Weigh in, into the 330's he goes! 200 pounds lost is almost here..

Friday, June 05, 2009

Weighing in has almost become secondary to me because of the C25K program, I have convinced myself that it does not matter whether I lose or not this week and maybe that is what I needed to get me in a downward direction again. Last week I was 341.4 pounds which was up from my lowest weight as well as up from the week before, this morning I woke up and I weighed 339.6 pounds! I am back into the 330's and I must say that it was a pleasant surprise this morning because I was not expecting a loss with all of the soreness. Today I am 1.8 pounds lighter than I was last week, with that I am stronger physically because the soreness in my muscles means that I am building muscle and pushing myself past where I was before I started running which will set the mood for my day quite nicely.


One bag of flour away from 200 pounds lost.

My calories came in at 1725 for Thursday and I drank more than a gallon of green tea along with about a gallon of straight H2O and a Fuze fruit punch man are those things good, and exercise was absent besides all of the stretching that I did. Over all I am feeling good but still seem pretty sore, I am suppose to run W1D3 tonight but I may put it off until tomorrow night just to give myself an extra day rest for the soreness to go down a bit, I haven't decided which I will do and the decision will purely be based on how I feel tonight when the time comes.

With this weeks weigh in I am again within 5 pounds of having lost 200 total pounds and this is something that I have not really focused on for the past month because of the docs orders for me not to run/bike and it seems that as soon as I started back in on the exercise the weight came back down. Will this be the week that I join the ranks of the few that can proclaim losing 200 plus pounds by making healthy choices in food and adding some exercise to their days? I certainly hope so. This week is doubly positive for me with the start of C25K and now dropping back into the 330's bringing be within 5 pounds of that double century mark, this time the difference is that I am cleared for exercise so I'm just going to say it Nothing can stop me now!

A good week for sure, the only thing left to do is duplicate it again this week so that's the plan. Don't forget that big ol glass of H2o for reading all of the way through this post and remember that you are the one that decides what you do with your time, sit on the couch? complain how hard everything is? eat chocolate when you feel sad? or make good food choices and exercise daily, it really is up to you, make the choice.

As Ever
Me

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

PUMPKINFACE73 6/6/2009 7:11AM

Hey you...I am always smiling when I read your blogs, Congrats to you..almost 200 pounds I am so excited for you..cant wait to go for that walk...rock on!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

BILLALEX70 6/5/2009 10:20PM

You'll get there and then there'll be the next goal. You just have to take it one step at a time. Report Inappropriate Comment

SARAHS216 6/5/2009 10:14PM

Awesome! What a great week! Only one bag of flour to go is amazing. And then I'm sure you'll keep going all the way to your goal. Report Inappropriate Comment

RENA1965 6/5/2009 9:59PM

keep up the solid work! Report Inappropriate Comment

SIMPLE_TAILOR 6/5/2009 4:28PM

Sometimes turning attention to other things will get the losses going. Just do your best to stay healthy. Have a great weekend. ttyl Report Inappropriate Comment

KRISTYSMOM 6/5/2009 4:10PM

Almost at the 200 lb lost... awesome. Keep up the good work. Report Inappropriate Comment

AMBERROGUE 6/5/2009 4:00PM

You ROCK!! Report Inappropriate Comment

CURVYMAYA 6/5/2009 3:50PM

You are doing amazing. An almost 200lb loss is incredible. You have lost almost one of me, lol. Keep up the good work and keep running. I'm totally tempted to try the couch to 5K. I keep restarting it and never move past week 1. Report Inappropriate Comment

LAURIE5658 6/5/2009 1:47PM

Botz! You are headed in the right direction and you are going to reach that 200 lb. loss...CUZ I SAID SO!!!!!! That dang persistence once again wins the game, baby! (Botz in the near future) Report Inappropriate Comment

HEIDIS2NDCHANCE 6/5/2009 1:32PM

Sounds like you have had a great week! Running becomes very addicting, and eventually enjoyable. (So I've been told.) I actually look forward to running everyday, even though some days are tough. How long are your intervals that you are running? When I started I ran for 2 minutes, walked 1. And I've slowly increased that. I know that because I have slowly increased the training time I haven't injured myself. That would be my only piece of advice. Go slow! Way to go on getting in the 330's! Keep it up! Hugs, Heidi Report Inappropriate Comment

GLORYTOGLORY 6/5/2009 1:17PM

too minus 200 hundred adn beyond woohoo! Report Inappropriate Comment

SURFIE 6/5/2009 10:57AM

Way to go!! You are doing such an excellent job. I can't even imagine being able to lose almost 200 lbs! Thank you for always posting such motivating blogs and reminding us that we CAN do anything we put our minds (and bodies!) to. I can't wait to hear when you drop that bag of flour and get the bragging rights that go along with earning a 200 pound weight loss. You're awesome! Report Inappropriate Comment

SCANJ05 6/5/2009 10:55AM

that is so wonderful keep up the good work Report Inappropriate Comment

SWEETZMIX 6/5/2009 10:36AM

Congrats!!!!! I think that having you focus on something else may help the scale move. I noticed for myself the more I stress about the scale is when it doesn't move or goes up :/ I also like to drink Fuze when I am out and about for some low cal flavor. I hope you feel better to get that run in, if not tomorrow will be a better day than today. I skipped my D2 yesterday due to working out everyday since Sunday, I was just tired. Went to bed at 10:30pm and woke up at 9:30am...now I am wondering if I can beat this darn rain. If I don't hear from you, enjoy your weekend!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

