Day 30 (almost half-way there {Really!})

This is the second day of Week 5, a resting day. I got to bed late last night, but wasn't up dealing with bills or any household obligations--I was watching some TV online, and playing some online Scrabble. It was a good way to end a day for me--something relaxing amidst the stresses of life.

I went to bed late but slept in a bit, too, taking the edge off the shortened night. I dressed at a casual pace, sat down and enjoyed my breakfast, and headed in to work about 8 AM.

My left leg is still sore, but it now affects me most only when sitting or rising, and on the first step or two of a walk. I headed out the door this morning with a set of keys, planning to drive in, but biking is one habit that must be engained in me by now. I saw my bike in the driveway, with my helmet on the seat, and I turned around, went back inside, and hung the keys on the hook.

I biked in a lower gear today, both so as not to push too hard and also to keep my cadence up. My left leg muttered some protests at first, but it felt pretty good by the time I arrived. After dismounting, my first few steps were uncomfortable, but things are better than they could have been.

Mrs. F confirmed something I noticed last night--I'm a little thinner in the face. My ample double chin (a primary reason for my full beard) is receding. I still have belly fat, but I have lost much of it from the upper sides and front of my abdomen. I still cary it low on the sides and in the front, much like a full carpenter's apron, but it more clearly hangs on me now, rather than just being an indistinguishable part of my girth. She also noticed that my thighs are starting to thin--not a major change and certainly nothing someone other than my wife would notice, but I guess I had noticed it, too. Things are simply fitting better. Shirts are hanging on me again, rather than straining at the seams. When I breathe, I don't feel like I'm about to pop a button.

Don't get the wrong impression: I've not suddenly gone from fat to trim. It's just that I'm really starting to notice a difference when I see myself in the mirror in the morning. While I can't say that I yet like what I see there, I can say that I'm happy to be moving in the right direction.

I hope to be able to take a cool bath tonight, and I plan to take some Ibuprofen before I go to bed. Morning will come early, and the forecast is calling for frost. Before, I always thought runners were nuts, especially those who would run in very cold weather. Well, now I guess I can say that "it takes one to know one."

Day 29 (late)

Well, I'm starting to think my leg discomfort gets worse when I'm inactive. After sitting at my desk most of the day, I found my left let growing more sore and stiff throughout the day. When I got up to head home, it was particularly irksome. In fact, it was as sore and as stiff as it was at the end of our Friday session (day 26). Instead of sitting down when I got home, however (which is what I intended), I ended up helping to cook supper. Surprisingly, being on my feet for most of the past 90 minutes actually left my leg feeling pretty good. That helps explain why all of that hiking over the weekend didn't aggravate my leg as I thought it would. I guess I may need to work in some walking or other leg exercises tomorrow.

We have another cross country meet tomorrow evening. I'm looking forward to seeing how well the boys do. I'm getting to enjoy a Monday evening at home (I normally have a meeting), so I'm going to sit down and watch Heroes with the family, and plan to turn in early tonight.

Week 5, Day 1 - Mrs. F

I was a little nervous today thinking bout whether my legs would cooperate. Overall I felt okay. The weather though was frigid -- 50 degree temps with 20+ hr winds -- to think its only going to get colder!! I knew that, although i was pretty chilly on the warm up walk, once I was running, I'd be warmer.

The first run felt okay, my leg/knee area was a little sore but nothing bad. Mr. F noted at some point that we were supposed to be walking more briskly during the walking sets -- oops -- guess we need to work on that. The 2nd set felt great and I just felt like running -- so I did. I did feel a bit bad for leaving Mr. F a bit behind but I did walk back to him on the walking set!

The 3rd set was good, although my knee/leg area was still sore but not super painful. Its sore and hurts some but not the sharp kind of hurt that you know you have an injury. I probably need to bite the bullet and have the doc check it out. Im loathe to do so, because Im sure the prescription will include resting and not running. If I ice it and rest on the days off, its well enough to run on the next running day. I had the same area pain on the left but not as much and that cleared up. So Im hoping it will just ease up still ... sigh ... probably not.

Im still plenty scared for the 20 minute run on Friday! I just need to keep reminding myself that I have been able to do all the sets the weeks before and that I can do this!!!

Keep on running
Mrs. F

Day 29 (week 5, day 1)

Well, we just got back from today's session. I'm glad to say that we both finished without any major issues. Mrs. F's legs are still troubling her just below the knee, and I still had to deal with the motion on my left leg. Still, with all done, it was a good morning.

This week's workouts are each different. Here's the plan for this week:

Week 5

Session 1 (Monday)

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

• Jog 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Jog 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Jog 5 minutes

Session 2 (Wednesday)
Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

• Jog 8 minutes
• Walk 5 minutes
• Jog 8 minutes

Session 3 (Friday)

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking

On each of the three days, we are adding a five minute cool-down walk, to match the Couch to 5k podcast (and recommended best practices).

It was a brisk morning. It was about 45º F with winds in the 15-20 mph range (per the online weather station at a school in town). It felt fine when I first stepped outside, but when the first gust hit me, I went back in and grabbed my vest. Mrs. F went back in and threw on another layer. After the first week or so, I ditched my vest during the runs, because it was too hot. Today, with the wind, the vest was a welcome bit of warmth. When I finally did get hot, I ditched my fleece hat in exchange for a headband, and I unzipped the vest.

The warm-up walk was just fine--I don't think much about it anymore. The transition came about where I expected it on the trail. The first run wasn't too hard, but, I had to keep my mind on running the full five minutes. My body's clock must have sensed the three minute mark, or I must have recognized the end point on the trail from last week's runs. There was that moment where I wanted to stop, but I kept going. I was not pushing too hard, because I knew there was plenty of running ahead of me. This first part of the workout was running directly into the wind that was coming off of the lake. That made it feel even cooler than it was.

The recovery walk was certainly long enough--no problems regaining my breath. My left knee felt pretty good, though I could feel occasional twinges as I walked. Being heavy all of my adult life, I think I developed a habit of walking with my feet angled wide. While running, however, I notice that they tend to point straight ahead. I'm thinking that the discomfort I'm feeling is due to my body adjusting between those two leg positions. I definately felt it more if I tried to keep my feet pointed forward as I walked, but it was easier this week. I'm guessing that those inner-leg muscles are getting stronger and that they will eventually win the day.

At the start of the second run, I as ready for it, mentally, but my body did not want to continue. About a minute in, I found my body rejecting the thought of running any further. Then my mind came to play, and tried to tell me that we could alway repeat the whole week, or even just the day. I tried switching my thinking to something else and I found myself counting steps. I decided that the counting would make me think about how much time was left, so I did as best I could to simply stop thinking. I tried to focus only on the podcast music. If any of you know me or knew me, you'd know how hard it is for me to stop thinking. The first minute or so of the second run took us to the turnaround point on our trail. We made our turn and kept running. It seemed really, really long. By the end, Mrs. F was almost 50m ahead of me. She was so far ahead that I lost sight of her in the shadows of a wooded patch of the trail.

I was relieved when the next walk was announced. I was ready to be done for the day, but I knew we had one more set to go. I shouted out the end, and saw Mrs. F returning to my field of vision after a few seconds, seeing the white of her sleeves and her socks before anything else.

The funny thing here was the disconnect between my body and my thinking. When the next run was announced, my mind had already given up for the morning, but I found that my body kicked it in gear and began running. Both my stride and my pace were better, and I suddenly realized that everything felt pretty good. The discipline of following the Couch to 5k running plan had come to my rescue--my body acted to complete the routine because that's what we do on Mondays. It was a strange feeling for a man who often rates self-discipline as one of his weakest traits.

I can't say that the final segment was a walk in the park, but I found that I had the energy and new-found determination to finish it. When the final minute was announced, I pushed myself, hoping to close on Mrs. F who was about 10m ahead of me. She sped up as well, however, and I was only able to close the distance by a few yards before the end was announced.

That final push took some effort, so I drew some big breaths when we ended. Realizing that our recovery walks continue to be less brisk than they likely should be, we worked on keeping up our pace. Now, on the last stretch at the southeast end of the lake, we felt the full force of the wind again. Instead of making us feel chilled, however, it was a welcome friend, cooling us down was we walked back toward the dam and the parking area near the boat launch. We stopped and stretched when we reached the car, and I stood for a moment, letting the cold breeze wash past me in refreshing waves.

After a few moments, we got in the car and headed home. We made it! We finished the first workout of Week 5 without falling over dead! I can laugh at that last statement now, because I've learned that I have more endurance and ability than I ever knew. I now can run for five minutes at a shot, and do it three times over within 21 minutes. I'm sure Wednesday will be hard, with its eight minute sets, but I'm looking forward to surprising myself once again.

It's still early enough that I should be able to ride to work this morning (I skipped the bike rides during the last half of last week, in part to rest my left leg and in part because I had errands to run at different points during the day). I also managed to fit into a pair of pants that have been sitting and waiting in my closet for a couple of years. I'm a full two inches down in the waist, and I'm hoping to lose at least six more inches over the next year. It's a good start at any rate.

I ate my traditional egg sandwich today after the run. I had eaten a piece of peanut butter bread beforehand when I took some medication. I'm trying to keep my intake at or under what it was before the program started. I've lost over 13 lbs. since the start of the program, and I'm just hoping I can keep the progress going along that front (and middle and sides!).

Overall, it was a good morning session, and I'm looking forward to Wednesday. Friday intrigues me at this point, as I wonder if I really will be able to pull off that 20 minute run.

Day 28 (back from the campout)

Well, we got back into town just before noon today. I'm not quite sure how ready I will be for tomorrow. We hiked about four miles, plus incidental walking and plenty of standing. My leg was still giving me trouble at the end of the day on Friday. I was limping enough during the evening that some of the other volunteers noticed it. I got a night of rest, but it was still a bit sore in the morning.

