2k, 2k, 2k, 2k, 2k and thunder!

I have more or less put myself into Winter training mode already, and in that vein I have decided to keep my heavy 2k session in my week of exercise. It should prove a good guide to my progress over coming weeks, if I keep it up ;o)

Tonight I was really quite happy with what I managed:-

2k 1- 7:28.6 - aver. 1:52.1/500m - 24spm

2k 2- 7:35.1 - aver. 1:53.7/500m - 24spm

2k 3- 7:36.2 - 1:54.0/500m - 25spm

2k 4- 7:40.6 - 1:55.1/500m - 24spm

2k 5- 9:04 - warm down

Pictured below, the instrument of my own self-imposed torture (there's probably a word for that kind of activity).

I realised halfway through that I had my feet too high, and found the adjustment far better for my posture. At the beginning I had adjusted the drag factor (resistance setting) to better suit someone of my weight as well. All the little details probably contributed to this being a better session than last week. Below is a picture I took tonight showing the fantastic view I have as I put myself through my paces...

As I was finishing my session a thunder storm broke that made me glad that I was in the gym and not out on the water like the rest of the club. I was also chuffed that the thunder came during my warm down as it proved to be a huge distraction, and that I had lovely fresh cool air to head home in.

Glorious morning for a pun...

Indeed, despite the rain (drizzle) it was a glorious morning for a pun. This has been on a felled log on the Taff Trail for some weeks (if not months), but today I finally thought "yeah, it's about time I photographed that!". It is just as simple a piece of witty tagging / graffiti as I've seen anywhere in some time, and is somehow enhanced by its setting....

Taken using my none too fabulous mobile phone (I'll bite my tongue on bitching about that piece of kit for anow) on the Taff Trail overlooking the river Taff

It isn't in my weekly training log (see the very bottom of this blog) but walking the dog a few mornings a week (past the log above) really does add to the "on the move" weekly total - was that I kept such a total - which I don't!! Just about any activity can be an "on the move" activity :o)

Circuit dizziness!?!?!

Tuesday evening saw me heading to the rowing club for a circuit training session. I had to turn down an row in an eight to do it, but I have more than realised that fitness is the key to getting the boat moving. Unfortunately too many colleagues circuit like crazy all Winter, meaning they are superbly fit come March, then do little or no work during the Summer when the lure of long days and water prove too much. This means the average crew gets slower through the summer months, ironic, unproven, yes, but I suspect pretty much on the money.

[Another cartoon effort using the 'fine art' PowerPoint drawing tools - I call this "Circuit Dizziness!?!?!" - a true work of classic post-modern doodling. ]

Only a shame you don't get a sense of the pain involved in a rowing circuit from the cartoon!

Novice Sculling Cartoon

My very own little cartoon sculler muses his own weekends shortcomings.
[Drawn in a my own special way using Microsoft Powerpoint - that great artists pallet and creative tool!?!?!?]

Last weeks training table

Slowly but surely getting back into all things active...

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/10/8/09	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tue/11/8/09	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Wed/12/8/09	.	Y	.	4x 2k	.	.	.
Thu/13/8/09	2X-	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Fri/14/8/09	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sat/15/8/09	1X	Y	.	.	.	.	.
Sun/16/8/09	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

Weekend madness

It started with a single scull outing, which took in three trips up and down the river. I could feel after one and a half that I wouldn't be able to do more than three. My brain was saying "hey, lets go fast, we've spent too long messing with technique", unfortunately my body was saying "I'm shattered now from staying upright doing all that technique!". In the end I did a 500m 'pressure' piece from just above the bridge on the last bit of the second trip, and then limped up and down the third one. I could feel the battle between concentration and fatigue during almost all the final trip. At least I managed to win the battle to stay upright :oD

After the rowing came loft sorting, box moving, shelf building, lawn mowing, allotment clearing, shopping, and all manner of other weekend madness. It was a busy weekend, which left me so tired I had to go for a nap when our daughter went for hers!! I feel that a bit of fitness will make these kind of weekends a little easier... I am still pursuing that, after several weeks of no rowing training and heavy summer cold. happily things are on the move ;o)

Double coaching

I had a brief outing in a double scull last night helping a friend get to grips with using two blades. It went very well, they are actually more proficient than I first thought and more so than they gave themselves credit for. I found it interesting that I swiftly ran out of useful things to say, as it was hard to tell what they were doing sat behind them and worrying about where we were going.

