84KG

You see you must understand why it is so hard for me to stick to the diet, I am running like crazy, the diet is not doing so well, I am still at 84KG which is good! I am racing at Pembray race track this weekend, we hope I will be sailing past the competition with my 10KG less than last year.

Summary

So in order to ride this little TZ250j from www.fondseca.com this is what I have achieved since january 24 2010, running nearly every day starving myself, with the encouragement of the Steele man who has followed me just about everyday.


24, March 2010 83.9KG
23, 84.2KG
22, 84.3KG
21, 85KG
20, 85.5KG
18, 85.8KG
16, 84.5KG
13, 84.8KG
8, 85.5KG
4, 84.8KG
3, 85.4KG
2, 84.9KG
1, 85.1KG
28, Febuary 2010 85.4KG
26, 86.8KG
25, 87.2KG
24, 88KG
22, 88.1KG
21, 88.2KG
11, 88.8KG
10, 89KG
9, 89.2KG
8, 88.7KG
5, 89.4KG
24, January 2010 93.7KG

Reps

So the Steele man does not agree on me postponing the reps part of my exercise program, so tomorrow I have to start! here's what he says
"You really do need to get on and do those reps. They are a very important part of your exercise programme! Really, they are. And you are fit enough to do them! So do them tomorrow PLEASE. Trust the STEELE MAN on this!"
Up until now this program has been quite easy.....

The Real Exercise Begins!!!

So now its starts to get serious, up untill now it has just been a warm up to the real thing, the first step of course is to lose weight to I can actually get on this racing machine, then I have to be in tip top shape to be able to ride it fast. Also the reality is that falling off will happen, when we are fit and strong this is not too bad, we can bounce right back. So here is the new program, not to start right away as you see so I have time to get used to it. And I get a day off, pretty good
Here is your new diet and exercise plan. You have one week to invoke it (so you are to start it on Monday 8th March).

Firstly. Your new exercise plan.

NB. You should be pacing between 85 to 90 paces per minute. So you will need a watch that beeps every minute!

It does not matter what time of day you do these. The important thing though, is that you have 24 hours rest between them.

Monday:-
45 Minute Run

Tuesday
45 Minute Run

Wednesday
45 Minute Run

Thursday
45 Minute Run

Friday - Sessions
10 Minute warm up Jog
4 Minute Sprint (run as fast as you can)
1 Minute Rest (keep moving, turn round and jog to your new start line)
4 Minute Sprint (run as fast as you can)
1 Minute Rest (keep moving, turn round and jog to your new start line)
4 Minute Sprint (run as fast as you can)
1 Minute Rest (keep moving, turn round and jog to your new start line)
4 Minute Sprint (run as fast as you can)
1 Minute Rest (keep moving, turn round and jog to your new start line)
4 Minute Sprint (run as fast as you can)
1 Minute Rest (keep moving, turn round and jog to your new start line)
4 Minute Sprint (run as fast as you can)
10 Minute warm down jog home

Saturday
Rest Day

Sunday:-
60 Minute Run

Good luck and do your best, The Steele Man

The New Man begins

I think that with the progress I am making here is very good, right from how I feel mentally and physically, also there is a great sense of achievement, the running is getting easier, I feel better in the mornings, drinking is nearly cut out completely. The Steele man has to say "Your headaches more than likely were due to the wine. Soon, your body's muscles will get used to the exercise you are giving them every day and the effort you are putting in to perform your exercise will become easier and, your energy level throughout the whole day, will increase"
From the horses mouth as they say!

Steele Man

Some reassuring words from the Steele man, but no rewards yet!
"Francis. 5.7kg loss is good going. However, as you are aware, the loss rate is on a reducing sliding scale. So you now have to step up the work rate and get on a "power diet". Before this starts you need to get yourself into a couple of independent running shops to compare their shoe reccomendations and, buy yourself a watch that you can set to beep every minute during exercise. Mine's a Polar S810

I shall write up your power diet and revised exercise programme during this week. In the meantime keep up the good effort. You are doing well so pat yourself on the back (by the way, that's not code for open a bottle of wine)!!"
So I have to work even harder now... Yikes

89KG (196.2lbs)

Ice and snow, the ground is hard as rock, but at 6.55am I was out running, did my 3.5KM feeling good about it, ready for the ski trip thats coming up, not sure how the diet will go while skiing, always cheese and fatty foods to eat, but skiing all day long is pretty good exercise. The Steele man has analyzed my running shoes, I emailed photo's of them, this is what he said "Looks like you pronate to the instep when you run (not an issue if you have running shoes that compensate for this). If you don't, then you could get sore ankles and knees. So given this, who dispensed these shoes? Did you choose them yourself or were they chosen by a running shop as a result of videoing you you running along? If the former (not the latter), then you might want to take yourself to a specialist running shop and get them to watch you run and advise you whether or not these are fine (so take them along). Or whether or not they need to dispense you a new pair of running shoes. A word of warning, a large chain store sports shop with a running machine and an employee who has been trained by a manual is not what you need. Find an independent shop owned by someone who knows what he is doing !!" So next step proper running shop, OK. Then there is how fast I run, I am now timing my 3.5 KM run, 25 minutes. The problem is this is not very accurate as I forget to look at the watch either on my return or the start!!!!
The estimate from the Steele man so far is "10.7 minute mileing" over 1.8 miles and that 8 minute mileing over 5 miles is your end of August target! " Yikes I have until August to get up to 5 miles, thats 8KM!!!

