Run: 3.2 Miles
Time: 32:36
Pace: 10:10
Well, tonight I wanted to do 4 miles but could only get 3 due to the lightning. As I've said before I will run in rain but I'm too smart to run in lightning...well don't ask Ashli if I'm smart!:) I was only scheduled to run 3 anyway so that was just an extra mile I was throwing in. Glad I was able to get my 3 miles. Run went well and didn't have to fight any spiders.
Ashli is right I do not wear any extra reflectors other then my shoes, it's amazing I won't run in lightning but I will go out wearing dark clothes and run at night...go figure, I guess I'm not as smart as I thought.:) I will go pick up a reflective vest this week and a blinky light, heck I may go pick up 7 blinky lights so I can look like rolling runway running down the street!!:) No, all kidding aside I will go pick up a reflective vest this week, its just not smart, plus If I don't Ashli will make me sleep on the couch!:)
We had our interview with the lower education principal and all went well. Gracie really like the school and so did we. She was formally accepted and starts on August 20th, she is excited after seeing the playground! One problem, we were going to be on our way home from PA on the 20th so we have to make some changes to our trip schedule and come home on Sunday instead. The school is really nice and is a good fit for our family. I just hope I can make enough money to keep her going there all the way to 12th grade! It ain't cheap folks!:) Oh well, its worth every penny and them some.
So, here are my totals for the month!
Running: 50.4 Miles
Strength: 4 per week
Biking: 10 Miles
Weight Loss: 7 Pounds (dang ice cream:))
July was really about strength and I did hit one of my goals which was to bench press more then my body weight. I feel like I made great strides in the strength department and I wish my shoulder would cooperate. I will continue to do core, leg, and some bicep/tricep work. My shoulder feels much better today then yesterday but still has some soreness. Patience grasshopper! Overall very happy with July and very happy with my marathon training thus far. Not a run has been missed and that will continue as I move forward.
Tomorrow brings my last two customer service training session that I have to do. Hopefully they will go smooth. I'm looking forward to taking some time in the next week away from work. Usually by this time I've already had a week off but for some reason this year has just been crazy. Hope everyone has had a great evening and enjoy the first day of August! - Jason
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Spiders Creep Me Out...
Run: 6.2 Miles
Time: 1:04:40
Pace: 10:27
Well, I was supposed to run 5 miles last night but due to several different factors I did not get it in so I decided to move it to tonight. I actually felt really good and decided to run an extra mile and just told myself it was punishment for eating all that ice cream this past weekend!!:):)
Didn't start my run until about 9pm tonight and when I walked outside it seemed really humid and at mile 2 I confirmed that yes indeed it was humid!:) The run was going really well up until about mile 5. I ran under this tree that hangs over the road slightly and hit this huge spider web...as soon as I hit it I saw this huge spider and I tried to duck but I hit it and had the web all over me...I was running and stripping off my Ipod and shirt as I went....and luckily I only had a mile or so left but man I was feeling like I had a million spiders crawling all over me and I thought that last mile would never end.:)
Hit the gym at lunch for my strength training and my shoulder really started to bother me and still does. I'm going to give it another week and see how it feels and if there is no change I need to visit my Doc just to make sure nothing serious is going on with it. Right now the pain is about an 8 out of 10. Hopefully a break from the weights will make it better. It really stinks because I love hitting weights so I really need to get this shoulder healed.
Here's the rundown of what I'll be doing this week:
Mon: 6.2 Miles + Strength - Completed
Tue: 4 Miles (easy)
Wed: 4 Miles (easy)
Thur: 3 Miles (tempo)
Fri: Rest
Sat: Cross Training
Sun: 9 Miles (long)
Total: 26.2 Miles
Strength: 1 session
Should be a fun week. My wife's niece is coming to visit from Texas this Friday and is going to stay a full week. Its been since 2003 since we've seen her. Gracie was just a baby and she is really excited that she's coming. The week after that we will be taking off to PA to see my parents and my grandfather for a few days. I'm so glad we were able to find some time to take off and head up north. At age 93 I don't know how many more visits I will have.
Well, off to get some sleep tomorrow afternoon we have our interview with the principal of the school we're considering for Gracie. Hope everyone has a great Tuesday morning! - Jason
Time: 1:04:40
Pace: 10:27
Well, I was supposed to run 5 miles last night but due to several different factors I did not get it in so I decided to move it to tonight. I actually felt really good and decided to run an extra mile and just told myself it was punishment for eating all that ice cream this past weekend!!:):)
Didn't start my run until about 9pm tonight and when I walked outside it seemed really humid and at mile 2 I confirmed that yes indeed it was humid!:) The run was going really well up until about mile 5. I ran under this tree that hangs over the road slightly and hit this huge spider web...as soon as I hit it I saw this huge spider and I tried to duck but I hit it and had the web all over me...I was running and stripping off my Ipod and shirt as I went....and luckily I only had a mile or so left but man I was feeling like I had a million spiders crawling all over me and I thought that last mile would never end.:)
Hit the gym at lunch for my strength training and my shoulder really started to bother me and still does. I'm going to give it another week and see how it feels and if there is no change I need to visit my Doc just to make sure nothing serious is going on with it. Right now the pain is about an 8 out of 10. Hopefully a break from the weights will make it better. It really stinks because I love hitting weights so I really need to get this shoulder healed.
Here's the rundown of what I'll be doing this week:
Mon: 6.2 Miles + Strength - Completed
Tue: 4 Miles (easy)
Wed: 4 Miles (easy)
Thur: 3 Miles (tempo)
Fri: Rest
Sat: Cross Training
Sun: 9 Miles (long)
Total: 26.2 Miles
Strength: 1 session
Should be a fun week. My wife's niece is coming to visit from Texas this Friday and is going to stay a full week. Its been since 2003 since we've seen her. Gracie was just a baby and she is really excited that she's coming. The week after that we will be taking off to PA to see my parents and my grandfather for a few days. I'm so glad we were able to find some time to take off and head up north. At age 93 I don't know how many more visits I will have.
