Notes by Nectar

So, April was a disaster – and I decided it was time to get back into my gym routine.

I went to the gym on Monday and decided to ease myself in gently. I decided to do Week 4 Day 1 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 3 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Run x 4 min
• Walk x 3 min
• Run x 4 min
• Walk x 3 min
• Run x 3 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Cool down x 5 min

And I managed to do that, listening to my Prince playlist.

I had a session with Pete on Monday morning. I began with a warmup on the treadmill:

• Walk x 1 min
• Run to 500 m
• Walk x 1 min
• Run to 1 km

I got to 1 km in 8:31. I did some stretches and Pete told me I’d probably hate him by the end of the session as I’d be working my legs mostly. He said there were three sets of exercises, each one beginning with pelvic lifts (x 20). So, the first set of exercises went like this:

• Pelvic lifts x 20
• Bulgarian squat hold x 20 s
• Bulgarian squats x 20 (10 on each side)
• Rest x 40 s
• Bulgarian squat hold x 20 s
• Bulgarian squats x 20 (10 on each side)
• Rest x 40 s
• Bulgarian squat hold x 20 s
• Bulgarian squats x 20 (10 on each side)

I hate Bulgarian squats! And the squat hold was torture – my legs felt like jelly by the end of that set.

I had a water break and moved on to the next set of exercises:

• Pelvic lifts x 20
• High knees x 20 s
• Romanian deadlifts x 10 (10-lb weights)
• Rest x 40 s
• High knees x 20 s
• Romanian deadlifts x 10
• Rest x 40 s
• High knees x 20 s
• Romanian deadlifts x 10

I had some more water, and did the next set of exercises:

• Pelvic lifts x 20
• Semi squat hold x 20 s
• Combined in/out jumps/squat x 1 length of the ladder
• Rest x 40 s
• Semi squat hold x 20 s
• Combined in/out jumps/squat x 1 length of the ladder
• Rest x 40 s
• Semi squat hold x 20 s
• Combined in/out jumps/squat x 1 length of the ladder

Oh. My. God. Those ladder squats killed me – I’d jump into the ladder and squat, jump out of the ladder and squat, all the way to the end of it. My legs were on fire. And not in a good way.

I did a 3-minute walk on the treadmill after that, at 5.2 km/h – just so my legs wouldn’t seize up later. And during my stretches, Pete told me to hold each one for at least 20 seconds to make sure I got a really good stretch.

I wasn’t as sore as I thought I’d be on Tuesday, although both my knees were aching a bit. My glutes and hamstrings were a little sore, but nothing like I’d imagined. I went back to the gym to do Week 4 Day 2 of the 10k Runner app. One of the ladies in the building was there with her daughter and she asked me how often I had my trainer and what else I did in between sessions and then she told me she could really see a difference in my shape. Well, that was nice! We chatted for a bit and after enough procrastinating I got on the treadmill:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 3 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Run x 5 min
• Walk x 3 min
• Run x 5 min
• Walk x 3 min
• Run x 3 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Cool down x 5 min

Phew, I was glad when that was over.

I had another session Pete on Wednesday morning. I began with an easy 3-minute warmup on the cross-trainer and then went through the stretching routine.

I began with 12 minutes on the cross-trainer, alternating 20 seconds of sprints and 10 seconds of an easy pace. It was exhausting!

I then did the first group of exercises:

• Lateral pulldown hold x 20 s
• Lateral pulldown x 10
• Hanging knee raises x 10
• Rest 20 s and repeat two more times

I had a water break and did the next group of exercises:

• Pushup hold x 20 s
• Pushups x 10
• Side crunches x 20 (10 on each side)
• Rest 20 s and repeat two more times

After some water I did an abs set:

• Side plank with reach through x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Bicycle crunches x 30 s
• Rest x 30 s
• Side plank with reach through x 30 s (the other side)
• Rest x 30 s
• Double crunches x 30 s
• Rest

I did another 4 minutes on the cross-trainer, alternating 20 s and 10 s. And after that I finished off with some stretches and went home.

Thursday was a holiday and Eco Yoga Sanctuary was closed so I went to the gym to do Week 4 Day 3 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 3 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Run x 5 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Run x 5 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Run x 3 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Cool down x 5 min

I managed to do that without stopping and went home.

And I didn’t work out again over the weekend.

Total distance covered this week? 9.46 km – although the run that I did on Thursday has disappeared from my Nike+ app although the total distance covered in May (so far) includes the 3.04 km. That’s weird – and annoying!

Low point of the week? I can’t think of anything

High point of the week? Feeling like I’ve got my groove back!

Weight loss? Hmm – I think I’m moving in the right direction. And when will I hit my goal weight of 65 kg? According to the Libra weight-tracking app, it will be December this year.

Read more updates here.