The Twist

30 deadlifts, 30 squats, 28 incline bench presses, 30 barbell rows, 30 pull ups, 30 incline sit ups with twists.


breakfast: sweetcorn fritters with black pudding
dinner: satay and pickled vegetables followed by beef rendang and rice
supper: kebab (tsk tsk)
booze: 5 Stellas bottle of white
weight: 83.1 kg (tsk tsk)

The patron saint of quality footwear

You know I said I was going for a lunchtimer yesterday ?
Well, in a way, I did.
I had intended to go to the house of pain but instead I went to the Plough and Harrow! I stayed there for half a dozen with Dave White and then regrouped in Skewen for an assault on the booze fridge which was celebrated in traditional style with a nourishing Ruby !
Beers a go-go - the only semblance of training was a discussion about Chi-Running with Dave who is himself something of a Dustin Hoffman going to the Dentist.
Apparently I have to increase bone density if I am going to complete the Swansea 10K without injury. I had a more general approach to increasing density yesterday afternoon and evening and I feel as though this will have to continue with a full monty breakfast shortly !

Eleven. Exactly. One louder.

25 mins exercise bike, hills level 11.
10 mins XTPro
3x10 left and right oblique raises then prone cobra on same equipment
3x10 curls and tricep extensions with 10kg dumbbells



breakfast: porridge with dried apricots
lunch: tuna and sweetcorn baguette
dinner: egg mayonnaise and sausage in a wholemeal pitta
booze: 6 Stellas, one glass red
weight: 82.2 kg

Muay Way

2 hours Muay Thai

breakfast: serdelki in a wholemeal pitta
lunch: KFC Wrapstar
dinner: jerk chicken thighs with cauliflower and broccoli
booze: 2 Stellas
weight: 82.6kg

Artie Fufkin

Kicking Arse !
I enjoyed a Friday afternoon and evening on the pop though the afternoon did involve 3.5 hours of walking around Cardiff so that counts as exercise. The rest of the weekend was taken up with panic and running hither and yon so, in essence, I had 3 days of R&R.
Back to the fires of training last night to continue forging forward with some semblance of fitness.
Bike level 11 (in all honesty that was merely a tribute to Nigel Tuffnel even though this one actually goes to 20 !)
20 Pull ups (unassisted), 20 Right and left dumbbell clean and press (18Kg), 30 dead lifts (70Kg), 10 press ups and then just 5 minutes on the cross trainer.
A lunchtimer is on the cards for this very day !

No Discipline

7.5 km exercise bike hills level 10, stretching, sit ups

food: munched serdelki sausage with mustard all day then sneaked a Mars bar and a Cadbury mini roll
booze: sipped Stella all day
weight: 82.0 kg

Roundhouse

3km treadmill 11.1 km/h
30 bench presses, 30 barbell rows, 34 deadlifts, 30 squats, 30 pull ups, 30 incline sit ups.
100 thai roundhouse kicks on heavy bag (alternate 5 sets of 10 each leg)

breakfast: mixed vegetable frittata
dinner: Sri Lankan chicken byriani
snacks: kit kat, pork scratchings
booze: red wine, 4 Stellas
weight: 82.0 kg

XTPro

SMR
10kg exercise bike hills level 10 (but with at new weight and age)
stretching
5 mins XTPro - caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror after that and the pattern of sweat it induced looked like a bra. Not the look I was aiming for.

breakfast: mixed vegetable frittata
dinner: kebab
booze: Friday night out worth of lager
weight: 82.2kg (changing units for the last charge to 80kg)

Day # 4 ( Pub ! )

I'm back in the saddle again
Out where a friend is a friend
Where the longhorn cattle feed
On the lowly gypsum weed
Back in the saddle again
Ridin' the range once more
Totin' my old .44
Where you sleep out every night
And the only law is right
Back in the saddle again

I went to the gym first - 4.5Km run, 30 minures bike, hills, level 10.

What's the Time?

500m swim while Ben had his lesson. No time as I forgot my watch.

breakfast: porridge with chopped apricots
lunch: tuna and salad baguette
dinner: Burger King large Whopper
booze: 4 Stellas
weight: 12 st 13

Day # 3

A walk in the park - just as predicted.
Rather strangely when taking a gander around the shop before work this morning I was struck and taken aback by all of the wonderful deals currently on offer in the Beer and Wine aisles !
One would be a fool not to take full advantage of such attractive offers !
I managed to leave with bread, milk and detergent but I fear that I may have to return !!
I did exercise yesterday but time constraints were such that it was more to maintain momentum rather than to achieve any benefit.
15 minutes bike, 15 minutes X-trainer, 10 bench presses and that was that !
I will exercise again tonight but then I will be drawn to the pub !

13 Stone Tumbles

breakfast: porridge and chopped dried apricots
lunch: 2km treadmill @ 11.1km/h; 7.5 km exercise bike @ hills level 10; SMR calves, inner thigh stretches
tea: social cricket
dinner: post-cricket social barbecue
supper: tin of pichards in a wholemeal pitta
booze: 5 social post-cricket Stellas
weight: 12 st 12

Day # 2

No booze - very little in the way of fingernails left - but another day off the sauce achieved !

