Running optimized by the cold conditions #Running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Wow that was a cold one!

Nothing like single digit temps to force you to move and keep moving! And you know that you have maybe turned the corner from forcing yourself to run for health to it becoming a habit when you don't really blink or thing twice about running in these conditions.

Although I have to admit I didn't live up to my ideal tempo, but that was primarily due to the ice and snow, tough to feel comfortable running at high speeds when you are having to cross streets with the traction of an ice rink. But I did as best I could, and it was kind of fun. Especially savoring the looks of the people sitting or standing in the cold waiting for work and/or buses as I jogged past them. That look that says: 'oh look a crazy person out running in this weather'.

Out with the old, in with the new (a tale of shoes) #Running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Today's run was a real challenge. Reached my highest mileage since the Half marathon. I would say that taking into account the short walking breaks I still probably ran almost 5 miles! Felt good to hit that mark.

Made a couple of decisions on today's run. First, at least once a week I am going to turn my pacer back on, to urge me to pick up the pace, get moving a little faster. Second, came up with an idea on how to cut one of my regular meals down some but still get what I want out of it. Last, going to see if Jimmy wants to start coming out with me on my Saturday runs, just for a change of pace, and a chance to get him out of the house on the weekends.

This week I had to finally accept that it was time to make a change. These were my running shoes:

Reebok flex, purchased in June when we in San Dego. And they have been great. From the beaches, to the roads and sidewalks to the gravel trails, they have served me very well for almost 6 months and about 300 miles. But when I started noticing my feet hurting almost all the time on the day of my run, and it took almost a day to get them stretched back to normal I realized it was time to hang them up. 

So Monday I pulled these down from my closet:

Yeah, pretty much the exact same shoes, except for a different color. Bought at the same time and place as the others I have had these sitting on the shelf for just this time to occur. 2 days and 2 good runs later I can say that I was correct in my judgement, my foot pain has not returned after making the switch. Which is always good, because I do dread when I get some unusual pain that I have hurt something significant. But gladly that wasn't the case this time. And I can just pick up where I left off with basically no transition period.

New day, different route, still good results

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Decided to change things up today with a different route. Not one I haven't done before, but a different one from what I have been running for a while now. Nothing spectacular occurred. But it felt good to change things up, especially as I was running a much longer program. I didn't get near the distance and pace that I would like as an ideal, but it was good training. To get past the 4 mile mark felt good again.

2 days into the new eating program, so far so good. Trying to put a real emphasis on fiber at virtually every meal. Making sure I get filled up again, something that I was lacking. Also trying to get into a pattern of less meat in general. Again, not any specific, strict diet. I know in my head what I should and should not eat, and if I try to stick to that, and log what I eat I should see the improvement that I want.

Ready for a fresh start with some clear, simple goals

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Had a good run today, 3 miles + with only a couple minimal walking periods. And I made my mind up with a different approach to the continuing problems of eating and exercise. I decided that the best thing for me at this point would be to set smaller, simple goals on both fronts. Goals that I feel I should be able to accomplish in the desired time. And then build on that progress moving forward.

Running

I haven't given up on the long term goal of completing a marathon. But, faced with the twin obstacles of irregular holiday schedules and cold weather beginning to rear it's head I wondered how could I get there? But I realized that today that instead of focusing on that big, long range goal I could turn my focus to another, simpler goal, one I can build on.

So my goal now is simple: run a 10K on January 1. I feel confident that I can do that. And let me be clear, I am not talking a run/walk, I could to that now. I want to be able to do that distance with no breaks. So I think I can do that. And once MiCoach stops being goofy I can set up a training schedule to accomplish it.

I figure that while I currently run 3 miles as my regular distance it makes sense to choose that next distance as a goal. And by hitting that distance at that time it would be an excellent building block toward the eventual goal of a marathon.

Weight

Simple, get back under 200 by the end of the year. Again, like running a 10K, this is not something I haven't done before. But by setting an achievable interim goal I can focus myself better.

Of course this will probably be harder to accomplish because I will have to get more disciplined in my eating. With that in mind I have decided to return to monitoring my eating with the LoseIt app. Like using a running app to track my running distances the discipline of filling out the eating log should really help me get better about my eating habits.

These are simple goals. Ones that I can build on. And also know that once I succeed at them I can use that as a spring board for future goals.

Thrown off my plan, but still running.

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Darn MiCoach App wasn't working for a week, totally threw me off my plan. But I stuck to my scheduled running days, except Wednesday, when I stayed up late to watch the final gritty end of the election coverage.

I noticed the effect today of time off and not adhering to the structure this morning. But I stuck with it, pushed to my customary 3 miles.

Still struggling to control my appetite and eating habits. But I think the biggest thing there is to just be aware, keep running, and do my best. No excuses, just not in the right mind set lately to really hold to the self control.

That feeling you get from doing a workout when you really don't feel like it

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Today was my first Friday run in about a month. The last couple of weeks have been hard on my running schedule, and fitness in general. Which I knew it would be. 4/5 of the family has their birthdays within a 30 day period, plus Halloween, and Customer Service week. Which means a month of lots of eating junk food, tons of temptation, and plenty of diversions. 

So this morning, when the alarm went off I wasn't really excited about getting up and running. Had to break that habit of sleeping in on Fridays. 

But, I did it, I dragged myself out of bed. Put on the running clothes, and snuck out of the house as quietly as possible. And forced myself to get started on a tempo run. Which is always one of the harder workouts, even though it is short from a time perspective.

And yeah, it wasn't one of my best runs, I ran out of gas, and failed to hit my pace a lot. But I kept going, and when I hit that third mile I kept going, even though my program said I could stop. And when I did finally slow to a walk and do the cool down, I felt good!

Now is the time to focus on the little improvements and start rebuilding my wind and strength. I know I can do it, it is just a challenge. But it's a challenge I know I can meet, so here we go, time to get rolling back into a better fitness habit and plan.

Trying to get into new schedule after rough start

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

I had a plan. Right after my birthday I was going to start on a tougher scheduled training plan. The first day was last Wednesday. Well Emily snuck into our bed (again, her annoying new habit). And if I had gotten up she would have gotten up as well and she didn't need to get up at 4:30, so that day was out. I figured that was okay, I could get into the plan 1 day late on Friday. Only to have that plan shot out of the water by staying up all night with Jimmy at the hospital (decided to not try and go for a run on zero sleep.)

Well 2 days down, how about Sunday? Well Emily was in bed again, and slept really awkwardly, hurting my back, and I was still not fully recovered from the all nighter. So I ran, but nowhere close to my target distance and time.

