Dave's Running?

Being Human

2009-02-12T23:48:00.002-05:00

I am fallible. My last post was about the Robb Wolf challenge which I did the month of November. December was a time of holiday, family time and not worrying so much about anything. We are now 2 weeks into February. My diet has not been nearly as disciplined as it "should" have been. My work outs have been consistent, but the actual performance has been both good and bad.

I just keep showing up. I will break through...

Little Changes

2008-11-15T07:31:00.002-05:00

Two weeks in...13 pounds and 2.5 inches. I haven't had much inclination to write much about my experiences, but I think it is important for me to at least put up the numbers.

A friend of mine, a long time ago, got a fortune cookie with the message: speak less of your plans, you'll get more of them done. Hopefully I may get some writing inspiration, but right now I just feel like going down stairs and making some coffee.

I will discuss the physical changes later: 13 lbs, 2 1/2 inches. I will say that seeing these numbers give me reassurance that I'm on the right path. Off to the coffee maker.

Checkin' In

2008-11-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

Today is day 9. Nine days ago, I challenged myself to clean eating. No flour, sugar or dairy. I've been weighing, zoning and blocking my food. I missed the flour products the first couple of days, but I really don't miss them all that much right now.

My goal, 30 days. There must be something to this though, because I'm feeling better. The joints aren't hurting as much, I'm loosing weight (about 7 lbs to date) and my workouts are getting to be fun.

We were working on the hang power cleans and according to Lis, I had pretty good form on this one. My elbows are breaking as I come off the ground to throw myself under the weight.

Today's workout, was 49 minutes of torture called "Grindy". This is where the Cindy workout (5 pull ups, 10 push ups and 15 squats) is combined with Grace (30 Clean and Jerks for time). What this looks like is 10 Clean and Jerks followed by 5 rounds of 5 pull ups (I'm still on the bands, but damn close to a pullup), 10 push ups and 15 Squats, repeat then finish with 10 more Clean and Jerks. This is done for time. The rx'd weight for the clean and jerk is 135 lbs, but after dumping the second one (fell right on my arse) I ratcheted down to 115. I wanted to make sure that I could get all 30. By the 50th push up I couldn't imagine my arms allowing me any more so for the second "Cindy" round I had to drop to knee push ups. My time through this challenge was 49:24.

Back in the Zone

2008-11-01T11:45:00.002-05:00

Another commitment to myself...I lasted 5 days the last time and fell off the wagon, well today is another day 1. Here is a post I left at http://cfscceat.blogspot.com/:

Hi Jon V, I too have really struggled nutritionally too. I've made and have broken many many commitments to myself about changing how I'm going to eat, amount of exercise etc. It always seems as though life gets in the way. In a couple of your posts, I see that you have to go out for work too. I'm a consultant that spends many nights on the road, many "working" lunches etc. My problem is that I don't really have a good sense of portion control etc, so what I'm doing (started yesterday) committing to 30 days of clean eating. I got Robb Wolf's shopping list (you can find it off of the link to Robb Wolf website mentioned on this blog)and staying strict. I am planning out my shopping list after I'm done with this post and am going to buy and pre prep my food. I'll be taking my lunch to work and taking it to the restaurants if I have to. 30 days won't kill me. I do however, have a planned cheat day, Thanksgiving, but other than that, I'm gonna clean my diet up. After that, I will be stealing as many of Michele's recipes as I can and start cooking away. The Robb Wolf thing advocates NO dairy and No flower products (I miss beer already). For me, it's just 30 days. I'm reminded of Nicole Carol's (I apologize in advance if I mis spell names, right now too lazy to look them up)article about getting off the CRACK. She mentioned that two weeks was tough, but I'm gonna take this one day at a time and then may start adding back some of the RobbWolf's Absolutely Not's because, I am human. :-) In addition, I've got a few coworkers who are trying to get better about their diet and we are going to support each other with our respective goals. I find that to be a great motivator when I get an email from someone that says, I've checked off all the fitness/nutrition goals for the day, how about you?

Michelle, I haven't posted in a while, but I'm still here and have tried a few of your recipes which are great! Thank you for hosting this site and creating this virtual community that is small enough that one can feel as though they have support.

I look forward to checking back at the end of my experiment to see what's changed. Starting stats: M/39/278lb/33%BF using zone method of calculation. I'm a relatively fit (by non crossfit standards) play social rugby, until I found crossfit, would run 3 - 5 miles 5 days a week but didn't find my body comp changing much. Clothes felt better, but the scale didn't move much. Looking at those numbers and being honest with myself shocked me. I'm no longer in denial. If I want to get better crossfit times and play better rugby, my nutrition has to change. It sucks carrying around 91lbs of FAT. It's as if I'm carrying around another human being. Enough for now. I'm focusing on today.

Again, Jon thanks for posting and Michelle, thanks for providing this forum.
David

Today is the first step on the thousand mile journey, again.

Cheers,
David

Life in the Zone

2008-09-11T20:13:00.004-05:00

Three days ago I under took a challenge. To live strictly in the Zone for at least 2 weeks with maybe a 2 week extension after I complete the first 2 weeks. I do this because of an article I recently read in the Crossfit Journal entitled, "Getting Off the Crack"

I'm on day 3. In fact, I'll be going to bed in about an hour and will wake up to day 4. Nicole set herself up on a 2 week experiment and what the article indicated is that she hasn't looked back. I'm not saying that I'm going to become a Zone evangelist or anything of the like. I just want to see if by changing my eating behavior, I can reap some benefits

As an aside, how can one reconcile the never ending pasta bowl at The Olive Garden with the Zone...

Anyway, why the zone? Well the folks at Crossfit advocate the Zone. They have amazing results. I've been doing Crossfit workouts for a while and have experienced great results relative to where I was, but Nutrition is the base, the foundation, from which one's fitness is built. Now, I'm not saying that I'm going to be getting ready for London in 2012, but I would like to undertake the same experiment that Nicole had undertaken.

I found a great blog that has some tasty sounding Zone recipes. The site is affiliated with Crossfit Santa Cruz where I think the Crossfit phenomenon started (actually, according to the Wikipedia article on Crossfit, Coach Glassman started out in Los Angeles and moved up to Santa Cruz to train the SCPD. Don't you just love the Internet?) I've been commenting/sharing on that site for the last 3 days. I am going to try to comment each day just to check in and keep myself honest. (I've also made some extra changes in my life and will share them in subsequent posts).

I am going to make it a point to post more often as I work to move towards the healthy side of the continuum. I want to avoid Metabolic Syndrome and all of the other nasty chronic diseases that can creep on one who isn't careful and eats lots of pizzas.

I am going to Crossfit Watertown on Sunday for the first of three intro to Crossfit classes that are prerequisites to joining the group. This will be day 6 which comes after day 5 which is a rugby day.

