I wasn’t going to post anything today but a couple of things have cropped up so I thought I should share.
First off I am pretty annoyed with myself. I have been watching K2 racing kayaks turn up on eBay, the bids have raced up beyond my budget and I have not even watched them finish. This week a couple of boats (one of which was a boat that I really liked the look off first time out and was being re-listed for some reason) have been on. I watched them but knew that I was never going to be able to afford them so didn’t follow their progress. In the end both boats finished with such a low winning bid I could have been the owner of a brand new second hand K2 racing kayak by now! Next time must watch the auctions a bit more closely.
And then as you know, I have been monitoring my weight and BMI and how it has been changing since starting with this fitness thing. Well the Body Mass Index is not a very good indicator of fitness as muscle weighs more than fat. A better way of measuring fitness is the Body Fat Percentage.
I have found out that there are several ways to measure your body fat. Bioelectrical Impedance, Skinfold callipers, Hydrostatic Weighing Tanks. All of which are techniques not available to a home sports scientist like me. And then while mooching around the internet I found this little gadget.
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/base/bodyfat
I appreciate it isn’t going to be as accurate as a hydrostatic weighing tank but it is a tad easier. So this morning I got the wife to wrap a tape around my waist to give me an unbiased measurement of my girth.
With a weight of 154lbs. and a waist of 33 inches. My body fat percentage is %19.41
According to that gadget that plants me firmly between In Shape and Athlete. I’m happy with that for starters. I will add this to my sporadic experiment measurements and see how that also changes over the coming months of training. Though I fear Christmas may push me backwards.
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Monday, 22 December 2008
Last weekend before Christmas.
Saturday was a day of rest. Well I say rest, it wasn’t very restful to be honest. I didn’t go to the gym is what I mean.
Sunday I had to go though. I am conscious that Christmas is less than a week away and commitments around this holyday will keep me from the gym (I think my next and only chance before 2009 will be Christmas eve). Coupled with the fact that I am going to be eating inordinate amounts of food I had to put a big effort in.
Today’s damage report. My Trapezius muscles ache, these are the muscles across the top of the shoulders and behind the neck. My Calves ache. My biceps ache. And I had a very large blister on my right foot that span the distance between my second and fourth toe, which when cleaned up and removed, revealed a second slightly smaller blister underneath.
I started out with the rowing machine for 20 minutes, I briefly interrupted myself by heading over and turning down the gym stereo a touch when the coast was clear (there is a big Staff Only sign on the door, and I’m not staff!) because it was so loud I couldn’t hear my own music, or in this case a podcast about the nature an origin of new strains of virus.
Reading back that paragraph it makes me sound like a bit of a bore but it was an fascinating podcast and the gym sound system can get impressively loud.
Anyway, 20 minutes of rowing machine at level 2 (and the biological mechanism by which Ebola jumped the species divide) for a warm up.
Abdominal exercises.
Side crunches. 2 sets of 15 on either side. The plank twice to failure. And 2 sets of 15Twisting sits.
Free weights.
1 set of 15 sitting chest curls with the 5kgs. 1 set of 15 reps of arm curls resting on the knee with the 5kgs. And then the same set of exercises with the 7.5kgs.
Triceps push down. 3 sets of 15 at 7kgs.
Leg press. 3 sets off 15 at 59kgs.
The banned machines.
Lat Pull down. 3 sets of 15 at 32kgs. Chest press. 3 sets of 15 at 27kgs. Shoulder press 3 sets of 10 at 23kgs.
It was about now that I hit a wall. I had been in the gym for a little over an hour and suddenly everything seemed really hard work. I had been checking my pulse every now and then since I arrived and I had pretty much kept it at or about 100 – 120 without much in the way of a break. I had a few minutes rest.
Back to it, I continued with the back extensions. 3 sets of 15 reps at 72kgs.
Arm curls. 3 sets off 15 at 18kgs.
Then 40 minutes of cardio.
Treadmill. Intervals at 7mpm for 20 minutes quickly followed by the cross trainer in intervals at level 6.
This took me nicely to 12 o’ clock. I headed pool side to discover that it was deserted. Goggles on I then swam solidly for half an hour before finally sinking into the Jacuzzi to relax.
Sunday I had to go though. I am conscious that Christmas is less than a week away and commitments around this holyday will keep me from the gym (I think my next and only chance before 2009 will be Christmas eve). Coupled with the fact that I am going to be eating inordinate amounts of food I had to put a big effort in.
Today’s damage report. My Trapezius muscles ache, these are the muscles across the top of the shoulders and behind the neck. My Calves ache. My biceps ache. And I had a very large blister on my right foot that span the distance between my second and fourth toe, which when cleaned up and removed, revealed a second slightly smaller blister underneath.
I started out with the rowing machine for 20 minutes, I briefly interrupted myself by heading over and turning down the gym stereo a touch when the coast was clear (there is a big Staff Only sign on the door, and I’m not staff!) because it was so loud I couldn’t hear my own music, or in this case a podcast about the nature an origin of new strains of virus.
Reading back that paragraph it makes me sound like a bit of a bore but it was an fascinating podcast and the gym sound system can get impressively loud.
Anyway, 20 minutes of rowing machine at level 2 (and the biological mechanism by which Ebola jumped the species divide) for a warm up.
Abdominal exercises.
Side crunches. 2 sets of 15 on either side. The plank twice to failure. And 2 sets of 15Twisting sits.
Free weights.
1 set of 15 sitting chest curls with the 5kgs. 1 set of 15 reps of arm curls resting on the knee with the 5kgs. And then the same set of exercises with the 7.5kgs.
Triceps push down. 3 sets of 15 at 7kgs.
Leg press. 3 sets off 15 at 59kgs.
The banned machines.
Lat Pull down. 3 sets of 15 at 32kgs. Chest press. 3 sets of 15 at 27kgs. Shoulder press 3 sets of 10 at 23kgs.
It was about now that I hit a wall. I had been in the gym for a little over an hour and suddenly everything seemed really hard work. I had been checking my pulse every now and then since I arrived and I had pretty much kept it at or about 100 – 120 without much in the way of a break. I had a few minutes rest.
Back to it, I continued with the back extensions. 3 sets of 15 reps at 72kgs.
Arm curls. 3 sets off 15 at 18kgs.
Then 40 minutes of cardio.
Treadmill. Intervals at 7mpm for 20 minutes quickly followed by the cross trainer in intervals at level 6.
This took me nicely to 12 o’ clock. I headed pool side to discover that it was deserted. Goggles on I then swam solidly for half an hour before finally sinking into the Jacuzzi to relax.
Friday, 19 December 2008
Week 12.
A good week and I feel like I am getting somewhere. I have now slipped into a good routine where I get a good long session in at the weekend and then follow that up with a couple of comprehensive days mid week.
Sunday. A good long session for me at the gym, I was supposed to be joined by Nigel but he was taking delivery of a sofa bed. On the plus side, he had his own workout hauling the thing up to the spare room.
Monday. Rest day for me but Nigel had a day off and did go to the gym.
Tuesday. Met up with Fitness Stu who introduced some new exercises which focus on the core muscles. After that I had a quick blitz around the gym.
Wednesday. Rest day.
Thursday. A session in the gym where I tired toward the end of day. I was pretty fatigued but am a little disappointed that I was unable to finish a couple of the sets I wanted to do.
Friday. Rest day.
Next week is Christmas week so I don’t know how well I will do. I am planning on a trip to the gym on Saturday, then hopefully Monday and if they are open Wednesday too. After that who knows.
Stats.
Owain. SPW = 3
Gym 29 Kayak 4 Other 3
Nigel SPW = 1.42
Gym 14 Kayak 2 Other 1
Sunday. A good long session for me at the gym, I was supposed to be joined by Nigel but he was taking delivery of a sofa bed. On the plus side, he had his own workout hauling the thing up to the spare room.
Monday. Rest day for me but Nigel had a day off and did go to the gym.
Tuesday. Met up with Fitness Stu who introduced some new exercises which focus on the core muscles. After that I had a quick blitz around the gym.
Wednesday. Rest day.
Thursday. A session in the gym where I tired toward the end of day. I was pretty fatigued but am a little disappointed that I was unable to finish a couple of the sets I wanted to do.
Friday. Rest day.
Next week is Christmas week so I don’t know how well I will do. I am planning on a trip to the gym on Saturday, then hopefully Monday and if they are open Wednesday too. After that who knows.
Stats.
Owain. SPW = 3
Gym 29 Kayak 4 Other 3
Nigel SPW = 1.42
Gym 14 Kayak 2 Other 1
Thursday 18/12/08
I am bored of the rowing machine. It is a dull exercise and without music I decided to skip it. Instead I started at the other end of the gym and worked my way anti clockwise around the room.
Leg press. 3 sets of 15. 59kgs.
The plank twice to failure.
Side crunches. 15 reps each side twice.
Seated dips. 2 sets of 15 reps at 36kgs.
Bicep curls. 2 sets off 15 at 18kgs.
Back extensions. 1 set of 15 at 66kgs. And then 2 further sets of 15 at 72kgs.
Chest press. 3 sets of 15 at 25kgs.
Shoulder press. 2 sets of 15 at 23kgs.
Treadmill next for some cardio. 20 minutes of intervals. I started at 7.5mph but after 10 minutes I was struggling so I finished the second half at the reduced speed of 6.8mph.
Cross trainer for more cardio. 20 minutes was planned. Level 9. after about 10 minutes I was cream crackered though. I can’t seem to manage anything above level 8 on the cross trainer at the moment. I aborted and headed to the pool.
Half an hour of swimming was briefly interrupted when Nigel came in to bemoan that he is working AFD’s for the foreseeable future and is only able to get to the gym once a week at the moment.
I have been investigating fitness on the internet since I started this and one thing that cropped up was how good swimming is. It works out all muscle groups in a low impact environment, and is good for the cardio vascular system too. Since reading that I have been swimming hard.
I feel pretty achy today. My upper torso is really feeling the workout at the moment. I don’t know if it is because I have started redoing the banned exercises, or whether my efforts in the pool are having an effect.
Leg press. 3 sets of 15. 59kgs.
The plank twice to failure.
Side crunches. 15 reps each side twice.
Seated dips. 2 sets of 15 reps at 36kgs.
Bicep curls. 2 sets off 15 at 18kgs.
Back extensions. 1 set of 15 at 66kgs. And then 2 further sets of 15 at 72kgs.
Chest press. 3 sets of 15 at 25kgs.
Shoulder press. 2 sets of 15 at 23kgs.
Treadmill next for some cardio. 20 minutes of intervals. I started at 7.5mph but after 10 minutes I was struggling so I finished the second half at the reduced speed of 6.8mph.
Cross trainer for more cardio. 20 minutes was planned. Level 9. after about 10 minutes I was cream crackered though. I can’t seem to manage anything above level 8 on the cross trainer at the moment. I aborted and headed to the pool.
Half an hour of swimming was briefly interrupted when Nigel came in to bemoan that he is working AFD’s for the foreseeable future and is only able to get to the gym once a week at the moment.
I have been investigating fitness on the internet since I started this and one thing that cropped up was how good swimming is. It works out all muscle groups in a low impact environment, and is good for the cardio vascular system too. Since reading that I have been swimming hard.
I feel pretty achy today. My upper torso is really feeling the workout at the moment. I don’t know if it is because I have started redoing the banned exercises, or whether my efforts in the pool are having an effect.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
New Abs exercises
I saw Fitness Stu last night with the aim to add some abdominal exercises to my plan.
First of all we are going to keep the plank in the plan, twice to failure but the hand to knee sits are out. Instead he suggested that I try sit up twists, twice to failure. Also added are some leg raises twice to failure. And last but not least are these crunches with a sit up aid where I twist my body and roll forward. Hard to explain, almost as hard to do but work my external oblique muscles like nothing else.
Then while talking through how the rest of my plan is going Fitness Stu mentioned that by about week 12 we should be changing the whole plan to keep the body guessing. It seems that muscles get used to exercises and slow their growing rate after about 3 months. New exercises also trigger slightly different parts of the muscle group to give a more all over growth. So at some point in the next week or so we are going to ditch all of the exercises that I have been doing for some new ones.
After spending about 20 minutes with Fitness Stu, I was left to my own devices again.
10 minutes on the rowing machine at level 5 for a quick warm up.
Two sets of 15 reps with the 5kg arm curls. Two sets of 15 reps 7.5kg arm curls.
Chest press 2 sets of 15 at 23kgs.
Shoulder press 2 sets off 15 at 27kgs.
Back extension 3 sets of 15 at 66kgs.
Arm curls 2 sets of 15 at 18kgs.
Seated dips. 3 sets of 15 reps at 36kgs.
The Plank twice to failure.
Twisted crunches. Twice on each side.
Sit up twist. Once to failure. (my abs were getting really tired and time was ticking on, otherwise I would have done two sets).
Treadmill. 20 minutes intervals at 7mph. I’m really enjoying running at the moment and I think I could go longer and faster if it wasn’t for the intervals. When I hit an interval peak I think my heart is going to explode… I think I want to get one of those heart rate monitors so that I can see how hard my heart is working during exercise.
As always I finished with swimming. 20 minutes this time .
First of all we are going to keep the plank in the plan, twice to failure but the hand to knee sits are out. Instead he suggested that I try sit up twists, twice to failure. Also added are some leg raises twice to failure. And last but not least are these crunches with a sit up aid where I twist my body and roll forward. Hard to explain, almost as hard to do but work my external oblique muscles like nothing else.
Then while talking through how the rest of my plan is going Fitness Stu mentioned that by about week 12 we should be changing the whole plan to keep the body guessing. It seems that muscles get used to exercises and slow their growing rate after about 3 months. New exercises also trigger slightly different parts of the muscle group to give a more all over growth. So at some point in the next week or so we are going to ditch all of the exercises that I have been doing for some new ones.
After spending about 20 minutes with Fitness Stu, I was left to my own devices again.
10 minutes on the rowing machine at level 5 for a quick warm up.
Two sets of 15 reps with the 5kg arm curls. Two sets of 15 reps 7.5kg arm curls.
Chest press 2 sets of 15 at 23kgs.
Shoulder press 2 sets off 15 at 27kgs.
Back extension 3 sets of 15 at 66kgs.
Arm curls 2 sets of 15 at 18kgs.
Seated dips. 3 sets of 15 reps at 36kgs.
The Plank twice to failure.
Twisted crunches. Twice on each side.
Sit up twist. Once to failure. (my abs were getting really tired and time was ticking on, otherwise I would have done two sets).
Treadmill. 20 minutes intervals at 7mph. I’m really enjoying running at the moment and I think I could go longer and faster if it wasn’t for the intervals. When I hit an interval peak I think my heart is going to explode… I think I want to get one of those heart rate monitors so that I can see how hard my heart is working during exercise.
As always I finished with swimming. 20 minutes this time .
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
a Carat.
Rest day yesterday so nothing to report on that score but I decided to weigh in again to see how my weight and BMI are changing as I am well and truly building muscle now.
As of this morning I weighed in at 69.99kgs which equates to a BMI of 22.86.
Slowly but surely I am getting heavier by a rate of 200 milligrams of muscle per day. For those of you who work in the diamond industry, that’s the same as a Carat, a unit of mass for gemstones. Cool huh?
And then on a different note, if you have been following my shoulder injury saga you will remember that I went for a blood test 11 days ago. Results were in today. For the assorted tests that were carried out on my arterial juice, the doctor wrote the same thing for each. Normal. No action.
So good news on the blood test, though not really a surprise. The shoulder itself is still not 100%. The collar bone is still out of place and I am resigned to it being so from now on. There is also the occasional twinge of an ache from the joint, especially when I talk about it but I think the blood test pretty much underlines the injury so I won’t talk about it again.
As of this morning I weighed in at 69.99kgs which equates to a BMI of 22.86.
Slowly but surely I am getting heavier by a rate of 200 milligrams of muscle per day. For those of you who work in the diamond industry, that’s the same as a Carat, a unit of mass for gemstones. Cool huh?
And then on a different note, if you have been following my shoulder injury saga you will remember that I went for a blood test 11 days ago. Results were in today. For the assorted tests that were carried out on my arterial juice, the doctor wrote the same thing for each. Normal. No action.
So good news on the blood test, though not really a surprise. The shoulder itself is still not 100%. The collar bone is still out of place and I am resigned to it being so from now on. There is also the occasional twinge of an ache from the joint, especially when I talk about it but I think the blood test pretty much underlines the injury so I won’t talk about it again.
Monday, 15 December 2008
R.I.P. the iPod
After many years of faithful service the iPod is no longer. Since I started kayaking again a couple of years ago, my little iPod accompanied me on many kayaking trips, providing me with a musical score to underline the river and it’s scenery. More recently it has been my saviour while I have been pounding the treadmill or rowing machine. Sadly I left it in my pocket of my jogging bottoms on the day they were scheduled to go through the washing machine. It works no more.
So this Sunday I pinched the wife’s iPod to accompany me to the gym.
Sunday was a longer session than my weekday efforts as I have a bit more time to spare.
Starting out with the rowing machine as a warm up, I set the clock to 20 minutes at level 5. I think the rowing machine is the most boring of all the kit in the gym and only made it through the 20 minutes because I had found a podcast to listen to.
Free weights. 20 curls with the 5kgs in 2 sets and also 15 curls at 7.5kgs in 2 sets.
The banned machines.
Chest press. 23kgs. 2 sets of 15. Shoulder press 27kgs 2 sets of 15 reps. Lat Pull down 32kgs 2 sets of 15 reps. Seated dips 32kgs, 2 sets of 15. Arm curls at 18kgs in 2 sets of 15. Erector Spinæ. 66kgs 3 sets of 15.
Then after working with the weights I went back to the cardio stuff.
Treadmill. 20 minutes of interval work at a cop out speed of only 6.8mph, I was feeling a bit hazy so though I should run within my limits. Following that up with a stint on the cross trainer. Another 20 minutes of interval work at level 8.
