My personal training sessions have continued and my whole running style has improved. Whether that translates when I'm out without a personal trainer is another story. How would I know? I can't watch myself run, I have yet to master astral projection. But my balance has improved and the strength in my glutes has improved which will all help to make me a better runner.
A couple of Sundays ago with my running chums we headed out into the New Forest for a little 10.5k run. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining, it felt fantastic to be out in the sunshine, in the fresh air. Ran past a few ponies, dodged falling in quagmires of mud and generally had a bloody nice time.
A mid week Personal Training session, hard as ever, with reps that have me grimacing in toe stubbing pain until I've finished the set, was finished off with with a bit of measuring and weighing. And here was a bit of disappointment. No change on the waistline and the weight had even crept up a bit. Whaaat, all this hard work and I don't already have a model figure?
The thing is working towards a leaner, less wobbly, more efficient physique is mostly about what I eat. And I do know that. I also love to cook, and 99% of the time love the taste of what I cook and so like to have more. And I suspect I probably eat one too many biscuits than I think I do. I don't eat loads of processed food and have pretty much cut out booze.
So I know that the food side has to change, I'm pretty clued up I think but I always need a plan. Life is extremely hectic and will increase in it's hecticness so preparation is the key. Welcome the Excel spreadsheet. Taa Daa. A four week meal planner is what I need. No diets, I'll never follow one of those, it has to be yummy stuff that I'll have time to cook and have done enough research to know that it's good for me, with the recipes on different tabs and perhaps even a shopping list. Yes you might think it's anal but I really have to be prepared to do these things properly and make lifelong changes. It's in progress, only started at the weekend and I've a way to go yet but getting there. And one thing that will no longer be on my shopping list is mature cheddar, I could pick and pick and pick at mature Cheddar, which is probably one of those secret eating habits that has to change. Moderation is the key.
So life is changing for the better. And then there was yesterdays run.
Just wasn't feelin it. Nope, nadder, zilch. It was warm (nothing compared to the training in last Summers heatwave) and I felt like I was running through glue with iron trainers on. WTF. It wasn't just me, the girls weren't feeling it either and I suspect if we were all feeling it, or not as the case may be, we rubbed on each other psychologically and the whole run was awful. We did about 7k, nothing really by our usual standards and stopped for a rest about every 2k. WHAT! I was ready to chuck my trainers in the bin after that, throw away my medals. Properly felt like the petulant child throwing my toys out of the pram or a raging harridan. I really didn't want to do this running keep fit lark anymore.
And so, of course when one has had enough of doing something, the very thing you must absolutely do is give yourself a bloody enormous challenge. It was one of those 'what was I thinking' moments.
So this morning, in a moment of madness I entered the ballot for the London Marathon. Well that seems sensible after barely being able to run 4 miles yesterday. 26.2 miles bloody hell.
And so in my personal training session this evening with Alex I honestly thought he was trying to kill me. Are personal trainers secret millionaires? Life insurance policies taken out on their unsuspecting clients, pushing them to the brink where the body just gives up? More cardio work until I thought I couldn't breath, with a face the colour of raspberries. But even though it's bloody hard, and it hurts (only in the sense of my muscles working hard) it still feels good.
So I have promised to do an interval training session before my next PT session on Friday and keep a diary of everything I eat. And in a years time I'll be ready to run my first marathon....apparently.
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