Back to normality!

Well, I was rubbish at updating while away, but I was busy/hungover most of the time so can be forgiven (I hope!).

We flew out to Dublin on Wednesday and I managed to squeeze 45 mins of cycling (work round trip) and 20 mins running (one loop of our local lovely lush park) before the other half put his foot down and I had to get serious and help with packing and leaving of country...

we arrived in Kilmessan for our friend's wedding on Wednesday night, had a few bevvies that evening and then the next day was the wedding itself. It was mercifully rain-free - hurrah! the whole event was superb, a really lovely day which I'm afraid to say went on until 5am! much alcohol and food consumed (in addition to the wedding supper we had fish and chips served later that night - I had the discipline to remove the batter from the fish but not to remove the chips from my mouth!). Friday was a bit of a write-off - well, the morning didn't exist as far as I was concerned, OH and I spent most the day in bed feeling decidedly sorry for ourselves, we made it into Trim later and just about forced down half a Guinness... pathetic!

I stayed up til past midnight on Friday as Saturday was my 30th birthday! I have been feeling quite perturbed at the thought of hitting my third decade and I guess it still hasn't sunk in. I got the prezzies that I wanted though, the Garmin 405cx and tickets to see Waiting for Godot which I am disproportionately excited about seeing! Patrick Stewart (he with the beautiful shaped head) and (sir) Ian McKellen are two of my fave actors, they have such a rapport...

I also got a gorgeous silver and onyx necklace and earring set, really chunky, absolutely beautiful... guess the hints finally paid off heh ;-)


so, Saturday we got back to Dublin and the hotel I'd booked us into... the criteria being that it had to have a gym (for me) and a pool (for son)... fortunately the Regency ticked all the boxes. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to do everything, baaahhh.

I'm pleased to report that on my 30th Birthday I did over an hour's strength training (the weights area was round the corner to the left) and also 45 mins on the treadie... what a good start to my 30's :-) The gym was actually not badly equipped, the machines were all TechnoGym like the ones at my gym... although not entirely the same as the ones at mine, for example, instead of the low row, they had some 'upper back' machine which I couldn't use as my arms weren't long enough - poor design >:-( also, the smith machine was completely static... you could only go up and down, and the bar was on hydrolic arms with a cables... hard to explain but it kinda felt like it was helping you, but then it was just annoying - the one at my gym sort of floats backwards and forwards, as well as up and down so you can move about for squats etc - basically, ours has a 3D movement to it - I'll take a picture one day!

that was it, mind, as fitness training went! Although boyf and I did actually have good intentions as bought our running gear with us thinking we'd be able to run in Kilmessan... hmmm, no chance! Not only were the roads teeny and windy with scary blind corners, they were devoid of pavements and the people in cars drove like lunatics! We abandoned a 'let's walk to the hill of my namesake' trip, favouring survival instead. Most disappointing, but Saturday's session made up for it :-)

As for overeating, well, I didn't think I did too badly... Promax Diet Bars are fabulously portable and I also took my Appesat with me which I found invaluable during breakfast - complimentary cooked - as, although I was loading up my plate (tsk) to the brim, I couldn't physically finish what was there and had to abandon the task... hurrah!

of course I drank too much, but I'll forgive myself for that I think, especially given the fact that I often made more diet-friendly (although not liver-friendly) choices like JD & diet coke over pints of beer and glasses of wine.

Anyway, I'm back now. I had the day off yesterday but was due in for play rehearsals so ran in from home... just under 4 miles at just over 35 mins, it felt 'challenging' but not too taxing. I plugged it into Fetcheveryone and discovered to my joy that I'd been running 9 minute miles! Now, I *know* that's not particularly anything much above snail's pace to 'normal' runners, but to me that's excellent! I've been running at 10 1/2 minute miles... just about getting down to 9 1/2 minute miles, but only over 5k distance. I'm totally stoked! Just think how fast I could run if I could shift a couple of stone, I'd fly along! Plus I was wearing a backpack as had jeans and top to change into once I got in

SMUG MODE :-D

I can only attribute it to the strength training I've been doing on my legs... it's been

double leg presse - 80kg - 3 x 10 reps
single leg press - 40kg - 3 x 10 reps (each leg)
leg extension 35kg - 3 x 10 reps
leg curl - 35kg - 3 x 10 reps
adductor - 45kg - 3 x 10 reps
abductor - 45kg - 3 x 10 reps (have been using these two for a while, struggling to think why I continue though!)
squat with bar - 35kg - 3 x 10 reps (could probably do a lot heavier but worried about taking so much weight on my traps!

I've noticed that my cycle to work is quicker than it used to be and I'm on a higher gear.

speaking of strength training... I've found that I'm doing so many different exercises that I'm having to split them up as I don't have time! I used to just use the machines, now I use free weights, I'm running out of room on my workout wallet to write them all down!!

speaking of workout wallets, have used one up now so must go order some more :-)

more updates soon, and I promise to document my two yummy protein-rich lunches (one with mince, the other with quorn and maximuscle promax natural) and my yummy peanut butter, banana, strawberry and promax diet milkshake... Joe's off to cycle up Mont Ventoux in preparation for his Etape so I'll have the house, and computer, to myself for a few days ;-)

anyway, must get on!