#HellHathNoFuryLikeAWomanInPink

Well this weekend saw the Race for Life events in Portsmouth/Southsea.  An annual event to raise money for Cancer Research, traditionally they're girls events, but more men and boys are allowed to take part these days.

My cousins beautiful wife has this year embarked on a personal challenge for her special birthday coming up - 40 for 40.  Katherine has pledged to race 40 miles before her 40th birthday in December, and the Portsmouth 10k Race for Life counted as 6 of those 40 miles.  I got drunk one family party and convinced my cousin and her sister in law that we should join Katherine and keep her company for this 10k. So before anyone could change their mind - I signed us all up, whoops!

Now whilst on holiday, (drunk again), I saw a status pop up on Facebook that my friend Traci was signed up for the 5k Pretty Muddy and she had no one to do it with as her friend couldn't make it, before you could say 'Sammy what about your bad back' I'd signed up to do it with her, whoops!

So this weekend saw those two events, two events I never thought I'd be able to complete one of let alone two! So thank you all girls, for pushing me, supporting me and encouraging me, we did it!

The Pretty Muddy.

We met up with my Step Daughter, Lauren and her sister Lynsey - at the beginning and the end. Traci and I completed the course in 1 hour and 15 mins ish including waiting time to go over the obstacles and it was such fun!

Next up was Sunday's 10k, in the wind and rain!

We were joined by my cousins little boy, Toby to race across the finish line! We managed the 10k in an hour and 48 mins! We got bluddy soaked!

All in all a great weekend and so so pleased I managed both events.  We've raised more than £500 for cancer research this weekend and that's certainly not to be sniffed at! 

Sadly on the way back to the car, I've somehow managed to damage my foot and I've been strapped up with ice ever since! I've been xrayed and they don't think it's broken, but possibly a stress fracture that won't show up for a few days until new bone regrowth! But definitely soft tissue damage, ligament and tendon problems. Only me!!

TTFN, Sammy xx

So I've joined a gym...

A local gym had a good offer on for free joining and a month free, working out how I'm using the pool for swimming - it made economic sense to join! I only need to swim once a week to make it worth it and I get use of all the classes and gym too!

So... Tonight is gym induction, I'm a little nervous to say the least!  But maybe I can finally get off my backside and learn to run in private ish, without worrying about people in cars pointing and staring?! (See previous post!!) Anyhow, I'm going to make use of it and give it a good go.

Wish me luck!  I'll keep you posted xx

Exercise is the answer!

Well Zumba.... Let me tell you.... I LOVED it! 

I have the grace of a baby elephant, the co-ordination of a 3 legged giraffe and I am as stiff as a post with no flexibility at all!  But I gave it a go and I loved it.  I dragged my two friends along with me and they loved it too.  The instructor is very lovely, talked us through it all at the beginning, we managed to remember the main principles - breathe, smile, keep moving even if you don't know the steps and have fun - and that we did.

Lots of people knew what they were doing, had the routines down and were quite confident looking, but Donna the instructor, kept us all on our toes and working hard.  We had options for jumping around like a crazy person, or keeping it lower for us new beginners - we of course did a mixture of both!  I loved that Donna rotated the rows of people, so no hiding at the back for anyone!.  After every song, the front row moved to the back and the back rows closer to the front, so you got your spot at the front - which for me is quite important, I'm as blind as a bat!

We were all knackered afterwards, certainly a good work out all round and I was at home, showered, eaten and in bed by 10pm - something that never happens!

If you do fancy it, do check out Donna's web page with all her local classes listed on here....
http://donnaarcher.zumba.com/

After Zumba, I was inspired to pick up some more exercise, so went along to aqua aerobics on Thursday with a friend.  We used to do aqua every Thursday without fail, so thought I knew what I was letting myself in for and knew I would whole heartedly enjoy it.  Well I couldn't have been more wrong!  No actual aerobic exercise as such, no warm up, lots of work trying to keep an extremely bouyant float under the water for an hour and doing some pushing and pulling motions, a 45 second stretch and cool down at the end and a very unhappy Mrs B.  Four days later and all the muscles in my back, neck and shoulders are still killing me, I feel like I have done myself a real mischief.  It certainly wasn't worth the £6.20 I paid for it and I will not be going again.  I much rather wished I'd done a second Zumba session instead, and is certainly what I might do this week, and it is cheaper as well!

Well weigh in was Saturday and I'm 4.5lb down woo hoo! So Weight Watchers does work when you actually do it, and I do think the exercise definitely helped!  So World watch out.... I'm going back to Zumba tonight!

TTFN.... Sammy xx