SCHNAUZERLOVER2 6/5/2009 10:36AM

WOW!! What an accomplishment! I feel very lazy now.... I lost 40 lbs and have 60 lbs more to go (I am over 50). I need to get up off the chair! You are amazing, and a great encouragement, too. Thanks for the dose of reality! Report Inappropriate Comment

D5ENZO 6/5/2009 10:35AM

I love your bag of flour lost post..its so cool! Report Inappropriate Comment

LEAVY1213 6/5/2009 9:31AM

Congrats on the weight loss!! Report Inappropriate Comment

GIGGLES40 6/5/2009 9:03AM

Congrats!! on your loss!! I really enjoy your blogs, you're so positive and encouraging. Thanks for helping keep my mind on the right track. Report Inappropriate Comment

BIGGIRL2082010 6/5/2009 8:56AM

Wheeee! You're back in sniffing distance of that 200-pounds lost mark! Yay! And soooon, you'll be in the 320s, then the 310s, then ... BELOW 300! That's the one I'm waiting for! You'll be in a completely different "zone" then - there will be SO MUCH new stuff for you to experience and enjoy! :) And you're right, WE are the ones who make the choices that make us fit or fat - the more healthy choices we make (even if it's something small like drinking an extra cup of water!), the easier we'll find it to be our healthiest selves! Small steps can take us a LONG way - thanks for the reminder! Cheers, Maya Report Inappropriate Comment

ZIRCADIA 6/5/2009 8:51AM

WOOHOO! :D Congrats on your loss and here's to really rockin those 5lbs OFF FAST! :D hehehe. :D Report Inappropriate Comment

C25K week 1 day 2 fini, and some new gear for my running.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Yesterday was time for W1D2 on the C25K program and sore quads and all out into the rain I went to get day two under my belt. Earlier in the day I was out and about and thought that I would look around for a compression shirt to run in, the last time I went out the highest size was a 2xl and I already knew that I was a 3xl so why bother trying one on? I walked in and again looked at all of the 2xl shirts and wify said "are you going to at least try one on?" so I thought about it and decided why not and off I went into the changing room with 3 different shirts. To my surprise a 2xl shirt fit me, in fact it was a bit long on me which was awesome in itself as this was something that I wanted in a compression shirt so I was happy to find a shirt, the shirt that I bought is a Rebok play dry compression shirt. I put the shirt on at home and wify took a look and we both agree that I am a lot smaller with it on, in fact my regular tee shirts that I wear look too big when I have the compression shirt under them. The amazing part about that shirt is that it shows me just how much extra skin that I have on me, if a compression shirt can make me look as small as it does I do think this is just the beginning of my skin issue woes, but that is a bridge yet to be crossed so I will not dedicate too much attention to it just yet.



The run itself last night went well for the most part, I started off and after the first interval the compression shirt rolled up and I thought to myself "this is wonderful, now I get to play with this shirt for the next 30 minutes" so as soon as the first interval was done I pulled the shirt down as I walked and prepared for the roll up again when the next interval came along, but I sort of kept an eye on it and I did not roll up this time and every interval after that it seemed ok because the dampness of my sweat gave it some grip. Along I jogged thinking about how my wife had said that after the 2nd interval when she was on day 2 that she had no more soreness in her legs and I started interval number 3 and still sore. The 4th interval is the hill, you know that steep one that I mentioned in the last C25K post? man did I feel it going up that hill, when I hit the top of the hill I looked back at it and said some profanities at the defeated hill and continued on my way. This is about when I was coming down a longish straight downward sloped section and someone in a car was not considerate enough to turn their high beams off and I was pretty much blinded, the only thing I could see was the lights! it was as if I was in space or something and everything was perfectly black except the lights and I got too close to the edge of the road and twisted my ankle a bit on the edge of a driveway, I felt no pain so off I went and the rest of the run/walk went smooth and nice.

I felt great during this entire run besides the soreness in my quads (which never went away) I found that I was not as winded as the first time out and the difference in this compared to the first run was that my sore legs were my limiting factor where the first run was limited by my being out of breath. I did remember to check my heart rate immediately after 5 of the 9 intervals and it averaged out to 168 beats per minute which as far as I can tell is slightly higher than it should be for my age but maybe I am wrong, chime in with a comment if you know what it should be. I covered more ground on day 2 compared to the first run, the first day I ran 2.049 miles in the 29:45 that the podcast lasts and last night I went 2.095 miles according to Gmaps, so ever so slightly further but further none the less, and there is always room for some inaccuracies but I am pleased either way.

Onto my intake for Wednesday, I consumed a total of 1610 calories and drank just under 1 gallon of green tea, 1 gallon of straight H2O and 2 bottles of Fuze fruit punch. My exercise for the day was the C25K program and other than the slight twisting of the ankle I feel like I am on my way with this program and feel good about it so far. I am less sore this morning than when I went to bed last night, in fact I am less sore this morning than I was before I ran last night as well which I hope means that the soreness will continue to get less and less from here on out, I do have some pain in my ankle but nothing that is even close to real pain, its more like a discomfort that is letting me know that something happened so I am going to keep an eye on how that feels and if it is even slightly sore come time for Fridays run I will skip it until Saturday giving it an extra day worth of rest.

