Some days you just pray for rain

Days to go: 10
Current weight: 15 stone 2 pounds
Total lost so far: 14 pounds
... okay so maybe Easter eggs aren't a nutritious sports snack.

The weather is awful. Not awful in the traditional sense. Not many people will complain about the sun over the holiday weekend or the ongoing warmth despite the slight clouding over. But for me, especially with the extra layer of biological insulation, it can be uncomfortable breaking into a sweat when the sweat won't evaporate.

It makes it even more unpleasant when the sweat starts getting into your eyes. and today it was the worst it's been while I've been preparing for the London Marathon. Today: it just needed to chuck it down for 5 minutes to clear the air. But it didn't, and it was a sticky, 'orrible 13.5km. But I'll consider it good preparation for what may occur, seeing as April isn't traditionally known as the dryest of months.

Anyway, we're now close to the big event. 10 days and counting. Very little running left to do. Lots of uni work, but little running. So my running vest is now adorned with my name, so you'll be able to spot me amongst the 35,000 runners in a nice fuscia colour emblazoned with Leonard Cheshire Disability and say to your friends 'I think I know him, or I did when he was over a stone heavier'.

So, if you've not done so yet, not had the time or inclination yet, or I'm unlikely to run into you (no pun intended this time) beforehand, then PLEASE spend a few minutes to pledge what you can by visiting www.justgiving.com/stuyeomans . Every penny counts and Leonard Cheshire Disability runs purely on donations made by the general public. Plus; I'm putting myself through the Marathon, so that's gotta be worth a few quid just for the laugh!

Happy pledging.

Twenty. Miles. Is. A. Long. Way. Indeed.

Days to go: 20
Current weight: 15 stone 0 pounds
Total lost so far: 16 pounds
... and the 'Big One' happened today, more of which below.

Well, you may have noticed that the counter has now dropped into days away from the London Marathon, rather than weeks. And you also may have noticed that I didn't post anything last week. Reason being: it's our Easter Holiday from uni and as such, we went away for a few days to Monkey World in Dorset (www.monkeyworld.org). Becca did threaten to leave me there, especially as she thinks I rather too closely resemble some of their rescued apes. But I made it back safe.

Just prior to going, I managed 21.1km last Saturday in a reasonable (by which you can read relatively slow) time of 2 hours 7 minutes. Not bad for the limited time actually running and only a few bike rides to keep the cardio work going. And this week, sleeping on an airbed had hardly made the recovery all that effective.

So it was with minimal preparation that today, I headed out for the advised maximum pre-Marathon run of up to 20 miles or 3 hours 30minutes. Which, in an odd twist, is exactly what I managed on both counts. Typical that in my previous blog I prayed for the good weather to return, so today it was obviously the hottest day of the year so far.

But I managed it. And suffice to say it definitely feels like I've run a full 7 miles further than I ever have before. However, couple of small blisters aside, I actually don't feel too bad. I reckon, all things considered, that I'll be able to run the London Marathon in 4 hours and 40 minutes. any quicker than that and I'll be over the moon!

Right, recovery sleep is definitely the order of the day. More updates oon.

And if the point of me doing all this writing has passed you by recently, THEN PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE PLEDGE WHATEVER YOU CAN MUSTER FOR LEONARD CHESHIRE DISABILITY AT www.justgiving.com/stuyeomans.

That's all for the time being. Happy pledging.

Positively tropical (let's hope it comes back soon)

Weeks to go: 5
Current weight: 15 stone 1 pound
Total lost so far: 15 pounds
...am I destined to never go below 15 stone?!

Typical: the target of 14 stone was looking all achievable up til about 4 weeks ago when I first attained this weight. Now, after a series of self-inflicted injuries and poor self-control near a well-stocked fridge, I appear to have plateaued out a bit. But bigger picture: I still intend to finish the London Marathon and raise plenty of cash for Leonard Cheshire Disability (www.lcdisability.org) so PLEASE SPONSOR ME at www.justgiving.com/stuyeomans.