If anything, the walking might have helped. My legs don't feel too bad today, but I am tired.

I ate well and light over the weekend, snacking on nuts throughout the day when hungry (beyond our planned meals). The second night was not as restful. It was colder, and my gear just wasn't well suited for it being that cool. I had a very interrupted sleep, and developed a migraine headache at about 5 AM. Since we were not far from town, I got dressed and drove in to pick up some Excedrin Migraine. It made for a rough morning, but I got to it before it got too bad.

I can still tell that my left leg feels a bit off, but it's not bad. I guess I will just need to be careful in the morning. I hope to get to bed early this evening, both to catch up on sleep and to rest my legs. I want to see if I'm up to the challenge in the morning.

Day 27 (Week 4, day 6)

Mr. F is off on a campout this weekend, I'm sure he will check in when he gets back tommorrow.

My knee/leg area feels okay today. I little sore here and there, so I took some preemptive ibuprofen and did some corn icing tonite. Im just hoping these couple of days of rest knocks the soreness out for good!

I havent been diligent bout stretching on the days off, so I need to work on that. I feel pretty good overall though!

Keep on running

Mrs. F

Friday weight check (week 4)

FatManRunning
Last Friday: 292.1

Today: 287.9

Gain/Loss: -4.2

Goal: 210.0 lbs.

Pounds to lose: 77.9

Comment: It feels great to see that weight loss, and to feel my clothes getting baggy. Despite having a horribly difficult session this morning, this is a good bit of reinforcement to keep moving in the right direction. I did watch my portions this week, but I also allowed myself some sweet indulgences. All in all, I'm pleased. I'm sure my weight loss will slow in the weeks to come, but it feels so good to have lost in a month the same amount as I had been losing over the course of a year (prior to my recent long plateau).

Mrs. F
Last Friday: 179.4

Today: 178.9

Gain/Loss: -0.5

Goal: 150.00

Pounds to lose: 28.9

Comment: It's stort of discouraging that it's slow going, but that's how it goes.

Day 26 (Week 4, training day 3) - Mrs. F

Today was hard -- both physically and mentally. The late night and not getting enough rest had a big impact on my energy leval. I will admit to considering sleeping right on the floor where I was trying to stretch.

I didnt ice(using my standard bags of corn, of course) nearly enough. I think I managed a little at lunch Wed and some last night. I defitnely paid for that today. While it didnt hurt much when I got up, I suspected it might give me trouble. The leg/knee area was hurting already during the first set, although not badly. Im thankful my left seems to have righted itself in that area, so I have hope that the right might just come around someday. It wasnt enough to stop me from doing the workout but it was enough to give me another piece that made it harder. By the last set, it was hurting a good bit and the area was swollen up some. Im really hoping being more diligent with the icing and resting it will help. Sometimes though with being a busy mom, its hard to find time to sit with my leg up and my frozen corn lol.

The sets felt long and hard and I found myself focusing on just getting to the walk segments so I could rest a little. The five minute segments were almost unbearably long. It was plain hard. The good news though is that I did finish it along with Mr. F! Though the difficulty of today makes next week seem almost insurmountable. Good thing Im stubborn :)

Im a little nervous bout the weight check today. I have been less active on the days off(no bike riding) with the leg/knee issue, so I wonder how much that will impact loss/gain. Plus I just feel bigger. Clothes fit the same, so who knows. Its a bit more discouraging than it is with Mr. F. Hes losing at a higher pace, so he can see and feel results quicker. I just dont see it in the mirror or in my clothes. I keep reminding myself, that its a long term weight loss and that a pound a week is sufficient.

Keep on Running
Mrs. F

Day 26 (week 4, day 5)

Our training for Week 4 is finished, but I feel like it just about finished me.

I figured it would be hard, but today was just miserable. We got to bed about an hour late last night due to the craziness of having to get about 3,000 things done before this weekend, so I'm sure that didn't help, but that wasn't my main problem. I wasn't tired this morning.

I decided not to eat anything before running today. That was okay. My sugar levels were fine both before and after.

One of the little kids got into my gear and one of my gloves went missing. It wasn't very cold this morning, but I like keeping my fingers warm. They were frostbitten once, years ago, and have been sensitive to cold since then.

Next, I got ambushed by mosquitos on the way to the car. I got two or three bites right around my ankle on my right foot. They were an annoying distraction as I started the warmup walk.

The first run wasn't too bad. I figured that, if the rest of the session went like it, I would do just fine. That's not how it went, however.

The run seemed fine, as did the first walk. Going into the second run, I could tell that something was wrong with how my left leg was moving. It wasn't bothering me too much, so I kept moving on. The announced halfway point came about where I expected it, but the final two-and-a-half minutes just seemed long. We finished about where we did on Wednesday. I needed some breath, but that was resolved with a few deep breaths.

During the next walk, I noticed my left leg seeming a bit off. As we started the third run, it was clear that I was almost running with a limp. I felt stiff around my left knee and I could feel the impacts in my left hip. My right leg felt fine. I watched my feet to see if the left was angled differently than the right (it was not). I concentrated on my posture and looked ahead on the trail. I let my mind monitor my footfalls. Was I landing more flat-footed on my left? Not that I could tell. As I landed with my right foot, everything felt smooth. What was going on? Then I noticed a small stone in my right shoe.

When I slowed for the next walk, it was clear that the left leg had problems. It seemed stiffer, almost as if it did not want to bend at the knee. The walk was far too short, and starting the final run was very hard. Yes, I would characterize it as running with a limp. My left leg didn't seem to be bending and compressing as much on each stride as was happening with my right leg. Each landing seemed to be transferring the impact up my tiba, through my knee, up my femur, and into my hip. I deliberately focused on bending that knee and kicking back. I told Mrs. F about my discomfort.

"Do you want to walk the rest of the way?" she asked.

"Not a chance," I replied. The one thing I knew for certain was that I did not want to repeat this week.

It wasn't the duration of the final run that nearly did me in, but the discomfort of running with my left leg as it was. Despite the discomfort, when I heard the announcement of the final minute on the podcast, I pushed as hard as I could. I sped my pace and shortened my stride. I concentrated on the motion of the left leg. While my strides were pitifully short, the motion felt better (albeit strained), and I found myself catching up to Mrs. F.

When the run was over, I was afraid my left leg would lock, and that I would need to drag it back to the car. Thankfully, it did not, and we finished our cool-down walk about a minute short of the car.

Getting up the three steps into the house was difficult and painful. I loathe getting up now that I've been sitting, but I must get in to work. Week 4 is finished. I just hope my leg will be a little better as we go into Week 5.

Day 25 (week 4, day 4)

Well, tomorrow is a big day--the final workout of Week 4. Mentally, I'm still a little bummed that we're not yet at the halfway point, but I'm adjusting. I can tell my legs have been getting a workout, but they have no particular aches or pains to mention. My lower back is a little sore, but I think that's due to having a crummy chair in my office (which replaced a broken chair a couple of weeks ago).

We made some good, homemade soup yesterday. We had it for dinner, and I'm glad there was some left for lunch today. I'm tired today, but I can't put a finger on why. I got a good amount of sleep, and my sugar levels are good. I had a mild cough on a couple of mornings this week, but it cleared up as the day moved on. Yesterday, I coughed a little bit throughout the day, starting mostly after our run. Today, I feel like a cough is waiting behind every breath. With H1N1 going around, I'm watching for a fever and any other symptoms, but otherwise am looking at the cough as a nuissance.

I got to leave a bit early today so I can watch our boys at a cross country meet. Our eldest son is going to letter this year (his freshman year!) and has already broken a team record. He's out to beat his own best time again this afternoon, hoping to come in below 18:55. Our other runner wanted to show me one of his ribbons last night. Seventeenth place out of a field of 50 or more is not bad at all for someone who didn't join until three weeks after practices started. I wish I had been able to run like that when I was a kid.

Followers

I just want to take a moment to thank those who have opted to follow this blog. I think it's pretty cool, and Mrs. F and I appreciate the sense of support it brings. Seeing that list of followers really reminds us that someone else is watching us, and I believe it helps keep us accountable.

Thanks!

[On a related note, it appears that the Followers list is broken today (9/23/09). I reported it to Google, only to find that others were reporting the same issue. I hope they fix it soon.]

Day 24 (week 4, day 3) - Mrs. F

I had been icing my leg/knee area and I took ibuprofen right before I went to bed last night. So this morning, my leg actually felt pretty good, a little twinge here or there. So I was encouraged that I might be able to complete todays training. My left leg was good, so no worries there.

I deliberatly took it slow and really made sure to stretch well this morning. The first two running sets were great! They both felt good and I was very pleased that my leg while a little sore seemed to be holding out. The last two runing sets were hard. My leg started hurting more(not enough that I felt the need to stop though) and I just felt like I had no energy.

I tried to get to bed early but even though I hit the sack at 945 pm, I couldnt fall asleep til well after 10 pm. So Im sure that affected the running too. The last set by far was the hardest. Mr. F voiced being ready to quit and I encouraged him to push on. I figured by that point, we only had at least 4 minutes left. I distinctly remember thinking at one point that we had to be at least halfway through the five minute set. Mr. F said that the podcast doesnt tell you that. I interpreted that to mean that it hadnt yet voiced the halfway point. Boy was I surprised when shortly thereafter he announced the 1 minute left warning! Mr. F during that last minute push seemed to have more energy left than I did. But I did my best to give some additional effort and push thru the last minute.