So today I was finally able to get into the plan. Felt good. And in general nothing feels quite so good as that morning run to start the week. And ready to really tackle this schedule. Now if only I could also get as good a handle on returning to better eating habits.

Am I still running? A silly question, but the answer still surprised me

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

I was at a party on Saturday, and saw a family friend, and she asked me if I was still running. To which my answer was of course, silly question. The thing is that answer still surprises me after the last couple of years. Just a couple of years ago the whole idea of running was just an odd thing that I never saw myself doing. Now I have a hard time imagining myself not running.

I took Sunday off, no reason, just didn't much feel like it. Which was kind of in line with my weekend goal of focusing on just relaxing mentally and just enjoying what I was doing, and not focusing on what I wasn't doing or needed to be doing. As much as I get out the meditative aspect of running, I still stress myself out sometimes, and need to get my head straight with other activities.

That said I still got up today and had a real good run, 4+ miles. Listened to music today instead of an audio book or podcast. I like the books, especially on the longer runs where pacing is not a concern. And the podcasts are similar. But music does make the run more of a time for me to think through things, because I can just let the music help with the pace, and allow my mind to focus on whatever subject I need to think through.

First back to back running days in a while: done and done!

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

I resumed my long Sunday run schedule this weekend. Did a 5 mile run, walked some of the up hill parts, but overall probably ran about 90% of the time. That was the longest & most challenging run I have done since the half. Plus it was coming after my first full week (3 runs). But it went well. It was also my first listening to an audio book, not just a podcast. And it felt good, very refreshing to go that far without any extra soreness!

So today I went for my Monday run, took my easiest 3 mile route. And while I did walk some as a concession to the back to back day, I was running an easy 80% of the route. And again, no extra soreness. So it appears I am right on track for my resuming more serious running training in a couple of weeks, after my birthday.

The head clearing effect of a good run leads to a wonderful morning with the kids

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Today's Run

I had a good run today, hit 4 miles comfortably. Managed to catch Kim before she got to work. And that run really did the trick as far as clearing out what little congestion I had in my head from my cold. It is amazing how easy it is to handle a cold if you treat it right: get plenty of rest when it hits, take it as easy as possible, etc. then it should only last it's normal 7 days. They only linger if you don't do that, which I realize not everyone can follow that prescription, fortunately for me I can and make a point to do so.

So after completing that run my mood did not waver, if anything it improved, as it was Friday as well. The kids and I had a good time this morning, joking, wrestling. I even ran Danny through a spelling quiz without too much pain. It's amazing sometime how that early morning ritual can have such an effect on my mood the rest of the day, especially combined with the mental effect of a Friday.

Loving the effect of brisker mornings, clear head after a run

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Still taking it easier on these runs, holding to that 3 mile mark while I make sure I am recovered from the Half. Plus had to fight through the yearly head cold. Hit me Thursday, stayed home & rested Friday, spent most of Saturday & Sunday on the couch.

But Monday morning I got myself out the door and got in a good run, despite my nose leaking like a sieve. And today the same thing, just powered through it. Although I did have to change to the long sleeve shirts as a concession to the morning chill of impending fall. Otherwise it has been pretty much running as normal.

Did try something new last week, and like it as a way to divert my mind. It started with those commercials where the marathon runner is listening to an audio book. It had not crossed my mind to try something like that. So last week I downloaded a couple of podcasts, and tried running while listening to one. And the run went well, maybe a little slower, but pacing is not really my focus these days. So that's a fun way to make my runs more interesting. Right now my focus is on football podcasts, but I might look into some audio books as well as an alternative.

Resuming regular routine, just for the fun of #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

I was glad to just get back into the start of a routine today. I took the last week off as recovery from the Half marathon. But a week was enough. I was actually going to run yesterday, but 2 late nights (for me anyway) meant that sleeping in was the best choice.

But today I got back into a regular routine. Plan to run at least 3 days a week. Not adhering to any specific training regime, just getting out and running for the fun and health. And focusing on keeping the mileage under control for now, not anything extreme, 3-4 miles at most for now. Because now I can just focus on establishing/resuming a regular exercise routine, without any major distance goal in mind.

Could've quit, chose not to & feel so much the better for it #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

I planned on my race beginning at 7:00, that was the time my other races were, so that time was stuck in my head. So that's what time I went down to the race, factoring in a little prep time. I guess I should have been tipped off by how people were looking at me. But I just figured I was earlier, eventually I asked one guy if I was missing something. And was surprised when he said the race started at 6:30!

I was upset, here I was, 20 minutes late. I had a choice at that moment: start running or give it up.

Initially I thought of calling, then thought I could just run home, it would have been easy.

But I decided against that, against the easy choice. Instead I chose to start running. Figured I would just finish the race, who cares what place I got, because I could use my MiCoach to track that for myself. So I started, and just found my rhythm & pace. Eventually, around the 3rd mile I passed the first person.

Just like last year my leg started tightening up around half way. So after battling it for a mile or so, eventually settled into an alternating fast walk, then run, rhythm. And I held to that the rest of the race, which helped me have the strength to run out most of the last mile.

Cool enough I came into the last section just as Jimmy was running in the mile fun run. So we ended up finishing at almost the same time. Which meant Kim had to take a picture of me then run to his finish. He was a little more successful, placing second!

So, I went from thinking about quitting, to thinking of cutting the race short, to gutting it out and finishing. And doing that gives me the best feeling, better than I might have felt just racing the race normally.

Alright, I am ready, it's going to be a long week of rest

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Weekend Run

I am ready, or as ready as I can be, for the Half Marathon. I have a week of rest until then. I know that technically I could probably get in a short run or 2 this week and still be tapering properly. But I have 2 things at work for experience. First, last year I probably got a little carried away the week before the race last year. Second, before my 10 mile race this year I was forced to take the week off to rest up my leg that I had somehow hurt. And those 2 experiences showed me that the thing I probably need to focus on, in addition to training up to the desired distance, is that my body needs to be as fresh as possible.

Because if there was one thing I took to heart from running the half marathon last year is that the endurance really plays a bigger part than I thought. Just running that long of a distance, running for over 2 hours, asks a lot of your body. And one of the things that it asks is that you somehow stay relatively fresh for such a long time, much longer than anything else most people will ever do. I just didn't really grasp that, particularly the impact that being in a race environment, where I psychologically want to keep up with those around me. I didn't grasp how taxing that would be.

So last year I ran a relatively long run pretty close to the race. Then the day before we went to the State Fair, which meant a lot of walking around, and then not getting as much sleep as I really should have. All of those things I am seeking to avoid this year. Sunday was the last major exercise for me until the race. I will probably do some morning walks the rest of the week, just enough to warm up & then stretch again. Then this Sunday we are hosting a pot luck, so I won't be doing much walking around & I should be able to get to bed at a reasonable time.