Well, off to get some sleep tomorrow afternoon we have our interview with the principal of the school we're considering for Gracie. Hope everyone has a great Tuesday morning! - Jason
Friday, July 27, 2007
Morning Run & Lunchtime Fun
Run: 3 Miles
Time: 27:48
Pace: 9:16
Decided to do last nights run this morning. Man, I really enjoyed getting up and out for an early morning run. It was hard to get up but once I got out the door and started the run it was great. Got over to the gym for a much needed strength workout at lunch.
Hammer Curls: 4x10
Regular Curls: 4x10
Flat Flyes: 4x10
Bench Press: 4x8
Weighted Crunches: 4x15
Decline Press: 3x6
Incline Press: 3x8
Standing Calf Raises: 3x10
Lat Pulldown: 3x10
Seated Leg Press: 3x10
Isolated Bicep Curl: 3x10
It felt great slamming around some weight and the shoulder seems to be holding up very well. Still going lighter with the weights then normal but hope to be back pushing heavier weight over the next few weeks. Ran into Scott while working out and had a good conversation and complained to him because he's been slack updating his blog. Where's the update Scott!:) The mileage starting next week is really going to start to increase from here to week 15 and I'm looking forward to it. Should be fun and of course challenging.
My nutrition took a back seat tonight! I decided to cut loose again and I feel like I did a much better job....here's the rundown. Picked up Ashli and Gracie and headed over to Red Robin's burger joint for dinner. I had a Chili Chili Cheeseburger, fries, and a couple of slices of Ashli's quesadillas. Wait it gets better...after that we headed over to Marble Slab for some ice cream. I had the big cup of double chocolate ice cream with almonds mixed in...very large cup! Needless to say I was stuffed and still feeling very bloated but boy was it yummy! Cheat meals out of the system and from here until November 10th it will be clean eating, no cheat meals.
This weekend will be filled with more yard work, running, cycling, and strength. Its been about a month since I was on my bike and I miss it. Not planning any 20 mile ride but will be happy with a good 10 miler. I can't wait until Jan/Feb time frame. My gym is opening a new location about 3 miles from my house which will have a pool...I'm looking forward to adding swimming to my daily workouts and possibly doing some sprint tri's next year, will see. Right now I just need to focus on running and my strength training to get past the big bad 26.2!
I hope everyone has a great weekend and have fun on those workouts! - Jason
Time: 27:48
Pace: 9:16
Decided to do last nights run this morning. Man, I really enjoyed getting up and out for an early morning run. It was hard to get up but once I got out the door and started the run it was great. Got over to the gym for a much needed strength workout at lunch.
Hammer Curls: 4x10
Regular Curls: 4x10
Flat Flyes: 4x10
Bench Press: 4x8
Weighted Crunches: 4x15
Decline Press: 3x6
Incline Press: 3x8
Standing Calf Raises: 3x10
Lat Pulldown: 3x10
Seated Leg Press: 3x10
Isolated Bicep Curl: 3x10
It felt great slamming around some weight and the shoulder seems to be holding up very well. Still going lighter with the weights then normal but hope to be back pushing heavier weight over the next few weeks. Ran into Scott while working out and had a good conversation and complained to him because he's been slack updating his blog. Where's the update Scott!:) The mileage starting next week is really going to start to increase from here to week 15 and I'm looking forward to it. Should be fun and of course challenging.
My nutrition took a back seat tonight! I decided to cut loose again and I feel like I did a much better job....here's the rundown. Picked up Ashli and Gracie and headed over to Red Robin's burger joint for dinner. I had a Chili Chili Cheeseburger, fries, and a couple of slices of Ashli's quesadillas. Wait it gets better...after that we headed over to Marble Slab for some ice cream. I had the big cup of double chocolate ice cream with almonds mixed in...very large cup! Needless to say I was stuffed and still feeling very bloated but boy was it yummy! Cheat meals out of the system and from here until November 10th it will be clean eating, no cheat meals.
This weekend will be filled with more yard work, running, cycling, and strength. Its been about a month since I was on my bike and I miss it. Not planning any 20 mile ride but will be happy with a good 10 miler. I can't wait until Jan/Feb time frame. My gym is opening a new location about 3 miles from my house which will have a pool...I'm looking forward to adding swimming to my daily workouts and possibly doing some sprint tri's next year, will see. Right now I just need to focus on running and my strength training to get past the big bad 26.2!
I hope everyone has a great weekend and have fun on those workouts! - Jason
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Nice Night..Smooth Pace...
Run: 4 Miles
Time: 40:18
Pace: 10:04
Tonight we blew up Gracie's new pool and put it out on the deck for her to splash around in. It's actually a good size pool and it fits really well on our deck. We had alot of fun splashing around and I think she enjoyed getting daddy all wet!
Finally got out for my 4 mile run right at 9pm and what a great night for a run. The weather was just perfect with a nice slight breeze. Just settled into a nice even pace and felt strong the entire run. I did feel a little tightness in my right calf muscle right towards the end but It feels fine right now so not going to worry about it. My parents also booked their hotel room for the marathon so now I really can't back out!:) The pressure is on!
I did have another cheat meal tonight. For dinner I had 2 cups of pasta and with sauce and cheese! Man it was good. Tomorrow will be back on the straight and narrow and if I eat any pasta it will be whole wheat with my organic tomato sauce. My weight was 199 this morning so it seems to be headed back in the right direction. Still I'm down 5 pounds for the month and maybe I can squeak out another couple of pounds before August first.
After thinking alot about my grandfather I really need to take the time and go up to see him. He lives right outside of Philly which is about 700 miles away. My parents live in Lancaster, PA and my mother is really wanting to see her granddaughter (she keeps asking when we're coming) so we can go spend time with my parents and then head on over to my grandfather's nursing home for a visit. Hopefully sometime in the next month or so we can take some time to do that. Nothing should be more important then family! All I need is my garmin, running shoes, shorts (that's always a good thing to remember) and the open road, so no excuses.
