Day 82 - Report, pink protest, wail of disappointment

Happy it's Saturday! Oh yes.

Can you guess what the pink post-it note on our 'treats tray' says? I wrote it in a moment of beatitude. Or insufferable prigg-iness. Don't spoil tomorrow's post, I'll explain all then.

We bring you Friday's report...

1. Work out

I took my phone to the park and it bleated out the old wake up alarm a couple of times because I forget to turn it off. As I stopped, I instinctively turned my hand to check the time remaining! This happened a couple of times and on the third time I stopped myself. I know it's ridiculous, but blogging does make me more aware.

The best was my V-sits, the first set executed perfectly and a shabby second and ok third.

I was giving my all especially in the creeps - nasty, nasty, nasty, wrong and evil, creeps.

2. Food

Salt in the form of lunchtime fish eaten in the restaurant downstairs and then the shredded nori that I was stuffing into my face like a hamster using just as a condiment for rice. The grams were all on. I discovered a new and ugly way to eat egg whites - blast them in microwave with milk. Boss saw me separating egg yolk from white in the shell: "Is this some kind of voodoo?"

3. Sleep

This was great - lights out at 10.15-ish and up at 5.30 am no problem. About 7 hours. I'm going to sleep at the normal time tonight and try to catch up a bit for tomorrow. I don't want to lose this rhythm because I have three late nights next week - Monday teaching until late, Tuesday teaching in Odawara, Wednesday a voice gig in Chiba!

Compared to other times of year (like June/July when I go to Hokkaido once a week!), work has been relatively friendly to PCP-ing. Not that much travelling around and only a couple or one late night a week. So why, in Week 13, do I get a hard schedule? I'm going to attack it by making sure whatever happens, rope jumping is done early, then ab work, then try to get the rest done at other times. If there is just a band exercise, that can happen in my lunch hour. No sweat. Except, there will be sweat as we are getting into summer now.

Disappointment


I'm feeling quite sad that I am going to miss a huge party (Kike-sensei's 40th, a gay extravaganza with gogo dancers, fancy dress, music till 3 am). Telling myself 'there will be other parties' doesn't quite cut it, but I know what I need to do to finish the PCP strong. This Saturday is going to involve some other fun things that allow me to keep the rhythm.


Keep it jammin everyone!

Day 79: I heart morning workouts.

Hi gang!

This is coming from NHK's staff canteen surrounded by the smell of ramen, soba, and sushi. I already had my own PCP meal before the 7 pm recording.

Thank you by the way to those who listened either to the Thursday Radio Japan Focus show or the news last night. I'm still quite new to the whole radio thing and I appreciate the encouragement. If you have any critical feedback, that would be awesome too!

Ok, here's the report for Tuesday.

1. Muscle work was a Give My All! Banzai and hurrah! Got into 'form failure' on shoulder presses.V sit ups were tough but satisfying. Enjoyed the shoulder flies which I went at quickly. Rope jumping is all about settling my breathing. Less dillydallying.

2. Nutrition.

I had packed tonight's dinner before getting new diet plans and had to guess an extra 10 g of protein and 20 of carbs. It's such a small amount! Plus the tin of tuna at lunch weighed 65 rather 80 stated on tin after I drained it. Grrr! Ate an extra egg white, bought a tuna egg salad and trust my body will start to recognize a new pattern by tomorrow. I'll weigh out 20 g couscous at home tonight. I don't like guessing carbs...Fruit is weighed and waiting at home! It's some juicy melon... Can't wait. Anyone else happy to end the relationship with the scales!?

3. Sleep!

The biggest favour I did my body was setting a timer for one hour of feeding and relaxing, between getting through the door and getting into bed. Lights out around 10.45, reveille at 5.30 Monday morning. About 6.5 hours, which is a slight debt. Got a seat on train and hunkered down on and of for about 30 min total. Sometimes I try a counting meditation and if I don't sleep then it's rest of sorts. After recording the evening news two weeks ago I was on a big high and found it hard to settle. Need to just take the same approach tonight. Getting it done early sucks at the time but the feeling of freedom is exhilarating. It helped that today, at least, my body is in 'build and repair' mode.


Have you noticed what I have? At this stage of the PCP, the body has just different levels of tired but with flashes of unexpected energy? Take care everyone. We're getting close. And hit the switch as early as you can tonight!

Day 77 - Walk on

Today is the end of Week 11! Feel like the hardest is to come, so I 'm going to get tougher on myself, before the 'Super sets' come in.

