Bob's Bits.

Hobbies & Pastimes Hobbies & Pastimes: Chat / Discussions
201

Another interesting and funny account of your day OGF.

About the porridge, I used to enjoy a bowl for supper with a spoonful of treacle in. Now on this low carb diet I’ve to cut down on the porridge and treacle, and fruit which I thought was a healthy breakfast is now a no no as its full of sugar !!

I can’t remember when I last went to the cinema, when the lights go down its a cue for me to go to sleep !! Same at the theatre 'tho I did manage to stay awake for the whole of Dreamboats & Miniskirts recently. :smiley:

202

Thanks for your appreciation Val, I appreciate your appreciation…if you know what I mean…
How come you’ve had to make such drastic cuts with the sugar Val?
I know there is a lot of sugar [Fructose] in fruit, but by eating the whole of the fruit the sugar is released more slowly into the system, thereby avoiding ‘Sugar Rush’ so it’s not so bad for you as the white stuff [Sucrose] that causes a knee jerk reaction with regard to Insulin.
I’ve always put a spoonful of sugar on my porridge and it’s been getting to be a rather large one at that, so I thought the whole fruit minced up would be better for me, and I could try different fruits. I saw this in Tesco this morning, and though it would cut out the fork abuse of this mornings breakfast…

http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=812&pictureid=5925

After yesterday’s tiring run I thought I would probably ‘nod off’ during the film, but after getting drowsy while the adverts and trailers were on, I was surprised to find that I bucked up once the film started, and the tiredness didn’t return…

203

It’s salt on porridge Robert not sugar - :smiley:

I think borderline diabetes doesn’t mean cutting out sugar but cutting down. You need to be careful with artificial sweeteners as well they have some unpleasant side effects LOL. You may need to eat some sugar but again blood glucose tests and the dietician can advise as not everyone is the same. A old neighbour of mine was diabetic since about the age of 19, was on tablets only and she was careful with her diet but was allowed just a little of what she fancied as a treat. She only had a couple of tea biscuits with her cups of tea. She was probably a model of ‘all things in moderation’, and died in her 90’s.

204

Since being told I was pre diabetic just over a week ago, I’ve tried really hard to change my diet and cut down on carbs. I’m allowed 140g a day and when you consider a slice of bread is 25g and a banana is another 25g it soon eats away at the allowance. The foods which I considered healthy like fruit and cereals, I’m now told I should avoid or at least cut down on. I suppose I’ll get used to it but at the moment I’m obsessively weighing and carb counting everything I eat.

I always used to think ‘all things in moderation’ FF and I expect I’ll settle back into that way of thinking in time.

We used to make smoothies with a small electric hand blender OGF. It seemed to work.

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Sorry to hear of your diagnosis Val.
I only intend to mince up one banana or orange to enhance my porridge Val. The trouble with smoothies is if you put in a couple of bananas and an apple and perhaps a mango, you will be getting the sugar from all of those items in a quick drink, but you would not normally eat all that fruit at once. I used to love an innocent smoothie until I found out how much sugar was actually in them.
Freshfields, salt is supposed to be worse than sugar, but I can’t find any information for people with low blood pressure [like me] I know it’s bad for people with high blood pressure. On occasions I could do with something to raise my blood pressure, so is salt okay for me? I wonder.

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I have a friend with low blood pressure OGF and she’d occasionally pass out when it went particularly low. She was told to use salt on her food so I guess the same would go for you.

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Too much salt is bad for you but I think you do need some, cooking with it fine but putting on food should be kept to a minimum. My partner has had kidney cancer and with his other kidney not functioning as it should, he was told ok to cook with salt but not add extra to food. He doesn’t listen of course and still shovels it on. I know you get used to it but you can just as easily get used to taking less. Just takes a bit of time. I used to take two spoonfuls of sugar in my coffee but I was trying to diet and I reduced that to one and a bit, then when my ex stopped taking sugar in his, I thought if he can do it so can I, after about a couple of weeks adding sugar was like poison.

