Getting Fit - after four weeks

It is four weeks since I decided to start a more focused fitness plan and it is time to assess progress.

On the positive side, I have managed to do a very large number of separate exercise routines. 

In the last four weeks, I have done 14 indoor cycling routines of typically 75 to 90 minutes each.  Most of these are attempts to cycle continuously for the entire time at a cadence of about 65-75 at the highest resistance I can manage.  I have usually been watching a training video of a 90 minute ascent of Alpe d'Huez so I can really get to grips with the entire ascent.  Gradually I have been able to increase the resistance and I'm pretty happy with how this has gone.  But I am now about to change from this to a different indoor cycle plan using some spin class videos that I have downloaded off youtube.

I have also done 11 outdoor runs, typically around 4-5km around the local woods and fields.  I still find the first 10 minutes of this very hard but I am noticing an improvement and I am now able to properly run long sections rather than do a slow jog.  But I am not a natural runner and need to lose a lot of weight to really improve I feel.

So far I have done just 4 outdoor bike rides and have clocked up around 110 miles.  My longest distance has been 37 miles which is ok at this point.  My next target is to do the entire 28 mile hilly D150 route from home to the local town of St Jean, then all the way to Saintes and back home, and I am also targeting a 40+ mile ride in one go.  I might try for both of these targets this weekend.

I have cut my consumption of coca cola by about 40% and am eating more yogurts and no biscuit snacks - all of which is good

On the negative side, I was appalled to discover how much I weigh.  I didn't weigh myself four weeks ago, and I have lost some weight over the last four weeks, but I currently weigh 96kgs.  I had thought I was about 90kgs! 

My target weight for this time next year was 75-80 kgs so I have a huge way to go to get anywhere near this. 

Kelly Brook - then and now

I haven't seen or heard anything about Kelly Brook for several years.  I always quite liked her as she was a very curvy young lady, rather than ultra slim which I am not so keen on.

A few weeks back there was a feature on her in the gardening section of The Sunday Times, which seems a somewhat incongruous idea, but there you go.  Apparently she has become quite the gardener!

A week or so later, I came across an old copy of (the very bizarre) Bizarre magazine.  I wonder if this is still published?  This featured the lovely Kelly in some very different outfits to the one she is wearing while gardening.

Do I prefer sexy sailor, sexy cop or sexy gardener?  Who knows

Pixies - "Gouge away"

One of my favourite songs and quite a few clips on Youtube, including some with the new, non-Kim, female bass player.

Not sure I approve of her as she seems to be out of tune on the few clips I saw with her doing backing vocals, though she does look nice.