I’m working on putting together my fall racing schedule in an attempt to take it up a notch. I want to see if I can do a few running races and at least one bike races before it snows. From there I’ll be hard pressed to go riding but I might be able to run, assuming I like running in the really cold.
Here are a few races I’m looking at. The ones in bold I’m certain about and have already signed up for.
- Susan G. Komen Race For Cure 5k — September 25th or 26th, 2010
- Pumpkin Pie 25 / 62 / 100 Ride — October 3rd, 2010
- Mackinac Island Great Turtle Run ~10k — October 23rd, 2010
- Hot Chocolate 15k / 5k — November 6th, 2010
- Turkey Trot 8k — November 25th, 2010
- Rudolph Ramble 8k — December 12th, 2010
I’m still uncertain about the races in the late winter and spring but I want to plan at least one thing each month to remain accountable this fall, winter, and spring.
If you look at my weight-loss timeline you’ll notice a historic trend where I completely fall apart in the fall and usually gain back some or all of the weight I’d lost. That will not happen this time, I will not gain my weight back … this much I can assure you. I am going to do everything within my power to put some kind of structure in place to continue my motivation and inspiration.
What better way to motivate than to check off four things from my goal list … a 5k, 10k, 15k, and 100 mile race?
Running Progress
I didn’t get much running in earlier this week due to weather and work but I did get out twice yesterday, yep two times. Once early in the morning before work by myself:
and once after work with my wife:
Both were great runs and felt like my form and breathing were getting a lot better.
The morning run was a straight run without any stopping … just me listening to some music and doing whatever my body was capable of. The evening run was a training run as a part of our couch to 10k program (c210k) which is why it called for walking at the beginning, middle, and end of the run.
I have to admit at the end of the second run I was dragging quite considerably. I was starting to feel pain in my knees, ankles, and shins. Nothing major and to be freaked about, more like the general stress from pushing ones body to the edge.
I’m very excited for the races in the coming months and look forward to meeting up with fellow runners and maybe some other bloggers as well. Are any other Chicago area bloggers planning on running any of these races? Perhaps we can schedule a small meet-up?
There may come a time along your weight loss or healthy life journey that you look in the mirror and ask yourself, who is that person?
It might be due to large amounts of weight loss or maybe because your up at 5 am and about to begin a killer morning workout. Maybe it’s because you passed on that extra helping of your favorite pizza or chose a green monster over a bag of M&M’s.
Whatever the reason, be resolute and happy for that new person for they’ve chosen a path less traveled in today’s society. It’s a challenging road full of road blocks and potholes but the rewards are numerous and amazing.
Along my journey I’ve recently had a number of who is that person moments that I wanted to share.
- This past weekend I was in a coffee shop in Batavia washing my hands when I looked up into the mirror and had to do a double take at the person looking back. Was that really me? Much thinner face, defined cheek bones, sweaty face, and broad smile … I’d just ridden 20 miles and now we had to turn around and do another 20 (to get home) and yet I was smiling. This was certainly not the old me, must be the new healthy me I’m looking at.
- Driving in the car yesterday, for some reason or another, I start looking at my hands and start moving my fingers. Are these my hands? They seem so foreign now days … gone is the fat on the back of my hands having instead been replaced with the underlying muscles, bones, and tendons I can actually see moving. No, I’m not trying to gross you out here but have you ever looked at the back of your hand while your fingers are moving? Mine have changed dramatically since I’ve dropped a lot of weight and they now seem a bit foreign to me.
- Walking down the isle at the market picking up some almond milk, spinach, bananas, and flax oil for some green monster smoothies. Really? Wait where’s the frozen pizzas, soda, ice cream, candy, and junk of the old me … who is this new guy? Gone are my old eating habits, found are the healthier habits of the new me.
- Lying in bed trying to get my daughter to sleep as I put my arms around my torso like I’m hugging myself (it’s actually comfortable). I can touch my back now? This may not sound like a feat to most but you have to see my before pictures to understand how big I was. Heck, sleeping in general is kinda new to me because I find I’ve taken on new sleeping positions that I hadn’t been able to do before due to how big I was.
- Working out in the basement doing lunges, crunches, dead lifts … oh my. I’m actually sweating a lot, way more than I used to when I started working out. You know they say a fit body sweats a lot right? If that’s the case then I think I’m the fittest man alive (kidding) because I sweat quickly and with gusto. Sure I’d sweat some before because I was overweight, that’s a given … this however is a whole different sweat for another purpose. It’s actually cold to the touch and evaporates fairly quickly which is what sweats supposed to do. Looking at my legs I immediately wonder who’s they are, they seem strange to me, muscular, sweaty, and thinner than my old ones.
