How to Lose a Belly When You're 42 (part 24)

Monday
10st 6lbs
So I didn't lose any weight last week. It still means that I've shifted five pounds this year. I'll keep on with my training program and hope that the weight starts to shift again. If it doesn't, I can always adjust things (cut down on the beer or cheat days.)
It's half term so I don't have to go to work! Instead of teaching naughty teenagers in the pre-16 department at college this morning, I went out for a leisurely bike ride in the countryside. It's been a while since it was just me, the bike and nature...
I rolled back home after 16 miles. I found that I did have to work quite hard just to stay above 13mph - I pushed it really hard yesterday and the legs were suffering this morning!
I decided that, with the mild sunny weather today, it would be a good time to give the bikes a good clean. I set about sprucing up the Specialised and Nigel's Giant. After about half an hour of scrubbing I decided to get serious on the Specialised and to get all of the grime and oily bits out of the transmission. The back wheel came off, the front rings and then the jockey wheels from the derailer. I gave everything a proper clean (with degreaser where appropriate) and then, when it was drying off, I brought the pieces into the man cave to work in the warm with some music on.
It was then that the problems began...
After putting everything back together, I tested it only to find that the bike was now dropping the chain in the smallest gear. I gave up and went to have dinner.

Exercise
16 miles at 13.2mph

Food
Cornflakes with semi-skimmed milk
Juice
Tin of tuna on wholemeal toast
Apple
Homemade roast turkey dinner with potatoes, vegetables and cauliflower cheese.

Alcohol
None

Tuesday
I spent the morning putting a lesson together for an observation I'm due to have on the first day back (Monday 27th.)
With that out of the way, I set about getting the Specialised back on the road. I tried everything I could think of: I took the jockey wheels out and put them back in again. I took the rings off, put them back in and re-tightened them about 5 times. I released the gear cable and indexed the gears. I reset the derailer. I adjusted, adjusted and I adjusted. I watched YouTube videos. I pored over my two bicycle maintenance books. I couldn't find what had gone wrong and why it was still dropping its chain. Eventually, for the sake of my own sanity, I had to take the bike in to the shop to have it repaired. I'm still angry and frustrated about it now: I hate it when I have to pay someone to do what I'm sure I could do myself. The answer was probably staring me in the face.
Karate was good again tonight. Martha was in a bad mood and didn't really want to go but her mother and I convinced her to get in the car. Sensei Julian Cunningham took us through our basics and then some kumite training. I was lucky enough to work with Sensei Joey, Sensei Mark and my mate Tony (2 belts higher than me) so it was all valuable training. It was a very sweaty session. Martha still claimed that she was in a bad mood but I think she secretly enjoyed it.
Back at home, I scoffed a lovely homemade dinner and watched TV. Half term rocks!

Exercise
One hour of karate training

Food
Toast with peanut butter
Juice
Tea
Homemade frittata
Coffee
Slow cooked ham with rice, curried potatoes and green beans.

Alcohol
None

Wednesday
I ran my weekly 10K before lunch. What a difference it makes to run in the daylight! I set my fastest time so far this year and my legs felt good.
I had some bad news about the bike: it's almost a write-off. I've basically ridden it into the ground. It can be saved but at a cost. After contemplating a new bike, I decided on spending the money on having it repaired. Watch this space.
I then built three IKEA units before taking my girl out to dinner at The Physician in Edgbaston. The dinner was great (we recommend the lamb) and the beers were good. The best beers there were two I already know and love: Boltmaker and Mad Goose. I also tried some others, including the multi CAMRA award-winning Titanic Plum Porter (I just thought it was too fruity - like drinking alcoholic Ribena. Not for me.) The setting was fantastic - big, solid-looking furniture in spacious rooms, real fires and interesting antique pictures on the walls. We'd go again (but may have to save up a bit first...)

Thursday
A day of rest. I spent most of it on the couch. Nigel came round with some beers to cheer me up after the bad news about the bike.
I ate healthily today but did no exercise and drank some beers.

