Be Excellent To Each Other

Sucks doesn't it?

Thanks for the recommendation, next time it happens I will try and remember that. I've not had a major flare up for some time (perhaps since that post), just the usual aches and throbs (and twinges when tired/cold), however, we're coming to the time of year when it sometimes gets worse, so we'll see what happens.

It sure does. Ibuprofen does nothing, high dose co-codamol only had the effect of giving me crippling constipation as well, max-dose naproxen *did* help over time and I thought it was magic but really it only works if I catch it early enough....

Diclofenac usually fixes it with a single tablet, 2-3 tops (at twice a day). At Christmas it had a chance to set in properly while I got a gp appointment to get a new prescription and that's where it took 3 days.

My training is continuing to be haphazard even post-lockdown, due to combinations of holidays, sick leave and important meetings (usually I say no, but some are TOO important) - I really don't have the enthusiasm or motivation to go without my trainer to tell me what to do.

I'm at a stage of leg-pressing 260kg, deadlifting 80kg, benching 50, amongst other more general strength and tone improvements.

I still look as fat as I did 3 years ago (huh, first session was 3 years ago to the day, Saturday gone!) but have lost a few kilos, so there must be some improvement on that side of things.

Bloody hell that was hard.

Cardiff Half: there's pacers in the start pens. If the 1 hour 45 minute race pacer starts three minutes before me, and I catch them on the finish line, I should have run 1 hour 42 minutes, shouldn't I?

Depends how fast you are going, time is relative and all that.

Check out my monthly stats from Strava!

Not bad, but tailed off in the last seven days as my legs were not happy. Going to need to put a shift in after Cottage to get back on target for the year.

I'm sorry, I can't read what you wrote because what the fucking hell is that purple thing?!

I leg-pressed 277kg yesterday (47kg base weight of the machine plus 230kg of plate weight). 8 reps, worked up to it in lighter sets of 8 - no "max weight" one-off stuff. Got yer actual endorphin release for the first time in fuck knows how long, so that was nice.

Plan with trainer is essentially "287kg in 6 weeks then 297kg in 12 except that's the 29th of December so fuck it we'll find tiny weights to nudge it over 300kg by the end of the year"

Oh, and yes, I am hobbling about like John Wayne after a dodgy curry.

Some mushroom/fungus/ thing I saw growing on a tree on my longest walk of the month.

Excellent work!

Ta!

Today was the last day of the cycle/heavy week - deadlift-focussed. Another PB - 85kg.

Apparently I've been doing "Romanian deadlifts" - I pick up the bar from knee height, do my reps, and put it back on the support.

My trainer believes that if we can explain to my body(*) how to do regular deadlifts, each rep picking the bar up off the floor and putting it down again, I could do 100kg no problem, because it's my fingers that give before anything else.

So that's a thing we're introducing next cycle.

Also, i have experienced many new types of agony since. Forearm near-cramps, useless wacky flailing tube legs, and just now an absolutely *searing* thigh cramp that took 5 minutes to fade (because I'd been sat down too long I guess?)

I've said it a lot over the last 30 years - exercise is no good for you.

(* It usually takes multiple goes before my body will do something. I know it's weird and wrong to consider my body separate from me, but that's exactly what it feels like)

It looks like a slug. Or a trainer. Or a spaceship. Even with the wider shot and your insistence - not a fungus. Nature though, isn't it?

Also I finally managed to ignore cthulhu rising through your post and look at your numbers - over 150km in a month, did you ever /not/ walk or run? Sterling stuff.

Well, this won't be cold, wet, and windy. Been years since I did Blackpool.

@zardoz @markg I think this is your end

Think I ended up in the middle of that last year by accident running my own half marathon. Might give it a go! You can come to Fleetwood after for a celebratory pint or two.

That's a good idea! We plan to go up the day before and do the pleasure beach. I'll let you know!

New daps, and in the first outing they and Nova Twins spurred me on to a second fastest 5k. Which I wasn't expecting.

That 255 in the session below means I pushed 302kg up a slope 10 times.

T'are heavy.

Loading and unloading all those plates is a free upper body workout too, especially when you unload after A *then* look at B and mutter to yourself while putting most of it back on...

Because of recent memes I can only read "goblet squat" as "goblin squat" which I then assume is a euphemism for pooping which thankfully is not what I did at any point.

Grah, the Pleasure Beach is closed and because <reasons> I might want a hotel for the night. Any suggestions?

Quite chuffed, just done a 400m swim test and I have taken 30 seconds off my last time.

My bike test yesterday I had done 1/2 a mile further in the 20 mins.

Run test later in the week.

My training is working.

Sorry dude just seen this, don't go to the Norbreck Castle Hotel. Other than that not sure, I don't know if I'll be up for this run by then, I'm hoping so but my knee is a bit knackered so I'm just doing gym stuff at the moment.

No worries. I'm booked in somewhere else on Saturday night, so i'll be spending the day having a look around and stuff. Always go for a cup of tea or something.

Bloody love longer intervals.

That becomes quite sinister when you plonk a semi in the middle of it.

Eleven weeks until Manchester Marathon and I am beginning to get a bit nervous: not about the run, but the logistics surrounding it.

Still can't run due to my knee so I've joined a gym and have been using the rowing machine instead then trying to learn to swim good afterwards. It's boring as fuck but I at least thought that by doing this I would transform into a beefcake. However it's been going on for about two weeks now and I still have my computer arms.

‘Computer arms’ is brilliant.

Summoning chinny with the armstrad CPC.

Add some curls for the girls, that'll sort you out

Won’t be running but let us know when you’re over our way and we’ll meet up for a smoothie* or something, Mali.

*booze

Sweet! Will do. I arrive on Saturday, probably about lunchtime and can check in to my hotel at 3pk. Race on Sunday is at 11am.

I need where to work out where to park, and stuff.

Had a cough the past few days, so that was ill timed (Good work - Ed). Anyhow, Blackpool half weather looks good, might even take the fast shoes out on race day. I'm actually going to try and stick with a race plan....

So the plan is to go out with us and get shitfaced the night before then!

Achievable!

Ah, that's annoying.

Smashed it there though. What was your chip time compared to your 1st fastest?

Slightly slower! Also, I walked two and a half miles to the start as it wasn't where I thought is was!

If you take today's chip time, and compare it to the race in Sept '21 chip time, that's my fastest by one second!

That is a great time dude.

Cheers. It's the fast shoes that do it.

oooh i like those...

I really, really, like them.

Good points: They make you faster
Bad points: they can be slippy if it isn't bone dry, soles pick up all sorts of rocks and seashells, they are considerably harder than the Other Pair. Uppers are paper thin.
Best points: you'll think you are running at X speed, but you'll actually be a bit faster. It's weird.

I normally have Saucony, but I am tempted to try a pair of Hoka

I've got some Hokas at the moment. Wanted some bouncier ones after experiencing knee problems. They're fine though perhaps not as cushioned as I'd hoped, but I think I was expecting it to feel like a fucking bouncy castle or something. If you fancy trying some though if you buy from Hoka direct there's a pretty cool no quibble 30 days guarantee even if you've run properly in them outside.

I never knew that. I like the look of the ironman mach 5

Snowing lightly when I was out this morning, but steadily getting heavier here. Absolutely love these pace change runs.

At the finish of yesterday's run, at mile 18, and these were the only stitches I had encountered. Christ, that's a long way.

18 miles fair play.... That is a long long way.

What is the ‘60’ referring to?

That's an amazing distance Malia. well done.