Exercising to plan

Amazingly, I managed to follow the plan. Not that it started out well. I didn't get to the gym until nearly 6:30. After my intention to be there early, it seemed events conspired against me. I was packing for the day, and couldn't find my cycling nicks. RPM without cycling nicks just isn't going to happen for me. After looking through my drawers twice, I remembered where I'd put them - a totally ridiculous place but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Cycling nicks safely located, I was then unable to locate the sports bra I wanted to wear. I ended up wearing a damp one - this excessive exercise clearly results in excessive washing. I found the bra this evening, in the washing! The obvious place for it, not.

My mind was doing its usual good job of trying to convince me that anything except running was a good idea. Right up until I ran the first fast interval comfortably, it was working on me to do something else. I ended up doing 40 mins at 5.6 / 9.5, which was a total distance of 5 km! Yay! 5 km! I didn't expect to feel so good after I got past the 32 minute mark, but I did it comfortably. I was a little all over the place during the second last fast interval but I managed to pull my form back together and run it out properly.

There was a flurry of emails about the Black Team group fitness sessions today. The rock climbing looks like being on a Monday. I'll have to cruise along a little late as it starts right after my personal training session, but at least I won't have to give up trivia. Another session that is pretty exciting for me is the Women and Girls' 5 km Fun Run on 1 April. I'm not sure that I'll be able to run it, as I'm doing the Relay for Life the day before, and I'm going to be running my two half hour relay legs, but I'll see how I go. The Relay for Life is the reason I decided to set a goal to be able to run for half an hour - I walked it last year - so I'm absolutely determined to run my laps this year. That's why I've been working hard on my running over the past few weeks.

Having managed to do more than I though I would this morning, the thought of RPM this evening seemed a step too far. I came up with all sorts of activities and reasons why, if I got there late for the 5:30 class, I'd not be able to stay for the 6:30 class. Although I cut it fine, I ended up getting to the gym in time for the earlier class. Better still, someone had cancelled so there was room for me in the class. The empty bike was up the front. I normally try to hide down the back, so I gritted my teeth and sat up the front. I survived the class, and I think I'm doing better. It certainly seems easier. That said, I'm really tired tonight.

After the RPM I walked on the treadmill for a while. I did the first 10 mins at 5.6 km/h and realised that I wasn't working hard enough. I increased the speed to 6.0 km/h. I thought about running, but I decided that it was probably a silly thing to do. While I was there, one of the staff was showing some new people how to use the cardio equipment. I noticed that they all held on when they used the treadmill. I held on for a year and a half before Leanne managed to encourage me to let go. It's hard to believe that I'm the same person.

Now that I've started planning my exercise I'd better plan tomorrow's. I think I'll do my weights program in the morning, some cardio before and after my slim session, and then the Body Jam class to finish off the day. That is a good day's points in the fitness challenge, and a bit of a change from what I've been doing. For the cardio, I'll aim to use the cross trainer, the stepper and the rower. The challenge this week on the Bloggest Loser is to do something different than usual at least four times this week. I figure that using the different cardio equipment has got to count for one of the four times.

Time for bed now. I'll definitely sleep well tonight.