12WBT Pre-season task 7: Organise and diarise

How many times have we all said: I don't have time for exercise?

Michelle uses the example of the former Prime Minister John Howard, who, despite his busy schedule, still power walked for an hour every day.  Then yesterday, I saw this comic, which really hit home:

We all have busy lives, and yes, at times, there are going to be things we can't control that interrupt our schedules.  But you are much more likely to stick to an exercise plan if you have a schedule and book it in your diary as appointments.

My ideal training schedule

My "ideal schedule" is as follows.  I am not a morning person, so I have left the mornings free.  BUT: the reality is that I do sometimes have work things on at night which means I can't exercise (and let's be honest, there will be times I have fun things to do on a Friday night) so when that happens, I will really have to push myself to train in the mornings. 

Mondays:

Body Combat and Step class with a fellow 12WBT.

Tuesdays:

Cardio

Wednesdays:

Cardio

Body Pump with a fellow 12WBT.

Yoga

Thursdays:

Irish Dancing (I consider this my "light" fitness.  You do burn calories, but it varies a lot)

Fridays:

Cardio with a fellow 12WBT.

Zumba (not a great calorie burner but fun!)

Body Pump

Saturdays:

My one early morning training! 

Either a Sydney 12WBT organised walk (Coogee to Bondi 12km round trip; or Hornsby 10km), or Fitness First classes with other 12WBT members. 

Sundays:

Yoga

Body Pump and Body Attack with a fellow 12WBT.

Mini milestones

The program is 12 weeks long, and there are 3 milestones, in Week 4, Week 8 and Week 12.

Mine are as follows:

Week 4

Fitness: Be able to jog 1.5km without stopping. This may not sound like much, but at the moment I can only run about 300metres before stopping, I need to start working on endurance rather than speed.

Fitness event: Outdoor fitness fun with Michelle Bridges: http://www.australiasbiggesthealthcheck.com.au/
Weight: Have lost 4 kilos

Week 8

No fitness milestone as will be recuperating from surgery.

Weight: Have lost 8 kilos

Week 12

Fitness: Be able to run at least 5km without stopping

Fitness event: Mud run: http://www.maxadventure.com.au/mudrun/index.html

Weight: Have maintained 8 kilo weight loss.  Have lost 5% body fat.

And a week later, the big workout with Michelle Bridges.

Red flag days

Michelle also talks about Red Flag days, times we know we won't be able to exercise, or where there will be lots of food.

I have two "red flag" events this Round.  One is my birthday, but I will be starting that day with a 10km Hornsby walk!  The other is more serious, I'm having a tonsillectomy at the start of week 7 of the 12WBT and have been told not to exercise for 2 weeks.  I'm hoping in the second week I'll at least be able to do some light exercise.  On the plus side, I gather most people lose weight from having their tonsils out because you really can't each much for a week or so!