Oh how quickly I forget! Goals, damn it! I need to have goals!

My workouts and my diet have been suffering since my half marathon on November 27, 2010.  Since the race I've been slacking in my workouts and very bad about my diet.

I've tried to get myself motivated since then.  It's not like I haven't worked out - I have.  However, the workouts haven't been focused and I've struggled on multiple occasions to get myself started.  A similar story can be told about my eating habits.  It's not that I've eaten a steady diet of fat and sugar since 11/27, but sugar and fat seem to show up a lot more frequently while fruits and vegetables have all but disappeared from my meals.

I know the culprit that's behind my fitness woes.  I don't have any immediate short or intermediate goals.  Sure, my long term goal is still to get more healthy.  That alone, however, isn't enough to keep me working out hard and eating really well on a regular basis.

It's funny and neat how powerful the mind can be.  Setting a goal as simple as "I want to run 15 miles in the next 5 days" is enough to get me focused and I feel so much more fired up to do it.  Alternatively, if I were to just say "I'm going to run 3 miles a day" without an end date I'm quite likely to skip a day or two over the next 5 days.  In other words, its all in my head!

So, going forward I'm going to set small goals.  For example, as I head into the weekend I want to do a lot of cardio so I'm setting a goal: I will run 10 miles total between Saturday and Sunday!

Dec 6th thru Dec 12th, 2010 - Workout Plan

Beginning this week I'm going to sketch out my workouts for the week and then, in the same post, I'll write an update on how the workout went.  I'll also try to set out some goals.

Goals for this Week:

1. Run 15 miles
2. 6 days of strength training

MONDAY - Dec 6, 2010

No workout - Monday Night Football

TUESDAY - Dec 7, 2010

• Running - 1.5 miles  DONE
• Bench Press - 3 warm up sets, 5 regular sets (165, 185, 205, 205, 185, 165)  DONE
• Dumbbell Incline Chest Press - 5 sets (35, 40, 50, 50, 40)  NOT DONE
• Barbell Shoulder Press - 3 warm up sets, 4 regular sets (95, 115, 125, 135)  NOT COMPLETE
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises - 5 sets (15, 20, 30, 30, 20, 20)  NOT DONE
• Upright Rows (machine) - 6 sets (high reps) NOT DONE
• Tricep Pushdowns (machine) - 3 sets  DONE
• Tricep Rope Extensions (machine) - 3 sets NOT DONE
• Running - 1.5 miles  DID 1 mile
• Sit-ups - 3 sets  NOT DONE

I didn't have the stamina to do multiple exercises per muscle group.  By the time I finished the bench presses I knew I was going to struggle through the rest of the workout if I tried to do the dumbbell incline presses before getting to the shoulder exercises.  I may modify the rest of the week's exercises to on lift movement per muscle/group.  Maybe after a few weeks of training I can start adding multiple exercises.

WEDNESDAY - Dec 8, 2010

• Running - 1.5 miles
• Lat Pulldowns - 6 sets (9 plates, 10, 11, 12, 11, 10)
• Bent-over close grip rows - 6 sets (12 plates, 13, 14, 15, 16, 16)
• Squats - 4 sets (95, 95, 115, 125)
• Single leg Curls - 3 sets (high reps)
• Deadlifts - 3 sets (135, 155, 155)
• Sit-ups - 3 sets

THURSDAY - Dec 9, 2010

• Running - 1.5 mile
• Bench Press - 3 warm up sets, 5 regular sets (165, 175, 185, 175, 165)
• Dumbbell Incline Chest Press - 5 sets (35, 40, 40, 35, 35)
• Barbell Shoulder Press - 3 warm up sets, 4 regular sets (95, 95, 125, 135)
• Dumbbell Lateral Raises - 5 sets (15, 20, 30, 30, 20, 20)
• Upright Rows (machine) - 6 sets (high reps)
• Tricep Pushdowns (machine) - 3 sets
• Tricep Rope Extensions (machine) - 3 sets
• Sit-ups - 3 sets
• Running - 1.5 miles

FRIDAY - Dec 10, 2010

• Running - 1.5 miles
• Lat Pulldowns - 6 sets (9 plates, 10, 11, 12, 11, 10)
• Bent-over close grip rows - 6 sets (12 plates, 13, 14, 15, 16, 16)
• Squats - 4 sets (95, 95, 115, 125)
• Single leg Curls - 3 sets (high reps)
• Deadlifts - 3 sets (135, 155, 155)
• Sit-ups - 3 sets
• Stationary bike - 20 minutes

SATURDAY - Dec 11, 2010

• Running - 2 miles
• Bench Press - 3 warm up sets, 3 regular sets (175, 185, 205)
• Barbell Shoulder Press - 3 warm up sets, 3 regular sets (95, 115, 95)
• Upright Rows (machine) - 6 sets (high reps)
• Tricep Pushdowns (machine) - 3 sets
• Sit-ups - 3 sets
• Running - 2.5 miles

SUNDAY - Dec 12, 2010

• Running - 1.5 miles
• Lat Pulldowns - 4 sets (9 plates, 10, 11, 9)
• Bent-over close grip rows - 3 sets (12 plates, 13, 14)
• Squats - 4 sets (95, 95, 115, 125)
• Single leg Curls - 3 sets (high reps)
• Deadlifts - 3 sets (135, 155, 155)
• Sit-ups - 3 sets
• Stationary bike - 20 minutes

Running, lifting and working on losing some weight

With my first half marathon behind me and no races - long or short - upcoming in the next 5 months, my focus is now on general fitness and health.

While training for the half marathon I allowed myself to slide a bit on my diet.  In hindsight that wasn't smart.  While I can't say that poor diet had an impact on my half marathon results (because the biggest impact was the lack of training and the psychological unpreparedness for the cold), I do know that it will hurt my efforts in the long run.

I'm going to use the next 2 months (December and January) to focus on some general fitness and health goals.  February 2011 will mark 1 year of getting back into shape.  My goal is to weigh in at 190lbs (I'm at about 210lbs now - maybe a bit less).  In the process of reaching that goal I intend to get stronger and build more stamina through strength training and running.  Over the next two months I'm going to get back to a healthier eating regimen as well.

Status of first 1/2 marathon - DONE!

I did it.  I finished the longest run of my life (to date).  I completed a half marathon on 11/27/10!

It was cold yesterday.  At about 8:20am, as I got out of my car and walked to the starting point it was about 20 degrees out!  By the time I finished it must have been about 32 degrees out.

The first 9.5 miles were fine.  Somewhere between mile 8 and mile 10 I started to feel my legs and back getting stiff though.  I didn't think much of it, but by the time I hit the 10 mile mark I was struggling.  My legs felt like bricks.  The muscles in my back and lower body seemed to become very tight and this made running hard.

I was on pace to hit a 2:35:00 (approximately) finish time but the last three miles really screwed me up.  I'm going to chalk it up to a lack of preparation.

My family and I attended a post-thanksgiving brunch at a friend/relative's house after the race on Saturday afternoon and a frequently asked question was whether I'd do it again.  Heck yeah I said.  I know there is a ton of room for improvement and the 13.1 mile distance is, now looking back, very manageable.

After the run I went to a party, then I went out to dinner at a Brazilian steakhouse and enjoyed a cigar after dinner.  I was out until midnight.  I woke up Sunday morning and felt fine.  Yes, I'm a little sore but nothing serious.

I'm not running in any organized races in December 2010.  My 2010 races are now done!

Now it's time to think about and plan for the races in 2011 which I will partake of.  I want to put together a mix of 5Ks, 10Ks, 15Ks (10 milers) and half marathons!

This is at about mile 3.5 to 4 - that's
why I'm still smiling...

It's finally here... Under 12 hours to my first 1/2 marathon!

I'm under 12 hours away from my first 1/2 marathon.  Gulp!!!

I'm nervous.  My training has been pretty good.  I can do the distance.  The cold temps concern me a bit, though as I've found cold weather running is not enjoyable for me.

