Weight: 10st 6lbs
Blood Pressure: 144/73
Resting Heart Rate: 53
Back to work!
I used the car today because I had to travel to the Digbeth campus when I finished teaching and then get home to make dinner.
The meeting at Digbeth was about the SCCB Cycling Team of which I am a member. We are riding the 100 mile Birmingham Velo to raise money for Cure Leukaemia. It was more of a briefing than a meeting, with our principal, Mike Hopkins, giving us advice about what to eat, what to wear and how to train. He recognises that a 100 mile ride is quite a challenge for most riders, myself included. However, Mike rode over one hundred miles this weekend just for kicks!
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| In the front row: Shotokan Cyclist, my friend Denise, Mike. |
After my dinner had gone down, I did the washing up and then set about doing a good weights session, including squats to try to develop my scrawny legs.
Mouse had been away to Berlin on a school trip. I had to wait up to collect her from school at 1am. We were both very tired when we got back home!
Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol
Tuesday
Weight: 10st 5lbs
Blood Pressure: 143/75
Resting Heart Rate: 55
Up after just 5 hours sleep.
I cycled in to work, yawned at my students, and then cycled home.
Martha and I went along to the Tuesday night Karate session. I couldn't believe it - another kumite session! Sensei Russell took charge and his enthusiasm and dedication to fighting really shone through and inspired us. As usual, I struggled to put theory into practice and lost a lot of fights. I also managed to win some - usually with a front foot mawashi geri and nearly always from a counter strike. I need to learn how to put that kick into a string of techniques in order to gain more victories. At the end of the session, Sensei Russell was kind enough to give me some one-to-one advice about keeping my momentum forward and not fighting off the back foot. He recognised that I was used to taking hits "from people like Jody" but now it was time to start dealing out some techniques too! I know that these recent kumite sessions would benefit a lot from having Sensei Jody there to inspire and instruct.
At the very end of the lesson, Sensei Russell had to remind some of the impatient youngsters that the root of Karate is respect.
Martha was keen to let me know about all the knocks she'd taken during the sparring (punch to the nose, kick to the sternum etc.) I made sure that I didn't show much of a reaction and explained that we just accept it as a useful part of training. Hopefully, she'll soon adopt that attitude too.
It was a fantastic session. All of the adults I sparred with tonight agreed that it was a very useful and enjoyable hour.
At home, I ate masses (three helpings) of healthy homemade dinner!
Karate, no junkfood, no alcohol
Wednesday
Weight: 10st 5lbs
Blood Pressure: 142/69
Resting Heart Rate: 51
I cycled in to work on the heavy Halfords bicycle-shaped object.
After lessons, I went along to do some HIIT with a group of staff in the college gym.
Mr Roger, ex-military qualified gym instructor, led the session. We did something called tabata training. We did 5 different exercise: squats, press ups, wood chops with a medicine ball, medicine ball toe touches, and bent over rows. I used a 9kg medicine ball and 10kg dumbells. We did eight sets of each exercise! Each set lasted for 25 seconds and we got 5 seconds break in between each set! We were allowed one minute rest after 8 sets before switching to the next exercise! The whole thing was over before 5pm. Shaking, I clambered on board my bike and tried to ride home. At one point I almost considered calling Lucy to come to pick me up. I think I rode home at about 9mph...
I was very glad to get my shaky body home. I made a chicken and mushroom stir fry. Unfortunately, I didn't make quite enough so, after feeding the family, I only had a little bit left over for myself. I went to bed hungry, which is okay because I'm fat.
HIIT tabata training, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Thursday
Weight: 10st 4lbs
Blood Pressure: 143/68
Resting Heart Rate: 56
I cycled in to work with sore legs.
I cycled home feeling a bit more lively, but not much.
Tonight was Mouse's birthday celebration with the family. We went out for dinner. I had the chicken curry with plain rice (no poppadums or bread and no pudding.) In a huge effort of will, I refused the lovely beers on offer and only had tap water. Back at home, I didn't have any cake. The good thing is, we had such a nice time that I didn't really miss beer and sweet things. When I was tempted, I just thought about how good it's going to feel when I get my black belt.
Back at home, things finally quietened down at about 9:40. Unfortunately, I just couldn't face the thought of setting up my man cave for a weights session that wouldn't end much before 11pm.
No exercise, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Friday
Weight: 10st 4lbs
Blood Pressure: 141/63
Resting Heart Rate: 56
I cycled in to work and back.
I went along to the dojo to find that it was a kata session led by Sensei Ronnie! He started off by running me and my fellow brown belts through Jion. I think we went through it about 3 times. He told me that my kata was looking 'okay' which is high praise indeed! That's one step up from 'not too bad'!
Unfortunately, things got worse from that point on. Sensei Ronnie explained to us once again how we will have to perform a heian kata as part of out black belt grading. I've never worried about this as I feel I know my heian kata inside out. I practise each of them at least once per week. Tonight we were asked to launch into Heian Godan. I messed up on the very first technique (performing zenkutsu dachi instead of kokutsu dachi.) I was rather embarrassed but also determined to finish the rest of the kata strongly despite having Sensei Ronnie tell me that I'd failed already.
