End of a monumental year

2010 - what a year.

The years used to seem to go by so quickly, but looking back through this year I have to say that this was a monumental year that did not go quickly because so much was accomplished in it.  It is not often that on New Year's Eve someone can say they changed their life this year, but I can say just that.

I'm going to miss 2010 and I'll never forget all I went through, the friends I've made, and the way my life changed.  This was not the first year that I've tried to change my life, but it was the year I did not fail and I have all of you to thank for that.  When I started to waiver, you helped me through it.  When I thought about skipping a run or workout, the thought of answering to you if I stayed on the couch helped me lace up my shoes.  It seems impossible to go from a 325 pound couch potato to a 100 pound lighter marathon runner in a years time, but with your help I did just that.

Have a happy New Year, and I sincerely wish that 2011 is as meaningful a year for you as 2010 was for me.

Time for breakfast

Two days ago I had a discussion with a friend I work with about loosing weight and getting in shape.  He was asking what I did and, when we were talking about breakfast, he said he didn't have time to have breakfast.  So, yesterday I timed myself.  I made my egg sandwich, made my lunch, and fed the dog all in under 5 minutes.  Nobody has a schedule that is so busy you can't make room for a 5 minute routine.  Eating breakfast is an important step, weather it is grabbing some fruit, having a bowl of cereal, or making an egg sandwich.  Eating regular meals with common sense is just as important as getting in exercise.

Speaking of exercise, it was a frozen morning today and I just didn't feel like going through the cold weather routine today.  So, I hit the treadmill at the gym again.  6.89 miles in an hour, not bad for an eye opener.  Only 17 days until the Arizona Marathon!

A 6.7 mile treadmill run today

The weather has been quite nasty lately, lots of rain and wind, and I just didn't want to deal with that this morning.  So, at 5:30 I hit my gym and put in a run on the treadmill.  I try to run outside when I can, but you have to always have a backup plan and I'm glad I did today.  Running on the treadmill has several benefits - I don't have to wear the heavy cold weather and rain gear, I don't have to be worried about traffic, there's no dog poop to jump over (seriously people, pick up after your dog!), and the impact cushioning helps me recover faster after the run.  Some advice for treadmill runners training for a race - I have found that a 1% incline feels about the same as running outside on flat and level road.

Since I have been doing longer training, there is another added benefit of the gym treadmill - when I was starting out I would look at the readouts of the other people running on the treadmill and thought "wow - 3 miles in 30 minutes - that's amazing, I could NEVER do that!"  I would look at the other people like they were superhuman and amazing athletes.  Now, it is kind of cool to be the one everyone else is gawking at.  At about mile 6 (~ 50 minutes in) I heard two people behind be talking. One of them said "wow - look at that dude go!"  They said it quietly, but I have bat like hearing and it made me feel good to hear it.

On top of all that, I was feeling pretty good this morning.  I went to a recording studio last night to record some radio ad spots for my gym.  That was pretty cool - they put you in a foam room with all the sound equipment and I really felt like a celebrity for a moment.  Soon, those of you in California may be hearing my voice on the radio!

17.6 miles yesterday

After getting back to a normal eating routine and the long run yesterday, the scale this morning told me that I cleaned out most of the Christmas overeating and am back to where I was on Christmas eve.  Yesterday's long run felt really great, I was able to go 17.6 miles.  The only problem is that my socks were not on right and I could tell I was starting to develop another big blister, so I cut the run a little short to save my feet for the race in Arizona.  Yesterday was really busy with work and a long run, but it felt really good to be back on track.

Today is going to be a busy day too.  After work I am driving to a recording studio to do a voice over bit for an upcoming radio commercial for my gym.  It is very cool and exciting, I've never done anything like this before and I am really looking forward to it. 

Running the Arizona marathon!

It is now official, I will in fact be running the Arizona Rock n' Roll Marathon on January 16th.  I have officially registered and booked the plane and hotel.

The blog continues

After a wonderful Christmas I am back home now, ready to continue with the running and the training, but carrying a few more pounds after indulging in a Christmas feast.  Those pounds should come off very soon as I adjust back to normal and I am not letting that get to me.  I haven't posted for a few days thanks to being away for Christmas, but I am back now.

A short while ago I considered saying farewell to this blog.  You see, I am normally quite a private person and this public persona is not something I ever thought I would be doing.  After much thought and deliberating long and hard, I decided that the blog will continue.  Several things influenced this decision; first, the accountability of answering to my followers has helped keep me on track for a healthier lifestyle and, without being publicly accountable, I might slip a little.  Second, a colleague of mine is now getting in better shape, going to the gym regularly, and said he is motivated by me.  So, the motivation I can give others is a great reason to stay around.  What's more is that he also said he wouldn't have believed that I lost 100 pounds and ran a marathon in less than a year if he didn't see it for himself.  That is the third reason to stay around.

I remember sitting around at well over 300 pounds looking at all the weight loss success stories that seem to be everywhere.  So and so lost 40 pounds, he lost 80, she has 1% body fat now, he was big but now has six pack abs, etc...  Well, I saw those and thought like most of you that it would be impossible and didn't believe I could actually do something like that.  The sad part is many of those ads are actually false.  They are doctored, photoshoped, or a staged ploy.  I want to help as many people as I can get in shape.  I am not an immaculate model of the human form, but I am in much better shape now than I was one year ago.  My story is real, and it seems that my story is somehow a little more believable than some of the others out there.  If I can get my colleagues into the gym to get in shape, then I can help even more people on line get in better shape as well.

