Still alive

But also still injured.
:(

Resting

Am on rest at the moment - due to this ankle still giving me trouble. It may have been over ambitious last week to go to surf-fitness the night after jitsu, but you have to try these things. So I've been sitting working with my feet up, and more of the same today - while applying anti-inflammatories. It seems to be working, there is less swelling today than there was at the weekend.
As part of the rest have been on truncated morning sets - push ups, the new tricep push up I'm doing, abs and straight squats - so no turning or twisting, or putting weight on one leg more than the other.
Hope it works

Back to the blogging

Sorry - not been keeping up with the diary for a bit - it's all been a bit hectic.
Where are we.
Right - today saw a return to the full morning set routine, been off it a bit lately, partly due to an attack of life and partly due to nursing an ankle strain - but completed it all today - which was good. There was also progress on the bicep curls - it's been a struggle to get back to lifting what I was before the break.
What else have I been doing since the last post?

There has been one run - but I pulled up at 2k due to the ankle and walked home - have been experimenting with different measurement techniques as whilst the program I was following was good for getting me going, concentrating to much on running a certain length of time was starting to be non-productive. So currently I run distances (to the first crossing, walk the short bit of pavement, then to the second crossing - this works out 2-3 mins each), then running to songs/distance/till I get fed up. Songs work well - as noted in my previous post, will see how training goes tonight and maybe try a run on friday.

Training tonight - that would be jitsu as boxing is not running due to Varsity (the annual swansea/cardiff showdown in everything...except the sports I actually do). It's my first time at jitsu without the other half, so am a little nervous but fairly confident I'll be ok. I have now done breakfalls in all four directions without actually destroying myself, which is a good start. I'm missing boxing a lot though and can't wait for next wednesday (I've been away at weekends and therefore unable to go on saturdays :( )

In addition to the above there was also a martial arts day on Sunday - Evolution, 500 years of hand to hand combat, hosted by the English Martial Arts Academy. First let me give my thanks to all the tutors - Neil in Fiore (and for the best description of Fiore I have ever heard), Milo in Pugilism and James in Commando Mentalism. All three workshops were very good - a chance to learn some new skills, and practice ones I already have picked up. I was the only female training at the start of the day, joined by one more a little later; but I don't think I let the side down too much.

So - all in all things are going fairly well - I think.

Off for a run again today!

Decided to have a go at a run today - been a bit on the poorly side so had left it for a while. Today was about confidence and morale.
I didn't do too badly - I started off doing a bit of 2mins run, 2 mins walk for a couple of sets, then decided to run for the length of 'Mr Blue Sky' as it is a song that I like. I managed this - a personal best time of 4mins 50 secs. I then did a couple more sets of walk and run, though based on distance rather than time. Overall, according to my phone pedometer I covered just under 4k, which is double my usual distance, in a little less than double the time (about 40 mins). After some careful consideration I decided I could be happy with that.

Morning sets also started again today - I found that 5.5 kg was too much for me, so the bicep curls were down to 5. This was disappointing. However, due to me not being able to count I am now doing 8kg on the skullcrushers, so it's not all bad.
All the rest were completed as previously.

Not much training and some over-educated nutters

Well, not blogged much for a while. The training has for various reasons died a bit, but will be back on track one my normal life routine is re-established (and there is the crap of only one person in my room again so that I have some room to train!). However I have not been utterly idle.
There has been one run - not entirely successful - my mindset has gone a bit on that one, but I think this can be sorted. I have been grossly underestimating the amount of time it takes to get fit, and therefore being disappointed at my lack of progress. But this can be dealt with.

There was a surf fitness class - and for the first time I was complimented on my progress by the coach (who mainly ignores me). This felt good. My progress in the pool has been dramatic - in September I couldn't really swim properly, now I'm in the surfing fitness classes working on my survival techniques. I had a go at a forward roll underwater for the first time - didn't really work, but that's ok, I try to give something I can't do a go most weeks in the class so I can start learning how to do them.

Last night there was Jitsu. Those who know me will remember that I met up with the University Jitsu club a few months back, watched a lesson and decided I probably wouldn't survive, which was sad as they seemed a nice bunch of people and a generally sound martial art (all my grappling is abominable). However, a few months of fairly dedicated training and I am no longer feeling like I was put together by Mcgyver on a bad day so, with my other half in town, I thought I'd join him at class. I was really very nervous, I've not tried breakfalling for about 14 years and I was pretty bad at it then. However, they teach it in a different way to the last people I trained with, so I was pleased with the results, not as disastrous as I thought. It was also a good workout.

I'm not giving up boxing - I enjoy it, but I think the two are complimentary, so am thinking I will go back next Friday - at least give it a couple of goes. They are a nice bunch of people to - the sort of over-educated nutters I have been missing a bit.

