Celtman, Coffee, Cake and a Collie

  I got my first tattoo today.  Those of you who are familiar with Celtman will know that the symbol I chose is a version of the Celtman 'swirl' logo; it's also an ancient symbol, a Triskelion, with various meanings attributed to it including, appropriately, motion, interconnectedness, and 'past, present, future'.  For me though, it has become a little shape that symbolises my reasons why... And not just the short-to-medium-term 'Celtman why', but the long term why.  Why I'm taking weight loss jabs to deal with my weight, to try and help reduce the impact of osteoarthritis, to improve my long term health and wellbeing, to increase my Healthspan.  Why I'm training, why I'm trying to eat well.  Why I get up at 0430 before a 12 hour shift to go out running or lift heavy weights.  A couple of weeks ago I was reading Mark Cavendish's book 'Believe', where he documents his journey through the last couple of seasons of his bike racing career...

This post is the second in a series documenting my journey with Wegovy as an athlete who has been classed as Obese for my whole adult life.  It follows on from this post . I suggest you read that first or you might find this quite dull!  Weight on day of 5th jab (increased dose to 0.5mg): 85.25kg (ish - unable to weigh myself on the actual day); muscle mass 48.8kg (57.2%) Week 5: First day on the new dose, and I think I'm feeling a bit more full today than I did on the initial smaller dose.  Perhaps a smaller appetite?  Day two though, and my appetite has definitely shrunk.  I'm feeling quite bloated today. Strangely, I'm starting to realise that I've never actually felt this before.  I've heard people talk about feeling full or bloated, and never really properly experienced it.  It's as though my body & brain have finally made up and started talking to one another after a 50-year feud.   I felt cumbersome and slow for my training sessions tod...

Fatty Disgusting The Fat Kid Overweight Obese Chunky Podgy Big Weight Watchers Slimming World Scottish Slimmers Low Carb MyFitnessPal Eating Skills Emotional Eating Counselling A.N.Other Diet Weigh Yourself Don't Weigh Yourself ZOE Avoid Ultra Processed Food... At the age of 50, I've spent all of my adult life and much of my childhood being heavier than the weight that society tells me I 'should' be.  The words above might be a bit shocking, but they're just a small selection of the things I've been called over the years.  Sometimes to my face, sometimes without my knowledge at the time, and from a very young age.  Below that, are just some of the ways I've tried to make myself be the weight I'm 'supposed' to be.  And yet, in all of the 34 years of my adult life, I have only dipped below what the NHS calls 'Obese' twice, and then not for very long.  And in the eyes of the NHS I have never been a 'healthy' weight.  September 2025 a...

“I’m too slow to need a fancy bike like that...” (Insert kayak/ wetsuit/ SUP/ other piece of adventure sports equipment as appropriate).  How many times have you heard that, or even thought it yourself?  I know I have many times in different contexts over the years.   This post is going to be a little bit different to my normal writing on here: I'm going to try and contrast some of my experience as a sea kayak coach with my more recent experience as a multisport athlete, and talk about ways that I am trying to use my own experience to develop.   So the thing is 'I'm too slow/novice for that bike/boat/whatever' is mostly nonsense.  That might be a controversial perspective, but from experience, and from reading around, it's true.  For several years before I started coaching, I paddled a sea kayak that I thought was the right boat for me at the time.  Then gradually I learned that it wasn't.  I tried a different boat - a Sea Kayaking UK Explore...

Pushing through the water, feeling the glide and the swing of my stroke.  I can see a group of swimmers off to my right where I'm sighting, but I know they're being pulled by the tide.  I know I need to stay left to stay straight, avoid being pushed into the bay.  There are jellies all around me, they're beautiful, hanging in the water, some pulsing themselves along.  I feel strong and fast...  I come out of the water and stop my watch: 1 hour, 59 seconds.  What? How on earth...?! That's 26 minutes faster than last year!  On my bike, and I'm yo-yoing on the hills with another rider.  I pass her downhill, hold the gap on the flat, and she rides past me uphill.  We're evenly matched overall, and we share chat and encouragement along the way.  I feel great, like I'm flying...  I walk through the hall, not wanting to speak to anyone, resisting making eye contact.  I have never felt so broken in my life.  I see Alan standing by...

If you haven’t read Jenny Graham ’s book Coffee First Then the World , you should. Jenny is something of a local legend in the highlands, but a few years ago she became a Global cycling legend when she set a new world record as the fastest woman to cycle round the world.  During her trip, one of the things that kept her going was her Invisible Peloton.  People who were important to her that she visualised riding with her for the tough bits of her 124 day expedition.  I've got to know Jenny a wee bit in recent times and consider myself lucky to call her a pal.  She completed Celtman last year, and having bailed out of my own attempt, I watched her finish in characteristic Jenny style... with the biggest grin on her face and the most joy you could imagine after powering herself around the 250km course.   And so that became my goal for Celtman: Finish With Joy.  Speaking with Jenny briefly a few days ago got me thinking.  We're a week away now: who will b...