From Blog to Book.api.ning.com/files/QbiMFMkDkJSsEbOw9MyIChJUNpFFW...Contents 1 2012 15 1.1 January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

From Blog to Book.

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2

Contents

1 2012 15

1.1 January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Jan 24 2012: Dear Diary... (2012-01-24 23:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Jan 25 2012 Progress Report (2012-01-25 06:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Jan 26 2012: Australia Day (2012-01-26 05:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Jan 27 2012: Day of The Wall (2012-01-27 04:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Jan 28 2012: Outside The Wall (2012-01-28 08:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Jan 29 2012: Easy Like Sunday Morning (2012-01-29 06:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Jan 30 2012: Monday, Monday (2012-01-30 07:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Jan 31 2012: Where Did January Go? (2012-01-31 05:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

1.2 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Feb 01 2012: Pinch Punch, First of the Month! (2012-02-01 07:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Feb 02 2012: wet, wet, wet (2012-02-02 05:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Feb 03 2012: DJ Clubfit Day (2012-02-03 05:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Feb 04 2012: DJ-Day + 1 (2012-02-04 05:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Feb 05 2012: Sunday, Bloody Sunday (2012-02-05 05:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Feb 06 2012: Week 3 (2012-02-06 08:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Feb 07 2012: Jetts Day (2012-02-07 05:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Feb 08 2012: Hump Day Gym Day (2012-02-08 08:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Feb 09 2012: Gym Day 2 (2012-02-09 08:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Feb 10 2012: TFI Friday! (2012-02-10 07:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Feb 11 2012: Lazy Start to Weekend (2012-02-11 07:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Feb 12 2012: Lazy Starts Continue (2012-02-12 07:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Feb 13 2012: Lucky for Some (2012-02-13 07:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Feb 14 2012: Valentine’s Day Massacre (2012-02-14 07:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Feb 15 2012: Down by the Riverside (2012-02-15 07:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Feb 16 2012: Smoke on the Water (2012-02-16 08:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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Feb 17 2012: Wheel Wobbles (2012-02-17 08:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Feb 18 2012: Walk On By (2012-02-18 07:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Feb 19 2012: End of Week 1 or 4 (2012-02-19 06:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Feb 20 2012: Bad Gym Day (2012-02-20 05:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Feb 21 2012: Back in the Groove (2012-02-21 08:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Feb 22 2012: Day 30! (2012-02-22 09:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Feb 23 2012: Running Late (2012-02-23 07:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Feb 24 2012: Later Still! (2012-02-24 08:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Feb 25 2012: rest day, what rest day? (2012-02-25 07:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Feb 26 2012: weigh-in day (2012-02-26 09:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Feb 27 2012: Week 5 (2012-02-27 08:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Feb 28 2012: Goodbye Ruby Tuesday (2012-02-28 07:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Feb 29 2012: Wednesday Like a River (2012-02-29 07:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

1.3 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Mar 1 2012: Thursday’s Child (2012-03-01 08:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Mar 2 2012: Friday On My Mind (2012-03-02 08:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Mar 03 2012: Saturday Come Slow (2012-03-03 07:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

04 Mar 2012: Be What You Wanna Be (2012-03-04 08:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

05 Mar 2012: Labour Day (2012-03-05 08:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

06 Mar 2012: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (2012-03-06 06:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

07 Mar 2012: Sweet Child O’ Mine (2012-03-07 07:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

08 Mar 2012: Mother (2012-03-08 07:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

09 Mar 2012: Crazy Diamonds Shining On (2012-03-09 08:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

10 Mar 2012: The Master Plan (2012-03-10 09:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

11 Mar 2012: Sunday Morning Call (2012-03-11 09:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

12 Mar 2012: Everybody Hurts, Sometimes (2012-03-12 08:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

13 Mar 2012: Ghost Town (2012-03-13 06:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

14 Mar 2012: Tiger Tiger Burning Bright (2012-03-14 08:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

15 Mar 2012: The Ides of March (2012-03-15 11:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

16 Mar 2012: Body Pump Up The Jam (2012-03-16 08:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

17 Mar 2012: Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit! (2012-03-17 16:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

18 Mar 2012: The Gym Is Back In Town (2012-03-18 16:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

19 Mar 2012: Gym Just Got Tougher (2012-03-19 07:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

20 Mar 2012: The Rowing Song (2012-03-20 06:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

21 Mar 2012: ”Weights Day” (2012-03-21 07:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

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22 Mar 2012: Madness At Our House (2012-03-22 07:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

23 Mar 2012: Rowers On The Storm (2012-03-23 06:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

24 Mar 2012: Disco Duck (2012-03-24 11:46) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

25 Mar 2012: Severe Punishment (2012-03-25 08:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

26 Mar 2012: Back to Reality! (2012-03-26 09:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

27 Mar 2012: 2am (2012-03-27 08:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

28 Mar 2012: Lavondyss (2012-03-28 07:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

29 Mar 2012: Your Own Back Yard (2012-03-29 07:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

30 Mar 2012: My Own Worst Enemy (2012-03-30 07:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

1.4 April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

02 Apr 2012: Back In The Saddle Again (2012-04-02 08:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

03 Apr 2012: All The Young Dudes (2012-04-03 08:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

04 Apr 2012: Solsbury Hill (2012-04-04 06:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

05 Apr 2012: The Lifted Lorax (2012-04-05 20:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

06 Apr 2012: Rolling In The Deep (2012-04-06 09:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

07 Apr 2012: Fire (2012-04-07 21:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

08 Apr 2012: Happy Easter! (2012-04-08 10:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

09 Apr 2012: Misty Mountain Hop (2012-04-09 11:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

10 Apr 2012: Back On The Chain Gang (2012-04-10 13:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

11 Apr 2012: Rock The Casbah (2012-04-11 08:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

12 Apr 2012: For the Greater Good (2012-04-12 08:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

13 Apr 2012: Friday The Thirteenth (2012-04-13 15:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

14 Apr 2012: Spiral Dancing (2012-04-14 07:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

15 Apr 2012: Burning Times (2012-04-15 08:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

16 Apr 2012: I DO Like Mondays Really (2012-04-16 08:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

17 Apr 2012: Tuesday’s Gone (2012-04-17 06:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

18 Apr 2012: All Sweated Out (2012-04-18 06:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

19 Apr 2012: Come on in my Kitchen (2012-04-19 09:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

20 Apr 2012: Baker Street (2012-04-20 04:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

21 Apr 2012: These Boots, They Were Made For Walking (2012-04-21 08:19) . . . . . . . . 111

22 Apr 2012: A Glory-ous Sunday (2012-04-22 07:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

23 Apr 2012: Monday Monday (2012-04-23 09:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

24 Apr 2012: Tuesday Afternoon (2012-04-24 07:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

25 April 2012: ANZAC Day (2012-04-25 08:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

26 Apr 2012: Shadow Boxer (2012-04-26 08:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

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27 Apr 2012: N-N-N-N-N-Nineteen (2012-04-27 07:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

28 Apr 2012: Saturday Night’s Alright (2012-04-28 09:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

29 Apr 2012: An Easy Sunday Morning (2012-04-29 09:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

30 Apr 2012: Blue Monday (2012-04-30 09:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

1.5 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

01 May 2012: The End (2012-05-01 08:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

02 May 2012: Rhythm of the Heat (2012-05-02 10:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

03 May 2012: Signal to Noise (2012-05-03 15:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

04 May 2012: May The Fourth Be With You (2012-05-04 08:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

05 May 2012: Behind The Wheel (2012-05-05 09:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

06 May 2012: Peaches (2012-05-06 09:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

07 May 2012: Skipping Classes (2012-05-07 08:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

08 May 2012: Alive (2012-05-08 07:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

09 May 2012: It’s Been a While (2012-05-09 09:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

10 May 2012: Zombie Nation (2012-05-10 08:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

11 May 2012: Row, Row, Row The Boat... (2012-05-11 08:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

12-14 May: Bermuda Triangle (2012-05-15 15:46) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

15 May 2012: Happy Birthday (2012-05-15 16:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

16 May 2012: Cold As Ice (2012-05-16 11:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

17 May 2012: Backyard Babies (2012-05-17 10:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

18 May 2012: Sorrow (2012-05-18 07:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

19 & 20 May: Weekend (2012-05-21 13:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144

21 May 2012: 21 days, 21 kilometres (2012-05-21 13:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

22 May 2012: Pinball Wizard (2012-05-22 06:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

23 May 2012: Bridgwater (2012-05-23 08:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

24 May 2012: Eat The Rich (2012-05-24 08:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

25 May 2012: La Serenissima (2012-05-25 10:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

26 May 2012 - Party For Everybody (2012-05-26 12:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

27 May 2016 - Weil der Mensch zählt (2012-05-27 12:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

28 May 2012: Euphoria (2012-05-28 10:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

29 May 2012: Dub Be Good To Me (2012-05-29 08:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

30 May 2012 - The Voice (2012-05-30 10:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

31 May 2012: Isle of Avalon (2012-05-31 11:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

1.6 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

01 Jun 2012: Spirit of Albion (2012-06-01 04:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

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04 Jun 2012: The Whole Of The Moon (2012-06-04 21:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

05 Jun 2012: Lip Up Fatty (2012-06-05 17:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

06 Jun 2012 - God Save The Queen (2012-06-06 08:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

07 Jun 2012: Rain (2012-06-07 10:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

08 Jun 2012: Wasteland (2012-06-08 09:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

09 Jun 2012: Saturday (2012-06-09 08:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

10 Jun 2012 - Sunday Girl (2012-06-10 08:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

11 Jun 2012: On The Turning Away (2012-06-11 08:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

12 Jun 2012: Holding Back The Years (2012-06-12 12:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

13 Jun 2012 - Brewing Up a Storm (2012-06-13 12:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

14 Jun 2012: Mistreated (2012-06-14 08:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

15 Jun 2012: Every Soldier is a Mother’s Son (2012-06-15 09:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

16 Jun 2012: Parisienne Walkways (2012-06-16 07:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

17 Jun 2012 - Time Is Ticking Out (2012-06-17 07:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

18 Jun 2012: The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (2012-06-18 08:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

19 Jun 2012 - Magic Pie (2012-06-19 11:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

20 Jun 2012 - Lazy (2012-06-20 06:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

21 Jun 2012: Cold (2012-06-21 08:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

22 Jun 2012: Happy House (2012-06-22 08:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

23 Jun 2012: Unashamed Desire (2012-06-23 11:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

24 Jun 2012: I Am the Resurrection (2012-06-24 10:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

25 Jun 2012 - Intensity (2012-06-25 10:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

26 Jun 2012 - Weiss Heim (2012-06-26 06:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

27 Jun 2012: Russians (2012-06-27 07:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

28 Jun 2012: Let Down (2012-06-28 08:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

1.7 July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

09 Jul 2012: Back to Black (2012-07-09 08:10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

10 Jul 2012: Purple Rain (2012-07-10 08:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

11 Jul 2012: Awaken (2012-07-11 08:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

12 Jul 2012: Strawberry Fields Forever (2012-07-12 08:50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

13 Jul 2012: Civil War (2012-07-13 10:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

16 Jul 2012: Breakthru (2012-07-16 08:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

17 Jul 2012: Child In Time (2012-07-17 09:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

18 Jul 2012: Don’t Go Away (2012-07-18 08:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188

19 Jul 2012: Penny Lane (2012-07-19 10:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

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20 Jul 2012: Redefine Possible (2012-07-20 07:44) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

22 Jul 2012: Water (2012-07-22 10:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

23 Jul 2012: Sick As A Dog (2012-07-23 13:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

24 Jul 2012: Fragile (2012-07-24 13:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

25 Jul 2012: Enter Sandman (2012-07-25 12:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

26 Jul 2012: Getting Better (2012-07-26 08:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

27 Jul 2012: Anniversary Song (2012-07-27 08:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

29 Jul 2012: Only Human (2012-07-29 09:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

30 Jul 2012: L’Amore È Femmina (2012-07-30 09:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

31 Jul 2012: Phoenix (2012-07-31 08:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

1.8 August . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

01 Aug 2012: The Quickening (2012-08-01 11:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

02 Aug 2012: Flagpole Sitta (2012-08-02 09:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

03 Aug 2012: Fire (2012-08-03 10:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

06 Aug 2012: Gone (2012-08-06 11:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

07 Aug 2012: Rise Up (2012-08-07 09:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

08 Aug 2012: Go Let It Out (2012-08-08 10:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

10 Aug 2012: Bargain (2012-08-10 08:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

11-13 Aug 2012: Behind Blue Eyes (2012-08-13 09:46) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

14 Aug 2012: Steam (2012-08-14 10:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207

15 Aug 2012: Barbarism Begins At Home (2012-08-15 10:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

16 Aug 2012: The Walk (2012-08-16 15:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

17 Aug 2012: The Hands That Built America (2012-08-17 09:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

22 Aug 2012: Woman Is a Devil (2012-08-22 09:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

23 Aug 2012: Just Say Yes (2012-08-24 07:46) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

24 Aug 2012: I’m Outta Time (2012-08-24 07:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

29 Aug 2012: Devil Woman (Part 2) (2012-08-29 13:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

31 Aug 2012: New Orleans Is Sinking (2012-08-31 13:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

1.9 September . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

03 Sep 2012: Beautiful Sunday (2012-09-03 09:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215

04 Sep 2012: Born on a Different Cloud (2012-09-04 10:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

05 Sep 2012: Rain One (2012-09-05 10:47) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

06 Sep 2012: Soldier Boys & Jesus Freaks (2012-09-06 08:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

07 Sep 2012: Earth Song (2012-09-07 09:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

08 Sep 2012: The Water Song (2012-09-08 11:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

8

09 Sep 2012: Fire (2012-09-09 22:17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

10 Sep 2012: The Air That I Breathe (2012-09-10 07:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

11 Sep 2012: The Quickening (2012-09-11 09:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

17 Sep 2012 - Transformation (2012-09-17 07:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

18 Sep 2012: 46 and 2 (2012-09-18 07:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

19 Sep 2012: In The Shadows (2012-09-19 09:30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

20 sep 2012: right in two (2012-09-20 11:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

21 sep 2012: hallowed be thy name (2012-09-21 09:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

24 sep 2012: big exit (2012-09-24 08:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

25 sep 2012: comfortably numb (2012-09-25 08:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

26 sep 2012: some girls are bigger than others (2012-09-26 09:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

27 sep 2012: hey man nice shot (2012-09-27 05:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

28 sep 2012: the world i know (2012-09-28 11:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

1.10 October . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

02 oct 2012: i want it all (2012-10-02 16:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

03 oct 2012: e equals em cee squared (2012-10-03 07:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

04 oct 2012: lateralus (2012-10-04 11:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

05 oct 2012: brave new world (2012-10-05 07:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

07-17 oct 2012: catching up (2012-10-17 21:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

18 oct 2012: spring (2012-10-18 07:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

19 oct 2012: smart dogs (2012-10-19 07:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

21-23 oct 2012: overload (2012-10-23 11:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

24 oct 2012: live, consume, drive (2012-10-24 07:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

25 oct 2012: keep on running (2012-10-25 07:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

26 oct 2012: the whores hustle (2012-10-26 07:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

28 oct 2012: les morts dansant (2012-10-28 17:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

29 oct 2012: beethoven’s ninth (2012-10-29 07:24) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

30 oct 2012: kashmir (2012-10-30 07:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

31 oct 2012: halloween hardstyle (2012-10-31 07:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249

1.11 November . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

01 nov 2012: it’s too late (2012-11-01 06:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

02 nov 2012: mortal kombat (2012-11-02 06:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

04 nov 2012: the row must go on (2012-11-04 10:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

05 nov 2012: sunday bloody sunday (2012-11-05 07:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

06 nov 2012: rockin’ in the free world (2012-11-06 10:13) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

9

13 nov 2012: run to the hills (2012-11-13 08:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

14 nov 2012: eighth day (2012-11-14 07:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

15-20 nov 2012: woman of the earth (2012-11-20 10:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

21 nov 2012: waking the witch (2012-11-21 07:22) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

22 nov 2012: morrighan (2012-11-22 07:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

23 nov 2012: the fighting machine (2012-11-23 12:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

25 Nov 2012 - hello (2012-11-24 06:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260

26 Nov 2012 - try (2012-11-26 07:23) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

27 Nov 2012 - power (2012-11-27 06:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262

28 Nov 2012 - my man (2012-11-28 08:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263

29 Nov 2012 - till i collapse (2012-11-29 07:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264

30 Nov 2012 - dog days are over (2012-11-30 14:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

1.12 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

03 Dec 2012 - she wolf (2012-12-03 07:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

04 Dec 2012 - greyhound (2012-12-04 08:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

05 Dec 2012 - plateau (2012-12-05 08:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

12 Dec 2012 - since you been gone (2012-12-12 08:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

dec 17 2012 - narayan (2012-12-17 07:38) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

dec 18 2012 - step on (2012-12-18 08:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270

dec 19 2012 - don’t look back in anger (2012-12-19 07:59) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

dec 23 2012 - gabriel’s message (2012-12-23 14:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

2 2013 275

2.1 January . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

02 jan 2013 - sun in your eyes (2013-01-02 09:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

03 jan 2013 - tokyo (vampires and wolves) (2013-01-03 07:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

04 jan 2013 - mitzi dupree (2013-01-04 08:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

06 jan 2013 - it’s oh so quiet (2013-01-06 13:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

07 jan 2013 - chorea (2013-01-07 07:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279

08 jan 2013 - the raven (2013-01-08 07:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

09 jan 2013 - attila the hun (2013-01-09 07:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

10 jan 2013 - lady of the silver wheel (2013-01-10 07:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

11 jan 2013 - drums of war (2013-01-11 08:27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

15 jan 2013 - people of the sticks (2013-01-15 07:43) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283

16 jan 2013 - secret weapon (2013-01-16 08:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284

17 jan 2013 - concrete angel (2013-01-17 07:56) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

10

18 jan 2013 - butterfly effect (2013-01-18 09:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

20 jan 2013 - born on a different cloud (2013-01-20 17:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

21 jan 2013 - parthia (2013-01-21 08:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

22 jan 2013 - riot (2013-01-22 07:21) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288

23 jan 2013 - the pot (2013-01-23 08:03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

30 jan 2013 - all your colours (2013-01-30 08:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290

31 jan 2013 - children (2013-01-31 08:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291

2.2 February . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292

01 feb 2013 - dance of the druids (2013-02-01 07:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292

06 Feb 2013 - Munich Air Disaster 1958 (2013-02-06 10:36) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293

07 Feb 2013 - Kashmir (2013-02-07 07:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

08 Feb 2013 - stinkfist (2013-02-08 14:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

11 Feb 2013 - sorrow evoker (2013-02-11 08:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296

12 Feb 2013 - stop crying your heart out (2013-02-12 08:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

13 Feb 2013 - for bitter or worse (2013-02-13 08:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298

14 Feb 2013 - the positive sense of love (2013-02-14 07:40) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299

15 Feb 2013 - engel (2013-02-15 11:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300

18 Feb 2013 - set it off (2013-02-18 08:26) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301

19 Feb 2013 - sleepless (2013-02-19 08:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302

20 Feb 2013 - youth in trouble (2013-02-20 08:41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302

21 Feb 2013 - there is power in a union (2013-02-21 07:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

22 Feb 2013 - twisted (2013-02-22 07:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

24 Feb 2013 - little by little (2013-02-24 10:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305

25 Feb 2013 - rhythm of the heat (2013-02-25 10:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306

26 Feb 2013 - when a blind man cries (2013-02-26 10:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

27 Feb 2013 - like toy soldiers (2013-02-27 10:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307

2.3 March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

01 Mar 2013 - F.E.A.R. (2013-03-01 16:58) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308

02 Mar 2013 - tubthumping (2013-03-02 18:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309

05 Mar 2013 - I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night (2013-03-05 11:07) . . . . . . . . . . 310

17 Mar 2013 - Time Warp (2013-03-18 08:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

18 Mar 2013 - Awaken (2013-03-18 08:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312

20 Mar 2013 - King of the Faeries (2013-03-19 11:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313

21 Mar 2013 - The Mabon (2013-03-21 07:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314

26 Mar 2013 - Catch Me If You Can (2013-03-26 07:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315

11

27 Mar 2013 - Ceridwen and Taliesin (2013-03-27 11:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316

28 Mar 2013 - Forever Autumn (2013-03-28 10:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

2.4 April . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318

03 Apr 2013 - Bobcaygeon (2013-04-03 07:07) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318

04 Apr 2013 - no rest (2013-04-04 08:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

05 Apr 2013 - shoot the runner (2013-04-05 08:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320

08 Apr 2013 - shifting gears (2013-04-08 10:46) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321

09 Apr 2013 - burn in hell (2013-04-09 12:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322

18 Apr 2013 - little bones (2013-04-18 09:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

24 Apr 2013 - not nineteen forever (2013-04-24 08:29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

26 Apr 2013 - champ20ns (2013-04-26 09:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324

29 Apr 2013 - #tears4piers (2013-04-29 10:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325

30 Apr 2013 - parisienne walkways (2013-04-30 07:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325

2.5 May . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326

01 May 2013 - The Internationale (2013-05-01 08:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326

02 May 2013 - Beautiful Life (2013-05-02 09:48) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

03 May 2013 - Raining Blood (2013-05-03 07:42) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

07 May 2013 - Nymphetamine (2013-05-07 10:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

08 May 2013 - Metal Storm (2013-05-08 07:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329

09 May 2013 - Happy Birthday (2013-05-09 10:53) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

10 May 2013 - Goodbye Sir Alex Ferguson (2013-05-10 10:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

14 May 2013 - Ohio (2013-05-14 09:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

15 May 2013 - Tubular Bells (2013-05-15 12:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332

16 May 2013 - Space Oddity (2013-05-16 12:34) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332

17 May 2013 - Eric’s Theme (2013-05-17 08:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333

20 May 2013 - Only Teardrops (2013-05-20 10:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

21 May 2013 - Waiting for the Sun (2013-05-21 07:20) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334

22 May 2013 - Alcohol Is Free (2013-05-22 07:49) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

23 May 2013 - No Expectations (2013-05-23 08:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336

27 May 2013 - Caravan of Love (2013-05-27 08:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336

28 May 2013 - March of the Levellers (2013-05-28 08:11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338

29 May 2013 - 51st State (2013-05-29 08:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338

30 May 2013 - here comes the war (2013-05-30 07:54) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339

31 May 2013 - species (2013-05-31 10:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339

2.6 June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

12

04 Jun 2013 - O Fortuna (2013-06-04 07:04) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

05 Jun 2013 - Battle For The Universe (2013-06-05 08:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341

06 Jun 2013 - Where Do The Children Play? (2013-06-06 08:02) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341

07 Jun 2013 - This Light Between Us (2013-06-07 07:14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342

10 Jun 2013 - Patapan (2013-06-10 08:18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342

11 Jun 2013 - the final countdown (2013-06-11 08:32) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343

12 Jun 2013 - closer (2013-06-12 09:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343

13 Jun 2013 - three days (2013-06-13 07:57) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

14 Jun 2013 - time (2013-06-14 10:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345

15 Jun 2013 - one more day (2013-06-15 07:45) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345

16 Jun 2013 - ready, set, go! (2013-06-16 05:00) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

18 Jun 2013 - alive (2013-06-18 10:51) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

19 Jun 2013 - the day I let go (2013-06-19 06:16) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347

20 Jun 2013 - unstoppable (2013-06-20 07:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347

21 Jun 2013 - winter (2013-06-21 10:55) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

24 Jun 2013 - love missile f1-11 (2013-06-24 08:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

25 Jun 2013 - catch the rainbow (2013-06-25 11:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350

26 Jun 2013 - lose yourself (2013-06-26 09:19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351

2.7 July . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352

01 Jul 2013 - D’You Know What I Mean? (2013-07-01 10:52) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352

02 Jul 2013 - Phantom of the Opera (2013-07-02 08:28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353

03 Jul 2013 - Holy Wars (2013-07-03 11:09) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353

04 Jul 2013 - Epos (2013-07-04 07:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

05 Jul 2013 - unskinny bop (2013-07-05 10:39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355

08 Jul 2013 - the spirit of man (2013-07-08 09:35) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356

09 Jul 2013 - life on mars (2013-07-09 11:15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357

11 Jul 2013 - get ready for this (2013-07-11 09:37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357

welcome to a new era (2013-07-12 11:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358

a weekend down south (2013-07-14 18:12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360

feeling seedy (2013-07-15 08:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361

gettin’ serious - day one (2013-07-16 07:46) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362

in a world of painful happiness (2013-07-17 14:08) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364

glad it was gym day (2013-07-18 07:06) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366

a day for lots of thinking it seems (2013-07-19 13:33) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368

a completely fantabulous couple of days (2013-07-22 18:05) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369

welcome to the grind (2013-07-23 06:25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370

strange days indeed (2013-07-24 09:31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372

13

14

Chapter 1

2012

1.1 January

Jan 24 2012: Dear Diary... (2012-01-24 23:29)

This is the first of many daily journal entries - recording each day any exercise done, food consumed andanything else that seems relevant... It’ll help keep the main blog focused on the bigger picture.

Exercise

Up at 5am without too much problem, 20 minute walk with the dog10 minute walk at lunchtime

Food

Breakfast: 2 slices of toast with small amount of Flora Buttery and Vegemite. Glass orange juice

At work: 1 long macchiato, 2 sugars (note to self, start ordering ”skinny”).

Mid-morning: 1 cupcake and 1 small piece of cherry pie (cakes brought in to say thankyou forsome work done). Usually would probably had a few more during the day, so a success. Bottle of water

Lunch: Chicken and salad sandwich, bottle of water

Dinner: Bowl of weight watchers recipe Chicken Miso stew, large glass of cordial

Evening: 1 mug warm skim milk, 1 teaspoon sugar

Notes: Already this is looking far healthier than before, just because of paying attention to things,drinking a little more water and eating until satisfied rather than pigging out.

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nearly a year gone by already no more mr fat guy (2013-01-08 07:55:41)[...] often say that the very first blog entry I made on this site was “got up at 5am and went for a 20 minute walk”.and that’s [...]

Jan 25 2012 Progress Report (2012-01-25 06:12)

Had a bit of a late start today, getting up around 5:05am hehe

Exercise:Started the day walking the dog, estimated distance covered = 1.77km, time taken 18 mins 50 secondsGot off bus 1 stop early and walked the rest of the wayWalked down stairs from Level 8 at lunchtime instead of using lift and walked long way around to busport.Bit of a splash with Kian in the pool and a few lengths swimmingTotal steps as at 7:30pm = 6907 - a few thousand short of the 10,000 lol

Diet:Breakfast: 1 glass orange juice, 2 slices toast with Flora buttery and vegemite, big glass of water

Mid-morning: 1 x long macchiato, 2 sugars. 1 really small piece of cherry pie (left over from yester-day). Bottle of water (600ml)

Lunch: 6 pieces of Sushi (2 tuna, 2 lean chicken, 2 generic seafood and salad), 600ml water

Dinner: Lamb skewers, pasta with tomato bacon and basil. Large glass cordial.

Couple more pint glasses of weak, sugar-free cordial (still not a huge fan of just water!)Tempted by some light weightwatcher treats made for Australia Day picnic etc. tomorrow. Helen’s fault fortempting me with the fact that the little passion fruit cakes were worth 2 ww points, and the tiny baconthings were 1 point.Notes:This weightwatchers pedometer rocks lol

Keeping a journal as part of the blog appears to have been a good choice.

Jan 26 2012: Australia Day (2012-01-26 05:44)

5am wake-up again - still no need for alarm clocks... Heading to City of Gosnells’ Aussie Day Brekkie thismorning, so will try to avoid eating until then.

Exercise:Walked the dog on the established route, estimated distance covered = 1.78km, time taken 17 mins 25seconds

A fair bit of walking done today - cleaning up the back yard and pool area, Aussie Day Brekkieand Aussie Day fireworks etc. in the evening.

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Couple of dips in the pool - mostly just cooling off and messing with my son.

Pedometer step count for the day (as at 9:55pm) = 12,574

Diet:

Breakfast: Pint water before going on walk, another on return. At the Aussie Day brekkie - 2sausages, 2 slices toast, 1 egg, half a large tomato, spoonful of baked beans. I cup orange drink.

Basically drank loads of water and cordial throughout the day as we were outside and it’s bloodyhot at the moment :-)

Lunch: Steak sandwich - BBQ’d steak, salad, tomato chutney. Half dozen or so polenta chips, 2small italian sausages. Chargrilled veggies (capsicum, zucchini, egg plant etc.). 2 pints full strength beer(total alcohol consumption for the whole of Australia Day!)

Dinner: Picnic consisting of mini bacon muffin (weightwatchers, 1 point), 1 chicken portion (skinon), brown rice salad, tomato, mini passion fruit muffin/cake (weightwatchers 2 points) .

I may have missed a couple of things - not been at the computer all day - blogging this from mem-ory!

Notes:

Overall I was pretty pleased at the way things went - most of the food consumed was healthy, Ididn’t pig out (which I often can do with barbies, or at an event like Aussie Day). Felt I’d eaten plenty,didn’t feel hungry and kept the fluids topped up.

Have first sports injury following a bit of a humid sweaty walk this morning - inner thigh chafing.Fortunately we’ve got plenty of baby talc in the house lol.

Jan 27 2012: Day of The Wall (2012-01-27 04:55)

For those who aren’t aware, Roger Waters is performing the famous ”The Wall” show in Perth tonight, andI’ve got tickets...

That had nothing to do with getting up at 4am today though - a combination of humid heat, andgetting to bed an hour earlier (about 11pm) saw me wake up at about 3:45am. I eventually gave up on tryingto fall back to sleep and got up at 4am.

Exercise:

Took the dog out on the usual 1.8km (ish) route - completed today in 16 minutes 48 seconds. No-ticeable difference already, though not feeling as though it’s any harder.

Caught the bus one stop earlier (i.e. walked down the road to the stop prior to my usual one)

Got off bus one stop early - might extend that to 2 stops before busport next week. Pedometer

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over 5000 steps and it’s not even 9am yet.

Lunchtime walk - down stairs from level 8 then around area between busport and convention cen-tre

Used stairs to leave building after work - quite a bit of walking from car to venue and back again.

Total step count accidentally reset - cruised through the 10,000 level easily though.

Food:

Breakfast (pre walk): 2 slices toast with Flora Pro-Active Buttery, glass of weak cordial. Anotherglass on return from walk.

7:30am (at work): Long macchiato, 2 sugars. 500ml water, 1 banana

Mid morning: 500 ml water

Lunch: Chicken, lettuce and mayo sandwich. 1 ”Be Natural” Sesame Nut Split. 600ml water (andabout the same quantity of water again later in the afternoon)

Dinner: Aussie Day leftover feast - 2 pieces of chicken (skin off, not on as I incorrectly wrote lastnight), 4 lean meatballs, brown rice salad, chargrilled vegies. Water.

Notes:

Should probably mention that I’ve been slipping in the posture/breathing thing fairly frequently.Can feel it pulling further up the back now, easier to hold.

I’ll stop mentioning water in the food section from now on - will just estimate a quantity over thecourse of a day. Gets boring writing ”and water” lol. Probably drinking between 2 and 3 litres per day now,and certainly no sugary fizzy drinks.

The Wall was awesome :-)

Jan 28 2012: Outside The Wall (2012-01-28 08:43)

So I was wondering what would happen today, given that by the time we got home from the show etc. it wasclose to half past midnight before I got to bed.

Amazingly I woke up at 4:30am! So I figured I’d go out for a walk (thus not breaking the habit) andthen back to bed for a couple more hours. The dog (who now eagerly anticipates the walk and is usuallyfound waiting at the door) was looking to go out anyway, so we did the walk and I went back to bed. Workedwell actually.

Food:Had 2 WW single point mini bacon muffin thingies to help the system kickstart prior to walkingBrekkie (just after 8am) - Bacon and Egg sandwich. 2 slices dry wholemeal toast, WW bacon, 1 hard-boiled

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egg slicedMid-morning: 1 freshly picked fig, 1 freshly picked passion fruit (the only 2 things not to die at my hands inour garden lol)Lunch: Wholemeal sandwich; hard-boiled egg and sliced chicken, pack of pizza flavoured rice snacks, minibacon muffin, mini passion fruit muffinMid-afternoon: 1 freshly picked fig, 1 freshly picked passion fruitFamily Dinner:Pre-dinner nibbles (chips, dip, cheese, snow peas, olives)Starters: 2 homemade spring rollsMain: Plain rice, greens (snow peas and cabbage), 3 pieces of marinaded, skinless chickenDessert: Cornetto

Drink:Plain filtered water: Approx 3.5 litres by the end of the day, spread evenly across the dayAlcohol (family dinner): 2 beer stubbies, 2 glasses red wine, 1 scotch

Activity:Usual walk with dog. Timed at 16m 39s todayCleaning poolDip in the pool and playing with my son.Lazy day at home mostly

Physical:Feeling pretty good, very low level aches that are signalling that something is working. Muscles in backaching slightly in a good way, from the breathing/posture exercise.Very low impact on the body overall, a couple days on from Australia Day and I’ve not seen anything of thesort of aches, pains etc. I would usually expect.Needed an after-lunch nap - not sure if this is due to hot humid weather (over 40 degrees again), late nightor combination of both.By the end of the day I was ready for bed - not ”drained” or worn out though, just ready for some sleep.

Mood etc:Very positive, really enjoying things so far and knowing that these are the first baby steps to a radicallydifferent existence.Hunger - have generally been OK, resisted temptation a couple of times and now looking at adding to dailyintake after consulting with Britt.Afternoon - still feeling good, was starting to be a bit fuzzy and unfocused before the sleep. It’s that kind ofa day.End of day - felt fine, and pretty pleased with being able to exercise some self-control in the evening.

Notes:The water thing is interesting - I’m wanting it more now and realising that my body has been hugelyunder-hydrated for as long as I can remember. Not getting the same feeling of insatiable thirst that I wouldget from time to time previously.

You’ll see the weight watchers 1 and 2 pt mini muffins being mentioned quite a bit - my wife made abatch for Australia Day :-)

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Jan 29 2012: Easy Like Sunday Morning (2012-01-29 06:14)

Woke up about 4:45am feeling a little thirsty - the alcohol consumed at the family dinner last night wouldhave contributed to that. Having said that, it wasn’t a raging thirst and I didn’t have any real sense ofhaving over-indulged.

Food:1 WW single point mini bacon muffin thingy to help kick the system into life

Breakfast: 1 bowl of cereal and skim milk (bran flakes, oats, dried fruit - not sure of brand - some-thing like Kellogs ”Just Right”)

Mid-morning: 1 mini bacon muffin, 1 mini passion fruit muffin with a coffee. 1 Apple

Lunch: 2 pieces dry toast, poached egg, smoked salmon, mushrooms, asparagus

Mid-afternoon: 1 passion fruit, 1 fig

Dinner: Turkey mince meatballs, pasta and tomato/basil sauce

Drink:

Plain filtered water: total through day approx 3.5 litres

1 x Coffee - skim milk, 2 sugars

1 mug of skim milk before bed

Activity:Usual morning walk with the dog - completed in 16m 23s

Swim and play in the pool with my son

Few loads of laundry on line and then off when dry

Physical:Woke up feeling refreshed and was able to get up without any internal battles

Had a 10 minute cat-nap about 8am - didn’t understand at first, then it dawned on me. When Iwake up early in the week, I then have the chance to nap on the bus heading into Perth. So for the earlystarts to work at weekends, naps will still need to play a part.

Niggling headache that comes and goes - had it for a few weeks on and off; this week it’s more orless gone however it returned today. Might be connected with the amount of sleep.

11pm - niggly headache has gone

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Mood etc.:Surprisingly positive for a 4:45am start - I actually look forward to taking the dog for a walk first thing

1pm: Relaxed and positive. Feel like I’ve got more out of this weekend than any other for a longtime. The early starts have extended the days very nicely.

6:45pm: Very happy. Been a very nice day, cooler weather, breezes, got loads done and lookingforward to week 2...

11pm: Ending the weekend on a clam high - now to sleep and see what the new week brings!

Notes:

Probably aim to get to bed before 11 tonight, have a feeling the headaches might be due to asmall sleep deficiency. Have just about done this for long enough now that I can start thinking how to fitexisting commitments into the new times and schedules, while keeping the new habits going.

Jan 30 2012: Monday, Monday (2012-01-30 07:36)

Woke up about 3:15 this morning and deliberately went back to sleep. Getting up at 3:15 would have beensilly! Woke again at 4:30 - perfect! At the first sound of me stirring, the dog came into the room just tomake sure I was up and ready to take her for a walk lol.

Food:Breakfast: Bowl of cereal with skim milk

Lunch: Chicken and Egg Salad (few thin slices of chicken, hard-boiled egg cut in 4, lettuce, onion,capsicum, cherry tomatoes). 1 large banana. Salad was bloody awful - too much lettuce padding it out.

After lunch: Sesame and nut bar

4:30pm: 2 fresh passion fruit, 2 freshly picked figs

Dinner: Healthy fish and chips, 1 slice bread and butter

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 2200ml (running total)1 long macchiato, 2 sugars

Activity:Usual walk with dog, completed in 16m 18sAltered journey to work - got on train instead of staying on the bus all the way into Perth. So walked acrosstown to office instead of a few hundred metres.Half hour walk around Perth at lunchtime looking for decent lunch options

Physical, Mood etc.:Calf muscles were starting to ache by the end of the walk this morning, soon dissipated though. Not surewho is enjoying those walks more; me or Marble.

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Still feeling very positive about things. Forgot to have a mid-morning snack yet didn’t feel hungry.Subsequently tried to find some good options for lunch in Perth, wound up more frustrated than anythingelse.4pm headaches. Disappeared after eating fruit. Put it down to missing mid-morning snack and poor lunch.

Notes:Early start means I’m in the office at 7am, which will mean a nice early finish. Would be good to establishthis as a regular thing. Will need to reorganise around the new daily schedule, which is a great opportunityto finally get a bit more organised on a few fronts.

Have concluded that there is no healthy lunch option around that is sufficiently convenient and rea-sonably priced. Where’s the healthy equivalent of Hungry Jacks or Maccas?

Jan 31 2012: Where Did January Go? (2012-01-31 05:07)

4am wake-up today. Was in bed not long after 10pm last night, so no surprise I was awake early! Cooler (18degrees) and windy out this morning.

Food:Breakfast: 1 cup of cereal (Just Right), skim milk (before walk)After Walk: 1 slice dry wholemeal toast with vegemiteSnack for mid-morning and mid-afternoon: ’Nuts n More’ 80g tub (Cashew nuts, almond kernel, Pepitas,Sunflower seeds, sultanas)Lunch: 6 pieces of sushi, fruit saladDinner: Salad, corn on cob, marinated skinless chicken pieces

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3000ml1 long macchiato, 2 sugars1 glass skim milk (200ml)

Activity:Usual walk with dog, completed in 16m 01sDid the bus/train thing again and walked across townCouple of walks down from level 8Big walk around town at lunchtimeTotal steps over 10,500

Physical, Mood etc.:4am - mood excellent, got out of bed with no effort and looking forward to the walk.7:30am - noticed that I am walking faster generally, perhaps even a little spring in the step! ALso noticedhow the enthusiasm seems to breed more enthusiasm - I’m even thinking things like ”one day I’ll be able tocycle to work”.Was in excellent spirit at lunchtime - think the snacking helped.

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Evening, ready for bed :-)

Notes:I picked up the 80g tub of ”Nuts n More” after seeing them while walking through town. Seemed like a decentoption for the mid morning and afternoon snacks.

Energy - 1718kjProtein - 13.4gFat - 29.9g (3.8g saturated)Carbs - 22.2gSugars - 17.1gSodium - 16.9mg

1.2 February

Feb 01 2012: Pinch Punch, First of the Month! (2012-02-01 07:33)

Was in bed just after 10 last night, tired in a good way. Woke up about 4:30am and got straight into it;breakfast, then walk, then off to the CBD for a 7am start.

Food:Breakfast: 1 cup of cereal (Just Right), skim milkMid-morning: 1 large bananaLunch: MYO Sandwich (2 slices unbuttered brown bread, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, jalapenos, onion, cress,1 thin slice ham, 1 slice swiss cheese)Mid-afternoon: 1 red appleLate afternoon: 1 fresh fig, 1 fresh passion fruitDinner: Kangaroo, tomato, baked potato, mushrooms

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 2800ml1 long macchiato, 2 sugars

Activity:Usual walk with dog, completed in 16m 12sBus/train into Perth, walk across from city train station to Esplanade (roughly 1.5km)Lunchtime walk down stairs and to MYO and back

Physical, Mood etc.:Still no sign of the positiveness disappearing anytime soon :-)12:15pm - all good :-)

Notes:While walking, noticed a tendency to focus on the fact that it was exercise. This is something I’ve avoided

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successfully so far (mainly by just enjoying the early morning bird song etc.) Managed to shake myself out ofthat (focus on exercise) and hopefully being aware of it will mean I can avoid it in the future.

If it all starts to be perceived as ”exercise” or ”hard work” it’s going to become harder to get up at 4am or so.It’s a mind thing - thought management :-)

Feb 02 2012: wet, wet, wet (2012-02-02 05:25)

4:15am start today, though I was woken up an hour or two earlier, probably due to the sound of rain fallingon the metal roof. Fortunately it had stopped by the time I got up, though it made for a very humid, sweatywalk this morning. On the plus side there were plenty of different smells today, wet warm earth and woodaromas. Also mixed up the walk a bit by going around clockwise, instead of the usual anti-clockwise direction.We sure know how to party in Southern River! Living on the edge...

Food:Breakfast: 1 cup of cereal (Just Right), skim milk (pre walk), 1 piece dry toast with fried egg (no oil used inpan), glass orange juiceMid-morning: 1 large bananaLunch: MYO roll (large brown granary) - lettuce, tomato, onion, olives, capers, cress, hot salami, a splash ofbalsamic).Mid-afternoon: 1 large bananaDinner: Salmon, crunchy greens, baby potatoes

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 2600mlOrange juice: 100ml approx1 long macchiato, 2 sugars

Activity:Usual walk with dog, completed in 16m 16sBus/train into Perth, walk across town3 trips down stairs from Level 8 (must count the steps next time)

Physical, Mood etc.:Woke up in good spirits, feeling goodLunchtime - very bright and cheery

Notes:Noticed some good lunch options in the same sort of area as MYO. Sushi, bento boxes, sumo salad...

Jamie (2012-02-02 06:37:02)Good work mate. See the link I have included with this post. I have been using DailyBurn for 3 or 4 years now (itwas Gyminee back in those days). I can recommend it as a method for tracking food and exercise.

Steve (2012-02-02 09:36:46)Gary, two things - 1) The link to walkabout wellness isn’t working on the right of the screen 2) What sort of time are

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you getting to bed in the evenings - I find it difficult to operate on less than 6 hours sleep and would have to be in bedby 10.30 to be up at 5.

Gary Wilmot (2012-02-02 09:49:22)Hi Steve, 1) Link is valid, it’s a domain registration issue - I’ve notified Britt. Cheers for that. 2) Funnily enough, I’mgetting to bed about 10:30pm, maybe 11:15 at the latest. I’ve noted that in a couple of journal entries, will startadding that to every journal, just to confirm. Previously I needed to sleep on the bus going to Perth and on the wayback in the evening. Now I find that I’m wide awake for the morning journey - I still need the afternoon siesta just torecharge the batteries. If you look at the mock journal in the latest main blog article, going to bed at 3, up at 8, napson the way in and out of town... that was a recipe for disaster long-term.

Feb 03 2012: DJ Clubfit Day (2012-02-03 05:53)

Should be an interesting day today - I will be heading to Walkabout Wellness this evening for a DJ Clubfitsession (gulp)...

Anyway, another 4:00 start thing morning, though the dog beat me to it and was in our room lookingfor me before I’d even got up! Cool and damp outside.

Food:Breakfast: 1 cup of cereal (Just Right), skim milk (pre walk), 1 piece dry toast with vegemite and cheese,glass orange juiceMid-morning: 1 medium bananaLunch: Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box (Chicken, rice, 2 pieces sushi roll, shredded cabbage, fruit salad)Snacks: A few grapes, 1 square of rum n raisin chocolate, yoghurt-coated muesli barDinner: 2 slices toast with half a can of baked beans (after Clubfit)

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 4750ml (including water consumed during Clubfit session)Orange juice: 100ml approx1 long macchiato, 2 sugars1 glass milk (200ml)

Activity:Usual walk with dog, completed in 15m 52sBus/train into Perth, walk across townDown stairs from level 8 (210 stairs) twiceWalk around town to get lunchDJ Clubfit session

Physical, Mood etc.:Woke up feeling very positiveDull aches in a few places, simply indicating body parts are actually getting used again lolDidn’t feel like I needed a nap on the bus or train - wide awake. Slight tiredness kicked in as soon as I was atmy desk. I’ll put it down to the weather :-)Was aching a little after the Clubfit session, recovered well and buzzing after. Then I started to think aboutbed around 9:30pm

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Notes:Session with Britt and crew went well, need to figure out how to avoid getting to bed earlier and earlier.

Feb 04 2012: DJ-Day + 1 (2012-02-04 05:22)

Slow-ish start today, woke at 1am, 3am then 3:45. Lay in a half-asleep mode for a while, not sure if my legswould want to move. Finally managed to roll out of bed at 4:15.

The dog on the other hand... she was raring to go!

Food:Breakfast: 1 cup of cereal (Just Right), skim milk (pre walk), 1 slice of toast and fried eggMid-morning: 2 fresh passion fruit, 4 fresh figsLunch: a sandwich consisting of a wholemeal loaf, hollowed out then filled with salad, mushrooms, beans,chicken, pumpkin and then sliced (I didn’t eat the whole loaf!) Very tasty, very healthy and very satisfying!Dinner: 3 tacos filled with turkey mince, salad, sour cream, cheese, beans.

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 2400ml1 bottle coke zero (with lunch)1 glass of skim milk

Activity:Usual walk with dog, completed in 16m 59s (gained a whole minute - no doubt a knock-on effect from theClubfit session yesterday)Kept as active as possible, moving around. Sitting still for any length of time led to stiffness.

Physical, Mood etc.:Woke up feeling OK. Surprised I wasn’t stiffer or sorer. Enjoyed the walk.Noon: Feeling a bit sore and tired, which is curiously pleasing as it is a signal that I’ve done some good.9:40pm: First really challenging day, was tempting to just sit and veg out under the pretence of ”recovery”.Very happy I resisted that!

Notes:Joined Jetts Gym this morning - introduction session on Tuesday. 24x7 gym, so can fit that in to suit myschedule.

Feb 05 2012: Sunday, Bloody Sunday (2012-02-05 05:51)

Stayed up and did some work last night. When I say ”stayed up”, I mean 11:30 rather than the 3 or 4am thatwould have once meant. Slept right through until 4:15 this morning with no obvious sign of having a restlessnight (i.e. didn’t wake up at 1am or 3am as before). Got out of bed straight away, shoulders stiff and sore.

Food:

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Breakfast: 1 cup of cereal (Just Right), skim milk (pre walk) 2 slices of toast with vegemite and extra lightBega cheeseMid-morning: 1 piece of toast, orange marmaladeLunch: Cold skinless chicken, sweetcorn (off the cob), pumpkin sliced and lightly fried.Mid-afternoon: Bad bad bad Gary. Tempted by the delights of a few hard-boiled sweets. Decided it’s best tosee this as a reward for being so good all week :-)Dinner: Hungry Jacks takeaway - Tender Crisp Asian Salad.

Drink:

Plain, filtered water: 2400ml1 small glass orange juice1 can Coke zero1 glass milk

Activity:

Usual walk with dog, completed in 16m 31s (a sign of a general recovery in progress)Pre-walk I’ve started doing a few light warm-up exercises. These include a few push-ups, which were hardgoing as my shoulders complained at every attempt to move them.Been at my home desk a lot today, been making an effort to get up and walk around regularly. If nothingelse to stop the muscles from locking up!

Physical, Mood etc.:

Physically the soreness is there - still nothing unexpected, and a sign that things are happening.Mentally 100 % - possibly a small dip in spirits yesterday afternoon (on reflection) however I definitely wokeup with attitude meter back to 100 %Ending the day on a high - looking forward to doing it all again from 4am tomorrow...

Notes:

No sign of the ”cold” - no sneezing, no sweating... it was just the body trying to force itself back to the oldway of doing things :-)Kian wanted ”chippies” for lunch, I was quite pleased with the alternative version using pumpkin. Not sureKian was entirely convinced though lol

Britt (2012-02-05 07:44:42)This is looking and sounding great Gary, it makes it so much easier to help you along when I can read what is goingon internally. Sharing it on a blog is a fantastic way to share it with the world, keep yourself accountable and allow forany assistance that might be available to show itself! Happy Sunday :)

Gary Wilmot (2012-02-05 08:50:28)Absolutely - and taking time to put it all into words has a number of direct benefits; it makes me thinkabout things when I’m about to do something, eat something or make some decision or other. It gives me achance to analyse what’s going on and helps me to fully understand the process (instead of the usual processof blindly following a routine, then one day wondering how and why I stopped doing it). Aiming for somethingso audacious and in the public eye certainly helps sharpen the focus lol. It’s also invaluable to get the feedbackand comments from you - in many ways the Internet makes it easier to have more direct contact with and in-put from a personal trainer. Makes working ”remotely”highly practical provided the initial motivation and drive is there.

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Feb 06 2012: Week 3 (2012-02-06 08:11)

4:15am start to what is week 3 (already) of the ”pre-season” period. It all kicks off officially with the 12 WeekChallenge, and will then continue until I complete a marathon (and should pretty much have become anestablished lifestyle by that point!)

Food:

Breakfast: 1 cup of cereal (Just Right), skim milk (pre walk) 1 slice of dry toast with vegemiteMid-morning: Low fat banana/muesli sliceLunch: 12” subway club with all salad, no dressing. On reflection I had half for lunch, saving other half formid-afternoonMid-afternoon: Subway club part 2...Dinner: Pasta, sauce made with turkey mince, lentils, olives and tomato

Drink:

Plain, filtered water: 3200ml1 small glass orange juicelong macchiato with 2 sugarsGlass skim milk

Activity:

Usual walk with dog, completed in 15m 58sPre-walk: Stretching, warm-up and 10 push-ups (knees)Train station to office - 1.5kmDown stairs from level 8, mid-morning, lunch, afternoon


Woke up in a superb state of mind. Raring to go for the week.Noon: Feeling fab10pm: Tired, ready for bed, another successful day

Notes:

Feb 07 2012: Jetts Day (2012-02-07 05:36)

4:15am start to the day and raring to go once more after a restful night. Being active physically as well asmentally are producing a feeling of complete tiredness at the end of each day, resulting in some good qualitysleep. Anyway, today is an exciting one; introductory session at the Jetts 24 hour gym, so I’ll be able to takethe training up a level with some regular gym work.

Food:

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Breakfast: 1 cup of cereal (Just Right), skim milk (pre walk) 1 slice of dry toast with vegemiteMid-morning: Danish pastryLunch: 1 slice toast, leftover pasta sauce from last night (turkey mince, tomato, olives & lentils)Mid-afternoon: Nothing - thought I had a gym session...Dinner: Lamb chop, broccolini, mushrooms, corn on the cob

Drink:

Plain, filtered water: 2600ml1 small glass orange juice1 long macchiato, 2 sugars1 bottle coke zero (vanilla)1 glass milk

Activity:

Usual walk with dog, completed in 15m 52sPre-walk: Stretching, warm-up and 11 push-ups (knees)Walk back from Dome Cafe at lunch time


Woke up feeling great. Looking forward to Jetts this afternoonNoon: feeling fine11pm - ready for bed

Notes:

Didn’t get to do the first gym session as hoped - the introductory thing was just a tour and explanation ofhow to use equipment... tomorrow will be doing rowing and stretching.

Feb 08 2012: Hump Day Gym Day (2012-02-08 08:08)

Woke up just before 4am - was surprised as I’d gone to bed about 11 last night. Worst thing about todaywas the sad look on Marble’s face as I headed off to the gym without her. She did get a shorter walk when Igot back, so she was soon smiling again.

Food:

Breakfast: 1 cup of cereal (Just Right), skim milk (pre gym) 2 slices of dry toast with vegemiteMid-morning: Morning team strikes again! Party pie, small sausage roll, carrot, celery, fruit salad and a pieceof cake. I even ENJOYED the fruit, carrot and celery. Whatever next?!Lunch: Chicken and egg salad (carrot, beetroot, lettuce, cucumber, cheese). As a direct comparison with theone I had previously from the sushi/smoothie place (mostly lettuce, gritty)... this one rocks. It’s from CafeViva in Esplanade Busport and made fresh while you wait. $6.50.Mid-afternoon: Hot cross bunDinner: Steak sandwich (including plenty of salad) and healthy home-cut chips

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Drink:

Plain, filtered water: 3800ml2 small glasses orange juice1 long macchiato, 2 sugars

Activity:

Gym: 5 minutes bike warm-up, 4 x 500m on rower, with leg stretches in between. 10 fitball squats, 12push-ups (knees)Short walk with dog around the block1.5km walk across town from train station to office


Woke up ready to head to the gym1pm - tired, in good spirits though. Looking forward to nap on the bus :-)10pm - feels like a cold coming (reaction to exercise no doubt). More than ready for bed!

Notes:

Current focus set by Britt is stretching, squats, pushups and now the rowing machine. With the rower I did4 lots of 500m followed by front and back leg muscle stretches. The rowing machine has a variable difficultylevel adjusted by allowing more or less water into the fly wheel. I started to struggle on the 2nd lot amdremembered that it was adjustable. Set to ”3” on the dial for the rest of the rowing, and that was adequateas I paused at about 250m on the final two attempts.

Times for rowing:

1: 2m 30s, water level set to middle of the dial (5?)2: 2m 30s, water level set to 33: 2m 40s, water level set to 34: 2m 40s, water level set to 3

Out of puff and struggling to keep knees in tight - either way I ”rowed” 2km this morning and that’spretty damn fantastic as far as I am concerned!

nearly a year gone by already no more mr fat guy (2013-01-08 07:58:44)[...] first time I went down the gym I rowed 500m four times. the times were 2m 30s, 2m 30s, 2m 40s, 2m 40s and Iwas “out of [...]

Feb 09 2012: Gym Day 2 (2012-02-09 08:31)

Woke up at 4am having slept solidly from 10pm last night. Throat itchy, muscles achy, sneezing... I’mignoring the ”cold” symptoms, it’s another one of those reactions; it would appear that I am currently allergic

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to physical exercise!!

Food:

Breakfast: 1 slice bread, no butter, vegemite (pre gym) 1 slice dry toast and fried eggMid-morning: 1 banana, 1 piece chocolate mud cake (someone’s birthday and I declined a 2nd piece - win!)Lunch: Half a sandwich. wholemeal bread (no butter), lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, beetroot, chicken,cheese, mayo. Approx. 40g of ”Nuts n More” mix (nuts, fruit and seeds)Mid-afternoon: Other half of sandwich, rest of Nuts n more.Dinner: Salmon pesto with 0 points weightwatchers slim pasta

Drink:

Plain, filtered water: 3400ml2 glass orange juice (400ml)1 long macchiato, 2 sugars

Activity:

Gym: 5 minutes bike warm-up, 4 x 500m on rower, with leg stretches in between. 10 fitball squats, 12push-ups (knees)Short walk with dog around the block1.5km walk across town from train station to office3 x Down office stairs - level 8 to ground1 x Up office stairs - level 1 to level 8 (no access from outside on ground level )


Morning: 4am Mentally great, physically a little battered. Ignoring cold-like symptomsLunch - Still great - bit of a walk at lunchtime. Cold trying to break through ; I am not letting it!Night - Mood is fine, body and mind tired, ready for a good night’s sleep.

Notes:

Forgot if the rower had been set to 3 or 4 yesterday, set it to 4. That’s the new baseline. I seemed to be”suffering” the impact of yesterday’s workout and times were slower today. Less pausing in each 500m blockthough!

Times for rowing:

1: 2m 35s2: 2m 55s3: 3m 05s4: 3m 25s

Out of puff, hips aching, legs like jelly and technique still awful - another 2km nailed though!

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Feb 10 2012: TFI Friday! (2012-02-10 07:51)

Another 4am start - waking up automatically at a time that would have sometimes been my bedtime. Stillnot 100 % used to it! Marble still looking to join me even though she had her op yesterday and has a bigplastic cone on her head. Dogs don’t do all the stupid head stuff we humans are so good at - they just get onwith it...

Food:Breakfast: 1 cup cereal, skim milk (pre gym) 1 slice dry toast and vegemiteMid-morning: BananaLunch: Beef Teriyaki Bento (Beef, rice, 2 pcs sushi roll, shredded cabbage, fruit salad)Mid-afternoon: Fruit and Nut barDinner: (at an event) Spicy Vegetarian Daal, chicken, small piece of quiche, small slice of home-made mulberrytart. 1 beer.

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 4300ml1 glass orange juice (200ml)1 long macchiato, 2 sugars1 beer stubby

Activity:Gym: 5 minutes bike warm-up, 4 x 500m on rower, with leg stretches in between. 12 fitball squats, 14push-ups (knees)1.5km walk across town from train station to office (got off one stop early, maybe only added a couple hundredmetres though)2 x Down office stairs - level 8 to ground (210 steps)2 x Up office stairs - level 1 to level 8 (154 steps)Approximately 11km cycling plus 2km walking (flat tyre)

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning: 4am Mentally great, physically a little battered. Tickly cough, ok as long as lubricatedLunch - Superb...Night - Over the moon that the cycle ride was so noticeably better than the last time I rode the same journey

Notes:Rowing was a shocker, technique-wise. Struggling to keep knees together. Final block of 500m involved feetslipping out of straps... Pleased about the 3rd lot though as the time improved on previous (i.e. tried harder)

Times for rowing:

1: 2m 50s2: 3m 05s3: 2m 45s4: 3m 15s

As before: out of puff, hips aching, legs like jelly, technique awful. That said this week I have rowed6km in 3 days and my resting pulse rate is about 70 beats per minute. Gotta be chuffed with that!

