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Going to start a new thread.  Just going to aim to be a bit fitter this year. I have been going to the gym on and off for 4 months now. I need to aim at monthly updates, and beat all of this over the year. 

Where I am now (2nd Jan); these I have done at least 12, sometimes 3 sets of 12. I am going to add where I think I started, but it probably doesn't mean much, as barring shoulder press, they were all fairly easy to start. 

weight 96kg.
Chest press 36kg (might have done 38.5, started at 18)
Leg press 100kg (started at 30 something)
Shoulder Press 28kg (started at 18)
Treadmill 1.2km in 10 mins slight incline.
Bike 4400m in 10 mins
Row 2k in 10 mins (probably haven't done this for a month as keep running out of time/fitness and usually do it last).
Seated row 47kg (started at 18).
Can't do a pull up without assistance (think I should aim for this).

I definitely want the cardios to improve, but find it is easier to get the other stuff in if I only get half an hour. 

Good luck those that join.

Good luck, mate!

I didn't go to the gym at all last year, so did nothing other than throwing my dumbbells around a bit on the bench in my room.

I've just joined my old gym as they had a 3m for £50 and going to get myself involved again.

Think I've put ~30lbs on since Vegas, and will prob try getting back down to ~210 for Vegas.

Will keep a track of my lifts in here as well for something to look back at.

Won't be doing any cardio, as I can just about bounce off the walls in the gym without my legs going bananas :D

Thanks Marky. 

Read something the other day about running your age in a 10k.  Obviously impossible until later in life.  Was thinking about reaching 60 and doing it as a long run aim, and maybe going for it earlier if I reach that pace.  I think my quickest 5k was 35 something, so 30 should be possible with more effort.

Flicked the treadmill up to 10km an hour tonight, which is where I should be aiming at. I think I did about 20 seconds before thinking f that.  Think I need to build up more slowly, I currently go about 8 after the warm up.  My daughter does 15km/h splits ffs, she'd batter me in a race right now...

It is easier than you think Doobs to get to 10kmh on the treadmill.
I use progressive loading during the run on the treadmill. Start walking, then jog/run and just increase .1 or .2 every minute,
Your body adjusts far better then just getting it to 10kmh as quick as possible

I stopped running as soon as I stopped playing Rugby 15 years ago :D

I hated running, and only used to do it when playing, or in PT during my time in the mob.

Sounds like a logical goal, and no doubt you'll notch it off!

That sounds like a plan.  I tend to speed up to 6 walking fast then flick it to 8.  My daughter just goes slow then 15, but she is doing bursts as that is the reality in her sports.  She is way fitter than me right now obvs, so doesn't need the slow progression. 

Maybe next time I push it to 8.5 in increments then 9 etc?  Think once I get used to travelling at 10, I can work on the stamina.  Pretty much what I did both times I did couch to 5k, though at slower overall pace.

Have a lot of sympathy with avoiding running, I love it way more when I finish than when I start.

Thanks for the tip.  Did the walk then 7.7 to 8.5 in 0.2 intervals than held that speed for 3 minutes.  Think I might start switching out one of cycling or rowing once a week, so I can do a 20 minute run.  Think once I get there, the gap to a 5k parkruns won't be so high, and I can add them to the weekly exercise.

The local parkrun course is pretty waterlogged right now, so am in no rush to rejoin!  I just don't like running enough to do the last 4k or so with socks that are wet through. 

I've been back running on the treadmill last two weeks. Started off really slow but 3 miles now relatively easy.
If the pace becomes too much, just drop it down a bit for a couple of mins then try again.

Have improved all these this month, bar rowing where I did my first 2k in 10 minutes for about 3 months (it was longer than I thought since I did this) and my weight has remained the same.

I have been messing round with my speed when running.  I read about Fartlek training and have tried doing something like it.  So now I am running at 7.8 km/h where I am comfortable with bursts of 8.8km/h.  Think this works better than running 8.8 until I stop.  10/12 minutes mixed running feels better than stepping up to 8.8 and only lasting 3 minutes afterwards.  I'll probably just keep mixing it up as both are better than what I was doing before. 

Hi Doobs, you going full Fartlek i.e sprint walk as well as run/jog or just alternating?
Do whatever works for you. Plenty of people do marathons where they walk 5 mins, run 5 mins

For myself I did 5 miles on the treadmill last week in an hour, gonna try 6 miles tomorrow. Knee hurting occasionally, but nothing i'm not used to.

