Its not unusual for me to review my diet and decide that there is an excessive proportion of carbohydrate in the fuel mix.

Then I’ll embark on a period of clean living where the bread, potatoes and pasta are rejected in favour of lean meats, eggs, fish and vegetables. If I want to stick a label on the new eating plan I might call it Paleo but the aim is to have a balanced plate of protein and veg for each meal.

I always find that breakfasts are the hardest meal to slot protein into. Of course there are eggs, with enough cooking options to add interest to every day of the week, but I rarely fancy cooking when I’ve just got up, I’m just too used to the ease of cereal or toast.

I’ve recently taken to whizzing up a protein shake first thing in the morning. It’s a great way to get a perfect balance of carbs and proteins and if you are lucky with your brand choice it can even taste pretty good. Since my days trying out the Body for Life program I’ve been a fan of Myoplex Diet. It comes in 200 calorie sachets and makes a pint of very tasty (chocolate or strawberry) shake. The texture doesn’t appeal to everyone though, I’ve tried to encourage the teenage vegetarian to take a sip and risk a dose of protein but it is greeted with grimaces as the consistency has a slight similarity to raw egg white.

I was happy to be sent a few samples of the latest health drink Upbeat to try out last week. These come ready mixed in small bottles and have about 150 cals for a 250ml bottle. They have two flavours, strawberry and mango. Mango is my favourite and tastes likes a fresh smoothie – you wouldn’t really know you were drinking protein and there is no texture issues.

Upbeat have achieved something quite impressive in making such a tasty shake in the convenience of a ready made chilled drink. My experience with assorted powders is that they don’t last well after you’ve mixed them, they tend to separate and turn lumpy so if you want to take a shake for later you’ll need to have access to a whisk or one of those shakers that marks you out as a bodybuilder, so Upbeat could corner the market in tasty, whey based, protein drinks.

I can see myself buying these Upbeat protein shakes as a convenience snack when I’m desperately in need of sustenance but want to avoid the lure of high carb treats.

Flip flop sandals have always filled me with fear, particularly the thong style with inter-toe strap, which seems like an horrific big toe accident waiting to happen.

Obviously I’ve been intrigued by the huarache sandals made famous by the Tarahumara and the book, Born to run. Intrigued, but not even slightly interested in wearing them – far too hardcore for my barefoot dabblings.

Having said that, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so when Mike offered me a sneak preview of the new Circadian Earth Runner I jumped at the opportunity to try them out for size. The Earth Runner series include copper studs and coils which are designed to conduct electricity and “ground” you to the earth. I was of course deeply sceptical about this “grounding” stuff but when my sandals arrived I was disappointed that the grounding studs seemed to be missing. I needn’t have worried, the conduction system is still there, just a little less conspicuous in the Circadian model.

I don’t know if I’m feeling the benefits of being earthed but I do enjoy wearing them. I’ve taken to wearing them around the house like slippers, I feel good in them. I don’t apparently, look good in them, so I won’t be bothering you with photos of my sandals in action – I was not blessed with photogenic feet.

It is odd to feel the strap between your toes but I am getting used to it and the Earth Runners are amazingly customisable for such a simple product. The strap angle can be altered by shifting the buckle position and there are a few videos on the website to help with finding the perfect fit.

I’ve run with these on the treadmill but I’m taking it easy, I can’t shake off the vision of the big toe accident and so I’m nervous to take these out and run with abandon over trails where I risk snagging the sole and turning the lace into a cheese wire. Maybe I’ll get over this in time and relax into my Earth Runner, I hope so because they give a fabulous feeling of freedom. The underfoot experience is very similar to the RunAmoc Moc3 but the upper is more cabriolet style.

Earth Runners are currently running a kick starter campaign to send the Circadian into full production. It looks like they have hit their target so hopefully they will be available more widely soon but do check it out if you’d like to place an order and take advantage of the early adopter discount. I would strongly recommend the product quality and the comfort will only increase over the coming months as the footbed moulds to the shape of your foot.

I’ll be taking these on my summer holidays even if they do play havoc with my sex appeal.

I’m in to the final taper week for London2Brighton.

I was scheduled for a gentle 10-miler but due to the actions of rogue trader, Russell Hollick we were rather pre-occupied attempting to clear up his mess. We were unfortunately introduced to this serial scam artist (aka Russ Hollick Heating Engineer) some months ago and recently allowed him into our home to fit us a nice new kitchen. He chose to take our money, rip out our kitchen and then clear off to enjoy the spoils.

