How to Lose a Belly When You're 42 (part 31)

Monday
Blood pressure: 117/67
Resting heart rate: 53
It's still unbelievably hot. Many of classrooms at college were unbearably hot: Some of the Pre-16 Department students were literally walking out of their lessons and going home.
After suffering in a sweltering staffroom, I eventually got out of work at about 5pm and cycled home to cook a healthy dinner for the family.
While waiting for the potatoes to cook, I measured my blood pressure and resting heart rate: If the machine is to be believed, I'm astonishingly healthy for someone who loves cake and beer as much as I do! Maybe I should get a second opinion...?
I also sometimes remember to take my resting heart rate when I wake up using an app on my phone:

Resting heart rate when I wake up

After a bit of TV and some records I decided I had to do some exercise. I added a bit more weight on to my equipment and did a decent lifting session for an hour. I lifted heavier than last week. I was so sweaty in the heat that the bar was slipping down my back during squats!
I felt great afterwards. I had some cornflakes and fell asleep on the couch...
No junkfood, no booze.

Tuesday
Weight: 10st 5lbs
So, I failed to lose any weight last week. This means I really need to increase my efforts for the rest of this week - ideally so I can lose 2lbs before Monday.
Today, I enjoyed my ride to and from work in the heat and then Martha and I went off to dojo. It was monstrously hot and, in my heavy-weight karategi, I was sweating even before the warm-up started! We took part in an informal kata competiton. I was competing against Martha and I'm pleased to report that it was judged to be a draw. Phew!
Back at home, Lucy had prepared a wonderfully healthy meal of fish, rice and vegetables.
A cup of tea before bed.
No junkfood, no booze.

Wednesday
Usually, I have to take the car on Wednesdays. I work at Handsworth once a week and have to haul folders and student work over there. However, today was an exam day and all the exams were online! All I needed to do was turn up. So I jumped on the Specialized this morning instead of clambering into my car. How refreshing! It was a desperately hot day - not sunny or bright, just incredibly warm and muggy at 29 degrees. It was a nicer, fresher ride in the morning and I set a decent average of 14.1mph in rush hour traffic. I was going really well until the last 200 metres or so when a dickhead in a parked car opened his car door as I was going past. I was being overtaken at the time too! With nowhere to go I just shouted at him and he tucked himself in. I swore at him for a while which made me feel better.
In the evening, I had to ride over to Digbeth. This was a slow and sweaty affair in the 5pm rush hour. I was forced over into the gutter by a big estate changing lanes. I decided to give chase and managed to stay close to him until he finally arrived in our staff carpark! He was an older geezer, maybe management, so I just stood and stared at him while he nervously tried to reverse his big car into a parking space. When he looked like he might cry, I carried on up to my classroom. The ride home was awesome. The heat was ridiculous, like riding into a furnace, but once the bike was up to speed it felt like I was riding into a breeze (there was no wind at all today.)
I finally got home at 8:40pm - a lot earlier than I usually do! I rode a total of 22.8 miles at 13.9mph.
No junkfood, no alcohol.

Thursday
I cycled in to work and back today. At home, we had a barbecue in the backgarden with Jane and Eric. I didn't have anything from the barbecue and I didn't have any beer. I had roast chicken and a cup of Earl Grey tea. Sometimes, making the healthy choices isn't much fun...I even refused the chocolate and sweet stuff on offer after dinner.
After the in-laws had set off home, I got busy with the weights while Lucy had a snooze. I didn't lift any heavier than I did on Monday. The injury in the right arm was quite painful tonight, especially on curls.
No alcohol, no junkfood.