Week 1 day 2 is fini and I look forward to completing week 1, I have not decided whether I will do week one twice or if I will move right onto week 2 when the time comes and I will decide on Monday when I actually head out for that run, it will all depend on how day 3 goes. Tomorrow I weigh in and even with the new exercise this week I am not expecting a big drop if any mostly because of the soreness and I know that I have to be retaining a bit of water because of it but it honestly does not matter if the scale shows progress this week because the running IS showing progress and as long as progress is being made in some aspect of my new healthier life I am happy with that, which is not to say that I am not looking for losses but I am pleased with myself this week to say the least.

Check out tomorrows post to see if the fat man has lost some weight and of course keep on keepin on and all that.

As Ever
Me

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

PJDKSMITH 6/5/2009 8:39AM

Hey Botzzz.. I'm sooo happy about ur unexpected, but well-deserved weight loss! If u haven't read it anywhere, I think there's info on it all over spark and fitness magazines is add protein to ur diet after ur workouts *ie runs* and this will help heal the muscles more quickly, decreases recovery time and also helps removal of lactic acid.. AND I'm going to try that rolling pin idea.. oh.. that sounds LOVELY.. I have a tight IT band *right hip* and I'm picturing being 'rolled flat' right about now and I'm in heaven! I'm back on track on Sat, taking an extra day off too cause the bones just feel tired... Keep up the great work, I'm right beside u step by step. Have a great weekend! Jenny Report Inappropriate Comment

BILLALEX70 6/4/2009 9:18PM

Glad you got your shirt situation solved. It is amazing how they do their job compressing all of the "extra" us. I can relate with the sore quads. I did sprint intervals on Tuesday followed by an hour of yoga; I'm still feeling that. Best wishes for tomorrow! I don't believe in luck; the hard work will show in the results. Report Inappropriate Comment

SQUIRRELLYMOM 6/4/2009 4:08PM

I'm wondering if you are in a plateau to give your body time to "catch up" and get used to the weight loss. Could be also a time to give the extra skin time to shrink up some too? IDK. Just guessing. You are doing so great I'm hoping to start doing a more extensive workout this next week. Hubby is going to get a gym membership for us. He wants to pass me in the weight loss department. To him it doesn't matter about being healthy. He just wants to lose more and quicker. Have a great day--I'm off to drink that water!! Linda Report Inappropriate Comment

SWEETZMIX 6/4/2009 2:20PM

Glad to hear you got out there and didn't let no stinkin' rain hold you back!! Report Inappropriate Comment

VTMAUREEN 6/4/2009 1:38PM

Way to go on the running! Want a secret for massaging those sore quads? Use a rolling pin! Sounds funny, but it feels fantastic. Just roll it over the sore muscle, as light or as hard as you desire. Helps move that lactic acid out, and promote blood flow to the muscle for faster healing. Report Inappropriate Comment

AINTSKEERD 6/4/2009 12:50PM

Have you thought about a pair of compression shorts? They help immensely with the shorts (or sweats) and keep them from sticking and weighing you down. Plus, if you need to you can tuck the shirt into them to prevent roll up. You are doing fantastic and I am fortunate to have come across your page. tam Report Inappropriate Comment

SIMPLE_TAILOR 6/4/2009 12:13PM

What, no picture you you in your new clothes . . . . Sounds good. Hadn't thought about the compression shirt. Might have to look at that. ttyl Report Inappropriate Comment

GLORYTOGLORY 6/4/2009 11:21AM

oh yeah you definatly have seen progress that is huge!!! But that old scale might surprize you tommorow! love your blogs makes me want to go work out woohoo! Report Inappropriate Comment

VEEJAY3 6/4/2009 11:21AM

To strengthen an ankle that's been sprained, strained, twisted, etc: Put yourself in the corner of the room (you can face out -- you haven't been naughty) so that both your hands can touch a wall. Now balance on the weak foot. That's it. Just stand on one foot at a time. You'll feel your body slightly sway from time to time, and all those muscles around your ankle tweak and adjust to keep you balanced, and it strengthens the joint. I've sprained my right ankle so many times, and try to do this whenever I think to. Smooches out there on the wily wooded paths, friend! Report Inappropriate Comment

LAURIE5658 6/4/2009 11:13AM

Hey Botzzz, is the compression shirt taking care of your extra skin issues while running? I hope it does and personally I had not thought of this being a problem and it is very interesting getting your take on it. I have a real good friend that just had gastric bypass surgery and I am trying like all get-out to get her to join Spark, but I know I cannot force her to unless she really wants to. I do not know exactly what she weighs but I do know that she is morbidly obese. I am learning through you how to understand the unique everyday problems you have in dealing with your weight. For that, I thank you Report Inappropriate Comment

CINCYDORA 6/4/2009 11:03AM

I think PJDKSMITH is on the mark about the heart rate. The trick is to get it to bounce back quickly. I'm just shy of 35 and when I exercise, I know that a heart rate over 170 means it's time to slow down and catch my breath, but I usually hang around 160 when doing heavy cardio. I think when you are just getting started the key is just not to over do it. Once you get closer to expert level you can start worrying about aerobic v anaerobic. I also agree about being carful with that ankle. I turn mine all the time and used to try to tough it out only to have pain and weakness linger for weeks. Then I decided to be proactive and ice it down whenever I give it a good tweak. That's shortened my recovering greatly. So if you tweak and ankle or knee again, use the ice pack for 15-20 minutes. It'll help the healing. Thanks as always for sharing your journey and inspiring the rest of us! Report Inappropriate Comment

