A Tale of 2 Weeks

I usually break up my weekly review and my preview of the week that is to come into 2 blog posts but I feel like I can do justice to both weeks in one post this time. I will do my best to keep it brief...

First of all... what a fantastic week it was!

On Monday I had my best run yet (sounding like a broken record i know) I ran 28 Minutes and completed 2.67 miles at a pace of just over 10 minutes per mile. I am certainly making progress.

Another great thing that Happened this week was at the Wednesday Weigh-in the scale provided me with the number I have been working towards for 13 Months. I am finally below 200 lbs and have finally hit the 100 pound goal... But everyone has heard me boast about that already.

One last thing that was great this last week was that I finished the first month of Insanity. As many may remember I have started this program before but got some sort of freak injury and didn't finish the first month. Based on the calendar... I get a "recovery week then it gets CRAZY!

Yesterday I got a little ambitious and tried to run the Ocean Springs Biloxi Bridge (3.4 Mile Round trip) for those who are familiar with the bridge it is a fun yet arduous run as there is a very daunting incline. I learned that I am not quite ready for  the distance and especially not for the incline. I was disappointed with how much  I had to walk but I felt good that I pushed myself and ran a lot more of it than I walked. From now until race day i think i will refer to this bridge as The Measuring Stick because my performance on this bridge  will be a great indicator as to my readiness to run my first 5k

I do have a confession before I get into the game plan for this coming week. I have been doing my Insanity workouts at night and everything has been good, However on Friday i went out and had an AMAZING dinner date with my beautiful wife. When we got home it was fairly late and I made the decision to forgo the night's workout. I wouldn't trade the night with the wife for anything  but I do wish i would have found a way to sneak in my workout. I guess I didn't have to share that, but I have always used this space as a place for complete honesty. So let's hope no one thinks less of me...

So, that is the week we are putting to bed, what's coming up next?

This being "Recovery Week" for Insanity I am scheduled to complete a workout called Cardio Core & Balance every day this week. I have not done this workout before but it seems to be toned done a bit from the regular workout. Here is a Preview. I am excited

As far as the running for next week I feel my body responds better to only 3 runs per week at this time and since we are only 4 weeks away from the run it is important to keep going with what seems to be working.

I plan to run for 30 minutes Monday  and again on Wednesday I will track these runs with RunKeeper and post the results. I Plan to attempt "The Measuring Stick" again next Saturday. My goal will be to improve my performance from this week.

Looking forward to a fun and challenging week I will keep everyone updated.

As always thanks to anyone who may be following along

So, You lost 100 lbs... Now what?

Well, It has been my quest now for the last 13 months to get healthier, to change my life, and to lose 100 pounds. As everyone knows I finally reached that goal last Wednesday, so what happens now? I have spent so much of my focus for the last year on losing weight and trying to be healthy that this is simply the most natural question to ask not just for anyone following along but also for me. I stand at a point now that I have had a few days to relish my accomplishment and now it is time to file that accomplishment away and figure out where to go from here. Not just where do i go physically but what area of my life do I need to exert the same level of focus and determination as I have to this quest?

 

But before i file it away please allow me one more additional moment of gloating. I am so excited to see the 1 as the first number in my weight it has been so very long since I have seen that. If you didn't know me before my freshman year in college you have NEVER seen me this small. I love the energy level I have now, I love how much better I feel. Ok, ok enough of that, back to focusing on the future.

 

As far as physically, I want everyone to know that i don't feel like I have just achieved a 100 lb milestone but that I have accomplished my goal of changing my life. I am dedicating to living more active. I have already laid out my fitness goals for the year and I am updating them each week. I have learned how to use food to fuel my body not just as something to shove into my mouth until my stomach aches. I have learned a lot about calories, nutrients, proteins, vitamins etc and I plan to apply the things I have learned to my life in the future to make sure I never stare at 300 again.

 

I don't really want to get much smaller, I am thrilled to be in size 32 pants and I think that is about where I should be. There is still a little mush around my midsection I want to firm up and there are some areas I want to tone up that seem a little loose, probably due to the weight loss. I don't know that firming and toning will lead to anymore weight loss if they do I wouldn't think it would be significant. I have set a floor for myself I really don't want to dip below 180 lbs.

