July Drop Day 6: 7/6/13

Blood sugar:  92  Weight: 211.8

Breakfast: banana, fruit bowl (apple, blueberries, grapes, vanilla yogurt, cinnamon, sugar-free maple syrup, coffee

Snacks: apple, trail mix bar, 2 small chocolate chip cookies (my kids were selling them at their lemonade stand this morning as part of our garage sale)

Workout: strength/core workout upstairs for 39:53 (plus stretching)/206 calories

Lunch:  smoothie (carrot, , Greek blueberry yogurt, spinach,  banana, sugar-free maple syrup, flax seed) cinnamon)

Snacks: fig newton, almonds/raisins/cinnamon, apple

Supper: marinated chicken, yellow rice, fried plantains, garlic, spinach, sauteed onions (took a friend out to eat to a Cuban restaurant for their birthday)

Snacks:  2 blueberry mini-muffins, fruit bowl (small cup yogurt, pear, raisins, blueberries, sugar-free raspberry jelly, cinnamon, sugar free maple syrup, tbsp cereal)

Independence Day – A Day To Reflect …on independence from my fat, unhealthy, and sedentary past – July Drop – Day 4, 7/4/13

Teaching about the American Revolution is my favorite part of fifth grade social studies. My students learn about the fact that colonists were feeling a bit oppressed by King George III and also about ways that some of the colonists chose to express their frustration. There were secret meetings, boycotts, the Boston Tea Party and the Edenton Tea Party, too. Paul Revere’s ride, the shot heard ’round the world, and on and on. It all led up to a formal written letter of complaints and declaration. The representatives signing the bold document stating that we were cutting the cord from the mother country knew that, in doing so, they were putting their own lives on the line. If the American Revolution failed, they could be convicted of treason and executed. But, in a bold show of spirit, John Hancock chose to sign his name extra large so that the king could see it even without glasses. Hancock was 100% committed to the cause.

It is with a similar type of committed spirit that some people need, myself included, to make hardline, cold turkey changes in their routine in order to achieve change. My weight, despite a consistent exercise routine and a decent diet, had plateaued for several weeks and even went, albeit incrementally, in the wrong direction.

So on the first of July, I made a decision to set a goal, be disciplined with my daily intake, and change the trend with my daily numbers. In the three days since, my numbers, both blood sugar and daily morning weigh-ins, have taken a turn in a positive direction. Hopefully I will be able to celebrate a continued trend in independence from my unhealthy, fat, sedentary past for years to come.

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Blood sugar: 89   Weight: 211.8

Workout: None. Five days of workouts in a row + Independence Day = rest day!

Breakfast: banana, 2 egg whites, mozzarella, spinach, apple, blueberries, raisins, slice of turkey bacon, coffee

Lunch:  smoothie (carrot, green peas, apple, blueberries, grapes, Greek yogurt, cinnamon)

Snacks:  peanut butter granola bar, 1 slice of whole wheat toast with sugar-free raspberry jelly and peanut butter, apple, peanuts

Supper: chicken fajita pita sandwich, peanuts

Snacks:  popcorn, granola bar, apple, bowl of peanut butter crunch cereal with skim milk

(yeah, I know things got away from me a bit this evening, but, we were at a baseball game) 🙂

Happy 4th!

Six-hill-sucking Sweaty Miles With My Sweetheart – And New Goals

Friday & Saturday Activities: Between yesterday and today, both my wife and I are ready for a rest day tomorrow. Yesterday, in early celebration of our 13th wedding anniversary, we sent the kids to stay with grandparents and went to the U.S. National Whitewater Center where we kayaked the morning away. In the afternoon we walked the grounds of the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Charlotte. After going home for a quick bite for supper we headed to downtown Salisbury to walk the town for Arts Night Out.

By the time we hit the bed we were ready for rest. But, with the kids still away the next morning, we took advantage of the opportunity to go for a rare run together. So, with it being Saturday, we completed a scheduled long run of six miles. What made this morning’s run such a beast, though, was the hills of which were non stop. We planned to just do an easy six, but, we ran streets through neighborhoods that we weren’t familiar with.

