Thursday 26th November 2009

Hour of five-a-sides at lunchtime today. Worst game for a while - the cough's been coming back and I really didn't seem to have much puff. Not helped by a few interruptions that were just long enough for the lungs to have a quick hack to themselves. Probably shouldn't really have played, but hey - you don't know until you try it ! Game was first loss of this round of games, and I was nowhere near scoring either. Ho hum !

Monday 23rd November 2009

(finally up to date !)

Short-ish session in the gym in Lanark tonight.

Treadmill - 14 minutes, starting off with 3 at 7km/h+2.0%, moving on to 9km/h and building up to 9.3km/h for the last minute or two - covered 2km exactly

Abdominal abominator - 1 set of 30 reps at 20lbs, 1 set of 30 reps at 30lbs

Exercise bike - 5 minutes at resistance level 6, covered 2km

Cross trainer - 1 min forwards at level 17, then alternating 1 minute back then forward at level 13 for another 4 minutes

Didn't feel too bad after that - worked a sweat up, and didn't have any major reaction from my lungs afterwards, so although the damn irritating cough is still hanging around the lungs themselves might be ok by now. I'm going to ache tomorrow though... :(

Thursday 19th November 2009

(playing catchup)

Hour of 5-a-sides in pi$$ing rain at lunchtime in Glasgow. Got through it ok, the team won and I kept up my Sanatogen tag by scoring my usual one goal a game. Lungs needed another kick-start after the game though, with a real hack in the changing rooms afterwards :(

Monday 16th November 2009

(playing catch up)

First tentative trip back to the gym after my flu/cold/throat irritations. Still coughing, but still managed 15 minutes on the treadmill and 5 minutes on the exercise bike. Lungs needed a good kick-start afterwards though.

Friday 30th October 2009

Tonight should have been a gym night ...

Have been running for the train for the last few mornings. Yesterday (Thursday) felt like very hard work, and I was breathing pretty heavily on the train. About halfway to Glasgow, started to get a sore throat and a bit of pain on deep breaths. Over the course of Thursday & Friday it turned into a typical man-flu (headaches, sore throat, runny nose, light headedness, every ache & pain for the last 5 years re-emerging) so a gym session on Friday night was never really an option !

Wednesday 28th October 2009

(Playing catch up...)

20:30 - 21:10 Session at Lanark Gym

Quite busy again this evening, but went for it on the treadmill !

Treadmill : 5 mins @ 6.5 km/h+2.0%, 9 mins @ 8.5 km/h, 4 mins @ 9.0 km/h, 2 mins @ 7.0 km/h+2.0% (13 mins to do 2km in the middle section - just over 2.7km overall)

Stepping machine : 5 mins at 5 flights per minute

30 reps @ 25lbs + 30 reps @ 30lbs on the abdominal abominator

2 sets of 15 reps @ 15lbs on the weights machine

Cross trainer : 5 minutes alternating between forwards and backwards @ level 16

Good fun workout really !

Monday 26th October 2009

(Playing catch up...)

20:30 - 21:10 Session at Lanark Gym

No serious treadmill time, as the gym was pretty busy this evening. Most time (16 minutes) spent on the cross trainer, with some time on the exercise bike and the stepping machine (usual 5 mins at 5 flights per minute). Had a quick burst on the treadmill (4 minutes at 10km/h) right at the end though.

Friday 23rd October 2009

20:30 - 21:10 Session at Lanark Gym

Treadmill - 5 mins @ 6.5 km/h + 2.0%, 5 mins @ 9.0 km/h, 4 mins @ 8.5 km/h, 1 min @ 9.0 km/h

Stepping machine - 5 mins @ 5 floors per minute

Cycling machine - 5 mins at level 5

Rowing machine - 5 mins - 1.01 km

Treadmill - 3 mins @ 10 km/h

No weights tonight - getting a feeling that I'm missing out on my long distance runs, 'cos it seems to be getting a little bit harder rather than easier :( Weight still seems to be coming down a bit at a time though (hovering around the 96kg mark tonight...

