Throwing myself off a 7-storey building

Monday
Exercise: Gym class
Elliptical trainer
Distance: 0.90k
Time: 15 mins
Core & flex class
Time: 30 mins

Tuesday
Exercise: Gym training
Treadmill hill run
Distance: 1.15m
Time: 15m
Core exercises: 10 mins
Strength exercises: 25 mins
Elliptical trainer
Distance: 0.74k
Time: 10 mins

Wednesday
Exercise: Lunchtime run
Distance: 7.43 miles
Time: 1h06m02s

Mile 1 - 9m09s
Mile 2 - 9m03s
Mile 3 - 9m04s
Mile 4 - 8m58s
Mile 5 - 9m00s
Mile 6 - 8m40s
Mile 7 - 8m38s
0.43m - 3m27s

Thursday
Exercise: Gym training
Treadmill hill run
Distance: 1.15m
Time: 15m
Core exercises: 10 mins
Strength exercises: 25 mins
Elliptical trainer
Distance: 0.76k
Time: 10 mins

Exercise: Evening run
Distance: 7.79 miles
Time: 1h08m12s

Mile 1 - 9m10s
Mile 2 - 8m52s
Mile 3 - 8m52s
Mile 4 - 8m48s
Mile 5 - 8m42s
Mile 6 - 8m46s
Mile 7 - 8m29s
0.79m - 6m30s

Friday
Exercise: Gym training
Treadmill hill run
Distance: 1.6m
Time: 20m
Core exercises: 15 mins
Strength exercises: 25 mins
Elliptical trainer
Distance: 0.78k
Time: 10 mins

Another week, another 6 exercise sessions in 5 days. On Monday I decided to take advantage of the classes they run at the gym. I want to top up my regular training sessions with some different workouts, partly to mix things up a bit to keep up my enthusiasm for going to the gym, and partly to learn new exercises that I might be able to practise on my own, should I ever feel the need to.

As I have the week off work, I chose the "Core & Flex":
"This is a specialist abs/back session, using those big balls! Effective exercises to flatten, tone, lengthen and strengthen! Abs of steel, are you up for it?"
This started with sit-ups with a 10kg weight across my chest. Since I'd spent 15 minutes on the elliptical trainer to "warm up", the weighty sit-ups soon had me sweating with the exertion! Then the personal trainer got me to do Russian twists, followed immediately by laying on one side, lifting myself up on my elbow and holding it for 20-30 seconds. Then squats balancing on the Swiss ball. Then some weight lifting - kneeling down pulling a weight down putting my elbow on my other knee, then alternating. Lastly some stretching work with the Swiss ball to loosen things up.

Tuesday, and it's back in the gym for my normal training session. Things are gradually getting easier so I'm gradually upping the weights or the reps where I feel things need pushing a bit further. I'd been thinking of going for a lunchtime run as well, but wasn't organised enough. And besides I could still feel the workout my abs had been given from the day before.

Wednesday and I'm definitely out for a run today. I plan about 6 miles, or maybe just over an hour. Without too much thought I set off on a slightly knew route, making it up slightly as I go, a double lap of the village which works out neatly at about 2.5 miles. Things are going well on this run, so I opt for 3 laps of this new route, and manage it in only 66 minutes, which is a pretty good pace over this distance.

Thursday back to the gym. Things are definitely a bit easier now, though I still stumble on trying 25 V-sits on the 3rd round of the core exercises. 15 are easy. 20 are straightforward. 25 are a killer. Still 24 is close enough. I'm still feeling a little guilty with myself for a few bottles of beer and too many chocolate biscuits from Wednesday evening, and feel the urge to burn off a few more calories. So when I get home I get straight out again for the 8 mile circuit round the local villages. I plan to do the route in roughly 9-minute-miles, and as usual manage to beat my plan upping the pace on the second half. A phone call a few minutes from home cuts my run short - a friend who was going to pop round about 8 o'clock is already there, so I sprint back through the churchyard getting to my doorstep at 7.45pm, otherwise I would have run round the road to make the full 8 mile run.

Friday and I have a catch-up session with the personal trainer. He's happy with my progress, and suggests I mix in a few of the "core & flex" exercises from Monday's session. I should also up my treadmill run to 20 minutes, and I should feel free to up the speed a bit too if I want. Our next catch-up is in three weeks, when he's going to give me some harder ab-work to do, so wants me to show some improvement before then. I'm not sure how many more times I can "beat the distance" on the elliptical trainer, but I'll keep at it. He's happy for me to at least match the distance if I can't beat it.

Today's a day off, and then tomorrow I shall be abseiling off the roof of the JR Hospital in Oxford, along with my sisters and a group of friends. We only have about £70 to reach our £1200 target and it would be really great if we could get it. If you can spare a couple of pounds, please sponsor us. All we're asking for is small donations - £2 is the minimum you can donate though Justgiving, so we'd be happy if a few people just gave that much. It all helps!!