How to Lose a Belly When You're 43 (part 8)

Monday
10st 1lbs
My weight is going the wrong way, which is unsurprising considering that last week was a boozy cake-fest. I must remind myself that I have high cholesterol...
Today I leaped on the bike and cycled in to work and then pedalled home to cook dinner for the family. I managed to avoid junkfood all day. We watched episode 2 of Daredevil together. I was very impressed by the show - particularly the homage to the Oldboy corridor scene. Obviously, the Daredevil scene used some very clever CGI whereas the Oldboy scene is devoid of too much fancy trickery (I read that the knife in his back is the only CGI added.) Still, both scenes are awesome and Daredevil is highly recommended based on the two episodes I've seen.
After reading some Batman with Mouse, I hit the mancave to do some weight training. I still kept it light and fast, but increased the weight a little from last week.
No alcohol, no booze.

Tuesday
Cycled in to work and back.
Martha came with me to the dojo tonight but soon found that she couldn't train because of an injury to her foot. I spent most of the evening training with Sensei Jody. I felt I held my own in the sparring techniques but let myself down in the line up at the end of the session. I was too slow and my opponents too fast! Must get fitter!
Home for a huge dinner of homemade meatballs and pasta.
No junkfood, no alcohol.

Wednesday
10st 0lbs
Cycled to work and back. Tonight, I did another light and fast workout. I treated myself to two bottles of stout after dinner.
No junkfood.

Thursday
I cycled in to work and back. In the evening, I went out for my weekly 10K run. It was rather cold and I had three layers on (but still wore shorts!) I set off a little bit too quickly because I was feeling strong. I ended up suffering for the last two miles but still made it back in a reasonable time of 63m 21s. This is a miserable time for most runners but not too bad for me when compared to recent efforts.
At home, I managed to resist a beer with my delicious dinner of homemade Cajun chicken with sweet potatoes and salad. Mega healthy!
No alcohol, no junkfood.

Friday
Cycled in to work and back.
I dropped Martha at work and then went along for Sensei Ronnie Christopher's advanced Karate class. It was entirely kumite-based which is a bit disappointing because I'm in a kata competition on Sunday. However, I was lucky enough to work with Sensei Jody and he took me through the techniques patiently while hardly saying a word. At one point he 'volunteered' me to demonstrate three kicking techniques to the class. Confidence boosting stuff! We did some fighting at the end and, as usual, I was crap, but maybe not as crap as last time...
Just two beers with dinner tonight. No junkfood.

Saturday
Up at 7 and it was raining. I cycled up to Jonnie's for 9am and it was still raining. We set off on the High Cross route in the pouring rain. It was cold too; feet, hands and face-numbingly cold.
We quickly agreed that it was one of our Hard Men rides and compared it to the Mad March Hare conditions! The only thought that kept me going was that it must be toughening me up.
We got to the cakestop completely soaked and chilled to the bone. After some tea and cake and a change of socks for me, we headed back out into the rain. We slogged on, mainly in silence and dragged ourselves all the way home to finish our 36 miles at 14mph.
We were tired, freezing and soaked through. Cyclists will know how this feels, but for non-cyclists, imagine this:
Stand in front of a fridge freezer with the door open and stick your hands in the ice compartment. Get a friend to hose you down with a steady spray of cold water (paying particular attention to the feet and backside because we don't have mudguards.) Then jog up and down on the spot. For two and a half hours...
I was far too cold to contemplate stopping at Jonnie's to sit around in wet clothes, so I just continued home and walked directly into a warm shower still wearing my cycling gear!
A little later, I walked the dogs around the park and then picked Martha up from work on the way home.
In the evening, I had a couple of beers with dinner and then went to bed early ready for the Karate competition in the morning.