Thoroughly worked up a sweat I then headed pool side. Joy of joys, by the time I got in there the pool was empty. I took up my favourite lane and swam as hard and fast as possible for half an hour. I worked my way through all of the strokes as well to work different muscle groups.
Today my back and shoulder muscles feel like they have had a good workout so I am pleased with my efforts. And I also saw Fitness Stu so have asked him to give me some exercises to work my abs and hopefully I will get some new exercises to play with tomorrow.
So this Sunday I pinched the wife’s iPod to accompany me to the gym.
Sunday was a longer session than my weekday efforts as I have a bit more time to spare.
Starting out with the rowing machine as a warm up, I set the clock to 20 minutes at level 5. I think the rowing machine is the most boring of all the kit in the gym and only made it through the 20 minutes because I had found a podcast to listen to.
Free weights. 20 curls with the 5kgs in 2 sets and also 15 curls at 7.5kgs in 2 sets.
The banned machines.
Chest press. 23kgs. 2 sets of 15. Shoulder press 27kgs 2 sets of 15 reps. Lat Pull down 32kgs 2 sets of 15 reps. Seated dips 32kgs, 2 sets of 15. Arm curls at 18kgs in 2 sets of 15. Erector Spinæ. 66kgs 3 sets of 15.
Then after working with the weights I went back to the cardio stuff.
Treadmill. 20 minutes of interval work at a cop out speed of only 6.8mph, I was feeling a bit hazy so though I should run within my limits. Following that up with a stint on the cross trainer. Another 20 minutes of interval work at level 8.
Thoroughly worked up a sweat I then headed pool side. Joy of joys, by the time I got in there the pool was empty. I took up my favourite lane and swam as hard and fast as possible for half an hour. I worked my way through all of the strokes as well to work different muscle groups.
Today my back and shoulder muscles feel like they have had a good workout so I am pleased with my efforts. And I also saw Fitness Stu so have asked him to give me some exercises to work my abs and hopefully I will get some new exercises to play with tomorrow.
Friday, 12 December 2008
Week 11
Week 11.
Training is back and truly on course for me. I had a couple of good sessions on the weekend and then have been able to maintain day on day off through the week.
Saturday gym. It seems a while ago now but it was a big session and I really worked hard.
Sunday was a trip out in the boat. It was good to get back onto the water as Nigel improved again but it didn’t feel like much of a workout for me as I took it easy while Nigel weaved all over the place trying to control his kayak. It was good to do something light after the Saturday session.
Monday was a rest day.
Tuesday gym. I didn’t have a long session but I did cover all of the basic muscle groups.
Wednesday was a rest day.
Thursday gym. A hard session though not very long. I am nackered today though.
Friday rest day. (and Christmas party)
Saturday I am planning on going to the gym tough I suspect the hangover will dictate how much and how long I do.
Sunday should be another gym session with Nigel attending too.
Stats.
I am streamlining the statistics this week. We will have just one stat from now on. Sessions per week ratio. And I intend to continually increase the amount of sessions I average through the coming months.
Owain. SPW = 3
Gym 26 Kayak 4 Other 3
Nigel SPW = 1.45
Gym 13 Kayak 2 Other 1
Training is back and truly on course for me. I had a couple of good sessions on the weekend and then have been able to maintain day on day off through the week.
Saturday gym. It seems a while ago now but it was a big session and I really worked hard.
Sunday was a trip out in the boat. It was good to get back onto the water as Nigel improved again but it didn’t feel like much of a workout for me as I took it easy while Nigel weaved all over the place trying to control his kayak. It was good to do something light after the Saturday session.
Monday was a rest day.
Tuesday gym. I didn’t have a long session but I did cover all of the basic muscle groups.
Wednesday was a rest day.
Thursday gym. A hard session though not very long. I am nackered today though.
Friday rest day. (and Christmas party)
Saturday I am planning on going to the gym tough I suspect the hangover will dictate how much and how long I do.
Sunday should be another gym session with Nigel attending too.
Stats.
I am streamlining the statistics this week. We will have just one stat from now on. Sessions per week ratio. And I intend to continually increase the amount of sessions I average through the coming months.
Owain. SPW = 3
Gym 26 Kayak 4 Other 3
Nigel SPW = 1.45
Gym 13 Kayak 2 Other 1
The ache is back
Thursday night gym session and I had no umph. I don’t know why, it might have been down to my diet that day, I am still reading that food fitness book and it is fascinating how various foods affect performance, or it might have been because of my clothes, I was wearing a long sleeve t-shirt and could have been overheating, or I might just have had a long ole day at work. Either way the session was really hard work.
Started with the rowing machine. 15 minutes at level 5. After 5 minutes my flexors were aching and after only 10 minutes I was spent. I did slog my way through the full 15 minutes but I must have been averaging about 25 strokes per minute towards the end where usually I would be keeping up a rate of about 30.
Free weights. 2 sets of 15 curls with the 5kgs and 1 set of 15 curls with the 7.5kgs. I also did 2 sets of 15 shrugs for the first time since my injury. I used the 15kg weights and they were a lot heavier than I remember.
The banned machines. Shoulder press at 23kgs and chest press at 27kgs. 2 sets of 15 for each. I also put the Lat pull downs back onto my list. 2 sets of 15 at 39kgs.
Although I had completely run out of energy I forced myself onto the cross trainer, partly because I had only been in the gym for about half an hour and that seemed a little bit pathetic to me. 20 minutes at level 8. Hard work but felt happy when I finished.
I had been investigating various exercises to find out which ones are the best for my personal goals. The internet tells me that swimming is by far the best for me to tone, develop stamina and gain all over muscle definition. So into the pool for 30 minutes of non stop swimming.
I have that exercise ache today, something I haven’t had for a little while now and I am really pleased that despite my lethargy, I pushed on for a full workout.
Started with the rowing machine. 15 minutes at level 5. After 5 minutes my flexors were aching and after only 10 minutes I was spent. I did slog my way through the full 15 minutes but I must have been averaging about 25 strokes per minute towards the end where usually I would be keeping up a rate of about 30.
Free weights. 2 sets of 15 curls with the 5kgs and 1 set of 15 curls with the 7.5kgs. I also did 2 sets of 15 shrugs for the first time since my injury. I used the 15kg weights and they were a lot heavier than I remember.
The banned machines. Shoulder press at 23kgs and chest press at 27kgs. 2 sets of 15 for each. I also put the Lat pull downs back onto my list. 2 sets of 15 at 39kgs.
Although I had completely run out of energy I forced myself onto the cross trainer, partly because I had only been in the gym for about half an hour and that seemed a little bit pathetic to me. 20 minutes at level 8. Hard work but felt happy when I finished.
I had been investigating various exercises to find out which ones are the best for my personal goals. The internet tells me that swimming is by far the best for me to tone, develop stamina and gain all over muscle definition. So into the pool for 30 minutes of non stop swimming.
I have that exercise ache today, something I haven’t had for a little while now and I am really pleased that despite my lethargy, I pushed on for a full workout.
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
More gyming
Monday was a day of rest for myself, though I think Nigel went to the gym as he had a day off. However Tuesday saw me back for another gym training session.
I didn’t have as much time available as I did on the weekend as I had plans for the evening so I had to make a few cutbacks.
15 minutes on the rowing machine as my warm up. No problems really, though my flexors (gripping muscles) ache a lot toward the end.
3 sets of 15 reps for the erector spinæ at 66kgs. Again no real issues, though when I had finished the muscle burn made it difficult to stand correctly until I had stretched it out.
I then did the banned shoulder exercises. Chest press. 2 sets of 15 at 27kgs. Followed by the Shoulder press 2 sets of 15 reps at 23kgs. I am having less and less problem with the shoulder now and am feeling more and more confident that I can put a strain on it.
Onward to some more cardio work. Intervals on the cross trainer at an untried level 10. This proved to be a level too far though, and after eleven minutes I was really feeling the strain. As I laboured through the next peak interval, my chest became tight and my head started to swim a little bit. I decreased the level to 5 for about a minute to give myself the chance to take on some water before increasing the level up to the to the standard 8 and finishing there. I’m clearly not ready for level 10 yet.
That was it. I was done in the gym. So I went off to swim for 40 minutes. I like swimming, it’s exercise that I don’t notice taking it’s toll.
That was Tuesday. Wednesday I am going to the gym as this will probably be the last chance I get this week.
(I am running out of original titles for this blog. It's alright when I do something other than going to the gym or when something really extraordinary happens but when I just do some exercise I don't know what to call it. I might have to resort to just date/time stamping for the title in the future.)
I didn’t have as much time available as I did on the weekend as I had plans for the evening so I had to make a few cutbacks.
15 minutes on the rowing machine as my warm up. No problems really, though my flexors (gripping muscles) ache a lot toward the end.
3 sets of 15 reps for the erector spinæ at 66kgs. Again no real issues, though when I had finished the muscle burn made it difficult to stand correctly until I had stretched it out.
I then did the banned shoulder exercises. Chest press. 2 sets of 15 at 27kgs. Followed by the Shoulder press 2 sets of 15 reps at 23kgs. I am having less and less problem with the shoulder now and am feeling more and more confident that I can put a strain on it.
Onward to some more cardio work. Intervals on the cross trainer at an untried level 10. This proved to be a level too far though, and after eleven minutes I was really feeling the strain. As I laboured through the next peak interval, my chest became tight and my head started to swim a little bit. I decreased the level to 5 for about a minute to give myself the chance to take on some water before increasing the level up to the to the standard 8 and finishing there. I’m clearly not ready for level 10 yet.
That was it. I was done in the gym. So I went off to swim for 40 minutes. I like swimming, it’s exercise that I don’t notice taking it’s toll.
That was Tuesday. Wednesday I am going to the gym as this will probably be the last chance I get this week.
(I am running out of original titles for this blog. It's alright when I do something other than going to the gym or when something really extraordinary happens but when I just do some exercise I don't know what to call it. I might have to resort to just date/time stamping for the title in the future.)
Monday, 8 December 2008
Back on the river
A cracking weekend of training. Saturday was a solo trip to the gym. I had a mind to have a long session so made a point of having a high carbohydrate breakfast about an hour before.
I started out with my usual warm up on the rowing machine. This time out I did 20 minutes at setting 6 though.
I then worked my way around the room. Starting with 3 sets of 15 at 66kgs on the erector spinæ. I headed across to the floor and did the plank and hand to knee sits, both twice to failure. I did some curls with the weights 3 sets of 15 with the 5kgs.
Then back for some more cardio. 20 minutes on the treadmill. I started at 7.5 mph but at the halfway mark my heart was set to explode, so I slowed to walking pace for me to catch my breath before continuing the rest of the distance at 7mph.
The shoulder injury seems to be about gone, and I want to start reinforcing the joint with some muscle mass so I headed off to the banned machines. The chest press, 3 sets of 15 at about 23kgs (I can’t remember the weight I just found one that was well within my ability) the shoulder press, 3 sets of 15 at about 23kgs. The arm curls 2 sets of 15 at 18kgs. And finally the seated dips, 3 sets of 15 at 36kgs.
I followed this up with a bit more cardio work. 20 minutes on the cross trainer at level 8. I had pretty much run out of machines to play on so I headed to the pool. 20 minutes of swimming and I was done.
Sunday morning saw me and Nigel get onto the water again. It was another frosty affair but unlike last Sunday the sun was shining and it was quite pleasant.
Nigel had to borrow my dads boat again as we still haven’t tracked one down for him, this time we pushed the footrests to the bottom of the boat to see if that would be more comfortable.
The river was in high flow, Wales must have had a fair volume of rain over the course of the week, a little bit higher and I wouldn’t have considered going out but it was safe enough, just very hard going upstream.
Nigel needs to get miles in the kayak under his belt. His paddling is fine, he has the basic technique but he doesn’t yet have the boat control or feel for how his strokes are affecting his progress. Like last time he found himself inexplicably turning around every now and again. This was exaggerated by the fast flow of the river which gladly spun him every time he executed an uneven stroke.
It was so cold that ice was forming on the deck of my boat and at one point when I took my gloves off to take a photo the gloves stuck to the ice on my spraydeck.
We travelled from the tile museum slipway to alongside the power station which is about half a mile against the flow of the river. It had taken us about 40 minutes or so and Nigel was getting cold hands as he kept dipping them into the water, to add to the discomfort the footrests were digging into his ankles as well. We headed back.
With the flow of the river, that 40 minute journey upstream became a 10 minute blast back to the launch point.
Nigel was happy with the session and he is learning fast but we both need to be in a boat more than we currently are.
I started out with my usual warm up on the rowing machine. This time out I did 20 minutes at setting 6 though.
I then worked my way around the room. Starting with 3 sets of 15 at 66kgs on the erector spinæ. I headed across to the floor and did the plank and hand to knee sits, both twice to failure. I did some curls with the weights 3 sets of 15 with the 5kgs.
Then back for some more cardio. 20 minutes on the treadmill. I started at 7.5 mph but at the halfway mark my heart was set to explode, so I slowed to walking pace for me to catch my breath before continuing the rest of the distance at 7mph.
The shoulder injury seems to be about gone, and I want to start reinforcing the joint with some muscle mass so I headed off to the banned machines. The chest press, 3 sets of 15 at about 23kgs (I can’t remember the weight I just found one that was well within my ability) the shoulder press, 3 sets of 15 at about 23kgs. The arm curls 2 sets of 15 at 18kgs. And finally the seated dips, 3 sets of 15 at 36kgs.
I followed this up with a bit more cardio work. 20 minutes on the cross trainer at level 8. I had pretty much run out of machines to play on so I headed to the pool. 20 minutes of swimming and I was done.
Sunday morning saw me and Nigel get onto the water again. It was another frosty affair but unlike last Sunday the sun was shining and it was quite pleasant.
Nigel had to borrow my dads boat again as we still haven’t tracked one down for him, this time we pushed the footrests to the bottom of the boat to see if that would be more comfortable.
The river was in high flow, Wales must have had a fair volume of rain over the course of the week, a little bit higher and I wouldn’t have considered going out but it was safe enough, just very hard going upstream.
Nigel needs to get miles in the kayak under his belt. His paddling is fine, he has the basic technique but he doesn’t yet have the boat control or feel for how his strokes are affecting his progress. Like last time he found himself inexplicably turning around every now and again. This was exaggerated by the fast flow of the river which gladly spun him every time he executed an uneven stroke.
It was so cold that ice was forming on the deck of my boat and at one point when I took my gloves off to take a photo the gloves stuck to the ice on my spraydeck.
We travelled from the tile museum slipway to alongside the power station which is about half a mile against the flow of the river. It had taken us about 40 minutes or so and Nigel was getting cold hands as he kept dipping them into the water, to add to the discomfort the footrests were digging into his ankles as well. We headed back.
With the flow of the river, that 40 minute journey upstream became a 10 minute blast back to the launch point.
Nigel was happy with the session and he is learning fast but we both need to be in a boat more than we currently are.
Friday, 5 December 2008
Week 10
Wow, ten weeks. Even I didn’t think I would keep training up for this long.
Another pretty abysmal week of training but not for want of trying. I started off well with a good solid workout in the boat but ended up with the rest of the week spending more time thinking about training, than training.
Sunday. 4.5 hour Kayaking trip down the Severn. Thoroughly knackered.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday all became rest days. Unfortunate but couldn’t be helped.
Thursday was a great session in the gym and I worked hard to make a dent into the lassitude that had somehow set into my regime.
Friday is a rest day.
The weekend should see me at the gym and also in a boat but experience has show that something I plan sometimes doesn’t happen. I will let you know on Monday.
The Stats.
Most people who know me, know how much I love my stats. I will make stats out of anything. This training regime has seemingly avoided my creative calculator skills but no longer. From now on, the end of week report will also feature some statistics.
In the last 10 weeks I have been to the gym 23 times, I have been out in the kayak 3 times and have also taken on a mountain (I am including the Wrekin here. Don’t laugh, it’s sort of a mountain) 3 times.
That is a training session per week ratio of 2.9
And a gym session per week ratio of 2.3
Actually that’s not bad. Nearly 3 session a week is about the target. I read back over all of my posts (to find out Nigel’s stats that I will list in a minute) and it seemed that every other post I was making excuses for not going to the gym.
I think a good aim will be to up the weekly sessions ratio.
In the last ten weeks Nigel has been to the gym 12 times (there are ten sessions that was with me and I know of two occasions where Nigel went to the gym without me) he has been up the Wrekin once, and also been kayaking with me once.
That is a training session per week ratio of 1.4
And a gym session per week ratio of 1.2
Nigel has not been to the gym as much. This isn’t news to anyone, Nigel work means that he pulls some pretty antisocial shifts. On the plus side he is currently fitter than me but he is going to need to up the training over the coming months.
Another pretty abysmal week of training but not for want of trying. I started off well with a good solid workout in the boat but ended up with the rest of the week spending more time thinking about training, than training.
Sunday. 4.5 hour Kayaking trip down the Severn. Thoroughly knackered.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday all became rest days. Unfortunate but couldn’t be helped.
Thursday was a great session in the gym and I worked hard to make a dent into the lassitude that had somehow set into my regime.
Friday is a rest day.
The weekend should see me at the gym and also in a boat but experience has show that something I plan sometimes doesn’t happen. I will let you know on Monday.
The Stats.
Most people who know me, know how much I love my stats. I will make stats out of anything. This training regime has seemingly avoided my creative calculator skills but no longer. From now on, the end of week report will also feature some statistics.
In the last 10 weeks I have been to the gym 23 times, I have been out in the kayak 3 times and have also taken on a mountain (I am including the Wrekin here. Don’t laugh, it’s sort of a mountain) 3 times.
That is a training session per week ratio of 2.9
And a gym session per week ratio of 2.3
Actually that’s not bad. Nearly 3 session a week is about the target. I read back over all of my posts (to find out Nigel’s stats that I will list in a minute) and it seemed that every other post I was making excuses for not going to the gym.
