Gonna Get Buffed, Man!

Well high wind and rain ruined my planned time trial (it would have severely disabled me or been an unfair advantage), so rather than my usual 1 hour swim, I aimed to do 1 hour 15 mins continuously, of crawl and drills.

Before I've had to stop at the end every few lengths for a bit of a breather, but today I just kept moving, only pausing briefly to pick up/put down pull buoy.
I wasn't any faster, but definitely feel more swim-fit, and the DOMS in my arms felt better when I got out of the pool, too.

I can see all kinds of new muscle going on.
Maybe this is the upside to being one of those people that always put weight on easily, my body is also happy to make muscle. I generally take showers as I'm very careful with the heating oil, but had a bath last night and was looking at my arms and legs and bloody hell. New shapes all over the shop.

I want to look like this.^^  Slim, but with muscular definition.
And be able to shift washing machines when necessary.

Ouch!

Yesterday was a whole big bundle of stress, so the most I did was weights at home, as I was imprisoned there due to circumstances beyond my control.

I did some more of my girly-almost-off-the-floor-by-an-inch chin ups, planking, wall sits, and lots of abs. I also gave my home-made punchbag what for. I have not been awake long, and fear I may have disabled myself, as my arms feel like they've been through a mangle. I tried to stretch them out and ended up with cramp in my neck. And it will probably be worse tomorrow.

So, today will be a triple hitter.
I will run, and see how fast I can go, and how fast I can cycle on the flat at full pelt, and some nice swimming drills. I'm not going to time my swim, as it's always depressing, and I'll be pretty knackered by then as I'm going at lunch time, when the level of annoying people at the pool is at a minimum.

And of course when my Turbo Fire arrives I will not just have sore arms, EVERYTHING will hurt.
Awesome.

Piss Off, Bambi!

Funny old work bike commute.

Even though the sign said the roadworks were only for a week, they were still there, and I went through that bit where last week I had to carry my bike over big gaps as the nice man let me through.
Seems they are now re-surfacing it, and the men are not very nice!
I sneaked though as there was no one around, but they were all at the far end laying tarmac. I got off my bike and luckily there was quite a wide verge before the stone wall of the neighbouring field began, and walked my bike along there, whilst giving the workmen a cheery wave and a wide berth, but they all scowled at me, in a 'You shouldn't be here' type of way.

The wind was horrendous on the way home. From the top of the big hill coming out of Rosehearty I could see 5 tankers and supply boats sat out, unable to get into Aberdeen Harbour, probably the same story all along the coast.

The moon was periodically helping me see when it poked out through the clouds, and at one point I saw a shape moving across the field to my left at an astonishing rate, and I was sure it was an owl about to fly across me, so slowed down. However, it was a panic-filled deer, and as he came flying over the hedge I swerved to the right and my back wheel slid from under me and I kind of just sat down on the road, really.
It wasn't very dramatic. The deer was mega spooked, it kind of kicked up in the air. I think where I was going into a headwind it hadn't been able to smell me (not that I smell bad, you understand) so it was shocked I was there.  

Rock Hard Abs, Feel The Burn!!

Taff is sending me this.

It looks like torture, and that's not a bad thing. It's like those Insanity workouts.
I'm thinking I do want to be strong all over, and I was reading about Ironman Linsay Corbin, and she's very big on strength workouts, which take her total weekly train up to 34 hours a week or so (which includes the yoga she does on her day off). The thing is, I am bothered about what I look like, the shape, not just the fitness. I want to be slim, but I'd rather be slightly slower but be strong with it. Women need to do weight bearing exercise to protect against osteoporosis, as well as studies have shown it can also help prevent dementia.
I also want a decent stomach. It has been too ravaged by a large baby and stretchmarks for it to ever be good enough to show in public, but I could still get some rock hard abs and definition. And be able to bounce medicine balls off of it.

Did 40 mins of swimming as it was supposed to be an easy day, most of which were drills. I didn't feel tired by it at all, and did lots of side kicking. 

And guess who's offered to help me with my car, and I've said yes? (I really can't be giving the garage any more money, they have Grinched my Christmas away already.)

Guess.

Go on, guess.

Yep, that's right. (this bit is only relevant for anyone who knows me, apologies if you're thinking 'Eh?')

 

I'm not sure if this is going to happen or how it will pan out, but what I do know is I'm not going to shave my legs beforehand, as that's the best insurance policy ever. I am not Bridget Jones, nothing would happen if I was wearing big knickers. Or had hairy legs.

That is because it's not a sensible road to go back down. But he was the most fun bloke ever. No one has come close in the making me laugh stakes, and there's nothing wrong with being friends. Lots of time has passed, so should be OK.
I think.
Possibly.

Week 7

Yesterdays activity was all about seeing where I'm at. How strong am I?
I tried my chin-up bar for the first time in months, and managed to just get my feet off the ground. I'm going to try it next standing on a stool, and see if I can actually do a half chin-up.
I got my weights out and did the same sort of things, trying to see how much I could lift doing a pec fly laying on my back. Not as much as I'd hoped.

Still, it's good to know where I am so I can build on it. Today I am going swimming, and will do lots of drills, but this week I will also be clocking how fast I can cycle and run, even if it is just momentarily.
I need to log it all accurately and plot my progress. I hadn't made any for a while, until yesterday, and it's incredibly motivating to see improvement. I also saw someone I've not seen since September and he was all 'Wow, you've lost sooo much weight!' which was rather nice to hear, too.

And I'm pretend engaged a fell-running fireman I know. If we're both single in 5 years we're going to have a Batman wedding. However, this means I'd have to wear a Catwoman outfit, and that requires a phenomenal figure. Ha! And regular brides worry about how they look in a white dress.....pretend Catwoman brides have things way harder.

So, this weeks plan -

Monday - Swimming

Tuesday - 30 mile bike

Wednesday - Swimming

Thursday - Running and cycling time trialling

Friday - Swimming

Saturday - 10k

Sunday - 5k

There are no rest days, as I've had a few recently, and the swimming days aren't very hardcore, and the time trialling may be intense, but only for a short amount of time.

Saturday Ying Yang

Two things, one good, one bad.

I was limited for time yesterday morning, and still wasn't feeling great, so just did 5k. I had hoped to run in the 10.30 min mile region, but as it was I averaged 10.15, took nearly whole minute off last months 5k time. And I reckon I can improve on that still by the end of the month.
A good thing.

Then I went shopping with a man who had downed two pints of Guinness before he met me, and so burped alcoholic burps at me in close quarters all afternoon. He's nice. But smells like a brewery.
A bad thing.

Aaaaaaaanyway.

Shall get my road bike out today, get some fun speedy miles done.
Protein shake.
Yoga.
Early night.

Rock 'n' roll.

I Have The Power!!!

Everything I had planned for this week has gone wrong.
Whether it be snot, or other people disrupting me and my plans, I have done hardly anything, just a few days of running and one poor swim. I have eaten badly and lost out on sleep.
My run this morning was abandoned due to thinking I was going to puke.

But I will not dwell.

My foot had been slightly twingey, so I'm choosing to believe this enforced rest will have done it good.
I am planning my meals and activity for next week now, and I will repair everything, and then some.
This week is going to be really, really good. I have a few days off so will put in some proper multisport training, as well as concentrating on swimming as I had planned.
It is going to be an awesome eating and an awesome training week. (See that? Itallic AND bold. I mean business!)
Mega psyched, man!