Year End 2007

As Christmas 2007 approaches bringing an end to another year and leaving me one year older again, I find myself making more fitness commitments than ever. My kick-boxing tutor has gone awol for a few weeks with the impending arrival of his first child and the newspaper I work for has started up an in-house squash league. So I've found myself back on the squash courts doing what I used to do best a long time ago - playing competitive squash - and it's fun! My butt is killing me from stretching muscles that haven't been exercised properly for at least ten years but it's adding a new dimension to my workouts feeling soreness in new body parts all over again. What a great feeling!
So now I'm thinking I might get back to squash in a big way in 2008 as well as run my first marathon. So it's looking like busy times ahead - even if I will have to start rising early in the morning to fit some of my training in. It's all worth it though. Life is just so much better when you're happy with how you're looking after yourself. Last night, for instance, after a bash-up on the squash court with another guy, I took myself off around town for a run. It was dark, dry, frosty and beautiful. Only a handful of people were about as I pushed my way up the big hill out to the docks and back again. My jaunt turned in to a six-mile run, that came so easy because I kept it nice and steady. I enjoyed every minute and returned home refreshed, invigorated and ready for anything.
So right now, my training is going well. I've come through another rough patch where the going was proving tough and am glad to be out the other end again. No doubt there are more highs and lows on the horizon but for now, I'm feeling good, my legs feel strong, I'm enjoying working on the distances and have it in mind to build them up. I've experimented a bit with protein supplements recently and have to admit I hate the stuff. It tastes foul - even with the chocolate flavour. Just thinking of that powder stuff in the press at home now makes me want to throw up. I don't think it's working for me. Maybe I need to test a new brand. So I'll stick to trying to follow a good diet, keep going at the running and report back soon on how things are developing. In the interlude, here's hoping Christmas 2007 is a good one.