Double Workout

That is what I had to leave at home to go for a run yesterday.. I was sad, we were having a nice time chilling on the bed waiting for Mr Parcelforce to deliver a table for our new house... Mr Parcelforce didn't come all morning and I gave up waiting knowing if I didn't go then I wouldn't be able to go and make boxing too.

3 miles in 25.33 (I deleted the 0.01 lap... I'm finickity like that...)
Mile 1 - 9.32
Mile 2 - 8.30
Mile 3 - 7.32
Average pace 8.31

I was intending to go for a slow run of about 3-4 miles so a) wasn't out for too long in case Mr Parcelforce came while I was out and b) wasn't too destroyed for boxing. Since I wasn't running for speed or doing a specific run I decided to take my camera out with my in my armpocket.

This little bridge comes right at the end of mile 1, I refer to it fondly as the pace destroyer as I always lose some pace here!

View from the bridge.. Not exactly spectacular, I know...

Then I ran past some horses

This picture doesn't do it justice but these horses are housed behind the shoddiest fence I have ever seen, it is just barbed wire in some parts, it's a wonder they don't get out! I stopped for a few seconds to stroke this one, he's a friendly guy!

I took this picture to try and show the long hill here, it looks almost completely flat though... I promise it's not!

I completely gave up running slow on the hill... I'm not sure if it was the boost going down or the fact I was really, really hungry but I flew home. I started mile 2 off at a 9.30+ pace and was still at that at my turnaround point of 1.57, in the less than half mile down the hill I had sped that mile up to 8.30 and mile 3 when I checked it about a third of the way through was flying along at a 7.30 pace. Well when I saw that I kind of wanted to keep it there, even though it wasn't part of the plan, so I did! It's probably a good thing I did, as I neared my house I saw a Parcelforce van... Thought to myself I hope it's on the way there not on the way back!!

Believe it or not I actually look significantly less red than usual..

After I took this picture Parcelforce rung me to say they couldn't deliver today, and did I know that my parcel was at a local post office. I explained that even though it was local I didn't drive and did not think I could single handedly carry a heavy, bulky table home from the post office so please redeliver.. They showed up a few minutes later.. Bet they thought I was just lazy! hmmph!

I got a bath on the go and made myself something to eat and then chilled out and did some tidying and cooking before Mike got home.. Then we went boxing!

4 x 2 min skip 30s rest
4 x 2 min heavy bag 30s rest
Circuit - first round 45s per station, second round 20s per station

• Kettlebell squat to clean (10kg)
• Bench press (20kg)
• Medicine ball hold 45 degrees (5kg)
• Wrist roller (can't remember weight low though)
• Medicine ball hold 90 degrees plus squat (4kg)
• Military press (10kg)
• Elliptical
• Low leg raise
• High leg raise
• DB punches straight shots (0.5kg e/a)
• Push-ups (22)
• DB punches uppercuts (1.5kg e/a)
• Kettlebell figure of eights (5kg)
• Jogging on the spot with punches
  
• Incline sit-ups

Cool down

I've never done a proper bench press before.. I was slightly terrified I was going to drop the weight on my head! Pleased to say I didn't squash myself and was able to lift it! In fact I felt pretty kick ass 'cause a lot of the guys there were slacking and I was managing to push through a lot of the weights when they were giving up.

Well today I'm pretty achy so I'm having a rest day I think... Unless I manage to find a few push-ups and chin-ups in me before work!

Hope everyone's having a great day!

Speedy 5k!

Hello everyone!

I realised today that I was a week behind on my 10k schedule for the race in October. I decided I'd jig things around to get a schedule that would work for me.. I also unashamedly got rid of the 9 mile tempo, I just couldn't face another long run with no music! I replaced it with a 3 mile tempo run, which soon became a 5k time trial...

Here's the new schedule, it's almost entirely the Run Less Run Faster plan just slightly rearranged... Click to enlarge..
I ended up having a great run!