However, good news is that my hip and shin are both not quite as painful after yesterday's run than they were previously. I reckon that's a green light to start making the run's little longer, if not more regular. Accepted wisdom (i.e. the regime in Marathon News magazine) says that the longest run you do in your build up is either 20 miles (gulp) or 3 hours 30 mins (double gulp), what ever is the shortest.

Good grief.

Well, seeing as this should be done in the next week or two, the delay in my training means this should probably fall during the week between 30th March and 5th April. Time to plan. It isn't wise try to cram in lots of run-time between now and then, but other exercise will always help to maintain my fitness. The run time is what will count: so fingers crossed.

In terms of the tropical - that refers to the blazing sun of Sunday morning's run. Whilst the first 5 minutes were pleasant and meant I wasn't cold to begin with, it did mean I was a bit overdressed for the subsequent 42 minutes. Cue sweat pouring into my eyes and squinting into the harsh glare. Not great and a great reminder to keep yourself at the right temperature for comfort during exercise. That and a hat or sunglasses to make life even easier. Only reason being is that if you're distracted in any way, or suffering any discomfort, it takes an incredible toll on your mental strength to finish such a ludicrous distance. And I'm all for making life that little bit easier.

So, next time should have me finding out exactly how I feel after, say, 90 minutes of running and will be a fair indicator of how I'll feel for the longer run the week after. Wish me luck and, if you haven't done so already... please sponsor me!!

Happy running. And by the way, it's now freezing cold and chucking it down with rain now. Predictible unpredictibility of the British weather.

Happiness is a dry trail

Weeks to go: Just less than 6 weeks
Current weight: 15 stone 1 pound
Total lost so far: 15 pounds
... not panicking just yet!

Ahh, the warm sun beating down on your face, the gentle wind on your back, sheep's wool catching in your brake mechanism: nothing beats a mountain bike ride when it's not raining. Plus, it's a nice way to not pound out the miles needed for London Marathon training and weight loss without battering my recoving limbs.

And talking of which: the first foray back into running this evening ended with only a bit of hip pain but no shin splint problems - we're back in the game! Somebody should tell Martin Lel to up his training unless he wants to be hopelessly embarassed in 6 weeks time.

So, with luck on my side, a bit of insider knowledge about injury rehab and substantial analgesia, I should be on track to both finish the marathon and drop the weight needed to make sure I get a bit more sponsorship money!

Til next time, you followers of severe injuries and tales of blissful trail rides. Props y'all.

Back in the Game!

Weeks to go: 7
Current weight: 15 stone 1 pound (ooh, creeping down again, get in!)
Total lost so far: 15 pounds (techically back to halfway again)
...so let's get the running going again, shall we?

Well, not quite, but at least some kind of athletic adventure was undertaken at the weekend. Those of you paying attention (do keep up, please) will see that this past Sunday was the Kingswood Mountain Bike Duathlon run by the nice people at Ashford Triathlon Club. For the uninitiated, this involved 3km of trail running, 14km of mountain biking and then the same 3km trail run again. All in the brisk morning light of a March morning. And all done in 1 hour and 33 minutes. 72nd out of 122 - okay, so not world record breaking, but bear in mind that I haven't done much in the way of training over the last 3 weeks due to injury, so I'm happy enough.

Looking forward; my lack of half-marathon race in the build up to the big one at the London Marathon I'll be changing tack and doing the Paddock Wood Half Marathon on April 5th. And with that, I'll need something to distract me from the possibility of returning injuries and pain.

Something I've used for quite a while is music while I run. One of the most distracting things I used to hate when I ran without it was the sound of my own breathing. If I run at any pace at all, my big mouth makes a fair racket and as such, I always seemed to convince myself I was more tired than I really was. So the 'generic white MP3 player' is a great choice to mask the hurricane-like sounds of my gob and helps me concentrate on the run at hand; be it an easy jog or a fair paced aerobic threshold workout.