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Feb 11 2012: Lazy Start to Weekend (2012-02-11 07:04)

I was out last night at a ”do” at a friend’s house - it went on later than I thought, then I got a flat tyrecoming home. So it was well past midnight before I got to bed. Woke up this morning at a very lazy 5:25 lol.No gym today, Britt wanted me to have a break from that today and tomorrow so I have a bit of energy foruse in tomorrow’s assessment. I did go for a walk on the usual dog walk route, and the time was suprising. Ithought I’d gone round faster without the dog, however the stopwatch said 15:50, which is about the same.

Maybe riding 11km and walking 2km last night had a small impact there... in any case I completedthe bike rides without any real suffering, and the walk this morning was equally pain-free. Can feel definiteimprovements in myself overall; those rowing machine sessions are doing their job!

Food:Breakfast: Half wholemeal roll with vegemite (pre walk) other half of wholemeal roll with a fried egg (minimalamount of spray oil).Mid-morning: Skipped because I knew it would be an early lunch, and a generous one at that.Lunch: Picnic lunch with friends - minced turkey meatballs, falafel, salad, cheese, chicken pieces, fruit salad(cake temptation resisted)Mid-afternoon: Asleep!Family Dinner: pre-dinner nibbles (cheese, crackers, melon and grapes). Handmade chips, Chicken burger,poached peach and ice cream.

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3500ml1 glass orange juice (200ml)1 beer stubby1 can ginger beer2 glasses red wine

Activity:Dog Walk: Completed usual dog walk route (sans dog) in 15m 50s

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning: 5:25am Mentally great, physically fine, eager to get up and go for a walk!Lunch - The late night and early start caught up - very tired and slept for an hour or more in the afternoonNight - Quite late back from family dinner - tired. Felt good about some of the good decisions made at dinner

Notes:Overall I was pleased with the day; it was always going to be a challenging one with a lunchtime picnic andfamily dinner. Main wins were replacing cake with fruit, and only having 1 beer before dinner. I was alsopleased that I was able to say ”enough” after the first burger (made with chicken breast) and not yield to thetemptation of trying the beef ones, no matter how delicious my brother-in-law had made them!

The plan to have just 1 red wine faltered, and the beer should have been replaced by water rather than gingerbeer. Still, I was pleased that I’d headed in the right general direction.

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Feb 12 2012: Lazy Starts Continue (2012-02-12 07:43)

We got back from family dinner a little later than usual, so it was almost midnight again when I got to bed.Fortunately I woke up at a more ”sensible” 6am and went for a walk about 6:15. Today’s a big day, with theofficial Weightloss Challenge weigh-in and I’ll also be doing some work with Britt including having a revisedplan of things to do in the next week or so.

I wanted to start the day in the right way and pushed hard on the walk (no dog to slow me down).Must have worked because I completed it in 15m 29s. I think that’s the best time so far.

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-walk) cheese sandwich (toast with no butter, grated Bega lowfat cheese)Mid-morning: At Walkabout Wellness gym doing benchmarks etc.Lunch: Curried egg and tomato sandwichMid-afternoon: Missed due to falling asleep!Family Dinner: Tuna and veg mornay

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 4000ml1 glass orange juice (200ml)

Activity:Dog Walk: Completed usual dog walk route (minus dog) in 15m 29sBenchmarks for Walkabout Wellness weightloss challenge:

3km on bike (warm-up)500m row (2m 51s)1km run (7m 45s I think - mostly walked)1km row (about 6m 30s from memory)20 push ups

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning: 6:00am woke up feeling good, looking forward to weighing in etc. keen to start ”officially”Lunch - Recovered well from all activities at WW gym; crashed after lunch though, really tired!Night - 9:15pm shoulders aching, some residual soreness all over from the morning’s efforts. Ready for somequality sleep.

Notes:Great day overall - the weight loss and reduction in all key body measurements gave great positive feedbackthat things are changing already. That’s only with the prep work, so will be good to see how much morethings change with the real work!

Actually did some running today - first time in years. Guess it wasn’t such a lazy day after all :-)

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Feb 13 2012: Lucky for Some (2012-02-13 07:41)

So here we are, Day 1 of the Walkabout Wellness Weightloss Challenge and at the start of a life-changingprocess that will build on the preparation of the last few weeks.

After all the excitement and efforts of yesterday, I didn’t make it past 10 last night, which is why Iwoke just before 4 raring to go!

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) slice dry toast and microwaved eggMid-morning: Large bananaLunch: Salad bowl - lettuce, tomato, grated carrot, cucumber, grated cheese, olives, beetroot, lean beefMid-afternoon: BananaFamily Dinner: Chicken skewers, sweet potato oven chips, corn-on-the-cob

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 5900ml1 glass orange juice (200ml)1 long macchiato - no sugar (not as bad as feared)1 glass skim milk

Activity:Gym (details below)Short walk with MarbleCaught bus into Perth today and got off early, leaving about 1.5km to walkDown stairs level 8 to ground x 2Up stairs level 1 to level 8 x 2Step count: About 10,200 - accidentally reset the counter shortly after hitting the 10,000 mark

Gym:5 minute warm up on bikeStretching - legs, back, shoulders500m warm-up row - 3m 01s10 push-ups, 10 fitball squats, 10 calf raises500m row - 2m 23s10 push-ups, 10 fitball squats, 10 calf raises500m row - 2m 32s10 push-ups, 10 fitball squats, 10 calf raises500m row - 2m 32sStretching - legs, back, shoulders

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up just before 4am, aching a little all over from yesterday, raring to go.Lunch - Feeling wide awake and full of energy. Aches mostly gone.Night - Not feeling exhausted, will probably go to sleep quickly though (9:45pm)

Notes:Have a new route to get my mid-morning snack and lunch... down office block stairs, zig-zag around thecomplex, down some other stairs, across footbridge, sweep round past convention centre (behind busport), allthe way around back to front entrance of busport.

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Trip back - across footbridge, walk all the way along until come out on Mill St, walk uphill to St George’sTerrace all the way to pedestrian area that leads down to our building. Then lift to level 1 and stairs to level8. Clocked up a couple thousand steps or more, and a massive sweat. Heavy going up the stairs, howeverrecovery time was under a minute!

Gary Wilmot (2012-02-13 08:23:48)Wow - drinking real coffee without sugar is so much more palatable than cutting out sugar from instant coffee. I stillneed some time for the tastebuds to adjust, however it’s not the ordeal I thought it might be...

Britt (2012-02-13 14:03:28)Wow well done, see the funny thing about setting a goal is how much easier it suddenly is to achieve it. Try for asmany under 230 as you can now that you nailed the first one! Awesome efforts Gary :)

Gary Wilmot (2012-02-13 14:37:53)I’ll be honest though... rowing style went out the window. For some reason it seems a little easier keeping kneestogether on the Concept 2. Slightly different dimensions and angles I guess.. Anyway, for now it seems that my kneeswant to spread out a little and my times shoot up. Stiffness of knees and muscles plus gut and thigh blubber seem toget in the way of good ”style”.

Britt (2012-02-13 19:41:42)Technique does matter, but what matters even more is just doing it, correct the little things along the way, work onkeeping your legs in as straight a line as they will do and eventually they WILL cooperate. Your workday walking isvery inspiriational and the key to your ongoing sucess!

Feb 14 2012: Valentine’s Day Massacre (2012-02-14 07:31)

”Violets are blue,Roses are redI was down at the gymWhen normal people were still in bed...”

Happy Valentines Day everyone - or as I call it, ”Weightloss Challenge Day 2”. I think that’s a moreromantic name overall...

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 multigrain weetbix with skim milkMid-morning: 1 large bananaLunch: Salad bowl (chicken, cheese, egg, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, cucumber, gherkins, carrot)Mid-afternoon: 1 bananaDinner: Beef curry, brown rice and daal

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3500ml1 glass orange juice (200ml)2 long macchiato - no sugarGlass milk

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Activity:Gym (details below)Short walk with Marble1.5km walk from bus stop to officeDown stairs level 8 to ground x 4Up stairs level 1 to level 8 x 3Step count: 10770

Gym:5 minute warm up on bike600m row - 3m 51s10 push-ups, 10 fitball squats, stretching800m row - 5m 14sstretching600m row - 3m 28sstretching

I had woken up at 3:45am today, so I had a bit of time spare at the end of the gym session and threw insome walking on the treadmill. 1km in 11 minutes.

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 3:45am, having woken a few times in the night, minor aching, keen to get on with it.Lunch - Alive and kicking!Night - Not overly tired, energy levels pretty good. Felt great.

Notes:Adding meditation to the routine is working fine so far - I’ve downloaded a half hour meditation audio andthat fits neatly into the bus trip into Perth.

Britt (2012-02-14 07:35:34)Nice going on the second 600 Row, lowering your time on the last one is fantastic :)

Gary Wilmot (2012-02-14 07:47:11)Yeah I did make an effort to keep knees together a bit more today and still had plenty of puff for an extra effort onthe last 600m. Obviously the recovery between rows is effective.

Feb 15 2012: Down by the Riverside (2012-02-15 07:53)

Up at 4am today (4:04 to be precise), great session in the gym and then a minor brain fart that caused me toget off the bus at the other end of Perth and walk a few kms to the office. Very pleasant walk along the river.

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 multigrain weetbix with skim milkMid-morning: A bananaLunch: Salad bowl (tuna, cheese, egg, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, cucumber, asparagus, carrot)Mid-afternoon: A banana, 1 white choc TimTam (thought about it first, and did it anyway - oops)Dinner: Pasta - sauce made from turkey mince, tomato and pumpkin.

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Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3800ml1 orange juice (200ml approx)1 long macchiato - no sugar1 glass of milk

Activity:Gym (details below)2.8km walk from bus stop to officeDown stairs level 8 to ground x 3Up stairs level 1 to level 8 x 2Step count: 11,749

Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 1.667km500m row - 2m 22s10 fitball squats, 10 push-ups500m row - 2m 28s10 fitball squats, 10 push-ups500m row - 2m 24s10 fitball squats, 10 push-ups500m row - 2m 28sstretching

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 4:04 and straight up and into it!Lunch - Some slight aches and twinges from this morning. Excellent mood and frame of mind.Night - Alert and upbeat.

Notes:Felt my stomach muscles kicking in with the rowing today - quite possibly for the first time. Pushed myselfeach time to get under the 2:30 mark. Well knackered at the end of it all - amazingly quick recovery though!A great session.

30 minute meditation on the bus works wonders. Start the working day with the system fully bootedup and running and a relatively calm and still mind. Perfect.

Britt (2012-02-15 14:16:55)AWESOME Gary, talk about smashing the weekly goal of at least once under 2:30.... today all rows wereunder :) WELL DONE!!! With your morning tea, I would like to see you add in a handful of nuts,seeds almonds,walnuts, any sorts of seeds really.... just watch for added salt.. (peanuts can be bad for that!) Keep up the fantastic work

Gary Wilmot (2012-02-15 14:33:15)Cool - will have a look around for healthy nuts and seeds and throw a handful in each mid-morning. Possibly add in adash of yoghurt if I’m feeling really daring. Banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds. Sounds delicious!

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Feb 16 2012: Smoke on the Water (2012-02-16 08:35)

Another 4am start - I think we’ll take that as read from now on?

The smoke haze has spread to the SE suburbs now, so the day started with scenes that would look athome in a sci-fi movie...

Was an even thicker haze over the Swan River and Kings’ Park, as I enjoyed a 3km stroll once more.If I keep this up I’ll soon be walking to work from my house! (about 35km, so I’m only kidding).

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 multigrain weetbix with skim milkMid-morning: 1 banana (sliced), natural yoghurt, handful of raw almonds, raw walnuts, sunflower seeds,pepitas and pine nutsLunch: MYO Sandwich (wholemeal bread, chicken, onion, jalapenos, olives, snow pea sprouts, lettuce,balsamic vinegar)Mid-afternoon: BananaDinner: Salmon, hand-cut oven-baked chips, corn on the cob, peas

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3000ml1 orange juice (200ml approx)1 long macchiato - no sugar1 glass milk

Activity:Gym (details below)2.8km walk along river to officeDown stairs level 8 to ground x 3Up stairs level 1 to level 8 x 2Step count: 13482

Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 1.747km1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 5m 28sStretching and recovery500m row - 2m 23sStretching and recovery500m row - 2m 19sStretching and recovery

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 3:57 and had to make a small effort to get up as I felt tired.Lunch - Feel great - slight ache in hips and kneesNight - Feeling a lot brighter than first thing this morning. Definitely in bed about 10 tonight though!

Notes:Meant to go to bed about 10pm last night, got caught up with stuff and ended up in bed almost an hourlater. Will need to watch that - 2 nights in a row now and that was why I was tired this morning.

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Feb 17 2012: Wheel Wobbles (2012-02-17 08:10)

Had some hassles upgrading my main computer’s operating system last night, which resulted in an eveningwasted on fixing things up plus another 11pm bed time.

Not surprisingly this resulted in my waking up at 4:30am. This set me off in a negative way, and(with hindsight) I’ve subsequently been fighting negative thoughts ALL morning. Fortunately I have wonthose battles.

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 multigrain weetbix with skim milkMid-morning: Low fat blueberry yoghurt, sliced banana, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts andpepitasLunch: Teriyaki Chicken Bento - chicken, rice, 2 pcs sushi, shredded cabbage, fruit saladMid-afternoon: BananaDinner: Steak and roasted chunky veggies (pumpkin, potato, capsicum, eggplant)

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3000ml1 orange juice (200ml approx)1 long macchiato - no sugar1 glass milk

Activity:Gym (details below)2.8km walk along river to officeDown stairs level 8 to ground x 2Up stairs level 1 to level 8 x 2Step count: 12650

Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 1.8km

Instructions for the day - ”familiarise with available weight machines. For weights, use enough sothat doing 7 reps is hard, and 10 reps is almost impossible”. 1 minute rest between sets...

With the Jetts Gym, most of the machines use numeric scales NOT weights. Each number is 5kgor 10kg I think - and I believe it varies from machine to machine!

Leg Press - 3 sets of 10, machine set to level 8, then 10, then 12. (probably 60kg)Chest Press - 3 sets of 10, machine set to level 10, then 11 (probably 55kg)Seated Row - 3 sets of 10, machine set to level 12 (probably 60kg)Assisted Chinups - 3 sets of 10, 85kg (maximum counterweight available). Really struggled on these, reallyshocking how poor that upper body strength is! Each set I managed 2 or 3 relatively smoothly, then struggledand battled through to hit 10. More like 10 sets of 3 than 3 sets of 10!


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Morning - Woke up at 4:30 which set me off on the wrong foot for the dayLunch - Much much better than this morning, few aches, massive improvement in mental stateNight - Ready for bed - aiming for 10pm :-)

Notes:Had to battle a few bad thoughts this morning, thoughts of: cutting short gym session (so I didn’t miss the6am bus), not doing the 2.8km walk along the river (so I could catch the 6:30 bus and not be in work anylater) and general despondency thinking a marathon was a stupid idea (the poor show in the chin-ups haddented my confidence temporarily).

I pushed myself along (showered more quickly, dressed more quickly etc.) and still caught the 6ambus!

Most of the negativity eased away after the meditation/relaxation on the bus - the remainder dis-appeared during the riverside walk.

First real occasion where negative crap has reared its head - previously any one of these could wellhave been enough to have been the beginning of the end. Not this time! Huzzah!

Nick Smurthwaite (2012-02-17 18:59:56)I’ve started my journey in weight loss three months ago. Keep the good work up. Tip squeeze half a lemon into awarm cup of water first thing in the morn. This helps the liver and thus it matabalises fat faster.

Gary Wilmot (2012-02-17 19:12:33)Cool, cheers for the tip Nick. How goes it with your weight loss efforts?

Feb 18 2012: Walk On By (2012-02-18 07:09)

Much better start to the day, in bed around 10pm, woke up about 4:00, stayed in bed until 6 before headingout for a walk... getting enough rest is clearly crucial.

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-walk) fried egg on 1 slice of unbuttered breadMid-morning: BananaLunch: Chicken, riceMid-afternoon: Piece of toast with vegemite and melted cheese - literally CRAVED it.Dinner: Homemade pizza - wholemeal base, tomato and basil paste, mushrooms, capsicum, tomato, rocket,spinach, chicken breast, ham, low fat Bega cheese

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3000ml2 orange juice (400ml approx)1 glass milk

Activity:No Gym Today - ”rest” dayTimed 1.5/1.6km walk - down to 14m 03s!

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Short walk with MarbleGrasshopper Soccer with KianWalked to playground with KianStep count: 9074

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Very positive frame of mind - aching a lot thanks to those chin-ups!Lunch - Suddenly very tired. Had a 2 hour ”nap” with Kian after lunch!Night - Hard to straighten left arm, sore tendon. Other than that not bad - fairly flat by day end.

Notes:The timed walk blew me away this morning. While I admit I was pushing myself to beat my previous time,the burning in my calf muscles was nothing like it has been before, and I was not really out of breath anythinglike before.

I shaved almost 90 seconds off the time to get down to 14m 03s! A good demonstration of the impactbeing had by training and pushing the daily walking beyond the 10,000 steps per day threshold.

Seeing results like that help maintain the positive frame of mind too!

Feb 19 2012: End of Week 1 or 4 (2012-02-19 06:03)

This is the end of week 1 of the 12 week challenge - end of week 4 overall... It’s 6:00 on a Sunday morningand I’m writing a journal entry having ALREADY been to the gym. WTF?

Anyway, 4:30am start today, was a little worried about the sore joints/tendons/whatever - these werefine after the warm-up, gave no grief during the training session, and have only now started to hurt a littleagain. Guess I need to keep moving my arms all day!

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) Bacon and egg sandwichMid-morning: Sliced banana and ”Forme” sticky date yoghurtLunch: Ham and salad sandwiches (rocket, spinach ,cucumber, tomato)Mid-afternoon: Sleep :-)Dinner: Kangaroo burger and salad sandwich with hand-cut oven-baked chips.

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3500mlOrange juice: 400ml

Activity:Gym - see below for detailsShort walk with MarbleStep count: 2267 - should’ve gone out for a walk instead of sitting at a computer working all day!

Gym:

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5 minute warm up on bike - 1.805km1km warm-up row - 6m 27s10 x push-ups, 10 x fitball squats, 10 x assisted chinups (85kg)10 x push-ups, 10 x fitball squats, 10 x assisted chinups (85kg)1km row (100/100 intervals) - 5m 15sStretching

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up with arms like lead, positive frame of mind though and keen to get to the gymLunch - Aching from the gym, slightly lethargic, had a nap after lunch!Night - Can straighten arms at last. All starts again tomorrow and I’m ready for it!

Notes:Been something of a flat day again - got a few things done on the computer, physically been tired.

Feb 20 2012: Bad Gym Day (2012-02-20 05:43)

Day 1, week 2 of the Walkabout Wellness Weightloss Challenge and I was up at 3:40am, hitting the gymaround 4. Was raring to go knowing I would comfortably do the 500m rows in well under 2m 30s, and itchingto have a crack at the new goal of doing at least half the push-ups as full ”toe” push-ups rather than ”knee”ones (i.e. man’s pushups, not girl pushups lol).

Didn’t quite pan out as hoped - 2 of the 3 lots of pushups were done 5 of each (toe and knee), noth-ing left on the final set so settled for 10 knee ones. The rowing was the killer; barely scraped under 2:30 forall 4 rows and struggled with the breathing towards the end of each. The worst impact though was a reallyfoul state of mind when I came out of the gym - luckily a spot of ”thought management”, while taking a shortwalk with the dog, seems to have helped on that front.

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) slice dry toast and microwaved eggMid-morning: BananaLunch: Chicken and salad pitta wrap, nuts and moreMid-afternoon: Banana, finished the nuts and moreFamily Dinner: Fish, potato, broccolini, salad

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3500ml1 glass orange juice (200ml)Glass milk

Activity:Gym (details below)Short walk with MarbleApprox 5000 steps - all-day seminar gave limited opportunity for walking!

Gym:5 minute warm up on bikeStretching - legs, back, shoulders

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500m warm-up row - 2m 29s10 push-ups, 10 fitball squats, 10 calf raises500m row - 2m 20s10 push-ups, 10 fitball squats, 10 calf raises500m row - 2m 27s10 push-ups, 10 fitball squats, 10 calf raises500m row - 2m 28sStretching - legs, back, shoulders

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up just after 3:30am, raring to go.Lunch - Positive mind, little tiredNight - Ready for bed - heavy day mentally plus early start have drained me!

Notes:

Just noticed - all the rowing times were better than last Monday, so maybe not such a bad gym session afterall...

Feb 21 2012: Back in the Groove (2012-02-21 08:56)

Raring to go again this morning, determined to have a more positive gym session than yesteday. Missionaccomplished with the minor exception of push-ups. I manged exactly zero full(toe) push-ups today. Gottacrack that one.

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 mutigrain weetbix and skim milkMid-morning: Banana, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, pepitas, vanilla yoghurtLunch: Salad bowl - chicken, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, beetroot, carrotMid-afternoon: BananaDinner: Turkey curry, dahl, brown rice

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3500mlGlass milk

Activity:Gym (details below)2.8km riverside walk from bus stop to officeDown stairs Level 8 to Ground x 2Up stairs Level 1 to Level 8 x 2Walk to park with Kian15561

Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 1.89km600m row - 3m 21s10 push-ups, 10 fitball squats, stretching

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800m warm-up row - 4m 12sStretching600m row - 2m 58sStretch

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 4am, raring to go.Lunch - Feeling great - good to be doing the walking again!Night - VERY positive frame of mind

Notes:

Smashed the rowing times from a week ago - well chuffed with that; yet more signs that things are headingin the right direction.

Now it’s a case of not getting cocky - a bad gym day awaits if that happens!

Feb 22 2012: Day 30! (2012-02-22 09:18)

Today is a special day - it’s the 30th day of writing daily journal entries, and therefore MORE than 30 daysof doing daily exercise and watching the diet. What’s so special about this? Well, ”they” usually say it takesat least 30 days for new habits to establish themselves, which means I’m well on the way to making all ofthis a part of a new lifestyle!

Clearly I was excited by this idea, which is why I woke up just before 3:30am, hitting the gym by 4 :-)

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 mutigrain weetbix and skim milkMid-morning: Sliced banana, walnuts, almonds, seeds and strawberry yoghurtLunch: Salad bowl: Salami, cheese, egg, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, beetroot, sliced gherkinsMid-afternoon: BananaDinner: Kangaroo steak, mashed pumpkin, cous-cous. Weight watchers ”3 points” cherry bakewell tart.

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3600mlLong macchiato - no sugarGlass orange juiceCup of Milk

Activity:Gym (details below)2.8km riverside walk from bus stop to officeDown stairs Level 8 to Ground x 3Up stairs Level 1 to Level 8 x 2Walk to park with KianStep count 16050 (at 7:30pm)

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Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 1.989kmStretch legs, shoulders, back500m row - 2m 14s10 fitball squats, 10 push-ups (5 toe, 5 knee)500m row - 2m 13s10 fitball squats, 10 push-ups (5 toe, 5 knee)500m row - 2m 20s10 fitball squats, 10 push-ups (5 toe, 5 knee)500m row - 2m 19sStretching

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up just before 3:30am, raring to go, determined to get in 5 full push-ups on all 3 sets of 10Lunch - Extremely positive on account of a few things clicking into place, not just the fitness stuffNight - Still going strong, had a productive session at the end of the day before getting to bed at 11pm

Notes:

Feb 23 2012: Running Late (2012-02-23 07:55)

Despite being up at 4am, I somehow managed to miss my usual bus by a minute or so. I therefore took analternative route into the office (so I could still be here around 7) which meant missing out on the riversidewalk.

Not entirely happy about that - however these things happen and I’ve managed to get 2800 steps inalong the way.

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 mutigrain weetbix and skim milkMid-morning: Banana, walnuts, almonds, seeds, blueberry yoghurt (turned down a chocolate cup cake too!)Lunch: Salad bowl - Beef, Cheese, Egg, Lettuce, Tomato, Olives, Cucumber, Beetroot, CarrotMid-afternoon: BananaDinner: Salmon and vegetable pancakes, 1 weightwatchers cherry bakewell

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3600mlLong macchiato - no sugarGlass orange juiceGlass milk

Activity:Gym (details below)Short walk with MarbleDown stairs Level 8 to Ground x 3Up stairs Level 1 to Level 8 x 2Back yard cricket with KianStep count 12278

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Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 1.920kmStretch legs, shoulders, back1000m row (intervals 100/100) - 4m 51sStretch and recover500m row - 2m 9sStretch and recover500m - 2m 10sStretch and recover

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 4am feeling great and ready to go.Lunch - In a really good, positive mood.Night - Tired and ready for bed (11pm)

Notes:Rowing times at the gym were fantastic - it helped that my feet didn’t slip from the straps. Reason for thisis I dug out an old battered pair of training shoes and they were better for the job as they have a moresubstantial heel.

At the end of the rowing I knew I’d given it all - with hindsight missing the riverside walk this morn-ing may have been a good thing, giving the legs a chance to recover a little!

Feb 24 2012: Later Still! (2012-02-24 08:37)

Funny how perceptions can change; I used to consider getting up at 8am (on a weekday) or 10pm (at theweekend) as getting up late. After another late night (11:15pm ish) I woke up at 4:45am and consideredTHAT to be late.

I did the gym as per usual (no skipping that for sure!) and again had to sacrifice the riverside walkin order to maintain the new work schedule (in at 7, home at 3). I did get off the bus a few stops early, anddeliberately skipped the coffee shop so I can get in another walk up/down the stairs to get coffee.

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with orange marmalade (pre-gym) 2 mutigrain weetbix and skim milkMid-morning: Vanilla yoghurt, walnuts, almonds, seedsLunch: Teriyaki Fish, rice, 2 pcs sushi, shredded cabbageMid-afternoon: Fruit saladDinner: ”Monster Munch” Salad - a Weight Watchers tuna salad recipe.

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3500mlLong macchiato - no sugarGlass orange juiceGlass milk

Activity:

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Gym (details below)Down stairs Level 8 to Ground x 4Up stairs Level 1 to Level 8 x 3Lunchtime riverside walkStep count 12,062

Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 1.939kmLeg press, 3 sets of 10. Sets performed on level number 12, 13 then 14Chest press, 3 sets of 10. Sets performed on level number 11, 12 then 11Assisted chinups, 3 sets of 10. Sets performed with 85kg, 80kg, 85kgSeated row, 3 sets of 10. Sets performed with 35kg, 40kg, 40kg

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 4:45am, mood so-so (bit miffed at being up late)Lunch - Excellent mood, enjoyed a great walk along the riverNight - Mood great - tired and ready for bed (10:40pm)

Notes:Clearly I need to watch the times I get to bed - had a run of 3 11pms in a row and paid the price this morningwith a 4:45 wake-up. Something to watch out for!

The seated row - I think I got the wrong machine last time. I’m also not entirely convinced I got thingsright with the machine this morning. Will check out some technique videos and re-benchmark the weights ifnecessary.

Feb 25 2012: rest day, what rest day? (2012-02-25 07:15)

Due to tomorrow being a 12-Week-Weightloss-Challenge weigh-in and assessment day, I’ve swapped my restday over, making tomorrow (Sunday) the ”rest” day and today a normal gym day. With things like a 1kmrow and 1km run/walk, tomorrow won’t provide much of a rest lol

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) microwaved egg and slice of toastMid-morning: PopcornLunch: Chicken, Avocado and Salad SandwichMid-afternoon: Sticky Date YoghurtFamily Dinner: Nibbles (few nuts etc.), Entrees (cucumber, chorizo and goat’s milk fetta and sri lankan fishcurry parcels). Main - spice-rubbed pork fillet with green apple, maple and whisky slaw. Dessert - Whitechocolate pannacotta with blueberry compote.

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3100mlGlass orange juice1 beer1 glass red wine

Activity:

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Gym (details below)Short walk with MarbleGrasshopper Soccer with KianStep count 3796 (3:30pm) - left the pedometer off all afternoon :-(

Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 1.974km1000m warm-up row - 5m 38s10 push-ups (all knee), 10 fitball squats, 10 assisted chin-ups 80kg10 push-ups (6 toe, 4 knee), 10 fitball squats, 10 assisted chin-ups 80kg1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 4m 46sStretches

I also threw in a 1km easy walk (5 km/h) to warm down and recover

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 4:30am, mood was fabLunch - Tired but positiveNight - Definitely ready for bed!

Notes:Felt like I had zero upper body strength when I tried to do toe pushups in the first set. Gathered my thoughts,dug into whatever source of inspiration was available and squeezed out 6 in the second set. Was a goodfeeling to know that things ARE possible.

Managed to stick to 1 beer and 1 wine - probably overdid the nibbles and cucumber/chorizo snacks alittle. Not too bad though I don’t think.

Feb 26 2012: weigh-in day (2012-02-26 09:30)

Had a nice slow start to the day as it was a non-gym day. Up about 7:30am or so, a sluggish start wasremedied with a gentle walk with the dog. Have a weigh-in and progress check at the Walkabout Wellnessgym today; can’t wait to find out what progress has been made!

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-walk) 2 multigrain weetbix with skim milkMid-morning: At WW gymLunch: Omelette (chicken, cheese, sweetcorn, tomato)Mid-afternoon: Weightwatchers Cherry Bakewell tartDinner: Pasta bolognese (wholemeal pasta). Forme Apple Pie yoghurt (bloody delicious)

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3000mlGlass orange juiceGlass milk

Activity:

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Walkabout Wellness check-in (see below)1.6km Walk with Marble - not timed, just a nice gentle walk - first lengthy walk since she had her stitches outStep count 2950 (9:30am) forgot to put back on after the gym...

Walkabout Wellness Check-in:Weight: 136.2kg1km row: 4m 28s (I think)Push-ups in a minute: 7 toe and 11 knee, second set (knee only) 21Crunches in a minute: 25 approx.Running up and down gym, taking medicine balls from one end to the other, then back again.. 2m 06s (ifmemory serves me correctly)

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 7:30am, mood was so-so. Bit sluggishLunch - Felt great after the WW sessionNight -

Notes:Goal for week - 2km in 5 min bike warmupsAdding On:Taking Away:

Feb 27 2012: Week 5 (2012-02-27 08:28)

Wow, 4 weeks have flown by and so much has changed already. It’s going to be really exciting seeing theresults of another 10 weeks of the Walkabout Wellness Weightloss Challenge, let alone what happens beyondthat!

In the short term though, things got a little tougher today, with exercises being ramped up from 10to 15 reps each set. The efforts at the WW gym yesterday also took their toll, especially on the push-upfront!

This week’s goal = hit 2km in the 5 minute warm-up bike rideThis week’s give away = changed the morning coffee from Long Mac to Skinny Long MacThis week’ take on = Ab crunches to be added into the activity on my non-gym day

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 weetbix and skim milkMid-morning: Sliced banana, almonds, walnuts, seeds, raspberry yoghurtLunch: Salad bowl (chicken, egg, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, olives, carrot, beetroot)Mid-afternoon: BananaDinner: Turkey steak and roasted veggies (e.g. egg plant, capsicum, potato), weightwatchers cherry bakewell

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3000mlSkinny long macchiato - no sugarGlass orange juice

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Glass milk

Activity:Gym (details below)Down stairs Level 8 to Ground x 3Up stairs Level 1 to Level 8 x 1Lunch time stroll around Mounts Bay Rd and up Jacob’s Ladder.Park with Kian and MarbleStep count 15395

Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 2.018kmStretching - legs, shoulders, back500m warm-up row - 2m 27s15 pushups (all knee), 15 fitball squats, 15 calf raises500m row - 2m 18s15 pushups (all knee), 15 fitball squats, 15 calf raises500m row - 2m 30s15 pushups (all knee), 15 fitball squats, 15 calf raises500m row - 2m 28sStretching - legs, shoulders, back

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 3:20am, state of mind was excellentLunch - Must be a bit mental - went to see how far Jacob’s Ladder is from office, and walked up it!Night - Feeling very positive, and tired :-)

Notes:Wasn’t in a state to do full (toe) pushups at all today; mentally or physically. The efforts of yesterday hadtaken a toll on the shoulders etc. when I tried to push through that, the mind was weak.

Better luck next time :-)

Feb 28 2012: Goodbye Ruby Tuesday (2012-02-28 07:40)

4:15am start to the day, up and out to the gym happily and willingly, a decent session and a nice stroll bythe river once I got to Perth.

This is rapidly becoming my definition of a GREAT day.

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 weetbix and skim milkMid-morning: Banana, blueberry yoghurt, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pepitas, sunflower seedsLunch: Toasted foccacia with tandoori chicken, spinach leaves, tomato.Mid-afternoon: Handful of grapesDinner: Chicken curry, browen rice and daalEvening Social: Few nibbles, bit of cheese, couple of mini toasts with dip

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Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3800mlSkinny long macchiato - no sugarGlass orange juice

Activity:Gym (details below)2.8km riverside walk to officeExtended lunchtime walk, along the river a little then back around into townDown stairs Level 8 to Ground x 2Up stairs Level 1 to Level 8 x 2Step count - lost track at 12,000 or so6.5km (ish) cycle ride x 2, 2 hours apart, 35 minutes out, 26 minutes back

Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 2.039km600m row - 2m 48s15 push-ups (7 toe, 8 knee), 15 fitball squats, stretching800m row - 4m 13sStretching600m row - 2m 48sStretching

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 4:15am, mood solid and balanced, ready to start the dayLunch - GREAT!Night - Tired, hot, sweaty (after bike ride) - ready for bed, never even switched computer on!

Notes:Toe push-ups back in the mix today, which is great. Hit the 2km goal for the warm-up bike ride, secondsuccessive day. Need to keep that up now.

Feb 29 2012: Wednesday Like a River (2012-02-29 07:53)

4:15am start to the day again, bit of a sluggish start which was probably due to the bike ride last night. Thebike ride also seems to have affected overall energy and performance in the gym. Reasonable I guess - thebody can only take so much!

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 weetbix and skim milkMid-morning: Sliced banana, peach & mango yoghurt, almonds, walnuts, pepitas, pine nuts, sunflower seedsLunch: Subway, Italian BMT with cheddar cheese and all the salad, no dressing. First half of 12 inch sub.Mid-afternoon: Subway, Italian BMT with cheddar cheese and all the salad, no dressing. Second half of 12inch sub.Dinner: Roast chicken breast and roasted veggies (carrot, onion, zucchini, potato)

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Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3100mlGlass orange juiceSkinny long macchiato - no sugarGlass milk

Activity:Gym (details below)2.8km riverside walk to officeDown stairs Level 8 to Ground x 3Up stairs Level 1 to Level 8 x 2Park with Kian and MarbleStep count - 13903

Gym:5 minute warm up on bike - 1.949kmStretching500m warm-up row - 2m 19s15 fitball squats, 15 push-ups (3 toe, 12 knee)500m row - 2m 15s15 fitball squats, 15 push-ups (6 toe, 9 knee)500m row - 2m 20s15 fitball squats, 15 push-ups (all knee)Stretching

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 4:15am, slightly sluggishLunch - Good - scale of 1 to 5? 4Night - Tired and positive

Notes:Clear impact of cycling 13km; 5 minute warm-up ride dipped below 2km. 500m row times reasonable. Toepush-ups were HARD!

1.3 March

Mar 1 2012: Thursday’s Child (2012-03-01 08:16)

No gym today - still woke up at 3:30am though! Body is quite grateful for the break from gym work, it’sfeeling a bit battered and worn...

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-walk) 1 slice dry toast, mushrooms and fried eggMid-morning: Sliced banana, walnuts, almonds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, natural yoghurtLunch: Salad bowl (chicken, egg, cheese, beetroot, carrot, cucumber, tomato, lettuce)

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Mid-afternoon: BananaDinner: Salmon and salad

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3400mlGlass orange juiceSkinny long macchiato - no sugarGlass milk

Activity:Ab crunches (20ish?)1.6km walk with Marble2.8km riverside walk to officeDown stairs Level 8 to Ground x 2Up stairs Level 1 to Level 8 x 2Step count - 14429

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 3:30am, mood about a 3, body grateful for gym break!Lunch - Mood about 4ish - feeling pretty good overall, a little drained in the legs perhaps?Night - Ended on a high note despite going a bit flat mid-afternoon

Notes:Been an interesting ”day off”. Had a slump mid-afternoon to early evening. Tired, drained and could feelmotivation level dropping fast. The cure was watching Biggest Loser; seeing a couple of contestants diggingdeep seems to have sparked things back to life with me.

On reflection I think going to the gym every day out gets to be easy due to habit - taking a day offintroduces space and time to think. Space and time that negative crap can make use of if allowed.

Mar 2 2012: Friday On My Mind (2012-03-02 08:52)

Woke at 11:30pm, 1:30am and 4am - so took a couple of seconds to force myself to get started this morning.Was keen to hit the gym after a day off though. Also today’s a big day with a DJ Clubfit session this evening.Will be good to compare with the initial session a month ago...

Food:Breakfast: 1 slice dry toast with vegemite (pre-gym) 2 multigrain weetbix and skim milkMid-morning: Sliced banana, almonds, walnuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, passion fruit yoghurtLunch: Teriyaki Chicken Bento Box (2 pcs sushi, shredded cabbage, chicke, rice, fruit salad)Mid-afternoon: BananaDinner: Chicken schnitzel, baked beans, slice toast, mushrooms

Drink:Plain, filtered water: 3100mlGlass orange juiceSkinny long macchiato - no sugar

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Glass milk

Activity:Gym (see details below)2.8km riverside walk to officeDown stairs Level 8 to Ground x 2Up stairs Level 1 to Level 8 x 2Step count - 10148 (12:30pm)[1]DJ Clubfit (see details below)

Gym:5 min bike warm-up - 1.9ish km1000m row (intervals 100/100) - 4m 41sStretch and recover500m row - 2m 23sStretch and recover500m row - 2m 09sStretch and recover

[2]DJ Clubfit:Bike warm-up”Colours” (basically running around a car park 5 times, carrying weights of varying colour and weight)More bike warm-upRowing Challenge - 7m 32s100m row, 10 pushups, 10 crunches, run up stairs, touch back wall, run back to rower200m row, 10 pushups, 10 crunches, run up stairs, touch back wall, run back to rower300m row, 10 pushups, 10 crunches, run up stairs, touch back wall, run back to rower

Circuit: 3 x 20 x (something I forget) plus Step-ups, 3 x 20 x Dips & squats, 3 x 20 x bicep curls& shoulder press

Stretching and recovering where needed :-)

Physical, Mood etc.:Morning - Woke up at 4am after restless night. Not bad overall. 4.Lunch - Great - 5+Night - Great session at [3]Walkabout Wellness. Mood 5+

Notes:Alternated between crap and great at the gym. Wasn’t happy with the cycle as I missed 2km again. Pleasedwith 1000m row (I think it’s the best time so far). First 500m row was poor (2m 23s). Came back well onthe 2nd 500m row (2m 09s)

Overall was a good gym session. Will be interesting to see how DJ Clubfit goes tonight!

Noticing that I’m getting peckish more often - could be the increased activity needs to be offsetwith some food intake. Will speak to Britt about that!

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1. http://walkaboutwellness.com.au/dj-clubfit-fitness-fridays/

2. http://walkaboutwellness.com.au/dj-clubfit-fitness-fridays/

3. http://walkaboutwellness.com.au/

Mar 03 2012: Saturday Come Slow (2012-03-03 07:44)

New policy - introduce each day’s journal with a song of the day (just because I love music lol)... This week(in case you hadn’t noticed) the journal titles have included song titles relevant to the day of the week -should’ve included vids with them I s’pose! Also I’m changing the format slightly so it’s simpler and there’sa better chronological context to things. It’s my blog and I’ll change if I want to (ooh that reminds me of asong...)

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 11pmTime got up (today): 5:30amDaily step count: 7170Daily water intake: 2300mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5,Lunch, 4Night, 4.5 albeit very tired

Journal

05:30 - woke up feeling great, surprised to not be aching, piece of dry toast with marmalade, glass of water,took Marble for a gentle walk (1.6km ish). Untimed.06:00 - fried egg on unbuttered toast with a little grated low fat cheese. Glass orange juice09:00 - Grasshopper Soccer with Kian11:00 - Mid-morning snack, sliced banana and sticky date yoghurt13:00 - Lunch, chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, 1 multigrain sandwich thin and grated cheese14:00 - Nap - felt fine all morning - a little tidying in the garden and I felt it in my legs and felt tired!16:00 - Mid-afternoon snack - dried cranberries, nuts and seeds18:00 - Dinner - capsicum stuffed with chicken mince, veggies, rice, coriander...11:00 - Glass of milk then bed

Gym

No gym today due to double session yesterday.

04 Mar 2012: Be What You Wanna Be (2012-03-04 08:00)

This track was on the radio in the car when I left the gym - nice easy Sunday morning listening and the lyric”be what you wanna be” seemed apt...

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http://walkaboutwellness.com.au/dj-clubfit-fitness-fridays/

http://walkaboutwellness.com.au/dj-clubfit-fitness-fridays/

http://walkaboutwellness.com.au/

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 11pmTime got up (today): 5:30amDaily step count: 4023Daily water intake: 2700mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 4Night 4

Journal

05:30 - Woke up feeling pretty good, small effort required to get out of bed though. Glass of water, slice ofdry toast with vegemite06:00 - Gym (see details below)07:30 - Short walk with Marble08:30 - Egg and bacon sandwich (2 pcs Weightwatchers bacon, 1 fried egg, 1 Helga’s Mixed Grain Sandwichthin).10:00 - Apple pie yoghurt, sliced banana, mixed nuts, seeds and dried cranberries12:15 - Bowl of pumpkin soup, mixed grain sandwich thin. Weightwatchers chocolate mini-roll15:00 - Nuts, dried cranberries, seeds and a few grapes18:30 - Sausages, egg, mushrooms, tomato22:30 - Glass of milk, Bed

Gym

5 minute warm-up on bike - 1.934km

3 sets x 15 reps Leg Press. 14,14,14 (numeric setting for each set)

3 sets x 15 reps Chest Press. 11,10,9 (numeric setting for each set)

3 sets x 15 reps Assisted Chinups. 80kg, 80kg, 80kg (counterbalance weight)

3 sets x 15 reps Seated Row. 35kg, 35kg, 35kg (actual weight pulled)

1km walk - initially intended as a gentle warm-down. Ended up a fast walk and running last 100m!(9m 45s)

Finally got the right machine and technique for seated row!Chest press and assisted chinups really challenging today with the step up to 15 reps.

05 Mar 2012: Labour Day (2012-03-05 08:16)

It wouldn’t be Labour Day without a bit of Billy Bragg...

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Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 04:45Daily step count: 4768 (am) pedometer left on desk for most of the day :(Daily water intake: 3100mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 3Lunch 4Night

Journal

04:45 - Woke up feeling fine, rated as 3 above just because there was a dash of negativity in the air (generally).Glass of water, slice of dry toast with vegemite05:30 - Gym (see details below)07:00 - Short walk with Marble07:30 - 2 Multigrain Weetbix, glass orange juice09:00 - Bike ride with Helen and Kian to Sutherlands Park. (about 2km each way), Apple.10:00 - Sliced banana, banana+honey yoghurt, nuts and seeds12:30 - Pizza (wholemeal base, eggplant, chicken, capsicum, cheese) and sweet potato chips. WeightwatchersCherry Bakewell16:00 - Apple, 6 grapes, plum18:00 - Kangaroo, cous cous (with mushroom and eggplant) and corn on the cob. Weightwatchers CherryBakewell22:30 - Glass milk and bed

Gym

5 minute warm-up on bike - 1.903km1000m warm-up row - 5m 14s15 push-ups (4 toe), 15 fitball squats, 15 assisted chinups (80kg)15 push-ups (4 toe), 15 fitball squats, 15 assisted chinups (80kg)1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 4m 48s

3km walk - because I’m not going into the office today, so no riverside walk! (29m 50s)

Notes

2km bike ride to park (and 2km back) was brilliant - very good practical demonstration of how ”exercise”can simply be an integral part of family/everyday activity. Instead of jumping in the car, a cycle ride up theroad, some fun at the playground and then a cycle home. Brilliant.

There’s a public barbie there too, so future trips may involve having breakfast out!

Coould be a handy little circuit for the future too. 4km round trip (walk, run or cycle), large playingfields (and an oval). Loads of potential.

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06 Mar 2012: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (2012-03-06 06:43)

This was the first song I heard on the radio this morning - haven’t heard it for ages...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 04:05Daily step count: 10745Daily water intake: 3000mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 5Night 5

Journal

04:05 - Woke up feeling good. Glass of water, slice of dry toast with vegemite04:45 - Gym (see details below)06:00 - Short walk with Marble06:15 - 2 Multigrain Weetbix, glass orange juice10:30 - Skinny long macchiato, Danish Pastry (yes Britt, I know, AWAY from the goal!)13:00 - Salad bowl (ham, cheese, egg, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, cucumber)15:30 - Walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas and an apple18:30 - Turkey curry, brown rice and daal. Weight watchers cherry bakewell tart21:30 - glass milk, bed

Gym

5 minute warm-up on bike - 1.982kmStretching500m warm-up row - 2m 29s15 push-ups (6 toe), 15 fitball squats, 15 calf raises500m row - 2m 14s15 push-ups (all knee), 15 fitball squats, 15 calf raises500m row - 2m 15s500m row - 2m 10sStretching

3km walk - because I’m not going into the office until lunchtime, so no riverside walk! (30m 04s)

Notes

Britt (2012-03-07 07:54:27)Hey Gary, Danish party! Yep that is away from the goal but life goes on. Don’t make it a habit and all is well! Lookingat todays food intake, the things that stands out is that a swap of lunch and dinner would have been great. Less carbsat night will give your body less work to do on digestion and more on rebuilding muscles stronger. Rice + tart dessertwould be better had during the day if at all. Think of carbs as fuel for the day. Start with a full tank and then taperit off through the day, fueling yourself until head home time and then start minimizing any starchy carbs (Vegs and

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fruit are ok due to the high nutrient content balancing things out) When you sleep your body is busy doing threethings; rest, repair, digest. The more it can rest and repair and the less digesting the better! Food for thought! Britt

Gary Wilmot (2012-03-07 08:09:47)Fair enough on the Cherry Bakewell... I’ll mention your comments to the head of catering... could be an interestingconversation as that’s family meal time due to kindy, work etc. etc. Would it work if it’s just meat/fish and veggies,no rice, potato etc.?

Britt (2012-03-07 17:36:02)Yes absolutely! Getting the carbs from your veggies at night is a great idea. Meat/fish veggies that have colour (ie notpotato) Rice at lunch is fine, potatos I would limit to no more than 3x per week and in small quantities preferablywith the skin on

07 Mar 2012: Sweet Child O’ Mine (2012-03-07 07:17)

Headed to the gym with this blaring out this morning. Good way to wake up at 3am...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 21:30Time got up (today): Woke up midnight, 1am, 2am, 2:30, 2:45, finally got up at 03:00Daily step count: 11927Daily water intake: 2200mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5 (despite waking up on the hour from midnight on)Lunch 4Night 4

Journal

03:00 - Gave up trying to sleep, got up. Glass of water, slice of dry toast with vegemite03:30 - Gym (see details below)04:30 - 1 mixed grain sandwich thin toasted, microwaved egg05:30 - Bus, meditate/nap06:15 - Riverside walk to office (approx. 2.8km)06:45 - Skinny long macchiato, handful of almonds and walnuts (felt peckish)10:30 - Bit later than usual - morning walk (see notes below)11:00 - Strawberry yoghurt, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, pine nuts, banana13:15 - Lunch time walk (basically same as morning walk except in reverse)13:45 - Salad bowl (beef, egg, cheese, asparagus, beetroot, carrot, lettuce, tomato, cucumber)18:30 - Chicken, salad, coke zero21:30 - milk and bed

Gym

5 minute warm-up on bike - 2.003km600m row - 2m 34s15 push-ups (all toe, in 3 sets of 4 plus 1 set of 3)15 fitball squats, stretching

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800m warm-up row - 3m 57sStretching600m row - 2m 50sStretching

Notes

Usual morning walk consists of walking down stairs (Level 8 to Ground), out along St Georges Terrace, downSpring St, across Mount’s Bay Rd to the Convention Centre, into busport (to buy yoghurt, banana) aroundback of busport, down steps to train station area, across Mounts Bay Road, up William St, back along StGeorges Terrace and finally lift to Level 1 then stairs to Level 8.

Britt (2012-03-07 17:26:38)All toe!!!! WOW!!! :)

08 Mar 2012: Mother (2012-03-08 07:48)

Part of this morning’s riverside walk listening...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 21:30Time got up (today): 05:00Daily step count: 12176Daily water intake: 2500mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 2 (see notes)Lunch 5Night 4

Journal

05:00 - Stretching, 30 pushups (knee), 30 crunches05:15 - 2 multigrain weetbix, skim milk06:30 - Riverside walk to office (approx. 2.8km)07:00 - Skinny long macchiato, handful of almonds and walnuts11:00 - Morning walk followed by blueberry yoghurt, sliced banana, nuts and seeds12:00 - Extended lunchtime walk (going as far as Barrack Street then to the river, rather than William St)12:30 - Salad bowl (chicken, egg, cheese, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, beetroot)15:00 - Banana18:00 - Salmon, snow peas, broccolini. Apple22:00 - Glass milk, bed

Gym

Non-gym day

Notes

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Interesting mood this morning - being a non-gym day it sort of threw me. Missed the first part of breakfast,forced myself to do the crunches etc. and wound up feeling very out of sorts on the bus.

Head had cleared a bit by the time I’d had my river walk, so all’s well that end’s well. Just need tolearn to cope with breaks in routine, and/or force a routine even when ”deprived” of the usual components ofthat.

Very interesting reaction in any case...

Britt (2012-03-08 16:32:41)Excellent! Learning to push through changes to routine and get the job done anyway. That is precisely whywe include things like this along the way, because life ALWAYS throws curveballs just to keep you on your toes.However! We can work on it more so that what you replace your gym days with still gives you satisfaction ofaccomplisment instead of feeling like you just got the job done. There are killer full body workouts lying aroundeverywhere just waiting to be put into practice. SO!! Next Thursday when Helen goes to the gym and you areholding down the fort, challenge yourself this way. Warm up walk around block to get the blood moving followedby 10x knee push ups, 10x squats and 10x crunches Find something to do stepups on that is stable and aroundlower knee height. 10 step ups each leg as many toe push ups as you can manage 10x squats 10 step ups eachleg as many toe push ups as you can manage plus the remaining on knees until you get to 20 20x squats 10step ups each leg (2 x through for 20 each leg) as many toe push ups as you can manage plus remaining onknees to 20 10x Crunches 10x Obliques (crunches but taking hand to opposite knee for some twist) 30seconds bi-cycle legs (remember them from Clubfit night?) Repeat 3x through all three ab exercises Stretch and get ready for work.

Gary Wilmot (2012-03-08 17:17:43)Holy crap - I only mentioned that the change in routine had unsettled my mind... :-)

Britt (2012-03-09 14:58:18):-) just saying ! At least you have something to aim for right?

09 Mar 2012: Crazy Diamonds Shining On (2012-03-09 08:11)

If ever you get the chance, take an early morning stroll, in the sunshine, alongside a river and with THIS athigh volume. Perfect start to the day...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:15Time got up (today): 03:55Daily step count: 10285Daily water intake: 4100mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 4 (took a few seconds before I actually got up)Lunch 5Night 5

Journal

04:00 - Slice toast with vegemite, glass water04:30 - Gym (see below)

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05:30 - 2 multigrain weetbix, skim milk06:30 - Riverside walk to office07:00 - Skinny long macchiato10:00 - Morning walk followed by banana, raspberry yoghurt, nuts and seeds.11:30 - Lunchtime walk, Chicken Katsu Don Bento Box (chicken, rice, 2pcs sushi, shredded cabbage, fruitsalad)17:15 - 6.5km (ish) bike ride (23 mins)21:00 - Chicken, gozelme, couple of rice crackers, chilli vodka shot21:30 - 6.5km (ish) bike ride (25 mins)22:30 - Glass milk and bed!

Gym

5 min bike warm-up (2.003km)Stretching500m warmup row (2m 31s)15 fitball squats, 15 pushups (all toe in bursts of 6, 3, 3 and 3)500m row (2m 11s)15 fitball squats, 15 pushups (10 toe in bursts of 6, 3, and 1 - 5 knee)500m row (2m 09s)15 fitball squats, 15 pushups (7 toe, 8 knee)500m row (2m 30s) I was completely out of puff after 100m!Stretching

Notes

The first day after a non-gym day is always interesting - today’s session was positive with the sub 2m 10s500m row and a total of 32 full pushups and just 13 knee pushups. I fully expect to suffer for that tomorrow!

Tried a little jog up the stairs from level 1 to 8 - got as far as level 2 and really had to work hard tomake it to level 8 lol

Britt (2012-03-09 15:00:12)Excellent effort Gary! Way to smash it... :)

10 Mar 2012: The Master Plan (2012-03-10 09:18)

Just because I love this song and love the video even more (apart from the ciddy references)

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 03:30 (woke up at midnight, 1am, 3:20)Daily step count: 11412Daily water intake: Approx 4500mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5

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Night 4

Journal

03:30 - Slice toast with vegemite, glass water04:00 - Gym (see below)05:00 - Slice toast, microwave egg, glass orange juice09:00 - Grasshopper Soccer with Kian10:00 - Banana12:30 - Cheese sandwich17:00 - Pre-dinner home-made weight watchers dips and mini french toasts.18:00 - Family dinner - Starter: Weight Watchers recipe - Vietnamese style shredded pork salad. Main: weightwatchers recipe Caramel Chilli Pork (with rice noodles and bok choy). Dessert - Easy Orange Cheesecake(made with Kian from a kid’s recipe book)23:00 - Drink water and bed

Gym

5 min bike warm-up (2.012km)Stretching1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 4m 55sStretch and recover500m row - 2m 07sStretch and recover500m row (2m 06s)Stretching

Notes

My turn to cook this weekend, which is why there was no mid afternoon snack. I was tasting and checkingstuff during the afternoon (not excessively) and had the first of two beers while cooking.

Overall I was really pleased with the dinner I cooked - starter and main were both taken from a weightwatchers recipe book; couple of healthy and very tasty asian-style dishes. The pre-dinner dips were alsohealthy WW ones.

Dessert was a bit different - it contained cream, mascarpone and creme fraiche. It did contain real or-ange pieces though :-)

11 Mar 2012: Sunday Morning Call (2012-03-11 09:42)

After yesterday’s video I am in a bit of an Oasis groove - plus the Sunday Morning reference...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 23:00Time got up (today): 06:30Daily step count:Daily water intake: 3000ml

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Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4 (struggled for a few minutes to actually get out of bed)Lunch 3 (very tired)Night 4

Journal

06:30 - Slice toast with vegemite, glass water07:00 - Gym (see below)09:00 - Mixed grain sandwich thin, weight watchers bacon, fried egg11:00 - Fresh mango and apple13:00 - Tuna and tomato on toast. Small piece of remaining cheesecake fromSat night14:00 - Hour long nap18:00 - Steak and salad open sandwich (1 piece toast, steak, lettuce, tomato, olives and onion)21:30 - Glass of milk and bed

Gym

5 min bike warm-up (2.029km)3 sets x 15 reps Leg Press (all 3 at level 15)3 sets x 15 reps Chest Press (all 3 at level 11 - sets 2 and 3 were broken into 7, 3, 3, 2)3 sets x 15 reps Assisted Chinups (all 3 at 75kg - sets 2 and 3 were broken into 7, 4, 4)3 sets x 15 reps Seated row (all 3 at 40kg)Stretching3km walk at steady 6km/h

Notes

Keeping hydrated during the day (while cooking, drinking and eating etc.) worked well - also the relativelightness of the dinner itself seemed to help. All in all woke up feeling fine, no feeling of over-indulging and Iwas keen to get down the gym.

Improvements at gym with weights/levels being slighter tougher than same last week, generally keeping tosame weight/level for all 3 sets and dropping 5kg of counter-weight on the assisted chins.

12 Mar 2012: Everybody Hurts, Sometimes (2012-03-12 08:02)

First thing on the radio, on the way to the gym. Not quite what they meant, but I did hurt after the gym...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 21:30Time got up (today): 03:30Daily step count: 13588Daily water intake: 3300mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 4 (took a few minutes to get out of bed)Lunch 3.5 (mostly work stuff to blame though)

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Night 5

Journal

03:30 - Slice toast with vegemite, glass water04:00 - Gym (see below)05:00 - K-Time Twist bar and apple06:00 - Bus, rest, meditate06:30 - Riverside walk07:00 - Skinny Long Mac09:30 - Morning walk then sliced banana, nuts, seeds and natural yoghurt13:30 - Salami, cheese and tomato roll. Few almonds and walnuts. Apple.16:00 - small serve popcorn18:30 - grilled fish (basa) corn on cob, sweet potato chips21:30 - glass of milk, bed.

Gym

5 min bike warm-up (2.020km)1000m warm-up row - 5m 11s15 pushups (all toe), 15 fitball squats, 15 assisted chin-ups (75Kg)15 pushups (all toe), 15 fitball squats, 15 assisted chin-ups (75Kg)1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 4m 55sStretching

Notes

This week - goal: no more knee pushups, take on: extended home routine for non-gym days (per Britt’scomment on the subject), give away: ?

The ”sets of 15” pushups were more like a set of 5, set of 3, set of 2, set of 3, set of 2. Basically whatever ittook to complete 15 toe pushups!

13 Mar 2012: Ghost Town (2012-03-13 06:59)

Got to the office at 6:30am today, felt just like a Ghost Town...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 21:30Time got up (today): 03:20Daily water intake: 2400mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 5Night 5

Journal

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03:20 - Slice toast with vegemite, glass water03:45 - Gym (see below)05:00 - Mixed grain sandwich thin, microwaved egg05:45 - Missed bus so caught another to train station, then straight into Esplanade (no riverside walk). Onreflection this is a good thing - my legs are a little drained!06:30 - Skinny Long Mac, apple, few almonds09:30 - Morning walk, strawberry yoghurt, sliced banana, nuts and seeds12:00 - skinny long mac13:00 - beef, cheese and salad wrap16:00 - swim with Kian and a banana18:30 - kangaroo, cabbage & bacon, mushrooms, sandwich thin22:15 - milk and bed

Gym

5 min bike warm-up (2.021km)Stretching500m warm-up row - 2m 42s15 pushups (all toe), 15 fitball squats, 15 calf raises500m row - 2m 12s15 pushups (all toe), 15 fitball squats, 15 calf raises500m row - 2m 12s15 pushups (all toe), 15 fitball squats, 15 calf raises500m row - 2m 23sStretching

Notes

Left pedometer clipped on while siting, accidentally reset. I think I’m sorted on the walking front now, usuallyclearing 10,000 steps by lunchtime. So I’ll leave the pedometer off for a bit and see how that goes. (This canbe the ”give away” for the week lol)

15 pushups - each time I got to 7 then got to 15 in 3s, 2s and 1s

Britt (2012-03-13 07:45:09)WOW!!! Impressive effort Gary.... bet that felt horribly wonderful !!!

