Run, Fat Boy, Run

The Challenge

2009-02-01T13:08:00.003+13:00

A friend, who will be known simply as "the blonde", has issued me a challenge. Well, not so much a challenge per se. There is no specific goal or timeline, I don't think. It's to keep each other motivated in a fitness/healthy eating regime. So more of a "I'll kick your butt if you kick mine" type of agreement. That's how I understand it, anyway. I haven't read the fine print, yet.

I won't be publishing any numbers (not at this stage, anyway) but will be reporting on progress on a regular to semi-regular basis. And I'll also be reporting on the progress of my partner in crime. I'm not sure if she knows this yet.

So not much to report today except that it has started. I had actually started a few days ago, but I ate a bunch of ice cream yesterday so maybe we'll say I'm starting today.

Let the butt kicking begin.

The Morning After

2008-11-16T07:26:00.012+13:00

Firstly, you people raised $700 for Parkinson's New Zealand! Well done and thanks very much for that!! With only 3 weeks to raise money, I didn't think that amount would be possible. And thanks for all the interest you've taken in this event. It's nice to have all that support.

As for the race, I made it. And if you need proof, you can find it here. Yes, I admit my placings are nothing to brag about but that just leaves lots of room for improvement...if I'm ever dumb enough to do this again.

It was a big event, with 2600 competitors. That's over half the population of Kerikeri itself. And the weather was perfect: overcast and cool.

I parked near the finish line and took one of the buses taking competitors to the start line. It was very well organised. I was convinced the bus must be taking the long way to the start line and we'd be taking shortcuts back. Wishful thinking!

The first 4km was a worry. Soon after the start, my shins started tightening up and becoming very painful. I slowed down to see if that would help and I started being passed by everyone. When a couple of old ladies passed me, I was wondering if I'd get to the finish.

Luckily about the 5km mark my shins came right. So I switched into higher gears. From 5km to about 17 or 18km, I was going pretty much all out. And I was doing much more passing than being passed. Take that, old ladies!!

This being Northland, of course there were hills. But for Northland, it wasn't an extremely hilly course. I'm still feeling every one of those hills today, though.

The last few kilometres were hard work. By now my legs were sore, my lower back stiff and sore, blisters on my feet were sore and my knee was starting to hurt. And I'm sure someone must have been moving the kilometre markers further apart. As we entered Kerikeri, a couple of boutique shops that sell fudge and chocolate were on the street giving competitors samples. This seemed like a good idea at the time and I thought it would be a good burst of energy. As it turns out, after 3 hours of walking, food was the last thing I wanted. As good as those samples were, next time I'll pass.

There I go talking about next time again. That's still up in the air. But I don't know if I can retire with those terrible placings. Thanks again for the support.

The Night Before

2008-11-14T20:42:00.002+13:00

I'm fully loaded with pasta. My iPod is fully loaded with music and power. I think I'm ready. Ready, even though I haven't done any walking since Saturday. I started a fitness bootcamp this week which was pretty intense. So hopefully my legs are ready for a good walk tomorrow.

Today was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. Tomorrow they're calling for cloud, some showers, and cooler. Which is just as well because a 4 hour walk in today's sun might have been too much.

Keep an eye on this blog for the after race info and possibly some photos.

Swim, Fat Boy, Swim

2008-11-02T18:58:00.003+13:00

This half marathon training has flicked some switch in my brain. I didn't want to go walking today because of my big walk yesterday but I felt like I needed to do something so I went for a swim.

It was my first serious swim in what must be about 2 years. I decided to take it pretty easy, but I still managed to do 1km. Technically my stroke is probably a nightmare, but it felt good and I got through it much easier than I expected. So easy, I considered doing 1.5km, but thought I should ease into this.

There's an ocean swim series I have in the back of my mind, but one thing at a time. Less than two weeks to the half marathon!

The Inaugural "Post Halloween Sugar Rush 15k"

2008-11-01T11:46:00.003+13:00

Halloween is not popular in New Zealand like it is in Canada. I didn't have anyone knock on my door last year. Still, you get some kids trick or treating to see what they can get. With that in mind, I had to stock up on goodies just in case any came to my door. I swear it was only a coincidence that I bought my favourite chocolate things.

As it happened, a group of 5 kids did come to my door. Just as well I was ready for them. BTW, not content with dressing up as a cowboy, one little boy (5 years old at the most, I'd say) was dressed as a dead cowboy. And his sister was a dead princess. Where do kids get their ideas from??

