Who Knows Where The Time Goes?

Has it really been TEN WEEKS since I last updated this? I blame Fairport's Cropredy Convention.

After week 19:

-23.2 lbs
-5.8% body fat
-11% body weight

Starting: 15st 0.8 lbs (210.8 lbs) / 25.1%
Currently: 13st 5.6 lbs (187.6 lbs) / 19.3%

Well the rest of the summer has been and gone, and the fast early losses have plateaued out. That's to be expected, especially given the calorie holidays I've taken during this period!

Average weight loss rate has reduced to under 1¼lb per week. Since I'm now well within "healthy", I've reduced my rate of loss to 1lb per week.  This means I can eat well every day, whether I run or not, and not get light-headed and exhausted. I'm going to increase my protein intake, to help recovery between sessions.

The running is going ok, although I think the intervals and faster stuff has been taking its toll. I've changed plan from the Hal Higdon Intermediate Half Marathon plan ahead of Barns Green, to something a little closer to his beginners' plan.  The idea is to keep running at low intensity, with only "race pace" runs to be harder work.

Managed to do my first race for about a year on Saturday, and few seconds faster than last year! Knee was agony for rest of the weekend, and I couldn't run until today. This is the reason for cutting back the training a little.

No weights for a few weeks: I need to get this back into the routine. The problem remains when to fit it in. Mornings are hopeless for weights, and evenings are becoming busier.

Goals for this week:

1. Stay within WLR Calories.
2. Race Pace run at 7m25s pace or faster.
3. All steady-state runs at >90 rpm average. [Failed this today, sadly]

Tightening the Belt

After week 9:

-17.4 lbs
-4.6% body fat
-8% body weight

Starting: 15st 0.8 lbs (210.8 lbs) / 25.1%
Currently: 13st 11.4 lbs (193.4 lbs) / 20.5%

Completed the WLR Holiday Challenge +2 weeks. Going to keep going through to the end of July.

Another week with just one pound lost, but given that Saturday/Tuesday had big meals out, most of the week was spent playing catch-up anyway! Not too disappointed: I'm lighter than the lowest weight from the previous week and a pound down net.

Average weight loss rate has reduced to under 2lb per week. This is still ahead of the planned 1½lb per week, so no problem there. If this is just a temporary plateau, we should be fine.

The running is still going well (30 mins walking, plus 3,3,2 & 5 miles), and the knee feels fine. One goal for this week was to keep my cadence above 86 rpm. I exceeded this, and so next week it's 86.5 rpm as a minimum. Planned runs are 3,3,3 and 3, and 55 mins walking.

The weights are going well, although one set is proving to be a very quick session! I'm going to add a third full-body workout in on Wednesday to try and get the most out of this recovery phase. I'm not running a lot, so there should be plenty in the tank for another 45 minutes of weights per week: especially since I'm enjoying it so much!

Goals for this week:

1. Stay within WLR Calories.
2. All runs at > 86.5 rpm average.
3. Increase weight training to 3x per week.

Downhill to Christmas

Week seven is in the bag, and we're slowly rolling downhill to Christmas:

-15.4 lbs
-4.3% body fat
-7% body weight

Starting: 15st 0.8 lbs (210.8 lbs) / 25.1%
Currently: 13st 13.4 lbs (195.4 lbs) / 20.8%

My WLR Holiday Countdown Challenge is completed. It runs for another six weeks, so I'll try and keep that going until the end of July.

My weight always seems to bounce back up a bit after the weekend, but this week it's more or less the lowest it's been this year. The body fat % is at its lowest for months. All good stuff here.

Meanwhile I've been running, keeping a relaxed pace going for 2, 3 and 4 miles last week. This week I've done a 2 miler. The weight training is going well. I'm almost enjoying it!

This week I've got some 10RM tests for weight training (no point trying 5RM if I'm normally doing 30x sets normally!), which I'll do on Wednesday. Running will be 2m / 3m / 2m / 3m and a 50 minute walk. Again, I'll stick to the Challenge "tone" and "tum" exercises until the end of July.

Getting Lighter Every Morning!

After five weeks of calorie counting:

-13.2 lbs
-2.8% body fat
-6% body weight

Starting: 15st 0.8 lbs (210.8 lbs) / 25.1%
Currently: 14st 1.6 lbs (197.6 lbs) / 22.3%

Another WLR Challenge Week completed as well (4 of 6): downhill all the way now!

More of the same this week: lots of calories in hand, lots of exercise, knee feeling stronger, and managed a few walk-runs!

This week I'm aiming to get running, as well as picking up the weights again.

Sticking to 1½lbs per week for the moment...

Challenging Times

After three weeks of calorie counting:

-8.0 lbs
-1.4% body fat
-3% body weight

Starting: 15st 0.8 lbs (210.8 lbs) / 25.1%
Currently: 14st 6.8 lbs (202.8 lbs) / 23.7%
Target: 12st 12lbs (180 lbs)

Three weeks down, and two Challenge weeks completed. Very pleased, since cardio exercise has been difficult with a hurty knee. However, biking has ticked the box for the challenge, while I heal up.

I did manage a walk this morning, but only 10 minutes. The knee started to ache and I was glad to stop while I was ahead. I can now do one-leg squats from desk height, so there's something to build from there. Proper squats with barbell were painful last Monday, so I'll hold off for another 7 days before trying them again.

Meanwhile, the calorie counting has been nice and easy, being well below my required calories for 1½lbs/week. 2lbs/week can wait until I'm running regularly again!

It's the Dorking Ten at the weekend: I'm not going to be running, so I'll be able to watch LittleMissB doing her kids' race. Looking forward to that!