I have been drifting around for the last five years, trrying to fine that extra something to kick start the training.
Maybe it is time to get back to basiscs.
Do the simple things consistantantly instead of looking for the edge.
Review what you did in 2014-2015 and do that.
All, well most of the data is there. so set aside time for a bit of reading of old blogs.
Wednesday, 4 March 2020
Sunday, 23 February 2020
Had enough
I went to race with a bad back, bad diet, bad training, and bad frame of mind. It ended badly.
I think I have had enough. For too long I have been struggling with everything. I can't run, I can't get a settled digestive system and getting up is almost too much effort in the mornings.
I can't string sentences together without really thinking about it and even if I do they come out so garbled people ask me to repeat myself. My great joy in reading is dimishing as it becomes more difficult.
I am going to stop putting pressure on myself, rest up and recover for a while.
Monday, 4 November 2019
Review October - Started, keep consistant
- I have run more than 250km in October, which is more than in the previous few months.
-
- I have run more intensively and according to Garmin my intensity minutes are higher than in the previous few months.
- I have swam more, if only a little bit more.
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| Distance |
 |
| Intensity |
 |
| Swimming |
- I have kept my weight under under 80kg and stopped it osscilating soo much. I also have an answer to the weight issue. Too many junk kms and too much weight training added to the stiff arteries means my insulin system is encouraged to store food as fat. I am reassessing my diet and training. I aim to eat early and then reduce the calories during the day. Less carbs & salt ( I love salt) more protein and fats. I am the cutting the junk kms and weight training for the next two weeks until the next assesment at the Metobolic institute.
 |
| Weight |
- I have stopped smoking.
- I have stopped drinking beer, although I have had a few glasses of scotch and wine.
I feel a lot better in myself and can see we are going somewhere. I still have mood swings, but they seem less frequent and easier to manage. I have built a couple of troops of friends to keep me going and they are helping a lot. My Cooper test result has gone from 2.4km to 2.6km meaning a VO2max improvement from 42.37 to 46.84 ml/kg/min. When I go boudlering I feel a lot stronger.
So we have some real improvement and we just need to keep going!
Remember your tats, troop and training
Only a short update today as I have already written about the major finding here
What I really wanted to remind myself of is how to deal with the dpressive swings, such as I had last weekend.
1) Remember that you have invested a lot in your symbolic tattoos and to use the underlying symbology to bring yourself up. The Dragon tries to unbalance the Yin and Yang, The Buddha uses the Dhrama wheel to rebalance the Yin and Yang. The Enso shows nothing needs to be perfect, The Water Basin shows you already know what you need to know and the Blue Feather shows you can reach your goals.
2) Remember that you have a lot of people who really care about you and that you can always talk to them about your moods. Don't wait until you are on the way up, use them on the way down as well. They will be keen to help.
3) If all else, fails just go for a fucking run, YOU TWAT!.
What I really wanted to remind myself of is how to deal with the dpressive swings, such as I had last weekend.
1) Remember that you have invested a lot in your symbolic tattoos and to use the underlying symbology to bring yourself up. The Dragon tries to unbalance the Yin and Yang, The Buddha uses the Dhrama wheel to rebalance the Yin and Yang. The Enso shows nothing needs to be perfect, The Water Basin shows you already know what you need to know and the Blue Feather shows you can reach your goals.
2) Remember that you have a lot of people who really care about you and that you can always talk to them about your moods. Don't wait until you are on the way up, use them on the way down as well. They will be keen to help.
3) If all else, fails just go for a fucking run, YOU TWAT!.
 |
| Week 44 Done |
 Week |
| Week 45 Plan |
Saturday, 2 November 2019
Finally we have an answer
I went to the Institut für Stoffwechselforschung ( Institute of Metabolism Research) in Frankfurt and met with Dr Thomas Konrad. Since 2001, the ISF is the only German study center to participate in the EU-funded RISC study ( www.egir.org ) "Relationship between Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Risk" (QLRT-CT-2001-01252). The study includes healthy 1500 people aged between 30 and 60 throughout Europe. It looks at the effects of lifestyle, environmental factors as well as gender-specific features on the insulin action and atherosclerosis in the long-term course are examined. Currently the 3rd follow-up is in progress since 2001 . In the meantime, more than 60 publications have been published that cover the aspects of "genomics", "proteomics" and "metabolomics".
So I think it is fair to say these people know what they are talking about. I explained that I am running 50-100km a week, eat a healthy diet but my weight is always going up. I have added weight training and more core work to the running to help improve things, all to no avail.
Dr Konrad reviewed all the test result of various bloods, blood pressure and heart and thyroid exams. He was of the opinion that somewhere my body is under stress causing it to use the insulin to store food as fat. He noted my family history where my father died of a stopped heart at 79 and my mother diabetes The issue was, given my healthy heart and good blood results there was nothing to indicate where.
Thus I went through several hours of tests. The first was to monitor my blood pressure over a period where I first lay down and rested, then stood, then sat and stood and finally sat and breathed deeply. Then a lung function test. Finally a test on a stationary bike with a ECG and respiration mask to monitor how my body reacts under physical stress.
The first two where as expected showing a healthy heart, with the only thing of note being the change when I went from sitting to standing not being as good as expected.
The bike test was interesting, I cycled against increasing resistance and got up to 150 watts which I was told was good, especially as I didn't break into a sweat.
They measure my VO2 max whic was 48, again rather good. Then they found the issue. The measure of Pulse Wave Velocity which indicates arterial stiffness was rather bad. This was the cause of the stress and thus the weight gain. I am trying to do too much
Dr Konrad wanted me to do the following things
1) Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a farmer and dinner like pauper.
