Weekend in Worcester

After my swimming lesson on Friday, we headed up to Hereford for the weekend.  

Westy on a road trip

Thanks to Vicky and Graham for putting us up and feeding us amazing food!  Unfortunately due to the bad weather we didn’t end up doing any walking in the Malvern Hills but we still had a great time.  

Saturday morning I got up early to run.  I had decided to run a 5 mile circular route that I had run last year when we were in Hereford but had planned to run it the other way this time.  Although it was raining I started off well, enjoying the quiet country lanes and the admiring view (even though it was somewhat masked by fog).  The route began up a short but very steep hill followed by just over 2 miles of steep, winding down hill.  I was feeling very smug at this point thinking thank god I don’t have to run back up this hill – it would probably kill me!  I kept running and running then all of a sudden I hit the main road and realised that I had gone very wrong somewhere and what little sense of direction I have had abandoned me completely. 

It was raining fairly heavily by this point and I had no idea where I was.  I was cold, wet (stupidly I went out without a coat) and pretty annoyed as I realised I was going to have to retrace my steps back up the two mile long hill.  Needless to say I ended up walking up the steepest sections as my lungs were on fire and my glutes felt like they were ripping with every step.  So by the time I got home I was utterly miserable and had ended up running just over 5.5 miles.  However, during my misery I made a deal with myself that I will start hill training and soon!  I know I should be doing this anyway but to be honest it always seemed too much like hard work.  This just proved to me how important it is especially if I want to survive the Jurassic Coastal Challenge next year.          

After I finally got warm and dry (aided by several cups of coffee), we headed into Worcester for some lunch and retail therapy.  I got some more Nike Tempo shorts from TKmaxx which are my favourite to run in, they are soooo comfy and keep up nice and cool as they let the air circulate.  Arran, on the other hand hates them... he reckons they are totally unsexy and tried to persuade me to buy the smallest pair of lycra hot-pants you have ever seen.  There is no way I’m running with my bum cheeks and cellulite hanging out all over the place!!

The Worcester Motor Festival was in full swing and there were some amazing old cars to look at and these two crazy guys were riding around:

Maybe I should be grateful I don’t have to ride one of these in my triathlon (it’s much further to fall)

We then headed to the Prince of Wales pub in Ledbury for a couple of cheeky ales before returning home for... you guessed it, more cheeky ales!  

Sunday’s weather was even worse than Saturday so I decided against my planned 3 mile run and instead sat next to the open fire and had homemade apple cake and tea before heading back down south. 

I had planned to head out for a 4 mile run followed by the gym for some resistance training today but after dropping my bike off at my local bike shop first thing this morning for a service as my gears keep jumping (since the last time I fell off) I had to head straight home as my new turbo trainer is being delivered today YAY, so I have to stay in and wait for the delivery man.  Very excited!

Planned Workouts:

Monday

• Easy run - 4 miles (if delivery man comes at a reasonable time)
• Badminton - 2 hours

Tuesday

• Swimming - 30-45 minutes
• Cycle - 30-45 minutes or Easy run - 4 miles (if not done on Mon)
• Strength training - legs, back, biceps, triceps, abs
• Badminton - 2 hours

Wednesday

• Easy Run - 4 miles

Thursday

• Swimming - 30-45 minutes
• Cycling - 60 minutes
• Strength training - legs, chest, shoulders, abs

Friday

• Easy run - 5 miles
• Swimming  Lesson

Saturday

• Easy Run - 3 miles

Sunday

• Rest

Scared of my bike...?

Today’s Workout:

• Cycling – 30 minutes     6.05 miles/11.6mph
• Swimming Lesson – 1 hour

Weigh in – 27/04/12 

First things first, lets get the dreaded weigh in confessions out of the way... I stayed the same 9st 0.5lbs.  Ahh the 8’s so close... yet so far!    

