It's been a rough week!

Hello again! This week has been a bit of a tough one! Since my three mile run last weekend, I just haven't been feeling the same! I have felt short of breath, and tired most of the time. I think that I need to make some more changes to my diet to include some natural sugars, as at the moment, I have cut out all fizzy juice, and no longer take any milk or sugar in my coffee. I have some dried cerial with my breakfast every morning, but besides that, most of what I am consuming are carbs... mostly pasta.

I've been told that carbs are great for running energy, but the flip side is that starchy carbs don't seem to be a great way to lose weight. Perhaps if anyone has some more information about either of these statements, please let me know, as I would love to find the energy, and and lose weight at the same time!

SO what have I accomplished this week? Not much if I am honest! I had a decent run on Tuesday (2.04 miles), and then another run today (2.65) miles, and have lost one more pound. I am hoping to get measurements up by the end of the weekend to see where I stand this week. I'd also like to get another run in tomorrow to ensure I make my initial goal of three per week.

In addition to the running related accomplishments and issues, I have had a fairly busy week at work including a trip to London for the day on Wednesday which kind of did me in for running on Thursday. Perhaps that is what has slowed me down for the end of the week? WHo knows, but hopefully it won't be affecting me this coming week, and I can get more than one blog post done, and up for you guys!

I was also able to get in touch with Maggie's again in regards to sponsorship this week, and got some great information back from them. It's because of this that I have added a JustGiving widget to my blog, and to my Facebook page. This means that I am officially running in aid of Maggie's! I have set myself a goal of raising £1000 for Maggie's, and would greatly appreciate anyone who can afford a small donation! If you'd like to donate, you can click on the 'donate' button on the JustGiving widget on the right hand side of the page, or visit my JustGiving page.
Beyond Maggie's, I'd also like to add a recipe to the blog, as it's been quite some time since I've done that, so without further ado, I present my latest healthy creation...

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Spiced Turkey Burgers with Pesto Mayo, Home-style Chips and a Carrot and Cucumber Salad

I've been fighting the fight for turkey for quite some time now, and again, I fly the turkey flag with this recipe. Turkey is a great meat, and a great source of vitamins. In fact, only a five ounce serving of turkey meat contains your daily recommended intake of folic acid, and includes good amounts of Vitamin B, B1, B6, Potassium, and Zinc. Studies show it has effect on reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, and helps the prevention of cancer, and heart disease! It really is a magical bit of meat! That being said, ensure tha minced turkey that you're buying is in fact minced turkey breast, and doesn't include any dark meat or skin, as that's where the fat, cholesterol, and sodium lies. This recipe boasts a healthy alternative to a commonly enjoyed North American treat, hamburgers!

• 1 package of minced turkey breast (250g)
• 1 small red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Spices: Cumin, Corriander Seed, Mustard Seed, Smoked Paprika, Salt and Pepper
• 3oz bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 healthy rolls/buns
• 1oz light mayonnaise
• 2oz Low-Fat Basil Pesto
• 1 Gem Lettuce
• 1-2 Large Carrots
• 1/2 a Cucomber
• 1Tbsp Fresh Corriander
• 1Tsp Apple Vinegar
• 3Tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3-4 Maris Piper Potatoes

First we'll need to create our burger patties. To do this, finely dice half of the red onion, and the garlic. Add them both to a pan on medium heat in some of the oil until they're soft, which should take about five minutes on low-medium heat. Allow the mixture to cool on a sheet of paper towel to eliminate as much of the oil as possible.

While the micture is cooling, we can get our spices mixed. Get a pestal and mortar or if you don't have one, you can use a cup and a rolling pin, or use the side of your chef's knife to crack the spices together in a plastic bag. Add 1/2tsp of each of the spices to the mixture, and grind them until you've got nothing more than a powder, taste, and season accordingly. Note the mixture will be quite potent, so don't taste too much of it.

With your spices ground, and the onions and garlic cool, add both to the minced turkey, and use your hands to combine all the ingredients into one big party! When you're happy with the mixture, add the breadcrumbs and the egg. Again, use your hands to squish everything together, ensuring that the egg and the breadcrumbs are distributed evenly through the micture.

Shape the mixture in your hands into burger patties, trying not to make them too thick, as they'll have trouble cooking. When you've shaped all the required patties, place them on a plate and cover them with cling film. Fire them into the fridge to set for a half hour.

To prepare the carrot and cucumber salad, take a potato peeler, and use it to peel both the carrot(s) and the cucumber. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise, and use a small spoon to remove the watery seeds from the center of the cucumber. Continue to use the peeler to peel thin sheets of both carrot and cucumber into a mixing bowl.

Next, for the vinegraitte, combine the apple vinegar, and double the amount in oil. Season with salt and pepper, and taste. Finely dice the fresh corriander, and add half to the dressing, and leave the remainder to top the salad when it's on the plate.

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

By this point, the burgers should be set. Pull them out, and let them relax at room temperature for thirty minutes prior to cooking if possible. This ensures that the centre of the burger is already warm enough to start cooking, ensuring a uniform cooking heat across the entire burger.