I'm going to report each day on my performance in the three areas needed to build muscle and get fit.

1. Muscle stimulus

Did I give my all in my workout or not? Give my all (GMA) is my way of saying 'Do my best on the day'. It might mean a wonderful workout or a mediocre one depending on the muscle group or the number of reps.

Some of the thing I can control are 'Did I concentrate on the exercise or just wish it was over?' 'Did I waste time between sets?' 'Did I feel a burn?'

2. Nutrition

Did I hit the grams? Did I introduce something I shouldn't? Did I eat my last meal 1.5 hours before sleeping?

3. Rest

How many hours did I sleep the previous night or during the day?

I'll report the previous day, so Day 78, Tuesday will reflect how I did on Day 77.  Feel free to hassle me if you see an area where I need to work harder or smarter!

-----

Some of the practical changes I will make in the last 14 days.

1. No turning on my PC after 9 pm. I want to turn off the light earlier, get up earlier, get the WO done on a well-rested body.
2. Keeping breakfasts a lot simpler. A raw egg on rice, sashimi, a salad. Breakfast fritatta can be on the weekend.
3. Preview exercises the day before. Imagine what I will do. (Image training)

How about you guys? Is there any screw you can tighten up? Now is the time. 

Walk on gang!

Day 76 - Who said Sunday was a day of rest again?

This Sunday felt like WORK. After the glorious food of yesterday and staying up late with a movie when I really wanted to go to Roppongi to drink and revel, I just did housework, food prep, and travelled to Yokohama to train with Patrick and Paul. And I got up at 6.30 today which I don't understand!

Paul and I agree that having the chance to train with Patrick really helps. We get to learn how quickly it's possible to move through things, see some wierd and scary adaptations to moves that we just struggle through, and also get some feedback on our stats.

My stats weren't a suprise. Fat is up, muscle is down as a percentage. For this, we have to thank our friends, ghee, butter, cheese, cream cheese, bread, cake....But the good news is that the fat I put on from the curry on Saturday should go in about three days. Patrick said before I got on the scales that he'd like to see me put on some weight. This is so much not what I am used to thinking, but I'm going to trust him on this. I'm happy with how I'm looking, less happy with the tiredness.

Next week is going to be tougher (suprise!) and I need to be tanked up with sleep.

Then, the cool kindliness of sheets, that soon
Smooth away trouble; and the rough male kiss
Of blankets....
~Rupert Brooke, "The Great Lover,"

Last week I had three late nights, and I felt it today - a deep dreamless sleep on the way to Yokohama. Not a nap so much as a thwack on the head. I'm tired and there's only one thing for it. That was my Sunday, that was my Day 76.

Oyasumi!

Day 65 - I know I'm turning Japanese

The first time I ate fermented soy beans, AKA natto, and liked it, I thought I was turning
Japanese.

When I called a guy at 6.30 am each morning just to help him get up, I thought I was turning into Japanese. When I first craved things from the sea with eyes, not chocolate, as comfort food, I thought I was turning Japanese.

But yesterday, I knew for sure that I had really turned Japanese. I heeded my body's call to rest, biked to the hot spring onsen, Niwa no yu at Toshimaen, and chilled for a few hours. Finally felt good in a bikini! Yay! Got a PCP-ish meal of grilled squid, vegetable curry, and rice and then slept in front of a big window looking out onto Spring greenery. Listened in smug contentment to the rain outside. Felt less smug when I realized I didn't have rain gear for the ride home. None to be had in the shops round Toshimaen, so I bought a cheapo brolly and rode home clasping it in one hand.

Riding bikes one handed, as well as balancing side-saddle on the back of a bike, is something I often see here, but rarely saw in the UK. I don't think I could have done it pre-PCP. The body-resistance exercises we do are about integrating the different muscles, getting them talking to each other. This means we'll be able to move around gracefully and smoothly. I wonder what muscles I needed to ride home on slippery roads with only one hand...I felt proud anyway.

The low is that even though we are on a three-day national holiday, I am struggling with my body's classic sign to slow down - a bad throat. Obviously, the bike ride in the rain wasn't a good idea! Slept for close to 12 hours yesterday in preparation for reading the lunchtime news at NHK. I'll blog more about the relationship between my radio work and PCPing another time!

Good to see those on Day 65 going strong! Let's keep our eyes on the peak!

Day 63 - Moving along not very nicely

Today's been a slog and this is both psychological and physiological.

