Janathon Day 31

Loooong day with  a lot of work. No way I could go running – except for the fact that I HAD to as today was the final Janathon day! Reached the gym just 40 minutes before the closing time and jumped on the treadmill. 5 km later I yelled “I DID IT!” I exercised for 31 days in a row. I do admit I did not manage to run every single day but heeey, I went out there every day to work out and sweat and this is the result:

Run: 130.5 km

Bike: 174.9 km

Cross training (elliptical and rowing): 160.9 km

Walk: 35.3 km

In total, this is 401.5 km and 36.6 hours of exercise.

Janathon Day 30

Something tells me this week’s blogs will resemble the blogs written in week 1: weather reports. So here we go: frost, snow and most annoyingly: ICE. Ice is not bad when one plans to go skating (coming weekend I hope). But it is a killer when one makes preparations for an evening run.

So I re-dressed and re-shoed and headed towards the gym again. Since I cought the run-outside bug I don’t feel like going there all the time anymore. So as I was walking from the car park (no bike tonight), I was trying to figure out how to survive the work out. And then it hit me: It was this blog entry by PaintedRunner that inspired me: I looked up the musical collection on my iPod. The hour on the elliptical cross trainer flew by.

Btw, was this how planking started?

Janathon Day 28

Woke up into a cold morning. Walked with April, enjoyed early morning coffee and together with V. went to the gym. Spent an hour on the bike while V. was sweating on the treadmill. Now what you don’t know, dear reader, is that V. does not like running. Give her tennis, skiing, golf or just about any sport – but NOT running. But here comes the weird thing about Janathon: ever since I started leaving her alone in the living room in the evening crawling upstairs to enter yet another blog report, she started getting the bug as well. The first week she was rather uninterested (“as long as you leave me out of it, feel free to do your thing…”). The second week she every now and then showed some curiosity (“what are the rules actually and how does one become a member?”). And today came the sentence I was patiently waiting for: “I wouldn’t mind running with you – as long as you don’t wake me up at 6 am to do so.”

Guess what: tomorrow morning we will be running out there together! Cannot wait.

Janathon Day 26

Australia Day. Despite our night session in front of the TV neither Kvitova nor Clijsters made it to finals.

Gym and yet another 7 km with a new (old) mp3 music mix. How comes that while running, all the old hits sound so good? Is it the endorphines?

 

Janathon Day 24

Me: “How comes you missed me? I am wearing a bright orange jacket and I was waiting exactly on the spot I told you I would be.”

My big brother: “You’ve lost 100 kg since I last saw you so I just did not recognise you.”

Even though I’ve only lost 24 kg, this was the most motivating remark in many years.

Back to Janathon: 7 km on the treadmill today. I am sure, my dear readers, that you will allow me and V. to share a pizza tonight.

Janathon Day 23

Shall we start with the weather forecast again? Heavy rain and wind so strong that it almost blew April away (130 pounds of muscle and bone, 4 large feet with long claws). So yes, dear reader, you know that an outdoor run was out of the question. In the gym I chose the elliptical – to allow my knees to rest tonight. 60 minutes and 10 km further I am back at home, showered and fresh, thinking about some take away healthy dinner.

Janathon Day 22

Woke up at 6.45 am, alone. V. was downstairs watching Kim Clijsters at Australian Open. Dressed up and departed. It was dark and quiet outside. The peaceful sphere disappeared behind the first corner where the blizzardish wind caught me. I have decided to attempt for a 8-10 km run, just to see how far I would feel like running and whether this is a start of a Sunday-early-morning-long-run tradition? Except for the wind, everything went surprisingly well. I did not even think about the time (the best evidence being my watch forgotten at the dinner table). It was just me and the road. I felt like singing along with the Dixie Chicks in my earphones so I did – sorry people for waking you up.

Back at home I quickly changed and went to the gym for a biking hour – just to allow my legs some different sensation. Of course V. could not resist asking me if I was going for a swim later on as well? Ehm, no. I am not a tri-person. Attended a tri race twice before and don’t have the ambition to it the third time. But then again, I never had an ambition to start running either.

Walked with April and then collapsed on the sofa. Am done for today – feeling tired and great.

So – what’s the plan for February? Any Febathon thoughts out there?

Janathon Day 21

Good I went running before the dinner yesterday. The dinner indeed lasted throughout the night…

Now back from gym (elliptical 45 minutes) I read Running Shadow‘s beautiful comment on my struggle before the evening run yesterday. Wow, a real runner is soo positive about me, a shy beginner. Thanks, Shadow!

 

Janathon Day 19

The rain has forced us to check the gym tonight again. Luckily no Zumba ladies testing the treadmill today so I could enjoy it for full 6 km. Just me, my mp3 player and the water bottle. Great feeling! I actually DID enjoy the running session. I was trying to work with my ankles, shoulders, to keep my posture right. Well, I don’t think I succeeded in all that but I did try…. The grilled chicken for dinner was very rewarding.

Janathon Day 18

Uneventful day: work, gym, home…

The gym was packed with all kinds of Zumba-ladies who for some reason felt the urge to test the treadmill… to walk! Why on Earth don’t you walk outside. Or at least at different time!? Did some biking and elliptical cross instead.