Until then...below is my latest post to the Crossfit Santa Cruz Zone blog

Thanks Michele for the reply. Today is day 3! I love the idea of the Turkey Melt. I plan on that for the weekend. I am taking this one day at a time. I may get healthy yet. I remember that nutrition is the base of the pyramid and that with junky food, I will get non optimal results. I do remember a time when my body craved the good food (that was back around 1994) and I am hoping to get back to that point. Again, I appreciate your time and effort maintaining this blog and hope you don't mind me checking in to keep me honest.
I have been writing down everything I eat and weighing and measuring most things. I've been erring on the conservative side, which I think is ok in the short term; I liken it to "Hell" week.
Cheers,
David
Starting stats by the way are 278 lbs, 34%BF. According to the Zone I'm an 18 blocker (exercise 3 times per week).

The Race, Health and Run Report

2008-02-10T09:32:00.002-05:00

It has been some weeks now since I finished my 1st marathon. The marathon was on January 13 and today is February 10th. I was able to actually able to run 3 miles today relatively pain free. (I did have some trouble breathing since I've not run in almost a month.)

First the race report. As I mentioned in my last post, my family and I flew down to Disney the Tuesday before the race. This gave me a good 5 days to acclimatize myself to the conditions in Florida. This also gave me the opportunity to walk around all of the parks with my family, ride some great rides, wait in line for some not so great rides, swim, eat, sleep and eat some more. The first 3 days I pushed myself through and hour on the elliptical too because as I've written about before, I'd been plagued with injuries on both my left and right ankle. I was extremely concerned that I wouldn't be able to go the distance because I hadn't done a long run that was greater than 16 or 17 miles. In fact, on or about October 12th, I thought I'd sprained my ankle. I took it easy that week and then resumed training.

Running was tough. I slogged through my weekly jogs, but on the long slow days, I couldn't make it past 16 miles; my left ankle would freeze up. It was so f'n painful, like a nail being driven into the joint. I figured my ankle was still sprained and needed a bit more rest.

Fast forward to the race week. I'm in Florida with my family and am having a hard time walking around the parks. I am having lots of pain and figured I should just stay off my ankle. The day of the race, I figured I would try to "Galloway" it so I can go as far as possible. I started with a 10 minute jog with a 1 minute walk. I cycled through this a few times and then went to a 4 and 1 and then a 1 and 1 and then a walk. Along the way, I met a great lady with whom I was able to chat for the last 13 miles. She had a bum ACL, so together we had one set of working legs.

My mantra throughout was to finish what I started. I trained for a Marathon, I was going to complete the distance. As the finish line came into site, I saw that I could break 6 hrs. The clock was ticking. So I said, "see you at the finish line" to my new friend, Susan, and took off on a "sprint".

I did it. 26.2 miles. Sure it was 1 hr slower than my goal time, but I finished what I started.

When I got home, I went to the Orthopedist. Turns out, I didn't sprain my ankle, I broke a piece of my Tallus bone. By getting my ankle drained, a shot of Cortisone and staying off it, I was able to use it again.

My next race is the Hartford half marathon...

Stay tuned

I did it!

2008-01-18T13:34:00.000-05:00

26.2 miles. I finished the race. I finished what I started. I learned a lot about myself through out the process and most incredibly during the race. I experienced the gamut of emotions from despondency to elation. I met some great people. I got a finishers medal.

My family and me flew into to Orlando the Tuesday before the race. My ankles had been questionable since October when I sprained the left one. I did a couple of sessions on the elliptical because running wasn't working.

Closer and Closer

2007-12-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

Training has been dificult. I keep getting one injury or another. It started a month or so back when I sprained my ankle. I couldn't run for a weeek. I probably should have stayed off my ankle for a bit longer. The injury prevented me from running the 1/2 marathon in Hartford and I tried to get back on the road too soon. I think the compensating gait I took to keep the ankle from hurting pulled and strained some muscles in my hip so ended up having to miss another week. And then with work and travel schedules, the training has suffered a bit. I've run 16 as my longest run so far. Twenty miles is on the calendar for next weekend and then the taper starts.

As dificult as the training has been going, what I am amazed at is that a 10 - 12 mile run sounds easy. I have to find a flat, flat, flat route for my 20 miler. With the wind, snow and ice, the long runs have been challenging. I am getting nervous about being ready for the Marathon. I will keep on putting one foot in front of the other and bring my best to Orlando to toe the line. Positive thoughts, positive thoughts.

As the days tick off I am filled with nervousness, anticipation, excitement...I'll be back on the road on Tuesday for my midweek milage.

Until then...

Forgive me bloggers...

2007-11-08T22:28:00.000-05:00

I can not believe how long it has been since my last post. I can say though, since my last post I have been able to log a few miles and get my running back on track. A few weeks ago, I sustained an ankle sprain during a Rugby game that put my marathon in jepordy.

I had a bad tackle and then got my ankle stepped on and felt a pop. So for the week after the injury, I didn't run because I couldn't really walk. I swam and used a rowing machine to keep my fitness up. The following week I did run but it was very tentative. My ankle was quite sore. So I was out of commission for two weeks and as you know, the running is critical to stay on track for the marathon.

I re-jiggered my training plan and have worked on catching up. Last week I was scheduled for a 14 miler which would be my longest run yet. I made it about an hour and a half running straight but there was a hill that broke my spirit and had to take a walking break. Then I started doing the run 4 minutes walk 1 minute. When I got to mile 11 my family passed by me and it was sooooo inspiring to see the ones I really love! The funny thing is, when they pulled over, my youngest daughter said, "Why is there red on your shirt?" I had stigmata of the nipples. Seeing the family recharged my batteries and I made up my mind to run. I was able to finish the 14 miles and the time was about 11 min. per mile when all was said and done. I was extremely sore and had a hard time walking after the run but by 1 day after the run I went out for my scheduled 4 miles.

This was extremely difficult! I did do 4 miles but the next scheduled run was 7 miles. I got to the gym in the morning and all the treadmills were taken so I hopped on an eliptical and after 10 minutes a treadmill opened up. I was still quite sore and was looking for any excuse to not finish my run. I did run 4 straight miles and said that I would run the 7 miles the next day (I knew I wouldn't run 3 when I got home.)

So to keep the miles up with the training plan, I was scheduled to run 7 miles tonight. I ran 7 miles and felt quite strong and fast during the run. It is getting very cold in New England. It is also getting very, very Dark! So I set out at about 5pm in the cold and dark. I ran 7 miles feeling very very strong. I had a great feeling during the run: I felt strong and fast. The funny thing is that from a pace perspective I was over 10 min a mile. I finished in 1 hour 11 minutes 24 seconds which is at about a 10:13 pace. The route I chose was a bit hilly, but regardless, I felt like I was running really fast.