So, the blog continues, through the ups and downs life throws our way.

Now, for some big news!  My gym (the wonderful In Shape Health Clubs) and I have been in talks regarding an upcoming promotion that they are running called the "Biggest Winner."  If you are a member of one of their clubs or go there for a free pass or to sign up, be sure and mention that you follow my blog.  This event they are planning is going to be a promotion focused on taking steps like I did, using exercise to get in the best shape of your life.  I will be headlining their ads as well as assisting them in their clubs with the event.  This is going to be fun!  I am really looking forward to getting out there and meeting all the people that think like I used to and believe those weight loss ads are faked.  I want as many people as possible to see that I am real and I really did this, and you can too!

I thought 2010 was a busy and monumental year, but I have a feeling 2011 will be on pace to top it!

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve and it is going to be a busy weekend of holiday cheer.  I put in the last workout today before my long run on Monday, now it is time to enjoy family and appreciate all that life has to offer.

I hope you all have a merry Christmas.

Life is good.

Cut the run short this morning

I'm kicking myself this morning.  I got a late start to the morning run and didn't have time to get in the full 10K.  I stopped at 4 miles so that I could get out the door on time to work.  These things happen, but I'm back to the schedule this weekend (Monday, actually) with a 22 mile run planned.  3 and 1/2 weeks until Arizona . . . have to be ready.

No backup plan needed

The weather here in Central California has been nasty lately.  Those of you that read my post on last Sunday's long run know that the driving wind and rain has made the runs very tough, and the forecast had predicted this morning to be just as stormy as Sunday, if not worse.  Rather than scrub this morning's run, I had a backup plain in place and was going to use it.  I was going to head to the gym and hit the treadmill for my 10K this morning.

When I got up this morning, I started to get ready for the run and looked outside.  Much to my delight it was only a light drizzle and the air looked otherwise calm.  I got really excited and decided to run outside today.  There is nothing wrong with the treadmill, but I find outdoor running more enjoyable.  Because I thought I was going to do a treadmill run this morning and instead was able to run outside, I was in a great mood all run.  That good mood translated into a great pace too, finishing the 10K in 49:50.

Funny thing is that, if I didn't have the backup plan in place and ready to go, I would have got up this morning, not expecting to run, and would have not gone out for the run.  So, even though I didn't need to use it, I am glad I had the backup plan in place.

What are your holiday exercise plans?

Ahhh . . . Christmas!

A joyous time of year full of presents, family, and all the excitement of the holiday season and the stress of the logistics behind everything.  In the marathon training I had a 20+ mile run scheduled for this Sunday, but I am pushing it to a Monday run on a treadmill because of the holiday.

What are your holiday exercise plans?  How do you intend to stay active over Christmas?

Dealing with critical comments

Recently, I read an article on Runner's World online that talked about the "Biggest Looser" show.  Candidly, I don't watch the show, but this caught my eye.  In this season, the contestants train for a marathon - what a great idea!  (although, they kind of stole it from me!)  It seems like an insurmountable task, but it really is possible to go from a couch potato to a marathon runner, I am living proof of that.

The article (a whopping 8 online pages - quite the read) finishes rather nicely with following some of the contestants on the show who keep their running and fitness up, and that is good to see.  What was troubling to me is not in the article itself, but many of the comments that were left, showing that there is a pervasive attitude amongst many out there - everyone likes to say you can't or you shouldn't do something, and that is a difficult part of getting in shape and doing something amazing like running a marathon. 

So, for the benefit of all of you bettering yourself, I thought I would post some of the comments that were left on that article and discuss them in the hopes that when people make these comments to us getting in shape, we will better understand how to respond and get past the negativity.  Chime in with your thoughts and experiences on dealing with negativity in your journey!

Comment 1 - "My whole family watches this show faithfully. However, I think it is getting dangerous, and has been for sometime.  It shows people pushing themselves extremely hard without showing any kind of stretching or warmup/cooldown. It gives people expectations of huge weight loss numbers (down 10, even 20+ pounds in one week) and several of the former contestants have shown that they do not have the resources to maintain once they go home.  That being said, we still love the show and find it very motivating; I just wish it was more focused on the long term."

This is a common comment that is passed around a lot.  It sounds positive at first and tries to appear positive at the end, but it is really an attack on the methods of the show.  This sounds like a person (maybe one who needs to get in shape but has never done it because everything is impossible) who will find fault with whatever you are doing.  No matter what your exercise program, getting out there and doing it is the important thing Fine tuning will come, but the most important part of an exercise routine is getting out and doing it without making excuses.  Yes, the show probably doesn't air all of the parts of the exercise (that's to be expected with a limited time window on TV) and the show is a short term show for a matter of months (again - TV) but, it is filled with people who are doing it and that is the important thing.  As far as the "huge weight loss" that this person has said is bad, I'm going to share a little story.  When I had lost about 75 pounds someone told me that loosing that much weight so fast was not healthy and I was creating medical problems.  So, I went to my doctor for a physical and shared the concerns.  He told me that everyone who looses a significant amount of weight, even if through surgery, is much better off than they were before the weight loss.  Lastly, the commenter says he wished the program would focus more on the long term; however, it is focused on the long term.  Every healthy step you make in getting in shape is a lifestyle change that should be viewed as a long term change.  A TV show cant sit around in mothballs for 5 years waiting for the long term before going to air.

