A spring in my step

Today I'm full of the joys of spring, even though it's still only February. I really enjoyed my long run this morning. It was sunny and fresh, which makes such a difference from the miserable, dark and cold evenings of winter.

I definitely prefer running in daylight. It's not long now until the clocks go forward and I for one can't wait. Take Thursday night, for example. I had the smart idea of doing some hill reps on a grassy slope in the dark. Big mistake. The running part, although challenging, was fun. The 'scraping hard-packed dog poo off my shoe with a toothbrush' part was not.

This morning the miles (6 and a half) flew past as I took the time to admire the early flowers and returning greenery in the sunshine. Mind you, I had to avert my eyes as I ran past the pond. It's clearly frog mating season. Ah, the wonders of nature!

Now, if only I could get my diet sorted out. A cup of tea with a Creme Egg is just too tempting.

The Office

I've done really well this week, in terms of sticking to the programme. A big gold star for me. But is it enough?

I was at a conference earlier in the week, where I learnt that sedentary behaviour is an independent risk factor for health problems like obesity and cardiovascular disease. In essence this means that even if you do your 30 minutes plus on most days of the week, the time you spend sitting around in between could be bad for your health.

I easily exceed the recommended minimum, as I do an hour of exercise 4 or 5 times a week. I also try to walk wherever I can. Even so, I'd say I'm either asleep, sitting down or chained to my desk for a good 20 hours each day.

I think I need a new job.

Plan B

Most of the last week or so has been a write-off on account of my cold. This got me thinking about my usual approach to a training 'blip'. I realised that I'm a lot better at entering races and designing training plans than I am at actually training. When things go off track I:

1. Get a little bit annoyed at myself for failing to stick to the plan.
2. Make a cup of tea.
3. Crumple up my training plan.
4. Sit down and start concocting a new one.

I'm definitely a natural organiser. When I used to work as a personal trainer, my favourite part was tailoring exercise plans to suit my clients perfectly. I used to spend hours on it. Now that I'm working full time, I'm my own 'project'. I thought about what I would advise someone else to do if they'd missed a week. Just adapt the plan a little bit and move on. So that's what I'll do.
I spent one more evening putting together a proper plan that would see me through my three upcoming races. It's on a spreadsheet so that I can easily tweak it if anything major comes up but I've factored in lots of flexibility and left spaces to log what I've actually done, so I should be able to stick with it as it is. I pinned the finished product on the kitchen wall and vowed not to take it down and crumple it up until at least April.
It goes something like this:

• MONDAY - Exercise DVD or rest
• TUESDAY - An hour on the bike or turbo trainer plus a short run
• WEDNESDAY - Yoga or just a stretch
• THURSDAY - Interval or tempo run
• FRIDAY - Exercise DVD or rest
• SATURDAY - Longish bike ride
• SUNDAY - Long run

Let's see how it goes...

Oops

Hmm so maybe I overdid it on Wednesday or perhaps it's just a coincidence but I feel AWFUL. My throat hurts and I can't stop sneezing. I had to cancel Thursday night's training run and only managed a feeble stretch yesterday. Seeing as it's Valentine's day, my husband has kindly volunteered to take care of me and has prescribed a day of rest. Grr, I was really looking forward to getting out on my mountain bike. I know it's for the best though and just hope I can start next week feeling fresh and bouncy...

Rocky style

I got my heart rate monitor back yesterday - it ran out of batteries about 6 months ago and I only just got round to getting it fixed. I had forgotten what a great motivator it is. I can tell if I'm slacking (or working too hard) because it beeps furiously at me and I can set a calorie-burning goal to work towards. But by the time it arrived, I'd already done my David Kirsch Ultimate Bootcamp DVD, which I LOVE, and been for a 3 mile run with the dog. I put it back in it's box and started planning this morning's training...Rocky style!

After a 15 minute yoga blast I fuelled up with some peanut butter on toast and gave it an hour to settle. I got the bike trainer set up and put on a race simulation DVD from CTS - it's like having a private spin class in your own living room, but even more challenging. I was just looking at their website now and see that they also do audio downloads for interval running, so I'll have to try some of those soon. After an hour on the bike, I practiced my triathlon 'transistion', which was laughable, and went straight out for a run. My legs were jelly for the first 10 minutes but I got into my stride and really enjoyed it. The best bit was getting home to see from my watch that I'd burned over 800 calories. Rocky would be proud.

Of course, this warranted a proper refuel, so I made my favourite recovery shake:

• 1 small banana
• 1 scoop protein powder
  
• 1 handful frozen berries
• Milk

Yum!

