Run4YourLife

8 with Kenyan Way + Swimming

2010-02-06T19:26:00.005-06:00

Just a GREAT run this morning. The conditions were absolutely PERFECT! I haven't run anything longer than 3 or 4 miles since the marathon so this morning, my first morning with Kenyan Way I was anxious to see if I still had a little somethin' somethin' in the old legs. And sure 'nuf I did.

The pace coach set for me for my long runs is a lot faster than I was running before the marathon. I did a lot of long runs at 14:15-14:30 last Novemeber and December leading up to the marathon. Coach has me targeting 13:00-13:15 for my long runs. That was based on my last short(er) race which was the Turkey Trot 10K back at the end of November. I have been running these little 2 and 3 milers under 13 so I was feeling pretty confident and excited about nailing a long run.

Coach is big on the negative split thing and I completely agree with his philosophy (like that really matters). So, this is a goal on EVERY run. Run the last mile faster than the first and run the last half faster than the first half. So, that sounds kind of kooky until you understand that it's as much about slowing down and warming up early in the run as it is about picking it up and finishing strong toward the end. As coach put it, we should start out easy and as we warm up, we just naturally get faster with the same effort. I really experienced this today as the splits show.

Mile 1 - 13:29
Mile 2 - 13:25
Mile 3 - 13:12
Mile 4 - 13:08
Mile 5 - 13:03
Mile 6 - 12:55
Mile 7 - 12:48
last .57- 12:32 pace
Total miles - 7.57
Avg pace - 13:06

Crazy thing was, I really didn't feel like I was picking it up and pushing it until there at the end and even that felt conversational. Man, each mile just got a little faster and a little faster and I just felt GREAT at the end.

After a fun breakfast with some KW peeps, I headed out for the 2nd highlight of the morning, swim training with TOTR. I got to try out some new goggles and earplugs I got last night. The googles are VERY comfortable and make a lot of difference in the water. Coaches had a great workout planned for us.

Warmup
25 yd free
25 yd superman drill
25 yd free
25 yd fist drill
20 sec rest and repeat

Core - Pyramind w/ 20 sec rest between each
25 yd
50 yd
75 yd
100 yd
150 yd
100 yd
75 yd
50 yd
25 yd

Warmdown
100 yd free

I did an extra 50 working on a couple things with coach Alex.

The next highlight was visiting with Mom who just out of the blue offered to send me over for a pedicure. I think it was her way of showing that she was proud of me exercising and losing weight and eating right. She said, "Oh, yes. That will be so good for your feet with all the running you do." I couldn't have turned her down even if I wanted.

The rest of the day was fun. Jan was real content to just sit around the house and relax today which freed me up to run around. I went to Laser Tag with the church's Junior High youth. Then we went to Cole's Crossing and played some football, 7th grad vs. 8th grade. I'm happy to report 7th grade DOMINATED. Then I went over to the cycle shop to get my tires checked out (they were in GREAT shape) and to pick up a Bento Box. Ran into Felix who I didn't even know worked there. We chatted up on biking and triathlon. We talked about the marathon and Felix's PRECISION pacing as the 6:00 pace group leader. What a PERFECT job his group did hitting within 2 minutes of 6:00 without going over. Stopped by HEB for some hummus, pico, and pita bread to snack on for the game tomorrow. And now I'm home. Busy day and I must say, my body's aching a bit. But it's a good aching. I really feel like I'm getting stronger.

Hope everyone had a fine a day as I did.

Peace out!!!

Reflections on a Marathon

2010-02-04T11:04:00.003-06:00

It seems like an eternity ago but it's only been a short 18 days since my DNF at the Chevron Houston Marathon. It took me about 5 minutes to get over the disappointment of not finishing a race I had trained for for so long and start looking at all the positives of the race, the week leading up to the race, the training, and how I was poised for what's next. I'll never dwell on any situation like what happened to me that day and I'll NEVER look at it as a failure or wonder "what if" or "if I had only...". It was what it was and that is an opportunity to learn and improve and evaluate and look forward.

I've had 2+ weeks to reflect on everything about that race and what happened and what positive things I can take away and I must say the more I think about it, the more excited I am for what lies ahead. Some wonderful things came out of that race for me personally. You see, with one exception (2008 Houston Half Marathon), up to this race, my mind has been the limiting factor in ANY long race I've ever run. Thinking back to my 2007 marathon and all the training and races since, I think my whole outlook has been one of fear. I've tried to exude and positive attitude on the outside to my friends and fellow runners but there have always been these thoughts in the back of my mind. Thoughts like "I'm so slow", "What if I don't finish before the cutoff?", "I don't think I can run that fast", "Maybe I shouldn't run this race", "That's too ambitious a goal", "Everyone's going to be waiting on me and ready", "Waiting on Vic", "Waiting and waiting and waiting". Physically, I've gone out and done long races, 10 milers, 25K, 30K, half marathon, marathon, but my performance has always been lacking. I can't remember a long race I've ever completed where I felt like I ran to my potential, to the level I had trained for and prepared for physically.

Jan 17 was the first race I've run in my life where my mind was not the limiting factor. Let me explain. Coming off my longest long run (21 miles) and into my taper, I started having those thoughts again. I also came out of that run with a nagging pain in the back of my heel that never would quite go away. I tried all the regular stuff to shake it, ice, rest, compression, etc. It would feel fine, then the weekend before the marathon, I attempted my last "long" run of 10 miles. I basically ran 6 and couldn't go any farther. I limped back to the car, DONE!!! Done but not defeated. I figured if I could get in to see Dr. H, get a massage, rest completely, I could still pull it off.

My nutritionist (and coach and cheerleader and FRIEND), Catherine, got wind of the issues I was having and told me to go see Joel. Joel does Muscle activation technique and is a miracle worker. I also got in to Dr. H on Wednesday. It was starting to feel a little better. Then Catherine suggested I see Dr. Sones who is part of her Peak Performance team. Dr. Sones turned me on to the idea that our thoughts and attitudes, the mind, affects our body and that basically our subconscious mind is directly related to how we feel physically. If we can turn off the negative thoughts and feelings like fear and turn on positive thinking, it can affect our physical being. Now this all was very other-world to me but I figured what do I have to lose. Then on Friday, I saw Joel one more time and we talked about what Dr. Sones's ideas. See, Joel is a "believer" too. Joel talked about positive thinking. We visualized the perfect finish to the race. Even visualized what the clock would say, 6:00:00. We picked some words that were positive words and Joel wrote me a prescription. 30 seconds/3 times per day/and once before the race, visualize that euphoric moment as you cross the finish line after a perfect race and think about those words. The words I chose were Love, Goal, Challenge, Fun, and Finish.

Anyway, this is getting kind of weird I know. But you know what? I've NEVER, EVER in my life felt more prepared for a race mentally as I was that morning. I knew without any possible doubt that I was going to run 6:00:00. I REALLY believed it. I mean like I've never believed anything before that I've tried to accomplish. I went out at that pace and held it. When going got tough, I just said, "This is FUN. This is a great Challenge. I Love my family. I have a Goal. I'm going to Finish." Never one time did I fear or worry about all the things I used to fear. I just believed it was going to happen.

The rest of the story is that at mile 18, the cramps started. I mean like BAD cramps. Debilitating cramps. At least they were like none I'd ever experienced before. I pulled over to stretch out but it just got worse. I could barely walk straight my calves and thighs were cramping so bad. That's when I called it quits and called Jan to come get me. Live to fight another day.

So, what happened. I know some think that it was hydration or it was salt or this or that. I'll tell you I practice that stuff. I practice my hydration. I practice with salt tablets on my long runs. My own theory and you're not going to convince me otherwise is that for the first time in my running career, my mind was not the limiting factor. I think I was so psyched out in my mind and believed it so much that I just set out to do something my body wasn't ready to do. I think I went out too hard and too fast and basically that's why the cramps started. My body just said, "Woah!!! That is quite enough." And it may have just been the day too. Anything can happen in a marathon. But I really think I pushed myself beyond what my training had prepared me for. I probably had a 6:15 or 6:20 in me but not 6:00.

Catherine told Dr. Sones about my marathon and what happened and what we talked about and he said this to her. "The key to Peak Performance is to take your belief beyond your potential. That is what Vic did." It still gives me chills to think about that. Catherine encouraged me that I just need to do that and see where it takes me. And that's what I'm taking away from this race. "Continue believing beyond your potential and think where it will take you." COOL!!!

100

2010-02-03T13:20:00.002-06:00

Well, this morning when I weighed in, I broke through the 270's and logged a 269.5. I wonder why it is that the last pound that breaks through each 10 pound barrier is so much sweeter that the other 9 pounds before it. I guess for me, with every 10 pounds lost, I always say to myself, "I'm never going back to the 270's," or "I'm never going back to the 280's." I can remember pretty vividly not too long ago saying, "I'm never going back to the 300's." I KNOW that's the truth.

This journey so far has been a lot like a roller coaster. If you count when I first set out on this journey back in 2006, then I've lost 100 pounds. Yes, I started back in 2006 at 370 pounds. Truth be known, I probably was heavier than that at times but 370 is my highest recorded water mark. The roller coaster part was going from 370 to 295 then back up to 355 back in 2008. Since turning it BACK around back in November of 2008, I've lost 85 pounds in what...14 months? Yep, that's right. And I'm NOT going back.

So, I'm going to go ahead and say I hit the 100 pound mark even though I got there the long way. But my real, recent loss is 85 pounds. Looking for the 255 mark where I can claim 100 for real. Should be there by my birthday. That'll be a great present.

Splits throug 18 miles

2010-01-18T21:32:00.002-06:00

I was really happy with my running up until the cramps came. I was mentally prepared for this race but I don't think I was physically prepared for the 6 hour challenge. Cool thing was I had decided in my head that I was GOING TO DO 6 HOURS!!! And I believed it. For the first time in any long race, my mind was not the limiting factor. It was my body and that is a major victory. Thanks to some really great friends and coaches, I know now how to mentally prepare for a long race. Now, let me just work this spring on getting this body to a point where it can respond to what my mind wants it to do.

These were my splits through 18+ miles when I had to stop due to major leg/calf/thigh cramps. My goal was around 6 hours (13:45 min/mile) and I ran right at, maybe a little above that pace for most of the morning.

Mile 1 - 13:55

Mile 2 - 13:50

Mile 3 - 13:45

Mile 4 - 13:49

Mile 5 - 13:43

Mile 6 - 13:34

Mile 7 - 13:39

Mile 8 - 13:38

Mile 9 - 14:12

Mile 10 - 13:56

Mile 11 - 13:59

Mile 12 - 13:35

Mile 13 - 13:48

Mile 14 - 14:18

Mile 15 - 14:18

Mile 16 - 14:45

Mile 17 - 15:00

Mile 18+ - 35:15 DONE!!!

The Voice of Truth

2010-01-16T09:43:00.001-06:00

God and I came to an agreement this morning that WE're going to do this marathon. I was at Starbucks for breakfast this morning and I had my computer. Liz was on FB so I IM'd her. We got to talking and I asked her to play Voice of Truth for me. I went out to my car and she just talked on the radio about NO FEAR and that God was going to be with us (and KSBJ too). Then she played my song. It was such a wonderful time of worship for me and Liz really blessed me with her comments and prayer. The song is about "getting out of the boat, onto the crashing waves." And about the faith to "face a giant with just a sling and a stone". And the waves "laugh at you" and say "you'll never win." The giant "reminding me of all the times I've failed." But the VOICE OF TRUTH tells a "different story." He says, "Do not be afraid. This is for MY glory." Tomorrow I CHOOSE to listen to the Voice of Truth.

Healthy attitudes about food

2009-11-27T07:40:00.002-06:00

Although I got through Thanksgiving without ANY damage on the scale, (that's right, holding steady just 3 pounds away from the 270's) reading through some of the content in my next level of Calorie King, really has me thinking about my incorrect attitudes towards food. Yesterday was a good example. To be honest, going into yesterday's Thanksgiving celebration, I was DREADING sitting down to all that food. I played the whole thing out in my mind in the days leading up to it as a "battle". Thanksgiving dinner is the enemy and I was either going to be able to avoid it or I was going to leave and go to Subway. :)

According to Calorie King, these are unhealthy attitudes towards food and actually make weight loss and weight control more difficult. CK suggests several general guidelines for a healthy attitude towards food. One is to "respect my food". Food is there to nourish my body and provide fuel for all the things I want to do in life, like being a good father, and doing a good job at work, and running.

Second, I shouldn't "resent" food or see it as a problem that needs to be overcome. I can enjoy my food and enjoy mealtime. I always thought of my best memories growing up being around food and mealtime and considered this to be problematic and one of the main reason I overeat. Church picnics, family get-togethers, even dinnertime with my mom and dad, big meals on Sunday afternoon followed by a nap...these are NOT bad things. I can still enjoy these times and stay in control of my food. And it won't send me into a tailspin to indulge in a reasonable portion of a special treat now and then. For example, yesterday, I enjoyed a piece of what's known in my family simply of "Nana's chocolate dessert thing." Having a piece of that and in a little way remembering Nana and Thanksgiving's growing up and how I felt loved and how I belonged to a family. How in the world could any of that possibly be a bad thing?

CK also states the obvious. They say to be the "boss" of my food. For so long, food has had control over me instead of the other way around. And finally, be creative. Jan and I did some of this yesterday. We improved on tradition and did something different for our Thanksgiving feast. We had a BIG, beautiful fruit tray to snack on while we were finishing up the final tasks for the main meal. Jan also put some mixed nuts and dried cranberries out which is a great way to get a head start on feeling satiated before the main meal. Instead of indulging in my HIGH fat garlic mashed potatoes, I roasted a simple pan of sweet potatoes with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and a sprinkle of olive oil. It was scrumptious. So, be creative.

So, while I'm working on healthy food, I'm also going to be thinking about having healthy attitudes towards food.

War

2009-11-23T09:58:00.007-06:00

I finished my first marathon on Jan 14, 2007 in 6:48:30. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I thought I killed a lot of giants that day. Unfortunately, some of them were just playing possum, living to fight another day. I spent much of the end of 2007 and 2008 giving back all the ground I had gained. It was just a little over a year ago that I realized (again) that I am actually in a WAR. It's a spiritual war, an emotional war, psychological, and physical war. I'll tell you one thing, I'm ready for the war to be over.

I do believe I am at war. I do believe my adversary is as real as they come, more real than any flesh and blood or temporal opponent that we face here. And I believe he wants to destroy me and he'll use everything in his arsenal to accomplish that and to prevent me from becoming the man that God created me to be. One of the strategies the adversary uses is to create strongholds in our mind, incorrect thinking patterns that take hold of us and affect our feelings and emotions as well as how we respond to life. For me, with my health and my personal well-being it's been thinking like, "Overeating is not that bad. After all, you're a good father and husband. You work really hard and give of yourself to your family and your church. You can worry about your health later. It's just that your family enjoys eating and it's really just good family time to go out and eat and enjoy yourself and all the smells and tastes of good food. Your career is worth it. The stress is worth it. You just get this project done and you're going to be respected at work. The stress is worth it. Honoring God means DOING MORE!!! Take on more projects. Volunteer more at church. More, more, more!!! And your education is important, more important than your health. You have to go back to school to be in the vocation God has called you to. Work, study, sleep. When it's all finished, you'll be able to take care of you. Taking time out now to just 'take care of you' would be selfish. God has big plans for you. Hey, you have good blood pressure and good cholesterol numbers. You can't be in that bad a health. Losing weight is HARD. You can't do it alone. Your family won't eat the same things you do. They're happy being heavy. You're just putting them on a guilt trip." See how evident it is once you put it into words that this thinking is so flawed and frankly RIDICULOUS yet the adversary, some 15 years ago, saw this as a chink in my armor. It was a way he could get to me. It was an area of my life, even as a Christian, that I had not and in some respects even now surrendered completely to God.

Surrender. Now that's a word you don't hear too often when speaking of war or battle. Surrender. Give in. Cease all efforts. Seriously? You mean QUIT? Yes, the one thing about the Christian life that I find so hard and yet is the key to victory, is that the war is already won. I can try and strain and push and try and contend and contest and try and exert and labor and try and to the world, it looks like I'm a warrior. I'm a hero. I'm an inspiration. And that makes me feel good...until I realize that I'm not winning. I can't win. I have to surrender...surrender to Christ. It's not until I can completely surrender and just give it over to Him that I can have victory. You see, on the cross, Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for me. And when he rose from the dead, in an instant, he conquered gluttony, and slothfulness, and shame, and every destructive weapon the adversary uses. He conquered DEATH itself. The war is over. Any efforts on my part are in vain, useless. All I have to do is surrender all my ground, all my territory, all my life to HIM. You see, part of me wants to hold on to my own ground. This is my territory. But that's a lie. Holding on to self is nothing more than ceding to the adversary. True victory only comes through Christ. I think I'm finally realizing that, after all this time.

So, victory over obesity, over gluttony isn't just around the corner for me. It isn't something I have to strive for any more. The battle's been won. I just have to surrender and let Him finish this work in me. Man, that was easy. :)

Goal Setter

2009-11-20T15:51:00.002-06:00

I've always used Calorie King in the past as simply a food log. I've never really read the CK "program" or done the "plan". But I figured since I pay for the whole thing, I may as well read their step-by-step program and use some of their other tools besides the food diary.

One of their articles talked about setting goals. Of course I have weight loss goals but CK talks about setting other goals, specific goals about habits and lifestyle that help you get to your weight loss goals. The tool has you describe your goal, then state why the goal is important to you. You spell out the steps it will take to achieve the goal and then comes the good part. You MUST specify a REWARD for achieving your goal. Oh, and, uh, it's not a FOOD reward, people. :) You can set a frequency that you want CK to check in with you where you can record if you are on track or off track. E.g. you can check in daily or weekly, or whatever.

I set two goals using the tool.

Goal 1
To go without fast food for a month. (I'm not talking about Subway. I'm talking about KFC, Popeye's, McD's, pizza, etc. The BAAAAAAD stuff.)

Why is this goal important to you?
This is one of my biggest barriers to consistent weight loss. I think I really lack consistency. I've got to pick one thing and be consistent about it. This will prove (as I have in the past) that I have it in me to be consistent and disciplined.

What steps will you have to take to achieve this goal?
- Leave work every day with a snack.
- Run when I can in the evenings. This will make it less likely to stop for junk food.
- Have snacks in the car for after run.
- Text or call Jan/Catherine/Will when I'm tempted.
- Take water with me everywhere I go and/or keep water in my trunk.

Reward for achieving this goal
Take a day off work and go to the movies.

So, that's how it works. And every day I log into CK, I update my progress on that goal. Pretty cool. I set one other goal and that was to park on the top floor of the parking garage every day and use the stairs exclusively for the rest of the year. If I do that, I'm rewarding myself with some new running shorts. I know these are little things but the point is getting into the routine of setting goals, specific goals, writing them down, holding yourself accountable, and then rewarding yourself when you achieve your goals (with something besides food).

Rockin' the Alamo (Part 2)

2009-11-20T10:31:00.002-06:00

Race time!!! The time FLEW by while we were waiting for the start and I was so glad that we got to the start village as early as we did. I have no idea how it went for the rest of the masses trying to get over there but my experience was stellar. I did hear that there were long lines at the shuttles but it's hard to make any judgments about the process since my experience was so good. I understood that last year was a fiasco as shuttles were still arriving 1 hour after the start of the race. I don't think that was the case this year. So if you had to wait in a long line, I think that's just the nature of running in a BIG race. If you want to park a block from the start so you can sleep in, pick another race. Or register as an elite and get escorted to the start. That may be hard.

About the only think I did differently on this run was take Endurolytes before and during the race. I really have no idea how to take these and with what frequency. I figured I'd play around with them. I took two before the race and two caps at two points during the race. More on this later.

I hit the port-a-can shortly after arriving and then again just as the lines were forming. By that time, it was starting to get light out and we were starting to see LOTS more people milling about. Even though I was starting to get excited, I tried to just calm down, relax, stay off my feet, and basically chill up until time to enter the corral. Fortunately, all the corral entrances were from the side and you could enter and exit at will. It's not like some corral starts that I've heard of where you have to enter through barriers from the rear and once you're in, you're in. In no real hurry to get in the corral, we kept our spot on the curb until we just couldn't stand it anymore. Catherine went her way and Amber and I headed over to the UPS bag drop-off trucks. Bag drop-off was very well organized. There was no wait, and it was very clear where to leave your bag. Oh, and another thing. I forgot two very important pieces of equipment, band-aids for the nips. I was really fretting about this and then I had a brilliant idea. Two words...Medical Tent. I walked up. They were eager to help me. I asked for two band-aids and the volunteer obliged. This was turning out to be a perfect day...

...Except for the weather. By 30 minutes before start, it was already in the upper 60's and quite humid. I definitely resigned myself to the fact that today was going to suck weather-wise and that no records were going to be broken. For a number of reasons including my inconsistent training in October as well as the warm and humid conditions, I knew I would get nowhere near my PR. But it is a RACE. And I don't treat races like training runs. I treat them like RACES!!! So, I reviewed in my mind what would be a reasonable expectation for a finishing time. I landed on anything under 3 hours. That's 13:45 pace for 13.1 miles.

Before we got in the corral there was enough time for another potty break. Plus, we heard the Houston Fit Fall folks were over on the baseball diamond so we went over there to wish all those peeps good luck. Elisa was being a good girl and was off her feet, getting ready for her marathon debut. Alan, Doreen, Anna, K, and a bunch of others were chillaxin' so we all did some trash talking and took some pictures and that was that.

We were still strolling around when we heard the gun sound. No hurry!!! It was another 40+ minutes before we would start and the corrals were such that you could go in and out at any time. I got a bottle of water to down my Endurolytes and we jumped in our corral. Luckily as our corral moved up, all along the starting line, there were rows of port-a-cans. Believe it or not, I had to go 3 times over the next 40 minutes before we got to the start line. I can't know for sure if it was possibly the Endurolytes or if I drank too much sitting around before the race or some combination of the two but I've never had to go so many times before a race. I'm so glad they had the potty's along the way to the start. And there were no lines at these potty's so it was a very quick jump out, do your thing, and jump back in.

The start was GREAT. I thought it would be crowded but they let a minute or so lapse between corrals and it spread people out. I never at any time felt crowded or jammed up. Of couse at some of the turns, EVERYONE wants to take the shortest route but I kind of just picked my line got through. Amber and I were running together and had little trouble running side by side. When it was time to pass, we just took turns taking the lead through the gaps.

