Introduction | Vital Stats | Diet | Training | Video Blog | Nick's Blog | Gallery
Introduction
The Ironman has been described as the toughest race known to man. 1000 people at 7 AM start the race with a 3.8 km open sea swim, move straight onto a 180 km bike ride followed by a marathon (42.2 km run) with a cut off time of 17 hours. Out of all of the Ironman competitions in the world, Lanzarote has been described as the hardest of them all. The 25 mph winds, the huge mountain climbs, the boiling heat all contribute to its reputation as the world's toughest course. To compete you have to be super fit…a machine…exercise immense discipline and concentration….people die during these events…… As of the 1st September 2007 I weigh 17 stone (238 lbs/108 kg), I have a 42 inch waist, a 28% fat count and I have smoked 20 a day for 25 years. The only thing I have run is a bath! Whoops…
Why May 2009? I visited Lanzarote in August and whilst conducting research on the race routes, particularly, the cycle course, (from my car I hasten to add) I met up with a couple of Britsih guys who live in Lanzarote, both of whom have completed several ironman races, who offered some great advice and help. Remember the robot under Schwarzenegger’s body in Terminator? These guys looked fitter and harder! I looked like Mr Blobby. My theory is that I will need to shed around 50 to 70 lbs and that will take time. Also, the fitness levels required are far higher than anything I have reached in the past, so at 41 I need to pace things. Injuries need to be avoided. Hence, the 18 months preparation.
Why do it anyway? I want to prove that anyone can go from Chunkey Monkey to Iron Monkey, and believe me, if I can do the race…anyone can. Seriously though, last year my step dad died, a few years before my father in law, both of cancer. The cancer was bad enough, but I believe the commute to Gloucester Hospital for chemotherapy increased the misery a hundred fold. Hope For Tomorrow is a local charity that raises money towards mobile chemo units, enabling patients to be treated closer to their home. It would have made a huge difference to my family if this had been available. Hopefully, I can convince people to sponsor me to raise funds for this charity. Also, I’ve talked about competing in the Ironman for years and finally my wife told me to put up or shut up. So, here we go.
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Vital Statistics
Over the course of the next 18 months I will keep a record of my vital statistics to monitor progress. I will not only monitor my weight, blood pressure, fat count and some tape measurements, I will also regularly monitor five specific blood values: total cholesterol, hdl cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and uric acid. I will explain a little why these values are so critical and the role they will play in me hitting my weight targets and my fitness goals. If any of the values of my September 2007 blood sample exceed or do not meet Level 1 targets, then my diet will be structured accordingly. Level 3 represents similar values to a child’s blood. I will de-age my blood. Level 3 is my target for competing in the ironman! Under the diet section I will explain how these targets will be reached.
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | |
| Total Cholesterol | more than 200 | 160-190 | 160 or less |
| HDL | 30 or lower | 45 or more | 60 or more |
| Triglycerides | 150 or more | 90-149 | 75 or less |
| Glucose | 100 or more | 85-95 | 85 or less |
| Uric Acid | 7 or more | 6 or less | 5 or less |
Vital Values:
- Total cholesterol: Clean arteries mean your blood flows more easily!
- HDL cholesterol: Good cholesterol means lower risk of heart disease. People with hdl levels over 70 generally live into the 9th decade! Exercise and the right food raises your hdl levels. High fat and suger lower them!
- Triglycerides: FAT! Your liver converts fat into triglycerides. Sugar, booze, fat and poor exercise raise levels and can lead to heart disease.
- Glucose: Blood sugar derived from carbs and amino acids. High levels (over 115) may lead to diabetes: low level (below 50) may lead to hyoglycemia. Ironmen need steady levels to avoid ‘bonking.’
- Uric acid: A toxic by product of high protein diets which drives calcium, potassium and water out of the body. This is bad news for an ironman!
