View All Posts: Jonathan
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| » Jonathan's Log (Go to post) | 16-02-2024 @ 20:04 | ||
| Almost two years since I last posted here! Well, we moved to Sweden in July 2022. It's been lovely getting to grips with another culture, language and way of life. I've thrown myself into cycling fully. 22,000km on two wheels since I last posted here. It's been surprising how much of my childhood fitness I've managed to regain. If anything, I'd say I'm a little faster now (FTP about 340-350w, if that means anything to any of you). I've also resumed regular weight training. I still can't squat properly due to my right patella tendon still being a bit fragile. It would come back if I trained it sensibly and consistently, but my legs are usually tired from cycling. But deadlift is back up to an easy (beltless) 160kg and bench would be a little over 100kg if I tested it (have done 8x80kg and 3x90kg in training). Overhead press is only seated due to a lack of headroom in the basement and is as s**t as ever. The reason I've gone fully back to cycling is that we really are in a lovely place to do it. Our part of Sweden has very low population (12 people per square kilometer to Englands 434) and cycling is a joy here. You can go 1-2hrs without seeing a car. It's mostly gravel that I ride recreationally through the ice-free months. In winter I tend to revert more to asphalt (though studded tyres are usually required). I work as a machine operator running a resaw line at a large, local sawmill. It's 25-28km away, depending on which route I take and I usually cycle. I am 40 later this year (and mad to think that I joined this forum 20 years ago) and I am confident in saying that I'm the fittest I've ever been, and with a decent amount of strength. The Captains of Crush #2 is still fairly easy with both hands  Bodyweight 101kg or so. So very skinny for a lifter but a heffalump for a cyclist. https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/359130693_10163033903138136_4111873172318416279_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=dd5e9f&_nc_ohc=mk_c6vS7hNcAX8Z4N0H&_nc_ht=scontent-arn2-1.xx&oh=00_AfAjxXYYclk08_c4jydpGidT6Ls-K1sXq5n_bnBdG1kbBQ&oe=65D58746 | |||
| » WSM 2022 (Go to post) | 22-05-2022 @ 19:51 | ||
| I assume everyone has seen it, but Loz and Liz's series on the backgrounds of all the athletes is epic. Highly recommended! | |||
| » Jonathan's Log (Go to post) | 02-05-2022 @ 16:51 | ||
| A new year and a new chapter. Just under three months until we move to Sweden and I've decided to focus on general health, fitness and strength. I've given a fair bit of thought as to what will enable me to enjoy our new home to the best of our ability and have focused on that. So, I've resumed weightlifting, but on a disco pumping and general health angle. Nothing heavy, nothing too strenuous and much to my continued annoyance, I can't squat as my right patella tendon still isn't quite right. I sometimes squat with just the bar, but more than that aggravates things. Wall sits are OK. I've started running a bit (though foot specialist says pause that until 1st MPP joint in left foot settles down - sore left foot behind big toe) and have done up to 10km. This last week or two I've been road cycling more. I'm very glad that I don't have to do it for much longer here. The traffic, potholes and generally corrugated road surfaces aren't much fun. Nevertheless, I've done 140km in the last 8 days, with up to 48km in one go. It's easy enough and I'm still reasonably quick, despite 15 years out of the saddle. I'm so very much looking forward to our move. The prospect of having a 300 acre lake 5 minutes walk from the house is incredible. I can run a marathon more or less from my back door on forest trails and never cross a road. We can ski and ice skate in winter too. It is idyllic. The rower had to go. I seriously impinged both shoulders with it (more the left) to the point where I couldn't hang from a bar. Stopping the rowing and resuming lifting quickly sorted it out. I do a fair bit of shoulder rehab now. I'm still falling to pieces, but I generally feel better. I'll post some photos of our new home in the coming days  | |||
| » Eddie Hall vs Thor Björnsson boxing match (Go to post) | 27-03-2022 @ 20:57 | ||