Friday 16th October 2009

20:35 - 21:10 - Session at Lanark Gym

Treadmill - 5 mins @ 6.5 km/h + 2.0%, 10 mins @ 8.5 km/h

Cross-trainer - 2 mins forwards @ level 15, 2 mins backwards @ l 15, 2 mins forwards @ l 15

Stepping machine - 5 mins @ 5 floors per minute

Cycling machine - 7 mins @ varying between level 6 & 8

Short-ish session at the gym - think I've pushed it a wee bit too far, as my knees are pretty achy tonight. However, not sure I'll be able to get back to the gym before Tuesday, so thought I ought to make an effort tonight ! Recovery time was pretty good - back to normal, apart from the achy knees, within a few minutes of starting to walk home afterwards.

Thursday 15th October 2009

12:30 - 13:30 Five-a-Sides

Full hour of fives, with only a couple of brief sojourns in goal during the hour. Two goals and an unexpectedly comfortable win for our team (by 5). More "runners" in the other team, but we built up a decent lead early on and maintained it (I expected us to build up a lead and get overtaken in the last 10 - 15 minutes, but it didn't turn out that way). Really threw myself into it, and for the last 10 minutes or so was pretty much playing statues, but at least my shins and knees aren't too bad - no pain in the shins at all, and my knees are just a bit achy. Result all round - at least for the football :s

Wednesday 14th October 2009

20:30 - 21:10 Session at Lanark Gym

Treadmill - 5 mins @ 6.5 km/h+2.0%, 6 mins @ 8.5 km/h, 4 mins @ 8.7 km/h, 1 min @ 6.5 km/h

Stepping machine - 5 mins @ 5 floors/minute

Cross trainer - 3 mins forwards @ level 15, 2 mins backwards @ l 12, 2 mins forwards @ l 12

Treadmill - 3 mins @ 10 km/h

Abbreviated session tonight - too slow getting myself into gear and out for the walk down to the gym (that's an extra 1260 paces each way, down and up hill :) Felt a bit incomplete because I only used 3 machines rather than the usual 4 or more, and I didn't do any weights as my lower back still feels a little twinge-y and I've got football tomorrow. Excuses excuses, eh ?? And that's after eating *four* pieces of chocolate cake today...

Monday 12th October 2009

20:20 - 21:10 Session at Lanark Gym

Treadmill - 5 mins at 6.5 km/h+2.0% gradient, 4 mins at 8.2 km/h, 11 mins at 8.5 km/h

Stepping machine - 5 mins at 5 floors per minute

1 set of 30 at 25lbs, 1 set of 30 at 30lbs on abdominal abominator (+ spare 10 at 25lbs as I forgot to change the weight setting !)

2 sets of 15 at 15lbs on the weights machine

Cross trainer - 2 mins forwards, 2 mins backwards, 2 mins forwards all at level 13

Recumbent bicycle - 5 mins at resistance levels between 8 and 11

Treadmill - 3 mins at 9 km/h

No rowing tonight, tried to do as much running as I could as I'm getting concerned that I can't keep myself going in the "real world" beyond the 300+300 combo I got to a little while back.

Also... scales now read somewhere between 96 and 97 kg, so still some weight coming off :)

Tuesday 6th October 2009

20:20 - 21:10 Session at Lanark Gym

Cross trainer - 2 mins @ level 8, 2 mins @ level 12, 5 mins @ level 15, 2 mins backwards @ level 15, 5 mins @ level 12

Treadmill - 2 mins @ 7 km/h + 2% gradient, 5m47s @ 8.2 km/h @ 0.5% gradient = 1km, pause and stretch, 7m13s @ 8.5km/h (+0.5% for first 4 mins) for second 1km

1 set of 30 at 25lbs, 1 set of 30 at 30lbs on abdominal abominator

2 sets of 15 at 20lbs on weights machine

Stepping machine - 5 minutes at 5 floors per minute

Rowing machine - 1km in 4m30s

Really didn't feel like I could be bothered going for this session, but forced myself to do it and came away feeling a lot better for it. Felt like pretty hard work though...

Sunday 4th October 2009

Lunchtime - Circuit around Duncrub in 18m16s or so - apparently a fairly decent time... Last did this run back in early August (2nd), where I've recorded it as 1.8 miles/2.9 km, and run in about 21 minutes - so I could claim to be getting faster at the rate of 1 minute per month ... think that would be pushing the bounds of credibility though !