I think a good aim will be to up the weekly sessions ratio.
In the last ten weeks Nigel has been to the gym 12 times (there are ten sessions that was with me and I know of two occasions where Nigel went to the gym without me) he has been up the Wrekin once, and also been kayaking with me once.
That is a training session per week ratio of 1.4
And a gym session per week ratio of 1.2
Nigel has not been to the gym as much. This isn’t news to anyone, Nigel work means that he pulls some pretty antisocial shifts. On the plus side he is currently fitter than me but he is going to need to up the training over the coming months.
Back in action
I bet you’ve been wondering where I have been for the last few days? Not to the gym that’s for sure. Since my 22 mile paddle on the weekend I have had a few family type commitments which had me away from any training (though I am training more than Nigel at the moment, he has been pulling big shifts due to Christmas) but I got back to the gym last night with renewed vigour.
I started with the rowing machine. It isn’t really on the plan that Fitness Stu drafted up but I quite enjoy it and it makes for a good warm up. I decided to stop pussyfooting around and wound it back up to level 6 and did a full 15 minutes. I had recently been doing it set to level 1 or 2, for 10 minutes because of my shoulder but I have got bored of the injury now and I need to progress to be ready for the DW race.
After the rowing machine I headed for the back extension machine. I did a set of 15 repetitions at 59kgs but didn’t struggle so I upped the weight to 66kgs. Two more sets of fifteen were no bother but I was rewarded with the muscle burn at the end.
The plank and hand to knee exercises. I sometimes skip these as there is often no room on the floor area but after my weekend kayak I have learned that the torso muscles are going to be the key to a strong paddle, so I made sure I got these done. The plank to failure twice. And two sets of 30 hand to knee sit ups.
Then it was time for some more cardio work. Onto the cross trainer for 20 minutes of interval training set to level 8. At some point while I cracked on with this Nigel popped in to bemoan the fact that he has been working some epic shifts. The good news is that he is off on Sunday, so I am hatching a plan to get him in a kayak again to get some river miles under his belt.
Then onto the free weights. 15 curls for each arm with the 5kgs, both in the seated position and leaning forward with my elbow on my knee. Then 10 curls for each arm with the 7.5kgs again seated upright and then another set with my arm resting on my leg.
Triceps push down followed. 3 sets of 15 reps with the 7kgs. The last couple of pushes really had me straining and I suspect I gurned a little on the last push.
Cardio work again. This time onto the treadmill. 20 minutes of interval work at 7mph. I was having a really good session and positively bounded through this without my usual desire to slow the pace down at about the half way mark when the intervals are at their hardest.
After all of that I headed to the pool and swam for about twenty minutes before I was finally exhausted. I spent a few minutes in the steam room which felt really good on my chest, clearing out the beginnings of a cold that has been clogging my windpipes with snot.
I started with the rowing machine. It isn’t really on the plan that Fitness Stu drafted up but I quite enjoy it and it makes for a good warm up. I decided to stop pussyfooting around and wound it back up to level 6 and did a full 15 minutes. I had recently been doing it set to level 1 or 2, for 10 minutes because of my shoulder but I have got bored of the injury now and I need to progress to be ready for the DW race.
After the rowing machine I headed for the back extension machine. I did a set of 15 repetitions at 59kgs but didn’t struggle so I upped the weight to 66kgs. Two more sets of fifteen were no bother but I was rewarded with the muscle burn at the end.
The plank and hand to knee exercises. I sometimes skip these as there is often no room on the floor area but after my weekend kayak I have learned that the torso muscles are going to be the key to a strong paddle, so I made sure I got these done. The plank to failure twice. And two sets of 30 hand to knee sit ups.
Then it was time for some more cardio work. Onto the cross trainer for 20 minutes of interval training set to level 8. At some point while I cracked on with this Nigel popped in to bemoan the fact that he has been working some epic shifts. The good news is that he is off on Sunday, so I am hatching a plan to get him in a kayak again to get some river miles under his belt.
Then onto the free weights. 15 curls for each arm with the 5kgs, both in the seated position and leaning forward with my elbow on my knee. Then 10 curls for each arm with the 7.5kgs again seated upright and then another set with my arm resting on my leg.
Triceps push down followed. 3 sets of 15 reps with the 7kgs. The last couple of pushes really had me straining and I suspect I gurned a little on the last push.
Cardio work again. This time onto the treadmill. 20 minutes of interval work at 7mph. I was having a really good session and positively bounded through this without my usual desire to slow the pace down at about the half way mark when the intervals are at their hardest.
After all of that I headed to the pool and swam for about twenty minutes before I was finally exhausted. I spent a few minutes in the steam room which felt really good on my chest, clearing out the beginnings of a cold that has been clogging my windpipes with snot.
Monday, 1 December 2008
Back in the Boat.
I had a bit of a slump last week. If I am being honest with myself I couldn’t be arsed with the whole training thing. I came up with excuses every time I was supposed to be at the gym and instead went home to play on the Playstation. I don’t know where this low came from but I am back on track now.
Saturday I planned to have a bit of a marathon kayak but it was a bit foggy and frosty and after a half effort to load the boat onto the car in the cold I was talked out of going and I stayed at home in the warm.
But this wasn’t on and I gave myself a rather stern telling off. I had a kayak race to train for and I had planned to do this 22 mile trip to Telford in November, There was one day in the month left, Sunday and I was going to do it.
Sunday turned out to be equally grim, fog and frost and some sleet to start the day off with too. It took some fortitude to actually leave my nice warm sitting room to load my kit into the car but by about ten a.m. I was set to go.
Neoprene is brilliant. I was wearing my winter kit of wetsuit and cag and I was pretty toastie. And once I got moving on the water I warmed up nicely. In fact the cold didn’t hit me until I got to the final five or six miles and everything I was wearing was wet through.
I had arranged a few checkpoints with my shuttle bunny in case I was suffering with the cold so she could come and pick me up. The first was 7 miles down river at Atcham, A further 8 miles on was a stop in Cressage (with a few other stops mentally picked out where the road came close to the river).
I blazed through Atcham at a good speed and had no intentions of stopping. I was fit and happy and I was going to do this thing.
Somewhere between Atcham and Cressage I was starting to tire and lost concentration for a moment. I had to make a big corrective sweep stroke on my left side to save falling in, this sudden movement caused my dodgy shoulder to flare up.
By the time I had reached Cressage both of my shoulders where hurting because the wetsuit was compressing them down. I decided to press on the final 7 or so miles as I was nearly there and at least now the pain was even on both sides.
Just before you reach Ironbridge there is a long stretch where the river meanders across a flood plain. Because the river is so wide and slow at this point you really have to work hard to keep moving. I was tired, and getting cold and was a bit pissed off, it was at this point I reminded myself that this trip was only a fifth of the DW race.
I arrived at Ironbridge at a few minutes past 3pm about four and a half hours after setting off from Shrewsbury Weir.
I planned to have the satnav plot my speed, route and time but for some reason it went a bit haywire and reported that I had covered 200+ miles with an average speed of about 300mph. So instead the best I have got is an approximate average speed of 4.9mph over the 22miles. I don’t think that’s too bad for me in my little boat.
Damage report this morning. Both shoulders hurt, my stomach and sides ache from the rotation in paddling, my back aches, tops of my thighs hurt where I was gripping the boat, and my right thumb hurts. I think I should ask Fitness Stu to put some Abs exercises into the routine for me and Nigel so that we can sustain paddling for longer, the rest of the damage I think is just wear and tear.
Rest day today but back to the gym on Tuesday.
Saturday I planned to have a bit of a marathon kayak but it was a bit foggy and frosty and after a half effort to load the boat onto the car in the cold I was talked out of going and I stayed at home in the warm.
But this wasn’t on and I gave myself a rather stern telling off. I had a kayak race to train for and I had planned to do this 22 mile trip to Telford in November, There was one day in the month left, Sunday and I was going to do it.
Sunday turned out to be equally grim, fog and frost and some sleet to start the day off with too. It took some fortitude to actually leave my nice warm sitting room to load my kit into the car but by about ten a.m. I was set to go.
Neoprene is brilliant. I was wearing my winter kit of wetsuit and cag and I was pretty toastie. And once I got moving on the water I warmed up nicely. In fact the cold didn’t hit me until I got to the final five or six miles and everything I was wearing was wet through.
I had arranged a few checkpoints with my shuttle bunny in case I was suffering with the cold so she could come and pick me up. The first was 7 miles down river at Atcham, A further 8 miles on was a stop in Cressage (with a few other stops mentally picked out where the road came close to the river).
I blazed through Atcham at a good speed and had no intentions of stopping. I was fit and happy and I was going to do this thing.
Somewhere between Atcham and Cressage I was starting to tire and lost concentration for a moment. I had to make a big corrective sweep stroke on my left side to save falling in, this sudden movement caused my dodgy shoulder to flare up.
By the time I had reached Cressage both of my shoulders where hurting because the wetsuit was compressing them down. I decided to press on the final 7 or so miles as I was nearly there and at least now the pain was even on both sides.
Just before you reach Ironbridge there is a long stretch where the river meanders across a flood plain. Because the river is so wide and slow at this point you really have to work hard to keep moving. I was tired, and getting cold and was a bit pissed off, it was at this point I reminded myself that this trip was only a fifth of the DW race.
I arrived at Ironbridge at a few minutes past 3pm about four and a half hours after setting off from Shrewsbury Weir.
I planned to have the satnav plot my speed, route and time but for some reason it went a bit haywire and reported that I had covered 200+ miles with an average speed of about 300mph. So instead the best I have got is an approximate average speed of 4.9mph over the 22miles. I don’t think that’s too bad for me in my little boat.
Damage report this morning. Both shoulders hurt, my stomach and sides ache from the rotation in paddling, my back aches, tops of my thighs hurt where I was gripping the boat, and my right thumb hurts. I think I should ask Fitness Stu to put some Abs exercises into the routine for me and Nigel so that we can sustain paddling for longer, the rest of the damage I think is just wear and tear.
Rest day today but back to the gym on Tuesday.
Friday, 28 November 2008
Week 9
Week 9. The worst week of training since this record began.
Starting out with my birthday putting a stop on training, and then ending with the release of a PS3 game I have been waiting keenly for. In total I have managed to get to the gym once. Just once!
Monday. Lame excuse, forgot my contact lenses so didn’t go.
Tuesday. Went to the gym and had a good session. Pleased with my effort.
Wednesday. Rest day.
Thursday. Was going to go to the gym but Resistance 2 turned up in the post one day early so I went zooming home like a seven year old who has just been told that his parents had bought a puppy. Net result. No gym.
Friday. Today. I am going to the gym and I intend to work really hard but as I still have a new PS3 game to play I don’t know how focused I will be. I hope I have enough motivation to go the distance on all of the machines.
To make up for the worst week of training ever. I really do intend to go for a big kayak on the weekend. Saturday looks like the better of the two days temperature wise, with a whopping 0°C being forecast. I have a few emergency get outs in case it is too unpleasant and will report in on Monday.
Starting out with my birthday putting a stop on training, and then ending with the release of a PS3 game I have been waiting keenly for. In total I have managed to get to the gym once. Just once!
Monday. Lame excuse, forgot my contact lenses so didn’t go.
Tuesday. Went to the gym and had a good session. Pleased with my effort.
Wednesday. Rest day.
Thursday. Was going to go to the gym but Resistance 2 turned up in the post one day early so I went zooming home like a seven year old who has just been told that his parents had bought a puppy. Net result. No gym.
Friday. Today. I am going to the gym and I intend to work really hard but as I still have a new PS3 game to play I don’t know how focused I will be. I hope I have enough motivation to go the distance on all of the machines.
To make up for the worst week of training ever. I really do intend to go for a big kayak on the weekend. Saturday looks like the better of the two days temperature wise, with a whopping 0°C being forecast. I have a few emergency get outs in case it is too unpleasant and will report in on Monday.
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
finally got back to the gym
Nigel was doing interviews last night so after work I was alone in the gym but at least I managed to go.
I used the rowing machine as a warm up. 10 minutes setting number 4 (setting 4 is somewhere between wimpy and difficult settings). The clock thing on it was broken so only showed the time and distance but it was no bother for me and upon completion I was sufficiently warmed up.
Before I really got a sweat on I went around and worked the machines with seats (to avoid the slightly embarrassing bum sweat wipe down that follows).
Free weights. 15 reps 2 sets of curls with the 5kgs. 10 reps 2 sets of curls with the 7.5kgs. The 5kg weights are almost too easy, and the 7.5kg weights are almost too hard, as there isn’t a 6kg weight I am currently using both until I can lift the 7.5’s with ease.
Back extension exercises. 59kgs 3 sets of 15-ish reps (give or take a couple). Each rep on this exercise takes quite long as you slowly go from the sitting to the upright pushing the weights, so I sort of forget how many reps I am up to.
Leg pushes. 3 sets of 15 reps pushing the 42kgs. Piece of cake, though I wish I had done these exercises first as I was then off to the cross trainer and my calves were still a bit achy.
Cross trainer. Level 8. 20 minutes of intervals. Despite starting with a slight calf ache I blitzed this and am thinking next time I will either knock the level up a few notches or will add another 10 minutes.
Time was ticking on though so I forwent the time on the treadmill and headed to the pool. I was pleasantly surprised to find it pretty much empty so donned the goggles and set about some lengths.
I had a bit of a groin strain pretty much straight away as the water was quite cool and I hadn’t given my legs enough of a warm up but 30 minutes of solid swimming seemed to banish that minor twinge.
And that was me done. Happy with my effort.
This morning I have been to the doctors for some blood tests. They are checking my general blood quality and also for arthritis and other degenerative conditions that may be manifesting in my still painful shoulder. I believe that deep down the doctor is more than happy with his diagnosis that it is a self inflicted trauma injury from the gym, so I am not overly worried about the results.
I used the rowing machine as a warm up. 10 minutes setting number 4 (setting 4 is somewhere between wimpy and difficult settings). The clock thing on it was broken so only showed the time and distance but it was no bother for me and upon completion I was sufficiently warmed up.
Before I really got a sweat on I went around and worked the machines with seats (to avoid the slightly embarrassing bum sweat wipe down that follows).
Free weights. 15 reps 2 sets of curls with the 5kgs. 10 reps 2 sets of curls with the 7.5kgs. The 5kg weights are almost too easy, and the 7.5kg weights are almost too hard, as there isn’t a 6kg weight I am currently using both until I can lift the 7.5’s with ease.
Back extension exercises. 59kgs 3 sets of 15-ish reps (give or take a couple). Each rep on this exercise takes quite long as you slowly go from the sitting to the upright pushing the weights, so I sort of forget how many reps I am up to.
Leg pushes. 3 sets of 15 reps pushing the 42kgs. Piece of cake, though I wish I had done these exercises first as I was then off to the cross trainer and my calves were still a bit achy.
Cross trainer. Level 8. 20 minutes of intervals. Despite starting with a slight calf ache I blitzed this and am thinking next time I will either knock the level up a few notches or will add another 10 minutes.
Time was ticking on though so I forwent the time on the treadmill and headed to the pool. I was pleasantly surprised to find it pretty much empty so donned the goggles and set about some lengths.
I had a bit of a groin strain pretty much straight away as the water was quite cool and I hadn’t given my legs enough of a warm up but 30 minutes of solid swimming seemed to banish that minor twinge.
And that was me done. Happy with my effort.
This morning I have been to the doctors for some blood tests. They are checking my general blood quality and also for arthritis and other degenerative conditions that may be manifesting in my still painful shoulder. I believe that deep down the doctor is more than happy with his diagnosis that it is a self inflicted trauma injury from the gym, so I am not overly worried about the results.
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Non starter
Aww man, this week seems to be a non starter. First I spent the weekend doing nothing, then last night I forgot some pieces of kit so couldn’t go to the gym. Hopefully tonight I will actually make it. I have to, I am starting to feel that the fitness regime has slipped.
Anyway. You probably don’t know, but I write this blog in a word document before I upload it to blogger because my spelling is atrocious and I need a spell checker before I submit this to the web.
This word document of mine also has loads of other stuff written on it to do with the Devizes to Westminster race. Copy and pasted text, links, and other useful bits of information, and whenever I have a good idea, I add that too.
One of the things I did when I first had the idea of taking part in the race was to write down some date specific goals. A lot of the goals are months ahead, things like, April 2009 - Get a boat. July 2009 - Start getting sponsorship. April 2010 – go to Devizes.
Well it has been a while since I looked at it so I just had a quick read down the list, and for November 2008 I was going to paddle from Shrewsbury to Telford. Well it’s now the 25th of November and I haven’t done this yet. The river levels have always been too high or I have been to busy, so here I am with only one weekend left in the month.
Well I have nothing planned for this weekend, the river level is not too dangerous, I set myself a goal, and I am feeling like I have let my whole training regime slip. I am going to kayak the 25 miles from Shrewsbury to Telford on Saturday…..
…. I have just found out that this is possibly the dumbest thing I have planned to do to date. Having checked with the wife to see that it is okay for me to book a Saturday of paddling I then checked my favourite weather website. Metcheck. This is what it tells me…
(You will need to click on the image to see the predicted weather in it's full chilling glory.)
1 degrees centigrade that feels like –2 degrees! (that’s about 28 degrees Fahrenheit for my international friends, or 271 Kelvin’s away from absolute zero for anyone of a scientific disposition) With an unhealthy dose of sleet to keep me feeling really chirpy. I have paddled this route a few times in the past and the one memory that remains of this trip is the chill that sets into my hands and face. And I usually paddle when the sun shines.
Though, as I start to talk myself out of going because of the weather, I am reminded that the DW race itself doesn’t exactly take place during the summer.
