iChristian

Lap 1 Pond Photo…

Hi Fitblitzers.

yeah i’m a 4 lapper!!! 💪🏼 

Wow, if that was the fundraising trail walk challenge…I’d be happy that I finished it! BUT this was only 4 laps plus a pitstop and the challenge is 11 laps and 3 pitstops! 😨 After how I felt after today’s walk…That’s too much especially at the moment…But I’m getting stronger week by week. 🙏 

It was a cold 7˚C again and as I was going to be out for around 3.5 hours, I thought I’d leave my tracksuit bottoms at home, as I’d soon get too warm as I stomp around the trail…I was wrong, my legs were ice blocks for about 2 laps! 🤣 

lap 2 pond photo…

As I was cold I think I tried to walk so fast I’d out pace the cold and my legs would warm up nicely…They didn’t.

At least there was some good news. As I’d burn about 1200 calories on this walk I was wearing my trusty INOV8 ultra pack which not only had 2 x 500ml of zero calorie orange water…But 8 chocolate hobnobs (the best biscuit in the world). They are 93 calories each and they should start being absorbed around 30 minutes after that amazing taste! 😋 

lap 3 pond photo…

It was overcast mostly for the first 2 laps but then the blazing low hanging sun come out to play (ruin my walk). My pace slowed lots as I tried to stagger around like an extra in a zombie movie. 

I only had to do 3 laps before I leave the trail and walk to my pitstop (home). It’s only 0.4 miles to and another 0.4 miles back so quite a quick pitstop. I managed to not collapse (good start), keep moving whilst eating half a sandwich and try to get back out within 10 minutes max. When my 50Km walk starts I have to try and have 3 pitstops whilst doing 11 laps, so today was the first time to see if I sieze up?!

lap 4 pond photo…

My legs were a little tight after destroying my leg stabiliser muscles on the trail, then slowing down in the pitstop. But after about a mile they were broken but still moving! I was simply so thankful and so happy that I’d managed my first pitstop and was back out stomping out the miles!

I was overwhelmed with joy as I arrived home and stopped my workout which was exactly 12.12 miles, that made me smile for some reason. It really felt like I was walking on prayers from you guys! I really had nothing left and was laughing to myself that my legs were still going right to the end when I wanted to just give up! 🙏 😀 

Scripture snack… 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Give thanks…🙏 

How might you pause to give thanks today? Maybe it’s lifting a prayer, holding onto a Bible verse that leaps off the page (or screen), letting a worship song wash over you, walking in nature, reading a fave blog post or simply soaking in a quiet moment of reflection.

Motivational quote…

“Every step I take is a gift I refuse to take for granted. I’m thankful for the legs that carry me, the air that fills my lungs, and the strength God gives me to keep moving forward. I’m thankful for the quiet moments on the trail where I can hear His voice in the wind and feel His presence in the steady rhythm of my steps. Life may not be perfect, the path may not be smooth, but the journey is still beautiful. Faith, Fitness, Focus” – Steve (me)

Let’s ‘FitBlitz’ 2025 Together! 💪🏼

Lap 1 Pond Photo…

Hi Fitblitzers.

Yay, I managed another 2 laps (6 miles) this morning, and I wasn’t in a total heap when I returned. I must be getting a bit stronger (and lighter) as I have to start doing 2 laps each day and not wimp out for a 1 lapper! 🤣 

As this was my last proper trail pounding walk of the week, I do 4 trail walks then have 3 days off to recover, spend time with my lovely Wife Sarah, and also get supplies ready for the next week on the trail! My legs just wanted to give up on lap 2, I think they’re just empty from the last 3 days walk! 🤣 

lap 2 pond photo…

I love walking past the pond for the second time, as it means I can get a different angle. What is also fantastic is that all of your markers are called out for the second time, so I get to pray and give thanks for you all over again! 🙏 😀 

Scripture snack… 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Give thanks…🙏 

How might you pause to give thanks today? Maybe it’s lifting a prayer, holding onto a Bible verse that leaps off the page (or screen), letting a worship song wash over you, walking in nature, reading a fave blog post or simply soaking in a quiet moment of reflection.

Motivational quote…

“Every step I take is a gift I refuse to take for granted. I’m thankful for the legs that carry me, the air that fills my lungs, and the strength God gives me to keep moving forward. I’m thankful for the quiet moments on the trail where I can hear His voice in the wind and feel His presence in the steady rhythm of my steps. Life may not be perfect, the path may not be smooth, but the journey is still beautiful. Faith, Fitness, Focus” – Steve (me)

Let’s ‘FitBlitz’ 2025 Together! 💪🏼

Today’s Pond Photo…

Hi Fitblitzers.