The race starts at 9:00 am.  I hope to post a message here sometime tomorrow.  Wish me luck!  And if you'd like to help - please make a donation in my name to Team RWB.  Team RWB is a 501(c)(3) charity that works to help wounded veterans.

Thanks!

Two thanksgiving dinners, two workouts

My brother had us over for thanksgiving dinner #1
yesterday - really good eats...

Thanksgiving day was tough!  I attended 2 full, blow-out thanksgiving meals.  One was in the afternoon and the second was in the evening.  One was at my brother's house and the other was at my wife's aunt's house.  There was a lot of food at both places.  And it was good.

I ate the traditional thanksgiving spread at the first meal and enjoyed some ethnic cuisine - lamb biryani - in the evening (the evening meal featured the traditional thanksgiving items plus some Indo-Pak dishes as well).  I ate well.  On thanksgiving that means something a little different than on most other days.  Here you should read that as "I stuffed myself".  It wasn't easy and I didn't want to but I didn't want either of my hosts to feel bad (I'm just a real trooper in that regard).

I also didn't want to be saddled with a ton of guilt afterwards so I did what any reasonable person would do.  I worked out yesterday.  Twice.

In the morning - just as the first football game got underway (Pats vs. Lions) I took to my basement for workout #1.  I ran 2.25 miles - slow - on the treadmill and then did about 10 minutes on the stationary bike.  It worked up a sweat at least.

Workout #2 was in between meal #1 and meal #2.  We came home from my brother's house with about 2 hours to kill so I went down to the basement and ran 1 mile and then rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes.  This time I watched the Cowboys vs. Saints game (in part).

Neither workout was strenuous.  I know I didn't put a dent in the the extra calories I consumed yesterday.  But it felt good to exercise and as expected, I feel good about myself today!

Today I'm going to lift weights.  I'll do about 1 hour of exercise this afternoon.  I've got another family dinner at one of my cousin's tonight.  Again, a traditional thanksgiving spread.  I love my family too much to disappoint them so I'll force myself to partake of the feast.  Yup, I'm very generous that way!

I need to be home by about 9pm so I can wind down, get all of my stuff ready for tomorrow and get to bed at a reasonable time.  Tomorrow morning - Saturday, November 27, 2010 - is my first half marathon!

I'm excited and nervous!  But I should be able to plough through it, albeit at a very deliberate (read: slow) pace because tomorrow night is a dinner out with some of my cousins and my younger brother followed by cigars!

Under 1 week to go... and the phantom aches are beginning!

Well, well, well!  It's been 10 weeks since I started training for the half marathon and now I'm under 1 week away from the big event!  And not surprisingly the phantom aches are turning up like clockwork!

Today I'm feeling a bit achy in my right ankle.  This is the ankle most prone to gout attacks (which I haven't had since starting my fitness journey in February 2010).  I know it's nothing but my insecurities over the upcoming race.  Yesterday I thought I felt some aches in my left achilles tendon but some how I was able to knock off 5 miles on the treadmill and 15 minutes on the stationary bike without too much trouble.

The last 10 weeks of training were good.  I'm going to really enjoy this week of tapering.  I'm going to lift weights, do some shorter runs and put in some time on the stationary bike.  I may well up the time I spend working out (to compensate for the extended thanksgiving feasting happening in my family).

Tonight, after everyone goes to bed, I'm heading into the basement to lift weights.  If I feel good I may do a mile or two of running on the treadmill!

Strong workout at Xsport Fitness

I went to XSport Fitness on Tuesday night for a workout.  I accomplished exactly what I set out to get done.  I warmed up with a 1 mile run.  Next I went to the free weights and did barbell bench presses, lat pulldowns and seated behind the neck military presses.  Then I wrapped up the workout with a 2 mile run on the treadmill.

My highpoint of the workout was during my bench presses.  I worked my way up to 245 lbs.  I got a spot from one of the young guys working out nearby.  I was able to get 8 reps without any help from my spotter.  Afterwards the young kid said "Dude, you're pretty strong."

I came home and told my wife.  I narrated the progression of weights and the spot I got and the statement the young kid made.  Without so much as a moment of reflection my wife said "He meant strong for an old guy."  Doh!

Tonight's workout - lifting and running at the gym

I took yesterday off.  My legs were sore and I felt the beginning of a chest cold (I felt congestion in my chest but luckily it hasn't evolved into a cough yet).  I feel better today.  Today I want to lift weights and run.

I'd like to start out with a warm-up run of 1 mile.  Next I'd like to lift weights (chest, shoulders, back).  And finally, I'd like to wrap it up with another run of 2 miles.  The running will be on the treadmill and the entire workout will be at Xsport Fitness.

I'm off tomorrow for a religious holiday.  Tomorrow I'll be eating a ton of food.  I'll have a few hours between lunch at my parents and the dinner at my house.  Maybe I can squeeze in a 5 mile run outside in between.  Actually, I really do need to do this because Thursday will be much more busy (work, a meeting after work, getting together with colleagues for drinks after that and then the Bears game).

Where I started and where I'm at now... 9 month status check

Before and After
Before picture taken 12/4/09 | After picture taken 7/29/10

I created this side-by-side comparison photo this evening.  It's not out of vanity.  It's an effort to visualize how far I've come and a stark reminder of what will happen if I don't stay the course.

The first photo (on the left - obviously) was taken at a friend's birthday party on December 4, 2009.  The funny thing is that I remember that night and I don't remember feeling bad.  When I look at that picture, especially next to the more recent one I feel a sensation of being bloated and sluggish.  However, back then I felt just fine.  We had a nice time at the party and then left for a late dinner at Weber Grill in downtown Chicago where I recall eating a burger and fries.

The second photo was taken at a bar association function on July 29, 2010.  Frankly, at the time I took this picture I felt like I wasn't losing weight fast enough.  Before writing this blog post I looked back at what I was writing on this blog in July 2010 and found that I was looking at jump-starting my dieting to shed another 20 to 25 pounds.  And now I look at this picture - right next to the old me - and feel pretty good and grateful.

I know that I've got a ways to go still in my fitness goals.  I've still got a gut that's slowing me down.  I still need to make a lot of strides in my running in particular.

In fact, this morning as I was leaving the house to go to work I saw a guy out running.  I watched him run by the house as I walked to my car.  As I watched him run by I couldn't help but feel envious.  This runner's strides were smooth and he was moving fast.  His face looked focused but not strained.  I felt envious because I'm sure I don't look like that when I'm running.  When I'm running I feel like I'm lumbering.  I can only imagine that it's not pretty watching me plod along!

That's fine though.  I'm not getting down on myself.  On most days I can knock off 5 miles without any trouble and I can cover 7.5 miles with just a little more thought and focus.  That's pretty darn good, but I know I can improve and that's what the self-criticism is about - improvement.

A good running weekend...2.12 miler followed by a 12 miler

This is part of the course I'll be running for the 1/2
marathon on 11/27/10!

On Saturday (11/13) I ran 2.12 miles outside.  On Sunday (11/14) I ran 12 miles - 7.5 miles outside and the remaining miles on the treadmill.  It was a good weekend of running.

Saturday's run was the "race among friends" rematch.  I won the first race back in August in Tampa, FL.  My chief competition, S.T., clearly prepared for the rematch as she beat me very convincingly.  I came in second.

S.T. probably finished a solid 10 to 15 seconds ahead of me.  She was always within sight but I just didn't have the kick to try closing the gap in the home stretch.  Frankly, I was a bit worried about being overtaken in the final part of the race.  My wife came in 3rd (she came in 4th last time) and then my friend M.H. came in 4th (she came in 3rd last time).  The only constant was M.H.'s husband F.H. who came in last both times (although he wasn't very far behind this time around).

All the long distance running had no impact on this short distance race.  In hindsight, I should have training for this distance for a few weeks prior, and if I had done so, I may have been able to win this race.  The re-match will be in April 2010.  It will be a 5K.

