Week 21 - Lily's Birthday

Monday

I cycled in to work and back. I did an hour of weight lifting. I cooked dinner for the family. I went to bed early to read a book about the SAS.

Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol.

Tuesday

I woke up determined to carry on with my training. I cycled to work and back. Martha came with me to the dojo. Sensei Gary focused on developing the lower grades and beginners. I did some one-to-one training with a brand new student, and then we got to do some basics drills. We then worked hard on combinations and getting techniques to flow quickly. 

The ending of the lesson was a bit strange - a different instructor took over and we suddenly found ourselves doing random, spontaneous techniques for the last five minutes! Some students got rather confused, including me!

Karate, no junkfood, no alcohol

Wednesday

Just like Monday: I cycled to work and back, I lifted weights, I cooked for the family. I'm sleeping well and waking up feeling good!

Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol

Thursday

I jumped in the car with Lucy today because I had to take a parcel to the Post Office after work and it was too large to fit in my cycling backpack. 

Back at home, I forced myself to go out into the cold wind for my weekly 10K run. I was really struggling at first so I promised myself a beer if I made it all the way around. I had Weezer, Suicidal Tendencies and Guns N Roses in my earphones, helping me to keep going. I'm pleased to say that I ran 10K without stopping. Despite the cold wind, I was sweating heavily when I staggered to a halt. Kirsty from next door saw me and said I looked like Hulk Hogan - I'm guessing it was the bandanna I was wearing!

I poured myself a beer, jumped in the shower, and then sat down to a tremendous dinner of burgers, chicken and rice! 

10K run: 63m 53s, no junkfood, 3 beers

Friday

I jumped in the car with Lucy this morning. After work, we drove into Shirley to get some balloons and a cake for Lily's birthday celebration. There was a lot of traffic about - I guess it was people driving to visit family members during Eid. The drivers were very aggressive and I even witnessed a woman trying to get into a man's car after they had had a collision on the road! He was having none of it!

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to do any training tonight before I had to leave to pick up Lily and take her to the Harvester for dinner.

There were 7 of us for dinner and we had a good chat and plenty of laughs. Lily enjoyed her presents and we all enjoyed watching her open them!

My lovely wife convinced me to have some birthday cake, even though I had eaten healthily so far that day! I ended the evening by staying up far too late to watch The Walking Dead, and eat Toblerone. 

No training, junkfood, no alcohol

Saturday

I spent the entire morning working on a scheme of work for college. I was very bored, but determined to get it done. 

I went along to the dojo this afternoon. Before I knew it, I found myself teaching! I quickly constructed a lesson around Kihon, Kata and Kumite. It seemed to go okay.

In the evening, some of the black belts got together for a few drinks to celebrate an anniversary. It was a very pleasant and sociable event and I was very glad that I 'd been invited along.

In the evening, Luke and I had a beer in my garage before dinner.

Karate, no junkfood, beer

Sunday

Up at 7 to meet the lads at 9. I did have a bit of a fuzzy head, but a pint of water and some aspirin helped with that. We cycled along our Honiley Variation route - it was fairly flat which meant there was plenty of time for chatting and banter. There was no thought of average speeds or training, it was nice to just tool along at 14mph and enjoy each other's company.

Out of Snitterfield, James did a monumental effort along the Armouries, and I did my best on the front along Featherbed Lane.

The cakestop was very welcome, but rather frustrating for me - Jane had made a fantastic coffee and walnut cake, but I had already had my cheat day on Friday - eating Lily's birthday cake! I had to nibble a banana while looking on enviously as the lads tucked in!

The banter continued, and we noted the amount of money being left to animal shelters in people's wills. It was at this point that Jonnie changed his name to Jonathan Cockapoo.

Back in the lanes, we took the direct route through Aston Cantlow while discussing Watership Down (a book not written by Douglas Adams) and a crap film by Robin Williams (who wasn't in Take That.)

Things only turned serious (relatively speaking) in the last mile. I led the sprint up the hill towards the finish line (lamppost 13) and, thinking I was clear, started to relax a little. It was at this point that James started his sprint. I tried to respond, but I accidentally unclipped out of my right pedal! I think he would have come past me anyway. Victory for James!

