Fat Man Shuffling

This is going to be a long year After the initial weigh-in it was time to start the programme. I had downloaded a couple of apps for my phone: Strava Fitness 22 Couch to 10K I already had Fitbit and My Fitness Pal installed, so I probably had enough to get started. The Running The first week of the Couch to 10K programme is relatively straight forward: run for a minute, walk for a minute and a half, three times in the week. Day 1, Week 1 - Baby steps Day 2, Week 1 - Bit of an increase in pace, and in distance Day 3, Week1 - a slight increase in pace, although distance dropped off So overall, I think there has been some improvement.  Other Workouts This week I was tired, really tired. As such, I didn't get in as many other workouts I would have liked. I did manage an hour long circuit training session on my suspension trainer. That was a killer... Meal Plan As mentioned, I am PKU sufferer so I am logging what I eat with My Fitness Pal which gives...

Never Forget the Rule of the P's Planning and Preparation Prevent Piss Poor Performance.  I have never run a marathon before, I have never run any significant distance in more than quarter of a century, so if I am going to do this, I am going to have to put some thought into it. The Planned Programme I work as an IT project manager, so planning is something that I do a lot of (although whether those plans are followed is another matter), so I decided to break it down into phases: Phase 1: Couch to 10Km. This is the initiation phase getting me moving for the first time and is spread over 14 weeks, with the objective of completing 10Kms in an hour at the end of it. Phase 2: 10Km to Half Marathon (21Km).  This is the next phase, intended to build the endurance to run a half marathon. I expect this to take another 14 weeks or so, and will get me doing a half marathon in 2 to 2.5 hours. Phase 3: Half to Full Marathon. This stage I have not planned out extensively, but I...

I started this blog initially to keep a log of my progress as I train for my first marathon.  Prior to this, I pretty much avoided running - I refuse to run for a train (another will follow it, unless it is the last one of the night, in which case I'll grab a taxi) and would much rather mess around in a gym with weights.  However, a couple of friends decided they were going to do the Medoc Marathon , and a good friend had already done it so, ever vulnerable to peer pressure, I agreed to join it. Having agreed to do it, I figured it would be achievement I would want to record (although hundreds of thousands have done it before), so a blog to keep track I thought would be as good a place as any. However, I am also a sufferer of classical Phenylketonuria  but have been on an unmanaged diet since my early teens.  What does this mean? Well, my body can't break down protein into amino acids, and instead forms a build up of phenylpyruvic acid which (if untreated) can le...