Thursday Training (Chest/Abs)

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 30 sec on/off/on/off/on see-saw shredder with 9kg dumbbells.

Friday Training (Chest/Abs)

I had Izzy this Friday evening, so training was limited to my chest/abs routine...

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 30 sec on/off/on/off/on see-saw shredder with 9kg dumbbells.

Wednesday Training (Chest/Abs)

Wednesday was a designated rest day as I attended Izzy's parents evening at school, which meant no Wednesday night Plums run.

I'm glad to say we received a glowing report for Izzy (as seems to be usual) and we (her Mum and I) are very pleased.

Anyhow, dropped the car back to my parents and picked up these which had just arrived, having only been ordered less than 24 hours previous:

Yet another pair of Brooks Glycerin 11s.  For a heavily discounted £78.  An absolute bargain given the RRP is usually £120 in places like Sweat Shop.

Jumped on the 96 bus towards Welling and decided to get off and pop into the club-house to say hello to everyone.  Had a long chat with Gary about cars (am considering buying one shortly!) then headed back home.

10pm and straight into my usual chest/abs circuit.

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 30 sec on/off/on/off/on see-saw shredder with 9kg dumbbells.

Shower.  Bed.  Sleep. 

Monday Training (Chest & Abs)

Izzy was with me on Monday as her school had a staff development day.  So training was limited to my regular home chest/abs routine.

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 30 sec on/off/on/off/on see-saw shredder with 9kg dumbbells.

Wednesday - Saturday Update (Training with half-term!)

Blimey, just where the hell has this week gone already?

Right, a quick update...

Wednesday Training: 9 and a bit miles with the Plums.  1.5 mile warm up pre-Plums then a 7.5 miles with the Plums back to my front door.

See here...

A really good session. I gave the legs both Monday and Tuesday to recover from the Sunday 20 miler and although the quads were a little sore by the end, I comfortably managed the 9 and a bit with plenty left in the tank and was feeling bloody good. 

Strava told a story that night. Set 4 new segment PBs, including the main climb up Shooters Hill. See here for more details. 

Thursday Training: Double home chest/abs circuit. 

Friday Training: Home chest/abs circuit. 

Saturday Training: Home chest/abs circuit. 

Sunday...Marathon training schedule says half marathon distance, so I've got a route plotted and hopefully I'll get enough sleep tonight and will feel fit and ready in the morning!

Monday Training (Chest/Abs)

Lazy Monday night for me.  Still pretty tired after yesterday, so just the usual chest/abs routine for me tonight.

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 30 sec on/off/on/off/on see-saw shredder with 9kg dumbbells.

Saturday Training (Chest/Abs)

What with Izzy staying, could only do the usual home chest/abs routine on Saturday morning...

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 30 sec on/off/on/off/on see-saw shredder with 9kg dumbbells.

Wednesday Training (Chest/Abs)

Easy Wednesday night.

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 30 sec on/off/on/off/on see-saw shredder with 9kg dumbbells.

Rest day Thursday.  

Running again Friday (the plan is to run at lunch-time but will depend very much on the weather forecast when leaving work Friday morning!)

Thursday - Sun Update (Rest Day/Friday night 13.1miler/Chest&Abs x2)

Been a fairly hectic few days so a quick update on what I've been up to since Wednesday night.

Thursday: Rest night.  Completely and utterly nothing.

Friday:  Planned long run.  Disrupted by stomach cramps after 3 miles and having to make an emergency stop at the parents, so ended up splitting the run into two as follows:

Part A incredibly slow although I was planning on a nice easy pace. 

Part B much quicker.

Saturday & Sunday: Chest/Abs routine at home:

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.
• 3 see-saw shredders (30 secs on/off/on/off/on) with 9kg dumbbells.

Tuesday Training (Chest/Abs)

I've been a bit coughy and spluttery today so I've decided not to hit the roads nor the Gym tonight and am going to take it easy.

So I reverted to my usual home workout...

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.

I also tried a new addition to the workout tonight, which my old Uni mate Scott posted on Facebook.

The see-saw shredder.  Holding a 10kg dumbbell in each hand, swing the arms in opposite directions and use the core to stop yourself rotating.

30 seconds on, 30 seconds off and repeat 3 times.  Now that is tough.

Click for more info >> here

Re: the cough, one more antibiotic tablet to take so have booked myself another appointment with my GP for tomorrow to hopefully try and get to the bottom of this. 

Monday Training (10k run + chest/abs)

Day 6 of antibiotics in my system, 1 day to go.

