SimonG's Blog

Spring has sprung the grass is riz........

2008-02-12T00:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a great day it was on Saturday. Sunshine, sunshine and even more sunshine. 40 minutes rowing was all I could manage in the morning despite plans to consider a HM during the 6 nations matches over the weekend. I think England's dismal second half performance has led to severe depression and a morbid fear of worse to come. Given the pull of the outdoors and a very cheerful springer spaniel eager to get outdoors I went for a long walk before returning to a bowl of poridge and my family. As the morning wore on the summer-like weather actually pulled me onto my motorbike and I took a spin (not literally) throught the North Wales countryside over to the Horseshoe Pass and a quick coffee at the famous Ponderosa Cafe before zipping home full of the proverbial joys of spring. Fantastic!
Sweeny Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, spoiled my evening! I rated it as 2 out of 10 and only went because my daughter was really keen. The real high point was the Italian food afterwards!
Exiting the weekend feeling really great.................

Keeping an eye on things!

2008-01-21T04:02:00.000-08:00

Well dear blog followers another instalment of my ramblings about things in general. Actually I am feeling much better today despite it being the official day when we are all supposed to be feeling low or depressed. I, on the other hand, am feeling quite well thank you!
My supposed "dry" January fell by the wayside this weekend with a much planned gathering of friends to meet up at an hotel in the West Midlands. Much hilarity, excess food intake and accohol were involved. I actually visited the gym prior to undoing all the good work later in the evening.
The point here is that upon retiring to bed my good lady wife announced that she had forgotten to pack her contact lens case and had to improvise overnight. I was, at that time, approaching comatose and took no notice - she would add at this point "nothing new there then".
At about three in the morning I arose to attend to a call of nature (being well trained) and thought a glass of water might assist with recovery the next day so drank a couple of large glasses. On getting back into bed my wife said "I hope you didn't use the glasses in the bathroom, they've got my lenses in".
Ooops!
Anyway, despite the excess calorie intake I have suffered no ill effects and managed to read the Sunday Times whilst sat on it driving home later that day!
More meters to follow tonight.

Man Flu gets the better of me!

2008-01-16T05:03:00.000-08:00

Following my self imposed exile from blogging I thought I'd get down to it, invest a few sparre moments, and put some more ramblings onto th'interweb!
After some impressive (by my standards) meters since Christmas I actually handled down this morning having started a warm up with the good intention of 40 minutes hard push before work. A sore throat yesterday and restless night should have warned me off - BUT I'm far to stupid for that! Less than 2k and I was done in so shower, breakfast and off to work with an unimpressive 1700 odd metres to post today. I will now probably take time off until the weekend before my next attempt. This is the first cold I've had for over two years - a testament to what a healthy lifestyle can do for an old chap!
However, for you with an eye for a bargain and a few quid to spare, buy shares in Boots - with the amount I spent in there on remedies yesterday the price is sure to rocket and trouser you investors a pile of dosh!
Actually, I put this blip in my unblemished health record down to stopping drinking for the month of January. Following an excessive (and again impressive and enjoyable) festive season of alcohol intake I thought (mistakenly) that I would improve my health by abstaining until February..........and look what's happened! Oh well, I'll learn from my mistakes. I think that next year I will keep dating the daughter of Mr & Mrs Artois even after the festive season has passed and see how I get on!
So for now having picked up the cudgel of blogging again I wish all readers a happy and healthy New Year with many PB's and ever increasing meters under their respective belts.
SimonG
P.S. you must have too much spare time if you've managed to get this far!

Pass me another San Miguel por favour!