Needless to say, I had plenty left over. Damn. I made a big dent in that leftover pile last night. I woke up this morning feeling guilty and wanted to burn a lot of those calories off. Plus, it's only 2 weeks until the big half marathon (which you can still donate to). So I set off to do a 15km walk. It's close enough to the 21km half marathon distance to give me an idea as to how I'll feel.

To be pedantic, I did 15.2km. When you put all that energy in, you want credit for every last step. Although a bit tiring, it wasn't too bad. And I was happy with the time: 2:37 (like the distance, you want credit for every minute, too). Which means a sub-4 hour half marathon is a realistic goal. And now my official time goal.

Perhaps I need to save a stash of Halloween candy for the night before the big race!

Half Marathon and Fundraising

2008-10-24T15:59:00.004+13:00

I'm back! And I'm signed up for an event! I haven't been training (of course) so I'll just be walking. But it's a start.

Last year my brother, Lloyd, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. So, I'll be participating (i.e., walking, crawling) in the Kerikeri Half Marathon and would like to raise money for Parkinson's New Zealand. There currently is no cure for this debilitating disease.

If you can, please donate and/or find out more about Parkinson's New Zealand.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Walk, Fat Boy, Walk

2008-09-04T20:29:00.002+12:00

After my last post, my knee was sore and stiff for a bit so I haven't been running again. I have, however, been walking on a regular basis. Even when I'm walking, sometimes my knee gets stiff and sore. But it's getting there. I also tried to go cycling one day, but both tires are flat and I don't have a pump. I'll try and get one this weekend.

Another boring post, I know. I just wanted to update you on what's going on. Hopefully it'll get more interesting soon!

I'm Back

2008-08-22T20:13:00.002+12:00

Hey, remember me? No, I haven't been running or swimming. I did get some walking in since my last post. But yesterday I put in a gold medal performance in the "crap eating" event. And I've also been spurred on by people recently asking what's happening with my running. So this morning I got up early and went for a jog. Just a short, 2.4km jog so as not to hurt my knee or ankle. It was fairly easy until about two thirds of the way through, but I finished it. My legs have been very stiff all day and my knee a bit sore when I start walking after sitting for a while. But should be ok.

I'll try and combine this with more walking, some bike riding and a bit of swimming. Hopefully.

Weathering the Storms

2008-07-29T21:15:00.002+12:00

It's been a while since I posted. The terrible weather has continued. In fact, it's gotten worse. As I write this, yet another storm is starting with gale force winds and an expected 100mm of rain to fall overnight, into the already over saturated ground.

That's my way of saying I haven't been doing any jogging or walking. So I'm considering swimming. I enjoy swimming and it's been probably close to 2 years since I last went. It's a bit of an expense and a pain having to drive into town to get there, but I'm not getting any fitter sitting around doing nothing.

So hopefully within the week I'll post about my swimming expeditions. Please stay tuned.

Walking

2008-07-11T21:09:00.002+12:00

I have to confess that walking just doesn't do it for me. I may not always look forward to running, but at least when you're done you feel wide awake and energised. Walking takes too long and only makes me feel tired. Due to time constraints I only got out for a short walk today. But better than nothing.

I have my daughters this week so probably won't do much, if any, running. I'll try and take them for as many walks as I can but so far the weather isn't sounding promising.

Thanks to my brother, Lloyd, for his comment that got me off the couch again!

Remember Me?

2008-07-01T20:53:00.002+12:00

First of all, Happy Canada Day!! I hope everyone in Canada is enjoying the day off and having good weather.

I haven't written in a while, mainly because I haven't run since my last post. And the weather has been so crap, I haven't even been walking much. Until the past few days. On Sunday, my car was stolen. They found it soon afterwards, but it had been involved in another incident so the police needed to hang on to it for a few days. Anyway, to make a long story short, the police handed it over to me today and I've taken it to get fixed. I won't get it back until next Tuesday.

So, it's just as well I wasn't planning on going in that run on Sunday because I don't have a car to get there! Speaking of that run, I got my race number in the mail the other day. I'm #4 so I guess I was one of the keen ones who signed up right away. Shame I won't be there.

So, tomorrow I'll start walking, maybe twice a day. And in a week or so I'll try some short runs and see how that goes. I'll keep you posted.

Bury My Run with Wounded Knee

2008-06-24T18:50:00.003+12:00

For the past few days, my right knee has been bothering me more. Not a great deal of pain, but more than just stiff. That slight pain kept me awake most of Sunday night (Sunday was my last run). I tried elevating it and a number of positions but couldn't get rid of it. Unfortunately I didn't have any ice to put on it.