 

One key think I will change is I will now change my calorie intake from a weight loss number to a maintenance number. This doesn't mean I get to go to the buffet and pig out, it does mean I can increase my calorie intake by as much as 500 per day. I will probably not increase that much too quickly; but with the exercise regimen I am keeping the change does allow me a little more freedom. This is where I will have to continue to use discipline and continue to make smart choices. But being able to add some calories to my diet is a happy thing.

 

I am happy to point out of the 5 goals I set for 2011 (finish the 100 pounds, run 5k, complete Insanity, run 10k, and have some abs) I have a very realistic chance to have the first 3 accomplished by the first week in March. That is exciting. There is nothing quite as exciting as accomplishing goals. 

 

I will continue to report my progress on these stated goals and on how I am doing on keeping the weight off... I don't plan on reporting a weekly weigh-in but I will keep everyone updated.

 

Now, the big question... what is the next quest? To be completely honest I don't know yet. I have some ideas but right now I am searching my heart and praying on where to focus my drive and my attention. I wasn't searching for a quest when I undertook this one and I may not know where my next one will lie, but I am committed to facing the next quest with just as much zeal and just as much passion as I did this one.  

 

Thank you again to everyone for your support and for keeping me accountable.

 

I will post later today my week in review and of course tomorrow I will give my weekly guide as to what to expect next week. On Tuesday I plan to give an updated response to the question i get asked the most "how did you do it?"  

I did it!

I am going to try to string a few words together..

WOW! I want to write something eloquent and thought provoking about the major weight loss milestone I passed yesterday. To be perfectly honest I don't even know what to say. I am incredibly humbled by everyone's well wishes, I am left speechless by those of you who have told me I am some type of inspiration.

I am reluctant to say that I am proud of myself, but I will say I have learned so much about myself in the last 13 months. I have learned that i can accomplish things physically I never would have thought possible and I have learned that mentally I do possess the drive and determination to face a challenge and overcome it. i have learned a lot about my inner drive and I now know I have what it takes  to achieve remarkable things in other areas of my life as well.

I hope in some ways my journey has helped someone else and encouraged you to keep pushing when things have been tough. I hope no one thinks this quest was easy. But with support from so many people I have lost 100 lbs with out surgery, drugs, or shortcuts. I will remind everyone just how we got here in a later blog

For those who want to know how I have chosen to reward myself.  I bought 2 new suits earlier this week they should arrive early next week. Also tomorrow night I am taking a special cooking class with the wife.

Thank you for following along. And Thank you for all the support

The next blog I post will answer the most important question left... So, you did it, Now what?

What's on Tap?

So, I wrapped up last week in yesterday's blog and I think though I didn't have as good of a week as I was hoping I still made some good progress toward my goals and I am still proud of what I accomplished.

I have noticed a couple of things. First trying to prepare for this 5k and trying to complete Insanity at the same time is very strenuous. The second thing I have learned is that it is important to make sure I am making a realistic and achievable schedule if I hope to successfully complete it. Since the Insanity program is already set up for me it is important for me to make sure I am making the proper adjustments to my running schedule. I have roughly 1 month until the race so it is important that I continue to make progress but it is also important to make sure my muscles are not too fatigued.

With all that in mind I think I will move forward this week with 3 days of running. I am going to shoot for 28 Minutes on my run on Monday, a 22 minute Fartlek workout on Wednesday and 28 minutes on Friday. I am scheduled to work Saturday Morning so I am afraid I will miss my Front Beach run on Saturday; unless I can figure out a way to work that in. I really enjoy the Front Beach run more than anything else. The good news is I am logging 2.2 miles (mostly running) in my original training schedule I was planning to try to go 2 miles this coming week. I guess I am ahead of Schedule.

