I've Lost 9 lbs!

Just have to share, I'm down 9 lbs since getting back on track with eating and working out. Started 3 weeks ago and still going!  Feels Amazing!

Week 2 Update

Here is a recap of the past week.

1. Still doing the YAYOG Novice DVDs
2. Eating was mostly on point
3. Got my Fitbit up and running again
4. Still doing the 30 day Plank Challenge
5. Down 1.4 lbs for the week

YAYOG Update:

I'm still doing the YAYOG Novice DVDs, but it feels good to have 2 weeks completed.  The workouts felt a little easier than last week, so that is a plus.  However, the workouts are still a kick in the rear. I'm still going to "Keep Showing Up" and see where it leads me. So far, so good.

Eating Update:

I stayed on track my eating, except for Thursday night.  Was in a bit of a funk and decided I wanted a cheat meal.  We ended up eating Panda Express and I did not get the healthy options.  On Friday, I entered in what I ate into MFP to find out I was over my daily caloric goal by over 1,400 cals! I'm not going to stress about it though.  I got back on track the next morning and have done really good this weekend.

Fitbit Update:

My Fitbit zip was lost for several months.  When we were making room for the baby swing and pack-n-play, I found my Zip.  I got the battery replaced and started wearing it again.  I've been averaging about 4,000 steps during the day at work.  Then another 1,000-3,000 steps walking and rocking our baby girl.  She wants me to walk around when I hold her at the moment.  I just see it as a way to get some extra steps in.  If you use a Fitbit, you can Friend me!  Here is my profile: http://www.fitbit.com/user/245QJ4

30 Day Plank Challenge:

Okay, I'm up to doing 60 second planks!  They are starting to get tough.  I start shaking around 30 sec mark, so we'll see how much longer I can keep it up.  I'm hoping to stick with it, but we'll just have to see how it goes. Today is day 12, so we'll see if I can last 90 seconds!

Down 1.4 Pounds:

Even with cheating on Thursday night, I'm still down 1.4 lbs this week.  That might not sound like a lot, but my goal is to only loose 1-1.5 lbs each week.  I'm also already starting to see little changes with my body.  A couple times when I put my belt on, I've noticed I'm down a hole!  That is a really great feeling!  I've also seen some changes is my forearms and in my face. Nothing big, but just little things that are showing I'm progressing.  That makes me feel really awesome.

If you want to friend me on the fitness sites I use, here are the ones I'm on:

MyFitnessPal: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ithink2020

Fitocracy: https://www.fitocracy.com/profile/ithink2020/?about

Fitbit:  http://www.fitbit.com/user/245QJ4

If you use any of those, friend me and help me keep me on track!

Hope you come back soon!

Matt

First Week Complete!

A few accomplishments this week!

1. Stuck with the YAYOG DVDs
2. Stayed in line with my eating
3. Hanging in on the 30 Day Plank Challenge
4. Lost 5.8 lbs!

YAYOG Update:

Well, I must say, the You Are Your Own Gym Novice DVD Workouts are harder than I thought!  When you watch the workout (without doing it) it doesn't seem that hard.  Maybe it is because 10 months ago I was in much better shape.  But once I started the DVDs, I was huffing and puffing and struggling on some parts of the workouts.  But this is not a bad thing.  This just confirms what I already knew...I need to get on and stay on track...for the long term!

Eating Healthy:

I did very good this week on the food front. For the most part, I stayed under my allowed calories each day. Although I did go over a little one day, I'm still under if I look at the weekly totals.  I've also set a goal to eat ~180 grams of Protein each day.  Since starting to track with MyFitnessPal, there has only been a couple days that I did not reach that goal.  I figured out (based on YAYOG) that my Macros should be split like this:  30% Carbs - 40% Protein - 30% Fat.  Looking at MyFitnessPal, my overall Macros for the week are 31% Carbs - 41% Protein - 28% Fat.  I'd say that is pretty good, considering that I'm really only focusing on my Calorie and Protein intake!  All in all, I'm very happy with my progress this week.

30 Day Plank Challenge Update:

I've haven't missed a day since I started...yesterday was Day 4.  But, I completed a 30 second plank. I'm doing the plank in the classic Push Up position. My goal is to keep this up over the next 30 days.  I know it is going to get hard, but I'm going to do my best to stick with it.

