Ride Long and Taper

First Ride in a long time

2009-05-04T09:36:00.003-04:00

OK, so Saturday marked my return to cycling, a sport which I loved as a kid, but from which I had long since fallen away.

The new bike (Specialized Allez Sport) is spectacular - about 22 pounds total loaded up with flat kit and all. I am hopeful that my high weight won't cause too many problems with the components. Seatpost and wheels are the ones I am concerned about.

First ride out was enlightening. The weak left Achilles that I had been nursing for months presented no problems, whether flying along in the saddle or standing up for the hill climbs.

My problem areas, which I need to work on, are cardio-fitness and my aching quads (which, ironically, I thought were fairly strong, given the last few months of indoor spinning). Oh well.

The little hills felt like freakin' mountains and I found myself breaking them up into halves and thirds and taking rest breaks frequently.

First live road experience with clipless pedals was OK - did not fall off the bike and even managed a few decent standing starts coming off the local traffic lights without disrupting traffic too much;-)

Only encountered one of the local redneck idiots screaming "GET ON THE SIDEWALK!" (Jacka$$)

Next up, build a good schedule for building on the cardio and quad weakness (opportunities), and back to the gym.

Cheers!

A New Hope

2009-05-02T12:11:00.003-04:00

It is a period of civil war.
Mysterious injuries, striking from
deep within my 43-year old body, have
won their first victory against
the evil Galactic Empire of advancing
age. During the battle, Rebel spies managed
to steal secret plans to the Empire's
ultimate weapon, the COUCH OF DOOM, an
armored space station with enough fluffy
stuffing and comfy pillows to destroy
anyone's level of fitness.

Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents,
your fearless blogger races along the
road aboard his new starship, custodian
of the stolen plans that can save his
people and restore freedom to the galaxy....

I may not be running, but I sure am riding!

Weight 263
How I feel 7/10
How I ate 7/10

It was so cold . . .

2009-01-16T10:59:00.003-05:00

On the road again . . . It just feels great to be on the road again.

It was so cold for yesterday's morning run that my watch battery could not hold the time and the indiglo blue light thing on at the same time. And I don't think it was even close to the coldness we saw this morning. yesterday was 23 degrees F and today showed 9 degrees F. My plan is to run again tomorrow morning before leaving for Space Camp. Should be really chilly. Must remember to cover up face. Time to break out the "recon wrap".

Weight 264
How I feel 6/10
How I ate 8/10 eating better now and tracking the calories as well

Cheers!

15 extra pounds

2008-12-28T10:49:00.004-05:00

Now, all those who have lost weight know how great it feels to be lighter. But my occasional morning routine serves as a constant reminder to me.

This morning, I ran down to the grocery store with a day pack on my back and a grocery list in hand. I do this once in a while - usually on days when we are out of milk. My light run days (usually after a longer run) serve as an opportunity to walk back home carrying the day's groceries on my back.

Today's haul:
1 gallon milk
3 pounds butter
1 tub sour cream
1 jars chicken bouillion paste
1 box instant oatmeal
1 newspaper

TOTAL: approximately 15 pounds

What I am reminded of is that carrying around an extra 15 pounds on my back is pretty tiring. Likewise, I used to carry that extra weight around inside my shirt, rather than on my back. Even more incentive to keep losing weight. . .

Run Long friends . . .

Back to the Routine

2008-12-26T10:20:00.002-05:00

Back on the road again this morning after too many weeks off. 5 Miles in 70 minutes - still quicker than I was doing in early 2008 when I started this running thing. I think my bad heel has recovered - just need to ease back into the routine again. Even set up the Kinetic bike trainer again in the garage for non-running day cycling.

For nutrition, steel cut oats with walnuts and dried blueberries. Mate tea to drink for a bit of caffeine.