The other reason why this is an Interesting week is because it is the last week of my first month of Insanity. That is significant for 2 reasons. First after this week I will be facing new workouts I have never seen. Secondly, This is the farthest I have ever made it with this program. Last time I tried this program I got injured on the second to last day of the first month.

here is the outlook:

Monday:
28 Minute Run (walk as little as possible)
Insanity Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs

Tuesday:
Insnaity Power & Resistance

Wednesday:
22 Minute Fartlek workout
Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit: The Arch Nemesis
Lest I not forget it is also Wednesday that I weigh-in

Thursday:
Cardio Recovery

Friday
28 Minute Run
Insanity Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs

Saturday:
Front Beach Run (if possible)
Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit: Our Last Battle

In addition to the exercise I am also going to take some time this week to make sure my caloric intake is correct. I am burning a lot of calories and because of that I have given myself some leeway with my intake but it is important for me to finish this quest and I need to make sure my calorie level is correct

Should be fun.. I will keep everyone updated

As always thank to anyone who may be reading...

Another week in the books...

Time to put a bow on another week of 2011 and check on where I am in relation to my fitness goals.

Monday I had my best run so far; I ran a farther distance and made better pace than I had before. 2.20 miles in 25 minutes. I know I am still far from fast; but it is progress. Monday I also completed my 2nd fit test and made some very good progress. For more details see the blog from just a few days ago.

Tuesday was another good day. I did my first Fartlek workout hen after a long day at work, I stared down my arch nemesis Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  Even though Tuesday was worse than in Monday at work winning a battle against Plyo circuit always helps the mood.

When I set up this weeks schedule I added more days of running than in previous weeks and perhaps that was a mistake. I woke up Wednesday with some pain in my calves; combine that with rain and I did not make the run I had scheduled. I did complete Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs, although it mostly felt like I was going through the motions. There were a lot of aches & soreness and my body just did not perform well. However, I did weigh-in and did lose a pound so overall I guess Wednesday wasn't too bad.

My legs were still a little sore on Thursday morning. I had scheduled a morning walk but opted to make Thursday a Full Cardio Recovery Day. So, I completed the Insanity Cadio Recovery workout and called it a night.

Friday all the aches & pains had subsided so, the body was able, but the spirit wasn't willing. It took me a long time to get motivated for my morning run only to walk out the door in to a stiff breeze and decide one more day off wouldn't hurt me. This was the type of justification that can completely derail a workout routine but I was committed to getting back on track. I did not forgo my Insanity Strength & Conditioning workout

Saturday was perhaps my favorite day of the week. I was out of the house by 6:15 for an early Men's Breakfast with the men from church then I want for an amazing 2.2 mile run on the "board walk" along the beach. The beach is awesome early in the morning and I felt invigorated I actually ran the 2.2 Miles faster today than I did on Monday. I have hope yet that I will be ready for my Arbor Day 5k Febraury 26.

I finished the week off with another battle with Plyo Circuit and defeated my nemesis yet again!!!

Week 3 of Insanity is mercifully over... That leaves only one more week or "regular" insanity then a "recovery week" followed by four weeks of "MAX" workouts... If the max workouts are really that much more difficult then I am certainly not looking forward to it. I am pleased with my progress so far.

I think I will only schedule 3 days of running next week and I feel I will still make the necessary progress to be ready for my race.

I am still looking for ideas on how to celebrate the 100 pound milestone I have a feeling we will be there very soon...

I am so glad tomorrow is a day off...

3 Random thoughts

Weight & Body Image


I find it interesting that as I gained weight it took a long time before I actually saw myself as fat. It seemed even though I was gaining weight I still had this perception of myself as as the slim athletic guy I was in high school. It was almost like the stages of grief first there is denial followed by a few other stages then unfortunately by acceptance. Once I accepted that I was fat then it was easy to do nothing about it and even make self deprecating jokes.

Once I started losing weight the experience was similar, I still saw myself as a big guy even as the pounds were dropping I still cracked jokes about not missing dinner and still saw myself in the mirror as fat. This is a perception I have just started to see the fallacy of and I am also learning how dangerous not changing this perception can be. I am finally starting to see myself with a different lens.. I don't want to see myself as a fat guy. I don't want to look at myself in the mirror and still focus on my gut... I think I can change this perception without going too far the other direction.

