GOING GREEN (AND TRYING TO LEAN)

This past week has not seen my greatest "stay in shape" performances.  In fact, I really haven't done much of anything since I pulled something in my calf on my run about a week and a half ago.  I have, however, managed to drink wayyyy too much beer and eat wayyyy too much food.  This  has led me down the path of fitness destruction.  My get up and go is getting up and going somewhere else.  It is one of those cycles that I sometimes find myself in when I get injured and life is dealing out kicks to the balls.  Injury forces me to take it easy on workouts and when life doesn't co-operate I turn into a glutton.  Not cool at all.

On the plus side, this would have put me in a complete downward spiral in the past but over the past five years I have tried to let these things become lessons.  So after only a week of living like a sloth, I am making positive decisions.  These positive decisions come in the form of rules for myself.  My wife laughed when I told her yesterday that I was done eating poorly.  I had stated that it would be my last day (for a while) of eating like crap.  I was accused of being too black and white.  BUT that's the thing about me...I am black and white about some stuff.  I can't go into fitness and health related changes in a half-assed way.  It's just not how I am built.  Despite having spent a large portion of my life in a personal battle with "rules," I find that I need to give myself rules just to give me a better chance of success sticking to new goals.

Considering it has been a busy year so far, I actually haven't been doing that badly.  My running hasn't been as regular as I like and I have not been sticking to my workout routine but I have managed to drop a couple of pounds through some decent eating and giving up beer for a bit.  I don't want that momentum to stop...and it kind of did over the past week.  My diet and slug-like activity levels have left me feeling like garbage.  So today is the day that things change.

Of course running is always at the heart of everything and as soon as my leg feels good, I will be out patrolling the streets of suburbia but I need to set some other goals for myself to ensure that I feel good all of the time.

For Easter we got a Magic Bullet for making smoothies and such.  I broke it in today.

I always hear people talking about how great smoothies are for you so I decided to join the madness.

• apple
• almond milk
• carrots
• celery
• cucumber
• chia seeds
• sprouts

I made one for now and one for tomorrow morning so I don't wake up the house with blending at 6 in the morning.  Tomorrow evening I will branch out with some kale and fresh parsley.

MMMMM...it is really good and not too chunky at all.

Also on the diet note, I am putting some certain weaknesses on the no-fly list for a while...including nachos (and I made chilli for dinner tonight so this will be put to the test.)  I need to get back to the eating basics...you know, the fruits and the vegetables and not so much processed stuff.  I really don't know how the health nuts make this lifestyle look so easy but I am determined to find out.  I am sure most of the people I know look at my running habit as an odd activity to do for fun but, hey, different strokes.

I am also starting a new and somewhat easier workout commitment.  Push ups and yoga.  Push ups are easy and really take no time to fit into a day.

And they aren't hard to fit into cleaning up the kitchen either.  Gotta keep this body in shape...bikini season will soon be upon us.

Nothing feels better than getting good stretch in.  This is something that I truly do struggle with because I find it hard to find a 20-30 minute block of time throughout the day...especially if I have already put in an hour on the run.  However, this is about body maintenance and I am getting to old to recover quickly from injury.

So this is the plan to get green and lean.  The green drinks should be a healthier alternative to beer and nachos.  The push ups never hurt and the yoga is a great way to avoid the hurt.  Let's hope that the healthy momentum is even half as easy to maintain as my lazy momentum.

And the first green drink is done....delicious (not really) and healthy.

IN THE WAKE OF TRAGEDY

I used to be involved in one of those social media sites.  I would post my running stats for the day and then write endlessly about whatever came to mind.  It was kind of like my own little blog that had zero form but, because my running stats were entered, it was running-based writing.  Eventually, I decided to quit that site.  There were reasons that I won’t go into here but I really do miss that free form sort of diary-ish writing that I had done there.  So I started this blog…which so far, has been kind of lacking…lacking in regularity and lacking in direction.  At first I had lofty ambitions of turning my blog into an all encompassing runner’s blog that was full of fresh insight and ground breaking ideas.  I guess I finally just realize that I am a regular runner who puts in what miles he can and just enjoys the fuck out of it. 

So maybe, once again, my “blog” (in quotations because I don’t believe it has earned the distinction of blogness yet) may be changing directions.  Maybe this is an extension of what I once wrote about…running and life and just trying to become a better person as I go along.  I like to write because, as the words get typed onto the screen, I start to get a better idea of how I truly feel about a subject.  Unfortunately, what I am writing about today is horrible but I need to get it down so that I can begin to process it better.

 Life is full of tragic events.  My life is no different.  Early Monday morning we got a phone call from my wife’s best friend.  Her son had killed himself.  I feel numb and sick just writing it down.  He snuffed out his own life at the age of twenty.  I won’t go into details about anything except to say he was a really nice kid and came from a really nice family.  I don’t know what caused him to become so hopeless that he would do this and I doubt that anyone will ever really know.  All that is left is the aftermath.

