Do the right thing?

Skating on Monday - started the level 5 moves which include our first spin and cross overs. It's seeming scary but I think achievable atm.

Good run with A yesterday - 45:34 to do the 5.68km which compares to 46:19 on the 20th - definitely progress.

I'm struggling today - I was given a cadburys flake easter egg by a printer and I'm failing to do the right thing - which is to give it away! It has 2 flakes - which are 178.5 cals each....... and I should be saving my cals as it's Husband's turn to cook tonight and I hate saying "please can you make this low cal?"..... but I am planning on going to Body Combat later.......conscience, arrrrrggghhhhhh...

Not a lazy weekend...

Jogging with A on Friday evening – we didn’t get anything like as wet as I thought we would, given that it was raining en route to A’s. I’m now in non-thermal tights as the weather is gradually improving. A’s waterproof is looking huge on her now – she’s definitely starting to look more svelte and trim.

Digging on Saturday – planting potatoes at the allotment. We’re doing charlotte for the 3rd year, but are experimenting with pink fir apple as a maincrop. None of us eat masses of spuds and M has an aversion to floury potatoes – so having 2 lots of salad varieties will probably suit us better. Good to see D down there – who was the beneficiary of all the spare chitted seed potatoes.

And boogying too on Sat – saw a Guns’n’Roses tribute band at the Brook then went to the Dungeon. I danced lots (well, bounced around lots) and was sporadically joined by J, S&X. Very grateful to S for the lift home.

31.7 km mountain biking route from the house on Sunday morning. A wasn’t feeling good so M&A headed back around the halfway point – which was a shame as the 2nd half was so much easier than the first. I’m starting to think that getting all who set out to complete the route is turning into a new major objective! I’m enjoying the routes from the house – so good not to have to mess about with roofracks & to spend time driving to the start. It’s a good reminder about how much countryside we have on our doorstep.

Sunscreen – must start using it again! Didn’t this weekend but looking at the area on my face that was most mushed in my accident, it’s now discolouring, giving me white patches. Discounting leprosy, I figure that it’s worth re-discovering my factor 40 as something I don’t leave the house without applying…..

Shallow

Walked down the hill last night for a meal with a former colleague J & her flatmate K - although I'm not sure that 30mins walking completely justified a fab plate of tagliatelle, cream and mushrooms... bad indigestion followed & I couldn't sleep.

So I read instead - Louise Kean's "The Perfect 10" - which despite being a light chicklit novel has well observed description of what it's like to lose lots of fat & how it impacts your head. Now thinking about "what's it all for?" is making me think - I'm not down as such, but definitely not overcome with the joys of spring. The main character stating how she's become more vain definitely hit home! Feeling shallow about being so focussed on my weight, my appearance and my own fitness level.

Nice problem - but still a problem

Dressed up smart-ish for a meeting today - crisis 1 was not being able to find the only pair of smart black trousers that fit me atm. Crisis 2 was not having a jacket that goes with the only smart skirt that fits me atm. Crisis 3 (more of a mini crisis though) is that the only smart skirt is a tad loose - to a level where I will need to be careful to wear long-ish tops with it to avoid displaying underthings to the world - and I only bought it in Jan (tweedy Hobbs thing)....

Losing fat is costing me a small fortune in clothing - and I resent handing over dosh for smart work stuff I only wear once a month or so. And even more bras now need to be consigned to charity shop bags (now 36B - how depleted is that!).

Anyhow, skating went well on Mon although I suspect I won't be passing level 4 at next Monday's test unless I miraculously get better by then or unless the instructor is very very kind!

Last night - good run with A. 46:19 to do the 5.6km route with a good chat as a bonus! Planning on running with work buddies starting next month after work as part of Race for Life prep.

Camouflage shorts and pink wellies

I was rubbish at skating on Monday - for some reason I just didn't feel very stable - ah well! Didn't help that Husband & I made big decisions about mortgages, homes & the future direction of our lives in about 15 mins before I left the house...

