Sunday Jan 17th -
at last, some sunshine and the end of that endless white stuff ...
managed to do some climbing today, for the first time since September! - ok not much, but up Ash Bank and along a few ridges up there in the direction of Longsdon .. then back thro Bagnall (stopping at the pub for lunch!!) and home downhill.
Time: 1hr 28 minutes
Dist: 14.5 miles
Ave: 9.7 mph
Max 29.7 mph
sweet .. going to have a nice bath and then B will give me a massage, later ... even better!
Monday 18th Jan -
same route as yesterday, but with no doubling back .. so a mile shorter!
Time: 1hr 24 minutes
Dist: 13.5 miles
Ave: 9.6 mph
Max 28.8 mph
feels great to be doing a bit outside, it wasn't exactly sunny, but at least it didn't rain!
----------
Friday 29th Jan. Only 2.25 miles on the real bike, but that took me there and back to the gym where I did a spinning class for 45 minutes .. which was good, cos it was BITTERLY cold and I doubt I would have got out without the indoor element !
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Monday, 4 January 2010
January stepper
Friday Jan 1st. Didn't have stepper on but must have done over 10,000 as we walked up to the Memorial Park from my brother's house and all aroudnthe edge of the park itself.
Saturday Jan 2nd too much of a snowstorm here to encourage venturing out!
Sunday Jan 3rd 16,400. Long walk up to Bagnall and back over the Wetley Moors. Very beautiful in the sun and crunchy snow.
Monday Jan 4th 4,300 unable to go out due to serivce ppl visits .. interviewing cleaner and getting gutter fixed (At last!!)
Tuesday Jan 5th 4,500 -- looks like just over 4000 is what I do when I just potter around the house and run up and down stairs a few times! Today was a weird day, should have gone in for chemo but they LOST it .. and then I couldn't go for a walk in the fresh snow, cos they might have found it, but they didn't ....
Weds Jan 6th - 6,300 quite surprised as I was mainly doing more pratting about waiting for the chemo transport problems to resolve .. grrr..
Thursday Jan 7th - 2,300 in the hospital, so hardly able to notch up much.
Friday Jan 8th 1,600 - still in hospital, spent most of the day in bed!
Sat Jan 9th. 13,000 Nearly two laps of Trentham lake in the sun .. you might wonder how you can do a partial lap, it's by going up and down on the sunny side rather than another full circuit!
Sun Jan 10th 10,100 - chilly walk along the canal for a pub lunch in Stockton Brook, Lovely. We got a cab back cos it was dark and I was too tired, really.
Mon Jan 11th, 3,4oo. Just walking about in the house .. like a captive.
Tues Jan 12th 4, 600 also just in the house, but doing a few more chores!
Weds Jan 13th -- 4,000
Thurs Jan 14th 3,700 :-(
Fri Jan 15th - 7,800 shopping mainly!
Sat Jan 16th -- 7,300 up in Manchester
Sunday Jan 17th - 15 miles on my bike!
Monday Jan 18th -- 7, 800 AND 15 miles on the bike - slept like a log!
-----------
Tues 19th, Weds 20th Thurs 21st - in the hospital .. very little movement
then my stepper got lost in transit, so I dunno what steps I've done over the weekend.
Friday 22nd -- Did some walking around the shops and Sainsburys
Sat 23rd walked out up Eaves Lane, across the bottom the moor and down Ash Bank,we were out for 90 minutes so reckon that'd be a good three miles.
Sun 24th 40 minutes each way up to Birches Head to see our mate. Reckon that must be another three miles.
Mon 25th First Aerobic class today ... walked there and back, and did an hours class. YAY!
Saturday Jan 2nd too much of a snowstorm here to encourage venturing out!
Sunday Jan 3rd 16,400. Long walk up to Bagnall and back over the Wetley Moors. Very beautiful in the sun and crunchy snow.
Monday Jan 4th 4,300 unable to go out due to serivce ppl visits .. interviewing cleaner and getting gutter fixed (At last!!)
Tuesday Jan 5th 4,500 -- looks like just over 4000 is what I do when I just potter around the house and run up and down stairs a few times! Today was a weird day, should have gone in for chemo but they LOST it .. and then I couldn't go for a walk in the fresh snow, cos they might have found it, but they didn't ....
Weds Jan 6th - 6,300 quite surprised as I was mainly doing more pratting about waiting for the chemo transport problems to resolve .. grrr..
Thursday Jan 7th - 2,300 in the hospital, so hardly able to notch up much.
Friday Jan 8th 1,600 - still in hospital, spent most of the day in bed!
