Can't you go in the variety centre any more? That was always my preferred option!

I've found photos of me running, if the link stays up, go here and I'm the top left photo (number DSC_0058 - incidentally I think that means I was the 58th photo to be taken at that spot - not too shabby!). I promise I'm not running in the wrong direction, it's just that the course looped back on itself and I'm way ahead of the people going past that point for the first time...) I'm also here (FAA_0134) and here (FAA_0414)

Nope, no variety centre loos anymore! It sucks! Well done on the pics! At that point I would probably look quite dead!

You look so good in those pics. Some of the men look really scary!

I'm having a :tantrum: I went to our local stupid supermarket to get milk and it's shut!!! it used to be open til 10! Grrrrrrrrr Ah well, had to go to Bargain Booze instead!

We got our box of organic veggies. They look great, I had a cucumber, red pepper (capsicum to me), cherry tomato and celery salad. Very nice. Which I had with left over lasagne. We'll do that again! Every fortnight we think. Still deciding whether to do the fruit box. It looks good value, all apples, pears, clementines etc, no big fruit but no berries either :( I eat a lot of berries!

Is it bedtime yet?

Mmm, the box sounds lovely!

I'm sitting down writing my marathon training plan - scary! I'm working back from the race working out where the longest runs and race weekends fall and adding in a couple of extra weeks for holidays (there are two or three weeks that I'm going to have to do over the space of a fortnight to take account of other plans). So far it's looking manageable, kind of...

It starts soon, so I think until then I'm just going to repeat week 1 a couple of times, it's pretty much what I do anyway but it will get me into the habit of running on certain days - it's the same pattern every week and pretty much what I was planning to do this week anyway, but with slightly different distances.

:wave: Hello!

YP you're FAMOUS! I think the "wrong direction" one is the best :yes:

My back is playing up - I still went kickboxing though and running beforehand. I got home and moaned and DF asked if I still went kickboxing... Well yes, I could still walk... :lol: I felt a bit like Skwigg after that! She says that if she can walk, she still makes it to the gym! :rofl:

Oh and we were snuggling on the bed and I was lying on my side and DF had his hand on my side, then he says, "Oooh ribs, oh wow!" In a shocked and awed voice! :lol: Not that ribs are that great - but the surprise in his voice was worth it! :lol:

Apart from that not much happening. Oh I "put on" 3lbs! :rofl: I KNOW it's water retention because I was mega dehydrated yesterday since we have run out of squash and water and EVERYTHING! So just icky tap water.. :barf: So today I am drinking lots and lots and I will make Sunday mornings my weigh-in day I think :yes:

I cooked for a friend on Sunday from Slimming World Recipes. Unfortunately I was nto feeling quite right (a cold is threatening to come but is just enough for me to feel like cr*p but not enough to stay in bed!). I was dashing around to find the proper spices - a medium madras powder and a mild curry powder plus various others including cumin and coriander but in my centre of the universe there seems to be a shortage of spices - so although in the end it tasted alright - I have to rely on her ages old Garam masala - so everything was a bit samey.

However we had a Mango Biryani, a Quorn Madras with yougurty dressing (sadly supposed to get Quorn pieces but could not find so made do with the mince) and a potato and spinach dish.

I have some of the biryani to eat up tonight but haven't bothered yet as off food due to this cold thing and toothache (no wonder I lost this week!).

I'm drinking loads. I'm making up 4 bottles (500mls) of squash per day, and taking them to work, then whatever I drink is a bonus. I had cottage cheese and three oatcakes for my morning tea.

Salmon with lots of lovely veg tonight!

I walked this morning, and gym tonight. Woo hoo!

Lovely pictures, YP.

Kyk, we get organic veggies delivered as well - the old boys I meet while walking the dogs have mostly got allotments and they often pop round for a cuppa and a box full of veg because they know I really appreciate it. It can get all a bit too much though when all three have got, say, runner beans cropping.

Frus, I didn't know that water (the lack of) could have that effect. In fact I've never really known why its so important to drink so much water when on a diet.

I'm going to go nuts! DH is working from home on some kind of project and he has hijacked my routine. He thinks its mildly weird of me to get out of bed and start exercising and he wants to join in the walks but can't walk as far and fast as I can..... AND everytime I go to eat something he asks me if its 'allowed' :devil: I said to him that its all calculated up front and showed him the notebook but he says I seem to be eating a lot (this was said as I was eating cottage cheese with a pear chopped in it for my morning snack.)

We got the results of our blood tests yesterday and mine were okay. His weren't, so he had to go back again this morning and have another blood test done. While he was there he saw the doctor about this wheeziness of his (which is what stops him walking as far as me) and he's got to have a chest X-ray because he used to work with asbestos.

Cardio today - 20 mins of HIIT on the exercise bike, I did the same resistance as on Monday but didn't hit that 10 :( lots of 9's though.