I did a half marathon more or less like this a few years ago and I agree it works pretty well

It was very hilly so I adapted it a bit on occasion to run downhill stretches and walk uphill one's but the 5 mins and 5 mins was what I was basing the idea on at least :D

It's very effective, several pacing groups in marathon events do this. Similar to Fartlek in that you try to not overdo it, go into the red for too long and 'blow up'

Did 6 miles on the treadmill today. Took it easy first half to ensure I could do the 6 miles.  Was 71m 25s for the 6 miles. First time I have run that far in probably a few years.
Last time running regularly I was around the hour mark for 6 miles, so will aim for that long term

I am just alternating really, but have moved from run/walk to slow run/faster run now.  If I drop to walk it usually means I have gone too fast for too long.

I used to get issues with my knee after running longer distances, but it seems ok now. Dare say it I went 6 miles it will be back though.

Fartlek brings back bad memories of PT in the woods, when I was at Chicksands 20 years ago :D

Brings back memories of 1991 gcse PE to me!  First time i ever heard of it.  State of the act training back then tbf

Don't ever remember doing it at school, thankfully!

I think I got away with a fair bit as I played Rugby :D

PE was where I first heard of it, cue much laughing from teenagers at the sound!!
Our PE teacher had a set routine and would blow a whistle for the change as we ran/wal/jog/sprint round the school field. Unfortunately none of us could remember the set routine after a while so everyone did something different each time the whistle went  :D :D

Reminded me of the Sopranos PE scene then :D

We had to do it in the woods outside Chicksands, so it was all up and down hills.

Latest 6 mile run yesterday was 64m 40s
First 2 mile pace is getting quicker, i.e. getting up to pace. Prob need to drop another half a stone to get in under 60mins

Upped the distance today, did 7 miles in 73m 26s - Also down a stone from start of Jan

Great effort, mate!

I have resubbed to MFP premium and rejoined the local gym.

Will step on the scales once Chelts is out of the way, and devise a goal.

6.1 miles (10k) in 59m 38s
Defo in the red zone last 5 minutes
Joints and legs felt fine, heart and lungs not so much..lol

Going to do an update on this.  I don't know what has happened, but did a weigh in this morning and have gone up to 98kgs. I wasn't really intending to lose much weight, but that wasn't good.  I am definitely going to try and eat more healthily going forward.  I don't know if anyone has been following the Shaun Deeb body fat bet, but he is aiming for about the weight I am now, so I won't feel so bad.  Definitely want to keep ahead of him though!

It has been a bit up and down this year; I pulled something moving a box about 6 weeks ago and am still getting a bit of gyp in that arm.  As a result, I missed a couple of weeks and haven't really gone forward since then.  I haven't gone backwards either, so that is a bonus.

Current bests.

Chest press 12x45
Run 1.31km in 10 mins.
Leg press 117kg x 12
Seated row up to 12x52.5.
Rowing up to 2020m 10mins
Cycle 4.51km 10 mins
Shoulder press 12x36.  

I think my aim for the next 6 weeks until Vegas will be to just improve the cardios and not try and improve shoulder/chest press and seated row (rowing machine seems fine as I am not pulling too hard).  Each time I get close to those weight records I can feel it in my arm afterwards, and I haven't really gone anywhere with the cardios.   I was a bit dumb when I first did my arm, and I now think I should have carried on running/cycling in those 2 weeks. I'd say the drop off from not doing cardios was much quicker when not exercising.

Finally a science question.  I was on the treadmill yesterday, and some bloke started loudly vacuuming the treadmills either side and behind mine.  Felt like I lost my balance a bit and had to just stop.  Genuinely felt unsafe, what is that about?

Deeb bet

https://youtu.be/nh4r6uHRAmI (https://youtu.be/nh4r6uHRAmI)

Not updated this for ages
My aim for this year is to complete a couple of half marathons, early autumn

On 1st May I did the Burgess Hill (West Sussex) 10k.
Only realised 2 weeks before that this was mostly through fields, it used to be a road race.
Due to the wet weather this year the course was very boggy and your feet were regularly sinking in the mud..lol
Calf tightened up considerably half way round so didn't push it
Completed it in about 1h 8m
Obviously a lot harder than running on the treadmill

Turned out it didn't.

Tailed off a bit at the end of the year

Ended the year nearer 100kg than 95kg.

Got COVID in August that meant I struggled a bit after.

Am now "running" 3x8 minute bursts which is more than I did at any other time in the year.  Think I am probably doing more of specific targets for weights than I last reported but not by much.