Back at Jonnie's place, I enjoyed a beer with him and then headed home to eat some lunch and watch some cricket (Royals lost to RCB 😢). I walked the dogs, did some ironing and then made a curry while sipping a few more beers. At about 6:20, the family went out to the A34 to watch the St George's Day parade roar past. Here's a still from a video I made:

After dinner, and another beer, I went off to bed to start reading Shardik (which is another book not written by Douglas Adams.)

Cycling, no junkfood, beers

Week 20 - Hereford

Monday

I woke up feeling a bit rough after last night's party.

After breakfast, I took Martha round to Tilly's flat to discover Cassie trying to jump start Tilly's car. Together, Cassie and I got the car started on our second attempt.

After this excitement, I took the dogs for a walk around the park.

I was in no mood for physical exertion, and ended the day curled up on the couch with a beer or two!

No exercise, no junkfood, beers

Tuesday

I started the morning with breakfast followed by weight training.

Then we were on our holidays! Lucy and I went to Hereford and our first stop was at the Cathedral.

At Hereford Cathedral

It was an impressive building and we enjoyed seeing the amazing windows and architecture. I found the SAS artistic installation very interesting too. We stopped at the cafe for tea and then went to take a look at the Mappa Mundi - a medieval map of the world from over 700 years ago, complete with a unicorn, the Garden of Eden and cannibals!

After this, we found the basement flat where we would be staying and then headed off into Hereford centre for chicken burgers and beer!

Weight training, no junkfood, beers

Wednesday

I found it a bit difficult to sleep in a windowless basement flat, and had to go outside to look at the sky at about 5am. I managed to get back to sleep for a couple more hours.

We drove out to Hay on Wye, which is in Wales. It is home to 21 bookshops (I think, maybe more.) We thought that 4 hours would be enough to visit all bookshops and have some tea and cake. We were wrong! We ran out of time but didn't run out of bookshops. I made 6 purchases including books by PG WodeHouse, JG Ballard and Dickie Bird!

In the cricket section

Back at base, we set off into the wind and rain to a local pub - The Barrels. A pub serving Wye Valley beers and not serving food. No karaoke, no chavs, no kids and no DJ. It was fantastic! James the friendly barman talked me into trying both stouts on offer and explained the different way of presenting the two. Alcohol and education! Lucy and I found a comfortable corner and chatted away while keeping an eye on the cricket score.

Back at the flat, we had another drink, had some dinner and watched Netflix.

No exercise, junkfood, beer

Thursday

After bacon and eggs, we packed up and left the flat at about 10. We drove a little way out of the city centre and then walked back on the River Wye. 

It was a lovely, relaxing walk with plenty to see. When we got back to Hereford, we stopped at the Cathedral again and enjoyed tea with more cake! Actually, I had chocolate bread pudding with raspberries - phenomenal! 

Our second visit to the Cathedral!

Then a walk back to the car along the River Wye, taking a detour at the end to see a pretty country church.

When we arrived back in Solihull, I considered lifting up some weights. Instead, my willpower crumbled, and I ended up watching cricket on TV with several glasses of red wine!

No exercise, junkfood, alcohol

Friday

I woke up determined to do better. I am meant to be a black belt in Karate, and Sensei Ronnie did remind me that I have a duty to be fit. 

With this in mind, I did an hour of weight training, ate healthily and didn't drink any beer. Back on track!

Weight training, no junkfood no alcohol

Saturday

Today's Karate session was a good mix of basics and kata. It was a busy class, which is good for the club, but as instructors, we had to make sure everyone had room to perform safely! There was a new student and Sensei Gary designed the lesson so that the youngster had some fun during the hour. Everyone went home happy with plenty to think about from the afternoon.

After dinner, I went to pick up Lucy and Mouse from the station (they had been to London) and then drank tea in bed.

