Diet and Fitness

Wow. You’re a much better runner than me that’s for sure!

Thanks, maybe I am but I’m totally shit at weights and gym.

Todays squash went well enough, some limitations on forehand overhead movement and power. I know that will improve in time - but all my backhand stuff went very well. Getting round the court with 26Kg less baggage was a dream. I have just joined the local club again and am looking forward to playing regularly.

Going forward I know that I need to be careful and hopefully avoid injuries

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Slow twitch vs fast twitch :+1:

Oh god. I’d arranged to go for a ride with a mate last night since wife and kids are away this week. He suggested going for a ride with this fixie/singlespeed group he rides with regularly. I thought fuckit, sound fun, something different. In the spirit of it I took the single speed. The route took us up a steep climb which is daunting enough on a geared bike. My legs were shredded already from the run the night before. My heart rate hit 203.

Interestingly, if I plug 203 into Strava it sets my zones so they are exactly what I’d set them as custom, based on feel.

Oh yeah, and we saw a badger which ran alongside us for a while, which was pretty cool

My “training” is pretty fucking disorganised at the moment, to say the least.

Going for another night ride tonight with the same friend, along the coast to get fish and chips for tea

Ive got a free pass for my gym if you want to give it a try…

Graham cheers -I have been looking around for ideas for winter exercise so it would be good to try. I presume it’s the VIDA gym? if so they do have a squash court that would be a nice additional extra for me.

Hi, yes it is and yes they have a SQ.

As tomorrow is my rest day I thought I would test my limits today. So just two hours after finishing a 12.5 mile walk this morning I ran 3 (5k) miles around the local reservoir - I started off intentionally fast and managed the first mile in 8m 32s. I was mostly knackered after that ( looking at the data my HR was at 171) so the next two miles ended up as 9-1/2 minute efforts. I am planning to do a park run on Saturday - My stretch target time is 27 minutes but if I beat the prior time of 29 mins for this course I will not complain.

I finish my first official 10K run on 29th Oct and I am beginning to think about what a sensible challenge for myself in November is? My current thoughts are that towards the end of the month that I walk a marathon distance as fast as I can? and spend the next month prepping for that. I do plan to continue the 5k park runs when I can -They are a goldilocks distance for me.

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Nice running. Yeah if I go below 9 min/ mile then I’m pretty much fucked! Your run times show a lot more promise and potential to get pretty good at this lark.

Having complained like fuck that I couldn’t run anything over 400m round a track, I’ve found that I quite enjoy a 3-6 mile run. 3m is long enough for the initial shock and pain to subside and then get into a bit of a rhythm, and 6m is the point at which I think my stamina and glycogen flat lines - so I can see myself doing 5k & 10k just for fitness and cardio purposes - there’s no fucking way I can go fast and long, and no way I can compete.

Great upper body session tonight. Chins and bench press and stuff.

Enforced two weeks rest is over. No knee pain for the last few days. Going to resume the 2 mile runs this weekend but stick to flat terrain until after Christmas. Years of only cycling have left some leg muscles weak, so need to build up strength around the knees!

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Have you got new running shoes? Also pay attention to where you land on your feet - if you heel strike you also send more impact up to your knees. Your calves are intended to act as principal shock absorbers and they’ll need to gain strength to be able to take the general impact away from your joints.

Also build up very slowly and be prepared to jog very slowly and increase your runs in a gentle increment.

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Yes, I have new trainers

I should run slower and more often i think

Last night I played my first full game of squash since injuring my arm in February - Whilst It is not 100% it is workable. Very happy - i have been playing since I was 15. Today it’s a 5k park run and maybe some hill running practice this afternoon. My average resting HR (fit bit calculated) is trending downwards still is now consistently between 45 and 46

I am really feeling some tangible benefits of my diet now I have so much more energy to do things plus I am now longer embarrassed with how fat I am

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Amongst all the results and stats which are incredible, this is the one that makes me so pleased for you.

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Crikey Andy, your squash must have had a massive boost from your new fitness. I used to love playing.

Absolutely - Yes it’s a great game unfortunately on the decline. Even with a dodgy arm I quite easily beat my normal partner simply by being speedier around the court. I still have a way to go on fitness and plan to try out using a gym for a few months. I’m also enjoying running a lot and earlier today I ran a hilly 11k around Blenheim, the plan was to run only 7K circuit -I just got carried away, perhaps because Wayne has just given me a target to chase, the abattoir standard time for a 1/2 marathon.

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For the mid 40’s gentlemen with fuck all stamina :grimacing:

Hardly surprising because you’re simply not fat at all. A tremendous effort in a relatively short amount of time. Well done again.

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