Week - Sunday 26th Oct - Saturday 1st Nov

Round up
Ran just under 40 miles this week which is okay. Put a pound on in weight again - since April I've put on about a pound a month, this is less okay. Golf was very hit and miss, didn't strike the ball well at all put putted rather nicely and kept us ticking over in the Autumn Texas Scramber, we came in at something like 59.7 in then end which wasn't bad in the conditions - windy and cold. Winter league has started, me and John should be playing in it, but missing next week due to a company do.

Saturday 1st Nov
First of November but about warmest day of week so far even if there is a bit of a frost. Been out and run up to town to get papers, three miles or so on a bit of a hangover from killing too much beer last night. Golf later.

Friday 31st Oct
Now have a re-kindled interest in Sea Angling I've been following with interest the use of kayaks for sea fishing kind of like a low-cost diy in-shore boat fishing thang. Not massively expensive but here's the benefits - it's exercise, it's fishing, it shouldn't be too expensive. Am following a blog from a guy in Hampshire called http://saltwateryakfisherman.blogspot.com/ and getting seriously tempted!! Have contacted local canoe club in Matlock to see when their next 'have-a-go' day is.

Running this week
Proud of meself for sticking with it this week - run damn near 36 miles according to Training Center software (it should be more as the GPS don't track through the tunnel at Ashbourne) but a shorter five miler tomorrow should make for a forty mile total which is probably as much as I've ever done in a week and shows the resilience building into my knee again which has shown no signs of pain this week. Good. Current mood: pleased.


Did six and half miles or so (remember the Edge's tunnel vision) this morning, ever so slow but not bothered because once again the weather was so cold. The new twist this morning was that not onlt was it frosty but from Mayfield until I turned back towards Ashbourne at Mappleton I was running into a bloomin freezin wind - you're not supposed to get frost and wind together are you? What's going on in the met office???



It's Janet's group later today. Am not really bothered what the weigh in says. I'm back on mission now so regardless of what today is there will be changes by Christmas that I can guarantee.

Thursday 30th Oct
Didn't get back from the office until gone ten last night so wasn't really up for running this morning. But that's no reason not to! So did a humble five miler this morning was okay and in office in plenty of time for 8:30 meeting. Did 25 mins of rower and some weights as well yesterday after me gym assessment - was okay nowt special - think the additional running is sapping me a bit - which has to be a good thing!



Wednesday 29th October - Reality Check
Been whinging on a lot that weight increase was due to increase in muscle - it's not. Been to gym for a re-assessment today and had a body composition test done. Lean weight is up very slightly from 75.3kg in June to 75.5kg today, but the real damage to the weight management is an increase in fat from 19.3kg to 22.3kg. Time to start food optimising again properly before it turns into a train wreck!






Wednesday 29th Oct
Did a 7 miler this morning. The computer say 6.86 cause it switched itself off shortly after I set off but from the point I noticed it was off to finishing was damn near 7 miles anyway (and ran through the Tunnel from the cycle hire centre so there's another third of a mile missing ther).. Slower pace, was dead cold but not unhappy all things considered - I think 10 minute miles would still you get a marathon done in under 5 hours so that'd be okay.

Tuesday 28th Oct

Kept on the chosen path - 6.5 miles this morning, pace not bad at 9:17/mile and bear in mind it was darned cold again. Cocked it up a bit eating wise as had a cinnamon twirl danish before I went out running but the missus' fault as she got them reduced at Sainsbobs last night and it'd have gone off if I'd not ate it, possibly.

Monday 27th Oct
Started as I meant to go on but weather got in the way. Got up at 5:30, ready to run at 5:45 stepped out and it was absolutely hammering down with rain. So waited and waited and got set off about 6:05 got just shy of six miles run at a not bad pace so not unhappy with it all. Had to keep stopping to change radio and stuff while out and was a bit miffed when some whipper-snapper over took me about half a mile from home. Bet he'd only just set out while I was five and a half miles in. Me Xmas present arrived as I was setting off to work so am going to be aying a look at that when I get home.

