A blog by Ross of Penge (formerly of Balham)

I blogged pretty extensively during 2014 and early 2015, but got out of the habit. In the time since there has been a huge amount I've sort of wanted to write about (politics, terror etc) but I haven't. I tried several times, but anger and frustration about what was happening prevented me from getting things down in a coherent form. Given I couldn't express what I felt, and it didn't seem like it would make a difference anyway, I let it lie fallow.

It's now early 2017, and I'm back, blogging about my attempt to do the first month of the year without social media. After that, who knows?

And why gateway2thesouth? Named after a famous sketch popularised by Peter Sellers:

"Broad-bosomed, bold, becalmed, benign,
Lies Balham, four-square on the Northern Line."

I lived in Balham for 23 years - longer than I have been anywhere else, and it still feels like one of the places in the world I most belong.

Tuesday 28 January 2014

Interval Training

Blog frequency has fallen to (about) alternate days. Sorry about that – I've just got quite a busy life at the moment – loads of kid related stuff to attend (one going into sixth form this year and one has GCSE options, so lots of school meetings) plus work and music.


I read something on the BBC website about High-Intensity Interval Training. Given I am time-poor and really don't enjoy exercising, I am happy to consider anything that offers better results. There is also a danger that gym routines get stale - so you either slack or "your body needs variety or the training doesn't work". And that last phrase highlights that fitness is one of the (many) areas in modern life which has rather too much mumbo jumbo surrounding it. As well as the spam for v1agra type drugs and dating agencies there isn't a day goes past when you get something offering an easy way to change your life through either health or fitness. Just what is a raspberry ketone anyway?

Last night I had my first go at HIIT. The idea is that you exercise as hard as you can for a minute, then rest a minute and repeat for the desired time (or until dead). The hardest I can exercise really isn't that hard, and after five repeats I had to drop to two minute breaks and then three. This is fine - apparently I can build up from there. The fat-burning benefits of this then continue for up to 12 hours afterwards though I do not know why.

And how did it feel? At one point I genuinely thought I might be sick if I carried on. Which is good, apparently. But other than that - pretty good. Right now I am putting that down to variety, but I shall give it another go on Wednesday and see how we get on.

That's it for today. Voxcetera tonight so likely no blog.
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