Wednesday Weigh-In 6 August

Ok, so I'm writing this on a Thursday morning and therefore strictly speaking it is not a Wednesday Weigh-In, but the weight measurement was taken yesterday so same difference.

I've not yet reached the point where I want to suppress my appetite. Almost immediately after publishing last week's entry, I went in search of food and I've lacked the level of discipline I need to shift the extra lbs I'm currently carrying. The scales were pretty kind when all said and done, but if you take 2 five mile runs out of my weekly activity there would almost certainly have been a gain to report. As it is, there has been no movement.

No Score Draw

My foray back into the running world has been going well. After the first couple of runs I had tight thighs and quite a few aches and pains. The last two efforts have not resulted in anything other than sweat and satisfaction. It is becoming easier to run, maintain a decent pace and go for longer. On Friday and Tuesday night I managed just over 5 miles. I'd be lying if I said it was 5 unbroken miles as I did need to slow to walking pace periodically to catch my breath, but things are definitely going in the right direction. If I can manage 5 miles after barely a week back into training, I'm pretty positive that I'll be race ready for my next half marathon in October.

This week marks 6 years of wedded bliss. I'd like to pay tribute to my wife for putting up with me, my mood swings, my desire to get out of bed on a Saturday morning to abandon her and the boys to go running in a park, for supporting me over the years in my weight loss efforts and for loving me regardless of whether I was the 24 stone man who she moved in with or the 14 stone man who runs 13.1 miles for the fun of it. It takes a special sort of person to tolerate me, and I'm so grateful that I came to my senses all those years ago.

Wednesday Weigh-In 30 July

Did you miss me?

It has been a bit of a prolonged absence from the blog. More than 50 days away and probably lots of questions about what has been going on. In that time there has been the World Cup, a trip with the family to Disneyland Paris, the start of an interim promotion at work, a birthday, a wedding, my eldest finishing Reception Year at school and my youngest deciding that partial lower limb paralysis was not going to stop him getting vertical.

Who is a clever boy then?

I've not spent a great deal of time thinking about my weight. Until the last few days I've done very little exercise either, with my 6 week gym membership expiring with little usage. All the while my wife has been very proactively dieting and doing incredibly well. I'm very proud of what she has achieved to date thus far and only wish I had been more supportive in recent weeks.

I wouldn't say that I've been in self-destruct mode, but I've definitely not been at my best on the eating front. I'm carrying a bit more lumbar than a few months back but things could have been a whole lot worse. I briefly touched 15st a couple of weeks ago which I can't say was a tipping point, but has prompted some corrective action. Spending a few days with Mickey Mouse certainly helped as there is a hell of a lot of walking involved going round the park day after day. The prohibitive cost of food meant I was restricted to the picnic prepared every morning, cutting out top up snacks. The walking and hot Parisian sun certainly helped to burn the calories.

This week I've started to turn my attention back towards exercise. I signed up some time ago for the Royal Parks Half Marathon in October and it has dawned on me that it won't be long before that comes around. Barring a handful of sessions on a treadmill in my short lived gym experience, I had not run since my half marathon back in March. Knee and back injuries, apathy and the lazy lure of summertime have put paid to my fitness levels, and when I embarked at the weekend on my first parkrun since February it showed. I recorded my second slowest time over the 5k distance and it was one hell of a struggle.

Slow Slow Slow

Still, it was a starting point to move forwards from. My first meaningful run in months, exhausted from the week away. Probably a bit dehydrated. Lots of excuses I could draw upon, but ultimately down to my inactivity in recent times. With the cobwebs shaken and the body given a rude awakening to the concept of exercise, I felt better for it. Last night I went for another run and it was easier. Still a lot of mileage to cover in the next couple of months to get me race fit.

Tuesday night action

So where do I sit on the weight front. Better than expected to be honest. I'm approaching my 6th wedding anniversary and I'm virtually 1st lighter than the day I got hitched. The 14st target remains aspirational and not altogether out of sight, and with the upcoming surge in training I should be able to shift a few lbs without having to starve myself in the process.

Content

Onwards and upwards then. 73 days to go until I run this  Plenty of work needed to get me to the finish line.

Going The Distance

Tonight I've had a bit of a psychological breakthrough in regards to my half marathon training. I'm not afraid to admit that up until this point I've been feeling a little nervous about how far I'll have to go. I've become comfortable doing 5km but the thought of doing that four times back to back with a sprint finish on top has filled me with dread.

Last September I competed in a 10k run, coming home in a respectable 56.38 but a fair chunk of that race was covered at walking pace, most notably that blimming great hill in the middle of the golf course. I wasn't fit enough to run the entire race and in the four months since I've not gone beyond my comfort of a Saturday morning 5k. With the half marathon just over two months away, I had to get out there and get some distance into my legs.