Over my dead body was a going to go more than a whole week without running again.  Until tonight, the last time I ran was last Monday, so had I not run tonight it would have felt like a disaster.

On the walk back from the station at 5:30pm to home, I had a tad of a coughing fit and I was a tad bit worried if I'm honest but I thought if I take it really slowly to start with, wearing the full ninja mask to muffle the cold air coming in, I thought I'd do a pretty good job of controlling it...and so it proved.

Two quick pumps of my Ventolin pump (Subutamol for those wanting the medical name), a quick Olbas Pastille jammed in the mouth, ninja hat on and I was gone.

 

I started slowly. Take a look at the splits... 

First three miles I took it relatively easy but then when I realised the body and especially the lungs wasnt reacting to the exercise, I started to wind the pace up as you can see.  From 3 through to 6.2  the pace increased.  The last 1.2 miles I felt pretty good if I'm honest.  So technically, thats the first ever proper negative split I've run.  Wasnt intending to but its the way forwar! Had to clear the throat a couple of times but no coughing of any description.  A quick double pump of the subutamol at the end and I was done.

Spent 10 minutes stretching out.  Important after not running for a week.  Quads, hamstrings, calves, groin.  Since coming back from the last bout of man flu, I was getting considerable discomfort in the front of my quads but the week off has probably done me a favour as the niggle has cleared itself now.

Went upstairs into the flat and hit the swiss ball and weights...

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.

 Must keep up the work on the abs :)

Very pleased with tonight considering I was down in the dumps about my health earlier.  Three hours later as I type this up, I've had no ill effects so all good in my eyes.  It will be interesting to see how I fare tomorrow morning.

(Edit: no coughing on waking up at 6:40am the next morning either :)

Sunday Training (Muscle Build - Session 30)

Sunday.  Into Day 5 of this current course of antibiotics, chest doesnt seem to be getting any clearer although I've stopped coughing now.  I havent run since last Monday evening.  Frustrated?  You bet I bloody am.

Izzy wanted to stay an extra night, so that was nice.  I took her back home at 10am this morning and made my way straight to the Gym, after dropping my parents car bar to them.

First heavy weights session since end of November 2013.

Warm up

1.5 mile walk from Parents to Gym (approx 20 mins)

1km treadmill warm (SLOW as not to put pressure on chest - 11kph)

Weights

Chest Press 6x20/40/60/70kg

Shoulder Press 6x20/30/40/50kg (the 50kg was a bit of a struggle)

Pecs 6x20/30/40/50kg (again, the 50kg felt a bit of a struggle)

Vertical Traction 6x25/50/60/70kg

Abs

10 sets (20 SB situps; 20 SB sittwists with 6kg bar)

Legs

Leg extension 6x30/40/50/60kg

Leg press 6x90/100/110/120/130kg

3 hours later as I type the workout up, I'm feeling good.  The 11kph on the treadmill didnt make me caught but my chest still feels full of crap so I cant really run properly or outside until its clear again.

Bearing in mind I've been doing the TRX since the end of November as I wanted to concentrate very much on running and not building muscle during December and January as I'm in the throws of marathon training, I think I done more than ok.  I wont lie, shoulder pressing 50kg was a struggle.  The same as it was back in November mind you but I still done it.  50kg on the pec deck was evil.  Managed 5/6 reps at 50kg before I thought better give it a rest.

On the whole, very happy though.  I just hope this chest infection hasnt played too much with my cardio fitness though.  We'll soon find out!

Final January Update (still man-flu ridden but double chest/abs session)

I'm still man flu ridden.  I cant breathe, I cant walk very far and I'm sounding like an old man with COPD.  However, because I'm so bloody bored sitting at home doing nothing, I've forced myself to do two of my chest/abs routines today to at least burn some calories.  A litle burnt off is better than none at all in my eyes.

So, at the January, the stats for the month look like this...

...pretty impressive when you think back that I lost the first week of January to man flu and I've lost most of this week to it too.

Now, I've done 22 sessions of either Gym or my home routine, with a minimum 400 sits up session.  So a quick calculation, 22 x 400 = 8,800 sit ups.  What with my efforts to eliminate as much saturated fat out of my diet as possible, this is what I'm looking like now...

 

Apologies for becoming one of them tossers who takes photographs of themselves semi-starkers but if you look closely, some abs are forming.  Obviously I cant pull my shorts down any further otherwise I'd be in danger of making the lady readers blush but there's the hard evidence that my body is beginning to look like it should now.

