the_siege's Journal

Looking forward to running again!
Dec 14 2009 10:42

So, it has been six weeks since my fall and I feel pretty good. Almost all healed up! No pain, anyway. So after work today I will be putting on my new running shoes and going out for a light 3 mile run. It is pretty cold outside but I have layers so I will be all right.

I am closing in on my all time lowest weight ever! The least I have ever weighed as an adult (heck! since I was 12 years old!) is 218 pounds. I am 6 pounds away from my goal weight. My BMI states that I should weigh between 132 - 173 pounds. Those numbers seem a little low for me, but I figure that I am not a good judge of weight (if I were I probably would not have gotten so heavy!) so I will do my best to get my BMI into a healthy range. I don't know how the extra skin I am carrying affects that, nor the decade of heavy weigh lifting. I plan to get a hydrostatic weighing shortly after the new year. It would be good to have an accurate accounting of my body fat.

175 pounds
Dec 07 2009 14:14

This morning I stepped on the scale and it flashed 226 point something, because it is that kind of scale, but I never bother remembering what is after the point when the numbers before the point are so high. That marks 175 pounds shed since I began my endeavor on January 1, 2008. That is 23 months, seven days. Almost two full years.

I can't believe it has taken me almost two full years to lose that much weight. I remember losing the weight on Lindora in just ten months. It was on a very restrictive diet, albeit very well supervised. But the results were there, and I did learn how to keep it off for over five years. Six years and change would be a little more accurate. But I got away from my plan, my maintenance. It was even something they warned me about - that maintenance required work and I could never go back to the way I was unless I wanted to go back to the size I was. But real life happens, and we sometimes lose sight of our goals.

That was all so much easier for me to do because I never did get my post weight loss surgery the first time. I still had the hanging skin and deflated belly roll, leg flab and chest excess - it was just smaller, thinner. And waiting. Waiting to be refilled. If I got away from checking the scale then it could refill itself with many pounds of fat again before I noticed a significant difference in the way I moved. If I had gotten the surgery then I would have noticed a new bulge or roll develop, but since it looked like the same old landscape it didn't get my attention. Until I had to buy larger clothes.

That's where stretchy pants perform their evil deeds! Stretchy pants allow us to lie to ourselves and convince us that we have only gained a couple of pounds - not twenty/thirty/forty! Stretchy pants lie!!! But only because we let them. And once you start listening to the stretchy pants it is not long before forty pounds becomes one hundred. Then one hundred invites its friends. And then you  have to ask for a seat belt extender. And nobody wants to set next to you because your fat is squishily spreading into the next seat. Which, I guess, isn't the worst thing in the world, but then you probably need a seat belt spotter to make sure you are belted-in securely because you can't see over the horizon of your own belly button.

All that aside, I am fairly pleased with my success. Yes, I seem to be hard on myself for having regained the weight. I think I have that right. But I have a safe goal in sight: a healthy BMI. I don't starve myself, and I try to eat right. Lots of fruits and vegetables, easy on the fatty meats. I take my vitamins and exercise regularly (except for this last month because I have hurt myself). I stopped smoking over a year ago, and drinking has been severely curtailed (those are the emptiest calories!).  My blood pressure is normal and my blood sugar test good. And I can run a mile in under ten and a half minutes! That really makes me happy.

This post wasn't meant to be this long - I only wanted something here to commemorate the milestone, not sum up my life's work. Where is the pause button on this thing...

Have a nice fall...
Oct 27 2009 20:17

I can't say this is my first running injury since I started training earlier this year, but this is my first injury from falling out on the road. I feel really stupid because it was a very light run and I am hurt worse than I think I should be.

I was out jogging with the wife, doing her C25K routine when I stumbled over a rock on the side of the road. I fell forward and brought my arms up to shield my head and face, but not quite in time. I went down on the side of the road with lots of loose gravel and palm sized rocks. Of course my knees and arms were scraped up pretty badly and I was sore but we were only a little over half a mile from finishing so I told the wife I was good to go and we finished our run.  

After washing the dirt and gravel out of my arms and knees I noticed that I landed with more of my weight on the left side, that's where the shoulder shows signs of the impact. I also jammed my left fist up into my ribcage - that's the source of ninety-nine percent of my present discomfort. I think I bruised a rib or two. I couldn't lie in bed to sleep, and getting up was torturous. I finally just went to sleeep sitting upright on the love seat. Deep breaths hurt. Laughing hurts. Bending hurts. Nearly everything hurts.

