Week 2 – Day 1. Only the Swiss…

I’ve just finished the core and strength session of the new programme for Week 2 and felt I had to post this blog whilst it’s still fresh in my mind.

The morning run of 6 miles was good. It was a beautifully cloudless, crisp morning and my legs felt normal. No aches or pains and the tightness that results in the dead feet only made the briefest of appearances. Perhaps I’m getting used to this. At this rate I’ll want to up the distance for all my runs.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had had a meeting with Bryan to go through the new exercises he had added to the programme. At first glance the routine seemed to be slightly lighter than that of last week, with fewer reps of, the now familiar, press-ups and crunchies. Some shoulder presses with dumbbells had been added and a Swiss Ball had been thrown into the mix. This meant that there were now things like ‘plank, on the Swiss Ball’, ‘crunchies, on the Swiss Ball’, ‘dips with feet on the Swiss Ball’, ‘Swiss Ball roll outs’.

Only the Swiss, as I’ve alluded to in the title, could invent something so breath-takingly simple and yet so core-shakingly hard.

I’d been shown how to do the exercises properly and had tried 1 or 2 at the time. No big deal, I’d thought. Having completed all the reps of all the different core exercises in succession, I think I may have to reconsider that thought. Each set was accompanied by much puffing, blowing and sweating and was rounded off with what can only be described as an earthy Anglo-Saxon exaltation. Crunchies and roll outs, held for 2 seconds, must be a particular favourite in the sadistic PTI’s arsenal, specially reserved for the most cocky of his charges.

If I can keep this up and lose the blubber, I’ll have a stomach suitable for any budding Derek Guyler. If you can understand that last statement, you’re either an old bugger like me or you need to get out more!

Oh, yes…