I was relieved to find my knee/leg area, while in some pain, not nearly as much as Monday's workout put on it. So I plan to continue my corn icing, ibuprofen and definite rest on days off. I do miss my bike rides though! Since the left leg has gotten a lot better, Im hoping its just simple muscle strain on the right. So I will continue what worked thus. far.

Im still amazed that I have been able to continue for 4 weeks~! I could barely run a lap in gym class and I just did a combined total of 16 minutes!!!

Keep on running
Mrs. F

My brain woke up

I was so excited this morning to think we had made it to the half-way point. While sitting at my desk and getting ready to grab a cup of coffee, however, I suddenly realized I was wrong--we reach the half-way point only after Week 4 is completed and we are half-way into Week 5.

I'm glad that little revelation didn't hit me at the start of our final run this morning. That might have done me in. That's part of the mental battle. I had best re-check any figures passed to this administration by its intelligence agency. ;)

I wonder, could it have been my subconscious mind trying to set me up for a failure? Naughty subconscious! Naughty!

Day 24 (week 4, day 3) - (Not) The Half-way Point

Well, it wasn't the half-way point for my weight loss, but it was the half-way point for our couch to 5k running program today. Today was the second workout for Week 4. [The half-way point is actually next week on Wednesday. So much for clear-thinking after a run.]

I psyched myself up for it to be hard today, and it was, but mostly toward the end. The warm-up walk felt fine. I had to stop at one point to get something out of my shoe. It was one of those sharp, annoying little things that seemed to move around and poke me only every few footfalls, but I definitely did not want something like that under foot during the running segments. We paused about 30 seconds for me to rectify the situation (I had Mrs. F help keep me stable so I would not set my foot down onto the trail) and then we were off again. My knee was still a bit sore this morning when I go up, and I could feel an occasional twinge of pain while I walked. I figured I'd find out pretty quick whether it would inhibit my run.

The first run felt fine. I didn't push too hard, and I noticed the everything felt about right. I concentrated on my breathing. It was cooler again this morning, around 50° F--definitely not the coldest we've had so far, but noticeable, especially with the damp air (current humidity in town as I write this is 91%). I wore my light fleece gloves this morning, and started out with a light fleece hat. Three minutes was no problem today. I can almost say it ended a bit too soon.

The recovery period was short (90 seconds) but just fine overall. I was thinking about my knee and the rest of my legs. Though it was bothering me a bit when I got up, and I noticed it during the warm-up walk, it wasn't bothering me during the run.

The first five minute walking segment just seemed long. I wasn't pushing too hard, but I wasn't letting myself drag. It seemed we went further during our first two runs, as there was little trail left before our turnaround point. It was hard, but good.

We slowed for out next walking segment, went a little way, and turned around. I was glad to be walking, and the two-and-a-half minutes was short, but welcome. My body felt fine during the run, but became hot as soon as we slowed to a walk. I took off my hat and stuffed it into my shorts pocket.

The next run was suprisingly good. The first minute or so didn't feel quite right, but then it all seemed to come together. Each footfall felt right. I didn't think of my arms or my legs. My eyes were fixed ahead of me on the trail, and I just began to think "I could keep going" when the voice told me to walk.

That all changed when I slowed. Everything ached, and I needed more breath. I was simply tired, and I wondered anew why I as bothering with something so crazy as a running program. This 90 second rest was way too short for me.

As the final run was announced, there was a mix of hope and dread. After all, it was the final run of the day, but then again, it was another run. The voice said to push it, especially in the last minute. Well, I was pushing it, but I'm not sure anyone would have noticed. It was definately the toughest of the day, mentally and physically. I wanted to quit, and said as much aloud, but Mrs. F was there to tell me to keep going. The lower part of each calf was sore, and that extended into the upper calf on my right leg. On my left, I could clearly feel each impact in my left knee and in my left hip socket--not to the point of pain, but enough to make me think about my nearly 300 lb. frame crashing down on my feet with each footfall. Had the last mibute announcement not come when it did, I might have pulled off my headphones and started walking anyway.

With that announcement, I pushed even more. To take my mind off my strain, I tried to count my steps, but found that my counting was not keeping in pace with my footfalls. [I don't like the final bit of music on the podcast for that running segment, so that probably does not help. I wondered if he programed it that way to sound like an audible walll--something to be overcome--but I know some really enjoy that style.] Thankfully, the end found us before we met the Reaper, and it came quicker than we expected. Mrs. F noted that, while we seemed to be a bit further on our way out, we ended our run at about the same place today.

That left only the cooldown walk. Am I the only one who, at this stage in the program, thinks it would be more accurately describes as "a cooldown stagger"? Those first few steps after slowing were misery. My knees felt like they wanted to lock up when I straightened them with each step, until I allowed my feet to angle out slightly. Yet despite it feeling horrible, we got back to the car precisely at the end of the podcast, so that meant we shaved a couple of minutes off our cooldown walk (it ended a minute or two before we got to the car on Monday if my memory serves me correctly).

I need to end this abruptly as I am already going to be late for work. One of the kids needed some final homework help this morning, and so my designated blogging time went away. I'm wondering how things will be on Friday and if my weight will have changed. I'm also starting to get apprehensive about next week, because I have a camping trip scheduled for the weekend that will include a lot of walking. Tomorrow will have trouble enough of its own, so I'll try to put it out of mind for now.

We're half-way through our nine week program. We're almost half-way through our nine week program. I could not have imagined making it this far.

Day 23

My leg/knee area feels somewhat better today. Its still giving me grief but not the same leval of pain as workout day. I find myself really hoping this is just a simple muscle strain and not some "rest your leg for 2 weeks deal". Its weird but I really want to keep the forward momentum going. Part of it is the fear of stopping and never starting again. Part of it is not wanting to hold Mr. F back and not wanting to delay the completion of the program as a whole.

Ive been icing with frozen bags of corn. I know it sounds really funny but hey we were out of ice and corn can be refrozen lol! That has seemed to help. I iced both knee/leg areas last evening, again at lunch today and then some this evening. Now my left leg is feeling pretty good but my right is still touchy. I plan to get the corn bag out again tonite, take some ibuprofen right before bed and try to run tommorrow.

If the workout gives me a lot of pain, Ill just walk the rest of it, while Mr. F completes the set. Im really hoping and praying that my icing and trying to rest it helped! If it gives me some pain,(Im planning on really really slow) then Ill likely run thru it and ice and ibuprofen afterwards.

Keep on running

Mrs. F

Day 23 (week 4, day 2)

Well, I came home after a meeting last night to find Mrs. F lying in bed with bags of frozen corn placed on each leg just below the knee. She's been popping Ibuprofen every six hours and has been icing (corning?) that area of her legs regularly to try and reduce any inflamation. She's hoping she'll be able to complete tomorrow morning's workout.

I had been feeling fine all day today, but shortly after I got home, I developed a pain in/below my right knee. I don't know if I twisted it in the kitchen getting ready for supper, or if I strained it at work today walking to the remote office and taking the stairs up and down. So, here I sit, with a bag of frozen corn on my right leg. We're a funny sight, the two of us, positioned across the room from each other, each with our own laptops, and each with a bag of corn on a leg.

I'm just hoping I turned it funny and that tonight's rest will clear it up. I've been looking forward to making another go of it tomorow.

If Mrs. F does have problems tomorrow, she's talked about taking the rest of the week off, or going back and repeating Week 3. I sure hope she doesn't feel the need to do that, however, because I'm not sure I can do this without her. If she does decide to take a break, or a repeat, I'd want to press on because I don't want to lose my forward momentum, but at the same time I would not want to leave Mrs. F without a partner and I'm not sure I could handle both workouts in the same day.

I'm going to hope and pray that Mrs. F's legs don't bother her tomorrow--for her sake and my own. I'm also hoping that my leg will be fine. Only the morning will tell. If the kids are done with their chores by 7:30 PM, we'll watch a family movie together, and be in bed by 9 PM.

Pondering the weather

We had a chance of rain today for the first time in a while. Our home area has seen draught conditions most of this year, so our running efforts so far have been dry. I'm wondering what we should do if it does rain (or snow!) on one of our running mornings. Do we just run in rain gear? Do we just run in regular clothes and allow ourselves to get wet? Going to a gym isn't an option for us right now, and we don't have a treadmill at home.

Does anyone run in the rain? If you have experience running in the rain, any tips you can provide will be much appreciated.

Week 4, Day 1 - Mrs. F

Today wasnt as "hard" as I expected. Don't get me wrong, it certainely was not easy by any means and I had to work at completing it. The first few weeks were "hard", the kind of hard that I expected I might just die. My chest burned and it was difficult to imagine doing this for 8 more weeks!!! Todays workout was more challenging. I'm not sure if its my endurance thats gotten better or I'm winning more of the mental battle. It does feel good to say we have made it to week 4!!!

Looking ahead week 4 didnt feel as scary as week 3 did to me. But I will admit week 5 still scares the pants off me!!!

Bodywise was harder for me. The area below my knee, I believe, its tendons, really gave me trouble today. By the end of the workout, I was whimpering a bit, cause it hurt. Its not the knee itself, so Im still wondering if its just muscle strain. Im going to try more stretching and see if that makes any more difference. And the sideaches -- by the 3rd set -- my side was aching. I told myself though that if my son can run thru a sideache, so can I. Im a bit stubborn,which I think helps in working my way through this program. Im determined that Im going to do this!!

Im very encouraged getting this far. It gives me hope that I can complete this and that I can become a runner. After all, I doubled the minutes I ran from last week. Thats really a big deal if you think about it!

Keep on running,
Mrs. F

Day 22 (week 4, day1)

I just got done with W4D1. It was hard. Mrs. F and I were just discussing how our first day was hard in a different way (in the "I think I'm going to die and can't believe I'm doing this" sort of way). Today was hard, too, but it was different: it was intense.