I took a sick day from work to rest and heal. Lots of vitamins, natch. I am moving alot better tonight. Thank the stars for ibuprofen, I can't imagine how much pain I would be in without the stuff. I will be back to work in the morning but I don't know when I will be able to run without pain. And I have a new pair of shoes on the way from Roadrunner sports that I am itching to try out! Oh the agony!

5 and 40
Aug 24 2009 11:26

5 miles.

I ran 5.1 miles on Saturday, on the morning of the day we had the party to celebrate my 40th birthday. Yikes What a crazy day!

I was so thrilled with my time, 58 minutes give or take a few seconds because I don't use a real stopwatch, and pleased with the fact that I did it continuously.  Five miles has been a goal in the back of my mind through out my training. Just as 10, 15, 20, and 25 are milestones, 5 was the first. If I could somehow push through and knock that first 5 down, I knew the rest would fall eventually. And they will!

I am somewhat concerned about the really worn out feeling I had when I had completed the fourth mile and I knew I had some significant distance to cover before getting home. When I think about it I wonder if that is just my inexperience talking, because I know there are plenty of people that look at a five mile run as a nice warm up. I hope to get there soon some day. Looking at my training log I see that I have run 35.8 miles this month, for 5 hours and 52 minutes. I hate to say that I am pleased with my effort, because my goal is so much more, but it is still quite a ways to come from walking for fitness in February!

To top it off, I weighed myself after I ran and showered, and the scale kindly flashed back a 239 at me. It has been so long since I weighed anywhere in the 230s. I have a ways to go before I hit my goal weight, and I am not sure if I can get there without skin removal surgery, but I will give it the same honest effort that has allowed me to lose over 160 pounds and see where I end up.

And the birthday party was pretty fun, we had almost 40 people at the house (40 if you count the wife and myself - coincidence?), a chili dog bar, nachos, and nice big chocolatey Costco cake. And plenty of spirits to go around. I indulged, but not overly so. Still, since today is my actual birthday, I am avoiding the scale until tomorrow.

If I have to make a correction at least I know that I can do this. And Saturday I am looking at another long run. I still have to decide upon a marathon training schedule, the L.A. is coming up fast and I want to be able to finish it without walking, if possible.

Four miles.
Aug 10 2009 09:35

It may not be the longest distance anyone has ever run, but it is the longest distance "I" have ever run!

I really can't emphasize that enough. I ran four miles Sunday, non-stop, in a semi respectable time. Less than 47 minutes - but I don't know exactly. At this point I am just keeping track of time on my cell phone (and the silly stopwatch function turns off when I close the phone to put it in my pocket, talk about useless).

My goal is the ever elusive 10 minute mile, but I haven't come close to that in weeks. The best time that I have clocked was 10:34, and that was a single mile attempt. Maybe I will get out some time this week and just try for time, maybe not. I have to remind myself that I still have some distance to add, and that 5 and 6 miles are the next milestones that I can reasonably strive to achieve.

Meanwhile, my weight has been dipping into the lower half of the 240s. That is nice, and I'm sure it makes running a little easier on my body. Remember, I was in the 280s when I started the Couch to 5k program. 

Another change is my running attire. When I started the program it was winter and I used that as an excuse to hide in my running clothes. I wore a pair of 3xl pants from my heavier days because the belt kept them from falling down when I jogged, a black shirt, a 2xl black hooded sweatshirt, a black beanie to keep the sweat from my face, and my dark brown trail shoes.  Now I wear real Reebok running shorts with a drawstring waist - and they are silver! I wear a white started athletic shirt, size XL, and a simple white headband to keep the sweat from running into my eyes.  I used to look like a total thug when I went jogging, now I look like the average, albeit slightly overweight, runner out there.

I think I may go after the 5 mile goal this weekend. I really have to start upping my game, Sarah wants to participate in the L.A. Marathon next year, and if she does go through with her plan I want to be able to run it. I have six months, so I am reading up on marathon training schedules. I blame The Biggest Loser for this, because when we watched the contestants finish a marathon she was sure anybody could do it!

151 pounds tossed.
Jul 08 2009 21:50

I weighed in at 250 pounds today bringing my weight loss total to 151 pounds. Or, as they say in the 300+ group, "tossed" (because I don't want it back so I didn't lose it, I threw it away). This morning's weigh in marked the end of another long plateau for me. Just like I said before, you gotta stick through it when it gets hard, and look for advice from outside your own head when everything you are doing no longer works for you.

