A well over due update (Slack alert)

Well I'm still plodding away, going further and further.. Did a 13 miler last month to Penarth and back and still meet up every other Thursday with my pal Sophie for a 9 mile bay run. I've added a few more classes as well as the running as I don't want to get injuries, too much road running day after day and I'll soon have shin splints *gulp*

Spin, boxercise, step circuits and circuits and my new close friends and they are great. With spin I can still use my legs but without the shock of the pavements, I do about 2-3 a week and I'm hooked, especially with some good pumping music playing. Circuits is helping me challenge myself more and working the upper body with all the running as I had NO upper body strength whatsoever six months ago! That's when I started using the weights as well as the running, also boxercise with lots of upper body work and sprints. On average I do six days a week now.

An average week is:

Monday: A hill run to the Leisure centre (around a mileish), then 20 minutes cross trainer, 15 minutes weights, and 500 sit ups (that includes sides). Then a circuits class(1 hour) which can be very heavy going but a great crowd, then a long or short run home (1-2 miles).

Tuesday: Sometimes a rest day, but yesterday it was 30 minutes no11 on the treamill, 20 minutes on the crosstrainer (hill resistance 11), 15 minutes weights, 150 sit ups, then a spin class (45 minutes)

Wednesday: A 10k run or 10 mile run (all according how I feel), then a boxercise class in the night (1 hour).

Thursday: 20-30 minute run on treadmill (11)or Cross trainer, weights, sit ups, then a Spin class (45 mins), then drive to the bay for a 9 mile run with my friend. (the run is sometimes fortnightly).

Friday: Either a 10 mile run, or 20-30 min run treadmill/cross trainer, weights, sit ups and Spin (45 mins).

Saturday: A long run 10-12 miler, sometimes a rest day.

Sunday: A 60 minute run on treadmill, weights, sit ups, spin (45 mins), then if I can make it a Step circuit class in the night (60 mins weights, sprints, step)

I'll try and make my next blog a bit more exciting, need to find some races and things to enter and to aim for. I won't leave it so long next time, I promise ;-)

A 2011 update... Beyond target reached!

I know I haven't posted for a long time, been so busy leading up to Christmas, then the snow, then Toby's birthday etc etc

Now I'm back blogging with good news.. I've reached my goal and lost a few more pounds on the way. At Christmas I was 9 stone 7 lbs (mainly as I was ill with a flu bug), but now have settled at 9 stone 9 lbs. I'm very happy with this, I'd not like to get below 9 stones as I look so drawn and haggard as I've got down to 8 stone 10 and was asked if I was ill!!

I've been doing loads of running and loving it, even in below zero temperatures with my "blue lips" (I hate the cold and go blue. I've done plenty of Roath Park runs, Rumney runs and Newport runs. I even wrote into my favourite mag "Women's running" and got a letter published (I'll upload a piccie), feeling very positive and happy right now. I've even included a before and after photo (found on Hope's DSi)

So my next mission is to run a marathon, and go in for plenty of half marathons as the longer the better. My name is Tracie and a long distance runner and loving it ;-)