Comment 2 - "We've enjoyed watching the last couple seasons of BL. I surprised myself- I'm not a 'reality tv' fan- but I find it inspiring, and satisfying, to watch people accomplish things that they never dreamed they were capable of. That the show doesn't focus enough on the long term- I think there is only so much the producers can do in an hour, and if the program inspires anyone to even try to get healthy, it has done more than most tv programs ever do."

This comment I like to call the veiled criticism.  It sounds great but criticizes one thing in the middle, trying to sound completely positive.  This is not a bad comment, but one you will hear often.  I get it a lot, even now.  People tell me "you did great - but [insert criticism of workout]."  While this comment is criticising the show, it can be related to the personal level that you will hear the comment on.  As far as specifically, like I said before the short term is the long term if you are working out with the mindset that you are changing your lifestyle.  Now, if you get this type of comment from someone about your specific workout, the best suggestion is to listen to and contemplate all advice, but feel free to not heed it.  Just because someone gives you advice, doesn't mean that it is right for you or it will work for you.  For example, when I plateaued at 255 a while back, someone suggested that I try an "all beet" diet to loose more weight.  What!?!  That would NEVER work for me.  But, I looked it up online and, being as crazy for me as I thought it was, chose to ignore it.

Comment 3 - "Isn't this the show that faked one contestant's marathon run?"

Amazingly, I actually have had people comment that I faked everything in my journey.  Of course, those are people who don't know me in real life and only see my blog.  They say "I KNOW you really didn't do this in a year" and "You didn't weigh 325, more like 250 in that first picture."  Yea, and we didn't land on the moon either.  If you get these comments, take it like a compliment.  What the person is saying is that your achievements are so spectacular that their first reaction, without verifying a thing, is to say you couldn't have done something that monumental.

Comment 4 - "I admire the show but pushing the contestants to run a marathon with what sounds like, well, little training, is not setting a good example."

6 months is little training?  They basically lived fitness for 6 months and this guy wants to say that they just ran a marathon with little training?  This is a factually incorrect comment and you will get these.  As hard as it is to not respond, unless you know the person giving the comment very well, I suggest smiling and nodding and going on your way.  If you correct them with facts, they won't listen.

Comment 5 - "Making these people run marathons concerns me. Training for a marathon takes months, not weeks. It's dangerous to run a marathon with minimal training, especially if you are severely overweight. Don't the producers know this?  Also, a marathon is not a distance you should run if you want to lose weight. Many people who are training for a marathon don't lose weight; they gain it because they are burning so many calories, they eat more to replace them and to keep up their energy."

Ahhhh . . . the "attacking expert" opinion.  Again, someone who says you can't do it, you shouldn't do it, and it won't work anyways (trust me, I'm not a doctor but I play one on the internet!).  If you weigh 300 plus, I doubt you will gain weight training for a marathon.  So according to this person, I should weigh 400 pounds, have done little training yet still completed a marathon (something that anyone who has ever finished a marathon knows is tough), and I eat like a pig.  Wrong, wrong, and more wrong.  This person wants you to think that they know better and you are doing it all wrong.  Listen to your body and try to ignore this person, you are the one getting in shape, not them.

Comment 6 - "What I love about the Biggest Loser is their "anyone can be successful" approach, and the fact that they really do change lives. But I think including a marathon in the journey is not only dangerous, but also disheartening to other people trying to lose weight. Running a marathon is not the ultimate sign of health, and should absolutely not be part of a weight loss plan. Runners who do well in the marathon are punished for not losing weight, while the slowest runners often go on to win the $250,000 prize."

This is a comment that requires a response in my opinion.  The response is that running for most of us is a personal achievement, not a competitive one where we are competing against others.  We are only competing against ourselves.  That is why marathons typically sell out.  Whether you finish in 3 hours or 6 hours, it is a personal achievement.  As far as marathon running not being part of a weight loss plan, it is important to say that you are changing your life, this is not some "get slim quick" scheme that you will give up, but a new way of life.  I would not have shed the weight BUT FOR THE RUNNING, so it was a vital part of my success.  As far as the winner of the show, sure they get a lot of money, but everyone who gets in better shape on this show is better for it and has been given something that money can't buy.  I always wanted to be a contestant on "The Amazing Race."  Not for the $1 million prize at the end, but for the experiences of the journey.  Getting in shape is like that, the end result is not the only prize.

Comment 7 - "I love watching the BL and haven't missed an episode in two years, but I take their marathon results with a grain of salt, especially the winning times. Ada, for example, was averaging around 11:25/mile for the first 14 miles but then sped up to around 9:40/mile for the final 12.2 miles. This is highly highly highly unlikely as running negative splits in a marathon is very difficult and to run a negative split of 1:45 per minute faster is next to impossible. Through 14 miles she was at 2:40 and then she ended up finishing the race in 4:38. No way, no how. The one time they had a participant do a marathon in a real marathon with other runners is when they got caught cheating as they gave him a ride from somewhere like Mile 20 to near the finish line. Until these BL participants run a real marathon, I don't trust the results."

The statistician will always find fault in your numbers somewhere.  If these contestants did not actually run a whole marathon, then that is a personal thing they will have to deal with as they have cheated themselves, but the important thing that should be focused on is the show is motivating others to get in shape and the contestants are loosing weight and getting in better shape. 

