I'm a fully fledged gym member again

I signed up properly tonight to the gym I trialled a few weeks ago. I feel so happy to know I have my gym space again. As soon as I signed up I was straight into a workout, being in the gym for me feels really comfortable now - although at my old gym I tended to stick to the ladies room, so I had to get used to having the boys around me tonight, man they can lift some seriously heavy weights!

Given that my thighs and calves are still feeling a bit sore after Saturday's stairs marathon and I really wanted to weight train tonight, I focused on my back and arms with just a 15 minutes cycle to warm up. There is nothing like doing some weights, in my opinion anyway. With cardio I get a bit like "hurry up, when does this end" but when I'm doing weights I'm trying to focus on technique and feeling the squeeze and really pushing especially when my mind is like "go on, drop the weight for the last set".

I will admit I probably went a little lighter than I could have for some of my weights but having not been going regularly for a month now I wasn't sure how my strength has held up, and whilst I probably could have started higher I know I would have needed to drop down and I still feel like I had a good workout but now know I can go heavier and/or longer next time. Will be interesting to see how the muscles feel in the morning.

I'm getting a proper program done up on Saturday morning with one of the trainers so am looking forward to sitting down and working out what exactly I want to achieve and how I can go about doing that.

Meeting new people and exercising in the process

Aren't all these long weekends so nice! It's going to be a shock to the system to work five days in a row, I haven't done that since March and its May at the end of this week.

I have again used the long weekend as an opportunity to exercise. Yesterday evening I met up with two lovely ladies I have never met before but we wound up together due to a call out from a mutual friend to see who might be up for it. We spent an hour at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane running up and down more stairs than I care to count and then did some extra running on top of that to fill in the time and get the calorie burn up.

I had a great time. Not only were the other two ladies so lovely and friendly but they have also both lost incredible amounts of weights so hearing their stories was really inspiring and they were both so encouraging. Additionally the sun was setting and lights of the city were on and it was just a simply stunning spot to do a workout, we weren't the only ones exercising or enjoying the view.

Today I'm feeling the effects of all that stair running with rather tight calves and thigh muscles, however I needed to complete Week 3 of my couch to 10km program so I've not long returned from doing that. It was a struggle, my legs did not want to cooperate and I'm sure I wasn't going very fast but I went, I worked through the soreness and I got it done. So thats week 3 done and dusted - here's to week 4! Hard to believe this time next week I will have being doing the program for a month, it certainly doesn't feel that long.

One of the ladies I met last night was telling me about Park Runs which are on every Saturday morning where you can go and run 5km for free and you get timed. I am definitely going to investigate this as I think it sounds like a good way to keep inspired to train and work to improve your time.

Its supposed to be a bit wet for a few days this week so I might end up signing up for the gym so I can get some workouts done inside, plus I'm really missing my weights, but I'll go running if the rain isn't too heavy because I know I need to stick to my program otherwise I'll never reach this goal.

Enjoying the outdoors

I have to say that I love being able to run along the promenade where I live. It makes me so thankful to live in such a beautiful spot and to have weather which is usually quite good but even with some rain it's still quite a nice spot to run along.

I'm certainly not the only one who makes the most of living in this wonderful spot and it's normally quite busy when I head along there, especially after work and on the weekends.

As it isn't sheltered I will sometimes head into the streets around the area rather than run along the water to get some shade provided from the trees, but even though there isn't the water view there are so many beautiful queenslander style homes around I enjoy having a bit of nosey. It is also quite nice running the streets as there isn't normally anyone else on them since everyone heads to the water.

I find it interesting to think how far I've come with my running. Not all that long ago I had a firm mindset I wasn't a runner, a mindset I've had for as long as I can remember. It probably stems from the fact I used to lose cross-country at school and I HATE losing. My family and friends can all assure you how competitive I am. But since I changed my mindset I started off doing bits and bobs on the treadmill and slowly building this up, I was too scared to run outside and felt say inside the confines of the gym.

Now I would rather run on the pavement than run on a treadmill, I enjoy the sunshine (or the rain), the breeze and just being outside. I also like that things can change outside and you run at the speed you can achieve that particular day and in that particular moment rather than pre-setting the treadmill, I often run faster than I would set for myself, not on purpose but because I obviously run faster than I think!

Easter Monday = Shin Splits, Stitch and Struggle Street

Today I set out for Day One, Week Three of my Couch to 10km program, after a rather easter themed and not-so-nutrionally-balanced breakfast of chocolate and coffee.

I don't whether my weekend diet is behind it or whether my body was just like "nope, so not in the zone today" but I got shin splints and the stitch whilst out doing the program.

Luckily the program is in intervals so I used the walking intervals to massage the stitch area and basically walk it off however when I was walking that was when the shin splints hurt the most. I felt like I was out running down struggle street.