208

Entry:-270315
The weather was perfect for a five mile run this morning, and although I was struggling over the last mile
when I arrived home I could see why. Below is an excerpt from my running log, and this mornings time
was faster than previous runs over the same course. Something good is happening…
I’m sorry if it’s come out a bit jumbled.

DATE MILE TIME COURSE DETAILS
Thu 1 Jan 5.4 1.02.14 Olivers Mount. Mild and Moist. Run From Palm Court And Back. 1
Sun 4 Jan 8.2 1.23.36 Kirkhouse Green. Minus 2 and Frosty, But Good Run, Nice Sunrise. 2
Tue 6 Jan 5.0 49.49 Tesco. Blustery, Mild & Awesome. Best Run For Ages. 3
Thu 8 Jan 5.0 50.38 Tesco. Mild and Dry Good Running Conditions So A Good Run. 4
Sun 11 Jan 8.2 1.21.56 Kirkhouse Green. Windy With Some Icey Bits. Smooth Run. 5
Tue 13 Jan 5.0 49.57 Tesco. Nice & Dry But Cold. Strong Run. 6
Thu 15 Jan 5.0 50.52 Tesco. Blustery & Cold. Laboured Run No Pace. 7
Sun 18 Jan 8.2 1.21.56 Kirkhouse Green. Cold & Clear Minus 2 And Slippy. Good Paced Run. 8
Tue 20 Jan 5.0 51.01 Tesco. Calm Morning Just Above Freezing. Average Run. 9
Thu 22 Jan 5.0 51.39 Tesco. Not Cold But Muddy. Just A Steady Run. 10
Sat 24 Jan 3.0 29.49 Saint Oswalds. Icey In Places. Easy Run. 11
Sun 25 Jan 8.2 1.21.32 Kirhouse Green. Comfortable Well Paced Run. Fine Clear Morning. 12
Tue 27 Jan 5.0 50.52 Tesco. Nice Mild Morning. 7 a.m Start Decent Run. 13
Thu 29 Jan 5.0 52.49 Tesco. Started On Ice Then Ran Into A Blizzard. 14
Sun 1 Feb 8.2 1.20.56 Kirkhouse Green. Windy In Places But Epic Run. Strong Finish. 15
Tue 3 Feb 5.0 51.01 Tesco. Good Run On Frozen Ground And Snowing. 16
Thu 5 Feb 5.0 52.52 Tesco. Mild But Still Dark At 6:30 Get Back For Cable Guy. 17
Sun 8 Feb 5.5 1.01.28 Olivers Mount. Running In Scarborough. Slight Breeze & Mild. 18
Tue 10 Feb 5.0 50.38 Tesco. Satisfying Run In Dry & Calm Conditions. 19
Thu 12 Feb 5.0 50.46 Tesco. Exciting Run, Good Conditions. 20
Sun 15 Feb 8.2 1.23.52 Kirkhouse Green. Misty & Damp But Mild. Bit On The Slow Side. 21
Tue 17 Feb 5.0 49.50 Tesco. Cold & Clear With A Light Frost. Very Strong Run. 22
Thu 19 Feb 5.0 52.08 Tesco. What Can I Say, Wet Muddy & Slow. But Felt Great. 23
Fri 20 Feb 3.0 27.54 Saint Oswalds. Clear Blue Sky, Sharp Frost, Fast Run. 24
Sun 22 Feb 9.5 1.34.38 Plumtree. Calm But Cold. Nice Well Paced Run. No Problem. 25
Tue 24 Feb 5.0 50.46 Tesco. Blustery & Cold But Not Freezing. Hard Last Mile. 26
Thu 26 Feb 5.0 51.26 Tesco. Blustery & Mild. Nothing Exciting. 27
Sun 1 Mar 9.5 1.35.47 Plumtree. Comfortable Run Despite Gales On Open Stretches. 28
Tue 3 Mar 5.0 50.24 Tesco. Icey Cold Breeze But Sunny. Laboured But Fast. 29
Thu 5 Mar 5.0 48.43 Tesco. Still A Cold Breeze But Very Firm, Fast Run… 30
Sun 8 Mar 9.5 1.32.27 Plumtree. A Nice & Mild Spring Morning. Laboured Run Though. 31
Tue 10 Mar 5.0 49.51 Tesco. Beautiful Morning. Heavy Legs. Surprising Time. 32
Thu 12 Feb 5.0 49.31 Tesco. Cool Misty Start, Comfortable Run. 33
Sun 15 Mar 9.5 1.34.25 Plumtree. Overcast & Cold Breeze, But Enjoyable Well Paced Run 34
Tue 17 Mar 5.0 49.29 Tesco. Misty & Cool But Exceptional Run. 35
Thu 19 Mar 5.0 49.47 Tesco. Early Start 6 am Cool & Overcast, Good Run. Dry. 36
Sun 22 Mar 9.5 1.31.02 Plumtree. Very Good Conditions, Dry, Sunny & Cool. Strong Run. 37
Tue 24 Mar 5.0 50.04 Tesco. Sunny & Dry But Struggled All The Way Round. 38
Fri 27 Mar 5.0 48.18 Tesco. Sunny Dry & Cool. Struggled At End, Fast Time Is Why. 39