Friday
Cycled to work and back.
Martha and I attended the advanced Karate session with Sensei Ronnie Christopher. It was a good session which started with a kata competition and finished with some kumite drills. I lost to Martha in the kata competition! In the kumite, I was singled out by Sensei Jodi and trained with him for the rest of the night. Sensei Jodi taught MMA for ten years and is very strong and fast.
After class, I was approached by Sensei Chris 1st Dan. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked as he was strapping his gloves back on.
We did some sparring and he kept the pressure on while allowing me to practice some of my limited combinations and techniques. I was soon out of breath and sweating profusely. "You should be fitter," he said, as he slapped me in my gut.
When I thought it was over, Sensie Jodi stepped up. His approach was very different to Sensei Chris's: He was very relaxed and waited for me to attack him. Then he would counter strike, hard! I did manage to get a couple of kicks in before he beat me fair and square with an ashi barai that actually spun me 180 degrees! After these two bouts, Sensei Jodi did some pad work with Martha and me. The guy can hit really, really hard!
Back at the house, I scoffed homemade food and drank water.
No junkfood, no booze.

Saturday
Jonnie had invited Nigel and myself to watch the British Lions play New Zealand this morning. Kick off was at 8:30. Nigel made it but I suffered motivational issues and only turned up for the second half! After watching New Zealand romp to victory, we set off on today's bicycle ride. There was a crosswind for most of the ride but it was still warm. The lads were stripped down to one layer but I still wore my baselayer.
We devised a route made up of the Purity Route but turned left early to cut through Temple Grafton. It was a heads down, serious kind of ride today. Not much talking.
On one downhill section, I was holding Nigel up and he chose to overtake me on a blind bend. Unfortunately, this sent him out on to the wrong side of the road just as a car was coming the other way. Only Nigel's superb bike handling skills kept him upright and prevented him from smashing into the car. If only he had the road sense to match his skills! Nigel didn't seem particularly moved by the event but it did affect me greatly for a few minutes - I could have easily lost a mate today.
We gave it the beans up past the Purity brewery and kept the pressure on right up to Billesley. The very steep climb up Billseley Road caused much merriment as we were all caught in the wrong gear and I had lactic acid explosions in both legs!
At Wilmcote, we relaxed outside with homemade cake and fresh tea. I took the opportunity to strip down to one layer before setting off for the 15 miles home.
We were making good time riding as a team until Little Alne when I had to wait for traffic at a junction. The lads kept the pace high and it took me 5 miles to catch Jonnie on the A4189 towards Ullenhall! Nigel had gone off on one of his famous solo efforts and Jonnie and I were determined to reel him in.
It took me another 3 miles before I finally rode up to Nigel's back wheel in Tanworth. We chatted up Tom Hill until Jonnie came steaming up the climb to join us. The three of us rode along together until we reached the bottom of Jonnie's road. I'm pleased to report that I won the sprint for home today.
We finished the ride with a very good 15.5mph average. (Good for us, anyway!)

Nigel and I looking rather the worse for wear after our efforts today!

Later in the day, the family took Tilly to the airport to see her off on her holiday to Egypt. It was while we were at the airport that I enjoyed my first beer of the week (a very good Purity Longhorn IPA!) When I got home, I did some ironing and then enjoyed a Guinness while playing some old records.

Sunday
I had a lie in until 8 and then got ready for day of hill walking in Malvern! Mouse is in training for her World Challenge trip to Ecuador. This walk had been organised by a teacher at her school. At 11am, 17 of us set off from the North Quarry car park. It quickly became clear that bringing Freddie was a challenge in itself. Unless he was at the front, he would pull relentlessly on the lead util he was at the front - choking himself in the process - even though he wearing a chest harness, not a collar! He would also cause people to trip over the lead! And so, I had to spend the entire 4 and half hour walk at the front!

My faithful companions on the walk.

It was a very pleasant walk, with only the occasional cloudburst. The rain was sometimes welcome - helping to cool the walkers down a little. The lads from Mouse's school are very fit - two of them choosing to run up the hills!
We stopped off at a cafe were I succumbed to the temptation of Jane's homemade coffee cake which Lucy had packed for me. I had a cup of tea and a healthy sandwich too.
It was a very nice walk in beautiful surroundings, although the soles of my feet were aching in my brother's walking boots which have always been too big for me and which now have a hole in them!

Mouse leading her friends over the hills.

At home, I made a quick and healthy dinner for everyone and enjoyed three ales sipped throughout the course of the evening. What a nice day!

This week:
I exercised every day, drank a total of 5 beers and had two slices of cake and some chocolate biscuits. I hope to have lost a bit of weight...