Since completing Swimathon at the end of April, I have tried to make sure I go swimming at least once a week (OK with the exception of the Bank Holiday weekend when bed was just far too comfortable for me to consider moving!)
I have found the best time that suits both me and the family is on a Sunday morning. Most of the time, the kids can be trusted to sort themselves out with breakfast and entertain themselves without starting World War III and Sarah can relax in bed (at least until the shouting starts!).
Since Sandwell council built the new leisure centre in Tipton, lane swimming has been available most mornings, with Sundays being from 8.00am until 9.00am. It was actually quiet quiet today, although since it was the final weekend of Spring Bank Holiday Half Term, I guess some people will have been away.
My effort for Swimathon was based around doing three 25m lengths of breast stroke followed by two lengths of front crawl, however since then I've been trying to change that ratio. Today, I did the first 1km doing 1 length of breast stroke followed by 4 lengths of crawl. After that, it was front crawl all the way and it actually felt quite good!
When Jeremy Clarkson is reviewing the lap done by the star in the reasonably-priced car, he often says that if it looks slow, it's generally quite fast. My swim felt fast, so clearly it was going to be slow! I suppose it didn't help that my mind was drifting a little bit - whether it was starting to write this blog post in my head or thinking about the rest of the day. It was just as well that I had the lap counter with me as on several occasions I realised I had no idea what number lap I was on. (One of the reasons I started training for Swimathon I did so many laps on one stroke and then so many on another so I could work out where I was!) Still it doesn't help if you mis-read if towards the end of the workout. A quick check of the lap counter and I thought - great, 2 to go and on starting the last lap put a bit of speed together to finish with a flourish. However, on touching the wall, I realised that what I thought was lap 98 was actually lap 96 so I still had a couple to go! I promptly finished those two last lengths off, which was just as well as the lanes had been removed sometime during my last 5 laps and if I'd set off again, I would have crashed into parents playing with young children!
Exercise total: 2.5km in 54m 24.
For those who have followed my previous exercise blog posts, you will know that my primary goal has been to lose weight. Well I'm pleased to report that in May, I got my BMI into the 'healthy' range and despite a couple of pounds added here and there, so far I have managed to maintain that (OK so I've only been healthy for three weeks but it's still an achievement in my eyes). I feel I have a little more weight to lose as I'm still at the top end of healthy and it wouldn't take a lot to slip into unhealthy ways again, but if I can get my BMI into the middle of the range and keep it there, I'll be happy - I'll also be able to start buying clothes that fit me again as I have a lot of baggy trousers at the moment!
Besides the usual Juneathon rules, I need to make sure I cover at least 167.75 miles this month. This is to keep me on track for doing 2013 miles of exercise in 2013 (so usual communiting activity doesn't count). As at the end of May, I was at around 895 miles, which is about 56 miles ahead of where I need to be. However, I don't want to be complacent as if I come down with a nasty bout of something later in the year, I'd like to have the miles in hand to be able to complete the distance.
Juneathon totals:
Running:
Distance - 3.11 miles (5km)
Time - 26m 09
Swimming:
Distance - 1.55 miles (2.5km)
Time - 54 m 24
Total Distance - 4.66 miles
Total Time - 1h 20m 33
Sunday, 2 June 2013
Saturday, 1 June 2013
A Long Weekend In Liverpool
Friday 24 May 2013
I don't always enjoy bank holiday weekends. Yes, I enjoy the extra day out of the office, however sometimes they just turn into an extension of a normal weekend - too much housework to do, trying to entertain two children inside as the weather's miserable... not this time.
I'd arranged to switch a couple of days around at the office, so instead of finishing at 5.30pm feeling tired, I finished at 2.30pm and was raring to go.
Go, in this instance, was Liverpool. We were spending a long weekend staying at the in-laws house, which is always nice. As ever, it took longer to get the other side of Wolverhampton than it did to get the rest of the way. Whether it was Sarah headbanging to Bohemian Rhapsody with G being suitably embarrassed from the back seat (I would have joined in with her, but it was a particularly busy stretch of road and I needed to concentrate!) or G singing quietly (word-perfect) along to a song we had no idea she'd heard before, even the journey was fun.