Friday
This afternoon I went indoor rock climbing with the young people. Our teachers were inspirational, especially a blind rock climber named John Churcher. I wasn't as good as the kids, only managing to get to the top of one of the 4 climbs, but I did manage to get up fairly high. It is quite a serious workout on the upper body, especially the fingers!

Today I did a 2 hour karate lesson taught by Sensei Ronnie Christopher. The room is still far too small so it was quite frustrating trying to perform kata and take part in some sparring when everyone is so close.
Martha only joined me for the last hour. I can feel that she is losing her enthusiasm for karate but I don't know why. We've talked about it but she either won't or can't explain it.
No junkfood, no booze

Saturday
I always set my alarm to get up on Saturday mornings (7.30am) because I hate to waste my favourite day of the week. I made breakfast for Lucy and myself and then set about getting my lessons ready for next week. I'm being observed next week which doesn't make me nervous but it does mean I've got lots of pointless paperwork to produce.
After 3 hours of lesson preparation I was desperate for a break. I picked up the weights and set about a good hard session. I'm very pleased to report that I lifted heavier today than I have done for a decade! I was very pleased with myself when I took the dogs out for a walk.
In the evening, we attended the Wilmcote Village Quiz. There was a lot of of booze and a fish and chip supper on offer. I ate my fish, picked at a few chips and stuck to drinking water. Sometimes being in training isn't much fun...

Exercise
100 push ups
100 triceps dips
100 leg raises
Shrugs (48kg): 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Curls (40kg): 5 x 5
Squats (41kg): 5x5
Side raises (6.5kg): 5x5
Front raises (8kg): 5x5
Overhead Presses (29kg): 5x5

Food
Bacon, tomatoes and scrambled eggs
Juice
Tea
Banana
2 Scotch eggs
Pint of milk
Tin of baked beans on 2 wholemeal toast
A mini fish in batter with about 6 chips.

Alcohol
None

Sunday
This morning, I was riding Nigels' spare bike: the lovely carbon Giant. Unfortunately, it's too big for me (it's a medium and I ride an extra small.) My back started to ache after the first mile and didn't really stop for the next 49...
Distaster struck on today's ride. Uncle Jonnie's bike died after 15 miles. His chain had broken and detached part of his derailer in the process. He called for the broom wagon and we carried on. Nigel and I jumped in with a peleton shortly afterwards and found ourselves being whooshed along at 15.5 mph without making much of an effort. It really is a fine thing to get in someone's slipstream.
Nigel was on good form and spent the first half of the ride waiting for me to catch up! After a lovely tea and cake break in Wilmcote, we set off on the uphill section. Again, Nigel was really strong and, tired of darting off the front, he eventually settled on my wheel and let me set the pace. I'm happy, and rather shocked, to report that, despite the very strong wind, we manged to get 50 miles done in our target speed of 14mph.
After a shopping trip to B&Q, I spent the the rest of the day eating naughty food and enjoying some ales. I offered to take Martha to karate but she got very stroppy about it. I think her martial arts days are over - it seems to be more of a punishment than a passion for her now.

Exercise
Ride: 50.6mph at 14mph

Food
Cake, chocolate, ice cream, homemade apple pie, homemade soup...you name it!

Alcohol
4 or 5 ales.

How to Lose a Belly When You're 42 (part 23)

Monday
10st 6lbs
I lost 3 pounds last week! Okay, this is exciting news, but I need to understand why this has happened all at once. The only thing I did differently last week is I missed my weekend bicycle ride!
Does this mean that cycling makes you fat? Of course not, but maybe it's all the beer and cake afterwards that does? Food for thought...
I drove in to work today (I was so tired after my late night at the Red Lion) and then drove home to run my weekly 10K.
I rubbed the leg with Deep Heat and then did a bit of a stretch before I set off. The run itself was okay, the strange thing tonight was all the middle-aged men (not a single woman!) who were out running tonight. There were at least a dozen of us!
By the time I got back home, I was really tired; not quite exhausted but not far off. I had run my second fastest time this year. It took me a few minutes to get my breath back in the kitchen before cooking some dinner for the family.

