Notes by Nectar

On Sunday the 25th of September I began the week with Week 2 Day 1 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 1.5 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Run x 1.5 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Run x 1.5 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Run x 1.5 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Run x 1 min
• Walk x 1 min
• Run x 1 min
• Walk x 1 min
• Cooldown x 5 min

There was still only one treadmill working at the gym so I used my least favourite one.

I had a session with Pete on Monday morning. I began with a warmup which consisted of:

• Squats x 20
• Plank and shoulder tap x 10, alternating 5 on each side
• Airplanes x 10 on each side
• Lunge and twist x 10, alternating 5 on each side
• Elbow plank/leg raise x 10, alternating 5 on each side
• Glute bridges x 20
• Cross-trainer x 400 m

I know the saying that what you find really tough one day will become your warmup – well, Pete has certainly taken that to heart. While I was on the cross-trainer Pete said I’d be doing some heavy lifting and bodyweight exercises. The first group of exercises consisted of:

• Bench step-ups x 6 on each side
• Combined lunge/single row x 8 (15-lb weight/20-lb weight)
• Single-leg deadlift x 10 on each side (15-lb weight)
• Single shoulder press on one knee x 6 on each side (15-lb weight)
• Rest and repeat two more times

After those three sets, I had some water and did the second group of exercises:

• Front squat x 6 (20-lb weights)
• Lateral pulldown x 6 (9 bars)
• Hamstring curl x 8 (8 bars)
• Pushups to failure (25/19/14)
• Situps with two punches at the top x 10
• Rest and repeat two more times

After three sets of that, I had more water and a short break. The last circuit consisted of:

• Tricep extension x 12 (4 bars)
• Hammer curl x 7/7/7
• Rest and repeat one more time

For the hammer curl, I held a dumbbell in each hand, in the starting position. I did seven reps with my right hand, seven reps with my left hand and seven reps with both hands.

My hamstrings were sore on Tuesday but I went to the gym for Week 2 Day 2 of the 10k Runner app, which was the same as Sunday’s run. At least my favourite treadmill was working again!

I had another session with Pete on Wednesday. My warmup consisted of:

• Quad rockers x 10 (moving from child’s pose to plank and back again)
• Opposite arm/leg extension x 10, alternating
• Pushups x 10
• Squats x 10
• Airplanes x 10 on each side
• Combined reverse lunge/twist x 10, alternating

The first group of exercises was the kettlebell circuit:

• Kettlebell swings x 3
• Combined squat/upright row x 2
• Shoulder press x 1
• Repeat five more times
• Rest x 30 s and repeat the whole thing two more times

I was tired by the end of that. I had some water and a 1-minute break. The next group of exercises was shuttle runs:

• Run forward and reverse backwards x 30 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Run forward and back x 30 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Side steps x 30 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Run forward and reverse backwards x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Run forward and back x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Side steps x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Run forward and reverse backwards x 10 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Run forward and back x 10 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Side steps x 10 s
• Rest

I had some more water and another 1-minute break. The third group of exercises involved a 3-kg medicine ball:

• Combined squat/throw x 10 (I’d throw the ball to Pete, he’d roll it back to me)
• Shoulder plank/return ball x 10 (I’d roll the ball to Pete, he’d roll it back to my other arm)
• Combined reverse lunge/torso twist x 10 (10 on each side, with the medicine ball)
• Rainbow x 10 (holding the medicine ball at my right hip, I’d raise it over my head to my left hip and back again)
• Rest x 30 s and repeat two more times

After that set, I had another minute of rest followed by a cardio circuit:

• Run on the spot x 30 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Jumping jacks x 30 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Quick feet x 30 s (stepping out and in very quickly)
• Rest x 10 s
• Run on the spot x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Jumping jacks x 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Quick feet and 20 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Run on the spot x 10 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Jumping jacks x 10 s
• Rest x 10 s
• Quick feet x 10 s
• Rest

I’d had just about enough of jumping around for one day but my session wasn’t over yet. I repeated the kettlebell circuit (6 rounds x 3 sets), had a 1-minute break and then repeated the shuttle runs. And then I was finally done.

I went back to the gym on Thursday for Week 2 Day 3 of the 10k Runner app:

• Warmup x 5 min
• Run x 1.5 min
• Walk x 2 min
• Repeat the run/walk five more times
• Cool down x 5 min

I took Friday off and had planned to go to yoga on Saturday morning but the class had changed to 9am. And after the Friday I had, there was no way I was doing very much that day.

Distance covered?

Low point of the week? Even though I’ve been exercising, I’ve not been eating very well. And I drank far too much on Friday.

High point of the week? I made it to the gym five times!

Weight loss? It went down in the first half of the week and then back up over the weekend.

Read more updates here.