A Confession

I have gotten sloppy. I am back in school, but will be finishing that this semester. I want to be thinner and am willing to work at it. I also really dislike the cold and the big dose of snow and ice we've been getting. That makes it hard for me to get outside.
I want to go on the record that I am committing myself to losing 20 pounds by the end of summer. I am just shy of 190, and I want to be under 170, not because that's my goal. It isn't, rather I want to get there so that some other fitness activities don't stress my body as much. I'm also committing myself to be doing three good, substantial workouts weekly on the roads by the end of March.

Finally!

Hey, I've got no real excuses. Today, I FINALLY got out for some aerobic exercise. It was a calm, cool morning, right around freezing when I started my hour-long walk. I covered just about 4 miles. Not a great deal, but if I'm consistent, my aerobic capacity should rise fairly quickly. The grass was all frosted when I started, but the sun had melted most of it off by ending time.

I have still not purchased a scale, but did but a calendar to serve as my training diary. I am also trying to do calesthenics to build some added muscular strength (and add to my daily calorie burn).

Actual running will begin soon.

Best Shape of My Life

My last post drew two responses, the first said, in essence, choose to get into the best shape of your life this year, and the second agreed with the concept. My response is "Impossible!" Why? As recently as the spring of 2005, I was running roughly 50 miles per week, and getting a 50 year-old body to that level from a state of poor conditioning takes much longer than a year, even if issues like the need to earn income, care for my son several days a week, and continue my education were not factors.
So, I still stand by my original premise of "getting into reasonable shape" this year. Now, it's time for a few mea culpas. I did not yet get the training log. I did not begin a formal training plan this week. While I have done a few basic and very limited exercises, they lacked the structure and volume to cause soreness, a sign that muscles were overloaded. So, forgive me dear readers, I have sinned by failing to make progress on my resolution during week 1 of 2010. I promise that week 2 will be better.
Still, how will I quantify my progress? I will establish a single goal, to be able to run 5 kilometers at will by the beginning of summer. I will also draw the beginning of summer to be the traditional start of the summer season here in NJ, Memorial Day. If any readers are outside the USA, that's the last Monday in May. As a secondary goal, I want to lose weight, but am currently unable to quantify that, as I don't own, nor have access to a scale. I will purchase on in the next couple of weeks.

Fitness Plan - Revised

I've been struggling to get motivated to get myself back into running shape. It's been hard. I've decided that I will aim for daily activity - to me that means 5 days each week. After picking up my bike on Wednesday, I took it out for a short twenty minute ride on Thursday evening. Today, my son and I went for a walk of about an hour. We're going to run with an area club tomorrow morning. That will be three days in a row.
My hope is to integrate more activity into my day, and to keep it varied. The plan is to gradually build my aerobic condition while I strengthen by legs. Once I am comfortable running, I'll try to do that 3 or 4 days a week, with other activity on the other days.
I hope this will also help motivate me to drop some additional weight - I'm at about 185 lbs., I'd like to get down to about 165 by year end.

Less Driving

I'm finding that the economic downturn has impacted the amount that I am able to drive for the limo service. Since I have a substitute teacher's certificate, I am going to visit a couple of local school districts and try to get added to their substitute lists. Meantime, I had put on a half pound over the last two weeks. I need to get out more, and get in more - to the gym.

My Current Weight Loss Strategy

One day this past fall, I was climbing my stairs and felt like my legs were straining. It was this moment that is responsible for the strategy driving my effort to lose weight. I realized that I'd gotten very out of shape. So, I decided to build up my muscles, and to lose some weight.
My plan is two-pronged, and is based on the fact that muscle needs more energy to stay vital that fat. I've begun a weight lifting program and simultaneously started an aerobic exercise program. So, prong one is adding muscle mass to increase my basal metabolism. Prong two is aerobic exercise to burn calories. Paired together, I expect this plan will yield good results, but only time will tell.
I will say this, back in the 1980's, I first got into lifting weights. At that time, I was also doing a fair volume of exercise. Most winters, my weight would grow to about 160 lbs., up from a summer weight of about 140 lbs. The seasonal deviation was a byproduct of less winter activity paired with greater emphasis on lifting. Over a period of about 3 years, my weights for both winter and summer grew by about 5 lbs. as I added muscle. During this period, my ability to gain and lose weight seemed easier than at any other time in my life.
My goal is to get back to a weight of about 160 lbs., which I consider to be my "running weight." I expect this effort to lose about 27 more lbs. will take about a year.

