24/28 Meet Dave!

Last Friday I missed a session at fitcamp as I was resting before racing on Saturday, unfortunately this meant that I missed Dave's first visit...
He came back this morning - but really folks he's a pussy cat :-) a BIG wimp!!
Fantastic session this morning, a real endorphin rush and was pleased that I managed as well as I did, felt good for the rest of the day, so much so I was all set to go for a run after work til I remembered I had a physio appointment at 6!  Got the knots in my calves and hamstrings kneaded out so all good to go for next race which takes place Friday evening - run out onto beach, round rock and back uphill to finish line outside of pub before tide comes in... should be fun!! (or something!)
If any of you who take the time to read my random ramblings, are interested in trying it for themselves, then John and Pamela of Pinpoint Fitness are putting on a free taster week next week, just look them up online or on facebook and get in touch with them they'll be delighted to see you.

Came home this evening and the postie had delivered my race-pack for the Ignis Women's 10k in Glasgow a week Sunday, I love getting a race number in the post - it's exciting :-) the tshirt is pink again this year :-)

Was starving after this morning's workout so had blueberries, banana and yoghurt for breakfast,
Lunch: 2 slices roast beef and salad
Dinner: chicken curry with cabbage and kale

drunk loads and loads and loads of water and tea today and can honestly say my hydration has balanced itself back to normal after the weekend lol!

I wanted to post another photo tonight but I couldn't take one that showed properly what I wanted to show so you just have to believe me, I bought a fabby skirt last summer, real 1950's style full panelled almost circular, black with white polka dots.  Just loved it - put it on this morning and it is fully 4 inches too big on the waist!!  I wanted to take a photo showing this but I couldn't get it to show the full effect!  Maybe before the end of the week I might manage to get a photo to post, will keep trying :-)

23/28 A new direction...

Two things today that made me think of the title of this post. 

First of all we ran a new route tonight, it was a lovely evening to be out and I wanted to see how the legs felt after Saturday and then yesterday's workout.  I thought I'd probably go for a walk with a wee bit of jogging perhaps if I felt up to it, but my legs were surprisingly responsive so ran the whole way apart from road crossings and a minute when I had to tie my hair up as the wind was blowing so strong I couldn't see and was eating hair!

The second was that I passed a lady today whom I recognised from my brief trial at a slimming club last summer - said lady has lost about 5 stones in weight and all respect to her she's kept it off, she walks everywhere these days and looks healthy and well.  Seeing her today made me think about what I weighed last August and I realised that I now weigh 23lbs less than I did then.  This is no thanks to the slimming club, I did lose about 10lbs over the 6 weeks or so I went, but I put it all back on again between October and December.  This is why I was looking for a different approach to weightloss and fitness and how I came across a link to PinPoint Fitness via a friend from Strathclyde parkrun. 
So this was my second new direction :-)
I can honestly say my approach to food, to eating and to exercise has taken a new direction, I now do more exercise than just run, I have got stronger and more confident in my ability to keep going, having got lighter has also made it easier to get around a bit faster - there's less to shift!  Simple physics, the less mass you have to move the less effort you need to expend, or for the same effort I get a greater return - win win! :-)

I enjoyed my run this evening, it was only 5km but it was enough for the first run after a tough race, there's something gratifying about your legs responding when you ask them to :-)

Early start tomorrow as Dave is coming to visit us at fitcamp, I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to it or not, will let you know tomorrow!

We've eaten a lot of eggs today but hopefully they won't have any adverse effects!
Breakfast:  scrambled eggs and tomato
Lunch:  goats cheese, red pepper and tomato salad
Dinner:  salmon, asparagus and goats cheese omelette with a salad of spinach, chard and rocket
 

22/28 Ascension

"As you have moved into ascension you have moved more fully into your body."

Today's workout was called ascension, and when I was looking for an appropriate image I found this one which shows the chakras of the body, I don't know a huge amount about them, but I have had a couple of Reiki sessions and know that they are significant and they are important in yoga I believe...
I also liked the picture :-)
But I do think that it's appropriate as in the last 3 weeks us Guinea Pigs have come to know our bodies better.  I certainly know that mine is much stronger than I ever thought before and that I can now trust it not to let me down, I have also come to accept how it looks in the mirror and that's been a really important change in attitude for me.

