Man, it has been over a month since my last entry. Things here are pretty good. I am back to running 10-15 miles a week. I took a week off in early June and it was tough to get back out there. The good news is that as slow as I run, I have shaved over a min off my mile pace in 2.5 months... so that's good. I am at a mental/physical barrier currently. I run 3 or 4 miles just fine, but that 5 mile run is KILLING me. I know it is something I just need to slow down and push through but god it hurts to even think about running that right now... let alone 8 or 9 miles which I need to get to eventually. The good news I am back to consistent running 3 to 4 times a week at lunchtime. I have dropped 23 lbs in 2.5 months and feel fantastic! I have another 30 lbs to go... a few pool parties and tennis mixers have gotten in the way of my progress lately but I am determined to get to 210 lbs., at 6' 3" I would be SUPER happy with that weight... I think I was 13 years old last time I weighed that lit... Read full entry
Another good week so far. two miles on Monday and four miles today (wednesday). My pace still lags but I am really trying to stay committed to my HR training and when my heart tells me "slow down" I do, sometimes to what seems like a crawl until I can get my HR down to target range. It was a good feeling today, a solid, consistent 4 miles. I like the direction I am heading in. My first 5K in 10 years is Saturday and then I am setting my sights on the US 10K in September. I guess right after that I will begin my training for the half-marathon. I will have 5.5 months to train for it so time isn't an issue... my desire is! I badly want to get the HM in so I can set my sight on the full marathon... that would be fantastic. Well, good things ahead. Stay healthy all.
daggett24 says:
You have a great attitude. Keep it up, and days you get down on yourself, please refer back to your blogs. It will keep you on track. Congrats and Good Luck.
The running god's are back, smiling down on me as before. Great run today, I felt fantastic. Thanks all who wrote to encourage me this past week, it helped. I am focused and excited about next week and moving forward. It was great to get back out there and prove to myself that good days are ahead!
Man, my second 4-miler was nothing like my first, it was awful today. I weather was perfect, I've been eating great and getting good sleep, but I felt like crap today on my run. Maybe it was that I had just run the four miles on Monday and today (Wednesday) I had the route/distance in my head? I don't know what it was but it wasn't good. I am sore, tired and a bit ticked off about it. Could I be pushing myself to much to fast? I started running consistently in mid-April. I don't know. I guess it will work itself out. Until next time.
jungltemptress says:
Don't worry; you'll always have good days and just as many bad days. It's just part of running. But the most rewarding things always come from SOME level of pain and frustration, and TRUST me when I say it only gets easier. Keep it up!
Logged my first 4 miles today. Averaged an 11 min. mile but hey, it's progress! I felt like a million bucks today, I should have pushed it and run 5 miles. Oh well, I will get there soon enough. The 10K isn't till September 1, so I am tracking well for that. The ING Half-Marathon looms in March '09 so I need to get on it! So far so good. Running is becoming a passion for me. It is an excellent weight-loss tool, but I love the emotional high I get from it. Amazing... here's to many more miles!
Another three miles logged. I felt better then ever today. Three miles is starting to feel easier and easier. Hopefully, by the end of next week I can get in my first 4 mile run ever. Sad, I know, but in my 34 years I have never run 4 miles at once. Well hopefully that will end next week. I am certainly feeing good about the 5K coming up on May 24th. I will attack that one... it is the 10k in September that has me a bit nervous. I know by then I should be running 6 miles pretty routinely, its just that course is simply one hill after another, all the way down Hwy. 41. Life is good, I am getting a lot of enjoyment out of running, more so then I ever felt possible. Here's to the 4 miler next week!
Another 3 miles and feeling great. These three mile runs are not getting any easier yet but I know over time I will be able to add miles. Overall, feeling great, I have my first 5k in 10 years coming up on May 24th in Atlanta so I should have no problem with that. The U.S. 10k in September is the one I have my eye on... of course that and the ING Half-marathon in March. One goal at a time. I hope to start running a few 4 milers by next week. My average heart rate is still a bit high (157) on my 3 mile runs, and I am still running 3 miles in 33 minutes so I am going pretty darn slow as is. I assume my HR will come down the more I run. My diet suffered a bit over the Cinco de Mayo weekend (too many chips, beers and cheese dip!). So, now I GOTTA get serious about what I am eating and how my running effects my weight loss. I am burning a good 560 cal a run, that is 1500 cal a week, I should be dropping some weight! Stay focused!
Well, the second three mile run was MUCH tougher then the first. Partly because the route I ran today was extremely hilly. I feel great. a two mile run is starting to feel like a one mile felt two months ago... challenging, but very doable. As I move to running at least three miles every time I go out, I look forward to my stamina building. The great news is I got in 8 miles this week. I would like to get to a 12 mile a week average in the next month, early June. Two three mile runs, a four mile run and a two miler on the weekend would be great. So, overall feeling good about where I am. We have the 5K coming up on May 24th, I look forward to running that with Katie. The only puzzling thing to me now is how do I keep dropping weight? I lost a quick 11 lbs at first and now I have leveled off. I have PLENTY more to lose, but it isn't dropping. Oh well, I will stick with what I am doing for now and see what happens next week. If there is still no change, then I will worry.
Well, we are in week three and things are looking good. I got in my first 3 mile run since I last ran a 5K (over 10 years ago). I have a challenging route around the town I work in, Clarkston, GA. Lots of hills but mostly quiet residential run. I have dropped 11 lbs. since the end of March (8 lbs since I started running). I am down to 252 and starting to see results. Running has become very motivating to me, I love the time alone to think and push myself to keep running. It ahs been three weeks and I have seen my heart rate drop and steady out. My average heart rate on my runs are still a bit high (156-159), I am working to slow down my pace and stay in a 'heart rate zone.' For me it is tough to slow down when I feel like I can push harder, but I know it is best to do as I add miles and work towards the consistent 5 mile run. I am over half way there! At the three mile route, I feel I can add half mile increments every week or so and do pretty well with it. After running the three mile... Read full entry
Well, it has been a few days but I just logged my second run. I shaved 30 sec off my time and dropped my average heart rate by 6 points. I guess it doesn't take long to see improvements! :)
I am feeling great and look forward to adding miles to my runs.
Well, today was day one on my journey to the ING Half-Marathon in Atlanta, GA. Got in 2 miles today... it took me 23 min but I did it. First steps are the hardest they say. I am excited about the venture and look forward to journey. I am running the race with my wife so we are both training separately for the event. We have a 5k coming up at the end of May and a 10k on September 1 (U.S. 10K). Here's to many happy miles ahead!
Oh yea, I am also trying to drop 40 lbs. in the process! I am currently at 260 lbs. Even at 6' 3" tall, that is a lot of extra weight to carry around with you. Anyway, 2 miles in, many more to go!