Gary Wilmot (2012-03-13 08:14:33)It felt very wet (sweaty) LOL

14 Mar 2012: Tiger Tiger Burning Bright (2012-03-14 08:07)

Eye of the Tiger, because it had to be included at some point...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:15Time got up (today): 04:00

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Daily water intake: 1700mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 5

Journal

04:00 - Sandwich thin with vegemite, glass water04:15 - Gym (see below)05:00 - 2 multigrain Weetbix and skim milk05:50 - Bus, meditate, rest06:30 - Riverside walk07:30 - Skinny Long Mac, few almonds10:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, vanilla yoghurt, nuts and seeds12:30 - Lunchtime walk, wholemeal roll, ham, cheese, tomato15:00 - Banana18:00 - Sausages, broccoli, carrot, corn on the cob, potato22:00 - Glass milk, bed

Gym

5 min bike warm-up (2.044km)600m - 2m 46s15 pushups (all toe), 15 fitball squatsStretching800m row - 3m 58sStretching600m row - 2m 37sStretching

Notes

15 Mar 2012: The Ides of March (2012-03-15 11:08)

Beware the Ides of March...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:00Time got up (today): 04:00Daily water intake: 2400mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 5 (very tired)

Journal

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04:00 - Sandwich thin with vegemite, glass water04:15 - Back yard session (see below)05:00 - 2 multigrain Weetbix and skim milk05:50 - Bus, meditate, rest - fell asleep, woke up just before busport, so no riverside walk!06:50 - Skinny Long Mac, few almonds10:00 - Morning walk, blueberry yoghurt, muesli bar crumbled into pieces, nuts and seeds11:30 - Lunchtime walk, Skinny Long Mac12:30 - Wholemeal roll, beef, cheese, chutney15:00 - banana16:00 - in pool with Kian18:00 - Pasta bolognese with turkey mince (small qty of wholemeal pasta)22:00 Milk and bed

Back Yard Session (no gym today)

Warm-up walk with Marble around block10 push-ups (all toe), 10 squats, 10 crunches, 20 step ups (10 on each leg)10 push-ups (all toe), 10 squats, 20 step ups (10 on each leg)20 push-ups (6 toe, 14 knee), 20 squats, 2 x 20 step ups (10 on each leg)20 push-ups (2 toe, 18 knee)10 crunches, 10 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legs10 crunches, 10 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legsStretching

Notes

I think I have cracked the peckishness issue - bread at lunchtime. Had sandwiches rather than salad bowl forpast few days and not had the peckishness attacks...

16 Mar 2012: Body Pump Up The Jam (2012-03-16 08:14)

Weigh-in, measure and Body Pump session at the WW gym tonight. Body Pump, Pump Up The Jam...Geddit? lol

Summary


Journal

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04:15 - Sandwich thin with vegemite, glass water04:45 - Gym (see below)05:30 - 2 multigrain Weetbix and skim milk05:50 - Bus, meditate, rest06:30 - Riverside walk07:15 - Skinny Long Mac, few walnuts, pine nuts and seeds09:30 - Banana, blueberry yoghurt, nuts and seeds11:30 - Teriyaki Fish Bento Box (Fish, rice, 2 pcs sushi, shredded cabbage, fruit salad)19:00 - Salmon and greens22:00 - Glass milk, bed

Gym

5 minute warm-up on bike - 2.082kmStretching500m warm-up row - 2m 29s15 fitball squats, 15 push-ups (all knee)500m row - 2m 03s15 fitball squats, 15 push-ups (5 toe, 10 knee)500m row - 2m 00s15 fitball squats, 15 push-ups (10 toe, 5 knee)500m row - 2m 11s (out of puff around 300m, recovered and rowed harder for final 80m or so)Stretching

Notes

Toe push-ups came easier as the gym session progressed - the first set of push-ups it simply wasn’t happening.Partly due to shoulder hurting, partly (I suspect) mental. Having got up at 4:15 I was effectively running abit late, so that was probably in the back of my mind (cranking out 15 push-ups is a time-consuming processat the moment).

On the flip side - some great times on the rowing, with 2 minutes all but broken for a single 500m row.

Interesting how these things (possibly) work...

Body Pump didn’t happen in the end - due to keys being locked in the gym LOL

17 Mar 2012: Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit! (2012-03-17 16:09)

Happy Saint Paddy’s Day!

Summary


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Daily water intake: 2400mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 3Night 4

Journal

06:15 - Piece of toast with microwaved egg, glass orange juice09:00 - Grasshopper Soccer with Kian10:30 - Banana12:30 - Tuna salad15:00 - Yoghurt, apple18:00 - Homemade pizza with ham, chicken, capsicum, mushroom, onion, cheese23:00 - Glass milk, bed

Notes

Non-gym rest day - forced by the fact that I couldn’t find my gym swipe card. Was good - it pointed to thefact that reintroducing the Saturday rest day would be a good thing!

18 Mar 2012: The Gym Is Back In Town (2012-03-18 16:17)

Found the gym card - it was in clear sight! Many thanks to the universe for pointing out that Saturdays needto be rest days lol.

Summary


Journal

06:45 - Piece of toast with vegemite, glass water07:00 - Gym (see below)08:15 - Bacon and egg sandwich, glass orange juice10:30 - Black coffee, apple13:00 - Omelette (ham, veggies)15:30 - Weigh-in and measure followed by an espresso (in a coffee mood today for some reason)18:00 - Sausages, lamp chop, egg plant slices (roasted), mushrooms, baked beans22:15 - Glass milk, bed

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Notes

Latest stats are: 131.9kg (the first 10kg have gone!), 34.4 % body fat (down from 38 % I think), 116cm chest,114cm waist

19 Mar 2012: Gym Just Got Tougher (2012-03-19 07:13)

Some 80s cheese... As for this week’s take on, give away and goal...

Take on: 1 lunchtime walk per week that includes a stroll up Jacob’s LadderGive away: Saturday gym (i.e. bringing back the rest day)Goal: Establish early start as standard so no skimping on gym routine and maximising family time.

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:15Time got up (today): 03:05Daily water intake: 2600mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4 (feel great, just a little tired pre-walk. All good after walk)Night 5

Journal

03:05 - Sandwich thin with vegemite, glass water03:30 - Gym (see below)04:30 - Slice toast, microwaved egg, small qty grated cheese. Glass orange juice05:30 - Bus, meditate, rest06:15 - Riverside walk06:45 - Long Mac, few nuts09:15 - Morning walk then sliced banana, natural yoghurt, nuts and seeds11:30 - Lunchtime walk12:00 - MYO Sandwich (wholemeal bread, cheese, chicken, tomato, lettuce, spinach, jalapenos)15:00 - Bus home, forgot to eat my banana - didn’t feel hungry though16:30 - Swim and play with Kian in the pool18:00 - Steak sandwich with salad and egg plant22:00 - Glass of milk and bed

Gym

5 minutes bike warm-up - 2.083kmTwice through circuit as follows:

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20 x Leg Press (15, 15)20 x Chest Press (11, 11)20 x Assisted Chin-ups (75kg, 75kg)20 x Seated Row (40kg, 40kg)10 x Tricep Pull Downs Rope (30Kg, 30Kg)10 x Bicep Curls free weight (10Kg, 15kg)10 Shoulder Press free weight - (10Kg, 15kg)10 x Crunches10 x Twists10 x Bicycle LegsStretching

Notes

20 Mar 2012: The Rowing Song (2012-03-20 06:56)

Never heard of this before, I Googled ”rowing song” and turned up this little gem. Lash the oars to our handsand let us pull, indeed!

Summary


Journal

03:00 - 1 multigrain weetbix with small amount of skim milk, glass water03:30 - Gym (see below)04:30 - Multigrain cracker with vegemite. Glass orange juice05:30 - Bus, meditate, rest06:15 - Riverside walk06:45 - Long Mac, muesli bar, banana09:30 - Morning walk then sliced banana, apple yoghurt, nuts and seeds11:30 - Lunchtime walk12:00 - Salad bowl (lettuce, tomato, beetroot, cucumber, carrot, ham, cheese, egg)15:00 - Banana17:30 - Meatloaf, salad and corn on the cob18:45 - 6.5km (ish) bike ride, completed in 29min21:00 - Few snacks, mostly of the ”away from the goal” variety (see notes)21:30 - 6.5km (ish) bike ride, completed in 25min22:30 - Milk, bed

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Gym

5 minutes bike warm-up - 2.088km500m warm-up row - 2m 25s20 pushups (all toe), 20 crunches, 20 squats1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 4m 45s15 pushups (all toe), 15 crunches, 15 squats1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 4m 29s10 pushups (all toe), 10 crunches, 10 squatsStretching

Notes

While the evening snacking was not good, and the snacks were of the ”away from the goal” variety... I actuallymanaged to exercise a fairly high degree of discipline and self-control. Levels of which would have been totallyalien to the 2011 version of me!

So in that sense, a success...

21 Mar 2012: ”Weights Day” (2012-03-21 07:03)

There was a Dire Straits song on the radio first thing this morning, I can’t recall what it was now, so here’sone of my all-time favourites instead...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 03:05Daily water intake: 3100mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 3 (very very tired lol)

Journal

03:05 - 1 multigrain cracker with vegemite, glass water03:30 - Gym (see below)04:30 - 2 multigrain weetbix with skim milk. Glass orange juice05:30 - Bus, meditate, rest06:15 - Riverside walk06:45 - Long Mac, few nuts09:15 - Morning walk then sliced banana, passion fruit yoghurt, nuts and seeds11:30 - Lunchtime walk then half Subway footlong, honey oat sub, ham and salad. No dressing14:30 - Other half of sub18:00 - Meatloaf and veggies22:00 - Milk and bed

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Gym

5 minutes bike warm-up - 2.1km500m warm-up row - 2m 0s

Leg Press. 20 reps, rest 60 secs, 15 reps, rest 30 secs, 10 reps (15, 15, 15)Chest Press. 20 reps, rest 60 secs, 15 reps, rest 30 secs, 10 reps (11, 11, 11)Assisted chin ups. 10 reps, rest 60 secs, 10 reps, rest 60 secs, 10 reps (75kg, 75kg, 75kg)Seated Row. 20 reps, rest 60 secs, 15 reps, rest 30 secs, 10 reps (40kg, 40kg, 40kg)

3 times through triceps, biceps and shoulder press:10 Tricep pull-downs (rope) 30kg10 Bicep curls (free weight) 15kg10 shoulder press (free weight) 15kg

20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs15 crunches, 15 ab twists, 15 bicycle legs10 crunches, 10 ab twists, 10 bicycle legs

Stretching (and sweating lol)

Notes

Was surprised I woke up and got up at 3 so easily - due to bike ride etc. I had got to bed 10:30 last night.Will need to be sure to get to bed early tonight to make up for that!

22 Mar 2012: Madness At Our House (2012-03-22 07:20)

The madness that is of getting up at stupid o’clock and voluntarily heading out into the backyard for pushups,crunches and more...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:00Time got up (today): 04:30Daily water intake: 2200mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 4 (slow to get up)Lunch 5Night 5

Journal

04:30 - Slice toast with vegemite, glass water04:35 - Back yard session (see below)

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05:15 - Slice toast with grated cheese and microwaved egg06:00 - Bus, meditate, rest (no riverside walk)07:00 - Skinny Long Mac, muesli bar09:30 - Morning walk then sliced banana, raspberry yoghurt, nuts and seeds11:30 - Walk down Mounts Bay Rd, up Jacob’s Ladder then down the road back to St George’s Terrace12:00 - Wholemeal roll, chicken, cheese and avocado15:00 - Apple18:30 - Salmon, greens and cous-cous21:45 - Glass milk, bed



Notes

Jacob’s Ladder - more steps (242ish) than the office level 1 to 8 (154) yet somehow less uncomfortable tocomplete. Probably the fresh air rather than stuffy stairwell air, and maybe slightly less steep (even thoughoverall height ascended is greater)

23 Mar 2012: Rowers On The Storm (2012-03-23 06:59)

This morning’s song as I drove to the gym...

Summary


Journal

03:05 - Slice of toast with vegemite, glass water03:30 - Gym (see below)

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04:30 - Slice of toast, grated cheese and microwaved egg. Glass orange juice05:30 - Bus, meditate, rest06:15 - Riverside walk06:45 - Long Mac, muesli bar09:00 - Morning walk then sliced banana, vanilla yoghurt, nuts and seeds11:30 - Lunchtime walk, Yaki Tori Bento box (chicken, rice, 2 pcs sushi, shredded cabbage, fruit salad)13:00 - Skinny long mac18:00 - Body Pump session @ Walkabout Wellness20:00 - Toast with leftover pasta sauce (turkey mince)22:30 - Milk, Bed

Gym

5 minutes bike warm-up - 2.19km

1000m row - 4m 59sToe pushups (3 sets of as many as possible) - 10, 4, 520 x Knee pushups

800m row - 4m 02s20 x Squats20 x Leg Press (15)20 x Calf Raises

600m row - 2m 57s20 x Tricep curls rope (30kg)20 x Bicep curls free weight (15kg)20 x Shoulder press free weight (15kg)

400m row - 1m 50s20 x crunches20 x ab twists20 x bicycle legs

200m row - 44sStretching

Notes

Britt’s really turning up the heat with the new regime LOL

24 Mar 2012: Disco Duck (2012-03-24 11:46)

We’re heading to a 40th Birthday Party tonight, fancy dress with 70s Disco theme - hence me having thisidea for a daily song (sorry)...

77

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 04:00 (thanks to the dog waking me!)Daily water intake: 3000mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4 (starting to feel the aches from Body Pump!)Night 4.5

Journal

04:00 - Bowl of cereal07:00 - 2 slices of toast with vegemite, glass orange juice09:00 - Grasshopper Soccer with Kian10:15 - Banana11:00 - Apple pie yoghurt with sprinkling of all-bran toppers13:00 - Toasted sandwich - tuna, tomato and cheese17:00 - Party time - various ”bad” foods, a total of 5 ciders (stubbies) - plenty of water as well!22:30 - Bed

Notes

Party was at friends’ place in the northern ’burbs; we stayed there overnight.

25 Mar 2012: Severe Punishment (2012-03-25 08:50)

Severe Punishment seems an apt description of the gym session I eventually did - should have burnt off someof the calories from the previous night’s partying anyway...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 07:15Daily water intake: 3000mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 3 (extreme tiredness kicked in)Night 4

Journal

78

07:30 - Went for a walk for about 45 to 60 minutes. Ate a banana.09:00 - Sausage and Egg McMuffin, has brown and medium orange juice12:30 - Gym (see details below)14:00 - Fell asleep while thinking about lunch16:00 - Slice of bread and vegemite17:00 - Family dinner (pre-dinner snacks, crab rosti starters, pork, carrots and asparagus, port and cheese). Ibeer stubby, 2 glasses of red wine.22:00 - Glass milk, bed

Gym

Repeat ”Weights Day” - note weights increased on leg press, triceps, biceps and shoulders

5 minutes bike warm-up – 2.19km500m warm-up row – 1m 57s


3 times through triceps, biceps and shoulder press:10 Tricep pull-downs (rope) 35kg10 Bicep curls (free weight) 20kg (total weight)10 shoulder press (free weight) 20kg (total weight)


Stretching

Notes

Capped off a ”bad food and drink” weekend with a fast food brekkie and family dinner.

I think it reads far worse than it actually was - I drank plenty of water, kept reasonably active andfelt 100 % going into the gym session. Even the aches and pains from Body Pump have been mostly restrictedto the triceps.

Overall I think I managed to exercise a reasonable degree of self control on both evenings, certainly eatingand drinking far less than I might have a few months ago.

Important to note - that did NOT detract from my enjoyment of things. In fact it enabled me to en-joy both evenings without the usual feeling of over-indulgence and being badly hungover...

Gym session was good - increased weights with a few exercises.

79

26 Mar 2012: Back to Reality! (2012-03-26 09:10)

After a weekend of partying, time to get back to everyday life, back to reality...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 21:30Time got up (today): 03:10Daily water intake: 3000mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5 (surprisingly!)Night 5

Journal

03:10 - Piece of bread with vegemite, glass of water03:45 - Gym (see details below)05:00 - Slice of toast, grated low fat cheese, microwaved egg. Glass orange juice006:20 - Bus and train to work (length gym session meant missing earlier bus)07:00 - Long mac, muesli bar09:30 - Morning walk. Sliced banana, blueberry yoghurt, nuts and seeds11:30 - Lunchtime walk. Wholemeal roll with ham, cheese and salad15:00 - Banana17:00 - In back yard with Kian - mostly digging and sweeping up18:00 - Turkey stir fry with noodles, mushrooms, veggies21:30 - Glass milk, Bed

Gym

5 minutes bike warm-up – 2.18km

1000m row – 4m 50sRecover and stretch

With following - resting 30-60 seconds between each (e.g. row 500m, rest, row 500m)

2 x 500m row – 2m 13s and 2m 17sRecover and stretch

3 x 400m row – 1m 54s, 1m 39s and 1m 37sRecover and stretch

4 x 300m row – 1m 13s, 1m 08s, 1m 14s and 1m 02sRecover and stretch

80

3 x 200m row – 39s, 37s and 39sRecover and stretch

Notes

Walked out of the gym with a t-shirt that was absolutely drenched - sweated out the remainder of theweekends excesses for sure!

With hindsight, I am grateful for missing the earlier bus as I don’t think I would have had the energyfor a riverside walk.

27 Mar 2012: 2am (2012-03-27 08:12)

Woke up at 2am - though I did force myself to stay in bed until 2:45...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 21:30Time got up (today): 02:45 (woke at 2am and dozed for a while)Daily water intake: 900mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night

Journal

02:45 - Piece of toast with vegemite, glass of water03:15 - Gym (see details below)04:15 - 2 pcs toast, with melted low fat cheese. Glass orange juice05:25 - Walking up and down for half an hour thanks to bus not arriving (or possibly early)06:00 - Bus, meditate, rest07:00 - Long mac, muesli bar09:30 - Morning walk10:45 - Morning tea (staff member leaving). Typical morning tea food, consumed in moderation :-)12:45 - Extended lunchtime walk (halfway along river and back)13:15 - Grapes, melon, orange slice, apple slice, kiwi fruit slices

Gym


81

10 mins bike - 4.127km10 mins treadmill - 995m - bit dodgy, I did a mix of walking at 6.5 km/h and running at 7 km/h. Shouldhave gone past 1km easily.10 mins cross trainer - 831m at level 3 - 50-60 rpm

20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs

10 mins stretching

Notes

Early bus failed to turn up, or had gone past the stop early. So I walked up and down for half an hour whilewaiting for next bus. Made up in part for not having riverside walk (due to time)

By my reckoning, I should have clocked 1.2km at least on the treadmill. Not sure why a mix of 6.5km/h and 7 km/h would only give 995m after 10 minutes. 10 minutes at 6km/h is 1km.

Good news though - I did a few minutes of jogging.

28 Mar 2012: Lavondyss (2012-03-28 07:17)

Random song day - via a complex series of lookups and searches on a completely unrelated matter... Howcould I go past the ”psychedelic trance” bit? Enjoy!

Summary


Journal

04:00 - Multigrain cracker with vegemite, glass water.04:30 - Gym (see details below)05:30 - Bowl cereal with all-bran toppers. Glass orange juice06:00 - Bus, meditate, snooze07:00 - Long mac, muesli bar09:30 - Morning walk then sliced banana, apple pie yoghurt, nuts and seeds12:00 - Extended lunchtime walk then MYO sandwich (wholemeal bread, ham, beef, cheese and salad)

82

15:00 - Banana15:15 - Bus, 15 minute nap15:55 - 2.8km (ish) walk from Kian’s day care to Amherst Rd (Kian on my shoulders)18:00 - Kangaroo, sprouts, carrots, corn on the cob22:00 - Milk, bed

Gym

Repeat ”Weights Day” - note weight changes on leg press, chest press, assisted chins, seated row

5 minutes bike warm-up – 2.211km500m warm-up row – 2m 0s


3 times through triceps, biceps and shoulder press:10 Tricep pull-downs (rope) 35kg10 Bicep curls (free weight) 20kg (total weight)10 shoulder press (free weight) 20kg (total weight)


Stretching

Notes

Woke at 2:30, intended to doze for a bit and get up at 3. Fell asleep and woke again at 4! Looking like I’mnot supposed to do the riverside walk this week... Extended lunchtime walk will fix it.

In a weird coincidence - there was no bus heading our way from Kian’s day care, so we wound up walkingmost of the way home. Google Maps reckons it’s 2.8km (the same as estimated for the riverside walk I missedin the morning!)

29 Mar 2012: Your Own Back Yard (2012-03-29 07:23)

Back yard workout day...

Summary

83

Time to bed (previous night): 21:30Time got up (today): 04:30Daily water intake: 2100mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night

Journal

04:30 - Multigrain cracker with vegemite, glass water04:35 - Back yard session (see below)05:15 - Slice toast with grated cheese and microwaved egg06:00 - Bus, meditate, rest07:00 - Skinny Long Mac, muesli bar09:00 - Morning walk then sliced banana, nuts, seeds and natural yoghurt11:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via Jacob’s Ladder12:15 - Wholemeal roll, chicken, cheese, avocado



Notes

30 Mar 2012: My Own Worst Enemy (2012-03-30 07:21)

I have no idea how they call this ”punk” - anyway, read the notes to find out about the mental battles thattook place this morning...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:00Time got up (today): 04:00Daily water intake: 900mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 1 (see notes)Lunch

84

Night

Journal

04:00 - 1 multigrain cracker with vegemite, glass water04:30 - Gym (see below)06:55 - Bus, meditate, rest06:45 - Long Mac, Bacon and Egg muffin09:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds11:30 - Lunchtime walk, Bento box (chicken, rice, shredded cabbage, 2 pcs sushi, fruit salad)18:00 - Dinner (can’t recall what - updating this a few days later!)22:00 - bed

Gym

(Times etc. estimated, actuals to be updated later)5 minutes bike warm-up - 2.054km500m warm-up row - 2m 17s20 pushups (all toe), 20 crunches, 20 squats1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 4m 46s15 pushups (10 toe), 15 crunches, 15 squats1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 4m 33s10 pushups (all knee), 10 crunches, 10 squatsStretching

Notes

I’ve eaten something that doesn’t agree with me, or picked up a stomach bug... full of wind, stomach painsetc. Woke last night at 12, 1, 2 and then 4. Thought I was going to be ill (I wasn’t), took some stomachupset stuff that calmed things down a little.

Just to make matters worse, between the wake-ups I had incredibly vivid dreams including one whereI went to the gym and vomited, one where I blogged how I didn’t go to the gym today because I’m ill, andone where I called the office to say I wasn’t coming in.

When I woke at 4 I was convinced it was 5 or 6 O’Clock and that I was taking the day off work. Glanced over,realised it was only 4am and a small voice in the back of my mind said ”GET UP AND GO TO THE GYM!”

It wasn’t the best session - push-ups were poor in particular. My dreams had set me up with a terri-ble state of mind. I felt better after the 5 minute bike warm-up, then proceeded to feel a little worsethroughout, the sweating was profuse and at times felt like a cold sweat.

Couldn’t face eating a thing after the gym, got myself a little more sorted mentally on the bus, andgrabbed a bacon and egg muffin with my coffee (not having breakfast is not a good thing)

A very interesting experience, especially the vivid dreams!

85

1.4 April

02 Apr 2012: Back In The Saddle Again (2012-04-02 08:24)

Saturday and Sunday were a bit of a washout thanks to a stomach upset. Not much to write home aboutexcept I wound up with an extra day of rest from the gym... Back in the saddle now...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:00Time got up (today): 02:45 (bad night, woke at 12, 1, 2..)Daily water intake: 2000mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 4Night 5

Journal

02:45 - Piece of toast with vegemite, glass water03:15 - Gym (see below)04:30 - Toast, egg and grated cheese, orange juice05:00 - Meditate and a nap10:30 - Yoghurt (still not feeling like eating as much as usual)10:45 - Short walk with Marble12:30 - Minestrone soup and piece of bread18:00 - Roasted veggies and chicken breast22:00 - Glass milk, Bed

Gym

5 mins warm-up bike - 2.103km500m row - 2m 08s

Leg Press (20, rest 60s, 15, rest 30s, 10) - 3 x 17Chest Press (20, rest 60s, 15, rest 30s, 10) - 12, 11, 11Assisted Chins (10, rest 60s, 10, rest 60s, 10) - 70kg, 70kg, 65kgSeated Row (20, rest 60s, 15, rest 30s, 10) - 3 x 45kg

10 x triceps rope (35kg), 10 x bicep curl (20kg), 10 x shoulder press (20kg)10 x triceps rope (35kg), 10 x bicep curl (20kg), 10 x shoulder press (20kg)10 x triceps rope (40kg), 10 x bicep curl (25kg), 10 x shoulder press (25kg)

20 crunches, 20 twists, 20 bicycle legs15 crunches, 15 twists, 15 bicycle legs

86

10 crunches, 10 twists, 10 bicycle legs

Stretching

Notes

Very sweaty session but great to be back down the gym

03 Apr 2012: All The Young Dudes (2012-04-03 08:28)

Classic track from Mott the Hoople, for no reason except I was talking about it the other day...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:00Time got up (today): 03:15Daily water intake: 900mlMood (1 to 5):Morning 4LunchNight

Journal

03:15 - Piece of toast with vegemite, glass water03:45 - Gym (see below)05:00 - Uncle Toby’s Multigrain oats05:30 - Meditate and a nap

Gym

5 mins warm-up bike - 2.127km

1000m row - 4m 53sToe push-ups - 12, 5, 7Knee pushups x 20

800m row - 3m 44s20 squats20 leg press (17)20 calf raises

600m row - 2m 37s20 x triceps rope (40kg)20 x bicep curls (25kg)20 x shoulder press (25kg)

87

400m row - 1m 35s20 crunches20 ab twists20 bicycle legs


Notes

Britt (2012-04-04 15:26:06)Great session Gary, that 200m row is close to leaderboard, if memory serves me correct Tony has it at 34 seconds clos-est to that is rose at 41 seconds... that puts you in second place for the 200m row as far as my memory goes! Well done!!!

Gary Wilmot (2012-04-04 22:21:59)Cool - it IS 34s, I know because it’s bugging me....

04 Apr 2012: Solsbury Hill (2012-04-04 06:40)

Great track, heard on the radio this morning...

Summary


Journal

04:00 - Piece of toast with vegemite, glass water04:30 - Gym (see below)06:45 - Toast, egg, mushrooms, orange juice10:00 - Sliced banana, yoghurt, all-bran toppers, almonds13:00 - Slice of toast with baked beans13:30 - Walk with Marble18:00 - Roast lamb (weightwatchers recipe), potatoes, veg, glass milk01:15 - Glass milk, bed

Gym

88


Leg Press (20, rest 60s, 15, rest 30s, 10) - 3 x 17Chest Press (20, rest 60s, 15, rest 30s, 10) - 12, 11, 11Assisted Chins (10, rest 60s, 10, rest 60s, 10) - 65kg, 65kg, 65kgSeated Row (20, rest 60s, 15, rest 30s, 10) - 3 x 45kg


20 crunches, 20 twists, 20 bicycle legs15 crunches, 15 twists, 15 bicycle legs10 crunches, 10 twists, 10 bicycle legs

Stretching

Notes

Late, late night due to technical web hassles...

05 Apr 2012: The Lifted Lorax (2012-04-05 20:51)

Family trip to see the Lorax movie today, so how could I not?

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 01:15

Time got up (today): 06:30

Daily water intake: 2000ml

Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 3

Lunch 4

Night 4

Journal

06:30 - Piece of toast with vegemite, glass water

07:00 - Backyard session (see below)

89

08:00 - Toast, scrambled egg, orange juice

11:00 - Popcorn

13:00 - Cold lamb sandwich

18:00 - Salmon, broccolini, asparagus, onion, snow peas

22:15 - Glass milk, bed


Warm-up walk with Marble around block

10 push-ups (all toe), 10 squats, 10 crunches, 20 step ups (10 on each leg)

10 push-ups (all toe), 10 squats, 20 step ups (10 on each leg)

20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 2 x 20 step ups (10 on each leg)

20 push-ups (15 toe, 5 knee)

10 crunches, 10 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legs


Stretching

Notes

Pretty pleased with the way I pulled up after a late one, not so happy with the reduction in walking beingdone (need a better routine for working from home)..

06 Apr 2012: Rolling In The Deep (2012-04-06 09:18)

Superb singing voice - the tune is in my head for some reason...

Summary




Mood (1 to 5):

90

Morning 4

Lunch 4

Night 4

Journal

06:15 - Piece of totast with vegemite, glass of water

06:30 - Gym (see details below)

08:00 - French toast (eggy bread). Glass orange juice

10:00 - Walk to park with Kian and Marble

11:00 - Sliced banana, sticky date yoghurt, all-bran toppers and almonds

12:30 - 2 Boiled Eggs, hot cross bun

18:00 - Basa (fish) and jacket potato

19:00 - 6.5km bike ride - 27 mins

22:00 - few social snacks

23:00 - 6.5km bike ride - 26 mins

Gym


1000m row – 4m 17s

Recover and stretch


2 x 500m row – 1m 58s and 1m 54s

Recover and stretch

3 x 400m row – 1m 31s, 1m 28s and 1m 25s

Recover and stretch

4 x 300m row – 1m 03s, 1m 03s, 1m 03s and 1m 03s

91

Recover and stretch

3 x 200m row – 37s, 41s and 39s

Recover and stretch

Notes

Another great session - sweaty as anything!

Rowing machine starting to annoy me - especially on the 200m row. As I put more effort in and row faster(trying to break the 34s time) the rowing machine moves.

07 Apr 2012: Fire (2012-04-07 21:42)

Because English Premiership Football is on TV as I write this...

Summary




Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 4

Night 3

Journal

06:30 - Uncle Toby’s mixed grain oats, 2 pieces of toast. Orange juice

09:00 - Grasshopper Soccer with Kian

11:45 - Chickem and salad roll

14:00 - nap with Kian

18:00 - BBQ (house warming). Homemade burger, salad. I beer


92

Notes

Bit of a lazy day - some working at computer, some napping... quite tired as the day went on.

08 Apr 2012: Happy Easter! (2012-04-08 10:22)

An Easter Sunday message from NMMFG...

Summary




Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal

06:00 - Slice toast, glass water


08:00 - Egg, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, hot cross bun. Glass orange juice

09:00 - Double Espresso

10:45 - Water melon, strawberries, grapes. Cup of tea (milk, no sugar)

13:00 - Pre-lunch snacks, 1 beer

14:30 - Roast lamb, roast veggies, 2 glasses red wine

15:30 - Various games on XBox Kinect, including track and field (seriously, I worked up a decent sweat!)

18:00 - Hot cross bun, boiled egg

01:00 - Glass milk, bed (stayed up late to watch some football!)

Gym

93

5 mins bike warm-up - 2.205km

10 mins bike - level 8, 4.688km

10 mins treadmill - 1.158km 7.1km/h jog 7.5 to 8 km/h in final minute)

10 mins cross-trainer - 911m, 55rpm (75rpm final 30secs)

20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs


10 mins stretching

Notes

Really enjoyed this morning’s session - not too early a start but nice quiet gym as it’s Easter Sunday. Evenmanaged 10 minutes of jogging with no walking. 7.1 km/h admittedly, but still jogging!

09 Apr 2012: Misty Mountain Hop (2012-04-09 11:52)

It was misty this morning...

Summary




Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 3

Lunch 5

Night 4

Journal

06:30 - Piece of toast, glass of water


94

08:30 - 2 pieces toast, scrambled egg with cheese. Orange juice

11:00 - Classic cheesecake yoghurt, double espresso

13:00 - Chicken and salad roll

18:00 - Stir fry - chicken, sausage, veggies


Gym

5 min warm-up bike - 2.196km

500m row

Leg Press 20, rest, 15, rest, 10 - Level 17, 18, 19

Chest press 20, rest, 15, rest, 10 - 3 x 12 (last 2 sets were a struggle)

Assisted chin-ups 10, rest, 10, rest, 10 - 3 x 65kg offset (last 1 struggled)

Seated row - 20, rest, 15, rest, 10 - 3 x 45kg

10 x Tricep rope 40kg, 10 x bicep curl 25kg, 10 x shoulder press 25kg



20 x crunches, 20 x ab twist, 20 x bicycle legs



Stretching

Notes

Struggled to get started due to having a late night (deliberately, and aware that it might make this morningmore sluggish)

Once I hit the gym everything was back to normal.

95

10 Apr 2012: Back On The Chain Gang (2012-04-10 13:55)

Long weekend over, back on the chain gang it is...

Summary




Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4

Lunch 5

Night 4

Journal



05:45 - Uncle Toby’s multigrain oats. Orange juice

07:30 - Long mac, few almonds

11:00 - Morning walk, apple pie yoghurt, sliced banana, nuts and seeds.

14:00 - Lunch walk, Chicken, avocado and cheese sandwich.

17:30 - Steak, chips and salad.

14:00 - Lunch walk, Chicken, avocado and cheese sandwich.

20:30 - Few social nibbles.

22:00 - Glass milk, bed.

Gym


500m row - 1m 57s

96

20 pushups (all knee), 20 crunches, 20 squats

1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 4m 20s




Stretching

Notes

Bit annoyed at myself for indulging in snacks later on in the day - just proves to me that there’s plenty morework to go before I’ve truly changed my core habits and attitudes to eating!

Not going to beat myself up about it though :)

11 Apr 2012: Rock The Casbah (2012-04-11 08:44)

Rocking the gym, rocking the casbah!

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4

Lunch 5

Night 4

Journal

03:15 - Piece of toast & vegemite, glass of water


04:45 - Uncle Toby’s multigrain oats. Orange juice

06:00 - Bus, meditate, nap

97

07:00 - Long mac, muesli bar

09:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, strawberry yoghurt, nuts and seeds

12:00 - Lunch walk - salad bowl (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, beetroot, egg, cheese, salami)

15:00 - Few nuts

18:00 - Kangaroo, cabbage, brocolli, cauliflower, sweet potato mash

23:15 - Milk, bed

Gym


500m row - 1m 43s

Leg Press: 20, 15, 10 (3 x level 19)

Chest Press: 20, 15, 10 (3 x level 12)

Assisted Chin-ups: 10, 10, 10 (3 x 65kg)

Seated Row: 20, 15, 10 (3 x 45kg)

10 x tricep rope (40kg), 10 x bicep curl (25kg), 10 x shoulder press (25kg)






Stretching

Notes

Surprisingly pleasing to get a 3(ish) start again - now just to get fully back into the swing of things so there’stime for the riverside walk!

98



12 Apr 2012: For the Greater Good (2012-04-12 08:08)

Backyard sessions are so much better with a dash of Maiden...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 3

Lunch 4

Night 5

Journal


05:15 - Backyard session (see below)

05:45 - Uncle Toby’s porridge, orange juice



11:35 - Morning walk, sliced banana, raspberry yoghurt, nuts and seeds

15:00 - Chicken, cheese and mayo sandwich

18:00 - Salmon and vegetable pancakes


Back Yard Session



99



20 push-ups (all toe)



Stretching

Notes

Two huge issues that I failed to deal with today - a series of meetings across most of the day, includinglunchtime. This resulted in missing lunch and the lunchtime walk (which would have been Jacob’s Ladder).

I should have planned a little around the meetings imposed on me.

I then lost track of time in the evening, heading to bed much later than intended. Again, a little moreawareness would have helped here.

13 Apr 2012: Friday The Thirteenth (2012-04-13 15:55)

Well it is Friday 13th after all...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 23:15Time got up (today): 05:15Mood (1 to 5):Morning 3Lunch 3Night 5

Journal

05:15 - Piece of toast with vegemite, glass water05:30 - Gym (see below)06:30 - Piece of toast, microwaved egg, orange juice07:30 - Bus, meditate and a nap10:00 - Morning tea (staff memmber leaving), ate in moderation!12:30 - Lunchtime walk then Chicken Teriyaki Bento box20:00 - Nibbles, chicken, nuts, cheese, couple of glasses of wine23:00 - Bed

100

Gym



800m row - 3m 21s20 squats20 leg press (19)20 calf raises




Notes

Late night really stuffed things up - concerted effort to get back in the routine next week!

14 Apr 2012: Spiral Dancing (2012-04-14 07:44)

Exciting day - weigh-in and going to the Spiral Dance gig tonight...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 4

Night 5

101

Journal

06:30 - Vanilla and Almond porridge. Orange juice

10:00 Walkabout Wellness, Malaga - weigh-in, measure and assessment

12:00 - Egg, bacon, mushroom, baked beans, slice toast

13:00 - spent most of the afternoon looking for my concert ticket...

19:00 - Few nibbles and snacks pre-gig with friends

21:00 - Spiral Dance gig - 2 stubbies, 2 cans draught Guinness, some water in between

01:00 - Glass water, bed

Weigh-In

Weight: 129kgChest: 113cmWaist: 109cm at smallest point, 112cm under belly button (original measurement point)Hips: 117cm

1000m row - 4 minutesPushups in 1 minute (knee pushups for sake of comparison) - 35Squats in 1 minute - 34

200m row - 36s, 38s, 39s

Notes

8cm gone from chest in total, 11cm from waist.Rowing, squats, push-ups... all vastly improved.It is definitely working!

15 Apr 2012: Burning Times (2012-04-15 08:07)

Had a great day yesterday, and a brilliant time at the Spiral Dance gig - this was their closing number (you’lleither love it or hate it, my musical tastes are wide and varied lol)...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 01:00Time got up (today): 06:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4

102

Night 4

Journal


07:00 - Gym (see below)

08:30 - Egg, bacon & mushroom sandwich, orange juice

11:00 - Toddler’s birthday party - few snacks, piece of birthday cake

14:00 - Brother-in-law’s birthday BBQ - squid, chicken, steak, salad, 3 beers

21:30 - Warm milk, Bed

Gym


500m row - 1m 53s

Leg press 20, 15, 10 - level 19, 19, 20

Chest press 20, 15, 10 - level 12, 12, 12 (with a few at 13)

Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 - 60kg, 60kg, 65kg (offset)

Seated row 20, 15, 10 - 3 x 50kg

10 x triceps rope (45kg), 10 x bicep curl (30kg), 10 x shoulder press (30kg)



20 x crunches, 20 x ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs



103

Stretching

Notes

Was very impressed on a few fronts - firstly not going silly at the gig; had a few beers, kept hydrated andwoke up feeling fine.At the gym, weights were increased across the board - including a final set on leg press at level 20 (which isthe maximum on the machine - 100kg I believe)

16 Apr 2012: I DO Like Mondays Really (2012-04-16 08:34)

This was on the radio as I drove to the gym - another classic...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal

03:15 - Piece of toast with vegemite, glass of water


05:00 - Slice toast, fried egg, mushrooms, a little grated cheese. Glass orange juice


07:00 - Long mac

09:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, blueberry yoghurt, nuts and seeds

12:00 - Extended lunchtime walk (along river)

12:30 - Wholemeal roll, ham, cheese, tomato, lettuce

17:30 - Chicken curry, daal, brown rice, popadom 22:00 - Glass milk, bed22:00 - Glass milk, bed

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Gym


1000m row – 4m 11s

Recover and stretch


2 x 500m row – 2m 06s and 2m 07s

Recover and stretch

3 x 400m row – 1m 37s, 1m 38s and 1m 32s

Recover and stretch

4 x 300m row – 1m 11s, 1m 11s, 1m 06s and 1m 07s

Recover and stretch

3 x 200m row – 38s, 36s and 36s

Recover and stretch

Notes

Getting back to normal at last - 3:15 wake-up. Brilliant. Great session at the gym, times down a little fromsimilar session on 6th, but sweated out the weekend’s partying and felt great afterwards!

17 Apr 2012: Tuesday’s Gone (2012-04-17 06:20)

Tuesday’s just come, but it will be gone at some point...

Summary



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Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal

04:00 - Multigrain cracker and vegemite, glass water


05:15 - Vanilla and Almond porridge. Glass orange juice


07:30 - Long Mac

09:00 - Muesli bar

12:30 - Lunchtime walk - wholemeal roll, chicken, cheese, salad

18:00 - Wholemeal pasta, bolognese sauce


Gym


10 mins bike - level 7/8, 4.8km

10 mins treadmill - 1.172km 7.5km/h jog - 8.5 km/h in final 30s)

10 mins cross-trainer - level 4 901m, 55rpm (75rpm final 30secs)




10 mins stretching

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Notes

Just realised I did the abs stuff x 3 instead of x 2 - ah well, a few extras won’t hurt :)

Due to being busy and focused, I forgot the mid-morning walk and snack. I also did not feel hungry, all day.Not bothered about a slip up on one day, but interesting to note that I didn’t feel hungry?

18 Apr 2012: All Sweated Out (2012-04-18 06:24)

No idea why but this song popped into my head - haven’t heard it in a while...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch

Night 4

Journal

03:30 - Multigrain cracker with vegemite, glass water


05:15 - Vanilla and Almond porridge, orange juice


07:00 - Long Mac, muesli bar

10:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, vanilla yoghurt, nuts, seeds

12:00 - Lunch walk, hot chicken and salad wrap

15:00 - Banana

18:00 - Steak, broccolini, snow peas, asparagus

21:30 - Milk, bed

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Gym


500m row - 1m 56s

Leg press 20, 15, 10 - level 20 x 3

Chest press 20, 15, 10 - level 13 x 3

Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 - 60kg (offset) x 3

Seated row 20, 15, 10 - 50kg x 3







Stretching

Notes

19 Apr 2012: Come on in my Kitchen (2012-04-19 09:12)

I used this song as part of a slideshow/presentation project a few years ago, for some reason it was in myhead this morning...

Summary


108


Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal


05:00 - Back yard session (see below)

05:30 - Fried Egg Sandwich (2 eggs, 2 slices bread)


07:30 - Skinny Long Mac, muesli bar

09:30 - Morning walk then sliced banana, nuts, seeds and natural yoghurt

11:30 - Extended lunch walk via Jacob’s Ladder (over 5km according to MapMyRun)

12:30 - Wholemeal roll, chicken, cheese, avocado

15:00 - Banana, bus, nap

17:00 - Walk to park and back with Kian and Marble

18:00 - Salmon, vegetable pancakes

22:00 - Milk, bed

Back Yard Session






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Stretching

Notes

REALLY good to do Jacob’s Ladder again - didn’t do it the previous 2 weeks

20 Apr 2012: Baker Street (2012-04-20 04:36)

This was playing on the radio as I headed back from the gym at 20 past stupid o’clock...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4

Lunch 5

Night 4

Journal



04:30 - Almond and Vanilla porridge. Orange juice


06:15 - Riverside walk


10:00 - Morning walk and strawberry yoghurt

12:00 - Lunchtime walk, then Chicken Katsu Don Bento (2 pcs sushi, shredded cabbage, chicken, rice,fruit salad)

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17:30 - Stuffed capsicum (large capsicum stuffed with kangaroo mince and veggies)

23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


500m row - 2m 0s






Stretching

Notes

1000m rowing times a bit slower, however.... I focused today on putting power into the alternate 100m blocks,and keeping the rate down low. Stroke rate was between 20 and 22, plenty of time in the recovery stage andwhen I was in the ”go hard” blocks, I was doing 10m to 11m per stroke without having to pull the rope backany further. So it looks like there’s quite a lot more I can squeeze out of these machines yet as long as Ican build up the stamina to put in similar power over longer distances, and at a slightly higher stroke rate.Maybe I dismissed the machines as being a bit crappy a little too soon - maybe (ok probably) the deficiencywas in the meatware element of the system...

Did Riverside Walk for first time in a while!!

21 Apr 2012: These Boots, They Were Made For Walking (2012-04-21 08:19)

I went for a walk this morning, so this seems to fit...

Summary



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Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal

06:30 - Piece of toast and vegemite, glass of water

07:00 - Timed walk with Marble - same route as used on previous occasions. 13m 58s

07:30 - Bowl of muesli. Orange juice

10:00 - Yoghurt and all-bran toppers

11:00 - Tuna and tomato sandwich

13:00 - A little bread and dip, and a small piece of birthday cake at a 4 year old birthday party

17:30 - Homemade pizza - wholemeal pizza base, ham, salami, cheese, mushrom, rocket, capsicum


Notes

Bit disappointed with the walk - only 5 seconds off the previous best time back on Feb 18th. I didn’t havethe dog with me that day, but this morning I was sure I was much faster than before. Obviously didn’t pushhard enough as the calf muscles didn’t ache. So THAT’s a positive - slightly faster time and the body copedwith it a lot better than it did before...

22 Apr 2012: A Glory-ous Sunday (2012-04-22 07:12)

Perth Glory in the A League Grand Final today, this is the song that gets played at home games when Gloryscore, hopefully the fans who travelled to Brisbane will get to chant this a couple of times at least...

Summary



112

Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

Night 3 (very tired)

Journal

05:00 - Toast with vegemite, glass water


07:00 - Bowl Muesli, skim milk. Orange juice

12:00 - Omelette

14:00 - Pub, watching Grand Final. 2 pints of beer

17:00 - Family dinner. Nibbles, soup, Moroccan chicken and meatballs, dessert (sliced oranges, bananas,yoghurt and honey). 1 beer. 2 glasses red wine


Gym


500m row - 2m 06s


Chest press 20, 15, 10 - level 14, 13, 13


Seated row 20, 15, 10 - 50kg x 3





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Stretching

Notes

500m row time was achieved at a stroke rate of about 22 - between 10m and 11m per stroke

23 Apr 2012: Monday Monday (2012-04-23 09:37)

Despite being around before I was even born, I do like a bit of Mamas and Papas. As for the song selection...It’s Monday, ’nuff said...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4 (bit of a slow start after a heavy Sunday)

Lunch 4

Night 4

Journal



05:30 - Bacon sandwich, orange juice

06:30 - Bus, meditate and a nap


09:30 - Morning walk, raspberry yoghurt

13:00 - Extended Lunchtime walk (up Adelaide Terrace, back along river), chicken and salad wrap

15:00 - Bus home - nap

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18:00 - Basa (fish), veggies


Gym


1000m row - 4m 47s

Toe push-ups - 13, 8, 4

Knee pushups x 20

800m row - 3m 53s

20 squats

20 leg press (level 20)

20 calf raises

600m row - 2m 48s

20 x triceps rope (45kg)

20 x bicep curls (30kg)

20 x shoulder press (30kg)

400m row - 1m 44s

20 crunches

20 ab twists

20 bicycle legs

200m row - 37s

Stretching

Notes

Row times are down, however this is fully expected. Instead of increasing stroke rate (as before) I havecontinued to focus on putting more (leg) power into the drive. Each stroke now clocks up 10 or 11 metres

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(previously more like 8 or 9 per stroke over longer distances).

A slower stroke rate, increased power per stroke and consistency of each stroke combine to create a heavierworkload, more sweat and legs that feel completely emptied of all fuel!

While the row times have increased again in the first instance, they are still faster than when I started outand will come down again. The added advantange will be increased stamina, better endurance and morepower delivered consistently across the full distance.

Who knows, I might even be able to get 12 metres out in a single stroke sometime soon-ish :-)

24 Apr 2012: Tuesday Afternoon (2012-04-24 07:36)

Continuing the theme of songs to match the day of the week...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4

Lunch 5

Night 4

Journal





07:00 - Long mac, handful of nuts and dried fruit

09:30 - Morning walk, yoghurt, banana, nuts and dried fruit

11:30 - Extended lunchtime walk, wholemeal roll, egg mayo, ham, salad

15:00 - Banana

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17:30 - Pork topped with apple and cheese, potatoes, corn on the cob, pumpkin

23:30 - Milk, bed

Gym


500m row - 2m 06s - 10/11m per stroke, rate around 22/23




Seated row 20, 15, 10 - 55kg, 50kg, 50kg







Stretching

Notes

25 April 2012: ANZAC Day (2012-04-25 08:20)

On a day when everyone is saying ”Lest we forget”, let’s hope that one day politicians, rulers and otheregomaniacs stop sending people into pointless wars. Let’s hope that one day there will be nothing to forget...

Summary


117


Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal

06:30 - 2 slices toast, one with a little syrup, one with vegemite. Glass water

07:00 - Hour of email and other computer stuff


09:00 - Long walk (just over half an hour) with Marble

12:30 - Walking around Coventry Square Markets - Chinese combination for lunch

16:15 - Walkabout Wellness for weigh-in and training session

18:30 - Lamb shanks, roasted veggies (squash, pumpkin, potato, onion, zucchini)

22:00 - Milk, bed

Walkabout Wellness

Weighed in at 126.8kg - significant milestone as this now puts me under 20 stone for the first time in a while!

5 min warm-up on bike1000m row - 3m 56s - personal best!Boxing session - various permutations of boxing, crunches, push-ups, squats, lunges and running. Hardsession, good fun!4 x 200m row. 36s, 36s, 37s, 37s - the leader board still eludes me!

Notes

No gym this morning, so I stayed up later last night (working) and had a gentle start to the day...

The reason for this is that I’m going to the 4pm session at Walkabout Wellness instead. Variety is the spiceof life...

Summary of the day - a good day all round!

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26 Apr 2012: Shadow Boxer (2012-04-26 08:29)

Boxing-themed tune today, in honour of the gruelling session at Walkabout Wellness last night, and the achesthat has left me with this morning...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4

Lunch 4

Night 5

Journal



05:30 - Egg Sandwich (2 microwaved eggs, 2 slices bread)


07:30 - Skinny Long Mac

09:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, nuts, seeds, natural yoghurt

12:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via Jacob’s Ladder, wholemeal roll with ham, cheese and salad

18:30 - Salmon, salad and strawberry yoghurt

22:30 - Milk, bed

Back Yard Session




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Stretching

Notes

27 Apr 2012: N-N-N-N-N-Nineteen (2012-04-27 07:24)

To celebrate getting below 20 stone.... n-n-n-n-nineteen stone th-th-th-thirteen pounds...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal

03:15 - Multigrain cracker with vegemite, glass of water


05:00 - Bowl of muesli. Orange juice


06:15 - Riverside walk

06:45 - Long mac

09:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, vanilla yoghurt, nuts and seeds

11:30 - Lunchtime walk, bento box (2 pcs sushi, shredded cabbage, teriyaki beef, rice, fruit salad

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15:00 - Banana

18:00 - Homemade Meatloaf (turkey mince), veggies

23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


1000m row - 4m 32s

Recover and stretch

2 x 500m row - 2m 14s and 2m 14s

Recover and stretch

3 x 400m row - 1m 34s, 1m 45s and 1m 37s

Recover and stretch

4 x 300m row - 1m 09s, 1m 07s, 1m 07s and 1m 01s

Recover and stretch

3 x 200m row - 40s, 38s and 43s

Recover and stretch

Notes

Hitting 10m consistently with each stroke now, increased the pace a little and times looking good. 200mtimes increased, especially third one. Had nothing left and had to work hard to finish the final 200m!

Great session though - and really set me for a nice walk along the river later in the morning!

28 Apr 2012: Saturday Night’s Alright (2012-04-28 09:15)

Today is Saturday...

Summary

121



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal

06:30 - Piece of toast and vegemite, glass of water

07:00 - Short walk with Marble

08:00 - Fried egg on toast. Orange juice

11:00 - Shops with family, haircuts and wandering around

12:30 - Toasted Focaccia (Italian meats & pickles and cheese). Coke Zero

13:00 - Working (computer stuff at desk)

18:00 - Kangaroo steak, veggies, corn on the cob

01:30 - Glass milk, bed (spent the evening working)

Notes

A very productive day at the computer - not so good from the physical activity point of view. Got loadsdone though!

29 Apr 2012: An Easy Sunday Morning (2012-04-29 09:29)

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

122

Morning 4

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal



08:45 - Bacon, egg, baked beans, mushrooms, toast. Orange juice

10:30 - Attia’s 3rd birthday party - some outside games with Kian

12:30 - Party food - and I was generally very good - salad, fruit, not over-indulging. Drank only wa-ter

15:30 - More computer work

17:30 - Moroccan chicken dish with flat bread

20:00 - More computer work

23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


500m row - 1m 53s - 10/11m per stroke



Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 - 55kg x 3 (offset)

Seated row 20, 15, 10 - 55kg x 3

Stretching

Notes

Triceps, biceps, shoulder press and abs sections skipped as I ran out of time (had to set out for northernsuburbs aroud 9:30)

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I think the ANZAC day session at Walkabout Wellness has confused me with the program as well - prettysure I missed a weights day before and THIS one should have been cardio... Oh well...

30 Apr 2012: Blue Monday (2012-04-30 09:41)

Not really feeling blue, but this is an immense track from the late 80’s...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal

04:15 - Multigrain cracker and vegemite, glass water


05:30 - Vanilla and Almond porridge. Glass orange juice


07:30 - Long Mac

09:45 - Morning walk, sliced banana, rasberry yoghurt, nuts and seeds

12:45 - Extended lunchtime walk (approx 5.5km), sandwich with wholemeal bread, chicken, cheese andsalad

18:00 - Meatballs and wholemeal pasta

23:00 - Milk and bed

Gym


124

10 mins bike - level 7/8, 4.883km

10 mins treadmill - 1.242km 8.0km/h jog - 9.0 km/h in final 30s)

10 mins cross-trainer - level 4 924m, 58rpm (80+rpm final 30secs)



10 mins stretching

Notes

1.5 May

01 May 2012: The End (2012-05-01 08:34)

Love this song...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 4

Night

Journal

03:00 - Multigrain cracker with vegemite, glass water. Watched football (United v City)


07:30 - Fried egg, slice of toast and mushrooms. Orange juice

10:30 - Long mac, cake

12:30 - Walk home from Dome

125

13:00 - Meatball sandwich

Gym


500m row - 1m 59s




Seated row 20, 15, 10 - 55kg x 3







Leisurely row for 30 minutes - 5.326km

Stretching

Notes

I am working from home today, so won’t be walking up and down stairs etc. So I decided to walk for half anhour at the end of the session. At some point I changed my mind and decided to see if I could row (gently)for 30 minutes instead. The bum was a bit numb come the end, but I managed to stick with it for 30 minutesand rowed just over 5km. Quietly impressed with that.

02 May 2012: Rhythm of the Heat (2012-05-02 10:19)

Had this superb track in my head all morning - after this morning’s session it should perhaps be Rhythm ofthe Sweat...

126

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4

Lunch 5

Night 4

Journal

04:15 - Multigrain cracker with vegemite, glass of water


05:45 - Almond and Vanilla porridge. Orange juice


07:30 - Long mac, handful of nuts

10:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds

12:00 - Extended lunchtime walk via Jacob’s Ladder, chicken, avocado and cheese roll

16:00 - Multigrain cracker

18:00 - Lean pork chop, cauliflower, carrot, potato, cabbage and bacon

23:00 - Milk and bed

Gym


500m row - 2m 0s




127



Stretching

Notes

03 May 2012: Signal to Noise (2012-05-03 15:02)

Yesterday’s track put me in a Gabriel kind of mood...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal



06:15 - Almond and Vanilla Porridge, orange juice



10:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, nuts, seeds, strawberry yoghurt

13:00 - Extended lunchtime walk via Jacob’s Ladder, roll with ham, cheese and salad

15:00 - Few nuts

18:00 - Salmon and asian greens

23:00 - Milk, bed

128

Back Yard Session








Stretching

Notes

As per Britt’s feedback - all 10s changed to 20s in the backyard session.

It hurt....

04 May 2012: May The Fourth Be With You (2012-05-04 08:48)

If you can’t make the connection, I pity you...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 4

Night 5

Journal

129

04:30 - Multigrain cracker with vegemite, glass water.



07:30 - Long mac, bacon and egg sandwich


12:45 - Extended lunchtime walk via Jacob’s Ladder

13:30 - Teriyaki Fish Bento box (2 pcs sushi, shredded cabbage, fish, rice, fruit salad

18:00 - Turkey roast, roast veggies, gravy

23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


500m row - 1m 58s




Seated row 20, 15, 10 - 55kg x 3







Stretching

130

Notes

05 May 2012: Behind The Wheel (2012-05-05 09:05)

Because I will be spending a lot of time behind the wheel today...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal

05:30 - Egg sandwich

07:00 - Drive to Bunbury for meeting and look around

09:00 - Walking/Shopping around Bunbury

13:00 - Bit more walking, grilled fish, chips and salad for lunch. Cup of tea

18:00 - Get together with friends - one glass wine, chicken, party snacks, piece of lemon cake

23:30 - Milk, bed

Notes

06 May 2012: Peaches (2012-05-06 09:21)

Movin’ to the country for sure...

Summary


131


Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 3 (had to fight a number of excuses just to get up and go to the gym)

Lunch 4

Night 4

Journal

05:30 - Multigrain cracker, glass water


07:00 - Egg, Bacon and Mushroom sandwich, orange juice

09:00 - A few hours in the backyard, digging and levelling sand

12:00 - Cold turkey, slice of bread, a few pickled onions. 1 beer.

15:00 - Orange juice.

18:00 - Roast chicken, 2 small potatoes, carrots, peas, gravy

22:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


1000m row - 4m 21s

Toe push-ups - 20, 13, 7

Knee pushups x 20

800m row - 3m 38s

20 squats

20 leg press (level 20)

20 calf raises

600m row - 2m 39s

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20 x triceps rope (50kg)

20 x bicep curls (30kg)

20 x shoulder press (30kg)

400m row - 1m 43s

20 crunches

20 ab twists

20 bicycle legs

200m row - 50s

Stretching

Notes

Long drive yesterday, late night, wrong frame of mind... whatever the reason, the rowing was REALLY hardwork today. The 50s time for 200m is a good indicator of how drained/off-pace I was!

