Normally the day after exercise and pushing yourself to your limits and beyond your body will be in pain. Not because you are a big jessie...you may be but normally its just your body repairing itself and for it to do its job properly in building that new muscle it wants to stop you using them.
That means causing you pain.
But there are ways to counteract muscle pain. And it starts when you finish your exercise regime. Chilling the muscles quickly stimulates them into cooling much more quickly. It halts the production of Lactic acid and as you warm up again stimulates circulation and removal of lactic acid.
Contrast Showers (those of you with families will know this as someone flushing the toilet whilst you have a hot shower) stimulate your circulation almost as well as an Ice Bath would.
Yeah, you read it right, an ICE BATH! although I don't have a freezer big enough to make that much ice but living in Scotland means water is always pretty cold and just filling a bath with it can be enough specially on hot tired muscles.
Now, no matter what you do after the exercise, its absolutely vital that you do not just sit on your bum and do nothing the next day, even if its just a brisk 4 mile walk, you HAVE to move. Get the blood flowing. Your limbs will feel tired but they will not feel as painful. I promise!
And if they do hurt...well then I guess you really are a big jessie!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Why does it always rain on me?
Well today was a true test of our dedication to our training. Tom and I set off at 9am to get the 9.30 train from Glasgow Central to Loch Lomond.
Problem 1 hit us shortly after. Glasgow Central was shut...we had to peg it to the next station about two miles away in Partick. ARGH.
We managed to get the train at 9.32am without any issues. As we pulled into Balloch though the rain started.
Problem 2 hit us then. I was wearing heavy cotton 3/4 length combat shorts as usual, they soaked in the rain and clung on to me like a squid hangs on to the side of the aquarium in a greek restaurant when you order it for your dinner!
Anyway we pushed on, Colin set a fast pace for us. Normally we average about 12 miles per hour instead this time we were averaging 18miles per hour. Now on a mountain bike with knobbly tyres and unlocked suspension with sodden shorts thats an achievement to be proud of.
The first 30 or so miles went in pretty fast through some spectacular scenery, Colin was on a road bike though so soon left us behind. Bob and I couldn't remember what way we were to go so we followed the road signs.
Problem number 3. Have you ever been on a road that tells you to use low gears in cars to go down the hills and has an escape lane? well this one had three of them! To be going down those hills though you need to first go up them. That means 1:6 inclines and crawler lanes 1-2 miles long at a time. We were shattered.
We eventually made it, legs quivering with tiredness, to the Tulley Inn for the usual Koppaberg and train home.
I'm really glad we did manage to get that distance over those hills done today. Nothing we are going to do in Sweden should be as tortuous as that so a BIG mental hurdle has been overcome.
Problem 1 hit us shortly after. Glasgow Central was shut...we had to peg it to the next station about two miles away in Partick. ARGH.
We managed to get the train at 9.32am without any issues. As we pulled into Balloch though the rain started.
Problem 2 hit us then. I was wearing heavy cotton 3/4 length combat shorts as usual, they soaked in the rain and clung on to me like a squid hangs on to the side of the aquarium in a greek restaurant when you order it for your dinner!
Anyway we pushed on, Colin set a fast pace for us. Normally we average about 12 miles per hour instead this time we were averaging 18miles per hour. Now on a mountain bike with knobbly tyres and unlocked suspension with sodden shorts thats an achievement to be proud of.
The first 30 or so miles went in pretty fast through some spectacular scenery, Colin was on a road bike though so soon left us behind. Bob and I couldn't remember what way we were to go so we followed the road signs.
Problem number 3. Have you ever been on a road that tells you to use low gears in cars to go down the hills and has an escape lane? well this one had three of them! To be going down those hills though you need to first go up them. That means 1:6 inclines and crawler lanes 1-2 miles long at a time. We were shattered.
We eventually made it, legs quivering with tiredness, to the Tulley Inn for the usual Koppaberg and train home.
I'm really glad we did manage to get that distance over those hills done today. Nothing we are going to do in Sweden should be as tortuous as that so a BIG mental hurdle has been overcome.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
New Design
Ok, I don't like following the crowd so I am not going to stick with the google site for the blog any more. Instead I am going to redesign the site to look like this...
The design is far from finished but heres the jist of it. The Polaroid will hold a random image, the camera film a link to the gallery, the diary is the blog and the map is a list of routes we're cycling and anything we encountered as well as times, distances and pictures (linked to the gallery).
Let me know what you think!Life in the Pedestrian Lane
The places I've been working people zoom by on bikes all day. I hate them. Showing off that they are on their bike while I am being a pedestrian and being forced to walk everywhere.
The past few days I've been doing two workouts a day, one in the morning and one at night. The morning workout is great but only when you've had enough to eat beforehand. Exercising in the morning with your stomach trying to turn itself inside out is not good.
So what do I do to exercise? I start of with a few stretches (I say stretches but its barely even straightening my legs as the tendons have shortened so dramatically over the past few years) to make sure I am not going to make anything go twang..
Next it's working on range of movement; now be patient because I can only describe the exercise as I've long since forgotten the names.
Chest extension, stand with your legs about shoulder-width apart and on the balls of your feet and arms out straight from your sides so you resemble a stick man then try two small backward stretches and the third one push hard as if you are trying to touch the hands together - all the time keeping your arms straight. Do three sets of 10. You'll notice each time you do it you can get your arms a bit further back.
Arm rotations. Start with your arms out straight again and rotate them in small circles to ensure that your shoulders are freeing up OK, once they are, increase the diameter of the circles. Your aim is to ensure that you can rotate your arms fully without having to lower the arc. Do this for a minute or two until you feel the rotation getting easier.
Hip flexes. Stand with your hands on your hips (sorta like the Green Giant - don't be tempted to say Ho Ho Ho though cos its not clever) and slowly rotate your hips in a wide circle. Keep your feet in one place. This should help your lower back un-stiffen and if like me helps relieve arthritic pain in the lower back. You don't need to do too many of these, 2 sets of 10 in each direction should help.
Back extensions. Its a bit of a misnomer as you are actually contracting your back but hey...who am I to argue? lie on the floor on your face arms out straight (if it helps you can have the superman soundtrack playing). slowly raise your arms, head and shoulders, as much of your chest as you can and your legs off the ground as if you were parachuting. Hold it for a count of five (a friend should be able to rock you on your stomach if you are doing it right). I normally do only 10 of these as it can feel like I'm about to split in half if I do any more.
Finally. I'm ready to do some actual exercise.
Press ups. I do two sets of 20 of two types, one with the arms tight by my side. This works your triceps and not much else. Then spread the arms a bit wider and you will start to feel the burn in the chest and shoulders more. You HAVE to do both types unless you want to end up looking very strange indeed.