Saturday 25 May 2013
Saturday started fairly normally for me, but unusually for Sarah in two ways. The first was that G woke up at stupid o'clock. In her defence, there was no clock in her room and it was light enough for her to think it was time to get up. However, in going past S's room and into the Grandparents room, she disturbed S. Believe me, the last thing you want is an awake S at 4.30 in the morning! Despite Sarah's best efforts, getting him back to sleep proved impossible.
The other new thing for Sarah was that she did her not only her first Parkrun, it was her first 5k run and I was very proud that she completed the distance. The rest of the morning was a chill-out session as the kids played in the garden until it was time for Christmas!
Although we had planned to see Jodie on a couple of occasions, for one reason or another, we hadn't managed to meet up, so it was nice to be able to see her again (and exchange Christmas presents). The six of us (Grandma, Jodie, me, Sarah and the kids) headed down to Crosby beach.
Grandma is in training for the TOGS marathon (I still haven't got my head around how this works as it doesn't appear to involve travelling the required distance). However, as a part of her entry she needed to make a video introducing herself - here's a quick excerpt of her doing her chariots of fire bit.
By the time this had finished, Sarah, Jodie and the kids were nowhere to be seen. The kids had decided to explore the dunes and they had gone to supervise! After a while we headed back home, however it was still a nice day so we sat in the garden and chatted whilst the kids played.
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| Sarah and Jodie putting the world to rights in the garden. |
Sunday 26 May 2013
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| The Duck On The Clock |
We headed to the Pier Head, where there were a couple of helicopters and a typhoon jump jet that could be sat in. As we arrived, S pointed to the top of the Liver Building and exclaimed "It's the duck on the clock!" Kids have such a funny way of looking at things sometimes.
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| Prepare to die, Daddy! |
We'd brought a picnic into town with us, so we took the opportunity to have a sit down. It was a bit of a backwards picnic as we started with ice-cream and followed it with more savory stuff. Batteries recharged, it was show time. First we watched a fly-past, then there was a Tiger Helicopter (I think) that performed all sorts of maneuvers over the river. We were impressed that S commented that he thought that the way it moved was like a shark coming out of the ocean and I have to say he was right. After the helicopter returned to base, the local sea cadets treated us to a show that included the sailor's hornpipe, club twirling and a display on the rigging.
As the cadets display finished, we started to head to the Museum of Liverpool as there was some kids colouring activities going on. On the way there, there was a robot performing. S got a lift on Grandad's shoulders to see what was happening and I lifted G onto mine - it' had been a long time since I'd done that and I'm not keen to try it again any time soon (well she is nine!). The robot was doing some singing and dancing and the kids seemed to enjoy it, however there was quite a crowd around, so it was difficult for me to see exactly what was going on.
I'd heard about the Museum of Liverpool before, but this was the first time I'd been inside and it was quite busy. We were a little early for the craft activity, so we had a little explore. One of the nearest exhibits to the room we were going to be in was about the Liverpool Overhead Railway. Unfortunately, one of those parts of history now consigned to the past with the only reminder it was ever there being in the museum itself. As the museum was over three floors, it's definitely going to be somewhere I'd like to go back there again.
I was a little disappointed with the craft activities that were put on as it was mainly colouring sea scenes - still it wasn't there for my benefit and it was an opportunity for the kids to do something different for a bit and for Grandma and Grandad to have some time off. Unfortunately, S got bored incredibly quickly and although he did get distracted when his three cousins unexpectedly showed up, soon Sarah needed to explore some more of the museum with him.
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| G&S colouring with their cousins G&E |
After a while, it was time to move on and we headed up to Chevasse Park to see what was happening there. As it happened, the advertised event was a 'Proms in the Park' and we found a space on the grass for a little more picnic and to see what music was on offer. To be honest, it would have been a lovely spot to have enjoyed a nice cold beer, but apparently that wasn't allowed. The next band up was a jazz band from Liverpool University. They weren't bad with a decent set that had my foot tapping. S certainly thought so as he was dancing around - so much so that a photographer asked us if he could take S's picture for Liverpool One publicity. Don't suppose it will get used, but we didn't have a problem with that.
As it came time to think about going, S sat down for a drink - at which point we noticed his shoes. He was wearing his school shoes, which was fine as they were pretty durable, however the sole had started to wear significantly to the extent that the insole was visible. On the way back to the station, we had to take a diversion via Clarks for a new pair.
