Christmas pounds disappear with miles ! Week 2, love you

By justinesq on January 18, 2015 • ( 0 )

So week 2, my false sense of security continues as we crept up to 4 cheeky runs this week, non arduous. If you know me of course you’ll know I can’t stand to not be challenged in any way at all so I did build a few sneaky adds into things. The Christmas extra poundage has been lost, thank you to MFP, My Fitness Pal. It’s the perfect weight loss tool for the OCD amongst us and it really shows just what we runners burn. There’s no silly diets, I know what to eat to feel good about running, MFP works on the simple equation calories in v calories burned either puts weight on, takes it off or you can stay balanced. It rather supports the Jasper Carrot theory ( who’s old enough to remember him) . Look at your body and remember the hole at the top is bigger than the hole at the bottom !!

The weather continues to be wintry, snow threatens but hasn’t hit yet….there’s talk of ‘thunder snow’, what the hell is that? Is that just something the met office thinks will make a good new # of weather extremes or will snow clouds actually thunder ? If we get lightening, won’t that melt all the snow ? That’s something I’ve never heard or seen in 47 years !

I HATE the cold and it’s worse as I’m getting older. Is it because I genuinely have less ‘meat on my bones’ a favourite comments of both mother and mother in law if I mention it or am I joining the ranks of the elderly who just feel it more? I briefly considered a vest but thought better of it. Still in Marks you can buy numerous vest-like garments called anything but a vest …..slips,cami tops, sleeveless tops…. Hopefully to make us LCAs feel less geriatric ! I’ll battle on even if I do feel like one of those dithery little dogs half the time.
So run 1 in the cold and dark described as ’25 mins easy’ ended up being 30 mins tempo because I couldn’t be bothered to find a new route and it was cold and dark. I felt guilty seeing HPP on mass running the other way, I said a friendly high but I suspect they’ve forgotten who I am as I haven’t shown my face since the clocks changed. Can’t join them yet, their 50 min tempo/threshold runs don’t fit my plan just yet.
Run 2 was ’20 mins easy’ so I thought I’d combine that with my cross train at David Lloyd. Ever a glutton for punishment, I thought I’d have a go a spin as I haven’t been for ages. Despite the remnants of new year enthusiasm, getting a back at the back of course wasn’t an issue. I’m good though I try to keep the requested tension on the bike as instructed, I don’t really cheat. I felt like a jelly after, it’s a bloody killer if you do it properly and yet again I suffered a dreaded case of ‘spinners arse’ ……. I know I’ve blogged about it before but when will they put armchairs on spin bikes. Have I lost weight in the nether regions meaning less padding for those bones only a bike seat can find ? Is that physically possible? Why does everyone else look comfy ? I battle through the tracks longing for the words ‘ rising climb everyone, up out those saddles’ could we not climb for the whole class ? Arse now numb I struggled upstairs with my jelly legs to do my easy 20 mins on the treadmill…..funnily enough it didn’t seem that easy ! Three days on my spinners bum is subsiding……never again, but I will ‘cos it’s a challenge.
Run 3 was the Friday ‘natter run’ yeah I need to make the most of these early weeks of easy pace so both Ellie and Susie can join in. What Ellie and I consider ‘easy’ pace is clearly pushing Susie so the joys of the run chat can’t last long on my journey to London, now that’s a sacrifice.
Finally run 4, the long run of the week, which by my standards isn’t currently long at all. I hear of other London runners at the 10/12 mile mark which I know I can do but I’m sticking to the plan even if it seems a step backwards, just looking after the ageing bod and all that. So on the coldest day of the week, I donned my new ‘mid life crisis’ bobble hat and extended the prescribed 50 mins easy to a 57 min 10km. First one of the year and not exactly my fastest but it did say easy. It’s hard to feel fast when it’s so cold. I find my legs feel they’re taking an age to get moving. But come on you’re more interested in my mid life crisis bobble hat than the run, I know you too well! It’s Superdry, I know, at my age. It caught my eye while buying Christmas presents for my teenagers. It sang to me but I resisted, but not for long, it kept crossing my mind, entering my thoughts. If you’ve ever seen ‘Wayne’s World’ you’ll know the “you shall be mine, oh yes, you shall be mine”……so bugger it, I ordered it on line! It’s warm and gorgeous and the bobble is quite frankly insane. I’ve seen many a runner in their woolly hats but mine has absolutely got the best pom pom, it’s probably holding my speed back.

Check the bobble size on that !

I the week with a strength session, some good old pumping iron, I have to keep the bingo wings in check at my age, don’t want them flapping about as I gave a triumphant wave on The Mall at the finish. I also worked on leg strength and tried some wicked moves from runner and yoga goddess, Shauna Harrison. Please check her out on Instagram if you want to see some fab leg work, usually plus great scenery. I’m trying her ‘Sweat a Day’ and the Tick Tock Stutter was a tough one.

http://instagram.com/shauna_harrison

Tiny hiccup as we move to Week 3, I woke up this morning with a throat like I’d swallowed a hedgehog, I remembered what all the chia seeds are for now, to boost immunity……pah !!

Good news on the fundraising front, I finally decided to push out the news at work and make my challenge and appeal public. I’ve worked at DHL nearly 4 years and as even my division is big I have some big lists to send to. The response was good especially as it’s not pay day yet, £200 added almost immediately and a couple of really nice messages. I’ll push out again after March’s pay day. It always amazes you who donates first often people you don’t expect and the people you do don’t ?? I need to track down ‘Hairy Biker’ though who donated £20 and I have no idea who it is. I thought I knew and I sent a personal thank you to everyone and was a bit embarrassed to get a ‘sorry it wasn’t me’ response ! Awkward or what. Now I daren’t ask anyone else and I can’t think who it is…..if you are reading this, a massive thank you! So now I’m at £550 , if I can get to £600 that’s the maximum I can claim from the DHL match it scheme so that will be a huge boost. Who doesn’t like to see a large global business cough up some cash! I’ve boldly gone to my Facebook friends in a more upfront way …..if you don’t ask, you don’t get and it’s a tough target…..one request can’t hurt. It’s the only time ‘likes’ are annoying. I’m so glad you like it, but it’s donations I need !
My latest approach ‘ If you don’t like a challenge, please support mine’

https://www.justgiving.com/Justine-Squitieri2/