Phil Jeremy Personal Training: FIRE AND RAIN - ALL WEATHER TRAINING.

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: FIRE AND RAIN - ALL WEATHER TRAINING.:     At present I am in the serious summer heat of the South of France and all I hear is people going around saying, 'It's far too...

FIRE AND RAIN - ALL WEATHER TRAINING.

 

  At present I am in the serious summer heat of the South of France and all I hear is people going around saying, 'It's far too hot to train in this heat', perversely I would hear the exact same opposite statement in Yorkshire in the cold winter. I guess for the great unfit, overweight and lazy it is never the right time... ces't la vie.
   Training in poor weather be it freezing cold or boiling hot needs some thought. I have run up mountains in horrendous weather but there was a reason and that was to train in conditions I may find myself in a race. I have always adapted training both for myself and my clients to their ability, their goals and also to where I am and the conditions that exist at the time. I see no glory or benefit in doing press ups in a puddle, KB swings in horizontal rain or deadlifts in a snowdrift, athletes don't do it so why should you.
Of course there are many exercises that you can do in bad weather but you have to use a degree of common sense. You can run in all weathers in fact running in the rain is exhilarating and it keeps you cool. One of my clients, Mike, reminded me of a tip that I gave him awhile back which was if you wear a cap when running in the rain you hardly notice it all and I still believe that to be true. Sprinting on an all weather running track is also a great exercise in very cold or wet weather but personally I wouldn't dream of lifting weights outside in the rain, it's too easy to slip or have bad form and injure yourself, it's just plain stupid. If you have some cover or shelter from the elements then fine but otherwise its meaningless. I read comments that somebody was lifting heavy weights in a torrential hail storm with thunder and lightning all around and what a legend or bad ass they are. What do you want... a cookie? Its bullshit. I'm afraid the word 'legend' is grossly overused, Alexander the Great is a legend, so let's put this into perspective.

 If you want to walk the dog, go for a brisk hike or a short jog then fine but if you want to train effectively to achieve a long term goal then you must target the right muscle groups in the right way and in the right conditions in order to elicit the maximum response.

   Training in very hot weather is tricky. There can be benefits such as doing a 'heat run' but again this is a targeted exercise for the reasons of adaptation, the same would apply to cycling. Elite cyclists train in hot weather (as well as altitude) as this will cause the body to produce more red blood cells and you can gain significant improvements in your VO2 max.Studies have found that, in addition to an increased rate of perspiration, training in the heat can increase an athlete’s blood plasma volume (which leads to better cardiovascular fitness), reduce overall core temperature, reduce blood lactate, increase skeletal muscle force, and, counterintuitively, make a person train better in cold temperatures. In fact, heat acclimation may actually be more beneficial than altitude training in eliciting positive physiological adaptations, says Santiago Lorenzo, a professor of physiology at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and a former decathlete at the University of Oregon.
 Sprinting can be helpful but if it's too hot then your performance will suffer so they will need to be short sharp sessions such as 12-15 second OTM (on the minute) hill sprints.
  If you are not used to doing anything as extreme as this, I would advise having a medical check up beforehand.
 Swimming is obvious in hot weather as long as your not just lying on your back doing impressions of a sea lion or floating on some giant inflatable rubber duck. I would particularly recommend pool sprinting, it's a surprisingly demanding yet effective form of training with no impact stress.  If you like training outside, as I do, then weight training is fine if you are in the shade but again common sense should prevail, keep the sessions short. Tempo running in hot weather should be kept to about 70% - 80% of your max heart rate as it is extremely demanding …. then again I know many of my clients think that Tempo running should be avoided altogether!

     It's all based around the risk /reward ratio, what is going to be the most effective and hopefully enjoyable training that you can do that will engender the greatest benefits?

