Love, Poetry and Revolution - Wednesday 29th May 2024

We're going away on holiday in July to somewhere which is expected to be very hot.  The Johnny Cash look will probably not cut it.  Certainly not my favourite black T-shirts.

Consequently, I've been looking for some cooler clothes, in all senses of the word, naturellement.  As part of this process, I made a horrifying discovery. Either a lot of my clothes, especially shorts and shirts, have shrunk or, as it more likely seems, I have put on a fair bit of weight. Where have I put it on? Mostly around my middle, which we're told, is the worst place to gain weight for the more mature (in some ways) adult.

This discovery has led to two remedial (I should be so lucky!) actions. I need to exercise more (well, at all would be more like the truth of late). I must cut out sugar from my diet. No more M6 Snickers.  I am debating the future of the almond croissant (and even better, the chocolate and almond croissant). Not for the whole world, so no need to worry, just for me.

I used to run a lot. I ran half marathons. Based on this, I assumed I could literally go out and run, bears or no bears. I thought a five-minute run would be a doddle given my history of running.  I was wrong.  First lesson: you are starting from scratch, forget the past.

I then decided I should train for a 'Couch to 5K' as I don't need to run half marathons again. Been there. Done that. There really are no bears. I probably won't (never say never) even do a 5K run. My goal is to improve my fitness, which has taken a lemming-style nosedive and lose some belly fat. There will hopefully be some side-benefits like improved stamina and shirts that don't bulge at the belly (for the wrong reason).

To maximise the impact of the exercise, I need to eat more healthily. This means cutting out sugar. Some of which is easy. Some of which requires packet watching.  I need to identify some healthy snacks that I like.  More protein, less carbohydrates.

So, with that in mind, I did my first day of 'Couch to 5K' today, though I didn't start from the couch. Hope that's not cheating. Day 1 is eight lots of 1 minute running with ninety seconds of walking in between. It was OK. I didn't drop dead. At points, the running felt good, like the old days, but probably slower. I feel a lot better for it and feel more energised, so maybe there is something to be gained here. Watch this space.   Tomorrow I'll do a thirty-minute brisk walk and then repeat the running schedule on Friday. Fun, fun, fun, and still no bears!

There's other stuff to talk about, but I might save that for another post after tomorrow night's Idler, which I'm looking forward to.

Shed. Mustn't forget that.

Given the increase in exercise, the chosen song is darkly appropriate.

Half Man Half Biscuit /  'I'm Getting Buried In The Morning'  / 'The Voltarol Years'

[[As always with HMHB, the lyrics are particularly amusing, as is the album title.]]