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Can a Fat Man be an Award Winning Fitness Blogger

Can a Fat Man be an Award Winning Fitness Blogger?

Google “Fitness Blogger” images and you’ll notice a pattern. Long hair, tight abs, bikinis and the obligatory instagram friendly butt selfie.

I know that the scene is much more diverse than this, but this is sadly the perception of many and as an overweight, balding and bespectacled 43 year old man, I am as far removed from the archetypal fitness blogger as you can get and you will be relieved to know that as much as I love selfies, I tend to keep them confined to my butt ugly face.

So, when I discovered that I had been nominated for the UK Blog Awards in the Sports and Fitness category, I saw it as an opportunity to address this misconception and to hopefully further raise my profile as a blogger (like my Man V Fat Reviews, I am honest).

Thermolean PowerUp 864x400 c

How Many Miles has seen a lot of traffic and posts in the past 12 months, but I am not an overnight success.

I first started blogging back in 2011 with a small workplace feature that grew as my confidence grew and as my weight reduced. Soon, How Many Miles was born and it wasn’t long before I was blogging for Tribesports, Spogo, the Men’s 10K and Paths For All.

In 2014, I hit the Big Time. Or so I thought.

Great Run made me their blogger and a wee sporting event in Glasgow picked me to be one of their special Games bloggers. I also started writing for the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) and Man V Fat. I then ended the year with what I view as the pinnacle of sports and fitness blogging.

No, not the bloody Huffington Post, but my first British Medical Journal Blog. For as long as I blog (or live) my BMJ blog posts will rank alongside my greatest writing accomplishments.

For two years, I focused on my Great Run and FSEM blogs with regular guest posts for Man V Fat and others. I attended a few sports medicine symposiums and Great Run gave me the VIP treatment at all of their events. I wasn’t well known and I didn’t really care

Well, that wasn’t quite true.

I love blogging. I love knowing that my words sometimes entertain, inspire and sometimes even educate. I love the opportunities that blogging brings and I do love the occasional gifts from partners. I also genuinely love putting my thoughts on paper (even if it is only Google docs). However, I will be totally honest. At Great Run, I didn’t feel in control of the blog and it soon became clear that my role there wasn’t developing as I had hoped.

I wasn’t reaching as many as I wanted to and I also wanted to write about more than running. Great Run were indeed great, but my run with them was coming to an end.

So, I decided to leave Great Run and to resurrect How Many Miles and for the past year, I have focused my main efforts on my own blog. I redesigned the theme, added new categories and I even got myself a wee logo.

final

The UK Blog Award nomination is a wonderful honour and culmination of an amazing but also difficult year . It hopefully reflects my efforts, but I nearly didn’t accept it.

The fitness blogging industry, much like the fitness industry, is largely driven by aesthetics and carbon copy blogs that all seem to review the same boutique London gyms or the same fashion lines. It has became too focused on product and brand placement and over the past few months, I have unsubscribed from many. I have become a little disillusioned.

However, I still have my favourites and I am up against some of them in the UK Blog Awards.

I like to think that we share a common approach. We tell honest stories and we are open about our struggles as well as our accomplishments. For us, blogging is about sharing our experiences in the hope that we can inspire others to step out of their comfort zones. I also like to think that we offer hope to people not unlike ourselves.

I unfortunately feel that we are a minority and there is obviously a market and demand for the Instagram famous bloggers and their photo led content as I enviously watch on as they go on yet another sponsored island retreat or parade in their latest sports gear, but I do hope that the public and judges of the UK Blog Awards prefer stories. I know that I enjoy writing them.

I’d love this story to end with myself (or even one of my favourite blogs) in the final, but to do that I need your vote.

Vote for How Many Miles at :

http://www.blogawardsuk.co.uk/ukba2017/entries/how-many-miles

And let us show that sports and fitness blogging is about more than bikini clad athletes attending the latest VIP fitness launch in London.

Can a fat man win a fitness blog award? Only time will tell.

