There has been a significant change of focus in my personal training sessions. I'm doing so much cardio elsewhere that I'm now concentrating on building muscle during my PT session. This includes a hefty doze of squats, dead lifts and bench presses on a machine known as "The Rack".
Yesterday saw me graduating from girlie little weights that even the ladies were sniggering about, up to proper man sized weights. The most noticeable change, apart for the obvious effort involved, was the now immensely satisfying clunking noises coming from my end of the gym. It used to be little clinks and tinny bumps that barely raised an eyebrow. Now it's herculean thumping and metallic clanging that would impress any nearby lady, if they were so inclined.
I demonstrated my new found abilities to one of the gym staff by bench pressing 55kg. It turns out he used to bench press 90kg and thinks that I'm a bit over excitable.
Current weight is 13 stones 4 pounds (186 pounds / 84.4 kg).
And the weight gain is definitely not from increased muscle mass. A quick burst of The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet has begun to offset last week's crisps and scones.
Wednesday 29 October 2008
Sunday 26 October 2008
The open road
Today I buried my long standing hatred of road bikes and purchased a second hand Specialized Allez Epic with carbon fibre frame. A few minor adjustments later and I was off for a quick cruise to check out the handling.
Quite literally, sailing along, as I found out. I nearly got blown off by the crosswind when I turned a 90 degree left hander off the main road so I could safely cross retrace my route home. Bugger. I knew it was going to be a long way back, cycling directly into a 25 miles per hour head wind.
Cycling with the wind at your back is great fun. Cycling directly into a head wind is not. I was pedalling like billy-oh, giving it everything and rarely stepping out of second gear. Had it been even a tiny bit worse, tears would have come in to play.
Current weight is 13 stones 2 pounds (184 pounds / 83.5 kg).
Wednesday 22 October 2008
Race pace
Participating in a race has noticeable physiological and psychological effects.
The initial excitement in the lead up to the race is quickly surpassed by nerves as you arrive at the venue, which ensures a fully relieved bladder before the start. Since I don't take these events particularly seriously, it's interesting that this laxative effect arises at all.
And when the hooter goes, you run faster than during training. I mean much faster. It could be that I didn't want to lose the bet with The Editor and shell out a pound for every minute I was behind, but there has to be something deeper than avoiding having to pay for a couple of helpings of post-race tea and scones.
I crossed the 10km (cross country!) line in about 46 minutes 50 or 55 seconds. I didn't get a note of the actual time as my mind was elsewhere, thinking about my impending free lunch. However, I was shortly ahead of The Editor's time of 47 minutes 1 second. Since that moment, my nemesis is now afraid of being nicknamed "Eddie the Editor", after Britain's last ski jumper, Mr Edwards. To avoid this happening, we had a near immediate post race video analysis session in the industrial estate to examine running styles, both shoed and barefoot, much to the amusement of the local teenagers having their first driving lessons.
Current weight is 13 stones 2 pounds (184 pounds / 83.5 kg).
The initial excitement in the lead up to the race is quickly surpassed by nerves as you arrive at the venue, which ensures a fully relieved bladder before the start. Since I don't take these events particularly seriously, it's interesting that this laxative effect arises at all.
And when the hooter goes, you run faster than during training. I mean much faster. It could be that I didn't want to lose the bet with The Editor and shell out a pound for every minute I was behind, but there has to be something deeper than avoiding having to pay for a couple of helpings of post-race tea and scones.
I crossed the 10km (cross country!) line in about 46 minutes 50 or 55 seconds. I didn't get a note of the actual time as my mind was elsewhere, thinking about my impending free lunch. However, I was shortly ahead of The Editor's time of 47 minutes 1 second. Since that moment, my nemesis is now afraid of being nicknamed "Eddie the Editor", after Britain's last ski jumper, Mr Edwards. To avoid this happening, we had a near immediate post race video analysis session in the industrial estate to examine running styles, both shoed and barefoot, much to the amusement of the local teenagers having their first driving lessons.