Sunday
I had a humdinger of a nightmare at about 4:30am and couldn't get back to sleep after that. I eventually slid out of bed at about 6:45.
Today was the Central England International Open Karate Competition in Worcester. Unfortunately, Martha had too much college work to do and so couldn't take part.
After breakfast, I drove over to Cocksmoor Woods and met the rest of the squad representing Ruach Karate. Sensei Gary drove us to Worcester in a minibus. I was only entered for one event: over 40s kata. Four of the squad were having a go at the fighting. I had originally put my name down for kumite too but the cost of the necessary shin pads and chest guard put me off. I'd have to spend over £200!

Worcester University - The size of the venue was a little daunting!

The standard was very high today. It was obvious that the vast majority of competitors were dan grades (black belts.) All of the young people from our club performed brilliantly in the kata events but it wasn't enough to get them through to the next round.

Me with some of the squad who were brave enough to take part today.

Lucy unexpectedly turned up to spectate just before lunchtime. She'd chosen to drive 50 miles and give up half of her Sunday just to see me take part in one of my hobbies! My girl's the best.

My Bassai Dai in the first round of the over 40s kata contest

In my event, I quickly ran out of kata. After using up my Bassai Dai, I was left with a choice of heian kata. It wasn't enough but I did manage to win a silver medal which I was pleased with. I later learned that the winner was a senior black belt who represented England a few years ago.

Me in silver

I have arranged to learn Empi from Sensei Jody so I can have a realistic chance at gold next time.
After some brave and determined efforts in the fighting from Dan, Sunny, Tony and Jamie it was time to head back.

I got home to a hero's welcome and, more importantly, homemade pie! When everyone was in bed, I did a fast and light weights session and then watched Star Trek: Discovery with two beers.
No junkfood.

How to Lose a Belly When You're 43 (part 7)

Monday
10st 1lbs
I had to drive to work in Tilly's car today. I dropped it in for Kwik Fit to have a look at the exhaust. They wanted far too much money to replace two bits. I ended up paying my friend Scott half of the Kwik Fit quote to replace the whole exhaust.
At home, I did a weight lifting session which was just a little heavier than last week's.
I had a couple of beers tonight.
No junkfood.

Tuesday
Cycled to work and back.
At the dojo, it was a hard kata session run by Sensei Gary. Both Sensei Jody and I agreed that it was the kind of session we needed!
No alcohol, no junkfood.

Wednesday
Today was a write-off as far as a healthy lifestyle is concerned. I did no exercise apart from cycling to work and back, I also indulged in some tasty treats!
In the evening, I met up with my good mate Chris to see RIDE in concert.

Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Steve Queralt

I was a big fan of RIDE when  I was a teenager. I had the T-shirt, the records and I'd seen them when the played at the Hummingbird in Birmingham. I remember them as sounding a lot heavier than they were tonight. Obviously, they're a shoegazing band so they have their tender, introspective moments with the cleaner guitar tones but I seem to remember the louder bits being more dramatic. Maybe it was where I was sitting.

RIDE at the Institute, Birmingham 2017

Anyway, it was still a very enjoyable gig and a great night out with one of my oldest friends.
Unfortunately, I had to leave early, at the start of Leave Them All Behind which is one of my favourite tunes of all time! I managed to get the 11pm train and was tucked up in bed before midnight.

Thursday
9st 12lbs
I cycled in to work and back. Unfortunately, on the way to work, I had another of my ridiculous heart 'flutters'. This was followed by another one about 2 hours later when I was right in the middle of teaching (I was actually mid-sentence!) My appointment with the cardiologist is on the 22nd of this month. I need to get this sorted as soon as possible, but I'm also dreading what they're going to tell me. Will I have to give up cycling? Cake? Martial arts? Beer? Teaching? It doesn't bear thinking about.
This evening, with thoughts of heart disease hanging over me, I decided not to go for my 10k run. I did a light weights session instead.
I needed a couple of beers after dinner.
No junkfood.