December 5, 2016 5 comments

Kit and Tech Reviews Triathlon Try-Athlete

Garmin Forerunner 735XT Multisport Watch Review

written by Stephen Morrison

This summer, I headed off to Australia with a spring in my step and a new Garmin Forerunner 735XT on my wrist. It had been a winter of discontent , disappointment and disconnection, but I had decided that by autumn, I would branch out into new sports and activities and leave my troubles and negative thoughts behind.

Armed with the Garmin Forerunner 735XT, I was equipped to track several new activities in addition to the staples of outdoor and indoor running, cycling and swimming which are more than adequately tracked by almost every other Garmin Forerunner watch.

These included Rowing, Stand Up Paddle (SUP) boarding and Hiking. All activities that I hoped to undertake while on my Australian travels.

There is also the option of adding other activity profiles, such as Strength and Cardio, but these basically operate like a stopwatch with heart rate based calorie burn, which don’t, in my opinion, add much value, although you can download HIIT training apps, which could be fun (please note that perceptions of what constitutes fun may vary).

The watch itself is smaller than the Forerunner 620 and similar in shape and size to the Forerunner 235. This makes for a comfortable fit and more likely to be “borrowed” by my training partner and partner in life, Teresa. It is quite light and given my knack for falling off of bikes, I have concerns about how durable the plastic casing and screen are. My first 620 (it was stolen during a burglary) suffered a few scrapes and some might prefer a more rugged watch, such as the new Suunto Spartan Ultra, but I do like how light it is and the fact that I can customise it and wear it as an everyday watch (more on that later) at work.

It also lacks the touch screen ability of the Forerunner 620, but I have a confession. While I loved my 620, I prefer using buttons. More reliable, especially in wet conditions (I do live in Glasgow) and a slightly faster and more accurate response than the touch screen , although that might be down to my fat fingers.

Outdoor Swimming with the Garmin 735XT

While in Oz, I went swimming in oceans, lakes, creeks and even under a waterfall and can attest to it being waterproof (and shockproof seemingly). The optical heart rate monitor doesn’t work in water, but Garmin do provide a chest strap for swimmers and another for triathletes with the Tri Bundle. I never tested these as I had left them at home, but when I start my swimming lessons (pool and sea), I will use this to measure my performance and progress.

Garmin probably didn’t have swimming in waterfalls in mind when designing the 735XT

Currently, I am more of a try-athlete than a triathlete, so the Forerunner 735XT is probably a tad advanced for my needs, but the Ironman within me is eager to test it in triathlons and I did manage to test while hiking through a few rainforests and on a kayak in the Whitsunday Islands

Kayaking with the Forerunner 735XT

I went “get in the sea” with this pic, as I was about to get in the sea

The activity profile on the Forerunner 735XT is actually for rowing and I am not sure just how universal stroke speed and distance are, but on reviewing my performance back on land and comparing it against average kayaking metrics, the numbers seemed about right. For someone not very good at kayaking, that is.

Seemingly this is at the low end of average.

And here is my main issue with the all singing (only activity it doesn’t measure) and all dancing Forerunner 735XT.

Post kayak or row, I love looking at the stats, charts and maps on both the Forerunner 735XT and the Garmin Connect App on my mobile phone and reflecting on my performance. While running, I can lift my arm and see how I am performing in real time, and make adjustments, but just try that while kayaking (and even swimming). You are dependent on two arms and monitoring your performance is impossible, using only the watch (feel free to correct me) without interrupting your flow.

However, the GPS does certainly work well enough, even at sea. It is very quick at acquiring satellites and much faster than my old Forerunner 620. I especially like the Garmin Connect maps.

My Garmin Map of Shute Harbour using my Forerunner 735XT

Hiking with the Forerunner 735XT

In Hiking mode, it also adds elevation and as we climbed Mt Ngungun in the Glasshouse Mountains (read my post about it) and Mt Cannibal (given the Australian tradition of naming every place literally such as “To The Beach Road”, I was relieved to find it was clear of cannibals ), my boys were elated to hear at regular intervals how high we were climbing. One caveat worth noting is that the Forerunner 735XT relies on GPS. For some reason, known only to Garmin, it doesn’t have a barometric altimeter that you can find in the likes of the Vivoactive HR .

