Hello Readers!
I am very excited as I post my blog this week. This previous week my intensity level continued to increase with my marathon preparation. I put in close to 30 miles. My longest run was 11 miles on Saturday that was sandwiched with 2 four milers and and a 6.5 miler. I mixed in some standard cross training of walking, boot camp, weightlifing and finally swimming. The effort is starting to show in my stamina and according to others in my looks. I have had several people ask this week if I have lost weight, thank you to those people as that is always motivational and inspirational for me to continue this effort. I want to share a couple of great opportunities coming up that will allow you to exercise and help out with great charities.
One of my biggest inspirations in running is my friend Jen, you see me mention her name often as she continues to push me along with my brother and sister-in-law to reach these lofty goals. Jen is running the Boston marathon next April which is the most prestigious marathon one can run. She is raising money for a great charity which is the Miles for Miracles. This charity raises money for the Childrens Hopital in Boston. One of her prime fundraisers is the Dig for Kids Charity Volleyball tournament on October 2nd at Volleyball Beach. You have heard me pimp Beach Volleyball and the incredible workout it provides recently. This in an opportunity for it not to be ridiculously hot and get out to support a great cause. The following is a link to the site for this tournament please get out and support it: www.digforkids.net. There will be some great raffles, a silent auction, and many other opportunities to win prizes and have a ton of fun.
The second event I am going to mention is the Patriot Run in Olathe. This run goes from noon to 9:11 PM and is run on September 11th every year. This cause is definitely near and dear to most peoples hearts as this is for our soldiers. What makes this event so special is that the soldiers in Afghanistan are actually taking part at the same time as the runners here in Olathe. I will be particpating in this event with my co-workers at USC. This will be the part in my marathon training where it gets really difficult as my schedule has be due to complete 17-18 miles on that day. I will be out there an running my set amount. These distance runs require an insane amount of phyical exertion so I would love for followers to make it out that day and run a few laps with me. The course is one mile in length. This will probably take me around 3 1/2 hours to run. Again I challenge you to make it out, support the cause and help push me to my limits that day. You can sign up for the event at http://patriotsrun.us.
Readers I look forward to seeing or hearing from you on your adventures. Please support these great events and causes and happy exercising this week!
Fraternity Centennial Celebration
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Special Moment
Hello Readers!
Last Friday I was given an opportunity to share my story with Ah-ha moments, this is sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. This is a traveling Winnebago where people share when the moment was in their life that caused them to change in a positive direction. I was very touched that this blog was being followed and they wanted me to share with so many people. I will publish my link in about three weeks after they send it to me for everyone to see. This blog is exciting for me as I enjoy sharing tidbits I have learned along the way and trying to inspire others to reach any goals in their life as well. FYI this link will have pictures of a couple props I took one was my pants when I was a size 54 inch waist and the photo of me at my peak weight, I think many of you will not even recognize me in the photo and be shocked at the pants.
This upcoming week will mark me getting fully back to the grind. I did a very good job of exercising last week and incorporating some fun new things into it. I competed in a Sand Volleyball Tournament for charity which was a true blast. I don't think people realize how exhausting this is, I woke up a little sore and very tired the day following. This is highly recommended for those who do not enjoy running. I will be joining league during the week at night as I had so much fun. A point I always try to make is exercising should be fun. When it becomes routine and no fun then the benefits and the great feeling starts to fade.
Not to fear everyone, I did not let my running slip as I still got all the necessary training runs in. Getting back into the grind means it is time to ramp up the mileage. So far my longest training run has been 10 miles, but this week I will begin extending this out. I will begin increasing some of my shorter runs from 4 to 6 miles as well. I have new set of running shoes just itching to push my body and mind to the next level. For those of you that are new to the running scene you want to make sure you get new shoes every 500-600 miles you put on them otherwise you will risk injury.
Everyone have a great week!
Last Friday I was given an opportunity to share my story with Ah-ha moments, this is sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. This is a traveling Winnebago where people share when the moment was in their life that caused them to change in a positive direction. I was very touched that this blog was being followed and they wanted me to share with so many people. I will publish my link in about three weeks after they send it to me for everyone to see. This blog is exciting for me as I enjoy sharing tidbits I have learned along the way and trying to inspire others to reach any goals in their life as well. FYI this link will have pictures of a couple props I took one was my pants when I was a size 54 inch waist and the photo of me at my peak weight, I think many of you will not even recognize me in the photo and be shocked at the pants.
