Fitness, or Lack Thereof, and Some Goal Setting

Weekly Fitness Round Up!
Well, I'm jumping back in the deep end feet first... I think I've caught the fitness bug back... least I hope I've caught the fitness bug back!

Running

Steady jog with Roxie I liked this run as I got that feeling afterwards that reminded me why I train! No stats unfortunately as I am without garmin :'( gutted! I need to buy a new one but losing my job makes that a little hard!

Boxing

I attended my first session at Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club, my first impressions are I like the place and it's within walking distance from my apartment, or cycling distance! I can't remember exactly how the training went, I didn't have my blogging head on, more my oh my goodness it's been so long since I've been in a gym and this really hurts why do I do it head on... It was something like this...
Structured bag rounds interspersed with core rounds and sprints with squat jumps.... just as painful as you're imagining.....

Swimming
I went to the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Thursday before I attended the brilliant Carat Blog Shop event (more on that to come), I wasn't really sure how much I would be able to achieve I aimed for ten lengths and did it.... Slightly disappointed absolutely gutted the waterslides were closed... that was gonna be my reward for completing ten lengths.... Yes, I am a 28 year old child.....

Fitness Goals
Running - go twice a week and gradually increase my distance again... I'd like to be back up to around 6 miles by the end of November
Push-ups - Just tested my max... I bashed out 8 that's a far cry from where I used to be but I should expect that I suppose.... I want to be doing 25 in a row by the end of November... I think that's a big increase but I'm hoping to have some good muscle memory.... don't let me down muscles!
Gym attendance - go boxing at least twice a week
Swimming - go once a week, be doing 20 lengths a session by the end of November - also consider signing up for diving lessons if I can afford it and if it will fit in to my training.. may have to reconsider length goal once I know.

And tonight I've just been doing a few push-ups and plyometric holds whilst organising my wardrobe and watching Taken... What a sensible Friday night!

05/03/10

Did any UK readers catch the Eddie Izzard program last night? Mike and I really enjoyed it, except I was almost asleep by the end of it since it finished at 11.30pm and that's past my bedtime haha. I'm not sure if you can watch this video outside of the UK but I'll post the link in case it works, it was the only one I could find. If not there is an article here which tells you a little more about what he did. The thing that struck me was his lack of training, I mean he really went in at the deep end! He did five and a half weeks training before he begun. He got injured lots and his feet were covered in blisters, it must have been quite an effort to carry on! It did make me laugh when halfway through one of the marathons he stopped at a pub for a beer, perhaps it was to numb the pain.... Not too sure about that tactic!

AM
Mike was feeling a bit rough today so we decided to go swimming, we're both really starting to enjoy swimming, I can see us incorporating it into our weekly routine. Today we swum a little further than last time, and swum our first 20 lengths slightly faster than last time.
20 lengths / 1km in 28 minutes
24 lengths / 1.2km in about 35 minutes

We had a look at the playground near the pool after our swim, I have to say it's far better than it used to be when I was a child! It had one of those zip wire things and a really funny looking roundabout which we had to try out! Hello big kids! It was for two people, one on each side and you hold on to these handles, run around and lift your legs off the ground.. It was really good fun but my arm strength went after a few times, kids must be so strong!

We also walked for over 7 miles today so I felt the need to write it down! It's a 2.5 miles there and back to the swimming pool and we walked another mile in the afternoon.

PM
Neck curls 10kg x 40 reps
Isometric punches x 4 sets Jab/Straight/L.hook/R.uppercut
Wrist Curls 20kg x 35 reps
Reverse wrist curls 11kg x 35 reps

P.s. check out Marcia's giveaway! I would love to win this one!

A few workouts and Italian food

It's been a while! I think this is the longest I've gone without updating! I missed writing Mondays workout cause it was my mum and dad's birthdays (they are both exactly the same age!!). We all went out to an Italian restaurant which was really nice and very indulgent!

Mike, Me, Gran, Grandad

A few (bad) pictures of the restaurant... my camera does not like low lighting!! - I loved the decor in this place, really quaint!

The waiter brought out olives and bread for the table, I had half a slice of bread and loads of olives, 2 slices of garlic bread, one normal and one tomato, some mozarella caprese.




For the main course I ate most of a vegetable pizza - gave three pieces to Mike, my brother and my dad otherwise I wouldn't have got through it hah! And I even had a desert, tirimasu, I was so full but it was worth it, the food was great!
My pizza
Mikes pasta
The best tirimasu I've ever eaten!
After the meal we all went back to my grandparents for some drinks, I didn't have any, much to my grandad's disappointment as I'd already had two with my meal and I'm a complete lightweight! Anyway all of this meant I didn't get home until 1 so I didn't feel like blogging then, just sleeping! Since then I've not had much time on the computer but hopefully that will change soon as mine should be getting fixed *fingers crossed*

Monday
I went running again!! So glad to be back out there! I did three 1 mile intervals..these interval workouts don't get any easier!!
1.2 mile warm up at 9.40 pace
mile 1 - 7.28!! new years resolution of a >7.30 mile check!! best aim for under 7 now!
mile 2 - 7.56
mile 3 - 8.19
0.83 mile cool down
Mile 3 was so frustrating, I'd hoped to get them all under 8 but I was just too tired. It would have been faster but some idiot driver drove onto the pavement in front of me so I tried to go around her for her only to drive back in front of me where I was going then. I think she was trying to park or turn around but she was making a right pigs ear of it and just got in my way completely. I wouldn't have been under 8 minutes if this hadn't happened but it would have been more like 8.10 I think. The second annoyance was my knee. It started hurting in the cool down.. I didn't think much of it until Tuesday when I could barely put my weight down on it. I'm getting seriously fed up with my body. It just keeps letting me down my shins fine and it's something else.

Tuesday
AM
I was really tired after the late night on Monday and just not feeling very motivated. I wanted to do something but I didn't really feel up to much.. I suggested to Mike we give swimming another go since it would be easy on my joints. We did a little jog on the way there but nothing much (my knee felt fine here). We did 20 laps of the pool with a small breather between each lap which equalled to 1km in 30 minutes- not bad for the second time swimming in about 10 years! On the way home is when I started having problems. We had about 2-3 miles to walk home and about a third of the way home my knee started hurting so much I could barely walk.. WTF?? Jogging part of the way there is fine but walking is not? Body what are you playing at?

PM
Strength - upper body only.
Dumbbell bench press 2 x 6 (7.5kg)
Dumbbell bent over row 2 x 6 (13.5kg)
Dumbbell curl 2 x 8 (6kg)
Push-ups on handles 2 x 4 (Sooo much harder on the handles!!!)
Wrist curls 35, 15 (17.5kg)
Reverse wrist curls 35, 15, 10 (10kg)

During the pm workout I got really stressed out with myself. The worst bit was the push-ups, I couldn't even do 5 on the handles and that got me. My body just felt exhausted, I feel like I keep adding rest to my workouts but keep feeling more run-down and fatigued. I'm getting so frustrated with myself.. During the workout Mike suggested he thought I would benefit from taking an extra rest day a week. I don't really want to cause it feels like taking a step backwards but it's just not working out the way I'm working at the moment. Like he said 5 good workouts a week are better than 2-3 good with the rest limited by fatigue...

I had a rest day today and I've devised yet another new plan which I'll post tomorrow... maybe this will workout better.. I hope so!! I've just re-read this quickly and I'm sorry how grumpy I sound today!!Cheery Laura is back tomorrow!