I was a normal weight and quite active in school, being good at sports and a regular in the football team. I began to gain weight when I left school, which was around the time my parents got divorced. I was guilty of overeating and unnecessary snacking.
I decided to do something about my weight after I saw the scales creep up to 19st. I realised I wasn’t heading in the right direction and had gone beyond just being a ‘big guy’. I couldn’t keep turning a blind eye as the weight piled on.
I put on my shoes and ran. My dad had always run so this seemed the obvious choice. I started small, with no more than one or two miles at a time.
I started off running once or twice a week. I kept this up at university, and then joined the university running club in my second and third year, which meant I was running three to four times a week.
Despite my mileage going up, my weight loss slowed down. Like most students, I was out drinking in the week and was often finishing the night with a kebab.
My first race was the Nottingham Half in 2008, which I completed in 2hrs 45mins. I had read everything about preparation, and knew all about everything from carb-loading to protecting my nipples from chafing. The only thing I hadn’t done was the training. You can do all the reading in the world, but eventually you need to lace up your shoes and run. Needless to say, I was struggling by mile five.
I’ve now done races from 5K up to the marathon. I’m a regular at my local parkrun and have done two marathons: Milton Keynes and Nottingham.
A great moment came this year when I bought my first ‘small’ top, when XL tops previously graced my wardrobe. You never tire of people telling you how much better you look as a result of your efforts. The attention from women doesn’t go amiss either!
I want to run the six marathon majors. If I can beat my dad’s marathon PB of 2hrs 50mins along the way then I can retire from running happy. I recently completed the Nottingham Marathon in 3hrs 39mins, so I’ve still got a little way to go.