That horrible aftermath.  The clean up of a life taken and everything else left in shambles.  A family left to pick up the pieces and try to carry on.  I honestly don’t know how people do it.  How do you move on and recover from something like that?  Do you stay in the family home because everything you remember about your kid happened there?  Or is the memory to hurtful to bear – looking at the living room where he opened his Christmas gifts or the kitchen where he consumed a thousand meals?  I would be a wreck and I don’t know if I could ever stop being a wreck.

In all events I try to take lessons.  I try to look at every tragedy as an opportunity to become a better person, every bad day as a way to treat the good days with the respect and reverence that they deserve.  After hearing the news, my wife immediately went to go help out with whatever she could.  I stayed at home with my kids.  I told them what happened…and I told them I loved them…and I told them that no matter how hopeless things may seem, that I would always be there for them – to help see them through to better days.  And then I hugged them like I could never let them go…because I just can’t.

Every time my life is struck with the death of someone I know, I can’t help but think about the lives we lead.  They are short and seem to pass by in a flash if we let them.  Despite my sadness for our friends and their family, I just can’t help but want to grab onto the reigns of life even more tightly and ride it for all it’s worth.  In the wake of disaster, I just want to hold my family and friends close and appreciate what a gift life truly is.

This is the second time that a suicide has impacted my life directly.  The first time was a friend that I had worked with.  He had quit his job and had told me that he was starting a new job in a couple of weeks.  The next I heard, he and his girlfriend had killed themselves.  We weren’t super close but it had a huge impact on my life.  I just couldn’t understand how someone could do it.  I couldn’t understand how things get so bad that suicide is the only answer and I couldn’t understand how somebody could leave their family behind to wonder what they could have done differently.  Now I am older.  It has been over 20 years ago since my friend and his girlfriend killed themselves.  I still don’t understand how someone can do this to themselves and to their families.  But I suppose I have become more empathetic over the years…instead of feeling angry and confused, I just feel sad.  I get that there is disease that affects the mind instead of the body and I get that the warning signs aren’t always there.  I understand that relationships are a delicate balance and I know that easy answers are rare.  In the case of this most recent suicide I know that the parents were reaching out to their son and trying to help them but they didn’t know the depths of the darkness that he was enveloped in.  I know that they are probably questioning themselves but I honestly don’t think the answer is there…some events just can’t be stopped.  I think this was one of them.

So where is the lesson?  There has to be something else besides death making me want to embrace life.  There is – there is so much more.  It serves as a reminder that everyone walks a different path.  We never know what others are going through.  Maybe a co-worker is experiencing depression.  Maybe the person who serves your Starbuck’s coffee just lost a loved one.  Maybe the paper boy is being bullied at school.  We just don’t know what it is like in someone else’s shoes.  I really do try to be compassionate towards others but it is tragic events such as these that really drive home the importance.  Showing a little love towards our fellow humans can go a long way.

The Bigger Man

Last Friday I got into an argument with a co-worker.  Although he may have had a valid point or two, I was right about what I was saying.  Things got heated and voices were raised.  At this point I lost my temper and said some things I shouldn’t have.  Without getting into meaningless details, we both had a right to be angry…and we both handled ourselves poorly.

Unfortunately, I am not one of those people that can just forget about arguments.  I play conflict over in my mind.  Was I right in how I handled things?  Could I have done something different?  Was my co-worker right?  Was I being mean?  These and many other questions popped into my head on the weekend.  My mind churned and I couldn’t stop it.  It was a bummer.

At the end of it all, I was satisfied that I probably let my anger get the best of me but I was justified in being angry.  I don’t think that I presented myself very well but the things that I said were true.  I concluded that I was right but sometimes that just isn’t enough.  It is almost always better to let cooler heads prevail…and this situation was no different from most.  Despite being right about something, I really felt badly about going about my business in the wrong way.

I remembered all of the stuff I have learned over the years about “making peace” and “being the bigger man.”  That is what I set out to do this morning…I set out to “be the bigger man.”  I found my co-worker and we both apologized to each other simultaneously…and I really learned something.  “Being the bigger man” does not necessarily refer to being a bigger person than someone else.  I was no “bigger” than my co-worker.  I was bigger than I was yesterday.  I was able to let go of my ego and realize that there are things more important than being right.  

World Series Trophy Stays in the Pacific

Every spring brings about the rebirth and renewal of….BASEBALL.

As I do every year this time, I took out my Magic 8 Ball, my Ouija Board, and my Tarot Cards in an effort to predict the destinies of 30 Major League Baseball teams.  After several shots of rum and a few prayers to Jobu I think I am ready to put pencil to paper (or fingers to keyboard because it’s 2015.)

