CanaBull

Back to 178.4 lbs this morning, lost the 3.4 I gained last week. Slowly increasing the running intervals though it's clear there's much to be done to string those intervals together into something longer. I'll get there, just need to focus on some patience and build on how far I've come rather than get demoralised by how far I have to go. Signed up for the 5k run/walk at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 20th. Realised I was just using not being able to run it complete as an excuse to not do it. No more BS, doing it anyway.

The greatest unsung hero of modern Canadian rugby league. Glad to see Paul Buchanan getting well deserved recognition.

Took my eye off the ball this week and too carried away with the win last week. Some legitimate medical reasons but regardless was still down to my decision making and responsibility. Up 3.4 lbs to 181.8lbs. Back to work.

I wasn’t going to post this but will for sake of accountability. A couple of weeks back one of the girls where I work mentioned that she didn’t ask me about an event she was organizing as she wasn’t sure if I should be doing it. Needless to say ‘I’m in with sodding bells on’ was warranted in response I think. And if she wasn’t who she is I’d think I got played. So what is this event? Climbing the CN Tower stairs next April. D’Oh!

A milestone day today. I weighed in at 178.4 lbs. 51.2 lbs down from my start point and have hit my goal of 50 lbs lost after almost 9 months. I had 'budgeted' on a pound a week to be sustainable but have come in under that by a long way, well happy! Tentative running still going okay, not without its challenges, but nothing that can't be figured out and overcome. The hope of running a full 5k in 2020 has now become a real, achievable goal. Looked at the stats on my phone and I've walked just shy of 750 kms this year so far, I can barely believe I'll be adding running to it now.

Jogged 3x100m and 20x50m intervals going between the lampposts last night on my usual walking route to, from and around a local park. Beyond the usual issues nothing bad seems to be coming up so I'm getting a bit giddy! LOL Knocking on wood with crossed fingers.

Can't agree with this enough; mental health, physical health, weight, attitude all part of one circle. I don't think with me anything has got any easier, but I have figured out ways to withstand or drive through more though. No short cuts, no hacks, just hard graft. Still beats me from time to time, but even those times I still try to get out and at least go through the motions; less distance, slower etc. The frustrations get to me less frequently these days, but I've found them more intense when they do.

182.5 lbs this morning. Walked 15 kms last night (61kms over the week) and, after some tweaks to my bracing, that was interspersed with about 500m of jogging in 10-20m intervals. Seemingly no ill effects this morning, so maybe enough weight has been dropped now to ease the stress on the spine. Fingers crossed.

184lbs this week. 2.5 lbs down from last week and 4lbs away from my goal. Got hurt last Thursday but got mad instead. Used the meds and walked as much as I could over the last four days, it keeps the lumbar muscles loosened up so I think I staved off the worst of what it could be and what it has been in the past. Nothing over mixed ground, just on the flat and kept going. When I totted it up last night it was just over 67kms.

186.5lbs this week, closing in on the 179lb goal and the 50lb loss total. got the okay from the Doc last week and put on 58km of walking up this weeks weigh in.

My lad plays a fair amount of online games, Fortnite, Rainbow Six series all that kind of stuff. I don’t tell him this but I think it’s cool AF that he and usually 5 other kids from all over North America (and further afield occasionally) can collaborate on complex problems in real time and solve them. The old rebel in me finds that so satisfying to be so potentially threatening to the powers that be.

187.6 lbs this week. That's 42lbs lost since I started in January. 3 sodding stone! Still can't quite wrap my head round this but stoked as hell. Back in at the doc's today to hopefully get the go ahead to start exercising more again.

Sorry for not responding sooner Matt. What you mention is a regular mental struggle for me too; I often tend to push too hard as the instinct to fight when hurt tends to get the better of me. I've had to learn to slow down and ease back into things and not get too upset at comparing to where I was if I get re-injured, but I know there's an increased chance of that happening by not doing anything for longer periods. I may reduce speed, distance, intensity etc, but still get out whether it's walking or getting into the pool. By all means shoot me a message if you need to vent or anything, I'll do what I can to help.

190.4 lbs this week. Had some bad news about deterioration in another part of the spine, rather the pelvis and the SI joint. Been eating the good (or bad depending on how you look at them) painkillers for over a week now and not eating much due to that, hence the loss. Still going to try and use it and not bounce back too much, it is what it is. Hurting more mentally really because of this than physically.

Give the fellow running the Haldimand Wolfpack an email haldimandwolfpack@outlook.com He doesn't have his name on the team page so I won't put it here either. He was playing in the Silcock days with the Cougars, if anyone will know, it's him. Good luck.