Week 11 - Celebrating Life

Monday

Well, the inspectors didn't visit my classroom but they did have a look at Lucy's lesson. As expected, she received a glowing report.

In the evening, I joined my wife in a party for two.

No exercise, junkfood, booze

Tuesday

Back in training!

Today I did an hour of weight training, didn't eat rubbish food and stayed off the booze.

Weight lifting, no junkfood, no alcohol

Wednesday

I cycled in to work and back. As soon as I got home, I set about lifting some weights. About 50 minutes in to the session, I set up my barbell for overhead press (military press.) I was on the very last set of 12 reps when I discovered that my arms wouldn't do as I asked them. I simply didn't have the strength to move the bar above my ears. I set it down in disbelief. It had only been a couple of weeks since I had been performing OHPs at the same weight. I gave my self a stretch for a couple of minutes and then tried again. Nope, I managed about 7 before my arms stopped working. That was the end of weight training for the day!

No exercise, no junkfood, no booze

Thursday

At about 3am I woke up with a bit of a nasty pain in my neck and shoulders. It was such that I was unable to move my head for a little while. Eventually, things started to loosen a little and I could get my head off the pillow. I'd obviously done some damage to myself trying to reach for that last set of overhead presses. I got back to sleep eventually.

In the morning, I decided a rest day was in order so got in the car with Lucy. 

No exercise, no junkfood, no booze.

Friday

My neck and shoulders were still aching, so no exercise for me. After work, Lucy and I went to visit Jonnie and Sally for a little while. Jonnie and I had a beer. I continued the beer drinking when I got home...

No exercise, no junkfood, beers

Saturday

Today was the day of Eric's Celebration of Life. We had an open house all day with loads of lovely family and friends coming and going. I ducked out of the house in the afternoon to teach my karate lesson.

And what a lesson it was! I pushed the young people really hard - plenty of fast-paced kicks followed by full-on kata. They responded brilliantly and I was proud of them. We finished, as always, on the heavy bag.

Back at the celebration, even more people had arrived! I jumped back in the car to fetch Lily who was promptly whisked upstairs by the girls. She missed the entire gathering! As the celebration came to an end, I dropped my mate Paul and his wife back to their hotel and then took Lily back. I eventually flopped into an armchair at 11:30pm. Everyone else still awake was well into their cups! I had a glass and a half of red wine before dragging myself off to bed.

Karate, no junkfood, a bit of wine

Sunday

Cycling in the lanes with Roger, James and Jonnie. In order to avoid some flooding in the local area, we headed off on our Bushwood start and then headed south down the Widowmaker in Langley. We all noticed how the roads had been strewn with mud and gravel by the recent heavy rains. There was a nerve-racking moment during the descent off the Widowmaker when I turned a corner to find the road lumpy with rutted mud and stones. There was a 4x4 on my back wheel and I had no choice to brake slowly and hope the driver noticed (we don't have brake lights on bikes...)

Happily, I made it down okay and then Jonnie and I followed James and Roger climbing up Langley Road. We didn't catch them, in fact they increased the distance! They were kind enough to wait at the junction.

At the cakestop, we watched India vs New Zealand and had some disappointing cream cakes left over from last night's party. We took the shortest route home, getting wet socks and dirty bikes in the process.  36 miles at 13.8mph.

At home, after cleaning and lubricating the bicycle, I received a message asking me to cover the Sunday evening Karate class. It was a full class with no other instructors there. I decided to work on fitness and kata. By the end of the session, everyone had performed at least 6 kata at full speed and done almost 50 kicks, plus basic blocks up and down the hall! Everyone seemed to be getting stuck in and showed the correct attitude.

Back at home, I decided it was beer o'clock! Cheers!

Cycling, Karate, junkfood, beers

Week 10 - Work, Work, Work, Work, Work, Cycling, Lord's!

Monday - Friday

We have a sort of mock inspection happening next week. We can't be sure when the inspector will arrive or which lessons he or she will visit. So we have to be prepared. This means having lots of paperwork ready, having loads of marking completed, and planning awesome lessons. This takes time.