The problem is as a working dad, time is a precious commodity. It is unrealistic for me to run first thing in the morning as I need to get my youngest up and ready for nursery before getting his big brother ready for school. My lunch breaks are now restricted by the fact that I'm making up time that I lose first thing, due to not being able to leave the school gates until 8.40 at the earliest. After work I get home, get the boys fed, bathed and ready for bed. After that, I cook for my wife, who has a much more stressful day than I do, and then my choice is to eat at the same time or pull on the running gear.

So many reasons exist not to go out in the evenings. Fatigue. Hunger. The weather hasn't been entirely helpful for my motivation of late, though I have made it out a couple of times for half hearted efforts. Last night I hoped to run but the rain arrived and drowned my good intentions. Tonight, with clear skies above me I left my excuses at home.

To mix things up, I made a change from my usual route. Going past all those take away outlets was getting a little old, plus a new direction meant I would be unaware of how far I had run. My mind tends to play tricks on me when I see distance markers, even at the parkrun, meaning I suddenly feel weary or notice an ache or pain that wasn't there before. Running blind tonight meant that didn't happen. And when I got back to my driveway I stopped my app to be informed I had managed this.

Boo-ya!

Just under 10k in 52:30. Had I known I was at that sort of distance I'm sure I would have found an extra 100 metres on my way home just to take it up to a nice round figure! Still, I'm feeling pretty darn satisfied this evening. If I can do this on a cold Tuesday night after the little one kindly provided me with a broken night's sleep, then maybe this half marathon business isn't quite as scary as I had been thinking.

13 miles. 21 kilometres. This guy is starting to believe he is going the distance.

Related articles

• In Praise of ParkRun
• My first parkrun

Winners Wear Yellow

My goal for 2014 came a little closer to reality today. You've probably already seen me mention the fact that I'm running my first half marathon in March (yes yes, just the once or twice!). Well, today waiting for me when I got home was a package that contained this.

Well a marathon man needs a snazzy vest

Yes, I am now the proud owner of my very own Shine running vest. And all it is going to cost me is one Saturday morning where I will be dragging my body round a circuit of just over 13 miles. That seems fair, right? The truth is I'm pretty indebted to the charity. They were a helpful ear when we had so many questions about Spina Bifida after my son was diagnosed with it during pregnancy. They made a difference to our family, and do so for many others who find themselves in similar situations. I'd say that was worth pushing myself physically and drumming up some sponsorship in return.

Having received my lovely new bit of kit, I decided to take it for a road test. Yes, I went out for a run last night too but that ended prematurely due to the weather, whereas this evening the were no rainclouds in sight. I went out and ran just under 4km before I came to the conclusion that running with partially weary limbs into a headwind was counterproductive. I walked for a bit, then got bored and picked up the pace again, running for a further 2km before a final stroll home. Shine have the hashtag #WinnersWearYellow - from tonight's efforts I'd say the vest is fit for the half marathon but I've got some hard graft to put in to get me ready.

As selfies go, this is not a keeper

One thing that struck me during my run tonight was just how many fast food joints there are nearby. I passed a kebab van, several fish and chip shops, a Chinese take away, lots of non-descript chicken/burger outlets, a McDonalds, a KFC, a Subway, pizza parlours, not to mention several Indian restaurants. No wonder we're turning into a bunch of fatties in this country with so many high calorie outlets in close proximity. There was a time when I ate McDonalds every lunchtime. I can also remember a time when I ate a kebab pretty much every night. If we are to believe that we are what we eat, it really isn't any great surprise that I was a 24st tub of lard. Nowadays all of the above are a rare treat, but well off my agenda until I've got back down to pre-Christmas weight.

Tomorrow will be my first Wednesday weigh-in for a while. I've little doubt that I will have shed some of the Christmas excess but quite how much remains to be seen. The bigger challenge right now is getting myself ready for 22 March and those 13 and a bit miles. I've got my vest. I've got my motivation. The question is have I got what it takes to get to the finish. Time will tell.

Related articles

• In Praise of ParkRun
• The most depressing day of the year?

The most depressing day of the year?

The first Monday of January is allegedly the most depressing day of the year. Christmas has gone, the weather is grim and there are months to go before the next bank holiday. Fortunately I didn't see things that way today. There is no denying what a difference a good sleep can do. Last night wasn't spectacular and it would be wholly inaccurate to say that I slept like a log, but in comparison to Saturday night when the little one had me awake for hours, it was positively paradise. Dieting is so much less difficult when you don't feel like death.

As expected, a day in the office proved far less perilous than a day at home. I stuck rigidly to my three meals a day without venturing towards snacks or exploring what badness the biscuit tin may have had to offer. Better still, I made it out for a run this evening. Well I say run. It started out that way, moon overhead offering some guidance for where the puddles lay in my path with the wind swirling all around me. About 1km in the rain made an appearance. About 2km in I could barely see such was the force of the rain being thrust at me horizontally, straight into my face courtesy of the gusty conditions.

