First Medal Running

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Latest

Writing a blog is sometimes very difficult if you're not committed to it. So I apologize for the delay. The journey has continued and I am running training for a half marathon. That is coming up in February in three weeks. The Cowtown in Fort Worth, Texas. Have run 13.2 miles on one Saturday with a few stops. Looking forward to running the whole 13.1 without any stops. My goal is to get a two hour and 20 min. run. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever foresee me running for two hours without stopping.hard to believe that I've come this far. Check out the chart on page below.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

A lot to write about 10K Finished

Well I've had quite the week. I have been training for the 10K that I ran today. I've been doing 6.3 or more 3 times last week and then I did 2.63 on Monday and got Sick. I was extremely frustrated this week. One I do not get sick and Two I wanted to run a little at the beginning of the week and rest the last two days of the week. Instead I rested Tues.-Fri. The atmosphere was electric today. I did see a few people that I recognized, but a lot of new faces. Happens when you are at your first race and you didn't know all these people ran. Since I have never been a "runner" in my life until the start of this summer. Well let's say I started my journey at the beginning of the summer and I can actually call my self a "runner" since I completed a race AND I was upset that I didn't get to run the first of the week. I'm excited that I'm feeling better and get to run next week. I'm going to sign up for another 5K next weekend. I am a feeling a little strange that I have developed this attitude toward running. :-) Oh back to the Race..... I finished 38th overall out of 66 runners for the 10K. I had a 10:21 mm pace. 1:04:09 time. I am looking forward to continuing this quest to get to the next level of running. I look forward to training up to a Half Marathon then on to a Marathon. I hope to get faster than the 10:21. I believe that will increase if I can lose more weight. I'm stuck at 207 because I'm not being as agressive with my diet as I had been. Plus this week I've been eating above my calorie budget to try and get well. Peanut butter is not my friend! Well I better publish this and hopefully I'll be more diligent in blogging my progress weekly.

Friday, September 30, 2011

End of September

Starting with a Confession I did not RUN Thursday morning. Decided to rest since i would be fasting for my procedure today.

Well, here I am again. Didn't have time the other night to finish the blog so I thought I would do one today. I just finished having a medical procedure performed on me this afternoon and everything went fine.

Or here is my latest progress in the weight-loss and my running progress as well.

I'm down to 210 pounds, the lowest I've been and probably 10 to 12 years, maybe even longer. I am excited about this transformation, because it has been very healthy for my body, my heart, my blood pressure, and my blood sugar. My blood pressure today was normal. My resting heart rate is around 50. I'm really looking forward to losing the next 45 pounds. I know that I don't have many clothes to wear at that weight. I have taken up the notches in my belt. My 44's won't stay on me, and my 38's are loose. I have one pair of 36s that I could button the other day.

My only fear and problem that I have right now with the weight-loss is the hardened fat underneath. Some of the fat has hardened into fat nodules and they have a tendency to be painful. I had some removed back when I was in the military and they were just fat nodules and nothing else. They have a tendency to pinch, so I'm hoping that the ones that are already starting to bother me will on their own disintegrate. Maybe there's some kind of supersonic, subsonic, ultrasonic waves that can go in and bust them up like they do with lithotripsy. LOL!!! We will see.

I'm getting lots of compliments about the weight-loss, and it's encouraging. Don't hesitate if you run across somebody that's been losing weight, and they don't look sick, give them a compliment and ask them if they are losing weight. If you ask them, they will not think that you thought they were fat. They are hoping someone will recognize the weight-loss, and it is very encouraging to somebody who's been working hard at it. Even a minor compliment like, "you're looking great nowadays, what are you doing with yourself?" Will be very encouraging. Well that's my five cents worth (inflation).

I started this summer, at the end of June with the couch to 5K program. Better known as C25K. June 26, 2011.
Here is the program in a nutshell:

It's interval training, the first week you have three workouts consisting of a 5 min. warm-up walk and then eight 60 second runs with 90 second walks in between the runs. The second week, you have three workouts consisting of a Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate with six 90 seconds runs and two minutes of walking in between the runs. Both first and second week last 25 min. if you do not add a 5 min. cool down to the back of them. My suggestion though is that you use that last 5 min. to stretch the muscles that are now warm. You'll appreciate it later trust me.

This is where you find the actual workout routine on paper in columns.
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I am now running 3 miles with nowhere near the exertion and heavy breathing that was required in week one. My pace has picked up and I'm excited for the day when I go below 30 min. to run the 5K.

Hopefully I'll be back soon to post again with more encouraging news.

Next post will describe what got me to the size I was before making a life-changing decision.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

quick update

I can't believe that I'm starting to enjoy this running thing LOL!!! Yep. I actually did back to back 3.14 mile runs and going for another one in the morning. I hope I go to bed soon to get some rest so I can!! I guess I'll head that way now and write about it tomorrow.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

First Update

Well, I know it's been almost 16 days since.. oh wait it has been 16 days since I posted. Well here is the progress. Down to 214, 53 lbs since beginning of summer. Weight loss has slowed down. Maybe I've stopped being as agressive with the cutting of food. (aka Peanut butter)

I went to the Doctor on the 14th and had all the Blood work done. Explained to the doc that I had stopped taking the Metformin and was controlling my blood sugar with diet. I also told him I was now Running as part of the change of life. I confessed that I had gained all my weight back that I lost in 2008. He smiled and said, we have a tendency to do that. He was proud of the weight loss. I told him what my Goal weight of 165. He looked at me and said, "when was the last time you weighed that?" I explained it was in the 70s and he said, "well I'll be glad to see you under 200." I am not satisfied with that. I won't be satisfied with that. My goal is 165 then to put on muscle mass. But I want to stay under 180. I was 182 at my wedding and I had a little roll on the belly. I want the flat stomach that I have never had except maybe when I wasn't paying attention in HS.

