Running & Fitness

As mentioned in the previous posts, I was a keen runner over the summer of 2008 and got into pretty good shape. What I DIDN'T mention is the problems incurred after that.

At my heaviest in University I was 11st 6lbs (Feb 08). Around September 08 after the summer of running, the time I went to Magaluf, I weighed in at 10st 5lbs. A good weight for someone of my body type. However, for some reason I started to feel sick everytime I ate. I would be blindingly hungry and take a bite of something and immediately feel sick. And not just a little nauseous; I would honestly feel like it was a struggle to hold my food down. But I carried on running. And obviously, through lack of appetite and feeling sick, I wasn't consuming enough calories to continue with an active lifestyle and the weight started to fall off. I realised this and stopped running, yet I continued to lose weight. I was tested for H.Pylori (stomach ulcers), Diabetes, Coeliacs and a whole host of other things, all of which came back negative & normal. Ultimately, the good Doctor told me he had concerns that I was depressed and that a combination of anxiety and depression could be the cause of my troubles. I would agree in hindsight - I was under a lot of stress with university and so on, and I also house an irrational fear of being sick (emetophobia - more on that another day maybe!) which didn't help!

However he didn't want to put me on anti-depressants until I had kicked the nausea (as anti-depressants are known to cause nausea themselves!). So he gave me a perscription for some tablets to be taken to ease the sick feeling... but I didn't take them. May sound crazy but in a way I wanted to master my own body. I knew it was stupid that I was feeling sick, I just couldn't seem to shift it.

At my lowest I dropped to an exceptionally unhealthy 9st 3lbs - well, that's the lowest I have recorded, no doubt I fell below that at some point. And that was around June '09. I gained and lost weight intermittently here but was still very skinny and scrawny. As I see myself everyday, I couldn't really see it, but I was frequently told by people I'd not seen for a while that I had lost a lot of weight or that I looked unwell. Looking back at pictures from the time you can really see it, especially when compared with now.

Around Sep/Oct, I started to think enough is enough. Motivation? Well. I've always sheltered a desire to be a god-like specimen of a man who's irresistible to every woman (I think every man does whereas some act on it and others don't!). And, regardless of doing Martial Arts for years, I felt like a 'victim' and weak and vulnerable. I wanted to look strong and powerful as well as BE strong and BE powerful. Ultimately, I wanted to look good and feel good about myself and boost my confidence a bit - when will I finally be happy with it, who knows?

I just started eating more. Simple as that. I ate more food and just manned up and dealt with the sick feeling afterwards and eventually it started to subside and I started feeling hungry ALOT. I also started to get myself into a routine of actually getting up early (even if not working) and eating breakfast. Before, for years and years, I've hardly been able to touch breakfast without feeling queezy cos it's so early, and now I can't go without it! I'm starving when I wake up!

My biggest boost of inspiration came around January. I started thinking about a career in the Marines. The minimum weight they accept is 60kg, yet advise on being 65kg when you start training as everyone loses weight. I started training as if I was going to apply to be a Marine, even if I chose not to be. I also broke up with my girlfriend, and although we were still great friends, I now had more time and a lot of emotional baggage to channel into getting in shape.

I signed up for the local gym along with all the other New Years Resolutioners and have seen many of them fall by the wayside!

I succumbed to supplements and got hold of some Whey Protein to boost my protein intake.

I got some L-Glutamine to keep my immune system up whilst my body works hard - but only after getting ill about 3 times in 2 months. Damn sweaty, germ-filled people at the gym!

I made a point of drinking alot of water. 

I read up on everything! It took over my life for a little while whilst I planned training routines, looked at different exercises, read websites and magazines all about the ins and outs of 'bulking up'. I've even kept a food diary keeping track of my protein intake from 23/01/2010 until now, 14/05/2010 and beyond.

I entered myself in some runs such as a 6 Mile run for Sport Relief and a 10k Military course involving chest-deep water pools, crawling under nets and so on.

I got myself some proper running shoes. Weight gloves. An armband for my iPod. A barbell for my workouts at home. I even got a towel specially for the gym.