I broke the eleven minute mile several times in the last month, with my best time being 10:30. I would like to get into the 9 minute mile range someday. I have even done a 3 mile run in under 36 minutes, so my 5k time is getting better, too. I will still work on my speed training but I have to improve my distance now. I am having a great time with the running, though. I am glad I started doing this finally!

Running, weighing, eating.
May 29 2009 08:00

I am back on the road. Been back pounding the pavement for almost two weeks now. I alternate my running days with elliptical days, resting one day each week. I haven't had pain in my Achilles in two weeks, nor has it been stiff at all this last week. I have added a little distance to my 5k, now it is actually 5.29k in a total time of just under 42 minutes today. I am slow. But these little improvements will add up over time. My current goal is to get my 5k time down to 39 minutes.

I weighed in at 259 yesterday. I was glad and surprised to see the fifties this month. After running this morning the scale was much kinder but I still don't log post workout weights. Hopefully I will continue to lose through the June 1 weigh-in - I'm all ready at 12 pounds lost for the month which is by far my best month of the year, and likely my best month since October 08.

I have been doing my best to eat my calories, but some days I do fall short. It's not that I don't eat enough food on those days, but we have been steaming a lot of veggies so while I may take a lot of food in I don't always get my calories.  I love cabbage and cauliflower but they aren't calorie rich. Now that we have replaced junk food with fruits and vegetables it can be quite a chore eating enough. I am learning that sometimes a roll with a dollup of butter actually fits into my meal. Obviously, looking at my food analysis shows that I need to do a better job. Too many days under my 1500. I better keep this in mind.

Falling short of the plan
May 15 2009 10:28

As the 20th week of the year draws to an end I should be down 40 pounds but instead I am currently wading at 32.  266 pounds. My plan is built around a thousand calorie daily deficit in order to achieve a two pound loss per week. It doesn't seem like anything too crazy. If you take in all the cardio I have added to my routine since February you would think I should be smashing through those goals. Come on! I jog now! And the elliptical machine is cake! I am burning fuel like an old Cadillac, people! I have been keeping a keen food journal to make sure I am not blowing it somewhere along the way. Oh well, I can only keep at it, there is no alternative. Once the weight is gone the counting doesn't stop, the focus just turns to maintenance. So it's not like I am in a hurry to get off the diet.

I can't wait to be under 250. For some reason that is my feel good goal. Getting to 199 will be the next one after that but I am trying not to get ahead of myself.

Darn that Achilles!
May 11 2009 09:59

Last week I had to put the quest to improve my 5K time on hold because I developed stiffness and an occasional but sharp pain in my right Achilles tendon. I have been careful about this jogging thing because of my weight and I have an old knee injury from my high school days so the last thing I want to do is end up in physical therapy again (it has been a very long time since I had pt but it is not something I want to go through again if I don't have to!).

Instead I have been putting some good time on the elliptical this week, which I find very amusing. When I first got the machine I couldn't do 7 minutes on the darn thing. The jogging training has definitely strengthened my legs and greatly improved my endurance. I really can go all day on it now but I have been limiting myself to 30 minutes (sometimes a little more but not much), moderate to hard effort even though I have been logging it as light. I have the resistance set to 5 and do my best to keep my speed up.

So it's been over a week and no more pain, but I still have some stiffness. I can't wait to hit the streets but I really don't want to risk going back too soon.

I did it, 5k (April 18, 2009)
Apr 24 2009 09:18

I guess I should probably write about this milestone before I forget when it happened.

Last Saturday I finally ran my 5k! Not in a race, or before any witnesses, but all by myself. I just decided I would push myself to see if my goal was really within my grasp. I figured if worse came to worst then I would just pass out on the sidewalk and hopefully wake up before anyone called 911.

I was most happy that it did not come to that! I made it, hard and slow, slower than I would have liked to be honest. But completed without interruption. I did in fact jog the entire 3.1 miles. In a very slow 42 minutes.

So what did I do to celebrate? Not much. Tuesday I really wanted to see if I could do it again. I have to note my own lack of confidence there. I mean, I've been training up to this since early February. I have worked hard to be able to run/jog/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. So I did it again. 43 minutes. At this point I am not counting seconds. I suppose I could get a stop watch but until my time gets closer to 30 minutes I really shouldn't bother.

But this is one of the intances where I amaze myself. Not because I am doing something nobody else has done before, but because I have set a goal to accomplish a task that has forever been impossible to me.