Category Archive
The following is a list of all entries from the Fitness category. Noteworthy entries are filed topmost.
The Flora London Marathon 2006
Living in Cornwall it is a long way from London. I travelled to London on Friday with most of the Newquay Road Runners, entrants. As soon as we arrived we checked into the hotel and made our way to the expo to collect our running numbers and chips etc.
Anti-biotics and Cramps.
This may or may not be old news, but it was new to me, and I thought I’d let anyone know who didn’t previously.
A week ago I had a dental implant, after the surgery I was given two anti-biotics to take as a precaution. Amoxycillin, which I have had once before, and Metronidazole, which I have never heard of. As someone who tries to keep fit, I asked the dentist whether I should lay off exercise for a couple of days, he agreed purely from the surgery side of things. I searched the net for some info on Metronidazole, as I had never taken it before and found that some of the side effects could be drowsiness or fatigue, oh well! It wouldn’t affect my running too much. Or would it?
Global Natural Health Care Trust
This year I am running the London Marathon, I have mentioned it in a previous blog. I am raising money for the Global Natural Health Care Trust, this is a charity setup by a friends sister. She spends half her income and half her life running and working for the charity. Full details can be found at http://www.gnhct.org/ I cannot believe the work and determination she has to do to make this work.
As I received my entry into London through the ballot it won’t cost the charity the £350 pounds they would normally have to pay to get a gold bond place. So any money I raise will go straight to the charity for its use, they do not have people they employ to raise money like most charities, so they do not waste the charities money either. The money will go straight to helping thousands of orphans in Africa and to help with the treatment of Aids victims.
If you would like to sponsor me, please send me an email with your pledge.
Back in training.
Now I have returned from my holiday, physically I feel great, warm climates stop the aches and creaks that old age brings 
I probably have gained a few pounds, including a lot of fluid that is removing itself at regular intervals. Its now time to get back into training for London.
Sunday April 23, London Marathon, it will be my third year in a row. While my general fitness is far better than last year, I am not as light, if I cannot lose at least a stone before the Marathon it will be a bigger test than ever before.
Some boring maths………..
Every step I will have to move 6kg (rounded) more than before, I take 150 steps a minute, a marathon takes me 4.5 hours (270 minutes). 150 steps x 270 minutes x weights = how much weight I would have to move over 1 step (roughly 1 metre) instead of carrying it over every step = 243,000 kgs = 243 tonnes. If someone 6kg lighter than me had to move 243 tonnes 1 metre before starting the race, they would know how I felt.
Of course in real life its not that bad, my muscles tone would have changed to carry the extra weight, and would even be part of the weight, but muscle is metabolic and uses more energy and oxygen. Its far easier to carry 6kg over 26.2 miles than move 243 tonnes by 1 metre, but at least I have an excuse for a bad finishing time……………………….
So back to the gym tonight, 1 hour of CV work then a 1 hour swim.
Alkaline foods & fruits
I keep reading articles that only give half the information, I eventually managed to link the two. Alkaline foods are anti-oxidants, acidic foods are oxidants, thats it, but the thing that interested me the most, was that during and after running, there is a lot of lactic acid build up in the muscles, eating an alkaline food during/after will help reduce the lactic acid. The acid and alkali cancel each other out. Obviuosly to eat a pile of alkaline foods to cancel it all out is probably impossible, but it does help. There are loads of alkali/acidic foods listed here http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/acidalkfoods.html , my personal choice has been a bunch of red grapes, they are re-hydrating as well, they have been helping me lately.
My efforts to keep fit.
I do try to keep fit. I took up running a few years ago, and have managed to complete 6 Marathons and loads of 1/2 marathons and shorter. During the last year I developed an aggravated achillies tendon, which meant if I ran for more than 20 minutes, I would be in great discomfort for the next 24 hours. So I had to leave off running for 3 months altogether as well as backing off my training for 3 months prior. My achillies is now a lot better, and in my efforts to get ready for the London marathon in April, I am running again. This time instead of running 5 days a week, I am going to the gym and swimming as well. During my lay-off I gained weight, I wasn’t eating a lot, and it was all healthy stuff, but it still went on. Now I am back in training, I am not losing it!! In the gym I have to work very hard to get my heart rate up to where it needs to be to burn fat, and swimming doesn’t get it anywhere near where I need it.
I am going to be the heaviest man running London this year. My only hope is to catch a Bug in Thailand and lose a lot of weight.