Weight: 10st 5lbs
Unbelievably, I had yet another sore head on a Monday morning! And to make things even worse, I've put 2 pounds of flab back on.
There was still plenty of ice and snow on the roads so I drove Maisie to school and Lucy to work.
I suffered through the day. The morning was a sports session in which we did some martial arts followed by a football tournament. In the second half of the lesson, a Warwickshire coach came in to the college and did some indoor cricket with the lads.
By now, my head wasn't too bad, I was just very tired.
I got through the afternoon's ESOL lesson and then waited for Lucy to be ready to go home.
At home, I cooked a healthy dinner for the family but couldn't resist a Guinness while cooking.
Off to bed at 9:30 with a cup of tea!
No exercise, one beer, no junkfood.
Tuesday
At work, I was aware of my throat being sore - I just put it down to talking for a living.
Tonight's dojo session was a first for me: we had to perform the same kata twice while being observed and given advice by an instructor. Then there would be a change of instructor and we had to perform the kata another two times! We had a total of 4 different instructors which meant I performed Bassai Dai 8 times. The last 15 minutes of the session saw us doing some very light sparring with lower grade students.
At home, my sore throat was getting worse so I went to bed early with a Lemsip.
No junkfood, Karate, no alcohol.
Wednesday
I'm sick. My throat is very sore and I feel ropey. I used the car for work.
No exercise, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Thursday
I woke up feeling a bit better - the sore throat had gone and had been replaced by a snotty nose.
I cycled in to work and dribbled most of my cold all over the A34. I did a bit of martial arts with the sports lads before letting them have a football tournament.
Tonight, Martha and I went out for a 1.5 mile run. We set a quick pace (for us) of 10:09 minutes per mile.
When I got back, I set about changing the tyre on the Raleigh. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the tyre to fit! A bit of research showed that the Raleigh uses 27" tyres and a modern 700c tyre will not fit. A quick Google found me ordering a replacement tyre from Halfords for £3!
Friday
It was a bit warmer this morning than it has been. I cycled to work in shorts and wearing my summer gloves! I managed to eat healthily all day even though it was Biscuit Friday in the ICT department.
My snotty nose was now accompanied by a cough. However, I didn't have a sore throat and the aches had gone away.
I cycled home via Halfords and picked up my £3 commuting tyre.
Tonight was another fantastic session at Ruach Karate. Sensei Russell did another no-nonsense hour of fitness conditioning, kata and then kumite. I was lucky enough to be partnered with Sensei Jody who always pushes me to do my best. I managed to pick up a little injury but that was my own fault for defending with my thumb sticking out.
After the session, Sensei Jody and I did some sparring which we followed up with a little bit of weight training! Martha did some stretching.
I'm now fully focused on the gradings at the end of April. It's been 15 months since I last got a new belt...
I cooked a vegetarian stir-fry for Martha and myself and we watched three episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I had two beers with dinner.
Later on, I went to bed with a Lemsip.
Karate, no junkfood, 2 bottles of ale.
Saturday
Up at 6 before the heating kicked in!
I had Weetabix and then Lucy and I did a big shop. After that, I made a second breakfast of bacon and eggs before dropping Martha of at work and walking the dogs. I also spent almost an hour underneath the car trying to fit a pair of rubber silencer mountings. I had to give up in the end with the job half done - I didn't have any strength left in my hands! When I did the same job on Tilly's little car it took me less than 5 minutes...
After lunch, I did a weight training session for an hour before making a homemade curry.
My favourite Saturday Karate training session had been cancelled because the higher grades were training with a visiting Sensei. It would have cost me £50 to train this weekend!
In the evening, Lucy and I tucked into my homemade curry. I loved it but Lucy didn't seem very impressed! I managed to resist the papadums and naan bread but I had to have a couple of beers...😊
Weight training, no junkfood, 2 bottles of ale.
Sunday
It was a struggle to get up this morning but blue skies certainly helped!
Jonnie and I set off into a crisp, cold, beautiful morning with a 50 mile target fixed firmly in our minds. I was wearing shorts (with leg warmers) for the first time this year. I soon remembered that they're not as comfortable as my bib-tights...
I was also trying out my summer gloves but soon discovered they were a bit thin for most of today's ride - the wind was cold for nearly the whole day. Initially, we held a good pace of around 15mph but, as his legs gradually let him down, Jonnie had a confession to make: he'd been completely sober last night! As we know, Jonnie functions best after a few beers and a bottle of red the night before. This morning, he was horribly sober and his cycling legs just couldn't find the energy! Still, he put on a good show and we even got some Strava trophies as we cut through Luddington and then up the Binton drag towards the Blue Boar.
We got to Wilmcote in time to see Auntie Laura and to enjoy cake and tea.
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| Eric, Shotokan Cyclist, Uncle Jonnie |
As soon as we set off, Jonnie punctured! He set about changing his tube while I helpfully photographed stuff.
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| Come on Jonnie, get on with it. |
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| #nofilter |
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| Helping Jonnie with his puncture... |
The ride back was a struggle for Jonnie: the legs were lacking and we were pushing against a headwind, mostly uphill. However, he did himself proud and we covered 50 miles at 13.5mph.
Back at Jonnie's place, we contemplated a life of cycling with a couple of hop-based recovery drinks.
When I got back home, faithful Monty helped me clean my Specialized and the Raleigh. It was warm and sunny and it was just a pleasure to be outside with my bikes, my dog and a glass of good beer.
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| Cleaning bikes in the sunshine - one of life's pleasures. |
50 miles on the bike, junkfood, 4 and a half bottles of ale
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