While the patties are warming up, simply add the pesto to the mayonnaise in a bowl in order to ready it for the buns. Slice the gem lettuce, as well as the rest of the onion for garnishing the burger. Next, slice the rolls, and get them ready to go in the oven. Pop the chips in the oven in a pan with a small bit of oil, salt, and pepper, and some rosemary if you've got it. Allow them 20-30 minutes to go crisp and golden, flipping them every 10-15 minutes.

Once all of the prep work is done, get your pan ready to go with a thin film of oil, and a low-medium heat again. When the oil is up to temperature, get the patties in the pan, and move them around to ensure they don't stick to the bottom. Allow 5-6 minutes to cook on each side, or until golden brown, and not burning.

When you've cooked both sides of the burger, pop it into the oven with the buns as well. This toasts the buns, and finishes the burgers.

At this point, you should be able to begin plating the salad, and the chips, and get the crisped buns out of the oven, and onto the plate, dressed with the pesto mayo, and the veg garnishes. When the plate is ready, remove the burgers from the oven, and check the centers are done cooking. If they are fully cooked, sit them atop the freshly toasted bun, and present to your loved ones.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
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Thanks for staying tuned, and I will be back in touch shortly!

Week 1 in Review

Well, I've reached the end of my first official week of training for the Half Marathon in May, and I am pleasantly surprised, and proud of my results thus far!

I have run three times this week, and here are the results with one of last week's runs to compare:



As you can see, I have hit the three mile mark! I am unbelievably chuffed with this! Never in my life would I have thought that three miles would be possible, let alone running for thirty minutes solid! Ask anyonein my highschool, and they'll know of my allergy to running on the annual Milk Run. We were asked to run a mile or a mile and a half, and I would shit it long before the finish line. Take that, and our weekly run which might as well havebeen a trot down the block and back, and some how I could never do it.

In the words of a boy from Illinois, "Boy I'll tell you what" (extra emphasis on the w in 'what')... this is so good for someone's confidence, and for their esteem! Not to mention, it'saddictive! I want nothing more than to see my 'score' next week. What a rush!

So the runs have been good, but what about everything else? Let's start with my visit to te doctor to get the results of my blood test.

On Wednesday, I visited the doctor again who had some reasonable news about my blood. She told me that I have high blood pressure (149/89 for you medical geeks) and high cholesterol (6.1 Overall, 4.4 LDL - again for the geeks). This isn't great, but what is great is that I don't suffer from any of the other bits and bobs that I have worried about (cancer, diabetes, AIDS, Hep, etc). This means I have some work to do, but at least the issues I have are issues that I can fight. This will mean that there will be an impact on my food choices, but also the fact that I am exercising regularly now should take the sting off those numbers. I have a follow-up appointment on 4-5 months to see where my numbers are at, which happens to coincide with a certain Half Marathon that I'll be running in.

So medical results aren't great, but far from terrible... what about my diet?

We kicked off the week with Spiced Turkey Burgers with Pesto Mayonnaise, a carrot and cucumber salad, and home-style chips... the recipe is to follow. This set the tone as it was both tasty, and nutricious! From there, I broke down slightly and opted for a cmall takeaway order from a Chinese restaurant, and a 'bake yourself' pizza from Asda (The equivilent of Save-On Foods) loaded with veg and chicken. We then had some spaghetti with leeks and white wine (potentially another recipe to add down the road), and for lunches, I've been taking it easy with a 'Pasta Snack' that weighs in at around 200 calories and a bag of Snack a Jacks Rice Cakes (209cals), and a piece of fruit. I've been veraging about one cup of coffee per day (just recently with no milk or sugar), and 1.5L-3L of water daily. All in all, there are improvements to be made, but with the calories I am burning from running, as long as what is going into me is good stuff, I should be alright! This leads me onto my next point... weight.

My weight has changed over the last two weeks... to the good! I have lost half a stone (which for the overseas crowd is 7lbs) in two weeks. This brings me down to 16 stone, which is 224lbs), this is two stone or 28lbs heavier than my lightest weight which I achieved nearly two and a half years ago. All things considered, I could not be happier with the loss! I feel a definite improvement in the waistline of my work trousers, and instead of creeping down the dreaded belt hole ladder, I am climbing back up it, ready to attack that last hole with a vengeance!

So... I think it's time to start the old photo system again... it's good for me, and hopefully it's good for you guys to see a difference, and for some of you to make the decision to get fit with me, whether it be by Wii Fit, or running, or who knows... maybe even by washing your goldfish!

As always, keep the comments coming! It's really helpful to know people are watching! It makes me accountable, which is something I need at the moment. Also, please feel free to add any tips, tricks, recipes, or ideas my way!

Without further ado, I present a shattered Fat Kid after his first ever three mile run, wearing a currently unflattering compression top from More Mile (review to come)





And in the words of a very famous Mr. Clarkson "And on that bombshell, see you next week!"

And away we go...

Wow... two posts in one week... maybe this means we're back on track!

