I began to put on weight and lose condition when summer hotted up and I was having long days at my desk not moving much. I went from 13st 12-ish to 14 3/4/5. The extra 6-7lbs were very obvious.
As soon as the temperatures started dropping in September I started pushing the running again culminating in charity run a couple of weeks ago that the whole family did - 10k's for me, the mrs and the 16 yr old, 5k for the 14 yr old.
Training meant I've been doing a 4k or 6k run every second or third day. On the days I don't run I walk - I try to do a brisk 3-4k minimum. At weekends I'll do longer walks with the mrs and/or kids. Again, with a bit pf pace.
In the summer, the bike racks lived on the car's roof. In the winter, walking boots have lived in the boot. Both summer holidays were active - cycling in Norfolk & walking in Wales.
The end result? Back to 13st 12-ish. But I feel a million times better, I sleep better, my posture's better and so on. Tellingly, my resting heart rate is back down in the 48bpm-49bpm range - in the summer it had crept up to 53/53.
What I should really do is combine all this with a slightly more sensible diet and I could chop off the next 6 or 7 lbs. I know what to do - cut out the beer, replace white pasta & rice with brown, swap toasted bread for toasted rye, replace dairy milk with almond or oat milk, etc.
But I find it far harder to discipline myself that way - and far easier (and enjoyable) to run more and run harder.
So, for now, that's the plan and maybe I'll weave some of the calorie reduction stuff in as I go. At least I knw I won't gain any weight.
As soon as the temperatures started dropping in September I started pushing the running again culminating in charity run a couple of weeks ago that the whole family did - 10k's for me, the mrs and the 16 yr old, 5k for the 14 yr old.
Training meant I've been doing a 4k or 6k run every second or third day. On the days I don't run I walk - I try to do a brisk 3-4k minimum. At weekends I'll do longer walks with the mrs and/or kids. Again, with a bit pf pace.
In the summer, the bike racks lived on the car's roof. In the winter, walking boots have lived in the boot. Both summer holidays were active - cycling in Norfolk & walking in Wales.
The end result? Back to 13st 12-ish. But I feel a million times better, I sleep better, my posture's better and so on. Tellingly, my resting heart rate is back down in the 48bpm-49bpm range - in the summer it had crept up to 53/53.
What I should really do is combine all this with a slightly more sensible diet and I could chop off the next 6 or 7 lbs. I know what to do - cut out the beer, replace white pasta & rice with brown, swap toasted bread for toasted rye, replace dairy milk with almond or oat milk, etc.
But I find it far harder to discipline myself that way - and far easier (and enjoyable) to run more and run harder.
So, for now, that's the plan and maybe I'll weave some of the calorie reduction stuff in as I go. At least I knw I won't gain any weight.