Comment 8 - "[Deleted]"

The lovely troll, this comment was so bad that the site had removed it.  It is amazing that some worthless person will come up to you (online, of course, they wouldn't have the courage to come up to you in person) and say things like "You're still fat" and the like, but it happens.  They do this to make themselves feel better and are trying to provoke a response.  Just ignore them.

So, that is my two cents on negative comments.  What are your thoughts?

Should have gone the distance yesterday

Hindsight is always 20/20.  I woke up this morning and, while I didn't want to get out of bed, I felt recovered from yesterday's run.  That means I wasn't pushing too hard yesterday and I could have pushed through to the 18 miles I had planned and been OK.  Call it a lesson learned in mentally conquering a run.  My next long run wont fall short and I will be ready for the Arizona Marathon.

Driving wind and rain

Today was frustrating.  The weather was horrible - driving wind with heavy rain.  The kind of wind that is tough to walk against, let alone run against.  I have been mentally preparing all week for this run knowing the weather would be bad, but it was worse than expected.  I set out to run 18 miles, but called it quits at 15.5 miles because I felt I was pushing the injury envelope on this run.  I actually feel more exhausted right now than I did after the marathon and I ran more than 10 miles more on that run.

Just when I was really getting upset at myself, I started to browse through this blog and read some of the older posts.  Here is part of a post from May 18, the day I went a full 10K distance for the first time:

"It wasn't pretty, but I ran a 10K today. It took a lot out of me and I am exhausted, but I finished. I did not run the whole way, slowing to a fast walk occasionally when I felt overworked, but I still managed to pull it off in 65:30"

After reading that, I read the post from the next day, May 19, and recalled how I felt that next day:

"My legs barely work and I am very, very, VERY sore this morning."

Reading those posts help me appreciate where I am today and not get too frustrated with cutting this run short.  It helps to have this blog around as a record of where I have been so that I can use those posts to help keep me motivated.  Sometimes, you have to listen to your body and deviate from a training plan.  The important thing is that when you do deviate, don't give up and stop, but rather stick to it and get back on the plan the next day.

Mental preparation for an 18 mile run

Tomorrow, I am scheduled to do an 18 mile run in preparation for the Arizona Rock n' Roll Marathon.  One of the most important things in my training is sticking to the schedule and not making excuses to skip a scheduled workout or run.  This Sunday's run is one of those that has a lot of excuses available.  First, it is Christmas time and that always seems like an excuse, second, it is likely going to be raining very hard, and third, my GPS that I usually rely on for distance is not waterproof, so I can't use it. 

So, I am getting Christmas shopping done today and not putting it off, I have wet weather clothes laid out, and I have one of my known distance runs mapped out to stick to so I don't need GPS.  Planning to complete this run is a very important thing and takes some effort, but it is all worth it in the end.  In addition to the planning, I have to mentally prepare for a different run than I am used to.  Due to the weather, I am sticking very close to home and avoiding running by the creeks that I run by because of the good chance they will overflow onto the running path.  Because I am sticking so close to home, I am going to run a rather monotonous loop 21 times (each 7 loops is 10K).  That takes some mental preparation to get ready for.

Lastly, I have to eat right, load up on good clean carbs, and make sure that my body is fueled right for this run.

So, why talk about all of this?  Simple - if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  In my past failures in getting in shape, I failed to mentally prepare for getting through the hard times and I just gave up.  Whether it is weight training at the gym, swimming, biking, running, or something else, I have to mentally prepare to succeed or else I will let one of those many available excuses talk me into skipping a planned workout.  It may seem simple, just get out and run, but there are a lot of little things that must be done to actually do it.  I am ready though, I will do it.

Now, if I could just get that stupid song out of my head, everything would be perfect.

More weight loss

The scale this morning dropped again to 222.3, another new low.  It feels good to see the numbers keep dropping and, while I have lost a lot of weight, I know that I still have more to go.  When you are 300+ as I was (325 to be exact) it is easy to misjudge what your "natural weight" should be.  One of the hardest things for me to do was set a goal weight because what was supposed to be a "normal weight" seemed impossible to reach.  Instead I set a significant goal that was about 10% above where I thought my natural weight would be, the 100 pound goal, knowing that once I reached that goal I would have more to go.  This worked out great because it was a very tough goal that seemed almost impossible, but it ended up being something I was able to do.  Had I set the goal at what I thought my natural weight was, it is very likely I could have become frustrated and not reach that goal because I set that number with no real idea of what it should be.  I would have either set the number too low and found it not reachable or I would have set it too high which greats problems in and of itself.  Now, I am still loosing weight and going to find out where my "natural weight" is.

According to the BMI charts, a "normal" weight for someone who is 6'1" like me is between 141 and 189.  The BMI charts have drawn much criticism over the years as being too low and not taking into account different sex, body type, muscle composition, etc., and the charts have been whole disregarded by many.  When you look at the charts calling a 6'1" person who weighs 141 pounds "normal" and not "underweight" you can really see why the charts have several issues.  I thought I would never reach the "normal" BMI range, and I might not.  However, as I get closer and am now within 34 pounds of that range, I see that it is quite possible that my "natural weight" will be close to that range, if not in it.

If you notice, I use the term "natural weight" instead of the BMI term "normal weight."  The reason I do this is because of all of the Problems with the BMI charts.  Everyone is different and with the running and strength training I am doing, I fully expect my natural weight to be outside the normal range for the BMI charts.  I'm OK with that, weight is just a number and only part of the picture. 