Sizes Matters

I wanted to take a moment to give some updates on sizes before and now. In the picture at the top of the facebook group I am wearing size 42 Jeans today I wore size 32 dress slacks to work. That is a 10" difference. At the same time I was wearing a size 20 dress shirt this week I wore a size 16 1/2 that is 3 1/2 inches. In the same picture I was wearing a xxl shirt. As I type this I am wearing an L. Just wanted to share those differences

What Reward

When I first started the blog I talked about the importance of setting goals and having rewards for achieving them. I have been so focused on losing my last few pounds and knowing that accomplishing that was going to be a huge reward by itself, but I have been thinking, I want to reward myself at the 100 pound mark, I want to celebrate. Does anyone have any ideas of what i can do as a reward to myself. I would really love to lose my mind and go to the Chinese buffet and load up about 4 plates... but I will refrain... any other suggestions?

what exactly is a fartlek and is it as disgusting as it sounds?

I know some  people saw I had Fartlek Training on Taday's agenda and went eww.. what is that?  Well it is simply a method of interval training.. Below is an excerpt from about.com explaining it in more detail.

 Fartlek, a Swedish term that means "speed play," is a form of interval or speed training that can be effective in improving your speed and endurance.

Fartlek running involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs. Unlike traditional interval training that involves specific timed or measured segments, fartleks are more unstructured. Work-rest intervals can be based on how the body feels. With fartlek training, you can experiment with pace and endurance, and to experience changes of pace. Many runners, especially beginners, enjoy fartlek training because it involves speed work. But it is more flexible and not as demanding as traditional interval training. Another benefit of fartlek training is that it doesn't have to be done on a track and can be done on all types of terrains -- roads, trails, or even hills.

To do a fartlek workout, try introducing some short periods of slightly higher pace into your normal runs. Maintain the faster pace for a short distance or time intervals, such as 200m or 30 seconds. The intervals can vary throughout the workout, and you can even use landmarks such as streetlights or telephone poles to mark your segments.

Once you complete a fast segment, slow your pace to below your normal running pace, until you have fully recovered and your breathing has returned to normal. Then return to running at your normal pace, and incorporate more slightly fast intervals later in the run.

Fartlek training puts a little extra stress on your system, eventually leading to faster speeds and improving your anaerobic threshold.

hope that reassures some. I enjoyed this exercise this morning I like varying my pace. I would run at my regular pace then I would pick an object several meters away and sprint to it. After the sprint I would go to a slow trot until I was ready for the next round. After I finished a 5 minute warm up lap I then did the interval Fartleks for 20 minutes.  My pace was no where near what it was yesterday but I still feel this was a productive running warm up and I will continue to have one day per week focusing on interval training. I will monitor the results.

As always thanks for reading

Progress & Fit Test

After a much more productive morning run I was very excited about the progress i was seeing. I posted the RunKeeper results on facebook earlier today. I am finally excited about making some progress in my goal of running the 5k on February 26.

This evening I completed my 2nd Insanity Fit Test. After two grueling weeks I was anxious to see how much progress I had made. I was pleased to see some good progress and I wanted to take a moment to share the results. For anyone who doesn't know the Insanity Fit Test is a great measuring stick to see how you are progressing as it gives you a series of 8 exercises and  you are given a minute for each one to see how many you can complete. It is exhausting because you go as hard as you can and hope to beat your results from the
previous test.

The first time I did the fit test was Day 1 of Insanity, here are my results from day one and how I fared today..

   Exercise                        Day 1                                          Day 15
1. Switch Kicks                  74                                               100
2 Power Jacks                    45                                               58
3. Power Knees                  54                                               62
4. Power Jumps                  35                                                42
5. Globe Jumps                   11                                                12
6. Suicide Jumps                 20                                                 21
7. Push-Up Jacks                25                                                31
8. Low Plank Obliques        45                                                56

I have another 2 weeks of brutal workouts before I have my next Fit Test... But I am excited about the progress so far.

Tomorrow, I have my first Fartlek Workout and I have my old Insanity nemesis Plyometric Cardio Circuit... I will keep everyone updated...

Thanks as always for your support...

... the week that will be

I Previously posted about last week "the week that was". I didn't want to fail to mention the goals and schedule for the upcoming week. Originally this was all going to be one blog, but I thought it would be too long and no one would want to read it.

As I mentioned earlier The rematch with Insanity is going better than expected, but the training for the 5k has not gone as well as I hoped. It is because of these frustration that I have had serious discussions with my brother, my uncle and a co-worker all of whom have run competitively and sought advice on how to improve my performance. I also did some reading and some research on my own and with all of this advice in mind I have made a few minor modifications to my training plans.