AL EAST

1.       Boston Red Sox – they lack a true Ace (unless Buckholz comes through) but have everything else.

2.       Baltimore Orioles – hard to believe they aren’t going to miss Markakis and Cruz.

3.       Toronto Blue Jays – losing Lawrie is a definite plus…but not enough.

4.       New York Yankees – The Yankees suck.

5.       Tampa Bay Rays – feeding other teams your best players and letting Maddon slip away is not good for business…oh wait, no one shows up to their games anyway.

AL CENTRAL

1.       Detroit Tigers – Still not convinced the Tigers have what it takes but not convinced Sox do either.

2.       Chicago White Sox – Looking good this year…finally.

3.       Kansas City Royals – I just don’t see it.

4.       Cleveland Indians – rotation is just too thin to scare anyone.

5.       Minnesota Twins – just not a good team.

AL WEST

1.       Seattle Mariners – Great pitching and improved offense…how do you go wrong?

2.       California Angels – Good all around team.

3.       Houston Astros – much improved…they actually have a major league roster.

4.       Oakland Athletics – those trades last year killed them. They did nothing and now have nothing.

5.       Texas Rangers – not a great team but not having much luck either.

NL EAST

1.       Washington Nationals – tough not to go with these guys.

2.       Florida Marlins – These guys are gonna be good.

3.       Atlanta Braves – the rebuild is on…time will tell how hard it will be.

4.       New York Metropolitans – Dwight Gooden was awesome.

5.       Philadelphia Phillies – what a debacle.

NL CENTRAL

1.       St. Louis Cardinals – these guys are just good every year.

2.       Chicago Cubs – I know…weird…but these guys look for real.  So young but good.

3.       Pittsburgh Pirates – they just need a rotation.

4.       Cincinnati Reds – could be bad, could be good…who knows?

5.       Milwaukee Brewers – could be bad…up…that’s it.

NL WEST

1.       Los Angeles Dodgers – all around good team.

2.       San Francisco Giants – can’t see another WS in the near future.

3.       San Diego Padres – another team that looks a lot better than last year.

4.       Colorado Rockies – not a super team.

5.       Arizona Diamondbacks – less super than the Rockies.

Who gets the wild card spots?

AL – Angels and White Sox.

NL – Marlins and Cubs.

PLAY OFFS

AL WC – White Sox over Angels

NL WC – Cubs over Marlins

ALDS – Mariners over White Sox and Red Sox over Tigers

NLDS – Nationals over Cubs and Dodgers over Cardinals

ALCS – Mariners over Red Sox

NLCS – Nationals over Dodgers

WS – MARINERS WIN!!! MARINERS WIN!!! MAAAARRRRRINERRRRS WINNNNNNNNNN!!!

Yup…you heard it here first.  The Mariners are getting their rings this year.

IT JUST FEELS GOOD

We all have our reasons why we do the things we do.  Runners are no different.  I have heard hundreds of reasons why people run.  Some run to lose weight or stay in shape.  Some run competitively and want to win races or break their personal records.  Some just run to keep the voices in their heads at bay.  I’ll be honest – all of those and many other reasons apply to me as well.  Ask me why I run several times throughout the course of a year and you may get several different answers.  Today, however, I remember the real underlying reason to why I run.

I am usually a superb sleeper.  It is just one of my talents.  I can fall asleep quickly and I generally crash hard.  Unfortunately, the past week has not been my best pillow work.  You know how it is…wife with a bad cold coughing all night and watching Bones ‘til the wee hours, dogs that, for some reason, feel it necessary to cause mayhem and destruction at 2 AM, kids that seem to save their most pressing issues until ten o’clock and then they want to have a heart to heart talk, and maybe a tad too much manic energy on my part.  Whatever the reasons, sleep has become an issue over the past week or so.  That is why last night was so magical.  Everybody was in bed by ten.  I was zonked by 10:05 (as previously mentioned I am a great sleeper.)  I woke up at 4:49 (one minute before my alarm would have started singing it’s horrible song.)

4:50 is the time of day where an important decision is made.  Do I reset the alarm out another hour or do I get up and run?  Sleep is important when you work 10+ hours a day in front of an evil computer so the circumstances of the past week have seen me reset the alarm every day…until today.  Today I woke up and did my quick evaluation of whether I was ready to face a new day.  I WAS.

Now I love running at any time of the day but there are a couple of times that seem a bit more sacred.  I really love a good run in the summer at dusk when the world is just starting to get dark and the fireflies are out and everything just seems magical.  The other sacred time is pre-dawn when the world is still sleeping and all is peaceful.  Pre-dawn also just happens to be my best window of opportunity because of all of the stuff that needs to get done in any given day.  You know what they say – there ain’t no runnin’ like pre-dawn runnin’.

SO…after five days of not running, I finally got my run on this morning.  What did I discover upon completing my run?  I discovered just how great I feel.  My body feels great.  My head feels great.  I figured out why I run.  IT JUST FEELS GOOD.  Running makes it all right.  

ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER

There is a history of depression in my family.  I don’t know how far back it goes.  My great-grandfather committed suicide.  My grandpa was quite stoic but now that I am older it is so easy to see that he struggled with depression.  My dad has also had his problems  going back further than I can remember and a few years ago spent some months in hospitalization due to that ambiguous disease.  Of course, that leaves me as next in line.

I never paid much attention to much of anything as a kid but as a teenager, I must have recognized that I had some issues.    It’s funny because it is so hard to recognize deficiencies in yourself but I began to self medicate like a madman.  I drank heavily several times a week.  I experimented with recreational drugs.  I basically numbed myself out to a point where I feel it altered my reality.  I had really lost touch with my self and my emotions.  That doesn’t mean that I wasn’t on an emotional roller coaster.  I was.  I would experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.  I loved it and I hated it.

Eventually, I suppose I matured a bit.  I got out of the party scene.  I got a decent job.  I got married and had kids.  I did a lot better than the high school guidance counselors ever imagined but you don’t go through a life like that without scars.  I think I was emotionally stunted because I had ignored what was going on inside my body and my head for a really long time.  I really had no idea how to live life or how to handle problems.  I tried to figure it all out and basically lived by the mantra, “fake it ‘til you make it.”  I suppose that it worked out ok.  I became more even keeled.  I didn’t have the super ups and mega downs anymore but I still felt lost.

Running changed a lot of that.  I had always been a runner…just not a consistent one.  Finally, four years ago at the ripe old age of 39 I made a commitment to change.  I committed to running.  I started slow but stuck with it and began to make big strides…not just in the physical sense but things started changing upstairs too.  Until that point, I don’t really believe I had much purpose in life.  Yes, I was a good dad and husband, but I think that was it….other than that I was just a dude that watched a lot of sports on tv and drank too much beer.

Running gave me purpose.  It gave me goals to aspire to.  I started to gain the confidence that I didn’t even realize I didn’t have.  I began to care less about the people in my life that didn’t matter and more about the people that did.  Mostly I think it opened up the doors to understanding who I really am.

Annnnnnnnnnnd…that brings us around to the whole point of today’s ramblings.  The last six months have not been the best for me on the mental health level.  I have been low.  Various events at the end of last year took their toll on me and I just couldn’t climb out of my hole.  I have been trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other in both life and my running and it has been working out.  Finally, last week seemed to be a difference maker.  The nasty cold winter broke and brought some nice spring air into my life.  Some pressurized work situations came to a head.  I had a couple of good heart-to-heart discussions with my wife.  And I finally had a good running week….my first in what seems like forever.  Five days of running in one week and a decent looking 35 miles.

While running those miles, I gave a lot of thought to how thankful I was for starting to feel a bit more “myself.”  I thought back to times in my life weren’t going well and how I had just mentally packed it in and how this time was different.  I soldiered through.  I made sure to get out at least once or twice a week to run and blow off a little steam despite the horrid weather.  Best of all, I knew that things would get better.  I know it is only a beginning but that is where everything starts.  I truly am convinced that running has helped me to become more mentally balanced and more prepared to handle the obstacles that life has been known to put before us…and I am thankful.

RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL

There are all kinds of examples of successful people in the world.  We can look at people who have realized their career goals.  Look at how successful she is….she is a partner in the law firm.  Some people have made it rich and have all of those material things that seem to go along with that lifestyle.  Others have reached the pinnacle of their chosen sport…their success judged on victories and accolades.  On the same scale, we can see the people who have been successful in their workouts.  Whether they be runners, gym rats, yogis, or any other type of athlete, these people tend to be in pretty good shape.

Yep…it’s easy to pick out a runner in the summer with their shorts revealing well muscled calves.  It is not hard to see who works out when they wear tight clothes that reveal their lack of body fat and hardened muscles.  Just like the people who are successful in other aspects of their lives, the results of their work are easily seen.  What is not easily seen is the actual work that goes into becoming successful.  We seem to have this vague idea  that so-and-so had to work hard to get where they are at.  This person had to hit the gym for months to achieve that physique and that person had to go to school for four years and climb the corporate ladder to land that position.  But that really doesn’t tell the whole story.

I am beginning to realize that there is something else behind the scenes that makes us successful in our endeavours.  It isn’t just about doing the work or getting the training in.  It isn’t about certificates, education, races won….it is all about HABIT.  When I was in high school I can remember kids getting really good grades on tests.  I would think that kid is really smart and probably studied.  It never occurred to me that the smart kid probably did more than just study before the test.  He or she probably studied several times a week throughout the school year in order to consistently get good marks on tests.  I used to look at the track stars and think that guy is so fast.  True, there is some innate talent when it comes to some things, but, just like everything else, speed takes work…not just a few warm up sessions before the big race…real work…every day work.  It’s a habit.

