Week 49 1.5lb on - Reap as ye sow

Put a pound and a half back on. Go what I deserve have been using a whiskey based pain-killer and doing next to no exercise since breaking wrist and what have you, resulting in me now being back to start of month weight. Need to take things seriously but am feeling sorry for myself and using that as an excuse.

Did 47 minutes on treadmill in gym after work. Walked 4.03km at quite an incline so better than nothing. Am going to start doing that every day initially and then step up to the exercise bike. Have an appointment at hospital tomorrow morning so am hoping for the 20% chance that bones aren't broken - can't take another 5 weeks of not cycling, running, golfing or gyming - come on you 20%!!

Derby have got Carroll and Stubbs in to shore up the defence, too little, too late but hey you never know!!! Just seen a clip of the Great Escape on telly too.

Look at that long gradual incline, gonna fix that.

Thursday Thought : Congestion

Listened to radio derby this morning. On Shane’s breakfast show one of the hot topics was congestion. Apparently a survey revealed that the A6, A38 and A52 suffered most congestion in Derby (no sh*t, Sherlock – you could ask almost anyone who commutes near Derby that?). Shane’s question to listeners was “How do we fix it?”.

The answer in my view is so blindingly obvious I didn’t initially do anything about it – which is exactly what just about everyone-else is doing.

Here’s the most pressing problems we’re facing at the moment:-

• Pollution/Greenhouse Gases/Global Warming – fair to say I think.
• Growing levels of obesity in both children and adults – think people can agree on that.
• Congestion on Britain Roads
  
  What would happen if more people were encouraged to walk or cycle for their commute?
  
  1). Pollution greatly reduced.
  2). Fitness levels would increase, weight would drop, obesity levels would drop.
  3). In most cases each extra cyclist on the road means one less car.
  
  Isn’t that ever so slightly, blindingly obvious??
  
  Why isn’t it happening then? Because no-one is taking cyclist safety seriously. In 2000 there were 127 cyclists killed on the roads, that comes as no surprise and the number may be better or worse in the following years, that’s all I could find out. Certainly you wouldn’t want to tell your kids to cycle to school with the general poor attitude toward cyclists that exists.
  
  Also as I’ve recently found out quality of road surfaces can make roads extremely dangerous for cyclists – potholes, poorly maintained manhole covers etc are potential deathtraps.
  
  Therefore – first thing that needs to happen is for government funding to create safe cycle routes into City Centres this could begin with the most congested roads – wouldn’t it make people think if they’re sat in their cars idling along at 2mph and a cyclist pounds past. Secondly, there needs to be tax breaks for cyclists – nothing like a financial carrot for people to follow – in actual fact there is a massive tax break it’s £1+ a litre of juice saved for every few miles you do on a bike – no-brainer one thinks. There’s also a cycle-to-work scheme http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/ that let’s you save tax on bikes and cycling equipment if your employer takes up the scheme which means you can effectively halve the cost of cycling gear – worth considering.
  
  To me it’s a no-brainer but things need to change about people’s attitudes toward cycling – both at the level of government and the level of motorists. Cyclist need to work too – cycling two/three abreast does not endear us to motorists – especially as we don’t pay road tax!!!
  
  Interestingly York seems to take a different view to Derby and apparently 19% of people there cycle to work – that’s a significant amount of cars not hitting the roads and a lot of people healthier and wealthier through a simple method of transport that makes a lot of sense. York has a dedicated Walking and Cycling officer on the council, it has cycling lanes and a bridge that is exclusively for cyclists and walkers. It has teams of workers whose responsibility is to keep cycling lanes free of glass and debris. Is that enlightened or what??
  http://www.york.gov.uk/cycling/
  
  Derby on the other hand has CycleDerby for the kids which has it’s goal as “Our overall target is to quadruple the number of cycling journeys to school by 2009 from the 2005 baseline of 1%.” – not exactly reaching for the sky in terms of numbers there and Connecting Derby which is a government funded scheme to encourage cycling by various measures. It’s all laudable stuff but it doesn’t feel like there’s as much impetus as in York.
  Anyway, now I can’t do any real cycling I’m making it my mission to influence local policy making towards advocating cycling, walking and public transport much, much more.
  
  Interesting quote: H.G. Wells said: 'When I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race.' , am with you all the way fella!!!

Hurrah a home draw

DCFC played last night, didn't capitulate, didn't give in but actually stuck it to Man City. Earnshaw played well and was unlucky not to be on score-sheet. Kenny Miller worked his socks off as usual. Claude Davis is low on confidence it's fair to say and even the keeper had a good game - was unluck to concede one off the post, when Earnshaw hit the post for us of course it stayed out but 1-1 against City gives us something to smile about!!

Leg wound weeping again - not going to get hung up on it - it is what it is and there's far worse thing to suffer than this mild discomfort.

b.p. 140/85/60

No Sleep for four weeks?

Not slept again, this is getting somewhat tiresome. On positive side am formulating a return to gym plan- exercise bike should be okay, reasonably paced walking on treadmill should be ok. Not as effective as normal gym routine but better than nothing...

Back for the attack

Yesterday, my G.P. did me a letter to say am fit to drive so am back at work. Well pleased about that.

Have done zero exercise apart from walking up and down the office.

Miserable Monday?

Am off to Doctors at 11:00, have problems with this bloomin leg whereby if i sit or lie down for anything longer than ten minutes it's agony to walk on. It's weeping again as well which is a pain, means I can't have proper trousers on. Am sick of this.

Fed up.

Stopped feeling sorry for meself and went a walk. 3 miles again. Lil bit quicker than friday.

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=4857294

Not slept well again, one leg out of bed don't help but can't do with anything touching it at the minute. Zero exercise yeterday as it was hard to walk on it. Fed up Not even going to mention dcfc - pathetic is insufficient - buy a decent back four, please...

On positive side - wounds have scabbed up nicely in last 24 hours - just itchy now!

While my bad leg gently weeps...

Bike Damage
Janette got bike out for me and it's not come out of it too badly all things considered - one pedal jiggered which I knew about, end bar and cap scratched to bits (handlebar perhaps jiggered too), rear mech all scratched up, front light knackered, other than that it's not as bad as it could be. Rear wheel a tad out of true as well but hopefully not too bad.


Think this'll probably need replacing...