I was in it to win it!

The Results

Date:        Weight in Stone & Lbs
06/02/2008    11.6
05/05/2008    11.2
11/06/2008    11.6
08/07/2008    10.13
03/09/2008    10.5
17/09/2008    10.3
23/10/2008    10
30/10/2008    10
19/02/2009    9.6
16/06/2009    9.3
06/08/2009    9.5
23/08/2009    9.5
05/10/2009    9.8
22/10/2009    9.7
31/10/2009    9.8
23/11/2009    9.10
07/12/2009    9.13
29/12/2009    9.13
21/01/2009    9.11
21/02/2010    10.1
21/03/2010    10.4
31/03/2010    10.5
06/05/2010    10.5

And there I hit a 'plateau' as it's known in the industry. And I'm working through that now. Will keep you posted! But as you can see I'm now back at a pretty ideal weight for my height and I have a good BMI and a good fat percentage.

For the Marines you have to run 1.5miles on a 2% incline in less than 12minutes and 30seconds followed by a further 1.5 miles 'return' in less than 10m 30s as a best effort run. Here are my return run times:

13th Jan: 10.13
15th Jan: 9.25
17th Jan: 9.05
24th Jan: 9.02
28th Jan: 8.20
15th Feb: 8.10

I took a break from the Marines training as I was working on the 10km runs and therefore more endurance than speed. I came back and tried it in April expecting the worst and I got:

23rd April: 6.50

A personal best! And almost 4 minutes quicker than the accepted time.

So, let it be a lesson to you - you can do whatever you put your mind too. Putting on weight is SO much harder than losing it. You have to appreciate that it doesn't happen over night, but you have to persist and take it one step at a time. To quote "Always I will take another step - and if that is to no avail, I will take another. And yet another. For in truth, one step at a time is not difficult. I know that small attempts repeated will complete any undertaking. I will persist until I succeed."

Bristol 10k

Just back from the Bristol 10k (6.2m). Turned into a good morning out after a very early start and a morning of feeling very lethargic and not up for it! Was freezing so I wore trousers which I later came to regret as I warmed up!

I came in at around 56 minutes by my watch. We had a timing chip attached to our shoes which activates when you pass the start line and deactivates and records your time as you cross the finish line - so I'll have an accurate time at some point this evening or tomorrow! 

Didn't beat my personal best (currently 52 mins) but pleased with the result for my first time on that particular route. The last road 10k I took part in at an 'official' function such as this was the Sport Relief 10k which I came in at 1h 8mins so have shaved a good few minutes off.

Was also busting my gut for a leak the whole way round and eventually at around the 8k mark, as if it God heard me praying for one, a single unoccupied portaloo with no queues appeared! So was a minute or two in there! 

Lots of freebies after. Well, I say free.. It's probably just goods that my £22 entry fee was spent on! A medal, a t-shirt, sweatband, pen, cereal bar, sports drinks, water, foil blanket, bag and a couple of other bits and bobs. Good haul if you ask me! 


Spending the rest of the day rehydrating and recovering and then it's time to really focus on the bulking up, which means a reduction in the amount of cardio for now as I need to pile on the calories and not burn them off! Sad really, I do enjoy my regular runs - but it's all for the greater good. 


There were hundreds of photographers about, so once I have some official pics I'll post them up... if I don't look like too much of an ass! 


Peace!

I'm mad as Hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

A wee video baring relevance to today's world. Very inspirational! Have a watch.

Mad As Hell! Kinetic Typography from Aaron Leming on Vimeo.

How Could I Forget?!

How could I forget?! Something which affects the career crossroads massively!

The whole reason I started this blog, aside from documenting my transition into adulthood, was to serve as a place to write about the travels which I planned to undertake in the Summer. So I could keep people back home up to date with where I am and what I'm doing.

That was the idea when the plan was to travel down the East Coast of the States or all around Europe for a month on a InterRail ticket, spending 1 or 2 nights in several different countries. Or when I had applied to be a Camp Councilor on Camp America.