I did not lose anything (I even weighed again after going to the loo, taking off jewellery etc, but sadly it made no difference).  I shouldn’t really be surprised as I haven’t exactly been an angel with my diet this week.  At least I didn’t gain.  With having to work an unplanned double shift this week I didn’t take enough food to work with me so my colleagues very kindly donated food to my cause... this included a pasty, crisps, chocolate and bread for toasting with real butter.  There have also been lots of chocolates in the staff room at work which I seem to be incapable of walking past without tasting... just to check they haven’t gone off of course!!   Lesson learnt – must try harder! 

Anyway, I think I am scared of my bike.  I realise how completely insane that sounds but it seems to be true.  I could sit and look at my bike for an age – tis rather sexy (okay, that might be even weirder) but the thought of actually climbing aboard to ride it gives me butterflies in my stomach and makes me feel generally anxious.  I think this has to do with the fear of riding on busy roads and falling off. 

My very sexy bike (even if I do say so myself)

I am new to clipless pedals and consequently have fallen off three times already (each time I have been stationary) and while none of these falls bothered me at the time, I think they have contributed to my anxiety.  I try and stick to quieter roads on my rides and always avoid busy times.  I get really nervous when approach a junction and usually clip out way, way before I need to.  I also haven’t been brave enough to cycle on a roundabout yet either.  I swing onto the pavement and cross as a pedestrian.

I really had to force myself to go out this morning... I was finding every excuse under the sun not to go out because I was scared.  In the end, I managed to convince myself to go out for just 30 minutes and it worked as I was home before I knew it and all went well and without incident (although I still didn’t ride the roundabouts!).  I really enjoyed it once I got going, although I am worried about how slow I cycle... at this rate between my cycling and swimming I will be finishing my triathlon after everyone else has gone home!!  I hope that it is just a case of the more I go out the faster and stronger I will become.    

I think I need to continue to force myself out on the roads to build up my confidence and my road handling skills in order to conquer this fear.            

The Glamorous Life of a Runner

Today’s Workout:

• Easy Run – 4 miles          41min 27sec
• Strength Training            Legs, back, biceps, triceps, abs

After resolving to get back on track with my training after two days of doing nothing, I dutifully got up at 05:30 this morning to head out for a run.  Even before I got out of bed I could hear the wind and rain thrashing against the bedroom window and the recycling boxes being blown around the patio.  It took a huge amount of resolve to crawl out of bed and not to snuggle back down under the duvet. 

I always find it difficult to dress appropriately when running in weather like this.  I have a tendency to dress as if it is colder than it is and consequently end up over-heating half way round. 

So this morning I settled for a base layer vest, a thin long sleeved top and my wind breaker.  I very rarely wear waterproof clothing to run in as I get far too hot... so resign myself to getting wet... it is only water after all! 

I donned my cap and gloves (I hate that cold, painful fingers feeling) and headed out into the driving rain.  It is always quite a liberating feeling running in the rain and makes me feel like a kid again.  Although the rain was heavy it wasn’t too much of an issue.  The problem was the wind.  Part of my route takes me along a very exposed airfield, where I almost got blown over.  I think at one point I was actually running with my body leaning to the left at a 45 degree angle. 

As always happens to me when running in the cold and wet... my nose was streaming uncontrollably.  So what is a runner to do when a snot storm occurs, use any and all available clothing that can be stretched to reach one’s face.  So by the time I got home, not only was my clothing saturated with snot, I had two lovely trails up each cheek and a slug across my top lip... attractive.  The glamorous life of a runner eh!!  Sadly, I am definitely not one of those runners who you see who look like a model - with pristine hair and makeup no matter how intensely they train. 

The last mile was run directly into the wind and rain, the water was running off my cap in rivulets and the wind was so strong the rain was stinging my eyes and face (being the hypochondriac I am, I was convinced I must be bleeding!) and I realised I was actually running with my eyes shut... not a great idea.  About half a mile from home, I had to dodge an oncoming car and jumped straight into a puddle without realising quite how deep it was going to be.  Consequently, my foot was completely submerged resulting in me squelching my way home (if there is one thing I detest, it is having wet feet). 

Despite the conditions, I kept a really comfortable pace (although slightly slower than usual).  I didn’t feel out of breath and my legs felt really fresh (that’ll be the effect of the pervious lazy days).  I am really pleased because I actually managed to keep my heart rate down (but that is a discussion for another day).

