Racing Home

I've Been Robbed!

2012-02-16T12:48:00.000-06:00

Something very dear to me, something I have worked very hard for, has been stolen from me. I am not for sure when it happened, but only now have I become aware of the theft. At some point this fall or winter, someone or something has completely stolen my speed!

Early this winter, I guess I had started to notice a lack of speed. I was running as hard as I felt comfortable and I was only pulling 7:30 miles. At the time, I had chalked it up to the colder temps and extra clothing, but it was still very upsetting. I also considered that I had taken a very nonchalant attitude towards working out as I did not have any upcoming races to prepare for. But recently, I have taken a renewed enthusiasm towards working out hard. I have added the extra miles running over lunch, I have been going to basketball, and I have been doing my weight training with more intensity. However, on Monday during my lunchtime run I had pushed myself pretty hard, but my time was 22:50 for an almost exact 3 mile run. Immediately, I thought that I had misread the mileage of my run, or taken the wrong route, or anything other than the fact that I had just averaged 7:37 over a 3 mile run! Seriously, that is a slower pace than my very first 5K more than 2 years ago. Yesterday, I ran over lunch again and it was even worse. I had purposely taken things a bit slower as I had done my leg workout that morning, but I was almost a full minute slower than Monday. Finally, this morning, I ran my 5 mile route and huffing and puffing to get in under 8:00 per mile.

I understand that my legs have been working harder this week and the extra miles are taking their toll, but for the first time in a very long time, I felt SLOW! But still I find myself attempting rationalize my lack of speed, coming up with excuses for my slow pace. The real problem is that I don't want to be slow. I want to be fast! I want to run a faster half-marathon this year, I would love to run a sub-20 minute 5K. But if I keep running at these rates, I will be lucky to even beat my first 5K time!

I don't know who stole my speed, but I want it back...immediately...please?!

3 Pack Abs and More

2012-02-14T12:54:00.000-06:00

So I decided to pick up the intensity and frequency of some of my workouts. The biggest decision that I have made is that instead of walking 2 miles over my lunch break on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I am going to run 3 miles on campus each of those days. It actually decreases the time I spend working out by a few minutes, but definitely increases the intensity of the workouts. Yesterday was the first day that I did so. One big requirement for this process is that I need to bring all of my running gear to work with me three days a week. Which also means that I need to wash my running gear more often as to not offend any parties with my intensely manly odor. It also means that I am changing all of my clothes in my office twice on those days and the potential for literally getting caught with my pants down is greatly increased. You may ask why I don't change in the bathroom stall, but as I stated before, the cockroaches in the bathrooms at work are of an intimidating size and therefore prohibit me from going barefoot for any amount of time. The run went very well. It was a bit windy out and kind of cold. I pushed the pace a bit, but did still not run at a speed that I had hoped. In the end though the experience went very well and I am going to continue.

Throwing an extra workout in yesterday has put my body in a bit of a tizzy. In a 25 hour period I had lifted weights for 30 minutes, ran 3 miles, played basketball for an hour, and then ran an additional 4 more miles this morning and did my pull-ups and dips on the playground. Needless to say, I am pretty tired and my body is a little sore. Last nights basketball game had a bit more physicality than other nights. I have a bruise on my right bicep, two scratches on my face, and a jammed finger. And I loved every minute of it! It will be interesting to see how my legs hold up to a leg workout tomorrow morning and 3 more miles over lunch.

I know it is early, but I am going to claim that the extra effort is already starting to show some results because strangest thing happened when I looked at myself in the mirror this morning. Since losing 60 pounds, I have been able to see the start of two ab muscles just under my rib cage. Mostly these are just propping up the pad of fat that resides over the rest of my belly, but I was proud of them nonetheless. And then today I noticed a third ab protruding out of my stomach! I made doubly sure that there was no dirt providing the the shade for an optical illusion, and felt around that it was not some sort of tumor. After much inspection I feel fairly confident that it is in fact an abdominal muscle. Sure it still has a layer of fat insulating it during these cooler months, but it is definitely an ab! I am proud to say this day that I officially have 3-pack abs! Eat your heart out, Situation! Three more of these little things and I am going to be ready for bikini season!

Super Bowl Shuffle

2012-02-07T12:49:00.000-06:00

Every year for the Super Bowl, I try to go to Benji's house to watch the game. He always has a fun crowd of people, gambling, and a ton of food. It is great to catch up with a friend that I only get to see a handful of times a year and I always enjoy myself.

I went to Benj's place again this year and as always a good time was had by all. I went a few hours early this year to watch the Illini game beforehand. Even though I had just eaten lunch, I still started snacking on the chex mix almost as soon as I got there.  By the time the big game started I had begun to dip into the shrimp cocktail, bacon wrapped wienies, and cheese plate. By the end of the first quarter, I had an Italian beef sandwich with queso dip for good measure, and then by the second half I found this dip at the end of the counter that was so delicious I could hardly pay attention to the game any longer. When you count the beer that I had, I believe I had consumed more than 10,000 calories. For good measure, I stopped by Avanti's and grabbed 2 Gondola's for lunch and dinner on Monday.

By the time I got up to run this morning, I felt like I was carrying an elephant in my stomach. I was tired, sluggish, and felt completely overloaded. When I got out on the road, my legs were heavy, my right hamstring was tight, I was having trouble regulating my breathing, and in general I was out for more of a "shuffle" than a real "run". When I got to the playground for my pull-ups, I did not do 5 pull-ups in a row. After my arm exercises at the playground, I finished off the 4 mile run.  I felt good that I went out and move my ass, but I was not at my peak performance.

I have no one to blame but myself.  However, it is all a little disheartening because I have not had great success losing the weight that I gained over the holidays and I swore that I was going to increase the intensity of my workouts to aid in that effort. Unfortunately, my indiscretions with food consumption have only compounded the problem because I am taking in extra calories and feel so full and tired in the mornings that my efforts in working out have been lackluster at best.

Now that it has been a whole month since the holidays and the spring running and biking season are quickly approaching, it may be a good time for a re-evaluation and assessment of my routine. And maybe I don't even need that much thought on the matter. I know what I am doing wrong and I know what I need to do to get better. Simply put, I am lacking the discipline to do the right thing on a consistent basis. I need to be more disciplined!

Michael Phelps, I Am Not

2012-02-02T12:59:00.000-06:00

So, in order to knock myself down a couple of pegs after accomplishing my goal of 5 pull-ups, I decided to go swimming Tuesday night after work.

I have made it known that I would one day like to compete in a triathlon. I would like that day to be this year, but as I have also stated previously, I am not the world's best swimmer. I have gone to the pool after work a few times and swam a few laps. Sometimes I seem to have a good run and will complete several lengths in a row, but no more than 150 to 200 meters at a time. It had been a little while since I had taken a trip to the pool, so I was not expecting my best performance. However, Tuesday night went really poorly. I could not complete more than a 100 meters before I felt as though I was gasping for air. My left foot started to cramp up and overall I felt so uncoordinated.

I try very hard to focus on my form when I am in the pool. Sadly, I don't really know what that form should feel like. I see other swimmers doing something in the pool and I think to myself, "Oh! I should try that next time."  Then I do try it and I fail completely or it just doesn't seem to work for me. Example: I feel as though I bring my head too far out of the water when I take a breath.  So, I see someone taking a quick breath and snapping their head right back into position.  Then I try it and I find that I am taking in water on my breath or not getting enough air and I feel like I am suffocating before I can turn to take my next breath. Another Example: Sometimes my arms come down to the water all at the same time.  By that I mean my hand, forearm, elbow, and bicep all seem to strike the water simultaneously on the down stroke. I get out of the water and see a person sort of slicing their hand into the water, followed quickly by the remainder of their arm. So, I give it try and seems to be working well, but then I realize that I have focused so much on my arm that I have forgotten to breathe. This is a bad idea. I have definitely learned that breathing is the most important part of swimming, or any sport and life in general. Note to self, "Breathing is important!"

And don't even get me started on what to do with my legs. I have not a clue what to do with them in the water.  Sometimes they just sort of flip at the ankle, other times they are making long, drawn out kicks through the water. I don't know when I should be kicking which leg in conjunction with the motion of my arms. I would love to see what other swimmers are doing, but their legs are generally submerged the whole time, and I don't think staring under the water at other swimmers is appreciated or even permitted.

When I finally called it a day and started to pack it in, I took the time to watch other swimmers in action. Some people are so impressive with their swimming.  I was half tempted to ask a couple of them if they would consider giving me lessons, but again I am not sure how that may be perceived.

I am kind of stuck on this one. I sure could use a lesson, but I feel a little silly being the middle-aged guy (ouch, that kinda hurt) asking for swim lessons.  But if I don't see some improvement, I am going to have trouble finishing a triathlon with a swim of any length. It is truly a tough spot.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Five Freaking Pull-ups!

2012-01-31T12:56:00.002-06:00

Last fall, I started adding some cross training exercises to my normal running routine. Due to the colder temps and some nagging pain in my hamstrings, I had backed off from much of the work. But prior to doing so, I had accoplished one of my goals of running a sub-30 second 200m dash. Unfortunately, I had not been able to achieve my goal of doing 5 freaking pull-ups in a row!

In the last couple of weeks, I have started stopping by the local playground again and attempting a few pull-ups, chin-ups, dips and extensions. My success has varied from week to week depending on my comfort level after having played basketball the night before, and periodically the tendinitis in my wrist and shoulder flare up making some of the exercises impossible. But I continue to toil away in the hopes of actually achieving that impossible dream!

When I was young, I hated pull-ups. I dreaded that day every year for the presidential skills testing, when the gym teacher would call me up in front of every person in the class, girls included, and order me to do as many pull-ups as I could. Other guys would walk up there and rip off 10 or 15 pull-ups like it was their job. Eventually, the moment came when the teacher would call on me and I would sulk my way to the bar, reach up and grab it, then grunt and groan, kicking my legs like I was riding an imaginary bike, failing to get my arms to bend more than a couple of degrees. Eventually, I would fall back to the ground and return to my seat only to hear the snickers and whispers from the other kids in the class. It was humiliating!

I remember being in my friend's basement and seeing that his dad had installed a pull-up bar in one of the doorways. Much like me, my friend struggled with pull-ups. He might have been able to do one or two, but not much more than that. When I asked what the bar was for he informed me that his dad wanted him to do 10 pull-ups by the start of freshmen baseball season. "Shit!", I thought, ten pull-ups! It might as well have been a hundred for me; there was no way I was going to be able to do that!

So, I was excited when I started this process and was able to do 3 pull-ups. I even got all the way to 4 pull-ups in a row when I was going to the playground regularly. And I was super excited when I headed out for a run and trip to the playground this morning. My tendinitis had been doing great, and Katie was busy last night, so I was not able to go to basketball because I had to watch the kids. All of that added up to me feeling pretty good about my chances for 5 pull-ups today.

I jogged my way down to the grade school. My body started to warm up; I was moving at a nice easy pace since I ran 8.3 miles on Saturday and was still a little stiff. When I was a couple of hundred yards away from the school I saw another man enter the street and start walking. At the time I did not thnk much of it, but I would see him again. I jogged all the way to the playground and slowed to a walk a few feet from the pull-up bar. I caught my breath, shook out my arms and prepared for what I thought could finally be the day I did 5 pull-ups in a row.

I jumped up and grabbed the bar. The first pull-up went easy, the second as well. By the time I got to the top of the third pull-up, my mind began to race with the thought of achieving my goal. The fourth pull-up was tough, and as I descended to start the fifth pull-up, I got nervous. Then I started pulling back up to the top. I was really tough. My arms were on fire and I didn't think I was going to make it. I felt my legs start to come to my chest as I attempted to engage my abs, trying to pull every last once of strength I had. The bar crossed over my eyes and I let out a pretty loud grunt (especially for 4:30 in the morning) as I struggled for those last couple of inches. And then finally I raised my chin and set it ever-so-gently on the bar, and smiled. I had done it!!!! I had finally done 5 freaking pull-ups!!!

After I put my feet back on the ground, I turned around smiling and immediately saw the guy that I had passed earlier run by me on the playground. I thought it was a little strange that this guy was running through the playground, since it is not the most direct route to anything. Maybe he was a little curious about what I was doing on the playground. Maybe he was even more curious about what all the grunting noise was about. Maybe he thought about coming back there for a few pull-ups of his own.

But do you want to know what the one feeling I was NOT having upon seeing this guy? Embarrassment! For the first time in my life I was not embarassed to be doing pull-ups in front of others. No sir, I just did 5 freaking pull-ups! Next up? Ten pull-ups!

Messed Around and Got A Triple-Double

2012-01-24T13:00:00.000-06:00

Let me preface this post by first saying I greatly dislike Facebook and hearing about friends getting hurt. However, recently both of these things have provided me with the good fortune of finding another athletic outlet that I thoroughly enjoy.

While scrolling through my wife's news feed on Facebook I read about a friend of ours getting injured in a basketball game.  Unfortunately for our friend the injury is relatively severe and requires surgery to repair. But I was very curious about this basketball game in which he was injured.

For years I have been saying to Katie that I wished there was some sort of open gym for basketball in our little town. I knew there was an open gym for volleyball, a sport I can play but do not receive great joy when participating. There is also a softball league, but I don't really know anyone on a team and can't seem to find enough other interested parties to form my own team.

I am not the greatest basketball player. For a long time in my youth I was taller than many of my friends and played in the post on most of my basketball teams. By high school, my friends had surpassed me in height and I had failed to develop my ball handling skills in order to transition to the guard play that my average height warranted.  Nevertheless, I continued to be passionate about the sport, and I continued to play for teams at the YMCA and church league.

I really enjoy the game of basketball. I enjoy the physical challenge of running up and down the court at "high" rates of speed. I enjoy the minor physical contact, the trash talking, the cheering, and the oohs and aahs when somebody makes a great play. Overall, I REALLY enjoy the physical competition of the game.

Suddenly, upon learning of my friend's injury, while concerned for his well-being, I became extremely excited about the prospect of a local basketball game! I asked around to some of our mutual friend's and came to find out that there is an open gym for basketball on Monday nights at a church just down the street from our house. I immediately asked Katie if I could go. She responded, "Of course you can!"

My first night at the open gym was last Monday. I was a little nervous upon arriving. I did not really know what to expect. I knew there was only one other guy that I would know for sure, and I had no idea what the competition would be like. When I showed up at the church I was a little taken aback that the floor of the gym was a multi-purpose carpet. When the portable hoops were brought out I began to warm up. I was not shooting very well to start, which had me a bit worried, but as we lined up to shoot freethrows for teams, I nailed my first one and it felt great! Oddly enough my team had no real inside players, so I found myself playing down low among the trees. Again, I REALLY enjoyed playing in the post. I was dominated by some much taller players, but I knew they were having to work hard for every point and rebound. I even managed to scrape a few rebounds together and make a few buckets to help the teams cause. I had a behind-the-back pass that brought a few cheers from the teams on the sidelines; that made me pretty proud! When the night was over, I was so excited to have participated. I had soooo much fun!

The next couple of days I was pretty sore. I stuck with my runs, but at a reduced rate since some of my muscles were recovering from being used for the first time in years. I played again last night, and while I did not have as good of an all-around game, I still had a blast. And again, I am sore as hell today!

The most amazing thing that I find in all of this is how my brain works. At the root of this whole health and fitness thing is the idea of becoming a better person. Losing weight, eating right, running, biking, those are all efforts to improve myself.  And I strive to do better in each one of those endeavors. The basketball is no different.  Last night, I was getting beat off the dribble by a number of other players. I used to pride myself on defense, and I always thought I had pretty quick feet, but last night showed me otherwise. So what do I start thinking about? I need to start jumping rope to work on my foot speed, and I am sure there is going to be some benefits to my other athletic efforts. So why not?! I haven't jumped rope longer than I had not played basketball, so that experience may be a post in and of itself.

So, while I don't think I played well enough to score a triple-double, I think I am going to try and get to that level. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Breaking News: Weight Watchers Watches as McDonalds Goes Healthy

2012-01-13T12:47:00.000-06:00

On heels of its overwhelmingly successful campaign in New Zealand (see here ), Weight Watchers has given the go ahead to label the entire McDonalds menu as "healthy".

No spokesperson for Weight Watchers were available for comment, but many of them could be seen counting their money all the way to the bank.

A spokesperson for McDonalds, between snickers, was quoted "We always new we were the healthy alternative, now we have the Weight Watchers label to back it up." When asked how its menu could be considered healthy, the spokesperson retorted, "Look, you can get more than half your daily value of calories, fat, sodium, and sugar from one Double Quarter Pounder w/ cheese. If you pair that with a large fry and a coke, you're set for the whole day. Then you have the rest of your day to work it off. We are doing you guys a favor, healthy and time efficient." Questions about past attempts to improve upon a "healthy" image for McDonalds with the introduction of fruit, yogurt, and salads were responded with indignation and the comment, "Yeah, we're probably going to stop carrying that crap; nobody buys it anyway. Besides, who needs it now that the Big Mac is as healthy as a spinach!"

The spokesperson followed these comments up with, "Look, this is just the beginning. Our products are going to start being carried at all of the Weight Watchers meetings. We have plans to move into the supermarket aisles under the Weight Watchers name. Frozen 'Happy Meals'; doesn't that just sound delicious, and healthy!"

"After that, we are going to move our way into the schools; have you seen the junk they are feeding those kids! And it is really important that these kids are learning about healthy eating. If they are not going to get it at home, McDonalds will give it to them!"

In light of these new developments, it has been rumored that Morgan Spurlock, creator of the hit film Super Size Me, and Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, are collaborating on a project tentatively titled, The Slow and the Dead, a expose about the dangers of food borne illnesses and homecooking.

The general public has embraced McDonalds new healthy menu with an insatiable vigor. Deep Fried Franny, a long time McDonalds customer could hardly contain her 300lbs of excitement, in her spandex and Disney sweatshirt, "This is the break I have been looking for! I have been interested in trying a healthier diet, now I don't even have to change a damn thing; they have already done it for me!"

My Obsession with the Scale

2012-01-12T12:51:00.002-06:00

One of the members of my weight loss support group expressed some disappointment when the scale did not reflect the loss that she felt she deserved after working so hard to lose weight. With the idea of support and concern in my heart, I responded thusly:

"I would encourage you not to get frustrated if you don’t lose any weight. Instead just focus on getting to the gym, watching what you eat, and enjoying the effort that you are able to put in. The scale is useful for accountability, but it does not define success! Success is living a healthy lifestyle, being a good example to your kids, and pushing the limits of your physical abilities. If you can manage to do those things, you can count yourself as a winner, no matter what the scale may read!"

Pretty good, right? I thought so, too. The only problem with this is that I am completely unable to follow this advice myself. I am completely obsessed with the scale. I weigh in twice a day. Once, before I go to bed, to see how I have done for the day, and once, in the morning, to see how much I have lost overnight and to see where I am at for the week. When I am eating my third slice of pizza, I am thinking about how good it tastes, but I am also thinking about what the scale is going to say when I get home! When I eat well, I don't think about how healthy I am being or how good of an example I am. I am completely thinking about how good it is going to feel to have a lower number when I stand on the scale!

In that lies the issue. The scale can be a source of gratification; it is a relatively tangible "thing" to hang my hat of success. The scale is also the overseer passing judgement on every poor decision that I have made. The scale can also be the crazy ass thing that has no idea how hard I have worked only to display a minimal loss, if there is a loss at all! Many days I really like the scale for its affirmation of my dedication. But many other days I hate the scale for judging me or failing to get in line with my efforts.

I wish I could take my own advice and just be happy with the effort that I am putting in, but it really hard. If admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery, then let this be my first step.

- "Hi, my name is Brian."
- "Hi Brian!"
- "And I am obsessed with the scale."

Now, does anyone know what the other eleven steps are?

Proud Papa

2012-01-10T13:00:00.000-06:00

As soon as he finished the kids' fun run at the Kirby Derby, my son said "I want to run the 5K next year." Immediately, Katie and I thought that we might be able to run a 1/2 mile or so with Bubba, drop him off with some family or friends, and then pick him up for the last 1/2 mile or so. Bubba just as quickly protested that he wanted to run the whole way.

We explained to Bubba that would require a lot of dedication and effort. We tried to express that there are many grown-ups that can't even run that far. He replied that he understood what it would take, as he has seen Mommy and Daddy train for our races.

So, the family committed to the training. We went for a one mile training run this past summer. Bubba did amazing. He ran almost the entire way and was very impressive. A few weeks later, we all went for another run. Bubba did not perform quite as well. He struggled to run, he whined some, but he still completed a full mile.

Since that run, training had wained. The weather had turned cool. I began to wonder if it was wise for a 5 year old to be running 3.1 miles. I wondered if Bubba was as committed as he was last spring. But a few weeks ago, Bubba began to request more often and more vigorously for another training run. Not only was he requesting another training run, but he said that he wanted to go farther.

So, we took advantage of the nice weather this weekend and decided to go for a 2 mile training run with Bubba. We bundled up a bit, as it was still a little cool out. We borrowed our neighbors jogging stroller so Sissy, who also says she is going to run a 5K, could jump in for a ride when she needed it.

As soon as Bubba started out, Katie and I began the coaching. "Don't go too fast; you want to save our energy." "Keep your arms up close to your body. Don't flail them around like a superhero." "Take nice deep breathes, not short fast ones." Honestly, with all of the "advice" we offered, I am surprised he wants to run at all.
However, he did great!!!

Bubba ran almost a full 2 miles. Sure he had to stop and walk a few times, other times he wanted to take a drink of Gatorade, but for the most part he ran a good bit of the distance. He seemed to enjoy it, and we forgot to do a few of the things that make running with your kids fun. We did not do any skipping (a family favorite). We did not do any sprints (another family favorite). But we did have a nice time, with good weather, jogging with our son and daughter.

When the run was complete, Bubba was visibly tired. Katie and I told him that there are many adults that could not do what he did that day. We told him how proud we were of the work that he did. On Saturday, my son made me one proud Papa!

Music in Motion

2012-01-05T13:07:00.000-06:00

I am not much of a music listener. Sure, I have a sizable collection of music, but it is mostly on CD's because I just don't care that much to load them on iTunes. I also enjoy taking in a good live show of almost any genre of music, but rarely do I buy music to listen to at home. For the most part I listen to talk radio at home in the mornings and in the car. My rationale for this is that I do not get the opportunity to watch the nightly news, read the paper, or check the news online, so my only real source of current events is talk radio and it serves me pretty well.

There is one consistent time in my day that I listen to music, and that is on my iPod when I am out for a run. The heart rate monitor and the sportband have gone by the wayside, but the one technological consistent in my fitness has been my iPod. I thoroughly enjoy having music to listen to while I am running, and sometimes biking (yes, I know it is dangerous, but it is completely necessary when riding solo and I turn the volume down in order to hear the cars approaching). I have a mixed bag of music loaded on my playlist. Some of songs may need to be put on the shelf, but others I find to be just the right tune to keep me moving.

While this may upset some of my Russian fan base (I had 2 Russian visitors to this sight just last week, or maybe it is the same person twice), I have 3 songs from the Rocky IV soundtrack, Hearts on Fire, Burning Heart (I just realized those are saying exactly the same thing), and No Easy Way Out. I am sure that I have completely romanticized these songs from my childhood, but when I hear them come on the headphones I begin to imagine myself running up the side of a snow-capped mountain, finally reaching the summit, and yelling, "Drago!" I might just put these songs on repeat the next time I do hill repeats!  As a side note, did you know that Dolph Lundgren gave up an opportunity to get his doctorate in chemical engineering from MIT in order to pursue an acting career? I think he should have stuck with the engineering.

There are few other "oldies" such as Baba O'Reilly and Reign Over Me, but the largest contingent of music on my iPod is in the rap/hip-hop genre. This usually comes as a surprise to most people, but I love rap music! Some of my favorites are Erase Me by Kid Cudi, Hero by Nas, and Not Afraid by Eminem.  There are 3 songs that I have downloaded recently that I really enjoy.  The first is Run This Town with Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye.  I just feel like this has to be a staple in any runners playlist even though the lyrics have almost nothing to do with actually running.

The next song is Lighters by Bruno Mars ft. Eminem and somebody else (sorry).  It is a song about achieving in the face of adversity and doubt. How can anyone struggling to lose weight NOT listen to this one?!

I have a Christmas gift card to iTunes to thank for my most recent addition to my playlist, Ni**as In Paris by Jay-Z and Kanye. It has absolutely nothing to do with anything that I would be familiar with, but I love it nonetheless. I played it for my wife this morning and she just simply smiled and shook her head at me. "Nobody know what is means, but it's provacative!"

So, now you know. I don't listen to much music, but when I do it certainly keeps me going!

Out With the Old, and In With the...

2012-01-03T12:46:00.000-06:00

...Holy shit, I gained 8 pounds over the holiday break!

I don't even know how to feel about it. I want to be shocked, but considering the eating and drinking I did of my own volition, shocked is the last thing I should be. I should probably be happy I didn't gain 12 pounds!

I want to feel disappointed, and I do, but I really try to avoid this emotion as it just makes me want to eat more.

I want to feel nonchalant about the whole deal; just write it off. But it is 8 f*^%ing pounds!!! All the pants that I got for Christmas are difficult to button! It is no time to be nonchalant!

I want to be forgiving, and blame the whole thing on the respiratory infection that I got a week before Christmas. Sure I needed to take a couple of days off to recover, but I ran one time over the entire 10 days! Laziness is difficult to forgive!

I guess for now I am settling on determined. I am determined to lose this weight and more in the coming year!

Out With the Old and In With the New

2011-12-22T12:54:00.000-06:00

As 2011 comes slowly to a close, I thought it would be a worthwhile venture to look at all of the things that my family and I accomplished this year, as well as take a look at what 2012 may have in store for us.

Note: I do not have time to put links to all of these events, but if you would like to read more about them please check out the archives on the right.)

2011
-In March, I received an amazing birthday present, a fitness evaluation, from my wife. The process was informative, and I continue to use much of the information I learned from my appointment.

-In April, Katie and I ran with my sister in the Illinois Marathon Relay. It was our first experience participating in a big race atmosphere. While somewhat intimidating, I think we all really enjoyed our time. We performed well and couldn't be happier with our finish!