Heck, if Lance Armstrong can get out to train on Christmas Day, what's wrong with the rest of us? (http://twitpic.com/wdkl)

Weight 262
How I feel 7/10
How I ate 7/10

Easy peasy lemon squeezy

2008-10-11T12:49:00.005-04:00

OK, so now i've done it. I've run my first official road race. Historic Roswell 5K in 35:51. Yes, I was hoping for sub-35 minutes and even considered a stretch goal to get under 30 minutes. But in retrospect, 35 :51 is not so bad, considering the last half of the course was pretty hilly. That's an 11:31 per-mile pace, for those who are counting.

This was my personal "Kick the Couch 5-K" - part of the Worldwide Festival of Races.
(http://worldwidefestivalofraces.com) Felt great to be running along with a whole bunch of other racers - 1156 Entrants in 41 Countries

About 1.5 miles into it, I heard a little kid somewhere off to the side of the course, tell his parents "That looks easy." While I was happy to hear that (at least to this little kid) I was making it look easy, we all know that running your first official race, while a lot of fun and really enjoyable, is not really "easy." A lot of prep time and careful eating and early morning training went into this.

I got sick a month ago and was down for two weeks, unable to breathe, much less to train. When I got back to the morning runs, the only thing I had lost was my ability to breathe properly. If not for that, maybe 30 minuutes would have been within my reach.

A few days off and back on the proper diet plan and back to training.

Now, let's find another race to signup for and run.

Weight 260 (ugh!)
How I feel 10/10
How I ate 8/10

Sick

2008-09-08T06:59:00.002-04:00

I hate being sick. Today marks the furst run day back after almost two weeks off. Ugh. It felt great to get back out there, even though I still have a stuffy head and runny nose - guess I needed to get the rest of me running just to keep up with my nose!

Weight 256 -24/76
How I feel 8/10
How I ate 7/10

Chicken

2008-08-26T11:16:00.004-04:00

On my Sunday morning run, in the rain, I saw a chicken - well, it was actually a rooster. I run in a neighborhood of $200-$500K+ homes, subdivisions which all have restrictive neighborhood covenants. Certainly, these covenants prohibit the keeping of livestock - I know my neighborhood covenants do - and we're a bit more lenient than the rest of Towne Lake.

Nonetheless, I'm running down the sidewalk, when I am confronted by a rooster - just standing there, pecking at the ground occasionally. It looked kind of like the one here on the page. And so I stopped to look. Cars were whizzing by on the divided four-lane road. Some staring at the crazy runner by the side of the road talking to the rooster. I started to walk - the rooster followed! I made a rooster talking sound - and the rooster responded (cock-a-doodle-dooooooooo!) Just like that!

At that point, I said to myself, "This is ridiculous." I started running and looked back expecting to see the bird trotting along behind me (Like the Jurassic Park T-Rex - "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear"), but he was gone.

I explained this story to my family when I returned home, and all they could say was "Sure, Dad - whatever." I don't think they believed me.

Weight 259
How I feel 7/10
How I ate 8/10

Got a Light?

2008-08-21T10:30:00.002-04:00

When you see other runners out there in the wee hours of the morning, you start to wonder about some of their routines, or gear, or their routes. I used to think, gosh that fella looks a bit silly with a fuel belt, and a heart monitor strap across his chest, and a head lamp lighting his path. I'm out here running basically the same roads as he is and I don't need no stinkin' head lamp!

But the truth is, I have no idea where he's coming from, or where he's going. Maybe he's running 10 miles today, versus my 3,4, or 5 miles. Maybe he needs the fuel belt for a longer run. Maybe he's really geeked out with the heart monitor and a GPS and all that (hey, whatever works for you). Maybe he's a finely tuned machine and needs to hit a particualr target heart rate to stay on his training plan. As for the headlight, perhaps he started down a really long dark driveway at 3AM and needs it for that reason.

And then I hit the spider web!

Yes, I imagine it happens to all of us. I ran face-first directly into an enormous (and I will add, not uninhabited) spider web. There's nothing quite like a sudden face full of sticky web, maybe a moth carcass or two stuck to your already sweaty arms, and the freaky sensation of a large crunchy 8-legged creature scurrying across your head, running for his life. A few frantic swats and I believe that I have removed all noticeable animals, both living and dead, from my body and after a few hundred feet, most of the web material is also brushed off. I must have looked like a possessed mime, or a Houdini impersonator wriggling out of my straightjacket, while continuing to run down the sidewalk, flailing my arms and dancing about shaking my head back and forth.