I've been thinking about it a lot over the past couple of days. I decided that I was trying to ramp up my runs in order to get ready for this 9km run in a couple of weeks. But I can't lose sight of my long term goal, and don't want to jeopardise it by injuring myself trying to reach this short term goal.

So, I'm thinking of passing on this 9km run, lowering my current runs, increasing my walking (and possibly cycling if the rain ever stops), improving my diet and slowly increasing my run distances as I lose weight. It's a bit frustrating because my cardiovascular system can handle the runs I'm currently doing, but my knee (and ankle) are obviously having problems with them.

I'm keeping my eye on the long term goal and will try to find more suitable short term goals to keep me motivated.

I'd be interested in any feedback anyone has on these ideas, particularly experienced runners.

Big Talk All Wind

2008-06-22T10:26:00.004+12:00

First off, thanks to everyone who is reading and leaving comments. It really does help!! I appreciate you taking the time.

Now then, whose dumb idea was it to put up that Big Talk post?? Would anyone notice if I deleted it? My run was a slight disaster.

Yesterday (Saturday) was not the greatest weather-wise. I wanted to do the run sometime this weekend, so decided to wait until today. Overnight, however, we had what sounded and felt like a mini-hurricane. This morning it was still wet and very, very windy. The rain stopped soon after I got out of bed, so I went for it.

The wind was really strong and hit me as soon as I went out. The first hill, only a few minutes into the run, just about killed me. Never mind 7km, I wasn't sure if I was going to make 3! I slogged on but the wind was killing me. At the 2km mark, the rain started again. Hard. But as they say in Northland, if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes. And five minutes later the rain had stopped. Unfortunately the wind hadn't.

When I got to the 3km mark I stopped and walked for 3 or 4 steps. But then I thought of this blog and decided I'd better push on. Before I got to my next turnaround, however, it was clear that I was fast running out of energy. Did I mention the strong wind?? So I turned around to come home but straight into the strong wind (which I may have mentioned before) and stopped.

So how far did I go? I won't know until later today when I drive it, but I'm guessing probably just under 4km. Very disappointing. I have to remind myself that only a few weeks ago, 4km was a goal. So in that respect, I'm doing well. But I'm concerned about this 9km run that is 2 weeks from today.

Big Talk

2008-06-21T11:51:00.003+12:00

My first run is only 2 weeks away and I'm still a bit nervous about this 9km distance. This is the weekend, so it's time for my long run. I will do at least 5km but I'm going to try to do 7km. My reasoning is that if I can do 7km now on my own, then I should be able to struggle through 9km in a crowd in 2 weeks. If I manage to do the 7km this weekend, then I'll stick to 3-5km for the next 2 weeks in anticipation of the big event.

I'm announcing my 7km plan now to motivate me in case I feel like stopping when I get to 5km. Hopefully it will give me a psychological edge. My run will be today or tomorrow, depending on weather, etc.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and Some More Good

2008-06-18T22:13:00.002+12:00

Just a quick one tonight as I'm tired and have to get to bed.

The Good - my knee and ankle haven't bothered me the past couple of days, which is nice

The Bad - my ankle bothered me quite a bit for a couple of days after the long run on Saturday

The Ugly - I ate a ton of chocolate last night

Some More Good - I had an easy 3km run tonight. It's nice to be able to say that as it was only weeks ago that I was struggling to do 3km. Yee-haa!

Running Geek

2008-06-15T08:13:00.003+12:00

Last night I became a running geek. It was windy and rainy. I could have easily left the run for today and a month ago I would have. But as soon as I considered the possibility of going for a run, my body was like a dog that has been asked if they want to go for a walk. I couldn't wait to go out there, even though it was going to mean missing the start of the All Blacks vs England game. Total geek.

This being the weekend, it was time for my long run, which usually consists of out and back, out and back, and around the block. That's a bit boring. It's also quite flat. And this being Northland, there's a good chance that any organised runs I go into will have plenty of hills. So I decided it was time to incorporate hills into my training. Which is very easy to do around here. I found a few biggish, and quite long, hills. So I was a bit concerned that these hills were going to play havoc with my long run.

But I was on fire! I did 5.4km, including the hills. Running geek it up!! My cardiovascular system was in total control and felt great the whole time. My legs, on the other hand, started to protest with about 1km to go. Not sore. Just the lactic acid building up and making them feel half their normal length, twice their normal girth, and filled with lead. But they were troopers and kept going until the end. They even sped up at the end, like a horse who speeds up when he senses he's close to home. Another animal simile. I guess you could call this run my dog and pony show.