- Departing the train today I take the stairs leaving union station, it’s three flights. Imagine two long tall staircases banking each side of a set of escalators going up the middle. The escalators are jam packed with people with a line at the bottom to go up at least 15 deep. I’m climbing the stairs solo … yea, you read that right solo. Who is this guy? I used to be on that escalator because a single flight of stairs left me winded. Now I climb all three flights and my breathing doesn’t change at all. I feel strong and powerful!
These are just a few of my moments in the past week, there are so many others it’s kinda crazy. I can’t explain very well exactly what it’s like looking in the mirror and having an unfamiliar feeling looking at myself. Someone I’ve known for quite some time now seems foreign to me, but at least I really like this new me and enjoy these new experiences.
One thing I forgot to mention which is 100% relevant and critical to all of the above moments … they were all accompanied with a smile 
Have you had a “who is that person” moment recently?
I kinda forgot to writeup my official weigh-in numbers in yesterdays post. No worries though as I did step onto the scale, I know you were concerned. As I alluded to yesterday and the posting prior to that about non-scale victories, it’s highly likely I’m not gonna hit my original goal weight of 260 pounds but here we go:
Previous Weight — 275.0 lbs (on 8/10)
Current Weight — 272.8 lbs
Change In Weight — -2.2 lbs
That’s another 2.2 pounds lost in about three weeks time. It’s nothing like months ago but I’m so very happy that I’ll never see those pounds on my body again. They took a lot of sweat and time but my body is changing in some amazing ways right now.
Setting New Goals
I don’t know how I feel about setting weight goals for the next few months. No, I’m not saying I’m where I want to be … I already know that it’s 250 pounds. I don’t know if that’s the end of my mission though as I haven’t been at that number in a crazy number of years.
Anyhow, what I’m trying to say is that for the next few months I’m going to be training for our 10k race as my primary goal. I really want to run the entire race in under an hour without walking which will be a huge feat for me. My other goals are going to be continuing to work out 6 days per week, eating healthy, and staying connected to my blogging peeps.
I still want to be at my goal weight (or beyond) by the first of the year but given how the past few months of summer went I don’t want to be disappointed for not attaining that one goal I set when I’ve accomplished so many other things. I hope it doesn’t seem like a cop-out and I’m certainly not stopping, so far from it actually.
Instead … I’m going to set and work toward the other goals I mentioned yesterday and they are running my first triathlon and riding my first century ride next year. They’re huge and challenging and they’re the type of ongoing goals I want to make for the rest of my life to keep me healthy and fit forever.
What do you think? Should I wait until I attain my goal weight before I change it up or just do it and lose it as I go?
The Long Ride
Maybe you saw my posting about my new goal bike two months ago … or maybe you didn’t. Either way I went for a nice long ride today with the folks from my local bike club. It was a 40 mile ride from Downers Grove to Batavia and the returning trip, obviously we’re not going to have cars waiting for us.
I woke up this morning in a sugar coma, you know, because of the cake & ice cream yesterday … oh yea, and from the apple pancake (ala mode) I had for breakfast … and maybe from the bad mocha coffee(s) I had as well. Yea, so maybe I overindulged on my birthday, give a guy a break … at least I ate a healthy filet mignon, potato, and wine for dinner.
Ok, so I digressed, tell me something I don’t know. The point is I woke up bright and early this morning at 6am (same as on my birthday if it counts) and jumped on the bike excited to go for a ride. I wish I had brought my camera as I saw quite a few things fun things. The list included buffalo (yes real ones), Fermilab, some interesting sculptures and buildings within the Fermilab area, and me falling a second time due to clip-less pedals and an uphill start.
Don’t get me started on falling. It’s my second time falling, once on my inaugural ride with the bike in front of my neighbors and now this time at an intersection in front of 20+ other people. It does wonders on the self esteem falling on your buttocks in front of others … lol. At least this one didn’t hurt and won’t leave marks for a few weeks.
Anyone else had another similar fall in front of others?
Except for the fall it was an awesome ride with everyone and I can’t wait to get out again soon. I do enjoy the longer rides, it’s just hard finding the time to get them in.
This is one of those long birthday posts that people have on their birthdays where they look back on their last year to see how much has changed. For me it’s certainly been a crazy year full of family and fitness changes.
As you guessed it, today’s my birthday! I’m 6 ^ 2 (36) years old today. Yea, I know … it’s all downhill to 40 from here.
Anyhow, here’s somewhat of a timeline of the last year including links to favorite posts, pictures, and other random things.
- Gained 25 pounds in at the end of last year (2009) after having lost 75 in the first part of the year.
- Released 4 iPhone applications into the wild after a year of design and development, see previous item for effect on my body.
- Started 2010 with a new found focus, resolve, and a revamped approach to getting healthy.
- Won the first round of a friends & family Biggest Loser Challenge, I love me some circuit training.
- Started emptying my container of “Future Clothes”.