:yes: Indeedy - if you're dehydrated your body's cells hold on to water, because they think they're not going to get any more... A bit like starvation mode! So I've drunk 5 pints of squash so far today and I'm not feeling too bad! Water also flushes out the bi-products of weight loss and helps the kidneys and liver to function so all the stuff "metabolises" a little faster. That's my lay-mans approximation anyway! I'm sure it's almost right! ;)

I'm absolutely exhausticated, no running for me at lunch. I'm going to go home and have a nap, then I have to sort out the freezer and get all the green boxes ready for the Tesco delivery man coming! We've bulk bought a lot of squash and washing powder and meat and things! :lol:

Another dull day at work. Most unusual. Most days we're guarenteed some fun and games. The only thing vaguely entertaining today is that the steam's down at one of our sites, and lots of people are complaining that they're a bit nippy.

Just had the nicest wrap from Boots ever - YUM! And some carrots. Don't think I'll gym it tonight, am so sore. Walk dog instead.

I'm feeling a bit ill... A bit fluey... RATS!

I like the wrong direction one best too :D

I was so proud of myself this morning - I ran outside instead of going on the treadmill. I've never done that before work before!!! I got to the gym and it was packed, all the treadmills were taken and there seemed to be a queue forming. I wanted to do 40 - 50 minutes which would have been a bit mean even if I'd waited for a treadmill if other people wanted them (although the people on the treadmills when I got there didn't seem to be paying too much attention to the 15 minute recommendation ;) ), so I just headed back downstairs, put some tracksuit bottoms on over my shorts and headed outside! My top half was a bit cold because I wear less stuff to run in the gym than outside (obviously) and didn't have a long sleeved running top on me (the coat I travelled to the gym in wasn't suitable), but once I got going it was OK.

It was so much nicer than running on the treadmill. I ran for 44 minutes (22 minutes out, 22 minutes back) along the canal, I don't have an exact distance because I can't work out where I turned round on the map (there's a long stretch with no particularly distinguishing features ;) but it was probably around 5 miles. It was so much more peaceful and interesting than running in the gym, I'm really considering doing that every running weekday - it will also remove treadmill angst when I'm either waiting for one or feeling guilty for hogging one. Plus if I plan ahead I can wear something a bit warmer! Eventually I will start running to work once my midweek runs get a bit longer and I can't fit them in without using my travelling time as running time, but for now I'll get the bus to the gym, dump my stuff then run outside.

The other big news is that I've signed up for another half marathon. Or I think I have, the closing date for entries is tomorrow so I hope my cheque gets there in time! I've decided not to do the one the week before the Capital 10k in the end as they're a bit close, so I'm doing one a couple of weeks earlier. Sadly I've worked it out and I've only got time for one or two long runs before then (and even those would have to be at odd times to fit them in), so I'm not expecting much of an improvement, but I want to get more experience of proper distance races, taking water from water stations etc, before Berlin and there aren't that many convenient half marathons over summer so I've taken the plunge for this one.

And then I celebrated with a bar of chocolate, and got really shocked comments from my boss when she caught me. "But you don't eat chocolate"!!! Erm yes, clearly I do! She's just jealous ;)

More photos (I don't know how many they took!!!) - first of all, I'm flying!!! (img_1540)

And I'm struggling up a muddy hill (img_1285 and img_1289)

Well done with yet another successful run YP. The pictures are great too. I have been to the gym this evening and done my usual 20 minute run. I probably could do longer but I break it up with 10 minutes on the cross trainer too. This morning I really thought about running before work. I tend not to run outside as it seems to hurt my back. Danny the trainer says this is because I do not warm up properly but I am not sure. Maybe its my trainers, or maybe I am just too much of a big lump still.

Do you run immediately or do you fast walk at first?

Hope everyone is well I love reading all your posts and your blogs too.

Anyway I must go and get in the bath

Goodnight godbless everyone

Michele

I tend to run straight out of the door when I set off from home, but I do start off slower and then speed up. When I run in the gym I always have more of a warm up because I have to walk a mile or so from the bus stop to the gym, then I start running when I get there.

Morning, it's 5.40 am. I went to the gym last night. None of the trainers spoke to me...........again. I went later this time, but there were still little gym bunnys flexing their scrawny little arms in the mirror. And there was a very pretty girl lying on the abs area having her hips massaged by one of the trainers! I thought that was slightly outrageous. It didn't look like serious sports massage to me, and it's certainly not one of their advertised services!!!

I'm gonna do a Mrs Bucket and write a letter I think. If I leave that gym it will be because of the quality of the staff. No good having a pretty gym if its staffed by numptes!

We had salmon with fennel, carrots, celery and garlic last night, with some baked new potatoes. It was lovely! I still have lots of lovely veggies in my fridge! No cooking tonight though. I don't finish til six and have pilates at 8.30, so I'm eating dinner at work, and then going to gym.