And Life Takes Over

So I have been running very little the last few weeks, as you may have already noticed. Mostly due to my personal life getting in the way. I have decided to drop to a half marathon distance and complete that for the Seattle Marathon instead of the full. Mostly as I haven't been all that great at my training routine as late, and feel that I need a bit more before I go ahead and do this. I am excited to do the half-marathon though, and plan on continuing my training to to a full marathon next October in Portland....which is better for first time marathoners anyway.

Training - Week 14 Day 1

Today was a slow run. I have been slacking off a bit lately and needed to get started again. Today was an 8 miler. I averaged nearly 11:30 the entire run. It seemed very long today, and it rained for the later half of the run. I am feeling a bit better now though.

Stats:
HR - 157/165
Mile 1 - 11:15/5.3
Mile 2 - 11:12/5.4
Mile 3 - 11:28/5.2
Mile 4 - 11:30/5.2
Mile 5 - 11:38/5.1
Mile 6 - 11:54/5.0
Mile 7 - 11:38/5.2
Mile 8 - 11:36/5.2
Mile 8.05 - 0:36/3.5
Weight - 180
Pain - None

Training - Week 13 Day 2

Sprints today. It was very cold this morning. As I didn't realize just how cold it was until after I started my run, I decided to do a short run and sprint a bit. My hands were hurting it was so cold. Ill dress warmer tomorrow. As a result, I only ran 2 miles. But I ran them very fast.....for me.

Stats:
HR - 154/169
Mile 1 - 10:23/5.8
Mile 2 - 8:56/6.9
Mile 2.02 - 0:17/4.1
Weight - 180
Pain - Hands hurt due to cold....Brrr.

Training - Week 13 Day 1

Easy 5 Miler scheduled for today. I had no issues with the run. I had a little ache in my right ankle early on, but when I got warmed up it was no issue. I ran about 11:00/mile today, although it wasn't as hard as a tempo probably should have been. I needed a bit of a recovery run after the long run this weekend. I am just glad my knee pain went away before today's run.

My Stats:
HR - 153/166
Mile 1 - 11:05/5.4
Mile 2 - 10:46/5.6
Mile 3 - 11:00/5.4
Mile 4 - 10:52/5.6
Mile 5 - 10:54/5.5
Mile 5.1 - 1:16/3.5
Weight - 182
Pain - None

Training - Week 12 Day 2 - Long Run

I was sick most of this week, so I didn't do all my runs. The good news is that I got back to my long run this weekend. I ran 16 miles today. A distance record for me for sure. I even sustained a good pace considering the distance. I took 2 brief breaks (Mile 7 and 12) to down some Gu and refill my water. Of course, after the run my legs were burning. I believe I am definitely challenging my lactic acid threshold a bit these days, as I was about limping when I got in to my house after the run. A 15 minute ice bath did the trick though, and my legs feel much better. Total run time was 3:07:30.

At this pace, I should finish the Seattle Marathon in about 5 to 5.5 hours. Not that I care, as finishing it without my legs falling off is my main goal.

Stats:
HR - 156/169
Mile 1 - 11:08/5.4
Mile 2 - 10:52/5.5
Mile 3 - 10:52/5.5
Mile 4 - 10:54/5.5
Mile 5 - 11:08/5.4
Mile 6 - 11:12/5.3
Mile 7 - 12:08/4.9
Mile 8 - 11:14/5.3
Mile 9 - 11:14/5.4
Mile 10 - 11:24/5.3
Mile 11 - 11:28/5.3
Mile 12 - 13:32/5.2
Mile 13 - 11:20/5.3
Mile 14 - 11:28/5.2
Mile 15 - 11:36/5.2
Mile 16 - 11:20/5.3
Mile 16.25 - 4:48/3.2
Weight - 180
Pain - None

Training - Week 12 Day 1

Had to miss my long run this weekend again. My oldest boy couldn't come up to visit me, but my youngest one did. As my youngest one is not old enough to stay by himself, and I didn't have a babysitter handy, I couldn't go running Saturday or Sunday morning. When I got home Sunday evening from my day's activities, it was a bit too late to do a 3 hour run. I will do it this weekend, though. the full 16 miles.

Suffice it to say, I did my short run this morning. I picked up the pace a bit too. It was a 5 mile run today, and I made decent time. I finished the whole run in 55 minutes, including cool down. I am feeling pretty good afterwards as well.

Stats:
HR - 155/168
Mile 1 - 10:44/5.6
Mile 2 - 10:34/5.6
Mile 3 - 10:54/5.5
Mile 4 - 10:40/5.6
Mile 5 - 10:14/5.8
Mile 5.12 - 2:07/3.4
Weight - 180
Pain - None

Training - Week 11 Day 3

I had an Easy run again today. Supposed to be 4 miles, but as I felt pretty good I ran an extra mile for a total of 5. I did that in about an hour, my normal pace. I was lost in thought again during the run, and time passed amazingly quickly. And as usual, I am feeling great after the short run.

My Stats:
HR - 152/162
Mile 1 - 11:03/5.4
Mile 2 - 11:10/5.4
Mile 3 - 11:26/5.2
Mile 4 - 11:32/5.2
Mile 5 - 11:22/5.2
Mile 5.1 - 1:54/3.1
Weight - 176
No pain

Training - Week 11 Day 2

6 miles scheduled for today. I had a little trouble motivating myself this morning, but got out nonetheless. I was focused during my run, but not really on running. I spent most of the run lost in thought. Either way, I went out pretty slow today, not trying to push it too much, and enjoyed today's run thoroughly.

Stats:
HR - 153/166
Mile 1 - 11:05/5.4
Mile 2 - 11:16/5.4
Mile 3 - 11:10/5.4
Mile 4 - 11:18/5.3
Mile 5 - 11:30/5.2
Mile 6 - 11:34/5.2
Mile 6.1 - 1:30/3.4
Weight - 179
Pain - None

Training - Week 11 Day 1

I needed a bit of recovery last week, so I took some time off to rest. I only ended up running twice last week, including missing my long run. Now I know it isn't going to kill me and probably will help me that I did so, but the guilt is there nonetheless. Suffice it to say, I did go out this morning and did a tempo run. I ran 4 miles under a 10:15 pace. I know today's run will be an energizing one and I will likely feel terrific the rest of the day. That is why I just love the short runs. I finished up today in 44 minutes, including the cool down. I plan on running my normal schedule this week, including the 14 mile run Saturday.

Stats:
HR - 158/176
Mile 1 - 10:09/5.9
Mile 2 - 9:44/6.1
Mile 3 - 10:10/5.9
Mile 4 - 10:16/5.8
Mile 4.2 - 3:41/3.1
Weight - 180
Pain - None

Training - Week 10 Day 2

I headed out to the trail this morning and decided to do a tempo run today. I have been running quite slow the last few weeks, and figured I needed to pick things up a bit. Especially as I missed one of my runs this week.

I ran 4 miles in about 41 minutes, averaging just about 10:30 a mile. I met another jogger along the way and jogged with him having a pleasant chat for about half a mile, but he was running a bit faster than even I felt comfortable doing for an extended period, so our conversation was brief. All in all, it was a great workout and I now feel energized for the day.

Stats:
HR - 156/167
Mile 1 - 10:40/5.6
Mile 2 - 10:12/5.8
Mile 3 - 10:40/5.7
Mile 4 - 10:08/5.9
Mile 4.1 - 1:55/3.4
Weight- 181
Pain - None

Training - Week 10 day 1

It has been such a nice summer that I nearly forgot that I lived in Seattle. It rains in Seattle. A lot. Seemed like most of it fell on me during my run this morning. I did 6 miles. Taking an extra rest day yesterday helped the motivation, although the rain didn't help it much. I did get to try out my new fancy winter running clothes, that like everything else is now soaked and clinging to my cold body as I write this.

The run went pretty smoothly. I completed it in 1:12:45, which included a cool-down walk at the end. Not too bad for 10K. I ran between a 10:30 and 11:30 pace this morning, speeding up the last 2 miles.

Stats:
HR - 150/169
Mile 1 - 11:33/5.2
Mile 2 - 11:22/5.3
Mile 3 - 11:34/5.2
Mile 4 - 11:28/5.2
Mile 5 - 11:18/5.3
Mile 6 - 10:32/5.6
Mile 6.25 - 5:05/2.9
Weight - 180
Pain - None

Training - Week 9 Day 3 - Long Run

I was pretty intimidated by the distance of today's run all week. I had 14 miles to do today, and I remembered how tired I was after the half-marathon a couple of weeks ago, as well as the leg pain I had last weekend, and was a bit worried about making the distance. All during the run today, I used mental and verbal affirmations to help me get through the run, which after all that worry, really wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be.

I completed the distance in 2:49 and had a bit of leg pain again after the run, but that was quickly taken care of with an ice bath. I didn't have any major pain running, although my right leg quadriceps was aching a bit at the end. I figured with that distance it was to be expected. So all in all, a great run, and a new long distance PR for me.

Stats:
HR - 148/154
Mile 1 - 10:51/5.5
Mile 2 - 11:00/5.5
Mile 3 - 11:16/5.3
Mile 4 - 11:22/5.3
Mile 5 - 11:30/5.2
Mile 6 - 11:50/5.1
Mile 7 - 12:02/5.0
Mile 8 - 13:30/4.9
Mile 9 - 11:54/5.0
Mile 10 - 12:04/5.0
Mile 11 - 12:00/5.0
Mile 12 - 12:22/4.8
Mile 13 - 12:18/4.9
Mile 14 - 12:04/4.8
Mile 14.1 - 1:43/4.8
Mile 14.2 - 1:47/3.2
Weight - 180
Pain - Right leg ache at end of run.

Training - Week 9 Day 2

6 miles scheduled today. I woke up this morning feeling ok, and then I looked outside. It seemed as though someone turned on the faucet out there, and as I haven't seen rain in about 4 months, I wondered what it was. Now as I live in Seattle, I am sure this is just the first of many reminders of what it is like, but as I was a bit skiddish today about getting my tootsies damp, I headed to the dreadmill.