BIGGIRL2082010 6/4/2009 11:03AM

Love it. You were sore and YET you ran. That's the Botzzz we all know and love! :) The heart-rate range? Ummm. Yeah. Well. Okay, I'll be honest. I don't "believe" in them at all! Like horoscopes, you know? I figure there have to be SO many variations, depending on your fitness level, your weight, your age, your height, your resting heart rate, and, quite simply, how hard your body is *used* to working! :) Mine, for example, is supposed to be 125 to 152 bpm for my age, if I'm doing vigorous exercise. However, I *know* I usually get to 144 for moderate exercise and into the 168 to 175 range when I'm exercising vigorously! And my resting heart rate is only 57 beats per minute. In fact, here's a quote from the Target Heart Rate calculator at the Mayo Clinic website: "These numbers are estimates that provide an average value. Many people have a higher or lower MHR, sometimes by as much as 15 to 20 beats per minute. Disagreement exists on how to most accurately estimate your MHR and what percentage range to target." So, there's lots of room for variation. If *your* body does this on a regular basis when you're doing REALLY hard work, then it's okay for *you*, I'd suspect. Of course, sanity also says you'd mention it to your doc and ask for his/her input ... :) Cheers, Maya Report Inappropriate Comment

LUCKY-13 6/4/2009 10:01AM

Love your compression shirt! I'm going to have to get my husband one. He saw it and said the same thing about it making a person look smaller. He's been exercising in large stretched-out t-shirts so it's almost impossible to see that he's lost weight too. Great idea! Looks like you're making great progress on your running and I'll bet you post a loss tomorrow!! "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." ~~ Satchel Paige Report Inappropriate Comment

JUSTAGURL2335 6/4/2009 9:59AM

Great job!! :) Re quads: I'm not a runner, but I skate on a roller derby team and for the first month or so my quads were SCREAMIN...I thought the soreness was gonna be there forever! But it did go away eventually, leaving seriously rock hard muscles behind :). Yay!! So just keep pushing through! You're awesome. Report Inappropriate Comment

PJDKSMITH 6/4/2009 9:29AM

Hey Darlin', first of all... job! As for the heart rate thing I think it depends on ur baseline. My baseline heart rate is 72, slightly less when at rest, rest. When I'm running mine's up to about 150's.. but I did hit a whopping 175 on Tuesday and didn't even know it. *from my Polar HRM*. There's aerobic exercise vs. anaerobic-something to do with going beyond 80% of ur max.. turns it into anaerobic.. there's posts all over the place on that one. I think the most important is how quickly u can return to ur baseline. I think it takes me about 2 min to get back to 100'ish... maybe less. I think THAT's what the important stuff is. As for repeating week 1.. how come? For the posters from week to week we would only repeat if we FAILED. As in being unable to continue a 2nd or 3rd interval. If we had to walk more than what the c25k program suggests. IF u complete the week, day 1-3 and u complete all the intervals I say GO FOR IT! You are doing awesome! As for the shirt thing, well, I've not been as big as u were, or are even, but I do know a few things about extra skin. Here in Canada if u loose a hundred pounds the tummy tuck is free! I don't need to lose that much so I'll have to pay.. but lifting weights has helped A LOT for added skin to arms/legs. I'm really looking forward to all ur posts of ur journey along the way... its a great ride. OH! Be careful of that ankle. Cause us people with additional weight? While running our joints are more.. uh... tender than those of a lesser weight.. all that 'pounding' is really hard being so much heavier than those marathoners... My joints have taken a pounding and I'm about 200 pounds.. so just be careful. Take rest days if u need them, besides EVERY OTHER... never two in a row, I've made that mistake more than once.. NOT AGAIN! Anyways, sorry so long. You intrigue me. Have a great day. Jenny Report Inappropriate Comment

Sore quads and its time to run again.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Today I woke up and man are my legs sore! talk about a delayed reaction, I was talking to wify about the C25K program and she said that when she started it that the second day was the worse for pain but that it went away after she started running so hopefully my quads follow her lead. Over all I feel good about this running program and look forward to completing it with my wife so that we can run together at some point in the hopefully near future.



Yesterdays menu ended up at 1710 total calories so just about perfect and I did drink 1 gallon of green tea, 3/4 gallon straight H2O and a Fuze fruit punch which for a mere 10 calories is an awesome substitute for water or tea. For exercise I did push ups and some light weight lifting and I have to admit that because of the running that the push ups hurt my legs a bit and I am wondering if that's why they are more sore today than they were yesterday or if it is just a delayed burn, either way they are done and tonight I run W1D2.

Looking ahead at the rest of the week, with any luck and the new exercise I am expecting a drop in weight this week. its been a couple weeks since I have seen a drop in weight and mostly because of the halt to any vigorous exercise by my doctor. Now that I am cleared to get my heart rate up again and have started running I expect that I will get to that 200 pounds lost mark decently fast and this just reinforces just how important exercise is to a successful weight loss regimen. I feel better when I exercise, I look forward to being able to feel that slight out of breath feeling and the burn in my muscles and the sweat on my head, imagine that, the guy that just 17 months ago despised anything that would make a single bead of sweat appear on his doughy skin welcoming a solid workout.