Sat Jan 9th. 13,000 Nearly two laps of Trentham lake in the sun .. you might wonder how you can do a partial lap, it's by going up and down on the sunny side rather than another full circuit!
Sun Jan 10th 10,100 - chilly walk along the canal for a pub lunch in Stockton Brook, Lovely. We got a cab back cos it was dark and I was too tired, really.
Mon Jan 11th, 3,4oo. Just walking about in the house .. like a captive.
Tues Jan 12th 4, 600 also just in the house, but doing a few more chores!
Weds Jan 13th -- 4,000
Thurs Jan 14th 3,700 :-(
Fri Jan 15th - 7,800 shopping mainly!
Sat Jan 16th -- 7,300 up in Manchester
Sunday Jan 17th - 15 miles on my bike!
Monday Jan 18th -- 7, 800 AND 15 miles on the bike - slept like a log!
-----------
Tues 19th, Weds 20th Thurs 21st - in the hospital .. very little movement
then my stepper got lost in transit, so I dunno what steps I've done over the weekend.
Friday 22nd -- Did some walking around the shops and Sainsburys
Sat 23rd walked out up Eaves Lane, across the bottom the moor and down Ash Bank,we were out for 90 minutes so reckon that'd be a good three miles.
Sun 24th 40 minutes each way up to Birches Head to see our mate. Reckon that must be another three miles.
Mon 25th First Aerobic class today ... walked there and back, and did an hours class. YAY!
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Face the Fat FACTS!
I'm sure it is better to get back on track asap rather than put my head in the sand for another few weeks of the winter and let the chub build up to epic proportions! .....
so today I braved myself to get back on the scales, and as I feared ..... 12st 7lbs!
I think an honest reflection on why this has happened will help me to sort out what to do ... so here's my december review.
It IS partly cos of my treament, but I cannot let that stnad as the whole story, cos that would be to ignore these other facts, so here it is ...
Puddings: several consumed, lemon tart with icecream, xmas type with brandy butter .. hmm
Christmas cake: not huge amounts, but the wife eats more of it and she has put on 9 pounds so that's a clue!
General portion size: neglected altogether where scrupulopus care is needed on carbs and BUTTER!
Eating out: far too often and choosing things that don't really fit in the programme,.
Cheese: I am going to stop buying this again, I eat it when I get out of hospital when my taste buds are all askew and I feel really sick, but I need to find something with less calories to fill that need.
Drinks: - I still dont touch alcohol, but think the sugar in the cordials I've been getting is probably an easy thing to cut out again.
Sweets and chocs: far fewer than most years, which makes me think I ususally put on more than 1/2 a stone in December!
Meat: far more than usual, immediately bumps both calories in itself compared to a veg-based meal, and seems to encourage more fatty accesories ..
so today I braved myself to get back on the scales, and as I feared ..... 12st 7lbs!
I think an honest reflection on why this has happened will help me to sort out what to do ... so here's my december review.
It IS partly cos of my treament, but I cannot let that stnad as the whole story, cos that would be to ignore these other facts, so here it is ...
Puddings: several consumed, lemon tart with icecream, xmas type with brandy butter .. hmm
Christmas cake: not huge amounts, but the wife eats more of it and she has put on 9 pounds so that's a clue!
General portion size: neglected altogether where scrupulopus care is needed on carbs and BUTTER!
Eating out: far too often and choosing things that don't really fit in the programme,.
Cheese: I am going to stop buying this again, I eat it when I get out of hospital when my taste buds are all askew and I feel really sick, but I need to find something with less calories to fill that need.
Drinks: - I still dont touch alcohol, but think the sugar in the cordials I've been getting is probably an easy thing to cut out again.
Sweets and chocs: far fewer than most years, which makes me think I ususally put on more than 1/2 a stone in December!
Meat: far more than usual, immediately bumps both calories in itself compared to a veg-based meal, and seems to encourage more fatty accesories ..
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
post-chemo cycling stats
Nov 30th - first ride out on my own, along canal to Etrutria museum
Weather: blue sky, might have collected some vitamin D!
stats:
9.78 miles, ave speed: 10.6, max: 19.9, time: 55 minutes.
Weds 2nd Dec. along to cousin Poe's, across rough track to Fenton, bobbed into college, down to canal and home. Sunny again! Whoo, nearly took my gloves off (but resisted)
11.16 miles, ave speed: 9.3, max: 20.6, time: 1hr 12 mins.
Feel great.