I took it real easy on miles 1 and 2 and still managed right at my goal pace, 13:42 and 13:41 respectively according to the Garmin. After getting warmed up, 13:13 and 13:26 min/mi pace felt really easy for miles 3 and 4. I lost about a minute and a half on mile 5 due to another required restroom stop. The port-a-potty's on the course ALL had lines so I scoped out an opportune place to duck behind an abandoned building, out of sight of course and took care of business. Also, before finishing mile 5, one of the GREATEST cheering sections of all times was positioned on the sidelines. Evidently, one of the local nursing homes brought out around 20 or so of their residents and they were on the sidelines cheering us on. It was such an inspiration to me that just about EVERY runner stopped their run, came over to the side and for a brief moment, in such a small way, touched the lives of those sweet souls. You should have seen the smiles on their faces. The fact is they touched MY life even more. I fought back a few tears as I crossed the 5 mile mark in 15:07.

Mile 6 was 13:10. There was a pretty nice, gradual hill in mile 7 and I decided to walk up it instead of burning out which resulted in a 14:24. When I got back to level ground, I knocked out a 13:24. I was feeling a little fatigued but stayed strong through mile 9. I ended up seeing Jan and stopped for a smooch and some chit chat and lost a little under a minute on my target pace but no worries. At around mile 10, I started walking some and shortly after that, pretty much lost it. I got nauseated at a water stop and wondered if it was from the Endurolytes back at mile 7 or what.

Once I realized sub-3 was out of reach, I kind of lost it mentally. Don't get me wrong. I was going hard and I DID leave it all out there but it was tough mentally. I have to admit there were a lot of negative thoughts swirling around in there. The last couple of miles, I did play the "I'm running to that stop light" game and I did make it to every waypoint as I promised myself. Miles 11 and 12 were in the 16's but I dug deep and picked up my pace a full minute for mile 13 and ended my finished the last stretch (.1) at around 14:30 pace. My finish time was 3:12:18.

There was a lot to take in at the finish. I almost walked past my medal. My legs were really cramping and my right let was twitching and cramping. I got my medal and a COLD towel and proceeded with the rest of traffic into the finish line area. There was really a ton of food, everything you could possibly want but I was feeling like crap. I managed to smile for our picture but that was it. I walked past ALL the goodies and was just looking for a place to sit down. They didn't want us sitting down until we got through the food area so I kept moving. I did come across what sounded good to me and that was chocolate milk. I grabbed a bottle and it was good. Could have been colder. All I could think about now was walking back to the hotel and how hard that was going to be.

Amber and I got our bags and I cop'd a squat for a few. I got up and headed toward the exit. Unfortunately, we had to go DOWN 2 flights of stairs and then back UP two flights of stairs to get out of the Alamodome complex. My right let was really cramping up. If it wasn't my calf, it was my shin. It really hurt. Good thing is I actually loosened up a little once we got onto Market St. and started the walk back to the hotel. I made it back to the hotel and was never happier to have a place to SIT down than when I got to the room. It was HEAVENLY.

The only thing left in this report is Lessons Learned...stay tuned.

Rockin' the Alamo (Part 1)

2009-11-16T17:10:00.003-06:00

Jan and I just drove in from a fun-filled weekend of romance in San Antonio (oh, and throw in a little HALF MARATHON for good measure). Yep, between a whole lot of smoochin' which constituted by far the highlight of my weekend, I spent Sunday morning in less than ideal weather conditions, running the San Antonio Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon.

I'm not going to report on all our extracurricular activities. Those are for us to keep to ourselves. But I will give a race report. My goal for this race was frankly to finish and more importantly, I was going to use this as a dry run for Houston. In this respect, I'd say I considered Sunday's effort a success. In the back of my mind, though, I really did want to break 3 hours. And that goal was really a fall-back goal, knowing the weather was going to suck. Still, I wasn't as worried as much about my time as I was just practicing my race weekend routine.

We hit packet pick-up and the Expo on Friday afternoon which ended up being a good call. It took about 3 minutes to pic up my packet, get my shirt, and make it into the expo. It was a lot of fun having Jan with me. It's something I've really missed since I started running and now with Jan's recent interest in health and fitness, she really got into being at the expo. Unfortunately (or fortunately), when Jan gets "into" something, it usually means spending money. :) The FIRST booth we hit at the expo, Jan picked up a really cool, stretchy waistband pouch that can hold a BUNCH of stuff. The guy working the booth pulled out like 5 Gu's his driver's license and a credit card, and his iPod. Anyway, I have to admit, it really was cool. We hit the Rider sandals booth where I was going to pick up a new pair of flip flops to flop around with after workouts and races. I got my pair and then met up with Jan and looked in her bag. She bought TWO pair. O-K!!! Glad you're excited, dear. She ended up with a couple tech shirts, and a 18 month subscription to Women's Running magazine. Anyway, I'm glad we went on Friday because from what we heard, a lot of stuff was gone on Saturday. For example, we got a big stack of Subway coupons at the Subway booth. On Saturday, they were all gone. :) Subway anyone?

Friday night we had a wonderful visit with Jan's cousin and his family who live in San Antonio. They made a runner-friendly dinner for us with baked chicken, salad, and a nice vegetable casserole with potatoes and shrimp. We got back to the hotel and got a GREAT night's sleep.

Saturday morning, Jan slept in while I went on the hunt for the nearest Starbucks which ended up being just 2 blocks from the Westin where we were staying. It was so nice sitting down on the Riverwalk, enjoying my coffee, texting and Facebooking on the cell phone. While I was sitting there, who walks by but Jon Bingham, "The Penguin" himself. We chatted only briefly as I figured he was busy and I failed to get a picture with him. Stupid!!!

The goal the rest of Saturday was to stay off my feet as much as possible so we lounged around the hotel until lunch. We found a Subway on the map just a few blocks from us so we walked on over. On the way, we found a deli that was doing a lot of business. It's called Shilo's and it turned out to be a great find. The split pea soup was to die for. We walked back to the hotel with really nothing else planned for the rest of the day. We did want to hit the expo one more time to see some Houston peeps that came in on Saturday. We headed back for another round and hit pay dirt. Walking in, I ran into a couple friends from work. We saw Felix, Will, Anne, Jill, Laura, Anna, Ralph, Doreen, Catherine, Amber, Chance, and a bunch of others. We met some other folks from Houston. Some people from Clear Lake recognized my USA 10-miler shirt and we chatted for a while. Of course, Jan bought some more stuff.

We met up with Steve and his family for dinner and an average restaurant, not one I'd frequent again, but at least I got a light dinner in me and some good water. I finalized with Amber and Catherine our plans for the morning. Catherine suggested we beat the crowd and I'm glad we did. We left the hotel at 4:30 and were on what was probably the first shuttle over to the start village. We arrived with LOTS of time to rest and relax and talk trash before the start. I'll take that any day over fighting crowds and stressing out wondering if you're going to get there in time. The 3 of us found a curb and cop'd a squat on PRIME real estate. We were just across from the port-a-cans, a hop, skip, and a jump from our starting corral, although Catherine's corral was just a wee bit close to the start than corral 25. We were right next to our own trash can, and front row to what ended up being a very entertaining show. See, we were seated right in front of a speed bump and we were in stitches. As people would walk by, almost without fail, they would stumble over that bump. All these graceful athletes, tall, short, elites, it didn't matter. The hump was no respecter of persons. Suffice it to say, that kept us entertained for the better part of an hour and a half until it was time to start getting serious about getting ready to race.

Process

2009-11-13T09:38:00.002-06:00

I read an interesting nugget of sports psychology in December's Runner's World. It was one of those little sidebars that take up space after an article. The recommendation from psychologist Neal Bowes was to be process-focused rather than outcome-focused.

For example, the outcome-focused runner focuses on "a highly ambitious, perhaps unrealistic, time goal. The process-focused runner bases her time goal on "training runs and recent races. She also focuses on mind-set, pacing, fueling, and nutrition." Another example: outcome-focused runners "measure race-day success in terms of times and placing. If you miss a goal time, you feel like a failure." The processed-focused runner "measures race-day success based partly on times and placing, but also on the experience-what you can learn and how you can apply it to future races."

I'm taking this with me this weekend. My main goal for this race is to be a practice run for Houston. I'm going to take note of things like hydration on Saturday, what I eat on Friday AND Saturday, how long I spend on my feet at the expo on Saturday, what time I eat Saturday night, laying out my stuff and packing my bag, did I forget something?, bathroom breaks, getting up early, sleeping late on Saturday, all those details. And during the race, I'm going to concentrate on my effort, not my pace. I have some half marathon experience and I remember the effort it takes to not leave anything out there but still have some for those last couple miles. I want to hit that effort for this race, no matter what the final time is. One unknown I'm using for the first time is Endurolytes. I've never taken them on a run before. I got some on Thursday and I'm going to pop a couple halfway through. It looks to be a warm one so I'm thinking that sodium replacement is going to help. Of course, there's always the chance, trying something new, that it could cause me problems. If it does, I'll learn from that.

Then when it's all over, I want to PARTY. I've never really been around after a race when the middle of the pack is finishing. It's often the case that lots of people have already left by the time I cross the finish. I'm kind of glad I'm doing the half in that respect. At least some halfers will still be around and a good bulk of full marathoners will just be finishing. I'll be there for all the hoopla!!! Man, I hope I see a bunch of Houston peeps. That's going to be great.

So, we're about to get on the road. See you guys at the expo or the race. If you're not on Twitter, GET ON!!!

I remember when...

2009-11-12T11:08:00.002-06:00

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bill's account of his amazing 50K run last weekend. It was written very well. I started browsing my blog, randomly reviewing posts from 2006-2008 and I came to the realization that I've lost my writing skills. I actually enjoyed going back and reading some of my old posts. Some were entertaining. Others were informative. A few really expressed what I was thinking and feeling at the time. What happened? I think I must consider that Facebook, texting, cell phones, Twitter, all these modern modes of short, immediate, instantly available forms of communication have somehow dulled my communication skills, at least my skills as a writer. Like any other skill, I'm going to have to practice to get it back. Look for a lot more blog posts in the future.

It was a LAPSE not a RELAPSE!!!

2009-11-04T10:56:00.002-06:00

Back in 2007, after knocking down a PR at the Koala Half Marathon and finding myself well on my way to a sub-6 hour marathon in January, something happened. Work was crazy (and I mean CRAZY), I got busy, the holidays came, blah, blah, blah, . I dropped off the radar. I started gaining back all the weight I had lost. I stopped running. And spent the better part of the next year falling back into all my old habits and gaining just about ALL of the 75 pounds I had lost. I had a major RELAPSE!!!

Disgusted with myself, I got back on the wagon and have worked very hard this past year to FINISH what I started back in 2006, to get healthy and lose all this FAT. After some success, about a month ago, I started getting busy, concentrating on work, stretching myself too much, blah, blah, blah and started down the same destructive road that I traveled in 2007. I can't understand my behavior other than to just say that I'm a food addict. A compulsive eater. A self-destructor. A habitual starter who never finishes anything. I think deep down inside, I don't believe I can do it. I don't believe I can actually accomplish the goals that I've set for myself. With all this STUFF staring me down, the only thing I have going for me is my absolute disgust with where I was and how I felt back in 2007-2008. This time, fear, despair, disgust, anger, all these "Dark Side" emotions made me stop and take inventory of where I was headed. I promised myself, Jan, my kids, and God I wasn't going back there and by golly, I'm NOT!!!

So, I got some help from Catherine who is as much a life coach for me as she is my nutritionist. I got my shoes back on and got out and ran. I CLEARED my calendar of just about EVERYTHING between now and January 17 so that I can focus on my health and fitness. I let some really close friends know exactly what I'm going through. I'm pulling my support system as close to me as possible. And I'm praying. I think by God's grace that I'm back from near disaster. I'm back to HIGHLY motivated and feeling good. Looking back at this last 6 weeks, it's going to look like a blip, just a LAPSE, a temporary setback.

Squirrels like Watermelon

2009-09-04T09:13:00.004-05:00

This is kind of a funky week as I am on call all weekend starting today so I wanted to get a nice long run in on Thursday instead of having to carry my pager and my phone with me on Saturday morning for 3+ hours. Since I'm on call on Labor Day, I took my holiday yesterday. And since I was off all day and long runs should be mini-special occasions, I decided to head out to beautiful Huntsville State Park for a little trail running. The plan was to do ~15 miles.

I found the course for the Hog's Hunt 25K on MapMyRun.com and downloaded it to my Garmin. So, no chance of getting lost unless our satellite system all of a sudden was taken over by aliens. I let a lot of friends and family know where I was going in case I came up missing. I packed my amphipod with 4 x 8 oz. bottles of water and plenty Gu. So, I feel like I planned pretty well but there's always a risk going out into the forest by yourself.

I warmed up the road from the parking lot down by the beach (about a mile) and got a good drink of water at the Nature Center. While I was running up there, I felt a little twinge on the top of my left foot but I counted it up to "just warming up". I hit the trailhead and headed south on Chinqapin Trail. Man it was just beautiful out there and the trails are in such excellent condition. Although it was cooler than it has been, I still worked up a pretty good sweat. I love trails because you don't have to worry about pace or mile markers or all the regular "routine" road stuff. You just gotta keep from falling down. I did a really good job at that, at first. :)

I got to the jeep trail and headed east back towards I-45. The trail is nicely overgrown and shaded and it was just beautiful listening to the sounds of the woods, running and walking up and over the very gentle hills. At about 5 miles, I really started to take notice of that left foot. It wasn't excruciating pain but something just did not feel right. The out an back on the jeep trail brought me back to the Chinquapin Trail cutoff and I was faced with a decision. Straight ahead was the HOPE that the pain in the foot would not get any worse as well as some serious water rationing as I was already into my 3rd 8 oz. bottle. To the right was a mile and a half of trail and a mile down the road to the car. I did NOT want to get a couple miles around the lake and have the pain in my foot worsen and be stuck out there, limping 7 or 8 miles back to the car. I could have made the water last I think. I was doing ok on hydration and felt fine, not thirsty at all yet. I decided as I always do to be on safe side and headed back to base.

It wasn't too long before the pain in the foot got even worse and I became very happy that I opted for the safer route. I was walking at this point, briskly walking but walking nonetheless. I grabbed a water bottle and as soon as my head went back to take a swig and I took my eyes off the trail, I stepped on SOMETHING, twisted my ankle, and went down. For a big guy, I landed pretty soft and came to my feet smiling, feeling somewhat proud of myself for falling. You know, like a REAL trail runner. The ankle really did not hurt at all but the foot got worse. I got up to the road and ended up walking the last mile very gingerly down to the car. I decided to take my shoes off about halfway there and strangely, it felt better. By the time I go to the car, I was glad it was over.

When I got home, the ankle was swollen but did not hurt much. The top of my foot was very painful though. Today it feels better but I'm going to take some time off.

Oh, I almost forgot. When I got down to the car, I sort of camped out down there out of the back of my car and just enjoyed the cool morning. A squirrel decided to check me out so I threw him a chunk of watermelon. He really loved that. So, I didn't have any company with me for my run but at least I was able to share some morning fruit with Mr. Squirrel.

What does this mean?

2009-08-31T16:24:00.000-05:00

Runs with Cranes

2009-08-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

In Flight took a road trip yesterday to the Kemah/Seabrook area for our Saturday long run. The only thing bad about running in Kemah is not running in Houston. Being away made me appreciate the energy of running in the city. I haven't run in many big cities. But Houston's gotta be one of the BEST running cities in the nation.

Although I did miss big city running for just a day, I thoroughly enjoyed our trip out to Galveston Bay and I must say the morning was gorgeous. I've only seen the Seabrook trails in pictures taken from friends who ran the Seabrook Marathon. I didn't really appreciate or know what a really great running venue that is. Plenty of sidewalks, miles and miles of crushed granite trails, and some pretty nice back roads with very light traffic, at least on Saturday morning. There were lots of bikers wizzing by and everyone, bikers as well as folks in regular vehicles offered a "Good Morning!" or a wave. It's a really friendly town. Makes me want to put the Seabrook Half on my spring racing schedule. We'll see.

Our course took us south out of the Rex Meador Park and out onto State Hwy 146. We hit the Kemah bridge just perfectly at sunrise. The cold front was really pushing down and the entire bay was just flat. It seemed like the locals down there were either very courteous or they were used to sharing the road with bikers and runners. We all got along pretty well for the 5 or 6 miles out and back on the 146. Once we got off the bridge coming back, we looped back under it and hugged the coast up Toddville Rd back to the park. After a pit stop, it was onto the Seabrook trails, through some nicely shaded areas and back out to Toddville road. Discovered a nice little park and I don't even know the name of it. But it features a VERY nice t-head fishing pier which I'm going to have to visit again. The 14.67 mile route afforded me just a couple of shortcuts and I ended up with 13.75. I was getting real hot by the end of the run but made it in the last mile strong.

Besides the view off the Kemah bridge, there were a lot of interesting sights along the way. I came across some tidal inlets just as the tide was coming in and it was really neat to see the power of the tide rushing in and rising, almost like a flash flood. I imagine that really stirs up the bait fish and gets the big predators to feeding. It made me want to go fishing. I also happened upon a couple of whooping cranes making baby whooping cranes. Oh my goodness, that was quite a sight. They were both flapping around so much, I couldn't tell one from the other. Looked like they were having fun.

Michael met the mayor of Seabrook who offered us a police escort over the bridge next year. Cool, huh?

New Strategy

2009-08-24T08:28:00.009-05:00

On Saturday, I employed a new strategy for finishing my long runs strong. Just about the time it started getting tough, you know, like that last mile or mile and a half, I took off my shirt. At that point, my mind was not thinking about how tired I was. I was just thinking about finishing before I saw anyone I know. It worked. I finished strong, and only a few hundred complete strangers were traumatized by the horrid sight.

Saturday's Week #13 route took us out Memorial to Waugh, back up to Dunlavy, out Dunlavy and back Woodhead, then back to the park, in long. 12 miles total. I think this was my favorite route to date. Maybe it's because I've never run that stretch up Dunlavy and back through...well, I don't really know what that part of town is called. You could call if Fourth Ward. I don't really know how else to refer to it. The sunrise was just beautiful and I hit it just right. Heading east into downtown on Memorial provides a much nicer, less obstructed view of the skyline than Allen Parkway. It was nice.

Running down Dunlavy, I took in the sights and smells of Houston. It kind of takes me back to see homes that have been turned into businesses or galleries. The smell of fresh baked bread from a local bakery, the sounds of cars zooming beneath me as I crossed the bridge across 59, the beautiful homes and landscaping up North Ave., all made for a very nice run.

As far as performance, I had a great run. I stayed steady and strong through 10.5. I began to falter a bit once I got in the park but drew on a couple motivating factors to get through it. First was the run topless strategy which I mentioned already. But second, I knew a bunch of In Flight peeps were already at Empire Cafe, basking in the glory of their own long runs. I wanted to get there and join in the frivolity ASAP. So, that's what I did. And we DID have a fun, fun time at breakfast. It was great talking trash and laughing loud with the peeps. And all this before some people even get out of bed.

Hammer Time!!!

2009-08-18T14:56:00.002-05:00

It's GO time, hammer time, giddy-up time!!! Whatever term you use, it's time to get serious about San Antonio which is just 13 weeks away. Man, that's close. I've basically got to go from 11 miles to 21 in just 10 weeks, and from 287 pounds to 257 by race day. Hopefully, the latter will help me reach the former and vice-versa.

Saturday's long run was a good confidence booster for me and capped a solid week of training. I didn't mention it to really anyone but the week of August 2, I just about lost it. Don't ask me why. I have no idea. But I ran a total of 4 miles that week and for a few days there, I ate EVERYTHING bad. And that's all I'm going to say about that. Like I said, I recovered and followed up last week with some good running and got back on the horse with the nutrition thing.

I starting to get the fever. I mean I'm starting to get REALLY excited about my upcoming marathon. Up until this week, I've kind of looked at San Antonio less than seriously. I've always had my eyes on Houston as my real goal and the one I really wanted to nail. But I'm starting to get excited about possibly doing really well at San Antonio. I can't see myself treating a race like as anything but a RACE!!! I want to PR that sucker. And I want a huge PR. And I don't want to wait until Houston to break 6 hours.

So, as I see San Antonio getting closer and closer, it's time for me to knuckle down and get 'er done. I've got a 26 mile week this week with some hill work in the morning and a 12 mile long run on Saturday. Now, to work.

Toughest training week of the year

2009-08-01T19:10:00.001-05:00

My 22nd mile for the week came at the end of a 10.2 mile run this morning. This marked my first 20+ mile week since who knows when, probably since October of 2007. Plus, I added a not-for-the-faint-hearted yoga class on Tuesday and hill training on Wednesday making for a tough week. I don't know if it was the tough training week or the weather or what but that last mile this morning was wicked hard. I had little left by the time I was done. But like I said, there are GREAT days and good days. This was a good day.

We ran east out of the park today, up Feagan to Studewood, then down Reisner to White Oak and back. I had some company this morning as my buddy SteveC, who's nursing a strained tendon in his foot or something, decided to take it real easy and run with me. It was as far as Steve's run this year but still 4 or 5 min/mile slower than he's used to running. I had another treat early on. I got a high-five from June who I passed by on Blossom. She was heading west with her KW group. June, you're looking STRONG!!! June, that was Dixie running with you? I didn't think quick enough to say hi. Tell her howdy.

I got back to the soccer field and was DONE!!! I mean DONE!!! I downed a bunch of water and talked some trash with some peeps and headed over to the car. I always put my keys up on top of my towel when I open my trunk. This time my keys fell down into the trunk. I didn't get them out immediately and ended up locking my keys in my car. I called a locksmith who came and busted in the car in about 1 minute. $130. ;( Will came over in case I needed help and he witnessed the robbery first-hand. Anyway, the only nice thing was it really didn't take long for the locksmith to get there and do the job. After that, I headed over to Buffalo Grill for an scrumptious omlette with Will, Anna, and SteveC. We had a great time and laughed a lot. I love Saturday mornings.

Peace.

Fun-filled day

2009-07-31T09:11:00.002-05:00

I had a bunch of stuff to do yesterday so I took the day off. Being that I have almost 5 weeks vacation on the books, I figured ONE day off wouldn't hurt me so I just took Thursday off. I scheduled my to-do's on my day off just like any other work day. Everything had an appointment on my Blackberry so I would be where I was supposed to be. It looked something like this.

