AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge: Step 0 - Establishing 4 Goals the Zig Ziglar Way

Before I even go into the 24 Day AdvoCare Cleanse and Weight Loss Challenge I always feel that it is important to have goals in life. To be fit and healthy is a goal. An important goal. But it is not everything. We must be able to see the big picture and see how all the pieces fit. Often times I find myself on such a one track mode of thought that I forget all these other life factors. Then I get too deep and then things never pan out quite the way I want........

Which feeds into why so many people start off the new year with great intentions to only fail a 4-8 weeks into the year.

So, starting on January 7th a large group of us are taking on the AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge to get our health and fitness back on track. You can join the group and join us if you wish by going here

But before we begin our 24 days in about 5 days I think it is important to get organized and prioritize our lives.

So, one of the gurus of goals and setting up goals is Zig Ziglar. If you have not heard of this man(God bless his soul as he passed away not too long ago), then you need to Google him and get caught up.

I have a workbook based on one of his systems to getting organized and setting proper goals. He has a plan that creates four goals. It starts wide open and through a simple, but yet effective process really forces you to pause and reflect on what you REALLY hope to achieve with your life and goals.

Here are the first few steps in establishing goals. There are so many methods out there, but this is one that has helped me the last year and I will be using it again. I know that at first it sounds quite cheesy, but take it serious and go through these steps. Over the next few days I will continue to update with what to do next.

For me personally, I know I want to be in triathlon peak performance. I don't have a goal of losing weight, but I know that it is part of the process for me. I know that for me I personally don't do well with setting a goal of say losing 10lbs. Once I do that, then what? Can you keep losing forever? No, so this process helps me create a goal in such a manner that will allow me to achieve maximum fitness with a side affect of me losing weight. It works great.

Ok, onto the first few steps. Here we go.....

Step 1: Create a dream list of anything you would like to do, be, or have. Anything. This should probably be more than 50 items pretty easily. Give yourself a day or two to come up with ideas. Hold nothing back. Keep this list personal and show nobody as it is your dream list.


Step 2: After your list is generated go through and scratch off all things illegal, violates the laws of physics, or was there merely to get you moving. VERY IMPORTANT: do not cross of items that are difficult. If you don't have difficult items on the list, then perhaps you are selling yourself short.

Step 3: Copy items that remain onto a new page. Next to each one write down what's in it for you and the people you care about. What happens to you and your team(friends, family, this group, etc.) if you reach this goal? If you can't come up with a list you care about, then cross it off. A goal you don't care about is not a goal. The goal here is to figure out what is realistic and unrealistic, what is not worth your time, and what you are truly willing to work for.

That is a good start. Tomorrow I will post the next step. 

Getting It Done Episode 2: Eating Goals

I plan on posting the specifics to my eating goals soon, but in the meantime I thought it would be important to talk just a bit about how to mentally prepare. Instead of going in head first like I typically do with things I am going to go in steps and stages slowly integrating a new habit of eating healthy. The end result will be worth it not only for me, but for my family.


Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGPJk7YP3-s&feature=share&list=UUMJ0GJfo7BzVAHINQQ7VEgw

Training - Week 5 - Week 3 of Marathon Training - Friday - A Hodge Podge of Excercise

Woke up this morning at 4:50 and ate a small bowl of cereal.

I was still feeling the effects from the 14 mile run on Wednesday.

I took yesterday off completely and did not do anything workout related to let the body regroup as I had not had a rest day since Saturday and my body was in need of one.

I got up this morning and decided to jump on my bike to warm up my leg muscles and get a good little workout in prior to my 3 mile easy run.

I rode 8.43 miles on the bike in 35 minutes. My legs were dead the last few miles. I am not a bike rider at all. This being only like the 4th or 5th time of actually riding a bike this summer. I finished up the ride and tried to go downstairs in my house to knock out some push-ups and my legs about buckled from under me. I was able to manage without crashing which was a minor miracle in itself.

After my bike ride I knocked out my 100 Push-Up Challenge workout that I did not get in on Wednesday.
Set 1: 14
Set 2: 17
Set 3: 12
Set 4: 12
Set 5: 19+(I did 35)

After this I stretched out a little bit and 10 minutes later I took off on a 3 mile run with You-Dee. This was a needed run to knock out the fatigue and heaviness in my legs. I ran the 3 miles in 23:37 which is a 7:48 pace. The first two miles were nice and easy like I needed, but I decided to push the last mile to see what I had and ran mile 3 in 7:07. I recovered very quickly after the run which is great for me.

This is a great start to the day. All done by 7 am. What are you doing to start your day on the right track? Don't wait, get going now on your goals.

Later I might knock out a TRX workout, but we will see how the day develops. Have a great Friday.

Time for some breakfast.

Training - Week 5 - Week 3 of Marathon Training - Wednesday 14 Mile Long Run - Longest Distance Ever and in the Rain and with Consequences

I apologize now for the long title to this post and for the long entry, but I have a lot to say.

Here I sit at 10:32 at night typing up this post when I should be in bed as I know Ava will be up tonight and the kids will be up bright and early ready for breakfast. But, I had to get this post typed up as I have some great things to share.

Today I was all prepped to get my long run in for the week. It has only been 6 days since last week when I did my last long run, but for some reason I was mentally prepared to run the long distance today. Being that I was afraid and doubted that I could run 14 miles I figured I should get it done today.

