I had a great fitness day yesterday! I ran 3.87 miles outside after work. I did it in 44 minutes. This is the farthest I've run this year (and in many years for that matter) outside. I also ate really well.
My neighborhood has lots of hills so my run is peppered with long stretches of up hill and down hill running. This is great training because I think a lot of the 5K races are not going to be as hilly as my training route.
I would really like to head out to an outdoor track and try running 5 or 6 miles to test myself.
Yesterday I ate 2 boca burgers, a spinach salad with lite ranch dressing and a whey isolate protein shake made with 12 ounces of skim milk. This was my dinner after my run. I succumbed to a carb craving in the morning and ate two bowls of honey nut cheerios with skim milk. During the day I had a Detour protein bar and some almonds and cashews (unsalted, no oil, raw). I also had some coffee (about 16 ounces over the course of the day).
I'm psyched! My feet, ankles, shins, knees, hips and back have all been holding up. Thank God! I just hope hope hope I can keep this up! I want to stay injury-free as I continue to build my running endurance and strength, my overall fitness and as I continue to lose weight!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Inspired by those who excel with less
In the last two days I've come across two individuals, one in the Chicago Tribune and the other in the New York Times, who are inspirational for my journey to become stronger.
The first is Amy Palmiero-Winters. She lost her leg in a motorcycle accident. She was a runner before her accident, and now after losing her left leg she runs with a prosthetic. That someone would keep running after losing a leg is amazing but Amy runs endurance races - 100 mile races! The New York Times article described Amy's running:
In the Chicago Tribune article one of Tommy's coaches is quoted as saying this about him:
The first is Amy Palmiero-Winters. She lost her leg in a motorcycle accident. She was a runner before her accident, and now after losing her left leg she runs with a prosthetic. That someone would keep running after losing a leg is amazing but Amy runs endurance races - 100 mile races! The New York Times article described Amy's running:
Running on customized left legs, she is able to beat endurance runners with her lower limbs in races that last 24 hours, go more than 100 miles, up hills, through deserts. She says running endurance races does not compare to the 100-, 200- and 400-meter races of Oscar Pistorius, the admirable South African runner who has artificial lower legs and has been ruled ineligible for Olympic competition.The other inspiring individual is Tommy Carroll. Tommy is blind. He wasn't born without sight but lost it when he was 2 years old. Tommy is on the Glenbrook South High School cross country team. With the help of his teammates Tommy practices and competes. Tommy holds the arm of one of his teammates but beyond this one unique characteristic, Tommy's runs are just like those of the other boys on his team and on the teams he competes against.
In the Chicago Tribune article one of Tommy's coaches is quoted as saying this about him:
"The best thing about Tommy is he doesn't act like (he's blind)," Glenbrook South assistant track coach Chris Hilvert said. "He just does what everybody else does."On top of being athletes both of these individuals do much more in their lives. Amy is a working mom and Tommy is an honor student who also skateboards, wrestles and has completed triathlons. Their will to push their bodies to the limit and to live active lives (isn't that an understatement?) is a great motivator for me. The next time I feel a little achy or have a sore knee or ankle and I think about skipping a workout I'll try to remember Amy and Tommy.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
3 mile run in a light freezing rain! That's a sign of commitment!
Outstanding!
Today I ran 3 miles. Outside. In a light freezing drizzle. In 34 minutes.
It felt great!
I was out all day - kids soccer games and then a fundraiser for a state political candidate - and when I got home around 5:30pm it was cold and cloudy but there was no rain (it rained earlier in the day at the soccer games). My original plan was to head to the gym for a treadmill and weight training workout. It turned out, however, that my wife wanted to workout too and for us to manage both of us working out with dinner and getting the kids to better etc., I'd need to stay home.
No problem. I changed into my workout gear and walked out the front door. Drizzle. Damn.
I actually walked back into the front door but checked myself before I could say anything. I turned around, closed the door behind me and walked down the driveway. As I set my timer and hit the road I realized that it was a very light freezing rain that was falling.
I was wearing two outer layers and a knit hat and gloves so I was adequately attired. I ran the two block circuit which is 0.75 miles per round/lap. I ran 4 times around this two block route in 34 minutes. That's 3 miles in 34 minutes. That seems to be my new pace - a little over 11 minutes per mile.
I walked back into the house and felt very excited. The emotion wasn't pride and joy but excitement. I felt excited that I was able to get out in bad weather conditions and still run. I think that bodes well for the rest of the Spring and hopeful for the Summer too. If I can run in this weather, then I should be good to run on most days between now and next winter!
As for winter running, well, lets not get ahead of ourselves...
Today I ran 3 miles. Outside. In a light freezing drizzle. In 34 minutes.
It felt great!
I was out all day - kids soccer games and then a fundraiser for a state political candidate - and when I got home around 5:30pm it was cold and cloudy but there was no rain (it rained earlier in the day at the soccer games). My original plan was to head to the gym for a treadmill and weight training workout. It turned out, however, that my wife wanted to workout too and for us to manage both of us working out with dinner and getting the kids to better etc., I'd need to stay home.
