Week 3/17

Day 15/119

2014: 
The alarm was no friend to me. I deserved it though - last week was shocking so it was back on the pilates

Just as bad as ever - really no progress being made whatsoever

Straight after to the gym for 40 minutes of jogging

There was only 1 free treadmill left and so I was forced to exercise next to people

A situation made worse when the guy turned to me and said "Good Morning!!"

Has he not read the gym rules ? NEVER' under ANY circumstances do you start a conversation - I was flabbeghasted

I think I've peaked too soon - this was just shocked - midway through the jog it was true flabberghastment

After 20 minutes he just shouted "BAH!!"

He then repeated that exclamation every 30 seconds or so until people were starting to turn around from the bikes and look around to find out who was doing it

I tried to help them by nodding slightly in his direction but my movement was limited as he appeared to be giving me the evils in the mirror opposite - it felt like I was being chased by the cop from the future out of terminator

Never have I been so happy as when he finished and left

My right leg hurt almost throughout the run from my hip to my knee down the front of my thigh so just as one ache seems to wane, on comes the next - bloody typical

The usual sit-ups and stretching followed followed by my weigh in

Put it this way, the dog's hiding at the moment...

Start Weight - 84.4 kg
Last week Weight - 81.2 kg
Current Weight - 82.5 kg
Weekly Gain - 1.3 kg (damn)
Overall Loss - 1.9 kg

2011:
Feeling a bit better - but not good enough to join Joss at the gym. I can't keep feeling sorry for myself though so hoping to do a gentle bike ride at the gym tomorrow - otherwise by the time I start I'm going to be the size of a house !!

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Day 16/119

2014:
It's the awkward day today when I can't get to the gym in the morning but I still plugged away at the morning pilates

My leg still ached from the day before and a poor night's sleep had my back as stiff as a board - I've got to keep telling myself - if I didn't put myself through this imagine how bad I'd be - something akin to the tin man from the wizard of oz (no heartless jokes please)

Today's task was 30 minutes on the bike and after work that's what I had a go at

The gym wasn't showing the England game but free WiFi meant that with my phone, I didn't miss anything

In fact, after watching the game I'm starting a campaign to get rid of the WiFi - why should I be the only one suffering - they obviously guessed how demotivating it would be so daren't have it on the many TV's

The ride was largely unremarkable although I did notice the extra strain it puts on the Achilles so I might have to think of something else to do for the next x-train slot

2011:
I've been feeling better today and so it was back to the gym. I did a 30 minute cycle on the "lazy" bike and then did a series of stretching that seems to have been devised to hurt rather than help. Joss showed me up again by cycling flat out for an hour. I on the other hand finished my entire workout in 50 minutes and wisely spent the waiting 10 minutes purchasing and eating a delicious flap-jack - who says I don't know how to train

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Day 17/119

2014:
From now on I think we can take it as read that I got up to do pilates and was absolutely rubbish at it - it will just save my time writing it and reading it back

It was the 400m sprints today - all 10 of them

Again the treadmills were busy and so I just had to fill the gap and the sneaky bloke from Monday started talking to me

In my defence he was wearing a different shirt and was doing a hill run instead of a flat run but I really should have recognised him - if I had I'd have rather run outside than be terrified again

Luckily, though, I must have turned up later than Monday as no sooner did I start he finished so it was relief all round

The runs were tough with my body not quite deciding whether it was the Achilles, the calf or the thigh muscles that were going to cause the most pain

Not the result I was hoping for from just week 3 but looking back at the Brighton blog it seems as if I was in a worse state then so who knows - maybe I'm doing well after all.......

2011:
When I go to the gym, I have this thing about personal space. I hate it when, in an empty gym, people choose to exercise next to me. There's simply no need. What is by far the worst offence, though, are people that have their own selfish agendas that turn up coughing and spluttering all over everyone else, putting these innocents' training plans in jeopardy. It is for that reason that I would like to publically apologise to the two girls who ran in the same line of treadmills as I did doing 10 x 400m sprints - nobody should be put through that level of sniffing, wheezing and coughing - but at least I survived ;-)

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Day 18/119

2014:
I said I wouldn't mention morning pilates yesterday and I have to mention it already as I couldn't be bothered today

Instead I had a 30 minute lie in and a cup of tea in bed - bliss

Today was booked in as a 30 minute jog or rest - so I chose the latter

I wasn't going to be totally lazy though as I was booked in to do lunchtime pilates in the squash court with my fellow old man inflexibles

That was until the courts were busy and it was suggested we carried on with the session on the carpet in front of the lockers

There was no way I was going to roll around in public showing how rubbish I was with us looking like we were reinacting a scene from cocoon and so luckily for me we changed the time so that a court WAS free

We didn't have our host from last week but Steve stood in and was excellent  - he showed a superb memory as I couldn't remember any of the exercises

We were all rubbish again but it still felt good to have made the effort - not bad for a rest day

2011:
It's another jog or rest day. You are right - it's a rest day. The cough is definitely going but there's no point in pushing it, is there ?