           

After stripping off in the kitchen to prevent dripping muddy rain water all over the house and doing some naked stretching (not a pretty sight), I dried off and headed to the gym for some resistance training.  I was feeling strong and blitzed my legs and biceps.  I had seriously shaky legs when I had finished... but that is the sign of a good workout!  

Looks like it may be another rainy run tomorrow too. 

Do you enjoy running in the rain, or do you avoid it like the plague?

What are your essential kit items for running in the rain?

Back on Track

I started out this week with the best of intentions, but they quickly evaporated as work (and sleep) got in the way. 

I am nearly at the end of my 10 day stretch of shifts at work, but I ended up having to work a double shift yesterday so missed my planned run and badminton club.  This morning I slept right through the alarm and Arran leaving for work and only woke up when the phone went at 11:30am!!  What a lazy bones!  So needless to say with only an hour before I have to leave for work, training is once again off the agenda for today. 

So, as of tomorrow I am back on it... no excuses.  So here’s the plan:

Planned Workouts:

Wednesday

• Easy Run – 4 miles
• Weight Training – legs, back, biceps, triceps, abs

Thursday

• Swimming – 30-45 minutes
• Easy Run – 4 miles
• Cycle – 30 – 45 minutes

Friday

• Weight Training – legs, shoulders, chest, abs
• Cycle – 60 minutes
• Swimming Lesson – 1 hour

Saturday

• Easy Run – 5 miles

Sunday

• Easy Run – 3 miles

In case you’re wondering... we are in the Malvern’s for the weekend so just a couple of short runs have been planned for while we’re away (I’m not slacking off I promise)!  I’m sure we will end up doing lots of walking (with plenty of pub stops ha ha).   

Food Glorious Food

Today’s Workout:

• Weight training – legs, chest, shoulders, abs
• Run – 4.2 miles       40min 6 sec        Avg Pace 9:36mm

Last night we were invited round for dinner by our friends’ Stu and Hannah’s house.  I was so excited as Hannah is the most amazing cook I know so I knew we’d be in for a veritable feast... and I wasn’t disappointed!!

For starters we had prawns wrapped in bacon in a honey and spice glaze.  It was a taste sensation!  I had never thought to wrap prawns in bacon before... now I don’t know why I waited so long to try it!  Unfortunately, because I am such a pig, I inhaled my starter before I had a chance to take a pic. 

This was then followed by slow roasted pork with all the trimmings.    

The pork was so tender Hannah didn't need a knife a carve it - just two forks to scoop up the meat!

The pork was soooo tender it literally fell off the bone and melted in the mouth.  We also had my absolute favourite dish... cauliflower cheese YUM YUM!   And yes, that was my plate, and yes, I finished every single scrap of food (don’t judge me).  The button on my jeans was undone at this point!      

The piece de résistance was a raspberry cheesecake brownie.  Thats right, you heard correctly, not just a cheesecake and not just a brownie but raspberry cheesecake with a thick chocolate brownie base.  What more could a girl want (except elastic waist trousers at this point).  It was a heart attack on a plate, but that did not stop me having a healthy portion!  

By the time I finished, I was so full it actually hurt to breathe in.  I never did learn when to stop. 

All of this was of course washed down with a few pints of beer and a great night was had by all.      

I woke up this morning still full from the night before that I couldn’t face breakfast and my stomach was so bloated I looked 5 months pregnant!  Still, I donned my workout gear and me and Arran headed to the gym to pump some iron.  Had a great session and worked my shoulders and abs really hard, have a feeling I am not going to be able to move my arms tomorrow. 

I had a chat to the guy who owns my gym, he agreed to give me some help to develop a sport-specific weight training programme that will specifically target the muscles used in swimming, cycling and running.  I am very conscious that I need to make the most of my time at the gym as I can only attend for 2 sessions a week and want to get that absolute most out of each session.  I also stressed the importance of developing my core as at the moment my core is about as effective as a wet fish and I know that all three disciplines will benefit greatly if I can strengthen it.  On a side note, I might also actually be able to get rid of my Buddha belly... it’s a win win!!       