My training plan has a 10 mile run scheduled as a long run which I look forward to because I could use some rest. The following schedule is a scheduled 15 miler which would be the longest distance I've gone under my own power on my two legs. The last weeks long run was the same: Longest or furthest distance I've traveled on my legs.

I will update after the 10 miler. I am on track for my marathon. I can't wait to run my marathon. I can't wait to share my race report.

Regards!

David

Time to Get Serious

2007-09-20T20:43:00.000-05:00

In a Runners World article, I think it was in their best advice ever issue that came out last month, somebody said that you have to live a runners life. I've also heard that something has to give. If I want to get better as a runner I need to focus on my rest, diet, stretching, stress levels and sleep.

I've been running but for the past couple of days I've been really focusing on diet. But I am hungry and thirsty for the crap that is keeping me in the super Clydsedale division. Tomorrow I will get a short jog in, Saturday is a Rugby day and Sunday is the Long Run. I think I have 7 - 8 on the calendar. I am really looking forward to getting the miles in. I want to really embody a healthy lifestyle.

What a diference a shoe makes!

2007-08-15T21:24:00.000-05:00

Ok, so as a big boned runner, I read reviews about Brooks Beast being the best shoe for the full figured runner. I've gone through 2 pair and while in Boston, discovered a store called Marathon Sports. I went in and talked to one of their sales guys. He said that he would watch me walk and then recommend a shoe. I did say that I wanted to try something diferent because the Beasts felt good but clunky and to be honest at the end of my runs, I would feel some serious pain in my right ankle thinking it was tendonitis and that I just had to suck it up, ice afterwords and loose some more weight. Well, I had the guy watch me walk and I thought, ok, he's going to try to up sell me (as had happened to a friend of mine at another running specialty store that shall remain nameless). Anyway he suggested the Brooks Addiction 7. These are $20 cheaper than the Beast. He had said that through watching me walk, he didn't think that I need all the support that is provided by the Beast. Anyway, I took yesterday off because my ankle was still sore (and the training plan had me cross training not running.) So today I was excited to take my new shoes out on the scheduled 4 miler I was going to run.

Well, I put the shoes on, the felt good. I ran the 4 miles. No pain in the ankle. These shoes felt like they were made for my feet. I would have kept running if it weren't for the fact that it was a humid 81 degrees farenheit. I'm pysched for my 5 scheduled miles tomorrow.

I am registered for the World Wide Half and will be running the Hartford Half Marathon on Oct 13. Other races I am signed up for are the 10K in Southbury CT in November and the Disney Marathon in January. Once I am done with Disney, I want to put NYC Marathon in November on the Calendar. I plan to add a noble purpose to my running. More to be said for that later.

Until next time, I will keep running, I may not write often enough, but know that I am thinking of all of my friends in the virtual running world.

Best Regards,

David

Rededication

2007-07-24T19:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it is time to get serious about running again. I have been running at least 3 times a week since my last post, I just havent' been good about keeping up with the log. The family and I had gone to Avalon, NJ for a weeks vacation with another couple and their kids. I ran 6 of the 7 days we were there. I have been running, it has just been aimless because the only race that was on my calendar was the Disney Marathon. I've added the Hartford 1/2 marathon in Oct. and a 10K in Southbury in Sept. Because of these, I will start on a training plan again. I will also be keeping track of the mileage etc.

I am really bummed because I lost another iPod. The last time I saw my iPod was the LI 1/2 marathon. I was too tired to take it out of the car and that was the last time I saw it.

Anyway, I am rededicating myself to adding miles to my week. I will keep putting one foot in front of the other. I did go out for about an hour tonight. My two girls were my trainers. They rode along on their bikes and I am looking forward to many more outings with them.

Until the next time

1st Race Report

2007-05-11T07:54:00.000-05:00

I wrote this earlier and am just getting around to posting it.

5/6/2007 Rexcorp Long Island Marathon, 1/2 Marathon and 10K

Race Report (Race Day)

This was my first 1/2 marathon and first race longer than 5K. My unofficial time was 2:23:46. I'm not sure when the chip time will be available, but I understand that photos from the race are available at www.islandphoto.com. I will check it out when I get home. (I checked and there's nothing.) I'm actually writing this up as my wife and kids are driving me home. We are on our way to an unnamed pizza on Long Island. My two cohorts, Chris Joline and Josh Goldfarb, and I ran the 1/2 marathon today. We started together and by mile 4 we were running our individual races.

At the start of the race it was windy and chilly. The chilly was ok cause the running would take care of that, but there were some strong headwinds; nothing like what was experienced in Boston a couple of weeks ago as I experienced vicariously through Steve Runner's podcast, but it was windy for us. Despite the headwind that seemed to follow me around the course, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day for running.

We started off near the back of the pack and it took a good couple of minutes before we actually started running. The horn blew at 8:00 and within a couple of minutes we had passed over the chip time mat and we were off! It is amazing the diversity of people out on the course, each running for their own reasons. There was a group that were "Friends of Karen", Team in Training, a gaggle of runners dressed in outfits that one could only imagine that the wearers thought humorous; in my mind, they just looked a bit goofy.

Chris and I ran together for about the first 4 miles and then I decided to make my move. I broke away and I was off…actually I'm about a 10:30 miler and Chris is about a 10:40 miler so it wasn't really much of a break. In fact, Chris mentioned that it was at mile 10 that he could no longer see my head (It only took me 6 miles to loose him!)

I just kept thinking the whole time that I was out there how lucky I am to be able to do this. I remember when I couldn't run a mile and then the first time I was able to run 3 and then 5 and then…The members of my running club, "The Big Boned Runners" are planning to run the Disney Marathon this upcoming January and the other thought that I had during the race was that I would be able to run the distance. All I have to do to run the distance is double today's distance. This shouldn't be a problem, it only takes time.

During the "race" I kept thinking, oh that's interesting, or look at that person or what's up with that guy. I must say, there wasn't a minute I was bored. There were so many things to see, so many tricks the mind began to play...My longest run before Sunday was 10.26 miles. The last 1 mile was soooooo long. I didn't want to walk. I ran the whole thing. I know intellectually that if there was 2 hrs and 20 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking, who cares.

In the final stretch, where the shoot starts and the balloons guide the way, a woman and I were moving towards the finish. I opened up the jets and sprinted it out. I kicked her ass! It was quite comical and I was hoping to get it on film. Alas, the news crew there was unable to provide me with the footage, so if anyone from Long Island reads this and has access to LI Marathon Reel 3 that's the one I'm on and I'd appreciate a copy.

One week and one long run to go...

2007-04-26T21:37:00.000-05:00

It has been almost a month since my last post. I've logged a few miles, been swamped with work and am looking forward to the Long Island 1/2 Marathon on May 6th.

