Longer Runs & Weight Gain...Wait...What???

In light of the tragic event in Boston last Monday, and with all due deference to the many excellent blog posts and moving commentaries about that event, I decided to forego putting out a post last week and instead watched the rest of the week's events unfold. That said, if I may make one quick observation in the wake of Boston's horrible turn of events, I was comforted to watch a positive human spirit rise from the proverbial ashes. From what I could see, I'm only about 100% certain that nobody spent time asking the victims questions of their political inclinations, of whether they supported or opposed marriage equality, or of whether they thought their taxes were too high or too low...no, these questions weren't on anyone's mind. Competitors finished the marathon and then sprinted to hospitals to donate blood; First Responders protected runners and spectators alike; strangers ran to the aid of other strangers; and at the end of it all, we all had the opportunity to bear witness to the positive human spirit that rears its beautiful head in the most dire of circumstances, in those times when we choose to recognize only our interconnectedness and to ignore our differences. And it is to that aspect of April 15, 2013, that I am going to choose to remember.

Okay. I told myself I wasn't going to do that, but I guess I did have something to say. I'll get on with my little post now...

A couple of months ago, I posted about my initial pre-running weight loss and the weight loss plateau. Well, as you can imagine, after I started running, the pounds started shedding again, and over the next few months, my weight dropped consistently, as follows:


August 4, 2012 -          243.4 Pounds  (Total Loss Since January - 32.2 Pounds)

September 1, 2012 -     238.3 lbs  (Tot - 37.3 lbs)

October 6, 2012 -         233.5 lbs  (Tot - 42.1 lbs)

November 3, 2012 -     229.5 lbs (Tot - 46.1 lbs)

December 1, 2012 -      225.8 lbs (Tot - 49.8 lbs)


But two (not so) funny things happened in December:

• I really started undertaking some longer runs, which was the good news.
• I actually gained a few pounds in December, which was the crappy news.

On January 5, I found myself looking at a scale telling me I was back to 228.9 pounds...meaning that I had pretty much gone back to where I was back on November 3rd. ARRRGH! Very very frustrating...and on top of being angry with myself, I also had to share my disappointing numbers with my friend and mentor, Roger (whom you met in an earlier post), and he didn't coddle me (thanks, Roger) nor did he give up on me (thanks again, Roger). Basically the message was that I had screwed up, I needed to recognize how I screwed up, and I needed to dust myself off and try not to screw up anymore.

So what happened? Well, during December, I started the "longer run" portion of a 5K-to-10K running program, which meant that three or four times per week, I was getting out there and running five to six miles and burning over 1,000 calories each time...which is an awesome feeling!

But here's the not-so-awesome part...if you burn 1,000 calories, it doesn't mean you can eat 1,500 to make up for it, and that's exactly what I started to do. When reaching for that second (or third...or fourth) holiday treat, I would think to myself, "Hey...I just ran six miles this morning! I burned 1,000 calories! Of course it's okay to eat a little extra!"

While that is certainly true, the key word in my statement was "little." The problem, however, was that my definition of "little" did not correspond with the actual "extra" I was taking in.

At the end of it all, I fell into the long-run "trap" of eating more than had been burned on those six-mile jaunts. Fortunately, my self loathing healed quickly, and I dusted myself off and started with a fresh new attitude (and a different diet plan) at the year's outset. After all, I had more weight to lose and races to run...but let's talk about that next time.

Until then, enjoy your journey...

Running Lesson #2: You Can Do More Than You Think!

As mentioned in a previous post, my first trips on the pavement were not that fun. I was still hovering in the 240s, I was feeling aches and pains I had never felt in the past, and I was breathing laboriously during every single step of every single run. So for motivation, I signed my daughter and myself up for the 5K at Disney World in January 2013.

And to be honest, I wasn't sure I would be ready. Yes, I had about four months to prepare and had even put together a 1.5 consecutive mile (but very painful) run...but my mind was filled with doubts. At the end of it all, though, my thinking was that at the very least, my daughter and I would certainly be able to walk ourselves to the finish line if Daddy wasn't quite in "race" condition.

My "runner" friends - who were giddy with excitement that I was running - were not only telling me that the 5K would "be a breeze" but also that I would certainly be ready for the 15K Gate River Run in March; and even though I nodded and smiled, I silently (and perhaps sheepishly) thought that they were out of their minds. They had absolutely no idea of how terrible my physical condition actually had become...and if they knew the truth, they would probably be less optimistic about my ability to run a 5K, let alone 9.3 miles. If they knew the truth, they might take my arm and cautiously guide me back to the safety of my sofa.