-In May, we officially became a Racing Home as Katie, the kids, and I all participated in the Kirby Derby. I had a new 10K PR, and a spark for running was lit for my children!

-Most of the summer was spent preparing for the Quad City Half Marathon. I experienced a weight loss roadblock and pinched nerve in my back. I spent a lot of time out on the road training. But in all, it was a fun and exciting summer journey.

-In September, I suffered through my first half marathon. I finished the race, but did not meet my goal time. While initially disheartened, I have recognized the error of my ways and am determined to do better the next time.

-In October, I ran in my first trail race, the Allerton Trail Run. I ran well, and enjoyed the change of pace from my regular road running.

-I spent a couple of months working on my overall fitness with some simple crossfit exercises, which have certainly done the job. Along the way, I ran a sub-30 second 200m dash and have done more pull-ups than ever in my entire life!

2012
-Katie, my sister, and I have agreed to once again run the Illinois Marathon Relay. This year we have decided to include our 18yo cousin, also named Katie. We hope her youthful exuberance will help to elevate our performance.

-My 5yo son has determined he would like to run his first 5K in this year's Kirby Derby. He has had a couple of training runs, but he continues to be anxious for preparation, as he will ask me every so often, "When are we going to run again?"

-I did not participate in any bike rides in 2011. In fact, I felt as though I was cheating on my bike, Roxanne, with all of the time that I spent running last year. I am committed to change in the new year. I would like to participate in the Sangamon Valley Bike Ride in May, as well as the Bike MS ride later in the summer. I am hopeful for good weather, as the Bike MS ride would still constitute the furthest 2-day ride of my life.

-I would also like to train a bit more with my swimming because I would like to participate in my first triathlon. The Fighting Illini Triathlon Club hosts a sprint triathlon in late September/early October. I like the idea that it would be a local race and the swim for this particular event is only 300m. I am determined to work my way up to that.

-I would once again like to participate in the Allerton Trail Run. It is a unique race in one of my most treasured places. Honestly, I would like to make sure that I never miss this race again!

-Finally, I would like to try another half marathon, improving upon my performance in 2011. Some folks I know are talking about hosting a half in Galesburg, where I grew up. I would really like to run in that race! Galesburg is dead flat! if I can avoid all of the trains, I think I could really improve upon my time under those conditions!

As we enter into the holiday season, the opportunity to write any posts will be limited. So from my family to yours, "Have a Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah and a safe, happy New Year!"

Indian Summer Run

2011-12-15T12:35:00.000-06:00

When I woke up for my run last Saturday, it was 17 degrees out with a wind chill of 10! I bundled up with nearly every piece of gear that I had. I had my stocking cap and gloves on and I pulled up the hood of my sweatshirt and cinched it tight. By mile 5, ice was caked onto my beard and moustache and the tears from my watery eyes were freezing on my cheeks!

When I woke up this morning, 5 days later, it was 59 degrees out! I ran in shorts and had no use for my stocking cap. I wore my long sleeve compression shirt, but was actually hot with it on!

Weather in central Illinois can change frequently, but such a dramatic change was disorienting. However, I had a great run! There was a slight breeze out of the south which made the trip out a little cooler and more difficult. But as I turned around, I had the wind at my back and a couple of times I felt like I was really flying. Overall, my time was better than I had expected, 5 miles in 36:30, and certainly better than I had been doing.

It was great weather for running and I was very appreciative for the mild temps! It may be awhile before I can run in weather so nice.

All I Want for Christmas

2011-12-13T12:55:00.000-06:00

'Tis the season to spout off about all the things that you want. While I am pretty sure all of the gifts have been purchased, it is never too late to drop a few subtle hints.

1. First and foremost, I want world peace. My children and I pray for world peace every night; every Sunday that I am able to I light a candle at church as my additional prayer for world peace. It sounds naive, but I just can't believe that we still live in a world where evil people can rise to positions of power and influence under the banner of ignorance and intolerance. And in retaliation, all sides, "righteous" or "evil", send other people's sons and daughters to fight their battles.

2. In a very distant second, I would like Fat Cyclist's new book. It is titled Comedian Mastermind: The Best of Fatcyclist.com, 2005-2007. The title is pretty self-explanatory, but if you have not taken the opportunity to visit the Fatcylcist website, I highly recommend that you do so...right now! Fatty (mild-mannered, alter ego: Elden Nelson) is hilarious. He is able to take his own unique, comedic approach to a wide variety of subjects. Seriously, this guy writes diatribes about cycling that even a novice cyclist such as myself can follow, and often openly laugh at. This first book covers the early years before his wife Susan began a renewed battle with cancer, a battle that would eventually take her life. The money that Fatty makes on this first book goes to the publishing expense of writing his coup de grace, The Cancer Caretaker's Companion. So, when you buy this for me, you can feel good about your purchase, knowing that it is going to a greater cause!

3. I could really use some new running gear. The items soon to be mentioned will soon become needs, rather than wants, but I thought it would be worth mentioning before the situation gets critical. As usual, I need a new pair of running shoes. I have not completely worn through the sole my shoes, but I am really close! I figure these shoes have more than a thousand miles on them, the tread is nearly gone, and the whites of the insole have began to appear near the toes. In the next couple of months I will wear completely through the insole; that does not work well in the winter snow! Next, I have been running in the same compression and running shorts for over 2 years. Further, I never purchased these items in the first place, but instead procured them from the lost and found at my old job after they had been left behind for months. Which is secondary to the fact that both shorts have seen better days. Especially the compression shorts that are showing signs of overuse as I am wearing holes in very uncomfortable areas!

4. I would like some financial assistance with registration expenses for runs and races. Because of a lack of fiscal means, I participate in very few races every year, and the ones that I do participate in are carefully scrutinized for their value. As an example, I signed up to run the half marathon in the Quad Cities last year because at $45 it was far cheaper than any half marathon in the Chicago area. Additionally, the locale decreased my cost as I was able to stay at my parents home the night before (bonus: I could eat my parents food. Thanks Mom and Dad!). Certainly I could run for a charity at nearly free of charge, but as I would be contacting the same friends and family to donate to the charity, I figure it would be less expensive if they just gave their money to me.

5. I really want to run a sub-1:40 half marathon and a sub-20 minute 5K. Much like my first request, I am pretty sure that no one person in particular could give this to me, but I thought it would be worth mentioning just in case Santa can work up some Christmas magic!

6. Lastly, I want all of my family and friends to have a safe,enjoyable holiday season. I hope that you all have time to appreciate the things that we have. And in an effort to bring a little Peace to our World, remember and be kind to the folks who are not as fortunate as ourselves!

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

2011-12-08T13:02:00.000-06:00

There has been so much going on; it is hard to know where to start!

First off, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends! I monitored my eating when I could and got in 2 great runs. One of the runs was with 2 of my closest friends from home. I have known Brian and Matt almost my entire life, and I was so excited to get the chance to run with them. It is amazing to think about how far we all have come, starting at virtually the same spot, and ending up with many of the same values and interests. When I proposed going for a run early Thanksgiving morning, there was almost no doubt that we were all going to be there. It was so enjoyable running through familiar areas, catching up on our lives, and reminiscing about "the old days".

Matt had brought along a couple of friends, one of which, Nick Pigg, is the owner/operator of a shoe and fitness store in Galesburg, Go_Outside_and_Play. It was interesting to hear some insight from Nick about running and fitness in Galesburg. Turns out that Nick, Matt, and some others are organizing a half marathon in Galesburg in June! I have already signed up on the mailing list and look forward to running my second half marathon in the town I grew up in!

Next, I did not meet my weight loss goal of losing 10lbs before Thanksgiving; I only lost 6. I had been working pretty hard and I thought for sure I was going to make it. However, I decided go for some "hill repeats" on a Sunday in order to strengthen my hill running. When I woke up that morning, I was not feeling quite right, but I headed out anyway. Finding a decent hill in central Illinois is difficult, but I warmed up with a 1.5 mile jog to the golf course where I knew there were a couple of decent hill to train on. I finally scoped out the hill that I thought would be good for me. The first couple of runs up the hill went well. The distance was very short, probably 100 yards or so, but the incline was good. After about 4 trips up and down the hill, I noticed that my hamstring was feeling a little tight. Ever since I started doing sprints, lunges, and squats, having tight hammies had become the norm, so I thought I could just run through the pain. On my sixth trip up the hill, I would swear I felt a snap and a hot shooting pain in my hamstring. I immediately stopped, called an end to the hill repeats, and attempted to jog home. The problem was I couldn't even jog without being in pretty significant pain. I ended up walking most of the way home. Which felt really weird because, I know this is going to sound like Forrest Gump, for the most part anywhere I am going, I am running. Walking that mile and a half back home felt very foreign.
I think the hamstring pull might have been because I was getting sick, because by that afternoon I had a pretty nasty virus. I had the chills, the sweats, body aches, and nausea. It lasted for a few days and I ended up taking a week off of working out. Ergo, I did not lose the remaining 4 pounds before Thanksgiving.

The hammie still gives me some trouble, but nothing significant. I did cause me to re-evaluate my workout routine. I had been going pretty hard for a few weeks, and I think I may have pushed things a little too hard. I completed my goal of running a 200m dash in less than 30 seconds, plus you know, I pulled a hamstring, so I have decided to not do any sprints for awhile. I am still going to the playground and doing my pull-ups and other body resistance exercises, but I am just incorporating that into some longer, slower runs. I know I am going to have to get back into the hill repeats if I want to do better in the distance running, but I am going to give my leg a few weeks to fully heal. I still would like to lose the remaining 4 pounds and get below 185 before Christmas, but multiple holiday celebrations may throw a wrench into those plans. My ultimate goal is to keep working out and not gain any weight.

Lastly, I have entered into a contest to receive free marathon and/or triathlon training for a year. Coach Jennifer_Harrison is offering one full year of training for no charge at all. Now, I have entered to win probably a hundred fitness and health swag items, but none of them quite as cool as this. The only problem is that it scares the shit out of me to think about actually winning this thing. The time commitment would be significant, but the thought of running a marathon in the next year, plus having the coaching to perform well, is intoxicating!

Anyway, that is all I have; it felt like a lot!

I Am Not Perfect!

2011-12-01T12:52:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, it comes as a surprise to me too. But it is true; I am not perfect. I have a lot of flaws.

Sometimes I eat too much. Other times I obsess about eating less. Sometimes I do not workout hard enough. Other times I push myself too far, too fast. Sometimes I don't care about the scale. Other times I fret about every ounce.

Most importantly, sometimes I forget to tell my wife what an amazing wife, friend, and mother she is. Sometimes I focus my attention on the things I think I have to do instead of focusing my attention on doing things with my children. Sometimes I don't finish projects around the house. Sometimes I don't say what I am thinking, and sometimes I don't think before saying.

I am not perfect; I don't know if I ever will be. But I am going work damn hard to do better!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T13:01:00.000-06:00

On Thursday, I will be with a bunch of extended family, enjoy turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and pie, and will be unable to do a post. So in honor of this most glutinous of holidays, I have decided to talk about a few of the things for which I am most thankful.

I am thankful for my wife.
A journey of health and fitness is a very personal one, but my journey would be impossible without the love and support of my wife. She has been my partner in this weight loss attempt since its inception. She has shown me the utmost support for my races, changes in routine, and crazy ass ideas. She is also the one watching the kids when I run or bike for several hours at a time. That in and of itself is invaluable.

I am thankful for my children.
My kids are a big reason that I decided to travel down this road of wellness in the first place; I want to be around for them for a long time.  Their energy and enthusiasm for my races is so intoxicating, and their desire to run and bike and just get outdoors make this whole thing well worth it.

I am thankful for my health.
During my time I have had a few bumps in the road. Specifically, I have had IT_band_syndrome, thrown my back out, and suffered from Fatty_Liver_Disorder. But sincerely, overall I feel great.  I am in the best shape of my life (by the way, I ran a 29.12 second 200 yard sprint today; that is one more off the list!). I feel lucky to be not suffering from so many other possible ailments, diseases, or disorders. And I am looking forward to continued health and wellness.

I am thankful for Jackson Chiropractic.
When I threw my back out before the half marathon, I was officially freaking out!  But the good people at Jackson_Chiropractic had me on the mends in no time. I believe very strongly in the overall benefit of chiropractic care. I believe very strongly that the continued adjustments at the masterful hands of Dr. Clint Jackson has been a major contributing factor to my feeling of overall health and wellness.
Additionally, I am thankful to have health insurance that sees the wisdom in preventative health care, such as chiropractic care.

I am thankful for all of the people that have help along the way.
Adrian, when I had shin splint problems
Jeff, when I had no idea what an IT band even was
Mira, for all of her advice and encouragement along the way
My weight loss support group, for keeping me accountable well past my breaking point
The staff at Spin_City_Cycle, for helping me pick out the perfect bicycle for me
The staff at Body_and_Sole, for fitting me with the perfect pair of shoes for me
And everyone of my friends and family, for all the love and support (financial and otherwise) that you have shown me along the way.

I am thankful for turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie!
Man, I hope I can keep the weight off this weekend!

Gimme A Break!

2011-11-10T12:48:00.000-06:00

So when Bubba was at home recovering from his surgery, I have to admit that I fell off the diet wagon a couple of times. More specifically, when he wanted chips and queso dip from the Mexican restaurant, he was far from the only one that partook. And when he wanted to go to Pizza Hut for lunch, I am pretty sure I hit the buffet line more than anyone else, including a sample of all 3 desserts. I did stick with all of my scheduled workouts, but by Friday afternoon I knew that I needed to shape up a bit if I wanted to lose any weight this week.

So, I went for a 17 mile bike ride on Friday. I ran an extra 2.5 miles on my Saturday long run. Plus, I threw in an extra 4 mile run on Sunday to try and make up for my bad behavior. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, I did not lose any weight this week, but I did not gain any either.

I am not terribly disappointed for two reasons. The first is because I honestly believe that with my cross training work I am building a significant amount of muscle. I can visually see that my arm are getting larger and I am able to do a lot more reps of the strength work than I was when I started. Since it is said that muscle weighs more than fat, I am of the belief that while my weight did not change, I am definitely building more muscle and losing more fat!

The second reason I am not disappointed with not losing any weight on the scale is that I went down a notch on both of my belts this week! My pants are a little looser! So, the truth is that my waistline is getting smaller, even without losing any weight!

The problem with all of this is that I have not had a day off from working out since Sunday, Oct. 30, and even on my regularly scheduled days I have added additional work. When I went out for my 5K run this morning, I realized that I need a break!

I usually try to push really hard in that first mile on Thursdays and I did today, 6:27 for my first mile. However, my legs felt like lead! Every slight incline felt like Mt. Everest, and the down hills brought no relief. Even as I tried to take an easy second mile, my form was horrid and I kept having to remind myself to straighten up. When I kicked it up for my moderate 3rd mile, I really didn't know if I would make it home. Now, this morning I have felt sore pretty much all over. Muscles that I have not worked in a couple of days are actually showing some signs of fatigue. I think my body is telling me to slow down for a minute.

However, I am constantly reminding myself that I want to lose 4 more pounds before Thanksgiving, and the fear of gaining any weight keeps me from stopping. I keep saying to myself, "If I can just make it a couple of more days, I can get a break on Sunday." The trouble is I do not know if I can make it a couple of more days; I am exhausted. I might be able to sleep in a little extra tomorrow morning before my ab workout, so maybe that will be enough to get me over the finish line. At least I hope it is.

Non Sequitur

2011-11-08T12:53:00.000-06:00

On my Saturday morning run I saw and was followed by a young whitetail buck. It was pretty cool to see and seemed to be relatively interested in watching me. The buck waited in the adjacent cornfield for me to get close to it, then trotted up the trail aways. Then as I neared it again, it did the same thing.  As this was happening, I thought about the ancient tribes that used to run animals to death (you know, the ones talked about in that book, Born to Run).  And in the same thought, I had a new found appreciation for modernity.

Black Bean Soup by Progresso is disgusting and currently has me feeling quite nauseous.

I ran my first 200 meter sprint in 30.78 seconds!  I was freaking ecstatic. I am not sure that I can count it as my 30 second 200m because I was slightly wind-aided and may have cut over a couple of lanes around the curve; it was dark and I was having trouble seeing the track.

I am thankful to Brian Sowinski for providing healthy vegetables at last night's gettogether! Although, the gooey, warm cheese dip tasted way better!

I did 4 pull-ups in a row again! Still ecstatic! I think I am going to get that 5th pull up before Thanksgiving!

Because of some sympathy eating with my son during his recovery, I threw in a 17 mile bike ride on Friday, 2.5 extra miles on my Saturday run, and an additional 4 mile run on Sunday.  I think I am going to show a loss for the week, but it is going to be close.

I think I get a little obsessed about calorie intake. I chose a Miller Lite over a Bud Heavy last night because I thought it would contain fewer calories. But then I did not hesitate when Sean offered me a Rogue Mocha Porter. So, my obsession certainly has its limits.

Highs and Lows

2011-11-03T15:22:00.000-05:00

To those of you who read my blog and are aware that my son had surgery: Thank you so much for your support, prayers, and well wishes. Bubba is doing great! The surgery went smoothly and his recovery is going WAY better than we expected! He is being spoiled by many friends and family, so our biggest concern is the reality check of a post-recovery return to normalcy.

Considering the guilt that I felt last Thursday for my splurge at the Chinese buffet, I am equally as pleased with this week's weigh-in results for my losing 10 pounds before Thanksgiving challenge. I lost 3 pounds this week, for a total of 6 pounds in three weeks, and only 4 pounds to go in the next 3 weeks. Of course, there are quite a few obstacles laying in my path, including the 2 barrels of Halloween candy still beautifully displayed in my home, but I am confident that I will be able to achieve my goal and lose 10 pounds before Thanksgiving.

And that is how things are going for me; I feel terrible one moment for splurging, and elated the next for having some success on the scale. Then other times I feel bad because I REALLY want to splurge or treat myself or just throw in the towel completely and eat whatever I damn well please, but I don't and I question what the hell I am doing all of this for. And then other times, I am so excited that I have committed to boxing up half of my dinner out before I ever start eating, or actually leaving a few bites uneaten on my plate knowing that I may have dessert or snack later. It seems as though if I am truly committed to losing this weight that I am going to be faced with a lot of highs and lows throughout my struggle!

The good thing is that the exercise has now become habit. It is something that I have built into my normal day, and I feel terribly out of sorts if I fall out of routine. So, I have got that going for me. But the real stumbling block is my food. I LOVE food! All kinds of food: junk food, fast food, gourmet food, healthy food, dessert food, and pretty much anything that you put in your mouth and can be classified as food. So, when I have to deny myself something that I love so much, it makes me a little sad. But I also love losing weight and getting fit. I love the way I feel, I love when Katie likes how my arms are looking, I love getting on the scale and seeing it read less than it did last week. So, when I eat something, or too much of many things, that I think will be a detriment to losing weight, it makes me feel a little sad, as well.

I wish I were one of those people that could eat pretty much whatever they wanted, and as long as they were working out, they would never gain a pound. I wish I were not one of those people that could gain 5 pounds on a good night of food and beer. But wishing does nothing, and it definitely cannot change who I am. I think this is pretty much what I can expect until I get down to an "ideal" weight, a lot of highs and a lot of lows. I just hope that my highs can continue to be about my low weight, and not the other way around.

Allerton Park Trail Run 2011

2011-11-01T12:58:00.001-05:00

I love Allerton Park in Monticello! I feel extremely blessed to have this amazing natural area in my own hometown. Allerton was one of the first places that Katie took me when we moved back to Illinois. She knew that the wooded trails and river pathways would be a good break from the monotony of Illinois farmland and serve as a reminder of my time in the mountains of North Carolina.

I was fortunate to work at the park for more than 3 years. And while employed there I learned of an awesome race over the trails of the 1500 acre natural woodlands, the Allerton Park Trail Run. I had participated in the run a number of times,but only in the capacity of helping to set up for the event as an employee of the park. But this year I was finally able to participate in the race as a runner!

The race consists of a 5.7 mile run through the wooded paths. There are a tremendous amount of obstacles such as natural springs forded by fallen logs, tree roots, concrete culverts, and random walnuts that all serve as trip hazards along the run. The organizers do a great job of identifying as many of these obstacles as possible, but nevertheless I was still very nervous about the opportunity for injury.

There are approximately 500 runners every year and in the open areas of the park, one can run pretty freely. However, as you enter into the trail areas the race becomes very bottle-necked and you really have to pay attention to the pace of the runners around you, as well as look out for fallen participants.

The family came out to cheer me on. We all love Allerton very much and Amara still loves to refer to the park as "your old work". You can also see that everyone had to bundle up as the temps at start time were in the upper 30's.

I really took my time in the first part of the run, partially to avoid the possibility of injury and partially because of the congestion of runners on the early trails. I finished my first mile in exactly 10 minutes. I was well below my normal pace and was not even breathing with difficulty. As the path flattened out along the river bed and the congestion began to clear up, I picked up my pace significantly as my confidence increased.

There were still a couple of times that I was not so sure-footed. You would be amazed at how close you can get to breaking an ankle when you step on a fallen walnut the wrong way. I also got lazy a couple of times with my form and stumbled dramatically; I never went all the way down to the ground, but I was really close!

When I reached the Death of the Last Centaur sculpture, I knew it was time to pick up the pace. The slow start had afforded me plenty of energy to finish strong. I did forget that there were a couple of significant hills to finish the race, and as I neared the finish line I was feeling pretty gassed. Just then I heard another runner start his final kick and I gave a quick glance over my shoulder to size up the competition. Just that little glance gave me the motivation to avoid being passed. The other runner kept up with me for a couple of strides, and then I heard him say "I am not gonna do it," and I knew I had him beat.

"You can't catch me!"

I finished the race in 47:51. As this was my first trail run, I guess I get to count this as a PR, whatever that means. I had inadvertently signed up as a Clydesdale (fat guy) participant and I finished 5th out of 39 in that division. Overall the race was a lot of fun. I will definitely participate in it again, and I would like to run on these trails more for entertainment, especially if the trails are dry, leaf and walnut free, and maybe a few less tree roots. You know, more like pavement!

P.S. I ran my first 200yd dash in 32.09 seconds and did 4 pull-ups in a row! But the winter weather is fast approaching. I had better hurry up if I want to get to 30 sec and 5 pull-ups!

Guilt

2011-10-28T04:56:00.001-05:00

I have been working really hard to lose 10 pounds by Thanksgiving. I have been extremely conscious of my diet. I have made sure to avoid going back for seconds, and if I do, I make sure to take more vegetables than anything else. I have been very aware of my beer consumption. If I overindulge on beer, I make sure not to overindulge on food, and vice versa. Also, I have not been consuming beer unless I feel like the occasion calls for it, i.e. wienie roasts, guy's nights out, Oktoberfest, etc.

I have been working out very hard, and have not missed a single day! I have worked hard to improve on my sprint times, pull-up reps, and stair step speed! I have added maneuvers that I have not done in over 10 years like squats and cleans.

And all of that work and discipline has been paying off; I have lost 3 pounds in the last 2 weeks!

And then yesterday, Katie and I closed on the refinance mortgage on our home. We saved a ton of money in interest, will possibly pay off our home before the kids graduate from high school (just in time to pay for college!), and for some odd reason it worked out that we do not have to make a mortgage payment in November! Right after the closing, Katie and I decided that we should go out and celebrate with a dinner out.

There were several options that we had for dinner. Some of them have healthier options like the local pubs that we have. There are possible healthy choices at Mexican, but the chips and salsa usually blow it for me. There is of course pizza which is not necessarily healthy, but I can control the portions more easily. And then there is the Chinese buffet!

I don't know what it is but I really like Chinese buffets. Beyond the fat and calories, I know there are very serious concerns for food-borne illnesses at a Chinese buffet. However, I just really enjoy the food available, crab rangoons, egg rolls, fried rice, General Tso's Chicken, Spicy Chicken, oil-laden green beans, sugar dusted fried biscuits, and so much more. I find portion control to be simple, but small portions of 15-20 items adds up to about 5 pounds of food!

Needless to say I lacked the self-control that made my efforts so successful and I completely overindulged. Now this morning, I feel extremely guilty; I feel like I let myself down. I have plenty of time to make up for my lack of discipline, but I have certainly thrown an obstacle in my way. I also feel angry. How can it be that I cannot screw up one time without screwing up my whole effort? I just feel terrible! I hope it's not Listeria!

Exhaustion

2011-10-25T12:01:00.000-05:00

I had a terrible night's sleep. I went to bed around 9pm, but woke up at 11:42pm and could not get back to sleep. At 12:30am, I went out to the family room and turned on the TV which usually puts me right to sleep, but at 1:30am I moved from the recliner to the couch in the hopes that my horizontal position would finally put me out of my misery. I eventually did fall back to sleep, but was up again at 3:45am. At that point, I settled on just getting up and starting my day.

My workout went pretty well. I ran my first 200yd sprint in 33+ seconds, nearly a whole second faster than my previous best. My pull ups did not go great, but I still did 2 in a row and 4 overall. I did pump out 8 dips in a row on my first set; I was very happy with that.

Now I have had meetings all morning long, an on-line tutorial in a few minutes, and guests coming over tonight. I need a freaking nap!

I know full well why I had trouble sleeping. I have a couple of things going on at work that have me thinking and strategizing. I am concerned about my son's upcoming surgery and more specifically his recovery. And, in general, I just have a lot on my mind. But now that I am at work (don't worry, I blog over my lunch hour) and supposed to be taking care of business, I really just want to lay down for a few hours. My workout provided me with some energy early on in the day, but that has worn off. I sure hope I can get some sleep tonight!

Get Your $#!^ Together!

2011-10-20T12:00:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, Katie and I participated in the Town & Gown 5K run at the Illinois State University Homecoming celebration. The actual race went well. I stayed back and ran with Katie, since it was her first run in 2 weeks after twisting her ankle and having surgery. We finished in 32:49.5, which is a good time for Katie considering her interrupted training.

The slower pace aloud me to really enjoy the run. I was able to cheer Katie on and get a couple of action photos. And I really enjoyed the interaction with the participants and spectators. I saw an 8 year old boy running the race with his father. I asked his dad how old his son was and how many races he had competed in. this was his second 5K and I was very impressed. Plus, it got me excited to train and race with my own son next spring!

