It's the taking part that counts....

....but sometimes, winning is really bloody cool!

Tonight I was collared by the gym manager Dai, who informed me that he was awarding me Member of the Month, for being the member (out of 200-odd) who he felt had put in the most effort and was reaping the rewards of the gym the most!

Well, I am chuffed as a rat!

My prize was a tasty chocolate flavour diet protein bar, and a voucher for 10% off at a local health food/supplement shop, which is very handy as I was considering investing in a protein supplement to try. I'm going to nosh my chocolate bar for breakfast tomorrow, as it's weigh-in morning at my WeightWatchers class and I do breakfast on the run.

Speaking of runs, I started a proper running training programme yesterday with a run/walk/limp around Parc Taff Bargoed. It claims it will make a runner of me in 12 weeks - I'm a bit dubious about that, but inspired by the running success of Gwilli I'm going to give it a shot! I know that my cardiovascular fitness has improved no end thanks to my walking and my efforts in the gym, and tonight I proved that my muscles are starting to catch up, with a gargantuan 45-minute effort on the crosstrainer tackling a tough Random programme. I'm just dubious that I can actually run, non stop, for significant periods of time!

I will pop back tomorrow, hopefully with another lovely weight-loss to report! I need to lose at least 0.5lb to earn my One Stone award and also my 5% award - it would be really nice to nab those tomorrow and make it an all-round winner of a week!