Why do we run?

Every runner will get this question asked to them at some point in their running career.  Run 3 miles and you get a pat on the back, a "job well done."  But run anything close to 6 miles people will start saying "is that healthy?" They may have a point!  Is it healthy to consistently run more than 3 miles?  When you are hitting upwards of 35-45 miles per week, what is that actually doing for you?  Do a google search of marathoner and you'll get something like this:

Now do another google search for sprinter and you'll probably find something like this:

I'm not trying to say that one is better than the other, but there clearly is a difference!  Saying you run to be healthy may the reason you started, but it is most likely not the reason you continue.  I am starting to believe that it is an addiction just like anything else.  "But wait just a second....it's healthy for you....how can that be an addiction?"  Didn't your mother teach you anything?? Too much of a good thing is bad!  Running releases endorphins, and most runner get addicted to this feeling.  I am absolutely one of them!  I am currently training for my first marathon, but I am slowly realizing that it's not necessarily the healthiest thing for me to be doing.  I would much rather have the well-round physique of the lower athlete than the scrawny body of the marathoner.  After my marathon, I will be committing myself to full-body workouts that include shorter runs with cross-fit type workouts to supplement.  As much as I love running, I am a firm believer that it is "too much" for me!

Does running feel good??  When did it start feeling good for you?

For me, running feels great, but its the moment I'm done that I really reap the rush of it all.  I remember thinking not long ago that I would never be able to run a mile without hating life.  I can probably run 10 now at a decent pace and enjoy every minute of it!  While that is a great accomplishment, where's the end?  26.2miles? 50K? 100miles?  There is no end, and I need to limit myself to what makes me a truly better person.

Sooooo (after the rant) I will probably stick to olympic/half tri's and half marathons after this year.  I really want to see if I can truly transform my body to its full potential, and this will require investment in the weight room!

Weight Loss and Statistics

When you lose anything over 20lbs and keep it off people always ask you "how'd you do it?".  In my case, I went from 221lbs down to a low of 165lbs, but maintain at a healthy 175lbs.  Which is a total lose of over 45lbs.  HOW DID YOU DO IT DUDE???


1. Nutrition
2. Exercise
3. Statistics


Nutrition will always be the key factor in losing weight (and keeping it off) and exercise does not much more than to supplement it.  Take these stats into account- 60% of our daily caloric burn is from our natural movement + bodily functions (heart beating, lungs breathing, etc).  30% is from what we put into our bodies, ie:  a calorie deficit that we intentionally create to lose weight.  10% (yes only 10%) is from additional exercise (running those miles on the treadmill, lifting all those weights).  So out of these three factors we cannot really affect the first one (our heart will continue to beat at its normal rate, our lungs keep working the same every day).  Nutrition and exercise are clearly within our realm of affecting, but it's clear that nutrition moves the needle more.  Simply put, if you understand what goes into your mouth (really understand it) then you have the power to lose weight.

Focus on what you can control and what moves the needle the most!

So how did I manage the nutrition leg of my calorie deficit?  I tracked everything that went into my mouth.  When I say "tracked" I mean that every single thing that I ate.  A lot of failures come from the fact that people think they know what they are eating but don't really understand the calories (and fat/carbs/protein composition) of what they are eating.  It's not just about calories obviously, and this is the subject of many debates, but count calories is not enough.  Weight Watchers (TM) is so successful because it combines all the nutritional data you should be following into one number.  People find it easier to track just one number, but you can still do the same using a various of other websites (livestrong.com, myfitnesspal.com) that have a huge database of foods and will let you know when you are too high in a certain category.  So that's how I did it.  Just don't be in the red, and you will lose weight.  Otherwise, eat whatever the hell you feel like (but case in point you eat three donuts in the morning you not only overshot your calorie intake but you failed to meet your healthy fat/protein intake and that counts as a failure).  When you are eating to lose weight, 90% of your days should be successes.  

A typical day for me:

Breakfast:

Protein Shake (30g protein)

Oatmeal/Tsp Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

2 Slice of Turkey Bacon

Snack:

Banana

Handful of nuts

Lunch:

6 slices of turkey

Arnold Selects

Mustard

WW Cheese

Spinach salad (1/2 tsp of non-fat dressing)

Apple

Snack:

Apple w/ Peanut butter

Dinner:

Protein Shake (30g protein)

Salmon or Steak or Chicken (6oz)

Spinach/Broccoli

Quinoa/Black Beans/Onion <---friggin amazing with some cinnamon/cumin on top!

Snack:

1/2 bag of 97% fat free popcorn (guilty pleasure)

So, in summary, focus on what goes into your mouth and keep track of it.  

Typical dinner.  Eat smart, eat often.

