Back to Swimming...

Swimming… One word that I have come to really not like using (unless it is followed by the proper expletive). I had a swim lesson this morning and I will tell you, if I wasn’t before, I am definitely humbled once again. I now have a swim coach, mostly because I need additional motivation to get in the pool on a regular basis. I will be working with this coach once a week until god knows when, probably forever at the rate I am going. For those of you just realizing this or even reading my blog for the first time, I AM NOT a big fan of swimming.  Anyway, since it was my first time with this coach in a while, he wanted to see where I was at endurance wise, speed wise, and technique wise.  I could have told him that I was at a big fat zero on all of those, but he wanted to see for himself. 

Well, I fared better than I thought, but like I said I was humbled.  I was especially humbled when we started doing drills.  For example, have you ever tried to swim freestyle with tennis balls in your hands?  Well, let me assure you, it is not as exciting as it may sound. I really enjoyed (just a hint of sarcasm) the 25 yard freestyle sprints with the tennis balls in each hand.  Or my absolute favorite drill was the freestyle swimming and only being allowed to breath two or three times per 25 yard length of the pool. For some, it may not sound like such an enduring task, but for me, I promise, I enjoy breathing, so that one was not very “awesome…”

As we were finishing up, my instructor made some comment for next lesson would include a snorkel, duct tape and a straw.  I have a feeling about what he is talking about but I do not want to imagine what it could mean.  I guess I will have to wait until next time. Joy, joy, joy… (Once again, sarcasm)

Well, I am not a quitter, so I will continue on with my swim training.  Even though I do not like swimming, it’s like everything else; I always learn something about myself and my fitness. Today, I learned that no matter how much I dread something or how bad it may seem in my head, it really is never as bad as I make it out to be.  Sure, I didn’t want to swim for an hour in the pool today, but I made it, and I am better for it too.  I know that facing this challenge will only help when I actually need to rely on my swimming skills.  I have to swim just under a mile across the Ohio River this summer. Next year, heaven help me, I really can’t even imagine, but I will have to swim over a mile for the Half Ironman and over 2 miles for the Full Ironman.  Needless, to say I really need to step up my training to properly prepare for what I want to do. It all goes with the old adage, “If you want to play, you have to pay.”  I know that I am starting to pay and put in my dues now, and hopefully, I will be able to reap some of the benefits of my training during my future events. 

So, for those of you who are great swimmers, I envy you, but for those of us that are just trying to make it to live to the first transition area during a triathlon, I hope to see you all there soon!

Swimming like a rock, learning slowly, but not drowning (yet)…

Now is the Time to Start!!

Well, I have changed into a new pair of running shoes and now my arch is not hurting anymore.  This is the second time that I have had some sort of pain in my foot and when I changed into a new pair of shoes, then the pain went away within a week.  So what's does that tell me?  It tells me a couple of things, first of all, I need to quit being so cheap and trying to make my shoes last past the point they are intended for, next, it tells me that when I feel a pain in my foot or leg and it is near the end of my shoe's life, maybe I will change my shoes out before spazzing out and thinking that I have some sort of chronic runner's pain. Either way, I feel so much better now that I am able to run with very little pain.

Well, you see it, the title of this post.  I didn't know whether to use "Now is the Time to Start," or "Gentleman, Start Your Engines!"  Either way, I am officially in full training mode for the Louisville Derby Full Marathon.  It is is just a little over two months away and I want to be as ready as I can.  I  am going to try to stick to a training plan for this one because 26.2 miles is a pretty long way to run, especially if you try to just "wing it." 

I trained for my first race, a 10K by just stepping out there and just running.  I did the same for the 5K's and my Half-Marathon too, but for a marathon, I think I need a plan and an agenda to follow.  I was talking to a fitness instructor at the YMCA the other day and she gave me a few words of encouragement.  She told me that a 5K, 10K, and even a half-marathon are fun and you can really enjoy the running associated with each distance.  But, she continued, a marathon is "just painful." 

I know you are thinking about how that description of a marathon can be words of encouragement, but that's just what they are. It becomes a challenge now, a way to do something else that seems, or ever seemed, impossible to someone like me. Like I have always said, I am not going to become fast enough to win or place in a race and I know that, but that is not what motivates me either.  What helps motivate me is the chance to better myself and compete against me, against my previous race results, and show that former 380 lbs guy that life is not over and changes can be made. I never, and I mean, never, thought running a marathon was possible and that's what has been absolutely amazing over these past thirteen months, I have accomplished, to some, something incredible.