The picture at the top of this post would make you think that the slogan for Homecoming was "Get in the Game", and maybe that is the official slogan, but all over town were streetlight banners that read "Spread the Red!" I got such a kick out of that phrase. I just kept repeating it over and over. It still makes me giggle.

While the race itself was entertaining, the organization of the event was terrible. Katie had complained at length about website and registration process. And when I checked out the webpage, looking for a map, the confusion was easily recognizable. The race map also included the parade route and what seemed to be a couple of other notations. There was a race blog that was filled with people's questions and the organizer's poor responses.

On race day, when we went to check in, the attendant said that we were not registered. Katie said that was not possible as she had a confirmation (which we failed to print out) and our credit card had already been charged! The attendant said something about the site having problems for a couple of days, but that he was sure that all registrants had been accounted for. Then, I heard a volunteer whisper "Another one? That makes two." Obviously, the webmaster had failed to find at least one other registrant! The guy gave us new bib numbers and did not charge us anything additional, but we did not get goody bags or shirts (until Katie asked one of the nice volunteers if we could have a leftover shirt and they gave us a couple). There must have been quite a few mistakes because the volunteers had run out of goody bags before the race even started.

It was pretty cold out the morning of the race, so some of us headed into the brand new student fitness center to keep warm. While initially inviting, as more and more participants came in, looked around, and used the facilities, the staff there became a bit more apprehensive about our presence. They even announced over the loud speaker that everyone was to stay in the atrium area. I don't know where anyone else had wondered off to, but the staff must really not have liked it.

The finish of the race was good enough. They had some water, clif bars, and bagels (with cream cheese!). they had a table full of medals that Katie and I thought were for participants, especially since they were right at the end of the food line. We started to grab a couple until we overhear someone say that the medals are for the different winners. We coolly placed the medals back where we found them and headed off.

The organization of the event was definitely frustrating, but it was also a big eye opener for me. I have mention on a couple of occasions that I may want to organize a race in my community. I became very aware that I had better have my shit together, if I want people to have a good experience at any race I am associated with!

Note: I weighed in yesterday for the first week of my 6 weeks to lose 10 pounds before Thanksgiving, 192lbs, down 2 pounds since last week. Yeah!

Joy and Pain

2011-10-18T12:47:00.000-05:00

I have mixed emotions about my Tuesday workouts. On the one hand, I enjoy the physicality of the workout, and on the other, the workout is very difficult and hard on my body.

My new workout routine means that on Tuesdays, I jog the 1+ miles to the high school track to warm up. I sprint 800 yds in 200 yard intervals with 200 yard jogging in between. Then I do, between 15 and 20 successive standing broad jumps, run up and down 10 flights of stadium stairs at the football field, and jog over to the playground for pull-ups, chin-ups, tricep extensions, and dips. Then I jog the 1+ miles home to cool down.

I enjoy the jogging as time to get outside and just really stretch my legs, think about life, and enjoy the quiet. However, part of the last 1/4 mile is on an uphill, which can be exerting after the workout is complete.

I love the physicality of the sprints. Honestly, when was the last time any of us have run out on a dead sprint for anything? It is extremely intoxicating. My first 200yd sprint today I completed in 34 seconds! I was extremely pleased with that number! I know it is far from setting any sort of land speed record, but I feel like it is pretty good for a man my age. I would like to see me run a 30 second 200yd dash before winter really sets in. The remainder of my sprints are not nearly as fast, but I push myself hard, and by the end I am breathing very heavy.

There is nothing I like about the bounds (successive broad jumps). I am a terrible jumper and I feel lucky not to fall on my face. However, I would like to get better and I think this training will help. Plus, I read somewhere that a person should go out and work on something they suck at; I suck at jumping!

The stadium stairs are cool. I feel as though they may help with my difficulty with hills, but sometimes I wish there was more steps in a row than what exists at our stadium.

I am getting really geeked about the playground work. My pull ups are coming along. I would like to do 5 in a row before the snow falls. And I recently added the dips into the playground work and I have been pretty impressed with how well I have been doing. I can crank out 2 sets of 5 dips before I am falling apart.

Overall, I find a lot of joy in my Tuesday workouts! My success at the physical work makes me very happy. Plus, I am anxious to see greater results. However, the workout does leave me in some pain. My body is drained and my muscles really feel the sum of all the parts. But, no pain, no gain, right?

Potpourri

2011-10-13T12:58:00.000-05:00

I have a few things that I need to cover, but none of them individually would make an entire post. So you get them all in no discernible order.

1. I did 3 pull-ups in one shot today on the playground. I have never done 3 pull-ups in a row, ever! I think that may have scored a C or better on those Presidential Skills Tests in school. I think my 7th grade gym teacher, Coach Bob, would be proud. I did 6 pull-ups total, plus 6 chin-ups, 20 tricep extensions, and 10 dips. I think it is working!

2. I couldn't sleep last night very well, so I watched the "World's Fittest Man" competition on ESPN2. It is a competition where contestants perform all manner of CrossFit exercises. First off, those contestants are freaking amazing! Second, I think I have come up with a couple of different moves I can try if I get complacent with what I am doing now. I need to build a box to jump from.

3. I have 2 more races scheduled in the next month. The first is the 5K race at Illinois State's Homecoming celebration. The race starts at 7am; that is really early, even for a race! Katie is very concerned about her ability to run so soon after her surgery. We have a plan to make her more comfortable, and even though I have an inkling to burn up the course, I think I am going to stay back and run with Katie. We don't get to run together very often, and this would be a great opportunity. Plus, if I wasn't with her, all I would be able to think about was if she was okay. The second race is the Allerton Trail run. It is one of only 2 races in Monticello all year, and when I used to work at the park, the race always intrigued me. I have never run a race on a trail, so that will be a new experience. However, I am very concerned about shoe selection. I don't want to ruin my current running shoe on the muddy trails, but I don't really have any other shoe suitable for running. It is quite the dilemma!

4. Lastly, I gained some sympathy weight during Katie's recovery from surgery, and with the holidays looming near, I am concerned about gaining too much weight. So, I have committed to losing 10 pounds before Thanksgiving. I even proposed the idea to my weight loss support group and 2 of them have decided to join me! That is awesome! In keeping with this commitment and my need for accountability, I will be reporting my weight every Thursday on this blog. Today I weigh 194 lbs. I have 6 weeks to get to 184. Bring it on!

How To Help a Cancer Survivor

2011-10-11T12:57:00.000-05:00

Recently, my wife was diagnosed with skin cancer. She does an outstanding job of describing the emotional ups and downs that are associated with such a diagnoses on her blog. Fortunately, the particular type of skin cancer that she had is very treatable and last Thursday we went to the dermatologist to have the cancer surgically removed.

Following the surgery, I was faced with the moral dilemma of how to support my incredible wife, who does so much for our family. I eagerly prepared myself to take care of all the little and big things around the house so that she could get the much needed rest she deserved. Also, I prepared to indulge my wife's every whim as she celebrated her new cancer-free life. However, I was wholly unprepared for exactly what that commitment would mean to my fitness.

The day before the surgery and immediately after both of us having success on our weekly weigh-in, Katie says to me that she is going to indulge in what might be considered "unhealthy" diet practices. I encourage her to do so and I told her I would do my best to support her decision. So, almost immediately after her surgery we drove over to Chili's and had a delicious lunch that included an extremely decadent dessert. Shortly after we went home the party really got started when her friends brought over a new 6-person beer bong! It may sound a little strange, but my wife is a champion beerbonger! So, we funneled a couple of beer each and sat down to a meatloaf dinner provided by our neighbor. The next day, I wanted to treat the kids who had been so patient and understanding with a trip to McDonalds. The kids each got a Happy Meal and since I thought I deserved a bit of a treat as well, I had a quarter pounder and fries! My parents came to town on Saturday. My parents, Katie's parents, Katie, the kids, and I all went to the German restaurant in Gibson City, where I had a healthy portion of smoked sausage spread, weiner schnitzel, bread pudding for dessert and a liter and a half of German Oktoberfest beer! Everyone was kind of tired the next morning, so we went out to breakfast and I had a huge Irish skillet with corned beef hash, eggs and sausage gravy. Finally after everyone had left, Katie and I treated ourselves to the last of the caramel brownies a friend had made. And what is a brownie without a scoop of ice cream?

All in all, I am fairly certain I was consuming about 7000 calories a day. At least I was a supportive husband?! Katie has been brave enough to step onto the scale. I on the other hand have taken to shitting in the woods as to avoid being in the presence of the scale. I have continued to get out for my regular workouts but essentially, I am writing this week off. I may think about getting back on the scale next Wednesday.

The real moral to this story is that my wife is cancer-free and I could not be any happier! I love you with all of my heart, Katie!

You Can't Triple Stamp a Double Stamp

2011-10-05T12:52:00.000-05:00

...but you can re-post a post from another blog.

When Dan Malinski of Cubicle Dad put out a request for guest bloggers for "Dads who run", I jumped at the chance to write a post. You can check it out here.

Seeing Results

2011-10-04T12:51:00.000-05:00

The new workouts are already starting to pay dividends! I have lost 4 pounds since last Thursday!

My diet has been okay. I have had a couple of splurges, but on the good days I have been eating lots of salads and other health-conscious meals. I continue to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables at snack times. I have begun drinking the occasional beer as well (Thank God!) and had one night with the kids and a bowl of ice cream, but overall I think I would give myself a B+, good but not great.

The workouts have been a work in progress as I try to find a new routine. I did throw in a half mile swim last week, but because of expense ($11 for entrance and a towel!!!!) will not be doing that on a regular basis. I had an interesting workout today. I jogged one mile to the high school track to warm up, then sprinted two 400m laps with a 400m cool down in between. I ran my first lap in 1:20. I thought that was pretty good for a fat, old guy. I followed up the track with about 30 "bounds" (think standing broad jump over and over and over...), then I ran one time through the stadium stairs and went over to the grade school for some more pull-ups and dips. I finished it all off with another mile jog back home. I am sure that I will eventually tire of these workouts as well, but for now I find the switch to be exciting and my body seems to be responding very well!

But the most exciting part has got to be watching the scale weigh a little less every morning. It is amazing the kind of motivation that one gets as soon as they start seeing results!

"He's a big, dumb animal, folks."

2011-09-29T13:02:00.003-05:00

"What's next?" It is the same question that I ask myself after each big accomplishment. Since I just finish my first half marathon, I was again faced with this familiar question. But this time more than others, I feel as though I have a pretty good answer.

I have a handful of races that I would like to compete in over the next 2 months. There are a couple of 5K's and one 5.5 mile trail run, nothing too serious. My biggest effort is going towards losing some weight and improving my overall fitness. I understand that running has been very helpful moving towards these goals, but over the last few months my weight loss has again stalled. Additionally considering my epic bonk at the half marathon, I feel as though I could improve my fitness level a bit more. To that end and in my infinite wisdom, I have decided to throw my body a little curve ball and try some cross training.

I have heard some scuttlebutt about the crossfit craze from friends and on a couple of blogs recently. I looked into some info on the web. While I cannot afford to join a gym that has a crossfit program, I have seen a few general lifts and movements that I can do at home or out on a run, that should keep my body guessing and hopefully improve my fitness.

By Wednesday, I felt as though my body had recovered enough from my half marathon that I could lift some weights while Katie was out on her run. I settled on 4 sets of 10 burpees, 20 push-ups, 25 sit-ups, 20 lunges (10 each leg), 10 squats, and 10 cleans. The experience went pretty well overall. I had not done a burpee in probably 20 years. While I am confident in its ability to help my fitness, I did not find the burpee to be terribly difficult. I was impressed with my push-ups; I don't know when I have ever done 80 push-ups in one session. The sit-ups were a bit disappointing and I may have to consider a separate ab/core workout. The clean went fine. I severely decreased my weight in order to make sure I was comfortable with the form. The toughest parts were the lunges and squats. I used a small amount of weight for both maneuvers, and was shocked at how difficult they were for me. When I was in high school (yes, I do understand that was over 15 years ago!), I could squat over 350lbs probably a dozen times, maybe more. I had 45 pounds on my shoulders and my legs were burning when I was done with the workout. But I was happy! I was sweaty, my heart rate was up, and I could feel my body reacting to the shock.

Today, was my run day. I was sore (really sore) from the workout the day before, but I am truly trying to take an aggressive attitude towards these workouts. So, I went out and damn near sprinted a 6:15 mile to the elementary school, went around back to the playground and did 4 or 5 pull-ups, 6 chin ups,and 40 elevated tricep extensions. Then, I finished with a relatively slow 2 mile run home. I need to clarify these statements with the fact that I have never completed more than a couple of pull-ups. I have always carried extra body weight and never had a tremendous amount of upper body strength. So, I am feeling great about the work!

There is only one problem...I am so sore that I can barely walk today. If my pencil falls to the ground, I am writing it off as a loss because I may make it down to to the pencil, but there is no way I am getting back up! I am so sore it hurts to cross my arms. My glutes (ass cheeks) hurt so bad I can't sit for too long before I have hobble around the storeroom to stretch them back out. The only good thing about this whole situation is that I think the workouts might do the trick, if only I survive to talk about it! And what does a dumbass like me decide to do with a night to himself? Oh, I signed up to go swimming this evening at the University pool. It should be okay, I hear that swimming is very low impact.

"He's a big, dumb animal, folks."

My First Half Marathon Sufferfest!

2011-09-27T06:26:00.000-05:00

I am having a terrible time writing this post. I find that I want to be witty. I want to reference earlier posts. but sadly I just don't think I have it in me yet. So, all I can do is write what I remember, as I remember it. Hopefully, it turns out to be a decent post.

I slept rather poorly the night before the race. I had been trying to make sure that I was well hydrated, so I had been drinking several liters of water for 2 days. I had to get up to pee 2 or 3 times in the night. Finally I was up for good about 4:15am, when I had to poop. Sadly, I was happy to be getting a good morning poop out of the way. There had been some thunder throughout the night, that had me nervous. When we got into the car at 5:30am, It was cold outside and was starting to rain. I debated a lot about what clothing I was going to wear,but as the rain cleared I settles on just shirt and shorts, no long sleeves. That decision turned out just fine. When we got to the starting area I went to the bathroom one more time, lubed up my nipples, and stretched out. I was thankful to have Katie with me. We had good conversation; it kept me feeling light hearted. I went for a 2 minute warm-up jog, and I was feeling good. I removed my sweatshirt, put on my iPod, kissed Katie goodbye, and headed for the starting area.

When I got in the corral, I was unsure where I should be lining up. The pacer for the 1:45 half marathon was easy to pick out, she had a giant floral arrangement on her head. But I knew I would want to stay ahead of her. The next pacer I saw was the 3:25 full marathon pacer. A little bit closer to my goal so I settled on staying with him. I started a couple of conversations with nearby runners. I met Brett who had the coolest little tool that I had seen in awhile. He had a temporary tatoo that had all of the split times for his goal pace. You can check out the product here. Suddenly, a pacer showed up with a 1:40 half marathon time written on his sign. That was the guy, Dominic, that I wanted to race with.  If I could keep him insight, I knew I would be able to achieve my goal.

I turned on my iPod and watched as all of the dignitaries made their speeches. Bart Yasso was there and spoke, which was pretty cool, but I didn't care about the 4 mayors of the Quad Cities. Finally it was time to go and the gun went off.  I moved out quickly, but not as quickly as some of the pacers. I caught and passed the 3:25 full marathon pacer, then I came upon Dominic and his 1:40 sign. I stuck next to him for a while, and probably should have stayed there or even further behind him. Instead, I came up with the ill-advised plan of staying in front of Dominic. My theory being that I would stay ahead of pace while running and then let Dominic catch up while I took a walking break and drank some Gatorade. I had my stop pre-planned according to the map the website provided. I would be stopping at about 5 miles for some Gatorade and again around 8 miles. Anyway, I put Dominic behind me and hit my stride. I knew I was moving fast, but I felt pretty good. The race took onto Interstate 74 from Illinois, over the Mississippi River, and into Iowa.  I have driven over this exact bridge several times in my life, and not once did I ever consider the incline of the on-ramp or the bridge itself as it crosses the expanse of the river. I will tell you now it's freaking steep! I shortened my stride and brought my arms up as I think I read somewhere before.  The first incline went well and I descended into Iowa.

Immediately, the course exited the interstate turned onto Kimberly Road in Bettendorf, IA. I had investigated the topography of this portion of the race, as I was unfamiliar with this area specifically. I knew it was going to be uphill again.  At the bottom of the hill I hit the 2 mile mark at 15:08, a little fast but again I thought it would work into my plan of staying in front of Dominic.  As I began the ascent of Kimberly Road I again shortened my stride and brought my arms up. It seemed to help for awhile, but I began to slow a bit as the incline seemed to last far too long. I hit 3 miles at 22:40, still fast but I was feeling pretty good with my plan.  The other runners and I finally crested the hill and hit the first decline of the entire race.  It felt great to really stretch out my my legs. Then I came across a real surprise. A girl was standing on the side of the road holding a Gatorade sign. It was the first refreshment support of the race and I was supposed to see that it had Gatorade; that was not what the map said it would be. As this break came a little earlier than expected and was on the first downhill of the race, I decided to for go the nutrition in favor of the speed.  I was still planning on stopping around mile 5 for my first break.

Mile 4 went by at 30:08, then mile 5 at 37:46. No sign of the Gatorade station yet, but I was sure it was just around the corner.  Thankfully, the route had turned parallel to the river and was running relatively flat, but I knew I had been pushing hard and my "fuel" stores were running desperately low.  By mile 6, I was full-on freaking out. I had no water or caloric intake for 6 miles, and I had pushed my body much harder than I should have. Finally, I saw the next refreshment station. I was elated.  Then I was immediately heartbroken. The station only had GU gels, but I was desperate so I grabbed one, vanilla bean, ripped it open, held my breath, and squirted less than a teaspoon full of gel into my mouth. I was immediately overcome by the experience. I had never had a GU gel before and was only taking one because I was in a bad situation. However, it was a very bad decision. The gel had the texture of thicker-than-normal toothpaste and while I am sure vanilla bean is a great disguise for regular ingredients, the sweetness of the flavor was overwhelming. I immediately spit it out.

I crossed the 10K mark (6.2 miles) at 46:54. I was averaging better than 7:35 per mile, but I was fading fast! Finally near mile 7, I came across the Gatorade station that I had been waiting for. I held up two fingers and yelled, "Two, please!" I grabbed two cups and pulled off to the side to walk. No sooner had I stepped to the side, than Dominic and the 1:40 pace group ran by me. "SHIT!" I caught my breath as best as I could, downed the two cups of Gatorade, and started off again. By this point Dominic was about 200 yards ahead of me, yet it seemed as though he was pulling away rather than getting closer.

The next thing that happened was a great surprise. As I am running along, I hear a runner say, "Fulton?!" I turned and running next to me was Matt "Dawg" Davis. Dawg has been one of my best friend in the whole world since I was 4 years old. He has been present at some of the most stupid events of my life (which will remain unmentioned) and some of the best (he was a groomsman at my wedding). Dawg is also one of those friends that I do not have to speak with for years, but the moment we see each other it is like we have never been apart. Matt and I embraced in a rather uncomfortable hug. Not because of any weirdness or the fact that it was two guys embracing, but because we were hugging while continuing to run at a pretty brisk pace with other runners around us. We broke the hug after a few steps and I asked if he was running the full marathon, and he confirmed my suspicion. I knew that Matt had taken up running in recent years, but I was amazed to know that he was already at the level of marathon. Dawg introduced me to his running mate, Joe, and said how we had grown up together. Dawg asked how I was doing. I responded that I was struggling. He said "Don't worry, you over half way there!" I wished each other good luck and parted ways, as he and Joe were moving much faster than I at this point in the race. Dawg would finish his first full marathon in 3:24, impressive by most any measure.

Very soon I turned off of the river path and back onto the roads. But the speed and the lack of nutrition had taking its toll. Even the small incline from the river to the streets of Rock Island had my legs burning. I was nearing another bridge over the river to Arsenal Island, and before I could tackle another incline I had to stop and walk for a few meters. I caught my breath, prepared for the next short incline and jogged up the hill to the arsenal bridge. This bridge was terrible! It was a metal grated bridge which organizers had laid a 3 foot wide carpet runner on. I was shocked when I was finally able to grasp the entire situation. Most people were able to stick to the carpeted path, but some were forced to the metal mesh in order to pass runners in front of them. While running across the bridge, my energy level began to wain significantly, my run turned to more of a jog. My form was so sloppy that I was barely picking my feet up. Suddenly, I stumbled on the carpet. Not just a little slip, but a full-on flailing trip that nearly sent me to the surface of the bridge. Thinking back, if I had gone down on the metal surface of that bridge it could have put me completely out of the race, OUCH! Fortunately, I recovered before face planting, but my energy levels were almost fully depleted.

A couple hundred meters after crossing the bridge to Arsenal Island I had to stop and walk again. I had given up on my hopes of finishing sub-1:41. Dominic was no longer in sight and I knew the clock was against me know. As my trip across Arsenal Island wore on, my condition became worse. With each hill that I came across, I felt like Sisyphus pushing the boulder only to see it roll back down again. My blood sugar levels were getting dangerously low, as well. I remember coming across one station that was supposed to be water and Gatorade. At the bottom of the hill was water, but the Gatorade was at the top and I remember feeling like some cruel joke was being played out. How could the Gatorade that I needed so badly be at the top of another damn hill?! As I got the Gatorade, I stopped and walked again, but as I finished my two cups I remember thinking "That is not enough; I am screwed."

At about mile 10.5, I was struggling mightily. I found that I could only run about 100 to 200 yards before my legs would start cramping up, and I would have to slow to a walk. Other runners were very encouraging, cheering me on to "keep it up" or "you're almost there", but I was cooked. Finally, I heard somebody from the crowd say to a runner right behind me, " I love your hat!" I knew it was the 1:45 pacer. And thank goodness it was. That woman was wonderful. I told her that I hoped I would not see her the entire race. She was full of encouragement and energy. She asked me to run with her for a little while and I did for a very little while, but I was forced to say to her that I could not keep up. She told me how great I looked, that my hands were relaxed (I knew it was because I did not have the energy to close them), and to keep moving forward. She was great!

I had finally resigned to running when I could and walking when I had to. I knew my condition was becoming a crisis because my vision began to deteriorate and I started seeing "stars" for lack of a better term. There were lines of glowing geometric shapes twinkling on the periphery of my vision.  I was starting to get pretty worried. My worry or condition must have been showing through, because a volunteer looked at me and asked if I was okay; I must have looked bad. I told him that I needed sugar, and he said it was up (another freaking hill!) and around the corner. That little jaunt felt like a mile and a half, but eventually I came to the station that he spoke of. They were giving out oranges and bananas. What a great idea! I grabbed 3 orange sections and grasped for a banana but it slipped out of my hands. The oranges were terrible and fibrous, but I sucked the juice out of those things like it was my life's blood. Shortly after I heard sirens, but was pretty sure they were real and not some delusion. It was the escort for the first marathoners. I was just completing my twelfth mile and these guys were clipping past mile 19 for them. Those athletes are absolutely amazing!

Finally I came to the last bridge. My energy had picked up a little from the oranges and I decided to run to the crest of the bridge. I walked for a bit at the top, and finally decided that it was time to finish the race running. The exit ramp of the bridge was steep enough that I felt as though my legs would give out and I would just rill down, but again I made it. I turned the corner, saw the finish line and attempted to push with all I had left, but it wasn't much. My wife,parents, and kids were on the sidelines. I saw them cheering me on. I knew I had failed at my goal, but nothing can make you feel more like a winner than your kids holding signs, smiling and cheering you on, no matter if you were in first or last place. That was probably the best feeling of the race.

I crossed the finish line, 1:50:44. Ten minutes over my goal, but when I finished I screamed like a wounded warrior anyway! I had done it, completed my first half marathon. Immediately afterwards I would have told you that I would never run another half again. The pain and the suffering were just too great. But even now a couple of days later and I am estimating when I can run another one, how I could do it better, and accomplishing my goal.

When I looked a the stats later, I began to feel a bit better about my performance. I finished 338 of 1638 runners and 36 of 100 male runners between the ages of 30-34. Those are pretty good looking stats if I do say so myself. And probably motivation enough for me to keep trying these races.

I did learn a few things:

1. I overestimated my physical fitness. I went entirely too fast out of the gates, and should have slowed down a bit at the beginning. Additionally, I would have been better off if I was a few pounds lighter.

2. I underestimated the terrain.  I knew this area was hilly and I knew that the first bridge and Kimberly Road were very steep, but I had no idea how steep nor how much it would take out of me to climb them. I need to work more hill training into my normal routine.

3. I need to wok on better in-race nutrition and I never should have passed that first Gatorade station.

But what is the use of learning anything if you don't get the chance to use your knowledge? So, I guess I will have to try another one of these things. I sure hope it goes at least a little better.

Beware of this Man!

2011-09-23T21:07:00.000-05:00

"Are you talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me? Well, I don't see anybody else here. So you must be talkin' to me."

Should I Be Nervous?

2011-09-22T12:52:00.000-05:00

Here I sit just 3 days from my first half marathon and I wonder if I should be nervous? I know that I have worked hard during my training. I have completed a 12 mile run. I feel confident that I can finish the distance. Recently I have had some of my fastest runs, and I feel confident that I can achieve my goal time (Again, you're going down Ohno!). And I honestly question if I am not a little too cocky.

My allergies have been horrendous with the start of the harvest season, but I have been taking Allegra and it seems to have worked with none of the side effects of other drugs. My asthma has started bugging me along with my allergies, but I have taken a few puffs of my inhaler and I seem to feel fine. My back still gets a little tired and stiff in the evenings, but I feel markedly better thanks to Dr. Jackson. But shouldn't these concerns be bothering me a little bit more?

I guess I am ready. We will just have to see how it all turns out.

The Final Countdown

2011-09-20T13:08:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not that is still one of my friend's, Benj's, favorite songs, and I have to admit that there is something about it, besides the big hair and synthesizer, that really gets me going.

That is right; it is the Final Countdown. My first half marathon takes place in just 5 short days, but that is not what I am counting down to. In just 3 days, I will be cutting my hair into a mohawk and shaving my goatee down to a moustache (don't worry, I will post some pictures). No real reason other than I wanted to do something fun for the race, but this is not what I am counting down to either. My countdown is for something much more important than any of these things. I am counting down to my first post-race beer.

