Notes by Nectar

I woke up on Sunday and noticed that my legs were finally back to normal after my session with Pete a few days before – they were no longer sore. 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 6 Day 1 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warm up x 5 min
• Run x 10 min
• Walk x 5 min
• Run x 10 min
• Cool down x 5 min

I alternated between 6 km/h and 7.2 km/h. I managed to do the first 10 minute-run at a speed of 7.2 km/h, without decreasing it (who knew I could run for 10 minutes??). I struggled during the second run – and a couple of times I reduced the speed to 7 km/h and 6.8 km/h for about 30 seconds or so, just to catch my breath, but then put the speed back up to 7.2 km/h again. But once it was over, I was so amazed that I ran for almost 20 minutes!

On Monday morning I had a session with Pete. He said I’d be doing a lot of Tabata training! 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 began the first Tabata circuit:

• High knees x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Side to side jumps x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Butt kickers x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Jumping jacks x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Repeat

For that set of exercises I had resistance bands around my hips and Pete was pulling me back so I really had to engage my core to stop myself from falling over. I had rest for 1 minute and then began the next circuit:

• Step-ups on the stationery treadmill x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Halo x 20 s (10-lb weight)
• Rest x 10 s
• Alternating forward lunges x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Semi-squat jump x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Repeat

I had some water and then did 4 minutes on the treadmill – alternating 30 seconds of walking at 5.5 km/h with 30 seconds of running at 7.8 km/h. I had another water break and did the following circuit:

• Wood chopper x 20 s (10-lb weight, one side only)
• Rest x 10 s
• Abdominal knee in/out x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Wood chopper x 20 s (10-lb weight, the other side)
• Rest x 10 s
• Russian twists x 20 s (10-lb weight)
• Rest x 10 s
• Repeat

I had some more water and did the next circuit:

• Combined squat/side raise x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Combined reverse lunge/forward kick x 20 s (one side only)
• Rest x 10 s
• Combined squat/kickback x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Combined reverse lunge/forward kick x 20 s (the other side)
• Rest x 10 s
• Repeat

I had some more water and then did the final circuit:

• Crunches (arms at my sides) x 20
• Crunches (arms above my thighs) x 20
• Reverse crunches x 20
• Crunches (arms overhead) x 20

I could really feel that in my upper abs area by the end of that! I did some stretches after that and went home. That was my 30th session with Pete!

I woke up on Tuesday with sore glutes and slightly sore abs. I also felt I was getting a cold, but I’d been feeling like that for days. I put it down to the weather and/or air-conditioning at home because every time I left the house I felt fine! I went to the gym anyway. I did 5 minutes on the cross-trainer followed by a few stretches. I then did Week 6 Day 2 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 10 min
• Walk x 3 min
• Run x 10 min
• Cool down x 5 min

I walked at 6 km/h and managed to do all of the first run at 7.2 km/h. I found the second run tough. I started at 7.2 km/h, but after a couple of minutes I reduced the speed to 6.8 km/h (a very fast walk for me) to catch my breath for 30 seconds. I then took the speed back up to 7.2 km/h for a couple of minutes. I kept alternating between the two but for the last 3 minutes of the second run I stuck to 7.2 km/h. It was tough and I was so glad it was over. I also wasn’t feeling great. My nose was running and by the time I got home I was sneezing continuously.

But I managed to do two sets of 10 minutes – and there’s no rule that says my speed has to be constant, is there? Even if I’m ‘shuffling’ at a low speed, I’m still running, right?

By the time Tuesday evening came round I was feeling pretty dreadful. I texted Pete to cancel my session on Wednesday as I didn’t want to wait until the morning and cancel at the last minute. Just as well, because I woke up on Wednesday sneezing and feverish. What a drag! I was so disappointed as I’d had such a good streak at the gym this year, and now this.

I was in bed all of Wednesday and some of Thursday. I did a bit of work, watched a bit of TV, but generally felt like rubbish. On Friday I felt almost human, but I stayed in anyway. And on Saturday I felt pretty good.

I decided I was going to do some form of exercise on Saturday but I couldn’t decide between yoga or a walk on the beach. In the end I decided to do the walk because I thought some fresh air after 4 days of being at home would do me good. I also thought it would be better in case I got tired and just wanted to slow down and/or go home.

I got to the beach shortly after 5pm. The friend I usually walk with couldn’t make it so I went on my own, but a few minutes into my walk I bumped into another friend and we walked together for about 4 km. After she left, I carried on until I got to 6.1 km. I did that in just over 1 hour (1:01:40 to be exact). It felt good to be outside and active, and I thought it would warm me up nicely for the following morning when I would go back to running on the treadmill.

Total distance covered this week?

Low point of the week? Getting the flu. And ordering a pizza on Tuesday evening. And not going to yoga for the second week in a row.

High point of the week? Being able to run for 10 minutes at a stretch – twice!

Weight loss? Up and down as usual, although my Libra weight-tracking app now tells me I’ll hit my goal weight of 65 kg by June 2017.

Read more updates here.