5:30 - Run with the gang (Memorial Park)
8:40 - Orthotics fitting (Spine & Sports Medicine)
9:15 - Breakfast with Will (Buffalo Grill)
12:00 - Massage (Cosa Bella Day Spa)
1:30 - Dietician (The Houstonian)
3:00 - Haircut (Bellair's Original Barber Shop
7:00 - In Flight Seminar, Top 10 Running Injuries (Fleet Feet Rice Village)

I threw in a visit to My Fit Foods in Uptown Park after my visit with Catherine. I had heard about My Fit Foods from Anna and wanted to check it out. It's really quite interesting. They have a menu of pre-packaged, pre-pared meals that you can basically just take home, pop in the microwave and enjoy. Nothing is frozen. All natural ingredients. For the most part, wheat and gluten free. Most of their lunch meals are "higher" in complex carbs. Dinners are higher in protein. I had the Cran/Strawberry Patty which is "the fourth flavor in the Patty line: strawberries and dried cranberries! This is a steel cut oatmeal pancake. We pack the protein in with five egg whites . Agave nectar is used for a low-glycemic glaze. Eat the whole thing for a regular meal or split in half for two snacks!" It was quite tasty.

After my haircut, I knew I had some time to kill. I got this bright idea that I wanted to run AGAIN!!! I don't know if it was the massage or the Cran/Strawberry Patty or what but I really felt like running. One problem, the only clothes I had with me were the nasty, sweaty clothes from my morning run. I knew by the time I went out to Cypress in afternoon traffic, changed clothes, and hopped back into traffic to get back over to Rice, I would not have time to run before the 7:00 seminar. I called Mom but she was not at home and now answering her cell. I had to get these clothes washed and get over to the track. The quarters in my ash tray got me thinking, "Why don't you just go to the washateria?" So, that's what I did. The only washateria I knew of was over by my parents' house so I drove over, got some change and got to work. About the time the cycle started, Mom called and asked, "Did you call?" I told her why I had called her. She said she was going to be home in a few minutes. I finished the wash and then went over to Mom's to dry. I'm glad I did 'cause I was also able to grab a sandwich and a couple water bottles. I made it over to the park with time to spare and got in another 3.2 miles for a total of just over 6 for the day. I'm glad I got to burn the extra calories. It really showed on the scale this morning. A new low...287.5

Yoga and Hills

2009-07-29T15:09:00.002-05:00

In the course of only 12 hours, I enjoyed not just one but TWO new experiences. First, I attended and actually participated in my first yoga class last night at 6 pm. After a good night's sleep, I met up with In Flight to do some hill work. Running hills isn't completely foriegn to me as I ran hills a few times back in 2006 but this morning was the first time in a very long time I've hit the slopes. Needless to say, my legs feel like jell-o right now.

The yoga was tough, on par with a tough boot camp workout if you ask me. Not with all the cardio but I'll tell you what...I was sweating like a pig about 15 minutes into it. So, the class is billed as Yoga for Runners. We did what they call hip openers. It was kind of interesting in that we did no "hamstring stretches" whatsoever. But pre-class we tested how far we could reach when bent over. I could just about put my fingertips on the floor. By the end of the class, without doing any "hamstring stretches", I could put my palms on the floor. I learned from the instructor that it's the hips and glutes that really release the hamstring, not necessarily just doign hamstring stretches.

The hills were tough too. The hardest drill we did was the last drill, a high-knee walk up the hill, then down, up, then down for 5 minutes. By the time I got to the top of that hill each time, my hip flexors were burning and my legs felt like lead. I should feel good in the morning. Oh, crud. I've got bootcamp in the morning. Yipee!!!

Slow and steady

2009-07-23T17:00:00.003-05:00

Well, it's not biggest loser numbers but I've been losing weight slowly but on a steady glide down since October of last year. I've lost about 41 pounds since the beginning of the year, 60 since October of 2008. That's an average of just over 6 pounds a month. I'm not one to look back but if I had to look back, I know I could have done much better. As you can see below, there are about 5 periods of time this year of 1-2 weeks where I got off track. 5 little humps. But overall, I like the trend that the chart shows. Now, my goal for the next 6 months is to avoid the humps. Consistency is my next giant I need to slay.

So close to double digits

2009-07-18T19:35:00.003-05:00

When I walked out the door this morning, I was pleased at not being hit across the face with the thick, hot air we've had for the last month on Saturday mornings. Don't get me wrong. It was still a hot, Houston, summer morning but just a little closer to bearable.

Michael continues to keep it fresh with new routes every week. This morning, we had a change of venue. We met at Fleet Feet, Rice Village and headed south around Rice, around Hermann Park, and out Braes Bayou. The paved run/bike trails along the bayou are really nice. Not a whole lot of people like around Memorial and Allen Parkway. At one point, I looked down the bank of the bayou and a huge red-tailed hawk was just sitting there on the ground, about 15 feet off the path. I stopped and just looked at it. It looked at me. Bored, the hawk eventually took off down the bank of the bayou and glided along the water, about a foot off the surface, like a fighter jet flying through a canyon. That was a joy to see.

Total, I got about 9.9 miles. It doesn't seem quite right rounding up to double digits. I'm waiting until next week for that. I'm not really getting any faster on my long runs but that's really not the goal right now, right? I'm covering the distance every week but I really can't fathom right now being able to finish in 6 hours come January. I'm running ~14:50 right now on average but with water stops and potty break, it's about 15:30. I know I just need to cover the distance but when is the speed gonna come? With cooler temps? I know the answer to this question and that's why continuing to lose weight is as critical to my marathon training as long runs and weekly mileage. That's where my speed is going to come from. It's just a matter of physics. Catherine wants me to get a big bulk of my goal weight off by middle of September, before my 15, 16, 18, 21 mile runs start and I really start ramping up weekly mileage. It's really hard during that kind of training to be cutting your calories and trying to lose a massive amount of weight. So, I've really gotta kick the weight loss up a notch over then next month, month and a half.

Indecent exposure

2009-07-13T10:15:00.002-05:00

After a great visit with Catherine this morning (we got some things straight and set some new goals), I headed over to the park for my run. Today was P day which for In Flight means pick up the pace. It's really flexible. Do a tempo, or some pickups, or a fartlek, whatever, just spend some time in the "next" gear. I opted for a little tempo work.

After a mile warmup, I did some stretching and got some water. Then after another .5, I went right into my tempo gear. For me, the tempo run is as much about pacing and consistency as it is about running at a higher effort. Too fast, and you burn out (which I've done many times). Too slow and you don't get the benefit of training right at threshold. I dropped my pace to ~5K + 30 seconds and gradually eased it on down to finish right around 5K + 10. None of that is too scientific but I held my pace and even picked it up a little over the 2nd mile. I did a half mile cool down and took it on in.

Oh, the indecent exposure...Well, after I was done with my 2 tempo miles, I knew I had a little cooldown left. It was really starting to get hot. I don't know what in the world I was thinking but I just took my shirt off and it was good...and bad...and of course, ugly. The good? Well, it took my mind off of how tired I was and set my running on auto pilot. I wasn't thinking about running. I was thinking about how much I was jiggling and whether or not I should have worn sunscreen and how heavy my sweat drenched shirt was to carry and how I wanted to just throw it to the side and pick it up later. Another good thing is it definitely was cooler. Now, the bad...and the ugly...they kind of all go together. Well, suffice it to say, a man with my physique has no business running without a shirt. PERIOD!!! But Like SteveB always refers to running Memorial Park...it's running SHAMELESS!!!

34 miles for June so far.

Execution of a Long Run

2009-07-12T18:48:00.002-05:00

My execution of Saturday's 8.6 miler began on Friday. I woke up drinking water and frankly, by the end of the day, don't think I could have drank another drop. I had a great lunch, snack, and dinner. While I was craving some pizza, I gotta thank Jan for making and AWESOME, healthy dinner with grilled chicken, corn and black bean salad, and INCREDIBLE yellow squash sautee, all topped with a scoop of guac and pico. When I was done with that meal, I felt like a KING!!! Oh, and we topped off the evening with a Skinny Cow Fudge Bar.

I got up right on time for a change, had a good breakfast, picked up where I left off Friday night with more water, water, water and headed out. I actually arrived at the park early so I did not feel rushed at all. After a quick pep talk from Coach Michael, I headed out. I set out at a very easy pace for the first couple miles. Our route took us west out of the park and up Memorial Drive. I didn't dilly-dally much at all at the first water stop. I was feeling pretty good. Of course, by just two miles in, I was already just about soaked from head to toe with sweat and it wasn't even that hot...YET!!! All week, the heat has really been getting to me. Of course, I've been running mostly in the evening so that explains that. My plan yesterday was to RESPECT THE WEATHER!!! I wasn't going to worry about my pace at all. Just go out, keep my effort at LSD effort and just get my miles done and get out of there.

I saw lots of In Flight peeps as they hit their turnarounds and were heading back in. Our routes were great. We had folks doing 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12... all depending on what race and what level they were training at. Four through nine mile routes were pretty much the same, just with different turnaround points. Water stops were all very strategically placed. Great job In Flight and crew on the logistics this morning. You just don't know how much that makes a difference in a long run to know everything is in order, that you don't have to worry about water and bathrooms being where you said they were going to be. First class job. Nannie-nannie-boo-boo all you groups who have to CARRY your own water. :) Sorry, I'm quickly becoming an In Flight snob. Just kidding around so don't get your shorts in a wad.

Anyway, my turnaround point was just a block short of Chimney Rock. The crew not only had water and Gatorade for us but COLD, ICED TOWELS!!! That felt so good. I took a little longer at the truck than at the first water stop. I just kind of cooled down, hydrated and prepared for the return trip. I had just under 4 miles behind me and still felt REALLY good. This surprised me as during the week, I had a couple runs where after mile 2, I was done. But again, I was respecting the heat and just getting it done.

I've already dragged this story out too long. Suffice it to say, I finished the run strong. I really had no need to walk ANY. I took 30 seconds or so after each of the next 3 water stops to walk a little but pretty much I'd have to say that given the conditions, I nailed this run. Good prep, good execution.

Our efforts were rewarded with some trash talking and fun times at Starbucks with a couple of our HFit buds, Doreen and Anna. There was even a Cassie and Manny sighting which MADE MY DAY!!! Congrats to everyone on a great run Saturday. And like coach said, it's that time. 6 months to game time. Let's turn up the heat and get this show on the road. I'm really looking forward to the season and the challenges ahead and sharing them with good friends and my family.

Back on track...

2009-07-09T14:43:00.002-05:00

After a mediocre month in June, I'm back on track with my running and weight loss and the scale is showing it. I weighed in this morning at 293.75, the first time I've dipped below 295 since my 2007 Houston Marathon weight and probably the lowest I've been in many a moon, like since 1997. After this afternoon's run, I'll already have 23 miles behind me for July, more than half of what I ran the whole month of June. Working on a good 80+ mile month in July if all goes well.

Right now, I'm walking that fine line between NOT trying to "catch up" for a bad 2 or 3 weeks in June but trying to get to where I need to be so that I don't have to throw away San Antonio. I'm definitely not close to that but I don't want to get any further behind. I'm anxious to see how my 8 miler goes this Saturday.

Not pleased with myself

2009-07-04T20:44:00.003-05:00

Let me get one thing straight right out of the gate here. I'm not displeased with my time for this this morning's 5K. Frankly, I had no time goal at all and figured if I just did what I was supposed to do, the time would be what it was. There's really not much I can control as far as the actual time result of my 5K. I can't control the weather which was a huge factor today. But what I can control is my mind and that is where I'm not at all pleased with my performance.

I arrived at the race feeling REAL good, coming off a few good nutrition days and a couple of nice runs on Wednesday and Thursday. My weight was down around 296 and I was well hydrated. I had a good warmup and stretch and was ready to roll. I took off and got in a pretty good groove early. I was running hard but not CRAZY (I thought). Just under halfway, about the time you're supposed to start "hurting" in a 5K, I began to THINK about taking a walk break. I started to THINK about saving some 'till the end. I started to THINK about this 5K really not meaning much since it was so hot. All this THINKING!!! I dropped from a 12:26 pace for mile one to a 13:27 pace for mile 2. I HATE that I didn't ATTACK this race. I'm not pleased with my thoughts at all and my lack of real toughness. Right now, at 300 pounds and as slow as I am, my mental toughness is really all I have going for me. I really feel like it wasn't my body that gave out. It was my mind.

So, on a more positive note, I did finish pretty well the last .75, thanks to Maurice who came back and paced me just off Cedar Creek. I'll tell you what, Maurice knows what he's doing bringing a struggling runner in to the finish. He said all the right things, ran me on the tangents, and was a big motivation for me. Thanks, dude. Also, I felt NO pain in my ankle and knees and besides sheer exhaustion, felt really good. Finally, it was just FANTASTIC to see Amber and meet Mark and to visit with Elisa and Will and Matt...and...oh, I can't possibly name them all. It was just great to see my friends. And congrats on an awesome race, Will. The circle is now complete. When you left me, you were but the learner; now *YOU* are the master.

As for the race, well in my opinion, they get an A+. Great band. It looked like there was some incredible food although I didn't have any. Water stops were well serviced. The course was really nice, shaded even. Oh, and they had runners' showers at the finish in case you needed to cool down and to quote a good friend of mine, "That didn't suck!!!"

I've got some stuff to work on in July. I need a solid, consistent month of weight loss and running. I've got to put it all together and I mean now.

Even for June

2009-07-03T19:19:00.002-05:00

I'm not ready to call June a setback or a failure. Some would say if you ain't moving forward, then you're moving backwards. If I did lose ground it wasn't a total retreat and the damage was minimal.

The following is not meant to be a list of excuses. It's just the facts and represents my one last area that I have yet to conquer, how to keep eating healthy and get my exercise, even when life does not go according to plan. As June kicked off, Jan had a planned 2-day work trip to California which had me doing Mr. Mom for a couple days. Unfortunately, when Jan was at the airport, she got a call the he dad had taken very ill and was in the hospital. Jan had to go there to support the family and to see her dad through his ordeal and she ended up being gone about 2 weeks. I missed a bunch of runs and didn't eat very well those weeks. Then, I joined a bunch of Junior High kids for a week as a counselor for our church's Beach Retreat. I basically ate like CRAP the whole week. I promise, if I don't ever see another Oreo cookie as long as I live, that will be fine with me. I wanted to do some running on the beach while I was there but I put it off every day saying I'd do it tomorrow. I never did.

What saved me was I did manage to run ALL of my long runs for the month and did manage to squeeze in 40 miles for the month, down from 61 in May. The scale showed that I had put on a couple of pounds but I think a lot of it was just eating salty food and not exercising. Believe me, had it been a total meltdown, which it wasn't, I could have packed on 10-12 pounds last month.

I'm not going to beat myself up. I've decided that. I'm back on track and had a good week running. My weight is already after eating good for that last week or 10 days, back to what it was June 1. I had an awesome 7.5 miles last week and tomorrow I'm going to tackle what will be my first race since falling completely off the wagon back in October, 2007. So, basically, I missed an opportunity to really progress in June and drop another 10-12 pounds. But it could have been worse. Let's just call it even. Bring on July!!!

Building Confidence

2009-06-27T16:24:00.002-05:00

I got to bed last night nice and early and bolted out of bed ~4:15, ready for my long run. I'm really glad I decided to check the computer for our route this morning. For 5 weeks now, our routes have all been the same every week. I opened our e-mail to confirm that I was running the same as last week but come into the park long for the extra mile. I was very surprised to see that ALL our routes were new so I had to do some studying before I left. Before our run, Michael mentioned that our routes were changing this week. The reason he said was that we were practicing our "Avoid Houston Fit" routes. I laughed out loud. Basically, we left the park out Wescott and stayed off of Blossom. The route brings us back in Memorial all the way from Waugh so I guess the intent was to avoid HFit going OUT of the park. They start in what? 3 weeks? The season is here!!! I say the more people out on the roads the better. I LOVE the energy of all our groups in town running and training for our marathons/half marathons. It's the best.

So, I had 7 on the schedule today. Michael's routes are rarely right-on-the-money with the distance but it's all good. That just means he doesn't have us doing a lot of out and backs which makes it a lot less boring. Anyway, the distance of today's 7 mile route was 7.42!!! Last week's 6 mile route was 5.92 so 7 and a half had me a little worried. The heat was bad. My goal on these runs during the summer is to just get 'er done, get the mileage done. I took full advantage of all of our water stops and did some stretching when I stopped.

By the time I got back to the Memorial Park loop, I had a choice of coming in short for 6.4 or sticking with the plan and coming in long for 7.4. Oh, believe me, I was sooooo ready to be done and seriously considered turning right towards the soccer fields. I kept going long and for a while considered turning around after .3 or .3 and finishing with 7 instead of 7.4. But I kept going. I walked some early in mile 7 but it was not an "I quit" walk. I kept strong and walked briskly and only for a timed 1 minute period at a time. At about the 6.8 mark, I actually got a little burst of energy and made it all the way to the tennis court in pretty good effort. I stopped and spent some time at the runner's shower and then jogged it on in for what acutally turned out according to the Garmin to be 7.7 miles. I think Michaels 7.42 ended at the tennis center.

Anyway, it was one of those runs where I wanted to quit but I didn't and at the end I was soooooo happy I didn't. It really helped my confidence to be able to reach down SOMEWHERE and find SOMETHING to get me to the distance I had committed to. No shortcuts. No quitting early and walking the "quitter's walk" for the last mile. I finished it running. We had some great fun trash talking at Starbuck's after which made it just that much better of a Saturday morning. So much done before 9:30 am, before many even get out of bed.

Now, off to the HARRA Summer Celbration!!!

6 Beautiful Miles this morning!!!

2009-06-13T10:40:00.002-05:00

I had a great run this morning. It was a definite attitude run. I had to have a good attitude to get it done in this heat and humidity. I seriously had to check my head every few minutes and sort of tell myself that it really wasn't too hot. Mind over temp and I got 'er done.

We had a great group with In Flight this morning. I think the group is growing. The key box was overflowing and there was a short line to check in. I think I was officially a few minutes late. Michael and Duval run a pretty tight ship pre-run in an effort to get us out doing what we came ther to do. I think I'm going to shoot for getting there a little earlier next Saturday.

Prep for this morning's run really started Thursday night. I needed to get a boot camp session in on Friday morning so I had a good dinner and got to bed by 9:30 on Thursday. After a tough boot camp, I knew I really needed to nail my nutrition and recover before Saturday's long run. I had some Endurox after boot camp and then ate flawlessly the rest of the day. I netted a good 2000 calories, all good stuff, for the day and got to be again early at 9:30.

Anyway, it all paid off with a good, consistent 6 miles this morning. My splits were very consistent. 14:34 / 14:39 / 14:35 / 14:48 / 14:33 / 14:40. It's hard not to think that I'm digressing or slowing down but I just gotta remember what I already know, that training through this heat and keeping it at the right effort is going to pay major dividends once this heat breaks. I know it's a long way off but I'm really anticipating that first cool day of Fall when 12-13 minute pace feels effortless. I've just gotta get through these summer months and stay positive.

Now, off to Beach Retreat for a week. I look forward to what God is going to do in the lives of our students and in my life. I hope the food is conducive to healthy eating. I plan on doing my runs in the morning, on the beach before my boys wake up.

Course of Action

2009-06-13T10:12:00.002-05:00

I don't want or need to refer to my ankle "issue" as an injury. At this point, it just has potential for turning into something bad as it has in the past. I went to see Dr. H early on so that we could head it off at the pass and have a course of action that would be easy and CHEAP. I think a lot of runners just wait until an issue gets so bad that they can't run or when they do, it's just too painful. So, because I got in EARLY to get this thing nipped in the bud, I have options as to the course of action.

Basically, I have 3 to-do's. First, I have to keep my ankle taped for 2 weeks. This is a single stip just above the ankle, wrapped tight enough to enable my propulsion mechanism (see previous post) but not too tight that venous blood flow is restricted. Second, I need 2 sessions with Dr. H to get a couple of joints in my ankle and in my foot moving again and to release a few trigger points I have in my peroneals and calf. The first session is all it takes to do this. The second session comes later and is just a recheck to make sure I haven't digressed. Third, I need an orthotic. This is just something I'm going to have to have based on my foot and my anatomy. Now, I currently have an orthotic that Doc modified just a little. He said the orthotics I have will do. But I hate them because they are too thick. I feel like I'm running in high heels. So, I think I am going to have Dr. H fit me for a new pair of orthotics.

That's it. That should do the trick.

Functional Hallux Limitus

2009-06-12T09:33:00.003-05:00

If anyone is interested, this is my problem...

Hallux limitus, by definition, is a decrease in sagittal plane dorsiflexion of the hallux at the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ) when the foot is in a weightbearing or simulated weightbearing position.

Normal range of dorsiflexion motion of the first MPJ should be 65 to 75 degrees in order to allow for a normal gait. Near the end of the propulsive phase of gait (when you push off your big toe), the leg has a 45-degree position to the floor and the ankle is in about 20 degrees of plantarflexion to the leg. This position requires the hallux to be able to dorsiflex 65 degrees. Anything less requires accommodation or adaptation from the surrounding joints. This compensation can come from gait changes, such as subtalar joint supination and walking on the outside of the foot, subtalar joint pronation with foot abduction, etc.

We often speak of functional versus structural hallux limitus. A decrease in joint motion in the loaded and unloaded foot is structural hallux limitus. In regard to functional hallux limitus, there is limitation only when the foot is weightbearing or loaded.

Believe it or not, after 2 hours now with Dr. Hasenback, I actually understand the above 3 paragraphs in detail and can explain it to someone else. This is what you get with Dr. H. I'm very pleased with the service I got with Spine & Sports and pleased with the prescribed treatment and the fact that they take the time to explain everything they are doing or are proposing to do. Plus, they have a money back, no questions asked, guarantee. Basically, they see what I am paying them to treat me as an investment. Like any investment, the investor (me) expects to get back MORE than they put in. If after the proposed course of action is taken, I do not feel like I received a satisfactory return on my investment, they will give me a no questions asked refund and then refer me to someone they think can help me. That's bold.