Getting that song out of my head

This morning's run was a little clunky and ugly.  I ran a 10K in 57:24 and I was cold and congested the whole way.  But, a bad day of running is better that a day of sitting in a bean bag chair eating Cheetos.  The only real problem is that I saw a music video last night of Bon Jovi's "It's my life" last night and I just can't get that damn song out of my head - it kept repeating itself the whole run!  So that you can share in my misery of having that song stuck in your head, I'm posting the video.  I know, I'm evil!

Dealing with frustrating news

Sometimes, life is difficult.  Last night, the wife and I received some bad news.  It was the kind of news that should have been delivered in person but was quietly sent through registered mail.  What is even more troubling is that this news was delivered 10 days before Christmas - very poor timing on behalf of the sender.  We were up late last night discussing things and I thought I was going to cancel my morning run today because of the troubles.

However, I woke up this morning at 5:30 (after waking up routinely ever half hour or so through the night) and decided it might do me some good to keep running.  I am really glad I did, that hour I was on the road running this morning really helped me clear my head.  Hopefully things will clear up and life will be a little less difficult in the near future, but no matter the frustration I am not going to stop running.

So, when life gets you down and you consider not working out because you're just too busy or things are too tense, my advice to you is to go do your workout, it will help put things in perspective and you'll be glad you did.

Did you win?

A well meaning casual acquaintance of mine got in touch with me recently after reading the article in the Sacramento Bee about my running in the California International Marathon.  We had a nice conversation about my weight loss and the marathon, and he asked the question that so many runners hear when talking to those who don't run:  "Did you win?"

Of course I didn't win the marathon and I responded quickly with the usual response about thousands of people running it, competing against yourself, and the like.  But, I started to really think about this question and how it applies to running.  In most other sports, that would be a perfectly valid question.  If you are playing a game of baseball or football, there is always a winner and a looser.  Running events are the one place where most of us there are not going to win, but do it anyways.  We pay good money to enter, and it is a somewhat expensive thing to do and we know we stand no chance of "winning."

In thinking about why I run a race, it hit me that the race itself is like a victory lap.  I have already won before I toe the line.  For most of us running these races, the race itself and the medal at the end, just signifies the fact that we had the fortitude to stick with our training and achieve something that other believe to be impossible.  An interesting fact about a marathon is that, of all the people that don't finish the race, most of the dropouts are elite runners.  At some point in the race, the realize they are not going to win in the traditional sense and finishing means nothing to them if they are not in the top few.  So, they consider themselves losers and drop out, but they are just a very small portion of the running world.  Running is unlike any other sport and, while there is always a winner in the traditional sense, most of us are competing against ourselves alone and most of us win and cross that finish line, no matter who is in front of us or who is behind us.  There is no looser amongst those that have dedicated themselves to the rigorous training and ended up finishing the race.

So, the next time someone asks me if I won, the answer is going to be yes, yes I did.

Watching the scale

The scale is a funny thing.  It is odd to see that after my long runs it goes up a couple of pounds the next day, but that is exactly what always happens and exactly and what happened this morning, the scale jumped up to 226.  I know it will drop drastically over the next two days, as is the pattern, but it still seems counter intuitive to see the rise the day after burning thousands of calories on a half marathon run.

That's the odd thing about watching a scale while loosing weight is it often seems the resulting numbers on the display are contrary to how you feel.  That is why many people encourage those loosing weight to weigh in no more than once a week or less, so that you don't get disappointed by the regular fluctuations of the scale.  In other words, daily scale watching has the potential to cause you to loose sight of the forest for the trees.  Me, I'm glad I weigh in every day, it has taught me so much about my body and what happens to me on a regular basis.  While it is frustrating to see the scale rise when you thought it should fall, it is quite the educational experience if you have the fortitude to keep working beyond that.

Back to training!

This morning I set out for my scheduled 12 mile run, back in the training routine and it feels great.  The weather today was perfectly cool and overcast, a great day for a run.  Things went so well that I talked myself into going longer and went a half marathon in 2:02:43, not bad considering it was only 7 days ago that I ran the marathon.

I've decided that I am going to train for the Rock n' Roll Phoenix Marathon on January 16th of next year.  I may not be able to run it because it is coming up quick and with airfare, hotel, and entry fee I'm looking at about a $500 weekend and I don't think I can afford that right now, but I'm going to train for it just in case I can pull it together.  Worst case scenario, I got in another month of training runs and am in better shape.

I'm a very goal oriented person.  I think most of us fall into that category, we seem to do better in life if we have a goal in mind.  So, rather than lull around in post-marathon limbo like many do, I'm getting right back into the mix and training for the next event.

Next goal - 4:15 marathon.

Is it time to bid farewell?

Every good movie has it's ending.  This year, I have had a lot of success and I hope I have inspired several others to better their lives.   But, I have been wondering lately if, as the year draws to a close, should I ride off into the sunset?  Has this blog run its course?

There are many things I am setting out to achieve in my life, some seem impossible and others are just within reach:

1. Get my pilot's license
2. Get a plane
3. Run a sub 45 minute 10K
4. Run a sub 20 minute 5K
5. Run a sub 1:45 half marathon
6. Run a sub 4 hour marathon
7. Complete the Goofy Challenge
8. Run an ultra marathon
9. Complete an Ironman
10. Qualify for Boston

Although I am continuing my journey, I have been wondering if it is time to turn off the cameras for a while.

What do you think, has this blog run its course or should I continue writing?

What next?

