Heat

It's been a beautiful sunny Saturday and what did I do? I went to the gym.

I kind of had to, because I didn't renew my membership until Thursday in the end, and what with the RFL being only a week away now, I know I will panic if I miss any more sessions.

In fact, it was a really good workout. I have started using the interval program on the treadmill - it starts out on the level, and then tilts the surface to simulate a hill, and also varies the speed. It is hard work. However, it does seem to burn more calories than simply running on the flat, and (I hope) gives a better impression of running over real terrain. Of course, it's still running over perfectly smooth ground in a perfectly straight line, so the simulation can't be that good.

According to the readout, at least, though, you burn quite a few more calories this way than just running on the flat, even if you have to walk some bits (which I did). I set it to fifteen minutes rather than twenty, and I completed it OK. This is just as well considering I'll be going about twice as far in a week. I would really like to have managed to work up to 5K by now, but it isn't going to happen. I'll just have to do the best I can on the day.

I'm really hoping that next Sunday will be overcast and coolish. By the end of today's run I was a horrible sticky mess - and my preferred T-shirts and tracky bottoms are black (although I have others I can wear if it's really hot). I really don't think I have the nerve to do the RFL in shorts...

The weights are improving, slowly. I had a go on the calf raise machine for a change - didn't find it very difficult, but it definitely feels as though it's doing something! I also felt I'd had a good workout of the abdominals and shoulders, although they now ache more than somewhat...
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Last night I went with my brother and his girlfriend to see Batman Begins, and am adding it to my list of films that make you want to go and run around afterwards (others include Lord of the Rings and Bend it Like Beckham). I enjoyed it vastly and could easily go on at length about all the things I liked about it, but I will resist (Christian Bale! Michael Caine! Pushups! Batcloak! no, I said I would resist...) My only quibble is that Cillian Murphy is far too young to be a qualified psychiatrist - but he's so pretty that I'll let it pass.

The girlfriend and I were both expecting to dream about scarecrows last night, but neither of us did. Given my recent record this can only be a good thing!