Archive for the ‘Health’ 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.

Resolutions

Posted: January 3, 2019 in Cycling, Health, OaP, Retirement
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2018

2018 held such promise for me and to be honest most of it was delivered though I did kind of wreck it towards the end: Having started the year weighing 100 kg I finished it weighing 93 kg though I did drop to 83.5 kg. This was all in pursuit of improving my health and appearance and because I needed a new hip and I wasn’t going to get one while I was fat.

To help me lose the weight not only did I stop eating just about everything I liked 😦 but I also experimented with new foods such as vegetables which, I’d always deemed to be poisonous :-). The results were amazing as I lost 16.5 kg. I also found myself doing more walking and cycling and even took up weight training. I felt like new man. Then came the news, I was scheduled to have my hip replacement on the 31st October (the surgeon was so impressed with my results he lost no time in getting me in sooner rather than later).

Following the operation I was forced into many weeks of rest and recuperation and although I did try to get back onto my bikes and try lifting some weights I was forced back into r & r. I consoled myself by eating nice stuff again and with the build up to Christmas, the nice stuff was plentiful and ‘justified’ and aided by the fact that I had finally retired and mutated into an Old Age Pensioner.

The weight, inevitably, went back on but at least I did finish the year lighter than I started it :-). And, the benefits of losing the weight were highlighted by a distinct improvement in my breathing.

Through 2018 I cycled and walked (recorded) 199 and 53 miles respectively.

2018 stats

2019

Resolution #1

Match the miles cycled and walked through 2018 in a single month in 2019. then cycle at least 2019 miles.

Resolution #2

Reach my target weight of 75 kg.

Resolution #3

Get a second medal for completing the Great South Run – last completed ion 2003.

Go Podge, Go.

 

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