FatManRunning
Last Friday: 272.0 lbs.
Today: 270.2 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -1.8 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 30.2 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 60.2
Comment: I'm surprised to have lost any weight because I had a horrible week, as far as eating goes. We had run out of the vegetables that I had been eating for most of my meals and Im just getting back to eating them today.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 152.7 lbs.
Today: 154.1 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +1.4 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 28.7 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 4.1
Comment: I worked really hard this week and ate within my calorie bounds, so I was really disapointed with the gain. Out of the last 7 days, I either rode bike or ran for 5 of them. So im not really sure whats up, but Im just gonna claim that i gained 1.4 pounds of muscle :) I looked up my weight pattern and I havent gained for 6 weeks, so maybe I was just due for some water weight!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
What was I thinking?
Well, I slept in again this morning and missed my morning run. I figured that was okay considering my 20 mile bike ride the evening before. I was in such a hurry to get to work that I forgot to eat breakfast.
It was that kind of day.
During the day, I convinced myself that I would run this evening after work, but soon I got a call from Mrs. F--she was delaying her shopping run to this evening and wanted to know if I wanted to go along. I love stretching the family dollar (and finding good clearance deals), so I knew I wanted to go. Thus ended the idea of the evening run.
I did remember to eat lunch (1.25 cups of homemade chili with a quarter cup of jalapeño slices and a few tablespoons of shredded cheddar), but we had to catch dinner while out an about. I opted for two Whopper Junior sandwiches (sans mayo--about 290 calories each), and Mrs. F and I shared a mixed Coke-Cherry ICEE. Not the lowest calorie dinner I've had lately, but one of the tastiest! Given my other caloric intake for the day, I thought a 700 calorie supper wasn't so bad.
So, we didn't end up home until about 9 PM. By the time everything was in and put away, it was later. Still, I had that nagging feeling of wanting to run, so I asked Mrs. F if she would mind riding along as I ran. We started out with our dog, a large golden retriever, but he soon broke off his leash so Mrs. F had to take him home while I ran on. She eventually caught up to me, and we enjoyed some time together. The bugs weren't too bad, though I had to swat them away from my ears numerous times. Occasional raindrops fell, but not enough to cool me down.
We made the route an out-and-back route, starting out uphill before turning and heading downhill a ways. I turned around at a road where we'd turn to complete a 2.8 route, and headed back home. I've really noticed my stride change lately. There are times now when I'm really comfortable in calling it a run (compared to the labored slog that still comprises many runs)--my stride is longer, and I can feel the air beneath my feet. It's a good feeling.
So, back up the hill I went, before heading down the other way. Then, up another minor rise before descending toward the house where it began a gradual climb again. With all done, I headed in and took a shower--hot at first, and then turned down very cool. I'm not sure how quickly I'll get to sleep now, but I'm glad I got the run in. In some ways, I wonder "What was I thinking?" It's like I've become one of those crazy runners!
Two-and-a-half miles done in just over 36 minutes--a 14:30mm pace! Definitely my best pace for a two miler since my first 5k races last fall. Perhaps I might improve my time when I next race two weeks from Saturday, on August 7.
It was that kind of day.
During the day, I convinced myself that I would run this evening after work, but soon I got a call from Mrs. F--she was delaying her shopping run to this evening and wanted to know if I wanted to go along. I love stretching the family dollar (and finding good clearance deals), so I knew I wanted to go. Thus ended the idea of the evening run.
I did remember to eat lunch (1.25 cups of homemade chili with a quarter cup of jalapeño slices and a few tablespoons of shredded cheddar), but we had to catch dinner while out an about. I opted for two Whopper Junior sandwiches (sans mayo--about 290 calories each), and Mrs. F and I shared a mixed Coke-Cherry ICEE. Not the lowest calorie dinner I've had lately, but one of the tastiest! Given my other caloric intake for the day, I thought a 700 calorie supper wasn't so bad.
So, we didn't end up home until about 9 PM. By the time everything was in and put away, it was later. Still, I had that nagging feeling of wanting to run, so I asked Mrs. F if she would mind riding along as I ran. We started out with our dog, a large golden retriever, but he soon broke off his leash so Mrs. F had to take him home while I ran on. She eventually caught up to me, and we enjoyed some time together. The bugs weren't too bad, though I had to swat them away from my ears numerous times. Occasional raindrops fell, but not enough to cool me down.
We made the route an out-and-back route, starting out uphill before turning and heading downhill a ways. I turned around at a road where we'd turn to complete a 2.8 route, and headed back home. I've really noticed my stride change lately. There are times now when I'm really comfortable in calling it a run (compared to the labored slog that still comprises many runs)--my stride is longer, and I can feel the air beneath my feet. It's a good feeling.
So, back up the hill I went, before heading down the other way. Then, up another minor rise before descending toward the house where it began a gradual climb again. With all done, I headed in and took a shower--hot at first, and then turned down very cool. I'm not sure how quickly I'll get to sleep now, but I'm glad I got the run in. In some ways, I wonder "What was I thinking?" It's like I've become one of those crazy runners!
Two-and-a-half miles done in just over 36 minutes--a 14:30mm pace! Definitely my best pace for a two miler since my first 5k races last fall. Perhaps I might improve my time when I next race two weeks from Saturday, on August 7.
Speedwork Wednesday 7/21/10
Since todays training was a bit more complicated, I elected to set up a workout on my garmin watch. Note to self: Dont do it at 1030 pm when very tired. I got it set up okay but didnt discover til midworkout, I forgot to change some distance values and the last 4 steps were wrong.
My plan called for a total of 5 miles: 1 mile warm up run, 1/2 mile at 4:52 pace, 1/4 mile recovery jog (This set done 4 times totaling 3 miles) and then a cool down mile. I was tired and drug out by last nights drama. I did manage to get a 9.11 mile bike ride in despite it all, at a 4:39 pace. So that was a great way to burn off stress but not so great for getting to bed early.
So getting up wasnt on the early side, I think I got up around 630 and made it out the door by 7 am. It was nice and cool to start with, so that was nice. I was feeling a bit sore yet from the biking, so I made sure I did my half mile warm up walk. I did the first running mile in a little over 12 minute pace.
Then the fun began. I began running my pace halves. The first two tenths of mile sped on by and I thought (mistakenly of course) that this wasnt too bad. The other 3/10ths though drug on and on and on. I did the first speed half in 4:55! Then the recovery jog -- somehow that .25 of a mile goes by super fast when the speedy stuff goes super slow. Hmmmm! The next interval, I hit my target right on and did a 4:52. I was super pleased with that. I deliberately picked a route with hills, as I figured races generally have them.
Heres where my late night set up comes into play. The next interval had a distance of a mile instead of a half. So I thought maybe i could run the half and skip ahead to the next step. I couldnt figure out how to do that and I had a horrible sideache after the 3rd half mile interval, so I elected to walk the other half of that mile. It really didnt help my sideache at all though. I kept trying to deep breath and get it to go away, but it really plagued me for most of the rest of the run. Running in pain , really, isnt so much fun.
I was hoping that i just messed up on the one step and could go ahead to the next .25 interval, but nope that was set for a mile too. So i reversed some steps and did my cool down mile next. Not quite what was intended but hey it worked. I then did the last half mile interval and recovery jog with a little extra added in to make sure I made 5 miles of running. I kept going til my Garmin hit 5:52, that way the half mile of walking didnt reduce my running total. So I didnt end up with the 3rd interval time but I was aiming for the same pace. I did my cool down mile in the 12 minute range and then did the 4th interval in 4:56. Overall I was pleased that I hit the pace time within a few seconds!
It definitely was hard and I was feeling it -- when I finished I was sore! So two day break and then another 7 miler on Saturday. Our race is coming up about 2.5 weeks. I cant wait to see how this training effects my total race time!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
My plan called for a total of 5 miles: 1 mile warm up run, 1/2 mile at 4:52 pace, 1/4 mile recovery jog (This set done 4 times totaling 3 miles) and then a cool down mile. I was tired and drug out by last nights drama. I did manage to get a 9.11 mile bike ride in despite it all, at a 4:39 pace. So that was a great way to burn off stress but not so great for getting to bed early.
So getting up wasnt on the early side, I think I got up around 630 and made it out the door by 7 am. It was nice and cool to start with, so that was nice. I was feeling a bit sore yet from the biking, so I made sure I did my half mile warm up walk. I did the first running mile in a little over 12 minute pace.
Then the fun began. I began running my pace halves. The first two tenths of mile sped on by and I thought (mistakenly of course) that this wasnt too bad. The other 3/10ths though drug on and on and on. I did the first speed half in 4:55! Then the recovery jog -- somehow that .25 of a mile goes by super fast when the speedy stuff goes super slow. Hmmmm! The next interval, I hit my target right on and did a 4:52. I was super pleased with that. I deliberately picked a route with hills, as I figured races generally have them.
Heres where my late night set up comes into play. The next interval had a distance of a mile instead of a half. So I thought maybe i could run the half and skip ahead to the next step. I couldnt figure out how to do that and I had a horrible sideache after the 3rd half mile interval, so I elected to walk the other half of that mile. It really didnt help my sideache at all though. I kept trying to deep breath and get it to go away, but it really plagued me for most of the rest of the run. Running in pain , really, isnt so much fun.
I was hoping that i just messed up on the one step and could go ahead to the next .25 interval, but nope that was set for a mile too. So i reversed some steps and did my cool down mile next. Not quite what was intended but hey it worked. I then did the last half mile interval and recovery jog with a little extra added in to make sure I made 5 miles of running. I kept going til my Garmin hit 5:52, that way the half mile of walking didnt reduce my running total. So I didnt end up with the 3rd interval time but I was aiming for the same pace. I did my cool down mile in the 12 minute range and then did the 4th interval in 4:56. Overall I was pleased that I hit the pace time within a few seconds!
It definitely was hard and I was feeling it -- when I finished I was sore! So two day break and then another 7 miler on Saturday. Our race is coming up about 2.5 weeks. I cant wait to see how this training effects my total race time!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
I missed my run, but that's okay...
I must admit that I was feeling a bit lazy when I got up yesterday. I should have gotten out for a short run, but didn't. Last year, I woke up early in the morning as the sun came up, whether I wanted to or not. It's been that way for me for much of my life. This year, however, I just can't seem to get out of bed in the mornings.
Now that I think of it, we did get our first new mattress set in 10 years recently. I wonder if having a nice, comfortable bed has something to do with it...
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I've typically been a morning person and an early riser. Lately, though, I find myself wanting to be a night owl again. I really think I messed up my internal clock during my last two terms of studying (being up until one or two o'clock in the morning while working on assignments).
Anyway, I decided I would run in the afternoon, which is what I've been doing lately. When I got home from work, however, I learned that three of my boys, who biked to the next town to hunt for a hidden festival medallion, were not yet home. I had biked that route before and knew it would take them some time, but it was not like them to miss dinner. After grabbing a bite myself, I decided to bike out to where they should be--I hoped to find them on the trail, already on the way home.
I was about five miles out of town when the boys called me. One of the bikes broke down and they were still in the next town. Someone had let them use a cell phone, so they were hoping for a ride. I told them I was on my bike, but that I would be there soon, and that I'd call home to have Mrs. F get the van ready. Well, I did call home, but the call broke up. When I tried to call again, I realized my phone was dead.
What an evening it was! Mrs. F, not able to reach me via phone, drove the van to the next town, parked near the trail, and waited. The boys, meanwhile, got some help from a local man who patched up the bike and got them back on the trail. I came across them ten miles from home. We turned around and started back. The youngest of the three was on a smaller bike with only three gears, so he could not keep up very well. Since all the bikes were working and they were together, I opted to bike ahead, because I feared that my lack of contact might have put Mrs. F in a panic.
When I got home, Mrs. F was not there. I called her, and let her know that the boys were on the way home. She had been sitting in the van, and driving around town, for over an hour. Needless to say, she wasn't very pleased.
When she got home, she readied for her ride, but before she got out of the door, we were in for more family drama when a police car pulled up with another one of the boys inside. I won't go into details here, but let's just say that being taken home in a police car is never viewed kindly by parents, and it hopefully scared some sense into one of our boys.
As we were wrapping up with our police drama, two of the boys, including the slowest one, pulled into the driveway. The eldest? His bike broke down again. Guess what I'm going to suggest he do with his recent birthday monies? How far back did he break down? More than five miles from town.
Well, being our runner, we knew he had two good, strong legs, and we also knew that we had no way of telling when he'd be near one of the cross-streets along the trail, so we let him walk. He came in a little over an hour later, complaining of hunger, sore feet, and two-hundred mosquito bites.
Mrs. F came home feeling better after her ride.
So, I didn't get my run in for the day, but I did get in a 20 mile bike ride, half of it uphill, at just under an 11 mph pace (fat mountain bike tires on a trail are such a pain--I miss my old Trek 720 with its narrow hybrid tires!). I'll just chalk up Tuesday as a cross-training day.
Now that I think of it, we did get our first new mattress set in 10 years recently. I wonder if having a nice, comfortable bed has something to do with it...
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I've typically been a morning person and an early riser. Lately, though, I find myself wanting to be a night owl again. I really think I messed up my internal clock during my last two terms of studying (being up until one or two o'clock in the morning while working on assignments).
Anyway, I decided I would run in the afternoon, which is what I've been doing lately. When I got home from work, however, I learned that three of my boys, who biked to the next town to hunt for a hidden festival medallion, were not yet home. I had biked that route before and knew it would take them some time, but it was not like them to miss dinner. After grabbing a bite myself, I decided to bike out to where they should be--I hoped to find them on the trail, already on the way home.
I was about five miles out of town when the boys called me. One of the bikes broke down and they were still in the next town. Someone had let them use a cell phone, so they were hoping for a ride. I told them I was on my bike, but that I would be there soon, and that I'd call home to have Mrs. F get the van ready. Well, I did call home, but the call broke up. When I tried to call again, I realized my phone was dead.
What an evening it was! Mrs. F, not able to reach me via phone, drove the van to the next town, parked near the trail, and waited. The boys, meanwhile, got some help from a local man who patched up the bike and got them back on the trail. I came across them ten miles from home. We turned around and started back. The youngest of the three was on a smaller bike with only three gears, so he could not keep up very well. Since all the bikes were working and they were together, I opted to bike ahead, because I feared that my lack of contact might have put Mrs. F in a panic.
When I got home, Mrs. F was not there. I called her, and let her know that the boys were on the way home. She had been sitting in the van, and driving around town, for over an hour. Needless to say, she wasn't very pleased.
When she got home, she readied for her ride, but before she got out of the door, we were in for more family drama when a police car pulled up with another one of the boys inside. I won't go into details here, but let's just say that being taken home in a police car is never viewed kindly by parents, and it hopefully scared some sense into one of our boys.
As we were wrapping up with our police drama, two of the boys, including the slowest one, pulled into the driveway. The eldest? His bike broke down again. Guess what I'm going to suggest he do with his recent birthday monies? How far back did he break down? More than five miles from town.
Well, being our runner, we knew he had two good, strong legs, and we also knew that we had no way of telling when he'd be near one of the cross-streets along the trail, so we let him walk. He came in a little over an hour later, complaining of hunger, sore feet, and two-hundred mosquito bites.
Mrs. F came home feeling better after her ride.
So, I didn't get my run in for the day, but I did get in a 20 mile bike ride, half of it uphill, at just under an 11 mph pace (fat mountain bike tires on a trail are such a pain--I miss my old Trek 720 with its narrow hybrid tires!). I'll just chalk up Tuesday as a cross-training day.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
I still can't believe this is possible
Well, it wasn't the best week as far as consistency goes--I missed one run and ate too much one day [Dang you office donuts! Dang you!]--but still got my long run in today. That's what I can't believe--that I'm able to run these distances of five miles or more.