I so much prefer the road.

The run went smoothly, even though I felt like a kid in a classroom watching for the 3pm bell to ring so I can go home. The run dragged on and on, which for a 75 minute run, is makings for a bit of a long run. To this day I cannot seem to be interested in watching TV or anything while I am running. The best I can do to pass the time is listen to music. Oh well. I did my 6 miles, and added a bit more for a cool down. No pain today aside from early stiffness in my legs. Overall, a productive run.

Stats:
HR - 156/169
Mile 1 - 12:47/4.8
Mile 2 - 11:32/5.2
Mile 3 - 11:34/5.2
Mile 4 - 11:18/5.2
Mile 5 - 11:32/5.2
Mile 6 - 11:36/5.2
Mile 6.3 - 5:57/2.9
Weight - 179
Pain - None

Training - Week 9 Day 1

I decided last night to go get a massage. I had a 60 minute sport massage focused on my legs and lower back. Man I felt wonderful after that.

This morning I headed out to the local river trail to do another early run. It is starting to get a little lighter early, and the moon was out full, so the trail was pretty lit up today. I really focused on trying to have a smooth easy focused run, and worked a bit on my form today. I also tried a couple of mental techniques during the run designed to help me achieve a flow about my running. I must say, that it worked like a champ, and before I knew it, my 4 miles was done and I was feeling great. The long runs wear me down a bit, but these short runs, charge me right up.

Stats:
HR - 143/161
Mile 1 - 11:49/5.0
Mile 2 - 11:34/5.2
Mile 3 - 11:32/5.2
Mile 4 - 11:18/5.3
Mile 4.1 - 2:02/3.3
Weight - 178
Pain - None

Training - Week 8 Day 4 Long Run

I usually do this run on Saturday morning, but I wasn't feeling all that up to running in the rain yesterday morning. So instead, I slept in and took an extra rest day. This morning, I didn't feel all that up to running either, but by about 2pm the guilt started talking to me. So I headed out for a run, thinking I would decide when I got out there how far I would go. I ran 12 miles in about 2:30:00 and with the exception of a couple of restroom breaks, I ran the whole thing.

After the run, I stretched some and headed home, and on my way home, my legs started burning and hurting. So in to the cold bath I went, which did the trick. It may not be the most comfortable thing to take a cold bath, but my legs feel 100% better. Good run today. Ill do next weekend's long run in the morning, however, when it is cool out, as I was really really hot on the run today.

Stats:
HR - 157/167
Mile 1 - 11:08/5.4
Mile 2 - 11:24/5.3
Mile 3 - 11:44/5.2
Mile 4 - 12:00/5.0
Mile 5 - 11:50/5.1
Mile 6 - 11:59/5.0
Mile 7 - 12:04/5.0
Mile 8 - 13:24/4.8
Mile 9 - 12:04/4.9
Mile 10 - 13:08/4.7
Mile 11 - 12:00/5.0
Mile 12 - 12:06/5.0
Mile 12.1 - 1:11/5.1
Mile 12.2 - 1:33/3.1
Weight - 180
Pain - None during run, burning and leg pain after until cold bath soak.

12 Mile Picture

The 12 Mile Mark. I was struggling to finish here.

Finish Line Picture

Finish Line.

Half-Way Picture

This was at the half way mark, running through the University of Washington Bothell Campus.

Training - Week 8 Day 3

I have a ton of stuff to do today. And of course, want to get my run in early and quickly. So what do I do, I wake up, drag my heals, run slow, and feel more rushed than ever. I ran today on the river trail again, with my orthotics in place. I had a bit of right hip pain just after starting, but after walking about 50 feet, I was able to get back to my morning run without any pain. Today was an easy, slow 4 miles. I completed it in about 50 minutes.

Stats:
HR - 140/150
Mile 1 - 12:12/4.9
Mile 2 - 11:42/5.1
Mile 3 - 11:53/5.0
Mile 4 - 11:54/5.1
Mile 4.15 - 1:41/5.0
Mile 4.2 - 1:04/3.4
Weight - 179
Pain - Right hip pain at start of run. Short walk eased it.

Training - Week 8 Day 2

I have been breaking in a pair of orthotics now for about 2 weeks, but under the advice of my doctor, I have yet to run in them. Today was the first day I tried running with the orthotics in. I decided to run on the treadmill in case if it screwed up my feet or knees, I wouldn't have to walk home all that far. Overall, I say they worked just fine. I felt pretty good running in them.

I must tell you that I really am starting to hate running on the treadmill. It sure makes for a long slow run. I ran 5 miles today, and it took just about an hour to finish it up, including the cooldown. The orthotics caused me no issues at all, although I am a bit more tired than I usually am after 5 miles. That is either due to me adjusting to the orthotics, or that I am still recovering from the half marathon I ran on Monday.

Suffice it to say, it was a good run, albeit a bit boring. I tolerated it pretty well and had no pain whatsoever.

Stats:
HR - 158/170
Mile 1 - 11:12/5.4
Mile 2 - 11:08/5.5
Mile 3 - 10:54/5.5
Mile 4 - 10:50/5.6
Mile 5 - 10:52/5.5
Mile 5.3 - 5:06/3.1
Weight - 178
Pain - None

Race Results

Not that I was planning on winning or anything, but the official race reasults were posted here.

Here is how I fared:

Place	Div/Tot	Bib #	Name	Age	City/state	Gun Time	Pace
532	186/198	582	Paul M	38	Redmond WA	2:20:48.5	10:45

My friend placed third overall on the walk, where I placed 532nd on the run. I am just happy to finish, however.


Paul

Super Jock-N-Jill Half Marathon

Well, I did it. I completed my first half marathon. And in 2 hours 20 minutes. Which is about 20 minutes faster than I planned on finishing. My friend went with me and finished his half marathon walk as well.

There were quite a few people there, as I expected this to be a relatively small race, which by comparison it is. There seemed to be about 3000 people or so. At 9:00 AM, the half-run started. I was lined up at the 11:00 minute pace mark, and expected to trudge along at that pace quite well. After about 10 minutes, when I passed my first mile, I realized I was going way too fast. I tried to slow my pace down, but once you start setting a rhythm with your running, it is hard to slow down. Instead of running with my heart rate under 150 the entire run, I kept it in the 160 range for the first half, and the 170 range later on.

The run went pretty smoothly for me, though, and I ended up pacing myself with another runner for the first 6 miles, but she had a cramp and had to slow down a bit and I lost her. At Mile 9 I started getting a bit tired, which I expected, but knew I only had 4 miles to go. When I just finished passing the final water station at Mile 11, I got really tired. Guess that is why I should have started out a bit slower. I took a couple of walking breaks on Mile 11-12 to try and recover. Those helped a bunch.

Then Mile 12 hit. I must say that Mile 12 to the finish line was harder than the preceding 12 put together. I knew it was only a mile, and even started to recognize landmarks that confirmed it, but those last few steps took a long time. My calves were burning, and my feet were hurting from the pounding for 2 hours.

As I rounded the finish shute, my friend Rand and his son were there shouting my name and cheering, which made all the difference in the world. I made it through and when the finish time was called out at 2:20, I was shocked. I didn't expect to get in that fast. I am sure my legs are going to pay me back for the punishment I put them in tomorrow, but I don't care. As I crossed the finish line, I got all choked up and felt quite a release. I about fell over on the lady taking my timing chip, and it seemed that the water was a mile from the finish line, but my friend was there cheering me on, and I was quite amazed that I finished. I am now officially a half-marathon runner, and will be a full marathon runner soon enough.

The only down side was that I parked a mile from the finish line, and had to hoof it to my car, which was none too pleasant, I tell you.

Stats
HR - 166/178
Mile 1 - 10:25/5.8
Mile 2 - 9:56/6.0
Mile 3 - 9:56/6.0
Mile 4 - 10:34/5.7
Mile 5 - 10:14/5.8
Mile 6 - 10:24/5.7
Mile 7 - 10:40/5.6
Mile 8 - 10:18/5.8
Mile 9 - 10:34/5.8
Mile 10 - 10:48/5.6
Mile 11 - 10:56/5.6
Mile 12 - 11:26/5.2
Mile 13 - 11:28/5.2
Mile 13.3 - 4:42/5.2
Weight - 178
Pain - None

Training - Week 7 Day 4

Today's run was an easy 4 miles. I ran it on the river trail. It was a bit cold this morning, and pretty soon I will have to be training in a bit warmer clothing, as fall approaches. I did today's run in about 42 minutes, which averaged just above a 10 minute mile pace. I will have to slow myself down a bit for next run, as I have over 3 times the distance to cover, and a 10 minute pace for me is not that sustainable....at least yet.

Next time I write this, I should be reporting my Half-Marathon stats. I am nervous and excited about the upcoming race, and hope I can sleep the night before.

Stats:
HR - 147/156
Mile 1 - 10:15/5.8
Mile 2 - 10:20/5.8
Mile 3 - 10:04/5.9
Mile 4 - 9:48/6.1
Mile 4.01 - 0:49/5.7
Mile 4.1 - 1:26/3.4
Weight: 180
Pain - None

Slight Change of Plans

No, I am still running the marathon in November. That has yet to change. What changed is that I am modifying my schedule for this week. Instead of an 11 mile run tomorrow, I am doing 4 miles instead. The main reason for the change is that Monday, I am running the Super Jock-n-Jill Half-Marathon. I signed up after some prodding from my friends yesterday. Wish me luck!

Here is this weeks and next weeks updated schedule:
Saturday - 4 Miles Easy
Monday - 13.1 Miles Half-Marathon
Wednesday - 5 Miles
Thursday - 4 Miles
Saturday - 12 Miles

After that I get back on my normal training schedule.

Training - Week 7 Day 3

Easy 4 Miles Scheduled for today. I had a pretty lousy nights sleep last night, so getting up at 5:00 AM wasn't an option for me today. I got up an hour and a half later and went out to the river trail to run my distance. Today's run felt really long. It was only 4 miles, but felt like 8. Hope my next run doesn't feel as slow, as 12 miles is a long distance to run slow. In either case, I felt great during today's run and didn't have any pain.

