How to Lose a Belly When You're 42 (part 20)

Monday
10st 10lbs
I didn't lose any weight last week. I guess I enjoyed my weekend a little too much! Still, I lifted a little heavier, ran faster and cycled a bit further. I'll stick to the plan for now and see what happens.
Today, I cycled in to work on the Specialized - the brakes are too worn on the Raleigh now. I'll service the brakes at the weekend.
Tonight, I went for a 10K run. I covered my right leg in deep heat but forgot to stretch before I went. The pain in my calf came on early and quickly climbed its way up to the area behind my knee. It was so bad that I was about to stop before I got to the two mile mark when it began to fade away. By about 2.5 miles in I was pain free. The rest of the run was slower than last week but I finished strongly. Still making progress!

Exercise 
10K: 66m 31s

Food
2 x crumpets with 100% peanut butter
Cup of tea
Juice
Pear
Banana
Handful of nuts
Mexican scrambled eggs (with mushroms, tomatoes, peppers, onion and tortilla) served with homemade potato wedges

Alcohol
None


Tuesday
After a great day at work, I went along for a great session in the dojo. Sensei Mark drilled us in basics, kata and kumite. His sessions are fast-paced, serious and motivational. I got a bit warm in my heavy-weight karategi, but I still wasn't sweating. I do miss the high-intensity karate of Sensei Paul Hexley - sometimes you need to be so tired that you don't know which way is up (and then he'd probably start hitting you.)

Exercise
cycled to work and back
One hour of martial arts training

Food
2 x crumpets with 100% peanut butter
Cup of tea
Coffee
Juice
Pear
3 slices of Fruit loaf
Homemade sausage casserole with wholewheat pasta and cabbage

Alcohol
2 bottles of stout

Wednesday
Wednesday is my long day at work. Today, I got to college just before 8am and left just before 9pm. 13 hours at work was enough to drain me of all thoughts of exercise and to provide of an excuse to drink two beers when I got home. Cheers!

Exercise
None

Food
2 x crumpets with 100% peanut butter
Cup of tea
Juice
Mixed nuts with dried fruit
2 x chicken salad sandwich on wholemeal bread (prepared at home)
2 x vegetable burgers with noodles and loads of green beans.

Alcohol
2 bottles of ale


Thursday
So cold! I went in to work on the mountain bike today. It's a lot heavier than my road bikes so I have to work harder, but this still didn't warm me up. It was bloody freezing!
With the sports group in the afternoon, I did a good warm up and then joined in with the football. I'm hopeless at football but I still enjoyed myself.
I cycled home in a freezing cold wind.
I started my weight lifting session at 10pm after a game of D&D and driving my players home. I managed to lift slightly heavier than last week (I increased my barbell curl to 38kg 5x5.)
I indulged in cornflakes on the couch afterwards because  I was so hungry.
No junkfood, no booze.

Exercise
Cycled to work and back
100 push ups
100 triceps dips
100 leg raises
Barbell curls (38kg): 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Dumbbell curls (17kg): 5x5
Shrugs (48kg): 5x5
Front raise (8kg): 5x5
Side raise (6.5kg): 5x5
Squats (39kg): 5x5

Food
2 crumpets with peanut butter
2 cups of tea
Juice
3 slices of malt loaf
Banana
Homemade vegetable and green bean curry with brown rice
Bowl of cornflakes with semi-skimmed milk

Alcohol
None

Friday
I do love Fridays. I cycled in to work on the mountain bike. I was so cold when I got to college that I had sit on my hands for a while in order to warm them enough to log in to my computer!
The cycle home was actually a bit sweaty - the weather had warmed considerably during the day.
In the dojo tonight, Sensei Ronnie took us through a kumite basics lesson. At one point he used me in a demonstration. He told me which kick he was going to do and told me how to defend against it. He still managed to kick me before I could react - I felt the kick before I saw it. The man is incredible. Point made.
At home, I watched Captain America: Civil War with Mouse and Lucy while I accidentally drank 3 real ales.

Exercise
Cycled to work and back
One hour of martial arts training.