Bootcamp week

I'm on holiday by myself this week and on a serious fitness mission. For a brief moment in early January, I had considered booking myself on a bootcamp holiday for the week. But I wasn't sure about spending £1000+ of my hard-earned cash to run around the hills being shouted at by a scary-looking ex-army trainer. Ok, I'll admit it, that actually does sound like fun to me, but I really couldn't justify spending the money. So I decided to put together my own home-made bootcamp fitness regime. I started on Saturday with a 6 mile run and yesterday went for a big walk with the dog and another 5 mile run. I could really feel it in my legs this morning so I took it fairly easy today. Another big walk and a good stretch out with my Tracy Anderson DVD. I took the opportunity to set up a makeshift spa retreat and had a lovely long bath, did a body scrub and detox mud wrap. By the end of all that I was shattered and needed a sleep. What a lovely way to spend a Monday!

1,2,3...GO!

I'm not feeling particularly motivated today and I haven't done any exercise. Actually, I'm sitting in the warmth with a scarf and fluffy slippers on, drinking a glass of red wine. The weather is supposed to be awful this weekend but I'm definitely going to power through it. Only a few weeks to go 'til my first race of the year! This is what I've entered so far:

1. A triathlon. My first. In March. Am I insane?
2. An adventure run. In March. In the dark. Definitely!
3. A half marathon in April. A jog in the park in comparison.

I've constructed a very vague training plan, based around a few I downloaded from the excellent Runner's World Smart Coach, but I'm not going to take it too seriously. I've had too many injuries in the past and know to take it easy until my fitness is better. I'll just do these for fun and see how I go.

I started with a first training run with my team-mate for race number 2 last night. We jogged, we chatted and we tried not to slip on the ice. It took us about 40 minutes and was apparently only 3.67 miles. I refuelled with a skinny hot chocolate on my way home. The perfect mix of protein and carbohydrate!

Braving the weather

Yesterday got off to a good start. B was on an early shift so I got up at ten to six and braved the snow to go for a quick jog with the dog. It was only a 20 minute blast up the road and back but it certainly woke me up. Feeling virtuous, I put some porridge on and had a good stretch. I was still feeling pleased with myself when, shivering and snowman-like, I arrived at work, only to be lured by the temptation of the cafe downstairs. 20 minutes jogging doesn't quite justify a buttered fruit scone and a latte, so I resolved to continue the good work later.

In the evening, I resisted snuggling up on the sofa and instead warmed myself up with an exercise DVD. A few weeks ago, intrigued by yet another clever marketing ploy, I bought myself The Tracy Anderson Method Mat Workout, by Madonna and Gwyneth's Personal Trainer. Tracy tells me that, if I want a "teeny tiny dancer's body", I need to do her DVD at least 4 times a week and nothing else. I don't think so! I'd describe it as a bizarre mix of pilates, yoga, ballet and Madonna-style dance moves. It's hard to follow but seems to be quite good for opening up my tight shoulders and I certainly feel it working my hips. I'll stick with it once a week or so but, for me, variety is definitely key so I won't be giving up my running or anything else.

This morning, I hit the snooze button and saved the exercise for later. It's icy outside so, once my feet thaw, I'm setting up the bike trainer and doing a home-style spin class. Who needs the gym?

The plan

Today I started by looking at my goals and what my new plan will involve. The list so far:

Goals/motivators:
(in no particular order)

• Vanity: I'd like to fit into my jeans better and feel more toned and confident.
• Fitness: My husband is a great cyclist. I'd like to be able to keep up.
• Competitive streak: In 2005, I completed my first (and only) marathon in a respectable 4 hours and 20 minutes. My most recent race was a duathlon. Although it involved running up an enormous hill in gale force winds, I'm ashamed to admit that only 2 people saved me from finishing last! Okay, I'll never be an athlete, but finishing somewhere in the middle would make me very happy.
• Health: Long and short-term. I know that exercise is the best way for me to relieve stress. As well as the immediate feel-good effect, I want to do everything I can to keep me well in the future.

The plan:
There are no rules.

1. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables.
2. Eat plenty of protein (as a vegetarian, I know this can sometimes be a challenge).
3. Stick to wholegrains and avoid processed foods.
4. Vary training and eating habits, so I don't get bored.
5. Schedule exercise in my diary, most days.
6. Do a couple of resistance-training sessions every week.
7. Remember to stretch.
8. Walk as much as possible.
9. Sign up for at least 4 races this year, so I have something to work towards.
10. Take a day off every week.

Tools:
Essential: Bike, running shoes, hand weights.
Useful: A big pile of exercise DVDs, skipping rope, indoor bike trainer (in case it's just too cold to go out), heart rate monitor, stability ball.