Training involved 20K on the bike, 3K run, 3K X-Trainer and 50x40Kg Military presses. After a shower I found myself standing at the bar without any concept of how I got there ! I was like the shop owner from Mr.Benn ! When I roused myself from this daydream I turned on my heel and slipped away leaving confused bar staff in my wake.

Try a Dry Tri

Thrown a day off training by life yesterday as I had to stay at home for the afternoon waiting for a plumber and take the New Ninja Bomber to the new Fantastic Four movie in the evening.

Yesterday's Fuel - just a Burger King Tuna Salad
Booze: None
Weight: 13 st 0

Progress or Remission

Muay Thai with Woytek. Normally my right ankle hurts after Muay Thai. This morning both my ankles hurt. Does that mean I'm getting better or worse?

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: BLT Baguette
lunch: lamb shawarma
dinner: jerk turkey and sweet potato
booze: 3 Stellas, 3 Screwdrivers
weight: 13 st 1

Day # 1

No Booze ! I mean like none ! All day, all night. As dry as a bone, like footwear in the desert, a yard from the Sun, 24 hours of Alum, sand and sawdust. In short ~ alcohol free.

I popped to the house of pain for a jaunt on the bike and a boy's Agoge Spartan. Less than an hour in all but I still felt worthy after completion. Under normal circumstances I would have celebrated with a Brewski. This will not be a normal week on that front.

Rethink

Friday afforded a rare opportunity for a quiet meal and a drink. Mambo for cocktails was followed by Elio's ( Casual Style - Serious Dining ). My training involved consuming quite enough to fill an Olympic sized pool in which one could comfortably complete a 500m swim.

Saturday morning found me at work in the garden and on the decking - erecting rails this time ! That turned into another day of rest.

Fathers day was as hectic as ever and did not allow time for the gym.

My plan for the week is to hit the gym and leave the bottle alone until Thursday at the very latest !

From the sublime to the ridiculous

Body Combat class

SMR

30 bench presses, 30 barbell rows, 34 deadlifts, 30 squats, 30 lats pull downs, 30 barbell shoulder presses, 30 incline sit ups.


breakfast: porridge with honey
lunch: Indonesian spicy lamb with fried rice.
dinner: jerk turkey with sweet potato, broccoli, and spring onion mash
booze: 3 Stellas, red wine
weight: 13 st 2

Ram Muay

3km on the running machine at 11km/h.
15 km on the exercise bike hills level 10.
3oom swim.
A Virtual Reverse Afan Forest Off Road Novice Triathlon in other words.

breakfast: 2 sausages, 2 eggs, chips and beans at the Commonwealth Cafe
lunch: Thai food at the temple
dinner: 3 sandwiches from a garage on the motorway
booze: 5 Stellas at the fights
weight: 13 st 2

The "204"

Upped my weights for 30 bench presses, 30 barbell rows, 27 deadlifts, 30 squats, 30 pull ups, 27 barbell shoulder presses, 30 incline sit ups.


breakfast: soft cheese and smoked salmon in a wholemeal pitta
dinner: bolognaise
booze: 8 Stellas
weight: 13 st 4

I stood there absolutely Agoge !

Lunchtimer today - good for the soul but less good for the timesheet !

15 minutes of cycling, stretching, warm up followed by an Agoge of only little boy stature. I have some way to go before I reach the full 300 rep Hoplite status !!

Wasted and Wounded

I ended up dropping the box jumps from the schedule as there was no suitable surface upon which to leap. I was not overly disappointed with that turn up for the books !

I managed to complete two circuits of the rest of the Agoge and finish off with 20 minutes on the X-trainer before retiring to the comfort and solace of the pub where I ate and drank my fill in the certain knowledge that I had earned it !

Initially I felt proud of my exertions though my back slapping was halted rather abruptly when a geezer wandered in and reeled off around 50 pull ups and 50 dips with around 50Kg weights suspended from a rope around his waist ! I have some way to go after all !

9:59:32

I swam as usual while Ben had his lesson and got my time down to under 10 minutes (9:59:32) before finishing off with drills, so I have hit the target I set myself on May 25. I have celebrated by creating a label - Swimming - that I can use to link aquatic posts.



Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: marmite on a muffin
dinner: BK large Whopper and fries
booze: 4 Stellas
weight: 13 st 1

Name The B Movie Competition

My plan for today.

10 x Pull Up's
10 x Dead Lifts @ 40Kg
10 x Push Up's
10 x Box Jumps
10 x Floor Wipers with 40Kg Bar
10 x 14 Kg Barbell Clean and Press ( per arm Barbell touching floor
between reps )
10 x Pull Up's

The B movie is of course called ????

After that I may have a little cycle or perhaps a X-train. I may even follow it with a dive in the pool ?
Those are all possibilities but there is one certainty for this Thursday evening - The Pub !!

Another Day at the Office

30 bench presses, 30 barbell rows, 30 deadlifts, 30 squats, 30 pull ups, 30 barbell shoulder presses, 30 incline sit ups.

breakfast: wholemeal muffins with soft cheese and smoked salmon.
dinner: Colombian Food
booze: evening out worth of lager and red wine
weight: 13 st 3

Even Stephen !

