Weight: 10st 4lbs
Blood Pressure: 134/71
Resting Heart Rate: 57 bpm
I have less than two weeks to get ready for the Birmingham Velo 100 mile cycle ride raising money for Cure Leukaemia (it would be great if you'd sponsor my team!) I can't do much to affect my fitness in this short space of time, but I can make sure I'm well rested and hydrated, and it couldn't hurt drop a few pounds of flab before the big day to make the climbing a little easier!
After work, I cooked a protein-rich dinner for the family and then, after a sit down followed by the washing-up, I did my first weight-lifting session for a while. My injured right shoulder/deltoid is still aching, especially on the bike, so I don't want to risk making things worse. However, I need to keep my muscles working so they don't waste away any more quickly than they need to.*
I reduced all of the weights I was using so the bar was embarrassingly light. I managed to complete my standard workout in half the time it usually takes, but was relieved to find that I still got the pleasant ache associated with a successful session. Obviously, I'll be looking to increase the weight gradually as my injury clears up.
Weight Training, no junkfood, no alcohol
Tuesday
Weight: 10st 2lbs
Blood Pressure: 151/75 or 120/73
Resting Heart Rate: 58 bpm
I was dismayed by my terrible blood pressure this morning. I cycled in to work.
For this morning's lesson, I did a health check up with the construction group and created spreadsheets of our results. We measured our height and weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate and calculated our BMI. We worked out the average results for the group.
I was surprised at the difference between my blood pressure at home at 7:15am and the measurement in my classroom at 11:30: The measurement in my lesson was 120/73, which is ideal! It's a very big difference compared to the result I got after breakfast. I need to know more about when to measure my blood pressure.
I cycled home.
Tonight's Karate session saw Sensei Lloyd taking control of the higher grades. Strangely, it was a kumite session. On Saturday we had Sensei George Best, a kumite champion, teaching kata! Now we had Sensei Lloyd, a kata encyclopedia, teaching kumite! Adaptability is one of the strengths of karate - you never know what to expect!
It was an enjoyable session in which we had to use some familiar and some not so familiar techniques.
At the end of the hour, Sensei Gary told me I wasn't sweaty enough. Must work harder!
Karate, no junkfood, no booze.
Wednesday
Weight: 10st 2lbs
Blood Pressure: 128/72
Resting Heart Rate: 49 bpm
After work, the SCCB cycling team had a meeting at our Digbeth campus where we were given our new jerseys with all of our corporate sponsors' logos printed proudly on a white background.
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| A jersey full of sponsors |
When I got back home, I was pleased to find the Cure Leukaemia jersey had been delivered. This one is far more stylish, but a lot tighter!
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| Super tight! |
After my dinner had gone down, I did another light weights session. Once again, I completed it in super fast time compared to the hour it usually takes me.
Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol
Thursday
Weight: 10st 2lbs
Blood Pressure: 129/70
Resting Heart Rate: 57 bpm
I cycled in to work and back.
Tonight, I set off on my weekly 10K run as usual but this time I decided to run the route in reverse. It didn't make any difference. My legs were still aching badly and I set a very slow time of 64 minutes and 44 seconds.
Somehow, I managed to resist a beer when I staggered into the kitchen.
10K run, no junkfood, no alcohol.
Friday
Weight: 10st 2lbs
Blood Pressure: 136/67
Resting Heart Rate: 54 bpm
I cycled to work. I managed to resist all the lovely cakes and sweet things on offer (we had two birthdays in the staff room this week.) I cycled home.
Tonight's Karate session was fantastic. Sensei Ronnie Christopher, a kumite champion, taught nothing but kata for the whole hour and it was inspiring! He demonstrated each and every move of the first 6 kata and explained why the stances and techniques were important and often included their application. He didn't waste a second and kept the lesson moving at a good pace. There was even time for us to go through Jion twice before going home.
In total, I performed eight kata tonight with plenty of feedback from a highly respected 6th dan former international. Awesome stuff!
Sensei Ronnie tells some good stories. Most of them need to stay in the dojo and far away from my blog. However, Sensei was telling us about how his instructor, Sensei Enoeda, was featured in a TV advert for a snack! I managed to find it on the internet:
I spent the rest of my Friday night sipping tea and watching Fleabag.
Karate, no junkfood, no alcohol
Saturday
Weight: 10st 1lb
Blood Pressure: 147/71
Resting Heart Rate: 52 bpm
Up at 7 for bacon and eggs. Lucy had me lugging 125 litre bags of compost in and out of the car. I made sure I was wearing my wrist straps and lifting belt because I didn't want to risk injury this close to the Velo! Later on, I painted a planter and then screwed it together in the backgarden. I had some lunch and then went to the dojo.
Sensei Gary had us working hard at kihon this afternoon. I found it very difficult to get all three aspects correct: speed, technique and staying relaxed. If I went fast, then my technique would suffer. If I focused on getting the technique spot on, it would slow me down. When I tried to go fast and get the technique right, I'd start to tense up...
A valuable session with lots to focus on. It's true that a karateka could spend a lifetime trying to perfect just one aspect of our martial art. As Master Funakoshi told his students, Karate is a lifelong pursuit.
In the evening, the family went off to the Fieldhouse pub for drinks. Mouse and I stuck to orange juice while Lucy, Wolf and Ninja enjoyed wine and cocktails! I was sorely tempted by the draught ales but I managed to stay focused on the ride tomorrow.
Home for lovely homemade chicken and pasta dinner.
Karate, no junkfood, no alcohol
Sunday
Weight: 10st 1lb
Blood Pressure: 135/71
Resting Heart Rate: 49 bpm
Up at 7am ready for the last training ride before the 100 mile Velo! Denise, a work colleague and part of Team SCCB, came along to ride with Jonnie and me. Unfortunately, her bike let her down and its bottom bracket crumbled on a climb only 7 miles into the ride. Denise has to call for a broom wagon...
Jonnie and I stormed on to Tutnall, Callow Hill and then Feckenham before turning onto The Salt Way. We stopped after 22 miles to devour some bananas.
We went through Coughton and then started heading south toward Cranhill on the B439.
From there, it was a case of keeping a steady pace up the Binton bends until we got to Wilmcote for cake! We'd covered 37 miles.
I had double cake and Jonnie had a cheese sandwich and treacle tart!
The way back was via Snitterfield and then onto the Widowmaker. After that climb we made our way to Lowsonford, eventually turning west to follow our Ireland's Lane route. Another pair of bananas were dispatched before hauling ourselves up The Farm and then Tom Hill in quick succession. We landed back at Jonnie's place after 65 miles and 3870 feet of climbing at 13.2 mph.
I felt good when we finished, like I could have comfortably carried on. This is obviously very good for my confidence as the big day approaches. The only worry is my right shoulder. Sometimes, after a long period in one position on the bike, I'd try to shift around on the bike and my arm would feel completely weak and useless, locked in one position. To move it was rather painful. I'd have to shake it around a bit and ride one-handed for a while to get it moving again. It's the injury that just won't go away.
Back at home, I had my first ever protein shake! It tasted great - I wonder if it will make any difference?
In the evening, Jane and Eric came by to cheer on Judd Trump in the snooker world championships.
I managed to avoid alcohol and pudding and still have a pleasant evening!
Cycling, two slices of cake, no alcohol.
*Age-related loss of muscle mass is called sarcopenia.
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