It all boils down to what can I do to have an enjoyable race, and feel good about how I do. That's what is the most important thing. I am under no delusion that I will be setting records. I know, from last year, that I can finish, now I just want to make it a good time, and with a result I can be proud of.

Running on an edge right now

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Today's Run

I am not in the best shape that I would like to be. And one of the side effects of age is that it takes longer to recover from a hard workout. What that means is that when I ran the 10 mile race 2 weeks ago I did real well, but I had to take a week off before hand just to be ready. And I am having a hard time getting ready to do another long practice run before my half. So any run is a balance of wanting to run, but knowing that if I push it too hard it will take that much longer to be ready for the half.

So I am trying to balance all of that, listen to my legs and body. I am confident I can do it, but I am recognizing that I have to be careful.

This is also a lesson learned, once I have recovered from the half I need to get more serious about strength training. Ideally I would be able to join a gym, but that's not an economic option at this time so it will be up to me to buckle down with home exercises at least initially.

If there is one thing this month has taught me #running #theSkinnyRules

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Rhythm and habit are very important to me. Rhythm in my running, establishing one, and not letting things disrupt that, because all it takes is 1 big disruption, or a couple of small ones, and I am done. And while we did a decent job of starting new habits in July, we have a lot farther to go.

My plan was to take my weekday running lighter than normal, so I could be fresher for my long weekend runs and also start to taper for the half marathon. That part went well. I had hike Saturday morning with Daniel, which was not real technical or strenuous, so I felt fresh Sunday morning. Then I had the bright idea of trying to wear the Camelbak on my run. It was with good intentions, I know that on these long runs I do tend to get a little dehydrated, and the smart thing would be to have some water. But that idea was a miserable failure. Our Camelbak is great for hiking, and possibly bike rides, but it is not designed for running or jogging. So I was constantly having to adjust it, which totally messed up my rhythm. Instead of my planned 10 mile run all I managed was about 6 (which still feels weird to type and say.) So much for that plan. Well I have 1 more light week and 1 more long run before the half marathon, then 2 weeks of taper. I am confident I can do it, just need to avoid trying new things that will disrupt that rhythm, instead stick with what works.

They say it takes about 30 days to establish a habit. I would say we probably made it through 3 weeks of seriously following the Skinny Rules, before we let things go. And now to some extent we are back where we started. Except for one very important factor: we know what works and what we have to do. This week will be about getting started back again, we may not be perfect, but we can start, just like that first week. Then the following week we can get serious, because the blessed routine and schedule will kick in for the whole family. The kids will be back in school. Kim will resume her more normal work schedule. And that will eliminate 2 of the big stressors that have thrown off our routine. We know what we have do to, know we can do it, know it works, just need to set ourselves up for success instead of failure.

Changed focus, it's all about those long runs #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Today's Run

For the next month my focus is all about those weekly long runs. For now the hill runs and to some extent the tempo runs will have to take a back seat. My whole focus is on just keeping fresh so that I can do those long runs, and eventually taper for the Half marathon.

Which does mean that my weekday runs will appear shorter, and not so strenuous, but I know from last year that getting ready for the long runs is the biggest issue. I need my body ready to handle the 2+ hours on the trail. Once I achieve that, I know that when the race actually arrives I will run a faster pace just from being out there with other runners. 

I have almost completely lost the focus on Skinny Rules recently. I feel guilty about that. And know that I just need to stress more discipline. But recent weeks have been pretty stressful, and the schedules and routines have been disruptive. All I can do for now is try to stick as much as possible to my goals and rules, and when things settle down it will be easier to do the rest.

7 seconds, and worth the extra effort #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

I was a tad disappointed 2 weeks ago when I missed bettering last years effort in the 10K race. So I was pretty motivated to do well today in the 10 mile race.  But of course all I could think of was my calf injury from last weekend. So I approached this race with mixed emotions: would my calf start hurting? Could I better my pace from last year if I stayed healthy?

Today was just about Perfect conditions. Chilly, overcast, with the sun barely peeking through, not like the heat of the 10K. Once I hit the 2 mile mark with no pain I felt it was time to maybe pick up the pace. I guess I had forgotten the route from last year, that while it wasn't like my hill route, there was more uphill than I had remembered. But when I hit 5 miles and it was clear it was pretty much downslope the rest of the way I was able to really pick up the pace. Started slowly gaining back seconds.

In the last 2 miles the soreness started to appear and I had to do a little walking, but kicked it up at the end. Knowing I had a chance to better my time. I kicked it down the stretch and was pretty confident I had done what I hoped. And now that the final results are in I found I was right, I beat the number by 7 seconds! Not much in the grand scheme, but great for me. I also know better what I have to do to take care of my legs so I can start really making that final push to get ready for the half marathon on Labor Day.

It's a lot harder to not run than I thought #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

No Run today :-(

And I am sad, and feel out of sorts already. And this is just missing 1 scheduled run. Knowing that I won't run on Friday either has me out of sorts. Injuries suck!

Guess I will be forced to taper earlier than I planned #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run/walk

Note the added /walk portion of the link today. Friday I felt some soreness in my calf, but I thought it would go away with some rest and stretching. Saturday I went on a hike with Danny & the scouts, it wasn't overly strenuous, although there was some climbing, which stretched my leg, but it didn't feel bad afterward. Having done 3 miles then I decided to skip my normal short Sunday run.

But I got up today feeling ready to really go for it. There were a couple of twinges, but I was working through it, until about the 3 mile point, when my leg let me know that in no uncertain terms it was time to stop. I tried walking through it, but trying to get back up to a jog was still too much, so I walked back home. Not really pleased about that, but it was the smart thing to do.

So I think the smart thing to do is to take the rest of the week off from running. Focus on stretching each morning and night before bed. And otherwise take it easy, so I can run my race on Saturday. It doesn't feel like anything is real damaged, just aggravated and sore, maybe a pull. So the smart thing to do is rest. Try to do some heat/cold treatments tonight as well.

Surprised myself a little this morning #running, and -9 now

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

I knew that I was piling up the miles this week. So my initial focus was to just get through this tempo run. When the timer clicked over and informed me that I had to maintain the top zone for 15 minutes I admit to thinking: 'there is just no way!' But I just kept going, and powered through it, for a really good run. Maybe powered a little too hard as one of my calves is unusually sore, but I think I can just work it out with some stretching and sportscreme tonight, no long term damage done. That is the thing about these tempo runs, I almost never feel like I can hold onto the desired pace, and yet my body tells me sure you can. That's a wonderful feeling, because it means that my body is getting stronger.

