Two Weeks Down... No Regrets!

I have now surpassed the 2-week mark and heading into my 3rd. I've always heard that once you do something for 3 weeks, it becomes a habit. I think this whole thing became habitual after the first week!

Tonight, I headed to the gym. It might not surprise some of you, but I noticed it wasn't as busy as the previous Tuesday. Hmm...

I had to run 3 miles according to my schedule. I first hit the Crossramp for 1 mile (140 calories for those that are interested), then made my way to the treadmill. I completed my 3 miles and walked a half mile (570 calories on that machine).

Instead of working out with weights, or jumping on the Elliptical machine, I decided to give myself a break. I've done quite a bit in these past 2 weeks, and maybe I need to start watching for potential problems... like injuries.

So I headed home... feeling great and thinking about the workout. Wow... running 3 miles has become "normal" to me. Sure, there's still the effort and difficulty, but I know it's manageable and attainable. Just over 2 weeks ago, yours truly was sitting in his big fat chair on his big fat rump watching TV and eating/drinking anything and everything.

Today, it's a much different story! I've worked hard, and the results are coming through!

I've been asked on a few occasions, "how much have you run?" Here's my current tally on everything:

Miles Run: 28
Miles Walked: 10
Miles Elliptical: 12
Miles Crossramp: 7 (just discovered this machine recently!)
Average Calories burned per workout: 700-800
Total weight loss: 5 lbs.

So again, it's not just running that I'm doing at the gym. I'm really trying to work other muscle groups... and that's why I have also included weights to my workout.

Thanks again for the encouragement and inquiries, too. I really appreciate the added accountability!

Lots of Cross Training...

One of my goals throughout my training routine is to "cross train." Some people may define this as participating in other sports, such as biking, swimming, racquetball, etc. However, for my definition, I'll just say "doing other things besides running."

When I go to the gym, I like to mix things up. I believe this will help me become a better runner in the long run. Particularly, when it comes to that time late in the race where I'm "hitting the wall."

It struck me today - 2 weeks. Yep, I've been a "gym rat" for the past 2 weeks. How are things going? Well, so far... so good. Remember, "I'm Feelin' Fine in 09!"

OK, seriously, I can tell that it's beginning to make a difference. From having difficulty running half a mile in the beginning, I am now a 3-mile runner. My goal for next Sunday is to run 4 miles.

My arms are feeling a bit tighter, too. The weightlifting has assisted that, as well as the added soreness. Ha! And my clothes? Yes... they are starting to fit a little better. WHOO HOO!!!

I bring all of this up because I believe a lot of this is due to my cross training. I'm not just running... pounding out the miles and then leaving the gym. I have "training" to do when I go to the gym... and it's a great "exhaustive" feeling when I leave. The past two days, I've spent about 2 hours each session there.

Yesterday, I went to the gym and started out going 30 minutes on the Crossramp (see picture). Have you ever been on one of those? It's like a StairMaster and an Elliptical machine combined into one. It has a program that will work all types of muscles from your butt to your calves... and let me tell you, it is a killer! I'm drenched in sweat - burning about 300 calories during that time. I'd love to go longer, but I know I have other muscles to work.

So after that, I went downstairs and worked out on several machines. Yesterday I worked my arms and chest. After about 25 minutes, I headed back upstairs and ran my 2 miles for that day. Lots of calories burned... great workout!

Today was a bit different. I woke up sore, walking around my house like an old man. But, by the time I was ready to head to the gym, I was a bit more limber. I started out biking for 1 mile because I wanted to warmup first, then headed over to the treadmill. After running 3 miles and walking a half mile, I decided to hit the elliptical.

Well, the elliptical machines I typically use were all occupied. I found this new one in a different section and decided to give it a run. I only wanted to do 1 mile... just to loosen up from the miles of running I had just completed. Well, this one was something else. It would bark out orders (written) on the screen to make you keep up. However, that wasn't the worst. Three-quarters of a mile into it, a message came on that the machine was about to stop and that I would be going in reverse. Huh???

Yep... and that's exactly what it did. So for the next two-tenths of a mile, I'm pedaling backwards. Immediately my heart beat went up and the sweat start gushing from my head. Holy cow it was difficult... and amazing at the same time! I loved it!

I then went down and found more machines to work on, then headed back upstairs to finish on that Crossramp (1 mile).

So tonight, I sit here feeling great... as well as sore, several aches, and a few difficulties with my knee. But I'm doing it... 2 weeks and I'm STILL doing it. I enjoy the running, but I totally feel the cross training is going to help me in ways I may never appreciate.

