Decisions can be difficult.

Life is full of decisions, big and small, that affect us one way or another.  For example, yesterday the decision was boot camp or run.  Of course boot camp is the obvious choice, it's a solid workout guaranteed to be killer, on the other hand so is a 4.5 mile run around Burke Lake.  Boot camp is also an all around full body workout, sure we focus on specific areas sometimes but there has never been a class that we have not used both upper and lower body muscles for something, running is just legs and cardio.  On the other hand I also have the Army 10 miler coming up in just over ten weeks (more to follow on that training plan this week) so an extra run here and there will do nothing but help me in the long run....get it long run, okay I'm done.  The weather was absolutely perfect yesterday so either way I wanted to be outside, both offered that.  As a recent father my son is now majorly influencing my decisions as well.  I get about an hour and a half with him on the nights I go to boot camp, maybe two.  After class I get home somewhere between 6:45 and 7 PM.  Eli goes to bed somewhere around 8:30.  One and a half hours, that sucks.  That is not enough time.  This was ultimately the deciding factor on the boot camp or run decision yesterday.  If I run Burke lake I am finished by or before 6 PM, that puts me home before boot camp even ends giving me an extra 30 - 45 minutes with my family.  Needless to say, that is what I did, I ran Burke Lake and it was glorious.  Such a beautiful night and I thoroughly enjoyed my extra time with my son.  It's tough to manage life, working out, work, family, and free time.  Decisions can be difficult.  How do you do it?  How do you fit in all the things you want while still making sure all the things you need are handled?  Every day is hard, there is always something that comes up, I guess the key is to find that balance that keeps you and your family happy and safe.

I run to add life to my days.

The majority of running I have done in my life has been by myself.  Not because I smell bad after a 5 miler or anything like that it's just that other than running with some peeps in class I don't really have anyone to run with.  My wife has ALWAYS been faster than me so when we run together I slow her down.  There is not much worse than running for an extended period of time at a pace slower than you are able, for really fast runners that slower pace is harder on them than their normal fast pace.  I slow my wife down and I want her to succeed and run as fast as she can all the time so we end up not running together that much.  Yesterday my friend Brent and I went out and ran Burke Lake.  We both run at similar paces and do not despise each others company.  The run was fantastic, it was cool, sprinkling a bit at the and and all around a damn good time.  As we finished the run I looked and Brent and said wow that went by crazy fast.  We ran 4.5 miles, talked just about the entire time, about work, about life, about whatever and literally the time just flew by.  Even today I look back at that run and know that it made my day a little bit better.  Having a partner in crime eliminated the monotony of running alone just listening to your own breathing.  We didn't have music playing, we just chatted it up like a couple of school girls and had a great time.  I think we are going to make this a weekly thing.  Hit boot camp as often as we can but run Burke Lake once a week.

Keep calm and drink more water.

All day yesterday I was trying to find the time to post and I was just too busy to fit in even a few minutes of extra time.  Crazy day for me yesterday for sure.  I made sure I set aside some time this morning to post.

So let's see, Oh yes, 7 miler.  Ran Burke Lake on Tuesday.  One lap of the lake is 4.5 miles, so what I did was run 3.5 miles around then turnaround and run back the way I came.  Not an easy feat by any means.  I normally just run the lake, one lap, that's it.  So when I am about a mile from the finish I start to push it out to finish sooner and I know I only have about 9 minutes of work left.  So to see the last mile ahead of me and then realize that I am just at the halfway point and need to turnaround was a little disheartening but I did it.  Yes I reached that runner's high!  The run was hard at the time but totally worth it by the end.  One thing that made it harder was the oppressive heat, 90+ degrees is tough, really tough to workout in.  Just needed to make sure I replaced all the water I lost.  I easily drank 2 gallons of water!

Last night at boot camp was much the same, close to 90 degrees.  Of course it was cardio day as well so needless to say it was hard.  Boot camp is always hard but cardio day is especially hard, you never really get a break from work.  It's constant, from one exercise to the next with little to no break.  Yes, we get a solid 15 seconds, which just sitting here seems like a decent amount of time but try doing burpees for 45 seconds and then tell me how quickly that 15 second break goes by.  I am telling you it's fast, before you know it you are back to those burpees, sweating your keister off!

Hydration is key during weeks like this.  I am willing to bet most of you out there do not drink enough water.  I can feel when I have not had enough water.  I fell sluggish, drained and I tire easily.  When I am well hydrated I feel unstoppable, I can run faster, push harder and I just all around feel better.  On an average day I drink at least a gallon of water, days like this week easily two gallons.  I rarely drink soda, maybe one a week, but I do have coffee each morning and sometime wine at night.  I make sure I drink even more water if I have the wine.  It's important to replace the water you lose from sweat and from anything that will dehydrate you like alcohol.  I go with the one for one plan, one glass of water for one glass of wine, seems to work well for me.  Goal for the day, drink up...the water that is.

