Fitness

Sunset last night

When I was at college, a long time ago, we were asked to write an essay against the following statement.  "The only exercise I get is to walk in the funeral procession of my younger fit friends", said the old man.  I can't remember the grade I got when the essay was returned marked but I do remember the debate when I sat with beer in hand in the college bar with my fellow PE students.  I argued that fitness was specific, meaning that you need to be fit for the life that you wish to lead or task that you wish to carry out.  And so some 42 years on how fit am I and how fit do I need to be?

When I measure my BMI (Body Mass Index), a measure for human body shape based on an individual's mass and height, I currently measure 0.4 into the overweight category  0.5 of a reading less which equates to 4lb and I would classify as normal weight.  I am certainly the heaviest I have ever been in my life and wear the largest size trousers ever 36".  Not really a lot to worry about or is there?

Each 6 months a stress echo at the Royal Free Hospital brings comments from the technicians and doctors. I push myself as much as possible.My heart rate goes to 160 bpm. "You did really well" they say despite feeling I am going to pass out as the incline on the treadmill gets steeper and the walkway faster. I gasp for breath and am continually disappointed by what I feel is a slow recovery rate yet the doctors seem pleased.

Why all of this?  We have just been for an hour bike ride, up the hill to Faros lighthouse, along the cliff tops which drop right to the waters edge, commenting on the waves which are quite strong and home across the fields which is a fairly flat ride.  My thighs felt as if we had not ridden for some time but my lungs felt fine.  On Sunday we walked for about an hour and thirty minutes, Lillian keeping a brisk pace, even along the stony beach.  I felt out of breath at times keeping up with her and I was quite tired on our return.  So is fitness specific?  Probably I am as fit as I need to be for the life I lead.  I guess we all could be fitter but I accepted a long time ago I was never going to play one more game of football even though I would love to do so.  So I am happy that I don't need to be as fit as I was when 28 and as long as I can ride a bike and walk I'm doing OK.

The weather has been good the last week or so.  It still reaches 22/24C each day in the garden despite at times becoming cloudy.  The temperatures certainly drop once the sun has set and there is a need for a sweater whilst sitting at night watching TV but all is really very nice for the end of November.  There has been some great sunsets.  Red sky at night shepherds delight so the saying goes.  Well its working so far here.