Psychological - When a plane takes off you notice the difference in speed. Ditto when
it lands. When it's at cruising speed you feel... no sense of speed,
yet you are moving very fast. I think this stage of the PCP is like
that. I'm not really feeling that different day to day just because I'm in a groove now. We need this kind of time to get to our destination. Enjoy the journey, even the lows.

Physically, I talked on Skype until late to my parents. I know that this did us good, but it robbed me of some sleep. And I have started drinking diet sodas again in the last couple of weeks. Technically, we are permitted to drink them, but I never drink one and feel physically good afterwards. I think it's too do with the caffeine high and the intensity of the bubbles. When I started PCPing I made an effort to not consume Pepsi Max and I felt good. Why did I go back? It's just something I do because it makes me feel like I am doing something 'diet worthy' or hardcore. Something to ask The Men That Know.

Does anyone else out there have unhealthy things they do that they pretend are hardcore?

Day 56 - Energy peaks and troughs

My energy levels have been up and down a lot today. Made myself turn out the light at 10.30 yesterday and woke early.  Did my jumps reasonably smoothly - got up to 280 at one set. Then HUGELY sleepy before lunch and then pretty even for the rest of the day. Now it's time to turn out the light and I want to stay up. Plus we seem to get earthquakes around this time! There's one going off as I type this. Most inconsiderate.

I remind myself that I am very lucky to have survived the quake and have a normal life and the chance to make wise choices about my health.

Here's a good quote on energy by Corita Kent.

'Love the moment, and the energy of that moment will spread beyond all boundaries'.

Okay, time for some horizontal training.

Oyasumi nasai!

Day 55 - And miles to go before I sleep

This verse from Robert Frost sums up how I felt today, being in the middle of this journey...

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, 

But I have promises to keep. 

And miles to go before I sleep

And miles to go before I sleep

For some reason, I woke at 5.30 and got all my workout and jumps done before breakfast. Don't ask me how that happened, but I hope I am in a good rhythm for next week. I failed pretty early on the pullups, my jump rope is inconsistent, my back work is good. 

Went to Kawasaki and had lunch at the Oyster Gumbo bar with Yoko. They patiently listened to what I needed, decided to charge me an extra 200 yen for throwing about five more prawns onto my pasta, and then promptly brought Yoko a diminished bowl of rice and dressingless salad. These things happen (Side observation - why did she send it back and ask for more but tell me that she wouldn't eat it all? Strange things happen when you want your money's worth...). 

As usual, the food I made myself was the real treat - pan-fried buri and steamed sweet potatoes with ginger/red onion thrown on top. Probably too much frying, but hey ho. 

Going back to the poem, I feel totally immersed in this experience in the same way the traveler did when in the woods. I know that it'll be over and I've got to look to day 90, the tough last section, but right now, I feel on top of things. 

Fellow PCP-ers, what are you feeling on top of? I know Paul is on top of his plank!

Have a great week everyone!

Day 50 - A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.

Love that Irish proverb there!

Slept long and deep last night although I felt ridiculous about having to concentrate so hard (don't turn on computer! don't open book! don't put away cups!) Woke up a bit groggy and more aware of my body. Give your muscles get a chance to rest and they seem to hurt more! I take this continued ache as a message from my body (the toddler) to do the same thing tonight. I will put out the light by 11 pm at the latest.

 Gretchen Ruben  has some wise words on treating yourself as a toddler and planning ahead.

This is the first day in the whole project that I have had an entire workout (jump rope and muscle work) to do in the evening. I might swap out the jump rope for a mini dance session - if you remember I'm doing a Sassy Girl dance class and there will be a video shoot in two weekends. I need to learn the steps and Kike kindly gave everyone a CD with his choreography. The music is Christina Aguleira's 'Burlesque' and it's great to do it with a stronger leaner body. So I get to Be A Woman as well as a fractious toddler. Ace.

How about you guys? How are you going to get a good night's training?

Day 44 - Reveille

It's 5.50 am as I write this and I have been up for about 20 minutes. I'm not tired and I woke naturally. I didn't even sleep super early last night!

In the past the only time I would wake up naturally this early would be if I had a really important MUST NOT MISS type appointment like a flight to the UK or a work assignment. And I wouldn't be feeling refreshed like I do now.

I feel a bit lame saying this when there are people who regularly get up at this time or have been doing so since Day 1, but it is huge for me.

Last night's workout was interesting and I did give it my all.

Some things felt really easier, like the lunges and others that had been relatively smooth, like the jumps were weak. Press ups failed earlier than usual. I was quivering like anything on the final planks!