I was really surprised that I got through the whole thing. Coming into the weekend, I dreaded this morning, but as I got up this morning it was pretty simple: I was going to try it, and either I would finish it or I wouldn't. I did downloaded the podcast [Thanks, again, to Sherry for pointing me to the MP3 links!] and used it for the first time this morning. At some points, it was nice, but I missed the watch at other points. There were a few times I wanted to check our time, to see how far we were. Perhaps it was better that we didn't know, though. On the final five minute run, I was surprised that the "last minute" announcement came as early as it did. Of course, I was feeling pretty good during that part of the routine.

Week 4 Routine

• 5 minute brisk walk (warm-up)

Then, this pattern:

• Jog 3 minutes
• Walk 90 seconds
• Jog 5 minutes
• Walk 2-1/2 minutes
• Jog 3 minutes
• Walk 90 seconds
• Jog 5 minutes

We added a five minute cool-down walk to match what was in the podcast.

It was definately hard, but I'm surprised that it went so well and was relatively pain free. We deliberately kept our pace down in the beginng, since we knew the five minute sets would be hard. The first three minutes was much easier than I expected, and the 90 second recovery period was, surprisingly, long enough. A couple of times during the first five minute set, I wished I had a watch to check our progress (today was our first day without one), but there was an announced half-way point and we both finished it pretty well.

The following recovery period, two-and-a-half minutes, was adequate, but I would have enjoyed a longer one.

The next three minute run seemed long, but I made it through. It was the only point where I found my legs hesitating at the start of the run. I found myself counting steps, and I got a bit discouraged when it didn't end where I expected it to end. My mental math miscalculated my paces for the three minutes by a full third, however, so by the time I figured that out we came to the end of that run.

The next walking segment seemed really short, if only mentally--I had enough breath, and the music that came on during this time was a style I really liked. I was feeling better, but I don't know if that was the music, the running, or just being pleased that I made it that far. The good feeling carried over into the last run, and it allowed me to give more than I thought that I could give. I lengthened my stride--Mrs. F could tell I was moving faster, but she was being stubborn and wouldn't let me overtake her by more than a half-step--and I felt more like I was running than jogging. My shoes and my legs took the impacts well. My legs told me they were tired, but also told me that I could keep going. When the last minute announcement came, I gave everything I could (short of a full-blown sprint). The end came faster than I expected. I was exstatic that I finished!

I had a good burn in my calves after the final set, but no shin pain and I wasn't desperate for breath. During the final walk before the last 5 minute run, I started to feel pretty good. Of course, having some music helped (I can gett pretty involved in music and can let it transport me emotionally). That good feeling continued into the last run. My wife and I both pushed it during that last segment, especially the final minute, but she really sore when she finished (just below the knees again, to the inside--tendons?). After that final run (and I felt like I was really running this time), we also completed the 5 minute cool-down walk that is in the podcast but not officially part of the program. That means we walked for a total of 18 minutes and ran/jogged for 16 minutes!

Last week, having had a good Monday, I thought the other two days would go just as well, but the other two days were harder. So, I won't hold any misconceptions about the rest of the week. I'm sure they will be hard, but today proved that I can do it.

We'll see how the week progresses. I was the "bad" one yesterday who helped the boys make cookies! Thankfully, I kept my intake to a minimum. I'm going to take some into the office today, and I'll have one with coffee.

It's been just over an hour since we got back. I've had breakfast and am gearing up for my ride into work. My calves still have a bit of a burn, as I sit here, but not bad. I feel good for having gotten through the day's routine, and am just amazed by how much we've accompished so far.

Day 21 (getting ready for Week 4)

Well, this is our final day of rest before we begin Week 4. It looks like it will be a tough routine, for me, but I'll give it my best. I downloaded the Week 4 podcast that Robert Ullery recorded to let us go without a watch (http://www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/). He took some techno music, recorded a brief introduction, and then announces each transition. The only problem is that my MP3 player does not support the file format he used (M4A), so we're checking in with someone else on the program who may already have converted it to MP3 format.

Week 4 Routine

• 5 minute brisk walk (warm-up)

Then, this pattern:

• Jog 3 minutes
• Walk 90 seconds
• Jog 5 minutes
• Walk 2-1/2 minutes
• Jog 3 minutes
• Walk 90 seconds
• Jog 5 minutes

This week, the pattern omits a final walking segment. I don't know why they did that, other than to keep the total time nearer to 20 minutes. Had they kept the final walk segment, it would split evenly into two sets (jog 3min, walk 90s, jog 5min, walk 2.5min). We'll probably add that final walk segment anyway, since we know we'll need to cool down, and since our trail use means we need to turn around at the half-way point. By adding the walk at the end, we can turn around before the pattern starts to repeat itself (the 3min jog).

UPDATE (8:33 PM by FatManRunning)

Thanks go out to Sherry, who let me know about the link to the MP3 podcasts that I missed when looking at ullrey.com earlier. Here's the link if anyone wants it: http://www.ullreys.com/robert/Podcasts/page6/page6.html

Day 20 (week 3, day 6)

A day of rest. No lingering aches or pains. Well, I had one--hunger pangs this morning. It's been a long time since I've had full fledged hunger pangs in the morning. I guess that means my portions last night must have been right on.

We had a picnic scheduled at a park in a distant town, so we ended up away from home all day. Charcoal-grilled foods are some of my favorites, but I did a good job of sticking to my limits today. We soaked some sweet corn in a cooler on the way down, and then we cooked it over the coals. Roasted that way, it always turns out wonderful. I managed to keep it to one ear, even though I could have downed a half-dozen!

I paid off my running debt to our son today. He was impressed that I made it two minutess. Won't he be surprised in another six weeks!? I didn't have my running shoes on, so I took it easy. Even so, I could feel a differnce as I ran--definately more strain on my shins and my knees. I'm glad it was only two minutes.

Just resting now at home with the family. The little ones are down for the night, and the rest of us are enjoying some TV on DVD. We each had a little ice cream (emphasis on little for me), and the rest are enjoying some popcorn now (I took a pass on that). I'm looking forward to another day of rest tomorrow. I'll need to review the Week 4 plan, so I'll be ready for Monday, but otherwise, we have nothing planned, and that's the best kind of weekend day in my book.

Day 19 - injury report

Well, on her way back from her weight check, the rear fender on Mrs. F's bike came loose and caused her to wipe out. She got a good amount of road rash on her rear end and on her two forearms, plus a deeper scrape on her left wrist. Her head hit the pavement, but she was wearing her helmet, so we're thankful for that. Overall, she came out fine, but I'm guessing the road rash is going to bother her going into next week. She said it already feels like it is bruising. I'll bet it is!

Anyway, at least it wasn't a running-induced injury, and at least it wasn't serious.

We're both looking forward to a good weekend.

Friday weight check (week 3)

FatManRunning

Last Friday: 296.4

Today: 292.1

Gain/Loss: -4.3

Goal: 210.0 lbs.

Pounds to lose: 82.1

Comment: It feels good to see that I lost some weight again this week. I was a little nervous going to weigh in, but I reminded myself that I did better on portion control and avoided extra food in the evenings. Of course, not having a birthday in the family this past week did help. I weigh at our local clinic, so I'm using the same scale that will be used when I have my next appointment. To make sure my doctor is aware of my progress, I also jotted the weight onto a slip of paper with my name and birthdate, so they could add it to my chart. Speaking of charts, we have enough data now that I'll try to pull together a chart in Excel that we can export and post here. I really like charts (when they are showing positive results).

That's almost a 10 pound drop since when we started three weeks ago. That helps explain why my sugar levels have been so good. My doctor said that every 10 lbs. I lose will reduce my insulin resistance. That, my friends, is a very good thing!


Mrs. F
Last Friday: 180.9

Today: 179.4

Gain/Loss: -1.5

Goal: 150.00

Pounds to lose: 29.4

Comment: Woohoo! Not getting a Moolate paid off. Why does it seem men lose weight faster than women?

Day 19 (Mrs. F - The mental battle almost did me in)

I did not want to go today -- I did not want to run today -- I did not want to be in shape anymore. For me, I knew (since I ran the previous 2 days of the week) that I could do this pysically but I plain just didnt "want" to.

I went to bed early but a good book kept me up longer than intended. Add to that two kids waking up in the middle of the night and just really not sleeping well. So I knew it would be a challenge today.

I have been suffering from some knee discomfort(more below and in front of the knee though). Its usually gone by the next workout day, so I havent bothered too much with it. I did concentrate some today on doing heelstrike -- making sure the heel hits before the toe. While it feels a bit arkward, it doesnt seem to strain the knee as much. It definitely takes some getting used to. My left knee is moderately sore but my right is a bit painful. Guess I need to take it a bit easier next time!

I did not want to do the first set. Or the second. Or even the third. It wasnt until the 4th set that I wanted to run! And run I did, this time it felt good so i pushed a bit harder and faster than Mr. F. I may pay for that, only time will tell!

Off to do my weight check, will report that later

Keep on running,
Mrs. F

Day 19 (week 3, day 5 - Week 1 training complete)

We just got back from the final day of training for this week. The running was harder than Wednesday, but we did finish the week! It does match last week, where it was much harder at the end of the week, though I'm glad to say I wasn't anywhere near beat-down-dead at the end of today's session. I'll hold out hope that Monday feels a bit better after two resting days, just the way it felt better this week.

The firs two sets (90s/90s run/walk, 3m/3m run/walk) were okay. They didn't leave me feeling pretty good, like on Monday, but they left me confident I would finish today's paces just fine. I needed every second of the final walk set of the first half, but it wasn't as if I was fighting for breath--I could just tell my body needed that respite.

