Race Day Part 2

5,4,3,2,1 GO!! The race was underway

Well for the people at the front anyway for us slowcoaches at the back it was a slow shuffle to the start area as we watch  a few 1000 runners sprint (in my eyes anyway) past asda and off into the distance.  A full 6 minutes later I ease into a light jog and I'm off through the start gates.

The noise from the crowd is fantastic as I try and scan for my wife and kids then as I turn towards asda there they are as happy as can be cheering and clapping on their hero, I jog past nonchalantly and give them a wave and a smile and zoom I'm away again. (little did I know the next time I would see them I would be breathing through my arse)

Once past asda the crowds disappear and then we are into the back streets of the harbour area and the race is well and truly underway.  Now unlike any training runs I've done I've never really had to encounter much traffic human or other but in a race with over 4000 runners the space you have to run in and through is quite confined in the early stages so there is a fair bit of concentration required to ensure you don't bump and barge you way through the streets.

With the music on in my ears I feel great, running at a good pace and feeling strong, in fact I'm thinking in my head we've been running for ages now we must be coming up to around 2 km mark and there it is 100 yards ahead in big black writing 1km *sigh* but on I go for another few minutes and then It hits me "too hot" so I stop and walk for a second to get my breath back and then I'm off again this time it is the 2km mark.

My lowest part of the race came between 3-4 km firstly we came round the corner onto the beach front at 3 km and I remember thinking (a few sweary words) that I wasn't even 1/3 of the way round and already I was out of steam and struggling.  A further km on and we get back into the crowds at the beach and the once before smile I had on my face is now a tight grimace and as I pass through the crowds I see my wife and kids again but this time I am burning up in the heat and feeling the pain in my legs but I  carry on long enough to get out of sight then I stop again.  Its about this point if you look left you can see the true athletes coming down the home straight to finish the race and here I am less than half way round and I'm burst.  I think of my mum and the donations that people have made and I keep pushing hard.  Other than the heat it was my right leg in particular that was bothering me, it had gone all numb and I had no feeling from the knee down, the reason for this was my laces were too tight (I've had this before in training) but the good news was the water station was up ahead.

The water station was like something you see on TV loads of outstretched arms offering bottles of cold water to cool everyone down, I grab 2 bottles and proceed to pour the contents of 1 onto my feet and at the same time undo the laces on my right foot.  The other bottle is used as a shower to douse my body from head to toe and cool down my body temperature.  I grab a thrid bottle to quench my thirst and carry it along with me for the next couple of km's.  Now I'm pretty sure it was only water I was drinking but the effects were magical I felt like a new runner so much so that the second half of the race was far more enjoyable than the first

Fast forward now a couple more km and the race takes me through the houses at seaton where there are loads of people just out in the street cheering you on (even after the true athletes have long past finished) for me this was enough to keep me going I remember one guy shouting towards me "come on MS Scotland your doing great, keep it up" I smiled gave him a wave and kept on going.  I am now at 8km race distance and another water stop and another chance to shower and cool down.

The final part of the race comes with the only hill of the race but also in the knowledge that you've less than 800m to go.  This was the one and only time i felt competitive during the whole race why?  Well a big giant bear had been passing me from time to time during the last km but kept stopping to high five the passers by, now I was knackered so I've no idea how the man or woman inside the costume must have felt but what I did know is if that dam bear crosses the line ahead of me I'll never live this down so with some gusto I push on up the hill and leave the bear in my trail.

This last part of the race will stay with me for as long as I'll remember.  I turn the corner at the top of the hill and all I can see ahead is crowds of people on either side of the road cheering and clapping the noise is fantastic.  I know now that on this stretch of the road the MS Scotland cheering squad will be positioned in their bright orange tops so I spotted them straight away and they in turn spotted me in my MS vest they gave me a massive cheer and took some photo's this spurred me on to the last hundred meters.  I can hear and see in the distance my wife and kids with big smiles on their faces this is greeted with an equally big smile and wave followed by a few more strides and that's it "Yo Adrian I did it" 1 hour 14 minutes of hard slog got me through 10km, 10,000m, 6.2 miles or 25 Roger Black's and it was all worth it.  The pain my body has lifted and I feel a huge sense of pride and achievement.  I collect my medal as if it were an Olympic Gold give it a kiss and proceed to wear it for the remainder of the day.  A few minutes later I am joined by my wife and kids with big hugs all round I'm also joined by some of my friends that were running and we exchange stories of our effors, the running theme of which is that we would do it again in a heartbeat.

So there it is my day in the sun that ended up in me getting a medal for running and raising over £1,200 for Multiple Sclerosis Scotland

There are so many people that I want to thank I'm going to write a separate blog for you all

For anyone else still looking to donate please go to

http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson

Race Day Part 1

4.35AM 20th May2012 that was the time on the clock when I opened my eyes.