| 01/09/07 | 01/11/07 | 01/01/08 | 01/03/08 | 01/05/08 | 01/07/08 | 01/09/08 | 01/11/08 | 01/01/09 | 01/03/09 | Target | |
| Weight (lbs) | 240 | 225 | 220 | 220 | 213 | 206 | 180 | ||||
| Fat count | 28% | 23.90% | 24% | 24% | 22% | 20% | 10% | ||||
| Blood pressure | 130/70 | 126/75 | 133/83 | 125/77 | 120/70 | 116/65 | 120/60 | ||||
| Pulse | 67 | 47 | 57 | 55 | 52 | 58 | 60 | ||||
| Tot. Cholesterol | 177 | 177 | 170.15 | 193 | 150 | 170 | 160 | ||||
| HDL | 30.9 | 34.8 | 38.67 | 38.67 | 34.8 | 42.5 | 60 | ||||
| Trigs | 97.43 | 88.5 | 115.15 | 127 | 62 | 141 | 75 | ||||
| Glucose | 97.28 | 95.47 | 92 | 104 | 100 | 106 | 85 | ||||
| Uric Acid | 6.55 | 6.05 | 6.2 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.55 | 5 | ||||
| Chest inch | 44 | 42.5 | 42 | 42 | 40 | 41 | 40 | ||||
| Waist inch | 42 | 38.5 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 37.5 | 32 | ||||
| Hips inch | 43 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 41 | 42 | 36 |
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Diet
Here are some facts:
a) Glycogen, the body’s storage form of carbohydrates is derived from complex carbs. Glycogen is critical for endurance training. When you control your body’s glycogen levels, you control how much fat you burn. Eating the right carbs will not add fat to your body, but will be stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver.
b) High protein diets are suicide for athletes. Your body will dehydrate, minerals will be lost and you will crave carbs as the body and brain demand them for peak performance as they are the optimal source of energy and satiety. Also, high protein diets will not allow you to reach the correct blood levels required.
c) As a rule of thumb, you need to burn 7000 calories to lose a pound of fat as you will burn 50% fat and 50% carbs (glycogen.) Exercise combined with the right diet will burn fat whilst increasing your stamina and fitness.
I am not religious about dieting. You need variety and you have to be practical. My family enjoy eating out, as do I, and I enjoy a drink and chocolate! Therefore, I need to be pragmatic so that I don’t hit the wall of boredom. Although there will be variations on the theme, my diet will consist 60% to 70% complex carbs, 25% protein and 10% fat. I will never go hungry and the satiety index is useful ie what foods fulfil you for the longest….potatoes, porridge and pasta are off the charts! I am confident that by following this plan, I will lose the weight, hit my blood levels and get fit. I’m afraid there is no place for protein pushers (Atkins) in my way of life!
Daily Foods
Breakfast:
Porridge, Shreaded Wheat, Weetabix
Lunch and Dinner:
Baked or New Potatoes, Pasta (wholewheat better), brown rice, bread (brown better)
Vegetables and salad (unlimited). Try and eat ROY Green (Red, Orange, Yellow and Green)
Pulses: baked beans (diet), peas, lentils etc (1 cup per day)
Egg whites: 4 per day
Cottage cheese: 1 cup per day
Skimmed milk: 2 cups per day
Natural yoghurt: 1 cup per day
Fruit: 3 per day (not fruit juice!)
Meat: 4 oz piece of chicken or fish 4 times per week
Snacks: pretzels, twiglets, 85% cocoa chocolate 3 sqs,
Drinks: Water, coffee, tea, red wine (1 or 2 glasses a day)
Extras: Canderel and parmesan
Avoid: Nuts, advocados, olives
EATING OUT:
Indian: Chicken tikka, steamed rice, spinach, chapattis, chick peas, cauliflower (ask for no oil)
Chinese: Chicken soup, tofu dishes, veg and steamed rice
Italian: Pasta with arrabiata or tomato sauce
Sunday roast: Chicken or turkey with new potatoes
Pizza: Vegetarian and skip the cheese!
As a guide, I skip the meat where I can and load up on the pasta, veg and potatoes or go for the fish option (salmon is the best)
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Training
At 17 stone and unfit I have to take it easy! The biggest risk at the beginning is injury due to poor fitness. Therefore, I will start with the following programme from September 07 until March 2008 to get the basic levels in place.
Although things will vary I will be pushing the following:
- Cycling: twice a week starting with 20k rising to 80k by next March
- Running: 3 to 4 times a week starting at 3k rising to 15k by next March
- Swimming: twice a week 1500 to 2500 mts.
- Walking: the dogs 5 days a week!
I will use carbo drinks, my ipod, an indoor bike trainer and a treadmill whenever required. I will start out at 1 hour a day and rise to 2 plus by next March with at least one day a week off. I will stretch before and after and basically try and get a decent night’s sleep every night. My training will rise to 4 hours a day as we move into late 08 with two elements of the race being worked on everyday.
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Video Blog
I will keep blogs every couple of months or so to keep you up on my progress.
