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.

Wonderful

In preparation for weekend advertures at the Evesham Regatta we did a light'ish session last night on the water. We were both coo'ing when we got off, it went so well. Admitting to technical flaws and not tinkering too much we worked on simply timing and relaxing through practice starts.

When sessions go like that then you remember why you got so addicted in the first place... awesome!

The weekend brings only one outting in the senior 2 pairs event on Sunday, we aren't senior 2 but the distance of 500m should give us every chance of putting in a decent showing :o)

Lookie, lookie, new lookie...

I am a sucker for a new colour scheme, and so I browsed Blogger's offerings. It looks pretty clean and I like it.

Could have been that I was inspired by the new ARA website - http://www.ara-rowing.org/
Their revision looks great, and the little content that I have gone looking for is well structured.

I also noted that Evesham Rowing Club have revamped their site as well - http://www.evesham-rowing-club.co.uk/
Another effort in streamlining and clean looking content. They seem to have pulled it off nicely, and all the content is dated to show the freshness (or indeed otherwise) of their pages. Many a rowing site looks great, but often leave you wondering when last it was updated.

Another busier week

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/21/4/08	.	Y	.	.	.	.	Y
Tue/22/4/08	.	Y	xtrainer	.	.	Brief	Y
Wed/23/4/08	2x 3t	Y	xtrainer	.	.	.	Y
Thu/24/4/08	.	Y	45mins	.	.	.	Y
Fri/25/4/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Sat/26/4/08	2- 3t	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sun/27/3/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

Latest training table - busy week!

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/14/4/08	.	Y	xtrainer	.	Y	Light	Y
Tue/15/4/08	.	Y	xtrainer	.	.	Brief	Y
Wed/16/4/08	2x 2t	.	xtrainer + 20min	.	.	.	Y
Thu/17/4/08	.	Y	.	3x 8mins	.	.	Y
Fri/18/4/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Sat/19/4/08	2- 3t	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sun/20/3/08	2- 4t.	Y	.	.	.	.	.

Back basics

No, no, no I didn't miss a word from the title of this post... I do mean back basics, and not back to basics.... ah, you would like me to explain? No? Well I logged in to share so I am gonna :oP hehehehe

Since I fell off my bike and did my shoulder in I have not had the strongest shoulder girdle, despite going to a great physio class at the local hospital for a good few weeks at the time. I have in fact never had the strongest shoulders or back, as a kid (and possibly also currently at times) I tended to hunch to reduce my height (as the tallest kid in the class I was at times a bit self conscious).

From the early phases of learning to row it was noted that my core and shoulders weren't strong enough to cope with the leg powered drive phase of the stroke. This lack of strength led to me 'tugging' with my arms, it sounds counter intuitive but it really isn't. If your shoulders, core and back aren't strong enough to translate the leg drive energy to the oar the tendency is to tense and bend the arms (to grip). The consequence being the power of the leg drive is reduced and masked by an almighty arm and shoulder shrug to cope with the oar load. Ideally, during the initial leg drive (which is followed by shorter body and arm phases) the rower should leave the arms straight, fingers loosely hooking over the handle, and the legs exploding; the core, shoulders and back holding the posture firm facilitating the transfer of the huge leg effort through the body into the oar and thus into propulsion through the water. If the leg drive isn't harnessed and you row with bend arms, 'pulling' and 'tugging', then fatigue rapidly hits you and you struggle to row very far at any speed at all.

So during my recent morning sessions on the cross trainer I have taken a half time break to work a little on my back and shoulders. Through using light pull ups and dips, and a couple of the other simple weight machines. It leads you to feel really very tired, there is something different about recovering from upper body that leaves you feel heavier and slower than if you had done isolated leg work. Leg work recovery hurts if you climb stairs, core work recovery hurts when you sit at the dinner table (unless you slump which is painful in a different way). I am hoping that as I carry on this phase it'll get easier and easier like I've found before with running (predominantly leg) training.

A busy weeks training table ;o)

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/7/4/08	.	Y	xtrainer	.	Y	Brief	Y
Tue/8/4/08	2x 3t	Y	xtrainer	.	.	Brief	Y
Wed/9/4/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Thu/10/4/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	Y
Fri/11/4/08	.	Y	xtrainer	.	.	Brief	Y
Sat/12/4/08	2- 3t	Y	.	Y	.	.	.
Sun/13/3/08	2- 3t	.	.	.	.	.	.

Two sessions a day has proved interesting, and thanks to being unemployed at the moment, easy to fit into the day. The kind of stuff I've been doing with the cross-trainer (xtrainer) is something I could still do on my return to the working life... I hope to get it so engrained that I will make time for the sessions because I'll be addicted to the activity.

Three outting on the river always helps the mood levels. Especially as now the clocks have changed and the days are longer, the options are more flexible. The elevation in mood with the clock change suggests I am more prone to SAD (seasonal affective disorder - not sure thats the right word combination, sorry). I reckon its an aging thing that makes daylight and associated activities missed more and more each winter.

