How to Lose a Belly When You're 41 (part 25)

Monday
10st 4lbs
I woke up far too late to cycle to work and was forced to drive in with no breakfast!
The morning session was a boxing and weight training session with the Sports course lads.
After a horrible afternoon at work (one of my best students was expelled because of another tutor's inability to control behaviour in the classroom) I was nicely fired up for a weight-lifting session when I got home!
Unfortunately, 45 minutes into the workout, the arms failed and I couldn't lift another rep. Again, I had to make dinner with shaking muscles.
In the evening, I was easily convinced to try one of Martha's homemade cookies.
Lucy and I watched the latest episode of Game of Thrones with a glass of wine each.
45 minutes of weight training
No junkfood today (other than a tiny homemade cookie!)
One large glass of red wine.

Tuesday
Cycled to work and back in the rain.
Tonight's Karate session was fantastic! We were focussed on Kumite and I was lucky enough to work one-to-one with a black belt for most of the lesson. Sensei Gary occasionally had us perform some high speed, high power kata before returning to the fighting. It made for a very intense session indeed. Everyone, including black belts, had sweat running down their faces throughout the session.
A great workout and just what I needed!
At home, I sipped more red wine while I did some marking. But my heart wasn't in it and by 10pm I was on the couch watching cycling!
Karate lesson
No junkfood today
Two large glasses of red wine.

Wednesday
I had to drive in to work today because we had a meeting with Martha's tutor in Morton Morrell. 

After the meeting, we stopped off at the Crown Inn at Claverdon so we could buy Martha a well-deserved ice cream. This pub is only half a mile away from one of my regular cycling routes but I hadn't seen it before. Chatting with the barmaid she explained that it regards itself as a "local pub" and she was willing to accommodate us with our order of ice cream and tea in the bar! I had a pint of Pacific EPA from Cottage Brewing. It was a splendid pint, clean and crisp, and I had to make a conscious effort not to quaff it all in a couple of minutes! One I'll be looking out for again.
At home, I put the feet up, watched The Flash with the kids and sipped some more wine. Lucy had prepared homemade sausage casserole with loads of vegetables - awesome!
No exercise
No Junkfood
1 pint of ale, 1 glass of red wine.

Thursday
Cycled to work and back and then conducted a game of Dungeons and Dragons with the young people. After I'd dropped them all home, I was meant to pick up the weights bar. I sat on the couch and drank beer instead.

Friday
By this time, I'd given up trying to train properly. It's as if I'm now trapped inside someone else's body, and I'm disgusted as I watch him drink beer and eat cake.
At least I'd cycled to work and back today. 
I went along to the dojo and took part in a very sweaty basics and kata lesson with Sensei Gary. It was a fine lesson only slightly marred by the fact that the room isn't really large enough for the amount of people who now attend. There are kids everywhere!

Saturday
I called for Jonnie at 8:30 and we cycled out into the lanes. The road surface was mostly dry with damp patches and the occasional puddle. There was a cold wind blowing us south towards Stratford. We set a good pace, had a chat and the scenery was beautiful. After calling in to see Eric on his birthday and to eat some of his cake, we turned north to go home the short way. We had intended to go the long way through Snitterfield but I'd received a call while I was at the cake stop informing me that I was needed to assist a family member at hospital.

I'd intended to keep a steady 14mph average today, but now that the ride was being shortened by 10 miles I thought I should aim for a faster time to try to maximise the training. We worked hard on the hills, kept the pressure on when on the flat and eventually came home with a 15.0mph average over 42 miles. I'm happy with that!

Sunday
A lazy day out with Mom and my brother, then at a family gathering at Jonnie's house and then back with the girls. I had a cider and an ale in the afternoon and fell asleep on the couch. Action man!

How to Lose a Belly When You're 41 (part 24)

Monday
This was it! I was determined to get back into training and restart the weight loss.
I cycled in to work and my first lesson was a weight-lifting and boxing session with my sports group. Good work so far.
After college, I cycled home and then picked up the weights for myself. I did a good heavy session but was disappointed to learn that I couldn't keep up with the demands of my weight-training program - it got to the point where I simply couldn't do another rep!
With shaky arms and legs, I made a protein rich dinner with loads of veggies (Mexican scrambled eggs with peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions) and drank water.
I was pleased that my neck/shoulder injury didn't stop me lifting although it was rather sore afterwards.
No booze, no junkfood.

Tuesday
Cycled in to work and back.
At the dojo, it was a rather slow kata instruction lesson with lots of standing around and waiting for others. Probably good for my shoulder but not good for my weight loss intentions!
No booze, no junkfood.

Wednesday
Far too much work to do. I managed to cycle in to work and back but that was the only exercise for the day.

Thursday
I've blown it.
The amount of paperwork at college is basically unmanageable at the moment. At lunch time I realised that I'd have to cancel our Dungeons and Dragons game for that evening. At home, I found myself working at my desk in the man cave until 11:10pm when I called it a night. I couldn't resist a couple of real ales to help me through...
At least I managed to cycle to work and back.