All in all I am pretty pumped about starting C25K and look forward to my burning Quads tonight when I run day 2 of the program, if a once 534 pound guy can start a running program (I won't say do it because we will have to see if I am able to complete it!) you owe it to yourself to at least start in on a weight loss plan. You can accomplish anything that you put your heart into and you owe it to yourself to at least start, start running, start walking, start losing weight, start eating better foods, start thinking about making that leap into better health but whatever you do head into a positive direction and what you can do is limitless, go ahead, surprise yourself...I did.

Again I leave you with a quote, this quote was left as a comment for me more than once in the last week or so as well as in an email from someone reading my blog and I like it, so I thought I would use it here.

"The miracle isn't that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start"
~John Bingham~

As Ever
Me

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SIMPLE_TAILOR 6/3/2009 10:18PM

Life has taught me that the first week or two of anything is about the worst. I really think that you are going to b fine after the first few days you are going to be just fine on this. You might want to bump up the hydration by a little bit to help flush the extra waste out of your system. Keep on, my friend. ttyl Report Inappropriate Comment

BILLALEX70 6/3/2009 6:40PM

That's the exact quote on the back of our 5K shirts from my company this year. My legs are sore today as well. I was doing interval running yesterday and hope to do the same tomorrow. Keep up the good work! Report Inappropriate Comment

ZIRCADIA 6/3/2009 3:37PM

YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D Report Inappropriate Comment

SWEETZMIX 6/3/2009 2:14PM

Hey my friend. Way to go on today's run, hopefully you can get it in before any rain hits. So I knew it will be second day soreness like me. Everything that I read says to push through the soreness, when you don't you end up being sore longer. And that is what you are doing. I must tell you this, I am inspired by you doing this C25K. So here is a story for you, when I got home from work yesterday, I got stuck cooking dinner (not apart of my plan), so as I was sitting there waiting for the food to cook, i looked into the C25K programo online & downloaded week 1 (and then realized it was on itunes and got the rest of the weeks there). Since my original workout got screwed, I went out there last night and did D1! It was gorgeous, a great way to get out of the house and get some fresh air. I am going to do all the weeks to freshen up my workouts aka help with being bored some days with cardio. I did this all after reading your blog about D1..sO for that I thank you!! Report Inappropriate Comment

BIGGIRL2082010 6/3/2009 12:13PM

Sounds like a classic case of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Your wife is right, the soreness will ease as you get into the run/walk. And the good news is, the more you do this C25K thing, the less sore you'll be! :) Now pushups making your legs sore is intersting - I've usually heard chest/biceps/triceps/back/abs ... I was *really* surprised when I started doing the 100 pushups challenge and discovered that for me, too, initially it was more the abs than anything else that got sore! Keep going - the soreness will soon be just a memory of "the early days" ... I note that Andrew (www.andrewisgettingfit.com) has just completed his first full marathon - it was not that long ago that he, too, was a beginner at the C25K program! So, it's ALL in your head. As long as YOU believe you'll do this, you WILL. It will definitely be interesting to see if the scale cooperates on Friday! Cheers, Maya Report Inappropriate Comment

LAURIE5658 6/3/2009 11:06AM

Botzzz, I think all of us have a tendancy to look at a small portion of time like the present. For instance, just what you said about the fact 17 months ago C25K would not have even been on your radar screen. Look at you now! Keep it up! *place humor warning here* I can just see that inner stud coming out!!! Comment edited on: 6/3/2009 11:07:38 AM Report Inappropriate Comment

JADEDINVASION 6/3/2009 10:45AM

I'm with you in the sore quads boat. I'm just starting pilates and oh-my-goodness does it work the legs. Don't you hate it when you go to sit down or stand up your look like your 60 years old? But the pain means muslces are building, so YAY for stronger quads! Good luck with your C25k challenge! Report Inappropriate Comment

C25K Week 1 Day 1 complete and a report!

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

C25K week one day one complete! I have started down a path that I hope brings me the ability to run a complete 5 kilometers straight. It has begun, right now as I type this I am still sweaty but feel good, the first 3 intervals I did not feel one bit and was starting to get cocky but then I think it was the 4th interval I hit the spot on the route that I chose that I was hoping would be a walking segment but I was not that lucky. Bamn! the steepest part of the walk/run and Robert (hey I am on a first name basis with him now) says to run! so I started chugging up the hill and about 30 seconds into this interval I glanced over my shoulder and my cockiness was sitting on the side of the road panting and told me to go on without him, so I did. In all honesty I felt good during the entire run and probably could have done a 9th interval but then I did leave Mr.Cocky on the road side so I best close my pie hole about that! Where I have to run is pretty hilly and I think that will work to my advantage because I will have to work harder than if I was on a treadmill, I have 2 different directions that I can go and one is as hilly as the next. The fact that I am running on hills is something that I did not want to deal with but seeing that I did ok on my first time out I am kind of happy that there are hills, I think it will make me a better runner in the long run.