Weight:

Well, as of yesterday, I'm down 5.8 lbs since last Saturday!  I know a lot of that is the bloat that comes off in the first week, so I'm not expecting that much every week.  My goal is to lose around 1-1.5 pounds per week.  I'm going to take it nice and slow.  I don't want to work too hard and lose too much then get burnt out and fall off the wagon.  So I'm happy with this weeks weight loss, but know that going forward not to expect this amount again.

With all that said, I'm very happy with this past week. It only motivates me to stay on track and do good this week. My hope is to be in much better shape and to be down 30-45 lbs by August 1st.  In August we are planning on going to the east coast for vacation. So, that is my motivation...that and getting healthy so I can keep up with my kids!  

Matt

Easy Homemade Healthy Freezer Meals

A while ago I came across a way to make your own Frozen Dinners! This really appealed to me, because frozen dinners from the store have some drawbacks (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11992264/ns/health-fitness/):

1. Not Big Enough – Most “healthy” or “Diet” frozen meals are tiny and do not fill me up. But the “Regular” ones are filled with Fat.
2. Not Enough Veggies – Most frozen meals contain very small amounts of vegetables. When trying to eat the recommended 5-11 serving of vegetables and fruits a day, these meals do not contain enough.
3. High In Sodium - If you are trying to watch your sodium intake, having 700-1,800 mg of sodium from one of these meals is a good chunk of the recommended max of 2,300 mg per day.

By making your own Frozen meals, you can control the portion size to fit your own dietary needs. Also, you can really cut down the amount of sodium, while still have a convenient frozen meal.

So, what do you need?

First you need to get some Steamer Bags. Glad and Ziploc are a couple of the name brands, but I hear some stores are now carrying “Store Band” bags as well. These can be found near the sandwich bags at your local grocery store.  I prefer the Ziploc brand, but here are what the Ziploc and Glad boxes look like:

How to Make them:

To make one individual meal, take a portion of Protein (3-4 oz of Chicken, Pork, Lean Beef or Fish). Marinade and/or season with your desired seasonings. Place the portion of Protein into a Steamer Bag. Now add 2-3 cups of your favorite veggies to the bag. Optionally, you can add a bag of 60-90 Second Ready rice to the bag as well. Seal up the bag and toss it in the Freezer. You can spend 20 minutes over the weekend and make up enough for the whole week.

When it comes time to eat, take the bag out of the freezer and microwave your meal for 5-7 minutes, depending on your microwave and your portion size. I suggest starting out with 5 minutes then check the protein. If it isn’t cooked, you can seal the bag back up, and nuke for another 30 sec. Repeat until you everything is cooked to your liking. Then note this time for the next time you make this meal.

NOTE: If you use liquids (sauce, etc.) for flavoring in the bag, try to keep the bag up right until frozen, so that the liquids does not leak out of the vents in the steamer bags.

Have I tried this? 

Yes! I normally take these for lunch everyday. I take a frozen chicken breast and 2 cups of veggies (I like the Cali blend from Hy-Vee - broccoli, carrots and Cauliflower) put them in a steamer bag and add a dash of olive oil and some seasoning in it. To mix it up, I use different seasonings and spices. Some that I use are Cookie's, Lawry's, McCormick's "Kicken' Chicken", etc Basically what ever sounds good at the time. Since I use a whole chicken breast, it takes 7 minutes to cook in my microwave.   Here is what it looks like:

If you look closely, you can see how juicy the Chicken is!

What if I want to know the Nutritional Facts of the meal?

Knowing the nutritional facts of the food you eat is very important to any Healthy Lifestyle. To figure out the nutritional facts, will take a little work. First, you can read all the labels of the items you use, the add up all the numbers to come up with the Facts of the meal. However, this can take some time.

I personally prefer just entering in the individual items into MyFitnessPal.  By entering the ingredients for my Chicken and Veggies meal I make (this does not include the little bit of seasoning I use), MFP calculated that the nutritional facts for one serving (one bag):

463 Cals 

55 Grams of Protein 

10 Grams of Carbs 

20 Grams of Fat 

NOTE: 119 cals & 14 grams of fat come from the olive oil. You could leave that out and save the cals and fat if need be. However, I feel you need some healthy fat in your diet, so that is why I add it.

If you do not use MFP, you could use a Recipe Calculator, like the one found at http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp. 