No problem. I changed into my workout gear and walked out the front door. Drizzle. Damn.
I actually walked back into the front door but checked myself before I could say anything. I turned around, closed the door behind me and walked down the driveway. As I set my timer and hit the road I realized that it was a very light freezing rain that was falling.
I was wearing two outer layers and a knit hat and gloves so I was adequately attired. I ran the two block circuit which is 0.75 miles per round/lap. I ran 4 times around this two block route in 34 minutes. That's 3 miles in 34 minutes. That seems to be my new pace - a little over 11 minutes per mile.
I walked back into the house and felt very excited. The emotion wasn't pride and joy but excitement. I felt excited that I was able to get out in bad weather conditions and still run. I think that bodes well for the rest of the Spring and hopeful for the Summer too. If I can run in this weather, then I should be good to run on most days between now and next winter!
As for winter running, well, lets not get ahead of ourselves...
Saturday, April 24, 2010
My first morning run was a success!
I knew today would be extremely busy so I decided last night that I would run in the morning. Plans are all well and good, but I've found that those involving morning workouts have a very low chance (historically - dating back to the 1980s!) of being executed.
This morning was different! I got up with my wife and kids around 8 am. That was good because I didn't get to bed until about 12:30 am so I lucked out with being able to sleep in and get a solid 7 + hours of sleep.
I got dressed and headed out the door. It was wet and there was an intermittent mist coming down. I put on my ipod and ran 2.07 miles in 22 minutes and 29 seconds. That's about an 11 minute mile and I'm pleased with that.
Unlike other outside runs, this morning's run started out a bit shaky. The first leg of my route is uphill and I immediately felt tired and my mind started getting distracted by thoughts of stopping. I forced myself to think "one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other" over and over again and that helped me get over this early hurdle.
Once I got up the hill the rest of the run was better. Still, I had a much better run on Thursday night where I did 3.27 miles in about 38 minutes. That's about the same pace as today but I was able to go a lot farther. I'm not sure how to account for the difference in performance. I'm not going to think too much about it beyond simply chalking it up to a lack of focus (or greater mental focus during the better run).
I'm actually feeling positive about running outside. That's a great milestone since, for the longest time, I've preferred treadmill running. Now I need to conquer morning runs. Once that becomes easier for me, then I'll really be making some solid progress with my fitness and running routine!
This morning was different! I got up with my wife and kids around 8 am. That was good because I didn't get to bed until about 12:30 am so I lucked out with being able to sleep in and get a solid 7 + hours of sleep.
I got dressed and headed out the door. It was wet and there was an intermittent mist coming down. I put on my ipod and ran 2.07 miles in 22 minutes and 29 seconds. That's about an 11 minute mile and I'm pleased with that.
Unlike other outside runs, this morning's run started out a bit shaky. The first leg of my route is uphill and I immediately felt tired and my mind started getting distracted by thoughts of stopping. I forced myself to think "one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other" over and over again and that helped me get over this early hurdle.
Once I got up the hill the rest of the run was better. Still, I had a much better run on Thursday night where I did 3.27 miles in about 38 minutes. That's about the same pace as today but I was able to go a lot farther. I'm not sure how to account for the difference in performance. I'm not going to think too much about it beyond simply chalking it up to a lack of focus (or greater mental focus during the better run).
I'm actually feeling positive about running outside. That's a great milestone since, for the longest time, I've preferred treadmill running. Now I need to conquer morning runs. Once that becomes easier for me, then I'll really be making some solid progress with my fitness and running routine!
Friday, April 23, 2010
New shoes, comfortable feet, better runs!
Yesterday I went to Dick Pond Athletics store in Schaumburg, Illinois. I wanted to talk to some knowledge folks about running shoes, and maybe buy a new pair. I bought the Asics Gel - 1150 running shoes after an 1 hour in the store.
First of all, I highly recommend the store because they have everything and they're very helpful! I believe the person who worked with me last night is named Phil. He looked at my walking patterns, we looked at video of my jogging on a treadmill (in their store!) and we went through about 8 or 9 different shoes of varying qualities (stability, cushioning, etc). There was zero pressure to buy. I never said I was going to buy anything when I first walked in. Of all the shoes Phil showed me, the one we finally agreed on wasn't the most expensive ones I had tested out.
Secondly, the excitment and the psychological impact of having new running shoes paid dividends immediately (and perhaps the mechanics of the shoe as well). I went out for a run last night after sunset. I ran 3.27 miles in 38 minutes. That is my best time so far and my first 5K isn't until 5/31/10! Also, I know I had enough energy to go another 1/2 mile at least. I decided to stop because I didn't want to overdo it.
Today is a weight lifting day but I hope to be back on the road on Saturday morning for another round of running with my new Asics Gel - 1150s!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
20 lbs down and feeling better
While I haven't written on the blog in a while - that will change soon as I just bought a MacBook Pro today and now will be able to write more regularly - I have been keeping up on my workouts and on my eating habits.