Back to the futility of resistance yesterday after work. By way of a change and a warm up I did a cheeky 20 minutes on the bike with a little but of stretching as I went along. This was followed by some shoulder work in an attempt to assist the levelling of ability.
I punctuated the pushing and pulling with a study of the exercise regimes, utilising an inflatable gym ball, which are dotted about on the wall.
I will give them a whirl but any such campaign will have to start when the room is relatively empty until such time as my balance and timing improves.
Rounded off with a splash about in the pool.
I am going to make a concerted effort to limit the frequency of my boozing. The amount per outing will remain constant, of that I am quite sure, it is the frequency which is my first target !

Softcore

hour core stability and flexibility

breakfast: soft cheese and smoked salmon on wholemeal muffins
dinner: portk chop, carrots, green beans, peas and sweetcorn followed by pear
snack: toast
booze: 6 Stellas
weight: 13 st 2

Every little helps

Just back from a cheeky half an hour of resistance work. I will have to design a little routine and keep a note of my progression and pitfalls.
I am quite some distance from the "300" workout at the moment but it is a goal ( perhaps a Don Quixote dream ) to aspire to !
Aerobics could be on the cards later - be it a little swim or a jaunt on the cycle. Nothing too drastic at this repeat of the early stage !

My limbs ache

2 hours Muay Thai

breakfast: diced pear in porridge
lunch: Sainsbury super naturals vegetable pasta
dinner: tuna, ricotta, and tomato sauce with wholemeal pasta
booze: 3.5 Stellas
weight: 13 st 3

Pain Again

I have fostered a new determination and I will return to the weight room later today. I was appalled at the comparative weakness of my left shoulder yesterday - an old rugby injury which I suspected had all but fully resolved. How wrong I was !
I have not shifted any weights for years and the uneven distribution of strength, dexterity and ability is now more manifest than I have ever known.
Pull up beam and parallel bars are in order for some little while - then I will have a shot at the Kettlebell !
Resistance training before lunch and perhaps the odd aerobic session in the morning or the evening seems the way for me at the moment !

Pain

It has been too long - now it has become time for pain, for burning limbs and exhaustion !!
I will pop to Tesco's first !

Pressed for Time

30 bench presses, 30 barbell rows, 30 deadlifts, 30 squats, 30 pull ups, 30 barbell shoulder presses, 30 incline sit ups, roundhouse stretches.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: hoi sin chicken and noodles
lunch: chicken and cauliflower
dinner: chicken biriani
weight: 13 st 3
booze: 3 Stellas, red wine

Stitch

exercise: ran 3km swam 300m cycled 12.5 km. Runing and swimming first thing in the morning, and cylcing while Ben had a drawing lesson in www.arttes.co.uk.

food: chicken leg, pears, bananas, peking duck pancake

booze: 3 Stellas, red wine

weight: 13 st 0

Core Blimey

An hour of core stability exercises.


breakfast: vegetable frittata, toast, fruit juice.
lunch: banana
dinner: steak and mushrooms
snack: pear and chicken wings
booze: red wine
weight: 13 st 2

Swab the deck landlubber !

I appear to have synchronised with elder Ski. I too made a splash yesterday and used the floats to hone arm and leg techniques to graceful perfection.
I am so very poor at swimming it beggars belief !
Exercise for the weekend will entail finishing the decking off completely ( other than lights ! ) and levelling areas of the garden as best I can without having top festoon the place with retaining walls !
BBQ and spadework tonight. I will have to put off any drinking until I have had my wicked way with the chopsaw currently at bay in my garage ! I would not like to be a breeze block or a piece of wood in my garden when I fire up that baby !!

Bobbing Along

Swam 300m in 10:09:41 (just over 23 seconds than last time) while Ben had his lesson. After that I tried some drills with floats alternating lengths on arms alone and lengths on legs alone. I am very very slow on just legs, that is an area to address.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: vegetable frittata
lunch: banana
tea: KFC Zinger tower burger meal
snack: banana
booze: bottle of white wine
weght: 13 st 2

Liquid Lunch

Yesterday I had occasion to attend a fare-the-well luncheon thrown in honour of a staunch Unionist and a good man to boot !
My initial intention was to drive too and from the Gig but with the bus services being so very cheap and reliable it was churlish to completely abandon the idea of having a little drink to assist in preventing any hint of choke when eating.
It is sufficient to say that I fully availed myself of the opportunity I had presented myself and tucked in to the liquid with gay abandon for the whole afternoon.
It is also sufficient to say that this had a limiting effect upon my training for the day !

Any Old Iron

30 bench presses, 30 barbell rows, 30 deadlifts, 30 squats, 30 pull ups, 30 barbell shoulder presses, 30 incline sit ups, roundhouse stretches.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: bacon sarnie
dinner: red red and Ghanian meat stew
booze: evening out's worth of Stella and red wine
weight: 13 st 1

Unstable

An hour core stability with Gordon

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: vegetable frittata
tea: Burger King
supper: vegetable frittata
booze: 5 Stellas, half a red wine
weight: 13 st 1

Put the pain in a box

Two hours Muay Thai last night. Tuesday morning's shower ritual is now checking my body for new bruises. I am seldom disappointed.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: none
lunch: cornish pasty
dinner: jerk pork chop and cauliflower
booze: 4 Stellas
weight: 13 st 3

In a Nick Stylee !