After a well deserved afternoon nap, I really struggled to find the motivation to drag myself off the sofa to go out for a run.  However, after much procrastinating, I finally convinced myself that I would just have a jog around the block and if I felt like doing my full run I could carry on.  It worked and I completed my 4.2 mile route and felt even better when I got home in the knowledge it was done and dusted.  It was a comfortable run but yet again I ended up running faster than planned.  I am going to have to be really strict with pace as my runs get longer. 

I am most excited to watch the London Marathon before I head off to work tomorrow.  I have watched it every year since I was a child and I know it will fuel my motivation to reach this year’s marathon goals.  

Good luck to all running tomorrow

Weigh In - April 20th

Drum roll please...... I lost 1lb, which takes me to 9st 0.5lb.  

I am pleased (although it is slightly infuriating to be so close to 9st exactly!).  A healthy weight loss is 0.5-2lbs a week so this is what I am aiming for, and I know from previous experience that the less weight I have to lose the slower it comes off. 

Fingers crossed for another 1lb next week and I will be back in the 8’s (where I belong ha).  I have noticed a difference in my body shape the last few weeks and I definitely have a less bloated belly (although it still sticks out no matter what I do), and I have less back fat – weird, I know but I tend to put on weight fairly evenly all over and I was suffering from rather unattractive back boob... you know what I mean! 

Anyway, I seem to be on the right track and feel loads better for eating healthily.  The weight and fat will shift with time and as my training progresses I’m sure my body shape will change too. 

Today’s Workout:

• Run – 3.2 miles         33 minutes
• Swimming Lesson   1 hour

I was up earlier than a sparrows fart this morning and out the door for my run at 04:30 so naturally I am feeling very smug with myself!  It has been a while since I ran that early and it was lovely.  No people, no traffic so no having to stop to cross the road.  The weather was dry and mild and made for perfect running conditions. 

The best part was I was able to run right down the middle of the road.  I love to do this as it avoids the camber on the road and the uneven, potholed surfaces that line every pavement in this town (or so it seems) and, of course, it makes me feel bad ass, like I'm in a zombie movie or something! 

So, I had another great run – I felt like I was flying round my route, so much so I started having delusions about how running as fast as I was felt so easy and natural and how I could probably turn pro if I wanted and easily compete against the like of Paula Radcliffe and Liz Yelling... pwah, yeah right.  My dreams were shattered when I got home and checked my Garmin only to find I only averaged 10:24mm - WTF.  Gutted!  On the plus side, it was a good run which felt easy and no niggles in my calves. 

Despite arranging to finish work 15 minutes early in order to attend my swimming lesson but as usual, I ended up finishing late.  Why is it that things always kick off just before your due to go home. 

Anyway, I finally made it to my swimming lesson and only missed 10 minutes.  We did 20 minutes of various front crawl drills then the rest of the session was back stroke and breast stroke.  Now, no matter how hard I try, I cannot breast stroke.  It is too many limbs moving in different directions at different times.  I cannot match my breathing to my stroke either and end up just flailing around in the same spot not moving forwards (or backwards for that matter), it’s actually rather embarrassing.  I just console myself with the fact that it is front crawl I need to master and not breast stroke.    

Even the best laid plans...

Well, my run of 9 shifts in a row have become 10 and have been juggled around!!  I am seriously starting to wonder who I have upset (in this life or the last). 

As a result I have had to rethink my training schedule for the next few days – this is playing havoc with the control freak in me!  This means no rest day but on the plus side I now get to attend my swimming lesson tomorrow YAY!

This weeks workouts:

Wednesday

• Run – 4 miles

Thursday

• Strength Training – legs, back, biceps, triceps and abs

Friday

• Run – 3 miles
• Swimming Lesson

 My run on Wednesday was HARD!  I had to work for every single step and battled with myself the whole way round not to turn around and go home.  The worst bit was the wind.  It didn’t matter which direction I was running in it was always into the wind... how does that even work?  The good thing about a hard run is how great you feel afterwards to know you completed it and didn't give in to that little devil sat on your shoulder telling you to stop.     