Distance:	6.00 mi
Time:	1:06:11
Avg Pace:	11:02 min/mi

New Goals:

• Running – My wife and I are planning to register for our second half-marathon! After completing the Country Music Half in Nashville in April, I think we’re ready for another! This one will be much closer to home though: The Greensboro Half-Marathon. After completing my first in a time of 2:28:08 (11:19/mile), I would like to finish this next one with a minutes/mile pace under 11:00 which, if I’m able to do so, would have me finishing in 2:23:53 or better.

• Weight – It has been over two years since I tipped the scales at 260 pounds. Now, much lighter, I’ve been hovering between 210-214 for the last month and a half. By mid August, I’d like to break the 200 pound barrier. Certainly by the time of the Greensboro Half, on October 26th, I expect to be under 200 for good.

A GREAT New Addition To My iPod Running Playlist: “Unstoppable” by Disciple. I just picked their latest album, O GOD SAVE US ALL, because I know they’ll be touring with one of my favorite bands, Audio Adrenaline, later this year. But, from the first time I heard this song while running with my iPod, I knew that it would be a new staple for my hard run playlist. View the lyric video below, take note of the words, and you’ll see/hear what I’m talking about.

Friday 6/21

Weight: 212.8  Blood Sugar: 92

Morning snack…who am I kidding? I can’t remember. That was yesterday. What I do know is that it was a pretty standard day with the follow exceptions: small bowl of mac & cheese as a side to my turkey wrap for lunch at the U.S. National Whitewater Center where my wife and I spent the morning kayaking. Beyond that, I had a fruit/nut/yogurt bowl for breakfast and a smoothie in the evening for supper, along with Odwalla bars and fruit for snacks throughout the day.

Saturday 6/22

Weight: 214.2   Blood Sugar: n/a

Pre-run morning snack: banana, spoonful of peanut butter

Post-run breakfast: blueberry/raspberry/banana/apple/pear/chia seed smoothie

Snacks: apple, trail mix granola bar, almonds, raisins, Odwalla protein bar

Lunch: 2.5 slices of pizza

Snacks: pear/apple/peanut butter/Cool Whip bowl

Supper: rotisserie chicken, green beans

Snack: bowl of cereal with red grapes, milk

Head Colds & Hound Dogs

Yes, this is my typical running/dying face.

And the beat goes on! We’ve wrapped up two weeks of the official half marathon training schedule. I started last week out with a four mile “long” run and progressed through the week with some core/strength training at the house and a pair of quicker three-mile runs. I started this week with yesterday’s four mile “long” run and plan to do another pair of three-milers this week, along with the strength/core workouts. Next week, per the training plan, I’ll bump up the “long” run to five miles.

This week’s long run was an improvement over the last one since my problematic left hamstring wasn’t throbbing at the end of the run like it was last week. I ended the run with the same routine as last week, though, using my Stick to massage the back of my left leg as part of my stretching cool-down routine.

The only thing I can even begin to complain about during that run, in fact, is the head cold that I had. It left me pretty drained for the rest of the day after the run and I’ve been just hanging around the house under the weather all day. The head cold, in addition to the dog that chased me on my Friday 3-miler, marks the beginning of my official list of things that ruin a good run. I’ll keep you updated on that from time to time as new inconveniences pop up.

I will say that I’ve been experimenting with the use of compression shorts and socks while running and that I truly think they benefit me. See, at 218 I’m a bit of a chunky runner and my extra carry-on baggage (I’m talking about leg fat! Get your mind out of the gutter!) flops around quite a bit and I think that, after a couple of miles, that excess random movement becomes a real drag in terms of running efficiency.

But, with the compression socks and shorts, everything stays in line and I really seem to feel better toward the end of the run than I think I would without it. I haven’t even tried keeping the stuff on for a while post-run to experience what most of the research out there is suggesting the real benefit of compression wear comes from – post-run recovery. That will come, though. I just ordered my second pair of compression socks and they should be in by next weekend.