2007-07-19T04:19:00.000-07:00

That's it - I've had tonight enough of this lousy climate and I'm packing my bags tonight in search of some sun, sea and anything else beginning with "s"! Then I find out that some friends recently arrived at the airport three hours before scheduled flight time to check in and get through security checks - and they only made the flight by the skin of their teeth! What is this country coming to? I'm all for safety and security BUT there must be some sense made of it by adding to the number of staff when the workloads increase. Rant over - sorry!
Loads of meters posted since early June despite my gym being shut for air con refurbishment! They must have read my last posts - well done Liverpool City Council! Next time I have a gripe I'll post it here and maybe, just maybe, it will be sorted. That said, I have struggled to motivate myself on a number of mornings when the duvet seemed to be holding me down!
One high spot for me over the last few weeks was the London 10k road race round central London. Now, I'm not a runner by any stretch of the imagination BUT I really enjoyed the outing and have signe dup for next year. Getting over the start line took longer than the run itself. Local knowledge obviously counts here - take the left hand side of the crowd in future - it moves five or six times faster than the right hand side! Now I've given away that secret no doubt everyone will try it next time - or was that a cunning double bluff? Land of Hope & Glory and the theme to Chariots of Fire was inspirational at the finish line but to be truthful it was too far away from the finish line - I started sprinting (well, what I call sprinting) far too soon and felt as if I had to keep it up to the very end! Pukeing on the shoes of the officials was very nearly on the cards but I managed to keep it down and display a little gentlemanly decorum!
Two weeks away from my trusty C2 and I don't think we are going to pine for each other! I will be taking my running shoes and maybe will have a little jog around the lanes in the mornings as the sun burns away the early morning mist so hopefully the gut will not be the beneficiary of my holiday excesses.
Look out for my postcard soon!

It's not broken!

2007-06-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a good workout in an extremely hot gym. I'm sure Liverpool City Council are contributing hugely to global warming by keeping the heating at maximum in the gym at the same time as running huge portable fans to move the hot air around a bit! In addition the showers are now set to British Summer Time all time hot, hot, hot! Not condusive to cooling down and preparing to return to work refreshed and eager to graft for another afternoon! I digress, but you would expect nothing else!
10 minutes on the bike, the first 6 minutes as warm up followed by 20 sec burst at maximum effort and 10 second recovery x 8. Effective heart rate raiser! 10 minutes rowing on a medium resistance 15 seconds maximum effort followed by 45 seconds at 50% effort x 10. 12 minutes treadmill, 2 mins jog followed by 2 mins sprint x 3. All topped off with 10 minutes on an elliptical at medium setting.
All in all felt pretty good and my Suunto T6 (see previous blog) indicated that I'd expended 518 cals, maximum heartrate of 156 and had reached a maximal training effect of 120 ml/kg (about as good as it gets) so here sits one happy dog with two tails - all I need now is a bone!
Happy workouts to all who choose to read this to the very end.

A lost weekend?

2007-06-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

Well this is the fifth day of not pumping legs back and forth to the rhythmic notes of a well oiled slide accompanied by toned rippling muscled torso, heaving lungs and a pool of sweat on the floor. Pretty picture eh?
My lost weekend of no rowing left me with plenty of time for gardening (good for the back!), decorating (also good for the back with all that bending and stretching) and generally pottering around.
Having said that I feel pretty good with no major aches and pains in the lower back, so having run 5k on the treadmill yesterday lunchtime with no adverse effect I planned to cycle, row, run and elliptical x-train 10 minutes each today at lunchtime and see how I get on. Us Greek God lookalike types have to work hard to maintain the illusion (or should that be delusion!)of fitness.
If all goes well I would hope to be back to 10k plus per day by next weekend and no ill effects. If it doesn't go well, then back to the drawing board and evolve plan B. Watch this space for the next installment of "back of the future"!

Oh no, not again!

2007-05-31T00:56:00.000-07:00

5 x 2k this morning with 2 minutes actual (not active) rest - which, believe me, I needed. Average 1:48 and a bit which for me is fantastically fast! So felt pretty good until I stood up to get a shower and then - WOW - did my back hurt. After a while the pain subsided and I showered, shaved and everything else, walked the dogs and had breakfast with a dull ache in my lower back. Now, at work, all I have is a steady pain down the outside of my left leg from hip to just above the knee.
My fear is that I have a recurrence of an old back problem when I ruptured L4 & L5 discs and that took six months to recover - no rowing at all. I will give it until after the weekend to see how it feels otherwise my non-rowing blog will truly become a non-rowing blog.
Wishing everyone else happy and safe rowing.

