Year End Bike Ride

Last ride of the year 2008. Andrea and I took the same route as earlier this week. We covered the same distance 9-minutes faster than previously. Plus, we both finished without incident! LOL

Bike:
20.26 miles
1:24:11
14.44 mph

The year-end numbers are weak and somewhat inaccurate, because I don't always log all my small activities which include walking, running less than 0.50 mile, and biking with the kids. My log spits out a lot of data, but here is some of the basic stuff:

2008:
RUN:
216.78 miles
48:24:16
Ran 90 of 366 days
Average Distance: 2.36 miles
Average pace : 13:25 (yuck!)

BIKE:
442.33 miles
37:05:29
Biked 43 of 366 days
Average Distance: 10.29 miles

In 2009 I'd like to double my running mileage and cover a minimum of 3,000 miles on the bike.

Book of Life

I'm currently working a 24-hour shift at my part-time job. Whew, this has been a looooong day!!!

This station is great... it has a LARGE weight room AND a cardio room with lots of cool equipment. To sweeten the deal, the cardio equipment is in front of a TV!

Since I'm already here once a week, it's time I start taking advantage of the amenities this job has to offer.

Today I worked out my upper body. I finished the workout with a 15-minute cool down walk on the treadmill. I feel really good.

Earlier today I heard a phrase, which is common and I hear from time-to-time. It goes something like this:
If your life was a book, would anyone want to read it?
I'm not sure if anyone would read mine, but it sure does make me think. I spend a lot of time with my head down, reminiscing about what I use to do or what I use to look like. So, here's a small list of things that could easily be chapters in the book of Bill:
I've never broken a bone
I've never been arrested
I've never smoked a cigarette
I've never done any drugs, not even weed
I graduated high school without ever studying (my mom still talks about how she has never seen a book in my hand)
I obtained my A.A.S. as an adult with a young baby
I hunt and camp, therefore I assume I know what it takes to "live off the land"
I have two WONDERFUL kids
I was happily married for 7-years
I've lost 72 pounds, once before
I have a profession, which the average person respects
I'm a smoke diver instructor
I'm an arson investigator
I have made peace with myself twice, thinking I was within seconds of a sure death
I've endured critical injuries to save the life of another man
I've watched numerous people die in front of me
I've saved just as many life's as I've seen pass
I've delivered three babies (not my own)
I've had an active and adventurous s-life (hehehe)
I've owned a motorcycle
I've boxed in front of 3,000 people
I've caught a blue marlin and a sail fish
I've been stranded alone 40-miles offshore in a boat that wouldn't start
I've run a marathon
I'm a certified running coach
I've cycled 100 miles
I've cried
I've loved
I've been loved... I think
Most people who know me, think I am funny
I'm just me 24/7.

Leisure Ride

Andrea and I took her daughter, Taylor, for a 5-mile bike ride. Taylor has never cycled more than a couple miles... as far as I know. This was a test to see how she would hold up. We were both pleasantly surprised that she did as well as she did and with a minimal amount of complaining.

Bike:
5.62 miles
35:30
9.45 mph

Great article in yesterdays Houston Chronicle. Link below:
New interstate road map takes shape for bicyclists

Bike Ride

Seems that 'Let Me Out' isn't the only dormant blog out there. Lots of my daily readers are lacking any recent post. Blogging comes-and-goes with me. I just don't always have the extra time. Between two jobs and two kids, my schedule stays booked. Not much to talk about with a sports theme either. The right knee is quite bothersome and it has restricted me to walking and biking. I'm hoping to have it looked at within the next month. It feels exactly like my other knee problem (2007), which required arthroscopic surgery.

Speaking of biking, I bought Andrea a road bike for Christmas, in hopes that she will become a consistent riding buddy. Today we took her bike out for its maiden voyage. Cycled 20 miles a little over 13 mph. We had a fierce wind to deal with, but were able to dodge the isolated rain storms.

Andrea also experienced her first crash... compliments of ME. We could hear a noise coming from the front of her bike. After closer inspection I noticed her right brake pad on the front was rubbing. In the past I've had the same problem. Usually I simply reach down and fix the issue without losing any speed. Without thinking it out, I told her to reach down and move the brake arm slightly. Well she grabbed the brake arm and when she went to pull it away from the wheel she lost her balance. Everything happened in a flash of an eye. She bent down, then POOF... she was gone. I looked back and all I saw was a pile of human & bike debris in the middle of the road. Thankfully she was wearing her helmet. Andrea said she smacked the side of her head really hard. She escaped without any serious injury. A little road rash on her left forearm was about the worst of it. Two or three minutes later she was on her bike again and laughing about the mishap. Needless to say... I felt horrible about giving a brand-spanking-new rider such bad advice.

We rode around the grass farms in Crosby. Nice long straight roads with very few cars. We talked a lot about "rules of the road", while enjoying a nice easy ride.

BIKE:
1:33:00
20.26 miles
13.02 mph

Knee pain

My right knee is hurting. The pain has progressed to the point it woke me up several times last night. I'm taking the day off, no running or walking.

Usually my knee starts to hurts when I don't drink a lot of water. For the last several days that has not been the issue.

Time to rest a day or two.

Rain

As stated in yesterdays post, I'm making minor adjustments to my schedule in an attempt to get my legs back under me. I walked 3-miles with Lulu through the greenbelts. We started 30-minutes after a light rainstorm, not realizing it was a preamble to a bigger rainstorm. We walked nearly 2.5 miles in the rain, but it was refreshing.

I maintained a respectable pace.

Walk: 3.03 miles, 49:03, (16:11 pace)

38 push-ups.

I Hear You Loud and Clear

My body is not recovering properly. For the last week, my running has been progressively harder each day. I can feel heaviness in my legs. It's time to make some adjustments to my schedule.

I cut today's run short by half a mile. I just couldn't push myself any further. Beautiful run along the bayou with a decent pace, but I felt like I had 50-pound wieghts tied to my legs.

Earlier in the day I biked with my old roommate, Heather. First time I've cycled in a month, or longer. The easy pace didn't seem so "easy". Again, I think it's a recovery issue.

Bike: 7.30 miles, 43:20, (9.74 mph)
Run: 1.5 mile, 17:26, (11:38 pace)
Walk: 0.57 mile, 9:54, (17:26 pace)

Kept my calories under 2,000.

Challenge to Run

At work.

Challenge to run today. Left station 2 at 5pm to go run. Started running around the station with very tight calves. Stopped once to stretch, which helped. For some reason, I didn't mentally want to run. At 0.60 miles I stopped and jumped on the treadmill. I was about 0.30 mile into the treadmill run when I got an emergency call, so I had to leave. Once we got back from the call an hour later we had a training session. Re-started the run 2-hours later. Ran 0.40 mile. Walked one mile, then ran the last mile.

Complicated, huh? At least I did something that resembled fitness.

Run: 0.60 mile, 7:07, (11:50 pace)
Not counting the treadmill run
Run: 0.40 mile, 4:50, (12:14 pace)
Walk: 1 mile, 16:48, (16:48 pace)
Run: 1 mile, 12:03, (12:03 pace)

32 push-ups

Mile

Ran one mile late this evening. Beautiful night, but nothing else worthy of reporting...

Run: 1-mile, 11:57, (11:57 pace)

Went to my buddy's wedding last night. It was a stunning ceremony on Lake Conroe. Everyone had a great time. I've been looking for the that "one thing" that was going to motivate me to start dieting. Well, last night I found it. As I was looking through the wedding photos, I found one of me. I knew I was getting big, but wow... I had no idea. I was sick by the sight of me in that photo. I'm so upset about my appearence that I'm too embarrassed to post it here.

Consumed less that 2000 calories today. It's a start....

Long Run

Andrea and I ran our long run this afternoon. We ran my favorite 5-mile loop through the greenbelts. This was the first time I've taken this route since the Hurricane. It's a shame how many trees we lost. Even worse, it would appear that the utility company used the greenbelts to get to the remote power lines, which broke miles and miles of beautiful greenbelt trails. It's easy to understand why they did what they had to do. Everyone would much rather have electricity over greenbelts... including me.

Andrea stated our 5-miler is the furthest she has ever run. Congrats!!!

I'm not sure why I ran so well. Our average pace was 11:35!!! I've not slept much at all this week. Wednesday was an all night drinking binge. I didn't drink ANY water yesterday at work. In an attempt to save this morning's run I downed a large glass of water and took two S-caps. I really wonder if that was the saving grace? Either way, I had a good run even with my newly chaffed nipples and blister on the arch of my foot.

