Improving fitness

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned actually timing my short power walk/jog to make me work harder on getting fitter. To be honest I'm concentrating on fitness rather than weight loss, reckon eventually one will take care of the other.

Anyway when I first did this walk my time was 22 minutes 10 secs, I've improved each time and now its down to 20 minutes 40 secs. Ok I'm a long way from running the route but well on my way to breaking the 20 minute barrier (eventually I'll be running it in under 15 minutes I hope). I don't think I've run for runnings sake since I left school, ok chasing, kicking and hitting balls is different, I just need to make things competitive.

These are my results so far :-
12/10 - 22min 10sec
15/10 - 21min 54sec
20/10 - 21min 32sec
24/10 - 21min 25sec
28/10 - 20min 40sec

On another note I've noticed my rested pulse rate is slower recently, can't really think why. Its always been slightly over the normal 70bpm, between 72 & 76. Well for the last month the highest I've recorded it is 70bpm but I've took it as low as 62bpm but in general found it between 65 & 68bpm.

Played TT last night in the York league, doing good so far this season my team is unbeaten and I've won 16 out of 18 sets played. I have another match tomoz but in Selby League its our first league game.

Walking the Walls

Last thursday I had to take my Dad through to York hospital for an appointment and some tests. Anyway I had a few hours to kill so decided to walk the "City Walls".

Despite only living 12 miles from York I've never actually walked the full route around the City so I took my camera along to get some snaps of the route. The weather wasn't ideal because it was a wet and dull day but the photos are ok.

I reckon its somewhere between 2 & 3 miles in distance but I was in no rush so I'm not sure.

For those not up on our local history, York is a very ancient City and some of the walls date back to Roman times. The walls don't totally circle the City but cover a lot of it, one part now along the River Fosse was marshland so defences weren't required. Around the walls are a number of gateways caled "Bars", the main four been Micklegate Bar, Bootham Bar, Monk Bar & Walmgate Bar two of which house small museums. If anyone is interested in history Wikipedia can tell you more than me :-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_city_walls

I took 60 photos in total you can check them out as a slideshow on my Flickr site :-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308363@N02/sets/72157622645479252/detail/

Strange Pains

On Monday night I played a TT match in York league, not a tough match it was against one of the weaker teams. Anyway afterwards I went for a drink with the other players as normal and I was ok.
However when I got up to go to my car I had a pain which felt very much like a torn muscle in my thigh, it was quite bad and it was very painful driving home.
Anyway I went to bed, slept on it and got up the following morning expecting to be in a lot of pain. However the pain had totally gone so I can't understand what it was, I'm confused.

Saying that I'm sat here now and I've got a stiff neck and headache, these both came on this afternoon for no apparent reason although I was working in the garden this morning so suspect I must have tweaked my neck. Hope it does the same as Mondays pain and dissapears overnight.

Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire

Yes thats where I'm just about to set off, I'm on my way to the land of concrete Cows, that lovely place Milton Keynes. Its one of Britains "new towns" built in the late seventies to move people out of Londons slums.

This is a place thats described as "been like the bermuda triangle".you can get in but not many get out, lol.

So why am I going, because I'm playing TT there tomorrow. I'm actually playing for Yorkshire in the county championships Veterans (over 40's). I'm playing for the 3rd team although I've upgraded cos I'm ranked in the 4ths. The competition is over two days (Sat & Sun) but I'm only playing in Saturdays matches or I'd have to upgrade a not be eligible for my own team later in the season. someone else is playing Sunday.

I'm staying over in Northampton tonight (anything is better than Milton Keynes), so will have a 30 minute drive in the morning.

F*****g Students

Tonight we were supposed to be playing the University in the York Table Tennis league, just checked my emails and they have cried off. Apparently they can't get a team but I'm really p****d off about the late notice cos I'd cancelled my Pool match to be available.

Talking Table Tennis I've been down at Grantham all weekend playing British league, our team did ok winning one match 5-3, losing one by the same score and drawing the other two. This is the 2nd weekend and we already have 8 points which is what we got in the whole of last season, we only just stayed up so are comfortably mid-table this year. Personally I won five out of my 8 games which is ok for me at this level, so quite pleased. The games were quite physical so will have done me good.