So its been an interesting weekend but not quite as planned.

I don’t think the missed 10 miles will make a jot of difference to my ability to finish the 62 mile course next weekend; the years of overeating and regular Stella indulgence may though.

We’ve been poring over the stage details this evening and I’m panicking again. I’m not sure if the discovery in the small print of a 33 hour cut off point is a good or bad thing. On the one hand I don’t want to feel the sweeper truck nipping at my heels all the way to Brighton but at the same time, if I’m threatening to be walking for more than 30 hours I would love someone to carry me off the course and put me out of my misery.

ActionChallenge have just released the checkpoint menus and I see that if I can make it as far as Ardingley I will be treated to the Vintage Fudge and Toffee stop. I could almost kill for a good fudge so I’m sure I can walk 67.5k for a chunk.

Lynn is able to meet me at 3 points (25k, 52k and 87k) before the finish so I’ve spent the evening assembling checkpoint packs filled with ever warmer clothes, stronger pain killers and most importantly, fresh bags of fruit sherberts. I am of course sworn off fruit sherberts for my 12 week Julia Buckley Transformation program but I’m having a 33 hour window of sin next weekend where anything that will tempt me to take another step is considered fair game.

If you want to send me a message of support here’s the link to my Samaritan’s charity page.

My latest fitness and weightloss scheme is the Julia Buckley Fat Loss transformation. A 12-week program that rotates sessions in the style of many of my previous fads. It has a definite likeness to the Body For Life program with its emphasis on protein rich meals, weight training and high intensity, short lived cardio sessions but it also mirrors the plyometric Insanity workouts with a hint of Convict Conditioning body weight training.

I’m a week in. Only 11 weeks to go to a new me.

Last week I took the before photos and spent a good 10 minutes sobbing at the results. It shouldn’t have been a shock, I weigh myself daily, I know how horrific that number is. Somehow though, the numbers managed to hide the visual impact.

The years have taken their toll and the photo emphasised the impact of gravity, the pounds have shifted downwards and my thighs are now hovering in the place my knees used to occupy.

I have high hopes for the program. Julia has achieved impressive results with previous recruits and obviously I am hoping for my own transformation. I am 10 days away from the biggest challenge of my life and 12 weeks away from my summer holiday and potential beachside humiliation.

I am completely open to transformation.

This weekend was going to be epic.

Mileage to the max plus a curry with Rach.

We ticked the curry off no bother, which just left the miles to deal with themselves. The plan was for Lynn to drop me close to the start of the Grantham canal which happens to be in Nottingham, she’d then drive off, spend an extremely long day with her mother and wait for me to pop out 33 miles later at the Grantham end.

I set off in fairly good spirits, a little hungover and a bit intimidated by the wiggly, windy road ahead but mostly #upforit.

I might have mentioned previously (here or here for example) that I haven’t been much taken with the concept of walking but the long distance trail really does appeal to me. Cutting swathes across the countryside leaving a breadcrumb or GPS trail that would actually show up an aerial shot of the UK is rather satisfying.

The Grantham canal seems to be a lesser spotted variety of long distance trail. There was a tiny stretch where I was assailed by manic dogs and a couple of joggers but mostly I was alone, admiring the birds and longing, longingly for a bench to appear. It deserves to be more popular and I recommend it to anyone in search of a peaceful walk/bike/run through the lush lincolnshire countryside.

The pubs are a little sparse though and I missed the planned stop at Hose where I was supposed to meet my folks for a burger and Stella shandy. Hose has the greatest concentration of Grantham canal ale houses but it has an inconsequential bridge (n0 39) that is easy to pass, make a note of it if you want to complete the route in style as you’ll need to exit the towpath and head right in search of the Rose and Crown.

This map from the Grantham Canal Society is worth reviewing.

I did meet my mum and dad and they ferried me off for a cup a tea, a bacon butty and supplied me with emergency plasters for a pair of evil blisters starting to burn on both of my heels. They then joined me for a short stroll, timed to perfection with a peculiar hailstorm.

The blisters started at mile 8 so the moment I found a bench I whipped off my socks and changed them for my spare pair which unfortunately felt like a sisal door mat. I was limping by lunchtime, then the plasters offered some relief for a few miles.