Digging, filling 9 wheelbarrows, dumping earth. Same with 2 barrows of rocks.

Yesterdays Fuel.
Breakfast : Kenco
Lunch : Tuna'n Slaw Sarnie, Chili con Carne pastry.
Snack : Burger in a bun and a Hamlet
Dinner : Rocket and Braised Fennel with Garlic, Rosemary and Olive. Garlic Bread. Spirali and a Bologna's sauce. Apple Turnover. Artichoke hearts, sun dried Tomato's, roast mixed peppers in Olive oil. Parmesan Cheese.

Booze : ( wait for it ........ ) None !

Weight : I would not like to even hazard a guess ! Though I am confident that I too am in excess of the 13Stone mark !

All Hands on Deck !

Whilst I neither ran, nor lifted a weight nor pushed a peddle this weekend I do feel as though I have exercised, trained and learned.

Nothing like physical labour to build up a thirst and a crate of Bow or two to quench it !

The Decking is now, finally, taking shape. The area dug out, the foundations laid, the frame constructed and the platform is down. Just the spindles, bannisters, fencing, side panels, garden levelling, lawn laying, plant and tree potting, garden design and shaping, chipping laying, the building of a summer-house designed shed, laying of ornamental flagstones and the design and construction of a central fung-shui water feature to do and we will be there or there abouts !!

Looks like I am going to have quite a few Bows in the hot sunshine of summer before I return to the gym in ernest !!

It all adds up

30 bench presses, 30 deadlifts, 30 barbell shoulder presses, 30 pull ups, 30 leg presses, 30 barbell rows, 30 incline sit ups, roundhouse stretches.

breakfast: corned beef pasty
lunch: sweet chilli chicken and vegetable fried rice

dinner: oat cakes and stilton
snack: cereal and fruit
booze: red wine, 2 Stellas
weight: 13 st 6 (tsk, tsk)

Relaxing in the garden

exercise: laying 30 square metres of decking
breakfast: barbecue surplus chicken and sausage plus a banana and an apple
dinner: bolognaise with penne and garlinc bread
booze: 30 sq m of decking worth of beer breaks
weight: no scales on tour for the last time on this trip.

Faster Pussycat

Broke 30 minutes on the standard Cardiff run for the first time since Triathblog was born.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: bacon rolls
dinner: Barbecue at the Howells
booze: one barbecue worth of Stellas - 7:30pm until after midnight.
weigh: no scales on tour.

Bog Standard

Standard Cardiff 3 mile run.


breakfast: bacon baps
snack: crisps
dinner: sasuages, leeks, greens and carrots
booze: 5 Stellas

Spade of destiny !

No exercise in the gym once again ! Man Oh Man I am a lazy bugger !
I found fitness solace in the garden slinging a spade, a breaker bar, a hammer and a drill for the best part of 7 hours yesterday and a few hours dotted about over the last few days.
The concrete should be set by the time I get home today. That leaves only a couple of strengthening beams to bolster the already solid frame and away to go with the decking boards themselves !
I rounded the exercise session off with gallons of Bow and very little in the way of sustenance while Nick ran, cycled, ate and slept. I fear the worst for the Argoed !

Fallin' on my head

16 or so km on the bike in the pouring rain.

Yesterday's Fuel

breakfast: 2 bacon cobs
lunch: bagel with salami
dinner: Mum's steak pie, mum's meatloaf
Vegggies? We don't need no stinkin' veggies!
booze: 4 Stellas
weight: no scales on tour

booze: none

30 bench presses, 30 deadlifts, 30 barbell shoulder presses, 30 pull ups, 30 leg presses, 30 barbell rows, chest stretches, roundhouse stretches.


Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: bacon and mushrooms with toast
lunch: KFC Zinger Tower Burger
tea: pork chop and cauliflower
M4 Pit Stop: Hoi sin duck wrap, grapes and melon
night cap: Mum's steak pie
booze: none
weight: no scales on tour

Signed Worried of Skewen

There is a growing concern amongst those who care about me that if I drink at the same breakneck pace that I have done in the recent past I will shortly and surely be dead !

I cannot decide if that is a sobering thought or one which makes me think that I need a drink !

Temperate week ahead, that could in itself cause some troubled waters.

On an exercise front my exertions of the weekend were limited to labour in the Garden. The decking frame should be completed later tonight and it is plain sailing from there !!!!

courteous and receptive to courtesy

“Life is not so short but that there is always time for courtesy”

breakfast: bacon sarnie courtesy of A Welsh Born Icon

lunch hour: core stability courtesy of Gordon

teatime: mutton and vegetable curry, ox-tail, potato salad, rice 'n peas, and coleslaw followed by rum cake courtesy of Garfield. Free glass of pinot grigio courtesy of Gianni.

dinner: 2 hours Muay Thai courtesy of Kru Johnny

night cap: 3 Stellas courtesy of Venus

weight: 13 st 2 courtesy of Salter scales

Different Class

Body Combat class in Virgin Active, then 300m swim 10:33.62.

