Thinking 9 Jul 09

Well it’s 1:30 in the morning on 9 Jul 09 and I’m at work and just doing some thinking about where I’ve came from in just a little over 7 months and where I’m at now and where I want to go with this. Where I have come from? It really seems like a dream. I can look at pictures and it’s like that wasn’t really me. Where am I at now? It’s crazy, but I feel like I’m at a boring time now. I’m just not sure about this, I just feel blah now and I have a lot on my mind now from work to family. I’m glad I have this running to just get away from everything. I have been thinking though that I need to set me up an eating plan, a menu if you will and go by it. As I’m needing more calories because of my longer running and getting more calories I’ll have to admit I’m craving more FOOD…..stuff I haven’t had or wanted in over six months. I just feel like if I make me a weekly menu and stick to it that it will help with the temptation of wanting others foods that aren’t good. I may work on this tonight I don’t know. I’ve all ready been running it through my mind I just really need to put it down on paper. I am also looking forward to starting the marathon training plan; right now it is due to start on Jul 27. I don’t know I’ve been thinking again about not doing the San Antonio one and try to find one closer to home. Money is just tight right now as it is with everyone and I keep telling the kids we have got to tighten up then I’m planning this trip and my mindset is kind of like this is for me and I make the ¾ of the money that comes in for our family of four so I’m going to do this it’s my money! I honestly feel guilty about this, it’s like they need to sacrifice then so do I also. I don’t know I’ll surf the web and see what I can find closer to home. There is one in Huntsville in December that would only be a little over a couple of hours from home, but I got this desire to do it as close to the one year point of me starting this journey for some reason and that date would be 1 Dec 09. I don’t know I’ll pray about it and think about it and do some checking and we’ll see what happens. My long range goals seem kind of simple yet they are huge, of course the next big one is to do the marathon between now and the end of the year then of course keep the weight off and eat right. Saying them seems so simple, but when I think about all of the hard work and mental toughness it will take they seem scary. I just know I’ve got to do like I have up to this point to get me to this point and that is one small challenge at a time and focus on getting through each challenge. Well I’ve rambled enough. I hope to start sharing more of what’s on my mind with this and this was just kind of what was on my mind this morning…doing this today not tomorrow.

5K Knoxville Race Results and Thoughts

The Start of the race

Me at the start

Waiting in line for the bathroom

The crowd signing up for the race

Me after the race

Race was good in Knoxville my time was 25:24. I have to admit that I did have it in my head that I wanted to break 25, but hey I came close and I did cut almost a minute off since my last race in June and I have been distance training since then so like I said I’m real happy with the time. I did achieve my goals for this race. It was the highlight of my vacation and I wanted that something besides how much food I could eat as that seems to be how my past vacations have went. The second goal was to get the experience of a large crowd running in a race. I defiantly got that, but it was near as scary as I thought it would be. The race was very well organized and everything outside my control (registration process, bathrooms, finish, post race etc.) went real smooth and it’s evident that those putting on these larger races are good at it and do a great job. The thing I was control of, running the race was Ok I gained some experience. I did learn to avoid the urge to make up the time to quick from a slow start with that many people. I did go out to fast my first mile was 7:54 , that was too fast for me. My next two splits were 8:38 and 8:52. So see I got slower as the race went on. I don’t think that will be a problem in a marathon as there shouldn’t be any urge to take off fast, just to settle in at a good steady pace. I’m still not sure on my prerace hydration, I first thought I had had drank to much. I drank off and on all day probably close to my gallon a day I try to get. I stopped at around 5:30, but right up to the race start at 9:00 I was still peeing like a horse and the lines for the bathroom were about 15 minutes long. I think I ended up going three times between 7 and 9. My mouth got a little dry close to the end, but nothing major. Well let me wrap this up, the race was good, I was pleased and proud 7 months ago I weighed a hundred and five pounds more than I do now and couldn’t even run a hundred yards so yes I am proud of myself. Will I run it again next year? I’m not sure I’ll have to see first if we go back there on vacation and second what my goals are with my running next year and where I am at with it. Doing this today not tomorrow!

Pre Race Thoughts - 3 Jul 09

Well it’s July the 3rd Friday morning I’m sitting in Gatlinburg just being lazy today waiting to go shopping this afternoon then go run in the race tonight. It’s weird I know I have no chance to even place in my age group, but I’m nervous my stomach is a mess this morning. I don’t know if it’s because there are suppose to be more than a thousand runners there or what. The crowd does have me nervous when I look at pictures of the past races I can’t help but think how in the world will that big blog of people keep me from tripping over each other and that is a concern, will I get tripped? I just need stop and remember where I was at 7 months ago and be proud of where I am today and remember I’m not running to beat anyone else, but running to live a healthier fuller life. You know just putting my thoughts down now has helped. Sometimes I want to keep them inside and not share them because, what if things don’t work out the way I want, then I guess I’m afraid I’ll feel disappointed. It does help to process them I guess, so here goes my original intent of doing this race. Make the highlight of my vacation something other than how much food could I eat. I choose this one to get the feel of a large crowd at a race so when I do run that Marathon I will have experienced the larger race hoopla. I can’t help but want a new PR, but I’ve got to tell my self that doesn’t matter I’ll just run the race as it unfolds and fall back on my original two goals for this race and enjoy…..we’ll I’m out of here off to enjoy the day….doing this today not tomorrow!

Vacation and 14 Miler Baby!

Just got finished running 14 Miles in Gatlinburg!

How my vacations have changed. When I use to go on vacation it was largely about how much food I could eat and what kinds and sleeping late enjoying the time off. Now it’s about eating right and staying busy and still getting my workout time in. I’ve done pretty well on the eating I did eat a few ships the other day while we were in cades cove. It was an unplanned trip so I didn’t pack the right stuff and just had available what we had with us. See it does all go back to planning! As it shows below the above photo I go in 14 miles this past Sunday, Yes! When Jenny and I were here back in January there was this one trail we walked that was 4 miles, I told her I hoped I was able to run it when we came back in July, well I did run it and 10 more! Man it felt good, I was tired and sore for a couple of days after it, but it’s going to be one of those milestones that I look back on. I did have a problem on the run my nipples got irritated and bleed a little, it was painful I took my shirt off at about mile 9 and that stopped it. Tomorrow night I’m doing a 5K in Knoxville and I saw a running store up there on line I may run by there and get some suggestions on what I can do to prevent this or at least help it. I ran 7 on Tuesday and then this morning I just ran 5 since I’ve got the race tomorrow night. Running the race while on vacation is something else I’m trying to do with my vacations. Holiday’s special day’s etc. verses centering them on eating center them around something healthy physically etc. It’s tough but it is better than a big slab of ribs, beans and hot rolls. At least afterwards I feel good about what I’ve done. I’m constantly reminded that it’s the discipline in the small things, I’m not going to lie I wanted to turn the alarm off this morning at 530 and go back to sleep (hey I’m on vacation!), but just having the discipline to get out of bed and start putting my running clothes on was a step in doing my run today and I’ll have to admit I feel good right now having gotten it in. We’ll I got to run, doing this today not tomorrow!

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.