As I sit here now, I am telling myself that I must go. Potentially on Saturday I won’t be so keen to test my metal. Place bets now. Will I or won’t I?
If I do go though, I will take my mate SatNav to give me some statistics of speed and time.
Anyway. You probably don’t know, but I write this blog in a word document before I upload it to blogger because my spelling is atrocious and I need a spell checker before I submit this to the web.
This word document of mine also has loads of other stuff written on it to do with the Devizes to Westminster race. Copy and pasted text, links, and other useful bits of information, and whenever I have a good idea, I add that too.
One of the things I did when I first had the idea of taking part in the race was to write down some date specific goals. A lot of the goals are months ahead, things like, April 2009 - Get a boat. July 2009 - Start getting sponsorship. April 2010 – go to Devizes.
Well it has been a while since I looked at it so I just had a quick read down the list, and for November 2008 I was going to paddle from Shrewsbury to Telford. Well it’s now the 25th of November and I haven’t done this yet. The river levels have always been too high or I have been to busy, so here I am with only one weekend left in the month.
Well I have nothing planned for this weekend, the river level is not too dangerous, I set myself a goal, and I am feeling like I have let my whole training regime slip. I am going to kayak the 25 miles from Shrewsbury to Telford on Saturday…..
…. I have just found out that this is possibly the dumbest thing I have planned to do to date. Having checked with the wife to see that it is okay for me to book a Saturday of paddling I then checked my favourite weather website. Metcheck. This is what it tells me…
(You will need to click on the image to see the predicted weather in it's full chilling glory.)
1 degrees centigrade that feels like –2 degrees! (that’s about 28 degrees Fahrenheit for my international friends, or 271 Kelvin’s away from absolute zero for anyone of a scientific disposition) With an unhealthy dose of sleet to keep me feeling really chirpy. I have paddled this route a few times in the past and the one memory that remains of this trip is the chill that sets into my hands and face. And I usually paddle when the sun shines.
Though, as I start to talk myself out of going because of the weather, I am reminded that the DW race itself doesn’t exactly take place during the summer.
As I sit here now, I am telling myself that I must go. Potentially on Saturday I won’t be so keen to test my metal. Place bets now. Will I or won’t I?
If I do go though, I will take my mate SatNav to give me some statistics of speed and time.
Monday, 24 November 2008
Week 8
How about a late end of week report? So much happened last week that this blog got bumped to back burner status but I'm back at the keyboard now.
First off the week began with a weekend of total exertion. Saturday and Sunday I went to the gym with Nigel and also scaled Snowdon.
Monday was a deserved day of rest.
Tuesday I had an epic session in the gym and really blitzed the cardio stuff. I was pleased with my efforts and felt that I was getting somewhere.
Wednesday I also planned to have a massive session but in the end found that I was running out of steam. I thought that it was because I was in need of rest, but now I think there might be another reason for the fatigue too.
Thursday a day of rest.
Friday me and Nigel hit the gym but didn’t really push the boundaries of exercise. Neither of us were in the mood. Nigel because he had been enjoying a week off work and I think would have rather been mucking about on the computer at home. I had endured a hard day at work and was looking forward to the weekend. After a half effort we went home.
Saturday was my birthday so I exercised my drinking arm. And Sunday I was recovering. A rest day if you will.
In balance, I don’t think we moved forward on the fitness scale last week but I have renewed vigour for the gym and am planning on a strong session tonight.
And then on another note. My little sister got me a Food for Fitness book for my birthday. It’s great, it seems to be on the sport science end of food books so I am now going to eat a diet more designed for what I need with precisely the right weight of proteins carbs and lipids. And this book is the reason why I think Wednesday I was fatigued because I had overdone the carbohydrates (fatigue being one of the side effects of a high carb diet). I have only just started reading it but I guarantee that there will be more food based blog posts to come very soon.
First off the week began with a weekend of total exertion. Saturday and Sunday I went to the gym with Nigel and also scaled Snowdon.
Monday was a deserved day of rest.
Tuesday I had an epic session in the gym and really blitzed the cardio stuff. I was pleased with my efforts and felt that I was getting somewhere.
Wednesday I also planned to have a massive session but in the end found that I was running out of steam. I thought that it was because I was in need of rest, but now I think there might be another reason for the fatigue too.
Thursday a day of rest.
Friday me and Nigel hit the gym but didn’t really push the boundaries of exercise. Neither of us were in the mood. Nigel because he had been enjoying a week off work and I think would have rather been mucking about on the computer at home. I had endured a hard day at work and was looking forward to the weekend. After a half effort we went home.
Saturday was my birthday so I exercised my drinking arm. And Sunday I was recovering. A rest day if you will.
In balance, I don’t think we moved forward on the fitness scale last week but I have renewed vigour for the gym and am planning on a strong session tonight.
And then on another note. My little sister got me a Food for Fitness book for my birthday. It’s great, it seems to be on the sport science end of food books so I am now going to eat a diet more designed for what I need with precisely the right weight of proteins carbs and lipids. And this book is the reason why I think Wednesday I was fatigued because I had overdone the carbohydrates (fatigue being one of the side effects of a high carb diet). I have only just started reading it but I guarantee that there will be more food based blog posts to come very soon.
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Flat Battery
Another lesson about human physiology was learned last night. On Tuesday I had blitzed the gym, an hour and a quarter of full blown cardio-vascular exercises was enough to get a sweat on but that seemed about it. The muscles were not really protesting, and Wednesday morning I did not feel any ill effects, no aches, nothing. So I went back to the gym on Wednesday.
Nigel has the week off and was already on the rowing machine when I arrived. He was 7 minutes into a 20 minute stint, so I set my clock to 13 minutes so our end time would coincide. That knackered me out.
I then went off and played with the weights. I decided to vary the lifts a little bit. Sets of 15 curls with the 5kg weights, interspersed with sets of about 10 curls with the 7.5kg weights. My thinking is that the 5kgs are easy to lift so I can bang out some quick repetitions to build stamina. The 7.5kg weights are harder to lift so will encourage building muscle mass. I did many sets of both, I lost count but spent about 20 minutes with the free weights.
To follow that up I did the triceps push down exercise. 7kgs, 15 reps, 2 sets. No bother just that shaky, gritted teeth, veins standing out on my neck for the last could of pushes.
Weights done, I thought I should make a showing on the running machines. I headed over, set the treadmill and set off at 7.5mph. Approximately two minutes into the jog I discovered I was well and truly fatigued.
It was a strange tired too. My muscles were all revved up and keen to pound on, my heart and breathing were regulated and even, but I had just run out of steam. It felt very much like I had run out of fuel. My batteries were flat.
I called it a day, and due to Nigel’s hangover, he didn’t really protest when I suggested that the gym was not for us any more. So we made our way to the pool, and after showing off my new goggs, I had a go at swimming but I had nothing left. There was no fuel in the tank.
I got home and consumed many carbohydrates to refuel the obviously dwindled stocks and today I am not going to the gym.
The lesson learned that the rest day that sports scientists bang on about is not just to allow the muscles to recover and grow, it also is a chance for the fuel stocks that have been burned off to be replenished. I will bear this in mind in the future.
Nigel has the week off and was already on the rowing machine when I arrived. He was 7 minutes into a 20 minute stint, so I set my clock to 13 minutes so our end time would coincide. That knackered me out.
I then went off and played with the weights. I decided to vary the lifts a little bit. Sets of 15 curls with the 5kg weights, interspersed with sets of about 10 curls with the 7.5kg weights. My thinking is that the 5kgs are easy to lift so I can bang out some quick repetitions to build stamina. The 7.5kg weights are harder to lift so will encourage building muscle mass. I did many sets of both, I lost count but spent about 20 minutes with the free weights.
To follow that up I did the triceps push down exercise. 7kgs, 15 reps, 2 sets. No bother just that shaky, gritted teeth, veins standing out on my neck for the last could of pushes.
Weights done, I thought I should make a showing on the running machines. I headed over, set the treadmill and set off at 7.5mph. Approximately two minutes into the jog I discovered I was well and truly fatigued.
It was a strange tired too. My muscles were all revved up and keen to pound on, my heart and breathing were regulated and even, but I had just run out of steam. It felt very much like I had run out of fuel. My batteries were flat.
I called it a day, and due to Nigel’s hangover, he didn’t really protest when I suggested that the gym was not for us any more. So we made our way to the pool, and after showing off my new goggs, I had a go at swimming but I had nothing left. There was no fuel in the tank.
I got home and consumed many carbohydrates to refuel the obviously dwindled stocks and today I am not going to the gym.
The lesson learned that the rest day that sports scientists bang on about is not just to allow the muscles to recover and grow, it also is a chance for the fuel stocks that have been burned off to be replenished. I will bear this in mind in the future.
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Like Red October
I went for the full cardio-vascular workout last night.
15 minutes on the rowing machine. Set to a very wimpy level 3, I just used this as a warm up and a way to elevate my heart rate a little bit.
Then with barely time for a breather I made my way across to the running machine. 20 minutes, interval training, 7mph. This really got a sweat up. I was pleased that I boxed this off without thoughts of wimping out creeping in.
Again, without really pausing I went across to the cross trainer. 20 minutes interval training, level 8. No problems.
55 minutes of pretty much solid workout. I had got a sweat on and spent a moment or two huffing and puffing but I was fine really. I would have started with some resistance work but the gym was really full and there were people on all of the weights and machines I wanted to use. And anyway, I had some new goggles I wanted to try out.
I haven’t really ever used goggles. When I was at school years ago I had borrowed someone’s goggles and they were crap, they leaked and I effectively ended up with cups of chlorinated water pressed to my eyes all the time. So I didn’t really know what to expect with these, I was ready to be disappointed but hoped that they would be ace.
I slipped into the pool, donned these cyber-goggles and started to swim, I ducked my head underwater and I found myself surprised to find that I could see as well under water as I could above. I don’t know why I was surprised, I should have expected something like this, but I just was. It took quite a while for my brain to adjust to having vision underwater too, my brain assumed that because I could see, I could also breath. For about twenty minutes every time I swam underwater I would have to emergency surface like the Red October, coughing water out of my lungs.
Goggles thoroughly tested I headed home after two hours at the gym. I am planning on going again tonight as I again don’t seem to be aching at all despite all of that effort.
15 minutes on the rowing machine. Set to a very wimpy level 3, I just used this as a warm up and a way to elevate my heart rate a little bit.
Then with barely time for a breather I made my way across to the running machine. 20 minutes, interval training, 7mph. This really got a sweat up. I was pleased that I boxed this off without thoughts of wimping out creeping in.
Again, without really pausing I went across to the cross trainer. 20 minutes interval training, level 8. No problems.
55 minutes of pretty much solid workout. I had got a sweat on and spent a moment or two huffing and puffing but I was fine really. I would have started with some resistance work but the gym was really full and there were people on all of the weights and machines I wanted to use. And anyway, I had some new goggles I wanted to try out.
I haven’t really ever used goggles. When I was at school years ago I had borrowed someone’s goggles and they were crap, they leaked and I effectively ended up with cups of chlorinated water pressed to my eyes all the time. So I didn’t really know what to expect with these, I was ready to be disappointed but hoped that they would be ace.
I slipped into the pool, donned these cyber-goggles and started to swim, I ducked my head underwater and I found myself surprised to find that I could see as well under water as I could above. I don’t know why I was surprised, I should have expected something like this, but I just was. It took quite a while for my brain to adjust to having vision underwater too, my brain assumed that because I could see, I could also breath. For about twenty minutes every time I swam underwater I would have to emergency surface like the Red October, coughing water out of my lungs.
Goggles thoroughly tested I headed home after two hours at the gym. I am planning on going again tonight as I again don’t seem to be aching at all despite all of that effort.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
a few things
I have a few things to talk about today and will leap from subject to subject, I trust you can keep up. :)
First off. Just to point you in the direction of the poll on the right hand side of this blog. I have added the Parkinson Foundation to the list. This is a charity that I would like to champion for a moment as Parkinson’s disease afflicted my late granddad and ruined his quality of life in his last years, the collection at his funeral was for this organisation.
Next. I didn’t go to the gym last night as it was a rest day, and I was off to the doctors again. This shoulder injury is still not 100% healed. I still get twinges of pain if I extend my reach forward or rotate my arm backwards. These aren’t movements that I carry out in my usual day to day, but there shouldn’t be pain there.
My GP is pretty confident that it is a trauma injury (i.e. I did it in the gym) but just to be certain that it isn’t something else manifesting in a dodgy joint, I am off for some blood tests next week to sieve out anything that may be underlying this. He has suggested that I should start taking anti inflammatory drugs to aid the recovery and to knock the pain on the head as well.
My choices are pretty simple though. Stop training completely for three plus months and the injury may heal. Or keep training and put up with the niggly joint. My Doctor did say that we haven’t got a lot if time to get ready for this race as 17 months isn’t all that long in real terms.
It’s a no-brainer really, I’m going to continue to train and be sensible with what strains I put on the shoulder.
Then lets take a look at the continued observational experiment that is monitoring my transformation into a sleek super fit athlete. I weighed in last night. I am now 69.75kgs, or pretty much smack bang on 11 stone. I’ve never been 11 stone in my life. I thought I was destined to be 10 stone forever. My BMI is creeping up and is at 22.79 which is currently still in the normal bracket.
The Body Mass Index is an unreliable gauge of weight though as it doesn’t take into account muscle mass versus other tissue mass. With a BMI rating of 25 or over you are classed as overweight, if I keep on gaining muscle mass at this rate I will be overweight by approximately July next year.
And then finally I want to talk about swimming. I love swimming, given the choice I would like to be some kind of dolphin and in the future I would like to have a go at swimming the channel. But I can’t enjoy the swimming pool so much as I wear contact lenses. If I don’t wear lenses I can’t see anything except coloured blurs but if I do wear lenses I can’t go underwater. For some reason contact lenses adhere to my eyeballs as if they had been coated in a layer of glue if they get wet.
Upon hearing my plaintiff cry about not being able to splash about like flipper, my lovely wife went shopping for a set of goggles. These are quite possibly the coolest goggles I have seen for a while, they are mirrored and make me look like a cross between Mad Max and a Bee. Tonight I am at the gym and I intend to be pool side for a few hours.
First off. Just to point you in the direction of the poll on the right hand side of this blog. I have added the Parkinson Foundation to the list. This is a charity that I would like to champion for a moment as Parkinson’s disease afflicted my late granddad and ruined his quality of life in his last years, the collection at his funeral was for this organisation.
Next. I didn’t go to the gym last night as it was a rest day, and I was off to the doctors again. This shoulder injury is still not 100% healed. I still get twinges of pain if I extend my reach forward or rotate my arm backwards. These aren’t movements that I carry out in my usual day to day, but there shouldn’t be pain there.
My GP is pretty confident that it is a trauma injury (i.e. I did it in the gym) but just to be certain that it isn’t something else manifesting in a dodgy joint, I am off for some blood tests next week to sieve out anything that may be underlying this. He has suggested that I should start taking anti inflammatory drugs to aid the recovery and to knock the pain on the head as well.
My choices are pretty simple though. Stop training completely for three plus months and the injury may heal. Or keep training and put up with the niggly joint. My Doctor did say that we haven’t got a lot if time to get ready for this race as 17 months isn’t all that long in real terms.
It’s a no-brainer really, I’m going to continue to train and be sensible with what strains I put on the shoulder.
Then lets take a look at the continued observational experiment that is monitoring my transformation into a sleek super fit athlete. I weighed in last night. I am now 69.75kgs, or pretty much smack bang on 11 stone. I’ve never been 11 stone in my life. I thought I was destined to be 10 stone forever. My BMI is creeping up and is at 22.79 which is currently still in the normal bracket.
The Body Mass Index is an unreliable gauge of weight though as it doesn’t take into account muscle mass versus other tissue mass. With a BMI rating of 25 or over you are classed as overweight, if I keep on gaining muscle mass at this rate I will be overweight by approximately July next year.
And then finally I want to talk about swimming. I love swimming, given the choice I would like to be some kind of dolphin and in the future I would like to have a go at swimming the channel. But I can’t enjoy the swimming pool so much as I wear contact lenses. If I don’t wear lenses I can’t see anything except coloured blurs but if I do wear lenses I can’t go underwater. For some reason contact lenses adhere to my eyeballs as if they had been coated in a layer of glue if they get wet.
Upon hearing my plaintiff cry about not being able to splash about like flipper, my lovely wife went shopping for a set of goggles. These are quite possibly the coolest goggles I have seen for a while, they are mirrored and make me look like a cross between Mad Max and a Bee. Tonight I am at the gym and I intend to be pool side for a few hours.
Monday, 17 November 2008
Mountain Training
So what are you going to do this weekend?
Well, I was thinking about going up a mountain.
In this weather? Why?
Kayak training.
Up a mountain?
Friday, I was bemoaning the fact that was having a rest day but didn’t really feel the need for rest as my body had long since given up protesting about going to the gym. What to do about this? A weekend of exertion, that’s what!
Saturday I went to the gym with Nigel finishing work and joining me a bit later. 15 minutes on the rowing machine set to a pretty easy level as a warm up.
I then moved to the weights. I was lifting the 7.5kgs but I kind of struggle with these and am not able to do many repetitions, so I set my ego to one side and dropped it down to the 5kgs, and got a much better arm workout than trying and failing to lift the heavier weight. This was followed by the back lifts. 3 sets of 15 reps at 59kgs. And then the last of the resistance equipment with the triceps push downs, 3 sets of 15 reps at 7kgs.
Then onto the treadmill, 7mph, level 5 interval training, 20 minutes. This kills me, and after about 10 minutes in my head I am making reasons for slowing the pace down or lowering the difficulty. I didn’t though and persevered and felt pretty chuffed with myself for sticking with it.
Then after the stomach crunching hand to knee exercises to failure and the plank to failure I hit the cross trainer on intervals, level 8, 20 minutes. Nigel’s trip around the gym coincided with joining me on the cross trainer so we both did the same set.