Arriving back in Waterloo, it was time for tea. We went to Nicola's on South Road, which lets the kids make their own pizza. Our two had eyes bigger than their stomachs and so needed to take what was left of their dinner home!
After a shower to freshen up it was clear that I'd caught the sun - still it had been a lovely day.
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| Happy, contented, but a little sun burnt! |
Monday 27 May 2013
On the Monday, the day started with another cooked breakfast - which was delicious even if was going to take some work in the gym to get rid of again. The weather for today wasn't great so we took the kids down to the marina on their scooters where they could play on the swings. After making Grandad be the troll under the bridge, they went to the waterside. Near the Lakeside Adventure Centre, there's an outdoor gym. Sarah took full opportunity of the facilities on offer...
It also gave Grandad the opportunity...
After a while, the promised rain started to appear, so we headed back home for a lunchtime snack. G had been badgering us all weekend to play some games as a family and so out they came. S wasn't fussed, he snuggled up with Grandad on the sofa.
First was an Angry Birds game that Jodie had gone G for Christmas. It was a pleasant enough game... up until the point you have to flick the die to try and knock over the king pig - that can hurt, especially if you need multiple shots to knock it over!
After that, we introduced G to Cluedo. It looked like she had the hang of it, which is more than can be said for her Grandma, who made an accusation based on three cards she held in her hand! In typical competitive Dad style, I managed make a correct accusation first, although to be fair, we think G had actually reached the correct answer but continued to eliminate everything else rather than make the accusation.
My triumph, however, was short-lived as Blind Ignorance was brought out - a game that I am terrible at. It's known under various names, but essentially if boils down to you having a name on a card attached to your forehead and having to guess who you are by asking questions that can only be answered with a yes or a no. G, Sarah and Grandma took great pleasure in watching me struggle to identify myself as Kermit The Frog.
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| Am I Kung Fu Fighting? |
Pinch, Punch, First of the Month - It's #Juneathon
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| Raring to go! |
It's a bit of a shame really, because after a couple of days of really miserable weather in the West Midlands, it's brightened up and it's a glorious day.
So my Saturday started the same way it has for about the last three months now - with a drive over to Walsall Arboretum for a Park Run... But with one slight difference - my legs would be on display. I can't remember the last time I went for a run outdoors when I was wearing shorts as opposed to running tights!
The first challenge was finding somewhere to park as a fun fair had arrived and was setting up shop where I usually park. Fortunately, I spotted some of the other runners coming out of a pub car park, so I was able to nip in and join them.
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| The pre-run gathering |
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| The Start/Finish Straight. |
Previously when I had run at Walsall Arboretum, we had used "The Grange" end, however today we would be using the Victorian end around the lake. I'd only run this course once before, on the first anniversary of Park Run at the Arboretum. To be honest, it doesn't really matter to me which we use as the challenge remains the same (me vs the clock). However, the Victorian course is all Tarmac, which makes life a easier for those running with buggies, whereas the old course is a little more uneven.
Remembering my last run two weeks ago, where I had an unexpected shoe-mergency, I made sure my laces were nice and tight and after the usual briefing, we were off. Given the nice weather and the fact that I'd had a couple of sessions in the gym on the treadmill this week, I was hoping for a PB and ideally to go under 26 minutes. (My PB is 26m 03).
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| Our morning briefing from run director, Kate. |
When I run, I like to listen to music, using the standard headphones provided with my iPhone 5. As they're in-ear headphones, I've had problems with them staying in before, however not to this extent. I'm sure I spent more time on lap one trying to sort my headphones out than concentrating on my running. Eventually, I decided the only solution was to keep them in by pulling my headband over my ears. This seemed to solve the problem... however I then became concerned that I'd set off too fast!
When I do Park runs, I try to go at a sufficiently fast pace so I don't get lapped, well there was no chance of that today! Half-way around my second lap, the leaders came blasting by. A quick check of my watch showed we were about 13m 30 into the race. It'll be interesting to see what the winner's time is today.
As I started my final lap, I felt that a PB was still possible, but I would have to pick up the pace a little. Being unfamiliar with the course, it was difficult to tell whereabouts I was on the lap, particularly as just as you think you've gone round the lake, there's still a little more to go.
