It's been over a week since I last updated. There's nothing really significant that has happened over the last week but there are a few things that could be shared.
Friday it was a real pleasure to go clothes shopping. I've dropped from 38" jeans to 34" in the last 4 months. I've not worn 34" jeans since college. That's pretty amazing.
Last Saturday we did Orienteering at Umstead State Park. It was a blast. This is the first time I've done orienteering and enjoyed learning how the map and compass works together. Betsy and I didn't hit all the targets but we were close most of the time.
We've made a decision to participate in the Shamrock Half marathon on March 21. I had a loose goal in mind to run a half marathon in the spring to cap off the hard work I'm doing in the basic training class. This race will be less than a month after the class completion. I've registered for the run today to set the idea in stone. Now I just have to maitain the training that will get me to the finish line. My goals are to finish the race without walking and not be in last place. I have the plan established and at least for the past week have kept to the plan. But if all else fails I'll walk the whole thing.
I was sick for two days this week and missed two of the basic training sessions but the sessions I attended were tough. The class is getting more aggressive and my endurance still isn't where it needs to be but at least I'm getting stronger as the class gets more aggressive. Feels real good.
Today I started with a wet basic training and a wet run afterwords. I was able to get in a 2 mile trail run. I think my long run tomorrow may be back at Umstead Park on the trails. I really like running in the forest.
Overall my general attitude is still very positive and I still have the drive to continue doing the work. I still need to do a lot of work on keeping my brain from stopping or giving it all up like its' done in the past.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Turkey Trot
Well it's traditionally a big eating day today. I am going to do my best not to over do it but I'll be honest it'll be tough. The berry pie is staring me down. :>
We did out 4 week retest in basic training this week and fortunately I've made improvement across the board. I cut a full minute off my 500 meter swin and 30 seconds off the 1.5 mile run. And most impressively I was able to do a pull up. In the class yesterday I was able to do 4 pull ups. It's nice to see progress but more importantly it's good to feel good. It still amazes me how fast my body is recovering and it shows the only reason I was stuck being fat and out of shape is because that's what I accepted for myself. For at least today I'm doing my best to not accept that.
My wife and I are visiting my mom in Myrtle Beach and that area offered a turkey trot run. My wife talked me into doing the 8K as opposed to the 5K and I'm glad she did. The course was flat so it was above the distance I should have run but my normal runs have a lot of hills in them so I decided to try. I was hoping mainly to finish without stopping. I didn't have a pace goal set in my head but I was hoping for at least 11 minute miles. I was doing 9 minute mile for short distances but I didn't feel I would of been able to maintain that for more than a couple of miles. Before the race we met up with one of Betsy's friends who is into fitness who truend into a great asset for me during the race. Weather wise it was a great day to run. It was cool and misty.
It was the first time I had run a official race in 15 years. I used to run some in my late 20's but nothing ever more than a 5K. The race started and juggling through the initial crowd was a challenge but it spread open pretty quickly. I lost my wife and her friend pretty quickly. I can't remember struggling terribly in the beginning. I tried to focus on not starting too fast like I have a habit of doing. I usually start fast and it drains me for the end part of the race. I think the ended up helping me in the end. About 2 miles in Mac, my wife's friend, caught up with me and we set a pace together. We just dug in. It was a great learning experience to have soeone be there to keep me from slowing down. My usually pattern is to slow the farther I go and Mac definitely helped me not to slow to a pace that was too slow. The pace was great and my heart rate stayed up but we were still able to have burst conversations. It was really a great help to have a partner.
when we hit the last mile we turned up the pace a bit. My biggest barrier is usually my head telling me I can't do something. My head was saying go slower but we just picked it up. Coming around into the last couple of hundred yards we could see the ending flags and I just focused in those and turned it on more. I had to hold back the overwhelming urge to just puke and just run. It was a great feeling to cross that finish line with the clock under 48 minutes. I would have never thought I would of been able to run a longer distance at that pace. It felt and feels really good to have surpassed those expectations. The last mile I just wanted to stop so many time. My head was saying stop stop stop and I said to myself with each breath go go go. Soon the go was louder and I kept the legs moving.
Who knows what the future will hold. Perhaps a early spring half marathon?
Basic training for Saturday is going to consist of a day in Umstead park Orienteering. I am so looking forward to this. I wanted to learn how to do that forever.