The first 90 second segment of the second half wasn't too hard. I tried thinking about my arms again, but deliberately letting them hang low felt really awkward. I think I ended up with them somewhere between my armpits and my thighs, and that's just fine by me.

I'm looking forward to my weight check today.

I've scheduled a follow-up visit with my doctor for two weeks from today. That will be just past the half-way point. Although I normally get lab work done every three months, she'll probably pull lab work then, and she'll have a formal record of my weight for my file. I'm hoping that the changes will be visible to her (beyond the weight and the lab work)--if she can tell, walking into the room, that I've made progress then it'll make the whole thing feel worthwhile. I know it's worthwhile regardless, but those external affirmations really help--that's a big reason why I so enjoy seeing comments and followers here!

Anyway, I owe my son two minutes of running tomorrow. I asked him a moment ago if he wanted to do it now. He said he can't run well in his jeans. I told him that even in a straight jacket he could run faster than me. He still opted to wait for tomorrow.

Happy day! We're one-third of the way through the Couch to 5k program! Yippie!

Day 18 (week 3, day 4)

What can I say? It was a non-running day, and I'm not suffering a bunch of aches or pains. I'd say that's a really good sign.

I had good portions at of each of my meals, and my sugars have been in a good range all day. My trousers and shirts hang a bit more lose than they ever have. It's not a big difference, but I can feel it (and Mrs. F can see it).

I'm excited because tomorrow markes the final training day for this week, and that means we're 1/3 of the way through the program. Honestly, I didn't think I'd even stick with it for this long.

Our boys had another cross country race tonight. Our younger son took 17th place again, but this time running 3000 meters with a time of 00:14:30. Our elder son completed his course in 00:20:03, coming in 11th place. The course had more hills than the one he was at on Monday, but that's not the only thing that slowed him down. He was in 5th or 6th place through most of the race, until he came to one of the bigger hills. On the way up the hill, he got a side ache. Instead of giving up, however, he pushed through it. By the time he got to the top of the hill, he had been passed by around 10 other runners. Instead of slowing his pace, he poured it back on and passed a few of them before hitting the final stretch. Then, he burst into one of his fastest sprints, overtaking another runner to get that 11th place finish. He had really wanted to finish in the top 10 at this one, because the first ten runners got medals (while the next 10 got ribbons).

That determination--that striving for a goal--that is inspiring to me. No one would have faulted him for finishing slower since he had a side ache, but he was somehow able to push through the pain and finish strong. That's just amazing to me.

Well, I'll be out early tomorrow to work on my determination.

Day 17 (late)

Well, the day has come and gone. This morning's session was harder than I hoped (after how well Monday went), but, hey!, I still made it. Biking to and from work wasn't as hard today as it was some days last week. In fact, I felt like I was keeping a better cadence in the saddle. [I should note that a few days during the past couple of weeks had me riding into a head-wind--basicly making me like a sailboat trying to go against the wind--so that might have been why it was harder then.] My legs are still reminding me that I put them through their rounds this morning, but there's no back pain, no shin pain, and my feet feel fine.

It was tough to stay to a reasonable portion tonight--spaghetti and our own homemade meatsauce (with fresh oregano and rosemary from my herb pot), but I did it. Not too much when served, and just a nibble more for the taste. Okay, a couple of nibbles for taste! Far better, however, than eating two full plates as would have been my pattern before. Baby steps.

Day 17 (week 3, Day 3) - Mrs. F

Today was the first day I thought of quitting before even starting. I was tired! Some added extra stress in life, combined with not enough sleep and it was a disaster. I even thought briefly of asking Mr. Fatmanrunning if we should just stay in bed. I didn't though for the fear of him actually saying yes. I knew we needed to go even if it felt hard.

And it was hard. I deliberatly took it a slower pace this morning, knowing that I hadnt won the mental battle for the day. So for the first two sets, I ran a slower pace with Mr. F and it was okay. I had some knee pain, not so much in the joint itself but right below and front of the knee. So that didnt help matters. I was pleasantly surprised though that my chest didnt burn and ache today. Not in the middle of the sets after the first 3 minute run, nor at the end after the 2nd 3 minute run. Whether it was because of taking it more easy or that my endurance is increasing, I'll take it!!!!

Im glad to find though, that even when the mental battle is hard, I can still persevere and do the workout. Im a bit sore and achy and definitely tired. I find though when I concentrate on one of the goals -- surprising our son by running a 5k race -- my enthusiam comes back and its easier to "want" to do this. Ive been a bit disapointed( even though I really did know better) that the added movment and workouts arent resulting more weight loss. If I really thought about it, I probably knew that the weight loss would be tied to eating less. I guess I just had hoped that perhaps I could lose some weight simply by being much more active. After all, I am RUNNING! Running is hard!

Keep on Running

Mrs. F

Day 17 (week 3, day 3)

Perhaps the best part of this couch to 5k running program as that it is in manageable chunks. Since the goals change each week, and since each week is broken down into three separate workouts, it seems less intimidating. That's not to say it's been easy, however. At the end of last week, I talked to Mrs. F about repeating Week 2, but she wanted us to try at least the first day of Week 3 before opting for a repeat. We still could end up repeating a week. I think that would be tough for me to handle (mentally--it would feel like a failure). I'm just hoping we can complete the program as written.

It wasn't as easy as I had hoped it would be this morning. Our plans for a 7:30 PM movie start in the living room got delayed, and though we considered breaking our watching over two nights, a compelling plot kept us watching. We didn't get to bed until 10:30 PM. So, we had about an hour less sleep than we had planned.

I believe one of the greatest evils in this world is the snooze alarm. I was introduced to it years ago and have had mornings where I've reset the snooze over and over again without ever realizing it. I've been at all out war with our snooze alarm lately--I'm trying to get up right away--but my success has been mixed with failure. Today, the snooze alarm won one round, but we were up and moving shortly thereafter.

As I sit now, writing this, I have a couple of minor reminders of today's session. I still have a little discomfort just below each knee, but that is likely to fade in a few hours. I have one tight spot that's bringing some discomfort along my right shin again, but I guess I'll see how that feels later today. I was well winded on the longer running sets, but didn't feel like dead weight until I got to the end of the second three minute run.

We extended our warmup walk by a little over a minute, did some final stretches, and set off. It is nicer running along this segment of trail--we get much more light from the lights of town over the lake, and from the open space on the other side. Fewer overhead trees also means less chance of tripping on sticks or branches--something that became more likely on the other segment, with its thick canopy of trees.

My shoes are holding out well--no obvious signs of wear. I know I've only had them for less than a month, but when you weigh nearly 300 lbs., you find that a lot of things can wear out more quickly than expected.

It was a colder morning, so I did wear my gloves--a really lightweight fleece. I had tried putting on the arm warmers we received from Asics, but my arms are too thick for them to fit right now. That might change in the future. So I just wore three layers: a long-sleeved elastic/spandex type shirt (it does so well at wicking moisture that it almost always leaves me feeling cold), another long sleeve athletic shirt, and then a plain cotton t-shirt for the top layer. I figured the t-shirt would keep me warmer than without it, but that it wouls also be cooler than wearing my fleece vest. It seemed to work well--I was neither too hot nor too cold today.

I tried running with my hand down and loose, "almost brushing my thighs" as Mrs. F related from the site she was reading, but it felt awkward. I tried to remain conscious of any times I was fisting up, or pulling my arms up high. Other than that, I just tried to ignore my arms, and that worked better than trying to think of brushing my thighs.

I allowed myself to slow my pace on the longer segments. My heart rate was still up, but it allowed me to finish without being so winded that the recovery period would have done nothing to settle me down. I think that was a good call for today. I think Mrs. F had a tougher go at it today, but I'll let her speak for herself.

I guess I just enjoy getting the time with her, too. We don't get to converse much, but we're together. For me, at least, that means a lot.

We only have one more training day left in Week 3, then our weekend rest before starting Week 4. If we make it through Friday, we'll have completed a full third (1/3) of the program. That's exciting to me.

I'll probably post another update later today after I get a chance to feel the effects in my body.

Before our run, I half of an English muffin with peanut butter. Afterwards (while I was writing this), I had ham and egg on an English muffin with a slice of American cheese. I'm going to nab a cup of coffee now, before heading in to work.

Oh, the food...

Okay. It was not my best food day. Someone left a bag of sugar cookies in the breakroom again. I thought I'd have just one... Well, you know how that often goes.

I did manage to keep from cleaning my plate at lunch, and I deliberately took a smaller portion at supper. What should be done when you blow your diet? Should you try to compensate by eating less (or nothing at all)? I figured that skipping a meal would simply leave me more hungry later and would leave me with less energy in the morning, so I opted for a smaller supper.

I guess I still have a lot to learn on the nutrition front. I mean, I know what I should be doing, but I guess the hardest part is putting it into practice (and being realistic about it, too).

Not to get too tangental here, but finances affect nutrition. Things are a bit tight right now (especially with the extra expenses we incurred getting our running shoes, spikes for our veteran cross country runner, and shoes and gear for our newest cross country runner), so that means we have a lot more pasta on the menu. I'm just annoyed that the whole-grain pastas costs so much more--you'd think that less processing of the flour would translate to less overall cost, but it just isn't the case. It's hard to fight the economies of scale that the processed flours and sugars can leverage when food makers are considering ingredients.

Okay, enough of my tangent. My legs feel pretty good, and I'm going to be in bed by 9 PM tonight. I really hope tomorrow's session goes well.

Day 16 (week 3, day 2)

It's a non-training day today, and for the first time, I have mixed feelings about it. Don't get me wrong--I'm glad to have the rest--but I find myself looking forward tomorrow, hoping that I can do just as well, if not better than I did on Monday. My legs feel pretty good, though I still can feel their use. They were a bit sore last night, as I did run a bit to watch my boys race (see below). I think I felt it more because I was in my flat Wonderlite casual shoes--the shoes I wear all day at work. It's amazing what a difference a change of footwear can make.