Happily in the near future I'll get out in a single along side them with their buddy in a double. Perhaps then I can actually add some proper advice and do a slightly better job of coaching. One of the biggest advantages of coaching always is that your own efforts improve as a result of thinking about and explaining technique in new ways. Doing even a little coaching can put a smile on your face as well as 're-framing' technical knowledge :o)

Signs of progress?

Over recent weeks I have found it hard to put together a good run of training. On Saturday morning I tried to do some repeat 2k ergo's as a session and managed a warm up 2k of 8:51.4, a firmer 2k of 7:39.2, and a final tired 2k of 9:49.0. The three of them felt like very hard work, and I had nothing really to give in the third 'warm down' effort. It really felt like I have a long way to get back to fitness.

Tonight I tried the same sort of session and managed:-

2k 1- 7:40.6 - aver. 1:55.2/500m

2k 2- 7:37.4 - aver. 1:54.4/500m

2k 3- 7:36.8 - 1:54.2/500m

2k 4- 9:31 - warm down

I felt much better tonight, although clearly I have a lot of work to do. I hope to do a similar session once a week to work on stamina and the mental toughness of repeating fixed race plans. Its kind of a plan...

Recent activity

Hmm, when I say 'activity' in the title of the entry I unfortunately can't report physical / fitness type activity. There has been much going on, but not a get deal of exercising. My weight has remained where it is, in spite of a bit of comfort eating here and there. I have been enjoying a summer cold (no it isn't Swine Flu, I've had flu before and this hasn't been the flu). The weather in these parts have not exactly been summer'y.

I have had to take the train to work, and skip circuit classes in the last ten days or so. It hasn't been nice, but I really have had to pace myself even in day to day activity as I have been extremely fatigued.

I did manage to get out in a double scull on Sunday morning with a 'novice' sculler (I'm a novice too by the way) and it went great. Okay, so I'm not super-coach and she probably has heaps that a 'real' would analyse, but she was proficient and even getting to grips with steering. We were ahead of an eight at the bridge, and I said "lets just put a little squeeze on the legs"... next thing we are at the weir side by side with the eight clashing oars. Several stand out things in that (1) she was totally fine about banging the oars and we showed no hint of rolling, (2) this was a mens eight doing a pressure piece and we held them to a draw from a two length head start at the bridge, (3) as we began to 'race' them the pressure and rate came up steadily - natural competitor that Fran, (4) by the last 150m I was able to near enough give it full beans with no worry of the boat balance or run. It was the kind of fun session that reminds me why I got the rowing bug in the first place :o)

Book review - >"The Road" - Cormac McCarthy

I thought seeing as I've been waxing lyrical (or not) about the books I've been reading on LivingSocial's facebook app I may as well re-cycle my words for anyone who finds my blog ;o)

"The Road" - Cormac McCarthy

"There are books to read and then there are books you should read. This is one you should. Yes, it is post-apocalyptic and striped to its bare essentials (no chapters, short punchy paragraphs, direct dialogue), but it is a beautiful portrait of a parents efforts to protect and nuture their child.

The writing stretches 'normal' conventions by dropping aspects of punctuation and so forth, I took this as a gesture to the deterioration of language in the author's disintegrating world. The author deftly moves you along the father and son's journey through the crumbling remains of the planet and society using the pared down construction, and simple clear image-conjuring prose. Keeping the reader absorbed.

It might make you glum, it might make you distinctly unsure where the author is taking you, but you will not be able to put it down and you will be left having had your grey matter thoroughly exercised. A deeply satisfying read, and yes the ending might be somewhat speedy but you will being thinking about it for days."

Crickey that hurts!

The return to 'proper' exercise is certainly leaving its mark this week... the circuits left a hefty and prolonged ache. Ironically it was the stretching session after the circuit that did the most 'damage', stretching bits that hadn't beeen strectched in a while! The opted to try and stretch out more often afterwards, and so far haven't been caught by work colleagues doing impromptu leg stretches in the office, hehee.

I managed to get myself into the gym this morning, which was great. Although I didn't realise the done thing is to coiffeur your hair into the bed head look in the mirror for five minutes before entering the gym and working out!?!?! I went with my usual 'au naturel' bed head, plus bike helmet head hair style (sans mirror)... perhaps I'm actually a gym fashion leader??!?! ;o)

Many ouch'y returns

I returned to circuits tonight, and oh ouch!! I discovered just how much my fitness has gotten away from me. At points I was weak as a kitten, which is... rubbish. It was a good circuit in its design, I just didn't have the power to do it!?!?! I hope to make it a regular session now, because it will definitely pay off if I keep it up. After tonight it has to be said the only the way is up!!