From 18st and not being able to run more than 100 yards without stopping for a break, to attempting to run a marathon and having these things called abs.  Who would have bloody thought it, eh?  So bloody proud :) 

Tuesday - Thursday Update (Chest infection...again!!!)

I have not run since Monday evening.  I feel destroyed again.

I cant stop coughing and I'm wheezing like nobodies business.  I went back to the GP yesterday and he diagnosed a reoccurence of a chest infection, although he said I wasnt wheezing and I knew I was (grrr!), so he's prescribed another 7 day dose of antibiotics.

I dont feel totally drained of energy but my lungs feel sore from the coughing, so have been in no fit state to go to work, let alone go running.

I have forced myself through the pain barrier to do my home chest/abs routine for the last three days despite feeling like sh*t as I really want to see some further progress this year and as most of you lot out there have realised by now, I'm not a good patient and I dont do rest!

By looking back at the calendar, I've now done 20 sessions involving my abs with a minimum 400 sits ups a session.  So by my reckoning, I've done 8,000 sit ups now this month alone!

Monday Training (Recovery 10k and Chest/Abs)

Sunday was most definitely a rest day.  The legs felt reasonably ok though it has to be said.  I made the most of the day, having Izzy and we popped into Darenth Valley hospital at Dartford to see my Dad after his knee replacement operation.  Apparently all went well so all good, fingers crossed.

Back to work on Monday.  Home and out for a slow recovery 10k to get the legs moving again.

I took it super slow for the first 5 miles but then I wound up the pace significantly for the last 1.2 miles and I felt pretty damn good.

I had a good 10-15 minute stretch afterwards and then I went through my regular chest/abs routine.

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.

Monday Rest Day (Chest/Abs)

Definitely needed a rest day today.  Sunday's HM took it out of me more than you can imagine.  My legs were still throbbing when I woke up Monday morning.  As I type this at 10:30pm, they've finally come back to life but I'll be aiming for a Gym session with gentle cardio on the legs tomorrow evening.

However, all was not lost.  I got another regular chest/abs routine done tonight.

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.

By my reckoning thats now 14 workouts, a quick calculation of 14 x 400 sit ups, I make that 5,600 by 20th January.  No wonder I'm beginning to see my abs at long last.

Saturday Rest Day (Chest/Abs)

Just the now regular chest/as routine today...

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.

As is currently stands, tomorrow's Dartford 10 is still on, although the race has now been reduced to just less than 9 miles because part of the course is flooded as the River Darenth has broken its banks so we'll have to see what the morning brings...

Friday Rest Day (Chest/Abs)

Izzy is here tonight, so its rest night apart from the now regular chest/abs routine...

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells + 10 chest fly.

Legs are beginning to feel much more alive again, so am now looking forward to Sunday's Dartford 10 with some positivity.

One thing is noticable though.  More than ever.  My abs.  They actually exist.  Just got out the shower tonight and I've been admiring myself in the mirror for about 15 mins.  This is unusual behaviour for me.

Thursday Rest Night (Chest/Abs but mainly sitting on my backside!)

1st rest day of 3 consecutive rest days in an attempt to revive the legs ahead of the Dartford 10.  My usual plan of action now is to just run through my home chest/abs routine on my rest days, just so as to keep everything ticking over...

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells plus 10 chest fly.

After a lovely soak in the bath, it was a case of plonking myself on the sofa to watch CBB and The Undateables.

I'm not normally a watcher of CBB but have found this series really addictive after accidentally watching the second episode a week or so back whenever it all started.

Conclusions:

• Lee is a mug for playing Casey.
• Casey is bloody gorgeous but comes across as desperate.
• Jim Davidson is brilliant, as is Lionel Blair.
• Linda Nolan is a bully and comes across as such a "victim".
• Louise is the most annoying housemate in the history of CBB.

The Undateables was quality this week.  John, the lad with aspergers, that so could be me with his track record of saying the wrong thing to the ladies lol.

Tuesday Rest Night (Chest/Abs but mainly housework!)

Rest Day.  Well earned too.  The legs felt a little sore after the back-to-back 10k's on Sunday and Monday so Tuesday was a chance to recover before the club run on Wednesday night.

My decorator had finished the majority of the decorating in the hall, stairs and landing so I spent the majority of Tuesday night hoovering up all the dust and generally tidying up in advance, knowing Izzy is staying over this weekend.

Once I'd done my housework, I done the usual home chest/abs routine...

• 10 x 20 SB ball sit ups + 20 SB sit twists.
• 10 x 10 chest press with 9kg dumbbells plus 10 chest fly.

Anyway, I did say the decorating was finished.  Like it??? :)