Picking it up

This week has seen a bit of a pick up in activity, with plenty of training. Unfortunately it has also been a week where work and so on has gotten on top of me rather a lot!! I have a list of things I need to do around training that is pretty daunting, and mentally quite wearing. That meant that I didn't really enjoy my training as much as I would have liked. The main thing was I got on with things, although I have been very tired. I hope that another week of hard work will begin to make things feel a little easier, the first week of harder training is always a tricky adjustment.

Busier week

I've had a bit of a busier start to the week, and aside from a few aches it feels pretty good. The training table for this week (at the foot of the blog) is looking pretty healthy. I have been fitting in some morning sessions at the rowing club. I doubt i'll keep it going at that level all of the time, with appointments and commitments over coming weeks, but I will certainly be filling in the early sessions when I can (they set the day up pretty well).

Got an unexpected double outting tonight that was good in patches. Definitely feeling our way into the four oar boat, we know what we should be doing, its just a case of putting it together. I did find that having watched some footage from last years Rowing World Championships I had the stroke much more clearly pictured in my head. I will definitely be watching a bit more of that before the weekend outtings ;o)

Training table

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/24/3/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tue/25/3/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Wed/26/3/08	.	.	.	.	.	Gardening	.
Thu/27/3/08	.	.	.	.	.	Gardening	.
Fri/28/3/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sat/29/3/08	Twice	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sun/30/3/08	Y	.	.	.	.	.	.

Boat Race

The 2008 University boat race is upon us tomorrow,... now that is the Oxford vs. Cambridge race on the Thames, not one of the many similar events between pairs of Universities that have sprung up to emulate the dear old two horse race (fear I may be mixing my sporting metaphors, but I am sure you follow, hehe). The website is at - http://www.theboatrace.org/

My attention was garnered this year by a 'free' program inserted into the "Rowing & Regatta" Magazine which arrives monthly on my doorstep courtesy of my being a member of the ARA (Amateur Rowing Association). Quite the insert it is too... aside from loads of adverts from event sponsors (which seem to be going from strength to strength of late)... there is quite the breakdown of the race and the athletes taking part, and even a brief but refreshing piece on volunteers cleaning up the Thames by a charity called Thames21 http://www.thames21.org.uk/

Not sure really how anyone not signed up to the ARA gets a copy of either publication, but that's probably just my ignorance - the program I assume will be on sale on the banks of the river in the build up to the race. Aside from being a really rather successful British Olympic sport it is not clear how the sport is reaching out to the public outside of the once or twice a year TV coverage of Boat Race or Olympic / World Championship Regattas.

Actually (and sadly), the most stand out read for me was on a personal level... there are one or two taking part who are my age!!! Not that that means anything at all, I am hardly likely to go work for Oxford or Cambridge, let alone get into their rowing squads, haha! Still it was nice to feel some of my increasing years is still cutting it ;o)

Not the most coherent of discussions in this post I know, but my mind is on the job application form I am about to spend several hours trying to complete! Sorry :o)

Back to activity (well a bit) ;o)

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/17/2/08	.	Y	20min	20min	.	.	Y
Tue/18/3/08	.	.	.	Y	.	Y	Y
Wed/19/3/08	.	.	30min	.	.	.	Y
Thu/20/3/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Fri/21/3/08	.	Y	50min	.	.	.	.
Sat/22/3/08	.	Y	.	40min	.	.	.
Sun/23/3/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	.

Going the distance

The last two mornings I set off for work and decided to cycle. Fine, well and good. I decided to take a longer route as I have gotten out of the habit and need the exercise. The route I normally take is fairly quick, but worst of all is broken up so there are no nice long sweeps to get a head of steam going.

Thus I have been going past my turning into the park (which is now open after Winter closing - opens dawn - closes at dusk), and doing a long loop around it. Going almost into the heart of town and back again. The route is roughly 4.8 miles (according to the Gmaps Pedometer), which is around double the usual route into work. It really does feel like a bike ride and it is much nicer to arrive in work having 'toured' the views of the park and river in the morning.

It is still in fact quicker than taking the train, even with the addition, and only adds 10 minutes to an often 8-10 minute trip. To be honest its a bit of a drag putting cycling kit on for the shorter trip!! I obviously won't be able to do the route all the time, but variety is apparently the spice so I'll certainly be trying out meandering routes to work when I can ;o)

When you just can't shift the hic-cup...

Over recent weeks I have continued to 'suffer' from my hic-cup... having finally gotten over the hip problem and then wandered into a knee problem I found myself going no where. Pressures of work, i.e. finding a new contract / job, have meant that I have been comfort eating and not training as I have been doing. It is amazing just how quickly your body takes its revenge on you when you drop good habits for bad!!

I arrived at the point of discovering that I have topped 16st for the first time since... well it doesn't really matter when... I was not happy, but not surprised. The effects of being this heavy had made themselves obvious long before I stepped on my faithful scales... apparently I have started snoring, I have lost strength and tone in my legs and torso, and I have much less energy to tackle the rigors of the working, training, DIY'ing, commuting week!