Both my weight and blood sugar went down this week. We seem to be headed in the right direction!

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On a side note, I would like to mention the fact that part of the reason I’m taking on this half marathon is to benefit the work of The Hands And Feet Project which provides family style care in homes for orphans in Haiti. Please check out their official page and my Beards Hands & Feet Facebook page to find out how you can help (you’ll find out what all that stuff is on my face in the picture above, too!).

 

14 Weeks and A Taper To Go

After taking a conservative course with my left hamstring/pes anserinus bursitis issues through the holidays, I officially commenced my half marathon training the first week of 2013 with three runs totaling 8 miles. My plan is to work up to a three run schedule in which my two weekday runs are each three or four miles long and my weekend long run builds progressively from week to week so that it is up to 10 miles with 3 weeks to go until race weekend. From there I’ll taper for the last two weeks before, hopefully, arriving at the starting line in Nashville fresh, healthy, and ready to give 13.1 miles all that I have.
Just two weeks in, though, the expectation that this would be a learning process is proving to be well-founded. I’ve probably tweaked my weekly mileage schedule for the 16-week plan three or four times now. I can only guess that my last tweak won’t turn out to be the final one.
One thing I am confident of, though, is that the principles behind my training schedule will remain the same:

• Progress in weekly mileage and weekend “long run” distance in a conservative and gradual manner
• Employ frequent cut back weeks allowing my legs time to recover from each new step in the plan and, hopefully, avoid further injuries
• Employ core training exercises on non-running days to improve stability and strength

Additionally, I intend to maintain a consistent weekly schedule:

• Sunday – long run – focused on a slower pace, longer distance, and a heart rate consistently below 80% of my maximum heart rate
• Monday – rest day
• Tuesday – weekday run of 3-4 miles at a 10-11 min/mile pace on a local trail or, occasionally, a treadmill at the local Y
• Wednesday – elementary school running club – leading a group of students who, at this point, are covering about two miles using a walk/run ratio of 3:1 over the course of approximately 25 minutes after school each Wednesday – core strength training exercises in the evening at home
• Thursday – core strength training exercises in the evening at home
• Friday – weekday run of 3-4 miles at a 10-11 min/mile pace on a local trail or, occasionally, a treadmill at the local Y
• Saturday – light strength core training exercises at home

One of the keys to making this plan successful is going to have to be making adjustments as I go. For example, I made the foolish decision to include core exercises that targeted my hamstrings (including one that I’d never tried before) yesterday, one day before my long run. While it didn’t bother me during the run, I could feel a throbbing sensation in my left hamstrings that I know wasn’t good as soon as I started my cool down walk at the end of four miles today. I have to be more cautious and conservative with my hamstrings by more sensitively managing the timing, amount, and intensity of hamstring-specific exercises throughout the week so that they have a chance to be challenged and then to become progressively stronger over the course of this training plan.

On the health front, my blood sugar average for the week continued to improve coming down to 91 from last week’s 96. While my weekly average weight was static from the week before at 220.9, after a rough start to the week, my Saturday weigh-in was a welcome sight at 218.2. I strongly believe that I’ll be back to my pre-holiday low of 214 in a couple of weeks. Then I will continue chipping away at this excess shell that I’ve been building up and adding on to since I graduated from high school.

In terms of my fundraising effort for The Hands And Feet Project, I’m happy with the progress. So far, due to the generous support of a number of friends and family, I’ve raised $475 to benefit an increase in capacity for The Hands And Feet Project’s orphanages in Haiti. I’m so thankful to each person who has agreed to fund my “no-shave November” facial hair’s continued growth at a rate of $5 a day and I’m feeling optimistic that more will step forward in order to ensure that the whiskers keep growing until April 27 when I run in the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville, most likely resembling Forrest Gump, more than myself. If you’d like to learn more or to just jump on board, please check out some of my posts on the topic on my other blog and, also, to  check out The Beards, Hands & Feet Project page on Facebook.