Stats:
HR - 148/161
Mile 1 - 10:03/5.9
Mile 2 - 10:02/5.9
Mile 3 - 10:02/5.9
Mile 4 - 9:32/6.3
Mile 4.1 - 0:53/7.2
Mile 4.36 - 4:07/4.0
Weight - 182
Pain - None

Training - Week 7 Day 2

Much better run today. I woke up with a bit of grogginess as usual, and after putting off the run as much as reasonable for my sleepiness, I headed out on the trail again. I was a little worried that I would be having more of the foot pain that shortened my run yesterday. Thankfully, I had no pain whatsoever. It was a great run.

As I started out intending to make today a tempo run, I was pushing myself most of the way. I averaged less than a 10 minute pace for the entire 5 miles, including doing the first three in 27 minutes, which is faster than I ever expected to do that in. It was a great run today, and I set a pace I never expected to do.

Now that I am well in to my 7th week of training, and not even half way through with my regime, I am starting to feel a bit fatigued. I know I am just forcing my body to adapt to the rigors I need it to so that I can complete the marathon, but it surely seems as though I am always running these days. Not that I mind, as I really am starting to enjoy my time on the road, its just taking a huge part of each week. And I realize I am only running about half the time I will end up running weekly especially closing in on the last few weeks before the race. I am just wondering what my life will look like in November. To me it seems it might look a bit like this:

5:00 AM - Wake up, start running
8:00 AM - Go to work
6:00 PM - Come home, start running
10:00 PM - pet cat, go to bed
Rinse and Repeat

It isn't nearly that bad, but the running miles I will put on in those later weeks will be like 40 miles a week, which from this vantage seems a bit daunting. Of course so did the 10 mile long run. I am sure I will get through it without too much misery.

Stats:
HR - 152/166
Mile 1 - 10:00/6.1
Mile 2 - 9:32/6.2
Mile 3 - 9:38/6.2
Mile 4 - 9:12/6.5
Mile 5 - 8:56/6.7
Mile 5.25 - 2:05/7.5
Mile 5.5 Cool Down - 4:44/3.5
Weight - 181
Pain - None

Training - Week 7 Day 1

The start of another glorious week. I woke up this morning, feeling ok, and headed out to do my scheduled 4 miles. I started out, having the pectoral pain lightly when I started, and just after the first mile, I noticed a new pain in my right foot. Note that it wasn't severe, but occasionally stepping down on it caused me to grimace a bit. So I decided to turn around and call this a short run. I walked for about 50 feet and started in again a little slower. The pain subsided and I was able to run the rest of the way back without incident. So instead of the 4 miles, I did 2.5 today.

It was a good run nonetheless, and aside from the minor pains, I saw only one other human cyclist, and like 14 bunny rabbits today on the run.

Stats:
HR - 139/149
Mile 1 - 10:47/5.8
Mile 2 - 11:00/5.7
Mile 2.5 - 5:30/5.2
Weight - 181
Pain - Right pectoral pain for first quarter mile. Right foot pain half way in to run.

Training - Week 6 Day 4 - Long Run

This week was supposed to be a repeat of last week, but instead I ended up doing the next week and increased my mileage a bit. I will end up now repeating this week so I can stay on my schedule.

This morning's run was scheduled for 10 miles. I ran 11.3. I didn't have as sharp a pain in my pectoral as I expected, but I also taped the area in hopes that it would help, which it did. This run I did at my long run pace, staying about 11:15 most of the run. I kept my heart rate below 150 for most of the run, which helped me sustain the distance. I stopped at mile 6 to use the restroom and take a Gu, and I ran with the Gatorade Endurance drink again today instead of water. For the most part I started feeling a bit of fatigue around mile 9, but was able to get to the distance without too much difficulty. All in all a great run.

Stats:
HR - 145/153
Mile 1 - 11:21/5.3
Mile 2 - 11:01/5.4
Mile 3 - 11:04/5.5
Mile 4 - 10:54/5.5
Mile 5 - 11:04/5.5
Mile 6 - 11:06/5.4
Mile 7 - 11:52/5.4
Mile 8 - 10:54/5.5
Mile 9 - 10:44/5.6
Mile 10 - 10:42/5.6
Mile 11 - 10:38/5.6
Mile 11.15- 1:22/5.8
Mile 11.35 Cooldown - 3:31/3.6
Weight - 182
Pain - Light right pectoral pain at start of run. Lasted 1/4 mile.

Training - Week 6 Day 3

Easy 4 miles scheduled for today. I was a bit nervous waking up about having that pectoral pain that I had a couple of days ago. So I procrastinated a bit heading out to run. The pain seems to be from the loose skin bouncing, and thankfully doesn't last long. I guess losing 220 pounds will cause some issues. I just hope this one is short lived. I did have the pain starting out today, but was expecting it and was glad it went away after the first half mile or so.

Today I ran 4.3 miles....at least according to my watch. It was really 4 miles, however. I know I need to calibrate it better, however, so I plan on doing that really soon. I decided to run today at an easy pace, and didn't push it much. I kept my heart rate very low, and really felt like I didn't do too hard of a workout. I was really just lightly winded at the end, and I cooled down rather quickly. Good, if not easy workout today.

Stats:
HR - 139/150
Mile 1 - 11:47/5.1
Mile 2 - 10:54/5.5
Mile 3 - 11:02/5.4
Mile 4 - 10:40/5.6
Mile 4.2 - 2:03/5.8
Mile 4.3 Cool Down - 1:26/3.8
Weight - 181
Pain - Right pectoral pain for first half mile.

Training - Week 6 Day 2

Tempo Run today. 5 Miles. I didn't get up at my normal 5:00 AM as I usually do to run. My mind and body just wasn't in the right place to do so. I slept in until about 6:30 AM this morning. I nearly just rescheduled the run to this afternoon. I told myself that my bathroom scale would help me make the decision. I stepped on it, and was pleasantly surprised to find myself back down to 181, which put me in a good enough mood to go ahead and head out for the run this morning.

I hit the river trail again today, after stretching of course, and tried to keep my pace near 10:00 for most of the run. I wanted this to be a harder run, but not so hard that I couldn't keep the pace up for a distance. I ran a total of 57 minutes, and according to my watch, covered 5.75 miles. I do believe my watch needs calibrated, as I am pretty sure I only ran 5.3 miles today. The last mile I picked my pace up even more though, and was sprinting right before I finished up. I did a cool down lap around the park I started at, did some more stretching and headed home to get ready for work. I did have some pain starting out as noted below.

A great workout today though.

Stats:
HR - 149/166
Mile 1 - 10:36/5.6
Mile 2 - 9:45/6.2
Mile 3 - 9:37/6.2
Mile 4 - 9:64/6.2
Mile 5 - 9:15/6.5
Mile 5.5 - 4:00/6.9
Mile 5.75 Cool Down - 4:31/3.5
Weight - 181
Pain - Had some right pectoral muscle pain when I started out that lasted for about half a mile. It felt like my skin was burning where it connected to the muscle. Thankfully it didn't last long.

Training - Week 6 Day 1

Week 6. This week I increase my short run mileage as I repeat my long run. My runs this week look like this:

Mon - 4 Miles
Tue - 5 Miles
Thu - 4 Miles
Sat - 10 Miles

Today I ran on the river trail again, and it was a nice run in the dark. I saw exactly nobody for about the first half of the run, and then saw 5 bicyclists, 1 dog walker, 2 runners, and 3 rabbits during the latter half. When it is light out, I pass that many people every minute, so you can imagine that this well-used trail was just about all mine today. I headed out at 5:00 AM to do my 4 miles. I started it with the intent of it being a rather easy run, but turned it in to a speed workout the last half. I ran my 4 miles in just about 44 minutes, most of which was considerably above my normal pace. No pain today thankfully. Good run today.

The only bummer is that my weight is up a bit, up to 184. Looks like I need to do a bit of food tracking to find out what I am doing with my eating. I have been snacking a bit too much it seems. I will get this back in check this week.

Stats:
HR - 147/166
Mile 1 - 11:06/5.4
Mile 2 - 10:30/5.7
Mile 3 - 10:10/5.9
Mile 4 - 9:16/6.5
Mile 4.16 - 1:16/7.1
Mile 4.25 Cool down - 1:35/3.5
Weight - 184 (sheesh)
Pain - None

Training - Week 5 Day 4 - Long Run

I think today's distance has been more intimidating than any other I have run or even had as a goal so far. I was scheduled to run 10 miles today, a distance not unheard of by many, but was never in my list of goals or accomplishments, until today that is. I slept pretty good last night and got up this morning at 6:00 AM feeling pretty good. I headed out to the local river trail that I usually run on, and stretched and warmed up. The run went pretty good, as I was able to keep my heart rate below 150 the entire run. I am noticing that it is taking a good 2-3 miles to get my heart rate up to where it stays for the run, which is good I guess. About half way through, I downed a Gu (mmm....Chocolate) and took a brief restroom break, and headed back. The last 2 miles seemed to stretch out a bit, but by then, I was in familiar territory and knew that I could finish the distance remaining. I finished up at 10.5 miles, did some more stretching, and headed home to shower. All in all a great run!

Stats:
HR - 140/149
Mile 1 -11:30/5.2
Mile 2 - 11:10/5.4
Mile 3 - 11:22/5.3
Mile 4 - 11:18/5.3
Mile 5 - 11:32/5.2
Mile 6 - 12:40/5.3
Mile 7 - 11:16/5.3
Mile 8 - 11:16/5.3
Mile 9 - 11:16/5.3
Mile 10 - 11:06/5.4
Mile 10.25 - 3:10/5.6
Mile 10.5 - Cool down - 3:32/3.5
Weight - 183
Pain - Mile 6-7 noticed some right foot pain on ball of foot. Went away.

Training - Week 5 Day 3

An easy run was scheduled for today, and not to repeat Monday's miserable workout, I headed out to the river trail to run on the road this morning. Now I get up at 4:50 AM to do these runs, and I must say that trail is awful dark that time in the morning. I knew that it would be considerably lighter later in the run, but starting out was a bit interesting. Today's run felt pretty easy, and I even had pushed myself a bit to get my speed up some. I did 3.1 miles in about 33:16 and felt pretty good afterwards. No pains at all today.