Today's run was pleasant overall, save for the final three-fourths of a mile, which was tough. Mrs. F and I started with a half-mile warm-up walk, and then began our runs out toward the Luce Line Trail, headed west. She pulled away from me early on, but that was fine. She was working on seven miles, and I was just hoping to complete five. The way I figured it, she'd catch up to me near the end of my run, since we both were doing an out-and-back route.
Mrs. F was carrying her Garmin, so I only had a watch with me. From my earlier long run on this stretch, I knew approximately where the 2.5 mile point was (though it would only be 2.0 today, since we walked the first half-mile), and I hoped to go beyond that point through the next segment of the trail. Also knowing that my last five mile time was 82 minutes, I planned to run just a little longer, shooting for a full 90 minutes.
At about the one mile mark, things started to feel pretty good. Breathing was easy and my stride was slow but steady. Unfortunately, that's when the lens popped out of my prescription sunglasses. I stopped and stepped back a few steps to pick up the lens, slipping it into my pocket before hanging the sunglasses from the sternum strap of my CamelBak. It took me a little time to find my stride again, but I settled in quite nicely. It was early, just around 7 AM, but the air was already muggy and the sun demonstrated its power by baking against my back. Along with my ball cap today, I wore a bandanna over my head and hanging over my neck and ears. I wore it to help keep the bugs off me, but I was glad that it also was keeping the sun off the back of my neck.
The trail moved by quickly. In the wooded areas, the angle of the sun left long shadows from the trees along the north side, providing some shade. Of course, the shade was not without cost--clouds of gnats and mosquitoes waited in ambush. As I passed through the clouds of bugs, I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth, to keep myself from getting an unwanted snack. Mrs. F reports no problems with bugs on the trail, but I must be slow enough for them to lock on. Still, my bandanna did its job, and kept me from swatting at bugs on my neck and in my ears. There was one persistent deer fly, however, that kept buzzing my head--more of a nuisance than anything.
Timing was right. I crossed the first crossroad and still had time before my arbitrary turnaround at the 45 minute mark. I moved onward at a higher pace, wanting to reach some notable feature to aid my mapping when I returned home. I reached the next cross street at the 45 minute mark, allowing for a good turnaround point.
The next mile and a half was just amazing. It's as if my legs were telling me "we know what to do" and I let myself speed up. I don't know how fast I was moving, but my pace and stride were more similar to those final stretches where I try to kick things up a notch. My stride was longer, and smooth, and the trail was just flying by me. The slight breeze was in my face since the turnaround, and it felt wonderful. I don't know what pace I logged on that stretch, but I know I finished the return trip five minutes faster than the outgoing trip.
Now, as I approached the final mile, things got tough. It was uphill, and it brought me back out onto a gravel road in full sun. I felt myself slow to that familiar slog, and I looked ahead at the three inclines that remained ahead of me. [I just realized that I made that five minute improvement going uphill on the return when I had been going downhill on the outbound trip.]
Mrs. F caught up to me when we had about three-fourths of a mile left. She was still going faster than me, and I felt myself slowing, but as she ran alongside she said I was running a 14:30mm pace. How fast was I going just before?
The final quarter of a mile was tough. Though I intended to do a full 90 minutes, I opted to end at 5.5 miles. Mrs F told me that the road where I turned around was 2.75 miles from our starting point, so I knew how far I had gone. I kept moving, and finished in 1:24:37. I squeezed in that extra half mile in an extra two minutes, so I knew my pace was better: just under 15:23. On the outbound half, my pace was 16:22mm, though, and only 14:24mm on the return. And that was an uphill return!
It was a really good run! Now I just need to make sure I'm running three times a week.
Today's run was pleasant overall, save for the final three-fourths of a mile, which was tough. Mrs. F and I started with a half-mile warm-up walk, and then began our runs out toward the Luce Line Trail, headed west. She pulled away from me early on, but that was fine. She was working on seven miles, and I was just hoping to complete five. The way I figured it, she'd catch up to me near the end of my run, since we both were doing an out-and-back route.
Mrs. F was carrying her Garmin, so I only had a watch with me. From my earlier long run on this stretch, I knew approximately where the 2.5 mile point was (though it would only be 2.0 today, since we walked the first half-mile), and I hoped to go beyond that point through the next segment of the trail. Also knowing that my last five mile time was 82 minutes, I planned to run just a little longer, shooting for a full 90 minutes.
At about the one mile mark, things started to feel pretty good. Breathing was easy and my stride was slow but steady. Unfortunately, that's when the lens popped out of my prescription sunglasses. I stopped and stepped back a few steps to pick up the lens, slipping it into my pocket before hanging the sunglasses from the sternum strap of my CamelBak. It took me a little time to find my stride again, but I settled in quite nicely. It was early, just around 7 AM, but the air was already muggy and the sun demonstrated its power by baking against my back. Along with my ball cap today, I wore a bandanna over my head and hanging over my neck and ears. I wore it to help keep the bugs off me, but I was glad that it also was keeping the sun off the back of my neck.
The trail moved by quickly. In the wooded areas, the angle of the sun left long shadows from the trees along the north side, providing some shade. Of course, the shade was not without cost--clouds of gnats and mosquitoes waited in ambush. As I passed through the clouds of bugs, I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth, to keep myself from getting an unwanted snack. Mrs. F reports no problems with bugs on the trail, but I must be slow enough for them to lock on. Still, my bandanna did its job, and kept me from swatting at bugs on my neck and in my ears. There was one persistent deer fly, however, that kept buzzing my head--more of a nuisance than anything.
Timing was right. I crossed the first crossroad and still had time before my arbitrary turnaround at the 45 minute mark. I moved onward at a higher pace, wanting to reach some notable feature to aid my mapping when I returned home. I reached the next cross street at the 45 minute mark, allowing for a good turnaround point.
The next mile and a half was just amazing. It's as if my legs were telling me "we know what to do" and I let myself speed up. I don't know how fast I was moving, but my pace and stride were more similar to those final stretches where I try to kick things up a notch. My stride was longer, and smooth, and the trail was just flying by me. The slight breeze was in my face since the turnaround, and it felt wonderful. I don't know what pace I logged on that stretch, but I know I finished the return trip five minutes faster than the outgoing trip.
Now, as I approached the final mile, things got tough. It was uphill, and it brought me back out onto a gravel road in full sun. I felt myself slow to that familiar slog, and I looked ahead at the three inclines that remained ahead of me. [I just realized that I made that five minute improvement going uphill on the return when I had been going downhill on the outbound trip.]
Mrs. F caught up to me when we had about three-fourths of a mile left. She was still going faster than me, and I felt myself slowing, but as she ran alongside she said I was running a 14:30mm pace. How fast was I going just before?
The final quarter of a mile was tough. Though I intended to do a full 90 minutes, I opted to end at 5.5 miles. Mrs F told me that the road where I turned around was 2.75 miles from our starting point, so I knew how far I had gone. I kept moving, and finished in 1:24:37. I squeezed in that extra half mile in an extra two minutes, so I knew my pace was better: just under 15:23. On the outbound half, my pace was 16:22mm, though, and only 14:24mm on the return. And that was an uphill return!
It was a really good run! Now I just need to make sure I'm running three times a week.
My long run
My training plan called for 7 miles today. I set the alarm for 6 am and Mr. f snoozed it at least once. It was tough to drag myself from the vestiges of sleep this morning. I got up slowly, dressed and woke up my daughter who was holding down the fort this morning. My cc runner was going for a short run this morning as well.,
I think Mr. f and I got out this morning just before 7. We started running together, even though we did most of our run time seperate.
I did a .4 mile warm up as well as .4 cool down as well. It seems to make the interior muscles of my legs behave better. If I run later in the day, after Ive been up and down the stairs doing laundry and whatnot, I dont really need it. Though for the runs just out of bed, it seems to be important.
The first 3.5 miles felt great! The last time, it was the first half of my 7 miler that dragged, this time it felt like I could run forever. It did get tougher though for the 2nd half of the run. My plan called for a pace of 12:24 or something like that, so I generally allowed myself to run as fast as I felt like, as long as I stayed close to that 12:30 mark. I did most of the run between 11:30 pace and 12:30 pace. If I noticed my pace hitting 12:45 or higher, I forced myself to speed up. Mostly though,I just simply ran, allowing my body to dictate the pace.
The bugs left me alone for the most part except for the lone bug that decided to lodge himself in my throat. That forced a stop and almost getting sick, but after that was cleared up, I ran on. I took note of mile maker points as I crossed roads on the trail, so I could tell Mr. f later. He was going for 5 or more today, while I was doing 7.
I caught back up with Mr. F at just over 6 miles for me. I ran with him for a bit, as we chatted and then I took off for the last 6/10 of a mile. I really wanted to sprint hard for the last 2/10. I took off too fast though, I was able to keep an 8 minute sprint pace for about a tenth. The last tenth was harder and I was able to only keep about a 9:20 sprint pace. All in all, though I was pleased with the run. I ended up doing 7 miles in 1:23:18, which is 23 seconds faster than my last 7 miler. Seconds count folks! I did an 11:54 pace.
I am far more sore today though. Im not sure if its just the adding up of more miles in a week with the training plan or what. I plan to take it relatively easy today for sure! I have run over 36 miles this month and July isnt over yet!
Keep on running folks
Mrs. F
I think Mr. f and I got out this morning just before 7. We started running together, even though we did most of our run time seperate.
I did a .4 mile warm up as well as .4 cool down as well. It seems to make the interior muscles of my legs behave better. If I run later in the day, after Ive been up and down the stairs doing laundry and whatnot, I dont really need it. Though for the runs just out of bed, it seems to be important.
The first 3.5 miles felt great! The last time, it was the first half of my 7 miler that dragged, this time it felt like I could run forever. It did get tougher though for the 2nd half of the run. My plan called for a pace of 12:24 or something like that, so I generally allowed myself to run as fast as I felt like, as long as I stayed close to that 12:30 mark. I did most of the run between 11:30 pace and 12:30 pace. If I noticed my pace hitting 12:45 or higher, I forced myself to speed up. Mostly though,I just simply ran, allowing my body to dictate the pace.
The bugs left me alone for the most part except for the lone bug that decided to lodge himself in my throat. That forced a stop and almost getting sick, but after that was cleared up, I ran on. I took note of mile maker points as I crossed roads on the trail, so I could tell Mr. f later. He was going for 5 or more today, while I was doing 7.
I caught back up with Mr. F at just over 6 miles for me. I ran with him for a bit, as we chatted and then I took off for the last 6/10 of a mile. I really wanted to sprint hard for the last 2/10. I took off too fast though, I was able to keep an 8 minute sprint pace for about a tenth. The last tenth was harder and I was able to only keep about a 9:20 sprint pace. All in all, though I was pleased with the run. I ended up doing 7 miles in 1:23:18, which is 23 seconds faster than my last 7 miler. Seconds count folks! I did an 11:54 pace.
I am far more sore today though. Im not sure if its just the adding up of more miles in a week with the training plan or what. I plan to take it relatively easy today for sure! I have run over 36 miles this month and July isnt over yet!
Keep on running folks
Mrs. F
Friday, July 16, 2010
Weight Check 7/16/10
FatManRunning
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 274.8 lbs.
Today: 272.0 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -2.8 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 28.4 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 62.0
Comment: At this point, Ill take anything I can get. I'm now about at the weight I was when Mrs. F and I first met.Mrs. F
Last Friday: 154.3 lbs.
Today: 152.7 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -1.6 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 30.1 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 2.7
Comment: I wasnt sure where Id be this week, since I had some water weight and whatnot. Im extremely happy with 1.6 down! I also ate up a lot of my exercise burn in calories, so I wasnt sure how that would impact the bottom line. Wow, it seems really amazing to be only 2.7 from my first goal point. And seeing the culmulative number hit 30 was a really proud moment!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Cross Training time
Mr. F took the day off and most of the family went to the childrens museum today with some good friends. Then we enjoyed lunch at a park in our old neighborhood and the kids really enjoyed that.
By the time I got home, I was pretty exhausted. The kids watched some movies, Mr. F napped and I surfed facebook for awhile. Soon enough it was time for supper. We took a variation on our stuffed peppers and chopped them up and rolled them in a tortilla with some mozzerella cheese -- pretty yummy!
After getting some food ... I decided to go for a bike ride. Ive been slowly upping my miles as Im getting back into biking. I set out with the goal of going 10 miles. Generally I just enjoy biking and Im not pressed on trying to beat my previous time or speed. Although my competative nature still rears its head and I keep upping the ante on how far I ride! Thus the 10 miler today.
Since speedwork was yesterday, and I have two rest days before my long run, I decided today was the day. The weather was beautiful, not too hot and a nice breeze. I set off to go around the lake, adding in a half mile jaunt with a long hill for some extra heart rate pumping. After making my way around the lake and down the trail, I headed out of town just a little ways, making my way by our towns festival grounds and airport. I came back in on Cable Ave and made my way thru Grass Lake road. On the edge of town again, I followed grass lake instead and made my way to the other end of town and came back in. I needed to make a 1 block jaunt though to make it to 10 miles even. I think it actualy was something like 10.03 or something like that. I did it in 53:19, a 5:19 pace.
It felt really good to hit that 10 mile mark. Ive done it once before, last summer, when Mr. F and I biked 11 mile to a nearby town, ate lunch and biked 11 back home. That was hard! Im a little more in shape to do a jaunt like that now, I think.
Im not sure on weigh in tommorrow. The numbers have been all over the place this week, and a little water weight to boot. So time shall tell on that front.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
By the time I got home, I was pretty exhausted. The kids watched some movies, Mr. F napped and I surfed facebook for awhile. Soon enough it was time for supper. We took a variation on our stuffed peppers and chopped them up and rolled them in a tortilla with some mozzerella cheese -- pretty yummy!
After getting some food ... I decided to go for a bike ride. Ive been slowly upping my miles as Im getting back into biking. I set out with the goal of going 10 miles. Generally I just enjoy biking and Im not pressed on trying to beat my previous time or speed. Although my competative nature still rears its head and I keep upping the ante on how far I ride! Thus the 10 miler today.
Since speedwork was yesterday, and I have two rest days before my long run, I decided today was the day. The weather was beautiful, not too hot and a nice breeze. I set off to go around the lake, adding in a half mile jaunt with a long hill for some extra heart rate pumping. After making my way around the lake and down the trail, I headed out of town just a little ways, making my way by our towns festival grounds and airport. I came back in on Cable Ave and made my way thru Grass Lake road. On the edge of town again, I followed grass lake instead and made my way to the other end of town and came back in. I needed to make a 1 block jaunt though to make it to 10 miles even. I think it actualy was something like 10.03 or something like that. I did it in 53:19, a 5:19 pace.
It felt really good to hit that 10 mile mark. Ive done it once before, last summer, when Mr. F and I biked 11 mile to a nearby town, ate lunch and biked 11 back home. That was hard! Im a little more in shape to do a jaunt like that now, I think.
Im not sure on weigh in tommorrow. The numbers have been all over the place this week, and a little water weight to boot. So time shall tell on that front.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Speedwork Wednesday
My training plan called for a 1 mile warm up run, then a mile at 10:15 pace, 1/2 mile recovery jog, another mile at 10:15 pace, 1/2 mile recovery jog, then a mile cool down run, totaling 5 miles.
I got up around 6:40, a little later than I hoped to get up, and headed out the door around 7 am. I walked a half mile for warm up and then starting running. As I began just walking, it seemed like everything hurt. My knees were complaining, my ankle hurt, my back even hurt. Thankfully the warm up walk helped get my body into groove. None of those things plagued me throughout the run. It was fairly humid out , so I was very thankful for a strong breeze. I did the warm up mile in 12 even.