Elevation (both in altitude and heart rate)

In addition to measuring our elevation, it also measures distance, pace, calories burned and of course heart rate, which seemed to elevate in pace with our ascent of Dunk Island. The dips were undoubtedly selfie and scenery stops. Not rests. Honest.

And that brings us neatly to the wrist based optical heart rate monitor (hrm). For me, chest straps found on sports watches are a pain. Literally. They are often too tight and I have often found it difficult to keep them in place. The addition of an optical hrm attracted me to both the Forerunner 235 and 735XT and there is something addictive about checking your heart rate while walking to work, climbing stairs, watching television and even while sitting on the loo. Possibly too much information, but I was only doing so for research purposes. Honest.

But the optical monitors are not without their detractors. Fitbit are currently battling a class action lawsuit for the inaccuracy of their optical heart rate monitor watches and I do have some reservations about the Garmin Elevate system. It is a proprietary technology and over the courses of several updates, Garmin claim that it has become more accurate and for the majority of time, it does seem to be. I have a very low resting heart rate and recover relatively quickly from exertion (it must be all the yoga and meditating) and the Forerunner 735XT seems to be unable to react accurately to sudden changes in heart rate, although it does eventually respond and for my purposes , the readings are accurate enough. While wearing it 24/7, I really like how it uses my heart rate to determine my daily basal metabolic rate. I.E. how many calories I burn each day (otherwise referred to as how much food I can eat in a day).

You become addicted to checking if your heart is still beating

I also quite like the customisable watch faces via Garmin IQ (their App centre) and the smart notifications that show me weather forecasts, social media updates, and even text messages and incoming calls (handy at work). However, these are also available on the Forerunners 235 and 635, and on their own, they are not a reason to upgrade to the Forerunner 735XT. However, the watch does come into its own with some key and rather exciting features.

Just call me Universal Biker

The Forerunner 735XT is the only Garmin watch order viagra
that supports the Garmin Varia range and having picked up the Vision In-Sight display headset, I can confirm that they pair together quickly. As I train for triathlons and get out on my bikes more, I will fully test the Vision and report back.

The Forerunner 735XT also improves upon the 235 by adding a function that would please my Chi Running coach (see my review of Chi Running).

A Metronome.

I am guilty of a long stride (even with my short legs) and a low cadence and the Metronome tool is set to pulse at the recommended 180 steps per minute, although this can be tailored to each runner. This helps you run at a more efficient pace.

For the sports scientists among you, the Forerunner 735XT is equipped with all manner of performance indicators. From the standard training tools, race predictor, VO2 max (premium Forerunners) and recovery adviser to more advanced Lactate Threshold (requires the chest strap) and Functional Threshold Power readings. I will be honest, these mean little to me at the moment, but I intend on finding out.

You might think that all of these functions and the constant use of GPS, heart rate and bluetooth might be battery intensive and in comparison to the seemingly never ending battery of the Garmin Vivofit, it is. While away for four weeks, and using the heart rate and GPS, I have charged it three times with a very quick charge time. I should point out that Garmin state that it will last 14hrs in full race mode, so any budding Ironmen might want to consider their expected finishing times and an alternative watch, such as the Fenix 3.

However, the Garmin Forerunner 735XT is a stunning sports watch that combines many of the best features of Garmin’s Forerunner and Fenix ranges and it equally works well as a physical activity tracker (like other models, it reminds you to move) and smart watch.

All of this doesn’t come cheap (Garmin Forerunner 735XT Tri Bundle costs £435 at Wiggle , but you can pick up the Run Bundle for £335 at Millets) and for the average runner or cyclist, I might recommend the less expensive options of the Forerunner 235 or Vivoactive HR, but then, who wants to be average and who would much rather be an Ironman (or at least a half Ironman)?

The Garmin Forerunner 735XT is a watch for Triathletes and Try-Athletes. It is the watch for me.

Disclaimer. Garmin provided a Forerunner 735XT for this review, but I loved it so much, I bought one for myself.

August 24, 2016 2 comments

Health Obesity

Man V Fat Football Glasgow- It’s coming home

written by Stephen Morrison

Man V Fat Football

Are you tired of feeling tired? Are you fed up of feeding yourself rubbish?

