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I’m still about 10-15kg shy of where I need to be to race comfortably. And it seems, too, that my weight at the moment (91-odd kilos) precludes me from running without injury. That’s what you get for seven years of neglect…

My legs have always been a problem. I’m designed for lifting — squats and the like — not running, and I’ve always experienced some discomfort when running as my calves fill with blood under pressure. They feel tight and over-inflated, if such a thing can be.

At the moment, running means that I get frequent small, but debilitating tears in either my gastrocnemius, soleus or the fascia around them. Each time it’s 7–10 days before I can run again, and even that’s probably too soon.

So, with no other choice, I get to focus on my swimming and riding. By the time I’m 10kg down and mechanically okay to run, all the healing should be done, and I should be at peak fitness for my swim (often neglected) and cycling too.

Doing lots of walking will also prepare me for the Oxfam Trailwalker Melbourne 100km walk I’ve committed to doing with my best friend, Edmund, in mid-April.

In fact, telling my tale inspired me to start getting fit again and to deal openly with a number of issues in my life. That journey is being progressively chronicled here.

The other tales in the book are inspiring, troubling, thoughtful and go to show that dealing with being a man and all that means in a society like Australia that is often reticent to discuss personal issues is a universal issue.

And today, the telling of those tales comes to fruition, as we have published The Perfect Gift for a Man, in eBook and paperback form. You can buy the printed book from Blurb.com or you can purchase the eBook version from The Perfect Gift for a Man website. ALL the profits from the book are being donated to The Inspire Foundation.

If you’re keen to get a quick snapshot of what it’s all about, take a look at the social media release.

Please buy a copy and give it to a man in your life, especially if he is dealing with issues that may be troubling. Our stories may just help him to know he’s not alone.

Here is, for those of you that are interested, what I’m tracking, in several lists:

Diet (daily):

• volume, serving or weight and type of food
• kJ in those foods
• amount of water drunk

Body composition (2–3 times/week):

• scale weight (kg, on rising)
• bodyfat %

Vitality (daily, perception based on 1–10 scale or as noted):

• Sleep quality
• Sleep hours
• Stress
• Soreness
• Wellbeing
• Fatigue
• Injured (Yes/No)
• Blood pressure
• Resting HR (beats/minute)

Training (recorded at Dailymile):

• type of training
• actual activity
• duration
• GPS track (using Runkeeper)
• heart rate
• notes and other factors

I realise that’s all a hell of a lot of data to track, but it really only takes me 15 minutes a day to do. For the benefits I’m getting, I don’t see that as a big impost.

What about you? Are you a data nerd too?

After reading a story in the New York Times a few days ago on The Calorie Restriction Experiment (hat-tip to my good friend, Mark Pesce, for the link), I decided in a grand gesture of unscientific zeal, to try some of what was hinted at in the story.

I’ve altered the way I’m eating from simply volume restricted (which really doesn’t work for me and I find it hard to stick to) to high-nutrient, high-volume, low energy foods. Some grains and starch in the morning, lots of fruit and salad the rest of the day, lean meat. Obviously plenty of water (though I could drink more).

I can barely get it all in. I am constantly full. And I am eating net less food than I was a week ago.

It will be interesting to see what the scale says on Friday morning when I get home. And if this weird lateral knee discomfort would just go away, it’d be awesome.

When these things come early in a process of re-whatever (I’m re-ing a lot of things), it’s easy to fall back into bad habits. I did. I dropped most of my exercise, didn’t eat quite as I should. More or less went back to my before state of being.

Yesterday was the Canberra Times Fun Run, the first thing I had committed myself (and my wife and daughter) to do on this. During the week, I considered just not doing it. I figured that would show a fairly significant lack of spine. It also offered a good opportunity to jump back in.

So jump I did. Great weather, warm, a breeze, and 5-odd thousand friends to run with. Done in 1:18:43 according to RunKeeper. Not fast. I walked some of the hills. I probably looked more like Cliff Young than Haile Gebrselassie. Gazelle-like I am not.

So, 30 minutes slower than my best time for this event (matching that is my target for next year). But I did it. With my girls. Together. And that’s what’s important.

I’m also fitter and down several kilos. But it’s not enough and I’m not really pushing myself.

So, you know what, screw it! Time to ramp up and get some crystal-clear focus.

I’ve decided to ramp up my training to get me to my 1/2 Ironman goal as soon as I can. I have a program. I’m going to do it.

The 2009 Canberra Half may be a touch too soon, as it’s just 16 weeks away. But there are races in the early part of 2010 that I reckon I can make — either Geelong or Port Macquarie. Not to perform well in. I’ll never be anywhere but towards the back of the pack (that’s a biomechanical reality). But just to finish.

Are you with me?

So, this week, I did a number of things that helped:

• tracked my calories, weight, resting heart rate and exercise using the awesome (Australian) software from CalorieKing
• joined the community at DailyMile where I can share my victories and battles with others
• did two RPM classes at my gym, and a long, stretch session that ironed out a bunch of kinks
• ran twice — just 3km each time, but you have to start somewhere
• had the local bike shop rebuild my tri bike and they’re in the process of rebuilding my road bike — they have spent too long idle hanging in the garage.

Of course, there’s always a setback — our digital scales died on Friday. So, we’re getting some new ones today and will upgrade to something like one of the Tanita Ironman series.

I’m going to talk about mentors next time, so stay tuned.

French Vanilla Slice — Abbotsford Slow+Food+Convent+Cafe by avlxyz

It’s always the way.

When I’ve tried dieting in the past and not been successful (which is most of the time), it’s about now that I fall flat. I imagine it’s pretty much the same story for many people who struggle with their weight. We have great intentions but we aren’t often motivated enough to stick at it when the inevitable cravings hit.

Today, I did okay — I took myself to the gym and did 45 minutes of flexibility work rather than hook onto a PB&J. By the time I got home, cravings gone. They’re still there in my head, so it’s a matter of pushing them down.

By the way, that thing up there is one of my favorite foods. I’m going to reward myself with one after the first 5kg have gone.

There are a bunch of great articles in there on the measurable benefits, especially for someone geeky like me, in keeping track of health factors by the numbers.

It’s working this way that has meant health, diet and fitness success for me in the past. Doing it again (and keeping at it) seems a logical step. Follow along with the numbers with me.

I’m personally keeping daily track of things like my scale weight and resting heart rate, and will get things like girths and skinfolds done when I’m at the gym. But I’m only going to post them weekly, on a Sunday, to illustrate progress. There might even be graphs!

I took it easy and shuffled, knowing that this would mean I got through. I had to walk about half of the last kilometer after my calves complained loudly (that’s what carrying a 15kg spare tire will do for you, folks), but I finished. And I was running.

Take a look:

3.02km in 22:39. Benchmark set.