 This year we had heavy winter snowfalls in Europe so running in the snow was an option if you have the right cleats, in fact on a
brisk morning it's exhilarating. The air temperature keeps you cool and you can just go out and enjoy yourself in raw nature, I love it. I did quite a few of these extreme cold weather runs this year however on one occasion I ran in the wet, over very rocky terrain but with the wrong trainers on and I slipped, cut my head open and needed stitches. It was stupid and lazy of me and I should no better but hey, shit happens.
    Now across the globe we have had record summer temperatures so again you have to adapt your training accordingly. I look upon these changes as an opportunity to vary my training schedule and so provide a different stimulus therefore improving your fitness, strength and overall conditioning.
 There are exceptions of course. In many countries this year there have been raging fires due to the dry conditions. I would have thought common sense would tell you not to train near a wildfire but apparently some people like the risk, a bit like Tornado chasers. The US Environmental Protection Agency actually issues warnings and advice, as do other countries. Remember if the fire doesn't get you, the smoke will and if that doesn't, the heat will, so forget about it. The general advice is that you need to be at least 10 miles away. And even after a fire you should be careful, don’t trust a dust mask to protect you as in addition to fine particles, wildfire smoke also contains a mixture of gases, including toxic carbon monoxide that the masks don't filter out. So you might think you look cool like Bane in Batman but actually you look like a weirdo.

High humidity is another issue that can cause difficulties 
The risk of overheating, heat exhaustion or Hyponatremia is obviously higher during humid workouts because the body is working harder to cool off in the saturated air.  The more humid it is, the more water there is in the air, and thus the evaporation of sweat is more difficult. Today I ran in 83%  Humidity which is very high, it was tough but I had an interesting result. My time over a course which I have run for over 10 years was the fastest ever! My average time is 58 minutes and yet today I did it in 46 minutes despite the heat.
  This was not an isolated case as just over a week ago the same thing happened. The predicted weather was to be over 30c (90f) and I had scheduled to do a 20k trail run in the hills near where I live so accordingly I got up early in the cool of the morning. It got super hot towards the end but the majority of the run was in shade. I normally go through .75 of a litre per hour but took extra due to the heat, when I got back I found that I had drunk 1.25 litres per hour.  I also consumed 1/2 litre of neutral pH balance sports drink plus 2 x S-Caps (salt). In more extreme weather you have to be diligent both in your preparation and execution. The surprising thing in these challenging conditions is that I took 8 minutes off my fastest time on this route too. There are many examples of athletes setting record times in extreme conditions so one must not automatically presume that your performance will suffer.

   In my case there is no doubt that these personal best times of late are as a result of  my strength and metabolic conditioning workouts, not more running. I have completely redesigned my metabolic training by utilising all three energy pathways in a variety of ways, such as intensity, heart rate % of VO2 max, rep range, TUT and rest periods as well as sprints, tempo and short threshold runs. I have been consistently alternating the workouts to try and increase my lactate threshold and it appears to be bearing fruit, even in this weather.

    It is for these reasons that I never once think of the weather conditions as a convenient excuse not to do it but more as an opportunity. My clients know this and so we can have fun playing around with the different options. Sometimes I will present them with a choice of training options on a given day and let them decide; although the comments I get seem to be along the lines of, 'What sort of choice is that?.... to which my reply is usually 'Stop moaning'. As you can see, not only am I an extremely understanding trainer but also a hell of a nice guy. 😊😊
     Even in the South of France in the summer I see people jogging along the road with no hat or water. It's either ignorance or stupidity as I would have thought by now most people will have heard of dehydration. Then again in the Grand Canyon there are countless signs warning you not to venture down without the proper clothing, footwear, hats, water etc and yet you see literally hundreds of people doing exactly the opposite … go figure.
   One final point, if you do exercise outside at home in warm weather have a thought for your neighbours. I train with great intensity, panting, grunting and breathing heavily and apparently on more than one occasion some of the neighbours, from quite a distance away, have been in their gardens and been disturbed by what they thought was some sort of Adult film audition!

 I digress, the main point is that the world climate is not always predictable but if you think, do a little planning and adapt the exercise accordingly then there is no excuse not to train be it sun, snow, fire or rain.


  
 

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: INTENSE FAT BURNING

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: INTENSE FAT BURNING: Apologies for my lack of blogging over the past few months but as some of you know I have been in France and back into full time training. ...

INTENSE FAT BURNING

Apologies for my lack of blogging over the past few months but as some of you know I have been in France and back into full time training.
Recently my son, after a rather intense workout, asked me if I train all my clients the way we had just done. My reply was 'absolutely' … and his response was, 'I 'am surprised you have any clients at all!'
   As he is super fit and 8% Body fat I thought some further analysis and discussion was necessary.
 He strength trains twice a week and practises Brazilian jujitsu three times a week and yet he thought the workout was 'brutal'.
  His main point was that though this type of training will torch body fat and increase muscle growth, what you eat afterwards becomes extremely important.
He is of course correct which leads me to the whole argument about nutrition … again.
  Over the past few months I have had some outstanding results with my clients fat loss. This is for many people the main goal, muscle growth being the other side of the equation.
Could this type of workout effect that?
The answer is yes, in two ways, good and not so good.
With an intense fat burning workout you are using mainly the glycogen stored in your body and any carbs you might eat prior to the workout. It is often misconstrued that if you eat protein and no carbs after the workout then you will keep burning fat, which is true, but there is a 'but'.
  For muscle growth you also need carbs, they are not the enemy as so many people believe.