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Nick's Blog
11/07/2008 - July Update
Phew...where do I start? The big news is that I have a partner in crime! My mate Ben Travers (younger, fitter but not as good looking) has joined me on the mission from God and will be doing the race! He has had a steep curve to climb...but he is already leaving me for dust. That's what 25 years of smoking does to your lungs. Over the last 6 weeks we have been focussing on the 65 mile cycle loop. Our time has fallen from 4 hours 22 minutes to 3 hours 50! And we can still go faster.
It is great to have a training partner and it has helped push me hard. Running goes well. I run either 3 or 8 miles everyday with a 14 miler on the weekend. The weight has fallen through 15 stone for the first time and I am now down to 14 st 10! 2 stone to go. Losing the booze has made things easier, fitter than I have ever been but there is still a long way to go.
I attended the Ironman in May. Amazing. The swim was a sight, to watch 1250 people dive in the sea was incredible. I have a video which I'll post next week. The cycle was so tough, and to watch the marathon and see grown men in tears made me wonder if I had bitten off more than I could chew. I spoke to guys after the race and the general message was that the cycle and the headwinds were just draining. Normal times of 12 hours were extended to 14, just because of the cycle. Since then I have trained hard on the bike, learning how to eat, how to tackle hills, trying to stay below 80% of heart rate and teach my body to burn fat. I can't wait for the race, I have come back more determined than ever.
We had a music night to raise a bit of money for the charity 'Hope For Tomorrow' and launch my campaign. Great evening, my band played some Radiohead and Muse tracks and we got some press coverage. Later in the year I will approach local companies and see if I can sponge some sponsorship.
August signals the start of hard training. I am in Lanzarote nd I will try and tackle the cycle route...all 180 km in 30 degrees....ouch.
Keep the faith
Nick
18/05/2008 - Fat Man’s Log 18th May
Hi Everyone.
Ok, 8 months in with a year to go! Let me update you on a few things:
i) Diet and Vital Stats:
Since my last update in March, I stopped drinking alcohol to see what the effects would be. Other than that, I have trained consistently (more info below) but the booze was the main change. If you have seen my May readings the results have been amazing! The great thing about screening your blood, is that there is no hiding place. You get the full story. My total cholesterol levels have dropped to 150, below my eventual Level 3 target...in two months. Equally, my triglycerides have collapsed to the lowest level yet...in two months they have halved...again to below my level three target. I now have to work on my other three levels. My uric acid is still too high: I’m eating too much protein which is diverting water (and calcium and potassium) away from my muscles which is not what I need. I will try and cut down over the next few months and see if I can hit 6! Equally, my frequent chocolate moments (on Friday I managed to eat an entire large bar of Green and Black’s Fruit and Nut in about 3 minutes and felt sick all afternoon) have resulted in my glucose levels remaining high (100.) Again, work to do as I need a level below 90.
The good news is that my weight has started to fall, and I’m heading fast towards 15 stone. I have no reason to believe that I won’t be at 13 stone or below by the time of the race. It wasn’t always that way. On the 7th July 2007 my wife was 40, and we had a long lunch with friends and family at a local hotel. As usual I was drunk and generally had a good time, commiserating as I had quit smoking only 7 days earlier. Later that day, Sunday, I stood on the scales and I was 17 stone 12 lbs (250 lbs or 113.6 kg), a chunky monkey in anyone’s book. This was not unusual. I was the same weight on my wedding day in 1989...yes I can still get into my trousers! And since then, other than for a bet, or the London Triathlon in 1997, my weight has always fluctuated between 16 stone 10 and 17 stone 12 lbs. I have used every excuse (heavy bones...slow metabolism...thyroid issues...’it’s a mystery why I never lose weight!) It’s all a load of rubbish...I just consumed more than I expended...nothing else. I never believed I would look down at the scales and ever see my weight start with a 15! This morning I was 15 stone 2 lbs....38 lbs lower than last July. I am currently working on a longer document that I will post in the next month or two that will give more detail on the science that I have applied to my training and diet to achieve my goals...watch this space as it will summarise everything I have learned over the last 20 years, and swipe away all of the myths and bullshit that surround weight loss. I promise you, if you want it...you can achieve it...it is so easy.