I did the program as needed and as it was only 26 minutes today I then went for an additional run throwing in a couple of decent inclines to get the heart rate up.

I know shin splints could be due to not running correctly or maybe even needing new runners so I'll keep an eye on that. In regards to the stitch from what I've read in the past they're not entirely sure why people get it, there are a few theories but nothing set in stone, but the best thing to do is try and massage it out. Interestingly, normally when I get the stitch I get it on my left hand side but today was on the right so maybe its decided to switch sides.

I am pleased I completed the prescribed task and didn't let the niggles stop me and even better that I went that little bit further to ensure I keep challenging myself.

Have had a lovely Easter weekend, lots of lazing about the house, enjoying some chocolate eggs and hot cross buns. I've also done exercise everyday aside from Saturday, although I did go for a splash in the sea, so I'm feeling quite happy that even though my diet has been far far far from perfect I've ensured I've kept my exercise routine up, as once you break it I know it is hard to get back into it!

Hidden Athlete Badge

Today I completed week two of the couch to 10km program and with that I earnt my hidden athlete badge. Whilst it is still predominantly interval running I have noticed it feels like its getting harder, even if it is only an extra 30 seconds or minute on the interval.

I started the program taking the dog with me but since he likes to stop and smell the roses, literally, and wants to play with every dog along the way it gets frustrating tugging on the lead while I'm running so he now stays home and I just take him out for a walk or the dog park at a different time of the day.

This means I can focus on pace and technique as I run. I still wouldn't say it is a hard workout but I know I am working up to running for time periods which will be a real challenge.

I really like the app however it doesn't measure the distance you run as well as the time you run for which is a little annoying. I have an idea of the distances I'm doing but I don't know exactly and I don't think I can have the map my run app going while I also have the running app going which is a little frustrating.

Today's run was good but a little frustrating too because its such a nice day and there were markets on near where I live, so every man, woman, child and dog was out, I swear I spent the first half of my run zig-zagging - it reminded me of doing drills for netball back when I used to play.

Looking forward to what next weeks workouts will be and also getting a better focus back on my diet too. But for now it's easter and I'm going to enjoy some chocolate and hot cross buns!

Back to reality

After almost a month of not working I have got a contract job doing some basic data entry and analysis so it was a seriousl jolt of back to reality today.

No more nice sleep ins until 9am, not more going for a run along the waterfront when I feel like it or doing what I want basically whenever I please. No, instead it was a nice 6am alarm to ensure I was up, showered, dressed, had breakfast eaten and had wandered down to the train station by 7.15am.

I did get ready quite promptly so I think I'll allow myself an extra ten minutes in bed in the morning - when it involves alarms which start with a number less than 7 I always think any extra minutes in bed are fantastic.

I got the first two days of my couch to 10km running done and dusted on Monday and Tuesday, I had intended to at least got for a walk tonight but I am honestly shattered and also needed to go and get some groceries as the cupboards were bare. (Excuses I know!)

However, by the time I walk from my house to the train station and then from the station in the city to my workplace I've easily walked about 2.5-3km today which obviously isn't as fast or as focused as when I go walking but its a vast improvement on when I used to be able to park not even 50m from the front door of my old workplace and drove every day.

Knowing I'll be able to get home tomorrow in the late afternoon means I know I will be going for a run or walk tomorrow and then I'll definitely be hitting the pavement on Friday to do the third and final day of the couch to 10km for this week.

Trying to plan all my meals in advance so that I'm not purchasing meals and getting caught out with temptations, although I will admit I'm allowing myself some easter treats namely chocolate and hot cross buns, but it is straight back into focused meals come next week.

For now, it's almost 8pm and I'm pretty much ready to head to bed for soon - I am indeed Nanna Anna - luckily its only 2 days this week and 3 next week to ease myself back into the working routine.

Online Workouts

It is not always possible to get to the gym and its easy to convince yourself you don't want to go outside because its raining or too hot, or lets be honest you just can't be bothered. These of course are excuses but at the end of the day we all succumb to them at some stage.

One thing we can't get away from is the fact there are plenty of online workouts available for free and which can be done in the comfort of your own home at anytime. Whether this means getting up 30 minutes earlier to leap around the living room or not sitting aimlessly channel surfing at night, it is possible to do SOMETHING at home.

I've found some great workouts online which I've then incorporated into my gym routines and on youtube there are some excellent home workouts ranging from pilates and yoga, to HIIT and strength circuits. Fitness Blender is a particular page I go to on youtube and they have a huge range of workouts, all easy to do at home with varying lengths of time - there are 5 minute workouts so really there is no excuse not to do something!