I woke up late this morning. I was exhausted. I just could not stop being tired. Amanda had to tutor at 9:00 so I had to wait until she came back which at that time it started to rain. I was mad as I was all geared up with pre run nutrition and hydration and mindset. I had to wait because she had to tutor again at 1:00. God bless her soul for helping the youth with math because I can barely count on my fingers.

By this point in the day I decided to pack it up and call it a rest day. However, I was anxious for some reason. I was constantly in motion in my house and driving everyone crazy. Finally, about 4:30 I decided to pack up and go for it. We had a house full of kids, but Amanda had her friends over so I did not feel too guilty and took off.

It rained and rained and rained and misted in between the rain. It was cool out so I did not have to worry about overheating. I felt really good in the beginning. I had to serious plot out my route while running to make sure I did not repeat any roads because I tend to lose motivation when I have to loop.

I really focused on running nice and easy to make sure I completed the run. I was able to finish the 14 mile run in 2 hours and 2 minutes which is an 8:44 pace and a burning of almost 2500 calories for me. This is the longest run and time ever for me. I was so proud. I actually almost got teary eyed on mile 13.5 realizing that I busted down the walls that I set in my mind. I will be honest and tell you that I did not think I would be able to run this far. I know it goes against my GETTING IT DONE mindset, but I had seriously built up some mental walls. Knowing that I busted through that wall today is huge for me. I was actually able to tell that I was proud because I ran the last mile in 8:14 after the previous miles were all 8:30 or above.

I DID IT. So can you! You just have to put in your mind to get it done.

I did learn many new things during my two hours out on the road.

1. My family is awesome. I always think how lucky I am to have a wife who allows me to wander aimlessly around town running when she is stuck at home with the kids. God bless her as she is always supportive of all my crazy ideas.

2. I have been reading lately about not running in cotton socks. I keep reading about how they can cause blisters. I have never had blisters, but I never usually ran that far either. Today during the rain and the long run I learned that cotton socks do cause blisters. Check out my first nasty blister. Time for some running socks and to learn how to care for a blister. Any suggestions would be great!

3. Stomach Issues - I don't know what it is, but my last few runs over 5 miles have caused me great stomach problems. My stomach will hurt during the run and for several hours after running. Not sure what causes this, but this is something I need to find a solution to because it kills! I had to fight a terrible stomach pain the last 7 miles like no other. It was not fun.

4. Knees - I feel like I am complaining a lot, but my knees were on fire the last three miles. Everything else besides my knees, stomach, and blister were awesome. Cardio wise I felt great. Legs felt good until the last mile, but my knees were shot.

5. I CAN DO THIS - For a marathon I would still have 12 more miles, but I know that after today of breaking down my mental wall that I can do anything I put my mind to. This is a huge day for me. I know thousands of people run this distance all the time, but I am not what I consider a "runner" nor do I have the body of a "runner" so this is huge for me.

Time for bed and praying for no cramps. My legs are dead and my toe hurts. Good night. 

Don't forget to ask yourself what you are doing to break down your mental walls. What are your strategies? I would love to hear them.

Training - Week 5 - Week 3 of Marathon Training - Tuesday 5 Mile EZ...A Good Nice Run!

Woke up this morning to a great morning. It was warm, but not too hot. The rain cleared out last night and so this morning was a great time to run.

I jumped on my bike to the Y for a warm up as my legs and body were tired and a tad bit sore from the workout last night. Two miles is such a perfect distance for warming up and cooling down.

Ran with You-Dee this morning and it was a nice change to be able to run and hold a conversation. It was a nice break from my headphones. We ran at a good easy pace as I did not want to push too much as I pushed pretty hard yesterday and big guy is still trying to get his hip back in shape to run.

We ran the 5 miles in 40 minutes for an 8:05 pace.

Did some cool down stretching and rode my bike on back home. This last sentence reminded of a Jimmy Buffett song:

Blew out my flip flop
Stepped on a pop top
Cut my heel, had to cruise on back home

Totals for this morning
2 Mile Bike Ride - 8:46
5 Mile Run - 40:28
2 Mile Bike Ride - 8:04

A great morning. Off to make a healthy blueberry breakfast pie thing with the kids and enjoy the rest of the day.

Are you reaching your goals? What did you do this morning to ensure a great day?
GET IT DONE!

Training - Week 5 - Week 3 of Marathon Training - Monday 3 Mile EZ...Test of Body

My last post was part of my Getting It Done series and in that post I talked about the frustrations I get with people making excuses. I made a vow to myself today to not make any excuses and get the job done.

Tonight after Aiden finished his baseball game I came home and ran 3 miles. It was supposed to be an easy run, but I felt pretty good in the 80 degree heat and started thinking about my 4 mile race coming up in 3 weeks. I have a goal for the race and tonight I decided to push my body a little bit to see where I was training wise. Trying to push the body for a fast time on a 4 mile run is much different than training to sustain movement over the course of 26 miles.

I ran the 3 miles in 21:48 which comes to a 7:14 pace. I felt good afterwards and was able to recover pretty quickly. I hope I can push a little harder next week and see how much I can trim off this time before finalizing my run time. Right now I am set on running the 4 mile race under 28 minutes.

Here is quick breakdown
Mile 1: 7:32
Mile 2: 7:12
Mile 3: 6:57

I came home and then completed my 7 Weeks to 100 Push-Up Challenge since my body was nice and warmed up.
Set 1: 12
Set 2: 15
Set 3: 10
Set 4: 10
Set 5: 19+ (I knocked out 30)

Being the start of the 3rd week in this program I am still having a hard time imagining being able to do 100 consecutive push-ups, but time will tell.

