Believe It Or Not, I Think I Am Getting Fitter To Drop

Golfshake's Derek Clements documents his continung fitness journey during lockdown

THIS is getting serious. I am now one week into my “fit to drop” regime. And I am here to tell you that I just completed my first full jogging lap without stopping.

There is no need for Mo Farah to start looking over his shoulder just yet - unless it is to laugh his socks off at my efforts. But I am making progress. Slow progress. No 75-year-old women with walking sticks are overtaking me. And if anybody says “Hello”, I can just about reply.

I have to say though, that where I live the joggers seem to be a pretty anti-social lot. When I approach they look the other way. Of course, it is possible that they may be doing so to suppress their laughter. Of maybe I just look scary. I need a haircut for a start. And when you sweat, your hair is never the most attractive part of your body.

So you may remember that I told you my body ached - every living part of it. It is still sore, but it is no longer agony. My lungs no longer feel that they are going to explode. The scariest thing about this is that I have only been doing it for a week. And I am starting to feel the benefits.

I haven’t timed myself yet, but that is the next step. I try to stay out for half an hour. So I have my jogging lap and then I walk. I am now going to increase the length of my lap. It is fair to say that 400 yards probably isn’t quite long enough. I am joking! I don’t know how far I have been running but I have some magical app on my iPhone and I am now going to start working out how far I am jogging, how far I can jog without stopping and how long it is taking me.

I am also still well into the plank challenge and continue to find it remarkably comfortable. Yes, it hurts, but I know it is doing me good.

I am trying to stick to two meals a day and I am doing my best to make sure that what I am eating is fresh and healthy - plenty of salad, plenty of vegetables. And I have kicked my alcoholic drink of choice into touch once and for all. I have drunk cider for years. Too many years. If it is also your favourite tipple, do yourself a favour and check out what goes into it. The key thing is sugar. Lots of it. It may taste good, especially on a hot summer’s day. But it’s not doing you any good.

I enjoy beer, and I have switched to Bud Light (other light beers are available - Ed). It is also refreshing and it contains far fewer calories. I have no-calorie Coke in my fridge and I am drinking water. Lots of water. I have never been a big fan. But here’s the thing - if you exercise, you build up a thirst and, suddenly, water becomes rather more attractive.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a set of scales in the house so I can’t tell you what is happening with my weight. I know there is still timber to shift - quite a lot of it, actually. But I can tell you with hand on heart that my clothes still fit me. And a couple of pairs of my jeans are even beginning to feel a bit looser around my waist.

Continue to watch this space...

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