Archive for the ‘COPD’ Category

Podge v COPD Week 4

Posted: May 18, 2020 in COPD, COPD - Codgers Old Puffing Disease, Cycling, general, Health, LeJog, OaP, Rome-2-Home, Uncategorized
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This week, His Podgeness has been a very good boy. Not only did he improve in his new weekly mileage goal, but he also lost 1kg in body weight: That’s the equivalent of 4 packs of lard 😋). More about that in a bit.

Over the last week, my four [virtual] challenges became five then dropped back to four. In addition to Lands End to John O’Groats (LeJog)], Rome to Home (R2H), 2020 (that’s 20202 miles during the year 2020) and the Great Ocean Road (GOR), I have now added Hadrian’s Wall (HW) though I’m walking this one by sneaking out unseen to walk round the fields out the back (Naughty Podge).

Over this past week, I’ve cycled just over 73 during which I managed to complete the Great Ocean Road (Good Podge) and have walked just over 3 illicit miles (Bad Podge) for my new Hadrian’s Wall challenge.

In respect of the lard reduction challenge, this last week has seen my weight drop to 92.4kg so that a whole kg of lard gone. My BMI has dropped 0.2% overall, my body-fat has dropped 0.4% and my water content has risen by 0.3%, all of which is good. So, it would seem that Podge is a Good Podge and on the right track to become an Old Codger rather then an Old Podger.

The reduction in anti-viral medication consumption may not be as great as it could be, especially as I discovered a 50% Proof Whiskey 🥃 just in time for World Whiskey Day on Saturday but overall I still think:

Podge Done Good.

All rides on Bkool and reported through Strava.

All virtual challenges are tracked through  ‘My Virtual Mission‘ and challenges entered through The Conqueror Virtual Challenge site.

All rides are done in my garage as my GP has banged me up for a minimum of 12 weeks (reset to start from the 11th May 😭) due to having Codgers Old Puffing Disease (COPD Stage 3)  😢

Wish me luck.
Go Podge, Go. 

Podge v COPD Week 3

Posted: May 11, 2020 in COPD, COPD - Codgers Old Puffing Disease, Cycling, general, Health, Rome-2-Home, training
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This past week has seen somewhat improvement in miles covered though not as great an improvement as I would have preferred as I did feel more than a little lethargic towards the end of the week, or was I just feeling lazy 🙄? That said however, I am still making good progress towards my virtual goals as the graphs below indicate.

The target for completing the three biggest challenges is by the end of the year though obviously if I can complete them earlier I will. The shortest challenge is only 149 miles with only 35 miles left to complete so that will be checked off during the coming week after which I’ll add another shorter trip. The idea of the shorter challenges is that they give me quick results alongside the longer ones and as such maintain motivation. Well, that’s what my mind tells me. 😋

On the physical attributes front, this week my weight has dropped back down to just below my starting weight of 93.4 kg: It’s moving in the right direction but a long way from my target of 83.5 but, I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again. Body fat is going down, water composition is going up so hopefully, I’m doing something right: I’m guessing the reduction in anti-viral medication consumption is helping a little 😂.

Yesterday, I managed 27 miles so things are getting better. Earlier in the year I struggled to a 3 mile ride. So, my new weekly mileage target is 70 miles a week, up from 30.

All rides on Bkool and reported through Strava.

All virtual challenges are tracked through  ‘My Virtual Mission‘ and challenges entered through The Conqueror Virtual Challenge site.

All rides are done my garage as my GP has banged me up for a minimum of 12 weeks due to me having Codgers Old Puffing Disease 😢

Wish me luck.
Go Podge, Go. 🚴‍♂️

Podge v COPD Week 2

Posted: May 4, 2020 in COPD, COPD - Codgers Old Puffing Disease, Cycling, general, Health, Rome-2-Home, training
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The end of week 2 of my Rome-2-Home virtual cycling challenge (week-4 of my 12 week isolation) I have managed to cover just 121 of 1198 miles. This virtual ride is being undertaken using MyVirtualChallenge and tracking a total of 4-challenges, these being: Lands End to John O’Groats, Rome-2-Home, Great Ocean Road and 2020 miles in a year. The image is a bit blurry so for next week I’ll try to create my own version.