In the coming weeks I will be getting the measurements and scales back on track as well as the progress images. In addition to this, I will be posting some information about the runs I will be doing, how I will be doing my training, and what I'll be eating to get to the start line. I welcome all advice and suggestions that you guys may have, so please feel free to drop a comment or an email in the coming weeks!

It's almost official now, as I have committed myself to a half marathon on May 23rd, 2010. The run in question is The Scottish Half Marathon. I am partnered by Richard who will no doubt finish in front, but I look forward to the support of having someone training along side. He has ambitions of running a full marathon in October, and has told me again that I should do the same, but let's cross this bridge first, shall we?


This week also included a visit to the doctor to get all of my facts in order before I get to crazy. I haven't been to the doctor in ages, and it's been even longer since someone has taken blood and tested for things, so as prescribed by every workout routine... I have gone to check with my GP before things get too far along. That being said, I don't foresee any issues, except for my asthma, but I'll do my best to fight that one.

I went for a run on Tuesday night in a -3 chill that got the best of my lungs and my head. I made it to the 1 mile mark, and stopped, feeling fire in my lungs. The good news is that it wasn't my muscles or joints that stopped me, which have been the biggest issue in the past. I managed to continue on with a light jog up to the 1.6 mile mark, but had to quit, and get some water in me... slightly disappointing, but more importantly, it's a start.

I went for another run at the gym yesterday, on a treadmill, which is the first time I have used my Nike+, or my new shoes on a treadmill. I had better results, getting near 1.5 miles before I stopped, and mixed it up with some sprinting and fast walking. At this point, I can't stress enough the value of having a pair of running shoes that are suited to your weight, your arches and your running style... my shoes have been my biggest boost in confidence, because for once, it's not my feet or legs or hips, or back that are causing me to rest... it's my tired lungs.

At this point also, I couldn't be happier with myself for quitting smoking 586 days ago... because I know I am running and living better without it! More importantly, it shows me that I am well and truly able to accomplish something that might seem a bit too difficult at first glance.

In addition to bettering myself, I want to do my bit for helping a group that have helped someone very close to me. I would like to run this half marathon in support of Maggie's Cancer Centre who have helped my Mum in her fight against Cancer in 2007. They provided support for people, and didn't ask for a paycheck at the end of it all. The service they offer to Cancer sufferers, and their families is top notch, and priceless, though unfortunately it does demand an overhead cost. I have not been able to get an official link with maggie's as of yet, as I am awaiting a response from their team, but when I do make an arrangement, I will post details on here, as well as the Facebook group in order to get them a little extra exposure to those who may not know about them, or for those of you who might be across the Atlantic in my native Canada, to have a look at, and contribute if possible. More details of course to come...

Stick around, and see you soon!

So long, I even forgot my password!

Wow... here we go again!

I dropped the ball big-style two years ago with a punishing finish to what should have been my biggest triumph. I got the job of my dreams, the girl of my dreams, and what I thought was the life of my dreams, but yet... I slipped.

For that, I owe you an apology, and more importantly, I owe myself an apology. At the end of the day, the only person who benefits from what I do is me, and I have let myself down in a big way.

Recently, I have been getting into a form of exercise called running. Perhaps you've heard of it, you've maybe even attempted it! For those of you that know me best though, you know I am allergic to it! So how did it start, and what am I doing just now?

On a recent trip to Canada to visit friends and family, and introduce my darling girlfriend Alicia to everyone, we made a short-break down to Oregon, namely Portland, and the surrounding area. It was here that I visited a Nike outlet, and came across the most comfortable pair of shoes I had ever worn, so I bought them, and then I bought Nike+, and then I bought an armband for my Nano, my new best pal.

I brought it all back to the UK, and went for my first run, and found that it had done something that no other thing in this world could do... it made running fun! I was partially hooked, and ran a couple of times a week, or once weekly, saving every run I did, tracking all sorts of valuable information.I will write about this in the future, I have decided! In any case though, back to the issue at hand, running.

I have only run a measly 11 miles with my Nike+ kit, but an odd seed was also recently planted in my mind... the dreaded 'm' word... yes, none other than the pinnacle of all running accomplishments, the 'marathon'. I have a friend and co-worker named Richard who has decided that he is going to run a full marathon, and says that I should try to do the same! 'The boy must be joking!' I thought to myself, but he wasn't! It was at this point that something in my mind, next to the crisp obsession and the sofa memories, switched on, and said 'Hey! I can do that!'. I almost pooped in my drawers, but I definitely caught a case of verbal diarrhea and spat out a 'Maybe'.

It is now, January 12th at 18:22 that I am committing to this. I will run a half marathon! This is my promise to myself, and if you guys want to join along for the ride, I'll do my best to entertain you with information, results, and hopefully some witty banter along the way! If you're interested in backing me again, I would be very grateful, and I look forward to providing us all with a little bit more to enjoy in life.

Thanks for your time, and your patience, and I look forward to bringing you more details about the training, and the results, and who knows, a few more of my recipes might sneak their way back onto this page as well, but for now... only commitment.