I wasn't sure how I'd manage this morning as I was stiff and tired from Saturday's run, I woke a couple of times in the night, just because I was stiff, and when I woke at 04.41 I was afraid if I dozed off I'd sleep through the alarm, so I got up then, ok it was a bit early, alarm was set for 5am but on the plus side it meant I was able to enter myself and John for next year's London marathon - when I say entered I mean we are successfully in the ballot for a place, that doesn't mean we'll get one but if you're not in it you've no chance!

So to our Ascenscion workout - I honestly don't remember that much about it, I just remember doing it and being really pleased because I managed to do it - including some burpees which I don't usually do because the getting up and down is too hard with my non-bendy knee but I managed 5 this morning!  We did lots of exercises in combinations of 1 or 2 then more then a rest then more of them together before a rest... it was a really good tough workout but it was one of those where you just respond to the next command - sometimes that's good to do, you only concentrate on the moment not on what you need to do next...

We finished off with a 10 to 4 routine which is a different exercise for each number of reps, so 10 of first then 9 of second down to 4 of last exercise.

It as a fast day today and this morning I was so so sleepy!  I think it was residual tiredness from the weekend, not just the run, but the early start/late night, the comedown from the adrenaline and also the stress of worrying about John and then about the rest of the guys in my relay team - responsibility is a heavy burden sometimes :-)
still felt quite jet-lagged today although by mid-afternoon was starting to feel less spaced out just tired.
Had a lovely big sirloin steak with spinach and cauliflower for dinner so will finish this and tidy up a wee bit then it will be early bed for me.
I did manage 5minutes rolling my calves on the foam roller before dinner time and although it was a bit ouchy I feel the benefit of it, I need to try and fit in a wee run tomorrow...

Half Way!!

Or in other words you have to be willing to move outside your comfort zone... we all have them, even those of us who run or take regular exercise and whom some others may think of as "fit", we still all have our comfort zones.
It's easy to stay safe inside it, you can dot along at a steady pace, feeling good about the world and pretty righteous that you're doing your bit to stay fit and healthy - and you are, you're just not pushing yourself.  I can write that last bit quite confidently because I have been there, it's only in the past 3 months that I have started to step outside my comfort zone and do things that make me uncomfortable, but I like the results, so I'm no longer afraid to keep on pushing the boundaries.  Starting the PT sessions with PinPoint Fitness was a big step outside the comfort zone for both of us yet we have both seen some great results - we've lost weight, we've lost inches and our race times have got faster, there are lots of reasons you could attribute this too, but it's about doing something different, something you've never done before, it wakes your body up and it starts to respond.  Then you get the payback for the hard work :-)
Guess that's a bit sermon-ish cos it's Sunday - sorry folks!  That's the thing though about a blog it's about putting your thoughts and feelings down on virtual paper.

Today is the halfway mark in the destination fat loss program and I'm pleased to report that I have lost another 2.5lbs so that's 4.5lbs and another 6cm which is 16cm in 2 weeks :-)
The next 2 weeks are going to be interesting as they include 2 Fast days - I'll update you on these when I do them...

I had a "long lie" this morning, despite wakening at 5.30 I managed to dose until 6.30 and didn't actually get up until almost 7!  At 5.30 I did seriously contemplate getting up and going for a run, but by the time I got up at 7 the notion had gone!  Instead, we watched the start of the VLM and then I did a mega ironing - still watching the marathon :-)
Back to watch the finish screens to look for friends who were running today and I did manage to see one, James come across the line.  He looked strong which was good to see as he heads off to USA in a day or two to run the Big Sur marathon next Sunday!
Shopping and lunch were next on the agenda, then it was time to put a roast in for dinner, make a batch of muffins and a pot of soup.
In between times I took 5minutes out to ice my knee as it's been pretty sore past few days, but seems to be on the mend...
Sunday night we have an hour of pilates and have just changed to the Summer timetable so it's 8-9pm, it's a bit of a late start, but it does stop us slothing in front of telly or on the computer and it gives us a good stretch.  The only thing I don't like about the time is that we need to eat before we go and in order to digest it, dinner is earlier than usual which is ok but not my choice.  However it's too late when we come home.

