Here are the details from last nights run:
 |
| 10/30/2012 Run Details |
Here are the split times for this run. Actually not too bad, especially the last full mile.
 |
| 10/30/2012 Run Split Times |
Thanks for reading. Have a great rest of the day.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The Last Run of October, 2012
Since tonight is Halloween, I don't think I'll be getting any running in, unless I hit the treadmill at the gym, so I would like to post the results of last nights run. I have to say that it was a good run. I felt great, had a decent pace, and actually ran the last mile in under 10 minutes! My legs did feel heavy at times though, so it wasn't perfect, but it was a good one nonetheless.
Here are the details from last nights run:
Here are the split times for this run. Actually not too bad, especially the last full mile.
Thanks for reading. Have a great rest of the day.
Here are the details from last nights run:
Here are the split times for this run. Actually not too bad, especially the last full mile.
Thanks for reading. Have a great rest of the day.
My Current Perception of Me is a Lie
My current perception of me is wrong and it is a very hard thing to admit to. If fact, it has taken my loving wife to bluntly, but lovingly put things into perspective for me on how I perceive myself. You see, even though I have lost 122 pounds, and more than 12 inches off of my waist, even though I can see bones I have never seen before, like my clavical, ribs, and other things seen that people take for granted, I still see myself most of the time in only one way. Fat.
For some people that might seem hard to believe, but it's true. I look at myself and I see a person who is still heavy, still has fat, and still isn't at a healthy weight. I am not totally sure why I see myself like this, but it is a hard image to shake.
From the time I hit puberty until I started losing my weight four months ago, with the exception of a nine month period in 1999, I have always been fat. I was well over 400 pounds in high school and most of my adult life I have been well over 350. I have worn sizes as large as a 58 pant, 5XLT shirt and size 16 tennis shoe and buying clothing for me was another nightmare in itself. It is never easy being fat. People look at you in a certain, mocking way, wondering why you don't get off you fat butt and do something about it. Others look at you in a pitying sort of way, feeling sorry about the poor slob who obviously is lazy and must not do anything at all in life. And don't even get me started on trying to date or try to have a social life before I met my loving wife and was married! That was another story altogether.
Then earlier this year, my wife convinced me that weight loss surgery was something I needed to look at, which I did. And in June of this year, I had the procedure done. And I haven't looked back.
The results are there and mentally I know they are there and show. People compliment me all the time on my weight loss and how great I look. People notice me on the street now and smile and say hi. But still I look in the mirror and all I can see is fat.
Yes, I no longer wear the size 54 pants I started off in; instead I am in a size 38 now. My shirt size has gone from a 4XLT to an XL, as have t-shirts and shorts. Even my shoe size has gone down to a normal width from the extra wide width I had to have. You can read my blog and see how I am running four to five times a week, sometimes 3.1 miles, sometimes as much as over six miles at a time, without stopping! I lift weights, I have stamina I didn't know I possessed, but I do not like the way I look. The reflection I see is still fat.
My wife feels I am obsessed on numbers. We have talked about goal weights, and I have actually put my goal weight here on my blog of 180, but secretly, I want to weigh less. I think I would like to weigh around 160 or so, but is that a healthy weight, or is that the inner fear of my thinking I am still too fat? Speaking of weight, I have been in a stall now for two weeks, maintaining the same weight over that period of time. My secret fear? Never going below it now. Staying at 248. Staying fat.
I know some of you reading this may not understand and that is okay. Many of you will not. I'm not even sure if I understand this. In fact, I know I don't. I want to be healthy, not only for myself, but for my family. But the obsession over my weight now is one that I have to tackle. My wife said it sounded similar to someone dealing with anorexia. I simply don't know. But what I do know is that I don't want to ever be where I was when I started this journey. I don't ever want to be fat again.
Maybe that is where the fear lies. Perhaps that is where my wrong perception lies. My perception is a lie and mentally I know it. I think I just have to accept it. Medically I am no longer classified as morbidly obese, but just obese. In layman's terms, I am no longer grossly fat, I am just fat. Eventually I will not be classified as obese/fat, as I have 11 BMI points to go before I am medically considered normal.
In some peoples minds I am already normal. I just have to believe it myself.
It's not going to be easy.
For some people that might seem hard to believe, but it's true. I look at myself and I see a person who is still heavy, still has fat, and still isn't at a healthy weight. I am not totally sure why I see myself like this, but it is a hard image to shake.
From the time I hit puberty until I started losing my weight four months ago, with the exception of a nine month period in 1999, I have always been fat. I was well over 400 pounds in high school and most of my adult life I have been well over 350. I have worn sizes as large as a 58 pant, 5XLT shirt and size 16 tennis shoe and buying clothing for me was another nightmare in itself. It is never easy being fat. People look at you in a certain, mocking way, wondering why you don't get off you fat butt and do something about it. Others look at you in a pitying sort of way, feeling sorry about the poor slob who obviously is lazy and must not do anything at all in life. And don't even get me started on trying to date or try to have a social life before I met my loving wife and was married! That was another story altogether.