Each day, Lucy and I decided to stay as late as possible to get as much done as possible in readiness for the inspection. This meant that I simply didn't have time to get any exercise done and we always ate late, even when I was cooking. It also meant that I used it as an excuse to have a couple of beers with dinner each night!

Saturday

I met Jonnie and James at the usual time for our weekly cycle ride, but this time we were riding on a Saturday so had to be extra aware in the lanes. We chose our quietest route away from major roads (Honiley Variant.) As far as clothing selection went, I was wearing three layers, leg warmers, hat and scarf, but had opted for my spring gloves. At first, the gloves were a bit thin and the fingers started to numb. The sun was bright and low and it was sometimes difficult to see where I was going in my £2.99 Aldi shades. 

After about an hour of this, the sun had climbed higher and was considerably warmer. My fingers warmed up, I could see where I was going, and all was well with the world. We rattled along at a good pace, the banter flowed like a fine wine, and we rolled into Wilmcote with a decent average of 14.5mph.

Today, I was tasked with checking the tyre pressures on Jane's car. She had borrowed a tiny foot-pump with a dodgy head which I couldn't fit without it leaking air. I took back up to Stuart - the very nice bloke she had borrowed it from. He just attached it and then pumped away with the air leaking out. It worked, eventually.

After fantastic cake, we sped off into the lanes. It was warm enough to remove my hat and jacket. I stuffed this up my jersey and looked like an unfortunate hunchback from an old horror story. We decided to head back via Jonnie's Shortcut up to the brewery. We were over 5 miles from Wilmcote when my phone rang. It was Jane. I had her car keys in my jersey pocket. I said good bye to the lads and headed back to Wilmcote. 

I rode the remaining 21 miles solo. I got caught in the rain on the way back and was pleased to finish the 48 miles with a half decent average of 14.4mph (Strava says 14.3mph.)

An hour later, I was in the shower and then getting ready for this afternoon's Karate session.

The emphasis of today's lesson was on basics. I pushed the students hard and kept the pressure on, making sure they gave their best. Most of them impressed me, especially the lower grades. I didn't expect the standard to be quite so high! We blasted through some kata before ending on the heavy bag.

The evening consisted of Strictly Come Dancing and a few beers!

Sunday

Today, Harry had kindly invited me to join him, Jonnie and 2 other good chaps on a guided tour of Lord's Cricket Ground. The only snag being, Thomas Lord had decided to build the place in London...

Lucy volunteered to drop us of at Birmingham International to catch the slow train to Euston. Harry, wise beyond his years, had saved some money by booking a train that was due to stop at 547 stations before reaching its destination. Anyway, we started off having to stand on a packed train, but eventually managed to get seats relatively close to each other. We huddled around Jonnie's iPad and watched England struggling to dispose of Afghanistan in the World Cup. 

The trouble really started when we got to Tring (me neither). The train simply stopped and showed no sign of intending to go anywhere else. The passengers gradually left, in dribs and drabs, to stand around Tring and peer at their mobile phones. It was sort of like a scene from The Walking Dead, just without as much screaming. Jonnie had a brainwave and called up his best mate David who just happened to live nearby and drove a big powerful roomy BMW. Soon, we were hurtling along the M1, observing the speed limit, heading towards some other place I'd never heard of.

After saying goodbye to David, and visiting the world's second smelliest toilet, we found ourselves on a much less crowded train marked 'underground'. The strange thing being, it didn't actually go underground. We spilled out into the Big Smoke. Obviously, I was totally lost and at the mercy of the rest of the chaps who seemed to know the place like the backs of their hands. 

Lord's is not a big place, but it is impressive. It smells of wood and polish and of grandparents' houses. It creaks, the corridors are narrow, history peers back at you from old paintings and photographs. It's quiet.

We had a very knowledgeable guide with a dry sense of humour and the patience of Sir Geoffrey Boycott. We were shown the museum (star attraction: The Ashes), the Long Room, the player's dressing rooms, the lunch room, the Media Centre and the Scorers Box. We were told countless stories and given a myriad of facts. It was a very pleasant time and I'm very glad I was there. And yes, the pitch really does slope!

