Juneathon
Janathon Day 5: Controlled Drowning
05/01/11 15:30
So today, I had my first front crawl swimming lesson at Clissold Leisure Centre with Caroline Dewsnap, who mostly teaches children but who will tak on an old bloke like me who never really learnt to swim.
She asked me to do a length front crawl and a length breast stroke to show her what I had.
I did the breast stroke the best way I know how (which is mostly head up and with wonky legs), then I thrashed and gulped my way back in a controlled drowning sort of a way that I have fondly come to know as my front crawl.
First Caroline got me to work on my legs.
To begin to fix my leg stroke she had me swimming on my back with a float under each arm. I was instructed to keep my legs close together, with my toes sightly pointng in, moving my whole leg, keeping the knee straight. As my face was pointing up, this felt easy, and as she screamed at me to go faster I was OK with this, though I thought I'd certainly drown if I had this breath rate face in the water.
Next up, yes you guessed it, same again but on my front. Even with my face out of the water I arrived at the other end of the pool knackered, and rather awash with chlorinated water (no doubt full of other peoples bogies - nice)
How can that be?
I'm pretty fit, I can run a bit, I can cycle OK, this swimming lark is exhusting.
After I had caught my breath, Caroline said she wanted to work on arm entry next. So she attached a hand paddle to one hand, gave me a float for the other arm and showed me how my hand should enter the water, and move down my body.
I love articial swimming aids.
Floats help stop me drowning, hand paddles get me to the other end faster.
Infact the hand paddle aside from making me faster, was helpful in making me aware where my had was and how it should move.
After 30 mins of this, mercifully the lesson was over, and I could not drink another drop.
Homework?
- 10 mins of working my legs till they burn with a float (yes!)
- 10 mins of practicing my arm and hand position using a paddle (yes!)
Two times until next week.
Can I crawl? - no I can't.
Well not yet anyway, just 22 weeks till the Blenheim Tri, and I've got to start somewhere.
Comments
In need of a little motivation?
19/11/10 12:01
Sign up to Janathon!
Following this summers highly successful "Juneathon" Blogger Cathy White (Jog Blog) has set up the winter counterpart of this brilliant month of exercise.
The rules are simple.
In January ... Exercise everyday, Blog everyday.
The person who runs the most (and follows these simple 2 rules wins)
I did the Juneathon, and I felt like a king by the end of the month, it was great to have a group to belong too (based all over the UK, and abroad) who too an interest and cheered each other on.
It's free to enter and you can sign up here.
AudioFuel will make 2 free running music mixes to keep you all moving too.
Yea for JogBlog and the best running community ever.
Get Ready for Janathon
28/09/10 08:52
But which logo? (Feel free to comment!)
For all of us that enjoyed Juneathon (a month of exercise every day in June) I'm thrilled to tell you Cathy from Jog Blog has agreed to run the winter brother of Juneathon - Janathon.
Over the next month or so the website will get built and the registration will open.
Word on the street is there is a pretty tastly prize on offer for the person who clock up the most k's in January.
Janathon, the perfect way to start a fit 2011. Read more about it here on Jog Blog, where you will also find an excruciating and impossible not to giggle at video... I'll say no more.
Post-Juneathon Party in the Park
12/07/10 11:17
© Copyright Claire Ward
Juneathon organiser Cathy of Jog Blog and I got round to talking about us Juneathoners have a meet-up in London to celebrate all our hard work with some food and drink.
So, the date has been arranged for Saturday, 17 July.
Adam from Fitness Footwear will be coming along and he will be handing over personally to this year’s Juneathon winner – Adele – her prize of VFFs.
We’ll be meeting around noon at the bandstand in Hyde Park, then there will be an optional run of around 5k, then meeting back up at around 1pm to have the prize-giving and a picnic (weather permitting). So, if you want to run, bring your running gear (Cathy is not running and can look after any bags) and if you want to eat and drink, bring food and wine/beer/Coca Cola/orange juice/water/whatever or if you just want to come along and hang out, that’s fine too.
Stats:
Where: Bandstand, Hyde Park
When: Saturday, 17 July 2010
What time: 12 noon
What to bring: Running gear, food, wine, beer
Juneathon Final Report
30/06/10 16:19
Juneathon what a wonderful month of exercise. Big respect to Cathy at Jog Blog, Jogger Blogger Richard, and the independent Adjudicator Shaun of the iliketocount blog for setting it up and getting us all motivated.