Enjoy your Thursday! - Jason
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Back to Strength
Run: 3 Miles
Time: 28:10
Pace: 9:23
Today was my first day back hitting the weights and I feel like my shoulder held up really well. It is a little sore but hopefully will continue to get better. To my surprise I really didn't lose much strength in most exercises so I was pleased with my performance!
Tonight we had a good dinner and then off to play around with Gracie! She chased me around the back yard with a broom, we had fun! She is really growing up fast it seems now and I feel like if I blink she will be asking for the keys to go out with her friends...not ready for that.:) Anyway, she seems really excited to go to school this fall. We are just waiting to go have our interview with the principal. Each new family has to go through an interview process before being accepted...geez seems like alot for just k4...oh well.
My nutrition is going well and I have increased my calories over the past few days. In fact, this morning I got on the scale and was surprised to see 200 pounds. I guess I'm just holding onto some water or something very interesting to be up 3 pounds. No biggie, as the mileage increases the weight will be falling. I think I'm addicted to egg white omelets and grapefruit, easily my favorite meal.
Here's the rundown from today's strength training:
Hammer Curls: 4x10
Flat Flyes: 4x10
Regular Curls: 4x10
Bench Press: 3x10
Incline Press: 3x10
Standing Calf Raises: 3x10
Lat Pulldown: 3x10
Isolated Bicep Machine: 3x10
Weighted Crunches: 4x10
Tomorrow brings a 4 mile easy run and a strength session. I'm really looking forward to the continued strength workouts and I hope the shoulder holds up well. Hope everyone has a great Wednesday morning and go run! - Jason
Time: 28:10
Pace: 9:23
Today was my first day back hitting the weights and I feel like my shoulder held up really well. It is a little sore but hopefully will continue to get better. To my surprise I really didn't lose much strength in most exercises so I was pleased with my performance!
Tonight we had a good dinner and then off to play around with Gracie! She chased me around the back yard with a broom, we had fun! She is really growing up fast it seems now and I feel like if I blink she will be asking for the keys to go out with her friends...not ready for that.:) Anyway, she seems really excited to go to school this fall. We are just waiting to go have our interview with the principal. Each new family has to go through an interview process before being accepted...geez seems like alot for just k4...oh well.
My nutrition is going well and I have increased my calories over the past few days. In fact, this morning I got on the scale and was surprised to see 200 pounds. I guess I'm just holding onto some water or something very interesting to be up 3 pounds. No biggie, as the mileage increases the weight will be falling. I think I'm addicted to egg white omelets and grapefruit, easily my favorite meal.
Here's the rundown from today's strength training:
Hammer Curls: 4x10
Flat Flyes: 4x10
Regular Curls: 4x10
Bench Press: 3x10
Incline Press: 3x10
Standing Calf Raises: 3x10
Lat Pulldown: 3x10
Isolated Bicep Machine: 3x10
Weighted Crunches: 4x10
Tomorrow brings a 4 mile easy run and a strength session. I'm really looking forward to the continued strength workouts and I hope the shoulder holds up well. Hope everyone has a great Wednesday morning and go run! - Jason
Sunday, July 22, 2007
On track...
Run: 7 Miles
Time: 1:14:40
Pace: 10:40
I had a really busy weekend. I was able to finish redoing our deck and it turned out really nice. I also was able to get the yard back in order. I decided to pass on the strength training and give my back and shoulders the extra rest.
I just finished my long run of 7 miles and I feel like it went ok. I did struggle mentally early in the run. My legs and my conditioning really felt great but my mind wasn't in it. When I hit the 5th mile I picked up the pace a little bit and I started to reel myself back in to a better mood. I thought about my grandfather who just loves to walk and now because of his age, 93, he isn't able to get out much anymore so I run for him.
I can remember special times with him from when I was 5 years old. Even though I haven't been able to spend more then a couple of hours once a year over the last 4 or so years we seem to have a connection, something special. Even though if I walked into his room tomorrow he might not be able to remember my name right away, we have a connection. He always seems to come to my mind at some point during my runs.
Well, on to week three in my training and here is the rundown:
Mon: Strength
Tue: 3 Mile Easy + Strength
Wed: 4 Mile Easy + Strength
Thur: 3 Mile Tempo + Strength
Fri: REST
Sat: Cross Training Probably a Bike ride
Sun: 5 Mile Long Run
Total Miles: 15
4 Strength Sessions
I may modify the strength training just depends on how my back and shoulder do. You can guarantee that they will be light strength workouts. Still at 197 in the weight department and my weight loss will probably start to slow. I am starting to add calories especially more carbs to my diet to help fuel my runs. I will still be in a calorie deficit and hope to average about two pounds a week. By the end of next month I should be in full maintenance mode with my weight. I will have to eat like a horse to maintain my weight but that will be the fun part! Hope everyone has a good Monday morning! - Jason
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Tired & Sluggish...
Today was really a long day. Last night my daughter Gracie decided she didn't want to go to bed and was just really giving us a hard time. By 2am she was finally asleep but I was wound up and couldn't fall a sleep until about 4am and was back up at 7am to head off to work. I was tired and sluggish all day and realized by 5pm I only had about 350 calories all day! OUCH! So, I called Ashli and met her and Gracie out at Ruby Tuesdays and I pigged out on their salad bar and a turkey burger! YUM! That will help fuel my run tonight!:)
So far this week I've only done one strength session and that was on Monday. I just want to make sure my shoulder is 100% before I hit the weights hard again. I'm actually bummed out because I really do enjoy lifting but I also don't want to be fighting this shoulder come November. This morning I weighed in at 197 so another pound down which brings my July weight loss to 7 pounds.
Here are my runs from last night and tonight:
Wednesday
Run: 3 Miles
Time: 30:51
Pace: 10:17
Thursday
Run: 3 Miles
Time: 30:41
Pace: 10:14
Wednesday's run was great, very enjoyable run. Tonight's run was really no fun. I guess going on three hours sleep and my nutrition all screwed up played a big part in that. Just couldn't find a good pace and felt like I was all over the place. Although if you look at my times they are pretty consistent but tonight's run was no fun even if it was only three miles. Tomorrow was going to be a make up strength session but I may skip the strength workouts until next week just to give my shoulder the extra time. I've been wearing my weight belt on my runs to help support my back issue and that has helped out. Saturday will be my day of rest and Sunday brings a 7 mile long run.