From mile 18 onwards I was completely taken over by the pain from my blisters. It is amazing how crippling an inch long bubble of tissue fluid can be. I tried everything available to me – switching socks again, having another fruit sherbert, re-applying plasters, walking barefoot and then I laid down. That was marvellously effective. It was so warm and peaceful and I could have stayed there all afternoon. I very nearly had to as well, it was a complete bugger to get back up again and my poles are no use under 16 stone (+) pressure – they just concertina back to packed size.

I did make it back to vertical without pitching myself into the canal and the hobbling continued, one bench to the next.

Despite all the support from the facebook sidelines I decided at 22 miles that I ought to save the crippling heroics for the big London2Brighton day and so called for my carriage home.

It had felt quite important to get this 30-miler under my belt. I’ve been incredibly concerned about my ability to complete the 100k route and this half distance trek would have given me a psychological boost. I still feel fairly positive though. My feet let me down but I was mentally strong and the rest of the body is willing.

I need to go away, reassess footwear, buy lining socks, compeed, heavy duty zinc tape and embark on a twice daily application of surgical spirit.

It’s easily going to be the hardest challenge I’ve ever set myself. Driving back to London last night after a warm bath and a roast chicken dinner I was aware that if I were doing the 100k I would still be walking – barely half way to Brighton, easing my painful feet into bed at midnight I would still be walking and when the darn cat woke me at 7 am, I’d still be walking/crawling into Brighton.

If any of you would like to donate to the Samaritans on the back of my painful London2Brighton attempt I’d be very grateful – here’s the link.

GPX of the full canal available here.

I’m still struggling with the temporary transition from running to walking and yesterdays outing with multiple gadget failure just hammered another nail in the coffin. Today’s gadget doesn’t support the long drawn out monotony of a distance walk and if I can’t play with technology I’m just not that bothered.

Walking is too pure for my liking, it’s designed for the rugged “at one with nature” types who aren’t scared by the hours of silence and EMF solitude.

Yesterday’s program started with a slow yet painful parkrun at Bushy Park, followed by a planned hike along the Thames Path from Hampton Court to the Embankment. I was gadget free for the parkrun due to a late arrival at an extremely packed venue which meant I was bundled out of the car without the usual accoutrements of hydration packs, Garmin, jelly babies and iPhone.

I survived.

Leaving the park after a short interlude for champagne and the collection of gadgetry, I realised I had become disorientated and needed to engage the google maps app. The iPhone was at 97% and all was well. I spun in circles trying to orientate myself before following a bus heading in the direction of Kingston. I engaged the Runmeter app to record my GPS and submit my whereabouts and pace to my standby rescue vehicle (Lynn) and pressed play on the latest Audio book (The Art of Fielding).

2 hours later I paused for an ice-cream and noticed that the battery life had shrunk to 27%. That’s pretty drastic when you are miles from home and feeling weary. At that rate I’d have barely managed 10 miles before being cast into a telecommunication black hole.

I sent out a single text with my last known location (Richmond) and my intended direction (East along the Thames), then switched the phone off.

That’s it, radio silence.

Just me and the rowers and the occasional kamikaze cyclist. It wasn’t long before I started my own entertainment, humming along to the pulsing in my throbbing toenails. My spirits were flagging as fast as the crappy iPhone battery.

I made it as far as Hammersmith before joining the prostrate sun seekers in a riverside park. I’d completed a total of 17 miles including the preliminary parkrun. I’d learnt a lot, not least that this 100k London2Brighton walk is going to be a killer. As we currently stand, I think I’ll be ready to quit at 50k and ready to be airlifted out at 75k. I need an endurance boost over the next 5 weeks and I also need to find a solution to the technical blackouts.

I have a kit bag that PC World would be proud of, including iPhone 5, iPod Nano (2nd Gen from the bottom of a very old drawer), an ancient Nokia N82, assorted car chargers and a plan to switch my iPhone with Lynns every 25k. The fact that the phone died before 15k is a bit of shock. I’m terrified of hitting the wooded areas of the South Downs sometime post midnight and losing all contact with my hope of escape.

Twitter has been extremely useful on the subject of expedition style battery sources. The ideal power replacement for the hike would be these impact driven piezoelectric boots which would give my iPhone a boost with every step but unfortunately they don’t seem to have hit the manufacturing stage yet and besides I have just bought a new pair of boots for the occasion.