I've been on a project that has taken me to Baltimore for work and I've been commuting there for the past 6 weeks and have a few more to go before I can work from home again.

I have an 11 miler planed for Sunday and if I can make it through that then I will be confident for the following Sunday when I am going to run 13.1 with my friend Chris. I have some tendonitis in my right ankle and I'm starting to feel some pain in my right knee. I plan on cutting back after the 1/2; I just want to tick this goal off of my list.

I will put a pre-race post and then a race report. I'm just concerned about my joints, the pains and the self doubt. I do find it interesting how full of doubt I am. I will just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I know this is short, I've been running, I just haven't been good about writing...I'll write more later.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles...

2007-03-31T06:21:00.000-05:00

24,400 miles to go and around the world I'd have plodded...My work schedule of late has made it really tough to stay on track with my training plan. Ok Ok, I know that that is just an excuse. I don't have to go to all of the team dinners and drink-ups. I'm close to maintaining the weekly miles and am keeping up with the Sunday long runs. In fact, I'm hoping to post on Sunday to say that I've just broken the double digit barrier.

Yesterday, I went out for a 3 miler and ended up running the 3 in 27:54. A PR. Today is an easy day and tomorrow is long and slow. I am getting closer to the 1/2 marathon date and am looking forward to it.

Talk about rambling, I'm all over the place today. Anyway, with my travel schedule, the running is the only thing that is keeping me sane.

Running and Being

2007-03-17T14:30:00.000-05:00

It's official, I'm registered to run the Long Island 1/2 marathon! I've been following the Higdon 1/2 training plan and have about 7 weeks til race day. I have been modifying the plan a bit to fit my schedule. I've been keeping up with the weekly mileage and am looking forward to the run in Long Island. My friend Chris and I are planning on running together and our goals for this year are to finish the races. I'm running about a 10:17 - 10:30 mile for my long runs and this seems comfortable but for the "race", I'm looking forward to spending some time on the road with my friends.

Thanks to you who've commented on my posts. I am lucky to be part of this virtual running community and hope that we may cross paths at a race someday.

Work has been keeping me busy. Last week I got to do a 5 miler around Baltimore's Inner-Harbor and a 4.5 miler around Boston. I will be spending a lot of time over the next few weeks in Baltimore so I plan on checking out Run the Planet for running ideas. The bad thing about the extra travel is that I'm away from my family, but I will have the opportunity to do more cross training because the hotels I've been staying at have some nice elipticals and rowing machines. What is amazing to me is that in the past the thought of doing any type of cardio was anathema and now I cant think of not doing some sort of exercise. I am amazed at the changes in my being. I've given up the restricted diet but am focusing on making little and gradual changes. I want this to be a way of life not just a change of some sort that may revert back to old ways of being.

I hope this post finds you well and plan to write more soon.

Best,
David

Plateaus

2007-02-11T18:22:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since my last post. Sounds almost like a confession, forgive me runners, it's been almost 4 weeks since my last post. I've had negative thoughts about my running. Blah Blah Blah. I am making enormous progress in that I am running. I am putting my shoes on and going out for a run. The big challenge is not to make too many major lifestyle changes at the same time. I've been going out of my mind, but I keep putting my shoes on and getting out the door. It has been quite difficult in that it freezing. When I went out this morning, it was 11 degrees F. In my mind I think I'm breaking land speed records with my runs, but when I look at the clock, I'm hitting between 10 and 11 minute miles. I'm convinced the cold is slowing me down at the atomic level...I have been running between 3 and 4 days per week with a "long" run on Sundays. Today I went 6 miles and am looking forward to breaking double digits on the miles.

I've signed up for the Long Island half-marathon which is in May. I've built my training plan around the Hal Higdon Beginners Half Marathon training plan and start with week 1 this week. My mileage will be less for the first couple of weeks but will slowly build up to more that what I'm doing now, peaking at 25 miles for the week before the race. I'm running with my friend Chris and our only goal is to to finish. I am looking forward to getting out there and running. I'm looking at it like a long run with a friend where we'll have about 2 1/2 hours of discussion time. Who knows what kind of lies we can tell in that amount of time.

My weight loss has been hovering around 25 pounds. I've not been able to break through this point, but I haven't really been restrictive with my diet. My clothes are feeling a ton better and physically I'm feeling really great (except for the tendinitis in my right ankle and left shoulder).

The 6 miles I did today was quite challenging for me in that the course is quite hilly and the iPod ran out of juice about 30 minutes into the run so I had lots of time to think. What was neat is I started to take inventory of my body. Pain in right ankle, bad, move on, breathing good, hold on to that, stride feels good, move on, check points all around the body. It was so cold. I am just rambling here, but I haven't written in quite some time so I have scattered thoughts. What I am thinking about now is how much work it takes to get better at something. I've been running consistently now since Thanksgiving so what's that late Nov., Dec., Jan, and beg of Feb, so 12 weeks, and I've not been able to go double digits, my ankle still hurts, I'm carrying too much weight still, blah blah blah. I'm just thinking that today I went 6 miles and it felt really good (except for the ankle) and when I took up running, albeit, not consistently, I couldn't run for 10 minutes without the feeling that I was going to die. So all is well, I am still running. I am keeping a log in excel. I've not been good about posting lately because it all seems the same. I am at a plateau now that I know will be transcended if I only keep putting my running shoes on and getting out the door.

Until then I will keep on running and I look forward to meeting you as I jog down the path of self discovery.

Best, David

Dave's Still Running

2007-01-21T18:21:00.000-05:00

I went out today on for my Sunday long run. I ran for just over 60 minutes and I a mapped it on the USATF website and the map showed that I ran 5.66 miles. I've developed a pain in my right knee but my ankle doesn't hurt as much as it used to. I've begun to cross train. A friend of mine gave me his device to turn a street bike into a stationary bike. He wanted to upgrade his trainer and let me have the old one. I finally set it up in the basement and tried it out. I think I need a new bike seat or I need to tape a pillow to my butt, cause that seat is very uncomfortable. I do find riding in the basement to be quite boring, but I was able to spin for 30 minutes yesterday. I plan on running 4 days a week and cross training 2.

A new year

2007-01-01T21:42:00.000-05:00

Christmas and New Years have come and gone, the tree is down and I have to go back to work tomorrow. I was able to run a few times during my break from work. I've developed quite a pain in my right ankle which I need to monitor because I don't want to be seriously injured. I look forward to a year of running.

It has been hard to keep up with the blogging, but I have been quite regular with my running. My big boned friend Chris has set his sights on the Long Island 1/2 Marathon. The 1/2 is May 6th so it is far enough away to follow the training plan laid out by Hal Higdon etc. This is a 12 week plan with scheduled days for cross training and strength training.

