15 minutes of fame

Hello Fudgey Friends,

Yippee it's Friday. It's only been a 3 day week for me at work but I am pooped - it's been very full on. There's also been a few other things going on....

Wednesday Week 8 Run 1
Eek can you believe it's week 8 of the 12 week plan! Today was the missed 30 minute easy run. It really was at a much slower pace than usual, no aches or pains, just general fatigue but I got the 30 minutes done & ran 4.75km, another tick on the training plan. So far I have only missed 1 training session. I have had to shuffle a few around to accommodate more important things like Mr Fudgey, work and general home life etc. but I'm really pleased with how it's all been going & how I've fitted it in around my life rather than life fitting the plan.

Thursday - Personal Training Session
Silly Fudgey never wrote down the content of the session as I usually do so here's hoping I remember it all.
Quick 3 & a half minute run to warm up
3 supersets of single arm clean & press, superset with 12 medicine ball lunges
3 supersets of 15 olympic bars sqauts with 7.5lb plates added, superset with 10 burpees.
3 supersets of cable hamstring things superset with cable wood chops
3 supersets of medicine ball crunches & reverse curls
I think that's it but as you can see it's not my usual level of detail with weights & reps - I should have written it down but I was in meetings pretty much all day Thursday and now I can't remember!

I got home on Thursday to find my copy of the Scottish Slimmers magazine, Boost had been delivered & that I was featured. It made me feel really proud.
Here's my before & after shots:


Friday Week 8 Run 2
It was an effort to get up this morning & when I got to the gym for my usual Friday morning treadmill session, taking the stairs up to the changing room was enough to tell me that it was going to be a tough one. The DOMS in my quads were pretty intense. I didn't think I'd be able to run for an hour but determined as ever thought I'll give it my best shot. It was great to see the friendly faces of KMac & her Personal Trainer, Andy & I had a wee bit of fun chat with them before getting down to work. When I was running it was actually OK - the dull aching & 'worked' muscles only kicked in when I stopped. I found myself later trying to take routes round the office that did not involve the stairs!
Pace today again was slow 9.2km in the hour, but again another box ticked.

15 minutes of fame
Following on from the article in Boost magazine, I was also in the Edinburgh Evening news today. I had my photos taken on Wednesday & gave an interview yesterday. You can read the article here
If this article inspires just one person to take positive action about their health, weight and fitness I'll be delighted. I'm also really really pleased they mentioned my just giving site - as the more publicity CCLASP can get the better.

New recipe
I've not posted any recipes for a wee while but concocted something new this evening to share with you. I had leg of pork steaks to grill & wanted something slightly different with them so I made a kind of risotto.
cooked 100g organic brown rice
boiled some broccoli
diced red pepper
diced green pepper,
1/2 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons sweetcorn
spray oil
60g philadelphia light with chives

Spray a pan with spray oil, add peppers, onion, garlic & broccoli & cook for a couple of minutes, put into a casserole dish & add the cooked drained rice & the sweetcorn, stir in the philadelphia & that is it....simple as that & really tasty. I would actually eat that as a meal on it's own.


Well that's it from me for today. Sunday's run is a long one......& then I'll be into the final 4 weeks of training - I can't believe the countdown above but I think I'm almost ready!

Have a fab weekend everyone

love
Fudgey xx

It looks like spring

Hello Fudgey followers

The last couple of days have been so lovely, bright sunshine and not too cold. The sun has been shining in my window at work and I have been enjoying the heat and the light. I've not wanted to pull the blinds and have found myself squinting at my screen before finally admitting defeat & filtering out some of the sun. It looks like spring might actually be here. It's even light when I leave the house in the morning and return home at night :-)

Personal Training Session
Wednesday was the first of my 3 for £30 personal training sessions a special offer for Sport Relief.
I love my PT sessions. I love trying new exercises and doing things that I wouldn't normally attempt on my own in the gym like the Olympic bar squats & using heavier weights. It's also perfect opportunity to get technique corrected and words of wisdom, advice & quality chat from wonderful Colin.
My work colleagues and friends always know when I've had a personal training session as I am so up afterwards. I'm normally a bubbly, chatty, positive person anyway but even more so after a good workout.

