Yes, I often talk about what I am doing too much to those around me whether it be co-workers, family, etc. I've been told. So, why not the internet? This blog is about my efforts running my first marathon but also just what else is going on in life.
So from the start of this whole marathon business. My Uncle Tim has been running marathons since he was 30. He has always been in good shape and an athlete. His running accomplishments include running a 3:01 marathon and thus qualifying for the Boston and running in that. He had mentioned my brother and I running one but we took it as a joke. Running was not in my blood at all. My brother, Alex, ran a lot during college for wrestling and ran here and there to stay in shape after wrestling had concluded in college. For the most part, neither one of us had been doing anything but some light workouts during coaching wrestling the past few years.
My weight had been going up and down from the high 180s to 210s since college and my brother was in the same boat. The thing is, even when I got to 188 and maintained that weight for 6 months, it was strictly from eating better. I was lacking my body being in better shape and my mind as well.
So back to what started this, on March 4, 2012 my brother asked my brother to run a marathon with him after his 30th birthday next January. My brother and I are very competitive, but I said I wanted to be a part of it mainly to share this experience with them and to feel better. I was over 205 again and I was not going to lose it on my own, so my brother's little challenge was the needed boost for me. On March 5th, my training began. My uncle mapped out a 50 week training for our marathon that will be in Myrtle Beach, SC on February 16, 2013. It started with walking and light jogging the first week. It then was 4-3 mile jogs the following two weeks. I immediately bought in. I changed my diet. I quit drinking soda on a daily basis, I started eating fewer meals or less of my meals (I was eating for 1.5 to 2 too often) and cut out chocolate/candy. Soda and candy are just empty calories but calories I loved. I have learned to have a pop every few weeks and a couple pieces of candy instead of the sometimes 3x a week half a bag of M & Ms with a 64 oz soda. I still eat fast food, but it's once every other week or Subway. I still eat out, but it's half my meal and a lighter meal with less fries, less crap I don't need really.
So Week 1(Week 50 if we are doing the countdown) was good. My walking felt good and I mixed jogging in but I knew running 3 miles might be a little more difficult. In the first week from hardly eating and cutting out unneeded things, I dropped 4 lbs easily and was at 200. I thought I might be 190, 185 at best, before I left for vacation May 5th. I jogged most of the time in my last two runs, but knew Week 2 was going to be a whole different story.
In Week 2 I instantly cut 4 lbs again. I jogged the whole time but had soreness in my legs and most surprising, my abs. Running is really a full body workout. I at times have had soreness in my shoulders, arms, chest and abs. It's different from biking in you really are moving your whole body. Well I finished the whole week and was just over 196. My wife also started going on walks and we were eating better together. I bought some new runing shoes to break in over the next few weeks as well. I thought 180-185 for vacation was a better goal. :)
Week 3 was good and I was really starting to enjoy this. I still had minor soreness but I was feeling better after giving myself a days rest. I got down to 191.5!!! I was well ahead of where I had hoped and there was no stopping me. 180 was my goal!
Week 4 started good and after my first two weeks, my brother was now fully on a 4x a week schedule starting in Week 3 after his honeymoon and getting back into it, though condensed due to his wife's school schedule. He was still doing it but it was not easy as I could attest in Week 5. I was only down 0.5 a lb to 190, but felt good and was eating a little more.
Week 5 started great and I got ahead on my running schedule but got blasted by a 48 hours flu bug. It was not fun but I pushed through my 4 miler and it may have pushed the rest of the cold out that night. Being sick and dehydrated and lacking food consumption, I was under 190 and weighed under 187 for my Monday morning weigh-in.
Week 6 had work and life keeping me busy. I lost another lb. and started wearing my new Asics Running Shoes. They felt much better. I enjoyed a really long walk with the family on that Sunday enjoying a Starbucks and then taking Subway home for lunch on the way back.
I got down to 183.5 after then end of Week 7. Running had just become something that was part of my life. I looked forward to my runs and was disappointed when I had to change planned runs around. I had found some great places to run at work, at home and at home2 (The Kunkel House).
Week 8 saw another 3 lbs fall off and I was almost at 180!!! I had run my first 5 miler since college when I walked-on to the wrestling team for a month and a half. I felt good and I really started looking forward to my Saturday runs. I was able to enjoy a run with my Uncle on Friday of this week for his warm-up for his "SLOW" marathon of just under 3hr30min. Most people could run 20 marathons and that would be their best time instead of one of his worse times. LOL.