Red cheeks!

2007-05-18T03:22:00.000-07:00

I post this item somewhat sheepishly and for those obsessive rowing types who usually skip past this "non rowing" blog - just hang in there - it does have a rowing thread to it.
Many meters rowed and not much weight lost if the truth be told but I do feel that I have a different shape - more "V" than "pear" I'm pleased to say. So progress is being made. My rowing usually takes place at home but this morning the dogs woke me up early and after walking them I decided not to wake the family but go to the gym and row there. Having no decent clean kit to hand I grabbed some old shorts and shirt and drove off.
I clocked a decent hour (15,331 meters) for me and sat for a while catching my breath and lowering my heart rate before heading to the shower to get ready for work. After wiping down the machine I squeezed between two exercise bikes and caught the leg of my shorts on a pedal, the shorts promptly shredded (being old, worn and as I found out lacking the usual strength of sound fabric) and I found myself stood shortless in a (thankfully quiet) gym.
Now not being bashful I thought I'd head to the showers (what other option was there anyway? I hear you ask) clutching my tattered shorts in front of me to preserve what little dignity I had left. (Why was my shirt so short this morning?) Halfway to the changing rooms the early morning spin class emptied out and caught me in all my glory! Shrieks ensued, were they delight, shock, amazement or horror? I didn't hang around to find out.
Showered, shaved and blushes reduced I crept through reception to a chorus of giggles from the girls behind the desk! I don't know when I'm going to brave the gym and show my face (amongst other things) again. Rowing at home does have its advantages and all of this just so I didn't wake the family!
Enjoy your rowing.

Red, red wine

2007-04-27T03:46:00.000-07:00

Whils paddling away the other day listening to UB40 I was musing on the effects of wine on the system. Now I'm no Puritan by any stretch of the imagination, far from it. I am a fanatical believer in ",a little of what you fancy does you good" and also in "the Mediterranean diet" which, as I choose to interpret it, includes red wine. I have, at home, a number of devices which are designed to be inserted into the mouth of an open bottle of wine to keep it in good condition until one is ready to finish it. I have never yet used it, believing that the contents will deteriorate once opened and that one bottle is just enough between two people on a week night! Well, it is a bit of a fight to keep my wife down to half a bottle during the week anyway - so I have to go at it good style to get my fair share.
Anyway, the point (believe me there is one!) is that I fell into the habit of my share (let's call it half a bottle) of red wine most nights which led to disrupted sleep patterns. I went to bed and fell asleep as usual but awake at two or three in the morning and slept poorly until time to get up. Also I was finding myself short of breath in the night - really wierd. Feeling groggy through the working week is not an option I wanted to follow so have stopped my weekday nightly slurping, and lo and behold......... fantastic nights sleep, feeling rested and my rowing is sooooooo much easier. Well two out of three anyway. Weekends are something else and I am happy to have a glass or six with friends and family and I don't plan to change that materially.
Has anyone else shared these symptoms or feelings? Was I developing a dependancy? I hadn't stooped to the cooking sherry when there was no wine in the house so I assume not!
Happy weekend to anyone who reads this and happy rowing to all FS members.
SimonG

Did the Devil win?