The first change is I will not be focusing on distance the next 2 weeks but rather on time. Based on all the advice this helps with endurance because your mind is not as focused on how far it is running but instead you are just "making time". The theory is as you increase your endurance you will be covering more distance in the same amount of time. This is the advice from Runner's World

There are other changes I will be making I will cover some of those later as to not make this blog excruciatingly long to read. So with that in mind here is the schedule for the upcoming week.

Monday
Morning Run begin with 5 minute brisk walk followed by 25 Minute run walking as little as possible
Evening Insanity Fit Test 2- I will Post results here is anyone wants to see my progress

Tuesday
Morning Run  5 Minute Brisk walk 20 minute Fartlek Workout (will post a description on Tuesday)
Evening Insanity Plyo Circuit

Wednesday
Morning Run Same as Monday
Evening Insanity Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs (May Move Cardio Abs to AM after run)

Thursday
Morning 45 Minute walk
Evening Insanity Cardio Recovery

Friday
Morning Run 5 Minute walk 27 minute run
Evening Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance

Saturday
Morning Beach Run-
Evening Plyo Circuit

Sunday- Mercifully a day off

Of course weigh-in is on Wednesday and to keep myself from getting too disappointed I am sitting my goal at only one pound... but everyone knows I would love to see 2 or especially the last 3...

should be a fun week.. I will keep everyone updated

The week that was....

As I sit here enjoying my day off from insanity and from my training for my 5k I thought it would be an appropriate time to measure the week that was and set a clear focus for the week yet to come.

As I look back on last week I can tell you I honestly gave it my all and that I tried to achieve every thing I laid out there for everyone. There some some good things, some things I still need a lot of help with. If you have followed here or have followed on Facebook you know I have been exhilarated by my Insanity workouts this week. Workouts that previously have left me all but dead now leaving me wanting more, not that I am fool hearty enough to think I could handle more. I am very pleased with my performance through the first 2 weeks of Insanity and with the way my body is adapting to the regimen.

On the other hand, I am not so pleased with the way I have performed with my running. I had scheduled myself to run 1.5 Miles 3 times last week then to have 20 Minute "easy" run on Saturday. The problem is I am struggling to complete my runs. It was extremely cold this week, and I have never ventured out in that type of cold to run before, and while that is a weak excuse it is part of my problem. Monday wasn't too bad in fact I had a little encouragement in the fact that I did complete the 1.5 miles even though there was a lot more walking mixed in than I would have liked. Wednesday was the ultimate frustration. It was 28 degrees outside and I had to poke, prod, beg, beat, and bribe myself just to get outside. Once outside I found myself focusing more on the temperature and my discomfort and less on achieving my goals. I called a merciful end to the exercise in futility after only a mile in which I didn't seem able to even run a quarter of a mile without resorting to walking and complaining.

After some advise about my focus and motivation from some avid runners who have been where I want to go I was remotivated Friday, yet still did not put up the distance or the time I was hoping. I am a little discouraged, but far from beaten.

Saturday instead of further frustrating myself I spent a beautiful morning with my family as we made a 2 mile walk along Front Beach I mixed in the occasional run as I would race my 7 year old... This was probably the best run of the week.

The other Part of the week that was a little frustrating was my conversation with the scale on Wednesday. I am so happy I lost another pound, but i feel I am working so very hard. I feel this last 10 pounds has been a MONSTER trying to lose. Again I assure everyone I am highly motivated and will not be defeated, but the battle is not easy

when i started this entry I planned to pin next weeks goals as well, but I have already typed more than I anticipated. I will make a follow up entry tonight or tomorrow laying out the game plan for the upcoming week

As always thanks to everyone for your support

WOW I needed that

So, I had High hopes for today. I was going to run my 1.5 miles quicker than I did on Monday, then i was going to weigh-in and the scale was going to be kind and tell me I had lost 2 pounds. Hopefully I would see 201 or less. Than after a good productive day at work i was going to come home and destroy my insanity workout.