Fuel
Calzone and salad
Booze: 5 or 6 Stellas and half a red wine
weight: 13 st 2

Australia 29-23 Wales

They've got TVs built into the exercise machines in Virgin, so I watched the rugby there yesterday.
First half: 30 mins run at 10km/hr
Half time: stretching
Second half: 12.75 Km hills level 10 on the bike.

Completely drained mentally, physically and emotionally as a try with the last move of the match from replacement Stephen Hoiles denied Wales a first win over the Wallabies in Australia since 1969.

Yesterday's Fuel:
breakfast: steak and bubble 'n squeak
snack: mint chocolate chip ice cream
dinner: corned beef hash
booze: 5 Stellas, half red wine
weight: 13 st 4

Pizza the Action

30 bench presses, 30 deadlifts, 30 barbell shoulder presses, 30 pull ups, 30 leg presses, 30 barbell rows, 30 incline sit ups, chest stretches.
Fuel
breakfast: sardines on taost
lunch: Pizza Hut all you can eat buffet
dinner: cereal bar and bananas
booze: 4 Stellas, red wine
weight: 13 st 0

Funk

I must be in one as, yet again I have failed to do any meaningful training.
This apathy must be turned to ardour if I am going to complete the August rematch !

"Your fans out there deserve a rematch!
It ain't gonna be no rematch!"

Ironman

Swam 500m while Ben had his lesson yesterday. My new Timex Ironman watch told me that I did the first 300 in 10 mins 45 seconds. My initial target is to get that down to under ten minutes.
Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: sausage sarnie
snacks: bananas
dinner: XL Burger King Whopper and fries
booze: 4 Stellas
weight: 13 st 3

Plumbing the depths

As if I was having a nudge in the ribs to turn up the pace Rocky Balboa has just been released on DVD. It must be a sign, there can be no other plausible explanation ! Can there ?

Straight from work to the training centre of excellence to get on with a virtual Tri then to the centre of drinking excellence for a genuine, real, good old fashioned knees up ! Knee raising is, of course, a very useful aerobic exercise, particularly for the Triathlete !

Walk Alone

3km treadmill 10.3 km/hr.
SMR
20 mins exercise bike hills level 10
stretching


Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: egg mayonnaise and sausage sandwich with tomato and red pepper relish
dinner: nachos, chilli, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos
booze: how ever much lager one drinks between the end of work and the end of the European Cup Final
booze fuelled snack: sausage and jaffa cakes
weight: 13 st 1

A little fishing accident on R&R, sir.

Events threw me a day off training yesterday. I was just setting off on the bike when I got a call asking me to pick up the new ninja bomber from school, as he was feeling off-colour.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: spinach and potato tortilla with hot sauce
dinner: sausages and chips
booze: 4 Stellas, Red wine
weight: 13 st 0

It's a wrap

Two hours Muay Thai class last night. Have now invested in my own wraps. Succeeded in aggravating my ankle and elbow again.

Yesteday's Fuel
breakfast: bubble 'n squeak with a fried egg
lunch: tuna and sweetcorn baguette
snack: banana
booze: 3 Stellas
weight: 13 st 3

Fork 'n Spadework

Back in the Spartan Garden last night. Almost there on the digging front, plants transplanted, lights shifted. Time to start on the concreting and the building of a decking base.
I am missing out on gym-time because of the excesses of the weekend and the outdoor life but I have avowed to make a glorious return tomorrow morning !
Today I will be at St. James Church then The Welcome then The Barn. The gym would be a welcome substitute in the circumstances.
Arrangements are formulating for a scout around the Afan Argoed Triathlon Trail. That should spur my return to training !

Same Again

3km at 10.2 km/h on the treadmill
SMR
15km hills level 10 on the exercise bike
stretching
300m swim

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: marmalade on toast
dinner: chicken, cauliflower and tomato curry with rice
booze: 2 kronenbourg, 2 Fosters, 2 Stellas, red wine
weight: 13 st 2

The Worst Possible Preparation.

Thursday - Pub.
Friday - Pub / Hotel / Pub.
Saturday - Pub / House Party.
Sunday - Pub ( for a carvery ) / Home for a rest / Pub for more poison.

With August just around the corner and certain others already bossing the Virtu-tri and honing for speed and stamina I think it is time for a radical rethink of regime !
I will not be going out until Tuesday this week !!!

Virt Y'All

3km at 10.1 kn/h on the treadmill
SMR
15km hills level 10 on the exercise bike
stretching
300m swim

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: mushroom and spinach scrambled egg on toast
dinner: chip shop chicken curry and chips
booze: 1 Fosters, 5 Stellas
weight: 13 st 3

Wrist Action

Did an hour with Gordon yesterday on core strength and flexibility. He also explained how I had hurt my elbow with imperfect deadlift technique. It seems that when I retract my scapula I should rotate my shoulders and elbows towards my body and my wrists outward.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: egg mayonnaise and sausage sandwich with tomato and red pepper relish
dinner: chicken, cauliflower and tomato curry with rice
booze: 6 Stellas
beer fuelled snack: chocolate digestives and a pear
weight: 13 stone 5

Programme 4

Check it out ! The Title is a link.
We have just enough time to grow our hair, grab a bottle o' Jack, restring the BC Rich, kick the Missus out and ROCK !
Perhaps I should get out a bit more ? But not on a Saturday for the next few months !