Ok onto some details, I ran/walked 2.049 miles in the 29.45 minutes that week one takes to complete, that's just over 4mph if I did my math right. Like I mentioned the first 3 intervals were very easy but after I hit that steep spot I knew that it was a workout and was sweating pretty good but I felt good throughout the entire process. At one point I thought about how not so long ago when I could not make that quarter mile walk to see a broken bridge and here I am starting a 5k running program @just about 340 pounds, my how times have changed.

Onto the regular stuff, I had 1690 total calories for the day and I drank just under 2 gallons of fluid, 1 gallon of green tea and the rest was straight H2O, I wanted to make sure that I was hydrated because of the start of C25K yesterday. Exercise was the start of C25K and well, I already covered that so I won't go further than that. over all it was a good day and I am actually looking forward to Day 2 of the program, I am very curious to see if I am sore for the next run and I am going to attempt to improve the distance every time I go out so that should be fun.

The above was written almost immediately after I ran last night, from here on is this morning and after a nights sleep I feel good, I can feel that I did something that is not routine with my exercise but I woke up feeling good, no soreness at all. I am planning on doing some calisthenics and light weights today as exercise but the C25K plan calls for no running today so I am going to obey that and go as far as to not walk either, so a weight day it shall be.

With week one day one (W1D1) under my belt I am on my way to running a 5k race, let us hope that my joints and physical hold together for the ride. I have had my oil checked and filled my tires to the proper foot pounds, I am using premium gasoline now and the tune up from the doc should be what I need to keep the miles rolling in so now I will hope that it all holds together as I advance through the program. I have decided that I am going to add up the miles that I run/walk from here on out and create a map to see how long it takes me to run to CA from CT so look for that in the future as well as all of the normal things that I have always posted on this blog.

We will call that the end of the post, so as your reward for reading the whole thing go grab yourself a big ol glass of H2O! if you think that you are too out of shape to do any exercise keep in mind that I am just about 340 pounds currently, I was 534 pounds at the start of my weight loss program and I have just started a running program aimed at getting me running five kilometers straight, still think that you can't exercise? I think that its all a matter of how you look at it, now get up off of your ass!

As Ever
Me

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

_CORTNIE 6/10/2009 10:34PM

Where can I find info on the C25K stuff? Report Inappropriate Comment

JACKLIN11 6/3/2009 9:34PM

Amazing, you should be so proud of yourself. You are already a success story. Keep on writing that book I am sure you will be an inspiration to many people. Report Inappropriate Comment

CECE0330 6/3/2009 9:34AM

I've been toying with getting back into the C25K program-last year I made it through week 2 ( I hate Robert's music choice for week 2, BTW) and my knees were not entirely pleased with me, so my plan was to keep at week 2 until they stopped screaming so much, then slowly move into week 3. Didn't happen. But I can say that after attempting to jog on the track at the Y and on the treadmill back in April, that the C25K program eases your joints into running WAAAAAY better than you might think. Anyway.....good luck in your journey, I'll be cheering you on from this neck o' the woods! Report Inappropriate Comment

CELTICMOTOCAT 6/2/2009 5:34PM

Awesome! Report Inappropriate Comment

PAINTER41 6/2/2009 5:01PM

Ain't it great when a plan comes together! I love that feeling after any workout that makes you sweat, at the point of the cool down, when you body lets you know that did something wonderful for it. I call that a kiss from my body to me. I didn't hear you say that you took time to do stretches but maybe you did say you were doing that. Stretches will help keep you from getting sore. I AM PROUD OF YOU AND NOT JUST FOR RUNNING BUT FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE A PLAN AND THE FOLLOW THROUGH. You will for sure run the race if you make the planed workouts. Report Inappropriate Comment

AMBERROGUE 6/2/2009 3:35PM

Way to motivate us!! Report Inappropriate Comment

GLORYTOGLORY 6/2/2009 2:34PM

woohoo day one of the next goal complete!! Report Inappropriate Comment

DBALZER 6/2/2009 1:49PM

As always, you continue to inspire me. I saw you talking about C25K a week or two ago so I started checking it out. I have not done my W1D1 yet, but I will soon. You give me the courage to conquer the fat man in me. Report Inappropriate Comment

PJDKSMITH 6/2/2009 1:26PM

Hello! What a fantastic start to ur running 5k journey! VERY proud of u! Just remember with hills u may get more shin splints than those of us who run on a flat surface. Use the c25k group for support, cause u KNOW we are there for u~! Soooo very proud! Jenny Report Inappropriate Comment

_RAMONA 6/2/2009 1:21PM

"I glanced over my shoulder and my cockiness was sitting on the side of the road panting and told me to go on without him, so I did." Brilliant, Tony! Too often, as my former self, I allowed my cockiness to seduce me into sitting down with her and perhaps even indulging in a little treat to reward my 'best' effort. Thanks to you and others like you, I'm learning to find some way, any way, some tiny little compromised way to get through those 'make it, or break it' moments... and as a result I'm succeeding in my life in ways I never really realized were possible. Thanks for that. And... WAY TO GO!!!!! As ever, Me, too. Report Inappropriate Comment

CINCYDORA 6/2/2009 1:19PM

Where's the emoticon that shows people bowing to a tall stud and saying "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" ??? I guess you'll have to settle for this until the Sparkpowers create it: Report Inappropriate Comment