End bar - this is the source of the sparks I mentioned


Rear mech a bit scratched to Hell.

Thoughts on Compensation
Have been looking into compensation claim possibilities - have no witnesses so probably no chance. The only thing I could think of was the gps stopped around about when I crashed and I didn't start it again until I realised it had stopped. Not really much use as evidence though. Below is GoogleEarth view of crash site - where it looks like I go 45 degrees right cross country is approximately the point where I came a cropper which is where the pothole is pretty much. GPS isn't an exact science though as it logs a point every second or so, so at 30mph it could be 20 yards or more out. Am not much of a mathematician so I've not sussed out the margin of error could be less, could be more.




FillThatHole!!
Found another internet resource that utilises google's free mapping api. http://www.fillthathole.org.uk/ is a resource for logging potholes and other dangers on the roads so have added the hazard that did for me. They let the relevant council know about the hazard too (have emailed Police as they weren't answering the non-emergency number and emailed Derbyshire County Council too). So have done my bit.


http://www.fillthathole.org.uk/hazard/10363 is the url for my hole!!

Just another hole in the road??
Janette went back to where came off bike and took these pictures, this is what we think I hit not so much a bump as a pothole. It's in the right place as I came to a stop next to the house that's at the side of the road and there's only one on this hill (ironically, the hill is called 'the Punch' locally not 'the Stoop' as I originally thought - well it certainly floored me and walking with a bit of a stoop now!!). Am definitely going to write a letter to council about it as it's nearly at the bottom of a darned long hill so it could get anyone particularly if you're on a bike in the dark. Am wondering whether I've a case for compensation it's already cost me a day and half off work, cycling trouses, gloves, front light, pedal and probably going to mean I put pounds on as well so I don't know? We'll see.





While my bad leg gently weeps ...
Took the dressings off today as the nurse advised. Was like pulling a layer of bloomin skin off, talk about painful. The 'superficial' wounds on my leg which Janette says looks like raw meat (she got a way with words, so she has) is still weeping away. Am being good as gold today, not going a walk (unless it stops weeping) and keeping arm in sling all day long.

Have had a shave and shower today so that's making me feel better on it's own (wierd shaving right handed - it ain't natural!). Still hoping to get back to the office for Monday just a little bit concerned about car insurance status. Am thinking of going and having a look at the bike as well today, am going to have to at some point...

It's a right handed world...

Call this Exercise?
Blimey, am I reduced to this? Three and a bit miles at 3.3mph avg, yep shanks' pony is it. According to gps it was 625 cals worth so better than nothing.

A Right-handed World?

On diagram above the two bones the hospital is confident are broken are the Scaphoid and the Triquetum. Am going to ask the doctor next week if I'll be able to play the piano when it's healed, hopefully he'll say there should be no problem so I can say 'well I couldn't play it before!!!' - was that a Tommy Cooper gag??

Blimey, didn't think it'd be this hard. Have just tried eating Weetabix right-handed - talk about difficuklt. Think that's a bonus I'll be getting from this experience, in a week or two I should be ambidextrous as having to learn how to use my weaker right hand. Have found can't open yogurt pots or fasten up trousers (not as much of a problem as hospital said to wear shorts so my 'superficial' cuts would heal quicker).

Don't know about them being superficial, I couldn't sleep on them last night that's for sure, benefit of that was that I read Rankin's 'Exit Music' last night, lord knows how many pages but it was a joy to read and very poignant at it's Rebus' last stand as he has to retire from the force and he's got unfinished business to resolve. If you've read any of the Rebus' books you'll know what I mean - he's good but flawed and somehow you connect with his sense of right and wrong and the general wrongness of what he calls the Overworld.

Am working from home today which will be wierd if a little quiet.

Disaster Day

Weighin Week 48
Not put it into the spreadsheet yet but am back at 14st 11.5lbs, just half pound loss this week. Still, it's a loss again!

DRAT!!
had to go to a+e as wrist got worse + worse during day. they 80% sure that scaphoid and triquetrum bones in me wrist are broken, can't run, bike, golf or gym and it takes 4-6 weeks to heal - will never look over my shoulder ever again. ever. hacked off in a big way...

Crash Analysis!!
The point I came off is the blue dot on the image below - it's the road that takes you to Kniveton and ends up in Wirksworth. I was going quite quick when come off so I've done exceptionally well apart from making a mess of my new beautiful bike, aaaagggghhh.

Bloomin disaster - fell off me bike, wrecked a pedal and one of them dinky end bar things but other than that the bike has come out of it reasonably well. Me left hand really hurts and have used up tons of dressings and sticking plaster but other than wounded pride have come out of it well. The main thing was that I was wearing a helmet so I can smile about it - no more brain damage than before the crash!! Happened at bottom of hill called the punch, was flying, looked over me shoulder to check no traffic hit a bump or something, sparks, remember shouting "oh no, me bike" and then getting up a sort of walking in a daze for a hundred yards or so trying to work out what to do. My front light's jiggered as well thinking about it, but no buckled wheels and managed to ride it back home slowly and all the mechs are working fine so it's not the end of the world, just hurts all over at minute and especially me writing hand......

Wahey Wednesday!!!

Fast Ride round Ashbourne.
Pounded round Ashbourne tonight. Only 9 miles in 34 minutes but averaged 16mph!! Getting the hang of it now!! Have got the little bars on the end of the handlebars set up right tonight and it means I can go at it almost like a racer.

Average sort of a Gym Session

Did 12 mins at 12km/h for a fast sort of a run, then did some weights, then did 23 minutes worth of 5000m on the concept 2 rower at resistance level 10 which was ok.

Giant FCR1 Class
Just to break up the monotony of route maps and such, here's a pic of the glorious FCR1 from the other side - note the Shimano 105 read mech which is supposed to be jolly good as well as the fancy Giant IOU wheels which Sean says are pretty good too. All you need to know is it's light and fast and best bike I've ever had!!



13 Whizzy Miles
Did 13 fairly quick miles this morning on the super Giant FCR1!! I think the avg won't be far off 15 mph average when I download the data. Have left the gps tracker on the bike this morning as have an 8:30 meeting.

Derby in F.A. Cup Fourth Round Shock!!!

Hurray for mighty Derby. Managed to take Sheffield Wednesday to extra time, hold out and then beat the championship side on pennos. A win (of sorts) at last!! Preston in the fourth round on Saturday now.

