Fitness and Training

It's only a month until the Twin Cities marathon. I completed my 4th 20 mile run last Sunday. Training has been going really really well. You can see from my 8 mile run this morning (details below) that my pace is improving. Most importantly my heart rate is remaining lower. It used to jump up to about 175 or so when I was pushing this hard but now I can barely break 160. I think the chances of me blowing away my PR next month are very good. I have the Dick Beardsley half marathon on September 11 and I'm looking forward to a fast time.

Intervals (GPS Interval)
Type	Distance	Time	Total Time	Pace	Avg HR	Max HR
Interval				8:54	133	145
Interval	1 Mi	7:54.21	16:47.34	7:55	146	153
Interval	1 Mi	7:57.28	24:44.62	7:58	147	156
Interval	1 Mi	7:55.03	32:39.65	7:56	144	157
Interval	1 Mi	7:54.82	40:34.47	7:55	153	160
Interval	1 Mi	7:55.45	48:29.92	7:56	155	158
Interval	1 Mi	7:36.06	56:05.98	7:37	155	161
Interval	1 Mi	8:03.14	1:04:09.12	8:04	153	158
Interval	0.02 Mi	0:09.59	1:04:18.71	8:00	157	158

On the fitness front I have been working out a lot and really building my core. I feel a lot stronger and tighter though my weight loss has slowed significantly in the last month. I'm now down to about 215 pounds and I don't know if I'll hit 200 before the marathon. But that's ok. My body is still shrinking and I'm building muscle.

Weight Loss Progress

It is about time I updated you on my progress. I have been increasing my miles, increasing my speed and working out at the gym a lot. I have moved up from 20 pound weights for my bicep curls to 35 pounds and from 30 pound dumbells for chest presses to 55 pounds. I generally work my upper body and back 3 times a week. I have dropped from about 265 pounds to below 227 pounds as of this morning. The progress definitely shows! Take a look.

Weight Loss Update

It's been about nine weeks since I refocused my eating and exercise and it is paying off with big time results! I have dutifully tracked every calorie, good and bad, on fitday.com. I have resisted temptation and have eaten cleanly for the last two months. And I am happy with the results! over 30 pounds have melted away. My clothes fit better and I feel much stronger. My running has been improving and I am on top of the world. I have a ways to go but it is so encouraging to finally be back on track.

Turkey Trot

I had an AWESOME 4.1 mile run this morning in the cool 40 degree weather with the sun just rising on the horizon. I ran into some wild turkeys in the cemetery by the river strutting their stuff with full plumage. A great way to start the day. My weight continues to drop and I am so proud of myself for not pigging out on pizza at my meeting last night. I had only one piece and managed to keep yesterday's calories below 1500. Today I can eat more as I ran this morning and I'm heading to the gym this afternoon.

I am stoked for the marathon in October! My official 18 week training schedule starts May 31. I'm ahead of the game. I will be 4o pounds lighter before the marathon! Looking forward to an awesome PR.

Making Progress

Well, it did take me a little while to really get started but I have been making progress. Since my post in January, I didn't really get serious until the end of March. But since then I have dutifully tracked every calorie and increased my activity. I am going to the gym about 5 days a week to do free weights and cardio on the elliptical machine. I'm also gearing up my running and have been able to manage long runs over 10 miles for each of the last 3 weekends.

The thing about losing weight is that it really is about calorie balance - what you eat vs what you burn. And it's a simple formula. You have to burn about 3500 more calories than you eat every week to lose one pound a week. I've managed to maintain about and average 1300 calorie deficit for the last four weeks and it is showing the exact results one would expect with the math. I have lost about 3 pounds a week.

Compared to my photos from January, you can definitely see the difference1 2 pounds makes.

Time to be accountable

It's a new year and here I am at a place I never thought I would see myself at again. Even with two marathons and several other half marathons in 2009 I seem to have used every excuse in the book to slack off. And look where it has gotten me! I've gained 40 pounds over the last couple of years! That is half the weight I lost in 2002/2003. I have no one to blame but myself. I realize that I gained weight during training for every one of the 5 marathons I have run in the last couple years. Running gave me an excuse to overeat. I stopped tracking my calories and keeping the carbs in check. Well, it's time to face the mirror. That's why I have my pictures below. I need to see what everyone else is seeing.

It isn't pretty and I feel terrible. Time to change things. Even though it is below zero outside I have to get my feet back into my running shoes and my fat ass back out on the streets. I haven't run in more than a month. Today starts a new day and a new attitude. I started back on fitday to track my calories and I will be out the door first thing tomorrow morning.

Wish me luck.