A snap shot of a typical day is:
7:30 AM- porridge with raisins and banana with skimmed soya milk microwaved for two minutes with mug of coffee (canderel) and glass of water
13:30 PM - lunch at studio either pasta, baked spud with baked beans or oven chip butty with Tommy K
19:00 PM - curry consisting of 2 popadums, chick peas, spinach, lentils, 3 pieces of chicken tikka and salad
during day I drink about 5 cups of coffee (skimmed milk and canderel) and about 4 pints of water. A snack will be either a bagel or a power bar (unless a crack and gorge on chocolate)
ii) Exercise
My training has been going really well. I have gradually been building my cycling up from a small 13 mile loop two months ago....to a 65 mile circuit I completed yesterday. Living in the Cotswolds, I am lucky as it offers some of the greatest cycling circuits around, with quiet lanes, long climbs, short steep descents, long straights with great scenery and wildlife (yesterday I saw 8 deer, buzzards, a fox, a million rabbits, pheasants, grouse, quails, kestrels, cows, horses and even a couple of peacocks?? Additionally, I passed a cricket match where all the players were wearing nothing except the green thong that Borat wears...I guess it’s Gloucestershire) Starting in Tetbury, I basically do a huge loop around Cirencester whilst staying inside Cheltenham, Oxford and Swindon. The cycle lasted 4 hours and 10 minutes and included three hills that were so steep I admit...I walked! For a cycle of that length I consumed 4 bottles of carbo fluid (3 litres) which is around 180 grams of carbs, two power bars (70 grams) and a power gel (20 grams)...in all around 270 grams or around 1100 calories. The training consumed around 3000 calories so a pretty big day out, by far the furthest I have ever cycled. By the time I got home, I was completely wasted...remember the race is 112 miles and then I have to do a marathon! Oh God...why? I doubt anyone is reading this, but if you are please, please sponsor me...just click the ‘sponsor me’ icon at the top of the page. Every penny goes to my charity, and it will mean so much.
Running: I now run twice a week and do either my 8 or 10 mile loop. I feel comfortable at this distance and seem to be able to recover quickly and so far have avoided injury. Stretching before and after, although I am lazy at this, has made a difference. I consume 1.5 litres of carbo fluid (around 90 grams or 360 cals) during the run which expends around 1200 cals for the exercise.
Swimming: I have to say...I hate swimming, even though I am actually not bad at it. I am currently nailing a mile in 26 minutes in the pool. At the London Tri 11 years ago, I was one of the first out of the water (1 mile) in 24 minutes...but I hate it. I find it boring, repetitive, unstimulating....as a result I find my trips to the pool hard. I am happier in the open sea...especially when I train in Lanzarote..at least there are a few fish to look at.
I go to Lanzarote again this Thursday. Next Saturday (24th May)is the 2008 Ironman and I want to watch it to see what I can learn. I will report back fully on my next blog plus I will take a load of snaps. On June 14th, we are having a music night at a local venue...for more details go to ‘news’ and open the flyer. Try and come
Keep the faith
Nick
17/03/2008 - Spring Update
Hi Everyone,
Well it's March and I thought it was high time for an update. Training overall goes well and I have made progress in all fields. I am still building up my basic fitness and stamina and I discovered recently that I was probably training too fast! The ironman is not about speed...it's about finishing. There is only so much glycogen that I can store in my muscles and liver (about 3,000 calories) and the race will probably use around 15,000. It is almost impossible to consume enough calories during the race to avoid hitting the wall and ending up out of the race. This means tapping into my fat stores which means bringing my heart rate down to a lower level. At 42 years old I have a maximium heart rate of 178. I run at 155 to 160 bpm which is around 90% of my max....right up in the anaerobic zone. I need to try and keep my heart rate below 80% of max which has proved a challenge. The result has been me slowing down but going further. I now try and keep my rate below 142 bpm which sometimes means running at a walking pace when tackling hills...but hopefully I can start tapping into my fat stores whilst increasing my speed:
Swimming: I now swim three to four mornings a week first thing. I use a local 25m pool and I crank out 64 lengths (a mile)in 28 to 29 minutes. The ipod is great as it relieves the boredom. For more info see: www.finisinc.com.
Cycling: With the change in the weather I have started getting out and about on my bike. My bike has been fitted with triple front cogs geared for the mountains of Lanzarote which has made it easier to climb the big hills of the Cotswolds and stay in the saddle. I have been keeping the rides to around 30 miles but this will start to rise to 60 miles shortly. I have also taken delivery of the Optibike from the US, quite simply the most amazing thing I have ever seen (www.optibike.com.) An electric bike that travels at 30mph up hills and is good for 4 hours without peddling! My wife now comes out on rides with me and flies past me....awsome!
Running: my weakest discipline! I have 4 circuits depending on how I feel (5m, 8m, 11m and 15 miles.) The 15 mile circuit I try and do once a month now which I never thought I would be capable of. Although my knees hurt, the pain is getting less as I get fitter.