Run: 5.18 miles, 1:00:35, (11:35 pace)

27 push-ups

Station Tour

At work

Another busy day finishing the "paint project" at work. We're done and it looks really good.

Fellow Houston Strider, Lou, was passing through Humble so I had the opportunity to give her kids a short station tour of our quarters and fire truck.

Uneventful run around the station.

Run: 1.5 mile, 17:16, (11:31 pace)

PARTY!

Yesterday was an unscheduled day off. First of all, I was the lead person planning a bachelor party for my good buddy, Josh. Everything took place with less than 5-days notice; so needless to say, I had a lot to do. My plan was to squeeze in a 4-miler when I had time.

Those plans existed before the all-day rainstorm arrived. The rain caused 2 power outages that lasted about an hour each and there was a fair amount of street flooding.

The final factor that kept me from running was water dripping from the ceiling of my hallway closet, which was only detected when it completely saturated the carpet in the hallway. It ended up being a clog in the air conditioner overfill drain pan. Not a big deal, but it made one hell of a mess. And it happened on a day I didn't have time to spare.

So, as you can see... it was not meant for me to run. I repeated to myself over and over, "flexibility". Friday is my off day, so I simply moved it two days early and proceeded forward with the schedule. No biggie.

The party was an absolute BLAST. One of the best times I've had in a long time. As you might guess, I'm hurting pretty bad today. I can't party (by party, I mean drink) like I use too. That's what I get for trying to hang out with men 12-years younger than me.

Tonight I ran four miles through the subdivision. Beautiful weather. Only needed one short walk break during the run. I didn't stop due to physical fatigue, rather a compilation of stresses resulting in mental exhaustion.

I really need to find the motivation to get this weight off. It's literally weighing me down and it unbearable!

Run: 4 miles, 50:59, (12:45 pace)

22 push-ups

Jack of All Trades

At work today.

It has been an interesting day at work. It's not unusual to see big fires, weird people, car wrecks, mangled bodies, or (my favotire) weird people doing stupid stuff. Today was interesting because it was different than the typical shift. By order of the Captain, we were tradesmen of a different profession. We did sheet rock repair, lots of painting, and general maintenance to our dorm room. We spent the entire day working on stuff that had nothing to do with emergency services. The only reason I mention this is because I found it "interesting". When was the last time you asked your painter to also extinguish a kitchen fire or cut you out of a car? ;-)

After all the "excitement" of painting I still managed to run. My feet hurt from standing all day in my duty boots, but other than that the run was nice.

Run: 1.5 miles, 18:09 (12:06 pace)

Company

I ran two-miles through Trailwood Village with Andrea. Legs feel strong, but for the duration of the run I had a sensation of "over-heating". Weather.com says the temp is 76 degrees and 82% humidity. Developed a side stitch near the end of the run. Probably has something to do with eating dinner less than an hour before the run.

The mileage was continuous. It felt like we were running a lot faster than the watch read.

Run: 2-miles, 24:43, (12:22 pace)

Starting over with the push-up challenge. Also making some amendments to the schedule. Instead of a 6-week program, I'm adjusting it to 12-weeks. Essentially, I'll do the first level, then the second level before moving on to the next week. Tonight I did 18 push-ups.

Recovery mile

Andrea and I ran together for the first time in weeks. Schedule called for a 12:15 mile. She's faster than me, so naturally the pace was quicker than I would have ran on my own. It was a good run.

Legs felt like crap before the run. They feel a lot better now that I'm done.

Run: 1 mile, 11:26, (11:26 pace)

2 easy, 2 hard

At work.

Not sure what to think about today's run. First 2 miles felt great. Stopped for a drink of water and never recovered after that. The last two miles included four walk-breaks. My legs feel like I ran 10 miles.

I suppose this is what I get for posting that I didn't lose as much fitness as expected. Damn karma! I didn't get much sleep last night, so hopefully the "fix" is as simple as a good night sleep.

Run: 4-miles, 50:29, (12:37 pace)

Don't want to...

Didn't feel like running. Preston was quite ill today. Between his fuzziness, fever, and doctors appointment I was totally exhausted.

I convinced myself it was silly to skip an easy one-mile run. The run went good, but I still did not want to be out there. Surprisingly, I finished a little bit under my scheduled pace.

Run: 1-mile, 12:03, (12:03 pace)

A few days ago I bought a pedometer. I've heard over and over you should walk at least 10,000 steps per day. I'm not even close. What does that mean? Am I sedentary and not aware of it? For the last three days I have been between 3800 and 5100 steps. That's almost half of what I am supposed to walk. I don't wear it while running.... Wonder if I should count my running toward my 10000 steps? Interesting....

2 miles

At work.

Seven boring loops around the fire station. I didn't lose as much fitness as I expected. Run was relatively easy. I feel good. Suture site is tender from the friction of running.

Run: 2 miles, 22:49, (11:26 pace)

Also completed an upper body workout.

New Job

First day at Jersey Village FD, which is my new part-time job. Sucks to have 2 jobs, but I gotta do, what I gotta do....

Only worked 10-hours today. After work I had enough time to run at home. I could feel soreness in my legs late this afternoon. Soreness is always a welcome sign to me. It lets me know I did something.

My training schedule called for an 'easy day' mile. The pace felt slower than what I actually ran. The weather was really nice, so I suppose it's a weather thing.

Run: 1 miles, 12:01, (12:01)

Andrea and I did a few simple exercises at home, which included:
Lunges
Core planks x 3
Resistance band curls x 3
Squats
Wall toe raises

2 continuous miles

Two miles through the neighborhood was a success. No walk breaks and I feel good, considering I had a 22-day lay off.

Run: 2 miles, 25:02, (12:31 pace)

Non-run related comment:
The Houston Texans sure make it hard to be a fan.

Test Run

It has been a long time since I've exercised. Ten days of hell at work due to Hurricane Ike. Lots of mandatory overtime, which was good since I had no electricity for 8-days. At the end of most days, the last thing on my mine was exercise.

The aftermath of the storm postponed my surgery till September 24th. No problems during the first 2 days of recovery. On the third day I had an allergic reaction to the chromic sutures. The exernal sutures are gone, yet the internal sutures have left me with a lot of swelling. Needless to say, these complications have delayed my running even more.

Today is my second day back at work. Figured if I can work, I can at least go for a walk. Elected to use the treadmill, hoping the surface would not have as hard an impact as the road. Ten minutes into the walk I decided to run, which was a lot more comfortable.

Walk/Run: 1.05 mile, 18:40

The plan is to see how I feel tomorrow morning and if all is well, run one-mile in the evening.

Bad run

Trying to manipulate my running schedule to accommodate this damn storm. Today is suppose to be my day off, but I wanted to run because I think my chances to run tomorrow will be slim. Looks like my group will be housed at the Deerbrook mall.

Three miles along the greenbelt with Andrea and Lulu. It was way too hot to run. ON top of that, I've drinking nothing but iced tea, so I'm probably not hydrated properly. Then this mornings breakfast wasn't exactly pre-run fuel. I had to take a few small walk breaks. At one time I gave up and said I'll do it another day. Something came over me and I decided to get it over with. It hurt.

Run: 3 miles, 36:58 (12:19 pace)

New Day

It's official, yesterday was a crappy day. Hurricane Ike has cancelled my long awaited vacation to float the Guadalupe River and the highlight of my birthday dinner was celebrated at the drive-thru window of McDonald's.

Oh well, it's all behind me. Today is a new day!

At work.

Administration has put all firemen on mandatory overtime starting at 12pm tomorrow. They also advised we could be here upwards of 4-days, depending on the damage. At least it will be good money.

Ran a single mile this evening. Beautiful skies with the feeder bans of the hurricane overhead while the storm is still 400 miles out in the Gulf. I'm exhausted from all the preparation work we have to get done with incidents such as this one. Most of it is overkill to a nauseous level, yet I understand why we do it.

Run: 1 mile, 12:07, (12:07 pace)

New Age-bracket

I've entered a new age-bracket. It doesn't make a difference for a slow runner like myself, although I'd probably be kicking some serious ass IF I was racing in the 80+ category.

Like so many other people, it's just another day.

Is it just me or is life a yo-yo... consisting of a series of ups and downs? Yesterday was a great day. Today hasn't been bad, but it's heading in that general direction. My checking account gently reminded while paying bills that I have more outcome than income. Then my fairly new washer, which recently went out of warranty died. Now I have to juggle my schedule to accommodate a person I don't even like...

