The USS Quad Damage

I’m 175cm tall, and weigh roughly 80kg. My BMI is slightly on the overweight side. My “rest” heart rate is close to 90bpm. It may be a bit less, since I measured this when I got home from work, but I wasn’t doing anything strenuous when I measured it. This is on the high end of normal, contrasted with a triathlete friend of mine whose rest heart rate is close to 30bpm.

I went out for a short walk around the area. There are many roads around where I live which have a pretty steep gradient, between 25 and 30 degrees. When walking up these hills my heart rate can jump to around 190bpm. I think I need to have my heart at around 160 – 170 bpm for effective exercise. The main thing here is that 160bpm is eminently maintainable, and actually pretty easy, exercise wise.

Jogging is almost out of the question in this area, since the ground is bumpy, and the region is very hilly. Even if you could keep from tripping over in the middle of the night while walking, I don’t think it’d be easy to run up the hills. Then again, one of my housemates does it, so it must be possible.

I’d like to attempt to run around an oval again. A while ago when me and my brother were trying to make a habit of it, I could jog 3 laps. I should start again. Hopefully I’ll get to a point where I can jog 30. Tennis is also something that’s been missing from my recent life. I feel I need my brain to be active or else my body won’t follow, and there are few sports which are interesting enough. I was having a good time with tennis.

I’m concerned about my heart. Like my Civic, the engine that drives me is high revving, but unlike the Civic, I don’t hold out hopes for it running for long unless I do something. Hopefully with a bit of self control regarding diet (something that’s quite hard when you go home to a mum who wants to spoil you) I may be able to get to a place where I’m feeling healthy.