I am now coveting this expedition ready solar charger from powertraveller. The power monkey extreme holds enough juice to charge an iPhone 6 times over which ought to do the trick. At £120 its probably a bit too much gadget for one single day and I may have to sign up for another crazy challenge just to get my money’s worth.

Many people will have been inspired by today’s heroic efforts along The Mall and for those not tempted by the full marathon distance you can still enjoy some of London’s finest sights in a more manageable distance.
This guest post from Bupa, highlights the Bupa 10,000 and provides tips for 10k training.

Summary: From beginners to elites like Mo Farah – we all need to train for a 10k race. Read on to find out how to get ready for this year’s Bupa London 10,000.

Whether you’ve still got Olympic fever or are simply looking to get fit – a 10k run can be the perfect way to test your stamina.

10km has become the distance of choice for runners in Britain; being both long enough to provide a challenge whilst remaining an attainable goal for committed joggers. However don’t be fooled into thinking that a 10k will be a walk in the park, a rigorous training schedule is essential in the lead-up to the race, especially if you are new to running.

The Bupa London 10,000 is one of the most popular road races in the country and the ideal event for beginners to enter the world of athletics. If you’re thinking of running the iconic course in 2013, read on to find out how best to train for its challenges.

Protect your feet

You’ll probably be clocking up hundreds of miles during your training so look after the things that will carry you through – your feet.

Do you know what type of feet you have? It might sound like an odd question but there is an array of different kinds of trainers to match your gait. Over pronators (people who favour the inside of their feet) and under pronators (those who prefer the outside edge) need different kinds of support to maximize their training and prevent injury.

Get ready to train

Running might be one of the most basic human motions, but you need to start slowly.

Dynamic stretching is the best way to get your body ready for 10k training, helping to get your blood pumping and familiarizing muscles with forthcoming movements. Lunges, leg kicks and lying scorpions are all great examples that will help prevent strains or pulls.

Training partners

Running is the ultimate individual sport but many people enjoy the company and motivation gained from training with a buddy. If you and a friend have both entered the London 10,000 then it might help you both to train together. Or if you’d prefer training in a larger group, there are countless beginners’ running clubs across the country to help you stay on target.

Pick your Program

There are a multitude of training programmes to choose from, but the best approach is to start your first few runs without any guidance, just go for it and find your own pace. You can then select a training program to suit you.  This will help you train safely and set realistic goals that are achievable. Bupa has a range of training plans available to choose from.

Replicate race conditions

The Bupa London 10,000 course runs through some of the most iconic and interesting parts of the capital. The race course itself is mostly on flat ground, meaning speed rather than hill work will be more beneficial in your training regime. Taking part in a couple of other races of varying distances in the build-up to the Bupa London 10,000 event will also help acclimatise you to the hustle and bustle of running alongside hundreds or even thousands of others. Bupa’s race events range from 5km to half marathons. While it’s good to make sure that you’re comfortable running 5km first before the London 10,000, keep in mind that rest days in between race practices are just as important in order to keep running injuries at bay.

Train like an athlete – act like an athlete

To make the most of the Bupa London 10,000, you might consider doing more than just running. Your training will mean you burn a lot of calories, so it’s vital you eat before and after a run. Whole grains, lean meats and fruit and vegetables will provide you with a balanced nutritional diet that will help maximise the benefits of your training.  Ensuring you get enough sleep is also vital to guarantee that your muscles and body are able to recover from your exertions.

What are your top training tips for the Bupa London 10,000?

Back in 2007, at my first Bushy Park Run I was introduced to two women who exposed me to the joys of sophisticated running. I’ve never been a stranger to the pleasure of a post run Stella but these two raised the bar with their post run champagne and canapes.

When you get invited to a Surrey Housewife (SHS) event, I strongly recommend you make an effort to attend – even if it involves a disturbingly early start and a gruelling run.

Today’s event was the Bushy parkrun. A quick scan through my running logs reveals that I have attended the sum total of 19 parkruns over the last 6 years.

Today’s event was not about my 19th run but Suzan and Carol’s 250th parkrun.

Thats 250 5k’s each and 250 missed lie ins.

An amazing 1006 other runners joined them for the run and were rewarded at the end with a celebratory glass of fizz and a cream bun. I was a teeny bit slow for the cream bun stall but I’ll settle for champagne any day.

Congratulations Carol and Suzan – and don’t think I didn’t notice the pre-race cocktail, I reckon I could be persuaded to add that to my usual run routine.