Uhhh, life!!!

Due to the change in my schedule I ran mid-day on the greenbelts. It was hot and humid, but that wasn't too big of an issue. My biggest problem was boredom. Lulu is a horrible conversationalist!

Run: 2.5 miles, 30:46 (12:18 pace)

Several of the greenbelts have pedestrian tunnels under major roadways, so runners don't have to cross the roadways. On rare occasions a punk kid will "tag" or spray paint something on the concrete. I find it interesting that it's seldom anything offensive and the greenbelt maintenance crew usually has it removed within a day or two.

Anyways, while running today I saw that someone decided to spray paint the outside wall of the tunnel. I thought to myself "Where else do the 'punk kids' spray paint stuff like this?" Even our bad kids are pretty good!!!

The picture below is another reason I love Kingwood.

Upper body workout and 77 push-ups. I am tired of these push-ups!

Woo-hoo!!!

I'm having a GREAT day.

Okay, it's time for a small confession. You may recall I recently visited NOLA. What very few people know is the REAL reason behind my visit to the Big Easy. The fact is this was a "vacation" that had been planned and paid for several months in advance. The trip was "secretly" scheduled around the RRCA Running Coach Certification class hosted by the New Orleans Track Club.

The class was amazing. I've read lots of running books, but this class showed me how little I really knew about designing a safe and smart training schedule. So much of what I've read in the past is performance-based. I was skipping vital and fundamental steps to proper adaptations. Now I'm better prepared to build my own schedules and hopefully I'll do so in an informed manner. And when the time comes, I hope to help other beginning runners too.

The class lasted two days, but it really should be a 3-day class. Each day we started on time, stayed late, minimal breaks, with very short lunches. It's a lot of good information. I highly recommend this class to any runner of any ability. Nearly half the students in my class have no intentions of coaching. They simply wanted to enhance their ability to build personal training schedules. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you don't need a huge following of runners to benefit from this class. I only regret not taking it sooner.

After lots of reading, today I finally finished the online test and I'm proud to say I PASSED. It's official; I'm a certified RRCA Distance Running Coach!!! I want to take a moment to thank long time RRCA Running Coach Steeve, who helped me with a hand full of questions I was struggling with. Thanks Steeve, you Rock!!!

Kind of weird for a grown man to be this excited, huh?!?!?!?!

Moving on...

My hamstrings have been really tight all day. I didn't think I worked out all that hard yesterday, but my legs tell a different story.

Andrea and I ran an easy mile around the bayou. The path is mostly dirt and short grass along the brim of the bayou. Stayed on pace and my legs felt good.

Run: 1.0 miles, 12:13, (12:13 pace)

Pre-work run

At work today.

Last night I talked with Josh on the phone about running before work. The plan was to meet at the station and run 2.5 miles through the city.

It was a challenge getting the kids awake and ready for school that early, but I made it happen due to the commitment we made the night before. I arrived at the station at the exact time we discussed only to learn Josh was still on the other side of town. With a limited amount of time, I took off running solo. I ran to Humble FD station two. The route there and back was exactly 2.5 miles.

Good run, but the sidewalks and roads were in rough condition. I could feel the uneven terrain in my feet and lower back. On the return trip I ran with the girl's high school cross country team for half a mile. I always assumed they ran much faster, but we pretty much ran the same pace.

Run: 2.5 miles, 31:08. (12:28 pace)

This evening I completed a lower-body workout, 71 push-ups, and 45-seconds jump rope.

I'm barely able to stay on the 100 push up challenge schedule.

Below is a picture for my buddy, Josh aka: "Bisquick". On the outside he looks solid... all warm and nice, but when you look closer he falls apart in a flaky-crumbly mess!!!

G.I.D. (girl I'm dating)

You don't have to dig too deep in this blog to see that I'm dating a new woman, Andrea. She's been good for me both mentally and physically. Andrea and I dated 10+ years ago, well before my marriage to Erin. Back then she was looking for something serious and I was still young and playing, so we drifted apart. As fate would have it, Andrea called the station to see "how I was doing" a few months ago. Our friendship blossomed into a serious relationship and I couldn't be happier.

It's exciting to date someone whom you share so many interests with. It's a bonus when that interest includes RUNNING.

I had the kids this weekend. We had a lot of errands to do, so it turned out to be busy. Any other day, the run would have been blown-off. Andrea and I decided to run separately which enabled both if us to run and still have time for the other things that needed to be done. It's these little things that really make me happy. I really think running (or any sport) is a solid base for a healthy relationship, no pun intended.

Run: 1 mile, 12:09, (12:09 pace)

Your training partners are key to your success, and friendships based on your runs together are strong. - Bill Rogers

Soap Box

Woke up at work this morning to the best weather we've seen in a long time. As soon as I got home I changed into my running attire, loaded Lulu in the truck, and took off for East End Park. Schedule called for 2.5 miles at 12:15 pace. Perfect run with the exception of one issue that is progressively getting worse...

Damn irresponsible dog owners!!!!

East End Park is probably one of the most beautiful parks I have ever had the pleasure of running. It consist of several wooded miles of well maintained crushed granite trails and long wood bridges that weave in and out of the rivers bank. Lot's of people like to take their dogs to the park. Kingwood is in the City of Houston, which has leash laws. Kingwood has gone as far was opening a Dog-park off Northpark, but East End Park is NOT considered a dog park. People assume since they're in the woods, they don't have to put their dogs on a leash. Today I ran with lulu, who was on a leash. We passed no less than seven other people with their dogs and only 2 of them were on a leash. Now here's my complaint.... three of the dogs charged us, growled, and ran Lulu and I off the trail. This pisses me off. I'm abiding by the law and I'm scared to use our own trails. People think they have a right to break the law because, "My dog doesn't bite". This is bullshit!

I like dogs as much as the next person, but c'mon. I had to kick one dog in the head because he was nipping at lulu, which in return was pulling my arm out my socket via the leash. HPD doesn't seem to care. A couple months ago, I spoke to a bike patrol officer and he said for ME to remind them there are leash laws in the city limits. What the fuck are we paying cops for anyway? There is more to law enforcement than drugs, assaults, and theft. Do you're job you donut eating bastards.

Maybe I'll buy some pepper spray. Although, that brings me to another dilema... I'm not sure if I should spray the dog or the stupid-ass dog owners. You're right, maybe I'll spray both!

Okay, I'm done.

The run was great. A couple new trails have been cut and it would appear it has shortened my mileage when I run the outside perimeter. Usually it's 2.9 miles. Today my watch read 2.40 miles for the outside loop. I ran a little past my car to get the needed 2.5 miles. I think it's worth re-measuring with my bike. Something tells me my garmin wasn't 100% accurate in the trails. If indeed it is correct, I ran 30-seconds slower than scheduled. It felt like I was moving faster than my 12:15 pace.

Run: 2.71 miles, 31:52, (11:46)

Finished the morning with a mid-body workout. My chest is sore from yesterday's push-ups, otherwise the workout went good.

UPDATE:
I couldn't resist, I HAD to take my bike and measure the trail. The loop is 2.66 miles. I made changes to my run time above.

Bike: 2.74 miles, 15:56, (10.24mph)

Half-way point of Push-Up challenge

At work today.

Rest day. Two weeks ago I adjusted my mileage and started running 6-days a week. I've decided Friday will be my "off-day". Although my legs feel strong, I'm trying to let them have a little R&R.

I'll be glad to run tomorrow morning. My head is a little foggy. I could use a nice slow run.

87 push-ups. I'm at the mid-point of the push-up challenge.

Near miss

By 9pm I had decided to put off today's run and run on tomorrow's off-day. Just before bed I had a change of heart. Lulu and I ran a loop configuration around Alison's elementary school. Great run. Weather was wonderful. Didn't even break a sweat till I stopped.

Glad I ran. As much as I'm an emotional eater, I also consider myself an emotional athlete. I've had better days and I'm glad I forced my lazy-ass out the door.

I feel better now that I've run.

Run: 1.25 miles, 15:13, (12:10 pace)

Lonely Run

I've grown accustom to running with people, both at home and at work. Today was just me and Lulu on the greenbelts. Gotta admit... it was kind of boring. Ran at 3pm. You think it would have been hot, but the temperature wasn't an issue. The pace was a little off my 12:15 mark.

Run: 2 miles, 24:54, (12:27 pace)

I lack the motivation to do my scheduled mid-body workout. Maybe later I'll get a second wind and get in the gym. I doubt it.