This hasn't been the best of weeks eating wise. Drinking way too much diet soda especially. Need to focus on getting that habit under control over the weekend. Because that is when I seem to slip the most, and then it just drags into the week. So after all of that imagine my surprise and joy to see the number go down! Down 9 pounds now, almost to the double digits! Keeping to the spirit of the majority of the Skinny Rules is doing the trick. I just need to get back into following more of them consistently. It should help if we plan our menu for next week better (and Kim should be over her cold as well.)

The refuge of running helps me again #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Today's Run

Another day when I had to struggle a little with getting moving. After that I had to mentally struggle with forcing myself to run my hill route, instead of taking it easier. But I pushed myself to run the hill, and feel so much better for having done so!

What is funny is that at one time the running was a chance to think through certain subjects, really focus. But lately they have become more of a time to turn off that part of my brain, and just focus on the run. Pay attention to what is around me, and my pace and form. Become more attuned to what I am doing rather than pondering big (and not so big) questions.

And this has become a good thing. I realized this week that ever since we got back from vacation life has just been non-stop chaos. The first week we had the fire. Followed the next week by the July 4th holiday. Then, even though work was somewhat settled, the kids schedules were not. And that has had an insidious effect, making the mornings more difficult. So, I need that quiet, meditative time more than ever, to get ready for the hassles that appear each morning. I am very ready for school to start up again so the kids and our schedule can return to normal.

A good weekend of running, even if it was fueled by junk food #running #racerecap

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Tried a different route today. I had planned it out, but hadn't quite realized how much of a climb it was. So I didn't get to the goal of 9 miles. But that's okay, because those 8 miles I did were a much harder workout than my impending 10 mile race will be. Not that I don't want to get to 9 miles plus next week, I am definitely going to try for that. But I am going to going to follow the same route. For 2 reasons: the hill, while hard, is a real good workout. And it was an absolutely gorgeous run, seeing the sunrise over the Garden of the Gods, well worth the effort.

Race

Speaking of racing. I was real happy with the race, I put in a great effort. Ran so hard that I had a couple of time that I felt I might lose my cookies. But I made it without slacking too much. And was real happy with that pace. It turns out that I actually was a little slower than last years race, about 30 seconds difference. But I am also carrying at least 10 pounds more, the results of poor eating over the past year. So that meant I probably ran harder this year than last, just to keep close to the same pace. That was a good lesson. But it was a good time and I felt real good about it, ready to move on to the next one.

Good hill run today, feeling ready for race on Saturday #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

The hill was a struggle today, but I did it. One of the good things about this route is not just the climb, which has some pretty steep parts. But it is also has some steep downhills, which also help build up the leg strength, because it takes some power to keep a steady pace and not lose control when running down a hill.

So now 2 days off to rest & recover for the race on Saturday morning. I am pretty excited to run a race again. I have no illusions about where I will place. It is just fun to do that once in a while, to get out there with a big group. Even though running is a personal thing for me it is nice to occasionally share it.

Diet thoughts

Mentally getting ready for a likely plateau. I am about due for one, that first 8 pounds was easy, but I would be a little surprised if I don't hit a plateau.

I am doing one thing a little different this time regarding my weight loss. Before, using the handy iPhone App LoseIt I tracked all of my calories, including my calorie burn from my runs. Which was great when my body was still getting used to regular exercise. But now that my body is attuned to that regular burn that matters less. So I have decided to focus on keeping track of just my intake. and keeping that at the ideal rate. Then whatever burn I get from my running is just gravy as it were, going strictly to helping reduce weight. And let the Skinny Rules do their part. And so far that has been the difference. And Kim is beginning to notice a difference as well.

Another Monday, another long run milestone! #Running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

You know there are a lot of times that I question why I run, and if I will just keep on running indefinitely. Then there are days like today. I struggled to get moving, a little tired. But things just started falling into place. My pacing was really good, best for a long run in a while. And I felt really pretty good. 

The end result was I had my best long run in quite a while. I broke 8 miles, which was really my goal. And while my feet are still adjusting to the longer runs in the minimal shoes they survived. 

I am feeling much better about where I am at. This will be a modified training week. Skipping my Friday and Sunday runs because I am running a 10K race on Saturday morning. I am really looking forward to that. I hope to improve on my time from last year.

Another week down, -8, and testing #TheSkinnyRules

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

I expected today to be a little tougher. Last night we went to a party, and I did a fair amount of swimming, certainly far more than I normally do, and it wiped me out. So my legs were sore this morning. It was a good thing I had a little more time to hit my stride, get the legs loosened up. But I hit my stride, and by the end, I didn't even realize I had run as far as I did. 

More success from The Skinny Rules. And a big test last night. As I said we got a last minute invite to a pool party. Since it was last minute we didn't really have the time to change up our dinner plans. So we had dinner before we went. Which meant I was done for the night as far as eating. So of course there was food at the party, good food, and cookies! But I held strong, stuck to the plan. Which wasn't easy. But you know, seeing a number of people that are roughly the same age group in their swim suits is nothing but a motivator to be honest. Not that anyone looked bad, but if I when get myself where I want to be I will feel far more comfortable in that sort of setting.

Already feeling the positive effects of the new training schedule and #TheSkinnyRules

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Followed the route that I took by accident last week. A good portion of it involves uphill, with a couple of good hills, followed by a good, relatively steep downhill. That's part of the new plan I have: Mondays are long run, Wednesdays are hills, Fridays are tempo, Sundays are easy recovery runs.

And that is working out real well so far. The hills are getting easier, and the long runs are getting longer. Which should put me in good stead for the races I plan to run. I have a 10K in a week and a half. And then a 10 mile race 2 weeks later. Then about a month to the Half Marathon. All of that should stack up neatly as far as being prepped for the Half.

As far as the Skinny Rules I am beginning to slowly notice how my tastes are slowly adapting to less hyper flavors, and beginning to enjoy more subtle flavors. It is a welcome change. And it makes the eating of things like plain Greek Yogurt and oatmeal a little easier.

Nothing like starting a week with the long run, also -6.5

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Much stronger this week, probably could have pushed it to an even 8 miles, but trying to keep myself at the training pace. Since my goal is still that half marathon over labor day I need to keep my eyes on that. But it still felt good to feel that strong today, it shows that my strength is returning/building at the correct pace. 