Lesson learned. Maybe I bring a light next time.

5 miles in 72 minutes - what should I expect after taking a couple of weeks off?

Weight 255
How I feel 8/10 now that I have my B supplements and some caffeine in me
How I ate 6/10 yesterday - lunch out today will be a test

Rest Day

2008-07-30T08:15:00.002-04:00

Wednesday is a rest day. Monday was "Let's eat stupid" Day and we're still paying for it. I stayed up last night to watch Third Day on Jay Leno, which means I get to sleep close to 1AM. What was I thinking?

Ugh. Hope this day gets better.

Weight 259
How I feel 4/10
How I ate 7/10

Kings of the Sky

2008-07-27T12:32:00.003-04:00

When I think of the magnificent birds that inhabit the earth, I picture an Eagle soaring high in the sky, or a red-tailed hawk swooping over the roadway during my morning runs and passing just 50 feet in front of me. But there is one bird that is truly the king of all the birds. A bird so ubiquitous and plentiful that any visitor to our planet would certainly conclude is the dominant of all the birds. That bird is, of course, the American Crow!

The crow, of course is everywhere. It lives in cities, in the country, on farms, and in suburbia. It flies in just about any weather and will eat just about anything. They will stand boldly in the middle of traffic to pick at a piece of juicy roadkill. They will eat your leftover Mcburger and fries and not complain that there's no ketchup. They are up before dawn, around during the day, and stay up late at night. I'm not sure they ever sleep at all. The American Crow - the King of the Sky.

Today, I share a short video of my morning run. It is my first time playing with video tools, so it's not pretty, and I shot most of it in fairly low light, but, such as it is. Enjoy!

Weight 255 25/75
How I feel 9.5/10
How I ate 8.5/10

It's the sleep, stupid!

2008-07-22T19:44:00.002-04:00

I keep telling myself, "Self, you need to get more sleep." I used to get by on just 4-5 hours per night, and I was fat and happy for it - literally!

But try running 15-25 miles per week, maintaining an effective weight loss regimen of smarter eating and regular exercise, and you will soon realize just how precious those hours of sleep really are. Studies show, and your mother probably told you, that you need to get about 8 hours of sleep every night. Legend has it that sleep, once lost, cannot be "made up." You can't sleep 2 hours one night and 14 the next and say it's the same as 2 x 8 hours. I think I am starting to believe both of these long-held axioms.

Normally, I find myself able to fall asleep no earlier than 9:00-10:00 pm, which gives me a maximum of 7-1/2 hours of bed-time and maybe 7 hours of actual sleep time.

This morning, I woke up after 5-1/2 hours of sleep, which included a trip down the hall for water, a trip down the hall for a headache pill, and some really freaky dreams. As a result, I felt horrible when I got out 40 minutes late for my morning run. So tomorrow will be different. It is almost 8:00pm and I will start winding down by finishing this blog entry, syncing up my iPods, praying my evening Compline prayers, getting the kids ready for bed, organizing the kitchen from tonight's cooking adventures, and getting ready for bed.

Tomorrow will be a better day!

Weight 256 -24/76
How I feel 6/10
How I ate 8/10

Running with the Garbage Men

2008-07-18T06:31:00.003-04:00

Running makes me feel great! There's nothing like getting the sleep you need and then willingly waking up at a ridiculous hour to run down the road. There are a few of us in Woodstock that are regulars at this hour of the day, just a few. We run with reflective vests, or with tape, or flashing beacons, or even with a headlamp. Some, like me, run with a bright yellow shirt and my shorts and shoes have reflective strips. We put in these miles while the rest of the world sleeps. I pass two Starbucks stores on my 5-mile route (Some say there are too many Starbucks!) approximately six dry cleaners, two large grocery stores, a high school, a middle school, a Lutheran church, and a Methodist church. I pass two fitness centers, including one that opens at 5:00 AM and has a fitness boot camp going on in the parking lot at 5:30 AM. I run past the local police hiding in driveways and running their morning speed traps and red light enforcement checks. I run with the garbage men, since they are virtually the only commercial business that is up and running that early. Kind of strange that we can feel a sort of kinship with the garbage men.

