The Road to Ultra

It was a good run for several years (pardon the pun), and I've not given up on my goals, but a lot has changed and I'm moving on for now. I've sold LoseFotNotFaith.com ... the book is no longer in print and the eBook no longer for sale, however, I do still retain the rights to the book so one day I may revive it. I have my own site (JeremyLikness.com) but am focusing more on my IT career and will be posting more on those blogs instead. Does this mean I'm no longer interested in health and fitness? Couldn't be farther from the truth. However, I have to be realistic and prioritize my life. God comes first, then family, then my main occupation, and right now that just hasn't left much time for the health and fitness business. I need to "clean house" and focus on my own health and wellness, as well as that of my family, as a priority.

At some point we will reach another stage where it makes sense to become more involved and I look forward to that. Until then ...

Take care, and God bless.

Just a quick post ... as I'm doing more and more programming these days and find that the blogs where I learn information are incredibly useful, I decided to "pay it forward" by producing some of my own tips and tidbits, so you can now follow my C#er : IMage blog if you're into C# / .NET development.

Take care!

Labels: c#, development

Wow, where do I begin?

It's been a few weeks since I last posted. It has been a busy few weeks. I wanted to take some time today to share what's going on and why I haven't been able to update blogs, the website, and other aspects of Lose Fat, Not Faith as often as I should.

It really starts with you.

I've been doing a lot of praying about what my purpose is. For those of you who might not know my history, in brief I acquired my passion for fitness nearly a decade ago after losing weight. I realized that losing the weight wasn't about a diet or exercise program, but about a mindset shift, and that change in mindset empowered me to tap into the other amazing events God had in store for my life.

Four years ago I had one of those calls you know was meant to happen. It was an invitation to help build a wireless software company. Many people have been confused about my decision to jump into this project because it's not related to health and wellness. One thing I feel strongly about is that sometimes it takes what appears to be sacrifice to reach important cornerstones of our lives. I say "appears" because it really hasn't been a "sacrifice" for me to join the team that I joined, it has been an opportunity and a challenge. The reason I accepted the offer was because I knew that I had a lot to learn about business, building teams, writing quality software, and many other aspects of creating a successful enterprise. This would be an opportunity to learn and participate in the process in a way I never was able to before.

So I made the decision to focus on this and it has been an amazing journey. I've gained knowledge and skills and faced challenges I never imagined, and it all is helping me move closer to my longer term vision of impacting lives and making a real, tangible difference in the health of others.

This job takes most of my week ... we're talking literally 60 - 80 hours sometimes ... because it is a start up and it is a rapidly growing enterprise. That means I must be very protective of the remaining time that I have. In lieu of movies and television and participating in the "not much club" I spend that time with my family. I carve out a little bit to keep healthy, and then there is Lose Fat, Not Faith.

Originally my focus of a few hours per week was to keep the question of the day, this blog, and the occasional article written to grow the content and continue to bring you new information and insight. A few weeks ago as I began to meditate on my purpose, that focus shifted.

I realized what I want today is still what I wanted ten years ago, and that I must prioritize my time to move Lose Fat, Not Faith closer to that. The goal is ultimately to give you an experience that integrates all of the aspects of fitness: knowledge, empowerment, mindset, nutrition, exercise, and more. While the articles and questions and forums tap into a small part, there's always been more that I've wanted to do: give you the opportunity to track your weight, enter your statistics, build workouts and nutrition information. While there are many other tools out there, I don't believe there are many fully integrated that cover all of the aspects, are flexible enough to allow you to enter YOUR meal preferences or choose YOUR style of training, AND are free on top of that.

So I've decided to start building that and moving to that goal. It's just a little bit each week because even my weekend time outside of family and church is mostly dedicated to the software business I mentioned, but I take a little bit of time to add features. I've also focused on win-win where I can take new technologies as a proof of concept here, understand them and then apply them to my company where they are feasible and add value.

I've decided that the bare minimum I need to unravel the new site is to at least duplicate what's there now - articles, question of the day, blog, and forums. I may still use third-party forums and blogs but I'm actively building out the software for the articles and forums. You'll see more powerful search, a sharper user interface, faster loading pages that are more standards compliant, and a lot more. But I'm also adding the concept of user profiles and logins and then building out the sections that will eventually be stats (tracking weight, calories, measurements, etc), goals (life goals, weight goals, lifting goals, running goals), nutrition (both logging and generating menus), training (I believe my ideas in training will revolutionize how people track and generate workout programs online ... that will be the first aspect I focus on after the articles).

At any rate I felt it was important for you to know the site hasn't grown stale and I'm not pulled away doing other things ... if anything, I unfortunately sacrificed some of my consistency with training to create extra hours to build out the new application. That's not the right approach either, so I'm focused on creating balance and getting back into a consistent routine with training after this weekend.