2007-04-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

Well Thursday evening turned out to be a leisurely affair with pipe and slippers accompanied by my smelly old Labrador at my feet! And jolly good it was too! I did feel very decadant but what the heck:-) So He did win for those who are interested.
Friday morning was payback, one in the eye for "Old Nick", 10k at steady pace then off to work in a good mood. Which wa sshort lived as I struggled with Manchester bound traffic, two tedious meetings and some horrible traffic exiting Manchester. On getting home my first inclination was to climb into my wife-beater vest neck a couple of Mr & Mrs Artois' daughters and kick the cat - but being the good natured family man I am, I banged out another 10k slightly faster than this mornings! Smile on face and large pizza followed by a happy family night round the tv.
Big day on Saturday with my row watching Leicester vs Llanelli Scarlets which the Tigers won!!!! Martin Corry played his socks off and I banged out 24k which was far more than I wanted as Sunday is planned as marathon day. Oh well, stupid is my middle name!
Cooler day to row for a long time as we had some rain in the night. Sad old me - I watched yesterdays match again as I started my 42195 - it was a GOOD match! Then my dear wife topped up my water bottles and left me with Parky on the radio as she went shopping - I got the better end of the stick! Just under 3 hours and job done but sore shoulders and lower back. Missed a pb by about four minutes but that was not my objective.
Next week will see me rowing fewer hours that is for sure!

I don't know what has gone wrong but this has turned ito an erging blog! Must try harder!
Well done to everyone who completed the maraton either running or erging - it is a long way!

Temptations - the Devil's work

2007-04-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well the road to hell is paved with good intentions - and in turn I drove to work after a steady 3 x 5k morning row intending to try a new workout at lunchtime - 500 metres flat out with 1 minute active rest for 30 minutes with each 500 metres faster that the last! The plan was to finish 10 reps possibly get into an 11th........... BUT an unannounced visitor expecting lunch intervened and an 8 ounce ribeye steak with spinach but no potatoes seemed a better option - actually I had no choice in the matter! Soooooo big question- do I go after work and have a go or do I drive home, have dinner and put my feet up?
I will watch this space and look for answers or inspiration. Usually I get neither! Feel free to comment or just wait until my next blog to see what I did.
Happy rowing to anyone who takes the time to read this.
SimonG

It's been a while and you didn't 'phone!

2007-04-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

February 28th was the last date we had and you didn't send flowers or anything. Have I upset you or was it something I said? If so, I'm sorry - I'm back and may we never be parted for so long again.
Actually, I've been really busy and blogging went onto the back of the very back burner for a while. Actually it was a comment in an email I received today which prompted me to sharpen my laptop and start to write again. Why bother, it's rubbish anyway many will cry. So what, it's my rubbish and my blog, so read on if you are so inclined or trawl th'interweb for something more interesting if that takes your fancy,I will not be in the least offended.
Once again, lots of rowing and I have been taking notice of the meter board and found to my horror how addictive it is just to stay "up there". Why, oh why, do all these other maniacs put in sooooooo many meters which I have then to match or beat just to see a +1 by my name? More to the point I don't want the dreaded -1 (or worse) beside my name. I am sure it is becoming more than an obsession, but I MUST be fitter than before, though I don't always feel it.
24 x 7 has started with a bang - or in my case with a big bang but fewer meters than originally hoped to shout about. "What is all this?" I hear you ponder. I started my seven sessions with a marathon early on Easter Monday, the first 14,289 of which kicked off my initial contribution to "the cause". I ended up with a time just over three hours (3.04:21.7 as if you were interested!) and my best FM in 2007 (to date)! Tuesday left me bewildered as I thought I'd signed up for one session a day BUT to my absolute delight found an early morning followed by a lateish night session but they are behind me now and today (Wednesday) is a day of rest. It's back to earlies tomorrow until Sunday. I am not looking forward to the last one as I am at the Grand National on Saturday and it WILL be a BIG party so no records will be in danger the morning after. (Rowing records that is!).
I hope everyone else taking part is having as much fun as me!
As for other things - I've just got a new toy! My new Suunto T6 "wristtop computer". I prefer to think of it as a watch! It has so many buttons and functions and it is going to make me so much better that all you meter board loonies had better watch out. I'm still wrestling with the manual looking for the chapter which will tell me how to strap it to my C2 so that it can do the hard work as well. I bought it "brand new and unused" from the US of A on Ebay at a far cheaper price than the high street here at home. How do they do that? All joking aside it has given me a very interesting couple of sessions feedback and I can see that "overtraining" will be a thing of the past. (As if it was a thing of the present - I'm more used to "undertraining" but that's for another day's blog!).
To anyone out there still following this ........... and there will be one somewhere....... thank you for reading and happy rowing until next time.
All the best.
SimonG

24 x 7 amongst other things.

