Why I am Doing This
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 lead to brain damage. In my early teens the common belief was that once you reached a certain age, you could go on to an unmanaged diet (no restriction protein at all) and you'll be fine. Modern thinking is that a sufferer should stay on the restricted diet or it will lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety (part and parcel of watching England play football I would say) and lack of concentration.
A short while ago I took a blood test and the target level of 700 umol/l (micromoles per litre), I smashed with 1109 umol/l. Time to go on a managed diet...
So, my thought about this blog is that I will record my weekly progress but I will also record doing it with a restricted PKU diet. If somebody out there finds that useful (because they're on one, or they have a child that has one), all the better.
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 lead to brain damage. In my early teens the common belief was that once you reached a certain age, you could go on to an unmanaged diet (no restriction protein at all) and you'll be fine. Modern thinking is that a sufferer should stay on the restricted diet or it will lead to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety (part and parcel of watching England play football I would say) and lack of concentration.
A short while ago I took a blood test and the target level of 700 umol/l (micromoles per litre), I smashed with 1109 umol/l. Time to go on a managed diet...
So, my thought about this blog is that I will record my weekly progress but I will also record doing it with a restricted PKU diet. If somebody out there finds that useful (because they're on one, or they have a child that has one), all the better.
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