So, perhaps inevitably, my training diary progress sort of lapsed. The longer I left it, the more there was to write, the less inclined I was to write about it. So here’s a sort of recap for all of February (shockingly, a week after I meant to write it).
parkruns – 5
I maintained my streak of making it to parkrun each week. The 1st and 8th were at Longrun Meadow, both with a mile each side to get there and back. Then the weather took a turn for the worse, so I went to Burnham and Highbridge on the 15th. This was a particularly tough run for me, with memories of such a good run there at the start of last year while feeling so out of shape. The 22nd saw a family outing to Eastville, where I ran with Lani and the buggy. And, finally, Lani and I celebrated the first ever Leap Day parkrun back at Burnham and Highbridge, this time for a reverse course.
Beginners group sessions – 4
Weeks 4 to 7 of the beginners group obviously progress immensely in terms of the amount of running, so the mileage from this added up quite nicely. I also ran to club and back home after each week – one week taking an extended 1 mile route in each direction.
Other runs – 4
So this isn’t quite the direction I was hoping this would go in, but there are still some positives to be found. The first week of February I was thick with cold, so skipped my now-regular Tuesday run. I had, however, run with Lani at Longrun Meadow juniors on the Sunday, which is something at least.
The next week, Ben was able to sort the kids, giving me a little longer than usual, so I made a full 6 miles. This was a massive boost psychologically, given my recent lack of running, and actually felt pretty good.
Then came half term, and my usual scheduled slot disappeared, but I forced myself out anyway. I was aiming for somewhere between 5 and 6 miles. There was freezing rain for half my run: I did exactly 5 miles.
And for my final Tuesday slot, I had to juggle extra children-related responsibilities, as Ben got stuck at work late. Through sheer insane determination I still got a 3.3 mile run in. And was rewarded with hail for the last few minutes.
Exercise classes – 4
February’s big news is that I joined a gym. Well technically that was the end of January’s big news, but I was thick with cold then so I couldn’t do anything about it. Based on my personal strength goals, I opted to try a Kettlebells class. This has definitely been a challenge, but it’s one I’m really enjoying. I’ll definitely be on the lighter weights for a while, although I’m nearly able to actually move the next day now.
Gym sessions – 2
I did my starter gym session the week after I started Kettlebells. In my past gym life (pre-children) I mostly did cardio with a bit of dumbbells/medicine balls etc. I did learn about all the weights machines but never really used them.
This time I made sure to take notes on different machines and settings, focusing on upper body strength. My favourite is definitely the cable machine, which I want to learn more exercises for. And in a complete reversal of my very first gym outings, I can no longer cope with treadmills. Forcing myself to stay on for 5 minutes to warm up was incredibly tedious, and I have no desire to repeat to confirm the hypothesis.
So there you have it, my February all wrapped up.