A habit is a funny thing.  Bad habits are tough to kick and good habits are tough to get going.  Have you ever tried to quit smoking, drinking, or using?  If so, you know how hard a road that is.  Conversely, have you ever tried to get up at 445 am five or six days a week to get your run or your workout in?  Or have you ever tried to only eat healthy foods.  Both of these habits are equally hard to start as some of the others are to stop.  BUT the habit is the key to success.  The races aren’t won on race day…they are won or lost long before that.  You win races in January and February when those who are not quite so committed sit on their sofas and watch television and you are out facing the elements and getting your runs in.

This is what I remind myself of as I embark on my weight training.  I know my weights and reps are low.  I know that the things I am doing are not impressive…even to a rookie like myself…but I know that I am building a habit along with new muscle.  Already I feel slight increases in strength and I know it will only continue.

The HABIT is the key.  The results don’t happen in one day.  Habits are not built in one day.  Realize there will be failures and set backs but every day is a new day and all you can do is just keep pushing forward.  Eventually the habit forms and once it is formed you begin to crave it.  Then the work doesn’t seem so much like work anymore.  It becomes a part of what you do and who you are.  Then some time down the road people look at you and think about how you are in such good shape and they think you are lucky.  It’s true…you are lucky…lucky that you became your habit.

SVEN IS WEAK

Due to circumstances slightly beyond my control, Monday was not the first day of my working out life.  Snowpocalypse pounded our area of the world hard and I spent three hours shovelling my neighbour’s and my driveway…after which I promptly took a two hour nap.  Unfortunately the storm also filled the sidewalks and shoulders of roads with impenetrable white stuff so running has not been on the menu either.  It started out as another lazy week.  Well, lazy except for the whole shovelling snow every day thing.

Finally, yesterday was the day.  I had researched what I wanted to achieve in my workout and how to go about doing it.  I decided to modify the workout a bit as far as which exercises to use.  Before I get into what I did, let me just tell you how weak I am.  I had to laugh.  Ok.  Sure.  I haven’t done an actual workout involving more than just pushups and crunches in over 20 years but I really surprised myself at how little weight I needed to give myself a good workout.

So what exactly did I do?  I did three circuits of 12 squats (40 lbs), 12 good mornings (40 lbs), 12 incline dumbbell presses (20 lbs per hand), 12 dumbbell rows (20 lbs each hand), 15 mountain climbers, and 50 jumping jacks.  On the surface, this did not appear to be a tough workout.  I had done some reading up on the subject, though, and numerous sources did seem to point to three sets of about four or five exercises so that is what I aimed for.  This little circuit training session left me a sweaty, shaky, tired mess.  Yup…this workout took less than a half hour and it kicked my ass.

Despite the low weight and the thorough ass kicking, I feel great about things.  When you start at the bottom there is nowhere to go but up.  On another positive note, I don’t hurt that badly today.  Now it is just a matter of consistency and moving slowly up the ladder.  All about the baby steps.

Another aspect of this whole getting into better shape thing that I wrote about the other day was what kind and how much food I am putting into my body.  HAHAHAHAHA….so far, I am failing…which is fine…I know myself too well and I know that this is what will take the most work.  On the plus side, I ate like a horse shortly before my workout yesterday and ended up paying for it.  I felt sluggish and full.  Gotta pay attention to these things and use them as motivation to eat better and less so that I feel better. 

Well…onwards and upwards.  Another circuit training session in place for tomorrow and hopefully a run sometime soon (before I go crazy.)  On to leaner, meaner, cleaner, and greener me.

NEW DIRECTIONS

OK...I am taking a slightly new direction in how I want to hit my running goals.  With this new direction, my little blog here is going to transform a bit as well.  I love life.  I love running.  I love writing.  I have been floundering on how to combine these three things into blog form.  I may have hit on it.

I will be honest here.  Though I am a runner and though I run more often than the average person, I really am not in that great of shape.  See, your body gets used to using certain sets of muscles and looks for ways to operate those muscles as efficiently as possible.  This means that I can still be a runner and kind of fat at the same time.  Yes, I am pretty good shape...but no, I don't look like a skinny elite marathoner.  

I am not getting any younger.  I am 43 and I know that my shot at glory on the local race circuit could be a lost cause but that doesn't mean that I stop trying.  The speed starts to slip away and the older you get, the harder you have to work for it.  But I have set lofty goals for myself and I know that this year will have to include a different approach if I want to be successful.

I have ignored diet and I have ignored common sense.  Really, I eat like a stoned college dropout - yes, I am fully aware of THAT lifestyle...maybe I will talk about that another day.  My diet, though relatively full of healthy foods, has flaws and I eat wayyyyyy too much at most sittings.  My running has been enough to keep everything level but it has not been enough to push me to new levels of fitness.  An equally large problem for me is that I ONLY run.  I am pretty lazy on the rest of it...cross training, stretching, resting, blah blah blah.  