Gym for forty minutes at lunchtime. 25 mins on rower and the usual battery of weights. Okay stuff, bed early then out on road in morning. Some weight on again I reckon, a legacy of the cracking 10 cans of fosters for £4.99 at Somerfield.

Sunday 26th October.
I do like Sundays, started off with a big breakfast which was maybe a bit wrong but it's Sunday what the heck says I. Then did the new six mile daily run as recommended by Kathryn the marathon gal. Looks like 5miles on motionbased but that's because the Edge wasn't working until almost on Mayfield Road so it's not got the best part of a mile on it. Anyway, it was a good start to the day I felt.

Next up on a Sunday morning is Rugby practice for Lucy which involves me sitting on a camping chair with a big cup of black coffee, radio in the tabholes for an hour or two and when the weather's like it was it's a pleasure to be there. Lucy set up a lovely try and ran around for a good hour so it was good for Lu too.



Merry Christmas Mr Siddall
Now, am back into Sea fishing I've treated myself to a multiplier, it's an Okuma Magnetix LS-30 reel that's similiar to the ABU 7000 series sort of thing line wise. Lord knows how well it will work but I've always fancied one. £37 on Ebay it was. Not quite the one in the picture below as the one I have got has level wind but it should be the very thing for off the rocks loaded up with 25lb line.


Yesterday's golf - Lordy were we rubbish, it was an Autumn Greensome where you both drive off, pick the best one then play alternate shots in. Yesterday I was having difficulty hitting a cows ass with a shovel it was that bad. On the tenth I hit so far left it was lucky not to end up on the road into the club, when I checked the driver I'd been lucky to hit it at all the ball mark was so close to the heel! Rubbish, texas scramble next week so will have to improve, couldn't get a lot worse!!!

Week Sunday 19th - Saturday 25th Oct

Saturday 25th Oct
Saturday starts well. Been testing the knee out a bit more now - just short of eight slow miles this morning, bit slow but Jeez Louise, it was freezing cold. Glad I mowed the lawns yesterday seems like perfect time for the last cut. Golf at 12:20 and tomorrow I'll tell you about the Christmas present I've got mesen, no Giant superbike this year far more frugal but hopefully just as useful next year.

Yesterday was a good day! Name the Journey track that comes from?

Anyway, took Phil to Ripley Army Surplus store and we bought a foldy down spade that will be grand for bait digging next year I hope and also means I'll never have to buy a bucket and spade again. Possibly.

Then we pounded over to Lidl because me mum wanted a heater thing so we got that, also got five 1.5KG bags of bread flour for £2.40 which I thought was a good deal (same as Tesco price-wise but it might be different quality of flour - we'll see).

Then went to Curry's, regular readers may know that my lad, Phil managed to knacker the 32" Sharp LCD TV we had so have been visiting Currys Electricals to sort the replacement out and thus far have been biding my time waiting for the right deal. Well yesterday we came back with a 40" Sony which cost about £80 less than the 32" Sharp we had a couple of years ago and is full High Definition and a damn side bigger, more stylish too so well please. The odd thing is that the 46" version of this TV, the KDL46V4000 is £1,199.00 - how does that work - you can have two 40" TVs or one 46" TV - which would you go for??

So after coming home and setting up the telly which is reet good, went to play some golf. It was a grand afternoon and I thought after a couple of holes I ought to mow the lawn a last time, so did five holes whizzed back home and mowed all the lawns. Well pleased.

Answer to the lyric question, by the way, was "Just the Same Way", from either Evolution or Infinity albums Gregg Rolie sang it so it's about the time Perry joined and just before Rolie left!

Friday 24th Oct
I know I'm getting ahead of myself but am off Friday so not attending Janet's group at work tomorrow so am taking last night's weight for the weekly record. A maintain is okay given the fact that am not sticking to the plan by any means. Am going to get myself sorted out soon honest!!