Then earlier this year, my wife convinced me that weight loss surgery was something I needed to look at, which I did. And in June of this year, I had the procedure done. And I haven't looked back.
The results are there and mentally I know they are there and show. People compliment me all the time on my weight loss and how great I look. People notice me on the street now and smile and say hi. But still I look in the mirror and all I can see is fat.
Yes, I no longer wear the size 54 pants I started off in; instead I am in a size 38 now. My shirt size has gone from a 4XLT to an XL, as have t-shirts and shorts. Even my shoe size has gone down to a normal width from the extra wide width I had to have. You can read my blog and see how I am running four to five times a week, sometimes 3.1 miles, sometimes as much as over six miles at a time, without stopping! I lift weights, I have stamina I didn't know I possessed, but I do not like the way I look. The reflection I see is still fat.
My wife feels I am obsessed on numbers. We have talked about goal weights, and I have actually put my goal weight here on my blog of 180, but secretly, I want to weigh less. I think I would like to weigh around 160 or so, but is that a healthy weight, or is that the inner fear of my thinking I am still too fat? Speaking of weight, I have been in a stall now for two weeks, maintaining the same weight over that period of time. My secret fear? Never going below it now. Staying at 248. Staying fat.
I know some of you reading this may not understand and that is okay. Many of you will not. I'm not even sure if I understand this. In fact, I know I don't. I want to be healthy, not only for myself, but for my family. But the obsession over my weight now is one that I have to tackle. My wife said it sounded similar to someone dealing with anorexia. I simply don't know. But what I do know is that I don't want to ever be where I was when I started this journey. I don't ever want to be fat again.
Maybe that is where the fear lies. Perhaps that is where my wrong perception lies. My perception is a lie and mentally I know it. I think I just have to accept it. Medically I am no longer classified as morbidly obese, but just obese. In layman's terms, I am no longer grossly fat, I am just fat. Eventually I will not be classified as obese/fat, as I have 11 BMI points to go before I am medically considered normal.
In some peoples minds I am already normal. I just have to believe it myself.
It's not going to be easy.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Going To Prison This Weekend
One of the things I am passionate about is prison ministry. This weekend several hundred men and women and I will be going into state, federal and county correctional institutions to give those on the inside of the prison walls the Hope and Good News of Jesus Christ.
Personally I will be going into the Sanders "Sandy" Estes Unit, which is a privately run prison housing Texas inmates.
This unit is located in Venus, TX which is located south of Dallas and Fort Worth, almost directly between I-35 east and I-35 West. This is a state prison unit, run by a private company, and houses 1040 incarcerated men along with 195 prison employees.
Here is a graphic on this particular unit:
I know several of you out there are wondering why I do this, or may be wondering why so many people might be wasting our time trying to help out these people when we should be locking them up and throwing away the key. Well, the simple reason is this: we are commanded to by Jesus Christ Himself.
One of the other reasons is that a sin is a sin is a sin. We as human beings tend to categorize sins and put them in order from least worst to absolute worse. Murder is worse than taking a pencil isn't it? Or is kidnapping worse than lying? Not in God's eyes it's not! Sin is sin to God and a person with ANY sin cannot approach God. So remember that, the next time you tell a while lie, or pocket that pen from the office and take it home with you. In God's eyes, a liar is no better than a murderer for anyone who sins cannot approach God. Unless that person is reconciled by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
That is why I go in to prison. It is a dark place , full of gloom and despair, depression and hopelessness. It is the domain of the enemy. I and others like me go to bring the light of the good news of Christ. We go to offer Hope, to tell them there is a better way.
I'll post how things went after Saturday, when I return home. For now, I am asking for your prayers. Pray for me and all of the Bill Glass team mates who are going into the prisons. Pray for protection, both spiritual and physical. Pray for the hearts of the inmates and correctional staff to soften and their minds and hearts to be receptive to the Gospel.
Thank you for reading. Have a great rest of the day.
Below you can find more stats on the Estes Prison Unit.
 |
| Bill Glass DFW Weekend of Champions |
Personally I will be going into the Sanders "Sandy" Estes Unit, which is a privately run prison housing Texas inmates.
 |
| Picture of the outside of the Estes Unit |
This unit is located in Venus, TX which is located south of Dallas and Fort Worth, almost directly between I-35 east and I-35 West. This is a state prison unit, run by a private company, and houses 1040 incarcerated men along with 195 prison employees.
Here is a graphic on this particular unit:
 |
| Short Breakdown of the Prison Population by Offense Type and Sentence |
I know several of you out there are wondering why I do this, or may be wondering why so many people might be wasting our time trying to help out these people when we should be locking them up and throwing away the key. Well, the simple reason is this: we are commanded to by Jesus Christ Himself.
Mat 25:34-46 MSGBut that is not the only reason. I have several others as well. I believe that if you truly give these men and women the true Hope that is in Jesus Christ, then they can and will turn their life around and when they walk out of the prison, either discharging their sentence or paroling out, they will lead a productive life that will not be a burden on society. I have seen this with my own eyes! Also, each person has worth in God's eyes. The first person Jesus pardoned, while STILL on the cross was a thief condemned to death. Think about that for a moment. The people in prison have worth in God's eyes, even if people cannot find that worth. God loves all of us, even if some of us are behind bars for crimes they committed.