Today I headed out on my last FitBlitz walk of the week, and I was certainly thankful for this beautiful place. I walked nice and slow actually enjoying (instead of racing) around the trail. 

I took the time to listen properly to the markers in my ear, and say prayers for the people who’s marker it was named after as I walked towards, and past the marker. It really was a beautiful, relaxing and prayerful walk. 🙏 😀 

Scripture snack… 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Give thanks…🙏 

How might you pause to give thanks today? Maybe it’s lifting a prayer, holding onto a Bible verse that leaps off the page (or screen), letting a worship song wash over you, walking in nature, reading a fave blog post or simply soaking in a quiet moment of reflection.

Motivational quote…

“Every step I take is a gift I refuse to take for granted. I’m thankful for the legs that carry me, the air that fills my lungs, and the strength God gives me to keep moving forward. I’m thankful for the quiet moments on the trail where I can hear His voice in the wind and feel His presence in the steady rhythm of my steps. Life may not be perfect, the path may not be smooth, but the journey is still beautiful. Faith, Fitness, Focus” – Steve (me)

Let’s ‘FitBlitz’ 2025 Together! 💪🏼

Hi fitblitzers…

When Sarah hits the kitchen, it’s not dinner time…It’s showtime. And this time, she turned out a plate so bold it felt like a headliner at Wembley.

Front and centre: chicken breasts. Not just any chicken breasts, but juicy, golden seared beauties marinated in that black pepper paste with coconut, belting out heat and aroma like a Marshall stack cranked to eleven. Every bite had punch, swagger, and enough kick to make you sit up and take notice.

Then came the pilau rice, rich and spiced with that deep Tamil-style stock, laying down the rhythm section like a phat bassline, keeping the whole dish grooving.

But Sarah doesn’t stop at rhythm, oh no. She brings in solos. Caramelised onions swirled through the rice like molten guitar licks, then…Out of nowhere, she threw down fried mushrooms and lettuce, sizzling away like pyrotechnics on stage. Totally unexpected. Totally EPIC. Totally Sarah!

And just when you think the flavour’s going to take your head clean off, in comes the turmeric yoghurt seasoning…Creamy, fragrant, and cooling, like the encore that leaves you wanting more.

The result? A dish that didn’t just feed the body…It set the soul on fire. Epic Sarah cooking isn’t just about food…It’s about creating an experience. This Tamil Black Pepper Chicken wasn’t just tasty. It was a culinary anthem. 🎶🔥🍴

They’ll be talking about this meal for centuries. The night Sarah took the humble chicken breast and forged it into a weapon of pure flavour will go down in history as one of the great culinary creations ever made! 😋

Hi fitblitzers…

There are sandwiches, and then there are monuments of flavour. Today, I bring you the latter, a creation so mighty, so vibrant, so unapologetically stuffed to the rafters, that I’ve officially christened it: Sarah’s Super Saturday Sandwich.

At its foundation lies the humble but heroic Hovis Wholemeal Seven Seed bread. Forget your flimsy supermarket slices, this is bread with backbone. Each bite brings the crunch of sunflower, flax, and poppy whispering tales of wholesome power while standing tall under the weight of everything it holds.

Between these sturdy slabs of seeded armour sits a layer of creamy (fat free) cottage cheese, spreading smooth comfort across the battlefield of flavours. Then comes the ham, a salty, savoury punch that demands attention.

But this is no one-note wonder. Sarah has engineered a rainbow riot of freshness:

• Juicy tomato slices that burst like little grenades of summer.
• Cool cucumber, slicing through the richness like a refreshing breeze.
• Mixed salad leaves, adding crunch, colour and a leafy swagger.
• Shredded carrots, sweet and earthy, sneaking in extra crunch with every bite.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get more dramatic…Enter the beetroot. Deep crimson, unapologetic and staining everything it touches like a culinary rebel. It doesn’t just sit there quietly, it shouts its presence, painting the cottage cheese in wild streaks of magenta and giving this sandwich the swagger of a rock star mid-guitar solo.

What you’re left with is not just food…It’s a stacked masterpiece, a sandwich so mighty it has to be cut in half just to reveal its inner glory. Each cross-section looks like a geological dig of flavour: strata of pinks, reds, oranges, and greens pressed together by the seed-studded cliffs of bread.