Research shows that the rhythm of the music you listen to as you run correlates closely with your footfall and therfore the pace at which you run. Obviously, my giant limbs rotate at a different pace to a tiny 7 stone woman, but you get the picture. Therefore, things like slower beats are better for the more leisurely plods and Hardcore Dutch Gabba is best saved for the lungbusting interval training sessions!

Me, I'm more a fan of the anthemic rock and indie, probably because of it's impression on me during my teenage years. Stand up those of you with any songs from the first Oasis album or Shed Seven on your running playlists! Unfortunately, most of that stuff is archived on tapes in the loft and not exactly transferable (for me anyway) onto the little white music box. But luckily, Kings of Leon are perfect, that and Bloc Party, The Fratellis, Feeder, Lostprophets, Pigeon Detectives. But to each their own.

On that musical interlude: Happy return-to-running! Same bat-time, same bat-channel next week, team.

...And back to starting from scratch again

Weeks to go: 8
Current weight: 15 stone 4 pounds
Total lost so far: 12 pounds
...well, okay, that's 'technical' loss of weight, but it varies daily.

Grr. I never thought I'd ever hear myself say this but I miss being able to go out running. But after the first 6 weeks of training and building up to 2 hours plodding about, I didn't mind heading out into the inclement weather. But after 2 weeks of no running due to hip and shin problems, both the desire and conditioning have left me. What a pain.

However, seeing as it only took about 2 weeks to get into it the first time, I hold out hope of easing back into it. That and I'll be stuffed to the gills with pain-killers and anti-inflammatories, so chances are I'll be able to float around the London Marathon course in a psychedelic haze.

With only 8 weeks to go to the London marathon itself, the fundraising will really begin in earnest so if I see you about and you have yet to sponsor me, chances are I'll badger you to pledge whatever you can to help those at the Leonard Cheshire Disability and help me raise my target of £2000.

Right, so from next week, the training will be well and truly back on track so a proper update then. And fingers crossed the weight loss will be back on track so I can pick up the extra pledge moneys from you all. Happy pledging!

Shrove Tuesday, My Birthday, any excuse to gorge myself

Weeks to go: 9
Current Weight: 15 stone 2 pounds
Total lost so far: 14 pounds
... that's okay, the running has stopped for a bit and the weight is remaining stable. A solid B minus.

So, the unfortunate consequences of overtraining my legs and getting shin splints has finally come to roost: I may now not be able to run the Eastbourne Half Marathon this coming Sunday morning. Now, whilst this is disappointing (especially to my hordes of fans - no laughing at the back), it's probably for the best. Again, this falls in the category of forward planning to minimise any problems come the Big Day on 26th April as there's is absolutely no option to not finish The London Marathon. The Leonard Cheshire Disability charity (http://www.lcdisability.org/) depends on the generous donations from events like this and my pledge of £2000 will help many of those less fortunate than myself.

Training is planned to start again next Monday with a slow build up of the running miles again, alongside some gym work, cycling and conditioning. That and some data collection and essay writing now that the work placements are only 16 hours from their termination. Sweet.

Some people do actually read this blog and have remarked, as a compliment, that it doesn't read like it has been written by a 4 year old. Very generous praise indeed. So now, if I could remind you that your financial generosity is also equally welcome: please, please dig deep and sponsor me by catching me in person or visiting my JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/stuyeomans

Thanks and happy running. Report on progress or, by some miracle, the Eastbourne Half Marathon, next Sunday evening. Peace out.

Two legs bad... Two wheels marvelous

Despite shin splints and an annoying hip injury that just won't go away, I decided no to let these get me down on the warmest and sunniest day of the year so far. So, after 65 minutes and 29km of riding my road bike... I didn't get a single twinge in my hurting areas! Quality! So now I know I can do at least something to keep my fitness going while the injuries heal.