Went shopping yesterday, picking up more of the right foods for the Skinny Rules. We are having to keep tweaking the menus. Poor Kim has some problems with eggs, just cannot eat regular ones, and while she can eat egg beaters she still cannot eat them very much. So she is just going to have to eat some cereal, because there are not enough other breakfast options for her. But it's okay, it's all tweaking. And so long as it all works, and the weight is going down then we are good with it.

And we are starting to feel the effects of the change, foods that we used to eat are starting to become less appetizing, and in some cases we just cannot eat as much as we used to. Which is really the biggest part of this, it is a life style change. Both of us are generally healthy, and between my running and her physical job we get the proper amount of exercise. We just had to change our diets.

Taking the weekend easy: recovery & relaxing

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Today is a rare Sunday post, to celebrate a rare Sunday with nothing on the agenda. Took a relaxing, short 5K run. Now just relaxing, watching the Wimbledon final, while the boys play and Emily plays with her dolls. Focusing on not overdoing it physically. Spent some time yesterday doing yard work, but it was mainly just cleanup, nothing overly strenuous. 

Also, made it through a little cheat time and a family gathering without straying too far from the Skinny Rules. Which I was a little concerned about, but we made it. I wasn't perfect, but that's okay. 

This afternoon we will start kind of a renewal of following the program. We had a good couple of weeks, and learned a lot. But now is the time for us to really buckle down. But we also know more, what we should do, what we can do, what a difference it makes. And we can make a more educated menu and shopping trip. So I am looking forward to continuing our Skinny Rules journey.

Tired, frustrated, stressed? time for a run! Plus more #TheSkinnyRules talk

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

It's been a long couple of weeks after getting back from vacation. Trying to stick to the new diet. Hot nights making it hard to sleep. Irregular schedule. All of those are stressors that have been at work, and they all combined last night to make for a bad nights sleep. So I turned to my morning run with glee, happy for the time alone, and a chance to just run. It helped to a large extent. I am still tired, and mildly stressed, but I am better able to face the day after the run.

Skinny Rules

Time to talk more in detail about this new life style. Just trying to put the lessons I learned into my own words. One of the biggest is I have to retrain my taste buds. So much of what we eat here in America is not right. It is bland, processed food that in turn is over salted or over sweetened to give it some flavor. This leads to what Bob Harper calls hyper flavor. And when you eat food like that your body craves more, instead of just being satisfied.

If you eat food that is naturally sweet, like fresh fruit, your taste buds are going to be more in tune with the rest of your body when it says that it has had enough. That's an example but the same goes for meals that would normally be heavily salted: fast food in general, french fries, most restaurant prepared meat.

The funny thing is deep down I knew some of this. One of my earliest lessons in eating steak was to never season it after it was cooked, and damn sure don't use steak sauce. Learn to appreciate the flavor of the meat. Well this counts for most things you can cook at home.

So the 2 rules that cover this are dropping the sweets (including the artificial sweeteners), and reducing sodium intake. The sodium is easier so long as I don't eat out. The sweets is not as easy, at least as far as the intake of my diet soda's. I am stepping that intake down, replacing with unsweetened sun tea. And hope to finish that transition this weekend.

Slow & Steady won the race for the day, and #theskinnyrules is working out

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Today's Run

I knew today was going to be hard. Since I made the decision to move my long runs to Monday's I was kind of dreading the  first real long one. Last Monday was a throw away: just back from vacation, little to no sleep, smoky etc. But today none of those were present, I even made a special point of going to bed early last night so I could get up early. Even so, I made myself slow down to begin with, kept it real slow and steady, I wanted to hit that hour and a half mark, which I almost did. This was a point I noticed a while back in Runners World, if it's not a race, and the goal is distance and long times, why rush it? So that's what I did, allowing myself to even walk some once I hit the 4 mile mark. And I feel really good about it as a result, I was wiped out when I got home, but it felt good.

Now that I am making a more concerted effort to get to that half marathon I am trying to get back into the stretching habit. One of the reasons I fell out of it was time. But also I couldn't lay down on the floor without both dogs jumping all over me. But now that we are down to 1 dog, who is better at respecting personal space that is less of an issue.

Skinny Rules

I bought the book a month ago, and Kim & I have made it through most of it. And starting last week we were trying our best to adhere to most of the rules, and the spirit if not letter of every rule. It has been hard, it calls for some real changes in habits. Kim especially was having a real hard time by Thursday, and was ready to just give it up. But all it took was that first weigh in, where she saw real progress to reaffirm her commitment. And I saw the same thing on Friday and today. It may seem like cheating to weigh in after I run, but I feel that so long as I make that my consistent day and time to do it I am not cheating.

I really think there are some really important things in this book that we can all take to heart, regardless of your weight situation. I will get into those as we progress.

Welcoming back fresh air with strongest run since vacation #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

I was a little concerned about how I would do on my run today, which is normal for my tempo runs it seems. But I got out, got moving, and enjoying the fresh air. And it just came together! I managed my strongest run since returning from vacation. I am certain that had something to do with getting sleep, fresh air instead of smoky, and less stress. But it felt great regardless of the reason!

On the diet front things went well this week. Especially considering we were jumping into the new diet after a week of splurging. And then everything else happened. Ending up with extra people for dinner for 2 nights, irregular sleep and work schedules etc. But we persevered, and while we may not have stuck 100% to every Skinny Rule, we held well within the spirit. And for myself I can say that I have lost 2 pounds so far. Of course I know that weight is not the greatest measurement or predictor, but it's what I have to work with for now. 

New schedule, new diet, new shoes, ready to get back from vacation #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Today's Run

Today is the first day of my new running schedule, switched to MWFSu schedule. Also, today is the first day on my new eating plan (or as close to it as I can get.) And it was my second run with the new shoes. So it is official: the vacation is over!

Unfortunately, circumstances beyond my control led to my coming no where close to my target time & distance today. Coming home to the middle of a heat spell of 100 degree temperatures, coupled with the inability to open windows and turn on the fans at night because of the smoke in the air from the wildfires, meant I have not slept well at all. And I also didn't want to prolong my time out running in the smoky air if I could avoid it. And I am still in the break in period of the new shoes, which are putting different stresses on my feet, leading to some new aches. All of which led to my doing a shorter run today (still feels odd to say that about a 5K+ run), but that's okay.

Gonna do my best to adhere to the Skinny Rules today, and moving forward. I enjoyed myself for the last week, ate pretty much whatever I wanted. But it is time to make that change, start taking my eating habits as seriously as I take my running.

Got carried away again today, in a good way #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Can't link to the MiCoach site for details so here is what I have for today's run:

5.66 miles / 00:11:07 pace / 62:52 min / 847 cal.

Another one of those runs where I just got going, and didn't feel like stopping. Finally stopped and walked at the 5 mile mark. It helped that I ran an essentially flat route. But it still feels good to get in a good one like that before heading out for vacation.