Then after all that I swam at a good solid pace for 20 minutes before finally relaxing. About 2 hours of muscle bashing. Quite knackered.
But that wasn’t enough. Oh no. I had managed to convince the good wife that we should pay mount Snowdon, the higest mountain in England and Wales, a visit on Sunday morning.
Packing my rucksack with survival gear, water proofs, lunch and all manner of navigation aids I was to be carrying 10 kilos of additional weight up the 1085 metres of Welsh geology.
We arrived at the Pen-Y-Pass car park at about 7:30ish, and after spending half an hour or so donning all manner of waterproof layers, we set off into the rain, mist, and the fog.
Head down we just slogged along the Pyg track in the drizzle. I know it’s not a mountaineers route but it is good cardio stuff. We have walked this route a few times and know it well enough, usually I am pretty exhausted by the time the Pyg track meets the Miners track (about halfway up) but this time out I was still fighting fit, much to the wife’s dismay as she was well and truly tired. Like a trooper though, when I asked if she wanted to head back, she pointed up into the mist and said “On!”
We reached the top eventually, soaked, and well and truly chilled to the bone. We had a bite to eat and a couple of cups of morale boosting coffee using the wall of the café/train station as protection from the excesses of the elements. (the café and train station was closed for the winter as most mountain tourists stay away in the middle of November)
Heading down was much better, we returned along the Miners track which is a well constructed walkers path, we were no longer fighting against gravity, and once we got off the ridge the weather improved significantly. We took great delight in telling people we were passing that the summit was still several miles away and when they got there they were going to get soaked. Watching their tired faces drop in dismay was so much fun.
I was going to get the sat nav to give me some stats that I could quote today, but sadly the weather was so grim it could not find a single satellite through the cloud cover but I do know that we took exactly 4 hours and 20 minutes from car, to summit, and back to the car again.
But that wasn’t all, I was not going to stop because I had blitzed a mountain, I headed off to join Nigel at the gym again.
I hit the rowing machine and managed a grand total of 6 minutes before fatigue finally set in. This was pretty much my last effort at doing cardio vascular work this Sunday. I got some light 5kg weights and worked my way through various resistance exercises with my arms, before I ended the day with 15 minutes of swimming before really relaxing in the sauna and Jacuzzi.
I am a wee bit tired today, my thighs are a bit achey when I try to walk down stairs and my back and shoulder muscles feel as though they have had a good workout but I still feel capable of taking on Snowdon again today. It wasn’t that long ago that I would be hobbling around like some kind of zombie for days after exercise.
(Due to the fact that this is a true, bare faced, no lies, blog where I honestly admit all of my sucesses and failures. I have to point out that any photos that seem to sugest that I might have been doing various exercises, pressups mainly, have been staged)
Friday, 14 November 2008
Week 7
Week 7 has gone pretty well. I started it with a good session in that kayak, and although the river has gone back into flood I am pretty set to get back out on the water with both crewmates next time. Following up the boat session were a couple of stints in the gym.
I am starting to feel that I have reached a bit of a plateau, and a workout that would have killed me a month ago is now seemingly not having much of an impact anymore.
My shoulder is now mostly fine. It doesn’t hurt generally anymore but I get a tugging pain when I lift my shoulder up and reach forward. This isn’t an activity that I ever do except when I am testing the joint, but there shouldn’t still be pain there, so I am going back to the doctor on Monday.
Sunday. A miserably cold and wet trip on the river which was the most fun I’ve had in a while. Followed by an afternoon session in the gym. Very pleased with the effort.
Monday was a rest day.
Tuesday, a lack lustre session in the gym. Didn’t really make any progress and aborted early.
Wednesday was a day off.
Thursday. A really good session in the gym that wore me out at the time. Nigel was also able to make a showing but this morning I don’t seem to be half as worn out as I planned.
Friday is going to be a rest day. The weekend will be activity filled but I haven’t worked out the plan yet. I will fill the blog in on Monday.
I am starting to feel that I have reached a bit of a plateau, and a workout that would have killed me a month ago is now seemingly not having much of an impact anymore.
My shoulder is now mostly fine. It doesn’t hurt generally anymore but I get a tugging pain when I lift my shoulder up and reach forward. This isn’t an activity that I ever do except when I am testing the joint, but there shouldn’t still be pain there, so I am going back to the doctor on Monday.
Sunday. A miserably cold and wet trip on the river which was the most fun I’ve had in a while. Followed by an afternoon session in the gym. Very pleased with the effort.
Monday was a rest day.
Tuesday, a lack lustre session in the gym. Didn’t really make any progress and aborted early.
Wednesday was a day off.
Thursday. A really good session in the gym that wore me out at the time. Nigel was also able to make a showing but this morning I don’t seem to be half as worn out as I planned.
Friday is going to be a rest day. The weekend will be activity filled but I haven’t worked out the plan yet. I will fill the blog in on Monday.
Not very knackered
I had planned the Thursday night gym session to be a killer, I wanted to be aching at this moment and to really know that I deserved this rest day. However, despite my best efforts, I feel no activity aches.
I arrived at the gym at the usual time of about ten past five. Met up with Nigel (he had a rare day off) and set to the machines. I joined Nigel on the rowing machines first to work that group of muscles, it also seems a decent way to warm up for other higher impact machines. I set the resistance level to 3 because although my shoulder is feeling okay, I didn’t want to aggravate it, and rowed on for 15 minutes. Nigel was set to level 7 and pressed on for a further five minutes.
Nigel ended the 20 minutes rowing with a bit of a surge, and as long as he has that amount of effort left spare at the end of the DW, I’ll be able to sit there and sleep for the final few miles.
Feeling pretty knackered by now I then headed off to the cross trainer. 20 minutes, interval work, level 8. It was hard work, especially on my iPod as it started to play the opening bar of each track before skipping onto the next. I think sweat was starting to get into the inners of that seemingly impregnable case.
Meanwhile Nigel worked his way around the various resistance machines and by the time I was done, he was as good as finished. Now I was really tired at this point but I elbowed the usual muscle men off the weights benches and pumped some iron.
I am hoisting the massive 7.5kg weights, and I’m fairly certain I didn’t look weedy in any way as I sat next to Mr. 30kgs on the other bench. I curled 7.5kg weights to failure before moving onto the triceps push down at 7kgs, which I again did to failure.
By now Nigel had finished his routine and had gone for a jog on the treadmill. His machine was broken as it was claiming that he was doing 10.5mph, yet he seemed to be only just jogging, to prove the point I wound up the machine next to him to 10.5mph and was at a full blown run.
Despite this mucking about I was finished, I was really tired and I think Nigel had had enough too. So we headed to the swimming pool. I had a bit of a second wind and swam for 20 minutes before relaxing in the Jacuzzi and sauna.
All told, the workout and swim (not including the sauna and Jacuzzi bit) took about an hour and a quarter. I thought that would be enough to give me that workout ache but it wasn’t. I sit here on my rest day feeling that I don’t have to rest for much. I think for the weekend session I am going to have to try and go for two hours of activity to earn the glow of exercise.
I arrived at the gym at the usual time of about ten past five. Met up with Nigel (he had a rare day off) and set to the machines. I joined Nigel on the rowing machines first to work that group of muscles, it also seems a decent way to warm up for other higher impact machines. I set the resistance level to 3 because although my shoulder is feeling okay, I didn’t want to aggravate it, and rowed on for 15 minutes. Nigel was set to level 7 and pressed on for a further five minutes.
Nigel ended the 20 minutes rowing with a bit of a surge, and as long as he has that amount of effort left spare at the end of the DW, I’ll be able to sit there and sleep for the final few miles.
Feeling pretty knackered by now I then headed off to the cross trainer. 20 minutes, interval work, level 8. It was hard work, especially on my iPod as it started to play the opening bar of each track before skipping onto the next. I think sweat was starting to get into the inners of that seemingly impregnable case.
Meanwhile Nigel worked his way around the various resistance machines and by the time I was done, he was as good as finished. Now I was really tired at this point but I elbowed the usual muscle men off the weights benches and pumped some iron.
I am hoisting the massive 7.5kg weights, and I’m fairly certain I didn’t look weedy in any way as I sat next to Mr. 30kgs on the other bench. I curled 7.5kg weights to failure before moving onto the triceps push down at 7kgs, which I again did to failure.
By now Nigel had finished his routine and had gone for a jog on the treadmill. His machine was broken as it was claiming that he was doing 10.5mph, yet he seemed to be only just jogging, to prove the point I wound up the machine next to him to 10.5mph and was at a full blown run.
Despite this mucking about I was finished, I was really tired and I think Nigel had had enough too. So we headed to the swimming pool. I had a bit of a second wind and swam for 20 minutes before relaxing in the Jacuzzi and sauna.
All told, the workout and swim (not including the sauna and Jacuzzi bit) took about an hour and a quarter. I thought that would be enough to give me that workout ache but it wasn’t. I sit here on my rest day feeling that I don’t have to rest for much. I think for the weekend session I am going to have to try and go for two hours of activity to earn the glow of exercise.
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Oranges
A couple of days away from the keyboard, so I will try to remember what I did in the gym on Tuesday.
Tuesday was a solo gym session for me, Nigel was working as per. I wasn’t really in the mood for it but I did learn a good lesson. Warm Up first.
I hopped onto the treadmill cold and just set to, I did a bit of a walk for a minute or two before pushing the speed up to 7mph. almost immediately my right calf muscle locked up with cramp. It was the first time I had to hit the emergency stop button and the treadmill really did come to a halt.
I hobbled around the back of the gym for a while, stretched the cramp out of the muscle, and then decided that today I would use the cross trainer. 20 minutes, level 6, interval setting. That did the job of warming the rest of me up nicely.
I did the lifts with my back, in three sets of fifteen, at 63kgs, 62kgs and then finally at 59kgs. I kept having to drop the weight as each set was getting the muscles at the base of my spine really burning (in a good way) and I just couldn’t repeat the set at the same weight.
There were a couple of blokes hogging the weights bench so I headed back to the treadmill. My leg was feeling fine now that I was active, 20 minutes, 7mph, interval mode. My ipod batteries then died. I really wasn’t in the mood and using Nigel’s appearance to say Hi as an excuse, I stopped. It was also about this time that the leisure manager came round with half time oranges. I appreciate that he had an excess of oranges for whatever reason, but it was a jolly nice gesture and one of the reasons why I love this gym.
I went and steamed and sauna’d for a bit before heading home.
The next session is going to be Thursday night. Nigel has the day off, and I am planning on working out big time. Running, rowing, lifting like never before, I haven’t had that ache for a few days now and am keen for the exercise high that accompanies it again.
Tuesday was a solo gym session for me, Nigel was working as per. I wasn’t really in the mood for it but I did learn a good lesson. Warm Up first.
I hopped onto the treadmill cold and just set to, I did a bit of a walk for a minute or two before pushing the speed up to 7mph. almost immediately my right calf muscle locked up with cramp. It was the first time I had to hit the emergency stop button and the treadmill really did come to a halt.
I hobbled around the back of the gym for a while, stretched the cramp out of the muscle, and then decided that today I would use the cross trainer. 20 minutes, level 6, interval setting. That did the job of warming the rest of me up nicely.
I did the lifts with my back, in three sets of fifteen, at 63kgs, 62kgs and then finally at 59kgs. I kept having to drop the weight as each set was getting the muscles at the base of my spine really burning (in a good way) and I just couldn’t repeat the set at the same weight.
There were a couple of blokes hogging the weights bench so I headed back to the treadmill. My leg was feeling fine now that I was active, 20 minutes, 7mph, interval mode. My ipod batteries then died. I really wasn’t in the mood and using Nigel’s appearance to say Hi as an excuse, I stopped. It was also about this time that the leisure manager came round with half time oranges. I appreciate that he had an excess of oranges for whatever reason, but it was a jolly nice gesture and one of the reasons why I love this gym.
I went and steamed and sauna’d for a bit before heading home.
The next session is going to be Thursday night. Nigel has the day off, and I am planning on working out big time. Running, rowing, lifting like never before, I haven’t had that ache for a few days now and am keen for the exercise high that accompanies it again.
Monday, 10 November 2008
Cold Wet River.
Severe weather warnings are out and about at the moment. Last night were some of the worst driving conditions I have ever experienced, standing water, high winds and heavy rain. It was cold, it was grim, and for some reason Sunday morning I strapped the boat onto the roof of the car, donned some neoprene and waterproofs and went for a paddle.
Actually, I sort of know the reason why I left a nice warm bed for a cold wet river. I had publicly written down that I was going to do this fool thing, and I then kind of had to go through with it.
Just as I was putting the boat on the water it started to rain that cold grim heavy rain that comes in at about 45 degrees. The river was already in high flow, and a weekend of rain in Wales was causing the river to rise, in the time I was out there a couple of fishing stands became submerged, and this morning the Severn looks set to burst its banks again.
The reason I was bankside was because last week I worked out with a calculator how fast we needed to paddle to get a decent time in the DW race. Only trouble was I didn’t know how fast kayaks went. To get an idea of boat speeds I decided to take out my kayak and using GPS I would work out exactly how fast average me can go in an average boat.
I turned on the GPS, acquired a few satellites, and set off. To negate the river speed from my boat speed, I had to paddle upstream before returning with the flow. Paddling upstream was really hard, I just got my head down and hauled myself along, the rain was cold and the wind kept catching my paddle, very quickly I regretting not having a hat or gloves and was starting to feel really cold and miserable.
There is a bend on the river when it narrows and the flow really picks up, I was paddling so hard and fast to power through when this 8 man coxed rowing boat went past me as if I was stationary. The cox, swaddled in waterproofs and a hat even game me a cheery wave… The git.
I got round that bend and found some shelter in an eddy near the showground. I checked the GPS, I had been paddling for about 12 minutes. It seemed like longer. I called it a day and headed back home.
The return journey was much swifter, and I was back to the car in about 5 minutes.
Once I got warm and dry I was as happy as anything, and I wanted to go back out again. Its one thing that I have missed from long expeditions (hiking or sea trips and the like), not so much the grim bit where you get cold and wet, but being able to appreciate being warm and dry so much more once you’re done. You can’t enjoy a hot cup of tea and warm clothes as much as I did once I was dry. In a perverse way, I am looking forward to winter training so much more now.
The data acquired from this little expedition.
I was on the water for 18 minutes and 8 seconds. For 2 minutes 13 seconds I was stationary. I had covered 1.1miles with a moving average of 4.2mph. (when I stopped in that eddy I noted the average speed I had maintained upstream and that was 3.3mph.) and I had managed to achieve a maximum speed of 6.5mph at one point.
As I was only on the water for 18 minutes I don’t think the data gives a good picture of what can be maintained over long distances but it shows that my little boat is good for about 4mph, which kind of proves my Dads formula for ship speed.
But wait, that’s not all.
After a Sunday morning spent getting cold and wet on the river, in the afternoon I met Nigel at the gym.
I pounded the treadmill for 30 minutes on intervals. Though not all of it was flat out pounding. 20 minutes I ran at 6.8mph, but I was running myself a bit sick so I walked the last ten minutes.
I then did 3 sets of 15 erector spinæ lifts, 3 sets of 15 leg press, 2 sets of 15 triceps push down, and about 3 sets of 15 arm curls with the 7.5kg dumbbells.
Nigel put in 20 minutes on the rowing machine and clocked up 518 strokes, he then worked around some of the weights, but he had been pulling some long shifts so was happy to call it a day when I did.
I have a good ache today. The usual gym muscles ache but those twenty minutes in the boat has given me a more holistic workout.
Actually, I sort of know the reason why I left a nice warm bed for a cold wet river. I had publicly written down that I was going to do this fool thing, and I then kind of had to go through with it.
Just as I was putting the boat on the water it started to rain that cold grim heavy rain that comes in at about 45 degrees. The river was already in high flow, and a weekend of rain in Wales was causing the river to rise, in the time I was out there a couple of fishing stands became submerged, and this morning the Severn looks set to burst its banks again.
The reason I was bankside was because last week I worked out with a calculator how fast we needed to paddle to get a decent time in the DW race. Only trouble was I didn’t know how fast kayaks went. To get an idea of boat speeds I decided to take out my kayak and using GPS I would work out exactly how fast average me can go in an average boat.
I turned on the GPS, acquired a few satellites, and set off. To negate the river speed from my boat speed, I had to paddle upstream before returning with the flow. Paddling upstream was really hard, I just got my head down and hauled myself along, the rain was cold and the wind kept catching my paddle, very quickly I regretting not having a hat or gloves and was starting to feel really cold and miserable.
There is a bend on the river when it narrows and the flow really picks up, I was paddling so hard and fast to power through when this 8 man coxed rowing boat went past me as if I was stationary. The cox, swaddled in waterproofs and a hat even game me a cheery wave… The git.
I got round that bend and found some shelter in an eddy near the showground. I checked the GPS, I had been paddling for about 12 minutes. It seemed like longer. I called it a day and headed back home.
The return journey was much swifter, and I was back to the car in about 5 minutes.
Once I got warm and dry I was as happy as anything, and I wanted to go back out again. Its one thing that I have missed from long expeditions (hiking or sea trips and the like), not so much the grim bit where you get cold and wet, but being able to appreciate being warm and dry so much more once you’re done. You can’t enjoy a hot cup of tea and warm clothes as much as I did once I was dry. In a perverse way, I am looking forward to winter training so much more now.
The data acquired from this little expedition.
I was on the water for 18 minutes and 8 seconds. For 2 minutes 13 seconds I was stationary. I had covered 1.1miles with a moving average of 4.2mph. (when I stopped in that eddy I noted the average speed I had maintained upstream and that was 3.3mph.) and I had managed to achieve a maximum speed of 6.5mph at one point.
As I was only on the water for 18 minutes I don’t think the data gives a good picture of what can be maintained over long distances but it shows that my little boat is good for about 4mph, which kind of proves my Dads formula for ship speed.
