Back in 2000 I remember taking the 'Holy toledo' test as set out by Dr Bob Glover - an expert in all things relating to fitness in particular marathon running. A painful process that requires you to look at yourself in the mirror (literally) and analyse your physique and how well suited you are to covering the 26.2 miles. Surprisingly I shouted the words as he would have wished - it's fair to say I didn't like what I saw. This led to an amazing process which was enlightening, spiritual and most of all physically transformative. In the year 2001 I completed a marathon, a half-marathon, two 10km's and two 5km runs. I had turned back the clock to get close to the times I was running in my late teens....'Holy Toledo' back at you Dr Bob!
Ten years on however and I find myself in the same boat (which appears to be sinking fast given my love of saturated food and excess lifestyle especially when Arsenal play at home!).
This sinking feeling comes in the form of my unsympathetic A2 group. Not only quick on the field of play, but quick to remind me of my lack of hair and unsporting physique which is more akin to a champion pie eater than a marathon runner!
They have talked me into doing a round of fitness testing at the start of a development plan which in hindsight only fuelled their transition into part-time comedians (their jokes are nearly as funny as the coursework they produced last year!). I hit the scales hard and put serious strain on the calipers, my weight and skin-fold results may have Dr Bob creating a new test which could be called the 'Flippin' heck' or 'Blimey-Riley...save the scales' test...I think he would be seriously unimpressed.
To make things worse my A-level students were coming in as super-light featherweights unable to pinch a couple of millimetres of skin around the abdomen and a body mass reading to die for - I realised I was in big trouble as I was more likely to die from heart related issues. Jolted by the prospect of being saved by a CPR machine, I finally accepted that with a slower metabolism due to the ageing process and poor exercise levels I needed to take drastic action to overcome this 'big' problem.
That action comes in a challenge of doing the development plan with the group - a minimum of 16 weeks on the road and gym in an effort to change the future. Do I want to be a burden to the health system and my family? 'Run fat boy run' are the facebook taunts as I try to rally support for my newly found motivation.
The real motivation however comes in the form of the Olympic games, the Olympic dream and everything it stands for.
My gold medals await - Weight loss, quicker metabolism, lower rating heart rate, lower BMI readings, getting into that large t-shirt I was given as a present six years ago, squeezing into those 33" waist jeans purchased from Gap back after completing the London Marathon in 2001...the dream lives on!
Wow! I now have a hatful of Gold medals to go with the inevitable triple plateful at my next seating at Christmas dinner - my guilt free gold medal really does await......
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