The Liturgy Calls!

Weight 260 20/80 Ugh
How I feel 8/10
How I ate 7/10

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream . . .

2008-07-17T08:43:00.003-04:00

I stayed up until 11:30 last night and when the 4:30 alarm went off, I was in no condition to get out of bed. I have come to the conclusion that rest days required between running days are more closely linked to my sleep patterns than they are to standing down my running, walking, or other physical activity. I actually NEED 7-8 hours of sleep per night - Amazing! I must find a way to rearrange things so I can get that.

Of course, when the 6:00 finish to the baking cycle in the breadmaker announced that bread was done, I found a way to get out to the kitchen. Nothing like fresh bread with maple butter.

Plurking has become a distraction (www.plurk.com) This, too is having a negative effect on my sleep and productivity.

In other news, fermentation continues in my IPA batch, and seems to be going nicely in the secondary phase. Might pull a sample this weekend and test gravity in preparation for bottling. New beer project will be weizenbier.

My first retreat has been scheduled for August 15-17. I will be visiting the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA for the weekend to regroup thoughts and reset my mind spiritually for the coming school year. Once August arrives, Cub scouts will go into overdrive, kids will be back at school, work will be into budgeting season, and time will be short. I am so looking forward to the break and opportunity for reflection and contemplation. I will devise a detailed plan in order to make the most of the weekend. I might even make this a habit (no pun intended - Monastery, Habit, get it?)and do it twice a year.

I have also been on hold with Amazon's most helpful customer service helpdesk while composing this post. Hopefully that will be over soon.

Cheers and Peace!

Weight 259 21/79
How I feel 7.5/10
How I ate 6/10

Foggy

2008-07-12T10:58:00.004-04:00

Foggy day today. The humidity was literally dripping from my body as soon as I started down the road. I wore my sunglasses since I knew the fog would eventually burn off - and it did, in my last mile. Problem was that for the first two miles, the fog inside my glasses nearly matched the fog outside.

Caught up on some old Outside Magazine podcasts - funny stuff (look up Eric Hansen and "How She Rolls"). I transferred my IPA batch over to secondary fermentation this morning. Since it is now in a 5 gal glass carboy, I can see what's going on. I'll probably bottle next weekend.

Also continuing backwards through the Fdip archive.

Weight 256 24/76 (Almost 25% of the way there)
How I feel 9/10
How I ate 8/10

Doin' the Shuffle

2008-07-10T09:51:00.003-04:00

New 2GB iPod shuffle arrived yesterday and I used it for my run this morning. This thing is just so light, that I don't even know i'm wearing it. Syncing is a bit more trouble than with my nano, but not too bad. We'll see how good the battery life turnsout to be as well.

Weight 257 23/77
How I feel 8/10
How I ate 7/10

Powerless!

2008-07-08T08:49:00.002-04:00

Last night's thunderstorms were the first true test of the new UPS devices I attached to the two main desktop PCs. Power flickered off and on 5 or 10 times within the space of 1 minute, and the backup batteries kicked in and kept things running, giving me time to properly power down and shut off everything until the power finally went out completely at around 8:30 during the second severe t-storm warning. Power stayed off for about 90 minutes. Took the kids for a walk in the neighborhood after the storm passed and it was truly peaceful - no A/C units buzzing, no glaring streetlights.

Weight 258 - 22/78
How I feel - 7/10
How I ate yesterday 6.5/10

I want my iPod back!

2008-07-07T08:58:00.001-04:00

Well my running iPod Nano (1st gen) seems to have bitten the dust. It is in permanent recovery mode and I have tried all the Rs to reset and recover it - with no effect. So this morning's run was done to the tune of . . . the birds, and the Monday morning garbage trucks, and everything else going on in the world.