Went to Dentist this afternoon for a checkup, scale and polish which all went well. Both the dentist and later, the hygenist said 'you've not put the weight back on' so they obviously don't see the 10/12lbs up that I am from my lowest - so I can't be all that out of shape. Next time I go to Dentist will have done a marathon. That's something to think about!




Thursday 23rd Oct

Couldn't get up this morning and consequently didn't get on the road until 6:22 resulting in a much reduced mileage (should have been 3.5miles but didn't get the Edge going until got to top of the Hill). Went to Nic's group last night and had a maintain so still at 15st 3lbs which I was actually chuffed with considering how much I drank last weekend. Need to get doing it again properly though as less weight would make the running easier and I got a marathon to do still!

Wednesday 22nd Oct
Another day, another steady sort of five miles. Very cold so pace might be expected to be down but I reckon I can tweak it a bit and push the pace up. From next week I'm going to be doing six milers as recomended by my marathon trainer Kathryn so will need to start getting up a bit earlier!


Tuesday 21st Oct
Ran much faster today sub-9 minute miles so well pleased with the start so far. Best run for ages - think partly because I was late setting off and partly because I could!
Did another good gym session - am making that habit - 25 mins on rower for 5,600m! and a ton of weights. All good.

Monday 20th Oct
Started okay with a five mile run up Ashbourne and back picking up newspapers on the way. Pace sub 10 mins seems to be as good as I'm going to get at the minute. No problems though considering how much beer I had over weekend!

Did Gym at lunchtime 25 mins on rower for 5,300 metres and a solid weights session while waiting for the rowing machine to become available - we only got once concept2 rower which can be a problem on occasion.

Sunday 19th Oct
Afternoon - thought had better to do a bike ride or something so cycled over to Darley Dale, a bit over 17 miles. What was cool about this ride was that I went straight up Buxton Hill for the first time. Normally I skirt round it going a bit further but making it less of a steep hill climb, doing the Buxton Hill is serious stuff for me but got there. Thank the lord it was downhill for a good while after, I was aircooled going toward Fenny Bentley I can assure you!


Morning
Been over at Cromford Meadows this morning with Lucy. She was playing with Ashbourne u10s against Matlock at Rugby. Brought back some memories for sure, we used to have games at Cromford Meadows. Every week we'd get on a bus from Ernest Bailey's (later to become Highfields) and down to Cromford for rugby, cricket and once in a while athletics. Marvellous. Had a look in the clubhouse - pics of Old Bailean's sides featuring folks I used to go to school and muck about with - Gaz Siddall on a few pics and his brother Rob.

Rang me bro about future camping possibilities in sunny Anglesey. Went to Aldi last week and got this enormous airbed for a total comfort solution at just thirty quid. See pic below - it's got a built-in AC pump but will also take a normal camping type pump solution. Also got a load of lures from a pound shop in Derby for a few quid so am all setup next time we go.

Week Sunday 11th to Saturday 18th Oct

Saturday 18th - Keeping Busy
First thing, did a 7 miler on the FCR1 this morning to fetch newspapers, averaged 15.2 which was ok, very cold, must remember gloves next time. Sorted a load of clothes out, put summer stuff away, going up in attic later to get some winter hats and scarves down. What a horrible time of year eh!

Been and done recycling run - plastic bottles, cans, newspaper, old clothes - you can take most anything these days. Done hoovering, busier I am the less time I have to go near biscuit barrels etc. etc. Golf at 12:20, fish and chips tea. You gotta love Saturdays.

Golf - steady stuff, did 41 for front nine and a 43 for back nine. Putted well, chipped ok, a shank on first and a silly drive on fifteenth resulted in a solitary double-bogey in an okay sort of a round.

Friday 17th Oct
Got up late again (05:50), however, determined to get self sorted out so forced mesen to run five miles which was ok - pace was 9:40 per mile or 6.2mph which was not too bad. My legs feel tired all the time which I'm taking as a sign the the body is using fat reserves rather than me being far less fitter than I was at the start of the year.