This upcoming week will mark me getting fully back to the grind. I did a very good job of exercising last week and incorporating some fun new things into it. I competed in a Sand Volleyball Tournament for charity which was a true blast. I don't think people realize how exhausting this is, I woke up a little sore and very tired the day following. This is highly recommended for those who do not enjoy running. I will be joining league during the week at night as I had so much fun. A point I always try to make is exercising should be fun. When it becomes routine and no fun then the benefits and the great feeling starts to fade.
Not to fear everyone, I did not let my running slip as I still got all the necessary training runs in. Getting back into the grind means it is time to ramp up the mileage. So far my longest training run has been 10 miles, but this week I will begin extending this out. I will begin increasing some of my shorter runs from 4 to 6 miles as well. I have new set of running shoes just itching to push my body and mind to the next level. For those of you that are new to the running scene you want to make sure you get new shoes every 500-600 miles you put on them otherwise you will risk injury.
Everyone have a great week!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Mental Challenges
Hello Readers!
This week I wanted to touch on the mental challenge incorporated with losing weight, running and just about everything involving sports. Last week I mentioned that I would be running the Rock the Crossroads run, I did complete this run. This day defined why running is so mentally challenging. The temperature outside was 95 with about 80% humidity a typical Kansas City summer day. The run was located in the middle of downtown which meant with the concrete surroundings the temperature felt about 105 degrees. I have been training for a long time and generally have no troubles completing a 5K without walking but the elements of this day caused me to be mentally weak. I walked in three separate sections of the course. My physical conditioning was not the problem, I was not mentally in the game that night. I had convinced myself ahead of time that it was too hot to run.
This is a mistake I will not make in November when it is time for the Marathon. People who have run marathons tell you that the most difficult part is the mental games you must play when running. Having run several half marathons I can attest you must show up in the right frame of mind. In running you are given several different conditions and they can change during the course of the race, it is imperative that you have prepared yourself ahead of time for the challenges that could and will be faced.
Mental games are not just associated with running they play a very important part in the entire weight loss process. Losing weight is just as much mental as physical. By this I mean that in order to lose weight and sustain your weight loss you must be in the right frame of mind. True weight loss is a change of life style, you can lose 10 pounds in a week but in order to keep that 10 pounds off you have to commit to maintaining the exercise regiment or dieting scheme used to lose the initial weight. This is something I struggled with in earlier years of my life but have since learned. This is the reason why I continue to see results and will continue to see the positive results in my life. Have a great week readers and fellow runners!
This week I wanted to touch on the mental challenge incorporated with losing weight, running and just about everything involving sports. Last week I mentioned that I would be running the Rock the Crossroads run, I did complete this run. This day defined why running is so mentally challenging. The temperature outside was 95 with about 80% humidity a typical Kansas City summer day. The run was located in the middle of downtown which meant with the concrete surroundings the temperature felt about 105 degrees. I have been training for a long time and generally have no troubles completing a 5K without walking but the elements of this day caused me to be mentally weak. I walked in three separate sections of the course. My physical conditioning was not the problem, I was not mentally in the game that night. I had convinced myself ahead of time that it was too hot to run.
This is a mistake I will not make in November when it is time for the Marathon. People who have run marathons tell you that the most difficult part is the mental games you must play when running. Having run several half marathons I can attest you must show up in the right frame of mind. In running you are given several different conditions and they can change during the course of the race, it is imperative that you have prepared yourself ahead of time for the challenges that could and will be faced.
Mental games are not just associated with running they play a very important part in the entire weight loss process. Losing weight is just as much mental as physical. By this I mean that in order to lose weight and sustain your weight loss you must be in the right frame of mind. True weight loss is a change of life style, you can lose 10 pounds in a week but in order to keep that 10 pounds off you have to commit to maintaining the exercise regiment or dieting scheme used to lose the initial weight. This is something I struggled with in earlier years of my life but have since learned. This is the reason why I continue to see results and will continue to see the positive results in my life. Have a great week readers and fellow runners!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Spirit of Competition
Hello Readers!