I am wondering how I'm going to be able to fit the strength training in, but I am going to follow the training.

In the 2007 Runners world, there was a blurb on doubling the amount that you can run, so because my last long run was 60 minutes, I used that as my base. The next run in the plan is 72 minutes. I am a bit nervous about the time because I've never run continuously for 72 minutes.

I found an excel based training log that I had down loaded quite some time ago while cleaning up some files. I decided that I was trying to reinvent the wheel with the log I was keeping in excel so I decided to start using the one I found. This log was created by a member of the Dead Runners Society, a list serv group that started, I don't remember when, but now there are 1700+ people (plus one more--of course I joined). This log is great, I can put in my goals and plans and measure actual to planned...it's great.

And then while listening to fdip, I heard about a web based route mapper so I "googled" it and what do you know, at the US Track and Field website, there is a searchable data base of running routes which one is able to contribute to. All one has to do is click through a google map of the route and the distance is computed along with the elevation etc.

Fast forward to today, it is the long run day. 72 minutes, can I do it? Well I did. 72 minutes - 6.62 miles according to the route mapper. ( http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=98061 ) I felt great most of the way. My right ankle started bothering me at about mile 4.

Next week I'm shooting for 86 minutes...can I do it? Next week I'll update my stats from opening. I have lost weight, the clothes have become looser, the mood elevated and the resting HR has gone down.

Until the next time.

Santa Clause is coming to town.

2006-12-22T22:23:00.000-05:00

Date: 12/22/2006
Time Running: 60 Minutes (first time at this duration)
Distance Covered: 5.5 Miles
Shoes: 06/07 Brooks Beast (first run in the new kicks)

So, the new kicks came. I wore them around the house yesterday to break them in. The new shoes are a 2E. My other pair is a 4E. The 4E are a bit too wide and the 2E are a bit too narrow. Oh my problematic feet. Anyway, the feet feel good in both pairs. I am still in search for the perfect pair of kicks, but for now, the Brooks Beast are it.

I found my heart rate monitor strap and have been running with it. I wanted to be in the aerobic zone which is 60 -75% of Max heart rate so for me it's like 110 - 137. At about 11:30 pace, I'm at 150ish beats per minute. I can carry on a conversation here, but to get the heart rate any slower, I'd have to walk, and I don't want to walk. Today I did go 60 minutes and the heart rate was 150ish.

When I went out with my strap the first time after I found it, I went for 3 miles and the heart was 165ish which was at a 10 min mile pace. Oh well...It's the journey. Today was awesome. I loved being out there running. It felt good. This month's runners world has a plan to double the long run time in 5 weeks. So in 5 weeks, I'll go for 2 hrs!. I'm looking forward to it!

Ciao for now.

Big Boned Runners

2006-12-15T20:24:00.000-05:00

I just ordered a new pair of kicks and found my heart rate monitor strap. I am all set for running into the new year!

It's funny, when I started down this road, I was looking for any excuse to not run and would talk myself into why I shouldn't be running. I didn't listen to the voice this time, I kept putting one foot in front of the other. After the 5K in New Haven, I thought that my 5 day a week plan was too much and that I should move down to a 4 day a week running plan. Well, I did 3 on Tuesday, 4.5 on Wednesday and 3 today, Friday. I'm scheduled for 5 on Sunday which would be the 4 for the week however...I'm thinking of sneaking in 2 miles tomorrow. I'm a running Junkie!

Seriously though, I'm really excited because my girls have hinted that they would like to run too so I will take them out for a short run. We're going to start out really slow and short and just work on consistency. Runners World had a great article about some Nuns who worked at this orphanage and they started taking the kids on a run every day. I thought that was great and wished that I had had exercise built into me growing up. (http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--9987-0,00.html) We're not going to push, we're going out to have fun.

Phew! Glad that's over!

2006-12-10T20:31:00.000-05:00

5K in New Haven Dec. 10th 2006

2006-12-10T20:27:00.000-05:00

Unofficial time ~29:45ish, which works to a 9:33 mile. I felt like it was a good pace. At mile 1, the guy yelled out 10:20. It took about 45 seconds to get to the starting line. At the end of the race my watch said 30:21 and then I forgot to push stop. There was chip timing for the race too. I will use the chip time as the official time. I'm on pin's and needles for the chip time. I went out slow and kicked it in when I thought there was about 5 minutes left to run. I saw the finish line and dug down deep and pulled it out. I did not walk. It's funny to say that I dug down deep with such a slow time, but I felt like taking a break with about 3/4 miles left to go. I focused on the person in front of me and tried to keep their pace. There's no doubt in my mind that if I continue this, weight will come off and when weight comes off the pace will increase. At 273 lbs I'm carrying around an extra 53 pounds. 53 pounds! I need to be a bit easier on my self as far as pace is concerned. I'm trying to teach my daughter that even if you come in last, as long as you got out there and did your best, your a winner because there are a lot of people who can't even make it to the starting line. I was and am feeling some pain in my right ankle. Time for RICE.

One thing that was really neat to see was the number of kids running in the race. I saw a girl who was 8 who said she started running when she was 5. My 7 year old saw her and now she wants to go running too. I think this could be a family affair! I would like nothing more than to go out on family jaunts. You know I think I'd like that because I'd like my family to experience the great feelings that I've been feeling. It's amazing how good running is for the psyche, the body and the spirit. I do relish the 30 to 50 minutes I get to go out on the road. It's a great time to clear the head.

I do have lots to learn for racing. One thing I did do was get a good night's sleep before hand which made the day just that much more pleasant. I always say that I'll write more later. I finished the race. I'm thinking about my continued training and may cut the running down to 4 days a week and try to work in weights 2-3 times per week. I would like my mileage to be in the 16 - 20 per week. I did keep thinking to my self, " I can do it
!"

This was a pretty stream of consciousness thing but I will try to be a bit more cogent next time. I will also write about the events leading up to the race. It's funny how much anxiety I was filled with. I was properly hydrated and yet my mouth was bone dry. I also had to pee and the lines for the porta potty was quite long. I'm wondering if my running would have been better had I had totally relieved myself before the race. I'll add that variable in on the next jaunt. I am going to get a 10 K on the calendar for spring and follow a 12 week training program and see how that goes for me. I do plan on adding in speed work (if you can call it speed work) at least 1 day a week, whether fartlek or hills or 4 X 800s what ever, I think I need to step up the intensity on my runs to try to get the pace down. I want to feel like I'm a runner not a plodder. I know all in good time, but a guy can dream can't he? Ok enough for now, I have to go give my kidlets a kiss good night.

Best to all, I'll be seeing you on the race course I hope...