Soon enough it was time for the speedwork. I find it hard to keep a steady rhythm but i just concentrated on keeping myself below 10:20 pace. I found myself quite often running in the 9 minute mile range, then the next thing I know im doing 11 again. The first fast mile was tough! I kept concetrating on that if I got to the end of the mile, I had a half mile recovery! I did that mile at 10:13 pace~! I allowed myself to walk up to a tenth of a mile during the recovery jog. I only needed .05 hundredth and then I started jogging again.
My 2nd fast mile came far sooner than I would have liked. It helped knowing though, that once that was over, I just had slow 1.5 miles to run home. I really wanted to do the 2nd mile of speedwork faster. My son was really happy that I was going to have to suffer the pain of repeat miles like he often has to during cross country season. They have to do each subsquent mile faster, so I was really hoping to do that as well. I came in at 10:07 -- woot -- faster than the first! I was extremely pleased with my pace mile times. I hit the mark and then some! Dont get me wrong, it was hard. I was breathing heavy and working really really hard. I was very surprised to find my average heart rate coming in at 154. I know during those speed segments, it was regularly over 160+.
This time, I took my full tenth of a mile walking during my recovery job. I wanted to get my breathing back under control and my heart rate down and I was tired! I found the last cool down mile the most challenging. Im not sure if it was that I was just ready to be done or what but I found it harder. It was a bit of the Dory mantra, just keep running, just keep running. My pace was all over the place but I ended up doing that mile in 12:10.
All in all, the 5 miles averaged out at a 11:31 pace. Ive run 29.1 miles this month so far. If I can keep up with my training plan, Im on pace for a record month of miles! Time will tell on that front!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
I got up around 6:40, a little later than I hoped to get up, and headed out the door around 7 am. I walked a half mile for warm up and then starting running. As I began just walking, it seemed like everything hurt. My knees were complaining, my ankle hurt, my back even hurt. Thankfully the warm up walk helped get my body into groove. None of those things plagued me throughout the run. It was fairly humid out , so I was very thankful for a strong breeze. I did the warm up mile in 12 even.
Soon enough it was time for the speedwork. I find it hard to keep a steady rhythm but i just concentrated on keeping myself below 10:20 pace. I found myself quite often running in the 9 minute mile range, then the next thing I know im doing 11 again. The first fast mile was tough! I kept concetrating on that if I got to the end of the mile, I had a half mile recovery! I did that mile at 10:13 pace~! I allowed myself to walk up to a tenth of a mile during the recovery jog. I only needed .05 hundredth and then I started jogging again.
My 2nd fast mile came far sooner than I would have liked. It helped knowing though, that once that was over, I just had slow 1.5 miles to run home. I really wanted to do the 2nd mile of speedwork faster. My son was really happy that I was going to have to suffer the pain of repeat miles like he often has to during cross country season. They have to do each subsquent mile faster, so I was really hoping to do that as well. I came in at 10:07 -- woot -- faster than the first! I was extremely pleased with my pace mile times. I hit the mark and then some! Dont get me wrong, it was hard. I was breathing heavy and working really really hard. I was very surprised to find my average heart rate coming in at 154. I know during those speed segments, it was regularly over 160+.
This time, I took my full tenth of a mile walking during my recovery job. I wanted to get my breathing back under control and my heart rate down and I was tired! I found the last cool down mile the most challenging. Im not sure if it was that I was just ready to be done or what but I found it harder. It was a bit of the Dory mantra, just keep running, just keep running. My pace was all over the place but I ended up doing that mile in 12:10.
All in all, the 5 miles averaged out at a 11:31 pace. Ive run 29.1 miles this month so far. If I can keep up with my training plan, Im on pace for a record month of miles! Time will tell on that front!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Sure it wasn't Monday?
Today was one of those days that just felt like a Monday. I had a bit of a headache in the morning, and didn't feel well most of the day. The alarm went off at six o'clock this morning, but I didn't get up to run. I was up late last night, so I figured I could run in the evening, after work. When I did get home, I got busy around the house, and it was still bright and fairly hot--conditions I don't really like. Soon, dinner was on the table, and I hate the concept of running on a full tummy. I was ready to give it up for the day, but Mrs. F told me she was going for a bike ride. I told her I'd go for a run at the same time, if she'd wait a bit while the food settled. We waited around about an hour, and then we headed out.
I took a 2.8 mile route, one to which Mrs. F introduced me a week or so ago, with what she calls "a wicked hill." It wasn't a great run this evening--all effort, all the time. The air was so thick and humid as I began. About two blocks in, I noticed a small stone in my shoe. It wasn't sharp, so I continued on to the top of the first hill where I stopped and took it out. I continued on, the evening sun beating down on me, and I was simply hot, sore, and uncomfortable. I was so glad I was wearing my sunglasses.
When I took a turn southward, I caught a face full of wind, and that felt wonderful. The run, itself, was still tedium, but at least I felt cooler now. I didn't spend much time looking around today. I just ran on, keeping my feet in tune to a mental cadence that sounded some form of the Magnum P.I. theme.
Mrs. F soon caught up to me with the bike, while I was going up the steepest incline on the route. I talked her through adjusting her gears so that she could up-shift as she climbed, and I think I ended up taking the hill too fast. When I got to the top, I was well-winded and had to walk for a bit. I soon resumed and ran past the two mile point while Mrs. F rode on. Soon she circled around to me and stayed alongside for the balance of the route. I decided to end the run early, when I came to a specific intersection about a half mile from the house. That kept my run to about 2.3 miles, and I walked the rest of the way home.
My lower back and outer abs are a bit sore, as are my glutes and my quads at my hips, but other than that, I feel fine. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Mrs. F is slated to run again tomorrow morning. I'm thinking about going with her, just to get back on the same schedule. Otherwise, my next one will be Thursday.
I took a 2.8 mile route, one to which Mrs. F introduced me a week or so ago, with what she calls "a wicked hill." It wasn't a great run this evening--all effort, all the time. The air was so thick and humid as I began. About two blocks in, I noticed a small stone in my shoe. It wasn't sharp, so I continued on to the top of the first hill where I stopped and took it out. I continued on, the evening sun beating down on me, and I was simply hot, sore, and uncomfortable. I was so glad I was wearing my sunglasses.
When I took a turn southward, I caught a face full of wind, and that felt wonderful. The run, itself, was still tedium, but at least I felt cooler now. I didn't spend much time looking around today. I just ran on, keeping my feet in tune to a mental cadence that sounded some form of the Magnum P.I. theme.
Mrs. F soon caught up to me with the bike, while I was going up the steepest incline on the route. I talked her through adjusting her gears so that she could up-shift as she climbed, and I think I ended up taking the hill too fast. When I got to the top, I was well-winded and had to walk for a bit. I soon resumed and ran past the two mile point while Mrs. F rode on. Soon she circled around to me and stayed alongside for the balance of the route. I decided to end the run early, when I came to a specific intersection about a half mile from the house. That kept my run to about 2.3 miles, and I walked the rest of the way home.
My lower back and outer abs are a bit sore, as are my glutes and my quads at my hips, but other than that, I feel fine. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Mrs. F is slated to run again tomorrow morning. I'm thinking about going with her, just to get back on the same schedule. Otherwise, my next one will be Thursday.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday run in review
The alarm went off at 5 AM, but we didn't rise immediately. We fell subject to the tyranny of the snooze alarm, but we broke free of our shackles before the early morning slipped away. This was the day of Mrs. F's long run. Her plan was to cover six miles. I had missed my other runs this week, so I only had a two-miler under my belt since Monday. Part of me wanted to throw myself back down into bed with my favorite flannel blanket, but I knew I needed to run.
Mrs. F and I dallied a bit after rising, but we both made it out the door by 6 AM. After all the heat we've had, it was refreshingly cool. Since I knew I would neither be able to keep up with Mrs. F, nor cover the same distance as she, I opted to take another route. From the same starting point we went separate ways--Mrs. F off to the Luce Line Trail, and I headed north and uphill, the start of the route that marked my reboot two weeks ago.
With my earbuds in place and one of my favorite artists set to "play all", I made my way.
The first uphill segment caused me no trouble or discomfort. Rather than trying to keep my pace down, I let my body call the shots, running as fast or as slow as felt comfortable. Mrs. F was using her Garmin GPS today, so only had a watch to record my time. Yet, from running this way before, I had an idea of where the one-mile mark was located. When I hit it, I was just over 13 minutes.
The turn came that marked the route I took two weeks ago, but I set my eyes further east. Since I now knew I could run five miles, and the route around the lake nearly matched that distance, I decided to give it a go.
When our eldest son first started cross country, I thought he was crazy for running three miles at a time. Runners always seemed crazy to . Why, after all, would anyone want to punish their bodies in such a fashion? When he started running around the lake for his own enjoyment, which driving showed to be about five miles, I thought he was nuts, and that he must have gotten most of his genes from my wife's side of the family. Still, there I was, opting to make the same run.
The run out of town seemed mostly uphill, though a modest grade. Mentally, I had braced for a long jog out to the road that would take me south, yet it came into view far earlier than I expected. [It turns out that it was only 1.5 miles from my starting point, but in my mind's eye I thought it was more than two miles away.] About that time I also realized that the first mile of my run was in no way unpleasant--a marked difference from most of my running experiences--so now I was excited about the rest of the run.
I crossed and turned south onto the road that would take me along the western shore. [I always run facing traffic--a habit I picked up when learning rules for safe hikes with the Boy Scouts.] I never thought I'd tolerate running on pavement, but it's not been as bad as I imagined. Soon, however, I reached the end of the paved stretch, and I welcomed the scrunching sound of my feet on gravel. I ran past my dentist's house, and it was clear that he had been up already. The gravel along his property line was wet where he had sprayed it down not long before, to keep clouds of dust from rising when the cars whizzed by.
Soon after passing his house, there was a straight flat segment perhaps two-tenths of a mile in length. On the right, grasses, brush, and trees decorated the hillside that descended toward the lake. On the left, a large, open wetland field filled numerous acres. Hundreds, if not thousands of birds darted to and from across my path and around me. The electric line on my left that paralleled the road was wing to wing birds for much of the span, and the trees on my rights seemed alive from the throng of birds. The scene reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", but my avian companions seemed to have no interest in pecking at my eyes.
Soon after passing the field, the road began its gradual descent, and curved to follow the contour of the shoreline. Fewer homes lined the road here, each on larger lots with many mature trees. Again, I was surprised when I approached a recognizable way point sooner than expected. The point where the Luce Line Trail crosses the road, the place where Mrs. F and I began our Couch-to-5k training program, was just ahead of me.
I made the turn onto the trail. I knew this segment well, but had not run on it since late last fall. My stride was still steady and I felt no fatigue, so it was a different experience on the tail this time. I quickly had run past the point where we would end our warm-up walks, and was surprised by how quickly the trail seemed to pass. There was the large curve where I'd often lose sight of Mrs. F, especially when coming from the other direction. Then there was the bench that marked the spot where I once gave up due to discomfort in my left knee and hip, before getting up and starting again. Many memories came to me that highlighted how far I had come.
Now, on the long, gradual climb the trail presented, my body started to feel the distance. Yet I kept moving on, striding past spots on the trail where I once agonized to finish. I rehearsed in my mind the fact that I soon would come to the end of the trail, but that it would not mark the end of my run the way it once had. Soon even that point was behind me as I turned briefly north before turning westward again. Now I knew the distance was short (given the length of my run). A small cough began to bother me from time to time, so I paid close attention to my breathing. I tried a bit of water, but it didn't help. Eventually, I took a deep breath and let myself cough hard before spitting away whatever it was that had been bothering me. Things were again better after that.
Reaching Second Street, I opted to turn north to take advantage of the shade cast by the trees along the road, something that would not have been available to me had I stayed to my original route. Since the roads were parallel, I knew my distance would be the same, so I had no worries of cutting myself short. As I drew closer to home, fatigue began to set in. It would have been so easy to stop and walk the rest of way, especially on familiar streets near home, but I resisted.
I turned west again, heading past some if the downtown stores and then past the grocery. At the main road that led home, there was no traffic, so I crossed and continued my run. Now, with home in view, my mind joined my body in wanting to be done. It's not that I physically needed to stop, but that my body wanted to stop. I did not feel that I could manage a sprint, but I pushed up my pace. Then I pushed up my pace again. Knowing that Mrs. F was running a longer distance and that she is also faster than me, I expected to see her returning as I approached home. I wondered if she was there already. I crossed my starting point at 1:13:17, covering a distance of 4.9 miles, giving me a pace just under a 15mm. Certainly not a fantastic pace, but a good improvement over my last long run.
Mrs. F didn't return until after I showered, while I was dressing so I could ride out looking for her. She ran six miles, and had added a half-mile walk both before and after.
The rest of the day was spent with family in Avery, Wisconsin, which made the 2.5 hour drive time (each way) bearable. My food consumption for the day was on target for a 1.9 lb./week loss, even before logging my run, so it was a good day indeed.
On a related note, my blood sugar levels are much better again, and my medicines are even causing me to get too low from time to time. I may yet be rid of them.
Mrs. F and I dallied a bit after rising, but we both made it out the door by 6 AM. After all the heat we've had, it was refreshingly cool. Since I knew I would neither be able to keep up with Mrs. F, nor cover the same distance as she, I opted to take another route. From the same starting point we went separate ways--Mrs. F off to the Luce Line Trail, and I headed north and uphill, the start of the route that marked my reboot two weeks ago.
With my earbuds in place and one of my favorite artists set to "play all", I made my way.
The first uphill segment caused me no trouble or discomfort. Rather than trying to keep my pace down, I let my body call the shots, running as fast or as slow as felt comfortable. Mrs. F was using her Garmin GPS today, so only had a watch to record my time. Yet, from running this way before, I had an idea of where the one-mile mark was located. When I hit it, I was just over 13 minutes.
The turn came that marked the route I took two weeks ago, but I set my eyes further east. Since I now knew I could run five miles, and the route around the lake nearly matched that distance, I decided to give it a go.
When our eldest son first started cross country, I thought he was crazy for running three miles at a time. Runners always seemed crazy to . Why, after all, would anyone want to punish their bodies in such a fashion? When he started running around the lake for his own enjoyment, which driving showed to be about five miles, I thought he was nuts, and that he must have gotten most of his genes from my wife's side of the family. Still, there I was, opting to make the same run.
The run out of town seemed mostly uphill, though a modest grade. Mentally, I had braced for a long jog out to the road that would take me south, yet it came into view far earlier than I expected. [It turns out that it was only 1.5 miles from my starting point, but in my mind's eye I thought it was more than two miles away.] About that time I also realized that the first mile of my run was in no way unpleasant--a marked difference from most of my running experiences--so now I was excited about the rest of the run.
I crossed and turned south onto the road that would take me along the western shore. [I always run facing traffic--a habit I picked up when learning rules for safe hikes with the Boy Scouts.] I never thought I'd tolerate running on pavement, but it's not been as bad as I imagined. Soon, however, I reached the end of the paved stretch, and I welcomed the scrunching sound of my feet on gravel. I ran past my dentist's house, and it was clear that he had been up already. The gravel along his property line was wet where he had sprayed it down not long before, to keep clouds of dust from rising when the cars whizzed by.
Soon after passing his house, there was a straight flat segment perhaps two-tenths of a mile in length. On the right, grasses, brush, and trees decorated the hillside that descended toward the lake. On the left, a large, open wetland field filled numerous acres. Hundreds, if not thousands of birds darted to and from across my path and around me. The electric line on my left that paralleled the road was wing to wing birds for much of the span, and the trees on my rights seemed alive from the throng of birds. The scene reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds", but my avian companions seemed to have no interest in pecking at my eyes.
Soon after passing the field, the road began its gradual descent, and curved to follow the contour of the shoreline. Fewer homes lined the road here, each on larger lots with many mature trees. Again, I was surprised when I approached a recognizable way point sooner than expected. The point where the Luce Line Trail crosses the road, the place where Mrs. F and I began our Couch-to-5k training program, was just ahead of me.