However, I did 78 push-ups.

Fired Up 5k pictures:
Alison
Andrea
Bill and Preston

Having Fun!

At work today.

It's been a busy day, easily twice our typical call volume. The emergency room staff said a large percentage of their patients are LA evacuee's. Hmmmm...

Easy, easy, easy run. I have something neat going on with my legs. My legs feel tired and heavy during the day, but when I run they feel great. I also seem to be acclimating to the heat. The fire station weather sensor read 91 degrees with a heat index of 103. During my run I wasn't bothered by the heat whatsoever.

Slow easy running is nice, I might be on to something!?!?!

Run: 1.25 miles, 14:52, (11:57 pace)

Fired Up 5k

Almost flaked on the Fired Up 5k. Technically, you could still say I flaked, since I didn't "race" this morning. This is the home of my PR and therefore is one of my favorite Houston area races. Unfortunately, it's nearly one-hour from Kingwood. With Andrea and both kids in tow, I had to wake up at 4:30... and we still barely made it there in time. After registering, we started wondering how we were going to logistically run the race with the kids. Alison is a great runner, but 3-miles is out of her range. We decided to run the family 1.5 mile/run-walk.

As soon as the 5k runners were passing the finish line, we changed our mind again. We took off walking behind them and decided to start "running" after we reached the 1-mile marker. Andrea and I started running, while Alison and Preston hitched a ride on the stroller. With about 1.5 miles to the finish, Alison jumped out and ran the rest of the way in. My schedule called for 2 miles at 12:15 pace. I was dead-on pace.

Alison and Andrea finished ahead of me. That little girl makes me so proud. She was excited to run. It broke my heart, because she put it all out there, she maintained a nice consistent pace with a GREAT finish line kick. She was disappointed she didn't get a "finishers metal", like most kid races give out. She asked me over and over to check the results to see if she won anything. We spent the next few hours telling and showing her how proud we are of her. Even got her mother to call and tell her she was proud of her. After a few hours we finally pulled her out of her slump. It is hard for her juvenile mind to process that she passed 20-30 people without a single runner passing her and she received nothing for her effort. I suppose there was a life lesson to be learned this morning.

Saw lots of Strider buds; Steve, Lou, Barry, Chris, Tim, and a lot others... my mind is fuzzy.

69 push-ups. I've DEFINITELY stopped liking the push-up challenge!

Run: 2.11 miles, 25:51, (12:15 pace)

Pissy

I must be getting older, because I sure am getting a lot pissier about small stuff. All this hurricane panic is really getting under my skin. It just doesn't make sense. The news is escalating all the storm-hype, which is nothing new... but c'mon, the freakin landfall is almost certain to be more than 250 miles East of Galveston!!! Last night the anchorman was interviewing people from NOLA, who had evacuated to Houston. Are they really that stupid? Why drive 6-hours to a city that is 40 miles from the coast. Drive NORTH idiots!!!

Even my job is showing signs of ciaos. It's always nice knowing that people call the Fire Department when they don't know whom else to call. We take incidents that are completely out-of-hand and we organize the ciaos and if luck is on our side we're able to mitigate the incident. Over the last couple days our administration was considering mandatory callback of every single employee to active duty during the storm. I'm not sure what I think about these idea. And out of respect for the FD administrations authority, I will keep those thoughts to myself. I do know when the average citizen sees city officials "panicking" they feel their sense of fear is warranted.

As always, just my opinion.

Ran with Andrea while pushing the stroller and Alison joined us on her bike.

Run: 1.01 miles, 12:20, (12:13 pace)

I had plans to run the Fired Up 5k. I'm worried I'll drive 50 miles to find out the race has been cancelled. The site says nothing either way. If anyone knows the intentions of the RD please, please, please let me know before I drive out there tomorrow.

Bulls-eye

At work today.

Scheduled 2 miles at 12:15 pace. Finished within 4-seconds of my projected time. Weather station said 91 degrees and 100 heat index. It was hot, but it wasn't a big deal. Mileage was continuous.

Run: 2 miles, 24:26, (12:13 pace)

Upper body workout.

I really fill good and I'm happy.

No running

I probably understated how easy yesterdays run was. It might have been the easiest run I have ever ran, albeit only a single mile.

Today is my only off day this week. I'm trying to run 6-days a week. I've replaced a couple off days and threw in some really easy stuff... like yesterdays single mile.

Had to re-group my push-up challenge schedule. I started over on level one of week three. The workout is still plenty tough. Almost didn't finish again, but I managed to get them in as prescribed.

64 push-ups

Great, short run.

My legs felt sore and heavy all day. They ached so much I wondered how in the world I would finish one mile. Forced myself out the door with the help of Andrea and Taylor. Completely shocked at the results. The mile was smooth and easy. Shooting for a 12:15 pace, but I'm still coming in a little faster than scheduled. I know.... don't get too excited, its only a few seconds.

.... aaaah, reaping the benefits of hard-easy adaptations.

Run: 1 mile, 12:04, (12:04 pace)

Tour de Art Run

Road Runners Club of America "Run at Work Day", Houston edition.
Great run. If you've never run this event, it is a DO NOT MISS EVENT....
I've run twice and still can't wait!!!

Ex-haust-ed!!!!

At work today.

Co-worker and friend, Tom Miller joined me for a 2-mile run. The scheduled pace was 12:15 min/mile. We covered the distance in 24:11, 12:06 pace. Not too shabby. As we started our run, the fire station weather sensor read 91 degrees with a heat index of 103. Trust me, it felt like every bit of 103 and MORE.

Run: 2.0 miles, 24:11, (12:06 pace)

84 push-ups.
Today I started my third week of push-ups. Up to this point the 100 push-up challenge has been easy. For whatever reason, I could NOT finish all the push-ups, as prescribed. I actually did the appropriate number of push-ups, but it took several extended rest breaks to finish them.

Completed a lower body-workout without any issues.

I'm tired.

...almost

Not quite a mile. The plan was one easy mile at 12:15. I overlooked the fact that I turned my watch on for the 0.10 walk. When I saw the mileage on my garmin as 1.0 miles, I shut it down... not realizing what I had done till now.

Walk: 0.22 miles, 3:48, (18:02 pace)
Run: 0.89 mile, 10:48, (12:08 pace)

Found our race results from Sundays NOTC 3-mile anniversary race:
Bill: 33:00 (11:00 pace)
Andrea: 32:28 (10:49 pace)

Lots-o-Exercise

My newest training schedule called for a 2-mile run at 12:15 pace, yes, you're reading that right... 12:15!! Andrea joined me for another great run through the greenbelts, joined by her daughter on her bicycle. We walked 0.20 to our start point, ran 2 miles, and walked 0.20 miles back to the house. The numbers look like this:

Walk: 0.40 mile, 7:00 minutes, (17:30 pace)
Run: 2.0 miles, 24:10 minutes, (12:05 pace)

The run was within 25-seconds of what it was suppose to be. Very happy about the pacing. At home we did a mid-body workout, followed by 59 push-ups.

Finally ate some "healthy food" and I feel so much better.

NOTC race

Just walked in the door from my trip to New Orleans. What a whirlwind of fun and excitement!!! One thing strikes me really odd.... I enjoy taking pictures and I always have my camera with me, but I didn't take a single photo the entire weekend!

This morning Andrea and I ran the New Orleans Track Club "45th Anniversary Race". NOTC is a HUGE club and they had some nice perks, yet I noticed some fundamental flaws at their race. On the positive side, we received an awesome tech shirt and an embroidered "cool towel". On the flip side.... only 4-porta cans for a large crowd. I know you can never have enough porta cans at a race, but the line wasn't the issue... by the smell, it seemed they were all "full".

The 3-mile race started late, because the prior one-mile race didn't have a cut off time. Not a big issue, but they allowed everyone the opportunity to finish the mile race, which included a few 20+ minute walkers. Essentially, that pushed the main race back 15-minutes.

Another issue I saw, but did not affect me was the finish line shoot. They had separate female and male shoots, manned with three people. This wasn't a chip-timed race, so everyone needed to stay in order AND get a finish slip. I saw countless people leave the shoot without ever getting a slip and witnessed even more people accidentally changing their position in the shoot before receiving their slip because they didn't know what to do. As I said, this had little to do with my race and me.