Crunches. I don't like the old fashioned crunches (sit ups) instead I do two which work harder and better but involve a smaller range of motion. Short crunches. Sit with your back about 30 degrees from the floor, and slowly raise your body so that it is now 60 degrees from the floor, hold it and then release down to 30 degrees again. Keep your back straight. Its a lot harder than you think and will work your stomach a lot more.
Next keeping your body about 30 degrees, lift your feet off the ground slightly, now, when you raise your body bring your legs up to meet your body (watch out you don't break your nose on your own knees here). I normally do 3 sets of 20 of each crunch.
finally for those masochists amongst you, you can try the leg raises, these are especially hard on your own as you wont have any leverage in the arms. Lie with your back on the floor, arms along the floor and over your head, slowly raise your legs (keep them straight) up to about 45 degrees and then coming back down stop so your feet are about 4 inches off the ground. That's 1 rep. Do 20. If you can still do more do another set. If you can do another set after that you aren't doing them right.
The past few days I've been doing two workouts a day, one in the morning and one at night. The morning workout is great but only when you've had enough to eat beforehand. Exercising in the morning with your stomach trying to turn itself inside out is not good.
So what do I do to exercise? I start of with a few stretches (I say stretches but its barely even straightening my legs as the tendons have shortened so dramatically over the past few years) to make sure I am not going to make anything go twang..
Next it's working on range of movement; now be patient because I can only describe the exercise as I've long since forgotten the names.
Chest extension, stand with your legs about shoulder-width apart and on the balls of your feet and arms out straight from your sides so you resemble a stick man then try two small backward stretches and the third one push hard as if you are trying to touch the hands together - all the time keeping your arms straight. Do three sets of 10. You'll notice each time you do it you can get your arms a bit further back.
Arm rotations. Start with your arms out straight again and rotate them in small circles to ensure that your shoulders are freeing up OK, once they are, increase the diameter of the circles. Your aim is to ensure that you can rotate your arms fully without having to lower the arc. Do this for a minute or two until you feel the rotation getting easier.
Hip flexes. Stand with your hands on your hips (sorta like the Green Giant - don't be tempted to say Ho Ho Ho though cos its not clever) and slowly rotate your hips in a wide circle. Keep your feet in one place. This should help your lower back un-stiffen and if like me helps relieve arthritic pain in the lower back. You don't need to do too many of these, 2 sets of 10 in each direction should help.
Back extensions. Its a bit of a misnomer as you are actually contracting your back but hey...who am I to argue? lie on the floor on your face arms out straight (if it helps you can have the superman soundtrack playing). slowly raise your arms, head and shoulders, as much of your chest as you can and your legs off the ground as if you were parachuting. Hold it for a count of five (a friend should be able to rock you on your stomach if you are doing it right). I normally do only 10 of these as it can feel like I'm about to split in half if I do any more.
Finally. I'm ready to do some actual exercise.
Press ups. I do two sets of 20 of two types, one with the arms tight by my side. This works your triceps and not much else. Then spread the arms a bit wider and you will start to feel the burn in the chest and shoulders more. You HAVE to do both types unless you want to end up looking very strange indeed.
Crunches. I don't like the old fashioned crunches (sit ups) instead I do two which work harder and better but involve a smaller range of motion. Short crunches. Sit with your back about 30 degrees from the floor, and slowly raise your body so that it is now 60 degrees from the floor, hold it and then release down to 30 degrees again. Keep your back straight. Its a lot harder than you think and will work your stomach a lot more.
Next keeping your body about 30 degrees, lift your feet off the ground slightly, now, when you raise your body bring your legs up to meet your body (watch out you don't break your nose on your own knees here). I normally do 3 sets of 20 of each crunch.
finally for those masochists amongst you, you can try the leg raises, these are especially hard on your own as you wont have any leverage in the arms. Lie with your back on the floor, arms along the floor and over your head, slowly raise your legs (keep them straight) up to about 45 degrees and then coming back down stop so your feet are about 4 inches off the ground. That's 1 rep. Do 20. If you can still do more do another set. If you can do another set after that you aren't doing them right.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
You gotta fight...for your right...to paaaaaaaar-teeee!
I've been thinking about posting about why I am doing the cycle for a while now. Yeah, I'm doing it for charity for a friend at my old work and a kid that deserved a whole load more than they got in life. But thats not the only reason. Before you think I am going to get preachy, I'm not. It's just so you understand my way of thinking and reasoning behind why I do things.
In August 1996 I became sick, I lost a lot of weight in a very short time. I was vomiting, running to the toilet every five minutes, being dizzy and losing hair quickly. It took two years to diagnose the fact I had Crohns Disease (ps that link is pretty gruesome so don't click if you are squeamish)- at first the docs thought I had food poisoning but after 6 months we figured either my mum was a TERRIBLE cook or I had something else. Since no one else at home was sick it couldn't be food poisoning.
Anyway, those two years totally changed me, I had to re-think my future, re-evaluate "friendships", and re-plan my idea of who I was. Some of it was easy. The career change came naturally to me. Twelve years and one major operation later and I've sorted my future (as far as anyone can really), made some excellent friends at college, work, and across the world. The only thing that still plagues my daily life is Crohns. It's never going to go.
To say Crohns plagues my daily life isn't actually correct. I am far too stubborn to let it. It does control certain aspects of my life. I can't, for example, eat if I am going to be on the bike for more than 2 hours. I can't eat just anything either. I need to control the fibre, sugar and fat I eat so my reduced intestines can cope with it.
And thats one of the drivers for me doing so much training and actually saying yes to doing 240 miles on a bike. I WILL NOT give in. EVER. Every day I take Immuno-Suppressants to try and stop my body rejecting parts of itself (similar to those of a transplant patient). Every day I take a whole load of Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) to reduce the inflammation in the gut. Endurance Training helps me out by reducing my immune system further.
You'd think that would leave me wide open to getting sick, but to be honest I am too stubborn to let even a small cold get in my way. Hell even when I have full blown fevers which result in me looking like I've stepped out the shower I still get myself up out of bed and carry on.
Life isn't easy for anyone, some of us have physical issues to over come, others mental or emotional. What counts is how we deal with the challenges thrown at us in life. I'm not going to let that challenge beat me. Most of us won't be fortunate enough to have the things we want in life handed to us. We'll have to strive to get them.
So do as the Beastie Boys say and "Fight, for your right...to PAAAAAAAAARTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Just remember to enjoy it along the way.
In August 1996 I became sick, I lost a lot of weight in a very short time. I was vomiting, running to the toilet every five minutes, being dizzy and losing hair quickly. It took two years to diagnose the fact I had Crohns Disease (ps that link is pretty gruesome so don't click if you are squeamish)- at first the docs thought I had food poisoning but after 6 months we figured either my mum was a TERRIBLE cook or I had something else. Since no one else at home was sick it couldn't be food poisoning.
