Just keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming

I was having a discussion with a colleague at work the other day. We were talking about boxing class, and how during the ab work at the end of the class the trainer called attention to the fact that the two boys were complaining, while I was dead silent.

The reason I was quiet? I knew if I so much as opened my mouth or pulled my concentration from the spot on the wall I was staring at, my legs would drop and I wouldn't be able to continue. I was that tired and worn out after a hellish class that it was all I could do to just get through the last few minutes.

I was lucky - the "stare at a single spot on the wall and concentrate on that" had worked for me in that class, but it often doesn't. he shared a secret with me - when doing tricky exercises such as a plank, he often starts counting the threads on his towel or the specks of colour on the floor, just to get himself through. I haven't tried that method yet, but it did intrigue me.

I really didn't think I ever did much of the sort apart from concentrating on a single spot somewhere, but today while cycling I surprised myself. The course I was doing has a lot of hills - some steep, some not. Some long, some short. It was on a long climb towards the end of the ride when I was tired that I caught myself singing "Just Keep Swimming" from Finding Nemo in my head.



I have to say, repeating the "just keep swimming" constantly did help, and gave me something else to concentrate on other than how shaky my legs were feeling and how I just didn't want to climb any more hills. As anyone who cycles knows - if you stop pedalling while going uphill, even for a second, you're stuffed. Getting going again is very, very hard. You'll pretty much do anything to keep yourself going... and if I have to think of a goofy Finding Nemo song, then so be it!

In other news, I'm now 1.8 kilos away from my goal weight. I had another loss this week and I am feeling pretty good about things. I'm also onto week 2 of the couch to 5k program and I think it's going to be fine.

Catch Up

Sorry about the silence, I took a break from exercise and good sense last week as I'd been feeling fatigued and had pain in my hand that was being made worse by boxing. A week off seemed like a sensible idea.

I am now feeling much better and today I bit the bullet and started the couch to 5k program. I've been meaning to do it for a long time, but I always managed to find an excuse to not start... and I also managed to put off loading the week one podcast on my shuffle.

No more - I did my first run today and I was pleased that while the week one session was not too easy. Depending on how many runs I do per week (as I also want to cycle, box, occasionally swim and then in a few months time dance as well), I'll run the sessions for either one week or two.

Weight-wise, I'm the closest to my goal weight that I have ever been. The week off led to a 200g gain, which is nothing really.

I just have to work on improving my food, which has been letting me down recently.