All proceeds will be sent on to The Hands And Feet Project to support their mission on providing family-style care, education, and shelter for orphans in Haiti. Each donation is a major boost of inspiration for me to keep doing whatever I can to train and make sure that I can complete the Half in Nashville. Thanks for your support!

COMMITTED!

Committed to complete!

I’ve done it. Despite my persistent running issues, my characteristic lack of speed, and my relentless flip-flopping, I’ve laid down the cash and officially registered for the 2013 Country Music Half Marathon on April 27, 2013! The question that those who know me and the issues I’ve been dealing with, in terms of running, is: WHY? The reasons to delay such a commitment are numerous:

1. I haven’t run over 6 miles at once since I was the slowest member of the Whitney Point Golden Eagles Track & Field team in high school.
2. I have persistent ache/injury/pain issues with various parts of my left leg that all seem to feed off of each other – none of which have volunteered to leave me alone.
3. The registration cost: $100 which I just laid down. A lot considering Christmas is coming, my wife is a full time college student, we have two kids, and I’m a public school teacher. We’re not exactly in the 1%. Oh yeah. Lodging will cost, too.
4. The distance from home: I’ll be driving 7 hours in order to run 13.1 miles on what will surely be no more than a weekend…and then driving 7 hours back. Add the cost of gas to reasons-not-to-do-it-#3.

So, why do it? The answer: To support The Hands And Feet Project which, since 2004,  has established and run two orphanages in Haiti to care for Haitian children in need. I will be taking part as a member of their team. To be a member of their team I’ll need to raise at least $500 that will benefit their Haitian orphan children’s villages, which they are hoping to expand, directly. To find out more about why the work of The Hands And Feet Project is important to me, please check out a post I put up a few days ago on my other blog.

If you’d like to see what whiskers have to do with all of this, and contribute toward my $500 fund-raising goal to benefit orphaned children in Haiti who could be served by an expanded Hands And Feet Project Children’s village, check out this post on my other blog: “Hands & Feet (and BEARDS): Growing Whiskers In Order To Support Haitian Orphans” and ‘Like’ the Facebook page for my effort that I have given the moniker of: The Beards, Hands, & Feet Project. Sponsor my whiskers past “No-shave November” and all proceeds will go directly toward my fund-raising goal to benefit The Hands And Feet Project. Thanks!

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The latest on my running, weight, etc…

After several weeks of holding steady at 217, this past week’s daily weigh-in average came in at 216.5! The plateau had been frustrating me, but, I know that I hadn’t been running too much in the last couple of weeks as I attempted to give my leg a break due to the Pes anserine bursitis. I’ll take ANY progress at this point!

As far as my running schedule goes, I’m entering just the second week of an intentionally slow and very gradual increase in weekly mileage that should have me ready for the half in Nashville in April, just in time. I don’t want to take for granted the continued strengthening of my core and stretching of my hamstrings, my left in particular.

Also on my mind is the fact that this week is Thanksgiving and it marks the beginning of the period, one year ago, when, after losing thirty pounds in 8 months, I put sixteen back on due to a lack of holiday eating discipline and a decline in my commitment to exercise. This year will be different. I harbor so much regret about losing so much ground last winter. It will not happen again. I’m moving forward with my eyes set on the half in April and the determination to do whatever it takes to be there, participate, and complete the distance.

ONWARD AND UPWARD!

“Run On For A Long Time…”

The major health issue uncovered last week turned out to be basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer that likely showed up, according to my dermatologist, as a result of the thirty days of radiation treatments that I received in the fall of 1998 in an attempt to treat a pineal gland brain tumor. The good news is that, “if you’re going to have to have cancer, this is the one to have.” It typically does not spread or cause death, but, it needs to be removed and I need to start getting more routine exams since they tend to recur.