Anyway, those two years totally changed me, I had to re-think my future, re-evaluate "friendships", and re-plan my idea of who I was. Some of it was easy. The career change came naturally to me. Twelve years and one major operation later and I've sorted my future (as far as anyone can really), made some excellent friends at college, work, and across the world. The only thing that still plagues my daily life is Crohns. It's never going to go.
To say Crohns plagues my daily life isn't actually correct. I am far too stubborn to let it. It does control certain aspects of my life. I can't, for example, eat if I am going to be on the bike for more than 2 hours. I can't eat just anything either. I need to control the fibre, sugar and fat I eat so my reduced intestines can cope with it.
And thats one of the drivers for me doing so much training and actually saying yes to doing 240 miles on a bike. I WILL NOT give in. EVER. Every day I take Immuno-Suppressants to try and stop my body rejecting parts of itself (similar to those of a transplant patient). Every day I take a whole load of Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) to reduce the inflammation in the gut. Endurance Training helps me out by reducing my immune system further.
You'd think that would leave me wide open to getting sick, but to be honest I am too stubborn to let even a small cold get in my way. Hell even when I have full blown fevers which result in me looking like I've stepped out the shower I still get myself up out of bed and carry on.
Life isn't easy for anyone, some of us have physical issues to over come, others mental or emotional. What counts is how we deal with the challenges thrown at us in life. I'm not going to let that challenge beat me. Most of us won't be fortunate enough to have the things we want in life handed to us. We'll have to strive to get them.
So do as the Beastie Boys say and "Fight, for your right...to PAAAAAAAAARTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Just remember to enjoy it along the way.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Pop quiz!
You travel for work, you have no bike. What do you do? What DO you do?
Necessity is the mother of invention. I am not able to take my bike with me on business trips so I need to figure out how to maintain my training without a bike. I don't and can't run. Despite being able to cycle 40+ miles I still cant run more than 1 mile.
So instead of working on stamina through cycling or running I will work on muscle fitness in a different way. I can easily remember all the training I did for kick boxing all those years ago so I'll work out using the exercises from there.
For those of you who are skeptical about how good that is, I ran from Irvine to Troon on the beach with no prep training other than the two nights a week kickboxing. 10 miles on sand is a punishment for anyone.
The training is a bit like circuit training, working each muscle group till it begins to fatigue and then moving on to the next group. Once you work your way through each group you start again. Just what am I going to do?
Starting off by stretching all those muscles and ligaments that I haven't used in years
Lots of Press ups, leg raises, crunches, sit ups, squat thrusts, lunges, twists, extensions etc.
Some Kata's to make sure I am limbered up and then repeat the process in reverse.
Well hopefully all that won't kill me!
Necessity is the mother of invention. I am not able to take my bike with me on business trips so I need to figure out how to maintain my training without a bike. I don't and can't run. Despite being able to cycle 40+ miles I still cant run more than 1 mile.
So instead of working on stamina through cycling or running I will work on muscle fitness in a different way. I can easily remember all the training I did for kick boxing all those years ago so I'll work out using the exercises from there.
For those of you who are skeptical about how good that is, I ran from Irvine to Troon on the beach with no prep training other than the two nights a week kickboxing. 10 miles on sand is a punishment for anyone.
The training is a bit like circuit training, working each muscle group till it begins to fatigue and then moving on to the next group. Once you work your way through each group you start again. Just what am I going to do?
Starting off by stretching all those muscles and ligaments that I haven't used in years
Lots of Press ups, leg raises, crunches, sit ups, squat thrusts, lunges, twists, extensions etc.
Some Kata's to make sure I am limbered up and then repeat the process in reverse.
Well hopefully all that won't kill me!
Friday, June 20, 2008
The ship of the desert
When camels are faced with an arduous time ahead they are able to use energy stores on their back in the shape of the hump to make sure they last the journey.
Camelbaks are brilliant, they are more comfortable, bigger and easier to use than bottles. undoubtedly they are safer to use than bottles too, how many times have you almost upended the bike due to a pot hole and cycling one handed whilst drinking... well if you are me too many.
So...I invested in a 1.5 litre Camelbak. They are basically a squishy silicon bag which you fill up with your drink of choice and then pass a tube/straw from the backpack all the way along a strap so that you can access it easily when cycling without removing the back.
Fluids are heavy and whats worse they tend to be going in the opposite direction from you due to inertia. To overcome that the backpack has a chest strap and a stomach strap. Whilst making the bag more stable on your back means that you cant breathe as easily. Loosen the straps and they may as well not be there. That causes your muscles to work with less oxygen, brilliant for short power training but really bad for endurance. Anaerobic exercise will tire you out far too quickly to gain any endurance from it.
And then when you are breathing heavily and struggling for air and go for a drink...your muscles work with even LESS air as you dont have to stop to drink any more. More anaerobic exercise. Thats not what I want. So yeah they are great but they have their disadvantages. Don't fall for the marketing hype alone.
Camelbaks are brilliant, they are more comfortable, bigger and easier to use than bottles. undoubtedly they are safer to use than bottles too, how many times have you almost upended the bike due to a pot hole and cycling one handed whilst drinking... well if you are me too many.
So...I invested in a 1.5 litre Camelbak. They are basically a squishy silicon bag which you fill up with your drink of choice and then pass a tube/straw from the backpack all the way along a strap so that you can access it easily when cycling without removing the back.
Fluids are heavy and whats worse they tend to be going in the opposite direction from you due to inertia. To overcome that the backpack has a chest strap and a stomach strap. Whilst making the bag more stable on your back means that you cant breathe as easily. Loosen the straps and they may as well not be there. That causes your muscles to work with less oxygen, brilliant for short power training but really bad for endurance. Anaerobic exercise will tire you out far too quickly to gain any endurance from it.
And then when you are breathing heavily and struggling for air and go for a drink...your muscles work with even LESS air as you dont have to stop to drink any more. More anaerobic exercise. Thats not what I want. So yeah they are great but they have their disadvantages. Don't fall for the marketing hype alone.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The ring of fire...
I fell in to a burning ring of fire
I went down,down,down
and the flames went higher.
And it burns,burns,burns
the ring of fire
the ring of fire.
only those of you who have ever ridden a bike beyond the recommended distance will know what I am talking about. For those of you who have more mental acuity than people like me who cycle all the time, I'll explain.
My butt was in tatters...riding 28 miles on a rock hard seat with a skinny ass like mine means I was going to be in pain but I didn't expect pain akin to eating 17 rogan josh's and washing it down with a few pints of vinegar.
