Plans for 2016...

Me again. Sorry.

So, a quick around up of this year so far....its been windy and wet and not really the sort of time you want to spend out on your bike, but out I must go...but only three times this month totaling less than 30 miles! As the boss is away tomorrow and Friday, it is my intention to go out and do some miles...while the cat is away, the mouse will play!

I wonder, does 20 minutes on the turbo last Friday count? I hate the turbo but when its raining, its a way of getting some miles in I suppose.

Anyway, what other things have I been up to? Well, I went swimming.... and yes, I do swim...poorly! Looking back on my records, my last trip to the swimming pool was in Feb 2014 when I managed 1100m in around 50 mins. No, not fast I will agree. On my first trip back to the pool I managed only 400m but have been three times more doing 800m in 36 mins, the same distance in 34 and 750m in around 32mins: so overall I am getting faster. However, my times are still slow and risk me being overtaken by non swimmers!

To this end, I have signed up for some coaching on a Friday night down at Penkridge Leisure Centre. Well, it was interesting to hear the Coach Carols comments on my ability to swim..... actually it wasn't as she said that while I can make progress in the water, I can't actually swim! It seems my breast stroke arms are all wrong whilst for some strange reason, I seem to be doing a butterfly kick instead of a whip kick (and no, not wimp kick as I just wrote!). Well I went to Stafford pool this afternoon...they have an over 50's session I could attend being, er, over 50 (indeed, I was the youngest there!) and whilst my arm pull is better, I completely failed to understand how to do the kick! Youtube is your friend so I am going to try again tomorrow/Thursday morning in the new swimming shorts I brought earlier.... and no, I didn't buy a "g" string pair! Hopefully, with a bit of practice I will be able to get my 800m breast stroke time down to under 25mins.

What else....well as you may remember from my last post, I mentioned something about running. Well, come March I am planning to join Stafford Harriers in order to learn to run. Back in the day, I used to hate running but was pretty quick over 100 and 200m. Anything beyond that, or down to Tottenham locks (we used to get set to run there and back during the school gym period!) and back I tended to avoid like the plague.

So, why the sudden interesting in running? Could it be for all the nice new shiny kit I could buy like a Garmin Forerunner 920xt....only £250......nice, or as its better running in the cold and wet than it is cycling? Nope, I would like to get fitter and this is a way of doing so. It also opens up opportunities for me to take part in events such as the Gnosall 10k run, or the Ironbridge 4miles. Perhaps in 2017 I might be fit enough to do the Stafford half but then again, do I really fancy running for 13 miles around the mean streets of Stafford? No, not really.

Thinking about it...... I suppose I could add swimming, cycling and running together as one sport? Hummmm..... going back to cycling, I have a few plans for events to do. I think I will do the Katherine House 45 mile ride which comes up in early summer. I've done it once before and it's not a bad ride and it is for a good cause. I would also like to do the Great Manchester ride which is on closed roads: you don't get to use closed roads that often in the UK and perhaps the Manchester to Blackpool ride...well its one of the "big 3" along with London to Brighton and London to Sunny Southend!

As to swimming....don't laugh at the back but I have brought a wet suit in medium....... yes, I know its going to be a right struggle to lose enough weight to get into it (about another 20kg) but if you don't set yourself a target, what is the point? To make use of the wet suit I am planning to go to the lake near Whitchurch to do some open water swimming and then....if I get fast enough, I would like to do the half mile swim which forms part of the Great North swim held in June in Lake Windermere. I know I can do the distance in a pool but in a lake, in the early summer with several hundred others? Hummmmm......

Where is this all going I hear you ask? Well, if you add swimming, cycling and running together you get, er, Triathlon. Yes, that's right, I am considering signing up to do a tri! And No, not as CBH thought, an Ironman but a "simple" Sprint or Super Sprint event. That means, for the shorter super sprint, 400m swim, 10km cycle ride and 2.5km run. The sprint is twice as far.  Having looked at possible events (blimey they are expensive!) there is an open water event in Liverpool in August I quite fancy, or a month later a pool based event in Derby. I'll make my mind up closer to the event.

