Weight Watchers

After stepping on the scales after Christmas I explained how I had a bit of a shock, due to my lack of running at the moment due to my dodgy knee I have looked towards my diet more carefully. I have in the past used the Weight Watchers points method to drop a few pounds and it is pretty fool proof, you get so many points a day, you eat what you want, and everything has a value in points. Once you get to your points limit for the day you can't eat any more, and magically you lose weight. Simple theory really it just ensures you eat less than you burn off.

Over the last couple of weeks I have lost 9lbs so I have made a half decent start, my goal is to get under 12 stone this year, the lightest I have been in recent years is 12st 10lb, so it will be a bit of a challenge. I managed to cycle in to work this week on Tuesday, it felt good and I did at least feel like I still had some fitness. I am going to build this up steadily whilst I'm still being careful running on my knee. Plans are to go for a bit of a run this weekend so I'll have to see how I go. Hopefully should have more to report soon as I start to build back up to something like the mileage I was doing last year.

Booked some tickets yesterday for the Legends of Fell Running talk at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick on the 19th May, part of the Keswick Mountain Festival. Hopefully Ali and I will be going up for the full day and having a run first if anyone would like to join us. Tickets are £14 but I'm sure it will be a great evening with Joss Naylor and Kenny Stuart on the bill.

Hope everyone's training is going well for those attempting Bob Graham Rounds this summer, I'm looking forward to some supporting all being well. I'm enjoying reading all about your training at the moment brings back some happy memories from last year, many enjoyable hours spent on the fells with friends old and new.

A Winter Wander

Had a walk around the moss from our house in Croston today, I took the opportunity to get a few photos of the area in all it's snow covered glory. I love this time of winter, on a clear day in the late afternoon when the shadows stretch out and the snow catches the pink glow of the setting sun.

Just Testing

Twitter Feed Test

Deer Stalking

Had a great walk with Gem on Sunday, just from our house, across the frozen fields and through some woodland in Ulnes Walton (behind the prison). We spent quite a few evenings round here in the summer and became familiar with a heard of deer that seem to live in the woodland and surrounding area. We quite regularly spotted them in the woods or in the fields around this area.

On Sunday we wandered into the woods, following a track well used by the deer, this was obvious due to all the hoof prints. Sure enough it wasn't long till we spotted a face looking from behind a tree, then about eight deer appeared and ran off through the woods, skipping over fallen branches and leaves and weaving through the trees. I am not sure of the breed but from browsing the internet I suspect they are either Roe or Fallow deer.

We finished off our walk by crossing the railway line and following Wymott Brook to the River Lostock. The fileds are all frozen and all that remains is the stalks of the crops where they have been harvested at the end of the Summer, it a very quiet place this time of year compared to the wildlife we saw buzzing round during the summer. We bumped into some ponies just as we got back to Croston but that was all.

I may venture out this week for a short trot, was looking through some books last night at some challenges around 30-40 miles in the local area. I think I may have a go in March/April at the Bowland 1500s and the Lancashire Three Peaks or the Three Towers route. Anybody had any experience of these ?

Groan!

Well.................I need to get back into it!!

Starting with a great big weight loss plan, I wouldn't say I went mad over Christmas, but the scales tell a differnt story.

A combination of not training through injury, basking in my glory post BG, and a healthy appetite from all the BG training has contributed to me gaining one and a half stone since I finished my BG at the end of June.

I am still suffering a bit with my knee, but hopefully by doing the strengthening excericises and building up the mileage slowly, plus some more work on the bike I should be back into the groove in a couple of months or so. The icy conditions haven't inspired me to get out on the bike either, although more of an excuse, because I've seen plenty of other cyclists out on the roads.

So 2010 resolutions are to get my weight under 12 stone, not eat chocolate, cakes, biscuits etc unless during an Ultra ! and to stop making excuses and get back up to the mileage I was doing earlier last year.

I think I am going to leave the UTMB till 2011, my entry still stands for another year and concentrate on the building blocks to go for it during this year.

Gem, I think, will become a regular training partner this year and I must also sort my mountain bike out so I can have a go at some adventure racing again with Anthony.

Looking forward to 2010 Happy New Year everybody.