Back in August, I posted that I was going to be giving up drinking any alcohol until my half was finished. I had tried to commit to just 7 drinks a week, but was not very successful, so I went Full Monty and gave up the sauce entirely until I was finished. This has been the biggest commitment to my training, and if I had to do it over again I do not know if I would make the same decision. I have been to a couple of guy's nights out, a 5 year old's birthday party (yes, there was plenty of alcohol there), and 2 tailgates with hardly a sip of alcohol. I have been to our annual block party and several evening on the neighbor's back porch and stayed stone cold sober for them all. I am not saying that one must consume alcohol to enjoy these things, and I have not regretted feeling good every weekend morning. However, I would have enjoyed a good malt beverage or two at many of these events. And sadly, my lack of consumption has not translated into greater weight loss, mostly because I have over compensated with food. Simply, I have missed the taste of a good beer on a sunny summer day. I think there is almost nothing more American than drinking a cold beer and grilling some good food in the parking lot of a college football game.

Fortunately for me, the half marathon is almost finished. I am going to smear Apolo Ohno's personal best all over the course. And when I finish the race, I am going to receive my medal and walk straight over to the complementary beer tent (Thank you, Miller Brewing Co.) and have my first beer in almost 2 months. I know it will be before 10am, but I think I deserve it. Hell, I've been counting on it!

I'm Going to Beat Apolo Anton Ohno

2011-09-13T12:59:00.002-05:00

So Katie asked me the other day how I was feeling about my upcoming half marathon, and I have to admit that I had a pretty disheartening answer. I told her that the race had become somewhat of an inconvenience.  I couldn't believe that something that I had worked so hard for, paid good money to do, and saw as a true challenge to my fitness had become an inconvenience, but the truth was that it felt that way.

My training had come to a bit of a roadblock due to my nagging back injury. The chiropractic care has been critical to my recovery, but I have been nursing things along as my back still gets sore and tired everyday. But prior to injuring my back I had completed a 12 mile run, so I felt as though I could finish the race even if I had to take it slow. There in lies some of the problem. I do not want to just finish the race. I would like to burn it up. But again I hadn't really set any sort of time goals other than finishing in less than 2 hours, hoping for 1:45, and fascinating about 1:35.

What does any of this have to with Olympic Gold Medalist Apolo Anton Ohno? Simple, I have decided I am going to beat this Olympian at his own game. No, not short track speed skating! This guy would have me eating so much shaved ice I would look like snowcone. However, Ohno has shaken up his training a bit and committed to running this year's New York Marathon. Again, I will not be committing to any such distance, but in preparation for his marathon, Ohno recently ran in the Chicago Half Marathon on Sept. 11.  The world class athlete finished 13.1 miles in 1:40:59, a very respectable time, and in the process has given me enthusiasm for my own race again.

I am going to beat Apolo Anton Ohno's half marathon time of 1:40:59.  That means that I will have to average a mile every 7:42 for 13.1 miles. With my new-found enthusiasm I went out for a 5-mile run this morning. I ran 5 miles in 36:25; that's 7:17 per mile! I felt pumped! It was tough, but I feel great this afternoon. I have all the confidence in the world that I can do this! You're goin' down, Ohno!

It's a Crazy, Mixed Up World

2011-09-08T13:00:00.000-05:00

I want a blender. Katie and I used to have a blender. We registered for it for our wedding. And like most things that you register for your wedding, we hardly used it. Then we took the blender over to a friend's house for a cocktail party and it burnt up on chopping ice. I was not surprised. The blender was affordable, and therefore not the most durable of things in the world. Nor was I really broken up over it breaking down. Like I said just a second ago we hardly used the thing. We would make the occasional milkshake and maybe a couple of other recipes, but really not too much.

Why now do I want a blender? Simple, because I do not have one. But also I received this recent article from Runner's World about nutritious smoothies. The smoothies sound really good, and sometimes (i.e. right now) I fascinate about being a creator and consumer of delicious, nutritious smoothies. I want to include all manner of antioxidant-loaded, carcinogen-fighting, cholestorol-lowering fruits and vegetables. I want boost my metabolism and lower my fat with greek yogurt and whey protein. I want to be a smoothie kind of guy.

There are just a few problem with this fascination; number one being I am not a smoothie kind of guy. I sit here and think that these concoctions will be nutritious and delicious, but the fact remains that pureed spinach has a tendancy to taste like sand and a pint of heavy cream is about the only thing that can cover it up! Plus I am a cheap bastard. The moment I thought about getting a blender, I questioned if I might be able to find one at the resale store. I am sure I could find a blender there, but not the kind that could whip through a carrot at 10,000 rpm. A real smoothie making machine/blender cost a pretty penny. When you add the cost of the fresh produce my dreams begin to crumble. Don't get me wrong, I buy and eat plenty of fresh fruit and veggies now. But when you emascerate these items within an inch of their lives, it simply takes more of them to reach a satisfying volume. When you add in the cost whey protein and ground flaxseed, you begin to relate to the alcoholics drinking their way into a bankruptcy.

It's a crazy, mixed up world we live in, and sometimes its mixed in a blender. But for now, this guy is going to get his veggies the old-fashioned way, covered in ranch dressing (fat-free, of course)!

The Answer

2011-09-06T12:52:00.000-05:00

I you asked someone "Which former juvenile delinquent and NBA player went by the nickname 'The Answer'?", the answer would be Allen Iverson. If you asked someone "How many calories are in a pound?", the answer used to be 3500 calories. But according to a recent email that I got from the Livestrong Foundation, that answer maybe as ineffectual as Iverson.

It used to be that one could set their weight loss plans on the idea that one pound was 3500 calories. If one wanted to lose any weight, one must either burn extra calories from exercise or consume fewer calories in their diet, or usually some combination of the two. I subscribe to this theory wholeheartedly; faithfully tracking my calories consumed and calories burned. After my fitness evaluation, I adjusted my calorie deficits to include a higher than estimated basal rate. I wrote a whole spreadsheet to calculate my needed and burned calories that included how many grams should be protein and how many should be carbs. Now that I read this article that it takes different calorie deficits to equal one pound for different people, it kind of flies in the face of everything that I have been doing. But you want to know something? I am alright with it. In fact, I believe that I am a shining example of the differences discussed in the article.

I have been very good with calorie counting and lost almost no weight at all. There are weeks where I can show a 3500-4000 calories deficit and have actually not changed weight on the scale at all. Then there can be other weeks where I splurge and show no calorie deficit, but I lose 2 pounds on the scale. It makes absolutely no sense if you use the theory of 3500 calories to 1 pound.

The biggest thing that I can take from the article is that you have got to find what works for you. I ate low/no carb for a long time and lost a lot of weight in the process, but eventually I started eating carbs again. I gained a couple of pounds back, but not nearly as much as I lost. I run and bike to burn extra calories, but I also drink beer and have dessert. I feel confident that I have found the answer. I will work hard and be disciplined, but I will never forget to have fun and enjoy all the things that life has to offer. Somewhere in that answer is the balance that will help me to get fit, stay healthy, be happy!

Back Crackin'

2011-09-02T13:08:00.002-05:00

So last Thursday I went out for my morning run. I was supposed to run 5 miles at a quick pace, but I had gotten up late and was feeling pretty tired. I settled on a 3-4 mile run at whatever pace felt comfortable. It was cooler than normal on that morning and since I was already late I failed to stretch and warm-up as much as I should have. I got my iPod started, press the start button on my stopwatch and started off on a pretty leisurely jog. I was even kind of shocked at how slow I was running, but honestly I didn't feel as though I could go any faster. then just a couple of hundred yards into my run I got a real shock.

I remember it so clearly. Absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary. The road was relatively flat; there weren't any cracks or uneven spots. I didn't trip on my own feet or get startled by a unseen dog. I was just running at an ordinary gait and when my right foot struck the ground, an "electric" pulse shot down my right leg and up my back. Now, it seems like the feeling lasted forever, but at the time it was over before I knew what had happened. I stopped jogging immediately, thought to myself "that was weird", stretched down to my toes a couple of times, stood up and twisted from side to side, and then went off running again.

But everything had changed. I no longer felt like I had an ordinary stride. I felt like I was hunched over, and some smaller shocks ran through my leg and spine. I turned around and walked home. By the time I got there my back had really started to tighten up. I lay on the floor and tried to stretch but nothing was helping. I stayed home from work for the next 2 days, laying on my back, switching back and forth between ice packs and a heating pad. Eventually, Katie found me some drugs so I could at least move a bit more, but really all I did was sleep. I lasted through the weekend, but by Monday I was tired of feeling this way and I had to get back to work. I struggled through the workday and called a chiropractor, our friend Dr. Clint Jackson. Clint got me in to see him, ran a couple of tests and performed some maintenance adjustments until he could confirm my condition. the next day he confirmed that I had a pinched nerve in my lower back (and a couple of other places), he performed a couple of manipulations, and by the next morning I honestly felt better. I am going to see Dr. Jackson frequently over the next 4 weeks leading up to the half marathon. I am certain he has me on the mends and soon I will be back to running (which I haven't done since that Thursday morning!). Thank you, Clint!

I had to jump through a couple of hoops to get approved for chiropractic care by my insurance company. It really wasn't too awful, but it just seems so ridiculous to me. It makes so much sense that regular chiropractic care helps the body to fight off disease and leads to an overall healthier body, which would actually save the insurance companies and you and I quite a bit of money. But instead the insurance company would much rather pay for a cortisol shot or muscle relaxers, since I wouldn't even need a referral to get one of those.

Anyway, if my posts seem to be few and far between it's because I am spending my lunch hours getting my back cracked by Dr. Clint!

I Have An Admirer!

2011-08-24T12:31:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, I got up early to run my 12 miles before a scheduled golf outing with my neighbors. As I was nearing the completion of my first 4 mile loop, a white Cadillac slowly passed by. And as it did, an old man leaned out of the driver's window and said, "I admire you, young man." I was a little shocked to have anyone speaking to me and I was even more shocked to be complimented by a passerby. Now this old timer could have been making a bit of a pass at me, like old man Herbert up at the top, but I highly doubt it. But the question of why this guy admired me kept me in a quandary for nearly the rest of the run.

Does he admire me because I am still physically able to run, something he may be unable to do in his advanced age? Maybe. But I think he could totally run if he took his time and started slowly. Louis Zamperini, Olympic athlete, WWII POW, and the subject of the wildly popular book "Unbroken" (if you haven't read this book, you really should), was still running 6 minute miles into his 60's. I have to work my ass off to run a sub-7 minute mile and I am only 34! I certainly would like to continue to run well into my retirement and often use Zamperini as an example of what the human body is capable of enduring.

Maybe this guy admired me for being up early on a Saturday just to go for a run? I hope so. My Saturday runs usually have me finishing up around 7:30am. At this time on the weekend, I have seen next to no one out on the streets or even in their yards. It often saddens me that more people are not out enjoying the morning, going for a ride or a run, or just sitting on thier porch taking in some fresh morning air. I worry that some people are sleeping away their lives or wasting their energy and time watching movies or chatting online late into the evening. I worry even more that too many people are making dangerous choices with their health and lives; choices that will actually end up costing the rest of us a lot of money in health care costs as the incidence of preventable diseases increases.

The truth is I don't have the slightest idea why this guy admired me. I am glad that he said something because it made me feel good to be admired. And if he really was hitting on me, that's not so bad either; everybody like to feel attractive, even to 80 year old men.

I want to run a marathon...

2011-08-18T12:57:00.000-05:00

...I just don't want to train for it. Seriously though, I very much want to have the feeling of crossing a finish line after I have just run 26.2 miles. I want people to look at me differently because of my incredible stamina and athletic prowess. I want to wear the big medal, get the nice drawstring bag, and technical t-shirt. But the thought of spending as much as 18 weeks, running as much as 30 miles per week, and just getting out to run for miles week in and week out, freaks me out completely.

I am 5 weeks away from my half marathon, I have possibly 3 more 12 mile runs, and the thought is starting to send shivers down my spine. I am completely ready for the half marathon. I am even having fascinations about how fast I would like to run the race, but the thought of getting up and running 12 miles this Saturday makes me want to curl up and go to bed.

The trouble with all of this is that if I really expect to finish the race in any sort of respectable time, the training is completely necessary! Maybe I am focusing too much on the destination and not enough on the journey. Maybe I am just tired today and feeling a bit of a rut. Or maybe training for long distance races really does suck. Any way you slice it, I don't feel much like training right now!

Pardon the Interuption

2011-08-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

I do apologize for being absent, but sometimes it seems that life just gets in the way. We had a wonderful family vacation to St. Louis and a trip back to Galesburg for a family reunion. But please do not worry; I have taken no break from my training.  I ran on the treadmill in St. Louis and went on another run through some familiar areas in the town that I grew up in.

Running has been going great! I have run 11 miles each of the last 2 Saturdays, and will run that distance one more time this Saturday.  After that I figure on running 12 miles for the next 3 Saturdays, and finally tapering off for the last 2 weeks before the race. I had a great tempo run today! i had a lot of trouble getting out of bed this morning because I had to take a Benadryl for my allergies last night, but once I got moving things went really well. I nailed the first mile at sub-7 minutes and then proceeded to run a total of 5 miles in 35:45, exactly 7:09 per mile.  It really felt great!

I also got the chance to ride Roxanne the other night. My amazing wife was gracious enough to give me the night to go for a bike ride. So, I raced home from work, suited up, and headed out for a ride. I had a 25 mile route planned for an area north of town, but was quickly denied in the first couple of miles when I discovered the road was completely closed! So, I reconfigured my route and went for a 21 mile ride in an area southwest of town. It was a great ride, a little windy, but definitely not too hot. I was impressed how easy the ride went, and even more impressed with how easy recovery has gone. I haven't noticed the extra workout at all!

I have made one change that I think is helping my overall "good feeling" while training. After much contemplation, I have decided to not drink any alcohol during my training. Earlier in the year I had said that I would limit myself to 7 drinks a week, and for awhile that went swimmingly. But more recently, we had a couple of events that led to me consuming more than 7 drinks per week. My liver never really felt the increase and my weight was staying off, but there were a couple of Saturdays that were pretty difficult to get out and run. One time, I was still feeling pretty poorly on Monday. None of this was helping with the difficult training schedule. So, I decided to lay off the booze until I have completed my half marathon. If you know me, you realize that this is a pretty big sacrifice! I love beer! I love drinking beer!  But I also love running, and one of them was going to have to give.  So, this decision is definitely not forever, but for now there will be no drinking beer. Funny thing though, the half marathon I am running has a free beer tent at the finish line.   So, pretty much 30 seconds after my race is over, I will be back on the sauce; I can't wait!

Help Wanted

2011-07-28T12:55:00.000-05:00

I had mentioned back in June that I wanted to do something big, plus Katie and I have been looking to earn a little extra cash for vacations. So from time to time, I check out the classifieds and job postings on Craigslist for part time work in maybe coaching or training. My searching is mostly fantasizing, and considering the market size of central Illinois, jobs in these fields are rare. But just yesterday there was a posting on Craigslist for a part-time personal health trainer. The ad talked about leading group meetings for weigh-ins and discussion of health and nutrition. I know that I am not even close to being qualified as a professional, but the job sounded like more of a coordinator and discussion leader. So, I responded to the ad. The reply was not exactly what I was looking for, as it appears as though the job is really to sell some sort of health products, earning comission off the sales. This is not at all what I am looking for.

But it did get me to start thinking. Over the past two years, I have gained some useful knowledge about health and fitness. I have a lot of experience in cooking and healthy menu planning for a family. Plus, I think my attitude and demeanor could serve me well in order to motivate others to make healthy decisions in their lives. Could I lead and coordinate weekly meetings for individuals interested in making some healthy choices in their lives? Would people listen to/share with/pay an untrained, but experienced individual if it helped them to live a healthier lifestyle? Could I even get enough people together to make it worth my time and effort? How many people would make it worth my time and effort?

I believe the people are out there. Even in my small town of 5500 residents, the local hospital has had an overwhelming response to a pretty radical weight loss program, and it has been working for many! Shows like the Biggest Loser and Food Revolution are still on the air because people are watching. There is interest!

But is there interest in me? I think there could be. I am one of the people. I weighed a lot, I ate all the wrong foods, I sat on my ass and watched TV, and I made the decision to do something about it. It hasn't all been sunshine and daisies. Sometimes it has been downright impossible, but I pick myself up and keep moving! I think people could appreciate that I have been in their shoes, and I want with all of my heart for them to do something about it!

Maybe I am just daydreaming, maybe I am just waiting for someone to tell me "I Can't", or maybe this is just the start of that something BIG I was looking for.

My 100th Post!

2011-07-22T12:48:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I made it to 100 posts. In the beginning, I thought I would have been to this point long ago, but there have been a few stall along the way. A lot of things have happened since I started writing this blog. Let's just take a look at a few highlights, shall we:

1. I got a new bike.
2. I got fired.
3. I learned what an IT_Band was.
4. I went through health care hell.
5. I almost shit my pants. Note: this has happened more often than I would like to remember
6. I lost over 50 pounds.
7. My wife bought me a fitness evaluation.
8. I learned to love running in the rain.
9. I broke up with Phil Knight of Nike.
10. I ran more than 700 miles, I have biked more than 1000 miles, I have done more crunches than I care to count, I have participated in 2 biking events, and run in 3 races.

All in all, that is a pretty good bucket list. I've got plenty more that I would like to do in the next 100 posts! Now, I just hope someone is here to read about them!

It's HOT!

2011-07-20T12:45:00.000-05:00

I am writing to you today from central Illinois, otherwise known as the surface of the Sun, where it is currently 95 degrees outside and the heat index is 110! I was going to put a video on this post; the clip from Good Morning, Vietnam, when Robin Williams pretends to be a soldier giving a weather report. But I realized that I had done a similar report last August. Needless to say the same holds true this week, it is freaking HOT out!

The heat has made me adjust my normal exercise routine. I had still been walking 2 miles over my lunch hour, and I tried to do the same on Monday. I made it almost the whole way, but after nearly 30 minutes out in this heat and humidity, I decided to cut it a little short. I must admit that the heat was really getting to me. I couldn't believe it could get so bad while I was only walking! Yesterday morning, I competed my 7 mile "shakeout" run which I usually take pretty slow. I went even slower on that morning, and still sweat through my entire outfit before the sun even broke over the horizon. I skipped my lunch hour walk today altogether. I figure I will take my Thursday 5-mile "tempo" run at a little lower tempo than normal.

I am mostly nervous about my long run on Saturday. As it is the weekend, I usually try to sleep in a little to get some extra rest, and I break my run into 2 loops so I can stop at the house to drink 20 oz. of Gatorade before heading back out for the second half. I was going to bump the run up to 11 miles, but I think I will stick with 10 form one more week. I may wake up a little earlier than normal to avoid the excessive heat, but it is still murderously hot at 5am. Also, I am going to split the run into 3 loops, stopping twice to hydrate. Even with these accommodations, I am more than a little nervous about the run. I do figure that if I am really dogging it after 7 mile (1 four mile loop, and 1 three mile loop), I could conceivably call it a day. Obviously, I would like to avoid that idea.

I don't really know for sure how it will all work out. I pray that we get some relief form this heat very soon, and I hope very much that when I run my half marathon in September that the heat of summer has given way to a perfectly cool fall. Stay safe out there!

Two Horsemen of the Apocalypse

2011-07-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

On or about Mile 5 of my 7 mile run this morning, I stepped onto the bike path on the east side of town. The trail was very picturesque in the pre-dawn hours. There was not a cloud in the sky to speak of. The sun had yet to make its ascent, but its early light had lit the horizon on fire with colors of pink, red, and purple. The soybeans were a dark green "carpet" pulled tight against the horizon, and pockets of fog resided in the low-lying areas. I thought about just how beautiful this place was at this time, and how more people should be out to see it. As I ran through the last pocket of fog, just before I entered the tree lined section of the path, this feeling of peace and nostalgia was soon ended.

The moment I stepped through the fog, the trees closed in around the trail. The path was darkened as I lost sight of the colorful horizon, and Metalica's Four Horsemen came on the shuffle of music in my iPod. These were prophetic signs of the horror that was approaching me. My senses were already on edge, acutely surveying my surroundings, when it finally happened. It took me a few seconds to realize it, but I could sense the presence of another in my midst. I realized I was being chased by not one, but two horse flies. Many of you may not know of the horror of which I speak. For these were no common house flies. These were determined spawns of Satan, that will chase you to the ends of the Earth, hoping to nab a taste of the sweet blood that courses through my veins.

It began with a few swipes across my scalp. As I swatted at the nuisance, one of these monsters actually crossed the path in front of me, letting me know the fight that I was in for. I picked up my pace, in the hopes of out running these demons, but to no avail. For no one can truly out run the devil. The flies escalated their attack to a full on bombardment, diving at my head, back and shoulders. They were, I am sure, attracted to the sweet smell of my perspiration, and their lust for my blood had driven them into a frenzy.

I managed to eliminate the first attacker, when it made the fatal mistake of biting my shoulder. With the reflexes of a Jedi, I smacked the crap out the thing, smearing blood on my hands and shoulders. His compatriot continued the onslaught for another mile, occasionally disappearing from view or attack. However as my run came to its end, I was able to vanquish this final tormentor as it sank its "teeth" into my back. I grabbed this last demon from its bounty, threw it on the ground, and stepped on it like the bug he was.

I am sure that my elimination of these creatures has done much damage to my Karmic balance, but have you ever been bitten by one of those things? It freaking hurts!

The Homestretch

2011-07-07T12:43:00.000-05:00

The very last part of any race is supposed to be the toughest. Your body and mind are tired, you have spent all or most of your stored energy, and in general you just don't know if you are going to make it. The homestretch is also where you should feel that boost of energy from the knowledge that the race is almost over. Sometimes you use that energy for one last "kick" to bring you across the finish line.

And so it goes, or at least I hope it does, for weight loss. A few weeks ago I set one of my goals as weighing 185lbs by July 10. I have placed many obstacles to achieving this goal in front of me. On occasion, I have been undisciplined with my eating and drinking beer. Which has been easy, what with rewarding my children for jobs well done and a couple of major holidays packed in the middle. I have stuck with my workouts, and even expanded some with my training for the half marathon. My body and my mind are both tired of dieting, training, working around the house, and a general lack of sleep. On Wednesday I weighed 191 pounds, which seems like a long ways from my goal. However, it is not out of the realm of possibility that I could sneak in under the wire for a few short moments on Sunday, July 10. I am excited about getting near the finish line, and I feel the rush to finish strong. I am not for sure if I will make it, but I am proud of the effort that I have put in.

I am also not too overly concerned about the scale any longer. I honestly feel that I have gained some good muscle mass in the recent weeks, and I it is my sincere hope that this is keeping my weight up. I feel as though I am slimmer than I was a few weeks ago; some of my squishy parts aren't quite so squishy. And if I get a good poop out I can even take my belt down a whole notch on occasion.

So I guess that I am saying that things are going pretty well. I have a chance to make my weight goal by Sunday, and overall I feel great! I'll never really get to the finish line with this health and wellness stuff, but if I keep going the way I am, I will always be coming down the homestretch.

A Second Open Letter to Phil Knight: We Are Breaking Up!

2011-07-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

Phil,

I am writing to tell you that as soon as I can afford it, you and I are finished! That's right, I am done with you and I am throwing all of your things out on the street! I had gone with the idea that the Nike+ sportband was an affordable alternative in the large market of fitness watches. And much the same way I feel about Wal-Mart, I have found that "affordable" means "crap".

In my first letter, i described some shortcomings of the sportband that I thought could be improved upon. After several more months, those shortcomings have evolved into "pain-in-my-rearend" dysfunctions.

1. Compatibility with Polar Wearlink+ heart monitor

After my visit with a fitness specialist, it was suggested that I begin to workout using a heart rate monitor. I was excited to find out that the sportband had a compatible appliance.  Since I started using the monitor, the flood gates of complaints have opened up. HR exercise requires that I run at differing paces to maintain particular HR zones. These changing paces are not recognized by the foot sensor, so now when I run slower for zones 1 and 2, the mileages are much lower than actuality. At first I figure, "No problem, I will just recalibrate the sportband for these runs."  Au contraire, mon frere! The sport band cannot be recalibrated for runs that use a HR monitor! Why, you ask? I don't have the foggiest idea! I assume it has something to do with calorie calculation by HR and elapsed time instead of weight and distance traveled. But no matter what, if I cannot recalibrate the distances, I am losing a ton of miles and the other functions of the watch are completely lost. Essentially, this lack of accurate distance calculation makes the watch a $120 ($60 a piece for the sportband and HR transmitter) HR monitor, which is not that great of a deal!

Now, the sportsband won't even recognize the HR signal from the transmitter! I see this as one of 2 problems.  First, the transmitter needs a new battery.  That means that the battery on this transmitter lasts about 3 months! Are you freaking kidding me?! My kids toys last longer than that! At $14 per battery, the affordability of this system becomes very suspect! You might say that this is a Polar problem, and has nothing to do with Nike. I say that since this is the only HR transmitter compatible with the sportband, it's your freaking problem! The second possible problem is that the HR receiver in the sportband has stopped working, at which point I will stomp up and down on this piece of crap, cursing the day it ever walked into my life.

2. Software compatibility

Initially, I was enthused by the user-friendly Nike+ website and its many functions, coaching, and games. But now after several months, I have found the use of this website and software very exclusive. I cannot import the data from my runs into any other website, nor can I upload the data from the sportband onto any other website!  This stinks!  I like the Nike website, but it is not the only fitness website in the world! In fact there are approximately 1 gagillion other websites with which I would really like to use my fitness data, but alas I cannot. This has become most frustrating in the last month, as I have attempted to raise money for charity by entering fitness information into another website. This website gives greater "points" to exercises that are entered from a technology rather than hand entering, because of the possibility of cheating. But since your technology is incompatible with their website, the kids in Africa are just going to have to wait a little longer for their new bike! Thanks a lot!

I have been researching far and wide for new fitness technology in watches. While you still tempt me with the new Nike+ Sport Watch, I no longer have faith in your work! I don't really know why I ever had faith in it in the first place?! All of it matters very little, as soon as I can afford it or the holidays get here, I am getting a Garmin 305. I wish I could say that it has been fun, but it hasn't!  I think we had a few good times, but maybe I was fooling myself. I will conclude with what many of my ex-girlfriends have said to me, "God, the sex was AMAZING, but I hope I never see you again!"

