A weighty problem

This week someone asked why my blog was called One Fat Man 08. I explained that it was rooted in bingo callers’ rhyming slang for 88 being two fat ladies. As there is only one of me I am obviously One Fat Man 08.

‘But you’re not fat,’ she said. And there is the not unpleasing dilemma. Through a diet of pavement pounding and broccoli, I have managed to shed just 3lbs short of 2 stone since January 2nd and while I’m still in no position to show off a six-pack,  I’m a lot more human shaped than I used to be.

I have two choices: I either go back to the bingo callers’ lexicography and find a more suitable sobriquet: One Man 31, for example, meaning Get Up and Run, or perhaps more aptly One Man 43 meaning Down on Your Knees or even One Man 75 meaning Strive and Strive.

Or there is always the second choice which is to is to eat lots of pies and drink lots of beer so I fit my name again.

I think I know which I prefer.

It’s all going runningly…

If you had told me a month ago that by February 1st I would be running several miles a day before 8.30 a.m I would have choked on my breakfast Mars Bar.

My marathon preparations began on January 2nd when I weighed in at 15st 3lbs and the only walk that didn’t involve a rest was the one to the pub. Today I weigh in at 14st 3lbs exactly. I have not only lost a stone but found an unexpected ability to challenge sloths to running races.

Back on the 15th January I wrote a post about my frustration at slowing to a walk when encountering a steep hill. This morning I not only ran happily all the way up, but continued for a further five miles.

The human body is amazingly resilient. I have thrown pies and alcohol at mine for years and its only protest has been to indignantly increase in size. Now suddenly after 46 years of weary acquiescence to excess, my body is being asked to run, swim and more agonisingly go without beer, pastry or chocolate. And to add insult to injury it is being asked to cope with a large and entirely alien intake of vegetables and fruit.

However, I am under no illusion. I have a lot more work to do if I am going to get anywhere near to completing the 26 mile marathon course in April, which suddenly seems so close. But at least I can now see the light rather than the cellulite.

My shedding pounds is all in add of raising pounds for the RNIB so please dig deep. You can support me by clicking on the text underneath the Sponsor Me tab to the right of this page.