Also glad I ran early, before the bad smoke blew in, it is really bad out there, especially up north where I work. I am in cold, air conditioned comfort and I can still smell the smoke. My eyes are watering in fact.

I am looking forward to getting in at least one, hopefully 2 runs on the beach next week. I won't know for sure until I get there but it looks like there are a couple ways to run from our hotel to the beach. It should be a fun change. 

Accepting the fact that running alone is not the solution, but maybe #theskinnyrules will help

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Sat down and made a deal with Kim. When we return from vacation we will go on the same general diet plan. This does not mean I will stop running. In fact at this point I can't imagine not running. After a couple of weeks of running without a training plan I am still running, and getting in good runs, like today:

Today's Run

But, I have to admit that exercise alone won't get rid of the belly. And I decided that a more scientific approach was needed. Not that the simple calories in, calories out formula doesn't work, it worked great for me. But it's not as good at maintenance. So I decided to seek out more knowledge.

Kim & I, mostly Kim, have been watching the television show The Biggest Loser for a while now. And we have learned some good tips. And we have also grown to respect the knowledge of the trainers there. And I began following the twitter feed for Bob Harper. So when he wrote a book about weight loss & maintenance I was intrigued. And after checking out some snippets it is clear that this is the type of book that should work for both of us:

The Skinny Rules

So we bought the book for the Kindle, so we can read it at the same time. And have agreed to follow the Skinny Rules as our plan for at least a month. I think it will be easier for both of us if we follow the same basic plan, since we eat the majority of our meals together, or at least the same thing. As most of our lunches come from leftovers from dinner. So it should be relatively easy to follow the same plan. We'll see how it goes. For now we will enjoy our eating, and our upcoming vacation. And when we return it will be time to go to work on the Skinny Rules!

Enjoying myself, knowing a vacation is coming up, but know that change is needed

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Enjoyed today's nice, easy run. Breathing the rain swept air, the nice clean side walks and trail, the full creek. And that's what my focus is now: enjoy myself. Enjoy the running, not stress about any races or race prep. 

In a little over a week we will be on vacation, enjoying a week in California. And I should get the chance at least once, if not twice to take a run on the beach. Which is something I heartily look forward to. 

But after that vacation I know that something has to give, I have to get my appetite back under control. My body has adjusted to my current level of activity and calorie burn. And I am unlikely to increase that. So the only option is to return to more vigorous portion control and calorie counting. I know I can do it, and while I know it's an empty excuse, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to try and buckle down on vacation. 

So I will enjoy this time, enjoy my running, not sweat too much on the diet (within reason of course). And know that when I return will be time to buckle down.

Acknowledging I lost my edge & taking steps accordingly #eyeofthetiger #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

After the second week of failing to get through my long run it is time to acknowledge that I have lost a little of my edge. It's not a bad thing in the big picture. And in fact it's better to acknowledge it now, and adjust, then to just struggle and feel bad about it.

Realizing that and admitting it led me to decide two things: first, stop my plans to do the half marathon in July. All things being equal I might have been able to do it, but circumstances have led me to realize it just isn't in the cards. Second, push my training program out, basically stop following the plan until I get back from vacation in 3 weeks. I knew that it was going to be tough to get in my training during that week. And that was going to just 1 more disruption. So I decided to make that change.

Today I went out having decided those 2 things, and just set up a free workout on MiCoach. My whole plan was to just get in around 3 miles today. Then once I got going I thought well maybe I'll get to 4 miles. But when I hit that mark, and walked a short distance I just started running again. I ended up running for 5 miles, which is the best distance I have done in a couple of weeks. 

Go figure, maybe it took a combination of freeing myself from the training program, and also the knowledge that I could just relax and enjoy the run, for me to really get back in the groove. I'm not going to let the good feelings from 1 run change my decisions above, instead I will just enjoy these couple of weeks, still do my 4 runs a week (as best I can, not sure about the vacation week.) And then I will be able to really get back in the training groove in 3 weeks. 

Realized that for the summer routine will be hard to come by, but I always have my #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

I had been feeling a little down on my running strength lately. Failing to complete the long run can do that. So it was no surprise that it was a struggle to get up today. And a struggle to get moving, especially knowing that today was a tempo run.

The thing is that during the school year I had a consistent routine: get up, exercise (making certain I got back before Kim had to go to work so I could help move the cars), shower, eat, then get the kids ready, then school & work. But with the arrival of summer vacation we are looking at a different routine almost every day. The kids schedule changes up almost daily and weekly. There may be a couple of weeks where they have a similar routine, but it will still change up.

All of that means it is hard for me to stick to a morning routine. I get back 30 or more minutes on the days that I don't have to take the kids anywhere. So it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to get up at 4:30 on those days, when I don't have to leave the house until 8. But there will be a couple of days where I do need that early wake up, therefore the inconsistent schedule.

All of which made it harder for me to get up early today, and get into that tempo run. But once I got rolling you know what? It felt good! I had to keep repeating the word 'strong' a few times, but overall it was a real strong run. And made me feel a little better about my ability to get where I want as far as being ready for races.

Which means one thing: no matter how inconsistent the rest of my schedule is, so long as I get my morning exercise, it will all be good. Because those morning runs will be the log in the stream of chaos that I can hold onto so I can enjoy the rest of the ride.

Plateau's are difficult, regardless of the cause #Running #Diet

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Today was a struggle, not the struggle that Sunday was, but a struggle regardless. I'm not sure exactly why I have been having so many problems of late. It could be an early summer cold. It is also possible that after 45 years I have developed some allergies. Either way I have been battling a runny nose and congestion for the last week or so (likely less, it just feel like a week.) 

What that did was I did not sleep very well Saturday night, and when I woke up and tried to go for my long run on Sunday I just couldn't make it. I still managed to run 3 miles and nearly 4 miles total once I finally gave in and started walking. But my body was just really fatigued.

And I felt the same thing today, despite a better nights sleep and a true rest day yesterday. My legs and body just didn't want to get moving or keep going. I still managed 4 miles, but it was a struggle.

So it appears I have come to a plateau in my running. Where I can comfortably run a certain distance, but making the jump to the next step in mileage is giving me a real hard time. I have 2 choices when this happens. First, trust the process, and just keep pushing to that next level. Second, ease back and accept where I have gotten to.

At this point I will keep pushing, I really want to be able to complete multiple Half marathons this year. But if my body keeps telling me no, despite my adhering to the process, then I might have to listen. But I am not at that stage yet.

