How Fit Can You Git?

Crush

2009-04-14T02:49:00.000-07:00

Wow its been a while, and seriously since Will has come along, I've been struggling to make time to exercise. But, with the motivation of maintaining entries in my DailyMile profile, I'm back on the bike a fair bit.

Crush represents my will, spirit, energy and of course testicles as I battled the hills near my home in Richmond. Yarra Boulevard, an actual venue for some recent youth cycling comps and championships, is a serious of rolling hills and roads, in a pretty remote part of town given its so close to the city.

Other than that, normal cruises around the city and gardens and worthwhile doing.

The DailyMile goal for me is to complete a 50km ride before the end of 2009. I think I'll get there.

Anyway, check out my DailyMile page, and have a look at the maps too.

Lesson 12 - That 5th hill IS the last one you lazy bastard. Why did you quit 50m before the top of the last incline??

Stiff

2008-10-27T23:50:00.000-07:00

Well its been a big couple of weeks - last weekend and the one before, I went for some good long 1.5 hour rides along the river. Although I've yet to complete 10 rides on the new rig (sounds slack, but there are as always a myriad of excuses, which is all I am really), am alreay looking for new routes and things to explore. Must say the legs are acclimatising to the riding quite quickly.

And of course the obligatory golf game on Sunday was at Keysborough this time, with James and others. Thoroughly enjoyable despite the 7.30 tee-off. An excellent layout, with nice people and relaxed atmosphere. Would definitely go back, and hope to. Driving good, short game woeful, putting good - if its not one thing gone its the other. One day they will all come together, like at Barnbougle.

The first born is but 2 weeks away, so the blog will either become crammed with last minute exercises or just ... disappear.

Lesson 11 - Just because you are 'bombing it off the tee' doesnt mean you can beat a bunch of old guys - I didnt. It was embarressing.

Granny

2008-10-16T02:44:00.001-07:00

The 2008 Toyota AFL Grand Final in 2 minutes - The Slattery Media Group from AFL Photos on Vimeo.

Duff

2008-10-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

The 2nd at Eynesbury

I'm never playing golf again. At this rate, I don't think golf will want to play with me again either. Played today with Mike, a good golfer (I owe you $5 for the drink mate), in perfect conditions on an excellent golf course (Eynesbury - high quality for a new course). Have you ever played so bad, you stop scoring, and even root for your playing partner to keep his streak up. Geez. ...

I've gone from a miracle afternoon at Barnbougle (88!), reduced to bunting the ball around Eynesbury (400 and something surely) - the more you play the game, the less it can advance. It is possible and defies the laws of normal sport. That's why its so unique and can be addictive when you get ahead.

I thought it would be more worthwhile to reminisce about the variety of courses I've played over the last few years:

13th Beach (both courses) - beer haze clouds memories ... but good. Well known that Beach course is superior to Creek course.
Anglesea - kangaroos are the novelty overlaid on this good layout on the coast
Barnbougle Dunes - no. 1- outstanding, even better when it plays benign
Cape Schank - well manicured but I had (another) dog day
Commonwealth - Great course, but I was crap .. again
Eagle Ridge - too country club for the peninsula
Eynesbury - excellent, will be back to this G Marsh layout. Best locker rooms in Australia by the way - hotel like.
Greenacres - nice inner city, a bit too Melbourne Club for mine
Growling Frog - a trek, and needs time and water to embed, but a good layout in nice farmland
Huntingdale - Really nice, undervalued, and a good afternoon
Moonah Links Open Course - Really good, and teeth not as sharp as I thought it would be
National Old Course - Prob the 2nd best golf afternoon ever
Portsea - the old favourite, love the quietness, the familiarity
Riversdale - Unusual layout on hilly aspect, nice people and clubhouse feel
Tewantin - Never seen a greener course during 'drought' - that's Sunshine Coast - well worth a visit
Waterford Valley - coming together, but needs water and atmosphere
Werribee - don't want to talk about it ...
Yarra Bend - Hidden gem in the inner city

To each of those courses, and the people I played with, apologies for wasting your time, I hope the 19th green made up for it each time. That's a fair list though, some really excellent courses are within reach of Inner Melbourne (except for Tewantin and Barnbougle of course) . And there are many more ... just need to find the time and the $50.