It has been a few weeks since I last posted. I have been extremely busy with some celebrating. I was celebrating my official passing of my last class and graduation from Boston University. Thanks to all the readers who made it out to celebrate with me! I am excited for the coming weekend as I am running my first race since Februrary. The spirit of competition is very important in keeping my training fresh. Even though I have not been blogging, I still have been very dilligent in my training. I am up to 10.5 miles as my longest run right now. I will be pushing this out to 12 miles over the weekend as I do need to be upping the mileage on long runs.
I mentioned above that the spirit of competition is important. Running is a very lonely sport when you train. This is nice at times as you are able to reflect on a great deal, it allows you to clear your mind and provides a great deal of solitude, but training can't get you that sense of competition that most of us truly desire. I am one of the most competitive people on the earth and many of you have witnessed this first hand and can attest to it, but if you have not witnessed it I hate losing. Many times I do not react well to losing. When it comes to running races I have already conceded to the fact that I am not the best, but that doesn't mean my competitive spirit accepts the defeat. The fun part about racing is seeing the continued time improvements as many times for me it is me versus the clock not necessarily me versus runners. The second great part about the race is seeing many of the same faces out and talking to other runners before and after racing.
The run I am running is the Rock the Crossroads 5K, this is in downtown Kansas City and is followed by a concert at Grinders which should be a blast. I will be running with my good running friend Jen. If anyone reading this is looking for a good time sign up it is on Saturday night at 7:00. This will be my first night race and I am a bit concerned as the weather forecast is for 92 degree heat at race time, but the run must go on. Hopefully I will see of few of you out there.
It has been a few weeks since I last posted. I have been extremely busy with some celebrating. I was celebrating my official passing of my last class and graduation from Boston University. Thanks to all the readers who made it out to celebrate with me! I am excited for the coming weekend as I am running my first race since Februrary. The spirit of competition is very important in keeping my training fresh. Even though I have not been blogging, I still have been very dilligent in my training. I am up to 10.5 miles as my longest run right now. I will be pushing this out to 12 miles over the weekend as I do need to be upping the mileage on long runs.
I mentioned above that the spirit of competition is important. Running is a very lonely sport when you train. This is nice at times as you are able to reflect on a great deal, it allows you to clear your mind and provides a great deal of solitude, but training can't get you that sense of competition that most of us truly desire. I am one of the most competitive people on the earth and many of you have witnessed this first hand and can attest to it, but if you have not witnessed it I hate losing. Many times I do not react well to losing. When it comes to running races I have already conceded to the fact that I am not the best, but that doesn't mean my competitive spirit accepts the defeat. The fun part about racing is seeing the continued time improvements as many times for me it is me versus the clock not necessarily me versus runners. The second great part about the race is seeing many of the same faces out and talking to other runners before and after racing.
The run I am running is the Rock the Crossroads 5K, this is in downtown Kansas City and is followed by a concert at Grinders which should be a blast. I will be running with my good running friend Jen. If anyone reading this is looking for a good time sign up it is on Saturday night at 7:00. This will be my first night race and I am a bit concerned as the weather forecast is for 92 degree heat at race time, but the run must go on. Hopefully I will see of few of you out there.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Intensity is picking up in Summer Months
Hello Readers!
A couple weeks back I mentioned that I have decided to run my first marathon. I wanted to fill everyone in on some of the intense training I have begun. The real intensity will pick up in September and October as the runs will begin hitting the upper teens and then twenty mile marks, but I have started my own intense conditioning in preparation for this. Here is a look at the intene week put in last week.
Monday - 4 mile run followed by boot camp
Tuesday - 4 mile walk with Coco my dog and 4 mile walk with my friend Amie.
Wednesday - 4.5 mile run followed by spin class
Thursday - Off day I needed some rest
Friday - 1500 meter swim, and spin class in the morning.
Saturday - 4 mile walk with my friend Amie, 3 mile walk with Coco
Sunday - 5 mile walk with Coco, 3 mile run, Softball, 3 mile walk with Amie.
The time and mileage is starting to build, I am now getting prepared to make Saturday my long run day which will begin this week with a 7 mile jaunt and increase steadily. People probably look at this and think I am an idiot! There are times I feel this way too, but I refuse to let myself fail in my goals.