If you have used the glycogen stored in your muscles during the workout then your muscles will not grow.

For protein synthesis to take place you need carbs as well. This is extremely important and must not be overlooked.
  My fat burning workouts are without doubt intense, be it weights, HIITs or sprinting. If you don't give 100% then its not going to burn fat.
 Of course there is another way to burn fat which involves long slow distance running but again lets be clear how this works. A 30 minute jog or walk is not a workout, it might be enjoyable, energising, good for the heart, life affirming and bring you closer to nature, God and the Universe but it ain't going to burn any fat.
If you want to burn fat in running then you must either do Sprints (where you burn stored glycogen) or run a long way or for a long time because fat is then the main fuel source once your glycogen has run out but, hear I go again with another 'but'.
   Running a long way is extreme and therefore is in itself, intense. You will burn fat but the difference is you will not build muscle, in fact over time you will lose muscle unless you eat a good balance of nutrient dense food.
   So long slow distance running has its place as long as you know what you are doing and how to fuel correctly, unfortunately most people don't.
  Short fat burning workouts, if you eat carbs and protein after, will cut fat and increase muscle growth at the same time, which is why it is a win win for most people.
    I get angry when I see so many overweight people jogging along for 20 minutes then complaining that they are not losing weight. Its not rocket science but it is scientific .
 I did a workout this morning with two super fit clients who gave 100% and I copy it below. This is High intensity fat burning and this is what is required to cut fat, its that simple. If you fuel correctly afterwards then its easy. A workout similar to this twice a week with either one (or two}strength sessions plus a running workout or a mixture of all 4 in varied ways each week and that's it.
    If you have not run for a long time and you jog 3 times a week, in the first 6 weeks you will lose some fat after but that your body has adapted so you lose very little.
 By alternating the types of workout I have described below every week you will  achieve your goal much faster. A simple rule for nutrition is eat mostly protein and vegetables for all meals with some slow carbs such as rice or quinoa on workout days and only in the meal after your workout. No alcohol. Try this for 3 weeks and see the results for yourself..... I challenge you.
 This is how you burn fat fast. There are millions of books written plus videos and TV programmes about exercise and diet and yet what I have just told you is all you need to know.... Now do it!
     INTENSE FAT BURNER
   Do A1 to A4 then repeat 3 times before moving on to B  
       ( Choose a weight where the last 2 reps are hard. You need Dumbbells - DB and possibly a Barbell - BB for the Military press )  

Grouping	Exercise SHORT 20 sec rest !!	Sets		Rest
A1	DB/BB Military Press	3 x 12 reps		20 sec
A2	DB Prisoner squats	3 x30 reps		20 sec
A3	DB Renegade rows with push up	3 x 10 reps		20 sec
A4   ________________	Tuck jumps (Knees high)   ___________________________	3 x 15 reps   ___________		30 secs at end of A4 ________
B1	Burpee scissors (Press up /4 scissors/Jump)	3 x 10 reps		20 sec
B2	Sumo squat to Bicep curl	3x12 reps		20 sec
B3	Jump lunges	3x 25 reps		20 sec
B4   ___________	Bench Dips   _______________________	3 x 25 reps   ___________		30 sec at end of round ________
	REST 30 secs only after each round and repeat
FINISHER	Hill Sprints	4 x 12 secs		20 sec rest

                                              
  

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: SPRING CLEAN ..... THE TOP 5 STEPS TO A NEW BODY.

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: SPRING CLEAN ..... THE TOP 5 STEPS TO A NEW BODY.: Now I'm not about to discuss how busy I am cleaning windows, vacuuming the carpets and polishing my kettlebells ! Though having just ...

SPRING CLEAN ..... THE TOP 5 STEPS TO A NEW BODY.