----------------
Tues 8th Dec. Due to domestic-fire-drama we didn't cycle together at the weekend, but I resolved to go to the hospital for blood test on bike today. Worked out really well.
Took direct route down Leek Rd, through Stoke and up Clayton Lane to the hospital, but chose a great scenic route back. Down through the lane to Trentham, across A34 to the cycle path they've made which joins to the Canal .. along the canal to the station, then a bit on Leek Rd before diving off on the urban park and lanes from Joiner Square to Berryhill. I hope to do this every time I'm going for blood tests . . . it was really lovely.
16.6 miles, ave speed: 10.6, max: 25.1, time: 1hr 33 minutes.
---------------------------
Weather: blue sky, might have collected some vitamin D!
stats:
9.78 miles, ave speed: 10.6, max: 19.9, time: 55 minutes.
Weds 2nd Dec. along to cousin Poe's, across rough track to Fenton, bobbed into college, down to canal and home. Sunny again! Whoo, nearly took my gloves off (but resisted)
11.16 miles, ave speed: 9.3, max: 20.6, time: 1hr 12 mins.
Feel great.
----------------
Tues 8th Dec. Due to domestic-fire-drama we didn't cycle together at the weekend, but I resolved to go to the hospital for blood test on bike today. Worked out really well.
Took direct route down Leek Rd, through Stoke and up Clayton Lane to the hospital, but chose a great scenic route back. Down through the lane to Trentham, across A34 to the cycle path they've made which joins to the Canal .. along the canal to the station, then a bit on Leek Rd before diving off on the urban park and lanes from Joiner Square to Berryhill. I hope to do this every time I'm going for blood tests . . . it was really lovely.
16.6 miles, ave speed: 10.6, max: 25.1, time: 1hr 33 minutes.
---------------------------
Sunday, 29 November 2009
walking wellie-count
Slight variation on usual style, am going to keep editing this thread to tally up my stepper for a month .. then do one a month during the treatment ...
Went in for first chemo treatment from Tues - Thursday 24th 26th Nov
Number of walks round lake since operation = 4
1. on me own, b4 chemo Mon 23rd Nov.
2. with Mand on Friday, 27th Nov.
3. with B, Sunday, 29th Nov.
4. on me own, Tuesday, 1st Dec.
(I thought it was going to be icy, but by time I got out, could really have gone on bike: no ice left! but had eye on Christmas shopping too!)
Have got a battery and resurrected the stepper - ridiculously low score, cos I didn't really go out, Thursday 3rd Dec .. 3,300 ... need to do better than that!
Friday 4th Dec: 10, 800.First walk around lake with stepper on ... Not bad but thought it would be more!
Sat 5th Dec: 6,500
Sun 6th Dec: 4, 200
Monday 7th Dec: 7,200 - good considering I didn't go out!
Tuesday's score went over 14,000 - but that wasn't really walking, cos I was on the bike .. so the count is unreliable, sometimes pedal strokes count, and sometimes they dont -- hmm, might work better with counter on sock instead of waist-band ... ?
Wednesday 9th Dec: 10,700 - pretty good, amassed in car parks of various shops and around town.
Thursday 10th Dec: only 3,500 -- but I was very low-key cos the last two days and the 2nd swine flu jab really wore me out, and I needed to rest today.
Friday 11th Dec: 10,700 -pretty good, and goes to show how much walking I do when I pop up town.
Sat 12th Dec: 9,200 - this included a delightful little climb up on the Roaches, such a bright sunny day, and with lovely friends too.
Sunday 13th Dec: 12,300 - round the Italian gardens and 1/2 the lake today. More sun and more great fun with the two jays.
Monday 14th Dec: 7,500
Tues 15th Dec: 4,300 - in hospital, dunno how it got so high?
Weds 16th Dec: 1,200 - in hospital, in bed mostly!
Thurs 17th Dec: c. 3000? can't remember, but we did walk a bit when I got out of hospital
Fri 18th Dec: 7,100 ... seems low considering Mand and I went round the gardens and the lake and the shops today, at Trentham!
Sat 19th Dec: 10,200. Good walk up the back to Thursfield's Garden Centre, to get replacement mistletoe. Lovely walk with bits of snow and ice on the roadside, but not too treacherous underfoot.
Sun 20th Dec: 9,700 another good walk up the lane and yomping over the moors in the snow. A big YAY for ski pants! They almost looked at home with snow on them!
Mon 21st Dec: 3, 300. Paltry, was quite tired again today
Tues 22nd Dec: 9,100. Mainly accumulated doing our "big shop" in Sainsbo's!