I have been positively angelic with my diet this week and have stuck to my plan of eating a bigger meal at lunchtimes and salad for dinner.  It seems to be working well, as I found myself less hungry during the day and haven’t had that 3-4pm slump!  I had a sneaky peak on the scales this morning (I just couldn’t help myself) and I seem to have lost 1.5lbs so fingers crossed for the official number tomorrow! 

Here is an example of my daily diet this week:

Breakfast:

Porridge with honey and pumpkin seeds

Mid-Morning Snack:

Banana, pear and a protein shake

Lunch

Quinoa with grilled chicken and green veg

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

3 x oat cakes and handful of almonds

Dinner:

Salmon salad

Strawberries and low fat yoghurt

Oh my goodness – when you write it down it looks like a shed load of food... no wonder I haven’t been hungry ha!!    

Like a fish in water

Today's Workout:

• Swimming - 28 lengths     30 minutes
• Stationary Bike                    30 minutes

I got up at 5am all set to go out on the bike before hitting the pool, but when I looked out the window and saw the torrential rain and gusting winds I rapidly changed my mind!!  Now, I love running in the rain, but cycling is a whole other story... I am always terrified my bike is going to slide around on the road and I always end up covered from head to toe in mud (I look like Arnie in that scene from Predator where he emerges from the swamp).  

So I chickened out and decided to head for the stationary bike after my swim.  The only problem is that the only bikes my gym has are those recliner ones which isn’t ideal as I never feel like I’m working the same muscles (may all be in my head).  Still, I figure it must be better than nothing.  So I did 30 minutes on a hill climb programme and tried to use it as an interval session where I used the recovery to spin my legs at a high rpm on the lowest resistance and powered up the hills trying to keep above 90rpm. 

The good thing to come out of this horrible weather is that it looks like I may be getting a turbo trainer as an early birthday present from the best husband in the world... YAY!

My swimming session was AWESOME!!  Never thought I would say that about swimming but I guess as with running, you get good days and bad days.  I managed 28 lengths in about 30 minutes which is my furthest distance to date.  I felt good and for the first time seemed to get into a rhythm which I could maintain.  Even better, I managed to swim 4 lengths continuously then stopped for 6-8 breaths and did another 4 lengths and so on.  I only managed breathing on one side which felt more comfortable that the bilateral breathing I have been doing and I’m sure that is what enabled me to go for longer without getting out of breath.  Not sure whether this is beneficial in the long term or if I should persevere with the bilateral breathing – I will have to check with my swimming teacher. 

This session has really given me confidence that I will be able to manage my triathlons by the time they come around (I was starting to have serious doubts that I would ever be able to complete the swim sections).  I may not be fast but I’ll get there!

Workouts for this week:

Wednesday:

• Run – 4 miles
• Resistance training – legs, back, triceps, biceps, abs

Thursday:

• Run – 3 miles
• Swimming – 30-45 minutes

Friday

• Rest Day

A Love affair with my sofa

This Weekends Workouts:

Saturday

• Rest Day

Sunday

• Run - 4.2 miles in 39min 44sec

Monday

• Easy Run - 3.2 miles in 33min 04sec
• Badminton Club - 2 hours

I might well be the laziest girl on the planet!  I had planned to cycle and do some weight training at  the gym on Saturday, but after a rare lie-in the call of the sofa proved too alluring.  This is down to Arran’s new obsession (and quickly becoming mine too) – the series Mad Men.  We recently bought the first few seasons on DVD and have become absolutely hooked.  If you haven’t seen it you are missing out... it’s fantastic.  It is an American drama set in the 1960’s at an advertising agency.  I am only part way through season two but cannot wait to find out what happens! 

John Hamm is my new crush!    

Just to make me feel slightly less guilty, we did have a 30 minute walk to the shops, although it’s not quite the same as a 60-90 minute bike ride.  Note to self; must try harder.  Anyhoo, I have decided not to dwell on it, just draw a line under it and move on.  I have made the decision not to make up my missed cycle ride or weights session as I have really crappy shifts for the next two weeks and I think I would just be constantly trying to chase my tail. 

Sunday’s 4 mile run was great!  It was one of those amazing runs that only happens occasionally where you feel great, nothing hurts or aches or feel hard.  You just run, breathing in the fresh air and marvel at your body’s ability to propel you so effortlessly along the ground.  I felt smooth, I felt light, almost like I was just skimming along the top of the pavement.  I felt like I could go on for ever!

Although I was wearing my garmin, I didn’t look at it once.  I felt so good I decided to just run.  It was supposed to be a slow easy run but I ended up running much faster than usual – but it felt good.  I managed 4.2 miles in 39min 44sec and the last mile was at 8:49mm.  I am very proud of that as it is much quicker than my usual 10:30-11mm. 

Back on track with my diet as of today, I would love to lose 1.5lbs this week to take me to 9st exactly, but it is a big ask.  I had the most delicious salmon salad for dinner with some new potatoes and egg. 

I have decided to try and have the biggest meal of the day with the most carbs at lunchtimes where possible and have salads for dinner this week. 

Today’s run was an easy 3.2 miles.  Although it was not a bad run I missed the feeling of light effortlessness of yesterday – I felt more like an elephant trundling along the path!! 

The rest of my day is filled with housework... yep... that really is the extent of excitement in my life on my days off ha ha!!  I have badminton club tonight so that will be two hours of running around like a mad woman (I’m really not very good – but I love it).  Back to work tomorrow for a run of nine days on without a break L (Lots of self pity going on here). 

When was your last great run and how did you feel?

Do you think you can ‘create’ a great run or does it just happen?

Weigh in day

Todays Workout:

• Swimming Lesson - 1 hour

So, first item on the agenda, my exercise confession.  I made the decision to skip my 3 mile run today as my quads were dead after yesterdays brick session.  I decided to save my legs for my swimming lesson, and boy was that a good decision.  We did 30 minutes of kick drills... I could barely stand up when I got out of the pool let alone cycle home.  

So today is weigh in day.  I am still following Weight Watchers in order to lose the final 9lbs I put on in the run up to Christmas.  Even when I reach my goal weight, I still rely on Weight Watchers to maintain my weight... as I have finally come to realisation that I will forever have to watch what I eat as I don’t seem to know the meaning of moderation and have absolutely no self control.  I find WW a useful tool to help me monitor and modify my intake.  I know there are a lot of diets out there (and goodness knows I seem to have tried most of them), but for me WW is the one that has taught me moderation and portion size without restricting any particular food group.  The good thing for me is that I can increase me daily intake in relation to the amount of exercise I do – so as my marathon training increases I can ensure that I effectively fuel my training. By the way Weight Watchers are not paying me for this... I swear ha! 

  

So the moment of truth... I have lost 0.5lbs taking me down to 9st 1.5lbs.    


Okay, so it’s not a lot but I have to confess that I have eaten really badly this week (including a pub meal, Chinese takeaway, pizza and ice cream and have pretty much drunk my body weight in beer.  Although it was fun at the time, I feel like crap, I feel like someone has inflated me!  It just goes to show that my ‘issues’ with food (so cliché, but no less true) are still ever present.  I have to admit that the more exercise I do and the fitter I feel, the less crappy food I want to eat and the more inclined I am towards a clean diet.

Let me tell you about my newest find... Yoo Moo frozen yoghurt.  DELICIOUS!  I found this is ASDA while wistfully perusing the ice cream section. 

 My new fav pudding treat!

They have a few different flavours but I opted for the blueberry with pumpkin seeds which was divine.  The other great thing is that they come in individual 150g pots which is great for me as I have been known to devour a whole tub on Ben and Jerrys without surfacing for breath (hangs head in shame).  A great treat and only 7 Weight Watchers pro points.        

      

Bricking it!

Todays Workout:

• Swim  - 20 minutes
• Cycle - 7 miles
• Run - 2.6 miles
• Resistance Training - Legs, triceps, biceps and abs

I finished my night shifts this morning absolutely exhausted – I was so busy I didn’t even get a chance to sit down or have a drink all night!... anyhoo, enough of feeling sorry for myself. 

Despite the fact that all I could think about was my bed, I dragged my lazy backside to the pool for a swim straight after my shift.  I only managed 20 minutes and swam 14 laps (it may have been 16 but I kinda lost count).  I am still really struggling with my breathing and feel so out of breath and the end of each lap.  I am hoping this will improve with practice (or that I will wake up one morning with a set of gills).  I decided enough was enough for today when I realised I had swum the last four lengths with my goggles perched on top of my head and had been wondering why my eyes were sore!  What a plonker!  

I headed home and crawled into bed for a couple of hours before resurfacing to head out for my first ever brick session.  I cycled a circular 7 mile route to my parents house before heading straight out for a run round the block.  Although I had been warned about the dreaded ‘jelly-legs’ I found the first few minutes hard to get into a rhythm and am fairly sure I was running like a constipated duck with a limp! 

To top off my day of training, I went to the gym to pummel my poor tired muscles even further.  I was supposed to train my back as well but the gym was so full of sweaty, preening guys that I couldn’t actually get near the machines.  I am not sure if I will be able to walk tomorrow and can only hope my swimming teacher takes it easy on me tomorrow (now that really is wishful thinking)!         

So overall I am feeling very smug and self righteous about today’s dedication to training!!

Night Shifts

Today's Workout:

• Swim - 30 minutes      26 lengths
• Run - 3 miles                 32 minutes

Got up nice and early for a swim this morning – I love cycling to the leisure centre as it is pretty much all downhill, I can just roll while I try to wake up.  Although I got up early, I did not get up in time to have breakfast before swimming so just downed half a pint of water and hopped on my bike.  I am used to exercising on am empty stomach, it took a whole year of running to learn how to eat before and during my runs.  

This is my local pool (the pic makes it look much posher than it really is!)

The pool was lovely and quiet.  The aim was to try and swim for 2-4 lengths continuously and then have a break and repeat for 30 minutes.  I was trying really hard to concentrate on what my swimming teacher had said about practicing front crawl with really relaxed arms and to kick from the hip.  Unfortunately it seems I can only do one thing at a time (been hanging around blokes too long ha ha).  When I was concentrating on my arms – my legs went and did their own thing and when I was really trying to kick from the hip and not the knee my arms would become stiffer than planks of wood.  And don’t get me started on my breathing...!  Still, I am sure with perseverance it will improve.  All in all, I managed 26 lengths in 30 minutes and was even brave enough to swim the last 6 lengths in the slow lane rather than the recreational swimmers section which I had made my home!   

I got out the pool and found I had forgotten my shower gel so had to cycle home stinking of chlorine.  Nice big bowl of porridge with honey and pumpkin seeds for breakfast washed down with a cup of coffee and a pint of green tea... thats right, a pint!  I have some lovely mugs of epic proportions which saves me getting my backside off the sofa to make a second cup of regular sized tea once I have finished the first.  

It's green tea all the way!!

Then I watched half an hour of Jeremy Kyle while my breakfast went down before heading out for a lovely 3 mile run.  Don’t judge me for watching the Kyle... it is my guilty pleasure!!

My night shifts start tonight so I will be partaking in another of my favourite pastimes later today – the afternoon nap!  I find it really hard to train when on night shifts.  I find that I need a good 8-9 hours sleeps to be able to function when at work, but even then I still feel exhausted and it leaves little time (or motivation) to exercise.  At the moment I can work it so that I train the day my night shifts start and then the day that they finish as I only sleep for 2-3 hours to get myself reacclimatised to day time again.  As the marathon training progresses, I think I may have to schedule in workouts during my night shifts which will take a lot of motivation to complete and probably involve sacrificing some sleep (nothing new there then)!

I have no idea how other people do it, especially those with children – I have the utmost respect for them as I’m sure it takes a lot of time management and dedication (it makes me feel tired just thinking about it).  

Do you work night shifts?  

How do you fit in your training?  

How do you manage to eat healthily when working nights?