Me and Brian Lara in the Long Room

To the pub! We stepped next door to the Lord's Tavern. Lots of TV screens and eye-wateringly expensive ale. The surprising thing, and I still can't believe it, is that the landlord decided to not have the Cricket World Cup playing on the screens. Instead, we watched rugby football. Jonnie and I did find a screen outside the pub where England could be seen losing against Afghanistan, but as soon as it became too miserable to watch, we joined the others indoors.

The journey home was an experience to forget. (Just writing about it now causes a queer feeling to creep up my backbone and the keyboard to swim before my eyes.) One of the chaps checked his mobile device and announced that the difficulties with Euston Station were over. Hurrah! We all piled down to the London Underground, got totally lost, followed Harry for a bit and eventually asked a high-vis vest who told us what to do. We got to Euston Station to find that the zombie apocalypse was still in full swing: hundreds of people staring up at big screens that said delayed or cancelled in an unfriendly font. The heart sank, the stomach churned.

We slumped in plastic chairs designed to make you want to stand, and waited for an announcement. There was talk of a £200 taxi home. 

When the announcement was finally made, when we were made aware of a train for Birmingham, we launched ourselves towards the platform along with the hordes of the undead. I quickly lost contact with the chaps, but, with no time to find them, I simply hurtled along looking for a way onto the train. I could hear people falling, the slap as they hit the concrete, high-vis vests trying to make us stop running. I kept running. I got into a small group that managed to squeeze into a carriage. I even managed to get a seat!

When I got my phone out I learned that the chaps were at least three carriages away from me and there were no seats available. I was alone for the next 2 hours. Those two hours were hell. I was pinned in from the aisle, the bloke next to me wouldn't speak, and the toilet in my carriage was out of order (I would relate my journey to another carriage to find a working toilet but in doing so it would probably give me PTSD.)

I met up with the lads at the station, we got a taxi, we ate junkfood. 

And we vowed never to go anywhere ever again.

Ever.

Week 9 - Summer in October

Monday

Not a good day for training. I was still in lazy mode and couldn't seem to shake myself out of it. I didn't do any exercise, but I did drink some beer.

No exercise, no junkfood, 3 beers

Tuesday

I didn't drink any booze today, but I didn't go to the dojo either.

No exercise, no junkfood, no beers

Wednesday

Back in training!

I cycled to work and back and then picked up some weights for an hour. I didn't break any records but it was a good session.

Weight training, no junkfood, no booze

Thursday

After cycling home from work, I jumped in the car and Lily I went along to Solihull to watch Saw X. I have a dim recollection of watching the original Saw film, but couldn't tell you what happened or who any of the characters were. Suddenly, I'm watching part 10, having missed out the previous 8! Anyway, it wasn't as intense as I was expecting, the plot was full of holes, and some of the acting was distinctly B movie. But it was still fun, Lily enjoyed herself and it was a nice night out. 

Home late with no time to do any exercise before bed.

No exercise, no junkfood, no beers

Friday

I cycled to work, got some stuff done, but then realised how much paperwork must be completed before Ofsted arrive in the very near future. I just don't think it will be possible. However, I will give it my best shot and not get stressed about it. The trick will be to keep other members of the department, including my wife, from getting too stressed...

I cycled home, jumped in the shower, and then headed off to Sensei Ronnie's Karate session. It was all about kicks tonight. Unfortunately, I had to supervise the white belts again, but at least it was fun working with our beginners.

Back at home, I resisted a beer, ate loads of homemade spaghetti bolognese, and then drank tea while playing video games until midnight!

Karate, no junkfood, no booze.

Saturday

Up before 8 to make bacon and eggs for me and Lucy. After this, the morning was dedicated to all that Ofsted paperwork I mentioned earlier. I spent about 3 hours marking initial assessments while following the Cricket World Cup.

After a healthy lunch (plaice with green beans) I walked the dog in the park. It was unseasonably warm and I strolled around in a t-shirt and getting some vitamin D on my head.

This afternoon, I planned a version of Sensei Ronnie's kicking session from yesterday. I had 13 hard-working enthusiastic young people in the dojo. They got stuck in to partner work, pad work and then the heavy bag to finish. A good atmosphere today!

