Challenges all round

It's challenge time.

Today my challenge to myself involved a treadmill at the gym.

I set it for a 60-minute workout and set off to see how many of the 60 minutes I could jog for.

I might have managed more had my water bottle not become dislodged from its stand, launched itself down the running belt and ended up about two feet behind me between two cross trainers.

Note to self: always make sure your water bottle is secure when using a treadmill to avoid dangerous trip hazards.

I managed 30 minutes of jogging at 4.5mph but by then I was in need of water so had to slow the treadmill right down, jump off, grab my bottle and jump back on.

Ten minutes of brisk walking, ten of jogging, nine more of walking and a quick minute-long jog later and I was done.

I was quite impressed with my efforts. After an hour I'd burned off 560 calories but I'd also gained an insight into how my stamina is improving.

I can't wait until I can manage a full hour at a 4.5mph jog.

Heading home, I started to think about my next challenge.

Yes, tomorrow marks the start of Coeliac Awareness Week and, with it, my gluten-free challenge.

Knowing that I was going to be banned from eating wheat-filled bread for a week, I have spent the weekend making and eating various different flatbreads (not 24/7, you understand).

Now the breadmaker has had a good clean to get rid of the last trace of wheat flour from the pan and blade and I'm about to fill it with gluten-free bread mix to bake overnight so I can take a chunk to work to accompany my gluten-free homemade soup for lunch in the morning.

In a minute I will weigh out my gluten-free porridge oats for breakfast.

I wonder how they'll compare to my usual porridge.

Evening meals might be the biggest challenge.

Creating meal plans which fit in with my healthy eating plan and won't prompt my beloved Gary to turn up his nose has been challenge enough.

Now I'll have to make sure they're gluten-free too.

I'm planning a homemade curry at some point in the week.

I haven't planned ahead much, yet, though, so I think tomorrow might be chicken, butternut squash and veg.

That feels like a bit of a cop out, being a normal dinner we'd eat anyway and not containing any gluten-free substitute foods.

Perhaps I'll have a slice of gluten-free bread with it too, just to make it feel like I'm trying.

At some point I'll have to have a go at making a gluten-free flatbread.