So, I have started training for them...well I have started reading books on doing triathlons....surely that counts as training? I suppose I will make it up as I go along whilst if I do enter one, if I finish last at least I finished and to me, that's all that's important, given that I would not even have thought I would have been able to do so six months ago.

Right, that's enough from me right now. More when I get around to it.

2015 cycling round up.

Sorry, late to the post again....not very good at this am I!

Well looking back at last years stats then, overall from 130 rides including the local ones to the shops and station and back, I did a total of 1 555 miles at an average speed of 11.4mph producing an average of 110 watts each ride. The weather was an average of 10c, although at lot of the time it felt much colder than that!

My monthly totals were:

January:                 161 miles
Feb                         142 miles
March                    160 miles
April                        75 miles  (had a bad cold most of the month)
May                        163 miles
June                        130 miles
July                         143 miles
August                    131 miles
Sept                          81 miles....terrible month as I was on leave so should have done more!
October                  112 miles.... operation month!
November              103 miles.... not that good really
December              148 miles....getting a little better.

A few more things to note....my average speed seems to be improving given my weight loss, I am now often above 12mph whereas before the op, I would struggle to get to 11mph. I know that's only a 9% improvement but any improvement is welcomed!

So this year I want to double my total for the year and do quite a few 30 mile plus roads. I think I did only one last year. I would really like to do some 50 milers and then perhaps longer. I have a few "evil" plans for this year which do include riding a bike...and having a swim along with a bit of a run but more on that next time!

Oh, and this morning 11th Jan, I was down to 104.1kg.

Interesting, very interesting....or not.

Just then, whilst checking what cycling kit actually fits me now.... I have a large bag of stuff which I brought when discounted/in sales: darn you Wiggle!!!.... which has never fitted. Of course I hung onto it on the hope that one day I would be able to squeeze into it. That day has finally arrived as all but one pair of cycling tights and a jacket now fit! So, I now have a choice of what to wear and drivers have a choice what they can ignore me in and still pull out on me like twats.

Anyway...there it is again...while cleaning out my draws, I came across a booklet which I thought I had thrown away: the booklet with all my measurements in from when I started all this! So, to ensure that I don't lose the recorded facts, I am going to stick them all in here.....bet you can hardly wait!

So, on the 24th Sept, the day I started my pre-op diet. I measured the following:

Weight: 127.7kg

Chest    145cm

Waist    135 cm

Hips:     120 cm

Neck     56cm

The next measures recorded are on Operation Day: 8th Oct. On this day, my measurements were:

Weight: 121.4kg, a loss of 6.3kg since I started 14 days earlier.

Chest:     140cm, down 5cm

Waist:     133cm  down 2cm

Hips:      119cm   down 1cm

Neck        54.5cm   down 1.5cm

So, overall I lose 9.5cm during that period!

On to the next measurements I have been able to find....there might be more somewhere. I think these were taken on the 9th December but who knows!

Weight....not sure but I would guess around 109kg, down 12kg since Oct and down 18.7 since the start.

Chest: 132.5 down 7.5cm since the previous time and 12.5cm overall

Waist: 126.5 cm down 6.5 cm since last time and 8.5cm overall

Hips: 112.5cm down 6.5cm and 7.5cm overall

Neck: 51cm down 3.5cm and 6cm overall.

Thus, in total I have lost 34cm overall....approximately.

Quite pleased with that. I think I will try to take this measurements on the first of each month from now on.....yes, I know you can hardly wait!..... wait, I said that before....arrgggg!!

Ops, sorry its been so long

Its been how long since I last posted something....blimey, sorry about that. I must admit I really don't like writing that much: I hate my writing “style” if indeed the poor way I put words together can be called a style! I read quite a bit even by “normal” non published authors and notice the difference! I suppose it comes down to being in the “slow” class at school back in the 1960's. Just suppose what I could have done with my life if I had been capable of writing as well as I can think. Sigh.