I could claim to have exercised whilst being best man last weekend, there was no shortage of dashing around that weekend for sure, alas I did not blog, and so I blew Juneathon. I'll have to buy my own vibram five fingers from top sponsor fitnessfootwear.com.
Day 29: Urban Gym
Day 30: First road-test of a 53 minute new intervals prototype (Hard but great)
My Juneathon Highlights, I've:
- Started blogging!
- Done my longest distance in a while
- Started Urban Gym
- Had my crotch checked out many times
- Done some Climbing
- Danced like a loon
- Got a new HRM going
- Tried a few apps
Best of all has been you. It's been great reading new blogs, the vibe on our Facebook Group has felt like home. I really feel like I've made a few new friends.
So thanks to everyone who's read my blog, commented, and generally joined in.
Next month... Julyathon!??!!
Juneathon Day 24: Inside a Nike+ Sensor
24/06/10 15:53
When I was a boy, I wondered how stuff worked.
For instance, when I was 4 I had a toy where you pointed an arrow at an animal, say, a cow. Pulled a string and the toy made the noise of a cow.
I just had to find out if there was a cow inside this toy (geese, sheep and other farm yard animals too), so I took to it with whatever implements I could find.
This urge has not left me.
So when my Nike+ foot sensor ran out of juice (and you can't change the battery as the 2 halves of the plastic casing are ultrasonically welded together), I took a kitchen knife to it.
This is what is inside.
PCB (Printed circuit board) at the top, battery on the bottom. Note 2 small screws.
Undoing these screws reveals a semi circular metal strip sporting a sensor of some kind on the left hand side.
I'm no expert in these matters, but I'd say that was some kind of clever accelerometer thingamy wotsit.
So there you have it, now you know what's inside your Nike+ Sensor.
I'm off for a 5 rhythms dance tonight so that's my Juneathon sweat taken care of.
Juneathon Day 23: Day of Reckoning
23/06/10 09:25
Just got back from a 5k:
Average Heart Rate: 151 BPM
Time: 25:56
5'10" per km
Anyway, the big news for today is the footie (Budget, that was sooo yesterday...)
Photo Credit: Jon Juan.
Will we win? Well, not if we played like the last match.
I really enjoyed watching Spain last night, if only we could get a bit of that kind of vibe going down in South Africa Today...
Juneathon Day 22: Summer = Chilled wine?
22/06/10 22:33
Just a quick one from me today, a cycle ride into town and back, after a few days of notching up some k's running.
Cycling in London on a hot sunny early evening - wonderful. What is it about summer that makes me want to have a glass of wine outside somwhere?
Weird, a really strong urge... anyone else feel the same?
Juneathon Day 21: The "Touch the Sky Effect"
21/06/10 09:14
Just a quick one from me this morning as we enter the 4th week of Juneathon.
A stunning day here in London, and I went for a 10k run to Victoria Park and back.
The last track I listened to was Touch the Sky on the first hour of the mid intensity long run.
Woohoo, I just let myself fly, from trotting along at an average heart rate of 148 Heart BPM, and doing 5'50" km, the last km went by in 5'02".
What a feeling, magic!
And big thanks to Howie for composing such a killer track.
Juneathon Day 19: Priscilla
19/06/10 12:00
Last night, my most wonderful sister (also head honcho at the London Nutrition Clinic, and our Nutritional Expert) and I took my mum to the theatre for her Birthday.
We went to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
I had not seen the film so did not know anything about it, except that the film won an Oscar for the costumes (I think).
It was fab.
A bit like the current Glee phenomenon, Priscilla uses a lot of fantastically well known music in the narrative, to help tell the story. And glammed up in a FABOULOUS DAHLING transvestite OTT manner makes it a big musical experience.
My favourite use of a hit to tell part of the story was when a character called Trumpet had died. The funeral scene started with the Communards hit "Don't leave me this way", and the gathered crowd of friends singing as they danced round his coffin, imploring the already dead Trumpet to not go.
Wonderful stuff, and I'd like that played at my funeral if anyone remembers.