Friday
I couldn't even use the bike today - I had to drive to a different campus at lunch time. 
I got home too late to attend the dojo. Instead, I walked the dogs and then drank some beers and got fatter.
Nigel, Lloyd and Jonnie all said they couldn't ride on Saturday.

Saturday
Go up feeling strong. I got on the bike and headed out for some solo miles. The roads were bone dry on the way out and I set a good average on the Honiley route - 15.8mph at the cake stop! After sitting with Jane and Eric for a while, I headed north for the remaining 15 miles. I kept the pressure on even when it started raining. I came home with a 15.6mph average speed over the 39 miles which is certainly my personal best for that distance!

Strava says 15.5mph average, my bike computer says 15.6mph.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent at a fantastic street party which Lucy had organised. I was lucky enough to be the DJ so I played some classic British pop hits, drank loads of beer, ate junkfood and undid all my good work on the bike. Looking at the tables of cake, scones and sausage rolls, Nigel suggested I changed the name of my blog to "How to Maintain a Belly When You're 41." Makes sense to me!

Sunday
I had foolishly agreed to meet Nigel, Lloyd and their mate (Andy?) for a ride this morning. After 8 hours of drinking beer and eating junk the night before, this wasn't the best idea.
Jonnie called for me and then we headed off to the Fieldhouse pub to meet the other three chaps at 8:40. It started raining a few seconds before we headed off on the ride. After 5 miles, my breakfast was still trying to decide whether it was going to stay in my stomach or not, I had a wonderful collection of indigestion/chest pains and my legs felt empty.
As the ride went on, the roads got wetter, my brakes got worse and my confidence on the descents went out of the window. Lloyd did some work on the front and proved himself to be more than capable. Nigel was his usual powerhouse on the flats. Their friend (serious enough to have shaved legs!) was the road captain.
At the Fleur de Lys, the blokes were so far up the road I'd lost sight of them. Thankfully, the road then started to climb and I started to reel them in. If the climb had been another half a mile longer I reckon I could have caught up. But as it was, I didn't and they had to wait!
By the time we got to Dynamic Rides I was done. Jonnie had had enough of the rain and joined me in heading for home. Nigel and the others met up with the Dynamic Rides chaps and did another 17 miles in the rain!
In the afternoon, Martha and I attended a good kicking and kata lesson which left me pouring with sweat - probably just what I needed!
In the evening, I had a quiet word with myself and decided that this has gone on too long. Four weeks of not training properly has left me soft and flabby - at this point I would be embarrassed to take my shirt off in public: but I'm going on holiday in 6 weeks and want to be in the sea with the kids! Even if I haven't got time to train, I must make sure I resist the booze and junkfood.
Tomorrow is day 1...again.

How to Lose a Belly When You're 41 (part 23)

Monday
Weight: 10st 5lbs
I woke up disappointed to find that my shoulder/neck is still aching. Looking it up on the internet, if I had to guess, I would say that it's the top half of my left trapezius that's damaged/strained (although how it happened is still a mystery - I woke up with an ache the day after the Pedal of Honour.)

Doctor, it's my left trapezius!

Not wanting to waste the day, and needing to bed in the new brake pads, I clambered on to the mountain bike and headed off towards the canal. It's always a pleasure to ride a mountain bike after a long period on a road bike - they're just so comfortable! However, the pleasure is short lived as soon as you have to ride along any stretch of tarmac...
The first few miles on the canal was a joy - just me, the bike, the canal and the occasional dog walker. However, I'd completely forgotten that it was a bank holiday: it wasn't just teachers who had the day off! So, as soon as I reached Lapworth Junction  the towpath became awash with middle class families who all looked uniformally miserable. How can they look so glum when they have the day off and are spending it in the fabulous English countryside?
Not having a bell, I rely on the Hope hub to make enough of a racket to warn of my approach. This nearly always works fine, but if they don't respond I just give a cheery "Excuse me!"
I was making very slow progress, at one point riding past a young lady who felt it necessary to shout at her friends, "Bike! Without a bell, apparently!". To be fair, she probably didn't hear me approaching over the sound of her fat thighs clashing together in her overstretched yoga pants.

Once past Lapworth Junction (Kingswood Junction?), and now on the Grand Union Canal heading north, the crowds thinned and I could build up a bit of speed. Deciding not to go back through Lapworth, I rode off the canal at Knowle and got on the road for the last 5 or so miles.
15.7 miles at 10.7mph.
The left knee was clicking a bit by the time I got home...
Unbelievably, tonight we were having friends for barbeque. Yes, that's 4 barbeques in the last four days. No wonder I was feeling a little porky! So, another night of family, friends, beer and burgers!