209

Entry:-270315 and then some…
So lets kick through the dying embers of March.
From a running point of view I’ve been going from strength to strength without trying. It’s easy to go out and break a record on a running course, you just need to target it with plenty of rest and good food, and if it all comes together on the day you can apply that knowledge to a specific event/race [Marathon etc] But to be nibbling away at best times on every outing would suggest that something special is happening. Or possibly my Heart repairing the damage. When I had my recent Heart Attack last April the cardiologist said it had developed at the site of a stent I had fitted ten years ago, and a further stent would be required. But also there was a new blockage in the opposite side of my Heart that would also need a stent. This was worrying at the time, because despite me stopping smoking, I had also taken on a more healthier diet, and it would appear that plaques were still building up in my arteries…Or were they? When I presented myself for the insertion of the second stent, the cardiologist said the other blockage could have been caused by the first HA ten years ago. So had I been running for the last ten years with the unseen blockage? Now it had been corrected, am I seeing the results? Certainly food for thought if this purple patch continues.

Talking of food… Equipped with the new blender, I’ve been beating the hell out of a banana and spreading it on my morning bowl of porridge, I have to say…It’s not as nice as a spoonful of the white stuff, and it leaves me with some extra washing up to do. When I was turning out for work that would have been okay, but now I’m retired there is just too much to do in the day to be washing pots. I’m not even sure that I like bananas all that much. Perhaps I’ll try some other exotic fruits.

Much fuss was made about the solar eclipse last week, someone on Jerry Vine said there is one every year somewhere in the world, they even arrange holidays to see them. I can’t say that’s a good idea when you pay for a holiday in the sun and then it disappears for a while, if you want to see the sun disappear just stay at home, it’s cheaper.

March was also the time I changed the flag. I’m afraid I’m one of those patriotic flag waving dudes mentioned in another topic.
I don’t care, I love been British, and am proud to be a member of this great nation despite all the bad press these days.
Long live the queen…

http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=812&pictureid=5931

210

Looking through the window at the sunshine and the approaching summer, makes me take stock of my fitness levels and wonder what adventures will unfold in the coming months.
I don’t think Half Marathons will be contested any time soon [pressure from loved ones not to compete again] but never say never. I have been looking back at the last two Half’s I ran, one in Keswick and the other was The Bishop Wilton, just outside York. At numbers 62 and 63 that could end up being the sum total of my Half Marathon career.
Who could have known, that at the beginning of 2014 my training would be cut short after a second Heart Attack. Here is the report…Happy days…

