Good Progress, Settling into the good habits

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's workout

A pattern and habit is developing. 3 days of running plus some other work (mainly crunches & planks), 2 days of Core workouts plus some walking. Then 1 full on cheat day (no exercise, eat whatever I want, no calorie counting), and then 1 day with variable exercise but at minimum sticking to calorie counts. I need to get into a habit of doing something more physical on the last day (Saturdays), but the extra day of rest has helped so I am not going to push it.

I am actually planning on starting up a running day with James (and maybe Daniel) on Saturdays. Once my Mom is settled in next door I will set up a time for her to watch Emily (and maybe Daniel) while we do a quick neighborhood run. Obviously this will be limited by weather. But James seemed to enjoy the running club last fall at school, and seemed excited to run in the next race a run (St. Patrick's Day), so I need to start getting him into shape for that. James is already in such good shape that I figure that he will really only need 1 training day a week to start working up to 5K.

There you have it: regular training schedule, not overly ambitious, letting the increase in endurance come naturally and gradually. Also sticking to a regular diet so I can help knock of those pounds that probably also had something to do with my leg soreness. 

Assessing where I am, how I got here & why

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Today's workout

Another great run today, and the ITB pain is starting to work itself out, through some diligent stretching and strength work. Plus I gave up on the standing desk at work for a while, no need to stress the legs until the core gets back up to par. In addition I did admit to myself that probably another reason for the pain in the last couple of months had to do with the added weight I had packed on over the fall & holidays. The renewed focus of the last couple of weeks on calories has made a difference there already, I just need to keep it up.

A friend of mine asked the other day if I ever reached a place where I was just comfortable with my weight, so I wasn't unhappy with it all the time. I basically said that no, I think that if you are conscious of it, and make any effort at all to drop the pounds is a sign that you aren't happy with it. And I wasn't, even if it took me a while to really do anything about it. 

Of course what it really took was a combination of health problems and the kids. I realized that I wanted to be healthy, so I could enjoy my life and more importantly enjoy my kids lives. The other day I engaged in a wrestling battle royale with all 3 kids for about 30 minutes, and that was definitely something I would have had a hard time doing 2-3 years ago. It really became a quality of life issue for me.

As far as how I got here, it wasn't rocket science, no magic diet or pill. It was simple: eat less, exercise more. I have tried different approaches before and even after: low fat, no sugar, low carbs etc. But the reality is it all comes back to that simple formula. The best tools that I used (and still use) are the LoseIt iPhone App (and website), the Couch to 5K program (and iPhone App) and now I use the Adidas MiCoach web site and App. 

Do I think it is possible to be 'Fat & Happy'? Sure it is. And I also do not really subscribe to traditional concepts of what is Fit and what isn't. I know people that may look out of shape, but they have more energy and capacity for physical labor than a lot of skinny teenagers. It really comes down to how you want to live your life, what makes you happy, and what sort of life you live. For me, I wasn't able to live the life I wanted to live when I was upwards of 230 pounds and unable to run 5 minutes without being out of breath. But, and here is the other part of the 'secret', it really takes a change in lifestyle to get things where you want them, and even when you get there, the battle is never truly over, chances are a life time of bad habits can easily seep back in if you allow them. 

Crushed my long run today, fought through the pain

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Today's Run

It was wildlife day out there. First I had to make way for a big raccoon, then barely managed to avoid a skunk. And last I saw some deer, or something else equally large (didn't see the need to go investigate further.) 

It was only 4 miles today, but it felt good to really nail the long run today. My hips have been bothering me since Sunday, more IT band pain. I think this weekend I will have to invest in a foam roller so I can develop a habit of rolling the bands. I think that is cheaper than all the co pays for the PT. I know this is an early stage, and these shorter runs and other core workouts will help resolve this problem in the long term. I just need to focus on what I am doing here and now. The future will take care of itself so long as I take care of what I am doing now. And I think I am doing a good job of that. If I want to focus on something else, think about the past, and how far I have come.