Friday 2nd October 2009

20:25 - 21:10 Session at Lanark Gym

Treadmill : 5 mins @ 6km/h+2% gradient, 5 mins @ 8.2km/h, 3 mins @ 8.5km/h, 3 mins @ 7km/h+1% gradient

Cross trainer : 2 mins forwards at level 15; 2 mins backwards at level 15; 3 mins forwards at level 11

2 sets of 30 at 25lbs on the abdominal abominator

2 sets of 15 at 15lbs on the weights machine

20 flights (200 feet !) at 4 flights per minute on the stepping machine

1018 metres in 4m37s on the rowing machine

Before going, felt like I really couldn't be bothered with a session tonight - had a 45 minute hike around Glasgow city centre after work (pointlessly, in the end - grr), and was feeling a bit achy after football yesterday. But went anyway, and to be honest feel all the better for it (whisper it quietly !) Level 15 might be a bit much on the cross trainer for me at the moment though. Also, today I tightened my belt another notch (from first notch at the start of the year to the fourth notch now), and the scales read a definite 98kg. So feeling a bit better after a completely crappy week at work. Oh, and pacing out the walk to the gym, it turns out it's 1,265 steps downhill beforehand and the same distance uphill after finishing. So it's all good, really :)

Thursday 1st October 2009

Another hour of 5-a-sides today, on a pitch we don't use too often - astroturf wasn't as easy to run on and the boards not as "bouncy" as usual, but we got on with it. Scored, and my team won - even managed a few sprints the length of the pitch. Did manage to tweak my knee a bit with a too-rapid tackle-start-stop-start-stop sequence, but had walked it back off again by the end of the afternoon. Ankles are a bit clunk-y tonight, and knees ache a bit - but shins are fine.

Finished the day with a mile's worth of hike around Glasgow city centre, with two mile walks around Lanark to finish the day off - wasn't planned but wound up being needed !!

Wednesday 30th September 2009

20:35 - 21:10 Session at Lanark Gym

Cross trainer - 11 minutes (split between levels 8 and 12, including two minutes backwards)

Stepper - 5 minutes at four floors per minute (but managed to beat that time !)

1 set of 30 at 20lbs, 1 set of 30 at 25lbs on the abominable abdominal wotsit

2 sets of 15 at 20lbs on the weights machine

Treadmill - 10 minutes, 2 at 6km/h, 6 at 8.5km/h, 2 at 7km/h - all at a 2% gradient

Gym pretty busy tonight - three or four people in for inductions by the sound of it - but managed to get a reasonably varied set of exercises in. First time experimenting with gradients on the treadmill - certainly made a difference ! Also tried to keep the training to keep my heart rate level maxing at about 150bpm - didn't manage it though - peaked out over 160bpm :(

Monday 28th September 2009

20:10 - 21:05 Session at Lanark Gym

Treadmill: 5 mins @ 6km/h, 10 mins @ 8.5 km/h, 1 min @ 9km/h

Cross trainer : 3 mins forwards/2 mins backwards/3 mins forwards at level 13

Stepping machine : 17 floors at 3.5 floors per minute pace

2 sets of 30 @ 25lbs on the abominable abdominal machine

2 sets of 15 @ 20lbs on the weights machine

Rowing machine : 5 minutes (digital readout broken, so no idea how far I went !!)

Because the car is out of action, started with a 0.6 mile walk from home to the gym (downhill !), stopped early to shower at the gym rather than at home then walked the 0.6 mile back up (uphill). Not a bad workout all round, but while my shirt was soaked through it still didn't *feel* like I'd worked that hard ?

I was talking about how, when I run outdoors, I don't seem able to keep going for the amount of time I can in the gym because my legs just got too sore to keep going, and it was commented that I might be hitting anaerobic levels of exercise very quickly. Watching the monitor in the gym, even restraining myself to 8.4 km/h the heart rate went up to about 160, so I was getting close - and I have a bad tendency to run faster than that when outdoors - oh well, best get a non-hard disk iPod and subscribe to to running podcasts that help control your BPM !

