Yesterday I went along to Johnston Street for my “weights” day which is now a cardio day.  The routine went off pretty well, the main problem being competition for the cycling machine – there seem to be enough treadmills, just, and rowers, but there are only two cycling machines and most people are on for more than ten minutes.

The rowing hurt a bit, I still don’t really like that, but I got my 500m done in 2 mins 40 secs, ie slightly faster than the other day. I did the walking segment next (no cycle available) and put myself to 5kph as Tim had advised by email that this would be OK. My heartrate slowed, as you’d expect, but I managed to keep it up over 100. As I finished that 10 minute segment, a cycling machine came free so I leapt onto it.  I put myself up to level 6 and it was harder work than the previous day but not too bad.  My heart rate seems to be about 130-135 once I get going, which is where Tim wants it to be.  My rpm was in the high 70s, again where Tim wants it, ie over 75.

Because I did the walking before the cycling, and because of the mad dash to grab the cycling machine, I didn’t get much chance to revel in my post-treadmill trippiness. So I indulged and went back to the treadmill for another ten minutes. Woohoo!  It happened again

Then onto the core strength exercises. All passed off well, I used 5kg weights for my chest presses, and they were pretty easy. After a couple of weeks I might put them up again. I was tired at the end, more so than on Saturday, possibly because of the extra ten minutes walking or because I’d had a full day at work. Whatever.

Today I had a physio appointment with Aaron who is sufficiently pleased with my progress to sign me off for another 5 or so weeks, he’ll do my assessment next time instead of Tim. I am to do the hated lunges though – but only 5 per leg and only one set. He says my lunges and squats are heaps better than when he first saw me. So something’s going right.

I checked with him and he agreed that if I found myself talking myself out of a swim (“it’s too late”, “it’s too cold” etc) then I should do the cardio routine instead. I do find the idea of getting wet is an offputter at the end of a long day, I can’t be bothered with it. And it’s all that way (a whole 10 minute walk). So I can nip into the J St gym instead (only 5 minutes walk) and “quickly” do the cardio. Tonight I was in exactly that situation, working late (I’m out of town tomorrow), it’s too late for a swim, but hey, no excuse for not doing the cycling and the treadmill.

I found something that I hope will help with the rowing. Because I have an enormous stomach my knees naturally point outwards as I row back and forth. I have made sure my feet point outwards too – your feet and knees should Always point in the same direction – but nevertheless the right knee grinds and clunks and I don’t like it. So today I tried very hard to keep my knees together and pointing straight ahead – all good girls should know how to do this – and I didn’t get a single complaint from either knee. And I did the 500m in 2 mins 30 seconds – this is back near the rate I was at before the knee trouble started – 33 strokes/minute or so.  I am VERY pleased with this.

As I was leaving I checked my card to make sure I’d remembered everything and for the first time saw that after rowing, cycling and treadmilling I am supposed to row Another 500m. Has Tim sneaked that onto my card since last week? I swear it wasn’t there before

Went out to dinner on Friday so did my new cardio routine on Saturday.

It was a lot more enjoyable than I thought. I was at Majestic so didn’t have my card with me with my instructions on it, so I remembered it as best I could. The 500m rowing made my knee clunk a bit but only took 2.45 minutes. Then ten minutes on the bike – Tim said to start at Level 5 and go up one each time until it got too hard well I am definitely ready to move up to Level 6. Then the ten minutes walking on the treadmill. I’m to walk at 4kph which is slower than I normally walk. I’ll email Tim I think, to ask if I can go faster or whether he’s keeping me at that speed for some clever reason.

BUT I now know why people like treadmills. It’s only 10 minutes which is OK, but half an hour would be pretty boring. But when you get off, it’s really, REALLY trippy. The whole world moves while you stay in the same place. And when you start walking it’s like your feet aren’t on the ground, and your legs move like they’re made of a weird silken rubber (tofu perhaps??). I mean, hey man, like wow. This effect lasts for a couple of minutes. I can’t wait to do it again. I want to feel that again. I wonder how long I’ll get it for? Will I acclimatise within a week I wonder?

The core exercises were not too bad. The pelvic dips – the first 8 are easy, then they suddenly become really hard I snuck in some chest presses with 4kg weights – am glad I did that but will use 5kg weights next time. The leg raises were really easy, not sure what they’re doing for me. The sit ups and hamstring exercises taxed me which is good. I also did my single-leg bridges as per Aaron’s instructions.

My knee was brilliant throughout. There was a little bit of grinding on the last set of single-leg bridges but I pressed on and the last four or so were totally fine.

Dropped into the pool afterwards and did 8 lengths in 15 minutes, all front-crawl. Was pleased with that as I wasn’t fresh, so that bodes well for my next swim on Tuesday.