I think I made the right move

2009-06-09T15:18:00.002-05:00

I just got back from seeing Dr. Hasenback about my ankle. I've been back and forth in my head about going to a podiatrist vs. seeing Dr. Hasenback and pursuing a more non-traditional approach. After spending a solid hour with Dr. H, I definitely feel good about my decision. He poured out a TON of information and looked at not only my ankle but my arches, toes, calves, ITB, posture, the whole 9 yards. He did a very thorough Q & A with me. We looked at my shoes and my orthotics (which I don't normally wear). His goal was to provide me with enough information about the functional aspects of my issue so that I would know for myself what was going on with my body and be able to self-treat and prevent this issue FOR LIFE.

What I paid for on my initial consult was 1 hour with Doctor H where he looked at my issue. Had me stand in a lot of positions, without my orthotics, and with. Then he modified my orthotic a bit and had me stand in certain positions. It was absolutely amazing how different parts of my body, my ITB, my inner calf, my lower back, were all so much less tight, just by putting a tiny piece of foam under my orthotics. So much so that it was VERY noticeable. NO hocus pocus. It was noticeable. He made the point that once we get my feet working (not only with the orthotic modification but with some other very simple courses of action) running will become so much more natural and easier. I can so see how just these little tweaks to the way my foot absorbs shock and then propels me off my big toe will conserve energy and give me a more natural feeling. It's all very interesting.

With the initial consult, I also get another appointment which they refer to as the "Report of Findings". This is where Dr. H provides in great detail with pictures and images what he found during his exam and what our exact course of action is. Again, his whole emphasis is on educating the patient. What a concept in this world of waiting 2 hours to see a doctor for 10 minutes. Like I said, he poured out sooooo much information today that it was kind of hard to digest everything, so I'm looking forward to the full report. I'll update the blog Thursday after my appointment.

Oh, one thing I do know is that I was in the wrong shoe... I wear a Nimbus. Dr. H says I need to get a Nimbus. LOL!!! Evidently, the Nimbus 11 is majorly different than the Nimbus 10 which I wear. I don't know what that part of the shoe is called but it's the part right in the middle, under the arch. The Nimbus 10 is VERY flexible there. You can easily bend the shoe in half. The newer Nimbus 11 is stiffer in that part of the shoe, supporting the arch and providing more lateral support. Now, here's the cool thing. The reason Dr. H knows this is that he went over to Luke's Locker just last week and did his own research on the different types of shoes and came up with his list of recommended shoes. So, hot off the presses from the latest research, I got to choose between 5 of the best shoes for lateral stability (I have a propensity to put my weight "laterally" towards the outside of my foot because of my high arches). I went to Luke's and gave Luis the list of shoes I wanted to try on and my fav was the Nimbus 11. Luis told me that Dr. H was just in last week testing out shoes. LOL. Pretty cool, huh?

Awesome morning

2009-06-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Boot camp was awesome this morning and I had a bonus 25 minute run afterwards at ~13:30 pace. Coach Merlino took it very easy by his standards and ran with me. It was fun to pick his brain, talk about running, about nutrition. Turns out coach and I share something in common, a love for the running community and a passion to see more people get off the couch and get moving.

I haven't run since last Wednesday and it felt great to get the blood pumping this morning. I've got a ton of work to do on my push ups and on my core. I've got to get more consistent. I'm still on my knees with my push ups and for my planks but that allows me to keep good form and get more reps/seconds and that's what it's about right now. I hope coach doesn't wonder, "What's he doing?" when I deviate from his instructions. For instance, he uses a band for lunges and squats. I find that my 300 (298) pound frame offers PLENTY resistance for those moves so I don't use the bands. Also, we did some one-legged hops across the field over about 20 yards. With my ankle problems, I substituted a less stressful "skip". Coach Steeeve used to prohibit one-legged hops and even skipping for me back in the day after my ankle surgery. I think the skips this morning did the trick just fine.

From the onset, I had my doubts about the run. When I started, my legs felt like jello, very weak. But interestingly (to me anyway), after about a half mile, I started to feel pretty good, REALLY good in fact. Don't get me wrong, I probably couldn't have run for an hour+ or done any kind of pace work but a good 25 minute @ normal training pace did me just fine. Not too much but enough that I KNOW I worked out.

My ankle has been "whispering" to me. Not "yelling" just yet but I'm developing that nagging little pain again. I made an appointment with Dr. Hasenbank today to get a plan for really getting this thing knocked out once and for all. Of course, I always struggle with going the non-traditional route (chiropractic, etc) vs. the medical route (podiatry). We'll see how it goes.

See you at the park!!!

Lots going on!

2009-06-04T06:44:00.000-05:00

Well, the kids are out of school, summer racing season in is full swing, boot camp, marathon training, Beach Retreat, work...WHEW!!! Life is a LONG RUN!!! No sense in going out too fast or I'm sure to peter out.

The first week of marathon training is going well...sorta. I mean, I've gotten all my runs in. I'm just fighting being a slave to the schedule. For instance, the schedule for Monday called for 4 miles. I did 3.7. Is that a big deal? NO, of course not!!! So, why does some crazy, obsessive part of me feel like I cut myself short. Then, Tuesday called for 3 miles or OFF. I opted for OFF and for perfectly good reasons. Basically, I had kid duty in the morning and Little League in the evening. By the time "me" time came around (about 9 pm), I just opted for OFF from running. Wednesday called for 4 miles. I did 3. I'm fine, right? Yes, I'm fine.

I'm kind of excited about The Heights 5K Saturday. It will be the first time I've raced since The Luke's/Koala Half back in 2007. I'm not counting the Rodeo Run 10K as a race and here's why. That was the stupidest thing I've ever done in my running career. I was ill-prepared not only to RACE 6.1 miles but I wasn't even ready to RUN 6.1 miles. I want to forget that day so I'm going to pretend it never happened. :) So, for me, this is my first 5K race in a long time and in some respects, my first ever. It's definitely my first race since getting off the couch back in September of last year after my year-long plunge into gluttony and inactivity. (No, I'm not bitter about LOSING a year of my life) Anyway, because this is effectively my first 5K, I have no idea what to expect. I've been told I should shoot for a PR but right now, I can't fathom that. I just don't know if I have it in me. One thing I do know is how to run a 5K. I know it hurts. I know it sucks. But my plan is to let it all hang out and hold NOTHING back. I wish Bill was there to pace me.

Lots to do. I need to get to it.

Monthly Miles for May

2009-06-01T09:06:00.001-05:00

RAMPIN' UP!!!

Congrats to Will

2009-05-30T11:37:00.003-05:00

After my run this morning, Anna and I went over to the Astros Race for the Pennant 5K to cheer our friend Will and his sister on to hopefully a PR. We parked and walked out to about the 2.9 miler spot, just as the runners turn on Congress onto the home stretch. We cheered on lotsa peeps and saw a lot of familiar faces. Will came around the corner EXACTLY on time. It was almost spooky to know exactly, based on his goal time, when he was going to be coming around that corner. I told Anna to start looking for him, he should be coming just about now. And there he and Jill were. I still had my tennis shoes on so I thought I'd follow them in running on the sidewalk. I had to just give up. Will and Jill were bookin' it. I mean they were MOVING. Ok, maybe the cup of coffee and the fact that I just ran 5 miles slowed me down a little but I knew Will was close to his sub-40 goal. I don't want to steal Will's thunder but ... oh, heck I will anyway... 39:11... That's a huge PR from just a month ago. Will's been working hard and it paid off this morning.

CONGRATS!!!

Flying FIRST CLASS with In Flight Training

2009-05-30T10:52:00.002-05:00

I don't want to sound too much like a paid advertisement but I just can't say enough about In Flight Running...and we JUST STARTED!!! Planning for this morning's run started Wednesday when Michael e-mailed us our respective routes. Micheal had 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 mile routes available on MapMyRun.com as well as .pdf files if we wanted to print out our route. Sign in, filling out Smart ID tags, and dropping off keys, all took about a minute. We had bug spray, water, gatorade, gels, whatever we needed. No time wasted. Michael intro'd the coaches, reviewed a few instruction, and we were off, right on schedule. Great job, Michael, Duval, Armani, and coaches.

Now, to the run. I had 5 miles on tap for this morning. The route was basically out Memorial Park short to Allen Parkway and back short. The temperature and humidity were atypically low this morning which had me feeling quite frisky. Running with the group, I wasn't paying much attention to the Garmin. I was just running easy, keeping that slow, groovy pace where you can talk with no problem and just enjoy the miles and spend the time on your feet. I really had no idea what my pace was and really didn't care this morning. But when I got home and downloaded the run to SportTracks, it said average pace was 13:45. That really surprised me. 13:45 is a little quick for me. I really dialed it back this morning and was being quite stubborn about keeping it at a slow, easy effort as directed by coach. Guess the temps DID have an effect on my run. No doubt eating PERFECTLY yesterday and this week and staying hydrated, getting good rest last night were major contributing factors to a good run this morning as well.

So, I'm ready. Day 1 down. Let's roll.

Not a fluke and steamy trails

2009-05-28T13:33:00.002-05:00

It looks like the sub-300 weight from yesterday was not just a fluctuation but was actual, real weight. This morning when I weighed, I was still under 300. In fact, I was well under 300 (298.5). So, it's definitely official and I'll NEVER go back!!! I mean NEVER. I was this side of 300 before and then fell into darkness. I know what it's like. I've been there twice in my life now. I HATE it. I HATE not being healthy. I HATE not having clothes to wear. I HATE not honoring God and loving my family and serving my employer with a healthy, energetic body. I HATE it! I HATE it! I HATE it! and I'm never going back. Sorry for the negativity there. I just HATE weighing over 300 pounds. Did I tell you I HATED IT? Ok, it's over. That is behind me.

On to better things. I had a couple of options for the run last night. On the one hand, the Striders organized a Pub Run with general fun, food, and frivolity at a number of stops along the way. The other option was an earlier PIM run with the possibility of doing some trails with a few trail running converts. I was quite torn about the whole thing but ended up with option B and boy was it ever a good workout. 3.8 miles from the PIM picnic tables, through Ho Chi Minh, and back. I was wiped but felt great. I had some great company on the run as well. Much fun PIMsters.

We got our In Flight schedule today. Actually, it's just the schedule for the next week, not the full training schedule. That is promised to follow soon. I think for now, Michael's just trying to not overwhelm everyone with information. Michael does provide us with a LOT of information and it looks like this 1st Saturday long run is going to be well organized indeed. Michael has runs mapped out for 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 mile runs, based on the race you are training for and your current running level. Every distance is mapped out on MapMyRun.com plus, Michael has provided .pdf files for each route in case you want to print it out. Sweet, huh? They've got a key drop so you don't have to carry your keys and water stations set up all over the place. I'm anxious to see this all go down.

sub-300...AGAIN and Hot miles

2009-05-27T07:45:00.002-05:00

It's confirmed. The National Department of Weights and Measures has certified that on the 27th day of May, 2009, Vic Kaiser weighed under 300 pounds, 299.75 to be exact (to the nearest .25 pounds). That was my goal by the end of May and it looks like I'm juuuuust going to squeak under that with a few days to spare.

I got out around the hood last night after supper and logged a couple miles, 2.25 actually. The kiddo rode his bike while I ran. The night was clear and the sunset was beautiful. Little tike provided a plethora of observations include moon phase, position of the Big Dipper, the probability that the Little Dipper was there but just could not be seen at that time, and the fact that all the ducks were the same color, white.

I'm sure hoping the weather reports are right and the storms get in and out of here by 3 or 4 this afternoon. That will surely make for a STEAMY 3 or 4 miles tonight with a high possibility of MUD ON THE TRAILS!!! Yipee!!!

In Flight Starts Saturday

2009-05-26T07:41:00.005-05:00

"Flight Training" as Michael and Duval like to call it begins in 5 days. I AM PUMPED about the training season and ready to get rolling. I attended one of In Flight's informational meetings last week with Will and Amber (and a half dozen other folks) and got even MORE excited about this program. I'm definitely sold. Now, I'm anxious to see the whole thing put into action.

I've had a couple of GREAT Saturday runs the last 3 weeks. A small group of PIMstas have sort of formed a group of "regulars" for early Saturday morning and we've been mixing up our routes, venturing out from "the loop", and keeping it fresh. I've gotten through Spring, PIM, and the following weeks and am right where I wanted to be going into marathon training...healthy, right at 300 pounds (1.75 to get below that), and feeling REALLY good. I'm up to 5-6 miles VERY comfortably on my long runs and ready to attack these next 7 and a half months.

I registered for the San Antonio Marathon last week. Yes, that's right. My next marathon is November 15. I know, I know..."Vic that's too soon!" "Vic, why don't you just train for Houston?" Just chill. I have a plan. Yes, Houston is my GOAL RACE!!! Houston is what I'm working towards. My ultimate goal this year is to run Houston 50 pounds lighter and 1 hour faster than 2007. So, where does San Antonio fit in? I wanted to do San Antonio as a practice marathon. I plan on running it easy, even doing some walking if I absolutely have to. I want to do a marathon with NO PRESSURE!!! The 7.5 hour time limit means finishing before the course closes is a non-issue. And if I can knock half of my ultimate goal (running my next marathon 50 pounds lighter than 2007) then I can concentrate at Houston on the 1 hour PR. Either way, I'm NOT letting San Antonio get in the way of Houston. As far as I'm concerned, it's a loooooong training run/walk and I'm just going to have fun.

6 Miles like I knew what I was doing

2009-05-09T15:30:00.003-05:00

There's nothing quite like a good, confidence-building long run and this morning was just that. I started around 7, a lot later than what I had hoped but the sun was still behind a lot of clouds and it wasn't too bad for most of my run. When I woke up this morning, I decided I was looking at 5-6 miles. By the time I got to the park, I had committed to 6, no less. I've run a couple of 5 miler the last few weeks but not continuously. Those runs have all been divided into 2 runs, a couple or 3 miles before meeting up with PIM and then a PIM run. I've been doing a loop and taking a good 5 or 10 minute break and then runing with the Power in Motion crew. So, I didn't quite know what to expect.

Since I was committed, I thought I'd do a commitment run. That's a run where you go OUT half the target distance and then you have run back. There are no shortcuts, no chance when you pass your car to cut the run short. You just must run back the 2nd half. I started at the tennis center and headed east out of the park towards Shepherd. When I got to Shepherd, I cut over to Allen Parkway, up to Waugh, across to the other side, and then back down Memorial to the park.

When I got back to Shepherd, I looked at my Garmin and asked myself, "Do you have 2 more miles in you?" "Yes." "No, I mean do you have 2 more GOOD miles in you." "Fo sho!!!", I answered. I stopped for water at Starbuck's and never looked back. Those last two miles were GREAT. Here are the splits:

Mile 1 - 14:48
Mile 2 - 14:43
Mile 3 - 14:47
Mile 4 - 14:39
Mile 5 - 14:59
Mile 6 - 13:58
Avg. pace - 14:38

It was soooooo great to see a bunch of PIM graduates out there keeping it going. I saw a bunch of familiar faces that looked like they were STILL having fun running. Caught the bug, did y'all? I ran into Will and we enjoyed some breakfast and a beverage at Starbuck, chatted a little, then headed out to get the day started. :)

Steady loss!!!

2009-05-04T11:28:00.004-05:00

Since the beginning of the year, the weight has been coming off slowly but surely. I'm looking at the graph above and see that there few weeks where I lost ground but it's very apparent that I recovered and got back on track every time. Here's to FEWER and LESS FREQUENT hiccups and to continued progress.

Ramping up (a bit) in April

2009-05-01T09:55:00.003-05:00

The month of April was a good month. I feel like I'm out of a slump and over my ankle injury/pain. I ran a lot more consistently and added in some resistance/boot camp workouts the last half of the month. Motivation remains high and I'm PUMPED about May. I've set some goals for May and am ready to ATTACK!!!

Breakfast of Champions Losers

2009-04-28T10:37:00.002-05:00

I don't care too much for the word "Loser" unless the connotation is that of "losing" weight but I couldn't think of an appropriate antonym for Champion. I tried to get some breakfast out this morning and discovered what I probably already knew, that basically the deck is stacked against us if our goal is eating healthy.

Running low on groceries, I ventured out of the house this morning without breakfast. I figured that since a lot of these fast food restaurants are going more healthy, I'd surely be able to find something that wouldn't do too much damage. My first stop was McDonalds. One look at the menu and I just walked out. Although my friend at work suggested one possibility that did not occur to me when I was there. An Egg McMuffin with no cheese. Actually that's not a bad choice. Next stop was IHOP where I thought I could get a couple egg beaters and some wheat toast. I was looking forward to that but they were short-staffed due to the weather and there was a 30 minute wait just to be seated. Same story at Denny's. Next stop, Whataburger. Absolutely nothing on their menus that I would choose so I left. I ended up just going to Kroger for an apple, string cheese, and a Kashi bar. It actually turned out good since I was able to pick up some snacks for work.

Anyway, it's so easy in these fast food restaurants to choose poorly. I very easily could have gotten a couple Sausage Biscuits and a couple Hash Browns, putting me well over 1000 calories with about 70g of fat. Can you believe just one Sausage Biscuit has 27g of fat? WOW!!! Glad I got out of there. Tiggs is right. McDonald's is evil!!!

Will the rain hold off?

2009-04-27T15:46:00.002-05:00

The answer MUST be yes. Please, please. What I really mean to ask is will the thunder, lightning, hail, tornadoes hold off? Anything short of that and I'm running this afternoon.

I got through boot camp ok this morning. I was well rested and ready to go. Michael trashed my shoulders and chest this morning and I know I'm going to feel it in the morning. Heck, I feel it now. I would say I chicken'd out just slightly on lunges. I did not go quite so low as I did last week which left me feeling a little like I cheated myself. I have a thought about my lunges. My thought is...I could do lunges if I weighed less, right? I mean when I bend down into a lunge, I've gotta push some serious weight to get back up and then to get back up in good form is just tough when you weigh over 300 pounds. Still, if I can knock out 15 of those at 300+, just thing of how easy it's going to be when I'm 200. :) The good thing about going ~80% on my lunges is that I'm not too trashed to do a good run tonight. Now, I just hope the storms will give me a window to do that.

One thing we did this morning was back peddling for 30 yards then stride back forward back to the start. We did 3 repeats of this and on the third one, I really felt what I was supposed to feel. I felt the burn in my hamstrings. Michael said so much of running uses the quads that most people neglect their hamstrings which leads to back problems and muscle imbalance. So, Michael says when hes "really" training runners, he has them do this for 100 yards and then back again. Glad I'm not "really" training. :)

Now, these storms just gotta hold off. Still a nice run in the rain would be fun. That's why I have two pairs of shoes in the trunk.

Next immeidate goals

2009-04-26T19:23:00.002-05:00

I just realized I'm sort of coasting along the past 2 weeks, looking too much at the big picture with no immediate, realistic goal on the near horizon. So, here's what I've come up with for the next 5 weeks. By May 30, the start of In Flight Marathon training I will:

1) Finally crack the 300 pound mark. So, 299.9 by May 30.
2) Be injury free, rested, and ready to start training on May 30.
3) Be at 15-16 mpw with a couple of 6 mile runs under my belt.
4) Be at a point strength-wise where I can do boot camp twice a week and still keep up my running.

Ok, I've got some work to do...starting NOW!!!

Full body soak!!!

2009-04-25T13:44:00.002-05:00

It's definitely getting warm and humid. Not too many days of cool, comfortable days left in Houston so 5:30 or 6 am runs will soon be back in style. I haven't blogged for a while but I'm not going to try to catch up on everything that's happened the last 2 weeks. The short version is I started boot camp a week ago Thursday. I did 2 sessions and got tired of being so sore so I took this last Thursday off. I'm fully recovered and feeling good so back to in Monday morning. Work is work, the family is GREAT, ankle feels good, and summer is here.

I got 5 miles in this morning, about 2.5 on my own and 2.5 with the PIMsters. Everyone did great and kept a nice, consistent pace for the entire run. I love running with the PIMsters but I'm looking forward in a couple of weeks of doing my continuous long runs. For the past weeks, I've pretty much been dividing my Saturday runs up between a short run on my own and a short run with PIM, with a 5+ minute break in between. Yes, I'm getting the miles on my feet and that's what counts for long runs but I'm anxious to see what doing 5 miles straight feels like right now. I want to be up to a 6 or 7 mile long run by the end of May. That seems doable, even if I just do 4, 5, 6 the first 3 weeks of May.

I'm getting VERY excited about the start of marathon training with In Flight commencing May 30. I'm ready. A couple of co-workers are going to join up too and train as well as some PIM folks. I look forward to taking this journey with them.

Later.

Boot Camp

2009-04-17T07:10:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my first day of boot camp with Michael Merlino out at Stude Park in the Heights. By the way, that's a really nice little park just off I-10 and Studewood. The workout was what I expected and my performance, or lack thereof, was no surprise either. Ha! We started off with a short 5 minute jog and some dynamic stretching. Then a series of alternating calisthenics/plyometrics and resistance exercises, keeping the heart rate up for basically the whole hour. The whole thing just confirmed what I already knew, that my running may be improving and I may be losing weight but I am WEAK and very out of shape where my strength and muscles are concerned. This is really going to help me a lot.

I can really feel it today and I mean all over. I can really feel it in the abs and in my sides and chest. Ooo-aah!!! After dinner last night, I put the icing on the cake with a 2 mile jog around the neighborhood. By the end of the day Thursday, I was just about at max stress and today's total rest day is definitely warranted.

Wait for me...

2009-04-13T21:18:00.002-05:00

All I could think about at work today was getting out of there and getting to the park for some exercise. I've GOTTA knuckle down and focus. :) I got a little extra running in before our PIM-week 6 workout. I felt the best I've felt all year and knocked down 1.2 or so in good fashion. I was a little ahead of schedule so ended up taking a little longer than planned break back at the softball field, waiting for a few PIMster's to show up. The 5 minute rule was in effect so we all headed back out at 6:35.

There were TONS of people there. We had 2 aerobics coaches, 2 Aerobics and 2 Batons participants. I had run with T and T (the two Batons) and we maintained a pretty easy effort (for me). But today, keeping up with them was a challenge. So, what was planned as an easy run turned into 2x10 minutes @ almost tempo effort, which by the way was just what the doctor ordered. I followed it up with about 5 minutes of walking. Total miles 3.2.

Well, I made a HUGE decision today and it was kind of spur of the moment. I signed up to train with In Flight Running for the Houston marathon. Plus, I'm starting boot camp with them on Thursday. I called the owner and founder of In Flight, Michael Merlino, and talked about a half hour on the phone. What a nice guy. I'm really excited. In fact I shouldn't be this excited 9 months from the marathon. What's it going to be like the night before? I'm going to be a basket case.