I also wanted to get in a TRX workout tonight as well. This part proved tough. I started the workout, but Ava was being fussy so I had to stop mid workout to help with Ava. Finally, I was able to get AVa calmed down, took Aiden down to the basement with me and had to find the desire to finish this workout. I completed the TRX 3D Strong workout. Holy Cow! This workout was harder than the Condition to Win. It really taxed my body and made me realize how weak I am. My shoulders are very sore right now along with some tired legs.

I did not make excuses. I found a way to get it all done. Really, when you break down the time this all took just a little over an hour. That is one tv program or elimination of checking Facebook for the 100-200 times of the day.

Find a way to reach your goals. I mentioned in a previous Getting It Done post about setting a goal. Coming up I will be talking about the system in which I use to help me mark my checkpoints along the way to achieving my goals.

It is time for bed as I have a run bright and early tomorrow.

Training - Week 4 - Week 2 of Marathon Training - Sunday 3 Mile Recovery Run w/ TRX - Recovery from weekend!

I did it. I finally managed to get my 3 mile recovery run in this week.

It took me until Sunday. Three days after my long run of the week on Thursday.

I had hoped to get my run in Friday before Amanda left for her weekend of fun, but time got the best of us as we tried to mow, grab some groceries, pack, etc.

I took a few steps back Friday and Saturday with my eating binge. I fell apart on Friday completely eating more junk than I have consumed in the last month all together.

I guess we will have those setbacks and sometimes those are good to have to remind us to keep our focus on the prize. It was also a reminder about how terrible junk food really makes you feel. I felt terrible all day. I was uncomfortable, sluggish, and slept terrible. It was a good reminder for me to know that I have been doing great things with my training and nutrition the last two weeks.

One day was all it took to set me straight.

Saturday I did not eat horrible, but just did not eat enough and therefore I did the opposite of Friday and snacked all day, but not really consuming a great meal.

Today I felt the results of two bad days of eating as the three miles felt terrible. My stomach was uneasy and the run felt hard. Yes, it was warm out, but I don't think that was the reason. It was a relief to my body to sweat some of the toxins and junk out of my system.

This 3 mile run put me at 29 miles for the week which is right on track with my marathon plan of being ready for my first marathon on September 25th.

I also knocked out another round of TRX Condition to Win to work my core again. This workout really taxes the core in 30 minutes and I think I sweated more during this than my run in the 80 degree heat.

Needless to say I feel good about myself again. I was not motivated to get out there on a Sunday evening, but I reminded myself of my goals and where I want to be in 4 months. That was all I needed.


I have a big week coming up with my running. 30 miles of running with my farthest run of my life of 14 miles. Yes, I am nervous, but that is a sign that I am focused and preparing myself for what needs to be done.

Getting It Done is never easy, but nothing in life worth anything is ever easy.

Remember to share your goals with me so we can work together to achieve.

Enjoy the rest of Father's Day. Time for some dinner. Fish on the grill!!!

I ran my 3 miles in 23:30 which is a 7:46 pace.

Training - Week 4 - Week 2 of Marathon Training - Thursday 12 Mile Run - Hardest Run Of My Life

Today is my seventh straight day of running. As you know I had to change plans in my running this week(see previous post if you care to read why)

 Today was my hardest run I have ever had to complete up to this date. I was reminded of a quote I posted earlier in the week:(this post was the 1st in my new series titled, Getting It Done)

“Adversity is usually a prerequisite to great things.”

 Today I met diversity. I had to knock out 12 miles today. I ate my regular breakfast, but I don't think it was enough for what I needed for the run. I did not get out until mid morning and it was a little warm out this morning with the sun bright and shining. I felt fine for the first few miles actually not even looking at my watch until the 4.5 mile mark. At this point I thought, "Alright, I got this. This will be another great run after the amazing run yesterday." 

 By mile 6 everything changed. My mental strength was lost. My stamina ran away. My legs started to fill with cement and my stomach was killing me. At this moment in time I had two decisions

1. Use these as excuses in addition to running 7 straight days and call it a day

2. Suck it up, learn to fight through this and finish this run and be a place where you want to be.

I thought about this long and hard. I remembered the quote above. I remembered how frustrated I was last time I did not follow through with my goal and training. I remembered all my posts on this blog and my new series Getting It Done. I knew I had to do this for myself and to hopefully be an inspiration for others to  accomplish their goals.

 I fought tooth and nail(what is the history of this phrase anyways?) to finish the last 6 miles. Every step my body continued to go downhill. However, after getting to mile 10 I knew it was all good and time to finish the run up. 

 At the 11.5 mile mark with the end so close my quads locked up. They were fried. Not sure if I was just out of fluids, energy, soreness, fatigue, or probably everything mentioned, but they were hurting something fierce. So, I just counted my steps and fought to the finish. 

When I finished I was so glad I did not quit. I was able to accomplish this goal. Once again realizing that we are capable of so much more when we actually push through the adversity. Our brain is wired to tell us to stop as precaution. However, our bodies can do so much more. We as humans do not give ourselves a chance to realize our limits because we always pull up way too early in adversity.

I did it. You can too.

 Don't stop trying hard to Getting It Done!

And yes, I have a recovery run tomorrow of 3 miles and then two maybe three days off of no running to allow my joints and legs to recover. They have stood this nice little stretch of running.

 I ran the 12 miles in 1:45 which is a 8:45 mile pace. I spent from mile 8 on with my heart rate in zone 4 of  an average rate of 162 or higher.

