11 Miles

I had a good run yesterday I did 11 miles my time was 1 hour 53 minutes and 30 seconds that came out to a 10:19.1 pace, so I’m happy with it. I have started to try and eat more so I’ll have more fuel when I run. It has been crazy since I have started eating more I want more to eat, I’ve got to find the balance, it’s nothing serious right now, but it could be. Like I have decided to eat gummy bears on my long runs for a boost. I bought a bag of them Saturday night and of course I tried some that night and my excuse was to see what they tasted like, seemed like the more I ate of them the more I wanted them. I ended up eating 300 calories worth (I did log them on my food log). I really need to make me a menu and stick to it. I guess even though I have moved to the more physical part of this, the dieting is still going to be a big part even if I don’t want it to be. We went shopping Saturday for Father’s Day it sure feels good to want to by clothes now, before even though something may have looked good when you put it on such a big body as I had it just didn’t look as good as it did in the store, so I really had no urge to shop and but clothes, but now I do the look and fit so much better. I forgot to update this the other day but I weighed on the 15th and I was 188.5 I had gained .5 so no big deal as my goal on the weight is to just maintain where I’m at now so half a pound is no big deal. Doing this today not tomorrow.

Me After the 10 Miles

About Half Way Up

Starting up the Hill

Me and Summer after she logged 50 miles walking for the week

My Route

Well I did a 10 mile run yesterday. I was excited about doing until I woke up yesterday morning. Not sure why but I had this sense of dread. I’m not sure if I was physically feeling bad or I was nervous about this one hill I had at the 1.5 mark in the route I planned it was a big one and long. Also When I stepped out of bed I felt this sore on my right big toe, it was the first time I had ever felt it at first I was like on now I won’t be able to do it, but I tried on my shoe and it felt OK so evidently it wasn’t from running I must have gotten a small cut on it and not knew when I did it. I felt good during the urn I was just a little over a 10 minute pace (10:20.28) I was happy with that. I was thinking about the Marathon thing yesterday and I really want to do the San Antonio one because that is where the dream of doing one really started. I guess I’ve got to come up with a budget and have a little financial discipline and make that thing happen. Runner’s world had a Marathon plan in this month’s magazine I think I’m going to take a closer look at it and maybe use it verses the one I was going to use. Check this out Summer logged 50 miles walking this week I'm so proud of her!.............we’ll I got to get ready for bed…… doing this today and not tomorrow!

Discipline - 12 Jun 09

I had to be at work Early on Thursday so I was up and on my way to run before 5.

I do get to see some beautiful sunrises in the morning.

Saturday after the 5K I was talking to Jenny and Sumer and I was thanking them for getting up early and coming with me to the race. They said we didn’t do anything but get up early, they said you did the running. I know how Jenny loves to sleep late and Summer had been up late the night before so it did take something for them to get up and get out of bed. Honestly it did for me too. That got me to thinking about the discipline it has taken me to get this far and the discipline it will take to get to that marathon. I read somewhere something that went like this…. anybody can dream and set a goal, but it takes someone special to have the discipline to take the steps to achieve that goal or dream. As I thought more about it you know it really comes down to the discipline in the small things. Like with my weight loss the discipline to not eat those hot butter rolls when I was eating with the family at the restaurant, the discipline to not get a desert when they did, the discipline to not eat something fried to have something grilled, the discipline to not miss a day walking. I did that for 143 days, but you know it was one day at a time and it added up to 143 days. That is the way all those little decisions of discipline added up to 105 pounds lost in 6 months. Now that I’m doing more running it’s having the discipline to get up early at 5 and get my runs in before it gets hot, the discipline to add more “right calories” to get more fuel to be able to run longer. There are so many decisions so many areas where it’s all about the discipline. It’s not about losing the 105 pounds or being able to run 26.2 miles it’s about living each moment and having the discipline to do what is right and not just wishing you could do it or dreaming about it, but doing it today and not tomorrow, it’s in us we just have to reach inside and pull it out.

My 3rd 5K on this Journey

Me getting my trophy

Me, Shelia and Micah

My Time

Summer Me and Jenny

I finished my 3rd 5K this morning on this journey it was a good race. It was in Gordo Alabama, the weather was great it was actually cool this morning. Jenny and Summer went with me and our friend Shelia and her daughter Micah ran in it. Check this out I won the Masters division, I don’t know if that is a good thing or not, does that mean I’m old? It wasn’t a real big race it was in a small town so there wasn’t a huge crowd running; my time was 26.20 I cut almost 2 minutes of my last one in Tupelo. When I run I like to run hills. I don’t really know why they hurt but I love the felling when you get to the top and today in the race that paid off there was a pretty good hill at the half way point and that’s where I made my move if you will, I pulled away from some folks and caught some others on the hill. It felt good and the hill got some folks, but I got it! Doing this today and not tomorrow! I think I’m addicted to this running thing now.

Cutting back the bushes

I had something happen Wednesday that was a little reminder of how much better I feel since I have lost this weight and also what a change I have made. I started cutting back my hedge bushes around our property line something that has needed to be done for a few years now, but quite frankly I wasn’t physically able to do it and I couldn’t convince my son to do it for me. Anyway I was in the bushes cutting the stuff back with an ax and some clippers and I caught myself squatted down and leaning forward to cut one real close to the ground and I thought you know just a few months ago there was no way I could have ever gotten into this position. Just one of those times when I realized hey I have done this and you know I did it today not tomorrow!

4 Jun 09

Well I’m sitting here tonight and it’s kind of weird, no weekly weigh in report to give and I’ve only ran 2 times this week. It’s not that I have gotten lazy. It’s just where I'm at now on this Journey. Since I am running more I need rest so I’m taking rest days now. I ran Tuesday and today and I did 6 miles each day. I’ll take tomorrow off and I’m running in a5K on Saturday then Sunday the plan is for a 7 or 8 mile long run at a slow pace. I’ve decided to weigh in on the 15th and the last day of the month. I’m going to do this since the goal is to not loose anymore, but to maintain, so I don’t feel like I need to track it as close I just want to record it.

6 Months

Just got through running 9 miles!
105 Pounds Lost!

Well I’m sitting here thinking and looking back over the last six months and all I can say is wow. I weighed this morning and I weighed 188 that is 105 pounds since 1 Dec 09. I also ran 9 miles this morning, yep 9 miles it doesn’t seem real, it doesn’t seem like I’ve done this……I mean I have lost 105 pounds in 6 months and went from being give out walking up a flight of stairs to being able to run 9 miles without stopping. I never imagined it this quick. I knew I needed to lose that that much, but honestly can say I never thought I would do it that quick. As I try to reflect back over the past 6 months, I have to say discipline is the key. Having the discipline to eat right, the discipline to exercise daily, the discipline to drink the water, I really do believe that water was a big key in this I could really see the weight come off easier when I got my gallon of water in. Like I’ve told others I didn’t make excuses why I couldn’t, but to created situations where I could. I feel so much better, I worked in the yard this afternoon and it actually felt good I enjoyed it. I pray I stay healthy and can continue to progress with the running, I guess I’m crazy, but I love to run. Well here is a first for today I have taken the day off from running/walking I did it for 143 days in a row without missing. I decided to take today off because a lot of the reading I’ve been doing stresses the importance of rest and especially when you do longer distances. Again all I can say is wow, I wish I could put this into words, but it’s so hard to describe, I guess as Summer would say “I got this”…..I got the weight loss part and I’m going to get the marathon…..doing it today not tomorrow!