What you won't see is as frequent posts and updates from me except for the occasional update on the site. I'm still finding out what cost effective .NET hosting is and how I can transition from the old PHP/MySQL-based site to the new C#/MVC/SQL 2005 one and I can't even give a tentative date for rolling out the new version, but it is coming and as I know more, I'll share it with you.

Lose Fat is truly grassroots. It grows because of you, the reader. I don't invest the time this project deserves to attract new people who can be transformed by the idea that weight loss begins in the mind and heart, not with a diet or exercise program. It is your testimonials, your enthusiasm, the time you take to mention to someone, "Hey, check out this article" or "You should look into this book" that really helps bring new people and help the site grow.

I am blessed that I have heard back from so many people who have received tremendous value from the site and my Lose Fat, Not Faith eBook - especially with the new training and coaching guides that are included with it. I can say after a 80 hour week when I am exhausted and feel like I don't have much more to give and think, "What's the point ... I just can't keep this project moving" it's the heartfelt, passionate emails and success stories that motivate me to keep going and help me realize this isn't about me and it's not my right to even consider stopping it ... it's about you and the change we can create together to help people live healthier lives.

I continue to pray for balance, wisdom, and insight. I ask God daily to ensure that I am putting the Kingdom first, my family second, and everything else in its place. It's difficult for people to understand why when I say family is so important, I invest so much time in work and then on top of that do a little on the side. The answer is that it is all part of a bigger picture that I believe is my purpose to help others really create the change they deserve in their lives. At the end of the day if no one remembers my name but even two people have transformed their lives as the result of connecting with something they read or learned, then I can say I've accomplished what I set out to do.

Thank you for your time, patience, and understanding. As always I am open to feedback, comments, and suggestions of how I can continue to improve what Lose Fat, Not Faith is and represents.

Please continue to share the website link with others. If you are one of those fortunate enough to be able to invest in the ebook kit during these tough economic times, I assure you all of the funds I receive go directly back into improving the site and what it has to offer. Things like software licenses and website hosting fees. Because of your blessings last year I was able to invest in a laptop. Just one book sale empowered me to secure that laptop with professional anti-virus software. Just a few more sales will enable me to invest in the additional tools that can help me create the new website more quickly and effectively.

Above all, if you believe in the power of prayer like I do, please pray. I would love to ask for a prayer for the long term success of this project but I know there are more pressing needs in the world. There are too many people struggling to find jobs or make ends meet in a tough economy, some of you who are reading this right now, so instead I ask that we pray for each other, for the great nations of the planet, for swift healing and recovery and ultimately that we can take these challenges in life and use them to temper our character and grow.

Warmly and in Him,

Today's Run: 6.0 miles
Run Time: 1 hr 9 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 955.3 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

If you haven't figured out by now that I'm not superhuman, here's another little entry.

Our daughter had her first singing performance today at a church. It involved singing during the service (parents invited) followed by several hours of games and activities (parents NOT invited).

It was a beautiful service, I was so happy to see her take courage, standing in front of the audience, and sing so beautiful with her team.

Afterwards, my wife and I went on a date.

Now I knew that I had a run scheduled today. I had purposefully skipped a few workouts (two lifting and a jog) because I was feeling run down and needed to recoup a bit. My rest period was over, however, and I had resolved to begin with this longer run.

So as we drove around looking for a place to eat, I knew it wasn't going to be easy when we finally decided on Mexican. While I did choose a decent main meal (steak with beans) I also munched on a lot of chips, and, well, here's the kicker: they were known for tasty margaritas, so I enjoyed one during our date.

Don't get me wrong, I don't see an issue with having a glass of wine or a margarita, it's just that this was the middle of the day and I had a workout planned. The effect that having some alcohol has on me during the day is simple: I get tired.

So we drove home and I was pretty much asleep in the truck.

When we got to the house, I slowly dragged myself out of the truck and decided I was too tired and had already blown my chance of running: I had a drink, plus I had cheese and chips, so my stomach probably wouldn't take it.

However, by the time I was inside, I had a different thought. I made the commitment, and I should stick with it. If it was tougher because of my bad choices earlier in the day, so be it, but why make a few bad choices worse? If it was bad to stray off plan, it would be really bad to skip another workout. It's not like it's a small run that I can easily "make up" either, 6 miles at this stage in my training is one of the key "long" runs I build my progress around.

So, I filled up my water bottles (one with water, the other with Gatorade), strapped on my Shuffle and shoes, and told my ladies I was headed out.

I couldn't have made a better choice.

The sun was low on the horizon but only began to set just as my run finished. The air was cool and there was plenty of shade on my run. Surprisingly, I felt refreshed and my energy came back to me after the first mile. The rest of the run went smoothly ... while I was feeling a little stomach discomfort during the last mile, overall it was a positive run. I actually felt better than last week and finished at the same pace.