Current weight is 13 stones 2 pounds (184 pounds / 83.5 kg).
Thursday 16 October 2008
Buzz Lightyear's shoes
I purchased a new pair of SPD enabled cycling shoes for the last Duathlon. They have Velcro straps for a quick entry/exit to the shoe, nice stiff plastic soles and they are delightfully silver and shinny. I have been told on more than one occasion, by more than one person, that they look like Buzz Lightyear's shoes. I could take that comment in either of two ways, but I choose to hear the positive version.
Last night I was caught in torrential rain. To my dismay, my feet became very cold and very, very wet almost instantly. I nearly telephoned my brother in Australia there and then, to request that he prepares a room for me to live in. It turns out that the inside of the sole has structural ribs for reinforcement, much like the hull of a ship has partitions to stop any leaked water rolling around too much. The added bonus is that puddles form inside the shoes and said puddles cunningly remain there. Since my socks were already saturated and the sole of the foot isn't very absorbent, my feet stayed nice and wet even after the rain stopped.
Despite the frantic pedal home, my weight has creeped up ever so slightly. But I think this is actually to do with gaining some muscle from the increased training regime as opposed to consistent and prolonged over-feeding on chocolate.
Current weight is 13 stones 2 pounds (184 pounds / 83.5 kg).
Last night I was caught in torrential rain. To my dismay, my feet became very cold and very, very wet almost instantly. I nearly telephoned my brother in Australia there and then, to request that he prepares a room for me to live in. It turns out that the inside of the sole has structural ribs for reinforcement, much like the hull of a ship has partitions to stop any leaked water rolling around too much. The added bonus is that puddles form inside the shoes and said puddles cunningly remain there. Since my socks were already saturated and the sole of the foot isn't very absorbent, my feet stayed nice and wet even after the rain stopped.
Despite the frantic pedal home, my weight has creeped up ever so slightly. But I think this is actually to do with gaining some muscle from the increased training regime as opposed to consistent and prolonged over-feeding on chocolate.
Current weight is 13 stones 2 pounds (184 pounds / 83.5 kg).
Monday 13 October 2008
How to run
You would think it was easy. Just put one leg in front of the other and repeat quickly.
I did that and ended up with some tendon issues in various parts of my leg. The best explanation I've seen so far was by a German on YouTube.
Current weight is 13 stones (182 pounds / 82.5 kg).
I did that and ended up with some tendon issues in various parts of my leg. The best explanation I've seen so far was by a German on YouTube.
Current weight is 13 stones (182 pounds / 82.5 kg).
Sunday 12 October 2008
The return of the wetsuit
Today I saw a man nearly die from exposure.
My Orca S2 wetsuit needs to be returned before the end of October to benefit from the summer rental bargain deal of £50. So to maximize its pound per mile, the wetsuit was destined for one last hurrah; a final test of long distance, open water swimming. Erring on the side of safety, it would not be sensible to throw one's self in a loch alone, so The Editor, the only one crazy enough to contemplate the task, duly agreed to the swim.
If Rolf Harris himself had attached The Editor to his wobble board and vibrated it as ferociously as humanly possible, he would still not have achieved even half the frequency, nor amplitude, of pre-hypothermic shivering state he found himself in climbing out of Loch Earn after 3.5km of cold swimming. Both of us were incapable of standing up to exit the loch for quite some time after reaching the shore. In fact, both of us fell over on the first attempt of getting out. Some hilarity ensued regarding the inability of either of us, due to said shivering, to use the car key to open the door, but this was fueled more by our delirious state than humour. In fact, I couldn't even speak properly, my moving face parts having partially frozen. The Editor's repeated statement of "I'll be alright in a minute" was terribly unconvincing.