I tried to pick up the pace in the closing part of the lap and stopped my watch at... 26m 09. 6 seconds outside my PB, but 4 seconds faster than I ran at Princes Park Run in Liverpool last weekend. The official results are still to be posted, but they've matched my watch the last couple of weeks. (They'll be posted here ( http://www.parkrun.org.uk/walsall/results/latestresults/ ) if you're interested)
Taking my tag, I was 71st today. For me, the exercise and the time are more important than where I finished. Recording a time consistently around my PB is OK and I'm not unhappy with it, but I would really like to break that 26 minute mark.
If anyone can suggest anything to help me increase my pace (preferably an audio program/podcast of some description that can be used both outdoors or on a treadmill) or a decent set of running headphones that aren't going to fall out my ears every two minutes, that would be fab.
As ever, a big thank you should go to the volunteers as without them giving up their time,there wouldn't be a park run as the important jobs of timing, marshalling and organising wouldn't get done. If you would like to take part in a Park Run, they happen all over the country (and the world). Visit Parkrun.org.uk to find out where your nearest race is, register for free and join in!
Juneathon totals:
Running:
Distance - 3.11 miles (5km)
Time - 26m 09
As ever, a big thank you should go to the volunteers as without them giving up their time,there wouldn't be a park run as the important jobs of timing, marshalling and organising wouldn't get done. If you would like to take part in a Park Run, they happen all over the country (and the world). Visit Parkrun.org.uk to find out where your nearest race is, register for free and join in!
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| Some more runners crossing the line. |
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| Volunteers and finishers continue to clap home and encourage those still running. |
Juneathon totals:
Running:
Distance - 3.11 miles (5km)
Time - 26m 09
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
All things April
This has felt like a really strange month. I guess the Easter Holidays threw me out of our usual routine and although that was a couple of weeks ago, I still don't feel I've got back into it again.
I've continued to do Park Run at Walsall Arboretum on a Saturday morning and I set my PB of 26:41 at the beginning of the month. I know it's slow, but, apart from 13th when I set off far too fast and ended up with a stitch towards the end of lap 2, it feels like I'm running at a more consistent page and it's not as much hard work as it had been in previous weeks. The improvement to the weather has helped as well.
On 20th April, I volunteered as opposed to running. The night before I'd been to give blood and had been asked whether I planned to do any exercise in the following 24 hours. It hadn't been a question I'd paid any attention to previously as the answer had always been a firm no (bordering on the 'no, are you nuts!'). I thought I'd be starting off doing something simple like marshalling. (Stand in one place for 45 minutes, clapping people as they went past, occasionally shouting encouragement). Instead, as someone was running late, I went on timing. That felt like quite a responsibility, especially as Kate, the race director, said that the timer was sensitive. 120 runners crossed the line, with Kate's husband clocking in first at 15:45 and everything went smoothly after that.
The rest of the month was really weight loss exercise and training for Swimathon. I lost 3lbs in April, although it feels like I lost much more. This might be because I put on a bit half way through the month, which came off the following week and also because I dropped below the magic 14 stone barrier. In fact, in the last couple of days, I've had some really nice compliments from people at church and at work with regards to how much thinner and younger I'm looking. At least the hard work is paying off and now there's not far to go until my BMI drops below the 'overweight' line.
In terms of Swimathon itself, when I signed up in the first place, I was aiming for 2:30:00, however when I did my first distance swim, I realised that I was going to easily beat this, so I decided I would be pleased with a time of 1:50:00 with a target 1:45:00.
I was always going to do Swimathon my way, ie me against the clock as opposed to me against anyone else who happened to be in the same lane as me. This was just as well since the two other guys in my lane did all 200 lengths on front crawl whereas I stuck to my 3 breast-2 crawl approach.
It took a couple of days for my results to appear online, so it may be that they haven't finished uploading yet, however to put the above into context, at the time of posting there are 2674 entrants in total (1329 men, 1345 women) and 345 in the 35-39 age bracket. The only downside was that as soon as I finished the distance, my left calf cramped up and 48 hours later it's still a little tender. Here are a couple of pictures from the day:
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As far as 2013 miles goes, I'm a little ahead of target, however I'm a little worried about May. When I did the Sport Relief run last year, as soon as it was over, I didn't do any exercise for weeks. That would be terrible for both my weight-loss and 2013 miles targets, so I'll have to make a special effort to keep it going.