Mile 1: 8:38

Mile 2: 8:24

Mile 3: 8:19

Mile 4: 8:27

Mile 5: 8:48

Mile 6: 8:53

Mile 7: 8:48

Mile 8: 8:59

Mile 9: 9:06

Mile 10: 9:03

Mile 11: 8:57

Mile 12: 8:43

 

Training - Week 4 - Week 2 of Marathon Training - 5 Miles EZ

Earlier today I announced a new blog post series I am titling, "Getting It Done" which you can read here.

This post mentions the problems I had this morning getting my 5 mile run in this morning.

I was not motivated to run later today, but I fought through the mental barrier and got it done.

I am glad I did because as I have stated in several posts, you almost always feel better after a run than before it.

I had to fight mentally to get through the 5 miles.

Today I did work on a breathing technique the last .75 of the run where I was taking deep inhales lasting two steps and exhaling one step. This really helped me sustain a higher octane run. I did not fatigue as quickly as I thought. It was hard breathing this way, but I remember reading somewhere about taking in deeper inhales of air. I am not sure if I could sustain that over the course of a 5K or 4 mile run as I found it hard to breathe that way, but it really helped. Just to test the difference I went back to breathing out of my mouth and I instantly took shallow inhales and my body tensed up and I almost felt a panic overcome my body.

I will continue to work on my breathing as I continue to train.

I did finish with a good run.

Mile 1: 7:49
Mile 2: 7:32
Mile 3: 7:32
Mile 4: 7:22
Mile 5: 7:07

This lead to a 5.07 mile run in 37:54. I did not feel too bad afterwards. I really feel my body starting to adapt to the running.

In the mornings I do wake up quite sore and the bottoms of my feet are killing me. My right foot has some moderate pain on the balls of my feet across the whole pad. I hope that goes away soon.

This is one step in the right direction to GETTING IT DONE

What are you getting done today?

Training - Week 4 - Week 2 of Marathon Training - Change of Plans - 4 miles

Whew! What a great way to start the week. I had intended to not run as Mondays are usually  my days of rest. However, while going through the morning routine of feeding Ava and drinking a few cups of coffee I realized that this week would have to change in format.

As mentioned yesterday my wife is going to the New Kids On The Block concert Saturday night in Chicago. She and 7 other girls are leaving Friday to shop and have fun for the weekend.

What does that mean for me? Well, I will try and survive entertaining a 6,4, and 5 week year old. We will have fun no doubt. But, in terms of training I am not able to take off for any running. I typically do my long runs on Saturday.

So, here is my plan for the week. I will get my 5 days of running in right in a row. I will move my long run to Thursday and recovery run to Friday. This will give me two days of rest on Saturday and Sunday which my body will need. By Friday that will be 8 straight days of running. This might be pushing it, but it is the plan I have chosen to follow. I will listen to my body and back off as needed. No need to do more than the body can handle so early in training.

Moving on today I had a great workout this morning.

While waiting for Amanda to wake up I took the kids out for a nice 30 minute walk. It felt good to get out early and just enjoy the beautiful weather we are having. The kids had a great time riding their bikes farther than our driveway.

I started the day off with the TRX Condition to Win workout which is a 30 minute core workout. Honestly, this might have been one of the hardest things I have done in quite some time. It was obvious about ten minutes in that my core needs some help and that my left leg/side of body is so much weaker than my right. If I can balance that out I will be excited to see how that helps me out.

After finishing that up I sat and hung out with Ava and Amanda before going out for a 4 mile easy run. I ran 30:47 for a 7:40 pace. I felt really good. I have ran again in my Kinvara 2 shoes. I am really enjoying these shoes more and more on these short runs.

Lastly, after I got home I quickly set up Ava in her chair and knocked out my 100 Push-Up Training Challenge.
Set 1:12
Set 2: 15
Set 3: 12
Set 4: 12
Set 5: 16+(I was cashed at 20)

I am ready for the rest of the day.

Don't lose sight of your goals and keep pushing to achieve them.

Never forget that butterflies = air nachos

I need to design a logo for my new little phrase. I want to create a running shirt with this phrase. If you are an artist please send me some artwork of "Butterflies = air nachos" and I will put it on a shirt and run with it in my next race.

See you tomorrow.

Training - Week 3 - Sunday - 3 Mile Recovery Run

Got out this afternoon after putting off this run all day.

It was just a nice and simple 3 mile easy run to work out some soreness from the long run yesterday.

Knocked out 3 miles in 23:22 for a 7:45 pace. It actually felt good to get out and run off the pain. The bottom of my right foot was sore. The muscles/tendons(not sure what is all on the underside of my foot) was pretty tight and it felt good to work it out. My shins and calves were sore also and it felt good to loosen them up.

I ran in my Kinvara 2 shoes today. For some reason my Brooks Ravenna 2 did not feel good on my feet when walking Ava at the park so I switched to these and they felt awesome. I was rather surprised because I thought for sure it would have been the other way around.

This week I ran about 25.5 miles and biked 8 miles. Not bad for my first true week of marathon training. I also got in 3 days of the the 100 Push-Up Challenge training in also.

This week coming up I will log in 28 miles running, 3 day of 100 Push-Up Training, and hopefully incorporate 2-3 days of Endurance Core Training with my TRX. My schedule will be off as my wife leaves Friday for New Kids On The Block/Backstreet Boys concert in Chicago so I will have 4 straight days of running Tuesday-Friday. I will try to get my long run of 12 miles in Friday before she leaves, recover Saturday and recovery run Sunday. Who knows how it will all work out.