Last night Ashli and I completed the application to enroll Gracie in to Southside Christian Schools K4 program this fall. Man, I can't believe how time flies. This was a very detailed application process which totaled about 12 pages of stuff to fill out, I'm surprised they didn't ask for a blood sample.:) This will be a part time K4 program three days a week from 8:30am to 12:30 pm. She will have a blast and she seems to be very positive about it. I'm glad that Ashli has been able to be a stay at home mom with her not that I'm against day cares because they provide a great service but it was just the right thing for us. I think Ashli is already talking about finishing school and getting back to work. Being a stay at home mom is a very hard job and Ashli has just done an amazing job with Gracie...love ya hon!
Well, tomorrow I'm taking a day off from work, nothing fun just going to get some things done around the house and hang out with my beautiful wife and daughter. Hope everyone has a great Friday! - Jason
So far this week I've only done one strength session and that was on Monday. I just want to make sure my shoulder is 100% before I hit the weights hard again. I'm actually bummed out because I really do enjoy lifting but I also don't want to be fighting this shoulder come November. This morning I weighed in at 197 so another pound down which brings my July weight loss to 7 pounds.
Here are my runs from last night and tonight:
Wednesday
Run: 3 Miles
Time: 30:51
Pace: 10:17
Thursday
Run: 3 Miles
Time: 30:41
Pace: 10:14
Wednesday's run was great, very enjoyable run. Tonight's run was really no fun. I guess going on three hours sleep and my nutrition all screwed up played a big part in that. Just couldn't find a good pace and felt like I was all over the place. Although if you look at my times they are pretty consistent but tonight's run was no fun even if it was only three miles. Tomorrow was going to be a make up strength session but I may skip the strength workouts until next week just to give my shoulder the extra time. I've been wearing my weight belt on my runs to help support my back issue and that has helped out. Saturday will be my day of rest and Sunday brings a 7 mile long run.
Last night Ashli and I completed the application to enroll Gracie in to Southside Christian Schools K4 program this fall. Man, I can't believe how time flies. This was a very detailed application process which totaled about 12 pages of stuff to fill out, I'm surprised they didn't ask for a blood sample.:) This will be a part time K4 program three days a week from 8:30am to 12:30 pm. She will have a blast and she seems to be very positive about it. I'm glad that Ashli has been able to be a stay at home mom with her not that I'm against day cares because they provide a great service but it was just the right thing for us. I think Ashli is already talking about finishing school and getting back to work. Being a stay at home mom is a very hard job and Ashli has just done an amazing job with Gracie...love ya hon!
Well, tomorrow I'm taking a day off from work, nothing fun just going to get some things done around the house and hang out with my beautiful wife and daughter. Hope everyone has a great Friday! - Jason
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Hotel Room Reserved...
Run: 3 Miles
Time: 29:42
Pace: 9:54
Tonight we reserved our hotel room in Richmond for the big 26.2! For those that don't know, the reason I picked the Richmond marathon is because I grew up on the southside of the city. I still consider Richmond to be a home away from home and the perfect location to complete my goal of running a marathon.
Well, I have a few nagging injuries to report. Way back in 2004 while lifting weights I strained my shoulder and while I wish I could say I did it trying to bench 500 pounds I actually was just resting on the decline Hammer Strength Machine and reached up and tried to pull up my body weight from one of the bars above....stupid! Not smart and I strained it pretty good. Yesterday in the gym while doing my dumbbell shoulder press I felt a twinge and realized I tweaked it again. Not quite as bad as last time but I'm not taking any chances. I'm not going to stop strength training but I will lower the weight on several exercises that work that muscle group. I also tweaked my back its not to bad and I don't have any pain when running but I will be keeping an eye on it. In fact I skipped my strength training for today and will just move it to Friday. I'm going to continue the 4 day a week strength routine while my mileage is still low but as soon as my mileage starts to increase I will drop my strength back to a three day a week full body routine and then eventually in the final weeks it will be a two day a week full body.
Started my run at 9pm tonight and enjoyed all three easy miles. One thing I've noticed going in to my second week is that I'm really finding a good rhythm when I'm running. Not very fast but a good comfortable pace. Also, I don't map out my runs I just strap on my Garmin and run. My routes are always different and when I hit my distance no matter where I am I just stop the time and do a slow jog/walk back to the house, good way to cool down. For me though I enjoy changing the routes as I get bored very easily and this keeps me on the straight and narrow.
I've seem to hit a little plateau on the weight loss stuck right at the 198/199. I'm going to increase my calories over the next few days and then drop them back down to see if that will help stimulate additional fat loss. Not only has the scale weight stalled but the inches have stalled as well so zig zagging my calories may help out. I will just add an additional meal each day in the 200/300 range for three days and then just pull those additional meals away the next three days. I will also keep my water intake above the gallon a day mark. Today I hit about 192 ounces.
Tomorrow will bring strength training at lunch and then another 3 mile easy run in the evening. I hope everyone has a great Wednesday morning, mine will be very busy. - Jason
Time: 29:42
Pace: 9:54
Tonight we reserved our hotel room in Richmond for the big 26.2! For those that don't know, the reason I picked the Richmond marathon is because I grew up on the southside of the city. I still consider Richmond to be a home away from home and the perfect location to complete my goal of running a marathon.