(34) "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation.
(35) And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room,
(36) I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.'
(37) "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink?
(38) And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?'
(40) Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me--you did it to me.'
(41) "Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell.
(42) And why? Because-- I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
(43) I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'
(44) "Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'
(45) "He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me--you failed to do it to me.'
(46) "Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward."
One of the other reasons is that a sin is a sin is a sin. We as human beings tend to categorize sins and put them in order from least worst to absolute worse. Murder is worse than taking a pencil isn't it? Or is kidnapping worse than lying? Not in God's eyes it's not! Sin is sin to God and a person with ANY sin cannot approach God. So remember that, the next time you tell a while lie, or pocket that pen from the office and take it home with you. In God's eyes, a liar is no better than a murderer for anyone who sins cannot approach God. Unless that person is reconciled by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
That is why I go in to prison. It is a dark place , full of gloom and despair, depression and hopelessness. It is the domain of the enemy. I and others like me go to bring the light of the good news of Christ. We go to offer Hope, to tell them there is a better way.
I'll post how things went after Saturday, when I return home. For now, I am asking for your prayers. Pray for me and all of the Bill Glass team mates who are going into the prisons. Pray for protection, both spiritual and physical. Pray for the hearts of the inmates and correctional staff to soften and their minds and hearts to be receptive to the Gospel.
Thank you for reading. Have a great rest of the day.
Below you can find more stats on the Estes Prison Unit.
| Unit Full Name: | Sanders "Sandy" Estes Unit |
| Unit Address and Phone Number: | 1100 Hwy 1807, Venus, TX 76084 (972) 366-3334 (**670) |
| Unit Location: | One mile southeast of Venus on Hwy 1807 in Johnson County |
| Senior Warden: | Stephen McAdams |
| Deputy Director of Operations Monitoring: | Grady Wallace |
| Private Facility Contract Monitoring/Oversight Division Director: | Celeste Byrne, Private Facility Contract Monitoring/Oversight Division |
| Date Unit Established or On Line: | August 1989 |
| Total Employees *: | 195 |
| Security Employees *: | 144 |
| Non-Security Employees *: | 33 |
| Education Employees *: | 7 |
| Contract Medical and Psychiatric Employees* *: | Medical = 11; Psychiatric = 0 |
| Offender Gender: | Male |
| Maximum Capacity: | 1,040 |
| Custody Levels Housed: | G1, G2 |
| Approximate Acreage: | 40 |
| Agricultural Operations: | None |
| Manufacturing and Logistics Op.: | None |
| Facility Operations: | Unit Maintenance |
| Medical Capabilities: | Ambulatory medical, dental and mental health services. Managed by UTMB. |
| Educational Programs: | Adult Basic Education, GED, Fundamentals, Life Skills |
| Vocational Programs: Building Trades; Electrical Trades; Food Service; Culinary Arts; Computer Technology; Commercial Housekeeping | |
| Additional Programs/Services: | Faith Based Dormitory, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) |
| Community Work Projects: | Services provided to city and county agencies. |
| Volunteer Initiatives: | Substance Abuse Education, Support Groups, Pre-Release Programs, Religious/Faith Based Studies and Activities |
| Operated by: | Management and Training Corporation (MTC) |
Sprinting To The Finish
I did my run yesterday and during the start of my run I still was not sure if I wanted to make it a long run or a speed run. I had set my goal for 4.5 miles before the run, so I decided to make it a long run. There was a problem with that decision, however, in that with the app I use on my phone to track my runs, I can only use the coaching feature to track distance, pace, or a few other aspects of running, but not multiple. It has to be one or the other. When I crossed the first mile and heard what my pace was I was annoyed at the slowness of my speed, but I decided to press on. Then I heard my second mile and decided it was time to kick it up a notch on speed.
At the three mile mark, I had decreased my overall pace for the run, but I wasn't satisfied, so I kicked it into a gear I didn't know I had! When I finished the last part of the run, I had simply run out of steam. Then I looked at my splits and realized that if I could have held on for just another tenth of a mile, I would have run a mile in under 9 minutes. Talk about disappointment! The good news I can takeaway from this is that I should be able to kick up my 5K race pace now when I hit that last mile in any 5K race. If I can stay at a 10:30 to 11:00 pace for the first two miles, then hit that fourth gear and get in the last mile in under nine minutes, I should be able to break that 30 minute barrier I so want to break! At least in theory anyway.
But enough of my rambling. Here are the stats for last night's run:
Here are the split times. Pay attention to the times and how they started decreasing. I am going to attempt to start duplicating that even after my long runs to build up stamina and speed.
Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the day!
At the three mile mark, I had decreased my overall pace for the run, but I wasn't satisfied, so I kicked it into a gear I didn't know I had! When I finished the last part of the run, I had simply run out of steam. Then I looked at my splits and realized that if I could have held on for just another tenth of a mile, I would have run a mile in under 9 minutes. Talk about disappointment! The good news I can takeaway from this is that I should be able to kick up my 5K race pace now when I hit that last mile in any 5K race. If I can stay at a 10:30 to 11:00 pace for the first two miles, then hit that fourth gear and get in the last mile in under nine minutes, I should be able to break that 30 minute barrier I so want to break! At least in theory anyway.