| Funny to see that Eddie seems to have completely withdrawn from public life after the fight. He disgraced himself in the build up, and couldn't back up his smack talk with any kind of preparation or performance. I sincerely hope that's him done on social media. No kid getting into lifting needs him as a role model. | |||
| » Jonathan's Log (Go to post) | 21-03-2021 @ 19:52 | ||
| I did a bit of squatting today, up to 4x8x45kg, but my right patella is now sore. It's not given me any grief for months, and it's really disappointing. My body is just f**ked, truly. I can't do anything without injuring myself. I'll get through this super busy period at work and have a reevaluation. | |||
| » Jonathan's Log (Go to post) | 16-03-2021 @ 21:17 | ||
| Yeah, I know With work getting so busy and me getting little injuries, it's hard to get the training in. I had planned to hit the weights this evening, but I had the Astra Zeneca job this morning and feel rough this evening. Very cold, achy and headache. Best to sit it out today. | |||
| » The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (Go to post) | 15-03-2021 @ 15:04 | ||
| Very strong indeed Paul - well done | |||
| » Jonathan's Log (Go to post) | 13-03-2021 @ 06:48 | ||
| Not much training this week. Busy at work and trying to avoid aggravating the shoulder. The osteopath reckons I've (amongst other things) got an inflamed bicep tendon, which the rowing isn't helping. Anyway, I trained last night, doing weight training for the first time this year. Squatting without any patella discomfort, but given that I haven't really squatted since September, the weights were extremely light. I ended up doing about 8 sets, working up to 3 sets of 35kg for 8 reps. It's not that it's challenging, but my legs almost spasmed at the effort. Then some tricep work and curls to finish. | |||
| » Sparrow Legs Strongman Training (Go to post) | 13-03-2021 @ 06:44 | ||
| Well done Millsy. A half marathon is a big achievement and that's a damned solid time. Comfortably under the 2 minute split. | |||
| » old timers occasional log (Go to post) | 09-03-2021 @ 06:21 | ||
| That last rep was a serious effort - well done. | |||
| » Jonathan's Log (Go to post) | 07-03-2021 @ 20:25 | ||
| Thanks Millsy A mediocre row this evening. My right shoulder impingement was noticeable throughout the row, which seemed to slightly elevate my HR. As such, the metres for the HR weren't great. I did a bit of band shoulder rehab after. I really do wish I didn't injure myself so easily, or at least if I knew what it was that was likely to cause me injury. I rarely get that twang moment with an acute strain. It's just niggles that won't go away, or indeed get worse. Anyway, here was the row: https://i.ibb.co/89Jpwd4/IMG-20210307-193634.jpg | |||
| » Sparrow Legs Strongman Training (Go to post) | 05-03-2021 @ 08:05 | ||
| Solid lifting and rowing. How did you find the 45 minute row? R24 is almost sprinting, my boy | |||
| » old timers occasional log (Go to post) | 04-03-2021 @ 19:13 | ||
| Strong deadlifting and nice sprint erging too | |||
| » Jonathan's Log (Go to post) | 04-03-2021 @ 19:06 | ||
jt said:HR in the 180's 6 minutes to go...nothing much riding on it I can see why the HD was an option. Any Swede action? I assume you have to have vigorous checks to get a work VISA? Or be a billionaire? Yeah - I was done in after that. A sub 1:42 sprint for almost 2k is the sort of sprint I do at the end. There's nothing left after that. HR got up to 183. No specific progress on Sweden. I'm revising my Swedish on a daily basis with Duolingo, but not progressing it at the moment as I've completed that course. It's not an issue for us to move there as I (along with my daughters) have German passports too. It's only my wife that doesn't have dual nationality, but I'll let her tag along | |||
| » Jonathan's Log (Go to post) | 03-03-2021 @ 22:19 | ||
| Some metres this evening. Felt fairly knackered from work but got on the erg. It was supposed to be 30 minutes with the splits at 1:50, 1:48, 1:46, 1:44 and 1:42. First three went as per the plan, but went too fast on the 4th, did my 1:42 and completely goosed myself. Even the idea of doing the final split at 1:50 seemed like hell at the 24 minute mark so put the handle down. Did a 6 minute 1500m cooldown afterwards to get the 30 minutes in. Shoulder felt much better today, inexplicably. https://i.ibb.co/DGs6JZV/IMG-20210303-214527.jpg | |||