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Thursday, July 3, 2014

It's time to start RUNNING...

It has been many moon, months and other things since I posted.  I had ran my second marathon on Labor Day and while I loved it and had visions of another in June before my birthday, I have found things in life that have left me making excuses rather  than making the changes and doing the things to make them work.  Let's add some more honesty, I am around 180 and not the 160 I was on Labor Day and even though I spent most of the years between late 1999 through first third of 2012 weighing over 200 lbs, I feel like shit.  I am overweight and can feel it.  I feel like I did when I weighed 210 and told myself to get back to a "healthy" weight of 195.  Work, moving and life have been crazy, but I have neglected something that helped change my life and bring me happiness and the best MEPS (Mental, Emotional, Physical and Spiritual) I had in my adult life: RUNNING.


Well, it's high fucking time I quit shitting on myself and in turn others because I am not as happy without running.  Okay, don't get me wrong, I run once, twice or three times a week here and there but that's not what keeps me fit and 4 mile runs aren't exactly enough to keep you in the  best shape, especially when you are addicted to Santiago's breakfast burritos and any sort of dessert when it is around.  What I can say is even with being overweight right now and the runs not being as easy, I love it every time I take those first dozen strides and last dozen strides.  There is a lot of beauty and areas of the suburbs or wherever you run when you are stuck in the same endless loop of life, but how'd it get decided to run another one?


My brother decided a few months ago  he wanted a second chance at a marathon and wanted us, being my Uncle Tim and I, to join him again. My Uncle Tim still needs for his 50 marathons in 50 states so he was definitely game.  I was definitely game and thought I'd immediately go running like crazy again, but instead I kept the same routine.  Being it is when it will be cooler in Charlotte and my brother wanted to run the full instead of the half, Thunder Road Marathon on November 15th in Charlotte was the decided marathon to run.  The excitement comes from getting to run another marathon with my brother and Uncle and doing so in 2014, since it looked bleak that I was going to have that opportunity.


I have about 19 weeks until then to train.  I figure the first 10 weeks can focus on losing the first fifteen pounds I need to shed quickly so I am not injuring myself with the extra weight and so I can run the marathon in the time I want.  I have the experience of two marathons (though from what I've seen even 100 marathons in, you still are learning) to help me train and a great coach/motivator in my Uncle to get me to my goal.  My goal is to run it in under four hours, but my true goal is to attack that 3:45 I had my eyes on.  I will have to stick to my plan and get in at least the mileage I have set forth to achieve this, so here is the training plan:


Andy's 2014 Thunder Road Charlotte
Date Wk Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Total Weight Goals
7/7-7/13 19 4 0 4 4 0 0 6 18.0 180
7/14-7/20 18 4 0 4 4 4 0 8 24.0 178
7/21-7/27 17 4 0 5 4 4 0 10 27.0 176
7/28-8/3 16 4 0 5 4 5 0 12 30.0 174
8/4-8/10 15 4 0 6 4 5 0 13 32.0 172
8/11-8/17 14 4 0 6 4 5 0 16 35.0 170
8/18-8/24 13 4 0 6 4 5 0 18 37.0 169
8/25-8/31 12 4 0 6 4 5 0 20 39.0 168
9/1-9/7 11 5 0 7 4 5 0 18 39.0 167
9/8-9/14 10 5 0 7 4 5 0 22 43.0 165
9/15-9/21 9 5 0 8 4 5 18 6 46.0 164
9/22-9/28 8 6 0 8 4 0 13.1 0 31.1 163
9/29-10/5 7 6 4 9 4 0 15 5 43.0 162
10/6-10/12 6 8 0 10 4 6 0 18 46.0 161
10/13-10/19 5 8 0 11 5 5 0 22 51.0 160
10/20-10/26 4 6 0 8 4 5 0 20 43.0 158
10/27-11/2 3 5 0 6 4 5 0 16 36.0 157
11/3-11/9 2 5 0 5 3 5 0 12 30.0 158
11/10-11/16 1 3 0 3 4 3 0 26.2 39.2  






Okay now that I showed you that boring info, it's 700 miles roughly in 19 weeks.  That is very doable and to be honest, may need to be more.  Here are the action items to do it:
  1. Eat Better-Fruits and Veggies again.  Enjoy the 4th but use the weekend to recharge the body, get a couple of light runs in and cleanse the body with chia, water and healthy food.
  2. Actually run-This will mean waking up early or running late.  Both are things I've done, but I need to just lace 'em up
  3.  Find my MEPS again.  I can say that spiritually I feel much better since going to church at Flatirons more regularly and just have in the last couple years.  Still it heightens when I run.  Mentally, I need something to kick start my brain. It has not felt as sharp since running regularly.  Emotionally I am good at times but not happy with how I feel and on edge more.  Running cleans you out in many ways.  Physically, well we already know I gained 20 lbs so why would I want to talk about it?! *runs away screaming arms flailing*
  4. Take time for me again and not worry about work and other things in life.  When it comes to your health and happiness, you need to do some things for yourself even if it takes a few hours away from sleep or unfortunately family.
  5. Have FUN.
Running helps improve your life, and I know this first hand, so instead of making excuses I will do what I recommended to others and just go for a run and enjoy the joys running has.  I'll keep you (two or three readers) abreast of my prorgress and try to add some humor and good experiences and motiavation and other things.  Until then, I just feel like running.



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