Right now I am in a full out cardio build phase, the results are showing as my pants are once again loose. I am having to keep my belt tightened to keep some of my shorts on which is an excellent feeling. As the weather gets hotter and the miles get longer I expect to see a great improvement in my conditioning and the continual improvement of the overall appearance of my body. Single women who follow this watch out! I am gaining more and more confidence each day. I am following my slogan of "Life is short, Live it Hard". My attitude on life is get the most out of everyday and I make sure that this is fulfilled. On a personal note I am very excited to say the next time the blog is published I will have completed my Masters Program at BU. This is my final this week and my final paper, the past two years have been busy and difficult, but I have learned a great deal and look forward to applying this in life!
A couple weeks back I mentioned that I have decided to run my first marathon. I wanted to fill everyone in on some of the intense training I have begun. The real intensity will pick up in September and October as the runs will begin hitting the upper teens and then twenty mile marks, but I have started my own intense conditioning in preparation for this. Here is a look at the intene week put in last week.
Monday - 4 mile run followed by boot camp
Tuesday - 4 mile walk with Coco my dog and 4 mile walk with my friend Amie.
Wednesday - 4.5 mile run followed by spin class
Thursday - Off day I needed some rest
Friday - 1500 meter swim, and spin class in the morning.
Saturday - 4 mile walk with my friend Amie, 3 mile walk with Coco
Sunday - 5 mile walk with Coco, 3 mile run, Softball, 3 mile walk with Amie.
The time and mileage is starting to build, I am now getting prepared to make Saturday my long run day which will begin this week with a 7 mile jaunt and increase steadily. People probably look at this and think I am an idiot! There are times I feel this way too, but I refuse to let myself fail in my goals.
Right now I am in a full out cardio build phase, the results are showing as my pants are once again loose. I am having to keep my belt tightened to keep some of my shorts on which is an excellent feeling. As the weather gets hotter and the miles get longer I expect to see a great improvement in my conditioning and the continual improvement of the overall appearance of my body. Single women who follow this watch out! I am gaining more and more confidence each day. I am following my slogan of "Life is short, Live it Hard". My attitude on life is get the most out of everyday and I make sure that this is fulfilled. On a personal note I am very excited to say the next time the blog is published I will have completed my Masters Program at BU. This is my final this week and my final paper, the past two years have been busy and difficult, but I have learned a great deal and look forward to applying this in life!
Monday, June 14, 2010
True Inspiration: Relay for Life
Hello Readers!
Today I wanted to touch on Relay for Life again. Friday night was the actual Relay for Life. This is one of the most inspirational events that someone can take place in, I would recommend to everyone that at some point in their lifetimes they walk a night on a team. My experience started with Kristen Luder taking me as the new member of their team to the Survivors dinner, she shared with me the experience she had with dealing with cancer, everything she mentioned makes me understand what a fighter she is and everyone else who battles cancer. At the dinner there were probably 200 other survivors at least each with an inspirtational story to share.
The second phase of the evening was the opening ceremony where you see the survivors walk the first lap of the relay, the second lap is then the caregivers (parents, spouses, siblings) walking with their survivor. At this moment there are no dry eyes in the house, the emotion you experience will be overwhelming. Then begins the long walk for everyone. The goal is to have at least one team member on the track at all times. For me being into fitness I was on the track quite a bit probably walking around eight miles total. In this time I was speaking to various survivors and learning about their fights, I spoke with people whos loved ones lost the battle as well the stories they provide made the entire evening worthwhile.
The last bit of inspiration on this night was seeing the amount of people who participate and the amount of money they donate to the cause. Our event had several booths, each selling various items or raffling off various items. These booths are packed the entire night with people wanting to donate to everyone's team. There is also a silent auction which provided so many great items for people to bid on. I can promise anyone reading this, if you ever truly want to experience great emotion and you need a source of inspiration attend Relay for Life, you will understand what great people there are in this world.
Lastly I do want to thank both of my relay teams for the various great experiences, from the fundraising events in Columbia to the actual Relay night in Kansas City. Thank you for letting me be a part of such a great experience. I look forward to continuing to support this night and this organization. One last thanks goes out to all those who donated to my teams. Your money will help end this terrible disease at some point in our lifetimes.
Today I wanted to touch on Relay for Life again. Friday night was the actual Relay for Life. This is one of the most inspirational events that someone can take place in, I would recommend to everyone that at some point in their lifetimes they walk a night on a team. My experience started with Kristen Luder taking me as the new member of their team to the Survivors dinner, she shared with me the experience she had with dealing with cancer, everything she mentioned makes me understand what a fighter she is and everyone else who battles cancer. At the dinner there were probably 200 other survivors at least each with an inspirtational story to share.