Tuesday's Gone...

Have you ever heard of the song, "Tuesday's Gone," by Lynyrd Skynyrd? If you don't know what the song is about, it's centered on a guy who boards a train and leaves his girl, named "Tuesday," at home... for good.

I've had it on my iPod for quite some time. To me, it's a good song to run with. It's long... it's steady... and it makes the time go by quickly when your brain is starting to lose focus.

Yesterday I headed to the gym. I had to run 3 miles. As you remember, two days earlier (Tuesday), I had a terrible run. I struggled the first mile and had to stop 3/4 into it... and the same when I attempted mile 2. So knowing that bit of information, and experiencing it firsthand, wasn't very motivating to me as I feared what was coming up.

To make matters worse, I was approached by a Trainer while working out with the weights. While he assured me he didn't want to sign me up for anything (yeah, right!), he did ask if he could work out with me sometime. This guy talked a mile-a-minute and threw out so many words related to kinesiology that I thought he might be on crack. It was like he had downed a 6-pack of Red Bull! My brain was in such a fog that I agreed to this crazy proposal of his... maybe just to shut him up. For those that know me, this was incredibly uncharacteristic. We even set a time and date. Sheesh!

Well after going through the bad run, and being a little flustered by Commander McSpaz, I left the gym to wallow in my own frustration. As you read below, I was bound and determined to right the wrongs of my evening.

So yesterday I made a big point to hydrate throughout the day. I also stretched a lot prior to the run, and ate an energy bar before heading to the gym. The results? A good 3 mile run!!!

While I was heading into my 3rd mile, I was feeling really good. Then the song changed... and yep, you guessed it: "Tuesday's Gone." It really was gone! Tuesday was a bad day for me. But this was Thursday, and Thursday is a NEW day for me!

I wanted to share that with you. No matter what obstacles we face, there is always a new day on the horizon. The sun will rise tomorrow... and when it does, we have another day to shoot for our goals and accomplish our objectives.

Oh, and another thing about the song, is these lyrics:

"And I don't know, where I'm going

I just want to be left alone"

That day I also made a little call to Sergeant McNutty and told him I wouldn't be working out with him because I like my routine... and I just like to work out by myself. So leave me the Freak alone!!!

Tuesday's definitely gone...

Two for Tuesday...

Today's schedule called for me to run 2 miles... and brother, let me tell you, it was a very difficult evening.

This was my first time to head to the gym in the evening. I had been dreading it due to the expected crowds. Everyone is like me, I guess... setting goals to lose weight or get fit or, simply, to just feel better.

Well, as I predicted, almost everyone in my little town was at the LA Fitness tonight! I was fortunate to find an open treadmill, so I was off to the "races."

After walking a half mile, I bumped up the speed and was ready to knock off the 2 miles. Heck, I ran 3 on Sunday... so this wouldn't be a big deal, right??? WRONG!!!

Half a mile into it, I realized I was really struggling. My legs were aching and my calves were burning. A quarter of a mile later, I had to stop and stretch. The good thing about treadmills is they have a "pause" button that allows you to take a 45 second break.

I then started walking a bit and then decided to go for more running. Sure as anything... 3/4 of a mile I was dying again. This was getting ridiculous! I walked another half mile and then towards the end I was able to log another half mile.

Disappointed? Absolutely. Frustrated? You bet. Giving up? No freakin' way!!!

Experience has shown me that I will face bad days like this. We all do, right, in whatever we're experiencing and striving for in life. And when you physically train for something, "there will be days like this" where we'll face adversities.

The key, though, is how does one respond afterward? For me, I need to figure out what caused the "bad day." Maybe I didn't hydrate enough today? Maybe I didn't stretch enough? Or maybe I need to eat an energy bar 30 minutes prior to going to the gym? Of course as you probably know, it's "all of the above."

I don't work out tomorrow, but I'll be back in the gym on Thursday shooting for 3. I'll report back and let you know if there was any improvement... and better planning!

Oh, one more thing: Today was my "weigh in" and I have lost 2 lbs. in the past week. So, another reason for "Two for Tuesday."

Miles and Miles and Miles to go...

One week ago I was sitting on my couch contemplating the upcoming week. You see, I had another week off from work and the world was my oyster. What on earth would I do with the extra time on my hands?

I could lay around all week on the couch watching movies. Or I could go to the theater and watch the latest and greatest flicks.