As I finished, I just felt TERRIFIC because once again when I could have easily made the excuse to avoid a workout, instead I took the bull by the horns and kept on moving. If I had "given in" and skipped it? I would have spent the night feeling guilty and regretting that I had enjoyed a nice little lunch. Now I was able to enjoy the lunch AND the workout after, and I have the rest of the evening to relax with my daughter and wife.

How cool is that?

Warmly,

Labels: alcohol and running, drinking and running, margarita, running

Today's Run: 4.0 miles
Run Time: 41:28 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 949.3

Thoughts on the Run:

I'm writing this with hopes that someone reading this will "get" me. What I mean is really tap into what I'm trying to say, feel, experience, and share this moment. What it means to really keep pushing forward and trying until you reach a point where everything clicks.

If you've read my journal, you'll know that for several years now I've been writing about my journey to achieve a feat that is well beyond my comfort zone: to run an ultra-marathon. It's been a very human journey. I've created my own obstacles, had my own ups and downs, and have been far from consistent, with gaps of months going by in limbo between having the focus and consistency to train the way I need to train.

This past fall was a turning point for me as I decided to quit trying and start doing and began to take an attitude of getting it done no matter what. It wasn't about being a different person or having special skills or even following some arcane "trick" ... it was simply a pure choice and sticking with it.

You see, despite the roller coaster ride I've had one thing remain the same throughout: my commitment. I haven't given up. And I feel I can't fail if I don't stop.

So today could be considered and "ordinary" day - nothing much different than any other day. I woke up feeling tired, decided to sleep in and do my run in the evening.

The first thing I noticed was that instead of dreading the run during the day, I was really excited and looking forward to it. I had a mindset that it is a beautiful day (66 degrees when I came home) and a perfect evening to run, and that by doing so I would still be 100% on my schedule for training.

I even brought a bottle of Gatorade to drink on the way home so I would be hydrated and not have any excuse to linger, but just lace up and head out.

That's exactly what I did. I stepped in the house and could smell the wonderful dinner my wife had cooked. She knew I was going to run so she already prepared a bowl for me to heat up. I laced up, put on my Garmin watch to pace my run, turned on my Shuffle, and was on the road.

I always struggle out the gate but because I write this journal and focus on how my body responds, I know it's part of my warm up process so I just grit my teeth and work through it until I'm warmed up. Sure enough, the first mile I was feeling great. In fact, instead of getting tired, I was getting more invigorated. I felt fantastic!

So I stepped up the pace for the second mile. Halfway point and I was still going strong. On the way back, I hit Hamburger Hill in stride and did not slow (OK, so maybe I DID slow but I felt like I was going on pace ... I certainly didn't stop). In fact, it wasn't even a battle to get all the way through that hill. Coming down for my last mile, I was pumped. I felt I could even beat a 10-minute mile pace.

One thing I learned was that when I check my watch and my pace constantly during the run, it does nothing but create stress and cause me to artificially vary my pace. So I've learned how to glance at my watch at just the right angle so I see the mileage but not the time. I don't worry about it, my goal is distance, not pace, so I make sure I go the distance and sort out the pace when I'm done.

I had so much energy that last mile that I just flew ... I even pumped it into a semi-sprint and was going better than a 7-minute mile. It felt GREAT - the night was cool and clear, and I finished with gusto.

Here's what I want you to get: I finished with a rush. A feeling of accomplishment. A feeling of being fit, in shape, and conquering. The feeling like I can take on anything. A rush of good feelings: euphoria.

Rewind to some of my previous journal entries. You'll see me tired, struggling, in pain, trying my hardest just to get into the routine. Then read today.

THAT, my friend, is the reward. When you stick with it long enough to get out of your own way, you reap the benefits and rewards. I'm in a zone now where my workouts aren't something that I have to push myself to do, but instead lift me and pull me into them. They no longer wear me out: I might be physically tired, but they energize me and give me more energy. They don't take an hour out of my day, but give back because I am happier and more productive. THAT is the key to all of this and where you deserve to be, and THAT is why you make your lows high and your highs low until you reach the zone and create your life the way you want it to be, on your terms, even if you have to pave the road before you can drive on it.

Best of success,

Labels: benefits of running, commitment, euphoria, rush

Today's Run: 6.0 miles
Run Time: 1 hr 9 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 945.3

Thoughts on the Run:

Whew! We're getting closer to the first 1,000 miles. Exciting!

Today was a great run. I didn't dread it one bit. I was looking forward to it. I knew it might be a challenge because of my tough leg day yesterday, but I was eager to try it out and see how it felt.

I slept in and caught up on some much-needed rest, then cooked a delicious breakfast (if I do say so myself): two whole eggs and two eggs whites scrambled with chipotle-flavored Tabasco sauce, organic hashed browns with red pepper and olive oil, and chicken sausage. It was delicious!

