Fat Belly Training - Week Four

Monday 10st 6lbs
Another frustrating gym lesson at college. However, I did some really light [2kg] dumbbell work followed by some very light deadlifts [20kg]. The ache in my shoulder wasn't much and I felt glad that I could join in with the lads just a bit.
Today, a small jar of Tiger Balm arrived in the post. I remember this stuff from when I was a teenager and thought that it might make my shoulder feel a bit more bearable.
After work, I did a 13 minute run, and after dinner, I applied some Tiger Balm to the shoulder. It feels great! Really warm, almost hot, and tingly. Obviously, the ache is still there but the balm certainly makes me a bit more comfortable when watching Breaking Bad.

Tuesday
The arm still doesn't feel well enough for me to ride to work.
After college, I take Martha to the dojo for training. I'm surprised and genuinely honoured to receive one of the student of the month awards! I'm sure it's just an admin error and they'll want it back next week...

Martha is awesome as always and the training is another good kumite-focused session with no kata to speak of. I really wish I could have joined in! Sensei Mark reminds the class that it is their responsibility to look after their fitness, something I've been telling Martha since we started training. As Sensei Paul Hexley once told me: you don't come to dojo to get fit, you get fit to come to dojo!
At home, I leap on the turbo for 23 minutes of sweaty pain.

Wednesday
13 minute run at 7am.

Thursday
Another turbo session: 24 minutes tonight (soundtrack was obZen by Meshuggah.) Again, it's a hard sweaty workout - I just wonder if I'll continue to do it once I'm back on the bike.
Today, I read a bit about the different types of training you can do on the turbo - they ALL involve a heart rate monitor and working out your maximum heart rate. Sounds a bit dangerous to me. I think I'll stick to going really hard in the big ring for a bit and then spinning out in the little ring to recover: Sounds like the NWAlps way of doing things.

Friday
At work - the news of the day is that Ofsted have cancelled their visit for next week! Feeling like kids on the last day of school, we down tools and head home. I do a 13 minute run in the cold and then help myself to a hops-based recovery drink. (Bishops Finger). This is followed by two large glasses of red while I watch Attack on Titan!

Saturday
I woke up with a sore head at about 5.50am. I eventually got up for aspirin and cereal. After a bracing walk with the dogs in the park, I clambered onto my mountain bike to test the shoulder with the hope that I could join the NWAlps ride on Sunday. This is the first time I've got on a bike since my fall. At first, everything was fine as a trundled along the tarmac, but as soon as I got off road and had to do a bit of work, the shoulder ached and ached and ached. (An old video showing the route) I suppose I could put up with it for a bit, but not for a whole 3 hours NWAlps ride. It would make me miserable. Oh well. I'll give it another week.
I made myself feel better by hurting myself on the turbo trainer again: a 26 minute sweaty effort to the sound of Metallica - Master of Puppets.

Sunday 10st 5lb
At around 10am, I could take it no more. The roads were fairly dry and sun was shining. I whipped off the 23mm Italian slick tyre on the back of the road bike and replaced it with this much more sensible 25mm one:

 

 

I headed out into the lanes and soon realised that the shoulder, although aching a bit, was not going to give me any trouble. Good news! (The only thing I can't do is lift my arm out straight to signal so I have to do a sort of pointing from the elbow action.)

 

What did give me trouble, however, were the SPD pedals. I've had enough of them. I spent the entire ride dreading junctions. I couldn't get out of the pedal first time no matter what I tried, and trying to get back into the bloody things was just as hard. In Dorridge, I had a queue of cars behind me as I wobbled about in the road trying to get my shoe back in the pedal. And soon after that, I couldn't get my foot out at a T-junction. I simply had to roll slowly into the road and be ready for whatever was coming. Luckily, it was clear.

 

So: if anyone wants a pair of nearly new Specialized cycling shoes (size 43) complete with pedals and cleats, click here: Ebay.

 

After a slow and frustrating 27 miles, I got home and treated myself to beer and chocolate: my first taste of junk food in 4 weeks.

 

 

Week 4: exercise every day, beers on Friday and Sunday, junk food on Sunday. Weight loss: 1lb.