On the more typical front, my running injuries continue to be a topic at the forefront. In this running journey that I’ve been on for nearly two years I have learned quite a bit about my body and about the benefits and limitations of running shoe salespeople, articles and books on running, doctors, chiropractors, friends, and physical therapists. While all mean well and all have had at least some positive influence on my progression as a runner, I’m learning that, ultimately, my progress is in my hands.

I’m learning to pay more attention to what my body is doing, what my morning blood sugar readings are telling me, and to respond in a constructive manner through an increasingly consistent balance of proper diet, stretching, strengthening, running, and resting. I’m learning to take the ‘big picture’ perspective instead of just basing my whole running self-esteem on the most recent run or ache.

That being said, I’m at a point where I feel confident in making a long-term commitment to participate in the 2013 Country Music Half (maybe the full if things go REALLY well between now and then) Marathon in Nashville on April 27, 2013. I feel confident committing to this, above and beyond possibly persistent injury issues, because I will be doing it to support the Hands And Feet Project which operates two orphanages (and is working on building two more) that care for orphans in Haiti. So, whether I have end up running, walking, or crawling, I will commit (as soon as the sign-up info is posted by Hands & Feet), raise the funds necessary to be a part of it and support the orphanage project, and participate. Hopefully, though, I will be able to complete it by running the full distance. We’ll see!

My new neutral running shoes arrived Wednesday and, so far, I’ve completed a 2+ mile  run and a 3+ mile run wearing them. They feel pretty good, but, since my pes anserinus bursitis and my hamstring are still quite tender, it will be a while, I’m sure before I am able to conclude whether or not the shoes have really made a difference or not. In the meantime, I will continue stretching and massaging the left leg daily while maintaining a conservative running schedule of 3 runs per week with the two shorter runs typically totaling 2-4 miles and a longer run each weekend hopefully getting about 10% longer each week (with a cutback week every few weeks).

The experiment I started late last week of dropping down to one Metformin a day, instead of two, didn’t last long. I saw a difference in my morning numbers almost immediately and I was back at the normal dose within three days.

My weight has held steady at 217. I’m hoping that with an increase in running this week, after last week’s severely restricted running schedule, the scale will drop down closer to that magical 215 barrier that I know I haven’t been below since graduating from college almost thirteen years ago.

Such A Pain In The Anserinus!

How did I do in relation to last week’s goals?

1. I failed to get my average of daily weigh-ins for the week below 220, but, instead registered 220.4 pounds for the week – minimally better than the prior week’s 220.5 average.

2. I did keep my average of daily blood sugar readings under 95 with a 92 for the week! Next goal: sub-90 for the week!

3. Failed: My stated goal was to get some answers regarding my left knee aches and to take appropriate measures to remedy the situation based on the advice of the doctor. While he did provide some good information (e.g., found a nice-sized build up of scar tissue on my left hamstring and diagnosed part of my knee-area pain as pes anserinus bursitis. It was nice to get some news on what seems to me to possibly be the main culprit: the scarred, and subsequently,  “tight” hamstring. The limited feedback he gave me regarding to the cause of the pes anserinus bursitis, in combination with a little reading I did on the topic, seems to indicate tight hamstrings as one of the possible causes. As it turns out, the pain I’ve felt at times in my hip and in the areas around my knee all share a common link to each other.

The next step is to figure out what to do about it. Unfortunately, because of the time and financial investment that it takes to get to appointments at Greenapple in Charlotte, in combination with the start of the school year (picking up and dropping off kids from school, preschool, dance, tumbling, and soccer), making frequent trips to Charlotte for continued treatment just isn’t feasible. So, a change is in order.

The best approach that I can think of is to get a new checkup with my family physician and let him know about the lump on my hamstring, as well as the pes anserinus bursitis, and let him make a referral to somebody qualified to deal with my problems who is closer to home.

In the meantime, I’ll continue with my core/strength training workouts, some light running (2-3 times a week on a treadmill or soft surface), and workouts on the elliptical machine at the local Y.

My goals for this week:

1. Average daily weight for the week under 220

2. Average daily blood sugar readings for the week under 90

3. Schedule an appointment with my family physician and get a referral to a good local sports doc.

We’ll see!

