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This week I find myself unexpectedly with no personal training sessions.
My PT has decided to take a last minute holiday, which means I need to figure out my own exercise plan for this week.
The plan is to do a few very long runs - longer than the frequent little 15 minute ones I do. I'm also planning to do some core exercises and some press ups throughout the week.
A very long run.
So on Monday morning I set out for my first long run of the week. The final destination for today's jog is Castell Coch, otherwise known as the fairy tale castle. As you can see from the photo below, it sits on the side of a big hill, nestled amongst the trees of Fforest Fawr.
My stretching tree.
I jog along this route quite frequently - although usually not as far as the castle - and along the way I've acquired a stretching tree with a conveniently low-hanging branch.
I often stop here to hang onto the branch and do some stretching.
After a brief stop here to stretch, I carry on with my jog along the trail, further towards the castle.
1. Me and my stretching tree 2. A full view of the conveniently low-hanging branch
My dream.
The last part of the journey towards the castle gets quite hilly. It is my dream to one day be able to run all the way up the hill, to the castle, without stopping. I've still got a long way to go before I can do that though.
Somehow, whenever I'm attempting to jog up this hill, there always seems to be that one super-fit jogger who shows me up, and today is no different in that respect.
A cheerful looking jogger - with extraordinarily long legs - glides past me. He jogs all the way up the hill, then bounds back down again, passing me for a second time, as I'm still struggling to make my way up the lower parts of the hill.
Once I finally get to the castle I'm faced with having to make my way home again.
It's 3.5 miles just to get to the castle - not forgetting the added effort of the extra big hill. So for the return journey I take things more slowly, alternating between walking and jogging, with just the occasional speedy sprint thrown into the mix.
1. Me sweating from the first big hill - with more big hill ahead of me 2. Pretty tree halfway up the hill 3. The final destination: Castell Coch at the top of the hill
September's harvest moon.
Since I started Kassandra Reinhardt's lunar yoga course a few months ago, I've become increasingly aware of the moon. This month's moon is known as the harvest moon - and this week in particular, it has been fascinating and beautiful to see.
My little iPhone camera doesn't even begin to capture how beautiful the moon really is - but here are a couple of pictures from this week anyway. I love how in the second picture the moon appears to have a face, with a slightly surprised look!
The harvest moon
A wild weekend.
This week comes to an end with a brief weekend trip to Devon. I go completely off the rails with my healthy eating, and indulge in a sweet, gooey and sugar-packed flapjack.
I also go wild at the amusement arcade, spending at least a pound on the two-pence machines, winning myself a chewy sweet, a toy car and a duck.
The duck is definitely my favourite prize!
1. The penny arcade machine 2. The duck
Oops, I forgot the press ups!
As the week draws to an end I realise that one thing I forgot about this week was press ups. I did manage to do quite a few core exercises throughout the week - whenever I was taking a 5 minute break during the day to make a cup of tea or coffee.
I completely forgot about the press ups though - my subconscious must know how much I really don't like doing press ups.
Weekly food diary.
This week I have been eating...
Monday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: None today.
Lunch: Three scrambled eggs on one piece of brown buttered toast, with spinach.
Snack: Two cups of tea, each with a dash of oat milk. A banana. A piece of brown bread with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's Mexican veggie chilli and sweet potato nachos.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: None today.
Lunch: Three scrambled eggs on one piece of brown buttered toast, with spinach.
Snack: Two cups of tea, each with a dash of oat milk.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's Mexican veggie chilli and sweet potato nachos.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: A banana.
Lunch: Two scrambled eggs on one piece of brown buttered toast, with spinach.
Snack: Two cups of tea, each with a dash of oat milk. Two spoonfuls of grain free granola mix.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's edamame and chickpea coconut curry with rice. A piece of chunky brown bread, with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Thursday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: None today.
Lunch: baked beans on one piece of buttered brown toast.
Snack: Two cups of tea, each with a dash of oat milk. Two spoonfuls of grain free granola mix.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's edamame and chickpea coconut curry with rice. A piece of chunky brown bread, with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Friday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. Two or three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: A banana.
Lunch: Mindful Chef's pestorissa salmon, buckwheat and roasted veg.
Snack: Two cups of tea, each with a dash of oat milk. Two spoonfuls of grain free granola mix.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's pestorissa salmon, buckwheat and roasted veg.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
Saturday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. One cup of black coffee.
Snack: A white chocolate and blackcurrant flapjack.
Lunch: A vegan cheese and apple chutney sandwich (made with granary bread), with a side of salted crisps, from Otterton Mill.
Snack: None today.
Dinner: A steak and ale pie with mashed potato and vegetables, from Pebbles Restaurant.
Snack: None today.
Sunday
Breakfast: Muesli with oat milk. Three cups of black coffee throughout the morning.
Snack: A banana.
Lunch: Baked beans on one piece of brown, buttered toast.
Snack: One cup of tea with a dash of oat milk. Two spoonfuls of grain free granola mix.
Dinner: Mindful Chef's Nasi goreng with ginger tempeh and red rice.
Snack: A small bowl of muesli with oat milk.
1. Edamame & chickpea coconut curry with rice 2. Mexican veggie chilli & sweet potato nachos 3. Nasi goreng with ginger tempeh & red rice 4. Pestorissa salmon, buckwheat & roasted veg
Up next: my weight loss journey week 38
Lisa