Blood work came back, and the office called and said Doc said blood work was fine. Not sure what that actually means other than the PSA, AIC, HDL, LDL and thyroid are no need of medication. Allelujah!!!! God is soooo Good!!!

Oh and I graduated C25K program yesterday. Last week is 30 min runs. I ran 2 30 min runs and yesterday ran for 1 hour 2 mins with my Good Friend Bart!! He was encouraging me to the very end. I wanted to quit after 5 miles because that's all I promised myself. He encouraged me to go a little further and then a little further and then a little further till we reached my house. 5.45 miles. WOW. My legs feel it today. Till Later, Blessings.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Starting Off

I have to just say that I should have done this 3 months ago. I started to seriously consider losing weight AGAIN!!! at the beginning of June. I weighed 267. Before that I had gotten to 285. Here is my profile on Lose It
Over weight and Tired of it. Have lost probably close to 1000 lbs in my life :) of course I've gained 1100 lbs. :) about 2 years ago I couldn't figure out why I was thirsty all the time and had to go "pee" all the time. Went to the doctor because my face was breaking out and told him about my "thirst" problem. They checked my blood sugar. The next day he called and told me to come in Immediately! I did and he told me, "you should be in a coma right now!" He then began to tell me that I was a diabetic. I told him "No I am not a diabetic" He looked puzzled at me and said, "well your blood sugar is off the charts and you should be in a coma. Normal Sugar is 70 - 80 and yours is 350. Your A1C is 12.1 and it should be at 6-7. so you are a diabetic" I looked him straight in the face and said "I AM NOT A DIABETIC, I might have an issue with my blood sugar because All I do is eat Junk and sweets" He told me, "if you don't change your diet, you are as good as dead, or going to be getting shots the rest of your life!" I told him I would change. He suggested a 1600 cal/day diet and I said, what the heck make it a 1200. :) I lost 25 lbs the first month by cutting all sugars, all breads, all tortillas, all corn, all potatoes, out of my life. Completely. I lost another 15 lbs the next month because I started eating whole grain bread and only lost 15 the next month. I went from 267 to 215 in 3 months. Drastic!! yep.. my doctor was very shocked and very excited for my health. I began to sneak a sweet here and there so I maintained the 215 for a month, started eating a flour tortilla here and there. Then the holidays hit. I thought couldn't deprive myself of all the Thanksgiving Pies and bread and then Christmas Sweets, Chocolates. Stopped paying attention. Stopped checking my blood sugar because test strips were over a $1 a piece. Next thing I know I'm just watching my night sweats and making sure they weren't getting to the point that they were. But before I knew it I was weighing 260 then 265 and the heartburn started. Tried to cut back here and there but couldn't lose. Get focused and lose 5 lbs, celebrate and gain 7. My son kept on me about being able to push his kids around in a wheel barrow like my dad did him. I realized I could not go on like this. So finally, I have decided that I cannot live like this anymore and so I'm going to change it. I'm going to live a healthy life. A friend from Church told me about this site but I couldn't get to it on my phone so I just blew it off. But after prodding from my Son, I found it on line and I'm logging. I appreciate everyone's support. Please friend me if you find me on here.
In a nut shell.. I was FAT.. no getting around it.. I WAS FAT!! The little fat waddling guy at church. The guy that everyone knew was jovial and fat. Heavy. "big boned" nooo.. Just FAT. When you have to struggle to breathe.. you are FAT. Pretty harsh but truthful. Does that mean you are a lower form of life and not worthy of Love.. NOOOOO It does not, it means you need to start loving your self and taking care of what God has given you and treat it correctly.
Oh I have done Diets.. Lots of Diets.. Cambridge Diet, Low Carb Diet, Cabbage Diet, Herbal Life Diet, Fit or Fat Diet, Stop eating after 6pm diet, Let's see.. I think I have lost count.. oh Weight Watchers diet.. Not that any of those diets are bad, except the Cambridge Diet (people were dying on that diet), it's just that they are Diets and unless they are complete changes in your thinking and life style they will work as long as you are ON THEM. I've been told that anything becomes a habit after it is done for 21 days. I have to say true except for "diets" because of the thought process with the word "diet", you see we hear that word and we immediately think "temporary". OK well that's what I do. diet = temporary.
However, after much thought and introspection, I realized that it could no longer be a diet but a change to my life. A complete change. No longer would I live to eat, but I would now get it in my head that I was to eat to live and nothing more. Don't get me wrong. I love FOOD!!! I LOVE FOOD!!! I LOVE LASAGNA!!! I LOVE FLOUR TORTILLA's!!! I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!! I LOVE PIZZA!!! I LOVE CAKE, PIE, ICE CREAM, COBBLER, PEANUT BUTTER, CHIPS, CORN, POTATOs, BREAD, STEAK, EVERYTHING THAT IS FOOD!!!! people say "you can't LOVE food." I disagree!!! When it becomes an obsession, I think it's a warped kind of love :) ROFL!!!
Okay. Now that I got that out, I feel like I can start to review maybe what it was that got me to this point. WHO TO BLAME? WHO TO BLAME?!!!! ME!!!! Next Post.. a little about the progress but thoughts about the what brought me to this point.