Down 1.8

Not a ton of weight, but going in the right direction, I need to make up my 4.5 mile run I missed for Thursday today, I did get in Tuesday run and weights on Monday and swimming on Wednesday.

(read next section with best Wrestler announcer voice) This Sunday Sunday Sunday ONE DAY Only 8 count them 8 MILES. (if I make it sound like a tractor truck pull maybe I can get siked up)

I have a big weekend planned, and hope to eat real well today and get my workout in and then cheat a little on Saturday and then back on track Sunday, Just 13 more pounds to 299!!!

I RAN SEVEN MILES!!!!!

I felt like Forest Gump, I just kept running and running and running. It is really hard for me to comprehend that I actually made it. I am so pumped, it has given me a renewed zeal for eating better, and at the end I actually felt like I could go a little longer. Nashville here I come!!

I talked to a friend last night who was a competetive swimmer and we are going to get together at the YMCA pool tonight and go over some swim basics, so that I can better cross train and get ready for the triathlon, I am excited about this too.

Only a few more weeks of training, I am really going to have to stick to it and press on here at the end, my time will not be anything to brag about in Nashville, but I am confident that I can finish the race and that was my original goal.

Unusual Friday

I usually really look forward to Fridays, I know I am going to wake up and get on the scale and see the numbers go down, but not today. I knew I would not see the number go down and more than likely it would have gone up, so I just skipped today, I think everyone deserves a pass in life and I took one of mine today. I also missed my Friday lunch weight workout because my 10:00 meeting ran over. So I did not lose weight today and I did not lift today. I am going to try and get in a 3 mile run this afternoon and then maybe lift tomorow and get mentally ready for the big 7 miler on Sunday. My good freind Greg (the marriage and family therapist) who usually runs with me is having a tooth pulled today and has said he will not feel like running on Sunday. I have made him feel bad enough with all my football theology and pain is just mental talk, so I will not give a hard time anymore, but Greg if you are reading this, you know what part of the body you should leave at home and just come run Sunday.

I have just got to bare down and sacafice and get these last few pounds off so I can give myslef the road bike I have already bought. If I am going to do this triathlon in August I am going to need to start riding and swimming more, but for now I will concentrate on the 1/2 marathon and the short term weight goal. It seems to be going so SLOW!!!! I think some of it has been the stress I have been feeling lately. It is a lot harder to fire and hire people than I thought. I dreaded all day yesterday knowing that I had to let a lady go, and I guess eating makes me feel better, I had choclate and a lot of it. I have however taken the advice of yesterday's comment and bought a new hat to run in, it is one of those cool triathlon hats that wick sweat away and keep you cool while keeping the sun off my head. I think it will motivate me, at least it sounds good.

Skipping this week

There will be no official weigh in this week. Here are a couple of reasons. 1) I make the rules and I have decided not to weigh in this week. 2) I was sick last week and I think that contributed to my big loss and I feel that if I wait a week it will all even out and look better. 3) I have had one of the worse weeks of my weight loss journey and would be sure to gain and I just don't need that right now.

Now for the bright side of things, I plan on runnng my 7 miles on Sunday and training continues on pretty well. I will not take a free day this weekend as I normally do and I think that will help me for next week. I will let you know more as I know more, but for right now I need to regain focus on 299!

Down 3.2

3.2 pounds seems like a lot, I am excited about it. This brings the overall total to 65.2!!

I did not get in my four miles yesterday, I was feeling a little under the weather, I hope to get to feeling better and do it this afternoon.

I only have 3.1 for the long run this Sunday on the program, so nice of them to give me some rest, but next Sunday is a 7 miler so I better get all my runs in next week for sure. April 29 (the day of the half marathon) is approching, Kiley's birthday is the 2nd of April, we are going camping for my birthday on the 15th, and the next weeekend I will be in Baltimore and the D.C. area for almost a week, and then the big race. I am going to have to be very creative with my time management to get in all my runs over these next few weeks.

