The Craic was good In Willet Way

Hello blog lovers!

It seems these Thursday sessions come around pretty quickly!  My legs still don't quite feel fully recovered from last Thursdays session, but I guess, I did have that race in between!  But what can I say about todays session. Well, first of, let me tell you who was taking the core training session part of this evenings training, it is Emma, our membership secretary at our running club.  A lovely lady, always smiling, and I think last year she passed her training to be come a personal trainer!  She also does a spin class some where as well.

I took my car to the rec today, and as I was parking I saw Emma coming in behind me.  There were a couple of people there at the rec, and I was wondering how many would be turning up.  It's always a surprise to me who will be taking the Thursday sessions, but I know that some of them knew that it would be Emma, and also I know that some of them felt like me, when I found out she was doing it....a little bit...shall we say anxious!

There was going to be someone else to be joining in but didn't make it, so DiscoRich said he would jump into the breach and be the second trainer for todays session.  Emma told us what she had planned for us, and something about finding muscles that we have not used before! You can see why we were so anxious! So first of as always, a jog around the green to warm up.  Then it was straight into 'Emmas 4 minute Hit!  I am sure that is what she said! It was to include 4 'things', like star jumps, which she said we can make harder if we wanted to by doing a squat with it! and pencil jumps, side to sides and then my favourite (not).....burpees!

There was no resting for 30 seconds or even 10 seconds, as soon as the first minute was up it was straight into the next exercise. The moans and groans coming from me was being emulated by the others!  I am glad I was not the only one finding it hard!  There was a group of teenagers in the rec, and they came over to have a look at what we were doing, and they decided to join in as well!  They kept up pretty well! Considering they spent the first hour or so they were in the park having cigarettes and crisps!

After this 4 minute 'Hit' session we then did some strengthening exercises.  Backs against the wall, slide down to a sitting position and then stay there until told we can get up, or fall to the floor, which ever was easier!  Emma had a whole list of exercises for us to do in her session.  Some planking, and some oblique planks, some triceps dips or squats or something like that, I think by the time I got to those particular delights my brain had decided to switch off, just in case I talked myself into quitting and going home! "Count how many you can do in the minute" She said. Well I think I got up to 5 and then lost count!

Then there were push ups! Yes that right, straight from the triceps dips to push ups, and then plankings and who knows what else!  Some one stop her!! 

What I didn't tell you at the beginning is that she had actually forgotten that it was her turn to do the Thursday session. She said that she was well into the comfort zone, had dinner, nice glass of vino, until she started to think that she should be doing something!  Then when it dawned on her she grabbed her kids, had them in shorts and shoes quicker that a quick change artist can blink  and grabbed her agenda for tonights core training.  The thing is, I think she grabbed the wrong sheet!  I think she actually secretly trains the S.A.S. and she grabbed the sheet that is used for the S.A.S. guys and bought that along to us. 

It was a very hard tough first half of the session.  After that DiscoRich took over.  You would have thought it was going to take it easy on us! But no. 'What is the point of a core training and strengthening session if things are easy.' were the words running through my mind as we had a ninety second rest, while he explained the fartlek running to the teenagers and anyone else who didn't know about them. The teenagers by they way only did a couple of legs of the Fartleks.

After that, DiscoRich set up another sort of relay thing, and he chose to set it up so that we ran up the slight incline!! How cruel do you have to be to be a Core Trainer?!  Three sets of flags stretching out, 50, yards 100 yards, and 150 yards.  And it was run hard to the first, jog back, run hard to the second and jog back, run hard to the third and run back, the run hard to the second, and first etc.  And we were to do this twice!

It was a tough session, the hour, again, went by very quickly, and I feel as if I really have worked my muscles hard!  Doing the cool down stretches DiscoRich mentioned something about the Craic as he was showing us a stretch, where we have to reach our arms up over our heads and down our backs....reaching as far as we could....without doing damage of course!

A great session today, thoroughly enjoyed it, in a wired masochistic way. Bring on next weeks session!