April Breakdown:
Walking: 11.14 miles in 4h 45m28
Running: 23.23 miles in 4h 06m49
Cycling: 129.35 miles in 6h 43m48
Cross Trainer (Elliptical)/Stepper: 5.77 miles in 1h 00m 08
Rowing Machine: 1.24 miles in 9m 23
Swimming: 19.67 miles in 11h 34m 19
Total: 190.4 miles in 28h 19m55
Year to Date
Distance: 716.1 miles
Remaining: 1296.9 miles
I've continued to do Park Run at Walsall Arboretum on a Saturday morning and I set my PB of 26:41 at the beginning of the month. I know it's slow, but, apart from 13th when I set off far too fast and ended up with a stitch towards the end of lap 2, it feels like I'm running at a more consistent page and it's not as much hard work as it had been in previous weeks. The improvement to the weather has helped as well.
On 20th April, I volunteered as opposed to running. The night before I'd been to give blood and had been asked whether I planned to do any exercise in the following 24 hours. It hadn't been a question I'd paid any attention to previously as the answer had always been a firm no (bordering on the 'no, are you nuts!'). I thought I'd be starting off doing something simple like marshalling. (Stand in one place for 45 minutes, clapping people as they went past, occasionally shouting encouragement). Instead, as someone was running late, I went on timing. That felt like quite a responsibility, especially as Kate, the race director, said that the timer was sensitive. 120 runners crossed the line, with Kate's husband clocking in first at 15:45 and everything went smoothly after that.
The rest of the month was really weight loss exercise and training for Swimathon. I lost 3lbs in April, although it feels like I lost much more. This might be because I put on a bit half way through the month, which came off the following week and also because I dropped below the magic 14 stone barrier. In fact, in the last couple of days, I've had some really nice compliments from people at church and at work with regards to how much thinner and younger I'm looking. At least the hard work is paying off and now there's not far to go until my BMI drops below the 'overweight' line.
In terms of Swimathon itself, when I signed up in the first place, I was aiming for 2:30:00, however when I did my first distance swim, I realised that I was going to easily beat this, so I decided I would be pleased with a time of 1:50:00 with a target 1:45:00.
I was always going to do Swimathon my way, ie me against the clock as opposed to me against anyone else who happened to be in the same lane as me. This was just as well since the two other guys in my lane did all 200 lengths on front crawl whereas I stuck to my 3 breast-2 crawl approach.
It took a couple of days for my results to appear online, so it may be that they haven't finished uploading yet, however to put the above into context, at the time of posting there are 2674 entrants in total (1329 men, 1345 women) and 345 in the 35-39 age bracket. The only downside was that as soon as I finished the distance, my left calf cramped up and 48 hours later it's still a little tender. Here are a couple of pictures from the day:
.jpg)
As far as 2013 miles goes, I'm a little ahead of target, however I'm a little worried about May. When I did the Sport Relief run last year, as soon as it was over, I didn't do any exercise for weeks. That would be terrible for both my weight-loss and 2013 miles targets, so I'll have to make a special effort to keep it going.
April Breakdown:
Walking: 11.14 miles in 4h 45m28
Running: 23.23 miles in 4h 06m49
Cycling: 129.35 miles in 6h 43m48
Cross Trainer (Elliptical)/Stepper: 5.77 miles in 1h 00m 08
Rowing Machine: 1.24 miles in 9m 23
Swimming: 19.67 miles in 11h 34m 19
Total: 190.4 miles in 28h 19m55
Year to Date
Distance: 716.1 miles
Remaining: 1296.9 miles
Sunday, 31 March 2013
The boringly unoriginal 'March Exercise Blog'
It felt like I spent less time in the gym in March than I have in the last couple of months. Part of that will be because I've switched some of my exercise time to the pool to make sure I can complete Swimathon (which is now only four weeks away).
: http://my.artezglobal.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=428918> But I've also stopped using the gym whilst the kids are playing tennis.
