Check yourself

Today, The Rotary Club of Walsall is holding a Health Awareness Day in conjunction with the NHS and Stroke Association. You can pop in at The Crossing, any time between 10am and 3pm.

Last year local businessman Dave Gill stopped me in the street, and asked me to get checked. Only blood sugar, blood pressure, and BMI.

Cycling Cross Country

I’m going to do something foolish for charity. After 18 months running, I’ve tackled a couple of 10K runs, a triathlon, and now I’m feeling a bit ambitious. So…

On August 13th, 2015 I’ll be travelling North with a team of like minded folks to prepare for a three day cyling tour.

Running in circles

Last year, I announced I had begun running on Saturday mornings in Walsall Arboretum. Parkrun has since become a regular feature of my weekends. To date I’ve clocked up 44 runs, covering a total of 220km which otherwise wouldn’t have happened.

I’m not a runner

Today I enjoyed a new experience. I went for a run.

Not, you understand, that I’m a runner now.

Give me that old time religion… it’s good enough for me.

Church on Sunday was great. There was a fantastic sermon and some good old time hymns mixed in with the modern songs. I’m not saying church is all about the music, but given I was playing the piano, it was a key factor in my thinking.

Faster, fat boy.

Today I ran faster.

Four weeks of #fatboygym

It’s been nearly a month since the doctor told me to change my lifestyle drastically, reduce my cholesterol and take better overall care of my body. I have been to the gym regularly, changed my diet, and even started taking medicinal linseed oil supplements.

And the result? I’m a size smaller round the middle, have more energy, feel better and have started to lose fat all over my body. It’s amazing how just one month of trying to live better has brought benefits. I’m over a stone lighter than when I started.

Best of all, the diet and stuff has been OK. I don’t have massive cravings for coffee, beer or chocolate and I’m actually enjoying the increased fruit intake. I have eight weeks until the next appointment with the doctor. If I can stick with this, I’ll be hoping for good news.

Three days in…

So, the weight loss program has begun.

I no longer eat food with high levels of refined sugars or saturated fats, I’ve dropped coffee and alcohol completely, and am looking at herbal teas.

Oh, and I joined a gym. I’ve done at least 20 minutes cardiovascular exercise every day since Thursday, and I feel…

Abstinence makes the heart grow stronger.

I’m ill. My cholesterol level is 6.4 (I assume mmol/l) and one of my liver functions came back very wrong.