We did out 4 week retest in basic training this week and fortunately I've made improvement across the board. I cut a full minute off my 500 meter swin and 30 seconds off the 1.5 mile run. And most impressively I was able to do a pull up. In the class yesterday I was able to do 4 pull ups. It's nice to see progress but more importantly it's good to feel good. It still amazes me how fast my body is recovering and it shows the only reason I was stuck being fat and out of shape is because that's what I accepted for myself. For at least today I'm doing my best to not accept that.
My wife and I are visiting my mom in Myrtle Beach and that area offered a turkey trot run. My wife talked me into doing the 8K as opposed to the 5K and I'm glad she did. The course was flat so it was above the distance I should have run but my normal runs have a lot of hills in them so I decided to try. I was hoping mainly to finish without stopping. I didn't have a pace goal set in my head but I was hoping for at least 11 minute miles. I was doing 9 minute mile for short distances but I didn't feel I would of been able to maintain that for more than a couple of miles. Before the race we met up with one of Betsy's friends who is into fitness who truend into a great asset for me during the race. Weather wise it was a great day to run. It was cool and misty.
It was the first time I had run a official race in 15 years. I used to run some in my late 20's but nothing ever more than a 5K. The race started and juggling through the initial crowd was a challenge but it spread open pretty quickly. I lost my wife and her friend pretty quickly. I can't remember struggling terribly in the beginning. I tried to focus on not starting too fast like I have a habit of doing. I usually start fast and it drains me for the end part of the race. I think the ended up helping me in the end. About 2 miles in Mac, my wife's friend, caught up with me and we set a pace together. We just dug in. It was a great learning experience to have soeone be there to keep me from slowing down. My usually pattern is to slow the farther I go and Mac definitely helped me not to slow to a pace that was too slow. The pace was great and my heart rate stayed up but we were still able to have burst conversations. It was really a great help to have a partner.
when we hit the last mile we turned up the pace a bit. My biggest barrier is usually my head telling me I can't do something. My head was saying go slower but we just picked it up. Coming around into the last couple of hundred yards we could see the ending flags and I just focused in those and turned it on more. I had to hold back the overwhelming urge to just puke and just run. It was a great feeling to cross that finish line with the clock under 48 minutes. I would have never thought I would of been able to run a longer distance at that pace. It felt and feels really good to have surpassed those expectations. The last mile I just wanted to stop so many time. My head was saying stop stop stop and I said to myself with each breath go go go. Soon the go was louder and I kept the legs moving.
Who knows what the future will hold. Perhaps a early spring half marathon?
Basic training for Saturday is going to consist of a day in Umstead park Orienteering. I am so looking forward to this. I wanted to learn how to do that forever.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Getting ready for another week
This past week was a little weak outside of Basic Training but within the class we had a lot of hard work. Rod called the classes money days and I think we got a lot for our money for sure. It was burnout PT at its' best. We worked until we couldn't. We'll see what kid of cash out we have gotten this week since this is our second PFT test that measures our progress. No matter the outcome of the test I feel better and I know I have made a lot of progress. I did manage to get a good trail run on Cox Mountain again this Friday. Yesterday I started with Basic and then spent most the afternoon in the pool learning Total Immersion techniques. Interesting but I'm not sure I am at the place I want to implement that into my program yet. But even in just learning the basics I was able to shave off 3 strokes per length off my swimming. That would equate to a lot of strokes over a mile that could save a lot of needed energy.
I've not done my run today but I am planning on my usual 5K today with the 11 minute workout to get warmed up.
I've not done my run today but I am planning on my usual 5K today with the 11 minute workout to get warmed up.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday: bak to the grinder
I'll admit I was a little disappointed in my knees not performing very well Sunday and having to walk the last quarter mile or so of my weekly long run. When I sat down and looked at the amount of running I did do over the weekend though it does show I have made great improvement and I think I may just have pushed it a little too far. The fact is five weeks ago a two mile run would make me so sore for a week I could hardly move and now the same run is just past a warm up. But on Sunday my knees were really swelled and in the past that would of been a very good reason to just give up. I took the day off yesterday to recover a bit and the swelling did go down a good bit but I was not looking forward to class tonight. It's not like it creates a lot of pain for me but the swelling gives a general sense of weakness like if it turns even a bit off to the side or something it will crumble.
Anyhow so I did show up and hung in there for the first round of jumping jacks which hurt then squats and not to forget the lunges. The knees were not doing well and I was getting disappointed. Then we headed outside for a warm up run and sprints. At this point they still felt very tender but they started feeling better. About three quarters of the way through my knees were not bothering my anymore and they still aren't a few hours after the class. Once we hit the grinder again the focus was on push ups, pull ups and ab workouts so not more problems with knees. The short story is I am glad I went and hung in there. I learned that some of these injuries do not have to take me out of being fit or accomplishing some of the things I'd like to accomplish but I just need to make sure I build to my goal instead of doing it all right now.