I've found the start of my couch to 10km program quite easy in regards to a workout as currently its running/walking for about 30 minutes, so I've been incorporating some of the fitness blender workouts in as an additional workout to get the calories burning and the heart rate up - trust me you will get a sweat on!

Obviously there is always the added risk of doing a workout at home following something online if you don't follow the technique properly and there isn't someone there to correct you like at the gym, however most routines I've found have an excellent demonstration and also advise you to take it at your own pace ensuring your technique is correct and you're not doing yourself some injury.

So if you don't go to the gym or can't get to the gym on a certain day and don't feel like getting out the runners and going for a walk or run, then I'd suggest having a surf of the net and finding a workout which might take your fancy in that particular moment - remember even a good stretching workout has its benefits! The internet has made our lives easier in so many ways, but it has also reduced the ability to have an excuse not to exercise.

Off Scale Achievements

When losing weight it is super easy to become obsessed with the number on the scale and use this as your only sense of achievement. Even now after losing over 30kg I still fixate on the scales and have to give myself a shake and look at everything else which I've achieved over my weight loss - my fitness being a number one off scale achievement.

At the start of 2013 I would not go for a walk let alone a run for fun, I'd take the dog for a walk but that was really about it. Now, I get fidgety if I don't exercise and I've just got back from a 4km run in the rain - no excuse not to exercise, not like I will melt in the rain.

Here is a photo out in the rain:

This is definitely an achievement which doesn't show up on the scales. The scales show a number which is reflective of so many elements, including bloating, which as a female has a nasty wee habit of changing ALL THE TIME especially around that time of the month.

Unfortunately the scales don't pop up saying - leg press more than body weight, run further and faster than ever before, doesn't eat an entire packet of tim tams - no, it is up to us to remind ourselves of these achievements.

Today I went shopping and I picked up a size 12 skirt to try on, this in itself is something to be proud of since I used to either a) avoid picking up clothes because I wanted to avoid acknowledging my size or b) was selecting a size 18 or 16 but I had to get the size 10 today. I felt really pleased with myself.

Me in my new skirt which I love - navy and white stripes!

The scales have been quite constant recently, which is good that I'm maintaining, but my head still wants to see that scale number go down, and I do still want to lose a bit more weight, however to know clearly the exercise is paying off and my shape is changing and toning I am able to wear a size 10 is a pretty good feeling.

By no means would I say I'm a say 10, I'd say I'm a size 12, it is still pretty nice knowing how far I've come and acknowledging the achievements I've made beyond a number on the scales.

Remedial Massage

This morning I went and had a remedial massage and it was SO good.

I have ongoing shoulder soreness, particularly in my right shoulder, which I've experienced for many years and is put down to my many years of being a swimmer and the fact I am right handed so I'm reliant on that arm for doing things.

It has been quite sore recently and when I went for a swim a last week it was quite painful to do freestyle at times. I also notice it when I do any overhead arm/shoulder movements.

I was very impressed with my therapist. He is ex-army and has had a few injuries himself over the years and he thoroughly explained what he was doing, that it wasn't going to be comfortable but that it would help with my complaints.

He was right - it was uncomfortable, even slightly painful at times but I feel amazing after it. I will definitely be going back for more in the future as I require it and I figure I have cover in my health fund so I should get what I'm paying for.

It's always interesting when I get massage to find areas you don't know are sore either until they start working the muscles - this was certainly the case as he did my thighs. He straight away said to me "you do squats regularly don't you" - which is the case - because the way my muscles are indicated this and my reaction to the pressure on them. Also didn't help it was legs days too days ago and then I went running last night too.

Whilst it is not the most comfortable experience and is nothing like going to get a nice relaxation massage at a day spa, I really enjoy this type of massage. I know it is helping my muscles and staying on top of soreness/injuries is crucial to ensuring I don't do any further damage and allows me to protect them and help them stay strong.

Wonderful Weights

There is a real misconception, particularly amongst women, that to lose weight you need to do endless amounts of cardio. This is NOT the case.

I am by no means saying don't do any cardio, although there are plenty of websites which will tell you it is possible to lose weight this way, but rather to mix workouts up with a mixture of cardio and strength training - even combine the two into HIIT workouts.

I love strength training, I love the definition it gives to my muscles and I like that it actually makes me stronger. I've gone from lifting tiny little dumbbells to lifting heavy barbells. I can leg press more than my own weight, I can do assisted pull-ups with lifting over half my body weight (my goal is to get to just pull-ups with no assistance) but at the same time I know my limitations and also have to be careful of an old shoulder injury.

There are also a number of other health benefits to lifting weights, some of which I've listed below:
1. Quality Sleep
2. Improved energy
3. Heart Health
4. Bone Health
5. Stress Relief

Lots of women also worry about bulking up. It is seriously unlikely you will end up looking like a body builder unless you are specifically training to look like that because it involves extremely specific training and a super strict diet!