Sign of the times

I only managed 400m in the pool yesterday as Ben bailed out of his swimming lesson five or six minutes before the end complaining that he was cold. I really want to start timing my swims, but I find looking at the poolside clock through my goggles tricky and confusing. I wonder if there is a cheap waterproof wearable stop watch I can get.

Speaking of times, I got my result from the Childline Challenge yesterday: 1 hour 25 minutes and 5 seconds. A bit lame but I record it here for beating next year.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: sausage sandwich
dinner: XL BK Whopper and fries
booze: 4 Stellas
weight: 13 st 4

Flagitious times of late !

My modus for recent Thursday evenings has been an continuing experimentation with excess and tolerance.
With this Blog nagging at me I have decided that I will have to get a trip to the gym out of the way before continuing with any such exploits tonight.
I am far from saying that I will not conduct a few tests, it is just that I will earn the privilege with exercise rather than continuing to draw from my already overdrawn fatigue account.

Current Level of Alcohol Consumption. V's. My Constitution.
Discuss :

"He's all wrong for us, baby. I saw you beat that man like I never saw no man get beat before, and the man kept coming after you. Now we don't need no man like that in our lives"

Skillz 'n Pillz

I had to take the car to the garage yesterday, so I packed the bike, cycled back to the office, cycled at lunchtime, then cycled back to the garage later in the afternoon. I need to do more cycling on a real rather than exercise bike. My chain came off yesterday for example and I managed to rethread it without stopping or tangling it by careful pedalling. I wish I could have done that in Swansea. Better cycling skills will help in my next outing.

Still taking the odd nurofen for its anti-imflammatory properties. Common adverse effects include priapism according to Wikipedia, but I can't report feeling any perkier than usual.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: mushroom and spinach omelette on wholemeal toast.
dinner: Special Bavarian Beerhouse "Wurstplatte" - Sausage Platter
booze: 2 Kronenbourgs, 2 Stellas, 2 steins of Hacker Pschorr
weight: 13 st 4

Yesterday

Yesterday's lunchtime
SMR and 12km hills level 10 on the recumbent bike. I guess I'm stuck on the bike and in the pool until my elbow and ankle heal up.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: sausages, mushrooms and toast.
dinner: Pizza Hut, HUt, HUT!
beer fueled later night snack: roast chicken leg and a pear.
booze: 7 Stellas
weight: 13 st 4

There's one thing I want you to do for me.

What's that?
Win.
Win!

Last night I chased chickens and started the process of learning to complete a Triathlon using a conventional rather than a Southpaw stance.
I suspected the lack of gym work and the lack of Balboa viewing would have destroyed all my previous training gains. I am happy to report that a little garden digging and a certain amount of Leonidas have done their job in restricting the otherwise inevitable plunge into decrepitude and enfeeblement.

3km treadmill - crawling pace and no incline.
10Km bike - on Cardio mode maintaining heart rate at 147 in honour of the fact that I would rather have been playing snooker !
15minutes - X-Trainer level 8.
100m Swim - crawl but that describes both stroke and pace.
This was followed by my specialist event in which my 'It's a knock out' joker was played - steam room and Jacuzzi.
In order to reward my body for its exertions I treated it to several Stella's and a cheeky Hamlet moment.

Back on Track - Back on Attack.

I have fallen fallow. I hope that this period of rest will have rejuvenated my sinews ready to get back to some semblance of fitness; Though I more than doubt it.
I have done sod all since the Tri itself and I had a fortnight on the pop before that. Since then I have been in a constant Bow and Stella Haze.

This must come to an end - I will revitalise a fitness campaign this very day !
Straight to the gym after work in order to assess my complete loss of any fitness, speed and stamina.
A base camp from which to climb.
The air is rarefied but as Bruce Springsteen says in a Segar style "We will overcome !"

Nurofen Nation

I went to Muay Thai last night and I'm suffering with a sore left elbow and right ankle but you should see the other guy. More seriously I had niggles in both these areas before but I seem to have aggravated them somewhat.

Note to self: Death - nature's way of telling you to slow down.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: brown rice, spinach and ham
dinner: chicken, grapes and crisps
booze: 1 Stella, 1 glass red wine
weight 13 st 4

Rocky II

We need speed. Speed's what we need. Greasy, fast speed!

Now that I've proved I can actually get around a triathlon, it is time to address getting round it a little more crisply. As ever there is an appropriate Micky Goldmill quote - see above.

The Afan Novice traithlon consists of 15k on the bike and a 3k run.

Lunchtime as benchmarks I did 3k at 10km/h on the treadmill and 15 k at level 5 on the exercise bike in 36 mins 1 sec. (My inner thighs were really suffering at the end of the cycle because I'm not used to pedalling fast for long.)

This is what I have to build upon. A good thing about triathblog is it can remind me that I was only running at 8km/h when I started training in January.

