Times are Tough

We had parties last week, we had a big big party last night and I missed my run yesterday. I ate buffalo wings and barbaque and cheese cake and kalhua cake, and carrot cake and...well let us just say it was a bad bad night for weight loss at the house. So today over lunch I decide to run 3 miles.....it was the worst training run I can remeber, I actually had to stop and walk for a few seconds. I am not sure what my problem was, my legs just gelt like giant pillars of stone. It gets worse, I had the great idea of weighing when I got home from running, now I usually get mad at Kim for weighing after a day that she konws was bad and I have made it a rule not to weigh during the week except Friday mornings, but I guess I was glutton for punishment becasue I weighed and if today was the official Friday weigh in I would be a lot closer to 330 than I am 319 (which I thought I might hit this week) I wish I could say that I have everything under control and that those numbers are going to start going down again, but I still have Christmas Eve and Christmas to go!!! I have got to right the ship on these days that I don't have a lot of temptation so that I don't lose a lot of ground come January, I absolutley hate going backwards. If I make a wrong turn I will drive around the world not to backtrack (just ask my wife) anyway I will let you know how things go on weigh day, I am planning on working out again tomorrow and eating really really good today Thursday and Friday, so maybe I can weigh in on Saturday morning and not be too depressed for the weekend.

Running going well

Friday I ran 3 miles and Friday night we had our office party and I ate a ton!!! Saturday Kim and I went to Memphis to take Kiley to see Santa and get some last minute gifts for family and I did not follow the BFL eating plan very close, but I did not go overboard, these parties and holdidays really make sticking to eating less difficult, but I can tell that I just can not eat as much as did last year at this time. I think part of it is my body is not used to that much junk and part of it is mental and I feel like I am ruining all this that I have worked so hard for.

Sunday was a 4 mile day and for the first time in my training I decided to branch out to the streeets of the big city. Before this all my runs had been at the Park or just in my neighborhood, but for some reason Sunday I decided to take on downtown! I parked at the high school parking lot and ran down main all the way till the bridge and then took a right and ran up another road till I had gone 2 miles then tuned around and ran the same rout back. I had a couple of people (people I knew) yell words of support as I ran, it was pretty cool. For so long, and I am still like this to an extent, but I did not want to run around people becasue I do not look like a runner and I am not graceful like a runner, but I run so that makes me a runner and I am not going to worry as much about where I run anymore, (other than high traffic areas without sidewalks, those are kind of scary)

ONE pound

I lost a pound this week, one big pound, I am not going to complain, it's the holidays and I am losing weight! I run today and that is going well and all goals are still in sight.

Easy 3 Miler???

I never thought I would say that, but last night I actually ran 3 miles and it was not the herdest thing I have ever done. My legs felt great the whole way and my breathing was good too. I think I was even running a little faster then usual because my hear rate was running a little higher then usual also. Kim tells me that sometimes it just all comes together and a run is much smoother than normal, but that I should be ready that the next time I go out the door for the same distance it might be much harder. Of course the time before this when I ran, within in the first 5 minutes I was thinking I should just pack it in for the day because this sucks, who knows what will happen next time, but I am glad I am in good enough shape to enjoy this sport.

I weigh on Friday morning and I am pumped up about seeing the numbers go down again. We have a party tonight and another tomorrow night, and of course Christmas just around the corner, but I am still comitted to losing weight and not using the holidays as an excuse. I realize now that my goal to see 299 by Christams is not reality and 250 by my birthday is really wishful thinking, but 299 will come maybe even in January and 250 will be here soon enough if I just stay on track, and as far as I have come it is much to late to turn back. Almost everyone who I see that I have not seen in a while is telling be that I look smaller, it is really cool to be affirmed for all the hard work that goes into losing weight and getting in shape. For some it comes so easy, but I am not sure anyone who does not have an addiciton of some sort can understand what people who need to lose a lot of weight feel on a weight loss journey. Don't get me wrong there is not an excuse not to do it, but I guess if it was easy obesity would not be overtaking other diseases as the number one killer in America.

4 miles and a cloud of dust

Not really, it was one of the hardest runs I have ever had, but I achieved the two goals I had for it went I set out 1)Finish and 2)No walking. I knew I was in trouble when in the first 5 minutes I felt winded and was stuggling up the hills, but it got a little better. This is the first time in my life that I have ever run four miles (especially when not being chased) I ran the big loop around Craighead, which is quite hilly (not used to big hills) and when I got around to finish the third mile it was one of the biggest hills and in my mind I thought, this is it, I can go no further..must stop...must walk!!, but then that inner voive started say things like, "you will draw on this experiance in the 1/2 marathon if you just keep going, and how one mile is really not that far, and would I really want to go home and have to say, well I had to quit today, becase I felt tired? Not that I am saying that you should ever run through pain or do something stupid, but in this case I knew I was just uncomfortable and that is not a good excuse to stop running. On I went and it really got better becase on the other side of that hill was a downhill and then the last mile was really flat. Funny how running teaches me so much about life.

