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.