I hope these tips were helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Matt

High Protein Scrambled Egg Recipe

A few months ago I saw a co-worker do this. I've been doing it for one of my morning meals every day. It is easy and tasty!

You take eggs and mix in some cottage cheese, then microwave it for a couple minutes. That's it!

What you need:

3 eggs (use the whole egg)

1/2 cup Cottage Cheese

Here is what I do:

1. Crack 3 whole eggs in a bowl. 
2. Add 1/2 cup of cattage cheese 
3. Mix well 
4. Microwave for 45 sec. 
5. Stir 
6. Microwave for 45 sec. 
7. Stir 
8. Microwave for 30 Sec 
9. Stir and let sit for a couple minutes 
10. Enjoy! 

NOTE: Each microwave is different, so time might take some trial and error in cooking the eggs without them exploding...you'll know what I mean if and when it happens or if has happened to you before.

The cottage cheese melts leaving the eggs fluffy and yummy. You don't have the texture of the cottage cheese and you don't really taste the cottage cheese.

Meal Details:

313 Cals
31 Grams Protein
7 grams Carbs
18 Grams Fat

I personally try to get in ~30 grams of protein in per meal, so I use three eggs. However, you could only use two eggs and 1/4 cup cottage cheese. That's if you don't need as much protein and you need to hit lower cals.

Hope you enjoy!

Matt

30 Day Plank Challenge Accepted!

Okay, so I been seeing that planks are really good for you. Then I saw this on Twitter and decided I'm going to add this to my schedule over the next 30 days.

30 Day Plank Challenge

The site 30 Day Fitness Challenges also as other different challenges as well. A few others that I might try after this one are the following:

 

NOTE: Clicking on the images will take you to the 30 Day Fitness Challenges page for that Challenge.

They have Apps for Android ($2.99) and iPhone ($1.99). It does have all the fitness Challenges within the app and you do not need an internet connection for it to work. Personally, I don't think you need the app, but it does look nice. However, I think it is ridiculous that they charge a dollar more for the Android version... 

Who wants to do this with me?

Matt

Day One

Today is the official first day on my road to getting in my best shape ever. I started my morning off with a healthy Protein shake with Greens and Maca.

We plan on going and walking around the zoo today. Then tomorrow I start the YAYOG Novice DVDs.

Below are my beginning measurements.

Beginning Stats on 1/12/14

Weight: 219.8 lbs
Body Fat %:  33%
Waist: 45.5 in.
Chest: 46 in.
Neck: 13.25 in.
Bicep: 13.75 in.
Forearm: 12 in.
Hip: 43 in.
Thigh: 22.5 in.
Calf: 16.75 in.

Just wanted to make a quick post to mark the first day and share beginning stats. I took some before pics, but will post them later.

Thanks for checking in!

Matt

Finding your Goal Body Weight

So, you want to loose Fat. But, do you know what your Goal Body Weight should be?

I know that I need to loose 49 lbs. But how do I know this? Keep reading to find out how I know my Goal Body Weight and how you can figure out yours, too!

When I decided that I needed to loose the extra fat on my body, I wanted to have a goal weight. Stepping on a scale is a quick and easy way to check Fat/Weight loss progress. I figured I had over 50 lbs to loose, but that was just a guess. So I started to try to determine how much I really needed to loose. I first looked at a BMI chart. Before we continue, let me say this:

DO NOT USE BMI CHARTS!!!  You may be setting yourself up for failure!

Here is why: Looking at a BMI chart, it said that I should weight between 120-150 lbs. Going off of this, I would need to loose between 69-99 lbs of Fat.  As it turns out, it would be impossible for me to loose 69 lbs of Fat, let alone 99 lbs! Will get to this shortly.

A much better way to track your Fat lose, is to track your Body Fat Percentage. This can be difficult and expensive.  However, I've found a cheap, easy and accurate (enough for what we need) way to determine this.  You can use the U.S. Navy Fitness Formula to estimate your body fat percentage.  I've read the U.S. Navy Fitness Formula is as accurate is a skinfold test (accurate within 1-3% for most people), with less chance of error.  It takes a little work, but it isn't hard. Follow along and let's find out your Goal Body Weight!

