How to Lose a Belly When You're 41 (part 17)

Monday
Weight: 10st 3lbs
I've dropped a pound since this time last week, but I'm still now only the same weight I was a month ago! Just two more weeks of this and then I'll have to get more serious with the training plan. I can't fit in any more exercise so I'll have to adjust the cake/beer intake!
I cycled in to work, cycled back again, ate loads of vegetables and eggs (Mexican scrambled eggs for dinner!) and then did a heavy weight-lifting session.

Tuesday
Cycled in to work and back.
This evening, Martha and I went to the dojo as usual, only to find that the floor of the sportshall is being resurfaced and was firmly shut to the public! There were lots of confused karateka milling around, including black belts! I drove us back home again and we had a cunning idea - we would go for a run!
Shorts and trainers on, we stepped out into the sunshine for a jog. Martha stayed with me for the first mile and then I carried on to complete a 10K. It was my slowest one yet.
Healthy eating all day, no booze.

Wednesday
I cycled in to work determined to have another healthy day - the Great Birmingham 10K is looming large on the horizon! I cycled home to run tonight's Dungeons and Dragons session with the young people. I ate healthily all day and avoided alcohol. I dropped my players home and flopped down on the couch with a cup of tea at about 10pm. Later, I was playing Batman: Arkham Knight on the PS4 when it suddenly occurred to me - I'd completely forgotten the weight-lifting session I had planned for tonight! Oh well, I gave my thumbs a workout instead.

Thursday
Once again - another day that doesn't have a place on a fitness blog...
Today, as well as being the Queen's birthday, it is also my mother's! After work, two of the girls and I headed over to take Mom out for dinner. We overindulged with ice cream and chocolate and I had a couple of beers. I didn't even have time to do any exercise today!

Friday
Cycled to work and back. I took myself off to the dojo tonight, not really in the mood but still determined to give it a good go. Tonight, the session was held by Sensei Ronnie Christopher (2 x World Silver Medalist, European Champion and 4 x British champion). Sensei Ronnie is a very inspiring person and just his presence is enough to rev the class up - we were all mad for it! The session focused on kicks - particularly the mawashi geri (roundhouse kick) and Jion Kata.
By the time the hour was up, I felt energised, renewed and refocused on my mission to claim a black belt!
Very healthy eating (chicken breasts and fresh vegetables) and no booze.

Saturday
Up early for a banana and a glass of fizzy water. I had decided that I really wasn't happy with Tuesday's very slow 10K effort, so this morning I put my trainers on again and headed out. It was a bright but rather cold morning and my hands started to go numb over the first 2 miles. My left knee was complaining a little too but my main issue was a dull ache in the middle of my back. My hands warmed up and the knee got better but the dull ache was with me the entire run. However, it went away as soon as I finished. What I was most pleased about today was my ability to maintain a faster pace than normal. Every now and then I'd find myself at an easy jogging pace so I'd immediately coax myself back into a run and hold it there. I eventually finished with my fastest time yet: 59 minutes 17 seconds according to my stopwatch.
I'm very happy with that!
I went to see Mom and she had made a fantastic homemade lemon cake. Bang went the healthy eating for the day!
To make matters worse, we visited a traditional old-fashioned sweet shop. Chocolate Brasil nuts anyone? No? Okay, I'll eat them all myself...
At home, I indulged in after dinner trifle while watching a Glenn Campbell concert on TV. However, I did manage to resist the open bottle of red wine in the kitchen!

Sunday
Woke up earlier than I intended to. After porridge, I called for Jonnie and we set off into the lanes on our bicycles. We took our High Cross route which has some lovely downhill sections. Today, I manged to get all the way down these sections without touching the brakes. The dry roads certainly helped. Upon reaching Snitterfield, with our average still above 15 mph, we took the longer route to Wilmcote to visit Jane and Eric. Again, I managed to get down the hills without braking unnecessarily. Jonnie said I must have had my descending legs on, but then quickly changed it to 'descending head.' He's right, of course - descending is all in the mind, not the body, and today I had my head screwed on properly.
The cake stop was a strange one for me - determined to drop some weight I refused Jane's homemade cake (Jonnie didn't!) and asked for a banana. Unfortunately, she didn't have any bananas. So I drank my tea and dreamed of calories...
Back in the lanes, we headed north into a headwind for the next 15 miles. With the wind in our faces, I quickly gave up on the idea of maintaining a 15mph average and settled for anything above 14mph.
Jonnie was starting to suffer and the quote of the day was when he asked me if I'd brought any spare legs he could use!

Jonnie at the top of the Farm, 5 miles from home.