Stats:
HR - 133/155
Mile 1 - 11:14/5.3
Mile 2 - 10:44/5.6
Mile 3 - 10:08/5.9
Mile 3.1 - 1:09/5.6
Mile 3.25 Cool Down - 8:14/3.2
Weight - 183 (ack!)
Pain - None

Training - Week 5 Day 2

I slept in a bit today, and nearly waited until this afternoon to do the runs. If it wasn't for the miserable run I had last Tuesday afternoon in the heat, I would have done so. Instead I went ahead and ran this morning, and I will be in a little late to work as a result. Today's run was a 5 mile tempo run. I tried to go a little further and a little faster than last time. Although towards the end I picked it up quite a bit, most of the run was just under 11 minutes per mile. I ran a total of 5.55 miles in about 58 minutes.

Stats:
HR - 149/172
Mile 1 - 10:36/5.6
Mile 2 - 10:16/5.8
Mile 3 - 10:26/5.7
Mile 4 - 10:18/5.8
Mile 5 - 10:02/6.0
Mile 5.31 - 2:44/7.2
Mile 5.56 Cooldown- 4:03/3.7
Weight: 178
Pain - None

Training - Week 5 Day 1

Some days are just not made for running. After this weekends 8 mile run, you would think that a 3 mile run would be an easy thing. I swear that the longer I run, the easier it is to do so. It is the short runs that kick my ass. Today was scheduled for an easy 3 mile run. I didn't find it so easy. I am not quite sure why though. Perhaps I just didn't get enough sleep. It just felt that this run just dragged on and on, and was hard as hell to finish. Well, I got through it though. At least tomorrow's run is on the trail, as those at least have a bit of scenery and pass the time better. Today I ran on the dreadmill and added an extra point to the incline to just push my endurance and heart rate up a bit.

Stats:

HR - 147/167
Mile 1 Warmup - 12:41/4.8
Mile 2 - 11:18/5.3
Mile 3 - 10:46/5.5
Mile 3.36 Cooldown- 6:19/3.7
Weight - 180
Pain - None
Treadmill 3%

Training - Week 4 Day 4 - Long Run

I almost didn't get up early this morning. I stayed up a bit late last night playing a video game, and was a bit tired starting out. I had an 8 mile run scheduled for today. I ate a banana before heading to the trail, and took a gu pack and a bottle of water with me. I completed the distance in about 1:36:00 and felt pretty good afterwards. I had a brief bout of minor left foot pain about half way through, but it went away and didn't cause me any more problems. At the end of the run I stretched and cooled down normally. I kept my heart rate pretty low (140-150) most of the run, and it never got above 155, which made the run reasonably tolerable.

Stats:
HR - 145-154
Mile 1 - 11:27/5.2
Mile 2 - 11:12/5.3
Mile 3 - 11:08/5.4
Mile 4 - 11:14/5.3
Mile 5 - 11:52/5.1
Mile 6 - 11:10/5.4
Mile 7 - 11:08/5.4
Mile 8 - 10:56/5.4
Mile 8.3 - Cooldown - 6:48/3.5
Pain - Brief minor left foot in mile 4
Weight - 179

Training - Week 4 Day 3

This run was a 3 mile run. I ran it easy, keeping a 12 minute pace on a 2% grade on the treadmill. I ran for about 45 minutes, including warmup and cooldown. No pain today, but slept pretty lousy last night. I was surprised I didn't have any trouble running, as the nights where I don't get good sleep, I tend to have a bit of a hard time running. Not today though. I kept my heart rate near 150 the entire run, with only the end of it getting up a bit high.

Stats:
HR - 144/159
Mile 1 - Warmup - 12:46 / 4.7
Mile 2 - 11:46 / 5.1
Mile 3 - 11:48 / 5.1
Mile 3.25 - 3:24 / 5.1
Mile 3.5 - Cooldown - 5:00 / 3.1
Pain - None
Weight - 180

Training - Week 4 Day 2

Today was an increase of my moderate-distance run to 5 miles. I was going to run with my running club, and actually planned on it, but when I got home from work, I just wanted to get the run out of the way and not sit around waiting for an hour and a half for them. So I headed out to the river trail and ran 5 miles.

It was a hot afternoon, and I believe that that was what affected me the most. I brought water with me, but I just couldn't seem to feel comfortable in my run. Of course, I did do the near 10-minute pace again, like last Tuesday, which kept my heart rate above 160 for most of the run. It seemed a long run, but I completed it in 55 minutes, including warmup and cooldown, so it really wasn't that long. It sure felt that way though. No pain running today. I did a few sprints in Mile 5, running over half of it at about an 8 minute pace, the rest was dog-slow.

Stats:
HR - 160/178
Mile 1 - 10:00 / 5.9
Mile 2 - 10:04/ 5.9
Mile 3 - 10:38 / 5.8
Mile 4 - 10:20 / 5.8
Mile 5 - Sprints - 10:03 / 5.8
Mile 5.25 - Cooldown - 4:12 / 3.5
Weight: 179
Pain: none

Training - Week 4 Day 1

Easy 3 Miles. I ran today on the treadmill at 3%. I have recovered nicely from Saturday's run, and although my 3 mile runs are always a bit tough, the longer I run, the easier it seems to be. The first 3 miles are tough though. I did require a bit of a nap on Saturday though, much to my kids amusement.

Stats:
HR - 150/177
Mile 1 - 11:47 / 5.1
Mile 2 - 10:48 / 5.6
Mile 3 - 10:20 / 5.8
Mile 3.1 - 1:24 / 5.7
Mile 3.3 Cooldown- 4:48 / 3.0
Weight - 180
Pain - Light left foot pain
Treadmill 3%

Training - Week 3 Day 4 - Long Run

Today I awoke at 6:30 AM and headed out to do my long run. I was a bit worried at the distance, as I have never run that far before in my life. But I guess this will be a weekly experience for the next few months while I train. Today's distance was scheduled for 7 miles. I ran 7.3 miles in 1:22:09 averaging just about an 11:00 minute mile. Not too shabby. I was able to keep my heart rate in the 150-160 range for most of the run as well, which is probably what kept me going.

My stats:
HR - 154/165
Mile 1 - 11:24 / 5.2
Mile 2 - 11:00 / 5.3
Mile 3 - 11:04 / 5.4
Mile 4 - 11:08 / 5.4
Mile 5 - 11:06 / 5.4
Mile 6 - 10:54 / 5.5
Mile 7 - 10:54 / 5.5
Mile 7.1 - 1:15 / 5.3
Mile 7.3 - 3:24 / 3.4
Weight - 179
Pain: Light ache in left foot

Training - Week 3 Day 3

I stayed up way too late last night. I was up with some co-workers playing poker until nearly midnight. As I have to get up at 5:00 AM to run normally, this posed a bit of a fatigue issue today. At least I won at poker. :)

I ran for 3.25 miles today at an average of about 11:00 pace. I started a bit slower, and sped up to 6 mph. Today's "easy" 3 mile run was one of the hardest so far though, as I had to fight every quarter mile. On a positive note though, I weighed in today at 179.

Stats:
HR - 152/172
Mile 1 - 12:23/4.9
Mile 2 - 10:59/5.5
Mile 3 - 10:14/5.8
Mile 3.25 - 4:26/3.1
Weight - 179
Pain - None
Treadmill 2%

Training - Week 3 Day 2

I planned today to run with my the running club I just joined, and nearly chickened out. They run in the evenings, and I usually like to run in the mornings, but as I need to log a bit of road time and get off the treadmill, as well as get out and meet a few new people, I went ahead and joined them. There were 5 of us in all, and they all ran at about a 10 minute pace, which for me is a bit fast, but for some reason, I was able to keep up ok. My heart rate was a lot higher during the run than it usually is, but as I was running 2 minutes per mile faster pace than I usually do, that is understandable. I ran a total of 4.2 miles and walked about .4 miles. I did the 4.2 in 40:41, definitely setting a personal record for extended distance speed for me. I never expected to break a 10 minute mile this year. I am sure, however, that I will pay for this a bit tomorrow. I am jazzed anyway.

My stats:
HR - 161/178
Mile 1 - 9:44/6.3
Mile 2 - 9:54/6.0
Mile 3 - 9:50/6.1
Mile 4 - 9:48/6.1
Mile 4.14 - 1:23/6.1
Mile 4.66 Cooldown - 11:14/3.2
Weight - 180
Pain - None

Walking with a friend

One of my friends is training for a 60 mile walk to happen later next month, and she hasn't trained enough. So I decided to go out with her and do some walking with her. We walked about 3 hours and covered about 8.4 miles. We started down the Sammamish River trail, which was paved and flat, and about 1.5 miles into it, we turned and explored the Powerline trail that branched off. That trail was quite hilly, and according to my Polar watch, we climbed about 650 feet for the next few miles. It even got my heart rate up a bit during some of it, but for the most part, I wasn't feeling any tiredness or pain and my heart rate stayed under 120 most of the walk. My friend wasn't as fit, and struggled a bit and had some pain.

We are planning another walk on Wednesday, as tomorrow I have a scheduled afternoon run.

Paul

Training - Week 3 Day 1

Easy 3 miles scheduled for today. My legs are a bit sore from Saturday's activities, but I expected this, as I haven't run that far on the road. I didn't get too much sleep last night, as I went to be a bit late, but got a good 6 hours nonetheless. I'll be in bed earlier tonight though.

This run was scheduled for an easy 3 miles, and as such I hit the treadmill to pound out a few miles. I set it to a 2% grade and set the pace to just under 11:00 pace. I did get my heart rate a bit higher than I wanted, but it wasn't like I was suffering too badly there. I ran my 3.1 miles in just about 35 minutes, and warmed-up and cooled-down for a total of 42 minutes.