New Year going to be doing healthier breakfasts and no snacks.  See how that goes for a month.

FWIW my daughter is going from strength to strength, playing regular sport and obliterating me for speed and distance.  She is now 16 and her new training buddy was top ranked in the UK for her athletics event last year (now moved up an age group).  Don't think I'll be catching them up anytime soon.

2024 weigh in.  100.5kg.

Started the year with knee knack.  Went skiing for a change at Christmas.  I am not a regular and pretty hopeless, but didn't do any damage skiing, instead smashed my knee walking down steps in normal shoes launching myself superman style onto a hard floor.  Currently have a black knee, but aiming to start gym again next weekend. 

Poker better forgotten for 2003 also.  Ended up as a fail for the year too.

Was thinking about starting a new thread, but seems pointless, hopefully post more than last year.

Happy New Year to all fitness Blondes.

Just seen the new year update Doobs.

I started the year weighing 15st 2lb, having put on near 5kg over the Xmas period
Plan is to get down to around 13st 7lb

Currently training for 2 half marathons in March, longest run so far 8.3 miles

Just going to do an update.

I did reach 102.5kg. 

I had been struggling a bit with getting fit over the last 6 months and getting weird tingling in my hands since having COVID (don't want to be associated with the long COVID crew though!).

Turns out I have type 2 diabetes now.  Am giving diet a go, and got down to 99.1 in a couple of weeks (from a peak of 102.5).  Already feeling a bit better when running, so going to try and get my weight down further.  95kg is 15 stone which is where I was a couple of years ago.  Think the long aim is to get down to 90kg/14 stone, which is where I was maybe 10 years ago. Hopefully this will put the diabetes in remission and give me hope for faster 5k times.

How are you doing on this?  Think a half marathon is beyond me.  Maybe 10k is feasible in a few months? 

One of my friends is doing a full marathon and was up to 19 miles in the rain.  Can't imagine doing that.  Think this is why I am struggling with running.  I don't mind running when it is spitting, but no interest in spending 3 hours outside when it is chucking it down!

Just seen this Doobs. Got upto 13 miles 5 weeks ago, then did 14 miles, 10 days ago.
I'm just a slow plodder, too old and too many injuries to run quick anymore. I also avoid running in the rain if I can. It's always heavy rain atm and takes days to dry the shoes out.

Did a proper half marathon on Sunday. Brutal hill between mile 2 and 3. The steep downhill was hard on the quads and feet.
Sore feet from mile 8 slowed me up. In my traing runs my last 3 miles are always the quickest.  Finished in 2hr 21 mins

I've done one half marathon in the past - full of hills, but I was saving myself for a heroic sprint finish along the flat final stretch by the seafront

And just as I got there - there was a hailstorm

It only knocked a minute or so from my time, but shielding my head with my hands from golf ball sized hail was quite different from the image I was planning to project at that point :D

Wow.  Didn't realise I hadn't done an update since March.

Starting year at 99kgs.

Still not done a parkrun in some time, but am jogging/running for 20 minutes now. My issues are that my commute is fairly horrendous, and my eldest wrecks my weekends, as she always needs taking somewhere.  She plays for 2 ice hockey teams now, and that is 2 evenings, and 2 games some weeks (like this one).  And hard to get will power when you left the house at 7.30am, got in at 8pm, and it is -2 outside.

I think I have to get at least 3 gym sessions in a week, or my fitness just goes so quickly. 

Aims for year.  Do a damn parkrun again.  Lose some weight.  Sleep more.

Ps poker another bad year, but finished strongly. 

You can do some stuff in the house just to keep ticking over.

I do 12.5 hr shifts Doobs, so 13.5hr with travel.
Often feel tires but try and do 3 miles/30mins where I can

I need to do a diet..lol currently 15st 5 (excess over xmas)
I'm doing the same half marathon again this year, current training block is 5mins faster than my previous best time for the half. Still slow as fk mind.
Also doing an Ultra the end of March. Slightly easier this one as it is a lap every hour for 10 hours
Have also entered the Beachy Head marathon in October, which is one of the  toughest around

Did the February half today, just run it as a training run, due to flying to the stats on hols on Tues.
Actually ran it 5 mins quicker than last year
Longest run this year has been 17.5 miles - knees and feet were sore..lol
Currently 14st 7lb

Fitness journey has taken a swerve.  Got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last year, and as it was getting worse I have been put on a restricted diet.  It is 100% terrible shakes (1 is ok, but when you have had 7 the same it is grim).  On the upside I am now down to 91.5kg (14 1/2 stone), having been over 16 when diagnosed.