89.2KG(196.5Lbs)

So this where I run everyday, nice place to run I think! So the weight game has changed, I have to weigh myself just before going to bed, this is strange as at 11.30pm I weighed 89.2KG(196.5lbs) but this morning at 7.30am after my morning run I weighed 88.3KG(194.5lbs) how can one lose weight while sleeping? anyway its still going down, last night grilled chicken with a little balsamic, steamed carrots and courgettes. This morning tangerine juice and jordans country crisp, banana and a coffee.
So I asked the Steele man about running while on our ski vacation, I have to run just once a day before breakfast, as the chalet in on a hill (yes french alps) do I run up first then return downhill, and I quote
"Go up first then to ensure that you get heat in your body!"

88.7KG(195.5lbs)

This morning after my run, but before breakfast, I am 88.7KG(195.5lbs)so the Steele method is going well,I did not have this for breakfast, in a few months I will treat myself to this!
I did have country crisp (Jordans) cereal with fresh made apple juice(no milk) then some fromage blanc (un flavoured yogurt)
So I am pushing on, I would think the run would be easier after a while, but it's still tough getting back home and I only run a little over 3KM. I really feel its the exercise 2 times a day is the trick, then next its eating not only less but cutting out the bread, potato's. Feeling good this morning.
Of course the Steel Man has to dash my feeling of accomplishment and I quote
"Your weight reduction is good however, losing 2kg as a result of a run is normal. To find your real weight you should weigh
yourself before you go to bed at night"
So tomorrow I will post my weight from tonight.

Saturday

Saturday, my wifes birthday, small bike ride to buy all those french cakes for breakfast, I resist, only to take a small piece of baguette and jam with my coffee, what a sin..... didn't weigh myself yet, octopus for lunch with salad, very good, boiled for 20 mins with some herbs and spices. Fruit for dessert......... I am kind of getting used to this, even enjoying the extra exercise, but more "the exercise" would not go amiss though. Lots of fruit, that is the message.
Had an interesting comment from a nieghbor and I will quote, keep all this up, I need all the encouragement

Hello my friend, an advice from one of your fellow-citizen, Steve Winwood from Spencer Davis Group :


Keep on runnin'
Keep on ridin'
One fine day you're gonna be the one
Who's gonna lose some weight

Hey hey hey
Everyone is talkin' about you
Makes you feel so fat
Hey hey hey
Everyone is laughing at you
Makes you think of a diet and you
Keep on runnin'
Hey hey
All right!

Keep on swimmin'
Swimmin' with your arms
One fine day you're gonna be the one
Who's gonna win all the races
Oh yeah
You're gonna be thin, man

Hey hey hey
Everyone will starin' at you
Makes them feel envious
Hey hey hey
Everyone will talkin' to you
Wants to know your secret but you'll
Keep on runnin'
Hey hey
All tight!

Brno, a fellow-neighbour

YIKES, no wine

having asked the Steele Man if I could have a drink this weekend to congratulate myself for doing so well, 4KG in 2 weeks I would say pretty good! this is what he says, and I quote
"Having a drink and bit of a food reward once a week is, sorry to be harsh a bit too frequent at this stage of your programme. More rewarding would be Waiting until you get to 86 kg then reward yourself! The reward will feel better as you would have achieved a milestone!"
So I guess I have to make it to 86KG(189lbs)
So today I got up at
7am, ran for 25 minutes then stretched for 5 minutes and 50 sit-ups
Breakfast was Country Crisp cereal with whole milk and a little yogurt, then a banana
12 midday I swam for one hour none stop, fast crawl, and had homemade carrot soup and then tomato and avocado salad, for dessert a kiwi
6.30pm I plan on running 25 minutes and 5 mins stretch...... its only 5.30 so gotta get to it.
tonight for dinner we have lamb chops, soup and salad for me, the children get chips (fries) home made.

the diet begins

Well since 10 years I have been saying get in shape go on a diet, drink less..... always an excuse always tomorrow. So the 24th January I decided to do it. With the help of the Steele Man in the UK I am going well. I was 93.7 KG(206.5lbs) on the 24th Jan 2010, today the 5th Feb 2010 I am 89.4KG(197lbs) I asked a friend in the UK to help me, this is all done via email on our telephones (I am in France) I would like to include the first emil he sent me. I had said I wanted to get down to 83KG before march!! this is because at 48 years old I am going back to motorcycle racing, I was racing TZ 250 and 350 when I was 20 years old and weighed 79.5KG (175lbs) at 1.94m ( 6f 3in) as I am riding a 250cc machine I need to weigh less, and of course being in shape makes a huge difference. So here is his first mail
"Regarding the running, 9 kg in 3 months is only going to be achieved via discipline! So, none of the following until April 30th. Alcohol, wine cheese fois gras etc. In fact your diet must be Fruit with fat free yoghurt, Pasta (no rich sauces allowed) and grilled fish with salad or veg (no gravy). Halve all your portion sizes from what they were yesterday and ditch bread and toast. Then for exercise, at 6:30am hydrate 800ml of water over 20 mins while shaving then run for 25 minutes. Push up pace as high as possible for last 5 minutes. Repeat hydration and run at 6:30pm (times of day you take the exercise are not important, the 12 hour rest cycle however, is important). After the runs stick heel on a wall at hip height for 2 minutes per leg to stretch leg muscles. If knees and hips start aching then you are going to have to swim instead for 50 minutes in morning and 50 minutes in evening. Then last but not least increase sexual activity. Hope this helps.
Well there are some good points