Now thanks to Chelsea winning the champions league on penalties it was after 11pm when I went to bed so to have less than 5 hours sleep was not my ideal preparation. So after checking emails, Facebook and twitter I play a few games on my phone and decide at 6am to get up and shower. Now I can see from the bathroom that it's a nice sunny day so things look promising.  The race isn't till 9.30 so I can't imagine it will be too warm but as long as there ain't no wind I'll be happy.

After the shower I head downstairs to do some dishes from last night #rocknroll it's the least I can do to distract myself from the thought of the run being 100% honest I'm nervous not in a bad way but more like the feeling you have when your about to get married it's the expectation of the event but there are definitely butterflies and squeaky bum syndrome going on today. It's now 7am so I go and wake up the kids but they've beat me too it. They are also excited but in a different way they seem to think that I'll be winning the race!! In no time at all they are tucking into their frosties and arguing with one another so normal service resumed. I too have breakfast a bowl of cereal and a herbal tea but it doesn't take away the feeling I have in my stomach.

The next hour flies by as everyone gets dressed and I get all my gear ready for the race, I have decided to wear shorts my long sleeved adidas top with the MS Scotland vest over the top, I put my timing chip on my trainers and then I'm good to go.

Traffic restrictions around town mean we have to leave the house at 8.30 ahead of the check in at 9.10 by now the nerves are up to maximum this is not aided by lane restrictions as we near the beach and now its 8.55 and we are still far from destination.  Me and one of the other dad's running take the executive decision to bail from the cars and walk the last part to ensure we get there on time safe in the knowledge that the wife and kids can park up and find a spot on in the crowd to watch the start of the race.

 When we get there a huge weight suddenly lifts from my body as for the first time I suddenly see and feel what the whole day is all about, over 4000 runners from the serious to the not so serious (I'm talking teddy bears, big bird and full ice hockey regalia)  I am now at ease with the situation and on the plus side it was a really nice morning for the crowd to watch.  We have one thing left to do and that is get into you estimated time zone for the race you see with so many people its crucial that there are no traffic jams with the slow and fast runners so there are various gates for the different times people think they will achieve.  I was thinking 80 minutes given my last couple of training sessions so off I go near the back of the queue and wait.  When I get there I see someone I know and get chatting about things so this relaxes me even more.

                                                           

So after 4 months of training and eating more healthy there is only one thing left to do and that's run 10,000m so as the countdown on the PA system reaches zero I am at my most relaxed that I have been in the last 24 hours, what happened next turned out to be one of the best experiences I have ever had.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this I get alot of questions asking if its still ok to donate and yes is the answer I'd be more than happy to take donations big or small on behalf of MS Scotland you know the script by now http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson

Your time is now

Well here I am the day before the big race and its all starting to sink in now.  I've had 4 months preparation for this race and while I think I could have had a couple of more sessions in the last month I'm pretty happy with the overall preparation.  I look back to where I was at the beginning of this and I couldn't even run 100m yet alone 10,000m so fingers crossed.

I have a whole variety of emotions going on at the moment anxiety at the prospect of actually competing in the race, excitement at the thought of lining up with 4600 other competitors, worry at the thought something might happen that prevents me from completing the race and pride that I'll be doing this for so many good reasons.  1000 good reasons to be exact, because of the generosity of the people who have supported me from the beginning and throughout this process I am delighted to say I now have £1000 sponsorship for MS Scotland an amount I could only have dreamt of back at the start.

So what does the next 20 or so hours have in store for me? Well a nice pasta lunch beckons then I'll be out in the garden cutting the grass then relaxing in front of the football, a nice lazy day by anyones standards.  After a nice tea it will be more football followed by an early bed (god how I wish I could have a couple of beers on a day like this)  Sunday starts at around 7am getting ready for the race (weather looks promising) Gillian and the kids are coming down to give me an extra spur on so we'll have to leave the house around 8.30am for check in at 9.10am then its no turning back race gets underway at 9.30 and around 1 hour 15 minutes later a large out of breath 35 year old man should be on the home straight to complete what feels like a marathon.  How I'll feel when I get to the end who knows but I will certainly be glad to get it out of the way

So here we are the next time I write something down here I'll have completed a 4 month journey that took me over 100 miles of training and a great deal of sweat, was it worth it well I'll have to wait and see but I have enjoyed it and it's MS Scotland that are the real winners here so thanks again and please if you still want to give then do what you can its much appreciated http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson

Donnie

The Home Straight

My Mum

Well just 12 days to go now and I can honestly say I am looking forward to getting the race done.  I've been training now since the end of January and i feel in good shape, now I'm not going to be breaking any records here but just to be able to get round 10k will be an achievement in itself.