Weds 23rd Dec: 6,800
Thurs 24th Dec:
Fri 25th Dec:
Went in for first chemo treatment from Tues - Thursday 24th 26th Nov
Number of walks round lake since operation = 4
1. on me own, b4 chemo Mon 23rd Nov.
2. with Mand on Friday, 27th Nov.
3. with B, Sunday, 29th Nov.
4. on me own, Tuesday, 1st Dec.
(I thought it was going to be icy, but by time I got out, could really have gone on bike: no ice left! but had eye on Christmas shopping too!)
Have got a battery and resurrected the stepper - ridiculously low score, cos I didn't really go out, Thursday 3rd Dec .. 3,300 ... need to do better than that!
Friday 4th Dec: 10, 800.First walk around lake with stepper on ... Not bad but thought it would be more!
Sat 5th Dec: 6,500
Sun 6th Dec: 4, 200
Monday 7th Dec: 7,200 - good considering I didn't go out!
Tuesday's score went over 14,000 - but that wasn't really walking, cos I was on the bike .. so the count is unreliable, sometimes pedal strokes count, and sometimes they dont -- hmm, might work better with counter on sock instead of waist-band ... ?
Wednesday 9th Dec: 10,700 - pretty good, amassed in car parks of various shops and around town.
Thursday 10th Dec: only 3,500 -- but I was very low-key cos the last two days and the 2nd swine flu jab really wore me out, and I needed to rest today.
Friday 11th Dec: 10,700 -pretty good, and goes to show how much walking I do when I pop up town.
Sat 12th Dec: 9,200 - this included a delightful little climb up on the Roaches, such a bright sunny day, and with lovely friends too.
Sunday 13th Dec: 12,300 - round the Italian gardens and 1/2 the lake today. More sun and more great fun with the two jays.
Monday 14th Dec: 7,500
Tues 15th Dec: 4,300 - in hospital, dunno how it got so high?
Weds 16th Dec: 1,200 - in hospital, in bed mostly!
Thurs 17th Dec: c. 3000? can't remember, but we did walk a bit when I got out of hospital
Fri 18th Dec: 7,100 ... seems low considering Mand and I went round the gardens and the lake and the shops today, at Trentham!
Sat 19th Dec: 10,200. Good walk up the back to Thursfield's Garden Centre, to get replacement mistletoe. Lovely walk with bits of snow and ice on the roadside, but not too treacherous underfoot.
Sun 20th Dec: 9,700 another good walk up the lane and yomping over the moors in the snow. A big YAY for ski pants! They almost looked at home with snow on them!
Mon 21st Dec: 3, 300. Paltry, was quite tired again today
Tues 22nd Dec: 9,100. Mainly accumulated doing our "big shop" in Sainsbo's!
Weds 23rd Dec: 6,800
Thurs 24th Dec:
Fri 25th Dec:
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Back on The Bike
Yay - not quite 6 weeks since the operation, but thought it was OK since we were only going on the flat ..
We drove out to Okeover and did ten miles up the Tissington Trail ... took about an hour and there were very few other people about.
We had lunch at the Okeover Arms, a great pub with a lovely landlord and landlady if you are ever near Ashbourne, their food is excellent.
This week my weight was still 11st 12, which is GOOD.
I celebrated this with cheese and bacon oatcake for breakfast and panini and chips for lunch at the pub!
.. oh well, I wont be eating much this week when I am in hospital for nearly three days!
Other major news this week is that I drove myself out to Trentham and walked all around the lake, proving to myself that I CAN go all around very easily AS WELL AS the great issue of getting myself out on my own too .. so YAY!
A good week ...
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
progress
Five weeks since the operation.
Pleased to note that I am still under 12 stone and not piling weight on due to inactivity .. it's hard when you're at home all day not to snack a lot .. I keep saying I'm going to eat fruit if I want to snack ... hmmm
My target weight is 11 stones and I really would like to get there, it's important when you're losing weight to have a goal, and that is mine... even though progress has been slowed right down the past three months or so, it is still going down, bit at a time.
We walked a fair bit in Llandudno this weekend, several times up and down the promenade, and one long haul up the gardens (Happy Valley, is it really called that!?) and along the top of the Orme to the very summit ... it's not exactly Mont Ventoux, but it is quite steep, in parts and I enjoyed the climb. Even better: it was sunny and we didn't need the ski pants!