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Day 19/119

2014:
It was 30 minutes cross training today so I picked weights

It was my youngest's birthday so I was late in the gym and it was a real eye opener

There's clearly a shift pattern working where those doing cardio turn up early and those with biceps the size of my man-boobed chest come in later

I felt like a pygmy walking in the land of the giants as they grunted and growled their way through workouts

I couldn't even understand their "conversations" as there appeared to be no "joining" words so all that came out was "GRRRR RAIN RUN FIRE GRRRR"

I didn't last long and skulked off to the stretch area to laugh at the vain trainer looking at himself in the mirror

Right leg hurts, back in pain, achilles tight and worryingly achy - it's all going so well.....

2011:
It's New Year's Eve but it doesn't stop. Today, as usual, Joss showed me up by running for 45 minutes as I settled for a 30 minute bike ride. I am going to have to up my game cos I'm getting fatter, not fitter. Tomorrow, though, I plan to do an 11 mile run which will (hopefully) be the longest run I have ever done, so I wanted to make sure I came through unscathed. The only thing that could scupper me would be if a drinking event were to get in the way - but that's unlikely.... Happy New Tear!!

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Day 20/119

2014:
Last night I gave up a birthday curry because today I had an early 11 mile run (as I'd tried that before and it didn't end well) - I haven't got life right, have I ?

I was actually saying that yesterday as I've been getting up so early, doing pilates then going to the gym before work, then limiting myself to crackers for lunch

I was comparing myself to a colleague that did little exercise, eats baguettes full of bacon and sausages every day and spent 1 afternoon consuming a bag of wine gums the size of my head

Yep, definitely got life wrong at some point

It was to bed early for a 5am rise so I actually woke up at 4:30am - thanks body clock

Still I suppose it gave me more time for stretching - although even I'm struggling to see the real positive in that

Yesterday my brilliant wife bought me a surprise running waistcoat thing that enables you to carry to water bottles hands-free

This was genius - for 2 reasons

Firstly, for keeping me hydrated without any weight bias on either side it is fantastic and I don't know what it cost but it was worth every penny

Secondly, despite it being ergonomically designed specifically for running., the overall look of having a water bottle strapped to each moob did make me look a little 'special'

Not a positive you might think - but quite the contrary

Because of this 'look', rather than jeering me for running so incredibly slowly (it's in the plan, honest) they see the vest and think "Ah bless - he's doing a great job" which I think you'll agree is a top notch result

The run itself started badly with pains in my achilles but that did subside after a mile or 2

I timed it badly with the lifting bridges having run to one because the other was up, only to find that because of the speed I was going at, by the time I'd got to the other one - that was up instead

I'm using the power gels every 4 miles and although I'm not sure if scientifically they work, in my head they do and that's all that matters

The 11 miles took roughly 1:54 so all I've got to do is an extra 2 hours at a much quicker pace to get the job done - as they say in Wayne's World it's almost too easy .....

The stretching was horrible and the cold bath just took my breath away - and not in a good way

The rest of the day has been spent with a walking pain from my right hip to my knee, but that's normal, right?

Thank God it's a rest day tomorrow................

2011:
Every Saturday is a big training day - and today is the biggest so far. I've followed all the recommended techniques - stayed up late - check, drank loads of wine the night before - check. The alarm went off at 8 and I was eating my porridge by 8:30. At least that part went to plan. Run time was 10:15 and we needed all of that time to get me, Joss and Betty the bike ready. Weather was perfect for running but today's 11 miles would be the longest I'd ever run. Betty has a basket on the front and it was full of water and carb gels to get us through. The hardest part for Joss was balancing whilst holding out a drink or gel for me - we had a couple of handovers dodgier than the the UK relay team but no casualties. We went from home, to Upton, through Hamworthy, back to home then around Creekmoor to finish. With 3 miles to go my over-confidence spilled over and I thought I could have a little bit of a sprint finish. That lasted a creditable mile and a half before my legs asked "Excuse me, but what do you think you are doing?". So that last 1.5 miles was blooming agony, not helped by a steep inclined finish. But I am alive and only slightly walking like the 100 year old that my legs feel - tomorrow's a rest day - thank goodness!

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Day 21/119

2014:
I think calling today a rest day does it an injustice - it was a do naff all day and I am sure Joss would be the first to agree

The pain in my right leg has moved from "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST NIGHT?" to "Are you going to mow the front lawn" (ie severe pain to just nagging) and I'm hoping another sleep will improve it further for my jog tomorrow

Last day of pager today so very much looking forward to the next week with a renewed spring in my step

3 weeks - Done

2011:
Yes, I know it's my fault. I have re-read the running book and I can't find the page that says ifyou miss any training through illness you can make it up by running 11 miles like a madman. So, the pain in my foot and my hip probably could have been avoided. Still it's a rest day today so won't know the full extent of my stupidity until tomorrow - I can't wait !!!