Volcano interruption!

I have been away in the USA and delayed by an Icelandic volcano spewing ash and preventing my returning to the UK until today.

Unable to sleep, I thought I might as well update this blog with some of my running activity whilst I was away. The place I went to in the USA was fairly flat and devoid of many hills so fairly easy running at a relatively fast pace was in order. I think on the whole I managed, when I was on my own, to run at around 8 minutes per mile or 5 minutes per km. I wasn't really paying attention to the times as some days I was running with new friends or a work colleague and they couldn't keep up to my pace. Still the distance I covered was roughly the same as I would have covered in the UK. Some runs on roads, some in parks and on cycle trails alongside roads running through public parks.

I did all of the runs shirtless.

It seems that the Americans also have their fair share of people that do not appreciate or want to humiliate runners (rednecks?). I was shouted at once from a passing car and hooted at a couple of times. So this phenomenon is not restricted to the UK. However, I did see quite a few more shirtless runners there in the parks than I have in the UK. Maybe the spring weather being sunny and in the 14C to 20C range had something to do with that.

I also managed to get a good massage on the first Sunday I was in the USA - just the thing to sort out tired muscles and the stress of flying. Come to think of it, I could do with a massage now to relax me and get my internal time clock back on UK time!

I managed to keep my weight under control too - tipping the scales at 68Kg this morning. Not as bad a gain as I had expected given the size of food portions in the USA and the amount of food that was on offer.

Till the next time - and hopefully not at 5h30 in the morning!

Back in Circulation

I know it has been around 5 weeks since my last post but I have an excuse - I was on vacation.

The pic on the right was my everyday view (yes, sunny skies, >30C every day and cool, clear water for swimming in). Sorry for the poor quality but it was taken on my phone rather than with my digital camera. Still working on some more pics to post here in the coming days.

Spent 3 weeks in Greece replenishing my Vitamin D content (i.e. nude sunbathing to get an all-over tan). Also did a fair amount of walking, running and swimming (a lot of that was done naked too!) as well as trying to not eat too much (mostly clothed to eat, unfortunately!).

The effort seems to have paid off as since I have been back in the UK I have seen a slight improvement in my time for running my standard route and also am less breathless during the latter stages of my run - also I am managing to run the complete route now too which I found very difficult before.

It has also had an effect on my weight - which, depending on when I weigh myself, occasionally shows below the 66kg mark (today was 65.9kg so very close to my self-imposed goal weight of 65kg). There is definitely not a lot of fat left on my body but I don't have the tools to get an accurate body fat assessment.

Am still running shirtless all the time and do not intend to run with a shirt on through the winter either. Looking for a local running partner in the hope of improving my fitness further.

The cold showers are more like luke-warm showers at the moment, but still have one after my run to cool me down as I am normally very hot when I get back after around 40 minutes of solid running. Haven't measured the water temp since I have been back but it is certainly not that cold.

Till the next post......

3 Weeks On........

Well, here I am 3 weeks on from my last post. I have not been as good with my posts as I would have liked, nor have I been as active with running either.

Nevertheless it has at least been hot and sunny here in the UK. Adding to the tan is always nice as is working outside. I also went away for a weekend with a mate of mine and did a bit of running, cycling and swimming at the coast, which made a real nice change from the usual weekend fare. 40+ miles on a bike after a very long layoff meant I had a sore butt for a while! Swimming in the UK sea is also a very cooling experience.

Some travel for work in sunny climates has also added to my tan. Not done any running on my travels mainly because it has been way too hot (30C+). Done some in the UK since being back but only on a few mornings. Still managing to do my standard run in around 40 Minutes.

With the weather being so hot my weight has also been fluctuating from its lowest of 66.9Kg (on a really hot day in which I did go for a run) to around 68.5Kg. The difference I think is based on the amount of fluid I have in me which can vary quite a lot depending on temperature. I still plan to be at around 65Kg by the end of the summer and will try and keep to that weight year round thereafter. Anyone else have any comments about weight fluctuation?

Till next time.