This needs to change.  I can't expect to change my results if I don't actually make changes.  Admittedly, the food thing will be the harder part but I am also committing to cross training.  More specifically, I am going to start working out.  

SO WHAT THE HELL IS THIS BLOG REALLY GOING TO BE ABOUT?

I am a dumbass.  I do things the wrong way.  I learn by making mistakes.  I figure that there are lots of dumbasses out there.  I also figure that there are probably lots of dumbasses that want to get into better shape.  Maybe people will benefit from my haphazard way of going about things.  I know a bit about running but know nothing about working out.  I also know a bit about eating right...I just don't apply that knowledge to my own life...yet.

With running, I was able to unlock a few secrets through my own experiments out on the roads and trails and also through reading obsessively on the subject.  I plan to take this reckless yet obsessive approach to new subject matter...working out.  I will write about what I am doing and how it is working in my life.  If I learn stuff the hard way, you can learn stuff the easy way...through my mistakes.  It will be fun for everyone.

SO - WHAT'S THE PLAN?

Well, the new name of this blog is KEEP IT SIMPLE, SVEN.  That is what I am going to try to do.  Keep it simple.  I am going to continue running, I am going to start working out, and I am going to start eating better.  Right now, I am just throwing miles in the bank.  It's cold outside and it is tough enough to get out for three or four runs a week without throwing in speed workouts and such into the mix.  Tomorrow I will start working out and eating better...not today...it's Super Sunday and I am going to eat way too much food and drink a bit too much beer.

Tomorrow I work out...but what does that entail?  What kind of workout do I do?  My workout goals are to get leaner and stronger and less prone to injury.  I do not wish for bulk or to get bigger.  Weight loss would be ideal because the lighter I am the faster I will run.  I will begin CIRCUIT TRAINING. Not only is it higher reps at lower weights but it is also a quicker workout for the busy guy on the run.  The plan is to do this three times a week.  For the time being it is going to look something like this:

• Hit those QUADS - Squats
• Hit that ASS - Dead lifts
• Hit the PUSH - Incline Dumbbell Press
• Hit the PULL - Dumbbell Rows
• Hit that CORE - Exercise Ball Crunches
• A bit of cardio - 50 Jumping Jacks

My circuit will include 3 sets of 15 reps of each exercise (except the jumping jacks which will be 50.)  There is no rest between the sets...only at the end of the circuit.  After the jumping jacks I get to rest for a minute and take in some water.  Simple, right.

In the interests of full disclosure and so that I (and you) can see any progress that should occur as things go on, I will post up a couple of pics and my relevant stats.  Hopefully, a month down the road, we can say that things have changed.

There you go.  This is what I have to work with.  This is the clay.  Time to sculpt.

Relevant stats:

• HEIGHT - 5'9" no matter how much I work out, I will not make the NBA.
• WEIGHT - 173 lbs hope this changes...to, like, 150 lbs.  :-)
• BICEP - 14" that is at a flex.  not looking for more size but we'll see what happens.
• SHOULDERS - 45" once again, not sure how this will change.
• CHEST - 40" I am not a big dude so I imagine this will go up a bit.
• GUT - 39" looking to shrink this down.  fingers crossed.
• WAIST - 33" another area that should drop...I can see where the extra weight is.
• THIGH - 21" not sure if I am going to get bigger here or lean out.  time will tell.

So I have my starting point.  This is where a new adventure begins.  Looking to the future, I am hoping that this means healthier running with a leaner and meaner body.  PRs and looking great for bikini season...what more can a guy ask for?

NEW BEGINNINGS AND OLD ENDINGS

Maybe this blog is just going to be off the cuff stuff that I think about or do with a loose relation to my passion for running...and sometimes a complete relation to running.  Gotta be honest, I can be slightly obsessive when it comes to running so I kind of base my free time (what little I have) around it.
ANNNNNNNNND...speaking of which, I do intend to (at least for my own records) track my runs every week but this hasn't happened yet for last week.  Only two runs happened due to my own laziness, kids being sick, and the weather being awfully cold.  Of course, this just builds all of the crazy up and I am absolutely bursting at the seams right now.  I can't even sit still.  My feet are bouncing around under my desk.  I need to get my run on.  Maybe it will happen after work if all seems good on the home front.
That doesn't mean I have stopped thinking about running.  Oh no...that's not how it works.  Instead, I have been thinking a lot about running and ways to make my running better that may not necessarily involve actual...running.  I have arrived at two life changes that will definitely help me out.  And, yes, I have arrived at both before but this time I am actually going to follow through with them.

