Month: September 2005

The New ‘Berliner’ Guardian

Love the new ‘Berliner’ Guardian.

All my favourite sections are there in a new redesigned format. They’ve given G2 a nice little makeover and completely redone the Saturday Guardian. Their online version has also been updated making it easier to navigate around in.

The smaller size is much easier to handle. Especially on a packed train. They’ve signposted content with clear navigation and put neat section headers at the bottom of the front page.

The new font and styling is appealing and gives a fresh, energetic look and feel. The colour pictures and photojournalism is first-rate.

Here’s a Flickr analysis of the front cover and here’s a creative assessment of the new format.

Strength to the new Berliner Guardian. The only question is, will the redesign translate into higher circulation ? Let’s hope so.

gym

I’ve been going to the gym twice a week now for a year.

I joined up a year ago today.

Best thing I’ve done in ages.

I love the gym.

My only regret is, I didn’t do this years ago.

Through my 20s I didn’t exercise much. It never interested me and health and fitness wasn’t a concern. I was never overweight or particularly unhealthy. Sure, I drank too much and over indulged. But it never seemed to impact my health.

I’ve mainly had office jobs which don’t require much physical exertion. All my work is computer based and I spend the majority of my working day sitting in front of a screen. I’d get back from work mentally exhausted, but physically restless. I really began to feel a need for exercise. At the end of the day, I’d get off the bus a couple of stops early and walk home just to stretch my legs.

I’ve always been a good walker and have a regular circuit of about 2 miles which I’d try and do every day I’m not at work. That was OK, but fitness wise it didn’t make much difference. I remember once in the summer of ’04 running to catch my bus. I bumped into a colleague on the bottom deck and was so out of breath from the run, I couldn’t really talk for a couple of minutes. My fitness level and recovery rate was probably in negative figures ! I realised then how unfit I was. As my 30s progressed I knew I had to develop a health routine. At the time, joining a gym was the furthest thing from my mind.

In the summer of 2004, a very special person introduced me to the gym.

It took a bit of cajoling and a couple of complimentary passes, but I really took it. He’s shown me all the kit, taught me how to warm up properly and helped me develop a workout routine.

I really can’t thank him enough. It’s been the best thing I’ve done in ages.

A year ago I was absolutely shattered at the end of a modest workout. I was an exhausted, sweaty mess. Breathless and gasping. I began with 2 sets of 10 repetitions on the Keiser pneumatic kit. Working through the main muscle groups with a weight resistance of about 20lbs. Then I would hit the rowing machine for 5 minutes at resistance level 6 and cross trainer on cardio for 15 minutes. Then we would hit the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room to relax and maybe swim in the pool for a bit. At the start, that gave me a really good workout. After the first few sessions I was stiff and aching, but it felt good to exercise properly.

I’ve worked this routine up over the last 12 months. Constantly increasing the weight and excercising for longer periods. Now I do 2 sets of 20 repetitions on the Keiser kit with a weight resistance of about 30lbs. I then row 3500 meters in 15 minutes at resistance level 8. I then cross trainer on cardio for 30 minutes at a heart rate of 150+ beats per minute, which works out as about 4.5kms. I do that twice a week.

I’ve noticed a massive difference in my fitness. I am physically larger and much fitter and stronger. My resting heart rate always used to be around 80 beats a minute. Now, it comes in at about 60-65. My lung capacity has increased and my circulation is better. My recovery rate after exercise is good. Before, I was panting and breathless after any physical exercise. Now, I can sprint for a bus and hold a conversation without any problem. I feel so good after a workout and, to be honest, it has transformed me.

I need physical exercise now. I can see how it becomes addictive. I do get restless if I miss a workout. Now, I need to walk or workout to satisfy the body.

I’m hardly a buff gym bunny though. I have no real definition or washboard abs. Not that I really want them. The muscles are there, but I like my food and beer too much and am not interested in calorie counting or obsessing over weight or body fat. I’ll keep fit, but not for appearances sake. A bit of insulation and some reserves are always a good idea anyway !

If you’d walked up to me over a year ago and said I will be going to the gym twice a week within a few months, I would have laughed in your face. Unbelieving and dismissive. But now I do. I’m committed and love it.

Roll on another year of gymming ;o)

car thieving SCUM

Damn, I’m pissed off.

Over the summer my mother, brother and I cooked up a neat plan to swap cars.

My mother was going to get a new car, my bro would take on her old one and I would take on his car.

I haven’t had a car since coming back from travelling and have decided it’s high time I bought a motor.

So, this little deal seemed a perfect way to get a reliable set of wheels with the added bonus of avoiding the dodgy dealers and tarted-up disasters of the second-hand car market.

My parents went to see a nice car on Thursday and have decided to buy, setting the family car swap in motion.

However – and here’s the real pisser – my bro rang yesterday to tell me his car was stolen from outside his flat on Friday.

I mean… jesus that makes me madder than hell !

Bastards.

What a total fucker.

Such a beautiful little plan with everyone a winner comes to nothing because of a bunch of car-thieving SCUM ! Baaaastards.

He reported it to the police who said there was a reasonable chance of finding it. I wouldn’t bet on it though. It’s a 10 year old Golf and no one would nick it to sell on.

I guess it’s either been trashed by now or dumped somewhere. I’ll give it a few weeks to see if it turns up in a decent state and then I’ll wade into the second-hand car market.

Bugger….