Triple Threat Part Eight - Running Man

Two training sessions in one week? Indeed so. I think I can manage it, I thought. Surprisingly, I did. Read on.

So Mark put me through some paces on the Monday of one week and I went back for more on the Friday. Mark got me started with some work on the Cross Trainer for about 5 mins going forward and 5 mins going backwards and a healthy pace. Not too bad, I thought, though my bum was aching a bit afterwards. Then he presented me with some dumbells to hold while I stood by the side of the weights bench and stepped on and off ten times on the right leg and ten times on the left. Thighs are now starting to burn a little, but I've been here before and manfully shrug it off and continue on.


Next was holding the bench at one end while hopping over either side 10 times for a couple of sets. I'll say now that any exercise that includes jumping is going to work on your cardio quickly and as I finished, my heartbeat was noticably up and I was staring to puff and blow.

Now Mark grabbed hold of my old nemesis the medicine ball and we proceeded to throw it back and forth basketball style. I used to play a lot of basketball back in the day and thought that this would be fine to do, but a medicine ball weighs ten pounds. Soon by shoulders and arms were saying "Oi! Sunshine! What's all this about?".

Finally, it was time to go for a run. I knew this was coming, so I had mentally prepared myself for it. What I didn't know was that Mark had some other plans. After taking a drink of water, Mark presented me with a backpack that weighed about thirty pounds and we proceeded to walk at an olympic pace to a football pitch about a half mile from his house. On the way, we passed a couple of youths smoking surreptitiously in a souped up Citroen Saxo. I sneered at them as we went past, superior in my healthiness. I'm willing to bet one of them was called Dazza and the other probably Kai Storm or some other such ridiculous title. They were too busy talking about banging tunes or trying to remember important things like when their giro was arriving to notice me canter past breathlessly.

Once at the football pitch, Mark produces a resistance band. he proceeded to put it around my waist and hold on to the handles on either side. Then he said, run over there and pull me along with you. "Over there" was about fifty yards away and Mark wasn't going to go easy on the resisting. First time was ok, second time was... interesting, third time = thighs aflame and last time through with Mark barking at me to finish must have been akin to my lungs actually imploding. After I had come around, Mark mentioned that when you think that you have nothing left, you actually have 75% of your reserves left to use. Personally I think he is lying.

We jogged back to his house and I didn't stop once. Actually, I'm pretty sure that I sped up when we went down his street. Felt triumphant? You bet I did. Catch you next time.

This blog is also available in a condensed form in the "Pour Homme" section on my good friend Amanda's lifestyle website Pretty Luscious Things. The link to it is below. Women will love it, men will be wise to read it.

http://www.prettylusciousthings.com/