How things change? Now that I'm unemployed again, the funding for said trip is decreasing rapidly. Not to mention no one wants to go away, no one wants to do anything or no one has the money for it, so I would be doing it solo. Now, I know it's achievable and I know lots of people do it.  (I actually have a friend who's been in Aus/NZ for the last couple of years solo, just meeting people in Hostels - and in a way I think I'd be okay doing Aus/NZ cos it's a backpacking hotspot.). Whereas America is a different place, there's not as many hostels or backpackers to meet.

I was originally going to meet Dave when he finished his camp at the end of August. HOWEVER, I've now been told that I'll likely be working Freshers again this year or working Brisfest which will see me some money and a good set of skills for my CV, so I'd need to be around from August-October really.

And if I get one of these jobs I've applied for lately, I won't go travelling at all. And I know I'll regret it beyond belief.

So ideally I need to find something to do and somewhere to go in June/July/beginning of August. But where?

I'd like to think I'll have a job by October, but if not then I'll probably upshop and go to Aus/NZ for a couple of months then.  BUT If I go away in the Summer and still don't have a job in October, I won't be able to fund that trip probably. So it's all about risk!

I'm also going to start looking into getting some events work on a working visa abroad somewhere... no idea where to start that though!

Confused!!! :(

Career Crossroads

Right, so the last post brought you up to date to where I am now really.

I'm situated in Bristol, with 2 months left on my lease here. I've been working a few jobs here and there; an IT assistant in a Learning Resource Centre/Library, a job working for TNT within AXA doing all the post and crap and a couple of jobs last year working for the Diocese of Bristol and the Bishop of Bristol. Nothing exciting but it paid the bills!

I've been drafting, writing & re-writing CV's and Cover Letters like there's no tomorrow. I think I may have applied for in excess of 150 jobs in the last few months! But so far I'm managing to sustain myself fairly well on the money I do make when I do find some work. Since I've stopped drinking so much I have saved a bundle!

So, choices?

EVENTS.

 

Well, as I write this I'm dead set on working in events. I've signed up for every events jobsite I can find, written to every events company in Bristol asking for any volunteer or unpaid positions just to get my foot in the door, I've even created an online portfolio showcasing the events I have worked on/organised in the past. This will go live at some point soon. I'm not sure if it will attract any attention, but it will serve as a place to direct potential employers and also as a memoir to what I've done, I guess. I probably wouldn't have made it if I wasn't so bored of being unemployed!

I've also bought an Events Management book for £30 (though fortunately I had a waterstones gift card and points which brought it down to a sexy £9), and have been studying, revising, note taking all over again. Feels odd to be a student of something again!

I've applied for jobs which are even just remotely related to events in the hope that I might be able to add some diversity and skills to my CV to get a proper events job. I've applied for lots of Stewarding roles at Festivals such as Guilfest in Guildford etc. That's all unpaid work and only 15 hours worth over 3 days - and you get free entry and camping to the event etc. Trying to convince some of the guys to do it with me!

Going to give this a few months and if I can't even get any volunteer positions I may well seek other career choices. It's not like I'm unqualified. I've organised and worked two Fresher's weeks now - that's about 20 seperate events; seperate themes, seperate equipment needed and so forth. Amounting to around 20,000+ guests. I've worked as a club promoter and prepared clubs for events, perhaps 20 events there. I ran my own club night for a few months. I've definately got some knowledge of event work, and just need a company to work for to develop that and further my understanding & skills.

There are degrees and masters you can do in events, but they mean nothing to business witout hands on experience. Whereas I have the hands on experience and still can't find a job!

Eventually I'd like to perhaps run my own events company or be in a managerial role high up in another. Organising prestigous events such as festivals or the olympics or commonwealth games or something. Perhaps arranging launch parties for famous people or something?

Anyway, that's choice one!

MILITARY.