But enough of my rambling. Here are the stats for last night's run:
 |
| 10/28/2012 Run Stats |
Here are the split times. Pay attention to the times and how they started decreasing. I am going to attempt to start duplicating that even after my long runs to build up stamina and speed.
 |
| 10/28/2012 Split Times |
Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the day!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Thursday's Long Run...My First 10K distance!
There are sometimes when my body surprises me and last night was one of those times.
We had a cold front move through the region yesterday and I thought that I would do a run last night with a stiff north wind blowing. When I started my run, the air temperature was at 57 degrees and by the time I had finished, the temperature had dropped to 55 degrees. With the windchill, it actually felt like 44 degrees or so during my run. I decided to run in long compression pants with shorts and a long sleeved compression top worn with a tech fit running shirt over that. I decided to play it safe and wore running gloves as well. Yes, I probably looked a little weird, but I was determined to stay warm! To finish my ensemble, I wore a tight fitting ball cap with an attached light on the brim.
I had decided that I wanted this to be an easy run. I really did not want to do a speed run, where I try to do a PR (personal record) each and every time I run one of my speed runs, instead, I wanted something a little more leisurely. I wanted to try and stay at a pace of 11:30 to 11:45 minutes per mile. when you look at the stats below, you can see that I actually finished the run at a pace of 11:35 so I accomplished that part of the goal. It was the distance goal I set of 4.5 miles that surprised me. I actually finished with a distance of 6.58 miles! I ran my first 10K distance last night and I am excited about that. Now that I have broken that barrier, I plan on trying for that distance at least once a week. Now it's time to break the time for that distance and really get going on training.
Here are the stats for my run last night:
Here are the split times. Again, I wasn't trying to break any land speed records here, but wanted a nice steady, respectable pace. I believe I got was I was looking for.
So that's my long run for the week. Here's to many, many more. Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the day!
We had a cold front move through the region yesterday and I thought that I would do a run last night with a stiff north wind blowing. When I started my run, the air temperature was at 57 degrees and by the time I had finished, the temperature had dropped to 55 degrees. With the windchill, it actually felt like 44 degrees or so during my run. I decided to run in long compression pants with shorts and a long sleeved compression top worn with a tech fit running shirt over that. I decided to play it safe and wore running gloves as well. Yes, I probably looked a little weird, but I was determined to stay warm! To finish my ensemble, I wore a tight fitting ball cap with an attached light on the brim.
I had decided that I wanted this to be an easy run. I really did not want to do a speed run, where I try to do a PR (personal record) each and every time I run one of my speed runs, instead, I wanted something a little more leisurely. I wanted to try and stay at a pace of 11:30 to 11:45 minutes per mile. when you look at the stats below, you can see that I actually finished the run at a pace of 11:35 so I accomplished that part of the goal. It was the distance goal I set of 4.5 miles that surprised me. I actually finished with a distance of 6.58 miles! I ran my first 10K distance last night and I am excited about that. Now that I have broken that barrier, I plan on trying for that distance at least once a week. Now it's time to break the time for that distance and really get going on training.
Here are the stats for my run last night:
 |
| The stats for my first 10K+ distance. |
 |
| Split times for my first 10+ distance. |
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Night Before My Birthday...
And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even....Oh, who am I kidding?
I decided last night after the lightening left the area to do my evening run. I actually felt really good last night, so I decided not to do a speed run but a distance run, and the distance I wanted was that elusive 10K I am trying to reach as my next goal. I felt sure I could reach it, as I kept running, and went past my normal turn around point to show myself I could do this. However, as I came upon the four and three quarter mile mark, I was really starting to slow down, and made the decision then to make it to five miles and then call it a night. Trust me, I wanted to stop at 4 3/4 miles, but decided that if I could do that, I could do five. I'll hit the 10K distance soon. I know I will.
After the run I had a nice surprise! Find out after the pictures below.
So what was my surprise? I achieved my third weight goal of going below 250!
So Happy Early Birthday to me! On to my next weight goal, which is to be at or below 225 pounds!
Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the day!
I decided last night after the lightening left the area to do my evening run. I actually felt really good last night, so I decided not to do a speed run but a distance run, and the distance I wanted was that elusive 10K I am trying to reach as my next goal. I felt sure I could reach it, as I kept running, and went past my normal turn around point to show myself I could do this. However, as I came upon the four and three quarter mile mark, I was really starting to slow down, and made the decision then to make it to five miles and then call it a night. Trust me, I wanted to stop at 4 3/4 miles, but decided that if I could do that, I could do five. I'll hit the 10K distance soon. I know I will.
After the run I had a nice surprise! Find out after the pictures below.
 |
| The details of my latest run (10/22/2012) |
 |
| The split times for my run. (10/22/2012) |
 |
| Third Weight Goal of being below 250? Check! |
So Happy Early Birthday to me! On to my next weight goal, which is to be at or below 225 pounds!
Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the day!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Friday's Run (10/19/2012)
Some days I feel like I am "On" during a run and there are sometimes when I don't. Tonight was one of those runs that I just didn't feel "on". I felt like I ran slower and according to my split times, I did run slower. I felt like I was going to throw up a few times and overall I felt like I didn't have a good run. But I kept the run going and ran through the feelings my body was giving me.
It probably did not help that my meals consisted of mostly crap today. I had to visit one of our company's construction sites very early this morning and missed my normal breakfast, resulting in a Whataburger sausage, egg and cheese taquito. Lunch wasn't much better. I had a Chik-Fil-A grilled chicken club sandwich (without the bun) and a small waffle fry. For dinner I had ham wrapped grilled chicken with a slice of provolone cheese. Not a great day eating.
But the important thing is that I ran. So here are the details and the split times for tonight's run.
I am very grateful that at 252 pounds, I am able to run at a sub eleven minute mile, but I am looking forward to the times when I can run a sub ten minute mile. That will be an accomplishment for me.
Thanks for reading! Have a great rest of the day.
It probably did not help that my meals consisted of mostly crap today. I had to visit one of our company's construction sites very early this morning and missed my normal breakfast, resulting in a Whataburger sausage, egg and cheese taquito. Lunch wasn't much better. I had a Chik-Fil-A grilled chicken club sandwich (without the bun) and a small waffle fry. For dinner I had ham wrapped grilled chicken with a slice of provolone cheese. Not a great day eating.
But the important thing is that I ran. So here are the details and the split times for tonight's run.
 |
| The details. Not a very good run for me. |
 |
| My split times. |
I am very grateful that at 252 pounds, I am able to run at a sub eleven minute mile, but I am looking forward to the times when I can run a sub ten minute mile. That will be an accomplishment for me.
Thanks for reading! Have a great rest of the day.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Using A Workout Playlist To Run Faster
I have read several articles on running and whether or not having a playlist with more upbeat music helps you increase your running pace or not. There are good arguments on both sides, but I wanted to add my two cents on this topic.
I have noticed that when I used previous workout lists, I tended to run slower, only running 11:50 to 12:00 miles. An example of one of my previous workout playlists is below:
I love praise and worship music, but my problem is that the beats were too slow and I believe were affecting my running times. So I decided to make some new playlists, this time with much faster music.
If you look at my run from last night, you'll see that I had a much faster pace and I will attribute that to the fact that I changed up my workout list as last night I listened to my rock list. Tonight I will try my pop list and see how that goes.
My advice to you, for what it is worth, is to build a list of music you enjoy and like, somewhere in the range of 150 to 190 beats (or more) per minute and run to it. Compare your times running to the faster music you like to the runs listening to the music you used to listen to, or in some cases for those who normally do not listen to music, to the runs you ran without music. I would be very interested in hearing if your minutes per mile increased or decreased and by how much.
I would also like to know what you listen to. Leave me a comment telling me what's on your playlist.
I hope you have a great rest of the Day! Thanks for reading.
I have noticed that when I used previous workout lists, I tended to run slower, only running 11:50 to 12:00 miles. An example of one of my previous workout playlists is below:
 |
| One of my previous workout playlists |
 |
| New Christian Workout Mix. Notice the different styles including rap, rock and pop. |
 |
| My Pop Workout Mix. Notice I have different eras and genres. |
 |
| My Rap Workout List. Yes, I actually do like rap. |
 |
| My Rock Workout List. This is really the best one when it comes to beats per minute. |
My advice to you, for what it is worth, is to build a list of music you enjoy and like, somewhere in the range of 150 to 190 beats (or more) per minute and run to it. Compare your times running to the faster music you like to the runs listening to the music you used to listen to, or in some cases for those who normally do not listen to music, to the runs you ran without music. I would be very interested in hearing if your minutes per mile increased or decreased and by how much.
I would also like to know what you listen to. Leave me a comment telling me what's on your playlist.
I hope you have a great rest of the Day! Thanks for reading.
My Run Last Night: A Great Compliment From My Wife
I decided not to run this past Tuesday. Instead, I took it easy, if you can call changing a blown out tire on the street easy, and go see my youngest daughter's softball game. After that we all went home and simply relaxed for the evening.
So I went running last night after compiling some playlist to run to.
The night was a little cool, and we actually had a light northerly breeze, unless you were running directly into it, so I put on one of my long sleeved compression shirts under my running shirt and out the door I went.
Forty-Four minutes later I arrived home and my wife looked at me as I walked into the living room and said "That was a quick workout."
Without hesitation, I looked back, breathing a little heavy and said, " That was four miles."
It was the best compliment I have had in a long while!
Here are the stats for my latest run:
Here are the splits. I actually had some good splits and I believe I am getting a little faster in my runs:
Thanks for reading. Have a great rest of the day!
So I went running last night after compiling some playlist to run to.
The night was a little cool, and we actually had a light northerly breeze, unless you were running directly into it, so I put on one of my long sleeved compression shirts under my running shirt and out the door I went.