Results

The Springfield results are in. I came 179th out of 184 and seem to have been the single slowest swimmer. Never mind. I'm sure I will do better next time, and at least my novice credentials for the Afan Forest Park Novice Triathlon are unimpeachable.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: marmalade on toast
snack: Cornish pastie
snack: cheese and ham sandwich
lunch: chicken and chips
dinner: cheese
booze: 3 stellas, 3 bows, red wine
weight: 13 st 7

Side Saddle

Rode shotgun with the New Ninja Bomber as he made his way back to his Mum's by bike, then did 10k round the streets. I meant to do 15 but rain intervened.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: bacon and spinach scrambled egg on toast
lunch: cheese and onion baguette
dinner: pasta with spinach, cheese, tomato, red pepper and plum.
booze: 5 stellas
weight: 13 st 7

TISWAS

Went for a gentle jog this morning looking for a 3k route to train for Afan Argoed. Will be in the gym doing some weights 1:30 to 2:30 while the new ninja bombler is in Club V.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: marmite on wholemeal toast
lunch: mutton curry, rice 'n peas, and 'slaw courtesy Garfield.
dinner: special fried rice of my own design followed by grapes
booze: 5 Stellas
weight: 13 st 5

None for me either

An hour "core stability" with Gordon.

Yesterday's Fuel.
breakfast: sardines on toast
lunch: tropical fruit salad
dinner: Burger King XL Whopper
booze: none
weight: 13 st 6

Clarence Garlow of Welsh

"Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

30th June.
London.
The Blog becomes the new reality.
Be afraid, be very afraid !

Move over, move over! Let Jimmy take over.

Stella Haze was in my brain,
lately things don't seem the same,
actin' funny but I don't know why
'scuse me while I kiss the sky.

Stella Haze all around,
don't know if I'm coming up or down.
Am
I happy or in misery?
Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me.

Stella Haze was in my eyes,
don't know if it's day or night,
you've got me blowing, blowing my mind
is it tomorrow or just the end of
time?

My head Hurts !

Streetcar

I was challenged by the DuBois family last night. I consumed freely and very well. Under the Napoleonic code I think Jo must have a share in my blunt force trauma headache today !

"Did you ever hear of the Napoleonic code, Stella?... Now just let me enlighten you on a point or two... Now we got here in the state of Louisiana what's known as the Napoleonic code. You see, now according to that, what belongs to the wife belongs to the husband also, and vice versa... It looks to me like you've been swindled baby.And when you get swindled under Napoleonic code, I get swindled too and I don't like to get swindled."

On the plus side, The Sushi I just had for breakfast was paid for out of my winnings at turning cards ! Every cloud and all that !

Has the Spadework paid off ?

After days of digging foundations and turning the back garden into a lunar landscape that would convince Buzz Aldrin that he was reliving the dream, I had a day off !
Rather than shovelling with all the grace of a rhinoceros giving birth I went to the pool and swam with equal elegance.
Still, a change is as good as a rest. Better still if you can have a steam and a jacuzzi afterwards !

Yesterdays booze intake :
Nil by mouth !
That, dear reader, is a glitch I have every intention of rectifying this very day !

Steve, if you are a dear reader what would you say to assisting me in this quest for the grail ? Not particularly a Holy Chalace, just a receptacle for the intoxicating liquor ?

Hope Floats

Today I will mostly be swimming while the new ninja bomber has his lesson.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: bacon sarnie
dinner: numberless courses at Hunan in Pimlico
booze: 4 Stellas, industrial quantities of white wine
weight: 13 st 5

Back on the treadmill

SMR then 6km on the running machine.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: hot sauce scrambled egg and bacon in a wholemeal pitta.
snack: 1.5 fishfingers
dinner: keema broccoli apricots and noodles
booze: 4 Stellas
weight: 13 st 6

John, this is the new challenge

Comparing the Afan Forest Park Off Road Triathlon 11th August 2007 (600m swim, 20k MTB, 6k Run) and the Afan Forest Park Novice Triathlon 11th August 2007 (300m swim, 15k Mountain Bike, 3k run), the bike sections break down like this:

Off Road Triathlon: 20k bike down the valley to Afan Argoed then a tough forest track section on the mountain bringing you back to Afan Argoed, return to Cymer.

Novice Triathlon: The cycle is out and back on the valley lower trail. Half of this course is tarmac with the remainder on compact hardcore. The course is slightly downhill to the turn at Pontrhydyfen, and gradually uphill on the return.

You and I mate, do not have bikes with suspensions that are up to "a tough forest track section". When I was at Afan Argoed with the two Robs they had machines that were sprung to all intents and purposes like motor bikes without engines.

Now that Dr Rob has ruled himself out, we should try the novice event. Here are the 2005 results to give us an idea of what we might be up against.

Cheers Jinxy !

Just wanted to thank you and the Tenacious D-no for helping out on Saturday !

Stretching the truth

Stretched and SMR's the stiffness out of my limbs and did a little core stability work over lunchtime.