Sunday 27th September 2009

12:00 - 12:30 Stretching Session

Decided to have another go with the aerobic bands. Half hour session of the various exercises suggested in the set, plus a few more leg stretches - surprisingly hard work :-o Arms are still only on the yellow (light) band, but legs are on the purple (medium) band - seems to make things work a little harder :)

Must try for either a run or a trip to the gym tomorrow though...

Thursday 24th September 2009

Another hour of 5-a-sides. Got through it ok (no goals, again :( but hips are giving me some real gyp after nearly a week of not doing any proper exercise (had other things - like a self-destructing car !) to try sorting out this week !

Back to normal soon though, hopefully.

Friday 18th September 2009

20:30 - 21:25 Session at Lanark Gym

Longer session tonight ...

5 mins at 6km/h, then 10 mins at 9.0/8.5 km/h then 1 min at 7km/h on the treadmill (2.1 km ?)

8 mins on the reclining bike, did about 3.7km, with a lot at resistance level 8

1 set of 30 reps at 25 lbs, 1 set of 30 reps at 30 lbs on the abominable abdominal thingy

2 sets of 15 at 20 lbs on the weights watcher

5 mins forwards at level 12, then 1 min at level 12 and 1 min at level 8 backwards on the cross trainer

8 mins on the rowing machine = 1645m

Did a lot, worked a lot, but don't quite feel as well exercised as I did on the short sessions for some reason... and I think I need to get back to running a bit more, as the session on the treadmill felt like very hard work, even though I only did 10 mins at any sort of pace on it. Mind you, that's three days in a row, between a short session, football and tonight, so maybe it was just a step too far - but hey. Oh, and the gym scales are back to reading 100kg !! Bah...

Thursday 17th September 2009

Hour of five-a-side football at lunchtime in Glasgow - not a stellar performance by any stretch of the imagination, but I did my damndest to keep up with play. Now all I have to do is become semi competent when I *do* keep up with play... even less likely ... (sob) Strangely I think my team actually won by a goal, but I did come off the pitch thinking we had conspired to lose... :s

Wednesday 16th September 2009

20:55 - 21:25 Session at Lanark Gym

Another late arrival home, and another abbreviated session at the gym. Tonight's fun :

11 minutes on the cross trainer - 2 at L5, 2 at L8, 4 at L12, 3 at L8 - inc. 1 at L12 & 2 at L8 backwards

2 sets of 30 at 25lbs on the abominable abdominal exercise wotsit

2 sets of 15 at 20lbs on the weights machine

10 minutes on the rowing machine - 2120 metres :)

Not bad - better than nothing, but Friday is a public holiday at work so hopefully I'll be able to put in a full hour's exercise, and get a decent run on the treadmill...

Monday 14th September 2009

21:00 - 21:25 Session at Gym in Lanark

An abbreviated session tonight...

4 mins walking at 6km/h to warm up

5 mins (including 1 min backwards) on the cross trainer, mostly at level 8 (a little at level 5)

1 set of 30 at 20lbs and 1 set of 30 at 25lbs on the abominable abdominal muscle thingy

2 sets of 15 at 20lbs on the not-so-free weights machine

7 mins on the rowing machine - did 1400m this time

4 mins and 8 flights of stairs on the stepping machine

Rapid fire whizz around as I didn't get home from work until quite late - about 20:35 - and I was trying to talk myself out of it most of the way home, so now feel quite virtuous about having gone and done it ! And it was my first day back at work after a fortnight's holiday too... (sob)

PS. The scales at the gym now hover just below the 98kg marker...which would be about 15st 6lb ! *If* I believe those scales... I think I need some external verification before putting an awful lot of faith in them to be honest, but at least the *trend* is downward...

Sunday 13th September 2009

18:45 - 19:15 - 1.5 mile walk around Lanark (including doing the shopping and carrying it ;) Felt ok after doing this, so decided on a run...