Stats:
HR - 149/167
Warmup - 1:57/3.0
Mile 1 - 10:32/5.1
Mile 2 - 11:18/5.3
Mile 3 - 11:02/5.4
Mile 3.2- 1:51/5.4
Cooldown Mile 3.5 - 5:57/3.0
Weight - 183

Training - Week 2 Day 4 - Long Run

I was pretty nervous about today's run and how well I would do on the trail. I don't run outdoors too much, and have spent most of my time this last 2 weeks on the treadmill. I woke up at 6:00 am and went out anyway. I did a short loop around a park to warm up, and actually stretched out my legs a bit, which I need to be doing much better at come marathon day. I then started my stopwatch and headed out for the run. The first half was probably the hardest part, being that I wasn't really all that warmed up and all. By the time I got to the turn-around point at 3 miles, I was feeling pretty well lubricated.

I kept a pace between 10:30 and 12:30, mostly hanging around 11:30 for the run. I watched my heart rate, which never got up too far. I had a little pain in my left foot, and as I am breaking in new shoes, may have gotten a small blister. For the most part though, I felt pretty good for this run. I did a total of 6.3 miles, 6.1 of which was running. It took me about an hour and 15 minutes to complete.

Stats:
HR - 151/168
Mile 1 - 11:51 / 5.0
Mile 2 - 11:20 / 5.3
Mile 3 - 11:16 / 5.3
Mile 4 - 11:11 / 5.4
Mile 5 - 11:10 / 5.4
Mile 6 - 11:00 / 5.5
Mile 6.1 - 1:03 / 4.8
Cooldown Mile 6.35 - 6:18 / 3.4
Weight: 184
Pain: Light left foot pain last half of run.

Training - Week 2 Day 3

An easy 3 miles was scheduled for today, and I headed out with out too much difficulty this morning. As all my running to date has been on the treadmill, I plan on running Saturday on the trail. Today, I ran on a 2% grade for about 45 minutes and got in 3.5 miles total. Half a mile of which was for warmup/cooldown. I concentrated on keeping my heart rate as low as possible. I figured that an easy run would be a good thing, especially as a 6 mile long run is next up.

No pain today, although my left foot still aches a bit. I am still breaking in new shoes. I got a bit of good news yesterday when my podiatrist called and rescheduled my orthotics fitting to this morning. That means I get an extra 2 weeks of comfort for my feet.

Stats for today:
HR - 142/159
Warmup/Mile 1 - 13:16 / 4.6
Mile 2 - 12:24 / 4.9
Mile 3 - 12:20 / 4.8
Mile 3.1 - 1:26 / 4.8
Cooldown Mile 3.5 - 8:00 / 3.0
Weight - 182
Pain - None

Training - Week 2 Day 2

Today I really didn't want to get up out of bed. I was scheduled to do a 4 mile run today, and my motivation just wasn't there. I ended heading out and running it anyway however.

The word for today class is Farklek. Which is exactly what I did. For those who don't know, a farklek is a Swiss word meaning something like "speed play". Basically, a farklek is a run that mixes sprinting and jogging in a semi-random way. My sense of randomness wasn't perfect, so I just ran a quarter-mile sprinting and the rest of each mile at my normal pace. Suffice it to say, I actually made really good time, putting all 4 miles in in just 45 minutes, which is about what I usually run 3.5 miles in. I did an extra .25 miles cooling down.

No abdominal pain today, and my foot is feeling quite a bit better.

Stats:
HR 151/176
Warmup/Mile 1 - 12:27 / 4.8
Mile 2 - 11:00 / 5.5
Mile 3 - 11:12 / 5.4
Mile 4 - 10:16 / 5.8
Mile 4.25 - 5:14 / 3.2
Weight - 181

Training - Week 2 Day 1

Easy 3 miler scheduled for today. I woke up before my alarm went off after a pretty lousy nights sleep. It has been hot here, and I am just not used to sleeping in the heat all that well.

Today's run was 3 miles. I did it in 36:27, sprinting my last quarter mile. I did an additional 7 minutes (.5 mile) cooldown to bring it to 45 minutes total.

I had mild left foot pain at the beginning of the run, but it got better. The abdominal pain was mild as well, and only started about half way into the run. I have a podiatrist appointment on the 15th of August to get my foot looked at and get fitted for orthotics. I just bought new Brooks (Addiction) running shoes and a Polar heart rate monitor to replace my dead Timex.

Stats:
HR 144/171
Warmup - .03 mile - 1:02
Mile 1 - 11:43 / 4.9
Mile 2 - 11:54 / 5.0
Mile 3 - 11:48 / 5.1
Mile 3.1 - Sprint - 0:54 / 7.1
Mile 3.5 - Cooldown - 7:57 / 3.3
Weight - 182.8

Training - Week 1 Day 4 - Long Run

I hadn't actually intended to do the long run today. With my 2 trips to the doctor to get the abdominal pain checked out, I expected that I wouldn't be allowed to run today. Even though they cleared me to continue to train, I also wasn't going to run if I had any pain today.

I woke up this morning and felt pretty good. I put on my new heart rate monitor and headed out to the treadmill with the intent of just running long enough to calibrate the speed sensor on the monitor. Instead, I ran my 5 miles. I only had a little achiness in my left foot, which when I get my orthotics, Ill ask that doc about. I ran that time in about 62 minutes. I then walked an additional half mile to cool down.

As I only had my HRM on for part of the run, as I was calibrating the speed sensor, my stats today aren't very good. (paces are speed setting on treadmill)

Stats:
Distance: 5.5 miles (5.0 run)
Mile 1: 12:30
Mile 2: 12:30
Mile 3: 12:30
Mile 4: 12:30
Mile 5: 12:30
Mile 5.5: 8.38
AHR 155/165
Treadmill
Pain: light pain in left foot.
Weight: 180

All in all, I felt pretty good during this run, and I felt I could run quite a bit farther if I wanted to.

Training - Week 1 Day 3

So I slept a bit better last night, and awoke this morning right before the alarm clock went off. I am having a bit of abdominal pain since last run, and was hoping this morning it would have been better, and before I started running, it was. As I got moving, however, the pain returned. It wasn't unbearable, just uncomfortable. I am making an appointment with my doctor today to have it looked at.

I have also scheduled an appointment with a podiatrist to get measured for orthotics. I also determined that my shoes are due to be replaced, and doing that at the beginning of training is better than at the end.

Today was scheduled for a 3 mile run, and despite the mild stomach pain, I completed it in about 37 minutes. I also had a good warmup/cooldown bringing my total workout time to 45 minutes.

Stats for today:
AHR/PHR - about 140-160. My heart rate monitor is still dead.
RPE: 5-6
Pain: mild left foot ache and light left abdominal pain
Warmup/Mile 1 - 12:42
Mile 2 - 12:14
Mile 3 - 12:14
Mile 3.1 - 1:18 - to finish the 3 miles after warmup
Mile 3.5 - 7:55 Cooldown
Weight - 183

Training - Week 1 Day 2

I tried to go to bed early last night, but for some reason I tossed and turned trying to get to sleep, mostly due to the fact I entered in a marathon yesterday. I had debated on where to run, and how and where I had planned on doing my long runs on Saturdays. I have successfully roped in...er...convinced a friend to join me, and we decided to do our long runs together. Now we just have to coordinate where and when, as we live nowhere near each other.

Today was planned 4 mile run, to which I ran 4 miles. I also added about half a mile for warmup and cooldown. I did this in a total of an hour on the treadmill (1% grade). My long runs will definitely be on the road, even though the weekday runs will likely be on the treadmill. At least initially.

Stats for today:
AHR/PHR - about 140-150 to 170-180. My heart rate monitor didn't work today so I had to do it manually.
Warmup/Mile 1 - 12:54
Mile 2 - 12:30
Mile 3 - 12:30
Mile 4 - 11:36 - Sprinted last quarter mile
Mile 4.1 - 1:17 - to finish the 4 miles after warmup
Mile 4.53 - 8:53 Cooldown
Weight - 182.8

Marathon Found and Entered

I decided to go ahead and register for the Seattle Marathon (http://www.seattlemarathon.org/). It is November 26th, 2006 in downtown Seattle. That is a short 18 weeks away, and I am currently on a 16 week training plan, that gives me a couple of weeks to ensure I am ready. Guess paying the $100 ($85 + $15 for a massage afterwards) to register is motivating enough.

I may be crazy, but lets see if I can do this. Wish me luck!

Week One - Marathon training begins

Ok, I have bit the bullet. I am starting to train for a marathon. I thought I would never say this, but I am actually looking forward to it. My first job it to find the marathon to run. The training plan I am following puts the marathon out about 16 weeks. I figured for an extra month, as I can slack a bit too often. That puts December as the timeframe for the run. I will start looking for a race post-haste.

So begins week one of training. This week is planned to look like the following.

• Monday - 3 miles
• Tuesday - 4 miles
• Thursday - 3 miles
• Saturday - 5 miles

Today I ran 3.5 miles (only 3 was running, the other was warmup/cooldown) in 45 minutes.

Stats:
AHR/PHR - 145/179
Warmup/Mile 1 - 13:02
Mile 2 - 12:20
Mile 3 - 11:51
Remainder of 3 - 1:02
Cooldown - 8:49
Weight - 187

Evening Walk

I took about a 3 mile walk this evening. Nothing too fancy. I did a bit of exploring Marymoor park, but didn't find too much interesting. Good walk though.

Biking on the Sammamish River

I got my bike computer installed, and a new pair of shiny bike shorts and headed out on the Samammish River trail for a 10 mile bike ride. It took me just under an hour to complete it, and being that this was the second ride since December on it, I felt pretty good. My legs felt a bit rubbery afterwards too, which can only mean good things. :)

Long Run

Today I got out of bed without too much trouble, and headed out to attempt a long run. I got on the treadmill, and set the speed and pretty much just zoned out for a while. I ended up running for 70 minutes covering 5.5 miles. I would have run a bit further had the chafing not become a big enough issue. I forgot my bodyglide today. Either way, it was a great run. I really want to attempt the marathon next year this time, or at least a half-marathon if my training doesn't go as planned. I should have plenty of time though.

Great workout!