Sincerely,

Brian

6-minute Mile

2011-06-30T13:02:00.000-05:00

When I was in high school, I was a pretty fast runner. I was no Roger Bannister. Hell, I never even ran track because it was in the same season as baseball. We did some endurance running in all of my athletics and I always ran to finish first, and every year we would have to run the mile for the Presidential Skills Test. In my prime, I was running very low 5 minute miles (I think 5:07 was my best, unofficially). I remember having friends that fretted about running a sub-6 minute mile to make the varsity soccer team, and I always thought about how easy that would have been for me to run.

Now that I am an old man and have spent many years not caring for my health and well being, if I run a sub-7 minute mile I feel pretty darn good about myself. In my most recent 10K, I ran the first mile in 6:30 because I thought I could run out front with the big dogs. I probably paid the price for the rest of the race because I went out entirely too fast. But it also got me to wondering if I could run a sub-20 minute 5K. Honestly, it just got me to wondering if I could run a 6 minute mile.

So, when I went out for this mornings 5 mile "tempo" run, I ran hard for the first mile just to see how I would do. And it went pretty well! I have noticed that I do not have a "good" form when I run. I typically run pretty straight-legged/flat-footed. So I worked on getting a good push from my rear leg, while "pulling" with my fore leg. I worked to keep my core, hips, and glutes engaged. And I focused on having a good arm swing to sort of "pull" me along. I realize that it sounds like I am trying to be some sort of expert with my description, but nothing could be further from the truth. I am simply repeating what I have read in some magazines, and trying to incorporate what I think it all means in my runs. Whatever I was doing seemed to work! I ran a 6:23 mile! Not bad, if I do say so myself. Just a few more seconds and I will be able to make the varsity soccer team!

Anyway, it seems kind of silly I think, but I am going to keep this goal of a 6 minute mile hanging around. When I get done with the half marathon training and get back into some 5K runs, it may just come in handy.

Infidelity

2011-06-28T13:09:00.001-05:00

I am sad to say that I feel as though I have been cheating on someone very special to me. I have been spending a lot of time with others and had many passionate, intimate encounters behind my loved one's back. Often times, when I am with these others I am sweaty and out of breath. I look at my loved one in sorrow, failing to admit my indiscretions, knowing that more time should be spent showing them my love. I have to admit that I have been cheating on Roxanne. (If you suspected that I would say anybody else, you can leave your personal apologies in the comments. Thank you. -BF)

With so much of my focus this year being on my running, I have not spent nearly enough time riding my bike. I have had only 2 real decent rides on the bike this year; probably less than 100 miles total for the season. And I feel terrible about it.

I feel terrible because I spent so much time and money researching, purchasing, and fine tuning this bike to my personal style, and now I hardly spend any time riding. I feel terrible because I really, really enjoy riding a bike. It is such a "free" feeling, when you are out on the road. But alas, no mater how terrible I feel I still don't get out and ride.

One reason is that going for a good ride of 25-40 miles take a lot of time, 1.5-2.5 hours per ride. And that is just really time that I do not have. Especially when you consider that I am now training for a half marathon, which is already taking a bunch of my time. The thing about running is that I can do it freely in the dark of the early morning. Riding my bike at that time would require me to further invest in some lights, and even then I do not know that I would feel entirely safe riding on the country roads around my home. Besides the time, I am feeling really confident about my running right now. I want to do really well in my half marathon, and I don't want any distractions from running a good race.

I know it seems like I am flip-flopping about my passion for biking versus running, and maybe I am. But honestly I just wish there was enough time in the day for me to do both and still get all of the other things on my docket completed. I am committed to performing well in the half marathon this season, but I think that taking some time and evaluating how I can get more time for both running and biking next season may be in order.

No Turning Back

2011-06-23T12:32:00.000-05:00

The logo is deceiving. I did not sign up for a full marathon. I did, however, sign up for a half marathon. As one of my goals had been to run a half marathon before next May, I think I can count this as 50% completed. Now all I have to do is show up and run the darn thing.

The race sounds pretty neat. The course dips into Iowa and Illinois, includes crossing a couple of bridges over the Mississippi River, and covers some territory I am somewhat familiar with, since I grew up less than an hour away in Galesburg.

I considered this decision for some time, and the race certainly fits into my programming. The race takes place on September 25, giving me ample time to prepare. It does not take place in the ungodly heat of August, as many of my other choices did. Housing is affordable as I assume I can stay at my parent's home in Galesburg. And the price was right, only $45 for the half. Compared to the cost of some of the races in Chicago, this is downright cheap! Should I get injured, there are no refunds and I cannot defer payment to any future races. But I am going to keep all of these negative thoughts out of my head. I have signed up and I want to race! There is no turning back now.

Giving, made easy

2011-06-21T14:46:00.001-05:00

Giving to charity has been a big part of my life in the past few years. Last year, I raised $300 for Bike MS, I periodically volunteer a local men's shelter, and at each one of our birthdays, my family dedicates either money or items to be given to a local charity. In the last few months, Katie and I have gotten our financial outlook organized and include contributing money to the charity of our choosing, including our church, another local food pantry, my cousin's basketball team, and our friend's Bike MS goal.

We give to these charities for many reasons. First, it makes us feel good to contribute to important causes in our community and in the world at large. Second, we hope it teaches our children that we are very blessed to have the things that we have (our health, our home, and our family), and it is important to help out the people of this world whose lives may be lacking some of these necessities.

Why am I going on and on about giving to charity, when I am supposed to be writing about health and fitness? Well, I would argue that the two can often go hand-in-hand when you run or race on a team in support of a charity, such as the Bike MS ride. I have even heard of sorority girls panhandling on the streets while jumping on trampolines (who would not want to see this?!). The problem with these efforts is just that; they require a ton of effort. One must harass their friends and family in order to obtain the donations they need, or be forced to pay the balance of the commitment themselves. Either way the task can be daunting. I wish there was an easier way I could coordinate my fitness goals with my value for charity.

Oh, wait...there is! Fatcyclist.com has made the act of charity about as easy as a cheerleader on prom night. I can never explain all of the details here, but go check his post for thoroughly entertaining instructions. Basically, you sign up to this website (don't worry, they don't ask for your credit card), join "Team Fatty", and start recording all of your workouts. The workouts you record earn you credit which translates into dollars donated by SRAM (a Chicago company) to World_Bicycle_Relief, which gives bikes to kids in Africa so they can safely get access to schools and health care. That is it! You don't have to pony up any money, you don't have to harass your friends and family, and you don't have to go door to door soliciting your neighbors and being chased by guard dogs. How much more simple could it be?

If you already spend time working out, then you can make that work count towards more than just calories burned. If you are not working out, what the hell are you waiting for?! If you were waiting for the chance to have your workouts count towards a charity, then your prayers have been answered! Either way, I think everyone should sign up and get to work donating a few bikes to help the kids of Africa.

I Think I Have Reverse-Anorexia

2011-06-14T12:51:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: This post is not meant to be insensitive! Anorexia is a very serious disease, affecting at least 50% of the Olsen twins, and should not be taken lightly (Is that a pun?).

While looking at some recent pictures of myself, I have realized that I suffer from a very debilitating disorder, reverse-anorexia! It is my understanding that a person suffering from normal anorexia will look into the mirror and see a fat person looking back at them, no matter how thin they actually may be. Only after counseling and years of therapy, do they begin to see the thin person they actually are.

I on the other hand suffer from the exact opposite. When I look into the mirror, I don't see a fat "me", but instead see a me that is starting to look pretty fit, maybe even slender. I check the outfit that I am wearing for the usual stains of food that missed my gaping mouth, and check that the wrinkles are not so bad that I look like I slept in my clothes. I also admire how well the outfit seems to fit my physique, admiring what I believe to be slim lines. I leave my home with the impression that I look pretty good.

On a few occasions my wife has been known to snap a picture or two, often including a shot of me. This past weekend as we looked at the pictures from a friend's wedding I found myself commenting, "Katie looks really good, but who is that fat guy with his arm around her? Holy shit! That is me!!!" And that is when I realized I have the terrible disease known as reverse-anorexia! When I look at myself in the mirror, I think I look really good. Obviously, I do not suffer from a lack of self-confidence. However, when I am faced with the reality that I am still a big guy, it really comes as a shock.

Fortunately, there are a few cures that I can look to for a solution. The first is that I will never again take a picture while standing next to my tremendously slender wife, nor anyone who may be skinnier than me. If I only take pictures with people who are bigger than me, I can continue my delusion. The second is that I must continue to lose weight. I have been doing pretty well, and may even make my earlier goal of 185 by July 1. But it is obvious to me that I may have to set my goals a little bit lower if I really want to appear as slender as I feel!

I want to do something...

2011-06-02T12:41:00.000-05:00

This fitness and health stuff has really gotten ahold of me. I enjoy the lifestyle, I am passionate about it, and I want to share that passion!

I have had the opportunity to talk with a couple of members of my weight loss support group about the difficulty of scheduling regular workouts in an already busy life. I have encouraged them to find the time, make the time, and keep the time. I volunteered to show up on the doorstep of one of them, should they need that kind of motivation. I want to mentor. I am a regular commenter on another blog I follow (the guy probably thinks I am some sort of strange stalker). On occasion the writer gets down on himself, or has doubts, or just gets stuck in his head worrying about things. I want to reach out and be a cheerleader/motivator/head-slapper. He doesn't necessarily need that sort of person, but it is the role that I am drawn to nonetheless.

I want to organize a race in my hometown. I want the proceeds of that race to go to the cafeterias in our schools so they can buy, make, and serve more fresh fruits and vegetables (have you seen what these kids eat at school!).

I also talked to another member of my weight loss support group about some healthy, low calories recipes. I have a ton of great recipes, some of which I know by heart. I love talking about good tasting, healthy food. I want to see/be a part of/own/run a business that makes ready to eat, healthy meals for families as a better alternative to fast food.

I want all of these things. Plans are always developing and changing in my head. I don't know if life will allow me to do any of these things (it can be pretty tough going without luxuries such as a salary or health insurance), but I like the idea of them. And I hope I get the chance to do some or all of them.

Life Just Isn't Fair!

2011-05-31T12:45:00.001-05:00

I have been doing very well with my workouts and my diet. The first week after my re-commitment to weight loss, I lost 4 pounds. Since that time I have increased my running to 21 miles per week in preparation for a half marathon in September. Katie and I have hardly eaten out at all and when we do, we make pretty good decisions for our dining selections. I have kept the beer consumption under terrific control, including this past holiday weekend.

However, I may have made a few tactical errors in my food choices over the Memorial Day weekend. We had 2 parties and a birthday celebration over the 3 days. I kept the beer under control, which certainly helps with making good food choices, but I did have a couple pieces of peach pie and a tiny sliver of a cookie cake. I went back for seconds at both parties, but I kept my portions pretty small.  Plus, I will reiterate, I did not miss a workout and ran 9 miles on Saturday!

But when I got on the scale this morning I had gained 6 pounds!  What the hell is that all about! I had been a pretty good boy, yet I still gained an obnoxious amount of weight!  I still have another day before my official weigh-in on Wednesday, but I have to figure I am going to have a gain this week. It just sucks!

I feel as though there are plenty of people who eat more than I do, drink more beer than I do, and workout much less than I do. Yet, they don't seem to gain any weight. I understand that everyone is different, and we each have our own struggles in life.  But I am certainly having a whoa-is-me moment about my struggles with weight. I hate that I have to be so "good" all the time in order to expect any success! I want to have some fun sometimes too, but I don't want it to come at the expense of my ultimate goals! Maybe is am being a little selfish, but it just doesn't seem fair!

Anyway, I had a great Memorial Day weekend, and I hope you all did too! Now I better get back to my ab contractions to burn off the celery I had for lunch!

Are These Pants Wet, or Am I Just Happy To See You: A Love Story

2011-05-26T13:02:00.000-05:00

When I stepped outside this morning for my run, it was sprinkling rain. I normally choose not to run in the rain, but as the alternatives were to run on the treadmill, or skip the run entirely, which I have committed not to do, I went for a run. It was only sprinkling.

Over the first mile, it continued to sprinkle, but overall the experience was alright. The temperature was nice. I wasn't getting too wet. And the run was going well. Just after completing the second mile, I noticed that the chest of my shirt was getting damp. I also noticed that I was having a lot of run off from my head and face. I was surprised that this run off would cause such dampness.  But my feet remained dry, which was honestly the most important part. The thought of turning around and heading home crossed my mind more than once, but every time it did, I remembered my commitment to running.

Between miles 2 and 3 things got really interesting. Not only was the chest of my shirt getting wet, but the whole darn thing was soaked! Water was still cascading off my face, but as I looked around I realized that the rain had gone from sprinkle to steady. The shirt began to stick to my entire torso and was very uncomfortable. The funny thing about sweat-wicking shirts, they don't work so well in the pouring rain. I considered my next course of action carefully. I wanted to continue to run, but was getting very uncomfortable.  I grudgingly decided to remove the shirt. There were a few problems to consider with this action. First, I have never run shirtless and I am not flattered by my shirtless appearance. Second, as this was my favorite running shirt I was not about to throw it aside, so I would have to hold it for the rest of the run. Lastly, I was very curious how my HR monitor would work when entirely saturated.

As I completed mile 3, several things began to irritate me about this run. The rain had now soaked through my shorts making me extremely uncomfortable and downright itchy, and the rain had lubricated my earbuds enough that I was having a lot of trouble keeping them in place. I was adjusting my shorts and headphones about every other stride. But at least my feet were still dry!

Finally, somewhere between miles 3 and 4, it happened. The dampness had hit my feet! It started slowly; just sort of a wet feeling on the tops of my feet. But within a few strides, it was all over and there was a distinct "squish" with every foot strike. There is nothing I hate more than wet underwear and socks, except maybe opera.

When I completed mile 4, I had a good opportunity to cut the run short. However, it would have only saved me a half of a mile.  So I continued on.  I inadvertently landed in a couple of puddles, but at that point it didn't matter at all. I was soaking wet.  And you want to know something? I LOVED IT!

It was really liberating running in that rain.  I felt as though the rain had trapped me inside so often, and I had finally broken free of its tyranny! Sure, I was wet, but so what! I would be dry soon. It felt great to overcome this obstacle ( albeit, a small one) and complete my scheduled run. I cannot promise that I will feel this way every time I run in the rain, but it sure felt great today!

The Struggle Within

2011-05-24T11:48:00.001-05:00

I was sent an email today from the Livestrong website that included a letter from the Editor; you can see it here. It basically talks about those moments, or tipping points, in life especially related to health, where you have a choice to soldier on or pack it in.

I have those moments a lot. When my family goes out for dinner, I have a choice to go ahead and order the patty melt, add bacon, with fries and a large chocolate malt or the grilled chicken salad w/ light ranch and a glass of water. When the alarm goes off at 3:30am because its my long run and the kids need to leave early, I could shut off the alarm and go back to bed for another couple of hours or I can get out of bed and run.  I have to admit that I do not always make the most health-appropriate decision, but recently, more often than not, I am making the "good" choice. When life gets tough, these good choices become a lot harder to make, for me at least. I want to find comfort in food or sleep.  But again recently, I am finding the comfort in making the "good" choice.

I would like to say that all of this new found fortitude comes from my commitment to a healthy life, to grow old with my wife, and to be there for my children.  And much of it does come from these places.  However, for me, when I make these tough decisions, I am making them because I said I would do this. I said it here on the blog and I said it to my weight support group. It is this accountability to others that has kept me in check. I don't like reporting that I have gained weight; I don't like to fail others. So for me, being accountable to others has helped me to make the right decision.

How do you find the motivation to make the right decision? Are you still searching for it?  Let me know!

First Class Citizens

2011-05-19T12:58:00.000-05:00

As I stated in an earlier post, I was extremely pleased with the Illinois Marathon experience. However, there was one particular situation with which I was disheartened.

At this particular race and many others across the country, the organizers offered several different competitions for its registrants. There was a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and of course the marathon relay which I participated in. I cannot speak for the rest of the participants, but as a runner in the relay I felt as though I was treated as a second class citizen.

When all of the other racers received nice string bags and performance t-shirts, the relay racers received plastic bags and regular old cotton t-shirts, which had to be discounted because of their atrocious color (beige). I wanted to base this on money paid to participate, but we actually paid more per person than either the 5 or 10K runners.

Second, relay racers were forced to wear additional racing bibs that read in big, bold letters, "RELAY". Just as every other racers had their race listed on their regular race bib, so too did ours read "Relay". What was the purpose of making us wear an additional bib to single us out from the rest of the group?

Lastly, when receiving congratulations for completing the race, a volunteer was actually heard to have said, "Oh, you just did the relay." Huh? You have got to be kidding me! 75% of my team just ran further than any one of the 5 or 10K runners, and the other teammate just ran further than they had ever run in their whole life! I realize we did not compete in an entire marathon as individuals, but we just ran our asses off and paid good money to do it! As you can see the whole treatment still sticks with me

On the back of my team's shirts was a quote:

If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you have been running for 20 years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. YOU JUST RUN!

That is the mentality I would like to see at these races. We should be proud of every person that is out there, no matter the race. I would even include the volunteers and spectators in this fold. Every single person out there has taken time out of their busy lives to be there to participate or in support of a healthy lifestyle, and we should all be proud that we have done so!

Kirby Derby

2011-05-17T12:59:00.000-05:00

Last week at work was pretty tough. The University had required that we do an annual inventory of our stock, and that just so happened to fall at the end of last week. That is why I was unable to post on Thursday. What was worse was that the inventory had required long hours of work, which translated to little sleep and limited training on my part.

So when Saturday morning rolled around and it was time for the 2011 Kirby Derby, I was not nearly as psyched as I should have been and much less enthused than I was for the marathon relay. I resigned myself to finishing the 10K race in less time than last year and tried not to focus too much on setting any records.

The weather was cool and rainy when we arrived to the staging area. I figured the cool temps would be great for racing, but the rain was a little disheartening. Katie had signed up to run the 10K. Since training up to 7 miles for the relay, she figured she could carry that on to this race. I could not have been prouder of her for committing to the longer run. Plantar Faciitis had reeled in her training a bit, so she too was not exactly excited about the race, but she soldiered on anyhow.

We ran into quite a few people that we knew.  Some we knew we would see, others we were pleasantly surprised! I must say it is a lot of fun having a race like this in our small town! It says a lot about the community.

The start of the race was delayed by about 15 minutes, but as the rain began to sprinkle down, everyone began to line up for the start. I kissed Katie goodbye and wished her good luck.  Last year, I felt like I got kind of stuck behind some slower runners at the start.  So this year I lined up towards the front, hoping that space would open up more quickly. Finally, the gun went off and the race started. I took off very quickly and space certainly opened up soon after the start. I was running near the head of the pack. I knew that I was probably starting off a little too fast and was worried that I might be expending too much energy too early. But then I thought, "Who cares! Run as fast as you can for as long as you can, and just see what happens." So I ran hard, surprisingly hard. I ran my first mile in 6:30. Again the fear of burning out crept in, so I decided to pick out a runner to keep up with. It took awhile for me to pick somebody that was not quickly pulling away from me. Then I saw a 10 year old kid running ahead of me, and I decided that was a worthwhile target. I chased that kid for the next mile and a half and never got with in 50 feet of him. That little kid was fast! I was thankful when the kid stayed straight for the 5K route and I turned for the 10K; I don't know if I could have handled being beaten by a child! I had run the first 3 mile in almost exactly 21 minutes. I felt great about that! I was starting to get pretty tired about mile 4. I had picked out a woman to try and keep up with and was again humbled by her superior speed. Eventually I came to a spot where the route has runners going in both directions. That was when I passed the leader. That guy was flying! I turned to one of the volunteers at an aid station and said, "I don't think I am going to beat that guy." He laughed. As I continued to push on I ended up by myself for awhile. There was nobody for me to really catch and nobody really pushing me from behind. At that point I was really tired and reminded myself that time didn't really matter, so I worked on my form and continued to try and push myself. Eventually, I was caught by a couple of other runners, but I managed to stay within shouting distance of them through the end of the race. I ran my second official 10K in 44:29.4. I finished 17th overall and second in my age division. All of which are improvements over my performance last year. I am still very excited about the results.

I am also excited because we officially became a RACING HOME. Katie finished her 10K in 63 minutes; not her ideal finish, but a tremendous feat nonetheless, especially considering her injuries. Plus both kids participated in the Kid's Race! They had so much fun! The got finisher medals, and most importantly, snack when they were done.  Alaric actually said he wanted to run in the "adult race" next year, and we are actually considering it since they offer a 5K walk/run. I could not be more proud of my family!

2011-05-10T12:57:00.001-05:00

Oh, how the mighty have fallen, and I am not talking about the Lakers. It's me. Since I reached my goal weight of 185 on March 10, I have gone completely off the reservation. Now two months later, I am 8 pounds heavier and have been struggling to stay at that precarious weight. I have plenty of excuses, but unfortunately these ideas are just that, EXCUSES! I allowed my confusion about fitness nutrition to translate into uninhibited eating, late night snacks, and junk food binges. I allowed my fear of performing below expectation in the relay translate into not abiding by my heart rate routines. I have allowed the nice weather and vacation time to translate into skipped or mediocre workouts. In general, I have fallen into a pattern of undisciplined behavior.

I think what has happened is that I have lost focus. I will always have the long term goal of getting fit and staying healthy, but I need to be able to achieve this ultimate goal by conquering more short term goals; I need to continually challenge myself to stay focused. I had originally said that I wanted to weigh 175 pounds by June 25, because that was the first day of the Bike MS Ride. As that ride has become financially impossible for me, I lost focus on losing weight. Additionally, as my goal of running my leg of the marathon in 49 minutes got closer, I lost focus on running in my heart rate zones.

Jeff told me once that fitness is a moving target and sometimes you need to readjust to hit your mark. So with that in mind I am updating some goals in the hopes of having greater focus and achieving my ultimate goal.

Goals:

1. I want to weigh 185 pounds again by July 10. That means 1 pound per week for the next 8 weeks. This one will be tough, but I can do it.

2. By this time next year, I will have run a half marathon. I have a couple in mind, one of which is in September. I think the additional training will help with the weight loss.

3. I want to weigh 175 pounds by October 1, 2011. Again, another tough goal, but if I can stay focused on this goal I know I can get it done.

To help achieve these goals, I will limit my alcohol consumption to 7 drinks per week. To some of you this may seem like a no brainer, but when you live in my neighborhood this can be a tough one. Also, I will be more disciplined with my eating habits. I realize that is a very general statement; I need to work on the specifics of this idea. Lastly, I will stick to my HR workout routines, 3 runs per week, and I will ride my bike at least once every 2 weeks.

There, I said it. All that's left is to go out there and just_do_it!

The Results Are In!

2011-05-04T09:08:00.001-05:00

The 2011 Illinois Marathon Relay is officially over and the results are in. Team Brothers & Sisters kicked major booty!!! I had originally set a goal of 4:20 to finish the whole route. That worked out to be about 10 minutes per mile, which I thought was a very respectable race. We blew that out of the water; we finished in 4:03. Team Brothers & Sisters finished 27 out of 63 mixed (boys and girls on the same team) teams.

The only runner not to run better than expected was me. I had a goal of 49 minutes and I finished in 50:30. Honestly not too bad and my original goal may have been a little lofty, but all of it matters very little to me. I had an absolute blast with this race! It was so much fun to have crowds cheering on the streets and volunteers at hydration stations and so many runners on the streets. I had a blast running with my teammates! I had so much fun cheering other runners on while we waited for teammates at exchange zones. I enjoyed hyping up the crowds. Overall, I just love the Illinois Marathon Experience!

I ran well enough for me to seriously consider a half marathon (I sincerely hope to accomplish this in the next year), and I am even throwing the idea of a full marathon around. Watching so many of the runners at the Illinois Marathon really made me realize that the pace doesn't really matter; it's getting to the finish line and enjoying yourself that matters the most. However, another thing that I realized was that as long as I can get a good team together, I will never run anything other than the relay at the Illinois Marathon. It is just too much fun!

The Line-up

2011-04-28T12:50:00.002-05:00

Now announcing the starting line-up for your Team Brothers & Sisters (powered by Racing Home)!

Leading off and hailing from the great city of Monticello, IL....Katie Fulton! Two years ago, Katie graciously agreed to join her husband on his quest to get fit and stay healthy. At the time Katie swore to never run in the outdoors, but was soon persuaded to give it a try. Later, she would not claim to being a "runner". She would only admit to the title of "jogger", but was once again led to believe otherwise.  She has completed several 5K races in her short career.  Katie was initially not pleased to learn the length of her run here at the Illinois Marathon Relay, 6.7 miles, but has attacked her training with gusto, and is more than ready to tackle the first leg of this race.

Next up, also hailing from Monticello...Brian Fulton! Brian is the author of this blog. If you would like to learn more about his accomplishments, please read additional posts.

Running third and hailing from the booming metropolis of Chicago, IL...Joe Sawicki! Joe is a multisport athlete, actively participating and organizing in softball and flag football leagues all over the Greater Chicago area. Joe's goal to beat Brian's run time will be a challenging one, but we are sure he is up for the task. Joe's greatest accomplishment is dating Brian's sister, Anita, for four years and surviving to talk about it!

Anchoring this team of All-Stars, also making her way down from the Second City...Anita Fulton!  Anita's greatest accomplishment was surviving a childhood tormented by her annoying, (much) younger brother!  Just returning from a short training hiatus in Cabo Wabo, Anita also claims not to be a runner, but is convinced she will finish strong as long as there are a couple of water breaks along the way and maybe a margarita or two at the finish.

There you have it folks, your 2011 Team Brothers & Sisters. Now let's put the kids to bed and settle in for a great Illinois Marathon.  I think it's going to be a long one.

Race Week!

2011-04-26T12:46:00.000-05:00

That's right! It's go time! In just 4 days, I will be running one leg of the Illinois Marathon Relay. I have been a part of a few races in my short career, mostly small events, with only a few hundred participants. This is the effing "Catalina Wine Mixer" of races for me. Thousands of participants, hundreds of volunteers, there is a freaking expo prior to the race! I am super pumped!