The grand plan (see my last post), was really a grand attempt at a shake up... unfortunately it just didn't stick... I didn't back it up with consistant action. I am not going to try a grand plan from here, instead I am going back to what works... getting on the move... cycling to work, training properly at the rowing club, and avoiding all the comfort eating / grazing eating.

Really have to make this stick this time... I will not go back to being a heavy, tired, sick Andy!!!

The great two month experiment...

Welcome to my great two month experiment (not in any way related to having turned 34 recently, oh no!!).... what is my grand scheme I hear no one ask?... it is a simple get fit and more importantly shed some body fat plan. Having been inspired by a magazine article (hmm, I know not the most auspicious place to begin) and partly also by the coming of lent the new plan has been hatched.

Essentially I will be eating a more substantial breakfast (mainly porridge or similar) and cutting lunch into two smaller meals eating four times a day rather than 3. Not sounding like rocket science so far is it? Well indeed thats because it isn't really, I will be reducing the carb intake in favour of protein and working a fair bit harder at the gym and with home weights. Trying to somewhat, and I hesitate to use the word,... no I really do hesitate... resculpt myself a bit. I have been putting off getting out the tape measure but that will be my main yardstick. Measuring key areas (i.e. waist, stomach, chest, etc.) and then measuring them again at the end of month one and then month two.

I will let you, my audience of mostly one (hello honey!) how it goes and what (if any ) revelations I come across. Oh, I have given up chocolate and taking the train to work for lent... an inspired duo I think you will agree.

My first experiment with chocolate flavoured protein powder as an appetite suppressing breakfast supplement was interesting... mixing half a 'dose' into my porridge was simple and almost tasty (given that I am not the biggest porridge fan thats not an indictment of the powder). On the way to work and while in work I felt stuffed full, so perhaps mission accomplished, this is only an 'n' of 1 experiment so far!! The rough idea is that the protein will make me feel 'fuller' at breakfast, that the protein will require a metabolism shift to be used as fuel helping reduce some male pattern glycogen stores, and also act as building material if I follow through my plan to get to the gym more.

See my plan??? Hmmmmmm... I know it does sound like bollocks... I am not exactly sold myself... just prepared to give an experiment a few weeks... or at least to the end of lent ;o) Hmm, perhaps I should have described my lent options as: cutting down simple carbs and giving up lazy forms of transport, hehehehe

Busy weekend

Well for a weekend it is certainly packed... started with 30mins ergo'ing, 20mins running at the club, then we went bowling (I did pretty well for the first bowl in two years, 167 & 171 - I had two turkeys, the first one with my first three balls!!). After that activity we bustled off to one of the best eateries in South Wales for a fab meal, and then dashed home in time to see England v Wales... which despite contriving to lose Wales came back to win!!

Then Yesterday saw more running (30mins this time), followed by 30mins or so off moderate weights work. The weights included some light load squats, which like the rest of the weekends workouts seemed not to aggrievate my recent groin injury (yipee). After the training we went to a local country park to walk our dog with a bunch of other rescue dogs.... by the time we got home we were absolutley battered. Watched Scotland lose to France and then had a quiet night in.

A fabulous weekend :o) And then today....

This morning I tried porridge for breakfast for the second day running, got to work early so popped into a branch of Starbucks for a coffee (I chose a vanilla latte), I had a MacDonalds for a quick lunch on the hoof, and then in the afternoon I had milkshake... and now I feel sick... my wife pointed out the calories involved in all that and I realised why!!! I feel like a small child that went to a friends birthday party, eat too much cake and drank too much fizzy pop!!! Its not nice!!!

Perhaps its some karmic revenge thing for having frequented two of the big bad chain stores in one day... I have been to niether for a very very long time. I had actually rather enjoyed the atmosphere in Bucks, sitting in a booth reading a paper before work felt very urbane. The same could not be said for my MacD's experience, since my last visit leather Bucks style sofas have appeared but the ambiance was far from urbane.

Tomorrow I will try not to make myself sick but will be trying my first ever protein supplement experience... as part of a fitness drive I am trying out a bit of diet modification (more of that tomorrow)...

Bright clear, hint of fine drizzle, beautiful February day.

Last weeks training

Training Log	Row	Stretch	Run	Ergo	Circuit	Weights	Cycle
Mon/28/1/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Tue/29/1/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Wed/30/1/08	.	Y	20mins	.	.	Medium	.
Thu/31/1/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Fri/1/2/08	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Sat/2/2/08	.	Y	20mins	30mins	.	.	.
Sun/3/2/08	.	Y	30mins	.	.	Medium	.

They've done it!! Business Finished!!

'Unfinished Business' finished the 2007 Atlantic Rowing Race 2007 (The Worlds Toughest Rowing Race ) on 04:31GMT January 23rd 2008 the fourth boat to cross the finish line.

They started on the 3rd December 2007 and completed in a time of 51 days, 16 hours and 31 minutes making them the new fours female record holders.

Their website includes the celebration pictures as well as a link to the Meningitis Trust (their charity reason for taking on the ocean). Their JustGiving website for donations is http://www.justgiving.com/unfinishedbusiness.