Snow, dumplings and apple crumble
What a desperate weekend as far as training and weight loss goes.
The plan was to go out on Saturday, but shopping and other family things got in the way. So Sunday morning, full of the joys of Spring Winter, I jumped crawled out of bed and looked out the window to see…
…snow.
Friggin’ snow. SNOW - in November no less! On the day I want to go out on my bike. For those who don’t know, road bike tyres are thin and delicate little beasts, and therefore lack any friction in snow. Riding a road bike in the snow = certain doom. Plus, I hate snow - mainly due to memories of being a constant target of snow ball attacks at school married to my inability to stay on two feet in any condition other than absolute bone dry.
I ferried Suzy around her work visits so she didn’t need to walk in the snow, praying the sun would melt the snow, and then dry the roads. By the time the roads were suitable, it was 3:30, the sun was going in, and a bitterly cold wind had come out of nowhere.
Two days of cycling plans scuppered. Not all was lost though, I did 14 miles on the trainer - I had wanted to go to 18 but my legs just weren’t playing ball.
To make things worse, Sunday dinner was mince and dumplings, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, we had apple crumble and custard for afters. Still, Sunday is my naughty day, so I took full advantage of that fact.
Christmas
Christmas is on it’s way (woop) and I’ve instructed all relatives to not purchase me any sweets or chocolates (boo) although someone is bound to ignore me and give me a huge tin of Quality Roses or something.
My letter to Santa is written (perhaps if he got a bike and turbo trainer, he wouldn’t be so jolly and round) and one of the presents coming my way is a Lance Armstrong 3 Disc DVD set. It includes 7 in a Row where he tanks Jan Ulrich a few times, The Science of Lance Armstrong (which was on Channel 4 a few months ago) and The Man Behind the Legend.
As I am fairly certain the TV will be hogged by the Wii, I guess I have 3 DVDs to look forward to on the trainer. If watching Lance Armstrong doesn’t encourage me, then what will?
So, this week is going to be an attempt to consolidate all the hard work of the last few weeks - have a solid week of good, healthy food, and get up to 20 miles on the trainer mid week. When you say it like that, 20 miles seems so meager and pathetic, but everyone has to start somewhere.
More soon…
Hi James. How is the weight loss going now? I have 50 kg to lose and have just started on a turbo trainer - not brave enough yet to get out and about.
How much did you aim to loose a week when you started
I like your site
Chris
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the comments. Take it from me, riding on the turbo trainer is great and really helps burn the fat, but there is no substitution for going out on those roads. The wind, the terrain, the hills and the fresh air do something to you. However, if you don’t feel up to it yet, or don’t feel safe, don’t risk it. Get confident in what you are doing and build up your strength before you go.
In terms of a weekly target, I don’t really have one. I tend to find if you place a target like that on yourself, if for some reason you aren’t hitting it you may become disheartened. However, a good marker is a pound a week. Any more than that is dangerous for your health and is not sustainable in the long term. Also, the quicker the weight comes off, the easier it is to put it back on.
I hope this helps and I hope you reach your target!
James