07 May 2012: Skipping Classes (2012-05-07 08:16)

Because it feels a bit like I’ve played truant today...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 4

Lunch 5

Night

Journal

04:30 - Made an effort to get up, a part of my mind was telling me to rest after gym and heavy digging andlevelling yesterday. Mental battle was won, I got up ready to head to the gym...

133

04:30 - Spent half an hour looking for my gym access card - could not find it

05:00 - High fibre porridge, orange juice

05:30 - Gym access card located in the bedroom, underneath my wallet

06:00 - Bus, meditate, nap.

07:00 - Long mac


12:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via Jacob’s Ladder, wholemeal roll, lean roast beef and salad

18:00 - Meatballs, wholemeal pasta, tomato and veggie sauce

21:30 - Milk, bed

Gym

FAIL!

Notes

Actually it’s probably not a bad idea to be resting today, my back, legs and arms are a little sore and tired.

Overall though I’m really pleased with how I feel this morning - not so long ago a few hours heavy work inthe garden would have taken me a week or more to recover from!

08 May 2012: Alive (2012-05-08 07:13)

Had this one blasting out on the way to the gym, great way to wake up...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

134

Night 5

Journal

02:50 - Couple of ”lite” Jatz crackers, glass water.


04:30 - 2 eggs, scrambled. 2 pieces toast, orange juice


06:30 - Long mac


13:00 - Extended lunchtime walk via Jacob’s Ladder, wholemeal roll with chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomatoand cucumber

15:00 - Banana

18:00 - Meat curry, brown rice


Gym


500m row - 1m 53s




Seated row 20, 15, 10 - 55kg x 3





135



Stretching

Notes

09 May 2012: It’s Been a While (2012-05-09 09:45)

It’s been a while since I last heard this song...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch

Night

Journal

04:30 - Couple of ”light” crackers, glass of water


06:30 - Kian’s birthday present opening, Bowl of porridge. Orange juice


08:30 - Long mac

Gym


1000m row - 3m 59s

Recover and stretch

136

2 x 500m row - 1m 51s and 1m 59s

Recover and stretch

3 x 400m row - 1m 29s, 1m 30s and 1m 28s

Recover and stretch

4 x 300m row - 1m 03s, 59s, 1m 01s and 1m 02s

Recover and stretch

3 x 200m row - 36s, 35s and 36s

Recover and stretch

Notes

With the rowing today - went back to increasing pace over the bulk of the distance (9m strokes), digging indeep and rowing hard (10m or 11m strokes) on the last 200m

Except the 200m - which was just fast AND hard. Still 1 second off the leaderboard pace though!

10 May 2012: Zombie Nation (2012-05-10 08:34)

Great track, weird video...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch 5

Night 5

Journal

04:30 - Couple of light jatz crackers, glass water

137


05:45 - 2 fried eggs, 2 slices toast, orange juice



10:30 - Morning tea at work - piece of sushi, few snacks

11:00 - Morning walk

13:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via Jacob’s Ladder. 1 party pie and piece of lamington (morningtea leftovers)

16:30 - Few beers (3 pints) - brother-in-law’s birthday

20:00 - Salmon and cous-cous


Back Yard Session








Stretching

Notes

The push-ups, they hurt :-)

Not an ideal day from the nutrition perspective. Going to be a challenging few days actually. Birth-days, engagements... thing is I’m not overly concerned about it; I know I don’t pig out like I used to, and ifyou can’t indulge and enjoy every now and then, what’s the point? :-)

138

11 May 2012: Row, Row, Row The Boat... (2012-05-11 08:09)

This was blasting out as I headed to the gym with just one (stupid) goal in mind...

Summary



Mood (1 to 5):

Morning 5

Lunch

Night

Journal

03:30 - 2 light Jatz crackers, glass water.


05:30 - Small bowl high fibre porridge, orange juice


07:00 - Long mac, bacon and egg sandwich

Gym


60 minute row - 11.217km

Stretching

Notes

Britt put the idea out there recently, of doing a 60 minute row. As is usually the case with these suggestions(e.g. the casual question ”how far is your office from Jacob’s Ladder?”) it lodged in my brain.

So today I inserted an extra gym session - warm up and then row for an hour while listening to Iron

139

Maiden... I did it, I rowed just over 11km and it’s hard to believe that not so long ago, 500m was reasonablychallenging!

Some good progress made in the past 12 weeks or so - long may it continue!

12-14 May: Bermuda Triangle (2012-05-15 15:46)

I truly apologise for using this video...

A Few Blog Posts Missing

After the 60 minute row, things got a bit out of hand... Basically it was a mad weekend with my son’sbirthday party, an engagement party, Mothers’ Day - and a couple of extra rest days as the 11km row haddelayed impacts (mostly on the legs).

The blog was neglected, the food intake was mostly of the ”party” variety. I had a few beers (but notexcessive in the slightest). Water intake was generally good, and I was very mobile and active despite notgoing to the gym...

Rather than cobble together a bunch of posts, I’m drawing a line under it all and moving on...

Enjoy the Barry Manilow video BWAHAHAHA.

15 May 2012: Happy Birthday (2012-05-15 16:00)

NMMFG’s birthday today - I remember this song well, I was 12...

Summary


Journal

04:15 - Couple of light jatz crackers, glass water04:30 - Gym (see below)06:00 - Scrambled egg (2 egss and a little grated cheese), 1 slice toast. Orange juice07:30 - Bus, meditate, nap08:30 - Skinny long mac11:00 - Birthday cup cake

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13:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park (Mounts Bay Rd, up Kokoda Track, down St GeorgesTerrace). Approx 5km14:30 - Rice, beef, pumpkin - small serve from Chinese lunch bar16:00 - Banana18:00 - Basa (white fish), risoni with capers and olives, asparagus. Poached pear with vanilla syrup andcaramel custard. All weightwatchers recipes.21:45 - Milk, bed

Gym

5 mins warm-up bike - 2.402km10 mins bike - 4.639km10 mins treadmill - 1.190km10 mins cross-trainer - 875km20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs10 mins stretching

Notes

Really felt a negative impact from a few slack days. Didn’t jog much at all on the treadmill, cross trainerdown by about 100m.

Clearly a rest is good - but you can have too much of a good thing.... Impact probably a combo ofdropping a little on the fitness levels plus some ”not so good for you” food...

16 May 2012: Cold As Ice (2012-05-16 11:37)

It was cold first thing this morning - I got in the car and this song came on, reinforcing in my mind that Iwas cold - brrrr...

Summary


Journal

03:15 - Couple of ”lite” Jatz crackers, glass water.03:30 - Gym (see below)04:45 - Fried egg, mushrooms, slice of cheese, slice toast. Orange juice06:00 - Bus, meditate, nap07:00 - Long mac, few nuts10:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds13:00 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park (5km approx)

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14:00 - 4 pieces sushi18:00 - Turkey curry, ”slim pasta” noodles22:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


Leg press 20, 15, 10 - level 20 x 3Chest press 20, 15, 10 - level 15, 15, 14Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 - 50kg, 50kg, 55kg (offset)Seated row 20, 15, 10 - 55kg x 3


20 x crunches, 20 x ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs15 x crunches, 15 x ab twists, 15 x bicycle legs10 x crunches, 10 x ab twists, 10 x bicycle legs

Stretching

Notes

17 May 2012: Backyard Babies (2012-05-17 10:37)

It was cold in the back yard this morning - Minus Celsius by the Backyard Babies seemed fitting...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:00Time got up (today): 04:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night

Journal

04:45 - Couple of light jatz crackers, glass water05:00 - Back yard session (see below)05:45 - Scrambled eggs with 1 slice of toast and a little grated cheese, orange juice07:10 - Bus, meditate, nap08:15 - Skinny Long Mac - few almonds11:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts & seeds

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13:30 - Extended lunchtime walk (Jacob’s Ladder). 4 pcs sushi, seaweed salad18:00 - Salmon, crispy potatoes, onion and fennel. Small piece birthday cake.

Back Yard Session

Warm-up walk with Marble around block20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 20 crunches, 40 step ups (20 on each leg)20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 40 step ups (20 on each leg)20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 2 x 40 step ups (20 on each leg)20 push-ups (all toe)20 crunches, 20 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legs20 crunches, 20 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legsStretching

Notes

The push-ups, they STILL hurt :-)

18 May 2012: Sorrow (2012-05-18 07:43)

This was playing on the radio as I headed back from the gym - vintage gold...

Summary


Journal

04:15 - Piece of toast, glass of water04:30 - Gym (see details below)05:30 - 2 fired eggs, 2 slices toast. Orange juice06:00 - Bus, meditate, nap07:00 - Skinny long mac09:00 - Morning walk - yoghurt, nuts and seeds12:00 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park13:00 - 4 pieces sushi, squid salad16:00 - 2 glasses wine, few nibbles18:30 - Kangaroo steak, roasted veggies22:30 - Milk, bed

Gym

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5 min warm-up bike - 2.35km (ish - forgot to write it down)

500m row - 1m 55s

20 pushups, 20 crunches, 20 squats

1000m row - 4m 03s (forgot to do 100/100 intervals)




Stretching

Notes

19 & 20 May: Weekend (2012-05-21 13:02)

So it seems that a pattern is establishing itself... when I look for songs/vids to go with a ”catchup” journalentry, it winds up being a piece of 1970s pop cheese... (this one isn’t half as bad as Barry Manilow though!)

Notes

With Helen away doing a market down south on Sunday, the original intention was to hit the gym early onSaturday with the aim of completing the half marathon (21km) row discussed with Britt previously.

The gym was shut due to some cleaning work - they were making it look pretty for an open day...

So Saturday and Sunday became non-gym days, though there was Grasshopper Soccer, walks with thedog, taking the boy to the local playground etc. etc.

Diet-wise things weren’t too bad, though most definitely NOT ideal (there were 2 males, home alone,it was always going to be a challenge lol). I wound up staying up late/early for the Champions League final(kick off Sunday 2:45am WST).

We also ended the weekend eating takeaway fish and chips - it was delicious :-)

The stage was set however, and a plan formed in my mind... early to bed on Sunday (9:30pm ish) with theidea of attempting the half marathon row on Monday....

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21 May 2012: 21 days, 21 kilometres (2012-05-21 13:23)

This was on the radio as I drove to the gym - my favourite version of one of my all-time favourite songs.Compared to 3 or 4 minute pop numbers, the song itself is a mini-marathon. Quite fitting really...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 21:30 (maybe a little earlier)Time got up (today): 03:00Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 3 (very tired)

Journal

03:00 - Piece toast, glass water.03:30 - Gym (see below)06:15 - Bacon, egg, mushroom and cheese sandwich, orange juice07:25 - Bus, rest, nap08:30 - Long mac, bacon and egg sandwich11:00 - Morning walk. Sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds14:00 - Lunchtime walk. Wholemeal roll, chicken, cheese, avocado16:00 - Banana18:30 - Meatballs, wholemeal pasta, pasta sauce (with lentils and veggies)22:15 - Milk, bed

NOTE: As per advice, plenty of fluids consumed today (about 4 litres water) - I also kept relativelyactive, walking etc. So far it seems to be paying off!

Gym


Half marathon row - 21km in 2 hours 8 minutes and 28 seconds

Stretching

Notes

Britt (again) recently mentioned the idea of doing a half marathon row. Yet again I fell for it!

I didn’t push hard - just a slow and steady pace. A little slower than the 60 minute row I completedrecently...

Main observations from rowing for over 2 hours... heart and lungs coped fine, I did build up a reason-able sweat so having a small towel within reach was a good move. Having the water bottle within reach wasalso useful as I did need the occasional splash of water in my mouth.

As I say, in term of heart and lungs there was no issue. I probably could have kept going for a whilelonger from that perspective. That’s a good omen for scaling up to full marathon distance and making a

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start with running.

The main issues were a small blister on one finger, a sore backside, aching neck and shoulders and boredom!In fact I would definitely say that the main battle is a mental one - all those niggling aches and pains couldeasily have ended the row if I’d allowed them to get to me.

As it was, I didn’t. When I peeled myself off the rower, forced myself to stand up (it actually hurt tostraighten my legs and back) - it felt GREAT.

I can’t remember the exact time, but the event was announced to the world via Facebook as:

”2 hours, 8 minutes, 28 seconds. Arse muscles locked, walking like I’m about to poo my pants. But Irowed 21km. Get in!”

22 May 2012: Pinball Wizard (2012-05-22 06:11)

From one long-curly-haired rock god to another... Mr Plant yesterday, Mr Daltrey today...

Summary


Journal

03:45 - Slice toast and vegemite, glass water.04:00 - Gym (see below)05:30 - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 slices bread. Orange juice06:30 - Bus, meditate, nap11:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds13:00 - Lunchtime walk, wholemeal roll with salami and salad15:30 - A few km walked to and around Garvey Park18:30 - Chicken, cheesy potato, peas, gravy22:30 - Milk, bed

Gym


Leg press 20, 15, 10 - level 20 x 3Chest press 20, 15, 10 - level 15 x 3

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Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 - 50kg (offset) x 3Seated row 20, 15, 10 - 55kg x 3



Stretching

Notes

23 May 2012: Bridgwater (2012-05-23 08:25)

Bridgwater is the town where I grew up, living there 21 years from the age of 8. I’m using this track onthe blog today thanks to some conversations on Facebook stirring up some memories of what now seems alifetime ago.

Summary


Journal

04:00 - Slice toast + vegemite, glass water04:15 - Gym (see below)05:30 - Orange juice06:00 - Bus, meditate, nap07:00 - Egg and Bacon roll, long mac10:00 - Morning walk, yoghurt, sliced banana, nuts & seeds14:00 - Lunchtime walk, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato and gherkin roll15:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Corned beef, roasted veggies (potato, pumpkin, carrot, courgette). Small slice birthday cake23:30 - Milk, bed

Gym


1000m row - 3m 56s

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Toe push-ups - 20, 5, 6Knee pushups x 20

800m row - 3m 11s20 squats20 leg press (level 20)20 calf raises



200m row - 34s

Stretching

Notes

Really pleased with the row times today and very happy to finally hit 34s for the 200m row (even if theleaderboard time is now down to 33s). The pushups really hurt - did 20, then the 2nd and 3rd sets I struggledto complete 5 and 6 respectively!

Still, you get that I guess :-)

24 May 2012: Eat The Rich (2012-05-24 08:44)

This one goes out to you, Gina Rinehart, in the time it takes to watch this vid, you’ll have made another$150k...

Summary


Journal

04:50 - Slice of toast, glass water05:20 - Back yard session (see below)

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05:45 - Scrambled eggs with 2 slices of toast and cheese, orange juice06:30 - Bus, meditate, nap07:30 - Skinny Long Mac10:00 - Biggest Morning Tea - cup cake, cheese scone, plenty of water...13:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park (the 5km one via Kakoda Track)14:30 - Small serve chicken, rice and veggies from Chinese lunch bar18:00 - Salmon, veggies22:00 - Milk, bed

Back Yard Session


Notes

Guess what? Those push-ups are still painful lol

25 May 2012: La Serenissima (2012-05-25 10:11)

Listening to a bit of classical music this morning and this video from the early 80s came to mind...

Summary


Journal

05:15 - Orange juice05:35 - Bus, meditate, nap06:45 - Bacon and Egg roll, Skinny Long Mac09:00 - Morning walk, yoghurt and sliced banana11:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park (approx 5km)12:30 - Bento box - chicken, rice, 2 pcs sushi, shredded cabbage, fruit salad15:00 - Banana17:30 - Walkabout Wellness, weigh-in and training session

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20:00 - Corned beef sandwich23:00 - Milk, bed

Walkabout Wellness

Latest weight = 124.2kg, waist 107cm, chest 111cm, body fat 31.4 %

So averaging about 4.6kg loss per month, which is just over 1kg per week. At that rate it could be100kg before the year end...

Notes

The video at the top of this article is the original that I remember seeing on Top of the Pops as a kid. For alonger version of the track, try [1]this YouTube vid

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhnGW4DV7Jg

26 May 2012 - Party For Everybody (2012-05-26 12:52)

Eurovision - you either get it, or you don’t...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 07:00Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4 (bit tired)Night 5

Journal

07:00 - French toast, Orange juice09:00 - Grasshopper soccer with Kian10:00 - Apple11:00 - Bits and pieces around the house12:30 – Chicken & mushroom soup, 2 slices bread. Double shot Espresso18:00 - GFU end of season party - generous portions of beer and party food...0:00 - Large glass water then bed

Notes

27 May 2016 - Weil der Mensch zählt (2012-05-27 12:30)

Continuing the Eurovision theme, this is a Eurovision classic from 2003...

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhnGW4DV7Jg

Summary


Journal

06:00 – 2 jatz crackers, glass water06:30 – Gym (see below)08:00 – Porridge, egg and bacon sandwich, orange juice, double shot espresso13:00 - Tortilla wraps - salmon and corned beef with salad.15:00 - snack few nuts and dried fruit18:00 - Steak sandwich, chips, salad, peas and sweet corn23:30 - Milk, bed

Gym

5 mins warm-up bike – 2.217km500m row – 1m 58s

Leg press 20, 15, 10 – level 20 x 3Chest press 20, 15, 10 – level 15 x 3Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 – 50kg (offset) x 3Seated row 20, 15, 10 – 55kg x 3



Stretching

Notes

Didn’t feel too many ill-effects of the partying and late night - all residual effects were sweated out good andproper!

Another late night - this time for the Eurovision Somg Contest final :-)

28 May 2012: Euphoria (2012-05-28 10:53)

And the winner of Eurovision 2012 is... Sweden (I still think the Russian Grannies and Moldova should havebeen joint winners)

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Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 23:30Time got up (today): 04:15Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4 (took a while to actually persuade myself to get up)Lunch 5Night Mentally 5 - Physically 3 (very tired, bit achy)

Journal

04:15 - Couple of ”light” crackers, glass of water04:45 - Gym (see details below)06:30 - Bowl of porridge, 2 pieces toast. Orange juice07:00 - Bus, meditate, nap08:00 - Long mac11:00 - Morning walk. Sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts & seeds14:00 - Lunchtime walk. 4 pcs sushi (chicken)16:00 - Handful of nuts, bus, nap18:00 - Beef and veggies stir fry22:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


1000m row - 4m 21sRecover and stretch

2 x 500m row - 2m 07s and 2m 07sRecover and stretch

3 x 400m row - 1m 43s, 1m 37s and 1m 39sRecover and stretch

4 x 300m row - 1m 11s, 1m 10s, 1m 07s and 58sRecover and stretch

3 x 200m row - 38s, 34s and 35sRecover and stretch

Notes

Paying the price for a night out Saturday and a late night Sunday I think. Initial rowing times were down,but put in some more respectable times on the shorter rows towards the end. Which was nice.

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29 May 2012: Dub Be Good To Me (2012-05-29 08:36)

There was a remix of this playing at the gym this morning - prefer the original myself....

Summary


Journal

04:15 - Couple of light jatz crackers, glass water04:30 - Gym (see below)06:00 - Scrambled egg (2 eggs), cheese, 2 slices toast. Orange juice06:30 - Bus, meditate, nap07:30 - Skinny long mac, few nuts10:00 - Morning walk, yoghurt, sliced banana, nuts and seeds12:00 - Extended lunchime walk via King’s Park. Sashimi.15:00 - Banana16:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Meatballs, wholemeal pasta, pasta sauce (made with plenty of veg)22:00 - Milk, bed

Gym

5 mins warm-up bike - 2.378km10 mins bike - 5.046km10 mins treadmill - 1.323km10 mins cross-trainer - 889m20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs10 mins stretching

Notes

30 May 2012 - The Voice (2012-05-30 10:04)

No, not the TV show... a lovely song that’s been in my head for a couple of days. No idea why, it’s not likeI’ve heard it for a while. Anyway, enjoy...

Summary


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Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 5

Journal

04:15 – 2 jatz crackers, glass water04:30 – Gym (see below)06:00 – 2 fried eggs, mushrooms, 2 slices bread, orange juice07:00 - bus, nap08:30 - Skinny long mac, muesli bar11:00 - Morning walk. Sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds14:00 - Lunchtime walk. Small serve beef, pumpkin, noodle and veg18:00 - Kangaroo steak, veggies00:15 - Milk, bed

Gym


Leg press 20, 15, 10 – level 20 x 3Chest press 20, 15, 10 – level 15 x 3Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 – 45kg, 50kg, 50kg (offset)Seated row 20, 15, 10 – 55kg x 3



Stretching

Notes

Put in a bit of an effort with the warm-up row - not quite on the leaderboard for 500m though :-)

A decrease in the first set of assisted chin-ups. I also gave the 40kg a go for bicep curls - I managed5 on the first time around.

35kg would be the natural progression - the jump from 30kg to 40kg is due to there being no 35kg bar forsome reason. Still, 5 x 40kg plus 5 x 30kg = an average of 10 x 35kg :-)

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31 May 2012: Isle of Avalon (2012-05-31 11:16)

Avalonian myth and legend, classic Maiden rock, that’ll do me...

Summary


Journal

04:45 - 2 lite jatz crackers, glass water05:15 - Back yard session (see below)05:45 - Porridge, 2 slices toast, orange juice06:40 - Bus, meditate, nap07:30 - Skinny Long Mac10:00 - Morning walk, yoghurt, sliced banana, nuts and seeds13:00 - Lunchtime walk into the city - bought new pair of business pants 107cm waist. Dropped a dress size:-)13:30 - Wholemeal roll, tuna, cheese, mayo15:00 - Few nuts16:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Salmon, veggie pancakes22:00 - Milk, bed

Back Yard Session


Notes

Would it be too boring for the reader to mention that the pushups hurt? :-)

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1.6 June

01 Jun 2012: Spirit of Albion (2012-06-01 04:47)

Let’s start the month with something a little different. One of my favourite pagan/folk musos...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:00Time got up (today): 03:15Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4 (little tired)Night

Journal

03:15 - 2 Jatz Crackers, glass of water03:30 - Gym (see details below)04:30 - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 slices toast. Orange juice05:25 - Bus, meditate, nap06:15 - Skinny long mac08:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts, seeds13:00 - Lunchtime walk, teriyaki fish bento box14:15 - Bus, nap

Gym

5 min warm-up bike - 2.538km)

500m row - 1m 39s






Stretching

Notes

Went all out on 500m row but that leaderboard time was just out of reach again...First 1000m was slow, with 10m, 11m and 12m strokes on the alternate 100m sections. Stroke rate of about21.Second 1000m was a more usual 100/100 - rate between 25 and 28.

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04 Jun 2012: The Whole Of The Moon (2012-06-04 21:07)

Partial lunar eclipse tonight...

This post will be another quick catch-up - we’ve just had a long weekend and I’ve been so busy withwebsite work that I completely forgot about the blog....

Key points from the weekend:

Saturday - went to Grasshopper Soccer in the morning with Kian. Cooked family dinner with main anddessert both being Weightwacthers recipes (Lime Fish Curry and Strawberry & Vanilla Yoghurt Swirl Cake).Both were delicious, and offset by nibbles, couple of beers, couple of red wines and the first scotch in a while.

Sunday - got up at 4:15am, down the gym around 4:30am and rowed 21km (half marathon) for a sec-ond time. Beat the last time by 42 seconds: 2 hours, 07 minutes 46 seconds. Spent the rest of the day sippingwater, doing website work and sleeping!

Monday - slept in until about 7:30am and spent the day split between working on the computer andresting. Amazing how much a half marathon row really does take out of you!

Really looking forward to tomorrow morning though - early start, head up to Walkabout Wellness inMalaga for [1]Body Clock Testing and a training session.

1. file://localhost/mnt/ext/blogbooker/tmp/j7q2tgfy/wellnesschallenge.com.au

05 Jun 2012: Lip Up Fatty (2012-06-05 17:20)

Oh no Mr Buster Bloodvessel, there’s no ”Fatty” here…

Summary


Journal

04:15 – Glass of water05:30 – Walkabout Wellness Gym (see details below)08:00 – Porridge, 2 slices toast. Orange juice

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10:00 – Networking Group - large long mac, cake13:00 – Bagel with smoked salmon and light cream cheese20:30 - Chicken, soup and slice of cake22:00 - Milk, bed

Walkabout Wellness

[1]Turn Back Your Body Clock Testing

Blood Sugar, Blood Pressure, Resting Pulse, Lung Function all goodSlightly low on HDL (good cholesterol)

Managed about 2 minutes 20 seconds for the ”plank” (resting on forearms and toes, straight body)

21 full pushups in a row

Attempted 200m sprint twice and 500m sprint once - failed to beat the current leadeboard champ.

Weighed in at 122.6kg - EXACTLY TWENTY KILOS LOST TO DATE!!

Notes

1. http://wellnesschallenge.com.au/

06 Jun 2012 - God Save The Queen (2012-06-06 08:38)

With all the Diamond Jubilee stuff going on, I guess I ought to do something to mark the occasion :-)

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 03:15Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 4 (bit tired)

Journal

03:15 – 2 jatz crackers, glass water03:30 – Gym (see below)05:00 – 2 eggs scrambled, 2 slices toast, orange juice06:00 - Bus, meditate, nap07:00 - Skinny long mac09:30 - Morning walk - sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds13:00 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park - 4 pcs sushi14:00 - Small piece cake15:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Kangaroo stew

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http://wellnesschallenge.com.au/

23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


Leg press 20, 15, 10 – level 20 x 3Chest press 20, 15, 10 – level 15 x 3Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 – 50kg x 3 (offset)Seated row 20, 15, 10 – 60kg x 3

10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (5 @ 40kg, 5 @ 30kg), 10 x shoulder press (30kg)10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (30kg), 10 x shoulder press (30kg)10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (30kg), 10 x shoulder press (30kg)


Stretching

Notes

07 Jun 2012: Rain (2012-06-07 10:35)

Rain didn’t stop play this morning...

Summary


Journal

05:15 - 2 lite jatz crackers, glass water05:30 - Indoor session (see below)06:15 - Porridge, 2 slices toast, orange juice07:00 - Bus, meditate, nap08:00 - Skinny Long Mac10:30 - Morning walk, yoghurt, sliced banana, nuts and seeds13:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park. Small serve honey chicken, squid, rice.16:00 - Banana, bus, nap18:00 - Salmon, veggies

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Indoor Session

Warm-up walk with Marble around block20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 20 crunches20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 20 crunches20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 20 crunches20 push-ups (all toe)20 crunches, 20 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legs20 crunches, 20 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legsStretching

Notes

It was damp when I took Marble out, but no rain. Just as we got back to the house, the skies opened upmaking an outdoor backyard session a bit impractical.

One part of my brain was about to give into the idea of ”oh well, unexpected bonus rest day” whenanother part of the same brain decided that a slightly modified session could be held indoors. Not sure whenthat part of my brain appeared - must be quite recent!

The session was pretty simple - exactly what I usually do outside only with step-ups replaced by crunches.

I have to say, I was quite pleased with myself for not giving into the temptation of skipping training...

08 Jun 2012: Wasteland (2012-06-08 09:14)

One of my favourite bands from my late teens (still is)... Ah, nostalgia ain’t what it used to be...

Summary


Journal

04:15 - 2 light jatz crackers, glass water04:30 - Gym (see below)06:00 - 2 eggs (scrambled), 2 slices toast, orange juice07:00 - Bus, meditate, nap08:00 - Skinny long mac, muesli bar10:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds

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13:15 - Lunchtime walk, chicken curry bento (chicken curry, rice, 2 pcs sushi, shredded cabbage, fruit salad)15:00 - Banana, few nuts16:30 - Bus, nap18:00 - Bacon and sweetcorn soup, slice of bread00:45 - Milk, bed

Gym



800m row - 3m 14s20 squats20 leg press (level 20)20 calf raises



200m row - 35s

Stretching

Notes

09 Jun 2012: Saturday (2012-06-09 08:07)

I did a search on YouTube for ”Saturday” - I honestly thought this was a very funny piss-take/spoof at first.Apparently it’s not (which is even more hilarious)...

Summary


161

Night 5

Journal

07:15 - Porridge, orange juice09:00 - Grasshopper soccer with Kian11:00 - Rice cake, apple12:30 - Chicken and salad sandwich15:00 - Rice cake18:00 - Corned beef, bread sauce and roasted veggies (capsicum, potato, eggplant, squash)23:00 - Milk, bed

Notes

10 Jun 2012 - Sunday Girl (2012-06-10 08:16)

Another day-themed video - unlike yesterday’s, this is a decent track :-)

Summary


Journal

06:30 – Rice cake, glass water07:00 – Gym (see below)08:15 – 2 fried eggs, bacon, mushrooms, toast, baked beans, orange juice11:00 - Rice cake, cup of tea13:00 - Corned beef and salad sandwich15:00 - Rice cake18:00 - Chicken and vegetable soup, pizza, slice of cake (homemade, weightwatchers 3 points)21:30 - Milk, bed

Gym


Leg press 20, 15, 10 – level 20 x 3Chest press 20, 15, 10 – level 15 x 3Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 – 45kg x 3 (offset)Seated row 20, 15, 10 – 60kg x 3

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10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (5 @ 40kg, 5 @ 30kg), 10 x shoulder press (40kg)10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (5 @ 40kg, 5 @ 30kg), 10 x shoulder press (40kg)10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (30kg), 10 x shoulder press (40kg)


Stretching

Notes

Gave the 40kg bar a go for the shoulder press, and was surprised to find that I could just about manage thatweight for all 10 reps in all 3 sets.

Split the work between 40kg and 30kg for the first two sets of bicep curls - had to do all 10 reps @30kg in the final set.

11 Jun 2012: On The Turning Away (2012-06-11 08:35)

You’ve got to be happy when this song comes on the radio, as you head to the gym at 3:30 in the morning..

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 21:30Time got up (today): 03:15Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4 (a little tired)Night 5

Journal

03:15 - Rice cake, glass of water03:30 - Gym (see details below)05:00 - Bowl of porridge. Orange juice06:00 - Bus, meditate, nap07:00 - Long mac, muesli bar10:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds14:00 - Lunchtime walk, subway foot long, tuna, cheese and all the salad18:00 - Chicken and vegetable stew23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


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3 x 400m row - 1m 24s, 1m 24s and 1m 30s - went really hard on the last one, but had nothing leftover the last 50 to 100mRecover and stretch

4 x 300m row - 1m 0s, 1m 01s, 1m 03s and 59sRecover and stretch


Notes

Was pretty pleased with the rowing times - some good consistency, and some improvement too.

12 Jun 2012: Holding Back The Years (2012-06-12 12:02)

This song is in reference to the fact that I got my initial bio age test results/report back. I’ll be bloggingabout that in the main blog section.

Chronological Age = 43, Biological Age = 39 = Great result!

Summary


Journal

04:15 - Couple of light jatz crackers, glass water04:30 - Gym (see below)06:00 - Scrambled egg (2 eggs), cheese, 2 slices toast. Orange juice09:00 - Cup of coffee11:00 - Yoghurt and bran toppers13:00 - Weightwatchers fish curry leftovers, slice of bread.15:00 - Dried fruit & nuts18:00 - Meatballs, wholemeal pasta, pasta sauce22:15 - Milk, bed

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Gym

5 mins warm-up bike - 2.544km10 mins bike - 4.911km10 mins treadmill - 1.292km10 mins cross-trainer - 1.026m20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs10 mins stretching

Notes

Target of 1km on cross-trainer hit!

13 Jun 2012 - Brewing Up a Storm (2012-06-13 12:23)

The city dwellers of Perth got all excited about a storm that, if you listened to all the hype and hysteria, wasgoing to wipe out everything in its path. Reality was we had some gusty winds and some heavy rain. Prettymuch business as usual for a Perth winter.

Good job nothing serious was going to happen - imagine the hysteria then!

Summary


Journal

03:15 – 2 jatz crackers, glass water03:30 – Gym (see below)05:15 – 2 fried eggs, 2 slices toast, orange juice06:00 - bus, nap07:00 - Skinny long mac, muesli bar10:00 - Morning walk. Sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds14:00 - Lunchtime walk, chicken, noodles, veggies15:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Chicken and veg soup, corned beef sandwich23:30 - Milk, bed

Gym

5 mins warm-up bike – 2.5km approx 100rpm, gear 13500m row – 1m 40s

165

Leg press 20, 15, 10 – level 20 x 3Chest press 20, 15, 10 – level 15 x 3Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 – 45kg (offset) x 3Seated row 20, 15, 10 – 60kg x 3

10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (7 @ 40kg, 3 @ 30kg), 10 x shoulder press (40kg)10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (9 @ 40k, 1 @ 30kg), 10 x shoulder press (40kg)10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (8 @ 40kg, 1 @ 30kg), 10 x shoulder press (40kg)


Stretching

Notes

Changed bikes today as I noticed the spin bikes had adjustable handlebar heights. My knees are very closeto hitting the handlebars on the ones I’ve been using. Seems to be a bit more like a real bike and I was ableto fully adjust the seat and handlebar heights to suit perfectly.

My distance was down even though I maintained the same RPM as usual - in fact I’m sure the gearing madethe resistance a little more than usual. Probably just different calibration/accuracy of the equipment.

Biceps - getting close to squeezing out full sets of 10 using 40kg now.

14 Jun 2012: Mistreated (2012-06-14 08:10)

Just because I can...

Summary


Journal

05:15 - 2 lite jatz crackers, glass water05:30 - Backyard session (see below)06:15 - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 slices toast, orange juice07:00 - Bus, meditate, nap08:00 - Skinny Long Mac

166

10:30 - Morning walk, morning tea13:30 - Rest of workday sabotaged by meetings etc. grabbed some morning tea leftovers16:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Risotto (Salmon & veg)23:00 - Glass milk, bed

Backyard Session

Warm-up walk with Marble around block20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 20 crunches, 20 step ups (each leg)20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 20 step ups (each leg)20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 20 step ups (each leg) x 220 push-ups (all toe)20 crunches, 20 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legs20 crunches, 20 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legsStretching

Notes

15 Jun 2012: Every Soldier is a Mother’s Son (2012-06-15 09:31)

So bring them home to their Mothers, Fathers, Wives, Partners and Children...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 23:00Time got up (today): 03:15Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 4 (very tired)

Journal

03:15 - 2 Jatz Crackers, glass of water03:30 - Gym (see details below)04:30 - 2 fried eggs, 2 slices toast. Orange juice05:45 - Bus & train - no nap :-(06:30 - Skinny long mac, muesli bar10:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts & seeds13:00 - Extended lunchtime walk via Kokoda Track / King’s Park - Kara Chicken Bento (chicken, rice, 2 pcssushi, salad, cup of miso soup)15:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Home-assembled pizza - wholemeal base, tomato, mushroom, salami, prosciutto, rocket, light cheese23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym

167

5 min warm-up bike - 2.5km (gear 14, 95-100rpm)

500m row - 1m 43s (level 5 resistance)


1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 4m 11s (level 5 resistance, about 25 stroke rate avg)


1000m row (100/100 intervals) - 3m 55s (level 5 resistance, about 30 stroke rate avg)


Stretching

Notes

16 Jun 2012: Parisienne Walkways (2012-06-16 07:38)

Superb track from one of the guitar greats...

Summary


Journal

06:30 - Working at computer (admin stuff)07:30 - Porridge, toast, orange juice09:00 - Grasshopper soccer with Kian11:00 - Apple12:30 - Salmon & veg risotto15:00 - Couple of jatz crackers18:30 - Outback Jacks for a birthday dinner - Rump steak, mash, salad. Slice chocolate birthday cake. 2beers.23:00 - Glass water, bed

Notes

168

17 Jun 2012 - Time Is Ticking Out (2012-06-17 07:35)

I can’t even begin to think when I last heard this - popped up while playing my music in ”shuffle” mode whileat the gym. Great track, brilliant band.

Summary


Journal

05:30 – 2 jatz crackers, glass water05:45 – Gym (see below)08:30 - 2 Poached Eggs, bacon, 2 crumpets. Orange juice12:00 - Roast beef roll with small serve of chips, flat white with extra shot.18:00 - Pre-dinner nibbles, 2 beers19:00 - Ossobuco and mash. 2 glasses red wine.22:30 - Water, bed

Gym

5 mins warm-up bike – 2.5km 100rpm, gear 14500m row – 1m 48s level 6

Leg press 20, 15, 10 – level 20 x 3Chest press 20, 15, 10 – level 16 x 1, level 15 x 2Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 – 40kg x 1, 45kg x 2 (offset)Seated row 20, 15, 10 – 65kg x 1, 60kg x 2

10 x triceps rope (60kg), 10 x bicep curl (40kg), 10 x shoulder press (40kg)10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (40k), 10 x shoulder press (40kg)10 x triceps rope (55kg), 10 x bicep curl (40kg), 10 x shoulder press (40kg)


Stretching

Notes

A few little weight increases scattered throughout....

169

18 Jun 2012: The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (2012-06-18 08:52)

Hope you’re enjoying the journey through my music collection - I recently got around to uploading a lot of itonto my phone, hence the recent spike in 80s alternative music...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 03:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4 (bit of a slow start)Lunch 5Night 5

Journal

03:30 - 2 light jatz crackers, glass water03:45 - Gym (see below)05:15 - Porridge, orange juice06:00 - Bus, meditate, nap07:00 - Skinny long mac, muesli bar10:15 - Morning walk, yoghurt, sliced banana, nuts & seeds12:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park. Chicken, cheese & mayo roll.18:00 - Chicken, mango salsa, potato, sweetcorn21:30 - Milk, sleep22:00 - Computer work01:30 - Sleep02:00 - More work

Gym

5 mins warm-up bike - 2.4km (gear 14)

1000m row - 3m 51s (level 6)Toe push-ups - 25, 13, 9Knee pushups x 20

800m row - 3m 04s (level 6)20 squats20 leg press (level 20)20 calf raises

600m row - 2m 14s (level 6)20 x triceps rope (55kg)20 x bicep curls (30kg)20 x shoulder press (30kg)

400m row - 1m 30s (level 6)20 crunches20 ab twists20 bicycle legs

170

200m row - 32s (level 6)

Stretching

Notes

19 Jun 2012 - Magic Pie (2012-06-19 11:18)

A bit of Oasis? Don’t mind if I do...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): Couple of overnight napsTime got up (today): 02:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4 (tired)Night 3 (very tired)

Journal

02:45 – 2 jatz crackers, glass water03:00 – Gym (see below)04:30 - 2 scrambled eggs, 2 pieces toast. Orange juice09:30 - Down and up office stairs. Short nap. Sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds13:30 - Lunchtime walk, short nap, salami, cheese and tomato roll15:00 - Muesli bar18:00 - Chicken & veg stew22:00 - Glass water, bed

Gym

5 mins warm-up bike – 2.4km gear 14500m row – 1m 41s level 7

Leg press 20, 15, 10 – level 20 x 3Chest press 20, 15, 10 – level 16 x 1, level 15 x 2Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 – 40kg x 1, 45kg x 2 (offset)Seated row 20, 15, 10 – 65kg x 3



171

Stretching

Notes

Forearms and wrists were aching and refused to lift 40kg on 2nd and 3rd sets for bicep curls. Possibly the60kg on the tricpes caused that.

20 Jun 2012 - Lazy (2012-06-20 06:48)

Lazy, because I didn’t go to the gym today (see notes)...

Summary


Journal

04:45 – 2 fried eggs, bacon, 2 slices toast. Orange juice05:30 – Bus, nap06:30 - Skinny long mac. Muesli bar09:30 - Walk down and up office stairs (raining heavily). Sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts & seeds11:45 - Lunchtime walk. Wholemeal roll, hot chicken, cheese, lettuce and tomato.15:00 - Muesli bar18:00 - Meatballs and wholemeal pasta22:00 - Milk, bed

Notes

The lack of sleep on Monday night (pulled a late one to catch up on a few things) really started to tellyesterday after lunch. Also might not have been such a bright idea to go to the gym after a night withoutmuch sleep as I was aching a fair bit more than usual.

It all caught up with me anyway - woke up this morning with just enough to time to shower, dress,eat and catch the early bus in to work.

I think my body will appreciate the break, sleep and (hopefully) recovery time. Back to the plan tomorrow!

172

21 Jun 2012: Cold (2012-06-21 08:21)

Cold - because it was - very

Summary


Journal

04:15 - 2 lite jatz crackers, glass water04:30 - Backyard session (see below)05:15 - Porridge, orange juice05:30 - Bus, meditate, nap06:15 - Skinny Long Mac09:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts & seeds11:30 - Extended lunchtime walk (King’s Park) - wholemeal roll, roast beef and salad15:00 - Banana, Bus, nap18:00 - Salmon, carrots, brocolli, potato22:00 - Glass milk, bed

Backyard Session

Warm-up walk with Marble around block20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 20 crunches, 20 step ups (each leg)20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 20 step ups (each leg)20 push-ups (all toe), 20 squats, 20 step ups (each leg) x 220 push-ups (all toe)20 crunches, 20 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legs20 crunches, 20 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legsStretching

Notes

22 Jun 2012: Happy House (2012-06-22 08:34)

Everyone deserves a happy house...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:00Time got up (today): 05:30Mood (1 to 5):

173

Morning 5Lunch 5Night 5

Journal

05:30 - 2 light jatz crackers, glass of water05:45 - Gym (see details below)07:30 - 2 eggs scrambled with cheese, 2 slices toast. Orange juice09:30 - Mug of coffee13:00 - Chicken, tomato & avocado roll18:00 - Stuffed capsicum (turkey mince and veggies), popadum00:00 - Milk, bed

Gym




3 x 400m row - 1m 32s, 1m 20s and 1m 21sRecover and stretch

4 x 300m row - 1m 0s, 1m 0s, 59s and 54sRecover and stretch


Notes

Pretty happy with the rowing times again - gained a few seconds by pushing the level up to 7

23 Jun 2012: Unashamed Desire (2012-06-23 11:40)

Came on the radio as we drove back from Saturday morning football...

Summary


174

Night 5

Journal

07:30 - Egg & bacon sandwich, orange juice09:00 - Grasshopper soccer with Kian11:00 - Apple, slice toast with vegemite. Cup of tea13:00 - Chinese combination at Food Court. Pepsi Max14:00 - Pruning trees and shrubs in front garden19:00 - Lads’ night out. Many many pints of ale, topped off with a kebab and chips at about 2am or so...04:00 - Not entirely sure of the time, but it was at least 4am before I got to bed.

Notes

24 Jun 2012: I Am the Resurrection (2012-06-24 10:26)

Try listening to this track without developing a bit of a swagger...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 04:00 (guess-timated)Time got up (today): 09:05Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 5 (but very very tired lol)

Journal

10:00 - 2 fried eggs, 2 slices toast, orange juice13:00 - Cold chicken, pickled onions, slice bread & butter. Cup of tea.14:00 - Pruning trees and shrubs in front and back garden, fixing up lattice to side of car port.18:00 - Beef curry, daal, brown rice21:00 - Milk, bed

Notes

Really impressed at how well my body recovered from the big night out. No hangover, no spending all dayrecovering... Had a full, productive day in the garden (ahead of the green verge-side collection).

Didn’t go to the gym, but the work in the garden gave me a good workout. Drank loads of water throughoutthe whole day.

175

25 Jun 2012 - Intensity (2012-06-25 10:58)

Intensity wasn’t bad at the gym this morning...

Summary


Journal

03:45 – 2 jatz crackers, glass water04:00 – Gym (see below)05:00 - Porridge. Orange juice06:00 - Bus, nap, train07:00 - Skinny long mac, muesli bar09:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts & seeds.13:00 - Lunch with colleagues - small serve fish, chips and a beer15:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Meatballs & pasta20:45 - Milk, bed

Gym

5 mins warm-up bike – 2.5km10 mins bike - 5.3km10 mins treadmill - 1.169km10 mins cross-trainer - 1.033km20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs20 crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 bicycle legs10 mins stretching

Notes

26 Jun 2012 - Weiss Heim (2012-06-26 06:47)

Another random selection from my music collection - great band, superb guitarist...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 20:45Time got up (today): 02:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5

176

Lunch 5Night 4

Journal

02:45 – 2 jatz crackers, glass water03:00 – Gym (see below)04:30 - Porridge, toast. Orange juice09:30 - Morning walk. Sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts and seeds13:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park, short nap, hot chicken, cheese, lettuce and tomato roll15:00 - Muesli bar18:00 - Roast beef, roasted veggies, brocolli, gravy21:00 - Glass milk, bed

Gym


Leg press 20, 15, 10 – level 20 x 3Chest press 20, 15, 10 – level 16 x 3Assisted chin-ups 10, 10, 10 – 40kg x 2, 45kg x 1 (offset)Seated row 20, 15, 10 – 65kg x 3



Stretching

Notes

27 Jun 2012: Russians (2012-06-27 07:18)

Great track from a great artist - lyrically it’s very much a song of its era, but musically it’s timeless...

Summary


177

Night 4

Journal

03:15 - 2 Jatz Crackers, glass of water03:30 - Gym (see details below)04:30 - 2 eggs scrambled, 2 slices toast. Orange juice05:30 - Bus, meditate, nap06:15 - Skinny long mac, muesli bar09:30 - Morning walk, then morning tea13:00 - Lunchtime walk, few nuts15:00 - Bus, nap16:00 - Slice toast18:00 - Cheese, tuna and pasta bake22:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


500m row - 1m 46s






Stretching

Notes

Increased resistance on rower to about level 7 - was a sweaty workout with some good times for the rowing.

28 Jun 2012: Let Down (2012-06-28 08:14)

This morning saw either a great decision for my body/health, or a let down from a mindset perspective - seenotes...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:00Time got up (today): 04:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 2 (see notes)

178

LunchNight

Journal

04:45 – Porridge, toast, orange juice05:30 – Bus, nap06:15 - Skinny long mac, muesli bar08:30 - Few nuts10:00 - Coffee and cake

Notes

I’ve felt a little bit under the weather all week, with a few aches, taking a couple of paracetamol most evenings,and being ready for bed at 8:30 pretty much every night! I have also been pretty pleased that I haven’t yetdeveloped a full-blown cold. In fact, I haven’t had any time off sick since I started this back in January!

I think things finally caught up with me a little this morning - I woke up briefly at about 2:30am, way tooearly for a Thursday (back yard session day), quickly fell back to sleep and woke again at 4:45.

While I could have squeezed the back yard session in, I would have been ”late” heading to work (latecompared to my usual time these days). This put me in a 50/50 frame of mind to start with then, once Iactually started to move, everything was aching; shoulders, knees, back, head... it felt like my whole bodywas saying ”please, can we just have a rest today?”

So instead of training, I had a hot shower, felt a bit better, took a couple of paracetamol, ate break-fast and headed for work. I had a further nap on the bus - clearly my body needs rest.

I am now unsure whether this is a case of listening to my body and doing the sensible thing (a view Iam inclined to believe) or whether it’s just the easy option taken by a weak mindset... I’ve previously readthat you shouldn’t train when unwell, that your body needs the rest so it can recover, repair and heal.

I’ve also heard the trainers on ”The Biggest Loser” saying that they train with a cold etc. I am inclined tobelieve that this is bullshit intended to bolster the extreme ”no pain no gain” image that BL portrays attimes.

Overall I’m happy with my decision - let’s see how it pans out...

1.7 July

09 Jul 2012: Back to Black (2012-07-09 08:10)

Back to... the gym actually...

Summary

179

Time to bed (previous night): Midnight (ish)Time got up (today): 05:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 5Night 3.5 (very tired)Weight: 122.7kg (shoes on)

Journal

05:30 – 2 Jatz Crackers, glass of water05:45 – Gym (see details below)07:30 – Bowl porridge. 2 eggs scrambled with cheese, 2 slices toast. Orange juice09:30 - Piece of bread - I was ravenous!09:40 - 1km walk to library for meeting13:00 - Wok-in-a-Box small serve beef rendang curry & rice16:30 - 1km walk home18:00 - Pasta, bolognese & low fat cheese22:15 - Milk, bed

Gym

5 minutes warm-up bike

5km Row - 22m 31s @ level 7

20 x Leg Press (level 15), 20 x Chest Press (level 10)



20 x Push-ups, 20 Squats



20 x Crunches

”Plank” as long as possible - count of 41

20 x Ab Twists


40 x bicycle legs


180

Stretch

Notes

I dreamt I went to the gym, which made it quite difficult to convince myself to get up... once I got aroundthat issue, it was off to the gym for the first time in almost 2 weeks.

To cut a long story short, I was completely knackered by the end, could easily have called it a day acouple of times, and feel really good now I’ve rested, eaten and sat down to type this journal...

Leg press and chest press weights were reduced significantly and that was definitely needed. Missingout over a week of training due to illness certainly had an effect - I REALLY felt it when I started doing thepush-ups. Seriously Britt - chest press AND push-ups? Evil....

The other main thing that came to mind at the gym was the 5km row. When I wrote it down in mynotebook, it didn’t really register as much more than a bit of an increase on the 1km rows I’d got used to.

Reality bit hard when I start rowing and realised that I would be doing one of the shorter ”long rows”PLUS all the other stuff - I think I knew then that I wasn’t going to have much energy left by the time Idrove home...

Weight... was pleasantly surprised to only be 100g above the last official weigh-in weight. So I’ve notdone as badly as feared. Funny thing was, I weighed myself again at the end of the session, and it showed122.2kg. An issue with the scales, or 500g lost in sweat? Hmmm....

All good - and nice to be back into the routine...

10 Jul 2012: Purple Rain (2012-07-10 08:19)

More like cold and grey rain...

Summary


Journal

05:45 – 2 Jatz Crackers, glass of water06:00 – Gym (see details below)07:30 – Bowl porridge. Bacon (weightwatchers) and cheese (extra light) sandwich. Orange juice09:30 - 1km walk to library for meeting12:30 - Steak sandwich. Latte15:00 - Latte

181

16:00 - 1km walk home19:00 - Chicken, oven chips, corn on the cob, piece of garlic bread22:30 - Milk, bed

Gym



Stretch

Treadmill: Jog 500m, Walk 500m, Jog 500m, Walk 500m, Jog 500m, Walk 500m - 26m 40s

1km Row - 4m 03s

Treadmill: Jog 500m, Walk 500m, Jog 500m, Walk 500m, Jog 500m, Walk 500m - DID NOT DO

500m Row - DID NOT DO

Treadmill: Jog 500m, Walk 500m, Jog 500m, Walk 500m, Jog 500m, Walk 500m - DID NOT DO

Stretching

Notes

Due to a slow start this morning, and the fact that the car was booked in to have new tyres fitted... thesession had to be cut short. Based on the time taken for the one jog/walk completed, I would have neededabout another hour. At least I know for future reference, and have a baseline for 3km :-)

11 Jul 2012: Awaken (2012-07-11 08:20)

If this music does not move you in any way, then you are either dead, or you have no soul...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30 (roughly)Time got up (today): 03:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 5

Journal

03:30 – 2 Jatz Crackers, glass of water04:00 – Gym (see details below)05:30 – Bowl porridge. Orange juice06:30 - Bus, meditate, nap

182

07:30 - Skinny long mac - handful of almonds09:45 - No chance for a walk (meetings) - grabbed a handful of almonds and seeds13:00 - Lunchtime walk, wholemeal roll, hot chicken, lettuce, tomato & cheese15:00 - Coffee & cake18:00 - Kangaroo & veg stew with couscous22:30 - Milk, bed

Gym


1 hour Row - 13.197km @ level 7

Stretch

Notes

In the new program, today’s gym session was noted simply as ”pick a long row”. I opted for a 1 hour rowand was very happy with the result. The last time I did an hour row I think I managed just over 11km.

Felt pretty good at the end of the row too - a bit sore and stiff in the back, legs and arse, but not asbad as the first time. Was a bit stiff and sore after sitting on a bus for an hour though.

Will have to ensure I move around a bit today, and keep the water intake up.

I accidentally left my water bottle at home, so I didn’t drink any water during the hour of rowing. My weightafterwards about 1kg less than when I arrived at the gym. A kilo in sweat, and that’s not including theamount that stayed in the t-shirt rather than evaporating!

12 Jul 2012: Strawberry Fields Forever (2012-07-12 08:50)

It pops up on my playlist every now and then - great tune, now almost 50 years old...

Summary


Journal

05:30 – 1 multigrain cracker, glass of water05:45 – Backyard session (see below)06:30 – 2 slices toast, bacon, 2 eggs scrambled, cheese. Orange juice08:00 - Skinny long mac08:30 - Moving computer, equipment, chair... not much, but some exercise at least

183

10:00 - Slice of cake (left over from yesterday’s celebrations)14:15 - Lunchtime walk - small serve chicken, rice and veggies16:00 - Few nuts, bus, nap18:00 - Salmon, stir fried veggies23:00 - Milk, bed

Backyard Session

Warm-up: walk around block with Marble

20 push ups, 20 squats, 20 crunches

20 push ups, 20 squats, 20 obliques

20 push ups, 20 squats, 40 bicycle legs

Jog/walk - 1.6kmish - 12m 10s(around the larger block that formed the basis of the timed walk right back at the start)

Notes

Today’s program instructions from Britt were ”Backyard session - do something and report back what youdid”. I stuck to the same basic exercises, but thought it might be good to throw in a bit of a run as well.

The first time I walked around the larger block it took about 20 minutes. The last time I did it wasaround the 14 minute mark. So after not doing it for a while, it seems I have shaved 2 minutes off that bystarting to jog some of the way.

So now I guess I should start thinking about being able to do that block in 10 minutes or less... andnot on or in a vehicle of any kind :-)

13 Jul 2012: Civil War (2012-07-13 10:05)

Pity the lyrics are still 100 % relevant...

Summary


Journal

04:30 – 1 multigrain cracker, glass of water05:00 – Gym (see below)07:00 – 2 slices toast, 2 fried eggs, cheese. Orange juice

184

08:30 - Skinny long mac10:00 - Morning tea - probably indulged a little too much if I’m honest, but I’m not going to stress over it :-)14:00 - Chicken, noodles, veggies (small serve)18:00 - Meatballs, wholemeal pasta19:00 - 2km walk to friend’s house21:00 - Few social snacks23:00 - Water, bed

Gym

Warm-up: 5 mins bike

Treadmill, walk 1km - 11mins

Jog 500m, walk 500m x 4 (total of 4km) 35m 10s

Chest press x 20, triceps rope x 20, Bicep curls x 20, shoulder press x 20Chest press x 20, triceps rope x 20, Bicep curls x 20, shoulder press x 20Chest press x 20, triceps rope x 20, Bicep curls x 20, shoulder press x 20Chest press Level 10, Tricep 30kg, Bicep 20kg, shoulder press 20kg

Notes

A good 90 minute session. Weights were a source of frustration for a while. Dropped the weight back a bitdue to taking time off recently etc. but had to drop them further.

Then it dawned on me - 20 reps where I’d been doing 10 reps before. Plus I’d done about 45 minutesof walking and jogging immediately before!

A few hundred grams of sweat expended again :-)

16 Jul 2012: Breakthru (2012-07-16 08:53)

This popped up on the random playlist as I was rowing - I have a funny feeling Britt will appreciate the songtitle...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 11:30pmTime got up (today): 03:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 5Weight: 124.7kg (shoes on)

Journal

185

03:00 – 1 multigrain cracker, glass of water04:10 – Gym (see details below)06:00 – Bowl porridge. Bacon sandwich. Orange juice07:00 - Bus, meditate, nap08:00 - Skinny long mac10:00 - Almonds, seeds and pine nuts14:15 - Chicken, noodles and veggies18:00 - Lamb, veggies, mushrooms and rice22:30 - Milk, bed

Gym









20 x Crunches

”Plank” as long as possible - 45s

20 x Ab Twists


40 x bicycle legs


Stretch

Notes

Mixed bag this morning - happy with rowing time (25 seconds faster than same row last Monday). Plankhold was frustrating - after the row and everything else I simply didn’t have the energy to hold for very long.

Weight... bit of a worry, 2 kilos heavier than same time last week. All I can say is I ate well over theweekend, including a family dinner last night. My body hasn’t finished ”processing” so that may have affectedthe reading :-)

186

Need to make an effort with the morning and lunch time walk - stuck behind the desk all day due tocovering manager’s absence. Not doing the overall regime any good though!

17 Jul 2012: Child In Time (2012-07-17 09:19)

RIP Jon Lord...

Summary


Journal

03:45 – 1 wholegrain cracker, glass of water04:00 – Gym (see details below)06:30 – 2 eggs scrambled, 2 pieces toast. Orange juice07:30 - Bus, nap08:30 - Skinny long mac10:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, nuts, seeds, yoghurt14:00 - Chicken, veggies, noodles (lunch-sized serve)18:00 - Chicken, oven chips, peas and sweetcorn22:00 - Milk, bed

Gym



Stretch




500m Row - 1m 41s


Stretching

187

Notes

By the end of this 2 hour session, my t-shirt was about 90 % liquid and my legs were crying out for a rest.Great session.

18 Jul 2012: Don’t Go Away (2012-07-18 08:56)

This track is the one that was playing as I completed the final 500m of this morning’s row...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30 (roughly)Time got up (today): 02:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 5

Journal

02:30 – Multigrain Cracker, glass of water03:00 – Gym (see details below)05:30 – Bowl porridge. 2 slices toast. Orange juice06:30 - Bus, nap07:30 - Skinny long mac - piece of lemon meringue pie (from the cafe owner celebrating her birthday)10:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, nuts, seeds, yoghurt.13:45 - Lunchtime walk, roll with hot chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato16:00 - Banana, bus, nap18:00 - Corned beef, bread sauce, roasted veggies (potato, pumpkin, zucchini, onion)23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


Half marathon row (21.1km) - 1h 48m 30s @ level 7

5 mins gentle walk on the treadmillStretch

Notes

The half marathon row was interesting - no problems at all with breath and heart rate. From that perspectiveI felt as though I could keep on going and going and going...

Totally different story with the arse, leg, back and shoulder muscles though. Could easily have stopped at10km, 14km and pretty much any time during the final 4km.

For the most part I got by quite comfortably with my music collection on random play and an almost

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zen-like tuning out and focus on the wall, or the strap on the rower, or eyes shut... it was a simple case ofmental endurance.

The last 4km was physical endurance - my backside was telling me ”I’ve had enough”, over and overagain.

Not surprising though - the last time I rowed a half marathon, the resistance was set to level 4 and ittook over 2 hours. This time the level was increased to 7, which helped in smashing the 2 hour barrier.

Overall I was pretty pleased with the row and the time was great. The average pace for that time isa little over 2m 30s per 500m. As mentioned in a recent journal entry, not so long ago just rowing 500m atthat pace was more than enough for me. Hovering around that pace for a half marathon is ever so slightlyawesome as far as I’m concerned!