Since January I have clocked up over 100 miles of training most of which was done in the late evenings at very cold conditions but i never expected that on the 6th of May with 2 weeks to go that this would be the first day that I got totally soaked by rain and hailstones.  Bad times.  What was meant to be a nice Sunday run around Duthie Park turned into a cold and damp event but it prepared me for what could happen come race day so I was glad in a way that i powered through this.

Once the race has been run I look forward to having a couple of well deserved days off to rest and recuperate ( i think I'm looking forward to this the most) I will also no doubt write the final chapter of my blog and bring to an end a fantastic 4 month journey that has seen many changes in my life most of which will continue

As ever I would really like to thanks everyone for their continued support this would be a much harder struggle without all the encouragement. 

I am also overwhelmed with the generosity of everyone, when i first decided to do this for charity i would have been more than happy to collect £200 yet alone £300 so to be sitting on £810 with 12 days to go is beyond comprehension and always leaves me stunned.  This will be the main driver for me as I hit the hard hill towards the end of the race and my body aches with the end of the run beckoning.

So with the possibility of another 3 more training sessions before the big day all my hard work has been done and then it will be race day 4000+ runners, a good 3500 in better shape than me and 10k of race to be run

BRING IT ON

Rain rain go away

Well the last 2 weeks have been a total wash out quite literally rain has stopped play.  

My training regime is such that I can only run in the evenings when my beautiful wife gets home from work, well thanks to the great Scottish weather this last fortnight has been nothing but rain rain and more rain do as a result I've not none any road work. I've still manage to get out for walks at lunchtime but no running. As a result with 3 weeks to go all I can do is just keep ticking over perhaps doing some shorter faster runs to prepare me for the big race.

Anyway as i write this the sun has decided to come out so I'm all set ready to go which is just as well because I'll be out boozing later on.  Now I wont be expecting to break any records today but just to get some fitness back

As always I'd just like to thank everyone for their continued support it really does help,  it's kind of weird that with only 3 weeks to go I do get this feeling that I'm going to miss some part of this? Perhaps not the runs part in February when it was -2 at night but the whole experience has been a real journey for me not only for the race but also in life.

Please please remember this is all in aid of MS Scotland a fantastic charity and a worthy cause so if you can spare anything please visit www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson and give what you can

Many thanks

Donnie

Easter - the resurrection

So its been a couple of weeks since my last blog so i thought I'd better get typing to keep you all up to date with my efforts

During the Easter holidays a couple of things happened that both hampered and helped my training

I treated myself to a week off to spend some time with the kids.  This entailed eating out lots (and lots) and no exercise whatsoever  (felt great).  Not the greatest preparation with around 6 weeks to go but I felt I deserved it or at least convinced myself I deserved it.  As a result i had no doubt put on weight and lost some amount of fitness so I was not looking not looking forward to my next run as I fully expected pain and hurt to be fair was exactly what happened.  I went out on the Tuesday and did my normal 4 minute runs and 2 minute walks times 9 and it was a total disaster I felt really heavy and tired and was so glad to get it out of the way not so glad that my next run was going to be 5 minute runs and 1 minute walks my toughest one yet....................

So here i was back to work back to cold damp nights and the prospect of my biggest run yet, bad times.  I had one ray of light to look forward to and that was catching up with a good friend on the Friday over a few beers, a great way to ease myself into the weekend and my first week back at work.  Anyway as things turned out  the drinks had to be postponed for a couple of weeks so as exciting as my life is on a Friday night I decided to go out for a run instead and free up my weekend.

So I've got on my running gear and set off on what I know is going to be a tough test 5 minutes running with only 1 minute rests and to be honest it felt strangely good?  The running element wasn't as hard as I thought there were times when I got to the end of the 5 minutes and felt really strong the only difference was the rest periods, until now there had always been at least 2 minutes of rest in-between each repetition so having to adjust to 1 minute was a total nightmare, no way long enough to get any kind of recovery so it just feels like you are running all the time

This being the case I got my ass round a good 8.5k and felt really good so I thought hell yeah just keep going and I did until I heard this wonderful sound in my head (via the running app not actual voices in my head) that said "distance 10 kilometres"  not normally something to get excited about but to me the guy who couldn't even run for 30 seconds without struggling a few months ago the 6.2 miles covered was sheer bliss and a real boost 5 weeks before the big race as now I know what it feels like and know that I can do it.  Now I'm not expecting to run 10k all the time now but as long as I keep the fitness ticking over then I should be in good shape come race day

On a final note again thank you to everyone to has encouraged and spurred me on with my training its been a huge lift and makes life all the better knowing I have a good support out there cheering me on so thanks folks.