Last night, my knee and ankle bothered me a bit (these are the same knee and ankle I hurt back in December that never seem to have recovered properly) and they're stiff today. But being the running geek I am, I'm not quitting yet. Like Jack Black sings in School of Rock, "you're not hardcore; unless you live hardcore".

We Are Not Alone

2008-06-11T18:58:00.002+12:00

I discovered today, not surprisingly, that I'm not the only one doing this. I found a few blogs of out of shape guys who are running with goals like marathons in mind. Very good for motivation. I'll eventually build a list of these on this blog. I also joined a running blog directory.

I had a pretty good run yesterday, doing 3.2km a bit easier than it used to be (although not easy by any stretch of the imagination). I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow's run.

And I can't believe I haven't posted this video before. It should have been on my first post.

Blogging Victory

2008-06-05T19:53:00.002+12:00

Blogging works. At least sometimes. Like tonight. When I got home from work, I was tired and hungry. It was dark and cold outside; the coldest night we've had so far this winter. I seriously considered grabbing Chinese takeaway, kicking back, and watching Coronation Street. But then I thought about my blog.

I know my faithful readers wake up every morning and run straight for their computer, hoping and praying that I've updated my blog. And I hadn't blogged about my unspectacular 2.8km run on Tuesday night. So having something to write about drove me out to go running on this chilly night.

As it turns out, I felt pretty good. I did my usual run out and back and felt not too bad. So ran out again. On the way back the second time, I was starting to feel quite tired. But I realised I was close to my 5km short term goal. I pictured me typing this blog entry bragging about my 5km run. And it worked. I made it back to the starting point and from there, nothing was going to stop me doing the last bit around the block. Another victory for blogging! I finally ran 5km!! Hoo-ray!

Anyone who has checked my map will realise that out and back twice and once around the block is actually 5.2km. But to be conservative and to allow for errors, I call it 5km. I rock!!

Ok, I realise the New Zealand, Australian, and Canadian Olympic committees won't be fighting over me to get me to Beijing. But it felt damn good. It was a long time coming, but thank heavens it finally came as I was starting to wonder. I won't be able to do that distance every run, but now maybe I'll be able to increase my short runs from 2.8km to 3.2km.

To cap it all off, I was able to shower, get my Chinese takeaways, and get home in time for Coronation Street.

Inspiration

2008-06-03T21:41:00.003+12:00

Here are a couple of videos of inspiration that my friend Merydie left in the comments of my very first post.

Running Route

2008-06-02T12:30:00.004+12:00

For anyone who might be interested, here is a map of my current running route. It's nice and flat and easy, although most of the run I'm on the footpath rather than grass which isn't so good for my knees and ankles. I was hoping for a more interesting map but being remote, there's no interesting satellite photos of the area.

View Larger Map

Not Yet

2008-06-01T11:18:00.003+12:00

Today is the 1st of June. And also 5 weeks before my first run. So I was psychologically determined to do 5km today. I was going to say psychologically committed but I don't like the way that can be interpreted.

But my body didn't agree with my brain. I did do 5km but I only ran the first 3.6km. So it's progress, but a little disappointing. I'm starting to get a little worried about the run now. It's frustrating because it's never taken me this long before to be able to run 5km. I guess I've never been this out of shape before. Or this old.

Progress

2008-05-29T20:48:00.003+12:00

I've had a few days off due to a cold. I still have the cold today, but it's a little better and the weather was good, so I thought I'd better get out there. It was an evening run, so felt more comfortable. And I managed 3.2km. Hopefully 5km isn't too far away. Only 5 weeks to go.

Treaty

2008-05-25T15:39:00.002+12:00

In past runs, it's been a contest to see who would cave in first: my cardiovascular system or my legs. And the fierce competition has been great. With each of them teasing the other to give up, that was the last thing they were going to do. Today was different. It was as if they signed a pact. The Treaty of the Spleen, perhaps.

Because today is Sunday, the day I will try to do my longer runs, I wanted to get closer to 5km. And for the first two thirds of the run it felt like that was a possibility. But after 2.8km, I could feel something was up. My heart and lungs were thinking "we've been here before but he's still going". My legs answered "remember the treaty; it's time to bail". And so they did. I was quick to follow.

6 weeks to go...

Wax On, Wax Off

2008-05-21T19:48:00.004+12:00

Tonight was a much more promising 2.8km. For one thing, I was running at night which I've always found easier than running in the morning. But I was also concentrating more on my breathing and steps. Remember when the Karate Kid was waxing Mr. Miyagi's car, thinking he was being taken for a ride (which I still think he was)? Well that was me, except I knew why I was doing it. Left foot, right foot; deep inhale, deep exhale. It wasn't exactly the elusive rhythm I mentioned in my last entry, but much better than the chaos of my last run.