Paul

Damn Tootin'

I woke up this morning determined more than ever to get my sorry butt out of bed and go swimming. It has been a bit too long since I have had a strenuous workout. I have my kids here for their summer visit and have been quite active with them, but haven't been the best at maintaining the exercise regime I had earlier. Last night's 5 mile walk was about the hardest I have worked with them since they got here.

So this morning I headed out to the gym and swam vigorously for 75 minutes (75 laps), and took a 10 minute sit in the jacuzzi afterwards. I am feeling pretty good this morning, especially considering that it has been a week since I saw the pool last.

On a good note, I am down to 184 this morning. People at work are telling me to stop losing weight, but I still have a lot of fat on me. I am in 36" pants these days, and 32"-34" would be fine with me. The weight loss has dramatically slowed down though, although losing a couple of pounds is pretty noticeable nowadays though.

Paul

Evening Walk

As I didn't get out this morning, I dragged the kids...kicking and screaming...on a walk. I took them on a brisk 5 mile walk on the Sammamish River trail, and had a great conversation with my 8 year old. Although he complained a bit, he was really proud of himself for making the distance we did. It took us about 90 minutes to walk that distance.

Seafair Marathon

Before you all get too excited....No, I didn't run it. I volunteered for it. My kids and I worked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday helping out on the Marathon. It was a blast, although it was pretty hard work.

Friday and Saturday morning, we helped out by handing out the goodie bags and t-shirts to folks already registered. That was pretty simple, but occasionally required hauling these 60 pound boxes around to restock supplies. Saturday afternoon we worked the registration table.

On Sunday, the day of the marathon, we started out by welcoming the runners and guests and getting them headed in the right general direction to start their races. Then we moved to the finish line, and did a variety of jobs, including handing out water, traffic direction, and handing out food.

I am actually pretty sore from this weekend's work, as it required a lot of lifting and standing, which I don't usually do either for extended periods. It was well worth it though to know that my kids and I did some good for the community.

As far as working out, I slept in this morning so tomorrow I had better get my butt motivated or I will be seriously slacking.

Paul

Pool Closed

I drove out to the gym today, and discovered the pool was closed until tomorrow. I nearly went back home, but instead hopped on the treadmill, swim trunks and all, and ran for 35 minutes. I covered 2.75 miles in that time and averaged 5.2 miles per hour.

I pretty much sat on my butt yesterday and with the exception of the light walk from my car to watch the fireworks and back, really performed beautifully as an award winning couch potato. As a result of all this, I weighed in this morning at 189, which is up 3 pounds. Sheesh.

Kids are not an excuse to slack

Although you wouldn't know it lately. I have been using my kids as an excuse for not working out as much. I did go out today and took a 3 mile run. Ran on the trail even, and didn't twist my ankle even once this time. :) I ran in about 35 minutes, which for me was pretty fast, as I usually do a 12 minute pace. If nothing else, the last few days, I have had my kids, and still managed to go out walking a bit with them in tow. Tonight, however, I left them home and ran by myself.

Wet Again

This morning I succeeded in beating off the snooze button and headed out to the pool to do a swim. I swam 60 laps in 60 minutes and then lounged a bit in the jacuzzi.

Yesterday, I forgot to log a short 30 minute trail excursion. I was sweating profusely after that workout. Good thing I had to go back to work afterwards :)

Paul

Slaking but still Moving

I didn't run tonight, but did walk briskly for 2 hours. I haven't been doing all that great at my mornings, so either I need to go to be a bit earlier to get up when I want to or I need to re-motivate myself somehow to get my lazy butt out of bed to work out.

Lunch Outing

Decided to take a short post-lunch stroll today. I guess the guilt for sleeping in today was getting to me. I headed out and walked about 2 miles (45 minutes) on the road near my office. Nothing too fancy, and I plan on still taking a longer walk this evening. I may just put some shorts on and do a bit of running too. Guess we'll see.

Evening Walk

As I didn't work out this morning, and it was beautiful out, I headed out this evening to do a walk. I explored the Sammamish River trail a bit more, ending up at a local mall, to which I stopped and did a bit of window shopping. I then headed back and finished my walk. I walked just over an hour, and only at a moderate pace.

Short Swim

Woke up this morning with a bit of expected sunburn pain. I decided to aggravate it by going swimming. Chlorine can only be good right? I swam for 30 minutes, which is about all I could handle this morning.

For those that are curious, I am still weighing in at about 188. I may have finally stabilized my weight loss a bit. Either that or I need to get a bit more motivated. In either case, this is a comfortable weight, although I would still like to lose another 10 lbs.

Sunburn Sunday

Today was just too pretty out to stay inside, so after I took my kids home, I headed out to do a long walk on the Sammamish River trail near my house. I am not quite positive as to the distance, somewhere around 6 miles is what I guess. But I walked briskly for about 2 hours.

Now I just have to recover from the sunburn I got while doing so. Great walk though.

Fun Day

Today I spent most of my day out and about with my kids. We started with a basic swim, in which I lounged around the pool. Yea, I know, not my best shining fitness moment. Then we headed out later and did 2 hours of bowling, and then did an evening walk of 30 minutes. It would have been longer, but one of my kids wasn't feeling all that great, so we called it a short walk. Lots of fun today.

Evening Stroll with the kids

So, I lost to the alarm clock again this morning and as I have my kids this weekend, I waited until they arrived and headed out with them back to the trail I was on yesterday. We did about half the walking that I did the day prior, as my youngest got really tired. Either way, we had a great walk.

Paul

Evening stroll

I didn't work out this morning, as I lost the grand battle of the alarm clock. So, as it was beautiful out this evening, and beautiful days in Seattle are rare, I headed out for an evening walk. I wasn't dressed to work out so I figured that a moderately easy pace would be in order, but I would walk a couple of hours. I am not sure how far I went, but I figure it was about 4 miles. It could have been as much as 6, though. Either way, it was a great walk.

Paul

Swim

Woke up a bit early this morning, and today was supposed to be a running day, but as I didn't seem to get my lazy butt out of bed yesterday in time to workout before work, I went instead to the gym to swim. I swam for an hour and 20 minutes, and had a pretty good workout.

Paul

Woodsy Romp

A couple of co-workers invited me to a short hike through a small nature-trail behind my office. It was a bunch of getting scratched by brambles and trying not to tumble down the hill. Lots of climbing and the guys made quite a pace. It got my heart rate up there and I started sweating a bit. 30 minutes and a few bug bites later, I found myself emerging the forested area unscathed.

I should sleep like a baby tonight.

Paul

Inspired Run

Of course, because I stayed up too late last night that I had a really hard time getting up today. I perservered, but almost hit the snooze. Today was a scheduled run.

I had some inspirational music on when I went running today, and as a result, had a bit of extra energy that I didn't expect to have. I ran for 4.35 miles, 4 of it was running, the rest was warmup and cooldown. I ran about an 11:15-11:30 pace, which is a bit faster than I usually do. It was a great workout, however.

Paul

Short Swim

I had a busy day planned so I only had time to get a 20 minute swim in this morning. Don't know how many laps though.

Paul

Swim Day

Today was a swim day, and I did 75 laps in the pool at my gym, making roughly 3000 meters. Woke up a little sore from yesterday's strength training workout.

Paul

Running Day

I woke up at 5:00 AM this morning and headed to my fitness center to run. My key wasn't unlocking the gate to it and I almost didn't work out as a result. Instead I decided to head to the gym and use the treadmill there. I usually don't like to go to the gym to do my strength training, and I have never done running there. I definitely felt much less self-conscious than I did last year.

I ran about 35 minutes for about 2.8 miles at 5.4 miles per hour. Then did an upper body strength training workout. Details below:

• Chest - 3x8/100
  
• Shoulder - 2x8/60
  
• Lat - 3x8/115
  
• Tri - 2x8/40
  
• Bi - 1x2/50 (Crap)
  

As you can see, I didn't exactly do all that hot on the biceps. I couldn't adjust the machine and got pissed off at it, and couldn't find an alternate machine. Oh well. There is always next time.

Paul

Gold Award

I just finished up working out and when I logged my activity this week, I achieved enough to qualify for the Presidential Challenge Gold award. I have been working since February on that award, and am quite happy to have achieved it. It took like 80,000 points (calories) of exercise to win this. The next award it lists is the Platinum award, at 500,000 points. I figure that is 2-3 years out so I may want a slightly shorter-term goal in the mean time.

Today's workout was a swim, and I did about 75 minutes of it.

Paul

Another Swim

I was sick yesterday, so I didn't do much of anything but lounge around at home and nap. This morning, I was scheduled to swim. I drove all the way out to the gym and realized I forgot my shower shoes, and I am NOT going to walk around barefoot on that nasty gym locker room floor, so I headed back home and got my shoes and headed back to workout.

I swam for an hour and fifteen minutes, and did about 75 laps.

Paul

Losing Count

I swam again today, and did about 1.5 miles. I am not quite sure, as I lost track early on, but swam for 75 minutes which is about that distance.

Paul

A Little Cross Training

Woke up this morning, and didn't feel all that up to running, so I headed to the gym and did a 9 mile ride on the stationary bike for 30 minutes, then for kicks, I jogged for a quarter-mile and then strength trained (upper body).

• Chest - 3x8/90
  
• Shoulder - 2x8/60
  
• Lat - 3x8/110
  
• Tri - 2x8/40
  
• Bi - 3x8/60
  

Weighed in at 188 today. It is nice to see the scale start moving a bit. Even if it is just a little.

Paul

Long Swim today

I awoke again this morning at 4:30 AM and headed out to the gym to do some swimming. I didn't expect to go as long as I did, and I am sure I am going to pay for it a bit this weekend. I swam 75 laps (40 meters per lap) for 3000 meters this morning. It took me about an hour and 15 minutes to complete, and if I didn't have to go to work, I could have done another 25 laps easily. I forgot just how much I love to swim. Great workout today.

Tomorrow is scheduled for a run/strength train day. Lets just see if I can motivate myself out of bed to do it.