Well, I have a few nagging injuries to report. Way back in 2004 while lifting weights I strained my shoulder and while I wish I could say I did it trying to bench 500 pounds I actually was just resting on the decline Hammer Strength Machine and reached up and tried to pull up my body weight from one of the bars above....stupid! Not smart and I strained it pretty good. Yesterday in the gym while doing my dumbbell shoulder press I felt a twinge and realized I tweaked it again. Not quite as bad as last time but I'm not taking any chances. I'm not going to stop strength training but I will lower the weight on several exercises that work that muscle group. I also tweaked my back its not to bad and I don't have any pain when running but I will be keeping an eye on it. In fact I skipped my strength training for today and will just move it to Friday. I'm going to continue the 4 day a week strength routine while my mileage is still low but as soon as my mileage starts to increase I will drop my strength back to a three day a week full body routine and then eventually in the final weeks it will be a two day a week full body.
Started my run at 9pm tonight and enjoyed all three easy miles. One thing I've noticed going in to my second week is that I'm really finding a good rhythm when I'm running. Not very fast but a good comfortable pace. Also, I don't map out my runs I just strap on my Garmin and run. My routes are always different and when I hit my distance no matter where I am I just stop the time and do a slow jog/walk back to the house, good way to cool down. For me though I enjoy changing the routes as I get bored very easily and this keeps me on the straight and narrow.
I've seem to hit a little plateau on the weight loss stuck right at the 198/199. I'm going to increase my calories over the next few days and then drop them back down to see if that will help stimulate additional fat loss. Not only has the scale weight stalled but the inches have stalled as well so zig zagging my calories may help out. I will just add an additional meal each day in the 200/300 range for three days and then just pull those additional meals away the next three days. I will also keep my water intake above the gallon a day mark. Today I hit about 192 ounces.
Tomorrow will bring strength training at lunch and then another 3 mile easy run in the evening. I hope everyone has a great Wednesday morning, mine will be very busy. - Jason
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Week One Done!
Run: 6 Miles
Time: 1:05:12
Pace: 10:52
Well, week one is now in the books.
Mon: 60 Min Strength - Completed
Tue: 3 Mile Run/60 Min Strength - Completed
Wed: 3 Mile Run/60 Min Strength - Completed
Thur: 3 Mile Tempo - Completed
Fri: 60 Min Strength - Completed
Sat: Cross Training - Completed
Sun: 6 mile long run - Completed
Total Miles: 15
Total Strength: 4 sessions
Weight Loss: 1 pound
This week brings the following:
Mon: Strength
Tue: 3 mile easy run + Strength
Wed: 3 Mile easy run + Strength
Thur: 3 Mile easy run + Strength
Fri: OFF
Sat: Cross Training
Sun: 7 mile long run
Total Mileage: 16
It was a very busy weekend. Friday I had a good strength training session at lunch and then I met Ashli and Gracie for a good dinner. Saturday morning brought several tasks. The first being to pressure wash the deck and take down the railings. Are deck is not that high off the ground and we wanted to give it a different look which took quite some time. The second was to get the grass cut and the third was to edge and pull weeds. I was done all that by 8pm last night. I did have several breaks for eating and just making sure I was hydrated. I count that as my cross training!
Today was my first scheduled long run of 6 miles. I didn't get a chance to get out until about 9pm tonight partly because of the thunderstorms that pushed through the area most of the day and while I don't mind running in rain I will not run in lightning...I know smart move!:) So, even though it was about 76 degrees the humidity was again brutal and I was soaked by mile 2. Let me back up though before my run. I really didn't want to do it and I almost talked myself into skipping it but I'm glad I didn't listen. I just laced up my shoes and walked out the door. I settled into a very nice pace, I have to say right around the 10:30-10:55 pace is my sweet spot. At that pace I feel like I could run for a good long time. Ironically that was my half marathon pace back in April. I felt strong through the entire run with no aches or pains at all. I am seeing a very big difference in the way I feel after runs and the strength training and additional weight loss is the reason. Hopefully that trend will continue!
Tomorrow morning brings 2 more customer service training sessions which will require me to move my strength training until early evening because there is not enough time to hit the gym at lunch time. I'm looking forward to this weeks runs and hopefully another pound or two will fall off. I'm now at 198 pounds and hopefully that number will continue going down hill. Hope everyone has a great Monday morning I know I will enjoy preaching about customer service in our stores! Later! - Jason
Time: 1:05:12
Pace: 10:52
Well, week one is now in the books.
Mon: 60 Min Strength - Completed
Tue: 3 Mile Run/60 Min Strength - Completed
Wed: 3 Mile Run/60 Min Strength - Completed
Thur: 3 Mile Tempo - Completed
Fri: 60 Min Strength - Completed
Sat: Cross Training - Completed
Sun: 6 mile long run - Completed
Total Miles: 15
Total Strength: 4 sessions
Weight Loss: 1 pound
This week brings the following:
Mon: Strength
Tue: 3 mile easy run + Strength
Wed: 3 Mile easy run + Strength
Thur: 3 Mile easy run + Strength
Fri: OFF
Sat: Cross Training
Sun: 7 mile long run
Total Mileage: 16
It was a very busy weekend. Friday I had a good strength training session at lunch and then I met Ashli and Gracie for a good dinner. Saturday morning brought several tasks. The first being to pressure wash the deck and take down the railings. Are deck is not that high off the ground and we wanted to give it a different look which took quite some time. The second was to get the grass cut and the third was to edge and pull weeds. I was done all that by 8pm last night. I did have several breaks for eating and just making sure I was hydrated. I count that as my cross training!
Today was my first scheduled long run of 6 miles. I didn't get a chance to get out until about 9pm tonight partly because of the thunderstorms that pushed through the area most of the day and while I don't mind running in rain I will not run in lightning...I know smart move!:) So, even though it was about 76 degrees the humidity was again brutal and I was soaked by mile 2. Let me back up though before my run. I really didn't want to do it and I almost talked myself into skipping it but I'm glad I didn't listen. I just laced up my shoes and walked out the door. I settled into a very nice pace, I have to say right around the 10:30-10:55 pace is my sweet spot. At that pace I feel like I could run for a good long time. Ironically that was my half marathon pace back in April. I felt strong through the entire run with no aches or pains at all. I am seeing a very big difference in the way I feel after runs and the strength training and additional weight loss is the reason. Hopefully that trend will continue!
