Being behind = big behind

This month was supposed to be my pre-marathon-training-plan build up. But the big freeze, commuting, work and two 5000-word assignments put paid to that.  I've spent most of January sitting: at my computer...behind the wheel of my car...snuggled up by the fire...

A while back, I posted about sedentary behaviour being a risk factor for heart disease, even if you achieve your 30 minutes plus of physical activity a day.  Well, based on January's efforts, I'm not doing my own health any good at all.  Not to mention my previously toned derriere!

Many of us think we're doing ourselves a favour by sweating it out at the gym for an hour a few times a week.  We don't often think about what we're doing during all the other hours.  Of course, running, cycling and weights all have amazing benefits, but what about doing ordinary things the active way?

Luckily I still have 16 weeks to train for the Edinburgh Marathon, and February is a new month.  But, before I get stuck into my formal training plan, I'm going to make the effort just to move around a bit more.  Starting this afternoon, with some vaccuuming lunges, stair step ups (clearing out the spare room) and maybe a few swiss ball crunches in front of the TV!

New year, new focus, new name, new gadgets

This blog used to be called 'Fad Free Fitness'.  I changed it because, fickle as I am, I now have too many gadgets to truly call myself 'fad free'. Last year, my focus was on finding ways to stay fit and healthy without spending lots of money or going to the gym.  This year, it's all about eating and running to de-stress and be happy.  If I can add another marathon PB to that, all the better.

The fad free ethos still stands. I'm not starting the new year with a detox or a resolution to eat special berries or drink exotically named tea in a bid for everlasting health.  However, who am I to judge when I head out for a run looking like Inspector Gadget?

I've been known to run with my Garmin Forerunner on one wrist and my Polar heart rate monitor on the other.  I then head back to upload it all into Fetch Everyone.  I somehow believe that the more information I hoard about my training, the faster I'll run.  I'm not particularly scientific about it, but I do like to look at the pretty graphs and charts and find out how I'm doing.  I think the main reason that it helps is that it keeps me motivated and on track. 

That's why, come tomorrow, I'll be back to monitoring my eating on Daily Burn.  This latest gadget is an app that I found on iPhone.  I've used online food diaries before, but soon got bored with constantly having to update them.  The beauty of doing it on your phone is that it's always with you and always logged in, so it's much simpler and easier to do.  Food diaries are a fantastic way of keeping you on track with a healthy diet, not least because they make you pay attention to what you're eating.  I don't aspire to lose lots of weight, but I have had a few too many chocolates over Christmas, so it will be good to get back to feeling healthy.