Since starting this blog, almost a year ago, I have been waiting to find a topic to write about. Today I have that topic; documenting getting fit to play 15 a side, full contact rugby union. I’ve struggled with back pain for most of my life. When I was younger, the issue was my upper back, neck and shoulders; these days it’s my lower back and tight hamstrings.

Mild scoliosis and tight/previously torn hamstrings are the main challenges I need to overcome; next on the list would be general flexibility/core strength and then fitness. Currently I have a decent-ish routine of stretching my legs every day but I need to put some targets in so that I have something to work to and so I can measure my progress.

At present my daily stretching/strength routine is as follows:

-Physio exercises – On my back holding knees close to my chest for 4 seconds then releasing. I make sure that my legs are parallel at all times. I do 1 set of 10 reps
-Physio exercise 2 – On my back I have one foot on a surface (a sofa usually) pushing down and the other foot pushing through it whilst glute bridging. I do this on both sides for one set of 10 repetitions on each leg.
-Athlean exercises see the link for more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=DWmGArQBtFI
The first exercise is laying on my side and diagonally extending and raising my leg behind me. Again this is done on both sides for 1 set of 10 reps on each leg.
The second exercise sees me stand with a wall by my side. I then have my leg raised and bent and move my hips towards the wall and then back. This is done 10 times on each side for one set.
-Straight leg raises – 1 set of 20 reps (on both sides)
-Straight leg horizontal raises – 1 set of 10 reps (on both sides)
-10 touch toes

In addition to this I have started doing 20 squats twice a week.

Other exercises I do are my pressup routine twice a week which consists of:
-3 sets of 10 Wide pressups
-3 sets of 6 moving pressups
-3 sets of 10 Diamond pressups (as soon as I can’t do them I finish the set doing negatives)
-3 sets of pressups to failure – at present I do something like 5, 4, 4.
In between each set I have 1 minute off and between each different exercise I have 2 minutes rest

Then twice a week I do my pullups although these have been non-existent in the last few weeks. I had been doing 3 sets of 5 negative pullups but this week I have done:
-5 pullups (normals, not negs) – I managed to do 2, 1, 1, 1 with a minute off in between each.

This evening I’m going to research back exercises on Men’s Health as my lower back hurts every day and my legs have minimal flexibility. This is the key issue I need to overcome if I am able to play rugby again in August/September.

So far I haven’t addressed why getting fit for rugby is what I want to write about. The simple reason is I miss it. In my early 20s after finishing uni I started playing for my old boys team and worked my way up from playing in the 2nd team, to captaining the 2nd team to becoming a regular in the 1st team set up. Before moving to London I suffered a hamstring tear from lack of stretching and general neglect and they’ve never been the same since. I played a couple of games for Old Street in 2018 but again got injured (this time it was my knee) and haven’t been back to rugby since. Lately I have been dreaming about rugby – it seems to always be lurking in my subconscious. What I miss most is the camaraderie and the buzz of adrenaline from being in “fight mode”. There’s nothing better than dominating an opponent in a tackle, winning a turnover or making yards with a carry. I miss the buzz and want to feel it again!

Tomorrow I’ll update on what I have learned from Menshealth and set myself some targets.

My first full week of working from home was mixed – I enjoyed it but didn’t feel overly productive. It was nice not having to commute to work and having leisurely mornings. Marta and I would make sure we went out for a walk at least once a day. I think I felt a little unproductive as it was the first week back following the Christmas holidays and it took me a little while to get into the swing of things. It’s also very easy to get distracted – next week I’m going to ensure my distractions (my phone) are kept far away from me so I can’t be tempted to read the news. One of the other reasons for struggling to concentrate is that this week Donald Trump helped stage a coup to overthrow democracy. Fortunately this was highly unsuccessful but it was crazy to see far right conspiracy believers storm the Capitol building. One of the funniest things to come from this is many of them were not wearing masks and were easily tracked down after the event to be prosecuted. I’ve been consumed by the regular updates and I’ll be glad once Trump is finally out of office and there’s more stability to the news.

I’ve done nothing today – I’ve felt slightly under the weather for the past few days – nothing major just a blocked nose and a slight headache but I used this as an excuse to stay in all day and play Civ 5. I’m just about to head out for a quick walk so that I do get some fresh air today.

Today was the first day working from home under the new lockdown. I struggled a little for motivation but did manage to have 10 calls and finalised a deal.

This evening Marta and I walked to Waitrose specifically to get the alcohol free Erdingers but they were out of stock so we got some other zero alcohol beers instead.

We stretched this evening, watched Stephen Colbert discuss Trump trying to force a Republican in Georgia to come up with more votes for him to rig the election and watched the 3rd part of Andrew Marr’s documentary on modern Britain. This one detailed the late 60s and majority of the 70s.

My lower back still hurts but I have been doing my exercises.

Today was my first day in the office for 2021 and most likely my last for some time. As of midnight England is going back in to lockdown. I’m going to make sure that I get outside every day for a walk and will continue to get up early and exercise.