I knew that the upcoming year would be filled with my training regimen. I wanted a different "year" than the previous one. Heck, I'll bet most people were saying that as the year came to a close.

That's when it hit me - why put off the training until January 1? Why not get a jump on the year with some added aerobic conditioning?

So last Monday, it started. I hadn't been to the gym in (ahem!) a long time. OK... we're all friends here, so I can be honest: Last September. Sigh...

How in the world would my body react to this abrupt change? And what would I need to do differently this time around?

Walking into the gym, I knew a few things. First, I needed to take it slow. I've heard (and read) many stories where people start off their training way too fast and get hit with injuries and other setbacks.

I also knew that I wanted to not just be a runner - I wanted to be physically fit. To accomplish that, I'd have to employ weight lifting into my routine. And that, I knew, would add more soreness to the soreness I was already expecting... Yikes!

So each day last week, with the exception of New Year's Day, I made my way to the gym. I ran/walked on the treadmill, worked out with weights, did numerous miles on the elliptical machine, and discovered some new-fangled machine called a "cross ramp."

I bring all of that up because today was a HUGE day for me. You see, on Sundays you're supposed to run your longest distance for the week. I hadn't run over 1 mile consistently... but I knew that I had worked my tail off all week long and was interested to see what I could do.

Now I'm not a fast runner right now... in fact, I'm pretty dang slow. But after I finished the first mile, I knew the athlete in me was waking up. At mile 1.5, I was thinking that I can definitely get 2 miles today. Well, guess what? I not only surpassed that goal, I reached 3!

And just think - had I not decided last Sunday to start this training on Monday, then today I wouldn't be feeling the joy of accomplishing a small but necessary goal in my quest to run a marathon this year!

Runners Live Longer, Healthier Lives...

So on Wednesday, I'm at the gym... sweating like a pig and trying my best to control my breathing. This was "Day 3" in my journey, and I was feeling every bit my age... and the neglect I've given my body over the past year.

As most of you know, there are TVs that hang from the ceiling right in front of the treadmills, elliptical machines, stair masters, etc. You can listen to them if you tune into the right FM frequency. However, I just listen to my iPod and typically watch the screen in front of me - usually sports.

Well, low and behold, the TV that was tuned to CNN was running a report regarding runners. For the next several minutes, I "read" the close captioning to try and determine what they were discussing.

A recent study from Stanford University said that runners live longer, healthier lives. Hmm... it definitely grabbed my attention... and interest!

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent, discussed this story and how the study was carried out over two decades. The researchers found out numerous benefits, and I think if some of you are interested in running you might want to take a gander at the link I'll provide below.

But if you're NOT a runner, that's OK. I think if we can all find our "exercise niche," we'll all live healthier lives.

Here is the Link to the story.

"Feelin' Fine in '09"...

Happy New Year!!!

One of my running partners gave me the inspiration for the "Feelin' Fine in '09" title. To me, that just says SO much about the hope for the new year!

Knowing what lies ahead, it challenges me to have a good attitude throughout the training regimen and all of the rigors my body (and mind!) will face this year.

You see, half the battle (if not more) is mental when you set out to train for specific goals. And when that goal is to run in a race, you have to have the proper mindset.

I was reminded yesterday by my friend Brent (who lives in Austin) that I allowed a bit of grumpiness towards running to come through when I trained in 2007. Perception is everything, isn't it? You see, I enjoy running... but if I don't express that consistently, specifically to a friend who I don't see often yet follows my blog, then I can see how sometimes negativity comes through the message.

Training for something like this is very hard. However, attitude is everything. And if I want to encourage others to shoot for their goals, then I myself should take on a good attitude... one that will also help me when I have to push my way past the difficult trials.

But will I neglect to be "real" in all of this? Absolutely not. I want future runners (or those that are going along for the ride with me in this) to know what I'm experiencing.

As you know, I started this journey on Monday. For the past three days, I have ventured out to the gym. So far, I've run/walked on the treadmill almost 8 miles and added an additional 4 miles on the elliptical machine. I've also added weight lifting to my training.

Want to know how I "really" feel right now? SORE! Very, very SORE!

But, it's a good feeling. I'm doing something and shooting to accomplish goals and aspirations this year. Changing from being a sedentary slug to a man in motion will be rough at the beginning. That's expected. However, I know with continued effort these muscles won't hurt as much... and only with a good attitude will I be able to continue to press through these initial aches.

So yes, I'm looking forward to continually improving and of course, "feelin' fine in '09!"