(Interesting factoid: apparently Trumpet's name was nothing to do with his musical abilities, but the shape of his willy with foreskin stretched to accommodate a ginger nut biscuit. Alas, I digress)
I'm not that into musicals, but I have to say Priscilla Queen of the Desert, was a real hoot.
Enough of that madness, what of exercise I hear you say.
For today's Juneathon, I cracked out a 12k, the furthest I've been in a while.
Average HR was 150 BPM, as I try to go slowly and build my areobic base.
Juneathon Day 18: Like a lucky spider on LSD
18/06/10 16:16
For today's Juneathon, I rode like a nutter round London. My route reminds me of those experements of spiders on LSD.
Let me assure you it is only the somewhat random nature of the meetings I had and their geographical spread that lead to this pattern.
I had the great pleasure of meeting Tom from Asics, and Phil of RedRocket Blog, along my way.
There are some fine folk in London today brimming with ideas and support, and I feel lucky.
Juneathon Day 16: Things I thought about
16/06/10 11:05
I love how thinking is when you run (well when I run anyways).
It does seem like once you have settled into the run (and providing you're not pushing too hard) the old brain does seem to think in a different kind of way...
Today I thought about how expensive photos of yourself crossing the finish line are, and I had the urge to set up a hi res video camera, and film everyone crossing the finish line at some race or event, and then putting each and every of the 24 frames each second on website for people to download free of for some modest amount like a pound.
I thought about wanting to spray some 1 km markers on the pavement of my canal run, so I would know exactly where each 1 k splt was.
I thought about asking Senheisser if they would donate a few free pairs of headphones as extra Juneathon prizes.
I thought about the music I was running with and how lovely it was.
I had moments of euphoria, and ran with my eyes closed in Victoria Park, like a mediation, and I thought about blind runners and how it would be to buddy up with a blind charity to invite people who can see to run a blind 5k.
I thought about the App we are building and if a subscription model to 'the AudioFuel Running Club' would work.
and I thought about life and death.
I love running.
Sometimes.
Distance: 10k
Ave Heart Beat: 149 BPM
Time: 55:25
Music: Run Free First Hour
Juneathon Day 15: Let me explain why I need to burn some calories
15/06/10 11:35
Last night Best Men and Ushers gathered to celebrate (and plan) Tom and Tor's wedding.
I'd offered to make a pan of pasta or curry, but Tom is a much loved man with many friends in many places.
So we had the real treat of beng cooked for by Mike who runs London's Quality Chop House.
Bridegroom Tom with Mike hard at it in the Kitchen
This is why I need to give it some at tonight’s Urban Gym:
MENU
Elderflower, vodka and Champagne cocktails
Canapés:
Oysters
Smoked Eel with horseradish mustard and crème fraiche on buttered Sourdough
First Course
Tomato and Anchovy Salad
Second Course
Potted Shrimps, Bread and Butter
Main Course
Pan Fried Sea Bream served on a warm beetroot and chervil salad
Pudding
A fresh mango Pavlova and Pudding wine
Cheese, Biscuits and Port
Coffee
It was an huge treat to spend time with Tom and friends, but to be cooked and served such an incredible meal in the comfort of your own home is pretty special.
You can check out Mike's cooking at the Quality Chop House website or, email Mike direct.
Burp.
Juneathon Day 14: Aggghh I've blown it
14/06/10 16:30
So one of the main reasons I've been Blogging my nuts off, Running, Urban Gyming, Climbing, Dancing and doing pulls us is so I can win these in this years Juneathon:
These funny looking things are vibram five fingers and they are the main prize offered by the complely decent folks at fitnessfootwear.com.
Sadly, my planned 10k was not possible becuase of a frantic morning, and the day is seriously running out for me. You see, I'm best man at a wedding next week, and me, the goom the other best man (why have just one?) and the ushers are having a dinner tonight.
So today is looking like the first day when I don't do exercise (is it OK to do a few pull ups instead?)
I guess I'll have to just plod in my old running shoes, I was hoping to win and use the vibram five fingers, as a mid way step to attempting a barefoot 5k.
Juneathon Day 13: Ohhh me lats
13/06/10 21:42
Those of you who read this blog by now know Sean is a bit of a Climbing Nut.
Sundays's workout was pull ups. And like all good climbing nuts, I have a finger training board in my son's bedroom. So we took it in turns to do pulls ups. He is 6 and did 6 (with only a teeny bit of assistance).