186.5!

I was right that my efforts at the gym and watching my diet were about to pay off. I weighed this morning and my weight was 186.5 lbs, down 2.5 in the last week. I'm pretty sure it's real weight loss, not water weight or any such thing. I just have to be careful not to hurt my shoulder, this patting myself on the back is tough on the shoulder.
Of course, I have no friends on www.running.about.com's forums competing against me, so this is for myself only - if any of you check the about site, see the forums section, and look for the Stan vs. Mike and the new (I hope I have this right) Lorrie vs. Wendy threads.

Four In A Row

I was at the gym again on Sunday, and it was my fourth day there in a row. My back, though not a hundred per cent, is much better than it was. On the treadmill next to me was a 60ish woman who was using a program on the treadmill. The problem was she was in over her head. When it would speed up, she wind up running with her ass stuck out, hands clamped to the rail, keeping on the machine only by virtue of her arm strength. Of course, I was no prize myself. I had CNN on the TV in front of me, and there was a high speed chase in Kansas City being shown. I steeped off the left side of the belt, suddenly going off balance, getting out of alignment, etc. I'm sure it would have been a funny scene if I'd fallen off.
Anyway, I'm trying hard to diet. I'm burning about 400 calories each time I'm there. Since I started this the last week of last year, I think I should be coming into the muscles have grown, but no weight has yet been lost phase. It's the point at which so many dieters get discouraged and quit, but not me. I've been through this before, and I know. Now's the time when the hardest work has been done, it time to see the reward come. I'm waiting for that pound or two a week to kick in. I should have weighed yesterday morning, but forgot, hopefully this AM.

3x

I got to the gym thrice this week. I was struggling a bit with a spasm in my back. I think handling some heavy luggage last weekend irritated it. I seems to be getting better, but I still get a twinge now and then. I lifted only twice, Monday and Friday. On Thursday and Friday, I did 45 minutes of walking, burning about 300 calories each time.

A Stroll

Last night, I walked for about an hour. I had gone to a local park and started walking about 7:15, and got back into the car at 8:23. I'm not sure if I went 6 or 7 laps, given the time, I'd like to think it was 7, but have no certainty, so either 4.8 or 5.6 miles. Being a Wednesday, one of the local running groups gets together there, so one guy I knew did a "WHAT are you doing?" about my walk. I'm just not in shape to run long, with my weight and lack of conditioning. I'd run 3.2 on Monday.

The Running Meatball

Ten days ago, when I ran the five miles, I'd suffered from the dreaded "chub rub," with my overly meaty thighs chafing to the point of having "polka dot" scabbing the next day. A few days later, I ran in my least favorite pair of running shorts. They're a pair of Nikes, which I purchased a few years back when I realized when headed for an evening race that I'd mispacked my bag. They're too long, nylon taffeta and they hold stink really well - I think it's the lining. I noticed as I wore them that I chafed very minimally, so it struck me that the trend towards longer shorts might also be a function of the trend towards obesity on American society.

An Update

I ran this morning, and I ran yesterday afternoon, and I walked on Wednesday. I am working hard to fight the battle. I did not do much last week, but I had a pretty good excuse, I was in Italy to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Olympic Marathon that established the standard marathon distance. I will be making a post on that on another site and will link to it from this one once it is up.

My Everything Hurts!

After doing some sprints on Friday evening, I spent yesterday judging a youth track meet. I helped with both the Turbo-Jav and discus. Since I had never thrown a discus before, I used the opportunity at the end of the meet to try to learn a bit more about how to do it. The result today is soreness in my thighs, back, shoulder and arm. It is that kind of good sore, you know, sore, but not too sore, feeling.

I weighed this morning, and the scale showed 188.5.

More Exercise

On Wednesday morning, I repeated my exercise of Monday, adding just a bit. On Friday, I racewalked about 2 miles in the early AM. On Satrday, I jogged perhaps a half-mile several times as I watched the Footlocker Northeast Cross Country Meet. I also wound up meeting and having (a very late) lunch with one of Dyestat's people. The upshot is that I may wind up having a few pictures published by them.

The Fat Slob Confesses

In the last several days, I've been asked by several people about my conditioning. I've had to confess that I've been lazy and not running or doing other fitness work. I'm getting tired of that. I went to the gym this morning and walked! for 20 minutes at 4.4 mph, and also did leg presses 190 lb x 10 and pull-ups (with assist) so I weighed about 100 lbs x 10.