My totals for June is 54.79 miles logged with 8 miles of this biking and the rest running for a total workout time of 6 hours and 52 minutes. I need to see this data to keep me motivated. I don't show these to brag as there are many more people doing many more great things, but I I need to journal/blog my journey to keep me focused on my goal of running my first marathon.

Keep pursuing your dreams.

Remember my new favorite mantra/saying - Butterflies = Air Nachos

See you out running!

Training - Week 3 - Saturday - Long Run - 10 Miles

I was hoping to get out early this morning, but due to a little 4 week child of mine named Ava who decided to be mad at the world again I did not get out until 9:30 or so. Thank goodness the storms have passed as the weather was nice and cool for my first long run in quite some time.

This was my first time running double digits in about two months. For the first week of my marathon training(I know the title is stated as week 3 as I have trained for two weeks prior for preparing) I have felt pretty good.

I took off at a nice and easy pace. I actually felt good throughout the whole run. My joints(ankles and knees) started to hurt on mile 8, but my body and breathing felt really good. I ran at an 8:23 pace so I finished the run in 1:24.

I was working on hydrating every 10-15 minutes which is something I have never done before, but I keep reading about taking in small amounts of water and endurance type drinks frequently to prevent hitting a wall. Previously, I usually just ran and about 45 minutes took a GU and waited until I felt fatigued and would pop another with some water. Now, I am trying to work on becoming a smarter runner as I prepare for my first marathon.

One funny story today is while I was running there was a goose standing by the sidewalk. Usually they just sit there and don't do much, but this one must have had a nest nearby because it hissed and started chasing me. I took off in a sprint. I was so scared because it was the last thing I was expecting. I can only imagine how I looked to all the cars driving by (I was on 53rd Street for those of you in the Quad Cities). I was running like a fool all in the grass for a good 5 seconds or so. When I was done being chased I calmed back down, but my mind played tricks on me and I thought I heard the goose again and took off and turned around to find nothing. I bet I looked so stupid!

I am writing this post a few hours after my run and I actually feel pretty good. Typically after a long run I am spent the rest of the day. Today, that is not the case. That is a good feeling. My calves are sore, but that is about it.


I am loving my Brooks Ravenna 2 Running Shoes. These feel so good and when I put my Asics on I can feel the difference. Nothing against Asics, but after 400 miles of wear and tear my Asics have been used up.

I also fell in love with a new flavor of GU. The pineapple flavor is a perfect summer flavor. I love the coffee and chocolate flavor when it is cold, but the pineapple one is the best. I have had this flavor for a while now, but always skipped over it in fear of a bad taste. I will be buying a box of 24 of these for sure.

What do you prefer during your runs?

I also continued to listen to the awesome podcast NPR: Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me. 

I was able to listen to the two weeks prior to on this run and it really helped to pass the time. I am in desperate need of some more great podcasts to listen too. It is a nice change of pace to music to actually listen and learn a few things.

Tomorrow I have a nice easy 3 mile recovery run to put my mileage for the week in at around 25-26 miles with 8 miles on the bike. A great week for me.

As always, remember that you almost always feel better after a run than before it.

Keep your dreams and goals alive. See you tomorrow.

Training - Week 3 - Friday 4 Mile EZ Run & IT FELT EASY!!

I had to switch days in my first week of marathon training this week. I was supposed to run 4 miles yesterday, but after storms all morning and teaching Lego Robotics in afternoon I did not run. My legs felt like crap anyways so maybe it was a good move.

I ran today despite being up since 4:00 with Ava. I forced myself out the house to run and once I began I actually felt wonderful despite my body feeling like poop still.

I was supposed to run 4 miles easy. I made sure to run easy because I have a 10 mile run tomorrow and I have not ran double digits in about 2 months. I am actually nervous, but I need to get over the mental wall.

I ran 4.53 miles in 36:04 for a pace of 7:58. I felt really good. This run felt easy the entire time and when I finished I was not tired or worn out. The day of rest was a good move and this is also a sign that what I am doing must be working. I have trying to eat healthy and really just listen to my body while running.

I hope I feel this good tomorrow morning when I run.

I tried something new today. Instead of going without music and instead of listening to music I decided to try a podcast. I have experimented with many podcasts and actually listen to a few while in my basement on my Mac, but never while running.

This morning I listened to an episode of NPR: Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me. It was awesome. It really helped me lose track of time and just run. I saw this recommendation is the July issue of Triathlete magazine that I subscribe to(this is May issue to the left and not the one I am referring to.).

The magazine has some wonderful tips and training(I would like to do a triathlon at some point in time) and one of the pages listed five podcasts to listen to.

NPR: Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me will have you laughing while staying current with news events from around the world. I just downloaded all the old podcasts to listen to in my future running.

What do you listen to? I am always up to trying new things.

Last, I knocked out the third day of week 1 in the 100 Push-Up Challenge I am working on.

Set 1: 14
Set 2: 16
Set 3: 12
Set 4: 12
Set 5: 16+ (I fought for 20)

Off for a long run tomorrow. Until next time........

Training - Week 3 - Tuesday 4 Mile Run and 1st time on Bike

Today starts my first day of my marathon training.

I really have my mind set on it this time.

I thought I had my focus last time I tried, but I was not in the same place mentally as I am right now. I am in a good place.

I am better prepared and taking better care of my body.

This morning I decided to do what my buddy does and ride my bike to the YMCA. Now I don't have a special bike by any means. I am not lucky enough to own a true riding bike that you can lift with your finger.