- Shared some pivotal stories from my past.
- Welcomed our second child into the world, Bradley Paul Willson.
- Became a Weekend Warrior several times.
- I broke below 300 pounds for the first time in around 16 years.
- I became an iPad addict.
- I stopped consulting and took a new full-time job to focus on a better work life balance.
- I started running and training for my first race in October.
- Hit some summer challenges and plateaus but still broke 280.
- I got a new bike, one of my weight loss goal gifts!
- Attended the Healthy Living Summit and met some amazing new friends.
- Emptied my “Future Clothes” container, it’s all new from here.
- Checked off 3 items from my goals list.
- Lost a total of 120 pounds since last January and 60 since my last birthday (gained 25 then lost that plus 35 more).
Goals For The Year Ahead
- Get to my maintenance weight, whatever that might be. For now I’m targeting it around 250 pounds but I honestly have no idea.
- Be in a book, shhh … more on that soon, but yea, I’ll be in a book in 2011.
- Finish my first 10k in under an hour.
- Compete in a spring triathlon, any suggestions on a fun location?
- Finish my first century ride, again … suggestions?
- Be an understanding and supportive father, husband, and friend.
- Eliminate more crabs and make more friends, Fitbloggin here I come!
- Go kayaking at least once, I’ve always wanted to and regret that I didn’t do it in Alaska due to my weight.
As my birthday quickly approaches, only a few days left, I’m realizing that my goal of hitting 260 pounds that I set in early July was way off. Not only have I been in a weight plateau for the past several months but the summer has been far more challenging than I’d originally taken into account. Although the scale hasn’t moved much for me I’ve still had a number of other amazing non-scale victories that are worth celebrating.
My pant size has went down 4 inches … yes, you read that right. I started my new job at the beginning of summer and was in 44’s then. I remember because I purchased a bunch of new clothes for the new job. Well, a few months and only ~5 pounds later I’m down 4 inches to 40’s and I’m having to shop again because my pants are falling off. I haven’t been in size 40’s since like 1990, that’s 20 years folks … wow I’m getting old. Anyhow, while I’m going broke from buying all these new clothes I’m also celebrating a non-scale victory of losing inches.
It’s about progress, not perfection.
Remember that progress is measured in more than pounds on the scale. If your eating right and exercising then your body is changing. From recreating itself with the healthy food you eat to trimming and toning, your body is adapting to the stimulation you’re putting it through. The more it’s stimulated over long periods of time the more it’s adapting and recreating.
I’ve been battling with my ice cream cravings this summer but I’ve still been working out at least 6 days per week doing running, weight training, and lots of circuit training. While my final snack might have sometimes been less than ideal they were countered by all of my other meals being healthy and balanced. Moderation and consistent healthy eating won over bingeing and meal after meal of making bad decisions.
It’s about progress, not perfection.
I’m a runner now, well kinda. In the past 3 months I’ve went from being a non-runner to a wannabe runner. I’ve went from not being able to run for but a few minutes to being able to run for an hour and a half. I don’t expect to be able to run a marathon any time soon but it’s certainly in my goals to give it a shot.
Had you asked me four months ago if I’d be running three days a week I’d likely have said no. I would have probably said next year when I lost a bit more weight I’d give it a shot. Rather than put it off I decided to give it a shot and see how my body reacted. I won’t say it’s been easy but I will tell you it’s been rewarding and my body is stronger for it … another non-scale victory.
It’s about progress, not perfection.
I’m now more flexible, stronger, and have a much higher endurance. In the past several months I’ve been doing a ton of circuit training … it’s pretty much been my goto workout choice if I’m not running.
Thanks to circuits I can now bend easier than, jump higher, do actual pushups (actually quite a few), workout for over an hour without a break, and so much more. No, I’m not selling you on working out for over an hour, don’t take it wrong. I’m just saying that I used to have trouble making it 30 minutes let alone longer times. Since I always want to burn as many calories as possible I like to get about an hour in per day.
Being more flexible and stronger means I can play longer with my kids. I can do yard work without being in pain the next day. It means I can take the stairs without being winded. There are just to many things to list to be honest … a whole bunch of non-scale victories.
It’s about progress, not perfection.
As I’ve said, in my normal long winded fashion, it’s not always important what the scale weight change is. It’s about how you feel, how you act, and how your body and mind are changing along the journey. Sure the scale is nice and everyone loves to see it go down, just don’t get hung up on it being the only measurement of success.
Stop focusing on perfection and instead work on noticing progress.
Are you being too hard on yourself and focusing on the scale to much?
Sometimes I just have to sit back and smile. Why, might you ask, am I so happy? Well, today I’m happy and smiling because:
- I have two healthy, happy, and beautiful kids — can’t argue with these smiles now can you?
Yes, I know he’s wearing pink pajamas, relax. They’re hand me downs from his sister and he was cold.