Do you have a goal of playing football anywhere but in goal?

Well, I have some news that will get your heart rate going. Literally.

Scotland might not be involved in Euro 2016, but Man V Fat Football is coming to Scotland and in Glasgow, I have the honour of being your league coordinator. If Man V Football is news to you, then check out the feedback back from CNN , the BBC and more importantly the PLAYERS.

And for those interested in seeing what happens at a Man V Fat Football league, I even have some footage for you that might have you once gain longing for a kick-about.

Man V Fat Football is unlike any other football league in existence

It is exclusively designed for men who are overweight or obese; points are scored for both victories on the pitch AND in the kitchen and your registration cost and game fee include a no-nonsense fat loss book, weekly weigh ins (cheaper than Weight Watchers and you won’t be the only guy there) and access to the world’s best (in my honest opinion) male fat loss community. A community that has helped over 300,000 men lose weight.

So far, 95% of players have lost weight over 14 week league, with the average loss being 2 stone!!

It’s a chance to play the beautiful game with men of equal size and with an equal desire to be leaner and fitter. Man V Fat Football will give you the chance to lace up your boots, to get back on a pitch and to show that sometimes, losers win.

Man V Fat Football kicks off on Sunday, July 31st at Lucozade Powerleague Townhead and you can find out more and register for the first league here.

You can sign up alone or with friends, but be quick. Places are limited and every league so far in the UK has been heavily (no pun intended) over subscribed with over 1,000 guys applying for the original 80 places.

Let’s show the Man V Fat Football community that Glasgow is the home of football and that we will be the Biggest Losers and winners!

June 22, 2016 2 comments

Cycling Triathlon Try-Athlete

Street Trials with Ali Clarkson

written by Stephen Morrison

Today , I made my first active commute to and from work by bike.

May 31, 2016 1 comment

Health

Using Activity Trackers to Get Scotland Walking

written by Stephen Morrison

“To measure is to know” and “If you can’t measure it, you can not improve it”

Wise words, indeed, from Lord Kelvin, the early 19th century mathematical physicist .

As someone who changed his life by tracking data (read my debut BJSM Blog ) this is the sort of confirmation bias that I cling to when I read articles, like this one , which cites research that implies that the more we track an activity, the less we will enjoy it.

With Lord Kelvin’s quotes fuelling my stance, I was ready to quickly dismiss the idea that tracking physical activity could be anything but a great idea.

And then, I remembered one of Lord Kelvin’s less celebrated quotes :

“ X– rays will prove to be a hoax”.

Whoa, if he could be so wrong about x – rays (they also changed my life ), what else did he get wrong ?

So, I read the story further and I considered if my tracking of steps, pace, distance, calories and even heart rate had become an addiction and even a chore?

March 15, 2016 8 comments

Health Obesity

Man V Fat Football- Red Card to The Sun

written by Stephen Morrison

This Girl Can is a national campaign developed by Sport England and a wide range of partnership organisations. It’s a celebration of active women up and down the country who are doing their thing no matter how well they do it, how they look or even how red their face gets.

SportEngland’s #ThisGirlCan campaign has been a remarkable success. Over 2.8 million women have been inspired to be more active by a campaign that celebrated women in sport. A campaign that promoted positive body image and even more importantly, positive self image.

It made many women believe more in themselves and has given them the confidence to become try athletes.

It made stars of ordinary women and showed the world that they could be extraordinary.

SportEngland have recognised that this is a winning formula and intend on replicating it for other groups who could benefit from being more active.

One of those groups is the obese. Physical activity, on its own, will not make them slimmer, but the benefits of physical activity are well documented (least not by me).

I am a member of a group of obese men. 40,000 obese men. 40,000 obese men who are determined to reach a healthier weight. Many of them also want to be more active and enjoy the same activities as others, without feeling embarrassed or anxious about their appearance or fitness levels.

These men all belong to Man V Fat , the brainchild of my friend Andrew Shanahan. For the past few years it has been a supportive on-line community, where men of every shape, age and background offer each other advice and encouragement. It is a place where we aren’t judged, belittled or mocked.