Paul

Hoofing it with Hills

Today was a scheduled running day, and to mix things up a bit, I tried a hilly setting on the treadmill. I ran 35 minutes for about 2.3 miles on a very hilly course, ranging from 0 to 7% grade. It got my heart right up at its max. I almost gave up once or twice, but persevered and completed the hard workout. I then did strength training for my lower body, and brought things up a notch there too. Details below:

• Quad - 1x12/90 1x12/110 1x12/120
  
• Hamstring - 1x12/100 2x12/120
  
• Calf - 2x8/120
  
• Abs - 3x8/50
  

Normally I do crunches for my ab work, but today, I used the machine with weights, and even though I probably could have done beyond the 50 pounds that I did, being it was the first time with weights, I figured I would be careful.

Also, in the evenings, about 2-3 times a week, I am doing push-ups before I go to bed. Last night I did 20, which to you may not sound like a lot, but I haven't been able to do push-ups since my Navy days.

I am still weighing in at about 192 lbs. I may be stabilizing, or it could be that I just slacked off last week. Guess we will find out eh?

Laps for a Sunny Day

What a beautiful Tuesday this has started off being. The sky is perfectly clear, which is unusual in Washington State. I awoke early this morning, having a great dream about my Navy days and headed out to the gym to do some laps in the pool. I swam for 1 hour 5 minutes, and did about 2600 meters (65 laps). Feeling good about today's workout.

Have a great day!

Paul

Back to the Treadmill

Feeling quite like a hamster on a running wheel, I headed back to the treadmill for a run today. I can't say that I don't like the treadmill, it is just a bit boring at times. I definitely like the fact I can pace myself better and maintain a speed more consistently. I don't like to watch TV while I am running, as it kind of seems wrong to do so. My iPod is great but the tunes can get a bit old too. The last time I ran on the trail, though, I twisted my ankle, and am still feeling some aches and pains from it, even though it has been over a month since it happened. I will try it again soon, after my ankle recovers fully.

Today I ran 2.75 miles in 35 minutes (including warm up and cool down) then decided to do some strength training on my upper body. Details below:

• Chest - 2x8/80
  
• Shoulder - 2x8/60
  
• Lat - 2x8/100
  
• Tri - 2x8/50
  
• Bi - 2x8/60
  

Happy Memorial day folks!

Paul

Not a running kind of week

Well, today I went swimming again, and slept in a bit yesterday too. So, it looks like I am swimming for my life this week. Today was a 2400 meter swim in 60 minutes. Not too bad.

Weighed in at 190 lbs today too.

Paul

Pool Time

I took yesterday off, so today I hit the pool again. I did 60 laps in an hour, which worked out to 2400 meters. Not too shabby.

Paul

Brrrrr

Today was a swim day. I got to the pool at 5:30 am this morning and the water felt like 20 below. I wasn't about to chicken out though. I waded in....very slowly....and once I got used to the water it wasn't so bad. I did like 51 laps, which is 2,040 meters. That took me 50 minutes. Not too shabby.

I weighed in at 193 lbs today. Looks like I am plateauing out again, and this may be the final one. Lets hope not.

Paul

Getting Wet Again

Today was another day in the pool. I am trying to build a bit of endurance, so today's swim was for 50 minutes doing 50 laps. I am not quite sure the exact distance of the swim, as the gym attendant didn't know the pool length. I think it is about 22 yards, making this swim 2200 yards...but I am not too sure.

Looks as though the blood is gone too. No pain anymore. I am still expecting the kidney stone, but would be happy if I have already gone through the worst.

Weighed in today at 192 lbs.

Paul

Feelin Lazy today

I did NOT want to work out today, but as I didn't want to work out yesterday...and didn't...I figured I had better at least make a cursory attempt at it. So today I headed to the treadmill and basically squeaked out a mile before deciding that that was all I felt up to. I did have a bit of pain, but under my left arm, which felt like I had a bad bruise for a bit. It faded so I finished my run. I then did a bit of strength training and called it a morning. Strength training details below:

• Quads 2x8/100
  
• HS/Legs 2x8/110
  
• Calf 2x8/110
  
• Ab - nada
  

Guess it is about time to re-motivate myself.

On a positive note, no blood yet today. I am just waiting for the twinge of discomfort that signals the 2-3 days of pain so I can get to the doc. No pain yet though.

Paul

One year anniversary

Today is the first anniversary of my surgery. I want to summarize a few highlights from last year.

Last Year

• 400 lbs
  
• 5XL Shirts
  
• 60x29 Pants
  
• Size 9 Extra Wide shoes
  
• High Blood Pressure
  
• Sleep Apnea
  
• Depression Medication
  
• Couldn't Walk up a flight of stairs without sweating
  
• Financially unstable
  
• Unhappily Married
  
• No Exercise
  
• No Friends
  

This Year

• 193 lbs
  
• Large Shirts
  
• 36x29 pants
  
• Size 9 normal Shoes
  
• Normal Blood Pressure
  
• Normal Sleep
  
• No Medication needed
  
• Can run 7 miles (Sweating profusely of course)
  
• Financially Secure
  
• Happily Divorced
  
• 4-6 Day/Wk Exercise
  
• Some Good Friends
  

So, as you can see, I have come a long way. And you aint seen nothing yet.

Today's workout was a 45 minute swim. Did 42 laps in the gym pool. More blood in the urine, and today is the doc appointment, so I will find out more I hope.

Paul

UPDATE: Well the doc seems to think I may have another kidney stone. Although he mentioned I may not be in pain now, expect some soon. Joy....Joy.....Joy. Otherwise, my doc exam checked out ok and all the folks there were impressed with my progress to date. Now isn't that cool.

Forging Ahead

Today, I woke up at 5:00 AM and really REALLY wanted to go back to bed. Instead I dressed and headed out to go do my run before I got too serious about it. I ran for 2.75 miles in 35 minutes and then did an upper-body strength training workout.

• Chest - 2x8/90
  
• Shoulder - 2x8/70
  
• Lat - 2x8/90
  
• Tri - 2x8/40
  
• Bi - 2x8/70
  
• Back (Row) - 2x8/70
  

Not too bad, but I did come up with a bit of a nasty surprise, however, in that when I was done with my workout I discovered blood in my urine. Off to the doc I go I guess. Hope it isn't too serious.

Paul

Mental Health Day

Today is a day off from work. Not quite a sick day, not quite a vacation day. More of a sanity stabilization day. I fully intend to blow this day away doing only pleasant things and not stressing out about work for a change.

Suffice it to say, I did have to go work out today, and although I set my alarm clock for a crisp early 5:00 am waking, I promptly turned it off and went back to sleep. When I awoke, I headed out to the gym to swim for a while. I actually swam laps for about 40 minutes, and of course can't seem to keep count. I then sat in the spa for 10 minutes and called it a day.

Today should be a wonderful day, provided my cell phone doesn't ring.

Paul

UPDATE: Well, the cell phone rang, and it turns out that one of my best friends was in a car accident today, and I ended up spending the day with her just to make sure she was ok. Not a bad day for me, but all sorts of crappy for her.

Running

Today I woke up and was quite ready to work out. I felt a bit guilty about skipping yesterday's workout which helped. I headed out to the gym and did a 35 minute run for 2.5 miles on the treadmill, then did a lower body strength training. Details below:

• Quads - 2x8/90
  
• Hamstrings/Glutes - 2x8/90
  
• Calf - 2x10/70
  
• Abs - 30 ball situps
  

Cool eh?

Paul

Swimming

My muscles were a bit sore this morning from the running I did yesterday, as well as the strength training. I decided that heading to the pool would be a good idea. So, apparently, did everyone else. As the pool was quite crowded at 5am this morning. I swam for about 35 minutes and that was about it. Good swim, and good workout.

Paul

Back on my feet again

It has now been officially 3 weeks since I got injured, and according to the Doctor, I can start running again. Yay! I knew going back into it would be a challenge, as well as a risk to the ankle, so I definitely planned on taking it a bit easy today. I woke up, got dressed, put on an Ace Wrap for support, and headed to the gym.

I ran 35 minutes, at a pretty slow pace (4.7 mph) and covered about 2.5 miles. About 2.2 of that running. My heart rate was up a bit, and my ankle ached the second half of the run, but I guess that was to be expected.

After the run, I did about 20 minutes of upper body strength training, and did ok. Here are the details:

• Chest, 2 Sets, 8 Rep, 60-70 lbs
  
• Laterals, 2 Sets, 8 Rep, 60-70 lbs
  
• Shoulder, 2 Sets, 8 Rep, 50-60 lbs
  
• Triceps, 2 Sets, 8 Rep, 40-50 lbs
  
• Biceps, 2 Sets, 8 Rep, 40-50 lbs
  

Note that this assumes that the arbitrary single-digit labels on the strength machine are multiplied by 10 for the weight. Otherwise, I have not a clue exactly what I am lifting.

Good day!
Paul

Another Swim Day

I just cant wait until next week. The Doctor gave me instructions not to run for 3 weeks, and Monday is that day. I of course am going to have to take it a bit easy though. Until then, I continue to do other things.

Today was another swim session, and I upped the intensity and duration a bit. The pool is so nice that you stay cool during the workout and can get more out of it in relative comfort. I swam for 35 minutes, and didn't keep a lap count. By the end of the session, my heart rate was way up and I was definitely breathing heavy, so although I cannot wear my heart rate monitor, I knew I got a great workout today.

...like a Fish

Today was another swim day. Thank God for swim goggles. Did about 30-35 minutes, and lost count of the laps. Another great workout.

Paul

What motivates me to run?

I just entered a contest, for a 50 word description of what motivates me to run. What do you think?

"My motivation is life. I was morbidly obese, but now run 12-K. I suffered from hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, and poor self-esteem and I now have healthy levels, and an improved self-image. I would have died an early death and am now living healthily and happily. How's that for motivation?"

Paul

Row Row Row your....

Rowing machine... :)

Went out today to do some cardio at my fitness center, and found out that the gate key wasn't working. I suspect they closed the gym there for some reason. Either way, I decided to head in and to some cardio anyway, and as I happen to own a rowing machine, I did 5000 meters in about 25 minutes. It has been a little while since I have done any rowing, so I suspect I will be a bit sore on Tuesday and Wednesday as a result.