The Super Sarah Snack is proof that sometimes, the greatest meals aren’t complicated. They’re just layered with love, packed with goodness and bold enough to take risks.

So here’s to Sarah, the culinary architect behind this stacked skyscraper of taste…I think you’ll agree: this isn’t just a snack. It’s a statement. 😲 😋 ❤️

Let’s ‘FitBlitz’ 2025 Together! 💪🏼

Today’s Pond Photo…

Hi Fitblitzers.

Well I’m certainly thankful that I’ve done all 4 trail walks this week, and had no dramas, accidents or collapsing! I’m also thankful for all of the motivation from my lovely Wife Sarah (even after her surgery), Drill Sergent Bruce and of course all of you guys…It’s humbling to say the least that I have so much support, love and encouragement! ❤️

As I’ve walked around only 1 lap per day this week, I’ve been carefully listening out to see where I can place lots of new ‘Donation Motivation Markers’. I’m so thankful that I’ve actually made it out this week (even though I didn’t want to), but I needed to stomp and put my legs in to action, as I don’t want them getting lazy, lol.

As you know my lovely Wife Sarah is in recovery mode after her surgery, so this meant she wasn’t working in the London office…Which also means there will be no ‘Steve’s Smelly French Toast’ today…Sorry Dayle but no EPIC descriptions, lol! 🤣 

Scripture snack… 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Give thanks…🙏 

How might you pause to give thanks today? Maybe it’s lifting a prayer, holding onto a Bible verse that leaps off the page (or screen), letting a worship song wash over you, walking in nature, reading a fave blog post or simply soaking in a quiet moment of reflection.

Motivational quote…

“Every step I take is a gift I refuse to take for granted. I’m thankful for the legs that carry me, the air that fills my lungs, and the strength God gives me to keep moving forward. I’m thankful for the quiet moments on the trail where I can hear His voice in the wind and feel His presence in the steady rhythm of my steps. Life may not be perfect, the path may not be smooth, but the journey is still beautiful. Faith, Fitness, Focus” – Steve (me)

Let’s ‘FitBlitz’ 2025 Together! 💪🏼

Today’s Pond Photo…

Hi Fitblitzers.

My lovely Wife Sarah is working in London again today, so I went out on the trail at 7am. One of the good things about attempting 3 laps today, is that I get to take 6 photos for you.

It was nice and cloudy today so I didn’t have the sun to use as an excuse, lol. I also had a couple of soft flasks, a carb gel and a Grenade protein bar on my person…I want to be prepared and not be left wanting! 😀 

It was also cool at 13¬C which is perfect for me. I still have 37 pounds to lose so I’m too insulated at the moment, lol. It was time to let the brakes off my HOKA Speedgoats and just hold on!

When I arrived home and stopped my workout, it’d taken me 2 hours 29 minutes to do 8.56 miles. So I must have been walking around 3.5mph which is fast for me, yay! 💪🏼 

Oh and after I’d picked myself up off the floor (you’ve guessed it) it was time to make my smelly French toast as Sarah’s not here to choke on the smell. I’ll leave it to your imagination on how it turned out, as I really don’t want to take a photo of it, lol! 🤣 

Scripture snack… 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Give thanks…🙏 

How might you pause to give thanks today? Maybe it’s lifting a prayer, holding onto a Bible verse that leaps off the page (or screen), letting a worship song wash over you, walking in nature, or simply soaking in a quiet moment of reflection.

Motivational quote…

“Every step I take is a gift I refuse to take for granted. I’m thankful for the legs that carry me, the air that fills my lungs, and the strength God gives me to keep moving forward. I’m thankful for the quiet moments on the trail where I can hear His voice in the wind and feel His presence in the steady rhythm of my steps. Life may not be perfect, the path may not be smooth, but the journey is still beautiful. Faith, Fitness, Focus” – Steve (me)

Let’s ‘FitBlitz’ 2025 Together! 💪🏼

Today’s Pond Photo…

Hi Fitblitzers.

Picture this: 7 a.m., the streets still yawning, and me stomping back home after walking 6.42 miles (my longest distance so far) like a man on a mission. Sarah’s off to London, so it’s just me…And the lonely kitchen. No kisses, no cuddles, no lovingly made coffee, just the cold hard reality that I have to make my infamous smelly lunch.

Enter my protein french toast…

Imagine 3 innocent slices of 7 seed wholemeal bread…Suddenly colliding head-on with a tanker full of egg whites, with the aroma of a gym locker room. Sarah hates the smell of those egg whites…So I only unleash this monster when she’s not around.

the result…?

