Here I AM

Not much time, but here is the deal. I am up to 337, now that is a gain of a little over 20 pounds. The good news is I ran yesterday for the first time in a while and I has signed up for a bike ride on the 21st and going to do the same 5K I did last year in December. I am hoping I can get back on track and start losing. I will let you know if I did not Friday.

I am getting Fatter

After getting rid of 80 pounds, I have really sucked it up for about month now. I have not weighed in because I am too big of a wus to see how much I have gained. This is stupid, so I think I will weigh Friday and just get it over with. I have got to get it back in gear. I want to run the Memphis Marathon, but the training is not starting out so well. I have been traveling a ton and never eat good on the road. I am leading the University Life Ministry (the Southwest Ministry to ASU) and I am working my regular job and being a daddy and husband and all the other normal stuff. It just gets so freakin busy. But I have nothing that other people don't have to work around. If some have done a marathon without a leg I should be able to handle a few schedule conflicts.

I will let you know more as I progress, but just wanted to update you and let you know I am still alive and trying.

Where Have I Been

HELLO Again!! I have been very separates in my post lately and I am so sorry about that. I know I have many adoring fans waiting to hear from me( Hi DAD) Anyway, I have fallen off the wagon. All the travel to Chattanooga and the awful realization that I will not be able to do the triathlon I have been training for because of a scheduling conflict has caused me to lose focus. I have not worked out in over a week and have eaten like I am having my last meal for at least 2 weeks. But today I have had a really good day and feel that I am getting back on track. I will not weigh this week, but anticipate the next official weigh in to be a week from Friday. I just can't make myself look at the way I have gone backwards, if I don't see the number real high, maybe I won't be as depressed. But here is the deal, I am going to train for the 1/2 marathon here in conspire that will be in October and then hit it real hard and do the St. Jude Marathon in December in Memphis (my first marathon) This will be hard and take some serious dedication that I have not shown since the Nashville 1/2, but I think I need a big challenge to rise to. I will try and post the plan I am going to use and the link to the race.

Good Day

I biked 15 this morning with my friends Jason and Kevin, we did some major hills. I have not eaten well since the tri and have proably gained a few pounds, but my friend Rob has inspired me today with his comment and I am pumped up to train for the Jonesboro 1/2 marathon coming in Oct. Also I am afraid I will not be able to do the tri on Aug 20 becasue I am do the campus ministry at ASU and that is the first weekend of school and I probably need to be here. I will find another soon before or after that one.

Thanks again for the comment Rob, it sounds like you are doing well. I hope to email you soon and here more about your journey.

Biked 17 ran 3

My participation in my first triathlon went well. My friend Jason did a great job in the swim and I jumped on the bike and had a pretty good ride. I got passed by a few people, but was still in the middle of the pack when I started the run. That my friend is when it went down hill, well I wish it went it downhill, it seemed to go up up and up. My legs were like big piles of rocks for the first mile and 1/2 and that is not good on a 3 mile run. I got passed by a lot of people. But in the end we accomplished our goal 1. FINISH and 2. Finish in under 2 hours. 3. Don't come in last! We accomplished all 3 goals and now I am ready to get more serious about Aug 20, when I will do all 3 by myslef.

Look for a weight update on Friday!

Back, Kind of

Well the weight is not going as well and neither is the training, but either way I compete in my first ever triathlon tomorrow!! I have not gained too much weight, but I am going in the wrong direction. I will do the 17 mile bike and the 3.1 mile run tomorrow for the Jonesboro Triathlon. I am pumped up about it, my good friend Jason will be doing the swim. I hope to use this event to propel me on to bigger and, or should I say smaller things. I am hoping to really buckle down on the ole eating plan for my next event which is looking like Aug 20, (a sprint tri) and then I hope to take part in the Jonesboro 1/2 marathon in April.

I will let you know how it goes Monday.

Back Down

I am reporting today with mixed emoitions that I am back down to 309, which is what I was before vacation. Just a few pounds from the ever elusive 299. I usually take a free day which turns into free weekend, so until I real the new numbers I will only have free meal, and something chocolate. Today I am going to eat Pizza and I alredy had my sweet brownie frappacino from SFBC.