My aim is to get below 13, and be no longer overweight for the first time in near 30 years.  If I run good, this will mean the diabetes goes into remission. They have had some pretty solid results with the clinical trial not long ago, and they seem to be continuing.  Don't know if it is better or worse than Ozempic.  Suspect Ozempic is better, but this has less side affects.  I wasn't given a choice, so just going to roll with it.

On the fitness thing, I am too tired to run far, and it is likely not safe anyway (they suggest light exercise).  So might do uphill treadmill for a couple of months.  Strength exercises seem fine so far.

Looking forward, if I lose all this weight, I should be about 10% quicker at running. The downside to that is that I was really slow beforehand.  I think this seems a reasonable aim as I was already losing weight before the diet proper and running felt easier.  There was a stated aim I made here a few months ago that I was going to try and do a 10k in 60 minutes before age 60.  I soon worked out that wasn't realistic (I wasn't really getting any quicker before losing weight).  Now if I can get my 5k down to 30/35 minutes soon after this finishes I think it may well be possible.

Well damn, I've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as well.

So far they haven't mentioned diet, only to take Metformin. They also said my blood pressure and cholesterol were the high end of normal so because of the diabetes diagnosis I've got drugs for those as well.

But this is literally all within the last few weeks, so they still have time to add something about food.

Hopefully everything stabilises out nicely for you, and I, and a new stasis level comes around soon.

Ha, got high cholesterol and blood pressure was borderline too.  They offered me statins, but was of the view that restricted diet + Metformin + statins was too much at once.   They gave the impression, statins were up to me, as my readings weren't that bad.

Metformin has been a ball ache as I have a long commute and find I am half way to work before I realise I haven't taken it, but am getting better at remembering.

Going to see how my cholesterol is after the diet and take it from there.  With a bit of luck I won't need any of the drugs in 6 months.  If cholesterol is still high, will probably take the statins.

Weird question, but how much do you test your blood?  Turns out one of the other blokes at work was also diagnosed recently.  He has been told to test his blood twice a day; me once a week.  His sounds more extreme though.  Reading around, different sources say entirely different things, so might just do twice a week or something not too extreme.

Sorry to hear that Doobs, stick with the diet and exercise where you can, try and minimise the drugs if you can avoid them.
Mind you, my Dr would state I am a nightmare as I refuse to take meds that are prescribed.
I have very high blood pressure, but all other bloods tests are in range and symptom free. While i'm not a tin foil hat merchant, my BP was always normal/low pre covid jab.

On the exercise front, I completed the ultra in March, then took four weeks off running. It was very rocky on the trails and it wrecked my feet. lots of blisters and toes going black. Also messed with my stomach for a week.
Run 61min 10k last week on an easy training run, not sure how as it was 3 mins faster than my typical run for that distance.

I had a blood pressure and blood test, a month later I had another one - that confirmed the diabetes diagnosis and was when they said to start on the Metformin

 2 weeks after that they had a blood pressure follow up and that's when they suggested the bp medicine and Statins - but they suggested to delay starting the Statins for a couple of weeks afterwards

That is about now - and I have another bloods appointment today

So, I think, that means they're still in the process of deciding what the appropriate framework should be and there's no immediate crisis likely (maybe?).

I use a recurring alarm on my phone to tell me to take the drugs, but also my wife checks at least 4 times a day that I'm going to take the one's coming up and have taken the one's just gone 😄

Tiny update: I asked the diabetes nurse about the bloods and she said that people who are treating their diabetes with insulin have to do the blood test every day. That's usually, but not always, type 1 diabetes.

The test they're using for mine is based on blood regenerating every 3 months so from now on they only need to test it every 3 months. I think there's a different test as well - that could be why weekly maybe(?)

Or it could be the same as mine but they're just a bit more concerned perhaps(?)

That makes sense.  Thanks.  Think he has developed it late in life, but his readings were v high.  So monitoring more closely.   He was adamant I should he testing more, which seemed excessive.

I think I need to test more than you as the diet is extreme (800 calories a day), so they need to monitor as blood sugar could get low with diet and Metformin.  This is consistent with not testing at all before the diet started.

I have got better over time taking the drugs.  Week 1 I was supposed to be taking 2 a day (morning and evening), but don't think there was a single day I remembered both.  Now I am getting closer.