That was the plan

Unfortunately like so many plans we make life happened and things didn't go exactly as I had planned. I woke up this morning it was 28 degrees outside and it took all the gusto i could muster to even convince myself to go for the morning run. Then when i got to the track I seemed to have no endurance at all and it took 12 minutes to run/walk one mile... then I finally gave in to the freezing cold and decided I had had enough. It did not help any that Pandora radio didn't want to work this morning so in addition to being cold and miserable I had no soundtrack.

Putting the run behind me I was very hopeful for today's weigh-in. I know how hard i have worked and I was really hoping to see a 2 pound weight loss. Now I know that as you get smaller your weight loss will also be slower, and I know with all the exercise I am doing that my body can still change significantly and not necessarily result in a weight loss. Despite having that knowledge it is still kind of a let down when the numbers you see don't match the numbers you hope to see. I and not depressed I still lost a pound... But UGH! I wanted 2. That's OK still only 3 more pounds to shed.

Well with not achieving the first 2 of my fitness goals for today i did not have high expectations for my workout tonight, after all, this is the one Insanity workout that I have the most problems completing. In fact I almost always complete this workout laid out on the floor begging for mercy; winded and exhausted. Despite my low expectations I went hard, dug deep, pushed it (insert your own cliche' for worked very hard) At the end of the workout I had not only completed it, I had given maximum effort and i was still standing. Yes, the wife may think I am crazy as i was talking back to the TV and I was accepting every challenge Shaun T threw out.

I am Happy to say I feel amazing! I feel exhilarated.  Despite the other set backs... the blood pumping through my veins and the feeling of accomplishment right now makes today a success after all...

I will complete this quest... I am more determined than ever...

Nervous & Hopeful...

With tomorrow's weigh-in looming I have high hopes rising that I will see progress and continue toward the 100lb destination. After last week knowing I am only 4 pounds away I am anxious, excited, proud, nervous.... I just want to see the number on the scale get below 200... I know I have not lost 4 pounds this week... but I have worked really hard this week and I hope to get halfway.

I have had so much support through my journey... and I want everyone to see me cross the "finish line". I know I have a long way to go to meet some of the goals I have set for myself... but I am determined to achieve them. I am am confident that I am doing the things it takes to get there.

The thing is I am getting anxious about when I will get this first GIANT goal behind me. I wanted to put it behind me in 2010 and now I just really really want to feel the sense of accomplishment that will come when the scale finally has a 1 as the first number...

Guess I will see where I am at tomorrow. What a day it will be 1.5 miles in the AM then a weigh-in capped off by Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit... The bed will be pretty welcomed tomorrow night


 

Week 2 Goals

If I hope to achieve my goals it is important for me to set short term goals & objectives so I have decided to go week by week and try to schedule my activities.  I am currently involved in my rematch with Insanity and I am trying to prepare for my first ever 5k on February26th. I have set down and worked out out a training schedule that should help me accomplish both of my resolutions with very little alterations to ether program. Below are my goals for this upcoming week. I will update the blog as to how I do on these goals and i will track my runs with the infamous RunKeeper.


Monday January 10
Morning Run 1.5 Miles
Evening Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance (probably my favorite Insanity routine)

Tuesday January 11
Insanity Pure Cardio

Wednesday
Morning Run 1.5 Miles
Evening Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit
This is also the official weigh-in day

Thursday
Insanity Cardio Recovery

Friday January 14
Run 1.5 Miles
Cardio Power & Resistance

Saturday January 15
Insanity Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs (this is the first time we add in cardio Abs)
20 Minute EZ Run

This should be a challenging and fun week... I will need ll the support I can get.

Week 1, 2011

I shared previously about my Resolutions and goals for 2011 and I wanted to take a few moments to update after the first 7 days

I have so far succeeded in doing physical activity every day... that is a step in the right direction...I want to take just a minute to update on my four resolutions.

1. The hundred pound journey continues and I am only 4 pounds away from completing it... I am very excited... I think I will be there before the end of January if not before... I also wanted to take a breif second to brag... something I try no to do but there are a couple of things I am excited about. I wore a size 33 dress pant to work yesterday and they fit very nicely I also wore a size 16-16.5 dress shirt to work. Both of those are nice, but the thing that really make me happy is the wife bought me some size 33 jeans... and they are loose... I can actually fit into size 32.... that is the first time since 1994.. I will post a blog next week about some of the size differences now and 1 year ago... it boggles my mind.

