Notes by Nectar

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 5 Day 1 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warm up x 5 min
• Run x 5 min
• Walk x 3 min
• Run x 6 min
• Walk x 3 min
• Run x 5 min
• Cool down x 5 min

I alternated between 6 km/h and 7.5 km/h. I can run for 6 minutes at a stretch! I had intended to do the Great Butt and Great Abs apps but was running late for lunch. I thought I’d do it at home later in the day and totally forgot.

I took the day off on Monday. Pete was still away and I thought about going to a yoga class but when I checked the schedule the only class I could do was being taught by the annoying teacher I’d had a few weeks before.

On Tuesday morning, I went back to the gym. I started with 5 minutes on the cross-trainer and then did Week 5 Day 2 of the 10k running app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 5 min
• Walk x 3 min
• Run x 8 min
• Walk x 5 min
• Run x 5 min
• Cool down x 5 min

I have to admit I panicked a little when I saw the 8 minutes! I thought it would be more like 6 or 7 minutes, but 8 minutes! But I managed to do it. It was a slow speed of 7.2 km/h but I did it. I don’t think I’ve ever run for 8 consecutive minutes in my life. I even managed to switch off and think about other things so that it didn’t feel too much like torture. I think I need to focus on my breathing more too. I was actually amazed when I got to the end of the last 5-minute run. I’d managed to do the whole thing. And again, I intended to do the Great Butt and Great Abs apps but I totally forgot.

I had a session with Pete on Wednesday morning – he got back the day before and told me I looked like I’d lost weight while he was away. Perhaps I’m looking more toned – because the scales are moving in the wrong direction this week!

I started with a 10-minute warmup on the treadmill:

• Walk x 3 min
• Run x 30 s, walk x 30 s (x 4 min)
• Run x 3 min

After some thorough stretching, I did the following exercises:

• Combined squat/shoulder press x 30 (10-lb weights)
• Pushups x 30
• Cross-trainer x 500 m
• Combined squat/upright row x 30 (10-lb weights)
• Bicep curls x 30 (10-lb weights for the first 10 reps, 3-kg weights for the next 20 reps)
• Cross-trainer x 500 m
• Combined squat/side leg raise x 30 (no weights)
• Lateral pulldown x 30
• Cross-trainer x 500 m

I was supposed to do all that without a break, but clearly that didn’t happen. After each cross-trainer set I’d have some water. The first set of squats were the hardest and by the end of all that, I’d done 90 squats and could really feel it in my legs. I told Pete that he’d just ruined my weekend! But I wasn’t finished. After a longer water break, I did the following abs exercises:

• Hip raises (similar to reverse crunch) x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Russian twists x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Mountain climbers x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• T-raises x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Glute bridges x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Double crunches x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Back extensions x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Situps x 30 s
• Rest

I did a few stretches after that and was done for the day. Hurrah!

My quads were really sore on Thursday morning. In fact, both my upper legs were sore all over – hamstrings, inner thighs, quads. Those squats really affected me! I went back to the gym though – and did Week 5 Day 3 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 8 min
• Walk x 5 min
• Run x 8 min
• Cool down x 5 min

And I actually did it. I walked at 6 km/h and ran at 7.2 km/h. During the second run I reduced the speed to 7 km/h towards the end, but just for 1 minute, and then I put it back up to 7.2 km/h for the final minute. If someone had told me in December that I’d be able to run for 8 minutes I’d have laughed. But I did it… Twice! I peeked ahead to what was in store for me the following week and immediately wished I hadn’t!

My legs felt even worse on Friday and I was really looking forward to my massage that afternoon.

On Saturday evening a friend and I went to Jumeirah Public Beach for our walk. We went a bit later than usual – we started walking at about 6pm and did 6 km again – this time in 58:16. I was hoping we’d beat our time from the previous week but we were 30 seconds slower. We still saw a lovely sunset though…

Total distance covered this week?

Low point of the week? I was out for lunch on Sunday and Tuesday, and was also out at a friend’s birthday on Thursday evening and had a lot of vodka (but no dinner). I also didn’t make it to yoga this week…

High point of the week? I did five workouts this week, including the 1-hour walk on the beach. Also, four people told me I’d lost weight this week! My mum, Pete, my friend whose birthday it was and the massage therapist (‘You’re getting thinner and thinner!)…

Weight loss? Not a great week for weight loss – but more people have noticed I’ve lost weight. According to my Libra weight-tracking app I won’t hit my goal weight of 65 kg until 2049! Hopefully next week will be better.

Read more updates here.