The Input Output Dilema

Saturday 16^th June                                                            Saturday 16^th June

Distance: 5:00 mile                                                           Distance: 100m
Time: 52:50 min                                                               Time:  10min
Avg Speed: approx. 6:53 kmph                                           Swim
Avg Pace:
Calories Burned: 316

Well dear blog fans as promised at the end of my last blog when I said I would keep you informed on my spa day, in short we had a fab time. We arrived at about 10.45 and my bestie got her ‘cossie’ on and went for a leisurely swim then sat by the pool and read, in the meantime I hit the gym. I had never been on a treadmill before so once the lovely girl with the vibrant red hair had shown me how to work it, I was off. I started at a leisurely pace on a flat gradient and worked my way up the km/ph. I had to record in km this week as that was how the machine worked. I set my ipod to my usual running soundtrack as I figured I would be able to pace my distance by the tracks that were playing. When I run on my usual route I can pace myself as I pass regular places/markers at the point when certain songs play.

I could not believe how long it took me to get to 1km!!! I was convinced the machine was broken as the km just did not seem to clock up. As I jogged on I stared longingly at the monitor, willing the dial to move. Eventually after about 14 minutes I got to the 1km marker and with much relief, I paused the machine to get a drink of water, seconds later I was back on the track. I have to say that thereafter the kms did not seem as long maybe because I ran faster and by visualising my route as per my sound track I was able to see myself out on my usual run. I normally I record my runs in miles and not km, as for some strange reason miles seem to clock up a lot faster perhaps it is just that I am used to them and I  feel more comfortable with them.

The most noticeable difference between the machine and the open road was the fact that I am sure I ran for longer periods before I broke into a walk (and because of the speed settings on the machine my walks were a lot more brisk than usual). I am the kind of person who would not let a machine get the better of them and consequently because the machine kept going so did I!

I have mentioned in previous blogs that I do not like running in the evening but I made a resolution whilst going nowhere at 9km/per hour. I resolved that I would go to the gym; there is one at the council pool so it should not be too expensive, there I could run on the treadmill, as I figure it would be a good way to build my stamina and get to the point where I am running constantly, or at least for much longer sustained periods. So blog world I hereby pledge to go on the treadmill at least once a week and that is in addition to adding at least one swim a week to my routine.

Now I realise that exercise is one element of training for an event like The Great North Run but the correct diet is also vitally important. With that in mind I am also embarking on a healthy eating regime. The dawning realisation of input over output struck me two weeks ago when I was just casually scoffing a bag of onion ring snacks, I looked at the calorific content and worked out that I would have to run for about 8 miles to run off all the calories contained in that innocuous looking packet. I will have to start eating more effectively and compare calories consumed to distance run. If any of you my readers out there in blogland have any good suggestions for an effective running diet please let me know.

So as always I close with my usual appeal. I tested the link recently and discovered that the link to the MDC was not working so I have reposted it here, if it does not work let me know. I write these missives to bring awareness to the cause of Muscular Dystrophy and if any of you good blog readers out there want to sponsor me in my endeavours you can follow my link to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign its work, outreach, campaigns and research just log on to www.muscular-dystrophy.org and see why I am doing this. If you feel you want to support me then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’ account and make a donation www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC. A huge thanks you to all of you who have donated already.



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