I was talking to a friend over the weekend and we were discussing his friend who eats properly and takes a lot of time choosing and preparing the right foods. He was relaying his friends perspective in that when he began doing his routine he'd leave a day during the week where he could eat anything he wanted. And in the beginning he really did take advantage of that eating badly that day. However somewhere along the way his routine became the norm and even on the "eat anything" days where he may splurge a little but he'd pretty much maintain the same routine. I thought that was a pretty cool story and one that I miss the moral of the story a lot of the time. There's many times I focus on the tough part of getting started and beginning the process of getting to where I want to be. But once I get the willingness to do that and keep putting one foot in front of the other each day then what was so hard at one time becomes the norm. I've found that to be true with each new adventure I've allowed myself to walk into. I'd come to the door with nothing and in a year or so down the road be functional in whatever environment I had chosen. So I really need to to stop allowing the beginning to stop the progress. I need to get on this proper diet thing. I'm doing a lot better than I have but I still have a good ways to go.
Anyhow so I did show up and hung in there for the first round of jumping jacks which hurt then squats and not to forget the lunges. The knees were not doing well and I was getting disappointed. Then we headed outside for a warm up run and sprints. At this point they still felt very tender but they started feeling better. About three quarters of the way through my knees were not bothering my anymore and they still aren't a few hours after the class. Once we hit the grinder again the focus was on push ups, pull ups and ab workouts so not more problems with knees. The short story is I am glad I went and hung in there. I learned that some of these injuries do not have to take me out of being fit or accomplishing some of the things I'd like to accomplish but I just need to make sure I build to my goal instead of doing it all right now.
I was talking to a friend over the weekend and we were discussing his friend who eats properly and takes a lot of time choosing and preparing the right foods. He was relaying his friends perspective in that when he began doing his routine he'd leave a day during the week where he could eat anything he wanted. And in the beginning he really did take advantage of that eating badly that day. However somewhere along the way his routine became the norm and even on the "eat anything" days where he may splurge a little but he'd pretty much maintain the same routine. I thought that was a pretty cool story and one that I miss the moral of the story a lot of the time. There's many times I focus on the tough part of getting started and beginning the process of getting to where I want to be. But once I get the willingness to do that and keep putting one foot in front of the other each day then what was so hard at one time becomes the norm. I've found that to be true with each new adventure I've allowed myself to walk into. I'd come to the door with nothing and in a year or so down the road be functional in whatever environment I had chosen. So I really need to to stop allowing the beginning to stop the progress. I need to get on this proper diet thing. I'm doing a lot better than I have but I still have a good ways to go.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Sluggish Week but strong finish
It wasn't the pinnacle of fitness weeks this week with the weather we had here. I've missed running outside.
I attended my regular Basic Training classes this week. There were definitely some hard workouts. Tuesday was nice because half of it was spent in the pouring rain running and various other fun stuff. Being the temperature was warm it was actually nice. Thursday was the hardest workout for me yet. It just kills me how weak my upper body is. But there is no question it is getting better as time goes. I think we did at least 200 push ups in this session, 125 crunches, and 50 or so pull ups. I can only do like 1 without help. Ugh. This was all mixed in with a tough round oh calisthenics. Thanks God Friday was a rest day I needed it. This morning wasn't bad. Spent little time in the grinder thank goodness and did a good run then we hit the pool. Rod was gracious enough to give a swim clinic after class. Thanks Rod.
One note on the run this morning during class for me was when we got towards the end of class I actually felt like I was getting stronger. The first part of the runs are always the hardest for me getting all warmed up but I definitely after the muscles get loose I feel more endurance coming through. It still amazes me how my body has turned around in a short time. Still a long path but definite progress.
After class I went to the Eno state park and did a trail run this time and not just a hike. I had no idea how different running on a trail would be than a road. The trail was the Cox Mountain trail and it is almost 4 miles I think. The biggest difference for the trail running is the short dips of up and down instead of the gradual long hills. Gets more burn time in seems like throughout the run. A lot of ankle hazards tho0ugh for sure. I think I'm going to make that a regular event each Saturday after the morning class if anyone wants to join. Nice to start a run somewhat warm. Cox Mountain trail has a couple of steep sections and then right near the end is a very steep hill. I did a sprint up it this week but that about killed me. The weather and scenery was awesome.