Before I go to sweden I WILL be investing in a decent gel seat for the bike...
and some ice...
and hopefully I'll be able to find an obliging Swedette who will help massage the pain out
Hey, it's not all about being selfless and enduring a huge cycle for charity. I'm getting some reward from doing it too! :)
But seriously, a comfortable seat also means that I'll be able to pedal for longer without giving in to the pain in my butt before my legs are too tired to go on.
I went down,down,down
and the flames went higher.
And it burns,burns,burns
the ring of fire
the ring of fire.
only those of you who have ever ridden a bike beyond the recommended distance will know what I am talking about. For those of you who have more mental acuity than people like me who cycle all the time, I'll explain.
My butt was in tatters...riding 28 miles on a rock hard seat with a skinny ass like mine means I was going to be in pain but I didn't expect pain akin to eating 17 rogan josh's and washing it down with a few pints of vinegar.
Before I go to sweden I WILL be investing in a decent gel seat for the bike...
and some ice...
and hopefully I'll be able to find an obliging Swedette who will help massage the pain out
Hey, it's not all about being selfless and enduring a huge cycle for charity. I'm getting some reward from doing it too! :)
But seriously, a comfortable seat also means that I'll be able to pedal for longer without giving in to the pain in my butt before my legs are too tired to go on.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Oh no! I've been locked out!
Newer mountain bikes with suspension on the forks normally have adjustable suspension. Some also have a "lock out" feature that allows you to lock the suspension and not have any travel in the forks.
Why do you want that?
Well...when climbing road hills locking out your suspension means you waste less effort as none of the downward energy from a pedal stroke is going into the forks. It's all transferred to the pedals instead.
On road - you would normally want to lock out your suspension as it helps achieve a slightly easier ride in terms of pedalling. It does however make things a whole lot more difficult when it comes to keeping your balance. Now before you start on at me - I know by the time you can ride a bike you should be able to balance the bike pretty easily, and yeah you can. BUT and this is a big issue when you are used to riding down hill and off road.
When you lock out your suspension, you lose the smoothness of the ride that you have been used to. The bike starts to bounce around on the road a bit more, bumps are transferred to your wrists and your shoulders a lot more too, all this means your body has to work harder to maintain the stability of you and your bike.
The same goes when you pump the tyres up to handle the road. The wheels start to skip about over bumps and rocks a bit more than is ideal. Normally I'd just put up with it. On a 40-50 mile cycle when you have been sitting at a desk most of the week every bit of energy counts so for now, I am bucking the trend entirely and going to ride my bike unlocked - its easier to manage the bike that way.
I'll deal with the hill climbs in my own way - i.e. being stubborn and cycling up them regardless. Unless I am so tired my legs wont move - in which case I will walk my sorry excuse of a body and my bike up the hill. Eventually though I hope that the training we are doing will mean that I can lock out my suspension and I can cycle up any hill we encounter.
Why do you want that?
Well...when climbing road hills locking out your suspension means you waste less effort as none of the downward energy from a pedal stroke is going into the forks. It's all transferred to the pedals instead.
On road - you would normally want to lock out your suspension as it helps achieve a slightly easier ride in terms of pedalling. It does however make things a whole lot more difficult when it comes to keeping your balance. Now before you start on at me - I know by the time you can ride a bike you should be able to balance the bike pretty easily, and yeah you can. BUT and this is a big issue when you are used to riding down hill and off road.
When you lock out your suspension, you lose the smoothness of the ride that you have been used to. The bike starts to bounce around on the road a bit more, bumps are transferred to your wrists and your shoulders a lot more too, all this means your body has to work harder to maintain the stability of you and your bike.
The same goes when you pump the tyres up to handle the road. The wheels start to skip about over bumps and rocks a bit more than is ideal. Normally I'd just put up with it. On a 40-50 mile cycle when you have been sitting at a desk most of the week every bit of energy counts so for now, I am bucking the trend entirely and going to ride my bike unlocked - its easier to manage the bike that way.
I'll deal with the hill climbs in my own way - i.e. being stubborn and cycling up them regardless. Unless I am so tired my legs wont move - in which case I will walk my sorry excuse of a body and my bike up the hill. Eventually though I hope that the training we are doing will mean that I can lock out my suspension and I can cycle up any hill we encounter.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
How do you measure up?
Why are some people able to keep going further than others? I regularly cycle 14 miles. So why was I so tired halfway through the cycle on sunday; why was I not able to keep up with the other guys?
Partly its my lifestyle; other than the 1 and a bit hour training each night I lead a sedentiary lifestyle both at work and at home. I get to the office and sit down, I come home and sit down some more - I don't even have stairs to walk up when I get home to give me a bit of exercise.
The other reason is Lean Muscle Mass and Body Fat. Each play an important role in your stamina. Lets take the easy one first, Body Fat (lipids) are your body's way of storing excess energy as well as storing other things. When you exercise your body starts to burn the fat as a fuel for muscles, so its important to have a certain ratio of fat in your body or you risk a lot of other problems. Ideally a male should have between 9-16% body fat; women slightly more from 15-25%. This will ensure that your body can function how it needs.
Thats all fine and well if you have the correct muscle mass to help burn the fat when it needs it. Ideally your Lean Muscle Mass (i.e. how much of your weight isnt fat or skeleton or internal organs, should be above 40%. Now - that doesn't mean we should all be Sly Stallone. Just because the muscle mass is over 40% doesn't mean you will be 'ripped', remember your legs and butt account for a lot of your muscle mass.
Now thats been explained I will explain my problem, currently my body fat percentage is hovering around the 10% mark - within tolerance for the healthy male range; but what is causing problems is having a lean muscle mass of 35%. There just isnt enough muscle to burn the energy I eat and store to keep me going.
1. Eat more protein at the right time. There is a period of time after exercise where your body is more receptive to protein than any other time - sometimes known as the "Golden Hour" - during this time drinking/eating high protein foods will help build muscle mass. I hope it helps me!
2. Increase muscle efficiency - by not leading such a sedentiary lifestyle I should be able to make my muscles (specifically my breathing and legs) more efficient.
Partly its my lifestyle; other than the 1 and a bit hour training each night I lead a sedentiary lifestyle both at work and at home. I get to the office and sit down, I come home and sit down some more - I don't even have stairs to walk up when I get home to give me a bit of exercise.
Thats going to change from today onwards.
The other reason is Lean Muscle Mass and Body Fat. Each play an important role in your stamina. Lets take the easy one first, Body Fat (lipids) are your body's way of storing excess energy as well as storing other things. When you exercise your body starts to burn the fat as a fuel for muscles, so its important to have a certain ratio of fat in your body or you risk a lot of other problems. Ideally a male should have between 9-16% body fat; women slightly more from 15-25%. This will ensure that your body can function how it needs.
