#noexcuses

I’ve found the past few days a bit tough. A combination of a lot of work, a generally depressing feeling about how the UK is handling Covid-19, and the monotony of spending day after day in the same place has been getting me down.

I’m usually really good at keeping my mind active and my mental health is pretty strong, which I feel really lucky about. But there’s something about January and the state of everything that is testing even the most hardy of people.

I had a long day yesterday that involved completing a big piece of work to a deadline mid-morning. I didn’t realise how much adrenaline was involved and once it was over I had a big slump. Felt knackered for the rest of the day and couldn’t really focus on work.

When it came to early evening, when I usually go for a run, I almost didn’t go. I started to make an excuse in my head (“my body needs to rest”). But then I challenged myself to at least get changed into my running gear. And of course as soon as I was head-to-toe running gear it felt stupid not to go!

I set off intending to just do a really quick round the block run, so that I could say that I’d done it, but in a way that was low pressure. But then when I got to the end of my street I ran in a different direction – uphill – and realised I didn’t have a set route in my head.

And so I played a game with myself. At every junction when I could turn towards home I asked myself whether I could do more and if I could I carried on. At one point I realised I was running quite slowly because someone ran past me at a different pace. So I picked it up. And then the last straight(ish) was pretty much all downhill. By the time I’d got home, my round-the-block had become 5km – not a really long distance, but enough to feel like I’d properly exercised.

And then of course I felt great. Endorphin rush. Shower. I’d been out of the house and didn’t feel so cabin feverish. Great stuff.

Today I did the same. Ended the working day later than usual with a phone meeting. Almost poured myself a glass of wine. But then I check Freeletics and my coach day were some pistol squats (incidentally getting much better at those!) and a 1.5km run. So off I went. And again I feel good about it.

So you know, it might be a marketing phrase, but #noexcuses is kind of true.

Cardio Burn turns up the heat

This is the Georgian Square in Bristol where I’m going to train today. They filmed Sherlock here and everything. Photo by Ben Garratt on Unsplash

Week 2 of 2021 flew by in a flash. It was Friday before I knew it.

I managed to stick to my routine, just about. I ran three times (once as my Freeletics Coach workout for the day – a quick 1.5km run around the block again), and did Freeletics workouts twice. I was hoping to do a longer run on Sunday but I was, ahem, a bit hungover so I didn’t.

The Cardio Burn journey continues to exhaust me. This week more burpees and jumps and pushups. I enjoy it, but I’m not sure I’m as flexible or agile as I was when I started Freeletics five years ago. That also might be Christmas weight still there and a general winter lethargy.

But there’s something more satisfying about finishing a workout very out of breath and very sweaty. You feel like you’ve achieved. Some of the strength workouts I was doing on my last journey just didn’t make me feel the same way – I guess that’s the point though.

Freeletics have also updated a lot of the workouts – especially interval training – so it feels nicely varied and I’m doing some new exercises.

Tonight, for example I’m doing:

20x Sphinx Pushups
20x Box Jump Overs

Full Body interval training, which is 5x sets of:
2x 10m Crab Walk
20x Climbers
24x Speed Skaters
10x Squat Reverse Lunges
20s Rest

2 x 200m Sprint

I think I’m going to go and do this in a different local park to the one I usually use – It’s a big Georgian Square and I can do the sprints properly rather than as back and forth on a basketball court.

Running into 2021

Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Week 1 of 2021 done. To be honest with everything going on in the world, it’s felt longer than a week but hey. It’s over.

I ran twice this week and did Freeletics three times. I stuck to my nutrition goals – calorie deficits and making sure I wasn’t overloading carbs and fats. Feels good.

The first three coach sessions of Cardio Burn certainly got my heart rate up. Lots of sprawls, burpees and jumps.

My second workout of the week was a fast 1.5km run, which felt great. Usually when I run I absolutely love the first kilometer. It feels good to be out of the house, I’m invariably running downhill, I’m energised and usually run it a litte faster than I should. It’s once I’ve done 2km that I begin to slow down and regret my initial enthusiasm. So running 1.5km and knowing that’s all I needed to do was fun. I could do it fast and push myself knowing it’d be over soon.

The two other runs I did this week were both around 4km. I’m now running without a coach, so I’m setting my own distances and pace. Feels a little bit aimless. It’s easy to cut runs short because I don’t have to log it anywhere apart from with my friends on Strava.

I set myself a goal this year to run 10 miles, which is about 16km. The longest run I’ve done to date is 10km which felt tough, but not impossible. So maybe I just need to run 10km a few other times in the first few months of the year and then build it up in the second half of the year. See if I can do 10km faster. When I was running with Freeletics Running and Nike Run Club I was doing a long run at the weekends, so maybe I’ll do a long one today or tomorrow…

Onwards.

A 2021 reset – more cardio, less crap food

Photo: Danil Aksenov on Unsplash

A new year, then. Here I am, trying to get some semblance of routine and progress amidst a world that feels like it’s, um, struggling a bit.

But I’m back. And I had a break from Freeletics and running over the Christmas break. Did a few walks here and there and managed to do a run on New Year’s Day with a hangover, albeit a shortish slow one.

I’m starting a new Freeletics Journey today. I ditched my previous journey because it was strength focused and I actually need to do something about this slight podge I’ve developed over the festive period, so cardio it is. I’ve chosen Cardio Burn. I’m hoping that doing this journey, combined with running and swimming (if and when the pools are open over the next few months) will help make a difference.

Over Christmas I also reflected on my diet – I had a habit-tracker last year and was aiming for calorie deficits and the correct macro-nutrient intake on most days of the week. I did manage to do calorie deficits mostly (although my calculations weren’t super-scientific), but I failed at eating the right ratio of carbs/protein/fats. So that’s something I want to change this year. I don’t think I’m going to lose weight and get in shape if I’m not eating right, regardless of how much cardio I do.

So this is me putting a marker in the sand about that. Also I did the NHS BMI calculator thing and I’m now just slightly in the overweight category. Even though it doesn’t take into account muscle mass (and my legs are certainly bigger than they used to be).

I have decided not to do Dry January though – I’m just going to drink much less. I’ve been drinking lower calorie drinks anyway (fewer pints now the pubs are closed!)

To really keep me on track – here’s a before picture… I’ll post an after picture at the end of the Freeletics journey.