Some ups, some downs, and some middlings

Um, right, it's been a few days.
Morning sets have been continuing - there might have been one day off somewhere in the mix I'm not sure.
Levelled up and adjusted them today: the weights have gone up, so from next week (day off tomorrow due to early train) it will be
Bicep curl - 5.5kg
Skull Crucher - 7.5kg
So far - so go me.

As regular readers may remember my goal was 10 full pressups by the end of May - well I did 10 this morning, about six weeks ahead of schedule. This is good. Now by the end of May I would like to be doing 10 comfortably, and we'll see about adding some more. For the next couple of weeks I'm going to stick at 9 full, 6 girly as I won't have the verbal encouragement I had this morning.

The abs regime I have changed, from now on I will do 20 reverse crunches and 20 sit up twists. This works a different range of muscles to the last abs section, and will include work on my obliques, which have not been a part of the morning program until now. I may play with the type of abdominal exercise I do in the future if I get bored, but I think I'll stick with that one for now.

So much for the ups...
The downs...

Running
Completed my 5 x 3and2 today. Well, I completed 7x 3and2. Which is, to be fair a sort of up. However I had a running partner for the first time today. This meant I had, in my mind, someone I had to beat. Given today's partner runs 5miles in half an hour, I was never going to do this, but I set off at too fast a pace anyway, got knackered and burst into tears for being useless.
This was a down.
It was also sunny today - so I could see my shadow, and I didn't like it one little bit. I felt I looked weak and girly rather than strong in the way my running partner looked (yes, I am comparing myself unfavourably to a bloke three times my size).
This was also a down.
At this point I was mostly of the opinion I might as well save everyone the trouble of looking after me come Z-Day and just shoot myself at the first sign of an outbreak.

So positive mental attitude - well it comes and goes. What I don't have is the ability to tell myself I'm doing 'better' a lot of the time, particularly when I'm actually training. Generally I'm a results-orientated person, my worth is measured in how high I turn up on the league table. My 'league-table' at the moment is made up of stronger, fitter, men - which isn't ideal to say the least. Hmmm - expect more ponderings on this in the future.

So - to the middlings
Middlings are sometimes worst of all, not sure why.
I thought I'd do an old core stability workout tonight, that I hadn't done for ages in order to redeem my earlier failings.
It goes a little something like this:


Plank: lie in the press-up position, supporting your body weight on your elbows rather than your arms; Hold for 30s keeping you back straight, your bum down and you stomach tight; Try and increase time with practice.

Calf raises: stand on an elevated surface, such as a box or step; Allow your heels to drop as low as possible with your heels over hanging the step, then stretch up on to your tip toes; Repeat 20 times; Try to avoid using any support.

Power 5 press-ups: lower yourself down to one inch of the deck over a count of 5seconds, hold for a count of 5 seconds, then return to the upright with explosive power; Repeat in sets of 5 (or as many as you can manage high quality reps, at least sets of two) (currently being done against a wall as I can't get explosive power even from a girly press-up yet)

Back arches: lie on your front then arch your back to draw your head up and your heels towards your bum, keeping your legs strait

Power 5 squats: as for power 5 press-ups ensuring that you squat down to the deepest possible range of travel before the hold and again exploding up.  Repeat for 20 reps.

Rotator cuff developers; hold yourself in the normal press-up position and allow your body to lower without bending your elbows, then raise your body back up for 1 rep, repeat 20 times.

Sit up twists x 20 (was supposed to be a sideways plank exercise, but my ankles don't support me)

Scap setters: Lie on your front with your hands by your side; Raise them by 10-20 degrease and rotate in small circles, first inwards then outwards for 20 reps each way.

Flutters: lie on your back with your legs out stretched, feet 6” off the ground; Kick up and down as for back stroke kick, for 20 reps, where one rep is both legs up and down.

Twice through tonight. It was mostly alright, most of it has got a bit easier since I last did it. However plank is still a bug-bear - I managed a new personal best of 50 seconds tonight, but progress is very slow - a couple of seconds improvement at best. Am I pushing myself as hard as I can do on this one or am I just loosing interest (I've tried counting, trying loud music with my eyes shut - any other bright ideas gratefully accepted)...Pass...but it ends the day on frankly a bit of a disappointment. Which is generally less than ideal

Levelling up and changes

Well, it was level up on the running today. It was hard, I had to drop my pace for the last three minute set, which annoyed me a bit. I think if I do the 5x 3 and 2 on Thursday then I shall have to do a lower pace and up the pace next week when I redo the week (I have resigned myself that this '4 week' program is going to take me a minimum of 8 weeks to complete as it seems to take me two weeks to progress).
Morning sets have continued as usual, with a rest day on Sunday, made a change this morning, changing the crunches and leg raises to reverse crunches - 20 of these today, which I am told work all the muscles the other two exercises work in one, this hopefully will save me a bit of time in the mornings, and gives me something slightly different to do, to try and keep things interesting.
Also did some light martial arts training yesterday, which was fun.