DS was being a little disruptive during a couple of sessions, to the extent that the instructor needed to come and get us out of the gym to have a word! He seems a lot calmer with me watching him and Stellian gets to do her workout. Fortunately, I've got into the routine of heading out to the Walsall Arboretum Park Run every Saturday morning, which is over and done with by the time tennis starts, so I'm still getting some exercise done.
So far, my times have been pretty consistent (apart from last week's when I was 5 minutes slower, although this might have something to do with the heavy snow, having to dig the car out before I left home and getting to the start line a good minute after everyone else had started - still I managed to break into the top 20 finishers... even if the field did only consist of 23!)
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| Action shot! (Taken by Mudrunner Photography). |
This month, I also moved my rest day from Wednesday to Friday. It made sense to have the break after I'd weighed in and also made sure I was rested before heading out to Park Run on Saturday. Working a long day on a Friday always meant I didn't have a strong desire to fit any exercise in and doing some kind of workout on a Wednesday should help me on the scales as well. Speaking of which, my weight loss for the month is 3lbs (although having just consumed one of Stellian's gorgeous roast dinners, I think I may have put it all back on again!) This weight loss has scraped me under 14 stone by the smallest of margins (4oz!), but has also enabled me to fit into a slimmer waistline pair of trousers as well, so it's going quite well.
As far as 2013 miles in 2013 is concerned, I'm still on target, doing 7 miles more in the month above the average. At this stage, it still feels like an unachievable target, but as long as I take it one month at a time and keep an eye on my daily average, I might stand a chance.
Finally, after 80 years serving the community, our local swimming pool closed for the final time on Maundy Thursday. It was a lovely pool and I have fond memories of going with my family when I was small (although I never have managed to go when the slide was open!) I had a Tipton Swimming Pool sweatshirt that had "Costa Del Tipton 'Por Favor Aer Kid'" on it, which I used to wear all the time.
It's not all bad news, it has been replaced by a new swimming pool that's closer to our house and it is a wonderful facility. It's just a shame that a little piece of local history has been lost.
Walking: 5.64 miles in 1h 30m 04
Running: 23.45 miles in 3h 49m 28
Cycling: 123.24 miles in 6h 05m12
Cross Trainer (Elliptical): 2.52 miles in 25m 07
Swimming: 19.94 miles in 12h 15m25
Total: 174.79 miles in 24h 05m 16
Year to Date
Distance: 525.7 miles
Remaining: 1,487.3 miles
Thursday, 28 February 2013
February Fitness
So, with Janathon over and done I expected to drift back into a pattern of spending time with a nice comfy sofa. Whilst it was going to be optimistic to think I could continue the pattern of exercising every day (particulary since Stellian had a girly long weekend booked in), I didn't revert to the sloth I have been in the past.
On Runningfreeonline, I joined the 2013 miles in 2013 group. I realise this might be a bridge to far, but it might be doable. 2013/12 months = 167.75 miles per month and I had already done 236 in January and so was nearly 69 miles in credit. Unfortunately, despite doing some degree of exercise most days, this surplus had been severely reduced by the end of the month, so I might need to work a little harder in the future. On the bright side, the weather has to start getting warmer soon and February has fewer days than January, so less time to be able to exercise.
How am I going to achieve this? Well first of all, Stellian drew my attention to parkrun.org.uk which organises a 5k run in parks all around the country on a Saturday morning. I signed up to this almost as soon as she sent me the link, with Walsall Arboretum set as my home run. The good thing about ParkRun is that there's no fee or obligation and you can attend any run at any scheduled meeting around the country. All you need is your personalised bar code so they can record your time. This is just as well as the first weekend after I registered, we were visiting my in-laws in Liverpool.
Suprisingly, I dragged myself out of the house around 8:15am to drive the other side of the city to take part in my first race. When I arrived, it didn't look like there were going to be that many people there, but as the start time drew close, all of a sudden there were more and more runners there so I didn't feel out of place. My official time for the 5k was 27 minutes 32. Which I thought was quite good bearing in mind my sole aim was to keep it under the half hour mark. OK so it placed me 93rd out of 138 runners and it gives me something to improve upon as well. Despite it trying to snow during the run, it did remind me that it's nicer to get somewhere rather than stare at a wall on a treadmill (even if the gym is warmer).