Now, another part of this could be caused by my dietary choices. I really need to take a closer look at what I am eating, and start cleaning that up a little. I have already basically cut out the fast food, but I need to make better choices at home too, and show a little more control. That's something I know I need to do, and have done in the past, it's more a matter of putting it into practice.

A successful week of redoing the routine #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

After a workout week of changing things up I feel good. Glad for the little warning my body gave me last week. Taking that as my warning to not overdo it, and also return to some better practices.

Just making sure that my Monday and Wednesday morning walks were shorter and more relaxed I gave my legs a little more rest. Which is especially important on Mondays. And I had gotten a little ahead of myself with the longer morning walks. My quest for miles was a little too ambitious.

Also, and I am a little ashamed to say this, but somehow I had gotten away from my post run stretching routine. Not sure exactly how it happened. But the important thing is that I got back to it this week and I am sure that has also made a difference.

Patience & knowing I have been here before help solve the problem

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Today's Run

Last week I had a bit of a crisis, my legs got real sore, so much so that by Thursday I couldn't run. I thought it through, and reasoned out the cause of the problem. I was definitely pushing myself too much with the mileage. Bit off more than I could chew. And the solution was pretty simple and two fold: cut back and actually let my off days count as true off days, and get back to a better stretching routine.

Doing that has done the trick so far, I was able to crack my long run mileage at a good number, topping any distance I had since the Half in September. And while I do feel a little restless on the off days I know it is for a good reason. 

Yesterday I was scanning the race schedule. Trying to find a good 5K to run with Jimmy & Dad this summer. Also just seeing what is out there for me to run in. 

So much of where I am now is about awareness. Being aware of what is happening with my body, and how it reacts. Last week I stuck to the new change in my diet of refraining from red meat, heavy grease, and focusing on lighter meals and sandwiches. And that has truly done the trick so far as my digestion. It truly is amazing how much more aware I have become of my body in the last couple of years.

Felt sluggish today, miles starting to take a toll, but I kept with it #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Today I could definitely feel the miles from the week starting to take a toll. I was real sluggish, and had a hard time getting going. But you know what? I still got out there and got in my 4+ miles, because that's what I do!

See, my plan has me actually running only about 3 miles 3 days a week, then the long run. But my personal goal is to hit 4 miles on my weekday runs, then keep Saturday light. And I have been doing just that. Except this last Saturday I took Danny on his Cub Scout hike, and ended up doing 2.7 miles of extra walking mileage. Which meant that my last Monday through Sunday mileage actually broke 30 miles for the week combined walking and running! That's a lot. And my legs are feeling it, they are ready for a true recovery day.

On the hike I was reminded of the range of people out there when it comes to exercise. One parent, when I mentioned running, shuddered and stated flat that he didn't run. The other parent however, told us before the hike that she had put in an 11 mile run already. So I was definitely in between them, which is a spot I can be content with.

Still figuring out the diet. I was good the rest of the week last week, but made sure that when I had my meals out, I had sandwiches instead of fast food burgers. But on Sunday I had a turkey burger, and was fine, until I had a bratwurst, and that did me in. So I am narrowing things down to having problems with a high grease content, boy doesn't that just take the fun out of life?

I guess I just cannot eat junk food anymore #running #diet

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

That was a real good run, and a great way to wind up my exercise week. A week that was 1 day shorter as I missed out on my Saturday run. But the miles just keep piling up. I am already at 12+ miles in running & walking miles heading into the weekend.

The only downside to all of this is that I am discovering that I am getting real hard on my shoes. I had to just give up on my every day tennis shoes this week after reaching the point where they hurt every time I wore them. And the only thing I do in those was walk. All of this exercise is going to result in my developing a serious shoe habit & need a special budget for it.

As far as the eating, much to my chagrin, but probably to my doctors happiness, I am developing a real intolerance of any fast food. Tuesday I had to take a short day from work so I could take James to the doctor. So I went out to eat at Culvers. Which is a small cut above the Wendy's/McDonalds level, but is still basically fast food. Well all I had was a sandwich, fries and an ice cream. Not really that big of a meal comparatively speaking. But a day later I was really feeling it, my digestive tract was very unhappy with me. It is becoming increasingly real to me that I can't even eat a meal like that once a week any more. I will have to keep adjusting my eating habits accordingly.

While this is generally a good thing from a nutritional perspective, and theoretically from a weight loss (although I was steady for the week, despite the really light weekend eating and increased calorie burn, go figure) perspective. But it does suck from the perspective that I am slowly losing my ability to enjoy eating, or at least eating the things I enjoy.

New Motto: All I've got to do is run, run, run

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Another healthy 4+ miles. Felt real good and strong. I guess the side product of breaking new milestones like 7.5 miles on Sunday, and marking 1200 + miles overall make a morning 4 miler seem easy. It's just all part of the overall progress I have made.

Another way to mark it is when you see someone you haven't see in a while, particularly someone who knew you at your heaviest. And have them remark over and over about how good you look, and show amazement about how much weight you lost. That happened to me over the weekend and I am still feeling the glow.

On another point, I seem to have developed a kind of internal appetite governor, for lack of a better term. I know that I have put some weight back on, and have been having trouble getting my appetite back in control. Well over the past week, culminating this last weekend, I was starting to develop stomach pains again. Kind of like the ones I associate with the dreaded stomach obstruction incident of last year. So I had to start easing back, and then over the weekend did a kind of purge, really limiting myself to some very limited meals, and making certain to drink plenty of fluids. As a result the pain eased off.

The lesson I am taking away from that is that was my body's way of telling me that it couldn't handle the increased weight and intake. So, I sensibly listened, and the pain eased off, and hopefully some the extra weight will start to come off as well. It was a bit of a revelation, but something I can take to heart. My body just cannot handle that much weight any more. So I have to maintain my vigilance, keep up the running, and listen to my internal signals and I should be okay.

Musing on feeling tired & how it impacts workouts

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Yesterday I was posting some comments on Facebook to a friend who is getting into working out, and having the normal struggles. In a karmic confluence I read an interesting article on Runner's world that in some sense addressed the latest problem: how to deal with the fact that sometime you just feel too tired to workout.

I certainly know that feeling, there have been many morning that I didn't much feel like getting out of bed and getting moving. The odd thing was that for me those days can often become some of my best runs as far as effort.

Well in my initial comments I hit on some of the general ideas that came up in the article: focus less on pace and more on the end result, try different work outs, focus more on where you are than on where you want to be. But after that, on my drive home, I hit on another idea: physically tired vs. mentally tired.