2007-02-28T03:10:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since my last blog - many metres posted and not much time in which to carry on my rambles and rants!
I have foolishly put my name in seven slots for the 24 x 7 Carole MacNally week of rowing. Four 6am slots, two 5am slots and a very late 9pm hour which will no doubt finish me off completely! All being well I hope to bash out a minimum 15k each session putting in a total of over 100k. Let's hope I don't disgrace myself completely and falter in any way. What a great idea and good luck to each and every participant.
Changing the subject completely - does anyone else suffer with the post-Christmas syndrome of gyms packed with lycra clad bodies chatting whilst leaning on the equipment or making calls on their mobile phone telling everyone how fit they are becoming since they joined the gym! It does my head in! The manager at my local gym loves it! Membership fees coming in and new members not cancelling subscriptions because they feel that they will "lose" their new found fitness if they cancel the membership - not that they are getting fit because they do nothing! Roll on the quieter times when I can have a selfish hours training without a queue or distraction.............or am I a "grumpy old man!
Referring back to a previous post on my blog - my daughter passed her driving test on her first attempt a few days ago and is now enjoying her new found freedom. Well done to her - soon it will be payback time as I need a lift home after a few drinks. I'm sure that the initial novelty will wear off and it will become a chore - welocome to the real world!

Brass monkey in desperate need of a welder!

2007-02-08T03:19:00.000-08:00

Gosh it's cold out there. Yesterday we were blessed with temperatures down to minus 6 Celcius (easier to write than Centigrade!) and our much awaited dump of snow has fizzled into a light dusting which makes the countryside look very pretty but makes the roads hell to drive on. All very well dear reader, what has this to do with erging? Simple, my beloved wife has issued an ultimatum - the trusty C2 has to leave the bedroom as it (after all this time!) is now an eyesore. How come it is now an eyesore? If anyone can help me with the female logic process I would be very grateful. Any insight into the workings of the female brain would be appreciated.
I momentarily toyed with the (daring) "well if you used it once in a while........" then decided discretion was the better part of valour and I decided to divert my energies into a stay of execution whilst it is quite so cold out there. I do not fancy rowing in the garage with only an iPod for company. At least in the bedroom I've got a TV to while away time; I could suggest an investment in a 42" plasma screen with full surround sound for the garage but that will no doubt be another waste of time too!
If I lose the battle (or maybe I should say WHEN I lose the battle) I too will join the queue for that welder. Have sympathy on me.

Down then up!

2007-02-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

I guess it must be abstinance from alcohol which has left me with a severe dose of "the blues" because in February I've found it REALLY hard to motivate myself to exercise and I've been eating the most horrible cr&p which is really unlike me.
However, the metres have plugged away and I had a go at (what I mistakenly thought to be) the C2C Feb challenge. Easy - "it's only 250 metres" AND I get to rest in between. How wrong was I? A slow and steady warm up with a few fast bursts and away I went. Now I've never been a "fast boy" and sub 7 minute 2k's are now a mere memory (I have actually been there before now!) so I stuck in at that pace to start with - well it was "only" 250 metres after all. After number two the rest period seemed to be all too short and left me gasping for air. Who set this challenge and when could I get my hands around their neck? I finished up with a total time of 8:40:1 (1:44:1/500m) and spent a while recovering sufficiently to slowly cool down and think about my motivation going forward.
In future I will not pre-judge a challenge before trying it for real that's for sure. I have landed in Free Spirits V which is in need of more crew - so anyone else out there who hasn't given it a go.........

A new PB!