Top courses on my wishlist - don't we all ...

Kingston Heath
Peninsula CC
Royal Melb, of course
Sorrento
National Moonah
Brookwater in QLD
The Cut in WA

Late night update - I wish I could be playing golf tomorrow ... the bug is back, despite the poor round. Sorry Mike, you'll have to put up with me again soon. And I owe you the Ashes by the way. Time for some lessons ... although again approaching birth of first child may make it an unwise investment. Time to just enjoy...

Lesson 10 - Sometimes lessons, thinking about it, practicing mean nothing - when you cross the white line onto the first tee, that's when it counts ... and that's when your game leaves you, the bastard

Flat

2008-10-04T22:09:00.001-07:00

I had a round of golf last week on the very hilly Riversdale. In odd but maybe normal hacker style, my game started well, but declined as the mind, and parts of the body went. I lived up to my 'no handicap' status of 22. Drove well, but wayward at times, but seemed to find trouble with every second shot, and putted abismally. Thanks Ben for the round.

After a very brief ride yesterday the following stats emerged - top speed 40kmh (this is what gets me going at the moment ... pathetic and unsustainable); total distance 15km; total calories spent 200.

3 beers afterwards last night - 300 calories. Crap. And yes, I drink Pure Blonde or other low carb beers - if its going to be beer, it might as well be low carb.

I am learning the 'if you eat/drink that you'll have to exercise for XXX hours to work it off' lesson. Also, I am learning that you can eat anything you want just cos you think you're going to burn it off. Legs pumping under a full stomach make riding not fun.

Towards the end I had leisure riders in jeans and leather jackets crusing past ... it felt bad.

Countdown to first time parenthood is on - 6 weeks to cram in golf / bike /beer.

Dramatic update - today I went for another ride, for an hour. Made it well into the city and back. And it went well. Feel knackered and tired, but energised. Am even contemplating some rides+run combos .... ahhahahahahaha.

Lesson 9 - Stopping to fix a deflated tyre for 5 mins is not an official hamstring stretch, even if it felt like it.

Legs

2008-09-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

Well following a few weeks of recovering from minor surgery (finally got that backbone I'd been missing - now there is no excuse), the weekend contained 2 sessions of very different exercise in what was a very windy and blustery weekend here in Melbourne.

Saturday morning ride to blow the cobwebs out. And cobwebs there were. A hard slog out there getting some form back. The roads were packed with other riders, walkers, joggers, etc - you can tell its Spring. Superb conditions though and a good ride - the legs were weary at the end. This was of course followed by 2 coffees and various pastries at Brunettis ... breakfast of champions.

Sunday morning early, a round of golf with Mike down the coast. A very hilly course at Portsea, in incredible gales, a real challenge. A good even result in the end of an 18 hole matchplay with me parring the last 3 to drag the deficit back and half the match. Opened with a poor 51 but closed with a better 46 - still left about 10 stupid shots out there - topping the ball, thinning the ball, sloppy technique. Pushing a 15 kilo bag up and down some severe hills in those winds wore me out, but was thoroughly enjoyable. Again, the legs were weary. Always love a hit at Portsea, followed by the obligatory fruit platter afterwards ... did I say fruit platter? I meant pie.

Given the impending birth of our first child, I foresee a curtailed program (whats a fraction of nothing? still nothing) in the near future - 8 weeks of cramming in golf, rides, maybe a jog or two. At least the Grand Final is on, and the Spring Carnival to distract me.

Lesson 8 - Playing golf near to dawn does not make it 'bootcamp'. Particularly when you're ready for a post round beer, and its only 10.45am.

Par

2008-07-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

Lets discuss - does Golf constitute exercise?