That's right.  It's time to start taking cross training a bit more seriously.  I started looking at used weights and benches and whatnot but it was discouraging because people seem to think that the used crap that they want to get rid of is made of gold and they want their money for it.  I know lots of guys who work out so I decided to talk to one of my friends.  He got excited and said that he would set me up.  This weekend I should have a bench, free weights and a heavy bag in my garage.  BAMMO!  Ready to rock.  I briefly worked out with some friends 25 years ago and liked what it did for me but drinking and the call of the wild party animal proved to be too much and I stopped.  I look forward to seeing some really positive results from my new commitment.  It should help my running as well as some neck and shoulder problems that seem to get worse with age.
The other change I need to make is my diet.  This is the bane of my existence.  I don't eat horribly but I really love food and I like to eat it...a lot.  I suppose my biggest weakness is BEER.  Not only is it not very good for me but it also leads me to make some horrible food choices.  IT'S ALL GOTTA STOP.  As much as I love beer, I love feeling great even more.  Now...I don't plan on quitting beer forever but it may be time for a little hiatus.

OK - I am not religious...but my wife and kids are practising Catholics.  Every year they "try" to give something up for Lent.  I believe that (aside from religious stuff) sacrifice is a good way to strengthen one's mind and resolve.  One year I gave up desserts and junk food for Lent.  This year I am going to put down the Stein for 40 days...except it isn't 40 days...it is actually 46 days.  What kind of false advertising is that anyway?  They all talk about 40 days and nights in the desert.  They all say that we must refrain from something we love a lot for 40 days so that we too can know sacrifice...but Jesus was out in the desert for 40 days and we are expected to give shit up for 46.  It doesn't make sense to me but I am going to roll with it and go 46 days without beer.
So we shall see how it goes.  Two big commitments in order to drive myself closer to achieving my goals.  Looking forward to a leaner me...and looking forward to seeing how the weights transform my running.

The Keys

About five years ago I was a slave of my own complacency.  I ate too much.  I drank too much.  I worked and tried to be a good parent and hubbie but really didn’t do much more than that.  I watched a lot of sports on television.  I watched a lot of television in general.  I was bored and unready to make changes in my life…until I came back from a vacation and saw pictures of me and the shape that I had gotten into.  It was a wake up call.  It turns out that Dean Wormer from Animal House was right.  “Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life.”

I was tired of sitting on the sidelines….watching the athletes on TV…not taking part in anything.  Long story short, I began running.  OK…I had always been sort of an off and on runner.  Now I made the commitment.  I dropped weight.  I drank less.  I didn’t eat less but could now justify the additional helpings.  Things changed.  I changed.

It was a process.  Nothing happens overnight.  I had to change my way of thinking.  One of the reasons I was an off and on again runner was I would go balls out from the beginning and inevitably hurt myself and take a prolonged layoff before starting again.  This time was different.  I started slow.  It was as much about changing my mental state as it was changing my physical state.  Through the process I became a runner, I became more mentally tough, and I became a better person.

That was five years or so ago.  I am still a changed man.  I still run.  I have not packed the pounds back on.  I spend a lot less time in front of the television and happy to be taking part in my life as opposed to watching life pass me by from the sidelines.  However, once again I feel the itch to make changes…to improve on life.  Once again, it involves living life more fully but this time I think it will be an all mental game.

I feel the need to change.  I have flaws…a lot of them…but I am a work in progress.  It’s time to teach the old dog new tricks and I am not entirely sure how to do it except to make the commitment and continue to improve as the days go on.  Though I think I am a pretty positive person, I feel that POSITIVITY is the key to living the fullest possible life

. 

When I started taking my running seriously I followed a certain set of rules for myself that would help me achieve my goals.  Just basic stuff: eating healthier, running regularly, not being a complete lush, etc.  I didn’t write the rules down but I knew what they were.  This time I am making a list so I can refer to it when I am faltering…a little reminder of the track I am supposed to be on.  Some items are things that I try to put into practice and some are things that I fail at but all are geared towards making my own little world a better place.

1.       Be thankful.

2.       Be kind.

3.       Be joyful.

4.       Treat each new day as a new opportunity.

5.       Try different things.

6.       Forgive.

7.       Don’t sweat the small stuff.

8.       Practice openness.

9.       Listen to music.

10.   Read books.

Being thankful.  I am just as guilty as anyone for forgetting what it is all about.  I am lucky in what I have.  I have all I need and there are a lot of people who don’t have that.  I need to try to think about this every morning when I wake up.  Some thankfulness with my cup of coffee.

Being kind.  I suppose I am a pretty kind person.  I try to help people out when I can and I don’t go out of my way to be mean.  However (and this is something I work on) I can get sucked into the negative vortex of trash talking people that piss me off.  It isn’t helpful and I need to stop doing it.

Being joyful.  This is what everything is all about.  It shouldn’t be hard but as I get older it feel s that the weights of the world do get heavier.  Work pressures are unceasing and the bills don’t stop coming in but it is the same for most and it’s time I started being conscious of how I am feeling.  A bad mood can be pretty sneaky if it goes unchecked.  There is a lot to be happy about and I need to remember that.

