Almost missed a day

I've decided to do some cross training so I can get fit quicker. As of today I am halfway through my couch to five K program. Now I am able to run for 14 minutes without stopping which means I can run for an entire mile and not tire out. Or boink as the commercials say. On the days of 'rest' from running I've decided to put in Taebo workouts. Have you heard of this? Billy Banks? It's pretty intense and definitely gets you sweating. You feel great afterwards but without proper warmup you'll feel it tomorrow. Which was the case with me today.

I did the 'core express' video from the Taebo 'Amped' series. Only 31 minutes of intense workout that includes some kicks, pushups, and other various cardio and core excersices. But when I woke up today to go on my run at 5 AM I simply couldn't move. OUCH! My back was sore and my legs couldn't move. My wife yelled at me, "GET UP! YOU HAVE TO RUN!"

'...uh..' I barely squeezed out of my mouth '...i'll go later tonight...uuuhhh...'

I finally got my dead and tight body up and made some breakfast and got in the shower, I was barely able to move without some pain. "Today is going to suck" I thought as I got dressed and ready for my somewhat physical job. (I drive a bobtail truck and pick up will calls and deliver pallets worth of products to customers all over Southern California) Contemplating all day if I should go run or not kept going through my head. "I'll just wait and see how I feel"

I really wanted to get some type of running in...badly! But I didn't want to injure myself. Finally after some rest and a nap when I got home I laced up and figured I'll see how I feel after I do some stretching.

"ok" I thought "This is hurting"

But I started feeling looser after stretching (go figure right!) and went for a walk with the wife and child. Once we got to the park I felt much better and ended up running a little over a mile. I was even pacing myself, which was only 12.5 minutes per mile. I only wanted to get moving; didn't want to set any PRs. It got a little too late to stay out so my wife waved me down and said we should go home. I had ran for only 18 minutes but it was getting late. So we began walking home.

Cross training did take a bit out of me but I think I'll continue with it. Do any of you out there cross train? If so what do you do? I'd love to hear from any one who reads this. Even if it's only my wife or sister. Thanks for reading and I will chat with you all next time. Maybe next time I'll talk about smoothies and what I put in them. You may not want to be eating or drinking anything when I tell you the ingredients to my smoothies. heh heh.

Adios and keep on runnin'!

Breaks, and breaking 3 miles!

My running shoes mean a lot to me. They're even educated! It's true, they're Dr. Scholl's. While running this song came on my iPod (yes, I have this song on my iPod...I have over 7000 songs that my uncle has collected on his computer for quite a while, this is 22 days worth of music! insane!) and I thought to myself that this must be what my shoes think after a run.

When will I see you again. Will I have to wait forever.

Sometimes I get too busy with work and family priorities it does feel like forever since I've last ran. I've had to adjust my workout schedule a bit to work with the fourth of July and other happenings that'd prevent me from pounding the pavement. Thus far I have been able to do every workout assigned. Yesterday I was supposed to run but I didn't get to. I decided to do that run today and I just finished that run 10 minutes ago. Stress has been creeping its way back into my life and running didn't seem like a good idea. Simply wasn't up to it, didn't want to, sitting on the couch looked better.

Wait, that's the LAST place I should be. With my shoes singing and finally laced back on my feet I went out to run the run I was supposed to do yesterday. Running is amazing, I feel better. Who wants to spend thousands of dollars on a therapist (or is that a psychologist? I always forget, maybe a social worker?) when you can destress with a good workout. I can't believe it actually works either. I never in a million years would have thought that running around the block would help out, but I guess stress is in your sweat.

The last time I ran was on Monday the fifth. There was a historical moment that took place that early morning. I broke 3 miles! oh yea baby! This 5-K business is in the bag homie! I think it was 3.064 miles. I'm sure that was only three steps past the 3 mile mark but breaking 3 miles is breaking 3 miles. My confidence has really shot through the roof as well as my resolve to lose this burger weight.

I heard my blog shouted out on Steve Runner's podcast. Thank you Steve and THANK YOU to everyone reading this and my new followers (I like to tell my wife I have followers. I ask her if she has followers. She's a saint for putting up with me.) Lacy, Shawn, Barry, and anyone else I may have missed you guys freaking rule! Who would have guessed anyone would have read this little thing? Let alone come back to it! Other than myself when I proofread it, and by proofread I mean hit the spell check button.

Now I feel that I must continue to type and also that I must run since the support is not lacking at all. 'Must' isn't a good word since that invokes that 'I have to', but I know I can stop typing anytime but I truly enjoy sharing my story with whoever will listen. I myself have never been much of a blog reader, which is why I figured no one would read this. I will surely have to check out some of those blogs out there. Thanks again to everyone reading this, you don't know how much it means to me to know that folks out there are cheering me on. When I'm running or when I don't feel like running, I remember the comments here and that's motivation to keep me moving.

Also, I weighed myself just after today's run. Remember that around February this year I was something like 265 - 270. My weight is 242.8 and dropping! BMI is 31.1 and getting closer to the 'overweight' category and out of the 'obese' level. That's about another 10 lbs to lose and I'll be only 'overweight'. Why is there 'normal' and THEN 'overweight'? Why can't there be a middle section? We fat people have feelings too ya know! it could go like this:

anemic
skinny
lean
normal
pleasantly plump
husky
big boned
well fed
overweight
obese
morbid obese
whale
owner of own gravitational pull

I think this new system will really improve BMI's PR. What say you?