But wait, that’s not all.
After a Sunday morning spent getting cold and wet on the river, in the afternoon I met Nigel at the gym.
I pounded the treadmill for 30 minutes on intervals. Though not all of it was flat out pounding. 20 minutes I ran at 6.8mph, but I was running myself a bit sick so I walked the last ten minutes.
I then did 3 sets of 15 erector spinæ lifts, 3 sets of 15 leg press, 2 sets of 15 triceps push down, and about 3 sets of 15 arm curls with the 7.5kg dumbbells.
Nigel put in 20 minutes on the rowing machine and clocked up 518 strokes, he then worked around some of the weights, but he had been pulling some long shifts so was happy to call it a day when I did.
I have a good ache today. The usual gym muscles ache but those twenty minutes in the boat has given me a more holistic workout.
Friday, 7 November 2008
Week 6
End of week report.
A pretty good week this week. The shoulder injury is getting better and better and I am starting to feel confident about using it again. The collar bone is all out of place but the doctor suggested that this may never fully return to its proper shape. I have added a new injury to the list with my right calf but I am 99% sure that this is a passing muscle ache rather than any real problem.
Good strong sessions in the gym on Sunday and Tuesday from Nigel and myself. A month and a bit into this and I am starting to think that we can really get into decent physical shape for this race.
Thursday, I had a lone session as Nigel was working. I seem to have a rolling program of injuries and as one area starts to get better, another area starts to play up but despite that I am feeling that I am progressing.
If Nigel was a better paddler and we had a racing kayak ready for April I would be considering the 2009 race. Physically we are well on course and I would suggest that in 5 months time we would be in the right condition to compete. The thing that we lack is racing experience and a boat. These are things that we need to work on now.
Friday and Saturday are going to be rest days but Sunday is going to be a full day. I am going to hit the water in the morning, partly so that I can find out how fast I can paddle and partly to get into the swing of winter paddling as I haven’t been in the boat since September. And then following that session I am going to join Nigel for an afternoon in the gym.
A pretty good week this week. The shoulder injury is getting better and better and I am starting to feel confident about using it again. The collar bone is all out of place but the doctor suggested that this may never fully return to its proper shape. I have added a new injury to the list with my right calf but I am 99% sure that this is a passing muscle ache rather than any real problem.
Good strong sessions in the gym on Sunday and Tuesday from Nigel and myself. A month and a bit into this and I am starting to think that we can really get into decent physical shape for this race.
Thursday, I had a lone session as Nigel was working. I seem to have a rolling program of injuries and as one area starts to get better, another area starts to play up but despite that I am feeling that I am progressing.
If Nigel was a better paddler and we had a racing kayak ready for April I would be considering the 2009 race. Physically we are well on course and I would suggest that in 5 months time we would be in the right condition to compete. The thing that we lack is racing experience and a boat. These are things that we need to work on now.
Friday and Saturday are going to be rest days but Sunday is going to be a full day. I am going to hit the water in the morning, partly so that I can find out how fast I can paddle and partly to get into the swing of winter paddling as I haven’t been in the boat since September. And then following that session I am going to join Nigel for an afternoon in the gym.
Injured Fetlock
What day are we at?… Friday. Okay, Tuesday I had a good session at the gym. I pounded the treadmill and was pleased with myself. Legs ached on Wednesday but this was fine, they were supposed to. What they weren’t supposed to do was ache even more on Thursday. Actually, it isn’t both legs, it is only the right calf muscle, it ached so much I was forced to limp around. I was still going to the gym on Thursday limp or not though.
I had a bit of a warm up, and stepped onto the treadmill. I did a minute or so walking and it was alright, I had stretched the limp away but my calf muscle still ached a little. I pressed the walk up to a run and was okay, bit of an ache but I could run on it. When the treadmill got up to a 3 degree elevation though the pain kicked in, at ten minutes I was forced to pull up sharpish. The treadmill was at 7.5mph and I suddenly reduced my leg count by 50% which resulted in the worlds fastest hop.
The gym was busy, I scanned around to see what else I could do that wasn’t leg based and the only thing free was the rowing machine. My shoulder was feeling fine, and I wasn’t going to leave the gym ten minutes after I had got there so it was decided. I took it pretty easy Level 7 15 minutes. 410 strokes. I worked up a bit of a sweat and felt pretty good with the effort.
I then tried the cross trainer. The elliptical motion generally doesn’t strain my legs in the same way so I gave it a go. 20 minutes level8 interval training was just fine, though I was now sweating quite a lot and the iPod crackled as some liquid got into its inners before turning itself off, I think a little puff of smoke came out of the headphone jack.
Stomach crunching out the way I followed those up with the erector spinæ exercises. I forgot what weight I was supposed to be doing it at and I think I put it to 68kgs. I was more than able to lift the weight with my back muscles however 68kgs is pretty much what I weigh, and while I was fully laid back preparing to lower the weight in a controlled manner I was gently lifted off the seat as the pile of weights returned to their stack this meant I was slowly lifted into the standing position. Weights adjusted to a more sensible 56kgs and 3 sets of 15 ensued.
I have managed to get over the fact that there are bigger weight pushers in the gym and didn’t mind sitting there with my puny arms while they hoisted slabs above their heads. Triceps push down. 3sets of 15 with the 6kg weight. No bother. Hotly followed by the dumb-bell arm curls. 3 sets of 15 with 7.5kg weights.
And that was my effort for Thursday. Right calf is still giving me a limp despite lashings of Deep Freeze, however I can report that the iPod made a full recovery.
I had a bit of a warm up, and stepped onto the treadmill. I did a minute or so walking and it was alright, I had stretched the limp away but my calf muscle still ached a little. I pressed the walk up to a run and was okay, bit of an ache but I could run on it. When the treadmill got up to a 3 degree elevation though the pain kicked in, at ten minutes I was forced to pull up sharpish. The treadmill was at 7.5mph and I suddenly reduced my leg count by 50% which resulted in the worlds fastest hop.
The gym was busy, I scanned around to see what else I could do that wasn’t leg based and the only thing free was the rowing machine. My shoulder was feeling fine, and I wasn’t going to leave the gym ten minutes after I had got there so it was decided. I took it pretty easy Level 7 15 minutes. 410 strokes. I worked up a bit of a sweat and felt pretty good with the effort.
I then tried the cross trainer. The elliptical motion generally doesn’t strain my legs in the same way so I gave it a go. 20 minutes level8 interval training was just fine, though I was now sweating quite a lot and the iPod crackled as some liquid got into its inners before turning itself off, I think a little puff of smoke came out of the headphone jack.
Stomach crunching out the way I followed those up with the erector spinæ exercises. I forgot what weight I was supposed to be doing it at and I think I put it to 68kgs. I was more than able to lift the weight with my back muscles however 68kgs is pretty much what I weigh, and while I was fully laid back preparing to lower the weight in a controlled manner I was gently lifted off the seat as the pile of weights returned to their stack this meant I was slowly lifted into the standing position. Weights adjusted to a more sensible 56kgs and 3 sets of 15 ensued.
I have managed to get over the fact that there are bigger weight pushers in the gym and didn’t mind sitting there with my puny arms while they hoisted slabs above their heads. Triceps push down. 3sets of 15 with the 6kg weight. No bother. Hotly followed by the dumb-bell arm curls. 3 sets of 15 with 7.5kg weights.
And that was my effort for Thursday. Right calf is still giving me a limp despite lashings of Deep Freeze, however I can report that the iPod made a full recovery.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Dodgy maths
Today I seem to have been left in charge of a calculator so have decided that I will try and work out some bits and pieces for the DW race. My maths is usually pretty appalling with the odd smattering of lucky brilliance, and I am going to have to make some educated guesses based solely in areas outside proven experience so I don’t really know if this exercise is going to be worthwhile or not. Ah well, it’s a no news day today anyway as I rested yesterday.
The main question is: - How fast will we need to paddle to finish the race in my target of 24 hours?
Well, the race is 125 miles (give or take) and I think I am right in saying that we will need to maintain 5.21 mile an hour. There that was pretty easy.
But wait. This race isn’t just about the paddling. There are the portages too. Stop, get out, run around obstacles get back in and crack on paddling again.
Slowing the boat down, stopping, getting out, umm that will probably take maybe 3 minutes. Getting back in, and starting again will probably be the same. To make the maths easy for me lets call it 5 minutes delay in slowing, stopping and starting up again. We have to do this 77 times.
On top of that I need to add the running around with a boat on the shoulder time too. Now I don’t know how many metres each portage requires as each one is different but generally it is a case of running around a lock and putting in a bit further up. Lets call it 20 metres a pop (except for one portage that is a mile all by itself). There are 77 of these portages to complete so basically we are looking at about two miles (including the mile long stretch) in total of running.
We’re going to be knackered, wearing clothing unsuitable for running and carrying a boat and our equipment on our shoulders so I think a jog of about 4mph average is reasonable. That adds 30 minutes of running about on the banks to the overall non paddling time. Added to the stopping and starting time we are looking at about 7 hours (I think. That seems like a lot but I am trusting my calculator)
But that’s not all the time we will be haemorrhaging. Because we are going to have to eat at some of these portages too, sure we won’t hang around to cook and then tuck into a 3 course meal but at a few of these stops we will have to pause for five minutes or so to eat. And I am also envisioning a longer stop as we get near to the night time section to change clothes for dry warm ones and to get something hot eaten. All in that’s probably another hour of paddling time lost.
So where are we up to? Ummm.... 16 hours of paddling time to finish the race within the 24 hours. That now means we will have to sustain something like 7.8mph.
Is that fast? I don’t know. I couldn’t run at 7.8mph for 16 hours, I know that much for toffee but in a kayak you keep moving after you have effected your stroke.
I have spent some time on Google looking for an answer on how fast a kayak can go, unfortunately there is no easy answer. It depends on varying factors such as beam length and hull drag and weight and how good the engine (me and Nigel) is, and all manner of other contributing factors.
Well that’s no use.
Okay, I plan to get my boat out on the river on the weekend. I’ll get my GPS set and go for a long run. From that I can work out how fast I can go solo in a slow boat and get a better idea about what is and isn’t achievable in a kayak.
The main question is: - How fast will we need to paddle to finish the race in my target of 24 hours?
Well, the race is 125 miles (give or take) and I think I am right in saying that we will need to maintain 5.21 mile an hour. There that was pretty easy.
But wait. This race isn’t just about the paddling. There are the portages too. Stop, get out, run around obstacles get back in and crack on paddling again.
Slowing the boat down, stopping, getting out, umm that will probably take maybe 3 minutes. Getting back in, and starting again will probably be the same. To make the maths easy for me lets call it 5 minutes delay in slowing, stopping and starting up again. We have to do this 77 times.
On top of that I need to add the running around with a boat on the shoulder time too. Now I don’t know how many metres each portage requires as each one is different but generally it is a case of running around a lock and putting in a bit further up. Lets call it 20 metres a pop (except for one portage that is a mile all by itself). There are 77 of these portages to complete so basically we are looking at about two miles (including the mile long stretch) in total of running.
We’re going to be knackered, wearing clothing unsuitable for running and carrying a boat and our equipment on our shoulders so I think a jog of about 4mph average is reasonable. That adds 30 minutes of running about on the banks to the overall non paddling time. Added to the stopping and starting time we are looking at about 7 hours (I think. That seems like a lot but I am trusting my calculator)
But that’s not all the time we will be haemorrhaging. Because we are going to have to eat at some of these portages too, sure we won’t hang around to cook and then tuck into a 3 course meal but at a few of these stops we will have to pause for five minutes or so to eat. And I am also envisioning a longer stop as we get near to the night time section to change clothes for dry warm ones and to get something hot eaten. All in that’s probably another hour of paddling time lost.
So where are we up to? Ummm.... 16 hours of paddling time to finish the race within the 24 hours. That now means we will have to sustain something like 7.8mph.
Is that fast? I don’t know. I couldn’t run at 7.8mph for 16 hours, I know that much for toffee but in a kayak you keep moving after you have effected your stroke.
I have spent some time on Google looking for an answer on how fast a kayak can go, unfortunately there is no easy answer. It depends on varying factors such as beam length and hull drag and weight and how good the engine (me and Nigel) is, and all manner of other contributing factors.
Well that’s no use.
Okay, I plan to get my boat out on the river on the weekend. I’ll get my GPS set and go for a long run. From that I can work out how fast I can go solo in a slow boat and get a better idea about what is and isn’t achievable in a kayak.
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
WD40 for Humans
I smell of menthol today. To enable the use of my arms again, as it is embarrassing not being able to use my arms for day to day activities like drinking from a mug and answering the phone, I have had to use lashings of Deep Freeze, (my new favourite analgesic from the makers of Deep Heat) Honestly, its brilliant, it’s like WD40 for humans.
Yesterday was a good session in the gym. Nigel had a day off so we both blitzed the machines. Though I opted to avoid the arm exercises to give a bit more rest.
Leg push 3 sets of 15 reps at 59kgs. That got the burn going in my thighs.
Leg extensions. 2 sets of 15 reps at about 32kgs (I forget what weight but I think that was it)
Leg curl 1 set of about 10 reps before aborting. I couldn’t get this machine set up so that it didn’t hurt my Achilles and I was starting to look like a bit of a wolly as I fiddled and adjusted with all the fittings. I will work out how to set this up for my comfort when there are less people to watch me dismantle the machine.
I then hit the treadmill 20 minutes. 7.5mph interval training. It was hard. There were times when I contemplated hitting the all stop button, or even just toning down the speed for a bit but I prevailed to the bitter end and felt pretty chuffed with myself once I had finished having not wimped out.
For a bit of a breather I headed over to see how Nigel was getting on. He had notched up the rowing machine up another minute and managed something over 500 strokes in 17 minutes on difficulty level 7 and was currently working through his weights in 3 sets of 15.
We both settled down for the stomach crunching plank. I was not going to let Nigel beat me, I think Nigel wanted to complete the plank longer than me too as he kept looking across to see how well I was getting on. I had to focus, zen like, as my stomach was well and truly crunched. Nigel gave in, and I was well and truly thankful as I collapsed too. I did feel the need to remark about how easy it was for me and mentioned that I often sleep in that position because it is so comfortable and doesn’t hurt at all.
Then we headed off to the cross trainer. Nigel hasn’t cross trained before so he did the same routine as me. 20 minutes, interval work, level 6. I am pleased to report that Nigel finally got a sweat on in the gym, he didn’t find it easy and actually looked pretty knackered. I might have to text him later to find out if he is feeling the aches that only I seem to be enduring.
After that there was time for a quick swim, a quick spell in the Jacuzzi and a few minutes enduring the heat of the sauna.
Yesterday was a good session in the gym. Nigel had a day off so we both blitzed the machines. Though I opted to avoid the arm exercises to give a bit more rest.
Leg push 3 sets of 15 reps at 59kgs. That got the burn going in my thighs.
Leg extensions. 2 sets of 15 reps at about 32kgs (I forget what weight but I think that was it)
Leg curl 1 set of about 10 reps before aborting. I couldn’t get this machine set up so that it didn’t hurt my Achilles and I was starting to look like a bit of a wolly as I fiddled and adjusted with all the fittings. I will work out how to set this up for my comfort when there are less people to watch me dismantle the machine.
I then hit the treadmill 20 minutes. 7.5mph interval training. It was hard. There were times when I contemplated hitting the all stop button, or even just toning down the speed for a bit but I prevailed to the bitter end and felt pretty chuffed with myself once I had finished having not wimped out.
For a bit of a breather I headed over to see how Nigel was getting on. He had notched up the rowing machine up another minute and managed something over 500 strokes in 17 minutes on difficulty level 7 and was currently working through his weights in 3 sets of 15.
We both settled down for the stomach crunching plank. I was not going to let Nigel beat me, I think Nigel wanted to complete the plank longer than me too as he kept looking across to see how well I was getting on. I had to focus, zen like, as my stomach was well and truly crunched. Nigel gave in, and I was well and truly thankful as I collapsed too. I did feel the need to remark about how easy it was for me and mentioned that I often sleep in that position because it is so comfortable and doesn’t hurt at all.
Then we headed off to the cross trainer. Nigel hasn’t cross trained before so he did the same routine as me. 20 minutes, interval work, level 6. I am pleased to report that Nigel finally got a sweat on in the gym, he didn’t find it easy and actually looked pretty knackered. I might have to text him later to find out if he is feeling the aches that only I seem to be enduring.
After that there was time for a quick swim, a quick spell in the Jacuzzi and a few minutes enduring the heat of the sauna.
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Play Hard
I am still in pain today from Sunday’s exertions. My biceps are the bits which aren’t playing ball still (the rest of the muscle groups seem to be pretty much back in order), I can’t fully extend my arms without vicious gouts of pain flaring from the muscles and even picking up the phone requires me to lean closer to it.
I wasn’t going to post anything today as I had a rest day yesterday and there is nothing to report. Then Nigel posted something about how he is a bit worried that I am pushing myself too hard and that got me thinking. Am I?
I want to get somewhere physically. For too long I have just assumed that I was a fit human being because I was quite a fit lad when I was at school. I then rested on my laurels and slowly and quietly got a bit wimpy.
I discovered almost as soon as we started training for this 2010 Devizes to Westminster race that I was not actually at my prime and it is going to take a lot of effort to get to where I want to be. So I am pushing myself hard. No pain, no gain, eye of the tiger, and all that.
But is it too much? I’m not so worried about the pain in my arms as this is a good pain, the pain of exertion. This is the pain of muscles being forced to grow bigger and stronger. But what about my shoulder injury? What would have happened if I had done more damage, maybe if I had tried a bigger weight, could it have ruined kayaking for me forever?
I read something a while ago, it was from a kayaking instructor and for some reason it managed to stick in my mind. To paraphrase the article it boiled down to this. - You only get one body, this is your vehicle through life. Would you rather drive a Ferrari or a beat up Lada?
