thribble

Feeling Good, Louis! On Tuesday morning I got within spitting distance of the sea. On Wednesday I reached the sea. This morning I reached the sea and ran for 3km beside it! Which gives me a total of 8km ran this morning, which is pretty good.

Quite apart from that (Mum, stop reading now!!), I've been on a bit of a detox this week, after our party at the weekend. No booze, no meat, just fruit and veg. I had my first proper meal last night when I made a chilli. The rest of the week has been all carrot sticks, kiwi fruit and soup. Still, I'm 2kg lighter, and, as I say, feeling good!

So I'm celebrating with a glass of shiraz. Seems wrong, somehow!

In other news, I've seen two movies this weekend - Ocean's 13 and Pirates. Both number 3 in a series. Johnny Depp wins hands down. I lauged out loud and cried a bit too. Keith Richards was fantastic. Skip Ocean's 13.

Labels: films, fitness, motivation

Still no real excercise. I tried to get up and go in Bendigo, but realised I had no key to the house, so I couldn't get back in if I'd gone. I'm still very bunged up, which is incredibly frustrating. More than that, I've put on that kilo. Part of that is that I'm packing to move, so it's hard to get enthusiastic about cooking well right now. I'm running a 5k race in 2 weeks, so I've got to get back out there and fit.

I've also struck a pact with a friend. The Melbourne Marathon races this year finish with a lap of the MCG. How often do you get to do that? Not very, let me tell you, so we're going to sign up. As doing a 5k seems a bit of a cheat, we've decided that the run round the MCG will be the reward for a half marathon. I've worked out a training schedule, and the Run to the G is the end of the first week - a kind of benchmark. So I will definitely be running next week, or I'm going to look really stupid on the 7th October!

So if anyone's thinking of a trip to Aus this year, I can guarantee a really big comedy event on the weekend before my 31st birthday - me, struggling to look like an athlete as I hobble round the MCG, before heading straight for a bar. Come witness!

Labels: fitness, half marathon, motivation, moving

I finally did it. I got down to a 6 minute kilometre. Admittedly I did it by running the other way round the park to usual (i.e. down the big hill, not up it!) but none-the-less, I shaved 1 and a half minutes off my time. Go. Me.

I also dropped a kilo, so for the record, my white cotton wrap around top is off limits if I put weight on. Not that most of you know what that is, but Mum, you were there when I bought it!!

In other news, our neighbours are currently subjecting me to full volume Whitney. And I-eeee-I will always love you-oooo-oo-o-o-o. Somebody get me out of here!

Labels: clothes, fitness, motivation, moving

You may have guessed (or even asked me in person!) that yesterday was a rest day. The original reason behind chosing Saturday was that I had planned to go dragon boating this morning. However, in the eventuality, it turned out that at heart I haven't changed in the last 20 years. I didn't go because I wasn't sure if anyone I knew would be there. So I went for a run instead. Boring. But I did manage to shave 15 seconds off my previous best for that route. Still not quick enough, but getting there.

Labels: fitness, motivation

This morning it was chucking it down. Overnight the site we're working on in Bendigo had 40mm of rain in 2 hours. Places around the country are celebrating as the drought seems to have broken (although we still need months of this - isn't that a great thing to look forward to!). I got up at 6am and went downstairs to the little gym, rather than go out in it. At some point I'm going to have to get wet, but not this morning... I did star jumps and lifted weights and sat up and dipped.

In other news, I now have a Victorian drivers licence. I no longer have a UK one. The photo's shocking on my new one, but at least I'm legal!

Labels: fitness, motivation

Thanks for the comments yesterday. I didn't quite do double today, but I did at least get out of bed, which was entirely due to the thought of the embarrasment and shame I'd go through if I didn't! Plus, in altering my route so I could go past a water fountain, I managed to do 4.8km. Admittedly, I did therefore stop for a minute or so to get some water, but I still managed to come in at under 7min/km, which is alright. I need to get under 6, but I'll be happy with that for now.

I've also concocted a way to motivate myself to lose weight, another thing I'm really struggling with (fat and fit, that's me!). Every time I get under a kg point I'll designate a piece of clothing that I can't wear if I go over that point. And not rubbish clothes that I don't wear anyway. If I do something really good, like get under a 5kg marker, I'll treat myself to a new piece, and then not let myself wear it if I go over that marker. This all came about because I'm coveting a new running top at the moment, but I don't want to buy one in the size I am now! Does anyone have any more, better, suggestions?

Labels: clothes, fitness, motivation

I am a lazy sausage roll. Today I did not run. I did get up and do 30 push ups, 50 sit ups, some leg waving things and some side-ab hurting things. But that was it. If I'm hit with a fit of enthusiasm I'll go for a quick run this evening. The reason behind my laziness? Sheer exhaustion. I couldn't get out of bed. I don't have to go into work this morning - I'm veiwing a house at 8:30 - so I felt very little guilt. Oops!

Labels: fitness, motivation

It was hard work getting up this morning. Only the thought that I'd have to confess on paper (well, virtual paper, anyway) that I'd given up on the second day got me out of bed. That and the fact that in turning off the alarm I accidentally moved the clock forward an hour, so momentarily thought I was going to be late for my lift! But get up I did, and run round Fawkner Park I did, which is about 2.5km. I tried to run really fast, but (as happened yesterday) it turned out I ran at exactly the same speed I always do. Quite depressing, in a way. I then did some sit ups, squats, push ups, dips and a weird leg excercise that involves lying down and doing complicated manoeuvres that hurt. No pain, no gain, eh?

Right, I'm off to the shower then Bendigo.

Labels: fitness, motivation

I got up and ran 4.27 km (according to the wonderful resource that is online interactive bike maps of Victoria). I thought I'd only do 3 but I got carried away. I then got even more carried away and did some squats, dips and push ups (15, 15 and 10, sorry, I really hate push ups!!). I'm pretty impressed, but I need to increase that distance by about half a km this week.

Labels: fitness, motivation

I've finished my 6 week excercise programme, and it definitely showed results. Last Monday I ran 4.5km - 6 weeks ago I'd have struggled to run 45m! As an example, when I started I did 16 push ups in a minute (and really struggled). On Friday morning I did 34, and could have gone for longer. However, the maintenance programme is run by a different person, who I had the displeasure of one session with this week. He made me cry with pain. Now don't get me wrong, I know there's no gain without pain, but really, was that necessary? Surely there's a point a bit before that where I'm gaining things but not actually wanting to die.

So here's the deal. I need some motivation, and I'm hoping you lot will give it to me. I will post every day what I've done, and if I'm rubbish, you're all to roundly abuse me please! I am allowed one day off a week, which will generally be the Saturday or Sunday - everyone needs a lie in, and once it's past about 10 here I'm not going out running in that heat. So starting tomorrow I'm officially "in training" for the Run to the G on the 17th June, and I want to get under 28 minutes for the 5km. Wish me luck.

Labels: fitness, motivation