First thing we need to do, is take some measurements.  Please take the following (is US or Metric - your call):

For Men:

1. Weight
2. Height
3. Waist (at navel)
4. Neck (at narrowest)

For Women:

1. Weight
2. Height
3. Waist (at narrowest)
4. Hip (at widest)
5. Neck (at narrowest)

Now lets use the US Navy Formula Body Fat calculator over at fitness.bizcalcs.com.  Click this link, then enter your measurements: Body Fat Calculator

Here is what mine looks like:

As you can see, this gives you your Body Fat percentage (needed for my spreadsheet), Your Fat Mass, Your Lean Mass (used in the below calculation) and your Body Fat Category.

Lets look at my Lean Mass.  It is calculating that my Lean Mass (everything about your body that is not Fat) is 149 lbs.

Remember the BMI recommended that I be in a range of 120-150.  Knowing my current Lean Mass, I now know for a fact that being in a range of 120-150 is almost impossible for me.  I would either have to have 0% body fat or I would have to loose muscle mass!

Now that we know our Lean Mass, we can determine our Goal Body Weight.  There is just one more thing we have to do.  We need to determine how much body fat you want to have. What kind of "look" are you going for?  Check out this chart to help you determine your Goal Body Fat Percentage:

Body Fat Chart
Description	Men	Women
Essential Fat - Bodybuilding Competition Look	2-5%	10-14%
Fitness Model Look	6-9%	15-17%
Athlete - Classic Beach Body Look	10-13%	20-22%
Fitness - Fit and Lean Look	14-17%	23-25%
Average	18-24%	26-31%
Obese	25%+	32%+

NOTE: A body fat percentage (Orange Levels) of less than 10% (for men) or 20% (for women) is not a sustainable healthy level.  For example, some female models that have an extremely low body fat percentage, start having issues with or will stop menstruating. This is referred to as Athletic Amenorrhoea. The Orange levels are okay for short periods (for a competition or photo shoot), but are not healthy to maintain long term!!!

I want the Fit and Lean look, but also would like to get close to the Classic Beach Body look. So, I'll say my Goal Body Fat Percentage is 14%.  After you decide your percentage, we need to do some math.

NOTE: If you have a Google Account, check out this spreadsheet I made (My Goal Body Weight).  Once it is open, Click File..."Make a copy...".  This will save an editable copy to your Google Drive.  Plug in your Current Weight and your Current Body Fat Percentage (from the calculator above) and it will update the chart with your Goal Weight at different Body Fat Percentages.  If you don't have a Google account or just like doing math, continue reading.

First, lets convert the Goal Body Fat Percentage to a decimal number, by dividing it by 100:

14 / 100 = .14 (Goal Body Fat Decimal)

Now, lets is use this equation, to determine your Goal Body Weight:

Lean Mass * ( 1 + Goal Body Fat Decimal ) = Goal Body Weight

For me, it will look like this:

149 * (1 + .14) =

Remember to do the math within the parentheses first! :)

149 * 1.14 = 169.86

So, now we have a Goal Body Weight!  I decided to round up and gave my self a goal of 170 lbs.

If you use MyFitnessPal (or the alike), now you can confidently know what to enter in as your Goal Weight!

One thing to note.  As you are progressing on your Fat Lose Journey, you'll occasionally want to check back and recalculate your Goal Body Weight.  Especially if you are doing lots of strength training and building muscle.  The more muscle you have, the higher your Lean Mass will be!

I hope you found this post helpful!  If you did, please leave a comment and/or share with your followers. I'll also do my best at answering any questions left in the comments as well.

Thank you,

Matt

Log Sheet for YAYOG DVDs

I've created a log sheet to use with the YAYOG DVDs, so that I can track my progress while progressing through the DVDs.  You can check out the log here:  YAYOG DVD Log Sheet NEW

I will be doing each DVD in "mini" 6 week Periodization blocks. Starting with Novice and progressing through the Adv. DVDs. As such, I'm going to do the Novice DVDs for 6 weeks, then the Intermediate DVDs for 6 weeks, followed by the Adv. DVDs for 6 weeks. I may plan on taking a week off between each level. However, I will work out, just not the YAYOG workouts.

You can check out my YAYOG plan for the year here: 2014 Workout Plan

Hope to have you back soon!

Matt

Resurrected and Revamped

So, back in 2007 when I training for my first 1/2 marathon, I started this blog to document and to be held accountable for my training.  After I completed the that first 1/2 marathon, I fell away from blogging.