Wednesday's session consisted of:

4 minute warm up cross trainer
3 x tri-set of 10 burpees, 15 swiss ball squats with 6kg dumbbells, 45 second ski sit with 4kg dumbbells)
3 sets of 20 lateral lunges on bosu ball
3 sets of lunge with raise 10 each leg with 3kg dumbbells
3 sets of single arm clean & press 10 each arm with 7kg dumbbells
3 x super set of 15 jack knifes and 12 hanging leg raises
PNF stretching

I'm really into the whole stretching thing now as I've realised how important it is and how good I actually feel after a proper stretch. I'm going to ask Mr Fudgey very nicely if can can assist me in more stretching.
I can happily report that all my aches and pains are feeling tonnes better. Thanks to Clare, Colin & good stretching.

Wednesday evening Mr Fudgey and I watched 'The Dark Knight'
We've seen this about 4 times and both love the movie but I have to apologise yet again for falling asleep while we watch something. Recently I've been nodding off about an hour into watching films - it's nothing to do with not enjoying them - in fact I think it's when I just totally relax I doze off as it's rare for me to sit still for any length of time. Sorry hubby x


Thursday Rest Day
Thank goodness today was a rest day, between Monday's lunchtime session and yesterday's PT I have the most awesome abs DOMS. Getting out of bed this morning required some effort! Then whilst on a phone call at work I took a coughing fit and my abs didn't like that, nor were they too pleased when I laughed, sneezed or stretched too far! However ab DOMS are my favourite kind so I was kind of secretly enjoying it!!!
Today was a busy day at work - loads going on so I wouldn't have got to the gym anyway but today was a designated rest day.
I managed to get out and enjoy the sunshine at lunchtime though with a little toodle round the shops.

I think we are going to watch the next episode of Eddie Iz Running this evening.

Well I better pop off and make our lunches for tomorrow etc. WOW Friday again already. Where does the week go?
Long run hopefully tomorrow morning.

Take care everyone
lots of love
Fudgey x

Week 2 Run 2

Hello Fudgey peoples

Well the week is off to a good start training wise. After yesterday's Week 2 Run 1, today was Run 2.

Today's session was an Interval session, 10 minutes easy running followed by 5 x 5 minutes (3 mins fast & 2 mins easy) & finished with 10 minutes easy. A nice little 7.11km clocked up this morning.

I also tried adding chocolate whey protein to my porridge for the first time & quite liked it - though I thought it made it much more filling and I couldn't eat my usual full portion.

I also am secretly enjoying my abs DOMS from yesterday's lunchtime session.

Tomorrow is a Personal training session - I got 3 sessions for £30 as a promotion for Sports relief it seemed too good an offer to miss.

Results from Sunday race
The official chip times and some stats came through today.
Official time 29 minutes 46 seconds
1st lap 14:39
second lap 15:05
Total Runners 166 Male: 55 Female: 111
Fudgey's Positioning = Overall: 56/166 & Gender: 24/111

Needless to say I am a little pleased right now and it makes all the aches & pains so worthwhile.
When I completed my personal training questionnaire last May one of the questions was about what sport / exercise you least like.....I said running....who'd have thought that now.

I hadn't decided on a tea total training plan I'd be having a glass of wine right now!

I'm not the best runner in the world but I love it now and it's so rewarding to see myself improving all the time. Those who know me well will probably tell you the reason I'm loving it now is because it is a challenge - I am one very determined and headstrong little fudge!!

Finally I thought I'd share with you another recipe

Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
red, green & yellow pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 mushrooms quartered
tin of chopped tomatoes
tsp of splenda
balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
oil & vinegar shop wild garlic mix

In a pan heat the oil, add onion, garlic,and peppers, cook for a couple of minutes then add the mushrooms, cook another couple of minutes and then add the tinned tomatoes. simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add a teaspoon of low calorie sweetener - I use splenda, stir, add some balsamic vinegar, I add about a tablespoon, simmer for another 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. I normally very rarely use salt when cooking but I think it is needed with tomatoes. I then add some wild garlic mix but you could add your favourite fresh or dried herbs. simmer another couple of minutes & that is it.

Fudgey Tips:
* This tastes even better if you cool & refrigerate and use the next day
* great on it's own with pasta, rice or if you make it thick in a jacket potato or add mince, diced chicken or quorn pieces
* add some chilli to give it an extra kick
* also tastes great cold with pasta as a salad.

This is never the same twice when I make it though as I just do what I fell like & use whatever I have in the fridge.


and there I have to leave you for today as I'm going to give hubby meatballs & tomato sauce with wholewheat spaghetti for dinner.

lots of love
Fudgey
xx