Nye's fitness blog

On Friday/Saturday I walked between 30 and 36 miles.

Sunday was a rest and moan day.

Today was mostly a rest day. I waited until after sunset to avoid the heat, and went for a 1.6 mile jog.

Go me!

Yesterday was my birthday. I decided to have my first taste of Poutine, and made sure to go to the gym beforehand.

Ran a mile to the gym, did a quick legs/shoulders/triceps workout with free weights. Increased some of my weights. Was squatting with 2 12kg dumbbells, walking lunge with 2 10kg dumbbells - this was an increase of 6kg per dumbbell from last time. Front deltoid raises: 3kg * 12, 10, 8. Seated shoulder press: 4kg * 12, 10, 8. Overhead triceps extensions: 2kg * 12, 10, 8. 2kg is still difficult with my left arm. Single triceps push back: 3kg * 12, 10, 8. 10 minutes cool down on the reclining bike. *really* short workout, but I had fun stuff to do.

Walking: walked around Covent Garden, then home to King's Cross, then to Angel and back. Probably 4 miles total.

I've not been very active lately. On Thursday all I did was walk to Old Street and back. On Friday I had work followed by a brief date with reddragdiva, but my ankle was bothering me so we couldn't walk far. Saturday I did mostly seated socialising in Hackney. Sunday I walked to Picadilly Circus and back. I could have walked further on Sunday, but I was mentally exhausted.

Tuesday I went to the gym. Ran there (1.1 miles), then did a leg/shoulder lifting workout, followed by half an hour of steady cardio on the reclining bike.

Today I did a little walking - possibly 3 or 4 miles. I'm going to walk to my Slimming World meeting in Kentish Town South, then have another run along the canal. Let's see if I can run as far as I did last week! That was 2 miles btw.

Sunday: walked from Highgate Road/Dukes Field to Golders Hill Park/Golders Green going up and across the Heath. According to maps.google.co.uk I only did 3 miles. It felt like much longer, but then I wasn't able to track my route exactly because a lot of the paths I took in the north-western end of the Heath were small ones that were covered with trees. Again I have the Garmin watch-want. Ho hum.

Today: Ran to the gym for the third time (1.1 miles away). I sprinted for the last few yards. I love sprinting :-) I *think* it's getting easier. It's certainly getting easier to run in public on my own. I plan to run home from Kentish Town South again on Wednesday night. Part of me wants to run the scenic route which is .2 miles longer than the direct route; however, after 1.5 miles I was bloody knackered. I think what I'll do is run 1.5 miles this Wednesday and 1.7 miles next Wednesday.

( What I did at the gym )

I'd better have lost weight this week! If I haven't, I'm going to start measuring my waist once a month and using that as a barometer.

Wednesday I walked to Kentish Town South (right near the closed down tube station) for weigh-in, and ran back. That's 1.5 miles! I was very pleased with myself.

Thursday was work. I walked from where I work in Chingford Mount to near Walthamstow, then had a walk around Epping Forest with the lovely reddragdiva. I estimate that I walked 6 or 7 miles. My quads were really aching from the squats and lunges I'd done on Tuesday, and my left achilles tendon was giving me a bit of trouble. Otherwise I would have continued walking down to Stratford, but I had to leave that for another day.

Friday I intended to go to the gym in the morning, but I was having an anxious day. I walked part of the way to Old Street (was late, had to hop on bus) and back the long way via the Regent's Canal/Angel. Then a lovely date with reddragdiva where we walked from King's Cross, through Regent's Park, up/down Primrose hill, to Chalk Farm.

Today I ran to the gym (1.1 miles). I found that Fred had done two of the workouts he'd promised me, so I picked the 'chest and back' one to do. ( What I did at the gym )

The last couple of days my exercise has been of the useful variety. On Friday I walked to the WISH office near Old Street and back home via a drop-off near Smithfields Market. Saturday was a hide from the world day, and my ankles swelled up because of a combination of my obesity, the hot weather, and the lack of exercise that day. They didn't swell up as much as they used to when I was 20 stone though, so that's a good thing really.

