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Category: healthy

Published on Leave a comment on Where’s my head at!

Seems my mind is wandering a bit recently, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to motivate myself to do certain things. Not quite sure why that is, but I can tell you it is annoying the hell out of me.

Prime example, this morning. Lovely morning, great forecast, fantastic weather for an early rise ride... But no! For some reason the brain wasn't having it, so that idea was quickly written off. Substituting the opportunity of riding out in the glorious weather, in fresh flowing air, with riding on Zwift on your trainer is a weak choice, but it is the one I went with.

I seem to worry about being too far from home, mechanical breakdown, or coming off. Not things which used to cross my mind so much. Maybe it is experience weighing down on me, maybe just my mind finding excuses I will listen to, to stop me over doing it. 130 mile week again this week, almost 4,000 miles for the year, and probably not enough rest. If I am left to my own devices, I will happily over do it. So maybe this is a good thing?

Either way, I know I am missing out. So if it is my mind trying to stop me over doing it, I need to reel it in elsewhere, to allow myself the chance to make the most of the good weather.

I have Ride London 46 in a couple of weeks time, and should complete my annual mileage goal around the same time. Hopefully after that I will get this demon off my back, stop obsessing quite so much, and relax more with the weekday riding, and have a bit more freedom for the weekends. I also need to start making an effort to get to new places to ride.

Whatever the reason, it is pissing me off now. Not to say I am not trying hard enough, or achieving enough. Trainer miles, road miles, commuter miles, they all take energy, commitment and focus, regardless of what your beliefs are about each discipline. They burn calories and take a toll on you physically. That is one of the reasons I cycle, so goal achieved.

For me, there is an element of willy waving involved, a huge chunk of physical health, saves money, and the big one, mental health.

Speaking of which, it is really disappointing that my employer Fedex, does not participate in a cycle to work scheme. Given that it is a logistics company, with green commitments, a large fleet and employee base, and a vested interest in mental health (apparently), yet is caught up in the fine print of the agreements, so won't get involved.

But back to the mental health bit. For me it has been a god send, however like anything, there IS such a thing as too much of a god thing. For me, goals are a strength, a vice, and a weakness.  Achieving them is like candy for the brain, obsessing over them, and the undying drive to achieve them is bad, VERY bad!

As I stand at the moment, I am on 3,876 for the year, so my immediate mindset is , "I must do 124 miles next week". Not, it would be nice to, but I MUST!! Achievable? Very much so, not a tough ask at all. Sensible to do yet another 100+ week, maybe less so.
Immediately after that is 4,250, my mileage goal for  this year. 16 days of the year left, 124+250, would be nice to finish my annual goal before the end of the month.
Why you ask, I have no idea, it is all just part of this obsession with mini goals, and setting close to unrealistic targets.
We are on Day 196 of the year, there are 166 days left in the year, but for some reason, my mind, my ego, my destructive obsession almost demands it is done in one tenth of that time. Because it would be "good" to.... Where is the logic in that?

This isn't the first time I have called myself out on this bullshit, and probably won't be the last. Issue I have is finding the balance between realistic, and achievable goals, and pushing too hard to somehow please others in my mind. Looking back over the last month, I have done much better with rest days, easier weeks etc, so I need to keep up that trend. While at the same time, getting my head out of my arse, and focusing on the positives, and finding the time to enjoy myself , while at the same time achieving sensible goals.

Add to this all, the running training too, and it is becoming a delicate balance right now.
I have put a stop to my cycling training for the time being, as it was becoming a little too much for my body. My priority right now, when thinking straight is to get up to my 10km run goals, then work from there. Trying not to start setting too many running goals, as it will just start the whole destructive mindset all over again. But I know the 10km non stop runs are within reach now. Add to this, I have been accepted for a half marathon for next year, I know I need to work on extended range for running. Pace is key!

For both running an riding, I have managed to realise now that pace is everything. Not so much speed, speed, speed, but more cadence, HR, and pace relative to those. Push too hard, endurance is gone. It's not a race, it's a journey, as they say.