5 miles in 1:08 and I ran the first mile nonstop which is an improvement. Ankles a bit stiff after Friday's July 4 parade and Saturday's 5 mile run, but overall feeling OK.

Weight at 260 pre-run and 258 post-run. Currently rehydrating and eating a bagel with peanut butter and morning coffee.

Need to set a short-term goal and make this a breakthrough week. 255 here I come!

Coyotes!

2008-07-01T08:05:00.002-04:00

I didn't sleep at all last night.

Coyotes out in the distance yipping and yelping kept waking me up. Kept looking at the clock, knowing I had a 4:30 alarm set for my morning run. Finally got up at 4:35 and went off down the road. Ran almost the entire first mile which is a first for me. I usually get winded after the first half mile and then start alternating running and walking. I ended up doing my standard 5-mile loop and cut about 4 minutes off my previous best time for that route. Once I can consistently get the 5-mile loop done in less than 60 minutes, I will find a 6-7 mile route for my long run.

And no, I did not see any coyotes this morning, either.

Yes, it is very dark at 4:30 AM!

2008-06-27T09:08:00.003-04:00

"Not only is it very dark, but it is very quiet at 4:30 AM," I said.

So last night my 9-yo son asks me to wake him up when I go for my run this morning. And so I did, and he got dressed and off we went, for 4 miles today. Now, my average time was NOT what I'd like it to be and I did the 4 miles in the same time it usually takes me to run 5 miles, and I didn't listen to my iPod, because I had someone to talk to, but that's OK. I imagine his endurance will build up a whole lot faster than mine and he will be with me at my pace and then beyond me before too long.

You notice the strangest things early in the morning. When we left the house, we were greeted by an absolute riot of singingand squawking birds - starlings, cardinals, blue jays, mockingbirds, doves, brown thrashers - you name it. As we moved from our lowly subdivision down the road to another development, the residents of which find it necessary to aggressively spray for insects (probably leaf-eating caterpillars), we met absolute deafening silence! Just 1-1/2 miles away and worlds apart. Makes me think about what we do to our environment when we find it necessary to eradicate those pesky bugs from our surroundings. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for treating my house for termites and spraying inside to keep the roaches and spiders out of the house, but mass eradication outdoors certainly is leaving a deep footprint in our wake.

New low again . . . 258 now. 22 down and 78 to go.

This Little Piggy Went to Market

2008-06-26T14:29:00.002-04:00

. . . and the market was closed. Just finished my volunteer stint as the chief carpenter at our church's vacation bible school "Jerusalem Marketplace." Great experience, but happy that it is over.

In other news, weight has reached a new low - 259 pounds. That represents 21 pounds down, and 79 still to go. Goal is to stay under 260 this week and continue southward over the weekend. My clothes are starting to get baggy!

No running today, but tomorrow morning, I will be back on the road - 5 miler with any luck.

New Shoes

2008-06-25T09:42:00.002-04:00

Broke in the brand new Mizuno Wave Nexus 2 running shoes on Tuesday. Nice cushioney feel and didn't rub my achilles tendon when I tied up both of the top lace holes. Never done that before because it has always been way too tight, but it really did work well for me with the Wave Nexus. Still a bit winded and had to walk a lot on this run, but things are improving. They are a big change from the Brooks Beasts I have been wearing and much much lighter.

Both Tuesday's and Wednesday's weigh-ins were holding steady at 260! Who-Hoo! 20 pounds down and 80 to go!

Heel!

2008-06-23T08:32:00.003-04:00

Some heel pain after Saturday morning's run - not feeling 100%. Took a rest day yesterday, even though the pedometer indicated over 12,000 steps. It doesn't seem to be the plantar fasciitis coming back again, and it's not an achilles tendon issue, so we will ice it and rest it and see what happens.

Spent yesterday prepping for vacation bible school. I have completed my transformation into a carpenter (at least for this week - then I will resume shaving and get a proper haircut next weekend).