Back at home, I manned the barbecue, drank a few beers, and then watched Strictly with the family.

Karate, no junkfood, beers

Sunday

Up at 7 to get ready for a morning of cycling. At 9, I arrived at Jonnie's place and then, along with James, we set off to Luddington.

It was a glorious day! The warmest October day I can remember. Dry, bright and hardly a breath of wind. We took full advantage of the conditions and shot off towards Ullenhall. We were chatting but keeping the pace high too. Jonnie was feeling sprightly and even took the lead when bombing along the A4189 between the churches. As third man for that section, I realised how little effort is needed compared to working on the front. It was quite an eye opener!

By the time we were flying along Aston Cantlow we had an average of 15.3mph and an idea formed in my mind: could we reach an average of 16mph before we got through Luddington? When I first put the idea to the chaps, it was met with disbelieving sniggers. When they realised I was serious we got down to business and applied the necessary pressure to the pedals! 

It was a hard slog up to the A46. After a quick crossing, I got on the front up to the Blue Boar and dragged us along, getting a PR for myself in the process. Then it was the mile and half descent through Binton - one of the most fun things you can do on a bike! After this, James dropped a chain, we all met up at the junction, and then headed along the B439 to Luddington. 

Suddenly solo, I tried to wait for the lads but keep my speed above 16mph. Through Luddington, a van overtook me and then slowed to a halt because of walkers on the road and oncoming traffic. This helped the chaps get back on my wheel. We were bombing along, closing on our target when suddenly: bloody road works! We pulled up at the temporary traffic lights with a frustratingly close average speed of 15.9mph. Oh well, next time.

We trickled along for a bit, Jonnie and I having a chat, while James stretched his legs along the Ridgeway to Wilmcote.

I'm not sure what type of cake we had, but it was very nice. It was also nice to see India restricting Australia to a very slow run rate in the World Cup.

By now it was bright and sunny. Jonnie and I stripped down to one layer before setting off along the last 18 miles - High Cross Return. We were in high spirits as James led us along Featherbed Lane. We crawled up the steep Gospel Oak Lane climb together and then chatted down past the Armories. Through Snitterfield and then, with Jonnie off the front, I managed to drop my chain at the bottom of Wolverton Hill. James waited for me, and as soon as I had my chain back on I powered after Jonnie up the climb. I gave myself a PR trying to catch him but he made it to the top before I did!

James, as strong as ever, carried on pushing and managed to get on the wheel of a guy who had whooshed past us a little earlier! He eventually sat up so the three of us could ride together for the remainder of the ride. 

It was a gloriously bright and sunny day. A day to appreciate the beautiful countryside where we live and to enjoy the company of good mates. Back at Jonnie's place, we shook hands and I took the opportunity to snap yet another photo for this blog:

As soon as I got back, I started the ironing while watching India's slow, relentless victory over Australia in the World Cup. Jane came round for some curry and I enjoyed a few beers!

Cycling: 45 miles at 15.1mph, junkfood, 3 beers

Summary

Nope, still not training properly. Still too many beers... The 2nd Dan black belt is a long way off.

Week 8 - Birthday Boy

Monday

I cycled in to work and back. I did a weight training session and managed to set a personal record for military press. Afterwards, I decided to have a few beers while I got dinner ready.

Weight Training, no junkfood, 3 beers

Tuesday

I cycled to work. Within a few seconds of setting off, it started to rain. Suddenly, I was on the A34 cycling in a storm! Thunder and lightning above my head, rain lashing down. I was completely soaked by the time I got to college. All of my clothes had to go in the tumble dryer, even my pants!

I cycled home in dry clothes but soaking wet shoes - it was like sliding my feet into two dead fish...

Tonight's Karate session was great! Sensei Mark ran a no nonsense session, blasting us through some high level kata to start with and then moving on to self defence. We were asked to leave our mitts off to make it more realistic. After a few close quarter blocking and attacking techniques my arms were sore and I had taken blows to the ribs, throat and nose! By the time I got home, the bruises had started to come up nicely! 