So, long may the journey continue.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Published on Leave a comment on Week 4 in the big boys house

Well, I am into week 4 of the new training regime now, and have to say 'I'm Loving it'. That's not to say that I'm spending every day in McDonalds, unlike some people I could mention. *tut tut*

There is something satisfying about being in control of your own destiny, something empowering, and a strange sense of motivation. Seeing as you set the plan for yourself, it would be wrong to then whimp out on following through with it. From the adjusted food intake, to the steadily increasing exercise regime. Being in control is something I love.

From Day 1 of this new self inflicted program I have tried to stay on track to my actual goals. The goals being fitness, firmness, and health. I'm trying to not get sucked in by the whole thing, and become the usual runaway train with weight. Pushing harder and harder til I cause myself an injury. That's always been my problem, and probably always will be.

Once the bug bites, I commit, fully, sometimes a little too fully. Concentrating on certain body parts, and neglecting others. Chest, biceps and triceps get all the attention usually, with stomach, legs, and back all being left out. But this time is different, this time I am trying routines to cover all the bases, and get an over all pump on a daily basis.

Each week for the past few weeks, I have logged my activities and times. Keeping a record of what is pushing it too far, and what could be worked harder. Needless to say, the above primary groups are really taking a beating as you would expect, with the weight increasing quite rapidly. But this time I am also making sure that I don't go easy on the others.

This week, looking back over the past few weeks, and taking into account the notes of where I have struggled, I have mixed my routine up just a little. Following a 6 day a week AM and PM routine until now, complimented by 3 times a day dog walks. For this week I have gone for an alternating PM routine, hitting different muscle groups on alternating days. There is a lot more fine tuning to do, but I had noticed that towards the end of the week I was flailing a little with arms, and neglecting my shoulders almost entirely.

Mornings consist of varied styles push-ups, sit-up again in varied styles, weighted squats with a synergistic movement to keep it interesting (I hate legs), and my old nemesis, dips. All increasing in set count each week. While I say I hate legs, I hardly struggle with strength or definition in them. My thighs and calves are pretty huge for a muscle group that I never train. 27-28" thighs last time I measured, the waist of a petite girl and then some. Not much in the way of excess on them either. Calves around 16-17", again no excess. I know I should still train them, but its such a boring routine for me, and I try hard not to tweak my ageing knees too, as that would end everything.
Remembering of course achillies tendonapathy still messes with me too, the 8-10 miles a day I walk with the dogs leaves my legs close to the edge.

So at this point, a day into Week 4 I can honestly say I'm pumped. Feeling great about the plan, feeling great from the effects of it. Loving my new food intake, and starting slowly to see the changes occurring. I forgot how rewarding the feeling of the post training pump was. Feeling all swollen and with tense muscles, showing a little definition, and putting on a t-shirt which stretches over all the bulging bits. The bits that bulge for the right reason, not the other bits.

I am already planning Week 5, excited mix it up a bit, and see where I can find myself by Week 10. However keen not to push myself too much. With the two workouts a day giving a nice split in the day, and making sure there are no excuses to say 'I don't have time today'. 30-40 mins, twice a day, and I am in my zone. So while I want to push a little harder, I want to make sure the time frames don't shift too much. I'm sure I will work it out somehow.

Now to add some spice and interest into it, to keep the drive alive.

Motivated by outside parties, I guess I rely on that a little when trying to dig that little bit deeper, strangely driven to impress others who I don't even see. How the hell does that work? I don't know, but it does, so its all good. And of course Spotify, my access to thousands of tracks which inspire and drive my mind when stamina is low.

So that's me, all checked in, and happy with how things are.