I waited two hours and then set out on my jog. I decided to try something different for hydration this time. As you may know from reading my blogs from last year, hydration has been my biggest challenge. Most of the time I would fall way short and end up getting nauseous or dizzy. I figure as a bigger guy than most runners, my needs are a bit higher. However, when I'd bring lots of fluid and drink it down constantly, I'd end up with major stomach discomfort.

This year because it's been cool, I've avoided the hydration (during the run) issue for the most part. Now it's starting to warm up and I'm running longer distances. I almost talked myself out of bringing fluids today, but then realized how ridiculous that would be ... I'd be on my feet for well over an hour in the hottest part of the day.

So I tried something new. I brought two 16-oz bottles, but instead of filling them both with just water or just Gatorade, I did one water and one Gatorade. The water alone doesn't do well for me because I sweat a lot and therefore lose plenty of sodium. I need the electrolyte replacement. On the other hand, I get sick of drinking Gatorade because after awhile it is just too sweet tasting to me.

So, I brought both and alternated between the two.

The second thing that I did was instead of sipping constantly, which seems to cause me to have the stomach discomfort, I swigged every mile. Each mile I would grab one or the other bottle and then take three big swigs.

This strategy seemed to work out. I never felt like I was running low on fluids and I did not have any stomach discomfort.

I have to say this run was one of the first times I can truly say I tapped into what I would call a true "runner's high" or second wind. I was about 4 1/2 miles into the run when I came upon my old nemesis, "Hamburger Hill" and began the long (1/2 mile) ascent to the top. By this time, my legs were on fire and I was getting a little tired from the run. I instantly felt drained as I began to climb the hill and for a second my mind was saying, "Maybe we'll walk it."

My iPod Shuffle, upon hearing these thoughts, decided it was time to kick into action and obediently switched to a high-energy, upbeat song. The driving rhythm was too much to allow me to slow down and I had to clench my feet and start pumping my arms and begin to pace myself up the hill.

Suddenly a strange thing happened. It was like my vision narrowed for a brief second and I had tunnel vision. I was afraid I was starting to get dizzy and would have to stop, but then I realized my eyes were just intently focused on the ground in front of me. I was aware in my peripheral vision of the trees going by on my left and the cars in the street on the right, but I was tuned out of the distance I had to go and focused solely on the rhythm on my pace as I ran up the hill. My breathing settled into a cadence and I no longer felt like I was gasping for air. The pain left my legs and my whole body just felt nice and light.

In this state I pushed easily to the top and continued on. It lasted the remainder of the run and felt great. In fact, when I finished, I was still a good 1/2 mile from the house, so I went ahead and ran most of that as well.

It was a great run that I enjoyed and I'm happy to have made it through this week with all of my schedule workouts. I'm looking forward to another abundant and successful week to come!

Warmly,

Labels: long run

Today's Run: 3.0 miles
Run Time: 31:12 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 939 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

Before I share my run, I wanted to point a "shout out" to my daughter. She was recently selected as a spokesperson for the American Heart Association (AHA) so she along with my wife had a short television spot on our local Fox channel talking about the new Go Red for Women campaign. You can enjoy the clip by clicking here ... congratulations Lizzie!

Today I'm going to call "Leg-a-Palooza" because of what I did to my legs. I am wondering how my 6 mile run tomorrow will go, all things considered.

Yesterday was Men's Fraternity. I wake up at 4:45 am and head in early so I can meet with others at our church before going into the office. As I'm not a huge fan of setting my alarm clock for 3:45 am, I usually either do my training in the evening or push it to a double-up on Saturday.

Today was a double-up, that turned into a triple-up. First, my workout was legs. I had a phenomenal workout. I'm getting better with the form and bar positioning on my front squats, and loading a respectable weight. Leg extensions were great (lots of pain and loud sounds emanating from the basement as I did those). Dead-lifts are by far my strongest lift and the one I love to hate. Knocked those out and had a huge jump in strength with my leg curls.

My legs were toast and I could barely walk up the stairs. I had promised my daughter we would go to a local event. A Lego Robotics team was demonstrating what they do (yes, there are Lego robots ... and competitions ... and they have tasks and other interesting things to do). If I was going to get in my run, it had to be right after the workout.

It was "only" three miles so I set out and hit the pavement. I must have looked a little funny limping along at first. My legs did not feel that great and the struggle it took me to reach the end of my block made me wonder if this was an exercise ... in futility (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun). But as I turned the corner and started to "warm-up" (as if the previous 40 minutes of pushing steel wasn't enough to get the ticker going) I started to feel much better and settled into a good pace. By the time I had wrapped up the first 1.5 miles and turned around to head home, I was feeling great. My only mistake: even for such a short run, it was "hot" by my standards (after a sub-30 degrees Fahrenheit runs, the 55 today felt hot) and I did not bring fluids. My mouth was feeling quite dry.