Anyway.... a word I use far too often for my liking, lets up date you on what's happening in my life.

Well at the start of this month (December 2015) I weight in at 109.9kg, down from 127.7kg when first started this epic journey. That's not a bad weight loss but still some way to go. I also....okay, CBH took my measurements see if I have gotten any smaller and yes, it does seem so. They now read:

Neck 51cm, Chest 132.5cm, Waist: 126.5cm and hips 112.5cm...... yes, I am a funny shape! Its my neck and face which seem the most changed visually. Oh and the 23 inch neck shirt CBH brought me for the wedding back in September now seems huge on me! A good sign, although it might mean that I might have to start buying new clothes one day!

Moving on, on the 7^th & 8^th of the month we had a two day team meeting. It was interesting to note that a couple of people who hadn't seen me for some time remarked on the fact that I was looking well and asked if I had lost weight.... a little I replied not mentioning the gastric band to them. I don't know why but I still want to keep this under wraps. No doubt some Professor or something would say its due to my underlying father related relationship issues or something.... crap I would say, its nothing to do with them!

The team meeting was interested in that it meant eating with other people. Lunch on the first day was fine.... I brought my own so I could have a salad, whereas we went out for a meal after work on the first day and had a more formal lunch on the second day. It wasn't that difficult eating only part of the lunch and leaving the rest saying CBH was cooking a meal for me when I got home. Overall, unlike what would have happened normally, I didn't put on weight while away at team meetings. Oh, and I managed to go for a three mile walk around the City of London on the morning of the second day...it was interesting to see what has changed there (most things) since I worked there back in the 1980's. I did enjoy my trip to London...well apart from the bad cough I brought back with me which laid me up sick and off my bike for nearly two weeks....grrrr.

On the 9^th it was time for my second band fill. The nurse was pleased with my progress but added a little more to the band so that I now have 5 ½ ml in it. That's about half full as the thing holds a total of 12ml.

As I highlighted above I was a sick for most of the month and had quite a horrible workload so I didn't really get out much. Indeed, we cancelled two nights out due to illness, which is both a pain as we were looking forward to them, and costly financially. Sigh.

Shall we move forward to Christmas....well being good I managed to put on 1lb over the holiday period, something I have quickly taken off again, so here on the 30^th Dec, I now weigh 105.6 kilos, down 4.3kg on the month and 22.1 since September. That means, in old money I have lost 48.7lbs since this all started. When you look at it, that's almost a large bag of spuds I am no longer carrying around with me....although why I would carry a large bag around with me is a little unclear!

So onwards to the New Year! We are out tomorrow night at the theatre and then home in time for the fireworks. I got a feeling 2016 is going to be an epic year of weight loss and doing things I have not been able to do recently due to my weight. I'll write a post about them next month when I have formulated them....expect them to be epic, a little evil and if I know me, unobtainable....sigh, there I go again, putting myself down. Its something I do too readily. I really must stop and look on the bright side of life.

Enjoy your New Year.

"This won't hurt a bit...."

Morning. Well, I have had my first fill and me don't like it!

So, of to Birmingham I went on Thursday and the first thing to note was the lack of traffic on the M6. For once (and perhaps for once only), the road was totally free of queues meaning I arrived at the clinic half an hour early which gave me time to "people watch" the persons ahead of me in the queue including one women so fat she had to stop for a breathe every few paces... It can't be good being that unfit so at least she was doing some good having a gastric band fitted, although I would have thought a bypass would have been better for her given her possible BMI..... blimey, I am turning into a fat nazi here!

Oh, and please clinic, turn the blood radio off or at least down or to a listenable station. I really feel sorry for kids of now days having to put up with the rubbish which passes for music now days. Its horrible, auto tuned rubbish.... after half an hour of listening to it I was ready to kill!