I am also a little nervous! Not about the run. I have been preparing for this for quite some time. I am currently injury-free (knocking on wood). And I anticipate having an incredible run. I am nervous about the logistics. Neither my teammates nor I have ever been in a race this big. I have no idea what to expect when we show up on race day. When you throw in the idea of a relay team and getting everybody where they need to be on time, the difficulties can certainly seem overwhelming. I know where everybody is supposed to be for the hand off, but getting to these locations considering road closures and traffic detours, I question if we are as prepared as we should be.

Now the weatherman is calling for heat and ran. Just another obstacle which we will have to overcome. I am not too scared about running in the rain, but if it turns to lightning I am assuming they will close the race, or at least postpone it for a short time. How does that work if you are already out on the course? I hope there will be some answers at the expo on Friday.

I am trying not to let these concerns get the best of me. All I really want is to go out and have the run of my life! I ran 7.13 miles last Saturday over the hilly terrain of Iowa City. I completed the run in 51 minutes! I am shooting for 6.9 miles over the flat terrain of East Central Illinois in 49 minutes! I think I can do it. Check that; I know I can do it! I am leaving my HR monitor at home; heart rate be damned! I am going to leave it all out on the course! Death or Glory! It's the fucking Catalina Wine Mixer!

I'm Back!

2011-04-21T12:49:00.000-05:00

If anyone cares, I apologize for not posting for the past 4 weeks. I have no excuse, except that life has literally gotten in the way. I have been interrupted by lunch meetings, errands, and vacation. However, I did manage to do quite a few fun things.  So here's a list of some of the things that I did while I was away:

1. I went for the first bike ride of the year. I got Roxanne all checked up and lubed. A couple of days later I went for a nice 27 mile ride. It was a great ride and much needed since I scheduled for a 46 mile ride on May 15!

2. I went golfing. Is 107 a good score on a nine hole, par 3 course?

3. I got the garden tilled, planned, started planting some of my cold crops, and got my tomato plants started in the basement.

4. I ran my fastest ever mile (6:17) and 10k (43:47). I am very excited about both and I feel really good for my upcoming races.

5. I had probably the best meal of my life at The Publican in Chicago with my best friend, Anthony. trust me n this one, the sweetbread is not to be missed!

6. I got our team shirts done for the Illinois Marathon. They look super sweet; I can't wait for everyone to see them.

7. While my running has been going really well, my diet has gone completely off the reservation! I have gained 7 pounds since my birthday and am none to happy about it. Unfortunately I have no one to blame, but myself.

8. I got the yard seeded and fertilized. I still have to buy a mower before I can complete the trifecta.

9. I spent lots of quality time with my friends and family. It was much needed and appreciated.

10. I got to see my good friends, ,the Boyds, and their new baby, Charley.  They had been serving in Spain for the past 3 years and our now back in the States on their way to their new post in San Diego.

11.  Probably most exciting, while out for a 7 mile run on a Saturday morningI had poopy cramps and had to duck behind a tree at the local golf course to relieve myself. Thank goodness there were plenty of leaves around!  I really thought I could wait until McDonald's before I had to go, but I just couldn't make it.

...and that is what I have been doing while I was away. What have all (two) of you been up to? I hope to get back on schedule with my posts.

A Jog to My Memory

2011-03-29T13:09:00.000-05:00

Saturday was scheduled to be my long (7 mile), Zone 2 run.  Since we were in Galesburg at my parent's place, I mapped a nice long run down Memory Lane. I had run a couple of times before in Galesburg, oddly enough over ground that was completely new to me. Which was strange as I had lived in that town for 15 years. However, this particular run that I took on Saturday ran right through my old stomping grounds. There were a few new editions to the areas, but the most exciting part was reliving the memories of my youth.

The first stretch I ran up Broad Street to Carl Sandburg Drive (Carl was born in Galesburg). I passed by Russell Fox's old place. I remember that it had a baseball field in the backyard.  The Little League Blue Jays practiced back there, and I even got to play a couple of scrimmage games on that field. Next, I ran by Todd Fox's old house. I remember the night that Sean Hanlon rang the doorbell and when Todd's dad came to the door Sean sprayed him with Silly String. Steve (Todd's dad) grabbed Sean by the top of the head and the crotch of his pants, lifted him into the air, and slammed him down into the flower bed. It was hilarious at the time, but now that I am writing it, I wonder how it would be viewed today.

Next, I turned on Carl Sandburg soon enough I passed by the Sirloin Stockade and I remembered how just a couple of years ago my grandfather fell outside of this place.  I was not with him at the time, but my 2 and a half year old son was, and he still recounts the story of Grandpa falling, seeing the blood, and the ambulance coming to take him to the hospital. I wonder just how long Alaric will remember that event.

Soon I passed by the YMCA. I went to this place a lot. I remember playing basketball while my mom swam in the pool. I remember playing games with my dad coaching. I also noticed that the Y has put on an addition and added a ton of parking and put in 3 new soccer fields. Galesburg is struggling economically, but it is good to see that they are putting money into the community youth activities.

My next turn was on Losey Street and this is where the memories really came flooding back. I lived from 1980 'til 1990 at 2013 W. Losey Street. I passed by the house and remembered fondly the time I spent growing up there. The house still looks exactly as I remember it. There used to be an empty lot next to the house that all the neighborhood kids and I used for football, baseball, and any number of things. The lot has a house on it now, and it makes me sad that the kids in the neighborhood will never know it the way I did. I remember Chad Belfour, Eric Wilander, CR Smith. I remember playing until all hours of the night under the street lights. I remember building a snow fort in the "alley" across from my house.  One of my best friends in the entire world lived just down the street. Matt was one of the first friends I remember going out and intentionally trying to have as a friend.  Matt's family became an extension of my own, I grew up in his house as much as I grew up in my own. I still talk to Matt and continue to count him as a best friend.  I was lucky to have grown up so close to him and his family.

Next, I turned on King's Canyon. I passed by CJ Ramage's house. I remember playing basketball in his driveway for hours. After one such marathon, I remember we went inside of his house and ate an entire loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter. Where does that metabolism go?

Then I turned on North Street and I could see the back of Wes Corzette's old house. Wes was a long time friend and he ran with the neighborhood quite a bit.  He was always up for a game of flashlight tag, and when we were in eighth grade we shared a birthday party at the VFW. Wes died from aplastic anemia when we were sophmores in high school, and it still makes me sad to think that he is gone.

As I continued to run down North Street, I ran past what used to be Nelson's, the candy store that we went to all summer long.  Next I passed by the store that used to be the Schwinn shop. I got my first BMX bike here, a Predator Nighthawk; I thought it was the coolest.  Then I got my first skateboard there and I thought I was even cooler. Finally, I got my 10 speed bike there. My friends and I road bike for miles when we were kids, all over town. The shop is now a kitchen and bath appliance store.  I wonder where kids get there bikes in Galesburg now? Probably at Wal-Mart.

Finally, I turned back onto Broad Street. I ran past half a dozen remodeled Victorians that look amazing. Then I passed by Jaci Humes' old house. I couldn't really remember if hers was the one on the corner or second from the corner. I had a huge crush on Jaci when she moved to that house.  We had Algebra together and I would damn near do the homework for her.  Sadly, I just moved into the "friend" zone from which there is no escape, but we stayed friends for a very long time. Then I passed by Seastedt's house.  Brian is another best friend that I still have to this day. His parents still live in that house, and I fondly remember spending a lot of time with them, as well.

Pretty soon I made it back to my parent's house. The run was awesome. I loved running through my life in this fashion. I made the time fly, and it probably took longer for me to write about it then it did to run the whole thing. But it was a lot of fun to do both.

Roadblock Explained (or at least Rationalized)

2011-03-24T13:07:00.000-05:00

Today was the second day of running with my heart rate monitor. I was scheduled to run a Zone 3/4, "tempo" run. What does that mean? Well, I shall try to explain it to the best of my abilities. Tempo basically means faster. Some people would say that this is their race speed or faster. However, I chose to avoid the speed concern and stick with the HR zones that have been laid out for me. The layout of this run is to run 2 minutes in Zone 3, then bump up to Zone 4 for 1 minute, then bring my heart rate back down and repeat. This is what's known as interval training. The barrier between zones 3 and 4 is known as the Anaerobic Threshold (AT). The AT is the highest heart rate in which your body still burns, albeit a small percentage, of fat for fuel during exercise. Beyond the AT your body strictly consumes carbohydrates, either from food that you eat and/or muscle mass, because this is a more efficient source of energy needed at this more strenuous level of exercise. Simply put, this is not a weight loss exercise. This exercise is designed to strengthen the heart, lungs, and muscles, and hopefully increase speed as well.

Over the first half mile of my run I struggled to get up to my Zone 3 heart rate. I am certain this comes from the fact that I do not warm up before I start running in the mornings; I simply stretch for about 10 minutes and go. Once I finally did achieve my zone 3 heart rate, I ran for 2 minutes and picked up the pace to increase to Zone 4. At first it seemed difficult, but after just a few seconds I was comfortable again. Then the problems really started when I struggled to get my heart rate back down to Zone 3. To do so, I felt like I had to dramatically slow my pace, especially when it came to hills. I struggled with this heart rate tug-of-war for over the first 3 miles. Then came the stretch of the run where there are no streetlights and no way for me to see what my heart rate is. I was nervous because I had not gotten comfortable with what this pace "felt" like as far as pace, breathing, etc. I think overall the run ended up fine. I was still shorted over a quarter of a mile by my sportband, and the pace was much slower than what I have been comfortable running at.

This is the part where I think I can explain why I wasn't losing any weight earlier this month. In the past, when I ran, I ran pretty hard. Now having worn the HR monitor for a couple of runs I realize that I was running near the peak of my fitness ability with a very elevated heart rate, well above my AT. At these paces and at these elevated heart rates my body was not burning fat, strictly carbs. And because I was not eating enough food, the carbs were strictly fueled by my muscle mass. Therefore, I was not burning any of the fat during exercise and, because I was destroying lean muscle mass, I was actually impeding my body's ability to burn fat while I was at rest. My friend Mira said this would sound funny, but basically to lose weight I need to not workout as hard and eat more food. What a plan, huh?

Now, Jeff, the trainer, said this program will improve my speed and help me to lose weight. I am leery because my running paces have declined so significantly, but I am going to continue to work at it. I meet with the nutritionist for the program on Monday. I will have to let you know how that goes.

Running with an HR monitor, Day 1

2011-03-22T12:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Katie text to tell me that my heart rate monitor had arrived in the mail. When I finally got home I was so excited to open it! Fortunately, the set up was super easy and I was able to use it this morning for my 5 mile "recovery/Zone 1" run as prescribed in my fitness evaluation.

I ordered the Polar Wearlink+ transmitter that works with my Nike+ sportband, in order to save me the headache and cost of purchasing another apparatus to wear while I run. As stated in an earlier post, there are a few things that i find deficient with my sportband. One of which is the inability to see the display in the pre-dawn hours in which I run. I was very leery of this going into the run.

I was also nervous about the pace of my workout. I was scheduled to run in Zone 1, which for me is between 129 and 139 heartbeats per minute. I wondered what kind of pace this would work out to be. How I would feel if it was a slower pace? What if this pace felt comfortable, how would workouts in higher zones feel? As you can see, I was somewhat nervous and had a few things to obsess about during the run.

As I got started, I immediately toggled my sportband to read my heart rate constantly. In the first few hundred feet I realized that there are more than enough streetlights for me to get a consistent gauge on my heart rate. I know this because I looked at my heart rate under each light, which must have been 2000 times in the first mile. My excuse for earlier complaining about not being able to read the display is based on the fact that there are not any streetlights where I want them, only where the city sees fit to put them. I also realized the pace was pretty slow. Which wasn't too bad until I started going uphill and had to almost walk to keep my HR in the right zone. I slipped over the threshold a couple of times, but I averaged 136 beats per minute, right in the "heart" of the zone (pun completely intended).

Two things that I noticed/bother me:
1. There is a .75 mile stretch between miles 3 and 4 where it is nearly impossible to see the sportband display because there are no streetlights. This again was concerning, but I feel like it helped me listen to my body more closely. I had gotten comfortable with how my body felt in the first 3 miles, and tried to stay in that "feeling" while I could not see the display. The whole process is not too difficult, since that stretch is probably the flattest terrain that I run on.

2. The Nike+ sportband SUCKS!!! for tracking a run at a slower pace. I ran a measured (many times over) 5.06 miles and the sportband logged less than 3.5 miles. I completely understand that the sensor is measuring things like stride length, blah, blah, blah, and all of those things change when I run at a slower pace but it is extremely frustrating to lose miles that I know I have run. I also know that I am supposed to be able to calibrate my sportband. However, I cannot change a run until it has already been downloaded which is then too late to change it on the web page. Then the next run is at a different pace and I have to do it all over again. This whole thing seems complicated and some further investigation is certainly necessary, but I find it very frustrating nonetheless. On the other hand, I am going to try and not let it get to me too much. While I have some goals for miles run and such, the real goal is to get in better shape, lose some weight, and improve my overall health. The HR work is more important to that end, so that is what I will focus on.

We will have to see how Thursday's Zone 3/4 workout goes!

It's like Crack for a Fat Guy

2011-03-17T12:55:00.001-05:00

WARNING- Should you see this girl, DO NOT APPROACH HER. She is to be considered armed and very dangerous to your health.

That's right! It is that time of year again. When seemingly innocent little girls begin selling their wears, knocking on doors, and pushing their goods on every street corner like its Cabrini Green in the 90's.

I saw a den mother just the other day, selling boxes of this junk out of the trunk of her car, like Biggie Smalls dishing out mix tapes from the back of his Impala. People were clamoring around, making sure they got all the cookies they paid for. I actually overheard the woman say, "Don't worry, I got enough cookies for all of you." Sadistic bitch!

And look at this bunch; all wearing their colors and throwing up signs. Look at the one on the right, she looks like she is ready to do some damage! Oh wait...

...she already did.

No one is immune. I received an email from a friend in my weight loss support group. The following is an excerpt:

"[Thanks]for selling me those girl scout cookies, Somoas- WARNING - THEY HAVE HIGHLY ADDICTED CRACK IN THEM!!!"

These cookies are so bad even the crack is addicted to them! As a side note, when did Samoas become Caramel Delights? Were the Samoans really that upset about the name?

Does the Pope hand out special dispensation on Girl Scouts cookies? If not, it is quite nefarious to be handing these things out during the Lenten season.

Anyways, be careful out there. It is a dangerous world we live in. You never know who's going to be knocking on your door.

A "Fit"ing Birthday Present

2011-03-15T14:09:00.000-05:00

Saturday evening while opening birthday presents at my parents house, I received a wonderful surprise. Katie had done the planning and my parents paid for it. And when I opened the gift I learned that I was having a fitness evaluation performed by a local company.

Following my post about my difficulties losing weight, I had several discussions with some trainer friends. During these conversations, it became glaringly obvious I had very little information about my body's chemistry. I had no idea what my percentage of fat was, nor what my base metabolic rate was, nor what my VO2 max (don't worry, I still don't know exactly what this means either) was. This evaluation was going to measure all that, plus give me dietary instructions and a 12 week fitness plan to follow.

I was excited to have this evaluation performed, but I was also very nervous. I had not been very mindful of my fitness during my birthday celebrations, and I was very concerned that my gluttony would somehow give a false estimate of my current physical fitness. Oh well, the appointment had been made, so there was little I could do about it now.

In the end, I had nothing to be nervous about. The evaluation went swimmingly and I left with valuable information about my body and a new found enthusiasm for the work that I have been doing.

Some statistics:

My basic metabolic rate is 1807 calories. That means if I did nothing but sit in the recliner all day I would burn 1807 calories per day. I found that to be pretty impressive, and somewhat concerning as I will explain later.

My percentage of body fat is 18%. I thought that was kind of high, but Jeff, the trainer explained that it was in the "good" range, and with a little tweaking to my exercise and diet could come down a few points.

My VO2 max, which is described as the "'horsepower' to my metabolic engine", is 62.9 ml/kg/min. I still don't know what any of that means, but Jeff says that puts me well above average for men of my age. I liked the sound of that.

After the tests had been completed, Jeff gave me more information about the results and later sent me the 12-week fitness plan for running.  The plan is overlaid onto my current running program and deals mostly with running within some different heart rate zones. Later this week, I will meet with the dietitian to go over a meal plan to help with my fitness fuel and weight loss.

Things I learned:

With my running, all I had ever known was to go out and just run.  If I felt good, I would run harder. If I felt sluggish, I would slow down. I figured over time, just from experience, I would get faster and lose weight. Jeff helped me to see with great detail how working within these heart rate zones can improve my body's fat burning potential, help to recover, and increase my body's ability to perform faster and longer. I found the information to be extremely valuable.  I have ordered my HR monitor and cannot not wait to get started. Again, I am a little nervous because the treadmill test was excruciating. Jeff had me running 6mph at a 12% grade for almost 2 minutes. If he had not stopped the test, I would have. But if my peak workouts are anywhere near that level, I am in for some pain!

I do not eat anywhere close to as many calories as I should. I typically consume between 1400 and 1800 calories a day.  That amount of food does not even satisfy what I burn at a base metabolic rate (sitting in a chair all day). When you add in all of my workouts and just going to work on a daily basis, my calories burned in a day can reach more than 3000 calories. I had always thought that a calorie deficit was good, and if a small deficit was good, a big deficit would be even better. WRONG! My body has been so starved for fuel that I have been burning my lean muscle mass, even while I am resting! During my resting metabolic measurements, Jeff said there was an indication of protein being burned.  That means that after fasting for 12 hours, my body was burning my muscle for fuel while I just sat in a chair.  Apparently, this is a learned behavior and I can teach my body to use other sources of food, but first I have to start providing it. I am anxious to meet with the dietitian and I have already started looking up high calorie, low fat foods. All in all, I think learning that I need to eat more food is a good thing to learn.

The evaluation was a wonderful experience and so completely necessary. Thank you so much to my parents and Katie for providing me with this opportunity. I love you all!

Super, Extra Special Friday Edition

2011-03-11T13:05:00.000-06:00

Changes to workouts and adjusted schedules have allowed me the opportunity to have an additional post this week. In honor of this special occasion, I have decided to share a little bit about an amazing superpower that I have discovered.

How To Gain 5lbs in a Single Day

Last December, I shared with you how I managed to lose 10lbs in one month. Did you read it? Amazing, I know. But equally as amazing, I have learned that I possess the power to gain half as much weight in a 24 hour period. That is right, I have learned to harness the power of my body and mind to gain 5 pounds in a single day. How did I learn such a spectacular feat? Although I have been advised otherwise, I will now share with you this ancient Chinese secret.

First, I awoke yesterday morning and laid in my bed. No rushing off to run 5miles or lift weight for an hour. Nope, I just rolled over looked at the clock, smiled, and rolled back over in the silence of my bedroom. Then, I had breakfast delivered to me right there where I lay. I did manage to raise to the seated position, but I moved as little as possible to avoid any excessive caloric burn. I then proceeded to eat an amazingly large bowl of cereal, and equally large slice of toast with butter, and 3 slices of bacon. Without moving too abruptly, I opened several presents from my family. Unfortunately, I did have to go to work, but I very carefully trudged my way to the bathroom to clean up and slowly returned to my bedroom to change. At work, I moved from my desk as little as possible, although I was annoyingly called away several times to attend to business matters. To counteract this movement, I ate an orange. Next, Katie surprised me with a birthday lunch on campus. In order to continue my drudgery, we drove rather than walk the 5 blocks to the restaurant. I ate an incredibly large bowl of stir fry from the Flattop Grill and downed it with 2 Diet Cokes. Upon returning to my office, I ate an abnormally healthy portion of the peach crisp that Katie had made me, and topped it with some of the home-made maple cream sauce. After Katie's departure and my return to work, I began to feel very uncomfortable. I again drove to the convenience store and downed 2 tablespoons of Pepto-Bismol to ensure that I would be constipated throughout the evening. For dinner, I ate a piece of chicken drenched in butter and coated, again in cereal. On top of that, I had a pile of mashed potatoes and some sweet peas. For dessert, I had a Dairy Queen blizzard. And just to be sure that I completed this amazing effort, I downed some chips and salsa just before bedtime.

When I woke up this morning, BAM!, I had gained the full 5lbs. Though you may be encourage to try this at home, I do not recommend it; I am an expert.

Happy Birthday to Me

2011-03-10T15:41:00.000-06:00

That's right, it's my birthday! So, I hope Mark Parisi is alright with me borrowing his image without his permission. Thanks Mark! Cool cartoon!

I am proud to announce that I successfully achieved my goal of weighing 185 lbs. by my birthday. Yeah! I will now follow this success up with about 2 weeks of splurging on cake, pie, and dinner out as we celebrate 4 birthdays in 11 days. Sheesh! It's okay. I am sure that I will gain some weight over this time, but I will continue to workout as much as possible, and I have all the confidence that I will be able to get back to this weight and lower. But I am going to have a great time blowing my diet when I get the chance!

Counting my blessings

2011-03-08T12:51:00.000-06:00

I find it shocking sometimes how selfish I am. Don't get me wrong, I worry about others, especially my family and friends, and I have concern for my fellow man. But all too often I find myself consumed by my own concerns, i.e. I'm not losing weight, I can't run outside because it's cold, etc. Writing a blog about "me" does not help the situation any. However, on three different occasions this week I have been smacked in the face with events that make me realize just how trivial my concerns can be.

1. Last Friday, a distant cousin passed away very suddenly. The cause of her death is still to be determined, but that matters very little. Hillary was family, she had a husband and young children, and she was only 28 years old. She had a whole life in front of her. I am sad that I did not know her better. I am terribly sad for her parents, husband, and children.

2. One of the blogs that I regularly follow had not posted in some time. I wondered to myself "Where has Dave been?" Then yesterday I got my answer, he had died. By the miracle of medical science, he was saved, but for a short time the man had actually "shuffled off this mortal coil". It would seem that this incredible endurance athlete had been ignoring some of the signs and doctor's advice for him to take things a little easier until finally he had a reaction to some of his medication and actually flat lined for a few moments. In reading the post it would seem that Dave has used this occasion to re-evaluate some of his life's goals and priorities, and it still serves as a wake up call to many of us.

3. This morning I received a phone call from a co-worker. Anita has been battling cancer for almost a year and a half, and was thought to be on the mend. But recent illness and tests have proven otherwise. Her cancer has spread and she has a long and arduous fight ahead of her. She is a fiercely independent and strong woman; I am sure she will fight this new occurrence with zeal. But, I am still sad to see her have to go through it all.

To see, read, and hear about these events makes me re-evaluate my own concerns and priorities. My concerns and complaints are nothing in comparison to what these and so many other people have to deal with on a daily basis. I also use these reminders to re-evaluate my own priorities in life. I am glad that I chose to live a healthier lifestyle. But no matter how healthy I think I am, life is uncertain and each day should be treated as a gift. One of the greatest gifts I have ever received was the opportunity to meet and marry my wife. We got engaged 8 years ago today, and I could not have been more blessed (I love you, Katie!). I am very lucky to have two healthy children, and I hope that I get to live a long life watching them grow up and start families of their own.

I realize that I am lucky for the things that I have, and I will not worry so much about the things I do not. I will continue to count my blessings.

An Update and Some Changes

2011-03-03T12:36:00.000-06:00

So the drought is over! I lost one pound this week and I am back on track to weigh 185 by March 10. I am excited to have lost a pound. While I would like to weigh 185 by next week, I am trying not to focus too much on the scale as I adjust some of my eating and exercise regime.

In the past, in order to lose weight I would deprive myself even when I felt like I was starving. The worst was Tuesday nights before my weekly weigh in. Katie and I had said that we would not have our "us" nights on Tuesdays because I would be so hungry and tired that all I wanted to do was go to bed, wake up, and weigh in so I could eat something. I am not going to do that anymore. I have had a few extra, healthy snacks during the day this past week, and Monday evening when I was absolutely starving, I ate some trail mix and drank some water; it honestly helped a bunch.

Last night, I was exhausted. Getting up at 4:30am every morning to work out usually means that I am missing out on some sleep. So I made the decision that I would sleep in this morning and not go for my normal 5 mile run. I also realized that I had worked out everyday for 2 whole weeks. When I started swimming on Sunday mornings, I had deprived myself of a day of rest. My body and mind were paying the price for it. It does feel weird to have not gone out for a run, but I feel a bit more rested than I did yesterday.

In some ways I feel like I am starting over, and there will certainly be an adjustment period, but I think if I continue to eat well and listen to my body, my goals of weight loss and fitness will come with time. At least I hope they do.

Teamwork!

2011-03-01T12:57:00.000-06:00

I have long been a firm believer that no one does anything entirely by themselves; no success comes without the help of others. And the same goes for my success with my health and weight loss.

I receive a tremendous amount of love and support from my family. Katie has been my partner and biggest cheerleader through everything. She has also been the biggest promoter of my blog. Our parents have been tremendous financial and moral support with donations to our charity races and coming to watch some of our races. Our kids are always our biggest cheerleaders and sometimes our training partners running races through the house or going for bike rides.

My weight loss support group has helped me to be accountable to others and the support they provide with their kind words or encouragement has been invaluable.

Most recently, after a simple blog post about my struggle with weight loss, I was blessed with some great advice and encouragement from friends and relative experts on the subject of health and weight loss.

After reading the post, Katie immediately emailed these friends of ours, and just as quickly they responded with comments to my post that included a lot of information that I desperately needed. Mira, an tremendous athlete in her own right and HUGE Queen fan, had some really good advice and difficult questions for me to think about. After a phone conversation with her the next morning, I had a really good education about my health and nutrition. Jeff, a world renowned blogger and thespian, provided me with some much needed grounding about my weight goals. Jeff's wife, Dee, a personal trainer and glowing mom-to-be, gave me much more food for thought. When I look back at their advice as a whole, I came to some stark realizations:

1. I have a lot to learn about my health, fitness, and athletic training.
2. Sometimes our goals are irrational and need to be adjusted.
3. I am so very happy to have such good family, friends, and teammates looking out for me, giving me advice, and in general being there for me when I need them.

Thank you very much to all of you! I still have a lot to work through as far as how I exercise, how I eat, and how I measure my success, but I know that I will be successful with a team like you on my side.