The Week of the Race

2006-12-06T21:43:00.000-05:00

So now the race is almost upon me. The race is this Sunday. I've put in the training miles (except for the 2 easy leg stretch run scheduled for Saturday) so I can stand at the starting line knowing I am as prepared as I'm going to be for this Sunday.

What I learned on my run tonight: 4 slices of chicken florintine pizza is not a very good pre-run meal. Last nights run was cold. 3 miles tonight and 3 last night. This week is the taper week. I am really anxious for the race. I'm just not in the mood for writing now...I'll post more later.

The week before the first race

2006-11-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

Ok, Steve's got a new podcast out which means there's a new blog of the week. I had my 15 minutes of fame. Boy, who knew that 15 minutes was so short.

Tuesday I ran 3, Wednesday 4 and tonight (Thursday) 3. I've got 2 planned for Saturday and 4 for Sunday; 16 total for the week. The 5K is one week from Sunday and I plan on running light that week. I am really looking forward to running the race. I have little aches and pains, but nothing serious. I really look forward to my time on the road. I just need to make sure that I keep finding the time.

I think of so many things to write about while I'm running and now while I sit here I can't really think of anything to add. This is a long process, one mile at a time. Until the morrow...well at least Sunday when I'm done with the week.

5 Miles, Phedippidations and so much more

2006-11-27T21:46:00.000-05:00

First things first, I was at www.steverunner.com today checking out who the musician was on a particular podcast I saw something strange in the show notes for the most recent podcast. My blog was linked there. Oh my gosh! I'm the featured blogger of Steve Runner's Phedippidations podcast. I felt like Marsha Brady when she got to meet Davey Jones. I got props from Steve Runner. And when I went to my blog, there were actual comments from other runners from around the world. This Internet thing is really cool. I am amazed that I can be linked up with a global community that shares the same passion of running. I've always wanted to be a runner, but have been too lazy and then inertia got the better of me.

Sunday I did my 5 mile long slow run. Turns out it was really 5.1. Going into the run I was plagued with doubt and self defeating thoughts. I'm not going to be able to make it. I'm going to have to walk. I'll never get to my goal...blah blah blah. I listened and told myself to shut up. The one thing I did was to start off slow. I think the anxiety really gets to me and I go out too fast and then I'm spent. So I deliberately went out slow. Mile one was about an 11:14 min mile and guess what. I wasn't ready to quit right out of the gate. After about 15 minutes I decided I felt good and I'll just keep putting one foot in front of the other and before I knew it I was 1 mile away from home and I still felt pretty good. I was going to make it. I was going to make it. Then I was 1/2 a mile from home, then 1/4 mile from home and then...I ran 5.1 miles! I went out slow and focused on finishing. I did it. My negative voice kept getting softer and softer. I ended up at a 10:49 pace for the 5 miles and couldn't be happier. I did it.

It's funny, while I'm out, my head is ablaze with thought. I'm thinking and thinking. Sometimes there are brilliant, grand thoughts that will change the world and then I forget to write them down. Today was a scheduled rest day. I wanted to run, but I do know that I have to give the old legs a rest. Tomorrow it's 3 which I'm looking forward to.

I'll write more later...

Confronting Myself

2006-11-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

Opening Stats:

Weight 284 Lbs or 20.3 Stone or 128.8 Kilograms
Neck 18.5"
Chest 51"
Midsection 50"
Waist 45"
Hip 47"
Bicep 15.5"
Quad 25.5"
Calf 17"

Waist 45 inches? No wonder the 42s are feeling a bit tight! Well, today a wager has been undertaken among myself and 2 friends to see who can loose 30lbs first. Each of us has begun running. Today is week 3 for me. I did 3 miles tonight. My time was 30 minutes 24 seconds which I must say is a tad disappointing to me. I thought I was doing great. I was trucking along and it felt as though I was really cranking. I didn't look at my watch but when I finished the loop and stopped the watch I couldn't believe my time. More than 30 minutes. That's greater than 10 minutes per mile. I will keep running. I will keep running. I will succeed. Anyway...tonight I was wearing a new pair of shoes with which I am a bit disappointed. Next time I won't be blinded by a sale. Anyway, I did need a new pair of sneakers to walk around in. I am going to also start being careful about what I eat. I am going to make sure that the fuel I intake will help me kick some butt.

I am not happy about where my stats are, but I am happy to have a starting point from which to judge my progress. If I remember way back to when I started running, I couldn't run 5 minutes with out having to stop and tonight I ran more than 30. I'm on the road to Disney, but for the short term, I have New Haven on December 10th. I have a 5 mile run scheduled for this Sunday. I want to get through them.

I'll write more later...

Cross Training

2006-11-20T15:21:00.000-05:00

Is running 5 days a week enough? By some measures yes, but I want to add some form of strength training to my routine. In fact, I want to employ a comprehensive body weight training set so that I can get maximum gains in the shortest amount of time. I think that being fit enough to throw ones own body around is a sign of good fitness and that is what I am striving for.

One day, I'm surfing around the internet and come across this fitness guy named Ross (www.rossboxing.com) who has a great site that is devoted to boxing workouts. Now in my opinion, boxers and wrestlers have a tremendous training rountine. Those guys are in shape! Well, on Ross's website he mentions this toal body conditioning exercise called a Burpee (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rossboxing2.htm) which is a variation on the famed squat thrust. He advocates a circuit that is a 2 minute round broken up in 30 second intervals of burpee then shadow boxing with a one minute rest between rounds. I tried this today. I will be starting with 1 minute rounds. I was lucky to make it through. I'm also adding some other exercises to make about a 30 minute routine that is high intensity and will really challenge me to dig down and find the fitness.

I'm planning on 3 workouts per week and it's looking like Mon, Wed Fri are my days. I have put together a 6 week routine which modestly progresses from where I am today with 10% load increases each week. I'll reassess at the end of 6 weeks to see how I can shake this up.

Tomorrow is a running day. I did get some new shoes. I wore them today to break them in. Tomorrow I'll do a couple a miles in the new kicks. I'll write more tomorrow.

The Long Slow Run

2006-11-19T10:43:00.000-05:00

Today was my long slow run. It was my first long slow run. 4 miles was on the plan--2 miles out, 2 miles back. I started out slowly, the first mile was 10:47. I was planning on running 4 11 minute miles. I thought with this pace I could make it all the way through. Plus I read that the long slow run should be 1 1/2 to 2 minutes slower per mile than your planned race pace. My goal is to run 9 minute miles for the 5K so 11 minute miles it will be. Well, I got through mile 1 and hit the stop button on my watch thinking it was the lap timer. You, see, I discovered on my watch that it can be used as either a split timer or a lap timer. Having never participated in a timed type of sport, I'm not exactly sure how the split works, but I have a pretty good idea how the lap works. When I push the button it records time 1 as lap one and then push again for time 2 etc. This way I can have the time per mile instead of my average time per mile which is also good to know. Well, I pushed the wrong button and actually stopped the time. I discovered this as I hit mile 2 and wanted to see my mile 2 time. I quickly hit the start button again to get the timer going. So mile 1 was 10:47 and when I started it back up at mile two the timer begin clocking my progression. When I got back to the start, the complete of 4 miles the elapsed time was ~31 minutes. (I'm not sure of the exact time because I actually started the stupid thing again at some point between my cool-down, shower and writing of this note because the timer is going and it is up over an hour!) So anyway, mile 2, 3 and 4 was run in about 30 minutes so all in all, I was at about a 10 minute pace.