The deliriousness lasted for some time judging by the inability to focus on driving and also by my overly keen thumb based manoeuvre to remove my wetsuit. Wishing myself into dry clothes as quickly as possible, I used my thumb as a lever to prise the wetsuit over my heel. I didn't feel any immediate pain, as my extremities felt like they had been cryogenically preserved, but I did hear a loud crack followed by laughter. Unfortunately, it was my own laughter, which can only mean that I'd dipped into a manic state.
A nice cup of tea later and discussions began regarding the water temperature. The consensus being that it was very cold indeed. An agreement to avoid future open water swimming in October was also reached.
Current weight is 13 stones (182 pounds / 82.5 kg).
My Orca S2 wetsuit needs to be returned before the end of October to benefit from the summer rental bargain deal of £50. So to maximize its pound per mile, the wetsuit was destined for one last hurrah; a final test of long distance, open water swimming. Erring on the side of safety, it would not be sensible to throw one's self in a loch alone, so The Editor, the only one crazy enough to contemplate the task, duly agreed to the swim.
If Rolf Harris himself had attached The Editor to his wobble board and vibrated it as ferociously as humanly possible, he would still not have achieved even half the frequency, nor amplitude, of pre-hypothermic shivering state he found himself in climbing out of Loch Earn after 3.5km of cold swimming. Both of us were incapable of standing up to exit the loch for quite some time after reaching the shore. In fact, both of us fell over on the first attempt of getting out. Some hilarity ensued regarding the inability of either of us, due to said shivering, to use the car key to open the door, but this was fueled more by our delirious state than humour. In fact, I couldn't even speak properly, my moving face parts having partially frozen. The Editor's repeated statement of "I'll be alright in a minute" was terribly unconvincing.
The deliriousness lasted for some time judging by the inability to focus on driving and also by my overly keen thumb based manoeuvre to remove my wetsuit. Wishing myself into dry clothes as quickly as possible, I used my thumb as a lever to prise the wetsuit over my heel. I didn't feel any immediate pain, as my extremities felt like they had been cryogenically preserved, but I did hear a loud crack followed by laughter. Unfortunately, it was my own laughter, which can only mean that I'd dipped into a manic state.
A nice cup of tea later and discussions began regarding the water temperature. The consensus being that it was very cold indeed. An agreement to avoid future open water swimming in October was also reached.
Current weight is 13 stones (182 pounds / 82.5 kg).
Saturday 11 October 2008
5k warm up
Having been on two separate 5km runs this week with two different friends, I have discovered two interesting things.
Firstly, running is best as a solitary sport. Slowing down for others diminishes the training aspect of the run. Speeding up to remove the guilt of slowing the other down moves the body into the anaerobic zone, which is unsustainable and not suited to endurance training.
Secondly, 5km runs are no longer enough. Neither are 25km mountain bike rides or 2km swims. Not even if performed all in the same day.
I will have to adjust the jacuzzi to training time ratio in favour of training time!
And to cap it all off, I've spent most of this week eating. I mean really eating. Something has been going in every 5 minutes. I can't control it and I can only put it down to the increase in training distances.
Current weight is 13 stones (182 pounds / 82.5 kg).
Firstly, running is best as a solitary sport. Slowing down for others diminishes the training aspect of the run. Speeding up to remove the guilt of slowing the other down moves the body into the anaerobic zone, which is unsustainable and not suited to endurance training.
Secondly, 5km runs are no longer enough. Neither are 25km mountain bike rides or 2km swims. Not even if performed all in the same day.
I will have to adjust the jacuzzi to training time ratio in favour of training time!
And to cap it all off, I've spent most of this week eating. I mean really eating. Something has been going in every 5 minutes. I can't control it and I can only put it down to the increase in training distances.
Current weight is 13 stones (182 pounds / 82.5 kg).
Sunday 5 October 2008
My remaining companion was pain
An "all you can eat" Indian buffet was not the wisest choice for a meal the evening before the Stirling Championship Duathlon (10k run / 40k cycle / 5k run).
