I thought it was about time I tried some cycling. Well, my husband had said that I was a danger to other road users (he is a nice man honestly!) so I thought I should start in the gym. And that's where it all began.
I booked a gym session, knowing that you get an hour with the trainer who devises an exercise plan for you, depending on what you want to achieve, thinking that I could factor in the cycling big- time. Considering this comes with the membership, I thought I should take it up anyway.
I have to add that I did step inside a gym... ....once. (enough said?! 
)
The trainer wanted to know what I wanted to achieve. This got me thinking: what am I trying to achieve here? The body shape (Kylie Minogue)? the fitness(Jessica Ennis)? It was both, I decided, plus a stronger core for my running. So, not too much to ask then!!!
So, we started on the cross trainer, as a warm up, apparently. He said I dipped in with my knees which is probably causing the ache that I experience off and on. So he said he'd add specific weight training to help lengthen one muscle and shorten another around the knee area. 'Wow', I think! This is impressive stuff!
Then we started on those weight machines which look like you really need to know what you're doing. And you do! Oh my! He set the weight levels and said I should do each push or pull 15 time x3. They were a mixture of leg and chest/upper back. Suddenly my home DVDs that I'd been doing (Rosemary Conley, yes, I like the '80's music, but the hair and the leotards!!) seemed to be in the 'baby' category. Then came the core stuff. Yes, the average crunches etc and then, came.....(you know what I'm going to say) THE PLANK. You feel like walking off one and happily drowning after that. And that's after doing it once. THREE times. 30 seconds each. 30 seconds seems like 30 minutes, I can tell you.
Then comes the cycling 'Yeh!' I say to myself. What fun! But after I did a few laps, racing down the straight bit, liked he asked (the trainer, who kept saying "good girl" to me, like I was 10 or something, but I liked it 
), said that I had great cardio and that I should race (over 100) around the track and only rest on the corner, SIX times.That was the induction.
Well, today I knew I should do it for real. All by myself. I can't tell you the arguements I had (with myself) this morning. Why are you doing this to yourself? What's wrong with keeping with the swimming and running? Why make life harder and muscles ache? After all, my nana has got to 96 without doing this. I'm 46 years old next month, I should start to take things easier.
But on the way there, to go swimming, (because yes, I had convinced myself that I wasn't actually going to put my body through it), I changed my mind. I'm not sure why. I think that I knew I would feel guilty 'just' swimming, and I knew that I should give it a go, and that my knee and back might improve.
I did it.
The whole damn routine.
It took me one hour and a half, partly because I couldn't read what the trainer had written (left my reading glasses in the car!) and partly because I had to work out seat heights and weights etc, but I did it!
And guess who was in the gym with me...older than me....and doing AMAZING things with her body? An olympic champion! Jane Torvill!!! So I had to do my very best, not to show myself up!
So, I have started a new thing in my life. Again. First the running. Then the swimming and exercise classes, thanks to 5x50. And now....the gym.
Well, I really enjoyed that, from the sidelines. Hope you don't ache too much tomorrow. That all sounds... well, exhausting! 
Frequently asked question - What can I do on rest days?
Restarting after break for operation
DEFEAT, HEAT AND STUPIDITY
Hi, I am at wk8r2. 
Oh my POOR knees - learn from my mistake!