This morning I met Callum by the Costa on Mile End road and we walked in together. I walked home this evening and spoke to my mum and dad. They seemed in good spirits. I’m grateful that my dad is back in the UK with my mum for the lockdown as I don’t know how she would have coped otherwise.

Today Marta, Lana, Nick and I visited Richmond Park. We met them at Putney Bridge tube and drove in from there. I think it was the first time that I had ever been there. The park is huge – you could definitely get lost there. I know Bonnie would absolutely love it.

On the tube I read 50 pages of my book on psychedelics. So far the author has documented how hallucinogens were banned in the late 60s/early 70s as they were strongly associated to the counter culture of the time. The hippy scene was very anti-war which went against the US’s war on Vietnam. Further into the book he interviews scientists who have researched the drugs and the patients who have undertaken the tests. The general response to the substances was a spiritual feeling (even for those who were secular). The the other point I picked up on was that it made some of the patients feel unconditional love towards everything and everyone.

This evening I cleaned Marta’s and my trainers and I’m now relaxing listening to soft jazz music whilst Marta makes out lunches for tomorrow.

I’ve enjoyed my 10 days (or so) off and feel ready to go back t work tomorrow. I would have liked to have another lay-in scheduled but am glad to be going back to a routine.

I weighed myself yesterday and I’m the heaviest I have ever been (only by a pound) – I currently weigh 15 stone 6 pounds (or 98.0kg). Funnily enough I don’t actually feel fat – there have been times after previous Christmas breaks where I have definitely felt the need to lose a bit of Christmas fat. I am doing dry January though and plan to do a vegan February as well. I expect that cutting out booze for the next month will see me lose around half a stone so it will be interesting to see if that’s what happens. The main thing I’m missing at the moment is proper cardiovascular exercise. Where my back has been hurting on and off for a month or two I haven’t been going to the park and sprinting. As part of my new year’s resolution is to stretch my back every day hopefully my body will feel up to having a run around soon.

This morning I finished watching the 3-part series on the BBC which documented the rise of the Nazi party in Germany starting in the early 1930s and ending with Hitler taking full power in 1934. I learned a lot about the internal struggles within the Nazi party and how they seized power. Mas the story of Rohm and the Storm Troopers. The documentary showed that Rohm was Hitler’s closest ally. Himler and Goring conspired to make it seem that Rohm was plotting with the conservative elite to stage a coup at Hitler’s expense. The evidence was all fabricated yet ended with the commanders of the Storm Troopers and Rohm being rounded up and executed on Hitler’s orders. One commentator in the documentary urged us not to feel too sorry for Rohm as he was prepared to use the same tactics.

The other interesting/shocking part of the documentary was how the Nazis blamed a fire at the Reichstag on the Communist party and subsequently rounded 4,000 of them up and either executed them or sent them to concentration camps. It’s deeply distressing to know that you could be executed for having different political views. I sensed some similarities with the current global climate; partisan politics has become more prevalent over the past 10 years and more and more people have become polarised. I have to always remind myself to have empathy for those I disagree with and remember that even people with abhorrent views think they are doing what is “right”.

My key takeaway from the documentary is that you must never silence dissent or scapegoat people to further your own cause. I also do not see how a violent revolution can ever be justified. This is something I will look in to further but from my understanding of the French and Russian revolutions, violent revolutions are doomed to failure as they give certain people too much power.

I have also tidied the bathroom this morning and was able to get the reflective services cleaner than usual by using white vinegar to clean them. Whilst cleaning the bathroom I listened to the BBC World Service 2020 review of misinformation. Most of the topics had been covered by them on previously programmes throughout the year but it was still interesting to hear all the main points again. I still struggle to deal with conspiracy theories; I now tend to be more compassionate to those that regurgitate them and try my best not to judge but I do find them troubling.

Today I’m feeling grateful for the apartment that I live in. It’s relaxing and full of natural light. I’m excited by the prospect of 2021 and I’m keen to continue improving and implementing more good habits.

I tried out my new light alarm clock today. It worked well; I woke up around 6am as the light slowly came on. Whilst I still lay in bed for several more hours I can see how it will benefit me by the light being on when I have to get out of bed and won’t come as such a shock.

We had a leisurely morning which involved eating the leftovers from yesterday’s sushi tidying and having a late breakfast of fried eggs and tomatoes. After we had eaten we walked to Blackheath via Greenwich and through the Isle of Dogs. Marta liked Greenwich; she took a few photos of some of the shops and she also enjoyed walking in Greenwich Park. On the way home we stopped off at Waitrose and picked up alcohol free Erdingers, cheese and a few other bits.

Back at the flat, we watched TV and I had a nap whilst Marta phoned her family and friends. This evening we had a salad for dinner and watched a documentary on M. I. A.

Just before bed I practised my polish and stretched a little – I did 20 leg swings on each side and 10 toe-touches (although my fingers only reached the bottom of my ankles).

I’m now going to read and write down what I’m grateful for in my new notebook that Marta got me.

It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m drafting my resolutions for 2021. So far I have four bullet points:

1. Stretch every day (specifically focusing on lower back and hamstrings)
2. Learn Polish by setting aside an hour every Sunday to learn and ensuring I practice for a minimum of 5 minutes every day.
3. Read a minimum of 15 books in the year
4. Write in my WordPress blog everyday.