B.P. still not happy with 137/86/50

Tuesday Turmoil

Cymbals Collected - No exercise tonight!
Got over to Nottingham after the meeting finished - it didn't start until 5:30 so ended up not getting home until 8:30. Decided not to do any exercise tonight, am waiting for result of Sheffield Wednesday vs Derby result then off to bed. Have bought the hi-hats so I've got two complete sets of drums if I want em.

Paiste Alpha 13" hi-hats

Evening Dilema
Remembered a meeting at 5pm when got to work. Am in a big old meeting all day and have to go to Nottingham to pick up some Paiste Alpha hi-hat cymbals I won on Ebay last night. Dilemma is where the evening exercise is going to fit in - hopefully it'll be dry and I get out on the bike or something.

Early Biking
Out on bike about 6am ish. Did 12miles in52 minutes which was slow at 13.9mph average but in my defence it was slippy out there and I did have Ashbourne's always on red traffic lights to contend with. Good news is that have made a decision about cycling - have been taking it easy and just chasing mileage uptil now - am making it harder by making a requirement of each ride to have a dirty big hill in it! So for todays spin I went up the Derby Bypass which was okay, I suppose that's the test, really, if out of breath and legs aching at the top then it meets the criteria!!

Got up late at 5:20, bit tired. B.P. 123/86/58 which is not good again.

Monday - running head on!

Gym
Couldn't get on the rower as someone was doing one of his marathon sessions on it but never mind - gave me an opportunity to do some proper weights for a change. Did 27 minutes on treadmill as well for just over 5km.

Running
Set out to do 6 miles but was a little late in setting off so settled for 5.25miles instead. Bit disappointed about pace at 10:27 but me legs were tired, honest!





Decided last night that was going to do a six mile'ish run this morning picking papers up on way back.

B.P. 122/86/52 not good but okay just about.

Sunday - wahey, can still walk!!

Wet, Wet, Wet - underwater bike ride
The golf course, I found out had been shut since Tuesday cause of the rain. So I went on a twenty mile plus bike ride in the light rain only problem was hit two floods where the water was deeper than the bottom bracket - about three feet on one of them so was soaked to the skin. Such is life eh. Good news is that have got a new way to get back from Uttoxeter that doesn't have the really steep hill at Cubley to take on. The route through Marston Montgomery, Roston and what have you is a much easier gradual climb. Quite pleased that I could do it after running 13 miles yesterday!!!

Links: Motionbased Google

Well, at least we didn't lose at Golf!!! Orange's internet provision today has been bloomin rubbish as it was earlier in the week - didn't get a connection until about 3:30 this afternoon, it went off about 9am. Wonder if they got flood issues??

Up at 6am
- no Internet connection again
- b.p. 124/77/52 good!
- Golf later but weather is awful so it'll be off with luck...

Pom tiddly pom pom pom pom pommmmmm ....

Half Marathon Run Done!
Yes, done it, one of the goals for 2008 done, already only 19 days in!!

Fanfare for the common man (who you calling common??) and all that, I've only gone and done a half marathon distance run this afternoon!!!

Ran just over 13 miles in 20 minutes or so under 3 hours which I know is slow but there are mitigating circumstances - for one thing it's up hill and down dale - up to Thorpe, down to Ilam up to Blore Meadows, down to Okeover etc.etc. you get the picture (if not, have a look at the screenshot from Motionbased - elevation gain over 4,000ft!!!). Secondly it's January not perfect time of year for running I'd say.

Anyway with two loo breaks and a stop to take a few pics from Blore Meadowsish area I ran pretty solidly at a pace 11:11 per mile which is slower than normal but I was pacing meself for the extra distance and those darned hills!!!


Shot of route on Motionbased (links below) - 4000ft up and down!


How come I'm out of focus and dark ?


And this shot from Blore Meadows area (entrance to Dovedale in background) is sharp and light??
By the way if you zoom in on this shot by clicking on it, there's a road on the right hand side in distance - I ran down that about 20/30 mins before taking this shot!

Motionbased link GoogleMap Link

Here's a thing too, I asked Janette to run be a bath when I was about a mile or so from home and when I got back weighed meself with no clothes on - 14st 7lbs (5lbs lighter than Thursday!)- I'd take that anyday but don't recommend stripping off at a Slimming World group!!! Folks might not be quite so broad-minded but then again thinking about it SW folks'd probably be up for it (if only for the laugh!!).

Saturday and back on the air!

Cycling Goal done

Went out and did 8.5 miles this morning. Had intended going running but weather blooming awful. Might still do that run, it all depends.

71.65miles, avg 14.00 on the nail.

Big run hopefully today. Am hoping to have a go at my half-marathon in an hour when me brek has settled down and digested a bit. Have done all prep - have lights, bananas, water, gps, ipod all set up and prepped a route on monday that's going to be grand. Said to Janette last night, won't set the alarm am on autopilot so I'll be up at 5:00, whoops, 9 hours later, 6:47 and not out of bed!!


Lost my bloomin internet connection last night which was a wee bit irritating but back on the air now.


B.P. this morning 113/84/54 not good but not too far off either.

Friday Already? How did that happen??

Friday night. Was just 16 miles short of my cycling target, mileage for this week stood at 54 miles at an average of 13.8 which is not significantly quicker with the introduction of the super fast bike BUT am just getting used to it, haven’t been on any big rides, have only been moseying round Ashbourne and it’s many, many traffic lights and cattle grids!! The average will climb don’t fear, just wait for the bloomin’ summer. Here comes the summer as Feargal Sharkey would say and it can’t come soon enough for me!

Went out and did another 10 miles at 14.1 average last night so now at 54 miles, only 6 miles until completion of cycling goal which will do tonight!!

Finished a book!!
Good news, I said last year was a poor year in one area - didn't read hardly any books and if I did I couldn't remember em. Well have just finished Russell Brand's autobiography 'My Booky Wook'. It was ok, in a way it spoiled my view of him as he's been a wrong un for a lot of his life but it's kind of a story of redemption in that he's sorted out now with help from some good people which he acknowledged in the book. There's some bits I like, such as his determination - "Now - if I want something - whether it's a job or a woman - I will determinedly, resolutely, remove anything that's in the way, until I possess the object of my desire". He goes on to say "My dad's Philosophy was (and I think still is) that life is a malevolent force, which seeks to destroy you, and you have to struggle with it. Only those who are hard enough will succeed. Most people get crushed, but if you fight, in the end life will go "F**king hell. This one's serious. Let him through". I liked that. I liked a lot of bits in it really but there some really open admissions that are so frank it's untrue - all I can imagine is that he's trying to get there before the News of the World with some bits of it!!! So it's a sort of a good read but not as entertaining as his podcast is. Am thinking of getting his standup DVD as well but don't get time to watch a lot of TV so we'll see.





