"Activate your inner thighs". Can't get enough of this motivational bollockology.. Body Pump is curiously both the most humiliating, and the most entertaining class I've decided, so I'm going to forego the rest from now on.
However, some niggles recently.
I certainly felt a little "peculiar" a couple of weeks ago, and had to forego any attempts at running. Instead I had a few days off, but continued popping along to Body Pump.
Fortunately it did seem to either be a smidge of over exertion repaired with some rest, or maybe a virus. Who knows, but then along came the annual awards event for the racing club. The orange dickie bow fitted perfectly, but the suit was alarmingly tight - in fact there was some concern that the jacket button might have pinged off and broken a glass or two, in the manner of a gunslinger in a western saloon.
Of course a bottle or two of red on the table soon relaxed events, the button was loosened, and before we knew where we were it was Disco Inferno until the early hours. I was complimented by a fellow racer on both "rhythm" and "freedom", but given the alcohol consumed that evening I supect his judgement was impaired. Even so, I had to admit that, yes, I was rather good. Ahem. If the little arm wriggle is good enough for George Michael, it's good enough for me. Bed was reached finally at 4am, fully clothed, and the wine sought revenge with a headache which persisted all day..
Still, a sans John Sargeant Strictly Come Dancing Sunday evening forced me out for a run, and what do you know.. Once the lethargy has been overcome, the red wine and apparent lack of preparation resulted in another new record for distance. I should do this more often. The Ipod Nano suitably packed with motivational music helps enormously too.
No speed records will be set that's for sure, in fact I suspect it may not be regarded as "running" at all, and I was worried enough that it was merely a "mild lumber" to demonstrate it to my friend Brian, who deemed it "a gentle jog". Good enough!
Still, it's a real improvement and if I beat the man in the diving suit then I shall regard that as a result.
I'll now need to move away from the nursery slopes, and the 4 miles loop of Virginia Water now beckons..
However.. Nothing is that easy. For some bizarre reason I didn't notice a blister, or a bite or something. Who knows. Anyway, within 24hrs my foot had swollen up and a deeper wider blister formed around my little toe. Ouch. So the last 24hr have been spent with it airing, and hoping hoping that it recovered enough to resume gym work on Monday and hopefully a revised running route on Tuesday. Another weeks delay to the step up the ladder, and one I can ill afford.
I certainly felt a little "peculiar" a couple of weeks ago, and had to forego any attempts at running. Instead I had a few days off, but continued popping along to Body Pump.
Fortunately it did seem to either be a smidge of over exertion repaired with some rest, or maybe a virus. Who knows, but then along came the annual awards event for the racing club. The orange dickie bow fitted perfectly, but the suit was alarmingly tight - in fact there was some concern that the jacket button might have pinged off and broken a glass or two, in the manner of a gunslinger in a western saloon.
Of course a bottle or two of red on the table soon relaxed events, the button was loosened, and before we knew where we were it was Disco Inferno until the early hours. I was complimented by a fellow racer on both "rhythm" and "freedom", but given the alcohol consumed that evening I supect his judgement was impaired. Even so, I had to admit that, yes, I was rather good. Ahem. If the little arm wriggle is good enough for George Michael, it's good enough for me. Bed was reached finally at 4am, fully clothed, and the wine sought revenge with a headache which persisted all day..
Still, a sans John Sargeant Strictly Come Dancing Sunday evening forced me out for a run, and what do you know.. Once the lethargy has been overcome, the red wine and apparent lack of preparation resulted in another new record for distance. I should do this more often. The Ipod Nano suitably packed with motivational music helps enormously too.
No speed records will be set that's for sure, in fact I suspect it may not be regarded as "running" at all, and I was worried enough that it was merely a "mild lumber" to demonstrate it to my friend Brian, who deemed it "a gentle jog". Good enough!
Still, it's a real improvement and if I beat the man in the diving suit then I shall regard that as a result.
I'll now need to move away from the nursery slopes, and the 4 miles loop of Virginia Water now beckons..
However.. Nothing is that easy. For some bizarre reason I didn't notice a blister, or a bite or something. Who knows. Anyway, within 24hrs my foot had swollen up and a deeper wider blister formed around my little toe. Ouch. So the last 24hr have been spent with it airing, and hoping hoping that it recovered enough to resume gym work on Monday and hopefully a revised running route on Tuesday. Another weeks delay to the step up the ladder, and one I can ill afford.