19:46 - 20:20 - Run at Lanark Loch (3 laps of 1.1 miles/1.77km each = 3.3 miles/5.3 km)

Lap 1 - 350 run + 250 walk

Lap 2 - 300 run + 300 walk

Lap 3 - 200 run/200 walk/200 run/400 walk/250 run/200 walk/170 run

Very, very hard work this, especially the last lap (as you can probably tell !) Still not feeling 100% after my wee funny turn in Glasgow on Friday, so if I've had some sort of virus or bug then it's still hanging around me a little :( 34 minutes is the longest I've taken for a while, and it's the first time in a little while that I've had to have a 400 pace walk to get back to normal for a good while :((( (Although part of that 400 was encountering on the path an entire family of experts on the Philosophy of Rights; or at least, the philosophy that they have lots of Rights, and everyone else has the Right to get out of their way and let them enjoy their Rights...)

Thursday 10th September 2009

16:50 - 18:05

Walked around Lanark - similar route to earlier wanderings, covering about 2.5 miles/4.03 km. Time includes time spent in the post office, at the doctor's surgery and doing the shopping in Tesco (and carrying the stuff home as well !)

Home -> PO -> Doctors -> Tesco -> Delves Park -> Sorting Office -> St Mary's -> Home

Not a run, but a nice wander all the same :)

Wednesday 9th September 2009

20:25 - 21:25 Session at Gym

Should really have gone for a run today, weather was nice enough - but didn't quite get to it in time before it would have been too dark to do three laps. Settled for gym...

5 mins treadmill at 6km

11 mins on cross trainer, including 2 mins backwards - covered just over 1km on this

10 mins on treadmill starting at 8km, working up to 5 mins at 9.2km before dropping back - covered 1.5km

8 mins on upright exercise bike - covered 4km dead on this

2 sets of 25 @ 20lbs on the abdominal muscley wotsit

2 sets of 15 @ 25lbs on the weights machine

7 minutes on the rowing machine - did 1257 metres worth, apparently

Finishing up with the rowing machine seemed like quite a nice way to finish off the session, as it was work but not horrible - I felt like I could finish a few minutes on it and walk away without a lengthy cool down. Probably a bad idea, but hey... !

Monday 7th September 2009

20:25 - 21:20 Session at Gym

- 5 mins walking at 5km to warm up on treadmill

- 11 mins on reclining bike (did about 4.3km - time includes a cool down at the end)

- 2 sets of 15 on the abdominal muscle working machine, whatever it's really called

- 2 sets of 15 on the not-so-free weights machine

- 11 mins on the cross-trainer, including 2 mins going backwards (totalled just over 1k)

- used the stepping machine to virtually climb 10 flights of stairs (about 10 feet per flight ?)

- 1 min at 6km, 1 min at 8.5 km then 5 mins at 9.2km on treadmill, followed by two mins at 6km to cool off

Didn't quite have the place to myself tonight (one other person in for most of it), but think I might have done a little bit too much tonight - really had to chuck it after 7 minutes of running because I was starting to feel a bit under pressure, and the football jersey I wore this evening was soaked through - almost fit for wringing out when I got home. The stepping machine was absolute murder, so I think I might give that a wee miss for a while (apparently it's hard work for the instructors too, so I don't feel quite so bad about that !)

Hopefully I'll get out for at least one proper run before the end of my hols this week...!

Friday 4th September 2009

20:10 - 21:05 session at Lanark gym...

- 5 minutes warm up (walking at 5k) plus stretches

- 11 minutes on the treadmill (started at 8.5k, then up to 9k, then down to 8.0k - but only 1.5k at run for 10 minutes ? up to 1.6k after 1 minute of walking at 6k to cool down)

- 2 sets of 15 on the machine that works your stomach muscles (must learn the names of these things !)

- 2 sets of 15 on the free-weights-simulator-machine (like doing free weights only sitting down ;)

- 5 minutes on the cross trainer, plus a minute going backwards, plus a minute forwards to cool down (covered about 0.5k on this...)

- 2 sets of 15 on each of the leg exercising machines

- 11 minutes on the bikes (split between an upright bike I just couldn't get adjusted properly, and a reclining bike - covered about 6k between the two machines)

phewwww... had the cardio room and weights room to myself, so could really have had a go on the rowing machine and made an a**e of it without anyone noticing - but the machines that exercise your legs really seemed to take it out of me without me noticing until I had a go on the bikes ! It'll probably take a few trips to work out what the best combination of exercises for me will be - might use one of the remaining bits of the induction to arrange a programme ... how organised !?!?!?!