Published on Leave a comment on Fitness wishlist

As I have plodded through P90X, and I don't mean with ease, I mean like knee deep mud, I have come across more and more things I would love to do. Simple things, maybe even one offs, just to prove to myself that I can do them. Things I have never been able to do in 39 years, but now maybe I can.
For starters there were simple actions, doing yoga was one of them, and I have fallen in love with it. Then there were some of the yoga poses, most of which I have conquered, but a couple still evade me. Crane is one of them. Mostly is the confidence I lack, but I know my wrists could be stronger too, so don't want to run before I can walk.
Another was push-ups with a clap in the middle of the motion. I'm sure there is a name for them, but for now that's what they are called, or clap push-ups for short lol. Well I can say now, that I have just ticked them off the 'to-do' list, and I did a little video of a few just to prove to myself I did them (I look a mess in the vid) Not perfect form I'm sure, and I know some can do millions of them. But for me, for the first time doing them in my life, I'm happy with them, so sod what anyone else thinks (if its negative anyway)
Of course the list has grown and grown over time, and the more into P90X I get, the more challenges I set myself. Another was feet to touch the floor from plough (yoga). Again this is another milestone I reached a few weeks back, however now I strive to get better upright posture, and to get my knees to the floor too. Sadly my kangaroo pouch is affecting this, so I'm working hard on eliminating that asap.
There are flexibility and strength challenges ahead of me, so here are a few more. So I can tick them off officially on here and not just accidentally achieve them and brag later.
Hand stand (supported)
Hand stand push-up (supported)
Crane
Splits (not box)
Clean full motion one handed push-ups
That's a few to be getting on with.
As for training, well the achilles made a drastic recovery, so I got back on track today with X-Stretch and full dog walks. In addition I did a small push-up and abs routine this evening to burn off some energy. Next weekend sees Day60, so time for more pictures (sorry Blogger) and then the push to the first finish line. So far I have achieved more than I ever expected, and know if I really focus now, the last 30 will be truly amazing and life (body) changing for me.
In the meantime, I'm on the hunt for Tai Cheng to loosen me up a little more and work on my flexibility and range of motion.
Thanks for reading as ever.
Love life 🙂

Published on Leave a comment on BOOM! Sub 210lbs !

Well, as I said in the earlier entry there was motivation to walk the dogs, and the result was this picture.
Sub 210, and by quite some margin too I have to say. Officially putting me now in the 14 stone 'something' category. To me, that is major progress, and also a little consolation that I can't train today.
Instead of resting up for a day or two, and losing motivation, I have just stoked up the fire for the next weigh in, and see how far I can get below 210 now.
Next question is, 'is sub 200 a reality now?'
Let's be clear here, I'm really not at the point of doing myself any damage, other than stupid things like my achillies. My intake is sensible, and sometimes even a little lavish now. The weight loss is progressive, and the routine is demanding yet effective.
Mixed in with all this weight loss is a little muscle gain too, so things are progressing nicely now.
Thanks for sharing my moment of glory with me 🙂

Published on Leave a comment on Welcome to Week 7, I’m BACK !

What can I tell you. Week 6 so me smash into 'the wall', but that was soon overcome. A mental block not a physical one was never going to stand in my way for long. Once it was dealt with and dispatched it was time to get on with a hard week ahead. Needless to say, I maintained the momentum I used to smash through the wall, and used it to carry me through the remainder of the week.
However there was one HUGE negative for the week, and that was intake. It was terrible, shocking and very poor to say the least. I wont say it impacted me too badly, there was no weight gain and no issues with training. However I got caught up in a treat cycle and has way too many treats and cheat foods. It was something I was aware that I was doing wrong, and now it is time to overcome and conquer.

So this is my intake for the coming weeks.

Obviously I will be eating more than this, but this is the bulk of it.

This week, Week 7 is the week where I start to make a real difference to myself. My intake is back on track, although quite controversial as some do not feel it offers the right nutrients to support my routine, while others think it is too junk filled. For me, I feel I have found the right balance to get me through a heavy workout, and aid weight-loss and muscle growth too. Inside and out all seems to be working well to me, so based on that I will keep going with what I know best.
In addition to this there is now the option of Creatine. I have used it before, and know what the gains are, and also what the downsides are. There has been a lot of good and bad press about the stuff over the years, but for me there were never any harsh effects. My patience can be a little shorter, and I pee a lot more on it. But other than that there was never anything to worry about for me. The interesting part will be how much MORE I can actually pee. With my current diet, and increased fluid intake, I dont think it can get much worse, but time will tell.
The upsides however, judging by the past, were always positive. Excellent recovery times, good muscle growth, and plenty of energy. These are all of course based on me training in a much more aggressive fashion and back some 15-18 years now lol. So things might have changed a little bit in my physical capabilities etc. So with this all in mind I am going to start stacking up on Creatine from tomorrow, and watching for any differences in my personality and training ability in the coming weeks. By the end of the stacking week I will be finished with the heavier part of P90X Phase 2, and will be back on to the stretch cycle. Phase 2 Week 4. So my use of it will be gentle from the start, and a gradual build up as I slip into Phase 3 of the routine. Another exciting step for me.