Exercise then comes into play as an excellent way to supplement your weight loss.  A know so many people that tell me "I run 10-15 miles a week and the weight does not seem to be coming off."  Well buddy, your body reaches a point where the daily activities you are doing become a part of a routine.  You are eating the same, and the exercise is doing virtually nothing to actually reduce your weight.  So, I added running/biking/swimming/weight lifting and the honest truth is that it simply created a message in my mind that I shouldn't eat as much post workout for "fear" of ruining what i just accomplished.  But even though that wasn't the truth, it helped curb my appetite.  Now, many of the endurance athletes out there (which I currently am training for a marathon and Half Ironman) will disagree with this.  But this isn't for them.  Its for the people that want to take that first step and get to a point where they are healthy again.  Exercise is not the key, but simply part of the overall equation.  Keep that in mind and you will end up enjoying exercise rather than fearing it.  Trust me I know that feeling of dreading my daily workout, but you will get to a point where (if you put more emphasis of nutrition than exercise) you will begin to treat it like your release.  It really becomes the time of day where you are free of everyone/everything else and its just you and your sweat.  Enjoy that struggle as the late Rachael Townsend said.  Enjoy it, because that is our gift as humans.  To push ourselves farther each day and see progress.  I always get confused when I see people that incredibly intelligent but fail to put that same level of intelligence to the only true thing that they can control: their body.  I was one of those people...and I know the excuses that come up.  Fuck excuses.

Statistics helped me as i mentioned before because I was able to see progress.  When I say statistics, it isn't anything complicated.  Dailymile.com tracked my workouts and mileage and allowed me to view progress on a week to week basis.  Livestrong did the same for my nutrition plan.  It is a psychological thing to see your progress each week, but psychology is what got us here in the first place.  By ignoring what changes we were going through, we were blind to our health.  Take a 180, and start opening your eyes and understanding what the trends show and you will see progress.  

Visualize your progress.  You will be motivated!

Finally, i will leave with this: Weight loss is not a thing, event, moment.  It is a lifestyle change that is as momentous as starting a new job, having a baby, buying a house.  It requires you to forever change your habits not just for a "diet" period.  DIET by definition is the things you habitually eat....not, just during a certain time period.

Marathon Training Starts!

Today marked the beginning of my marathon training.  I am following Hal Higdon's Intermediate 1 Training Schedule, which is an 18-week plan.  I decided to interview myself (i'm awesome!) so I can come back and reflect later on.

Marathon - Hal Higdon

Why did you decide to run a marathon?
I wanted a challenge.  I ran my first 3 half-marathons with very little training and did surprisingly well.  I knew as soon as I finished them that I could do a marathon and knock that off my bucket list.  


What do you expect to get out of this marathon?
A medal.  Probably about a day's worth of bragging rights, but after that I'll begin my training for my half iron man.  In the words of the ultra-distance runner, Navy SEAL David Goggins "I don't stop running when I'm tired, I stop when I'm done."  That means to me that there is no finish line.  Finishing this race will be a nice check-mark on my list of things I've done, but it will just be a stepping stone to the next challenge.


What are your goals for the race?
My primary goal is to run the entire thing (walks through the water station).  I hope to finish around 3:30 but will be happy with anything under 4:00.  I want to make sure it is fun and that I enjoy myself during the training!


How did your first run feel?
Today I did 3 miles.  I have not run in over 2 weeks since the last leg of the Ragnar Relay and the rest has definitely paid off.  My ankle pain was about a 7 (out of 10) during Ragnar and during today's run I would say it is about a 1.  I did feel it slightly, but it was virtually non-existent.  The biggest thing I noticed was that my lung capacity was diminished a bit.  Typically its my legs that give out before my lungs, and today was a bit difficult to maintain my pace for the full 3 miles (i ended up averaging just over 8min/miles).  


What are you most afraid of?
Getting hurt and having to cancel the race.  I want to make sure I follow the plan so I don't hurt myself, but as it is the plan already has me going 24 miles in the first week, which was towards the higher end during my half-marathon training!  Daily mileage isn't that much, but weekly mileage does creep up there.


Done.  It'll be interesting to come back afterwards and check on my train of thought during the peak of my training and after the race.  




On an unrelated note, I've been reading "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell:

This is truly an inspirational book, and while Marcus does dive into some political opinions regarding the Rules of Engagement (which in my mind is a very valid argument but detracts from the real message of the book), it is a humbling book.  Having a brother-in-law who is an active SEAL currently serving overseas, it makes me proud everyday of what he is doing for us.  The Navy has always been a true inspiration to me, and something that has helped me continue to challenge myself every day.  Hooyah!

Ragnar Relay Florida Keys - Race Recap
January 6-7, 2012


What is Ragnar Relay?
We've done a relay like this before in New York in 2011.  It is basically a 200(ish) mile race in which 12 people each run 3 legs of varying distances.  It typically takes about 30 hours give or take, and while the one runner is on the road, the rest of the team is supporting in a van that leap-frogs him/her.  Basically a bad ass relay!

It starts!