Wednesday 2nd September 2009

Induction at the gym in Lanark - decided to go for PAYG in Lanark, and maybe sign up for the Glasgow gym as I don't think that's available as PAYG :( (The other way 'round would make more sense, but hey...)

Anyway, went round the various machines, found a couple that would be quite useful (and a couple that seem best avoided !), and sneaked 5 minutes on the cross trainer and 11 minutes on a reclining bike afterwards ;)

(Oh, and had a mile+ walk around Lanark later for the shopping !)

Sunday 30th August 2009

Thought I'd try using some aerobic bands Cathy gave me to try stretching ... owwwww ! I think I need put on a rack and stretched out *properly* - and that's starting with the little skinny yellow band ! To be fair, I think my legs are somewhere between the yellow (light) band and the purple (medium) band - the purple one actually made my hamstrings work a bit - but no way am I anywhere near using the grey (heavy) band !! Might do a run around the loch later, and see how I do in "real world" mode rather than at the gym...

(later...)

16:38 - 17:09 - 3 laps of Lanark Loch (1.1 miles/1.77 km each = 3.3 miles/5.31 km)

Bah !

For all the "run 1.69km in 10 minutes on a treadmill", I'm still stuck with doing 300 run + 300 walk in the "real world" !! I suspect this is down to three things

- in the "real world", I don't take long enough to warm up

- in the "real world", I don't pace myself as well

- the "real world" is not flat, flat as it might look !

The second point is backed up by the fact that around the loch I'm doing 3 laps of 1.77 km in 31 minutes at 300 walk + 300 run - that means (to me anyway) that those 300 running paces are being done too quickly, so I'll have to find some way of pacing myself to the 8.5km/9.0km per hour that I can do on the treadmill and see how long I can keep going...

Friday 28th August 2009

Marriott Gym at lunchtime - 1.69km of running wrapped up in a total of about 2km including warm up and cool down. Ran for almost 10 minutes solid, including a spell at 9km/h, which given where I started from a few weeks ago is reasonably good progress I think ? Also did 4.72k on the cycling machine in a 10 minute session, although I had to go a bit longer, slower, because when I started slowing down at first I slowed down too quickly and started to get cramp in my lower legs - not fun - so I kept going just to gently ease off to a stop.

Must have a shot at the rowing machines some time - looks like fun ;)

PS. Had a shot at the scales, and I reckon it balanced out at 101.1 kg, with my running shoes on. That would be 15st 12.9lb - bad, but at least down from the 16st 7lb the doctor weighed me at last November, and I've only really been making any sort of effort for the last 4 weeks or so, and even then not *much* of an effort...

Thursday 27th August 2009

1 hours worth of 5 a sides at lunchtime - stayed out of goal for the majority of the game, and scored a goal in a drawn game. Felt ok and managed to keep going for most of the hour. Unfortunately didn't swap my running shoes for football boots in my bag, so had to play in running shoes - which meant that any decent firm kicks of the ball were pretty darned sore !

Tuesday 25th August 2009

Been backsliding a bit over the last few days, with one thing and another - so today, rather than a run, I went to the Marriott gym in Glasgow (have a 5 day free trial pass to try it out) - so, used a treadmill and a stepping machine for the first time. In both cases, went a bit slower (at least to start with) than normal, and actually managed to run for longer in a continuous session than I can normally manage on my runs around the loch - rather odd. Also had a go on a cycling machine for a while too - I reckon between the four sessions on the three machines I probably did about 5km today, one way or another (less impressive than it sounds, as I managed to cover a fair bit of that on the cycling machine which was rather less effort !) The treadmill will take a bit of getting used to, as I had some severe jelly legs after getting off (why has the floor stopped moving !!) but as an alternative when it's too dark (and wet, and cold !) for night time running, it might be a good alternative (if expensive) ... and they do after work adult swimming lessons too ...

Thursday 20th August 2009

20:52 - 21:23 - 3 laps of Lanark Loch (1.1 miles/ km each = 3.3 miles/5.31 km)

Yes, I'm claiming the new mileage ! Must get a pedometer or something to check that out for sure...