Down 2 Pounds this week

The Holidays have contributed to some slow going, but I am still on my way down. This week the scales reflect a 2.2 pound loss and I have run 3 miles twice with a lifetime first 4 miler coming up on Sunday.

It has been pretty cold around here the last couple of days, and as you runners know cold weather running gear is a litte form fitting. Not to give my nerighbors anything to talk about I usually run at the park when the weather calls for tights, but last night I was in a hurry and just decied to go out the front door and start running. Remeber I am a little self consious about the tights thing, so I had been going along for 10 minutes or so, and it's getting pretty dark, and this car comes up behind me and is shining their lights right on me and I am thinking what in the world are they doing??? they are just lurking behind me for what seems like minutes, finally I get out of the intersection they were wanting to turn into and they are gone. In reality I don't think anyone cares what I run in, it's just me being insecure, and that is what I think keeps so many people from just going out and doing something, I know it did me for a long time. There is a lot in that little slogan "Just DO IT" it kind of becomes addictive.

Welcome New Friends

I would like to welcome those who have joined this blog in process, my friend Chris Gonzalez has now linked to my blog, if you don't know who that is you can get there from a link on my blog. Anyway now the millions of people who read his blog might step over here from time to time and join the millions of my fatihful readers......well I do have Greg Brooks and my wife....Greg reads it sometimes. All that does not matter, the fact is if you are new to this blog join the crowd this is the first week anyone but me knew it existed. I know you are thinking, doesn't that defeat the purpose of a blog? why would you keep it a secret?? The fact is I did not trust myslef to follow through on some of the goals I set for myslef, and I did not want to let anyone down, but I did want to have some record of my journey. Although I am far from the finish line in this journey, I have felt enough sucesess to let my friends in family in on the blog. I have lost over 55 pounds and run a 5K, small goals, but completed goals. I am excited to have some new friends and family tuning in for the next goals and I am excited to share in that journey with you and the ups and downs that will come with it. I have struggled with weight all my life and only since I have applied some of the same priciples that I apply to my spiritual journey have I been able to have any real success at gaining control of it. For so long I felt that physical fitness was either something you had you or you didn't, kind of like the way I grew up in the "church" you were either in or your were out, you were saved and going to heaven and everything you did was pleaseing to God, or you were not and your were going to hell and you probably watched R rated movies. But I have since realzed that Jesus and I are on a wonderful journey and even though I don't have to questiong the eternal state of my soul, that is not the point, how can I grow closer to Him today? This weight loss thing has been very similar, I may never reach that point that I say, "It is finsished, I am in shape", but I am loving getting closer everyday and I realize, especially with good freinds on the road with me it really is the journey not the destination!

Finished 5K in 37:50!!!

Kim and Greg and I crossed the finish line of the Grizzley House 5K all together and in great shape and spirits. We finished in the top of half of the field with little over 12 minute mile pace. I am very excited that I am now officially a "runner" and look forward to continuing weight loss and the next big event, which looks to be the Nashville 1/2 marathon on April 29. I can't expalin the feeling of accomplishment that came with crossing the finish line. This setting a goal thing and seeing it through it very fulfilling and just makes for a great weekend.

After the race Kim and Greg and I went to Cafe Bon Ton one of the oldest little places in Memphis where Elvis used to hang out and had breakfast, then when went back and took showers in the locker rooms at Autozone Park. The guys showered in the Redbirds locker room and the girls in the visitors. As I went in the first finishers from the 1/2 were begening to come in, all of whick in great shape and just got finished averaging 5 - 6 min miles for 13.2 miles. I was in the shower with three of them, and they were looking at me like I was crazy. Finally I realized they thought this big fat guy just finised the race in the same time they did, one even asked ,"Did you have a pretty good race?" I know I could have told him I ran the 5K and just took awhile getting to the shower, but I took the ball and ran with it and told them it was a grea race for me juat a few seconds off my personal best!! I think they left thinking some 300 pound guy ran the same race they did in the same time. Pretty funny. I can't wait till Nashville and all the fun in between this racing stuff is kind of fun!

325 Today

Down 2 more today, even though the last couple of weeks have been very slow on the weight loss front the number continue to go down. So tomorrow I will Run the Grizzlie House 5K at 325, and celebrate 55 pounds lost!!!!