5k in 24.51 average pace 8.01 WOOHOOOO!! Fastest ever! (last time 25.08, 8.06)
Mile 1 - 8.03
Mile 2 - 8.02
Mile 3 - 7.59 (3 miles in 24.04)
0.1 - 0.46 (7.40 pace)

This run felt really strong for the first two miles, the last mile was really, really horrible! It was really embarrassing actually because at mile 3.05 I had to stop the garmin and spent about 30 seconds dry heaving by some poor persons fence. After I'd got myself together I looked around shiftily and saw two builders giving me funny looks.. oh no! I grinned at them and ran off, I felt rather silly!!

I was hoping to run a 5k in under 25 minutes so I was really happy with my time! Next time I'm hoping that my splits will all begin with a 7!

Laura at Live Well, Laugh Often, Run Much was kind enough to give me an award!

1. Answer the question: If you had one chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?

I wouldn't change anything.. I have made some bad decisions along the way and I sometimes wish I'd worked harder in my first few years of university, I also wish I'd never got an eating disorder or met my ex boyfriend! But all those things made me who I am today and without those things in my life I would be a totally different person today. I might not love running or healthy eating, I might never have met Mike...

2. Pick 6 people and give them this award. You then have to inform the person that they have been selected for the award.

Hotchoc26
Simply Fabulous
Bambi's Eats
I Can Haz Fud?
Running From, Running To...
Brit Bride

Enjoy some more Brit blogs :-)

New Gym and New Job

Mike and I went to the new gym for the first time last night, the training times are pretty late so we pretty much got home ate tea and crashed! I also had my first day at my new job today, I'm really behind on reading all my favourite blogs which makes me sad! I'll be round to say hi soon!

So, the new gym! The training seems pretty good and we got to spar yipeee! Sadly though, we went in our boxing boots so when everyone went out for a 5 mile run we had to skip... I'd pick running over skipping any day of the week so I was gutted! At least we know for next time, take trainers!

There was another girl very close to my weight and similar experience to me so I got some good sparring. Only problem was after the coach saw me on the bags he asked me to go light on her and I ended up going a bit too light on her in the first round and I wasn't throwing enough punches.. I always worry when I have to go light on people cause I don't want to hurt someone who isn't ready for that level.. This girl didn't really need me to go too light on her though which I didn't realise at first. The first round I just took all her shots on my gloves, and she threw a lot! I've never had anyone come flying at me like that before haha, she tired quickly because she threw too much but it was good to be bullied. Now I know that I can block shots when someone comes out like that and that I don't clam up. The second round I still wasn't as busy as I could have been but I continued to block most of her shots and get some good ones in myself. The coach told me in the third round to up it a bit so I did! The third round was definately my best, I threw a lot of good shots and controlled the ring but she did land some good shots too, she threw a lot of hooks which were landing well for her so I had a sore ear at the end haha!

All in all the sparring was competetive and I think we could get a lot out of each other! It seemed like the coach underestimated her as I heard him say to her afterwards that he'd never seen her spar like that! Maybe having another girl to spar with was what she needed to be more competetive and bring out her best. Here's the training we did;

Skipping 30 mins! Damn not bringing trainers!!
Heavy bag 8 x 2 mins 30s rest
Sparring 3 x 2 mins
Cool down 10 mins

I enjoyed it apart from the skipping! The training finished at 9.30 so although I had all the good intentions to write my blog straight away and share my training with you I crashed as soon as I got in!

I had my first day at the new job today. It went pretty well, there was a lot to take in but nothing too hard. I enjoyed the job but I did have a major gripe about it. I was asked to be there at 8.30am until 6pm but I am only paid from 9-5.30... I didn't say anything today because the other manager is in the same position and it's not up to her it's the head office who's saying that but I am not happy about it and I'm not working an extra hour for free every day. I was out from 7.30am and didn't get home until 7, that's almost 12 hours I'm out and to only be paid for 7.5 hours is really frustrating... I'm not sure what to do about it... If anyone has any ideas or suggestions or advice I would really welcome them!