2) Eat low slow carbs and protein.
3) Change training to reduce/remove long endurance runs and strength training
4) Focus on interval training
I have another appointment in two weeks to review the effects of the change.
I have asked several questions
1) How long should each interval session be? 30mins? 60mins?
2) How long should each intervals be?
3) How long should the recovery be 1min 2 min? More?
4) How frequent should the session be?
5) Is a swim recovery session of < 30mins once a week ok to do?
6) I take it no weights or core work like sit ups should be done?
So I think it is fair to say these people know what they are talking about. I explained that I am running 50-100km a week, eat a healthy diet but my weight is always going up. I have added weight training and more core work to the running to help improve things, all to no avail.
Dr Konrad reviewed all the test result of various bloods, blood pressure and heart and thyroid exams. He was of the opinion that somewhere my body is under stress causing it to use the insulin to store food as fat. He noted my family history where my father died of a stopped heart at 79 and my mother diabetes The issue was, given my healthy heart and good blood results there was nothing to indicate where.
Thus I went through several hours of tests. The first was to monitor my blood pressure over a period where I first lay down and rested, then stood, then sat and stood and finally sat and breathed deeply. Then a lung function test. Finally a test on a stationary bike with a ECG and respiration mask to monitor how my body reacts under physical stress.
The first two where as expected showing a healthy heart, with the only thing of note being the change when I went from sitting to standing not being as good as expected.
The bike test was interesting, I cycled against increasing resistance and got up to 150 watts which I was told was good, especially as I didn't break into a sweat.
They measure my VO2 max whic was 48, again rather good. Then they found the issue. The measure of Pulse Wave Velocity which indicates arterial stiffness was rather bad. This was the cause of the stress and thus the weight gain. I am trying to do too much
Dr Konrad wanted me to do the following things
1) Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a farmer and dinner like pauper.
2) Eat low slow carbs and protein.
3) Change training to reduce/remove long endurance runs and strength training
4) Focus on interval training
I have another appointment in two weeks to review the effects of the change.
I have asked several questions
1) How long should each interval session be? 30mins? 60mins?
2) How long should each intervals be?
3) How long should the recovery be 1min 2 min? More?
4) How frequent should the session be?
5) Is a swim recovery session of < 30mins once a week ok to do?
6) I take it no weights or core work like sit ups should be done?
Tuesday, 29 October 2019
Lost weekend
Sunday I hit rock bottom and did nothing. No long run, not even a short one.
I didn't do anything about it at the time, but thentapped into my support network talked to some friends on Monday and they made me feel a lot better. I could have contacted them on Sunday instead of waiting, then I would have at least done a little run.
I made a good recovery by doing intervals with a colleague in his mid thirties. In the last weeks weeks we have done two interval sessions, 1min and then 3mins...repeated 6 times. On both of these he was easily quicker than me.
Yesterday we did 8mins repeated 3 times, he was fucked on the second one..and whipped on the third.
Now I know you shouldn't compare oneself against others...but it did feel good.
I am trying to modify the plan to include everything required and doable. The trouble is if I don't get up at 5 during the week I miss some of the important core training. I can try and squeeze one in evening. I have added a third easy run to the flat so now I'll be doing that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Thursday evening I really want to go running, but as that is after the 4hour journey home it is a bit of struggle. Swimming is getting better and I think this is the week I do two swims.
Tuesday night I am doing an unplanned weight session in a gym...this might be an issue as it is my first visit to a gym in twenty five years.
I didn't do anything about it at the time, but then
I made a good recovery by doing intervals with a colleague in his mid thirties. In the last weeks weeks we have done two interval sessions, 1min and then 3mins...repeated 6 times. On both of these he was easily quicker than me.
Yesterday we did 8mins repeated 3 times, he was fucked on the second one..and whipped on the third.
Now I know you shouldn't compare oneself against others...but it did feel good.
I am trying to modify the plan to include everything required and doable. The trouble is if I don't get up at 5 during the week I miss some of the important core training. I can try and squeeze one in evening. I have added a third easy run to the flat so now I'll be doing that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Thursday evening I really want to go running, but as that is after the 4hour journey home it is a bit of struggle. Swimming is getting better and I think this is the week I do two swims.
Tuesday night I am doing an unplanned weight session in a gym...this might be an issue as it is my first visit to a gym in twenty five years.
 |
| Week 43 Done |
 |
| Week 44 Planned |
Monday, 21 October 2019
It's coming back
I had a really good week with almost all the training I planned to do completed. The diary is also been kept up to date. I felt really bad on Monday morning, but then my mood swung on Tuesday and I had a good run to the flat. I did some intervals and then a run to the flat on Wednesday. Felt really tired on Thursday but still did the Stairs and abs workouts. The only bad day was Friday when I ran out of steam on a short 10km run. I rested with re-planting our sky bed in the garden on Saturday and then rounded off the week with a 30km run taking the week's distance to over 80km. Quiet pleased with that and my weight is slowly improving and on target for 1kg a week.
I rejoined the organising committee of the British Spartathon Team and read some very nice comments on my return, which was good for my mood.
This week I want to go longer on the Stairs and add the weighted jacket. I will go longer on the swim on Wednesday and add a second swim, maybe Friday or Saturday.
I rejoined the organising committee of the British Spartathon Team and read some very nice comments on my return, which was good for my mood.
This week I want to go longer on the Stairs and add the weighted jacket. I will go longer on the swim on Wednesday and add a second swim, maybe Friday or Saturday.
 |
| Week 42 Done |
 |
| Week 43 Plan |
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