On the Road Again

2008-06-21T09:48:00.002-04:00

Finally, this discombobulated week of no routine, messed up schedules, too late bedtimes and excuses why I shouldn't run this morning is over. Ran the 5-miler and I feel much better.

Weight yesterday was 262, which reflects continued progress southward,but I know last night's pizza binge will be tough to overcome. Need to make today a 1500 calorie day and keep things predictable.

Good Morning Campers!

2008-06-19T15:23:00.002-04:00

Back from 4 days at Bert Adams Scout Reservation for this year's Webelos Encampment. Tough to get started today on my old routine because I have gotten too used to turning in at 11pm and waking at 6AM. Better day tomorrow for running, it will be.

Tim Russert - 1950-2008

2008-06-13T21:10:00.001-04:00

Rest in Peace, Tim Russert.

Stormy weather

2008-06-13T07:31:00.002-04:00

Well, it has been an interesting week for my running.

Tuesday was great as I ran 3 miles, cut the lawn, and swam for an hour.

Wednesday was rest day as we all shed a few tears for the four boy scouts who lost their lives in Blencoe, Iowa. My prayers go out to those families who lost their sons and whose boys were injured. This is especially close to me because my son and I leave for 4 days at boy scout camp in Georgia on Sunday.

Rest from running and a 75-minute swim session with the kids on Thursday.

Started Friday with a 4-mile run and feeling 8 out of 10 to start the day.

Daily afternoon thunderstorms are the routine now and it's a race to get outside stuff done every afternoon before the rains come.

Peace

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

2008-06-08T12:41:00.004-04:00

I cannot imagine rowing a rowboat, by myself, across an entire ocean. Fortunately for those of us who cannot imagine such feats, there are those who can and who actually do them. Roz Savage is one such person. After rowing solo across the Atlantic in 2005, she is making her second attempt at the Pacific right now in a a 23-foot long ocean rowboat. Check out her website at http://www.rozsavage.com. This is just amazing.

As for me, walked 5 miles this morning before church.

Today's Forecast

2008-06-07T11:45:00.003-04:00

The forecast for today: HOT Tomorrow: REALLY HOT

Looking for 93 degrees today and 97 tomorrow. I dropped off a car for service and ran back home approx 3 miles, stopping at the grocery store for a few things on the way. Unfortunately, I FORGOT MY IPOD!!! But actually it was kind of nice since I got to hear the sounds of the world that I had forgotten about - jacked up redneck pickup trucks, screaming speeding dump trucks, barking dogs, etc.

Taking my wife out for dinner tonight to celebrate our 20th anniversary.

Weight holding steady at 263 this morning (260 after my run back, but that's a dehydrated weight so it doesn't count) Short goal is to survive the weekend at 263 or below.

Cheers!

Goals

2008-06-06T10:02:00.003-04:00

Occasionally, I ask myself:

Self, what are your goals?

Well, my running/fitness goals are as follows:

Lose 100 pounds (I'm working my way down from 280!)
Work my way up to half-marathon long runs
participate in the Pheddipidations Worldwide Half Marathon Challenge
(www.worldwidehalf.com)
Run a 5-K
Run a 10-K
Run an Official Half Marathon
Run an Official Marathon

Currently, I alternate running and walking. Unfortunately, my house is on a ridge, so every route that starts at home goes downhill, which means that every run finishes uphill. So, I drive to a flat area for my Sunday long runs.

Let's get started

2008-06-06T09:11:00.001-04:00

Well, I have been to the neighborhood pool with the kids every night this week and I believe it is sapping all my energy for my morning run.

We spent an hour and 15 minutes at the pool yesterday and I got in the water when we arrived and didn't get out until we left. I realize that this is improving my cardio, but I don't mean to avoid the morning run.

Last night, I got almost 8 hours of sleep and could not get up to run this morning. This is bummin' me out bigtime.

Weight loss update: 263 this morning, down from an alltime high of 280. A new record low! 17 pounds down and 83 to go!

Run Long