If someone had come to me over a year ago and said that I would be 220lbs. and preparing to run a marathon, I would have cried because it would have been so funny. 

So, what am I gonna do now? Yep you guessed it, I am going for a run...Talk to everyone soon!!

Have a great Week!!!

Pain-free, Training for a Marathon, and running!!!

Are You Hurt, Or Are You Injured?? That's a Good Question... I Don't Know.

Well, It’s is official.  I have officially registered and paid for my first two triathlons (Sprint and Olympic distances).  As I go along, I am finding myself more and more creating these “bucket list” items.  I never really had a “bucket list” before, but the more active I become; the more goals I set.  I guess it’s kind of hard to set goals while eating a triple cheeseburger and chicken fries while sitting on the couch watching re-runs of “Full House,” because that's the kind of stuff I used to do.

I am still on the training path but have had a little setback with my running.  I have some sort of arch pain that tended to get worse as I ran. I thought it was the onset of plantar fasciitis and so that scared the crap out of me.  I have been very fortunate as to not have any real injuries during my weight loss, so the idea of having a potential chronic injury really freaked me out. I have since found out it was mostly from not changing my running shoes when they had reached their average life (approximately 400-500 miles).  I had almost 700 miles on the pair that I have been running with.  This is another learning experience that I will definitely remember. It is one of the hundreds of things that I have learned over the past year and I know that I have so much more ahead of me to experience and learn(both good and bad).

Most of you “long-time” runners are probably laughing your butt off at my over-reaction and stupidity, but I have never had issues like this.  A guy at the gym has warned that once you start running and training for races and events, one of the hardest things to learn is how to deal with setbacks or injuries.  I can agree with that, because not running for the past two days have absolutely killed me.  I know, not running for two whole days, WOW – Big Deal, right?  Again, I am new to this sort of thing and like the fact that I can just go out and run anytime I wanted to, but to NOT be able to have that luxury is what bothered me so much.  Well, I have spent the past two days icing, rolling my foot on golf balls and tennis balls, and taking anti-inflammatory medicine and today is the day to test it out.  Tonight, I will lace up my NEW pair of running shoes and head out for a 10 mile run.  Many of you probably think that I need to ease back into it and see how things go, and you are probably exactly right, but that is just not the type of person that I am.  I do it “all or nothing” and there are plenty of people who can attest to that. Not one of my best or smartest traits, but one of them nevertheless.

I have been swimming a little more the past week or so and have really been trying to push myself during spinning class. Swimming is slowly getting better, but it is always a struggle to get myself in the pool.  Spinning is tough because I want to be outside, but I know the weather will start to cooperate and I will be back on the “real” bike soon enough riding through the hills of Central Kentucky. I am very excited about the upcoming season, but most of all, I hope that I don’t make a fool out of myself and would really like to finish all the races that I attempt.  It’s hard to believe that I am talking about finishing a marathon or triathlon when just this time last year, I was close to 400 lbs.  It’s still hard to comprehend and probably always will be.

There you go, another tidbit of my life as I see it.  Just another day in the life of a “fat man.”

Swimming, not drowning as much, biking, but not outside, and hopefully tonight, running again…

Running, Biking, and oh yeah...Swimming

Hello Everyone!!!  Ok, so I haven’t posted in while, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been training and working hard.  It actually means I HAVE been training.

Just to give everyone an update of my race schedule this year, I have decided to let my two big races this year be the Louisville Derby Marathon on April 28^th and the Buckhead Border Challenge Triathlon – Olympic Distance, located on the Riverfront of Jeffersonville, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky.  I was planning to do the Chicago Marathon, but right now, this year, that is just too much money to spend on entry fees and hotels and all the other travel expenses. So, maybe next year! However, I will do quite a few local sprint distance triathlons to get my “feet wet” in the world of triathlon.