Guest Post today: Physical Fitness & Cancer

Physical Fitness Benefits Cancer Patients


Whether you were recently diagnosed with a common form of cancer like
breast cancer, a rare form of cancer such as mesothelioma, or are in
remission from a cancer like colon cancer you should exercise. Aside
from the common factors associated with exercise and your health,
there are a number of other health benefits associated with exercising
as a current or former cancer patient.

You already know that exercise is good for you. You know that exercise
helps you lose weight and maintain a leaner, fitter body and you
know that exercise gives you more energy. What you may not know is
that exercise produces a chemical in your body that makes you feel
good; exercise is a natural high. The chemical produced by exercising
allows your body to recuperate faster from illness and even boosts
your immune system, which is the system that allows your body to fight
disease and illness. Your immune system should be at its best as you
undergo cancer treatments; however, stress is a common factor that
robs your immune system of its ability to fight infection. Exercising
will help you to lower your stress level naturally and as a benefit
your immune system will improve. An improved immune system means you
will feel better during your cancer treatment.

Even after you are finished with cancer treatment and in remission it
is important to continue to exercise. Another benefit of exercise is
that your body will be healthier and stronger on both the inside and
the outside. After cancer, your body needs to be as strong and healthy
as possible to prevent it from succumbing to other diseases related
to being overweight, such as diabetes and other forms of cancer. Your
best bet to staying in remission is to prevent yourself from becoming
sick in some other way, shape or form.

The benefit of exercise after cancer treatment is so strong that
there are exercise programs specifically for cancer survivors. These
programs are designed to help patients that are in remission to get
stronger and healthier so that they are able to get back to their
daily routine faster and with more energy. Along with the other
benefits, exercise also boosts confidence and energy levels, making
it possible for patients to live a fuller, happier and healthier life
with more quality.

Quality of life is of utmost importance to cancer survivors; it gives
you the ability to life your life to the fullest and exercise can only
help you do so. Talk to your doctor about exercise during the course
of your treatment and after. During treatment your energy level will
become very low and even minimal exercise will help to give you more
energy; use it to fight your cancer and survive.

Written by David Haas
http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/david/

Stop SOPA/PIPA #SOPA

Stop SOPA/PIPA

I stopped thinking about tomorrow & just ran for today

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Got up this morning with a new attitude about my running. I decided to stop focusing on the future, and whether I am increasing my strength etc. Instead my new focus is to approach each workout and run individually, get through it with the best effort, and maybe increase a little from the last workout. And if I do that, then the fitness will come, the strength will come, the tightness will fade.

Instead of focusing & worrying about the ability to run a marathon, instead I just want to keep my focus on getting fit. And more importantly: enjoying the process. Because in the long run, while it would (will) be great to say I completed a marathon, that's not the be all end all. The ultimate goal is fitness & quality of life. Training myself up to that huge goal won't make as big a difference in my life as having a regular fitness regime that I enjoy.

That's my renewed focus. And if I feel comfortable in doing that to then start training for that big event so be it. But if I don't that won't be the end of the world, what would be the end would be to get so wrapped up in that training that I defeat myself and quit doing anything.

So far so good, but 1 day at a time at this stage

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

So far so good, I have done well to keep up my daily activities, and not push myself too far in the running while the other workouts do their part. I can feel the strength building, some of the core activities are already getting easier and I have been able to start building on those.

Also so far so good on the eating and appetite, had a challenge yesterday as we went out to eat lunch but I did well. But the key there is one day at a time there as well. I need to keep my focus on the calories one day at a time, I know that the appetite will decline if I keep a good focus on this.

I am not treating this as a New Years 'resolution', (even if the timing did coincide with that) this is just a return to best practices, ones I followed before. For one thing, if I keep up with the core strength training, and let the running build at a reasonable pace, I will be in a much better place than before. And if I keep the focus on the eating at the same time than it should be easier to avoid the trap I fell into of eating at a high pace just because I am getting exercise (I know easier said than done, but I would like to think I learned my lesson.)