I feel it going down stairs this week, whereas last week going up the stairs required a conscious effort. Blood sugar levels remain good, and I'm doing okay on portions. There was that Heath bar last night, but I talked to Mrs. F about it later. If she has the hankering for chocolate that's fine, but I need her to be deliberate about not offering to get me any.

My two eldest sons had a cross country meet yesterday at a golf course with some significant hills on the course. The younger of the two, who only joined the team last Thursday, came in 17th out of a field of about 40 with a time right around the 9 minute mark (I couldn't see the clock, and he didn't pay attention to the time) on a 2,000m course. It was a great first race for him. Our eldest son, who runs 3.125 miles (just over 5k?), had a 20:02 on his last race, so I made a little wager with him. If he came in under 19:10, I'd give him two minutes of running. He wasn't sure he'd be able to shave that much time off his pace, but he accepted the deal. He was a bit concerned because one of the top runners in our state was at the meet. It was a smaller field of runners this time (fewer schools were there), so he was out there with about 25 other young men.

We cheered him on at the start, and then moved over to a vantage point where we'd see him at about the one mile mark. He came through and we cheered him on--he was just forward of the middle of the pack. We moved up hill to see him loop around the start area to begin their second time around the course, and he held his own, perhaps giving up a position or two on the hill. Again we moved downhill to our spot, and I watched for him across the greens and fairways, where we would see the pack running on the far side of the course. He had moved up again and was, by estimate, about 10 runners back.

The first three runners had a commanding lead on everyone. The leader, of course, was the top contender my son had identified, followed, 30 and 45 seconds later, by two other runners from the same school. Then there was a bit more of a gap before we saw the lead pack that was trailing the breakaway runners. White shirt... Red shirt... White shirt, white shirt... White shirt, white shirt... and then we saw our son. He was tangle up in a small pack of other runners--five or six--as he rounded a corner and came into view. We started yelling and encouraging him, and then we heard his coach call his name--I was surprised because his voice was probably as loud and distinct as my own--and it told him to make his move. It seemed that was all he needed to hear. He started passing other runners who may not have held back enough reserve. As we lost sight of him beyond some trees--and headed toward the final up-hill run before the flat stretch to the finish line--he was in 10th position. I turned and ran up his (surprising, I might add, two of our other boys who were with to watch), and I took a position near the chute. He was now in ninth position.

We, and some other parents with our team, shouted and called to him. I heard another coach or parent saying that he needed to sprint, so I yelled "Sprint!" on the top of my lungs. He poured it on and overtook one other runner as he approached the chute. Eighth place, garnering him a ribbon, but the best news was his time: 00:18:55. He shaved a full 01:02 01:07 [Thanks, Mrs. F] off his previous best! That finish meant I owe him two minutes of running.

He just doesn't know that I'm ready for two minutes. We'll run on Saturday (after Mrs. F and I finish this week's training on Friday). I can't wait to see how he responds to my little run. It will be a wondeful foretaste of what it will be like when he sees me run a 5k in November!

While it was warmer last week, it was chilly again this morning as I biked in to work. I'll wear my gloves again tomorrow. Reading some tips on coolrunning.com, I learned that I'm keeping my hands too high and tight when I run--I keep them almost in my armpits with my hands in fists. I need to keep them more relaxed and down nearer my waist.

It feels funny to be writing this stuff. Simply the fact that I've gotten to week three is pretty amazing to me. The fact that I'm looking forward to my Wednesday morning session is completely foreign to me. Well, the only time I ever looked forward to such strenuous activity before was when I studied karate years ago. Sunday morning lessons were my favorite time of each week, and I practiced regularly because I loved the sport. It shocks me to think that I could ever get to the point where I enjoy running that much. For now, I'm just taking what comes.

Day 15 (continued)

Okay, I have a little time now. Let me reiterate that I was pleasantly surprised that this morning was nowhere near as difficult as I expected it to be. This may be another tick mark in the column that says that the real battles of running are mental ones, not physical ones.

As I biked home for lunch, I noticed that that litte ache in the area below my right knee. Apart from that little ache, and some minor protests from my muscles as I came up the house steps, I feel surprisingly good. It's not just the lack of aches. I feel up, with plenty of energy. My blood sugar levels yesterday and today have been the best they've been in years. In fact, they were still so low after breakfast today that I needed to grab a banana. Now that's a good problem to have.

So, while I'm not quite ready to jump onto the "running is awesome" bandwagon, I am quite surprised that we've made it this far, and am pleasantly surprised that I'm feeling as good as I am today, especially after how bad I felt last week.

Because it was so dark this morning, we decided to go the other direction on the trail. The way we normally go is under a thick canopy of trees for much of the length we use, and since it was still dark this morning [Ah, the joy of living in the northern lattitudes!] and we had only a sliver of moon, we decided to try the other route. It worked out well. Lights from town reflected over the water to give us some light, and the path was much more open to one side. This is likely the route we will use going forward.

After completing our warm-up walk, we had turned around and walked back to a bench where we adjusted our shoes and did some last minute stretching.

Like Mrs. F, I did restrain myself a bit on our first set, but my pace was right on what it had been most of last week (Friday excluded). The 90 second walk was plenty of time to recoup, and the first half of the second set was no problem. I figured the set would be difficult, so I worked on pacing myself. It definately took more effort to get through the second half, but it was still managable. The three minutes of walking was just about right, too. Boy am I glad the plan called for doing 90-90 for the next set--I think doing another three minute set would have made this morning a nightmare!

Knowing that the last three minute set was coming, the 90 second walk seemed too short, but I picked up the pace and moved on. I had ridden alongside one of my sons yesterday as he ran three miles, and I was encouraged to see that his primary cadence was not much faster (or so it seemed) than what I was doing in each of our sessions. [I'm sure his stride was longer, but that's something I'll need to improve on another day.] I just kept going--footfall after footfall. I found myself checking the watch more often, announching "half way," "two-thirds," "three-fourths," and finally, "ten seconds," "five," and "done!"

While we technically only had a final three minute walk ahead of us, with the extra distance from our starting bench to the car we ended up walking almost five minutes. Unlike some days where we have been completely drained, however, the extra walking felt good today.

I must say that I am looking forward to Wednesday. If it is anything like today, I might actually enjoy it. I didn't get to bed as early as 9 PM last night, as planned, but it was still early. I think the extra rest did me good.

Day 15 (Week 3, Day 1) - Mrs. F

The anticipation of todays workout was much harder than the actual workout. Don't get me wrong, it was not easy by any means, but it was doable.

I took the first set deliberatly slow, anticipating that longer,harder set yet to come. Then set 2 came(3 minutes running, 3 minutes walking) and well it was hard. The first 90 seconds came relatively without trouble but the last ninety seconds was really tough!!!! I so relished the 3 minutes of walking.

The 3rd set was okay. It came without much fanfare. The last set was hard to do but the most encouraging. I was surprised at how fast(this is all relative, we still had a 21 minute workout) the sets went. When there is only 4 sets it feels quicker. In this last set, Mr. F announced how far we were into the set. He called out 1/3 there, or 1/2 half there. For the first half of it, Im like what, it felt longer. But hearing him call out the last parts of the set was awesome! And the cherry on top of the cake was the 3 minute walk to end our workout set. Very nice!

It was great to know that I had accomplished the workout set that haunted me to think about. I did it~

Keep on running,
Mrs. F

Day 15 (week 3, day 1)

Wow! This morning was nowhere near as bad as I expected it to be. I don't have a lot of time to post details right now (I had PC problems this morning, and resolving them ate most of the time I set aside for blogging), so I'll need to post more details later.

In short, we survived the morning's training session. It was definately hard, but knowing there were only a total of four sets really did help. The three minute jogging sets were definately tough, but other than general soreness-from-use, I have no specific aches or pains. Even the blister on my left foot (reported earlier) didn't cause me any grief, although it was sore when I first put my shoes on. It did seep a little bit, but other than that it was fine.

Here's this week's routine:

Week 2 Routine

• 5 minute brisk walk (warm-up)
  

Then, this pattern repeated twice:

• Jog 90 seconds
  
• Walk 90 seconds
  
• Jog 3 minutes
  
• Walk 3 minutes

I'll post more later.

Day 14

It was a pretty nice Sunday. No running, thankfully, but I did get in a couple of brief bike rides. One was alongside our newest cross country runner, to help him measure out his three mile run. So the pace was quite relaxed.

It still feels a little tight along my right shin today, but it's not hurting at all. That's a good thing.

I'm not sure about Mrs. F, but I'm trying to prepare myself for tomorow, the beginning of Week 3. While, technically, we'll be running the same amount of time we ran this past week, it is grouped differently so that not all the sets are of the same duration. Here's the week three plan:

Week 3 Routine

• 5 minute brisk walk (warm-up)

Then, this pattern repeated twice:

• Jog 90 seconds
• Walk 90 seconds
• Jog 3 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes

Mrs. F and I are going to watch a moving together starting at 7 PM, and then we are going to bed at 9 PM. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow morning.

Day 13

No training today, though Mrs. F and I will be looking at those stretches tonight after the kids go to bed. We had a birthday boy in the house today, so it was hard to stick to eating right. I had eggs, ham, and one piece of wheat toast for breakfast, a salad with chicken pieces for lunch, and dinner was an Asian chicken dish (homemade) with broccoli, peppers, and onions over brown rice. Of course, there was the obligatory slice of cake, but I had only one.