Now I'm all for running in mixed weather, not least as I can't predict what I'll be faced with on 22 March when I roll up for my half marathon, but having found myself on the wrong end of a pretty awful shower on Friday, forcing me to don a pair of running shorts at work, much to the amusements of my colleagues, I was in two minds about whether to push on or turn back. Not wanting to find myself incapacitated a few days down the line by catching a chill, I opted to shorten my planned route and head home.

4 and half kilometres on a Monday night. Less distance that what I run on a Saturday morning. Hardly stepping up my training, and certainly a shorter run than I had in mind, but better than nothing. I could quite easily have spent this evening at my favourite curry house dining with a colleague who is set to retire next week, but that didn't exactly fit in with my plans to return to pre-Christmas weight and get myself into some sort of shape for what lies ahead in 74 days time.

This is not what I ordered - where is my tikka paneer?

So rather than find today depressing, I'm declaring a moral victory. A good day for the diet, a bad one for the owners of Karahi Express. More midweek running to follow, hopefully without the downpour.

Related articles

• 2nd January - Let's Do This

Survival Sunday

When I'm in dieting mode, I really dislike Sundays. The Bible bills it as a day of rest but for me Sunday is a 24 hour test of will and resistance.

Today provided a perfect case on point. I was up half the night with the little one so was fatigued. I had a few aches and pains from Saturday's run to contend with. My boys were both vying for my attention throughout the day and with energy levels dipping into the red, the desire to eat junk was overwhelming.

Day 4 of the 2014 version of my diet and my least disciplined to date. I added a banana to my breakfast, couldn't stay away from the cheese in the fridge throughout the day and happily accepted a couple of chocolate orange segments when offered. That probably doesn't sound like stupid amounts, but it feels like it.

I don't like how my mid drift looks rounder than it did just a few weeks ago. As a  Christmas paunch goes, it is nothing to write home about, but the fact I'm noticing my belly reflects on the fact that my clothes are a little tighter.

A full week of work ahead should make life easier. If I find myself thinking about food it is more difficult to do something about it than when at home on the weekend. I'll also look to get some running time in the evening this week to aid my 1/2 marathon preparations. I'll be disappointed in myself if I don't make it out at least twice.

In Praise of ParkRun

The first day of the 2014 version of the diet came and passed without too much difficulty. After the pretty horrible weather that saw out December and welcomed in January, I probably should have taken advantage of a dry evening and pulled on my running gear, but I listened to my body and decided otherwise. It is one thing going from the festive excess to a much more measured intake of calories, but it would be quite another to pound the streets in the dark. My body is going to be confused enough as it is without additional exercise on top.

So the half marathon training has been put on hold, at least for a couple of days while I settle back into diet mode, but Saturday will bring around my favourite time of the week. Long gone are the days of lie-ins or watching Soccer AM over a fried breakfast. Since July my venue of choice for a Saturday morning has been down at my local parkrun participating with several hundred others in a free timed 5 kilometre run. I've been doing this most weekends since July last year, and is probably no coincidence that my weight loss really took off from then onwards.

parkrun logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you've not heard of parkrun, the premise is pretty simple. Register once online, take your personalised barcode to any of their hundreds of events, and run. It is completely free to participate and you get your results by email or text later in the day. You can even chart your progress by going online to view all of your parkrun results and there are all sorts of statistics on there to get excited about if you're so inclined.

I was put onto parkrun by a twitter follower who had noticed I was blogging about running on a treadmill last spring. At his suggestion, I went along to see what all the fuss was about and I'd have to say that recommendation was spot on. I've met a terrific bunch of people who volunteer their time to put on the event every Saturday morning, without whom parkrun would not exist. Any reservations I may have had about turning up to one of these events as a complete novice were very quickly cast aside. Sure there are some serious runners who race off into the distance never to be seen again until the following weekend, but there is no stereotype that adequately describes a parkrunner. There are men and women well into their senior years, parents running with children or even pushing babies along in strollers. People like me looking to get fit and others making their way round in a more leisurely fashion, enjoying a bit of exercise on a Saturday morning.

I usually attend the Black Park event but because there are so many of these dotted around the country, you can indulge in a little parkrun tourism. I've been to the Bradford run on a couple of occasions whilst visiting family and the welcome you get there is phenomenal, with great support from the stewards, not least when you tackle the fabled 'Teeny Tiny Hill'

Having had parkrun recommended to me, I'm more than happy to encourage others to get involved. I've had a couple of colleagues join me from work before, my brother-in-law, a friend from the football club has come along with his sons and from a brief interaction on Facebook earlier today it looks like an old school friend will be joining me on Saturday morning.

If you are looking for something to get you more active in 2014, don't be afraid to give this a go. It doesn't matter if you're not Mo Farah, as you are only racing against yourself rather than the other participants. Who knows, you like me might find an inner runner inside of you that you never knew existed.

Related articles

• Still in the chase
• Running in the New Year
• Burning of the Christmas calories
• 2nd January - Let's Do This
• 2013: The year I ran and ran and ran