Today:

• Weight-lifting at home. Insufficient warm-up followed by bent row, standing flyes, shoulder press, bicep curls, standing tricep extensions, weighted calf raises and weighted squats.


• Bit of a run to/along the canal. Didn't go far because it was really horribly sunny and hot. Ran up Pancras Road, Camley Street, Regent's Canal to Royal College Street, where I collapsed in a heap for 5 minutes. Then ran down Royal College Street, and Midland Road to St Pancras Station where I had a delicious dark cherry mocha frappuccino.
• walked to The Pembury in Hackney via the Regetnt's Canal (6 miles) and back home the direct route (4 miles).

My food has been *crap* today. I don't usually talk about it in in this journal. Have a cut.( Read more... )

I had an inactive weekend where exercise was concerned. On Friday 22nd I was volunteering near Old Street, and I walked home from that. Saturday involved spodding and a little bit of non-energetic dancing, followed by a late-night walk back from Trafalgar Square (couple of miles). Sunday and Monday I was exhausted by the late night on Saturday plus socialising.

Tuesday saw me with more energy. doubtfulace and I went for a jog and a walk on Hampstead Heath. We walked from Belsize Park to the South End Green entrance of the Heath, walked up to the mixed bathing pond, then ran up beyond the mens' pond and partway to the ladies' before a hill winded me. We walked up to Kenwood House and had a coffee, walked to Kentish Town via Highgate where we parted. I walked on to Camden Town to buy some essentials from Sainsbury's. The run was 0.8 of a mile, but that included hills so I'm pleased with it. I plan on doing more jogging on Hampstead Heath, hence the new tag.

Today I was determined to go back to the gym. I ran there! I'm really pleased with that. It's only 1.1 miles away, but I get shy about running near home so it's quite an achievement. I'm breaking down some of my psychological barriers. ( Read more... )

I walked from my gym in Covent Garden/Holborn to King's Cross for a shower, then to south Kentish Town and back for my Slimming World meeting. I jogged for about half a mile of that. Lost 2.5 pounds this week, go me :-) I've discovered that we're allowed vegetable juice as part of our 'free' food. I plan on getting a carrot/beetroot/ginger/lemon juice next time I'm near a wholefood shop :-) Ooh, maybe a shot of fresh wheatgrass.

How's your fitness routine going?

Tuesday 19th May: not so much a 'rest day' as a 'hide from the world day'. At least my food was good that day. It sucked mightily though.
Wednesday 20th May: light exercise. Walked to Kentish Town and back (three miles total), including one jog slightly uphill of 0.88 miles.

Today: Walked ten miles! Chingford Mount to King's Cross. Very pleased with this. ( Walk )

I've not been good at getting to the gym to do weightlifting. Either I've been busy at the times that the gym has enough space in the free weights are, or I've been hiding in my flat feeling like pants. I'm busy from now til Sunday morning! Eep! (Not continuously, I just know how much activity I can get away with without going splat.) Sunday lunchtime should be a good time to hit the gym for some serious lifting :-)

I'm thinking of looking for a gym in London that specialises in free weights. Most gyms are full up of cardio machines and weight machines that aren't really ideal for body-building. My gym has such a tiny free weights area, and that means at peak times you can't really move for brotards ;-)

I jogged just over a mile today on my own! I am very pleased with this. I sneaked it on myself, I was dressed for a walk and wasn't expecting to jog, which probably helped me *just do it*. (Bloody good slogan, shame it's so connected to a huge global brand.) Map of the route I took. I walked 8 miles in addition to the 1 mile jog. I did a bit of a sprint too. I really like sprinting :-)

doubtfulace is really inspiring me :-)

Saturday: run with doubtfulace, disco dancing in the evening.
Sunday: rest day.

Tomorrow I have a delivery coming, so I don't know what exercise I'll be able to do. Wednesday I should be able to get to the gym.