A Great Day

After the thunderstorms of last evening and a night of rain it is a beautiful day today - clear skies and sunshine. Up early for my normal run followed by a cold shower and then catch up on mails and work stuff. Working from home does have its highlights and advantages - like being able to sit outside on the patio without clothes on, laptop on the table and the telephone next to me for those all-important business e-mails and phone calls.

The result of all the good weather is that I have a great all-over tan, am happy and relaxed and doing what I like to do best. The fitness regime is certainly paying dividends. I am looking better and feeling better physically. I have a lot better definition and body shape and although I am not doing weights to get some more muscle, I still think I look good. And being happy with oneself is much better than anything else. My weight is still coming down too. After the run and shower the scale showed 67.7Kg.

I did 2 runs since my last mail - my normal one on Friday morning and a longer one on Saturday (a full hour) taking in footpaths and roads close to my home that I have not been on before. Being able to enjoy the scenery as I go is also fantastic. I am starting to understand how to pace myself a bit more when running. I was finding that I generally start too fast and ended up neing out of breath and had tired legs early on. By taking things easier and not so fast, concentrating on breathing and getting an easy manageable pace is better as it means i can run for longer without a break and still not feel too tired. I guess this means I am actually enjoying the runs! Also, I don't beat myself up about having to stop and walk for a while if the going gets really tough (like a steep uphill section). I am not in a race, I am here to enjoy myself and to get exercise so a few minutes of walking enhances that experience rather than taking away from it.

OK philosophical murmurings are over for today - I am off to my patio to enjoy some more sun! Till next time......

This week (with pic)

Well, another week has gone past and without a post from me. Its been a fairly busy week.

The water in the taps is definitely getting warmer as I can stay in the shower for a lot longer without feeling cold at the end of it now. I am persisting with the cold showers.

On the exercise front I have been fairly active this past week. I managed my normal run on Saturday and Sunday as well as Thursday night so almost 15miles under the hoof this week! I also managed to get out to swim 2km at the local pool on Wednesday night. I seem to have reached a consistent swim time of approx 30 minutes per km. My run is also run in a fairly constant time of around 40 minutes for 4.5Miles. My weight is also back down below the 70Kg level - I hope to get this down a little more over the next month so that my body is really lean and my body fat level down below 10% for my summer vacation. I included a webacm pic I took today to give you an indication of what I look like right now (apologies for the bad quality!).

Question: Are these times for running/swimming good or not? What can I do to improve them? Any comments on my body shape/form and what I can do to get the 6-pack showing more? Do you think I should get my nipples pierced? I am thinking of getting a small barbell in each.

Weight Milestone - Under 70Kg

For the first time in as long as I can remember I stepped on the scale this morning and did not see a "7" in the first position on the Kg Scale. Although not down to what I believe my ideal weight should be (around 65Kg) I reckon that achieving under 70Kg (69.9Kg this morning) is worth blogging about. Its taken around 3 months to get here so its not been a miracle cure.

It is, however, a milestone on the way to a much healthier lifestyle. I have not done anything special to lose the pounds, or kilograms, I just ate sensibly, exercised a lot more and had a generally positive attitude about things. I think that the cold water showers and bath have played their part in speeding up my metabolism to burn off the excess fat too, so that regime will continue.

All I need now is someone to push me a little harder and faster in my exercise and training schedule to continue the improvements.

Day 86 to 89 - Exercising again

Let's just forget the boring part - the cold showers, which I am still taking - and concentrate on the exercise part for the past few days. I am improving! I increased my standard running distance now to between 4.0 and 4.5 miles (depends on which tracks I take through the woods) of mixed tarmac and gravel/mud tracks. Time is around 45 to 55 minutes, which is not bad for a guy who used to hate running.

I also managed to get to the local pool (albeit a little warm at 29C) and swam around 2km in just over an hour. I am so out of practice at this that I can't get my stroke/breathing correct to swim crawl - I end up out of breath after about 2 lengths (100m) and have to revert to breast stroke, which I find a lot easier and can do almost endlessly but the pace is a lot slower than I would like. Any suggestions for improvement?

With all the exercise my weight is now down to around 71Kg. I am assuming that it is staying around this number because fat is being replaced with muscle. I would like to get it below 70Kg within the next 2-3 weeks if I can. Any suggestions for ways to burn off more fat? I read somewhere that whey powder supplement could work for this but I think if if just eat a little less and exercise regularly it will have the same effect? What do you think.