A new day, a new opportunity.  This is another area I struggle in.  Getting up for another day at work can be difficult.  There are a lot of variables that I can’t control.  I need to treat those variable for what they are and concentrate on what I can control.  I need to look at each day as a new opportunity to learn and have fun.

Try different things.  I started doing this a few years ago.  Whenever I wind up at a half decent or nice restaurant I try something new.  Variety is the spice of life and who knows what you are missing when you don’t take a chance on something different.  Mixing things up a bit in life makes things more fun and interesting.

Forgive.  I am pretty good at this but there is always room for improvement.  Forgiving doesn’t mean you have to forget that people have wronged you.  It just means that you can let it go.  Why do I want to carry a burden of hatred or hurt because of the actions of someone else.  All that does is make my life harder.

Don’t sweat it.  Sometimes I am good at this and sometimes I fail.  I need to remember it…especially with my kids.  I guess pressures build up and everyone flips out over the small things on occasion but I want to stop doing this.  When I get frustrated I need to give myself a timeout before I react.  Generally, the small things, though they build up, are not worth getting worked up about.

Openness.  This is a difficult concept for me.  When I get mad at someone or just feel someone isn’t worth my energy I shut down and close up…not just with that person but across the board.  I need to get past the individual events and just be more open to other people’s ideas or thoughts

.

Music.  What more needs to be said.  More music.  Less television.  It calms the savage beast.

Books.  Expand the mind and the imagination.  Don’t let someone else tell you how to view the world.  Reading allows you to explore unknown worlds and because it is only words, you can picture it without bias (or at least without someone else’s bias.)

That’s it.  A ten point plan for better living.  I feel that if I can improve in these areas I will become a happier person…which will make me a better person.

The Year So Far

OK...onto dry statistical stuff.

The year so far has been...COLD.

Somewhat oppressively cold.

But the show must go on.  I haven't run as much as I would like but I will take what I can in this weather. 

January 1, 2015 - Thursday

Distance 6.3 miles

Time 50:51

Pace 8:04/mile

Week 6.3 miles

YTD 6.3 miles

January 2, 2015 - Friday

D 5 miles

T 42:00

P 8:24/mile

Week 11.3 miles

YTD 11.3 miles

January 3, 2015 - Saturday

D .76 miles

T 8:51

P 11:40/mile

Week 12.06 miles

YTD 12.06 miles

January 3, 2015 - Saturday

D 7.55 miles

T 1:04:05

P 8:29/mile

Week 19.61 miles

YTD 19.61 miles

January 5, 2015 - Monday

D 5.03 miles

T 43:00

P 8:32/mile

Week 5.03 miles

YTD 24.64 miles

January 7, 2015 - Wednesday

D 5.02 miles

T 43:35 

P 8:41/mile

Week 10.05 miles

YTD 29:66

January 10, 2015 - Saturday

D 9.37 miles

T 1:21:03

P 8:39/mile

Week 15.42 miles

YTD 39:03 miles

January 11, 2015 - Sunday

D 5.31 miles

T 44:01

P 8:18/mile

Week 20.73 miles

YTD 44.34 miles

January 14, 2015 - Wednesday

D 5.34 miles

T 42:38

P 7:59/mile

Week 5.34 miles

YTD 49.68 miles

January 16, 2015 - Friday

D 5.02 miles

T 38:09

P 7:36/mile

Week 10.36 miles

YTD 54.70 miles

January 17, 2015 - Saturday

D 7.44 miles

T 57:39

P 7:45/mile

Week 17.80 miles

YTD 62.14 miles

January 20, 2015 - Tuesday

D 6.3 miles

T 49:28

P 7:51/mile

Week 6.3 miles

YTD 68.44 miles

GOALS FOR 2015

I like the whole KISS principal.  Keep It Simple Stupid.
My running goals are to PR...everything.  And I want to have fun doing it.
THE 5K - It will not take much to throw down a PR in this distance.  Truth be known, I have never really been much of a 5K runner.  I don't remember what my current record is but it is relatively pitiful.  I have only run one 5K race since high school and I think it was a 24 something.  It was when I was just starting to pick up running again.
THE 10K - This will be my piece de resistance.  I have run the majority of my races at this distance including my best race...a 38:55 (pretty good for an old dude.)  It is going to be tough to rock out a PR in this.  Right now I am nowhere close to in shape but there is lots of time between now and then to get back up to snuff.
THE HALF - I ran my first half marathon last summer.  Unfortunately, I was just coming off of a pulled hammy and didn't put out my best effort.  I suppose 1:50:11 isn't bad all things considered but I know that I can do much better.
THE FULL - I have never run a full marathon so a PR in this is a guarantee.  All I have to do is finish.

All of this being said, I do like to attach numbers to things so I have number goals too.
5K - 19:00
10K - 38:30
HALF - 1:25:00
FULL - 3:00:00
All of these, of course, translate into PRs.