Thats all fine and well if you have the correct muscle mass to help burn the fat when it needs it. Ideally your Lean Muscle Mass (i.e. how much of your weight isnt fat or skeleton or internal organs, should be above 40%. Now - that doesn't mean we should all be Sly Stallone. Just because the muscle mass is over 40% doesn't mean you will be 'ripped', remember your legs and butt account for a lot of your muscle mass.
Now thats been explained I will explain my problem, currently my body fat percentage is hovering around the 10% mark - within tolerance for the healthy male range; but what is causing problems is having a lean muscle mass of 35%. There just isnt enough muscle to burn the energy I eat and store to keep me going.
How do I resolve it?
1. Eat more protein at the right time. There is a period of time after exercise where your body is more receptive to protein than any other time - sometimes known as the "Golden Hour" - during this time drinking/eating high protein foods will help build muscle mass. I hope it helps me!
2. Increase muscle efficiency - by not leading such a sedentiary lifestyle I should be able to make my muscles (specifically my breathing and legs) more efficient.
Monday, June 16, 2008
The Monday Morning Blues?
Well if your weekend was anything like mine it involved pain, exhaustion, exhiliration and pushing yourself past personal barriers you never thought were there.
The trouble with pushing your body to the limit like we did on sunday is that your muscles will start to hurt a day or two after the exercise. I didn't know there was a technical term for it until recently but have since found out its called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (or DOMS). What is it? Normally it is the symptom of over exertion. Either lifting too much weight, running too far or using your muscles past the limit of their endurance. That last one is particularly dangerous as you can actually cause far more than just the DOMS to occur.
I and the other guys, don't really have the luxury of using the 10% rule to train to - we'd be there for ever adding 10% on to our cycle each week to get to the distance we'd need. Instead I'm going about it slightly differently. I've drastically altered my diet. I eat a high carb, high protein diet (always keeping the same ratio of 2g of protein to 5g carb). This will allow the muscles to have enough fuel and enough building blocks to adapt to what I am subjecting them to.
Then there is the exercise. Normally through the week we train to about 12 miles. It's better than nothing but not enough. So weekends we do 20+ miles normally, although yesterday was about 47miles by the time I cycled home.
Pushing ourselves that far is bound to cause DOMS so what can you do to reduce the pain? To be honest not a lot. Research has shown that a warm down wont help, that stretching doesn't help after the exercise - but it can reduce swelling by as much as 30%. Massage can help too, it increases the blood flow and therefore the oxygen getting to the muscles making them recover slightly quicker.
Obviously avoiding the DOMS is the better option; for us its never going to happen, we'll be in pain regardless as we have to push hard to be able to complete the cycle in Sweden. For you guys though, a thorough warm up, and using the 10% rule will help to ensure that you don't overdo it, remember gradual changes are best. Don't go out running a 10k run if you haven't ran before.
The trouble with pushing your body to the limit like we did on sunday is that your muscles will start to hurt a day or two after the exercise. I didn't know there was a technical term for it until recently but have since found out its called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (or DOMS). What is it? Normally it is the symptom of over exertion. Either lifting too much weight, running too far or using your muscles past the limit of their endurance. That last one is particularly dangerous as you can actually cause far more than just the DOMS to occur.
I and the other guys, don't really have the luxury of using the 10% rule to train to - we'd be there for ever adding 10% on to our cycle each week to get to the distance we'd need. Instead I'm going about it slightly differently. I've drastically altered my diet. I eat a high carb, high protein diet (always keeping the same ratio of 2g of protein to 5g carb). This will allow the muscles to have enough fuel and enough building blocks to adapt to what I am subjecting them to.
Then there is the exercise. Normally through the week we train to about 12 miles. It's better than nothing but not enough. So weekends we do 20+ miles normally, although yesterday was about 47miles by the time I cycled home.
Pushing ourselves that far is bound to cause DOMS so what can you do to reduce the pain? To be honest not a lot. Research has shown that a warm down wont help, that stretching doesn't help after the exercise - but it can reduce swelling by as much as 30%. Massage can help too, it increases the blood flow and therefore the oxygen getting to the muscles making them recover slightly quicker.
Obviously avoiding the DOMS is the better option; for us its never going to happen, we'll be in pain regardless as we have to push hard to be able to complete the cycle in Sweden. For you guys though, a thorough warm up, and using the 10% rule will help to ensure that you don't overdo it, remember gradual changes are best. Don't go out running a 10k run if you haven't ran before.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Remember, you're not a salmon...
Salmon live all their life in the sea until its time for them to swim upstream, they begin to do so and never stop or take a break until they get there. They do their thing and then they die.
Tortoises take lots of small breaks, they take their time and get to where they are going eventually. They live for hundreds of years.
Exercise - specially endurance events are suited best to a steady pace. If you try to "blast" those first few minutes then you will suffer in your long game. Make sure you maintain a manageable pace regardless of the exercise you do.
Thats not to say you shouldn't push yourself - but dont do it at the start, do it at the end when it will have the biggest impact on your training and eventual stamina gains.
Today we cycled about 47 miles in the southern Highlands of Scotland. There were killer hills and it was important for us to take regular breaks to allow our muscles to overcome the pain and help build their endurance. If we had pushed on too hard we would have been stuck without a means of getting home. We managed it though - at one stage it felt like I ran out of gears and could do no more to get up the hill other than get off and walk it. On the way down though...hoooooly moley! we hit speeds of about 45-50mph and had a hard time making sure we didn't collide with anything. Thankfully there were no cars on the hill when we were pelting down it. Having that small break going downhill a few times helped make sure we made it home - well to Tullies again for a pint of cider! :-)
Tortoises take lots of small breaks, they take their time and get to where they are going eventually. They live for hundreds of years.
Exercise - specially endurance events are suited best to a steady pace. If you try to "blast" those first few minutes then you will suffer in your long game. Make sure you maintain a manageable pace regardless of the exercise you do.
Thats not to say you shouldn't push yourself - but dont do it at the start, do it at the end when it will have the biggest impact on your training and eventual stamina gains.
Today we cycled about 47 miles in the southern Highlands of Scotland. There were killer hills and it was important for us to take regular breaks to allow our muscles to overcome the pain and help build their endurance. If we had pushed on too hard we would have been stuck without a means of getting home. We managed it though - at one stage it felt like I ran out of gears and could do no more to get up the hill other than get off and walk it. On the way down though...hoooooly moley! we hit speeds of about 45-50mph and had a hard time making sure we didn't collide with anything. Thankfully there were no cars on the hill when we were pelting down it. Having that small break going downhill a few times helped make sure we made it home - well to Tullies again for a pint of cider! :-)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Stop cramping my style!