Leg#1 - 5.2 miles
I must admit I was in a bit of a shock coming from sub 20 degree weather in Philadelphia to 80+ in Miami.  I took this run easy at first but got a bit too competitive when a dude comes up next to me and doesn't even look at me when i try and strike up conversation with him (ass).  We kept close for a few miles but when he ran through some red lights i figured my life was worth more than that!  I ended up running 3 miles in 20 minutes which is about a 6:30 pace.  Overall i finished these 5.2 in 7:15ish pace so I think it went well in spite of the heat. 

Butt first through the power tunnerl!

Leg #2 - 11.8 miles
Ok, i'll be honest.  I was terrified to run this leg.  I have had ankle pain that started in December and an IT issue that had halted me completely back in August that just came back.  I was really worried that after 5 miles i'd be dead.  After Ryan had just run 8+ miles through the swamp, he handed off to me and I got the luxury of running on pavement right along route 1!  Sorry buddy.  I started at a nice steady 9 min pace and decided to take it in four chunks of 3 miles.  After the first 3 i felt good.  The darkness was a little intimidating and I was virtually alone the entire time.  I stopped for some water and thanked the helpers.  My flashlight keep bouncing off of the marshes and i was convinced i'd see a giant croc waiting to eat me.  After mile 6 i realize my leg was doing well.  Ankle pain was about a 2 (scale of 1-10) and knee pain was a 3.  I picked up my pace a bit and was determined to get at least 5 kills.  At mile 9 i had 10 kills!  I decided to open it up a bit and the last three miles just hauled ass.  I finished with an average pace of 8:30ish and no injuries.  And i nabbed 14 kills!  I've never been so happy to see that van though! This was an unsupported leg so I did not see any of my teammates the entire time.  This also was the longest leg of any Ragnar Relay, so it was kind of a personal accomplishment that i finished it with no problems!

Sunrise over the Florida Keys!

Leg #3 - 9.3 miles
Well after finally getting some rest i woke up expecting my legs to feel like they did during the last Ragnar in New York...like hell.  But they felt great.  I talked to Ryan in the morning and he was hurting from an Achilles issue and we decided that he should probably not run his last 9.3 miles.  I offered to switch with him because my legs felt in such great shape.  I would rue that decision shortly!  The 9.3 miles covered a few bridges in the Keys and would have been a great view if i paid attention to it.  I was too busy focusing on not dying from the heat.  My god it was hot and i just dumped water all over me to cool down.  I stopped at a water station and literally took three cups and dumped them on my head.  I had decided to start at a 10 min pace and knock of 15 sec every mile.  Worked out well untill i was in the 8's and the heat got the better of me...but i kept at it and ended up with about an 8:45 pace overall.  Again most of this was unsupported so i didn't see my van untill mile 7, and at that point we were almost done.  I probably looked like a sweaty mess crossing the finish, but i didnt care...i was friggin done!  26.3 miles overall...33 kills...no injuries.  What a great race!!

Post race bling!

Coolest group of runners ever! (minus Cat!)

Other fun stuff:
The only issue i had was not having a driver.  Ryan, Pete and I did most of the driving which was fine, but boy i almost fell asleep at the wheel at night.  I had just run that 11.8 leg and we still had to go another 50+ miles before we could sleep.  We made it though.  Kristen and Cat kept it realy delivering no end to the poop jokes:)  We may have to change the name of our team next time "Don't Pants Your Poop".  Let's be real...runners have GI issues with all that sloshing around...stuff 6 of us in a van and you'll get shit talk.  Kudos to Peter who did a great job of keeping us all in good spirits and still managed to dominate his runs!  His hawaiian shirts were a nice touch too.  Poor Mike had a nasty spill in his leg 2 but still managed to smoke us all!  Ryan delivered the best story of the trip right at the end which i will copy from Kristen's blog entry:


"Towards the end of the trip Ryan told us that during one of his porta potty trips he forgot to lock the door and a woman walked in on him. He had his back to her so she didn't see anything, but even still she 
was PISSED and scolded him for forgetting to lock the door. In retrospect, he said he should of just hung out there and let that happen again, but that this time he would be facing the door, adorning 
a smoker's jacket and when the person opened the door and saw him he would say, "hello there, you're right on time." Holy crap dudes, just thinking about this made me laugh so hard I nearly broke one of my 
lungs." ( http://www.dailymile.com/people/kristenrf/entries/12024070)

I stayed in Key West an extra day, and explored the city on my own.  I went down to Blue Heaven and got myself a slice of the most amazing Key Lime Pie in the world!!

Eat your heart out!

We had a post race dinner at Benihanna and we told the waitress to embarrass Jenny and Kurt because they had just gotten engaged...they pretty much forgot and then came out and sang a song about an anniversary...haha oh well free ice cream!  We then went out to Sloppy Joes and had a blast.  It only takes a few drinks to cash you in after a sleep deprived running journey!  Good times!

Overall, the Ragnar high is still very much there and we are already starting our planning for Ragnar Napa Valley!