Anyway, I was a backslider - should have been out on Wednesday, but I was tired post-U2 and the weather was foul, so I gave it a miss - shocking ! Went out tonight and made up for it...

Lap 1 - 250 run/200 walk

Lap 2 - 250 run/250 walk

Lap 3 - 250 run/250 walk

There were a few variations in there - there was a 300 run phase, and a 300 walk phase, but mostly I tried to stick to "run as many paces as you walk" as a rule. It was pretty hard work though, as I really didn't quite feel up for it tonight - was feeling pretty tired half way through the first lap, but just made myself keep going. Made it round, and in 31 minutes too..!

Monday 17th August 2009

20:45 - 21:18 - 3 laps of Lanark Loch (3 x 0.96 miles/1.55 km = 2.88 miles/4.65 km)

Went for it this evening, as it was starting to get a bit dark as I got to the loch, so wasn't sure if I'd get three laps in or not. So ...

Lap 1 : 250 run/200 walk

Lap 2 : 250 run/250 walk

Lap 3 : 200 run/300 walk

I seem to have found a variety of ways to do three laps of the loch in 33 minutes !!

Also, according to two young women who were out jogging, they reckon it's actually 1.1 miles around the loch on the path - I've only sketched it out roughly on goodrunguide.co.uk/RoutePlanner.asp, so they might be right - which would put a slightly different spin on things (i.e. doing 3.3 miles/5.31 km each time rather than 2.88 miles/4.65 km) !

Saturday 15th August 2009

20:32 - 21:05 - three laps of Lanark Loch (3 x 0.96 miles/1.55 km = 2.88 miles/4.65 km)

So, did the first lap and most of second lap as 250 run/300 walk, but gradually went back to 200 run/300 walk. Last bit of running started off as full stride fast running, but going into a pretty strong headwind put an end to that quite quickly ! Doesn't feel so bad on the legs, and recovery time seems reasonable - but still don't feel able to keep the run going much further than 250 paces - legs just get really heavy and want to stop at that point, although after the 300 walk paces I can get going again reasonably easily.

Oh yes, and skipped last night, as I felt up for handling any two of cold, rain & strong winds - but all three at once didn't seem like a good idea - so tonight, just had to put up with strong winds !

Wednesday 12th August 2009

20:39 - 21:12 - 3 laps of Lanark Loch (0.96 miles/1.55 km each = 2.88 miles, 4.65 km)

Stuck pretty much solidly to the 300 walk/200 run routine for the whole trip, but for some reason didn't really feel completely up for it tonight - first 100 run fine, by 140 feeling it and by 160 wishing for the end of set - and had to pretty much force myself to do the third lap :( Still, averaging 11 minutes per lap given my general fitness is a crazy speed - just can't seem to shake my mental image that I'm going too slow so not really *running*... bah !

Monday 10th August 2009

20:51 - 21:31 - 3 laps of Lanark Loch (0.96 miles/1.55 km each = 2.88 miles/4.65 km)

(time is from leaving car to getting back to car, so includes stretches/warm up/cool down)

Managed to stick to the 300 walk/200 run for the whole of the three lap stint this time - but that's definitely my current limit, as I was really feeling it towards the end of the third lap. That said, breathing was back to normal within 4 minutes of being back in the car, so couldn't have been *that* bad. Legs aren't giving me too much hassle - wearing football socks seems to be a good halfway house between nothing and tubigrip, so I might save the tubigrip for days when I'm feeling a bit ache-y - there will be a few of those I'm sure :(

Saturday 8th August 2009

Ok, so I'm a bit dumb doing some exertions three days in a row ... guilty as charged :s Anyway :

19:53 - 20:28 - 3 laps of Lanark Loch (0.96 miles/1.55 km each = 2.88 miles/4.65 km).

Original idea was 250 run + 350 walk, but that fell by the wayside as I did the first lap in a frankly idiotic 10 minutes - no way am I fit enough to sustain that pace, especially doing the run paces as full length rather than controlled ! Settled down to 200 run + 400 walk, but still did the second lap in 11 minutes, then did the third lap in a far more realistic 14 minutes. The first lap meant that the whole exercise felt like much harder work than it should have been, but my recovery time was quite good in the second and third lap - practiced rhythmic breathing (taking deep breaths every third pace) and was back to normal breathing by about 220 paces of walking, even towards the end of the third lap.