Last night about 3am I woke in excruciating pain, the likes of which I only experienced when I was sick before my op in 2002. My left leg, the entire leg had cramped. Normally I just push on through the pain but I couldn't pull the leg out of the cramp so I had to endure it for the 7 minutes it lasted. EEEK!
A muscle cramp is a painful spasm of your muscle. It's caused by a prolonged tightening of that muscle, leading to it being shortened. The spasm can last from a few seconds to 15 minutes.
You do not have any control of this spasm and the muscle often feels hard and painful. Muscle cramps, especially in the legs, are very common. The small muscles of the feet are also sometimes affected. The muscle may remain tender for up to a day after the cramp. Cramp often occurs as a result of using your muscles a lot. It is common in athletes, especially long distance runners, and tennis and football players and people stupid enough to sign up to a charity event over 200 miles.
Cramp often happens after you have sweated a lot. Sweat is high in sodium and loss of sodium upsets the way your muscle works. I know I keep banging on about this but it is REALLY important to drink enough of the right liquids when you are exercising. Water isnt enough, you need an electrolytic drink with isotonic qualities which will help your body balance out the loss of sodium fast.
You can relieve the pain of muscle cramp by stretching and gently massaging the muscle. Grab your muscle with one hand and pull back on your toes with the other to point the toes upwards. This helps to relieve the spasm. Note: if you are a bit of a jessie you will cry; this is sore!
A lot of people say warming up is necessary before exercise but I've done a lot of reading on sports journals and studies have found that in a lot of cases - a warm up isnt necessary. What is necessary is to ensure that the muscle remains active long enough after the exercise to ensure that the lactic acid doesnt crystalise in your muscle and is moved into your bloodstream to be cleaned out by the magic liver and kidneys.
What is a muscle cramp?
A muscle cramp is a painful spasm of your muscle. It's caused by a prolonged tightening of that muscle, leading to it being shortened. The spasm can last from a few seconds to 15 minutes.You do not have any control of this spasm and the muscle often feels hard and painful. Muscle cramps, especially in the legs, are very common. The small muscles of the feet are also sometimes affected. The muscle may remain tender for up to a day after the cramp. Cramp often occurs as a result of using your muscles a lot. It is common in athletes, especially long distance runners, and tennis and football players and people stupid enough to sign up to a charity event over 200 miles.
Cramp often happens after you have sweated a lot. Sweat is high in sodium and loss of sodium upsets the way your muscle works. I know I keep banging on about this but it is REALLY important to drink enough of the right liquids when you are exercising. Water isnt enough, you need an electrolytic drink with isotonic qualities which will help your body balance out the loss of sodium fast.
Relief from muscle cramp
You can relieve the pain of muscle cramp by stretching and gently massaging the muscle. Grab your muscle with one hand and pull back on your toes with the other to point the toes upwards. This helps to relieve the spasm. Note: if you are a bit of a jessie you will cry; this is sore!
A lot of people say warming up is necessary before exercise but I've done a lot of reading on sports journals and studies have found that in a lot of cases - a warm up isnt necessary. What is necessary is to ensure that the muscle remains active long enough after the exercise to ensure that the lactic acid doesnt crystalise in your muscle and is moved into your bloodstream to be cleaned out by the magic liver and kidneys.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Muscle Fatigue? not me!
I'm going out with the guys I now work with (started a new job on monday) for a few drinks tonight to celebrate. I think working with brantas will be an excellent experience for me and I am sure that I will learn loads. It's currently a small consultancy but hey sometimes its better to work with like minded dedicated people than it is to constantly batter your head against a brick wall in a large corporation.
Cycling is the same - sure I could go and train with a local cycling club but they dont - in my opinion - have the same drives as me and the guys doing this sponsored cycle do. They love cycling. I think it's ok. They like cycling long endless routes punctuated with the odd stop for a quick glucose drink. I like to cycle shorter more varied routes that introduce a bit of excitement to the journey.
Today unfortunately I wont get out on my bike but in preparation for the cycle on Sunday to Aberfoyle I will be starting to load on carbs. Two breakfasts of muesli with extra nuts to give myself a bit of a boost with protein to help build the structures to store ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as an energy source. I'll be increasing the carbs (both simple and complex) through the day to ensure that I have plenty of energy on Sunday.
But why do I need energy stores? Well during Aerobic exercise your body burns oxygen and the fuels stored in your body to provide the energy for your muscles to move. If you restrict any of the parts your body needs then you will tire out more quickly, or worse still start to make your muscles work Anaerobically and risk masses of lactic acid build up.
Some controversy here - recently studies have shown that Lactic acid is just another fuel that your body creates for its muscles to work. Now - in an every day persons case like you and I - your body wont have the right proteins or receptors to convert that lactic acid to energy and so your muscles will run out of steam when the glycoids in your system run out. By training at a higher intensity (as we did last night with those buses chasing us) your body will be forced to create the proteins and receptors in a higher concentration making your muscles able to convert more of that lactic acid into energy.
Now get out there and pedal like you've never pedaled before!
Cycling is the same - sure I could go and train with a local cycling club but they dont - in my opinion - have the same drives as me and the guys doing this sponsored cycle do. They love cycling. I think it's ok. They like cycling long endless routes punctuated with the odd stop for a quick glucose drink. I like to cycle shorter more varied routes that introduce a bit of excitement to the journey.
Today unfortunately I wont get out on my bike but in preparation for the cycle on Sunday to Aberfoyle I will be starting to load on carbs. Two breakfasts of muesli with extra nuts to give myself a bit of a boost with protein to help build the structures to store ATP (adenosine triphosphate) as an energy source. I'll be increasing the carbs (both simple and complex) through the day to ensure that I have plenty of energy on Sunday.
But why do I need energy stores? Well during Aerobic exercise your body burns oxygen and the fuels stored in your body to provide the energy for your muscles to move. If you restrict any of the parts your body needs then you will tire out more quickly, or worse still start to make your muscles work Anaerobically and risk masses of lactic acid build up.
Some controversy here - recently studies have shown that Lactic acid is just another fuel that your body creates for its muscles to work. Now - in an every day persons case like you and I - your body wont have the right proteins or receptors to convert that lactic acid to energy and so your muscles will run out of steam when the glycoids in your system run out. By training at a higher intensity (as we did last night with those buses chasing us) your body will be forced to create the proteins and receptors in a higher concentration making your muscles able to convert more of that lactic acid into energy.
Now get out there and pedal like you've never pedaled before!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Urban Terror!