You all should know by now why a I am doing this so I don't want to be all Bono and harp on too much but MS Scotland is a fantastic cause to get behind and your money will really help everyone involved to please give as little or as much as you can http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson

Dear Organisers

Dear the people who organise the 10k I have 2 requests if you may

1)  Is there any chance you could re name your famous 10k run the Baker Hughes 7.5k? I know it's not as catchy but I am mid training and I'm constantly hitting the 7.5k mark and the though of a further 2.5k seems really hard just now

2)  For future events could you please hold them later on in the year so I don't have to go out running at night when is 2 degrees centigrade and catch a cold

Thanks in advance

Donnie

Thank you so much (keep it coming)

I just wanted to write a short message to everyone who has donated to my just giving page http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson as well as those who have donated through the more traditional methods

When I first started this back in January the main drive behind it all was for me to finally once and for all to get healthy and force me into running the 10k in May.  Over the months of training and healthy eating I am pleased to say I really feel better for although is still miss biscuits and cheese.

I always wanted to do this for charity too as I knew people around me would be more than happy to donate a few quid to this cause but the level of donations has truly blown me away. MS Scotland http://www.mssociety.org.uk/near-me/national-offices/scotland is a fantastic charity and really helps those who need it most.

I initially set a target of £200 which I thought would be well in excess of my own expectations and a really fantastic amount to raise but after around 3 donations I was already half way there so little by little I would bump it up by £50 until my friend said just go for £500.  I remember thinking crikey I bought my first car for £500 so to me this is still alot of money.

Well with 2 months to go I am really chuffed to say that the £500 target will definitely be hit so thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far

Special mention to

Family - You don't really have a choice but thanks anyway you know more than most what a good cause this is going to

Friends - You can always rely on your friends so thank you

Work colleagues - I have pestered them from the beginning and I'm sure a few have donated just to shut me up but thank you.  For those still to donate don't worry you'll get another reminder next payday!!

Work clients - They have enough on their plate trying to remember everything I tell them and all the forms they have to complete so to take the time out to donate to my cause is much appreciated.

School pals - I left school 18 years ago now ( i know I don't look it) but I was lucky enough to go to a great school with great friends and even though the only way we keep in touch is through social media I was truly taken aback by the support shown by my classmates so big thanks to you all

Finally for those who have no connection to me whatsoever friends of friends or friends of my mum I want to give you a really big thank you because even though you don't know me in anyway shape or form you still felt that this cause was a worthy one

I'd also like to give a thank you to MS Scotland who contacted me to ask if I needed anything to help with the fund raising and they were able to supply sponsor forms and a groovy orange t-shirt for race day so thanks.

So what next?  Well I guess £600+ is on the cards but I can't do it without your support so wherever you are reading this please give what you can as every little helps, you'll be giving to a great cause and I promise to run my heart out for you all

you can pay via http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson or simply text DONR77 £the amount you wish to donate to 70070 or just give me cash and I'll send the money to MS Scotland on your behalf

Thanks again

Donnie

The heat is on

So just over a couple of months to go now until the big race and things are coming along nicely.

I'm currently working on 4 minute jogs with 2 minute walks in between times 10 and Its not as bad as I thought but what I have realised is that the recovery time now is much longer.  I frequently run between 7.5 and 8.5k just now and where I could run every second day before i now need a couple of days off to rest and recover.  What is funny is that when I look back to the start of my training I was doing 30 second jogs with 4 1/2 minute walks (which at the time tired me out!!) so to see the impact of the hard work is really encouraging.

I also this week totalled up all my runs and was astonished to find out that I had clocked up 71 miles of training not including walks at lunchtime so I'm hoping the hard work pays off in May.

I'm looking forward to the clocks changing at the end of this month so that I can perhaps enjoy a little sunlight during my runs and possibly some warmer temperatures too

Finally I just want to thank everyone again for their support and encouragement it really means alot, I first started this to force me into getting into shape and to stop being such a lazy bum but now with the addition of raising money for MS Scotland http://www.mssociety.org.uk/near-me/national-offices/scotland i really feel a sense of responsibility and achievement to it all so for everyone who has donated to date many thanks it really means alot.  For anyone thinking about donating please spare anything you can its for a great cause and will really go towards helping others

So please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson 

to give what you can

Many thanks

Donnie

Songs to run to

So 8k under my belt now and feeling good but what really gets me through my runs is the music pumping through my ears. This really distracts from the pain and hurt and pushes me on and on so its important to have the right tunes to keep me going, something too slow or easy listening doesn't really appeal likewise something too fast doesn't really help keep pace so its key to have the right balance