On the plate it looks like the bread’s been in a high-speed chase, taken a wrong turn into a hen house, and then been caught in a murder mystery. That deep red “crime scene“? Don’t panic…It’s just sugar free maple syrup pooling like suspicious evidence.

Honestly, you wouldn’t think you could make this much visual chaos with only 3 ingredients…But here I am, casually creating my ‘French Toast’ art that looks like it should be taped off by the police. 🚨

Still…With 65 grams of protein, 650 calories, and a plate that could double as a true crime documentary prop…It’s a killer meal and I’m very THANKFUL for it! 🙏 

From tales to trails…

I hope you enjoyed the ‘French Toast’ story? But I need to finish this post, lol. I walked 6.42 miles today, which is a record distance for me during this training. I’m still waiting for the muscle memory to keck in, as I’d say I’d never walked this far in my life…It was killer, and I was so THANKFUL that I actually made it! home. 

As I did 2 laps today, the 2 photos above were when I decided to walk down the side of the usual pond (smaller one) to get to the steps that lead up to the larger pond (see photo below). I’ve got other ‘audio beacons’ on my Soundscape app which are not on my trail lap route…And the steps is one of them. So when I got to the usual pond photo spot, I selected the ‘Top Pond Steps’ audio beacon, listened to the radar sound as I turned my head, and when my head is facing the beacon (steps) it makes a different beep so I start walking towards it…Hoping I don’t fall into the pond or hit lots of other obstacles! 😨 Wow I’m THANKFUL for the Soundscape app!

Once getting to the top of the steps, you’re greeted with a lovely view of the larger pond.

Back on the trail on lap 2…

I love walking along feeling so small as the towering trees keep me company. Not only do they ensconce me with some shade, make smile noises as the wind tickles them, but it just feels so good walking along (zombie shuffling) surroundedd by lots of trees. 😀 

Give thanks…🙏 

How might you pause to give thanks today? Maybe it’s lifting a prayer, holding onto a Bible verse that leaps off the page (or screen), letting a worship song wash over you, walking in nature, or simply soaking in a quiet moment of reflection.

Motivational quote…

“Every step I take is a gift I refuse to take for granted. I’m thankful for the legs that carry me, the air that fills my lungs, and the strength God gives me to keep moving forward. I’m thankful for the quiet moments on the trail where I can hear His voice in the wind and feel His presence in the steady rhythm of my steps. Life may not be perfect, the path may not be smooth, but the journey is still beautiful. Faith, Fitness, Focus” – Steve (me)

A Biblical Blessing:..🙏 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Let’s ‘FitBlitz’ 2025 Together! 💪🏼

Today’s Pond Photo…

Hi Fitblitzers.

I was out proper early at 7am this morning, as Sarah is working in London today so I followed her out. This also means that when I arrive home with no cuddles, kisses or coffee I have to make my ‘Protein French Toast’. I use a carton of egg whites (50 grams of protein but they are smelly, and Sarah isn’t a fan of the smell so I save them for when she’s in London! There isn’t a photo of them as they are not pretty and look like 3 pieces of toast has crashed into some eggs with blood every where (well sugar free maple farm grove syrup). You wouldn’t think I could make such devastation with just 3 ingredients, lol! 🤣 I’m thankful for the 65 grams of protein and just 650 calories! 💪🏼 

The trail was very quiet this morning, I think going out extra early kept every one away. Either way it meant that the blinding sun wasn’t quite fully awake yet, so I could go out and enjoy the walk…I’m thankful for that! 😀 

I couldn’t get this Robin Mark song out of my head 🎶 “Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King…His love endures forever. For He is good, He is above all things, his love endures forever. Sing praise, sing praise!” 🎶 but as it’s ‘Thankful Thursday’ I couldn’t ask for a better song to be singing around the trail. 😀 

I’m super thankful that I can now get around 1 lap (2.6 miles, but it’s another 0.8 miles to and from my house) without completely collapsing when I get home. It’s only been about 2 months since I’ve been FitBlitzing the trails again, and I’m so happy it’s finally starting to get a little easier (I really didn’t want to use the word easier), but I’m also getting lighter which can only help! 😀 

Give thanks with a grateful heart…

How might you pause to give thanks today, whether it’s through a prayer, a bible verse that jumps out at you, a walk in nature, or a quiet moment of reflection? 🤔 

A Biblical Blessing:..🙏 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Let’s ‘FitBlitz’ 2025 Together! 💪🏼