How to Lose a Belly When You're 43 (part 33)

Monday
First day of my half term holiday
I did some weight lifting, ate healthily and didn't drink booze.

Tuesday
Jonnie and I went along for a 35 mile bike ride. It's apparent that I'm not very fit at the moment. Jonnie and I discussed the idea that I may be overtraining...
Karate in the evening, no junkfood, a couple of ales.

Wednesday
No junkfood, no alcohol.
During today's weight training session, I failed to curl five sets of five reps at 38kg. I'll drop it down to 37 next week.

Thursday
I ran a 10K in 61 minutes and 46 seconds. I didn't have any junkfood but I did drink some beer.

Friday
Lucy and I went down to Wilmcote to visit Jane and Eric. Jane had made me a cake for the occasion and I helped myself to a beer! Friday training was excellent as usual - this time saw Sensei Russell in charge with Sensei Ronnie helping out!

Saturday
It was a lovely sunny morning without much wind. Perfect for cycling!
Some of the NWAlps boys Joined Jonnie and me for a fast 40 miler in the lanes. Russ, Ian and Deadly Dan are rather serious cyclists and they do a lot of off-road too. In my opinion, having done both, Mountain biking keeps you considerably fitter than road cycling and these guys are the proof of that. Also, Russ is no stranger to a seventy mile ride as part of his usual weekend!
With this is mind, I got on the front and tried to set a pace that would keep these guys interested while not killing Jonnie and me!
I'd decided on the Honiley route because, with it being Harry's birthday party in the afternoon, I didn't think Jonnie would have the time to do a 50 miler. Unfortunately, Russ and Dan told me that I'd led them out on this route before! Sorry chaps, I thought these lanes would be new to you.
Early on, climbing up Rising Lane past Baddesley Clinton, I experienced one of my 'heart flutters'. I was very disappointed because it had been a little while since I'd experienced this on the bike. I let the lads climb past me and I took it easy for a mile. It couldn't have affected me too badly, however, because shorty afterwards I got on the front again and dragged the lads along the A4141 for a new Personal Record on Strava!
So, I continued to hammer away at a big gear, with Jonnie taking over at the front now and then. By about the 15 mile mark it was quite obvious that all I was doing was exhausting myself while everyone else didn't seem to mind the pace at all! At Snitterfield, Jonnie and I were happy to get behind the diesel engine that is Dan and let him drag us up past the armouries and onto Featherbed Lane.
It was at the end of Featherbed Lane that I had another, bigger 'flutter' in my chest and I was rather relieved to get to the cakestop for a sit down and a cup of tea. I was given an enormous slice of cake to help with the recovery!
Heading back through Wootten Wawen, at approximately 26 miles in, we were maintaining an average speed of 15.9mph for the ride! Deadly Dan tried to encourage me to aim for the 16mph but it was hopeless, I just didn't have it in the legs. Dan and Ian took to the front, even though they didn't know the route, leaving Jonnie, Russ and me to chat along the lanes watching our average speed dwindle away.

The NWAlps following me through Wootton Wawen

My usual view on the way back! Trying, and failing, to reach 16mph.

At Ullenhall, Jonnie's chain snapped! I don't remember this happening before in my 8 years of cycling and Jonnie and I were very unprepared. Happily, the NWAlps boys took it in their stride, out came some tools and the chain was fixed! Another reason why we like riding with these chaps!

Russ did a great job of supervising the chain repair.

I found the last five miles rather hard going and was glad to get back to Jonnie's for half a beer and to put my feet up. It was a glorious day and it was a real effort to motivate myself to leave Jonnie's beautiful garden, get back on the bike and head home.
Three hours later, Martha and I went along to this afternoon's Karate session. I do love the Saturday session - it has a great atmosphere. As usual, I got told to move my legs faster. I don't bother to explain about the 40 miles sitting heavily in my muscles! It was a good session which left me feeling tired but happy.
Within an hour, the family was back up the road at Jonnie's house to celebrate Harry's birthday. It could have easily spiralled into drunken debauchery, as it so often has, but I managed to restrict myself to 4 beers and a glass of cava before we headed home! Unable to sleep, I stayed up late to watch the film Split. James McAvoy's performance is very impressive and the last scene was very exciting indeed for a fan of Unbreakable (which is a film in my list of all time top ten favourites!)

Sunday
I went along to my appointment with a cardiologist at Solihull Hospital. He was a very nice chap who took the time explain that these heart flutters I've been experiencing are additional beats and are regarded as harmless. He reckons most of the population experience them. However, he couldn't tell me why they started or if they will get any worse. He said the next step would be to implant a monitor under the skin to keep an eye on me for the next two or three years. I said I'd see how it goes.
He asked about my exercise regime and he then described me as an athlete! I explained that although I do a lot of exercise, I eat a lot of cake and drink a lot of beer!
He also told me that when they monitored me in January, my resting heart rate was as low as 31bpm!
Two hours of Karate in the afternoon.