Friday
I cycled to work and back.
In the evening, Martha and I attended the advanced karate session run by Sensei Gary. We both agreed that Sensei Gary was stricter and scarier than Sensei Ronnie tonight! His session reminded me of training 18 years ago where you were expected to perform kata at full power, one after another, without a break. The kumite half of the lesson was fantastic and I was lucky enough to train with Sensei Jody and Sensei Joey. They both pushed me hard. During the competition at the end I managed to defeat Sensei Joey but only after some suspicious refereeing from Sensei Gary!
Home for some beer and the final episode of season 2 of Stranger Things. It's one of the best shows I've seen on TV for a long while. Highly recommended.
Later, Lucy and I stretched out on the couch to watch an Elvis concert DVD.

Saturday 11th November
Up at 7 to go riding. It was cold enough for me to see my breath. Jonnie and I set off to ride the shortened Purity Route where we turn left at Temple Grafton. The roads were very wet with standing water everywhere, but the rain was only light. Thankfully, there was no wind.
We didn't worry too much about the average and chatted away through the lanes discussing Monty Python sketches. We arrived at the cakestop after 20 miles. With not a mudguard between us, we were both wet and muddy.  Unfortunately, the cakemaker was away this morning, but she had left us some cake to enjoy with our tea. After observing the silence at 11am, we headed uphill for home. Thankfully, it had stopped raining and the sun was even making an appearance. My wet legs began to warm up and I was in danger of breaking a sweat!
We struggled on up the hills determined to maintain a 14mph average. It dropped to 13.9 after Tom Hill but we soon clawed that back on the flat run for home.
Jonnie destroyed me on the uphill sprint for his house!
We enjoyed a couple of bottles of hop-based energy drinks and then I headed home for a cup of tea and some eggs on toast.
Ride: 35 miles at 14.0mph.
In the evening, Lucy opened a box of chocolates 'for Christmas' and I opened some beers!

Sunday
This morning, Mouse, her friend H and I set off for the monthly Alderbrook Tabletop Sale. We set up across 4 tables selling old CDs, books, clothes and bric-a-brac. We made £28 and had a good giggle.
We didn't get back until 2pm so I didn't have time to unload the car, eat lunch and be able to get ready for dojo. Plus, Martha is currently injured and couldn't train. Instead, after lunch, I went out for my weekly 10 kilometre run. I got round in 64 minutes 50 seconds and it was bloody cold!
In the evening, we had 5 family and friends join us so Lucy did a fabulous Sunday Dinner for ten. I was very hungry after my run so I ended up having 2 dinners, 2 helpings of apple pie and 2 beers! Too much!
I went to bed bloated.

Not a good week as far as my health and training are concerned. I'll have to take things a bit more seriously next week, especially with the karate competition on Sunday and the gradings next month.

How to Lose a Belly When You're 43 (part 6)

Monday
10st 1lb
It was rather cold cycling in to work today. My hands were cold in my winter gloves. It might be time to wear two pairs in the morning. After a crap day's teaching, I cycled home in the dark to make dinner for the family. I made my protein-rich Mexican scrambled eggs with homemade potato wedges.
After dinner, Mouse and I watched some more of the excellent Stranger Things before I headed back downstairs to do a fast and light (although slightly heavier than last week) weight-training workout.
No alcohol, no junkfood.

Tuesday
A rough day. I felt okay for most of the day although I did have a bit of a stomach ache and a runny nose. I felt worse when I got home and at dojo I couldn't wait for it to be over: I felt weak and tired. On the drive home, I had three of the heart 'flutters' that I've been experiencing over the last few months.
I went to bed at 9:30 hoping I'd feel better tomorrow.