The Big Break

The barrier that has stood strong for well over a decade, 220 pounds, fell this week.

It has been at least a decade since I have been under 220 pounds. Just last year I hit my all-time highest weight at just over 260 pounds. This week however, for one day, I weighed in under 220 at 219.8 pounds. My overall average weight for the week was 220.5 (down from 221.1 last week), but, its only a matter of time, now, before my average weekly weight drops under 220, too. I’m extremely pleased at this point.

It’s also been a good week in the sense that, after a busy summer, I returned to the elementary school where I teach fifth grade first workday of the new school year a full ten pounds lighter than the last workday in June and people noticed. Each new compliment that I received about being noticeably slimmer served as another encouraging boost of motivation to keep this train moving in the right direction.

My main areas of focus this coming week need to be caring properly for my left knee and improving my average daily blood sugar readings. After dropping for the second week in a row last week from 95.1 to 92.4, it went back up this week to 96.2. I’m not too concerned because this past week was the first week of what, surely, will be a transition from my summer routine into the new school year. Its going to take me some time to adjust to the new schedule and determine what foods best fit my goals and the logistics (breakfast, time to eat snacks, lunch, etc.) of teaching fifth grade everyday. In addition, my stress level and workout routine will be altered. Each of these factors can influence my daily blood sugar and I’m confident that I’ll be able to keep it in the low 90’s and 80’s before long.

As for the left knee, I have an appointment set for Monday afternoon at Greenapple Sports & Wellness. Hopefully the doctor will help me to figure out what the main culprit is in relation to the knee-area aches that I’ve been experiencing and, then, will be able to provide treatment and prescribe exercises so that it can become an issue in my past and not my future.

Some good news, though, is that I was able to get a trail run in today and what a trail it was! It was, by far, the most hilly, up and down, and challenging terrain that I’ve ever run on. I only did about three miles since I didn’t want to overstress my ailing knee, but, it was more than enough to make my hip flexors have been complaining loudly ever since. I’m sure the day-after pains will be wonderful, too. Today’s run has made me much more keen on the idea of doing one or two trail races, if my left knee allows, this fall.

Goals for this week:

1. Have a daily weigh-in average for the week under 220
2. Lower my daily blood sugar reading average for the week back below 95
3. Use feedback from Monday’s appointment with Dr. Greenapple to begin putting this left knee issue behind me

We’ll see how it goes! If you have any experience with juggling daily blood sugar readings while trying to get healthier, exercise, and lose weight, feel free to post some feedback. I’m all ears.

Summer Kick

One week to go this summer (with an unanticipated curriculum workday thrown into the mix just to tarnish what little summer joy is left) before the regular school year schedule begins to settle in. Since my last workday in June I’ve lost 9.8 pounds. I fully intend to bust through the ten-pounds-lost-this-summer-mark by Wednesday next week when I reenter my fifth grade classroom for the first time in two months. In order to achieve my goal I’ll be mixing some cautious running, core/strength training, swimming, and resting.

Unfortunately, issues surfacing in my left knee area over the past 2-3 weeks have slowed my running progress down. After a July that was largely problem-free, post-run aches and pains just below my left knee, and on the sides of the knee (more on the inside of the left knee) have left my optimism at a summer-low level with a steady leak draining what little is still there. Subsequently, I dialed up the Greenapple Sports & Wellness office in Charlotte to see if Dr. Greenapple can get me back on track. But, with the progress lost, it’s looking more and more like an October or even a November half-marathon is out of reach. I’m now just hoping that I am well enough to get a 10-K in this fall before moving on to a possible Half in December or January.

After a rough couple of weeks in July due to antibiotics and a steroid shot (one or the other or both), my daily blood sugar readings have settled back down. With the craziness of that month my daily blood sugar average readings for July just held steady in comparison to June’s instead of continuing to improve from month to month like they’ve been doing. Hopefully improvements will resume from this point on.

Hopefully my next post will find me under 220.