Pros of golf – 18 holes usually ends up being about a 5-6km walk pulling a 10kg buggy and bag up and down dales. Swinging a club in all manners of exertion ‘exercises’ certain core muscle groups and tests your control and co-ordination.

Cons of golf – aside from the price of sports drinks and sausage rolls (that’s right, the breakfast of champions), golf is also at best a periodic, purposeful stroll, rather than getting the heart rate up – unless theres some serious cash on that last putt.

I would say the decider is in the outcome, not the process – even given my lack of fitness, the degree to which I am buggered after a round is substantial, meaning my body has been exposed to certain weather elements, long walking over a 4 hour period, and some serious concentration and body movement (usually followed by swearing, and mutterings on how stupid a game it is).

Golf is a good start, encourages a flexible, strong core, and allows me to talk shit for 4 hours. Its staying in the ‘program’.

Lesson 7 - Remember the 19th hole often off sets the good work you do on the course - drink beer BEFORE the round, not after, that way you'll walk off feeling like you're ahead.

Scott

2008-07-09T17:17:00.001-07:00

Well, the excuse for non exercise has finally been replaced ... by a big box from America. Have a look at the beauty. Now I can get out there and feel like I'm doing something worthwhile.

Scott S30 with 105 gear set, continential wheels, carbon forks and seat post (for comfort thank god) and other assorted gadgetry. Dont assume I know what I'm talking about here, by the way. Next I'm getting all the related gear - super tight pants (not ideal look, but function over form), helmet, shoes, pedals, etc.

Pretty exciting and good timing with Le Tour on at the moment, so you'll see me out there with every other fat, inspired person trying to ride for a few weeks before it gets too cold and the footy becomes more appealling. Wish me luck.

Lesson 6 - Having swish gear and tinkering with said swish gear is often more exciting and interesting than actually exercising - dont get sucked in by the technology.

Bucket

2008-05-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

Oh you'll be proud of me. I've .. been ... running. About once a week over the past few weeks... except for the weekend just gone - the beer-food matching 'course' I did pretty much put paid for the weekend, not because I was hungover, just felt the theme was there, and the body was a bit far gone. Still went for a run down the coast, but really dragged myself around. A round of golf on a hilly course almost qualifies as harder exercise, which it certainly felt like, but it was an enjoyable round at 7am with the roos on the course, etc.

Of course any good deeds on the track and course were off set by the incredibly good (created more by nostalgia than quality) chips and gravy at the local chicken shop. A swift bucket on the way out of town makes the first 15 minutes of that 4533 hour drive bearable.

And, its official. The bike is on its way. Its been a massive palaver trying to get the thing out here, but the saving is undeniable, and am looking forward to hitting the road! No longer is it a pipe dream, or worse an excuse. Now for the lengthy education process on clothing, accessories, jargon, middle-aged male conversation etc.

Lesson 5 - Jogging behind a set of houses that back onto state forest is not 'cross-training' or 'eco-warrior-ing' - its perving into peoples private property whilst having a mild heart attack.

Foot fault

2008-03-16T23:06:00.000-07:00

Due to 'popular demand', the HowFitCanYouGit blog is back. And let me say the lack of activity on the blog is a reflection of the lack of activity in the exercise stakes, so the self-fulfilling prophecy is crystallising before my eyes ... failure was assured before we began. An update though:

A recent trip to the Gold Coast started well - beer pretty much 15 mins after arrival on the 38th floor. But the next morning, in a place where the sun is in full effect from before 6am, I went for the obligatory barefoot run on the beach, the first of the planned daily jogs. Of course, it was the last for the week, not my intention though. A severe strain to something in my foot (was sure it was a bone fracture, more like a ligament or tendon strain) meant walking around the mall was difficult, let alone running anymore. Disaster, although confined me to mandatory slovenly behaviour and I excelled. A leasurely hit of tennis was difficult, and hardly a workout, but the hand eye co-ordination got some movement.