I no longer run on a regular basis, however, I do still partake in various 5k's.  However, I'm resurrecting this blog and revamping it to start documenting my new fitness endeavor.  I've been looking for a fitness program that doesn't require a gym or a lot of time.  In my search I found the book You Are Your Own Gym by Mark Lauren.  After reading it, I'm sold!

I was lucky enough to get the YAYOG DVD's for Christmas and will be using those to get my goal of "getting into my best shape ever" started.  I also plan on using EFX and the YAYOG Android App (iOS version), to continue my fitness goals throughout the year.  I've even created a workout plan for the entire year to follow: 2014 Workout Plan.

I will be using MyFitnessPal and Fitocracy to log my meals and my workouts.  If you are a member of either of those, you can friend me to follow my progress.  I'm also on Twitter as @MatthewASchmitt.

My goal is to update this blog weekly on my progress of using YAYOG.  I want your help on keeping me accountable!

My official start date is on 1/11/14.  My wife and I are doing a Take it Off Challenge that is being put on by our local newspaper. Since it starts on the 11th, that is my start date for the year (and beyond).  If you happen to be in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, check it out.  It's not too late to register!

Well, that's it for my first blog post here since 2007!  I hope you make it back around here soon!

Matt

I made it!!! 13.1 Miles!!!

I will do a longer post in a day or two, but just wanted to let everyone I made it! I finished in under 3:08:00. I'll know my official time in a couple days when they post it on their website.

I'll post some pictures and my thoughts when I can get to my computer.

Thank you to my wife Tiffany and my parents for being here with me. Also, thank you to all whom had me in their thoughts and prayers!

Here is my results: Click Here

12.5 Miles - The reality that I can run a Half-Marathon

This past Monday evening, I ran 12.5 miles. At first, it was just another long run. A run completed without stopping or taking any walk breaks. That in and of it's self was amazing. But I just saw it as another long run.

The reality that I can run a Half-Marathon hit me as I was crossed the imaginary finish line of my long run. I was sore. My knees were complaining and my legs felt like jello. But I now know that I can run the Half. The fear or not being able to do it is gone. But I can do it!

I'm going to complete my first Half-Marathon in 14 days!

11 Miles...I think I'm nuts.

Friday night I ran my 11 mile run! I’m still amazed at how I’m able to do this. I know you have heard me say this before, but I never thought I would ever be a runner. Let alone a long distance runner. It’s funny and almost scary how things change.

So, about the run. Well, the first 2.75 miles were uneventful. The only thing that was on my mind was I should have worn my long sleeve shirt. It was 63 and a little breezy, so I was a tad cold. But just under the 3 mile mark, something happened. I couldn’t believe that it happened, but it did. A bird crapped on my head!

Luckily, I was wearing a hat, but moments before I had taken the hat off to adjust it. I had just put it back on my head when I felt some thing hit the bill of the hat. Curious as to what hit my hat (really thinking it was a bug or something), I took off my hat to check it out. Sure enough, there it was. Bird Crap!

Well, at least it didn’t hit my face while I had my hat off. It really wasn’t a big deal and it didn’t affect my run, so I continued on.

For the next several miles, it was pretty peaceful. Nothing really exciting happened, it was just me running and enjoying being out there. That was until I realize that I had to use the restroom. Even though I went before leaving the house, I had this feeling that I really had to go.

Thankfully, I was only about a half mile from Port-a-Potty that is located on the trail that I run. So, I made a quick stop and continued on. However, the sensation of needing to go started right back up a mile or so down the road. I told myself I need to make it home, because I’m not turning around.

After a few minutes, I was started debating about jumping behind a tree or brush. Although the sensation was there, it really wasn’t getting stronger, just really annoying and it made me think about it. Then, out of nowhere, it dawned on me. My water belt felt a little tight, too. As soon as I loosened the belt, the sensation went away and I was back to running free of that thought.

As I passed the 9.5 mile mark, things started to break down. Twice I started walking without thinking, “I think I’m going to walk now.” I didn’t make it more than a few strides before I was yelling at myself to keep going. Then at the 10 mile mark, I actually started walking. But not 20 seconds after I started walking, I asked myself why I was walking. I was so close the end; I knew I could make it a little more. So, I started running again.

Then it happened the first time. There was twinge was in my left calf muscle. Not a cramp, but one of the pre-cramp twinges that you get right before a leg cramp.

I started praying.