On Sunday afternoon I went out (after the Bears vs. Vikings game ended) to run 12 miles.  By the 7.5 mile mark it was getting dark and I felt the rain starting.  I moved indoors and finished my run on the treadmill in the basement.  I felt the soreness in my knees afterwards.

Both days were cold.  Saturday's race was cool and rainy.  Sunday's run was cold and windy.  As of today (Monday) I think I have a little cold as a result of my time running outside!

Over the course of the next week (between now and Sunday) I hope to run at least 3 times and cover about 15 miles with one outing being at least 7.5 miles.  Then, in the following week I'll really taper it down so that I'm running a little bit everyday.

The Schaumburg Park District Turkey Trot 1/2 Marathon is on Saturday, November 27, 2010!

Good runs on Wednesday & Thursday - what's changed?

I've been off my game so to speak last week.  The last good runs I had coming up to this past Wednesday were my 11.20 mile run and the following Saturday's 7.5 mile run (both Saturday long runs).  All of last week my runs suffered from a lack of focus and my mental inability to deal with the cold weather (there may have been some soreness too but that would only account for a small part of why I didn't run well).

Thanks in large part to unseasonably warm temperature and a lack of precipitation, I've had a good week of running this week.  On Wednesday I went out in the evening and knocked out 5 miles and felt great afterwards.  Yesterday I ran 3 miles on the treadmill and rode the stationary bike for 20+ minutes, and again, I felt great afterwards.

I'm going to invest in a few more articles of cold weather gear so that I can get the training done for the upcoming 1/2 marathon (11/27/10) and then for the 1/2 marathon itself.  Heretofore the only thing I've added to my running equipment is a long sleeve mock turtleneck tech shirt from Under Armor (the cold weather kind).  I need a warm but thin jacket, some kind of sweat-wicking beanie or cap and maybe some long compression pants.

Tomorrow morning I've got the 2.12 mile race with my friends and my wife so I'm not going to run tonight.  I'll lift weights tonight and maybe ride the stationary bike a bit.

Because tomorrow I'll have a very short workout and also because last week's 12 mile was such a miserable experience, I'm going to try 12 miles again on Sunday.  I need to conquer this mileage milestone going into the 11/27 race.  I need to know that I've done it so that there is a psychological edge on race day.  I'll do the run in the afternoon after the Bears game.

Even after running 12 miles on Sunday I'll still have a solid 13 days to rest (relatively speaking).  I'll be able to run shorter distances with the comfort of knowing that I've already covered the long miles!

A 2.12 mile race among friends - 11/13/10

This past August I went on vacation to Florida with my family.  We went down with another family to visit another friend.  Our little group of middle aged parents decided to have a little running race while on vacation.  It turned out to be a 2.25 mile route and the results weren't what my wife and our friends anticipated.  I won quite convincingly.

My wife and friends weren't anticipating the Clydesdale of Hoffman Estates lumbering to victory the way I did.  So, in the face of this little upset victory (or loss from their point of view) they decided to make a bunch of excuses for themselves and demanded a re-match in the fall.

It's been about 3 months since our first race and the time for our re-match has arrived.  This Saturday - 11/13/10 - our friends will be coming over and we'll be running a 2.12 mile route in Hoffman Estates.  Apparently my wife and our friends have been training.  Will I be able to repeat?

Frankly, I'm not sure!  I've been doing a lot of longer and slower runs since the summer.  It's been largely due to my 1/2 marathon training.  While I've been able to successful run 11.20 miles without much trouble, I'm concerned that a fast 2.12 miles may be as hard, if not harder, this Saturday.

I actually went out and ran 2.12 miles on Monday night.  At my 11 minute/mile pace it would have been a cake walk.  I tried to maintain a 9 minute/mile pace and it was nothing short of HARD!  I was really winded after 2.12 miles at the faster pace!  I finished the first half of the run at the 9 minute/mile pace but the return leg was slower (approximately 10 minute/mile pace).

When I walked out the door before the run on Monday night I told my wife I'd be gone for about 1.5 hours.  My plan was to run the 2.12 miles fast and then slow it down for a longer run for about 1 hour.  Well, by the end of the 2.12 miles I didn't have the drive to keep running so I came inside and finished up my workout in the basement with about 50 minutes of weight training.

I took yesterday off since I'd worked out several days in a row without a break.  I was feeling the onset of a cold anyhow so the break was probably in order in any case.

Tonight I'm supposed to run again and then lift weights.  I've got a bit of a cold, but I think I'll go ahead and do my scheduled workout.  Tomorrow I'm going to try running twice - once in the morning and then again in the evening.  On Friday I'll lift weights again and by Saturday morning I should be ready for the 2.12 mile race among friends!

Running in cold weather - so far, no good!

I went outside for a run yesterday.  It was a bit windy and the temperature was about 37 degrees.  I wore a t-shirt, an under-armor cold-gear mock-turtleneck and a sweatshirt and running pants.  I also had on a knit hat and gloves.  It wasn't enough.  I felt miserable.

I need to wear better gear if I'm going to run for 2.5 hours or more outside.  Miserable.

Getting ready for a 12 + Mile Run

I've finally reached the point in my training where I need to run a 12 + mile run.  Gulp!

This weekend I did a 7.5 mile long run because it was a "step-down" week.  This weekend I'm supposed to run 12 miles or more.  Two weekends ago I did 11.20 miles so 12 miles should not be too hard.  If I decide to try for more then it may become harder.

My diet has been absolutely horrid.  I've been eating junk food and fast food quite a bit.  It has been so bad that I've been gaining weight but it certainly isn't helping me get stronger.

I have a bit of a challenge this week (above and beyond running 12 + miles).  We're going to Michigan on Saturday morning.  I'm not going to be able to run on Saturday morning.  It looks like I'm going to have to run on Friday after work.  That's not only not ideal, it is horrible.  I don't know if I'll have the energy to do it.

I may need to take a half day on Friday to allow myself time to get my run in.  If I can started by 3pm then I can be done just as it is getting dark.  I'll probably run the large neighborhood loop (2.46 miles per), because the forest preserve closes at sunset and I'd like to not be in the middle of the preserves when it gets dark!

Once I finish this week's long run I will not have any more long runs until the half marathon.

11.20 miles (to be precise) in the cold rain was very hard

Today's scheduled long run was 11 miles.  I ran 11.20 miles at the Shoe Factory Road Forest Preserve.  I dressed for a cold and dry day.  I ended up with a cool but very wet morning instead.  The combination of the distance and the cold rain made today's run very hard.

This is the route I ran:


I felt great on the "out" leg of the run (I run out to the halfway point of my planned run and the run back "in").  There was an intermittent mist all morning, but by the time I got turned around and was only about 1/2 mile into the "in" leg the mist became a steady rain and that rain continued for a solid 30 minutes.

The rain made my run harder.  I was wearing a knit hat on my head.   That's not a great choice of headgear as the cotton hat was water-logged within minutes.  I wore a cotton henley long-sleeve on top of my cold weather Under Armor long sleeve mock turtleneck shirt.  Again, it was water-logged within minutes.  My shoes and socks were soaked pretty quickly once the heavy rain started coming down.

The clothing became heavier with the water and this certainly played a role in making the run more difficult.  But as I look back on this morning's run I think the rain hurt me the most by breaking my focus and distracting me.  I should have tried harder to remain focused.  Instead of focusing on my running form and my speed and thinking about the importance of every training day leading up to the half marathon (that's a little mantra I have: "make every training day count!"), I let myself think about how cold and miserable I was.  That was dumb.  I started worrying that my wet feet would blister.  I started worrying that I'd catch a cold.  Dumb and dumber still.

I finished the run but I was dragging during the last 2.5 miles.  It should have finished the run in about 2 hours and a few minutes.  Instead, it took me 2 hours and 15 minutes.  Ugh.