Speaking of exciting steps and stretch week, I finally caught on camera where I am with Yoga at the moment. One of the greatest achievements for me during P90X without a doubt it the improvement in flexibility. It is something I have always lacked, but always wanted to improve on, but I have never gotten around to doing anything about it. However as part of the P90X routine, I was finally facing a good attempt at Yoga. I have to say, of all the yoga videos I have tried in the past this is without a doubt the easiest to follow, the best thought out and the one I have managed to get up to speed with, while avoiding frustration and getting the feeling of failure. So without any further ado, here is my current stage.

Now I know its not ground breaking, and some who do yoga will scoff that its not anything spectacular. However for me, a shoulder stand is a feat in itself, let alone the added flexibility to get my legs where they are.  But it doesnt stop there for me. Now I have seen what I can do, I want more. Next step, knees down, lets see if I can get that done in the coming weeks.

Wow this entry is dragging on a bit isnt it. I guess I should wrap it up there.
Only things left to say are well done to Noel and Marsha who are working off each other as they work through Insanity. Also Baljit who is fighting her way into Insanity too. Ed who is doing his own thing but making good ground, and finally to Ivan and Laura who are making the most of the gym and fighting for fitness.
So heres to the final weeks of Phase 2, and getting things in order.

Published on Leave a comment on OMG I’m gonna explode!

Just finished lunch, and have to say, over recent days it feels like I have over indulged a little. Few hundred grams of chicken, fresh veggies, a jacket spud (small one) and a bread roll.
Phew, I feel like I have just finished a pie eating contest (those were the days)

I have to say though, recent days have involved a lot of walking, many miles, so I'm burning off the calories. And of course after todays run I can afford another 5-6 calories intake lol. All that said, just for laughs I got on the scales earlier, after breakfast and a few drinks (and going to the loo) and was shocked to see that even dressed in lounging clothes (joggers and tshirt) I'm still only 211lbs. Which probably equates to about 206-207 tops for a normal weigh in. So now I am intrigued to know what my dry weight is, so will have to check it in the morning.

Bad as it is, I have not touched the diet packs really since my last delivery, but the food I'm choosing for my daily intake certainly seems to agree with me, and is helping maintain, if not lose a little more weight.

To think, if I cut out or replaced either my morning cereal or my evening porridge, I could still be losing at quite a good rate. Or even cut out the lunch time bread roll, which I will be doing by the end of the week (I will have run out lol)

All in all, I'm shocked at how well I have done, and pleased that the route I have taken this time seems somewhat more natural. The daily intake neither feels too little, nor boring. So its more than sustainable.

Part of me wants to drop below 200lbs again, but the sensible part of me knows I'm good where I am now, and just need to focus on the health side of things from now on.

So that was a boring update to read I bet, but for once I'm chuffed to bits.
Regards
Michael

Sent using BlackBerry®

Published on Leave a comment on Join the healthy revolution

So I ignored the talk about Graze for ages, then finally took a look, and was shocked.
Expecting nothing but seeds and rice cakes I was surprised to see the range of nibbles on offer, for those wanting healthy intake to those wanting their 5 a day but have a sweet tooth, there is something for everyone.

Don't believe me? Take a look yourself at http://www.graze.com/p/1XL4VNP, enter the promo code on the site and get your first box absolutely free, and a second half price, a whacking £1.70 delivered!
You can choose from a wide range of yummy snacks, and cancel any time, commitment free.

And the best part, I get £1 off my next order, just for you getting your box FREE! Talk about win-win!

So, promo code 1XL4VNP is all you need to feed us both for literally nothing.