So here are my top 5 tunes to run to

•  O fortuna - now I wouldn't call myself a fan of classical music and to be fair this is a fairly mainstream song but it fairly gets me going with the slow build up then big crescendo at the end.  This really gets you going   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNWpZ-Y_KvU

• Don't stop believing - Journey - Yes thats right the song you've heard 10,000 times before but I'll tell you something the beat and the chorus line fairly distracts from the pain and hurt that goes on inside my head during a run  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5wVZwdHmRY

• Burning Heart - Rocky Soundtrack  - Rocky IV training song when he's ploughing  through the snow in Russia.  Great tune to keep you pumped during the run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL3lJfpenAc

• Hey, Soul Sister - Train - The upbeat tempo of this tune really helps me through some of those tougher runs more so the uphill parts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnyJ73I1cJo 

Just a selection of good tunes that get me round my jog each night but there is one tune that defies all other tunes when it comes to pushing through the pain barrier and inspires me to keep pushing hard and that is

Number One Song to Run to...................................

Gonna Fly Now - Rocky Soundtrack - Rocky II absolute belter (to be honest I could have chosen the whole Rocky soundtrack as my favourite tunes) This tune no matter how many times i hear this still makes the hairs stand on end so much so that I have been partial to a wee shadow box mid run if this comes on.  Who couldn't be inspired by Stallone the Italian Stallion pounding the streets of Philadelphia being followed by all those kids then running up those steps at the end truly inspirational

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHQdpnYFl7k

Remember folks this is all part of the bigger picture and that is me running 10k for MS Scotland to help others less fortunate so please give generously http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson

Thanks in advance

Donnie

The Wall

For the first time since I started this I hit a block.  I really didn't enjoy Sunday's run one little bit and I don't know why. Last run I achieved my PB 7.5km so perhaps I'd built this run up and even though it was always going to be shorter due to the reps maybe I just thought it would be easier too? I went a different route so maybe that was a problem but from rep 2 onwards I was not happy.  Hopefully this is just a passing phase cause I'm out again tonight (Tuesday) for a long jog and I really don't want to feel like that again.

On the plus side I had a Chinese for tea last night and it was EPIC

Donnie

Please give generously its for a good cause

3 months to go

So here we are less than 3 months to go until the big race sounds alot doesn't it?  Well not really Christmas was only 2 months ago and I'm still getting over that so May will be here in no time. 

Training update - well what started out as walks with 30 seconds of jogging every 4.5 minutes has now turned into 2 minute jogs every 3 minutes sound easy?  Try it after 4 and 5 reps all i dream of is the voice  to say walk again yet reps 8 and 9 not so bad I guess that's just the body adjusting to the shock.  Anyway each jog still fills me with the same dread as jog 1 did however once I'm out there i do enjoy it and love the feeling of when I know I'm heading home this can only match the feeling that I know it will be at least 2 days before I have to do it all over again

Health eating update - This is going not too bad either I have been able to reward myself with some treats during this time but there is no longer the urge to pig out on things like I did before and crisps, chocolate and biscuits are still a no no.  Not being a big fan of weight loss over the years it came as a pleasant surprise to see that I had lost my first stone this week (1 stone = 6.35kg) however Gillian is testing my will power at the moment by making pancakes at the weekend and having bacon rolls a smell that will test anyone whether they are being good or not

Lastly I'd like to thank anyone who has donated to my charity MS Scotland.  I was truly overwhelmed by the support given and delighted that people have been so generous so much so I've had to raise my expectations about 4 times now.  For those who are not sure what this is all about please visit http://robboy2d.blogspot.com/2012/02/its-all-for-charity-mate.html where I explain what its all about.

For anyone who would still like to donate please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson its for a worthy cause and would mean a great deal me

5 things I enjoy about this process

So from previous blogs I explained the 5 things I missed the most since taking up this challenge and now I'm going to explain the 5 things I enjoy most about this process

5)  The home straight - Running is a pain in the ass I'll be honest dragging this body around 3 times a week ain't easy but no pain no gain the race won't run itself. My training to date involves jogging and walking for around an hour currently covering last run 4.11 miles or 6.6km. The walking parts are great but the jogging part is tough but the best part of it all is when I'm on my last repetition and I know I'll be home soon and it will all be over.

4) The peace- A strange one really but when your out and about there is nothing to occupy yourself with other than your thoughts so to get away from it all is good it can be quite nice solving the worlds problems during a run. 