Side Note: Every time before I start my run, I say a prayer. I pray that the Lord keeps me safe, from injury, animals, cars, etc. I also ask that he gives me the strength and motivation to keep going.

So, after the twinge, I asked him to help me make it the last half mile. I started praying the Our Father and the Hail Mary over and over. I got the second twinge about 1/5 of a mile from the finish. It was a little bigger, but I still just kept running, praying that it would not cramp up until the end. Thankfully, it didn’t cramp up at all.

I finished in 2 hours and 20 minutes. After my cool down, I stretched out and took an ice bath followed by a nice warm shower.

However, I did realize I had let myself become dehydrated. Because it was really cool out (and the episode with the water belt) I didn’t drink as much as I should. Which is what I think did me in. When I did start thinking about the need to drink more water around mile 8, it was probably too late.

Lesson learned: Stay Hydrated!

9.5 - WOW!!!

On Labor Day, I ran 9.5 miles. It was a beautiful morning and I prayed that I would have a good run.

The night before, I thought about how I was going to run the entire 9.5 miles. When I ran the 8 miles two weeks ago, I had to start run/walking after 4 miles into the run. I had decided to run 1 mile, then walk for a minute and repeat throughout the run.

But when I started warming up, I decided to run 3 miles and then see how I felt. If I felt okay, I would continue running. If something seemed off, as was the case two weeks before, I would walk a couple minutes and go from there.

It was a perfect morning. The sun was still under the horizon, but there was enough light that I didn’t have to run in the dark. About a mile into my run I saw two groups of deer, one group of 4 and another group of 3. About half mile past that, I saw two more pair of deer run across the path in front of me.

At the 3 mile mark, I was feeling pretty good. So, I had some goo and kept running. The next 3.5 miles was run near a lake. The trail goes in and out of a wooded area. At this point the sun was starting to rise over the horizon. Sounds of bugs gave way to sounds of birds, ducks and geese.

About 4 miles into the run I saw a group of wild turkey cross about 100 yards in front of my path. I was hoping to get a close up view, but they saw me and went off into the woods. Between Mile 4 and 5 I saw some ducks fly over head, about 6 more deer and another group of turkey, including some baby turkeys. Seeing all the animals really took my mind off the running.

As I approached the 6.5 mile mark I was still feeling good. Not as strong as I was at the 3 mile mark, but far from feeling the need to walk. I had some more goo and kept running. Things were feeling good and before I knew it I was at the 7.5 mile mark. I remember looking up and seeing where I normally turn around on my 3 mile runs and thinking to myself, “If I can make it there, I’m home free!”

When I got to the 8 mile mark is when things started to get tough. I don’t know if it was subconscious or if I really started to break down. I wouldn’t call it hitting the wall, I just felt I was getting close to it. So, I started picking an object about a quarter of a mile away and telling myself, “If I can make it there, I can go another quarter mile.”

That got me almost to the end. With only two tenths of a mile to go, I almost broke down. I just put my head down and started chanting, “One more step, one more step.” That last little bit felt like it took longer then the previous mile, but I finished running.

It feels really great to have completed the 9.5 miles non-stop. It has renewed my confidence and told me I can run the Half-Marathon!!!

8 Miler!!!

If you would have asked me a year ago if I though I would ever run 8 miles, I would have thought it was crazy. However, that is what I did on Sat. morning.

I haven't been running much the past couple of weeks do to some pain, but Friday I felt good and decided to run Sat. morning. Although I was planning on only running 3 miles, I followed my wife's suggestion, "If you feel good, keep running." After 3 miles I still felt really good, so I kept running and ended up running 8 miles.

I did do some walking, but I'm not worried about it. I got in the distance and I feel good about it. My legs where a little sore after the run, but that's was probably going to happen any ways, since I hadn't ran in a week and half.

This morning I got up and ran at 5:00. I would have loved to sleep in, but now that I can run again, I got to get back into the swing of things. The next increase in my long runs will be 8/31. I will be running 9.5 miles!

Pain = No Running

Well, I've had my share of ups and downs and even though I hoped this wouldn't happen during my training for the Half, but it did.

What started as what felt like a sore ankle, feels like a very low shin splint on my right leg. It had gotten to a point where if I sat for a while, then got up to walk, it was really sore for the first several steps. I could still run and the pain wasn't too bad and only lasted the first few minutes of the run. But, I decided to take last week off from running.