Forty-Four minutes later I arrived home and my wife looked at me as I walked into the living room and said "That was a quick workout."
Without hesitation, I looked back, breathing a little heavy and said, " That was four miles."
It was the best compliment I have had in a long while!
Here are the stats for my latest run:
Thanks for reading. Have a great rest of the day!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
My Upcoming 5K Race Schedule
I have had a couple people ask me about what upcoming races I am planning on running in the next few weeks, so I thought I would post my upcoming schedule here on my blog. Here are the races I am planning on running in.
The first is the Gary Burns Frisco Fun Run, Saturday, October 27, 2012.
The next race is The Spirit Run 5K, Saturday, November 10, 2012 in Richardson, TX.
After that comes the first of the Thanksgiving themed races, The Gobble Hobble, also in Richardson. This race is Saturday, November 17, 2012.
On Thanksgiving Day, it will be not just me but me and the family running in the Dallas Turkey Trot! I am really looking forward to running with the family in this one. This race is, of course, on Thursday, November 22, 2012.
The last race I have on my schedule so far happens on Saturday, December 8, 2012 and is in again in Frisco. I will be racing in the Frosty 5K that day.
If you like to run and get a chance to run in any of these races, please look me up and say hi!
Have a great rest of the day!
The first is the Gary Burns Frisco Fun Run, Saturday, October 27, 2012.
 |
| Proceeds from the Frisco Fun Run go to the Frisco Education Foundation to build scholarship opportunities for our Frisco ISD students, including the Gary Burns Memorial Scholarship Fund. |
 |
| Four High Schools will compete for bragging rights and a coveted traveling Spirit Trophy based on your end of race votes for the most spirited High School. Each High School will be assigned one of four spirit stops and have their Drum Lines, Jazz bands, and others entertain you and cheer you to the finish! |
After that comes the first of the Thanksgiving themed races, The Gobble Hobble, also in Richardson. This race is Saturday, November 17, 2012.
 |
| This is the seventh year for The Gobble Hobble! |
 |
| This is the largest Race on Thanksgiving in the nation! |
The last race I have on my schedule so far happens on Saturday, December 8, 2012 and is in again in Frisco. I will be racing in the Frosty 5K that day.
 |
| Christmas in the air with a great run in Frisco! |
Have a great rest of the day!
My Last Two Runs: Running Indoors
My last two runs have been what are considered indoor runs, which means I have been running on a treadmill in the gym instead of running my normal routes. Now considering that I actually enjoy running outdoors, you might wonder why I have run my last two runs on a treadmill. The main reason has been for convenience. I ran indoors this past Saturday simply because I had no choice. I was in San Antonio for family business and I needed two things: I needed to de-stress and I needed to run. The hotel we were staying at was a very nice one and the machines in the fitness room were first rate. Here are the details from that run:
Not a bad run, but I was hoping for a longer run. Usually on Saturdays, I try to run further than the last week, or at least equal what I ran the previous Saturday and on the previous Saturday I ran 5.07 miles. However, I had both of my daughters with me in the fitness room and with a swimming pool calling to them and the hot tub calling to me, I decided to make sure I got my 5K distance in at least.
Last night's run was again an indoor run by necessity. Not because of rain or inclement weather, but because of the lateness of the run. I started my run around 9:50 PM or so and to be honest, I simply didn't feel like running outdoors at that time of night.
Here are the details for last night's run:
So that's it for now on my latest runs. I'll be posting a little more a little later on today.
Have a great rest of the day!
 |
| Indoor Run on 10/13/2012 |
Last night's run was again an indoor run by necessity. Not because of rain or inclement weather, but because of the lateness of the run. I started my run around 9:50 PM or so and to be honest, I simply didn't feel like running outdoors at that time of night.
Here are the details for last night's run:
 |
| Indoor Run on 10/15/2012 |
Have a great rest of the day!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Thursday's Run (10/11/12)
So Thursday's run was brought to you by the numbers 11, 12, and 13, as in October 11, 2012 (10/11/12, get it?).
I decided to keep my run in the neighborhood last night, in order to stay close to my home. It wasn't a bad run, a tad bit slow, but the distance was nice. I think I have decided that my best course of action for maintaining a good pace, say 10:30 to 10:45 minute miles, is to try and run with a partner or with a group. When I have others with me I tend to run a faster pace. When I run by myself, the opposite occurs. So I am attempting to start a running club at my work. So far only two others have expressed interest, but it is a start.
Onto this particular run.
Here is the overall of the run:
Overall it was better than the last run I had and was the first time I have actually run in my own neighborhood on the streets and sidewalks. I think I like this one a little better, especially at night. Just in case something happens, I know lots of neighbors and can get to help a lot sooner than if I am by myself on the trails in the park.
Anyway, thanks for reading! Have a great rest of the day!
I decided to keep my run in the neighborhood last night, in order to stay close to my home. It wasn't a bad run, a tad bit slow, but the distance was nice. I think I have decided that my best course of action for maintaining a good pace, say 10:30 to 10:45 minute miles, is to try and run with a partner or with a group. When I have others with me I tend to run a faster pace. When I run by myself, the opposite occurs. So I am attempting to start a running club at my work. So far only two others have expressed interest, but it is a start.
