Week 3

I can't believe it! The end of the third week and I am actually beginning to feel like a runner. I haven't lost any weight yet - still eating too many biscuits - but training has been going much better than I expected.

The first seven minutes of each session are always dreadful. It is a battle between the fat, lazy part of me and the part of me that doesn't want to end up in hospital on Marathon day.

Amazingly something happens in the brain at around eight minutes and everything begins to feel better. The aches and breathlessness begin to fade and I settle into a rhythm and a sense of euphoria at the simple achievement of not giving up.

Apparently this is something to do with endorphins. I believe these are tiny little fish like creatures that swim around in your brain tickling the happy sensors. Endorphins spend most of the time imprisoned but are released when you exercise, eat chocolate or eat hot foods like curry and chili.



I have spent the last twenty years releasing endorphins using the curry and chocolate methods which is of course counter productive and has resulted in the need for me to call this Blog FAT MEN can't run. Without the endorphin releasing chocolate and curry I may have been able to call it "I am a thin man running another Marathon".

I admit, this title may not have sparked your interest as much as the fat version and it would have been far more difficult to write the triumph over adversity story that I intend to but it would have been easier on my knees to run at below 19 stone.

Mary called today!

Well actually, it wasn't today but that is what I would have called this post had I written it on the day that Mary did call.

Mary is a lovely lady from Barnados. She is coordinating the team and fundraising for the 2009 London Marathon. I have spoken to Mary a few times as in order to get a place in the Marathon it is better to affiliate with a charity. You can go through a public ballot but based on the fact that the ballot is in October, I didn't feel much like doing six months of training only to find out I couldn't get in.

Mary called to let me know that I had been selected by Barnados to run for them. The only thing I have to do in return is train for the next 47 weeks and guarantee to raise £1600 in sponsorship. If I don't raise £1600 then I have to pay it myself.........potentially an expensive way to see London!

So fundraising starts now. Barnados have provided a number of hints and tips from selling your belongings on Ebay to selling cakes at work. Neither of these options appeal, I am quite attached to my belongings and I would probably eat most of the cakes. I therefore must come up with new, imaginative ways to raise the money.......................mmmm!?