- I have new clothes & possibilities — I was cleaning this weekend and found my tub of clothes that I’d forgot about. They were clothes I’d been aging for the past 8~ years that I’d fit into someday maybe. You might remember my tub of clothes posting from before, well these were the bottom of the barrel, the last of the last. It’s now empty of future clothes, I’m now living in that someday maybe and inventing new possibilities one healthy choice at a time.
- I’m trying new things — As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve had a lot of firsts recently. Trying new things like food, exercises, sports, etc really makes you appreciate life and puts our lives into perspective. There is so much out there to try, appreciate, and grow from. So many new experiences that it’s silly to toss up your hands and give up on yourself. It’s never to late to lose weight, get healthy, find a new job, or reinvent yourself. Stop waiting and just do it!
- I’m looking for solutions instead of dwelling on problems — I’ve had several people tell me lately that I’ve changed since I started to lose weight last year. Somethings different this time … I wouldn’t say I’ve found my zen or my inner chi but my outlook on life and its associated challenges has certainly changed. Instead of looking at problems as insurmountable piles of complexity I instead look at them as lots of tiny opportunities to improve. This change in vantage point makes things seem much more manageable and solvable in the near term. Look at life as full of opportunities to improve instead of full of problems that are too hard to begin.
- I have a great support system — So many people don’t have a support system in place to succeed. Whether it’s an unsupportive spouse, significant other, friends, family, or co-workers … they all impact your day to day success in some way or another. I’ve posted before about being pulled down by crabs and I meant it. You have to surround yourself with positive, supportive, and motivated people to increase your likelihood to succeed and improve. My wife has been a huge supporter of me since day one. Anything and everything I’ve needed along the journey she’s helped me with, and I’ve done the same for her in return. People that are constantly complaining about themselves or their situation and aren’t holding themselves accountable and working toward change aren’t really in my inner circle any longer. You must surround yourself with positive uplifting people instead of emotional vampires.
So that’s why I’m smiling today … what are you happy about today? If your not, why not, and what can you do to turn that frown upside down?
It’s been a great week this week. I’m sorry I didn’t get any personal update out this week but I did get some posts out on my time at the Healthy Living Summit. Check them out if you get a chance.
- HLS Friday: The Fritos Tour And Party
- HLS Saturday: A Day Of Learning
- HLS Sunday: Inspired And Motivated
I went out this weekend and picked up some new running shoes because my old ones cried uncle. The past few months of running have really accelerated their death:
After their early demise I headed out to my local New Balance store to check of their running shoes. I wanted to try something different this time, more focused on running. It turns out my shoes were already near the high end in their running shoe line but I got my first shoe analysis on their treadmill anyhow.
The shoes I was wearing had a stabilizer on both sides of the foot but after my analysis I found out I was a pronator (I kinda knew this already) which meant ideally I really only needed support on one side. After trying on a few different shoes I decided on these cool red New Balance MR 1226 running shoes.
Sweet looking aren’t they? I’ve always been partial to red. Oh yea, they also changed my width from 4E to 2E … maybe I’ve lost foot weight or I’ve had the wrong width for a while now, I’m not sure which.
Music + New Shoes = Personal Bests
I took the shoes out for their inaugural run today. I wanted to see how far I could go just running … no c210k program, no beeping, just me running as far as my body would let me.
I did change it up some though by wearing my camelback hydration pack instead of running with a water bottle in my hand. This actually worked out well considering how darn hot it was. I also ran with music today, I know shocker isn’t it? I usually just run and listen to my body but since it was just me today (no wife) I figured I could use something to help get outta my own head while running.
Running with music was a first for me and it turns out both it and my new shoes worked out pretty well.
As you can see I walked a few times, I’d say about a miles worth of the 8.25 miles. Still though, 1 hour 34 minutes isn’t to shabby for 8.25 miles considering the walking. I felt great the first 3/4 of the workout and that first 1/3 was all running except for a quick nature break.
Toward the end I could tell some of my foot muscles were being used differently due to either the shoes of the distance I was running because they were sore. That was the primary reason I had more walks toward the end, I had to give my feet a break for a few.
All in all though I hit a new personal best 5k running it in 32′ 46″ and a new 10k personal best of 68′ 26″, WOOT!
My First Green Monster
After everyone at HLS had raised their hand (except for me) when asked if they’d had a Green Monster I felt compelled to try one. Turns out they’re pretty damn tasty.
I’m still working out the right ice mixture and which almond milk to use (sweetened or unsweetened?) but I really enjoyed them. After having three this week I can honestly say I’ll be including them into my regular rotation but I will be trying to embed a bit more protein.
My next first, which I’m making tonight, is going to be overnight oats. I’m going to try a recipe with kefir.
Did you try anything new or hit any new personal bests this week?
