For my penultimate janathon I did as planned and went through the NROL workout B. Last one of these according to the book and I need to pick out what to do next.
It’s incredible how these things become easier over time. I know that it’s just biology, but just as I’m always amazed at how the running improves over time, I’m astonished at how the weights get (slightly) easier. Or more precisely, how I’m able to do all that lifting and pulling and pushing with heavier weights over time.
For the record my notes were:
- 2×15 deadlift. 26lbs each dumbbell.
- Step ups 26lbs each arm, higher step this time.
- one arm shoulder press 2×15 26lbs
- Lat pull downs 40lbs 2×15, row pull downs 2×15
- Reverse crunches 2×20 done with a bit of oomph
For fun:
- 2×20 swiss ball crunches
- 2×15 push ups. …
I never imagined I’d write “for fun” on one of these things!
It doesn’t feel like a month since I started doing this, and part of me is tempted to take the resistance bands with me to Llandudno tomorrow so that I can sneak in a bit of training on Saturday. Even though I’ve got a day off lined up. This doesn’t seem right.
The whole experience of the month exercising has been brilliant. Overall the experience has been great fun and I feel a lot better that I did at the start of the month. I’ve also found that it’s been a great relief to be able to get out every day and do something that wasn’t work related. Given that I probably work too hard and too much, it’s great to take some time out just for myself and have some quiet time. Even if I’ve got the Arcade Fire on nice and loud as I’m running.
Sadly, I haven’t lost as much weight as I’d hoped, although all that Christmas weight has come off. I’m a size down in my trousers, so I’m guessing that the weight of the fat lost has probably been made up in muscle somewhere. I’m certainly firmer in a couple of places (fnarr!) And somewhere under the rolls of belly fat I can feel something developing.
I’ve really noticed the weight training having an effect on my running. A couple of places: in my shoulders as I’m running, it feels like there is more energy when I’m running; in my stomach and back, which I’d previously felt get tired when on a long run; and in my thighs. To be honest my legs have felt like they’ve been through a lot this week, and I think that was down to the cross-training at the gym. I’ll factor that into my February plans.
On the whole it’s all been good! Tomorrow I run in Llandudno, I expect it’ll be like the Rocky 3 training montage – with rain.
One day to go. Yay!!!