But a funny thing happened in late August. I downloaded a "Couch to 5K" app on my phone and decided to give it a shot...and although it was a nine-week program (that literally would tell me when to walk and when to run during every workout), I realized around week four or five that I would not only be ready for Disney but also for a race in the Fall; as such, I signed up for a 6K that was scheduled for Thanksgiving morning (November 22). I couldn't help thinking that my nutty runner friends might have been onto something!

And a few months later, their first formerly-outlandish prophesies came to fruition when I ran that 6K (without stopping) in just over 41 minutes...certainly not gazelle-like speed (11:00 per mile for approximately 3.8 miles), but I was able to start running at the Starting Line and not stop until I reached the Finish! The nine-week "Couch to 5K" program had worked...and, actually, by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, I had already started a 5K-to-10K program.

Happy Thanksgiving - Successfully Completed a 6K!

Although I was still, by definition, above the obese line in this picture - weighing in at about 226 pounds - I was able to run the race, which was well beyond what I had imagined when I had hit the pavement just a few months earlier.

Now, was it easy? Absolutely not. For me, it took disciplined adherence to the "Couch to 5K" program. It took moments of not wanting to take that next step but taking it anyway, in spite of my own thoughts. It took aches and pains, a lot of sweat, and the ability to fight and overcome the little voice telling me that I really didn't need to be in THAT good of shape, that I had gone far enough.

Perhaps there should be a few words added to this post's title...maybe it should end with "as long as you're willing to work hard and stay focused!"  And my advice to any people doubting themselves is don't sell yourselves short! Your bodies - with the help of your minds and your hard work - can do much more than you think. Much, much more than you think...


Until next time, enjoy your journey...

Where Should I Run? Just a 5K, Right?...Thanks Deanna and Roger!

I honestly thought I would be at the point in this blog where I'd be telling you about my current training schedules, weight loss accomplishments, race goals / results, and other updates along that same vein. Reflecting upon my journey, however, has evoked memories of other moments, of critical interactions with people that have shined a light on the path from my couch to a marathon.

In an earlier post, I told you about my wife, Michelle, telling me to just "go out there and start running"; and last week, I shared how my brother-in-law Mike's Ironman Triathlon and his running for Cystic Fibrosis really pushed me down the path.

So I was on the road...but I still didn't know where it was going. To be perfectly candid, when I first started running, it was not just to get myself in shape. In fact, an underlying reason to my running was because I was getting tired of the South Beach Diet, and I knew that if I could get to the point where I could run around my neighborhood (3.66 miles) five times a week, I would burn a lot of calories and would thus be able to go back to eating what I wanted whenever I wanted. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Knowing myself - and recognizing these unhealthy thoughts - in order to get out of the "I just need to run so I can eat more" mindset, it became obvious to me that I had to start putting road races on the schedule (5Ks were all I had in mind). Having competed at different levels in multiple sports, I just knew that working "for something" like a race would really help motivate me to keep on keeping on. But then a question (and its answer) arose...

Where Should I Run?

"I'm Running the Marathon at Disney" - Deanna Foerman

Around this time last year, a Facebook friend of mine posted that she was running the Full Marathon at Disney World in January 2013...and (no offense, Deanna) I was shocked ("blown away" is probably a better description). I remember thinking, "she hasn't been running that long...can she really be running a full marathon?" At the same time, though, after picking myself up off the floor because I was so impressed, I also remember thinking that running at Disney seemed like it would be a good time, so when the time came to choose a race, I thought back to Deanna's post...at the same time, this thought went through my head..."Even though I'll never be able to run a marathon or a half marathon, I bet they might have a 5K, too."

After checking the RunDisney website, I found there was indeed a 5K on marathon weekend as well, so I signed up and thought, "now that's something I could get ready for!" And then I had the idea of having my daughter Mary would run it with me...and the rest was history. Mary and I had a blast, and now Michelle is going to be joining us to make it a family affair in the coming year!

Thanks for introducing me to RunDisney, Deanna!

But I'll Never Run More Than a 5K...Right?

"I know it may be hard to imagine, but at some point, I believe that you will want to run a marathon (I actually believe everyone wants to run a marathon whether they know it or not) and when you do, let me know and I will come down and run one with you." - Roger Wright

Just a few days before Mike's Ironman, I was motivating myself with some running videos on YouTube, and after coming across the following, I had no choice but to reach out to Roger because he had been where I was and had gotten to a place I had not imagined possible...




...and I'm proud to say that Roger has been a (sometimes tough, which was needed) mentor and, more importantly, a good friend since last September and that next year we will be running a full marathon together. But I'll tell you more about that in a future post.


Until then, enjoy your journey...