I managed to push hard and made it non-stop with a decent pace. Legs were sore but usable. I enjoyed the presentation with my daughter and how the young team (ages 9 - 14) learn how to work as a team, how to construct the robots and learn things like how you can have a light weight frame and an agile robot but it is prone to falling apart, or a sturdy frame but a sluggish robot, or how they actually program its tasks. Pretty amazing!

As we drove home, we discussed how beautiful the day was and my daughter had her heart set on hiking Kennesaw mountain. How could I resist? So my "triple" workout came when we came home, put on the tennis shoes, and headed back out to the mount for an hour and a half hike. It was beautiful, perfect weather and we had a wonderful time. We really enjoyed the time together and came home exhausted and ready to relax and unwind.

Warmly,

Labels: american heart association, lego robots, running, weight lifting

Today's Run: 4.0 miles
Run Time: 40:46 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 936.3 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

Ran 4 miles. In the evening. It was cold and dark. It's done. 'Nuff said.

One of the biggest things I think has helped me not only stick with training and not make excuses, but also have fun, is learning to train outside of the box. What I mean by training outside of the box is being creative and creating solutions for every situation. One of the most common complaints and excuses for skipping a workout is "I don't have the equipment" or "I'm on the road" or "The gym was busy." If you learn how to be creative and adapt, you can always have a successful workout.

As an example, when I did door-to-door personal training, one of my clients had a universal gym. It had a great vertical bench press attachment but virtually nothing for the back in a rowing motion. Imagine how surprised my client was when I showed him how he could stand and face the bench press contraption, and turn it into an instant rowing machine!

Of course this comes with all of the standard warnings about not using equipment as intended, following safety precautions, etc, but is an example of creating value out of a situation and not having to go out and buy all new equipment.

The techniques I used today in my upper body workout are actually quite simple but for some people not so obvious.

I started out with a standard bench press and then did a push-up superset. Many people have seen the commercials on television for special push-up contraptions that allow you to get a better grip instead of having palms flat (some even twist). If you have standard hex dumbbells, here is an easy solution: just grib a light weight dumbbell in each hand, and use those to elevate your grip from the floor. Simple and easy to do and reduces the strain on your wrists without investing in a fancy contraption.

For my back I was doing dumbbell rows. For this segment I'm doing both arms at once, so I elevate the bench enough so my dumbbells are not touching the floor when my arms are extended, and then go to work. I did a cable row superset.

For shoulders, it was the Arnold press. Nothing new there, but then I did a front raise super set. For some reason, people seemed to be locked into the belief that the shoulder is mainly a single-armed dumbbell muscle. I always see people doing side and lateral (to the front) raises with dumbbells. My front raise was using the EZ-curl bar. It has a nice grip. I simply grab the bar shoulder width, then raise it with my arms locked in front so my arms are parallel, pause, then lower. You'll notice an immediate difference from using dumbbells. Most importantly if you have a shoulder/scapular imbalance which many people do, with dumbbells you may tend to shrug one side. This helps you balance the lift and avoid that shrug.

I closed out with pull-ups. Again an exercise people shy from because it's so difficult. I was surprised to learn some people avoid it completely because even if they have a pull-up bar, they have no pulley for lat-pulldowns in the house and no partner to do assisted pull-ups so it becomes that elusive exercise that "someday" I may be able to do.

This is where a cheat ... albeit a controlled, safe cheat ... can help. I set a goal of, say, 12 pull-ups. While I used to be able to do these weighted when I was training for bodybuilding, I can barely do a few body weight pull-ups right now. No problem! I set the goal for 12 and execute as many pull-ups with perfect form as I can. Then, I still finish the 12, this time assisting myself. Basically, I use my legs to jump and gain momentum. The rule is that I still clear the bar, and am able to control myself enough to at least lower slowly. So I'm not pulling up from a dead hang, I'm launching up but then lowering myself more slowly. Sometimes I'm going down faster than others!

If you think this is "cheating" and not receiving the benefit of the exercise, you haven't tried it. The first time I learned this technique, I was sore for days afterwards and I was amazed at how fast I was able to master pull-ups. The goal is obviously to end up doing the target repetitions with no assistance, but this creative compromise will help you advance to that goal instead of having to give up and settle for dumbbell rows every week.

It was a good workout, now on to breakfast!

Labels: home gym, pull-ups, shoulder exercises, training at home

Today's Run: 3.0 miles
Run Time: 30 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 932.3

Thoughts on the Run:

Part of the reason I share this journal is so that the readers understand just because I made a tremendous change in my life and have been training consistently for nearly a decade now, doesn't mean it's easy or I don't have my challenges. While it does become more of a habit and your inclination is more towards working out than not, there are still struggles and mind games.