Lost a pound and a half at the group that I count as being the 'real' published group. Was 15st 4.5 last week and this week it's 15st 3lb which is still terrible considering where I was but considering the volume of lager I had last week I should be looking at it as a minor triumph! Going to be better this weekend and get it closer to 15st 1.5lbs next week and then into the 14s the following week. It's well doable if I just keep myself in order.

Thursday 16th Oct
Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish. Couldn't get out of bed, didn't get on road til twenty five past six, only a poxy three miles at 9:59 again (sure sign am getting old). Reet Grumpy. No gym yesterday, mega busy still but am definitely going today, think I'm making subconscious excuses not to do gym which is stupid as I quite like it when I get there. Current mood: grumpy but positivish.
Got into gym did 25 mins on rower and a load of weights and some ab crunches too which I need to add to my routine.


Wednesday 15th Oct
A steadier five miler this morning. Pace of 9:59 right on the wire but a run's a run and at least didn't feel sick on this one. No gym today as mega busy.

Weigh in at Nic's group, half a pound off at nics, stick with it and that should be a pound come Janet's group on Friday.

Tuesday 14th Oct
Did a five mile run this morning, pace not too shabby at 9:31 but felt sick as a dog after four and a half miles, don't know why. Didn't sleep particularly well after some problems at work yesterday so maybe that had something to do with it. Good news is that the knee now feels A1 and wasn't protecting it at all during this mornings run and it felt a better run for it.

Gym wasn't as good as usual - did some running on the treadmill and a load of weights but couldn't get on the rower due to someone else hogging it. N'er mind.


Monday 13th Oct
Did a slow nine miles on the FCR1 this morning, pitch black and pace right down as you might expect. 5 minute miles is v slow but you gotta be able to spot those potholes and what have. Weekend alcohol intake has been very poor, am going to have an alcohol free weekend this weekend coming 18th/19th and see how we go the following weekend.

Did 6,500m on the rower in 30 mins and some weights in gym. Quate pleased witht that.

Had a good food optimising sort of a day too (which I can't say same for weekend). Consultant Janet has been giving me some grief to get my head together so that will probably help!


Did fifteen or so miles yersterday on the FCR1 was going to run but thought it was too nice for running - according to the Edge average speed was 15.4mph which was nice. Some daft old bint stepped out in front of me at Rowsley which added to the excitement somewhat and gave the brakes a good testing.

Week review

Been reet lazy with regard to blog updates of late. Am thinking of doing only two a week one for week and one for weekend. Will see!

Have run about 23 miles last week and done no biking for a change which is ok. In gym am getting more and more serious on Friday did half an hour on the rower for first time which was worth getting on for 6,500metres which is good.

Over the weekend I've done a ton of alcohol so today (sunday) I'm going to be literally running some of that off. May get missus to drop me off about Winster and then run down Pickery corner and along A6 to Darley Dale. (might not as well but need to be doing something).

Downside of lateness... Weighin small victory

A pound and a half less than last week which is okay I guess with all the alcohol making up for missing the manager's weekend. Still want to see it below the 210lbs (15st) line and soon. Off to gym shortly going to go for 29 minutes on rower see if I can get to 6000 metres.

Lucy woke up at crack of dawn with a nightmare so went out to her then didn't sleep properly, then nodded off resulting in not getting on road til gone 6:20 which resulted in just over 3 miles run. Never mind was all could manage. Will see how weigh-in goes later was pleased with Weighin at Nicola's group as had consumed loads of beer over weekend, might all be different at Janet's.

Another day another five miles!

Wahey did a slow five miles this morning but as had left the GPS at work I've no idea just how slow. I reckon ten minute miles which is ok. Lost a lb from last week at Head Office SW group 1, am still going to weigh in at Janet's group tomorrow though, will see what will be there!

Rushed to Derby to watch Paddy McGuiness at Derby Assembly Rooms yesterday, wouldn't go again to see him - very crude, vulgar not to my taste but funny in places I suppose.