My bike looks like this:

I bought this bike at Target about three years ago for around $100. The closest thing I can find online is this one. Anyways, this bike has sat around my shed and garage not being used. I had bought one of the Garmin Cadence Sensors a while back when I thought about training for a triathlon before realizing the sport was too expensive for me at this moment in time.

After two miles of riding two miles in 8:42 at 13.9 mph my quads were dead. I got off the bike and my butt hurt and my legs felt like jelly.

However, I jumped out to a great start running. There was three of us today and that was nice to have more to the group.

Today was supposed to be a 4 mile EZ run. However, I did not realize how quick I jumped out until they told me to slow down. I ran the 4 miles in 29:24 which is a 7:20 pace. This is probably the fastest I have ran ever for this type of distance.

I accomplished my 4 mile run goal of running under 30 minutes for a race coming up. On July 9th I plan on running the Moonlight Chase which is a 4 mile run. My goal was under 30, but since I just did that this morning I am now shooting for under 29. We will see.

After the run and some stretching, I had a cup of coffee(not giving up that routine) and jumped back on the bike to head home. Rode the 2 miles in 9:17 which was a good way to start the morning.

If I could start every morning this way, life would be great.

Now off to avoid the 100+ temperatures coming our way.

Keep pushing for your goals.

Remember that you almost always feel better after a run than before it.

Training - Week 2 - Almost 30 miles, 2 new pairs of shoes, and HOT HEAT

This week was another good week. As I type this I am sore. One of my ailments this week was soreness in the lower parts of my legs. Today I am sore, but I believe it is not from running, but from serious HORSE basketball games last night. I was trying moves and shots that this body just cannot do anymore.

I was upset that I was not able to run the Sunburst this weekend. However, I am glad that I did not travel back to Indiana with my kids and wife because the black flag was waved and the race ended due to heat. I would have been upset to try and run this race to only not complete it due to heat. Another sign that I made the right choice to prepare my body for my big races this fall.

Here is a breakdown of the week and plans for the upcoming week.

Monday - I ran 4.1 miles today. Actually, I ran closer to 5 because I went for a .7 mile run while the kids rode their bikes.

Monday was supposed to be my rest day, but being Memorial Day the YMCA is closed which means I cannot get my lifting in. I decided to run what I am to run tomorrow today and lift tomorrow on my rest day.

This was not smart. 5 days in a row of running is not what this body needs. I am not an experienced runner, nor do I have a runner body. Being only my 2nd week back in training there was nothing easy about this run.

It was very hot and I have only ran once in the heat so far this year so the heat took a toll on me. I was not properly hydrated having only had coffee in the morning. No matter how slow I ran it was hard.
I am glad to get it in and be done with running until Wednesday. This run is important to keep me on track with my race goals even if it was hard and not easy as designed.

Off to enjoying the 90 degree heat in Iowa with kids and the sprinkler.

Tuesday - I did not run with anyone today. I took the day off from running. My legs were dead and quite sore. I did go in and lift upper body just trying to get some strength and tone back.

Wednesday - The day of rest was well needed.

I really felt good after starting off with my knees feeling like a 90 year old man. My Garmin watch died as battery was low so that was frustrating, but having someone else to run with allowed me to track the time.

This morning the 5 miles seemed to fly by. It did not seem like we ran for 39 minutes. It was actually a fun run with the nice push at the end running around a 7:20 pace the final mile or so.

I hope to have more great days like this, but you cannot always feel this way.

Thursday-

Decided to get out for a run despite the rain and heat. I had planned for a 4-5 mile run, but I took a road out too far and next thing you know I am running 6 miles. I picked up the pace because it started to rain and I did not want to get poured on. My knees are killing me lately. I did figure out that if I lace my shoes up too tight it leads to my foot pain so that is nice. Now I just need to have my lower legs stop being sore and I will be good.

Mile splits looked good for this run. Did not realize I was moving at this rate.
Mile 1: 7:55
Mile 2: 7:27
Mile 3: 7:44
Mile 4: 7:49
Mile 5: 7:35
Mile 6: 7:34

This run lead me to being sore and tired.

Friday - 4.5 mile run - Dead Legs and Sore Knees -  4.51 mi 00:34 07:36 pace

I had to fight to keep up with my pace. My legs were very heavy from running the evening before. My knees hurt quite a bit today also. However, still ran a good time. The run felt like it took forever, but was glad to get it in before the heatwave kicks in.

Saturday - rest day, but I did play some serious games of H-O-R-S-E that really made my feet, ankles, and legs very sore on Sunday. I did the first round of my new challenge of being able to complete 100 push-ups. I cannot believe how sore I am after knocking out a few sets.

Sunday - I ran 8 miles. I ran two 4 mile intervals testing out my two new shoes(review of shoes coming later). I ran four miles, felt really good. Stopped for about 2 minutes to change shoes, drink some water and GU and took off for another 4. This last 2 miles were tough as the heat starting to take away all energy that I had. My heart rate was steady above 175 which is quite high for me. I did finish and had to take a nap after eating and trying to restore liquids and carbs and proteins and all the other good things the body needs.

This week I managed 29 miles of running. That is a lot of running for me. Maybe too much of an increase after only running 24 last week, but not all of this was high octane running. Look forward to moving my long run up to 10 miles this week and having another great week of running.

Week 3 will be another big week before scaling things back to allow the body to recover in week 4. Have a great week and continue to enjoy your summer.