My right leg is sore along my shin, on the inner side. It's not exactly what I remember as shin splints, but my suspicion is that this could be the beginning of that problem. Let's hope I'm just being a hypochondriac.

Late last night I found a blister on the top of the fourth toe on my left foot. It's not from my training--I know the source. It's from a set of shoes I wore on Tuesday, my waterproof hikers. I wore them without the boot socks I normally wear, and my feet got too hot and moist. I remember them feeling really itchy on Thursday evening while shopping. I've had problems with athletes foot before, and I thought the itchiness was the start of another outbreak. I remember drilling my other foot into the top of my left boot while in the store, to help with the itch. My guess is that the friction was enough to start the blister. I didn't notice it during our session on Friday morning, and only figured it out while itching my stockinged foot late last night. Unfortunately, that bit of itching broke open the blister (thereby facilitating my discovery). I bandaged it last night and part of today, but I've been trying to let it air out as much as possible, too.

We got more sleep last night. Well, at least I did. I sleep pretty soundly, so I didn't hear the lad who woke up when he got trapped between his mattress and the wall, nor did I wake when our infant girl woke on two occasions. I did wake at 3 AM, however, as our son's sleepover guests were outside and making a bit of a ruckus. I'm blessed with the ability to fall asleep quickly, however, so that was a brief interruption. My plan it to be in bed around 10 PM tonight, since we don't need to be up until 8 AM.

We took our newest cross country runner to the store today to pick up his running shoes. He's the pickiest child we have when it comes to clothes and shoes, so we expected a bit of an ordeal, but the second pair we looked at fit him well and were comfortable for him. Much easier than expected! Since the coach ran him three miles yesterday, his second day running, his legs were sore today. Isn't it amazing how the young can just jump in and run three miles without nine weeks of conditioning?! As such, he did balk when we wanted to stay in the store a little longer to get him an extra pair of running shorts, a running shirt, and a set of warmups.

We're settling down to watch a movie at home this evening. I'm looking forward to another day of rest and the formal end of our second week of training.

Friday weight check (week 2)

FatManRunning
Last Friday: 295.2

Today: 296.4

Gain/Loss: +1.2

Goal: 210.0 lbs.

Pounds to lose: 86.4

Comment: Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. Mrs. F makes really good cookies, and I am very weak. I also will admit that I didn't control my portions as well as I should have (i.e., I shouldn't have taken seconds at a couple of meals), and I couldn't resist mid-morning goodies at the office one day this week.


Mrs. F
Last Friday: 180.8

Today: 180.9

Gain/Loss: +0.1

Pounds to lose: 30.9

Comment: I was relieved that I didn't gain more than I did. I guess I need to watch better what I eat next week. Having those cheese curds and that Moolatte from DQ probably wasn't the best idea. I passed it (and stopped) twice (coming and going) when attending one of our son's cross country meets. It was a long drive. I did order a Diet Coke!

I'll echo

I'll echo Mr. F's thoughts today -- It was really hard today. Today came at the culmination of a very hard week at home too. Add in poor nutrition and not enough sleep, it definitely equaled a much tougher workout today.

I found myself trying to run faster and slowing down with each step. I kept thinking Mr. F has to call time(hes the watch holder) any second now. And on I plodded.

Its very tempting to consider redoing week 2. The thing Im noting though is week 3 is the exact same minutes of running as week 2. They both come in at 9 minutes. Yes they are staggered differently and yes week 3 has longer run times. But I believe we can do it!! Im also going to note that its 4 sets not 6 like this weeks. Im leaning toward trying day 1 of any week before going back to redo a previous.

It seems impossible to do but then again I thought I'd never ever run. One of the times I tried running a block with our dog resulted in disaster. I fell and broke my finger. I counted myself lucky that I hadnt broken more. I have successfully done 6 workouts that have involved running. That in itself is a bit miraculous!

I still dont like running but I'm finding my stride just a little bit.

Weight check later today! I am not looking forward to seeing this weeks damage!

Keep on running

Mrs. F

Day 12 (week 2, day 5)

Week two of our secret plan is complete!

With my obligatory "Yippie!" out of the way, I felt that it was a terrible morning.

It didn't start that way. The Asics socks felt great--a pair of Kayano II quarter-high. As I had hoped, they made my feet even more comfortbale in my running shoes. When I took my shoes off when I returned home, it felt as if I wasn't wearing anything on my feet. We got out a few minutes earlier today--it has been easier to get up and get moving in the mornings, at least--and the first running segment felt pretty good. The ache below my right knee was mostly gone, but my left felt more like my right had earlier in the week. I wasn't too winded after the first running segment, and the recovery walk left me ready for the second set.

The second wasn't too bad, either, though I noticed that I was landing a few less footfalls during our 90 second running segments. I caught most of my breath before the start of the third--I had enough spare wind to exchange a few words with Mrs. F, but that next segment was tough. I was plodding my way through and felt like I was dragging my body along by strength of will, and my strength of will was weakening with each step. We finished that running segment well short of the crossroad--perhaps by 40 meters (I'm trying to be deliberate about using metric for running distances)--so I could tell we were both slower today.

The next walking segment didn't feel long enough, and my legs did not want to respond when I saw the second had tick over on the illuminated dial. I sped up, and for a brief moment I thought it was all going to get better, I wasn't thinking about my footfalls (other than my count) and I was just able to look ahead on the trail and focus on my breathing. I don't know how long that lasted, but it wasn't long enough. My body cried out, "FULL STOP", but I kept moving. However, my stride was shortening and I just felt like dead weight. When we resumed walking, I pulled in a series of deliberately long, deep breaths. By the time that two minutes had elapsed, I didn't want to run again. I just wanted to walk back to the car and console myself by saying that "I tried"--which is, you know, a lot more than some people choose to do.

I started running, or jogging, or whatever other word you might use for my forces succession of lumbering strides. I felt like I could barely keep my legs moving. I felt like I was part of the earth and that my feet simply wanted to stop and take root. Mrs. F was ahead of me by at least 20 meters by now. I so wanted to stop!!!

The mark passed and the segment ended, but I kept running about 10 seconds longer, in part to catch up to Mrs. F, and in part because I felt like I hadn't run like I should have on that segment. She circled back, we aligned, and we walked back to our starting point.

At that point, I was conflicted. I was relieved that I completed the second week, but I felt like I'd be utterly unable to complete week three. I stretched the backs of my calves a bit, then sat in the car. I asked Mrs. F if we should consider repeating the Week 2 routine next week. I don't remember how she answered.

I'm at the point where it's hard--really hard--and I'd just rather go back to the way things were before. I just want to be comfortable, and able to relax. If I get up early in the morning, I want to be able to sit in my chair, sip some coffee, and review my favorite websites. I don't like the fact that my right shin is sore, that it's a strain to go up the three steps to the kitchen door, or that my legs are sore now when I bike.

Yet I know that quitting isn't an option for me. Well, it is, I guess, if I were to accept health complications and an early death as a reasonable alternative. Yes, I really believe it's that serious (and I know that Mrs. F considers it morbid, but this is my reality).

Let try to look at this from the other side. My blood sugar levels are the best they've been in years. I'm no longer so fatigued at work that I need to struggle to stay awake during the afternoons. I've lost five pounds (I'll find out later today if I've lost any more or if I've gained any back). I'm spending time with my wife. I'm increasing the odds I'll be around long enough to see all of my kids get through high school. I already look a bit better (my pants are a bit looser, my shirts don't fill out quite as much at the middle, and I don't look like I've been fighting to stay awake for hours).

That's all good, but this is really hard. This is probably the hardest thing I've ever done!

I'm looking forward to tomorrow and Sunday--days without running. We're going to try to do a few stretches on each of the mornings, but that's about all. We're also planning to get to bed early and, if the kids allow it, sleep in a little late.

If I can make it through next week, we'll be one third of the way there. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of looking up next week's routine already. Frankly, it scares me (and the longest running segment is only three minutes!).

Day 11 (week 2, day 4)

Here I am again, up too late on a Thursday night. Mrs. F and I set our bed time for 9 PM, but that is tough to manage at times with a family, especially when we needed to pick up a birthday present this evening.

I still have a little bit of soreness below each of my knees, but less than yesterday. I'm almost looking forward to tomorrow morning, because it means we survived our sessions for week two, but I also am trying to be realistic--it's going to be hard.

We had one exciting development this week. After buying our Asics running shoes, I emailed their customer service department to tell them about our secret plan, and to let them know that I was really pleased that their shoes fit my big feet and were comfortable while training. In their reply (something I think I mentioned earlier), they indicated that they wanted to send us a little package to help us on our way with our secret plan. The package arrived today, and I was astonished by how generous they were!

Included in the box were three full sets of running accessories for Mrs. F, our son who runs cross country, and me. These included running socks, wrist and armbands, a headband, arm warmers, a mesh backpack, anti-chafing powders and gels, a sports towel, and a t-shirt for each of the three of us. From the context of our email exchange, the customer service rep also figured out that we had other children, so he included extra mesh backpacks, stickers, pens, and cross-country training logbooks. He indicated that he didn't want to leave anyone out. The email messages we exchanged were very encouraging. In one, he noted that he sent the arm warmers because I had noted in this blog that it has been quite cold on some of the mornings. When I asked him if someone on staff was a runner who could point Mrs. F and me to some resources we could use on our non-running days, he had someone email me with a link to a site with some information on stretching, and the message also encouraged us to make a wholistic approach to our training, including sleep and nutrition. [Okay, I'm feeling guilty now that I'm an hour past bedtime. I'll be brief.]

Wow! I've encountered companies that took extra care to develop good customer relationships before, but Asics went above and beyond. The way they took a personal interest in our story is something I've seen in few other companies--Lands End is one that comes to mind. They've gone beyond simply being a purveyor of running shoes and accessories--they treated us like we're a part of their extended family!

