Update on baseline stats

Nearly 2 months into my more active lifestyle and it is about time I provided an update on some of the baseline stats I recorded when I started.

Weight: 17st10lbs (previously 19st0.6lbs)
BMI: 30.2 (32.5)

Running: able to run 3 miles at an average pace of 9 minutes per mile. (Previously 1 mile/9mins per mile)

Cycling: no road cycling undertaken since start of year.

Static Exercise Cycling: 5km in 11'56" (improvement on start of February, 5km in 12'38")

Swimming: no swimming undertaken since start of year.

In addition, working out at the Gym has enabled me to monitor my heart rate whilst exercising and this has shown that my heart rate decreases as it should (by around 25bpm in one minute after exercising) showing that my heart is fairly healthy.

I am really pleased with how things are going, especially as illness and my hectic schedule have prevented me from getting out as much as I might have liked.

Lynn News Column

The past week has seen the start of my fortnightly online column in the Lynn News, launched with a print story on Friday 8th February, the first column was published on Thursday 14th February. They are keen to chart my progress in relation to the Grand East Anglia Run on 5th May so have called the column Gary Goes for GEAR

http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/columnists/gary-goes-for-gear

First month

Due in part to illness and in part to the weather, I have not been as active as I would have liked through January, managing just three runs, a total of 4.13 miles at an average pace of 9'01".

The diet I wrote about in my post of 14th January has been a bit more successful having lost a total of 13lbs from 1-31st January.

I will be removing at least one of the variables that has restricted me in January as I have an induction at Bodyworks Gym at LynnSport booked tomorrow so I will have no excuse (other than illness) not to go out and exercise.

Diet

As all exercise opportunities seem to have been stopped by the down pouring of snow today, it is a good time to tell you about the diet that goes alongside my exercise regime.

As well as trying to be more active, I had decided it was about time I shifted some of the timber I have been carrying over the past year or so. To do this I have reverted to what was a very successful diet for me a few years ago by becoming a strict vegan. This means I am having no meat, fish, dairy, eggs etc which also means almost no processed foods or fats at all. In 2010/11 i slimmed down from 20st 4lbs to 16st 5lbs by following this diet in alternate months (i.e. one month vegan, one month omnivore).

I am also using a calorie counting app on my smart phone (myfitnesspal) which enables you to log the foods you are eating and shows you a report on a daily, weekly or monthly basis on what elements of nutrition/calorific content you might be missing or over eating and, usefully, connects to other apps I am using to show what calories I have managed to burn whilst walking, running, cycling etc.

So, two weeks into my diet and exercise regime, and my weight this morning was 18st 5.4lbs - a total loss of 9.2lbs since 1st January.

Setbacks

Following a useful first week of 2013 with a mile run in under 9 minutes, some good 4mph walking and 75 minutes of football at Lynnsport's 'Barn', this week has not been quite so successful. Woke up on Tuesday morning with a horrible cold which has developed over the week to a mild flu. Needless to say, having carried on going to work and spending much of my out of work time either in meetings or looking after my wife and baby (both of whom seemed to have contracted a much worse case of my ailment) being active and going out for a run or cycle was the last thing on my mind.

With the weather set to change to snow and ice at the beginning of next week, I am not expecting to be able to get out for a run until the end of the week at the earliest.

On the plus side, I have been offered some website space by the Lynn News to write about my experiences getting active - look out for more in a forthcoming launch story in the Lynn News.

First Run of 2013

Went out for my first run in nearly 6 months tonight, a quick lap of a well worn route down Wisbech road and back up the river bank to the Winfarthing playing fields in South Lynn.

Felt great to be out running again, but still trying to catch my breath 20 minutes later!

Managed just over 1 mile, with my time for a mile being 8'48"

I've got another couple of 1 or 2 mile runs planned by the end of next week with an aim to run the @klparkrun by Saturday 12th January.

Some Baseline Stats

At the start of 2013, my year of activity, I thought it important to record some baselines, to see where I am starting from and be able to compare this to what I have achieved at the end of the year.

Height: 6' 4" (1.93m) though I am not expecting this to change!
Weight: 19st 0.6lbs (121kg)
BMI: 32.5 (Obese)

Running: Able to comfortably run 1 mile at an average speed of 9 minutes per mile*
Cycling: Able to comfortably cycle 5 miles at an average speed of 6 minutes per mile
Swimming: Not able to comfortably swim 1 length of St James Pool, King's Lynn
Walking: Able to comfortably walk 3 miles at an average speed of 20 minutes per mile (though this is usually with the dog and/or baby in pram in tow).

* in 2011 I did manage to complete the GEAR race in King's Lynn (10km/6.21miles) in a time of 54 minutes 54 seconds - an average pace of 8 minutes 50 seconds per mile and in training to do so managed to set a fastest mile of 7 minutes 23 seconds.