I spent much of this morning pratting about on the computer, surfing the internet – it’s officially the first day of half-term, and I didn’t have any students today, so I just relaxed. Supposed to go running, but didn’t feel in the mood, and wanted to watch TV – so I stayed indoors and did some circuits for 20 minutes at a rate of 120 – 160 bpm, alternating pressups, squats, calf raises with bicep curls, situps and leg raises. The leg raises and squats form the bulk of the session, as it’s otherwise damned near impossible to get your heart rate above 60% MHR. My circuit training is not exactly a tough workout (I don’t do squat jumps, jumping jacks etc to avoid disturbing the people downstairs) but it’s enough to get the heart rate going on an indoor day. I think I’ve discovered my winter workout.

Went for a short trot in the park. Total time ran: 25 minutes. Pace - easy and relaxed. Did some pressups, situps and weights yesterday and today.

I'm trying to aim to do about 50 proper pressups every day, instead of 300 every two or three days, because I think when my focus is on numbers instead of form I do too much and achieve little results. It's better to count the proper ones I do. I should also do some "lying down" every day - as in the start position of the crunch, but with hands on the hips. It works wonders in relaxing the back, which is tensed too much in daily life, and lengthening the compressed spine.

My next run after my half-marathon stint was Saturday, but I didn't feel too guilty about that. It gave me a chance to rest, and besides - I was pretty active during that time, brisk walking and cycling, except that I didn't record any mileage or time spent on activity. Did a 25-minute recovery run on Saturday. I also kept busy with the weights and pressups and all that.

Yesterday I had fewer pupils due to exams, so in between teaching I was able to go for a run - beats watching English vs New Zealand cricket on TV! I can't believe how boring cricket is. I'm sure to those who know the nuances of the game better it is an interesting game, but certainly not for me. Anyway, I did the 1.1 km loop around the neighbourhood 9 times, tagging on a short bit as well to make it 10k. It was quite difficult at the latter stages to keep going, but all the way through I knew I was going to end up with a "good" time, which was what kept me going. Final time? 49:15, which is faster than I've ever done it before. It's a PB, but I'm especially pleased to do it under 50 minutes.

The weather was stonkin’ hot yesterday – at least it was dry, so I couldn’t have asked for better conditions to go running in. After my last student at the school, I cycled home, filled up my Camelbak and headed for the river.

I like running along the banks of the river Ouse. It’s nothing to do with the water – it’s more the birds really, in the “animal” definition of the word. I like running and looking at the ducks and geese lining the banks, eyeing you inquisitively, wondering what the heck it is you’re doing. Or trying to do. Anyway, I started my run, thinking that I’d do exactly the same thing that I’d done before previously, except try to beat the time of 55 minutes for the loop that starts from the boat club, goes around Priory Lake and back. I figured that I’d spend less time exploring than the last time, so coming in under 55 minutes was going to be easy.

Every ten minutes I sipped water, and when I got to the Priory Lake carpark, as typical me, I took the wrong path – I haven’t run it enough to know which one to follow, to lead to the visitor centre and around the lake. So I ended up running along an outer perimeter, but eventually made my way back to the lake and ran a lap around it.

Still feeling okay, I carried on with a second lap. Then a third. Then a fourth. I kept going until the sixth lap, by which time I was getting seriously hungry. I got an ice-cream from the parked van, wolfed it down, then kept on running. I passed quite a lot of walkers. Some were elderly, and nice enough to count my laps for me. I also derived a bit of perverse pleasure in passing the loungers in the sun, as well as people on bikes in the opposite direction. By the time all was over, I’d run and plodded my way for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Somewhere within that time I’d passed the half-marathon mark, but I’m unsure when, because I haven’t got to-scale maps or AutoRoute. It was probably at 2:30, I suspect – nothing to crow about, considering that is well over ten-minute miles. But I have the satisfaction of knowing that is my longest run to date, certainly my longest run in over a year since the last one, and I enjoyed every single minute of it.

My heavy legs will remind me to relish each moment these next few days.

Yet another quick recap:
On Monday it was a bit cold so instead of going running I stayed indoors and did some circuit training. I managed to get my heart rate around 140bpm, which I thought was fairly good considering all I was doing was mainly alternating situps, pressups, and free squats with an assortment of other minor exercises – anything to get the heart rate up. Of course, the fact that my heart got pumping with these exercises could also mean I’m unfit and breaking out in sweat at the slightest form of exertion.

Yesterday after teaching I followed 6 kids at BSSC to their animation lesson, which was quite interesting. Short quick round of bicep curls and weights.

Today was a round of piano and keyboard lessons. Some of the kids at the school I go to on Wednesdays are really bright and a joy to teach. The only thing I hate about the school is the rowdy kids, of which there are plenty. Today three of them came in to the classroom to look for another teacher who wasn’t there, and before they left I was treated to a round of “f***”s. They even tried to break the door down, and I think they were trying to provoke me into doing something rash or saying something inappropriate, which thankfully I didn’t. The sad fact is they were only eleven. The good thing is that since I left mainstream teaching behind, and moved to one-to-one tuition, I don’t have to put up with that sort of abuse day in and day out. I think it’s important to like what you do, and I don’t ever wake up going to work thinking “Gawd not another day”.

Anyway, it’s our *seventh* anniversary tonight so we’re going out. I should be doing cardio today but I didn’t have time after work, and I think it’s more important to spend time with the one you love than worry about missing the odd run.

While I've still been keeping up with the indoor exercises, I have been a bit slack with the running. After some nice summery sunshine, it's gone back to cold, rain and the like. The sad thing is that I was probably spoiled by the nice weather, with temperatures reaching 70F, that when it "plunged" down to the 50s, I didn't want to go running in that - despite having run at such temperatures before. I've been thinking about getting a trainer or rollers for the bike, or maybe a rowing machine, and alternative forms of indoor cardiovascular exercise ... although I think they're too expensive, and besides - I'm moving house soon, so I don't want to have too many things at the moment.

Work's picking up, which is the good thing. No longer am I moaning about the lack of it. I'm now teaching three days of English (all at one school) and two days of Music (four different schools), and I have my own three students on top of that, so all that's fine with me.

Went for a run last Sunday with Kate and we did about three laps of the park in an easy 20 minutes. It was Kate's first run since the summer(!) - the sprints for the bus don't count - and she did pretty well. After that, we had a ice cream - weather was nice then.

COmpleted 25 minutes of running today - three laps around the park at about 5:30 pace. The weather's going to be nice on Monday, warm sunshine. The Camelbak sees daylight again.