I was determined not to mess up again!
This time, Sensei had us run through Heian Nidan, one of my favourites. I messed up again! Now I'd failed my mock black-belt exam twice in one night!
The obvious reason for my failures is the pressure I was under. I know both of the above kata very well and the only reason I would mess them up is because a very senior karateka, a man to be respected and whose approval is to be sought, was scrutinising me. I have a few months to learn how to perform under that kind of pressure.
Later, little Mouse invited the family out for cocktails and beer as part of her ongoing 18th birthday celebrations.
Karate, no junkfood, 3 beers
Saturday
Weight: 10st 3lbs
Blood Pressure: 130/64
Resting Heart Rate: 50
I woke up early and, after breakfast, found myself rather pleased with my blood pressure results. Although higher than the NHS recommendations, it was still a good measurement for me - certainly the best result I've had so far in 2019. I spent the morning marking exam papers, putting things on eBay, and doing housework.
In the afternoon, Martha and I went a long to the dojo. We got there nice and early and I took the opportunity to refresh my memory of the heian kata. Then I ran through Tekki Shodan and Basai Dai just for good measure.
By 3 o'clock, Sensei hadn't arrived which is unlike him. I called him up and found that he was stuck in traffic. He very kindly agreed to let me take the warm-up. However, I was mindful that there was a higher grade than me present this afternoon: Martha! I asked Martha if she wanted to take the warm-up instead of me. Without another word, she strode into the middle of the dojo and yelled "EVERYONE LINE UP!" at ear-splitting volume. She was feeling rather confident!
She took us through a perfectly acceptable warm-up with a good mix of dynamic and static stretches. She kept everyone's attention, and, when she felt that two of the students weren't taking things seriously, she threatened to split them up! The only thing she needs to work on is her volume control: Even though the students were attentive and quiet she was still shouting instructions loud enough to make the dojo mirrors tremble!
Martha's willingness to take control of the class is evidence of the excellent nurturing atmosphere created within the Ruach dojo. Martha has sometimes had issues with her confidence, especially when dealing with people. This afternoon proved how far she has developed. This is thanks to her own efforts, to Karate, and to the encouragement from the instructors at Ruach.
Sensei Gary took over and ran us through a very enjoyable session which introduced the lower grades to the idea of freestyle kumite.
In the evening, we had Mouse's big 18th birthday party at out house. The place was heaving with people with ages ranging from 14 to 81. Jonnie and I were mindful that we had a serious training ride to complete in the morning so we took it easy on the alcohol. I was in bed by midnight while the party raged around me (teenagers being sick, middle-aged women twerking, and lots of glasses being broken.)
Karate, junkfood, 3 beers
Sunday
Weight: 10st 4lbs
Blood Pressure: 151/72
Resting heart rate: 47 in bed, 53 after breakfast
I woke up feeling okay considering I'd been trying to sleep in a party!
I was so disappointed to see that my blood pressure had rocketed back up. I still don't know what causes it to leap up again.
Anyway, I headed off on the bike with Jonnie and Roger determined to complete 50 miles with an average speed of 13.8mph.
It was wet.
It rained right from the start and there seemed to be a persistent drizzle in the air at all times. Of course, this meant that the lanes were slick and there were plenty of puddles. My feet were quickly soaked and painfully cold. The rest of me was just rather damp. The lads put up with my dreadful descending and I tried to do as many turns on the front as I could to make up for it. I was a lot happier when we had made our way down the Widowmaker (a steep hill in Langley) and the road started to level out a bit.
Jonnie punctured heading up the Wolverton Road towards Norton Lindsey. We did try to help him change his inner tube but we spent most of our time watching him struggle with plastic tyre levers in the rain.
We headed into Snitterfield and then blasted across the A3400 toards Wilmcote. However, as part of today's ride, we didn't call in for cake yet: we had a 10 mile loop to do! We made our way down to Luddington and then up through Binton to the Blue Boar. At this point, we had a 12mph wind behind us and this helped me to get a PR through Binton. We zipped up to Billesley and conquered The Wall before coming to rest at the cake stop after 36 miles in the rain.
I changed my socks and we all ate cake and drank tea.
Back out in the rain, I felt like a new man. I paid close attention to my bike computer, and was determined to make sure we hit the training target of 13.8mph. I rode on the front for most of the 15 miles back to base, Jonnie took over for the Danzey Green climb while I encouraged Roger.
We got back to Jonnie's within the target.
You never know how the legs are going to be until you get on the bike.
Last week, the lads were having to wait for me as I chugged along, gasping, spent, done. Today, I felt as though I could do another 50 miles. The pedals were turning on their own, the miles going by easily, like a journey in a dream. It was Roger and Jonnie who had to work and suffer. How easily the roles can be reversed. Next week it might be me at the back wishing it was all over...
After tea with Jonnie and his family, I set off home to wash the bike, eat junkfood and drink beers!
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