Belated Blog Hop, Week One Round Up, Friday Happy Post and General Update

Hello strangers! I’m not defaulting on my commitment to blogging regularly out of slackness – I assure you! I have truly had a stupendously busy week. As we all know, kick off was last Monday – it’s already been a week! – and I have had a big week.

To avoid this being one of those bumper-unreadably-long updates, I’ll just give you a brief week one round up, before I launch into my old “Friday Happy Post” – belated, but I still think it’s important to take a moment to appreciate some small things, especially during such a massive, hectic week!

Week 1 Round Up

Monday: Started Kick Off bed-ridden. Yes. That’s right. My neck pain flared up, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t train, and I was freakin’ FURIOUS with my body! A night of next to no sleep ensued, which of course exacerbated the pain so …

Tuesday: Hobbled into work, and immediately booked in with a new Physiotherapist. I had been seeing one for nearly two years who hasn’t really helped the problem, so I decided to book in at a sports medical centre. We did some work on my neck and back to relieve the pressure, strapped me up to stop me hunching like a grandma and was sent off with the instruction to not train till Thursday. Ok! I could handle that! Only one more day till I could run.

Wednesday: Neck improved vastly. Weigh in, down 400 grams in two days. Felt happy, but was busting to finally “kick off” Thursday morning.

Thursday: Despite being strapped up, I started the day with a 6km speed run with 500mtr intervals – gosh they are hard, but so, so worth it. Not just for the endorphin kick at the end, but seeing my times get shorter each week is so satisfying. Spent the rest of the day planning my meals for the next week, and scheduling my training.

Friday: Started the day with physiotherapy, then hit the gym for some strength work.

Saturday: Was SSS and indeed it was! I rode my bike to my local train station, jumped on the train to Glen Waverley then rode the 5km down to Jells Park for a group training session led by Rell from Frichot Fitness. It was Rell Challenge day which includes a 1km time trial – I am busting to do a sub-5 minute kilometre, but just missed out at 5 minutes and 1 second. BUT! Still a personal best so I was really, really happy. After training, I rode the 5km back to the station before catching the train back home. 877 calories burned. Then I got invited to a social gathering that afternoon for some other lovely 12WBT in the West. I figured, hey, what the hell and cycled the 5.3kms to the occasion and back. Was a lovely afternoon, but boy my legs where heavy on the way home. So all in all I rode about 23kms and participated in a group workout and burned 1210 calories. Enjoyed a well deserved two glasses of wine that night at a gorgeous friend’s birthday occasion.

Sunday: I got up, rounded up my husband, drank a strong coffee and then we hit the pavement. An hour and a half later we were home, happy but exhausted, having run 12.6kms. Spent the afternoon in a movie theatre doing sneaky stretches – I highly recommend this, my legs are actually quite happy today (Monday) and I was expecting to have DOMS all over the place! So, for those out there who aren’t stretching because it’s boring or annoying – just make the time to do it, your body will thank you!

General Update:

So Week One didn’t quite start out as I wanted, I was in an unhappy place but I turned it around and I’m really pleased with the week in all. I was especially pleased with my nutrition. I don’t suggest any 12WBTers follow my lead here, but out of personal preference I have decided to up my calorie intake to see how my body reacts, and so far, so good. Instead of 1200 I am eating closer to 1400 a day, and I’m proud to say that each day those 200 extra calories come from good, whole, clean food.

Now. Things I appreciated this week:

Hitting the pavement on Sunday morning as the same time as a number of Rell’s Runners and knowing they were out there running too, getting a personal best on my 1km time trial (still on a high from that one!), Hugo, drinks with friends, cute puppy dogs, meeting new friends, thunder storms that remind me of home, and my husband winning an award for his excellent arts journalism (Go Jake! Yes, I know you are reading this).

So, that’s my week one round up. I wonder what week two holds?