Yesterday, my plan was to run on the trails today.  However, I had a bad night.  I didn't sleep well, I woke up itching.  I went to see my son yesterday and he has like, six cats and I am slightly allergic to them.  I alos took him to dinner and we had Thai food... it is possible that I was allergic to something in the food.  Needless to say, I slept very late and did not feel like running.  Then the Seahawks were on, the one and clenched the division title and home field advantage for the playoffs. 

I did some chores and went to Jeannie's to turn the water off that I had left running for last weeks cold spells.  I then went to Costco and returned home.  I then started cleaning my kitchen closet, there is a lot I need to cull from there so I have room.  Things I couldn't get rid of while Jeannie was alive.  Well, now I have to sort that and donate it to Goodwill -  I also have other stuff to clear out of my life and declutter my life.

Well since this post is about training for the runs I have planned in the next 16 months, I did run 3.1 miles on the treadmill - it took 37 minutes, I burned 530 calories and did most of the running on an incline.  I also did 25 reps with a 35lb kettlebell that I picked up at Play it again sports.  I am foing to do those everyday and see how it improves my shoulder.

Another good piece of news is that my back did not tighten up tonight.  I hope it is a sign that it wont when I am on the trails.

Today, after a week of sub-freezing temperatures in my garage, I was able to run on the treadmill.  2.39 miles in 30 minutes.  I have a long way to go in order to meet my goals, but all it will take is training and perseverance.

I need to remember that training doesn't mean I am running at race distance and speed, but that I am building distance, speed and endurance.  I am training my body to work for long periods of time.

Training means that I am building to my goals and that I am getting better each day that I train; even on those days that I run a shorter distance at a slower speed.

Food is important in training and exercise.  Over the last few years, I have learned a lot about the food I have been feeding myself.  The sugars, trans-fats - GMO foods, the feed lot raised beef, poultry and pork.  I know I need to purchase organic and grass fed meats, but I bulk at the expense.  I know I need to cut out the sugars, grains and phoney fats, but I still find myself back sliding and gorging myself on them.  Yet these are not failures, but setbacks.  They are lessons learned.  I don't have to start over, but just pick myself up and continue on.  Each good meal and food choice I make is better than not doing anything at all.

Runners World sent me an e-mail with a teaser - Runners giving up glutton - buy our glutton free cookbook.  I wonder how they are carb-loading now?

Turkey Trot 2013 - Bainbridge Island, WA

 

Today was the 1^st 5K race in my 18 month running goals.

Last Saturday, I finished putting my NordicTrak C900i treadmill together. I ran a 5K on it that night, and then on Sunday I rowed 500 cals, about 20 minutes and then ran about 2.6 miles before accidently pulling the key off the treadmill, shutting it down and erasing the stats. On Monday I did Crossfit and then Tuesday and Wednesday I rested in preperation for today's Turkey Trot.

My friend Kat joined me for the run; she is interested in taking up running and doing some training runs on the weekends. It would be nice to have a training partner. Today was her first 5K and she did great. It was harder for me to do the run and I am confident that she could have had a better time, if she was running alone, but she said that negates the point of running a race together. Her attitude will probably change after she gets a few races under her belt.

I am happy with my time, I think the time I saw on the clock at the finish line was the race clock and we came in at 30:55. We had a really slow start, walking to and across the start line before we could start running, so that did affect our time. I am waiting for them to post the official results to see what our actual time is.

I had to walk a couple times for about 30 seconds, but that is fine. Whatever my time turns out to be, it will be a baseline for this year, something to improve on.

Just set some new goals/dreams and thought I would start writing them down and doing updates.  If they are seen, cool.  If not, cool.  I had fun when I did this while preparing for my trip to Alaska to hike the Chilkoot trail.  Now, I have set some running goals for the next 18 months.  Some are easy and others a progressively harder.  Here they are:

18 Month running Goals – November 2013 to April 2015

1 - 5K q month
1 - 10K q 2 months
1 – 1/2 marathon
1 – 25K
1 – marathon
1 – 50K
1 – 50 mile run

I am doing CrossFit, I started CrossFit to help with my running, and as I got stronger, I thought "I am actually able to compete (CrossFit) in my age bracket."  That is when I probably did some stupid stuff and injured and re-injured some old injuries.  I recently re-evaluated what I wanted - healthwise - and determined that I want to be healthy and fit.  I want to be able to run and show strong in my division, which if I had kept in running shape, I would have been able to do this past year, but because of injuries, I didn't run and did very little CrossFit.  So now I am starting over.

So here is the plan: CrossFit to strengthen my legs and core and to increase cardio vascular system, and running to improve and compete.  I purchased a Concept 2 rower to help with my cardio and core and an additional benefit is that it is helping with my shoulder injury.  I just purchased a NordicTrac C900i treadmill so I can run 3 or 4 evenings a week during the winter and spring months.

My outdoor runs will probably be on Sundays.  Also hiking, snow shoeing and cross country skiing are on the books for this winter.

I hope I keep motivated to update this blog at least weekly.

My first 5K run is on Thanksgiving morning. 

Life is fragile, sudden, and shorter than it often seems. – There may not be a tomorrow – not for everyone. Right now, someone on Earth is planning something for tomorrow without realizing they’re going to die today. This is sad but true. So spend your time wisely today and pause long enough to appreciate it. Every moment you get is a gift. Don’t waste time by dwelling on unhappy things. Spend it on things that move you in the direction you want to go. (40 Lessons for Finding Strength in Hard Times!   www.marcandangel.com)

This is one reason I started the “Someday is Today Blog”, it is one reason that I am now participating in things that “have put me in the CRAZY category” according to some of my friends.  This is a big reason why I am now doing things that I feared to do in the past, why I am stretching my boundaries and facing some fears.  Life should be about living in the now, not living for the future because you may not have a future.  I am not saying don’t plan for the future, because when you get there you certainly do want to be able to live life; what I am saying is don’t forget to live, love, enjoy and create memories for yourself and your family and friends.  It is much more comforting to look back and say, “Remember when we did this?  Went there?  Experienced that?”  Then to say to yourself, “We were going to do this…”  “We talked about doing that when we retired”  “I wish we had taken the time…”

Work should not be your life; it should be what allows you to have a life. 

You never know what the future has in store for you, so plan for it, but don’t forget to live in the now, to create happy memories for yourself and your loved ones.  Hang with people you want to be like.  Remove negative people from your life when possible, have positive support for those times you spend with emotional vampires.  Live to be happy and have fun in everything you do.

I think someone should start a Blog on this blog about how unuser-friendly it is.  I can not come to the blog and make a post- I have to click around like a fool until I accidently get back to my home page and then I can post, then the only way to see my post is to go to my very first page\bookmark and then open the current month and click on my last post.  Surely does suck the big one.

My first “Whole 30” experiment is completed on July 3rd.  The only known “cheats” I had were commercial bacon (and about 6 sausage links) in the last week, and excessive amounts of fruit.

Weight: Start 215.2 lbs  Finish 212.6 lbs

Waist:    Start 42.5           Finish  39.5                 

I have seen changes in my body, more muscle definition, smaller waist and I can now get into and button jeans I have not worn in over 10 years.  A month ago I could not button two pair of jeans and now I can wear them.

July 7.

I am now a believer in the Paleo way of eating.  On July 4^th I had BBQ ribs, Ice cream and beer.  On the 5^th I had pizza and Taco Time food and beer… and ice cream.  I feel stuffy, my stomach is upset, I am feeling yucky, bloated and I have put on a few pounds in just these few days.  It is time to start eating good again; and, I have already started with today’s breakfast of steak and eggs and a small fruit bowl.