Marathon Training: Week 2 - Setbacks and Developing a Strong Sense of Self

Last week I completed my first week of my marathon training. I was proud, excited, and felt really good about getting off on the right foot. Well, my left foot decided not to keep up and gave me problems this week. Before I go into the week let me go back to check my goals I set at the end of week 1


My goals for week 2 are the following.
1. Do more stretching. I did not do this enough again. I must force myself. I did better than week 1, but not enough to warrant any true benefits. Stretching will not only help with injury prevention, but also to reduce soreness. More dynamic stretching in Week 3
2. Eat better for snacks. I was starving every minute of they day last week. I need to find more healthy snacks to help with the hunger. I need to drop a few pounds to make the running easier for me, but still need to refuel the body. This is something I need to educate myself about a little more. I did eat better this week. I am starving all the time so I did better eating healthier snacks at night. The time window of 7:30 - 9:30 is my worst enemy. A bag of popcorn has become my best friend.
3. Try to keep all my easy runs under 8:30 mile pace. I am not going all out, but I want to have better race times this year so I need to make sure that my easy pace is in a range that will allow me to push harder on the other runs. 2 of my 3 easy runs I was at 8:30 and 8:24 respectively. I had one over 8:30, but am learning that it is not about time. The easy runs are supposed to be easy and nothing more. However, my mind tells me that if I can make the runs under 8:30 and make this pace "easy" I will be better off. I still have much to learn about running as it is a completely different mindset than basketball.


Week 2 has me scheduled for 28 miles of running. I have one 4 mile run, three 5 mile runs(one hill workout), and another long 9 mile run. Will keep you posted as it does me good to reflect on my training.


I ended the week with 3.5 hours of training. Should have been over 4 hours if I did not miss one run due to injury. 


Monday: Rest day. Did not do any lifting or anything. We had no school so we did not workout at the Y this morning. Good for body as I was still tired and sore from 9 mile run on Sunday.


Tuesday: 4 mile easy run. We ran 4.25 miles at 9:05 mile pace with heart rate at 159 bpm. Good run. It was cold outside, but am starting to enjoy running in the cold. A nice easy run this morning to help wake up my legs. They feel better after two days of feeling heavy. Soreness in calves and Achilles a little better also. Felt good to be outside in the 27 degree weather.


Wednesday: 5 mile hill run. We ran at an 8:39 mile pace on this course. It was tough. Heart rate was at 154.  I accidentally turned off watch for about .5 mile on hill portion of run. So I actually ran about 5.5 miles this morning. Hills kicked my butt, but it was needed. Felt good to be running. Calves and below are pretty sore post run.


It was Wednesday night at basketball practice that I hurt my foot. Not sure what I did, but when I got home that evening I could barely walk. I thought my stress fracture had returned and went right to the boot. Needless to say I was beyond angry and frustrations set in immediately.


Thursday: Rest Day. Wore the boot and just did some light lifting. Completed one circuit of the P90X Chest and Shoulders, but did not work out too hard. Body was tired and frustrations were still heavy on my mind.


Friday: 5 mile easy run. I skipped this run today because foot was still hurting. Starting to question stress fracture as it feels better as day goes on. I went to the doctor and she ran me through the stress fracture tests. I passed them all where last time I could not do any of them. She told to either have an MRI to find out for sure, but it costs $1000 or keep running and see if it still hurts. It might just be a weird pain due to the mileage I am running. I decided to go back to running.


Saturday: 5 mile easy run. I ran 5 miles at 8:24 mile pace with heart rate at 155 bpm. I felt really good today. Pushed maybe a little too hard as my legs were tired after run which is not what I wanted the day before my long run. I had one mile run at 8:02 so times getting better with heart rate not going too crazy. Good signs for training.


Sunday: 9 mile LSD run. Ran 9.26 miles at 9:19 mile pace with heart rate at 155. Considering my foot hurting like heck a few days ago, I feel great. Good run yesterday, pushed a little too hard and I felt it today in long run. Last 2 miles were tough mentally. Felt good to be outside running long distance again. A running partner makes time go by faster. Nothing like running with snowballs on your eyelashes.





I am reading Chi Running and slowly beginning to work on my running form to help with injuries and soreness.


As I write this post, my legs are dead. Calves and below hurt like no other. Time to get in some good stretching and keep learning more about running.


Week 3 has me thinking about a marathon only being 13 weeks away. That does not seem that far away. Does not seem like I will be ready, but time will tell. If I am not ready, then I will continue to train until I am ready. I will have three easy runs, one day of hills, and a long run of 12 miles. A tough week ahead of running 30 miles. That seems like a lot of running. But I must never surrender to self doubt. Thanks for following my journey and I hope these posts help you on your journey to accomplishing your goals.


We all have setbacks, but it is all about how we deal with them. I rested, studied, and mentally prepared to get back on the road. 


Until next time.

Marathon Training: Week 1 - Smaller Scope Goals

I have big plans to accomplish my first marathon sometime this year. I need to get started. I have started, fallen off track, and jumped back on to only fall off again. My training with P90X workouts and a few runs have been going good, but my eating has been bad.

Why? Why do I keep falling off track and lose my focus? I have many excuses, but in the end I think I need to refocus on my approach.

My new approach is to leave the big idea behind and taken things one week at a time.

I think if I keep my focus in a smaller scope, my loss of focus will not happen.

So here is my Week 1 Goals for the week.

Monday: P90X workout on chest, tris, shoulders
Tuesday: Easy 4 mile run
Wednesday: 4 mile hill run
Thursday: Sleep in or P90X workout Biceps and Back
Friday: 4 mile easy run
Saturday: 4 mile easy run
Sunday: 9 mile run

This would allow me start my training with 25 miles running and possible two strength training days. I will reflect on this next weekend.