Yesterday's Fuel
pre race breakfast: 2 weetabix and banana
post race dinner: keema broccoli and apricots with brown basmati rice
snack: 3 digestives
booze: 4 Stellas
weight: 13 st 6

Chain-gang

Exercise campaign started back in an unusual fashion on Saturday when Steve the Bike, Dino the Trike ( a chip off the old block ) and Me the Scalectrix took shovel and fork to hand and attacked the back garden with a view to some levelling and some digging down to the house footings in order to ensure the proposed decking was at as low a level as possible.
We took into account the wise words of Andy Dufrense in the Shawshank Redemption

"... I only ask for three beers apiece for my co-workers, if that seems fair. I think a man feels more like a man when he's working out of doors in the springtime if he can have a bottle of suds. That's only my opinion. It would go down smooth, and I'm sure you'd have their gratitude."

Apart from that 3 beers apiece nonsense that is !

More of the same for me on Sunday - hard and unpleasant work which appears to show very little in the way of actual tangible results. I wish I had taken a photo of the area before the first shovel pierced the sod !

Job Done

The Springfield Triathlon has been conquered. Details may follow. I am off for a kip.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: egg and bacon
lunch: filled bread rolls, pizza and other picnic savouries
dinner: cheese, ham and red pepper pasta, baked mushrooms and Greek salad
booze: 1 Stella
weight: 13 st 7 (on return to London)

He rested

Today's dry run is a quiet cycle along the triathlon's running route.

Yesterday's Fuel.
breakfast: sausages and grapes
lunch: cheese and onion sandwich
dinner: duck then pork at http://www.tollgateholt.co.uk/
booze: 4 bitters with dinner followed by countless Stellas
weight: no scales on tour

Dry

I am off to Wiltshire for a dry run (though not I imagine a dry evening) of the cycle route for Monday's Triathlon

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: merguez sausages and broccoli
dinner: shared starters then ribs, chicken fries and coleslaw at Maxwell's Covent Garden
booze: an evening's worth of Stella and a meal's worth of red wine
beer inspired late night snack: bowl of dry chocolate weetabix
weight: 13 st 6

(P.S. I tip Oscar De La Hoya to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr.)

Get off the treadmill

SMR then 6 km run on the running machine.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: chorizo spinach scrambled eggs in a wholemeal pitta
snack: pear
dinner: BK Whopper and fries
booze: 1 Bow, 2 Stellas
weight: 13 st 7

April Fuel

Now, correct me if I am wrong but wasn't April the month Nick was going to give up booze in order to trim down and concentrate upon his training ? By God, the man was running his firat Triathlon on 22nd !

Reviewing this blog I see that temperance was indeed your watchword!!

April's Fuel !!

Fosters : 1
Guinness : 1
Stella's : 101 ( and one undisclosed amount watching the footy )
Plenty of Stella's : 3
Many Stella's : 1
Bottles of Red : 6 1/2
Plenty of Red : 1
Mojitos : Many

The local hostelries must weep at your new moderate self - still, nice to see you are doing what you can to soften the blow for them !

Ben Dover

Whereas I have a blunt force trauma hangover, I will be training by swimming 500m while Ben has his lesson but that is several hours away.

Yesterday's Fuel.
breakfast: chorizo and coleslaw in pitta
dinner: Escalope Milano with spaghetti
booze: white wine with dinner then Milan v Man U worth of Stella
weight: 13 st 5

DOMS

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is the pain or discomfort often felt 24 to 72 hours after exercising and subsides generally within 2 to 3 days.

I've never had it before, but I've got it this afternoon in the top of my back and the rear of my neck. I wonder if it is from Thai boxing or from training with Gordon? The latter I expect as he had me doing quite a lot of overhead throws with a medicine ball.

What an inopportune time to receive John's request for a new challenge!

I propose the Afan Forest Park Off Road Triathlon 11th August 2007 (600m swim, 20k MTB, 6k Run) or perhaps the more modest Afan Forest Park Novice Triathlon 11th August 2007 (300m swim, 15k Mountain Bike, 3k run).

Any takers?

(I'm up for the Swansea Bay 10K Race on 23 September as he proposes as well.)

Hold the press

lunch: 30 bench presses, 30 deadlifts, 30 barbell shoulder presses, 30 pull ups, 30 squats, and 30 barbell rows. Yum

Yesterday
breakfast: bacon and coleslaw roll
dinner: burger and chips
snack: peas pulao rice
weight: 13 st 6
booze: white wine, 5 Stellas

Nick, what is the New Challenge ?

September should give us more than enough time to train ?
Will be able to fit another event or two in between ?

Finger Puppets ahoy !

Time to get back down to it - well tomorrow is time enough !
The 10th January seems such a long time ago - yet I recall it as though it were yesterday ?

Pura Vida

"Pure Life"
"This is living!"
"Cool!"
"distilled life!" ( suggesting "I am experiencing the best in life");
"free spirit"
"love for life"
"El es pura vida" (He is pure life).

Old Skool

Went to Muay Thai last including - and I quote - "Old School Muay Boran", and I'm off for an hour fine tuning with Gordon lunch time.

Yesterday's Fuel
breakfast: chorizo scrambled eggs
lunch: chicken and peas pilao brown rice
tea: banana, pear, yogurt
booze: 3 Stellas
weight: 13 st 7