Hello everyone. I want to start by wishing you all a happy new year. I hope that 2013 will be a great year for each and every one of you, in terms of all things that matter most, but above all in terms of your health. You can have all the money in the world, but if you only have a day left to live on this earth, all that wealth won't do you much good as you can't take money to the grave with you.
I really hope that you can all move forward with your personal goals for 2013. As Shakespeare said, "what's past is prologue". Whilst we cannot change what has already happened, and whilst it does set the context for the future, we do not need to spend time worrying about our past mistakes. If you want to do something in 2013 that you didn't manage to get round to in 2012, there is no better time than the present.
There will not be many of us looking down at our stomachs and thinking what great shape we are in at this time of the year. Most of us have probably been supping too much beer or getting a little tipsy on the eggnog. Or maybe the mince pies and Christmas puddings and sherry trifles have taken their toll. Never mind now though - the important thing is to kick start your fitness regime again, and start 2013 the right way.
I decided to go to the track today and try out the brand new spikes that my mother bought me for Christmas. Putting the spikes on, I really felt the part, despite having gained a little weight since I last ran on the track before Christmas. The scales puts me at 82.5kg, so it could have been far worse though. Thats a weight gain of around 1kg over the festive period.
The benchmark that I like to use on the track is a 400m run. It is short enough that I can do one each time I go there, just to get an idea of where I stand compared to previous attempts. I always feel like I am part of The Groundhog Day movie though, because each time I try a 400m test I get the same time, 61 seconds. Today was no exception to the rule. I always seem to run out of steam in the final 50m or so, and each time I tell myself that I need to set off a little slower the next time. Then the next time comes and despite my best intentions the same thing happens. So, next time I promise myself I will set out slower. I will, I will, I will.
On the way back from the track I popped into a fitness shop and bought 2 more kettlebells to add to the collection. I bought an 8kg kettlebell for Anny to use, in addition to her 4kg one, and I bought myself a 20kg one. They are pretty expensive for what they are I have to say, but as I plan to use them 2 to 3 times per week it will be worth it, just to have the added convenience of being able to train at home in the warm and without losing time in travel to/from the gym.
One aspect of my routine I intend to change a lot this year is my diet. Not only do I tend to eat too much snacky type food during the day, but I also worked out that I usually spend 20CHF per day on food in the Kiosk shop at work. In addition to that I tend to buy 4 or more coffees, so that's a grand total of 30CHF per day, or 150CHF per week, or 600CHF per month. By buying food in the larger supermarkets or bringing in my own packed lunch each day, and by drinking less coffee, I can save myself a decent amount of money and have more control over my diet. I decided that I will limit myself to 2 coffees during the working day. I will also try to make myself healthy packed lunches using nutritious foods like quinoa, which tastes great too. The UN for example refers to it as a "super crop".
Well that's me for today everyone. Tomorrow it's back to work as usual, so I need to make the most of my last day of vacation. Ciao bellos and bellas.