I've decided to invest in a pair of workout gloves rather than the one hundred yen pair I'm currently using.
If you know of a good pair, give us a shout!

Day 41 - PCP curry.

I'm all for Zen and 'ma' and white space and all that, but surely they could have arranged this a little more intelligently! It's screaming 'Look Mum, No Nan Bread!' I went to this curry house in Kawasaki 30 minutes before meeting Japanese grandma and told them what I'd like by the gram. I wanted to get tandoori chicken, but I'm trying to do my PCP with fish as my main protein source, so I asked for tandoori prawn. This was very dry and I'm sure it was not 120 g. so I bought 20 g. of dried fish from a station platform afterwards.  Not good. 

Going back to this culinary extravaganza, the red dish is vegetable curry and was rather uninspiring. Usually I'd get a two-curry set with nan, rice, and salad. I'd usually pay 950 yen. For this, I paid 1, 500 yen because of the tandoori prawns. Meh. All this grousing is wholly unimportant compared to the pleasure of spending time with my delightful Japanese grandmother, Yoko. I missed meeting her for a month. The world is a better place after seeing her. 

After I got back to my part of Tokyo, I went to Toshimaen for a bit and had this...squid and salad. It came to 1,200 yen which is more reasonable than the curry, but in truth, I'd paid someone to chop and arrange some vegetables and then grill some squid. If I did this at home, I'd have arranged the squid properly.  It tasted good though, ordered sans salt, sans mayo, salad with vinegar.

I don't mind paying to eat this when I can look at a huge pink sakura lit up against the night sky.

-----

Did I mention that I did all my WO before breakfast? I think I'm over that throat thing now. Maybe I have a stronger immune system already. 

Let's finish Week 6 in style with some sexy jumps tomorrow. Go TEAM IO!

Day 40 - Holding it off

After a jubilant week of feeling big and strong, I'm now holding a sore throat at bay. I had a four-hour class today and had planned to go to the Sassy Girly dance class after that, but changed my mind when I started to notice slight shivery-ness and sore throat. This is very normal for me to a) get sick at the weekend b) feel it in my throat.

Good stuff was jumping before breakfast. I wasn't as coordinated as I'd have liked to be, but it was a bit windy and hey, I hadn't eaten anything.

I am calling this weekend, my 'Screw the Duvet' weekend. Namely, I'm going to try to keep as much as possible to a regular week schedule and just crash out earlier if I need to. I missed a bit of sleep Thursday and Friday hence feeling under the weather today. I hope I can do jumps before breakfast tomorrow.

A bit worried about eating out again tomorrow. This is a meal that is usually a two-weekly thing with a delightful lady called Yoko, AKA my Japanese grandmother. It hasn't happened because of the earthquake, so it's going to be special. In fact, it was Week 1, as I was eating half sushi portions. I'm going to have a look online to see if there are some better options than our usual places.

I'd like to take my scales in, but the ones I have at home are just too 'down home' looking to feel okay about in a restaurant!

Such are the challenges of trying to be PCP compliant and sociable. I'm in awe of people who regularly eat out and with clients!

Day 36 - Sleep, mind, exercise

I've been going on recently about how important it is to get enough sleep! I know I have it easier than many PCP-ers who have families and more demanding jobs, but the video is produced by a mother of two young girls and she's learnt how to say 'NO' to the email, the tv, the books, the 'one more thing', and just switch off the light.

Deep, heavy, knocked-out sleep yesterday! Oh yes! Then a really satisfying pre-brekkie workout under the sakura this morning. I still need to push myself with the floor jumps, and the piston squats were on pathetic jelly-legs after jumping. Failed after the third set of pull-ups. I'm going to do PU again tonight on my way home in a different 'free gym' AKA kids playground and play around with the form of the squats in my room tonight. A little bit of advance planning will save me time consulting the computer screen!

Saying 'Do it badly' is a way for me to get past the feeling of 'I'm so useless'. It's better to fail on the first attempt, than to never try. I think I failed this morning as I really went for it with the swing of the PU. With skipping, I found the form easier when I tried to go fast (less mind interference) and then my lack of cardiovascular strength let me down.

As we all get fitter, I think mastering new exercises will be different. Still hard, but more control and body intelligence. Have you noticed any patterns with your training yet? Do you go after speed or form or just get through them?

Have a great Day 36 gang!