I rode 17 this morning and will ride 20 in the morning. I am really enjoying riding and trying to build up for the tri on June 24. More updates later.

The BIG THREE

Well my eating has gone real well this week, after a surprise trip to Chattanooga last weekend where I got off the eating plan for the whole weekend we are back and working hard. I have riden my bike a couple times this week for over 20 miles and I have run a couple of times this week for 3 miles at a time, and I went swimming twice this week, once with my neighbor Jason who really helped me understand my form better. I have been amazed at how friendly and helpful people are, and how much they want to help. It is relly awsome. Kim and I went bike riding with the Ridge Rider club on Monday night and we did not know one of them, but they were all as helpful as could be and the leader, Jim, rode beside me for a while talking about swimming and offering to come help me out with my technique. I know I am not near the conditioned athlete that many in the club are or others that have actually done triathlons, but they make one who is just trying to lose a little weight in get in shape like one who belongs.

My plan for the Conway CATS tri is off, I have to leave for Portland on that day, so it looks like my only two chances to do a triathlon this summer will be the bike and run part of the one Jason and I are doing on the 24th of this month, the one in Forest City on the 15th of next month, or the Degray Lake on Aug 20th. I am very confident I could do the bike and run part today, it's that swim I am a little worried about.

WEIGHT UPDATE COMING TOMORROW!!

I am still here

I have been on vacation, but don't worry I am still working at losing weight and getting in better shape. I will admit that I ate like a salve just released from indentured while in Florida. I have key lime pie, I had steak, I had hamburgers and fries, I had shrimp by the pound, and that was just the first day. Kim and I took our bikes and we rode a couple of days and ran another day, so I tried to stay in the habit of working out, but it is tough with a 2 year old on vacation to find time to do stuff alone. But all it all it went well and now I am back and hitting it hard again. As is my tradition when I have been gone I don't weigh the week I get back as not to be depressed, but I did sneak a peak today and things could be worse, so 299 is still in the near future.

Here are a couple of other things in the near future. Coming up on June 24 I will be doing the 17 mile bike and 3 mile run portion of the Jonesboro Triathlon. My friend and neighbor Jason will be doing the swim portion and together we will try not to come in dead last. There is pride on the line between another of his co-workers and a freind,they are both real skinny, I think Jason and I are getting 5 seconds a pound. I think I have decided not to do the tri in Forest City that I was going to do for my first official triathlon and do my first with Jason in Septmeber in Conway. I have not made up my mind for sure not to do Forest City, but I do want to do Conway with Jason, and we could train together for it and all that good stuff.

This morning Jason and I biked the 17 mile course for the tri here in town and it is HILLY, I think they are trying to kill somebody, I just hope it's not me.

Triathlon Training Going Well

I have lost all the weight I gained over the D.C. trip and Nashville and now under 310 again, going in the right direction to 299. I have swam 200 yards and biked 13 and run a few miles over the last week and really looking forward to the July 15 Mighty Mite triathlon. I really want to hit the workouts hard this week and do real well eating, becasue we will be on vacation next week with Kim's family in Florida. But this moring I am struggling with my gout arthritis more than I have in a long long time. It is really hurting and is very uncomfortable to just walk much less run. I am going to the doctor this moring and see about getting a shot or something that will make it better. I have not had a problem with gout since I started working out and running until a week before the 1/2 marathon. I will let you know how it goes.

GOAL COMPLETED!!! I AM A 1/2 MARARHON FINISHER!!!!!

It was an awsome experiance. I finished the Nashville 1/2 marathon with an average of about 14 min miles. This is not bad for my first time and to still be so overweight. It was one of the proudest moments of my life. I would have to say it ranks up there under getting married having a child and comes very close to great football memories. I never really hit the wall, I feel like Greg and I trained well for it, Kim ran with me for most of it and was a great encouragment. Now I am going to recover and hit the weight loss hard, and start triathlon training for either Forest City or Degray in August. As usual I will keep you up to date.

I am really begenning to realize that there is truth in the syaing that "life is not a spectator sport"

Where Have I Been???