Both these issues don't amount to much for a walk-runner like me. I was a bit surprised for a club that states they are the 6th largest running club in the US. What did "bother me" was with the volunteers, which seemed to be club members. I interacted with a couple volunteers, which seemed less than friendly. Don't get me wrong, they weren't yelling or cussing, but they were stern, to say the least. My perceptions lead me to believe they didn't want to be there. Just my dumb ole 2-cents.

The weather was a good as it gets for late August. The race should have went better for us due to no fault of NOTC, but Andrea and I had a weekend full of eating massive amounts of Cajun Creole food with one night of entirely too many alcoholic beverages. The race time was just a couple hours ahead of TS Faye, which left NOLA overcast with a nice cool breeze. Due to my lack of training and horrific fueling, I was forced to take TWO walk breaks just to finish the race. Oh well, we had fun.

Not sure of our times and I haven't been able to find anything online yet, but..... I'm pretty sure I finished in the high 33-minute range. Andrea dropped me at the 2-mile marker and finished somewhere closer to low 32-minutes.

Funny thing happened Saturday night. After all our drinking on Bourbon Street Friday night, Andrea and I decided to walk to the French Quarter for a nice quite dinner. As we were walking on Canal Street I saw a man wearing a Houston Strider half-marathon shirt. As I was about to point out the shirt to Andrea, I realized it was Jim Phiffer. What's the odds of that? He wasn't there for the race, just a mini-vacation with his beautiful wife. I thought that was really cool to cross paths so far away from home with a Houston runner, who is no stranger to the winner's podium.

Spicy?!?!?!

50 push ups. Lots of water in an attempt to re-hydrate after last nights drinking binge. Lots of walking around the French quarter.

I thought Cajun food is suppose to be spicy? Everything thus far has been good, but on the blah side. Maybe I'm too accustom to Houston's hotter than hell Tex-Mex salsa's.

NOLA

First official "out-of-state" run. Nice 1.5 mile run along the Mississippi River, near Woldenburg Park. Covered the distance in 17:17 with an average pace of 11:31. With so much to see along the waterway and the company of Andrea, the run seemed really short. Approximately 0.25 mile to the start point and 0.25 mile back to the hotel.

51 push-ups.

Solid Effort

The cooler weather left me eager to run all day, yet I waited for my running partner. It was dark by the time Andrea got off work, so we decided to do a little speed work on the lit streets of the neighborhood. The plan was to warm up with a walk, run 8 x 30/30's at 1-mile race pace, and cool-down with a walk.

Our plan was executed exactly as stated and our effort level was what I wanted for the short, albeit tough workout:
Walk: 0.32 mile, 5:26 (16:47 pace)
Overall distance/time for 8 x 30/30's: 0.78 mile, 7:05, (9:04 pace)
Walk: 0.86 mile, 15:49, (18:19 pace)

I also planned to workout in the gym but we simply ran out of time. We've been busy trying to get ready for our weekend trip to New Orleans. I started eight days of vacation when I got off work this morning!!! Woo-Hoo!

We are both excited about our trip.

Work and a few exercises

Busy day at work today.

Josh joined me for 48 push-ups and a small jump rope session. I followed those activities with an upper-body workout. Walked 1.76 miles in 30-minutes on the treadmill.

Time Trial

Contacted numerous people for a one-mile time trial at the Bear Branch Middle school track. Lots of people seemed interested, but the only person that showed up was Andrea. A few items were stacked against us, such as:

We both ran the day before
I did a lower body workout yesterday
Late start, therefore hot and humid (10am)
Heavy breakfast
No pacer(s)

With all that was against us, we made the best of it. Andrea surprised the hell out of me with a finish time one-minute faster than expected. I myself, was disappointed and thought I could have run at least 30-seconds faster.

Andrea:
2:11, 2:21, 2:14, 2:06
8:54!!!

Bill:
2:21, 2:13, 2:13, 2:04
8:52

We started the session with a 1/4 mile run, 1/4 mile walk, and a few basic stretches. After our one-mile run, we cooled down with a 1/4 mile run, and a 1/4 mile walk.

No push-ups today, but we did an upper body workout a few hours after the run.

Pictures compliments of Andrea's daughter, Taylor. Lot of pictures were taken, but only these 5 made it to the blog...

East End Park Run

I've missed enough workouts in the gym that I am sore all over from "starting over", again. I should have run yesterday, but I traded days off with today in an attempt to recover.

Ran 1.5 miles at East End Park. I warmed up and cooled down with a brisk 1/4 mile walk.

Walk: 0.50 mile, 8:01, (16:02 pace)
Run: 1.5 miles, 18:24, (12:16 pace)

I'm off work this morning to watch Alison finish her Cheerleading Camp. Pictures to follow. This evening while at work I completed a lower body workout, which loosened some tight muscles. The workout was preceeded by 48 push-ups.

I added a couple pictures from an Astros game that Alison and I attended Wednesday. If you didn't see it, that was a weird 6th ending. We're now 8-in a roll after a two team sweep. Go 'stros!!!!

Alison Runs

Alison is always asking me to take her running. I've looked for information about advantages and disadvantages of running at her age. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information out there.

When we run together, I always allow her to dictate the effort level, although I try to keep her at an even pace. Most kids want to run "all-out", stop, then run "all-out" again. Alison is very disciplined at maintaining a consistent pace.

Today we walked a quarter-mile before starting our run. We ran, or I should say, I ran 1/2-mile. Alison ran in front of me with very little effort. On the way back home I walked a swift half-mile, which resulted in her jogging beside me. So, essentially she ran one-mile. Then we slowed down for the last quarter-mile and walked hand-in-hand the rest of the way home.

We both enjoy these moments. With any luck, her desire to run will continue and maybe help get dad out the door when he doesn't feel like it!

Walk: 1 mile, ~16:00 minute pace
Run: 0.50 mile, 5:43, (11:22 pace)

Afterwards I did a mid-body workout, followed by 33 push-ups.

Running post for the 'ladies'

Naked man runs across america...



This is not something I would normally post, but it made me laugh. It looks like it's a good photo shop job. I could be wrong.
Enjoy!

Blogging slump

I haven't had the time or energy to blog lately. Sorry. Truth be known, there hasn't been much to blog about. All you've missed is a few short bike rides and walks around Kingwood.

I've not been working aggressively on my diet, but I'm proud to say the weight is staying in a reasonable range. Saturday I weighed 237, which is a lot better than I expected, given my intake.

Today I ran one lonely, pathetic mile at work. Wait.... that sounds negative, huh? I enjoyed my solo mile and it was without any issues. Ran one mile in 10:30. I also threw in a 30-second stride for good measure.

After the run I hit the gym for an upper body workout. I feel really good and I'm happy.

Bike

Andrea and I felt the need to get outside and do SOMETHING. We biked to boat docks and back, which was 5.63 miles round trip. The trek took us 29-minutes with an average speed of 11.52 mph. Not to shabby, considering we were on mountain bikes.

Morning Run

I don't like running in the morning. Well, that's not entirely true. I like it when I've finished a run in the morning, as in... it's already done. The actual run itself is always harder in the morning. My body aches and the humidity seems worse.

I missed yesterdays 3-miles, so we hit the greenbelts first thing this morning. At half a mile I stopped and decided I wouldn't be able to finish. My feet, right knee, and lower back was hurting. We walked for awhile and then I decided to try again. It wasn't pretty, but I finished.

Run: 3.0 miles, 36:38, (12:12 pace)

Humid Run

Its been raining most of the day, which made for a soppy run. Found a small break this evening for a quick 2-mile run. Andrea and I ran while Alison rode her bike. Also in attendance was Heather, who started before us on her 2-mile walk.

Run: 2.01 miles, 22:14, (11:04 pace)

3-miler

First three mile run with Andrea. Easy run, albeit humid secondary to the isolated rain bands from hurricane Dolly. One-hundred yard walk after each mile. Very little effort exerted by either of us. Legs felt great, as if I was walking.

Run: 3.0 miles, 35:00, (11:40 pace)

Run

Andrea and I ran 2 miles along the Greenbelts. Plenty hot, but an easy run.

Second cardiovascular activity for the day!

Run: 2.0 miles, 22:10, (11:08 pace)

Negative Split

Road Bike: 20.26 miles, 1:13:40, (16.51 mph)

The numbers above might appear to be average or "slow", but rest assured, the last 12 miles I was humping it. We started before light, so we eased into the ride. During those initial miles our challenge was to minimize the amount of pre-dawn bugs we were eating.

At 8-miles our average pace was 13.8 mph. Disappointed with my speed, we decided to "go to work". Averaged 19.5+mph on the last 12-miles.