Exercise
10K 63 minutes 47 seconds

Food
Peanut butter on crumpets
Tea
Juice
Homemade ham and salad sandwich.
Handful of nuts and raisins
Banana
Homemade Mexican scrambled eggs (with peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion and tortilla) with homemade potato wedges.

Alcohol
None


Tuesday
I cycled in on the Specialised.
I cycled home on the Specialised.
Martha was too ill to come to dojo but I went along. It was a great session - Sensei Mark pushed us hard in order to give us a taste of what the new senior grade training class will be like on Fridays.
It was all going well until I got injured during a sparring exercise with Sensei Chris. When I attempted to attack him with a left kizami-zuki, I found my hand bent over at the wrist when he blocked. A shock of pain went through me and then my wrist gradually went completely numb. When the pain came back it was worse. I struggled on to the end of the lesson and then drove home very carefully (it hurts to change gear.)
At home, I had some liquid pain relief...beer!

Exercise
cycled to work and back
One hour of karate training.

Food
2 crumpets with peanut butter
Tea 
Juice
Ham salad sandwiches
Homemade sausage casserole with pasta and vegetables.


Alcohol
2 bottles of stout


Wednesday
13 hours at work.
No exercise
No junkfood
No booze

Exercise
None

Food
2 crumpets with peanut butter
Tea
Juice
2 satsumas
Chicken and salad sandwiches (prepared at home)
2 fishcakes with noodles and green beans

Alcohol
None

Thursday
I cycled in to work.
For the sports session, I took the lads on a 2 mile run. 2 of them finished ahead of me, and one of the lads managed to keep up with me. Disappointingly, the rest of the Sports group failed to keep pace with this 42 year old man. It's a mixture of junkfood, laziness and smoking that's preventing them from reaching their potential. I've got lots of work to do with them!
I cycled home after homework club.
After dropping my Dungeons and Dragons players home, I started my hour long weights session. I was very pleased to find that the wrist held (I kept it strapped up tightly) and I managed to lift heavier than I have done in years! I went to bed sore but happy.

Exercise
Cycled to work and back
100 push ups
100 triceps dips
100 leg raises
Squats (41kg): 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Curls (39kg): 5x5
Shrugs (48kg): 5x5
Deadlift (54kg): 5x5
Side raise (6.5kg): 5x5
OHP (29kg): 5x5

Food
2 crumpets with 100% peanut butter
Juice
2 cups of tea
Chicken salad sandwich on wholemeal bread (prepared at home)
Homemade tuna pasta bake (with vegetables)
Cornflakes with semi-skimmed milk (after weight training)

Alcohol
None

Friday
My back was very, very stiff this morning and I found it a challenge to even stand up straight! Bloody weight training...
Happily, by the time I'd gone downstairs and put the kettle on, I was moving okay.
I cycled in to work and back.
In the evening, Martha and I attended the first of the Friday night advanced karate class with none other than Sensei Ronnie taking charge! As expected, it was a fast, hard and no-nonsense session. Sensei Ronnie managed to find time to tell us about how he won the British championship in the weight class above his own (he was a lightweight fighting as a middleweight!)
Martha rose to the challenge and didn't complain about the intensity or the pace. I was very proud of her.
Home for dinner and a couple of ales!

Exercise
Cycled to work and back
One hour of karate training.

Food
2 crumpets with peanut butter
Juice
Tea
Homemade tuna pasta bake
Handful of nuts and raisins
Homemade beef chili with white rice

Alcohol
2 bottles of ale

Saturday
Lucy and I went shopping up town today and then back to Solihull for lunch at the Fieldhouse. 
After waiting three hours for the ale I had with my lunch to work its way out of my system, I set up my weights for a session. I kept the wrist strapped just in case and the session went well. I lifted as heavily as I had earlier in the week.
I rewarded myself with two more ales in the evening...

