Bill’s Training Blog

Everyone has a downfall. Something that, when they see it, must have it, especially when it comes to dieting.

For some it’s chocolate. For others it’s ice cream (not the healthy kind either!) and for yet others it can be junk food (i.e. fast food).

Mine? Gourmet!

My FBH is Italian and it is hard to go past any style of spaghetti she or her mother cooks. 2 or 3 bowls is not unusual. Then again, when I was in India last year if what was in front of me tasted good, I just wanted more.

Now that I am “Jenny Craiging”, I’m doing okay because the meals are set out for me.

As I move off Jenny’s dishes I need to begin to prepare my own. Tonight, FBH is making a curry. I’m in trouble folks. One bowl is never enough!

Why I write this is because I can easily pass up chocolate, ice cream I can take or leave. In fact if the ice cream is really rich, it’s easier to pass on. Fast food? Only once in a blue moon.

But gourmet food? (”foreign muck” as some say) oh dear!

So, what’s your sin and how do you deal with it?

I’m keen to know. I’m about half way to my goal weight, my exercise is up but when it comes to gourmet food, I go weak at the knees.

Will I be strong enough to say “no”?

Will I treat it with disdain and maintain a good eating record?

Or will I be able to say: “Yes, one day a week is something to look forward to and indulge”?

How do you do it? Does it work?

Tags:   achievements · Challenges · Diet · food1 Comment

When my doctor told me I had to lose 12kg I realised that I really did have a weight problem.

I know for some people 12kg is next to nothing but keep in mind losing the last 12 kgs can be harder than losing the first 12 kgs. My challenge is just as hard as others who have a lot more to lose.

Anyway, I was reading Andrew’s blog over at “Andrew is Getting Fit” and found out he has lost around 40+ kgs. That is a phenomenal achievement. So go read what he has done. He’s only been blogging (judging by the archives) this year so he’s lost that weight really quickly and through proper eating and exercise. From what I’ve read that means he stands the best chance of keeping it off.

Back to my point of the “5kgs”.

• Go to your local supermarket.
• Check out the vege area, most have 5kg bags of potatoes.
• Pick one up - that’s how much I’ve lost!
• Now pick up two bags. That’s roughly how much I WILL lose.
• Now … pick up EIGHT! That’s how much Andrew has lost! OMG, yes, that’s right - 8!!!

Now, as you shop, keep one of those bags and carry it while you push your trolley.

How will you cope?

I’m not sure how I did.

5kgs is more than you think and 40 kgs is a helluva load more than anyone needs to carry!

Congrats to Andrew on his amazing achievement!!

Bill

Tags:   Exercise · weight loss1 Comment

How fast should you run when you’re just starting out?

Frankly, I had no idea.

My first thought was simply to beat my previous time but not to beat myself up if I didn’t. I figured if I ran or exercised in some way every day, then that was always going to be better than not exercising at all.

On April 17 I pledged I would exercise (run) every day for 21 days. I’ve pretty much kept to that and added swimming as an exercise.

I didn’t know I might have been overtraining.

I didn’t know I might have been running too fast.

But not knowing gave me permission to do what I wanted to do.

In the end, I might have made more progress through that same ignorance.

Sure you need a plan. You need goals. And you need to heed good advice.

But you also need to stretch your horizons, seek tough goals, dig deep and then … dig deeper!

The one thing I fear is failing. If I miss a day, it motivates me to do something the next day. I have to keep going and hit my goal weight of 76kg. I’m almost half way there, too.

I’ve made more progress through ignorance, in this case, than I might have had I read more. I’m not saying I’m right and I’m not suggesting people follow any poor example I might set.

BUT …

But sometimes (sometimes) the ‘truth’ is the best thing you can be ignorant of.

Eat Better, Move More … and remember NOT to think about it too much, just do it!

Bill

Tags:   Goals2 Comments

Yesterday was a good day for me.

For one simple reason: My usual 4km run/walk was completed at 9:01pm after a late start. I’d left work later than normal, had a light dinner and watched a couple of shows.

I had planned a rest day.

But then I thought (but not too much) “with everyone out and me here alone, why not go for a jog.” So, I did. I was just going to walk the whole 4.61km and take my time.

Then a thought hit me: why not jog the whole way, no matter how slowly.

I hadn’t done this yet. It has always been run, walk, run, walk. The runs were hard but always ended in a walk to recover. Heart rate would get up to 164+.