Look at some of the famous fit women out there, people like the Michelle Bridges and Jillian Michaels, they are toned but they are not bulky.

If you're not sure where to start ask at your gym or go online, there are so many forums and websites with useful tips and information and even workouts. I'd even suggest giving a body pump class ago to get a flavour for weights - although remember this class is high repetition so is a bit different to a weights training program.

Day One was well, easy!

So today I undertook Day One, Week One, training for couch to 10km and it was easy. I know the idea is to build up over the 14 weeks but I certainly felt like this wasn't really a workout since most of the time was spent walking.  I was tempted to run a bit further but I really want to learn to do this properly so didn't.

Instead, when I got home I found a HIIT/Tabata workout online and did that for 45 minutes (under the ever watchful eye of my black labrador, Barney) - definitely felt like I'd had a good workout after that. It suggested using dumbbells and/or kettle bells for some of the exercises but since I don't have any of them I just grabbed some loose bricks which are under the house - if it's a bit of weight anything will do! Even a bag of flour or  tin of peaches if need be. No excuses!

To be honest I really didn't feel like exercising today, I'd spent the morning fluffing around the house doing cleaning and ironing etc and my husband popped home for lunch. I felt like just blobbing on the couch doing nothing, however once I got my joggers on and was out on the waterfront I knew I'd done the right thing and given I still wanted more when I got home I think sometimes you just need to get your feet out the door and get going and then you're in the mood. Most of the time the biggest battle to overcome for exercising is just getting out the door.

When I was doing the Michelle Bridges 12wbt program I remember she said when you don't feel like exercising go and do ten minutes. 9 times out of 10 you will keep going and if you finish at the end of 10 minutes well you've done 10 minutes more exercise than you would have done anyway.

Personally, whenever I haven't felt like exercising and still go and do it I always do a full workout - it might not be the longest or hardest workout but I'm there doing it so I should do it properly. Often choosing to go to a class when you're not feeling in the best space is helpful too, you just go along and get told what to do and you know you'll be out in 45 mins - 60 mins. That's my default option anyways.

Looking forward to the next training day, which I anticipate I will also find easy as it only incorporates about another 1-2 minutes of running. Am sure as I get further along the word "easy" when referring to the training will no longer be part of my vocabulary!!!

Setting goals

So as I've lost weight and become fitter I have found myself running more than ever before. I used to HATE running and can remember trying to reason with the Physical Education teacher at school to allow me to swim laps instead of have to run! I dreaded cross country. So I now find it amusing that I like to put my joggers on and hit the pavement.

I used to prefer running on the treadmill but now prefer to run along the streets, nice to have a changing scenery and where we live now I can run along the waterfront which is just perfect and it's nice to see other people out enjoying the sunshine and exercising too.

So last night as I assessed where I'm at I decided to look up running aps and what would be a good short term goal, so I downloaded the couch to 10km ap. I can currently run 5km (and even a bit further) non-stop and would like to be able to build this up so over the next 14 weeks that's my goal.

Hoping once I've mastered this distance if I decide I like it maybe I can start to do some fun runs and maybe even consider some longer distances.

Who would have ever thought I'd be actively finding ways to run and train! It's amazing how much your mindset can change as your fitness does and you want to find new ways to push yourself.

Starting a fresh

So after not really following the 8 week challenge as I had hoped due to a lack of discipline and some serious life changes, namely moving state and being without my husband for awhile, I still managed to finish the challenge on less than what I started and my fitness has certainly improved, which at the end of the day is the most important thing, even if I would prefer to see a nice low number on the scales.

I am now in Brisbane and our house is all set up (aside from a few boxes of bits and bobs which will slowly find homes) and am feeling much more settled and a million times happier. I've been enjoying living only a block from the beach and have been for walks and/or runs and/or swims on an almost daily basis since I don't have a gym membership and it seems silly not take advantage of our wonderful new location.

I did go and check out a new gym the other day, Health Works at Deagon and I'm heading in tomorrow for a free trial to see if its for me. It's just a small gym but the staff seemed really friendly and if they can assist me in reaching my goals I'll be really happy.

I'd like to get down closer to 60kg and would like to be a comfy size 10 in my clothing and want to get toned and maybe finally find the confidence in myself to rock a bikini next summer! Although ultimately its shape and sizing which I wish to achieve so if that means a few more kilos than what my mind thinks I think I'd be happy - the reflection in the mirror is what I've got to be live with and whats on show rather than the number on the scale afterall.

I know I need to tidy up my diet now I'm settled again, I've let way to many things slip back in on a too frequent basis, so tomorrow is Monday and it is currently pouring with rain here, so why not let the rain wash everything away and I can awake tomorrow to start afresh and keep working on achieving my goals.