First things first: I set a goal for myself several weeks ago. My goal was to get down to 225 lb by April 15. Well, I'm sorry to report that I only got to 227 lb as of the 15th. While I set my goals with the intention of achieving them, I'm not completely disappointed. I've lost 20 lbs since I began really working out and eating better near the end of January. That's not bad!
While that's only about 2 lbs per week, I know the accomplishment is more significant because in those 10 weeks I had a lot of bad weekends where I ate very poorly. I give myself credit for hanging in there and staying committed despite my own failures in self-control.
I feel better than I have in quite some time. This evening I went out for a 3.4 mile run. It was 1/3 up hill, 1/3 down hill and 1/3 flat. My early pace was a 12 minute mile or better but I slowed down as each mile passed by. I finished in 43 minutes. It may not seem like a lot in absolute terms (it isn't) but relative to where I was in mid-January of this year, this is a solid accomplishment.
In mid-January I could only jog 3 minutes on the treadmill before I had to slow down to a walk for at least 1 minute. I've built up from there, first on the treadmill and then more recently on the road, by adding resistance (inclines) and distance. Once I build up my strength and endurance for this distance (3.4 to 4.0 miles) I can then focus on getting a bit faster.
It's a Sunday night and I had another well balanced food weekend. There were no binges. While I definitely had some night food each day, I did not succumb to bread, rice and sugar.
It is easier now to avoid the junk food and the starchy, empty calories because I've had a few weekends of good eating and I can now look back on those and see the impact good eating has on my physical well-being. When I am tempted to eating unhealthy food I try to remind myself of how crappy I will feel shortly thereafter. It doesn't always work, but if nothing else, it does keep me from indulging more often!
First things first: I set a goal for myself several weeks ago. My goal was to get down to 225 lb by April 15. Well, I'm sorry to report that I only got to 227 lb as of the 15th. While I set my goals with the intention of achieving them, I'm not completely disappointed. I've lost 20 lbs since I began really working out and eating better near the end of January. That's not bad!
While that's only about 2 lbs per week, I know the accomplishment is more significant because in those 10 weeks I had a lot of bad weekends where I ate very poorly. I give myself credit for hanging in there and staying committed despite my own failures in self-control.
I feel better than I have in quite some time. This evening I went out for a 3.4 mile run. It was 1/3 up hill, 1/3 down hill and 1/3 flat. My early pace was a 12 minute mile or better but I slowed down as each mile passed by. I finished in 43 minutes. It may not seem like a lot in absolute terms (it isn't) but relative to where I was in mid-January of this year, this is a solid accomplishment.
In mid-January I could only jog 3 minutes on the treadmill before I had to slow down to a walk for at least 1 minute. I've built up from there, first on the treadmill and then more recently on the road, by adding resistance (inclines) and distance. Once I build up my strength and endurance for this distance (3.4 to 4.0 miles) I can then focus on getting a bit faster.
It's a Sunday night and I had another well balanced food weekend. There were no binges. While I definitely had some night food each day, I did not succumb to bread, rice and sugar.
It is easier now to avoid the junk food and the starchy, empty calories because I've had a few weekends of good eating and I can now look back on those and see the impact good eating has on my physical well-being. When I am tempted to eating unhealthy food I try to remind myself of how crappy I will feel shortly thereafter. It doesn't always work, but if nothing else, it does keep me from indulging more often!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Running 3 miles outside!
This is an excellent and noteworthy milestone for me! For the second time in the past couple of weeks I've been able to run 3 miles on the road. Sure, I've been hitting the 3 mile mark for over a month now on the treadmill, but covering this distance on the pavement is a much harder task.
It was slow. It took me 41 minutes. But I'll take it. Being able to run the 3 miles non-stop (no walking) is a psychological milestone. Now that I know I can run a 5K (I know the races are slightly longer - by 0.1 miles), I can focus my energies on improving my time and also my distance (for perhaps a 10K or even a 1/2 marathon later this year!).
I'm going to need to take care of my legs and my core - especially my core.
I've been stretching and doing some high rep weight training for my legs. My weight training includes squats on the smith machine and leg extensions and leg curls.
The core has been totally ignored until this week. Today is only the second day I've actually done any sit ups let alone anything more sophisticated for my core. I'm going to start doing sit ups and a few other core exercises every day either in the morning or evening and then find a few days to work it into my workouts as well!
It was slow. It took me 41 minutes. But I'll take it. Being able to run the 3 miles non-stop (no walking) is a psychological milestone. Now that I know I can run a 5K (I know the races are slightly longer - by 0.1 miles), I can focus my energies on improving my time and also my distance (for perhaps a 10K or even a 1/2 marathon later this year!).
I'm going to need to take care of my legs and my core - especially my core.
I've been stretching and doing some high rep weight training for my legs. My weight training includes squats on the smith machine and leg extensions and leg curls.
The core has been totally ignored until this week. Today is only the second day I've actually done any sit ups let alone anything more sophisticated for my core. I'm going to start doing sit ups and a few other core exercises every day either in the morning or evening and then find a few days to work it into my workouts as well!
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