3) The encouragement - I really appreciate everyone asking how I'm getting on with things it really makes all the aches and pains a little more bearable so thank you to everyone who keeps asking it makes it all worthwhile

2) The new me - The old me was fine dont get me wrong but the decisions and mindsets I have now are much better.  Its so much easier to say no to things where before I would just have one (or often more) anyway.  Likewise as the weight slowly comes off I've noticed trousers being a little looser and jeans once dubbed "out of fashion" (code for too tight) are now "back in fashion" so its really pleaseing to see a visible reward for my efforts


1) This blog - When I started out with this I wanted to use the blog as a diary of events and thoughts for my journey through this and I've found that writing this has in itself been a great help.  Now I'm not the best when it comes to the written word and as previously mentioned my spelling and grammar are not the best but i think writing down how you think about certain thinks helps you understand a little bit more about yourself.  I've always been honest in what I've written and looking back even at this stage I can see a great change in how I approach life.  For me one of the most surprising things I've found is the audience I have captured, most of my blogs are forced upon my facebook friends or twitter followers @donnierob77 so I expect a large percentage of UK views and some views in Australia but this for me would be it, so to have over 41 views in America 8 in Russia 6 in the Ukraine as well as Germany, France and Ireland is totally mind blowing.  God knows what their searching for in Russia to end up on my nonsense.  Anyway the grand plan was to at the end of this all print it all off and keep it so that when I'm fat again I can look back on the good old days when I use to pound the streets all in the name of charity

Thanks again for taking the time to read this feel free to spread the word and remember its all for a good cause so dig deep

http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson

Its all for Charity Mate

So ever since i decided to do this i thought someone other than me should benefit from this.  My gain should be evident in the fact that i should be slimmer and fitter than well probably ever?  if at the same time someone else can benefit (with none of the hard work aches and pains) then even better as the sense of achievement for me will be even greater.

My Mum

Now there are loads of charities and good causes out there and no doubt you will have your own personal favourites so please do not judge me for not picking one of these.  My choice is a little closer to home and is a special one to me because of my mother.  Unfortunately my Mum suffers from MS Multiple Sclerosis .

Multiple Sclerosis this is a condition of the central nervous system.
In MS, the coating around nerve fibres (called myelin) is damaged, causing a range of symptoms but basically it stops messages travelling around the body resulting in the loss of function in certain areas such as movement.
Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life, but treatments and specialists can help you to manage the symptoms.  Researchers  don't know the cause and they haven't yet found a cure, but research is progressing fast.

MS has striped my mum of her mobility and has taken away alot of the things she enjoys so much, however this has not stopped her being an absolute fantastic mum and granny it just means that we all now get to take turns into wheeling her around and trying not to crash her wheelchair into things (harder than it looks)

So when I do this run in May I am looking for you all to dig deep for a worthy cause no matter how little or big the contribution is I know that both myself and my mum will be entirely grateful for your donations and that you will be helping out a great charity MS Society Scotland http://www.mssociety.org.uk/near-me/national-offices/scotland

Please give generously http://www.justgiving.com/Donnie-Robertson

Thanks in advance

Donnie

Diary of a fat man 5 things I miss

So for a few weeks now I've been really strict on my eating habits and I mean strict. When I look back on my old habits I see now just how much junk went into me combined with no exercise it was just a recipe for disaster but that doesn't mean to say I don't miss all of those things.  Here are some of the things I miss since being healthy took over

Number 5 Chocolate - I've never desired chocolate but if there's chocolate around I will have it.  With Christmas in the past my kids between them must have received over 10 selection boxes added on to that chocolate coins and the chocolates Gillian and I received then the house is laden with the stuff.  By now it would have been devoured.  It would not be uncommon for the last cup of tea as night to be accompanied by something from the goodie box.  Now I just avoid chocolate altogether and you know something i don't miss it as much as I thought

Number 4 Crisps  - Crisps are ace.  So versatile they go with almost anything?  No?  Nothing better than sitting at home feeling a little peckish and "oh a wee bag of crisps fit fine" and then 5 minutes later "oh that was great I'll have another" Again party season at Christmas usually means "chip n dip" and pringles are always on offer in the shops so it would not be uncommon to devour a whole tube of pringles in one night, madness I know but they've hit the advertising nail on the head "once you've popped...."  Now I try and avoid crisps but I do miss the crunch sensation you get when eating so I have allowed myself low fat quaveresque bags once or twice a week nothing more

Number 3 Fast Food - Who doesn't like fast food? Chinese, Indian, KFC, Burger King and my all time favourite Domino's.  We like to treat ourselves normally on a Saturday night to something nice and whilst this won’t stop entirely the weakness was during the week if you couldn't think of anything to cook then we would just get takeaway now this doesn't happen every week but again the advertising gang have got you "Two for Tuesday" absolute dream 2 medium pizza's (one each I'm nae that greedy) delivered within 20 minutes for around £10 then if and it’s a big if there was anything left over that was lunch the next day sorted out.  I've not had a proper takeaway since I've started this so we'll wait and see how it goes but so far so good.