My total weight loss thus far is now at around 157 – 158 lbs.  I actually just ordered a men’s (size Large) triathlon shorts, which actually fit!! I have been training and trying to do a pretty good mixture of swim, bike, and run activities (mostly run though).  Last week, my single long run was just over 14 miles last week.  It was my first run over 11 miles in about two weeks and it felt great!  I ran at a pace of a little under nine minutes a mile, which is not fast by any means, but it is over a minute faster per mile than my half marathon pace from last October so I am very happy with my progress.  I am starting to incorporate “tempo runs” into my running workouts and my next step is to include sprints. 

I am kind of nervous about the upcoming marathon, but I know that if I stick to my training, then I should be fine when I get to the starting line.  Fortunately, the weather in Kentucky has been rather mild this winter, so I have not been derailed due to ice or other elements.  One new thing that I have done is completely eliminate my headphones.  I do not intend to wear them during the marathon, so I don’t think that I should train in them.  I actually, really like running without headphones.  I believe I am more focused on my running and pay more attention to my surroundings which is very important since I usually run at night or early in the morning.

As far as my swimming, I am finally learning how to swim “downhill.”  The instructor that I went to a couple of weeks ago had me starting to swim more on top of the water within five minutes.  It took a little while to get used to the endless pool, but I eventually got the hang of it. Now, when I go to the YMCA to swim, my workouts are a little easier, and faster, than they were before.  I still am not a huge fan of swimming, but I don’t dread it as much as I used to, and that is saying a lot.

My biking has been held mostly to just spinning classes two to three times a week with an occasional 25+mile ride if I can fit it into a weekend.  I really don’t like riding in the rain and nasty elements on my road bike, so I usually elect to keep my bike inside and just go to a spinning class.  However, the forecast is looking clear and mild this week, so maybe a ride is in the near future! 

Well, that is about all I have been doing since my last post.  I have been doing as much as I can and also doing strength training and stretching. I have been learning a lot.  I have been to a natural running clinic and am scheduled to attend a triathlon training class this Saturday.  Also, in March, I am attending a running clinic designed to explain how to prevent and treat running injuries.  Like I said, I am trying to learn about these sports “the right way.” I really enjoy doing this stuff and would hate to get injured because I was doing something wrong. I figure, the more I learn, the more I can determine what works and doesn’t work for my body.

I also found a quote that is very simple but motivational, at least I think so… See below

I hope everyone has a GREAT start to the week!!

So that’s me, learning these sports, loving every minute of it, and always running…

Swimmimg...Again???

Today, I have my first "official" private swim lesson. Not only will I be intimated by the location of the lesson (a local swim, bike, run center), but my instructor is a SEC all-American swimmer (oh, how lucky am I - sarcasm).  I am sure he will take one look at me and suggest that I take lessons the rest of the year just to get up to speed.  To me, swimming is so difficult technically and because I don't have those technical aspects locked down, it is very hard physically. 
I am hoping that this instructor can help make my "anxiety" in the water go away. I can go to water parks and swim all day in pools with my kids, but swimming laps or in competition, I get nervous.  There is something about not being able to breathe or holding my breath that gets me "out of sorts."  It must be that I have gotten used to being able to breathe every breath or something like that - haha. I am not trying to break any speed records, but I do want to be able to complete any distance of swimming that I sign up for, and because of that thought, I know I have to seek an instructor to help achieve that goal.  Swimming is so different because I can't just be told or read about how to swim, I have to be shown and taught in the actual environment to get any understanding of swimming.  It's not like biking or running where someone can kind of just tell me helpful hints or tell me to read an article, swimming is completely different, and for that, I get nervous.

But all in all, I am going to learn how to swim one way or the other, whether I pass out or struggle with it for the next few months, I will get it; I have learned that much about myself during this time of training.  I know that although I may not be the best, fastest, or most efficient, I will not stop or quit. 

I heard a quote the other day from one of my Facebook friends that really resonated with me, I think it's from Babe Ruth:

"It's hard to beat a person that never gives up."

or even another similar one of from Hershel Walker:

"If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat."

Other than trying to avoid drowning this evening during my lesson, I will be using quotes like these to help motivate me past my worries about swimming.

Worried, nervous, but still swimming, no I mean running... haha

One Year Ago...Where was I? Year in Review

Ok everyone, here is the yearly total.  Last week, was one year January 10^th and I have lost a total of 151 lbs. in those 12 months.  Wow!!  I can hardly believe it.  I still have a hard time seeing 151 lbs. gone from my body but the scales do not lie.  I started around 380 lbs. and as of last week was down to around 228-229lbs.  I honestly never thought that I could get this far, but I have and I really don’t want to stop either.  People ask me what weight I will stop at and I tell them that it isn’t about that, it’s about getting my body (and mind) in the best possible shape that I can.  So, whatever weight that is, that is my ultimate goal.  Of course it’s pretty awesome to get this far.  I will keep training for races and events, and if the weight still comes off, then I will not complain. 