Moving on quickly to the procedure.... the nurse was very nice and took a short history of how I was getting on with the band and did note, as I thought, that the port was quite high up under the skin (if that makes any sense). and then stuck me with a long needle. I tried not to watch as I am not great with needles but it seemed that the Mr Super had put some fluids in the band: 1ml worth. I thought he said he had left it empty. Anyway, the nurse withdrew this and replaced it with 4ml worth. And, apart from a plaster, that was that.

Having the fill means that its back to liquids for three days but being me, I had to cheat so last evening I ate a small piece of CHB left over pie crust....MISTAKE as I came close to throwing up almost straight away. Must remember to stay away from such lovely food stuffs....sob. As to weight loss, I seem to be stuck again around 113kg. I put this down to not having had a poo since Thursday.

Anyway, on other topics, did a quick cycle ride before yesterdays game....Got VERY wet and winded upon doing a circuit around Penkridge International Airport. Only 8 miles but by then, I was very cold and wet so was very glad to get back to the car and change into something warmer. I have no idea how people do long rides in the rain: it seems to drag all the fun out of cycling. I hate getting wet when exercising. Perhaps I should start going swimming again?

Right that's me done. Got some jobs to do around the house today and some shopping to get with CBH but this afternoon I have a long ride (20 miles plus with a bit of luck planned), so wish me luck.

Sorry, vomit, cycling and fill day.

Morning and firstly, sorry for not reporting in earlier. I would love to say it has been as I have been so very busy doing lots of exciting stuff like climbing mountains or swimming with dolphins or something like that but truth be known, I am just a lazy git who rarely has anything interesting to say; as you will have noted, so haven't bothered coming back here to tell you all about it.... no wonder Facebook threw me out for being boring!

Anyway, that over, an update on where I am on my weight loss journey and all that. Where am I...stuck. I have managed to lose only a pound over the last week or two, so I am now down to 113.5kg (or about 17st 12). Okay, I should be happy that I have lost weight but I would have liked a few more pounds before today's visit to the clinic (that sounds like I am going to get an STD fixed or something...!). It's not that I am over eating as I have certainly cut down on what I was gorging myself on but I feel that my body is hanging onto every calorie I put into it as its worrying about where its next feed is coming from. Perhaps? Oh however I have discovered one thing I can't eat...wholemeal bread! I had half a slice on Saturday morning which completed bunged me up and caused me to vomit. Not nice but its the only time I have done so, so at least that doesn't seem to be a problem as it can be with some people.

I suppose I look a little different due to the weight loss than I did.... I can see some difference, as can CBH. It was interested that I got a comment at a team meeting on Tuesday by someone who knew I had had the operation (only three people at work do), that I was looking quite well. Good feedback. Talking about being quite well, I saw my GP on Monday who gave me the results of my HC1 blood sugar tests. My count is 44, down from 66 and according to the GP: "almost normal." Which is nice.

Before we move onto today's action at THE CLINIC...... (sorry, trying to build it up) shall we talk about any cycling...well its part of what the blog is about isn't it. Thus, rewinding a little, last Friday I finished work early on the Friday: well I am paid to do around 37 hours a week but had already had done well over 45, so off to the lanes around my favourite village Ranton I went....only to get nearly drown in a rain storm.... not quite but you know what I mean. However, being very stupid, I forgot to put my wet clothes in the washing machine, so next morning they were dank and unpleasant to wear. That afternoon, after finding some clean and dry stuff, a few miles were done around the lakes near Penkridge..... they aren't really lakes but there was so much water on the road, they may as well have been! Oh...and did I mention the wind?

Tuesday it was of into Birmingham for a team meeting, so for a change I cycled to the station.... I managed the "climb" up the first road in the big ring, which is nice and the down hill spin took only 9 minutes. Coming back in the evening is a bit more of a struggle and includes an additional half a mile of travel as I avoid the bridge over the railway line on the Newport Road. Well its only a lane wide at the most, and has metal fencing along side which if you get trapped against will see the end of you. Oh you can try and take a lane but most of the time the killers in their metal boxes won't let you and try to push their way by. Anyway, the 2.2 miles did take 14 minutes but then its uphill most of the way and the wind was still playing up! I think overall I have done about 25 miles this week. I really need to up that if I am going to get fitter...fit enough to do some excellent adventures next year as planned....more on that when I make my mind up!