Rest/Recovery Day

2009-04-12T19:29:00.003-05:00

Christ is risen!!! Praise him

This afternoon, after the deluge and an AWESOME lunch at Mom and Dad's, I headed over to the park for a short recovery jog. Oh, speaking of lunch, Mom did me right. Despite some favorites like homemade mac and cheese, bar-b-q sausage, and hot bread and butter, I was good as Mom cooked some bar-b-q chicken with no skin and a nice sweet potato JUST FOR ME!!! Thanks, Mom. I appreciate the support. Along with the chicken, I had an avocado and plum tomato salad that was just basic avocado, tomatoes, lemon, salt, and pepper. Yummmy. I had a nice ear of corn, a thick slice of purple onion and some Molly McButter on the sweet potato, NO BUTTER!!! We rounded the meal out with dessert...FRESH CANTALOUPE!!! I must say, I enjoyed this meal as much as I would one of the "other" kind. :)

I had an easy 1 mile recovery jog on the schedule for today. It was absolutely a beautiful afternoon after the rain. I didn't want to be out there for just 14 minutes so I tacked on a 1 mile walk. I did a jog out and a walk back for ~34 minutes of exercise. I continue to feel good. I know my ankle is still weak but I'm not having any pain while running or after. It's not easy to not say, "Forget this...I'm running!!!" I could have easily done 3 miles today. But I did 3.5 yesterday and 12.5 for the week (including the mile walk today), up from 9 last week and that's a good 50% increase. This week, I'm shooting for about 13 miles, with some very gradual increases the following weeks.

I'm really thinking a lot about getting in the gym for some weight/core training. I'd VERY much like to work with a trainer but I haven't a clue who to use. I know the kind of person I want but I just don't know if I can afford the caliber of trainer I want. I should ask Steeeve who he suggests. I think I'll do that. Another option is Boot Camp with Matt and Bessie MWF down on the Bayou. My only concern with that (I won't know until I try it) is that it's a lot of extra running and hard running, probably a lot like we used to do with the Smartie's. I'm not sure I can handle that right now with my ankle and all. On the other hand, it might help!!! I could skip or substitute any exercises that I feel would put undue stress on the ankle. Anyway, I'm seeing Catherine in the morning. I'll see what she thinks.

Running and a talk with Pete

2009-04-11T12:46:00.003-05:00

I had a great run this morning. I know I posted my training schedule a couple weeks ago but I've been playing around with an alternative schedule that ramps up the weekly mileage just a bit more aggressively. The file on my computer is actually called "playingaround.xls". I was just "playing around" with my workouts and thinking about how I would alter my plan if I was feeling REALLY good. Well, the last 2 weeks, I've felt REALLY good and the more I look at playingaround.xls, the more I think it's not that unrealistic. Don't get all excited, peeps. It's not TOO manly. It still gradually increases my weekly mileage. I've added VERY short recovery jogs of 1 mile (for now) on Sunday and Tuesday. Of course, I have the option to walk those or skip them altogether as I listen to my body (especially the ankle).

This morning called, of course, for a PIM's week 6, 2x10/2 run/walk with a 3 minute walk warmup and 2 minute walk cooldown with my Power in Motion group. Playingaround.xls added 1.5 miles before the PIM run so I finished the morning with 3.5 miles, split up between the 1.5 continuous and the week 6 workout. I felt GREAT during and after my run. I left the park wanting to run MORE by my response was, "Patience, O Big One!!!" The good thing about feeling so good is it does allow me to do a short jog or walk tomorrow and I ain't waiting on my ankle to catch up with me.

When I got home, I got a Tweet from Pete Thomas (from the Biggest Loser) that he was going to be doing a live stream on MadeFitTV.com. I had never been to the site and wondered what it was so I went to check it out. Jennifer DiDonato is a personal trainer in Detroit and has this great blog, MadeFitTV.com with a lot of good recipes and workout advice. Anyway, her live stream today featured Pete Thomas from the Biggest Loser. It was awesome. Pete has become somewhat of an expert on nutrition and exercise. He also talked a lot about his time on the ranch and about training with Jillian. It was very interesting. There were only a few people watching so I was able to pose a couple of questions to Pete right there. He took 4 or 5 minutes for each question and talked about exercise intensity, running, resistance training, etc. It was a lot of fun. I'm sure they'll archive it but I hope they don't edit out too much because the entire stream was very interesting and inspirational.

I just had a nice chicken breast sandwich and a cup of strawberries. I'm stuffed. A lot of dieting and losing weight is about substitution. Jennifer does some substitution on her current MadeFitTV episode with tuna salad. When I make a sandwich, I substitute avocado for mayonnaise. I'm a huge fan of mayonnaise and the avocado gives my sandwich that creamy, sort of fatty texture and taste. I don't miss the Hellmann's AT ALL. Just mustard and avocado does the trick for me.

Normally, I feel like I'm wasting time on the internet but this morning's surfing has helped me get even more motivated about eating right and exercise.

The new splurge

2009-04-11T10:21:00.002-05:00

I had to work in Humble yesterday which is not part of my "routine". Oh, by the way, I do much better on my eating choices when I stay in a routine, when I plan my entire day. One hiccup in a day's plan can usually throw me into some kind of tailspin or I avail myself of a deserved eating splurge (how sick is that?). So, on Friday at 3 pm I found myself completely out of my routine.

First of all, it was Friday, the end of a long week, the beginning the weekend. Secondly, I was juiced that I was getting out of work early. Also, I found myself on the other side of town and out of gas. I stopped at a Texaco to fill up and got that stupid, crazy, haunting desire to treat myself, to splurge. I went into the store to explore. I made my way to the candy isle. All my favorites were there. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Reese's Nutrageous, Reese's Fast Break, Whatchamacallit, Almond Joy,... Surprisingly, I looked at all my favorites and honestly, nothing really grabbed me. So I went over to the salty snacks. Cheetos, Fritos, Pringles, all the usual suspects but my brain and my stomach were ambivalent. I was drawn then to the more healthy choices, Almonds, sunflower seeds, and a plethora of "sports" bars on the next aisle. I checked some labels and these met my criteria but then something just clicked in my head, "Vic, you're really not that hungry?" So, I got a Diet Coke and took off.

What was worth noting about this episode is that I didn't go through this complicated thought process. There was really no "battle" to fight. It wasn't a big struggle. Yes, I had some thoughts about the week and how consistent I have been with my eating. I thought about the sub-310 mark that I am so close to. But more than any thought processed or strategies or anything else, it was just that nothing in that store appealed to me. So, I splurged on a Diet Coke. If people only knew the magnitude of past splurges at the gas, they'd know that this definitely marks a big change in behavior for me. So, diet sodas...THE NEW SPLURGE!!! It could be worse.

A very nice, warm run tonight

2009-04-09T19:52:00.002-05:00

The park was definitely calling my name this afternoon so I slipped out a little early (just 10 minutes or so) and made a dash for it. I was so anxious to get to the park and get running, I did a Superman in the far stairwell in the parking garage at work. No one ever uses this stairwell so I just jumped in there and changed in to my running attire. It was fast.

Traffic was bad so it took a while to get there. Amber replied to a tweet and said she was going to the park with a friend. I asked if she was going clock- or counter-clockwise so I could go the other way and meet up with them for introductions and a quick chat. I was thinking later that as slow as I go, you could run either way and you're likely to pass me, either from behind or head on. Anyway, it was a plan ans sure enough, I saw Amber and got to meet her friend. That was fun. I walked with them for a few minutes and then took off. Lots of familiar faces out there which made for a nice time.

I had 2 plans tonight. My heart had plans for 3 miles (1 loop) but my head prescribed an easy 2. I ended up with 2.1, including the walk with Amber and her friend. I really felt great. It was nice and warm out and the sun was playing peek-a-boo. My pace was ~14:00.

I had to put a new pair of shoes into the rotation as my slightly used (40 miles) pair was left at home last night. Fortunately, I had a new pair in the trunk that I bought a few weeks ago at Luke's. It was a perfectly easy run to break them in. I don't know what it was but my feet was falling asleep a couple times. I had to stop and adjust the laces a couple times. All normal stuff.

Rest day tomorrow. The fam is traveling to Louisiana to spend Easter weekend with J's parents. I absolutely could not get off work tomorrow and they really wanted to leave tomorrow morning so I'll be bach'n it this weekend. I'd love to go but in a way I'm glad I'm not this time. I'm really in a good place right now with my eating and my exercise. A trip to the country would really set me back. I just know I'd go and eat a bunch of crap and not run Saturday and I would loose momentum. I sooooo want to see the sub-310 next week because the next big push after that is sub-300. I can really see the light and I'm HIGHLY motivated right now. So, I might do some cooking this weekend. I'm definitely doing some running on Saturday. Yard work the rest of the weekend.

What a beautiful day

2009-04-08T22:00:00.003-05:00

Today was just an absolutely beautiful day and an exceptionally fine evening to take in a training run with my PIM friends. The group was blessed to have Catherine Kruppa, aka the Catinator, speak on nutrition and healthy eating. Catherine knew exactly who her audience was, mostly new runners, and hit it out of the park with a ton of relevant information for the everyday person who is trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Our running community is lucky to have someone like Catherine take time out to come talk to us. Thanks, Cat!!!

While doing our training run (at a CONVERSATIONAL effort), I was talking to one of my PIMsters (we'll call her A) about her goals. She had missed the last couple of weeks but was so glad that she got out and came back tonight and didn't just quit the program altogether. I know how she feels when you slack off for a bit and you just beat yourself up and you end up just giving up. But you can always come back. It's never too late. Anyway, I was so glad that A came back and so was she. We started talking about her goals. I asked her what she wanted to get out of PIM and what she wants to do after. She said with this huge, enthusiastic smile, "Vic, I want to be a runner!!! I want to be one of those people that RUNS!!!" It was so exciting and motivating to me to see a new runner that psyched about running. If running ever becomes mundane for me? If I ever lose the joy of running? If it ever just becomes WORK for me, I'm going to remember what A said and how excited she was about what she was doing, about the change she was making.

Along with A, I'm starting to get a lot of questions like, "What do I do next? What do we do after the Cinco de Mayo 5K?" Several PIMsters want to tackle the half marathon distance. Of course, the first thing I'm going to do is direct these folks to the ONLY running club, The Houston Striders (Go Strider Nation), but beyond that, as far as a pay-for running program, I'm pointing folks to the Houston Fit Fall HM training program which stars the week of the Cinco de Mayo and trains through the hot summer. There are a number of goal races in the Fall but a bunch of folks are leaning towards doing the San Antonio Rock 'n Roll Marathon/Half Marathon on November 15. I like HFit for these folks for a number of reasons. First of all, there should be a good sized group of Reds. And it's a structured program with group runs to keep you training through the summer heat. I don't know of any other beginner training programs that start in May and go through the Fall. If anyone has any ideas, post 'em in the comments.

Ok, to bed.

Love this community

2009-04-04T11:04:00.002-05:00

I'm REALLY enjoying hanging with all my running buds, meeting new running buds, and just genearlly being around the scene. I sooooo need this motivation to keep going on this journey and PEOPLE is what makes it fun for me. We had a great group of folks out this morning for our unofficial PIM run. We had a change of venue due to the 4 Four the Park 4 mile race held in Memorial Park, benefiting the Memorial Park Conservancy. It's the first time EVER I believe that the park was actually "closed". I would have like to participate in this race but I'm just not there yet. However, it did give us PIMsters an opportunity to take in a new venue and I do believe that the group really enjoyed the change of scenery.

We parked at St. Thomas HS and basically did the loop along the Bayou from Shepherd to Waugh, plus another half loop. My Garmin, which is still acting up, said 2.4 miles. I can't say how PUMPED I am to be running with these new runners who frankly get up and out the door every day, not KNOWING if they can do this. Not KNOWING that they can run this long or this far. Then they get there and anticipate and actually DO IT. Their excitement is contagious. I love the look on their face of disbelief and pride...The sense of accomplishment is awesome and like I've said in the past, it motivates ME so much more than I as the coach can motivate them. I sooooo needed this right now. Thanks guys for letting me share in this experience and congratulations for CHANGING YOUR LIFE.

Now off to the Striders chili cookoff and kickball challenge. Eastside rules!!! Oh, and good luck to Cassie who is doing a half ironman tomorrow. Kick butt, Cass.

Finding a good groove

2009-04-02T20:26:00.003-05:00

The participants and coaches we have at PIM are just a tremendously FUN bunch of folks. It is as true as it ever has been...The Houston running community is just made up of some seriously classy, fun, warm, friendly people. We had such a great run last night. I ran with one of the guys I'm coaching who is about my size. Actually, he's about what used to be my size, about 35 pounds ago. Anyway, this guy has been doing his workouts, attending on Wednesday nights, and has just come a long way. I won't mention his name since this is public and I don't have his permission but I'm telling you, this man is determined. Cool story...we started our 3x8run/2walk with an 8 minute run. Mind you, these are new runners, never run before, the farthest they've ever run before without stopping was last week and that was 5 minutes. This week, 8 minutes sounded daunting to most in my group. Anyway, we started running, me and J, and I made sure we kept a conversational effort and talked and just ran easy. Anyway, my Garmin went off and I looked at J and said, "Did you know you just ran 8 minutes without stopping?" J got this HUGE smile on his face and asked me if I was kidding. I said, "No, I'm not kidding." He couldn't believe it.

I'm really trying to stress with the new runners that running isn't all about pain and side stitches and gasping for air. It can be fun and easy. I told J that there will be a time for pain. It's called the Cinco de Mayo 5K. :) But that the bulk of your training right now should be easy runs at a conversational effort. I think this is physiologically beneficial but it's also psychologically necessary for new runners to realize that they CAN do this. They CAN run and see improvement. This has been so rewarding for me to have even the smallest part in these peoples', these friends' lives and to see them get off the couch and make a change in their life. I get WAY more out of them than they get out of me as a coach.

My ankle is really starting to stop feeling bad. I've been running moderately and consistenly and doing my exercises for my peroneals and I think the plan is starting to take shape. I started wearing some more comfortable shoes to work and I think that has helped too.

I had 4 Four the Park on my radar but I just don't think I'm up for racing yet. Easy does it until this summers' Heights 5K. Until then, I'm doing the best therapy I could possibly do for my ankle. That's to keep losing weight.

Run of nice weather in the next week or so

2009-03-31T21:05:00.003-05:00

Let's talk training

2009-03-31T20:17:00.003-05:00

Focusing like a LASER BEAM on what's important and how to get to the start of marathon training healthy and with a good base, I've been planning my training from this week all the way through the middle of July. I basically followed just a couple of guidelines when I wrote this out. One, I planned a VERY gradual weekly mileage increase over the next 15 weeks. Also, once PIM is over, I put in a cutback week every 4th week or so. And finally, I haven't planned any racing or any hard running. All easy runs and long runs. Depending on how it's going, I may throw in a 5K or two somewhere to use as a gauge of where I am. I wonder when the Heights run is.

Anywho, I'll post what I've got. It's not what I normally see from other runners. It's not ambitious. :) I think though that it's smart and takes into account that I am in effect a new runner, or one starting from scratch anyway. If you don't mind, give it a once over and tell me what you think.

Thoughts?

It could be worse

2009-03-30T20:59:00.002-05:00

I'm not able to run as much as I'd like right now with my ankle problem. Hmmm...my ankle problem...So, what exactly IS my ankle problem. I frankly don't know anymore. I was trying to describe to Bill yesterday that I went out to run but only did 2 miles and then had to stop. I explained that it wasn't aerobic. It was my ankle. But the ankle wasn't hurting. I was just feeling like if I ran more, it would start hurting. It actually feels better after I run. I think I'm just a big chicken with this thing. I think it's getting better and getting stronger but I just don't want to do ANYTHING that could put me down for a prolonged period of time. At least now I'm not running far and not running fast but I'm running.

Speaking of taking it easy, I did 2 miles tonight with a small cadre of PIMsters We did a 3 minute WU/4x5R/2W and a 2 minute CD. I got some sweat. My breathing was somewhat increased. And most importantly, my ankle never felt a bit of pain or discomfort. So, I think I've just got to keep running within myself and keep being patient. I ran 37 miles this month, the exact same number of miles I ran last month. The good news is I ran those 37 miles in 16 days in the month of March, not 10 days like February. I am getting out there more consistently and that is a very positive sign.

Is THIS the last cold front?

2009-03-28T11:23:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I seem to recall many of us predicted that that would be the last cold front of the season. I put up all my jackets, sweaters, sweat shirts, and long sleeve shirts and began preparing my mind for the coming hot summer months. So, I got up this morning to head out for a run and soon found out that it was 40 degrees out. Don't get me wrong. I ain't complaining AT ALL. Had it not been for the stiff breeze, I'd mark this down as one of the best running days of the year. But the wind did make just slightly uncomfortable. But as long as you were running or in the sun or running in the sun, it was perfect.

We had a great group of PIMster's out this morning and the weather had us all feeling quite frisky. Two cadres of Aerobics led by me and Coach Deb did 4x 5Run/2 Walk with a 3 minute warmup and 2 minute cooldown. It's really fun to see these runners progress. I remember just a few weeks ago when they didn't think they could run for a minute at a time and now they're doing 5 minute intervals. I relish the look on their face at the end of a workout when they've done something they did not think they could do and accomplished something they've never done before. It's really great. I want to do this (coach new runners) as long as I'm able and I thank PIM and HARRA for giving me the opportunity to do this.

For me, maintaining good nutrition and staying on track with my exercise is all about routine and this week was anything but routine. I had to work in Humble this week so my hours, my drive, my daily routine was all screwed up. I didn't have my snacks with me so I left work FAMISHED every day. I did find a Subway near the hospital and ate lunch there Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday but I didn't do well driving home. I made it home for supper only twice. The other days, I did not do well. That's the ups and downs of changing your lifestyle. The week before was INCREDIBLY successful but I wasn't juggling work and the rest of my life. I know I can do it. I've just gotta get back to it. Hey, that rhymes.

Faint of Heart

2009-03-23T11:04:00.002-05:00

I was so proud of myself. I got out of bed early to run this morning which is my intention EVERY Monday but I rarely do it. I inevitably end up running in the afternoon, getting home late, and missing ~~Heroes~~ time with my family. I wanted to get this first week after my vacation started off on the right foot so I jumped up and gathered my stuff and headed out.

One snag in the whole thing was that it appears that we have mice. Or maybe it was one or both of my TEENAGERS who finished off my jar of peanut butter. Being the creature of habit that I am, I was NOT happy when I was not able to have my regular breakfast of two pieces of toast with reduced fat peanut butter and honey with a glass of skim milk (450 calories). Instead, I had a cup of GoLean and a cup of skim milk (280 calories).

I started my walk and felt pretty good. No discomfort at all in my ankle. After a half mile, I broke into an easy run with a plan to do 2 miles and then walk it in. About a quarter mile in, I started feeling weird. Very light headed and I was seeing stars or something. I turned right around and started walking back. After I got in the car, I just felt HUNGRY and tired. So, I stopped and got a couple breakfast tacos after I showered and felt fine after that. I know my cals have been low the last week so I wonder if it finally caught up with me. Anyway, if my body's sending those kinds of signals, I'm going to listen. That's why I cut the run short. I still got a 1.8 mile brisk walk in. And if I get a good Subway for lunch and feel good this evening, maybe I'll tack on a 2 mile run around hood.

All good things come to an end

2009-03-22T19:28:00.002-05:00

As I sit here enjoying my last few hours of vacation, I must admit that I needed that!!! Almost 2 years is too long to go without some extended time off, even if it was a STAY-cation. So, what did I accomplish? Not as much as I wanted. What I did do was see what a full week (actually 9 days) of consistent, good nutrition and consistent exercise gets me. I lost 4.3 pounds this week and ran 5 days out of 9. My food logs look GREAT!!! 47% Carbs, 27% Protein, 26% Fat. I was right at about 10,000 calories for the week. No junk food and no sweets to speak of, not even once. And I was rewarded by Mr. Scale.

I had sort of a breakthrough on my ankle problem as well. I've been tasked by Jim to do these exercises to strengthen my peroneals on the LEFT leg. Let me just tell you. This is no easy task. These muscles are very hard to isolate. And part of my problem is that other muscles in my foot and ankle compensate so when I try to do the exercise, my brain just hasn't been able to tell all the muscles except the peroneus longus and peroneus brevis to CHILL!!! So, I've bee "squeezing" those muscles on the side, trying to get my toes to not help and my anterior foot muscles to not help and it's been very frustrating. Anyway, I got to moving my foot around today and all of a sudden, something in my brain just registered. I can finally RELAX all the muscles except the ones I'm targeting. Don't ask me how. It's really just like a light bulb went off in my head and in a split second, I knew how to do it. It was weird. The brain is amazing!!!

I've also been processing all the information about my ankle problem and have come to some decisions. I was looking at my mileage leading up to the Rodeo Run and realized (I guess I already knew this) that my weekly mileage had in no way prepared me for a 10K. The distance was the farthest I had run since starting back and my total mileage that week was 17 miles. This following weeks of 2, 6, 8, 6, 8 miles. Looking back, yes, I had this problem with weakness in the peroneals but it was the sudden jump in mileage plus hard racing without being prepared that really made that weakness manifest itself in an injury. What sucks is I would think I would be the LAST person to make such a mistake. I'm usually very disciplined and patient and know what I should and should not be doing with my running. I just wanted to get out there and do a race and enjoy it and get back into the scene. I should have picked a 5K. :) Lesson learned.

So, I really don't think that I need to stop running completely. However, I MUST watch my weekly mileage, continue to do those exercised for my peroneals, and NO HARD RACING!!! When I did get to do a race again, I won't be going all out. I need to feel my way back and be patient. Right now, my #1 goal that overrides EVERYTHING else is to get loose 100 pounds. Secondary to that is getting to the start of marathon training healthy and fit. EVERYTHING I do must be with these two goals in mind and I sure ain't gonna let a 5K or 10K ruin my chances of attaining them. Besides, I don't see any PR's at that distance in my very near future, even WITH a healthy ankle. Patience Padawan!!! That's the name of the game right now.