Tomorrow morning brings 2 more customer service training sessions which will require me to move my strength training until early evening because there is not enough time to hit the gym at lunch time. I'm looking forward to this weeks runs and hopefully another pound or two will fall off. I'm now at 198 pounds and hopefully that number will continue going down hill. Hope everyone has a great Monday morning I know I will enjoy preaching about customer service in our stores! Later! - Jason
Thursday, July 12, 2007
On Track
Run: 3 Miles
Time: 28:21
Pace: 9:27
Work today was very busy for me. Over the last month I've been giving a presentation on how we can better serve our customers. For those of you who don't know I work for a medium to large grocery store chain here in the southeast. Just recently they did an industry wide survey and we scored at the bottom in the customer service category. That was not surprising to anyone and something that has needed attention for quite some time.
What really bothers me is the corporate leadership seems to think that throwing money at each one of our stores is one way of solving the problem. I have a news flash for them...you can build the biggest baddest grocery store on the planet but if you don't take care of your customers it will be a big bad empty store sucking money! I don't understand why some retail service oriented company's "over think" customer service! What's so hard about treating people nice, making sure they find the product their looking for, being genuine about their shopping experience, and having a servants heart? It shouldn't even be an issue in the grocery store business.
Why do I bring this up?
This evening my wife went to go play tennis with a good friend of hers and on the way home she stopped at one of our "brand new" stores to pick up a few things. We have a sale on Pepsi products so she proceeded down to the soda aisle and found that they were out of the 12 pack cans of diet Pepsi. She then proceeded to ask one of the workers if they had any in the back by chance. Just so were clear my wife asked him for 4 12 pack cases of cans. He comes back 5 minutes later with 4 two liter bottles. Problem number one...he didn't listen! She then explains it to him and he says let me go check. Well, 10 minutes later my wife is still standing there waiting for him to come back. She has now had enough and goes to pay for the items she has and when she gets to the front of the store there is the guy bagging some one's groceries. What in the world???
Sorry, I just had to vent. I really am genuinely concerned about our leadership and I wonder if they truly understand the scope of the problem. It amazes me that people have been trying to make them aware of the problem but they only validate it when an official survey comes out that says yeah your at the bottom just one point above Wally world! That's sad! I will be making a phone call to the store manager so at least he or she is aware of my wife's experience!
Ok, I feel better now...sorry! My run tonight was good. The plan was a tempo run and I feel I gave it 100%. Still very humid but I didn't start my run until about 9:30 tonight. My sassy four year old has been throwing fits and fighting us at bedtime and is the reason my run started late. Good news, it would have been very easy to bail on the run but I laced them up and busted my tail to get it done. The heat and humidity has me really sucking down the water this week. I think yesterday I hit the 2 gallon mark on water. Today was about a gallon and a half. No problems here getting the fluids! I drink no less then a gallon a day even on days off. Tomorrow is my makeup strength training from today and then I will take Saturday off. Well, a day off from running or lifting but a day getting the yard work done. I suspect I will be down another pound or two by morning so the weight is still on the downward trend. Sunday will be my long run of 6 miles.
Finally, Friday is here and the weekend approaches! Make it a great Friday morning! - Jason
Time: 28:21
Pace: 9:27
Work today was very busy for me. Over the last month I've been giving a presentation on how we can better serve our customers. For those of you who don't know I work for a medium to large grocery store chain here in the southeast. Just recently they did an industry wide survey and we scored at the bottom in the customer service category. That was not surprising to anyone and something that has needed attention for quite some time.
What really bothers me is the corporate leadership seems to think that throwing money at each one of our stores is one way of solving the problem. I have a news flash for them...you can build the biggest baddest grocery store on the planet but if you don't take care of your customers it will be a big bad empty store sucking money! I don't understand why some retail service oriented company's "over think" customer service! What's so hard about treating people nice, making sure they find the product their looking for, being genuine about their shopping experience, and having a servants heart? It shouldn't even be an issue in the grocery store business.
Why do I bring this up?
This evening my wife went to go play tennis with a good friend of hers and on the way home she stopped at one of our "brand new" stores to pick up a few things. We have a sale on Pepsi products so she proceeded down to the soda aisle and found that they were out of the 12 pack cans of diet Pepsi. She then proceeded to ask one of the workers if they had any in the back by chance. Just so were clear my wife asked him for 4 12 pack cases of cans. He comes back 5 minutes later with 4 two liter bottles. Problem number one...he didn't listen! She then explains it to him and he says let me go check. Well, 10 minutes later my wife is still standing there waiting for him to come back. She has now had enough and goes to pay for the items she has and when she gets to the front of the store there is the guy bagging some one's groceries. What in the world???
Sorry, I just had to vent. I really am genuinely concerned about our leadership and I wonder if they truly understand the scope of the problem. It amazes me that people have been trying to make them aware of the problem but they only validate it when an official survey comes out that says yeah your at the bottom just one point above Wally world! That's sad! I will be making a phone call to the store manager so at least he or she is aware of my wife's experience!
Ok, I feel better now...sorry! My run tonight was good. The plan was a tempo run and I feel I gave it 100%. Still very humid but I didn't start my run until about 9:30 tonight. My sassy four year old has been throwing fits and fighting us at bedtime and is the reason my run started late. Good news, it would have been very easy to bail on the run but I laced them up and busted my tail to get it done. The heat and humidity has me really sucking down the water this week. I think yesterday I hit the 2 gallon mark on water. Today was about a gallon and a half. No problems here getting the fluids! I drink no less then a gallon a day even on days off. Tomorrow is my makeup strength training from today and then I will take Saturday off. Well, a day off from running or lifting but a day getting the yard work done. I suspect I will be down another pound or two by morning so the weight is still on the downward trend. Sunday will be my long run of 6 miles.
Finally, Friday is here and the weekend approaches! Make it a great Friday morning! - Jason
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Hot and Humid...
are the words to describe today. Got to the gym at lunch time and had a much better workout then yesterday. It still wasn't the best but I will continue to push on. My nutrition has been on track all week and I'm really starting to love the foods I'm eating. I look forward to my egg whites, whole wheat wrap, and grapefruit every morning!