I'm 44 and he suggested I did 44 pullups.
His assistance was not that much cop and I did not do 44.
Gives the old latissimus dorsi a proper workout and make no mistake.
Juneathon Day 12: Many miles on 2 wheels with Bob
12/06/10 21:38
Evening.
Bob and I hung out today, and seeing as how he is not into 10k's or interval training, but does love his new bike and parks, that's where we headed today. Shoreditch Park has a fab tire swing that once he was scared of.
Now he can't get high enough or fast enough. ("Look at me, no hands...or in this case ...no feet")
And it was strangely satisfying to se the wild grass lands of inner London are thriving...
We then did our biggest bike ride ever to a Garden Center to by the kit required for chemical warfare on the mealey bugs that have turned my fig tree into something more akin to a giant cotton bud.
The nice man in the store sold me the WMD with a nice smile and a loving gaian energy.
Nice cruisy Juneathon day...
Juneathon Day 11: 10k in the bag
11/06/10 18:42
My 10k this morning was BLISS. I LOVE running at 144 Heart Beats per Minute.
My new headphones worked well, (Thanks to Isabel, Nicola and Matt for the steer) though my ears felt just a bit sore after nearly an hour... given that my nick name once was 'pin head' on account of the more slender circumference of my cranium, I'd warn you that these 'phones could be a bit clamp like if you've got a big head.
If you're flagging a bit after 11 days non stop workout, and need a boost, get this 25 min Juneathon mix here. (it's free!)
Juneathon Day 10: Saying Yes
10/06/10 13:08
A couple of years ago I discovered 5 Rhythms dance, and tonight, as most weeks. I'll spend 2 hours dancing in deep learning.
It sounds odd to describe dance as deep learning, yet this is what I find.
My body learning to move in new ways.
My emotions learning new way to be heard.
My spirit expanding and contracting as the rhythms change.
But mostly, what I’m finding, is a time and place to observe and begin to understand what my mind is saying, to witness my own unhinged crazy head, and the endless stream of useless and sometimes negative chatter it has the ability to make.
The 2 hours of dance are like a hologram of an entire life time.
Moments of joy, dissonance, connection, fear, unity and isolation… It all shows up. Every facet of life.
Sometimes I love the music and the vibe and want to dance with it, sometimes I just want the awful music to just stop NOW.
Just like life, different energies and situations must be faced, though I could sit out, or go to the loo, or use anyone of a number of strategies to not be there, to not be in a moment that does not feel harmonious to me.
And this is the learning.
Saying ‘Yes’ to whatever comes along. Life has a way of presenting many moments I’d rather not face, where I’d rather say NO. Yet here in the middle of dance, in that safe environment, I am learning to say yes.
Interestingly, in my work life too, I occasionally run workshops and meetings, part of the art of being a good facilitator is to say yes to whatever people want to bring to the meeting. Fear, anger, upset as well as joy, enthusiasm and tricky questions must be welcomed if the meeting is to be authentic.
Are you saying yes to what life is offering you today?
With thanks to http://www.plesritmova.net/ for the image of the dancer.
Juneathon Day 9 Already: Beaten by my own rhetoric
09/06/10 22:59
At 7:30pm I posted this on facebook:
"Juneathon day 9 already. Sean is off climbing at the castle indoor climbing center. All this fitness lark seems to be giving me more energy. Anyone else feel the same?"
Then I get to the Castle and can't climb for toffee.
After only 4 routes (2 of which I don't climb clean) I need to drink beer and eat.
I blame the Urban Gym for shagging me out yesterday.
"Juneathon day 9 already. Sean is off climbing at the castle indoor climbing center. All this fitness lark seems to be giving me more energy. Anyone else feel the same?"
Then I get to the Castle and can't climb for toffee.
After only 4 routes (2 of which I don't climb clean) I need to drink beer and eat.
I blame the Urban Gym for shagging me out yesterday.
Memoryathon Day 8 - Now what were all those moves called?
08/06/10 21:29
Just back from Urban Gym, and that Adam bloke can sure work a lot of moves into an hours 3 mile run.
Nice place to work out - unless you like Bankers, cigatette butts, Taxi Fumes, Noise, Broken Glass...