While out, I was listening to my running buddy, Steve Runner of www.steverunner.com, the voice of Phedippidations who was talking about is performance at the Marine Corps Marathon. One of the things that came up was bathroom breaks, twisted intestines and I got to thinking because during my run I had to stop to tie one of my shoes and also for a traffic light. When timing yourself while running, do you stop the clock when you stop to empty yourself, tie a shoe or pause for a picture? I will ask this of him through his forum and see what he has to say.

The other thing I was thinking about was that 4 miles isn't really that far. To say that it is my long run, for many runners, this is a light day distance. It's very troubling how I compare my performance as someone who is relatively new to this sport at a -10 in fitness level to those who are at an 8 fitness level. The one thing I know is that if I keep this up, an 8 mile run wouldn't seem like a stretch and I just lace up the shoes and begin putting one foot in front of the other. I did make it through the 4 miles without taking a walking break. I continued and tried to vary my pace if I got tired or felt good.

I've been running consistently for 2 weeks now. The previous 6 - 8 weeks I'd been running about 2-3 miles 1 - 2 days a week with 20 - 30 minutes of Rugby on Saturday. The one thing that is for sure, Rugby fitness is a bit different from just running fitness. Another thing that is for sure is that running will definitely build up a solid base of cardiovascular fitness. I am planning to add regular calisthenics to my routine to build up an anaerobic base too. I really like the idea of doing body weight exercises like push ups, pull ups, single leg squats, all of which are a challenge because I am carrying a bunch of extra weight. What I am doing with this though will be setting very small goals and staying constant with the effort. I believe the added time would be an extra 20 minutes 3 times a week. So that would be 1 extra hours to even further my level of fitness. I'm encouraged that I've made it out the door in my shoes, according to plan for the last 2 weeks and look forward to tomorrows off day and Tuesday's run and so on and so on and so on.

That's all for now, except that I do feel good about where I am. I'm going to lace up and run.

What is a runner?

2006-11-17T09:42:00.000-05:00

I went out yesterday morning. 5:30 am. I had 2.5 miles in my plan. I ran a bit more than 2.5, probably 2.7 but I'm not an odometer. I was out for 24:57. The whole time I was running I was working through a litany of reasons why I shouldn't be running. I then thought that, hey, when I started running, I couldn't run 1 mile. I was able to run 2.5. There are lots of experts who say to start slow. I have a hard time starting slow. One thing that I must say is waiting a day to make my post, I have lost all of the great ideas that I thought of while I was out that I thought that I had to include in my online journal.

Today is an off day, meaning no running but I will do something. I will have to more to say later. But here's the thing, I did make it out. I followed my plan, I went out, I ran. Am I a runner? We'll see...

Run for the Hills

2006-11-15T10:40:00.000-05:00

"The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry." I set out thinking that I will run 3X2 minute hill repeats, got to the hill and on my first repeat thought that I would die about 45 seconds in and decided I would run 1 minute repeats. I did run 3 of them, but the distance up the hill by the 3rd repeat was about 30 yds shorter than the first repeat. Very interesting! I then jogged/walked back home. I wasn't rigorous at all about how much jogging vs. walking there was, I just got home. The total time out was about 47 minutes. I was disappointed at how little I could do from a hill repeat standpoint. I'm always thinking I could do more that I am actually capable of doing. What I was left with this morning though was a feeling that, hey, I've established a baseline and let's see how I can improve on this. In fact on one of my long runs after the 5K December 10th, I may incorporate that hill into one of my routes. The hill is about 1 mile long and would probably work into a 4 mile run. This is definitely within the realm of possibility and I am not discouraged by my lack of stamina. It will come. I just have to remain consistent with my training and not let the discouragement set me back.

What I am picking up from my reading and listening is that each time you go out as a runner, you are not going to set a PR (personal record). The most important thing is that you are out there--running. (Or in my case, plodding along.) Anyway, now that I have my hill session behind me I can look forward to my up coming easy runs. I would like to set as an immediate goal for myself to run the 4 miles on Sunday without stopping. Let's see how that goes.

One Day At A Time

2006-11-14T16:56:00.000-05:00

So I have this goal: Run a marathon. I've been told that the Disney marathon is a great race for beginners. I've got my kids psyched into going to Mickey's house in January of next year. Other members of my extended family are planning on joining us in at Mickey's house and I'm already trying to sabotage my completing my goal of running a marathon. I'm thinking to myself that I really shouldn't do this; I can't do this; I wouldn't be able to do this--I should give up.

The funny thing is that I've put a race on my calendar, a 5K in December. I have a modified training schedule to actually run this race as a race and not plod through it. I'm accounting for 10% milage increases weekly with some plateau and taper time. I hope to have fresh legs. My plan that I outlined a couple of posts ago is a bit hopeful in that the milage increase is greater than 10% so I've modified it. Today I ran 2.5 instead of the orignal 3 that I'd planned on. Leaving my house, I thought, ok, let's take it nice and slow to stretch the legs because my legs feel heavy. So 1 mile in I look at my watch-9:07. How can this be, I'm a 10 minute miler. Then I start thinking that I will never be able to get back home because I went out too fast, I can't keep this pace up, but I said to myself, "self, you can ease off the pace, but you are not quitting in this short 2.5 miler, you can complete this, you don't have to walk." I eased up a little and did make it home. My time out and back for 2.5 miles was 23 min 22 seconds or a 9:21 pace. This is not bad! The funny thing is, when I went out I started talking to myself about cancelling my run tomorrow or rationalizing some way out of it, but now that I've completed my run and am sitting on the couch making this post, I'm thinking about my run tomorrow. What is on the calendar are 4-5 hill repeats, so I will jog to the hill, do some stretching and cycle through the 400-600 yd repeats and then jog back. It will be interesting to see if I can get through these. You'll have to wait until I get through it and make my post to find out how it goes.

This morning I did walk 2 miles with my wife so for the day, I've moved 4.5 miles. Also, I am now in the 270s. It is 279 but still, it's in the 270s. It is a nicer neighborhood than the 280s. Let's see what this running does!