2007-01-31T09:25:00.000-08:00

Well having thought about it, and blogged about it, I've finally done it! A new PB by a long, long way. I hit the magical 10 million meters - AND did it as I'd hoped before the end of January. The time was not that impressive though - about three and a half years! Though I must admit I did take a few comfort breaks along the way. My motivation to another 10 mill is somewhat in need of a kick up the a*$e - but no doubt I will get that from all you Free Spirits out there.
I have been told that those kind people at C2 will also send me a pair of socks as a reward! Whoopee dooo! over three years for a new pair of socks - mustn't appear either ungrateful OR too eager though - although 10 million metres does make the old pair a bit whiffy!
Must push off now and gear up for February 1st so I can have a drink without feeling guilty.

The after effects of wind

2007-01-19T02:05:00.000-08:00

After a slow struggle home in the aftermath of the gales with all the traffic on my route due to two of the Mersey crossings being closed (Wallasey tunnel and Runcorn bridge) I found that a number of ridge tiles and roof tiles were resting quietly in the garden having been torn off the roof by the high winds. At least we had no trees blown over onto the house. I've now got the problem of finding a suitable builder to make good the damage. At least we are so much better off than many others who have had cars crushed, houses seriously damaged and even worse.
After all that I pulled a solid hour and beat the frustration at an average of 1:57.3 to clock up another 15,342 metres. Followed up by a shower and tuna spaghetti and no sky tv to watch because the dish has been hit by a roof tile! It would be difficult to beat such a wonderful day!
Friday morning and the wind has died down. Half an hour on the rower felt like hard work, it was going to be 10k but I stopped early for what I thought was a well deserved breakfast.

Wow, I've got a touch of wind!

2007-01-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

Trying to row my morning session this morning proved a little uncomfortable! Wind was the problem - not that caused by an excess intake of lentil and broccoli bake but the force ten gale battering the house. The noise was so loud that my iPod couldn't deaden the banshee like howling. Anyway I managed a half hour session before retiring, deafened, to a big bowl of porridge and honey. As if that wasn't enough, my drive to work was interrupted by floods, fallen trees and other poor drivers struggling to cope with the conditions.
The day has got worse and my dreive home looks as if it may be a long and slow one! Maybe I'll have to unwind with a slow, steady hour before dinner - which tonight is ham and peas cooked all day in the slow cooker - fantastic - but maybe this could provoke another bout of wind! Only tomorrow will tell.

How fat was I way back then?

2007-01-17T01:41:00.000-08:00

At my current rate I have only got 11 days left before I hit 10 million meters. So what? It will make me feel better AND I guess it will mean that I've burned 640,000 calories whilst rowing (based on 640 every 10k rowed!) which means I will have burned off 256lbs of fat (based on 2,500 calories = 1lb of fat) Jeez I must have been HUGE when I started rowing :- OR would I be HUGE now if I hadn't rowed that distance? Who knows, or cares - I feel better for it and that's all that matters. Trouble is it's taken me 650 hours or an average 28 sessions per month - what else could I have done with that time? All these questions and, as yet, no answers!

Domesticity!

2007-01-15T02:01:00.000-08:00

Having had a pretty good day at work on Friday, I "fell off" the wagon big style by opening a couple of bottles of red wine and (with help from Carole - my wife) nearly finished them both! We both felt some pangs of guilt which set my resolve to keep the rest of January alcohol free. We both admitted to having felt better whilst not drinking although it is nice to have a glass or two (or three or four!) at the weekend. Felt slightly groggy as a consequence on Saturday morning which was not helped by having to sort out some electrical work for my in-laws.
Rowed a HM in the afternoon as a "pennance" and eased my guilt somewhat!
Weather better on Sunday so took the dogs for a long walk in Snowdonian hills which made the heart sing to see sunshine and the hills again after such a long spell of wet and windy weather. Felt much better and rowed 3 x 5k watching Stade vs Ospreys (19:19 draw so Stade stay top of the table - boo, hiss!) before dinner.
Monday morning early 30mins before breakfast. Now only 145k before I hit that 10 million. I'll have to post a PB on the forum as I've never done 10mill before!