Not like in the real world.

I have spoken about my own experiences as an obese runner. I had cruel words and wet liquids thrown at me as I tried to better my life. I will not paint myself as a hero. I crumbled and for months, I didn’t run. However, I realised that these were a few insignificant idiots who hurt me for a few seconds at a time.

It was not as if 1,800,0000 people were sharing a joke at my expense. I can only imagine how humiliated that would make me feel.

Unfortunately, I know a few men who know exactly how that feels, thanks to The Sun.

Man V Fat has stepped out from the shadows of the internet and we now have weight loss classes, cycling groups and hopefully, this year Man V Fat running groups.

We have even launched a Man V Fat Football League to give our guys the chance to play football. Men are as body conscious as women. We worry about our wobbly bits and fear that others will judge us. In a survey, many of our men responded that they wanted to play football.

The Man V Fat Football League would give them a safe and fun environment to showcase their skills, to build their confidence and to help them on their way to healthier and happier lives. The fantastic Football Fans In Training initiative has proven that football is a successful vehicle to attract men and unsurprisingly, 90 obese men (to take part your BMI has to be over 30) turned up, on a bitterly cold evening, for our inaugural matches.

I watched some video highlights and was amazed at the speed, skill and strength of the players. Watch this for a goal:

This should have been a night to remember for all of those who participated and an amazing start to an initiative that I cannot wait to bring to Scotland. On Man V Fat we celebrated and congratulated those who had been so brave to step onto those pitches.

And then, in the morning, all our cheers turned to first despair and then anger.

The UK press were in attendance at the event and many, such as the Daily Mail, published glowing reports. However, for reasons only known to themselves, The Sun decided to indulge in some good, old fashioned fat-shaming.

Red Card for The Sun

Rather than praise the efforts of the players and use their stories to inspire others, they chose to mock and ridicule them. They also chose to use some pretty lame and tired jokes at the expense of guys simply trying to have fun and improve their lives.

This is the newspaper that gave Katie Hopkins a platform to abuse the obese and regularly calls for “fatties” to do more to ease the burden they place on the NHS and society as a whole.

The Sun could have and should have approached this more positively. They are the new media partners of Great Run , a running series whose showcase, The Great North Run, is as much about the charity runners and plodders who take 4 hours to complete the race as the elites that are finished after an hour. Just how will they cover these events? Will the headlines read “Run, Fatty, Run”?

These footballers are not professionals, living their lives in the limelight. They are ordinary men, with families and feelings, who by getting up, getting out and playing football are doing extraordinary things. The Sun has bullied and belittled these men for simply doing what everyone asks of them. They took responsibility for their own health and made the effort to get active.

These men did not deserve to be portrayed this way and they deserve our full support. Despite the abuse and the embarrassment caused, these men will not give up. These men can and will show true grit and prove to the likes of The Sun that they are made of stronger stuff.

These Men Can.

January 21, 2016 18 comments

Health Journey Obesity

I really don’t know what I am doing in the Gym

written by Stephen Morrison

Yarr…. I don’t know what I’m doing!

No, it isn’t Talk Like a Pirate Day, but instead it is Stephen’s first day at the gym and like Captain Horatio McAllister, in The Simpsons, I really don’t know what I am doing!

The day started well. I had breakfast (which is something that I too often miss) and I managed to resist the vending machine in my work. And when I say resist, it didn’t even cross my mind and that, on its own, warrants a wee fist pump.

Even walking past endless rows of sweet laden desks didn’t bring out the sweetie monster in me.

By 2.00pm, I was feeling hungry and prior to hitting the gym, I stopped off at my local sandwich shop and had a chicken panini. Not the best choice, but not the worst either and a lesson learned. Although I do not have a lunch break (I work part-time) I will bring food with me. Especially as it is my intention to head straight to the gym.

Which I did today and which did not go quite to plan.

I walked in and although I had spent time in it before with Teresa, I felt like a nervous child entering high school for the first time. I felt alone and I was not sure of my surroundings. I did not know where to go first and even as I entered the changing rooms, I felt like I was trespassing and the onset of a headache (more of that in a moment) did nothing to settle my nerves.