I was inclined to include a 5th point around exercise but I’m not sure exactly what I want to achieve here. Until recently I had got in to the habit of working out at 6am on weekdays and whenever I wake up on weekends with Fridays my day off. This can be something I build in. I will go back to exercising 6 days per week as of Saturday 2nd January.

Other areas of my life where I’m looking to make changes include drinking less alcohol and eating less meat. I’m doing dry January again this year which should help me reset my drinking patterns. I do like to have a beer after tag rugby on Thursdays. So maybe I’ll limit myself to 5 beers per week from February. This should allow me to have 2-3 beers after rugby and then the remainder over the weekend. In the past I have held myself to a 3 drink rule per week which worked. In terms of eating less meat I will not cook meat in the flat and will make my lunches for work at home. That way I should only eat meat if I’m out for dinner during the week or out for food at any time at the weekend.

This year I have become more interested in Class Struggle and Marxism. I intend to learn more about this and do my best to remove inequality. I enjoyed reading about the French Revolution in the Spring and I plan to read more on history, politics and economics.

I have thought about getting back in to mathematics and will read more on this and put together some post on maths.

I have enjoyed 2020. I feel a touch of guilt in writing this but I am able to acknowledge how privileged I have been to spend time with my family and spend the lock down in the family home where there is lots of space both inside and outside. I also met Marta this year which has been incredible. We get on really well. I love spending time with her and I’m excited to see what 2021 has in store for us.

By spending over 4 months out of work I was able to realise what is important and get less hung up on what isn’t. I’ve changed companies and now work for a business where I feel appreciated, challenged and happy.

I also have some great friends including but not limited to: Guy, Hasan, Reece, Remy, Maia, Sammy, Gav and my sisters.

I’m also very lucky to live where I do; my flat is in-between a canal and a park so it’s very quiet. We are also on the top floor so have incredible views of the city with the west side of our apartment being made of floor to ceiling windows.

Tonight we are celebrating New Year’s Eve just the two of us in the flat. We are going to make sushi, get dressed up nicely and watch the fireworks with some cocktails. Tomorrow we are going to go for a long walk up round Hampstead Heath.

Happy New Year!

I feel like I have some stability back in my life. After moving back to my mum’s at the start of lockdown (mid March) I haven’t really had my own space. Whilst I was fortunate enough to have my own room at my mum’s it wasn’t my place – it wasn’t my fridge; it wasn’t my living room etc. I’ve been at my new flat in Mile End for just over two weeks now. The first weekend we moved in, the second one involved putting furniture together and more unpacking but this weekend was much more settled and I feel like I can start implementing some good routines. Firstly, I have woken up both today and yesterday and completed a workout after brushing my teeth. I was unable to do this when staying at Lana’s or Marta’s old place as there wasn’t enough room. I know that I need to design my morning routine more thoroughly but the fact that I have got up and exercised will make the habit easier to build for the weekdays ahead. The first key is getting out of bed and brushing my teeth. Once I have done that I will then go into the living room and start my exercises. I’m using James Clear’s technique of habit stacking to ensure I exercise (as I brush my teeth first thing everyday I will then use that as a cue to exercise).

I’m currently reading “Range” by David Epstien which Marta bought me for my birthday. The theme of the book that specialising late is much more likely to lead to success as opposed to specialising early (with a few exceptions). By experiencing a range of sports/careers/topics you are able to use a wider experience pool to solve specific problems in a given field. Due to this I am keen to ensure that I continue to read regularly and widely. Whislt having never really played tennis properly; I learned a lot last year by reading “Winning ugly” by Brad Gilbert. This book focused on tennis but had relatable lessons for other sports and life in general especially around getting your preparation right and looking to exploit weaknesses in your opponents game thus preventing them from playing to their strengths. Another example would be how I used Bobby Duffy’s “Perils of Perception” book to write my first article around the importance of storytelling in the interview process.

I’ve been feeling stressed from work – not that I’m under any pressure from management but pressure I have put on myself by not being organised. I have not been setting time aside for BD and other activities which makes me feel guilty when I don’t achieve what I say I will at the start of the week. My inbox is full too and this makes it hard for me to have a clear mind. I bought a screen to have for when I work at home so I can be more efficient. I spent some time today going through my emails. I will do more on this when Marta has her calls with family and friends this evening.

I’m loving living with Marta; she’s so chilled out and non-judgmental. She makes me laugh and I enjoy being with her. She’s made the apartment feel homely and we have been cooking a lot together. I’m very happy we moved in together.

We finished watching I’m thinking of ending things last night. Overall, I didnt really like it. It was too slow and thought it was cleverer than what it actually was. I did enjoy the middle act set in the family home but the rest was dreary.

We also watched the first episode of Upload which I enjoyed. It was more slapstick/stupid than I expected.

I walked just shy of 9 miles yesterday and my back feels much better. I just need to keep it up and build in som stretching/strengthening exercises.

This afternoon I’m going over to Lana’s for a roast near her new flat in Fulham but firstly I’m going to chill in the park with Marta.