Time Gentlemen Please

Blimey 6 weeks goes so fast!

Not blogged in a while, but I only ever blog when working from home, and I've been out and about quite a bit since my last post, so not had the opportunity. In fact, I even started drafting this post 3 weeks ago! My silence though should not be taken for inaction. No no, plenty of that. Let's see where it got me with a quick round up of how I did against my goals.

100 Press Up Challenge Completed

Check. Did this in the final week, and boy do I feel pleased with myself. This is an excellent programme for those that want to build more upper body strength, tone up, or just fancy being able to say they can do 100 press ups. Been attempting this on and off since Nov '08, and got up to 80ish before breaking my hand last March. Have since been maintaining at the top level.

50 Pull Up Challenge Completed

Well, not quite. As I said previously, I had started off able to do 15, but these were fairly lazy ones to the chin only. After a rethink, I now do them much harder than before and am making good progress. But because I have started much lower (after a wasted couple of weeks doing it the old way as well) I ended the 6 weeks only up to week 3. The main problem slowing me down, is that I didn't always have access to somewhere to do pull-ups. Press-ups, you can do anywhere there's a floor. With the pull-ups, I only had the staff rest room in the office (an old beam in a refurbished mill), which I could only use when empty (to spare my blushes), and when in the office. I do have a scaffolding pole that I use above the steps to the attic, but the bar is quite wide, and I find my grip tires long before my arms do. 

Since then though, I have found the garage roof, into the garage doorway very good, and at the weekend bought one of those JML door gym thingys that sit above the doorway and use your body as a counterweight. Great fun.

I am even now though still on week 3, albeit due to do the last session today. Towards the end of my 6th weeks I added a new goal which was: Get a New Job. In this time, I applied, was assessed, interviewed (twice) and finally got it. The preparation this required meant the spare time I would have dedicated to some of my exercises was instead spent reading up on industry news, my employers to be, and anticipating various questions.

Sometimes goals have to change to reflect different priorities, hey-ho.

Bench Press/Hitting 12.5st

Neither of these goals particularly well thought out: not enough weight or the correct bench to bench 100kg, even if I could;  and no idea what I weigh still, as I have no scales.

I now have a bench with a rack which will allow me to lift 100kg, but only once I get hold of another 30kg of weights!! Still a work in progress. Now I am maintaining my press-ups at Wk6 of the challenge though, I will alternate the high-rep press-up work with low-rep high-weight benching.

As for the weight, I have drastically altered my diet: stripped out masses of the fat I was eating, and replacing with healthier eats: big lunches of pasta (1.5mugs dry), tuna, mayo, sweetcorn and tobasco; snacks of nuts, fruits & seeds instead of chocolate bars. I also finished my protein course and am on the creatine: 1-2x3g in water each day, depending on level of activity. With all this I reckon I have probably gained some towards my goal, but really should make an effort to get weighed!

Running

Wasn't able to get into this as much as I'd hoped, as my injury carried on long into my 6 weeks. However, am now up and running again, combining medium length road runs (4-10mi over some quite hilly roads) with short sharp hill sessions over Pendle (6-7mi with approx 2,200ft of climb).

Swimming

Not the basis of any of my original  goals, but when it was clear I was going to be off running for longer than I thought, I decided to get down the pool. I can now do 100 lengths (2.5km) in good order of front crawl, in just under 1:15, though still with some niggles which comes down to technique. I will probably factor this in to the next set of goals.

My next post will hopefully not be as long coming as this one was, and will have another set of 6-week goals. The main focus of these will be on the running and the pull-ups, but I'm now going to scratch my head over what these will look like.

Eat my Goals

With the decision last week to get a bit more focused I've been having a think about my goals and have decided to give them a bit more structure. So all this to be achieved in the next 6 weeks:

• 100 press-up challenge completed
• 50 pull-up challenge completed
• Bench press 100kg x5 reps
• Up weight to 12.5st (from 12st)

Assuming my legs start running this week too (testing them out tonight), I'll be aiming for:

• Sub 7min/mi average on a regular 7mi route of mine (quite hilly road route)
• To be able to run all the way to the trig at Pendle following the Tour route up to CP1 (currently break into a walk part way up).

I might also add a swimming goal here too, but I need to sort my stroke out. Currenty gasping for breath at the end of my crawl stroke. I'm trying to use a 3-stroke rhythm, alternating the side I breathe out of, but think I might be either too fast/slow in exhaling in the water, leaving me panic breathing when I lift my head out of the water (and having to rest after every other length catching my breath). Will work on perfecting this stroke first. If anyone can help out with this, let me know.

To assist with all of these, I've changed my diet in the last week. With more activity during the week, I've been more reliant on cooking for myself. Until last week, this involved pizza, fish finger butties, and Frey Bentos pies. Last week, I started hitting the jacket potatoes or pasta, mixing up some tuna, light mayo, sweetcorn, and tobasco. 

I've also got hold of some protein and creatine supplements - there's an excellent offer in Holland & Barrett if you buy their magazine (99p) there's vouchers to get a decent sized tub of protein & creatine, both for less than £20. I'm only going to use these as recovery supplements, one protein portion after each session,  moving on to the creatine after this runs out.

At the end of the six weeks - assuming I've hit my goals - I'm going to set another set of goals. I'm not sure what yet, but have been inspired by an article in the afformentioned H&B magazine and like the look of the Gym Jones 300 test (a programme and test put together for the actors in 300, but a good focus on total body strength/fitness). Also been inspired by Ninja Warrior(!), a Japanese obstacle course based challenge, currently showing on Virgin (but also broadcast on Challenge, I think). Looks good for a laugh, but also quite tough.

Got six weeks to work out what goals I could build using these as start-points. In the meantime, I've got plenty to be getting on with.