So, I ran a marathon and lost over 100 pounds this year.

Just imagine what I can do next year!

I have a few ideas about what I am going to do, but this week I am going to take the advice of expert runner Mario Fraoili and just enjoy the satisfaction of running the marathon.  Next Monday, I start training again.

Achieving the Impossible

I never thought I would find true happiness through running, but here I am.  Life is funny that way, you find what you have always been looking for by chance.  As long as you recognise the signs that is.  Several signs have presented themselves to me over the last 15 years telling me to get in shape, but I ignored them all.  That was, until the experience at Disneyland. 

Now, life is good.

Over the past few days I have been putting together a little video that sums up a lot of my journey.  I remember viewing a video of someone else's transformation through running when I first started to get into running and it really inspired me to keep at it.  I hope this video does the same for some of you out there.

Enjoy.

The legs still work!

After the last two days, I was starting to worry about whether or not my legs would ever work again.  Running a marathon is a tough thing to do and my legs were telling me that I pushed it really hard. I had scheduled to take this week off from running, but because running is part of my lifestyle now, I couldn't resist the urge to get out and stretch the legs a little.

The first part of this morning's run was a little awkward, still working out the kinks from the marathon.  But, things smoothed out in a mile or two and I ended up putting in a 10K in 55:30, under 9 minutes a mile.  It felt good to know that I can get out two days after a marathon and run a 10K in under an hour and makes me look forward to some more races again soon.

I'm in the process of setting my running schedule right now and debating running the Arizona Rock n' Roll Marathon on January 16th.  It might be cost prohibitive because Christmas is in a couple of weeks and I need to get gifts for everyone.  I would need to fly there, get a hotel for one night, and pay the $100 entry fee, so I might not be able to do that one.  I'm going to train for it though, just in case I can make it happen.

California International Marathon Recap

The week before the race

Starting right around last Tuesday, I got really nervous.  Anxious, excited, and concerned, I was running the gambit of emotions.  Luckily, by about Thursday that had all subsided.  It was odd that I got so nervous so early and I thought the nerves would really get to me by the end of the week, but they weren't there.

Saturday

The day before the race.  I drove to Sacramento, met up with my parents who were putting me up for the night, and went to the expo to pick up my number.  I love going to the race expos, but this one was particularly exciting given the story in the Sacramento Bee about my journey to the marathon.  I was really cool to have people come up to me who saw me in the paper, I got a kick out of being a mini-celebrity at the expo.  I bought a pair of throw away gloves for $1 because I was worried about the cold and made the bad mistake of getting a new pair of socks for the run.  Same type of socks I always run in, but you'll hear later about why this was a bad decision on my part.

After getting back from the expo, I still though it quite odd that I wasn't nervous like I thought I would be.  I went to dinner with some family and friends and had my ritualistic pre-race pasta.  Still no nerves.  Weird.  Then, I went to my parents house and started putting my race clothes together.  I pinned my number on my shirt, tagged my shoe, and laid everything out.  That is when it hit me that I was really doing a marathon.  Here came those nerves.

But, they subsided and I was able to sleep.

Before the start

I got up at 5 a.m. and my parents drove me to the start of the race near the Folsom dam.  I was layered up with some throw away clothes to keep me warm.  We go the the runner drop off and I jumped out and started to make my way to the start line.  I was really warm!  Apparently, the storm that had been pushing through the area was a tropical one and the weather was so warm that I stripped off all my extra clothing and checked my bag to pick them up later.  I wasn't going to need them at the race start like I thought.

I made my way to the start area as the sun was coming up.  It was a beautiful day and the rain that we had all feared was coming was not there.  I got to the corral area, met with my pace group, and started stretching out for the race.  Luckily, I was not nervous at that point.

We all packed in as 7:00 a.m. drew closer.  The national anthem played, and then the race started.  It took about 2 minutes for our group to shuffle to the line, and then we were off, running the first few steps of a marathon!

The first mile

The first mile of the race was a downhill run.  I stuck with a pace group because I didn't want to go out too fast and burn myself up.  It was quite crowded at that point.  For the most part, people were corralled where they should be and the running went smooth.  Of course, there were a few people that lined up at the front who were slower runners, creating a bit of a hazard as the still compacted group of runners tried to get around them, but for the most part people were corralled where they should have been and getting passed or passing was rare.  That makes for a good clean start and what seems like a crowded start be really fun.

To Mile 5

After a mile or so we made a right turn onto an slight uphill.  The road we were on was a wide and straight shot through to about mile 5 and really helped to stretch out the pack.  I stayed right with the pace group and was feeling quite good.  The warmth of the weather felt good and I was right where I should be.  There were slight rolling hills at this point, but nothing too terrible.  It was all great fun.

Through this stretch, everyone who had worn warm up cloths and gloves were realizing that they didn't need them and were stripping them off.  The road was littered with hats, gloves, sweatshirts, and other clothing.  I had to jump around a few, but for the most part I stuck to the middle of the road and missed most of the clothes.

Mile 5 to Mile 10

This part of the race was really fun.  We ran down a street right through where I grow up and it was fun to return there for this race.  The road was relatively flat and the mood of everyone was still upbeat.  I kept with the pace team and we had a good time getting through this part. 

Fair Oaks Village - Mile 10

After a long 5 miles of running down Fair Oaks Boulevard, we hit Fair Oaks Village.  This picturesque old town area had some steep hills and a lot of turns, but it was also a lot of fun because it was different from the long and flat run we had just come from.  Plus, some of my family and friends were at this point cheering me on.  That is always an added bonus.