Karate, no junkfood, no alcohol

Sunday

I met James and Jonnie at 9 and then we cycled off into the lanes. Unfortunately, the BBC had got the weather forecast completely wrong and it was a cold and wet start - completely the opposite to what was predicted! We shivered along and I rued the fact that I had removed the mudguard on my back wheel to make way for my summer saddle bag! We set off on my Nutbush start before linking with the Petticoat route down to Wilmcote. The lanes were wet and the potholes seemed to have multiplied in the last week! We chatted along at a very pedestrian 13.5mph.

The cake was excellent! A Mary Berry recipe resulted in quite possibly the finest chocolate cake I've ever tasted! I'm glad I was served a massive slice! After washing that down with a coffee I leapt back on my bike and the three of us turned northwards to get back home. It was still cold, but at least it was drier now. 

Jonnie had been entertaining friends yesterday for the Grand National on TV. The socialising had gone on for rather an extended period which meant he wasn't at the height of his cycling powers this morning. However, he got stuck in and completed the whole 32 miles without grumbling once! Rule 5 in effect!

Later, Jane and Eric joined us for a fantastic lamb dinner followed by apple pie and ice cream! We watched some cricket, lots of snooker and had a good chat.

What a splendid final day of the Easter Holidays.

Cycling: 32 miles, junkfood, no alcohol

Week 19 - Jane's Party

Monday

It's the Easter Holidays, so no work for us teachers!

Today's exercise was a 17 mile bike ride in the sunshine down through Lowsonford and back. There was a bit of a chilly wind so I wrapped up warm. It didn't take long to realise that this was a huge mistake. I was sweating in my tights and winter gloves while the only other cyclist I saw was out and about in a short sleeved jersey and shorts. Anyway, I pressed hard on the pedals and actually managed to get a series of trophies on Strava on my way back home, even though I have ridden up through Lowsonford 70 times!

Back at home, my perfect wife told me I didn't have to cook so I watched cricket with a beer instead!

Cycling, no junkfood, 3 beers

Tuesday

Today was a busy day. Lucy had to take a family member to hospital for some results so I decided to make myself useful and get our new back gate ready for hanging. This gate was made as part of a project by our construction students at college. The students had done a great job of knocking together a heavy, sturdy gate but had neglected to finish the job properly. As such, it had rough and sharp edges with potential splinters everywhere. They had also done a rather slap-dash job of painting it!

Happily, it was a sunny day so Monty and I headed out to start sanding the gate down while getting some vitamin D. I was sanding it down by hand and it quickly became apparent that I would be out here for hours... Thank goodness for neighbours! Dave next door let me borrow two power sanders - an orbital sander and a palm sander. With these two tools, I had the gate ready to paint in just 90 minutes.

I painted one side and then read some Preacher comics in the sunshine while I waited for it to dry. Then I did the same for the other side. It was so warm that I had to fetch a cap to protect my head!

I did some more weight training tonight. Afterwards, I decided that I deserved a few beer, so I drank four!

Weight lifting, no junkfood, beers

Wednesday

Another weight lifting session followed by lots of work on my eBay account. I cooked a stir fry for the family. I went to bed early to read. I also measured my blood pressure (something I try to do once per month): 119/72 with a resting heart rate of 48.

Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol

Thursday

I collected Lily at 1pm and we headed off to Shirley for some charity shop shopping! I bought an Andrew Flintoff autobiography, a shirt for work, some ceramic wall planters for Lucy, a copy of Catcher in the Rye for Lily, and two Terry Pratchett books! (After borrowing 4 Discworld books from a friend, I have decided to collect the whole series for myself - they are fascinating stories that make me laugh out loud. Sort of Monty Python in a fantasy setting.) Lily bought herself a cardigan - she assures me that they are fashionable at the moment...

Lily got bored afther a little while, so I cut the shopping short and headed back home. Lily, Martha and I sat in the front room while Lily showed us her Switch game My Time at Portia. When Mouse finished work, the girls headed off to dinner and then to the cinema to watch Dungeons and Dragons.

I did some weight training before dinner.

Due to a lack of communication, I stayed up until after midnight becasue I thought I might have to take Lily home. Turns out that I didn't...

Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol

Friday

Sunshine!

I tied on my running shoes and headed out with Iron Maiden, Beastie Boys and Weezer playing in my earphones. I set my fastest 10K time this year: 62 minutes and 30 seconds (yes, still painfully slow for most runners!)