Talking of getting fitter, those of you that read my plan in the last post will see I've put mornings to one side for my daily chores. Anyway after washing, ironing, shopping and visiting my Mum (not really a chore) I had about 30 minutes to spare before lunch. So I decided to do a short walking route, its a loop where I set of in one direction and it brings me back to my home.
I reckon its around 1.5 miles but for a change I thought I'd push it along and time myself. Today's time was 22 mins 10 secs so my plan is to do this when I have time on my hands but try improve the time (keep records), maybe starting jogging some sections (did I really say that, lol) until I'm up to running it all. Ok its walk at the moment but now I've a time to beat and I'm sure my competitive nature will help inspire me to pushing it. Initially reckon I should be trying to get under 20 minutes as a reasonable target.

Could also start something similar (keeping times) on the long walking route (About 6 mile) I do occasionally. If I can turn walks into speed walks/jogs I reckon its got to help fitness and weight loss. Maybe I can also come up with a few other ideas where I can compete against myself, I'm sure its the way forward for me.

On another not I did a bit on the cycle machine I've loaned last night after I got back from TT, only gentle exercise and I reckon it did me good because my joints are not as sore as they usually are after a tough competition.

Need to hit the weight loss & fitness routine again

Its been a bad summer for me losing weight, its just been so hard to motivate myself and so easy to be lazy.
Yes I've been sort of depressed with what happend one pleasing thing is that I didn't turn to food or drink for comfort. I maybe haven't exercised as much as I should but on a positive note I don't think I've put much if any weight on.

Anyway I've made a few rules for myself to follow -

1. Don't sleep in - May be a silly but when you arn't working its so easy to lie in bed, I set the alarm for 7.30am each morning.

2. Mornings are for working - After breakfast mornings are about getting jobs done whether in the garden or around the house or something as simple a shopping. Basically I don't sit down until lunchtime.

3. Afternoons are me time - Seriously its the time to relax between Lunch and preparing the evening meal, maybe read the paper, come on the computor or watch TV.

4. Exercise in the evenings - Yes I'm determined to do some sort of exercise after my evening meal, its easy the nights I've got TT but other nights I've done a few miles walk (and did I mention the cycling machine I've loaned).

5. Restrict Computor time - 2 hours per day max allowed.

6. No food other than fruit after 7pm - just sensible eating

7. Cut out sweets or Chocolate - more sensible eating

8. No sugar in hot drinks - I occasionally have a coffee and have liminated sugar.

9. Eat sensible amounts plus plenty of fruit or veg per day - normal diet
Breakfast - Weetabix, blueberries or strawberries & Fruit Juice (orange)
Lunch - Soup or weight watchers ready meal
Afternoon - Coffee (maybe with a biscuit as a treat)
Evening Meal - Meat dish with at least 3 veg or salad.
Night - Fruit Juice (Pineapple) plus a Apple.

Obviously its always open to adjustments, this weekend I'm away playing TT in the National League, it'll be physically hard and I'll be eating sandwiches & fruit as and when I need to keep energy levels up.

Good & Bad

Bad - My TV went on the blink last week.
Good - I got a new Plasma TV.
Bad - I'm now skint
Good - Leeds Utd are the only team unbeaten in league matches this season.
Bad - I ain't lost any weight.
Good - We won 8-1 at Pool last night
Bad - We got stuffed 7-2 last week.
Good - I won one of the two frames
Bad - Got pissed off with one of our opponents at TT last week
Good - Told him he was a prat and a bad sport, then stuffed him.
Bad - Nearly got beaten up on a night out in York on Saturday when a group of blokes decided me & my mate Mark was a easy target (8 versus 2 wasn't good odds).
Good - Another group of blokes saw what was happening and took our side, the muppets backed off.
Bad - My car got recalled for safety reasons
Good - It didn't cost me anything
Bad - There is a local Ford dealer so I had to take it to Goole.

Thats about it folks.