Mile 10 to the halfway point

This part of the race is one of the tougher parts.  After leaving Fair Oaks Village, we entered a very hilly portion of the race.  There was a significant amount of rolling hills that really take their toll on you.  But I kept plugging away and kept going.  At the halfway point, I was able to exchange a bottle of fluids and keep going.  The largest crowd of the race so far was at this point.  The roadway was narrowed to one lane with spectators crowding each side of the lane.  Although I think they should have taken up another lane for the runners, it was pretty cool to run through here with people cheering on both sides of you.  It made me feel like a professional athlete and really kept me going.

Halfway to Mile 15

At this point in the race, I started looking for a porta-potty.  I didn't have to go, but a friend of mine said I should go then or else going at the 22 mile mark would make it really hard to start back up again.  I passed most of the porta potty banks because they were only about 5 or 6 to a bank and there was always a line.  I was starting to wonder of I should just look for some bushes, but then at about the 14th mile I saw some open ones and darted in.  I'm glad I did.

Mile 15 to Mile 20

This part of the race started to get tough as I knew it would.  The nice thing is that most of this run was under tree-lined streets which took the edge off of the heat the sun was generating.  The weather was a little too warm and it was taking its toll on racers.  I saw and ambulance speed past me going in the other direction taking a collapsed racer to the hospital.  Moments like that are when you really look at the gravity of what you are doing.

Interestingly enough, this part of the race had some really stupid drivers trying to do really stupid things.  One driver was at the blocked intersection yelling at the cop who was telling her she had to detour.  I understand they have been inconvenienced, but don't loose your temper, just take the detour and get on with your day.  I remember her arguing about being late for work and couldn't help but think that she was just making herself even more late by not taking the detour the cop was trying to tell her to do.

At about mile 18 I saw something really scary.  A driver came up to the blocked roadway and decided the barricade did not pertain to him.  He drove around it and right on the course.  Police were all over him, had to black him from going further, and it looked like he was getting arrested when I passed.  It is amazing how many people out there don't use common sense and are not aware of their surroundings.

Mile 20

At this point we ran through another fan congregation point.  I had more family there cheering for me and I was still running.  A little dehydrated, wobbly, but still running.

Mile 20 to Mile 22

This is when the race got the toughest.  It was everything to do to keep running with one foot in front of the other.  I wanted to quit.  I was questioning my sanity.  For the first time in the race I was wondering if I would actually make it.  I pushed as hard as I could, ignoring the fact that I was dehydrated because I hadn't been drinking enough water.

The blister on the right foot after the race

To make matters worse, you remember those new socks I bought?  Well, the right sock had a little burr of material in it right at the base of the big toe.  I hadn't notice it yet, but it had now developed into a gigantic blister that was causing problems.

I hit an aid station at about mile 21 and slowed to a walk, taking 3 cups of water and a fourth to dump on my head.  At that point I realized I was dehydrated and needed to walk a bit until the next aid station and drink more.  I did that and kept going, pain and all.

When I say pain, I mean a new kind of pain that I have never experienced before.  Not just from the blister, but pain from pushing my body farther than it has ever gone before.  It was horrible, but I kept telling myself "less that 10K to go, I can do this!"  But, it sounds like that would be motivating until you are actually there, then it just sounds foolish.

Mile 22 to Mile 25

This part of the race was brutal.  True, it was flat into midtown and downtown Sacramento, but the street numbers cause a big frustration.  At this point in the race, I am trying not to think about how much farther I have to go, just trying to keep one foot in front of the other.  But, that is a little impossible to do in this race.

As you run into town, you hit 50th street.  From this point, the streets start to count down and it makes you realize that you still have a long way to go.  Then, the long division starts.  You start to factor in the turn at 8th street, the lap to the Capitol, and, just when you think you can do this, what's that?  A street with a name and not a number?  WHAT THE HECK!  now I have MORE blocks to go.  Truly frustrating.

Mile 25 to Mile 26

Between mile 22 and mile 25, I had been doing some interval walking due to my foot and my dehydration.  But, I when I hit mile 24.5 I ran into a really great guy.  He originally told me his name, but I was a little delirious and didn't remember the name when I finished.  Luckily, a family member snapped a photo of us at the finish and I was able to look up his bib number for his name.  61 year old Jim Glick, pictured in the photo here on the left.

 

He stuck with me, obviously slowing his pace to keep with me, and kept encouraging me to keep going.  We rant that last mile and I wasn't walking.  We finally got to 9th street, could see the turn ahead, just 2/10ths of a mile to go.

Mile 26 to the Finish

We kept running, rounded the second to last corner, and as we approached the final turn on Capitol, there was all my friends and family, erupting in cheers.  It felt so good.  I made the turn, could see the finish line, and heard the announcer call my name as I crossed that line.

4:35:34 by the chip.  Not as fast as I had hoped, but I was still on top of the world.  I was then and there a marathoner, accomplishing what was once impossible.

I am still walking funny, but I did it and I am going to do it again.  If you had come to me one year ago and told me that I would run a marathon in a year, I would have laughed you out of the room.  After all, that was impossible for a 325 pound couch potato. 

Now, as a 225 pound marathon runner, I realize that nothing is impossible.

Life is good!

What a run!

There will be a full race report coming soon, but for now I am still gathering all of the photos and recovering from the experience.