Mind you I did not see any used needles in this fine part of London Town.
A bit like The Generation Game we did...
- Running on the spot hand to knees
- Jogging out to next station
- Fast step back and forth up 1 step, arms out, up, side and punching.
- Sprint to next station
- A circuit of Sprinting on the Spot, Jumping side to side, big jumps bum to the ground and squats or beasties (?)
- Jumping up steps 2 at a time
- A circuit of pushups and some kind of weird ab exercise where you sit on your bum, and straighten your legs in front of you
- Jogging out to next spot.
- A group sex like exercise where one person sits legs at 90 degrees with back against the wall, then the others for a line in in front with hands on the person behind knees to do squats - this WILL give the people in the pub on their 4th pint a laugh...
- Jogging out to next spot.
- One Arm bar pulls where you hold onto a railing and do a sort of easy pull up
- Jogging out to next spot.
- A circuit of tricep squats and then dips using a bit of modern art in the city (fine use for it too)
- Jogging out to next spot.
And a whole bunch of other stuff... crunches, traverse crunches, wheelbarrows, leg lifts, planks, push ups wide arm feet-on-the-ground pull ups, close hand feet-on-the-ground pull ups.
Sod it I'm bored tying this endless list, and HUNGRY!
Lets just say you do a lot of stuff in an hour.
My HRM said Ave Hr 139BPM, Max 164 BPM.
Juneathon Day 7: WeThink
07/06/10 08:48
Juneathon Day 6: Just got back from a blast with Pyramid 200 MAX which lived up to its name and maxed me out.
Again.
Its Monday, and I'm in a reflective mood.
I feel like taking stock of what's on the to do list especially in relation to making some new programmes.
The list that is growing out of recent conversations with the world best Facebook friends is shaping up like this:
1. A High Intensity Sports Conditioning Intervals programme
2. A less intense Pyramid Session - Pyramid 180 MAX
3. One of our world best Facebook friends, Gene Soboleski and I are kicking around an Urban Jungle Workout
4. Another Facebook (and real world!) friend William, has asked for a track that does this:
- Opener (to anchor a start pace)
- Warm up
- Minimal beat (to let through sounds from environment)
- Powerful close
- Cool down
He says he feels a bit mean plugging in and drowning out when the sunset/dawn chorus is working so hard, and I quite like the idea.
So this is all making me think about our product development philosophy. In the last 18 months or so, its been mostly a case of we have an idea, we make a product, we offer it to the world on our website.
A colleague and I were recently debating product development here at AudioFuel. We discussed if to make something for few die-hard fans who want specific product, bottom up innovation if you like.
This has taken me back to some work I did as a consultant in 2007 with the Innovation Unit. Back then we were looking at innovation in education.
We were lucky enough to have Charles Leadbeater to come and talk with us about User Driven Innovation.
I dug out the video I made at the time and have put it here:
If I interpret what Charles is saying for AudioFuel, his advocacy would suggest we should:
1. Design & distribute tools... "How you we give people tools so they can help themselves" (Example: e-bay 122 - 122m in 10 years!)
2. Facilitate the community. "The answer is in the community, the knowledge is in the community" (Example: Wikipedia)
3. Unlock the creative potential of our ‘customers’. “Is there a completely different co-created, collaborative, open way of doing this”
4. Remember the you the audience "has taken to the stage" (Example: BBC)
Its also interesting to note that Charles went on to write a book called "We Think : Mass innovation, not mass production"
Like I said, I'm in a reflective mood today, but the more I think about it the more I like the bottom up apprach tp product development - so if you want an AudioFuel product of any kind, no matter how wild, drop me an email and lets see what we can make.
Right, I'd better get on and make some stuff.
Juneathon Day 6: Why run with a Heart Rate Monitor?
06/06/10 06:54
Why run with a Heart Rate Monitor ? (and how do you use it to get fitter??)
My main reason to use a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) is to try to improve my fitness level, that is to measure fitness as an improvement in the amount of work (longer distance / faster speed) I can do, at the same heart rate.
Two years ago, I got a bit nerdy about this goal and decided over a month to run at a fixed heart rate (which I set at 144 heart beats per minute, (right in my aerobic training zone) and log my heart rate at every 1km split.