Most people think that cycling in parks is the only way to do it - the scenery; the quiet and the occasional manic depressive squirrel that tries to commit hari kiri under your bike tyres. Yeah its nice to see but it doesn't motivate you to push yourself to extremes like a 12 ton bus moving at 30 miles an hour trying to make pavement pizza out of you.
So instead of the usual Pollok Park then Bellahouston Park cycle round a hill and avoid some dogs we decided to cycle to the west end of town and back. That meant using the main road through glasgow, and on thursday night thats like walking into a room of hairy bikers and asking which Jessie parked their bike in the way of your car.
On the way home we chose to take the direct route home, through the busy shopping precinct on late night shopping - don't ask why you wont like it...no really you won't. There's lots of pretty girls out there shopping on a sunny day and its a welcome distraction from the burning in our legs. There are some really fun "technical" sections that you have to be extremely careful when cycling on. Like "try to get past Ann Summers without crashing into someone whilst still looking in the window", and then theres the always fun "Lets see how many people you can make scream when you appear at the top of the stairs at 15 mph".
All in all - probably the most fun I've had training in the past few weeks.
So instead of the usual Pollok Park then Bellahouston Park cycle round a hill and avoid some dogs we decided to cycle to the west end of town and back. That meant using the main road through glasgow, and on thursday night thats like walking into a room of hairy bikers and asking which Jessie parked their bike in the way of your car.On the way home we chose to take the direct route home, through the busy shopping precinct on late night shopping - don't ask why you wont like it...no really you won't. There's lots of pretty girls out there shopping on a sunny day and its a welcome distraction from the burning in our legs. There are some really fun "technical" sections that you have to be extremely careful when cycling on. Like "try to get past Ann Summers without crashing into someone whilst still looking in the window", and then theres the always fun "Lets see how many people you can make scream when you appear at the top of the stairs at 15 mph".
All in all - probably the most fun I've had training in the past few weeks.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Muesli - a model for life!
Ok, so here I am back from a very drunken weekend in Prague. That didn't help my training one bit or did it? If you've been following the blog you will know we managed to cycle pretty quickly from Glasgow to Loch Lomond a few weeks ago.
So why the hell did my legs hurt so much from the walking?!
Well once I sobered up after being drunk for four days, I thought about it. When you walk you extend your leg forward, that means your hamstring and calf get stretched by the opposing muscles contracting. However when you press down on the pedal your leg never fully extends so you end up with powerful short strokes of the muscle but no power or strength over a long stroke of the muscle.
The problem doesn't really matter - it won't stop me being able to complete the cycle. What will happen though is that by limiting the movement of the limbs the muscles will start to contract and further restrict the movement causing more problems when trying to extend the legs and is one of the reasons I can't run for a mile despite being able to cycle 20+ miles.
So whats the next step? I could stop cycling and that would allow me to regain the full range of movement without any additional pain.
BUT
We all know thats not going to happen. I am far too stubborn to give in. Doing one kind of exercise is the problem. It's important to mix your exercise up to ensure that you are getting the most out of it - much the same way that Muesli is better for you than Corn Flakes. The wide mix in it has a better range of nutrients than the single ingredient alternative. Think of it this way...would you prefer to live on pasta for the rest of your life or have the option from an all you can eat buffet every day?
I used to do a lot of kick boxing and martial arts when I was younger; and thanks to my incredible sponge of a brain I can still remember all the exercises from then. Muscle Memory is great and helps you realise when you do things wrongly as it just doesn't feel right. So from now on my training will include some kick boxing exercises at home. I'll go over them later - I don't want to bore you with the details. Rest assured I shall not be posting images of me doing splits.
So why the hell did my legs hurt so much from the walking?!
Well once I sobered up after being drunk for four days, I thought about it. When you walk you extend your leg forward, that means your hamstring and calf get stretched by the opposing muscles contracting. However when you press down on the pedal your leg never fully extends so you end up with powerful short strokes of the muscle but no power or strength over a long stroke of the muscle.
The problem doesn't really matter - it won't stop me being able to complete the cycle. What will happen though is that by limiting the movement of the limbs the muscles will start to contract and further restrict the movement causing more problems when trying to extend the legs and is one of the reasons I can't run for a mile despite being able to cycle 20+ miles.
So whats the next step? I could stop cycling and that would allow me to regain the full range of movement without any additional pain.
BUT
We all know thats not going to happen. I am far too stubborn to give in. Doing one kind of exercise is the problem. It's important to mix your exercise up to ensure that you are getting the most out of it - much the same way that Muesli is better for you than Corn Flakes. The wide mix in it has a better range of nutrients than the single ingredient alternative. Think of it this way...would you prefer to live on pasta for the rest of your life or have the option from an all you can eat buffet every day?
I used to do a lot of kick boxing and martial arts when I was younger; and thanks to my incredible sponge of a brain I can still remember all the exercises from then. Muscle Memory is great and helps you realise when you do things wrongly as it just doesn't feel right. So from now on my training will include some kick boxing exercises at home. I'll go over them later - I don't want to bore you with the details. Rest assured I shall not be posting images of me doing splits.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
The right tool for the right job
Right, so if you're following this blog you know we've been racking up a fair number of miles in a pretty short time and will be racking more and more up as the weeks go on. As our bodies need proper maintenance (food, rest and exercise) so do our bikes.
To maintain the bike you need a few essential tools - remember using the right tool for the right job will ensure that you dont damage your bike or more importantly yourself -either during the maintenance or worse. Just imagine your wheels deciding to fall off when you are travelling at 30mph down hill.
So...which tools do you need. Well it depends on your bike. I'm not going to pretend I know much about those fancy carbon fibre road bikes and will instead concentrate on the mountain bike as its my favourite.
Never leave home without:
To maintain the bike you need a few essential tools - remember using the right tool for the right job will ensure that you dont damage your bike or more importantly yourself -either during the maintenance or worse. Just imagine your wheels deciding to fall off when you are travelling at 30mph down hill.
So...which tools do you need. Well it depends on your bike. I'm not going to pretend I know much about those fancy carbon fibre road bikes and will instead concentrate on the mountain bike as its my favourite.
Never leave home without:
- a multi tool like this one from topeak
- a puncture repair kit - no brainer really.
- a good pump (ideally with a big barrel and dual action so you inflate the tyre in half the time).
- a set of tyre levers - well kind of obvious given my habit for picking up punctures recently.
- a chain splitter - it can also be used to rejoin chains if they snap.
At home - if you are interested in your bike as we are you should have at least:
- A set of allen keys - for tightening/loosening most components.
- A decent number 2 phillips screwdriver - for adjusting the derailleurs.
- A decent number 2 flat screwdriver - might be needed for the derailleurs too.
- Pliers - for helping tension gear cables.
- Wire cutters - to cut the gear cables to length.
