Sneaky pics in Body Pump

Last week my sister tried to take photos of me for this blog but they didn't work (I think she was being kind and there were awful). So she surprised me with some photographs today in Body Pump! So sneaky and lucky she didn't get caught by the wonderful Vicki.

Photographs are not flattering but this is me. It will be nice to see more sneaky ones in a few months time, which will hopefully show a little less of me!  At least I can see my arm position which I can never do in the mirror 🤣

Thankfully no pictures of Body Balance!! 

No ill effects from giving blood so far

Gave blood today for the first time in a few years. We started off on my left arm and then switched to my right arm as the young lady was trying to find a straight vein. Apparently mine are bendy so it ended up at an angle!  Very professional by all staff.  Instead of a bed, they have chairs that go backwards like a pushchair instead. I had to practically jump on and off it though 🤣

No side effects so Body Pump and Body Balance are looking good for tomorrow morning.

Already booked in so I don't need to wake up early and keep refreshing the page.

Booked the next Give Blood session for jist after the marathon! 

Mantra

It was a hard run this morning. It was wet and windy, set out later than planned and my lower back hurt as soon as I started. It was 10 minutes run, 3 minutes walk and 10 minutes run this morning through the puddles. 

Yesterday, looking at the course, my best friend asked me what my mantra was. I replied that when I struggled cycling from Glasgow and Birmingham for Cycling for Harry 2014, it was 'Harry - Jack - Shells'. I had great support from the team (especially 'Dad Simon') but when I was really hurting, I was just saying their names over and over. Thinking about it this morning also reminded me of the support of Sue Wilson and reminded me of Billy (Peter) and Frank, who we have also sadly lost since then.  

During the last 5 minutes of today's run, my mantra extended to other special people who we have lost to Cancer. It reminded why I was running and it was just 5 minutes more running....  

I saw my cousin's childhood friend who lives down the road as I was on my cool down walk and she said I was doing well. I've run past her twice now and seen her on my way to Body Pump so that gave me a little lift! 

I am looking forward to the next run which will be 25 minutes, I seem to do better at the non-stop ones, I hope! 

It took 20 minutes for my red face to go! 

116 days...

Another wet run

The run today was spilt between running and walking again:

Walk - 5 mins

Run - 5 mins

Walk - 3 mins

Run - 8 mins

Walk - 3 mins

Run - 5 mins

Cool down walk - 5 mins

It was a wet and windy run but not as wet on the ground as the previous wet run. 

Body Balance - Yesterday

Earlier class as Jules's 7pm cancelled as it was a bank holiday. The class was with Vicki.  Managed all the routinue but at my level, abs was hard after body pump abs. 

Body Pump - Yesterday 

Additional session for me as morning class with Vicki (but no pump this evening).  It was biceps instead of triceps 😀 and dynamic as well as static lunges so I was able to complete that section. Vicki said Saturday's would be static (so I'll be lunging some!). 

The new release will start on 7th January, I only managed to book Balance last night as Pump kept coming up with errors as the places were being booked up. 

20 mins run and signed up for Races

Completed my first 20 minutes run in years! Week 5 of Couch to 5K finished with 5 mins walk, 20 minutes run and 5 mins walk. 

Green section must have been the downhill part! I kept a steady pace all the way around so I wasn't out of breathe. My legs were aching for the Toxic 15 but I felt okay. It really is mind over matter at around 15-17 minutes I was overthinking it but if it had been 25 run, then I think I would have been okay for longer. 

When I was running 10 miles, I just kept running a steady pace and it didn't bother me until I was nearly home. I think it was physiological on the way home, however at events it is different because you want to get ahead of the person you have been following for a while and I was usually able to have a little sprint at the end.

I was trying to remember my fastest times, I think it is:

5K - 28 minutes

10k - 58 minutes

Half marathon- 2 hours and 12 minutes

I cannot remember any of the seconds mind! It was a few years ago now. 

I have been looking at various races that I could enter based on my Beginners Marathon Schedule.

Signed up to parkrun for 5K 

Howletts

After the run, we went to Howletts to take photographs of the Big Cats. Had to be patient with a few of them as they have lots of hiding spaces as well as access to their inside enclosures and it isn’t the warmest of weather today. It will be probably be the last time we see the elephants as they are all being rewilded to Kenya. 

Merry Christmas

Had a day off from exercise today, mainly because it is Christmas Day but also because my run tomorrow is 20 minutes - my longest non-stop run. 

I've been reading my new running magazines. One has a feature on first time marathon runners and the other has a feature on How to be a runner.  

When I was running 10 miles regularly the first 2 or 3 miles were always uncomfortable. One of the articles is saying that cardio activity requires your body to warm up and adapt to exercise and the first 15 mins is called the Toxic 15.  Once you get to 30 minutes, running becomes easier, which I have found to be true in the past. 

Both magazines also write about the warm up and stretches, which I have just started to do now the running section is longer. One magazine suggests 4 exercises; high knee lift, squat jump, moutain climber and kneeling glute lift for 30-60 secs each. 

In terms of stretches, it says there are a good way to prepare your muscles and joints for running but avoid static stretches (15 seconds of each stretches). Instead, it suggests dynamic stretches (controlled movement stretches) like high knees, heel kicks, walking lunges so I will stick to Vicki's type of warm up which incorporates both. I just need to have a proper plan instead of trying to memorise what she does and doing a poor job of it, which is what I have been doing.  

Also the magazine mentions setting up different goals and time periods. Either with the old SMART goal setting from OU.

Specific 

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Timely

Or 1-2-3 and setting up short, medium and long term goals:

Short term 

Run more regularly

3 times a week

4 weeks

Strava

Completed 

Medium term

Finishing couch to 5K

3 times a week

9 weeks

Following BBC Couch to 5K and Strava

On Week 5

Long Term Goal

London Marathon 

Following Couch to 5K which ties in with the London Marathon's beginner plan from 1st January

23rd April!!

I'm looking forward to the run tomorrow although slightly apprehensive. It is the mind that is the issue. Every time I think I'm doing okay, then I am not! It is annoying so I need to work on that. Although my tablets have really improved my overthinking anxiety, I need to still manage the negative thoughts. 

Christmas Classes

I didn't get places for today's classes until 7.30 this morning for Body Pump and yesterday for Body Balance.

Body Pump

We joined the Aerobics group for the photo! You can just about see me hidden!

Me, Tonks and Sarah set up and ready to go...  

                  Has flashing lights too!! 

It was so hot in Body Balance - same weights as before.  It was static weights for the lunges. Vicki said we could do squats if we couldn't carry on with the lunges. My hamstrings are so tight so I again I couldn't do all the lunges. 

Body Balance

Hard work as usual. Hamstrings still hurt at the end.