Experiments in Geekery

When the wagon's a treadmill, it doesn't have the same impact I suppose. I'm considering giving C25K (Couch to 5K) a try, in somewhat modified form no doubt.  I think the chances of me hitting 5K in a session at any time soon are so small that to even aim for that is to be unrealistic.  I don't run.  Never have done.  I've been forced to at school, doing the 100m, 400m and 800m (seriously - you call that a sprint?!) along with the joy of Cross Country through Gaitsgill and Raughton on cold winters days. But I never enjoyed it, I find it uncomfortable enough that I can't get into a groove.  It's not like walking where I can find myself just slipping away into myself or like cycling where the pleasure of just getting somewhere different and unachievable by walking (and let's admit it, the speed) are all pleasures. I did however give running on the treadmill a brief shot today.  I walked briskly for 5 mins, ran for 90 seconds, walked for 3 mins, ran f...

The blogging, I mean.  The gym lasted OK, until we went on holiday to the depths of Scotland for a week.  That threw me completely out of whack, and then the clock change threw me for a loop as well.  Getting up at 0630 became impossible, so to be honest I only made it to the gym about 3 times in November, and December I didn't make it once - partly because the panto I did in the beginning of the month sapped my will to do anything at all for the week of the show and a week or two after.  Then it was Christmas and what's the point then? :-) I'm disappointed because I did really well, lost a fair whack of body mass if not weight (it was noticeable to me at least, and Jane was quite pleased), but the time constraints that I have mean early mornings are my only real option. So then, to the new year, to new attempts.  I have a new alarm clock, and renewed will.  I know far too many people who are doing far too well at losing weight it's making me feel inade...

So, I am now ill. I have a head that wants to explode, snot coming out of my ears and feel sore.  At least that's how I've felt since Monday morning.  Sunday afternoon I went to the gym and my attempt at doing stuff nearly killed me.  That really should have been my first warning sign. I have tried to go since then, but I really couldn't face it.  Well that and the fact that I've had so much to do in order to make the place acceptable for Jane's return tomorrow.  I've done a fair amount of tidying and re-organising, shufting some stuff about.  This created large amounts of chaos, which has slowly been transformed from back to order again. Tomorrow I shall go back, first thing in the morning.  Try and get back into the routine.  It's so easy to break it, so easy to make an excuse, and then another excuse, and then another excuse. By the time a week has gone past we're out of the rhythm and find it hard to go back.

This morning at the gym I had a really hard time of it.  Just could not get motivated.  I slept well, but this morning woke up grumpy.  I think it was down to Jane not being here - she's off to America for a week so I'll be on my own until Wednesday - have to motivate myself! Part of the problem was that I was 10mins later than normal getting to the gym, and I wanted to be early to work to catch up on the day off I had yesterday.  I probably shouldn't have bothered to be honest, but I only managed about 12mins of cardio work to warm up, and then skipped the hand-bike and rowing machine and moved straight on to the resistance work. Another reason for feeling quite so lethargic might have been what I ate last night.  Oh dear... I don't really want to record it but I bought two chickens from Sainsburys last night as well as other foods, and I love chicken... there was one left for today's tea, which has been MUCH more balanced. Let's make up for it tomorrow m...

Or for those of you born without a silver spoon in yer gobs: pushing yourself. This morning my workout was hard.  I really pushed at everything, upped the resistance on all the cardio machines (treadmill, handbike, the previously mentioned weird-ass Vario things) and really went for the weights.  Consequently, I hurt like hell now. Ow.

The good news?  According to the Wii Fit & balance board, I am now 5lb down on my weight from last week. This is good news indeed.  This is with a very mixed week of both very good eating (taking veggies to work to snack on) and very bad eating (a pack of Oreo cookies and a large bag of crisps) and a sausage sandwich. I have started upping my workload at the gym.  If I've only got 45mins to do it in, I need to make sure I'm doing something worthwhile!  The first week or two have been breaking myself in, gently. Hopefully I'll continue to see similar falls in weight.  I realise that expecting that level of continued loss (5lb/wk) is unrealistic and would be perfectly happy with 2lb a week.

I took Thursday off in the end, as I didn't wake up until gone 8am and my commute is 45 minutes... doing gym things in the evening isn't likely to happen.  I'm normally starving after work and the evenings are for flumping, not working out... right? So I was back at it this morning, queuing at the door when they opened.  I'm managing about 40mins of work - I need to change on my way in and out and have to be back at my car for 8am (car park charges start at 8am).  That includes 10mins on the treadmill, 5mins on the hand bike and 5 mins on the weirdest walky machines I've ever seen .  Also doing some resistance work which I'm quite familiar with, though haven't yet started on the free weights as I'm a wuss. I'll get myself on the Wii Fit again in the next few days and see if it claims I've gone down in weight at all.  As I see it, I can't have gone any other way!

So I've done what I've been trying to persuade myself to do for ages.  I've taken advantage of Wrexham County Borough Council's offer, of £25 for 30 days membership of their "Pure" leisure centre stuff.  This gives me access to the pool, gym, sauna and classes. I joined on Friday, 6th August and so far have been to the pool several times and the gym twice (had to wait for an induction for the gym), and damn do I feel sore now.  This much exercise is unexpected. I'm going in the morning before work, so am turning up as they open the door at 0700.  When I've been swimming, must admit I'm not doing much because I'm a wimp and it hurts.  Today was a record with 7 whole lengths!  I need to work out some kind of routine for myself at the gym because it's all too easy to get caught in a cycle where I only do the things I like!  Somehow, I don't think that's the point. I've got to keep this going.  It's not going to be hard,...