Now I'm not about to discuss how busy I am cleaning windows, vacuuming the carpets and polishing my kettlebells ! Though having just got back from some pretty intense training in Spain my sports equipment was certainly in need of a bit of touch up ... so to speak.
It seems to have been a pretty cold winter across the globe and as a result people usually eat more and exercise less. I know they often have a go and try a bit in January but this ends up being a false start and they fall back into the old unfit and unhealthy ways. The weather is depressing and so is the waist measurement.
If this is you or even if you need to kick-start your health then now is the time. The animals are coming out of hibernation and so should you. Soon you won't be able to hide that new roll of fat under your coat as Spring is here....and then Summer, which means less clothes and God forbid, you may have to bare some flesh !
Maybe you have been persevering through the winter doing press ups in puddles and running in the rain but now you are beginning to feel a little demotivated, no matter, at least you tried but now its time to re-group and reset your health and fitness for the year ahead.
As some of you are aware I scaled back many of my personal training commitments last year. I used this time to broaden my understanding of training and nutrition through further qualifications, education and research....as well as through my own trial and error of new techniques and methods.
I am presently writing an e-book in which I explain the theory and practice of a new easy, effective training and nutrition protocol. It's called:- The Triple Lock Method © which I will be previewing at a later date in these blogs.
For now though let us get back to your spring clean ... because I know you are bursting to get started.
             TOP 5 STEPS TO A NEW BODY

1 Stop what you are doing.

This is obvious. If you overweight or have recently put on weight, feel sluggish, have had winter colds and flu, can't sleep, your skin feels terrible, digestive issues, have low energy ... or no energy then clearly whatever it is your doing is not working, so stop.
    Please don't tell me that you eat really healthy because actually you don't. This may sound harsh but it's the truth. People who eat healthy have lean, fit bodies, they don't get colds in the winter, don't feel sluggish, they have quality sleep and lots of vitality. This also applies to exercise, it may be the wrong type or too stressful or just plain ineffective. Poor nutrition and lousy exercise choices lead to an acid environment in the body, your cortisol rises and the rest of your hormones become unbalanced, inflammation abounds. In this environment internally your body resembles a swamp. This is where germs and bacteria thrive. We have to get this swamp cleared out and moving, so the next step is:-



MY FRIDGE

2 Reduce the acid foods... then alkalize the body.
 So acid foods would be Sugar, sugar, sugar and sugar ... for starters. All processed food and sodas, alcohol and cereals. Remember if it doesn't decay when left out then its bad. Good food decays, bad food doesn't. Please remember even honey is sugar, no matter how natural orange juice may be its still an enormous amount of sugar. Reduce these foods and replace with alkaline foods such as a wide variety of vegetables, unsweetened full fat yoghurt, herbs, spices, beans and lentils, quinoa, oats and especially green drinks as well as healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil avocados, nuts and seeds.  Eat high quality proteins like organic meat, eggs and fish that will provide the largest nutrient and protein content per calorie. Try to avoid or reduce stress as this creates acid in the body, take up yoga, Pilates, have a massage, meditate, go for a long walk in nature, quieten the mind. Increase your vitamin D, Zinc, Magnesium and Vitamin B levels with supplements. Take a quality probiotic and drink a minimum of 2 litres of water a day

 3 Meal planning and Carb reduction.
  Plan your meals 3 days in advance, you should know what you are eating and when. Buy the healthy food choices in advance so that is all you have in the house. Throw out the crap. Last month I went to a clients house and emptied half the kitchen cupboards into the trash. She actually had something called a Carb Cupboard! It was literally piled up with pasta, cereals, crisps, biscuits, sweets and chocolates. If all you have in your cupboard and fridge is healthy alkalizing foods then that is what you will eat. Nearly everyone will have a need to reduce carbs at first if they want to cut fat but later on you can begin to recycle healthy carbs back into your diet to help promote muscle synthesis...  don't ask, just trust me. Now that you have the healthy food, plan your meals. You should know today what you are having for breakfast, lunch and dinner tomorrow and approximately what time.
You have complete control of what goes into your gut, no one ate anything by accident. If you eat lots of pies you'll soon end up looking like one.