You will see in the photo below that I had a “biggest loser” moment.  I kept those pants for a reason.  The idea was that after I lost 150 lbs. I would hold them up to the “new me” just like they do on those types of shows. Well, there it is for everyone to see.  I went from a size 50 waist size to a 33/34 waist.  It still hasn’t hit me yet.

As a whole, my life has changed for the better by leaps and bounds.  My health is remarkably better and I have un-relentless energy.  To start something like this takes desire, humility, and self-control, but to get this far, it takes that and so much more.  It takes people (friends, family, co-workers) to support and encourage/motivate along every step and every transition.  I didn’t get this far because of just my self-will; I got this far because of my wife and my children who watched me race and push myself constantly, the people at work who tell me that I am an encouragement to their own weight loss trials, the staff and instructors at the YMCA who ask how my journey is going, the people at the bank who ask to see my ID and then verbally question if the old driver’s license picture is really me, my parents who tell me how proud and motivated they are, and the people who read this blog and encourage me on Facebook.  Everyone has helped in some way. This is not a journey that I would like to do alone and fortunately, I have never been alone.  There has always been someone to help give some words of encouragement.

I know I will never win a marathon, triathlon, trail race, or bike race, but I don’t need to because I have won so much more than any podium finish or medal can provide – I have won my life back and for that I am endlessly grateful. Thank you to everyone who has helped me this far – I will never forget all that you have done for me.

I hope everyone has a great work week!

Happy, humbled, and of course running, but most of all - LIVING…

You Want Motivation?? Here You Go!!!

Two nights ago I attended a storyboard unveiling for my local YMCA.  My oldest daughter was on one of them and I wanted to see the new boards.  What I didn't know is that my outlook and opinion on the YMCA would change dramatically.  I have always respected the message that the YMCA brings to the community and it's members.  From helping the financial needy get a membership to helping people in the community, and putting together programs for the young to old; the YMCA is a great place to be a part of, but I just never realized what the YMCA MEANS to people, until the other night.

Last year, the YMCA created storyboards and placed them around the lobby and hallways.  These storyboards are meant to showcase the local members achievements and highlight programs within the YMCA.  I always thought they were used to be an advertisement tool to show what the YMCA is all about to new members. This year, the second year, they decided to take a personal approach and highlight people who have be positively affected by having the YMCA in the community. Not only were the boards showcased, but the people whose stories were highlighted were there to talk about their experiences.

The first one was a man who in two years had lost 180 lbs!  He weighed 406 lbs and now weighs an amazing 225 lbs!  He stated that a friend had pulled him into a spinning class one day and before he could say no, the instructor had set up the bike for him and got it ready to go.  He said ever since that day, he has not stopped or looked back.  He watched his diet, kept a food journal, and made sure he "made" himself get up and get to the YMCA. He says that the instructors and staff's positiveness is what kept him always coming back.  He was pre-diabetic, taking all kinds of medicine, and now he doesn't worry about his blood sugar and has gotten off most of his medications.  WOW, what a story!!

The next one involved a family of three where the father was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor a few years ago. The father is getting radiation treatments and whatever else is needed to try to help, but the tumor is still inoperable.  Well, his brother-in-law convinced him to go the YMCA to go swimming to maybe get his spirits up.  Since that day he went to YMCA, his family has continued to exercise and regularly go to the YMCA.  Since then, his tumor has actually decreased in size.  Pretty amazing stuff huh!

There were other stories that were just as powerful and moving, but I really wanted to share at least a couple.  I enjoy being a part of the YMCA and now know that everyone has some type of story, whether bad or good.  I am not advocating that everyone should become a member of the YMCA or some gym, but I am advocating exercise, and the positive effects that maintaining a regular exercise routine can have on a person.  Sure, exercise is not the cure-all, but it is a start in the right direction to a possible healthier life.

I hope everyone is starting their New Year in the right direction.

Motivated and moved, and of course, still running...