I realise I need to get some before and after pics and stats going here - I will try and do this later this week for you all.

Till next time......

Day 67 and 68 - Weekend

How come weekends pass so quickly? It never ceases to amaze me that a weekend can go by without doing most of what you intended. 2 showers this weekend and 2 runs, one on friday after I posted the blog and one tonight. My times for the run are not as good as before I hurt my leg but they are improving. And after 2 weeks of business trips and entertaining my weight is back up over 72Kg! I really do need to watch what I eat and exercise more.

Any hints and tips for running/jogging training? Drop me a comment.

Day 38 - Up to my neck (in cold water)

Well, it's great to be back in the UK with cold water readily available. My first really cold water encounter 10C in over a week and it was one I did enjoy. No problems with gasping for breath on getting in either - much more controlled than when I first started. It was so enjoyable that I manage to stay in it for a full 20 Minutes without so much as a shiver until the very end. I would not have thought that possible just over a month ago. I was surprised that I adapted again so quickly actually. I guess I must be pretty tough, or determined, or both not to let a few days in the sun and a warm climate deter me.

Here's hoping I can get a cool evening run/jog in tonight too.

On the weight front, I find from stepping on the scales this morning that I am now down to 70.5Kg. This is really encouraging, especially as I have only been walking these past few days.

Temperature: 10C (Bath)
Duration: 20 minutes

Day 29 - Shower & run

Another shower day today - 11 Minutes. Still working through the pain barrier of having 9C water flowing directly on my head from the shower. Managed about 4 of the 10 minutes today - longest session was 2 minutes straight with two other 1 minute sessions.

I went for a jog last night too and probably will tonight after I finish writing this. My standard street circuit of 1.6 Miles completed in 15 minutes dead. An improvement over the previous time which is a good thing. My aim is to get it down to around 12 minutes within about a month.

My weight is slowly coming down too with the cold water and the exercise. Weight was 71.6Kg today (stark naked on the bathroom scale after my shower as usual). Goal weight around 66kg and down to a 30" waist before the height of summer.

Temeperature: 9C (Shower)
Duration: 11 Minutes

Day 8 - Another Low (temperature)

Today started off well as I ran the bath the thermometer showed just under 10c - a personal best insofar as temp is concerned. Slightly different routine today too as I did not get into the water straight from bed - I had to go out early and took the bath mid-morning. Don't think the change in routine or temp made a difference. The water was not noticeably colder to my body as I got in, although I did keep to the timer today - my standard 10 minutes - plus the time it took to rinse the shampoo out of my hair at the end. I still gasp and breathe a little faster as my chest goes under the water - I wonder when I will stop doing that? Settling into a semi-lethargic state and becoming slowly aware of the cold seeping into my body was interesting today. Also, my hands stayed in the water the whole time today.

The colder water started to take its toll at around 7 minutes with a little light shivering in my torso (noticeably in my stomach muscles). This continued after I dried, exercised and dressed. I am still slightly shivering as I write this - around 15 minutes after I got out. Again, I think that this is normal (someone please tell me if I am wrong) as it fades and does not cause me any discomfort at all.

One of the reasons I started this regime was a bid to get fitter and to lose weight. Well, I haven't been able to get to the exercise part yet (apart from the odd press-up, sit-up or squat) to try and warm up my muscles after my bath however, over the past week, I have noticed a drop in weight. I think this must be because I am stressing my body and it is having to work and metabolise some of my stored fat to keep my body warm. The loss is relatively significant (Weight at the start - eight days ago: 73.6Kg, Weight today: 71.5Kg). I think that once I start walking, running and swimming in addition to the cold water therapy I will need to up my calorie intake to compensate. I should try and find out what my body fat percentage is and keep track of that too I suppose.

I wonder if skinny muscular people with a low body fat% or larger people with high body fat% are more adept at this cold water stuff. I can see the argument for both being good at it. I think I fit into the former category, but I would not classify myself as "good" at this yet. What body type are you? How well do you cope? - let me know.

Temperature: 10C
Duration: 11 Minutes