Morning Spin in the Rain
Went for a spin round Ashbourne again this morning. Got absolutely drenched through - wasn't raining when set off but nailing it down when got back. On the positive side I did take on the massive hill near the entrance to the Tissington Trail Ashbourne bike hire which I've only ever done once before - it was no great shakes didn't even get out of the saddle! Top bike!!

Looks like I went slow at 13.8 but am riding round Ashbourne a fair bit more which means stopping at junctions, traffic lights etc. and also went through Okeover park which meant getting off at Cattle Grids (not damaging my precious...).

Am lined up for a gym session after work which means am going to annihalate the gym goal but probably miss on the running and cycling goal - although am hoping weather will give up a bit tomorrow and am going to have a go at half-marathon distance up dovedale and back!




Went for a spin again on new bike again last night - not supposed to in rain but couldn't resist! Bit wet but good fun went up the Derby bypass which is a dirty great long hill and it was almost as if it weren't there. Brill.

Can't believe it's Frday already, this week has flown by.

B.P. not good again 138/86/58 although have run out of one of my tablets so maybe a link there?

It's Thursday - current mood : all excited

Week 47 Weigh-In - a small loss.
Only a measly pound lost but at least it's lost, I suppose. Total loss therefore is a pound under four stone. BMI is 26.41 so still a long way of being fit according the the body mass index mullarky. Oh well, keep boring on.




New Bike for a new day!!

Have taken clips off pedals so they're now ok - still looking out for some clipless ones on the bay but these will do for time being. Then I took lights off 'slow but comfy bike' and moved em across to new one. Got out on road a bit after 6 and took it nice and steady to get a feel for her. Seat needs to come up about half an inch I reckon. Averaged a smidge under 15mph avg but that included a whopping hill climb (goes off scale - see below) and had to stop at two sets of lights. Why is it you always know they'll change to red even from half a mile away...


Motionbased link GoogleMap link


Wahey got up at 5am but not in a rush to exercise this morning, am taking the clips off pedals on the FCR1 and going to see if it's dry out. If it is then might nick lights off Slow but Comfy and then take it for a spin!!

B.P. 133/89/58 - not good - am putting it down to being excited and all!

Wednesday good news is a coming!!

Wahey, t'is here!!!

Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday dear me ee
Happy Birthday to me.

What great lyrics, so easy to remember, so evocative. Well, it’s come at last, the finest thing on two wheels possibly and very likely ever, the Giant FCR1 bike that I've waited for two months for! P.J. insisted on putting it together so after an hour or so it was fully assembled and looking rather ace. Have posted a couple of pics – one of the proud owner and another of the rear derailleur with it’s million gears (count em!). What you can’t tell from the pics is how light it is. On the pic with me in it you will notice I’m holding it down – it’s literally lighter than air so unless it’s either anchored to a fixture or is being held down by a bulky bloke it just floats away – awesome!

Paul with Xmas/Birthday Present, keeping it from floating away...

Very nearly a million gears ready for selection ...


Rebecca Wheatley - half the gal she was!
Someone told me about an article in a recent OK magazine which features Rebecca Wheatley who was the bubbly lady on reception in Casualty if you watch it. She’s done an exercise DVD (“The New Me Workout”) and in it she enthuses about Slimming World (she does in the OK article too bless her). How much has she lost? Only 12 bloomin stone!! Wish I could get past four stone loss again!! Hell, she's done well and it don't half look good on her.

In October's Woman magazine article Rebecca says “The good thing about Slimming World is it's about unlimited amounts of food. If you are used to having an appetite, it's good because you are replacing not restricting what you eat.” . That's exactly it.


Rebecca Wheatley before pic

Rebecca after pic!

Tuesday Morning – it’s stopped bl**dy raining
Thank the Lord, it’s stopped raining! Did two gym sessions yesterday as weather was so bad. Have got out on the bike this morning and racked up 13 miles in under an hour. Average speed was 13.5mph which I’m taking as a sign of increased fitness as was riding on Slow but Comfy. Am mentally planning my half-marathon attempt on Saturday now – am going out early doors and am hoping to take Lucy swimming afterwards so I can have a soak and relax a bit! Have worked out will need to take a little bit of nutrition and water, gps of course for logging purposes and am going to find a light waterproof just in case. Only a week or two until new bike arrives and then I’ll be really going some!

Motionbased link here
GoogleMap link here

B.P.: 128/79/53 good!

It's raining again...

Was up at 5 and thought I'll hang about see if the rain stops. At 5:45 I thought "stuff it" I'll just go for a ride, but the missus bless her said "you're not going out in that". Honour and obey I thought and went to the gym instead. Did exactly the same as last night 20mins on treadmill at 12.2 and 6000m on rower set at 10. Did 4.23km on treadmill and did the 6000m on rower in 26:51.1 which was slower than last night but then again I was much more tired!! The scales in the gym say I'm 15st which is a bit "pi**y offy" I must say. Not sure where am going wrong - am eating loads of fruit, having you surprise for breakfast. Not pleased with weight but well-chuffed with exercise regime. If it's still chucking it down am going to do another gym session after work.

Guess what? Went to gym after work. Did 32(!) minutes on the rower for 7000m at level 8. Didn’t intend doing level 8 but whoever was on it previously had left it on 8 but as have now got blisters where my callouses were I thought the reduced resistance wouldn’t do any harm. I then did 12 minutes (including cooldown on treadmill but couldn’t do any more as was truly knackered!!). Over the day I did 32 miles plus on treadmill and nearly an hour on the rower for 13,000 metres – proper training that!! Have read on the TimesHealth.co.uk forums that rowing is more mental mind over matter type stuff than physical but I don’t agree it’s physically knackering but as is often stated – it’s a solid all-over workout exercise so I’m sticking with doing these sort of distances for the time being.