19 Jul 2012: Penny Lane (2012-07-19 10:58)

Had this one playing during the jog this morning - 2 Thursdays in a row for Beatles tracks...

Summary


Journal

05:15 – 1 multigrain cracker, glass of water05:30 – Backyard session (see below)06:15 – 2 slices toast, bacon, 2 eggs scrambled. Orange juice07:15 - Bus, nap08:15 - Skinny long mac11:30 - Morning walk, sliced banana, nuts, seeds, yoghurt14:00 - Chicken, rice, veggies16:30 - Banana16:45 - Bus, nap18:00 - Salmon, asparagus. roasted capsicum22:30 - Milk, bed

Backyard Session

Warm-up: walk around block with Marble

20 push ups, 20 squats, 20 crunches

20 push ups, 20 squats, 20 obliques

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20 push ups, 20 squats, 40 bicycle legs

Jog - 1.6km(ish) - 11m 30s(around the larger block that formed the basis of the timed walk right back at the start)

Notes

Improved time on the jog due to the fact that I managed to jog the whole way around. Not very fast, but ajog nonetheless!

20 Jul 2012: Redefine Possible (2012-07-20 07:44)

Some footage of this came on the TV screen while I was at the gym. Amazing stuff, I just had to search outa video of it, and fortunately there was one with music...

If you think you can’t lose a few excess pounds, if you think you can’t break bad habits, if you thinkyou can’t do anything, [1]this guy will prove you wrong.

Summary


Journal

03:30 – 1 multigrain cracker, glass of water03:45 – Gym (see below)05:30 – Porridge, 2 slices toast. Orange juice06:15 - Bus, train, no nap07:15 - Skinny long mac10:00 - Few nuts, banana13:00 - Small cup of potato and spinach soup. Ham, cheese and tomato roll toasted.15:00 - Few nuts16:15 - Bus, nap18:00 - Steak, mushrooms stuffed with cheese and veggies, cabbage and bacon00:15 - Milk, bed

Gym


Treadmill, walk 1km - 9m 18s


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Notes

1. http://www.freethechildren.com/redefinepossible/

22 Jul 2012: Water (2012-07-22 10:43)

Water... I consumed a lot, and sweated out a lot during this morning’s session!

Summary


Journal

04:30 – 1 multigrain cracker, glass of water05:00 – Gym (see below)08:30 – Porridge, 2 slices toast. Orange juice11:30 - Ham & salad roll21:00 - Lentil daal, potato bake, cheesecake23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


1000m row - 3m 50s (level 7)5km bike - 13m 36s (gear 15)2km treadmill - 17m 05s

800m row - 3m 06s (level 7)5km bike - 13m 25s (gear 15)2km treadmill - 19m 10s

600m row - 2m 20s (level 7)5km bike - 12m 20s (gear 12)2km treadmill

400m row - 1m 35s (level 7)

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http://www.freethechildren.com/redefinepossible/

5km bike - 11m 53s (gear 12)2km treadmill - 21m 02s

200m row - 35s (level 7)

Crunches x 20. Plank hold - 42sAb Twists x 20. Plank hold - 52sBicycle legs x 40. Plank hold - 32s

Stretch

Notes

Monster session - just over 3 hours in the gym. I think Britt’s new program is intended to help me lose waythrough melting.

I guess I’m going to have to get used to physical activity for several hours in a row - that’s basicallywhat a marathon is after all!

23 Jul 2012: Sick As A Dog (2012-07-23 13:31)

Seems like an appropriate song title given how the day panned out...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 11:00pmTime got up (today): 04:15Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4 (felt a little bloated)Lunch 1Night 1

Journal

04:15 – 1 multigrain cracker, glass of water05:00 – Gym (see details below)06:00 – Bacon sandwich. Orange juice07:00 - Threw up08:00 - Bed , sleep12:00 - Threw up, went back to sleep17:00 - Bowl of tomato soup, slice of bread20:00 - Bed

Gym


5km Row - approx 25 minutes @ level 7

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Felt unwell and decided to abandon gym session.

Notes

I thought I was feeling bloated and queasy simply because of eating late the night before. When I left thegym I still felt mostly OK, I just knew it would not be a good idea to push things.

When I got home I had breakfast, and continued to get ready for work - then I started to feel cold and unwell,and forcefully and orally evacuated the contents of my stomach.

Don’t think I have slept so much for a very long time - most of the day, and then 8 hours at night aswell... I also kept myself well-hydrated during the day.

24 Jul 2012: Fragile (2012-07-24 13:52)

Yup, definitely feeling fragile this morning...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 8:00pmTime got up (today): 06:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 2Lunch 2Night 2.5

Journal

06:30 – 1 slice toast & vegemite, glass of water07:30 – Bus, nap13:00 – Few nuts15:00 - Few nuts17:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Small plate of chicken breast, few carrots, cauliflower, cabbage20:30 - Bed

Notes

The worst of the gastro is over but not feeling hungry - came into work because I needed to.

No gym today - not happy as that’s a second bout of illness that’s pegged back progress. I guess these thingshappen...

Keeping myself well-hydrated again!

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25 Jul 2012: Enter Sandman (2012-07-25 12:39)

Hope you’re enjoying the music vids, because there’s a distinct lack of gym action. Sleep seems to be theonly thing I’m doing at the moment...

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 8:30pmTime got up (today): 06:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 4Night 3 (tired)

Journal

06:30 – Porridge, glass water07:30 – Bus - no nap (like I needed more sleep lol)08:30 – Skinny long mac11:00 - Few nuts13:00 - Lunchtime walk. Roll with hot chicken, lettuce, cheese, tomato and a small dab of mayo17:00 - Few nuts18:30 - Basa (fish), prawns, wedges, corn on the cob23:15 - Milk, bed

Notes

Feeling much brighter today (thankfully). Have had masses of sleep in the past 72 hours - was almost in themood to do a long row today, but I think I’d better not push it. Let’s see what tomorrow brings!

First day of proper eating this week - yay!

26 Jul 2012: Getting Better (2012-07-26 08:27)

Thursdays seem to be turning into Beatles Days... Anyway, I’m getting better is the main point here lol.

Summary


Journal

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06:00 – Egg, bacon, mushrooms, toast. Orange juice.07:00 – Bus - no nap08:00 – Skinny long mac10:30 – Handful of nuts and seeds14:00 - Lunchtime walk, small serve chicken, noodles and veggies15:00 - few nuts16:00 - Bus, no nap18:00 - Sardines on toast (2 pieces of toast)23:15 - Milk, bed

Notes

Looking forward to getting back down to the gym and the chance to see how much benefit this bout of gastrohas had in terms of kilos lol.

27 Jul 2012: Anniversary Song (2012-07-27 08:23)

9th wedding anniversary today, so figured this song might be worth posting.

Summary


Journal

05:30 – Weetbix with milk. Orange juice.06:30 – Bus - no nap07:30 – Skinny long mac12:30 - Chicken bento box - chicken, rice, 2 pcs sushi, salad, miso soup15:00 - Few nuts16:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Meatballs & pasta01:00 - Milk, bed

Notes

Planning to get back into it all on Sunday, starting with day 1 of the schedule. I know it’s just psychological,but because I’m treating Monday as day 1, Sunday sort of feels like it’s stuck on the wrong side of the ”dayoff”.

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Sunday to Friday, then a rest on Saturday - yup, that seems to work lol.

29 Jul 2012: Only Human (2012-07-29 09:23)

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 11:30pmTime got up (today): 05:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5LunchNightWeight: 119.2kg (shoes on)

Journal

05:30 – 1 multigrain cracker, glass of water06:00 – Gym (see details below)08:30 – Bowl porridge. Orange juice11:00 - Cup of tea, 1 digestive biscuit13:00 - Chicken and fish pieces, sauteed potatoes17:00 - Pre-dinner nibbles (cheese, olives, dips, crackers)18:30 - Family dinner. Chicken & lettuce mini pittas. Mediterranean Fish Stew. Strawberry cheesecake.23:00 - Water. Bed

Gym









20 x Crunches


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20 x Ab Twists


40 x bicycle legs


Stretch

Notes

Net effect of being ill for a few days, then a couple of days of eating normally, seems to be about 2kg weightloss. Probably would have been 3kg down before I started eating properly again - not good.

Anyway, it takes me down below 120kg for the first time in years, so now to make sure it stays off!

30 Jul 2012: L’Amore È Femmina (2012-07-30 09:45)

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 23:00Time got up (today): 03:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4 (bit tired)Night 3.5 (very tired)

Journal

03:30 – 1 wholegrain cracker, glass of water04:00 – Gym (see details below)06:30 – Scrambled eggs. Orange juice07:30 - Bus, nap08:30 - Skinny long mac11:00 - Morning walk. Banana, yoghurt, nuts & seeds14:00 - Prawns, noodles and veggies16:30 - Few nuts17:00 - Bus, nap18:30 - Chicken, sweet potato, cabbage & bacon22:15 - Milk, bed

Gym



197

Stretch




500m Row - 1m 37s


Stretching

Notes

Great session, loads of sweat, some small improvements on treadmill times.

31 Jul 2012: Phoenix (2012-07-31 08:55)

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:15Time got up (today): 04:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 3.5 (tired)Night 4

Journal

04:30 – Few dried banana chips, glass of water05:00 – Gym (see details below)06:30 – Scrambled eggs with cheese. Orange juice07:10 - Bus, meditate, nap08:30 - Skinny long mac - a few nuts11:15 - Morning walk, then early lunch. Roll with hot chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese.15:00 - Sliced banana, yoghurt, nuts & seeds17:00 - Bus, nap18:30 - Chicken and veg stew21:30 - Glass milk, bed

Gym


10km row - 46m 45s @ level 7

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Stretch

Notes

”Pick a long row” day - woke a little later than expected, so I decided on a gentle 10km row to start the day.In and out of the gym in about an hour - perfect.

1.8 August

01 Aug 2012: The Quickening (2012-08-01 11:12)

Summary


Journal

04:15 – Few dried banana chips, glass of water04:45 – Gym (see below)06:30 – Porridge, 2 slices toast. Orange juice07:25 - Bus, nap09:15 - Skinny long mac11:00 - Few nuts, banana14:00 - Beef, noodles, veggies16:15 - Few nuts17:00 - Bus, nap18:15 - Kangaroo sausages, mini egg and bacon omelettes, wedges23:30 - Milk, bed

Gym





Notes

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2 minutes quicker on the 4km jog/walk - happy with that!

02 Aug 2012: Flagpole Sitta (2012-08-02 09:56)

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 23:30Time got up (today): 04:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 3.5Lunch 4Night 5

Journal

04:30 - Few dried banana chips, glass of water04:45 - Backyard session (see below)06:30 – Egg, bacon, mushrooms, toast. Orange juice.07:40 – Bus, nap09:00 – Skinny long mac, handful of nuts11:00 - Banana, nuts & seeds14:30 - Roll with chicken, ham and cheese. Cup of green tea16:00 - Few nuts18:00 - Dinner out - Japanese - glass rose sake, 1 beer

starter - tempura soft-shelled crab and edamame

main - belly pork, rice, miso soup

dessert - shared plate, ice cream, sorbet, cherries, plum jelly pieces


Backyard Session

Walk around block with Marble to warm up

Jog/walk Garden Street, Nicholson Road, Amherst Road, Warton Road. 8.5km. 1 hour, 12 mins, 3seconds

Stretch

Notes

03 Aug 2012: Fire (2012-08-03 10:35)

Notes

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When I made the change recently to make Sunday ”day 1” of each weekly program, I hadn’t realised theimplication for Friday of each week... The final session of the week involves about 3 hours at the gym, whichmeant I got up very early, spent 3 hours training, then put in a full day of work.

At the end of it I was knackered - I’m late writing this journal entry, so I can also note that cramming thingsin like this on Friday led to very low energy levels over the weekend. In the end I skipped the Sunday gymsession, to recover and to reset things back to Monday being ”day 1”...

That said, I really enjoyed this session at the time - it’s a great feeling to successfully complete the full 3hour session and to know that you were able to push yourself through to the end. You get a bit of a physicalbuzz too, which lasts for a little while and then you’re left feeling very tired :-)

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:00Time got up (today): 02:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 3.5 (tired)Night 3 (very tired)

Journal

02:30 – 1 multigrain cracker, glass of water03:00 – Gym (see below)06:30 – Porridge, 2 slices toast. Orange juice07:30 - Bus, nap08:30 - Skinny long mac, few nuts10:00 - Banana, few nuts12:00 - Ham & salad roll21:00 - Chicken, vegetable soup, cheese23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


1000m row - 3m 46s5km bike - 12m 06s2km treadmill - 17m 33s



400m row - 1m 28s

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5km bike - 12m 20s2km treadmill - 19m 36s

200m row - 33s

Crunches x 20. Plank hold - 1m 01sAb Twists x 20. Plank hold - 39sBicycle legs x 40. Plank hold - 28s

Stretch

06 Aug 2012: Gone (2012-08-06 11:43)

Notes

OK, so back to Monday being ”day 1”, and nicely recovered from the stupidity of Friday (the 3 hour killergym session at 3am followed by a full day of work). Schedule change tried and found to be wanting :-)

Woke up this morning more or less raring to go and had a great session. Weight was slightly up onlast week, but that was after a week of gastro, and I have now had a week of eating normally. Overall it’sgreat as my weight has only ”recovered” slightly, leaving me below 120kg and over half way towards the targetof ”under 100kg”.

Signs of progress (weight-wise) can be seen elsewhere - my 102cm waist jeans and trousers are now alittle loose around the waist. I have a pair of 97cm waist jeans waiting to go - I can put them on and dothem up, but they are a little snug at this stage. I am definitely ”between sizes”.

I can’t wait for those 97cm jeans to fit well - that will be the first time in a very very long time thatI’ve worn jeans or trousers with a waist under 40 inches. It’s tantalisingly close!

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 11:30pmTime got up (today): 05:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4Night 4Weight: 119.9kg (shoes on)

Journal

05:30 – 1 multigrain cracker, glass of water06:00 – Gym (see details below)08:30 – Bowl porridge. Orange juice11:00 - Cup of tea, 1 digestive biscuit13:00 - Chicken and fish pieces, sauteed potatoes17:00 - Pre-dinner nibbles (cheese, olives, dips, crackers)18:30 - Family dinner. Chicken & lettuce mini pittas. Mediterranean Fish Stew. Strawberry cheesecake.

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23:00 - Water. Bed

Gym


5km Row - 21m 48s







20 x Crunches

Plank Hold - 1m 02s

20 x Ab Twists

Plank Hold - 1m 02s

40 x bicycle legs

Plank Hold - 32s

Stretch

07 Aug 2012: Rise Up (2012-08-07 09:25)

Notes

An annoying cough meant I got up far earlier than intended, and it showed at the gym with some slightlyslower times on the treadmill. On the other hand, the rowing times were fine. Regardless, had a great sweatyworkout, and eventually caught up on the sleep :-)

The second jog/walk time is approximate as I reset the timer when I accidentally knocked the safetydevice out of place. With the 500m row, I held a 1:30 pace until I ran out of puff at 300m, and then struggledover the final 200m.

Summary


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Mood (1 to 5):Morning 3.5 (tired and annoying sore throat/cough)Lunch 4 (tired but good spirits)Night 3.5 (tired)

Journal

03:30 – 1 wholegrain cracker, glass of water04:00 – Gym (see details below)06:30 – Scrambled eggs. Orange juice07:00 - Slept for about 90 mins or so.10:00 - Skinny long mac, low fat muffin14:00 - Roast beef sandwich15:00 - Another hour or so dozing with Kian18:30 - Lemon Chicken, veggies, noodles22:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


2km Row - 7m 48s

Stretch


1km Row - 3m 48s

Treadmill: Jog 500m, Walk 500m, Jog 500m, Walk 500m, Jog 500m, Walk 500m - 29m

500m Row - 1m 44s


Stretching

08 Aug 2012: Go Let It Out (2012-08-08 10:04)

Notes

I sometimes think that ”Pick a long row” day is my favourite in the current program. I usually just try toswitch off for the bulk of the time, listen to whatever comes up next on the phone (shuffle mode) and blockout the physical discomforts when they start to kick in.

Today I decided to do a 1 hour row and wanted to ensure that the distance covered was greater thanlast time. So I figured out the pace required (about 2:15 per 500m) and focused on maintaining that through-out. I still had the music on, but mentally I was more focused on mini-milestones (1k intervals), significantmilestones (quarter way, one third of the way, half way etc.) and mentally calculating the total final distance

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based on distance at each milestone.

It worked well, I didn’t get bored, I didn’t really notice any physical discomfort and I beat my previ-ous ”1 hour” distance by around 600m!

Summary


Journal

03:45 – 2 jatz lite crackers, glass of water04:00 – Gym (see details below)05:30 – 2 fried eggs on toast with a little low fat cheese. Orange juice06:50 - Bus, meditate, nap08:00 - Skinny long mac - a few nuts10:30 - A few nuts14:00 - Roll with chicken schnitzel, cheese, tomato, lettuce18:00 - Meatballs and pasta22:30 - Milk, bed

Gym


1 hour row - 13.794km

Stretch

10 Aug 2012: Bargain (2012-08-10 08:36)

Notes

Finally woke up NOT feeling tired - I think the cold that’s been lingering is finally easing off and I’m notusing all my energy to fight it!

Nice little session at the gym this morning, the 4km jog/walk felt pretty good - I’m gradually gettingthe hang of this running thing (well, the very slow jogging thing anyway).

There was no journal entry for Thursday - I overslept, so no backyard session and didn’t get aroundto starting a journal entry as it was a busy day.

Summary

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Journal

03:45 – 2 lite Jatz crackers, glass of water04:00 – Gym (see below)05:30 – 2 fried eggs, 2 slices toast. Orange juice06:50 - Bus, nap08:00 - Skinny long mac, banana & walnut muffin12:00 - Teriyaki Fish Bento Box - fish, rice, 2 pcs sushi, salad, miso soup

Gym





11-13 Aug 2012: Behind Blue Eyes (2012-08-13 09:46)

Notes

Quick catchup on the past few days - no daily journal details, just a quick recap of the gym session for Sundayand Monday. Saturday was a ”rest” day...

Sunday saw another 3 hour mega-sweat session. Very pleased with the consistency and improvementsin the times. Plank holds were very hard mostly due to having no energy left! Have a feeling the 200m rowmight have equaled the current #1 on the Walkabout Wellness leaderboard.

Monday was a comparatively short, but knackering, 90 minutes.

Sunday (12 Aug) Gym Session



1000m row - 3m 42s

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5km bike - 10m 10s2km treadmill (walk/jog) - 17m 48s

800m row - 2m 58s5km bike - 10m 28s2km treadmill (walk/jog) - 18m 04s



200m row - 32s

20 crunches - plank hold - 47s20 ab twists - plank hold - 27s40 bicycle legs - plank hold - 38s

Stretch

Monday (13 Aug) Gym Session


Row 5km - 21m 12s

Leg Press 20, 20, 20 - level 16Chest press 20, 20, 20 - level 11

20 pushups, 20 squats20 pushups, 20 squats20 pushups, 20 squats

20 crunches, plank hold - 1m 10s20 ab twists, plank hold - 42s40 bicycle legs, plank hold - 49s

Stretch

14 Aug 2012: Steam (2012-08-14 10:14)

Notes

Another great session at the gym today, though it has left me with very tired legs lol. Pushed the rowing andjog/walk times downwards, and the cherry on top was a 500m row in 1m 30s. That’s possibly a WalkaboutWellness leaderboard time - awaiting confirmation at the time of writing!

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Crap day diet-wise - the main issues are disruptions to my routine, not making sure I have a mid-morningand mid-arvo snack, and giving into temptation. Overall things are heading in the right direction, just haveto watch for bad habits creeping back in and good habits sliding a little.

While the change to my work schedule has been disruptive* the fact is I need to handle that better.

I’m acting manager while my line manager while he is on 6 weeks leave and so must be in the office morestandard hours than the usual 7am to 3pm

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 03:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 5Night 3.5 (tired, sore throat)

Journal

03:45 – 1 wholegrain cracker, glass of water04:00 – Gym (see details below)06:30 – Scrambled eggs on toast. Orange juice07:50 - Bus, nap09:00 - Skinny long mac11:00 - Team morning tea (not great food, but eaten in moderation!)12:30 - A few strawberries13:00 - Lunchtime meeting - wasn’t hungry anyway16:00 - Mini cupcake - was hungry and sadly it was the nearest thing to hand18:30 - Steak, sprouts, corn on the cob22:30 - Milk, bed

Gym


2km Row - 7m 45sStretch


1km Row - 3m 48sStretch


500m Row - 1m 30sStretch

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Stretch

15 Aug 2012: Barbarism Begins At Home (2012-08-15 10:28)

Notes

Can’t believe how quickly ”pick a long row” day has comise around again. Had a fairly lazy start to the day,getting up at 4:30am. This in turn meant that I chose one of the shorter ”long rows” - 10km.

As with last week’s effort, I figured 10km was short enough to focus on hitting milestones in an effortto put in a personal best. Once you get beyond an hour, the mental approaches need to be different (dealingwith boredom etc.) but these days I can handle clock-watching for 45 to 60 minutes (probably because I amregularly putting in 1km, 2km and 5km rows and getting used to longer distances/times).

So the aim today was to beat 46m 45s - which I then refined further to be ”under 45 minutes”. Toachieve that meant maintaining a rate of just under 2:15 per 500m.

In the end I actually put in a slightly faster rate (2:07 / 500m), rowing the 10km in 42m 21s. Evenmore impressively, the rate was slightly faster then my 5km row on Monday!

Summary

Time got up: 04:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4Night 4

Journal

04:30 – 2 jatz lite crackers, glass of water04:45 – Gym (see details below)06:30 – Weetbix, 2 slices toast with marmalade. Orange juice07:20 - Bus, nap08:30 - Skinny long mac11:00 - Morning walk, sliced banana, nuts, seeds & yoghurt14:30 - Lunchtime walk, Chicken satay, rice & veggies17:00 - Banana, bus, nap18:30 - 2 x Chicken, mango & grapefruit salsa and salad wraps22:45 - Milk, bed

Gym


209

10km row - 42m 21s

5 min walk on treadmill

Stretch

16 Aug 2012: The Walk (2012-08-16 15:57)

Notes

It’s always interesting to see what I actually feel like doing for a backyard session. After the high point of 2weeks ago, when I jogged and walked for 8.5km, I really didn’t fancy that today at all.

So I did a routine based on push-ups, squats, crunches, ab twists and ”bicycle legs”, with a jog/walkaround the larger block (the one I used to time my walks back in Jan/Feb).

Even that shorter 1.68km was a struggle - but you get that I guess. Good days, bad days, indifferentdays... But hey, at least I did something!

Summary

Time got up (today): 04:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 4Night 4

Journal

04:45 - 2 light Jatz crackers, glass of water05:00 - Backyard session (see below)06:15 – 2 scrambled eggs on toast. Orange juice.07:15 – Bus, nap08:15 – Skinny long mac, handful of nuts11:00 - Banana, nuts & seeds14:30 - Chicken, rice and veggies16:30 - Banana17:30 - Bus, nap18:30 - Sausages, mash, peas and sweetcorn22:30 - Glass milk, bed

Backyard Session


20 push-ups, 20 squats, 20 crunches20 push-ups, 20 squats, 20 ab twists20 push-ups, 20 squats, 40 bicycle legs

210

Jog/walk - 1.68km - 11m 55s

Stretch

17 Aug 2012: The Hands That Built America (2012-08-17 09:52)

Notes

Up and down the gym without too much hesitation this morning, but I must admit to being happy thatthere’s no training tomorrow. Feeling the need to rest ahead of a monster session on Sunday!

Summary

Time to bed (previous night): 22:30Time got up (today): 04:00Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5LunchNight

Journal

04:00 – 2 lite Jatz crackers, glass of water04:15 – Gym (see below)06:00 – 2 fried eggs, 2 slices toast. Orange juice07:40 - Bus, nap09:00 - Skinny long mac, apple & cinnamon muffin

Gym




3 x Chest press x 20 - level 11

Triceps rope x 20, Bicep curls x 20, shoulder press x 20Triceps rope x 20, Bicep curls x 20, shoulder press x 20Triceps rope x 20, Bicep curls x 20, shoulder press x 20

(Tricep 30kg, Bicep 20kg, shoulder press 20kg)

Stretch

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22 Aug 2012: Woman Is a Devil (2012-08-22 09:39)

Notes

This one’s for you Britt :-)

So anyway, ”pick a long row” day again and Britt has laid down the challenge - 2 x half marathon rows beforethe end of August - or 100 burpees per day added to the next training schedule... like the song says, Womanis a Devil!

My aim this morning was to take the time down to the 1 hour 45 minute mark. To do that it wouldbe a simple case of keeping the rate around 2:30 per 500m. I actually kept the rate a little below that, andfinished off about 2:00 per 500m in the final 500m to 1km.

The net result was a great personal best that took over 5 minutes off the previous best. Gotta be happy withthat.

Summary

Time got up: 03:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 4

Journal

03:45 – few dried banana pieces, glass of water04:00 – Gym (see details below)06:00 – 2 Eggs, bacon, 2 slices toast. Orange juice07:20 - Bus, nap08:30 - Skinny long mac12:30 - Hainanese chicken (steamed chicken, rice and Asian greens)16:00 - Banana17:00 - Bus, nap19:00 - Bowl of quick noodles, added a bit of ham22:00 - Milk, bed

Gym


21.1km row - 1h 42m 56s

Stretch

23 Aug 2012: Just Say Yes (2012-08-24 07:46)

Notes

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As I have mentioned before, it’s quite interesting to see what I feel like doing on a Thursday morning. Ipretty much knew what I was going to do, when I went to bed Wednesday evening. Sure enough, I woke upin the mood to push myself into doing a bit of jogging.

I set out in a different direction to before, unsure of how far I would go up Warton Road, or whichway I would turn. In the end I wound up doing a 10.8km circuit, which I felt pretty damned pleased about Ican tell you! Even more exciting though is the fact that I jogged the whole way - as I have discussed on thisblog previously, running isn’t my thing and even though this was ”grandad jogging” I jogged non-stop formore than 10 km.

Consider the [1]running demons from my schooldays, well and truly exorcised!

Summary

Time got up: 03:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4Night 3.5 (tiredness, aching)

Journal

03:45 - Few dried banana chips, glass of water04:00 - Backyard session (see below)06:30 – Porridge, 2 slices toast, orange juice07:20 – Bus, nap08:30 – Skinny long mac10:00 - Muffin12:00 - Roll with chicken, cheese and salad.21:00 - Small serve minestrone soup, little pesto pasta and piece of choc cake22:30 - Milk, bed

Backyard Session


Jog - Warton Road, Spencer Road, Yale Road, Garden Street. 10.8km. 1 hour, 38 mins, 23 seconds

Stretch

1. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/2012/08/exorcising-some-demons/

24 Aug 2012: I’m Outta Time (2012-08-24 07:57)

Notes

No gym today - I’m listening to my body, and my body is saying ”you made me run 10km yesterday, if youthink we’re going to the gym then you can get f # & %!d!”

Was really pleased with yesterday morning’s effort, but definitely started to feel the effect last night. This

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http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/2012/08/exorcising-some-demons/

morning I opted for an early trip into the office rather than heading down the gym - my body needs a bit ofa rest. Due to various circumstances, I’m actually going to have a few days away from the gym (and thisblog), so come Monday morning I hope to be raring to go!

Summary

Time got up (today): 04:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4 (mood OK, body aching)LunchNight

Journal

04:30 – Omelette with ham and cheese. Orange juice06:00 – Bus, meditate, nap07:00 - Skinny long mac

29 Aug 2012: Devil Woman (Part 2) (2012-08-29 13:06)

Notes

The ”Devil Woman” in question is of course Britt, who laid down the challenge - 2 x half marathon rowsbefore the end of August - or 100 burpees per day added to the next training schedule... Challenge completed!

My aim again was to take the time down slightly from before, concentrating on maintaining a pace thatwould allow that. I had the 1:40:00 barrier in mind at the outset - I was quietly pleased when I got closer to1:30:00.

Another personal best, with 9 minutes shaved off the previous time. Definitely happy with that!

Gym


21.1km row - 1h 33m 53s

Stretch

31 Aug 2012: New Orleans Is Sinking (2012-08-31 13:28)

Notes

Funny thing happened this morning - when I woke up I was sure that I’d woken earlier, checked the clock,fallen back to sleep and now would have to choose between early bus or gym...

I looked across at the clock and it was almost 3:30am - I must have dreamt that I woke up previously.

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Happy with the 4km jog/walk this morning and really feeling like there’s a runner in there trying toget out!

Summary


Journal

03:30 - 2 lite jatz crackers3:45 - Gym (see details below)05:00 – Weetbix and skim milk. Orange juice05:30 – Bus, meditate, nap06:15 - Skinny long mac, bacon & egg sandwich10:00 - Morning walk, nuts, seeds, banana, yoghurt12:30 - Teriyaki fish bento box15:00 - Banana18:00 - Lam chops, zucchini, sweetcorn, potatoes23:00 - Milk, bed

Gym

5 mins bike warmup

Treadmill - walk 1km - 8m 50s

Treadmill - (jog 500m, walk 500m) x 4 - 30m 08s

20 x chest press (L11), 20 x tricep rope (30kg), 20 x bicep curl (20kg), 20 x shoulder press (20kg)20 x chest press (L11), 20 x tricep rope (30kg), 20 x bicep curl (20kg), 20 x shoulder press (20kg)20 x chest press (L11), 20 x tricep rope (30kg), 20 x bicep curl (20kg), 20 x shoulder press (20kg)

Stretching

1.9 September

03 Sep 2012: Beautiful Sunday (2012-09-03 09:18)

Notes

I know it’s a Monday, but I had a great day yesterday (Fathers’ Day) and today feels like it’s going to be agood one too!

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Good session at the gym this morning - broke the 20 minute barrier for the 5km row, which I was quitechuffed about. Simply focused on maintaining the rate at around 2:00 / 500m. As per usual, the actual ratewas slightly under that, so the time was slightly less than 20 minutes.

Push-ups were painful and slow - I guess that’s what happens when you let a few training days slide...Spring is here now, and with it comes a new burst of energy and enthusiasm for training...

Summary


Journal

03:45 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water04:00 - Gym (see details below)05:30 – Bowl of granola and skim milk. Orange juice06:50 – Bus, nap08:00 - Lemon grass & ginger tea10: 00 - Morning walk. Banana, nuts, seeds, yoghurt12:00 - Salad bowl. Ham, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot.15:00 - Few nuts15:30 - Bus, nap.18:00 - Tacos - turkey mince, fresh homemade salsa20:45 - Milk, bed

Gym

5 mins bike warmup

Row 5km - 19:43

20 x leg press (L16), 20 x chest press (L11)20 x leg press (L16), 20 x chest press (L11)20 x leg press (L16), 20 x chest press (L11)

20 x pushups, 20 x squats20 x pushups, 20 x squats20 x pushups, 20 x squats

20 x crunches, plank hold - 1:0720 x ab twists, plank hold - 36s40 x bicycle legs, plank hold - 1:01

Stretch

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04 Sep 2012: Born on a Different Cloud (2012-09-04 10:32)

Notes

Another damp session at the gym - maybe that’s how weight loss works - maybe fat melts and becomes sweatlol.

The rowing was fantastic, putting in a couple of personal best times for 2km and 1km. I lost it on the 500mthough - was averaging around 1:28 per 500m for the first 200m, slowed down at 250m and finally lost allpuff and energy at about 350m. I limped home for the last 100m, with a final time of 1:43

The walk/jog times were down slightly, but that wasn’t surprising given the excellent times on the rowing!

Summary


Journal

04:30 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water04:45 - Gym (see details below)07:00 – Bowl of granola and skim milk. Orange juice10:50 – Lemon grass & ginger tea, 1 quarter of a low fat savoury muffin12: 30 - Hot chocolate - no sugar14:30 - 1.2km walk15:00 - Chicken and sweetcorn soup, 2 slices bread.19:00 - Chicken biryani21:00 - Milk, bed

Gym

5 mins bike warmup

Row 2km - 7:21Stretch

Treadmill jog/walk 3km (500/500) - 26:47



Row 500m - 1:43Stretch


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Stretching

05 Sep 2012: Rain One (2012-09-05 10:47)

Notes

AAAAAH! Got up about 3:15 this morning, raring to go for a ”pick a long row” day with a twist (planningon doing a 10km bike ride, then a 10km row in readiness for doing Britt’s ”triathlon challenge”).

The car battery had other ideas - spent time looking in the shed for tools, then removing the battery,failed to find battery charger so then spent time researching options on the Internet. Eventually booked RACand got on with the rest of my morning routine (brekkie and getting ready for work).

Frustrating - but given the wet weather we’re having I think doing today’s session at the gym tomor-row is a better option than anything outside...

Summary


Journal

03:15 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water03:35 - Sorting out car battery and RAC callout (see above)05:00 – Half bowl of remaining granola and skim milk. Toast. Orange juice06:00 - Bus, nap07:00 - Lemon grass & ginger tea, few nuts12:30 - Walk around block and up/down stairs - hainanese steamed chicken and rice (and asian greens)15:00 - Lemon grass & ginger tea, few nuts18:00 - Hamburger (made with turkey mince) with salad and healthy chips22:00 - Glass orange juice, bed

06 Sep 2012: Soldier Boys & Jesus Freaks (2012-09-06 08:21)

Notes

A day later than planned due to yesterday’s car battery issues - the plan for today was simple; do two partsof Britt’s ”Triathlon Challenge” in the build up to doing the full 30km (10 jog/walk, 10 cycle, 10 row).

With 10km cycled in just under 30 minutes, and the 10km row coming in just under 45 minutes, thecombined time for the 20km was inside 1:15:00. This bodes well, as I have aimed to complete the full challengeinside 3 hours.

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I reckon the 10km jog/walk is going to take just over 90 minutes - even allowing for the cycle and rowtimes to be increased (due to the ”being knackered after a 10km jog” factor) the 3 hour goal should beachievable.

I might just test out a different combination of two parts tomorrow - maybe a jog/walk and a cycle?I’ll wait and see how much time I have in the morning, and how my legs feel after today :-)

Summary


Journal

03:45 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water04:00 - Gym (see below)06:00 – Scrambled eggs, cheese and toast. Orange juice06:30 - Bus, nap07:15 - Fruit tea, muffin10:00 - Morning walk, banana, nuts & seeds, yoghurt14:00 - Up and down office stairs. Noodles, chicken and veggies15:30 - Banana, bus and nap18:00 - Salmon, roasted veggies (potato, carrot, pumpkin)21:00 - Glass orange juice, bed

Gym

10km bike - 26:17

10km row - 44:53

Stretch

07 Sep 2012: Earth Song (2012-09-07 09:00)

Notes

Today’s mission was to do the 10km jog and 10km spin bike - a different two thirds of Britt’s ”triathlonchallenge”. This took on even more purpose having read yesterday, that the Fremantle Fun Run is on nextweekend (Sep 16th). There is a choice of 5km and 10km so I wanted to see how the 10km went this morningbefore deciding which way to go...

I can honestly say that I’m fairly comfortable with the idea of doing the 5km run - so I’m opting for

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getting out of the comfort zone and registering to do the 10km...

Summary


Journal

03:30 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - Gym (see below)06:00 – Porridge. Orange juice06:50 - Bus, meditate, nap07:45 - Lemongrass & ginger tea, muffin10:00 - Banana12:00 - Fettucini Boscaiola - pasta, bacon, mushrooms15:30 - Few nuts, banana, lemongrass and ginger tea18:30 - Mushrooms topped with grated sweet potato, grated zucchini and polenta. Broccolini, Potatoes.21:00 - Glass milk, bed

Gym

10km jog - 1:28:50

10km bike - 28:00 (approx, forgot to write the time down at the gym - doh!)

Stretch

08 Sep 2012: The Water Song (2012-09-08 11:07)

Notes

Non-gym day today, so enjoy the music and watch out for the updates as we start counting down to a majormilestone; I’m doing a 10km fun run next weekend!

Summary


Journal

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04:30 - Glass water07:00 – Bowl rice bubbles. Orange juice08:00 - Snack (savoury rice crackers)09-00 - Grasshopper soccer with Kian11:00 - Savoury rice crackers, glass orange juice11:05 - Outside kicking a football with Kian12:30 - Tuna and sardines with crackers14:30 - Bowl of rice bubbles17:30 - Fish and prawn stir fry with celery & brown rice21:30 - Glass water, bed

09 Sep 2012: Fire (2012-09-09 22:17)

Notes

Cracked Britt’s ”Triathlon Challenge” today, which was fairly pleasing. Very sweaty at the end of it but feltpretty good, recovered within a very short time. It was muscle fatigue and aches that was the limiting factor,the cardio system was willing and probably able to carry on.

A few aches and tiredness throughout the day - overall though I have felt surprisingly good. The fit-ness regime is clearly working.

I weighed 119.1kg when I got to the gym, and 118.1kg when I left. I drank about 2 litres of waterwhile I was there, so that’s about 3 litres sweated out!

Summary


Journal

04:30 - Glass water, few dried cranberries04:45 - Gym (see details below)08:30 – Omelette with cheese and chilli flakes11:00 - Handful of dried cranberries, fresh lemon and orange juice/pulp13-00 - Chilli Baked beans on toast15:00 - Sweet chilli rice crackers, glass orange juice18:00 - Indian buffet dinner - daal, chilli mushrooms, potato & eggplant curry, potato & capsicum curry.Carrot-based Indian dessert. Glass of Dry Ginger.23:30 - Glass orange juice, bed

Gym

5 mins bike warm up

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10km jog - 1:25:40

10km spin bike - 27:29

10km row - 43:35

Stretch

Combined time 2:36:44 - not taking into account 2 or 3 minutes for wiping down machines, refilling waterbottle...

10 Sep 2012: The Air That I Breathe (2012-09-10 07:56)

Notes

Triathlon challenge plus a late night meant no gym today. Business as usual again tomorrow :-)

Have to say though - I’m surprisingly non-achey today.

Summary


Journal

04:30 - Toast, orange juice05:30 - Bus, meditate, nap06:15 – Lemon grass and ginger tea, few almonds & walnuts09:30 - Morning walk, banana, few nuts, passion fruit, yoghurt11:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park. Chicken & sweetcorn soup15:00 - Few nuts, lemongrass & ginger tea18:00 - Duck, sugar snap peas, corn on the cob21:30 - Glass water, bed

11 Sep 2012: The Quickening (2012-09-11 09:14)

Notes

Back down the gym this morning, some residual soreness and stiffness from the triathlon challenge - soonforgotten after a warm-up though.

5km row was a pleasing 10 seconds faster than last time - probably at the limit of what I can do cur-rently (relatively comfortably) but will be interesting to see how the times go. A few months ago I wasn’t

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able to break 2:00 / 500m for 1km let alone 5km.

Just take it one stroke at a time :-)

Summary


Journal

03:30 - Lite Jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - Gym (see details below)05:30 - Turkey sausages, fried eggs, mushrooms, toast, orange juice07:00 - Bus, meditate, nap08:00 – Lemon grass and ginger tea, few almonds & walnuts10:00 - Morning walk, nuts, seeds, banana, strawberry yoghurt13:00 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park. Combo lunch - rice, salt and pepper squid, chicken withcashews, veggies15:00 - Few nuts17:30 - Minced chicken and pork skewers with coriander & chilli, stir fried brown rice and veggies22:00 - Milk, bed

Gym

5mins bike warmup

Row 5km (Level 11) - 19:33

20 x Leg press (L17), 20 x Chest press (L12)20 x Leg press (L17), 20 x Chest press (L12)20 x Leg press (L17), 20 x Chest press (L12)

20 x push ups, 20 squats20 x push ups, 20 squats20 x push ups, 20 squats

20 x crunches. Plank hold - 1:0720 x ab twists . Plank hold - 1:0240 x bicycle legs . Plank hold - 1:01

Stretch

17 Sep 2012 - Transformation (2012-09-17 07:41)

Notes

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Woke up this morning feeling pretty good, a few aches and stiffness from yesterday’s 10km fun run, butoverall in pretty good shape; the post-run stretching, maintaining hydration and a good night’s sleep appearto have done their job.

Really nice bright, dry, sunny day today, so I headed to the bus with no coat or jacket, carrying justa small bag with the netbook. When we hit Perth, it was really nice to be able to get off at the far end ofAdelaide Terrace and walk the final 3km to the office. It’s been a while since I did that riverside walk and itwas thoroughly enjoyable; it also helped ease some stiffness in the leg muscles too.

Just had a look at the [1]official results for the Freo Fun Run; my official time was 1 hour 14 minutes41 seconds. Very happy with that!

Summary

Time got up (today): 04:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 3 (aching, I overdid the walking today I think)

Journal

04:30 – Bowl of cereal, orange juice05:30 – Bus, meditate, nap06:15 – 3km riverside walk06:45 – Skinny long mac, muffin10:00 - Morning walk, banana, few almonds, walnuts, seeds, pine nuts, dried cranberries, yoghurt13:00 - 8.75km extended lunchtime walk along river, up to King’s Park (far end) and through the park.14:30 - 4 pieces salmon sushi roll15:30 - banana, bus, nap18:00 - meatballs in a sauce made from tomatoes, veggies and lentils, wholemeal pasta (very little pasta)22:30 - Glass milk, bed

Gym

No gym today, probably worth mentioning though that a couple of sessions are missing from the journal. Inthe lead-up to the fun run I put in a 30km row, which was achieved in 2 hours 45 minutes.

I did mostly rest for the 48 hours prior to the run though...

1. http://www.wamc.org.au/results/results_2012/FFR2012results.pdf

18 Sep 2012: 46 and 2 (2012-09-18 07:36)

Notes

Was a mixed bag at the gym this morning; one one hand I was very happy with the time achieved for the5km row, and the fact that my legs seemed to be cooperating. On the other hand, I didn’t finish the entiresession.

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http://www.wamc.org.au/results/results_2012/FFR2012results.pdf

After the row, leg press and chest press I should have done push-ups, squats and abs stuff. Three thingscombined and conspired against me:

• I was completely and totally stuffed

• It was getting a bit ”late” (relative term I know)

• The gym was filling up, the floor space where I do the pushups etc. was crowded and I couldn’t bebothered waiting around

The main parts of the session were done though, so not too bad overall. I also weighed in at 118.4kg beforestarting the session, so that means the total weight loss has now gone past the 24kg mark!

I really do like hitting the gym closer to 3am than 4am - there is a bit of a ”rush hour” that kicks inaround 5. It’s not usually a huge problem, but this morning I had to wait for a machine, and then thestretching / floor work area at the back simply got crowded.

I wsn’t in the mood for it and I’d also run out of puff, so that made the decision easier :-)

Oh and the 5km row - I skimmed 41 seconds off the time, and broke through the 19 minute barrier.This was achieved by focusing on holding around a 1:55 per 500m pace.

Summary

Time got up (today): 03:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 5Night 3 (tired, aching)

Journal

03:45 - Lite Jatz cracker, glass water04:00 - Gym (see details below)05:30 - Bacon, eggs, mushrooms, toast, orange juice06:15 - Bus/train, meditate, nap07:00 – Spiced chai latte10:00 - Morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts, seeds, dried cranberries12:00 - Lunchtime walk, roll with chicken schnitzel, tomato, lettuce & cheese. Cup of tea.14:30 - Afternoon tea (birthday celebration) - limited to an average portion of cake.18:30 - San Choy Bow22:00 - Glass of milk, bed

Gym

5mins bike warmup

Row 5km (Level 11) - 18:52

20 x Leg press (L17), 20 x Chest press (L12)

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20 x Leg press (L17), 20 x Chest press (L12)20 x Leg press (L17), 20 x Chest press (L12)

Stretch

19 Sep 2012: In The Shadows (2012-09-19 09:30)

Notes

Woke up quite late this morning, felt pretty crappy (aching and tired). Probably not helped by the housebeing full of sick and sniffly people at the moment!

Anyway, net result was a decision to not hit the gym - instead I opted to do a couple of urgent clientweb site tasks.

Summary


Journal

04:30 - Bit of computer work05:00 - Bowl of cereal, 2 slices toast, orange juice06:00 - Bus, nap07:00 – Skinny long macchiato, muffin09:00 - Morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts, seeds, dried cranberries11:30 - Extended lunchtime walk via King’s Park (9km). 4 pieces sushi roll (chicken).14:45 - Few nuts & dried cranberries15:00 - Bus, nap18:00 - Crispy thin pizzas made using thin wraps as the base with tomato, olives, onion, cheese, a little meat...20:30 - Glass milk, bed

Gym

Not today...

20 sep 2012: right in two (2012-09-20 11:18)

despite heading to bed early last night (20:30), i still managed to sleep until 5 this morning, giving justenough time to get ready and catch the early bus.

hey ho, i guess the sleep was needed, so no point in worrying about it. there will be plenty more days

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when i can go for a run, head to the gym or whatever :-)

summary


journal

05:00 - got up, got ready for work05:30 - Bus, nap (yup, more sleep!)06:15 – skinny long macchiato, bacon & egg roll09:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts, seeds12:00 - extended lunchtime riverside walk (6km), hainanese chicken and rice15:00 - few nuts, bus, nap18:00 - salmon, artichoke, onion, fennel, carrots0:00 - glass milk, bed

gym / backyard session

Not today...

21 sep 2012: hallowed be thy name (2012-09-21 09:56)

ok, i give up! had to put in a late night fixing up some web stuff, resulting in my not waking up until about6 this morning.

got a bit annoyed at the failure rate of the week (in terms of not going down the gym most days) however...it dawned on me this morning that things aren’t as bad as i had allowed myself to believe:

• despite not going to the gym , i have managed to average 5km or more of walking per day

• despite originally thinking i could take the 10km fun run in my stride, i now concede that the pre-eventtraining and the run itself had more of an impact on my body than i realised.

• the extra walking has allowed me to discover new walking route options, and given me some goodquality thinking time

so yeah, not all bad after all....

summary

Time got up (today): 06:00Mood (1 to 5):Morning 3

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Lunch 5Night 4

journal

06:00 - french toast, orange juice07:00 - Bus, meditate, nap08:00 – skinny long macchiato10:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts, seeds12:00 - lunchtime walk, rice, chicken, veggies15:00 - few nuts18:00 - meatballs, pasta22:00 - milk, bed

gym / backyard session

still nothing...

24 sep 2012: big exit (2012-09-24 08:29)

not much to report from the weekend - i spent most of the time weeding and digging in the back yard, sothere’s a few muscles giving out indications of having been used. sunday night was a family dinner (cooked byyours truly), and none of the dishes would make it onto a Weightwatchers menu for sure; brie, date, walnut& rocket salad, roast lamb & veggies, chocolate tart.

hit the gym this morning feeling a little sluggish, but an hour of doing the right thing soon fixed thatup. i used the ”weights day” routine from the previous programme, which fitted very nicely into a one hoursession.

i will be doing a combination of those shorter sessions and the longer ones from the most recent pro-gramme. during the week i would ideally like to keep the gym time down to an hour or so, while also keepingup the longer rows and the running.

recently i’ve noticed that i’ve slipped back a little with things like push-ups, so it’ll be good to bringback some of the upper body work. keeping the gym time down will make it possible to still get the earlybus without needing to be in bed by 8pm!

i’ll be compensating a little by keeping up the recent increase in walking during the day...

summary


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journal

03:45 -lite jatz cracker, water04:00 - gym (see below)05:30 - bowl cereal, orange juice06:25 - bus, meditate, nap07:30 – skinny long macchiato10:30 - few nuts11:30 - extended riverside walk (narrows bridge, south perth foreshore, causeway, riverside drive) 11km13:30 - brown roll with spicy chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese, small dab of mayo15:00 - few nuts, bus, nap18:30 - fish, chips, peas22:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warmup500m row - 1m 46s

leg press x 20 (level 17), x 15 (level 18), x 10 (level 19)chest press x 20 (level 12) , x 15 (level 12), x 10 (level 12)assisted chinups x 10 (60kg offset) , x 10 (60kg offset), x 10 (60kg offset)seated row x 20 (50kg) , x 15 (50kg), x 10 (50kg)


20 x crunches, 20 x ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs (20 each leg)15 x crunches, 15 x ab twists, 15x bicycle legs (15 each leg)10 x crunches, 10 x ab twists, 10 x bicycle legs (10 each leg)

stretching

25 sep 2012: comfortably numb (2012-09-25 08:55)

aching a little today, not sure if it’s due to the 11km walk yesterday, or the work in the garden at the weekend.had a great night’s sleep, and didn’t wake until just before 4:30 (body recovering no doubt).

as i did weights yesterday, i decided to hit the rowing machine this morning, opting to do 10km. tar-get time was 40 minutes, which required a pace of 2:00 per 500m. that worked out fine for the first 5km,dropping marginally in the second half of the row.

net result was a couple of minutes shaved off the previous best time for 10km, and only 24 seconds toshave off to hit 40 minutes - maybe if those muscles hadn’t been aching :-)

summary

Time got up (today): 04:30Mood (1 to 5):

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Morning 3.5 (aching)LunchNight

journal

04:30 - lite jatz cracker, water04:45 - gym (see below)06:00 - eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice07:00 - bus, meditate, nap07:45 – skinny long macchiato, few nuts11:30 - 4km riverside walk, duck and steamed rice15:00 - few nuts, bus, nap18:00 - leftovers - beef stew, chicken & rice, meatballs. fairly small serves.22:15 - glass milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warmup

10km row - 40:24

stretching

26 sep 2012: some girls are bigger than others (2012-09-26 09:38)

another ”weights day” session today, with the idea being to slowly build the weights up to their previouslevels. so to that end, there were some slight increases across the board this morning.

summary

Time got up (today): 04:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4LunchNight

journal

04:30 -couple of dates, water04:45 - gym (see below)06:00 - weetbix, toast, orange juice06:50 - bus, meditate, nap07:45 – skinny long macchiato10:30 - morning tea (slice of cake)12:00 - extended lunchtime walk via king’s park (9.25km), chicken, rice & veggies15:00 - few nuts, bus, nap18:00 - chicken, brown rice, lentil daal, broccoli

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gym

5 mins bike warmup500m row - 1m 42s

leg press x 20 (level 20), x 15 (level 20), x 10 (level 20)chest press x 20 (level 13) , x 15 (level 13), x 10 (level 13)assisted chinups x 10 (55kg offset) , x 10 (55kg offset), x 10 (55kg offset)seated row x 20 (55kg) , x 15 (55kg), x 10 (55kg)


20 x crunches, 20 x ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs (20 each leg)15 x crunches, 15 x ab twists, 15x bicycle legs (15 each leg)10 x crunches, 10 x ab twists, 10 x bicycle legs (10 each leg)

stretching

27 sep 2012: hey man nice shot (2012-09-27 05:58)

Summary


Journal

04:45 - 2 dates, glass water05:00 - indoor/outdoor session (see below)05:45 - 2 eggs on toast sprinkled with grated low fat cheese, orange juice09:30 - morning walk, banana, nuts, seeds, dried cranberries, yoghurt12:30 - lunchtime walk, chicken and salad roll15:00 - banana, bus, nap17:00 - outside kicking a ball with kian18:00 - salmon & tomato skewers, cous cous with chopped veggies.22:00 - milk, bed

indoor/outdoor session

Warm-up very light jog with Marble around block20 push-ups, 20 squats, 20 crunches20 push-ups, 20 squats, 20 crunches20 push-ups, 20 squats, 20 crunches20 push-ups

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20 crunches, 20 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legs20 crunches, 20 obliques, 30 seconds bicycle legsRun/walk around larger block - 10m 38sStretching

28 sep 2012: the world i know (2012-09-28 11:15)

Notes

decided to go with the 1 hour-ish cardio session today - it’s been a while since i hit the cross-trainer and itwas time for a bit of cardio anyway.

held a decent rate on the bike - over 100 rpm the whole time.

treadmill was probably the most satisfying - i managed to jog the whole 10 minutes with the clock setto 10 km/h

was reasonably happy that i was able to hit 1km in the time

note: the treadmill rate means i should be able to complete a 1km run in 6 minutes, which is a goodimprovement on the 1km test a while back...

Summary


Journal

04:30 - 2 dates, glass water04:45 - gym (see below)06:00 - cheese omelette, bread, orange juice07:50 - bus, meditate, nap08:00 - skinny long mac, muffin10:00 - banana, nuts, seeds, dried cranberries13:30 - lunchtime walk, beef, rice and crunchy veggies15:00 - few nuts18:30 - dinner - can’ recall what but it was healthy and tasty...22:30 - milk and bed

gym

5 mins bike warm up

10 mins bike - 5.1km10 mins treadmill - 1.65km

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10 mins cross-trainer - 1.085km

20 x crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs (20 each leg)20 x crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs (20 each leg)

10 mins stretching

1.10 October

02 oct 2012: i want it all (2012-10-02 16:22)

been a very busy long weekend, so i’ve failed to find time to blog. in addition to today’s journal, the followingincludes details of the gym sessions from sunday and monday too!

quite pleased to see the weights edging up slightly again - as for the weight... that spiked upwards over theweekend (120kg on Sunday morning) but back down to just over 118kg today.

Summary


Journal

06:00 - 2 dates, glass water06:15 - gym (see below)07:30 - bowl of milo duo cereal (skim milk), 2 slices toast & vegemite, orange juice09:30 - 1.5km walk to local cafe for meeting11:00 - skinny long mac12:00 - 1.5km walk home12:30 - toast with spicy chicken (leftovers from burritos). savoury popcorn15:00 - few dates18:30 - Minced chicken & chiili skewers, on a bed of mash made from potato, cauliflower & spring onion22:45 - milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm up

500m row - 1:39

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Leg Press x 20, 15, 10 - Level 20 x 3Chest Press x 20, 15, 10 - Level 14 x 3Assisted Chin-ups x 10, 10, 10 - 50kg offset x 3Seated Row x 20, 15, 10 - 60kg x 3

Triceps Rope x 10 (40kg), Bicep Curl x 10 (30kg), Shoulder Press x 10 (30kg)Triceps Rope x 10 (40kg), Bicep Curl x 10 (30kg), Shoulder Press x 10 (30kg)Triceps Rope x 10 (40kg), Bicep Curl x 10 (30kg), Shoulder Press x 10 (30kg)

20 x crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs (20 each leg)15 x crunches, 15 ab twists, 15 x bicycle legs (15 each leg)10 x crunches, 10 ab twists, 10 x bicycle legs (10 each leg)

stretching

gym (monday oct 1st)

5 mins bike warm up

5km row - 19:53

Leg Press x 20 (Level 20), Chest Press x 20 (Level 13)Leg Press x 20 (Level 20), Chest Press x 20 (Level 13)Leg Press x 20 (Level 20), Chest Press x 20 (Level 13)

Push ups x 20, squats x 20Push ups x 20, squats x 20Push ups x 20, squats x 20

Crunches x 20, plank hold - 1:01Ab twists x 20, plank hold - 0:31Bicycle legs x 20 (each leg), plank hold - 1:01

stretching

gym (sunday sep 30th)

5 mins bike warm up

2km row - 7:29stretch

Treadmill 3km (500/500 intervals) - 25:30

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Treadmill 3km (500/500 intervals) - 26:51

500m row - 1:45 (held a 1:29 pace up to about 300 to 350m, then completely lost all puff and limpedhome)stretch

Treadmill 3km jog - 22:35

stretching

03 oct 2012: e equals em cee squared (2012-10-03 07:55)

”pick a long row” day today, so started the day with a nice sweaty gym session and then a nap on the bus!

Summary

Time got up (today): 03:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4Night 3 (had to stay late at work for pointless meeting, very tired)

Journal

03:30 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)05:15 - bowl of milo duo cereal (skim milk), 2 slices toast, orange juice06:00 - bus, meditate, nap07:00 - skinny long mac, few almonds & dried cranberries10:00 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts, seeds13:30 - down and up stairs (raining outside) - hot chicken and salad roll with cheese, lettuce, tomato and adab of mayo16:00 - few nuts & dried cranberries19:00 - beef sausages, roasted veggies20:30 - milk, bed

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gym

5 mins bike warm up


stretching

04 oct 2012: lateralus (2012-10-04 11:16)

felt much better after a decent sleep (after having a shitty day at the office). ”backyard session” day today,so i took the dog for a walk, and then had a gentle jog around a new route (past the jetts gym i use). turnsout that route is 11.73km (according to map my run), so that’s the furthest i’ve ”grandad-jogged” to date...

Summary


Journal

04:00 - couple of dates, glass water04:15 - backyard session (see below)06:00 - quarter of bowl (if that) of milo duo cereal (skim milk), 2 fried eggs on toast, orange juice07:00 - bus, meditate, nap08:00 - skinny long mac, muffin10:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts, seeds, dried cranberries12:30 - extended lunchtime walk via king’s park (10km), chicken, rice & veggies & a coke zero (because ifancied one!)16:00 - banana, few nuts18:00 - meatballs, pasta22:30 - milk, bed

backyard session

walk around block with marble to warm up

11.73km jog - 1:33:44 (warton road, ranford road, nicholson road, amherst road, warton road)

stretching

05 oct 2012: brave new world (2012-10-05 07:32)

had a brief moment this morning where i hesitated about heading to the gym; th elegs were alittle stiff andsore after yesterday’s jog, and i thought about swapping today’s gym session with tomorrow’s rest day.

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in the end i gave myself a mental slap and headed down the gym anyway - and felt much better fordoing so!

quite impressed that my thought was to swap days rather than simply have a rest though - not so long agoi’d have taken the day off without a moment’s hesitation. habits and habitual behaviour really do gain theupper hand if you give them long enough to build up...