AINTSKEERD 6/2/2009 12:55PM

You ROCK! Report Inappropriate Comment

TWENKY215 6/2/2009 10:30AM

BRAVO!!!!! what a victory. I am not ready for running but I can just see you doing the darn thing with a smile. Keep on doing those amazing things for yourself. You are just a machine and I know it feels really good. Enjoy this rest of the week, it's raining here in Chicago and we have plans to go to the White Sox game tonight. It's not looking too good and it's turning out to be a cold day. We will not get higher than 66 during the day and around 45 during the night. YUCK!! Report Inappropriate Comment

TRACYZABELLE 6/2/2009 10:10AM

How great! Sweating is great! I wish you loads of successs on C25K Report Inappropriate Comment

ELFITZPA 6/2/2009 9:50AM

Congrats on starting!! And I love the idea of tracking your mileage from CT to CA - I may need to steal that one from you!! Report Inappropriate Comment

SWEETZMIX 6/2/2009 9:40AM

on rocking that C25K, my friend you are inspiring me. I am going to look into the website!! So you rocked it out and hopefully the soreness doesn't come around, I usually get sore like 2 days later. I can imagine your excitement, b/c I am excited for you!! Report Inappropriate Comment

KROLES55 6/2/2009 9:04AM

Congratulations on a significant accomplishment.... Report Inappropriate Comment

PARTICLEGIRL22 6/2/2009 8:38AM

Great job on W1D1! I'm a newbie too (I just did W2D2 this morning) and I love to hear about others experiences! Way to rock the hills too! I live on the coast so any hills I come across are man made! Congrats! I look forward to reading about your progress! Report Inappropriate Comment

LAURIE5658 6/2/2009 8:34AM

Botzzz, I am so honored to have found such a motivational Sparker and it will be "fun" to watch your progress with this particular challenge. Not only am I very interested in your physical betterment, but your emotional also. Have a Sparktastic day, my friend and remember...never look back but always forward. (me cheering you on) Report Inappropriate Comment

C25K start and a lot on my mind.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Today is the day that I am planning on starting the C25K program and I woke up with a sore back but I am running anyways. I am planning on doing my runs in the evening and because of that I will have to post how each run went on the day after the run. I may add a C25K ticker or tracker on the side bar but I have not decided on that just yet and you will see it appear one day if I decide on doing that. Besides tracking my time etc for this program I want to track the distance that I go each day as well as how I felt during the run so that I can see if my pace is getting faster or slower each day, I am sure there will be an excel sheet snapshot posted after I get it made and some data into it.

My plan of attack is that I have no plan, I am just going to start walking and when the guy on the podcast says run I will do it and see how well I fare. a while back just for fun while I was walking I timed out week one and almost completed the whole thing without any real issues but I have not been riding my bike and only walking for exercise so I do not know if that will effect the way I feel tonight when I do day 1 week 1, all I can hope for is that I complete the entire 30 minutes. I did not exercise all weekend, I did not do anything that would even remotely be considered exercise honestly so I should be fresh for this new routine.



Since I mentioned the weekend I want to share how it went, Friday my sheet says 1370 calories but we went to the drive in theater and I had a small apple and a big bowl of pop corn (air popped from home) during the movie so I am slightly over maybe by 150 or so if my estimate is right. Saturday was fine and well where intake was concerned and a quick look at my excel sheet says that I had 1695 calories so I was within the limit and the weekend was off to a good start. Sunday I did not count my calories and I know that I went over, by how much I am unsure, my Father stopped by along with a couple of wifys friends and we cooked chicken and fish out on our grill, we had corn a salad some watermelon and corn tortillas & salsa with dinner out on the picnic table. I decided that I would load up on fruits early in the day because I knew that I was going to eat some fish (it was fried) and ate nothing but apples, oranges and bananas before dinner. I drank enough fluid all weekend and on Sunday I drank more than 2 gallons between my green tea and straight H2O so I stayed hydrated throughout the weekend and all but Sunday was decent on the calories.

Starting C25K is a step into uncharted territory for me and not only since losing the weight, I have run randomly throughout my life but I have never really run further than a mile straight in a row and the thought of running more than 3 miles is a bit daunting to me. A lot of the people that might be reading this right now that run 1/2 marathons or 10k's or even 5k's may be thinking "a 5k daunting?" To that I answer yes! I am the fella that less than a year and a half ago could not walk 200 feet without pain in his back, sweat spraying out of every pour sounding like a heavy breathing prank caller and I can honestly remember having the thought "why would anyone want to walk unless absolutely necessary" Now I am going to try and run 5 kilometers in a row? I recently walked 5k all at one time so the natural thing in my mind is to now run it.

(If I) when I pull this 5k thing off I will be crossing a line that I have never had the privilege of being on the other side of physically, and honestly I think there will be a mental line being crossed at the same time, if it has not already been surpassed. Imagine going from a state of mind where I created an animosity for people who (could) would walk any distance further than me to the mindset that I am in currently where I am actually thinking about running a 5k distance as a stepping stone to distances beyond that, I have not yet run a single mile yet and here I am thinking about going further than 5k already.

Today I leave you with a quote.

