Training this week was exhausting, not only because I had to do it every day, but because I was working under Scotty’s steely gaze. He’s a very nice guy but, to be honest, I didn’t really want to see that much of him.
So there I was at the gym expecting the worst and I got it. Instead of the sit ups and squats I’d been promised, he threw me into the dreaded beep test.
For those of you who don’t know what a beep test is, it’s a fitness test which assesses your aerobic, anaerobic and mental capacity all in one hit.
Two cones are placed 20m apart and all you have to do is run back and forth turning at the cones on the beeps.
It sounds pretty harmless but there’s a catch. The time you have to reach the cone gets shorter. It starts out at a gentle leisurely pace and then speeds up to a full sprint, and when you aren’t able to turn on the beep, you’re out.
The point of the test is to see how high you can go before you quit.
Even after I finished at a good level, Scotty steered me straight back to the darn cones. He proceeded to punish me with a shorter shuttle course and quicker beeps, with backwards running too. I was so tired I just became a machine. I focused on the finish line and thought about nothing else until I crossed it.
I’m finally into the last phase of losing weight and I have decided to start training at a higher intensity. I’ve upped the tempo because I’m scared I won’t lose 30kg in time.
I’m especially concerned the celebrations for the Rugby World Cup and my birthday may see me come a cropper. I know the easy thing would be to resort to the goody-two-shoes routine of the first 13 weeks but I want to be able to work with all the real-life obstacles I will encounter and not go on sabbatical every time I need to lose weight.
After experiencing a week of muscular hell I only lost 200g. This means I’m now at 82.3kg.
It seems as if every time I push myself really hard the rewards are minimal, but when I do next to nothing the weight just falls off me.
I had hoped to reach the 80kg benchmark by now but I have to reset that goal till later. The pressure is building – will I make it by the beginning of December? one thing’s for certain – the next 11 weeks are going to be very memorable to say the least.
A note from Scott Cottier
April’s training has developed an exciting new twist – pull, lunge, sprint, sit, stand and collapse. I’m not going easy on April. She’s close to her goal weight, but she’s surrounded by temptation. Trying to keep everything on the right path is difficult, but it’s something April has to do in order to get results.
our many arguments about what’s best for her are interesting to say the least. If April had it her way, we would be lying on the gym couches drinking lattes and catching up on Shortland Street.
A great tip if you’re screening some rugby matches at home with family and friends is to provide carrot sticks and fruit kebabs as nibbles, rather than chips and dip. If you’re providing alcohol, then make sure you have some water as well, since this will encourage your guests to stay hydrated and enjoy the night, without having to endure the dreaded hangover in the morning.
Scotty
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