2. My second resolution was to complete a rematch with the Insanity program... I guess somewhere in my mind I forgot how grueling this program is...but so far through 5 days I am thriving... after day 2 I had some discomfort and muscle soreness but each day my body has gotten progressively more adjusted and I actually feel like I am performing at a pretty good pace... even if I still have yet to complete Plyometric Cardio Circuit standing... I am grateful tomorrow is a day of rest

3. My 3rd resolution was to run a 5k before the end of march and a 10k by the end of the year.... I am beginning to doubt my own mental health..;.. I have found the 5k I want to run... it is Feb 26 in Biloxi and I have previously posted a link. The problem is I am so far from being ready... I have ran 3 times so far this year... each time I have not quite completed a full mile without some walking. Thanks to this wonderfully accurate little program called RunKeeper I have learned that a mile is a further than I thought.

I do love the results RunKeeper gives though;This morning I did complete 1.22 Miles it took me 15:47 seconds and burned 131 calories That is a pace of 12:55 per mile. Even if I could keep that pace up for 3.1 Miles it would take me 40 minutes to run the 5k. If my only goal is to complete it i guess that's not too bad... but right now I don't think I could complete it... I have right at seven weeks to keep preparing... I would appreciate any advise from more experienced runners...

4. My final resolution is to have abs by the end of the year... good thing I still have 51 more weeks to work on this one...

Thanks to anyone who may be reading I appreciate your support...

by the way if there is anyone in the Vancleave area who happens to read this and wants to run with my I can use the push...

I have found My 5k

Well, as I posted yesterday I want to run a 5k race before the end of March, and today I have found my race. Through the Gulf Coast Running Club's website I have found an Arbor Day race in Biloxi scheduled for February 26. This gives me almost 8 weeks to get ready and from what I understand this is a fairly level course which should be great for a beginner. Another thing I really like is it seems like the proceeds will be going to a good cause.

I am excited, but I know I have a lot of work to do...

Here is the 5k I am talking about

Resolutions 2011

It has been a couple of months since last i updated the blog. As we close out 2010 and look ahead to what will come in 2011 I thought it would be a good time to return to the blog and give a few thoughts.

First, what a year 2010 was... I have lost 95 pounds since December 2009 and that is just a start. In many ways 2010 was all about progress. After 4 years back on the gulf coast my family finally found a church home where we are growing more spiritually than ever before. My 7 year old was baptized, and my 15 Month old was dedicated. While I have not read 30 books in 2010 like my wife has I have read 10-15 and discovered some new authors I enjoyed (Vince Flynn).

I feel that my family has made progress, mentally, Spiritually, emotionally, and of course physically. I personally try to look at each of these areas of my life when I make resolutions.

Since this Blog has mostly been dedicated to my weight loss journey I wanted to take some time to share my fitness resolutions for 2011.

1. Complete the 100 pound journey and keep it off! I am currently only about 5 pounds away. I was hoping to finish this by the end of 2010, but I am not deterred by these last few pounds. I will continue to weigh-in and share my weight each Wednesday and I will continue to share any other helpful information that may help anyone else who is struggling with the same problems I am.

2. I will complete Insanity...Yes, I vowed there would be a rematch and now that I have recovered from whatever kind of pinched nerve I previously suffered I am ready to face this challenge head -on ( I took the fit test this morning and will post the results later in the week. For anyone who does not know this is a very intense workout program that will quite literally leave you in a pool of your own sweat... but the results are amazing... This is something I will complete in 2011

3. I will run a 5k and a 10k. I want to run the 5k before spring sometime before the end of March. I am trying to find a Valentines or Arbor Day run. I have never ran a 5k and I want to challenge myself and see if I can do it. I don't want to stop there... before the end of the year I hope to have also conquered a 10k... I can't even imagine running 6.2 miles... but I don't have to imagine it... I have to do it... before the end of 2011

4. Finally, this may sound silly to some people, but I have never in my life had abs... not when I played football, not when I wrestled... Sometime between now and December 31, 2011 I want to have abs... at least one...


I have one more resolution to share... I also resolve to do a better job updating this blog in 2011... I will kepp everyone updated on how the resolutions fare...