That said, I did nearly lose all of the teeth in my head from the vibrations the terrible roads around here kindly provided. The bigger roads are okay, but it's more like cyclo-cross on the smaller country roads. And I'm on an aluminium bike, I shudder to think what it's like if you're on a carbon fibre steed.

So, I can add biking to the swimming, conditioning and core stability work I'll have to do while the legs heal. Fingers crossed the weight gain won't be too much in the meantime. Although the wedding tomorrow could well be a feast.

Think positive, team.

In a tribute to President Obama - Change we need!

Weeks to go: 10
Current weight: 15 stone 3 pounds
Total lost so far: 13 pounds
... yes, that's an increase. And no, I'm not happy with it.

Good grief, and the plateau of performance appears to have taken hold. My weight has decided to leap upwards this week, although two pounds could be attributed to the steak and champagne on Valentines Day (aren't I romantic?). So I think we'll let that go.

The little niggles and aches have, however, became more persistent despite small adaptations to training and all of which have now flared up after today's, albeit impressive, training run of 1 hour 45 minutes and 18.7km. Well, it's impressive for me. Martin Lel is hardly quaking in his racing flats.

So, with an excruciatingly painful hip, shin and foot (not all on the same leg mind you, I believe in spreading the wealth around my whole body), it might be time to redress the balance in my training. Reason being: I'm not, by any stretch of the imagination, a runner (no sniggering at the back). So four sessions a week of running on concrete will take its toll. And it clearly has, so now I'm going to swap one of the shorter runs for a conditioning session where I work on the specific strength of my core and leg muscles to help support the weight when I run. Also, I'm planning to do a sprint and mobility session on the grass in exchange for interval training this week to lessen the impact on my already tired and aching joints.

The idea is that by next week I'll be exactly 15 stone and I can take the following 9 weeks before the marathon to whittle down my frame even further. Yep, I know this particular post is a bit dry, but it goes to show that pounding out the kilometres (226.8km so far) isn't all beer and skittles. Reassessment of both your own goals and how you achieve them need to be made if unexpected things crop up. Same is true anywhere, but at the moment, this only applies to my running as the Physiotherapy training seems to be going well!

Til next week, happy running-training-adaptation.

Another one bites the dust (but not the biggie)

Weeks to go: 11
Current weight: Haven't the foggiest, not near my scales again this Sunday!
Total lost so far: 15 pounds (judging by last week's measurements)
... hmm, don't screw with the programme

Yep, sad to say that I missed two out of four of my runs last week. The first was wholly explicable as the weather was terrible and I'm not a member of a gym either, so I couldn't make it up. The second was, I'm almost ashamed to admit was half down to a belated Burns Night celebration and half down to a miscalculation of when the England v Italy rugby was kicking off.

However, yesterday saw me run the furthest I'd ever managed in one go with a pavement-pounding 21.5km in 2 hours dead. Perfect conditions running from Brighton seafront to Shoreham and back and in less time than I ran the Eastbourne Half Marathon last year. Hence I'm fairly confident that I'll beat last year's time of 2 hours 6 minutes. Three weeks to find out, so watch this space.

Okay, now for the admission: Saturday's lack of training was also possibly due to some pain I've been having in my legs which I found out is due to the type of training and also the fact that I'm quite the lump. 'Medial tibial pain' can affect soldiers and athletes when they increase their training intensities in much the same way I've done. And running on unforgiving surfaces like pavement only serves to exacerbate the problem. This isn't 'shin splints' as you might think as it's in a different part of the leg, but suffice to say I've been using plenty of ice after running, massage and stretching all my muscles out to make sure that there's no unwarranted tension to make things even worse.

Lesson for us all there, I think. Always worth paying attention to the little niggles and aches if they remain for longer than a few days after a run. I know I said that sticking to a programme was best, but it might just be the right thing to miss the odd session if a pain or strain takes a little longer to disappear. In the long run (pun almost certainly intended) it'll mean more consistent training over a longer period and ultimately the difference between a good race and poorly executed one.

Happy running, relaxing and injury management. Weight report next time. Promise.