Tuesday - gym - 26mins of interval training on the treadmill with no ill effects - it's going well! Snuck in a very brief session on the rower weights machine and 1o mins on the x trainer too.

Body Combat on Wed - the most intense it's going to be for a while as Juliana starts to phase in the new routine next week. So I don't feel too guilty about arranging to go out with a former work buddy next Wed. Some new clothes arrived in the post - very pleased with some long-ish camouflage shorts that are going to look great with my pink wellies at the allotment this summer.

Tonight - proper rest day unless traipsing around the supermarket counts!

No Longer Obese Bird

Weighed myself today - 79 kilos which makes me un-obese! I'm not a big fan of BMI measurements as they don't differentiate between muscle mass & fatty mass - but I can't pretend that I'm not chuffed to fall into a different category.

Gym on Saturday evening, following a very pleasant day shopping with A in Bath. Stuck to x trainer and weights as my legs were still aching from Thursday.

Today should have been a stretching 20 mile route NE of Salisbury but it was soon apparent that Husband wasn't well - he wasn't delivering any power to his pedals and was looking scarlet faced & v.sweaty after just 1 climb. I failed to persuade him to turn back (he had his determined face on!) but we persuaded M&A to carry on ahead as it was going to be a long slow ride for us! The SNB then took charge & its chain then snapped, caused by a bent cog. So even Husband had to admit defeat! he did a quick repair job on the bike & we pedalled back to car. So just 6 miles!

I was still feeling in need of some exercise so went for a run this afternoon but tried off road for the first time. Started off in woods close to the house & did a 5.2km route. Resorted to walking at one very muddy section - so I was amazed that I did 5km in 33:09! Beautiful day & it helped me to remember just how pleasant the area so close to the house is. And I acieved sweaty muddiness without a bike....

Then went to Hayling Island with Husband as it was just too good weather not to be outside - I took the photos here. Wandered along the beach & Husband got his sea fix - something to do with being born/brought up at the seaside apparently.

Just spotted that A has her Race for Life fundraising site up & running - click here to view & donate!

Body Combat

Instructor came over half way through the class to ask me if I'd been dieting - and how had I lost so much weight - result!
She said that she really noticed tonight because I was wearing a fitted t-shirt - so I think it could be worth having a massive t-shirt & vest clear out soon - before spring arrives. Which ties neatly into a conversation I was having with Mrs Kitty Stitch last night.....

Class was great - even coped better with the push up section. I was slightly hampered though by my trousers deciding to loop over my trainers, causing my feet to slide mid push up!

Cross Training Sunday

I was so rubbish at biking yesterday! We (Husband, M&A) went to Bracknell Forest where I discovered that my confidence on single track has declined over winter to an even lower level. Gave up & joined A on forest tracks instead - she is still getting over a cold so her lungs weren't delivering enough for lengthy riding.

After lunch, headed home & went to the gym in the evening. I was feeling upset that I was so rubbish in the morning but attempted to turn this into energy on the treadmill! Sadly, the new Take That track seemed to help me to achieve this! 15 mins on the X trainer, 22 mins interval work on the treadmill.
Then joined Husband in the spa pool for a bit.

I saw my sister D on Saturday night - very enjoyable evening even though we lost the rugby. She put things in perspective for me - I'm very privileged to be able to devote as much time as I do to exercise. My niece can't be transported in the double buggy with her little brother anymore - which seriously curtails D's mobility and options - wheelchairs with buggy attachments for siblings don't seem to exist! She's trying to work out how to fit 1 session of exercise into her schedule atm though - hope she can!

Size 14

Skating last night - really enjoyed the lesson as we ended up with more 1-1 time than usual with the instructor. We tried switching from forwards to backwards - with mixed success but were assured that we were "progressing"! Then worked on trying to speed up our backwards sculling so that we get enough momentum to finish in a glide.... definitely work in progress...

