Right on track

Our training session tonight was.. on the track! I’ve not been on a running track since my teenage years, where it was pain stakingly obvious that i had no athletic ability at all! Standing on the marker line, getting ready to run 400 metres wondering how on earth I would actually make it back round to the same spot.

I had the usual pre-club reservations tonight;  What am I doing here? Can I do this? Am I even a runner?? Every week so far I have started the one mile warm up at the front of the group because of how we’ve left the building, and as I’ve been talking to someone I’ve ended up locked in a faster warm up pace than is probably suited to me. 3 weeks ago the first mile was a considered a significant part of my run – not a warm up!

After our warm up we split into our groups, and started the training session. Our schedule was 6 mins at threshold pace (this was described to me as being just being outside your 10 k pace) 3 minutes jog, and then 400 m at 5 k pace, 100 m jog x 5, with a 3 min jog before doing  400 m at 5 k pace, 100 m jog x 5.

At the start of the second set of intervals I lost my pace during the lap a couple of times, but on the whole it was great, My last 400 m was awesome. The coach was running beside giving me pointers. I ran the last lap faster than any of them, and I KNOW that my form was better as it felt Great. It really is amazing how little tweaks can make a massive difference to how you feel.

5.25 miles covered in total tonight.

Absolutely buzzing!

My Running Bug

A lot has happened since I last posted on here. A LOT.

Quick update.

I lost 2 stones through Slimming World. (I put one of them back on, but thats another story!)

I have a regular fitness routine.

I’ve found a yoga class that I LOVE.

I have a few workout partners.

I have caught the Running Bug!

My last post about running on here was me training for a 3k. How cute is that!? I didn’t even go – I bottled it! He he.

I started going to Parkrun in January, when I walked/jogged round in about 50 minutes. I’ve been several more times this year, and have since caught the Running Bug.

Quick update in numbers.

14 Park runs complete

2 x 10 k Races complete

5k PB – 25 mins 26 seconds

10k PB – 55 mins 55 seconds

Miles Recorded on Runkeeper – 155 (damn those times I didn’t have my phone!)

I had been going out running with friends during the week occasionally but life has gotten in the way a little bit and its been harder to arrange. I don’t really enjoy going out running by myself that much, so I have joined a local running club. I’ve only recently started, and been twice (the past two Wednesdays) but I love it! Everyone is super friendly, and the sessions are advised by coaches who focus the training on different elements, all designed to help members get faster.

Both weeks I’ve had the ‘Lisa Fear’ before going. Both weeks i’ve had the Runners High when leaving, and wondered why I had the fear in the first place! I love running with people, and i love dissecting every run once its over.

Time to dust off the old keyboard and record my thoughts and progress along the way.

Pollok Parkrun, October 2017

Outside Yoga at Puregym, Paisley. This was a particularly hot day and it was nice to practice outside.

Just completed our first 10 k.

Gryffe Valley 10k. We both got under an hour and were suitably impressed with ourselves!

Top 15 Kindness Quotes in Honor of World Kindness Day

I love number 6 🙂

Top 15 Kindness Quotes in Honor of World Kindness Day.

Childs Pose

I love a good stretch, stretching is my favourite part of exercising.
I went to Yoga tonight after a few weeks off it, and really enjoyed the various twists at the start of the class. It really is amazing how much I benefit from small movements. My back was stiff before class, so there was a notable release by the end, but even on normal days I leave feeling better, inside and out.

Childs Pose (Balasana) is one of my favourite stretches.

It is primarily used as a resting pose, or during warm up and cool down. It stretches your spine, hips, thighs and ankles.

Childs pose with your arms out front is a great stretch for my back and shoulders, I absolutely love it. I can feel my shoulders open (not sure if that’s the right word?) and it gives me great comfort.

A full circle of emotions

This year has been awesome. I have mostly managed to stick to my schedule and I have been eating more healthily. I’ve lost just under 1 stone!

I’m REALLY happy with this, I only wish I hadn’t been so heavy in the first place as despite the weight loss I’m still not really a skinny minny. No worries, I have no plans on stopping anytime soon, I’m having fun on my journey.

My beau now comes to some of my classes. I love this fact. We go to Metafit together.

It’s a High Intensity Interval Training class where you use your own body weight. Here is an example time-table of the emotions I experience when thinking about metafit:

Day before class: Excited

4 hours before class: Apprehensive

5 minutes before class: Nervous

Half way through class: OOOOOOFFFFFTTTT!!

After class: Yeah! Woo! Awesome!

At best we go twice a week, at worst only once.

Weight aside, I feel loads better than I did before and I like knowing that I’m on the right track. Bikini body, here I come!

How much ass can 1 person kick?

If it’s me… not much!

