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  <title><![CDATA[Mark Provan]]></title>
  <link href="http://markprovan.github.io/atom.xml" rel="self"/>
  <link href="http://markprovan.github.io/"/>
  <updated>2013-05-22T01:21:53+01:00</updated>
  <id>http://markprovan.github.io/</id>
  <author>
    <name><![CDATA[Mark Provan]]></name>
    <email><![CDATA[markgprovan@gmail.com]]></email>
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  <entry>
    <title type="html"><![CDATA[Getting Fit Again]]></title>
    <link href="http://markprovan.github.io/blog/2013/05/22/getting-fit-again/"/>
    <updated>2013-05-22T01:01:00+01:00</updated>
    <id>http://markprovan.github.io/blog/2013/05/22/getting-fit-again</id>
    <content type="html"><![CDATA[<p><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6AZBZGr9LIY/UZwPK4WdPDI/AAAAAAAAB08/VqRnIIscbnE/w958-h419-no/photo.jpg" alt="My Bike" /></p>

<p>Those of you who know me in real life will know that in the last 2 years, I have put a ton of weight on. I’ve went from 13 stone to 16 stone, and down to 15.5 since moving out of my parents house in June 2011.</p>

<p>Two years on I’m very unhappy with my look and its time something was done about it. I got myself a road bike last year but have only recently got into going out regularly. I always had little flurries of motivation, that usually subsided after a week or so. I needed a target, something to train for, so I entered a <a href="http://www.glasgowwheelers.com/ArthurCRR.php">race</a>.  I’m fairly capable of cycling the distance, but I really need to work on upping my average speed. Over 30 miles I can currently push out 13mph. I need to do around 18mph over 47 miles. I have a lot of work todo, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I already feel better for getting out on the bike more and hopefully my weight should drop with a sensible diet. Here’s one of my rides from last week, which is close to where the race takes place:</p>

<iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://app.strava.com/activities/54570939/embed/adbd5c5efee9475eb52234a13a2089301fe07c24'></iframe>


<p>I’m looking forward to fully commiting to my training now that my exams are finished and looking forward even more to getting back down to a good weight. I’ll be using my blog as a diary, so expect more posts in the coming weeks!</p>
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  <entry>
    <title type="html"><![CDATA[Let Your Customers Go]]></title>
    <link href="http://markprovan.github.io/blog/2013/05/20/let-your-customers-go/"/>
    <updated>2013-05-20T22:33:00+01:00</updated>
    <id>http://markprovan.github.io/blog/2013/05/20/let-your-customers-go</id>
    <content type="html"><![CDATA[<p>Companies that make it super hard for customers to leave are super irritating.
I don’t mind it when I’m offered an incentive to stay (maybe a free trial of
some premium features, or a discount) but when I just want to cancel my account
I should be able to, without any fuss being made. When trying to cancel with
a certain online game rental service (<em>cough</em>LoveFilm<em>cough</em>) they would offer
me several other packages, in fact they told me they were moving me onto
another package. This was stupid as my reason for cancelling was due to
a broken Xbox. I was told several times my plan was cancelled when actually it
was temporarily suspended.</p>

<p>I now hold LoveFilm in contempt and mention my experience to friends when they
talk about signing up. Had the let me go first time round, there would be no
issue.</p>

<p>Companies, sometimes its just best to let your customers go.</p>
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