Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Yet Another Overdue Update...
Once again I have managed to miss updating this for over a week... well, after that good 17 miler I came down with a chesty cough and then a cold, so last week was kind of written off...
I took it quite easy; just a 4 mile walk on the Tuesday, and a gym session Thursday but didn't push myself too much. Saturday I filled my rucksack to around 5kg, and headed along the pavements to Colwick Country Park, venue for one of the Grand Prix series races. I had a natter to my sis whilst marching around, it was bigger than I thought and I got a little lost! It was only when I passed a half chewed trainer for the second time that I managed to find my way out! It was quite a nice walk though- crisp and clear, with paths through trees and around lakes. By the time I got home I'd done 7 miles.
Sunday my entire exercise regime involved seeing Cliff Richard at Birmingham as part of his 50th Anniversary Tour with mum (god, I can't belive I just admitted to that!) and dancing in our seats to old favourites like 'Bachelor Boy' and 'Living' Doll'...
I had my personalised training session Monday night at the posh new gym with 'Helena'. I wasn't sure what to expect, as my needs are rather, umm, specialised... she hadn't heard of the MdS, but when I told her what it entails, she did give me some good pointers. She said that as I am aimimg to complete rather than compete, the onus should be on building up strength in the legs, rather than speed, which does make sense. She wants me to run on incline on the treadmill- all the time! We then moved on to the ellipticals and she asked me what I'd been doing on them... now, I have usually done 20 minutes, gradually working up to level 9, thinking I was doing pretty well. She said that she expects me to do 30 minutes, and mentioned that the resistance level needs to be much higher.
I tentatively put it up to 9, and she said that she was thinking of 'double figures'. I pushed it up to 11, and she moved it to 15, saying 'I think this will do it'. Do it... I did 30 minutes at level 15 and it damn near killed me!! But that's the beginning... she wants me to build up my time on there!
The exercises she gave were back and stomach strengthening exercises using a ball, plus squats done against the wall, with the ball against my back and a 7 kg dumbell in each hand- you can really feel this! She also wants me to do lunges in something that looks like half a ball, and is really difficult to balance on. Then ski squats on the power plates- these are small platforms which vibrate, and holding a ski squat for 60 seconds is excrutiating!! She also recommended the leg extension machine, the Tricep dip for bingo wings (ok ok, this was vanity rather than MdS related...) plus finally the infamous 'plank'.
My legs were aching Tuesday but that is probably a good thing... I shall follow her advice anyway.
Last night was a 6 mile walk with 5.5 kg pack (bloody freezing!!) but my right knee felt a little tender so I'm sciving, sorry, resting tonight!
Tomorrow will be back in the gym... the Beacons Ultra is just over a week away!!
I took it quite easy; just a 4 mile walk on the Tuesday, and a gym session Thursday but didn't push myself too much. Saturday I filled my rucksack to around 5kg, and headed along the pavements to Colwick Country Park, venue for one of the Grand Prix series races. I had a natter to my sis whilst marching around, it was bigger than I thought and I got a little lost! It was only when I passed a half chewed trainer for the second time that I managed to find my way out! It was quite a nice walk though- crisp and clear, with paths through trees and around lakes. By the time I got home I'd done 7 miles.
Sunday my entire exercise regime involved seeing Cliff Richard at Birmingham as part of his 50th Anniversary Tour with mum (god, I can't belive I just admitted to that!) and dancing in our seats to old favourites like 'Bachelor Boy' and 'Living' Doll'...
I had my personalised training session Monday night at the posh new gym with 'Helena'. I wasn't sure what to expect, as my needs are rather, umm, specialised... she hadn't heard of the MdS, but when I told her what it entails, she did give me some good pointers. She said that as I am aimimg to complete rather than compete, the onus should be on building up strength in the legs, rather than speed, which does make sense. She wants me to run on incline on the treadmill- all the time! We then moved on to the ellipticals and she asked me what I'd been doing on them... now, I have usually done 20 minutes, gradually working up to level 9, thinking I was doing pretty well. She said that she expects me to do 30 minutes, and mentioned that the resistance level needs to be much higher.
I tentatively put it up to 9, and she said that she was thinking of 'double figures'. I pushed it up to 11, and she moved it to 15, saying 'I think this will do it'. Do it... I did 30 minutes at level 15 and it damn near killed me!! But that's the beginning... she wants me to build up my time on there!
The exercises she gave were back and stomach strengthening exercises using a ball, plus squats done against the wall, with the ball against my back and a 7 kg dumbell in each hand- you can really feel this! She also wants me to do lunges in something that looks like half a ball, and is really difficult to balance on. Then ski squats on the power plates- these are small platforms which vibrate, and holding a ski squat for 60 seconds is excrutiating!! She also recommended the leg extension machine, the Tricep dip for bingo wings (ok ok, this was vanity rather than MdS related...) plus finally the infamous 'plank'.
My legs were aching Tuesday but that is probably a good thing... I shall follow her advice anyway.
Last night was a 6 mile walk with 5.5 kg pack (bloody freezing!!) but my right knee felt a little tender so I'm sciving, sorry, resting tonight!
Tomorrow will be back in the gym... the Beacons Ultra is just over a week away!!
Labels: Beacons Ultra, Cliff Richard, gym