Monday Morning Blues.

The Half Marathon Plan
While looking at TimesHealth (http://www.timeshealth.co.uk/) I saw a tip for a website called http://www.mapmyrun.com/ which is another online tool that makes use of Google's googlemaps api. The cool thing about this site is that you can search for running routes and there's 27 that come up for Ashbourne. Some ace person has put up some half marathon routes round Ashbourne that I'm going to modify and use for my own training purposes! Click here for the 27 (or could be more now!!). Here's my planned half marathon:- http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/clifton/32211022 It takes in Dovedale, Okeover Park and should have some mega views from Blore, Ilam, Thorpe and what have you. Am looking at doing it in January some time, I've decided.

Good Gym Sess
Did a really quick (for me) 20 minute run at 12.2km/h for 4.19km and 417cals including the cooldown. However, piece de la resistance was notching up the rower again to 6000metres at level 10. 368cals in 25:56.7 which I think was dead good. Never been so knackered coming out of the gym, not never. Got cramps in legs and feet and my arms are still aching at 8:30 so it musta bin a goodun!. On the downside weight is not shifting much, 14st 12lbs before I came home which is rubbish.

Too tired!!
Couldn't get out of bed so didn't get onto road until 5:55. Have got slow but comfy back and so pounded round Mappleton a couple of times, fetched papers, returned home for 12.5 miles although because I didn't start the Garmin Edge until end of Watery Lane it will look like 11.5 miles. Hey ho will have to do an extra mile this week! Have got a gym session planned later am looking to do 6000 on the rower and maybe just 20 on treadmill.

Sunday - gloomy outlook?

Second Defeat
Me and John played Craig Murphy and Rob Inglis early Sunday morning. We lost 2 and 1. We sort of didn't play again for long periods of the game. We started off well, I was on the first in two shots and we halved that, I birdied second and we won that, halved third, won fourth. A few holes later and we were two down. didn't help ourselves with each playing the other's ball on the eighth! but there you go. We took em all the way to 17 before we lost so it wasn't total capitulation.

Cruddy Weather Forecast
Golf today and the weather forecast looks bad, such is life eh? Oh but a little bit of good cheer as Newcastle got absolutely trodden into the ground 6-0 at Old Trafford, think we lost 1-0 there so that means we're definitely better than Newcastle. Wait til Steve McClaren gets Sam's old job, it'll get even better. But don't tell Ian, he'd hate that. Ha Ha.

B.P. today a bit better at 138/79/57

Derby's make or break what will it be??

Goods new on the horizon...

Have got my tickets booked to see Rich Hall at Derby Assembly Rooms on 28th February and only a couple of weeks until my new bike comes. Which is a good thing really, hopefully weather will start turning soon cause am not taking it out if it's wet, no.


DCFC Nightmare Continues
Same old, same old. 80 minutes we're looking like getting at least a draw but hang on... can we snatch defeat at the death of the game? course we can! How many points I wonder have we thrown away in the last ten minutes of a game? Championship next year so will get more games for my money at least!!!

Liz's hubbie Ian who's a toon army fan came with us today as P.J. decided he didn't want to go and he says "Oh, it's only Sibiersky, he can't score" when he came on as sub in 80th minute. What does Sibiersky do with his first touch??... straight in the back of the net ... Same old, same old... He's a good sort though Ian, after all stick I give him about Newcastle I thought he'd be laughing his socks off, he just says 'oh dear' after his dazzlingly inaccurate prediction.

Took Lucy Swimming for an Hour
Not proper exercise really but we did 30 widths and plenty of messing about so it counts as exercise. Lucy much better than last time we went swimming, made plenty of progress, bless her. Only had an hour as had to be back for DCFC but will be going again soon.

Steady 6 mile run.
I went out for a run this morning. Jeez, it wasn't half icy but somehow I've gone a bit faster than ever have done before over a 5miles+ route. Pace was 9:51 and avg mph was 6.1 - that's grand!! Last mile or two was a bit of a beggar with saturday papers on my back and the route back hadn't had any sun on it and was literally like an ice rink in loads of places, ran on the main Clifton road whenever I could.

Motionbased link
GoogleMap link

Bad BP late getting up.
Got up late this morning (8:00) so I was kind of anxious about getting everything done before the New Improved (hopefully) Derby County wipe out Wigan with dazzling skills of Savage, Mills, Robert and the fella from Tottenham who I can't remember. Expecting great things!!

B.P.: 137/87/63

Thank flip it's Friday

Amazon Recommends - How does this work??
Amazon recommended for me "Taking Chances" by Celine Dion, who while I can respect the fact that she's in darned good shape for her age and is a good singer is no way the sort of music I like. But here's bizarreness for you - they've recommended that for me because I bought us a toaster a month or two back when we needed a new one??

19:15 Gym Goal Achieved
Got the third session of the week out the way. Jolly good! Did 25 mins on treadmill starting at 11.5, upping to 12 before finishing on 14 for last couple of minutes. 5.04km and 501cals, did a new best on the Concept2 Rower - 5000m in 20:54.0 for a very miserly (in my view) 317 kcal but it's a massive increase in total distance so am well pleased even though me bum got numb with 1400m to go!!


Running Goal Achieved - 15.81miles in two sessions


Garmin Training Center Stats - click on image to zoom


Route in Motionbased, Googlemapped
Slower pace today 10:35/mile which is odd cause it felt quicker than the other day, but hey-ho it was dead icy. That's my excuse. Stopped for a leak up Ashbourne as well that might be a factor am not considering.


B.P. Up
There you go, jinxed myself up today at 129/87/53 this morning.

Week 46 Weighin - expected gain arrived!

Week 46 Weighin – 2.5lbs on, 14st 13lbs

Well, I knew it was coming, it's the worst my weight has been since some time in June last year. Not at all pleased with myself but at least I'm confident of seeing it come down next week. The 2.5lbs on is the result of Christmas and New Year I believe as this week I've been pretty hard at it exercise and diet-wise. If there's not a good loss next week I'll know I've got a serious problem somewhere and I don't think that's the case at all. So unlike in the past am not psyched out at all by this temporary setback/blip/what have you.