Onto this particular run.
Here is the overall of the run:
 |
| Overall information for Thursday, October 11, 2012's run |
 |
| Map and Splits for the run. |
Anyway, thanks for reading! Have a great rest of the day!
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
My Run Tonight
Well, I ran tonight, but it was a difficult run for me. I am not sure if I was simply tired, or my food had not digested enough or what, but I was way off my normal pace, which is around 10:40 to 11:20 per mile, and there were at least five times that I wanted to simply stop the run, and walk the rest of the way home from where I stopped.
But I didn't stop. I kept on running until I came to my normal stopping point and then I finished the run. Then I walked home, using my walk home as my cool down.
For those of you who might be interested, here are the details of the run.
Thanks for reading. Have a great rest of the day!
But I didn't stop. I kept on running until I came to my normal stopping point and then I finished the run. Then I walked home, using my walk home as my cool down.
For those of you who might be interested, here are the details of the run.
 |
| Overview of tonight's run. |
 |
| Time Splits and map |
Thanks for reading. Have a great rest of the day!
Monday, October 08, 2012
Current Progress In Losing Weight
My wife and I were looking over old photographs of us from the last few years, and we both were amazed at the changes in our appearances from then until now. I promised my wife that I would not upload any images of her, even though I personally think that she is smoking hot, but I will upload a progression image of me, from right before surgery, until today, spanning four months progress so far. I also am uploading an image of me at my all time heaviest, which was about 380 pounds, to give you an idea of what I looked like and the amount of weight I carried.
First the image of me, taken at about my heaviest weight, Christmas 2009:
The next picture is a montage of me in three stages of weight loss: the far left was taken in April 2012, before I started losing weight and before my surgery. The middle picture was taken two weeks after my surgery, on July 6 and the final picture on the right was taken in August (not sure of the date). I apologize for the quality, but these were taken by my iPhone.
The next picture is the picture my wife took of me yesterday after my running of the Lost Dog 5K (October 7, 2012).
And that is my progression so far in my weight loss. The next two pictures show it all.
I still have a long way to go until I reach my goal of 180 or so and even that can be changed down some, but I look forward to that day. I will say that I would never be where I am today in any fashion without the assistance and help, and pushing from my wife. She is one of the guiding forces that has helped me come to this point in my life. The other? My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him I would not be able to accomplish anything.
Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the day!
First the image of me, taken at about my heaviest weight, Christmas 2009:
 |
| Christmas 2009. I am about 380 in this picture. |
The next picture is a montage of me in three stages of weight loss: the far left was taken in April 2012, before I started losing weight and before my surgery. The middle picture was taken two weeks after my surgery, on July 6 and the final picture on the right was taken in August (not sure of the date). I apologize for the quality, but these were taken by my iPhone.
The next picture is the picture my wife took of me yesterday after my running of the Lost Dog 5K (October 7, 2012).
 |
| October 7, 2012. 256.8 pounds. |
I still have a long way to go until I reach my goal of 180 or so and even that can be changed down some, but I look forward to that day. I will say that I would never be where I am today in any fashion without the assistance and help, and pushing from my wife. She is one of the guiding forces that has helped me come to this point in my life. The other? My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him I would not be able to accomplish anything.
Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the day!
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Lost Dog 5K Race Results
Today I ran the Lost Dog 5K put on by the White Rock Racing Group. This was the first time I have run in colder weather and it was downright chilly! At race time it was 46 degrees and the long compression pants and long sleeve compression shirt helped out tremendously!
The course itself for those of us running the 5K was straight and simple enough. Down one street for a little over 1.6 miles and back for a total of 3.1 miles while those running the 20K race kept going.
I had two goals again for this race: the first was to again finish without stopping to walk at anytime. The second was to keep at least a pace of at least 11:00 minutes per mile. I am happy to say I accomplished both of my goals!
Here is the map of the event with my split times:
So how did I do? Well, I won my age division, my weight division and placed 5 in the Masters division. (And to be honest, it was a smaller race, but I am not trying to downplay my results; just being forthright with the facts.)
I have to admit that I was really happy with my time in this race. I actually bested my time from the Plano Balloon Festival 5K by a full one minute and twenty-three (1:23) seconds! Yes, a new personal best!
So overall it was a great race for my second 5K race ever. A new personal best time, a first place finish and a fifth place in the masters division, and even a trophy!
I'm not sure what my next race will be, but as soon as I know, I'll post it on here. Until then, have a great rest of the day!
The course itself for those of us running the 5K was straight and simple enough. Down one street for a little over 1.6 miles and back for a total of 3.1 miles while those running the 20K race kept going.
I had two goals again for this race: the first was to again finish without stopping to walk at anytime. The second was to keep at least a pace of at least 11:00 minutes per mile. I am happy to say I accomplished both of my goals!
