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WIW – Goals Edition

Last Week: 188.4

This Week: 186.8

Change: -1.6

I know over the past few months I’ve had a bunch of new followers and I thought I’d use this post to touch on my weight loss goals. I should mention that this blog first started it focused on weight loss, but I’m much more focused on health, strength and races these days. 

However my weight is still an important factor. Many of you know in November 2007 my father died a few days after his gastric bypass surgery (which was unnecessary in my opinion based on his height and weight). In Jan 2010 I was ready to make big changes in my life and was determined to never have my weight become a factor in my death.

At 5’9.5 I need to be ~170 to be considered on the high end of the “healthy” BMI range. I chose 168 as a Goal Weight because I like the idea/sound of 160s and 169 would make me giggle too much. 

My Ultimate Goal Weight is 155. It would put me smack dab in the middle of the healthy BMI range with a ~22.

Weight Left to Lose: GW – 18.8/ UGW – 31.8

Total Weight Lost: 35.8

It’s frustrating to see numbers on a scale you know so well. I was in the 180s last year at this time. I got down to 175 at my absolute lowest on this journey. As thrilled as I am to be back on track, it’s hard to get excited about weight I’ve already lost (and should have done a better job keeping off). 

I just need to stay focused, be positive, and keep moving forward!

Rage Run

Sorry I’ve been off the grid lately. My sister was visiting this weekend which was fabulous. She even joined me for part of my long run on Saturday. I did 2 miles out and back with her and then went out for another 1.5 out and back for 7 miles total. My sister said I was a good pacer. I rarely run with people, especially a person who i is built similarly to me – so it was interesting to see her as a pseudo mirror of me running. 

My rage however comes from this week. I had to report for jury duty. I was somewhat excited for jury duty. I however was not excited that jury selection for a Capital Murder Case was starting this week. Luckily I was able to get removed from that pool due to some work commitments over the next few weeks – although seeing the defendant was scary. I did sit on a jury for another case today, but there was a mistrial due to a number of circumstances.  I am really worried about our judicial system. I’m worried about the defendant’s next trial. I would have found him not guilty based on the point we were at. The mistrial could have be avoided, easily if people weren’t so dumb and made bad decisions. I really worry about being judged by my “peers.” Yes going back and forth to the court house for 2 days was annoying, but you knew about this for MONTHS. So many folks didn’t seem invested in justice, including people working IN the justice system. I’ll stop ranting. I’m back to work tomorrow and my reguarly scheduled life.

However all of my jury rage lead to a fantastic 5K that I ran tonight without my ipod and I shreded. I needed to sweat out my emotions. I also went to spin yesterday and it was one of my better classes. I rocked it and I bet it was due to all the sitting and stewing for jury duty. 

Shred Part Deux

Now that I completed the 30 Day Shred in level increments of 10 I am going to do a L1 for 2 days, L for 2 days, L3 for 2 days and repeat until I get through 30 days.

I did level 1 day and it was crazy how much I improved for 90% of the video (those arm raises with a alide lunge always kill me). I’m excited to see where I am month from now!

In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he’d completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, not to mention triathlons and a dozen critically acclaimed books, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life andeven more importanton his writing. Equal parts training log, travelogue, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and takes us to places ranging from Tokyo’s Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston among young women who outpace him. Through this marvelous lens of sport emerges a panorama of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his greatest triumphs and disappointments, his passion for vintage LPs, and the experience, after fifty, of seeing his race times improve and then fall back. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is rich and revelatory, both for fans of this masterful yet guardedly private writer and for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in running.

A former student of mine recommended this. has anyone read it?

Why is the Half Marathon So Popular (Article)

Article By Jeff Galloway

• Even after a difficult 13.1 mile (21K) race, runners can usually celebrate that evening

• Beginners who yearn to run a marathon see this distance as the first big step

• Marathoners find that the “half” keeps them in shape for their next “full”

• The distance is enough of a challenge to keep runners focused and energized

• Increasing long runs towards a half marathon race results in faster times at 5K, 10K, etc.

After studying findings of experts who specialize in ancient man, I’ve come to believe that training for long distances connects us directly to our roots. Primitive man had to walk and run for survival—thousands of miles a year. Through millions of years of evolution, the muscles, tendons, bones, energy systems and cardiovascular capacity adapted and expanded. A series of psychological rewards also developed, which make us feel good about ourselves when we run and walk at the correct pace in a consistent training program.

The primary goal of ancient migration was to reach the next destination. Likewise, the greatest joy for half marathoners comes in crossing the finish line.  Finishing 13.1 miles is an elite achievement: only four tenths of one percent of the population does this each year.  The satisfaction and accomplishment are similar to that experienced from the marathon.

There are quite a few lessons to be learned as one extends one’s endurance limit beyond 13 miles or 21K: conservation of resources, pacing, fluid intake, blood sugar maintenance, etc. But making a mistake during “half” training does not incur the injury risk or the down time experienced after marathon errors. If you find a way to enjoy a part of every run, your half marathon training can bring joy, satisfaction, achievement, and a positive sense of focus. For many, the challenge teaches individuals that they have unused hidden resources that can be used to deal with other challenges in life. Much of the success and joy comes from a unique endurance blending of body, mind and spirit. 

I salute all who put themselves to a realistic challenge, such as the half marathon. If you haven’t done this before, you have one of life’s great rewards waiting for you as you discover that you have much more strength inside than you envisioned.