Anyway there is some good stuff this week:- blood pressure – a gradual decrease overall and a much better diastolic reading (the diastolic arterial pressure is the lowest pressure reading and is always quoted as the second reading, the systolic one is the higher one comes first – doctor told me the one to worry about is the lower one though so that's one I monitor most!). Before I started Food Optimising back at the start of last year I was getting reading such as 145/107 and 140/104 so to get it down to the last three readings which have been 134/77, 125/77 and 124/77 is jolly good so I can be pleased about that. Interesting to see how much of a difference a lack of alcohol seems to have made to these readings as over Xmas I was getting a bit worried about them. Or it could be increased activity or the lack of rich Christmassy food?? Don't know but will see how it goes! Also worth noting that am running on one drug less than I was back at start of 2007 so that's bloomin good too.

The other thing I'm pleased with this week is getting into this Times Health thing - http://paulsid.timeshealth.co.uk/ Why's it good? Well, firstly it's an opportunity to spread the word about something that I know works and can work for anyone i.e. the mighty Slimming World Food Optimising and good old exercise. Secondly, it's got this cracking exercise tracker that allows you to store details of up to three activities every day. So typically am getting running (road and treadmill), cycling and rowing (gym) into a tracking system – the other cool thing is that am using the machine readings so my calories burnt should be more accurate than the TimesHealth's estimate. It's good stuff I tells ya






Good stuff at Aldi! Fat Analyising Scales!

Have got some fat analysing from Aldi tonight, weighing wise they're 2lbs different from at group and I've had me tea since then so maybe a lb or less in reality. The fat/muscle/water figures as of today are as follows:-

Fat 32.8%
Muscle 39%
Water 49.6%

It doesn't add up I admit!!! But am hoping to report next week that fat is down and muscle is up! Have had a read through the manual and it says anything over 30% fat means a very high fat content so I can only assume I've got it set up wrong. There's two settings normal and athletic and the book says that sometimes it can mistake muscle for fat if it's on the wrong setting so am going to have a look at it at the weekend and see where I'm going wrong. Janette already hates it and thinks it's much too technical - she's probably right I'm not used to it yet I must admit.


Aldi's spec for the scales is as follows:-

• Intelligent scales that calculate body fat, water and muscle composition using Bio Impedance Analysis.
• 12 memories to store personal data from max. 12 people (age, height, sex)
• Validated measuring accuracy: ±1%
• Weight indication: 100g/0.2lb steps
• Calculation of body fat, water and muscle composition in 0.1% steps
• Measuring range: body fat content 3-50%, body water and muscle content 25-75%
• Input possibilities: age range input 6-100 years, height input 80-220cm
• Weight unit selection: kg or lb
• Battery operation: 4 × AAA (included)

Note: they'll do stones/lbs as well as total lbs and kilos.


Note for the visually impaired: picture is not actually of me.

Again and Again

10:05 Cycling Goal Competed!!
Ha Ha, been out on the bike tonight to top up the times exercise log and in process completed the 70 mile cycling goal so that's one off the list. Going for a run early doors tomorrow and then gym to finish after work. Ha ha.

13:00 The Alcohol in Moderation is Good For You Conundrum

Bugger, have started a no-alcohol for 100 days mission and then they release news like this! Turns out a lil bit of booze is good for you. Only problem is I’m rubbish at just a little bit of booze. A great big vat-full is great but a modicum is a big deal for me. Have decided that if Derby beat Wigan on Saturday I might have a pint or two but if we don't then I stay with the diet cokes and black coffees!

From BBC’s article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7177506.stm

“A Danish team found people who led an active lifestyle were less prone to heart disease - but the risk was cut still further if they drank moderately.

The researchers followed nearly 12,000 men and women for nearly 20 years, during which 1,242 died from ischaemic heart disease (IHD).

Overall, they found people who did not drink or take any exercise had the highest risk of heart disease - 49% higher than people who either drank, exercised or did both.

When comparing people who took similar levels of exercise, they found that those who drank moderately - one to 14 units of alcohol a week - were around 30% less likely to develop heart disease than non-drinkers.

This finding held good for people who were completely inactive, through to those who took vigorous regular exercise - with the overall risk declining as exercise levels increased.

Non-drinkers who were physically active had a 31%-33% reduced risk of IHD compared to physically inactive non-drinkers.

7:00 Lack of illumination spoils cycling

Got 13.5 miles done this morning then noticed going up the park that front light was distincly weak. So turned back, come down Watery Lane in the pitch black no fun at all. Have put the Headlight that I use when I'm running in the bag for next time it happens.

Weighin later today and I KNOW there is a gain to be expected.

5:10 Again and Again
All the sevens again? B.p. this morning 125/77/59 excellent and well pleased.

All the sevens again!!

21:30 Ten More Miles
Got a steady ten miles more done on the Giant to pep up the exercise log on the Times. Like this new way of recording exercise - interesting to see that golf is actually a blooming good form of exercise albeit you have to a bit more time at it to get the same return.

8:30 Alcohol Good - zero alcohol bad?
That's what I've just heard on the radio - under 14 units a week is good for you? Now what do I do??

7:00 16 miles done again in just under 1hr 20 - everything ticking over nicely.

5:10 Good Blood Pressure again - 124/77/55

All the Sevens 77!

19:30 Another solid Gym sess
32 mins on treadmill at 10.9. A little tiddly bit quicker and ramped it up a bit as I went. Had Rich from Design on treadmill next to me who was going at 13.5 so when I got to two minutes to go I ramped my machine up to same speed. Blimey, he's fit (but then again, he's ten years younger) I was pretty much flat out for them two minutes hanging on in there for dear life!

Did another 3000meters on the concept2 rower which was a solid 12mins 52seconds. A good session in my view! Am going to fix that puncture in a minute so can get some more biking done tomorrow although it's blowing a gale at the moment so we'll have to wait a bit, first!

7:30 Back on The Road Running again
Done a 7.6 something mile run in 1hr 20mins so pleased with that. Will get stats sorted out later. It felt slower but comfier with the Asics Gel running shoes I got for Chrimbo but have just uploaded into Motionbased and in actual fact it was 7.84 miles at a speed of 5.8mph which is .1 faster than my last run. Onwards and upwards! Hadn't planned to run but had a puncture so no choice as bike number two is still over in Darley Dale!


Link to google map of route taken.

05:10 All the Sevens 77!
Wahey Blood pressure down to 134/77/59 - first time have got into the seventies for some time. Wonder if there's a link with this being the seventh day of zero alcohol??