Week 9 saw me get under 180 for the first time since I was 17, MAYBE 18 years old. Vacation was only a week away and I wanted to be 178 before I left Saturday morning. That goal was accomplished and I finished all my runs by Friday night for the week. I qualified for the Bolder Boulder, though I was barely in the qualifying groups and in the group that averages 10 min miles. I'd like to do better and will touch on that in a later blog.
So Week 10, running in Florida was a treat. My legs felt great. I didn't have work to get in the way. I knew I just had to wake up before 7 and I'd be able to run with no questions. I started my running with 2 runs Sunday night after a long day at Discovery Cove to get my legs back under me. I wish I had run on a treadmill before my Bolder Boudler qualifying near fiasco. Doing so there though made my runs and pace go really well and was a great kick start for my running the rest of the week. The next day was over 12 hours at Disney World. It was a great day and we did a ton. There were a couple, ummm, tense moments with everyone running around but it cooled down quickly and we all really enjoyed the day though were exhausted. The firework show Wishes at the end of the night was quite amazing. The next day I woke up on our "relax day" and ran 3 miles. I felt great and ran through a timeshare but it was a pain with the beginning 1/3 mile on the shoulder of the highway. I looked for a better run for the next morning. That morning was Cocoa Beach/Sea World but I got up early again and got 4 in. I enjoyed the pool after that run and found a great little place to run my other two runs that week. We once again closed that park down and you could tell we all were worn down but we decided to do Universal still anyway the next day. My 3 mile went really well and I had a ton of energy and pushed it the 2nd half of my run and really enjoyed that run. Universal was a trying day for the 10 of us. We were all exhausted, all frustrated and it was tough, but instead of a blow-up we all bit our lips. We left Universal after it closed after a long dinner and more shopping for everyone. The next day was another early wake up due to heading to Siesta Key and a 2-hour drive. We were all tired but the drive allowed everyone to just relax and the beach, gulf and sun was a nice relaxing 6 hours. I wasn't going to but got a little over 3 mile run in on the beach. It was a great run and I flew back on the way back down. I ran bare foot and just hoped a shell didn't catch me or my feet wouldn't be killing me the next morning. It was a great day and other than Discovery Cove was my favorite day in Florida. We got home around 6:30 and just relaxed and ate dinner and headed to bed by 10:30. I woke up at 7:00 the next morning really excited for my first 6 miler. I had figured a route out right before bed that was on the same road I had been running. I was glad I ran it! The high school at the end of the road was beautiful and it showed me how the economic crisis had really taken a crap on development. This was a beautiful area that was completely underdeveloped with this beautiful new high school and looked like development was slow or non-existant. Maybe it was a more ideal area for tourists, but I could live on that road!!! Florida was great, didn't gain a lb. Ate well, drank well and enjoyed the time even with the few ahem, tense moments. In 7 days I had run 24.5 miles.
Running has allowed me to lose over 25 lbs and almost 30 here shortly in just over 2 months. I feel better. I haven't ran with headphones in 2 weeks and am just enjoying the sounds around me, the sights around me and my sneakers hitting the pavement. I have two full running outfits. My wife got a new iPad for Mother's Day and is back to walking today after our vacation. She likes new gadgets and I like running so it's a trade off for my fathers day of paying for my marathon, some warm-up races and more gear. Running has done more than make me feel good about my weight and my body. It has allowed me to relax a little and take some time during the day 4 days a week where it's just me and I get to just run and have fun. It's also let me think over things and calm me on some things I would normally let bother me. This week I have my first official race in a 5k and the Bolder Boulder the following week. I'll put up a blog next Monday or Tuesday talking about my Bolder Boulder goals and my 5k run. I want to thank my brother for getting this challenge going, which allows me to share this with him and my Uncle Tim. I became much closer with my Uncle when we coached football for a couple seasons at North and have enjoyed his mentoring and talking with him more about it. I also want to thank my wife for supporting me and the rest of my friends and family for the time it takes to get my running in and pushing me to keep going. And to my beautiful daughter Sophie, your smile when I get home is the best way to finish my runs.
Ace
No comments:
Post a Comment