I know the challenge has officially finished, but I thought I would do a round up post and list what everybody in our team has achieved.

I was in the Swimming pool on Saturday and had a nice relaxing swim, though since then I have given my body a well earned break and have been recovering. Fear not I have not abandoned all of my principals because the challenge has ended I will be back at a class tomorrow.  I want to continue with fitness and have decided I will keep cycling in and try to do three fitness classes a week which I think is a fair balance, trying to vary the classes I take each week. I think this will be harder in the holidays as even though there are quite a few classes the variety is a less. I would love to see a high impact class in the schedule that wasn’t circuits (hint, hint).

Everyone in the team enjoyed the challenge and participating in the various classes and sporting activities that were on offer, so maintaining that will and determination is key. I will try and keep people motivated and inspired, staff rounders will be the next big event, but I am also keen to organise a volleyball tournament (holla if you like this idea too).

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blogs, I usually blog in this place, which has been a little neglected of late, so expect lots of catch-up posts there over the next few weeks.

I’m looking forward to going to the Sports Centre bbq next week and seeing who has won and having the chance to socialise with everyone in something not involving sweat and being out of breath.

See you soon,

Fiona x

The roundup

Gwenda

I’ve reviewed my aims and have managed:

• Pilates most weekday mornings
• Jogging up and down stairs most of the time
• The Boundary Walk
• Some brisk lunchtime walks but I confess not every day!
• Walked a lot on weekends and played with grandchildren!
• Tried new classes at the Sports Centre: Yoga, Badminton, Zumba and Trampolining.
• I hope to ‘power walk’ between 3 and 5k with the team at the end of this week.

I will definitely attempt to keep going with most of the above, but only the Yoga classes.  The others were great fun to try but are probably not for me on a regular basis!

All in all this month has been very motivating and has inspired me to keep on the move as much as possible at least for the next decade!

Alex

I started off the challenge by competing in the Boundary Run. At the start of May I also joined the Life Sciences indoor hockey team and have been going to a practice session every Friday lunchtime. Something I thought I would never try is yoga, but Fiona and my wife persuaded me to go and I’m glad I went along. Finally I have played a couple of games of badminton with colleagues and we are going to make this a weekly ritual. I want to continue with fitness and try and do at least two sports activities a week.

Philippa

I have been very active over the last month and have exercised on most days.  Each week I ran at least 12miles and sometimes further starting off at 6.00am starting off in my winter woollies as in at the beginning of May there was slight frosting on the cars at that time of the day.  I managed to avoid the rain apart from one day but that was okay as not too heavy.  Then as the daytime temperatures rose to such dizzying heights it was a joy being out on bright sunny mornings accompanied by the birds and any small wild animals up so early.  This morning it was foggy and eerily quiet.  I have been trying to increase my speed but that hasn`t been too successful apart from a couple of days, I think that is due to lack of motivation - who needs to go fast?  Not me.

 I have been to the gym, mainly the one I am a member of and have had a session with one of the trainers to do a different plan has left me a bit achy in the arms but otherwise it was okay and I especially like the exercise equipment attached to a television.  I`m getting quite up to date with daytime viewing, and would now like to move to a large house in the country or alternatively pretend I want to move to Australia so I can have a week away paid for by the BBC.

I also decided that I would try and lose an inch round my waste by doing stomach crunches and sit-ups and have been doing this after my runs or on the mornings when I don`t go out.  I am definitely firmer round the middle and I have lost just over an inch -hurrah!

I really enjoyed the trampolining and would like to do it again - it was exhilarating once I got over my general cowardice at jumping (such a whoose), and so nice to do something with other people.  The problem I have is the hours I work which means that virtually all of the classes are run at times when I am unable to attend, pity but that`s life hey!

Gee

As to my challenge, in the 3 weeks I participated, I was able to reach my goals working out on both the bike and cross trainer. I have also been doing lots of additional walking and swimming.  Now my goal is to increase the levels again and keep on until I reach 25 which is the top level (!), I'm on level 12 so far for the bike and 13 for the cross trainer. A bit of a way to go yet - haha!

Nicola

Despite having an injury I have managed to run for the whole month in training for a half marathon that I have coming up soon. As part of the challenge I did visit the sports centre to meet with Mark to discuss training with an injury and the best way to move forward. He gave me some really good advice and I am now looking at improving my strength, something I would have never have thought of or considered before this challenge.

Sara

I planned to use the month to regain a base of fitness following injuries to both calves, along with a shoulder injury, inflicted during marathon training in the spring. My aim was to ensure I backed up my regular runs with six sessions each a month of British Military Fitness (an army PE instructor shouts at you while you wallow in mud) - for core strength and stability - and of hot yoga (one of the most terrible things known to man) - for flexibility and stamina. I also aimed to try some new classes at the gym. 

I wasn't able to do all the planned BMF sessions as I felt my shoulder was very weak and needed more rehabilitation before stressing it, but two sessions of cut-price clinical massage with Kate (part of the deal) helped this and I am now back to my schedule. I managed most of my yoga sessions, as well as a trial yoga class with Karen which was challenging yet curiously relaxing. I aimed to run 80 miles over the month and in fact ran 78, topped up with a 12-mile walk.

Overall I feel the month helped me settle into a regular routine. The massage sessions with Kate were excellent (for a small person she knows how to inflict quite severe pain in loosening tight muscles!). Thank you very much to everyone who helped organise this for us.

Ilona

I enjoyed the challenge a lot, especially as I managed to have my minimum 3 classes during the week and 4 miles walk every weekend! My challenge goals should be fulfilled at the end of this week.

I'm booked for 3 yoga classes this week again! You know how much I like it ;)  I think I could definitely go for a bigger challenge, however, attending 3 classes per week was definitely challenging enough and worth my attention. After the month of exercises I feel more energy and I'm somehow...happier :) I think I will join Sport Centre in the very near future for my longer yoga experience and...trampolining! ;)

Kieron

I have played weekly games of badminton for this challenge, something that I had not played since school. Playing with work friends was good and we encouraged each other to participate and book a game. I want to continue with our weekly game of badminton and also join the indoor hockey team when the exam period is over and my workload has calmed down!

Fiona

Being a person who managed a class here and there previously I really went for it on this challenge and aimed to try every class that the sports centre offered. I managed to complete my goal and tried out 19 classes over the month plus an additional three taster classes (trampolining, fencing and yoga) and had three games of badminton. Coupled with this I cycled in most days and did some swimming at the weekends. I want to continue doing a couple of classes a week whilst combining this with healthy eating.