I'm a little fortunate because I have experience, habit, and routine, and more importantly I have the hundreds of blog readers who are my "accountability" group. You can't imagine how motivating it is to say, "I'm going to quit today ... no, wait, then I'll either have to write about quitting or just skip my blog and they'll know ... wait, I think I CAN do this." LOL ... sometimes pain is a positive motivator.

This morning was a challenge because once again I just didn't feel in the game. I came downstairs and always bring my gear because usually once I'm awake, I'm good to go, but I felt miserable. It was 28 degrees outside and the humidity is 50%. No way. There was no real way to shuffle my schedule so I was ready to throw up my hands in defeat.

I don't like my treadmill because it is consumer, not commercial, grade and so at my weight it doesn't like to run flat (friction gets too hot). So I have to run at an incline.

I was just about to throw in the towel when I sat back and thought about what that meant. I'm not a quitter and there was no real reason to give in. Why was I resisting? Maybe some self-sabotage and an excuse to feel sorry for myself? I'm above all that.

Truth is, there was no real reason. I was just making weak excuses.

So I headed downstairs, put the treadmill on a 6.5 incline (I told you it was an uphill battle) and began to redeem myself for wanting to quit.

I was not about to engage in a boring run so I decided to get creative. I started out in cycles of 5.0 mph, then 6.0 mph, then 7.0 mph, then I'd drop back to 5.1, 6.1, 7.1. That worked well until about 5.5 mph and then at the 7.5 I was struggling (remember, I'm going on a steep incline the entire time). So, I dropped back to 5.0 mph and worked my way up to 6.0 mph adding 0.1 every minute.

I was just over 2.0 miles when I started walking back down. This time I'd wait two minutes before dropping 0.1 miles.

It's all mind games to keep it interesting. I was actually starting to get a little dizzy, gasping for air, feeling like my chest would explode, my feet pounding, and just reached 3.0 miles. My goal was 4.0 miles but right then the treadmill gave me it's own mini-blessing: it gave up the ghost, made a cruel beeping sound and flashed red error warnings in my face. Right at 3 miles.

I stepped off the defeated piece of equipment. I thought I was imagining light steps, but the reality of mass and gravity took their toll on the belt and the poor thing just couldn't keep up. Because of the steep incline and intervals I had burned a whopping 700 calories. Of course, it's all relative (I don't take the machines at face value, just numeric).

It was a victory because I don't have to miss any of my schedule. Even though it was a mile short of the scheduled workout, I actually have a 3 mile workout planned for Thursday. So, in keeping with my philosophy of adapting, I just swapped the workouts ... today was the 3-miler, I'll make the 4-miler on Thursday and still reach my goal for the week.

How's that for redemption?

I'm glad I didn't give up or quite, and that I can write to you about victory and not defeat. Now it's time to wake up my daughter and have some breakfast with her.

Have a blessed day,

Labels: hill running, redemption, treadmill

Today's Run: 5.0 miles
Run Time: 55:17 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 929.3

Thoughts on the Run:

Today was a beautiful run.

For the first time this training cycle, I was able to wear shorts on my outside run. It was a nice and perfect 55 degree Fahrenheit with a clear sky and beautiful sunshine. I wasn't sure if I would make my run because we had such a full schedule today. I ended up sleeping in and catching up on plenty of sleep. I've been very disciplined about getting up and training, but that has meant sacrificing a little bit of sleep to wake up in the early hours to get my training done. Today, I slept in and instead of my typical 5 - 6 hours of sleep, received 10 hours of sleep! It was great.

We shifted our schedule around a little bit and I decided to go running in the afternoon. It was the perfect time of day. I knew because the sun was out and the weather was warmer that I should consider taking along hydrating. I usually wear basketball-style shorts that have no pockets, but I have a pouch that straps around my waist and can hold two water bottles. This is what I use to train with until I need over 32 oz of water, then I switch to a hydration pack that I wear on my back.

I took the two "essentials" with me: a driver's license for identification and a phone for communication. Then it was one bottle of water and I was on my way.

I still struggle for the first mile but I've learned it's because I need to warm up so I push through it and make it to the point where I'm warmed up and feel good. The run was just pleasant ... I had great tunes playing in my iPod, there was a cool breeze blowing and I felt on top. I was so excited to be exercising on my schedule and to not have missed a workout.

Of course, "missed" is a relative term. I've certainly created compromises, but I believe that is a key to success. When I doubled-up a workout the other day, instead of a high-impact run, I cross-trained on the recumbent bike. My cross-training philosophy is simple: I train the same duration as I would if I were running, so a 3 mile run would be a 30 minute bike ride for my cross-training. Yesterday, instead of a scheduled short run, I had a father-daughter date and we square danced for an hour and a half. It was a great time and an example of combining fitness with family.