On the first outing my average distance pace was 6mins and 2 seconds running at 144 Heart Beats per Minute (HBPM). 4 weeks and 12 outings later, my average distance pace had improved to 5 minutes and 45 seconds again at 144 HBPM.
My fitness had improved by 17 seconds per km (but from a low base!)
For me, a speed freak, it was PAINFUL to run that slowly, so the HRM was really helpful to slow me down so I could build and improve my Aerobic Base.
Building a strong aerobic base is really important before embarking on high intensity exercise which are usually anaerobic in nature. So if your not all that fit, think twice about pushing yourself really hard with an intervals workout (like our new Pyramid 200 MAX).
Instead invest a couple of months plodding, because a strong aerobic base will:
- Strengthen your lung muscles that facilitate air movement in and out of lungs
- Strengthen and enlarge your heart muscles to improve its efficiency in pumping blood throughout your body
- Develop your Endurance muscles
- Improving recovery rate of your muscles
- Decrease your Blood Pressure
- Decrease your Resting heart rate
- Increase your red blood cell count and improve the transport of oxygen around your body.
Today's run was a delighful 10k plod at 144 BPM listening to the first hour of Run Free. Loved it.
I bought my Timex HRM from www.heartratemonitor.co.uk .
Juneathon Day 5: Timetravel
05/06/10 13:45
For today's Juneathon session I rode up to the Castle Climbing center to do some bouldering on my lovely clean and shiny bike.
A couple of months ago I bought the Run Keeper App. Verdict on this release so far....
I'm a time traveller!
So today, I thought I'd try RunKeeper on a bike ride,
I stood outside my front door for ages while it searched (3 times) for a GPS signal. RunKeeper does not seem to let me hit start unless its got a signal, so I find I often have to get going, looking at the phone until it gets an amber or green GPS signal, before I can hit start.
Then there was the time I went for a 5k run and got this:
Check out these killer splits, including time travel between 3 and 4 km:
Bring on time travel... love it!
Juneathon Day 5. I'm NOT running tomorrow
04/06/10 18:55
Nope, I'm gonna go climbing instead. Yosemite would be great... (that's me)
The Castle climbing center in London will have to do.
If you wanna come cragging with me tomorrow - drop me an e-mail Sean@AudioFuel.co.uk and lets climb!
The Castle climbing center in London will have to do.
If you wanna come cragging with me tomorrow - drop me an e-mail Sean@AudioFuel.co.uk and lets climb!
Juneathon Day 4: A New 175 BPM Track by Tom Evans
04/06/10 15:06
If you've got a window, Open it. It's hot today, yea the summer is finaly here before it disappears again. yea!
Enough of that meet Tom:
Tom is a jolly good egg, multi talented and we are lucky to have found him. Well he found us really at the Music 4.5 conference earlier in the year.
As well as being our new part time Marketing Manager, he's a composer.
And he's written our first 175 BPM track, so in the mid day sun, I'm off to test it, and see if I can give myself heat stroke.
It you'd like to trial beta tracks as thay are in development, drop us a line Studio@AudioFuel.co.uk and we'll give you access to the new hidden part of our website, 'The Studio' where you can preview, and download work in progress, take it for a shimmy, and tell us what you think.
If you want to say hi to Tom, or get involved in our marketing activities, drop him a line: Tom@AudioFuel.co.uk
Right I'm off to melt my face off.
UPDATE
When the pool of sweat I'm swimming in evaporates, I'll tell you how it was.
Drip, drip Drip....
From 172 BPM to chips and beer in less than 90 minutes
03/06/10 22:12
Juneathon Day 3
Seeing as how its bedtime, this one will be mostly pictures.
As you know, I signed up to do this:
It started in London, by St Pauls here:
And this bloke is the instructor, he's called Adam.
He's fit, knows his stuff, and wanted to take each of us to our own edge.
Meet Anja and Angela, two of my workout buddies.
So after running for a bit, Adam says, "Put your feet here, and do crunches (he goes on to explain the physiology of the perfect crunch...) I take pics and kick back...
To be honest, the next 40 minutes is a bit of a blurr, after racing Angela in a sprint, my heart rate goes to 172 BPM and I forget that I wanted to take a few pics, as we do jumping up steps, crab crawls, jailbreakers, pushups, tricep pushups, planks, more push ups, and a dozen more set pieces I can't remember what they are called, whilst all the time interspersing with 'recovery jogs'. Later my HRM tells me my average heart rate was only 140 BPM, but I tell you it felt like more.