Good Ride.

Tempo

Short and fast ride on my mountain bike. Thought the average MPH would have been faster, but the bike computer doesn't lie.

Mountain Bike: 5.56 miles, 26:47 (11.8 mph)

Heat

Went for a 3-mile run in July, in Houston, at noon. Who would of knew it would be so hot? First 1.5 miles went fine then all of the sudden my running partner faded and she faded in a BIG WAY. She overheated to a point that appeared unsafe. We finished 2-miles and called it a day.

Run: 2.0 miles, 26:15 (13:08 pace)

Easy Ride

Road Bike: 23.03 miles. 1:29:09 (15.42 mph)

A lot like yesterdays run, I simply slowed the pace down and enjoyed the ride. Stunning sunrise this morning.

My back was well behaved. The easy pace allowed Steve and I to talk the entire ride. In fact, we had enough juice left to ride the last 3/4-mile at 24.3 mph.

I also wore my heart rate monitor. My average heart rate was 118.

Easy 2 miles

East End Park. Effort level was a mere 3. Weather inside the trails was pleasant and the crushed granite surface was a nice change of pace from all the concrete.
Run ended on a sad note when we found an injured kitten and had to rush him to the emergency clinic.

Run: 2.0 miles, 25:54 (Average pace 12:57)

No Wind

Road Bike: 20.15 miles, 1:14:14 (16.4 mph)

Bike ride at sunrise on the East side of Lake Houston. First time I've rode that route without the wind whooping my ass. My back is bothering me from this mornings ride.

My legs are sore from yesterdays run, but in a good way.

First run, GREAT run

Run: 2.05 miles, 24:39 (Pace: 12:00/mile)

First run in a long time. Nice easy pace resulted in a greta run.

Feeling better

Road Bike: 15.21 miles, 1:00:19 (15.2 mph)

After my last post, I started getting sick again. Finally feeling better. Gotta get my body in motion.

Back was tight during the ride, but otherwise, a good ride

Bike Ride

Weight: 233.0

Weight wasn't as bad as I expected. Mindful eating today, but didn't "count calories". My food scale is at work, so it's hard to gauge everything without weighing it first.

Still feel good, but the cough is getting worse. Stupid cough.

Mountain bike: 11.30 miles, 55:42 (11.95 mph)

Pushed the effort level on the bike ride. Legs felt good. Back was a little tight on the right lower side.

Nothing else to blog, so it would seem....

Mile One

Ran one-mile with lulu. Easing back into something that resembles exercise. As I said in the prior post, no fever, but every time I simply move... I pour with sweat. It happens on the smallest of things... like brushing my teeth.

On a positive note, I feel better. Just left with a stupid cough.

Run: 1.01 miles, 11:12 (11:06 pace)
Walk: 0.46 miles, 7:39 (16:38 pace)

Tomorrow I'll see what kind of damage was done on the scale. URG, I am not looking forward to posting those numbers. Thankfully I don't have many readers!

Finally saw my kids today... I haven't seen them in a long time. I was so happy to be with them!!

Almost better

First day in 6-days that I have NOT had a fever. After my last entry I went to the doctor. Diagnosis: Upper respiratory infection. I'm taking a hand full of medications to control my temperature, headache, cough, and the underlining infection. I was almost ready to go back to the doctor yesterday because I was still getting worse, but I FINALLY made some small improvements.

The nagging cough still persist, but its manageable. Being stuck indoors has resulted in serious cabin fever. Leisure bike ride today, which was GREAT. Nothing too demanding, just a nice enjoyable ride.

Mountain Bike: 7.27 miles, 46:47 (9.30mph)

Now back to life and trying to determine where I will live....

Still here

I'm still alive...

The weekend of Fathers day, I started feeling exhausted.... tired of dieting & exercising. Against my better judgement, I took a few unexpected days off.

As I was getting ready to get back to work I got sick. I've been very sick for the last few days. Matters are compounded by the god-awful amount of stress in my life. Not ready to talk about it yet, but it's more than the average person could imagine.

Seems everything is circling the drain, but I'm holding on for dear life.

Dad's Day 5k

Weight: 228.75 (231.0)
Percentage of Fat: 28.8%
Fat Mass Weight: 65.5 lbs

Dads Day 5k, 28:48 (9:14 pace)

A couple buddies from work talked me into this last minute race. Pushed as hard as I could to finish in less than 30 minutes. Miles one and three were dead even splits. Dropped the pace by 30 seconds on mile two. It's entirely to hot to be racing in this heat. Probably my last race until we see cooler temps.

Gained one-pound on the scale, but body fat percentage dropped 0.6% and fat mass weight was reduced by 1.5 pounds. I still consider this week a success.

Breakfast: 468
Post Race snack: 160
Lunch: FREE MEAL
Dinner: 1,440

Free meal went okay, but over-did-it by ordering desert. I had grilled shrimp, chicken, rice, salad, broccoli, cheddar biscuits, and un-sweet tea. Dinner, as you can see was a big meal in terms of calories.

I also have plans to go out tonight and don't plan to be "on a diet". I'll update in the morning.

Total calories: 2,068 (not including free meal)

No News

Weight: 230.0

Breakfast: 0
Lunch: 914
Dinner: 810
Snack: 380

Total calories: 2,104

At work. Off day, no exercising.

I got lots to say, but really don't feel like blogging.

Late Night Hunger

Weight: 228.0 (232.2)

These 4-milers are helping the weight loss in a big way.

Breakfast: 340
Lunch: 689
Dinner: 1000
Late Snack: 573

Mountain Bike: 11.64 miles, 59:24 (11.76 mph)
Mid-body workout
Lower-body workout

No foot pain from yesterdays run, but my back bothered me on today's bike ride.

For the third night in a row, I've struggled with late night hunger. Tonight was the worst of the three, to the point I didn't feel well. Earlier I slow cooked two large turkey loins on the BBQ pit. Not sure is it was the right decision or not, but I made myself one and a half turkey loin sandwiches on wheat bread with lite mayo. I feel better now, but I went over my calories.

Total Calories: 2,602

A Day Early

Weight: 231.0 (233.3)

Breakfast: 621
Lunch: 580
Dinner: 870

Run: 3.98 miles, 38:58 (9:47 pace)

Total calories: 2,071

I am SUPER hungry right now and it is a challenge to stay out of the kitchen.

Funny thing happened today. Coach is having a get together to celebrate a personal running milestone. I THOUGHT the social function was tonight. I was WRONG. I was a day early. Luckily for me, Coach was home. He treated me to a private, pre-party jog around his neighborhood.

Tonight was the third time I've run 4 miles this year and it was my best overall pace for any distance since I started back. The pace was uncomfortable past the first mile, resulting in three stops along the way. One stop to catch my breath, one to get water, and another because I was about to blow-up. I guess I can loosely call this a tempo workout.

It's amazing how my three best runs all have a social component. Makes me wish even more for a Kingwood area running club.

Skipping my workout due to my hunger. I need to go to bed and "hide" from disaster that lurks ten feet from me right now.

Two pictures I took today of my BEAUTIFUL kids.

4-miler

Weight: 232.75 (234.3)

At work today.

Breakfast: 277
Lunch: 795
Dinner: 845

Run: 4.0 miles, 41:56 (10:29 pace)
Walk: 0.31, 5:02 (15:59 pace)
Upper-body workout

Glad Steve joined me for the run... I was able to push the distance without stopping and the pace was better than my norm. Unfortunately, the foot pain is back. It hasn't hurt since Friday, which is the last time I ran.

Back to Work

Weight: 235.1 (avg)

Recovering from a long weekend. Had a great time.... picture to follow, when I have time. The 'scale' weight gain was so ridiculous I couldn't bare to write it, so all I'm posting is the 7-day average.

Breakfast: 420
Lunch: 740
Dinner: 1,000

Mountain Bike: 6.47 miles, 30:17 (12.3 mph)
Lower-body workout

Total Calories: 2,160

As you can see, my calories ran over. It was a math issue more than anything else. When I ate dinner, I assumed breakfast was smaller than it actually was.

Check Out These Numbers!

Weight: 227.75 (233.5)
Percentage of Fat: 29.4%
Fat Mass Weight: 67 lbs

Lost 8 pounds this week. Biggest one-week weight loss so far. Loss streak is now 10 days. Total weight loss is 35.5 pounds!