I'm not beating myself up over the time.  I'm not deluding myself into trying to work on speed already.  Rather, I'm upset that (1) I didn't prepare properly for the weather, and (2) I allowed myself to lose focus.  If I would have worn a water-repellant jacket (I have one) and remained focused on the mechanics of my running I would have had a much better training day.

Today was a great hands-on lesson in the power of focus and on the mental aspect of an athletic endeavor.  I'm convinced that my negative thoughts played a significant role in the slower and more painful second part of my morning run.  I'll try to learn from today's experience and find a way to avoid the same mistake in the coming weeks.

WTF!??? I can't buy a suit off the rack now!

I'm grateful to be losing weight and getting into better shape.  I feel so much better and that's a blessing.  But it's not all good and happy times for me man!

My suits don't fit anymore!  It's to the point where they look like big cloth sacks!  The only clothes that still fit me are my shirts and t-shirts.  My suits, sport coats and pants all had to be given away to charity (we were going to send them to Sudan through my mother in law's friend but then we thought - the needy over there can't possibly be so huge as to need these clothes/tents).  And over the past 10 months I've had to put a new set of pants on two occasions (because I went down a few sizes and then down again some more).

Buying new pants is fine.  Buying new sport coats is okay.  But buying suits really sucks.

It sucks because, so far as I can tell, I can't buy regular suits off the rack.  I wear a 50R jacket and a 34 to 35 inch waist in my paints.  That's a 15 inch "drop" and most stores do a maximum of a 6 inch "drop" in their so-called "athletic build" suits.  Um, I'm going to need to do something about the remaining 9 inches!  This is, for me, a WTF!? moment.  The last time I struggled with this issue was over 20 years ago.

I looked into custom tailored suits.  Sticker shock!  Not happening!  The cheapest custom-tailored suit I found was about $750.  I don't make nearly enough money to afford clothing that costs that much!  I'm willing to drop $250 to $300 on a suit, and in the past I've been able to get very nice suits from Men's Warehouse for that price.

Oh well.  For now I'll have to make due with sport coats and slacks.  It'll be the college look - blue sport coat, khaki pants and a plaid tie!  How nice indeed!

Oh how time flies by - 11/27 half marathon is approaching fast!

This Saturday’s long run will be 11 miles.  That’s good since the November half marathon will be only one month away come this Saturday.  Given how fast the last 5 weeks have flown by I can only imagine how fast the last month of training will slip away as well.

This past weekend’s 8 mile step down run was not so good.  I was out of town, had only about 5 hours of sleep and a very hectic schedule that kept me from focusing on the run itself.  While I covered the necessary miles, I didn’t enjoy it the way I have the other long runs.  The silver lining is that I didn’t let any of these extenuating circumstances stop me from doing the scheduled long run.

Last night I ran 3 miles instead of 4.  Why?  I wanted to do some strength training.  The training schedule I created back in September called for a combination of running and strength training, but to date (since 9/13 when I officially kicked of the half marathon training) I’ve missed a lot of the scheduled strength training sessions.  I used yesterday to get myself re-charged and back on track.

As an added bonus I went to the gym to do my workout.  I needed the extra boost that working out with others provides.  Thankfully I didn’t run into anyone I know last night so my workout was focused and uninterrupted.

This evening I ran 5 miles.  I did it at night after the kids were put to bed.  It was a beautiful, clear and cool night and I decided to go on the run ipod-free.  Sometimes its nice to run in the quiet of the night.  It’s peaceful.  Oh yeah, and it’s safer too.

Tomorrow will be another strength training day.  I’m going to go late in the evening again after the kids are in bed.  Then on Thursday I’ll go out for a short run.  Friday I’ll do some more strength training and on Saturday morning I’ll hit the trails for the longest run to date!

Chicago Marathon on 10/10/10 - I'll be monitoring the results!

Today is the first time I've ever cared about the Chicago Marathon, or for that matter, any marathon!  I've got a couple guys from the office running and an old friend running so I'm interested in keeping tabs on how they do.

In addition to being interested in the performance of my colleagues and friend, I'm also interested because of my own running.  I'm not even close to being able to run a marathon but the running I've been doing makes me appreciate how challenging it is to run 26.2 miles.

I'm watching the race from home.  The chances of seeing my friends in the sea of 45,000 was not realistic but I tried nonetheless!  Once it was clear I wasn't going to see them I settled in to watch the coverage of the "elite" runners.

It was amazing to see the strides, the speed and the steady pace the elite runners possess.  While they ran it looked, to me at home, like it was effortless.

I'm really glad the coverage continued after the elite runners finished.  Seeing the regular runners is just as inspiring.  It was great to hear about runners who were running to raise money for charities too.

And lastly, seeing regular runners of all ages, shapes, sizes, strides and speed made the marathon look a little more attainable for me!  Who knows... 2011?

I've crossed into the realm of double digit runs - 10 miles done!

I successfully completed my planned 10 mile run this morning!  It was hard, but not as hard as I imagined it would be.

My previous long run was 7.5 miles which I completed a few weeks ago.  My half marathon training plan called for a 9 mile run today with next week being a 10 mile run.  I decided to go for the 10 miles this week for a couple of reasons.  First, I felt like I was up for it.  Second, I am going to be visiting my in-laws next week and I had doubts about trying to do my first double digit run outside of familiar surroundings.  It was a good call.

Besides the increased miles, today's run was tougher than the 7.5 mile run a few weeks ago for several other reasons.  The 2.5 mile circuit in my neighborhood starts of with a steep hill and then a long downhill stretch and then a few other shorter hills throughout the route.  The 7.5 mile was done at a nearby forest preserve and it was flat all the way through.  Today the temperature as easily 20 degrees warmer.  This morning it was about 70 degrees when I started my run and it got hotter as the 2 hour run progressed.  Two weeks ago it was very cool out at about 50 degrees and maybe a 5 degree warm up over the course of that 1.5 hour run.

I took the advice of some friends who run (much longer distances than me) and placed a water bottle by my house.  My 2.5 mile circuit brings me by the house each time.  I stopped for a drink of water after 5 miles and then again after 7.5 miles.  In addition to the hills and heat, the repetitiveness of running laps - even long 2.5 mile versions - did make the run less engaging and therefore a bit harder.

I'm over 1 month away from the half marathon (11/27/10).  I'm considering changing my training schedule so that I do a "step-down" run every other week.  Right now I'm to run two long runs and then a shorter run on my weekly long run days.  It was easy to do 6 miles and then 7.5 miles.  I'm not sure it will be as easy to do 11 or more miles next Saturday.  I'm tinkering with the idea of running 8 miles next week and then moving up to 11 miles the week after.  I'll still do a 12.5 to 13 mile run two weeks before the race using this modified schedule.

I feel good!
______________________________________________

This afternoon I found this interesting article on the Runner's World website about 10-milers:  10 Reasons to Run 10 Miles.  It was a good read.

Next up: 10 Miler!

Tomorrow morning I'm going for a 10 mile run.  I've never run double-digit miles.  I'm ready.

Instead of running in the forest preserve, I'm going to run 4 laps in my neighborhood (with each one being 2.50 miles).  I expect it to take 2 hours (or a bit more).

I'm running in the neighborhood because I'm slightly nervous about this distance.  I ran 7.5 miles two weeks ago and it was fine, but there is something about the "1-0" number together that concerns me.  By running in the neighborhood I'll be able to be close to home in the event I don't feel well.

The run will be harder because there are some up and down hill stretches.  The forest preserve, by comparison, is very flat.  When I get this run finished I'll feel a lot more confident about my ability to do the half marathon in November!

Living life with a purpose and for a cause: Team Bayan!

Bayan is my friend Hesham's daughter.
She died in 2009 at age 13.

Hesham is an old friend and while I don't get to see him much, I draw inspiration from him all the time.  I want you to meet him and hear about why he's running in the Chicago Marathon on 10/10/10!