Exercise
100 push ups
100 triceps dips
100 leg raises
Squats (41kg): 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Curls (39kg): 5x5
Front raise (8kg): 5x5
Deadlift (54kg): 5x5
Side raise (6.5kg): 5x5
Dumbbell curls (17kg): 5x5

Food
Bacon, tomatoes and scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast
Tea
Juice
Steak and ale pie with peas and chips
Pork with pasta, apples and green beans

Alcohol
1 pint of ale
2 bottles of ale

Sunday
Nigel called round at 9 and we set off into the countryside. The lanes were mostly dry but with a puddle here and there. Some lanes were rather muddy but, overall, nothing to worry about. My descending was good (for me) and I managed to stay with Nigel for most of the ride. About 18 miles in, riding through Snitterfield, we encountered a peleton of about 10 or 12 riders. I leapt into the middle of them and started chatting. With a rider by my side and two in front I was wafted along the lanes at a steady 17mph, sometimes without having to pedal! It's so much easier riding with other people!
Unfortunately, a couple of miles later, when we reached Featherbed Lane, I realised that Nigel hadn't been able to get in the group (all the while I had assumed he'd latched onto the back.) I let the pack go and drifted along while Nigel set a PR catching me up!
We headed down to Stratford while I felt terribly guilty about Nigel having to turn himself inside out to catch me up. 
We had picked up a silent wheelsucker along the way - a man in a high vis jacket. When we stopped for a wee, the guy carried on but then turned back, explaining that he didn't know which way to go! He thought we were part of an organised ride! I gave him the bad news and he turned around and headed back the other way.
We gunned it through Luddington and then Binton to finally arrive in Wilmcote with 33 miles in the legs. We were both running on empty and desperately in need of cake and a sit down. The scary thing is that on the Mad March Hare there will still be another 7 miles to ride before the feed station, including the massive climb up Saintbury Hill! 

Nigel and I feeling very happy about the fact that we still have 15 miles of climbing to go...

We left Wilmcote full of tea and cake and ready to tackle the climbs home. Our target average speed for today was 13.9 mph which is exactly what we had going through Aston Cantlow. I informed Nigel of this and suggested that to maintain that average was a very difficult task indeed. Nigel conceded that it was impossible.
However...
We dug deep, taking it in turns to lead, riding together on the climbs and, believe it or not, we emerged from Tanworth with a 13.7 average. We then had a three mile blast home to try to get that back up to 13.9mph. 
We did it! Nigel even beat me fair and square on the sprint today - I thought he was way down the hill when he was in fact on my wheel!

50 miles today

Target average speed achieved

Back at home, I had a most welcome lunch of homemade soup and toast before getting ready for dojo. I told myself to take it easy this afternoon but as soon as Sensei announced there was to be a kata competiton all of that went out of the window. I was aching everywhere, slightly dizzy and my heart rate was ridiculously high, even when I was just standing still! However, my team won the kata contest and I went home very, very tired but satisfied. 

Happy to sit on the floor after 50 miles of riding and then an hour of karate. I'm done.

Tonight, I ate junkfood and drank beer - it's the start of the half-term holiday!
Cheers! (hic)

Exercise
50 mile bike ride at 13.9 mph
One hour of karate training

Food
2 crumpets with peanut butter
Juice
Tea
Chocolate
Cake
Homemade soup with wholemeal toast
More chocolate
Beef casserole with vegetables and roast potatoes
Even more chocolate

Alcohol
5 bottles of ale/stout!

