Hula loopy: Janathon day 13

In my training plan for today was circuits; I've not done this class since before Christmas so I was a bit nervous about how I'd get on, but I decided before I got there that I was going to work really hard and push myself as much as possible.

Before the class, I had a few errands to run around town, so I packed my running backpack with everything I needed and set off. I made a couple of stops at school and the shops, and ran just over a mile in 11 minutes. Not bad for a warm up :-)

At circuits we did a warm up and then started the class. There were 16 stations today (station=exercise), which we repeated (so 32 in total). Each station lasted for 40 seconds with a 20 second rest (to account for any Christmas fitness loss). The stations were (I can't remember the exact order):

1. TRX inverted row
2. Hamstring curls
3. Plank (full, started 5 seconds early because I'm a good girl)
4. Squats (with bum clenches thrown in for good measure*)
5. Jogging on the spot
6. Upright row (with a resistance rope)
7. Bicycle crunches
8. Star jumps
9. Press ups (full to start, then 3/4 on my knees)
10. Calf raises (with heavy pole held above my head)
11. Back extension
12. Squat jumps
13. Standing bicep curls (with a resistance rope)
14. Kettlebell swing (I used a 16 kg kettlebell)
15. Ab curls
16. Hula hooping (first set non-stop, second set on one leg and giggling a lot)

*inadvertent! Felt a bit weird...

I usually have a minor fight with my friend Duncan over who starts on press-ups/TRX inverted row (we both prefer to start on these stations because they are hard). Fortunately both stations were present today so we were happy and started from our "usual" spots.

Hula hooping was a new station to circuits, it was met with much muttering and woe at not having used one since school days. I have used one recently, I actually own a weighted hula hoop. It's great for exercising your abs and waist (says the girl who keeps hers in the garage). Today I managed a full 45 seconds without stopping (anti-clockwise), and for the second set I managed a few 10 second bursts clockwise while standing on one leg. I did a lot of giggling. I've also resolved to move my hula hoop from the garage and reinstate it in the house (under the sofa). It should be safe there.

I've burnt 400 calories in total today (300 at circuits). I recovered from circuits with chocolate skimmed milk and a beetroot and bulgar wheat salad. By 2 pm I worked out I'd eaten 500 calories all day (porridge for breakfast) so I had a bit more of the salad. Homemade vegetable soup for tea means I'm 800 calories in deficit. So I'm drinking red wine and eating biscuits (I've nearly finished the choc chip cookies now).