A change from rowing

2007-01-12T01:24:00.000-08:00

Having admitted to being tired after rowing more than usual I decided to run 10k yesterday lunchtime. Gyms are always full in January but I was lucky enough to find a treadmill and put on my iPod with the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Blood Sugar Sex Magik (which always helps me to forget everything around me) and just ran for an hour! (Not very quick but that pace suits me and if I run faster I can't maintain the distance). Sweating buckets and looking very unglamerous I showered and made my way back to work feeling very pleased with myself. The afternoon passed quickly after that.
A good friend rang me last night asking if I would climb Mount Kinabalu with him. All I know is that it's the highest mounttain in Malaysia. I must find out more about it before I agree!
We watched Fiona Bruce on TV last night looking at diet and I was astonished to see a group of people eating 5 kilos of raw fruit and veg per day for 12 days whilst living in a zoo next to some apes. They all improved thier blood pressure, cholesterol levels and weight - maybe there is a lesson for us all!
This morning I rowed my (now usual) 10k at a steady pace (1:59.1/500m) before breakfast and another day rolls onwards.

Long day

2007-01-11T00:50:00.000-08:00

Another hour yesterday early evening and 10k this morning and I'm starting to feel as if I've overdone it! Free Spirits has got the better of me and I'm rowing more than I used to - why I ask myself - and get no answer! Weight not changed, my shoulders ache but in a perverse way I feel pretty good about it! How strange is that? It must be that 10 million mark looming.
Enough for now AS I'm in work and have plenty to do catching up after a day at home yesterday. Maybe a few more words after I've been to the gym at lunchtime.

Apologies

2007-01-10T05:26:00.000-08:00

I should have added a very big thanks to Thomas for all the help in setting up this blog. For those who I bore just have a go at him! It's all his fault!

A day at home

2007-01-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

Working from home today so no early morning rush to beat the traffic! Managed to walk the dogs then do an hour before breakfast clolcking up just under 15,500 metres - got to beat those Canadians somehow! I plan another session this evening before we eat so may get 10k in the bag as well.
I was considering going back to the Concept interactive weight loss plan to put together a programme of rowing designed to lose weight. I tried it last year and rowed lots - different sessions, heart rate based with differing stroke rates and didn't notice much in the way of losing weight! BUT it did provide an incentive with a planned session rather than my current rowing which amounts to get on C2 set 10k or 1 hour etc and row to the end! Although I try to liven it up by pulling a fast 500 every 2k or something similar - I do usually set myself an average pace to keep to - albeit not a fast one!
Well, back to "work" for the afternoon before I go and get my two girls from school - th eeldest is learnin g tgo drive so I will let her drive us back home afterwards - just hope we get back in one piece! Only kidding Holly when you see this - you are a good driver - Honest!

A bit about me

2007-01-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Well here I am going public for all to see! Now I'll be committed to keeping up the metres or face public humiliation!
I am a 50 year old George Clooney lookalike (or so my wife tells me!) with 2 daughters having met and overcome my mid-life crisis by climbing Kilimanjaro with few difficulties and now settling into a slow decline into middle age!
Excercise has been a part of my life for five or six years and I bought my own model C about 4 years ago and I hope to reach 10 million meters by the end of this month (currently 9,750,000).
I was recently "recruited" to FS by BgWaveDave around Christmas time - thanks mate!
I also run - but not very fast - on a regular basis and am always astounded that I can row 10k way faster than I can run 10k. Can anyone do it the other way round? Or has anyone been daft enough to think about it?
One of lifes little mysteries to me is why does my weight not drop below 85kg (I'm 6'2") when I excercise most days - and before I'm asked - no, I dont eat all the pies!
For my sins I run an animal feedstuffs trading company based in Liverpool and live in North Wales, enjoy the outdoors, hillwalking and sailing - and red wine - although I too am drying out in January; successfully to date.
I hope to muse or ruminate on my training and other trivia as time goes by and welcome comments, thoughts or otherinterjections to an otherwise pointless ramble through my posts.