Run: 3.01 miles, 36:01 (11:58 pace)
Walk: 0.62 miles, 10:15 (16:32 pace)

Breakfast: 200

Headed out of town in less than an hour.... no more blogging till Monday. See ya!

No Fuel

Weight: 229.25 (234.8)

Mountain bike: 12.92 miles, 1:15:25, (10.28 mph)
Mid-body workout
Run: 4.04 miles, 43:44, (10:50 pace)
Walk: 0.83 miles, 14:20, (17:16 pace)

Biked 75-minutes this morning, nothing worth reporting about the ride. Late afternoon workout was easy, but the heat in my garage is getting tougher to handle.

I followed the workout with ... what was supposed to be a 4-mile run. My plan was to walk 7-minutes, run 4-miles, and walk 7-minutes. I made it to the half way point and stopped for a drink of water. In other words, I had walked 7-minutes and ran 2-miles. I had been exhausted a half mile before I stopped. I was hurting. Drank a full bottle (~30-oz) of water. I tried taking off for the final 2-miles, but I couldn't do it. After 50-yards I stopped again. I thought I was going to pass out. My legs and breathing was fine... I just didn't have any energy. This was, without a doubt a FUEL ISSUE. Sat on a park bench for 5-minutes and started feeling a little better. Decided to walk for seven minutes, stretch, and "man up" & finish this run. Ran 2 miles and only stopped once for less than a minute to get a drink of water. I was even able to pick up the pace, because I wanted to end the pain.

My garmin has been displaying a funny pace, so I never know exactly what my pace is while I am running. I'm very excited to see my overall pace was sub-11. This is also the longest distance I have run this year. Its exciting to know I had enough heart to finished this run. Nearly every cell in my body wanted me to stop and I refused to give up. This was the BEST bad run I have ever had!

Even my eating temptations have been handled well for the last two days. Tuesday and Wednesday I nearly fell off the wagon at night, but I refused to quit. I drank water and stuck to my plan. I've been rewarded nicely with a lengthy weight loss streak. Below is my loss and gain 'STREAKS' since I started:
Down x 7
Up x 2
Down x 6
Up
Down
Up
Down
Up
Same
Down
Up x 2
Down x 2
Same
Down 4
Up
Down
Up x 2
Down x 3
Same
Down
Up
Same x 2
Down x 4
Up
Down x 2
Up
Same
Up
Down
Up x 3
DOWN x 9

Saw the doctor today about my foot. I don't know anymore now than I did when I started. Although, he doesn't think it is a stress fracture. He suggested an MRI, but I don't have the money for the deductible. When I told him that, he said rest for 4-8 weeks and we'll "see where the issue is". URG!!! Twenty-dollar co-pay for shit I already knew.

Breakfast: 190
Lunch: 740
Dinner: 680
Snack: 481

Total calories: 2,091

I'm weighing in tomorrow, one day early due to my trip. I think I have it figured out so I don't miss any runs or workouts. On the other hand, the food will truly be a different issue.

Flat Tire

Weight: 229.75 (335.5)

Wow, scale weight has dipped under 230! Who would have thought? I've lost 14.5 pounds since May 27th (8-days). I'll be even happier when the 7-day average goes sub-230.

At work today.

Mountain bike: 5.25 miles, 32:00 (10.2 mph)
Stationary bike: Level 5, 8.14 miles, 30:00 (16.2 mph)
Upper-body workout

Woke up MEGA early to squeeze in a 50-minute bike ride before work. Erin was late picking up the kids, so my workout time was cut in half. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate her picking the kids up and taking them to day care. It was a perfect chance for me to be flexible and adjust my plans. Ah yes, flexibility... my key term for 2008. Cycled 32-minutes around home on my mountain bike. Felt like I was struggling more than usual. Half a mile into the route I realized my rear tire was very low in air. I assume that was the problem. Since I was already behind in time, I went ahead and finished WITH the "near-flat" tire.

Upper body workout felt good. Rode 30 more minutes on the recumbent bike at work. I increased the level today. It seemed easy. I'll increase it again next time. I'm trying to avoid the stationary bike, because I dislike riding a long time and going nowhere.

Breakfast: 380
Lunch: 670
Dinner: 680
Snack: 343

Total calories: 2,073

Graduation Day

Weight 231.50 (236.5)

Breakfast: 190
Lunch: 1,000
Dinner (early): 620
Snack: 240

My appetite is back. I've been hungry all freaking day. I'm leaving out of town for a river trip this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I want to be on my best behavior BEFORE heading into a trip full of temptations.

Today was Alison's last day of kindergarten and official "graduation". The school program was cute. I took lots of pictures. I'm bummed that most of the shots were blurry.

Lower-body workout
Run: 3.0 miles. 35:31 (11:49 pace)
Walk: 0.63 miles. 10:09 (16:27 pace)

I pushed Preston in the stroller, while Alison lead the way on her bike. This is sooooo much easier than pushing both of them. Fair amount of nausea due to the heat. Small adjustment to the pace and logged my miles. This heat is tough running, but there is something about a "Big Sweat" that makes you feel like you did something worth doing.

Total calories: 2,050

You can click on the pictures to make them larger...

Easy Does It...

Weight: 233.0 (236.9)

I feel much better this morning. Not sure where to start my exercise regimen. I want to make-up some of the missed workouts, but I know I'm still a little ill and my foot & back issues have not gone away.

Breakfast: 0
Lunch: 740
Desert-snack: 717
Dinner: 600

Bike: 5.18 miles. 41:37 (7.5 mph)
Mid-body workout

Alison and I took our first long bike ride together. The ride and route was her decision. If you saw us on the greenbelts, you would think she's been riding for years. She is such a fast learner. Another proud moment to be a father!

Felt normal while exercising, except when I start getting too hot. The same nausea I experienced yesterday returns with over-exertion. Haven't drunk much water. For some reason I'm not thirsty and don't want anything to drink.

Several people asked me why I was walking around with a limp. I decided it was time to make an appointment with the orthopedic doctor concerning my foot. Hopefully I will have some answers Thursday.

Total calories: 2,057

Sick

Weight: 234.0 (237.7)

At work today. I've been rather sick all day. Transient episodes of abdominal cramping with nausea, which has recently turned into vomiting. Alison and 86 of her classmates had the same signs & symptoms last week. It just took me a litter longer to get it than those elementary kids. The good news is, it only lasted 10-hrs with Alison.

Is there any country-western music song writers out there? If so, I have the material for your next big song: My foot hurts, my back is tight, I'm sick, and my ex-wife is unfair to me. Throw something in about beer & my dog and you'll be at the top of the charts in no time!

Found the race results from the Astros 5k. My official time was 31:15. Average pace of 10:43. I'm happy with the time considering the heat, the crowds at the start line, and the fact I was pushing a 45-pound kid in a twenty-pound stroller. By the end of summer I should be able to get back under 30-minutes.

Breakfast: 468
Lunch: 560
Dinner:360

Total calories for the day: 1,388

No running or working out today.

Late in the day I started feeling better for a couple hours. We made three EMS calls back-to-back-to-back. The EMS supervisor pulled me off the truck. I've used all my vacation and holiday with my kids' illnesses, so I'm out of 0ff-time. So, essentially this will cost me a few hundred bucks.

It's hard to smile sometimes...

Astros Race for the Pennant 5k

Weight: 235.75 (238.6)
Percentage of Fat: 29.9%
Fat Mass Weight: 70.5 lbs

I said I wanted to be in the low to mid-230's before the Astros race. Barely squeaked in, but I made it. Next week I have a river trip planned and I also said I wanted to dip into the 220's before then, but it's unlikely to happen before next Friday. This week I lost 1.5 pounds. It is interesting and worth noting.... for the first time my body fat percentage went up 0.3%.


Meet Mark and Brian for their first 5k race. I was unable to find someone to watch Alison while I ran; therefore I ended up pushing her in the jogging stroller. Minutes before the start we lost Brain in the crowd. Mark and I placed ourselves at the back.... very back, even behind the walkers since I was "breaking the rules" with the stroller. As usual, the start crowd was difficult to navigate and we lost an unknown amount of time weaving through the walkers.

Mark and I talked the entire first mile, which says our pace was less than race-effort. Mark dropped back at the one-mile marker, but I quickly found Brian less than a 1/4 mile ahead of me. It was also at this time I realized something was wrong with my garmin. Some how, somewhere, my watch turned off.