Running Inspite of Myself

2006-11-12T18:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I've paid an entry fee and I've put together a modified training plan which I've stuck to for 3 days now and I'll be on board with it tomorrow too (I know this because it is a rest day.) I had 4miles on the calendar for today and went out with heavy legs. After 12 minutes in I decided to walk and gave myself a minute rest. I also decided to allow for walking breaks after a defined interval, which in this case was the 12 minutes. So I started for my 2nd round of running for 12 more minutes, but then I allowed for 2 minutes of rest. I ran the third and then allowed for 3 minutes of rest. At this point I was about 5 1/2 to 6 minutes from home and just ran. In fact when I rounded the corner onto 317, I got a second wind because this is the final .3 miles. I also look at this as my dash to the finish. I pushed it out and ended at the stop sign like always. I've put so much pressure on myself to run x numb er of minutes or miles without stopping. As if having to take a walking break is tantamount to failure. What I'm realizing is that even if I take 100 walking breaks, I'm out there. I'm on the road putting one foot in front of the other. It has always been difficult for me to follow through with anything that is remotely healthy, but I do have a habit of jumping in way over my head. I don't want my first race to be a 5k; I have a marathon on my calendar! Is this what they mean when your are told that you are setting yourself up for failure? I'm not going to be so hard on myself for stopping and taking a walk break. I will set appropriate goals and go out and try to achieve them. I would like to be an 8 - 9 minute miler, right now I am at 10. The way to reach that goal is to run and drop a significant amount of weight. Right now I'm weighing in at around 280 and am carrying 60 lbs too much. I can only imagine what my running efficiency would be minus the 60 lbs.

Joining the rugby club (www.cgrfc.org) has been the best for my overall fitness. It has provided a tremendous amount of incentive to put in the miles. In fact I have to put in more than miles to get to the level of fitness to be a really effective player. Steve Runner's latest podcast (www.steverunner.com) was on exercise addiction. On of the things he mentioned was that you have to listen to your body and get rest etc. If you over train you could do some serious damage to your body. I think if you're just starting out, you need to overtrain because it is too easy to slip back into the couch.

Well, the long and the short of it is. I am through week one of my 5K prep. When I get through the 5K I plan on making a 10K. I do plan on getting one on the calendar which will allow me to work through a full 12 week training session. I don't want to just finish the races, I want to run them in a time that will challenge me to acheive things that I would have never thought possible. An 8 minute mile is the equivalent of 4 2 minute laps around a track. At my fastest in school I never brok a 2 minute lap sprinting and I think at 37 I can maintain a pace of 2 minute laps for some time to finish a race. Well I think it is within reach, especially if I loose the extra 60 I'm running with! My goal for the 5 K is to run 9:30 miles. It did take me a second to come to the realization that shooting for a 9 minute mile is too much of a reach for my first 5 k which is only 4 weeks away and to take off a full 30 seconds per mile is challenging enough, taking a whole minute off is crazy ( I write this but I don't believe it. I do think I can run 9 minute miles, you know make it my 5K pace from which I can base my subsequent race training.)

I will keep on running, oh and I did modify my training routine that I outlined 2 posts ago. I am making it so that I am only increasing my milage by 10% each week. I've read somewhere that 10% is safe. I will be doing some speedwork (fartleks and hill runs). So this week I ran 12 miles, next week is 14 (I know it's more than 10% but it's close enough), the next is 15 and the week before the race is 16. The week of the race I'm running 12. I can't wait to see what happens.

Are we there yet?

2006-11-11T20:34:00.000-05:00

Regular training isn't something that I can say that I've ever been able to do regularly. I've got a 5K on the calendar December 10th. I've registerd and paid. I've figured out a training plan and I am going to follow it. I've never trained for a race, especially not any type of systematic training. Tonight was just an easy 2 miles and the time was 18:55 so about 9 minute miles. Tomorrow 4 miles is the plan. Right now, I'm a plodder. I've been a 10 minute miler and have a goal of being an 8:30 miler. That pace for a 5K would be 27 minutes 2o seconds (oh, my wife is bringing me ice cream!) I'll have more to say tomorrow after I run my 4 miles.

I've got a 5K on the calander!

2006-11-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

Ok, so they say that a journey of a thousand steps begins with the first step. Well, I would like to run a marathon. I've got my family bought into the idea that I will be participating in the 2008 Disney Marathon. Well to get there, I will be attending smaller races--my first being a 5 K. I will be registering for:

DEC 10 - SUN
22nd Christopher Martin's Xmas Run - 5K - 10:00am - New Haven - (203)481-5933 (www.hitekracing.com)

Let's see what happens. I did manage to get a run in today. I ran 20 minutes walked 3 ran 5 more walked 1 and finished the 3 miles in 33:15. My goal for this race is to run sub 10 minute miles. Let's see what happens...

I've put together a modified training plan:

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
0	Off	3	Off	3M	Off	2M	4M
1	Off	3M	3 - 4 Long Hills	3M	Off	2M	4M
2	Off	3M	Fartlek (4M)	3M	Off	2M	5M
3	Off	4M	Fartlek (4M)	3M	Off	3M	4M
4	Off	Fartlek (4M)	3M	Off	Off	2M	Race Day

Not Really The First Night

2006-11-07T21:53:00.000-05:00

I've tried to be constant with my running. The operative word is "tried". I did overcome my inertia and went out for about 3.5 miles tonight. I ran for 33:15. It was about 51 degrees Fahrenheit; just the way I like it. I went out at 8:00 pm after a long day with 2 hrs of commuting. I think the commute has been making it difficult for me to run...nah, I've been making it difficult. I do feel better when I'm able to stay consistent. I've been more consistent because I have been playing in an Old Boy's Rugby league. The season is just over but I do know that I have a long way to get my fitness to a level where I can be an effective player.

I've wanted to run a marathon and that is what I usually put as my goal, forget that I cant run 5 miles and I think that the marathon is the race distance that I have my sights on. Well I do have a marathon on my calendar. The Disney Marathon in January 2008. In small chunks, I will make that race distance. I think I should focus on a 5K in this short term.

I need to also focus on being consistant. I want to run 3 - 4 days per week and cross train 2 - 3 times. I plan to use this forum as a running chronicle of my road to Disney. I need to keep in mind is that it is the journey not the destination. I will just keep plodding along.

I've tried to keep a running journal but have not been very consistent with my entries. I am planning on keeping this up to date.

I am starting out at about 284lbs and will record my resting pulse tomorrow. I will also try to figure out how to differentiate this chronicle from all the other chronicles out there. The one thing I know that makes this different from all the rest is that it is my journey. I want to document my path. I've let life live me for so long that I am going to take control. I will attain a level of fitness that I will feel comfortable with.

Until the next time...