I was caught by surprise when Adam says, " Only 10 minutes to go" and so I dig out my phone, and take this pic.
I can't remember what the move is called, only that my hamstrings were on fire...
Later, Anja wants it deleted. I don't know why.
So in the final throws, I snap two pics as we run back to where we started.
I notice no one is sprinting now...
And after we stretch out, we all smile as though its been ace, when infact its been really hard work. Pretty, the woman on the right was a first timer (like Anja and Angela) and I think Angela's horrifying fitness scared her off. Hopefully not, cos she did ace.
Then we went to the pub and undid all the gain with what Adan said was 'empty calories' everytime some pissed bloke outside a pub made a juvenile attempt at humor.
Respect to Adam, and Urban Gym... there is so much more I could say about the new streets in London I found for the first time, new muscles found for the first time, pissed people in pubs taking the piss, but not very effectively, and the sunset on the Thames as we ran and ran and ran... but its too late and I'm off.
Seeing as how its bedtime, this one will be mostly pictures.
As you know, I signed up to do this:
It started in London, by St Pauls here:
And this bloke is the instructor, he's called Adam.
He's fit, knows his stuff, and wanted to take each of us to our own edge.
Meet Anja and Angela, two of my workout buddies.
So after running for a bit, Adam says, "Put your feet here, and do crunches (he goes on to explain the physiology of the perfect crunch...) I take pics and kick back...
To be honest, the next 40 minutes is a bit of a blurr, after racing Angela in a sprint, my heart rate goes to 172 BPM and I forget that I wanted to take a few pics, as we do jumping up steps, crab crawls, jailbreakers, pushups, tricep pushups, planks, more push ups, and a dozen more set pieces I can't remember what they are called, whilst all the time interspersing with 'recovery jogs'. Later my HRM tells me my average heart rate was only 140 BPM, but I tell you it felt like more.
I was caught by surprise when Adam says, " Only 10 minutes to go" and so I dig out my phone, and take this pic.
I can't remember what the move is called, only that my hamstrings were on fire...
Later, Anja wants it deleted. I don't know why.
So in the final throws, I snap two pics as we run back to where we started.
I notice no one is sprinting now...
And after we stretch out, we all smile as though its been ace, when infact its been really hard work. Pretty, the woman on the right was a first timer (like Anja and Angela) and I think Angela's horrifying fitness scared her off. Hopefully not, cos she did ace.
Then we went to the pub and undid all the gain with what Adan said was 'empty calories' everytime some pissed bloke outside a pub made a juvenile attempt at humor.
Respect to Adam, and Urban Gym... there is so much more I could say about the new streets in London I found for the first time, new muscles found for the first time, pissed people in pubs taking the piss, but not very effectively, and the sunset on the Thames as we ran and ran and ran... but its too late and I'm off.
Juneathon Day 3: Urban Gym
03/06/10 08:35
My plan for tonight is to get an hours workout with the Urban Gym.
I tried a free session last week, and rather enjoyed it in a pervese sort of way.
The way it works is you meet up (they run classes twice a week in London, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Nottingham) at given spot, then the instructor takes the group (in last weeks session no one else showed up, so I had a 1 to 1) on an hour long circuit that cover about 3 miles.
En route, every 2 or 3 minutes, you stop running and do situps, crunches, jumps, crab crawls, pull ups, pushups etc, often using steps, rails, walls, ceilings etc, to assist with the workout.
Because my shiny new HRM has finally turned up, I plan to see what kind of MAX HR I go to tonight. Last week there was an interval type session of sprints and 30 second recoveries that got pretty intense.
After I had tried the free session, I was nicely knackered having had a full body workout, and having pushed harder than I would have alone.
I'm so looing forward to doing this session with three of my great mates who I've persuaded to try it free tonight; the ever speedy Angela Kennedy aka mOTOPERPETIO, service design goddess Anja Kluver, and world famous uber Osteopath Maxine Hamilton-Stubber.
Juneathon Day 2: Smile and get run over
02/06/10 09:27
Junathon Day 2.
With the blue sky's and sun shining, full of joy and love toward my fellow humankind I set off for a run this morning, with an intent to experiment with smiling at the people I met alng the Regents Canal tow path.