My official time - 4:35:34

Not as fast as I hoped, but I finished. I am a marathoner! If you would have told me one year ago that I would be running a marathon before 2010 was done, I would have said you were crazy. But, here I am.

So, until I can get the full race report posted, here is a little bit of it in the video of my crossing the finish line:

1 Year - 100 Pounds - 1 Marathon

It has been a long road, but I made it.

Less than 12 months,

More than 100 pounds lighter,

And, a marathoner.

Life is good!

Heading to the Start line

Well, I thought I was over all of the nerves for this race. But, when I was laying out the clothes for the run and pinning my number to my shirt last night, it hit me again. I am really doing this - I am running a marathon!

So, here I go, in a few minutes I am off to the start line for the California International Marathon. What a day this is going to be.

24 hours until the race

There's something in the air.  I'm laying out my running clothes, checking the weather, eating more carbs, drinking more water, and getting ready to go to the pre-race expo and process in for the race.  It's that time again, the day before a big race.  I am actually going to accomplish another unthinkable goal, by tomorrow afternoon, I will be a marathoner.

The 325 pound me is such a distant memory now.  True, it has only been 11 months since I started with the healthy lifestyle, but I feels like a lifetime ago.  In some sense, it really was a lifetime ago.  That was the old life, I drank sodas all day, ate fast food (often as a snack in-between meals), I didn't exercise because I was too busy (even though I would watch the TV for a couple of hours at night), and I was ignoring the risks of an obese lifestyle.  Now, in this new life, like a Phoenix from the ashes, I eat square meals, have more energy, can buy off the rack clothes, look forward to running and working out, and enjoy a life with fewer health risks.

Life is good.

Now, time to go become a marathoner!

A busy day for the blog

Yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind of a day, I was fielding a plethora of phone calls and emails.  With my story hitting the Sacramento Bee, the visitors to this blog jumped astronomically from about 100 per day to about 2000.  I've also been getting many emails, many from people that I used to know well but have drifted apart from over the years.  It is a lot of fun to reconnect with people, especially when it is spurred by something as exciting as the marathon.

Another positive is that the weight is back to 224.7 after the Thanksgiving jump.  It feels good to be back down to that number and proof that a rise in the scale is not the end of the world.  One of the hardest things about getting in shape is not letting the little things convince you to quit.  I know I have done it in the past; quit getting in shape because the scale jumped, the scale wouldn't go down that day, I ate too much that week, went on vacation and didn't get back on track, etc.  When a problem pops up in life, deal with it and move on, don't let it destroy what you are doing by dwelling on it.  Easier said than done, I know, but this Thanksgiving's weight jump and quick return is a prime example of how to get through it.  I could have looked at that higher scale number after Thanksgiving and say "well, I blew it, I failed" and just quit, but instead I said "this is what happens when you indulge, it is only temporary and I'm getting back on track." 

To again quote the advice my Dad always gave me, when you are on a trip and you take a wrong turn, don't just give up and go blindly down the wrong road, backtrack a little and get on the right one.  Thanks Dad.

Last run before the marathon

As I set out this morning for my last run before the California International Marathon, I am getting a little nostalgic.  Over 500 miles of training and so many milestones along the way, this has really been an incredible journey.  It is amazing to me that I am now considering my 4 mile run this morning a "really short" run and that I can breeze through something like that so easily.  Looking back on it, I remember getting on that treadmill in January and getting so winded after a minute or two that I had to stop.  It is amazing what we can do when we put our mind to it.

Thank you again to everyone who has been with me and supporting me along the way.  What started out as an attempt to get in shape to get my pilots license has really taken off into something spectacular that I never could have imagined.  The Sacramento Bee newspaper has even picked up on my story.  In today's paper, they ran an article about my journey and the upcoming marathon. 

Now, it is 5:50 a.m. and 37 degrees outside; time to go run!

A sad day, bidding farewell to a big part of my journey

Yesterday I was talking with someone I work with about my weight loss and the Disneyland ride that was the catalyst to get me going, the Maliboomer. 

Back in December of 2009, I took my family to Disneyland for Christmas and, as we all got on that ride; however, I could not get the restraints to close and was kicked off because I was too large.  I'm glad that happened because it was a tremendous motivator to my getting in shape and one of the reasons I have come so far on my journey.

I have always planned on returning to Disneyland exactly one year from the day I was kicked off the ride, December 17, 2010, and conquer that ride.  The wife and I were driving down just for part of the day and going just to Disney's California Adventure.  I was going with cameras in tow to record the ceremonial ride.  Conquering the ride that started all of this moving in the right direction.

Sadly, that trip will not happen.  I learned yesterday that Disney has recently removed the Maliboomer from Disney's California Adventure.  That was one of the best rides there, but I don't fault Disney for their decision to make room for newer and better attractions.  However, it will always leave me with an empty feeling knowing that I will not be ever able to go back and conquer the ride.

Part of me wonders about the motivations for Disney removing that ride.  It was one of the very few rides in Disney where it was clearly posted around the ride that your size can prevent you from riding.  I wonder if they got too many complaints about that?  I hope that, rather than get mad at Disney, anyone who has been kicked off that ride looks at it like I did, motivation to change for the better.

I just wish I knew they were removing it so I could have quickly ran back for one final ride.  Now I will never be able to ride it.  Farewell, Maliboomer, I will miss you and the motivation you gave me to better my life.  I will always be thankful for that experience.