Drastic Measures

2009-03-20T16:00:00.002-05:00

Drastic times call for drastic measures. I've been staring and a box of HEB chocolate chip cookies sitting on the kitchen counter for most of the week. I don't know where they came from. I think DW brought them into the house. Grrr! Today after returning from the Children's museum, I was particularly famished and those 150-calorie each cookies looked darn tempting. Instead, I went for a leftover slice of Deep Dish Pizza made from one of my Cooking Light recipes and some cantaloupe. But even after that, those cookies were calling my name.

So, here's what I did. I threw them in the garbage. And I didn't just throw the sealed container in the garbage. I opened the box and emptied the box into the garbage. The old me would be upset about throwing $4 worth of cookies "down the drain" but how sick is that? Rather than being upset about throwing them away, I'm upset about how they got into the house in the first place. Still, I'm happy that they sat on the counter there for a whole week and then suffered their final demise before the two teens got back from mission trip.

Poo-Poo those Peroneals

2009-03-20T09:52:00.004-05:00

What scares me the most about any type of ache or pain or even injury is NOT KNOWING. Not knowing the cause. Not knowing how to fix it. Not knowing what the future holds. A couple weeks ago, I didn't know. CRAZY thoughts entered my mind like "I'm going to have to have surgery again" and "I'm just not meant to run" and "I'm not going to be able to lose weight without running." But thanks to some knowledge I've gained from working with MAT extraordinaire Jim Guillory (jimguillory@comcast.net) as well as my podiatrist, I think I have a pretty good grasp on what is my core issue with my ankle.

This all started, or so it seems, after the Rodeo Run 10K. Ever since running that race, my LEFT ankle has been hurting something fierce. And it only got worse with running. I played around with rest and ice, the normal stuff, for about a week but not wanting to waste any more time, I made an appointment with the podiatrist. I also set up another appointment with Jim Guillory at the Houstonian who Catherine recommended. He does this thing called MAT that Catherine promised would get me going again, provided there was no "real" injury.

The course of action prescribed by my podiatrist was to look into orthotics or to see what an MRI might show. I suggested we shoot it up with cortisone and see if just knocking the inflammation out would get it done. If the pain comes back after a few weeks, we would know it was something more than just chronic inflammation. He actually thought that was a good idea so we did it.

The LEFT ankle felt pretty good after that and I ran a couple times over the next two days. By then, I could start to feel it again, not near as badly but still so, something didn't seem quite right. So, I went to see Jim on that Saturday. Through Jim's "investigation" which included a lot of muscle testing, we found that the root of the problem was the peroneal muscles on the RIGHT side which were VERY weak. I had surgery on that ankle about 3 and a half years ago and somewhere along the way, I just "stopped" using those muscles. I would go so far as to say that they are atrophied (non-functional or greatly diminished).

To make a long story short, the weakness on my RIGHT side has caused my LEFT side to compensate. During the 10K, which I ran very hard, my LEFT quads had taken up for most of the work, trying to compensate for the weakness on my right side. At some point during the race, my LEFT quads gave out and the last muscles to "take over" were the LEFT peroneals. It's so interesting to me that the muscles/tendons that actually hurt and that I considered injured were not at all the cause of the problem. I think conventional treatment that you would get at say a doctor's office or even a sports med clinic would concentrate on the hurt ankle and never address the rood cause. This is where Jim's knowledge as a kinesilogist trained in MAT really made sense of the issue holistically. Jim was able by whatever it is he does to get all my muscles working again and when I was done with my hour with him, I felt great. However, the weakness in the RIGHT peroneals persists and unless I get those strong, I'm going to continue to have problems.

Jim gave me some exercises to do to strengthen those muscles on the RIGHT side. These muscles are very hard to isolate and work on. It's even harder when the peroneals have little or no strength. In the mean time, Jim suggest that I don't run at all, for risk of messing myself up again. DON'T RUN??? Are you kidding? I asked how long it would take to get those muscles strong enough to run. He told me honestly that he doesn't know. It could take a long time. Plus, according to Jim, running does not strengthen those peroneals. When I run, all the other muscles are just going to compensate for that weakness and the peroneals are simply not going to get stronger that way. The ONLY way to get them stronger is through the 3 or 4 specific exercises that he showed me and time.

This really leaves me in a pickle. I really, really, really want/need to run. But because of the issue with my peroneals, I run a HUGE risk of injuring something else. However, I'm optimistic. Through this process, I've learned that knowledge is POWER!!! And knowing what the problem is, what all the risks are, what the prescribed treatment should be, and a little bit more about how my body works, I can make an informed decision on how to proceed. Jim says no running. The podiatrist prescribes a prosthesis (orthotics). Now that I have all the information, I can take responsibility for my own health and decide for myself what to do. I like!!!

Another's easy run is my speed workout

2009-03-19T11:52:00.002-05:00

We led our Power in Motion Aerobics-2 group last night in a 6x3R/1W easy run. Well, it was easy for most but for me, the pace was more like speedwork. But, hey, I can hang. No problem. We warmed up with a 3 minute walk and then started the repeats. I was tasked with bringing up the back of the pack and about 2 minutes into our first interval, I looked down at the Garmin and we were at about 11:45 pace. WOW!!! I volunteered to coach some never-run-before runners, not a bunch of speedy Gonzales's. :) I don't know if anybody else in the group felt like I did. I mean I've been running now for ~4 months and I've lost some weight so I knew I could do this workout but it was definitely not an EASY RUN effort for me. Still, it was good speedwork and I can definitely handle that once a week.

My weight fell off the bottom of the chart this morning at 314.5. I had to rescale my y-axis. I'm moving on down and like it very much. It's amazing how well I do on my nutrition and exercise when I'm not stressed by work and so busy I don't know if I'm coming or going. I've gotta work next week when I'm back to work on keeping the stress down and making plenty time for me and the fam.

Rest today.

Up and down

2009-03-18T10:33:00.004-05:00

I hit a new low on the scale this morning, 317 lbs. My daily weight is all over the board as the chart below shows but my true weight is moving in the right direction, albeit slower than I'd like.

Garmin on the Fritz

2009-03-18T07:45:00.002-05:00

Over the past couple weeks, I've been having a problem with my Garmin randomly shutting off in the middle of a run. I think the first time it happened was during the Rodeo Run. I've been debating about muddling through and just "monitoring" it incessantly during my runs to make sure it's still on or just go out and get a new one. I've had it since September of '06. Well, now that I say that, I realize it has been a relatively short amount of time and the thing should have a longer shelf life.

So, plan B...I called Garmin and it turns out that for the low, low price of $99, if you mail it to them, they will fix it. And if they don't fix it, they will replace it with a brand new one (refurbished). So, what to do? If my goal is immediate satisfaction (I always lean this way) the Best Buy, Galleria has one in stock for $199.00. Unfortunately, most of the local running stores just don't do the volume to be able to offer any significant discount off of retail. Even my favorite running store, Luke's Locker, won't even let you use your HARRA 10% discount with any Garmin products. I bought this Garmin back in '06 at Finish Line Sports who did honor their HARRA 20% discount. But that was 20% off of regular price, ~$350 back then. That was still a good deal and patronizing one of our local running stores is always a good thing. Of course, if I want to get a new unit and want the lowest price, amazon.com is the best deal. But if you include shipping and all that, you're pretty close to Best Buy's price and the immediate gratification is worth the extra $15-20.

So, I've got to decide today. Do I want to save $100 and go without my Garmin for a month or more? Or do I just want to replace the unit and get immediate gratification? These are the kinds of tough, painful, gut-wrenching decisions I have to deal with on vacation.

Resting today

2009-03-17T16:24:00.002-05:00

I've been on vacation this week and have felt so relaxed. That is until I logged in for a quick peek at work e-mail. BIG mistake!!! I ended up working for 3 hours. Grrr!!! That's the last time this week I'll be doing that. Promise.

I got in a great workout yesterday, the first time I'd run since I had my ankle treated on Saturday. The ankle felt GREAT. I'm going to post later about MAT (Muscle Activation Techniques) therapy but suffice it to say, it's miraculous. Plus, it makes so much sense the way Jim explained what was really wrong with me. Anyway, I ran like a kid yesterday. I just felt great, perfect, back together.

I'm supposed to be taking it easy so rather than my usual Monday 3 mile continuous run, I opted for a prolonged warmup, some walk/run, and a good cooldown. I parked over at the pool and walked to the tennis center for some silly walks. I didn't take in the whole routine. I just did some toe walks, heel walks, washing machines, and cross-body leg swings. Then, I did 3x180/60 walk/run followed by a brisk .5 mile walk back to the car. Total 2.6 miles.

I was running easy, very easy and I felt good. No pain in the left ankle at all. I checked my Garmin and my pace was in the low 13's. I wonder if the satellites hadn't caught up toe daylight savings time or were suffering from some other malfunction. I didn't feel like I was running 13 min pace. I'm glad I only did the distance I did because feeling that good, I may have been tempted to go longer or harder and I'm supposed to be "babying" the ankle.

I have a rest day today. My next workout is with the PIM peeps tomorrow night. Can't wait.

Memory lane

2009-03-17T10:58:00.004-05:00

I'm doing everything I can to stay uber-motivated about running and losing weight, especially since I've had a small setback the past couple of weeks with an ankle problem. I went back to the blog archives to reminisce about the old days and I came to my '07 Houston Marathon race report. I read the loooooong post and it reminded me of a guy who had a positive attitude, who enjoyed "the lifestyle", and who found out one day that he could do anything he set his mind to.

I thought I'd post that race report again, not because I'm vain or because I want to RE-toot my own horn. It's just that the guy in that post inspired me when I read it last week. I need him back badly.

Marathon

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone

Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth

The giant in front of me on Sunday, January 14, 2007 was the Chevron Houston Marathon. 26.2 miles. The thousands shaking in fear were the years and years of sedentary lifestyle and obesity that kept me from living life the way it should be lived. My weapon, my sling and stone if you will, was the body that showed up at the starting line. A humble weapon but one that has served me well nonetheless.

That song by Casting Crowns was playing on the radio after my first ever race, the Run with the Saints 5K, in the Fall of 2004. I knew at that time that this would be my theme song. Little did I know after ankle reconstruction, a short regress into the sedentary lifestyle after surgery, losing 75 pounds, and enduring hundreds of miles training for the marathon, that today I would need to listen to that Voice of Truth more than ever before.

I had 3 separate goals for success in this race. Goal 1 was to finish the distance, period. Goal 2 was to finish in time to get all the race goodies like the medal and finisher's shirt, and finisher's stein. From talking to the race officials and to previous finishers, I learned that as long as there was still a steady stream of finishers coming across the mats, that they would keep the goodies coming. So, I figured if I just stayed close to a good steady group of runners, I'd get my goodies and I figured that 6:15 or so, 15 minutes after the official close of the race, would get me there. Goal 3, my if-everything-went-perfectly goal, was to finish at 13:45 pace, a 6 hour marathon and a guaranteed official finishing time recorded for posterity.

The Chronicle in Monday's report the next day called the weather "optimal" but to me, the near 100% humidity was a killer. Still, I'm not complaining as it could have been worse. The forecast earlier in the week called for temps in the 70's for race day so at least it was cool and unbearably muggy instead of hot and unbearably muggy.

When I got in the car on race day, I was greeted by a small balloon bouquet left there by Jan and the kids the night before. Jan must have stayed up even later than I did on Saturday night, waiting till the coast was clear so that it would be a surprise. Guess the kids painted my windows too but it all washed off through the night from the rain.

I picked up June, who parked at the Starbuck's on Memorial, and we rode in to the GRB together. We got off our feet for a while, checked our bags, talked with Striders and other friends and generally tried to chill out before the big dance.

It was getting to be about time so I made my way out to the white corral. Here, I have to confess my disgraceful behavior. Thinking about goal 2 and wanting to maybe save 5+ minutes on my gun time, I shamelessly made my way to just about the very front of the corral. I actually lined up next to the 3:50 pace group. To the several thousand runners behind me, I apologize. I've never done that before and never will again. Still, I didn't hear too many complaints as folks passed me and I had a chance to see many Striders and bloggers that I normally wouldn't see in a race so that was awesome. Pam, Amalia, Jamoosh, Cassie, Bessie, John Dimarco, and many others I can't recall. Just before mile 3, a young man passing me said, "Hello, Sir! Remember me?" I recognized him as the banana boy from the 30K, the young spectator that spurred us all on, dressed as a big banana. He was running the full, though not in a banana costume, at least not this time.

I was excited at the start but stubbornly in patience mode. I've been told enough about going out to fast so I was intent on not making that mistake. I'd heard about guys peeing on the side of the road and kind of blew it off as folklore, but IT's TRUE!!! I saw a dozen or so guys relieveing themselves at the bottom of the Elysian bridge and listened to all the ladies around me talking about how nice it would be to be a guy. At the next opportunity to pee in public without getting a citation from the policeman standing 30 feet away, I decided to take in the full experience and pulled over for my last pee break, in front of God and everybody. I was acutally laughing as the hollers echoed from the hundreds of runners behind me. I'm just glad I wasn't standing there alone or I may have been too embarrassed to go.

Mile 1 was on pace for a patient start with 13:57. Mile 2 was 14:00. Then I eased down to my 6 hour goal pace with an average pace around 13:46 through mile 8. At this point, I still seemed to be in the middle of a big group of people but it wasn't too crowded. I'm feeling good that there are a lot of people ahead of me AND behind me. About mile 6, Dusty Cook caught me and we ran a few miles together through the half marathon turnaround and past the Mecon Fountain. After that, I stopped to stretch a little bit and never quite caught back up with Dusty who finished his 19th Houston marathon in perfect veteran form.

On Saturday night, I had set out an awesome plan for my greatest supporters, my wife and kids, to follow me around the course. They ended up leap-frogging me and popping up 9 different times over the course of the race. The only one they missed was the first intercept planned for the corner of Michaux and 11th street. I think from talking to them that they were acutally there but missed me in the sea of runners passing by and I missed them as well. After that they settled into their leapfrogin' groove just as I was settling into my grove because they hit every other waypoint along the way and even one or two unplanned ones. They really moved around the course like veterans and I was so proud of them.

I felt confident and comfortable through the half marathon turnaround. I was thinking, WOW, I'm right here in the middle of a bunch of runners. At least some of these are bound to be with me at the finish. Then, all of a sudden at the turnaround, the half marathoners did just that. They turned around and all of a sudden, I found myself amongst just a handfull of marathoners. I realized then and there that it was going to be a lonely rest of the race.

The crowd support continued to be unbelieveably incredible, even as the back of the pack was coming through. It's crazy but I think my favorite group was the polka band on University. They were awesome, right on tune, professional, just the right beat and that was a good pick me up. The crowds along University Blvd. were the best. I really enjoyed that part of the run. My pace through the halfway mark was pretty much on target at 3:04:56 but I was starting to feel not quite right. Not good to start thinking about struggling at just the halfway point of a marathon.,

Coming down Weslayan, I started exercising my math skills. I figured for every quarter of a minute (15 seconds) off my average pace, I would be off the 6 hour finish by about 6 and a half minutes. So, 14 minute pace would put me in at 6:06:30, 14:15 pace, 6:13:00, and so forth.

It was an awesome sight at the Weslayan intercept where two additional family members showed up to cheer me on. My mom and our dear friend Ruthie showed up with warm wishes, hugs, and WATER!!! I don't think Mom has ever seen me run before and I got the feeling she was proud. Ruthie, one of the most energetic people I know, ran with me up on the median. The whole family was a sight, all out in the middle of the street with their signs, my daughter on her roller shoes, the little one trying as hard as he could to get in my way. That was a huge boost.

After seeing the fam at the Weslayan intercept just past Bissonet, and just before turning on Westpark, I started to slow to around 14:45 pace. I took my first walk breaks at this point but was still putting one foot in front of the other. I think at this point, my struggle was mostly mental. Yes, physically, I was in trouble but at points where I could decide that I was going to get moving, my body responded relatively well.

I walked the entire way up the Westpart Bridge but ran down and to the next water stop. At that point, things were thinning out big time and I started to see and hear murmurings of opening the streets. Although the water stop volunteers were cleaning up and packing it in, they were still serving the stragglers with a smile and much needed encouragement. I really appreciated that.

On Post Oak, I started to see the first vehicles actually on the course. Race official were driving slowly beside the stragglers/strugglers, checking us out, making sure we were ok. The sag wagon moved past me and I must admit that after considering the 10 or so miles ahead, I did actually give it a thought. Even though traffic was allowed to cross the course ahead and behind the runners, the streets remained closed through Post Oak, up San Felipe, and right on Tanglewood. This really surprised me because at this point, I was well off of 6 hour pace. It seems the reports of strict, rolling street closures on 13:45 pace were greatly exaggerated, at least through mile 17 or so.

Between mile 17 and 18, whatever mental problems I was having, if they were only mental, were manifesting big time physically as I struggled up Tanglewood. Halfway to Chimney Rock, having slowed to a 15:00+ pace, I saw a reflection in the stop sign ahead. It's like some kind of strobe light or something and I thought, oh, some spectators have a disco set up for us ahead. Then, I looked behind me and saw that the reflection was actually the flashing lights of the "pace car", not the pace car you would see at the beginning of a race but the car pacing the last runners that were allowed to stay on the course, in the street, and it was gaining fast. Before I got to Chimney Rock, the car had passed me with polite instructions from the officer inside to move to the side.

Fortunately, there was quite an entourage of various official vehicles, trucks, and race officials who crept along behind the pace car and the street was not open to general traffic so I was at least able to stay to the side of the street. I turned on Woodway and a remnant of high-endurance spectators were still cheering on the stragglers there at Chimney Rock and Woodway. I was still able to stay on the street, to the side as crews continued to pick up equipment and clean up the course. I saw the 30K timing mats and computers being pulled up right in front of my eyes, maybe 200 feet in front of me. That's why friends who were tracking me were worried because my 30K update didn't go out. After Sage, Woodway was open to traffic so I moved up on the sidewalk.

The Mile 19 water stop volunteer entourage passed me on the sidewalk, probably heading back to where they parked. I knew water would now be a long way away. I thought now I won't have water until I see Jan and the kids at Crestwood. Still, that concern was only in the back of my mind as other thoughs dominated my thinking. Serious thoughts about jumping in that sag wagon and going to the GRB to see June and others finish. Thoughts about how unprepared I was for this. Thoughts about how my 20-mile training run was cut short 3 weeks earlier due to abdominal pain. Thoughts about how I was now running farther than I had ever run before. Thoughts about my second goal now being history and my last goal of just finishing fading fast.

One foot in front of the other.

Even the belly dancers were packing up as I passed them at 610. I would have liked to see those ladies dance. Many of the experiences and memories that so many veterans talk about, I knew I would not have, not this year. When I crossed under 610 and continued on Woodway, the office instructed me to stay on the sidewalk. I was in survival mode at that time, walking mostly but shuffling every chance I got. I kept watching my overall pace on my Garmin slip by a second, then another, then another. For each second on the overall pace that slipped, that was 26.2 seconds added to my finishing time. Hey, I may have been near exhaustion, but I could still do the math. Dr. DeLaVina would be so proud. At the Arboretum, I noticed that the course was still not open to general traffic so I stepped back down on to the street, on the course, the course I registered for, the marathon course.

I saw the number 20 painted on the street but no flag, no cool miler marker sign. It had already been picked up. At the entrance to the Picnic loop, I saw the beer truck that I had heard gives out an early celebratory beverage to passing runners. There was ice dumped out on the street as the crew had packed up the truck and were getting ready to pull off. I was so thirsty, I actually ate the ice off of the street. Thinking back, I can't believe I did that. I was somewhere in na-na land.

The urge to quit was overwhelming. I had not respected the humidity early on. I went out too fast. I had nothing left. I was thinking, this is not the wall. This is something else. It wasn't anything that came on abruptly. It was more like the sum of a buch of crap that had been going on since that nice policeman in front of the Galleria said, "Just 10 more miles." Grrrr! I thought, ok, Jan's going to be up at Crestwood, I'll just get her to take me back to the GRB. I quit. I wasn't ready for this. My 3rd goal was gone. I had a new goal, to get to Jan.

Jan recognized a lot of the runners that were running ahead of me around Transco Tower and she saw them go by at Crestwood. She was wondering where I was. She walked down to the corner of Memorial Loop and continued to wait. Finally she saw me around the corner and down the hill on Memorial. She said I was doubled over with my hands on my knees and then I was leaning against a light post, stretching. When she and the kids came within my sight, I ran to them, said hello, got some water, hugs, and some love and kept on going. My head was asking my body, "What in the world is going on? I thought we were going to stop." Jan called our friend Danny who finished around 4 hours and told him that I didn't look like I was going to make it.

Just after I saw the family, things got a little better. My body didn't feel better. My energy level didn't go up. I didn't have any sort of surge in adrenaline. I just saw a small glimpse of hope.

I was walking up on the trail, head hung down, when I heard voices calling to me. "There's Vic! Hey, Vic!!! C'mon Vic!!!" I stopped walking and started running. I'll be doggone if it wasn't the remnants of the Strider water stop, packing the truck and cleaning up. My recollection is a bit foggy as to who all I saw so forgive me if I forget to mention anyone here. I remember Carlos coming over to greet me and wish me well. Then my former PIM coach, friend, and Strider, Rose, along with Reuben came up to me with water, with life. Rose said, "Get down here off that trail and onto the street. There's no traffic yet. You're doing great. You're going to finish." Reuben says something I'll never forget or quite understand. He said, "Vic, I've been thinking about you. You are such an inspiration to me." Can you believe that? Reuben, an unbeliveable runner and inspiration to so many. It was humbling and surreal having someone who is such a huge inspiration be inspired by something I was doing.

At mile 21.5, Rose and Reuben ran with me up to Wescott, and hope continued to build. Rose asked me if I needed more water. I told her that, thanks to Doug Spence, I know where all the water fountains were. I almost cracked up as Rose tells all the surrounding stragglers to "STAY WITH VIC!!! He knows where all the water fountains are. OK, everybody? Y'all stay with Vic!" I don't think at that point I really felt like leading the Children of Chevron through the the wilderness for 4 more miles.

A faithful spectator was at the Starbuck's handing out water bottles. I had a drink and a Gu and more hope. I started to really take hold of goal 3 which was to finish. I kept thinking about my promise to SteveB to be there by 2 pm, when he had to leave. Still doing the math the whole way, I figured this was doable.