I made the turn onto the trail. I knew this segment well, but had not run on it since late last fall. My stride was still steady and I felt no fatigue, so it was a different experience on the tail this time. I quickly had run past the point where we would end our warm-up walks, and was surprised by how quickly the trail seemed to pass. There was the large curve where I'd often lose sight of Mrs. F, especially when coming from the other direction. Then there was the bench that marked the spot where I once gave up due to discomfort in my left knee and hip, before getting up and starting again. Many memories came to me that highlighted how far I had come.
Now, on the long, gradual climb the trail presented, my body started to feel the distance. Yet I kept moving on, striding past spots on the trail where I once agonized to finish. I rehearsed in my mind the fact that I soon would come to the end of the trail, but that it would not mark the end of my run the way it once had. Soon even that point was behind me as I turned briefly north before turning westward again. Now I knew the distance was short (given the length of my run). A small cough began to bother me from time to time, so I paid close attention to my breathing. I tried a bit of water, but it didn't help. Eventually, I took a deep breath and let myself cough hard before spitting away whatever it was that had been bothering me. Things were again better after that.
Reaching Second Street, I opted to turn north to take advantage of the shade cast by the trees along the road, something that would not have been available to me had I stayed to my original route. Since the roads were parallel, I knew my distance would be the same, so I had no worries of cutting myself short. As I drew closer to home, fatigue began to set in. It would have been so easy to stop and walk the rest of way, especially on familiar streets near home, but I resisted.
I turned west again, heading past some if the downtown stores and then past the grocery. At the main road that led home, there was no traffic, so I crossed and continued my run. Now, with home in view, my mind joined my body in wanting to be done. It's not that I physically needed to stop, but that my body wanted to stop. I did not feel that I could manage a sprint, but I pushed up my pace. Then I pushed up my pace again. Knowing that Mrs. F was running a longer distance and that she is also faster than me, I expected to see her returning as I approached home. I wondered if she was there already. I crossed my starting point at 1:13:17, covering a distance of 4.9 miles, giving me a pace just under a 15mm. Certainly not a fantastic pace, but a good improvement over my last long run.
Mrs. F didn't return until after I showered, while I was dressing so I could ride out looking for her. She ran six miles, and had added a half-mile walk both before and after.
The rest of the day was spent with family in Avery, Wisconsin, which made the 2.5 hour drive time (each way) bearable. My food consumption for the day was on target for a 1.9 lb./week loss, even before logging my run, so it was a good day indeed.
On a related note, my blood sugar levels are much better again, and my medicines are even causing me to get too low from time to time. I may yet be rid of them.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Weight Check 7/9/10
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 277.2 lbs.
Today: 274.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -2.4 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 25.6 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 64.8
Comment: I'll take 2.4 lbs! I still need to run yet today.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 155.0 lbs.
Today: 154.3 lbs.
Gain/Loss: - .7 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 28.5 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 4.3
Comment: I expected to be up this week, I didnt overeat but I did eat up all my calories and some of my run burn. So Im extremely pleased with a 7/10 lb loss! The even better part was I looked at my bmi and I am officially, albeit barely, in the normal range with this latest loss!!!!!!!
Last Friday: 277.2 lbs.
Today: 274.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -2.4 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 25.6 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 64.8
Comment: I'll take 2.4 lbs! I still need to run yet today.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 155.0 lbs.
Today: 154.3 lbs.
Gain/Loss: - .7 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 28.5 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 4.3
Comment: I expected to be up this week, I didnt overeat but I did eat up all my calories and some of my run burn. So Im extremely pleased with a 7/10 lb loss! The even better part was I looked at my bmi and I am officially, albeit barely, in the normal range with this latest loss!!!!!!!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Back to biking
Well, I got back to biking to work this week. Mrs. F borrowed my bike to take a ride (hers was stolen a few weeks ago), and since she topped off the tires I no longer had an excuse. So, that gives me four quick half-mile sprints a day, except on days like today when I needed to run back and forth one extra time to fix a faucet. It feels good to be back in the saddle again.
Aside from July 4, calorie counts have been good over the past two weeks. We've had more fresh fruit and veggies around, so that has made a big difference. I'm due to run again today, but didn't feel like going out at five-thirty this morning. I should run this evening, but might postpone until tomorrow morning so as to be back on the same running schedule as Mrs. F. I'm due to run a longer one this week, and I'm not sure if that will be tomorrow, or on Saturday.
I've been thinking about doing a short (one mile) run on my off days, just for the calorie burn, but am wondering if that's a good idea. I'd still reserve one day as a complete day of rest, meaning I'd run my three primary runs and those three one-milers each week, leaving me one day for relaxation and recovery.
Temps have cooled off a bit here in the past few days, so the runs shouldn't feel like bathing in a roaster oven any longer. I'm looking forward to the approach of fall, when the days will be cool even when the runs make me hot.
Well, I must go for now (break's over).
Aside from July 4, calorie counts have been good over the past two weeks. We've had more fresh fruit and veggies around, so that has made a big difference. I'm due to run again today, but didn't feel like going out at five-thirty this morning. I should run this evening, but might postpone until tomorrow morning so as to be back on the same running schedule as Mrs. F. I'm due to run a longer one this week, and I'm not sure if that will be tomorrow, or on Saturday.
I've been thinking about doing a short (one mile) run on my off days, just for the calorie burn, but am wondering if that's a good idea. I'd still reserve one day as a complete day of rest, meaning I'd run my three primary runs and those three one-milers each week, leaving me one day for relaxation and recovery.
Temps have cooled off a bit here in the past few days, so the runs shouldn't feel like bathing in a roaster oven any longer. I'm looking forward to the approach of fall, when the days will be cool even when the runs make me hot.
Well, I must go for now (break's over).
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Todays run 7/7/10
Currently Im working on a 5 week training plan to helps with improving your time for a 5k. So todays workout was a 5 mile run - 1 mile warm up jog, 3 miles @ 10:52 pace and 1 mile cool down jog.
I thought, hmm I normally run around 11mm mile pace, this will be pretty easy. Um yeah ... It wasnt. It didnt help that I forget my mp3 player, so 5 miles felt really really long!
I took 8/10 of a mile warm up walk as well. I wanted to see if it made a difference to my inside leg muscles. It seemed to help some, the jury is still out on that one.It was bright and sunny as I didnt get out til after 7 am. I did the first mile at about 11:58 pace, nice and steady. Then came the fun part. I discovered that I really dont run at a very steady pace at all. One minute, id be pacing at 10:01 and the next 11:20. I focused on keeping my pace sub 11, that was a little easier than focusing on the precise second.
I did 3 miles (using the lap feature on my garmin) in 32:55, which comes out to a 10:59 pace. Thats pretty close to where I wanted it to be. I did walk a tenth of a mile after the 3 miles, I was beat! Then I took up running again. I ended at 5.0 miles even and walked the last couple of blocks home.
I did 5 miles in 57:20, which comes out to an 11:28 pace. Not bad at all for 5 miles!! and I beat my previous 5 mile time of 57:51!!! Even 31 seconds counts. My heartrate stayed pretty well within range, at least averaged out to 153. i think during the faster portion it was closer to 160's.
My legs are definitely feeling the workout today and Im glad to know there is a 2 day break after this! I have another 6 mile run slated for Saturday. I might shorten it depending on how my legs feel.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
I thought, hmm I normally run around 11mm mile pace, this will be pretty easy. Um yeah ... It wasnt. It didnt help that I forget my mp3 player, so 5 miles felt really really long!
I took 8/10 of a mile warm up walk as well. I wanted to see if it made a difference to my inside leg muscles. It seemed to help some, the jury is still out on that one.It was bright and sunny as I didnt get out til after 7 am. I did the first mile at about 11:58 pace, nice and steady. Then came the fun part. I discovered that I really dont run at a very steady pace at all. One minute, id be pacing at 10:01 and the next 11:20. I focused on keeping my pace sub 11, that was a little easier than focusing on the precise second.
I did 3 miles (using the lap feature on my garmin) in 32:55, which comes out to a 10:59 pace. Thats pretty close to where I wanted it to be. I did walk a tenth of a mile after the 3 miles, I was beat! Then I took up running again. I ended at 5.0 miles even and walked the last couple of blocks home.
I did 5 miles in 57:20, which comes out to an 11:28 pace. Not bad at all for 5 miles!! and I beat my previous 5 mile time of 57:51!!! Even 31 seconds counts. My heartrate stayed pretty well within range, at least averaged out to 153. i think during the faster portion it was closer to 160's.
My legs are definitely feeling the workout today and Im glad to know there is a 2 day break after this! I have another 6 mile run slated for Saturday. I might shorten it depending on how my legs feel.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Cross training
I borrowed Mr. F's bike(mine still hasnt been recovered) and went on a bike ride tonight. I really had forgotten how much I really do enjoy biking. It was really nice to get out by myself and just ride. I didnt even take my mp3 player.
I started by riding around the lake, which from my house, is about 5 miles. After coming back into town, I was feeling really good so I decided to press on. I added in another running route that I somtimes use.
I thought pretty seriously bout taking a 10 mile bike ride tonite but then I remembered my slated run for tommorrow is a 5 miler. Yeah probably best to take it easy! I was going to add in another run route which would have brought the total to 10.
I also thought bout walking the dog tonight as well. Is walking considered cross training or is it too similar to running? I do enjoy swimming but it would take a 10 minute drive to a lake that I could swim in. So its just not as convienent.
Mrs. F
I started by riding around the lake, which from my house, is about 5 miles. After coming back into town, I was feeling really good so I decided to press on. I added in another running route that I somtimes use.
I thought pretty seriously bout taking a 10 mile bike ride tonite but then I remembered my slated run for tommorrow is a 5 miler. Yeah probably best to take it easy! I was going to add in another run route which would have brought the total to 10.
I also thought bout walking the dog tonight as well. Is walking considered cross training or is it too similar to running? I do enjoy swimming but it would take a 10 minute drive to a lake that I could swim in. So its just not as convienent.
Mrs. F
Two miles
I had the pleasure of running with son #4 tonight. He's been practicing for a run during the city festival in August, but he's never run two miles before. We had a good run. He was running through the mile-and-a-half point, and then walked a fast walk while I ran on. As he felt able, he ran a bit more, then walked again. When we hit two miles, I was slightly better than 15mm (14:50), and we walked the last block or two home. It was a nice run.
Long weekend in review...
I didn't post anything over the weekend, so here's the quick summary: one short run, too much food on the 4th, but otherwise a nice weekend.
We had a medical emergency Friday night (a daughter with significant burns from a bowl of soup), so I didn't get out running. [She's okay now--our quick reactions and plenty of cold water limited the blistering burns to a narrow band on her abdomen.] On Saturday, since I already had 12 miles in over the preceding seven days, I decided to run one mile as fast as I could. I did a mile in 12:28. I have no complaints.
I never imagined myself running 12 miles, ever--whether over the course of a week or even over 100 days!
With a good week behind me, I decided to take a couple of days off before running again.
Independence Day brought too much food for me--too many bratwurst and too much cake--but that just means I'll need to work harder this week. I planned to run this morning, but woke up with a headache, so I lingered longer in bed and will try for a run this evening.
We had a medical emergency Friday night (a daughter with significant burns from a bowl of soup), so I didn't get out running. [She's okay now--our quick reactions and plenty of cold water limited the blistering burns to a narrow band on her abdomen.] On Saturday, since I already had 12 miles in over the preceding seven days, I decided to run one mile as fast as I could. I did a mile in 12:28. I have no complaints.
I never imagined myself running 12 miles, ever--whether over the course of a week or even over 100 days!
With a good week behind me, I decided to take a couple of days off before running again.
Independence Day brought too much food for me--too many bratwurst and too much cake--but that just means I'll need to work harder this week. I planned to run this morning, but woke up with a headache, so I lingered longer in bed and will try for a run this evening.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Monday Madness
I did not want to run today -- I just wasnt in the mood at all. I had Mr. F snooze the alarm several times before I finally got up just after 7 am. I couldnt find my workout clothes and I seriously thought of not going at all.
I looked around and found the various workout clothes in 3 different spots. Still wasnt really keen on going. Mr F. was still sleeping as this is his off day.
Im looking at a new training plan that a friend created for me off Runners World website. So today was supposed to be 2 miles at a 12:30 pace. So i figured I could take it slow and easy.
I set out to do my 2.8 mile route( I never did follow directions well lol) and kept my pace slow. I sped up at various points but today waS just hard. I fully realize that my mental game just wasnt there today. I had some emotional stress this weekend and a lot of that is still lingering. It didnt help that I discovered my mp3 player wasnt charged when I went to use it. So I had more time to think bout how much I really didnt want to run.
I even allowed myself to walk up a hill in the middle -- I hardly ever do that. I finished stronger than I started though and that felt good. I did 2.8 miles at a 12:01 pace. Not too shabby for a slow run!
I had a little muscle soreness on the inside of my legs again today. Someone mentioned needing to warm up or that happens. So Im going to try doing a half mile or mile walk first and see if that helps.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
I looked around and found the various workout clothes in 3 different spots. Still wasnt really keen on going. Mr F. was still sleeping as this is his off day.
Im looking at a new training plan that a friend created for me off Runners World website. So today was supposed to be 2 miles at a 12:30 pace. So i figured I could take it slow and easy.
I set out to do my 2.8 mile route( I never did follow directions well lol) and kept my pace slow. I sped up at various points but today waS just hard. I fully realize that my mental game just wasnt there today. I had some emotional stress this weekend and a lot of that is still lingering. It didnt help that I discovered my mp3 player wasnt charged when I went to use it. So I had more time to think bout how much I really didnt want to run.
I even allowed myself to walk up a hill in the middle -- I hardly ever do that. I finished stronger than I started though and that felt good. I did 2.8 miles at a 12:01 pace. Not too shabby for a slow run!
I had a little muscle soreness on the inside of my legs again today. Someone mentioned needing to warm up or that happens. So Im going to try doing a half mile or mile walk first and see if that helps.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Sunday, July 4, 2010
How fast can you go?
Today was slated to be a rest day for me. The weather dawned nice and warm and by 10 am, it was already 81 degrees. I thought -- you know Im kinda glad to not be running today.
Mr. F had gone out earlier in the morning, Ill let him chime in on his run later. Suffice to say though -- he did fabulous!
While chatting online with a friend -- a fellow runner-- she challenged me to run a mile as fast as i could. She guessed that Id do an 8:48. If you havent figured out by now, Im a bit competetive. I took that challenge and ran with it. I suited up in a tank top and shorts, strapped on my garmin and ran.
The first two tenths I was able to run between the pace of 6-8 minutes per mile. That quickly led to some serious huffing and puffing. I ended up doing the middle part of the run around 9-9:20 pace. At various points I was able to speed up a bit but not like the beginning. It was hot!
I ran a mile in 8:41, beating my friends guess by 7 whole seconds! Way to go me! :)
I seriously felt like I might just collapse right there in my driveway though. I was breathing really really hard. Ive wanted to run a mile as fast as I could go for awhile. I havent though wanted to give up a larger calorie burn to do that single mile run. So it worked out well that I snuck it in on a rest day. I wasnt feeling too sore from my 7 mile run yesterday and felt overall good.
As I sit typing tonight -- I feel great -- muscle wise at least.
On another note, eating today wasnt so well. I just felt hungry most of the day and kept eating and eating and eating. I think I ended the night 200 calories over and that already included 120 calorie burn for the run! Oh well ... tommorrow is a new day and its good to remember that. Part of me wonders though, if it could have been from undereating the day before. I ended up eating 1850 for the day, burned 823 on my long run, so only netting just over 1000 for the day. Hmmm ....
Switching back to a more fun topic -- I got a new dress today. Its really exciting to buy a dress in a much smaller size than I was 10 months ago! Im feeling really good about myself and Im really enjoying that. I even bought some toenail polish to go with my new sandals and dress.