Nearing base, we had to drop down Doctor's Hill and then climb Tom's Hill. Having my descending head on, I managed to get down Doctor's Hill with the minimum of braking and use the momentum to catch Jonnie on the climb. Being able to descend is good!
We finished the 37.9 mile ride with an average of 14.5mph. Respectable, given the windy conditions.
Later, I went to the dojo and took part in a fine lesson with Sensei Ronnie Christopher.
I didn't have any junkfood today, but I did enjoy 2 ales and a glass of red at home.

How to Lose a Belly When You're 41 (part 16)

Monday
Weight: 10st 4lbs
Obviously, I'm rather disappointed to have put 4lbs back on last week. I've made a decision to keep to my current training program until after the 10k run at the end of the month. Then, if I'm not under 10 stone on the 2nd May, I'll rethink my training.
Today I cycled to work in the pouring rain, cycled home in the pouring rain and then went out and ran 10k in the pouring rain. My 10k was only 9 seconds faster than the last time but at least I'm continuing to improve. I didn't record this soggy run on Strava because I didn't want to take my phone out with me in the wet.
I ate healthily all day but couldn't help having a couple of ales and a large GnT tonight!

Tuesday
I cycled to work and back. My legs were aching horribly on the bike, I kept getting that feeling when you're almost convinced that the brakes must be rubbing. They weren't, I just didn't have any power left after the run last night.
Martha and I went to the dojo tonight for an intense fighting session. It felt great to get stuck into some higher grades. We were told to keep the sparring 'light' but Chris, Dan, Tony and I had a bit of a knock when one of us was facing another. Great fun!
Healthy eating today (went to bed hungry, in fact.)

Wednesday
Cycled to work and back.
No junkfood.
No alcohol.
An hour's heavy lifting session which consisted of:
5x5 Barbell Deadlifts
5x5 Barbell curls
5x5 Lateral dumbbell side raises
5x5 Barbell shrugs
5x5 Overhead barbell presses
5x5 Barbell squats
4x25 tricep dips
4x25 press ups
4x25 leg raises

Thursday
Cycled in to work and back.
Ate healthily
No alcohol.
Unfortunately, I got my timings all wrong tonight and tried to fit in dinner, ironing, picking up the children from a Five Seconds of Summer gig at the NEC, and weight lifting. I didn't get home until 11pm, and weight lifting had to be neglected. No exercise!

Friday
Cycled to work and back.
Karate was awesome tonight: lots of work on the basic combinations and kata that we'll need for our grading on Sunday.
No junkfood, no booze. I'm such a good boy!

Saturday
What a day.
I started my Saturday with a strong lifting session. It was very similar to Wednesdays, the difference being that I swapped the shrugs and deadlifts for dumbbell curls and front raises. The rest was the same (actually, the squats were slightly heavier.)
After that, myself, my brother and Mom headed out into the countryside to scatter Dad's ashes at the River Avon. The place is very special to my parents - they visited this beautiful river bank a lot. It's also a place where Dad and I (and Granddad) went fishing.
After this, the three of us went to a country pub for lunch and a beer. That was the end of my healthy habits for the day.
In the evening, I drank three bottles of ale and a GnT! Hic!

Sunday
I woke up with a bit of a headache but I knew I could get rid of it before today's karate grading. Unfortunately, Martha told me that she didn't want to grade today. I told her that was fine and jumped on my bike instead. It was a beautiful day in the countryside and I even took my hip flask with me for the halfway point!

When I got home, however, Martha was dressed in her gi and had changed her mind - she was ready to grade! I took her off to the dojo (thankfully, I had only sipped at the hipflask) and she did a good grading and earned her 2nd Kyu Ho belt. 

I'll probably wait until September to get my belt - I'm not in a rush.
Tonight, I enjoyed two beers and a crisp sandwich! Healthy living!

How to Lose a Belly When You're 41 (part 15)

Monday
Weight: 10st 0lbs
Woke up to a massive headache and nausea. Booze and manflu don't mix!
I'm pleased about the weight loss, but I know a lot of that will be due to dehydration.
I spent the day relaxing with the family. I ate what I wanted to (which included chocolate!) and had a couple of recovery ales!
Today has no place on a fitness blog but it is what it is. I'll be back on track tomorrow.