It has really brought home to me just how far I need to go to get into half decent shape. Will do my best to keep the blogging going ;o)

Little by little

When it comes to making new starts (which inevitably happens along any path) then the key thing to keep in mind is little by little. I managed to forget this bit of my own advice, and for a few minutes of a rowing machine session this Saturday just gone I was very annoyed. I thought that I would be able to do almost as well as I used to do a couple of months ago, ah no, not even close. When you go back to doing something you've not done in a while give yourself a mental break and don't expect old glories instantly.

The same is true of healthy eating, don't expect that because you were once much lighter that a return will come swiftly. Admittedly the early days of eating better invariably do go well, mainly through a sort of detox effect of 'emptying' your system of excess digestion material (whatever it was you were using to make yourself feel 'full'). After the initial phase give yourself a similar mental break, and know that from there on its going to be incremental and steady work to get back to where you once were.

Happily I am enjoying be back at the task, the rowing machine session felt good - as soon as I got off I felt the buzz. The healthier eating is similarly good, the initial 'effect' of diet change has tipped me just below the 15st mark. I must up date the chart, though I need to get my FTP service sorted before I can, d'oh!!

I keep thinking of things to blog, so hopefully I'll post some of those up in coming days :o)

Return to action

After a brief but lovely holiday I am back to concerted efforts to keep 'on the move'... started by cycling into work today, and will continued with that at least until the weekend. Some rowing and running will (I hope) creep back in next week with a renewed healthy eating thrust.

The scales didn't tell me scary things when I got back from holiday indulgences, only that I seem to have settled back at 15st. I will get to updating my chart on the weekend, it is usually the act of charting that inspires a good run of activity. Now that my days, weeks are fuller with things I will perhaps need to be canny about fitting in goodly amounts of exercise. We will see how that develops.

I noticed my blog has a number of American visits on my ClustrMap, although sadly I never subscribed to the details map so I have no idea where they actually are from. I am intrigued to know whether anyone reads this at all, let alone with any regularity (bar my wife that is who often reads this and offers kind hints about my terrible spelling!?!? hehehehe).

On the subject of readers, I often wonder if I'm missing a trick with certain keywords and so on. You know the thing, you blog a bunch of stuff and keep mentioning words over and over so search engines offer your blog up to read. I am often curious as to what happens if for example I wrote several blog entries about celeb gossip or diet fads whether my ClustrMap would reflect the 'titillating' keyword pick ups / hits?!?! Happily I really couldn't care less if anyone finds this or not, when I remember to blog its always more for me that it is for you.... and I certainly don't intend to start dropping little search enticing keywords everywhere ;o)

Ps. yes I know there is a spell checker here, I often forget to hit the button before the 'publish' button - sorry! :o)

Currently

Well currently I am at 15st, which isn't at all terrible in the grand scheme of my personal weight history, but isn't close to where I'd like to be. The work starts here (again), and starts with the elimination of snacks. Over the last few months I have become accustomed to grabbing food as and when I feel like it. Bringing back some structure is the key to turning around the bad run, standard meals and two light snacks (mid-morning and mid-afternoon) to fend off cravings.

Over the next couple of weeks I hope to improve activity levels a fair bit as well. Hopefully I'll be able to report some good new progress ;o)

No co-incidence!!

It really is no co-incidence that my last burst of fitness activity was in the run up to the arrival of our first child, or that the drop in fitness followed the exciting arrival. If you then put a temporary job on top of all that, and the quest for a better contract over the following months - it all makes sense, doesn't it?

I haven't really kept up with blogging, and ended up facebook'ing baby pics and things instead... if I ever sign up to twitter then I fear for my blogging I really do, hahaha

I know that I got a few pounds (between 3 and 5) over 15st again in recent weeks, but I am really curious to see what my 'official' weigh-in on the weekend might bring. Somewhere around 15st I think, which looking at the trend line isn't all that bad really. Of course being on the move isn't simply about weight, but being functional active and healthy. So I do have quite some work ahead of me in coming weeks.

Happily I do have a target, my rowing buddy (laughingly reffered to as my 'rowing wife') is away for three months and we have resolved to come back to the boat in the autumn fitter than we both are now! Though I think on recent form I have a bit more work to do, but nonetheless targets are key to some good basic motivation :o)

Time flies...

Time flies when you are busy... sadly though the passage of time hasn't been so kind to my waistline. I opened this blog to pick up my efforts of all things fitness, and saw the last post was my boast... whoops... it lasted some time, then Christmas festivities and and great many other things came along and took my attention away from weighty issues.