Anyhow, bought a wide denim belt today masquerading as a skirt from Next - size 14 and it fits! Need to consult with Husband to check that it suits me as we don't have a full length mirror in the house - but it fits. And it's size 14.

Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14 Size 14

Did I mention that IT FITS AND IT'S SIZE 14?!

ps Husband has seen the wide belt & it has passed.

Another Muddy Sunday

Very pleased with myself on Friday at the gym - I averaged 10kph for 20 minutes. This is a significant step towards achieving my goal of doing the 5K Race for life in 30 minutes (I hope!). Just need to work up the time now to 30 mins - which is definitely achievable as I didn't feel too tired after this session.


Just as important, Husband swam - his knee is still not 100% perfect, but it was brilliant that he managed to swim his 50 lengths.


On Sunday, did the HCC Farley Mount route with Husband and M. It's normally a reasonable ride - not too difficult - but not today! Ended up carrying my bike down the Clarendon Way section - the mud was clagging up the wheels so much that they wouldn't turn. And just 10 feet after scraping the mud off to free the wheel, it clagged up again! Deep joy. I had a bramble scratch my forehead so had an arty trickle of blood down my face towards the end! Husband's knee was playing up - he is loads faster than he was.


Gorgeous snowdrops on banks everywhere. And I can't beleive that it didn't rain on us given that it had been raining on and off all weekend.

On a completely unrelated topic, I was really chuffed when one of Husband's work acquaintances who we bumped into at the gym on Friday told me how impressed with his apparent loss of weight. He's actually lost fat though rather than weight - and is gaining loads of muscle - definitely a good thing!

Gym & Food

Gym tonight - Husband was to swim but Esporta decided to shut the pool - as he didn't have his gym kit, he heroically hit the supermarket whilst I exercised. We are getting less and less impressed as time goes on - for example, it's over a month since they promised to contact us to discuss our membership fees (we are being overcharged atm). The only thing keeping us from changing to David Lloyd is the Body Combat instructor and unpredictable congestion...
10 mins on X Trainer, 20 mins interval jogging and then some weights - lat pulldown and the leg press.

Watched Truth about Food on BBC2 tonight which was all about dieting. Some interesting stuff about soup and dairy. Soup fills you up for longer (apparently) than if you were to eat its ingredients in soid form washed down with water - all down to how your stomach processes water. Dairy - there's some indication that calcium may cause more fat to be egested. Rest of the programme covered food diary (tick), portion control (tick) and protein filling you up (tick).

Less Chocolate

Jogging with A on Tuesday - same time as our last outing which was good. The shorter run intervals definitely seem to deliver better times than just 2 long-ish runs.

Body Combat last night - I managed some of the push up exercises but still don't feel I've mastered them!

Weighed myself this morning - not somethig I do often - and I was 5kg lighter than at beginning of November - not bad considering that Christmas happened during the gap! Trouble is, this means that my calorie allowance goes down - by 2 chunks of chocolate a day. How will I cope??

Food

Had a very satisfactory meal last night - huge portion of mashed celeriac (made with a load of coarse grain mustard, bit of half-fat creme fraiche & titchy bit of butter) with griddled venison steaks. I love it when I have a big plate of food that I struggle to finish - and still know that I am not eating oodles of calories.... I must remember venison as a healthy, tasty steak alternative next time I'm shopping.
Husband is unwell - his 3 week cold has now morphed into a nasty bacterial chest infection, complete with fever. He can't go outside for a few days and can't exercise for a week or so - poor thing! Very grateful that this didn't happen to me as I'm not sure I could cope with the no exercise bit.

Cliche - New Year = Back on the Big D

After a couple of weeks of (most enjoyable) over indulgence, back on the Big D today. Logging all food & booze onto WLR again along with my exercise calories.

Went for a very wet walk with Husband yesterday at Mudeford - lots of Ringed Plovers, Oystercatchers - and very dedicated windsurfers. After a drunken New Year's party at B&J's, walked up the hill rather than waiting for a taxi. About 90 mins walking in total.