Turning onto Allen Parkway, which was still closed to general traffic for a while longer, thoughts of quitting started to fade. It wasn't getting any easier to run and my muscles and feet and back were really hurting. Then hope came running across the street. It was Rose again. She had driven over to some apartments on Allen Parkway and was coming across the street to run with me. She said, "Don't worry, Vic. I'm here. I'm gonna get you to the finish." She ran with me for about 10 minutes, ran back to her car and met me up ahead AGAIN to run with me for another 5 or 10 minutes. Rose left me to run back to her car but told me she'd see me up ahead. When she left, I cried because I was so touched. But that's the kind of person Rose is and the kind of people the Striders are.

It's mile 23 or 24 and my tears were just about dried when I saw Christy running towards me, waving her hand, yelling "C'mon Vic!!! You're doing it!!!" Turns out Christy had been parked by herself on Allen Parkway for who knows how long, waiting for me to pass by. Christy had already run a half marathon earlier and drove out to cheer me on after her race. We ran together past her car. Christy encouraged me the entire time, telling me that I was going to finish and what a great accomplishment it will be and how proud she was. Then after 5 or 10 minutes, she said goodbye and ran back to her car. Hope continuted to build.

It was under 2 miles to go and here ca e hope again. I mean Rose. She parked up at Sabine and ran back to get me. Not a lot of hoopla. Not a lot of cheering. She knew what I needed at that point. Just someone to pull me along and keep my feet moving one in front of the other. She stayed in front of me and I just followed. When we got to her car, I thanked her and told her that I loved her and that I was going to make it. I was going to make it!!! That was the first time that thought entered my mind. I said it out loud again as she drove off. Hope began to feel real!

I came up Lamar, into downtown with about 1.2 miles left and Matt Wright was waiting for me in front of the library. Matt Wright, who was voted by the Striders waiting at the finish line as having the freshest legs, met me downtown to run the last mile with me. He phoned the finish line and said, "I've got him. We're coming in." Matt said some other encouraging words but mostly he just talked about how good my hair looked. He just went on and on about my hair. Well, thanks, Matt!!! Seriously, Matt was awesome. He kept me safe and motivated through downtown and I'll never forget it. Oh, and by the way, Matt is my barber.

Matt got me to the train tracks where Coach Steeeve and SteveB, who had just run a full marathon, join us. Coach asked me if I can see the blue finish line "right there." Well, it didn't look "right there" to me but I can see it. SteveB was in his friggin' sandals. Yes, he ran me in the last .3 or so miles IN HIS SANDALS!!! I remember seeing that but not saying anything. I'll never forget that image.

Over those last fractions of a mile, I tried to be tough and gut it out but my effort was relegated to either running or bending over in a dead stop with my hands on my knees trying to recover. You know the drill. The finish line was still standing and the closer I got, I could see that the clock was still ticking. The hope I was holding on to was realized in an instant when I saw and heard the cheers of what sounded like hundreds of fans, but were really my family, my friends, my Striders. No stopping now with the masses watching and just 40 yards to go. I crossed the finish line in 6 hours 48 minutes and 30 seconds. Goal 1 accomplished.

Now, as if it couldn't get any better than the oupouring of support from my family and friends along with finishing my first marathon, the Chevron Houston Marathon had volunteers still waiting at the finish 50 minutes after the official race was closed, handing out finisher's medals. When the beautiful lady put that medal around my neck, the flood gates opened and I balled like a baby, a very BIG baby. My wife came over and held me and I gave her a big ole' wet, salty kiss. The kids were there and I hugged them. Then more high 5's, hugs, tears, smiles, and laughter as the family and Striders shared in my joy. Thinking back, we must have all been a sight, standing out in the middle of Rusk, right under the finish line, just partying and laughing like this was all for us.

Wait, it gets better. After we partied out there on the street, Coach realized the mission was not over yet. If there was a way to collect the rest of my swag, Coach and company were going to find a way. The entrance where the 18,000+ runners entered the GRB Convention Center earlier was locked. Matt knocked on the door so hard it almost fell over. Then he was trying to pry the door open and a face appeared in the window. "This runner needs to get his shirt!!!" exclaimed Matt. The official opened the door and let us ALL in. He said "Runners only!" That's me.

So, moving by adrenaline only, I made my way across to the other side of the Convention center. It was like another race with another finish line but instead of FINISH, the sign said FINISHER'S SHIRTS. Somehow, my walk turned into a bit of a shuffle and I scampered to the counter just before they were about to close. I got my finisher's shirt and my finishers mug. GOAL 2 ACCOMPLISHED!!!

You can keep the tens of thousands of fans, the belly dancers, the bleachers, the cool mile markers, the music, the noise, the fanfare. Just give me my family, my friends, and the Striders there at the end. I'm so glad it turned out the way it did. I doubt very seriously it's going to be like that ever again. If it is, I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing. But this one was so special and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I accomplished my goals. I overcame with the help of some special people the overwhelming urge to quit. I AM A MARATHONER!!!

Could it be?

2009-03-01T18:45:00.002-06:00

I've been wondering about my current shoes and if they're ready for retirement or just middle aged. According to my records, they just have 151 miles on them. HOWEVER... I purchased them back in July '08 and as far as time, I've probably logged twice as much time in these shoes as other runners with 150 miles.

I bought a new pair last Wednesday and just broke them in for the first time tonight for a little 1.6 mile recovery run/walk after yesterday's 10K. And it was unbelievable how much better these feel than the old shoes. So, although I reluctant to retire a pair of shoes with only 151 miles on them, I think I'm going to do just that.

I've heard it said that a shoe should last 300-500 miles. Well, I've come to the conclusion that while that may be a GENERAL guideline, there are a lot of factors that go into how long a shoe should be used before it's retired. For one, I think my weight puts exponentially more stress on a shoe. Being at 300+ pounds, I'm seriously "pounding" my knees, legs, ankles, and even my shoes a lot more than your average runner. Secondly, it just makes sense that if you just look at my pace, I'm spending a lot more time per mile in my shoe than your basic 8-10 minute miler. So, I might run a loop around Memorial Park in 45 or 50 minutes where it takes others half that time.

So, it's really not a big deal. I just think about stupid stuff like this while I'm running or sitting around the house, or playing taxi driver to 3 kids (this makes up the bulk of my life). I guess I've got a new pair of yard shoes.

Rodeo Run 10K

2009-02-28T20:01:00.002-06:00

I've been working since around October to get back to a healthy lifestyle with running as a key component after returning to the couch for the better part of a year and frankly just letting myself go. One thing I've been looking forward to on this return trip is racing. Yes, I like to compete and I LOVE to PR and show improvement but I also just enjoy the community and camaraderie that comes with racing. I like the planning, then the arrival, the pre-race rituals and trash talking, the stretgy, the focus, the pain of the race, and the feeling after when your mission was accomplished. I just LOVE race day!!!

The last race I had was the Koala's/Lukes Locker Houston Half Marathon on October 28, 2007. I've come a long way since then...a long way BACKWARDS!!! But I knew I had to get back in a race and Wednesday, while running around town on my day off, on a whim, I decided to register for the Rodeo Run 10K. Walking out of Luke's, I thought I must be crazy, trying to tackle the 10K distance. The most I had run since coming back was 5 miles and that was last weekend. I had visions of crashing and burning after 5 and DNF'ing or something. Not a good mental attitude going into such a challenge.

Having never done the Rodeo Run before, I was a little concerned about the logistics. It's a point to point race and you have a choice of parking at the start or at the finish and riding a shuttle to the start either before or after the race. The admonition from the Rodeo Run was to GET THERE EARLY!!! They said on their website that if you don't get there early, you may not get into the downtown area because of all the traffic. So, I go there at 6:40. LOL!!! Yes, 3 hours before the race. And there was not a soul in downtown, just the people that live there. I drove around scoping out parking and was going to park in one of the empty lots near the post-race party and they guy said "This is for volunteers only." Yes, I arrived even before any volunteers go there.

After driving around a while, I decided to park near the start. I had quite a bit of time so I messed around with Facebook mobile for a while, walked over to the port-a-potty, walked back to the car, listened to the radio, did some more Facebook, took a nap, walked back over to the port-a-potty, walked back to the car, listened to some more music, and about 40 minutes before the race, I got out and got my shoes on and headed over to the start.

I thought the race was very well organized. There were plenty of potty's. Bag drop off was VERY well organized. There was water and music and some good announcements. I started running into a lot of people I knew. It was great to see Jen. I had not seen her in many, many moons. I actually came across some friends form work. I don't know how I found them in the sea of people but I got to hang out with Justin, Ken, and Lauren for a while before the race.

I started to feel less and less nervous and frankly was just having a good time, taking it all in, getting psyched for the race. When the horn sounded, it was another 5 minutes before we even started moving. There were so many people. I thought this was either going to be ok since my pace is so slow right now, or I thought it was going to be a disaster, especially when I saw a bunch of folks around me in jeans and full makeup. I made my way to the start and yes it was congested for I'd say the first half mile but after that, I got past a lot of the slow walkers (most of the 5K'ers) and it thinned out nicely.

Mile 1 was fun. There was MAJOR crowd support. It was awesome. My goal was to finish mile 1 at about my normal easy run effort and save just a little for the end of the race. I did mile one, including a half mile of zig-zagging in ~15:09.

Mile 2 - I was really warming up and finding a bit of a groove but not ready to let loose just yet. I finished mile 2 in 14:35.

Mile 3 - OMG!!! I forgot about the Elysian bridge. And today, the wind was out of the north at about 20 mph. So, heading north, into the wind, the bridge is mostly uphill the entire mile or so to the other side. I was not expecting this. I'm kind of glad I wasn't expecting it. I just sort of accepted it and did it. It was early enough in the race that I actually felt pretty good so I just did it. The nice thing was the vast majority of 10K'ers were already on the back portion of this little out and back which was on the opposite side of the street so I got to see a lot of people I knew and received some good words of encouragement as I was headed out. Despite the long, slow incline up Elysian bridge, I still managed a 14:50 mile 3.

Miles 4 and 5 were just work. I stepped it up just a tiny bit and pulled a 14:37 and 14:27 respectively. The end of mile 5 features the next to the last hill, just to get back up onto the bridge and start my descent. I motored up the hill and was passing by a runner and low and behold, it was Jen. Man, it was good to see a familiar face and a good friend to run in with. We took off past the Mile 5 marker an started out descent into downtown.

Mile 6.2 - Once I got over the last hump, I cruised down onto Crawford for the last stretch. I was not feeling great but not feeling too totally awful either so I picked up the pace, wanting to finish strong. I went sub-14 for mile 6 and the last .2 and finished stronger than I started. Mission accomplished.

I ran the 2nd half of the race 2 minutes faster than the first half, nothing like the crash and burn I anticipated. Yes, a 1:31:03 for 10K is not where I'd like to be but I'm not gonna be here for long.

Too scared to pull the trigger...Bad decision

2009-02-21T14:34:00.002-06:00

I've been planning on getting in a spring race and I debated back and forth about the Park to Park 5 miler this morning. I wanted to do it baaaad but I was out sick last week and the last time I did more than 4 miles was Feb 4. So, I talked myself out of it. Instead, I opted for a 5 mile long run and I'm kicking myself now because the distance was not a problem. No doubt, had I run the P2P, I would have been dead last but hey, been there, done that, and it's still fun.

I ventured out of the park today and it was good to get out "on the road". I went up Blossom and zig-zagged over to the water fountain at Allen Parkway and Shepherd, then back. 5 miles exactly at average 15:25 pace. It was a beautiful morning for a race or a run or a bike ride or whatever your poison. There was lots of people out and I had a great run. I finished just exactly where I wanted to, with just a little bit still left in the tank. I don't feel achy or sore at all and my ankles, knees, and hips felt great the entire run. It was a good confidence booster of a run.

So, I guess I've gotta get a spring race on the calendar. I think Bayou City Classic 10K it is. I hope everyone's not gone by the time I finish. Save a bagel for me, ok?

Sub-45 3 miler

2009-02-09T21:54:00.002-06:00

After a weekend of nothing but junk food, little sleep, and NO exercise, I was really ready to get this week started on a good note. I wouldn't call this past weekend a "lapse" or a moment of weakness or the like. I just spent the weekend with a bunch of junior high kids on a church retreat and basically we were provided with J-U-N-K to eat entire weekend. I snuck away on Saturday and snagged me a Subway for lunch but the rest of the weekend was what it was.

So, I arrived at the park tonight and could tell when I got out of the care and started trotting to the stretching area that this was going to be a good one. The danger when I feel good, though, is to go out too hard and burn out. I stretched and then got on the trail and started my run. I started about 8 steps behind this walker and she was keeping a pretty good pace so I thought I'd try to see how long I could hang. I made it kind of a game, trying to stay exactly 8 full strides behind her. I'd get to 10 and then speed up a little. Then I'd be right on her, at maybe 5 strides so I'd back off. Anyway, she ended up walking a pretty consistent 14:30 pace.

It really felt good. I felt really comfortable after 1 mile. At about 1.5, I got to breathing a little heavier but still felt strong. At mile 2, I backed of and got a drink, stretched a little and then took off. My pacer got in her car just after 2 miles so I decided I'd just cool down the last mile. I did some walking early in mile 3 but ran the last .6 miles and finished strong.

Anyway, it felt good to log some miles at sub-15 pace. Now to bed.

Hmmmm...

2009-02-06T14:49:00.002-06:00

Let's see. $1,200,000,000,000.00 is the price tag to create 3,000,000 jobs (purported). That's $400,000.00 per job. I think I'd like to trade my job for one of those $400,000.00 ones. That's a sweet deal!!!

Not quite ready for prime time

2009-01-26T20:33:00.002-06:00

I received a FB Message from former XC Relay Teammate, Joe L, asking me to join him and our other teammate Doug F on Wednesdays for some camaraderie and a group run. Now, Joe, Doug, and I are all...well, we're Clydesdales. Of course, I a bit more of a Clydesdale than those guys. :) Anyway, at first I was psyched at the opportunity to have someone to run with one night a week. I don't think though that I can hang with those guys just yet with my pace.

When I got to the park, I said to myself, if I can run < 15:00 pace for 3 miles, then maybe I could at least muster a 13 or so pace with those guys for a mile or so and then peel off. I felt great after a mile and was comfortably holding right around 15:10 pace. Around mile 1.3, I just crashed, totally ran out of juice. I managed with some walking to finish my 3 in good fashion and averaged ~15:50 for the run.

I definitely need to step up my nutrition, starting with a more robust breakfast. 1 cup of Special K and a cup of skim milk ain't gonna cut it. I ended up ~1000 calories below my target today and my target is about 1500 calories below my BMR. Trying to tackle a good, hard 3 mile run on a 2500 calorie deficit just ain't smart.

Regardless of the nutrition, I'm not quite ready for primetime with my running and not ready to run with the big dogs, I don't think. And to think, I was thinking about accepting the invitation to coach PIM. I think I may go in as a participant this Spring and then coach next Fall. Still, If I can drop another 25 lbs and get my runs down in the 14's in the next 6 weeks, I may be more inclined to coach. We shall see.

Vic is...

2009-01-25T14:08:00.003-06:00

I've been spending most of my internet time on Facebook so I haven't posted to the blog what seems like a looooong time. I've been a busy bee with getting my business organized for 2009 and with work and with taxi service and with household stuff and with Junior High ministry and with... I'm ashamed to report that my miles for the week of 19-25 January are 0. That's a big, fat GOOSE EGG. It's smart to have a cutback week every now and then but this was ridiculous. And when I ain't running good, I ain't eating good. It wasn't a total relapse but I didn't move forward either. I'd say just about even on the eating, logging, and my exercise.

I'm definitely back to it this week. No excuses. It's hard not to be disheartened when I have these little setbacks. We're studying in Bible Study how the Christian life is about steps, not leaps, and that to grow and become what God wants us to be is about a step. I was sharing with my JHigh'ers that we can't expect to just wake up one morning and be everything God wants us to be. God wants us to just take that one step. For some it's being kind to someone who isn't kind back. For others it's just getting up a little early and reading one verse from The Bible and praying for one minute. For some, it's just believing that God is real. Whatever step you take, take it, and celebrate the faith that God gives us all to take that step. So, as I look at my struggles with weight and living a healthy life, I'm reminded that I'm not going to wake up tomorrow and weigh 200 pounds and run a marathon. Maybe my first step is to wake up Monday morning at 4 and run before work. Maybe my next step is to make sure I have a healthy snack before leaving work for the drive home so I won't be so hungry and stop where I shouldn't. I've gotta start thinking more in terms of steps and not leaps.

Later.

Unplanned Tempo Run

2009-01-19T21:25:00.003-06:00

The plan after work tonight was to get in an easy peasy 3 mile loop, just to get in some easy miles after Saturday's 5 miler and to start the week off right. Unfortunately, I'm on call but that didn't stop me from attempting a run. I got to the park, got dressed, got stretched and headed out without being bothered. With pager in hand, I kept a nice, comfortable pace through 1 mile.

Then, I heard that NIGHTMARISH sound. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! I really didn't have time to think about how irritated I was. I just turned around and headed back, knowing that I at least had a chance of making it back to the car before the issue was escalated to my boss. Once an issue is created, it pages the on call person. I then have 15 minutes to change the status of the ticket to "Work In Progress" (we say WIP it) or it gets escalated. And it usually takes a minute or two from the time it's created to the time I receive the page. So, I figured I had between 14 and 13 minutes to get back.

Being the experienced runner that I am (wink, wink), I remembered from back in the day what tempo pace felt like. Like coach Steeeve says, it's the effort where your not gasping for air but if you ran any faster, you would be. I was able to hold that pace all the way to the car. No letting up. I felt strong all the way through. I just relaxed my shoulders and focused and just thought about NOT STOPPING!!! It brought back some non-so-pleasant yet welcome memories of when I was fit and strong and had stamina. It was a great feeling and motivates me now to get back to that place and even surpass it.

So, I made it to the car. I got my cell phone and, breathing pretty hard, called the support center and asked them to WIP the ticket for me. I asked if it had been escalated and Stephanie said no, it had not been escalated. Mission accomplished. I walked a lap around the track which served as a mini-cool down and headed for the house. Well, first I called the customer and resolved her issue. So, my 3 mile easy peasy turned into a little tempo run and my career as an Clinical Application Analyst is safe.

Split Decision

2009-01-10T16:38:00.002-06:00

After a late start this morning, I debated whether to run or not. I had a "long" run of 4 miles on the training schedule but once I got up and hung with the fam for a couple of hours, the day was starting to get away from me. We have basketball my mom was taking us out to lunch. I need to do bills. We need to do some Pampered Chef stuff. Anyway, I entertained the thought of running this evening but I knew if I put it off, it was a pretty good chance it wouldn't happen. So, I did what every Big Loser should do, I got my booty out the door and got 'er done.

Driving to the park, I decided I was going to do a "commitment" run. That's what I call and out and back run where there are no shortcuts and no chances to cut the run short. It's just out and back. I knew if I stayed on the Mem Park loop, I'd pass the car at 3 miles and have the opportunity to cut it short. So, I decided to run to the Allen Parkway water fountain and back.

When I got to Memorial, it was nice to "go left" out of the park. I don't know why but "going left" makes me feel like I'm really running and that I'm on a bit of an adventure. You know, it's "out there". Like Elvis has left the park. Anyway, when I got to the light at Crestwood, I got to thinkin':

1) If I'm gonna run this slow, I may as well run trails.
2) It's kind of windy out "on the road", I may as well run trails.
3) I'm running alone anyway, so why not run alone on Ho Chi Minh

So, I calculated all the options in my head and made a split decistion to go off into the woods. It was just a beautiful run. I really enjoyed the solitude, the quiet. All I could hear was my breathing, the crunching of pine needles under my feet, oh, and a little bit of traffic on Memorial Drive. The only problem was that there wasn't enough mud.

My route stretched my scheduled 4 in to 4.4 but I finished strong and felt great. That last .5 mile came in at <15:00 pace. Boy, after this run, I really felt like I had run. It felt good. And 4.4 this week makes 5 next Saturday seem not so forboding.

The big secret

2009-01-09T18:55:00.003-06:00

Well, I thought since I finally got the e-mail we've been waiting on, I'd go ahead and spill the beans on the big secret. It's sort of bittersweet because we thought the news would be just a little more positive.

Anyway, we have been approached by a production company to do a TV show about...well, about our family and our struggles to lose weight and be healthy in today's busy, helter-skelter world. Through each episode (yes, that's right. We're going to be a series), they bring in a different "expert" to help us along the way to reach our goals and shed the pounds. So, we'll probably have all our meals delivered, personal trainers, gym memberships, who knows what all? Then each episode chronicles our journey. So, basically, we get all this incredible advice and help and basically get to change our lives and hopefully inspire a few people along the way. They want to pitch the show to all the big networks, NBC, ABC, TLC, and some others so it's going to be a nationally broadcast show.

We've gone through several steps and just this last Monday overnighted some video footage of me and the family. The first hour was the Casting Director doing an interview with us, talking about our family and what we do for fun, our eating habits, our struggles with trying to lose, etc. Then we did an hour of other footage. Private, "tell-all" testimonials recorded in the closet, some footage of us all playing outside, me trying to fit into my mom's Lexus, and some other stuff.

So, the casting director finally got finished watching the tapes this afternoon and e-mailed us back. She loved us and thinks we'd be great. She is going to put her "pitch" together for the rest of her team and present us to them next week. The "only thing" is she's worried that they're going to say that the whole family is not overweight. She thinks they're looking for a family where the whole family is overweight and Steph and Ben are not. But she's going to "do her best" to make the sale.

Then, at the end of her e-mail, she said, "I also have another idea for you guys that I will discuss with you!" What's that all about? Oh, man, I can't stand it. I just want to know yes or no. We've been excited about this since mid-December we sooooo want to do it.

Well, if it works out, it works out. It's very exciting to know we may get all this help. I thought the news would be 100% positive and we could say that the decision's been made but of course, it's just going to be dragged out and there's just gotta be uncertainty, huh? We'll keep you posted.

The best intentions

2009-01-06T09:11:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a bust on getting my run in. No worries as it's early in the week and my schedule allows me to move Monday's run over to Tuesday without disrupting the rest of the week. So, I got to bed early last night and set the alarm for 4 am. I was VERY excited about how everything just came together as planned. I got the clothes ironed, the bag packed. I had breakfast and some water. READY!!! Then I stepped out the door and realized I FORGOT TO CHECK THE WEATHER. So, long story short, I got to work REAL early.