I'm so looking forward to using the running socks tomorrow morning. They're much thinner than the casual socks I've been using, so I imagine they will make my shoes feel even more comfortable. Our son was delighted to receive his share of the gear. I don't think his suspicions were raised in the least about our secret plan. Earlier this week, I told him that I had emailed Asics to compliment them about how much I liked their shoes, and that they insisted on sending a package to us. He doesn't yet know about our secret plan, so he's probably wondering what we're going to do with all of the cool Asiscs gear.

Anyway, Mrs. F has made her way to the bedroom. She'll be reading until I get there--she doesn't like it when I stay out here on my laptop too long after she heads back, and she doesn't sleep as well if I'm not there with her. I best head to bed now--far be it from me to further inhibit her ability to get some rest. ;)

Day 10 (week 2, day 3)

I have a word for today's session: misery. Maybe some of it had to do with eating a little too much yesterday, but I'm guessing that most of it is just what should have been expected--a battle in my body and in my mind.

The thought of needing to be this active (and more!) for the rest of my life is both sobering and depressing. I really don't know how people do it. The running segments made me uncomfortable and desperate to quit. I walked a faster warmup today because it felt better, and the first running segment wasn't really too bad, but it was continuing with the rest of them that really got me.

The area near my right knee felt better during those early sets, though now that I am past my exercise and have had to get up and down throughout the day, I find it just as sore as it was immediately after Monday's session. I felt a little strain in the same place on my left leg today, too.

Today I realized that, perhaps, this whole thing is more about mental strength than it is about physical strength. I mean, so far my body has been able to take everything I've thrown at it. I can't say it felt good all the time, or that it hasn't been without pain, but I have been surprised by my body's resilliance. I find that it's my mind that wants to give in before my body really starts to resist.

Getting through the third set (of six) was pretty tough today. We still covered a good amount of ground, crossing that cross street again right after we ended the third running segment. From mapping a parallel path in Google Maps, it looks like we are covering about 3/4 of a mile each way (excluding our warm up walk), so we are doing 1.5 miles in 21 minutes. That sounded good until I realized that means we're only doing 4.5 miles per hour. I mean, when we hike some weekends, I'm pretty sure we go at approximately a 4 mph pace, but now I'll need to go back and check that. I think our pacing is because we slow down a lot after our run segments and and we return to walking. I guess we'll really get a better feel for our running/jogging pace at the end of week 5 (not that I really want to think about that right now).

On the furst run of the return segment, set four of six, I could sense my internal dialoge: "Come on, let's get those feet moving." At the start of the fifth, it felt like my feet did not even want to move, but I was able to get moving. During one of the walking sets, I remember speaking to Marie in one or two word bursts between heavy breaths: "I... think... I'd... rather... die... than... keep... doing... this." I also noted that "I... sound like... that kid... from... Malcom... in the... Middle." I'm so glad I was able to find some humor in my discomfort.

To say that I forced myself to finish today's routine is a profound understatement. Honestly, I don't know how I managed to keep myself moving when most of my body was screaming "ENOUGH OF THIS ALREADY! JUST STOP RUNNING AND WALK! BETTER YET, STOP RUNNING AND JUST LIE DOWN!" Perhaps that bit I read about running being a challenge of mental toughness is really true. Well, I guess I've been working on some mental callouses this week.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, a Thursday and a non-running day.

Day 10 (Week 2, Day 3) - Mrs. F

Thankfully yesterday was a day of rest as far as the workouts are concerned. My body definitely needed it! I must admit I was not looking forward to todays workout at all

It was hard today. It was better than mondays workout but most definitely not easy. Its a bit mind boggling to think of week 3 and 4 if its already hard. The one thing I have going for me is Im determined. I want to lose the weight and I want to run and surprise my kids -- so thats what keeps me pushing through this.

Overall leval of hurt/pain was okay. I had a bit of strain on the side of my ankle up into the leg but thats about it. Im feeling it as I go up or down the stairs and my energy leval is a bit down today. The energy leval could do with lack of sleep and busyness of yesterday.

Keep on Running or walking

Mrs. F

Day 9

My right leg is sore today below my right knee and to the left of the ligament that runs down from the kneecap. It's not a horrible discomfort, but just an obvious ache each time I use my legs. I can tell my thighs were worked hard yesterday--I can feel it. Sitting and squatting gives me some aches, but nothing from which I won't recover.

Having biked home for lunch, I'm sitting in my chair and feel quite drained. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow morning. Actually, I'm not looking forward to biking back to work.

I don't have any discomfort in my ankles or along my shins, so that's a good thing.

Mrs. F. reports that she's drained today, too. School started up again today, so it is a lot quieter around the house during lunch. It's quiet enough that I could almost doze off...

Nah! I had best get up now and bike back, before I fall asleep.

Day 8 (week 2, day 1) - Mrs. F

Today was hard! I tried to pysche myself up for the extra 30 seconds by reminding myself of the 2 minute walk. It didnt help!

The first set was really hard and I thought this is crazy. I must say the 2nd set actually felt pretty darn good. I was more awake, my speed increased and I thought "Hey I might be able to do this!" Then we hit the 3rd set ....

It felt awesome -- not so much physically but mentally-- to say that I completed the first day of week 2. Its scary looking ahead at the next weeks and I think I'll never do that. But what I can do is do today and then the next running day. Literally take it one day at a time.

Overall physcially tonight, I feel pretty good. Not too sore or overly tired legs.

Mrs. F

Day 8 (Week 2, day 1)

Well, we didn't roll out of bed at 5 AM this morning as we had planned. We didn't get out of bed until after 5:30 AM. Before, I would have used that as a convenient excuse for skipping today (and by the end of the first set, I wished I had), but I didn't. We got out late, but we got out.

Here's the routing for this week:

Week 2 Routine

• 5 minute brisk walk (warm-up)

Then, this pattern repeated 6 times:

• 90 seconds jogging/running
• 2 minutes walking

Comparing Week 1 to Week 2, the first week had us running/jogging a total of 8 minutes in one minute chunks. This week has us running only one minute more (9 minutes), but 90 seconds at a time.

Our warmup walk seemed to go by before we even realized it. That, in and of itself, was a good thing. Mentally, I was not ready, but was surprised that my body didn't show any signs of resistance to that which was ahead. I noticed the extra 30 seconds during the first set. As I approached the 60 second mark, I could feel my body get ready to slow down. Pushing on at that point was where I started to feel the resistance in my body. At the end of the 90 seconds, I found myself saying aloud, "I wanna stay home and be a couch potato." Yet I continued on.

The two minutes of walking were barely enough for me to catch my breath and get ready for the next running segment. The only consolation I had this morning was that there were only six sets, rather than eight. Even though they would each be longer, in my mind it seemed like there was less ahead of me.

My cadence, at least, was about the same for 90 seconds as it was for 60. Counting my footfalls, I added half again the amount and found myself about at the 90 second mark. I didn't care how well I kept up with Mrs. F today. I was too busy concentrating on just finishing the current set.

I should note that I made a change to my shoe laces this weekend. While in the city to get my son some running shoes, I picked up a set of elastic laces. At first, they felt a little more snug when I slipped my shoes on in the morning, but I didn't have any problems with some of the laces feeling too tight on the top of my instep today. Overall, I think it was a good change.

We finished our third run just as we came to the crossroad, and then walked our two minutes beyond it. We definately went further again today. I felt beat--breathing was hard and my legs felt heavy. I was nowhere near ready to run again when we turned around, and I whimpered, "I don't want to." Yet on I went.

Mentally, I knew we were about 2/3 of the way through when we finished that run (technically, the 2/3 mark was at the end of the walk we started at that moment), so I told myself that I'd be able to finish it. The next jog was really hard, though, I could tell my pace was slowing a bit, and I just wanted to stop running and walk the rest of the way to the car. I kept seeing Mrs. F. at it though. I definately was not going to stop if she was still running.

The last segment was about the same as all but the first as far as feel, but I was ready to collapse into the driver's seat of our car. As I ran my pathetic little jog, I thought about my son who runs cross country and the way he needs to sprint the final leg of each of his races. Looking at my watch, which was held tightly in my left hand, I decided I would try to sprint the last 10-15 seconds of the final run. When the second had swung over the appointed mark, I pushed myself ahead with everything I could muster. My head was looking down, so I could see how much longer my stride was. Moving at that pace felt good--it was different than my regular plodding jog--but I definately felt each impact more. The end of the set included a bit of discomfort along my right shinbone, and some soreness in my left knee. I probably won't do much running at that pace for a while (and until I lose at least 50 lbs.), but I had to try it.

Ending with our two minute walk felt really good. I was beat and winded, but glad that we did it--we survived the first workout of the week. We covered the same amount of ground going and coming again--a good sign that our pace each was was consistant. We sat in the car and drank water for a few moments before taking a slow drive home. On the way, we decided we'd celebrate our little victory by sharing a breakfast at a local cafe. As it turns out, however, none of the area cafes were open because of the Labor Day holiday. That's probably a good thing.

When we got home, I made breakfast for the rest of the family, then sat down to write this post. It should be a good day, and I look forward to being able to say that we completed Week 2 on Friday.

Day 7

I'm up way too late, and I think I'll pay for that in the morning.

Felt fine today. Ate a little too much popcorn this evening--I stayed up late with the kids while they watched a two part movie. We had to run some errands today, so I ended up on my feet for a few hours. My right one is a bit sore, but I think that's from my sandals.

The second week starts tomorrow. We'll be up at about 5 AM to keep it at our regular time, even though it's a holiday and I have the day off.

I'm going to go catch those ZZZs I need.