I ate half of my chocolate pulsin pre workout disc on the bus on the way home, it was pretty nice and wasn't too heavy on my stomach before I went out and run a 5k time trial!! The run was soo bloody hard! Even though Mike came with me for some moral support and company I felt sick from mile 1.3 onwards! I think I started a bit fast but that's always my problem! My legs felt bad on the run cause I'd had tough sparring the night before and been on my feet all day.. I absolutely could not believe it when I beat my old 3 mile time, 3 miles in 24.20! 13 seconds off my old time :D aaand that's my new years goal for 3 miles ticked off so maybe I can go for under 24...

Anyway... here are my stats!

3.1 miles in 25.08 average pace 8.06 average HR 179 max HR 190

Mile 1 8.02 HR 169
Mile 2 8.22 HR 183
Mile 3 7.58 HR 185
0.1 .47.58 HR 189

Right I'm off to try and catch up on all my blogs! Hope everyone is good!

19/03/10

Well I tried the cherry raisins in my breakfast this morning and yummmmm, they were really good! I tried them by themselves too and they were good that way too, kind of like sweets. I think when I start doing runs that are long enough to need fuel I will try these, I think they would be easy enough to digest and give me some extra energy! Anyway... I've gone off topic... Back to my breakfast, it's quite an art form the amount of things that go into it!

I have two natures path cereals, optimum power and millet rice oatbran flakes, then I have plain musli to which I add dried apples, blueberries, cranberries and today cherry flavoured raisins!

Optimum power, cereal with soy, flax and blueberries

Millet rice oatbran flakes

Musli

+ cherry raisins!

Served with semi skimmed organic milk and xylitol, my milk of choice is soya actually but today it was cows milk.

Yoga AM
Our yoga dvd arrived this morning so I just had to try it out, I did a 30 minute routine which was supposed to aid digestion. It's hard to say if it worked but it felt like it did, I was fairly full when I started and my tummy felt better by the end, not sure if that was just cause time had passed though... will have to test it out after a restaraunt meal!! The dvd looks good though I'm looking forward to trying all the other routines.

Run - Afternoon
I ended up having a good run today! It was going to be a tempo run but my tempo miles ended up not very good tempo but good overall, I beat my old 3 mile time! Yipeee! I didn't even realise how much until I checked the time at the end, I just ran as hard as I could. Mainly thanks to a man on a bike who cheered me on in the first mile when the wind on the bridge felt unbearable and I just felt a bit crap, he put a smile on my face for a good mile or so :-) Here's my stats!

Mile 1 (warm up) 9.51 average HR - 160

Tempo(ish) miles - 3 in 24.33 average HR - 183
Mile 1 - 8.31 (181)
Mile 2 - 8.13 (183)
Mile 3 - 7.47 (187)

Cool down miles 2.39 at 10.03 per mile average HR - 169

Total running = 6.39 miles in 58.25, 9.09 per mile

With my lunch I tried the apple pie nakd bar, Mike and I shared the big one, it felt like good running fuel and didn't make me feel sick whilst I was running so that's a big plus for me! It was really tasty too, similar to the apple cupcakes I make only more healthy! The big bar has two of your five a day crammed into it too... Check out Mike's hand model skills!



It had a similar texture to the berry bar, I liked it more than Mike as it was very appley and he's not the biggest apple fan! I really liked the apple chunks in it and the cinnamon flavour, I can't decide if I prefer this or the berry one... too many choices I think hehe.

Mike has started a blog!! In face we're both blogging sat in bed at the moment haha, anyway go check it out and say hi if you have time! Here it is Fighting Fit. It's similar to mine but he is going to include more fitness articles such as training without much equipment, high intensity methods, strength and combat sport articles. I might be slightly biased but it's definately worth keeping an eye on, he knows his stuff and spends a lot of time researching fitness techniques and the body's energy systems. He writes most of the workouts we do together at home if they aren't a Ross Enamait one that is!