’t going to get saved by a poor unsuspecting man, (and also that I should probably take some responsibility for my own happiness). I decided to concentrate on loving myself rather than placing the responsibility of my happiness on external factors. And, gleefully, I got the fuck out of that horrendous house.

I bought myself a pair of patterned trousers so I felt like I fitted into my new Shoreditch neighbourhood. I started tweeting about my fitness adventures, and people started inviting me- now apparently known as Project HB- to classes. I sat on the grass with a friend and a PT after circuits one Saturday, and they said I should start blogging about my fitness adventures.

You know the rest.

The past 2 years has seen me whine and gurn and beg for mercy for the majority of every class, yet end it beaming and bouncing around happily. And yep, I’m STILL  (despite being a big old grown-up 31 year old) really quite shy and usually bricking it with self-doubt on the inside while bluffing that I’m a calm, confident, cool cucumber on the outside.

I had a bit of a weird time last year when I got ill, and it took an age to recover physically- but actually a lot longer to get better mentally, and also just to get my energy, fizz and sparkle back.

You’ll be glad to know that recently, Bitch got her sparkle back. Eeeeee! 

So, it’s goodbye Shoreditch- goodbye to my beautiful lofty converted cinema home in the heart of the borough. Adios to the morning jogs through throngs of suited workers, flooding into the City. Farewell to walking through people passed out on the street at 8am while I’m striding to an early morning class. So long to immersive pop-ups I don’t hear about until they’ve finished, all night ravers eating kebabs on our doorstep, and filming outside the flat at 3am.

 
It’s been mental. It’s scratched me up the wrong way at times. But I think you all know how much I have adored this place!  

Time to say hello to where, exactly? Home of the fitness heroes of the 2012 Olympics- Stratford! Yep, I will be pant-wettingly close to the Olympic Park, so I’m looking forward to lots of wonderful runs, roller blading, biking, Queen Elizabeth centre activities (giant inflatable obstacle race in the Olympic Pool, anyone?!) and a bit more money to spend on workout wear- woohoo! 

 
Weirdly, it’ll probably make me less lazy about going to central London classes too. Now- I just loll out of bed and roll into Shoreditch classes. Out in Stratford, I will be a bit more organised, coming into the centre before work to try out places like Soho, Notting Hill, and Victoria. So- HOPEFULLY, rather than isolate Project HB experiences to E14, you’ll actually get some more balanced views of the London fitness scene!

I’ve missed something in this 2 year round-up. Thank you. THANK YOU! You read these daily ramblings, wish love and support on this journey, share your stories and tell me when you’ve been inspired (I still can’t describe how mental and amazing it is when a stranger gets in touch after the blog’s inspired them). It makes it all worth it. God, that sounds goofy! But it’s true.

So- year 31 for me, and year 3 for the blog. This year, I am going to try and get my yoga mojo back (it has crept off and is hibernating somewhere), and also make some changes to the website and how I run it. (Ideas welcome).

Cheers to 2 and here’s to 3! Shoreditch to Stratford. Onward we march!