That means I'll be leaving work REAL early. Yipee!!! I've got to get to the park, get my run in, and be home by the season premier of The Biggest Loser. We'll all be gathered 'round the TV at 7 with our chili dogs and fritos, watching The Biggest Loser. Ha!!! Just kidding. Bob and Jillian would KILL me!

One of the forums I frequent opens a thread during every episode of The Biggest Loser and we all virtually watch it together. I've never participated but I think I will tonight. Or not. I don't know.

So, today or tomorrow, I should know more about The Big Secret. I hope to be able to make an announcement here and on Facebook Thursday or Friday. I so wish I could spill the beans but it would just be too disappointing if it doesn't all pan out. Of course, if it doesn't all pan out, I'll still let the world know what could have been and it's going to be disappointing for all of us anyway.

Back to work.

Why?

2009-01-03T14:09:00.003-06:00

Why is stuff cooked in butter so much better than not?

I breaded some scrumptious chicken breasts and had one under penne pasta and marinara. I cooked half the batch of chicken just dry with nothing in the skillet, just the breaded chicken. It formed a nice crust and frankly wasn't half bad. But I did the last two breasts in about a tbsp each of butter and olive oil. Oh, my!!! The golden crust was soooooo good. Can you tell which is which?

I only had a bite. I'll save that for J or the kids.

I just want to know WHY???

New Year's Life's Resolution

2009-01-02T17:23:00.002-06:00

Yes, there is much adieu around the water cooler about New Year's Resolutions. I for one am tired of making New Year's Resolutions. Even worse, for me, it's usually New Week's Resolutions, or New Day's Resolutions. This year, I think I'm going to make a few New Life's Resolutions.

Once and for all, for the rest of my life, I am resolved to lose this 100 pounds that had been dragging me down for so long. I know. I know. We've all heard Vic say this before and with much conviction but I just wonder if I don't do this now, in 2009, if I'll ever, ever do it. I've got this sick feeling that if I don't make this stand right now, I'm never going to. NOW IS THE TIME!!!

Once and for all, for the rest of my life, I am resolved to be a man of God. No more playing church. No more playing Christian while my devotional life, my prayer life, and my ministry are relegated to some back room where I peek in now and then just to be able to say I have SOME relationship with Christ.

Once and for all, for the rest of my life, I am resolved to bring happiness and peace to my home. I will serve my children with love and compassion and pray for them every day. I will make our home a refuge from this world, a place where my wife finds peace and where she knows she is loved.

These are my New Life's Resolutions.

What a Beautiful New Year's Eve Morning

2008-12-31T11:01:00.002-06:00

Plans for this weekend...not a good situation as far as I'm concerned. J and the kiddos are traveling to LA for a belated Christmas on the farm with her family and because I drew New Year's as my holiday on call this year, I have to stay home ALL weekend (including Thursday) and answer my pager. So, it's just me and the dog bringing in this New Year together. Still, I'm thankful for my job and am just glad that NEXT year, I won't have any holiday call. :)

I got to Memorial Park this morning for a workout before the fam packed up and left. It was a pristine morning, nice and cool, just perfect. I had a real treat this morning of running into my friend Reuben. It's funny because I haven't seen Reuben in over a year but I was just talking to J about him yesterday. No lie!!! Reuben is an incredible man and I won't take the liberty of saying much about him on the internet without his permission but suffice it to say, Reuben is an inspirational figure in my life. I was telling J that as inspirational a person as Reuben is, he has always encouraged me in my running and in my weight loss and always said that I inspired him. This never made sense to me as the complete opposite is true. Anyway, it was GREAT to see him this morning and get to talk. Like always, Reuben left me with some words I've been thinking about all morning. He said, "Vic, you have to have your health. Your health will help protect the things in your life that you love, your family, your kids, your career." And I'd add to that my relationship with God. He's so right and that's why this time, I've got to get healthy and STAY healthy, for the rest of my life.

If I make it through December

2008-12-30T23:13:00.003-06:00

Yes, it's been a while since I've posted. That's not to say that I haven't been fully engaged in my quest to lose weight and live a more healthy lifestyle. Well, fully engaged may be stretching it a bit.

Just before Thanksgiving, I looked at the checking account and noticed I was spending quite a bit of moo-lah on weekly visits to the dietitian and with Christmas looming, I decided to give it a go on my own for a few weeks. To quote Catherine the Great, "This isn't the most opportune time to cut loose on your own, Vic." (or something like that). Of course, as always, she was correct. I got a little busy and a bit complacent over the following weeks. I happened to NOT do too much damage on the body mass front. When all the pounds are added or subtracted, I'm just about even to where I was at Thanksgiving. Believe me. It could have been worse. The area where I REALLY faltered was my running/exercise. I only got out 5 times in December and managed to log a dismal 15 miles.

Gearing back up this week, I ran 2 on Monday and just felt GREAT!!! The plan this week calls for 2 on Monday, 2 Wednesday and Thursday, 3 on Saturday, and a mile walk on Sunday. I opened a new log for 2009 and planned out the next 4 months of training as well on another spreadsheet. Here's a little sample of the spreadsheet that I use to plan my training.

I've got formulas in the Goal Weight column that set a 2 pound loss for each week based on the current week's weight. So, even if I lose 5 pounds this week, next week's goal weight will still be 2 pounds less. That way each week is new and the goal is always 2 pounds. I know. I'm not explaining it very well. No biggie. The point is I'm trying to get motivated and get my planning and record keeping set up for the new year.

Well, I'm off tomorrow. That's the good news. The bad news is I'm on call the next 4 days. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Blech!!!

The morning after

2008-11-13T07:08:00.004-06:00

In the last 8 weeks, despite success in my new, healthy lifestyle, I've become all too familiar with the MORNING AFTER feeling. It's the feeling I have the morning after the evening a fast food binge on the way home from work. Every time this happens, when I wake up, I feel like crap. I've usually gained at least 2 or 3 pounds overnight from all the sodium and the CRAP sitting in my gut. I get off the scale wondering how long it's going to take me to get back just to where I was and continue on with my weight loss and I spend the rest of the week wondering "what would have been?".

Well, those feelings weren't there this morning as I made it through the storm yesterday afternoon. It was really the perfect storm. I had a stressful day. I forgot to eat an afternoon snack. I really didn't realize until I got in my car and turned on the ignition that I WAS STARVING. All the familiar patterns were there and I should have stopped at any one or two of several fast food places on the way home. But I didn't do it. I just sucked it up and got home without doing the thing I hate to do but love to do.

And this morning, I was soooooo happy I made that decision. Now I know the OTHER morning after feeling. The one where you step on the scale and instead of being 2 or 3 pounds OVER the day before, I'm DOWN a half a pound from yesterday. Instead of waking up and feeling bogged down and bloated with a bunch of CRAP in my stomach, I felt normal, even a little smaller. Now I have this reminder to replay in my mind whenever temptation strikes.

One of the ways I got through it was firing off an e-mail to Catherine from the car, while I was driving down the Beltway. It was something like, "Driving home. Skipped snack. STARVING!!! Must make it home." I didn't really expect a reply but just knowing the reply could come and knowing that Cat is behind me helped me make it through the trip home. When I finally did get home and got something good to eat, I received Cat's reply. She said some things and then she wrote, "This is your marathon!" Wow, that's profound and sooooo true. Even though my marathon isn't for another 14 months (WOW!!! over a year away), the decisions I make now and the work I'm doing now...well, let's face it. My marathon training and preparation has started. Yes, I want to be healthy. Yes, I want to feel good and there is a big picture to what I'm trying to do here. But the marathon, my comeback, this thing I'm working for is a huge motivator for me. So, thanks for the reminder, Cat.

Yo, peeps!!!

2008-11-12T07:15:00.002-06:00

Where was everybody last night? The park was EMPTY!!! And it was a beautiful evening to run. The sprinkle was so refreshing. I got 2 awesome miles in with a mile walking tacked on. I snuck down in the 15's for mile 2 and really felt good. Flashback to October 2006, running the Space City 10-miler in the rain and how good that felt. Of course, the rain last night didn't compare to the deluge of 2006 but still, it brought back some memories that kept my mind occupied during the hump.

I've had good, consistent eating this week. Catherine said one of our goals is to make the junk food binges less and less frequent. I've gone to just about every day to about one per week. I'd consider it a huge success to get through this whole week without one slip up. This is "heavy" on my mind this week. I CAN DO!!!

Let's get this party (week) started!!!

2008-11-10T08:54:00.002-06:00

Yes, today is Monday! For me, every Monday brings sort of a new start. This morning in my session with Catherine the Great, we did a good evaluation of the last week. We talked about successes and failures. There were a lot of successes. :)

Success #1 - After falling off the wagon for one meal on Friday, I got right back on the next day. My pattern in the past has been that when I mess up, I mess up BIG. One bad meal will usually send me into a tailspin where it's a few days before I get back on track. Not this past week. In fact I did the bad meal Friday night and still got right up Saturday morning for my "long run". So, that was a SUPER success (even though the mess up on Friday was a failure).

Success #2 - Sunday was a birthday lunch at my house for my Mom. I grilled yummy cheeseburgers. There were also all the usual villans: potato salad, macaroni and cheese, tons and tons of cheese and chips, and of course, MAYONNAISE. So, as long as I was grilling, I did some chicken for myself. And then, for a real treat, I grilled some yummy veggies on the bar-b. Red, green, yellow, and orange peppers, zucchini squash. So, my plate was chicken breast, just a spoon of potato salad, homemade pico de gallo, tomato slices, grilled veggies, and for the piece de resistance, a 100 cal pack of Wholly Guacamole. I was so stuffed, I didn't even have cake. The whole meal was just 685 calories.

Success #3 - I ran 4 miles Saturday.

Success #5 - I ran 4 times for 11.5 miles last week.

Failures - like a good boy who puts all the bad behind him, I don't remember any of my failures last week. :)

Things to work on this week - Overall, Catherine wants to work on keeping my FULL this week. What a great dietitian, right? To lose more weight, she wants me to EAT MORE? Wahoo!!! So, I need to add some fruit to my diet. I'll probably do that in the form of a mid-morning snack and/or for dessert at dinner time. Fortunately, honeycrisp apples are in season so this ain't gonna be hard. Also, I stuffed my desk at work with Smart Pop popcorn bags. Catherine said she'd of course rather me eat a big bag of hot popcorn on the way home than stop at James' Coney Island for a 6 pack. :)

By the way, congrats Catherine on finishing 2nd overall female in Saturday's Rocky Raccoon 25K. AWESOME!!!

What a wonderful morning

2008-11-08T11:33:00.002-06:00

What a beautiful morning. Belated good luck to everyone running Rocky Racoon this morning. It's an awesome day for racing.

I'm eight weeks back on the horse and I guess it's time for some evaluation.

Weight Loss:

I've lost 21 pounds since starting. That's about 2.6 pounds per week and although I never realistically expect to lose more than 2 pounds per week, I think I could have done a bit better. I'll give myself a solid B on weight loss.

Running:

When I started, I was running just a quarter mile during the week at a comfortable ~18 minute pace with a long run on the weekend of a half a mile. Today, I ran 4 miles at a VERY comfortable 17:25 pace. I've progressed from 4 miles per week to ~11. Since my goal right now is 100% building base and endurance and not to get faster, I'll give myself an A on the build up to 4 miles.

Now, I've just got to stay positive.

Soduim Update

2008-11-06T08:17:00.002-06:00

Ok, as predicted, the 7 pound weight gain from last week has all disappeared plus and extra 2 pounds. Total weight lost since Monday...9 freakin' pounds.

I've had a couple of good runs this week. I'm at a point where I can do the whole Memorial Park loop, no problem. So, that makes it nice to get away from the out and backs.

Not so good weekend

2008-11-04T09:04:00.002-06:00

I have to admit, not all is rosy. I had a bad couple of days over the weekend. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday included trips to McDonald's, grilled cheese sandwiches, Halloween candy, chips and cheese...that's about it. Oh, and I totally skipped my workout Saturday. Oh, the shame!!! And something VERY WIERD happened with my weight. My weight went up over 7 pounds in just a couple days. That's crazy!!! If that were 7 pounds of fat, that means I would have taken in 25,000 calories more than I burned over two days. I may have binged a bit but there's no way I steered that far off course. So, what's the deal?

I'm just about 100% sure that the deal is the high, high sodium content in fast food. I just bloated me up like a balloon. I think most of the gain can be attributed to the water retention and just all that food sitting in my stomach trying to digest. I got right back on track Monday morning and in just a 24 hour period, I've lost 4 of the 7 pounds I had gained. I drank a lot of water yesterday and did some exercise. I ate a normal, good diet the whole day and hope to have that other 3 off soon so I can get back to business.

The important thing is to stay positive. It's been the pattern for me to look at a small failure and just say, "Screw it!" and go off on a major prolonged binge. I'm breaking that pattern and getting right back up on that horse. Besides, this is going to be a fun week. I may be posting BIG numbers, like Biggest Loser numbers, with 4 pounds lost already.

This morning

2008-10-30T10:02:00.002-05:00

Alarm rings at 4 am. Snooze x 1. Coffee was on the timer and ready when I got up. I actually planned ahead and ironed my clothes and packed my bag the night before. All I had to do was get some Body Glide onto a couple of hot spots, get dressed and I was ready. After a yummy bowl of GoLean, I was off.

I arrived at Memorial Park to an absolutely B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L fall morning. After some moseying around and some stretching, I took off for my 2 mile trot. "What's this? No aches? No soreness/stiffness? No twinges or tweaks that I just have to work out over the first half mile until they go away?" I felt great right from the start. I kept my effort very easy early on as I didn't want to fall into the "horse out of the barn" trap. Anyway, the run was great!!! I felt strong. I felt like my feet were under my legs and my legs were under ME and everything was just clicking instead of just leaning forward and letting inertia pull the rest of me along.

I finished the last mile a good 30 seconds faster than the first. When I was done I just laid down on the bench and relaxed. It was one of those mornings where the steam just sort of rises off your body into the fog. It was nice. This morning, I didn't run because it was a chore or because it was something I've been working on. I just enjoyed it and had a blast!!!

My pace

2008-10-29T09:04:00.002-05:00

I've seen pace recorded, of course, as minutes/mile. Then there's the popular miles/hour. Some have even gone so far as to "describe" their pace instead of actual time and distance. For example, "an easy pace" or "5K pace". While running last night, I was trying to think of the best way to describe my pace. I came up with "just fast enough where I don't crush every bone/joint in my body". I know with my weight that I am putting an extraordinary amount of pressure on my knees, ankles, and hips and the faster I run, the more time I spend "off the ground" between strides, the harder I land, and the more pressure I put on my bones and joints. This REQUIRES a new, heavy runner like myself to be patient, not think about my pace in the past or what pace others are running, but to run within and for myself. My main goal now is losing the weight, not PR'ing for 5K or 10K or whatever. Staying healthy and getting smaller!!!

I had my visit with Catherine the Great this morning. Upon reviewing my logs, I got away from the basics a little this past week. I skipped breakfast several times and skipped a few afternoon snacks. Big NO NO's!!! I also had two so-so bad meals this past week. Nothing horrible but definite deviations from the norm. Anyway, a big part of all this for me is to maintain consistent, good habits not just some of the time but all of the time and that means eating breakfast and eating snacks between meals. I still managed to drop a pound this week which puts me down 20.5 pounds in about 6 weeks.

Oh, and Tiggs, I'll definitely be seeing you at all the warmup races next fall. And guaranteed, you'll be seeing a lot less of me. :)

Wish I was there!

2008-10-25T13:58:00.002-05:00

Good luck to all of you running the Houston Half and congratulations ahead of time to the Houston Striders. I know it's going to be a FABULOUS event!!! I've got prior commitments this weekend so no volunteering this year. This is the first year after 3 in a row that I was not able to volunteer for the race. Bummer!!!

I did 3.5 this morning at Memorial Park. It felt good and I ran easy and strong. I probably could/should have done 4 but I opted for 3.5 with the last .5 about 1 minute faster than my average pace. It feels good to finish strong. I ran over an hour. It was an absolutely beautiful morning and I know it's going to be beautiful for the race tomorrow. That's makes me happy.

This weekend with the Houston Half going on, I've been reflecting a lot about this past year. Tomorrow's race marks my exit from runnning and the start of a downward spiral and return to obesity and unhealthy living. It's crazy that that came after the greatest race of my life. I remember Steeeve commenting how that race should really motivate me to an awesome marathon in January. Man, I'd like to have that moment back. I'd like to redeem that time, buy it back somehow. But that's obviously not possible. All I can do is remember all that I gave up and let it motivate me to never ever let that happen again. Nothing is worth your health and happiness. No job, no amount of money, no project.

Day off

2008-10-22T15:40:00.003-05:00

I took the day off today get a little break and to get ready for DS's big homecoming game tonight. It cracks me up. He's going to a new school that has only 9th and 10th grade. Who's coming home!?!? I don't understand how they are having a homecoming but nevertheless, they are doing the whole thing. All the hoopla. Mums, bands, homecoming dance, the whole 9 yards. And DS was even nominated for homecoming king or prince or something. Anyway, I have to parade out there with him and DW at halftime. Should be interesting.

The day off afforded me little excuse to get out for an early morning run so that's what I did. Memorial Park was beautiful this morning. Kind of quiet by the time I got there. I did my 2 miles, tried some core exercises, realized I have no core, and left. It was a nice leisurely morning and I enjoyed every minute.

Now, let's hope it doesn't rain while I'm parading around with the next homecoming king and his mom.

Ramping up and thinning down

2008-10-21T09:46:00.002-05:00

I made it over to Memorial Park yesterday after work for a 2 mile run and it was just a beautiful night. I slogged through the first mile and a half at just about slower than a snail's pace. By 1.5, I started to feel it in my knees and ankles. Not a bad feeling. I just felt stiff and achy. I relaxed a little and picked up the pace to just a little faster than a snail's pace and it felt great. I got the heart rate up into the red zone for the last .25 and really tried to relax and feel what it used to be like to RUN. It felt great. All that achyness went away and I remembered for a few minutes what it was like to MOVE and exercise. It was nice.

I am constantly evaluating how I feel after these runs. I made a pretty decent leap from runs of ~.5 to 1.5 miles up to a long run this last Saturday of 3 miles and runs during the week of 2. I'm doing fine with the added miles but I think I'm going to have to make the days in between (my easy days) VERY easy. I may cut back to just a walk on those days. But we'll see. Stay flexible and listen to your body. That's the ticket.

I'm glad I decided to extend these workouts. I need to be doing something longer than 5 or 10 minutes a day. Being on my feet doing exercise for 30+ minutes at a time is going to help me reach my weight loss goals quicker. Speaking of which, the pounds continue to melt away. I weighed in at 331.2 this morning. That's right at 20 pounds lost in about 5 and a half weeks. I know the plateau is coming soon but I'm enjoying this while I can. And I know when the plateau comes, Catherine the Great is going to have a plan.

Hey, thanks Steve for the fresh supplies last night. And no, we're not dealing drugs at Memorial park. Steve had some freebie med supplies for me. Good to see you Steve. It's been too long. I need every kick in the arse I can get so bring it on.

He-Could-Go-All-The-Way

2008-10-18T13:49:00.002-05:00

3 MILES!!!

Whew!!!

2008-10-14T20:44:00.002-05:00

I just got back from the park where I ran 2 miles tonight. Don't worry about the pace. Just 3 words. THAT FELT GREAT!!!

End of post.

15 in a month

2008-10-14T10:26:00.002-05:00

I've had some significant success since Repentance Day and have lost 15 pounds in about a month. I couldn't be happier with the progress so far.

I had my visit with Catherine the Great this morning and it's confirmed. I'm on a roll. The weight is melting away despite a short "lapse" the first week of October. This lapse included a trip to KFC on October 1 and then my trip to Kansas City for a conference 5-8 October. Cat is so positive, she said, "Well at least when you had the fried chicken, you didn't get home and eat supper...AGAIN!!!" I cracked up when she said that 'cause she knows the old me all too well. As far as the trip to Kansas City, I did fail to log my intake and I did eat whatever I wanted to in the evening but for the most part I was good. I did all my workouts through the week and ate what was provided for lunch. Breakfast could have been much worse. They had an awesome buffet in the hotel. Lucky it was $20 bucks or I would have done it every morning. I just did the breakfast buffet 1 morning and I had them make me an egg white omelette. Anyway, I ate a moderate lunch served at the conference and then ate out in the evening. I did eat what I wanted for dinner and enjoyed dining out. When I got back, though, the damage was minimal with no weight gain. I got right back on and have been good since then.

I am going to make one change this week. I'm "jumping ahead" with my running program. It's one thing to run excruciatingly slow but to also run excruciatingly SHORT is wearing on my patience. I'm going to stay slow and keep the very easy pace but I'm going to be upping my mileage a bit. I'm feeling good and I've done this before. I know how to avoid injury and I know when to back off and how to train heavy. I just want to start going to the park again and driving in for .5 mile runs or getting up early and driving in to do a 1 mile walk...It's just not worth it. So, I'm going to up the ante a little and get back into a more aggressive running routine. The nice thing is that I've gotten used to doing something 6 days a week and I'm going to keep that going. Even if my easy days are VERY easy, I'm sticking to the 6 days. The basic plan is to be up to 17-19 mpw by early January. I'll be very happy starting off the year there.

Lesson learned

2008-10-11T11:37:00.002-05:00

I ran 1.5 miles continuous yesterday and am feeling good. It's been a while since I blogged but not to worry. I'm still on the wagon. I'm down 14 lbs in 4 weeks and have stayed on my running program religiously.

I had some good news this week. I got a promotion and a BIG raise. I'm talking 10K/year. WOW!!! In this economy, that's good news. I've very happy that all the hard work and sacrifice this past year has paid off.

Still, I've been thinking. If on October 29th of last year, the day after my 13 minute half marathon PR, someone would have come up to me and said, "Vic, I'll give you a choice. Either you can continue your healthy lifestyle, take an hour or more off of your marathon PR, continue to lose weight, run and race through the spring and summer, and get within reach of your ultimate weight loss goals, have time to train, and all the time you want to spend with your family. Or, you can have $10,000." I can tell you right now what I'd choose. I can't recall anything in my life that I regret until now but given the choice again, I'd choose the healthy lifestyle over the money, hands down. And I'll have to live with this regret for a long time. All I can do now is draw on that experience and never, ever let ambition or work take precedence over my family and my health. Lesson learned, the hard way!!!