Couple of years ago, I started counting calories. Did it for a couple of weeks, and I was genuinely surprised and pleased with the results. I lost about ten pounds, just by paying attention to calorie intake. Bear in mind, I didn't pay attention to the type of calories; it was all about the magic number: 1890.

So for six weeks I drove my friends crazy, only going to bars I could get the calorie count for food online. I got adept at finagling calories from day to day, so I could have another drink if I applied the calories to the following day, meaning eventually I'd skip a meal for the booze. But, in six weeks I lost ten pounds.

Lost. It's generally such a negative word except for when it comes to weight and virginity. Depending on your situation. But If you lose weight, it's not like losing your keys. You son't spend hours searching for them, retracing your steps, wondering where they cold have gone. Same thing about weight-- does anyone actually look for the weight they've lost? And virginity. I"d be willing to bet money that everyone reading this right now knows exactly where they left that. But, I suppose, some people do try to find it again.

Regardless, six weeks, ten pounds, and I still ate shit and drank. . .really good stuff. I just cut back on all of it. And now I'm doing it again. This time around, however, I weigh more to being with so I'm allowed 1960 calories a day instead of 1890. And I'll still lose a pound a week, leading a completely sedentary lifestyle. And, if lat time around is anything to go by, by just eating less of the crap. And when I get home, I log in to my little app on my phone, and find out I've got 161 calories left for the day, unfortunately I'm the guy who works out I can have a double Highland Park single malt, instead of a small packet of instant oatmeal and half an orange.

But here's the point about motivation. I have more motivation right now than I've had in a hell of a long time. And it's not the motivation that there's some sort of weight loss challenge going on at work right now. To me, weight loss ins;t a competitive thing. But to me, the motivation is that if I don't lose the several extra kilos I've been carrying around (sorry, American readers, I'm going metric from now on), then my first week of training for the race is going to kick my arse, and not in a good way. I want to finish the first week of training, and be able to celebrate a 100th birthday party two days later. I want to finish the first week of training, and not think 'what the fuck have I let myself in for.' I want to finish the first week of training, and think 'Brilliant, I can get fit by counting the number of calories rather than the type.'

Cos right now, giving another test with socks and sealskins in an icy pool, the Highland park calories are the only thing stopping me from running into the house crying like a sad bastard.