Although my fitness levels are higher than I thought possible I have not been disciplined enough with my diet or my drinking. As a result my blood values have gone in the wrong direction and my weight is unchanged. Therefore, with 3 stone to go....the booze is no more and I will drive hard on the diet to get back on track. If I am to complete this awesome task and raise loads of cash for my charity...then I have to hit my targets which means getting tough with myself. Watch this space and please..please sponsor me.
Keep the faith
Nick
13/12/2007 - Pre XMAS update
Hi everyone,
It's been nearly 4 months since the start of the 'project.' The training has been going pretty well. I had a week in Lanzarote at the end of October where I swam and ran. My underwater headphones were a revelation...an mp3 player that emits sound through your cheekbones! They clip to your googles and off you go. What's amazing is once you put your head underwater the sound is incredible. I was swimming for around 3000 metres by the end of the week and all felt well. Out of all the disciplines, I can say that swimming is the easiest for me. There was a bit of panic when having listened through my Bob Marley album....my studio manager Ben thought it would be funny to secretly load in the theme to Jaws causing me to swallow a gallon of sea water....like a dyslexic dwarf...not big...not clever.
I damaged my cartilage a little carrying some heavy amps at the studio which stopped my running, but that seems to be better now. Having completed several 5 mile runs, this Monday I ran 8 miles and felt fine. I have a new GPS watch which measures your exact distance, heartrate, calories, pace etc. which has been a huge help. I will build up the run to 10 miles over the next few months. I use a ruck-sack called a camelpak which holds my carbo fluids which I drink through a tube, which makes it easier to carry on going.
On the cycling, the weather has been poor so I haven't been out at all. Instead I have fixed up an indoor trainer which links to my lap-top and replicates stages of the Tour de France, with virtual opponents and mountain scenery. The motor adjusts the tension on the rear wheel and replicates steep climbs and descents. Generally, I will do the 40km course which is far enough at well over an hour. Again, I tend to put a movie on try to ignore the pain.
Diet as usual is potatoes, pasta, rice and porridge with lots of salad, veg, egg whites. I eat out too much so curry once a week is vegetarian consisting of spinach, chick peas, lentils and chappatis. Pizza is vegetarian without cheese. Chinese is noodles, broccoli and soup. Roast is turkey with new potatoes. Snacks are carbo bars and Uncle Ben's 3 minute risotto (3 grams of fat.) Red wine is the drink of choice. Weight currently around 15 stone 8 lbs so not too bad. With Christmas coming I'm sure that will shoot up as I stuff my face with shit. In the New Year, the charity Hope for Tomorrow will push my project and increase the publicity so that we can start raising funds.
New Year will be the start of harder training, particularly running and cycling with the better weather. I want to breach 15 st by the end of March and then head down through the 14's through the rest of the year (a weight not seen for over a decade!)
If anyone wants more info on any of the above, or has any advice feel free to contact me at any time.
Keep the faith
Nick
11/10/2007 - Ironman Update
Hi there,
Well it's been 6 weeks since ground zero (1st September) I have switched to my new eating plan and after 6 weeks I am down a stone...3 to go. the exercise has been slowly building...about an hour to 2 hours a day. I started with a mile run, during which I thought I was going to have a heart attack, but over September I gradually started to increase the distance. I have had a glitch with a hamstring and some shin splints but otherwise it hasn't been too bad. On Sunday 7th October I decided to compete in the local Badminton Horseless Trials, a 9 mile run through rivers, across fields and over jumps. I have never run that distance before,but I put on my ipod, turned up Muse on full volume and I finished in 1 hr 24 minutes with my heartrate stuck at 160 bpm. Although it hurt, I reckon I could knock 10 minutes off that time pretty easily if I was lighter, and that equates to a 4 hr marathon (my target.)Otherwise, I have been cycling in the gym (1 hr on a Lifecycle) whilst I wait for my bike to be serviced (due back tomorrow)which has all felt pretty good I have bought some underwater headphones which I will use with my swimming training, and I will test those this week. I also use Hi-Five carbo powder most days which has also helped build stamina. Daily diet seems to be porridge, spuds and pasta which I enjoy. The next 6 weeks will include cycling and swimming.
Otherwise, I have ordered her-in (Lara) an electric bike (don't laugh) so that she can join me on the long bike rides and keep up. I have also joined a local lake that allows you to swim any day before 10 AM...but I haven't been yet as it's too cold.
The good news, there haven't been too many blow outs with food, the cigarettes are very firmly done and the red wine has replaced the beer pretty easily...so hopefully by XMAS I'll be down near 15 stone. I'll update all the levels on the 1st November
Keep the faith
Nick
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