Ramble On

I decided to do a video update from my iPhone post-run today. I apologize for the heavy breathing and sweatiness - but you get what I can give. I try to briefly cover a little overview of my week, my overall progres towards my goal of 26.1 miles, an upcoming 5k I am considering running and a little about how running is changing my life. Hopefully this is a format everyone enjoys and I can continue to do. It certainly frees me up to also write on my other blog; The Hitech Redneck. Please come by and say hello to me there as well if you haven't already.

I hope you are all having a great start to your week and getting in your miles, reps and rest. Be good, be safe and Run Long and Prosper.

My Mind's Playing Tricks On Me

I hate it when I feel like I'm not working hard enough. If I'm not drenched in sweat and gasping for breath I question how hard I'm pushing myself. I love being able to see the pounds roll off. This wasn't a problem for me a few weeks ago when I was just starting out on my workout routine. But lately I feel like I'm not pushing hard enough. And it annoys the hell out of me.

I'm talking specifically about this Cardio Interval training I'm doing. I'm using an iPhone app called Couch to 5k and I really enjoy it. It allows me to play my music and then queues me over the top of it when it's time to run, jog, at the halfway point, cool down, etc. Initially it had me running for 60 seconds and walking for 90 seconds over the course of 30 minutes. This run was beating me like a red headed stepchild. I should point out that I run on an outdoor track that is anything but flat. It's quite hilly. But I figure that's more realistic training than a nice, smooth track. The point is I would think I was damn-near dying when I finished. It was great.

But this current week of running seems so much easier to me. It's 90 seconds of running to 90 seconds of walking. I'm not sure why it's going so much more smoothly. Maybe I get into more of a running groove in that time frame. I know I don't have to start a run interval while going up a hill as often. And that's freakin' nice. I keep thinking that maybe it's just my mind playing tricks with me. Maybe I am working just as hard but the workouts feel like they go by faster. Not sweating as much could be due to myriad factors; time of day and temperature, the fact I shaved my long hair and beard off, etc. Maybe I'm just getting in better shape.

It also begs the question; At what level should I be running? Should it be a jog? A sprint? 80 percent of maximum effort? I'm not sure. I certainly don't want to "blow my wad" in the first mile. And I definitely don't want to injure myself. Perhaps I'll trying upping my speed during my run Tuesday. If you have any thoughts, tips or general advice send it my way. I appreciate all the help and encouragement!

The Long Road Ahead

A few weeks ago I woke up coughing blood and barely able to catch my breath. I had once again partied too hard. I had once again let myself get into horrible shape. I knew it was bad. I didn't have to see a doctor to know that. But I went anyway and finally, maybe because of how I felt or perhaps because of how I looked, I finally heard what he had been preaching to me for over a year. "You are killing yourself. And fast." And it scared me. So began a change. A drastic one.

I came home and spent a good amount of time in thought; trying to decide what happened. I hadn't always been this overweight, this tired, this down on myself. Just a couple years earlier I had been a slim, trim 175 pounds and boxing five days a week. 5 years before that I was working in the sun all day feeling great. Hell, I was 140 pounds of running machine back in my Air Force days. Somehow I had lost myself. And what it meant to be me. And it was no one's fault but my own. The alcohol, the food, the cigarettes...it just became a vicious cycle that never seemed to end.

So sitting at my desk it hit me. I want to be a runner again. And slim. And in shape. I want to set a great example for my children. I want the mental satisfaction of beating that guy in my head that wants to lay around and feel sorry for himself. Some of the greatest highs in my life came from running. And it always balanced me out. I adore it. Which I know makes me odd.

I realized though, that I needed to do more than just decide to run. I needed to set a goal. A really difficult one to reach. I'm very much goal driven - and anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that when I decide to do something, I do not quit. But what could it be? What could I do to push myself harder than I have ever pushed before? And that's when I made my decision.

I'm going to run a Marathon. 26.1 miles of one. The whole thing. That's my goal. And I will reach it. But what I thought would be interesting for my friends, family - and whoever drops by - is to see the journey. What will it take to go from 226 pounds to 26.1 miles? How much training? How many months? What types of hurdles will I face?

I started this journey several weeks ago and it has been a challenge. But already I am reaping the rewards. I am on an intense "Paleo" style of eating and listing everything I consume at Dailyburn.com as well as tracking my weight there. You can keep up with that info here.

I'm currently working out six days a week - 3 days of Interval Cardio training and three days of Strength training using bodyweight or free-weight routines. I also walk roughly 10 miles a week. And on the seventh day I rest. Believe me I need it. I'll write more specifically about diet and exercise as I post more.

So in my nearly three weeks of hard training how have I done? I started this journey at 226 pounds and I'm proud to say that today I weighed in at 211 pounds. Progress to say the least.

I sincerely hope you'll join me for the ups and downs, the laughs and I'm sure tears, the hills and valleys as I work towards that 26.1 mile run...One Step At A Time.