What is amazing about eating out is the way menus conceal huge amounts of calories. OK - you expect cream if you order a pudding but when you order salmon and cabbage you dont expect the cabbage bit to be more bacon and cream than cabbage, do you? Well I didn't .. on reflection it did say "creamed" cabbage on the menu, but literally two spoons of shredded cabbage and three spoons of cream ...
on the other hand it was delicious and went amazingly well with the fish!
:)
Pleased to note that I am still under 12 stone and not piling weight on due to inactivity .. it's hard when you're at home all day not to snack a lot .. I keep saying I'm going to eat fruit if I want to snack ... hmmm
My target weight is 11 stones and I really would like to get there, it's important when you're losing weight to have a goal, and that is mine... even though progress has been slowed right down the past three months or so, it is still going down, bit at a time.
We walked a fair bit in Llandudno this weekend, several times up and down the promenade, and one long haul up the gardens (Happy Valley, is it really called that!?) and along the top of the Orme to the very summit ... it's not exactly Mont Ventoux, but it is quite steep, in parts and I enjoyed the climb. Even better: it was sunny and we didn't need the ski pants!
What is amazing about eating out is the way menus conceal huge amounts of calories. OK - you expect cream if you order a pudding but when you order salmon and cabbage you dont expect the cabbage bit to be more bacon and cream than cabbage, do you? Well I didn't .. on reflection it did say "creamed" cabbage on the menu, but literally two spoons of shredded cabbage and three spoons of cream ...
on the other hand it was delicious and went amazingly well with the fish!
:)
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
moving
OK - it's not much on the great scale of things, but I am determined to keep moving more through this lot of treatment than I did last time, for all sorts of reasons.
To this end I need to go out on my own and walk, and when I am fit enough to ride again, to ride on my own.
I managed to do get out and walk on Monday and again today. This is a massive achievement because getting myself up and out on my own is hard for me. I feel VERY GOOD!
I try to kid myself it's cos I am sociable and like a companion for my activity, but I think the truth is that I quickly revert to lazy when I am on my own without someone encouraging me to move!
haha ...
To this end I need to go out on my own and walk, and when I am fit enough to ride again, to ride on my own.
I managed to do get out and walk on Monday and again today. This is a massive achievement because getting myself up and out on my own is hard for me. I feel VERY GOOD!
I try to kid myself it's cos I am sociable and like a companion for my activity, but I think the truth is that I quickly revert to lazy when I am on my own without someone encouraging me to move!
haha ...
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
CANCER
dja know, I never really swear in these blogs -- family audience and all ..
but seriously
FUCK, FUCK, FUCKITY FUCK
I was SO sure I was ok --- so sure, and SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO wrong.
Anyrate - lance wasn't the only one who could cycle up hills with mets on his lungs .. I have mets on my lungs, one on either side. Neat, symmetrical and seriously bad news.
And a "mini-muffin" sized tumour on my bowel has already been chopped out .. so I can hardly walk atm, never mind get on my bike.
The good news is my surgeon said I was a "dream to operate on" (great muscle tone, low resting pulse, low blood pressure etc) so the fitness regime has certainly helped.
In the back on my mind this 66% possibility of dealing with secondaries was always part of what the whole fitness thing was about ..
but still
FUCK FUCK FUCKITY FUCK, eh?
but seriously
FUCK, FUCK, FUCKITY FUCK
I was SO sure I was ok --- so sure, and SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO wrong.
Anyrate - lance wasn't the only one who could cycle up hills with mets on his lungs .. I have mets on my lungs, one on either side. Neat, symmetrical and seriously bad news.
And a "mini-muffin" sized tumour on my bowel has already been chopped out .. so I can hardly walk atm, never mind get on my bike.
The good news is my surgeon said I was a "dream to operate on" (great muscle tone, low resting pulse, low blood pressure etc) so the fitness regime has certainly helped.
In the back on my mind this 66% possibility of dealing with secondaries was always part of what the whole fitness thing was about ..
but still
FUCK FUCK FUCKITY FUCK, eh?
Monday, 14 September 2009
more sportifs
I sort of feel like I'm getting bit by a cycling bug .. and want to do more organised rides .. There is a not too long one next month, which I reckon I can do - organised by Rourke's bike shop .. called the Cat and Fiddle.
Went out to look at the Cat and Fiddle climb this weekend .. it is lovely out there .. did 30 miles with two long climbs in it .. and tbh the c&f is not a hard climb, just a bit long and gentle, which suits me! Lovely views out as well.
I had my new (look) pedals and shoes on today - new pedals are a bit of a trick when starting off up-hill -- but I guess I'll get used to the technique of spinning it round to click in .. they feel great when I an actually peddling .. rock solid!
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