And on the weekend, another hit of tennis, which I'm proud to say was a vast improvement on previous hitouts, and in 30 degree heat felt like a cleansing experience. I managed to match my previous poor manners as a guest to Adams court by sending another precious tennis ball into the neighbours off limits garden - I owe him 2 now, and he only has the fluffy, flat ones left. Still, the appetite is there, I forgot how much I enjoyed tennis.

Still riding my bike ... I mean researching them on ebay. Thats close to exercise isnt it?

Lesson 4 - Being in Queensland feels healthy, until you realise that drinking beer to keep cool really isnt anything resembling healthy. Nor is eating tropical fruit at the same time to 'offset' afore mentioned beer.

Fault

2008-01-28T18:51:00.000-08:00

Its no secret sports retailers love the Australian Open. Those lucky bastards who are pro tennis players make it look so easy, mugs like me get the bug to go out there and hit passing shots like Federer on the concrete courts across the nation. And so, it was with anticipation that Adam and I had a hit yesterday. A run down of the events for you:

Temperature – high 20’s. Sunny.... Ugly.
Equipment – Ads 15 year old Stellar racquets, with furry handle that produced a blister on my desk-pan hands. But quite fine for a hit – no excuse in the racquet. Tennis balls also were quite new, dam it.
Stretching before game – none, I got there and Ad was walking towards the courts. Will presume he’d spent the morning lunging in his living room, waiting for his formidable opponent to arrive and stretch him around the court
Courts – new, painted concrete in a new housing development, so walking through the gym and club made me feel I was wlaking into some sort of tournament atmosphere, …. But with no fans or crowd. They wanted to be there though reckon. Long and the short of it is, courts were no excuse.
Opponent – Ad was a long time junior tennis player at school, so has some form, but like me has taken to less physical and more social persuits in recent years, but make no mistake – he is not on the same journey I am taking (or failing).

Surprisingly, the ball was hitting well, and my memories of days at Anglesea tennis courts and at school clinics came back. Even the top spin backhands were coming off. But inevitably this joy lasted for the 2-3 clean hits per rally I could muster, or until Ad decided he’d like to up the ante. Bastard.

The worst of it came when I decided to ‘serve’. I’m not sure about you, but I somehow seem to defy physics when it comes to both lack of service motion and connection, and the angle, distance and trajectory the ball travels away from the racquet. I managed to frame 2 balls over the 20 foot high fence and into a neighbours yard, never to be seen again. This was the last of my service attempts.

Some good rallies were had though, so theres something there. The search continues … although the tennis bug has bitten which is nice – we’ve made a plan to play perhaps fortnightly ... or less.

3rd Lesson – Booking a tennis court for an hour doesn’t mean you can call it an hours exercise when you played for 40 minutes and chatted for 20.

Wedges

2008-01-16T04:36:00.000-08:00

So, its been a tumultuous 24 hours since we last (and first) spoke. Whats happened? A long day at work, with beneficial food intake, still no exercise, and a coffee. And tonight at the Tennis, 2 beers and assorted snacks. Good. This is going well.

Dont worry, this wont be a daily update. You'll want to scratch your eyes out with a carving fork before you read all this gibberish.

Still, I've been feeling good - wait, rephrase - thinking good about all this. This is the 'lifestyle' change I need. Still fat though, so losing some patience... Cant this go quicker AND let me go to the Tennis on a supplier and have a few Heinekens? Was only being social.

The rest of the week forbodes a mixed bag of self-preservation goodness - tennis again Friday, this time in a superbox, then down the coast for the weekend. We'll see if that bi-weekly exercise regime reappears... I hope so.

2nd Lesson - Wedges are not healthier than chips - all fried potatoes are still fried

There I said it ...

Bugger

2008-01-15T03:47:00.000-08:00

I've done it already. I made a new years resolution (I even made a blog) to begin a lifestyle change to get fitter, healthier, better, and as Radiohead call it, more productive. But already, I've slacked off and its the 15th already. So, lets put a line in the sand.

