Think I must be mad by lesleychev

What with the dark nights and the grotty weather I have decided to re-direct the money I spend on Slimming World and enrol at the gym. I'm also hoping the excercise will help me kick start at diet as would really love to drop at least another stone.  Have lost 38 lbs to date so hopefully another 14 or so shouldn't be too much of a problem.

I've been mainly concentrating on the cardio but am adding in some weights a couple of times a week to tone up a bit.

It's early days (well 4 sessions in the first week) but I'm loving it I've even managed some gentle jogging. Not much but its a start.  May not be the VLM 2011 but I'm hoping I might manage to complete a Race for Life next year although will probably have to help with the set up and clear down to lol.

Hope everyones training is going well and I'm hoping to be a better blogger.

Since my last post I have not been sat idly doing nothing just haven’t felt like I had anything to worth blogging about.

Weight loss now stands at 2 stone 6lbs and is still going down I hope.

Walking has been great,  I have joined the Ramblers Association and been out on several walks with them.  It’s amazing how many areas close to home that I have never visited before.  The company though makes a pleasant change from talking to myself.

My 25 mile challenge has been put on hold as I have been persuaded to volunteer at yet another Cancer Research event this time it’s a night time walk in and around Cardiff.  Participants have the choice of 13 or 26 miles and they start at 9pm.  I have volunteered for the midnight to 8am shift.  I will find another challenge to do instead although think this could well be a big challenge in its own right.

Running – well that’s a different story.  Apart from the odd jog across a field or running from the rain it’s been non-existent however this morning I decided to give it another go. 6 x 2 minute runs with 2 minutes walking between saw me with warm up and down completing 2.34 miles in 33.27 minutes.  I am very happy with that and will be trying another run at the weekend.

Update over.  Hope all is well in your World’s

 I have just completed my first organised walk 30km in just over 7 hours.

Although not blogging I've still been plodding along with my training.

The last two weekends have been busy volunteering with two local Race for Life's.  All good training as your on you feet for 8 hours a time and it involved 3 days of races.

I can't believe how much I've come on in the past few weeks.  Not long ago 6 miles would have been a long walk and on Monday I left the house saying I was going to stretch my legs then went to the canal turned left and not right and walked almost 6 miles and still felt good when I got home.

Tuesday is my speed night when I walk before slimming world weigh in. Managed 3 miles in 48 minutes thats 15.32 min/mile wow!!!

Thursday was a shortish 4.5 miles with a friend whose not long started walking.

Saturday was spent hunting for a hydration pack for back pack and some other bits and pieces in town that I've been putting off for ages.

So this morning. I was up at 6.30am left the house at 7.30 and think I left the start tent at 8.10am although the organiser then kept me chatting for another 15 minutes in the first field. Had a choice of 10k, 20k, 30k or 40k.  Had been umming and aahing over whether to do the 20 or 30k routes but with the weather men promising a cooler day opted for the 30k.

To start with it was slow going.  I'm not great at walking and reading instructions at the same time not helped by the fact that I need my glasses to walk but not to read   After about 30 minutes of seeing no-one two gents caught me up.  I was stood in the middle of a field of cows at the time trying to locate the correct gate out!! (I hate cows they really freak me out) Anyway luckily both gents had done the walk before so they took me under their wing and two of us stuck together for the rest of the route. The other Gent had chosed the shorter 20k walk but we did see him again along the way.  It was a very pleasant walk about 50/50 lanes and fields and tracks. Some of the fields had huge cracks in where its been so dry and in other places the tarmac was meltin on the road.  Not many pics taken as phone ran out of memory but will try and add the few I got.  Quite a few ups, some a bit tougher than others with the obvious downs which really tested the old knees.

All in all a very pleasant (HOT) day and something I plan to attempt again next year hopefully it will be the 40k though

Now i'm just trying to keep my legs moving and refuel my body.

Happy running, walking or resting.

Two firsts for me this week.  Friday I finally bit the bullet and cycled to work. 8.6 miles each way using the towpath along the Gloucester/Sharpness canal beautiful views and so peaceful but boy do I wish the padding on my bike was a little softer.  1hour 10 mins ish each way so I'm happy with that and I'm hoping to repeat next friday and try to cycle the 6 miles each way to slimming on Tuesday.,

Yesterday was chores and 2 hours digging/weeding in the garden so this morning I was up out of bed and left home at nine to attempt my longest walk to date.  I did have a destination in mind but wasn't sure I'd get that far but I did.  4 hours that did include a stop at Tesco on the way home for some desperately required fluids as I'd run out and it was warm. 

Started off walking down to the canal and walking along there for a way. It's always peaceful and calming there and a great way to get yourself warmed up. Then it was back to the road and a very slow and gradual climb to the local Country Park.  Picture of what to look forward to.

Made it to the Country Park and after studying the map decided to go for what looked like the longest route available. Followed this for a while until the direction signs seemed to disappear into oblivion so from there on just zig zagged my way up working on the theory that I wasn't coming down till I'd found the beacon.

Luckily I found it and I even took a picture to prove it, stopped here for a quick refuel and then it was off back down the hill which was almost as tiring as getting up.

Then it was off back home. I cheated on the way back and missed out the towpath as I was warm enough already and down there the air had been really still on the way out so by now it would be steaming. Estimated distance walked is 10.64 miles with a highest point of 198m in 4 hours on a very warm day. 1553 calories burnt. I'm well happy with that.

This was the view back to home.

Lesley