This week I will attempt to run Wed, Fri and Sat. I'm going to repeat last week, as to not miss any of the training.

Wish me luck!

Where have I been?

One word... Wii

I've been asked where I've been and how is my running. Well, we recently got a Wii and in the evenings we tend to play with the Wii instead of surfing the net. So, I haven't been updating the blog as much.

To get everyone up to speed of the last couple weeks, I have been running. My 5 miler did not do me in. I didn't run on Tuesday this week, because I think I rolled my ankle somehow over the weekend. Other than that, I have made every run.

This past Saturday I did 6.5 miles. It was my longest run yet and the first time I tried using a GU or gel. I tried GU Espresso Love and Chocolate. I could barely get down the Espresso Love, but loved the Chocolate! I got a Vanilla GU pack to try next week. We'll see how that tastes.

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything the past couple weeks, but I'll try to at least post something once a week. It's the Wii - it's so addicting!

The 5 Mile Run

I did it!!!! I ran 5 miles non-stop today!!!

I got up at 6:00am and it was a beautiful morning. I took it slow and easy and had fun with it.

I saw a doe and her two fawns. Lots of rabbits and birds. I saw the sun glistening off the lake. I even saw the downtown buildings through the trees.

I will say that I was tired after the run. I even took a nap later in the afternoon and still feel a little tired. Instead of using water, I used a 50/50 mix of Gatorade and water. I wonder if that is not enough. I will say I do not eat in the mornings before I run. It has been hot here quickly and I run no later than 6:00am to beat the heat. Need to figure out what to do about that, If I'm as tired next week after my run. Maybe start with a 75/25 mix.

Anyways. I did it.

By the way, here is what next week is going to look like. Note, it is a cutback week:

Mon: Rest/XT
Tue: 3 Miles
Wed: Rest/XT
Thu: 3 Miles
Fri: Rest/XT
Sat: 2.5 Miles
Sun: Rest/XT

I'm following the Jeff Galloway's half-marathon training plan.

All I want for my Birthday

Here is my Birthday Wish List!!!

#1. Elite 2V Plus dual bottle water carrying system. Right now I carry a 22 Oz. water bottle; however, once my long runs get above 5 or 6 miles, I will need to be able to carry more water with me. This one holds 44 oz. of water, enough to get me through my longest training run. After my 5 mile run, I think I'm going to need this!!!

Update: I just got this today!!!! Tiffany (my wife) got this for me for my birthday! I so excited, because I can't wait to use it on my long run on Sat.!!! 6.5 miles with plenty of water...priceless!

I love you Tiffany!!!!

#2. Wii - Update: We got the Wii!!! It's Here, It's Here!!! Soooo much fun!!!!

#3 Wii Play w/remote - Update: We got this for ourselves, since we need another remote to play games together!

#4 Wii Nunchuk Controller - Update: We got this for ourselves, since we need another remote to play games together!

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Still Needed/Wanted:

#5 Nintendo Wii Charge Station - Click link to see what it is, however can get at Wal-Mart or Target- http://www.amazon.com/Nyko-87000-Nintendo-Charge-Station/dp/B000LFJNF2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5/103-9434011-0673423?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1184451896&sr=8-5

#6 UPDATE - Nintendo Wii Gun Hazard Light Gun Cradle - Different Style that works better! - http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Wii-Light-Gun-Pass-Through/dp/B000RP5UE4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-9434011-0673423?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1184805087&sr=1-1

#7 Resident Evil 4 - http://www.amazon.com/Capcom-35003-Resident-Evil-4/dp/B000P46NKC/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-9434011-0673423?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1184453862&sr=1-1

#8 Rayman Raving Rabbids - http://www.amazon.com/UBI-Soft-17319-Rayman-Rabbids/dp/B000GEDN5E/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-9434011-0673423?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1184455572&sr=1-1

This Morning's Run

This morning's run went really well. The first 3/4 of a mile, my body was complaining that I wasn't still in bed. However, I reached the 1 mile mark before I knew it and noticed my breathing wasn't as labored as normal.

I actually had a really nice run. I was day dreaming for most of the run! The majority of my runs so far have been me focusing on what I was doing; how's my breathing or slowing down, because I was going too fast or speeding up, because I knew I was going slower than normal.

This morning I just ran. What a great feeling!