Day 35 (4.4) - Feta Fetish

I had cheese for the first time all project... Just a little feta,
creamy speckles in a Greek salad. Picked them out with chopsticks and
arranged them in a (ahem) scattered formation on my brown rice bread.
It was pretty lovely especially when I toasted them. I don't know what
will happen with the new diet plan tomorrow, so I really savoured two
whole slices. Did well to use only a teaspoon of dressing,
less well to eat the clusters of cranberries in the salad. Can't
believe this is the person who ate 12 dried figs in one go a year ago.
It's odd that I both want and don't want to be someone who is happy
with less.

In other news, I repeated the 300 jumps from yesterday and other runs
were about 250, a couple of clear 150s. Muscles and nervous system,
plus breathe came together under the sakura today. For this, I have to
thank my friend, sleep. Going to bed when I still have a bit buzzing
in my head is so boring at the time - I used to want to read or
whatever for ages until I was struggling to stay awake. Now I assume
sleep isn't far off.

Good sleep is vital not just for our physical training but for a clear
mind, imagination, and confidence. All things for we want at our peak.

To a strong Week 6!

Day 33 - Sass and sleep

Went to an onsen this afternoon and ended up SLEEPING for at least an
hour. I usually enjoy the waters, change into the onsen issue PJs and
eat or chill with a book. Today I headed straight for the darkened
sleeping room which is a bit Orwellian really - lots of recliners,
ornamental fossils lit up with pinks lights, canned birdsong, and the
sound of about fifty people sleeping. My leg muscles and shoulder
muscles really felt better after a rest. I did feel a bit middle-aged
though!

Felt amused and angered in the changing room was a video ad for an
exercise machine. One that moves your body so you get 'toned' without
breaking a sweat. 'It's just like running!' 'So easy!' shrieked the
voice while a woman beams at the camera. This is backassbackwards and
plays on peoples' fear and laziness. I'm glad I have a routine now,
even if it's hurting.

The capoeira class didn't happen but the sassy girl class was full on
two hours. Again struck by difference between my reps - numbered,
uniform, tending to fail towards the end and the musicality,
contrasts, and cleaner execution of dancing.

Day 26 - Capoeira Capers

Typing this on the train back from Yokohama where I visited Abada
capoeira group. My group, Bantus, in Kichijioji can't meet because of
the blackouts and this was my first proper class for about two weeks.
I struggled with the moves during practice quite a bit, but got into
my groove in the roda (free capoeira accompanied by music and singing).
I tend to stand with hands on hips between moves and couldn't help
feeling excited that I can hold them closer. And the growing strength
in my torso made me feel more in control. I'm looking forward to
seeing and feeling results of all the stuff in the park and my room.
Right now it feels just like spade work!
I woke late, everything got shoved back and I didn't have time to buy
and eat my cake. That's tomorrow's pleasant duty! I've been thinking
about it today on and off.
One thing that was different to normal was me carrying my dinner in a
lunch box and scoffing fish, sweet potatoes, greens on the station
platform. This is as Patrick advised me to have 90 min between dinner
and bed. And milk got drunk pre class at Yokohama 'Staba' to give me
some energy. 330 yen is a silly sum to pay, but it was sooo good.
Anyone got any wise words about the food/exercise relationship? I
thought I'd hate milk pre PCP but it seems to be what my body wants.

Okay, now to get to my favourite part of muscle building. Oyasumi!

Day 24 - What some call health, if purchased by continual anxiety about diet, is nothing more than tedious disease

Nice quote from George Denning Prentice there. It sums up a great attitude to food; be relaxed about it. I'm finding PCP food really liberating because I know my limits. That said, I'm still struggling to get LF milk and settling on LF yogurt, and when I can't get that I've tried Yakult, which was a mistake because of the sugar and probable lack of milk! Steamed some oysters this evening with spuds and fried onion/cabbage. It was nice, but next time I'll try to get things really piping hot, which was what I was craving.

Managed to get up earlier today and do all my workout except pullups which were done in the kids playground. I didn't bother 'changing', just got off my bike. Anyone else out there done workout stuff in office clothes? I like mixing things up, and was inspired by Patrick's blog to listen to BBC Radio 7 where you can listen again to radio dramas. Alan Bennett was describing getting beaten up in Italy with his boyfriend and the Italian police dismissing it as a reasonable thing for any red-blooded Italian man. I was doing my pushups. Incongrous? Yes, and I like it. 

Confession - I am a once-a-week announcer at NHK radio and had some training today. It's amazing how much you need to control your breath and emotions with voice work. I hope the PCP exercises will make me better at this. 

After my training I did what I promised Patrick and got a stronger band. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. 

Oyasumi everyone.