Summary


Journal

03:30 - 2 dates, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)05:30 - bowl of cereal, 2 slices toast, orange juice06:00 - bus, meditate, nap07:00 - skinny long mac, few nuts09:15 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, seeds, nuts, dried cranberries

gym

5 mins bike warm up

500m row - 1:42

Leg Press x 20, 15, 10 - Level 20 x 3Chest Press x 20, 15, 10 - Level 14 x 3Assisted Chin-ups x 10, 10, 10 - 50kg offset x 3Seated Row x 20, 15, 10 - 60kg x 3

Triceps Rope x 10 (40kg), Bicep Curl x 10 (30kg), Shoulder Press x 10 (30kg)Triceps Rope x 10 (40kg), Bicep Curl x 10 (30kg), Shoulder Press x 10 (30kg)Triceps Rope x 10 (40kg), Bicep Curl x 10 (30kg), Shoulder Press x 10 (30kg)

20 x crunches, 20 ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs (20 each leg)15 x crunches, 15 ab twists, 15 x bicycle legs (15 each leg)10 x crunches, 10 ab twists, 10 x bicycle legs (10 each leg)

stretching

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07-17 oct 2012: catching up (2012-10-17 21:34)

finally a catch up post! been very busy for the past week or so, and something has had to give. while thething that has suffered the most has been early morning gym sessions, there’s been a decent amount ofdaytime walking to partially compensate...

anyway, the gym sessions that have been done...

7 oct

5 mins bike warm-up


Treadmill 3km (500/500) 25:00

Row 1km 3:39Stretch

Treadmill 3km (500/500) 24:28

Row 500m - 1:45 (sub 1:30 pace for about 250m)

Stretching

8 oct

5 mins bike warm-up500m row - 1:45

Leg press 20,15,10 - L20 x 3chest press 20,15,10 - L15,15,14Assisted chin-ups 10,10,10 - 45kg offset x 3supported row 20,15,10 level 12,11,11 (seated row machine was out of action)

10 x tricep rope (40kg), 10 x bicep curl (30kg), 10 x shoulder press (30kg)10 x tricep rope (40kg), 10 x bicep curl (30kg), 10 x shoulder press (30kg)10 x tricep rope (40kg), 10 x bicep curl (30kg), 10 x shoulder press (30kg)

20 x crunches, 20 x ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs (20 each leg)15 x crunches, 15 x ab twists, 15 x bicycle legs (15 each leg)10 x crunches, 10 x ab twists, 10 x bicycle legs (10 each leg)

stretching

9 oct

5 mins bike warm-up

5km row - 20:26

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stretching

10 oct

5 mins bike warm-up

10km row - 43:40

stretching

16 oct

5 mins bike warm-up


treadmill 3km (500/500) - 26:43

1km row - 3:54

stretching

18 oct 2012: spring (2012-10-18 07:32)

i didn’t get to bed as early as i was planning to last night, which translated to waking up a little later thanhoped this morning. still had plenty of time for a shorter jog though.

managed a slightly faster pace than previous runs - would translate to about 65 minutes over 10km, so I nowhave a better feel for the sort of pace I need to be maintaining to achieve 10km in an hour.

legs aching now but i guess i enjoyed it in a weird ”omg i am actually sort of enjoying running thesedays” kind of way...

Summary

Time got up (today): 03:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 4Night 3 (tired - technical issues with a client website means I’m up late)

Journal

03:20 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water03:30 - outdoor session (see below)04:45 - 2 eggs, hash browns, mushrooms, toast, orange juice05:30 - bus, meditate, nap

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06:15 - skinny long mac, few nuts10:00 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts & dried cranberries12:30 -lunchtime walk, small serve chicken & rice14:30 - few nuts & dried cranberries17:30 - salmon & salad0:15 - milk, bed

outdoor session

warm-up walk with marble around the block (5 mins)

3.79km jog (Garden St, Harpenden St, Huntingdale Rd, Warton Rd, Garden St) - 24:20

stretching

19 oct 2012: smart dogs (2012-10-19 07:33)

and so it falls apart again... ok maybe not quite that bad, however I had a few technical issues with a websitedatabase yesterday, which resulted in my being up until just after midnight - and subsequently sleeping until5:30 this morning.

just enough time to get up, shower, grab a juice and then head for the bus... might have to make sat-urday a gym day this week!

Summary


journal

05:45 - orange juice05:55 - bus, meditate07:00 - bacon & egg roll, skinny long mac

21-23 oct 2012: overload (2012-10-23 11:02)

”overload” is quite an apt word at the moment, it’s the reason why the journal entries have been intermittentand why I’ve even skipped the gym a few times in recent weeks. it is something that is being actively workedon...

anyway, i have actually been to the gym sunday, monday and today so i’ll tack on a quick gym sessioncatch-up for sunday and monday.

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as for today, you’ll notice that i’ve managed to fit in a couple of longer sessions this week so far. iwill continue to do this where possible because they really do help move me towards the ultimate goal ofrunning a marathon.

happy with this morning’s results - especially managing to get close to 1:30 again for a 500m row.

Summary


journal

03:15 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water03:30 - gym session (see below)05:30 - bowl of cereal, 2 slices toast, orange juice05:55 - bus, meditate07:00 - skinny long mac, few dried cranberries09:30 - few nuts and dried cranberries12:00 - lunchtime walk, small serve lasagne15:00 - few nuts18:00 - chicken and chips21:00 - few social nibbles with friends23:00 - milk, bed

gym session

5 mins bike warm-up

2km row - 7:55stretching

3km treadmill (500 jog/500 walk) - 26:17

1km row - 3:54stretching

3km treadmill (500 jog/500 walk) - 26:11

500m row - 1:32stretching

gym session - monday 22nd oct

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5 mins bike warm-up

row 5km - 20:08

Leg press x 20, Leg press x 20, Leg press x 20 - 3 x Level 20

Chest press x 20, Chest press x 20, Chest press x 20 - Level 14, 12, 10

Push ups x 20, squats x 20Push ups x 20, squats x 20Push ups x 20, squats x 20

Crunches x 20, plank hold - 1:01

Ab twists x 20, plank hold - 0:35

Bicycle legs x 20 each leg, plank hold - 0:33s

stretching

gym session - sunday 21st oct

10km bike - 22:59

10km row - 44:42

stretching

24 oct 2012: live, consume, drive (2012-10-24 07:39)

pick a long row day... had a relatively late night yesterday, and subsequently got up a little later than usual -so that made the long row choice easy; 10km.

previously i’d got down to just above 40 minutes for this distance, so i set the 40 minute barrier as atarget. this meant holding a 2:00 per 500m pace for the whole distance.

my gut feeling was that this would be achievable and that proved to be the case, delivering a 10km rowpersonal best. with hindsight, spending the past few days with longer sessions focused on mid distance rowing,jogging or cycling really helped build up to that point. as i said in a message to Britt this morning; lessonlearned.

at the end of the day my goal is to run a marathon, and so it makes sense that the training reflectsand builds up to this. obviously there are always going to be compromises to be made if/when life throws ina few irregularities.

as for the row itself - i’m pretty chuffed to think that it wasn’t so long ago that i was aiming to do

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10km in an hour (the milestone britt wanted me to achieve before attempting a half-marathon row). now,realisitically, i’m entering into the realms of trying to get down to 35 or even 30 minutes - unbelievable. iguess at that sort of intensity level, i might also be looking at running 10km in an hour or less.

but let’s not get ahead of ourselves...

Summary


journal

03:45 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water04:05 - gym session (see below)05:15 - bowl of cereal, orange juice05:55 - bus, rest07:00 - skinny long mac, bacon & egg roll09:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts and dried cranberries12:30 - lunchtime walk, chicken, cheese & salad roll15:00 - few nuts, bus, nap18:00 - tacos21:30 - milk, bed

gym session

5 mins bike warm-up

10km row - 39:48

stretching

25 oct 2012: keep on running (2012-10-25 07:33)

since i started doing the occasional bit of running, the thursday ”back yard session” has increasingly become”go for a jog day”. this is undoubtedly helped by the state of the back yard currently, but is mostly becausegoing for a jog helps steer things towards being able to run a marathon.

with another slightly late start to the day i opted for a relatively short route - turned out to be 2.72kmaccording to MapMyRun. my pace worked out to be 9.85km/h, which is slightly under the 10km/h neededto run 10km in 60 minutes (yes, this has become a medium term goal).

so i now know that i need to slightly increase this morning’s pace and sustain it over more than 3 timesthe distance. which means i’ve got plenty of work ahead, because there’s no way that would have happenedtoday; not even close!

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Summary

Time got up (today): 04:15Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4 (little achy)Lunch 5Night 4

journal

04:15 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water04:30 - outdoor session (see below)05:15 - bowl of cereal, toast, orange juice05:55 - bus, meditate, nap07:00 - skinny long mac, muffin10:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dried cranberries, nuts12:30 - lunchtime walk, small serve chicken and rice15:00 - banana, bus, nap18:00 - salmon and veggie pancakes21:15 - glass water, bed

outdoor session

walk around the block with marble to warm-up

2.72km jog (garden st, harpenden st, bronzewing st, warton rd, garden st) - 16:34

stretching

26 oct 2012: the whores hustle (2012-10-26 07:54)

tired, aching and feeling great as i write this - all three due to this morning’s gym session. walking, jogging,weights and lots of sweating. the best bit of course is having a shower, freshening up and feeling greatafterwards!

that usually lasts until i’m sat on the bus, then the tiredness kicks in and i grab a nap. it’s a distinc-tive tiredness though, not one of having slept too little, or being stressed out, or doing too much - purephysical tiredness that comes from the muscles being drained of energy.

the treadmill stuff went nicely - i set the treadmill to 10 km/h when doing the jog part of the 500mintervals and am reasonably confident i can start pushing for that as my ”default” jogging pace.

with the weights i was surprised how quickly i seemed to have nothing left! apart from the first set of20 on chest press, all the weights-related sets were split (i.e. i had to take a few seconds recovery after 10 or12 reps).

all worth it in the end though!

Summary

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journal

03:45 - 1 lite jatz cracker, glass water04:00 - gym session (see below)05:30 - small bowl of cereal, orange juice05:55 - bus, nap07:00 - skinny long mac, bacon & egg roll09:15 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dried cranberries, nuts12:00 - lunchtime walk, long mac, hainanese chicken (steamed chicken, rice & greens)15:00 - banana, bus, nap18:30 - meat, mushroom, rocket & cheese pizza20:30 - milk, bed

gym session

5 mins bike warm-up

1km treadmill walk - 9:18

4km treadmill (500 jog / 500 walk) - 30:07

20 x chest press (L12), 20 x tricep rope (30kg), 20 x bicep curl (25kg), 20 x shoulder press (20kg)



stretching

28 oct 2012: les morts dansant (2012-10-28 17:37)

did the full sweaty, 3 hour (ish) Sunday workout today. loved it, and been knackered all day since!

really happy with the treadmill work - of the 4 lots of 2km, rounds 1 and 3 were all completed at 10km/hwhile rounds 2 and 4 were all walking (started out as jogging but i simply didn’t have the energy!)

nice 200m row effort too - 32 seconds.

Summary


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Morning 5Lunch 4Night 3 (really tired and knees aching)

journal

04:45 - a few dried blueberries, glass water05:00 - gym session (see below)08:15 - egg, bacon, mushrooms, toast, orange juice10:00 - banana, yoghurt, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, cup of coffee13:00 - 2 rolls with sliced meat and cheese16:30 - cup of tea18:00 - fish, chips & cup cake (yes, shockingly bad)21:45 - milk, bed

gym session

5 mins bike warm-up

1km row - 3:425km spin bike - 10:582km treadmill - 12:06

800m row - 3:005km spin bike - 13:012km treadmill - 18:28



200m row - 32s

20 crunches, plank hold - 1:1720 ab twists, plank hold - 1:0020 bicycle legs (20 each leg), plank hold - 43s

stretching

29 oct 2012: beethoven’s ninth (2012-10-29 07:24)

this is surely how beethoven intended for it to be played - he was ahead of his time and surely must haveknown that both the electric guitar and Ritchie Blackmore would be created...

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it’s a great track for rowing to as well :-)

another great session resulting in a sweat transfusion - the plank holds were short though. combinedeffect of yesterday and today’s sessions.

Summary


journal

03:45 - a few dried cranberries, glass water04:00 - gym session (see below)05:30 - mushroom & cheese omelette, orange juice05:55 - bus, meditate, nap07:00 - skinny long mac09:15 - morning walk, banana, nuts, dried cranberries, yoghurt11:45 - lunchtime walk, small serve pasta carbonara15:00 - few nuts, bus, nap18:00 - spicy pork salad. cup cake.21:15 - milk, bed

gym session

5 mins bike warm-up

5km row - 19:52

3 x (20 x leg press, 20 x chest press) - L20x3, L14x3

3 x (20 x push ups, 20 x squats)

20 x crunches, plank hold - 40s20 x ab twists, plank hold - 43s20 x bicycle legs (20 each leg), plank hold - 48s

stretch

30 oct 2012: kashmir (2012-10-30 07:37)

bit of a slow achy start to the day but that all quickly melted away at the gym. happy with the rowing times,i definitely gave the lungs a good workout as i got that little raspy feel like i was freeing up another tiny littleportion that used to be tarred up...

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i did lose momentum for a bit on the 1km row but eased off for 100m or so and then recovered for the final250m.

similar story with the treadmill - the first time around i managed to hold 10km/h for the 500m jog in-tervals. second time around it unraveled a bit on the first 500m interval but i switched things a little laterand also had a sprint finish to give an almost identical time.

plenty of sweat again, and total physical exhaustion. slept well on the bus :-)

Summary


journal

03:30 - a few dried cranberries, glass water03:45 - gym session (see below)05:30 - 2 eggs, brown roll, orange juice05:55 - bus, meditate, nap07:00 - skinny long mac09:30 - morning walk, few dried cranberries, almonds & walnuts12:30 - lunchtime walk21:00 - supper (chicken, pumpkin soup, salad veggies, blueberry bun)22:30 - water, bed

gym session

5 mins bike warm-up


3km treadmill (500m jog / 500m walk) - 24:03



500m row - 1:34stretch

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31 oct 2012: halloween hardstyle (2012-10-31 07:43)

the day began with a battle of wills; the part of me that wanted to stay in bed versus the part of me thatwanted to go to the gym...

2:20am was what the clock said when i first woke up, i certainly didn’t need to be up that early so idrifted back to sleep. when i woke up again it was 3:45 but due to the relatively late night (was in bed justafter 10:30 or so) and eating late, there was a strong desire to shut those eyes again and write today off as”woke up too late to go to the gym”.

except another part of me wouldn’t let that happen, so i eventually forced myself out of bed a few minutesbefore 4am. that gave me an hour or so at the gym (my current ”rule” is that even if i can’t make the 5:30bus, i must be on the 5:55 one so i can leave work early etc.)

luckily it’s ”pick a long row” day, and a 10km row fits into that amount of time perfectly.

pretty happy that the gym won the day in the mental battle too...

Summary

Time got up (today): 03:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 3 (tired, didn’t want to get up, see above)Lunch 4Night 4

journal

04:00 - a few dried cranberries, glass water04:15 - gym session (see below)05:30 - cereal, 2 slices toast, orange juice05:55 - bus, meditate, nap07:00 - skinny long mac09:30 - morning walk, banana, dried cranberries, nuts12:30 - lunchtime walk, small serve curried meatballs & rice15:00 - few nuts, bus, nap18:00 - cous-cous with strips of beef and veggies21:00 - milk, bed

gym session

5 mins bike warm-up

10km row - 44:07

stretch

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1.11 November

01 nov 2012: it’s too late (2012-11-01 06:45)

woke up just after 2am again... the next time i opened my eyes it was too late to do anything, so i optedto get ready for work and catch the early early bus. still tired, despite a nap on the bus, headache, aches...hopefully not another cold creeping up - if it is then it can bugger off!

on a happier note... today is the first of november, which means it’s movember time again!

a whole month of not shaving my top lip, to raise money for charities relating to male health.

you can keep track of my progress and find out more over at [1]my movember profile!

Summary

Time got up (today): 04:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 3 (tired, aching, see above)Lunch 4Night 4

journal

04:45 - cereal, 2 slices toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few nuts09:45 - morning walk, dried dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, almonds, banana, yoghurt12:30 - lunchtime walk, small serve chicken curry and rice14:30 - banana, bus, nap18:00 - salmon, vegetable pancakes20:45 - milk, bed

1. http://mobro.co/avallach

02 nov 2012: mortal kombat (2012-11-02 06:49)

yay! managed an early start to the day (just after 3am) which meant i got in a decent gym session and stillmanaged to get the early early bus into Perth!

held the 10km/h pace reasonably comfortably for the 500m jog intervals, so i was pleased about that.slept for most of the bus trip again and felt totally refreshed by the time we got into the city. i think thatfeeling was helped by the sun shining :-)

Summary

Time got up (today): 03:05Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4

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http://mobro.co/avallach

Lunch 5Night 4

journal

03:05 - few dried cranberries, glass water03:15 - gym session (see below)05:00 - bowl cereal, 2 slices toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few dried dates09:15 - morning walk, banana, dates, dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts, yoghurt11:30 - lunchtime walk, hainanese chicken, rice & asian greens14:30 - few nuts, banana, bus, nap18:30 - crumbed fish, salad, jacket potato with cheese23:30 - milk, bed

gym session

5 mins bike warm-up



3 times through:

20 x chest press - l1220 x tricep rope - 30kg20 x bicep curl - 25kg20 x should press - 20kgstretch

04 nov 2012: the row must go on (2012-11-04 10:39)

last night was our regular family dinner, and i cooked up an italian feast consisting of antipasto, spaghettimarinara and tiramisu. the beers and wine flowed as well. i had every intention of doing a full session at thegym this morning, sweat out the ”bad” stuff and give myself a great start to the day.

when i woke at 3:45am I knew exactly what i was going to do; it was time to hit another milestone, itwas time to put in my first marathon row!

i took it easy right from the start, having done a 30km row once before I knew I’d need to keep some-thing back for the last quarter. there really is nothing to report for the first 30km or so, i mostly held a paceof around 2:35 per 500m, sometimes a little slower, and was as comfortable as can be expected. i had mymusic playing, and alternated between meditating (i.e thinking of nothing in particular) and chewing over afew things that popped into my head.

in the final 10km, i started to feel the physical side effects of the row; my arse muscles complained, my neck,

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shoulders and back were nagging. i kept these things at bay by rolling my shoulders, occasionally shiftingposition and rowing through the discomfort to the point where things eased off again.

With 6km Ieft i was all but ready to stop - for a short period my pace dropped down to over 3 min-utes per 500m, my butt muscles were really starting to get uncomfortable (the left side in particular) and Iwas literally just trying to get 1 stroke in at a time. i was close to quitting for sure, but as i looked at thereadout on the machine i reminded myself that i’d been rowing for over 3 hours, had done more than 35kmand would never forgive myself if i packed it in now.

i started thinking about how it would feel to see that distance counter click down to 0. i started toimagine what status update i would post to facebook. in essence, i began to visualise crossing that finish line.suddenly i was back up to 2:30ish per 500m and the cloud lifted. from that point on the physical discomfortnever went away, but the will to finish won the day. when i finished, and for the last few hundred metres Iwas doing more like 1:40 per 500m.

then the distance counter hit 0, i had done it and it felt every single bit as good as i had imagined - islapped the rowing machine in celebration, took a sip of water and then just sat there for a while, wonderinghow the hell i was ever going to stand up!

a little bit of slow (3.5km per hour) walking on the treadmill and some uncomfortable stretching even-tually helped ease the butt muscles, allowing me to head home, tuck into a good brekkie and then rest alittle.

oh yes - i rowed a fecking marathon. get in you beauty!

Summary

Time got up (today): 03:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4Night 5 (mood was great; physically very very tired)

journal

03:45 - small piece of turkish crisp bread, glass water04:00 - gym session (see below)08:45 - berry smoothie, 2 eggs, bacon, 2 slices toast, orange juice09:30 - shower and rest10:30 - cup of coffee12:00 - chicken & salad roll, bag of popcorn15:00 - apple, cup of tea18:00 - few pre-dinner nibbles, pork stir fry, slice tiramisu, 1 beer and a glass of red wine21:00 - orange juice, bed

gym session

5 mins bike warm-up

42.2km row - 3:36:57

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slow walk on treadmill for a few minutes

stretching

05 nov 2012: sunday bloody sunday - no more mr fat guy (2012-12-05 09:34:51)[...] yesterday’s marathon row, I gave myself the day off from the gym today. not surprisingly, i was very tired by thetime [...]

05 nov 2012: sunday bloody sunday (2012-11-05 07:13)

following [1]yesterday’s marathon row, I gave myself the day off from the gym today. not surprisingly, i wasvery tired by the time yesterday evening came around, and slept very well. resting up today will give themuscles and joints more time to recover, ready for a weigh-in and training session tomorrow afternoon.

overall i pulled up well after the row; the main things today are a little soreness in the butt muscles,and a few dull aches around the upper body and legs. nothing that won’t be fixed with a little rest, stayinghydrated, and moving around.

one thing that dawned on me this morning was that i averaged a pace of around 2:34 per 500m. there was atime that i would have been very happy to hit 2:30 for 500m full stop. from there i was happy to be able tomaintain that for a kilometer or so. to hold 2:34 over 42.2km is frigging awesome!

Summary


journal

04:30 - bowl cereal, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, cranberries, dates, nuts12:00 - lunchtime walk, small serve lasagne14:30 - few nuts, bus, nap15:30 - piece of olive bread18:00 - Chicken Kiev, chips, peas, sweetcorn21:30 - Milk, bed

1. http://www.nomoremrfatguy.com.au/2012/11/04-nov-2012-the-row-must-go-on/

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http://www.nomoremrfatguy.com.au/2012/11/04-nov-2012-the-row-must-go-on/

06 nov 2012: rockin’ in the free world (2012-11-06 10:13)

another lie-in today - didn’t get up until 4:30am! no gym this morning as i will be meeting britt later for aweigh-in, measure and training session.

haven’t had a proper weigh and measure for a while, so it will be good to establish where we’ve gotto so far. the weight seems to have ”stabilised” around the 118/119kg mark so I’m keen to check how thingslike body fat %age are going.

will update you all with the findings later - in the interim, enjoy some rockin’ guitar....

Summary

Time got up (today): 04:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 3.5 (tired and a little achy)Night 3 (very tired)

journal

04:30 - bowl cereal, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:30 - dried cranberries, nuts11:30 - Melbourne Cup lunch / morning tea16:00 - Stirling Leisure Centre with Britt, weigh, measure, few warm-ups and then body pump20:00 - chicken kiev, veg22:00 - milk, bed

13 nov 2012: run to the hills (2012-11-13 08:05)

so, quick catchup with the past week... ”battered, tired and worn out” was the net result of the marathonrow, then the body pump session. it’s made me realise more than ever that my only real obstacles now are todo with the physical mechanics (i.e. my bones, muscles and joints can cope) and the mind games (stayingfocused, keeping boredom at bay and mental stamina). my heart and lungs are coping with things admirably,and my breathing and pulse settle back to a normal level very quickly.

because of the physical stress and discomfort, I did very little for the rest of the week except to moveenough so i didn’t seize up! this left me feeling physically in good shape by the end of the week, and when iwoke up on Sunday morning, i knew what i wanted to do next; a half marathon distance on the treadmill!

it took 3 hours and 2 minutes, jogging all the way with the dial set to 7 km/h - at the end of it i had droppedover 2kg through sweating, and i felt great! it’s a huge milestone - especially considering that it wasn’t toomany months ago that I was chuffed to have managed to jog for 10 minutes non-stop!

i think i’d better start thinking of new goals, because the goal of running a marathon is now in sight -a long way in the distance, but definitely in sight!

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following the half marathon run i experienced very familiar aches and pains - my body felt battered and wornjust as it had after the marathon row. walking was difficult at times, ribs hurt, back hurt. i slept well sundayafternoon and night, skipped the gym on monday and slept well monday night.

this morning i woke up still feeling a little battered but ready to hit the gym, if only for a light ses-sion. i figured i’d not push myself too hard, and stop once i’d had enough. i was quite surprised that imanaged a full session of 2 hours or more; my 2km and 1km row times were on the slow side of respectable,and the 500m row was under 1:40 so can’t grumble about that!

Summary

Time got up (today): 03:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 4Lunch 3 (tired)Night 4

journal

03:45 - few dried cranberries, glass water04:00 - gym (see below)06:30 - bowl sultana bran, toast, orange juice08:00 - cup of tea09:30 - 1km walk to cafe, long mac, slice banana cake12:30 - 1km walk home, chicken and salad roll16:00 - cup of tea18:00 - steak, veggie pancakes, mushrooms21:30 - milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up


3km treadmill (500m jog/500m walk) - 24:03





stretch

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14 nov 2012: eighth day (2012-11-14 07:04)

rowing day today, got a reasonably early start, opted for a 10km row and an early bus into the city...

feeling surprisingly free of the worst of the aches and pains now, so the body must be recovering fromthe ”ordeals”I’ve put it through lately!

the main issue at the moment is tiredness - not surprising really...

Summary


journal

03:30 - few dried cranberries, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)05:00 - bowl sultana bran, toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - long mac, muffin

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

10km row - 41:34

stretch

15-20 nov 2012: woman of the earth (2012-11-20 10:43)

not quite sure what happened, but the blogging stopped early on wednesday and has subsequently beennudged out by more pressing things. not too much has happened between 15th and 20th anyway - here’s asummary:

I went for a run on thursday (15th) - was very pleased with my pace for the first 4km or so - hold-ing about 9km/h. After that things went a bit pear-shaped and I walked most of the last half of my circuit(about 8.5km total) - the issue was not breathing or heart rate, my body just could not and would not domuch more.

I was physically shattered, especially my legs and knees.

That evening I fell asleep when I got home from work, went to bed early and still woke up ”late”on Friday.

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Friday I did very little - didn’t go to the gym, but I did a bit of gentle walking during the dayjust to stop myself completely locking up.

Saturday was limited to about 45 minutes of playing with my son at Grasshopper Soccer

Sunday I couldn’t go to the gym due to circumstances - in any case I still felt like I needed morerest.

Monday - woke up late, no gym

Tuesday (today) - ditto

The reason I woke up late today was more because I was late to bed last night - for the first timein almost a week I don’t feel battered. With hindsight, I think the marathon row and half marathon treadmilljog took more out of me than I realised - and the increased pace on Thursday morning was the final straw.

I guess I have to accept that although I’m much fitter than I ever was, the bones, joints and mus-cles have had 40-odd years of use and abuse, and need a little more care than they would have 20 years ago.

Another lesson learned!

Summary

Time got up (today): 04:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 3 (tired)

journal

04:45 - bowl sultana bran, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts, dates, dried cranberries12:00 - lunchtime walk, wholegrain baguette with meat, cheese, salad, olives. skinny long mac14:15 - few dates & nuts18:30 - lamb curry, daal & brown rice21:30 - milk, bed

21 nov 2012: waking the witch (2012-11-21 07:22)

made it down the gym today and did a spot of fairly gentle rowing. didn’t push too hard, just eased backinto things really.

felt great afterwards - legs and joints are aching a bit now, and tiredness kicked in on the bus trip into thecity.

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Summary


journal

03:45 - 1 small ”mini toast” snack, glass water04:00 - gym (see below)05:55 - bus, meditate, nap06:45 - skinny long mac, few almonds09:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dates, dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts13:00 - lunchtime walk, salad bowl (chicken, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sundried tomato, olives, cucumber,carrot, gherkins)18:00 - lamb, salad, cauliflower cheese21:30 - water, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

10km row - 46:31

stretch

22 nov 2012: morrighan (2012-11-22 07:59)

woke up around 2am and figured it was a bit early to hit the streets - woke again at 3:45ish, leaving justenough time to fit in a short jog and still catch the early bus...

ended up doing just over 3.5km in just under 20 minutes - which surprised me when I calculated a pace of10.75km/h! it didn’t feel that much faster than when i plodded along at 7km/h - I guess I’m just improvingand getting better at this running thing.

should be able to 5km in under half an hour fairly soon i would think!

Summary


journal

258

03:45 - 1 small ”mini toast” snack, glass water04:00 - outdoor session (see below)05:00 - 2 eggs, bacon, mushrooms, 2 slices wholemeal toast05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, almonds12:00 - lunchtime walk, salad bowl (chicken, cheese, egg, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, gherkin, carrot, sundriedtomato, olives, beetroot)14:15 - banana, bus, nap18:00 - salmon, cous cous (with mushroom & zucchini)21:00 - milk, bed

outdoor session

warm-up walk around block with Marble

3.54km jog - 19:44

stretch

23 nov 2012: the fighting machine (2012-11-23 12:53)

another night of punctuated sleep, this time waking a couple of times. finally hauled myself out of bed at3:45 or so - even as i wrote the session details out in the notebook i knew it was going to be cut short - betterto do half a session than none i say!

in the end i managed to do the treadmill work in the time available; i skipped the chest press, triceps,biceps and shoulder press. by the end of the session i was dripping sweat, having managed to complete thetreadmill work with all walking at 7km/h and all jogging at 12 (yes TWELVE) km/h!

Summary

Time got up (today): 03:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night

journal

03:45 - 1 small ”mini toast” snack, glass water03:55 - gym (see below)05:05 - bowl sultana bran, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few almonds09:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, almonds11:30 - lunchtime walk, hainanese chicken (steamed chicken, rice, asian greens)14:30 - banana, bus, nap

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17:00 - beef & salad sandwich20:00 - At my wife’s work Christmas do - 4 pr 5 pints of beer, various nibbles.00:30ish - water, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

treadmill walk 1km - 10:04

treadmill 4km (500/500 jog/walk) - 28:09

stretch

25 Nov 2012 - hello (2012-11-24 06:43)

after the excitement of a night out Friday, I got an early night last night, which translated to an early-ishstart to Sunday. had a decent gym session, plenty of sweat and a good dose of hard work on the treadmilland rowing machine.

first treadmill stint was done at 10km/h - but a combination of that effort plus the rowing machine led tomuch slower times in subsequent 2km treadmill stints.

did my best to break the 30s barrier for 200m - didn’t manage that, but I did record a personal bestof 31s.

Summary


journal

04:55 - 1 small ”mini toast” snack, glass water05:10 - gym (see below)08:30 - cheese & mushroom omelette, toast, orange juice10:00 - bowl of sultana bran and sliced banana12:00 - 1km walk to cafe for lunch - salt & pepper squid salad, banana smoothie13:00 - 1km walk back home18:00 - pizza, garlic bread20:45 - glass water, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

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1000m row - 3:565km bike - 11:482km treadmill - 12:06




200m row - 0:31

20 x crunches. plank hold - 1:0020 x ab twists. plank hold - 0:3820 x bicycle legs. plank hold - 0:27

stretch

26 Nov 2012 - try (2012-11-26 07:23)

not too sure what’s going on with the sleep thing at the moment - in bed early last night as I was more thanready to sleep by 8:30. I then woke up pretty much every hour from about midnight onwards :-(

finally got up just before 3am - had a good session at the gym, doing some weights for the first timein a week or two.

Summary


journal

02:55 - 1 small ”mini toast” snack, glass water03:15 - gym (see below)04:45 - bowl honey nut cornflakes, toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few dates09:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dried dates, dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts

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11:30 - lunchtime walk, salad bowl (ham, cheese, egg, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, sliced gherkin, beetroot,grated carrot, olives)14:15 - few nuts, dates - bus, nap18:00 - chicken caesar salad20:30 - glass milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

5km row - 20:22

20 x leg press (level 20), 20 x chest press (level 10)20 x leg press (level 20), 20 x chest press (level 10)20 x leg press (level 20), 20 x chest press (level 10)

20 x push-ups, 20 x squats20 x push-ups, 20 x squats20 x push-ups, 20 x squats


stretch

27 Nov 2012 - power (2012-11-27 06:51)

building work down the road slashed today’s session in half - not sure exactly what happened, but the netresult was a complete power outage at the gym. as i headed home there was a small herd of hard-hattedblokes stood around outside trying to fix whatever they’d broken.

it’s a bit disconcerting having a treadmill suddenly stop on you, not to mention that it physically hurts yourback and knees. with the treadmills and rowing machine instruments deprived of electricity, i called it a day.

marble got the benefit of an unexpected walk, so there was a plus side.

the power cut happened about 4am - luckily i had been awake around 2:30am and had hit the gym early - upuntil the point where i was so rudely interrupted I’d built up a good sweat with 2 lots of rowing and onestint on the treadmill in between. i had just started my second stint on the treadmill when it happened.

Summary

Time got up (today): 02:40Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5

262

Night 5

journal

02:40 - 1 small ”mini toast” snack, glass water02:50 - gym (see below)04:45 - bowl honey nut cornflakes, toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac10:00 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts, dates, cranberries12:30 - lunchtime walk, honey sesame chicken wrap and side salad18:00 - beef curry, daal, cous cous21:45 - milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up




power outage

30 minute walk with Marble

28 Nov 2012 - my man (2012-11-28 08:59)

first things first, there has been absolutely no net change weight-wise since I weighed myself a week ago. notentirely sure what’s going on because i’ve been really good with my eating. not going to worry about it - itcould be a delayed impact from the focus on eating, or any one of many different reasons. we shall see whatnext week brings!

so i’m still officially 119.1kg (as recorded prior to training at about 4am) - today is ”long row” day and onceagain the time available to me meant that I did a 10km one. I was hoping to squeeze in a half marathon, butI didn’t wake up early enough. maybe next wednesday...

Summary


263

journal

03:45 - 1 small ”mini toast” snack, glass water04:00 - gym (see below)05:00 - bowl honey nut cornflakes, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few dates09:00 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts, dates, cranberries12:00 – lunchtime walk, salad bowl (chicken, cheese, egg, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, sliced gherkin, beetroot,grated carrot, olives)15:30 - piece of toast17:30 - lean pork chops, carrot, pumpkin23:15 - milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

10km row - 42:15

stretch

29 Nov 2012 - till i collapse (2012-11-29 07:51)

a late night on the computer could mean only one thing - late start to the day and no time for the outdoorsession. which is just as well, considering we’ve got raging winds and torrential downpours at the moment(we’re finally having the winter weather we should have had a few months ago, except now it’s getting closeto summer, so it should be much nicer lol).

Summary

Time got up (today): 05:00Mood (1 to 5):Morning 3 (bit of a headache and sluggish feeling)Lunch 4Night 3

journal

05:00 - bowl honey nut cornflakes, orange juice05:55 - bus, nap06:45 - skinny long mac10:00 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dates, cranberries, almonds, walnuts13:00 - lunchtime walk, salad bowl (beef, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, gherkin, beetroot, tomato, cheese, egg)15:00- bus, nap18:00 - nachos22:00 - milk, bed

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30 Nov 2012 - dog days are over (2012-11-30 14:53)

an early start today, so i managed a full friday session for a change (i.e. did the treadmill stuff and still hadtime for the weights).

a bad day food-wise though - Movember fund-raising morning tea, and some weird eating patterns forthe afternoon/evening... which is a shame, because the scales were telling me a good story this morning...

really happy with the treadmill - did the jogging at 12km/h and the walking at 7km/h

Summary


journal

02:45 - mini toast snack, glass water03:00 - gym (see below)05:00 - bowl of honey nut cornflakes, toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - skinny long mac10:00 - morning walk, movember morning tea15:00 - bus, nap21:00 - chicken, salad, cookies23:00 - milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up



20 x chest press (level 10), 20 x tricep rope (30kg), 20 x bicep curls (20kg), 20 x shoulder press (15kg)20 x chest press (level 10), 20 x tricep rope (30kg), 20 x bicep curls (20kg), 20 x shoulder press (15kg)20 x chest press (level 10), 20 x tricep rope (30kg), 20 x bicep curls (20kg), 20 x shoulder press (15kg)

stretching

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1.12 December

03 Dec 2012 - she wolf (2012-12-03 07:07)

spent most of the weekend feeling tired, achy, sneezing and having headaches, so it was a relief to wake upthis morning and feel fine. once I got into the gym session though, it became clear that my energy levelswere well down, so rowing times were up and weights were drastically down.

had a good session - it just took far less than usual to make me break into a sweat :-)

Summary


journal

02:45 - 1 small ”mini toast” snack, glass water03:00 - gym (see below)05:00 - bowl cereal, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few nuts09:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dates, cranberries, walnuts, almonds12:00 - lunchtime walk, salad bowl (chicken, cheese, egg, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, beetroot, gherkins,sun-dried tomato, olives)15:30 - toast18:00 - meatballs & a little wholemeal pasta21:30 - milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

5km row - 23:21

20 x leg press (level 10), 20 x chest press (level 6)20 x leg press (level 10), 20 x chest press (level 6)20 x leg press (level 10), 20 x chest press (level 6)

20 x push-ups, 20 x squats20 x push-ups, 20 x squats20 x push-ups, 20 x squats


stretch

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04 Dec 2012 - greyhound (2012-12-04 08:59)

well I wasn’t too sure how things were going to pan out today - aches, pains, headaches and sneezes seemedto be the dominant theme towards the end of yesterday, so I feared the worst.

fortunately I woke up feeling relatively human so I headed down to the gym as per usual - I could tellthat there’s still some underlying cold symptoms - mostly the cold sweat that added to the hot sweat. overallit was a very sweaty session lol.

Summary


journal

02:45 - 1 small ”mini toast” snack, glass water03:00 - gym (see below)05:00 - bowl cereal, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few nuts & dates09:00 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dates, cranberries, walnuts, almonds11:30 - lunchtime walk, salad bowl (tuna, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, cheese, egg, gherkin, beetroot,sun-dried tomato, olives)19:00 - veal steak, side serve pasta salad, vegetable pancakes21:30 - milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

2km row - 8:24stretch3km treadmill (500m jog / 500m walk) - 24:06

1km row - 3:55stretch3km treadmill (500m jog / 500m walk) - 23:58


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05 Dec 2012 - plateau (2012-12-05 08:51)

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times... or at the very least, this morning was one of mixedemotions and experiences. it started off well enough, I woke up, glanced at the clock and mentally punchedthe air when I realised I had enough time today to fit in a half marathon row (seriously, what has happenedto me!!!) it all went downhill after that...

first of all, I did my 3rd wednesday pre-training weigh-in. for a change it didn’t register 119.1kg - thistime it was 119.5kg! f &*ˆ %ˆ f &*ˆ & f &ˆ*ˆ* &!

it was a bit of a disappointment to say the least - I’m giving it one more week, if there’s still no change thenI’m going to let the 100kg thing slide until the new year...

so then, after a quick warm-up, I sat down on the rower, set the clock at 21.1km and started rowing...at about 7km my left-hand arse cheek muscle started to complain, at 8km it wouldn’t shut up when told,at 9km it was more annoying than late night infomercial TV and at 10km I called it a day. by this timethe by-now-familiar combination of hot and cold sweats had kicked in, so I simply rolled over and accepteddisappointment number 2.

I then walked it off, doing 3km on the treadmill at a steady, comfortable 6km/h

overall - damn this sort-of-underlying-cold thing that refuses to actually show itself as a full-on cold, damnmy left arse cheek muscle, and to hell with the stupid weightloss plateau shit that my body seems to think isa great idea...

I’m eating salads for crying out loud, I’m going to the gym, I’m generally avoiding bad shit - is thissome kind of sick, twisted joke???

that said, I’m not going to let it bother me :-)

Summary


journal

02:35 - 1 small ”mini toast” snack, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)04:45 - bowl cereal, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few nuts & dates09:00 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dates, cranberries, walnuts, almonds11:30 - lunchtime walk, wholemeal roll with hot chicken, cheese, tomato, lettuce

gym

268

5 mins bike warm-up

10km row - 48:243km treadmill walk - 30:04stretch

12 Dec 2012 - since you been gone (2012-12-12 08:56)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/TYtdW5bD-7Q

not too much to report from the past week - on the technological front, I decided to merge this blog into mymain personal blog, then decided to replace THAT site with another more focused one (thus earning thisblog a reprieve lol).

also, reality is that this blog remains the best way to let Britt see what’s going on - the other optionsI considered (weekly summaries, email, facebook etc.) actually involved more work for me. I also found thatNOT blogging in the past few days has felt really WEIRD!

nothing to report on the training and eating front either

a few things have combined this week (smacking my ankle against the shower base, aches and pains in myjoints - particularly knees - sneezing, headaches, general tiredness - working beyond the usual 8:30/9:00 bedtime, and getting up ”late” - around 4:30am) and as a result I decided to take a week off from journaling,exercising etc.

my body needs a rest, my attention has been needed elsewhere - and in the back of my mind I’m kindof hoping a break/change in the routine might help with the plateau thing (but that’s not the primarymotivation).

anyway - I’ll be back to daily journaling from Sunday onwards...

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/TYtdW5bD-7Q

dec 17 2012 - narayan (2012-12-17 07:38)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z1UDaWTkAbs?rel=0

soooo, back down the gym this morning and found it tough going if i’m honest! could feel the belly a littlemore than usual, while on the rowing machine. took things relatively easily with the weights - after all it’sjust a part of daily life now so there’s nothing to ”prove”.

felt great afterwards, really happy to be back in the gym. feel bloody tired though!

summary


269

http://www.youtube.com/embed/TYtdW5bD-7Q


journal

02:45 – few dried cranberries, glass water03:00 – gym (see below)04:45 – bowl cereal, orange juice05:25 – bus, nap06:15 – skinny long mac, few nuts & dates09:00 – morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dates, cranberries, nuts12:30 – lunchtime walk, salad bowl (chicken, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot, beetroot, sundried tomato,gherkin, olives)15:00 - bus, nap16:00 - slice of toast18:00 - sausage, mash, mushrooms20:30 - glass milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

5km row – 23:59

20 x leg press (l10), 20 x chest press (l8)20 x leg press (l10), 20 x chest press (l8)20 x leg press (l10), 20 x chest press (l8)

20 x pushups, 20 x squats20 x pushups, 20 x squats20 x pushups, 20 x squats

20 x crunches. plank hold - 21s20 x ab twists. plank hold - 21s20 x bicycle legs. plank hold - 26s

stretch

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z1UDaWTkAbs?rel=0

dec 18 2012 - step on (2012-12-18 08:55)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/2CQLAhNlbfQ?rel=0

sweaty row, jog and walk day - not much else to add except my knees are not happy with me at the moment:-)

270

http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z1UDaWTkAbs?rel=0

summary


journal

02:30 – mini french toast snack, glass water02:45 – gym (see below)04:45 – bowl cereal, 2 pieces toast, orange juice05:25 – bus, nap06:15 – skinny long mac, few nuts & dates09:00 – morning walk, banana, yoghurt, dates, cranberries, nuts12:00 – lunchtime walk, small serve chicken curry, rice14:20 - bus, nap16:00 - banana sandwich19:00 - gammon and veggie cous-cous22:15 - milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

2km row – 8:01stretch


1km row – 4:01stretch


500m row – 1:46stretch

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/2CQLAhNlbfQ?rel=0

dec 19 2012 - don’t look back in anger (2012-12-19 07:59)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/t7F6Jnrqa4c?rel=0

pick a long row day - nice!

summary

271

http://www.youtube.com/embed/2CQLAhNlbfQ?rel=0


journal

02:45 – mini french toast snack, glass water03:00 – gym (see below)04:45 – bowl cereal, 2 pieces toast, orange juice05:25 – bus, nap06:15 – skinny long mac, few dates

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

10km row – 47:00

stretch

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/t7F6Jnrqa4c?rel=0

dec 23 2012 - gabriel’s message (2012-12-23 14:03)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/GF2BzUDeTkY?rel=0

been a very christmassy week - i.e. loads of stuff on, ”bad” food, drinks and other temptations... was great toget down the gym and sweat it out this morning!

summary


journal

04:15 – couple of dried dates, glass water04:30 – gym (see below)07:45 – small bowl cereal, egg & bacon sandwich, orange juice11:00 - cup of coffee, mince pie13:00 – ham and cheese roll

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

272

http://www.youtube.com/embed/t7F6Jnrqa4c?rel=0

1000m row – 4:425km bike - 12:512km treadmill - 17:29




200m row - 0:31

stretch

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/GF2BzUDeTkY?rel=0

273

http://www.youtube.com/embed/GF2BzUDeTkY?rel=0

274

Chapter 2

2013

2.1 January

02 jan 2013 - sun in your eyes (2013-01-02 09:05)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ba-c6LIuluY?rel=0

the christmas break is over, the time for over-eating, over-drinking, late nights and lay-ins has past oncemore...

I managed to get to the gym on Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and not at all in between. I enjoyedthe rest to be honest, though with a week or so of inactivity just prior to the Christmas period, I’ve definitelygained a few pounds and lost fitness.

while I’m not entirely happy about heading back to the office, it’s nice to be back in a daily routine.

summary


journal

02:45 – jatz cracker, glass water03:00 – gym (see below)04:45 – cheese and mushroom omelette, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:00 - 3.5km riverside walk06:30 - skinny long mac09:45 - morning walk. banana, yoghurt, almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries, dates11:15 - lunchtime walk. 6 inch sub - lemon & herb chicken, all the salad.14:15 - few dates, bus, nap18:00 - chicken pieces and salad. piece of christmas cake21:30 - glass milk. bed

275

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

10km row – 49:23

stretch

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ba-c6LIuluY?rel=0

03 jan 2013 - tokyo (vampires and wolves) (2013-01-03 07:45)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/DRhUIJextp8?rel=0

aching a bit from actually exercising 3 days in a row lol. wasn’t sure how the pins were going to take goingfor a run this morning. it went surprisingly well, with 4.2km completed in just under 20 minutes.

That’s 12.7 km per hour!

summary


journal

03:50 – jatz cracker, glass water04:00 – outdoor session (see below)04:45 – cheese and mushroom omelette, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few dates08:45 - morning walk. banana, almonds, walnuts, cranberries, dates, yoghurt12:30 - chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese & mayo roll15:00 - few nuts & dates16:00 - bus - no nap :-(18:00 - salmon, salad, jacket spud21:30 - glass milk, bed

outdoor session

warm-up walk around block with marble

4.2km run – 19:50

stretch

276

http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ba-c6LIuluY?rel=0

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/DRhUIJextp8?rel=0

04 jan 2013 - mitzi dupree (2013-01-04 08:08)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/fNqrtm1gMcI?rel=0

unbelievably, this is the first time I’ve done a Friday session since november 30th - that’s a whole month anda couple of days!

more believably, my times were much slower than they were back in november.

getting back into the groove post-christmas and the times etc. will improve again for sure...

Summary


journal

02:15 - mini toast snack, glass water02:30 - gym (see below)04:30 - mushroom & cheese omelette, toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few dates and almonds09:45 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries, dates11:30 - lunchtime walk, hainanese chicken steamed rice.13:00 - bus, nap18:00 - stuffed chicken wrapped in prosciutto, salad23:00 - milk and couple of mini toast snacks03:00 - bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up



20 x chest press (level 8), 20 x tricep rope (30kg), 20 x bicep curls (20kg), 20 x shoulder press (15kg)20 x chest press (level 8), 20 x tricep rope (30kg), 20 x bicep curls (20kg), 20 x shoulder press (15kg)20 x chest press (level 8), 20 x tricep rope (30kg), 20 x bicep curls (20kg), 20 x shoulder press (15kg)

277

http://www.youtube.com/embed/DRhUIJextp8?rel=0

stretching

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/fNqrtm1gMcI?rel=0

06 jan 2013 - it’s oh so quiet (2013-01-06 13:39)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/htobTBlCvUU?rel=0

hit the gym at 5am today, was there for over 3 hours, got home about 5 hours ago and still devoid of energy....

row times were great, treadmill times much better than the last time I did this session (dec 23rd) - plankhold times were diabolical but basically at that stage i was drenched, drained and more than ready to gohome LOL

summary

Time got up (today): 04:45Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5 (mood is great, energy level is zero)Night 5

journal

04:45 – jatz cracker, glass water05:00 – gym (see below)08:30 – bacon, 2 pieces french toast, orange juice11:00 - cup of tea, shortbread biscuit13:00 – chicken roll, bag of veggie snacks, can pepsi next15:00 - cup of coffee, strawberry yoghurt18:00 - steak, couscous salad, corn on the cob21:30 - glass milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up

1000m row – 3:395km bike - 13:012km treadmill - 15:04


600m row - 2:095km bike - 14:02

278

http://www.youtube.com/embed/fNqrtm1gMcI?rel=0

2km treadmill - 14:17


200m row - 0:31

20 x crunches. plank hold - 22s20 x ab twists. plank hold - 21s20 x bicycle legs. plank hold - 32s

stretch

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/htobTBlCvUU?rel=0

07 jan 2013 - chorea (2013-01-07 07:00)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/XciVM7cgt A?rel=0

aching a little and still a bit tired from yesterday’s gym session, so I didn’t mind having a reason to not go tothe gym this morning!

doing a park session with Britt and a few others this afternoon/evening instead. it’s raining at the moment,so it’s going to be a sticky humid session in the park...

park session cancelled - not entirely disappointed as it’s hellish out there with the humidity!

summary


journal

04:30 – bowl cereal, glass orange juice05:25 – bus, meditate, nap06:15 – skinny long mac, few dates08:45 - morning walk, yoghurt, banana, dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, almonds11:30 - lunchtime walk, 6 inch subway - seafood, salad, cheese13:00 - few dates & nuts18:00 - meatballs, wholemeal pasta19:00 - cup of tea21:30 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/XciVM7cgt_A?rel=0

279

http://www.youtube.com/embed/htobTBlCvUU?rel=0

http://www.youtube.com/embed/XciVM7cgt_A?rel=0

08 jan 2013 - the raven (2013-01-08 07:06)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/JQyGWZWqKT8?rel=0

I woke up just in time to see the clock tick over to 2am... so I figured I may as well head down the gym anddo the full Tuesday session with 3 x 3km on the treadmill. the session usually stops at the 500m row, withthe 3rd time treadmill being dropped due to time restrictions.

It’s currently 6:45am and I am aching, tired and wouldn’t mind being tucked up in bed LOL. It was agreat session, the row times were good, and the treadmill was mostly 10km job, 7km walk. Things slowleddown for the final 1km though.

I think my t-shirt must have weighed an extra kilo at least by the end; it was absolutely soaked in sweat.

summary


journal

02:00 – jatz cracker, glass water02:15 - gym (see below)04:30 - scrambled egg & cheese, 2 slices toast. orange juice05:25 – bus, meditate, nap06:15 – skinny long mac09:00 - morning walk. banana, yoghurt, almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries, dates11:30 - lunchtime walk. 6 inch steak + cheese subway with all the salad12:30 - skinny long mac13:30 - few dates and nuts14:20 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of tea18:30 - pumpkin soup and pizza. yoghurt, meringue and fresh strawberries and blueberries.21:30 - glass milk. bed.

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/JQyGWZWqKT8?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/08-jan-2013-the-raven/gym_jan_08_2013/

09 jan 2013 - attila the hun (2013-01-09 07:41)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/8fNW5qUmuis?rel=0

280

http://www.youtube.com/embed/JQyGWZWqKT8?rel=0

http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/08-jan-2013-the-raven/gym_jan_08_2013/

Another early start, which was fantastic as it gave me the chance to put in a longer row than usual. initiallyI thought I’d go with a half marathon row, eventually settling on a 2 hour time limit instead.

that would give me a longer distance, a tiny bit more endurance/stamina training, and I’d never donea 2 hour row before, so it was something a bit different.

the usual post-session effects - sweat-soaked t-shirt, feeling good, aching, tired :-)

summary


journal

01:45 – jatz cracker, glass water02:00 - gym (see below)04:30 - bacon, 2 eggs, 2 slices toast. orange juice05:25 – bus, meditate, nap06:15 – skinny long mac. few dates09:00 - morning walk, yoghurt, banana, dates, dried cranberries, almonds, walnuts11:30 - lunchtime walk, roll with hot chicken, lettuce, cheese, tomato14:00 - few dates18:00 - chilli prawn linguini, 1 pint beer21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up


stretch

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/8fNW5qUmuis?rel=0

10 jan 2013 - lady of the silver wheel (2013-01-10 07:39)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/WznSDRh0JA8?rel=0

grrrrr.... not entirely happy today! I woke up somewhere between 1am and 2am, figured it was too early toget up for a run and went back to sleep.

[2]nek minnit.... it was almost 5am and I had to rush to get up, get ready and catch the bus!

281

http://www.youtube.com/embed/8fNW5qUmuis?rel=0

mind you, the rest might not be a bad thing. I’m a little stiff and sore after yesterday’s 2 hour row.a nice walk at lunchtime might be in order...

summary


journal

04:50 - bowl cereal. orange juice05:25 – bus, meditate, nap06:15 – skinny long mac10:00 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries, dates12:30 - extended lunchtime walk via King’s park (approx 10km)14:00 - asian veggies and noodles15:30 - few after-work pints18:00 - bus, nap19:00 - salmon & veg fritata, salad21:30 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/WznSDRh0JA8?rel=0

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nek_minnit

11 jan 2013 - drums of war (2013-01-11 08:27)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/nTqJq3TSF6k?rel=0

woke up feeling refreshed but not entirely sure how things would pan out at the gym (bit stiff and sore).needn’t have worried, once I warmed up things went well, with 7km/h walking pace on the treadmill, and10km/h jogging

summary


journal

02:15 - jatz cracker, glass water02:30 - gym (see below)04:15 - cheese omelette, orange juice

282

http://www.youtube.com/embed/WznSDRh0JA8?rel=0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nek_minnit

05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:00 - morning walk, yoghurt, banana, dried fruit, nuts11:30 - lunchtime walk, hainanese steamed chicken rice13:30 - few dates and walnuts14:30 - bus, nap18:00 - salmon & veg frittata, chips21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/nTqJq3TSF6k?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/11-jan-2013-drums-of-war/gym-jan-11-2013/

15 jan 2013 - people of the sticks (2013-01-15 07:43)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/WqrayxTy9To?rel=0

a late night Saturday (birthday party) and feeling a bit under the weather yesterday lead to today being thefirst trip to the gym this week.

reasonably happy with the rowing and treadmill work. 7km/h walking pace on the treadmill, and 10km/hjogging for first 2 sets, had to wind things right down for the third though. the efforts from the first 2 andthe rowing left me a little knackered.

built up a good sweat, worked hard and walked away feeling knackered but good. always a good signof a great workout!

summary


journal

02:00 - jatz cracker, glass water02:15 - gym (see below)04:15 - cheese and mushroom omelette, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:00 - morning walk, yoghurt, banana, dried fruit, nuts11:15 - lunchtime walk, roll with spicy chicken, tomato, lettuce, cheese and a dab of mayo15:00 - few nuts18:30 - chicken curry, wholemeal rice. piece of cake.

283

http://www.youtube.com/embed/nTqJq3TSF6k?rel=0

http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/11-jan-2013-drums-of-war/gym-jan-11-2013/

21:30 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/WqrayxTy9To?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/15-jan-2013-people-of-the-sticks/gym_jan_15_2013/

16 jan 2013 - secret weapon (2013-01-16 08:28)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/erlvc8SMfaE?rel=0

opted for a 1 hour row today. I was extremely tired last night, so I woke up closer to 3 than 2. 60 minuteswas more than enough to get a good sweat on, and I’m not sure I would have coped that well with a 2 houror half marathon row today anyway!

summary


journal

03:00 - jatz cracker, glass water03:15 - gym (see below)04:35 - orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, bacon & egg roll09:30 - morning walk. yoghurt, banana, dried fruit, nuts11:30 - lunchtime walk. 6 inch Italian BMT subway sub with all the salad13:00 - few nuts & dates14:30 - bus, nap18:00 - tacos with lean chicken mince21:30 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/erlvc8SMfaE?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/16-jan-2013-secret-weapon/gym-16-jan-2013/

284

http://www.youtube.com/embed/WqrayxTy9To?rel=0

http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/15-jan-2013-people-of-the-sticks/gym_jan_15_2013/

http://www.youtube.com/embed/erlvc8SMfaE?rel=0

http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/16-jan-2013-secret-weapon/gym-16-jan-2013/

17 jan 2013 - concrete angel (2013-01-17 07:56)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/0dFz10R529g?rel=0

after the recent hot humid weather, it was surprisingly cool when I went outside this morning. almost wishedI hadn’t put on shorts and a thin shirt. didn’t take long to get warm though!

the distance and route mapping on MapMyRun were a lot more accurate today it seems. think I must haveleft wifi enabled when it went so terribly wrong before. pretty sure I remember reading somewhere that it’sbest to switch wifi off for more accurate gps tracking.

summary


journal

03:05 - jatz cracker, glass water03:15 - outdoor session (see below)04:35 - bacon, eggs, toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few dates09:00 - morning walk, nuts, dried fruit, banana, yoghurt12:00 - lunchtime walk, roll with chicken, tomato, lettuce, cheese13:30 - nuts & dried fruit14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - salmon, salad, grilled zucchini21:30 - bed

outdoor session

walk around block with marble to warm upjog (see pic)

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/0dFz10R529g?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/17-jan-2013-concrete-angel/jog-17-jan-2013/

18 jan 2013 - butterfly effect (2013-01-18 09:14)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/vWNkMXg0aWg

must have needed the rest - woke up about 4:15 this morning. might go for a walk at lunchtime if I get thechance.

285

http://www.youtube.com/embed/0dFz10R529g?rel=0

http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/17-jan-2013-concrete-angel/jog-17-jan-2013/

in other news... I’ve been thinking that my snacking might have got a bit out of hand, contributingto the weight plateau. as I’ve said before, I’m no longer stressing about the numbers on the scales, but it’salso worth keeping one eye on these things!

I restocked the nuts, seeds and dried fruit yesterday, and sat down to figured out the calorie contentand what would be a reasonable quantity to eat during the day.

this morning I brought in a small digital kitchen scale and weighed out the amounts of nuts, seeds, cranberriesand dates that I’d calculated yesterday.

when I saw the final combined amount in the container, the penny dropped fully and completely. I’dbeen over-snacking on ”healthy” nuts and fruit; at least 3 times too much, maybe more on some days.

that’s between 750 and 1000 extra calories every day - effectively cancelling out (or exceeding) the en-ergy burned through exercise!

so now there’s a new regime in place - the snacks are measured out into a container, I allow myself todip into that at any time during the working day, but once the container is empty that’s that for the day.

will be interesting to see what happens - if my theory is correct, this will be solid proof that you re-ally do need to be careful about what and how much goes in your gob!

summary


journal

04:15 - bowl cereal, toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:00 - morning walk, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, banana, yoghurt12:30 - lunchtime walk, hainanese steamed chicken & rice14:00 - nuts, seeds, dried fruit14:20 - bus18:00 - kangaroo sausages, oven chips21:00 - milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/vWNkMXg0aWg

20 jan 2013 - born on a different cloud (2013-01-20 17:25)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/qI-8MJNWXD0?rel=0

286

http://www.youtube.com/embed/vWNkMXg0aWg

felt confident and cocky this morning - headed to the gym just before 3, stated aim to do at least 21km onthe treadmill, then see how much longer I could keep going - even possibly as far as 42...

was absolutely stuffed by 7km! wound up supplementing that with 7km on the bike and 7km row.