I find myself talking bout couch to 5k everywhere. I mentioned to the fitting room clerk that I have lost almost 28 lbs. And she asked how I did it. It was exciting to talk about couch to 5k. The even more cool part was when she was skeptical about being able to do it herself. Thats when Mr. F chimed in and told her that he was over 300 lbs when he started and did this! I dont know if she will look it up or start it or anything but it was good to share a bit of our success.
I really should get to bed. For some reason, I stayed up late tonight. Usually its the opposite -- Mr. F is the night owl and IM usually the first asleep.
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Mr. F had gone out earlier in the morning, Ill let him chime in on his run later. Suffice to say though -- he did fabulous!
While chatting online with a friend -- a fellow runner-- she challenged me to run a mile as fast as i could. She guessed that Id do an 8:48. If you havent figured out by now, Im a bit competetive. I took that challenge and ran with it. I suited up in a tank top and shorts, strapped on my garmin and ran.
The first two tenths I was able to run between the pace of 6-8 minutes per mile. That quickly led to some serious huffing and puffing. I ended up doing the middle part of the run around 9-9:20 pace. At various points I was able to speed up a bit but not like the beginning. It was hot!
I ran a mile in 8:41, beating my friends guess by 7 whole seconds! Way to go me! :)
I seriously felt like I might just collapse right there in my driveway though. I was breathing really really hard. Ive wanted to run a mile as fast as I could go for awhile. I havent though wanted to give up a larger calorie burn to do that single mile run. So it worked out well that I snuck it in on a rest day. I wasnt feeling too sore from my 7 mile run yesterday and felt overall good.
As I sit typing tonight -- I feel great -- muscle wise at least.
On another note, eating today wasnt so well. I just felt hungry most of the day and kept eating and eating and eating. I think I ended the night 200 calories over and that already included 120 calorie burn for the run! Oh well ... tommorrow is a new day and its good to remember that. Part of me wonders though, if it could have been from undereating the day before. I ended up eating 1850 for the day, burned 823 on my long run, so only netting just over 1000 for the day. Hmmm ....
Switching back to a more fun topic -- I got a new dress today. Its really exciting to buy a dress in a much smaller size than I was 10 months ago! Im feeling really good about myself and Im really enjoying that. I even bought some toenail polish to go with my new sandals and dress.
I find myself talking bout couch to 5k everywhere. I mentioned to the fitting room clerk that I have lost almost 28 lbs. And she asked how I did it. It was exciting to talk about couch to 5k. The even more cool part was when she was skeptical about being able to do it herself. Thats when Mr. F chimed in and told her that he was over 300 lbs when he started and did this! I dont know if she will look it up or start it or anything but it was good to share a bit of our success.
I really should get to bed. For some reason, I stayed up late tonight. Usually its the opposite -- Mr. F is the night owl and IM usually the first asleep.
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thwarted twice over
I got up early to run this morning, but when I realized that the garden didn't get watered last night, I ended up taking care of that. More than an hour later, my running time was gone and I found myself rushing to get to work by 8 AM.
This afternoon, things were going pretty well. We were allowed to leave a little early today, and when I got home, I found myself adjusting to the fact that I don't have any homework to do. I had started soup when I was home over lunch, so I decided to make some bread. Of course, in our house, making bread is more than baking a loaf. When all was done, we had three large whole wheat sandwich loaves, a wheat batard, and four French baguettes. In addition, I reserved half a batch of wheat dough to retard in the refrigerator, and used the other to grill up some flat bread to eat with the soup. My formulation came out far better than I expected--the flat bread puffed perfectly, making them wonderful, homemade pocket-style pita bread. All seemed wonderful, and all was wonderful.
Then, it happened. As we sat down for dinner and Mrs. F served bowls of extremely hot Cajun-seasoned soup, our four year old daughter tipped her bowl out onto her belly. Her wail made it clear it was no push from a brother or a minor injury. We rushed her into the bathroom, and I had her lay down in the bathtub. We got her shirt off, and immediately started applying cold water. Given the location, the upper part of her abdomen, it would have been tough to immerse the burned area. We took a wet rag, laid it across the burn (about 2" by 8"), and kept pouring cold water on the rag. Her screaming and wailing was... She was inconsolable. In time, she said her fingers hurt, too, so we soaked them in a cup. We let the tub fill part way with cold water, and kept her in as long as she could stand it. Then, getting her out of the tub, I loosely wrapped a cold, wet triangular bandage around her trunk. [Thanks, Mrs. F--They were a great birthday gift, and they've proven useful, too.] It was clear that some blisters were developing, so we headed in to the emergency room.
To make a long story short, our daughter is okay and I didn't get my run. Because we cooled the wound so quickly (and for so long), by the time the ER doctor took a look, she was left with a line of relatively mild second degree burns. The rest of the 2"x8" area looked like normal skin again. Had we not cooled her so soon and so long, she likely would have blistered over a larger area.
She's in bed now, with a bit of medicated ointment and a fresh bandage on. I'm trying to wind down, and wondering how cool it will be in the morning. My plans to run today were thwarted twice, but tomorrow dawns a new day.
This afternoon, things were going pretty well. We were allowed to leave a little early today, and when I got home, I found myself adjusting to the fact that I don't have any homework to do. I had started soup when I was home over lunch, so I decided to make some bread. Of course, in our house, making bread is more than baking a loaf. When all was done, we had three large whole wheat sandwich loaves, a wheat batard, and four French baguettes. In addition, I reserved half a batch of wheat dough to retard in the refrigerator, and used the other to grill up some flat bread to eat with the soup. My formulation came out far better than I expected--the flat bread puffed perfectly, making them wonderful, homemade pocket-style pita bread. All seemed wonderful, and all was wonderful.
Then, it happened. As we sat down for dinner and Mrs. F served bowls of extremely hot Cajun-seasoned soup, our four year old daughter tipped her bowl out onto her belly. Her wail made it clear it was no push from a brother or a minor injury. We rushed her into the bathroom, and I had her lay down in the bathtub. We got her shirt off, and immediately started applying cold water. Given the location, the upper part of her abdomen, it would have been tough to immerse the burned area. We took a wet rag, laid it across the burn (about 2" by 8"), and kept pouring cold water on the rag. Her screaming and wailing was... She was inconsolable. In time, she said her fingers hurt, too, so we soaked them in a cup. We let the tub fill part way with cold water, and kept her in as long as she could stand it. Then, getting her out of the tub, I loosely wrapped a cold, wet triangular bandage around her trunk. [Thanks, Mrs. F--They were a great birthday gift, and they've proven useful, too.] It was clear that some blisters were developing, so we headed in to the emergency room.
To make a long story short, our daughter is okay and I didn't get my run. Because we cooled the wound so quickly (and for so long), by the time the ER doctor took a look, she was left with a line of relatively mild second degree burns. The rest of the 2"x8" area looked like normal skin again. Had we not cooled her so soon and so long, she likely would have blistered over a larger area.
She's in bed now, with a bit of medicated ointment and a fresh bandage on. I'm trying to wind down, and wondering how cool it will be in the morning. My plans to run today were thwarted twice, but tomorrow dawns a new day.
Weight check 7/2/10
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 280.2 lbs.
Today: 277.2 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -3.0 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 23.2 lbs.
[I readjusted this cumulative total after going to back to realize Mr. F's starting weight was actually 300.4]
Pounds to lose: 67.2
Comment: I don't feel too bad considering I've run 12 miles this week. I still need to run tonight.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 155.4 lbs.
Today: 155.0 lbs.
Gain/Loss: - .4 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 27.8 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 5.0
Comment: I expected to have a small loss this week since last weeks was so large. So Im pleased with nearly a half pound loss. I really hit running hard this week, in the last 7 days, Ive run over 18 miles!
Last Friday: 280.2 lbs.
Today: 277.2 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -3.0 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 23.2 lbs.
[I readjusted this cumulative total after going to back to realize Mr. F's starting weight was actually 300.4]
Pounds to lose: 67.2
Comment: I don't feel too bad considering I've run 12 miles this week. I still need to run tonight.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 155.4 lbs.
Today: 155.0 lbs.
Gain/Loss: - .4 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 27.8 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 5.0
Comment: I expected to have a small loss this week since last weeks was so large. So Im pleased with nearly a half pound loss. I really hit running hard this week, in the last 7 days, Ive run over 18 miles!
The 7 miler
Today was slated to be my long run. I was planning on doing at least 6 today since my longer runs lately have been on the shorter end. I got up with the idea that maybe, just maybe, I wanted to try 7.
I set out on a gravel road heading out of town and then connected up to a state trail. Its an old rail line, so its fairly leval with minimal elevation.
The first 3 miles were tough. It just felt long and drug out and I started rethinking the plan. I kept telling myself that I just need to get to 2.5 miles(I was doing a turn around and doubling back). I just keep plugging away.
I set a pacing goal of 12-13 minute miles. It was harder than I thought to keep my pace slow enough to do that long of a run. There were points that I allowed myself to go faster for a short while at least.
At about 3.1 miles, I start thinking about how far out I am and the fact that I didnt bring a cell phone. I started wondering bout the brilliance of this plan. I hit 3.25 and I found my stride for awhile! At 3.5 miles run, I turned around on the trail and started running back.
This is the point where I really regretted forgetting my sunglasses as I was facing directly into the sun. Thankfully the trail was wooded and had various shade patches along the way. It was about 66 degrees out with a nice breeze.
My insides of my legs hurt for the first 3 miles, than at mile 4 my quads took up the mantra. The weird thing was the inside of my legs felt fine then.
I didnt hit the wall til mile 5. Then it was tough, I still had two miles to go and I was in direct sunlight. I had come off the trail section back unto the gravel road. Just keep running, just keep running was my mantra for awhile. The songs changed on my playlist and uplifted my mood a bit. I found a bit more of my stride at mile 6. It just might have been the fact that it was a downhill moment though.
For the last mile, I allowed myself to go as fast or as slow as I wanted. I ran sub 12 for the first half mile, then slowed to sub 13 for awhile and finished by sprinting sub 10. I ended up with overall average pace of 11:57.
This was my longest run yet for distance and time both. It took me 1 hour and 23 minutes and 41 seconds!!!
I will definitely take the next two days off as rest days as Ive run 13.9 miles this week total. And if I included last Saturday as well, it would be 18.6 in the last 7 days. I suspect its time for a rest!
Weight check later today. Im not sure what to expect. Part of me wonders since I had really really low calorie days(1200-1400) last week and had a big loss, if this week will be a gain. I kept my calorie intakes to a reasonale leval this week, but they just werent as low as last weeks. I also ran 3 days this week as well. Time will tell!
Stay tuned folks...
Mrs. F
I set out on a gravel road heading out of town and then connected up to a state trail. Its an old rail line, so its fairly leval with minimal elevation.
The first 3 miles were tough. It just felt long and drug out and I started rethinking the plan. I kept telling myself that I just need to get to 2.5 miles(I was doing a turn around and doubling back). I just keep plugging away.
I set a pacing goal of 12-13 minute miles. It was harder than I thought to keep my pace slow enough to do that long of a run. There were points that I allowed myself to go faster for a short while at least.
At about 3.1 miles, I start thinking about how far out I am and the fact that I didnt bring a cell phone. I started wondering bout the brilliance of this plan. I hit 3.25 and I found my stride for awhile! At 3.5 miles run, I turned around on the trail and started running back.
This is the point where I really regretted forgetting my sunglasses as I was facing directly into the sun. Thankfully the trail was wooded and had various shade patches along the way. It was about 66 degrees out with a nice breeze.
My insides of my legs hurt for the first 3 miles, than at mile 4 my quads took up the mantra. The weird thing was the inside of my legs felt fine then.
I didnt hit the wall til mile 5. Then it was tough, I still had two miles to go and I was in direct sunlight. I had come off the trail section back unto the gravel road. Just keep running, just keep running was my mantra for awhile. The songs changed on my playlist and uplifted my mood a bit. I found a bit more of my stride at mile 6. It just might have been the fact that it was a downhill moment though.
For the last mile, I allowed myself to go as fast or as slow as I wanted. I ran sub 12 for the first half mile, then slowed to sub 13 for awhile and finished by sprinting sub 10. I ended up with overall average pace of 11:57.
This was my longest run yet for distance and time both. It took me 1 hour and 23 minutes and 41 seconds!!!
I will definitely take the next two days off as rest days as Ive run 13.9 miles this week total. And if I included last Saturday as well, it would be 18.6 in the last 7 days. I suspect its time for a rest!
Weight check later today. Im not sure what to expect. Part of me wonders since I had really really low calorie days(1200-1400) last week and had a big loss, if this week will be a gain. I kept my calorie intakes to a reasonale leval this week, but they just werent as low as last weeks. I also ran 3 days this week as well. Time will tell!
Stay tuned folks...
Mrs. F
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
New personal distance record, scary breathing problem
[5.0 miles in 82 minutes]
I missed going out with Mrs. F this morning, because I was up until 3AM getting my paper done. Rather than letting it slide for the day, I decided to go out for a run this evening. I decided to push myself a bit, and ended up running five miles! I currently feel like warmed-over death, but that's much better than shortly after my run ended. Let me explain...
After the end of the run, I came in and planned to take a shower. As I entered the bathroom, I noticed an odd smell in the air. Mrs. F told me that one of our daughters had, without permission of course, sprayed a bunch of Febreeze air spray in the bathroom. I've always disliked strong smells (some will give me headaches), but as I prepared to shower, I found myself gasping for breath. I literally felt my lungs tighten up, and I couldn't get a good breath without making a horrible, wheezing gasps. We had an inhaler around, so I took two hits, and I stayed in our bedroom under the ceiling fan until my breathing was better.
Let me just say this: it scared the crap out of me. For a minute, I thought there was a chance I might die.
I've never been diagnosed with asthma, and this is the first time this ever happened. I'll mention it to the doctor. I think the thickness of that scent in the air, on top of my lungs being fatigued from the run, was the source of the trouble, but it still scared the snot out of me. I'm still coughing every few minutes, even thought I got home 90 minutes ago. Mrs. F is throwing the bottle away, and I plan on writing the manufacturer (at a minimum, they need to know what happened).
That was scary. It sort of took the enjoyment out of my accomplishment--five miles is my longest run ever, and it brings my total for the past five days to 12 miles.
I missed going out with Mrs. F this morning, because I was up until 3AM getting my paper done. Rather than letting it slide for the day, I decided to go out for a run this evening. I decided to push myself a bit, and ended up running five miles! I currently feel like warmed-over death, but that's much better than shortly after my run ended. Let me explain...
After the end of the run, I came in and planned to take a shower. As I entered the bathroom, I noticed an odd smell in the air. Mrs. F told me that one of our daughters had, without permission of course, sprayed a bunch of Febreeze air spray in the bathroom. I've always disliked strong smells (some will give me headaches), but as I prepared to shower, I found myself gasping for breath. I literally felt my lungs tighten up, and I couldn't get a good breath without making a horrible, wheezing gasps. We had an inhaler around, so I took two hits, and I stayed in our bedroom under the ceiling fan until my breathing was better.
Let me just say this: it scared the crap out of me. For a minute, I thought there was a chance I might die.
I've never been diagnosed with asthma, and this is the first time this ever happened. I'll mention it to the doctor. I think the thickness of that scent in the air, on top of my lungs being fatigued from the run, was the source of the trouble, but it still scared the snot out of me. I'm still coughing every few minutes, even thought I got home 90 minutes ago. Mrs. F is throwing the bottle away, and I plan on writing the manufacturer (at a minimum, they need to know what happened).
That was scary. It sort of took the enjoyment out of my accomplishment--five miles is my longest run ever, and it brings my total for the past five days to 12 miles.