There is a real difference between the two feelings of tired. Being physically tired is just that: your body is fatigued, often from a good workout, or from a physical job, or a physical effort like yard work or a house project, or from illness. Trying to exercise when affected by one of the above is a fool's errand. And your body will let you know that. And not only will you not get the workout you desire there is a real chance of injury or damage.

But mental fatigue is different. This is where I was really going with my comment to my friend. When your work is mentally challenging, and stressful, that make you feel tired. But your body is not fatigued. This is one of the reasons I love to run first thing in the morning, because while my mind may not be awake yet, my body is totally fresh, and I can just let my body do the work. And then the rest of the day my body can be in recovery mode, while my mind works. Ideally I should do something physical before bed as well, but that is a mental bridge that I have a hard time crossing.

To sum up: pay attention to your body, not your mind, when it comes time to decide if you are going to exercise. Your mind can trick you into feeling like you can't workout, but try hard to ignore that and focus on what your body tells you.

The miles are starting to stack up, what a wonderful feeling #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

The miles are starting to build, where I used to have to push to get 3 miles on a weekday, and 5 was a goal for my weekend long run, now I am pushing 4 on my weekday runs, and I cracked 6.5 miles on my long run this past weekend! 20+ miles in a week is becoming the norm. It feels so good to see and type those numbers. I can feel myself getting stronger, and know that I can do even more so long as I stick to the plan.

On other news, the meal plan is working pretty well. I mostly stuck to the goal of no eating at the coach or my desk, making a point to separate my meals from the rest of my life. It's too early to tell if it is sticking for the long term, but it does feel right.

Also, I have been battling something lately. It almost feels like an obstruction again, but the feeling only comes after a big meal, and eases off after I move around some and drink some fluids. One obvious solution is to not eat big meals. But the other lesson is that it is possible that maybe my body is adjusting to the miles, and is seeking a different equilibrium as far as appetite. All I know it that I will be careful about the eating and try to lighten up a little on my cheat days.

Powered my way through another tempo run as fuel for working on a new habit #running #diet

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

I was pretty darn tired this morning, the dogs were restless last night, so I didn't get my full nights rest, plus I was up a little later than I would have liked. Despite all that I managed to just crush my tempo run today! It was nice to return to intervals instead of trying to maintain yellow zone for a longer period, but either way I was very happy with the results.

That being said I am still not overly pleased with my eating habits. And came up with one idea to make a change this week. I had been reading a smattering of articles about the importance of taking your lunch break, and not eating at your desk and came up with an idea for a new habit to try to break. 

My goal is restrict all of my eating to actual break times, and only eat at a designated eating are or outside. No more eating at my desk, and no more just lounging on the coach at home and snacking. There's nothing wrong with the snacks per se, so long as I get away from the habit of just nibbling because the food is there. Instead, I need to make the eating a separate action from whatever I am doing, be that sitting at my desk at work, sitting at home watching TV, etc. I don't know how successful I will be with this goal, but I am going to make it my focus for the time being. I can't say how much of a difference it will make weight wise, but I cannot imagine it will hurt. 

Celebrated a return to the routine with another strong run #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

This week hopefully we can return to the routine. All planned trips are done with, and hopefully there won't be any more emergency down time to deal with kids for the foreseeable future. Last week was good as far as exercise, I did my Tuesday run, then followed it up with some volleyball and hiking with kids. Then Wednesday I did more hiking, and then some swimming. The only workout I missed was Thursday, although I did work in a decent short walk. Saturday and Sunday I got in my scheduled runs. Sunday I even hit a new high of 5.7 miles of straight running, on a day when I had all of the reasons and excuses to skip or cut it short. 

But I am still looking forward to resuming a more normal schedule. If for no other reason than it will be easier to control my eating. Last weeks travelling, and the previous weeks stress had done a real number on my eating habits. I am hoping we can resume a regular menu and meal planning now that things should be settling down.

I am seeing my mileage and calorie burn starting to climb, which is a good thing. I just need to follow better eating habits and the weight should start to come back under control.

Not the best tempo run, but made it 6 days again #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

I had a hard time getting the ideal pace on the tempo run today. But I still had a good run, I mean how can I get upset about a 3.4 mile run?

My mind and life have kind of been focused on dealing with Jimmy and his health issues. Needless to say all of those issues have disrupted my plans and ideas for the big 3 generation run for now. Because if he can't make it through a day of school a 3 mile run would definitely not be advisable.

But in the long run I am thankful for the diversion and meditative time I get on those morning runs and walks.

Feeling the momentum turn, must have passed another tipping point #running

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's Run

Today was another good run, and based on how I felt the last couple of days, including after my Easter 5+ mile run, I think I must have passed another threshold. Because I am definitely feeling stronger about these midweek runs. I felt real good about that long run on Sunday, even though I pushed it a little as far as adding to the challenge with some more hills and elevation gain in the first 2 miles. And even after that, and being on my feet all day Sunday, then yesterdays walk, I felt strong today. It took a little effort to get going, and I definitely kept it easy as far as elevation, but I still felt real strong.

So all of this must be a threshold, as I move past the 3-4 mile range to the next level, where my runs go into the 5-7 mile range. Which is all part of the training plan, and I love it when a plan comes together!

I am pondering challenging myself with a second half marathon this year. I know that distance, and I know I can do it, after the training. And I think it would feel real good to say I have done 2 in 1 season. And if I can do that, and not feel like a total wreck like I did last year, that might give me the extra motivation and confidence to consider the full thing next year.

Also, I am going to look for a relatively easy 5K race to sign up Jimmy and also Dad. I think it would be fun to do a 3 generation run. And James and Dad have both agreed to do so.

Last, after being on my feet a lot on Sunday wearing some older shoes I was reminded how important shoes are. It was definitely time to consign those shoes to the give away pile. 

Just finished 6 days straight of AM exercise & I feel great! #fitwinning

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

It wasn't easy, especially getting up this morning, but I did it! For 6 days straight the first thing I did after getting up was either go for a run or a long walk. Which was one of my new goals. There is nothing like a good 30 minutes or more of exercise to wake you up and get you moving in the morning.

Today's Run

A tempo run, I did far better than I felt when I was running. It was pretty tough to keep the speed up, but I kept it going. Even though my feet hurt, and my legs were starting to burn a little at the end. 

Concerning my feet, this was the last run for that pair of shoes, this weekend I pull out the other pair I bought in the fall. I made it over 250 miles on this pair, but when my feet hurt that much after the run that is the sign that it is time to roll over. Which is something I just cannot get some of my friends to understand. They keep complaining about sore feet or ankles etc. And when I ask them about their shoes they just shrug. It took me a little while to understand how important the shoes are, but now I am a serious convert, and keep very close attention to my shoes and the mileage.