THE KESWICK HALF MARATHON MAY 2013

It’s been a while since I ran the Keswick Half Marathon, fourteen years in fact.
1998 and again in 1999, posting times of 1 hour 35 and 1 hour 39. This year being older and with a heart attack behind me, I will not be expecting anything like those times of the past. The day did not start so good, low cloud hung over the hilltops, and a cold breeze scurried down the alleyways and open stretches of road. The start had always been a long way from the rugby club [ where registration took place] but it had been moved even further down the road to Portinscale, and I recon a good mile; where over four hundred and sixty runners made their way over the fields and across the little bridge to the other side of the river Derwent. I had become very cold now, walking to the start in my running shorts, and it was hard to resist the urge to run in gloves and fleece top. I’m glad that I did resist, because after the first mile I was running warm.
The early miles were run at comfortable pace, the road undulated, and runners had not spread out yet, so the breeze wasn’t a problem, but at three miles there was a problem, descending into the Newlands Valley for the last mile suddenly came payback, with a steep hill nightmares are made of. Quads felt like they would explode, and all around runners had turned to walkers, me included. I was soon back into pace, and maintained a good speed until six miles, when again we were tested by a run up to the gods. Mile seven was spent recovering, but now the road tipped down, and mile eight was my fastest mile of the race, I speeded down to the little village of Grange trying to put right the deficit made on the hills. The last four miles are along the slightly undulating lakeside road, and although the wind was behind me, things started aching, as the lactic acid from the hill work was beginning to collect in my muscles.
Along a piece of road I was familiar with, and had run many times, I was looking forward to snipping a few minutes off my time, but the road became an instrument of pain, as I fought to keep jogging at all. But I did keep jogging, and passed a few strugglers. I thought that my time would be way out, but as I ran through the finish gantry, trying to look stylish, I saw the clock reading 2 hours and 5 minutes, which I thought was okay for such a testing run. I had run the same time last year on the Bishop Wilton Half Marathon, an equally hilly and testing run, and it will be my next event in July.

This was the start, I’m in there somewhere…

http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=811&pictureid=5913

Waiting for the off…

http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=811&pictureid=5912

Arriving at the finish, you can just see the clock…

http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=811&pictureid=5919

Medals for all the finishers, or is that a McVities Digestive biscuit?

http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=811&pictureid=5915

A walk next day to loosen the muscles…

http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=811&pictureid=5916

Refreshments half way round…

http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=811&pictureid=5917

Back to the hotel for some kip, night all.

http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=811&pictureid=5918

211

Entry:-290315
An overcast sky and the possibility of rain worried me as ran through the village dressed in nothing but running shorts and tee shirt. I had selected my GPS for this mornings run, because over the last few days I had the sneaking feeling that I would try something special. The GPS would provide an accurate measurement of not only the distance run, but individual mile times, maximum and average speeds and calories burnt. With no diversions of traffic this week, I hardly saw any vehicles at all while doing the two mile road section.
I was soon in the peaceful environment of the canal bank, feeling good, and with no sign of rain yet, I slipped through the gate and back on to the road past Sandra’s house.
As I jogged over the river bridge and approached the T junction; where the left turn would take me back along my usual route, without hesitation I ran straight on to a little village called ‘Fishlake’. Taking the left turn in the village down a road called ‘Dirty Lane’ it brought back memories of Marathon training back in the 80’s and 90’s, this would be the route of a regular 20 mile Sunday run, but not today; a right turn would meander it’s way around twenty miles of quiet country lanes, but a left turn should only add up to around Ten. I left the village, and after a bend, there was nothing but three miles of long straight road. It could be intimidating for the new runner, but for me I relished the peace and the way you could switch off any feeling of exertion and let you mind wonder where it will with no distraction: A rare feeling these days with information coming at you from all forms of media. A smile crept onto my face as I once again joined a well run part of the course, and a realization of the two miles left to run. There was no pain, no discomfort and no heavy breathing, I was in cruise control, and pace judgement was perfect. I arrived home to discover the route had been ten and a half miles, the furthest distance I have run since my HA, and a ‘Landmark Run’ One small step for Mankind, but a giant leap for me…
Looking back at my records, I can see that I would regularly run ten miles in 1:05 without breaking sweat, todays run was completed in 1 hour 44 minutes…What happened? How can ageing have such a drastic effect? I don’t mourn the loss though, I’m just thankful I can still do it, but more than that… Still enjoy it.
And if you’ve got to here, thanks for your interest.

