Blood pressure: 142/65
Resting heart rate: 57
Weight: 10st 5lbs
I was sorely disappointed when I stepped off the scales this morning: I'm exactly the same weight as I was this time last week. I've gone 7 days without any beer or junkfood and I'd exercised for over an hour on every one of those 7 days. It makes me question why I'm doing this. However, I'm determined to carry on and see what happens to my stats over the next few weeks.
I cycled to work, didn't have time for lunch, cycled home, made a chicken, mushroom and tomato curry for Lucy and myself, and then did a late-night weight lifting session. Once again, the vein was sticking up in my bicep when I'd completed the hour. It probably doesn't mean anything but it makes me think I'm doing something right.
Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol
Tuesday
Blood pressure: 146/75
Resting heart rate: 58
Weight: 10st 4lbs
I cycled into college. I was stuck at work until 6:30 so Martha and I couldn't go to the dojo. I cycled home and did an hour's weight training before a very healthy vegetable-based dinner.
Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Wednesday
Blood pressure: 143/74
Resting heart rate: 61
Weight: 10st 2lbs
I knew I wouldn't have time for weight training tonight so I left the house a little early this morning. I pedalled out into the lanes for a while before turning back and heading into work. I cycled 16.1 miles at 13.7mph. Even though my average speed was slow, I was cycling against a stiff headwind for half of the ride, I had my rucksack strapped to my back and the traffic was thick on the A34 (when the wind was behind me). I was sweating buckets by the time I got to college!
I cycled home to get ready for a night out - Lucy, Jonnie, Sally and I were going to the theatre. I allowed myself a beer with dinner (Fuller's ESB - fantastic!). It was my first alcoholic drink in 10 days.
We saw an hour-long performance called Ventoux. It tells the story of Armstrong and Pantani, with their epic battle up Mont Ventoux in the 2000 Tour de France forming the backdrop against which the story is told. There were only two actors on the stage and they never left it during the whole hour. I was impressed by their ability to remember all the lines and what they had to do next.
I'm a complete theatre noob - I saw a few plays with school and that's about it really. I think I saw an interpretation of Lord of the Flies when I was in my late twenties?
Anyway, Ventoux wasn't what I consider to be a 'play'. It was more like an art performance with lots of symbolism as opposed to realism. We see Armstrong's cancer spread as a he draws on himself with a piece of chalk. We see Pantani's addiction as he throws white powder about the stage and sticks his head in a bucket of water. Pantani's victory in the race, which I assumed would be the climax of the performance, happened about halfway through, indicated by a recording of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen's actual commentary from the broadcast. There was lots of euro dance music blasted out as the two actors clambered aboard their onstage bicycles (up on turbo trainers) and raced against each other, and we had a yellow spotlight for Armstrong and a corresponding pink one for Pantani.
We saw Pantani die (with his head in the bucket) and we saw Armstrong struggle under the weight of worldwide accusations. We didn't get to see Armstrong's relationship with Bruyneel and there was no mention of Pantani's cosmetic surgery.
And then it ended.
What I was left with was a desire to watch the actual race, to re-read Matt Rendell's book about Pantani, and, most surprisingly, a need to defend Armstrong - because even though he was a nasty, cheating bastard, he defeated cancer and rode those 7 victorious Tours. There's only so much that drugs can do, Lance still had to get on his bike and ride the thousands upon thousands of miles of training and racing! I can't help it, anyone who can complete a Tour deserves respect, despite all the drugs and the lies.
I know, I'm weird.
Needless to say, I had to go home and drink beer while contemplating all these deep and meaningful questions about my favourite sport!
16+ miles of cycling, no junkfood, 3 beers.
Thursday
Blood pressure: 145/72
Resting heart rate: 57
Weight: 10st 1lb
Cycled in to work, had a good day, cycled home. I hit the weight training hard, felt good, didn't eat any junkfood, and didn't drink any beer.
Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol
Friday
Blood pressure: 142/73
Resting heart rate: 50
Weight: 10st 5lbs
I cycled in to work, was an awesome teacher, and then cycled home again.
