I haven't weighed myself

...but lots of people have commented on how 'healthy' I look, and that I have lost weight. I don't think I have, but I feel pretty excellent. Maybe I'll weigh myself soon.

This is the longest injury-free period I have had from running since I started. Little niggles, annoyances, nothing major, but enough to put me off for fear of a bigger injury. Now I'm super strong, I have stomach muscles, and my legs are frankly pretty awesome. Even my arse is rock solid, or as close as it'll ever get. So I feel good, and I feel very, very strong indeed. By the end of next week, this will also be the first year I've competed in three races - one full marathon and two half marathons. I feel I could have done a lot more, as well, but I'm building toward a lunatic project next year, and something much bigger in 2013.

In short, I feel great. I even had a beer-free week recently which was a real eye-opener - I had loads of energy, woke up naturally most mornings, went to bed very early every night and my running was wonderful. Hmmmm. Perhaps there's a lesson there.

...and over 15

Weighed myself at the doctor's today and he reckoned, allowing for clothes etc, I am about 15st 2lbs. Which, considering I spent the week drunk after the marathon, and had a chest infection two weeks prior to that which meant no exercise, is pretty fucking good, I think.

Have run 15.5 miles already this week, will do another 5.5 in the morning, plus a 13.1 mile half marathon on Sunday. That will, assuming I do it all, make this the first week ever, I think, where I have run more than 30 miles. And the first 15 wasn't even that hard. Mind you, that's how they get you…

Beer is slowly taking a back seat in my life after I asked myself a difficult question or two in another blog. I'm out tomorrow celebrating my beautiful wife's birthday, and after that the next time I drink might well be when I am in Spain at the end of the month, or in Macau a few days after that. We shall see. But the weight, I can assure you, will come down. I aim to be around 14 stone by the end of the summer. THere, I've said it, it's in print*.

The doctor said to me this morning, "If you're going to do a lot of running, you need to look after yourself better." All that expensive doctorly education was not wasted on me, I can assure you.


*If I have ever made any other such declarations, they are rendered null and void with this one. Even if I didn't actually do them. Especially if I didn't do them.

Under 15...

...stone, that is. And if I had managed my diet more effectively, I would be a heck of a lot lighter than that. I've been able to run 20+ miles a week (hell, 20+ miles in a single run) for the first time in ages recently, and the weight's come off nicely. I weighed myself at my folks' the other night and the scales said 15st 3lb, so I allowed four pounds for clothes to put me just under 15stone. Which is... 209lbs, US Fat Fans. Lightest I've been for a while, but there is more to come. I've signed up for another race after London for a different hospice, though it's only a half marathon. But it means I have to keep going, and there's not going to be any time for any 'what do I do now, where's my motivation' kind of thoughts post-London Marathon, which is good.

In short, if I drank less beer, I would be loads and loads lighter. So that's the next plan...

Z goes to work on an egg, if not a bike

I've not had a lot to say.  Unusually for me, however, I haven't said anything.

I've not taken any exercise for the past couple of months, I have to admit.  I went on holiday at the beginning of November and, not too long after I returned, the weather turned cold and the roads weren't suitable for cycling.  Phil kept on cycling mind you, but even he had a couple of falls on the ice.  I wasn't going to take risks and besides, it was damn cold.

This week, I finally got back on the bike and, not in the least to my surprise, found that my fitness level was on the floor.  I did cycle up a hill that I couldn't manage when I first started cycling, more than three years ago, but that really isn't saying a lot.  And I haven't been on the bike since - okay, that just means I didn't do it yesterday, but I won't today or tomorrow.  Might on Friday.

Someone in a comment on the other blog suggested I use a Wii - yes, possibly, but the thing is, would I?  Frankly, I'd find it really embarrassing in front of the Sage and he's often around.  It'd be just as embarrassing to shut him out.  And I've little idea what exercises are involved - okay, don't tell me, I've got to google it.  Ronan has a Wii and I've played games on it with him, but he doesn't live here any more.

I've been eating an egg for breakfast most days instead of porridge.  It certainly is as filling.  I sometimes don't want lunch - at least, not at lunchtime.  Thing is though, if I skip lunch or have very little, I get tired by the time dinner is ready around 7.30.  It's too long to wait.  On Monday, for example, I had a banana at lunchtime and some yoghurt, toast and Marmite about 4.30 when I arrived home again.  Not sure if this will be a good idea.  It's an interesting thing that one egg is really filling at breakfast time, when it wouldn't be enough for lunch.  I poach it and have it on dry toast.