Today's menu:
Breakfast:  scrambled eggs with a thin slice of nutty bread
Lunch:  Roast turkey with a salad of mixed leaves and tomatoes.
snack:  Apple and half a muffin when they came out the oven :-)
Dinner:  Roast beef, celeriac mash, broccoli and carrots (only a few)

I made Broccoli and watercress soup so that will be tomorrow's lunch.

Well done to everyone who ran the VLM today, especially our friends, James, Pete, Graeme, Lindsy & Owen, and a special Congratulations to Lindsy & Owen as next weekend they get married!

13/28

This was the view as we ran out of the forest today it was pretty cool.

I am running leg 2 of the Highland Fling next Saturday and I was unsure of a bit of the course, so asked John if we could go and recce it this weekend.  We were awake at 5.30am - guess it's just becoming a habit :-) so we had some porridge for breakfast and set off at 8am.  It was a lovely morning even though the forecast wasn't great - heavy showers for the whole country...

We're about an hour away from Drymen so by the time we got parked, jackets on (and trousers in John's case) and organised, we were probably on the track by 9.15am  It was sunny with some cloud and was fairly warm, I managed to keep my jacket on for about half an hour then it had to come off!  We had a nice run up into the forest, and when we go out the far side, the photo above was the view as we crested the rise. It was lovely, last time we'd come this way it was overcast and you couldn't really see much.

We ran 4 miles then turned round and headed back - that was the best bit as it's mainly an uphill climb all the way from Drymen but it doesn't seem too hilly until on the way back you realise that you are going downhill nearly the whole way!

After getting changed we set off to Glasgow to Tiso's to pick up some stuff for next week.  Had a nice lunch there too.

We missed all of the rain while we were out running, we drove through a couple of heavy showers on way home though.

Back home early afternoon and I've just chilled, icing my sore knee and watching the last Harry Potter movie.

Today's menu:

Breakfast:  gluten free proridge, half a banana, cinnamon and dollop of yoghurt

Lunch:  Baked potato with mediterranean veg in it - I had worked hard so the starchy carbs are ok :-)

Dinner:  Baked salmon fillet, roasted veg with extra broccoli

lots of water, some tulsi tea and more water.

I might run again tomorrow as there is a cycle path near us which has just been opened and I have been waiting for months for it to open so we can try it out...

7/28 A Long Day :-)

I think this is the most appropriate image for today's update all of the Guinea Pigs have reported fabby losses in lbs and cms/inches after week 1, well done everyone :-) Thanks to John and Pamela of PinPoint Fitness for the workouts and the wee prezzies which keep us motivated :-) That's us 25% of the way already!

The picture was painted on the road between miles 25&26 of Lochaber Marathon at Fort William which is where I've spent today. John was running the marathon so we were up early and heading off up the almost deserted road to Fort William by 7 this morning. It was a beautiful morning and the scenery was breathtaking in places, there is still a fair bit of snow on the high peaks and the sun shining on it was fantastic.
While I was waiting for him to finish the race, I took myself of for a 16km run, up Neptune's staircase ( a series of 8 locks = 8 equally sized small hills the same distance apart) and along the canal for a few miles. It was a good run and I was pleased that I did it today 15minutes faster than I'd done the same run last year. However John had a phenomenal run, smashing his PB by 9mins to come home in 3h22m! Not bad for 26.miles 385yds or 42.2km!

I've not eaten brilliantly today but have tried to stick to my regime as best I could,
Breakfast: Gluten free porridge with banana and honey
Lunch: A roasted chicken breast grabbed from Morrisons (other supermarkets are available) and I'd barely finished it when superman ran home!
Dinner: And this is where I was really bad but if you've been to FW you'll know how limited choices are... McDonalds =:-0 but it was a chicken salad!
Drunk lots of water and when we got home had some
blueberries, raspberries and yoghurt so tried hard :-)

Back properly on the wagon tomorrow and here's hoping for another good week! I think I might be a bit stiff at our workout tomorrow but that's what I get for running fast today :-)

6/28 PJ Day!