After a shower and some food, it was time to get back to the gate:

I had to take the handles and hinges off the old gate and transfer them to the new one. This involved a lot of careful guess work with the tape measure!

When Martha and I finally got the new gate up on the hinges (she is strong!) we found that it wouldn't quite fit. I borrowed a sander from Luke and began to coax the gate into a shape that would fit. 2 hours later, I was losing the light so I packed my tools away. As I was walking through the garage, almost on impulse, I grabbed a beer from the booze shelf. I ended up having a bit of a party for one, staying up too late, and having a lovely time watching The Walking Dead!

10K run, no junkfood, 4 beers.

Saturday

A terrible night's sleep and then a bit of a sore head. By 9, I was on the bike heading down to B&Q to get a bolt for the new gate. A little later, I was out in the sunshine fitting the new gate with two bolts and handles. I had managed to sand it down enough for it to fit properly. I gave it some more paint and then, once it was dry, put it into place. By now, the hangover was long forgotten.

After lunch, I walked the dogs in the sunshine and then headed off to the dojo. Sensei Ronnie went through Hangestsu with myself and two other black belts. It was great to get some almost one-to-one training! After this, we did some basics work while Sensei Ronnie oversaw a grading with a group of youngsters. I had the great honour of handing out the belts to the students who had passed.

Back at home, Lucy had a list of job for me so I could help her get ready for the party tomorrow. I ended up ironing tablecloths while watching cricket!

Karate, no junkfood, no alcohol

Sunday

Up at 7 to get ready for cycling. Paul arrived at 9 followed by James and then Jonnie. We set off into a cold but bright morning, following our Full Purity route south at a relaxed pace. There was plenty of time for chatting as the day gradually warmed and the sky turned blue. Despite his recent injury, Paul is still incredibly fit and made short work of The Average Destroyer, even managing to climb it in the big ring while the rest of us struggled behind in our smallest gears. As the cakestop became nearer, James and I discussed that the ride was going to end too soon. We were having such a nice time in the sunshine with mates that we didn't want it to end! We easily convinced Jonnie to extend the route to include a High Cross return adding on another few miles.

At the cakestop, we wished the cakemaker a happy birthday, had some excellent cake, drank tea and coffee and then headed back into the lanes. We continued to chat and let the miles roll by. Jonnie had taken two weeks off the bike so was a little off the pace, but he easily made up for it using his natural strength on the flat, and his fearless descending skills.

Back at home, Lucy had done a fantastic job of preparing the house for a party. The chaps and I sat in the garden and sipped ale (James had Coke.) After showers and a change of clothes, we were ready to help Jane celebrate her birthday with more ale, cake and lots of pie followed by pudding! We watched Arsenal vs Liverpool and Eric, Carl and Harry watched some of the golf (US Masters.) I followed the IPL via my phone. The party went on into the evening so I built a little fire in the chimenea. Good friends sat around and talked nonsense into the night time!

Cycling: 43 miles, junkfood, lots of beer

Week 18 - New Bike Parts

 Monday

I woke up feeling terrible. This was mainly down to booze and a late night rather than the effects of the Mad March Hare. Lucy kindly drove me into work.

I had a terribly stressful day at college. The fact that I was hungover made it even worse. I dragged myself through the day on the edge of my nerves and was so glad to get home to watch the Walking Dead and have a recovery beer or two! I also cheered myself up with leftover cake. I didn't even think about weight training...

No exercise, junkfood, beer

Tuesday

I still felt ill! Again, I shuffled through the day, but this time it was considerably calmer and I managed to put some good lessons together. I made myself eat healthily but couldn't resist a couple of beers when I got home! I didn't have the energy to go to the dojo tonight.

No exercise, no junkfood, beer

Wednesday

I cycled in to work determined to get back on my training plan. On the ride home, I could barely believe the tiredness in my limbs. It felt like a massive effort just to keep the pedals turning. I ate healthily, didn't drink any alcohol, but simply couldn't face weight training. I cooked tonight which meant I could eat early and get a good night's rest.

I shaved off my beard tonight. Not one family member has noticed!