For the past four years I have ran and although I have tried many sports, I have never felt comfortable in a gym. Lack of knowledge, confidence and experience. Hopefully all three will improve as I keep going and as I enlist the help of my Personal Trainer friend Spencer Peek, who works in Pure Gym.

Hiring a PT to guide me in the first few weeks seems like the most sensible approach. I will learn what machines and weights to use and I will have a planned workout for each visit.

But, back to today. My headache became worse and I decided to just do some light cardio. I spent 30 minutes cycling and 20 minutes walking. I tried to run, but my heart was not in it and my headache was not allowing it. For a brief second I lost focus and I nearly slid off the back of the treadmill. Luckily I came to my senses and recovered before suffering any further embarrassment.

Not the best first visit to the gym, but it will not deter me and I will find a way to enjoy it.

Tonight’s dinner was a red Thai curry and I resisted crisps and sweets. I should be going to bed reasonably happy and reasonably early (for a change). However, I am a numbers man and today’s measurements reinforced my need to alter my lifestyle. Yet, again.

As expected my weight, BMI and body fat percentage were as high as they have been in four years. At 234lbs and a Body Fat Percentage of 34%, I have a long way to go.

Also worrying is my blood pressure. At 133 over 90 it is on the high side and I will need to monitor this. The only relatively encouraging measurement was my resting heart rate . At 45 beats per minute, it gives me hope that if I can reduce my blood pressure and weight, I should have a healthy heart and potentially a longer and more active life.

Tomorrow is Day 2 and my goal is to add some more fruit and vegetables to my diet.

December 14, 2015 0 comment

Health Journey Obesity

Eat, Gain, Weep and DON’T Bloody Repeat

written by Stephen Morrison

Everyone loves reading weight loss success stories.

We admire and appreciate the determination, dedication and discipline required to lose over 100 lbs.

My own story graced many publications, including this Daily Record feature. In it, I spoke of a fear that haunts me. A fear that I cannot shake and cannot stop thinking about.

That one day I will wake up and I will once again be 354lbs

It would not happen overnight, but my weight would creep up and up and I would contribute to a horrifying weight loss statistic. That only 12-14 percent of those losing over 100lbs maintain that loss.

That is right. Around 85% of the success stories you read about end up with the person regaining most, if not all, of their lost weight.

At this point you would be excused for wondering why, having left behind a depressing past, would anyone allow themselves to regain those lost pounds and reclaim those xl clothes.

Why would someone give up on their future by allowing their past to catch up with them? The answer often lies in the past.

The reason I reached the despairing depths (as opposed to dizzy heights) of morbid obesity was my unhealthy relationship with food and my even unhealthier opinion of myself.

I believed that I was worthless and in addition to excess pounds of fat, I carried too much extra baggage. I was weighed down by self doubt and by deeply buried memories of my childhood. Compared to others, my early life was not that hard and it did not lack love, but it did have an over abundance of fear and the occasional bloody nose and bruised body. I have received some counselling and I have realised that being beaten occasionally has led to a self destructing relationship with food and a downward spiral which saw me eat more, weigh more and hate myself more.

Recently, I have felt undervalued and I have struggled with events outwith my control and some problems that will not go away (especially if I do not meet them head on). I have been beating myself up and I have noticed that I have been medicating with food and mindlessly eating. As I sit here typing, my mind drifts to the the packet of French Fries crisps calling my name from the kitchen cupboard and I believe that I need and want to eat.

And then, I remember that French Fries do not talk and I am not even remotely hungry. I have adopted the habit of having a wee snack (or two or three) late at night while I blog, plan physical activity initiatives (oh, the irony) or watch non-Disney television. It is just a habit. Just like my other habit of having a wee slice (or two or three) of toast to eat when I come home from work. Just like the habit of getting the bus to work when I have been walking to and from work for the past ten months.

I have tried to lead what I think is a normal lifestyle with normal treats and I have forgotten the origin of this blog’s name.