Roadblock!

2011-02-24T12:53:00.000-06:00

I am sad to report that my weight loss has hit a serious roadblock. On February 9, I weighed in for my support group at 187 pounds. I was doing great on my goal of weighing 185 by March 10. The following weekend, we took a family trip and I ate heartily throughout the weekend, but I still maintained some sense of decorum. I had a few salads with my meals and I did full workouts on Friday and Saturday. When we returned, I knew I had a lot of work to do to catch up, and I did; I weighed in at 187 on February 16. I was happy with the result, but I got right back to work. All week long, I maintained my diet, even controlling myself when we went out to eat with friends over the weekend and substituting replacement shakes for a couple of lunches. I ran 5 miles on Thursday, lifted weights, did my ab workout and walked 2 miles on Friday, ran 7 miles on Saturday, swam 0.6 miles on Sunday, lifted/abs/walk on Monday, and ran another 5 miles on Tuesday. I thought for sure I would have a good 1 or 2 pound loss. NOPE! I weighed in at 187 again on February 23. I was pissed! Then yesterday, I lifted weights, did my ab workout, and walked 2 miles on my lunch break. I ate 3 sensible meals and 2 nutritious snacks. I did not have a brownie after the kids went to bed, and when I got on the scale this morning I weighed 189 pounds, up 2 pounds from the day before! What the hell! That would mean that I consumed 7000 calories more than I burned. I haven't eaten more than 2000 calories in a day for more than 3 months.

I usually splurge a little over the weekend, and we have a neighborhood get-together on Friday, but I am freaking out about eating anything right now. I was so desparate that I actually researched some diet pills yesterday. Don't worry, I am not going to actually take any; that would not be healthy and those things are freaking expensive.

I have flirted with the excuse that I am building muscle, which weighs more than fat. And I know that my weight training is certainly working to improve my body composition, but I remember watching an episode of the Biggest Loser where somebody tried to use that excuse. The trainers about lost their minds yelling at the contestant. They said that there is no way a person can gain muscle that quickly; that it takes months to build a pound of muscle. So what am I supposed to think? I know the scale does not lie, and that the only way to lose wieght is to burn more calories than you take in. But I swear on my life that I have not been cheating on my diet, and I am working my butt of with my fitness, so I am certainly at a loss for a solution and/or reason.

I want to weigh 185 by March 10 and I want to weigh 175 by June 25. Before I can meet these goals I have got to figure out how to keep losing weight. I hope that all of this is simply some sort of metabolic plateau that I can break through this week.

I did manage to achieve a huge milestone for myself. I have logged more than 100 miles running since January 2 of this year. Meaning, in 2 months, I have acheived 20% of my goal of running 500 miles in 2011. Yippee!

A new personal record

2011-02-22T12:43:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday I went for my long run, and in preparation for the Illinois Marathon relay, I pushed my distance to 7 miles. I didn't really think about it at the time, but after the run I realized that this was the farthest I have run in almost 8 months. That was back when I was training for a half marathon, and I have really gone through a lot since then.

Finally, I am on the mends with my health and I am at my lightest weight in 8 years. I am running faster and farther than I have ever in my life and it really feels good! So good that I am proud to say that in that seven mile run, I set a new personal record for a 10K (6.2 miles). Granted, it was only my second timed 10K run, but it was better than the first, way better!

My first 10K was at the Kirby_Derby last year. I was coming off of a recent IT band injury, but I still managed a respectable time; I even placed in my age division. With the help of my Nike+ sportband, I tracked the second 10K of my career, and I was a full 4 minutes faster than my first. It felt awesome!!!

Of course I hope to continue to improve on these race times, but it feels great to be doing as well as I am. I'll have to see how well I do this next Saturday?!

Things to do

2011-02-17T12:38:00.000-06:00

I have been writing up a grocery list in my head. I have a chili cook off this weekend, and I have been racking my brain to come up with some creative ingredients for a soon-to-be award winning chili recipe. Coming up with one list made me think of another list that I need to start working on.

Finally, the weather gods have answered our prayers and/or sacrifices and the sun is shining! I came to work today with no coat on; the weather man says it could get up to 60 degrees. It seems as though springtime is right around the corner and I have some work to do to prepare the upcoming seasons.  So I thought I might share my list with you all.

1. Buy some seeds.
           Last year we had a small garden in our backyard and it produce rather nicely. With the encouragement of some success, we have decided to expand the project slightly. I love garden fresh veggies and I want my children to experience some of the pride you have when you grow your own food. So I need to get with the garden planning, seed purchasing, and possibly do a few starts under some lights in the basement.

2. Till the garden
           See above. The ground in our garden space, and all over our yard for that matter, has a ton of clay in it. So last fall I mulched a bunch of organic material into the beds with the idea that after decomposing throughout the winter, I could till it in this spring.

3. Register for Bike MS and start my fundraising
           I was nearly finished with my fundraising last year at this time, and now her I am and I haven't even signed up for the darn thing.

4. Get Roxanne some lube
          Actually she is going to need a complete spa treatment (tune up). I never got her into the shop last fall.  If I expect to ride with any comfort at all this season, I have to treat my baby right.

5. Think of a good name for Alaric's bike
          He finally outgrew his old bike and we have stepped up in size this year. I really want Alaric to enjoy riding this year. I know that enjoyment is going to require a lot of time and attention from Daddy, but I will be very excited if I can get him riding like a rebel this year. I thought maybe a name for his bike would help.

6. Get Katie's bike fixed up
         She has said that she would like to ride in this year's Bike MS, but that she doesn't like her bike very much. I have looked for a new bike in our price range,but there really isn't much out there. So, I think a good overhaul of the bike that she rides now might help the situation.

These are just a few of the things that I need to get taken care of, along with running, racing, lifting weights, eating, working, painting (I won't forget this, honey!), playing with the kids, spending time with my wife, drinking beer, and I cannot forget to make the chili!

I cannot wait!

Why does this guy piss me off so much?

2011-02-15T13:21:00.000-06:00

Our family had the good fortune to have some time away this past weekend. Before we headed to our final destination, we stopped in Chicago to take care of a few items. We stayed at my sister's condo (Thanks again, Anita!) and were able to use the fitness room in her place to exercise. Katie went first and was able to get onto a treadmill. I followed and did a shoulder and ab workout that I was scheduled for. Afterward, I wanted to walk my 2 miles, but all of the treadmills were occupied. So I rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes.

Now, I need to interrupt here to say that I do not particularly like fitness clubs. All of the posturing and posing makes me uncomfortable. I tried to join a Bally's once when I lived in Colorado. I don't remember ever even going, but I still was chased down for the contractual amount I owed.

The bike that I rode was directly behind the 3 treadmills in the room. All three were occupied and the TV did not work, so I was forced more than normal to sit in judgement of the runners in front of me. Two of the treadmills were used by average runners, and I felt like I could relate for the most part. I was put off by one of their shirts that read "If you can read this I am not losing". You may not be losing but you are a loser for wearing that shirt on a treadmill.

The last treadmill was occupied by the inspiration for this post. This guy had his speed cranked up to 9+ mph. His head was bobbing up and down, while his normally styled mop of hair was flying around. His footfalls were thunderous in this little room, as he raced to keep up the pace. And then he stopped. He didn't stop the treadmill; he simply stood astride the belt as it rushed by below him. He proceeded to towel off (Mind you, this guy was wearing thermal running tights and a long sleeve t-shirt; a bit much for an indoor workout). Then he swigged some water, stretched his calves, his hamstrings, adjusted his iPod, and then finally after a minute and a half he resumed his pounding punishment of the treadmill. I thought to myself, "this guy is really pushing hard," but almost before I could finish my thought he stopped again. He hadn't run for 2 minutes and he was stopping! He did the same routine as before, but maybe not in the same order, and then he started again. Then he stopped again! And this process continued for the next 30 minutes; 2 minutes of running full out, followed by 2 minutes of futzing around. And I don't really know why, but I was appalled! Maybe it was because I was just in a bad mood or maybe I was upset because I really wanted to use the treadmill. But I think I was really upset because this guy was a complete poser!

I imagine this guy talking to his friends about how he "ran nine miles this morning", or "ran for a full hour", but I know that he didn't. The two other average runners on the other treadmills actually ran further than this guy, but he gets to do the boasting. And it is not like this guy couldn't run for an hour at 7 mph, but instead he has to pose. By the end of my ride, I seriously felt like yelling at this guy, throwing his iPod in the river, and cutting his freaking hair.

It has been several days now and this guy still bugs me. Why? I know that fitness is a personal journey; his actions have nothing to do with my work. Hell, I will probably never see that guy again. What am I so insecure about that this guy bothers me so much. I still haven't figured it out, but I can tell you for sure that it is going to be another long time before I step into a fitness club again.

An Open Letter to Phil Knight

2011-02-10T12:16:00.000-06:00

Mr. Knight,

I apologize for the formality, but as we have never met, I thought starting this letter with "Hey Phil" might be a tad inappropriate. I could be considered your average, everyday runner. I am breaking no records, nor am I winning any races, but I enjoy getting out a few times a week for a good 5-6 mile run. I have been a devout Nike consumer for most of my life, and have always had good faith in your products. recently, My grandmother bought me a Nike+ sportband for Christmas. I must tell you that overall I love the sportband idea. It is a tremendously user-friendly means of tracking ones running, and the website's functions are at least entertaining and at best useful to fitness training. However, in recent months I have notice several shortcoming in the product and wanted to discuss with you some updates for the next version.

1. The display on the wristband needs to be backlit.

I run in the deep black of the early morning and I find it extremely frustrating that I cannot always see the display. The best time for me to see my progress is when I run under a street light, and in my small community streetlights are rarely present. I run long stretches in which I have no possible way to see how far I have gone/how long I have been running/how fast I am running /how many calories I have burned. I am a man who needs gratification for my efforts, and having a visible display would be helpful.

2. The display on the wristband should be turned 90 degrees.

When I do have the good fortune of running under a streetlight, I find that I have to contort my arm into an uncomfortable position to be able to see the display clearly. If you simply turned the display 90 degrees (like a watch might look), the face would be in a position to more clearly see the readout.

3. The whole product needs to be weatherproofed.

I have run the same exact run the last 3 times I have been out, and each time I have gotten a different distance readout when I am finished. I believe the discrepancy is due to the extreme temperatures that I am running in. Last Thursday, it was 15 degrees outside, and the sportband said I ran 5.24 miles, which I think is fairly accurate. This past Tuesday, I ran the exact same route, but it was 1 degree outside, and the sportsband said that I only ran 4.98 miles. Finally today, I again ran the same route, it was -5 outside, and the sportband said i only ran 4.90 miles. As you can see the drop in temperature and distance are in direct proportion. Therefore I can only assume the sportband does not like the cold. Well guess what? Neither do I, but I am out there running, so this cold-blooded thing is coming with me (it's strapped to my shoe).

I know that these modifications will certainly send you back to the drawing board, but I just know that you can do it. You made your first running shoe with a waffle iron for God's sake; I know you can take care of these small items. I sincerely hope you will consider these modifications when you come out with Nike+ sportband 2.0 (you can call it the Fulton version, if you'd like). If you require a test subject for the new version, I would be more than happy to volunteer. If you want to send along any other free schwag, I will do my best to oblige.

Yours Truly,

Brian

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2011-02-08T12:04:00.000-06:00

Scratch that; reverse it.

The Ugly:

Every single person in my house has been sick for the past week. Alaric started complaining of a stomach ache and proceeded to have a stomach virus problem for 3 days. I finally thought he was over it, and then he threw up on the floor of the kitchen Sunday morning. Amara started getting extremely crabby and needy, so we knew something was wrong, and then she started running a fever for the next 3 days. To top that one off, she started to get pink eye and we had to hold her down to give her the drops everyday. Katie had some sort of nasty head cold, which I am sure she caught from one of our children, that had her down and out over the weekend. Finally, I caught Alaric's stomach bug and was out of commission all weekend, and really did not even start to feel normal until Monday afternoon.

The Bad:

With all of this illness, it has been very difficult to exercise. I skipped walking over my lunch break on Friday and I skipped running on Saturday. I am hoping that the laps back and forth to the bathroom will compensate, not to mention the laps between our bedroom and the kids' in the night. Another problem is that I tend to eat like garbage when I am sick, even if I have a stomach problem. I have no real explanation for it, other than it usually makes me feel better for a short time.

The Good:

The kids are starting to feel better. Alaric went back to school this week, and Amara seems to be on the mend. Katie has also started to feel better and through it all continues to be the rock star Mom, wife, and operations manager for our household. I, too, have been feeling better and actually managed to lift weights yesterday and run this morning. I felt like I might die over the last half mile of my run this morning, but I did finish. And with all of our poor decisions on food and lack of exercise, Katie and I should each post a significant loss to our "weight watchers" group. I will probably lose another pound, or maybe 2, and Katie will probably post a 5-6 pound loss this week (Great work, baby!).

So all in all, it has been an eventful week at our house. I am glad that it is over, I hope it doesn't happen again for some time, and I am happy that it did not impede on our weight loss goals nor our healthy habits.

Holy crap, it is COLD!

2011-02-03T11:47:00.000-06:00

While some of the downstate missed out on the 2 feet of snow they got in Chicago, unfortunately we still have to suffer through the extreme cold that is following the storm. We did have the pleasure of about 2 inches of ice followed by 6 inches of snow, but after a day the snow plows in our little town managed to clear most of it off the roads.

When I woke up for my run this morning I was determined to not run on the treadmill. I checked weather.com and they had the temp at 2 degrees, but with wind chill, it felt like -10 degrees. I knew it was going to be tough, but how much worse does -10 feel than say 5 degrees out? The answer to that question is A LOT WORSE.

After my first half mile, I thought about packing it in and running on the treadmill, but I soldiered on. The next mile I ran was with the wind and it felt markedly better, but I knew I would have to face the wind again. I went on anyway. I could feel the icicles forming on my beard and I cinched the hood of my sweatshirt a little tighter around my face. When I headed back into the wind again, I think my right nostril started to get a little frostbite, aided by the constant drip flowing from my sinuses. However, I was beyond the point of no return.

I finished the 5 mile run and when it was over I realized two not-so-important things:

1. My Nike sportsband does not seem to like the cold weather. I ran a measured 5+ mile run, but the sportsband only registers a 4.6 mile run. I want my .4 miles back please.

2. Icicles hanging from your beard taste much better than icicles hanging from your nose. What's that all about?

Anyway, I sincerely hope the the weather makes a turn for the better very soon. I can't run on that stupid treadmill much more, and I would look pretty funny if the doctors had to amputate my right nostril.

A new month, a new challenge

2011-02-01T16:50:00.000-06:00

Recently I have mentioned my "weight watchers" group on several occasions. It is simply a group of friends and acquaintances that weigh in individually and report their findings to the whole group. We discuss our goals, successes and obstacles. We encourage one another, and most importantly keep each other accountable, which can be the most difficult part of losing weight alone. But as a group we have lost over 60 lbs! It is simply amazing!

The group is paying off on other dividends. Lisa, one of my weight loss partners, mentioned that she had a friend holding a friendly "biggest loser" competition in the month of February. The premise is again very simple, one pays $15 to join the competition and then at the end of the month there are two ways to win, either losing the greatest percentage of weight and/or logging the most miles running/walking/biking/ellipticalling. I am very excited to have another competition to keep me motivated and I think I have a good shot of winning some money.

As an overweight male, I have a good shot for the percentage half of the kitty; I have more weight to lose and men generally lose weight faster than females. However, there are other males in the competition, and there just might be a very motivated women in their ranks. For the mileage part of the competition, I have some experience on my side. I have been working out diligently for almost two years and now I run about 16 miles a week and walk another 6 miles per week. I only wish I could count my 90 minutes of strength work every week.

Any way you look at it I am very excited about participating in this competition. Thank you Lisa and Megan for inviting me to compete!

There is no next!

2011-01-27T12:00:00.000-06:00

My exercise and fitness have been going really well. My doctor got back to me on my blood work, and I showed improvements in all categories. He advised me to, "Keep up the good work." I have seen some great results with my weight loss, 18 pounds since late November, and I am getting very near to my weight loss goal.

So, I started thinking, "what's next?" When I reach my weight loss goal, can I start eating all those things I miss, like greasy cheeseburgers and chocolate malts? No, not if I want to keep my weight down and my liver healthy. Plus, those things don't make me feel as good as they used to. Can I start working out less? No, not if I want to keep the weight off and achieve all of the fitness goals and races that I have set for myself. And again, I like the way working out makes me feel. Can I sleep past 4:30am? No, not if I want to keep working out and spend valuable time with my family.

That is when I came to the realization that there is no next! I have chosen this new healthy lifestyle because of the way it makes me feel and the health that it gives to my body and mind. When I do reach my weight goals, I may miss a workout or two, but I am not going to plan for it and I am certainly not going to feel good about it. I may splurge on some of my favorite foods, but I am not going to do it with regularity because it sometimes it makes me sick. This is my new life, and I am going to cherish it. If I don't have a weight goal in mind, I will find new challenges. I will continue to perform in races and rides, and I hope to improve on my times and speeds. I may even branch out into some new adventures, things incorporating my health and fitness with other parts of my life or goals that I have.

Maybe part of me wishes that I could go back to living the way I used to, while still maintaining my health and fitness, but my past has shown me that is impossible. So I am happy about my choices to live a healthier life. I will stop concerning myself with what might be next, and worry more about what I am doing today.

Can cockroaches have heart attacks?

2011-01-25T10:57:00.000-06:00

So, I have these huge cockroaches at my work. It's no big deal, and it is not surprising being that I work in the basement of a very old building. What is surprising is the size of these things. It is not uncommon to find a roach 2 inches in length. Most often I see these things in or near the guys bathroom. I avoid them if possible and step on them rarely, as I really cannot stand the crunching sound under my foot. Today, as I strolled towards the urinal in the men's bathroom, I came across one of these huge roaches. Avoiding this thing was impossible, so I simply kicked the thing to the side and went about my business. The roach ended up on its back and start flailing and kicking its legs and antennas, frantically attempting to roll back on to its feet. Then suddenly it stopped. After I was done with my business, I strolled over to the thing to see if it was just trying to catch its breath. It wasn't trying to catch anything; it was dead. This got me to thinking, "Can cockroaches have heart attacks?"

Reading the sign above, I can only assume that roaches can get cancer, but a heart attack? And I know my particular roach was working really hard to get flipped back over, but it certainly didn't seem like enough effort to warrant a heart attack.

I do know that people can have heart attacks. There are several examples in my own family that I can point out. I went for an extra long run this morning and Katie got worried I might have had a "grabber" when I had not returned in my normal time. For a second I thought the idea absurd, but I do know better. During my bout with poor health the doctor's were very concerned that I might be having some heart trouble. Plus, no amount of physical fitness can change your genetic disposition. There are two recent examples of physically fit individuals that I have known to have heart attacks. One guy was out for his regular morning run, had a heart attack and only survived after the people who found him contacted emergency services and started immediate CPR. The other guy was a close friend of my family and the cousin to one of my very best friends. He was running the Bix 7 last year, had a heart attack and died. He wasn't much older then myself, and was probably in better shape than even I. Women are not immune either. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in America.

Thankfully, after a treadmill test and EKG my doctor's have given my heart a clean bill of health. Now it is up to me to continue to eat right, exercise, and make sure that I have regular check ups with my doctors. I encourage all of you to get your heart health checked, at the same time discuss a good exercise program with your doctor, and start eating healthier. I don't know if cockroaches have heart attacks, but I definitely know that people do, and no one wants to be found upside down, dead on the floor of the men's bathroom.

A Passing Grade?

2011-01-20T12:04:00.000-06:00

I went for some follow up blood work for my liver problems on Wednesday. I haven't even received the results, but I can tell you for sure that I am not 100%.

To prepare for the blood test, I had to fast for 12 hours. I did it overnight and that part was not much of a struggle. Following the blood draw, I grabbed some breakfast from Hardee's, because I was in a rush to get to work and I felt like a little splurge. Big mistake. Before I had even finished the meal, I started to feel some minor pain and discomfort from my liver area. I was not the kind of attack that used to send me to the ER; the pain intensity and duration were nowhere near as bad as I used to be. But it was noticeable and had me concerned/uncomfortable for a couple of hours. In fact, the lingering effects lasted through the entire day. No real pain to speak of, but a consistent "funny" feeling for the rest of the day.

I am very curious what the blood tests will say about my progress, and I had been feeling really good about the progress I had made. I am exercising more and eating better than I have in my entire life. I have lost 20 pounds since this whole thing started, and I really getting into good shape. But it seems as though my body was providing me with a reality check. Though I may be doing better, I am far from fully recovered. I guess I hope I am at least getting a passing grade!?

Speaking of grades, the weather gets an F! I ran outside this morning in 2 inches of snow because I could not fathom the idea of running on the treadmill again. It was not a lot of fun, and things are only supposed to get worse. The weatheman is calling for 2-3 more inches of snow followed by temps below zero and wind chills in the negative teens. At least it's not my turn to run tomorrow (I love you, honey!). I do have to consider how I will do my lunchtime walking, and more than likely I will walk indoors through the halls. I am not excited about the idea of speed walking through the halls around co-workers, but what the hell. It's better than losing a toe to frostbite.

Do it for Daddy!

2011-01-18T12:07:00.000-06:00

Often times I find myself wondering if I am a good father. Do I spend enough time with my kids? Am I too tough on my little ones? Am I a good example to them? All too often I focus on being a financial provider for my family, forgetting that there is so much more that a father needs to do. A big part of me starting to workout and eat healthy has been the hope that I will be around for my children for a very long time and that I will be an active participant in their lives for many years to come. I spend time playing Power Rangers and house with my kids. I make warm healthy meals for them everyday. But still I question if it is enough.

I know that a big part of parenting is being a participant and advisor in their activities. For me growing up, it was athletics. My father was the coach for many of my youth baseball teams, and we would often have conversations about the Bears. My father would take me to football, baseball, and basketball games, and he was a big influence and advisor for my athletic competitions throughout my life. I am sincerely trying to do the same for my kids. Both Alaric and Amara have been to Illini football, baseball, and basketball games with me and Katie. I will coach a second year of t-ball for Alaric this summer. Neither of my children show an overwhelming interest in traditional sports, and to be honest with you, I am fine with that. I want my children to be happy in whatever they do.

I have been extremely happy the influence that Katie and I have had on our children in terms of fitness. Both kids see us working out on a daily basis, giving them an understanding of exercise to stay fit. During the summer, we will all go for family bike rides, and I am very excited to have the kids riding on their own in the years to come. On several occasions, the family will have timed races. When we are inside of the house, we time each other with a stopwatch to see how fast they can run from the family room to the front door and back. In the summer we race to the neighbors sidewalk and back. And they are very enthusiastic about it, often arguing about whose turn it is to run. I am very encouraged by my children's enthusiasm for running.

I hope my children's excitement for exercise doesn't diminish. I hope I continue to be an example of health and exercise throughout their lives. I hope they will look back one day and see me as a positive influence in their lives. I hope I am a good father.

You are what you eat?

2011-01-13T07:56:00.000-06:00

If the saying "you are what you eat" is true, then I am probably a chicken, or a turkey, or possibly a vegetable. Any way you slice it, it doesn't bode well for me.

I was intrigued by some comments on another blog that I follow, as well as some of the emails from my "weight watchers" group. People are spending a lot of time talking about what foods they are eating, and I thought I might join in on the fun. I am a very serious creature of habit (one of the reasons that my unhealthy diet has been so difficult to break) and my diet does not change dramatically from day to day. However, this consistency does give me a pretty clear idea of my caloric intake on a daily basis.

For breakfast, I will typically have one of the following meals:

1. 2 egg white omelet with vegetables, turkey sausage and reduced fat cheese, one slice of toast with Smart Balance, and half of a banana

2. breakfast burrito with 2 egg whites, veggies, turkey sausage, reduced fat cheese and salsa in a whole wheat tortilla, and half of a banana

3. one serving of old fashioned oatmeal, turkey sausage and a whole banana

I used to eat a ton of whole eggs, but when I researched further I realized that egg yolks are full of cholesterol and fat. So I cut back to egg whites. They took some getting used to, but I really enjoy them now. The turkey sausage is much lower in fat, and is soooo much better than turkey bacon. Now, some research will tell you that eating a banana every day is too much sugar, but I recently tested low for potassium and I eat the banana for that particular mineral and hope that my exercise will burn off the excess sugar.

On the weekends, I will splurge and I usually make pancakes for the family. I have been trying to sneak in some whole wheat flour to make the batter, but I think the kids are catching on.

For morning snack I always eat a piece of fruit. Usually an orange, but occasionally an apple if the kids have left me any.

For lunch I almost always have a smaller portion of whatever we had for dinner the night before. For convenience, Katie and I plan our meals this way. If perhaps there are no leftovers from the night before, I will:

1. have a salad with low fat dressing. I usually add some diced lunch meat for protein, but I have to be careful because of the sodium.

2. on rare occasions have a slim fast shake. I am not real big on this as a main source of diet, but every once in awhile the limited calories and ease make for a good lunch.

3. on even rarer occasions I will have a cup of soup, but again I have to watch the sodium

Recently, for afternoon snack, I have been eating a protein bar. They are a little heavy on the calories, but usually provide me with the energy to make it through until dinner without over-snacking. Occasionally, I will eat some carrots or celery.

Dinners are by far the most creative meal of the day. Katie and I really try and mix things up with new dishes and old favorites. However, we almost always have a lean protein, vegetable, and good carbs. Regularly occurring dishes are:

1. Tacos with ground turkey and whole wheat tortillas

2. baked chicken breast, lightly breaded with a side of veggies or a side salad

3. pork chops, same as above

4. pork or chicken stir-fry

5. whole wheat pasta with ground turkey in the sauce and a side salad

The most important thing is portion control, and saving food over for lunch the next day has helped with that. If we eat everything for dinner, somebody is going to have to make a lunch and we just don't have time for that.

If we eat out (which we do with relative frequency), I try to stick to the same plan as at home (lean protein, veggie or salad, etc.). Occasionally, I will order a salad entree, but it usually has to look really good. Sometimes when I am out, because Katie and the kids don't like like them at home, I will order some red meat (sirloin) or fish (just about any).