Food
2 wholemeal toast with peanut butter
Juice
3 cups of tea
Sliced chicken breast with salad and couscous
Scampi with loads of greens and homemade potato wedges

Alcohol
3 bottles of real ale

Saturday
Lucy and I picked up Tilly's new car today. It still sounds like a motorbike.
After walking the dogs, I set up my weights for an hour session. I did well, substituting in some overhead presses and deadlifts. At first, I struggled with the deadlifts because of a dull pain that flared up on the left side of my back when I was lifting. I adjusted my belt so that it was a tight as it would go and took it reeeaaally slowly. I got through it without injury.
In the evening: a mechanical nightmare! I had just finished changing the brake blocks on my Specialized and was testing the action when I noticed that the brake wasn't springing back into position when I released it. I thought I'd give the cable a good bit of lubrication and make sure everything was running smoothly. When I took things apart I found that the cable was covered in orange rust inside the outer cable casing. It was now about 7pm and all bike shops were shut. I cycled round to Tesco to see if they sold cables but I was unsuccessful. In the end, It was Nigel who saved my weekend by allowing me to use his spare bike.
So it was that I found myself setting up a Giant carbon bike ready for use in the morning. I raised the saddle, titled the handlebars downwards and put my pedals on. During this process, I noticed that his back wheel was wobbling from side to side, even though it was secured tightly in the frame. Not good.
Still, I was very grateful to Nigel for making it possible for me to join the ride tomorrow. I went to bed excited for the morning.
No junkfood, no booze.

Exercise
100 push ups
100 triceps dips
100 leg raises
Barbell curls (38kg): 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Dumbbell curls (17kg): 5x5
Deadlift (54kg): 5x5
OHP (29kg): 5x5
Side raise (6.5kg): 5x5
Squats (39kg): 5x5

Food
2 x bowl of cornflakes with semi skimmed milk
2 bananas
Half a bacon sandwich (made with wholemeal toast.)
Bowl of wholewheat pasta with a tin of tuna chucked in.

Alcohol
None

Sunday
I got up at about 7:30 feeling great (i.e. not hungover!)
After breakfast, I did a quick service on the Giant: pumped up the tyres, lubricated the chain and adjusted the saddle again. I got to Jonnie's and found Nigel already there. I adjusted the saddle one last time and then we set off into the lanes.
Ice everywhere!
The puddles of rain water had obviously frozen overnight and we were left with sheets of ice on the road on our way to Wilmcote. Jonnie led from Tanworth and so it was that Nigel and I witnessed his crash on the ice heading up a hill towards Ullenhall. He landed very well, stretching out his arm and taking the impact along his side. He was up in a flash and giving his bike the once over. We stopped three elderly gents cycling down the same hill and warned them of the ice. Their average age must have been over 70 and there they were in the lanes on a freezing morning in January! It was like looking into the future! I hope Jonnie, Nigel and I will be like that in our retirement (along with Fast Ant, Deadly Dan and all the other good blokes I rode with.)
Jonnie assured us he was okay so we strove on to Wilmcote. We put in a good dash through Aston Cantlow and made short work of the final hill before tea and cake.
The return journey was great! We went through Snitterfield, High Cross and then Lapworth. It was raining so the ice melted away. We got very wet but not too cold (I had four layers on today along with two pairs of socks and two pairs of gloves.) I felt strong and was eager to achieve today's target (13.6mph) even in the ice and rain.
By the way, the carbon bike is a revelation! It storms up the hills with what feels like minimal effort from me. After riding steel and aluminum bikes all my life, to suddenly use carbon made me feel like a runner who trains with ankle weights until he takes them off on the day of a race. I floated along the flats and motored up the ascents - sometimes still in the big ring without noticing it. One day, when I can afford it, I'll be buying my dream bike - a carbon frame with lightweight wheels and hydraulic brakes.

Yes, the bar tape did make me go faster.

I'm pleased to say that we all made it back within our target speed of 13.6mph (Strava claims we did it in 13.9mph) so I'm very satisfied with that.
However, I did feel the effects of the ride when I got home: elevated heart rate and aching legs. I decided to let myself rest and give karate a miss. As my triathlete coach friend says: "Listen to your body."
After a shower, a spot of ironing, and lubricating Nigel's bike, the remainder of the day was spent eating lots, drinking more than I should and watching TV with the family. Perfect!

Exercise
Ride: 35 miles at 13.9mph

Food
2 crumpets with 100% peanut butter
Juice
2 cups of tea
Huge slice of cake
Hobnob biscuits!
Huge meat and veg pasty
140grams of chocolate covered Brazil nuts
Homemade steak mince pie with loads of vegetables and roast potatoes

Alcohol
330ml bottle of lager
4 real ales