It is not related to running. It refers to my journey. It will never end. Like so many others, I can never slow down and I certainly cannot go into reverse. Every day is a battle, but as a friend just reminded me, every day is an opportunity to be start afresh and to improve on the day before

I will make loving myself my new habit

I refuse to be a statistic. Do you?

December 8, 2015 4 comments

Journey Running Triathlon

No More Running…

written by Stephen Morrison

It is December the first and for many runners, it is the first day of Marcothon, the brilliant 31 day running streak challenge in December, organised by Debbie and Marco Consani.

It is a wonderful challenge that encourages people to run and make physical activity a part of their daily lives. It brings runners together and the community spirit amongst challengers is an illustration of why the running community is so often revered. If you are a runner, it is a fantastic way to make those miserable winter runs work for you as you try to work out how to explain to your family on Boxing Day that you are only going out to run because you HAVE to; not because you are trying to escape the madness around you(not that any of us would dare suggest that).

Good luck to all of my friends taking part, but I will not be joining you.

For there will be no more running challenges for me.

Too often I get fixated on the next and bigger challenge and forget to enjoy being active. I make running and exercise a chore, when it should be a pleasure. Too often, I worry about not running fast enough, far enough or simply often enough. I berate myself for not being hardcore or determined enough. Instead, I will focus on having fun and making exercise something I look forward to. I am determined that I will do more of what I love.

It is also no more running blog for me.

After two years, I have decided to stop writing for Great Run. While I enjoyed seeing my posts receive positive feedback and I revelled in the VIP treatment afforded to me at Great Run events, I never felt part of the team. I never felt that I was truly appreciated or valued and I never felt that the blog was getting the support it needed. Instead, I will focus on this blog.

The end of the Great Run Blog (for me, at least) also unfortunately means no more running group or Facebook page.

For the past year, I have had the pleasure and honour of being the Event Coordinator for Great Run Local in Glasgow. I have watched as we have grown from two runners on a cold Sunday morning in December to forty runners on a cold Wednesday night in December. Although I genuinely love Great Run Local, I cannot continue giving my time when I do not feel that I have been given the support or recognition that I deserve. I will miss my Wednesday nights at the Quay, but instead, I will spend them training with my other love, Teresa.

With more time on my hands, I have also decided that there will be no more running away from my dreams.

I want to help others and I want to use my passion for physical activity to change lives. That is why I am delighted to confirm that I am going to complete my Level 2 Gym Instructor course and pursue my Level 3 Personal Trainer course with Faster, arguably the leading providers of functional training in the world. And also my Nutrition Consultant course with the Advanced Coaching Academy with Dr Gary Mendoza. I have spent too long helping others achieve success; too long believing that I did not have the ability and worrying that I didn’t have the time. Instead, I will now focus on my future success and I will believe in myself and make the time.

Finally, there will be no more running.

Whoa, did I just say that? Yes, I did and I almost mean it. Running has been the main focus of my life for three years and I have forgotten what it is to be a try athlete. I have also gained a few too many pounds and while I will never join the anti-cardio brigade, I do need to change how I train. I am not really enjoying running at the moment and a few months away from it will hopefully reignite my passion. Instead, I will focus on getting stronger and fitter and spend more time lifting, pushing and pulling, rather than simply shuffling along pavements.

I might have given up on a few roles this week, but I have not given up on me. I am howmanymiles, a physical activity champion, blogger, try athlete and a winner. What will there be “no more” of for you?

December 1, 2015 12 comments

Health Journey Obesity

Sugar Rush

written by Stephen Morrison

Now that fat is no longer the bogeyman, we have a new villain carrying the can (pun intended) as the main cause of obesity.

Step up sugar and soda drinks. They join bacon on the list of things we love that seemingly hate us and our bodies.

As someone who has lost 12 stone and who is a Jamie Oliver Food Revolution Ambassador, I applaud Jamie’s efforts to highlight the sugar content in many soft drinks. I think we can all agree that many of us drink too much soda and our waistlines and gum lines are paying the price. A reduction in sugar consumption has shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels and fat in the liver. I cut my sugar drastically and now look younger, have better skin, lowerered my blood sugar and even cured myself of sleep apnoea. Of course, I also cut my calories and lost lots of weight, which might also have contributed to my healthier look. It’s never one thing, as my friend Rannoch will often say.