"Smile and Run Faster" was an idea put to me from a recent friend I met through Facebook, Tom Farrand (fastest man in the first AudioFuel Challenge). His view is that smiling at fellow runners gives you a little boost.
So off I trot, down here...
I try smiling at runners, cyclists and pedestrians, but because its a sunny day most seem to hide behind sunglasses. Mostly people here are doing that London thing of trying pretty hard to ignore each other.
Not surprisingly about 1 in 10 only make eye contact, and of those that do three quarters look at me incredulously.
But the one big beaming smile I did get back, I have to say, I did get an endorphin hit, and the next 20 seconds was decidedly easier.
Actually the love and joy I set off with soon began to evaporate, or is it just that its hard to love my fellow humans when about half of those on two wheels seem intent on riding right through me?
The tow path here is not for the faint hearted.
I mean what part of this message is hard to understand? - Yet I saw NO ONE get off their bleed'in bikes...
Even though bipeds are supposed to have right of way over bicycles it sure don't feel that way...
Smiles: 1
Incredulous Looks: 5
Active Avoidant Eye Contact: 73
Near Misses with overly Aggressive Cyclists: 2
With the blue sky's and sun shining, full of joy and love toward my fellow humankind I set off for a run this morning, with an intent to experiment with smiling at the people I met alng the Regents Canal tow path.
"Smile and Run Faster" was an idea put to me from a recent friend I met through Facebook, Tom Farrand (fastest man in the first AudioFuel Challenge). His view is that smiling at fellow runners gives you a little boost.
So off I trot, down here...
I try smiling at runners, cyclists and pedestrians, but because its a sunny day most seem to hide behind sunglasses. Mostly people here are doing that London thing of trying pretty hard to ignore each other.
Not surprisingly about 1 in 10 only make eye contact, and of those that do three quarters look at me incredulously.
But the one big beaming smile I did get back, I have to say, I did get an endorphin hit, and the next 20 seconds was decidedly easier.
Actually the love and joy I set off with soon began to evaporate, or is it just that its hard to love my fellow humans when about half of those on two wheels seem intent on riding right through me?
The tow path here is not for the faint hearted.
I mean what part of this message is hard to understand? - Yet I saw NO ONE get off their bleed'in bikes...
Even though bipeds are supposed to have right of way over bicycles it sure don't feel that way...
Smiles: 1
Incredulous Looks: 5
Active Avoidant Eye Contact: 73
Near Misses with overly Aggressive Cyclists: 2
Floppy 'phones and Willy Watchers
01/06/10 09:51
So today is day 1 of Juneathon. I had a delivery to make in Holborn, and rather than go on my motorbike I ran.
I spent most of the half hour putting my left earphone back in my lug, because its little foam cover has gone awol. I thought of Tom Farrands who like me, finds it incredibly annoying to have a near mono experience whist running. - Can any one recommend which headphones are the best for running, cos the Apple Ear buds really are not doing it for me.
Now I'm a pretty average kind of a guy and yet over some years I have noticed that people do seem to look at my crotch as I run towards them. This phenomenon seems a little more frequent on a grey Tuesday after a bank holiday Monday.
Is crotch watching something anyone else out the has observed or taken part in?
I spent most of the half hour putting my left earphone back in my lug, because its little foam cover has gone awol. I thought of Tom Farrands who like me, finds it incredibly annoying to have a near mono experience whist running. - Can any one recommend which headphones are the best for running, cos the Apple Ear buds really are not doing it for me.
Now I'm a pretty average kind of a guy and yet over some years I have noticed that people do seem to look at my crotch as I run towards them. This phenomenon seems a little more frequent on a grey Tuesday after a bank holiday Monday.
Is crotch watching something anyone else out the has observed or taken part in?
Getting Ready for Juneathon
31/05/10 18:24
I've washed the winter grime off my old bike, and I'm NOT going to use my lovely motorbike in June for Juneathon. Do I get extra points for blogging the day before the competiton begins?
I really fancy those Vibram 5 toe thingies...
PRODUCTS USED:
Water, Washing Up liquid, WD40
APOLOGIES NEEDED
Sorry Mum, Its just that teatowels and pan scubbers are Soooo good at getting into those awkward spots...