Not that good a snow plough

Finally one of my training runs has bitten the dust. But not without undue reason seeing as it's -1C outside and there's a thick covering of snow and ice on all the pavements. So I feel justified in bunkering down this evening and holding out until the ice melts tomorrow.

Til then, team.

Less of a runner, more of a snow plough

Weeks to go: 12
Current weight: 15 stone 1 pound
Total lost so far: 15 pounds
...that'll be halfway there on the weightloss then. Quality!

Living proof that adhering to a prescribed schedule of training, and eating only what an average human male should, means appropriate levels of weight loss. Couple of pounds a week, as I said before, is healthy. Paula Radcliffe will have to keep an eye over her shoulder during that Marathon, I'll be storming towards the finishing line like a racing snake.

The snow plough mentioned above is a nod towards the pretty terrible weather that the South East has been suffering today, the day I do my longest run so far. First half was bearable but coming back into town, the snow and hail was horizontal into my face. This, as you can imagine, has severly dented my enthusiasm for all but the fairest weather running. I think any activity where your eyesight is compromised by the elements can't be all that clever... or fun. But 105 minutes and 11 miles later, I reckon I'm on course for beating my half marathon time in Eastbourne in 4 weeks.

However, I'm definitely need of a day off. Especially seeing as running's not exactly my normal exercise of choice. The body needs time to adapt after each session, recover and repair any damage. I was given a choice of two programmes when I started this training; one of which had good gaps between each session and the other where I had to run 3 days in a row every week. I opted for the one with the rest days, and not through sheer laziness. I figured that my body would need at least 48 hours between runs the majority of the time. And in retropect, it was fairly accurate analysis of my own abilities.

See, anyone can do things like this if you go about it the right way. Happy snow ploughing.

Water, water everywhere (so enough for 8 glasses a day)

Weeks to go: 13
Current weight: No idea this week - not near my usual scales
Total lost so far: 11 pounds (could be more, could be less; wait and see next week)
...it'll add a bit of suspense to the week ahead.

One of the lesser pleasant aspects of living in England is the unpredictable weather. Namely this week the rain that has been lashing down and making the drive to work (ironically, in a hydrotherapy pool) more like sailing. However, I've been very lucky and it hasn't rained during any runs I've done.

But that's about to change this evening as Brighton shows no signs of brightening up, the sea is crashing up the beach and the wind is carrying small children away from their parents. Perfect conditions for my first proper long run later this afternoon.

But all this talk of water gets me thinking about a conversation I had with a dietician a while back. Apparently the human body needs 35mls of water per kilogram of bodyweight over the course of a day. So for an average 70kg man, this equates to 2450mls or about 2 and a half litres. If a glass holds 250mls, then that explains why 8 glasses of water a day should do it. Making up the shortfall can be tea, coffee, juice, milk, etc. Guinness is not mentioned, but that's possibly for the best. And if you're exercising a lot, you need to up this even more to replace fluids lost through breathing harder and sweating. Some people swear by drinking plenty of water, others remain less convinced, but I thought the medical requirements might serve to help explain the reasoning behind it all.

Weight update next time. Happy running/swimming/floating/splashing.

Now... Witness the Fitness

Weeks to go: 14
Current weight: 15 stone 5 pounds
Total lost so far: 11 pounds
...it's slowly starting to disappear!

Well, slowly just about covers it. But that's the thing with starting a weight loss programme; losing weight too fast can be extremely unhealthy. The body can start to use the wrong food stores to generate energy and actually hold on to it's fat reserves. And illness takes hold fairly easily as well as the immune system packs up. Seeing as I was pretty ill over Christmas, that's something I want to avoid like the plague, not least because it'll interfere with my training. So a 2-3 pound loss each week is just about right to remain healthy.

