Exercise Update

So I’m up to Week 6 of the C25K program and it’s going really well. I’ve been managing my 3 runs a week mostly, and when I don’t, I try and squeeze it in the next week instead so I don’t get behind.

Sunday was my first “long” run and I was pretty nervous that I was actually going to manage it. Up till now the program has focused on intervals such as “5 minutes run, 2 minutes walk, repeat x3 etc”, and when I saw the Week5Day3 workout was a full 20minute run I have to admit I panicked a bit.

But after a little self talking-to, I decided to just give it a go and not put too much pressure on myself if I needed a walking break. I also decided to do the run around Whitlingham Broad, just round the corner from our house. It’s a beautiful and relaxing place to run, and somewhere that provided just the change of scenery I needed to keep my mind off the time.

And I totally surprised myself! I won’t say that it was easy but I was so chuffed that I kept going for the full 20minutes. I was sweating buckets by the end (it was a really warm day!) but so pleased that I’d persevered. The “trainer” on the app that I used was really encouraging as it tells you “halfway, keep going” and things like that which was great, and I saw loads of other people running or walking their dogs which was a nice distraction. All in all a great run!

And as a side note, when I did my Week6Day1 workout the following day (which goes back to intervals with 8minutes running) although my legs were tired, having run for 20minutes the 8minute sections did feel a little easier! Maybe psychological but I am starting to feel more confident in my ability to actually run 5K 🙂

So with that thought, here’s this weeks Exercise Plan:

Weekly Plan
Monday- Run
Tuesday- REST
Wednesday- (at a conference)
Thursday- Spinning
Friday- Run
Saturday- Run
Sunday- Body Pump

Last week I went to a Spinning class, and I’d like that to become a regular thing so I have some cross-training to complement my running and do something lower impact. I’ve been trying to get to Body Pump at the weekends too but this has been a bit erratic as I’ve had quite a few busy weekends recently! Especially as the weather has been so nice, I much prefer to go for a run outside or go kayaking or go to the beach or doing something to enjoy the sunshine! I expect that when the autumn/winter rolls around and it gets colder I’ll be much more keen to go to a class in the warm and dry gym studio! I am going to try and keep the motivation to keep running outside though- unless it’s a torrential thunderstorm or snowing of course- it’s so nice to get some fresh air after being in the office all day, and it gives my brain a chance to just switch off and think about nothing other than the next step…

Asthma

I went to ASDA last week as they now sell the blue Ventolin inhalers in their pharmacy– 2 for £7 which is good, considering the prescription costs are more than that, and you usually only get one inhaler at a time. I have a half used one at the moment so thought I would enquire about the service, purely so I can get them cheaper and have spares for emergencies. I don’t need to use it that often; my asthma is quite mild, but it does get aggravated by allergies- dust, pollen, cats/dogs, and smoke (from BBQs and bonfires as well as cigarettes) as well as when I get ill, and on the occasions when I need relief I never seem to have my inhaler on me! So my plan was partly to get a couple of spares so I can have one in my handbag, gym-bag and car and hopefully have an inhaler on standby for whenever I might need one. I can tell you, it’s no fun trying to get to sleep when you’re wheezing- and it’s no fun trying to sleep next to someone making such a racket, as Mark will attest to!

Source

I had to have a quick consultation with the pharmacist who took my details etc, but it was a really easy process and one I’d definitely recommend if you have an ASDA near you and need to use Ventolin inhalers for asthmatic relief.

How do you juggle any health issues with exercising? Do you have any recent fitness achievements you’re particularly proud of? 

I’m off to a conference in London with work tomorrow so an early start! Have a fun day!

Beki x