Friday 7th August 2009

Lunchtime run in Glasgow city centre.

Warm up - Robertson St -> Broomielaw -> Jamaica St. Bridge

Run - Clyde St -> Stockwell St -> Glasgow Green (loop at needle) and reverse

Cool down - End of Clyde St -> Broomielaw -> Robertson St

Distance (run only) = 1.5 miles

Distance (including warm up & cool down) = 1.92 miles/3.08 km

Can't remember timings - will have to check with Cathy :)

Tried to do this as 2 mins run / 3 mins walk - changed down gradually to 2 mins run 4 mins walk, and eventually to 1.5 mins run (which I actually ran to 250 short run paces). Quite tough, but only as tough as 400 walk/150 run was a week or two ago, so some signs of progress.

Followed it up with a fairly gentle 1.4 mile/2.25 km walk across the city centre in the late afternoon :)

Thursday 6th August 2009

1 hour of five a side football at lunchtime - spent best part of 10 minutes in goal though, as our side won pretty comfortably. Still managed to score a goal, and keep up with play for most of the time - better than for quite a while !

Tuesday 4th August 2009

Only time for a quick lap of a slightly longer route around the loch - probably about a mile - between 21:37 and 21:48 on my mobile :) Did the lap as 200 run + 300 walk, but it was really too dark to go for a second lap which had been my original plan. Oh well...

Sunday 2nd August 2009

1.8 miles/2.9 km in 21 minutes,plus warm up and wind down walking on rural route around Duncrub - bit more hilly than the normal loch route, so slightly harder work, with a 211 pace run to finish off with !

Thursday 30th July 2009

21:13 - 21:45

Walk around Lanark town centre - 2.10 miles/3.38km. Much the same route as Sunday, but without the extra loop around Home Street/sorting office, but including all the uphill bits ! (And carrying some more shopping from Tesco too ... ;))

Wednesday 29th July 2009

20:45 - 21:25

3 laps around Lanark Loch (0.96 miles/1.55 km per lap). Slower than previously (shins are rebelling against all this work !), so done as 400 walk + 100 run (rather than 400+150). Added an extra section on to the first lap - seems there's an additional path with a better surface for running on, but that involves a climb away from the loch, some extra distance then a descent. Surface is a lot better though, and takes away from the flat nature of the lap - something to add in if and when I get any better at this !

Tuesday 28th July 2009

Day off today - just the 1.06m/1.71km trot around Dalkeith, although taking the easy route (opposite way round, coming *down* the vicious steps rather than going up them!)

Monday 27th July 2009

Two today !

Quick walk in Dalkeith at lunchtime. Route: Office -> Park -> Steps -> Water Tower -> Bank -> Post Office -> Office = 1.17 miles, 1.88 km. Hard to guesstimate time as spent time in bank & post office - steps up to water tower are still a killer though !

20:23 - 20:59

3 laps of Lanark Loch (0.96 miles / 1.55 km)

9 sets of 400 walk + 150 run, followed by 350 walk/100 run/300 walk/100 run/100 walk to finish. Roughly same time as Saturday, suspect I underestimated Saturday's time (only had an analogue watch with me !)

Sunday 26th July 2009

18:35 - 19:25

Walk around Lanark town

Home -> Tesco -> Delves Park -> Sorting Office -> St Mary's -> Home = 2.5 miles, 4.03 km.

Time includes doing the shopping in Tescos (and carrying it !) :)

Saturday 25th July 2009

First night !

20:55 - 21:30

3 laps of Lanark Loch (0.96 miles, 1.55 km per lap = 2.88 miles, 4.65 km)

Approx 2000 paces - first lap did about 550 running, second 400 at run, third 300 at run.

Here We Go Again ...

Well, I finally got tired of my split level belly. Time to do *something* about it, I thought, so I've started trying to do some sort of exercise. To make it externally accountable, I'll log what I attempt doing here. You never know, I might actually manage to get ... maybe, kinda, sorta ... fit...