Here is the map of the event with my split times:
 |
| So This is taken from my MapMyFitness Page. |
So how did I do? Well, I won my age division, my weight division and placed 5 in the Masters division. (And to be honest, it was a smaller race, but I am not trying to downplay my results; just being forthright with the facts.)
 |
| I am ranked 5th in this image. |
So overall it was a great race for my second 5K race ever. A new personal best time, a first place finish and a fifth place in the masters division, and even a trophy!
 |
| It's a small trophy, but still, not bad for my second 5K! |
I'm not sure what my next race will be, but as soon as I know, I'll post it on here. Until then, have a great rest of the day!
Friday, October 05, 2012
Revisiting My Fitness Goals
Yesterday I started playing catch-up with my blog and let you know how I have done on my weight loss since I last posted (which was simply way too long). Today I wanted to catch you up on how I am doing with my fitness goals.
When I posted back in July, I had not yet started a fitness program to speak of; I was simply riding my bike on the local trails and at times walking those same trails as well as the roads in and around my neighborhood. Now granted, I was doing fairly well, averaging about five to six miles per bike ride, and between three and five miles on my walks. However, I wanted more, as I show below (taken from my goals back on July 31, 2012). Because I had so many goals, I am going to break them down individually at first.
Apart from starting the C25K training program and about to finish it, I actually ran my first 5K race back on September 23, 2012! My stats from the race is shown below:
The next goal I had listed was to run a 5K race with my family, specifically the Turkey Trot in November. That goal is still on, but we'll have to see how it goes. I'm hoping to at least be able to run it with my wife. Not sure if the kids will be able to or not.
Until then, have a great rest of the day!
When I posted back in July, I had not yet started a fitness program to speak of; I was simply riding my bike on the local trails and at times walking those same trails as well as the roads in and around my neighborhood. Now granted, I was doing fairly well, averaging about five to six miles per bike ride, and between three and five miles on my walks. However, I wanted more, as I show below (taken from my goals back on July 31, 2012). Because I had so many goals, I am going to break them down individually at first.
- To start and finish the Couch to 5K program and run my first 5K race.
Apart from starting the C25K training program and about to finish it, I actually ran my first 5K race back on September 23, 2012! My stats from the race is shown below:
 |
| Results from my very first 5K - 9/23/2012 |
 | ||
| Crossing the finish line in my very first 5K! |
- To run a 5K race with my family.
- Turkey Trot is the first one I want to do.
- To be able to jog a minimum of 3.5 miles 4 times a week.
- To be able to bike a minimum of 10 miles 3 times a week.
- To be able to swim a minimum of 1 mile 3 times a week.
- After achieving this goal I want to start increasing that distance every month until I can swim 2 to 3 miles at a time.
- To be able to start training for my first Sprint Triathlon.
- To compete in my first Triathlon.
- Sprint first
- Olympic second
- Ironman eventually
Until then, have a great rest of the day!
Thursday, October 04, 2012
Catching Up Is SO Hard To Do! Weight Loss Goals Revisited
I have a really bad habit of forgetting to blog, as you can no doubt tell from the date of my last blog entry! I have to admit that I am very embarrassed about this, but things happen, and you move on. I thought with this current post, I would play a little catch up and let you know how I have done on my goals so far.
When I posted back in July, I wrote down the following goals:
Weight Loss Goals:
My next big goal is to be at or under 250 pounds. Currently I am at 262, so I have a few pounds to get rid of. I am hoping to achieve this goal sometime around December 15th of this year. To be honest, I was hoping to actually be at this goal, but the weight loss has slowed down so I am being patient.
For anyone who is interested, I am eating anywhere between 950 to 1200 calories a day, depending on how active I am that day. My break down for nutritional goals per day is as follows:
I am using MyFitnessPal.com to keep track of all of my nutrition.
For my next post, I'll catch you up to date on how my fitness goals are coming along. Until then, have a great rest of the day!
.JPG){kind=link}
When I posted back in July, I wrote down the following goals:
Weight Loss Goals:
- To lose enough weight to be at or under 300 pounds.
- I have achieved this goal already!
- To lose 100 pounds and become a member of the Century Club.
- To lose enough weight to be at or under 250 pounds.
- To lose enough weight to be at or under 200 pounds
- To achieve my goal weight of 180 pounds.
- I met my first goal of being at or under 300 pounds when I wrote my last post back in July..
- I achieved my goal of losing 100 pounds and joining the Century Club! I accomplished this on September 13, 2012.
 |
| 100 Pounds Gone! |
My next big goal is to be at or under 250 pounds. Currently I am at 262, so I have a few pounds to get rid of. I am hoping to achieve this goal sometime around December 15th of this year. To be honest, I was hoping to actually be at this goal, but the weight loss has slowed down so I am being patient.
For anyone who is interested, I am eating anywhere between 950 to 1200 calories a day, depending on how active I am that day. My break down for nutritional goals per day is as follows:
- Protein: 107 grams per day
- Carbohydrates: 83 grams per day
- Fat: 21 grams per day
I am using MyFitnessPal.com to keep track of all of my nutrition.
For my next post, I'll catch you up to date on how my fitness goals are coming along. Until then, have a great rest of the day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)