Number 2 Cheese - I think push come to shove I could quite happily live without chocolate but not cheese.  Cheese on toast right now would be an absolute treat likewise macaroni cheese absolute event.  I still have cheese like Philadelphia which is OK but it’s not mature cheddar.  I don’t want to write much more as it’s making me hungry

So what’s the biggest thing I miss out of all of this?  Well for one it’s not chips, surprising i know but I’m not a big chip fan, I mean I like chips plenty of salt and some tomato sauce yes please but I wouldn't go wild over it.  Chips are normally a convenient side order because you can’t be bothered peeling and boiling tatties but it’s not something I couldn't live without.

So the main thing I’ve missed the most since starting this is......................

Number 1 Biscuits - I love biscuits not even chocolate biscuits any kind at all.  Take the humble rich tea perfect for dunking (1-2 seconds max) A cup of tea could easily see you through half a dozen biscuits and I drink allot of tea so the cupboard is getting hit hard on a daily basis.  Same at work there is always cookies or cakes on the go so it would be rude not to indulge.  It's really hard to avoid biscuits so what I've found helps is that if I avoid the things that make me eat biscuits then that's half the struggle so instead of tea I have hot juice or water and this helps. 

So there you have it all the things i miss since being healthy.  Now I'm not going to lie to you or kid myself that I wont ever have these things again but moderation is the key and treats are a great reward for my hard work

Till next time

Donnie

Diary of a fat man The long and winding road

So I'm eating healthy and doing well on the training, add that together with walks during the week on my lunch hour and its all going well.  Sunday saw my first outing during the day and i must confess it felt allot better running in the cold day than it does in the cold night.  I even have a confession to make when i arrived home on Sunday after my hour session i actually felt quite good (could have been frost on the brain?) I'm not sure if it was A) just the feeling of being home or B) whether in fact I'm actually starting to enjoy this ?  A few hours later when the aches and pain kick in i start to believe it was probably A.

Anyway as my walks/jogs turn into jogs/walks one thing crossed my mind that i hadn't prepared for, and that was where to run?  It seems simple enough but in reality your choices are limited.  As a busy dad and husband my wife, Gillian, works in the evenings and i look after the kids so when Gillian gets home at 8.15 this is when i head out.  In the dark winter nights i don't like to wonder too far from home so i find myself running around the industrial estate so that no matter where i am I'm never that far from home.  Its not the best of places to run but its quiet and i don't feel self conscious when I'm doing it.  I've mapped out a route of 5k (half the distance of the race and at present the thought of doing this twice still seems a long way away but the mindset and attitude are all still  going strong

So what does this week hold in store well the running part is double what I've done to date so it will be interesting to see my comments this time next week.  I should also be in a position to say who is going to benift from this hard work

Thanks again for all the support and kind words this is what pushes me on

Donnie

Diary of a fat man Jogging, not as easy as it looks

So week 3 starts after what can only be described as a marathon drinking session over the weekend.  Far too much alcohol was consumed and no doubt it put me back a few steps in the whole training regime but with every cloud there is a silver lining and the night was spent with 3 other athletes, 1 had completed 2 marathons (sub 4 hours) another training for this year’s marathon and the 3rd well he's in the same boat as me a big guy trying to be fit and healthy so there were plenty of hints and tips in between the cocktails and shots.  Note to self swimming the next day - Bad Idea

So as per plan week 3 sees the introduction of jogging and my first thoughts are "fuck this is going to be a struggle"  My plan sees me out for 40 minutes alternating 4.5 minutes walking with 30 seconds jogging repeated over 8 times.  Of course me wanting to be clever thinks running for 30 seconds is piss I’ll just keep going (bad move) this only highlighted how out of shape I was and that thoughts of running the length (and more) of the beach are miles away.  Anyway despite the freezing cold and my over ambitious attitude I managed and again I felt good for it If you'd asked me before Christmas to go out for a jog at 8.30 at night I would have choked on my tea and chocolate biscuits and politely told you to "piss off"

The plan slowly increases over the weeks so you run more and walk less so I'm looking forward to see how this pans out but in-between rest days and other activities It should become better and easier so fingers crossed

Even at this early stage I get plenty of encouragement not just from family and workmates but from people that I just wouldn't expect to be interested in my campaign and this really spurs me on so thank you to everyone for all the nice comments it means a lot

Donnie

Diary of a fat man Mindgames

Well its nearly 2 weeks in now and I’m well and truly on my way and whilst I haven't actually done any running yet I must confess I am actually enjoying the whole process.  I think my previous failures have come as a result of not really wanting to succeed and giving up at the first opportunity.  The main change this time around other than having to actually complete 10k is the mindset I have.  I feel like I’m playing a game against myself here and I'm determined not to lose, so when offered biscuits and chocolate and butteries rather than say oh yes I'll just have one I’m being really strict and refusing flat out and do you know what I feel better for it I have more energy as a result.