As I sit here writing this account, rain lashes against the window: Somebody was smiling on me today…

212

Good pics and great accounts of your walks yet again Robert. Well done!

I’m just home from a wonderful weekend in Braemar. Had nice walks and the views were spectacular. The weather was very kind to us.

I have to say it’s salt in my porridge too FF. I do like salt on certain things, but I don’t think I overdo it.

Val, sorry to hear of your diagnosis. We take our diets for granted until we find out our bodies don’t like something we are doing.

213

you are obviously doing something right OGF! Regarding porridge I had some when last in Edinburgh served with blueberry compote which was delicious. I have bought some Wild Blueberry Conserve which I use but I think it is too sugary, more like jam. I suppose I should cook down some blueberries and keep it for putting on the porridge, but haven’t so far. With Spring and summer not so far away I will be switching to Muesli with yogurt and blueberries for breakfast… unless I am told otherwise at my diabetic workshop thing in a couple of weeks…

214

Scotland, the best place in the world to be when the weather is good Myra, If I lived nearer I would be a regular visitor.

Your porridge sounds delicious Penny, I need to get a bit more adventurous with my toppings. Running’s going well thanks Penny, felt good this morning and went further, but wife threatens to leave me if I keep pushing up the mileage. I guess she’s just worried…

215

While out running on Sunday I was dismayed to find that ‘Fly Tipping’ has once again returned to the pretty country roads around Doncaster. Who could spoil their neighbourhood with this sort of behavior?

http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=812&pictureid=5950
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=812&pictureid=5951
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=812&pictureid=5952
http://www.over50sforum.com/picture.php?albumid=812&pictureid=5953

216

Happens all over OGF, people who have not been brought up for any respect for anything. It doesn’t cost us anything to take stuff like that to the local depot but if we want it uplifted it will cost £35. If they took it as far as the countryside, surely their is a depot near enough for them to take it there.

217

There is FF, not three miles away.
It strikes me that it might have been a commercial tipping, because they won’t allow vans with a company name on the side to tip at the council dump without paying a fee.
When I was a courier, I had a plain white van [some customers insisted on it] and I could send off for a pass to allow me to visit the dump site free of charge.
I come across all sorts of things dumped at the side of the road while out running, fridges, tv’s, rolls of carpet and marijuana plants…dead, of course.

218

Ever thought that’s how you might be building up speed :lol:

219

Oh dear, fly tipping at it’s worst Robert. How can people do that? If they’ve taken it so far can they not just carry on to the nearest recycling tip? Beggars belief.

Hope you’ve had some more nice runs. The weather here has been very temperamental. The sun’s out one minute, then it’s sleet, then it’s sunny, then it’s raining!

220

FF, I’m trying to gradually cut down my sugar in drinks like you suggested. I haven’t reached the point when I don’t like the sweet ones yet but I’ll keep going!!

Penny, I’ll be interested to hear what they tell you at your diabetes workshop, I’m struggling to keep my carbs down without feeling hungry. I have a one-to-one hour long appointment with a health trainer next week so hope to ask lots of questions and maybe get some new ideas on low carb meals.

Myra, I never really needed to worry about my diet until the last few years, but I felt I had a healthy diet with lots of fruit and veg. I was shocked to find that food like fruit that I thought was healthy is full of sugar and therefore best avoided or at least cut down !!

OGF, I’ve enjoyed reading your running blogs. I can understand your wife being worried, I worry about my daughter who’s a runner. She’s no longer satisfied with marathons and the more she achieves the more she wants to go onto the next stage. I don’t know where you runners get the energy!!