I clung to The Editor's heels for nearly the entire first 10k running stint before he put in speed burst, presumably excited about trying out his new lightweight wheels on the bike course. I was only a few seconds behind him during transition, but rounding the next corner, like Kyser Soze, he was gone.
About 10 minutes later I saw the confusing sight of a stationary cyclist up ahead. I say confusing, because this cyclist was viewing life from a different plane, having tilted 90 degrees to the left and lying sideways on the ground with one foot waving in the air. Both feet were still firmly attached to the pedals, but alas one pedal was not attached to the bicycle any more. I could only surmise there had catastrophic metallic failure. Up until this point in time I had fully conceeded victory to The Editor, since I was riding a mountain bike and he was on a speed machine. On seeing the roadside spectacle, I was remined of his previous triathlon descriptions, "There's always one with mechanical failure". I had been looking forward to giving token chase on the bike, but my only remaining companion was to be the muscle pain encountered immediately on commencing the second 5k run. Like a life-long faithful dog, the pain stayed with me every step of the full 5k.
Thankfully there were free massages being handed out afterwards, but that wasn't without its own level of pain.
Racing with the big boys was bound to leave me feeling a little deflated, coming 82nd out of 92, but the experience is valuable. It appears there is rather a lot of work to be done before Ironman France 2009.
Current weight is 12 stones 11 pounds (179 pounds / 81.2 kg).
I clung to The Editor's heels for nearly the entire first 10k running stint before he put in speed burst, presumably excited about trying out his new lightweight wheels on the bike course. I was only a few seconds behind him during transition, but rounding the next corner, like Kyser Soze, he was gone.
About 10 minutes later I saw the confusing sight of a stationary cyclist up ahead. I say confusing, because this cyclist was viewing life from a different plane, having tilted 90 degrees to the left and lying sideways on the ground with one foot waving in the air. Both feet were still firmly attached to the pedals, but alas one pedal was not attached to the bicycle any more. I could only surmise there had catastrophic metallic failure. Up until this point in time I had fully conceeded victory to The Editor, since I was riding a mountain bike and he was on a speed machine. On seeing the roadside spectacle, I was remined of his previous triathlon descriptions, "There's always one with mechanical failure". I had been looking forward to giving token chase on the bike, but my only remaining companion was to be the muscle pain encountered immediately on commencing the second 5k run. Like a life-long faithful dog, the pain stayed with me every step of the full 5k.
Thankfully there were free massages being handed out afterwards, but that wasn't without its own level of pain.
Racing with the big boys was bound to leave me feeling a little deflated, coming 82nd out of 92, but the experience is valuable. It appears there is rather a lot of work to be done before Ironman France 2009.
Current weight is 12 stones 11 pounds (179 pounds / 81.2 kg).
Thursday 2 October 2008
You are weak. That'll be £30, thanks.
I had my running professionally analysed last night, each step recorded onto video.
I cringed during the first playback.
I run like an old lady with a sore hip running for a bus carrying her weekly shopping. My left leg appears to operate somewhat normally, but my right is terrible. It over extends due to a rotation in the pelvis, scuffs the ground midway through a strike, lands heavily on the mid-foot and locks out occasionally.
The basic conclusion being that I am weak.
"For someone of your age and physique, your core muscles are way below par." It nearly brought a tear to my eye.
Current weight is 12 stones 11 pounds (179 pounds / 81.2 kg).
I cringed during the first playback.
I run like an old lady with a sore hip running for a bus carrying her weekly shopping. My left leg appears to operate somewhat normally, but my right is terrible. It over extends due to a rotation in the pelvis, scuffs the ground midway through a strike, lands heavily on the mid-foot and locks out occasionally.
The basic conclusion being that I am weak.
"For someone of your age and physique, your core muscles are way below par." It nearly brought a tear to my eye.
Current weight is 12 stones 11 pounds (179 pounds / 81.2 kg).
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