Time to turn it on and get it in check.

I am feeling better after last week and my back is not bothering me at all.  I had not felt any pain in a few days but was thinking that after my run yesterday (a run usually agitates the nerve) that it would start hurting again.  Thankfully no pain at all.  Thank God!

I am back to boot camp this week and will be doing a class and half since our two classes have been combined.  It will be nice to add in another 30 minutes of exercise especially since we are about a month out from each of my races.  Time to turn it on a bit.  I just hope that I can stay injury free.  These injuries have really put a damper in my training.  I have missed several runs and boot camp classes.  I am getting a bit nervous with the running since I have not kept the plan the way I intended.  I have another long run tomorrow, 7 miles, so I will see how I feel on that run.  Yesterday I was doing some work around the house and decided to go for my weekend run right after I ate lunch, literally right after.  I was worried that if I waited too much longer that I would end up skipping it.  I had dinner plans and football was on so there were too many distractions that might keep me away from getting that run in.  So even though I just ate I said screw it I can do this and went for a run around Burke Lake.  Probably not the best idea.  I did complete the run but it was hard and I was cramping.  In hindsight I should have just waiting an hour and I would have been fine.  But if I waited that hour would I actually have made it out for the run??  We shall never know.  

I have not done too well with my eating this week either.  With the holiday dinner on Wednesday and eating more easily prepared food (Trader Joe's frozen food section...) since Hila is has been out of town, I could have done better.  We will see how I did tonight at the weigh in.  Honestly I am worried.  I had the big gain last time and really need to get this in check.  No more tomfoolery, from this point on I am on it.  Counting everything, no cheating and actually spending some time in the kitchen preparing more healthy meals.  If I stick to the plan and I can achieve my goals!!

Long run - check!

Finally got in my long run and it felt great.  I didn't know how I was going to feel with my back issues and the fact that I have missed a few runs recently so I just took off at a nice leisurely pace, a speed I know I could keep up with for a longer distance without walking and I actually had a really good run.  I was debating on how to get in 6 miles at Burke Lake.  I really didn't want to pass the finish line which is only 4.5 miles then continue on further then come back again, that kind of messes with the head some.  So all I did was run 3 miles around the lake and then turnaround.  Fantastic idea and worked wonderfully.  Anything that makes a run/workout easier on the brain is good for me.  The more I have to think about it or the more I have to worry about it the harder it becomes.  For me the out and back run is the best mentally.  You know that as far as you run out you have to run back the same distance.

Probably won't have time tonight to get a workout in with family coming over for dinner.  But I will be at boot camp tomorrow with the new class and new instructor.  So we are combining two different classes, our's that starts at 5:30 and the adjacent class that starts at 6.  One good thing about that is any day where I want to workout for an hour and half instead of an hour all I have to do is stick around for the end of the other class.  That will definitely be in the cards on the days that I can.

Tonight is going to be tough with food.  I will take pictures but I can assure you that there will be a full spread on the table tonight.  I even hear there is a special surprise for dessert, I will take a picture and you can try to guess what it is.  Unless you have had it before, I bet you can't guess.

Ahhhh the truly wonderful feeling of being sore.

Today I hurt.  I am so sore.  Monday was legs in boot camp, Tuesday I ran 4.5 miles, yesterday we did some more legs.  All of this added together equals one very sore Bobby.  I don't know why but I love the feeling of being sore, I mean don't get me wrong I don't like pain but the pain from being sore kind of solidifies all the hard work you have done.  Let me put it this way, I would rather be sore than not because that means I worked out harder than my body is used to.  The only way to get stronger, faster or better is by pushing beyond the limits of the last time you did so.  I feel that I have done that this week.  Especially yesterday, I definitely struggled in class.  I was up at 4:30 in the morning to come into work early, worked a 10.5 hour day and then went to boot camp.  I was very tired and was not really feeling the workout but I pushed through it and somehow I survived (there were a few times I was worried, trying doing 70 calf raises in a row and call me tomorrow and tell me how you feel).  Now today I feel great.  As hard as any workout has ever been, I have never once finished one and said to myself, "I wish I had not done that".  No matter how hard it was or how much I hated it at the time I was glad I did and even more glad that it was over :).