A family affair
Now that Mr. F is back on the running bandwagon, some of the kids are following suit. We had some discussions about what we wanted for our kids. Neither of us had good healthy execise habits. Imagine where we could have been if that had been part of our lives all along.
So we've decided that being active 3 times a week is going to be mandatory. Most of our kids dont struggle with weight and are fairly active. Although, like other kids, video games and sedentary activities like reading pull at them. So 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes(or they can do distance based like the minumum is a mile). Our family has a genetic history on at least one side of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholestol and heart disease. So they have a strike right off the bat. I want to encourage them to develop life long habits of making exercise a part of their lives.
Most of the kids are fine with this. A few are puzzled at the requirement -- after all they are pretty active kids. The lone holdout is my 16 yr old daughter. She is very resistant to the idea of adding exercise into her routine. In fact, she is flat out refusing. It doesnt have to be running -- it can be walking, running or even dancing. The main goal is to get out there and be active. I might need to pull out my parental arsenal of consquences :)
I expect some resistence to change but Im hoping we can make this a family affair!
So we've decided that being active 3 times a week is going to be mandatory. Most of our kids dont struggle with weight and are fairly active. Although, like other kids, video games and sedentary activities like reading pull at them. So 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes(or they can do distance based like the minumum is a mile). Our family has a genetic history on at least one side of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholestol and heart disease. So they have a strike right off the bat. I want to encourage them to develop life long habits of making exercise a part of their lives.
Most of the kids are fine with this. A few are puzzled at the requirement -- after all they are pretty active kids. The lone holdout is my 16 yr old daughter. She is very resistant to the idea of adding exercise into her routine. In fact, she is flat out refusing. It doesnt have to be running -- it can be walking, running or even dancing. The main goal is to get out there and be active. I might need to pull out my parental arsenal of consquences :)
I expect some resistence to change but Im hoping we can make this a family affair!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Musical words
I had my yearly physical today. It had been a year since I was last in that clinic. The last time I weighed 183 pounds and today I weighed 155.4. My doctor said that Im at a healthy weight for my height. Those words were music to my ears. Its been a long and hard year.
There are other indicators that my health is on the right track -- my cholesterol numbers were fantastic and my blood pressure was nice and low.
This is the fruit of my labor. I think back to some of those frigid cold days of running. I remember putting on layer after layer just to get out to run. It was worth it. There were months that I thought Id never get here -- after the scale read the same or higher each week.
For some of you, the journey is longer. I just want to encourage to keep plugging away. Keep moving, whether its running or walking or dancing. You can do it!
Mrs. F
There are other indicators that my health is on the right track -- my cholesterol numbers were fantastic and my blood pressure was nice and low.
This is the fruit of my labor. I think back to some of those frigid cold days of running. I remember putting on layer after layer just to get out to run. It was worth it. There were months that I thought Id never get here -- after the scale read the same or higher each week.
For some of you, the journey is longer. I just want to encourage to keep plugging away. Keep moving, whether its running or walking or dancing. You can do it!
Mrs. F
Two times in three days...not bad for a reboot
Mrs. F and I were out again this morning. My pace was still a bit slow (over 16mm), but this route had more long climbs, and one steep one, so I won't complain. With today's 2.75 miles, that brings me to just a hair under seven (7) miles over the past three days.
My body still remembered Saturday's run as we began, and it seemed to take a very long time to find my slogging stride. I didn't get that feeling of "everything's good" on this run, and I didn't feel like I was getting into a grove until at least a mile-and-a-half in, perhaps closer to two miles. It was nice to be on a different route again, however--many visual distractions to keep my mind from focusing on its desire to go back home and crawl into bed.
There was a good, stiff wind this morning, and it was just cool enough to make me feel chilled as we began. We were going head-on into the wind after our first turn, so the wind and the hill opposed us. Mrs. F has run the route before, so she knew what we were facing. She told me that there was a "wicked" hill on our next segment, and I could soon see why she described it that way. I took my eyes off the hill and looked down and around. I admired the densely wooded lot on our left. By the time I looked up again, I was well up on my climb, and I just needed to keep moving.
When we reached the intersection that marked where we'd turn back toward the house, I thought about continuing on. Rather than risk pushing myself too far, however, I decided it was best for me to suffice with a bit less than three miles today. That four-plus route can wait for another day.
I'm looking forward to weight-check on Friday. In looking back on my chart (which I had to fill in with dummy numbers around those weights I had recorded in order for the graph to show up in Excel), I realize just how much I messed up over the past six months. Instead of losing another 30 or more pounds, I had gained back ten (or more) and am only now back to where I was shortly after our secret plan was revealed.
At the same time, however, the prospect of the November Turkey Trot suddenly seemed less intimidating. After all, I really could drop another 30 (or more) pounds between now and then, and I can only imagine that running will be easier when I weigh less.
Oh, well. That's all for now. I need to top off my bike tires so I can get back to riding, and I need to plan on running again on Wednesday. For today and tomorrow, however, I need to put my nose to the grindstone, and crank out my final research paper. I'm so looking forward to school being done. Hurrah!
My body still remembered Saturday's run as we began, and it seemed to take a very long time to find my slogging stride. I didn't get that feeling of "everything's good" on this run, and I didn't feel like I was getting into a grove until at least a mile-and-a-half in, perhaps closer to two miles. It was nice to be on a different route again, however--many visual distractions to keep my mind from focusing on its desire to go back home and crawl into bed.
There was a good, stiff wind this morning, and it was just cool enough to make me feel chilled as we began. We were going head-on into the wind after our first turn, so the wind and the hill opposed us. Mrs. F has run the route before, so she knew what we were facing. She told me that there was a "wicked" hill on our next segment, and I could soon see why she described it that way. I took my eyes off the hill and looked down and around. I admired the densely wooded lot on our left. By the time I looked up again, I was well up on my climb, and I just needed to keep moving.
When we reached the intersection that marked where we'd turn back toward the house, I thought about continuing on. Rather than risk pushing myself too far, however, I decided it was best for me to suffice with a bit less than three miles today. That four-plus route can wait for another day.
I'm looking forward to weight-check on Friday. In looking back on my chart (which I had to fill in with dummy numbers around those weights I had recorded in order for the graph to show up in Excel), I realize just how much I messed up over the past six months. Instead of losing another 30 or more pounds, I had gained back ten (or more) and am only now back to where I was shortly after our secret plan was revealed.
At the same time, however, the prospect of the November Turkey Trot suddenly seemed less intimidating. After all, I really could drop another 30 (or more) pounds between now and then, and I can only imagine that running will be easier when I weigh less.
Oh, well. That's all for now. I need to top off my bike tires so I can get back to riding, and I need to plan on running again on Wednesday. For today and tomorrow, however, I need to put my nose to the grindstone, and crank out my final research paper. I'm so looking forward to school being done. Hurrah!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Not bad, considering...
I actually feel pretty good, considering I ran 4.24 miles yesterday. I can feel it in my quads, but I had expected to feel it in my lower back. My quads aren't too bad, either. I only really notice it when stooping, or when going down the stairs. Going up feels fine.
Mrs. F has asked me to run again in the morning. Though I need to get in to work early tomorrow, I just may go for that run (though I don't think I'll be trying for four!).
Good night.
Mrs. F has asked me to run again in the morning. Though I need to get in to work early tomorrow, I just may go for that run (though I don't think I'll be trying for four!).
Good night.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The FatMan Runneth
It's been a month since my last run, and that one was only a mile. At the end of it, I felt deflated and defeated. It seemed that all the progress I made last fall under the Couch-to-5k program had been undone. I wondered if I could ever get active again, despite all the encouraging comments I received here.
Well, over the past month, Mrs. F has been walking a fine line between encouraging me and nagging me about running. There's always been a reason not to run (e.g., up too late, need to get in to work early, headache, too hot, too many mosquitos, general malaise), so when she asked again last night, I was ready to blow it off again. "After all," I reasoned, "I need to finish my final paper, and I really need some sleep because it's been a long week at work and a stressful week at home.
To my surprise, when I woke at six o'clock this morning, I found myself waking up our eldest son to watch the kids so that Marie and I could go running. I guess I just took action this morning before I could think my way out of it.
It's been hot and humid lately, so I was pleased to find it in the low- to mid-60s when we left. The air was thick with mosture--fog clung close to the earth. It's my first summer run, so I wasn't sure what to wear. I went with a pair of compression boxer briefs and a pair of swim trunks for shorts, and a light tech shirt for on top. Knowing that I hoped to go more than a mile today, I grabbed a toy I picked up over the intervening months--a CamelBak resevoir--and took it along.
Remembering my last run, and the fact that I started out way too fast, I told Mrs. F that I wanted to pace at about 14 or 15 as we set out. My route was entirely new today, as I've never run along the roads in town before. I'm starting to think that Biggest Loser has done a lot for altering people's perspectives. Somehow, seeing that show available every week acclimates those "normal" or "healthy" body types to seeing a fat guy like me out there trying to make a difference. Well, that, at least, was how I rationalized things. I guess it (though I don't watch it regularly) has made me feel more comfortable about being seen as a fat guy trying to make a change.
The first half-mile was just what I expected--grinding against the machine. My body and mind were asking "Why?" and they weren't interested in my reasoned and logical responses. Mrs. F started ticking off milage, but I asked her not to do so--it was too early in the run. I didn't want to give my mind more fuel for fighting me. We began on an uphill stretch. When she did announce that we finished the first half-mile, I was still fighting to call the shots in my body. I wasn't as sore as I was on my last run, but I was still working to regulate my breath and to keep my arms relaxed. At that point, I determined that I had to try for two miles.
Mrs. F was being kind. She stuck close, and even ran backwards so she could stay with me. Perhaps three-fourths of a mile in, I told her to go ahead and take a loop through a subdivision while I continued ahead and to the right. I knew she wouldn't have a problem catching back up to me, and I didn't feel right holding her back.
She made her turn and I set my face on making it the two or three blocks to my next turn. Somewhere on that stretch, things settled in a bit. When I made the turn, I had to head down a fairly steep grade for about a block, and I let my stride lengthen as I tried to relax further. Coming up the next hill wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
I made it back to the street where we were to rendezvous, and I looked for signs of Mrs. F. Part of me wondered if she had completed her loop, cut across, and gotten ahead of me. I quickly set it out of my mind as I began to notice something.
My body remembered.
Yes, after six months puncuated by only a single mile of running, my body remembered how to run and it found its stride. I didn't have a runner's high, and it's not as if it didn't require any effort. It's just that everything felt fine. I was happy with my pace, I had no aches or pains, and my breathing was not labored.
Soon after, Mrs. F caught up to me and informed me of our distance. I don't know if she thought I'd want to turn around or not. I found myself thinking about running home. After all, two miles was a big improvement over last time. Yet everything seemed right, so I decided to keep going for as long as I could.
We ran along the lake front promenade, and I enjoyed the chilled breeze that came off the water. We ran by one of the parks we like, and past the home of some friends. We soon approached the trailhead where we had done much of our Couch-to-5k running, and Mrs. F told me that I had already gone about 2.1 miles. That's when the craziness hit me. Rather than turning around, turning a corner, and heading home, I decided to trace my path back home. I decided to run more than four miles.
Now, I know that overdoing it when getting back into something is a real risk. Everything today, however, felt fine.
Of course, after turning around, we were headed uphill again. A couple of blocks later, I hit what I'll describe as my wall. The funny thing is that I remembered the feeling from my first 5k race, and I think it happened at about the same point. I reminded myself that my body does what I tell it to do, and that, if I were careful not to push my pace too much, I should be able to finish the four.
Things evened out again. They didn't seem as perfect as they had before, but I still knew I could go on. My next mental test came when we came to a point where I could turn left and make a straight shot to near our house, or continue on a block and then turn right to finish re-tracing our path. I decided to remind my body who was in charge, so I pressed on. I told Mrs. F of my plan to run to four.
The next turn brought a long, gradual downhill segment, and I enjoyed it, even though I knew what was ahead. That steep downhill I enjoyed on the way out was now a challenge to be faced.
I remembered advice someone had given me about hills--to shorten my stride, lean into them a bit, and to swing my arms more. It was certainly a challenge, but I made it to the top. When we turned west, however, I saw that the next half mile (or more) was a long, gradual climb. I slowed again to regulate my breathing, but kept myself moving along as best I could. Not wanting to disappoint myself, I told Mrs. F that I would run to 4.1, just to make sure the mapped route didn't come up under four. She told me as we hit four, and I told her I would run to 4.1. Seeing a stopsign and T-stop ahead, marking our final turn toward home, I decided to forego 4.1 and to run right up to the stopsign. As Mrs. F and I came up to the final street before the stop, we sped up. Her ability to sprint has really improved in the past six months! We both finished that last segment on a sub-8:00 pace--not too shabby for a FatMan who just ran over four miles.
The final tally for me: 4.24 miles in just over 1:10. That turned out to be a 16:50mm pace. I won't complain about that, since it was my first run in a month, my first run over a mile in more than six months, and my longest run ever.
Perhaps a new day is dawning...
Well, over the past month, Mrs. F has been walking a fine line between encouraging me and nagging me about running. There's always been a reason not to run (e.g., up too late, need to get in to work early, headache, too hot, too many mosquitos, general malaise), so when she asked again last night, I was ready to blow it off again. "After all," I reasoned, "I need to finish my final paper, and I really need some sleep because it's been a long week at work and a stressful week at home.
To my surprise, when I woke at six o'clock this morning, I found myself waking up our eldest son to watch the kids so that Marie and I could go running. I guess I just took action this morning before I could think my way out of it.
It's been hot and humid lately, so I was pleased to find it in the low- to mid-60s when we left. The air was thick with mosture--fog clung close to the earth. It's my first summer run, so I wasn't sure what to wear. I went with a pair of compression boxer briefs and a pair of swim trunks for shorts, and a light tech shirt for on top. Knowing that I hoped to go more than a mile today, I grabbed a toy I picked up over the intervening months--a CamelBak resevoir--and took it along.
Remembering my last run, and the fact that I started out way too fast, I told Mrs. F that I wanted to pace at about 14 or 15 as we set out. My route was entirely new today, as I've never run along the roads in town before. I'm starting to think that Biggest Loser has done a lot for altering people's perspectives. Somehow, seeing that show available every week acclimates those "normal" or "healthy" body types to seeing a fat guy like me out there trying to make a difference. Well, that, at least, was how I rationalized things. I guess it (though I don't watch it regularly) has made me feel more comfortable about being seen as a fat guy trying to make a change.
The first half-mile was just what I expected--grinding against the machine. My body and mind were asking "Why?" and they weren't interested in my reasoned and logical responses. Mrs. F started ticking off milage, but I asked her not to do so--it was too early in the run. I didn't want to give my mind more fuel for fighting me. We began on an uphill stretch. When she did announce that we finished the first half-mile, I was still fighting to call the shots in my body. I wasn't as sore as I was on my last run, but I was still working to regulate my breath and to keep my arms relaxed. At that point, I determined that I had to try for two miles.
Mrs. F was being kind. She stuck close, and even ran backwards so she could stay with me. Perhaps three-fourths of a mile in, I told her to go ahead and take a loop through a subdivision while I continued ahead and to the right. I knew she wouldn't have a problem catching back up to me, and I didn't feel right holding her back.
She made her turn and I set my face on making it the two or three blocks to my next turn. Somewhere on that stretch, things settled in a bit. When I made the turn, I had to head down a fairly steep grade for about a block, and I let my stride lengthen as I tried to relax further. Coming up the next hill wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
I made it back to the street where we were to rendezvous, and I looked for signs of Mrs. F. Part of me wondered if she had completed her loop, cut across, and gotten ahead of me. I quickly set it out of my mind as I began to notice something.
My body remembered.
Yes, after six months puncuated by only a single mile of running, my body remembered how to run and it found its stride. I didn't have a runner's high, and it's not as if it didn't require any effort. It's just that everything felt fine. I was happy with my pace, I had no aches or pains, and my breathing was not labored.