I really feel a since of accomplishment and look forward to continuing along and enjoying each day of this journey.

Great Run

Yesterday I ran four miles and actually made it around the 3 mile loop at Craighead in a record time for me, 36 minutes and some change. I know my pace is still more in line with a sumo wrestler than a distance runner, but it is coming down. I remember the first time I went all the way around Craighead and it as like 45 minutes, so it is good to know I am getting bettter.

Four more miles tomorrow and then a 3.1 on Sunday for this week before a big 7 next Sunday. It is getting closer, and I am getting more and more pumped.

Eating is going well this week too.

6 Miles!!!

About all I can say about my 6 mile run Sunday is that I finished it. I think I thought a little more highly of myslef than I should of. I had never ventured outside Craighead Forest for a long run, but for some reason I thought my 6 mile long run was a good day to do it. So I plotted a 6 mile loop around the Forest, and it had more hills then any run up to this point, add to that it was the hottest day of the year so far, add to that I ran into a very brisk wind for most of the run, add to that, that I had no shade for a little bald head. Well you can see it was pretty much doomed from the start, but I finished it, I had to stop and walk some for the first time in a long time, but I finished all 6 miles and still on track to be able to finish the 1/2 marathon before they close the course. By the way I am a little on the sore side today. I realized I need a running hat, some sunglasses, and some sun block for my next adventure.

Eating was OK this weekend, I did eat way too much Pizza Friday night and Japanese on Saturday night, but not too much during the days. I hope to lose at least another 2 pounds this week, but at this rate 299 seems so far away. Anyway I can't complain, I am accomplishing everything I wanted to be doing, so if it takes a little more time then I thought, then so be it.

Down 2 More

The official weigh in today shows a 2 pound loss for the week. That brings the total up to 62 pounds lost and gets me in to new numbers as I am now under 320 at 318.

I saw a good freind I had not seen in a while yesterday and he could not believe the amount of weight I had lost. He told me it looked like I lost a person and that he would never think I still weighed over 300. That really made me feel good, and this fellow that was walking around Craighead yesterday while I was running, gave me words of encouragment both times we passed. I have been very blessed on this journey by both friends and stangers, it is pretty cool!

As an added bonus my wife said I looked sexy during my swim workout Wednesday, she could tell I was getting more defenition in my upper body and I was pumped up about that too.

5 more miles

I am pumped up after my long run Sunday. Greg and I ran 5 again this week in our training for the Nashville half marathon and it went real well. I actually felt that I could go a little longer after our run. That is good becasue we are supposed to do 6 miles next week and I am a little nervous about it. I felt I we had a good eating weekend, I did eat too many sweets, but felt that I kept most everything else in check. I have not weighed since Friday and I am going to try and wait till this Friday to weigh, but I know I should lose some weight this week.

I have noticed that I am not really reaching my goals in the time frame I had originally set. I am not real upset about this as I am still going in the right direction. I am not sure it was reality to think I could be at 250 by April 15, so I am going to re-state that goal and say I would like to be at 250 by October. I think this will still push me to stay on track and be more realistic at the same time. All in all I think I can be very very close to the 220 mark by the end of the year. I am realizing that I am going to have to have athletic goals like the half marathon and triathlon and such to stay foucsed on eating right and exercise. I kind of have an addictive personality and I guess it is better to be addicted to a heathly lifestyle than bad food.

GREAT GREAT WEEK

This week I lost all 7 pounds I gained last week plus one. I am down to 320 even. I also ran 12 miles in all this week and got in all my workouts. It was a good week indeed! This weekend I will run 5 more miles and continue on the journey that will take me to the finish line of the Nashville half and more.

Weight Update

Although I usually just weigh in on Fridays I was so depressed from the gain last week that I had to take a little peak at the scales this morning. I am glad to say it was under 325 and back on the right track. I will have the offical weigh in info on Friday, but for now running is going well (3.5 miles yesterday) and eating is going well this week also.