Tomorrow will be another swimming day, but I am coming prepared with a new set of swim goggles.

Paul

My Eyes are Burning

Headed out to the pool again today, and swam for about 2000 meters in about 35 minutes. The chlorine in the pool is really hurting my eyes though. Looks like swim goggles are in my very near future. Now today I be forced to squint at every bright light. Joy.

Paul

Sore and Sleepy

I am feeling the DOMS from the strength training on Tuesday, as well as being sick yesterday, I didn't exactly spring out of bed this morning. I spent 5 minutes trying to convince myself that I would survive missing this workout. I then got dressed....slowly....and headed out the door to do some cardio. As I am still nursing a sprained ankle, I just did 30 minutes of the stationary bike on an interval setting for 10 miles, and then did a set of lower body strength training.

God I cannot wait until I can start running again.

Paul

Swimming

I had been planning on going swimming for a couple of days now, and finally got all the necessary parts (swim suit, shower shoes, etc) so today was the day. I woke up feeling sick, however, and nearly talked myself out of it. I drove down to the 24 hour fitness, and hit the swimming pool for about 30 minutes, doing breaststroke laps. My arms are feeling a bit sore from yesterday's strength training, so I kept this round short.

Paul

Ending the Pity Party

Ok, so I have used the excuse of my ankle injury to stop me from doing all my exercises. Well, today, I stop that trend and go back to work. I cannot run for 2 more weeks, but I damn well better do something else. I wanted to go swimming this morning, so last night I started packing up my gym bag to head out to my local 24 hour fitness, and do some laps in the pool, but I couldn't find my damn shower shoes. I even made a special trip to Fred Meyer to get a pair of swim trunks that fit, and didn't realize that my shower shoes were AWOL. So, that meant swimming is out, as I am not going to walk on that nasty gym floor barefoot.

I ended up heading over to my local fitness center and did a 30 minute stationary bike workout on the Weight Loss setting at level 6 making 10 miles. Then I decided rather than try and push myself too hard starting back, I would do some strength training. I have been wanting to get back into the routine, and try out a new machine. So today I did a light upper body strength training set, working my chest, lats, deltoids, shoulders, triceps and biceps. Nothing too difficult, but enough to matter.

The pity party is over, time to get back to business. I plan on finding my shower shoes after work today, or buying some more. No more excuses!

Paul

Out and About

Well, as I have been using the excuse of my ankle injury to pretty much slack off all week, I decided to head out and do some stuff with my kids. Nothing too strenuous, but we did end up doing a lot of walking around for a few hours, so I figured I would log it. So, today I did 2.5 hours of walking at a slow-moderate pace, limping occasionally.

I also am still at 197 pounds.

Paul

Stealing Quotes

A fellow blogger posted this on her running blog, and I liked it so much I decided to post it here too. I felt very connected to it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marianne Williamson

Injuries Suck

So, I have been pretty much off my feet for the last few days due to the ankle injury. I am about bouncing off the walls as a result. I need the healing to happen faster. I am so worried about being out of running for the 3 weeks the doc told me that I am really stressing out about it. I know that I will have to back up my capabilities some and take it really easy for at least a month, but I was getting pretty close to the half-marathon goal I have been trying for.

On a positive note, I weighed in at 197 today.

Paul

Half the Man I used to be.....

It looks as though I met my 1 year goal about a month early. I weighed in this morning at 200 pounds. That means I have lost 200 pounds so far.

Of course with the good also comes some bad. While I was out running today, I twisted my right ankle and sprained it. I am now on crutches and pain medicine. I now have to figure out how not to lose the fitness I have worked so hard to gain without hurting my ankle in the process.

Paul

Post Aerobic Pain

I awoke this morning to a bit of muscle soreness which I suspect was caused by the aerobic session I did on Wednesday. Suffice it to say, I wasn't about to let a little bit of DOMS stop me from my daily workout. I headed out and did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine at level 6-interval then did 30 minutes of the stationary bike at level 6-weight loss. I did a little extra stretching after this workout too, just to help my sore muscles out a bit.

My weight is still at 203, and I am of course still frustrated. Now most of this frustration isn't about the not losing of weight, but the fact I know why. I haven't exactly been eating the best this last week. I realize that I have been nibbling a bit too much. I am getting back on track again so hopefully I can re-start my losing process.

Wish me luck!
Paul

Near Miss

I almost didn't work out yesterday. I missed yesterday morning's workout as I needed some additional sleep, but came home last evening and did an hour of aerobics in front of the TV. I twisted my ankle during the routine, and this morning it aches a bit. All I can say is that I am glad my window blinds were closed, as I looked a bit foolish hopping around my living room like I did. If nothing else, it was quite fun though.

This morning, I got up reluctantly, with yet another night of relatively poor sleep thanks to my cat and her midnight antics. I did a 2.75 mile treadmill run in 35 minutes, and did a 30 minute recumbent stationary bike ride at level 6-CV for 10 miles.

Pretty good workout, hopefully I can get to my goal weight soon. I am still weighing in at 202, which is starting to get aggravating.

Paul

More Yoga

I did some more Yoga last night. I guess I should watch the video first before I try the postures out, as I tended to have to pause a lot and try and situate myself in the correct starting position for each one. I enjoyed it, however.

I have not yet worked out for today, however. I didn't sleep good and hit the snooze button. I'll do an aerobic video tonight to make up for it though.

Paul

Yoga Yesterday....Run Today

Yesterday, I went out to Borders and bought a beginning yoga DVD, as I have been wanting to try it for some time now. I apparently will need some accessories as well, but I'll just get those from Amazon. I tried out a beginner set for 25 minutes, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I wasn't able to do the poses fully, as I am not all that flexible, but I did many and got a good stretch nonetheless. If it turns out that I start liking it, there is a yoga place down the street I may join.

For today, I did a 35 minute run, hitting 2.75 miles (5 - 5.5 mph). I then did a stationary bike ride for 9.6 miles at level 7 for another 30 minutes. Level 7 seemed to be WAY harder than level 6, so I kept my heart rate near the high end (~155) for most of that interval workout.

Good workout today. Still weighing in at 203 pounds.

Paul

Saturday Workout

I needed to recover yesterday and didn't work out.

Today, however, I did, and ran for 35 minutes at a 11:30 pace and did 2.75 miles. I then did 10 miles (CV Workout L6) on the stationary bike in another 30 minutes.

Tomorrow is my official rest day. See you on Monday!

Paul

BMI Results

When I started this set of goals to lose weight and get in shape, I weighed in at 400 pounds and had a BMI of about 50, which put me in at the super-morbidly obese category. This morning, I weighed in at 202, making my BMI 29.9, which is just at the high end of the overweight category. Cool huh. I am 2 pounds from my 1 year goal of being half my former weight, and about 20 pounds from my end goal weight.

Recovering from Yesterday

I was pretty wiped out most of yesterday after that workout, and had a little difficulty getting motivated this morning to go work out. I did, of course, and headed out and did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine and 30 minutes on the stationary bike.

I also weighed in at 203 today. Guess yesterday's run made some difference. I must have bragged about my distance all day yesterday.

Paul

Long Run - Goal Met

I woke up a bit earlier today, after quite a restless night and got up and headed out for a run. I had planned to run 60 minutes, but ended up running 85 minutes instead. I really pushed myself to make my distance goal, which was 10-K. Well, I not only hit 6.2 miles, but went an additional half mile for 6.75 miles total. I did walk a minute per mile, just so I could conserve my energy a bit, but ran faster as a result. My average run was 5.2 miles per hour (or a 11:30 pace). Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Still weighed in at 204, but it was at the low side of it today.

My next distance goal will be 9.3 miles (or 15-K)

Paul

Slept in a bit

As I now live about 5 minutes from my work, I decided that I could get up at 6am to do my workout. I headed out and tried the elliptical machine at the new apartments, and although it took a bit of getting used to I did a 30 minute interval workout on it at level 5 for 9 miles. I then did a 30 minute recumbent stationary bike ride at level 6.

Not a bad workout today. I also weighed in at 204 today.

Paul

New Apartment...New Workout

I got to try out the machines at my new apartment complex. After my move this weekend, which was a workout in itself, I have been eager to try the new fitness center. It is much smaller than the last place but has a recumbent bike, treadmill, elliptical, and weight machine. Just enough.

Today, I ran 2.7 miles in 35 minutes then hit the recumbent bike for 9.7 miles in 30 minutes at level 6-7.

Paul

Last workout at this location

As I move tomorrow, I took today off from work to manage the details of the move. I nearly talked myself out of the workout again today, but did it anyway. I headed out to the fitness center and did a 30 minute elliptical cross train aerobic workout at level 7, then did a 30 minute jaunt on the stationary bike at level 7 and did some HIIT as well.

For my last workout at this place, I was pretty happy with it.

I also awoke with a pleasant surprise. I am down to 205 pounds this morning.

Paul

Moving Day Approaches

I am nearly packed and ready for my move. One of the last things I am packing, however, is my exercise clothing. I move on Saturday, and have been doing the "two more workouts until I move" game. Of course, I am a little bit spoiled at my current apartments fitness center, as it has several pieces of decent exercise machines that add a bit of variety to my daily grind, where the new apartment only has 4 machines, making my working out there limited. Granted I do have a nearly unused gym membership that I continue to pay for "just in case" I decided to do something different. Actually one of the primary excuses I have used to date for not using the gym I belong to is that it is about a 45 minute drive to get to the nearest one from my current apartment. It will thankfully be much closer at the new place, so I will have to come up with a different excuse I guess :)

Today was a pretty standard run/bike day. I ran 2.55 miles in 35 minutes, and then hopped on the stationary bike and rode the standard 10.8 miles at level 7 for 30 minutes. I plan on getting my butt back to some strength training. It will be a focus soon as my surgery and goal weight approach. I will likely go ahead and invest in a personal trainer to help me be a bit consistent and progress better than I have been, but I have to afford it first, and this move is financially draining me.

Paul