Challenge completed

So my Christmas challenge was to be able to touch my toes.. and after plenty of stretching, plenty of warm ups, I finally did it. Really hard work and it's not something I can easily do yet and have to work upto it gradually. However it feels worth it.

Only negative feeling is actually now an ache at the top of my spine.. not sure how this has happened.. but feels sore even after a good nights sleep.. :(

Trouble in 3's

A few technical difficulties this week, first my wife's car started leaking coolant - £200 later and the water pump was replaced. Then the kitchen door locking system jammed, so we couldn't lock the door - callout needed for a locksmith, and then yesterday the internet router seemed to give up the ghost. I was almost at the point of buying another one (and I couldn't check for solutions online as no connection).. when I remembered I had changed the channel on our wireless video link from downstairs to upstairs. Switched that off, reset the router, and after punching in all of the passwords (that I had lost), we had internet again.

Since I am off work, I have been able to do some stretching during morning, afternoon and evening. After some warm up, I am now able to just touch my toes - which feels an incredible achievement. However, what is better from all of this, is that I feel a little more flexible - just a different feeling when I am bending to pick things up - or to put clothes on - a stronger feeling in my back. So maybe in doing this challenge..I have been gradually building up the muscle strength and flexibility - I had thought it was my hamstrings as the biggest issue..and they are still tight tight tight... so I constantly have to think about that.

However I must say that setting some form of challenge, or affirmation - however small it is, does make a big help in achieving things. I have done this in the past.. and perhaps I need to do this more with some of my other personal life problems.

Only a few days to go

I have continued the stretching, but as usual other things get in the way.

I was watching a professional football match over the weekend, and we were sitting close behind one of the goals. We therefore had a good view of the goalkeeper. He was about 1.9metres - with just incredible flexibility - all the time he was stretching during the game to keep warm and muscles ready for action. He touched his toes in a flash - like a piece of rubber bending.. then would stretch up and touch the cross bar of the goal. This player was in his twenties, but there are some premier league goalkeepers who are still playing in their late 30's... so I guess they have similar flexibility - otherwise they couldn't do their job.

The referees were certainly less flexible, just watching the warm up was quite funny. However I shouldn't laugh because I would be even worse.

My wife challenged me to touch my toes last night - I was almost there after two or three attempts, but then my stomach muscle went into a spasm / cramp which was very painful and stopped the exercise. Of course she can touch her toes without problem. So in our household, the girls are winning over the boys.

Pac Man

I added Pac Man for a few days, it was the game I grew up with.. so one of my favourites. However I am sure the noise will get to me after a few days.

I hadn't realised how man great gadgets could be added to a blog.

Progress on the toes challenge

So after setting my target, I have roughly 2 weeks to go to make it.

I had a business trip on Monday, which meant an overnight stay - so I spent quite some time watching the tv in the hotel bedroom - whilst trying to stretch my hamstrings and back muscles. It does take some time to get the muscles warmed up, but I was gradually making progress. However one set of muscles I hadn't thought about was stomach, as I gradually got further bent over.. it was my stomach muscles that started to cramp and become painful. Maybe this is further progress.

However in the morning, I still feel pretty stiff and the prospect of touching my toes seems far away, roughly 6inches of reach is missing on a cold start. But gradually during the week, my muscles start to feel a bit looser.. and I try as much as I can to stretch the hamstring muscles before I go to bed.. however I am concerned that 2 weeks won't be enough unless I try a bit harder.

A Target for Christmas..

Last few weeks at work have been long and hard, and with the dark nights and cold weekends - I haven't got out much and have munched through a load of comfort food.. chocolate, crisps.. the usual stuff. Now I won't be doing some form of diet or exercise programme, but at least I will try and do a stretching target..

so it's a simple target, touch my toes by christmas day.. I think that might be possible.. I am still a few inches shy of doing that.

so started this last night.. let's see how it goes.