Current height, 6'1' - cant do much about that, unless my feet weigh 5 kilos each;
Current weight 105kgs - dating websites call it 'athletic; my bastard GP calls it 'heavyset, but not bulbous';
Current fitness regime non existent - a run on the beach every 2 weeks a fitness plan does not make;
Standard set of body image issues as issued at my 15th birthday - now are increased - normal compound interest model;
Diet woeful, although will admit better food, perhaps too much, but still think tea and coffee biscuits are neither bad nor good; and aren't chicken parmas healthier than steaks, cos its chicken?
Water intake, minimal; alcohol intake, biblical;
Sleep erratic. this really is a focus for me for starters.
Work and stress, self imposed - I'm not curing cancer or responsible for dozens of livelihoods
Would struggle to list interests outside fine wine & food, travel, design & architecture, all sports (the sure sign of the armchair sporstman) and technology (dont need to fit to use that, isnt that the point if technology, to make our lives easier?)

So the target is the end of 2008, the year of the Rat. I was born in '76, the year of the Dragon, which obviously sounds better than the Rat ... not sure if that will assist me..

End targets now include: height to remain, pending current month of the haircut cycle; weight of 90kgs pending a miracle; exercise to begin again - a start is a start; diet to improve although being married has helped that; alcohol to reduce, water to increase, blah blah blah.

Do I need to make really specific goals other than weight? Not going to ... one is enough. I'm not obsessive enough to start taking skin folds and lung capacity tests.

So what have I done to get started? Its pathetic... I've bought exercise gear, am buying a bike, am thinking a lot, .... but not actually exercising. I'm eating a little better, cutting down on coffee ... but am still skipping breakfast, eating the odd small (see .. small) chips from KFC, drinking every other day.

Seriously hands up who thinks jogging is boring, mundane, potentially painful on the joints, and seemingly pointless? If it wasnt for the ipod, I'm sure we'd see more runners looking more and more depressed in the realisation that this is as fun as running gets, unless there is a particularly popular sale at Bunnings that everyone needs to get to. I've done it before, I've ran a few times, and I've nevered enjoyed it. Of course the sense of achievement, etc etc, is there, but whos there to celebrate the 'made it to the lamppost' moment with you ... no-one but your thundering heartbeat and Coldplay belting out another melancholy lyric.

Thats why I think Cycling is the new Golf/Jogging - its low impact, involves high tech equipment thats a distraction from the real point of exercise, and the best of all, the leaning forward bit allows you to hide/hang the gut under a t-shirt. One issue actually is the clothing - I've heard women say that riding gear is the last thing men should wear ... I tend to agree - the best looking thing is probably the bike itself. Plus I'm stunned at how expensive it is... $200 for a pair of lycra tights with a kitchen sponge in the crotch ... you're joking. But, Cycling is a great sport, and if Lance Armstrong nearly losing his life and then riding around France 7 times isn't motivation enough, then I expect you've been in bed since the day you were born ... or you just mumble he's an over-achieving bastard who doesnt watch enough TV (can you watch too much? Oh wait, theres another reason I'm doing this .. damn).

As you can see, this blog will be one surly, argumentative, slightly drunk mans journey (or impeding abandonment - stick with me) to become the Biggest Loser (some would argue I'm already one to two of those to 2 things), or better still, as those annoyingly happy half-cup-full people put it, shoot for the stars and reach the moon .. and simply get under the ton.

This will be a journey into the mind-numbing world of weight-loss mixed with the hopeful rekindling of a passion for sport and exercise that once obsessed me as a younger person. The title is deliberately mispelt, to imply all of us idiots out there slaving for fitness and trim physiques, when really the answer is right there in front us - Channel 9, late night, liposuction, nose jobs, .... 'Extreme Makeover' - need I say more...

I encourage you to participate, contribute comments, share frustrations, describe disgusting horrible experiences of pain, suffering, body issues, etc. Lets go to hell together.

1st Lesson - Watching tons of various sports and talking football with Matt a lot doesnt mean your healthy, fit and active.

Dive into my nightmare, the water is warm.

Onward.