Tuesday
Woke up still full of cold, but it's not as bad as it's been over the last three days. It's mainly a very blocked up nose. I spent the morning running errands and then in the afternoon, Mouse and I chilled out together and watched The Worlds' End on DVD. I thought it was a silly story but one that kept me entertained. It's not a patch on Shaun of the Dead, however.
I ate healthily all day:

Breakfast = Peanut butter on wholemeal toast

Lunch = A banana and 2 chicken and salad wraps 

Dinner = 2 fresh plaice with rice and green beans (and a chicken drumstick because I'm greedy) 

Martha and I went to the dojo tonight to do some grading practice. Sensei Gary worked us hard over the three main disciplines: basics, kata and ippons. Ippons remains my weakest area so it's the one I need to spend the most time on. I'll see if I can get Martha training with me in the garden.
No alcohol today.

Wednesday
This morning, after a healthy breakfast, I made my way over to see mother at her allotment. She just wanted me to repair a fence that dad had built for her a while back. So, armed with my toolbox, workbench and bits of wood, I did the best I could. It was a joy to be working outside today, especially as we managed to avoid the many showers that plagued the afternoon. Back at Mother's place, she had got a cake ready for me, fresh from the oven! How could I resist? That was the end of healthy eating for the day! After lunch, she even served up homemade apple crumble and ice cream! Maybe she thought I was looking skinny?
At home, I did a good weights session paying particular attention to squats and making sure I went slow and heavy. I certainly felt that in my hamstrings!

Thursday
Cycled in to work.
Cycled home from work
Did a good lifting session.
Ate healthily.
Didn't drink booze.

Friday
After a very pleasant trip to Birmingham City Centre with the family,  I went to the Dojo for a good ippon session with Sensei Mark. Afterwards, I was invited to take part in a bit of sparring with Chris who is taking his black belt grading this month. Needless to say, Chris beat me up but Sensei Mark was pleased with my efforts and even said that he felt I'm at the level that he was when he wore a brown belt. High praise indeed!
At home, I tried to resist, but accidentally had some beer followed by a large GnT. Lovely!

Saturday
A bit of DIY in the morning (repairing the shower in the girls' bathroom) was quickly followed by a couple of miles walking with the dogs.
After that, it was time for this week's 10k run. I set off determined to run faster than last time. It was a lot warmer than last week, which is an advantage for me, but I was still suffering the effects of manflu - my nose was almost completely blocked! By the two mile mark, struggling to breathe comfortably, I was pleased to find that I was 9 seconds faster than my last effort. I was quite sweaty by this point which I prefer to being cold!
I thought I was going really well in the second half of the run: I made a conscious effort to lengthen my stride and made sure I pushed hard up the hills. By the end of the run, however, I was disappointed to learn that I had only improved by 15 seconds. Oh well, gradual improvement is better than nothing I guess.

My brother and I are runing the Birmingham Great Run 10k next month. Our dad suffered with Macular Degeneration so we are running for the Macular Society. If you're kind enough to sponsor us, here is our Just Giving page.

After that, I decided it was a unhealthy eating day because Lucy and I went to visit her mother on her birthday: there were lots of retired ladies present and they all seemed to be brandishing homemade cake!

Sunday
Up at 7:20 to go cycling with Jonnie. We took it easy because a) it was Jonnie's first time out since the Mad March Hare and b) we were both still suffering the effects of manflu - I had a snotty nose and Jonnie had ringing in his left ear. The day started off with plenty of standing water in the lanes so I kept my speed low on the descents. Jonnie paid no attention to this potential hazard and got up to 36mph downhill. Madman.

Jonnie conquering Tom Hill.

After a tea and banana stop (we both decided to be good today and refused the homemade cake on offer!) we pointed the bikes north and headed for home. We bypassed The Farm today because there was a shoot going on nearby and the lanes were full of Range Rovers. 
We got back to Jonnie's and looked at his Strava results while drinking more tea.
Ride results: 31.87 miles @ 14.1mph
I spent the next couple of hours watching a bit of Paris Roubaix, dismantling a trampoline and burning scrap wood.
After that, Martha and I headed to the dojo for another of Sensei Mark's fast and fun lessons involving a lot of kata and a mini kata competition (I drew with my opponent but Martha won!)
At home, I prepared for the return to work tomorrow by eating healthily, avoiding booze and falling asleep in front of Paris Roubaix.

How to Lose a Belly When You're 41 (part 14)

Monday
weight: 10st 6lbs
Unsurprisingly, my week of booze and chocolate resulted in a 3 pound gain of flab.

Anyhoo, today is the first day of my 10K training, but instead of a run, I decided a ride was in order.
I went out late, about 4pm. The sky was big, bright and blue but the sun was low. This meant that some of the lanes were deep in shadow. Plus, the morning's rain had left standing water here and there, including two places where water was all across the road - I had to roll through with my feet up by the top tube to keep my socks dry!
It was a hilly 20 miles, Irelands Lane had me working hard and, of course, I had to give it the beans riding up through The Farm as usual. I came home with an average of 14mph. Slow but steady.