The Power of Running

There is a LOT of power behind running and this minor blog entry will not be able to encompass all that. However, let me tell you of some of what I have experienced in the past three weeks of the couch to 5-K program I have adapted.

1. I do feel more energized after a run. Not only do I feel a sense of pride of seeing how far I run (typically 2.5 to 2.7 miles) but also how much energy I'll have throughout the day. This I have mentioned before.

2. Feeling like I have a purpose. I have a goal. I know I am going towards it and that keeps me motivated to keep running. Actually I have several goals. (complete an IronMan triathlon, do a marathon, get to my target weight of 175 pounds) But I have given myself a deadline.August 22nd is a 5-K in Santa Monica, CA. I'm still on the fence since I don't know what my schedule will be like and I don't know if money will be too tight to register. I do want to be fit enough for a 5-K by August 22nd. Plus I'm losing weight! I REALLY AM!!! I weighed myself today and I was 245!!! HOLY COW!!! I've been consistently in the 240's. Usually I've been plagued with the 250's and earlier the 260's and for a while the 270's...ouch. My pants are looser but my belts are there, shirts fit better, and soon I won't have to pay extra for another X in front of the L for my wardrobe.

3. Speaking of weight loss, you'll begin to look better and people will notice. A cool thing about this is that no one is afraid to say "wow, have you lost weight?" or "You're looking thinner". No one will ever say (except for me to my wife, in a loving way of course) "wow, you're packing it on!" or " You're looking fatter today" or "The city called, they said you're going to have to register for your own zip code". ok I'd never say that last one...without a few beers of course, heh heh. Seriously though, this is a big boost in confidence and makes you want to pound the asphalt again and again.


4. This one is a personal one for me. A long, long time ago. In a city not too far, far away. I was diagnosed with a pilonidal cyst. This is a very embarrassing area to have a sack of pus on you. Basically it's your lower back...very very lower back. Upper butt crack would be more accurate. The area where most of your weight goes when you're sitting down or when you're trying to do a sit up. Mine had to be operated on, thrice!!! Yup, three times baby. The beauty about this thing is that they can't just patch up the hole, no sir ee. You get to have a gaping open sore. oh yea, sounds like a paradise trip so far huh! well, you pack this wound with gauze and clean it out and it's a real hassle. My poor dad was the one to help me out with this one, and then my saint of a wife who took over the reigns when we got married, and even a while before we got married, so she knew very well what she was getting into. When she said she had my back I knew she truly meant it. Anyway, this went on for several years, probably 4 or 5 now. The cyst just would never go away! Plus it does cause a slight leakage, which is more embarrassing for me since this leakage of pus has a wonderful stink to it. I had to wear absorbent pads, AKA man diapers. Fan-freakin-tastic! Buying these wondrous items from walmart was a blast too! a 20-something man going in for a pack of freakin depends, that'll strike up a great conversation. Fortunately that never happened. But if it had happened I was prepared, I was going to blame my grandfather (rest his soul) and claim that these were for him. Poor fella lost bladder control last summer. Good thing he has a good and honest grandson like me to help him out.
ok, what was my point, oh yea. Now that you know how terrible this thing is...it's gone. FINALLY gone!!! I didn't have to put on a 'pad' today and it's awesome! My surgeon (who had to keep doing this.....but if he was really good wouldn't it have gone away by now? just saying) said I'd have to shave that area for the rest of my life to avoid this. psh, give me a break doc! well, I've given myself a break and that break is running! I don't know if it was coincidence or something else. Alls I know is that I recently started running and this sucker has finally healed!

I'm only in my third week of my program. I've been eating better. The results are almost instant people. Once you realize that exercise and better diet works you begin to wonder why everyone else isn't doing it. People who are fat and claimed they've 'tried' everything haven't. They didn't do something right, because if they had then they wouldn't be so large anymore. Maybe they got discouraged because they didn't see the results THEY wanted soon enough. Maybe they didn't think another big mac was going to hurt them, just one more just one more. A co worker asked me what I've been doing, as if I recently stumbled upon classified information from the pentagon. I simply told him, I've started running and I've been eating better. No dietary supplements, no pills, no magic gels. Just fruits, veggies, nuts, lean meats, and running. That simple. Of course this 'simple' is just that, a simple overview of many things to consider. This is an entire lifestyle we're talking about. It's many months, years, decades a whole life time of habits to change. It's not easy. But once you have determination and you are willing to commit yourself to this and embrace it with every fiber you've got, it ain't so bad. You realize you're helping yourself to live a happier fuller life, and probably a longer one. I used to think, "well, I know if I eat fast food and junk all the time I'll be unhealthy and live a shorter life, but at least I'll enjoy what I'm eating." well, that may be true but I sure don't want to develop diabetes or entice a heart attack or stroke while in my 30's or 40's. I've got a family man! I need to be able to keep up with my son, who by the way, is only 16 months and running around already, takes the breath out of my wife and I. But really I do this new life style because I'm now feeling good, really good.

I guess you could say,
I have happy feet.




yeah I know, corny. Oh well, it's what the people love.