In fact, I had a best walk/run time of 24+ minutes so I wasn’t going so bad.

This time thought I committed to jogging the whole way, no matter how long it took, as long as I was in jog “mode”.

So, I did! I jogged the whole way. Sometimes quicker, sometimes slower but I jogged the whole 4.61 km!

There were plenty of time my head said, you’ve never jogged this far, have a walk! But no, each light pole was a goal. the turnaround point was a goal, the roundabout just before home was a goal and the street I lived on was a goal.

I got to my front door, almost not wanting to finish!

But I had achieved my goal.

I had jogged the whole way.

The time: 23:10 my BEST time yet, road or treadmill!

No heart rate measures this time but I will tonight or tomorrow (Probably do a swim tonight!).

What are your small goals and what bigger goal do they lead to?

Those small goals will get you to a big win!

Bill

Tags:   achieve · achievement · Exercise · Goals · health · jogging2 Comments

Okay, how happy am I? I’ve just had my 6th weigh in and it’s another drop of 800g. That means in 6 weeks I’ve lost 5.2kgs! And, I haven’t had it all my own way. I have had times of full meals, I’ve lost track of the diet and there have been days of not exercising as I intended to.

So, why is it “simple really”?

Basically, it truly is cause and effect. It’s also true that some things you can’t do on your own. And, in this case you probably don’t want to do it on your own. You do want help and support.

I do!

Now, I’ve always said this wouldn’t be a promo site but I have to pay credit to Carol at Jenny Craig and the diet the company promotes. I know it won’t be for everyone but it certainly works for me and this is what I like about it:

• It’s normal food - I don’t get the diets around milkshakes or contrived food because you can’t stay on that forever.
• It demonstrates the portions I’m supposed to have
• It promotes very healthy food with the odd occasion for delving into the darker side
• As soon as I hit half way they start me on reducing the Jenny Craig quantity of food. So they ween you off and help you eat “normally”
• In the end I feel confident I’ll be able to continue on my own because I am being taught a new way to eat - a proper way.

(No, this is not a sponsored post!)

So it’s more about a paradigm shift. Well, for me it is. I now work on drinking water during the day, preparing snacks well in advance and taking food to work rather than not eating (bad) or eating junk (worse).

Not many people know I have been conscious of my (over)weight for around 8 years when I saw myself on video. People watching laughed. I just went red!

Now I’m conscious alright but with a goal and the success does breed success.

So, I’m learning to eat better and for that I do have to thank Carol at Jenny Craig. One thing I didn’t want from a weight consultant was preachy, cheap motivational stuff. I’ve heard far too much of that in my life. Carol is genuine and provides support by listening and offering advice where necessary but if I sound like I am on track, she just agrees and supports. There have been a couple of times where Carol has started speaking and then stopped. I admire people who can self assess and manage their own behaviour. I think it is an admirable quality.

So, (I know she might read this) thanks Carol. You really have been, and continue to be, great.

I also have to thank all the bloggers who run and keep fit and tell me of their stories and inspire me to keep running. Hearing, not of athletes, but people like me who are average and struggle with the discipline to exercise every day or at least regularly help me to keep going day by day.

So, it is simple really, read the right the right material, focus on what works and, simply … eat better, move more.

Bill

Tags:   Diet · discipline · focus · help · Jenny Craig · perseverance · support1 Comment

I only slept okay last night. I went to bed at 10:00pm to start a routine about going to bed at the same time. I think I woke up around 3:30am and then 4:53am with an alarm time of 5:30am.

When the alarm finally did go off, I really didn’t feel like getting up. BUT, the philosophy of “Don’t think, Just do” saw me putting my feet on the floor and my running clothes on.

It really was a mindless morning.

I was still thinking about bed about 400m into the run. I was running too quick too early, the morning was cold and all I wanted to do was turn around and get back into bed. I could feel it!

But, I made it to my first reference point, a light pole where I normally begin to stride out, and then it was no turning back. And when I got to the turnaround point, well, all I had to do was run back!

It wasn’t my most enjoyable run but I did complete it and in a time of 24:13, which, while it didn’t beat my best of 23:20 it wasn’t on a treadmill either. So I’m pretty pleased with how it went.

A breakfast of oats, coffee and water and I’m done.

I’ll fill in the readings later.

I also discovered the website www.logyourrun.com which is a great resource for recording your stats and weight and goals. I’ve been in touch with them and they are very responsive and helpful.

