This week has been a blur, and already I'd consider myself something of a gym buff. From the Power Plate, through Body Pump and into Body Attack I've done them all. Naturally I'm pretty stiff, looking forward to a night or two off and between now and Monday (Power Plate again) I'll get a couple of short runs in to see where we are..

For those that don't know Power Plate is a vibrating pad which (apparently) increases the intensity of all exercise performed on it. Basically you switch it on, stand on it and do your exercise, and that's it. It might be a gimmick, but it really hurts so whether or not it's down to the machine is pretty irrelevant I guess. The instructor kept on about holding my tummy in, until I told her it was in - about as far as it's going to go.. Monday lunchtimes will never be the same.

Body Pump is organized humilation for any rotund heterosexual male with a pair of milk bottles hanging out of his shorts, but hey, this is a good cause. Music pumps out at 100 decibels, while the instructor shouts motivational slogans at you straining with your weights. "Get ready to rip it up", "over the top", "max the envelope", "ride the burn", etc etc etc. I tried and failed in the most part, but am eager to repeat the experience next week.

The next entry will be about my visit to "Runners Need". A chain of shops I have no natural affinity towards, and one, frankly, I never thought I'd need to visit...

Stacy