I did think about going around for a second round of 7-7-7 - but it soon became obvious that I hadabsolutely no energy LOL

half the ”problem” was the fact I held 8km/h for pretty most of the 7km - a pace that would give adistance of 24km in 3 hours. when I did the 21km run before, it took 3 hours 2 minutes, so today’s pace wasa step up. no surprise it drained me!

of course the other side of the equation is that those longer distances need to be built up to properlywith a bit of planning. you can’t just think ”well I had a couple of days rest, so I should be able to knockthis one down without too much of a problem”.

as an aside - gym at 3am on a sunday - WTF?

summary


journal

02:45 - jatz cracker, glass water03:00 - gym (see below)05:30 - bowl cereal, orange juice, bit of a nap07:30 - crumpets, strawberries, blackberries, greek yoghurt, honey09:00 - cup of tea12:30 - bacon and egg bap15:00 - cup of tea, caramel macaron18:00 - roast chicken, potatoes, veg22:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm up

7km jog - 53:01

7km bike - 19:10

7km row - 36:58

stretching

287

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/qI-8MJNWXD0?rel=0

21 jan 2013 - parthia (2013-01-21 08:33)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/1nDZ106X9-o?rel=0

great session this morning, with the 5km row coming in under 20 minutes for the first time in a while - my3rd best time on that distance. seem to be getting back in the groove...

made a mental note to increase the leg press and chest press by one level increment each.

plank holds were crappy again - then again, not only do they come at the end of a reasonable session,these days I’m holding a lower position (i.e. not with arse in the air) ...

summary


journal

02:45 - jatz cracker, glass water03:00 - gym (see below)04:45 - 2 eggs, bacon, 2 slices bread, cheese, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:00 - morning walk, apple, few grapes, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, yoghurt11:30 - lunchtime walk, roll with chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayo13:30 - few grapes, nuts, seeds, dried fruit14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - chicken, pumpkin, potato, quinoa22:00 - milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/1nDZ106X9-o?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/21-jan-2013-parthia/gym-21-jan-2013/

22 jan 2013 - riot (2013-01-22 07:21)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/lvbFXo-M8ec?rel=0

288

http://www.youtube.com/embed/qI-8MJNWXD0?rel=0

http://www.youtube.com/embed/1nDZ106X9-o?rel=0

http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/21-jan-2013-parthia/gym-21-jan-2013/

a bit of an unsettled night (an incident involving a poorly Marble deciding to sleep on Kian’s bed, and havinga bit of a ”poo problem” meant that Kian slept in our bed, and I slept on the sofa LOL)

was surprised that I still managed to wake up at 2:45 and head to the gym.

smashed the first stint of rowing and treadmill (jog 11kmh/h, walk 7km/h) - that effort took a lot outof the reserves though, and subsequent times reflect that quite clearly!

great session all round though.

summary


journal

02:45 - jatz cracker, glass water03:00 - gym (see below)04:45 - yoghurt, 2 pieces toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:00 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt10:00 - morning tea - cup of coffee, couple of (small) scones & jam11:30 - lunchtime walk, 6” lemon & herb chicken sub13:30 - few nuts, dried fruit, few grapes14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - chicken curry, brown rice, papadums19:30 - cup of tea21:00 - bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/lvbFXo-M8ec?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/22-jan-2013-riot/gym-22-jan-2013/

23 jan 2013 - the pot (2013-01-23 08:03)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/R2F hGwD26g?rel=0

up at 2:45 again, which meant either a 10km row, or a 1 hour row. opted for the latter, and was very happywith the effort put in.

at first I thought it was a personal best, however it’s 200m short of a pb recorded in october last year.

289

http://www.youtube.com/embed/lvbFXo-M8ec?rel=0

http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/22-jan-2013-riot/gym-22-jan-2013/

october 2012 is where most of the ”bests” are currently found, around the time I did the 10km fun run etc.

so my ”form” is coming back for sure, and things are definitely moving in the right direction again.

summary


journal

02:45 - jatz cracker, glass water03:00 - gym (see below)04:45 - bowl cereal, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:15 - morning walk, apple, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, yoghurt11:30 - lunchtime walk, pulled pork wrap13:30 - few nuts, grapes and dried fruit14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - beef stroganoff, gnocchi21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/R2F_hGwD26g?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/23-jan-2013-the-pot/gym-23-jan-2013/

30 jan 2013 - all your colours (2013-01-30 08:39)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/vQ5vsSocSn0?rel=0

wow, just realised that I haven’t updated the journal for a week... that does not mean I’ve been slacking off(well, not the whole time anyway!)

thursday - woke up late, so didn’t go for a run. went for a walk at lunchtime insteadfriday - woke up later than planned, so did a reduced session at the gym - details below. pretty sure the 4kmtreadmill time was a pb, with the jogging being done at 11.5km/hsunday - we went camping for the Australia Day long weekend - on the Sunday morning I went for a jog.14.5km in about 2 hours.monday - nothing specific. as with the whole weekend I did lots of walkingtuesday - after a weekend of camping, I slept like a baby and woke up with just enough time to get ready forwork

290

http://www.youtube.com/embed/R2F_hGwD26g?rel=0

http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/23-jan-2013-the-pot/gym-23-jan-2013/

today I got back into the usual routine - waking at 3:00 and heading down the gym for a 10km row.

summary


journal

03:00 - jatz cracker, glass water03:15 - gym (see below)04:45 - cheese omelette, toast, orange juice05:55 - bus, meditate, nap06:45 - skinny long mac09:30 - morning walk, yoghurt, banana, nuts, dried fruit, seeds11:30 - lunchtime walk, 6” steak & cheese subway (full salad)14:00 - few grapes14:30 - bus, nap18:00 - lamb, brocolli, pumpkin mash, carrots21:00 - milk, bed

gym

(today)

[2]

(friday)

[3]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/vQ5vsSocSn0?rel=0

2. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gym_30_jun_2013.jpg

3. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gym_25_jun_2013.jpg

31 jan 2013 - children (2013-01-31 08:09)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/CC5ca6Hsb2Q?rel=0

with an early night under my belt, I was expecting to be awake before 3, so I was surprised when I looked atthe clock and saw that it was almost quarter to 4. gave me just enough time to take the dog for a walk, thensqueeze in a cheeky little jog...

summary

291

http://www.youtube.com/embed/vQ5vsSocSn0?rel=0

http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gym_30_jun_2013.jpg

http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/gym_25_jun_2013.jpg


journal

03:40 - jatz cracker, glass water03:50 - outdoor session (see below)04:45 - scrambled egg with cheese, toast, orange juice05:55 - bus, meditate, nap06:45 - skinny long mac09:30 - morning walk, apple, yoghurt, nuts, seeds, dried fruit11:45 - lunchtime walk, wrap with lamb and salad14:00 - dried fruit & nuts18:00 - salmon, quinoa, veggies21:00 - glass milk, bed

outdoor session

warm-up walk around block with marble

3.71km jog...

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/CC5ca6Hsb2Q?rel=0

2. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/run_31_jan_2013.png

2.2 February

01 feb 2013 - dance of the druids (2013-02-01 07:57)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/7oMvZI7JHgY?rel=0

up ”late” again today - was just after 3:15 when I woke up. even worse, for a few moments a voice in myhead was telling me ”it’s too late now, to go back to sleep and just write the day off”.

finally won the mental battle, got up, and headed down the gym for a reduced session (again). as with lastfriday, the 1km walk was completed at 7.5km/h and the 4km jog/walk was completed at 11.5km/h (jog) and7km/h (walk).

which I am very happy with.

summary

292

http://www.youtube.com/embed/CC5ca6Hsb2Q?rel=0

http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/run_31_jan_2013.png

Time got up (today): 03:20Mood (1 to 5):Morning 3 (not happy with the little voice)Lunch 4Night 5

journal

03:20 - jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)04:45 - bowl of cereal, 2 pieces toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac - few dates09:30 - morning walk, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, banana, yoghurt12:00 - lunchtime walk , hainanese chicken steamed rice14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - dinner (can’t recall what now - it’s been a few days!)23:00 - milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/7oMvZI7JHgY?rel=0

2. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gym_01_feb_2013.jpg

06 Feb 2013 - Munich Air Disaster 1958 (2013-02-06 10:36)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/SEQmoqOjH3M?rel=0

this week I’ve officially started on a [2]20 week program, leading up to the Perth marathon in June. It’sactually an 18 and a half week program now, due to there only being 18 and a half weeks to go before June16th.

the change of program comes at a good time - it gives me a couple of ”rest” (i.e. non-training) days,and a couple of shorter weights sessions. both these things will help me grab a little more sleep, aidingrecovery and relieving a developing issue of tiredness/burnout.

the change also freshens things up - part of the problem is probably a slight degree of boredom. I’msure my body will appreciate being stretched and pushed in slightly different ways too.

above all else, the fact that I’m now in marathon coundown mode is simultaneously motivating, excit-ing and scary...

N.B. I’ve not blogged the Sunday or Monday sessions. Tuesday I didn’t get to the gym. The gym sec-tion below will include details of the missing sessions...

Oh and I’m now on my third gym notebook (in case you’re interested, which I doubt you are LOL)

293

http://www.youtube.com/embed/7oMvZI7JHgY?rel=0

http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gym_01_feb_2013.jpg

summary


journal

02:30 - jatz cracker, glass water02:45 - gym (see below)05:15 - bowl of cereal, 2 pieces toast, orange juice06:25 - bus, meditate, nap07:15 - skinny long mac09:30 - morning walk, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, banana, yoghurt12:00 - lunchtime walk, chicken, cheese & salad roll13:30 - few nuts, dried fruit14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - tacos21:30 - glass milk, bed

gym

today

[3]

monday

[4]

sunday

[5]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/SEQmoqOjH3M?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/shit-just-got-a-little-more-real/


4. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gym_04_feb_2013x.jpg

5. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gym-feb-03-2013.jpg

07 Feb 2013 - Kashmir (2013-02-07 07:06)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/hAzdgU kpGo?rel=0

294

http://www.youtube.com/embed/SEQmoqOjH3M?rel=0

http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/shit-just-got-a-little-more-real/


http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gym_04_feb_2013x.jpg

http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gym-feb-03-2013.jpg

so today is supposed to be a rest day, however I have a friend’s buck’s day this Saturday, so I re-jigged thingsa little so the rest day is tomorrow and the long run will happen Saturday morning. This means I don’t haveto do the long run ”under the influence” on Sunday morning lol.

because I want to be sure of distance and pace, I headed down the gym to hit the treadmill (ratherthan simply heading out on the local streets). While I am reminded of photos like the one below, the treadmilldoes a good job of keeping me honest, and ensuring I stick to a constant pace.

[2]

summary


journal

03:30 - jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)04:45 - bowl of cereal, 2 pieces toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:00 - morning walk, dried fruit, nuts, few grapes, yoghurt12:00 - lunchtime walk, chicken and salad baguette14:00 - few grapes14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - salmon rissotto21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

[3]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/hAzdgU_kpGo?rel=0

2. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/wonka_gym.jpg


08 Feb 2013 - stinkfist (2013-02-08 14:14)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/07pLGIgyfjw?rel=0

with the slightly modified schedule in place for this week (due to buck’s party shenanigans taking placetomorrow), today was an official ”rest” day. I originally woke up about 2:30, but then enjoyed another coupleof hours as a sort of mental person’s ”lie-in”.

don’t worry britt, I am not confusing ”rest” with ”do nothing” - the day started with a 3km or so stroll

295

http://www.youtube.com/embed/hAzdgU_kpGo?rel=0

http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/wonka_gym.jpg


along the riverside, plus the usual morning and lunchtime walks (including down and up 8 floors using thestairwell).

summary


journal

04:30 - bowl of cereal, 2 pieces toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate06:00 - riverside walk (3km or so)06:30 - skinny long mac09:00 - morning walk, dried fruit, nuts, few grapes, yoghurt12:00 - lunchtime walk, hainanes chicken14:00 - few nuts and dried fruit14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - dinner (forget what)22:00 - milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/07pLGIgyfjw?rel=0

11 Feb 2013 - sorrow evoker (2013-02-11 08:07)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/FwFo58oXgFM?rel=0

well overall I think my revised weekend schedule worked out OK. all training has been done, I had a full dayof recovery yesterday, and was good to go for the gym this morning.

mind you, this morning’s session intense. despite this technically being week 3 of the 20 week program, this isactually the first full week, and the first time I’ve done the new weights & rowing sessions. the session itselflasted just over an hour, including the warm-up, stretching, time between different actvities etc. however, itwas a solid workout that left me tired and sweaty, and in need of very short rests along the way. intense isdefinitely the word.

i think the effects of partying all day saturday played a part, but it was definitely more intense than,say, a long run. those sessions go on longer, but there’s a sense of pacing yourself, and staying relativelycomfortable the whole way.

today’s session was all about bursts of energy, focused effort - and I actually enjoyed it, once I’d recovered lol.

a little note on the times below - having napped a little on sunday, I woke up just in time to see thesecond half of the man utd game. I headed down the gym after that game ended...

p.s. talking of times - the 1000m time was a personal best...

296

http://www.youtube.com/embed/07pLGIgyfjw?rel=0

summary


journal

01:00 - jatz cracker, glass water02:30 - gym (see details below)04:00 - cheese & mushroom omelette, 1 piece toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac, few nuts09:30 - morning walk, banana, dried fruit, nuts, yoghurt12:00 - lunchtime walk, chicken and salad baguette.14:00 - few nuts & dates15:15 - bus, nap18:00 - beef sausage, crocodile skewer, brocolli, onion, capsicum, mushrooms, potato21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

saturday

[2]

monday

[3]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/FwFo58oXgFM?rel=0

2. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gym_feb_09_2013.jpg


12 Feb 2013 - stop crying your heart out (2013-02-12 08:33)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/dhZUsNJ-LQU?rel=0

it was no surprise to me that I didn’t wake up until 4:15 this morning. by the end of yesterday, I was veryvery tired, and the aches and pains from the upper body work had kicked in.

the aches and pains were still there this morning, and so it was with some relief that I realised today’s sessionwas a shorter one, with some rowing and leg work.

so it provided some welcome relief for the recovering muscle groups, and being a shorter session (about 45minutes) it didn’t matter so much that I had slept in a little.

on the down side, the session included lunges. for some reason I seem to be allergic to lunges; I’m ap-parently not balanced and coordinated enough, and they hurt LOL. hopefully their inclusion in this current

297

http://www.youtube.com/embed/FwFo58oXgFM?rel=0

http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/gym_feb_09_2013.jpg


training program will help resolve much of that.

summary

Time got up (today): 04:15Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 4 (tired)

journal

04:15 - jatz cracker, glass water04:30 - gym (see details below)05:30 - bowl cereal, 2 pieces toast, orange juice06:25 - bus, meditate, nap07:15 - skinny long mac09:30 - morning walk, yoghurt, dried fruit, nuts, grapes12:00 - lunchtime walk, chicken, tomato, lettuce & cheese roll14:00 - few dates14:20 - bus, nap18:30 - Beef curry, brown rice23:00 - Milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/dhZUsNJ-LQU?rel=0


13 Feb 2013 - for bitter or worse (2013-02-13 08:25)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/ VAnos0IAD0?rel=0

it’s now day four since the weekend’s partying, and I’ve realised that this may not be post-party-stress-disorderafter all. or at least not directly.

rather, I think it’s a combination of that, the shock to my body of the new regime (especially the up-per body work on monday - i’m still aching lol), and a bit of a summer cold lurking in the background.

the good news is that the training is still on track - the sneezing and so on will just have to give upand bugger off.

I did a 10km row this morning - which means that the rest of the week now shapes up as rest day, mediumrun, rest day, long run. so there’s going to be ample opportunity for the body to recover and mend, beforemore upper body punishment on monday :-)

summary

298

http://www.youtube.com/embed/dhZUsNJ-LQU?rel=0


Time got up (today): 03:15Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 3 (feeling a bit sneezy and crappy)Night 3 (see above)

journal

03:15 - jatz cracker, glass water03:30 - gym (see details below)04:45 - cheese & mushroom omelette, 2 pieces toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate, nap06:15 - skinny long mac09:30 - morning walk, yoghurt, apple, dried fruit & nuts12:00 - lunchtime walk. pulled pork, apple, celery & salad roll14:00 - few nuts, dates14:30 - bus, nap18:00 - chicken burritos w/ salad21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/_VAnos0IAD0?rel=0


14 Feb 2013 - the positive sense of love (2013-02-14 07:40)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/iWTGKYCwIiY?rel=0

so, thanks to (probably) a lowered immune system, and a 3 year old with a runny nose, I think I may havea small summer cold. probably good timing that today is a ”rest” day - I stayed in bed until 4:30am anddefinitely feel a little better (and less aches and pains). definitely shouldn’t have any impact on the trainingschedule!

got off the bus at the far end of town this morning and enjoyed a 3km riverside walk again - shoulddefinitely make more effort to get back into doing that, even on non-rest days.

summary


journal

299

http://www.youtube.com/embed/_VAnos0IAD0?rel=0


04:30 - bowl cereal, 1 piece of toast with pro-activ spread & promite. orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate06:00 - riverside walk - approx. 3km06:30 - skinny long mac. couple of dates09:00 - morning walk (2km), grapes, yoghurt, dried fruit, nuts11:30 - lunchtime walk via jacob’s ladder (just over 3km). rice paper rolls x 2 and squid salad13:30 - few dates & grapes14:20 - bus, nap15:30 - slice of bread and promite18:00 - salmon, asparagus, leek, vegetable frittata.21:30 - milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/iWTGKYCwIiY?rel=0

15 Feb 2013 - engel (2013-02-15 11:02)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/bV1-1Hl2dgk?rel=0

still not 100 %, but getting there. not that it’s being allowed to impact the training schedule!

at first glance I was doing a 5km jog today, good job I double-checked, the week 3 medium run distance isactually 6.5km!

pushed the pace up to 9km/h and managed to hold that for the full distance. which is nice.

oh and managed a riverside walk again this morning. missed the morning walk due to a stupid meet-ing, but will definitely make up for that with an extended lunchtime one!

summary


journal

03:15 - jatz cracker, glass water03:30 - gym (see below)04:45 - 2 eggs, bacon, 2 pieces toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, meditate06:00 - riverside walk - approx. 3km06:30 - skinny long mac. couple of dates09:30 - banana, dried fruit, nuts12:00 - extended lunchtime walk to king’s park via ”kokoda track” (approx 5km), hainanese chicken, rice,asian greens13:30 - few nuts, dates14:20 - bus, nap

300

http://www.youtube.com/embed/iWTGKYCwIiY?rel=0

18:00 - dinner (can’t recall what now!)22:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/bV1-1Hl2dgk?rel=0


18 Feb 2013 - set it off (2013-02-18 08:26)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/jLfmrNw8ygo?rel=0

up bright and early this morning, feeling pretty much back to normal. thought I might be seeing some greattimes on the rowing. reality was I ran out of steam fairly early on, and the row times were ”average”.

decent session though, and followed up with a pleasant 3km riverside walk.

summary


journal

02:15 - jatz cracker, glass water02:30 - gym (see below)04:00 - mushroom & cheese omelette, 2 pieces toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:00 - riverside walk - approx. 3km06:30 - skinny long mac. couple of dates09:30 - morning walk (approx 2km), apple, yoghurt, dried fruit and nuts12:00 - extended lunchtime walk via jacob’s ladder (approx 4km), chicken, lettuce, tomato & cheese roll13:30 - few nuts & dates18:00 - beef, red bean and squash stew with brown rice21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

today

[2]

saturday

[3]

301

http://www.youtube.com/embed/bV1-1Hl2dgk?rel=0


1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/jLfmrNw8ygo?rel=0



19 Feb 2013 - sleepless (2013-02-19 08:16)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZKT1sh2NTMo?rel=0

bit of a late start to the day, getting up just before 3:30am for the shortest session of the week - seriously,3:30am feels late these days. there is something seriously wrong with that!

decent enough session, focused on legs. hate lunges, but you do what you have to do :-)

summary


journal

03:30 - jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)04:45 - bowl cereal, 2 pieces toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:00 - riverside walk - approx. 3km06:30 - mug of coffee. a few dates09:30 - morning walk, dried fruit, nuts, yoghurt12:30 - extended lunchtime walk via jacob’s ladder (approx 3km). 2 rice paper rolls, squid salad13:30 - banana14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - tacos21:15 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZKT1sh2NTMo?rel=0


20 Feb 2013 - youth in trouble (2013-02-20 08:41)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/59VaXUt-yMg?rel=0

302

http://www.youtube.com/embed/jLfmrNw8ygo?rel=0



http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZKT1sh2NTMo?rel=0


another nice, slow start to the day, with a 3:30am wake-up and a 10km row at the gym.

the peace was shattered later on, when I couldn’t find my mobile phone case (which holds my smartrider busticket) - turns out a certain almost-4-year-old had put it in his toy box...

anyway, thanks to him, no riverside walk this morning - will make up for that later.

summary


journal

03:30 - jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)04:45 - bowl cereal, 2 pieces toast. orange juice05:50 - bus, nap06:30 - black coffee. a few dates09:00 - morning walk (approx 2km), grapes, dried fruit & nuts, yoghurt, green tea12:30 - extended lunchtime walk via king’s park (kakoda track) approx 5km. cajun chicken, avocado andsalad wrap.13:30 - few dates14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - chicken and pasta22:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/59VaXUt-yMg?rel=0


21 Feb 2013 - there is power in a union (2013-02-21 07:58)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/DwbzxemJZIc?rel=0

rest day today - and my legs are definitely grateful!

had a nice lie-in, getting up at a leisurely 4:30am. riverside walk on the way into the office - thoughnot sure how this weather’s going to pan out for other walks today. humid, hot and thunderstorms lurking...

summary


303

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journal

04:30 - bowl cereal, 2 pieces toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:00 - riverside walk (approx 3km)06:30 - black coffee. a few dates09:30 - morning walk (approx 2km), yoghurt, apple, dried fruit & nuts11:30 - extended lunchtime walk via jacob’s ladder (approx 4km), chicken & salad roll14:00 - few grapes, dried nuts14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - salmon ”caesar” salad20:45 - milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/DwbzxemJZIc?rel=0

22 Feb 2013 - twisted (2013-02-22 07:48)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zqe4NbLW7Ww?rel=0

back down the gym for ”medium run day”, which doesn’t vary too much distance-wise for the whole 20weeks...

last week I ran the 6.5km at 9km/h, so today I thought I’d give 10km/h a go. I had to fight off thedesire to slow down (or even to walk) for most of the last 2km but I did it.

felt bloody good too.

I had a bit of time spare so I added in a bit of walking after I’d stretched, which meant I could napfor a little longer on the bus :-)

summary


journal

02:45 - jatz cracker, glass water03:00 - gym (see below)04:15 - cheese omelette, 2 pieces toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee. a few dates

304

http://www.youtube.com/embed/DwbzxemJZIc?rel=0

09:00 - morning walk (approx 2km). banana, yoghurt, nuts & dried cranberries10:30 - morning tea; black coffee, cake11:30 - extended lunchtime walk (approx 5km) via kakoda track, king’s park. duck, steamed rice, asian greens.14:00 - green tea14:20 bus, nap18:00 - chicken and savoury rice22:00 - milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zqe4NbLW7Ww?rel=0


24 Feb 2013 - little by little (2013-02-24 10:12)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/ ps KFASwHM?rel=0

after a much-needed rest day, it was time for the ”long, slow run” today.

with the training schedule being used, today’s distance is actually the same as Friday’s. I stuck to arelatively plodding pace, and also opted to do the running on the local streets rather than the treadmill.

I think I’ll aim to do that for the sunday runs from now on, to build up the experience of running onthe roads rather than a treadmill. the weather is (generally) good for early morning outdoor runs currently.

summary


journal

04:45 - jatz cracker, glass water05:00 - road run (see below)07:30 - 2 crumpets with berries, yoghurt & honey. orange juice10:00 - coffee. slice toast12:00 - at a market / shopping with Kian (lots of walking)13:30 - chicken, avocado and salad sandwich, few potato wedges17:00 - family dinner - few pre-dinner nibbles. 1 beer. couple of glasses of wine. prawn and chorizo saladstarter, chicken & chorizo casserole with rice.22:15 - cup of warm milk, bed

road run

305

http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zqe4NbLW7Ww?rel=0


5 min walk around block with marble to warm up6.5km run - MapMyRun didn’t record for some reason, so not sure of time. About an hour maybe.

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/_ps_KFASwHM?rel=0

25 Feb 2013 - rhythm of the heat (2013-02-25 10:42)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/rzwMe-3XVn4?rel=0

interesting week this one - working from home all week, so the challenge is on to maintain the same sort ofroutine and structure as per usual. The main failures from the past are mostly to do with not getting in thesame amount of walking...

started today well, pushing the weights up across the whole gym session, then throwing in a 3km treadmillwalk (as a replacement for the morning riverside walk).

i was absolutely knackered by the end - the plank hold was probably the worst to date, and every oneof those 26 seconds was an endurance test on its own!

summary


journal

03:30 - jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)06:00 - cheese & mushroom omelette. two pieces toast. orange juice07:00 - sleep08:00 - black coffee10:00 - 4km walk. sandwich with sliced banana, poppy seed bread, dab of honey and sprinkle of cinnamon12:30 - ham, cheese & salad sandwich16:00 - apple. 1km walk with marble17:30 - lamb curry, brown rice, popadoms21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

followed up with 3km walk in just over half an hour.

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/rzwMe-3XVn4?rel=0


306

http://www.youtube.com/embed/_ps_KFASwHM?rel=0

http://www.youtube.com/embed/rzwMe-3XVn4?rel=0


26 Feb 2013 - when a blind man cries (2013-02-26 10:06)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/03lItdEAhvo?rel=0

the good thing about ”leg day” is it helps take the mind off the upper body aches from the day before :-)

did a similar thing today as yesterday - increased the weights used on the machines. also threw in a3km walk at the end to help keep the step count up (which worked well yesterday incidentally).

summary


journal

03:30 - jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)06:00 - bowl cereal. two pieces toast. orange juice07:00 - nap08:00 - black coffee10:00 - 3.5km walk, coffee, muffin12:30 - small amount of leftover curry, rice21:00 - chicken, salad and a few nibbles22:30 - bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/03lItdEAhvo?rel=0


27 Feb 2013 - like toy soldiers (2013-02-27 10:09)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/lexLAjh8fPA?rel=0

interesting day today - woke up reasonably early and with no time pressure for catching buses etc. the longrow was open to most options.

so I set out at a slow, easy pace, with the intention of going for as long and/or far as possible.

but the body had other ideas - aches and fatigue in upper and lower body from the past two days, andbackside muscles that had enough after just a few kilometres.

in the end I called it a day at the 1 hour mark - the fact that I only just slightly exceeded the 10km

307

http://www.youtube.com/embed/03lItdEAhvo?rel=0


mark should give a good idea of how ’easy” the pace was. I usually do 10km in about 45 minutes.

but that’s fine - my body knew what it was or wasn’t capable of, and a 10km row is quite sufficientin terms of the training schedule. looking forward to a (hopeful) lie-in for tomorrow’s rest day!

summary


journal

03:00 - jatz cracker, glass water03:15 - gym (see below)05:30 - bowl cereal. two pieces toast. orange juice06:30 - nap08:00 - black coffee10:00 - dried fruit & nuts12:30 - ham, cheese & salad sandwich15:00 - dried fruit & nuts, cup of tea18:00 - chicken & pasta ragout22:00 - bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/lexLAjh8fPA?rel=0


2.3 March

01 Mar 2013 - F.E.A.R. (2013-03-01 16:58)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/8f8wAXDZ9D0?rel=0

didn’t go so well today gym-wise. woke up full of motivation and confidence, and figured that after successfullydoing 6.5km at 10km/h last week, I should give 11km/h a go.

I lasted 2km, and was stuffed. after that I covered the remaining 4.5km alternating between 6km/h walkingand 11km/h running.

too much. too soon. lesson learned.

summary

308

http://www.youtube.com/embed/lexLAjh8fPA?rel=0



journal

03:30 - jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)05:30 - bowl cereal06:00 - nap07:00 - 2 slices toast, orange juice10:00 - black coffee12:30 - ham, cheese, tomato, cucumber, home-made damper15:00 - piece of bread and home-made jam, cup of tea18:00 - chicken curry with brown rice22:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/8f8wAXDZ9D0?rel=0

2. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gym_01_mar_2013.jpg

02 Mar 2013 - tubthumping (2013-03-02 18:19)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/kS-zK1S5Dws?rel=0

fun and games with the road run this morning. half way round the 9.6km route I tripped over a raised paverand went flying. fortunately the damage wasn’t so bad, and I continued the run.

damage = ripped training pants, grazed hands, elbow and knee, jarred joints. I guess I’ll live :-)

apart from the fall, it was a very pleasant jog.

summary


journal

06:00 - jatz cracker, glass water06:15 - road run (see below)

309

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http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gym_01_mar_2013.jpg

08:00 - pancakes, orange juice11:00 - bought new training pants lol12:00 - small Chinese combo, bottle of ”fruity tea”15:00 - piece of orange cake, cup of tea18:30 - Sausage risotto22:00 - Glass milk, bed

road run

map my run stuffed up again, will be trying run keeper next time!

Between 9.6km and 9.8km - 1:27:00 (including a brief delay tripping over, dusting down and checkingfor injury)route - home, warton road, corfield street, southern river road, gay street, garden street, home

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/kS-zK1S5Dws?rel=0

05 Mar 2013 - I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night (2013-03-05 11:07)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/F-kVFfKezVo?rel=0

a return to the gym after the weekend’s re-arranged schedule, which included hitting the deck while out jog-ging, doing Monday’s gym session on Sunday, crawling/running around the laser corps battlefield, consuminga quantity of non-isotonic beer and then a famildy day out yesterday (lots of walking).

net effect = very sore knees and other joints, but generally not too bad. I suspect that most of theknee and joint aches are due to coming to a sudden halt mid-jog on Saturday.

very slow getting out of bed this morning, but the gym session went surprisingly well once I got intoit.

summary


journal

03:30 - jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - gym (see below)05:00 - bowl cereal, 2 slices toast, orange juice05:55 - bus, nap06:30 - black coffee12:00 - lunchtime walk, chicken, tomato, cheese & lettuce roll. rice pudding.14:15 - bus, nap18:00 - dinner

310

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gym

today’s session

[2]

sunday’s session

[3]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/F-kVFfKezVo?rel=0

2. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gym_mar_05_2013.jpg

3. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gym_mar_03_2013.jpg

17 Mar 2013 - Time Warp (2013-03-18 08:04)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/Rtkdo7bOmJc?rel=0

due to various reasons, some technical, some not-so-technical, it’s been a couple of weeks since I last wrote ajournal entry.

so this one will be a bit of a quick recap and catch-up!

march 6th and 8th

the usual wednesday row, thursday rest and friday treadmill jog...

[2]

march 10th

I had the usual rest day on the saturday, then hit the local streets for a 13km jog on the sunday morning...all went reasonably well. Cardio system all fine, had plenty of puff. Ran out of legs literally in the last coupleof kilometres,

All ”issues” related to mechanical (joints and bone jangling) and fuel (no energy left in my legs).

[3]

march 12th

I slept right through to 4:30 on monday 11th, my body obviously needing the rest.

I therefore did the usual monday gym session on tuesday 12th (see below).

Subesequently I felt as though a cod or something was lurking in the background, and wound up sleepingthrough again on wednesday and thursday mornings.

311

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http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gym_mar_05_2013.jpg

http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gym_mar_03_2013.jpg

[4]

march 15th

friday’s treadmill session more or less confirmed that I was not 100 %. I was able to jog at 8km/h for about2km, after that it was 500m/500m jog/walk intervals.

[5]

march 17th

after saturday’s rest day, things felt much better on sunday morning. this week’s long run was 16km (10miles), and when I mapped it out online it started to look a bit daunting!

in the end, it was a very similar experience to the previous week’s run. it generally went well, withthe last couple of kilometres highlighting mechanical and fuel issues. Once again, I had plenty of ”puff”, soI am very confident now that I am fit enough for the marathon, and that completing it will come down topreparation and physical/mental endurance on the day.

It’s also dawning on me that while 8km/h is a pace I can hold for shorter distances - these long dis-tance jogs generally end up being more like 7km/h, or just under!

I’m happy with that - as long as I finish the full 42.2km course, I’ll be happy. I can work on improv-ing times later!

[6]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/Rtkdo7bOmJc?rel=0

2. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gym_06_and_08_mar_2013.jpg

3. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/run-mar-10-2013.png



6. http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/run-mar-17-2013.png

18 Mar 2013 - Awaken (2013-03-18 08:31)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/X4kKSR8tJWI?rel=0

well, despite not being so badly shattered by the long run yesterday, I still managed to sleep through until4:30am. Actually I did wake about 1am, but figured that was a tad early for the gym, even for me!

a 3km riverside walk reminded me that my legs had taken a battering yeserday, but overall feeling prettygood.

summary


312

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http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gym_06_and_08_mar_2013.jpg

http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/run-mar-10-2013.png



http://nmmfg.sc11.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/run-mar-17-2013.png


journal

04:30 - bowl cereal, 2 slices toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:00 - 3km riverside walk06:30 - few nuts & dried cranberries08:30 - black coffee09:30 - dates, walnuts, almonds12:30 - lunchtime walk, chicken roll with lettuce, tomato & cheese14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - steak, veggies, wedges21:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/X4kKSR8tJWI?rel=0

20 Mar 2013 - King of the Faeries (2013-03-19 11:06)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/L06lbxs5xGw?rel=0

up nice and early again today - have decided that Monday will now count as the Thursday rest day, socontinued with the usual Tuesday session today, with the long row tomorrow and the usual treadmill run onFriday.

increased the weights a little, chucked in some decent row times and even managed to ”plank” for a minute.Good session methinks!

summary


journal

02:30 - jatz cracker, glass water02:45 - gym (see below)04:45 - cheese omelette, 2 slices toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:00 - 3km riverside walk06:30 - few almonds & dates07:45 - black coffee09:30 - nuts, cranberries, banana12:00 - lunchtime walk, salt and pepper squid salad

313

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15:00 - bus, nap15:30 - cup of tea, hot cross bun18:00 - crispy noodle, chicken and ham frittata21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/L06lbxs5xGw?rel=0


21 Mar 2013 - The Mabon (2013-03-21 07:00)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/35yuhbx-BkE?rel=0

on a bit of a roll now - up at 2:30 again this morning, and started the day with a nice relaxing 10km row...

a rest day would have been nice, so guess I just have to make sure I don’t sleep through next Monday!

summary


journal

02:30 - jatz cracker, glass water02:45 - gym (see below)04:45 - bowl cereal, 2 slices toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee, few dates09:30 - morning walk, banana, few nuts13:00 - lunchtime walk, pulled pork, apple, celery and walnut wrap15:30 - piece of toast18:00 - chicken curry & rice22:15 - glass milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/35yuhbx-BkE?rel=0


314

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http://www.youtube.com/embed/35yuhbx-BkE?rel=0


26 Mar 2013 - Catch Me If You Can (2013-03-26 07:55)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/Y2WeanOO-Wk?rel=0

bit of a catch-up post this one - to bring details of exercise up to date..

Friday 22nd - 6.5km jog on the local streets rather than on the treadmill. Time 53 minutes.

Saturday 23rd - rest day

Sunday 24th - The usual Sunday long run - 13.01km in 1:43:59 - almost 9 minutes faster than the lasttime I did that distance.

Monday 25th - woke up too late to go to the gym, so it became a rest day. as per last week, Thurs-day will not be a rest day.

Which brings us up to today - I woke up, looked across to the clock, and saw it was about 2:50am. Ijumped out of bed and quickly got ready for the gym. With the upper body and rowing session, I really needto get to the gym before 3, giving myself plenty of time for recovery between sets and still be early enough toget the first bus into Perth.

When I got to the kitchen, I saw the time on the microwave clock - it was just after 1am. The bed-room clock must have said 12:50 and the ”1” must have been obscured!

Ah well, I was up and ready to go now, so I headed down the gym at the ridiculously early time of”not long after 1 in the morning”.

summary

Time got up (today): 00:50 (accidentally - see above)Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 5

journal

01:00 - jatz cracker, glass water01:15 - gym (see below)04:15 - ham & cheese omelette, 2 slices toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee, few dates & nuts09:30 - few nuts & seeds12:30 - asian combo & rice14:00 - few dates14:20 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of tea18:00 - sausages, mash, spinach21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

315

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/Y2WeanOO-Wk?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gym_26_mar_2013.jpg

27 Mar 2013 - Ceridwen and Taliesin (2013-03-27 11:25)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/uOsPqOZvFq8?rel=0

after the getting-up-at-1-am cock-up yesterday, I enjoyed a full night’s sleep from 9pm through to just gone3am. sprang out of bed fully refreshed and hit the gym for a bit of leg work.

summary


journal

03:15 - jatz cracker, glass water03:30 - gym (see below)04:45 - 2 eggs, bacon, small bread roll, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee09:30 - morning walk, yoghurt, banana, nuts & dried fruit12:30 - lunchtime walk, hainanese steamed chicken & rice14:00 - nuts & dried fruit14:20 - bus, nap15:30 - cup of tea18:00 - meatballs & wholemeal pasta

316

http://www.youtube.com/embed/Y2WeanOO-Wk?rel=0

http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gym_26_mar_2013.jpg


gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/uOsPqOZvFq8?rel=0


28 Mar 2013 - Forever Autumn (2013-03-28 10:25)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/hsCdlX-5UjE?rel=0

nice early start again today, so it was back down the gym for a 10km row. not the fastest 10km ever, coulddefinitely still feel the effect of yesterday’s ”legs” session.

still, 10km rowed is still 10km rowed, and it helped loosen up some residual stiffness from the past few daysor so.

summary


journal

02:30 - jatz cracker, glass water02:45 - gym (see below)04:15 - cheese & mushroom omelette, 2 pieces toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee

317

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09:30 - morning walk, yoghurt, banana, nuts & dried fruit10:30 - Easter / staff leaving morning tea (cup of green tea, cake)12:30 - banana, nuts & dates18:00 - meatballs & pasta21:00 - milk, bed

gym

[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/hsCdlX-5UjE?rel=0


2.4 April

03 Apr 2013 - Bobcaygeon (2013-04-03 07:07)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/ qxGYnZCeTY?rel=0

well that week whizzed past, mostly thanks to the Easter long weekend...

so a quick recap of Good Friday (march 29th) through to yesterday (april 2nd) is:

mar 29 - 6.47km run - 46:07mar 30 - rest daymar 31 - 20.47km run - 3:00:40apr 01 - restapr 02 - rest (woke up too late for the gym - still feeling the effects of the run a little)

the run on Sunday was the longest so far, and I definitely needed the rest day on Monday - had I wo-ken up in time it would have been a lighter session at the gym I think. As it was, my body decided it neededthe rest.

very happy with sunday’s run - just 1.5km short of a half marathon distance, though I did end up do-ing walk/jog intervals for the last km or so.

woke up this morning at 2am, raring to go, so I decided to go with the usual session for a Wednesday- a long row. with just over 2 hours available, it had to be a half marathon :-)

318

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summary

Time got up (today): 02:00Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 4 (a little tired)Night 5

journal

02:00 - jatz cracker, glass water02:15 - gym (see below)04:30 - bowl cereal, slice toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee09:00 - morning walk. banana, yoghurt, handful of dates, nuts & dried fruit10:30 - green tea12:00 - lunchtime walk. 2 rice paper rolls (tofu & salad). squid salad.14:00 - few nuts & dates14:20 - bus, nap15:30 - cup of tea, hot cross bun18:00 - chicken curry & rice21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

21.1km row - 1:48:08Stretch

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/_qxGYnZCeTY?rel=0

04 Apr 2013 - no rest (2013-04-04 08:51)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/3iUHfAChgBA?rel=0

rest day today, and whether you judge it by the fact I woke up at 5:20am, or the aching of my legs fromyesterday’s half marathon row - either way it is most welcome!

summary


journal

05:20 - 2 slices toast, orange juice05:55 - bus, nap

319

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06:45 - black coffee, few dates & nuts09:30 - morning walk, banana, yoghurt, nuts & dried fruit13:00 - lunchtime walk, 2 rice paper rolls (duck & salad), seaweed salad14:00 - few nuts & dates14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - chicken, broccolli, carrots, cheese sauce20:00 - cup of tea21:00 - milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/3iUHfAChgBA?rel=0

05 Apr 2013 - shoot the runner (2013-04-05 08:33)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/lqpnz5EGcfY?rel=0

my friday morning run takes just under an hour (including post-run stretching), so I don’t need to get upquite so early as when I hit the gym...

unfortunately, nobody told my body clock this fact, so just after 2:15am I was wide awake. I took mytime getting ready, but hit the streets around 2:45. after that I had breakfast and wished there was an earlierbus into the city.

summary


journal

02:15 - jatz cracker, glass water02:45 - run (see below)04:15 - 2 eggs, bacon, 2 slices toast, orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee09:30 - morning walk, banana, dates, nuts12:30 - lunchtime walk, hainanese chicken & steamed rice14:30 - to the pub, watch perth glory in elimination finals, few beers etc.22:00 - post-match dinner (steak, mash, veg or salad?)midnight-ish? glass milk, bed

run

6.1km run - 44m 58sstretch

320

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[2]

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/lqpnz5EGcfY?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/run_05_apr_2013.png

08 Apr 2013 - shifting gears (2013-04-08 10:46)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/A3VNOcjFVSQ?rel=0

so, a quick recap of the weekend...

saturday - rest daysunday - 16.03km in 2:19:11monday - rest day

I made today a rest day for two main reasons - firstly I slept until 4:30am, secondly I had decided toshift things around a little as I need to do my long runs on Saturdays for the next few weeks.

in general terms I’m also switching to the [2]full training program so the focus shifts to running withsome rowing thrown in for cross-training.

the reason for doing this is that I want a solid body of distance and experience built up for when I dothe full marathon in june.

I feel now is the right time to switch as my body has got used to running and I’ve hit the halfway point ofthe training program. With just 10 weeks to go before the big day, I really feel that I need those kms undermy belt.

As mentioned above, the crosstraining (CT) days will take the form of rowing down at the gym.

summary

321

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http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/run_05_apr_2013.png

Time got up (today): 04:30Mood (1 to 5):Morning 5Lunch 5Night 3 (tired and feeling a little unwell)

journal

04:30 - bowl cereal, 2 slices toast05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee09:30 - morning walk, dates, nuts, cranberries12:30 - lunchtime walk, roll with chicken, lettuce, tomato & cheese14:00 - few nuts & dates14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - wholemeal pasta bolognese21:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/A3VNOcjFVSQ?rel=0

2. http://running.about.com/od/marathonprograms/a/marathonbeg.htm

09 Apr 2013 - burn in hell (2013-04-09 12:06)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/8E-tCigMeD0?rel=0

still have a bit of an upset stomach, but I went for a run anyway - can’t afford to slip back on the schedule...

summary


journal

03:00 - few rice crackers and glass water05:00 - short run (see below)07:00 - cheese omelette, 2 pieces bread, orange juice08:00 - nap11:00 - coffee, short walk to ease leg muscles12:30 - corned beef and cold sausages16:00- cup of tea18:00 - dinner20:30 - glass milk, bed

322

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http://running.about.com/od/marathonprograms/a/marathonbeg.htm

short run

short walk to warm up6.54km run - 48:01 (almost 8.2 km/h)stretch

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/8E-tCigMeD0?rel=0

18 Apr 2013 - little bones (2013-04-18 09:35)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/-3bwDb2piZs?rel=0

so stomach upsets, working on the garden renovation and other everyday things have meant that this journalhas been badly neglected. The marathon training has continued though, and here’s a quick catch up of whathas been done in the past week and a half...

in addition to the running and rowing - april 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th involved LOTS of graft inthe front garden and back yard. clearing rubbish, digging beds and preparing for a new lawn to be laid!

wed apr 10th - 10km row - 53:33

thu apr 11th - 6.65km run - 48:01

fri apr 12th - 10km row - 54:07

sat apr 13th - 24.52km run - 3:49:58

sun apr 14th - 4.63km run - 41:24

mon apr 15th - rest

tue apr 16th - 8.14km run - 1:05:49

wed apr 17th - 10km row - 57:16

thu apr 18th - 8.13km run - 1:10:50

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/-3bwDb2piZs?rel=0

24 Apr 2013 - not nineteen forever (2013-04-24 08:29)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/YC8FET-EGVM?rel=0

while the neglect of this journal continues, please be assured that marathon training is most definitely notbeing neglected!

323

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I hav been feeling the effects of working on the garden last week though - aches, pains, fighting tostop a cold form developing fully - the worst of all has been my left knee.

spending so much time kneeling, bending and lifting - as well as the running and rowing - has ag-gravated the knee, requiring a compression sleeve, anti-inflammatory tablets and resting it as much aspossible. and that doesn’t necessarily mean sitting - believe it or not, when it’s like this, sitting in the normalposition (lower leg upright, thighs horizontal) can be quite painful with a throbbing and aching knee!

the rest day on monday helped, then last night (tuesday) I felt particularly tired, achey and com-pletely over the knee throbbing. an early night, a couple of ibuprofen and an unscheduled lie-in seem to havemade things 1000 % better.

the downside is that I woke up too late to go to the gym for a 10km row - but that might be ablessing in disguise, leaving me stronger for the 8km run tomorrow.

so a quick catch up on training:

fri apr 19th - rest day

sat apr 20th - 16.14km run - 2:32:02

sun apr 21st - 4.66km run - 44:51

mon apr 22nd - rest day

tue apr 23rd - 6.65km run - 49:31

wed apr 24th - rest

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/YC8FET-EGVM?rel=0

26 Apr 2013 - champ20ns (2013-04-26 09:09)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/ljTHfJ hOZU?rel=0

some good stuff on the knee front - I wore a compression sleeve thingy during yesterday’s run, then post-runapplied a cooling gel, continued to wear the compression sleeve, and popped a couple of anti-inflammatories.net result = knee all good.

so the lesson learned is that a bit of care should go a long way - now to see how things pan out fortomorrow’s long run!

thu apr 25th - 8.18km run - 1:00:14

fri apr 26th - rest

324

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1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/ljTHfJ_hOZU?rel=0

29 Apr 2013 - #tears4piers (2013-04-29 10:52)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/gdBpx56HgT8?rel=0

had a fairly decent weekend - putting in a 25.7km run on Saturday in 4:11:28. The final 2.7km was walkedthough - at the 23km mark, my legs, back, shoulders and hips simply went on strike!

with the remainder of saturday taken up with a wedding and reception (with accompanying food, wine, beerand late night), sunday became a rest day (with a late start and fair bit of daytime napping) and mondaythe ”active recovery” day...

monday. aka ”today”...

got up about 2:30am, giving me loads of time to water the new turf back and front, watch the matchI’d recorded Sunday night (United away to Arsenal) and slip in the 3 miles(ish) gentle recovery run.

felt pretty good, though qute tired again by the time I got on the bus.

today is also the first day of ”lite n easy” breakfast & lunch (only on weekdays), so a bot of variety tolook forward to.

02:30 - glass of milk03:30 - 4.97km run - 46:0905:00 - small bowl berry wheat bites (mini weetbix), 2 pieces oat and wholegrain toast & marmalade, glassorange juice05:25 - bus, nap09:00 - fruit cup (diced peach and pear), black coffee11:00 - asian chicken salad, macadamia & tropical fruit mix13:30 - cicken noodle soup and wholemeal roll14:20 - bus, nap18:00 - chicken tenders, smashed potato, cauliflower, green beans, low fat cheese sauce.21:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/gdBpx56HgT8?rel=0

30 Apr 2013 - parisienne walkways (2013-04-30 07:31)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/5-j5vCJKM-4?rel=0

can’t believe it’s the last day of april already - this year is cruising along at an astonishing pace!

325

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http://www.youtube.com/embed/gdBpx56HgT8?rel=0

unlike me this morning when it was time to get up. very snuggly and warm under that duvet, and there wasa slight temptation to declare today a rest day (this weekend’s long run is on sunday, so it sort of creates anextra day).

but no, I got up like a good boy, and resolved to slip in an extra easy row on the extra day (Friday).

the run itself went well, holding a very good pace (just over 7 minutes per km) over the first 4km - the last2.5km (ish) was slower, especially the very last 1km. took the dog out for a stroll around the block afterwardsas part of the warm down.

as I type this, the thigh muscles are aching a bit, and the left knee is throbbing a little - should haveapplied some cooling gel. probably be a good idea to take some anti-inflammatories and nip it in the bud.

lite ’n’ easy brekkie and lunch worked well yesterday - had a great variety, and despite breakfast beingsmaller (especially the cereal) I had plenty to eat. hopefully start to see the weight start to reduce again soon(though that wasn’t the primary reason for switching).

the half marathon is now less than 3 weeks away - shouldn’t be a problem finishing it, after all I’m doinglonger distances on trianing runs at the moment. the big one in June will be the real test...

03:00 - glass water, jatz cracker03:15 - 6.63km run - 49:2404:30 - small bowl fruit & bran flakes, vanilla yoghurt, 1 piece oat and wholegrain toast & honey, glass orangejuice, cup coffee05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee09:00 - fruit cup (pear)10:45 - ciabatta with tomato bruschetta11:00 - thai beef salad, fruit salad fruit cup, banana & date muffin13:00 - peri-peri chicken (chicken, rice, carrot, green beans, kidney beans)14:20 - bus, nap21:00 - chicken, bean soup, cake, fruit & nuts22:30 - milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/5-j5vCJKM-4?rel=0

2.5 May

01 May 2013 - The Internationale (2013-05-01 08:09)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/a4TBYAa1GJQ?rel=0

Wow, 1st of May. Labour Day for many (though not here in Western Australia, we had that a couple ofmonths ago...)

Now here’s a funny thing - yesterday I was talking about having an ”extra” day in the schedule this

326

http://www.youtube.com/embed/5-j5vCJKM-4?rel=0

week. Well, with a relatively late night I didn’t wake until about 4:30 this morning. So the ”extra” daydecided it wanted to be a rest day after all...

04:30 - 2 slices toast, ham, cheese, tomato05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee, small piece chocolate cake (might have stuffed up here - this may be part of tomorrow’smeals - ah well...)09:00 - green apple, cup of green tea11:30 - corn chips and tomato salsa dip, soy chicken and salad wrap, peaches and raspberry sauce, apricotalmond bar13:00 - Mexican Chicken Stack14:20 - bus, nap18:30 - Fresh crab, bread, coleslaw, potato salad21:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/a4TBYAa1GJQ?rel=0

02 May 2013 - Beautiful Life (2013-05-02 09:48)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/TpZdLOyXUAQ?rel=0

Back to winning ways - up at 2:30am and headed to the gym for a 10km row!

Even better, at the gym I jumped on the scales and found that my weight hasn’t got out of controlwhile I’ve been ignoring it. 123.6kg - which is actually lighter than the last time I checked.

Just need to get the balance right between dietary intake, exercise and not letting things slip away when thefocus is on specifics (like the marathon).

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again - I am not obsessed with the numbers on the scale, however Ido still have an overall goal in mind of breaking down through the 100kg mark.

In terms of the row - not the fastest 10km I’ve ever done, but a decent cross-training session before hittingthe streets again tomorrow and Sunday.

02:30 - jatz cracker, glass water03:00 - 5 mins bike warmup, 10km row (47:32), stretching04:15 - 2 slices toast, tomato, 2 eggs, bacon, glass orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee, choc and oat bar10:30 - orange, cup of green tea11:30 - chicken & broccoli pasta bake, spinach ricotta cake, apple & banana bread, red apple13:00 - popcorn, small multigrain roll with cheese14:20 - bus, nap15:30 - black coffee, small slice of kidney bean chocolate cake (you’ve got to try it to believe it!)18:00 - meatballs, pasta22:00 - glass milk, bed

327

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1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/TpZdLOyXUAQ?rel=0

03 May 2013 - Raining Blood (2013-05-03 07:42)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/t2htZJDY4 c?rel=0

I so so badly wanted to roll over and go back to sleep this morning, but a little voice inside me was nagging,reminding me that I was supposed to do an 8km run. So I got up sluggishly, put on shorts, t-shirt andrunning shoes and headed outside. Luckily it had stopped raining!

The run itself wasn’t bad, just over the hour mark for an 8.3km total distance. I laughed to myselfwhen the RunKeeper app sent me a motivational email, congratulating me on a new personal record for”fastest pace this month”. Today’s run is the first I’ve done this month!

03:30 - jatz cracker, glass water03:45 - 8.3km run - 1:02:3205:00 - nut cluster crunch, 2 slices toast & vegemite, glass orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee, dried apricots, 2 small muesli cookies09:00 - cheese & crackers10:00 - green tea & kiwi fruit11:00 - beefburger in multigrain bun with tomato, beetroot and tomato sauce13:00 - roast chicken linguine14:00 - popcorn19:00 - japanese night - sushi, sukiyaki, sake, asahi beer01:00 - water, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/t2htZJDY4_c?rel=0

07 May 2013 - Nymphetamine (2013-05-07 10:16)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/6dW6aNAZGTM?rel=0

Busy weekend, then a day off sick on Monday (yesterday) = more blog neglect. So to quickly recap...

Saturday was a rest (non-training) day, Sunday was long run day (19.48km in 2:45:13), Monday wasspent mostly in bed sleeping due to coughing, sneezing and aches all over.

Actually, to go back to that long run... I set out at a deliberately slow pace but the average time perkm started to reduce steadily once I had fully warmed up around the 3km mark. In the end the overallaverage was just under 8:30 per km, but several 1km splits were sub-8 minutes, and number 14 was 6:40(must have been downhill).

That average pace would produce a half marathon time of just under 3 hours - so here’s hoping I canreplicate that on May 19th.

328

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But it wasn’t just the pace that gave me cause to celebrate - for large chunks of the route I felt com-fortable and even (dare I say it) enjoyed it.

Hopefully it will continue...

So, back to today:

03:45 - jatz cracker, glass water04:00 - 4.9km active recovery run - 46:3005:00 - toasted almond muesli, 2 pieces wholegrain toast, tomato, cheese, ham, glass orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee, kiwi fruit, cheese & chive crackers09:00 - crunchy noodle snack10:15 - green tea11:30 - roast chicken linguine12:30 - manadarin13:30 - citrus, sultana & oat cookie14:20 - train, bus, no nap :-(15:30 - cup of coffee, bread and vegemite18:00 - turkey rissotto, cup of tea21:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/6dW6aNAZGTM?rel=0

08 May 2013 - Metal Storm (2013-05-08 07:52)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/93ATlvVV1w4?rel=0

Some time ago, I wrote about how odd it was that I willingly went outside with the intent of running (well,walking with a bit of running thrown in). Today it went to a whole new level...

As I lay in my warm, cosy bed, the bedside clock showing 2:52am, I could hear the rain lashing downon the metal roof. I could see glimpes of the street lights as the vertical blinds swayed with the gusts if windthat were hitting the front of the house.

So it was a little odd that all I wanted to do was get up, put on running gear and head outside!

Fortunately the wind and rain eased off by the time I headed outside - it was more like running in heavydrizzle rather than running in a storm. It brought back memories of running the school cross-country coursein Winter - only this time I was enjoying it? Holy crap...

Where will this madness end? :-)

(oops, just realised this morning’s run was supposed to be 6.5km - so it must have been a brain fartthat made me plot a route of 5km...)

02:55 - jatz cracker, glass water03:00 - 5.18km run - 37:3404:00 - 2 slices wholemeal toast, baked beans with bacon bits, cheese

329

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05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee, peach fruit cup08:00 - potato chips09:00 - passion fruit yoghurt11:30 - wholemeal roll, chicken burger, mayo, tomato. Orange12:30 - Green tea13:00 - beef satay, veg, rice14:15 - bus, nap15:45 - coffee18:00 - beef curry, brown rice21:00 - milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/93ATlvVV1w4?rel=0

09 May 2013 - Happy Birthday (2013-05-09 10:53)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/YCD0S5xyCiM?rel=0

the first thought that entered my head this morning was ”oh shit, not enough time for the gym”. then Irealised that I was heading in later than usual today, so I could be at home to see my son open pressies forhis 4th birthday. phew!

the row itself was ”leisurely”, but eased the twinges and stiffness that had set in after yesterday’s run.thoroughly enjoyed it, and there was a bonus cherry on top as well, which was...

before doing any exercise, I stepped on the scales and weighed in at 600g less than last week. So I think theswitch to Lite n Easy for weekday brekkie and lunch is doing its job.

a work colleague actually commented this morning that I looked particularly ”chipper”. I think that’sdown to a good morning at the gym, and the joy of seeing a 4 year old getting incredibly excited about hisbirthday!

03:55 - jatz cracker, glass water04:15 - 10km row - 53:4705:30 - bacon, cheese & tomato omelette, 2 pieces wholemeal toast & apricot jam. orange juice07:10 - bus, nap08:00 - black coffee09:00 - orange10:15 - choc & cranberry trail mix11:30 - fruit salad fruit cup12:30 - shepherd’s pie, corn & parmesan muffin13:30 - green tea, raspberry apple crumble15:15 - bus, nap18:00 - kian’s birthday dinner - chicken burrito, beef taco, chicken mole, red wine, birthday cake21:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/YCD0S5xyCiM?rel=0

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10 May 2013 - Goodbye Sir Alex Ferguson (2013-05-10 10:04)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/ikoLWI0cWZc?rel=0

this morning’s run would definitely be described by the ”top gear” crew as ”a wet lap”. I could hear heavyrain before I got up, it had stopped by the time I went outside. About 1km in, I found the light showerrefreshing.

during the final half of the run, I got absolutely drenched. heavy rains returned, and the wind kindlyassisted in driving the raindrops into me. from the side.

and i didn’t even care; i thoroughly enjoyed it.