Did gym again today 28 minutes on concept 2 rower and then some weights got to 5947metres - reckon I'll go for 29 minutes tomorrow and break 6000!

Tuesday five miler back on...

Got back to doing the old five mile run again this morning. Not overly quick at about 10min/mile pace but there was a bit of tiredness in the old legs! Weight will be up when weigh later but am getting back into the good exercise habits so will start addressing the bad food habits soon!!!

Ten miles in two days

Ran just over 3.5miles this morning so in two days we're up to about ten miles already. Forgot to mention, played nine holes of golf yesterday afternoon while was off. My lad Phil caddied for me! How cool is that, in fact, he's even offered to caddy for me at the weekend in the October medal which will be good if he manages it.

Holiday Weekend

shoulda been on hols this last weekend with the company but with one thing and another it wasn't to be. Nevermind, I've had the hols at home at least in terms of alcohol consumption!

Not done a lot of exercise over the weekend, little bit of cycling, quite a bit of walking and too much drinking.
Did a six and half a mile run this morning, first time in a long while and it was okay. Pace at under nine and a half minute miles was fine too. Pleased.


Took missus shopping in Derby and that was okay too. All things considered quite pleased with things. Daren't go anywhere near any scales but hey-ho!

I

Running Again - third time in a week! Bad weigh-in third time in a row...

Went and got weighed after all - 15st 6lbs today - keeps going up and up.

Had three pints after the funeral on Wednesday (although boss cat says I had four, I'm sure it was three, wasn't driving and it was into October so pledge for no alcohol in September stood) but other than that felt had been pretty damn good over the week. Waistline is okay, still getting into 34" waist jeans and trous so what the hell is the weigh increase all about. Am running faster even with dodgy knee than this time last year - 5th November 07 was running 3.5 miles at a pace of 10mins 43secs per mile, this morning it was 9mins 34sec a mile, I know I've done faster but the point is that last year I was half a stone or more lighter and slower so something's wrong with them scales I reckon!

Not best pleased. Have told JohnH am buying him a beer up at the pub after letting him down at golf last week and intend to keep that commitment so not going to be 100% back on plan until tomorrow.

Am not harping on about the knee anymore I've decided, there's more important things in life. Saw a picture in yesterdays Times of a guy who'd had to have half his lower leg amputated following a roadside bomb detonating on him in Afghanistan. The point about picture was that he had running shoes on the prosthetic limb and was running. He'd have the right to moan about a dodgy knee where as when I do it, it's just whinging so ain't mentioning it no more. Bet I do, though, fool that I am.

Morning

Been out and done 3 miles or so again this morning. The edge is playing up more frequently but not bothered. Weight seems to be massively up this morning so may go gym rather than group at lunchtime. I'm doing 25 minute sessions on the rower and then have notched up the weights machines to 11 rather than the old 10 setting I used to do. I think when I first started I used to set them at 7 or 8 so it's all progressing the right way (apart from the weight!!). I'm still wearing 34" jeans / work trouser so that's all fine. Anyway, the new group's weighin is next Wednesday so will try and sort it out this weekend - bit daft doing two groups really.

late

going london
ran about 4 miles

Weather bad, Gym good.

Got up 3:30 to set breadmaker off, weather awful, went back to bed. Got up 5:30 to unload breadmaker weather awful. Fetched papers in car, came in to work and did gym for forty minutes. 25 minutes and 5507m on the rower, load of weights, shower and off in the office for 8:30.

Got to leave at 12 for a funeral, hope weather improves, uncle David was always a sunny character in life and it seems wrong if we have wet and windy weather on this day, sure God will put it right come 2pm.

Sort of joined another group at Head Office last night run by the delightful Nicola. Bit of competition with my manager, John for weight loss bragging rights. He's already lighter than me so am going to be really sticking with the plan this week to get ahead next week. Did all September without a drink and seeing as not going on the manager's weekend I think October will be pretty dry too.