(Actually, I know why this stuck in my mind. I liked this article, as it used cars as an analogy)
Are my excesses in the gym the equivalent of thrashing the engine before wrapping it around a tree?
And then as I contemplated all of that I remembered an advert from a few months ago that made me laugh. It was for a new Deep Heat product (Which reminds me, I really need to find out who makes Deep Heat and let them know about how much I love their product nudge, nudge, wink, wink, please could you sponsor us a K2 kayak please) where blokes were getting injured while playing sports. The tag line was Play hard – you can always get patched up.
So it’s decided. I’m going to play hard. Medical science can always rebuild me.
I wasn’t going to post anything today as I had a rest day yesterday and there is nothing to report. Then Nigel posted something about how he is a bit worried that I am pushing myself too hard and that got me thinking. Am I?
I want to get somewhere physically. For too long I have just assumed that I was a fit human being because I was quite a fit lad when I was at school. I then rested on my laurels and slowly and quietly got a bit wimpy.
I discovered almost as soon as we started training for this 2010 Devizes to Westminster race that I was not actually at my prime and it is going to take a lot of effort to get to where I want to be. So I am pushing myself hard. No pain, no gain, eye of the tiger, and all that.
But is it too much? I’m not so worried about the pain in my arms as this is a good pain, the pain of exertion. This is the pain of muscles being forced to grow bigger and stronger. But what about my shoulder injury? What would have happened if I had done more damage, maybe if I had tried a bigger weight, could it have ruined kayaking for me forever?
I read something a while ago, it was from a kayaking instructor and for some reason it managed to stick in my mind. To paraphrase the article it boiled down to this. - You only get one body, this is your vehicle through life. Would you rather drive a Ferrari or a beat up Lada?
(Actually, I know why this stuck in my mind. I liked this article, as it used cars as an analogy)
Are my excesses in the gym the equivalent of thrashing the engine before wrapping it around a tree?
And then as I contemplated all of that I remembered an advert from a few months ago that made me laugh. It was for a new Deep Heat product (Which reminds me, I really need to find out who makes Deep Heat and let them know about how much I love their product nudge, nudge, wink, wink, please could you sponsor us a K2 kayak please) where blokes were getting injured while playing sports. The tag line was Play hard – you can always get patched up.
So it’s decided. I’m going to play hard. Medical science can always rebuild me.
Monday, 3 November 2008
Silent ridicule
After a week of doing very little I had some ground to make up. Friday night I met up with Nigel at the gym and cracked on with my new regime.
Some stretches. The stomach crunching. 20 minutes on the cross trainer doing interval work at level 10. I was then planning to head across and do the weights, only trouble was the two massive blokes who were lifting heavier and heavier weights.
I psyched myself up to head over to the weights section despite these iron pumpers, we all could see that I wasn’t as well built as them, 5kgs is a start after all… then this older woman headed over as well and started hoisting 5kgs into the air. For shame, I was supposed to be using that weight. That was it, no way on this earth I was going over there, the silent ridicule would have been too much.
So instead I headed across to the treadmill. In my head I was consoling myself that I might not be able to pump as much iron but I was good at running. 20 minutes, interval work, gas mark 7.5mph. 100% knackered.
Nigel is pounding away through his routine as always, maintaining good stroke rate on the rowing machine (four hundred and thirty something) and having learned of my revised and tougher plan, Nigel has also upped his reps to 15 in 3 sets on all of his routine.
That was Friday, and I felt pretty good. Saturday was a day of rest.
Sunday, met Nigel again for a session in the gym. Sunday seems to be pretty quite in the gym (if not the swimming pool) and I got a chance to pump some iron. I picked up the 7.5kg weights (having decided that only girls use the 5kgs) and started to do some curls. 2 sets of 15 with each arm.
Following that was 20 minutes on the cross trainer doing intervals at level 10. This day, for whatever reason I found this really, really hard with my legs protesting (as they always do) and for the first time my chest was really screaming a protest as well. I did the rest of the routine weights wise but there was to be no more cardio work from me this day.
Nigel made me chuckle a little bit. He strolls over from the rowing machine claiming to have pushed the boundaries today by doing 16 minutes on the rowing machine at level 7 instead of the usual 15 minutes at level 6. I laugh, but I know that if I stuck one extra minute on the rowing machine it would probably break me.
Apparently he was knackered but annoyingly looked as fresh as a daisy without a bead of sweat or anything. When I look knackered I am all red and blotchy with sweat running as free as a river.
And that was this weekends training. Sunday night I am sitting there on the sofa watching Hamilton win the world championship telling the good lady that I don’t feel any worse for wear. I pack my bag ready to go back to the gym on Monday.
Monday morning I wake up and lie there watching the telly felling absolutely fine. But as soon as I get up to get dressed, agony. Having investigated anatomy here I discovered taht my long head biceps, my brachioradialis, my soleus, and my semimimbranosus (basically the upper arms and backs of my calves) are currently unable to work without being painful.
Exercise damages tissue and tears muscles. This pain I am feeling today is a result of these muscle fibres currently being repaired. It is the repair process that makes muscles bigger and stronger so although I have brought my kit bag with me, today will be a day of rest after all.
The other bit of me that has suffered at the hand of exercise, my shoulder and collar bone, seems to be feeling okay today. I’m not going to start to celebrate too soon though as its nagging ache might just be masked by the other areas of more intense pain but hopefully I am on the mend.
Some stretches. The stomach crunching. 20 minutes on the cross trainer doing interval work at level 10. I was then planning to head across and do the weights, only trouble was the two massive blokes who were lifting heavier and heavier weights.
I psyched myself up to head over to the weights section despite these iron pumpers, we all could see that I wasn’t as well built as them, 5kgs is a start after all… then this older woman headed over as well and started hoisting 5kgs into the air. For shame, I was supposed to be using that weight. That was it, no way on this earth I was going over there, the silent ridicule would have been too much.
So instead I headed across to the treadmill. In my head I was consoling myself that I might not be able to pump as much iron but I was good at running. 20 minutes, interval work, gas mark 7.5mph. 100% knackered.
Nigel is pounding away through his routine as always, maintaining good stroke rate on the rowing machine (four hundred and thirty something) and having learned of my revised and tougher plan, Nigel has also upped his reps to 15 in 3 sets on all of his routine.
That was Friday, and I felt pretty good. Saturday was a day of rest.
Sunday, met Nigel again for a session in the gym. Sunday seems to be pretty quite in the gym (if not the swimming pool) and I got a chance to pump some iron. I picked up the 7.5kg weights (having decided that only girls use the 5kgs) and started to do some curls. 2 sets of 15 with each arm.
Following that was 20 minutes on the cross trainer doing intervals at level 10. This day, for whatever reason I found this really, really hard with my legs protesting (as they always do) and for the first time my chest was really screaming a protest as well. I did the rest of the routine weights wise but there was to be no more cardio work from me this day.
Nigel made me chuckle a little bit. He strolls over from the rowing machine claiming to have pushed the boundaries today by doing 16 minutes on the rowing machine at level 7 instead of the usual 15 minutes at level 6. I laugh, but I know that if I stuck one extra minute on the rowing machine it would probably break me.
Apparently he was knackered but annoyingly looked as fresh as a daisy without a bead of sweat or anything. When I look knackered I am all red and blotchy with sweat running as free as a river.
And that was this weekends training. Sunday night I am sitting there on the sofa watching Hamilton win the world championship telling the good lady that I don’t feel any worse for wear. I pack my bag ready to go back to the gym on Monday.
Monday morning I wake up and lie there watching the telly felling absolutely fine. But as soon as I get up to get dressed, agony. Having investigated anatomy here I discovered taht my long head biceps, my brachioradialis, my soleus, and my semimimbranosus (basically the upper arms and backs of my calves) are currently unable to work without being painful.
Exercise damages tissue and tears muscles. This pain I am feeling today is a result of these muscle fibres currently being repaired. It is the repair process that makes muscles bigger and stronger so although I have brought my kit bag with me, today will be a day of rest after all.
The other bit of me that has suffered at the hand of exercise, my shoulder and collar bone, seems to be feeling okay today. I’m not going to start to celebrate too soon though as its nagging ache might just be masked by the other areas of more intense pain but hopefully I am on the mend.
Friday, 31 October 2008
week 5
End of week report
Where the hell has this week gone? Since last Friday I have barely been to the gym. I planned so much more and feel that I have let it all slip a little bit.
No matter I will make amends.
Anyway. Monday Wednesday and Thursday have been rest days.
Tuesday was really good though and I felt really positive about the whole gym thing again after fitness Stu revised my plan. I have a direction again.
An interesting side note for anyone also heading down a similar fitness regime is that by week 5 the results are starting to show. New muscle and definition is starting to appear.
Where the hell has this week gone? Since last Friday I have barely been to the gym. I planned so much more and feel that I have let it all slip a little bit.
No matter I will make amends.
Anyway. Monday Wednesday and Thursday have been rest days.
Tuesday was really good though and I felt really positive about the whole gym thing again after fitness Stu revised my plan. I have a direction again.
An interesting side note for anyone also heading down a similar fitness regime is that by week 5 the results are starting to show. New muscle and definition is starting to appear.
Nothing to say
I had absolutely nothing to talk about yesterday, and today I have nothing to talk about either. I haven’t been to the gym since Tuesday and have achieved nothing of note as far as preparing for the DW.
I saw Nigel on Tuesday (he was working) and he showed me a rota that had him working AFDs every single day. So I opted to have two days of rest to recuperate from the exertions of the new plan. Only Nigel then managed to get himself an evening off last night and he texted me to say that he would meet me in the gym. It was too late, my kit was at home and I had other plans. Ah well.
So anyway, I am going tonight (and I think Nigel can make it too) and I think I might also go on Saturday. Sunday might see something a bit different but I need to go away and work it out. More details to follow.
I saw Nigel on Tuesday (he was working) and he showed me a rota that had him working AFDs every single day. So I opted to have two days of rest to recuperate from the exertions of the new plan. Only Nigel then managed to get himself an evening off last night and he texted me to say that he would meet me in the gym. It was too late, my kit was at home and I had other plans. Ah well.
So anyway, I am going tonight (and I think Nigel can make it too) and I think I might also go on Saturday. Sunday might see something a bit different but I need to go away and work it out. More details to follow.
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
The New Plan
In the gym yesterday to see fitness Stu who revised my regime to suit my duff shoulder. Now that I have a direction again (rather than just ambling in and randomly selecting a machine), I am feeling really positive.
A lot of the exercises are obviously focused away from my shoulder muscles, and the legs are now bearing the brunt of the workout.
The leg press that we have been doing since day one has now had the reps upped to 25 and I now am doing 3 sets.
But there are two new leg exercises added to the list. The leg extension. Where I hook my legs under a bar and lift it upward which works muscles across the tops of my thighs. 25 reps in 3 sets for that one. And the leg curl. Where I put my leg on top of the bar and push it down which works the muscles on the back of my thighs. 25 reps in 3 sets.
Fitness Stu is brilliant though and found a few exercises that still work my arms and chest but keep my shoulders immobile.
I am now doing two different types of seated arm curls with the free weights. One where I keep my elbow on my thigh and curl upwards. It is a really archetypical bodybuilder exercise and I can imagine growling at my bulging bicep as I haul massive weights up… Only I am using 5kg weights. And the other is the standard curl upwards with a twist of the wrist as I get about halfway up. 2 sets of 15 reps for each.
I also have a triceps push down exercise on the cable machine. My elbows are locked solid to the side of my body and I pull down on a bar which via cable and pulleys lift up a weight. 2 sets of 15 reps on about 5 -6 kgs.
Fitness Stu then wanted me to really work on the cardio work. So onto the treadmill I went. I have been doing the fat burn setting because I thought that would be the hardest but I was wrong. Apparently it’s all about elevating the heart rate for certain periods of time before letting it fall again. The best setting for improving my cardiovascular systems is interval training. No effort followed by lots followed by none followed by lots etc. So onto the treadmill I went and Fitness Stu pushed me up to 7.5mph (allowing me to let it fall to 6.5mph briefly when I was knackered). 20 minutes today but depending on how much time I have I am to do 30 minutes.
It was a bloody good workout and I was really binned by the time I was done, but one thing that became apparent was that on the effort sections where the treadmill inclined my calves were really hurting. Fitness Stu decided to add some calf step up exercises to help build these muscles. Stand on something with my heel hanging over the edge, and push upwards. 2 sets of 15 for each leg. Once I start to find this easy, I am to hold a dumbbell weight to increase the effort.
Cardio work doesn’t stop there either. I am to do 20 – 30 minutes on the cross trainer and after Fitness Stu had finished with me, I ended the session doing just that.
I had sweated buckets (my T-Shirt was wetter than my swimming shorts when I got home) so I showered and hit the sauna for a few minutes to cleanse the pores, still no swimming is allowed though.
In other news, I think this weeks pair of goals are going to die a death. Since declaring last week that I was going to go for a paddle, and go for a run up the Wrekin the coldest of cold snaps has come in replete with snow. The snowmelt has pushed the river level back up to dodgy highs, and the dark and cold is not encouraging me to go for a jog up a hill. Something different may be planned for Sunday but I am going to keep schtum about it until it happens.
A lot of the exercises are obviously focused away from my shoulder muscles, and the legs are now bearing the brunt of the workout.
The leg press that we have been doing since day one has now had the reps upped to 25 and I now am doing 3 sets.
But there are two new leg exercises added to the list. The leg extension. Where I hook my legs under a bar and lift it upward which works muscles across the tops of my thighs. 25 reps in 3 sets for that one. And the leg curl. Where I put my leg on top of the bar and push it down which works the muscles on the back of my thighs. 25 reps in 3 sets.
Fitness Stu is brilliant though and found a few exercises that still work my arms and chest but keep my shoulders immobile.
I am now doing two different types of seated arm curls with the free weights. One where I keep my elbow on my thigh and curl upwards. It is a really archetypical bodybuilder exercise and I can imagine growling at my bulging bicep as I haul massive weights up… Only I am using 5kg weights. And the other is the standard curl upwards with a twist of the wrist as I get about halfway up. 2 sets of 15 reps for each.
I also have a triceps push down exercise on the cable machine. My elbows are locked solid to the side of my body and I pull down on a bar which via cable and pulleys lift up a weight. 2 sets of 15 reps on about 5 -6 kgs.
Fitness Stu then wanted me to really work on the cardio work. So onto the treadmill I went. I have been doing the fat burn setting because I thought that would be the hardest but I was wrong. Apparently it’s all about elevating the heart rate for certain periods of time before letting it fall again. The best setting for improving my cardiovascular systems is interval training. No effort followed by lots followed by none followed by lots etc. So onto the treadmill I went and Fitness Stu pushed me up to 7.5mph (allowing me to let it fall to 6.5mph briefly when I was knackered). 20 minutes today but depending on how much time I have I am to do 30 minutes.
It was a bloody good workout and I was really binned by the time I was done, but one thing that became apparent was that on the effort sections where the treadmill inclined my calves were really hurting. Fitness Stu decided to add some calf step up exercises to help build these muscles. Stand on something with my heel hanging over the edge, and push upwards. 2 sets of 15 for each leg. Once I start to find this easy, I am to hold a dumbbell weight to increase the effort.
Cardio work doesn’t stop there either. I am to do 20 – 30 minutes on the cross trainer and after Fitness Stu had finished with me, I ended the session doing just that.
I had sweated buckets (my T-Shirt was wetter than my swimming shorts when I got home) so I showered and hit the sauna for a few minutes to cleanse the pores, still no swimming is allowed though.
In other news, I think this weeks pair of goals are going to die a death. Since declaring last week that I was going to go for a paddle, and go for a run up the Wrekin the coldest of cold snaps has come in replete with snow. The snowmelt has pushed the river level back up to dodgy highs, and the dark and cold is not encouraging me to go for a jog up a hill. Something different may be planned for Sunday but I am going to keep schtum about it until it happens.
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Just a thumb?
It has now been 28 days since my first weigh in for the observational science bit, time for another look at where I have got to.
Core muscles are getting pretty solid now and slight definition of a six pack is grinning through the thinning layer of adipose tissue around my midriff.
Pectorals are also more solid but because I am having an upper body workout hiatus I think this might also be because of the reduction in fat tissue.
I have got more aerobic capacity than I did when I started this, being able to run for longer and faster before getting out of breath.
It’s not all good though. The shoulder is buggered. The arm still aches and I think I might be heading back to the doctor for a second opinion next week.
I am getting more ravenous as the weeks go by and after reading around the subject I think it is not only because I am expending more calories when I go to the gym but also because at rest, muscle tissue expend more calories than other tissue types.
At weigh in this morning I am now a whole 5 grams heavier than I was 28 days ago tipping in at 69kgs with a BMI of 22.53
I then wondered how much muscle I have developed since the beginning of this month, and went off and found out the weight of muscle (1.06 g/ml) and also the weight of fat (0.9 g/ml) and deduced that I have developed about 5.8 grams of new muscle. To put it another way, that is a little under two teaspoons by volume, or the size of an average thumb.
That doesn’t seem very much new muscle to me.
Core muscles are getting pretty solid now and slight definition of a six pack is grinning through the thinning layer of adipose tissue around my midriff.
Pectorals are also more solid but because I am having an upper body workout hiatus I think this might also be because of the reduction in fat tissue.
I have got more aerobic capacity than I did when I started this, being able to run for longer and faster before getting out of breath.
It’s not all good though. The shoulder is buggered. The arm still aches and I think I might be heading back to the doctor for a second opinion next week.
I am getting more ravenous as the weeks go by and after reading around the subject I think it is not only because I am expending more calories when I go to the gym but also because at rest, muscle tissue expend more calories than other tissue types.