Yep that's been me today, I don't do this very often, but once in a while life catches up with me and I'm ashamed to say that I have spent today in my pjs...

I woke up early as usual, but had a lie in until 7 (that's a lie in for me!) and decided when I got up that I wasn't going to go to parkrun as I'd originally intended. I still thought I might run a couple of miles later on in the morning with John but in the end I didn't. It was a 'fine drying wind' this morning so got 3 loads of washing done and dried outside and baked some macaroons for a tea-party next week, and then another nutty loaf. John went for his run on his own, I just didn't have any energy, so I decided to save it all for tomorrow as I am determined I am going for my run tomorrow at Fort William.
After lunch I slept for an hour and feel a bit better for it, so then it was time to watch my donkeys run in the National and bring the washing in :-)

So, not much to report today, got a few £s back for 3rd place in the National, won't let me give up work but might buy a beer for John and George when they finish their race tomorrow.

Today's menu was
breakfast: Gluten free porridge with banana, drizzle of agave nectar and a spoonful of yoghurt
( I tried the millet porridge but it was too gritty so used gluten free oats instead)
lunch: Chicken stir fry, chicken breasts with broccoli, cabbage (red/white/green) onions, carrots, beansprouts
snack: slice of nutty bread
dinner: sirloin steak with brussels, cauliflower, carrots ( & baked potato for John)

On a positive note though, I am not as stiff/sore after yesterday's workout as I thought I might be I hope this means that I'm quite fit and my recovery is good, and not that I'm not working hard enough!!
will be heading for an early bed tonight as we're up at 0530 to head to Lochaber for marathon!

3/28 Session 2

Well John wasn't lying on Monday, he upped the ante this morning :-) It was great though! Hard work and broke a sweat and was sore when finished but got the endorphins going and that's the best bit! My fellow GPs will probably disown me for the following comment but I love Tabata training!!

I genuinely believe that this is what has helped my running most in recent months, it teaches your body/brain that even when you think you're absolutely done, you can usually manage "one more!" Your anaerobic function becomes much better and it makes you stronger.
The weather forecast was wrong for this morning, it was forecast for rain, sleet, snow, hail and thunder but when I woke at 5am it was dry and the sun was just starting to lighten the sky, we did our workout under beautiful blue skies, and although it was a wee bitty nippy on the fingers at the start, we soon warmed up! We even had music this morning which was a nice wee addition and partially drowned the puffing and panting...

Today's menu - small banana and some water on way to workout
Breakfast: Brambles and yoghurt
Snack: Blueberry muffin
Lunch: Turkey stir fry (leftover from last night)
Dinner: Chicken pizza and salad leaves see picture - it's yummy!

I was quite sore later this morning after all the stretching we did but by dinner time that has eased and I feel pretty good tonight if a little tired due to the early start.

I need to try and fit in a run tomorrow at some point - might be lunchtime or after work - unless I waken early in the morning in which case I might try to get a wee run in before breakfast.

The beef madras for tomorrow night's dinner is bubbling away merrily in the kitchen and the aroma is very pleasant :-)
more tomorrow...

Day 2/28

OK it's not that bad, the guinea pig in the picture is eating a dandelion and it appealed to my warped sense of humour :-) I've not been hungry at all, I've eaten plenty and enjoyed it all!
I decided today would be a rest day in that I wouldn't run, I have a commitment to run tomorrow evening so between that and our 6am session tomorrow and the DOMS from yesterday I thought that wasn't unreasonable.
Today's menu was
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with tomato
mid morning snack: Cherry and Cinnamon tea with a Banana and carrot muffin
Lunch: Poached salmon with a mixed leaf salad
Dinner: Stir fried pepper, onion, celery, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli and turkey

Tonight I baked some blueberry muffins so that will replenish the "tub" :-)
I will need to prepare tomorrow's lunch (leftover stir fry) and breakfast (fresh berries and yoghurt) as I will be up at 5am tomorrow for session 2 with my fellow guinea pigs and our gurus!
So looks like another early night on the cards but telly is rubbish anyway :-)