Martha and I headed off to Sensei Russell's Friday night Karate session. I was very surprised to discover that Sensei Russell had made changes to his lesson plan! I always look forward to Sensei Russell's high-energy mix of dynamic warm-up followed by basics, followed by kata, and ending in kumite. It works! However, tonight we had a 1st kyu taking the warm up and he rattled through it at a fair lick. It didn't get chance to get sweaty. After some kata, which included some peer assessment, I found myself in a group of 4 senior grades receiving special attention from Sensei Russell. He showed us some kumite techniques and got us to work on them with a partner. I did my best to get up to speed, being mindful of my ankle at all times. One of the techniques involved a sweep so I had to explain to my partner that I could only practice the technique with my good foot forward! We finished with some freestyle. I risked the ankle and had a little go at it. The 1st kyu who led the warm-up came at me like a steam train! His attacks were a little wild and I managed to keep him at bay. I got a couple of good counter attacks in but only because his mai geri was so slow. Phew! I'm sure he could have knocked my block off if he'd felt like it!
I went home eager for my dinner. I discovered that Lucy had opened a bottle of red wine for cooking purposes. I didn't need any more reason than that...
Karate, no junkfood, most of a bottle of red wine.
Saturday
Blood pressure: 142/69
Resting heart rate: 51
Weight: 10st 2lbs
I woke up with a bit of a sore head after indulging in red wine last night. Lucy and I did some shopping which somehow managed to take us until lunchtime. Then I cycled back to the shops to get the stuff we forgot. When I got home, I spent an hour sweeping the leaves off the front drive (I don't know why, I just do as I'm told.) Then it was time for dojo! This afternoon's session was ace with plenty of fast basics. I finally worked up a sweat in the dojo for the first time in ages! We did a fair bit of kata and then some basic kumite drills to finish. Smashing! My ankle wasn't too sore for the session until right at the end when we did a kneeling bow - sitting back with my feet underneath me was a rather painful experience!
My favourite part of the session was Sensei Gary asking if Martha and I would be interested in the instructor's course! I'm not sure what it's all about but of course I said yes! I went home for lunch very excited!
In the evening, we spread out in the front room to watch Strictly Come Dancing and have a drink. Cheers!
Karate, no junkfood, 3 beers.
Sunday
Blood pressure: 152/69
Resting heart rate: 51
Weight: 10st 2lbs
What a glorious day! It was a cold start but there was bright sunlight all day with barely a cloud in the sky. There was a strong wind, however. I called for Jonnie at 9 and we set off into the lanes determined to complete the 46 miles of our Coughton route. Jonnie was suffering from a bad cold - I could hear it in his voice. We stopped at Earlswood Lakes so that Jonnie could make some adjustments to his shoes.
 |
| Just a few miles along, the enormity of our undertaking had yet to sink in... |
We kept heading West. What we tend to forget is just how hilly this route is! It has 2400ft of climbing to deal with over its 46 miles. When we realised that it was going to be a long day in the saddle, and Jonnie was still feeling ill, I suggested we turn south and look for a more direct route to Wilmcote. Jonnie was having none of it.
So we struggled on through this beautiful route on this beautiful day and our energy was ground down and down and down until we crawled into Wilmcote at an average speed of 13mph. Our legs were empty, backs were aching, and Jonnie was hacking and sneezing with his illness.
We made the unprecedented decision to consume THREE slices of cake each! We hoped this would give us the energy to get home in a reasonable time.
Unfortunately, it didn't. We crawled north in the little gears, eventually rolling into Jonnie's drive with a pathetic 12.9mph average speed. But we were glad we'd done it and rewarded ourselves with a hop-based energy drink!
I did some ironing in the afternoon. Jane and Eric came for dinner. I couldn't help myself and worked my way through most of a bottle of red and had some apple pie and ice cream for pudding.
46 miles of cycling, junkfood, one beer, 2 large glasses of red wine.
It's been a strange week for training - I started off strongly but gradually gave in to the temptation of ale as the days went on. However, I seem to have lost a bit of weight and the ankle isn't too bad (apart from when I try to do the kneeling bow!) I managed to exercise every day and, apart from the cake and apple pie on Sunday, I ate cleanly. The stand-out moment of the week was on Sunday afternoon when Jonnie and I, aching and spent, finally got back to his house after the gruelling bike ride:
"Jonnie," I said, barely able to lift my head up, "Next time you have a cold, don't volunteer to ride 46 miles of climbing!"
"Why not?" he replied.
very nice blog about shotocan cyclist
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