Only 6 weeks until the first run and I'm still not running one third of the distance. But I'm still not too worried. I'll get there in the end. I just hope The Cobras don't show up! When am I going to learn how to punch? Patience, grasshopper. Ooops, wrong show...

Slow Going

2008-05-19T22:03:00.003+12:00

I ran 2.4km tonight and it wasn't fun. It was a struggle almost the whole way. I'm very much aware that my first run is only weeks away and will be over 3 times this limit. Still, I'm not too worried yet as I haven't been very consistent in my running, which is going to change this week.

I know from years ago that I will eventually go for a run and fall into a rhythm that feels great. It's something to look forward to but will take a while. After tonight, I'm thinking even longer than I thought it would.

Run Booked

2008-05-16T19:23:00.002+12:00

6 July! That's the date of my first organised run in this "road to a marathon". I'll be running the Mangawhai Heads 2 Harbour 9km run. I considered trying for the 12km Waipoua Forest Run Walk but that's only a month away so this seems more reasonable.

Ideally, I'd like to try for an organised run every month or 6 weeks to keep my motivation up. But first I have to get through a week of consisting running...

Cat Napping

2008-05-13T13:17:00.002+12:00

It's Tuesday which means it's been exactly a week since my last run. There is a reason, albeit a bizarre one. I've been looking after my daughter's cat this week. This cat is used to being outside a lot but as she is not used to this neighbourhood, I don't let her out. To reduce the possibility of her getting out, I've been going out as little as possible. That sounds ridiculous even as I type it. But I don't want to be responsible for breaking my daughter's heart by losing her cat. Besides, it's only for a week so I can get back to running on Sunday night.

In some ways it's been good. No running to the dairy around the corner to buy chocolate or chips. And the good thing is I've been missing the running and looking forward to getting back to it.

Mid-May already and I still haven't signed up for a run. That has to change! I'll find one for June to motivate me.

That Time of Year

2008-05-02T20:11:00.002+12:00

Here it is Friday night and I haven't run since Monday morning. But it was a relatively good one: 2.8km. My ankle was a bit sore for a couple of days after that so I took it easy. I have my daughters this weekend so won't be able to do a road run; I may take them to the gym tomorrow so I can do a run on the treadmill.

Tomorrow is an important milestone as it is the Rotorua Marathon. That means I have a year to go. And I think I'll need every one of those weeks!

I haven't managed to sign up for any road races yet but hope to soon. I'll keep you posted.

Modest Beginnings

2008-04-25T12:04:00.002+12:00

Anyone who has watched reality television will know that I am at the start of an "amazing journey". Maybe that's how I'll view it if I ever get across the finish line at the marathon next year, but it's not how it feels right now.

Sick of the old man style of walking with a bit of jogging, I thought I'd try my old school, or Forest Gump, approach today and run as far as I could. That would be the basis of my once weekly long run, and I'd scale it back a bit for my normal runs during the week. It didn't work too well and if I scale it back much more, I won't be leaving my front door.

I did a total of 2.3km. I can't tell you how long it took because my sports watch needs a new battery, but it probably took too long. Still, it's just the beginning and in a way it's good because I can only improve from here.

So the plan is to keep at this same route for the next week or two and see if one Sunday I can do a real long run.

What's this all about?

2008-04-18T14:39:00.000+12:00

I've always wondered what it would be like to run a marathon. I'm not completely oblivious to running. I've had many attempts at becoming a runner in the past. This usually consists of me running regularly for about a month, when I start to really feel good and get into it. Then I take a break for a few years. I've also done a couple of 10km runs in years gone by but not for a long time. So now, at 43 years old and 40kg overweight, I thought now would be a good time to give it a go. Also, rumour has it that if an old, fat guy like me completes a marathon, you win the heart of Thandie Newton.

My plan is to run a marathon in a year's time. By then I should be living in Rotorua, which hosts one of New Zealand's most popular marathons. During the next year, I also plan on doing other organised runs to build up to the marathon and will post about them as well.

Anyone who knows me will know that I rarely finish anything I start (except chocolate). This blog is an attempt to keep me motivated. I have no idea how often I will be updating it and if it suddenly disappears, you'll know that I quit. But let's hope not! We're entering the wet winter months, so that will be a big first test.

Feel free to leave comments of encouragement or mockery.