Now since I decided to do this I weighed myself for the first time in ages, fat people don’t tend to step on the scales if they don’t have too we don’t need something else pointing out what we already know but for me I had too and a full 10 days later I was surprised to see that the hard work was paying off.  Now it was only 7lbs nothing dramatic but when I converted this into new money I was really shocked at how much this was extra to be carrying around previously.  Now I'm not going to be a slave to the scales so I only intend doing this once a week

Next week should see the start of the jogging stage so it will be interesting to see how this pans out

fingers crossed

Diary of a fat man Week 1

Week 1

Well that’s it done everyone knows now about my run and I must confess I am really pleased with the level of support from everyone.  Hints, tips and eating plans are all appreciated as I've said before I have no will power so the more people helping out will only encourage me on further.

There is one person however who has helped and supported me more than all of you and that’s my wife Gillian.  Gillian it only took you about 8 years but we got there in the end.  Gillian has always been trying to get me fit and slim downed but the fat man inside of me always gets the better of me. (a tip for all you women trying to get your man to do that thing he doesn't want to do just stick at it and in around 8 years your endeavours should be rewarded.)  I thought the arrival of Matthew almost 7 years ago now would spur me on and then again when Lucie arrived nearly 4 years ago would help me get a move on but alas no kids just tire you out even more

SO how have I fared in my first week?  Well slowly but surely would be the answer, a combination of walking and "Just Dance" on the Wii  have been my efforts and from what I've found so far is if I don’t make it as an athlete then I can always turn to dancing (bad dad dancing at that).  Anyway is about preparing the body for the shock and awe that lies ahead and already my body is feeling the aches and pains of it all, but hey no pain no gain eh?

How does week 2 pan out well more of the same Laps of walking around duthie Park at lunchtime (3-4k a day) and some light exercise in the evening.  Towards the end of the week I think I'll venture out in the evening around Cove (still walking)  Saturday sees a lads night out get in the way of things but I’m not going to sit here and pretend I'll behave myself, yes I will have a few drinks and yes I'll probably have that kebab but that my treat

So here's to more of the same healthy eating and exercise in order to fit me up

I can’t wait he says sarcastically :)

The Story Begins

So here we are January 2012 and I'm like what the hell have I done!!!

But like all good stories let me take you back to the beginning

For all who know me I am a lazy bastard and a big one at that.  All through life I have never really exerted myself any more than I have to.  Take school for example although my intelligence would have allowed for more I eased through my exams with quite little studying (you will understand quite quickly than English was never my strong point so apologies in advance) got myself C's and that was enough.  I can even remember leaving my chemistry exam after half an hour because I wanted to go home and watch the Cricket (possibly the laziest sport of all played over 5 days) so I answered as much as i could then up and left.   I passed the exam with a 2 and have no idea how the cricket went but that was me never really interested in doing the hard work.

Fast forward almost 20 years and a lifestyle of laziness and I'm afraid to say it has all caught up with me.  Every year starts off with good intentions of eating healthy and exercising and losing the gut but every year without fail the effort lasts till Easter (at best)  Wii Fit tells you its been 278 days since your last test and that you've put on 5lbs and you think fuck it at least I'm happy and I am happy  I sit on my arse for a large part of the day

My weakness is that i have no will power whatsoever I'm so glad i don't smoke cause I'd struggle to give it up.  I enjoy swimming and walking but there are to many distractions in life such as television and Angry Birds.  I'll watch anything you name it cup of tea and some biscuits and I'll watch any crap and if there's no crap on I'll sit and play with my phone (dam you apple)

The solution = THE FEAR

I need the fear to push me into something that I would never normally do, a goal and a sense of achievement so that is why in May this year I will be running the Baker Hughes 10k!!!!  That's right quite literally run fat boy run over 6.2 miles.  Now its no marathon but for a fat guy like me this is my Everest.  How am i going to manage?  Christ know but without the FEAR i would never get round to it and we'd be another year older and another year fatter

So here goes yesterday I signed up £21 for the privilege of dragging my fat ass around Aberdeen.  I will be doing this for charity so alongside my health and overall well being there will also be others benefiting too.  I just have to decide who

Already I feel sick at the though but if you see a fat man curled up at the side of the road please pick him up and tell him to "Jog On"

Donnie