Hesham and his lovely wife Reem lost their beautiful daughter Bayan a little over a year ago.  Bayan suffered from a disease that robbed her at a very young age of her ability to walk and run.  This is from the Bayan H. Hassaballa Charitable Foundation's website:

At the young age of 6, Bayan was diagnosed with Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T), a rare, progressive, degenerative disease that affects a large variety of systems in the body. Children with A-T appear normal at birth and the first signs of the disease such as a lack of balance and slurred speech caused by lack of muscle control (ataxia) do not usually appear until the second year of life. Victims of A-T are highly susceptible to develop immunodeficiency and malignancies of the blood system causing early death. Children with A-T are usually confined to wheelchairs by age 10 and often do not survive their teens. Presently, there is no cure for A-T or a way to slow down the progression of the disease.

Bayan died a little over a year ago to lymphoma at age 13.  I was at her funeral.  It was one** of the most sad things I've ever experienced.  I was amazed at the grace and composure Hesham retained at Bayan's funeral and always before and ever since Bayan's death.

I know he's had some extremely rough patches along the way but all in all he's trying to do something positive between now and when he and his wife Reem are eventually reunited with Bayan in Heaven.  One thing Hesham is doing is trying to find a cure for A-T.  He and Reem have formed a foundation to raise money to find a cure.  This Sunday Hesham is running the Chicago Marathon to raise money for the Bayan H. Hassaballa Charitable Foundation.

In order to raise funds to help find a cure for A-T, Dr. Hassaballa is running for two charities: A-T Children’s Project and the Bayan H. Hassaballa Charitable Foundation. There are a record-breaking 45,000 participants running for all different causes in the marathon this year. Although “Team Bayan” consists of only these two runners at this time, the team is still making a great impact and effort in raising awareness for this important cause.

Good luck Hesham!  I hope you run a great race, finish in record time and raise record amounts of money for this worthy endeavor.  I hope each of your purposeful deeds brings you some measure of ease, even if it is never complete and always bittersweet.  My prayers, my cheers and my support are with you!

If I am ever able to run a marathon, I promise to run with Team Bayan!

____________________________________________
**One of my nieces died in her infancy and my brother's wife's niece died a few years ago after a long battle with a lifelong medical afflication and both of those experiences were also very difficult to reconcile.

P.S.  Hesham's wife Reem is a wonderful person and while Hesham's writings (which appear online and in newspapers and elsewhere garner him more attention, Hesham is the first to remind us that Reem is always there supporting him and helping him.  My prayers and best wishes are certainly with Reem too!

5 miles - 2 days in a row!

This Saturday (10/9/10) I'm scheduled to run 9 miles.  The schedule of which I speak is my half marathon training schedule which I put together using advice and guidance from: (1) Runners World, (2) Hal Higdon's website and (3) a marathon runner friend at work.

I'm nervous.  Every long run is a new milestone for me.  Two weeks ago that milestone was 7.5 miles.  This week it will be 9.0 miles.

Yesterday and today I ran 5 miles each.  Both runs felt good.  During my runs yesterday and today I tried to consciously think about training my body to go farther and farther.  I said to myself - don't slack and don't let the form break down; every training run is critical to a successful race in November.  And guess what?  It worked.  I found my back straighten up and my turnover rate increased (I am trying very hard not to take long strides and instead, keep my foot falls under my body) and my arms moved up and began pumping more purposefully as I thought about it.

I'll do a short 2.5 mile run on Thursday.  That will be the only other run I do before Saturday morning.  I'm focusing hard on the training to lessen my fear.  Running 9 miles is a challenge!  Plus, I am very mindful of staying healthy.  None of my training is worth a damn if I get reckless and let myself get injured.

9 miles!  Wow!  I can't wait to finish that run!  I can feel the exhilaration I'll hopefully feel when I finish the run.

Running for a reason - helping wounded veterans reintegrate

I've dedicated my Nov '10 1/2 Marathon to raising money for Team RWB!
Thanks Mir for giving me this opportunity!

On November 27, 2010 I will run a half marathon with Team RWB (that's red white and blue) to raise money for wounded veterans.

Linking my running to charitable work is working out great for me!  Since February 2010 I've run in a number of 5K and 10K runs, my own run-a-thon (Running for Relief) to help needy children, to fight racism and to raise money for the suffering children of Pakistan.  My efforts have been extremely selfish as I've used the causes as a means to motivate myself to run, and the running in turn has dramatically improved my health!

My next running goal is a half marathon.  It's going to be a physically and mentally challenging feat!  I ran 7.5 miles two weeks ago as part of my training and while I finished the run without too much trouble and without too many post-run problems, that's still a far cry from 13.1 miles (which is the distance in a half marathon).  My training plan calls for a 9 mile run this Saturday (gulp!).

Initially I was just going to run the half marathon for myself, but my friend Mir Ali reminded me about Team RWB when he emailed me about a marathon he was running on 10/3/10 for Team RWB.  I visited the Team RWB website to make a small contribution to his effort and while there I browsed the site.  I learned that there was an opportunity for me to help the cause by becoming a Team RWB athlete myself (yes, yes, I know - I'm using the term "athlete" very loosely).

Here is a a little bit of information about Mir.
He's an excellent role model for all Americans and he's
certainly  someone I'd like my kids to know.

Over the Memorial Day weekend this year I ran a 5K for veterans - Miles for the Military - in South Barrington so  this cause is something I've helped out with in the past (albeit in a very very very small way).  This cause is important to me.  I want to be able to show my support to the men and women who risk their lives in defense of our country.

The South Barrington Park District's
"Miles for the Military" 5K raised money for
The Heart of a Marine Foundation

Helping wounded veterans is a no-brainer.  Whether or not I agree with the reasons for and objectives of the wars our soldiers fight in, I feel that the risks soldiers take and the sacrifices soldiers make in service of our country require our support.  And lets be frank - our government is sorely lacking when it comes to helping our soldiers after they've returned home.

Please consider helping Team RWB.  Their goals and mission are worthy of our support.  In Team RWB's own words, this is what they seek to do:

While much has improved since the post-Vietnam era, some polarization between veterans and our society still exists today. Strong relationships between wounded veterans and their fellow Americans are critical to veterans’ reintegration into civilian life as well as our nation’s success. That’s why Team RWB’s mission is to enrich the lives of wounded veterans and their families. Team RWB works toward this mission by focusing on three key areas:

1. ENDURANCE EVENTS

Endurance events (e.g., half-marathons, marathons, ultra-marathons, triathlons or even hikes) allow the Team RWB community to come together and honor the commitment and dedication of our veterans – both in service and now during their struggle for reintegration. More specifically, these events help raise awareness and funding, and connect Team RWB members with other like-minded individuals to inspire our movement of personal appreciation and caring for war service veterans and their families. Team RWB sponsors its own events and organizes Team RWB participation in existing events throughout the country. However, our movement would not be possible through Team RWB-sponsored or organized events only. Athletes are encouraged to represent Team RWB in any event that is of interest to them and/or host their own events in support of Team RWB. Examples include 1 mile fun-runs or 5k races for family and friends, long-distance hikes or walks and community bike rides.

2. SOCIAL LEADERSHIP-BASED NETWORK

During a June 2010 study of Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans, almost all veterans surveyed expressed interest in services to help adjust to civilian life. Additional research has shown that 90 percent of today’s war service veterans actively search for information and connections online. Team RWB will launch a social leadership-based network using social media and other interactive tools to meet both of these needs, achieving local impact on a national scale. Once complete, teamrwb.com will enable all interested team members to create relationships within and outside their local communities. This network/community will serve as the backbone for raising awareness and funds, and connecting wounded veteran families with athletes, advocates and others.