Tuesday
A lazy day with a bit of shopping. In the evening, Martha and I attended an intensive kata class run by Sensei Ronnie Christopher. We practised a total of no less than 9 kata during the lesson.
It made me think of a particularly intense session, about 14 years ago, by Sensei Paul Hexley. He had us perform, at full power, all 7 of the kata that we knew at the time. At the end of each of the 7 we then had to perform Heian Shodan again! So that was a total of 14 kata at full speed/power and he'd let you know if your stance was slipping! He might have given us a drinks break at the end of that. Probably not though...
Home for a beer and a large glass of red with homemade lasagna and a leafy salad.

Wednesday
Spent a lot of the day at work marking papers. Back at home, I feasted on Lucy's fabulous homemade frittata which was full of vegetables and devoid of cheese.
In the evening, I went to a party and took a phone call from Jonnie - he had decided that he had too much to do in readiness for his son's birthday party to ride with me tomorrow as we'd planned. Rather gutted, I called up Nigel. He had no hesitation in agreeing to ride but he had to be back for 12. Nice one Nigel! Then, about an hour later, Jonnie calls back and tells me that he'd had a bit of a meeting with his Mrs and that he could ride after all. He suggested a 12pm start to give him time to get his jobs done!
Tomorrow is going to be a cycling-filled day!
After driving us back home, I drank two beers and then stayed up far too late watching a Buddy Guy concert and drinking tea with Lucy and Debs.

Thursday
Up at 7:30 after dreaming of plane crashes and Scotch whisky.
Nigel arrived at 9am and we set off on my Ireland's Lane route. It's a rather lumpy route full of short sharp climbs and steep descents. At only 20 miles, you have to give it some welly to get anything out of it. Nigel gave the climbs a good go and even dropped out of his beloved big ring!
We got back to my house to be served with homemade pudding with tea and coffee.
An hour later, I called for Jonnie and the two of us headed on to the canal. 7 miles later we were sitting outside the Navigation enjoying our first pint of the day! 3 miles on, we found ourselves supping a pint at the Black Boy. Unfortunately, they insisted on pumping modern music into the beer garden so we only stopped for one.
A steady pedal back to the Navigation was followed by two more glorious pints (each!) of Timothy Taylor Landlord in the sunshine.
Now feeling decidedly unsteady, we carefully rolled along the canal for another 4 miles or so to the Wharf Tavern. We enjoyed 2 pints each of Holden's Golden Glow before very, very carefully making our way back to Jonnie's house for 5pm to join in with Harry's 15th birthday party! What an awesome sunny day of cycling and beer! (hic)

Friday
This morning, I loaded the mountain bike into the car and went to meet Deadly Dan and Craig at Cannock Chase! Dan was riding his new fat bike (4" wide tyres) and Craig was on his trusty Orange 5 full-susser. I, of course, took my 6 year old Halford's bike...
Cannock Chase had changed a lot since I was last here. There had been a lot of forestry work done with whole sections stripped of trees. It looked quite eerie at first, being able to peer down a hillside to see the trail stretching in front of you instead of vanishing into the trees. The trail fairies had been hard at work repairing wear and tear and apparently putting in some new jumps and drops!
As usual, Dan was first up the hills but Craig managed to stay with him on the downhills today. I normally rolled in about a minute later, but still enjoying myself!
Mindful of my injury, I didn't attempt some of the rock gardens but took the chicken run. I want to be able to train properly next week!
Anyway, here's Craig followed by Deadly on one of the exposed hillsides:

Saturday
This morning I rode to Kenilworth with Nigel and his mate Lloyd. They chose a very direct route along the A452. So, with traffic hurtling past me at 50mph I held on for dear life and tried to stay with the two blokes ahead of me! We stopped at a Costa cafe in Kenilworth. Never having been to one of these places before, I asked for a banana. They offered me some strange looking fruit that was due to be turned into a smoothie. I visited the greengrocers opposite instead. Unfortunately, during all of this, I forgot to pause my Strava so my average suffered...
The way back was more to my taste - it was very slightly uphill all the way home! I got on the front and did my best to stay there for the 13 mile journey back to base.
Lloyd proved to be a very capable rider - I couldn't shake him off my wheel on any of the climbs on the way back. Strangley, he never once got on the front for the whole 27 mile ride. Hmm... I'll be interested to ride with this guy again and see what he really has to offer on some of the hills that Jonnie and I tackle!
Ride: 27.3 @ 15.2mph
With this in mind, when we got back to the Fieldhouse pub, I arranged to take Nigel and Lloyd out with Jonnie next Saturday. I intend to take them south towards Wilmcote and then see what they're made of on the climbs on the way back. I promised them the world's best cake stop (at Jane and Eric's) and Lloyd said he was sold on the idea!

Sunday
On Sunday, Jonnie wasn't able to ride so I went solo down to Wilmcote and back. At the halfway point, I spent an hour in the sunshine with Jane and Eric. It was sunburn weather by now. On the way back, I reached a 16.0mph average but after the climbing, it had dwindled to 15.3mph by the time I got home. Still, I think that this could be my fastest speed over that distance.

Looking forward to training properly next week!