No exercise, no junkfood, no alcohol

Thursday

I woke up feeling much better after a proper night's sleep. I cycled to work in the rain. I did some stretching with the sports lads and bowled one over of our cricket match. My right shoulder is still sore. One of my lads had a bit of a turn. After the first-aider had a look at him, he was picked up by his dad.

I cycled home full of determination. I tidied and vacuumed the man cave, made a strong coffee, put some heavy metal on my stereo and set about my first weight training session in a week. Martha came in to encourage me as I went for a new deadlift record! I was very pleased to set a new personal record at the age of 48, especially after all the booze and junkfood I've indulged in recently. It felt great to be back in training.

We ate really late so I stayed up until 11 to give my dinner a chance to be digested properly. 

Weight training, no junkfood, no alcohol

Friday

It worked, I woke up feeling good after a great night's sleep. I had a good morning teaching, and then a really boring afternoon in meetings. In the evening, I went along to the dojo. Sensei Jason was in charge - we blasted some basics and then I did some teaching for a bit. We ended up by doing kata with our eyes closed, which seems a pointless and dangerous exercise, but I'm sure that's because I just don't see the hidden benefit in it.

We had a really late dinner again, so I stayed up late watching Walking Dead!

Karate, no junkfood, no alcohol

Saturday

I got up at 7 to get a head start on the bike. During the week, I had a couple of bike parts delivered: a new Shimano R3000-ss derailleur and a Shimano WH-RS100 back wheel. This morning, I went down to Halfords on the mountain bike to pick up some new brake blocks and gear cable. While I was there, I bought some new quick chain links and a new tyre.

The rest of the morning was devoted to slowly and carefully putting these new parts on the bike. The wheel was easy - just a matter of swapping the cassette over. The derailleur required me to cut the chain which was easy to get wrong. I took my time and was eventually able to get it back together again without needing the quick links. I also didn't need the gear cable, so I have that in my tool drawers for when I do need to replace one. I decided not to fit the new tyre yet. The old back tyre is worn, but still has some life left in it.

After lunch, I set about cleaning the bike and then lubing it. I also gave it a bit of a polish. Then it was a case of dialling the gears in and testing them out on the very local roads where I live. The bike will shift into all gears, but there are some clunky changes and it doesn't shift as smoothly as it should. Everything in the transmission is new or nearly new so I just can't work out what the problem is. I decided to leave it for now - at least I can ride it tomorrow.

New derailleur, new wheel.

Karate was good fun - a good atmosphere in the dojo, mainly because Sensei Gary is back! Lots of grading stuff tonight - fast basics, some kata and some kumite to finish. Afterwards, Guv and I met with Lucy and Kelly to buy Sensei Gary a drink for his recent birthday.

After a nice chat with friends, Lucy and I headed home to enjoy some time with family - Martha, Mouse, Tilly and Jake celebrated with us and Jane and Eric. We had a Chinese takeaway (and a few drinks) in honour of Jane and Eric's 57th Wedding Anniversary!

Karate, no junkfood, beers

Sunday

With Jonnie away, James and Roger turned up to my house just before 9. We headed off on the Full Honiley route, which is 40 miles long but with hardly any climbing. With no minimum average speed to chase, we were free to chat and enjoy the ride. Also, it was the first time this year that we had ridden this route so it was nice to visit these country lanes again. On the descent out of Norton Lindsey I found myself having to brake to stay behind the lads - much later I checked my Strava and found that I had just set my 3rd ever fastest time down that hill, and I had ridden down it 86 times! The new back wheel must be heavier than the previous one...

On the way through the very quiet lanes in Snitterfield, we found that our conversation had come to a natural pause, and we rode three abreast listening to the sound of the countryside and the whirring of our wheels. As James said a little later, people pay good money for that kind of mental health therapy.

As usual, the cake was great and ride home was relaxed. We eventually got back with a pedestrian average speed of 13.7mph. 

In the evening, Lucy and I went for a dinner party at our neighbours' house. There was great food and good beer. Back at home, I stayed up late with my PlayStation and had a bit of a party for one!

Cycling, junkfood, beer