I’ve heard about the Great North Swim and I’d like to be able to do it next year – I’d have no chance trying really for this year.

I’m up to 20 minutes swimming in the pool and thats taken 6 weeks to get there. I’m not doing it constantly – often pausing at ends and then restarting but keep on going as much as I can.

I believe its in september so planning for next year giving me around 18 months to prepare for it. To get past the 25m certificate I have and go for the mile.

About 60+ lengths of the pool to do – I struggle after 4 usually so only need to get another 60 or so and then try outside swimming – not really tried that one.

I’ve been in an outside pool but not really in the sea, or a river – that will be an experience I can look forward too althou will probably be very cold. I know i’ll need to wear a wet suit – so need one of those sometime too… But thats something for next year.

The plan so far is gradually increase my swimming in time and then lengths. I want to try and get my swimming up so that I can swim for an hour and then try to get up to a mile if not already.

My Current predicted plan:

Get to the level of Comfortable constant swimming:

June/July – Get to 25 minutes
Aug/Sep – Get to 35 Minutes
End of December – get to 60 minutes

Its about a 7 month plan so far, but its the preparation plan before going for the main training for the actual events in 2010.

I think it will fit in well with the rest of my plans for fitness as gives a seperate goal and a joined goal for extra motivation.

So I’ve got through the first 3 weeks – Been to the gym and swimming aswell as done some things at home (Dance DVDs, stretches) and running.

I have felt quite out of breath and energy drops not so much – I’ve not changed my diet much yet but have cut down crisps to one or two bags a week (or thats the plan) instead of daily aswell as chocolate/snacks I’ve tried replacing with a seeds/nuts Mix which is suprisingly tasty.

Its been hard work and looking back doesn’t feel like I’ve done much. Its been exercise between jobs – a break in the middle of the day to do stuff and then return to job time. I think that if I keep it up then it will definetly help.

I’ve been aching a bit from the new moves, but felt when I went trampolining more in the shapes I was meant to be in for a change so may be improving my ability at the same time.

I’ve been to the gym a few times this week and done my exercise plan and swimming.

I tried instead of just the gym – going out and running outside. That was totally different to on a treadmill – it was a lot harder breathing wise but was more enjoyable at the same time with the change of scenery.

I’ve got a set of DVDs that are dance aerobic based ones that are meant to help your body core – to stregthen and tone. I tried the begginer version that was meant to be easy and I was quickly tired out – I think its becoming easier but still hard.

It is something I’m going to try a few times a week and then every day. The documentation that comes with it all suggests a big change within 8 weeks. I’m thinking that its going to take a month to learn the basics and get into it – a kind of warming up to be able to do the 8 week plan.

I’m going to try and do a weekly update more so that I can see IF there is any change, and once a month check IF I change weight/waist size etc.

I’ve a variety of fitness DVDs all around Dance of some sort – I’m using them as a guidance to try and get more flexable and increase my cardio, breathing and general motivations.

One series is called “Core Rhythms” which is a mixture of different dance techniques to get you moving and try different movements many of which seem to be aimed at the abs. Another one is a dance one called Push it up or something like that – its quite energetic but the main one i’ll be trying is the series.

I’ve tried the kick start and some of the short sessions but so far I can’t keep up as things change too often without enough explanation. I can pick it up if I rewind and look again but first time through its quite hard and looks to be getting faster and more intense if you keep with it.

Good things are the help and options to view the moves from different angles, so I think it will help – if nothing else it should help cardio and me work out how the connection from the brain to the action actually happens.

All in all I think it will be a hard few months still to go, but IF it actually works then excellent.

I’ve not really been one for cycling for a long time, I had a bike while growing up and stopped going on it in the early 1990′s – I used to go on bike rides with friends and family but we all got into computer stuff and exercise/bikes fell into the background.

A friend gave me the bike as they had won one in a competition but theirs was already better and didn’t need a second so said have it if I can use it.

About a week or so ago, while the weather was gorgeous, and warm I decided to go out on the bike. I wondered how I would manage it. I’d been out once a few weeks before and rode all over the place trying to get my balance and remember how to ride it… I did forget for a while but it came back quickly.

I didn’t go far from home, I took the cycle paths and went to a park and came back – it was a mixture of roads and mainly cycle paths. You can view the round by looking at my Overview Map if interested.

It was a good start, althou the next day I ached a lot and in reality I only did about 3.8 miles round trip which does’t sound like a lot.

I am working through a 13 week challenge that started on the 2nd of June 2009 and should end around the start of September – so throughout the summer while its bright and nice – predicted to be an excellent summer for a change.

The challenge will include a change in diet and doing a variety of mixed exercises including:

• Dance – Salsa
• Gym
• Swimming
• DVD Aerobic exercise
• Running
• Trampoling
• Cycling

I have read/seen loads of adverts that say within 8 weeks you can go from that to this – I don’t really believe that without changing your attitude and trying hard that it is possible.

Many times people have said to me that I don’t need to loose weight, and wonder “how” i keep it off but I don’t – I just hide it well so far but don’t want to hide it – I don’t want it there to be able to be hid.

I have started my challenge by drawing up a plan on PC, and printing it off and putting up on a wall I see often – Its a lot harder to quit when you have a target plus its good to see progress you can check off as you go along.

I have a whole list of measurements of when I started somewhere and wonder just if any will change or if I will have just changed life for no reason except to realise I’m getting older and joining the rest of the world in accepting that people change – I don’t want that but as with most things – it is a choice.