We are halfway through February, have I managed to stick to my exercise plan? Not really….. but it’s ok. I have definitely managed to exercise at least 3 times a week, and I’m still doing everything that I enjoy.

The nights are getting lighter too. Woo!

I got ill for a week. It was only the common cold, but I felt like poop, so that put a bit of a spanner in the works. Metafit with a cold? No thank you!

I’m throwing caution to the wind and going to a spin class tonight. This could potentially be the worst decision in my life, as I struggle to cycle on the smallest of gradients. I won’t know till I try it though…… only time will tell!

Weekly round up

Did my post title make you think of this?

Sorry! It’s not a Toy Story post. I’m evaluating my workout week to see how I got on. All in all its been a good week.

Swimming, check.  Body Attack, Check.  Metafit , eh no.

Run, check.

Yoga/tai chi pilates/ check.

My  beau missed his flight home from Japan and returned on Wednesday, so I cancelled Metafit to spend time with him. It wasn’t a rest day for me though, I completed the Cardio Box workout at home, so I was still doing something.

I made up for missing the Wednesday class by doing the Metafit class on Saturday, and I treated myself to a relaxing spa day today. I swam 6 lengths, but I guess that doesn’t really account for much. I was really going for the sauna!

I found yesterdays Metafit class harder than the one last week – not sure why exactly, maybe its an accumulative effect of the full week. Whatever the reason, last night I had a mega tight feeling in my butt cheeks.

I told Schmerco and he promptly found my Iliac Crest, a wee point at the top of your glutes and gently massaged it. What a feeling! It’s a slightly niggly feeling, but I could feel it throughout all of my bum cheeks, and a two minute rub definitely made it feel better.

Interesting!

I’m looking forward to the upcoming week. I’ve had to make a few changes to my plan of attack to accommodate other commitments, but its only for one week and I’ve ensured that I’m still doing the full range of activities that I want to do.

Yayyyyy!

I hope you’ve had a successful week too.

Routine, routine

“For something to become a routine, you need to stick at it – for a while. When it becomes a routine, you’ll see results. Then smile”

– Me, Today.

It’s the second day of the second week of my new routine. So far, so good. The best thing about it is that it incorporates everything that I have been dabbling with over the past few months, and contains classes and activities that I ENJOY. Yes, that’s right, I enjoy exercising!

1. Mon: Swim and a spa session
2. Tues: Body Attack and weights at the gym
3. Weds: Body Attack/Combat combo
4. Thurs: Run and Yoga/Tai Chi Pilates class
5. Friday: Rest
6. Saturday/Sunday: Metafit or workout DVD.

I was feeling a bit rough from the weekend yesterday so I only swam 10 lengths. I know-  nothing to write home about. I stopped going swimming regularly a few  months ago so I was worried about my form. Last night I found that pulling the elements of my swimming lessons together was easy; almost natural. Rather than focus on the lack of lengths, I’ll focus on the positive here: I CAN SWIM.

I sweated all of the weekend party gunk out of my system in the spa, setting myself up nicely for the rest of the week.

Create an Inspiration Board – it works!

I know this is my second post in 3 days, which may seem odd after 3 1/2 weeks of no contact. The truth is… I can’t wait till next week!

I decided to create an Inspiration Board, something to look at to inspire me, and remind me of why I’ve chosen to work hard and make changes.

Originally I had envisaged a hand-made board with lots of trinkets and pictures stuck on it, a far cry from the end result! I used the computer to create it as I don’t have access to a printer, and most of the pictures I wanted to use were in digital format.

I have printed out a smaller version of my Inspiration Board and stapled it to the inside of my diary, so it folds out when I want to look at it.

I love it. Inspiration and motivation come from the strangest of places. This source is personal to me, and I know that if I look at it once a day it will definitely help me keep on track.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

2013…Its gonna be MY year (but you can have your share of the goodness too!)

Happy New Year everybody!

I trust you had a merry time over the holidays? I had 3 1/2 weeks off from my work, so for that fact alone I had an amazing time!

2013 has started with a bang, I’ve completed some form of exercise most days (not overdoing it though) and it looks as though I’ve found a good routine for the next few months that entails all of the activities I want to do. That’s my plan for 2013… have more direction with my endeavours. I know where I want to be and I’ve been dilly dallying along with my gym membership for over a year, half getting stuck in, half not bothering at all. That trend ends here. Now.

I’m not a complete gym ‘resolutioner’ – a term coined by the author of the Strong-Fit-Beautiful blog – I’ll still be riding this gravy train in a couple of months.

I did, however, start my new plan this week, I’m excited about all of the elements in it.

Its heartening to read the activities of fellow bloggers, very happy and inspiring to hear how everyone is still on it. Thank you for providing a guiding light.