Tonight I had fun playing with Gracie on her playset and throwing the ball around. Around 8:30 I took off on my run and only one word can describe it...HUMID! I was drenched at the half mile mark and my legs started out feeling really heavy. At mile one they really started to loosen up and I felt much better, just hot! I took the same route I did last night and when I started up our street my wife and daughter were supposed to be there waiting for me to come in and cheer me on. Gracie wanted to cheer me on as I finished my run.
Trouble is, while I was out running our neighbors invited Ashli and Gracie over for a swim. So, when I rounded the corner and nobody was in the driveway I looked over at our neighbor's house and there they were basking in the glorious pool water, that was just not right!:) So I joined them:) and we had a good time for about 45 minutes or so just swimming and playing around. Gracie had a blast and did real well in the pool. She seemed very comfortable in the water.
Run: 3 miles
Time: 29:47
Pace: 9:56
What's interesting about tonight's run is my time. I felt like I was running about the same pace as last night but came in almost two minutes faster. I think because of the heat I just wanted to get it over with faster!:) Tomorrow brings a 3 mile tempo run. I also have a strength training session scheduled but I have classes to teach tomorrow so I will move that workout to Friday. Hope everyone is doing well! Make it a great Thursday! - Jason
Tonight I had fun playing with Gracie on her playset and throwing the ball around. Around 8:30 I took off on my run and only one word can describe it...HUMID! I was drenched at the half mile mark and my legs started out feeling really heavy. At mile one they really started to loosen up and I felt much better, just hot! I took the same route I did last night and when I started up our street my wife and daughter were supposed to be there waiting for me to come in and cheer me on. Gracie wanted to cheer me on as I finished my run.
Trouble is, while I was out running our neighbors invited Ashli and Gracie over for a swim. So, when I rounded the corner and nobody was in the driveway I looked over at our neighbor's house and there they were basking in the glorious pool water, that was just not right!:) So I joined them:) and we had a good time for about 45 minutes or so just swimming and playing around. Gracie had a blast and did real well in the pool. She seemed very comfortable in the water.
Run: 3 miles
Time: 29:47
Pace: 9:56
What's interesting about tonight's run is my time. I felt like I was running about the same pace as last night but came in almost two minutes faster. I think because of the heat I just wanted to get it over with faster!:) Tomorrow brings a 3 mile tempo run. I also have a strength training session scheduled but I have classes to teach tomorrow so I will move that workout to Friday. Hope everyone is doing well! Make it a great Thursday! - Jason
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
And So It Begins...
One foot in front of the other, one goal in mind, chasing 26.2 for the next 18 weeks.
Today was a mixed emotion day. I ran over to the gym at lunch for my strength training and just had a terrible workout. Even though some exercises went up in weight I suffered mentally in the gym and lacked energy and was just generally not motivated. I still got it done but I sure hope tomorrow's strength workout goes better. On a better note my first run "in training" was just fantastic. I felt like a million bucks through the entire run and the additional weight loss and added strength training over the last month is a big reason for it.
Run: 3 miles
Time: 31:21
Pace: 10:27
Nice easy pace that felt strong the entire way. My nutrition will stay the same as I would like to drop another 15 to 20 pounds.
On a personal note for the last several weeks I've been looking to buy a car. One of my favorite cars the Ford Mustang. I looked at Cobras, Saleens, Rousch, and GT packaged Mustangs over the last few weeks. Monday I finally purchased one...
My daughter named her "cherry". Yes, she is what I like to call "Arrest Me Red"!:) She is a 2002 Mustang GT Premium. It has all the factory options. It also has some very good performance modifications. For those car nuts here's a short rundown of some of the performance parts. Flowmaster 40 series American Thunder exhaust, BBK Cold Air Intake, C&L Intake Plenum, Steeda Timing Adjuster, and a performance chip to name a few. The previous owner really took good care of this vehicle as it looks new inside and out. I will be adding more goodies and it will also take a trip down to Anderson for a ride on a dyno. I want to get a good benchmark before I start to add in the horsepower department. Should be fun!
As I mentioned in an earlier post I'm partnering with my father-in-law in a video editing business. We can convert VHS to DVD as well as create full movies of those treasured family videos. We also take your photos of those treasured moments and turn them into jazzed up photo slide shows. I'm still working on the website but check it out at Fleeting Moments Video!
Hope everyone has a great Wednesday morning! - Jason
Today was a mixed emotion day. I ran over to the gym at lunch for my strength training and just had a terrible workout. Even though some exercises went up in weight I suffered mentally in the gym and lacked energy and was just generally not motivated. I still got it done but I sure hope tomorrow's strength workout goes better. On a better note my first run "in training" was just fantastic. I felt like a million bucks through the entire run and the additional weight loss and added strength training over the last month is a big reason for it.
Run: 3 miles
Time: 31:21
Pace: 10:27
Nice easy pace that felt strong the entire way. My nutrition will stay the same as I would like to drop another 15 to 20 pounds.
On a personal note for the last several weeks I've been looking to buy a car. One of my favorite cars the Ford Mustang. I looked at Cobras, Saleens, Rousch, and GT packaged Mustangs over the last few weeks. Monday I finally purchased one...
My daughter named her "cherry". Yes, she is what I like to call "Arrest Me Red"!:) She is a 2002 Mustang GT Premium. It has all the factory options. It also has some very good performance modifications. For those car nuts here's a short rundown of some of the performance parts. Flowmaster 40 series American Thunder exhaust, BBK Cold Air Intake, C&L Intake Plenum, Steeda Timing Adjuster, and a performance chip to name a few. The previous owner really took good care of this vehicle as it looks new inside and out. I will be adding more goodies and it will also take a trip down to Anderson for a ride on a dyno. I want to get a good benchmark before I start to add in the horsepower department. Should be fun!
As I mentioned in an earlier post I'm partnering with my father-in-law in a video editing business. We can convert VHS to DVD as well as create full movies of those treasured family videos. We also take your photos of those treasured moments and turn them into jazzed up photo slide shows. I'm still working on the website but check it out at Fleeting Moments Video!