Finally then, today is fill day! No, its not Phil from East Enders day, but its the day "they" adjust my band to make the hole smaller which should me I can eat less and thus, lose weight. I think given that my weight loss has almost dried up, this should be a good thing for me....not sure I am looking forward to the needle or the three days worth of liquid diet again, but on the positive side, I should have lost a stone by Christmas....oh sorry, if we take the ads on telly that's next week isn't it.....SCREAM.... I HATE CHRISTMAS ADS IN NOVEMBER.... so should finally get back into the 16 stone range, somewhere I have not been since the late 80's I would think.

I promise I will report back in tomorrow after having it done...honest.

1st November update

Morning all, an update....yes I know you can hardly wait!

Well gets get down to the nitty gritty.... I haven't lost any weight this week! It seems after dumping two stone in a month, my body has gone "WWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO there!" and slammed the brakes on! That, or I have been overeating? I don't know when I look back at what I have been eating as far as I can calculate, I have been staying under 1 200 calories a day all week, so should have lost some?

I don't know....lets see what this week brings. Thinking about this week, it going to be a bit of a challenge as I am off to Stamford on Tuesday for the day, so will have to plan my meals for whilst I am out. The rest of the week I am at home, so it shouldn't be too bad. As for exercising, I need to pick that up a pace: I did a short 20 minute walk on Tuesday, a six mile bike ride on Wednesday, tried to use the treadmill on Thursday but ended up stopping after only 5 minutes with a very sore hip, and had a bike adventure yesterday.....
  

Well did my first bike adventure yesterday since my operation, although I will happily accept that the word “adventure” is somewhat over egging what I did at only 19 miles, but hey ho, it was different from the normal loops I have been doing and did include a muddy canal side path, a cycle path full of cars.... POLICE cars at that and a train ride home!!!

So, faced with “needing” to be in Brereton yesterday afternoon for the epic top of the table clash between unbeaten Brereton Social and the MIGHTY Penkridge FC I was faced with three choices.... I could drive, an idea I quickly dismissed as the roads around here are currently a nightmare with roadworks everywhere....it seems that everyone who is entitled to dig up a road is currently doing so, get the train there and walk the last 2 miles each way, or cycle it! Guess which won?!

Now as the crow flies its only 10 miles or so between here and Brereton but that would include using the extremely unpleasant to cycle on A513, so instead I decided to use the somewhat quieter but quite lumpy Tixall Road out of town to the back of Shugborough Hall where I picked up the rather muddy canal path at Haywood Junction. I followed this path, down to Meadow Lane before rejoining Main Road at Little Heywood, thus avoiding the climb in Great Heywood....okay, its only 100 foot but I am so poor at climbing I would rather go around and risk falling into the canal!

Then after a quick dash along the A51 came my favourite bit of the trip, the hardly used by anyone, Bellamour Lane.... I love this road! It is like roads should be... no traffic, nicely graded and a joy to cycle on. Turning right onto Colton Road brought me to Rugeley Trent Valley station and then onto the cycle path along side the A51 to the ground slowing down only to avoid the four police cars dumped on the cycle path! Nice bit of “showing the public how to act” that.

Overall a nice trip of 15 miles in just over 82 minutes.

After the match (which the MIGHTY Penkridge won 2-0), given that night was falling and I dislike cycling in the dark, I took the London Midland train back from Rugeley to Stafford....never before have I seen so much luggage stored on the train. It was everywhere, so much so I struggled to find a place to stand and rest my bike!

So overall 19.8 miles at an average speed of just over 11mph....not bad for a fat lad and a bit of an adventure.