View From Down Under

Only 2 weeks left, ohhh a bit scary! however some good news today, when I signed up for this little adventure, I put a dent in the sofa at 113KG or 248lbs or 17.7 stone.  Fat git in anyones language. The dent measured 109cm round (42inch waist for the poms) as well. So I was probably on the way to a heart attack if I jumped on the push bike for 5 days.  regardless of how far i was going to have to peddle.

SO I made myself a little extra challange, not only raise money – but lose at least 13 KG and 10cm off the waist. I have been seeing the fantastic Mia the dietitcian and she has worked wonders coaching me– today I broke through the 100Kg mark t to come in (at a still portley) 98.9KG and 97cm waist.

time to go shopping nothing fits anymore.

anyone in Sydney wants help with diet see Mia http://www.bodyfusion.com.au/ 

oh yeah and the bike riding is coming along fine – even managed a game of netball today which is a first for me.

more ramblings soon

Training News

More training news

Well, the bike has been a bit quiet this week. Going in for a tune up tomorrow and back out again later.

I have to thank Ben at Sussex Bootcamps for the gruelling torture he has put me through these past two weeks. I am feeling better (slightly) and less aching now. My core muscles are much improved and half way through so expecting some more improvements by the time we leave.

Speaking of which…. 19 days to go!!!! Very nervous. Have I done enough, or too much (doubtful)? I am scared that I will struggle and miss the fantastic world around me. I plan to step up my training over the next 2 weeks and really make it worthwhile.

This weekend is another chance to get out and enjoy the riding. Not sure which way to go though…. North or South Downs? Any thoughts? Anyone out riding this weekend that wants to join me?

Cheers and thanks for reading.

Training Update

Just a quicky to update you all on the training. Bootcamp is going well. The aches of the first few days are receding a little and I can feel the muscles in my stomach starting to work…. first time in ages!

The riding is going well with a number of long-ish off road rides planned for October. Really this is the last push. 30 days to go and I need to ease up in the last week to rest in readiness of the challenge ahead. So really only 3 weeks of training left. Going for it full out now.

I still need load more sponsorship though. Please can you spread the word far and wide. Every little counts.

Cheers and thanks for reading.

I’m a Twit..ter….er???

I have succumbed to the pressure of online social networking. It is true, I no longer have real friends, only pretend friends, on the Interweb, who live in their mums back bedroom and have posters of Power Rangers on their walls.

Yes, Love From Henry is now a Twitter-er (is that the right name?).

You can see me on Twitter @LoveFromHenry and follow some words of inspired wisdom and comment on the state of Pediatric brain tumours and the research in the UK and the world.

There are a number of other charities doing similar things in  this area and I have tried to follow as many of these as possible. The more people that look at this terrible lack of funding and research (<1% of all charity funding by the government is in brain tumours, yet 24% of all cancer is in the brain)

So, follow me, invite your friends to follow me and spread the word.

Cheers and thanks for reading

The torture has arrived

OK, so someone told me that it would be a good idea to get fitter for this challenge. All I can say is…. WHY DID I LISTEN !!!!!!!???????!!!!!!

A very kind offer by Ben at Sussex BootCamp has led me to leaving home at 5:30am to be tortured by a sadist at Horsham Park 3 times a week. Why would I do this to myself? Well, at least the pain (and there is pain!) will pay off in about 4 weeks time when I will be fitter, healthier and better able to cope with the challenge ahead.

It has started to dawn on me how hard this could be. 80km per day, each day….. OK, so not as hard as an Olympic sport maybe…. not as hard as childbirth (yeah, how hard can that be? half the population can do that without even trying !!!)

Before I get attacked by every female on the planet, all I can say in my defence is, I am only a man after all…. everything is difficult!

View from DownUdder

So back into training with a vengeance (no more excuses). I found out that I need to register by this week, this caused Sara and myself to have a good hard look at the cost of this thing. (more Sara than me) and the results is I can but only if I fly cattle class!! The time spent trying to find flights from Sydney to Cuba is unbelievable. So sod it I will go to London and meet all my fellow “sore asses in waiting” and spend sometime with the family on the way back.

Distance Sydney to Havana the direct route

• 7,930 Nautical Miles

• 9,125 Statute Miles

• 14 686 Kilometres

Or the Barnfield Route nearly twice the distance required!

Sydney to London

• 9181 Nautical Miles

• 10566 Statute Miles

• 17004 Kilometres

London to Havana

• 4051 Nautical Miles

• 4662 Statute Miles

• 7502 Kilometres

Total of:

• 13,232 Nautical Miles
• 15,228 Statute Miles
• 24,506 Kilometres

before I even set foot on a saddle, all I can say is those cigars better be good.

Thursday 26th Feb – the joy of cycling to work

A prevous diary entry from Feburary sums up riding to work.

“This whole slackness was not helped by a magnificent drinking spree on Saturday night at my next door neighbours 50^th birthday party. You know you have had a lot when you wake up and your tongue is black from red wine.

Other tell tale signs included

• Mother of all headaches
• Not being able to get up until 1pm
• Not being able to keep down the coffee at midday
• Being useless for the rest of the day, and feeling guilty that Sara is painting the spare room also with a hangover.

 I am officially a big girls blouse!

In order to sweat out excess drinking what have I managed this week?… 1 lousy bike ride to work. Although that was managed quicker than the previous efforts and felt a lot better.  time for a rant… Sydney car drivers have no clue as to the width of their small car. Nearly knocking me off. Silly bint didn’t even realise, well not until she nearly jumped out her skin (like I had) when I politely, but loudly banged on her window to explain,  in a rational way the errors of her ways. I think her answer was “sorry” but distinctly  looked like “F**k off”. Happy days.”

View From DownUnder pt 2

FEB 4th 2009 was the day I decided to do this, and I decided to keep a diary — this is entry no1

The bad news:  the wii fit told me I weigh 112Kg height 178cm- BMI – well clinically dead (35.33!!!). My Wii fit man who looked all slim and in my mind a mirror image of me went all fat & unhappy. A wake up call to my, sit on your arse in my office all-day life style!!  

Ok new goal, not only will AL & me raise over $10,000 dollars (shit just made that figure up in my head, gone and done it now!) and raise awareness, I will lose 20 KG and 10 cm off my exceeding large, but very expensive and pampered gut. The time has come to take control of myself.

More musings and weight related thoughts later.

View from DownUnder

Since being invited, bullied and generally scorned into taking part in a round the world tour which includes a stop off to cycles my butt cheeks  flat. I have taken the training and whole thing to heart.  current stats include buying a wanky cycle top (to give me the impression that I am Lance Armstrong) serviced the push bike and started cycling to work.

This bit takes a bit of preperation, needing shower gear and change of work attire to be strategically placed already in the office, so I dont have to carry it in a ruck sack. But, and here is a top tip for anyone thinking of getting fit by cycling to work — as well as a spare suit and shirt, shoes and ties take Socks and Knickers or you’ll spend a very pleasant day, like I did, going commando and sockless.

 

More inane observations soon.