Manic Monday

20:30 Final Post - Had another look at TimesHealth.co.uk
Am not 100% sure of it as yet but like the way you can sort of evaluate your exercise. It's revealed that a hard slog on the bike in the wind this morning and one of my best ever Gym sessions isn't quite as good as a round of golf and a bike ride.

18:30 Solid Gym Sess!
30 mins on treadmill at 10.7 for 5.5km and 554kcal, 3000m on rower in 12:39.3 for 188kcal
A little bit further on each than in recent weeks - am off to Aldi now for some low-cal stuff to stock freezer up with. Am back on a mission now!

13:00 Alcohol-Free Zone
Also worthy of a mention is that I'm now into day 6 of zero alcohol - last year I manage 99 days uptil Derby winning the Play-off Championship at Wembley so I know I can do it. Janette has hidden all the alcohol away as well which helps! Have been looking on the TimesHealth site again and I must say I like it - it's worth signing up to even if only for the free pedometer.
http://www.timeshealth.co.uk/

12:47 Impending Disaster on Horizon
Have been on scales this morning and Xmas backlash is about to happen. 15 stone dead on according to scales so am going to need to work hard this week to turn that round and get back to a maintain by Thursday. Am in no way surprised at this - I couldn't believe the half-pound loss last week so kind of expected it coming. Three and half pounds by Thursday is do-able though so am not going to lose sleep on it. Just be good!! Have started doing a food-diary again after Nicky in the web-team gave me one this morning. Hopefully that will give me some extra focus.


Motionbased screen print of ride this morning - says it's less than 16 miles which is surprising.
Link to Googlemap: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:%2F%2Ftrail.motionbased.com%2Ftrail%2Fkml%2Fepisode.kml%3FepisodePkValues%3D4731617&ie=UTF8&z=13&om=1

07:00 Steady cycling in the wind and rain - 16 miles in 1hr 20mins ish in a right old wind and pouring down with rain like last night. Commited I must be. Does that sound a bit Yoda'ish?

05:20 Blood pressure a bit better again : 132/82/59 wonder if that's the lack of alcohol kicking in?

BP Better, not well in night

19:30 11 Miles on bike in Rain
In total have done 11 miles on bike today. Did 3 miles very slowly with daughter Lucy in the afternoon average 5.9mph! and then did a sausage run as I call them to pick up Morrison's low-fat smart-choice sausages as they shop there and we don't. The sausage run by comparison had an average of 13.7mph over 8 miles which isn't bad but it was a little quicker than normal partly because it bucketing down with rain on the way back!! Still it was pretty quick for me over 8 miles.

15:15 Halved at Golf
We played John Bromage and Andy Pearson today. We were getting soundly thrashed to start with but managed to drag it back to all square on the fifteenth after they made a bit of cock-up with the maths. I won the 16th so we went 1-up with two to play. I played the 17 perfect for two shots but put third into bunker and we ended up losing it. John put his tee shot on the 18th into the water so had to play it well. So really belted a driver over the pond on the corner then hit a real solid 7-iron about fifteen feet past hole to put a bit of pressure on Andy (. Andy put his about twenty feet past so putted first. He left his about 2.5 feet wide of the hole. Mine was about 6" and was conceded so rather magnaminously we conceded his and settled for a half. It was as much as we deserved really, John was pretty rough with either man-flu or real flu definitely not himself. Anway we got a half and didn't lost so that's alright. Craight Murphy and his partner lined up for next week at same time.

8:35 Loading up the Golf Bag
Off to play golf in about fifteen minutes time. This is what I put into the bag now for refreshment. 2 stimulant drinks which are of the diet variety so no probs there, two bananas and three apples. Note: No chocolate as there would have been at one time! Had two slices of granary toast for breakfast for a change as only have two Optifit yogurts left!




07:15
Went to bed early to catch up on some zzzs, ended up having raging stomach pains and sickness. I think this is down to consumption of peanuts as had the same thing on boxing day (albeit drank a load of alcohol too on that day, as Liverpool had stolen points off Derby through poor refereeing). Anyway, am going to avoid peanuts going forward - only had them as we've got loads of stuff hanging around from Christmas and I hate seeing things go to waste.

B.P 140/83, pulse 61, a little bit better, still work to be done.

Have got golf at 9.15 so am going to get ready for that and try and enjoy it this week!

End of Christmas

20:10 Times Health Club

I always enjoy the Saturday Times and since started getting a bit healthier have been reading the 'Body and Soul' supplement. Well, Times are launching a get healthy online thing so I've signed up to see what it does (as you do!). No Slimming World group in there so I had to set one of those up as well. Not to worry it looks sort of interesting although I must admit it has similarities to the Nicquitin Stop Smoking website thing I did back last July which I didn't stick with very long - although have not touched cigarettes for over six months so it might be viewed as being very successful!!! http://www.timeshealth.co.uk/42_37_0.html


14:00 Is the answer in a book somewhere?
Have just been looking at http://www.whsmiths.co.uk/ as I've been given some vouchers to spend there for my birthday. Am amazed at the sheer quantity of books on how to lose weight - there's dozens and dozens. However, can't help mentioning that since I've been on Food Optimising and the exercise trip and lost four stone I don't think I've finished more than two books (that's two books in 11 months) and can't even name those so it might be less or even none at all. The answer is to seek help from them that knows - http://www.slimming-world.com/
and as one of those books says "get off your a**e and lose weight" which I'm taking to mean "get into exercise" - in my view it helps!

13:40 Support for the NHS, Royal Mail and UK in General...
Mentioned yesterday that I'd had the retinopathy screening at St Oswalds Hospital, Ashbourne and that I'd now have to wait to hear from Derby City Hospital as to the results. Well, in these days of everyone slagging the NHS off I've received a letter back from the NHS that says my eye photographs are satisfactory and that I'll be invited back next year for another. Bloody quick that - pictures in laptop early Friday morning, looked at in Derby sometime Friday and then letter in post before end of day. Top marks to Royal Mail who've got that letter delivered in under a day. God we're good at stuff in this country!! Wonder why we're always moaning about stuff?




Garmin Training Center printout

9:30 Bike Goal Done

Did 7 miles on old Giant this morning to complete the bike stats. On the image above it looks like there's only 56.45 miles but that doesn't include the 14 miles on 02/01/08 when the pesky GPS decided it had no battery charge in it.