I also realised I hadn’t registered my Polar RS200 watch so I went and did that and found they have a website where you can record your data. So many options - so little time!

More running and maybe a swim tonight. Weigh in tomorrow.

Bill

Tags:   Exercise · Goals · mornings · running2 Comments

Perth-fect weather for a run!

Just back from a new run along West Coast Highway and it was great!

• Run Distance: 6.02km
• Run time: 31:34
• Max Heart Rate: 164
• Avg Heart Rate: 143

The benefit of this run is that it has quite a few more inclines than my regular run. The aim being that I need to be in jog mode at every incline and allow myself a chance to walk on declines.

By running up hills and walking briskly downhill, I’ve just done a 6km in almost 30 miuntes. So when the August fun run starts I might be able to expect a time of around 1 hour for the 12kms.

Tags:   Exercise · run · runningNo Comments.

One thing that has always annoyed me is that when I run my feet hurt and the my shins ache. Now I know that pain is part of the gain and I just thought I had to run “through” it.

However, I thought that I probably ran funny without knowing it but didn’t know what to do. I felt like I was “limping” all the time and I was sure that wasn’t helping me run better. So, like any ignoramus I just kept doing what I always did which was one of two things:

• never run
• if I do run, run with pain and accept it!

Fortunately, my FBH (Far Better Half) got a job with two physios and a podiatrist. Earl Louis is the Podiatrist and he is great. Explains things well and easily, shows you why you need help and then provides the right amount of support.

And now I have orthotics for my running shoes. I’m just breaking them in after getting them on Thursday night but I think they are almost there. I ran/walked to the pool the other day and need to loosen the laces a bit on the way there but they were fine on the way back.

Interestingly, no shin pain! And the cushioning under the foot is limiting any foot pain like I used to get. I haven’t done a hard run on them yet but so far so good.

I’m off for a run this afternoon, around 6kms, so I’ll definitely have some evidence either way after that.

Also, more heart rate readings.

Bill

Tags:   Exercise · running · shinsplintsNo Comments.

It’s the weekend and the temptation to be slothful raises its head. My intake yesterday wasn’t bad but it wasn’t strictly diet focused. So I need to up the exercise. (I’m blogging from bed so what does that tell you?)

Exercise yesterday was good though:

• 4km run/walk
• 800m swim

The swimming effort seems to continue to burn well after the exercise has ceased so that is great.

My aerobic capacity isn’t what it should be so the swimming is to help my breathing when I run, apart from the obvious health improvement effects.

I only do breast stroke too, as I can’t seem to sustain the freestyle style for very long. How weak is that? I’m trying to get in a lap of freestyle every now and then (a lap is only 25m!) and eventually be able to swim doing freestyle only. There’s still 10 months to the triathlon so I should be able to achieve that.

What I am noticing is the running is becoming easier and I hope that in the next couple of weeks I’ll be able to jog the whole 4kms without stopping or walking at any stage.

So, as I said in a previous post, I need to think less, do more and enjoy the effects of being healthier.

Oh, one other thing I have noticed … I’m sleeping better. I’ll tell you more about this a little later but suffice to say I was in danger of suffering from sleep apnea. I’m not saying the problem is over but I can’t remember the last time I got two nights of uninterrupted sleep like I just have. Heaven!

Bill

Tags:   Diet · Exercise · run · running · swim · swimmingNo Comments.

You’ll notice that the graph on the right went DOWN after tonight’s weigh in. Okay, it was only 200g but it was DOWN people!

I think I did everything I could to redeem myself from the splurge I had in Melbourne.

It definitely confirmed how not watching what you eat can lead to weight gain. I mean, if you read the post below, I walked and ran around 24kms in 3 or 4 days and began swimming.

So, the plan from here:

1. keep to the diet
2. drink heaps of water
3. exercise

Looked at in those terms getting and staying fit should be relatively easy.

Mornings are becoming easier to get up and exercise, so I am very pleased with that. However, if I am going to complete the triathlon, I realise I need to extend my runs.

Completing exercise at night after work isn’t always as easy. However, it all comes down to a decision to do it. I know I’m not as detail conscious as some. I tend to approach things fairly basically:

• watch what I eat
• exercise

The graph to the right is about as detailed as I get. However, to ensure I keep up to date I will begin to publish what I do each day to get into better shape.

Bill

Tags:   Diet · Exercise · focus · perseverenceNo Comments.