3. ONE-ON-ONE RELATIONSHIPS

Today’s veterans face many challenges to successful reintegration into society following their experiences in a combat zone. Short-term solutions can include medical prescription drugs or counseling; however, research has shown that veterans’ reintegration challenges can be compounded by feelings of isolation from no longer being part of a “unit” or team. Team RWB aims to combat these challenges by connecting veterans and their families with others (known as “advocates”) through meaningful, friendship-based relationships. Wounded veterans and advocates define the exact nature of their relationship, ensuring each relationship is mutually beneficial and unique. To better meet veterans’ needs, advocates will focus on the “everyday” – not the spectacular: being a friend, spending time together and performing small acts of kindness on a personal level.

Please consider helping Team RWB.  You can do so by becoming a Team RWB athlete yourself!  You can also sponsor my upcoming half marathon on November 27, 2010 in Schaumburg, Illinois by clicking here for the Team RWB website and making a tax deductible donation (please make note that it's "on behalf of Junaid" in the space provided).

Thanks for your support!

Bad week of training

I came down with the flu last Sunday.  I didn't actually realize it was the flu until about Monday evening.  I missed my scheduled runs on Monday and Tuesday of this week and didn't actually get back into it until Thursday night (Wednesday is a day off anyhow).  On Thursday I ran 2.5 miles.

I intended to run on Friday but I allowed myself to miss it so that we could accept a last minute invite to my sister-in-law's house for dinner.  I hate that I let myself do that!

Saturday morning I ran 5 miles.  I was supposed to do 5.5 miles.  This coming Saturday I'm scheduled to run 9 miles.  I'm definitely going to have to get geared up for a good week of training!

I'm going to run and lift weights tonight to purge my body of all the crap I put into it yesterday and today will attending the Iowa vs. Penn State football game in Iowa City, IA.  Good times for sure but way too unhealthy!

The Farthest I've ever run! 7.5 miles this morning!

I ran 7.5 miles this morning.  I finished the run in 90 minutes.  That’s 12 minute miles all the way through.  I probably started slow, I felt like a few of the miles were faster than 12 minutes, and the last 1 mile was definitely a bit more brisk.

This is the run route:



The run felt good.  There were numerous reasons that contributed to today’s good run.  First and foremost, I got about 7 hours of sleep last night and this helped (since my average is about 5.5 hours).  I had a protein drink and some coffee in the morning.  This was just the right balance of calories and stimulant to get me moving.

I started my run at about 10am so I had about 2.5 hours from the time I woke up to the time I started running to get warmed up.  I did a lot of slow stretching all morning.  My joints and muscle felt good as I started the run.

It was about 60 degrees out and I was wearing running pants and a hooded sweat shirt on top of my tech-shirt.  The attire was just right for the weather conditions.

I ran a route on the bike path at the forest preserve.  I ran 3.75 miles out and then turned around and came back.  The scenery and the other runners, bicyclists and walkers kept me going.  It would have been a lot harder to cover 7.5 miles if I were running laps around the block.

All of the foregoing things contributed to a good run.  I drove home right afterwards and had another protein drink (GNC brand whey protein isolate 28 mixed with soy milk).

I didn’t drink any water during the run.  That’s because I didn’t take any water with me.  I may need to invest in one of those belts (I don’t want to carry a water bottle in my hand) that I’ve seen other runners wear with the holsters for small plastic flasks of water as I begin to close in on double digit runs.

A few hours after the run I began to feel the soreness in my legs.  It wasn’t an injury-like pain but it was definitely painful.  Even though I say the run was easy, I know that it was tough on my body.

Running 90 minutes really got me hungry.  I’ve eaten a lot today after the run.  The good news is that I cut off the eating at about 5:30pm.

After consuming the post-run protein drink, I made and ate an egg and cheese sandwich (3 eggs fried with PAM non-stick spray, 2 slices of double fiber wheat bread, some shredded cheddar cheese and some Shedd’s Spread).  I ate this sandwich at about 2pm.

By around 4pm I was really hungry and I had a craving for burgers.  This is where I made the classic “running to eat” mistake.  I at a couple of big burgers from Wendy’s.  The only positives to this are that I didn’t have any cheese on the burgers (I’m using this to make myself feel better about it).

This is my achilles heel!  Mmmm....

Then, after an hour or so I drank about 16 ounces of skim milk.  That’s not so bad.  The bad part was that I snacked on some bite-sized candies from kids’ collection of “goodie bag” treats which they collect from the various birthday parties they attend every month.

I should have planned for the hunger in advance.

Oh well.  It could be worse.  And I should have been better.

My post-run diet aside, I feel very good about my half-marathon training.  I feel very confident about my ability to complete the Schaumburg half-marathon on 11/27 given where I am in my training right now.

Given that I’m not focusing on my time for the 11/27 Schaumburg half-marathon I just need to build up my distance by another 5.7 miles over the next 8 weeks.  I can do it!

Not so intense strength training session / TCU vs. SMU Game Watch!

Tonight, a Friday night, was to be a strength training session.  I did it but it wasn't easy.

My in-laws came over and then some of their family friends dropped by and I was really eager to watch the TCU vs. SMU football game this evening as well.  I found a way to fit it all in!

While the strength training session wasn't as intense and focused as I'd like, I still got in a decent work out. I also watched the game.  I was pulling for SMU to upset TCU.  TCU didn't cover the 17.5 point spread so I got my point (I put down 1 confidence point on SMU beating the spread) but an outright win would've been a lot better.

She means well... and is perhaps a bit excited...

I worked on my chest, shoulders and triceps this evening.  I performed barbell bench presses (flat bench), dumbbell incline presses, dumbbell shoulder presses and tricep pushdowns.  I also did several sets of sit ups.

Tomorrow morning is my long run.  I'm scheduled to run 7.5 miles.  I'm nervous.  I've never run this far before.  I'm certain I can do it.  I'm anxious to see how it feels.

I'll share the results of the run tomorrow afternoon.  I'm going to do the run tomorrow morning.  The Iowa Hawkeyes football game kicks off at 11am so I need to be done, at home, showered and in front of the tv by 11am!  I'll post something about the run at half-time or after the game!

Go Hawkeyes!

Barilla Plus Pasta with Tomato Sauce at dinner

I read an interesting article at the Runners World website recently.  The major takeaway from the article (for me) was the timing of my carb intake.  I need to maximize the benefits of eating carbs (the energy it produces) by eating them prior to my run (as opposed to at lunch time when I'm sitting around riding a desk).

On the weekday evenings that I need to run I've started eating a large serving of pasta with tomato sauce.  I eat the pasta at around 6pm.  My run/workout is around 7:30pm.  I may eat a banana around 7pm as well.

I'm eating what I believe to be a healthier pasta.  It's "enhanced."  It's called PLUS pasta from Barilla.

I like the penne pasta

It has more fiber, protein and Omega-3s than regular pasta.  Frankly, I can't tell the difference between this pasta and the non-enhanced kind.  That's good.  I don't feel like I'm missing anything by eating the "PLUS" version.  The sauce is a basic Target brand tomato sauce.  I don't use an olive oil or other fats so the only fat I get from this meal is whatever's in the pasta and the sauce.

I added this "PLUS" pasta to introduce a change of pace from the quinoa.  I ate the quinoa almost daily for about 6 weeks and I needed a break.  I'm going to mix up the carb meals with both of these options and I may also add some high fiber wheat bread too.

The pasta hasn't performed miracles thus far.  That is to say, I don't feel like it's giving me any noticeable increase in energy before my run.  But I'm eating it because I know that it's better than a protein shake or a piece of lean chicken breast in terms of providing me with the energy to run.

I'm counting on this conventional wisdom in lieu of what my body is saying because I realize that my tiredness isn't so much the result of my food intake as it is the result of a long day at work.  You see, by 7:30pm I've been up for about 13 hours, I've commuted 3 hours round trip to downtown Chicago and put in a solid 8 hours at my desk, in my chair and behind a computer screen.  While none of that is strenuous in an exercise context, it does wear me down.  Plus, I only sleep about 5.5 to 6 hours a day.

