The day after the day after the vow.

Did you read my previous post where I decided not to be a 77kg lump of congealed custard?
Then you are a very good/naughty* person. If you are the latter - have a shufftee here before you read on.

I went home on Friday via the new chip van which has just appeared in the village, and I was seriously looking forward to fish n chippies, I had decided that this would be a sort of final treat before I made a proper effort at burning off the lard and getting fitter. Fish was off as the big fryer they were using for the fish had packed up so had to settle for jumbo banger and chips with mushy peas instead, and at £2.70 for the lot I was defo not going to complain.
It was very VERY yummy too, the portion size was pretty much bang on and the chips were nice and crisp and hardly greasy at all, which was a bonus.
As soon as I'd finished my food I scuttled off to the bathroom to weigh myself - 76kg! I had lost weight since Monday morning (was 76.6kg) despite only going to the gym twice and one run session on the Tuesday, and stuffing my greedy chops with sweets, crisps and other crap.

Imagine then my surprise on Saturday morning, just to check, I did leapings upon the scales again - 74.6! What in the name of Batman's Kevlar underpants is going on? I don't know, let's just hope I see results.
I have decided by the way that my target weight will be 67kg.

I did my promised run into work on the Saturday morning too, and I'm so glad I did, and so glad I decided at the last minute to take a different route. The sunrise and the mist in the fields at 6.30 in the morning really are special in Oxfordshire. If you don't normally do early morning runs I strongly urge you to do so, they are so much more quiet and peaceful than any other time of day. My prescribed stretches were also completed, I seriously hope I grow to like them or I see improvements in my running, they are horrible.

I shall carry on the happy from my previous post too. You may have read I had heard back from Dandoy and they have agreed to re-issue my new TT bat. Well, on Saturday afternoon I found out I had won a copy of the Adidas miCoach game for Xbox 360 courtesy of this blog here. Go and have a read of that if you've got some time to spare, and even if you haven't. If you're a hardcore runner there is another comp Cathy is doing, if I wasn't broken I would be straight in there.
Check back here in a while for a review of the miCoach game, I will incorporate it into my regime when poss.

See you all again soon. There will be more weight & blubber updates soon.

Stu

Lardy boi!

So, today I have decided I will not reach the dizzy heights of 77kg again, if I can help it. At this point, I don’t actually know if I am 77kg, but as I weighed 76.6kg on Monday morning, and I have not done a great deal of exercise this week as well as stuffed myself with fish and chips (or at least will have by the time I go to bed) and a bag of choccy raisins (my new favourite sweetie) I am pretty sure I am that massive.

I have managed to start getting back in the gym this week, just the 2 sessions on Tuesday and Friday morning before work. I will continue this as of Monday. Last weekend I attended a gait analysis session run by The Running School, and a top chap called Steiner.

He filmed me running and told and showed me why I keep injuring myself and why I’m likely to cripple myself in the future. In a nutshell – straight legs on landing (on my heels) and twisting shoulders.

You wanna see it? Here you go:

On the Tuesday, Steiner came back and gave us at the club a running master class. I will just say VERY OUCHY! It was an eyeopener I can tell you.

I also have some stretching exercises given to me by Ross (Physio at my gym) to help strengthen my butt cheeks – seriously! Also they will help with my balance. As these stretches and things will take around 45 mins I will be doing them at work, it’s the only time I’ll get a chance.

Trying to get my weight down, or more precisely my body fat levels down, I will be getting stuck into my running again starting with a run to work on Sat morning in which I will do the things Steiner has recommended. I will do this like an interval session, if I can! This will hurt.

In other news, it looks like I will finally receive my new Table Tennis bat. Dandoy Sports in Belgium have agreed to re-issue me my bat, which Yodel managed to lose somehow. I will put the details of that on here at a later date though.

Cheers chummies.

I'm baaaack!

Hello my Cherubicly patient, if somewhat misguided followers.

How have you been since I went away, did you miss me?

Ahhh, bless thee, that's nice.

Righty ho then, to business. What have I done since my last blog back in January? Well, aside from getting more injured, not much really. Had to quit the Janathon because of shin splints, Table Tennis season went to shit, the gym went out the window and I have discovered that I have an (slightly) atrophied right arse cheek.
On the plus side, the new TT season starts very soon, though I still need a new bat, I got some very shiny new running shoes - Kinvara 3's for the road and Peregrine's for trail (both Saucony btw) - and ditched the Mizuno's.
Because of various types of rubbishness in the leg dept. I've not been able to race much though I have managed do my first Parkrun - at Abingdon, in which I fetched up the rather unexpected time of 21:39. I'm waiting until I'm considerably fitter before I go back for my second go as I want to get that time below 21 mins.
I have also managed to take part in the Toad Hall 10k in Pangbourne. This was nasty but excellent. Nasty because I had in nooo way trained for it and it was far hillier than I had expected, as a consequence I WALKED some of it - I hate walking in a running race. I don't hate other people for doing it you understand, I hate it when I walk, it gives me a massive feeling of weakness and makes me feel like I have failed. I realise there is nothing wrong what so ever with walking during a race, it's just a personal thing. Anyway, I managed to drag my sorry carcass round in 51:16 (just had to look it up!) which thinking about it wasn't that bad considering my 10k pb is 45:47 & that was set at the pan-flat Oxford Town & Gown last year. Still, I know what to expect and fully aim to go sub 45 at Toad Hall next year, sounds a bit rubbish don't it but when you consider going sub 45 this year would've got a top 12 position, that might give you some idea how hard this course is. I having that next year!

I'm still undecided as to whether I want to take part in this year's X-country season, it starts in November so I suppose I should make my mind up quick sticks. Must speak to my management team (the wife and kids!) and see what happens. I think I should do.

That'll do me for today I think. I will return hence when I get the chance. Until then, tinkety tonk.