Anyway, this weeks main point was to let you know when and where I'll be racing in the build up to the London Marathon in April. Two things on the horizon and they're pretty close together:

Sunday 1st of March 2009: Eastbourne Half Marathon (www.uk.eastbournehalf.co.uk)
I did this last year in 2 hours 6 minutes and it nearly killed me. This year I'm aiming for about 1 hour 50 minutes and will be ecstatic if I can actually run up the hill towards Beachy Head this time around.

Sunday 8th March 2009: Kingswood Off Road Duathlon, Ashford, Kent (www.ashfordtriclub.co.uk/kwd-mar09.htm)
3km run, 14km bike, 3km run. All off road. Supposedly a bit of a warm-down after the half-marathon, but I've always fancied a bit of off road racing, so this should be an experience. Run, bike-boy, run!

Sunday 26th April 2009: The London Marathon (www.london-marathon.co.uk)
The big one. 'Nuff said.

Happy running all. Or biking. Choice is yours.

A Slow Start (or a reliance on snacks exposed)

Weeks to go: 15
Current weight: 15 stone 8 pounds
Total lost so far: 8 pounds
....still no flippin' drop in bodymass. Oh, the shame.

Since last week I've been on a hydrotherapy placement for my physiotherapy degree, which means spending anything up to six and a half hours a day in chest deep, 35 degrees Celcius water. Now whilst being a rather pleasant experience, I've been told to keep my calorie intake up and that 'this is definitely no placement to start dieting'. And I reckon I may have taken this far too much to heart and snacked my way to a bodymass equilibrium this week.

Shame on me. On the good side, the actual running training is going to plan, with all completed for the past seven days. Surely it's only a matter of time as my body starts to adjust. At least that's what I hope. That and a continued scything of the calories off my daily intake. Discipline!

But seeing as I like my food, there's no chance at all I will be going without decent food at least once or twice a week. And for that, I use www.weareneverfull.com . Absolutely genius website without any concession to watching the calories in a dish and focusses purely on ingredients and taste. And as living proof that you won't pile on the pounds if you use the recipes, Jonny and Amy who run the site are both sickeningly healthy looking.

Everything in moderation, including moderation! Happy running and thumbs pressed for at least some kind of drop in weight in the next week. It's for charity, after all.

Witness the Fatness

As of today, my bodyfat is 25.3%. A slight drop in the year and a half it's been since I had the test previously, but not exactly remarkable. I am politely informed that this is just dipping a toe into the overweight/unhealthy bracket, which is rather shocking. I know I'm not built like Heile Gebresellassie, but it's a bit of a motivator.

Shamefully, the running programme starts tomorrow.

The same fat content as a club sandwich

Weeks to go: 16 and counting
Current weight: 15 stone 8 pounds
Total lost so far: 8 pounds
....no change in the last week.

Okay, so maybe there should be a little mickey-taking due to the fact that I've not lost anything this week. But in my defence, I was still ill for four days and then there was the inevitable New Year's Eve celebrations as well. You'll all be comforted to know that I ignored my own previous advice and liberally used Guinness, red wine and whiskey to see in 2009. And before I forget, Happy New Year to you all!

However, January sees me shun alcoholic drink in favour of a monastic lifestyle of a healthy diet, a bit of running and dedication to my university work. Actually, monks are known for producing some of the best and most powerful alcoholic beverages, especially in Belgium, so that doesn't really make sense. But you get the picture.

No body fat measurement for you today as the calipers have not been directly at my friend's disposal, but the last time it was taken, it was a whopping 27.5%. That's the same as chocolate, icing and a Burger King "Grilled Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich". I am beaming with pride as you can guess.

This is pretty shocking as the ideal limits for an active, athletic male is roughly between 8-14%. Now at the moment, 'ideal' doesn't necessarily tally with the 'average' bodyfat percentage, which is an unfortunate indictment on the UK population. But you can check out a few good options at http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/ and also at http://www.nhs.uk/ if you fancy a few changes to your current routine.

The 16 week routine for surviving a Marathon starts in earnest fom tomorrow, so I'll update you on that next time. Eat healthy and run happy. Cheers!