Today's run I felt like I was learning to fly. I say that because despite some hills that always challenge me, I just kept feeling better and better. Unlike the runs I journaled over the fall of 2008 (not so long ago) that seemed more like survival than training, I've reached the point where I feel the benefits of being fit and enjoy the challenge of pushing my limits. I just had a rush going up one hill where the combination of focusing on the rhythm of the run, keeping my cadence as the hill tried to slow me down with gravity, listening to the music and just enjoying the sunshine and the breeze ... it felt wonderful.

The end of the run became a bit of struggle as the sun started to bear down on me. Fortunately I brought plenty of liquid and was able to just focus on the goal. The last hill really became "counting power poles" meaning my goal was never the summit of the hill - it was the next power pole, then the next one, then the next one and so on until I reached the top.

The best news is that at the end of the run, I was able to finish strong and not feel "spent".

Now I'm going to relax and enjoy the remains of the day. My daughter is at choir practice and when she returns we have a movie date and then a nice splurge meal for the Super Bowl celebration.

Take care,

Labels: running

Today's Run: 4.0 miles
Run Time: 43:13 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 924.3 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

This morning was typical: I woke up, felt tired, wanted to make an excuse to sleep in and skip my run. Of course, I've been through this routine before and know once I get out there, I enjoy my runs, so I forced myself to go downstairs and get ready.

Something interesting happened: I still felt lousy and wanted to talk myself out of it. I had been out with my wife last night on a date to see a movie and we were back late. I also was forced to grab some quick fast food ... while I made a "better bad" choice with getting chicken tacos, there was something in the seasoning that just made me feel ill in the evening, so I didn't get much sleep.

I was in the process of heading back up to catch some more sleep when it hit me.

You see, if I didn't have a set goal, this workout would have been passed by. On a calender with green checks and red "x" marks on the missed workouts, this would have been a big, blaring red "x" (my calendar is green so far, by the way).

But it wasn't just that. It was where I'm going with this.

You see, I have a goal I've followed for years to run an ultramarathon ... a race that is longer than the traditional marathon distance. For me, that is a major goal because I have yet to complete a full marathon. Having run several times at distances over 20 miles, I know what it is like.

Some people assume that running distances is proportionate. When you start going longer distances, as long as you work into it, you get used to it and a 20 mile run is like a 5 mile run used to be.

In my experience, that's just not true. A 20 mile run is 4 5-mile runs back to back ... and you FEEL the previous 5-mile segments. While your body may slowly adapt, it becomes a true mental exercise. Your requirements for food, fluids, and electrolytes change. You go through different phases and moods. You might feel sapped of energy, as if you cannot possibly take another step, and yet still have to force yourself to keep moving forward and closer to the goal, only to find you get a new burst of energy and feel great later on.

And how can I possibly train for those TOUGH moments if I'm not tough on myself?

Suddenly it wasn't about feeling sore or tired, but about the opportunity. Here I am, sore from my workouts, tired from lack of sleep and lots of work, feeling like the last thing I want to do is stand, let alone get out and run ... on hills, no less. What a PERFECT opportunity to get out and practice running under TOUGH conditions!

So, I set out and began my jog. And amazingly, while it took a LOT of focus to get through the first uphill mile and get warmed up, once again my decision came with the ultimate reward: I ended up enjoying myself. The temperature was perfect (low 40s), the sun was still under the horizon but showing its presence with a soft glow, I had the streets to myself and once I was warmed up, felt fantastic.

I hit some serious hills and approached them by working on one step at a time. They couldn't defeat me: I may have slowed down, but I never stopped. And each time I felt like I wanted to, I thought to myself ... if I give up during a 4 mile run, how much more reason to quit during a marathon? No way. I'm winning this one ... so I pushed ahead, through the hurdles, and finished.

And finishing feels SO GREAT. What an accomplishment ... to take a day I truly had a mindset of not training, and turn it around into a win. I love it!

One thing I've noticed as well is that I'm really learning how to run correctly for long distances. As a former sprinter, I always had a longer stride and would push out and pump my arms. This would wear me down for distances ... if you think about it, the more you move with each step, the more you fight gravity, and the more impact you have on your body when your feet hit the pavement. Excessive swinging just burns more calories and forces your body to work harder to stabilize.

After watching long and ultra distance runners, I realized most have a short, almost "staggered" looking pace. It's the minimum distance and footfall required to move forward. Arms hang loose and comfortably, not pumping or swinging (after all, on those longer runs, we're out there for hours). So I've started to adopt this method and it has paid off. It is tremendous for going up hills, because I change my stride a bit but keep the pace. I also stopped bouncing off my toes and land flat on my foot so the entire foot can absorb the impact.

Anyway, it was great to finish and then cook myself a breakfast of two whole eggs, two egg whites, and a slice of whole grain toast. I had a snack of a pear and grape juice, lunch was a taco stew and afternoon snack will be lentils with egg plant. Delicious!