How to Lose a Belly When You're 42 (part 22)

Monday
10st 9lbs
Once again, I was very disappointed, but not surprised, to learn that I hadn't lost any weight last week. On Saturday morning I was down to 10st 7lbs, but my hedonistic weekend soon ruined any progress I'd made. Oh well, I'll keep going for a while longer but if I don't see results soon then the fun weekends will have to stop.
Today, I cycled in to work on the mountain bike because the brakes on the Raleigh are so bad. On the ride home, I got absolutely soaked - I really wish my mountain bike had mudguards!  After a quick change, I was back out in the rain for this week's 10K run.
This time, I'd smothered my right leg in Deep Heat and remembered to stretch before I left the house. I was wearing three layers against the cold so I felt prepared. Unfortunately, the leg was pretty bad early on - at one point my foot started to go numb! Still, I kept going and found that it had eased up after a couple of miles. By the time I got back home, over an hour later, I was very cold and aching everywhere. The strange thing is that I wasn't out of breath. Maybe my fitness is okay, it's just my puny leg muscles that let me down? The good thing is that it was my fastest 10K so far this year.
I cooked dinner for the family but couldn't resist a couple of ales tonight. Somehow, I felt I had earned them running around in the rain for an hour.

Exercise
Cycled to work and back
10 kilometre run: 63 minutes, 26 seconds.

Food
2 cups of tea
Juice
2 crumpets with 100% peanut butter
Chicken salad sandwiches on wholemeal bread (prepared at home)
Banana
Orange
Mexican scrambled eggs (with peppers, onion, tomatoes, mushroom and tortilla) served with homemade potato wedges.

Alcohol
2 ales

Tuesday
The karate lesson was once again taken by Sensei Julian Cunningham. The emphasis was on the correct kumite technique and partner work. I was lucky enough to partner Sensei Cunningham for a few minutes while we were practising ushiro geri. Even though he was taking it very, very lightly, let me tell you: his kick felt what it must be like to be thumped in the stomach with a concrete post!

Exercise
Cycled to work and back
One hour of karate training

Food
Toast with peanut butter
Tea
Juice
Chicken salad sandwich on wholemeal bread
Two plaice fillets with green beans 

Alcohol
None

Wednesday
No junkfood, no booze, no exercise

Exercise
None

Food
Tea
Toast and peanut butter
Juice
Banana
Apple
Ham and salad sandwiches on wholemeal bread
Homemade bolognese with wholewheat spaghetti

Alcohol
None

Thursday
This afternoon, I worked hard with my sports group as we put ourselves through a hard warm-up. I joined in with the football too - as usual I was hopeless but I enjoyed myself.

Working hard with the Sports Group.

Back at home, after dropping off my RPG players, I picked up the weights at 10pm for an hour long session.. I lifted the heaviest I've managed so far this year.

Exercise
Cycled to work and back
100 push ups
100 triceps dips
100 leg raises
Front raise (8kg): 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Squats (40kg): 5x5
Curls (39kg): 5x5
Dumbbell curls (17kg): 5x5
Side raise (6.5kg): 5x5
OHP (29kg): 5x5

Food
Tea
Juice 
Toast with peanut butter
Ham and salad sandwich on wholemeal bread 
Leftover homemade bolognese with wholewheat pasta
Cornflakes and semi-skimmed milk (after lifting!)

Alcohol
None

Friday
A meeting at Digbeth after lessons at Hall Green meant a total of 14 miles riding today. I used the Specialized and marvelled at how fast it is compared to the Raleigh and he mountain bike.
The dojo was packed tonight, with Sensei Mark and Sensei Russell making good use of what little room they had to work with. The good news is that there will be an additional lesson added on to Friday nights from now on - just for brown and black belts! I can't wait!
No booze, no junkfood.

