SCD/Marathon Update - One Year On

In Jan 2017 being terribly overweight and unfit and having a long standing dream to be able to run a marathon I set myself the following goals.

• Lose 10lbs
• Run a marathon by the end of the year
• Do 1 chin up

The means I settled on were: the Slow Carb Diet, cold showers and various exercise plans off the 'net.  Now one year on (Jan 2018)

• I've lost 47lbs (3st 5lbs), 23 1/2 'total inches' (waist, hips, thighs, biceps) and my BMI has reduced by 7.1.
• Run a marathon, two half-marathons, three 10k, one 5k and around thirty Parkrun 5ks,
• Can regularly do 5 chin ups.

I couldn't have done it without the support and encouragement from my wife, and all the people who sponsored me on my marathon but also the following people made it possible

Tim Ferriss (Slow Carb Diet)
Alan Broodryk (NHS knee and hip specialist and former ultrarunner)
Jason Fitzgerald (Strength Running Warm ups and running plan)
Nick Nilsson (chin up specialist)
The Forest Rec Parkrun Volunteers

In 2018 I'm hoping to run my first ultra marathon.

Nottingham Christmas Half Marathon 2017

My first competitive race since the marathon was the Nottingham Christmas Half Marathon at Holme Pierrepont. Fuelled by christmas pudding, AC/DC and arm-sweat salt I achieved a time of 2:02:07 and finished 351 out of 677 runners. 

Happy with that as I had no game plan, very little training and no goal other than to finish.

My son did his first race - 5k - and loved it.

Robin Hood Half Marathon 2017

01:59:36

2193th (out of 6149 finishers).

I smashed my training PB!

The day was too hot and having to deal with water bags (bags!?) was a pain but having run the course a bunch of times REALLY helped. I got too hot because I didn't have a hat, so I drank a lot which meant I was OVER-hydrated which meant my stomach started giving me gyp around mile 10, but I powered (actually 'deep breathed') through it and by 11 I was OK again. Met an old buddy Clive on the start line and saw a few familiar faces on the track and the sideline.

I loved it. It was a dream come true. Well, HALF a dream come true...

Good Times

This week the training has really kicked up a gear. I've run 13.7 miles twice (2:42 on the second one) plus a couple of shorter things. Today I ran another ParkRun PB and got my best position (due, no doubt, to all the bank holiday absentees) and then ran half of the Robin Hood half marathon course as prep for the race.

I also had my weigh in - and I've dropped all my holiday weight plus an extra pound! So I'm back to having lost over 3 stone this year and, with the holiday season over, I'll hopefully keep it off.

So how does a slow carb diet guy celebrate losing three stone? Like this!!!!

CHEAT DAY!!!

Oh, and I've found this documentary so inspiring, I've watched it twice