Gym today - still feel that my cold is holding me back. 20 mins x trainer, 20 mins interval jogging (8 & 10 kph, 2 min intervals, pushed up to 8.5 & 11 for the last 4 mins). Husband swam - really chuffed as his cold has been so nasty & long lasting - said he found it hard, but I think he's pleased that he managed it.

So, the new year resolutions are to keep up the big D, run 5k in 30 mins and to ensure that I have fun achieving my objectives through doing loads of what I know I enjoy (e.g. mountain biking) and through trying new stuff like skating.

Walkin' in the Rain

Half an hour traipse from car dent removing place to the office in the pouring rain - very glad I'm not wearing jeans today as it means I should dry off OK!

Smug last night - went late night shopping last night- slim fitting type skirt from Hobbs (i.e. not forgiving!), size 16, fits! I proclaim myself size 16 from the waist down and Gap L for my top half. But I do now have to get back into post Christmas eating regime or all these lovely new clothes I've been buying won't fit!

Husband had wiggle vouchers for Christmas so I've just piggy backed a new jacket onto his order - very orange with lots of reflective bits so should be good for winter running and cycling...

New Year, New Look

Thought the Blog could do with a revamp!

Lovely Christmas pressies

Lots of goodies received to help me with my exercise regime: iPod armband case from baby sister, fab new pair of gym pants and a huge mountain biking tome from middle sister. Hi vis vest from In Laws to prevent further car door/fat bird interface incidents plus a lovely new base layer top for cycling. The most recently appreciated gift though was from my folks to Husband - very easy to set-up & change radio alarm clock! Husband seemed to like the heap of Decathlon biking stuff I got him - and was excited about getting a wiggle voucher.
Anyhow, if any of the generous donors are reading this blog, thanks very much indeed for our gifts!

Playing Catch Up

Weekend in Northumberland with family - very impressed that J&P went running both mornings, but we restricted ourselves to a couple of short walks - into the village & back on Saturday, then a wander with the children on Sunday - I enjoyed racing D's buggy against P!

Skating on Tuesday as a pre-pub thing. I thoroughly enjoyed it (again!) but I seemed to be the only one who did. Husband had a very odd technique - threw himself as fast as he could & then crashed into the safety barrier! Kind of human curling without a broom....

I did go to Body Combat on Wed: 3 tracks from new routine - including the Killer's "Somebody Told Me" - it was tough singing whilst learning new moves.... Then Juliana put in some oldies inlcuding YMCA - very happy!

Today, went geocaching in the New Forest as a work team thing - good fun and my team won. Geocaching is hunting for tupperware boxes hidden at locations you can find through www.geocaching.com - it maybe as simple as going to the co-ordinates posted for a geocache or there maybe puzzles to solve. Exercise wise, probably not bad - we drove between the points but each involved a walk of up to half a mile once parked.

Very foggy - which made it seem very atmospheric - our voices seemed to echo & there was an odd sense of isolation. Walking in the Forest definitely beats glaring at my laptop as an entertaining thing to do on a Thursday afternoon.

New Running Book

I've been dipping into a new running book - it seems very much designed for dipping in and out of as much of it is top tips. I like that it's written by 2 runners - a tortoise and a hare to borrow their metaphor - which takes it into slightly different territory to other running books which seem to focus exclusively into turning readers in to the next Paula Radcliffe....
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Running-Made-Easy-Susie-Whalley/dp/1861057032/sr=8-1/qid=1164842018/ref=pd_ka_1/026-2973961-9931635?ie=UTF8&s=books

My weight - eeks!

Just weighed myself for the first time in about 3 years - to discover that I'm the weight that I thought I was in May.

Bad news is that it's going to take even longer than I thought to achieve "target" weight.

Good news is that I burn lots of calories in exercise - so I really did burn around 765 cals on Tues night's walk. And my real target has always been jeans rather than weight as I want to be less fat....

Anyhow, didn't go to gym tonight as was feeling very weary after what felt like a long day at work - feeble I know!