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

Food 
Tea and toast with peanut butter
Juice
3 vegetable burgers (with actual vegetables in them) with green beans and noodles

Alcohol
None


Saturday
Up early to collect the stuff I need for the pub quiz on Sunday from work (I'd forgotten to bring it home last night.) Then on to Lichfield to help a mate move house. He seemed to have picked the heaviest items he owned so it was a real test of strength. Ever tried carrying a cross-trainer down a flight of steps? My forearms felt like they were on fire. How do you train forearms?
We rewarded ourselves with a pub lunch including a pint and a half of ale.
The afternoon was spent at the Arden club watching England defeat Wales in the rugby. I saw Nigel and Young Chris and was introduced to another cyclist called Andy (he will be known as Bald Andy.)
At home, Lucy had prepared an awesomely healthy, slow-cooked chicken curry - the meat was so tender it was falling apart!
To bed after one last beer in front of the TV (Taboo with Tom Hardy.)
Unfortunately, there was little time to do any exercise today.

Exercise
None

Food
Tea and toast with peanut butter
Juice
Beef chili with rice.
Homemade chicken curry with white rice.

Alcohol
2 and a half pints of ale
1 pint of Guinness
1 small whisky
1 bottle of ale

Sunday
Another super busy day!
Up early to run our tabletop sale with Jane and Mouse. Lucy had prepared homemade sponge cake and there was no way to resist...
After making a bit more money for Mouse's Ecuador challenge, I went home to finish off the curry from last night. I then went along to dojo and was very happy to discover that Sensei Ronnie Christopher was taking the class. He was a last minute replacement for Sensei Gary (who was at a competition in Wales.) He turned up in a track suit and reassured the beginners, who had no idea who he was, that he had trained before!
Sensei had me teaching for some of the lesson. At then end, I explained to the beginners that Sensei was a double world champion and a 6th dan black belt!
After dojo, I picked up Martha from a date and dropped her new boyfriend home too. After this, I prepared for a pub quiz I was running in aid of the Ecuador challenge. The quiz went well apart from the fact that we only had two teams turn up. I don't feel like doing it again.
I went home to drink beer in front of the TV until midnight.

Exercise
One hour of martial arts training

Food
Crumpets with peanut butter
Tea
Juice
CAKE!
Chocolate covered Brazil nuts
Homemade curry with white rice.

Alcohol
1 bottle of ale
1 pint of Guinness
1 bottle of stout

How to Lose a Belly When You're 42 (part 21)

Monday
10st 9lbs
I've lost another pound in weight. The weight loss is happening a lot more slowly than I had hoped for - I'm currently shedding a pound every fortnight! Oh well, at least I'm not putting any on...
I woke up decidedly shaky after my four beers last night. I thought a cycle ride to work would help but when I got there I felt decidedly worse! I took some painkillers and got on with my day. On the cycle home, I stopped off to see Pete at the LBS. I came away with a brake cable and some bar tape ready to do battle with my rear brake at some point this week.
Tonight's 10K run was disappointing. It was even slower than last week's run, which was slower than the week's before... My fitness is going in the wrong direction!
Home to eat healthy foods and watch Arrow on TV with the family.
No junkfood, no booze

Exercise
10K run: 67 minutes, 19seconds
Cycled to work and back

Food
2 crumpets with 100% peanut butter
Juice
2 cups of tea
Cup of coffee
Banana
Apple
Handful of nuts and raisins
3 slices of fruit loaf
Crumpet with a slice of ham
Mexican scrambled eggs (with peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and onion) served with homemade potato wedges.

Alcohol
None

Tuesday
I cycled to work in the rain. The only bike I have with mudguards is the Raleigh so I used that even though it has dodgy brakes at the moment.
I cycled home and then Martha and I set of for dojo.
What a surprise we had in store for us! Taking the lesson tonight was 5 times National Kumite Champion, Sensei Julian Cunningham! Obviously, it was a kumite lesson, with Sensei Cunningham taking our techniques right back to basics - building from the stance up. Martha remarked how the group was extremely well behaved tonight - no talking from the teenagers and no 'playing' from the little ones. The lesson was over far too quickly and we're looking forward to having him back again.
At home, I scoffed my healthy dinner and then, when everyone was in bed, I set about replacing the rear brake cable and outer casing on the Specialized. It took a while - most of my tine spent trying to thread the cable through the STI shifters.

