jongordon84

I've signed up for a 10km run in 12 weeks so thought I'd use it as a chance to challenge myself to finally get in decent shape.

I know it's not the greatest of challenges and I have run further before, but that was a long time ago and I currently struggle with 2.5 miles.

Plus this isn't just about running, I also want to improve my physique. I've got a lot of fat I want to shift, and I'd like to pack on some muscle too.

Due to shoulder injury I haven't lifted weights in months, but I'll be back at the gym tomorrow. Just have to take it easy.

I've taken some "before" photos so at then end of the 12 weeks I'll hopefully be able to show some good improvements. I'll wait and see what the results are before deciding whether or not to post them, don't want to embarrass myself now do I.

Anyways, here goes...

Last Post 5 years ago by

AshVIP

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Day 1

Slow pace but it's a start. My aim for the 10km is 8:30min/mile.

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Yo nice mate!

So I have 2 dogs now and for the first time in 15 years I HAVE to be active...walking them. At first I could barely walk a mile without having to take it easy or have a break. Now I can comfortably do 5 miles including hills and just bad terrain! I just recently noticed what a breeze it had become and It's only been 5 months...I am sure i could walk 10 miles and not feel dead.

So I think the more you do it basically the easier it will become. Just keep pushing it that little bit more!

Good luck

Border Collie, and whippet staffie cross, few years walking them, I'm the fittest I've ever been

Day 2

Gym:

Treadmill 1mile
Pressups 5x10
Back extension 5x10
Lateral dumbbell raise 7.5kg 3x10
Dips 1x5 (shoulder pain so stopped)
Deadlifts:
30kg 2x10
35kg 2x10
40kg 2x10
Cable flye 27.5kg 3x10

I'm going to keep the weights really light as I get back into it. Too many re-occurring injuries to risk rushing in. #NoEgo

Jon-PokerVIP: Yo nice mate!

So I have 2 dogs now and for the first time in 15 years I HAVE to be active...walking them. At first I could barely walk a mile without having to take it easy or have a break. Now I can comfortably do 5 miles including hills and just bad terrain! I just recently noticed what a breeze it had become and It's only been 5 months...I am sure i could walk 10 miles and not feel dead.

So I think the more you do it basically the easier it will become. Just keep pushing it that little bit more!

Good luck

Plus all that fresh air will be doing all sorts of good.

I dogsat for my neighbour this weekend. It was nice taking it for walks. I'd consider getting a dog but I'm already up at 6am, even earlier for walks would kill me. Plus I'm out of the house all day.

Day 3

Busy day and I wasn't home til 9pm. So I found a 30min home workout on Youtube. The exercises look really easy but back to back for 30 minutes and I'm a mess!

Yeah they are a lot more tieing than you would even think and the early mornings can be killer. I do my nieces school run 2-3 days a week so rather than being up at 7.30 for this I have to be up at 5.30/6 to give them a good walk and mean that I am not out the house until like 11.30 each day if I had to take them after than before.

Fresh air is good for sure!

Day 4

30 minutes on the rowing machine. Covered about 6.2km. I'm pretty sore today.

Day 5

No exercise today. I'm hurting. Will either run or do another home workout tomorrow.

Day 6

Home workout:

10 reps of each exercise back to back. 4 rounds for 400 reps total.

1. Pressups
2. Squats
3. Squat thrusts
4. Situps
5. Burpies
6. Lunges
7. Pressups
8. Crunches
9. Tuck jumps
10. Situps with a twist

Another sweaty mess. Realising just how unfit I am.

Day 7

Hmm, the state I was in after Saturday night I was never going to get a workout in. Ooops

Day 8

Back at it. 22 secs per mile quicker. I'll be getting more running in over the next 4 weeks.

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22 secs is a huge cut there buddy wp! Pics of where you run? Nice views?

Jon-PokerVIP: 22 secs is a huge cut there buddy wp! Pics of where you run? Nice views?

Industrial estate, high street, terraced street. So no

Day 9

Gym:

Treadmill 1 mile

Pressups 5x20

Deadlifts
40kg 2x10
50kg 2x10

Bench Press
50kg 2x10
60kg 2x10

1 arm dumbbell rows
22.5kg 1x10 each arm
25kg 2x10 each arm

Dips 3x10

Again keeping the weights light to avoid early injury. Nice to do dips without shoulder pain, and my back felt fine with the deadlifts so I think I'll be able to increase the weight slowly but surely.

Day 10

Gym:

Skipping 3x3min rounds

Punchbag 3x3min rounds

Kettlebell swings 14kg 4x20

Kettlebell shrugs 24kg each arm 3x10

Barbell shoulder press 30kg 3x10

Situps x20
Left side situps x10
Right side situps x10
x 3rds (120 reps total)

I'd forgotten how tiring bag work is. Sweaty mess as always.

Great stuff

@jongordon84. Solid goal and great approach so keep the updates coming!

Sets and reps aren't really that crucial but do you have a specific reason for this 4x10 scheme with one weight increment?

MattVIP: Great stuff

@jongordon84. Solid goal and great approach so keep the updates coming!

Sets and reps aren't really that crucial but do you have a specific reason for this 4x10 scheme with one weight increment?

No reason really. It's just what I happen to be doing at the moment. Once I'm back into the weight training properly (which may not be til after the 10k) I'll probably get back to how I used to train; light weight high rep warmups, heavy weight low reps for strength training, dropsets to failure for muscle gain etc mixing it up. In any one exercise I would typically start at 12+ reps, maybe up to 18 for some exercise like lat pull downs or leg extensions, then lower the reps per set as I increase weight, and take it to somewhere between 1 and 5 rep max. But while I'm on such low weights and have mixed goals I'll just do whatever I feel like at the time.

Rep schemes aren't really that important as long as you're progressing with the weight so I asked about it out of curiosity more than anything else. Personally, I'm not a big fan of pyramid sets because they make it harder to track progression, but again it's not a big deal. Besides I like the approach of doing whatever you want in the gym when you're coming back after a break. It's easier to get in the groove that way.

Day 11

Nada. No time while at work and I was on a night out right after.

Day 12

38 secs per mile off my time. I'll go for 3.2m (5km) next week.

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