Tone up

Right, this is my fifth attempt at writing this particular blog post.

For some reason, the ability to write about my toning challenge has completely evaded me over the last couple of weeks.

Maybe the part of my brain that is linked to writing witty and verbose copy has turned to muscle....

Anyway, let's see how I go writing this tonight (I'm missing the Walking Dead for this #FFS!)

I'm going to write using the medium of bullet points.

Imagine all these bullet points set to The Eye of the Tiger (here's the link so you can listen at the same time)

There, now picture me in lyric doing some lunges......

* Possibly the vainest challenge on my #40before40 list
* Never about a six pack (yeah, yeah - it was really)
* Improving overall fitness
* Strengthen core
* Improve posture (he says slouched over his laptop)
* Never had an issue with legs (running and football)
* Upper body strength a bit rubbish
* Always carried weight around my tummy
* Spent most of September to December 2013 with a football-related groin injury
* Mrs P got me personal training sessions for my 39th birthday with Felicia Sheingold (visit her website and get down and give me 10 burpees now!)
* Did lots of squats, reverse lunges, press ups, crunches, weight work and burpees (I love burpees!) from January to May
* Attempted to eat more protein and less carbs and sugar
* Carried on doing reps at home (often with one of my daughters acting as a makeshift weight)
* Groin injury sorted
* More defintion (thumbs up from Mrs P)
* Still got more work to do (I blame cake)
* Better core strength
* Finished 277th out of 1880 in the Rock Solid Race in Exeter
* Played six football games in 18 days at the end of the 2013/14 season
* Knocked 11 minutes 56 seconds off my Classic Quarter time
* Finished 18th out of 200+ runners in the Rok 5k
* Did my first fell run
* Got down to under 13st (12st 13lbs) for the first time in 15, possibly 20, years.

There, great work people. Take a drink of water, and check out some of the action shots below!

Rock Solid Race, Exeter

About to start my leg of the Classic Quarter

Grrr fell running

Post fell run mince pie

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