The idea of introducing a sugar tax and displaying more clearly the sugar content on foods is not a new one and it has been successful in other countries; notably Mexico which saw a 6-12% reduction in soft drink purchasing over two years and up to 17% reduction in lower income households. Some research suggests some simply purchased cheaper brands, but the impact on the soft drink industry in Mexico is real.

Taxation can work. A 20% sugar tax could generate £1 billion each year. Money that our NHS and partners could use to fund health initiatives. Money that could be spent on saving lives and educating future generations.

We constantly read about how much the obese cost the NHS with greater need for larger beds, larger machines and increased treatments. This tax could help to address this burgeoning bill while possibly helping us to trim our waistlines.

What’s not to like about taxing sugar?

Well, for a start, it IS a regressive tax. Sugar consumption is greater in poorer communities and obesity is more prevalent in poorer communities. We already heavily tax people’s smoking and drinking habits and simply taxing another unhealthy product shouldn’t be much different. Yet, we are seeing a backlash. People are reading every day that something new is killing them, that something that was killing them is now good for them. They are confused and they feel that they are being told what they can and cannot do and what they can and cannot consume. This is fuelling apathy and mistrust.

Yes, we can shake our heads and our fingers and suggest that they accept some personal responsibility, but I cite my FSEM Lay View that suggests that we need to win both hearts and minds.

Before we rush to demonize sugar, it does have some benefits. Ask any runner how much they love Jelly Babies and sugar has proven to reduce cortisol levels caused by stress. It is never one thing.

We should look beyond the proposed sugar tax and look at the other (less controversial…to consumers, at least) proposals that Public Health England support and call for. Proposals that need to be considered before a sugar tax is implemented.

Reducing portion sizes. Am I the only person who buys family sized bags of sweets with the intention of making them last and then races to the bottom of the pack? We could, of course, show some self constraint, but many of us that are obese have a destructive relationship with food. Urging us to eat less does little to reduce our urges to eat more. Increasing a litre of Coke by 20 pence will not necessarily prevent people from still buying it.
More regulation of how high sugar goods are marketed, especially to children. For me, cereal manufacturers are almost criminal in their pursuit of young consumers. The shapes, flavours and marketing of breakfast cereals entice children and too many parents associate a bowl of cereal as a greeeeeaaaat way to start the day, not knowing that often a third of the bowl is sugar.
Further controls over how high-sugar foods are displayed in stores. In my local Tesco (naming and shaming, but not alone), the end of every aisle has high-sugar foods on promotion. These goods are heavily discounted to the extent that it is often not much more expensive to buy four of five bars than one. Again, we could criticise people and parents, but does that actually achieve anything? Instead, let’s encourage better promotion of healthier options and motivate and inspire people to make healthier purchases.

Sugar isn’t just found in huge quantities in soft drinks and sweets. It’s hidden everywhere. Ready meals that are so convenient often have up to 40 grams of sugar in each pack; barbecue sauce has as much sugar as a glazed doughnut and often fat free translates to extra sugar. Manufacturers want their foods to both taste better and be preserved for longer. Sugar achieves this.

If we are to reduce the amount of sugar to the recommended level of 5-10% of our daily calorific intake, we need to encourage and enable people to cook simple and wholesome meals. If we are to tax sugar, use some of the proceeds to create nationwide cooking campaigns that bring children and parents together and make learning to cook fun. We need to address the myth that eating healthy is more expensive and we need to look at how our food manufacturers and retailers produce, promote and price food.

The largely ineffective Responsibility Deal provided little incentive to businesses to fulfil their pledges and it has been argued that many of its successes would have happened without it. We cannot rely on food manufacturers to think of anything but their shareholders and, as such, they need to be regulated and given incentives (or penalties for non-compliance) to reduce sugar levels in food.

And finally, let’s move more. Being active doesn’t give you a free ride (well, unless you are cycling) but it can allow you to have a little of the things that we enjoy. Remember, it is never one thing.

October 28, 2015 5 comments