Wednesday
9st 12lbs
I made it! I got through Sober for October and have vowed never to do it again. I missed out on too much fun.
I cycled in to work, did a good day's teaching (English all day) and then cycled home via Tesco to get some beer. I didn't get home in time for a run so I did a fast and light weights session including 300 bodyweight exercises (100 press ups, 100 tricep dips, 100 leg raises.)
Jonnie and Sally came round at 7 for beer and homemade beef chilli. Lucy got home a little later. It was smashing to have a few beers with friends once again. Then Lucy and I sat up late and watched Mrs Brown. The performance from Judi Dench is breathtaking.
Tonight I had three beers: Mud City Stout and Peaker Blinder both by Sadler's and then London Pride by Fullers. All firm favourites. I intend to try some new ales later in the week.

Thursday
As expected, I woke up feeling rough.
However, I felt much better as the day went on. I took the Sports lads out for a 2 mile run in the afternoon and then cycled home.
I went out for my 10K run in the dark and was pleased to get home in a time of 64 minutes and 46 seconds. Certainly not fast, but faster than last time.
In the evening, I enjoyed two ales: another Mud City and an excellent porter from North Cotswold Brewery.
No junkfood today.

Friday
Cycled in to work and back feeling good!
In the evening, I received a phone call giving me some terrible news about an old mate of mine. I was very upset but decided that the best thing I could do was to go training anyway. I was right: I was very lucky and tonight's lesson was a fast paced fighting session. Just what I needed.
I hadn't intended to drink tonight but when I got home, I lifted a glass to Lloydy.

Lloydy and me halfway up a mountain in Wales.

Saturday
10st 0lbs
I met Jonnie at a later time of 9:30am, in the hope that it would have stopped raining by then. We were lucky and it wasn't raining when we set off, although the roads were very wet and full of debris.
We set off strongly, maintaining a 15mph average into Lowsonford. However, the hilly terrain began to sap our strength and the average fell away pretty quickly. Jonnie was suffering with a cold but I had no excuse - I'm just unfit!
My bike had a puncture in the rear wheel just as we neared Wilmcote. I nursed the bike to the cake stop and changed the tube. I couldn't find the thorn or whatever and just hoped that it had been an 'in and out' type puncture.

Where is that thorn?

After some lovely cake and a chat, we headed back into the lanes. I was okay until we got to Wootton Wawen and then the legs started to give up. A few miles later, head down into the wind, we were both exhausted. I was so tired, I started to feel a bit spaced out, almost disconnected from my body! Then disaster in Ullenhall - a second puncture! Was it caused by the same thorn I couldn't find? Jonnie found a sharp stone embedded in my tyre. Could that have been responsible for both punctures?
We eventually made it back to my house with a pathetic 13.5mph average over 39 miles. We put our feet up and enjoyed a few ales while listening to Led Zeppelin!
In the afternoon, Lucy and I went shopping.
In the evening, I dropped Martha off at work. She pulled pints of Holden's Golden Glow for Nigel and myself and she earned herself a tip! After this, Lucy and I went to visit our next door neighbours for a dinner and Strictly Come Dancing party. I enjoyed two more ales and some ice cream before heading home to endure The Hateful Eight by Tarantino. It's easily his worst film with only Samuel L Jackson's performance making me watch it at all. In fact, I didn't watch the last twenty minutes so I don't know how it ends and don't really care!
I collected Martha from work at 1:00am and then hurried home to read Asimov in bed.

Sunday
9st 13lbs
Woke up feeling a bit ropey. After a relaxed and healthy breakfast followed by some ironing, homemade soup and a shower, I was ready for action.
This afternoon's karate session was meant to have been run by Sensei Ronnie but he wasn't there. Instead, Sensei Mark took the higher grades through an advanced 2 hour session in preparation for our grading next month. 
Also, Sensei Gary suggested that Martha and I focus on kata for the competition on the 19th. There is a talk of a team mini-bus being hired for the day. I'm looking froward to it.
Home for a huge Sunday dinner (thanks Lucy!) followed by two episodes of Stranger Things. The final episode we watched borrowed heavily from Aliens (Cameron, 1986) and even featured the same sound effect for the motion tracker!
No alcohol, no junkfood.