"Sanity may be madness but the maddest of all is to see life as it is and not as it should be"
~Don Quixote~

As Ever
Me

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

D5ENZO 6/4/2009 9:16AM

Great job, I recently started to run and wanted to know more abuot the Sparkpeople C25K program. I searched for it on sparkpeople and cannot find it anywhere. Report Inappropriate Comment

SIMPLE_TAILOR 6/2/2009 7:38AM

The knee is doing ok. I am popping ibuprofens to get the swelling down so hopefully by the end of the week it will be pretty normal. If it's not doing significantly better by the end of the week, I'll break down and call the doctor. I think that the mental part of the c25k is going to be the hard part for me. It is still tough to imagine that I am even going to contemplate this, let alone start soon. Keep on chugging. I'll meet you soon on this part of the trip. Report Inappropriate Comment

_RAMONA 6/2/2009 4:05AM

LOVE THE QUOTE! I was looking everywhere for it, so THANKS! I've been pondering a similar theme in my blogs this past weekend! If anyone can do this, it is YOU... especially with your wifey at your side. You two are a great team! {{{{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}}}}} As Ever, Me, too. Report Inappropriate Comment

ACTIVE_AT_60 6/1/2009 11:03PM

You may want to supplement your reading with either or both of John Bingham's books. One is 'no need for speed' and the other is 'running for mortals'. I think you will enjoy both. Report Inappropriate Comment

PAINTER41 6/1/2009 10:30PM

My friend.........................IFNY OU CAN THINK IT YOU CAN DO it.........THAT'S A FACT! Sharon Report Inappropriate Comment

JOPAPGH 6/1/2009 10:20PM

Focus on the elapsed time of the jog, not the speed. I started by jogging at turtle speed, about the same time as my fastest walk. As my body got used to it, I was able to run at a faster speed at the same heart rate. Many people start out more at a sprint, get winded and discouraged, then quit. Slow and steady wins the 5K completion race. Best of luck, John Report Inappropriate Comment

AROCHFORD 6/1/2009 8:16PM

Yep its possible. One step in front of the other. Keep SParking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

BILLALEX70 6/1/2009 7:21PM

Brother you CAN do this! I started out walking with short "bursts" of jogging. You just keep adding "bursts" until you are jogging more than walking. I enjoy doing interval running now. As I work my way up in speed I bring down the time. Take this by the plan and you'll be running in no time. Report Inappropriate Comment

SUNNY89 6/1/2009 5:13PM

You seem so well prepared. You are so honest with your comments. I know you will meet this goal of yours. I can only imagine how you will feel when you start your running. Enjoy it. Report Inappropriate Comment

ZIRCADIA 6/1/2009 4:41PM

OOH I LOVE BIGGIRL208's comment!!! In that case, I've mentally run my marathon already. :) I just have to make it there physically. hehehe. Anyway -- that is so cool that since you went to the drive in you brought your airpopped popcorn from home. :D Report Inappropriate Comment

BIGGIRL2082010 6/1/2009 4:05PM

I beg to differ. You *have* run the miles already! In your head, in your heart, you've been running for a few weeks now. Putting your sneakers to the asphalt at a faster pace is simply going to be the physical realization of what you've already done in your head! So, we have a runner now. Heh. I kinda suspect, once you really get into this running thing, that the pounds will start to come off even faster! And if you're going to amp up the strength training as well, then wheee - you'll be building up a great body for when the rest of the layers melt off! :) Can't wait to see you *under* that 300 mark - soon, soon! Cheers, Maya Report Inappropriate Comment

PJDKSMITH 6/1/2009 3:29PM

Its TOUGH.. don't kid urself.. but I found that truly it IS mind over body for this one. Yes, it takes time to condition.. but the program REALLY works. Take it from a girl who could not run 10 seconds without having shortness of breath and thighs that were burning.. I have been a graduate for almost a month I guess and NOW have participated in TWO races! Keep on the c25k boards and check out week by week status.. and even some of the 'i did it" threads.. they are inspirational. Some of us have blogged about our time like I really hope u do; looking back LATER and reading it is really emotional for me. It puts me in a great frame of mind though to see what I've accomplished. There is little in life that is as satisfying as doing something YOURSELF. True grit and nothing else. Well, I suppose support of our sparkies really helps! Best of luck, will be waiting for ur post! Jenny Comment edited on: 6/1/2009 3:30:31 PM Report Inappropriate Comment

AINTSKEERD 6/1/2009 12:55PM

Crossing the mental barrier will be the REAL challenge. And you may not actually cross it until the day you realize that you physically did it. But that day will come, you'll see to that! Report Inappropriate Comment

DENACARPER 6/1/2009 12:46PM

on your 5K. Set your mind to it and you can do anything - way to go!!! keep up the great work! Dena Report Inappropriate Comment

SWEETZMIX 6/1/2009 12:45PM

You got this my friend. I am really excited for you to start running. Even thought of it myself this weekend, once I realized I stepped off the wagon for most of May. (No excuses, I didn't fall off, I stepped off.) Sometimes we just need a goal, u know and this can be it since it has nothing to do with weight. Also I hope you got your compression shirt and maybe some compression shorts will help you out as well, for comfort reasons. And you are right about the scale, we all have had many ups and downs throughout our journey, but we are still here right?!?! Take Care and I will be looking forward to your blog tomorrow :) Report Inappropriate Comment

LAURIE5658 6/1/2009 12:42PM

I am here ready and very willing to be your cheerleader. Lets git r done! (thats me cheering for you as you run) Report Inappropriate Comment