Karate, no junkfood, no booze

Wednesday

I rode the bike in to work and back. I did an hour of weight training and then made dinner.

Weight Training, no junkfood, no booze

Thursday

We used the car for work today. Afterwards, we went to visit our good friend Sally to help her celebrate her birthday. Of course, I had to have a few beers!

No exercise, no junkfood, 3 beers

Friday

I cycled in to work. I had some lovely birthday presents from Heather and Dodgy. Dodgy has given me a fantastic pair of winter cycling gloves - SealSkin gauntlets that look like they might be just what I need in the cold weather.

After work, I went along to the dojo. Sensei Gary was in charge and he made the lesson fun - fast-paced basics with some reaction training exercises too. We got to punch mitts out of the air!

Back at home to find a lovely surprise - Tilly, Jake and Lily had come round to help us celebrate my birthday. I had some fantastic presents including a new suit, plenty of beer, cycling clothes, aftershave and new shirts. We chatted until about 10:30 and then we all staggered off to bed yawning.

Karate, junkfood, beer

Saturday

Jonnie, Roger, James and I set off on our bicycles at 9am. It was a warm morning and, once again, I had got the clothing choice wrong. I was too hot in three layers plus a hat and scarf! Jonnie had some brake issues very early on, but manged to set the front calipers so they didn't rub. 

James and I bobbed along at 15mph while Roger and Jonnie charged off the front for the first 15 miles or so. Even though Jonnie was suffering with a cold, he looked super strong this morning, and Roger is just fit! When we got to the Average Destroyer (a short, steep climb in Haselor ) James and I decided to put Jonnie and Roger under pressure so we scampered up the hill in an effort to leave them behind! We did put some distance between us and them, but we found out later that Jonnie's front wheel was loose - he hadn't tightened the quick release mechanism since he got back from Yorkshire last week. It's little wonder his brake was rubbing this morning!

We rode together for a little while before the group splintered again after crossing the A46 for the second time. Jonnie and I headed off to the cakestop and James and Roger joined us just as we arrived.

The cake was awesome - the best carrot cake we had ever sampled I reckon! After a chat about rugby with the dishwasher repair man, we headed back into the lanes. I left my jacket behind - it was far too warm. My intention on this ride was to get a gold trophy on Strava for the reverse section of the 1.44 miles of Pettiford Lane. Jonnie and James kindly volunteered to lead me out, but after a little while I realised the pace needed to be higher so I pushed on ahead solo. James managed to catch me but couldn't get in front even though he wanted to help out. Anyway, I'm pleased to report that we both got gold for the section. Mission accomplished!

After this, the chaps unknowingly dropped me for a mile or two, so I had to work hard to get back on. Jonnie proved himself to be super fit despite his cold: he roared away past a trio of horses and then shot up through Lowsonford until Bushwood Lane where he waited for us. I kept the pressure on for a little while, trying to keep a 15mph average a reality. However, both Jonnie and James were too strong and gradually left me behind. We rode together for the last few miles. 

When we were less than a mile from home. I called 'wait' at a junction. However, the car was moving a lot slower than I had anticipated. Jonnie took the opportunity to shoot out into the road while the rest of us were waiting. He scampered off solo to claim the day for the breakaway!

As soon as I got home, I walked Fred in the park. After a shower, I headed off to the dojo for my Saturday session. I started with basics, then we did two kata - Heian Nidan and Bassai Dai. We ended with pad work.

In the evening, I celebrated my birthday with family and friends. I burnt food on the barbecue while Jonnie and James supervised. I had some lovely beer and cycling-related gifts from Jonnie and Sally, Luke and James too! Lucy, Dodgy and I kept the fire pit going until almost midnight!

Cycling, Karate, junkfood, beers

Sunday

I woke up feeling awful. Unfortunately, I was in no condition to go to instructor's training this month.

I managed to clean the floors, service a bicycle, and do some ironing but most of the day was spent moping about feeling poorly. 

I had some beers with my lovely chicken dinner.

No exercise, junkfood, beers

Summary

Birthdays are no good for training. I'll have to pull my socks up and get back to basics next week.