The second phase of the evening was the opening ceremony where you see the survivors walk the first lap of the relay, the second lap is then the caregivers (parents, spouses, siblings) walking with their survivor. At this moment there are no dry eyes in the house, the emotion you experience will be overwhelming. Then begins the long walk for everyone. The goal is to have at least one team member on the track at all times. For me being into fitness I was on the track quite a bit probably walking around eight miles total. In this time I was speaking to various survivors and learning about their fights, I spoke with people whos loved ones lost the battle as well the stories they provide made the entire evening worthwhile.
The last bit of inspiration on this night was seeing the amount of people who participate and the amount of money they donate to the cause. Our event had several booths, each selling various items or raffling off various items. These booths are packed the entire night with people wanting to donate to everyone's team. There is also a silent auction which provided so many great items for people to bid on. I can promise anyone reading this, if you ever truly want to experience great emotion and you need a source of inspiration attend Relay for Life, you will understand what great people there are in this world.
Lastly I do want to thank both of my relay teams for the various great experiences, from the fundraising events in Columbia to the actual Relay night in Kansas City. Thank you for letting me be a part of such a great experience. I look forward to continuing to support this night and this organization. One last thanks goes out to all those who donated to my teams. Your money will help end this terrible disease at some point in our lifetimes.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Big Decision!!
Hello Readers!
This week I came to a big decision on a new direction to take in my weight loss efforts. I know I had mentioned in the past that it was time for me to begin preparing for a half marathon. The half I had decided upon was San Antonio on November 14th. When talking to my brother JJ and his wife Jessica they are both planning on making the trip and running the full marathon. My good friend Jen just completed her first marathon in San Diego over the weekend, with all these people stepping up their game I have decided it is time for me to do the same. Running a full marathon has been a goal of mine since I first began running and completed my first half marathon. People know I am always looking for a challenge and this is the exact opportunity I have been looking for. Thank you to JJ, Jessica and Jen for making me realize this is something I can do and need to do.
Training for a full marathon will require a great deal of time, I will occasionally share how much running is involved in each week hopefully to inspire others to take on this great challenge. Time is something I will actually have more of, for me the past two years have been consumed by graduate school. I have been working on my Masters from Boston University. I will be officially finishing my last class on June 27th so this will provide me with extra time on the weekends to get in the long training runs associated with running a full marathon.
This big decision has me extremely excited!! I don't want my "Y" friends to worry, I will not be cutting out my classes as cross training is still required. I don't want all the people I hang out with on an normal basis to worry, this will not change my desire to still have fun. I will have to pick and choose my nights a little more, but I pledge to still be the same person you all know and have fun with. This opportunity should be what pushes me over my goal to finally be less than 200 pounds! Watch out world, when this man has a goal he will not stop until it is completed.
This week I came to a big decision on a new direction to take in my weight loss efforts. I know I had mentioned in the past that it was time for me to begin preparing for a half marathon. The half I had decided upon was San Antonio on November 14th. When talking to my brother JJ and his wife Jessica they are both planning on making the trip and running the full marathon. My good friend Jen just completed her first marathon in San Diego over the weekend, with all these people stepping up their game I have decided it is time for me to do the same. Running a full marathon has been a goal of mine since I first began running and completed my first half marathon. People know I am always looking for a challenge and this is the exact opportunity I have been looking for. Thank you to JJ, Jessica and Jen for making me realize this is something I can do and need to do.
Training for a full marathon will require a great deal of time, I will occasionally share how much running is involved in each week hopefully to inspire others to take on this great challenge. Time is something I will actually have more of, for me the past two years have been consumed by graduate school. I have been working on my Masters from Boston University. I will be officially finishing my last class on June 27th so this will provide me with extra time on the weekends to get in the long training runs associated with running a full marathon.
This big decision has me extremely excited!! I don't want my "Y" friends to worry, I will not be cutting out my classes as cross training is still required. I don't want all the people I hang out with on an normal basis to worry, this will not change my desire to still have fun. I will have to pick and choose my nights a little more, but I pledge to still be the same person you all know and have fun with. This opportunity should be what pushes me over my goal to finally be less than 200 pounds! Watch out world, when this man has a goal he will not stop until it is completed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