On Tuesday I tried to beat my time of 44:33 for the 4.5 mile run.  As I was getting closer to the end I started pushing the pace to sprint out the last two minutes or so and as I look down at my running watch I see flashing numbers stuck on 42:20 and the low battery sign flashing.  Much to my dismay the battery died and I have no idea if I actually beat my time.  The very first thought that came to mind was "Oh well, at least I tried" and I was reminded of a quote I heard awhile ago.  It was then I realized that I was not racing anyone but myself and if try hard and push as best I can no matter the outcome I will always be successful!

Now that's what I'm talking about!

It's days like today that make this incredibly hard weight loss journey all worth it.  Finally a victory on the on the scale.  Down 3.8 pounds!!!  Booyah.  (current weight 216.6 lbs)  That makes me very happy.  One reason so many people give up on weight loss is they don't see the results they are looking for or they don't see them quickly enough.  I would say on average an individual should be losing between .5 and 1 pound a week, tops.  Until last night for the past three weeks I have only been at a total weight loss of .2 lbs, that's nothing, especially not where I wanted to be while writing a weight loss/fitness blog.  But now, on average, I am losing more then a pound a week, I'll take it.  The only real difference this week compared to the others is that there was not a single night where I ate like a buffoon.  I tracked everything and even had some of my weekly points left over.  I am very proud this morning.  This little bit of success has given me even more motivation to push harder to achieve my first goals.

Tuesday means run day so no boot camp tonight and another trip to Burke Lake, hopefully a better run than Sunday, can't be much worse.  I will take the Tom Kalka approach tonight and possibly run in the rain, see what this rain running is all about.

Why is running so hard?

DEAR ABBY,
Today I ran Burke Lake again with the intent to beat last week's time and I failed.  I not only ran slower I also had to walk, multiple times.  Why is running so hard?
Sincerely,
IN PAIN

DEAR IN PAIN, 
Running is actually not that hard.  Your issue is probably not the running it's more your mind telling your body to stop.  When an individual such as yourself is on a run there is a little white running angel on one shoulder and a little red lazy devil on the other.  The white angel is saying "you can do this" and "push harder" while that little red bastard is saying "time to walk donkey" or "you know how good it will feel to slow down".  Your issue is you listen to the red devil more than the white angel.  But don't fret, most people only listen to red and never pay any attention to white.  The important thing to realize in your situation is that you put yourself in an opportunity to even encounter the two little guys.  In order to encounter the mini-yous you had to at least go out and try to run.  Well done on that front.  Sometimes you will beat the red devil and sometimes he will beat you.  In short we in the "industry" like to call that...life.  This time you lost, no worries IN PAIN, next time you won't.  Even if you do lose at least you went out and tried and gave it your all and that is never a failure no matter how you look at it.  I have yet to meet someone who was able to present an argument against that logic.  Good luck next time!

ABBY 

Longest and fastest run yet.

I felt great on last night's run.  I did Burke Lake (4.5 miles) in 44:33 minutes.  That's a 9:54 pace.  While that is not fast, it's fast for me at this stage.  I have yet to run under a 10 minute pace so this was great.  Really it was the last mile that slowed me down, I felt great the first 3.5 miles.  I know that with the weekly runs being 2-3 miles for the next few weeks I am only going to get faster.  I want to run the entire 10 miler in under a 9 minute pace, that's my goal.  My run for today is 2 miles so I will do that right after class, to keep me accountable I will post on the Facebook page for the site that I am running and see if anyone wants to join me.  That secures that fact that I won't skip it, every little bit helps.  This week, Friday will be my rest day and I am either running or have boot camp every other day.  Sunday is going to be my long run days every week throughout training.  Another 4 miler this Sunday but the week after that we are up to 5 miles.  By then I should be more than ready to run the 5 miles, I mean I just did 4.5 last night.

I ate exactly my allowed 47 points yesterday and I earned 11 activity points for the run.  Definitely a good way to start the week.  I have to tell you about the dinner Hila made last night.  This was a Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Cheesesteak.  I cannot tell you how good this was.  This entire dinner was only 15 points.  Here is the recipe if you are interested, she did make one change though.  Due to her straight brain genius she added the blue cheese and I am telling you now the blue cheese made this dish, it was fantastic.  I definitely recommend trying it.

I mentioned yesterday about my stellar 8 point egg wrap, check this out.

I could have a bowl of cereal with almond milk for 9 points (bleh) or this delicious egg wrap for 8.  This is 2 eggs, 2 pieces of Canadian bacon, 1/4 cup of part skim mozzarella shredded cheese, mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach in a whole wheat tortilla wrap.  This is not only much more healthy for me, it saves me a point and it will keep me fuller longer.  Yet again, another reason my wife is amazing!!!