InspiredToRun.co.uk

Up until 2000 I was fit and healthy.  I taught tennis, played golf to quite a high standard and rode BMX bikes.  I had an accident which damaged the muscles in the top of my neck and down my back.  I was off work for four months and suffered continuously until the middle of last year when the pain subsided. During that time I was unable to undertake the sports I had always enjoyed and subsequently became a couch potato and put on 4 ½ stone, or put more frighteningly, 63 lbs. 

On the 18th April my wife and I had our first child, a son who we have called Myles.  My whole outlook on life changed.  I started thinking about the sports he could get involved in when he was older, and how my state of health would be a huge hindrance to my enjoying his development to the full. In the week of Myles’ birth two friends came to visit our new son.  I hadn’t seen either of them since I was fit and healthy, as they had moved away.  They both had become addicted to running (one of them did the London Marathon this year).  We spoke for some time about how I wanted to be fit and healthy again, both for my sake and for my son's.  I had not considered running before as the sports I was involved in took up most if not all of my spare time. After some discussion we talked about goals.  They both suggested I use running to help me lose weight and to get fit again and to have a specific goal to aim for such as a half marathon.  This got me thinking and thought: why not aim for a sprint Triathlon?

I have now been running for six weeks and I am up to three miles twice a week.  I have gone from 17 stone to 15 stone 5 lbs in just 6 weeks, a loss of 23lbs.  What the running has done is motivate me and drive me forward.  I eat very healthily, I drink plenty of water and I am also riding bikes again.  The adrenalin is incredible and running for me has become like a drug.  My colleagues cannot believe the difference, both in my figure and also in the way I am as a person.  I am so much happier because I have so much more energy, and this is also showing in my ability to do my job better because I have a clearer mind. 

I have drawn up a number of very specific plans.  One is for my target weight loss (updated once per week), one is for my running, which shows the distance, time taken and average heart rate (updated each time I go for a run), and one is for cycling - which also shows distance, time taken and average heart rate (updated each time I go for a ride).  Each plan has a bi-weekly target increase. From next week I will be adding another plan, which will be for swimming. Without running being such an addiction to my friends I probably would have been still thinking about what to do to lose weight and get fit.  And without the birth of my son I would probably be bigger than I was seven weeks ago.  

The birth of my son has given me the kick in the pants I needed.  Running has given me the drive to achieve my goal of competing in a triathlon.

By the end of September I will be able to put Triathlon on my CV under 'Hobbies'.  Who would have thought it?