Actually, it's lovely, so I hope I won't get fat on it!  I fill the kettle, put it on while I get everything ready and pour a glass of juice, put water in a pan when it boils, put a slice of bread to toast, crack the egg in the water, make tea, flip the toast while the tea brews, take the pan off the heat, infuser out of the mug, put toast on plate, drain egg on piece of kitchen paper, put onto toast.  The only extra time over making toast is the time it takes to boil a pint of water instead of half a pint.  We have fresh bantam eggs every day, so I can always have a new-laid egg (fresh eggs are the secret of good poaching - even a week-old egg's white will start to spread).

The extra few pounds I mentioned back in June haven't vanished.  Got to do something.  There isn't the incentive now, just shows how I need an impetus to do anything.  Saying "I must" isn't enough.

Definitely lighter...

A few weeks (well, a couple of months) of regular running has had an effect already, it seems. Weighed myself a few weeks ago and was around 15 stone 3lbs, which is 14 pounds less than I weighed when I did it at the doctor's seven or so weeks ago. Progress.

Days when I run go like this...

6am: Alarm goes off.
6:20am: Get out of bed, get running stuff on.
6:45am: Go for a run.
When I finish run: Have a quick bite to eat and a drink
8:20ish: Take dog for a walk
10:30ish: Come home from walk
10:31 to 3pm: Eat. A lot.

Today, for example, I did just over 6 miles. Went out to a very frosty -3ish at 6:40, got home, went to shop as we had nothing for breakfast, then took the dog out for a two-hour walk. So before I've had breakfast I've covered up to 12 miles already. Virtuous, moi?

I wouldn't say I am looking skinny or anything, but I'm looking healthier, and certainly relaxed. Muscle tone is excellent, and with the exercises my physio has given me my stomach is toning as a by-product.

In short, the weight is coming off as I can run regularly thanks to my physio and some hard work by me. Happy days. I'll weigh myself sometime soon and see if it's as good as it feels...

I'm in!

The 2011 London Marathon, that is. So that means running, and cross training, and no excuses. Even work might have to take a back seat to this at some points. I only have a couple of international trips in the meantime too, so nothing should really interrupt the training.

Which of course, means I will be as a whippet in a few short months. Got my training mapped out in my head already, and it's started nicely. The added pressure of doing it for a wonderful local charity has had a very positive mental effect. The chap who phoned to tell me I'd got a place couldn't believe that I was pleased about it! Apparently a response like mine is unusual.

In other news, I am taking steps to become a best-selling author, so I can work a bit less. That'll help, too.

I've been a bit lax...

...in every way. I haven't put any weight on (as far as I can tell), but I cancelled my gym membership because money is tight to say the least. I was running more, but work has knocked that on the head. I'm still walking the dog at least a couple of hours every day, but it doesn't quite get the heart pumping in the same way.

I have however applied for a golden bond place to run the London Marathon next year for our most wonderful local hospice. If ever there was an incentive to train, they are it. I needed that kind of push, so hopefully I'll get in and it'll be good for everyone involved.

I haven't gone unfit or nuffink, just not getting out regularly. Take today, for example. I thought I might get a lunchtime run in, as I had a dreadful night's sleep so I couldn't get one i this morning before walking Millie (she will run with me, but I prefer to do that with her away from roads and to get to places like that, you need to drive, and I don't/can't). I woke up an hour late, took the dog out, came home, had to go and take some photos for an article, then remembered we had a man coming to change the electricity meter. So no electricity, and no work getting done. Lunchtime run gone, as I had to stay in with him, and I ended up falling asleep. Might get the run in tonight, I honestly don't know yet. Probably not though. So I will do my knee exercises, and try it all again tomorrow, because running early works best for me.

I've been thinking about my health an awful lot lately, and my diet too. As I have a close relative of IBS affecting me (I foolishly ate a pear this lunchtime; it has already been evacuated, and it's only 2pm), I struggle to eat as healthily as I once did. I don't have a bad diet, but there's too much meat in it for one thing. It's partly essential though, as everything else seems to have me on the loo...

Too much information, I know, I'm sorry. But it plays such a big part in my life.

Both my parents have been in hospital recently, one having a kind of femoral bypass, the other finding out they need a double heart bypass and a valve replacement. Understandably, that had me thinking about diet, and how it's been thus far in life, and how it might need to change. But the barrier is a simple one - I eat anything green, and me and the toilet become best buds for a day.

Gah.

I've not given up though. Just letting you know. And if the golden bond application is accepted, I'll even be weighing myself regularly, just to see...