03:00 - jatz cracker, glass water03:15 - 8.61km run - 1:08:1304:45 - berry wheat bites. bacon, egg & tomato wrap. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:30 - black coffee08:00 - orange. almonds, pretzels & peanuts10:00 - cinnamon oat bar, green tea11:00 - cheesey chicken macaroni bake, banana & date muffin, red apple12:00 - chicken spaghetti21:00 - cheese, crackers, cake23:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/ikoLWI0cWZc?rel=0

14 May 2013 - Ohio (2013-05-14 09:25)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/82CYNj7noic?rel=0

really happy this morning - after a disappointing few days, I actually went for a run!

Sunday was supposed to be the day for a 29km run into Fremantle, with a rest day Monday and re-covery run today. Unfortunately a stomach bug decided to work its way through our household, resulting inme throwing up throughout Saturday night, spending a day in bed on Sunday, and only doing a half day atthe office yesterday.

I was really annoyed, and also surprised to find how disappointed I was that I couldn’t do the run! On theplus side, I felt much better this morning, and the forced break might even stand me in good stead for thehalf marathon this coming weekend.

While it’s not ideal for this to have happened 1 week before the Joondalup half-marathon, and 5 weeks beforethe Perth marathon, I’ve still got one really long run (32km) to go, and the training I’ve put in over the pastfew months should see me through.

03:45 - jatz cracker, glass water04:00 - 5.12km run - 36:00

331

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04:45 - 2 slices wholemeal toast, ham, tomato, creamy corn. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap08:30 - cheese & chive crackers09:45 - black coffee & chocolate cake10:45 - green tea & an orange11:45 - turkey, cranberry & walnut salad with ranch dressing. sweet pineapple bites.13:30 - pumpkin soup & multigrain roll14:45 - bus, nap16:00 - fruit bread & butter18:00 - turkey curry & brown rice21:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/82CYNj7noic?rel=0

15 May 2013 - Tubular Bells (2013-05-15 12:12)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/sSRJvq4Wd48?rel=0

ah ’tis me birthday today, so what better way to start the day than with an 8.68km run...

incidentally, today’s music choice is based on the fact that Mike Oldfield was born on May 15th 1953,and the original ”Tubular Bells” is one of my all-time favourite pieces of music.

birthday cake is a source of temptation today, it was easily dealt with. I simply ate some :-)

03:45 - jatz cracker, glass water04:00 - 8.68km run - 1:09:4605:30 - 2 slices ciabatta toast, spinach, bacon, 2 eggs, hollandaise sauce. orange juice06:30 - cup of coffee07:25 - bus, nap09:00 - black coffee10:45 - chocolate cake, fruit cup11:45 - peanuts & rice crackers12:30 - chicken dim-sims, veggies & canton sauce. an apple13:30 - muesli cookies15:00 - penne pesto pasta15:30 - apricot pudding16:30 - bus, nap18:30 - birthday dinner out - seekh kebab, goat curry, rice, naan bread. 1 beer. profiteroles (with a candle ontop)22:30 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/sSRJvq4Wd48?rel=0

16 May 2013 - Space Oddity (2013-05-16 12:34)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/KaOC9danxNo?rel=0

332

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bit of a slow start to the day after the birthday festivities of the night before - hit the gym feeling a little onthe bloated side, but overall not too bad.

did a gentle 10km row and felt a whole lot better afterwards. weight was the same as last week, so(allowing for the feast from the night before), I reckon things are tracking downwards still...

as for today’s music... this is the music video of the year in my opinion, so it had to make an appear-ance at some stage!

03:45 - jatz cracker, glass water04:00 - 10km row - 53:3204:30 - nut cluster crunch, fruit toast, fruits of the forest yoghurt. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:30 - black coffee08:00 - roasted almonds11:30 - chicken tenders, avocado & salad wrap. orange13:00 - kiwi fruit14:00 - indian chicken & rice. apple & banana bread. green tea14:45 - bus, nap16:00 - coffee18:00 - fresh crab & gnocchi21:30 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/KaOC9danxNo?rel=0

17 May 2013 - Eric’s Theme (2013-05-17 08:19)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/z9DCSw5xMIc?rel=0

while, realistically, it’s only part of the latter stages of training for the perth marathon, this morning’s runwas significant for a few reasons.

it’s the first time I’ve run 10km as one of my shorter runsalthough only a ”training run”, the time was very close to the 1:14:41 recorded at the [2]fremantle 10km funrunafter freo, I spent the day resting. whereas now it’s ”just” a morning run before workit’s the last training before I take part in my first ever half marathon!

03:45 - plain biscuit, glass water04:00 - 10.02km row - 1:16:0405:30 - almond & vanilla porridge, 2 muffins with poached egg, tomato & cheese. orange juice05:55 - bus, nap08:30 - black coffee. apple & cranberry fruit mix10:00 - rice crackers11:00 - orange12:30 - sesame beef noodles13:30 - apple crumble

333

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14:45 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of coffee19:30 - steak, blue cheese sauce, mash potato, chargrilled veggies. 1 pint beer. sticky date pudding & icecream. long macchiatto00:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/z9DCSw5xMIc?rel=0

2. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/my-first-time/

20 May 2013 - Only Teardrops (2013-05-20 10:12)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/rG-FoopCnDw?rel=0

when I went to bed last night, I decided that the time I woke up today would determine whether this was tobe a rest day, or an active recovery run day.

as it turned out, I had a good night’s sleep (on top of the whole afternoon of post-run sleep) and woke withjust enough time to get ready for work.

so a rest day it is - just as well really as I’m not sure my legs would appreciate a recovery run, no matter howgentle!

feeling really good after yesterday’s efforts, but now it’s time to put that behind me and focus on thefull marathon, which is now only 4 weeks away.

04:30 - baked beans & cheese on 2 slices wholemeal toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee. peanuts & rice crackers09:00 - fruit salad fruit cup10:00 - green tea. vanilla yoghurt11:30 - roast chicken tenders, salad, croutons. tropical crush (pineapple chunks & passion fruit)13:00 - tomato soup & multigrain roll14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of tea, cinnamon scroll18:00 - roast lamb, roast veggies, mash & gravy20:30 - cup of tea21:00 - bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/rG-FoopCnDw?rel=0

21 May 2013 - Waiting for the Sun (2013-05-21 07:20)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/A0kypyGSKsE?rel=0

334

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http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/my-first-time/

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after finding it quite uncomfortable to walk at times yesterday, I didn’t quite know what to expect thismorning.

The legs weren’t too bad when I got up, but the first few steps of the ”run” (more like a shuffling jog)made sure to remind me of how much work they’d been asked to do on Sunday!

All was well after the blood had been pumping around the muscles for a little while and I was able tomaintain a slow shuffling jog for the full distance. It felt quite good afterwards, though the soreness did creepback in after being on the bus for a while.

Still, it wasn’t so long ago that I would be wiped out for a whole weekend, just by kicking a ball withmy son for 30 minutes. So still being able to jog for 6km after a weekend that included a half marathon -well if that isn’t progress then I don’t know what is :-)

03:15 - biscuit. glass water03:30 - 6.81km run - 1:05:4004:45 - berry wheat bites. ciabbata roll with bacon, egg, tomato sauce. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee. choc & oat bar09:00 - spiced fruit cookie. orange11:30 - thai green chicken curry. kiwi fruit13:00 - sweet corn fritters & spicy tomato salsa14:00 - spinach & fetta muffin14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - slice toast. cup of tea18:00 - chicken, steamed veggies, cheese sauce21:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/A0kypyGSKsE?rel=0

22 May 2013 - Alcohol Is Free (2013-05-22 07:49)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/ AfrOZersNk?rel=0

really starting to love the way my body knows what it needs. today it needed a little more sleep, and mylegs needed a break from training. so it woke up late, leaving me no time for the gym.

it was honestly the very thing that is needed - my thighs in particular have been feeling the effects ofsunday’s run, and an unscheduled rest day actually fits the bill perfectly. especially with a 32km long runcoming up this weekend!

04:15 - muesli, 2 slices toast with apricot jam. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee. apple & cranberry fruit snack08:00 - red apple09:00 - roasted almonds11:00 - smokey bacon & tomato pasta. citrus sultana oat biscuit12:00 - fruit cup

335

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13:15 - aromatic chicken curry14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of tea, slice of bread18:00 - lasagne & salad21:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/_AfrOZersNk?rel=0

23 May 2013 - No Expectations (2013-05-23 08:33)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/1rIqBeMZAMc?rel=0

my right thigh still has a bit of a ”dead leg” feel, so I knew this morning’s run was going to be on the slowside. but that didn’t matter - in the end it was all about getting out there, letting the muscles warm up andease a little, and basically enjoying it!

90 minutes to do just under 11km - yeah, not breaking any records, but overall there’s no serious damageand I can now focus on plodding through 32km on Saturday morning.

Amazing to think that Saturday’s run will be the ”peak” of the training schedule, and things will ta-per down to the full marathon on Jun 16th.

Only goal in mind is to finish. Other than that, there really are ”no expectations”.

03:15 - cookie, glass water03:30 - 10.67km run - 1:30:5905:00 - honey muesli flakes, 1 slice toast with apricot jam. bacon & tomato omelette. orange juice06:25 - bus, nap08:30 - black coffee. dried apricots09:30 - orange11:00 - wholegrain roll with vegemite12:00 - chicken burger with tomato & mayo on ciabatta roll12:45 - pikelets with strawberry jam. green tea13:45 - red apple14:45 - rice pudding15:15 - bus, nap17:00 - slice toast18:30 - chicken kiev, chips & peas22:00 - milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/1rIqBeMZAMc?rel=0

27 May 2013 - Caravan of Love (2013-05-27 08:18)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z1 6ft9y5c?rel=0

336

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it’s been a few days since the last journal entry, so here’s a brief roundup of the weekend. it was an importantmilestone weekend in terms of the marathon training - this is the longest ”long run” I will do before themarathon in 3 weeks time. I am now entering the ”tapering” period, where the distances decrease, to allowmy body time to heal, recover and be as strong as possible for the main event.

with a good rest on Friday, I plotted a route for Saturday morning unlike any other to date. Ratherthan running a circuit, starting and finishing at home, I mapped out a 32km route to Fremantle, where theplan was to meet my wife and son for breakfast.

I set off just after 4:15am, paced myself nicely and found it mostly enjoyable until the 20km (or so) mark.From that point onwards, the route was very hilly, with the downhill sections taking as much out of me asthe uphill parts.

By the time I got to Marine Terrace in Freo, I was done. I had run 30km, and walked the last 2km.Breakfast went down very well indeed!

On the positive side, with the Perth Marathon being a relatively flat course, I remain confident of be-ing able to finish it. Yes, it’s an extra 10km, however... the taper period will help ensure that I am stronger,and that hilly 10km I ran on Saturday is easily equivalent (enery-wise) to well over 20km on the flat!

Saturday afternoon was spent resting.

I hit the streets again Sunday morning, for a slow recovery run. The first few dozen paces were farfrom comfortable, but movement got easier as my muscles warmed up, and I felt great by the end!

Monday (today) is a rest day - I woke up feeling refreshed and my legs are feeling stronger and lessbattered. So overall, it seems that things are coming together nicely...

Times:Saturday - 30.51km - 4:58:01 (phone battery ran out before the 32km mark)Sunday - 4.99km - 52:50 (very slow and easy recovery run)

04:15 - berry wheat bites. 2 slices toast with butter & marmalade. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:30 - Macadamia & tropical fruit mix07:30 - Fruit cup09:30 - black coffee. chocolate cake11:45 - asian chicken salad with crispy noodles & canton sauce13:30 - chicken noodle soup & linseed roll14:15 - bus, nap15:00 - cookie, cup of tea19:00 - Chinese takeaway, 2 glasses red wine22:00 - Glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z1__6ft9y5c?rel=0

337

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28 May 2013 - March of the Levellers (2013-05-28 08:11)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/dQX6DVG9N10?rel=0

oh my legs, my legs... they were a bit on the achy side when I woke up this morning, so I wasn’t expecting toset a personal best for the 6.5km (ish) run.

that said, the run followed a familiar pattern; a bit wince-inducing at the start, but thoroughly enjoy-able once I’d warmed up.

Feeling very tired this week - probably a lingering effect of the weekend run.

03:30 - Anzac biscuit, glass water03:45 - 6.69km run - 58:2705:00 - muesli. 2 slices toast with butter & honey. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee. vanilla yoghurt09:00 - diced pear fruit cup10:45 - ciabatta & tomato bruschetta11:30 - thai sweet chilli beef salad12:00 - fruit salad fruit cup13:30 - roast chicken linguine14:00 - banana date muffin14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of tea18:00 - homemade chicken nuggets, chips, peas21:30 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/dQX6DVG9N10?rel=0

29 May 2013 - 51st State (2013-05-29 08:33)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/4 r 68x1AQc?rel=0

looks like the mention of tiredness and aching legs yesterday was an indicator of how today was going to panout...

had a great sleep, woke up with just enough time to get to work. so no 10km row, but feeling betterfor it.

04:30 - 2 slices toast, ham, tomato, cheese. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee.08:00 - apricot & almond bar09:30 - green apple11:00 - corn chips & tomato salsa12:00 - asian chicken & salad wrap. peaches in raspberry sauce.13:30 - mexican chicken stack. citrus, sultana & oat cookie14:15 - bus, nap

338

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16:00 - cup of tea18:00 - corned beef, steamed veggies, white sauce21:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/4_r_68x1AQc?rel=0

30 May 2013 - here comes the war (2013-05-30 07:54)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/9AkD5Pi75-M?rel=0

woke up feeling refreshed after a solid night’s sleep, slipped on the running gear, headed out the door and 30seconds later got completely soaked!

still, it’s only water. the two hardest things about running in the rain at 4 in the morning are avoid-ing deep puddles and avoiding injury by slipping/sliding/twisting.

with a day of rest behind me, I managed a faster time than I did for the same route on Tuesday, andavoided the aforementioned hazards.

03:30 - biscuit, glass of water03:45 - 6.67km run - 50m 55s05:00 - 2 slices toast, tomato, bacon, 2 eggs. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee.09:30 - choc & oat bar10:30 - orange11:30 - wholegrain roll with cheese. red apple. banana & apple bread.12:30 - spinach & ricotta cake14:00 - chicken & broccoli pasta bake14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - slice toast18:00 - tacos with shredded chicken, cucumber & tomato salsa21:15 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/9AkD5Pi75-M?rel=0

31 May 2013 - species (2013-05-31 10:00)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/uQPyycKXtsE?rel=0

Gotta love a Friday that starts with a lie-in (in relative terms).

Legs and knees not to bad after yesterday’s run, so hopefully with a rest today, the 19/20km long runtomorrow will be without incident.

2 weeks to go...

339

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04:30 - almond crunch cereal. 2 slices toast, butter & vegemite. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee. dried apricots09:30 - cheese & crackers

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/uQPyycKXtsE?rel=0

2.6 June

04 Jun 2013 - O Fortuna (2013-06-04 07:04)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/xdMUlJF3Jek?rel=0

not sure what happened with Friday’s journal entry, and after that it was a long weekend here in WA, so thewhole journal thing went out the window!

The long run on Saturday was 20.4km and took 3 hours, 14 minutes and 4 seconds.

The recovery run on Sunday was 5km, completed in a leisurely 44 minutes and 28 seconds.

Monday was a rest day, though with the whole weekend given over to tidying up the garden and poolarea, it wasn’t much of a rest!

I’m now only 12 days away from taking part in my first marathon, so things are winding down. Theruns are getting shorter, so the mid-week runs are a little faster, and the rest time is slowly increasing.

Funny thing is, from my office I can see a large part of the Perth marathon course - so there’s a dailyreminder right in front of me of what I am signed up to do. It doesn’t look too bad from here - but I knowit’s going to hurt LOL.

03:00 - glass water, cookie03:15 - 4.58km run - 31:5404:00 - toasted almond muesli. 2 slices toast, butter & plum jam. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee. fruit salad fruit cup.08:30 - peanuts & rice crackers09:30 - citrus, sultana & oat biscuit11:00 - roast chicken & sweet potato with garden salad, feta cheese & french vinaigrette. apple & cranberrymuffin13:45 - perri-perri chicken & rice14:15 - bus, nap18:30 - beef curry, rice, papadums22:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/xdMUlJF3Jek?rel=0

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05 Jun 2013 - Battle For The Universe (2013-06-05 08:19)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/KWuErwub2wQ?rel=0

struggled to get out of the warm bed this morning, but did manage to drag myself down the gym for thescheduled ”20 minutes easy-moderate cross-training”.

20 minutes on the rowing machine, basically. legs were a bit sore from yesterday, but the row helped.

overriding theme of the day is tiredness - though in good news, I snuck below 122kg this morning, sothe Lite n Easy is doing its job of keeping me broadly on track with my eating.

03:45 - glass water, cookie04:00 - 20 minute row, 4,265m04:35 - mango yoghurt, 2 slices raisin toast butter. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee. crunchy noodle snack.08:30 - mandarin.11:00 - ciabatta roll with bacon, salad & mayo. walnut & date cake13:30 - aromatic chicken curry. peaches and raspberry sauce.14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of tea18:00 - roast chicken, vegetable bake21:30 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/KWuErwub2wQ?rel=0

06 Jun 2013 - Where Do The Children Play? (2013-06-06 08:02)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/C2rDp6FnbP0?rel=0

more justification for the ”no expectations” approach this morning, or rather more proof that having ”expec-tations” doesn’t tend to translate into reality.

I had a feeling that this morning’s run would be a strong one, a fast one, and a considerably betteraverage pace than that set on Tuesday.

Reality was, it was a reasonably strong run, but the first kilometer was a slow one and the average paceended up being a few seconds slower than Tuesday.

Luckily I wasn’t clinging onto the expectations, and overall I simply enjoyed the run in a slightly warmerconditions and just missing a shower of rain...

03:45 - glass water, cookie04:00 - 4.67km - 32:4604:45 - fruit & bran cereal, 2 slices toast & strawberry jam. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - black coffee. cranberries & cashew nuts.08:15 - cheese & chives crackers

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09:30 - red apple12:00 - southern bbq cjicken & wedges. chocolate cake13:30 - sweet corn fritters with tomato jam. orange14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of tea, piece of toast18:00 - pasta & meatballs20:45 - glass of milk, bed.

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/C2rDp6FnbP0?rel=0

07 Jun 2013 - This Light Between Us (2013-06-07 07:14)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/T8GHg9v5CeA?rel=0

enjoyed the lay-in this morning, and I’m sure my battered legs are going to appreciate having a break today.

almost cannot believe that I will be on the start line of my first full marathon in just 9 days from now (I’mwriting this at 7:12am, so the start is actually 9 days, 18 minutes from now)

will make every effort to enjoy the next week and a bit, and of course the event itself...

04:45 - berry wheat bites. cheese, ham and tomato omelette, slice of toast & honey. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - coffee. dried apricots09:00 - coffee. sultana tea cake11:15 - chicken, tomato & mayo wrap. mango yoghurt13:30 - beef & polenta bake. pear fruit cup.14:15 - bus, nap18:00 - dinner (can’t remember what - updating this on monday 10th june)22:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/T8GHg9v5CeA?rel=0

10 Jun 2013 - Patapan (2013-06-10 08:18)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/5lMCRYEDRW0?rel=0

up bright and early today for a pleasant recovery run - the thick fog lingering around the streets, and hoveringjust inches above my head, added an extra dimension of muted silence and ancient mystery. or somethinglike that - above all else, the air was damp and cool, the streets were silent, and the slow easy run was anabsolute joy.

left knee’s a bit sore now, but nothing that a bit of TLC (or as I call it, ibuprofen, cooling gel andcompression sleeve) can’t solve.

03:15 - glass of water. piece of dried mango.

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04:00 - 4.98km easy recovery run - 45:0205:00 - 2 slices toast, bacon, 2 eggs, tomato. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap07:00 - coffee. choc, hazelnut & fruit snack09:00 - vanilla pears in orange syrup11:30 - chicken, salad & avocado wrap. rice crackers with spicy tomato salsa13:30 - bolognaise baked potato. spicy fruit cookies.14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - cup coffee, slice herb bread & butter18:00 - stuffed capsicum19:00 - cup of tea21:00 - milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/5lMCRYEDRW0?rel=0

11 Jun 2013 - the final countdown (2013-06-11 08:32)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/9jK-NcRmVcw?rel=0

ah come on, you just knew that this song would feature at some point this week, right?

rest day today - sort of feeling a bit like a slacker. there’s a marathon in just 5 days and I’m doingvery little!

still, I’m sure the effort required on Sunday will more than make up for it.

04:30 - creamy almond & vanilla oats with strawberry compte. 2 pieces toast & apricot jam05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee08:30 - coffee. roasted almonds.09:30 - red apple10:30 - vanilla yoghurt11:30 - hokkien stiry-fry noodles. sultana tea cake.13:30 - creamy chicken & potato pie. banana & apple bread.14:15 - bus, nap15:30 - cup of tea, piece of toast18:00 - pork rissoles, veggie bake. rice pudding21:00 - few nibbles0:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/9jK-NcRmVcw?rel=0

12 Jun 2013 - closer (2013-06-12 09:28)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/lkGhDHP093M?rel=0

getting closer and closer. staying relatively calm about it all, but hard to completely stop the anticipationbuilding...

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did my final run this morning - short row tomorrow, rest Friday, another short row Saturday and thenit will be time to put all this preparation to good use!

I tried out a water bottle belt this morning - it was a little uncomfortable and ended in disaster forthe water bottle cap. The bottle fell out and the cap got cracked.

So I’ll be carrying my bottle of home-made sports drink in my hand as per usual. I’ve carried it 32km before,so I’m sure it’ll be fine for 42km.

04:00 - 3.17km run - 21:5204:30 - cheesy bacon & tomato omelette05:55 - bus, nap06:45 - black coffee10:00 - black coffee. pikelets & strawberry jam11:00 - feta & spinach muffin12:00 - cheese & crackers.12:15 - indian chicken rice. citrus, sultana & oat biscuit15:15 - bus, nap17:00 - cup of tea18:00 - meatballs & wedges. slice lemon cake. cup of tea21:00 - cup of milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/lkGhDHP093M?rel=0

13 Jun 2013 - three days (2013-06-13 07:57)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/mySAZ3jqVcg?rel=0

yup. three days.

up nice and early today, put in a nice easy-to-moderate 20 minute row. got the blood pumping through theaching leg muscles.

overall I’m feeling relatively strong - the knee is aching a little after yesterday’s run, but with a restday tomorrow and one more low impact row on saturday, physically everything should be as good as it canbe.

mentally I’m good too - not worried, not stressing, looking forward to the experience. the only issueis that I’m finding it hard to focus on anything other than the marathon. I probably shouldn’t be surprisedby that though!

03:15 - few corn chips, glass water03:30 - 20 minute row - 4.602km04:30 - 2 slices toast with baked beans & cheese. orange juice.05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee09:30 - black coffee. fruit cup. yoghurt

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11:30 - chicken spaghetti. raisin toast with butter12:30 - green apple13:40 - broccoli & chicken pasta bake14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of tea18:00 - nachos22:00 - glass milk,bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/mySAZ3jqVcg?rel=0

14 Jun 2013 - time (2013-06-14 10:28)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/xYxY P8Vn3k?rel=0

feeling like a complete and utter slackarse now. another rest day. with the exercise sessions being so shortthis week, I’m not even sure what I am resting from!

but in reality I do know what I am doing this for - fully understand that this is a week for my bodyto recover and get as strong (and stocked up on fuel) as possible.

two days...

04:30 - muffin, 2 slices ham, 2 eggs. orange juice.05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee08:00 - choc, hazelnut and fruit mix. green apple11:00 - chicken mexican stack11:30 - chocolate cake12:30 - red apple13:45 - bus, nap14:45 - pumpkin soup, 2 pieces ciabbata bread, slice lemon cake, yoghurt18:00 - fish, handcut wedges & sweetcorn20:00 - cup of tea. piece of cake22:30 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/xYxY_P8Vn3k?rel=0

15 Jun 2013 - one more day (2013-06-15 07:45)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/IddP8AAIGTQ?rel=0

it feels a bit like christmas eve - in fact, earlier this morning, I even referred to today as ”marathon eve”...there’s excitement and anticipation building, even though I know that one of the ”presents” I will receivetomorrow is several hours of arduous torture...

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a very easy 20 minute row was followed by a gentle 1km stroll. I plan to take a very gentle, easy ap-proach to the whole day and keep toes, knees, shins and thighs fresh and fully intact...

05:30 - few corn chips, glass water06:00 - 20 minute row - 3.657km. 1 km stroll, approx 12 minutes07:00 - 2 rashers bacon, cheese omelette, 2 slices toast. orange juice09:30 - bowl cereal, cup of coffee12:00 - warm chicken & lemon pasta salad. cup of coffee15:00 - cup of coffee. slice of lemon cake18:00 - chicken & pesto pasta19:30 - hot chocolate

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/IddP8AAIGTQ?rel=0

16 Jun 2013 - ready, set, go! (2013-06-16 05:00)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/U42cm7pi-G4?rel=0

if you read this on Sunday, 16th June 2013, then be assured, this post was written and scheduled last night.

intended schedule for today:

05:00 - porridge, bagel with peanut butter. orange juice07:30 - 42.2km run - anywhere between 5:45 and 6:45

this is it folks, the big ”M”

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/U42cm7pi-G4?rel=0

18 Jun 2013 - alive (2013-06-18 10:51)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/qM0zINtulhM?rel=0

I took a break from blogging for a couple of days, hope you don’t mind. I was a little busy on Sunday, andyesterday (Monday) I had no energy to think, let alone type!

Today’s track is chosen for the double meaning of the title. I am still alive as opposed to having a cardiacattempting the marathon, and I also feel very much alive.

The achievement is still being processed, but the running habit is here for the ”long run” (see what Idid there? brilliant wasn’t it?)

Today I got back to a bit of normality. Active recovery run this morning, and back to work.

03:30 - glass water03:45 - 5.01km run, 49:28

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04:45 - berry wheat bites, muffin, ham, tomato, cheese. orange juice.05:55 - bus, nap06:45 - coffee. fruit cup10:15 - yoghurt, dried fruit & nuts11:30 - salad, meatball & cucumber raita wrap12:30 - tomato soup, ciabatta bread. chocolate cake.14:00 - orange14:45 - bus, nap16:00 - bread & peanut butter18:00 - lasagne. rice pudding21:30 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/qM0zINtulhM?rel=0

19 Jun 2013 - the day I let go (2013-06-19 06:16)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/geYHQeV4jIg?rel=0

yesterday started off well, but by 11am I was feeling it. tired, flat, completely drained of energy. my moodwasn’t so good either.

all the advice is that post-marathon to do what you can do, and not to push things. so today was de-clared a rest day, without hesitation!

03:45 - 2 slices toast, 2 eggs, ham, orange juice04:50 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee08:15 - coffee. cashews & cranberries. green apple10:30 - beef & polenta bake. fruit cup.13:00 - roast chicken linguine. corn & parmesan muffin13:45 - bus, nap15:00 - 2 hour nap18:00 - tacos. piece of banana cake20:00 - cup of tea21:30 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/geYHQeV4jIg?rel=0

20 Jun 2013 - unstoppable (2013-06-20 07:28)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/3aYiiGd3PZc?rel=0

the post-marathon tiredness caught me by surprise, so this week I’ve been taking things even easier than Iimagined I would. been spending a lot of time researching post-marathon recovery actually, and turns outthat this is all perfectly normal, and ”lots of rest” is generally the right thing to do.

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another recurring message is ”do what you feel you can”, which harks back to the whole ”listen to your body”principle that I’ve learned over the past 18 months.

the great news is that I woke up just before 3am and my body was telling me ”yes, you can go to thegym, just be sure to take it very easily”.

when I got to the gym, I realised that I’d spent most of the last few months out running, hadn’t re-ally done any weights work for most of that time, so I made up a gentle routine off the top of my head, toease myself back into the swing of things. weights were deliberately kept low; the whole session was aboutgetting back in the routine and not wrecking my recovery!

oh and I weighed myself at the gym - 122.3kg. Pretty much the weight I was pre-marathon, still 20kgs belowwhere I was 18 months ago, and hopefully about to start heading downwards again with the healthy eatingplan (I had deliberately tried to avoid weight loss in the week or two before the marathon as I didn’t want towaste ”fuel”)

02:50 - glucose lolly (about 5 cals) and a glass of water03:00 - gym (see below)04:15 - fruit & bran, muffin with cheese & tomato. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee08:00 - popcorn. orange.10:00 - almond & mango fruit mix11:30 - chicken fillet, tomato & mayo in a bun. spicy fruit cookies13:30 - southern bbq chicken & wedges. orange14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of tea, small piece of banana cake18:00 - homemade chicken nuggets, chips, corn on the cob. small piece of banana cake21:00 - glass milk, bed

gym

5 minutes spin bike easy warm-up. level 12, 1.6km1000m row - level 8 - 4:523 x 10 chest press (40kg, 45kg, 50kg)3 x 10 assisted chin-ups (offsets: 85kg, 80kg, 75kg)3 x lat pull-downs (15kg, 20kg, 25kg)500m row - level 8 - 2:2410 x crunches, 10 x ab twists, 10 x bicycle legs10 x crunches, 10 x ab twists, 10 x bicycle legs10 x crunches, 10 x ab twists, 10 x bicycle legs200m row - level 8 - 0:43Plank Hold - count of 20Stretching

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/3aYiiGd3PZc?rel=0

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21 Jun 2013 - winter (2013-06-21 10:55)

IFRAME: [1]http://www.youtube.com/embed/txwlKqt01TQ?rel=0

”winter” is the perfect theme track for today’s journal entry, seeing as it’s the mid-winter solstice here inAustralia (and me being a tree-hugging pagan hippy, these things don’t escape my notice lol)

other than that, not a huge amount to report as today is another rest day. it’s sort of frustrating, having gotused to training regularly, however I do fully understand that it’s better for me to rest and recover fully fromthe marathon.

I fancy there may be an easy pace run sunday morning though - my feet are itching!

04:30 - cheese, ham & tomato omelette, 2 slices toast with butter & honey. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee08:00 - coffee. chocolate oat bar.09:00 - crunchy noodle snack10:00 - potato crisps11:00 - chicken & vegetable risotto. red apple.12:30 - orange13:00 - thai fried rice with chicken. raspberry & apple crumble14:15 - bus, nap18:00 - fish and chips0:00 - glass milk, bed

1. http://www.youtube.com/embed/txwlKqt01TQ?rel=0

24 Jun 2013 - love missile f1-11 (2013-06-24 08:08)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uSxIuLD8J4 &w=560 &rel=0]

got back out on the streets on sunday, which was nice. runkeeper played up, reporting that I’d done 2km and3km at the 1.5km and 2km mark respectively. despite what the splits say, I didn’t really hit 23 km per hour!

measuring the route using google maps, I managed 8.6km in 1:17:52 - I didn’t push things, focused onenjoying the run and even went the whole distance music-free (didn’t get bored, didn’t need it to drown outany demons etc.)

plan is to keep sunday (or the occasional saturday where necessary) as a long-ish run day - it’s the mostconvenient day for it, will fit in with any specific training schedules, and I actually enjoy it now.

today though - there’s a bit of a cold bug in the house at the moment (thanks to 4 year old mini-me).Didn’t feel 100 % heading to bed last night, so dosed up on codryl. Woke up feeling a bit better this morning,but decided to make it a rest day (briefly tossed around the idea of doing a few easy kilometres).

dosed up on codryl again, fell asleep straight away on the bus - doing all I can to stop the cold fromtaking hold!

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04:35 - creamy almond & vanilla oats with strawberry compote. slice of toast with apricot jam. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee08:15 - coffee. vanilla yoghurt.09:30 - spiced fruit cookie, apple & cranberry fruit mix11:30 - corn chips, mexican chicken, melted cheese, tomato salsa. vanilla pears in orange syrup13:30 - hokkien stir fry noodles. spinach & ricotta cake14:15 - bus, nap15:30 - bread & jam, cup of tea18:00 - chicken, mash potato, corn on the cob, sugarsnap peas. small piece strawberry cheesecake.21:30 - glass milk, bed

25 Jun 2013 - catch the rainbow (2013-06-25 11:37)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TECjOWObark &w=480 &rel=0]

well, the codryl seems to be doing the trick! woke up just after 3 this morning and felt fine to head out for abit of an easy recovery run.

the rain had just stopped when I slipped out the door and started hobbling, very slowly, around the5km route...

my right thigh had a ”dead leg” feel, which finally wore off after about 3km, which means the run didits job (I think!)

it’s probably got some deep-rooted connection to the fact I was a ”goth” in my late teens, but I LOVE beingout and about at 3am, hobbling softly through the dark, rain-soaked streets.

actually those two things (goth, and loving 3am) are probably just symptoms of the fact that I’m odd:-)

anyway, lovely little ”run”, and I slept well on the bus into Perth.

03:00 - 5 cal glucose tablet thing (hey, I bought them, I may as well use them). Glass of water03:15 - 4.98km run - 48:4904:35 - muesli, 2 slices toast with plum jam. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee07:15 - cheese & crackers.09:00 - almonds, pretzels & peanuts10:30 - orange11:30 - pasta, veggies, meatballs. chocolate cake13:00 - raisin toast. mandarin.14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - bread & jam19:00 - chicken biryani, naan bread

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26 Jun 2013 - lose yourself (2013-06-26 09:19)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO2wA0Te0wM &w=480 &rel=0]

almost convinced myself to have a rest day today, I guess it was just too warm and cosy in bed and part ofme just wanted to stay there a bit longer.

but that’s not how I roll these days :-)

the gym session WAS a light one though, my plan is to keep things light and simple this week, thenstart training at full throttle again next week. the old body will have had a full 2 weeks to recover from themarathon by then, which ought to be enough I reckon.

03:00 - 5 cal glucose tablet. Glass of water03:15 - gym (see below)04:35 - vanilla yoghurt, 2 slices fruit toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee09:15 - mandarin11:15 - soy chicken, baby spinach leaves & peking sauce wrap. rice crackers & spicy tomato salsa. pineapplebites13:15 - penne pesto pasta. apricot & almond bar14:15 - bus, nap18:00 - dinner - forget what now (updating this on 1st July)23:00 - milk, bed

gym

1000m row - level 8 - 4:053 x 10 chest press - 45kg, 50kg, 55kg3 x 10 assisted chin-ups - offset 80kg, 75kg, 70kg3 x 10 lat pull downs - 20kg, 25kg, 30kg500m row - level 8 - 1:5020 x crunches, 20 x ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs20 x crunches, 20 x ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs20 x crunches, 20 x ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs200m row - level 8 - 0:34plank hold - count of 35stretching

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2.7 July

01 Jul 2013 - D’You Know What I Mean? (2013-07-01 10:52)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWzdBgZeBk &w=480 &rel=0]

ok, the journal was a little neglected at the end of last week; quite simply I didn’t have the opportunity to domuch with it as I was attending a 2 day training course.

so I went for a run on Thursday - 4.78km in 34:22rest day Friday10.65km run on Saturday 1:23:14

and now we’ve rolled around to another Monday, the 1st day of another month, the first day of the secondhalf of 2013...

I started my week/month/halfyear with an easy run in the chilly morning air. without music still, I’mreally enjoying running without music, though I’ve yet to test that beyond 10km.

above all else though, there’s a sense of purpose that comes with noting the start of a cycle (week, month,half year) - a chance to draw a line in the sand, reflect on things, then move forward unburdened.

in my case it’s a case of putting the marathon behind me now I’ve seemingly fully recovered, and lookingforward to training for Tough Mudder in October, taking in the Fremantle 10km fun run and Fremantle halfmarathon along the way.

The half marathon training starts in 2 weeks, and I will be using [1]this schedule from running.about.com -the long run for week 2 will be the Freo fun run.

03:30 - 5 cal glucose tablet. Glass of water03:45 - 4.83km easy run - 40:3004:35 - apricot yoghurt crumble, 2 slices toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee, couple of pieces of rocky road left for me from a birthday morning tea at the end of lastweek!11:00 - black coffee. potato crisps12:00 - aple & walnut coleslaw & beef rissoles. tropical crush (pineapple chunks with passion fruit)12:30 - cinnamon oat bar13:00 - kiwi fruit14:15 - bus, nap15:30 - cottage pie19:00 - pizza, garlic bread. raspberry mousse and dark chocolate21:30 - glass milk, bed

1. http://running.about.com/od/halfmarathonprograms/a/interhalf.htm

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02 Jul 2013 - Phantom of the Opera (2013-07-02 08:28)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8IuFl3sMhk &w=480 &rel=0]

I decided yesterday that I need to put some structure back in my training, after all, it’s been over 2 weekssince the marathon, and I’m feeling fully recovered.

based on the dates of everything, I’m not due to start the half marathon schedule for a couple of weeks, so Ithought it might be useful to do a ”dry run” of the first couple of weeks, then start again on july 15th. thisgives me a chance to get familiar with some new training concepts; particularly ”tempo runs” and intervalworkouts.

I’ve done intervals before, on the rowing machine and on the treadmill, but I really need to get my trainingcircuit figured out. Get used to which where the 400m stretches are. I’ll be using a 1.6km block near myhouse - the same one that I used for timed walks in the early days in fact!

This morning I did my first ever tempo run, which is simple enough; a warm-up period running at aneasy pace, a period in the middle of running ”comfortably hard”, then a cooling off period at an easy pace.

The idea of a tempo run (using the definitions from [1]running.about.com) is to help ”develop your anaerobicthreshold, which is critical for faster racing”.

For me, it provides some variety, and in layman’s terms pushes the edges of my fitness, which will hopefullytranslate to being able to run a little faster over longer distances.

03:30 - 5 cal glucose tablet. Glass of water03:45 - 30 minute tempo run - 10 minutes easy, 15 minutes @ 6:30 per km, 5 minutes easy - 4.05km04:35 - toasted almond muesli, 2 slices toast with plum jam. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee, muesli bar09:00 - black coffee, fruit salad11:30 - garden salad with warm roast chicken, chick peas, sweet potato & fetta12:30 - peanuts & rice crackers13:15 - apple & cranberry muffin14:00 - red apple14:15 - bus, nap15:30 - peri-peri chicken18:30 - chicken, creamy potato, salad21:00 - glass milk, bed


03 Jul 2013 - Holy Wars (2013-07-03 11:09)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ww3XH4zEg &w=480 &rel=0]

no running today, took a break and hit the gym for some cross-training action intead.

slowly building up the weights again, rowing times are back down to previous levels, and I still HATE

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the plank hold.

probably need to work out a slightly longer, more comprehensive routine to get in shape for tough mudder,but things are definitely heading in the right direction. I’ll persist with the plank - one day it will be mine,all mine!

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.....

03:15 - 5 cal glucose tablet. Glass of water03:30 - gym (see below)04:45 - mango yoghurt, 2 slices fruit toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee, muesli bar08:00 - crunchy noodle snack09:30 - mandarin11:30 - ciabatta roll, baby leaf salad, bacon & mayo. peaches with raspberry sauce.13:00 - walnut & date cake14:15 - bus, nap15:30 - burger in a bun19:00 - beef casserole21:30 - glass milk, bed

gym

5 mins bike warm-up - gear 13 - 2.2km

1000m row - level 8 - 3:48

3 x 10 chest press - 50kg, 55kg, 60kg

3 x 10 assisted chin-ups - offset 75kg, 70kg, 65kg

3 x 10 lat pull-downs - 25kg, 30kg, 35kg

500m row - level 8 - 1:44


200m row - level 8 - 0:31

plank hold - count 45

stretching

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04 Jul 2013 - Epos (2013-07-04 07:05)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-yCtzdxaMg &w=480 &rel=0]

happy ”hurrah! we finally got rid of the problem child!” day to Brits everywhere :-)

so it was back out on the streets for a run again today. it was bloody cold. the weather app reckoned4 degrees, but that was for Perth. I reckon it was at least a couple of degrees lower out in the south-east’burbs, 25km or so from the CBD.

soon warmed up though; doing silly stuff like running will do that.

I even tried a slightly different route today - such an exciting life I lead eh?

03:00 - 5 cal glucose tablet. Glass of water03:10 -6.52km - 52:2604:20 - fuit & bran flakes, 2 slices fruit toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - black coffee, muesli bar08:45 - black coffee, apple & banana bread, red apple10:00 - cheese & chive crackers12:00 - honey chicken & noodles14:00 - chocolate cake, orange15:00 - coffee, biscuit16:35 - bus, nap18:00 - cup of tea18:30 - beef casserole leftovers & yorkshire pudding01:00 - milk, bed (web site issues requiring me to create and then download a HUGE backup)

05 Jul 2013 - unskinny bop (2013-07-05 10:39)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXaobvYqWsw &w=560 &rel=0]

technical issues with a website caused me to have a late night - just as well today is a rest day!

heading to bed after midnight is very much the old way of doing things, however I do still manage tothrow in a late one every now and then, and come out the other side relatively unscathed.

I’m not entirely sure if it’s related to the disruption to the routine, but for some bizarre reason I gottoday’s music track stuck in my brain while on the bus ride into the city.

late 80s, early 90s ”glam metal” - scary, very scary indeed...

05:45 - berry wheat bites, ham, cheese, tomato omelette, slice of toast with honey. orange juice06:25 - bus, nap07:15 - black coffee09:00 - madarin, dried apricots

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10:30 - green tea, sultana tea cake12:00 - chicken, tomato & mayo wrap12:30 - fruit cup. fruits of the forest yoghurt13:15 - bus, nap18:30 - chicken & pasta20:00 - few nibbles with friends01:00 - milk, bed

08 Jul 2013 - the spirit of man (2013-07-08 09:35)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOeCCl9aJ3Q &w=560 &rel=0]

well, what a busy weekend that was.

having stayed up late on friday (more technical issues), it was a relatively late start to saturday (about 8 or9am I think). it had already been nominated as a ”rest” day because I prefer using sundays for a long rununless other events make saturday more convenient.

the ”rest” day included several hours of labour in the front garden, weeding and cleaning things up. we’reworking towards putting our house on the market soon, hence the frenzy of activity to make the place lookas attractive as possible!

sunday began at around 7am, and despite working hard the day before, I felt in great shape. that’swhen I decided to do something a little different. sunday’s run was not dictated by time, distance or pace.I’d remembered spotting a riverside path while out on a marathon training run, so I decided to explore, justrun at an easy pace, and keep going until the fun had worn off.

net result was a 14.78km run in 2:07:53 - then a 1.8km walk in 22:43 just to get me from where I’dstopped, to my front door (actually getting home is handy I find - top running tip, right there!)

the riverside section was as calm, serene, relaxing and enjoyable as I had imagined. must make the most ofthat section while we’re still living in this area!

the rest of the day saw more hard labour - cleaning the carport, mowing the lawns.

I didn’t wake until 4:15, so today (monday) is a rest day :-)

04:15 - 2 eggs, bacon, tomato, 2 slices toast. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee09:00 - coffee, vanilla pears in orange syrup10:15 - almonds, pretzels & peanuts12:00 - chef’s salad with vinaigrette dressing, sauteed potatoes and bacon. peaches, apricots & prune13:15 - slice fruit loaf, butter14:15 - bus, nap21:00 - pizza & noodles*22:30 - glass milk, bed

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(*probably about time I explained that occasionally my eating patterns are a little bizarre. this is re-lated to my spiritual practices, so on full and new moons you will usually find me not eating beyond lunchtime,then having a snack late evening)

09 Jul 2013 - life on mars (2013-07-09 11:15)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v–IqqusnNQ &w=560 &rel=0]

not a particularly early night last night, mostly due to being out, cavorting with naked chickens and sacrificingcute fluffy animals to the new moon...

...and so it was that I woke up a little later than planned, and had to fight for my life to overcomethe sheer bloody cold that had gripped the entire house.

my will prevailed, and I managed to drag myself outdoors for a short, gentle post-weekend recovery run. cutshort a little to squeeze it into the time available - but hey, I’m ’between schedules” at the moment, so to hellwith worrying about that...

t’was a decent run, thoroughly enjoyed it, and I could even feel my finger tips again by the time I’dfinished.

04:00 - 3.5km run - 35:0105:00 - creamy almond & vanilla oats with strawberry compote. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee08:00 - coffee, spicy fruit biscuits11:00 - multigrain rice crackers & spicy tomato salsa

I have no idea what happened to the journal after this point... ah well :-)

11 Jul 2013 - get ready for this (2013-07-11 09:37)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvTm BhZdOE &w=560 &rel=0]

not 100 % sure what happened from 11:00am on Tuesday, through the whole of yesterday - just life gettingin the way I guess.

wasn’t too much to report yesterday anyway. slept in until 4:30, didn’t go for a run.

I did slip in day 1 of a ”plank hold” challenge - basically 30 days building up from a 20 second plankto a 5 minute plank.

I hate the plank, so the obvious thing to do was embrace the challenge LOL.

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day 2 today, another 20 second hold - which I incorporated into this morning’s gym session.

03:15 - 5 cal glucose tab. water03:30 - gym (see below)04:45 - baked beans & bacon pieces on 2 slices toast with melted cheese. orange juice05:25 - bus, nap06:15 - coffee09:30 - peach fruit cup. potato crisps.11:00 - choc chai.11:30 - beefurger in a bun, tomato, beetroot, tomato sauce.12:30 - apricot almond bar. mandarin14:15 - bus, nap16:00 - cup of tea18:30 - crab cakes & chips21:00 - milk, bed

gym


1000m row - level 8 - 3:47

3 x 10 chest press - 55kg, 60kg, 65kg

3 x 10 assisted chin-ups - offset 70kg, 65kg, 60kg

3 x 10 lat pull downs - 30kg, 35kg, 40kg

500m row - level 8 - 1:51

3 x { 20 x crunches, 20 x ab twists, 20 x bicycle legs }

200m row - level 8 - 0:45

Plank hold - 20 seconds (day 2 of 30 day challenge)

Stretching

welcome to a new era (2013-07-12 11:05)

after more than 18 months serving its purpose, I’ve decided it’s time for this section to move on from itsoriginal purpose.

recording the details of food, time consumed, time on the bus etc. etc. - that was all useful to me,it kept me on track, it made me analyse what i was doing. it established habits and patterns that are nowdeeply embedded in my everyday life.

but, let’s face it, it’s not particularly interesting to read, right?

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so from now on, this will be more of a daily observation, opinion, note or comment... probably in-cluding relevant details of training, quite likely including details of any major shifts in eating, but definitelymore ”free form”.

let’s see how it works!

so today... having got an early night, I woke up just before 2am. way way way too early. I wentback to sleep.

I woke up again. 2:53.

now, a normal human being might be tempted to go ”sod that”, roll over and go back to sleep.

but I’m not normal. not anymore. many people would argue that I never have been.

A quick mental calculation and I reckoned that 2:53 was perfect. I’d be out on the streets by 3:15,do an 8 or 9km run, and be back in time for breakfast... (and the early bus I generally catch to the city)

it had been raining heavily not long before, fortunately it had stopped.

RunKeeper tells me I did 8.42km in 1 hour 2 minutes 24 seconds.

It’s probably not completely accurate, but by comparison with other RunKeeper records, this wasprobably the fastest 8km run I’ve done so far. Which is just as well, because I was actually making an effort!

So, run done, I moved on to stretching and day 3 of the 30 day plank challenge. 30 second plankhold.

then brekkie, bus, office... and before long, the memory of an awesome, mind-clarifying early morn-ing run had started to fade...

still, there’s always the next one :-)

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a weekend down south (2013-07-14 18:12)

just back from a weekend trip away. 200km or thereabouts each way, taking in house viewings (we’replanning to move down that way in the near future), winter festival (beer, food, good company and a hugebonfire) and generally being a little disconnected from everyday routine.

like any holiday, this mini break has left us extremely tired and in need of a holiday to recover :-)

I went for a run Saturday morning, before we set off down south. 3 laps of the 1.6km (ish) blockthat was originally designated as a ”timing” block.

the route that took about 20 minutes to walk around with Marble, [1]right at the beginning of itall.

total distance recorded by RunKeeper = 4.74km, time 32:59. Average about 11 minutes per lap(almost halving original time).

fastest kilometer = 6:30

also completed plank hold 30 day challenge, day 4 - 30 seconds

I’ll be doing day 5, 40 seconds, before going to bed tonight.

hopefully get a decent sleep and get fully refreshed. tomorrow is day 1 of the half marathon train-ing, using [2]this intermediate schedule.

The Sunday recovery runs will be (mostly) on Mondays for me, so I’ll be making a start tomorrowwith a recovery run. Quite fitting really, as it will be a case of recovering from the weekend’s festivities :-)

meanwhile, out there in running land, I bet you were all far better than me, putting in the work

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while I partied?

image courtesy of [3] [4]Martin Fisch via [5]Compfight

1. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/dear-diary/


3. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/45409431@N00/7968954274/

5. http://www.compfight.com/

feeling seedy (2013-07-15 08:05)

a mug of strong black coffee is helping me write this journal entry, and I also confess to hitting the charitychocolate box in the staff kitchen this morning.

one dollar for charity, one yummy chocolate covered treat for me. I don’t even feel guilty :-)

the weekend has caught up with me it seems. not feeling ill, or hungover, just a little ropey and seedy around

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http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/dear-diary/


http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45409431@N00/7968954274/

http://www.compfight.com/

the edges.

however...

I DID still get up at 4am, and I DID still manage a slow, ambling 4.76km in 46:48

but right now I’m ready to crash - so I probably need to get another black coffee...

image courtesy of [1]Lisa Ouellette (was) kayakeverywhere via [2]Compfight



gettin’ serious - day one (2013-07-16 07:46)

it’s been 4 months since I hit the gym so hard. I know this because I copied this morning’s routine from apage on which I’d written ”march 12th 2013”.

shortly after that, I switched my training to focus completely on the beginner’s marathon schedule.I needed to build the kilometres, I needed to get that distance under my belt. if for no other reason, I neededthat foundation MENTALLY.

it worked, I completed my first marathon. I would do NOTHING different if I had to do it allagain.

but now it’s day one of stepping it up a little. when I woke up at 2:30 this morning, I knew I hadto ”go to work”, shift myself out of the mini comfort zone that’s been building up in the past few weeks. my

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body is recovered now, so it’s time to push on.

by the end of the session I was completely drained, it is unlikely that I could have squeezed outmuch more if my life depended on it.

I didn’t even do the full routine as I had to skip the assisted chin-ups (machine broken) and amstill not at the point where I can do normal chin-ups (I know this, I tried, it was a complete joke/mess).focusng on the running, I’ve slipped back a little with things like push-ups, but overall the session went well.

I slept well on the bus into Perth, and with a cup of black coffee now half consumed, I feel great.

5 minutes spin bike warm-up - gear 14 - 2.3km

1000m row - level 8 - 3:4420 x pushups20 x assisted chin-ups20 x lat pull downs - 40kg

800m row - level 8 - 3:1020 x chest press 65kg20 x tricep rope 30kg20 x bicep curl 25kg20 x shoulder press 20kg



200m row - level 8 - 0:3820 x crunches20 x ab twists20 x bicycle legs

plank hold - 45 seconds (day 7 of 30 day challenge)

stretching

image courtesy of [1] [2]Tambako The Jaguar via [3]Compfight




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in a world of painful happiness (2013-07-17 14:08)

arms, legs, chest, head, eyeballs. they all ached when I woke at 3 this morning. they still ache nowcome to think of it, and it’s almost 11 hours later...

it’s a good ache though, the ache of the morning-after-the-gym-workout-before. and yesterday’s was the mostintense session for a long while.

the aching stopped for a while when I did a 30 minute ”tempo” run. 10 minutes warm up jog, 15 min-utes at ”comfortably hard” pace, 5 minutes cooling down jog.

it went surprisingly well. 4.16km I covered in that half hour. the RunKeeper charts showing me thatI held a pace of around 6:20 per km during the ”comfortably hard” quarter hour. the first half actually beingcloser to 6 minutes (I even dipped below the 6 minute pace, briefly!)

importantly though, my pace was reasonably consistent for the whole 15 minute period - and my bodyknew it had been pushed a little further than it had been before!

that’s the pain sorted now what about that ”happiness” thing?

actually, the tempo run itself was a cause for happiness, as was the consistency I managed to fluke.

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the remainder (the bulk perhaps) of the happiness comes from a couple of different sources. firstly [1]thelatest interview/profile has gone down an absolute storm with the Facebook running community. no surprisesthere really, Nicole’s profile was always going to be a popular one!

secondly, and in many ways related to all the above, I’m happy because I have this vague hint of con-tentment drifting into the mix. a feeling of finally nailing that elusive ”passion” thing. finding a combinationof things that are individually rewarding - and pop off the scale when combined.

I’ve stumbled on something with the interviews/profiles. I’m loving the way people are allowing me toexplore their stories, the way people are so generously sharing.

and I’m loving the impact that these stories have on those who read them.

story-telling is an ancient and noble thing. I am starting to think it is very much my calling...

image courtesy of [2]danorbit. via [3]Compfight

1. http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/nicole-fels-running-girl/



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http://nomoremrfatguy.com.au/nicole-fels-running-girl/



glad it was gym day (2013-07-18 07:06)

in perth terms, it was real brass monkey weather this morning. 1 degree celsius. when you considerthat our summer temperatures hover in the late 30s, it’s cold. there was even a light frost on the ground!

so in some ways I was glad it as a gym day, though in reality I would have soon warmed up had itbeen a run day. at least it wasn’t windy or wet with it.

almost called it a rest day

the training schedule says ”CT/Rest” for today. I was still aching from the gym session on Monday. it wastempting to roll over and go with the second option; rest.

but a little voice in my head reminded me that we’re ”getting serious”. no pain, no gain and allthat malarky. actually, it’s more a case of not wanting to be a complete ”shamer” when it comes to ToughMudder in October...

so I hauled my lazy arse down the gym and did the same upper body session as Monday. it didn’teven hurt quite as much as I thought it would.

and I found something during the second set on the chest press. another level, a deeper level that

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can be dug down into when needed, a place I can go to instead of thinking ”well, I gave it all I had” andcalling it a day.

now I just hope I can remember how to get there next time...

5 minutes spin bike warm-up - gear 14 - 2.4km





200m row - level 8 - 0:3220 x crunches20 x ab twists20 x bicycle legs

plank hold - 1 minute (day 9 of 30 day challenge)

stretching

image courtesy of [1] [2]jenny downing via [3]Compfight




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a day for lots of thinking it seems (2013-07-19 13:33)

3:15am or thereabouts, that’s when my day started.

1 minute plank hold (day 10 of 30)

then a nice 6.6km run, in the cold, in the dark, just me and my thoughts.

there’s a few things swirling around my mind currently, one of which is whether to do a blog post about therest of it.

not sure at the moment. it’s probably best to leave it a while.

in fact just now I read a tweet that went something like ”the way to clear muddy water is to leave italone”

maybe soon I will reveal all (not a nude selfie, promise!)

oh and that run? 48:43 - not bad, but still maybe not quite where I’d like it to be... thoroughly en-joyed it nonetheless!

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image courtesy of [1]Krischan Schallenberger via [2]Compfight



a completely fantabulous couple of days (2013-07-22 18:05)

yesterday was truly awesome. I did day 12 of the plank challenge (1 min 30 seconds) and thenwent for an early long run - 8km.

it was supposed to be a long slow run, but I pushed it a little. for a reason. i’ll reveal all in amoment.

but I did 8.02km in 53:24 - I described it as my best training run ever. it felt brilliant. it was thefastest i’ve run that distance. the fastest average pace.

after that it was a family trip down south (a couple hundred kilometers) to view a house thatwe’re interested in. in terms of potential, it was perfect.

and then today...

today started at about 3am or something like that. 4.75km easy active recovery run in the cold.

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the run took 41:50 - like I say, it was a recovery run.

it loosened up some muscles very nicely. it also loosened up the brain muscle.

some more of my shit bubbled to the surface, got dealt with and washed away.

it set a precedent for the day. I went public on the facebook page with a goal I was keeping se-cret.

I am aiming to hit or break through the 1 hour mark on my 10km fun run this sunday coming.

as soon as I put it out there, I felt sick.

what if I fail?

but the community responded massively - so much support and messages of ”you can do it”. trulyhumbling and amazing.

and then tonight...

I just cleared a backlog of email and some other stuff that’s been hanging around.

feeling strangely productive.

maybe this goal setting stuff isn’t so bad after all.

image courtesy of [1] [2]paul bica via [3]Compfight




welcome to the grind (2013-07-23 06:25)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so0qslHYJpw &w=560 &rel=0]

a version of the video above was posted on the nmmfg facebook page recently - that version featuredswimmers. I went looking for it this morning and found this, more running-appropriate version.

I’m not sure about setting my alarm for 6am though - I’m usually in the office, or almost at theoffice by then!

so today I must have been super-pumped - woke just before 2am, didn’t need any more sleep, so Igot up and hit the gym for cross training day and plank hold challenge day 14.

it was a great gym session, though I’m getting a bit miffed that the assisted chin-up machine is

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still out of action!

I was also a little disappointed with the 200m row. I was aiming to finally break the 30 secondmark. It’s been eluding me for quite some time. I hit 30 seconds.

If the rowing machine didn’t move sideways when that much effort is put in, it would have beenunder 30. FACT.


1000m row - level 8 - 3:43

20 x push-ups, 20 x lat pull-downs 45kg

800m row - level 8 - 2:53

20 x chest press - 70kg20 x tricep rope - 35kg20 x bicep curl - 30kg20 x shoulder press - 25kg

600m row - level 8 - 2:12

20 x push-ups, 20 x lat pull-downs 45kg

400m row - level 8 - 2:53

20 x chest press - 70kg20 x tricep rope - 35kg20 x bicep curl - 30kg20 x shoulder press - 25kg

200m row - level 8 - 30 seconds


Plank hold - 1:30 seconds (day 14 of 30 day challenge)

Stretching

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strange days indeed (2013-07-24 09:31)

i did my first intervals workout this morning and I fucking loved it. in a strange, sado-masochistic kind ofway.

4 x 400m

run 400m at a ”fast” pacewalk back the same 400mdo it all again, another 3 times

it took about half an hour all up, with a 10 minute jog around the block to warm up first.

during the fast intervals my lungs screamed, I found sections of lung that hadn’t been open for busi-ness for years.

by the end I was pouring sweat.

and the most brilliant feeling of all was I felt like an athlete. I had got up at 3am and had just donea proper training exercise.

image courtesy of [1]Adam Foster via [2]Compfight



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