I am cool with the diagnosis.  Have been borderline for years, and should have made more effort to lose weight.

Congrats on the ultra.  Sounds pretty extreme to me.  I am thinking a 10k would be tough.

On the tin foil thing, I am pretty happy taking the drugs, just didn't want to start 3 things at once.  If I get side effects I wouldn't be able to pin it down. My only real side effects are tiredness and hunger, which are pretty much what you'd expect from 800 calories a day, so think I'd have been fine. But will wait until my next peoper bloods in 6 weeks or so before I decide.

On COVID jabs/COVID.  Age adjusted mortality was as low as it has ever been last year in the UK, and this year is another very low year (this is the day job). If either COVID or COVID jabs were causing massive issues anymore this wouldn't be happening.

Think the human mind isn't that great on stuff like this. You want to put the blame on something, but once you are set on something, it is hard to reassess.  I am late 50s, and reality is things are going to start failing at that age and they always did.  Also I am an ex-smoker and was borderline obese.  Think I had it coming, jabs or not.

My mum is the worst.  She was so sick she was in ICU before COVID started and on a 50/50 survival chance and ventilated.  She has been in hospital 3 times with the same issue since.  She has never really got better.  Given her vulnerability and age she got COVID jabs early. 

Every time she feels a bit unwell, she starts off with "I have never felt the same since the COVID jabs", so not the 87 years she has been around, not the 4 operations it caused, not the ventilator and the ICU visit, it is the COVID jabs.  Sure her last words will be, it was those COVID jabs, never should have taken them.  She hasn't even had one for years...

I'm in my early 60s (62). Diagnosed as Type 2 a year ago, although it seems that I have had it for at least 12 years.

Retired 11 years ago, simply because I felt unwell. At the time I was 21 stone. Now 16.5 stone. Still refuse to run-but I walk a lot.

Essential to be as good as possible with taking Metformin. It really isn't a big deal. Whereas not taking it can quickly turn into a very big deal. Things start failing-of course they do. But we have to adjust with age.

Take smoking, for example. The mortality tables suggest that smoking is particularly age-sensitive. The surprise is that smoking in your 20s/30s isn't as big a deal as some make out (although there will always be some who are unlucky). Contrast with smoking in your late 50s/60s. When it is a big deal.

My poker has changed a lot as a result. I cannot fully concentrate for as long or as often as I once did.

Phil, SO pleased to see you here.

Hope you hand around, would be really cool if you did.

Hi Tony. Hope you are well.

Miss the Sky Forum. But what made it special was you and a few posters.

Think I will hang around. Tried Discord a while back-not for me.

Just another update before I get off.  Went below 90kg for the first time in many years (at least 20?) earlier today. 

Did my last trip to the gym before Vegas a couple of days ago.  I seem to have got over the worst and could run for 10 minutes again.

It was pretty astonishing really.  Am on 800 calories a day, so was expecting it to be tough, but I was running quicker than before the diet started, which wasn't unexpected.  What I didn't expect was my heart rate was down in the 140s and I wasn't sweating.  Before the diet I'd have been in the late 150s/early 160s and sweating pretty severely at the same speed. It may have been a one off, but makes me optimistic as to what I can do when I start eating properly again.

I seem to have lost a few of the issues that I was putting down to old age before.  Eg I had started to struggle tying my laces, like losing my breath.  That has gone completely now.  Am begining to think a lot of the things I thought were age related, were weight related.

Another thing I didn't expect is that the shakes seem to be getting even less appetising over time.  Like a couple of flavours I can barely touch now. I really thought I'd get used to it, but some days I feel like I'd rather have nothing, and am genuinely hungry when I think this! 

Hi David.


Goodness me, this struck a chord with me...


"I had started to struggle tying my laces, like losing my breath"


These days, tying my shoelaces is a task, after which I need a few minutes to get my breath back. It's one of those little things I've come to dread. In fact, for the most part, I try to wear "slip-ons" so I don't have to bend down. My golf shoes are traditional laced shoes though & that's a struggle.

And when I "tee up" my ball on the tee, I can no longer bend at the waist comfortably, I have to sort of squat with bended knees like I'm having a shit. My golf pals don't say anything or mock but I'm sure they notice.

Anyway, on to happier matters, look forward to seeing you here in a day or so. Believe it or not, I never saw Stu Rutter once during that Limit O8 WSOP thing. We're in the same room but there are a sea of faces. I did see Rob a few times though.