Of late I have had a few sage comments from my wife about my whereabouts on my all time trend line, all of them pointing to the fact I have slipped by a few pounds (I will weigh in on Sunday and then adjust my chart to help my renewed pledge to get on the move!!). Noticeably I am not as fit as I was, the stairs in the office are tough at the moment, and rowing is okay as long as we keep it short and sharp?!?!?

Perhaps I'll even get around to diagnosing the reasons behind the slide ;o)

Four year low :o)

Yippee, I have just achieved a four year low with my weight ( you can see the evidence on my "Weight progress page" ). At the moment I am a very pleasing 14 stone 10 pounds, the lowest I've been since September 2004. Which as my wife has just pointed out also matches the lowest I've been since I started keeping a record of my weight back in May 2001.

I have achieved this latest trend of slimness through nothing much more than common sense, and a little bit of simple planning. The common sense part was essentially cutting out extra 'snacks' (chocolate bars, crisps, biscuits, and so forth that I'd graze on all day), and eating sensible meals. The planning comes in with the sensible meals, I have been making sure of a solid balanced breakfast, a simple solid lunch and then a usual meal in the evening. The planning has also been in evidence in shopping for the right kind of simple foods, so that if I do feel the need for any snack there are simple 'healthier' alternatives on hand (dried fruit and so on).

One of the main changes to meals I have made has been to have something to drink shortly before main meals, and moreover to sit down with the meal set out in front of me and focusing on sitting relatively quietly and enjoying it. I have found that I feel 'fuller' for longer if I have had the opportunity to sit and enjoy a 'slow' lunch, for example, rather than feeling 'hungrier' after a rushed / snatched lunch.

It hasn't been a process of making the diet 'clinical' merely an exercise in making meals defined components of the day, avoiding the eating as a series of snatch and grab episodes. The food I have been having has been fairly formulaic in as far as similar ingredients repeat through the week, but because I sit down and enjoy eating them and the process of eating them I don't seem to find the choices 'boring' or 'samey'. I do have a target weight in mind, but I am not going to commit it to Blog, as I often seem to slip after such grand statements (call me a tiny bit superstitious or something).

All the progress has gone hand in hand with my usual fitness stuff based around rowing, but I have not done anything dramatic on that side of things - the progress has been with simple and enjoyable meals without the 'expensive' calorie packed snacks.

Self-coaching, micro-coaching, and damn good coaching

Over the summer I very much enjoyed the Olympic sports feast, especially once I'd become familiar with the ins and outs of the Interactive service.  I watched more Olympic Rowing Regatta footage than was probably good for me, taking in live and highlight re-runs.  It was re-assuring that I could look at the techniques in a far more analytical way than I would once have been able to.  This was reinforced when I found myself especially critical of one guy's stroke only to hear the commentary then say the same thing (gave myself a tiny gold star for that one).

It was funny to note how many rowing club members were so clearly doing the same kind of thing.  Watching for the obvious crews with medals in mind, but also watching for technique and race strategies.  There were many a small discussion group round the boathouse showing each other hand and body positioning, some of which looked quite comical from distance.  As a result of one such Olympic inspired discussion within our 'crew de jeur' (we don't seem capable of getting the same crew out on day to the next - another story) I was prompted to look up some stuff on YouTube, and specifically a former Olympian's coaching videos [the coach turned out be to Xeno Muller (Olympic gold and silver medalist) once I'd found the reference on YouTube, example YouTube video link] (and website - Iron Oarsman).  I was, like watching the Olympic coverage, pleased how much I was diagnosing along with the coach.  All of which is great, the greatest challenge though comes in getting a bunch of guys in a crew to agree, and moreover implement, the same approach on any given outing.  Herein lies our biggest single issue - while we can all view crews (on the water, television, Internet), it is only consistent on the spot coaching that can pull ideas and rowers together into potentially winning units.

It was drilled home by the GB Team success across a number of sports that coaching structure and coaching quality are essential to good progress.  Happy as I am that the GB squads are well 'armed' with such quality, I can't help but ponder where / when this will trickle to the very roots of such sports.  I'm off back to the web and my DVD collection to carry on trying to organise my own little improvement steps in the meanwhile.

Busy summer

It has been a very busy summer, with one thing and another... so much so that I haven't had much of a chance to update the blog.  Will try and pick up again, and at least get one 'good' post in a week ;o)

I have some good news for my weight chart that I hope to update and post shortly, I'm not gonna spill the beans just yet though :oP

Just in case anyone knows what happened to the British summer this summer please let me know?!?!? Something to do with one of the Nino's I expect 'El' or 'Al' - can never remember which is which.