The other challenge I've set myself (and so has Stellian) is to Swim 5km. This is a part of the Swimathon event in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. The last month has really reminded me how much I love swimming, although the furthest I've gone recently is a little over 3km. I would like to try and complete the distance in under 2 hours, so we'll see how close I get. If you feel inclined to sponsor me, you can do so here.
You may (or may not) therefore be wondering how I've done at losing weight this month. Well, on 31/1/13, my weight was 201.25 lbs and now, the Biggest Loser scales say...
It may not seem much, but it puts my BMI at 26.2 and ever closer to a healthy weight.
February Breakdown:
Walking: 8.88 miles in 2h 23m 42
Running: 20.15 miles in 3h 40m 36
Cycling: 65.61 miles in 3h 21m 57
Cross Trainer (Elliptical): 8.82 in 1h 26m 58
Rowing: 1.24 miles in 0h 9m 23
Swimming: 10.13 miles in 6h 45m 54
Total: 114.91 miles in 17h 51m 30
Year to Date
Distance: 350.91 miles
Remaining: 1,662.09 miles
On Runningfreeonline, I joined the 2013 miles in 2013 group. I realise this might be a bridge to far, but it might be doable. 2013/12 months = 167.75 miles per month and I had already done 236 in January and so was nearly 69 miles in credit. Unfortunately, despite doing some degree of exercise most days, this surplus had been severely reduced by the end of the month, so I might need to work a little harder in the future. On the bright side, the weather has to start getting warmer soon and February has fewer days than January, so less time to be able to exercise.
How am I going to achieve this? Well first of all, Stellian drew my attention to parkrun.org.uk which organises a 5k run in parks all around the country on a Saturday morning. I signed up to this almost as soon as she sent me the link, with Walsall Arboretum set as my home run. The good thing about ParkRun is that there's no fee or obligation and you can attend any run at any scheduled meeting around the country. All you need is your personalised bar code so they can record your time. This is just as well as the first weekend after I registered, we were visiting my in-laws in Liverpool.
Suprisingly, I dragged myself out of the house around 8:15am to drive the other side of the city to take part in my first race. When I arrived, it didn't look like there were going to be that many people there, but as the start time drew close, all of a sudden there were more and more runners there so I didn't feel out of place. My official time for the 5k was 27 minutes 32. Which I thought was quite good bearing in mind my sole aim was to keep it under the half hour mark. OK so it placed me 93rd out of 138 runners and it gives me something to improve upon as well. Despite it trying to snow during the run, it did remind me that it's nicer to get somewhere rather than stare at a wall on a treadmill (even if the gym is warmer).
The other challenge I've set myself (and so has Stellian) is to Swim 5km. This is a part of the Swimathon event in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. The last month has really reminded me how much I love swimming, although the furthest I've gone recently is a little over 3km. I would like to try and complete the distance in under 2 hours, so we'll see how close I get. If you feel inclined to sponsor me, you can do so here.
You may (or may not) therefore be wondering how I've done at losing weight this month. Well, on 31/1/13, my weight was 201.25 lbs and now, the Biggest Loser scales say...
It may not seem much, but it puts my BMI at 26.2 and ever closer to a healthy weight.
February Breakdown:
Walking: 8.88 miles in 2h 23m 42
Running: 20.15 miles in 3h 40m 36
Cycling: 65.61 miles in 3h 21m 57
Cross Trainer (Elliptical): 8.82 in 1h 26m 58
Rowing: 1.24 miles in 0h 9m 23
Swimming: 10.13 miles in 6h 45m 54
Total: 114.91 miles in 17h 51m 30
Year to Date
Distance: 350.91 miles
Remaining: 1,662.09 miles
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Half Term Happenings
Half term has come round surprisingly quickly this year. What with the disrupted routine at school due to the snow and ice, it's probably come at the right time for them to have a week off to try and reset themselves next week.
The only problem with half term is trying to find something to entertain the kids without spending a small fortune. I started off by thinking that I could take them to see Wreck It Ralph at the cinema, but closer investgation revealed that it was going to cost the best part of £20 for the three of us and that's before you start including drinks and food.