I ate healthily all day - muesli for breakfast, soup for lunch, homemade beef pie with loads of vegetables for dinner.

Tuesday
I got up early to run my first ever 10K. Yesterday, my brother, who has a nasty chest infection, put 10 kilograms on his back and then ran 10K in 53 minutes. My target for today was an unweighted 62 minutes (10 minutes per mile.)
The first thing I noticed about today's run was the cold! It was a bright and sunny morning but rather chilly. My fingers went numb and the muscles in my back were protesting. At the two mile mark, my time was under 20 minutes. Cool! I was ahead of schedule. By this point I had warmed up a little, and after 3 miles I was sweating! Towards the end of the run, my left knee was aching. I considered stopping to prevent damage but I was too close to completing my first 10K. By the end of the run, both knees were complaining and my time had slowed accordingly. However, I completed the run in 63 minutes and 10 seconds - only 70 seconds off my target.

I have 4 weeks to get up to speed ready for the big day. Then I just hope my bro doesn't mind slowing down and waiting for me!
I strapped up the left knee, had a 3-egg and mushroom omelette, watched some cycling and then went to see Batman vs Superman with the family (while enjoying a few alcoholic drinks!)
My review of Batman vs Superman

Wednesday
I had to go in to work to do a bit so I cycled there and back. Back at home, I hit the weights hard and did a solid hour's lifting including squats, deadlifts and overhead presses (as well as my usual dumbell work.) I even included 300 bodyweight reps!
I ate healthily all day and avoided the booze.

Thursday
I got up early to walk the dogs and then jumped on the road bike. I went balls out, trying to stay off the brakes on the descents and getting up out of the saddle on the climbs. I was only doing a short distance and was determined to make a 15mph average.
Once, when I first started road cycling as an adult and training for my first century ride, I was joined by an experienced cyclist in the lanes. He was asking me about my training and advising me to get SPD pedals. At one point, I was struggling to stay alongside him as we chatted. As we went over a motorway bridge, I glanced down at my computer which said 17mph. "Do you always go so fast?" I managed to gasp.
"This isn't that fast," he mumbled. Not long after, when we reached Lowsonford, he carried on without me.
Today, as I went over that same motorway bridge, I looked down at my computer and read 21.4mph.
Todays' ride was 16.4 miles at 15.2 mph.
In the afternoon, Eric turned up with a carload of tools and we set about working in the garden. We replaced 3 fence panels (we had to cut them to size first) and I got a fire going to burn the scrap. He repainted the summer house while I repaired the decking.
In the evening I made us a protein-rich meal of liver and vegetables which I washed down with a bottle of red.
During the work in the garden, I developed a sore throat. I put it down to all the woodsmoke I was breathing in...

Friday
I woke up and felt like crap. It was only 5am but I couldn't sleep with a horrible headache and aching limbs. I watched cycling on TV and drank Lemsip. Later, I walked the dogs and felt a bit better in the fresh air.
After some soup, I did three more hours in the garden - sawing and burning scrap from yesterday's work.
In the evening, Martha, Mabel and I went to karate. Mabel, who is only 11, enjoyed her first karate lesson and wasn't afraid to get stuck in with all of the different exercises.
Martha and I were singled out by Sensei Mark and he pushed us really hard to get our techniques strong and powerful. Afterwards, he came to chat with us to explain why he was pushing us so hard - apparently he thinks we're 'fantastic' and we're going to make good black belts! We left the dojo on cloud 9!
At home, I ate loads of chicken and salad and drank some more Lemsip. The cold got a little worse at night with lots of sneezing!

Saturday
I woke up at 4:30 feeling terrible. I got up to lie on the couch and watch cycling. My nose was running like a tap and my head was banging.
Today was the 50th wedding anniversary of Lucy's mom and dad, Jane and Eric - two of the nicest people I've ever met.
To cut a long story short, today was a whirlwind of people, food and drink from 1 in the afternoon until I finally left at 7:30. In that time, I didn't touch a drop of alcohol and I only ate healthily! I was suffering so much with my cold that all I drank was tea and Lemsip! It was a lovely day, despite the illness.

Sunday
Woke up feeling much better although I was obviously still poorly.
Today, I wondered around Kings Heath food market with the family and then went to see Jonnie and watch England narrowly lose the Twenty20 cricket final to the Windies. I got drunk and then went home to get drunker! I still remembered to eat healthily, however.

My new iPhone allows me to monitor my heart rate with an app. Here are the results: