Icy slippery walky jog thing: Janathon day 29

I woke up this morning with a very sore "back of the knee", which I have diagnosed as "running too slowly with children". Fortunately I had Pilates this morning so I could stretch it out.

Similar to last week, I walked there and back, via the shops (1.5 miles roughly). I was a lot better at the exercises this week, possibly because I haven't done any circuit training or Sworkit workouts (so far). We did a great exercise called Chalk Circles, where you lie on your side and then move your arm around your head as if you were drawing a circle on the floor. It really opens up the shoulder joint and I love it! The class flew by this week, usually when I glance at the clock we've only been working out for 30 minutes, but today it was 50 minutes before I started to feel ready to go home :)

This afternoon we had a brief snow shower, which was perfectly timed for the school run. My daughter loved walking home in it, and we made a tiny snowman outside our house :) Unfortunately the cold weather made the paths rather slippery by the evening, and when I headed to run club just before 7pm, slipping and sliding my way out of the estate, I began to doubt whether running was a good idea.

Arriving at the shops and discussing with Pete, we decided to officially call off the club session for safety reasons. But a few people had driven a long way to run with us, so we had an unofficial run out to Arlesey. I only ran to the underpass just past Etonbury Academy, so just short of 3 miles in total. It was enough for me on icy paths. I might have to start to love my treadmill in the next few days.

Press up power: Janathon day 19

Today for Janathon I went to circuit training for an hour. The session revolved around press ups and squats, or rather, how quickly someone could do 35 of each.

There were five of us this week, and five stations. Four stations had three exercises, which were done in rotation, while the fifth station was press ups and squats. The time spent on each station depending how quickly the person on the press up/squat station could finish their 35.

I've done this type of circuit before, and know from experience not to start on press ups, because if there is time at the end you end up having to do three sets! So I started on the station after press ups, which comprised bicep curls, ab crunches, and jogging on the spot (strength, core, cardio). The next station was tricep dips, back extension, and squat jumps, followed by hamstring curls, reverse crunches, and climbers (my favourite station! Apart from a slight top and pants malfunction during climbers when everything went separate ways). Finally, we did lunges, bicycle curls, and star jumps.

Then it was my turn for press ups and squats. I tried hard to focus on technique this week, to ensure I was getting the best from my workout. Hence I was a bit slow. I've noticed my knee dipping in and out when I squat, which is something my physio Kieran has told me I need to work on, so I focused really hard on keeping everything tight. For press ups, I keep hearing my Pilates instructor when I do these: "shoulders back and down". Makes the press ups super-hard but you do feel the difference. (I also need to remember "pelvic floor and transverse abdominis" and "HIPS, Sarah", but these things take time.)

Fortunately for my friend Duncan who was following me round the circuit, I was slow enough on the second set that he didn't have to do a third round of press ups. He definitely owes me a drink. He also called me out last week for not writing in my blog about how much noise I make when I workout. So I'd just like to add that he was really noisy today.

I'm happy this week because I weighed myself last night and the scales finally read under 150 lb (for a week or two I actually wondered if they were broken). I now weigh 146 lb and have lost 1% body fat. My body water has increased slightly, which is a good sign because I have been actively trying to drink more water during the day. So, 4 lb lost in 2 weeks, I'm happy with that and it keeps me on course to lose a stone by the time I run VLM. (Less than 100 days to go!)

Keeping it together: Janathon day 15

Halfway (almost) through Janathon and I'm still holding myself together, just.

This morning I had my usual Pilates class. We did a lot of stretching, which felt really good at first until the stretches progressed into a hundred with out-turning knees and "STRAIGHT LEGS SARAH, I know you can do it". I definitely know about my glutes, inside thigh and knee muscles, and shoulders. Not so much core work today so I will do something ab-focused tomorrow.

This evening was run club. I was prepared to do a run-walk with the beginners and then a run alone later, but Pete said he would run with the beginners so I could do my planned 5 miler (thank you Pete!). I ran with Tracey, Ed, and John, who are all much faster than I am but slowed down tonight so we could have a social run (for me it was a tempo run!). It was really good and we chatted the whole way about challenges for this year and events people are doing. My shins were hurting before we even set off (I desperately need new trainers and as soon as I have written this blog I am going to browse Sweatshop online) and I thought my knees were going to give way at one point, but I managed the run without feeling exhausted. Which I'm really pleased about. Apart from the leg pain. I think I need a massage or to get my foam roller out. Both those ideas terrify me.

Ditching the ab plan, day 2

Today's Juneathon activity was circuit training, I made a last-minute decision to go to the class based on a lack of work to do and a need to tone ab muscles etc. Ran to class (that must also count for something). Today's circuit featured 16 stations of core/leg/arm/cardio exercises, each done twice.

Had to amend squats and lunges because my knees are playing up, focused on technique. Managed some full press ups with feet on a medicine ball, and again moving the ball hand-to-hand between press ups. Seem to have cracked the "sideways jog things with standing ab curl".

I've decided to ditch the 30-day ab challenge, on day 2. I studied the challenge in detail and I think it just increases in difficulty too quickly, it will only lead to injury! I shall persevere at the leg raises though, we do those in Pilates class and I find them really hard. I did just under 100 ab crunches today during circuits, which counts for something.

Weighed myself too. Need to lose 14 lb before my cousin-by-marriage's wedding in July. This is what happens when you lose focus and think you can eat what you like because you're running loads.