Tomorrow sticking with the distance running plan so I'll be doing a 4.5 - 5 mile and I'll probably couple that with a couple of runs through the 11-minute workout. Should be an awesome day tomorrow weather wise.
I attended my regular Basic Training classes this week. There were definitely some hard workouts. Tuesday was nice because half of it was spent in the pouring rain running and various other fun stuff. Being the temperature was warm it was actually nice. Thursday was the hardest workout for me yet. It just kills me how weak my upper body is. But there is no question it is getting better as time goes. I think we did at least 200 push ups in this session, 125 crunches, and 50 or so pull ups. I can only do like 1 without help. Ugh. This was all mixed in with a tough round oh calisthenics. Thanks God Friday was a rest day I needed it. This morning wasn't bad. Spent little time in the grinder thank goodness and did a good run then we hit the pool. Rod was gracious enough to give a swim clinic after class. Thanks Rod.
One note on the run this morning during class for me was when we got towards the end of class I actually felt like I was getting stronger. The first part of the runs are always the hardest for me getting all warmed up but I definitely after the muscles get loose I feel more endurance coming through. It still amazes me how my body has turned around in a short time. Still a long path but definite progress.
After class I went to the Eno state park and did a trail run this time and not just a hike. I had no idea how different running on a trail would be than a road. The trail was the Cox Mountain trail and it is almost 4 miles I think. The biggest difference for the trail running is the short dips of up and down instead of the gradual long hills. Gets more burn time in seems like throughout the run. A lot of ankle hazards tho0ugh for sure. I think I'm going to make that a regular event each Saturday after the morning class if anyone wants to join. Nice to start a run somewhat warm. Cox Mountain trail has a couple of steep sections and then right near the end is a very steep hill. I did a sprint up it this week but that about killed me. The weather and scenery was awesome.
Tomorrow sticking with the distance running plan so I'll be doing a 4.5 - 5 mile and I'll probably couple that with a couple of runs through the 11-minute workout. Should be an awesome day tomorrow weather wise.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
I finished the 4.4 mi run in 52:37... Hope one day I can make under a 10 minute mile again. I started the workout today with 10 minutes of stretching and then one round of the 11 minute workout from basic training. The one down side to the running is that my knees have been really swelled and when they're like that they feel weak. I hope as the strength builds that will stop but who knows. I'm just glad I stayed moving through it. It doesn't help there are steep hills in the run but I think that just builds character.
Now to finish my day at Sam's...
Now to finish my day at Sam's...
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Today was the completion of the first week of Basic Training. I was a little nervous about the session today because I just figured it would be a hard day. It was a hard workout and after we did the run and came back to the grinder I was disappointed to see only 20 minutes had passed. But we all hung in there and made it through the last 40 minutes and it was the toughest yet. The surprise to me is that I stayed functional during the whole time. It's amazing how well my body has adjusted so quickly to exercise again. I certainly didn't do every rep but I worked hard. Thanks Rod for the pretraining because if I didn't attend that today would of been unimaginable.
I followed up the class with a 70 minute rigorous hike at the eno state park. The weather was great and the hike was awesome. It's nice being active again and having the motivation to do things like this.
Thursday I did a 3 mile run in the morning and then did basic in the evening. We did our PFT test so that included a 500 meter swim, 1.5 mile run, max push ups in 2 minutes, max sit ups for 2 minutes and pull ups. The run was fine but I lost my lap count on the swim which caused a lot of confusion. But we got through it.
It was awesome to have a rest day yesterday. I was feeling a little wobbly with knees swollen from all the running. That's getting better but it is still occurring. I felt fully recovered this morning.
Tomorrow I'm planning a 4 mile run. First time I've run that far in a very long time.
I followed up the class with a 70 minute rigorous hike at the eno state park. The weather was great and the hike was awesome. It's nice being active again and having the motivation to do things like this.
Thursday I did a 3 mile run in the morning and then did basic in the evening. We did our PFT test so that included a 500 meter swim, 1.5 mile run, max push ups in 2 minutes, max sit ups for 2 minutes and pull ups. The run was fine but I lost my lap count on the swim which caused a lot of confusion. But we got through it.
It was awesome to have a rest day yesterday. I was feeling a little wobbly with knees swollen from all the running. That's getting better but it is still occurring. I felt fully recovered this morning.
Tomorrow I'm planning a 4 mile run. First time I've run that far in a very long time.
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