I wheezed my way to the top of Hamsey Common and then paused, teetering on my hiking poles and steaming like the bagged cheese sandwich crushed at the bottom of my rucksac. I felt ready to reward my efforts with a picnic atop the chalk downs and call a taxi for the homeward journey but unfortunately I’d only covered 2 of the planned 18 miles for the day. This section of the London Loop was already threatening  to take its toll.

The London Loop forms a 140 mile circuit of the capital, covering an unexpectedly rural corridor that still offers glimpses of London’s highrise skyline. It’s an ideal training ground for long distance walkers enclosed within the confines of the M25. Today I was planning on hiking from Hamsey Green (close to Sanderstead in Croydon) across to Banstead and then back as far as required to hit my distance/time requirements.

The schedule for the 100km London2Brighton Challenge has been escalating rapidly and I’m struggling with the time demands required. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not a big fan of walking. The transition from running to long distance walking has not been entirely satisfactory – the walks although beautiful, tend to be so flipping slow and are devoid of the natural running highs and the post run satisfaction and glee. I think I will happily fall back into my weekend run routine as soon as I’ve walked across the finish line in Brighton next month.

Today’s route was inspiring even at my walking pace. Crossing assorted commons, the Happy Valley and Farthing Downs I was spoilt by undulating countryside and the signs of a rich history written into the landscape. Battle of Britain bunkers and observatories still stood on the edge of Kenley Airfield hinting at a time when Spitfires would have ruled the skies and I spent much of the next hour pondering whether I would have enjoyed life in the Land Army.

It was a glorious day, one of the few nice days of the year, and so I took an extra-specially relaxed pace, punctuated by hillside rests to admire the view. It’s perhaps not surprising that I ran out of time long before I had finished the desired 18 miles. I called a weary halt to the proceedings about 14 miles along the loop and called for my welcome chariot home.

At this rate I will need to reassess my estimated time to complete the 100km. I’m beginning to think that 27hrs will be much closer to the truth than my initial 18-24 hr estimate. This is going to one heck of a gruelling challenge.

One of the unexpected bonuses of my new “hobby” is that its opened up a whole new world of gadgets and technical outdoor walking gear. Today I was sporting a new pair of Meindl hiking boots and a Paramo Velez Adventure Lite Smock. The latter was bought for its highly breathable and waterproof fabric, but it also sports a bonus array of zips and pockets. Today the huge chest pocket housed my London Loop guidebook and iPhone but on the big day I will ensure it is filled with a multitude of penny sweets. I reckon I can walk for 24 hours providing I never run short of fruit sherberts.

Apologies for the alliteration but the title just landed in my lap.

I’m always on the look out for short cuts, particularly of the fitness variety. I have books on my shelves with title’s like “7 mins to commando fitness” and “train less, run faster”.

Despite the books I’m still a slow poke and excepting a recent fancy dress party where I got to don a paratrooper beret, I still haven’t made it into military ranks.

Yesterday I read about another short cut to supreme fitness designed by a Japanese fella called Tabata. Apparently a mere 4 mins of intense exercise is all one needs to achieve impressive endurance gains equal to at least 300 mins of less intense training.

This morning I attempted my first Tabata inspired treadmill workout.

For me, this was the nausea inducing session:

10 mins warmup @ 7kph
Hop off treadmill
Ramp treadmill to 13 kph
Jump on for 20 secs
Jump off for 10 secs
Repeat Jump on Jump off for a further 7 times
Warm down for 1 minute at 6kph

That results in a 15 minute session with so much promise but an unusual amount of light headedness. I was impressed with myself.

When I got home from work I found that teenager number 1 had discovered the treadmill and had been dabbling with a few programs in search of fitness.

I felt the need to test her mettle so encouraged her to try out my evil pre-programmed 20 min HITS ( High Intensity Interval Session), which although high intensity is a relative stroll in the park compared to Tabata.

She handled the full program like a walk in the park. No puffing like a steam train and no melodramatic symptoms of exhaustion. I was feeling a little tense so challenged her to a Tabata show down.

I managed to ramp the treadmill up to 15kph before I managed to get her to squeak and her mother told me to behave. I consider myself well and truly trounced by a beginner.

She still wasn’t sweating though so I reckon I’ll be able to dial that treadmill to the max 20kph before she flies off the back.

Will keep you informed.