4 Take the miracle pill called exercise.
  The long term benefits are well documented but what about short term. There are fat burning exercises that you can do, the most effective being sprints, its quick and has a huge fat burning effect called EPOC but you knew that anyway, I hope. Long slow jogging will only work for people who have not exercised for a very long time. After 3 months there is no fat burning effect and none at all with regular joggers... and as for walking the dog, well, no comment. It has to be high intensity. Whether its lifting weights, running, cycling or even Brazilian jujitsu, it has to be done with full commitment, intensity and purpose. Vary your exercise regime so the body never knows what's coming next. Fat but fit is a well documented myth, if you are overweight your risk of heart disease sky rockets. Exercise will strengthen your heart, increase your range of motion, slow down the effects of ageing, cut fat and give a hormonal cascade of other benefits. Lift weights, start small and build slowly, increase the weight and vary the tempo with short rests to burn fat, promote muscle growth and promote those fat burning hormones. Get moving!

5 Programme your body to make fitness and health a habit.
  This is the key element to a new fit and healthy body, it must become a habit that you don't think about or question. I'm sure you don't procrastinate about brushing your teeth, getting dressed, checking your emails, its a habit you just do it. The way to a healthy fit and lean body is the same. I exercise a minimum of 3 times per week, it requires no thought, its a habit. My protein/vegetable breakfast is a habit. Drinking a green drink and taking my vitamins etc every morning is a habit, it never changes, I don't stop and think about it. I have a client who programmes me into his week. I turn up the same time every other day and off we go. He is a very successful and able person but he can be distracted and procrastinate like anybody else but he knows I'll be there, its a habit, it requires little or no mental energy, its easy. So how do we create a habit? You have to be consistent. Choose your training or exercise regime and begin. Commit to 30 days of, for example, every other day. Don't think just do it. Even if its a short session. Some people like the same time every day, I'm a bit weird I like to vary my training and the times I train, it keeps me fresh and interested. The consistency and habit is in the regular act of doing but the fun for me is shocking my body with a variety of exercise routines. Its extremely effective and simple.
There are many ways to achieve the body, health and fitness you desire but the basics always remain the same. Don't complicate things, keep it simple, begin the nutritious eating your body craves and  exercise with purpose and enthusiasm. You only have one body to get you through this life, respect it, its your responsibility, nobody else's.
If you start today on these 5 steps then I promise you a new body awaits.

 I mentioned the Triple Lock Method © earlier. 
  I have now created a brand new Triple Lock Personal Training Program © and will be coaching my clients on elements of this effective system in the coming months. For those of you in the South of France I will be back in May. A bientôt !
Contact me at:-  info@philjeremypersonaltraining.com
        

 




      

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: GOD'S OWN COUNTRY

Phil Jeremy Personal Training: GOD'S OWN COUNTRY: Me doing my Simba impression on Brimham Rocks  Although the phrase has been linked in various degrees to several places around the worl...

GOD'S OWN COUNTRY

Although the phrase has been linked in various degrees to several places around the world it is most closely associated, especially in Britain, with the county of Yorkshire.
As some of you know I have returned here after many years of living in the Mediterranean . I was
born and brought up in Yorkshire to the age of 14 and nearly 50 years later I have come back to my roots. Why? is the constant refrain as I have a reputation of loving blue skies and sunshine.
The answer is not easy and definitely not simple but as this is a fitness and health blog lets just say I felt it was something I was drawn to do.
I had little idea what to expect as the decision was taken very quickly, all I knew was that I needed a dose of gritty realism, history and perspective.... and that's certainly what I got, in bucket loads.
Yorkshire people do not suffer fools, they don't take or give any bullshit, it's a simple quite ruthless and very direct philosophy and you hear it every single day. This has a real wake up feel to it, you either get it or you are history. Many places in the world have their own distinct characteristics, Californians are laid back, Italians are fun loving, the French are miserable, (joke but you know what I mean), New Yorkers are savvy, Serbians are hard, the Germans are efficient, Scousers (from Liverpool) are funny, in fact they are so funny that if you can't give as good as you get then you better be quiet, Russians are tough,(actually its hard to give a definite characteristic but I wouldn't mess with them.).... I could go on but you get the picture. I know these are generalizations but very often they are true.

So my character was shaped in my formative years by this incredible attitude of 'stop moaning and get on with it'. There are no excuses in Yorkshire, Nike could have stolen their catchphrase, 'Just do it' because they're aren't interested in any weak behaviour, period .This attitude is coupled with astonishing openness, kindness and friendliness which makes for a rare cocktail that is hugely disarming. I have never lived in a place where everyone works so hard and yet nobody complains.