None of this is to say that I don't splurge, I do. For example, last night Katie went to a meeting, and the kids and I had double stuf Oreos and milk. This was a tradition that Alaric and I started for "guys' night in", but we have included Amara as she has grown. I do try to keep my splurges infrequent, and I also try to do them on Friday or Saturday, giving myself enough time to burn them off before weigh-in Wednesdays.

So that is my diet in a nutshell (Also, I keep peanuts and cashews around for emergency situations), and if you are what you eat and if I eat healthy, then I guess I can live with that.

New Year, New Goals

2011-01-11T12:29:00.000-06:00

One of the great things about reporting my weight every week to a group of friends and family, is that it gives me some accountability to others. Not that I am letting them down if I gain any weight, but having to post the information every week to other people makes me think harder about what numbers I have to post. Therefore, I think harder about what I am eating and my exercise.

I hope the same can be said for posting some of my health and fitness goals for 2011. If I put these goals out into the world. i should be accountable that I actually achieve them. And though it seems a little tardy to be posting my New Year's resolutions, I really don't give a crap; there are only a couple people reading this anyway.

Weight Goals:

My new "weight watchers" group has been great. The accountability, encouragement, and advice have done wonders for my weight loss goals. As I move forward, I have 2 new goals in mind for weight loss:

1. I want to lose 10 more pounds by my birthday, March 10 (mark it on your calendars!). That would put me at my first goal weight, the same one I created nearly 2 years ago, but have yet to achieve.

2. I would like to lose 10 additional pounds by June 24. That is the first day of the Bike MS ride and I would really like to see how I ride being 40lbs lighter than last year (maybe I could have out-ridden that storm). I do not know if this is a weight that I can maintain, but I think it is worth a shot.

How am I going to lose all of this weight? I would like to see if I can run 500 miles and bike 1000 miles in 2011. If I can do that, I think the weight will take care of itself.

Race goals:

April- The Illinois Marathon Relay, Katie and I are running with my sister and her boyfriend. I am super excited about running this race. The distances will be tough, but the crowd and excitement around the race are second to none.

May- The Kirby Derby, I had a great time running this race last year and would love to do it again. I am still debating if I will run the 10K to try and break my time from last year, or running the 5K and really pushing my limits of speed to see how I do.

The Sangamon Valley Bike Ride, I finally got to do this ride last year and I had a great time, even with all of the rain and getting lost, etc. Probably will do 46 miles, unless the family rides along. I will definitely have to reconsider at that point.

(possible) The Soldier Field 10 mile, I am still back and forth on this one. I would have to drive to Chicago over the Memorial Day weekend, plus Amara's birthday is that Monday. But I definitely see this distance as a new challenge for the New Year and it is tough to beat a finish line at the 50yd line of Soldier Field!

June- The Bike MS: Tour de Farms, last year was my first year at this event. The rain completely changed the dynamic, but you can certainly see how great of an event this can be. Katie has even said that she would ride a bit this year! I am still anxious to see if I can ride 175 miles in 2 days.

November- Mahomet Public Library 5K, this is the first race Katie and I ever ran. I had to miss it last year because of illness, but I am very anxious to really burn up the course on this race!

You may notice a big gap from June to November with no events scheduled. I have looked around some and have found nothing that really fits into my schedule, nor my desire for a new challenge. The dates to the Tri-Illini next fall have not been announced, and that is a possibility, but unlikely if I cannot learn how to swim by then (I hear all you need is a good wetsuit). If anybody has any recommendations for other events, please feel free to let me know.

Blog goals:

You may have noticed a regularity to my posts since December. My goals for 2011 are to post 2 times a week (every Tuesday and Thursday). If I sneak another one in every now and again, great! But with my work, home, and fitness schedule, writing a post over my lunch break on my non-walking days is about my only option.

So, that is it! I have put my goals out into the world. Now, I just need to figure how to pay for all of it.

Return from Mars

2011-01-06T11:57:00.000-06:00

I had another absolutely great run this morning. In fact it was another personal best, 4.09 miles in 28:25! That is 6:57 per mile and a full 52 seconds faster than Tuesday, which was my former personal best. I have no idea where this new found speed has come from, but I have some sneaking suspicions:

1) Working around chemicals and magnetic radiation has somehow changed me into a SUPERhuman. While my son would find this extremely cool, I still have my doubts, as I have failed to levitate several times today and my x-ray vision seems to be on the fritz.

2) My watch battery is dying, and the stopwatch feature is counting the minutes much slower than actual time. This is just too depressing to think about. Plus, my new Nike+ sportband (Thank you, Grandma!) has served as confirmation.

3) (The definitive answer) In the immortal words of Mars Blackmon, "It's gotta be the shoes!"

With the gracious Christmas gifts of my sister and in-laws (Thank you!), I was able to purchase a brand new pair (cause buying just one would be silly) of running shoes. After long and heated debate, I settled on the Brooks Trance 9. Take a look:
Pretty sweet, huh?! When I arrived at the store,I was pretty sure that I was just going to get the same shoe that I had been running with for 2 years, the Asics Kayanu(sp?). It has been a great shoe for me, and I was completely comfortable with it. The salespeople were extremely knowledgeable, and were able to show me in graphic detail just how bad my flat feet are. But there was hope! They brought out 10 different pairs of shoes, in all kinds of shapes and sizes. As I was nearing the end we tried on the newest Asics, and I was immediately sold. It felt comfortable (or maybe just familiar) and there was little doubt that this would be my shoe again. But the salesperson had one more shoe for me to try on, the Trance. Grudgingly, I tried the shoe on, and was immediately taken aback. I didn't know how, but the Trance was actually more comfortable than the Asics. I ran on the treadmill for a couple of minutes and my life was completely changed. The Trance was going to be my new running shoe. The salesperson suggested that I try on one shoe of each the Trance and the Asics. So again I obliged, but only for a few seconds. I turned to the sales guy and said, "There is no doubt. The Trance is just more comfortable." I could not be happier with my decision! Not only are these shoes more comfortable, but they have tapped into some sort of "speed well" that has lied dormant for the past 2 years. Two personal bests down; sub-orbital flight to go!

Lastly, there is a (only slight) possibility that all of the hard work and weight loss (weighed in at 195 on Wednesday) has improved my runs times. But I am going to need to see a lot more empirical evidence before I am gonna believe that one.

Meteors and Rockets

2011-01-04T07:47:00.000-06:00

As I have stated in many previous posts, Katie and I run very early in the morning; waking up most days at 4:30am. I am usually on the road running by 5am (sometimes earlier, depending on my ability to move my bowels in the wee hours of the morning). In most any season, it is still dark out at this time. In the wintertime, such as it is, it is really dark out. And in the small town that I live in, you don't see much in these dark conditions. Occasionally, I pass by another runner, and usually the paper "boys" are out running their routes. But this morning I got to see something pretty rare, a shooting star!

I actually saw 2 shooting stars. The first one was while I was running on Kratz Road. I just caught a glimpse of it, and was initially very confused about what I had seen. I was literally thinking to myself, "What the hell was that?" I thought maybe it was a bat catching a reflection of the streetlight, until I realized there was no light that high in the sky. Little things like shooting stars and miscellaneous critters make my runs very entertaining. The second shooting star was while I was crossing Monticello Road on Chaucer. There was no doubt about this one, and it served as verification for the identity of the earlier sighting.

It was amazing that I was able to see anything at all, not because it was so dark, but because I was running so fast; I was flying. Seriously, I had my best run in probably 6 months. I ran 4.09 miles in 29:17. I could not believe it was happening. I ran a very strong first mile, but did not check my watch. No real reason other than I didn't want to feel defeated if what felt like a strong mile was really a weak one. I kept pushing pretty hard over the second mile, but things were going pretty easily, and I was feeling really good. Finally I looked at my watch, and I had done 2 miles in 14:23. I actually had to do a double take, just to be sure. I started to panic a little bit. I wasn't really sure why I was running so well, but I was having the run of the year! Over the next mile, my legs started to feel the pressure. A little ache in my hip (I blame the Ab Ripper X) and my quads were starting to burn, but I kept pushing. I was hoping for a 22 minute 3 miles, and was completely blown out of the water when I turned over 3 miles at 21:30. I figured the last mile plus was going to be tough, and it was. However, it also seemed to go pretty easily as I got more and more excited about my time. I put the hammer down (as much as a guy like me puts the hammer down) over the last quarter mile, and could not believe my eyes when I crossed my driveway. It was a great run and I am very excited still.

Now, I hope that transfers into some big weight loss, but overall I have kept things pretty even over the last couple weeks of the holidays. In fact, I think I will be weighing in at 195, which is exactly what I weighed on Dec. 23. Not bad if I do say so myself.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to a great year as I am.

I need a nap!

2010-12-23T07:51:00.001-06:00

I made it!!!! 195 pounds this morning!!! Now I did have to use my fail safe. When I woke up and weighed in I was 196, but after a 5 mile run outside (finally ran outside again!) I snuck in under the wire at 194 and some change. I cannot believe that I did it.

I thought after completing such a tremendous fete I would feel exhilarated, but in all honesty I am exhausted. I ran 18 miles over the past 3 days, and that is not including Monday's ramped up workout. I am also fighting a bit of the stomach flu that has ravaged our household for the past few days, and I am just beat.

I think after I get some rest I might feel better about the accomplishment, and I am very excited about getting a jump start on fighting the holiday bulge. Winning something in the fatcyclist competition could certainly help make me feel better. But for now I just really need a nap.

I get off of work today at noon, and do not return until Jan. 3 (SWEET!). In the meantime, we have several holiday festivities that will make working out difficult, if not entirely impossible. If I continue to watch what I eat, I should be able to maintain this weight into the new year, when I can really start dropping some pounds.

Merry Christmas to all, and may your New Year be happy and healthy!

Run, Brian, Run!

2010-12-21T11:17:00.000-06:00

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I was participating in a contest on www.fatcyclist.com to lose 10 lbs before Christmas. If a person loses 10 lbs before Christmas they are entered into a drawing to receive some really cool prizes from the website, including a new hybrid bike from Trek and some other really cool biking gear/miscellaneous items. The competition has been a constant reminder to watch what I am eating over the busy holiday season and for the most part it has definitely helped me to avoid the holiday bulge. Initially, I thought it would be easy for me, but multiple holiday parties and get-togethers have served as meaningful obstacles to my goal. On Monday morning, after a weekend celebrating Christmas with my family, I weighed in at 201 lbs. A little disappointing because I slipped back over 200 again, and additionally challenging because I was 6 lbs from my goal weight of 195 for Thursday morning.

The good news is that Thursdays have consistently been my best weigh in days; typically slightly better than my Wednesday weigh-ins with my "weight watchers" group. The weekends have been brutal for my weight, but I can usually recover during the week. So I have that going for me. Which is nice.

But timing alone was not going to solve the 6 lb issue. So, I have also decided to ramp up my workouts. I ran an extra 3 miles on Sunday. I ran for 30 minutes on the treadmill yesterday, lifted weights for another 30 minutes, and then walked for another 30 minutes over my lunch hour. This morning I ran 6 miles and I plan to walk another 30 minutes over my lunch hour (it might just be nice to stretch out my legs after that run this morning). Tomorrow I will replay the Monday routine, 30 min. run, 30 min. lift, 30 min. walk. And hopefully by Thursday morning I will be golden.

It already seems to be working. When I weighed in this morning, I was at 198 and some change. I do have another fail safe. I lose a tremendous amount of weight while running, probably in water weight. As I said, I weighed 198+ this morning before my run. After running 6 miles, stripping my clothes, and toweling off, I weighed 196+. So if I don't hit the mark prior to Thursday run, I am sure I can hit it afterwards.

To do all of this extra running I have had to wake up a little earlier, 4am instead of 4:30am. Katie asked a couple of times this week already what I was doing. And maybe it seems a little crazy to her and probably others, but really it is just a few days of punishment for the possible reward of significant weight loss and some really cool schwag.

Wish me luck; I will let everyone know how I do on Thursday!

Observations from Hell

2010-12-16T12:00:00.000-06:00

Update on my health: I went to Iowa City on Tuesday to follow up on some tests that were ran in November. All the test for biliary dysfunction came back negative. The doctor explained that all other blood tests and indications lead him to believe that have fatty liver disease. He advised me to continue to lose weight, eat less fatty foods, stop taking Tylenol, and drink less alcohol. I will abide by his advice as best as I can. I may still have the occasional burger, and most definitely will have a beer from time to time. However, I will moderate both of these with more discretion.

When I woke up this morning determined to run outside, I noticed that it had snowed 3 inches and running on the streets would be nearly impossible. So I was resigned to run on the treadmill (or better known as Satan's plaything) once again. While I run on the treadmill, I watch Sportscenter. As I stated in my last post, watching is one thing, but hearing the show over the noise of the machine is nearly impossible. So I am forced to make up the commentary to the show just by what I see on the screen. And maybe not commentary as much as mental observations of of the visual stimulus. Here are a few of my observations:

1. The 2 guys in the new BMW commercial could not look more Aryan. Seriously, they look like German soldiers from WWII films. They are both tall with blond hair and blue eyes. Wouldn't a German car company be wise to avoid this stereotype as much as possible?

2. Though a much better player, Joakim Noa is the ugliest player in the NBA since James Edwards of the Detroit Pistons in the late 80's. Actually, I see some physical resemblance between the two. Enough that I think a paternity test is warranted.

3. Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb are hated by more back up quarterbacks than anybody else in the world. It is time for both of these gentlemen to pack it in.

4. The Boston/New York game and the San Antonio/whoever game were both settled with last minute shots. And in both games the shooter pushed off before hitting the shot. I hate it when the refs put the whistle in their pocket to end the game. A foul is a foul no matter when it happens; blow the darn whistle.

5. Ohio State has a better basketball team than Duke does, yet Duke remains to be the unanimous number one team in the country. This situation completely typifies my disgust with the ranking systems in college basketball. The entire college press is so enamored with Duke that it clouds their better judgement. And don't even get me started with the commercials during March Madness. How that is not a recruiting violation I will never know!

6. Kobe Bryant was not mentioned in today's Sportscenter until the second half hour of the show. Which I find completely amazing, because since moving the show to LA, all things LA are pushed to the forefront. In fact, I think Mark Sanchez owes Sportscenter millions of dollars for bumping up his draft stock when they covered this one particular Southern Cal player everyday for the two weeks leading up to the draft. It was pathetic!

...and I really like this show. Imagine if I had to watch Oprah while I ran on that damned thing!

Treadmills...by Satan

2010-12-14T08:59:00.001-06:00

For those that are not aware, it is frighteningly (after spelling that word, I am questioning if it really is a word) cold outside. When I got up today for my run, I checked the weather. It was 4 degrees actual with a wind chill of -9 degrees. While I have dressed for similar conditions recently, I was not sure that I was up for it today, and had truly resigned to running indoors as of last night. So it was with great anticipation (sarcasm!) that I jumped on our family treadmill.

We got our treadmill at a garage sale in town for $75. That was 3 years ago and darn thing continues to operate as it should. When I started working out a couple of years ago, I solely walked/ran on said treadmill every morning. It wasn't until May 2009 that I actuially ventured out-of-doors to run for my cardio workouts. Since that time, I have wondered why I ever ran on a treadmill at all.

Please do not get me wrong. The treadmill does have its good points. Take this morning for example: the treadmill saved me from freezing to death on a 4 mile run outside. But overall, running on a treadmill seems like some devious form of torture. I am pretty sure Dante wrote about sinners running on a treadmill in the fourth circle of hell in the Inferno. A person runs and runs and runs and they go absolutely nowhere. At least you get to watch TV, right? Sure you get to watch TV, but good luck trying to hear the damn thing. You have never seen me so confused as I am trying to decifer what Brett Favre is bitching about on Sportscenter, while I can see that he has his hands down his pants (taking more pictures of his junk?) for most of last night's game. When I run for 30 minutes outside, time seems to go by relatively quickly. When I run for 10 minutes on a treadmill, I feel like I have aged 40 years and need to shave the hair growing out of my ears.

I really hope that the weather settles down in the next couple of weeks; I just don't know how much more I can take of that treadmill.

See ya later, 200! I hope I never see you again!

2010-12-09T12:49:00.000-06:00

Work is killing me right now, so I only have a couple of minutes for this post. The big news...I weighed 199lbs this morning!!!!!! I am so excited. Breaking the 200 pound barrier had been a big goal of mine for awhile. When I weighed in for the support group on Wednesday I was hoping to see a sub-200 number. Sadly, I didn't make it on Wednesday, but I worked hard all day long and low and behold, I made it this morning!

There are a couple of problems with all of this. First, I don't know that I really weigh under 200 lbs. Our scale is old and often weighs lighter than other scales. Especially the doctor's scale, which sometimes can add 7 pounds to my girth. Second, it is going to be extremely difficult to stay below 200 lbs in the next couple of weeks. I have an office party on Friday, 2 parties plus a beer tasting this weekend, I am on the road all day on Tuesday, and then several successive family holiday gatherings. Good, delicious, fatty food will be readily available at all functions, and nothing packs on the pounds like a few brews. I am nervous! However, I am more acutely aware of my eating than I have ever been in my life. I really want to keep losing weight, even during the holidays. I hope this motivation is enough to dissuade my urge to pig out!

Time is up. Gotta go.

Just Do It!

2010-12-07T12:03:00.000-06:00

I remember when Nike came out with the slogan, "Just Do It!". I remember that the slogan stuck with me; I even stenciled it on a project in shop class. There is certainly the marketing aspect of the slogan, which has often times steered me towards the Nike brand, but there is a deeper meaning to the words, and I have always understood it. No excuses, no fear, no more "I'm gonna try", just get your butt out there and do it already!

I think about those words when I hear people complain about working out. I thought about those words last night, when my Dad said I was crazy for even thinking about running outside in single digit temps. I could think of a hundred reasons why I shouldn't work out, the good thing is I only need this one simple reason I should.

Check out this video:

Do these pants make me look fast?

2010-12-02T02:50:00.000-06:00

I weighed in with my support group yesterday; 201 lbs, down 2 lbs since last week. I am very excited because this past weigh in included the Thanksgiving holiday. I was disciplined throughout and managed to lose some weight. Yippee!

I went for a 4 mile run this morning. When I got up the wind chill was 16 degrees. For those who don't know, that is freaking cold. I geared up with some lined workout pants and a sweatshirt, and it all worked well. But the whole time I was dressing for conditions, I was thinking to myself, "I really could use one of those nice running jackets, with the reflective stripes and slot for my iPod." The whole run and much of today I have been thinking about "things" I would like for fitness gear. I signed up on another website to possibly win a bicycle jersey, and last week I was talking to Katie about these sunglasses that have interchangeable lens for bike riding. I know it's Christmas time and that really seems to put everybody in the consumer mindset, but sometimes it is depressing to think about how much stuff I think I need to get fit.

And that is the crux of the matter. I don't need any of these things to get fit. I was born with everything I need to run. But something inside of me tells me that if I had these shoes, or this jacket, or that HR monitor, that somehow I would be faster or the experience would be better. I can ride any bike with 2 wheels to get fit, but if I had a carbon fiber, lighter than air road machine I would be so much more fit, right? My parents basement has an old DP rowing machine and Airodyne exercise bike in it collecting dust. Millions of other folks have nordic tracks rotting away in their homes.

And suddenly I realized something...working out sucks! It is difficult. It is hard to get up at 4:30 every morning to work out. Running in sub-freezing temps is not fun. Biking on a heavy ass steel frame is demoralizing. But no piece of equipment or attire is going to change all of these things. But I do feel better having lost weight. I like having goals of losing more weight. I like the idea of being healthier. It makes me happy to look at my skinny wife. And maybe for me all of the latter NEEDS outweigh the former ones...

...but Santa, I still WANT those sunglasses with the interchangeable lens.

Back in the Saddle Again!

2010-11-30T14:32:00.000-06:00

Holy cow! It has been almost 2 whole months since I posted to the blog. I have plenty of excuses, mostly related to available time or lack thereof, but I really don't want to hear them either. Instead, I will spend some time updating everyone on my health and fitness status (What a concept!)

Update on my health: I have been going to Iowa City to see a specialist in biliary dysfunction. We had thought for sure that there was something wrong with my pancreas, bile ducts, the area formally known as my gall bladder. Alas, all tests have come back negative. Yet I continue to have some elevated liver enzymes during my blood tests. No one seems too concerned, as though this may be a life threatening situation, but the specialist (and others) have suggested taking care of my liver. They have recommended losing some of my belly fat, eating foods lower in fat and cholesterol, and avoiding any alcohol. I am starting back with some visits to my primary physician. I am going to ask a few questions about other tests, possibly a liver biopsy, and see what he thinks about supplements such as milk thistle to aid in the regeneration of the liver. (Apparently, the liver is the only organ in the human body that can actually regenerate healthy cells.)

Update on my fitness: So keeping the doctor's recommendations in mind, I have set out to finally, really, truly lose the weight I have been talking about. I have gone to a low fat diet. I am back to turkey sausage, egg whites, and other foods pretending to taste good. I have rededicated myself to my workouts, even extending some of my runs to 4 and 5 miles. While still lifting weights, only heavier and more often, 3 times a week. I have also began walking 2 miles during my lunch hour 3 times a week. I have even recruited a few friends and family to participate with me. Every week, a few of us our weighing in and sharing that figure to the group. We are discussing our weight loss goals, complaining of the difficulties,and sharing ideas and support. It's like weight watchers, without the weekly fee and all the advertising. So far it has worked pretty well. I think everybody has lost at least a couple of pounds, and others have lost a small child. I am down 5 lbs (starting at 208) and feeling really good about my numbers for this week. I have also committed to losing 10lbs before Christmas on one of my favorite blogs, http://www.fatcyclist.com/. Check out the challenge here. I figured losing 10 lbs before Christmas was not a bad idea, and why not commit to a challenge where you have a chance to win some pretty cool biking gear.

So that's my story in a nutshell. What have the rest of you been up to?

One more thing, I know the doctor is smart and everything, but there was no way that I could continue to live without the occasional beer (or 6). So, while I am drinking much more infrequently than I used to, I still sneak in a malty beverage. I am human after all!

My friends Tigger and ...

2010-10-06T05:22:00.000-05:00

A quick update on my health: I don't know much. I have had scopes crammed down and through every place on my body. I have had enough radiation from x-rays and scans to give me cancer, and enough blood drawn to feed Dracula for month. And the end result is they can't find anything wrong with me. Yet, I continue to have the "attacks" that sent me to the doctor's in the first place. My doctor is leaning to a diagnosis of IBS, yet both he and I are uncomfortable with that diagnosis for a couple of reasons. First, the suddenness of the onset (it basically started one day in August), and second, the acuteness of the attacks (they are quick to come on and sometimes severe enough to send me to the ER). So while I wait for some radiology results about a possible swollen spleen (neither he nor I are real worried about this, it is probably a result of all the testing), the doctor and I agreed that a second opinion was needed, but it seems that I can't get in to see the second doctor until Dec. 16, and lord only knows how long of a process that will be after more consultation, more testing, and more results and diagnosis. Honestly, I am kind of tired about talking about it. So I thought I would write a post of a lighter nature.

So during all of my health concerns I have not worked out much; maybe walking on the treadmill every so often. After some exhausting and fruitless weeks with the doctors, I decided to start working out last week. I have been taking it easy, running only a 2 to 2.5 miles at a time, and dropping the weight on my strength workouts. And it has gone pretty well. I lost all the weight I gained with not working out (209 lbs. this morning; it is weigh-in Wednesday). And it feels good to be out trying to do normal things again. Now for the funny part...

(Warning: if you are sensitive details of bodily functions, read no further and take second to think about if you take things a little too seriously)

I was out for my morning run at 5am on Tuesday. It was dark and cold out. The morning was very quiet; I could hear the hum of the street lights. I had just finished my first mile (8:10, not bad) and was turning back north on Buchanan, when suddenly I heard it...nature was calling, and it was an emergency!

Just to give you a little history, in a former life I was as regular as the mail. In the past typically, I would spend 5-10 minutes in the morning relieving myself of any discomfort before heading out for a run or workout. Occasionally, I would be surprised by a second bout of discomfort while I was out on a run, but that always occurred quickly, and I am fortunate enough to have a Hardee's open at 5am within the first half-mile of my run. I can stop in there real quick and the good thing is the bathrooms are in the foyer, so I do not have to really enter the building to use their facilities. Now, some people think that it is disrespectful to use the bathroom of a retail establishment without buying something from said establishment. I, however, do not subscribe to this particular moral. But I digress...a drawback to my current health situation is a lack of regularity. It's not that I am constipated all the time, though that is the case occasionally. The real problem is that I never know when I am going to have to go, and sometimes the urge to go comes on very quickly. The other day I was walking into work (I have to park some 10 blocks away from my building) and the urge cam on so fast and so feverishly that I had to run into one the building that I pass by and use their restroom. Other times I feel like it takes a few hours for my bowels to really wake up, then when they do...watch out!

So anyway, I woke up this past Tuesday morning, went through my normal routine of getting dressed, turning on Sportscenter, stretching, and making an attempt to cleanse my colon. Nothing doin'. I tried and tried, but nothing was to come. I figured everything was cool and I could hit the road running. The thought did cross my mind that the situation could get dyer, especially as I passed Hardee's in the first half-mile and still didn't have to go. And then it hit me, just like I said at the top of the story. The onset of this urge was quick and the desire to relieve myself was growing vigorously. I immediately planned the quickest route to Hardee's in my head (down Buchanan, left on Livingston, across the post office parking lot and I am there). But the urge kept rising. I am not sure if you all know this, but it is very difficult to run with your butt cheeks clinched like a vice. However, the thought of not running and taking longer to get to my goal was excruciating. It is sad to admit, but the thought of stopping and pooping in some one's yard crossed my mind more than once. It was sheer willpower and the thought of having to move from town if I was caught (I hate moving, it is my least favorite thing next to classical music performances) that kept me going.

Finally, I could see it; the door of Hardee's was near. As I reached the door, I grabbed the handle...the urge surging up deep inside of me...I pulled and.........it was LOCKED!

Just kidding! It was open. I did my business, did not buy anything (don't worry moralists, I spend plenty of money at Hardee's, just not while I am running), and finished my run. The end is lacking in excitement, but I am telling you the build up was palpable. Easily the most exciting 5-7 minutes of my week so far.