And there is no "missed workout" to fret over. Still green on my success calendar.

Take care,

Labels: hill running

Today's Run: 5.0 miles
Run Time: 52:35 minutes
Total Miles to Date: 920.3 miles

Thoughts on the Run:

This morning I set the alarm for 7:15 am. I woke up and decided I didn't want to run. I rolled over to go to sleep, and then remembered that sometimes how I feel doesn't always connect with the goals that I've set for myself. I decided to really determine whether or not I was ready to run. So, I headed downstairs and took the dogs outside. Once I was awake, I realized I had just been making excuses. My "excuse" was to sleep in and run after church ... but that would have been procrastination, pure and simple. I am focused on getting it done so no excuses can get in the way.

So, I geared up and stepped outside.

I was amazed first at how easily the run came as I got started, and second at how chilly it really was. My face was freezing but I warmed up quickly. It was a beautiful morning and one of the turns on my run takes me to the top of a hill with a beautiful view over my town as well as a "mountain" (rather a large hill) in the distance. It was beautiful and I simply breathed the fresh air and was thankful for the opportunity to get out and run in such beautiful conditions.

I was able to push myself and finish the entire run without stopping. At one point I had to tackle an extremely long hill. I believe if I looked at the summit, I would have never made it. Instead, I listened to my music and focused on the ground right in front of me so I couldn't see how far I had gone. I just kept focusing on one step after the next, and before I knew it, I was cresting the top of the hill. I kept on going and was rewarded with some recovery on the downhill.

After I finished the run, I had a great breakfast ... Ezekiel bread, toasted, with Nutella on one half and peanut butter on the other, and a side bowl of some granola.

We had a wonderful church service. The message was about the coming of Christ ... and I welcome you to share it with me by watching the sermon right here. I love our church and if you are ever in the Atlanta area, welcome you to come worship with us ... just drop me a note so I can invite you and give you directions!

After church we had a delicious meal at a local favorite, "The Flying Biscuit." I had a sandwich which was chicken breast with turkey bacon on whole wheat and a side salad of mixed greens. Then my daughter had her singing lessons.

It was a wonderful day and throughout the day one thought kept returning to me ... "So glad I got my run over and finished with ... done first thing in the morning!" Not procrastinating certainly has its rewards.

Warmly,

Labels: church, running

Today was an upper body workout.

I was looking forward to training. As a fitness professional, I'm often offered various items to test or try out. Obviously the goal is to help raise awareness about the product and to possibly receive an endorsement. I am always open to trying new things and happy to share my experience with them.

I was contacted not long ago by someone who wanted me to try out his innovation, referred to as The Squat Sponge. It was something I've never heard of before, but looking at the product on Amazon it seemed intriguing so I asked him to send me a sample and told him I would try it out.

Anyone who squats heavy weights knows that the bar can be brutal. I've often had bruises on my shoulders from bearing the weight. While it is often the spirit of bodybuilding to "shrug it off" and get tough, sometimes your goal in training is not to worry about the strength you have to build to bear the weight of the bar ... you are simply targeting your legs and it can hold back a successful workout when the shoulders are the weak link.

I purchased a product that was (and possibly still is) very possible called the Manta Ray, which is a plastic contraption that helps support the load of the bar across your shoulders. It did offer some comfort and relief, but still did not completely eliminate the issue.

I received my Squat Sponge the other day and was very curious to try it out.

Fortunately today was a heavy leg workout and I'm approach several hundred pounds for the squat. So, I wrapped the sponge around the bar and went to work.

At first I thought I wouldn't have a good review. The first attempt really left my neck feeling sore. It was like instead of distributing the weight on my shoulders and back, it was pushing into the back of my neck. That didn't feel good ... but then I realized I wasn't compensating for the extra thickness on the bar and was positioning the bar too high on my shoulders.

The next round wasn't great either because I put the sleeve on so it was able to slip off and then the bar started feeling "loose" as it slid out. I quickly re-racked it.

After getting the hang of it however, I really enjoyed it. I worked my way up to my final sets and once I knew how to position the sleeve and the bar, it was very comfortable. In fact, I didn't have any discomfort in my upper back at all, and was able to focus on really putting the strain where it belonged: my legs.

I definitely like this product and will be using it again.

Pro: it is definitely a comfortable fit and comes in less expensive than the Manta Ray.

Con: I would say my only con is that it offers cushioning and padding, but doesn't help correct your posture like the Manta Ray. the Manta Ray forces the bar to a position that encourages proper squat form. This product, I believe, will help buffer against some of the discomfort but really keeps the onus of working on that good squat form on you. The con is that as a sleeve, it can slip off and this could be potentially dangerous if you're not paying attention.

All product discussion aside, it was a great workout and I'm looking forward to my longer (5 miles) run tomorrow.

Labels: manta ray, squat, squat sponge