                 

My 92 year old neighbour was waiting for a bus the other day in a bitterly cold hurricane when she shouted out to me with a huge smile on her face ... 'Good morning, bit windy today isn't it'.. I offered her a lift and she said no thanks the bus will be here soon.... and that just sums it up... no fuss.

 One winter my local builder, Scott, was hiking up Helvelyn in the lake district in 2 foot snow drifts and -7 degrees. On the way down, the Mountain rescue team were coming back up the other way with all their specialist gear as there was a huge rescue emergency. They shouted at him 'What the hell are you doing up here in this weather?... his reply was priceless, 'Just taking dog for a walk', he didn't make excuses and saw no reason to because that's exactly what he was doing, the extreme weather was irrelevant to him, in fact he once told me that 'there was no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate clothing'. Brilliant isn't it? This attitude breeds hugely capable people and they are the type of person you really do want around in a crisis. Yorkshire has a history of producing extremely successful people in many areas of life and you can see why when you live here.



                                                        

 So why is it called God's own country... the answer is simple, just look out the window. Everywhere is stunningly beautiful and dramatic, it has a calm nurturing effect on the soul. You just stand there in awe of nature in all its forms, even when cold or stormy it still takes your breath away.
And yet when it comes to health and fitness there is a strange paradox.

 Yorkshire people are tough; they hike, walk, cycle, play a myriad of sports and are what you would consider fit and strong but a great many are not healthy. They are overweight even obese and many of these people work super hard and exercise with vigour, passion and commitment and in in all weathers... so what's the problem?
You only have to live here for 5 minutes to know because the answer is in their diet... its atrocious.
Pies, pastries and cakes are sold everywhere. I have witnessed big tough burly builders and craftsmen who are super strong consuming two meat and potato pies and a can of Coca-Cola for breakfast. Then they smoke at least a packet of cigarettes and more pies for lunch plus beers and soda's.... and this is just the women!....(ha ha only joking).

Pizza aisle in Supermarket

The healthy aisle

 Nevertheless you get the picture. Some of these guys are 30 years old but look about 50 and they don't care. To be fair this is mostly in the country but even in the towns the women are generally obese and because its the norm nobody seems to notice or be particularly bothered. Every coffee shop its cakes, waffles, pasties and ice cream and yet they are all out there working hard. A local doctor told me today that 99% of his clients under 70 years of age are overweight or obese!
Its an odd conundrum but I think I've worked it out. Essentially people over the age of about 70 are very healthy due to the diet they have had all their lives, which was always local farm produce, water, milk ,eggs, meat, vegetables with very little pesticides or additives and naturally organic. They breathe clean air have a healthy way of life and keep active every day.
People under this age have a poor diet, smoking is very common and although they work hard it makes very little difference to their overall health. I know the health services in Britain, America and Europe are creaking with a lack of funding but also the responsibility lies with the general public who are not taking responsibility for their own health.
You know who you are.  I always ask the doctors for a copy the results of my blood tests, urine, heart, scans, etc. They always look astonished because apparently not a single patient asks for these.. ever! No personal responsibility.

 All the attention to health is after you've been diagnosed with a problem not on prevention by living a better lifestyle.

Alcoholism is another issue that seems to run through nearly all ages and classes though statistics show that its worse during middle age. The illnesses, dementia, diabetes and deaths that it causes are well documented but nobody seems to care, either that or they feel helpless and just don't know what to do.
  The lady in the local supermarket told me last week that the whole shop was watching me do a HIIT in the car park. Apparently they all said 'I wish I could do that'...I replied 'but you can', she just stood there, laughed and said 'have a lovely day'. I left the shop not knowing what to think...or do... still, they're lovely people and very happy, so what could I say?
 Later on I went for a life affirming 8k run around a most beautiful local lake, it was just glorious, I do wish more people could appreciate the joy of fitness, they really are missing out.

   On a separate note, today we completed purchasing some of Yorkshire's most hallowed ground. After many months of protracted negotiation, I finally became the proud owner of 3 acres of Brimham Rocks. 95% is owned by the National Trust and 5% by yours truly. I used to play here in my youth with my sisters and friends, it is a wondrous, almost mystical place. Many people I know talk of the happy times they spent there, I regard it as a privilege to be the guardian of just a tiny part of Gods own country.



Brimham Rocks at sunset