In the past several months I didn't worry about the quality of my runs because I was doing them largely to burn calories.  Now that I'm trying to run a half marathon I'm becoming concerned with the quality of my runs.  Frankly, I don't want get on the course in November and hurt myself or even pass out in the middle of a forest preserve!

To ensure that this doesn't happen, I'm taking my running training a bit more seriously.  That means taking care to make each training run a meaningful one that builds my strength and stamina.

Day One of 12 Day Mini-Program

I have a short-term program that I'm focusing on over the next 12 days.  The goal is to drop about 8 to 10 pounds, to get back on a rigorous exercise and diet regimen, and to re-focus my mind on my fitness goals.

Why a 12 day mini-program when I'm already on an 11 week (now down to 10 weeks) half-marathon training program?  Why a mini-program given that I've been on a successful "health kick" since February of this year?  The reason is "results".  I want to see concrete, tangible results.

There are many types of goals - long term, intermediate term and short term - and even within those broad ranges there can be goals that vary in length.  I've been able to stay on track with my fitness efforts in large part because I've pushed myself along using short term goals.

Over the years I've tried to get back into shape on many occasions and in all of the previous attempts I simply set an intermediate term goal (or long term depending on one's perspective).  I'd tell myself I want to run a half-marathon in 8 months and then I'd start running.  I'd set a goal for losing 60 pounds in 8 months and then I'd start dieting.  But my "achilles heel" in these previous efforts was time.  I've always deluded myself with the notion that I had plenty of time.

So, if my goal was to lose weight and the only benchmark was 8 months off, I found it very easy to splurge with ease knowing that I had 8 months, or 7 months or even 6 months to drop the weight.  And then eventually I'd be 4 months or less away from the goal and I'd realize that I was way behind.  And at that point there might be a few weeks of crazed and extreme dieting and exercising but it was often unsustainable.  And the goal was regularly scrapped.

This time around my long term goal has been supplemented with bi-weekly and monthly benchmarks.  I've set targets for my body weight, for the distance I wanted to be able to run or the weight I wanted to lift and then went about working towards it.   It was hard to procrastinate when the goal had a 14 day deadline.  And then, by day 14, the success of hitting the target objective fired me up to set a new goal.

Over the past 2 months I've gotten away from this tactic.  I've dropped a lot of weight, my strength training and running have been very successful, and frankly, I've gotten a bit complacent about making further improvements.  But I realize that I'm not yet as healthy as I should be, and I also know that complacency is a ticket to reversing all of the positive life-style changes I've made.

In the past 10 days, having come off a fairly hectic fasting and running regimen (Ramadan plus my "Running for Relief" effort), I've allowed myself to binge eat.  And my workouts have been a bit less focused too.

The 12 day mini-program is my way of re-energizing myself.  It's a short period of time.  I can push myself extra hard because it's a short time frame.  And then, if I hit my goals (I will) then I can use the momentum to work on some other short term goals.  The cumulative impact of these short-term goals is to get me ready for the 11/27 half-marathon.

Day One of the 12 day mini-program was very good.  The eating was balanced and my workout was good.  I ran my planned 2 miles.  Instead of the strength training though I rode the stationary bike (while watching Monday Night Football) for about 45 minutes at a moderate intensity level.  I feel good.  I'm tired and now a bit sleepy.  Time to go to bed - I hope to get a good night's rest for another great day tomorrow!

Eating, eating and more eating... Time to re-focus!

Ugh!  I've been on a horrible, junk food/fast food eating binge over the past 10 days!  Thankfully I've been working out a lot so the negative impact of the horrible eating has been somewhat muted.

This has to stop right now though.  Even though the eating isn’t impacting my weight, the empty calories can’t be helping my training efforts for the November 27th half-marathon!

I completed the first week of training.  I ran 2 miles on Monday, 3 miles on Tuesday, 3 miles on Thursday and 6 miles on Saturday.  I was supposed to run 4 miles on Thursday but I had an appointment that night and I was pushing it by doing even the 3 miles.  I consider the first week’s training a success.

Starting tomorrow my diet will return to a more healthy selection of foods.  I’m betting on that helping my training.

One thing I’ve gotten away from these past 10 days is consumption of my dietary supplements.  I haven’t been using the protein drinks and that’s been a huge mistake.  What I realize now, after a 10 day hiatus from them, is that the protein shakes provided more than just a concentrated and convenient source of protein - they also took care of my sweet tooth as well!

Also, in Ramadan I was eating a very good breakfast everyday.  During these last 10 days since the end of Ramadan I’ve slipped back into the bad habit of skipping breakfast.  Without breakfast I found myself famished by lunch time and since there was no reason not to eat lunch, I’ve indulged in some rather fattening foods with huge portion sizes!  Starting tomorrow morning it’s back to a solid breakfast.

These last 10 days were a good respite from the otherwise slightly rigorous regimen I’ve been following.  Now that I’ve gotten my tastes for burgers and pizza satiated, I can resume the consumption of healthier fare!

As a short-term goal I’d like to drop to 200 pounds by October 1, 2010.  That’s about 8 pounds in 2 weeks.  I can do it.  That, coupled with the continuation of my half-marathon training, will be my focus over the next two weeks.

5K - done! 10K - done! Next up - Half Marathon on 11/27/10!

I'm very blessed to have completed 41 years!  41 years of what?  Of living!

And on my 41st birthday I am going to kick off my training for a half-marathon!  Today's goal is nominal - 2 miles.  I can do that without much trouble.  By Saturday I need to run 6 miles and within slightly more than 1 month from today I'm going to need to run 9 miles!

The difference between 6 miles and 9 miles seems daunting.  And by the end of October I should be hitting the double digits!  I'm working off of a Hal Higdon training plan as well as a plan from Runner's World.  I've modified the plans to add strength training.

Here is what my plan looks like:

I know I can do 6 miles.  October 9, 2010 will be my big challenge when I try to cover 8 miles which will be the farthest/longest I've ever run.  And the week after I'm going to push myself to run 9 miles!  On 10/30/10 I'll attempt my very first double digit run - 10 miles!

I've signed up for the Schaumburg Half Marathon Turkey Trot.  I've also announced it to all of my friends and family via Facebook.  Both of these steps were necessary in order to lock myself in mentally to the race.

Let's get moving!

Ramadan's "Running for Relief" successful

I ran 34 miles in the final 10 days of Ramadan.  That's 4 miles more than my goal of 30 miles!

I used this as a fundraising effort to raise money for the child victims of the Pakistan floods.  I raised $1,400 + for UNICEF for the children.  I am extremely grateful to every person who gave money, wished me well or said a prayer for the success of this effort.  Each contribution, in its own way, made this effort successful.  Please feel free to check out the fundraising website (it will remain active through 10/31/10 for anyone who wants to give to the children of Pakistan).

And now I'm moving on to the next big challenge - my first Half Marathon on 11/27/10!

Great workouts the last 4 days!

That's 205 pounds for 10 to 15 reps (but not to failure)!

Well, at least I can bench press the equivalent of my body weight for reps now.  I'm still stuck in the 205 to 210 pound range in terms of body weight.  Yesterday I worked out with 205 pounds on the bench press for a lot of reps.  I'm not lifting to failure at home since I don't have a spotter.

This evening, as part of my Running for Relief - Help the Pakistan Flood Victims fundraising effort, I ran 4.26 miles on the treadmill.  I told a friend at the office about my plan to run 30 miles in the last 10 days of Ramadan.  He wasn't impressed.  He thought I should shoot for 50 miles.

We'll see what can be done about hitting the 50 mile mark by the end of the day on September 9, 2010 (the last of the 10 final days of Ramadan).  Today, however, I did run 4.26 miles.  I'll give a nod to my marathon-running, car-restoring, model building, I-don't-want-to-socialize-with-people-in-the-office friend for pushing me.  He was right.  I hit 3 miles even while fasting without too much trouble.

It took a while because I started out slow...