I'm glad you asked. I have been not running and eating way to much in our nation's capital. I am one week out from the big 1/2 marathon, and all last week I ate like a fat man and got in no workouts. Kim is making me feel better by telling me we walked at least 5 miles a day, and I am sure we did, but that still will not make up for the missed 10 mile jog. But all I can do it stick to the plan this week and eat well and finish on Saturday. I will finish on Saturday! I can't help but know that all that football and never give attitude will kick in and I will jog, walk, or crawl to the finish line on Saturday. I have looked at the forecast and it should be cool, and that it one of the biggest things for me, all the training runs I did, were much better the cooler it was. I am not going to weigh this week, becasue I know I have gained weight and don't need that mental barrier for the race. I will eat well this week and run the race and then weigh next Monday. This will be a great mile marker along the way of my journey and I look forward to getting there getting it done and setting my sights on the next challenge.

I WENT 9 MILES (and that's a lot)

It was hot, it was dusty, and it was windy. I was coming back from a week of not running because of my foot and I made it!! All 9 miles. One more week of serious training and a 10 miles mext Sunday and then I tapper down to the 1/2 marathon in Nashville.

I am a little sore today.

Just a Bad Week

Well this week pretty much sucked. I gained 2 pounds. I think it was a combonation of things. First instead of free day last week I had free weekend. Second for the first time in a long time I had the gout arthritist flare in my foot. I could not straighten out my ankle for most of the week and it is still very sore, I have not run all week. Third I have not lifited all week. I think my lack of exercise this week can be attributed to my foot and just a lot of stress and just not feeling like I have time to do it. I would like to give an optimistic look at the next week but it is not going to be easey. We are going camping this weekend and will just have to eat whatever the people we are going with cook. We leave for Baltimore on Tuesday and will be there through the week till next Sunday. I am pretty depressed about it to tell you the truth, I have fallen 12 pounds short of my goal to be under 300 by my birthday. I need to run 9 miles Sunday, if that goes well I might have a little better outlook on things, but for right now I am concerned as to wether or not I will be ready for the 1/2 marathon and I am conerned about how much the next week will set me back on the weight loss journey. I am really going to try to do well this weekend and just stick to the program next week, but I know some stuff will be out of my control and sometimes when I am away I get the "hey we are on vacation mentality" and just forget it. I wish I could give you a good note to end on for this week but I really don't see it. I guess you could say this is the Empire Strikes Back of the Brad Getting Fit blog.

DOWN 2.2 POUNDS TO 310.8 total loss 70!!

It has been a long time since I was truly happy with the amount of weight dropped in one week. I know you are thinking I am doing it the right way, averaging 1 - 2 pounds a week is how to keep it off..blah blah blah. And all that is true. I am going to take a moment from being dissapointed that I have not reached 299 and be very happy that over the last few weeks I have dropped 15 pounds after being stuck on 325 for what seemed like forever. I know that 299 will come, and my running has gone well, I have made ever run this week 8 miler, two 5 milers and lifted weights. 2.2 pounds is nothing to be ashamed of and I am getting closer to 299 each week.

Now my long run for this week is only 6.2 miles, did I just say "only", well anyway then I will have a 9 miler and 10 miler then the 1/2 marathon. The problem is my life is about to be very hectic over the next couple of weeks. We are going camping with firends next weekend, and going to be in D.C. from the 18-23, and my birthday is in there somewhere. That is a lot of opportunity to not eat well and get off track. All this new discipline is really going to be tested.

On a happy note, someone who had not seen me in a while asked me just how much weight I had lost, and was amazed that I was stll over 300 pounds, they said they would have thought 240 or so. It made me realisze how lucky I am to carry my weight well, and still have some athletic build to me as not to look as fat as I really am. The bad thought of that is when I start to get to where I need to be for me to be healthy, I know some people (my mother for one) will say I look sick, but I will really just be healthy. I will be glad when that is problem I have to deal with, until then I will just "keep on truck'en"

8 Miles is a long way!

It was hotter and more windy than I had expected. My legs felt more fatigue in the first 3 miles than they had in a long time. I really did not think that I would be able to make it, but somehow I just kind of feel into a rythem and made it through. 8 miles, it is a milestone for sure and one I am very proud of. I do feel like I got run over by a truck today. I am sore.

Eating did not go so well this weekend, with Kiley's birthday party and the in-laws in, lots of celebrating. I will have to be very strict this week to have another good week.

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!