Soon after, Mrs. F caught up to me and informed me of our distance. I don't know if she thought I'd want to turn around or not. I found myself thinking about running home. After all, two miles was a big improvement over last time. Yet everything seemed right, so I decided to keep going for as long as I could.
We ran along the lake front promenade, and I enjoyed the chilled breeze that came off the water. We ran by one of the parks we like, and past the home of some friends. We soon approached the trailhead where we had done much of our Couch-to-5k running, and Mrs. F told me that I had already gone about 2.1 miles. That's when the craziness hit me. Rather than turning around, turning a corner, and heading home, I decided to trace my path back home. I decided to run more than four miles.
Now, I know that overdoing it when getting back into something is a real risk. Everything today, however, felt fine.
Of course, after turning around, we were headed uphill again. A couple of blocks later, I hit what I'll describe as my wall. The funny thing is that I remembered the feeling from my first 5k race, and I think it happened at about the same point. I reminded myself that my body does what I tell it to do, and that, if I were careful not to push my pace too much, I should be able to finish the four.
Things evened out again. They didn't seem as perfect as they had before, but I still knew I could go on. My next mental test came when we came to a point where I could turn left and make a straight shot to near our house, or continue on a block and then turn right to finish re-tracing our path. I decided to remind my body who was in charge, so I pressed on. I told Mrs. F of my plan to run to four.
The next turn brought a long, gradual downhill segment, and I enjoyed it, even though I knew what was ahead. That steep downhill I enjoyed on the way out was now a challenge to be faced.
I remembered advice someone had given me about hills--to shorten my stride, lean into them a bit, and to swing my arms more. It was certainly a challenge, but I made it to the top. When we turned west, however, I saw that the next half mile (or more) was a long, gradual climb. I slowed again to regulate my breathing, but kept myself moving along as best I could. Not wanting to disappoint myself, I told Mrs. F that I would run to 4.1, just to make sure the mapped route didn't come up under four. She told me as we hit four, and I told her I would run to 4.1. Seeing a stopsign and T-stop ahead, marking our final turn toward home, I decided to forego 4.1 and to run right up to the stopsign. As Mrs. F and I came up to the final street before the stop, we sped up. Her ability to sprint has really improved in the past six months! We both finished that last segment on a sub-8:00 pace--not too shabby for a FatMan who just ran over four miles.
The final tally for me: 4.24 miles in just over 1:10. That turned out to be a 16:50mm pace. I won't complain about that, since it was my first run in a month, my first run over a mile in more than six months, and my longest run ever.
Perhaps a new day is dawning...
Friday, June 25, 2010
Weight Check 6/25/10
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 280.6 lbs.
Today: 280.2 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -.4 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 19.8 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 70.2
Comment: This was an extremely stressful week on many fronts. My head is caught in too many things to even think about exercising. I'm not getting enough rest, so it makes it hard to get up early in the morning to run.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 158.5 lbs.
Today: 155.4 lbs.
Gain/Loss: - 3.1 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 27.4 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 5.4
Comment: I was really jazzed to see how much i lost this week. It was an extremely stressful week and I ate way less. For once, stress worked to my benefit!!! I was really busy and didnt get in any runs in at all this week. Im sure that next week will be a much smaller loss but im enjoying this one!
Last Friday: 280.6 lbs.
Today: 280.2 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -.4 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 19.8 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 70.2
Comment: This was an extremely stressful week on many fronts. My head is caught in too many things to even think about exercising. I'm not getting enough rest, so it makes it hard to get up early in the morning to run.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 158.5 lbs.
Today: 155.4 lbs.
Gain/Loss: - 3.1 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 27.4 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 5.4
Comment: I was really jazzed to see how much i lost this week. It was an extremely stressful week and I ate way less. For once, stress worked to my benefit!!! I was really busy and didnt get in any runs in at all this week. Im sure that next week will be a much smaller loss but im enjoying this one!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Weight check 6/18/10
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 282.8 lbs.
Today: 280.6 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -2.2 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 19.4 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 70.6
Comment:
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 159.9 lbs.
Today: 158.5 lbs.
Gain/Loss: - 1.4 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 24.3 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 8.5
Comment: I was really excited to see the numbers finally go below 159!!! I worked harder at tracking this weekend and was successful on one of the two days -- Baby steps, though! And I got in two good runs this week before weigh in as well as a really good eating week. I kept my calories 1850 or less each day. Im pleased with the progress and IM enjoying seeing the cumulative total inch closer to 25 lost. Once I hit my goal weight, I plan to reevaluate once i hit 150 and detemine if I want to lose the other ten that reach my 2nd goal of 140.
Last Friday: 282.8 lbs.
Today: 280.6 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -2.2 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 19.4 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 70.6
Comment:
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 159.9 lbs.
Today: 158.5 lbs.
Gain/Loss: - 1.4 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 24.3 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 8.5
Comment: I was really excited to see the numbers finally go below 159!!! I worked harder at tracking this weekend and was successful on one of the two days -- Baby steps, though! And I got in two good runs this week before weigh in as well as a really good eating week. I kept my calories 1850 or less each day. Im pleased with the progress and IM enjoying seeing the cumulative total inch closer to 25 lost. Once I hit my goal weight, I plan to reevaluate once i hit 150 and detemine if I want to lose the other ten that reach my 2nd goal of 140.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Weight Check 6/11/10
weight check 6/4/10
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 285.0 lbs.
Today: 282.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -2.2 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 17.2 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 72.8
Comment: I've not gotten back to running regularly, but I did my best to limit my portions to what Mrs. F was eating. I think doing that will help me feel a little better, perhaps helping me to get out running again.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 159.8 lbs.
Today: 159.9 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +.1 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 22.9 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.8
Comment: I was discouraged with this weeks gain,even though its not much, it still was frustrating. I am thankful to be staying steady but being in the same pound range for 4 weeks is very frustrating. Part of it, Im sure is less consistency with running. Its been a lot harder getting up to run in the early mornings. Eating has been okay, although weekends are a lot tougher to eat consistently. I guess I just need to keep plugging away!
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 285.0 lbs.
Today: 282.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -2.2 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 17.2 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 72.8
Comment: I've not gotten back to running regularly, but I did my best to limit my portions to what Mrs. F was eating. I think doing that will help me feel a little better, perhaps helping me to get out running again.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 159.8 lbs.
Today: 159.9 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +.1 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 22.9 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.8
Comment: I was discouraged with this weeks gain,even though its not much, it still was frustrating. I am thankful to be staying steady but being in the same pound range for 4 weeks is very frustrating. Part of it, Im sure is less consistency with running. Its been a lot harder getting up to run in the early mornings. Eating has been okay, although weekends are a lot tougher to eat consistently. I guess I just need to keep plugging away!
Friday, June 4, 2010
weight check 6/4/10
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 285.4 lbs.
Today: 285.0 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -.4 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 15.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 75.0
Comment:
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 159.3 lbs.
Today: 159.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +.5 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 23.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.8
Comment: It was a week with more indulgences -- mememorial day picnic, birthday cake and housewarming party all factored in. So while Im not happy for the gain, Im thankful its only a half pound up.
Last Friday: 285.4 lbs.
Today: 285.0 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -.4 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 15.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 75.0
Comment:
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 159.3 lbs.
Today: 159.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +.5 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 23.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.8
Comment: It was a week with more indulgences -- mememorial day picnic, birthday cake and housewarming party all factored in. So while Im not happy for the gain, Im thankful its only a half pound up.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Weight check 5/27/10
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 285.6 lbs.
Today: 285.4 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -.2 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 14.6 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 75.4
Comment:
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 159.8 lbs.
Today: 159.3 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -.5 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 23.5 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.3
Comment: I was pleased to see the half pound gone. I didnt have a very consistent eating week, so I had feared it might have gone the other direction. Its very encouraging to see the numbers go below 10 towards my first goal. After I reach 150, I plan to reevaluate, and see if I want to lose that last 10 towards my 2nd goal of 140.
Last Friday: 285.6 lbs.
Today: 285.4 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -.2 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 14.6 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 75.4
Comment:
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 159.8 lbs.
Today: 159.3 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -.5 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 23.5 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.3
Comment: I was pleased to see the half pound gone. I didnt have a very consistent eating week, so I had feared it might have gone the other direction. Its very encouraging to see the numbers go below 10 towards my first goal. After I reach 150, I plan to reevaluate, and see if I want to lose that last 10 towards my 2nd goal of 140.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Recap
I know its been ages since I blogged but Im still here. I made it through the winter,and did keep running. :) Now its on to learning to run in the heat of the summer!
I ran 39.5 miles in January, 26.5 in february, 33.5 in March, 39.4 in April and thus far 15.8 in May. Im still trying to find the balance of the right amount of running that doesnt cause my legs to hurt. I dealt with some shin splints along the interior of my legs. My desire to run more and faster may have had something to do with that!! I had to take a few weeks off here or there to let the muscles heal and then I dialed back the milage. I have been using runnign ahead to track my miles and i love seeing the numbers!
Mr. F got me my birthday present a few months early - a Garmin 305 watch! I absolutely love it. I love having the data at my fingertips and having the distance as Im running is very very helpful. I opted for the version with the heartrate monitor and have been using that as well.
My current plan for running is to do 3 runs a week, 1 longer run (4-6 miles) and two shorter runs (less than 4), totally 8-11 miles per week. The weeks I went past that and hit 13 and 14 miles run, were weeks that really did my legs in. So while the desire to run a lot is there, I just have to take my time in getting there.
Im also trying on the off days to bike anywhere from 3-7 miles. That hasnt been as consistent for me. Its not as high of a calorie burn so its easier for me to just skip that workout.
Speaking of calorie burn, I officially have lost 23 lbs since last august. I fully believe thats why I have kept running, i can see visable results in having lost 6 sizes of clothing. Well and the fact that I like to eat chocolate, running, allows me that indulgence in moderation. Dont get me wrong, there have been plenty of plateaus and losing and regaining the same five pounds over and over. Lots of weeks of bad eating thrown in there. I just keep on going though. One of the keys to making this work for me was learning not to beat myself up over a bad day. Nor to let that bad day torpedo me into many more bad days of eating. Just to let it stand for what it is and move on to eating better the next day. In fact, yesterday was a really really bad day for eating but today is a new day. Im still using my daily plate for calorie counting and then using the calorie burn on my garmin watch for a more accurate exercise calorie burn.
I dont have any specific races planned but Im hoping to do a few this summer. Im a bit anxious to see how my training has paid off. I can see the results in that my pace is getting better and better but race running is a different ballgame.
Im in the process of transitioning to running in the mornings again. Its been wickedly hot and humid here (80-95) and running in the afternoon was just not an option. Its been a much harder transition than I anticipated. The pull of sleeping is strong. I really need to be hitting the sack much earlier in the night, if Im going to pull off a 530 am run! Its way too easy for me to say, Im not getting up today. When I was running after school, I was very consistent in getting out at least every other day. Just need to keep plugging away at making the change, I guess!
Keep on running folks
Mrs. F
I ran 39.5 miles in January, 26.5 in february, 33.5 in March, 39.4 in April and thus far 15.8 in May. Im still trying to find the balance of the right amount of running that doesnt cause my legs to hurt. I dealt with some shin splints along the interior of my legs. My desire to run more and faster may have had something to do with that!! I had to take a few weeks off here or there to let the muscles heal and then I dialed back the milage. I have been using runnign ahead to track my miles and i love seeing the numbers!
Mr. F got me my birthday present a few months early - a Garmin 305 watch! I absolutely love it. I love having the data at my fingertips and having the distance as Im running is very very helpful. I opted for the version with the heartrate monitor and have been using that as well.
My current plan for running is to do 3 runs a week, 1 longer run (4-6 miles) and two shorter runs (less than 4), totally 8-11 miles per week. The weeks I went past that and hit 13 and 14 miles run, were weeks that really did my legs in. So while the desire to run a lot is there, I just have to take my time in getting there.
Im also trying on the off days to bike anywhere from 3-7 miles. That hasnt been as consistent for me. Its not as high of a calorie burn so its easier for me to just skip that workout.
Speaking of calorie burn, I officially have lost 23 lbs since last august. I fully believe thats why I have kept running, i can see visable results in having lost 6 sizes of clothing. Well and the fact that I like to eat chocolate, running, allows me that indulgence in moderation. Dont get me wrong, there have been plenty of plateaus and losing and regaining the same five pounds over and over. Lots of weeks of bad eating thrown in there. I just keep on going though. One of the keys to making this work for me was learning not to beat myself up over a bad day. Nor to let that bad day torpedo me into many more bad days of eating. Just to let it stand for what it is and move on to eating better the next day. In fact, yesterday was a really really bad day for eating but today is a new day. Im still using my daily plate for calorie counting and then using the calorie burn on my garmin watch for a more accurate exercise calorie burn.
I dont have any specific races planned but Im hoping to do a few this summer. Im a bit anxious to see how my training has paid off. I can see the results in that my pace is getting better and better but race running is a different ballgame.
Im in the process of transitioning to running in the mornings again. Its been wickedly hot and humid here (80-95) and running in the afternoon was just not an option. Its been a much harder transition than I anticipated. The pull of sleeping is strong. I really need to be hitting the sack much earlier in the night, if Im going to pull off a 530 am run! Its way too easy for me to say, Im not getting up today. When I was running after school, I was very consistent in getting out at least every other day. Just need to keep plugging away at making the change, I guess!
Keep on running folks
Mrs. F
Monday, May 24, 2010
15 Minute Mile
Saturday morning, Mrs. F convinced me to go for a run. It was my first run in close to six months. The treadmill we bought has a belt-slippage problem, so it hasn't been used. We know what needs to be done to test it so we can get warranty service, but until the last week or two, I've been tied up with my grad studies and have not been available to help Mrs. F complete the test.
It was only one mile. I likely could have held on for more, but I spent most of the first half mile trying to get control of my breathing, and I was ready to be done before we even hit the half mile mark. On the way back, Mrs. F had to jog in place to stick with me at times, and she asked me if I wanted to walk some. Stubborn as I am, if I was out for a run, I was out for a run. I slogged through the entire mile, and Mrs. F's Garmin Foreruner told her that I had completed it at a 15 minute mile pace. Not bad for a fat old dog who has been sitting in his room reading books and writing papers for what seems like forever.
Actually, she said I started at an 11 minute mile pace, and slowed from there. When I get my stamina back, I might even surprise myself.
Okay, it wasn't just agreeing to go with her on the run, either. I don't remember what bargain we struck the night before, but when I asked her to do something, she replied, "Only if you agree to run with me in the morning." I need to watch what I agree to when I'm tired. ;-)
Speaking of bargains, Marie has been trying to bait me back into the health and fitness thing (I've not even ridden my bike to work since we hit a particularly cold stretch this winter). She offered that, if I can get to my goal weight, I can get a motorcycle. At first, I thought she was kidding, but she's made the offer numerous times over the past couple of months. Before some of you go off on how dangerous motorcycles can be, let me just say that I'm aware of the risks of riding an open-air vehicle at highway speeds. Had I gotten a motorcycle when I was in my 20s, I would have been afraid for me. As I am today, I'm much less inclined to be reckless--there's no one I want to impress, and I have plenty of reasons why I want to stay injury free (not the least of which is knowing that one good accident would mean that the motorcycle woiuld go bye-bye).
At first, the thought of a motorcycle really didn't motivate me at all. As the weeks have worn on, however, that little voice in the back of my head is saying, "Why not? You can do that." Perhaps I can.
I didn't weigh on Friday, but I did weigh at home on Saturday morning: 285.6. Thankfully, I've held at this plateau without losing too much ground.