Something which has been nagging for me a few years now is a career in the military. It's always interested me (when doing my family tree I was always mostly interested in finding out about my ancestors roles in war and so forth). It's just something which very few people get to experience these days. Not to mention I love to be active and know I would end up killing myself if I ended up in a dead end office job! You learn some exceptional skills like survival, escape and evade, hunting, tracking, hand to hand combat, first aid up to paramedic standards in some cases and you get paid for it and paid to stay in good shape. I know it isn't all glam and alot of the time is spent cold, wet, miserable, being shouted at, beasted or in dangerous situations but I would like to think I'm up to the challenge. You make some of the best friends ever who you trust with you life because you have to. You see the world. You get paid to do adventure training and alot of other perks.

But the pay is indeed shoddy. And hopefully, with the elections coming up, the new government will see to it that troops get more money and rightly so! They get paid £6,000 less a year than civilian uniformed public services such as cops and firemen. A total outrage! It should be the same, if not more.

I would also like to think I'm more than capable of being an officer - however this voids you from specializing in some pretty decent trades as they're left to the 'other' ranks as your brains are needed to plan missions and so on. But a career can be made through that.

What branch, you ask? The army? Perhaps. I have looked at the 16 Air Assault Brigade with roles such as Air Assault Infantry who are flown in to be the first responders. Or perhaps a Mortarman. Or an Infantry Commando.

But what has taken my interest for the time being is the Royal Marines Commando - the infantry force of the Royal Navy. They are elite and have the longest training of any western fighting unit. Many are trained to special forces standards and they have their own special forces unit called the SBS or Special Boat Squadron - the not-as-famous counterpart of the SAS.

The hardest part of all of it would be the training. Beasted day in day out for 32 weeks. But I appreciate that they have to take an ordinary civilian and make him into a soldier capable of fighting in Afghan etc in a very short amount of time. I've been told by my family that they don't think I'd take well to the authority or discipline, but I think that's part of the training. They break you down and make you back up into a soldier.

Though, my family, especially my Mum are very opposed to the idea. And rightly so! Her baby boy going off to War probably wouldn't be easy to deal with. But consoled by the fact that very few Royal Marines have died over the course of the entire war in Afghanistan.

All in all, at minimum service time, it would take 4 years 3 months - that's from training, through 2 years as a general duties marine, and then 1 year notice to terminate. After those two years though you can specialize in a trade such as sniper, pilot, mortarman, heavy weapons, air assault, mountain leader, weapons trainer, military police, medical assistant, chef, clerk, mechanic, signaller, landing craft operator, physical training instructor, intelligence, communications, armoured support, driver, reconnaisance, swimmer canoeist and others.

Though the worst part about the military is the aftermath. There just doesn't appear to be many places in the civilian work place for ex-soldiers. Even those with skills in management, leadership, so on so forth (you gain actual qualifications in the military for doing certain things).

So it has it's ups and it has it's downs. But it's definately something I'm considering very seriously. I'm not getting any younger either. Cut off point for the Marines is 32 years old but has an exceptional fail rate after around the 25-26 mark. And the application process takes a good year - interview, pre-joining-fitness-test, medical, PRMC (weekend testing you) and then into Recruit Training for 32 weeks. And they are reaching mobility/operational strength at which point I don't know if they'll stop recruiting or put all new recruits into a holding troop until space becomes available in a unit.

But I'm on the Marines forum, talking to potential marines, serving marines and ex marines alike. Getting all the info and all the ins and outs. So it will definately be an educated and instructed choice if I do do it. I am also training as if I'm going to join the Marines. Trying to reach the max scores they mark you on Press Ups, Push Ups, Sit Ups, Running and so forth. So when/if I do decide I'm gonna try, I'll be up to scratch and the application process will be quicker. Genius, huh?

OTHER OPTIONS

None. Not at the moment. Can't handle work in an office! Have messed up the degree and won't have the time or money to go back to university. It's occured to me recently that I'm already cut off from doing a variety of jobs now like teaching, being a doctor, or a lawyer. Not that I wanted to do any of them, but still scary.

So that's the cross-roads. I'm giving Events my all and if that doesn't happen then I might try for the Marines and if I'm not up to scratch with that I might try the Army.

All else fails I could fall back on Modelling. Ha.

As you were, chaps.

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