Further to my last blog I've had a few enquiries about cortisol, some saying that alcohol can increase it, well yes it can but a small amount once a week won't. Here is a view about cortisol from someone far better qualified than me, its from Nina Simone Ross, someone that I always hold up as a template for women trying to get into shape. Any regular readers will know that I have been a fan of Nina's for a long time simply because she has worked so hard and acheived so much, here's the link http://www.ninarossfitness.com/the-truth-about-cortosil/ I hope that you find it interesting. I have to say that I am loving off season training at PPF. The ambience and the atmosphere are brilliant and I feel the strongest that I have for years. I'm over 18 stone with good abs and I can't remember being like that for a long while but my decison not to compete any more still stands despite some very nice people trying to persuade me otherwise!