Now, Where's That Core?

Hello blog lovers

I used my core last week, I know I did, because I ached the next day!  In fact I ached right up until the Tuesday club run, so I know I used it!  And so here were are again, trying to coax my core strength from where ever it's hiding!  (A ton of blubber I expect!)

I did manage to get out running this morning so I really needed to push myself had this evening.  The fact that I just had my hair done should not stop me from going out and getting all sweaty and hot!  I I really wish I could pull off the 'sweaty and 'hot' looking' person, but I just end up looking like a wet lumpy beetroot!  But as I say, I shouldn't let the fact that my hairdresser did a fantastic job of making me look 'hot' (ok, so I can dream!) before I start my exercise, just sweep up my hair into my cap and get out there and do it!

Shalini wasn't too well this evening, so I only had to pick up Tracy!  I had forgotten that we were to ride our bikes to the rec actually!  I shall get my bike out and ready for next week, just a little bit of extra exercise before the session!  That would have been very handy today because I was just a couple of minutes late and we had missed out on the two lap warm up before the drills!  Tracy actually went out and ran one lap, I thought I would just throw myself into the drills and then go flat out on as much of the session as I could but listening to what my body is saying to me!  One little niggle, one little twitch of a pulling on a muscle then I will just slow it down and wait until it passes.  I am sure that will be fine!

After the drills then we start on the speedy sessions.  Now I know I should remember the different types energy that we use when we do different types of exercise.  There's the immediate energy, ATP as DiscoRich had said.  You need this for these speedy little '30's' which actually were 25's.  Meters that is.  Our first running bit is to run from the starting cone, keep increasing the speed til your at your fastest by the first cone, maintain that speed until the second cone and then decrease speed till the third cone, then jog all the way back to the start again.  There were about 20 or so of us at todays session and so we were put in to groups of 3 with same paced runners, and then we set off in 3's.  We kept this going until DiscoRich (he was the leader today!) decided that we had done that for about 10 minutes.  It was tough going, but I did what I could, maybe I could have gone a bit harder, but I think that maybe it was enough for this evening.

After that we went back to the benches, grabbed a quick drink and then we started on the core training.  Squats, lunges, planks, bicyles and push-ups!  I think my core was engaged in a couple of those, I know my thighs certainly got a work out! Oh my goodness!  I happened to stand next to Viral when were were doing these exercise.  the squats and lunges were fine, kind of.  We all did them together, Synchronised squatting and lunging.  But when I was doing my Squat Viral said "Lower, squat lower"  Oh my goodness, yup, there was the burn!  And then go into the lunges straight after that, oh my goodness!  But I know it will do us good!  When were were doing the bicycles, laying on our backs, we had to reach opposite elbow to opposite knee.  I was doing it fairly quickly, so my legs were not actually straightening out too much.  But Viral said, "Slower, stretch out your leg more"  Oh my goodness, and there it is again!  Core engaged, knackered!  Can you see the patten here?  If you want a good core exercises go stand next to Viral!  There was no pretending to try this harder this time, not that I ever would of course!  Sometimes though I know that in the past, I have done some of the exercises pretty quickly, so the core is just not engaged for long enough to be of any benefit!  I think next time I have a catch up moment in group 1 I shall do some of those squats and then a couple of lunges after!  That will help us all!

After the core section it was our usual par luufs, or relays.  This time a relay of three, so we were running for long sections each time!

A great session on a Thursday evening, and I am so glad that the rain held off!  Oh and the other two energy systems that we use, well I think its short term energy, what we need for maybe the 5k runs, and then there is the energy we need and use for the long term, stuff like half marathons and marathons and beyond!  It's amazing our bodies how it stores all this energy, and it's just a knowing how to keep those energy levels supplied to help us get the best out of what we want to achieve!  I am still learning, and I wish I knew how to tap into the energy that uses my fat cells to burn fiercely while I am just walking around doing my every day things!

Anyway, that's enough science, I am sure I haven't explained it at well anyway! But what I do know is that my muscles appreciated tonights sessions!