I am rather pleased to report that last weeks mileage is an increase on the previous weeks and hopefully this will be the trend moving forward. Considering poor Podges lungs are less than 50% effective plus an arthritic hip and A-Fib, I may not be quite the athlete but I reckon I aint doing so bad 😋

I did promise that as part of my parallel campaign to lose weight, I would also include some additional stats below. Unfortunately, this week hasn’t been so rewarding (in weight loss) as I would have hoped as, despite cycling 67+ miles I seem ti have put on weight. Poor Podge is so sad. 😦 

  • Weight: 93.8 Kg (+0.4kg 😞 )
    • Goal: 83.5 
  • BMI: 30..7 (+0.3 😞 )
    • Goal: 24 
  • Body Fat: 45.3% (+0.5 😞 )
    • Goal: 34% 
  • Body Water: 39.4% (-0.1 😞 )
    • Goal: 55% 

Having reviewed last weeks performance, I can only conclude that my weight gain is attributable to the antiviral medication 😷 that I’m taking; That’s wine, beer and gin but not all at once of course 😋. So, moving forward, both Podge and Tubbs (aka Mrs Me) will only drink every other day thus reducing our intake by 50% and stop eating (nearly) all the stuff we like.

Podge is not only sad but be he’s also such a bad lad.

All rides are completed using Bkool and reported through Strava

Go Podge, Go.

Podge v COPD Week 1

Posted: April 27, 2020 in COPD, COPD - Codgers Old Puffing Disease, Cycling, Health, OaP, Rome-2-Home, training
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Many moons ago (actually, 17 years ago), His Podgeness (that’s me) was going to ride from Rome to Home (in the UK) along with two other guys. It was to be a story about 3 guys (all over 50) cycling through three counties on three wheels (yes, we had trikes made just for the occasion) but, life changes happened.

Now, here I am banged up for 12 weeks due to me being deemed considerably vulnerable to Covid-19 as I have #COPD (with an FEV1 of 44% that puts me at stage 3/severe 😞) coupled with A_Fib. I miss my cycling and walking but needs must. Then, I saw ‘My Virtual Mission‘ and recognised a chance for me to still complete my original challenge albeit from within my garage, riding on my trainer in a virtual world.

So, Podge the Puffer (if you’d seen me cycling up hills, you’d understand the Puffer bit) is a cyclist reborn: And who knows, the name Podge may [still] become ironic if I lose enough weight.

So, at the end of week 1 of my Rome-2-Home virtual cycling challenge (week-3 of my 12 week isolation) I have managed to cover just 53.3 of 1198 miles taking 3-hours and 1-minute over 3-rides with each ride longer than the previous. 

To help fight COPD, I do recognise I [still] need to lose weight so I’l also be publishing some stats here which I hope to improve on over time. Well, that’s the plan anyway 🙂 So, here goes: 

  • Weight: 93.4 Kg 
    • Goal: 83.5 
  • BMI: 30.4 (obese 😞)
    • Goal: 24 
  • Body Fat: 44.8% (lardy 😞)
    • Goal: 34% 
  • Body Water: 39.5% (dehydrated 😞)
    • Goal: 55% 

All rides on Bkool and reported through Strava
Wish me luck.
Go Podge, Go.

Podge Gets Fat, Thin And Fat Again!

Posted: December 31, 2018 in COPD, OaP, Retirement
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Poor Podge

So, His Podgeness, or Podge to his friends, started 2018 weighing in at 15.5 stone or 100kg, which is quite a lot for somebody who is only 5’9″ or 175cm tall.  Yet, despite his doctor telling him, all through 2017, to lose weight, the weight stayed where it was. However, two events through 2018 garnered Podge into a goal of weight loss. It is also worth noting that Podge has COPD and a manky heart caused by fat and of course COPD. The consequence of these is that exercise was difficult and so weight loss was a challenge. Add to the list a now arthritic hip, it was all a bit of a chore.  Poor Podge indeed.

The first event was when Podge was promised a shiny new hip but, only if he lost 2 stone or 12.7kgs. The second event was helping a long-standing friend, Lillybet, in her quest for qualification as a Nutritional Therapist. Both these events helped Podge lose enough weight, 18kgs in the end, to have the op and improve his breathing and heart no end.

Then the Operation

So, come the end of October, Podge goes down for his hip replacement followed by many weeks of rest and recuperation, then retirement then Christmas and Podge puts back on 11 of the 18Kgs that he’s lost. Bad Podge. Now, Podge’s breathing is not too good, and his heart is all over the place. So, Podge once more is returning to the healthy diet that Lillybet had advised, it did after all work. Basically, Podge has to stop eating and drinking everything that Podge likes. Still, at least Podge ends the year 7Kgs down from the start of 2018.

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Expect more pictures of lard 🙂

Through 2018, Podge cycled 208 miles and walked 63 miles, not including normal day-to-day walking, some stats to be improved for 2019. Poor Podge.

So, here’s to 2019 and Podge becoming UnPodge.

Now, it’s new year’s eve so, everybody down to the Pub.

Happy New Year Everybody.

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