Brain and I ran together for half a mile. It was nice to know he was safe and having fun. At 1.5 miles the course headed away from the shade of the downtown buildings and the heat was beaming down on the runners with vengeance. Even with my slow pace, I was picking people off by the dozens the entire time. Probably a result of me starting so far back... either way, it was good for my ego. I had a decent rhythm, but the two climbs out of the underpasses zapped most of my energy. Even slight elevation gains are a struggle with the stroller.

My heart wanted to pick the pace up for the last half-mile, but I was running at full capacity. I gave it all I had when we turned into the park. I don't know what my official time was, but the clock read 33:xx when I crossed. A man beside me said his watch read 31:08, but I don't know where he started either.

The race was a huge success, until I reached the finish line. Everyone wanted to wait near the end of the course for their friends & family, which resulted in the runners being stuck shoulder to shoulder like cattle, not moving, and without any water immediately available. My effort and body-heat had me extremely nauseated. The tight quarters made matters worse. It was not fun waiting 5-minutes to get through the shoot. The next challenge, which has no bearing on the race director, was hauling the stroller up the stairs. I did it, but it was not easy.

Took longer than expected to get my heart rate and temperature back to normal. After three bottles of water, Alison and I made a dash for the car to put the stroller away so we could line up for the "Junction Jack kids run". As soon as we could see the start line, they blew the horn for her race!

We started her race with a 150-yard sprint to the start line. From that point forward I did the best I could to keep up with her. My garmin was showing us running a high 8 min/mile pace, which I struggled to maintain. I'm so proud of Alison. She would run ahead of me solo until she couldn't see me any more, then she contra flowed back to me, then start the cycle again. Not once did she walk. What is even better... her pace seemed very consistent. Being her dad I'm able to gauge her effort level. This was truly a fun run for her, because "ole dad" couldn't keep up! She was patient enough to run with me when the camera guys were in sight. When I asked Alison to run beside me so they could take our picture together she told me, "Let me have your hand and I'll help you run faster". She is so funny and incredible! I'm not sure what her race distance was, but my guess would be a solid mile with the run to the start line and her back-and-fourth maneuvers.

Alison is excited right now as she's sporting her medal and race t-shirt. I was smiling ear to ear too, until I dropped her off at Erins. There were a few cars at Erin's house. Alison told me that today was Preston's birthday party. Obviously, I wasn't invited to my son's first birthday party and that cuts deep. I don't expect anyone else to understand, but it is moments like this I hurt the most. Erin told me a couple weeks ago she wanted separate parties, but I had hoped she would change her mine. I could go on and on about this issue, but it won't change anything. My great morning turned south fast and as I sit here 12-hours later, I still can't get it off my mind.

Breakfast: 468
Snack after race: 100 (2-bites of a lettuce wrap)
Lunch: FREE MEAL (red lobster)
Dinner: 630

The free-meal wasn't too awful, with one exception. Okay Coach, start waggin' your finger, because I had soda(s) at lunch. Wanted something sweet and I broke a big rule doing it (thou shall not drink calories!!!).
The meal consisted of:
Lobster/artichoke dip with chips
Small side salad with ranch dressing
Wild rice, ~4-oz grilled chicken, 6-grilled shrimps, and 2-cheddar biscuits
*I only ate 1/2 of my rice and chicken*

I've looked EVERYWHERE for the official race results, but I cannot find anything. Does anyone know where they are posted?

Meatless Fridays?

Weight: 236.25 (238.7)

Today is an off-day; no exercise. I've decided off-days will also be meatless. As I look over my dietary logs it is obvious that I am eating excessive amounts of protein. It would be a huge challenge for me to cut-out meat all together, but I'm sure I could live without it for a day... or maybe two. I decided this late today, so I guess it will start next week!?!?!

Breakfast: 190
Lunch: 740
Dinner: 828
Snack: 290

I always have something nagging in my body. ANOTHER small ache I have not mentioned before started out as a discomfort on the lateral dorsal aspect of my left foot. I don't see any bruising, nor does it hurt to touch, but it bothers me when it's in flextion-extension. In other words, it hurts on the top, outside of my left foot when I take a step. This "little issue" has quickly turned into a sharp pain over the last couple days.

Total calories: 2,048

Back in the Saddle

Weight: 239.25 (239.7)

At work today.

Glad to be back under 240. A friend of mine is a nurse and I've been a paramedic for 14-years. All the medical knowledge locked in my head doesn't always help me with my own personal health issues. In a text-message I received yesterday, I got the answers to my "issues", which I discussed earlier this week. The text read:
Muscle Relaxer = Muscle Relaxer (all muscles...) which includes the stomach and intestines.... unfortunately.
Since I'm back at work I had to discontinue the flexeril. It will be interesting to see if everything returns to normal.

Breakfast: 430
Lunch: 1,065
Dinner: 600

Run: 2.57 miles. 30.01 (11:41 pace)
Walk: 0.46 miles. 7:35 (16:19 pace)
Recumbent bike: 18.1 miles. 1:10:00 (15.5 mph)
Upper-body workout

Pre-work (morning) run went pretty good. Lots of stretching before and after. Took a new route along the roads, due to lack of light. The upper-body workout seemed tougher than usual. The stationary bike was okay, but 70-minutes is a long time to pedal and go NO WHERE.

Getting hungry. Time for bed!

Total calories: 2,095

7-Day Average

Weight: 241.75 (239.7)

From this point forward I'm going to list my 7-day average weight, instead of the daily scale weight. It's easy to get frustrated when I see big shifts in my weight, so maybe this will help the "mental game".

Breakfast: 370
Lunch: 815
Snack: 315
Dinner: 580

Mountain Bike: 8.20 miles. 50:17 (9.8 mph)
Lower-body workout

Even though I feel like I am in tune with my body, I'm not sure how to read it right now. My back felt tight during yesterdays run and today's bike ride. No pain, just a tightness in my lower back. Slowed the pace on both days, which enabled me to finish. I wonder if it's too soon or is this normal recovery? Later in the evening I mowed the grass and had ZERO pain/discomfort.

I've been hungry nearly all day. Shifted my meals earlier than their "normal time" due to hunger, which has left me hungry right now. Unfortunately, there is a lot of day still left. I'm still mad about the weight gain, so there will not be any slips tonight's... you have my word!

Total calories: 2,080

A New Week

Weight: 244.25

I'm not sure what is going on with my body. My eating has not been ideal since my back went out, but... 9 freakin pounds!!! Not sure which medication is the culprit, but either the celebrex or the flexril has resulted in constipation. That might be a small amount of the weight, but it can't be the entire reason for a nine-pound weight gain in one week. That means I had to have eaten an additional 31,500 calories ABOVE my RMR. And for the record, that didn't happen. Whatever... what's done, is done. I'm moving on.

Breakfast: 327
Snack: 105
Lunch: 190
Dinner: 945
Snack: 408

Went for a "test" run this morning. A little voice in my head kept saying it's too early, but I had to do something about the weight gain. I did ten-minutes of stretching before and after the run. My back felt tight during the entire session, but it never stopped me from running. My shins were surprisingly tight. Otherwise it was a decent run. I slowed the pace down, which I think was a key component to the successful finish.

Unlike my usual self, I'm not going to try and make-up the runs-biking I missed. I'm going to start back on my schedule, where I am suppose to be.

Run: 2.1 miles. 25:01 (11:55 pace)
Walk: 0.75 miles. 13:14 (17:39 pace)
Mid-body workout

Should have delayed the workout. The session went okay, but my back is a little tighter now.

Total calories: 1,975

Week from Hell

Weight: 237.25
Percentage of Fat: 29.6%
Fat Mass Weight: 70.5 lbs

I gained a pound this week. Its hard to accept this, knowing I worked so hard. Although, one could see that my body fat percentage and fat mass weight decreased as a move in the right direction.

The bigger issue is my back. It's officially "out". I stopped being mobile shortly after yesterdays blog post. It's hard to walk around, much less exercise. The only reason I am sitting here right now is cause I'm doped up on muscle relaxers and strong anti-imflamatories.

A friend helped me to the Minor Emergency Care this morning. I got a shot in my ass and a couple medications, as stated above. It still hurts like hell, but at least I'm able to move around my house.

Obviously, no exercising this weekend. This is my weekend to have my kids, so I'm missing that as well and that upsets me. To make matters worse, Erin doesn't believe me and she is mad at me. I'm going to try to read all weekend and get my mind off the pain/kids/exercise and do a re-evaluation on Monday.

I made it to the garage for my weekly weigh-in, but don't expect much blogging for a couple days. Sitting in this chair is not back-spasm friendly.