It's not that my first run in a while went off without a hitch. I don't know if it is just starting again after so long, or the run coming so soon after all that time carrying our gear up in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, but I really had some discomfort in the time after the run. Of course, my legs were starting to feel like Jello when I finished, but I really feel the strain in my quads. Then there was the back pain. On Saturday evening, Mrs. F and I made four batches of Hudson Bay Bread, and that left me standing and bending (for the lower oven) a lot. By the time we were done, I was too sore to stand.
Hudson Bay Bread, by the way, is definitely not a low-calorie food. It's basically ground oats, brown sugar, butter, honey, and molasses. We make some varieties with nuts and dried fruit as well. It was one of the foods we took with us to the Boundary Waters on our canoe trip, and since we signed up for snack at our church fellowship for the weekend after we returned, we thought it would be a fun treat to share with others.
Taking time to follow this rabbit trail, I'll admit that making it re-awakened some of my entrepreneurial leanings. We figured that, if it was well received, we could look into renting some food-grade kitchen space to make a few batches for samples and sale. I know someone who has a website through which he sells camping gear (aimed primarily at canoe trekkers), and I've seen a number of inquiries online from people who have searched for places to buy Hudson Bay Bread, so I thought it might be a good fit. Getting ready for this canoe trip also had me working on a design for a lightweight, packable, wood-burning stove, but that has not gone past the drawing stage (though I do have a friend who is a design engineer working up the sketches in AutoCAD). Thus, I've obviously had some time beyond my studies, but allocating time is always easier when you enjoy what you're doing.
When I first completed the Couch-to-5k program, I can't say I really enjoyed running. There were a few runs that felt great, but it never became the butter to my bread as it seems to have become for Mrs. F. She'll be the first to admit that it hasn't been easy for her by any means, but running did seem to "click" for her (I'll let her post as to whether or not I characterized that correctly). Of course, it probably helps that, since she was able to stick with it better than was I, she's seen a bit more of a return on her labor: she's looking great. It might not make sense to most of you, but while I'm glad for her success, it also makes me feel worse about my inability to keep going. I try to focus on the former (being happy for her success) without dwelling too much on the latter. She's able to run with another friend in town now, and she's talking about 10k races, half-marathons, and even mini-triathalons. All the while, I was just realizing how much my mind really is a one-track mind: when I got into running, that's all I cared about. When school started up again, that's all I could do. As our BWCA trip got closer, it was the only thing on my mind. Now that the trip is over, school is nearly done, and a motorcycle is being dangled in front of me, my mind might be realigning to return to running/fitness as its focus-du-jour.
Now, if I could only remember to brush my teeth every day...
It was only one mile. I likely could have held on for more, but I spent most of the first half mile trying to get control of my breathing, and I was ready to be done before we even hit the half mile mark. On the way back, Mrs. F had to jog in place to stick with me at times, and she asked me if I wanted to walk some. Stubborn as I am, if I was out for a run, I was out for a run. I slogged through the entire mile, and Mrs. F's Garmin Foreruner told her that I had completed it at a 15 minute mile pace. Not bad for a fat old dog who has been sitting in his room reading books and writing papers for what seems like forever.
Actually, she said I started at an 11 minute mile pace, and slowed from there. When I get my stamina back, I might even surprise myself.
Okay, it wasn't just agreeing to go with her on the run, either. I don't remember what bargain we struck the night before, but when I asked her to do something, she replied, "Only if you agree to run with me in the morning." I need to watch what I agree to when I'm tired. ;-)
Speaking of bargains, Marie has been trying to bait me back into the health and fitness thing (I've not even ridden my bike to work since we hit a particularly cold stretch this winter). She offered that, if I can get to my goal weight, I can get a motorcycle. At first, I thought she was kidding, but she's made the offer numerous times over the past couple of months. Before some of you go off on how dangerous motorcycles can be, let me just say that I'm aware of the risks of riding an open-air vehicle at highway speeds. Had I gotten a motorcycle when I was in my 20s, I would have been afraid for me. As I am today, I'm much less inclined to be reckless--there's no one I want to impress, and I have plenty of reasons why I want to stay injury free (not the least of which is knowing that one good accident would mean that the motorcycle woiuld go bye-bye).
At first, the thought of a motorcycle really didn't motivate me at all. As the weeks have worn on, however, that little voice in the back of my head is saying, "Why not? You can do that." Perhaps I can.
I didn't weigh on Friday, but I did weigh at home on Saturday morning: 285.6. Thankfully, I've held at this plateau without losing too much ground.
It's not that my first run in a while went off without a hitch. I don't know if it is just starting again after so long, or the run coming so soon after all that time carrying our gear up in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, but I really had some discomfort in the time after the run. Of course, my legs were starting to feel like Jello when I finished, but I really feel the strain in my quads. Then there was the back pain. On Saturday evening, Mrs. F and I made four batches of Hudson Bay Bread, and that left me standing and bending (for the lower oven) a lot. By the time we were done, I was too sore to stand.
Hudson Bay Bread, by the way, is definitely not a low-calorie food. It's basically ground oats, brown sugar, butter, honey, and molasses. We make some varieties with nuts and dried fruit as well. It was one of the foods we took with us to the Boundary Waters on our canoe trip, and since we signed up for snack at our church fellowship for the weekend after we returned, we thought it would be a fun treat to share with others.
Taking time to follow this rabbit trail, I'll admit that making it re-awakened some of my entrepreneurial leanings. We figured that, if it was well received, we could look into renting some food-grade kitchen space to make a few batches for samples and sale. I know someone who has a website through which he sells camping gear (aimed primarily at canoe trekkers), and I've seen a number of inquiries online from people who have searched for places to buy Hudson Bay Bread, so I thought it might be a good fit. Getting ready for this canoe trip also had me working on a design for a lightweight, packable, wood-burning stove, but that has not gone past the drawing stage (though I do have a friend who is a design engineer working up the sketches in AutoCAD). Thus, I've obviously had some time beyond my studies, but allocating time is always easier when you enjoy what you're doing.
When I first completed the Couch-to-5k program, I can't say I really enjoyed running. There were a few runs that felt great, but it never became the butter to my bread as it seems to have become for Mrs. F. She'll be the first to admit that it hasn't been easy for her by any means, but running did seem to "click" for her (I'll let her post as to whether or not I characterized that correctly). Of course, it probably helps that, since she was able to stick with it better than was I, she's seen a bit more of a return on her labor: she's looking great. It might not make sense to most of you, but while I'm glad for her success, it also makes me feel worse about my inability to keep going. I try to focus on the former (being happy for her success) without dwelling too much on the latter. She's able to run with another friend in town now, and she's talking about 10k races, half-marathons, and even mini-triathalons. All the while, I was just realizing how much my mind really is a one-track mind: when I got into running, that's all I cared about. When school started up again, that's all I could do. As our BWCA trip got closer, it was the only thing on my mind. Now that the trip is over, school is nearly done, and a motorcycle is being dangled in front of me, my mind might be realigning to return to running/fitness as its focus-du-jour.
Now, if I could only remember to brush my teeth every day...
Friday, May 21, 2010
Weight Check 5/21/10
Mrs. F
Last thursday: 161.6 lbs.
Today: 159.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -1.6 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 23.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.8
Comment: I know i havent posted a weight check in several months but I have been tracking my progress. Its really exciting to be in thre 150's, even if its only barely! The boundary waters trip did definitely help in losing a bit more than my normal pound! Mr. F will weigh and report back later. Keep on running!
Last thursday: 161.6 lbs.
Today: 159.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -1.6 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 23.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.8
Comment: I know i havent posted a weight check in several months but I have been tracking my progress. Its really exciting to be in thre 150's, even if its only barely! The boundary waters trip did definitely help in losing a bit more than my normal pound! Mr. F will weigh and report back later. Keep on running!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Finally, a break
This past weekend, Mrs. F and I got our first alone-by-ourselves (no family or friends to visit) getaway in more than 10 years. We went past Ely, Minnesota into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (affectionately know simply as the BWCA) inside Superior National Forest. We paddled more than 15 miles in to our campsite, carrying everything we needed on our backs as we portaged between lakes. That included a 65+ lb. canoe and three packs ranging from 35 to 45 lbs. We made camp on Lake Insual, about eight or nine miles from a lake with native American pictographs, so that was our primary day trip. All in all, we paddled between 45 and 50 miles, and carried our gear around three miles! It was great fun, and quite a workout!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Long, dark winter
I've been away (mentally) for too long. The pressure of finishing grad school is really getting to me. I've only taken one short run in the past three months. Health issues are starting to press again. Weight is still hovering on a plateau, though, so that's the only good news (beside the fact that I'm still upright and taking nourishment). I've really come to hate the short days of winter, so am glad to see spring finally here (and even a bit early in our area). I'm in a funk I just can't shake.
I have only 11 weeks of classes left, though I think I have a break in there somewhere for Independence Day. I walk in May, but am not very excited about it (but that's another story).
Stress levels at home are high. My fuse has been short, and I feel like a prisoner in my own home: every evening is defined by needing to do homework. Unfortunately, I get distracted far too easily, putting me behind, and that adds to the stress.
[Sigh!]
The only thing that has kept me going is knowing that Mrs. F and I will be taking a canoe trip together in May, to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary. It will be our first four-day weekend together, without the kids (and without a schedule of family or friends to visit) in ten or more years. We're headed up into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA for short). We'll put in as early as we can on a Friday morning, and paddle out on the following Monday.
Mrs. F has continued running. She was already faster than me while we were doing the C25K program. Now, I don't stand a chance of running with her again. She's up to six miles, and I think I'd struggle through one now. I don't want her to feel bad about it, but it just makes it so much harder for me. This was really working when she and I were getting up and squeezing our half-hour in early in the morning. With longer runs and longer times now, however, it's best for her to run mid-afternoon, right after the kids get home from school. That's right before I get home from work, and I simply have no energy to run at that time.
I ran across an article in Newsweek (online) about Lesley Kinzel, who blogs at Fatshionista.com. She was featured because of all of the recent discussions on childhood obesity. She was overweight as a child, and it became central to her self-identity at a very young age. In reading her story, I realized the same was true for me: from an early age, I was always "the fat kid", and that became how I see myself. I was always "the fat kid", and, even as an adult, I still see myself as "the fat kid".
The real kicker is that I actuall dropped to a healthy weight for a while. During my senior year in high school, I was studying karate and was biking everywhere. Looking back on photos now, I see that I looked pretty good, but I still saw myself as "the fat kid". How is it that we can get a self-image so far ingrained into our being that it becomes the permanent filter through which we see ourselves and our lives?
Here we were after our second 5k, the Howard Lake Turkey Tagalong. This is after completing C25K and proving I could run over three miles. Yet, I still see myself as "the fat boy". How can I ever reprogram that image? How can I ever get beyond that identity? I know many of you will think of your own journeys, and the things that worked for you. I thought I had found a new life, but being "the fat boy" has been like a boat anchor. The way I figure it, I'll probably need to start C25K all over again, because I don't know if I can even run a mile at this point. The bike has been in the garage, too.
Am I feeling sorry for myself? Is that all this is? Is it just a pity party? If it is, I wish I knew how to stop the music. If this is a carnival ride, I want to get off. I'm madly envious of the success Mrs. F has achieved. I just feel powerless to follow in her footsteps. I'm back to feeling like I'll be trapped this way for the rest of my life, and I know that means it will be a shorter life. That just feeds the depressive cycle. I find myself craving more sweets and comfort foods because I'm feeling down. I know they're no good for me, but I want them anyway. I just want a little relief now--I'm not thinking about the long-term. As I'm writing this, I'm beating myself up even more, because I realize how odd it must sound for a guy to be rambling on like this. This struggle, and my self image, don't help me feel masculine. Do other overweight guys simply never feel this way, or are they stronger than I so as to shrug it all off? I wish it were possible for the old Simon and Garfunkel song to be true: "I am a rock. I am an island. / And a rock feels no pain. And an island never cries."
I have only 11 weeks of classes left, though I think I have a break in there somewhere for Independence Day. I walk in May, but am not very excited about it (but that's another story).
Stress levels at home are high. My fuse has been short, and I feel like a prisoner in my own home: every evening is defined by needing to do homework. Unfortunately, I get distracted far too easily, putting me behind, and that adds to the stress.
[Sigh!]
The only thing that has kept me going is knowing that Mrs. F and I will be taking a canoe trip together in May, to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary. It will be our first four-day weekend together, without the kids (and without a schedule of family or friends to visit) in ten or more years. We're headed up into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA for short). We'll put in as early as we can on a Friday morning, and paddle out on the following Monday.
Mrs. F has continued running. She was already faster than me while we were doing the C25K program. Now, I don't stand a chance of running with her again. She's up to six miles, and I think I'd struggle through one now. I don't want her to feel bad about it, but it just makes it so much harder for me. This was really working when she and I were getting up and squeezing our half-hour in early in the morning. With longer runs and longer times now, however, it's best for her to run mid-afternoon, right after the kids get home from school. That's right before I get home from work, and I simply have no energy to run at that time.
I ran across an article in Newsweek (online) about Lesley Kinzel, who blogs at Fatshionista.com. She was featured because of all of the recent discussions on childhood obesity. She was overweight as a child, and it became central to her self-identity at a very young age. In reading her story, I realized the same was true for me: from an early age, I was always "the fat kid", and that became how I see myself. I was always "the fat kid", and, even as an adult, I still see myself as "the fat kid".
The real kicker is that I actuall dropped to a healthy weight for a while. During my senior year in high school, I was studying karate and was biking everywhere. Looking back on photos now, I see that I looked pretty good, but I still saw myself as "the fat kid". How is it that we can get a self-image so far ingrained into our being that it becomes the permanent filter through which we see ourselves and our lives?I have no clue what I weighed when that picture was taken. All I now know is that I look at it and I want to cry. Had I only been able to see myself as I was, versus how I perceived myself to be, it might have helped me keep the weight off.
About four years later I was around 230 lbs. A year or two after that, I was 260 lbs.
Yet, to me, I felt no different at 260 lbs. than I did when that photo was taken.
Even now, as I hover just under 290 lbs., I feel just as fat as I've always felt--sometimes even bigger--even though I know my peak weight was 348 lbs!
There's a lot of pain tied up inside somewhere. I hate being "the fat kid". Right now, however, I have no energy or motivation to go out there and fight for a change.
This is how I looked during the summer of 2009, before I started the C25K program. I can see the difference between the pictures, but my mind has always seen me the same way, regardless of how large I was. When Mrs. F posts family picutres online today, I still cringe. I don't like the way I look. I never have liked the way I look, because I remember that no one likes "the fat kid".
Here we were after our second 5k, the Howard Lake Turkey Tagalong. This is after completing C25K and proving I could run over three miles. Yet, I still see myself as "the fat boy". How can I ever reprogram that image? How can I ever get beyond that identity? I know many of you will think of your own journeys, and the things that worked for you. I thought I had found a new life, but being "the fat boy" has been like a boat anchor. The way I figure it, I'll probably need to start C25K all over again, because I don't know if I can even run a mile at this point. The bike has been in the garage, too.Am I feeling sorry for myself? Is that all this is? Is it just a pity party? If it is, I wish I knew how to stop the music. If this is a carnival ride, I want to get off. I'm madly envious of the success Mrs. F has achieved. I just feel powerless to follow in her footsteps. I'm back to feeling like I'll be trapped this way for the rest of my life, and I know that means it will be a shorter life. That just feeds the depressive cycle. I find myself craving more sweets and comfort foods because I'm feeling down. I know they're no good for me, but I want them anyway. I just want a little relief now--I'm not thinking about the long-term. As I'm writing this, I'm beating myself up even more, because I realize how odd it must sound for a guy to be rambling on like this. This struggle, and my self image, don't help me feel masculine. Do other overweight guys simply never feel this way, or are they stronger than I so as to shrug it all off? I wish it were possible for the old Simon and Garfunkel song to be true: "I am a rock. I am an island. / And a rock feels no pain. And an island never cries."
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