Notes by Nectar

Well, I had a pretty good week at the gym. I worked out eight times. EIGHT! (I’m including my yoga class as a workout.)

I went to the gym on Sunday morning. I started with a 5-minute warmup on the cross-trainer and then moved over to the treadmill. I did Week 2 Day 3 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 1.5 min, walk x 2 min (x 6)
• Cooldown x 5 min

I walked at 6 km/h and ran at 7-8 km/h. I didn’t do the Great Butt or the Great Abs app that morning as I just wasn’t in the mood – and I was also planning to go to a yoga class that evening.

I got to Eco Yoga Sanctuary in time for the Hatha Prana class at 6pm. I’d checked the schedule earlier on and the teacher was the same lady I had on Thursday morning. But… when I got there it was a different teacher – I noticed that at the top of the sign-in sheet the original teacher’s name had been crossed out and replaced with the terrible teacher I’d had two weeks before. I asked what had happened to the teacher and the receptionist said she was ill. I decided that I couldn’t bear to spend one hour in a class I wouldn’t enjoy so I went back home!

I had a session with Pete on Monday morning. The weather was nice so we had an outdoor session. My warmup consisted of running around the pool twice, high knees, butt kickers, side-stepping and stretching. I then began the first set of exercises:

• Jumping jacks x 50
• Combined squat/kickback x 2
• Jumping jacks x 40
• Combined squat/kickback x 4
• Jumping jacks x 30
• Combined squat/kickback x 6
• Jumping jacks x 20
• Combined squat/kickback x 8
• Jumping jacks x 10
• Combined squat/kickback x 10

Ugh – it was awful! There were no official rests in that set but I did have to stop and catch my breath a couple of times. I managed to do that in 4 min 30 s. I used the 8-kg kettlebell for the next set of exercises. These consisted of:

• Kettlebell swings x 3
• Combined squat/upright row x 2
• Overhead tricep extension x 1
• Repeat 5 more times, no breaks
• Rest

I did that circuit three times in total. Then came an abs circuit:

• Standing side bends x 30 s (8-kg kettlebell)
• Rest x 30 s
• Standing side bends x 30 s (on the other side)
• Rest x 30 s
• Abdominal in/out x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Situps x 30 s
• Rest

After that came an awful set of exercises:

• Burpees x 10
• Pushups x 2
• Burpees x 8
• Pushups x 4
• Burpees x 6
• Pushups x 6
• Burpees x 4
• Pushups x 8
• Burpees x 2
• Pushups x 10

It was worse than the jumping jacks/squats exercise and took me 4 min 38 s to finish. I then did the same abs circuit I did before.

The next set of exercises used the TRX cable:

• TRX bicep curls x 10
• TRX tricep extensions x 10
• Rest
• Repeat two more times

I did one more abs circuit – which was the same as the previous sets and then did some stretches. It was a good session though – and Pete said people should be able to tell I’d been working out regularly.

On Tuesday my triceps were so sore! I went back to the gym and did a 5-minute warmup on the cross-trainer and then did Week 3 Day 1 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 1.5 min
• Walk x 1.5 min
• Run x 2.5 min
• Walk x 2.5 min
• Run x 2.5 min
• Walk x 2.5 min
• Run x 1.5 min
• Walk x 1.5 min
• Cooldown x 5 min

I walked at 6 km/h and ran at 7.5-8 km/h. After that I did Week 4 Day 3 of the Great Butt and Great Abs apps. I did some stretches after that and went home. That evening Pete texted to say I’d be going back to Egypt again – which could only mean another pyramid workout.

My triceps were still aching on Wednesday morning. I warmed up with 10 minutes on the cross-trainer:

• Walking x 3 min
• Run/walk for 30 s x 4 min
• Running x 3 min

I walked at 5.5 km/h and ran at 7 km/h. After stretching, Pete listed the nine exercises:

1. Deadlifts x 10 (20-lb weights)
2. Wood choppers x 10 on each side (10-lb weight)
3. Abdominal in/out x 10
4. Upright row x 10 (10-lb weights)
5. Bench squat/twist x 10 (10-lb weight)
6. Situps x 10
7. Combined side raise/bicep curl x 10 (3-kg weights/5-lb weights)
8. Abdominal toe touches x 10
9. Glute bridges x 10

Like the last time, I was to do the circuit nine times without any breaks. Each set would start with 200 metres on the cross-trainer and then after every set the exercise at the top of the list would be cut out. So in the first set I did all the exercises, in the second set I started with the wood choppers, in the third set I started with the abdominal in/out, and so on. I only took one water break between the first and second sets, but that was it. For the seventh exercise, I started out with 3-kg weights but after three sets, Pete reduced the weight of the dumbbells and gave me two 5-lb weights). I did some stretches after all that and was done!

On Thursday morning, I went back to Eco Yoga Sanctuary for the Hatha Flow class – there was just one other girl there and the regular teacher. It was a good class – I’m really enjoying going there (depending on the teacher of course!)…

On Friday morning I did a 5-minute warmup on the cross-trainer and then did Week 3 Day 2 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 1.5 min, walk x 1.5 min
• Run x 2.5 min, walk x 2.5 min (x2)
• Run x 1.5 min, walk x 1.5 min
• Cooldown x 5 min

I did a few stretches after that and went home.

On Saturday morning I went back to the gym. I did my usual 5-minute warmup on the cross-trainer and then did Week 3 Day 3 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 2 min, walk x 2 min
• Run x 3 min, walk x 3 min (x2)
• Run x 2 min, walk x 2 min
• Cooldown x 5 min

I pretty much ignored the Great Butt and Great Abs apps this week – I just wasn’t in the mood to do them. But at least I’m being consistent with the running. I did four sessions with the 10k Runner app this week because I didn’t do one last weekend and I wanted to catch up so that I could begin with Week 4 Day 1 on Sunday morning.

On Saturday evening a friend and I went to walk on the track at Jumeirah Public Beach. We got there at around 5.30pm – and once again we were treated to a beautiful sunset. I suggested we try and improve on our time from the week before, and we ended up doing 5.83 km in 57 min 35 s. We also managed a steady pace of 9:50 per km (more or less).

I was shattered when I got home though and could barely keep my eyes open for the rest of the evening.

Low point of the week? I can’t think of anything… I did have a couple of glasses of wine on Thursday at Wine Club but I think I’ve gone off wine a little. I had a few drinks on Friday night too, but I didn’t go overboard. I also had pasta for dinner on Saturday night (which I rarely have), but I was cold and tired and wanted some comfort food.

High point of the week? Doing eight workouts this week, including the 1-hour walk on the beach!

Weight loss? I think it’s easier if I just do this (bear in mind that when I got back from Bali I weighed 81.4 kg – even after all that yoga!):

So, according to my Libra app, I will reach my goal of 65 kg (which I realise is quite unrealistic) by early January 2017.

Read more updates here.