I need to eat better, lose weight, and get focuses. By increasing my training I think my eating will fall in line.

I went three days with no caffeine last week to test my mental strength. I did it. It was interesting. I felt great during the day, but had to go to bed at 8 pm each night as I was exhausted. I had a mild headache all day during the first two days. The headache left on day 3. I really did not miss coffee the way I thought I would. I missed the habit of a mug in my hand to sip on all day, but not the caffeine.

I did pick up my coffee habits again. Why? Because I wanted to and it is one thing I look forward to drinking every morning.

What are your goals for the week?

Training - P90X - Day 2 - Well, modified for cardio.....just read

Today I decided not to do the plyometrics workout that is assigned today for P90X. I decided that I would be better off to use these days to work on my cardio and primarily my running. I need to get a base established and to do this I need to ease into running. No sense in trying to do too much to only find myself injured.

I ran with my new shoes. They are unbelievably comfortable and worth every penny.


I used my footpod for my Garmin Forerunner to make sure my distance was accurate and took off. I started off slow and gradually built up some speed to a point where my heart was racing and eased back down. I have not ran much at all in over a month so I have lost so much.

I ended up running 3 miles in 26 minutes. Not too bad for my running debut. My average pace was 8:44 burning 533 calories. I laugh looking at my pace time knowing that mid November I was cranking out 9-12 mile runs with an average pace time of 8:28 or so. I have goals and I have time to meet them is what I keep telling myself.

I spent most of my running time (11:53) at the heart rate zone 5 or a BPM of over 180. Not exactly sure how to read heart rates very well yet, but looking at the chart it seems to me that I was working hard due to be out of shape?

I finished with Abs Ripper X from P90X as I never was able to get that in yesterday. That was a nice finish to the run. A good morning to start off the day back with kids in the classroom.

Yes, I am sore. Yes, I love it. Yes, it feels good to be back baby!

Training - P90X - Day 1 - Chest and Back (yes, starting over)

I was up late last night preparing everything to do this workout at the gym. I had my gear, my sheets, my water bottle, stations all lined up for the people I work out with. I was jacked and excited to start fresh and really get after it. I have been reading Racing Weight and calculated my ideal weight for running and BOOM! my excitement went to the wayside this morning.

Our stupid alarm clock decided to quit working. It was set. It was programmed to go off at 4:31 this morning. But NOOOOOO! It decided to lay silent. I woke up at 5:40 mad at the world thinking this better not be a sign for my first day back to school.

I fought through the anger and did motivate myself to get downstairs and do the workout. I did not have time to do the Ab Ripper X so that will have to wait until tonight.

I did use the Fitness Tracker 90 app on my iPhone. That was nice. I need to find a way to plug that data into my blog and Fit42 homepage and/or DailyMile.

My arms and chest are dead. I have a good pump. Time to go wake the kids.


Here is my workout for today. Not bad for the first time through.

1/3/11 Reps/Effort Weight
Chest & Back
1. Standard Push-ups
6:00 AM 30
6:19 AM 25
2. Wide Front Pull-ups
6:01 AM 7
6:18 AM 4
3. Military Push-ups
6:02 AM 20
6:22 AM 12
4. Reverse Grip Chin-ups
6:04 AM 7
6:20 AM 5
5. Wide Fly Push-ups
6:06 AM 25
6:25 AM 20
6. Closed Grip Overhand Pull-ups
6:08 AM 4
6:23 AM 3
7. Decline Push-ups
6:09 AM 25
6:27 AM 15
8. Heavy Pants
6:10 AM 15 0
6:26 AM 20 0
9. Diamond Push-ups
6:12 AM 20
6:30 AM 12
10. Lawnmowers
6:14 AM 20 0
6:29 AM 20 0
11. Dive Bomber Push-ups
6:16 AM 8
6:32 AM 5
12. Back Flys
6:17 AM 13 0
6:31 AM 15 0


Sent from my iPhone

Now it is time to eat healthy today. Time for a big plate of eggs!

Training - p90x - Day 1: Chest and Back

I am ready.

I just go done with my first P90X workout. The chest and back was first up on the workout schedule.

I can barely type right now.

That was a great workout. I recorded all the initial tests to chart my progress. Let me just say that I was not too happy with myself and how much I have let myself go. It is one thing to know it mentally, but quite another to see the numbers down on paper.

Today is the day I go grocery shopping and begin to eat healthy.

Why P90X? I chose this because as I charted out my plans for running this year I realized that the month of April just does not have any half marathons close enough to my home that are not the last week. I am going to need to be home the last week of April and the first week of May as little Hoosier #3 will be coming into this world. I was looking for a race in early April, but just could not find one.

That leaves me to a race in May. That is five months away. I cannot train for five months. I will burn out before any races start and I have several I plan on running in the summer and fall.

I decided to go with this program because it is 90 days. That puts me into March. By that time I will have hopefully dropped some weight(down to racing weight which will help with training and injuries) and be more fit to push myself harder during my training runs. During this time I hope to become more flexible and to also knock out some base running.

Starting in March I can then begin my 10-12 week half marathon training program that will have me ready to go by mid to late May.

Then from May - October it is all about maintenance, working on form, and continuing to shave time off my runs.

I have a plan. It is still in rough form, but is beginning to develop.

One step at time. First step completed by starting P90X. Second step buying healthy food. Third step get my mind back on track.

It is time to eat some breakfast. I am starving.