The man cave is now a bicycle workshop

Exercise
One hour of martial arts training

Food
3 crumpets with 100% peanut butter
Juice
Cup of redbush tea
Malt loaf
Banana
Spicy salmon steaks with savoury rice. tomatoes and vegetables

Alcohol
None


Wednesday
My long day at work. I have to teach at Handsworth and then Digbeth which means transporting loads of paperwork over to these places from my base at Hall Green. So I drive the car.
Got to work at 7:55am, left at 9pm.
No junkfood, no booze.

Exercise
None

Food
Crumpets with peanut butter
Juice
Tea
Chicken salad sandwich (prepared at home)
Orange
Sausage casserole with vegetables

Alcohol
None

Thursday
I like Thursdays. I rode in to work in the rain. The brakes on the Raleigh are almost dead - I really must do something about them! I did some circuit training with the lads this afternoon. I really am so unfit compared to most of them. It's only my determination and ability to suffer that allows me to keep up. Then we played a bit of football and I was crap as usual!
Ride home, play Dungeons and Dragons with the young people, drive them all home and then finally pick up the weights at 10pm. I did a good session and increased my squats to 40kg. Squating 40kg isn't much of a problem (although I do feel it in the legs!), the problem is lifting 40kg up and over my head. I wish I had the room for a squat rack...

Exercise
100 push ups
100 triceps dips
100 leg raises
Deadlift (54kg): 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Dumbbell curls (17kg): 5x5
Front raise (8kg): 5x5
Shrugs (48kg): 5x5
Curls (38kg): 5x5
Squats (40kg): 5x5

Food
Wholemeal toast with peanut butter
2 x tea
Juice
Ham and salad sandwich on wholemeal bread (prepared at home)
Homemade beef chili with wholewheat pasta

Alcohol
None

Friday
Cycled to work
Cycled home
Went to the dojo
Did a fantastic session with Sensei Ronnie - my training partner for some of the evening was Sensei Mark!

Exercise
one hour of martial arts training

Food
Crumpets with peanut butter
Juice 
Tea
Tuna and salad baguette
Spicy chicken, pork belly with salad and homemade potato wedges.

Alcohol
None

Saturday
Resting heart rate: 39
A resting heart rate that low doesn't seem right to me. I'm a chubby guy in his forties who used to smoke and who enjoys a few beers at the weekend. I shouldn't have the resting heart rate of a teenage Olympic athlete. Maybe I should speak to my GP?
Nigel called for me at 9 and we sped off into the lanes. Jonnie wasn't allowed to ride this morning and was sorely missed.
I wasn't on form today and Nigel was on fire. He was riding on brand new, top of the range carbon wheels, and his training was paying off. I suggested to him a couple of times that we could ride at the target average (22kph) today but he was understandably eager to test himself - so we went through a pattern of Nigel speeding off and then waiting for me. Then he'd do it again...
There was no way I could stay with him today. He is into his 5th week of not drinking and he's doing a lot of work at the gym. It's paying off!
I still managed to beat him in the final sprint using some traditional club riding techniques...
We achieved our target average once again.We stopped off to see Jonnie and I helped myself to a malted recovery drink.
Tonight was a big party up at Jonnie's house. Family and friends got together and got horribly drunk. There was also Jonnie's fabulous curry on offer (later, this had a disastrous effect on my digestive system at about 3 in the morning.) I managed to restrict myself to five or six ales and stayed relatively sober (compared to the rest of them!) and was in bed by midnight.


Exercise
40 miles at 14.0mph (according to my bike computer.)

Food
Cake
Curry
Cookies
You name it...

Alcohol
5 or 6 real ales
1 bottle of lager (330ml)

Sunday
A day of rest. 
I spent a lovely afternoon at Wilmcote watching the football and gossiping with friends and family. I drank beers, ate junkfood and did no exercise whatsoever.
Back in training tomorrow!