08:00 End of Christmas

Cripes, it's flown by this year but have been notified that I'm taking the outside lights down today so that's the end of that for another year. Got up really late this morning at 8am. Blood pressure is 130/88/59 still higher than I'd like it.

The inside of your eye!

10:00pm Bike Squad
Been watching something on ITV tonight with Mark Addy in it called Bike Squad. Sort of all the bad coppers in the station get dumped into a new initiative doomed to failure whereby they're policing the streets on bikes. Funny thing about it is that I can see meself in the Mark Addy character at least somewhere over the last 11 months i.e. overweight, can't get up hills etc. etc! Anyway they got these ace Specialized front-suspension bikes and helmet mounted cameras the jammy beggars have, I wonder if it's there for a bit of thought provocation - with congestion the way it is in cities maybe there's a place for the bobby on a bike again?



Maxine Peake (Shameless) and Mark Addy (Full Monty) in ITVs Bike Squad




Messing With New Camera!

The folks at Slimming World bought me an awesome Canon Ixus 75 camera for my fortieth, unfortunately the weather's not been fit to get a good picture since it arrived. But when it is it'll be brilliant it's got face recognition and all sorts of ace features. Watch this space there'll be cracking stuff at some point!!


Took this picture coming down hill from St Oswalds Hospital in Ashbourne. On a nice day it'd look good!


Me and John in the Ashbourne News Telegraph this week.

We got our picture in the local stunner while we were top of Winter Golf League but last week's defeat means it's now factually incorrect. Still there's always this week to get back on track again!!!

9:35 Back home - ran from up town in my new Asics Gel Running shoes which are the business let me tell you. Big breakfast and then am taking kids out somewhere!

8:15 Was at Hospital waiting, walked up in about 25 minutes or so. Had the retinopathy screening which doesn't take too long. Bit of an eye test so they can gauge how strong your eyes are, then in go the nasty stingy drops, then you wait another fifteen, twenty minutes for your pupils to dilate fully. Then you come back in, sit you chin on a rest and they take two pictures of each eye with you looking hard right for first one and hard left for second one. The resulting pictures are then downloaded onto a laptop in under a minute. Fantastic pictures but they wouldn't let me take a copy on a memory stick the meanies. Apparently, I can get em but I've got to ask in writing. I'd love em

6:45 Did 7 miles on old Giant - hadn't got a lot of time before had to go to Hospital for retinopathy screening thing.

6:10 Got up late as was working late on some notes from work. B.p a bit better 132/86 62 pulse.

Poor old Derby / Week 45 Weighin - half a pound off

9:30 Missed Gym
I'd intended to do another gym session tonight but with one thing and another I didn't quite make it. Mainly due to dearly beloved going 'food' shopping after she'd been shopping most of day but also wanted to pop to Boundary, a local drinking establishment to see off colleague Mike. Mike, who is a deluded fan of Nottingham Forest (bless) is moving jobs so he can be nearer his beloved City Ground (bless). Seriously, though he's a good sort and will be missed.


Raising a glass (of diet pepsi) to the deluded and departing Mike!!


7:15pm Week 45 Weighin - 14st 10.5 - half pound loss
This week’s weigh-in is a lie, I tell ya! According to the scales which seem to be fine I’ve lost half a pound this week which will be something like a minor miracle given the sheer amount of alcohol I’ve taken on board – enough for Damien Hirst to float a cow in and then some! So I think it’s going to be a bit like when I came back off the cruise in October and it looked like I’d lost until the following week when there was a big old gain to moan about. Anyway, I’m not displeased at the minute have got 58 miles on the clock and a gym session under me belt and the badly bruised (downgraded from my initial broken meta-tarsel diagnosis) toe is only hurting when I walk on it. Well pleased.





Have got an appointment for a retinopathy screening tomorrow which according to my doctor is the Gold Certificate of eye checking for border-line diabetics such as myself (see - won’t admit am fully diabetic). I think in February have got another one of the diabetic clinic things to attend where they poke your extremities with pins and what have you to see if it’s getting worse (shouldn’t be as I was pretty much tickety boo last time they did a blood sugar test).

7:10am
14 Miles - retraced the same route around mappleton twice and then up park and it came to 14 miles on GPS so there's a half mile or so in the tunnel to add. Not bad guess yesterday when I said 14/15 miles!!

5:30am
Gutted for Derby last night. Played better than Bolton and managed to concede a goal to secure a defeat in second minute of extra time after 90 minutes. We get no luck at all.

Am going to have to do something about the blood pressure I think, it's 131/95 this morning which is the fourth recent high reading.

Off on bike in five minutes - was a bit late getting up as Lucy's been up most of night with a bad cough. Life's fun ain't it??

Back on the road again

Final Update
Just been checking back in time, today is six months since I stopped smoking. Top stuff eh!

Back in the Gym as well!!
Did a session in the gym after work. Well pleased, did a steady 20 minutes on treadmill - started at 10.5 to see if foot'd have it, upped it to 11 after eight minutes and did last five minutes at 12. Jolly good stuff, hurts more when am walking on it than running on it if that makes any sense at all?? Did 2500 metres on rower in 10mins 11secs which I was pretty pleased with. Also did 3 reps of 10 x biceps curls and triceps pushdowns on 9 to finish off. Which all in all I was pleased with.

Couple of pictures from last day!
Bryony from work sent me a couple of pics on Facebook from last day at work before Xmas break.

Me pretending I know what I'm doing! David in background with the strat guitar. John and Sean next to window doing their best Smashie and Nicey impressions.

Alan throwing some shapes on his mighty axe!!!

Back on the Road again
Mum and Dad and me uncle Peter brought me biking stuff back yesterday afternoon when they came over for lunch. Got the old Giant out this morning did two laps of the Mappleton loop and up the Park for I reckon 14/15 miles - bloomin GPS had low battery warning on it so I didn't even bother setting it up.

Poorly foot is a bit better this morning but don't think I'll be able to run on it properly for a day or two. Going to try it out on treadmill later just in case for ten minutes or something.


Food Optimising Again
Back on Yog Surprise for breakfast so the weight should start coming off again from today on in. No more alceehol so there's a load of calories that will be saved as well.

b.p. 139/92 a bit high - excitement of back to work perhaps...