Week 19 - Tree Surgery

Monday

I woke up with a bit of a sore head, but nothing serious. Today, Lucy and I decided that one of the trees in the back garden needed a trim. It was making everything too dark and the branches were hanging over the greenhouse, the potting shed, and Luke and Kirsty's garden. It was a warm day, and by 9:30 I was in t-shirt and shorts and climbing up my ladder and into the tree. Without an electric saw, I was using a handsaw and cutting down branches manually. It was hard work, but good fun in the sunshine. 

It was a long job, and there were masses of branches in two big piles in the back garden by lunchtime. After lunch, I set about the long task of cutting it all up into firewood! Again, all I had was a manual saw, so my right arm got a good workout! 

Just before 4pm, the job was done. I put on my running gear and headed out the door. I did a short run, only 1.6 miles, but that was enough at the moment as I gradually coax the left knee back to fitness. When I got home, I jumped in the shower and quickly realised I had a rather sunburnt head! All that tree surgery and running had given me a bit of a red scalp!

In the evening, Lucy and I headed up town to enjoy an Evening with Aggers and Tuffers. It was hilarious! The only downside to the night was the Town Hall running out of Purity Ubu before I'd even got there! 

Run, beers

Tuesday

After work, Martha and I set off to the dojo. Tonight, I helped Sensei Gary with the lower grades. We did some combinations and some pad work. Good fun. Back up at the deep end, Sensei Gary drilled us in some fast-paced basics. We got very sweaty and out of breath. 

Afterwards, a higher grade let me know that he thought I was leading the way in tonight's session. It was very nice to hear such a positive comment!

Back at home, I ruined all my hard work by having some more beer...

Karate, beers

Wednesday

After lessons, I went along to the college gym and did 40 minutes of good training. When I got home, I lit the barbeque, cracked a beer, and set about burning some chicken! 

College workout, beers

Thursday

When I got home from work, I did a heavy weight training session for an hour. I was aching afterwards! 

Weight lifting

Friday

It was a hot day. It was hot in the dojo. This didn't stop Sensei Gary from working us hard with combinations and some one-for-one freestyle. Sensei shut the doors so that the local youths couldn't peer in and make remarks as we trained. This only increased the heat! It was during kata that I started to feel rather unsteady... However, I kept on training, I concentrated on my breathing, and I was soon feeling fine. A good session that tested all of us from white to black belt!

Karate

Saturday

Up feeling good. This morning was warm and sunny. I put my work gear on, borrowed some step ladders from Luke, and then set about cleaning the greenhouse. It is a big job if it's done properly. I cleaned all the inside first (the spiders were not happy) before getting up on the ladders to clean the outside. After about three hours it was looking a lot better and was positively gleaming in the sunlight.

The greenhouse and my head: gleaming

After a shower, I headed off to my Saturday Karate lesson. Today, my students were slow and quiet. The exact opposite of what they need to be! I mentally ditched my lesson plan and set about getting them revved up. We got the pads out and practised attacking with spirit and with a loud kiai! It took me about 20 minutes to get them in the correct mood, and even then they started to flag if I didn't keep pushing them. A tough session, I just hope I'm not being too hard on them...

Later, I joined a couple of black belts in a bar for a couple of drinks. My mate Luke came to join me for one too. When I got home, I was pleased to find Sally and Lucy enjoying the weather in the back garden. We enjoyed a few more drinks as the sun went down, I built a fire in the fire pit and we played music on Spotify. We probably stayed up a bit too late.

Karate, beers

Sunday

We definitely stayed up too late.

I had a bit of a sore head when I woke up. After breakfast and some aspirin I was just about ready when Mark came to call and we headed out into the lanes. Mark has gone from novice to very keen cyclist in a very short space of time! I struggled to keep pace with him today and was impressed by how well he climbs. He's the full package now - descender, rouleur and climber. It was a warm day. Mark was sensibly stripped down to one layer, but I was wearing a base layer under my jersey.

By the time we rolled into Wilmcote I was feeling a bit better, and I enjoyed my coffee in the sunshine. I left my base layer with Jane, and then Mark and I headed north back to base. We finished with a respectable pace of 14.6mph over 38 miles.

Back at home, I enjoyed a few ales with dinner.

Cycling, beers

Week 18 - Instructing the Instructors?

Monday

After college, I went for a brief run (1.5 miles) before making dinner for the family and pouring a few beers.

Run, beers

Tuesday

After lessons, I went along to the college gym on my own, blasted out some heavy metal and rap, and got stuck into my workout (mainly bench press, because I don't have a bench at home.)

Home to drink water instead of beer!

College workout

Wednesday

After lessons, I enjoyed a college gym workout with my mate Michael.

The I cycled home to make dinner and, almost inevitably, enjoy a few ales!

College workout, beers

Thursday

I cycled in to work and back. When I got home, I strapped my knee and then went out for a short run. It was only 1.6 miles but it was a decent pace (for me).

After that, I took charge of a family and friends barbeque. I was very pleased that Mark dropped by so we could have a chinwag. I had a few beers with my dinner and it was great to eat outside for the first time this year. Summer is coming!

Run, beer

Friday

I cycled in to work. The college was having a wellness day. I managed to avoid it by joining an online chess group! Apparently that counts as wellness. After my 'wellness' I cycled the 4.6 miles home and then set about a heavy weight lifting session for an hour.

Then, of course, beers. Hey, it's a bank holiday (no capitals).

Weight training, booze

Saturday

It's all about the bike. Today I set about getting the Specialized road bike back on the road. Last week I had managed to strip off the old components and put the new cassette on. Today, I had to put on the new front rings and then the chain. The front rings went on in minutes, but then I had a real game with the chain! For some reason, my chain tool simply would not cut the chain. It was if the device had suddenly become to big and chunky for a 9 speed chain. I was glad when Jake turned up so he could have a go, but even he didn't have the strength to make it work. Tilly was kind enough to take me down to Halfords to get a new chain tool.

Back at base, Jake and I found that the new tool worked effortlessly, straight away. The chain was now at the required length. We then had a bit of trouble putting the new pin in the chain to hold it together. Jake ended up making a Frankenstein tool out of the new device and the old one. It eventually worked. 

Finally got everything fitted.

For this afternoon's Karate session, I had the group work with a partner and kick some pads. Always good fun. I was disappointed that Village Hotel has now removed the heavy bag from the dojo. I don't know why they would do this. Trying out techniques on the heavy bag was always our favourite way of ending the lesson. Sensei Gary popped in, end he very kindly presented me with some special gifts from his training in Japan!

Back home to eat healthy home-cooked food and drink water.

Karate

Sunday

Up early for the monthly instructors' training session with Sensei Ronnie. The lesson started badly for me when I was asked to take the class for 10 minutes! Many of the class were very experienced higher-grades and I had a very strong sense of imposter syndrome! Put on the spot, my frantic mind latched on to part of yesterday's lesson when we practised side thrust kick in drills and then with a partner. I hope that was the kind of thing Sensei wanted! After that, the class was under the instruction of Sensei Ronnie for the rest of the hour. We focused on some kumite drills and ended the session with light freestyle. It was a warm morning and I was rather sweaty when we finished. I felt great and left the dojo ready for the day! 

Today, Lucy, Martha and I went to visit Debbie and Paul for lunch. He's a great cook and we enjoyed homemade lasagne. I went there without the intention of drinking, but he explained that he had bought several ales for me to enjoy so I felt obliged to have a beer. I didn't take much persuading!

Back at home, I had another beer before enjoying a huge bowl of homemade chilli con carne.

Karate, beers