After running I rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes.  I just wanted to do something else for my legs to keep them from getting too tight.  Later in the evening, as we put the kids to bed, I did some stretching.  I should be okay to run again tomorrow.

Well, it's getting late and I have to be up again at 3:45am to eat my pre-daybreak meal so its off to bed.

Running for Relief - Raising Money for Children in Need

I've been thinking about the "slow motion tsunami" that's been taking place in Pakistan over the last 4 weeks.  The catastrophe only hit my radar about a week and a half ago.  The pictures of the children suffering and dying in the flooded areas is almost too much to handle.

We (my wife and I) gave a donation to a relief agency a few weeks ago (my wife had already given before I really even started thinking about the floods).  I've been writing about it on my other blog (An American Muslim Journal) and I've been posting news stories and pictures about it on my Facebook site.  But surely there is more that I can do, right?

Well, for now the best I can do is raise some money for the relief effort.  We are entering to the final 10 days of Ramadan.  I've decided to test myself a little bit.  Even as I fast from daybreak to sunset each of these remaining 10 days, I am going to run at least 30 miles as well.

I'm hoping that this effort will draw attention to the plight of the children in Pakistan and my little effort will motivate my friends and family to give a little more.  I've set up a fundraising page at firstgiving.com.  I'm calling my effort "Running for Relief - Help Pakistan's Flood Victims" and the money I raise will go to UNICEF.

I'll chronicle my efforts on An American Muslim Journal but I'll also try to cross post here to write about how I'm feeling and how the running is going.

No more cobwebs on my home gym

So that's what my home gym looks like underneath the cobwebs and the dust.  Not a bad looking set up if I do say so myself.

After nearly 8 full months of working out regularly in the gym, I think I'm at that level where I no longer need the external motivation provided by a gym to keep up on my workouts.  It's time to get reacquainted with the fitness equipment I've accumulated over the years.  

There is the 300 + olympic barbell set with the squat rack and the adjustable bench.  I bought that back in 1999 or so when we bought our first house.  Those were the days when lifting heavy was still the preferred workout.  The set's held up very well over the past 11 years.  

Oh, and hello dumbbells!  It's good to see them all - from the 10 pound dumbbells up to the 50 pounders.  Hey there Hoist "all-in-one" machine weight system!   What’s up?  This "V4" system is a newer addition to the Afeef fitness collection but it too shares the noteworthy, if not flattering, distinction of rare usage.  

The old gym couldn’t be revived without a few tweaks and upgrades, right?  Of course not.  So, in recognition of all the running I’ve been doing, the Afeef fitness collection just added the new True PS 100 treadmill to round out the equipment!  These first rate pieces of equipment, plus the stationary bike, the heavy punching bag, the jump rope and the sit-up bench all make for an excellent home gym.

I’ve already started working out a the home gym this weekend when the treadmill arrived.  On Friday I ran 3 miles and did strength training for my chest, shoulders and triceps.  On Saturday I ran 4 miles and worked on legs and back.  Today I ran 2 miles and did 20 minutes on the stationary bike.

All of these workouts were at home.  That’s good news for me and for my family since working out at home means I'm not away from the family for any extended period of time.  Even though XSport Fitness, the gym I use, is only a few miles away from my house, the time it takes to drive over, park and then drive home adds up.  Plus, when I'm at the gym the kids don't really understand what it means when by "Daddy's working out".  Over the last 3 days the kids played in the basement while I worked out.  That was good for everybody - I got to work out a bit longer, the kids got to play without as much concern over making a mess (its an un-finished basement and I’m not such a neat freak like the boss upstairs) and the spouse gets to take a nap without kids bothering her.

I know that I’ll be motivated to get downstairs to workout regularly between now and about the end of January 2011.  That’s because college and pro football is gearing up and I love working out while I watch games!

Welcome to Afeef Fitness Den!

Great strength training day yesterday

I went to the gym yesterday right after work. That’s part of my normal routine. What made yesterday unique was that it was the first day of Ramadan and I was fasting (I hadn’t had any food or drink for over 12 hours by the time I start working out).

It was a good workout. I lifted weights for 1 hour. I focused on chest, shoulders and triceps. I started out on the barbell bench press. I then moved to seated barbell behind the neck shoulder presses, dumbbell lateral raises, upright rows and finally tricep pushdowns.

The bad news is that I feel pain in parts of my body I never thought out would the last time I trained so consistently (that would be about 18 years ago). My right shoulder has sharp painful sensation in the rotator cuff. It will not go away but it doesn’t seem to impede my strength either. My right wrist also hurts. I can’t explain it.

The good news is that I am getting stronger. Back in February I struggled with 135 pounds on the bench press. Yesterday I cranked out 250 pounds for 5 reps (and I weigh 45 pounds less now!). Other milestones include the shoulder press where I’m using 135 pounds for reps (compared to 95 pounds I struggled with in February). In February I used two 25 pound plates on the hack squat and it felt heavy. Today I can put on four 45 pound plates for reps and feel great.

This is great. I felt awful going into the gym back in February. I felt very self-conscious about the weight I was training with. I feel much better today.

But I’m not even close to where I want to be in terms of my overall physical fitness. I’m still overweight - I need to drop another 25 pounds. I want to be able to run a half-marathon (13.1 miles) and presently the farthest I’ve run is 7 miles at one time. I don’t necessarily have set goals for my strength training but now I’m tempted to set some given that the numbers are more respectable now!

I’m heading to the gym after work today (on my way now as a matter of fact). Today will be strength training for my back, biceps and legs!

Oh my aching hamstring!

The upside is that I was smiling through the ache!

I finally did it. I got cocky, I lost my focus and I got caught up in vacation fun and in so doing, I ran a sprint race on the beach, barefoot, without any stretching and strained my left hamstring muscle.

Damn.

I did this last week. It was last Wednesday. I haven’t run since.

Damn.

I’ve worked out since last week. The next day (last Thursday) I went to the gym (Planet Fitness in Tampa because that’s where we were vacationing). Walking fast and any movement that stretched the hamstring caused pain but not to the point where I was debilitated. So I did strength training for my back and biceps.

I need a good run in order to round out my workouts and not being able to run since last Wednesday has been hard. I didn’t work out on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. I did get back into the gym of Monday and did 1 hour on the stationary bike and 20 minutes on an elliptical machine but it wasn’t the same as running (it was even less satisfying because I held back on the intensity).

I skipped Tuesday and yesterday I did a strength training routine focused on chest, shoulders and triceps. I did try to run.

I took an ace bandage to the gym and tightly wrapped my left upper leg to keep the hamstring muscle snug. I got on the treadmill and started out with a walk. It felt a bit awkward having the ace bandage on but I couldn’t feel any aches or pain in my left hamstring.

After about 5 minutes I tried to increase the speed. My plan was to jog at 5.0 miles per hour. No dice. As I got to 4.0 miles per hour I could clearly feel my left hamstring straining (it wasn’t quite a “pain” but I know something’s wrong when I can feel a sensation in my hamstring that isn’t normally present).

I forced myself to stop. I want this injury to heal quickly. I don’t have the luxury of really “treating it” other than with rest and stretches (and even these aren’t extensive). Given that I can’t really rehab it actively, I need to err on the side of resting the muscle to hasten a full recovery (and hopefully a fast one).

I don’t remember the last time I hurt a hamstring muscle so I don’t know how long it will take to heal. I’d like to get back on the treadmill and on the road ASAP! I’ll keep testing it out everyday to assess the healing progress.

The silver lining in this little injury is that I’ve been reminded (by my body) that I need to be more mindful of my abilities, limitations and goals. I’d love to run around at will and without thinking but I don’t have that luxury. In part due to age and in larger part due to my unhealthy lifestyle over the past 13 to 16 years my body simply isn’t up to these exertions. Maybe, if I really get in shape, I’ll be able to do more, but for now, I need to be mindful of what my limits are so that I can keep improving and not get sidelined by dumb injuries.