Gettin' Bombed

This morning, during my workout, I walked under some oak trees, and at the time, a squirrel must've been up there, because dowwn where I was, acorns were cracking against the roadway steadily. It was a little nerve racking, as I knew getting hit would be pretty unpleasant. Fortunately, I got through unscathed.
I had walked about 80 minutes. I was passed by four runners, one alone and a group of three. The one alone was a friend from the running world, the other group was a woman and two men, she, too, was a running friend.
I popped off three sets of 15 push-ups and two sets of 30 sit-ups afterwards. I also tried to stretch carefully afterwards. My legs felt pretty soft afterwards. My weight is back to 180 lbs., a number I'm unhappy with.

Does Yesterday Count?

I did some upper body work yesterday, but I had no soreness afterwards. I did not do either walking or running. I left the gym figuring to count my workout towards the 45 in 50, but now I'm having doubts. Without soreness, I'm not sure I went hard enough.

My legs and feet felt better today. I did a half-hour walk on the mill. It listed as 2.4 miles. Slow for the condition I was in a year ago, but it seems to be just about my limit for a hard, sustainable effort.

This morning, I was at the gym at the time I used to usually be in. I got the "WHERE have you been?" from Josh and Dan. I had to confess my badness. I joked to Josh, "I've been working out outside," giving the wink that told him that I was doing my best Jon Lovitz playing Tommy Flinagin (How do you spell that?). I know that showing up there again with a large time gap will get me ridden hard. Those guys will keep me honest.

I'll likely be out of touch for a few days. I should be able to keep up the 45 in 50 though.

More On 45 of 50

First, last night, I ran four miles along the Long Branch, NJ boardwalk. The term is a somwhat loose application, as today much of the northern portion is covered with concrete pavers. Though my lower legs were whining a bit, the run went easier than I expected.

Next, Bruce "Vegas Runner" Robison questioned my 45 in 50 goal. He's right, it's a long-term goal, and not too many misses could make it unmet. Still, I stand by it. My intent is to get into shape, and if I don't meet the numerical goal, my conditioning will still radically improve. Thus, even if I miss the goal by a narrow or even moderate margin, I'll stil have made great strides in terms of conditioning.

Bruce suggested establishing shorter, more "bite-sized" goals. He's right, but my goal would be 7 for 7 each week, so the short termers would be fairly moot.

Concentrated Foods

A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to a report on food and the interviewee (man, that's an ugly word!) used the term "concentrated food." I think it may have been a cheesemaker. Regardless, since that time, I've been haunted by the concept. The point being made was that cheese is a food that is highly concentrated. I'm a cheese lover, so the concept struck home.

Depending on the type of cheese, making a pound of cheese may require a gallon or more of milk. It drove home the point that milk is mostly water, and just a relatively small amount of solids. The idea is similar with dried fruit, and with many "healthy" snack foods, like pretzels.

The concept related closely to Dr. Pritikin's "Eat wet foods" command, and the concept of volumizing.

Announcing A Goal - 45 for 50

On Monday, I had decided to establish a tough goal for myself regarding getting into shape. Since consistency is one of the keys to fitness, I decided to set a goal of that involves consistent workouts. Thus, I chose to set the goal of exercising 45 of the 50 days beginning on Monday. That means seven weeks and a day with a maximum miss of one day in 10.

Some people will tell you that establishing a habit takes 30 days. Others will say that basic conditioning takes 6 weeks to achieve. This goal meets both of those criteria.

Here I sit on Wednesday morning, a bit sore and fatigued, puzzled about last night's workout. I had gone to a park, which is supposed to close at dusk, and when I arrived, there was a cop there. He pointed his searchlight at my car, and when I rolled down my window, he asked, "Are you going to walk a dog?" I replied, "I was hoping to walk myself." He said, "Go ahead." So, off I went. I wanted to walk 3 laps of the park, which is 2.4 miles, and expected that it would take about a half-hour. That would give a roughly 12 minute/mile pace. When I finished, I looked at the clock, and it had taken 42 minutes. I was puzzled - Had I walked an extra lap? Had I walked really slowly? I just don't know.

While I doubled on Monday (a workout, followed by a race), that counts only as a single day, thus while I've finished 3 workouts in two days, it counts only as 2 for 2 by my system. (I can't bank exercise.)