- A 14mm spanner (open ended)
And finally - for the competent mechanics amongst us (or wanna-be grease monkeys):
- A crank puller - to remove the cranks so you can get to the crank bearings
- A chain whip - to help you remove the rear freewheel mechanism
- A Locking nut - for your specific gear set so you can remove it. Shimano uses different means from other manufacturers and even within its own range.
- a BottomBracket tool - again watch out for the manufacturer and model as it will be different for each one.
- 3/8" Ratchet Drive - because I am lazy and dont like using spanners unless I really have to!
- and loads of grease!
I'll not bore you with the details of how to maintain your bike just yet; but I will say this for now, its important to make sure that the chain is well oiled (use oil not grease) and that the bike is left upside down overnight at least once a week if you have suspension to allow the top seals to be kept free from any perishing effects from drying out. A rubber o-ring might seem an innocuous piece of kit but if you dont take care of the smallest detail it can let you down big time.
I'll use rest days to ensure that my bike is running as it should to help ensure that the training is as problem free as possible.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Onwards and Upwards!
Positive mental attitude is a wonderful thing. Not only can it make you feel better but it has actually been proven that your body works better when you visualise the exercise and its result before you carry it out.
All along we knew that the cycle from Gothenburg to Oslo was going to be difficult. None of us even for a moment thought "this is going to be easy". I don't think there's any point in doing it if it wasn't going to be difficult. But from our cycle at the weekend we've been on a high - renewed motivation, more enthusiasm and definitely more happy in demeanour.
Why?
Well - we've come up with a plan that will undoubtedly ensure that we succeed in the venture. First of all, we've given up training on the normal cycle routes. Instead we've found some routes with climbs of 400m in altitude in less than a mile - that doesnt sound a lot but a 1:4 gradient on a bike is actually pretty steep.
Tom has managed to get a hold of a copy of a book of cycle routes in scotland - some mediocre, some easy and some insanely difficult. Its our aim to cover about 70 miles in a day with a mixture of hills and flat before we ever set foot in an airport.
When we are able to manage 70 miles we'll be mentally prepared for the 60miles per day that we need to manage. Half the battle will already be won.
All we need to ensure is diet and nutrition are taken care of.
Why?
Well - we've come up with a plan that will undoubtedly ensure that we succeed in the venture. First of all, we've given up training on the normal cycle routes. Instead we've found some routes with climbs of 400m in altitude in less than a mile - that doesnt sound a lot but a 1:4 gradient on a bike is actually pretty steep.Tom has managed to get a hold of a copy of a book of cycle routes in scotland - some mediocre, some easy and some insanely difficult. Its our aim to cover about 70 miles in a day with a mixture of hills and flat before we ever set foot in an airport.
When we are able to manage 70 miles we'll be mentally prepared for the 60miles per day that we need to manage. Half the battle will already be won.
All we need to ensure is diet and nutrition are taken care of.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Resting
Well - since today is a rest day theres not much I can talk about. My legs are fully recovered from yesterdays cycle - to be honest they feel a little tight but in a good way. I lost a bit of weight yesterday due to dehydration from perspiration. I'll be hoping to fix this today by eating and drinking enough to regain that liquid and hopefully build a bit of muscle.
I know most people don't worry about maintaining their weight but with very active crohns and short bowel syndrome I really have to watch my diet.
In short I eat a lot - high protein, high carb, high poly unsaturated fat diet. When I am training I drink about 500mls isotonic drink over 30 mins before the work out. During the training I drink about 500mls and then after I use specialised SIS after workout powders to help retain the energy in muscles and stop cramping.
During the day at work I just drink lots of water, and Coffee when things go bad :) Always with sugar though just to bump up the calories!
The Diet
Breakfast (6.30am)
Each day starts with a large bowl of nut based Muesli with added bananas and full fat milk. Occasionally I will use thick and creamy yoghurt instead of milk just to boost the calories a little.
Mid Morning snack(9.30am/10.00am)
A roll with bacon and potato scone (or when I've planned ahead a roll with ham and cheese and a few chocolate biscuits).
Lunch (12.00noon)
Two rolls with chicken mayonnaise, a bag of crisps, mars bar and a cake (Muffin/Rice Crispie cake/Millionaire short bread) - and two bananas if I feel healthy that day.
Afternoon Snack (3.30pm)
Normally a banana or a pack of crisps - I should increase this but I find too many carbs will cause a bit of a lull.
Dinner (6.00pm)
Pasta with a tomato sauce, then Chicken or Steak, potato wedges and a dessert (Yoghurt with strawberry Jam or 1/2 pint custard).
Evening Snack (throughout)
Normally a tube of biscuits (Chocolate Chips or Custard Creams).
Supper (10.30pm onwards)
Muesli or cereal - this time make sure the carb content is more than the protein. As you will be sleeping soon the carbs will be converted to energy stores more readily.
So thats it. I could make my rest day during the week but having it on a sunday allows me to catch up with all that boring house work that we all have.
I know most people don't worry about maintaining their weight but with very active crohns and short bowel syndrome I really have to watch my diet.
In short I eat a lot - high protein, high carb, high poly unsaturated fat diet. When I am training I drink about 500mls isotonic drink over 30 mins before the work out. During the training I drink about 500mls and then after I use specialised SIS after workout powders to help retain the energy in muscles and stop cramping.
During the day at work I just drink lots of water, and Coffee when things go bad :) Always with sugar though just to bump up the calories!
The Diet
Breakfast (6.30am)
Each day starts with a large bowl of nut based Muesli with added bananas and full fat milk. Occasionally I will use thick and creamy yoghurt instead of milk just to boost the calories a little.
Mid Morning snack(9.30am/10.00am)
A roll with bacon and potato scone (or when I've planned ahead a roll with ham and cheese and a few chocolate biscuits).
Lunch (12.00noon)
Two rolls with chicken mayonnaise, a bag of crisps, mars bar and a cake (Muffin/Rice Crispie cake/Millionaire short bread) - and two bananas if I feel healthy that day.
Afternoon Snack (3.30pm)
Normally a banana or a pack of crisps - I should increase this but I find too many carbs will cause a bit of a lull.
Dinner (6.00pm)
Pasta with a tomato sauce, then Chicken or Steak, potato wedges and a dessert (Yoghurt with strawberry Jam or 1/2 pint custard).
Evening Snack (throughout)
Normally a tube of biscuits (Chocolate Chips or Custard Creams).
Supper (10.30pm onwards)
Muesli or cereal - this time make sure the carb content is more than the protein. As you will be sleeping soon the carbs will be converted to energy stores more readily.
So thats it. I could make my rest day during the week but having it on a sunday allows me to catch up with all that boring house work that we all have.
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