At weigh in this morning I am now a whole 5 grams heavier than I was 28 days ago tipping in at 69kgs with a BMI of 22.53
I then wondered how much muscle I have developed since the beginning of this month, and went off and found out the weight of muscle (1.06 g/ml) and also the weight of fat (0.9 g/ml) and deduced that I have developed about 5.8 grams of new muscle. To put it another way, that is a little under two teaspoons by volume, or the size of an average thumb.
That doesn’t seem very much new muscle to me.
Monday, 27 October 2008
How fast?
It’s been a few days since I last posted and I have a Friday and Sunday to report in.
Friday saw another lone session in the gym. Plug in the iPod and away I went. My calves were aching a little bit form the 40 minutes on the cross trainer from Thursday but I was determined to keep the work rate up. I programmed in 20 minutes at level 8 on the cross trainer and set off.
There is something I have noticed that I have hesitated to tell on this blog until now, is the curious connection between the cross trainer and flatulence. I can only assume that it’s the rotational motion of my legs, or maybe the slight twist I get as I use my arms, works the excess gasses through my system. Whatever it is, after about 5 minutes into the session I am pretty much a fart machine. I am slightly embarrassed to have shared that but this is a blog where I tell it like it is.
After 20 minutes of parping away, I set about the plank and the back exercises. I am really starting to feel my core muscles become a solid mass, and when I settle into the plank position I don’t start to tremble with muscle fatigue for a good 30 seconds or so. When we first started this the shakes took hold almost instantly.
After that I went for a bit of a run. 6.4 miles an hour (a really comfortable pace I can maintain easily) for 20 minutes. After that I was done and headed home.
Saturday saw a day of rest and I felt pretty good.
Sunday though my calves had finally realised that they had been worked hard and decided to show their displeasure by refusing to work at all. It is possible to walk without engaging your calf muscles however it is a silly walk where your bum sticks out and your arms swing around as you try to shuffle along.
I had to get better though as I was off to the gym in the afternoon on a rare occasion where Nigel was free so I engaged the magical powers of Deep Heat again. This time it worked and the lower legs began to work again. Another observation while I was ministering the miracle muscle cure, was some light bruising to my ankles. It doesn’t hurt and is only mild discolouration but I think shows the impact levels that are inflicted while running.
I was going to take it easy so I stuck 20 minutes on the cross trainer while I watched the last 20 minutes of the Liverpool Chelsea football match. The TV’s are directly in front of the cross trainers so it was ideal. I set the resistance level to 6. There were a few minutes left in the game after my stint finished so I tried the cross trainer in reverse. It works a completely different set of muscles going backwards and was surprisingly tough.
After that I completed the plank and back exercises with no issues. As Nigel still has a full routine to work through and I can’t do many of the machines due to my injured arm I headed off to the running machine again. My plan was to have a leisurely walk to warm down. Only trouble is I got bored with walking as it is dull. There was no one else in the gym bar Nigel so I thought I would experiment.
How fast can I run? I was going to be sensible this time and sneak the speed up incrementally.
7mph. No problem, a fast jog.
9mph. this was a fast run for me but I could hold it.
10mph and I was reaching my upper limits here.
11mph. In my head a red warning light went on, claxons started to go off and someone shouted “she canne take no more cap'n”.
12 mph I was at near full tilt sprinting now with the treadmill sounding like a washing machine on full spin.
I knew I could go faster and thoughts of the Great North winning speed of 13mph for an hour made me reach out and try to push the go-faster button…
When humans run they swing their arms and these act like pendulums which help maintain balance. Stopping one of these pendulums from swinging to try and push the go-faster button made me lose my balance.
I never did reach 13mph. I think it is possible, in fact, if I stretch my stride length I fancy I can go a good deal faster I just need someone to push the buttons for me while I can get on with the job of running.
You might be disappointed to learn that as I lost my balance I didn’t stumble over my own feet, crash down face first onto the high speed treadmill which instantly propelled me backwards into the wall at 12 miles an hour, and instead I pressed the stop button which brought the whole device to a nice controlled halt.
Friday saw another lone session in the gym. Plug in the iPod and away I went. My calves were aching a little bit form the 40 minutes on the cross trainer from Thursday but I was determined to keep the work rate up. I programmed in 20 minutes at level 8 on the cross trainer and set off.
There is something I have noticed that I have hesitated to tell on this blog until now, is the curious connection between the cross trainer and flatulence. I can only assume that it’s the rotational motion of my legs, or maybe the slight twist I get as I use my arms, works the excess gasses through my system. Whatever it is, after about 5 minutes into the session I am pretty much a fart machine. I am slightly embarrassed to have shared that but this is a blog where I tell it like it is.
After 20 minutes of parping away, I set about the plank and the back exercises. I am really starting to feel my core muscles become a solid mass, and when I settle into the plank position I don’t start to tremble with muscle fatigue for a good 30 seconds or so. When we first started this the shakes took hold almost instantly.
After that I went for a bit of a run. 6.4 miles an hour (a really comfortable pace I can maintain easily) for 20 minutes. After that I was done and headed home.
Saturday saw a day of rest and I felt pretty good.
Sunday though my calves had finally realised that they had been worked hard and decided to show their displeasure by refusing to work at all. It is possible to walk without engaging your calf muscles however it is a silly walk where your bum sticks out and your arms swing around as you try to shuffle along.
I had to get better though as I was off to the gym in the afternoon on a rare occasion where Nigel was free so I engaged the magical powers of Deep Heat again. This time it worked and the lower legs began to work again. Another observation while I was ministering the miracle muscle cure, was some light bruising to my ankles. It doesn’t hurt and is only mild discolouration but I think shows the impact levels that are inflicted while running.
I was going to take it easy so I stuck 20 minutes on the cross trainer while I watched the last 20 minutes of the Liverpool Chelsea football match. The TV’s are directly in front of the cross trainers so it was ideal. I set the resistance level to 6. There were a few minutes left in the game after my stint finished so I tried the cross trainer in reverse. It works a completely different set of muscles going backwards and was surprisingly tough.
After that I completed the plank and back exercises with no issues. As Nigel still has a full routine to work through and I can’t do many of the machines due to my injured arm I headed off to the running machine again. My plan was to have a leisurely walk to warm down. Only trouble is I got bored with walking as it is dull. There was no one else in the gym bar Nigel so I thought I would experiment.
How fast can I run? I was going to be sensible this time and sneak the speed up incrementally.
7mph. No problem, a fast jog.
9mph. this was a fast run for me but I could hold it.
10mph and I was reaching my upper limits here.
11mph. In my head a red warning light went on, claxons started to go off and someone shouted “she canne take no more cap'n”.
12 mph I was at near full tilt sprinting now with the treadmill sounding like a washing machine on full spin.
I knew I could go faster and thoughts of the Great North winning speed of 13mph for an hour made me reach out and try to push the go-faster button…
When humans run they swing their arms and these act like pendulums which help maintain balance. Stopping one of these pendulums from swinging to try and push the go-faster button made me lose my balance.
I never did reach 13mph. I think it is possible, in fact, if I stretch my stride length I fancy I can go a good deal faster I just need someone to push the buttons for me while I can get on with the job of running.
You might be disappointed to learn that as I lost my balance I didn’t stumble over my own feet, crash down face first onto the high speed treadmill which instantly propelled me backwards into the wall at 12 miles an hour, and instead I pressed the stop button which brought the whole device to a nice controlled halt.
Friday, 24 October 2008
Week 4
End of week report. Week 4.
Wow. Four weeks, who’d have thought we would keep this going? One month in I am starting to feel trimmer and every muscle is getting pretty solid. I am eternally hungry, I guess it is because I am burning through more calories than before, the ache after exercise doesn’t last as long as it did, and I am feeling really positive.
Despite suffering a setback with a minor injury which has forced me to adjust my training plan I am feeling pretty good about things and actually think that I am headed in a better direction now that I am working on the cardiovascular based exercises instead of the strength training. The power will come from time in the kayak.
Monday I was at the doctors, and Tuesday I had other plans so no progress was made as far as training.
Wednesday saw me put in a good solid workout pounding the treadmill, but the most impressive thing about Wednesday is that Nigel proved his dedication by joining me in the gym half way through a split shift.
Thursday saw a solo effort in the gym where I pushed myself really hard on the cross trainer, I can feel the burn in my legs even now
Friday night is going to be a gym night too. More of the same for me I think, a good long run on the cross trainer and maybe a bit more treadmill.
Someone has suggested that I start putting down the goals I want to achieve on a week to week basis, and I think that isn’t a bad idea.
I have been thinking how daft this is that we are preparing for a kayak race, and we aren’t spending any time on the water. So, one goal for next week is to get the boat out onto the water. At least once.
And I intend to run the Wrekin again at some point midweek, see if I can crack the 30 minutes target I set myself a whole month ago. The clocks go forward this weekend which will mean it will be dark when I finish work from now on. That isn’t an issue though as half of the DW race is going to be at night, I’ll just need to sort out some batteries for my head torch.
Wow. Four weeks, who’d have thought we would keep this going? One month in I am starting to feel trimmer and every muscle is getting pretty solid. I am eternally hungry, I guess it is because I am burning through more calories than before, the ache after exercise doesn’t last as long as it did, and I am feeling really positive.
Despite suffering a setback with a minor injury which has forced me to adjust my training plan I am feeling pretty good about things and actually think that I am headed in a better direction now that I am working on the cardiovascular based exercises instead of the strength training. The power will come from time in the kayak.
Monday I was at the doctors, and Tuesday I had other plans so no progress was made as far as training.
Wednesday saw me put in a good solid workout pounding the treadmill, but the most impressive thing about Wednesday is that Nigel proved his dedication by joining me in the gym half way through a split shift.
Thursday saw a solo effort in the gym where I pushed myself really hard on the cross trainer, I can feel the burn in my legs even now
Friday night is going to be a gym night too. More of the same for me I think, a good long run on the cross trainer and maybe a bit more treadmill.
Someone has suggested that I start putting down the goals I want to achieve on a week to week basis, and I think that isn’t a bad idea.
I have been thinking how daft this is that we are preparing for a kayak race, and we aren’t spending any time on the water. So, one goal for next week is to get the boat out onto the water. At least once.
And I intend to run the Wrekin again at some point midweek, see if I can crack the 30 minutes target I set myself a whole month ago. The clocks go forward this weekend which will mean it will be dark when I finish work from now on. That isn’t an issue though as half of the DW race is going to be at night, I’ll just need to sort out some batteries for my head torch.
Competition
I’m a competitive person, I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing though. You see last night, I was a bit tired, I’d had another grim day at work. The nights are drawing in now and I quite fancied being at home chilling out with a bottle of wine in front of a roaring log fire. But instead I dragged myself back to the gym for another session of sweat and pain because I saw this as a chance to gain some ground on Nigel in the fitness stakes. On the other side of the coin though, I am pushing myself really hard to keep up with / overtake Nigel, and this is almost certainly how I did my injury in the first place.
Anyway, I saw Fitness Stu last night and told him about my injury and how I am not to work my shoulder. He said no problem, so next Tuesday night we are going to create a new, shoulder friendly plan.
In the meantime I just did some cardio work on the cross trainer. Cranked it up to level 10 (I still don’t know what this is worth) and set the time to 40 minutes on the “Fat Burn” setting. The fat burn setting increases the resistance every minute or so, before dropping the difficulty back down towards the end.
10 minutes on the cross trainer and I was generating a sweat. 20 minutes in and I was starting to wonder why I had set it to 40 minutes. 30 minutes in and I actually got pins and needles in my feet and was perspiring so much there was a possibility I might drown standing up. 35 minutes in I must have passed out a little bit because I remember the last five minutes as a blissful walk in the park.
Have you ever spent time on a boat at sea, and then got onto dry land and found that you walk a bit weird as the ground seems to still move. Well I sort of had this when I stepped off the cross trainer, combined with the fact that my feet had gone to sleep and I was half blinded by my sweat dripping into my eyes, I did a kind of Thunderbirds walk across the gym.
I had sweated so much that my clothes were saturated and I think a haze of steam was rising from my body, I opted to not use the other machines and saved myself the embarrassment of having to mop up bum sweat from the seats. I did the Plank and hand to knee core exercises and then called it a day.
I am going again tonight and this time I will save the fat burning cross trainer until I have worked the other machines.
Anyway, I saw Fitness Stu last night and told him about my injury and how I am not to work my shoulder. He said no problem, so next Tuesday night we are going to create a new, shoulder friendly plan.
In the meantime I just did some cardio work on the cross trainer. Cranked it up to level 10 (I still don’t know what this is worth) and set the time to 40 minutes on the “Fat Burn” setting. The fat burn setting increases the resistance every minute or so, before dropping the difficulty back down towards the end.
10 minutes on the cross trainer and I was generating a sweat. 20 minutes in and I was starting to wonder why I had set it to 40 minutes. 30 minutes in and I actually got pins and needles in my feet and was perspiring so much there was a possibility I might drown standing up. 35 minutes in I must have passed out a little bit because I remember the last five minutes as a blissful walk in the park.
Have you ever spent time on a boat at sea, and then got onto dry land and found that you walk a bit weird as the ground seems to still move. Well I sort of had this when I stepped off the cross trainer, combined with the fact that my feet had gone to sleep and I was half blinded by my sweat dripping into my eyes, I did a kind of Thunderbirds walk across the gym.
I had sweated so much that my clothes were saturated and I think a haze of steam was rising from my body, I opted to not use the other machines and saved myself the embarrassment of having to mop up bum sweat from the seats. I did the Plank and hand to knee core exercises and then called it a day.
I am going again tonight and this time I will save the fat burning cross trainer until I have worked the other machines.
Thursday, 23 October 2008
The Photo.
I think it only fair to warn you that I have posted a photo of my injury at the foot of this page. If you get a bit squeamish at the thought of seeing my naked collar bone, look away now..
This week we planned a Wednesday night and Thursday night session in the gym but Nigel’s rota changed. He is now working AFD’s pretty much ever day this week. Did that stop him from joining me in the gym at 5pm last night? Nope. Though he was already bushed from the 6am start, he was a bit lack lustre on the rowing machine and after having a half hearted go at most of the weights he called it a day and went for the Jacuzzi. Just for good measure, he had to head back into work to finish at some point in the small hours.
I didn’t see fitness Stu yesterday to create a new, shoulder friendly fitness plan, so I kind of had to make up my own.
Treadmill. 20 minutes at a faster 7.1mph on the “fat burn” setting. The fat burn setting elevates the angle of the treadmill and it is surprising how much more effort it takes to keep the same pace. It saves the highest incline for the last 4 minutes and is a bit of a killer. I did maintain the 7.1mph throughout though there were a few times that I contemplated slowing down. I finished completely done in with shaky legs and I nearly ran myself sick. Not sure if I pushed myself too far.
I then went off and had a chat with Nigel for a bit to get my heart rate down a bit. I did the spine exercises and then headed off to the Cross Trainer. I set it to power level 10 (whatever that is worth) and started on another “Fat Burn”. The cross trainer works the same muscles as the treadmill (and a few more in the arms) but is low impact so I was getting on with that machine really well and got about five minutes into the cycle before Nigel called it a day and headed for the pool.
It was always going to happen. The day I am not allowed to go for a swim, is the day that the pool is empty. I couldn’t help myself, and I had a bit of a swim, nothing excessive. Just a few lengths.
Last night I had an awful nights sleep with this arm, and today my shoulder really does hurt. Is it because I swam? Is it because I used the arms bit of the cross trainer? Is it because I slept badly on it? I have to be honest, I don’t really know but I am getting a bit racked off by this limb at the moment.
So. Do you wanna see the wonky collar bone?
I thought it only fair to annotate the photograph, as it isn't really obvious at first glance that there is anything wrong. If over the course of these last few weeks I had built up an image of the injury for you that was more impressive than that which you see, I apologise but I assure you that it does hurt in a nagging dull ache sort of way.
This week we planned a Wednesday night and Thursday night session in the gym but Nigel’s rota changed. He is now working AFD’s pretty much ever day this week. Did that stop him from joining me in the gym at 5pm last night? Nope. Though he was already bushed from the 6am start, he was a bit lack lustre on the rowing machine and after having a half hearted go at most of the weights he called it a day and went for the Jacuzzi. Just for good measure, he had to head back into work to finish at some point in the small hours.
I didn’t see fitness Stu yesterday to create a new, shoulder friendly fitness plan, so I kind of had to make up my own.
Treadmill. 20 minutes at a faster 7.1mph on the “fat burn” setting. The fat burn setting elevates the angle of the treadmill and it is surprising how much more effort it takes to keep the same pace. It saves the highest incline for the last 4 minutes and is a bit of a killer. I did maintain the 7.1mph throughout though there were a few times that I contemplated slowing down. I finished completely done in with shaky legs and I nearly ran myself sick. Not sure if I pushed myself too far.
I then went off and had a chat with Nigel for a bit to get my heart rate down a bit. I did the spine exercises and then headed off to the Cross Trainer. I set it to power level 10 (whatever that is worth) and started on another “Fat Burn”. The cross trainer works the same muscles as the treadmill (and a few more in the arms) but is low impact so I was getting on with that machine really well and got about five minutes into the cycle before Nigel called it a day and headed for the pool.
It was always going to happen. The day I am not allowed to go for a swim, is the day that the pool is empty. I couldn’t help myself, and I had a bit of a swim, nothing excessive. Just a few lengths.
Last night I had an awful nights sleep with this arm, and today my shoulder really does hurt. Is it because I swam? Is it because I used the arms bit of the cross trainer? Is it because I slept badly on it? I have to be honest, I don’t really know but I am getting a bit racked off by this limb at the moment.
So. Do you wanna see the wonky collar bone?
I thought it only fair to annotate the photograph, as it isn't really obvious at first glance that there is anything wrong. If over the course of these last few weeks I had built up an image of the injury for you that was more impressive than that which you see, I apologise but I assure you that it does hurt in a nagging dull ache sort of way.
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