Fortunately, I then had a facebook update from the council telling me what they had going on, so I think I've found some activities that will keep them happy for a bit. However, this was about 9.15am and only two of us were dressed, so a quick hurry-up later and we were out the door and looking for Hamstead Library in Great Barr, where the kids went to Ron Popple's Magic and Balloon show.
I had two activities planned for Tuesday, but despite being fine when she woke up, around 9am, G declared that her neck was aching and this pretty much ruled out the activity I had planned for her. By lunchtime she was feeling better, so in the afternoon, we headed out to the Oak House in West Bromwich, where they were having a Pirate Day.
The kids managed to pick up some more balloons, this time in the form of pirate swords and we completed a treasure hunt around the building before heading out to the pirate ship play area at the back. It was the first time I'd been to Oak House and there really wasn't a lot to occupy us for any more than an hour, but it seemed an interesting place. All S wanted to do was run around and fiddle with everything, which meant that I couldn't investigate anything in detail. Still, the kids had fun and came away with a chocolate coin and a finger puppet as their reward for completing the treasure hunt.
The plan for Wednesday morning was the rescheduled plan for Tuesday morning. This was only an activity that G could do, but I knew it was one she'd enjoy and so for the first time, she played Water Polo. There were only five children either side and it looked like she was the only one playing for the first time, but she had a huge grin on her face all the way through, which was fantastic to see.
In the afternoon, I had another surprise in store for the children as I had found that one of the local libraries was running a Moshi Monsters Quiz. The kids have been obsessed with these things for ages and I still have no real idea what they are, but they seem to know enough for them both to come third in the quiz! G managed to win the resulting tie-breaker to win a small prize, which she was chuffed about.
The following day was quiet day for Daddy whilst the kids used their energy at the local soft play area and in the afternoon it was movie time courtesy of BT Vision, which included Madagascar 3 (Circus... Afro...) and when Friday came, it was time to decamp to Liverpool to see the Grandparents. For the first time, the trainset came out and the children loved playing with that after the adults had spent some time playing with it setting it up (cough).
All in all, it was an enjoyable half-term, which went past far too quickly!
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| With their balloons. |
Fortunately, I then had a facebook update from the council telling me what they had going on, so I think I've found some activities that will keep them happy for a bit. However, this was about 9.15am and only two of us were dressed, so a quick hurry-up later and we were out the door and looking for Hamstead Library in Great Barr, where the kids went to Ron Popple's Magic and Balloon show.
I had two activities planned for Tuesday, but despite being fine when she woke up, around 9am, G declared that her neck was aching and this pretty much ruled out the activity I had planned for her. By lunchtime she was feeling better, so in the afternoon, we headed out to the Oak House in West Bromwich, where they were having a Pirate Day.
The kids managed to pick up some more balloons, this time in the form of pirate swords and we completed a treasure hunt around the building before heading out to the pirate ship play area at the back. It was the first time I'd been to Oak House and there really wasn't a lot to occupy us for any more than an hour, but it seemed an interesting place. All S wanted to do was run around and fiddle with everything, which meant that I couldn't investigate anything in detail. Still, the kids had fun and came away with a chocolate coin and a finger puppet as their reward for completing the treasure hunt.
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| Climbing the rigging |
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| Ideal for "Titanic" fans |
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| In the crow's nest |
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| Even the small pool at Smethwick is huge! |
The plan for Wednesday morning was the rescheduled plan for Tuesday morning. This was only an activity that G could do, but I knew it was one she'd enjoy and so for the first time, she played Water Polo. There were only five children either side and it looked like she was the only one playing for the first time, but she had a huge grin on her face all the way through, which was fantastic to see.
In the afternoon, I had another surprise in store for the children as I had found that one of the local libraries was running a Moshi Monsters Quiz. The kids have been obsessed with these things for ages and I still have no real idea what they are, but they seem to know enough for them both to come third in the quiz! G managed to win the resulting tie-breaker to win a small prize, which she was chuffed about.
The following day was quiet day for Daddy whilst the kids used their energy at the local soft play area and in the afternoon it was movie time courtesy of BT Vision, which included Madagascar 3 (Circus... Afro...) and when Friday came, it was time to decamp to Liverpool to see the Grandparents. For the first time, the trainset came out and the children loved playing with that after the adults had spent some time All in all, it was an enjoyable half-term, which went past far too quickly!
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