Hope everyone has a great Wednesday morning! - Jason
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Goal Achieved...
This morning I got on the scale to see 199.0! One of my goals 2 months ago was to get under the 200 pound mark before my marathon training, talk about right to the day!:) I celebrated with my first cheat meal in over a month and half! Full on Mexican goodness! Cheese Quesadillas, chicken nachos, tortilla chips, cheese dip, rice, beans, and a burrito! Man was it good! Man, was I stuffed! Did I mention it was good? It was! In fact, I haven't eaten since that late lunch, just not hungry!:)
Tomorrow starts my 18 week marathon training. Here's the outline of my first week.
Mon: Strength (Chest/Biceps/Core)
Tue: Strength (Back/Hamstrings/Core) + 3 mile easy
Wed: Strength (Shoulders/Triceps/Core) + 3 Mile easy
Thur: Strength (Quads/Calves/Core) + 3 Mile tempo
Fri: REST
Sat: Cross Training (Bike)
Sun: 6 mile Long Run
Total Mileage: 15
Should be a fun week! My nutrition will jump back on the clean eating wagon all week and hopefully I can drop another 1-3 pounds pounds by the end of the week. With the added cardio it should help the weight loss even more. I've lost 13 pounds since June first.
Its been a great weekend spending time together as a family just goofing around. I hope everyone else had a great weekend as well! Make it a great Monday morning! - Jason
Tomorrow starts my 18 week marathon training. Here's the outline of my first week.
Mon: Strength (Chest/Biceps/Core)
Tue: Strength (Back/Hamstrings/Core) + 3 mile easy
Wed: Strength (Shoulders/Triceps/Core) + 3 Mile easy
Thur: Strength (Quads/Calves/Core) + 3 Mile tempo
Fri: REST
Sat: Cross Training (Bike)
Sun: 6 mile Long Run
Total Mileage: 15
Should be a fun week! My nutrition will jump back on the clean eating wagon all week and hopefully I can drop another 1-3 pounds pounds by the end of the week. With the added cardio it should help the weight loss even more. I've lost 13 pounds since June first.
Its been a great weekend spending time together as a family just goofing around. I hope everyone else had a great weekend as well! Make it a great Monday morning! - Jason
Friday, July 6, 2007
Busy Bee...
Man....what a week. I feel like I haven't updated in a while! Work has been crazy busy even with the extra holiday day!:) Only got strength workouts on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Wednesday to now has seen zero workouts. We had a great 4th celebration and some good fireworks to cap off the night.
I'm partnering up with my father-in-law in a new business and have been working at night on developing and launching the website among various other tasks. Once the site is fully functional I will provide a link so you can give us some good feedback. All the while my 4 year old has to have daddy time and I have to have daughter time. Even with everything I have going on I always make sure to spend my evenings with her before she goes to bed. I still have a hard time realizing she is already 4 years old. In fact were getting ready to enroll her in a k4 program and I have a feeling time is going to zip right on by and she will be all grown up before we know it.
Monday starts my marathon training and Tuesday is my first run (3 mile easy) in the training plan. I'm really looking forward to getting back to consistent running again. My weight is now down to 201! Not much longer and I will finally drop below 200. The last month and a few days I've dropped 11 pounds. That's an extra 11 pounds I don't have to drag around on my runs!!:) Hopefully I can continue the downward trend!
I hope everyone is doing well and I hope to get some time this weekend to catch up on what everyone is doing! Have a great Saturday morning! - Jason
I'm partnering up with my father-in-law in a new business and have been working at night on developing and launching the website among various other tasks. Once the site is fully functional I will provide a link so you can give us some good feedback. All the while my 4 year old has to have daddy time and I have to have daughter time. Even with everything I have going on I always make sure to spend my evenings with her before she goes to bed. I still have a hard time realizing she is already 4 years old. In fact were getting ready to enroll her in a k4 program and I have a feeling time is going to zip right on by and she will be all grown up before we know it.
Monday starts my marathon training and Tuesday is my first run (3 mile easy) in the training plan. I'm really looking forward to getting back to consistent running again. My weight is now down to 201! Not much longer and I will finally drop below 200. The last month and a few days I've dropped 11 pounds. That's an extra 11 pounds I don't have to drag around on my runs!!:) Hopefully I can continue the downward trend!
I hope everyone is doing well and I hope to get some time this weekend to catch up on what everyone is doing! Have a great Saturday morning! - Jason
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Happy 4th of July!
Normal strength training sessions going strong and nutrition as well. Still sitting at 203 pounds but not a meal missed.
Hope everyone has a great 4th of July! Let the fireworks fly and enjoy the day! - Jason
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Old Picture Floors Me...
I found this picture of me this weekend that I thought I would share. The pic on the left is from March of 2003 where I weighed in at 310 pounds plus. The right picture is from June 2nd of this year at 212 pounds.
I was shocked to say the least when I saw that photo. When I ask myself why I'm eating the way I'm eating now or why I turn down that pizza, cake, cookies, and ice cream. It's because I don't want to be that unhealthy ever again.
I am very happy about June Totals.
Running: 31.3
Biking: 48.3
Strength: 4 sessions per week
Races: Olympic Distance Duathlon in 3:12:36, 5k run in 26:58
Weight Loss: 9 Pounds
I'm hoping to be well below the 200 pound mark before marathon training and should not have a problem getting there. I'm really excited to get going on the mileage as this will be the last week of limited running and then the training starts. We had a great time on Saturday at my niece's 8th birthday party. I was successful at passing up the pizza, cake, and ice cream and stuck to my clean eating habits. Saturday night we met some good friends Tim and Clare for dinner and then some fun UNO playing at their house. Sunday was a good day of rest and some fun play time with my daughter on her new playset. We had a good time goofing around. My calories just went over the 1500 mark for today and my water intake hit the 2 gallon mark. Well, I must get some rest and I hope everyone has a great Monday morning! - Jason
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)