Transforming Yourself...

  

 Hi everybody! Hope everyone's doing well and logging some miles out there on those sunny, spring like roads! Notice that I didn't say warm. Spring is finally here in Rochester. But temperatures have been erratic to say the least! 80 degrees one day and barely holding in the 40's the next night. Mother Nature, will you please make up your mind?

   Today I'd like to talk to you about something that's always seemed to be present within my life, transformation. Transformation can come in many forms. Previously I've mentioned my obesity as a child with me weighing my heaviest at 220 pounds with a 42 inch waistline. Then one summer 80 pounds seemed to evaporate. As a teenager I used to look a little rough. Long hair, black heavy metal t-shirts, black jeans and my trusty leather jacket were the standard. But even then, my bark was worse than my bite. Today I wear a military style haircut, those heavy metal t-shirts are missing from my closet and the leather jacket is long gone.
   Along with those changes in appearance came changes in my attitude about food and how it related to my life. For many years as a child food was seen as a just one of life's pleasures and not something that was necessary to fuel and support my mind, body and soul. I loved to eat large amounts of almost everything, little thought was put into portion size, dietary needs or my expanding waistline. My family regularly sheltered me from my obesity and politely referred to me as "husky".
   As an adult, amatuer athelete and more importantly a father I now have a drastically different approach when it comes to what I put in my mouth and my family's  Now, don't confuse me with someone standing high up on that fitness stamped soap box proclaiming that my diet is perfect. In fact, if someone asked me what my biggest weakness in my training is, I'd have to say it's my diet. But I'm aware of it and working on it. That being said, removing all enjoyment from food by limiting yourself every day, week and month from those awesomely evil but delicious things out there will only set you up for failure. You have to give yourself cheat days and you have to give yourself some slack during the holidays. Let's talk about some things that have helped me along this journey. I'm no expert so take them for what they're worth. Hopefully you'll get something out of them and start a positive change yourself.
   If you are going to start this journey of healthy weight loss then you need a healthy, realistic plan. As one of the most obese cultures in the world, Americans have a wide variety of diet plans to choose from. Weight is a huge problem in our country and it seems like everyday a new miracle diet emerges to shed pounds like water off a duck's back. One of the best things you can do is to educate yourself about what's out there. It's important to realize that not everything found on the internet is accurate or true and that today, anyone can get published. Do a little research on who created the plan, what are their credentials, who's funding their findings and who has the most to gain from that particular type of plan? I'm not supporting one particular plan here. But I think that two things are important when choosing a plan.
   First, the plan you choose should make changes that you can maintain for the rest of your life. Where's the logic of supplementing an entire meal with a measly shake. Do you honestly think that you're going to be able to do that forever? Of course not! You may lose weight. But when you eventually begin eating normal meals again, the pounds will return.
   Second, choose a plan that uses realistic common sense. Do you think that a plan which only allows you 500 calories a day is healthy? Absolutely not! You'll lose weight but you're going to pay a price with your health. What's the sense of looking good if you don't feel good?
   Ok, so you've done your research and you've picked your plan. Next, you need to provide a positive environment using positive tools so that you can succeed. In my experience, you can't rely on willpower alone to make you successful. Stack the odds in your favor.
   Get rid of the garbage food in your house. I know personally that when the junk food isn't sitting on my counter or in my fridge I don't eat it. By stocking your house with better food choices you'll remove the temptation! If I really want that dish of soft serve ice cream, then I'm going to have to work for it and drive all that way to get it. But probably won't.
   It helps if everyone in your household gets on the same page as you. Let's face it, the whole family can benefit from a diet overhaul. Another benefit is that when one of you has a weak moment, other family members can provide support to get you back on track. I take a great deal of pride in the fact that my eight year old son likes water mixed with apple juice better than soda, loves turkey bacon over regular and when craving for deseret, will opt for a couple pieces of dark chocolate instead of candy.
   Research some of the amazing gadgets, apps and programs available to people trying to get healthy. One of the gadgets that I love is my FitBit. It's basically a pedometer on steroids. It tracks steps, floors climbed, calories burned and even your sleep. The company also makes a wifi scale that can measure body fat. You get a free online program which collects all the data, analyzes it with some really nice graphs and provides feedback and motivation. If the FitBit isn't your style, check out the Nike fuel band or the Jawbone wristband.
   Another great tool I use is the app My Fitness pal. It's a great free iphone app that is easy to use. You can search their online database for different foods or scan the barcode on a food's packaging to get nutritional data. It has some great tools to help you calculate how much you want to lose and how fast. The great thing that I love about this app is that you can create set meals and it even remembers your most commonly eaten foods. I still can't believe it's a free app! My friend Vinny managed to lose almost 30 pounds exclusively using this app! Amazing!
   After some credential checking, get some good old reading material on training, eating and improving your diet. I'm an avid reader and love reading a good book. But never got into reading anything related to fitness or diet. Then, last year I began read some amazing books by Matt Fitzgerald. His books were centered around marathoning, training and eating properly. I learned a lot from them, lost 25 pounds in the process and set personal records in three race distances. Including the marathon where I broke four hours for the first time! I was so impressed with his work that I contacted him on facebook to say thank you. He loved my story so much that he even put it in his new book, The New Rules of 26.2 & 13.1 Nutrition. You gotta love it when you pick up a book, look in the index and find your name on pages 44-45! Way cool!
  Last but not least, surround your life with the people who positively support your choice to make your diet healthier. Let's get back to my friend Vinny at work. The other day we were talking about how amazing it is that he's lost so much weight by simply exercising, making better food choices and eating normal portion sizes. We also talked about how it's become somewhat of a joke how almost everybody we work with constantly teases him on how he looks sick and too thin. Why is that? The answer is because as Americans we've forgotten what normal portion sizes are, think that it's ok to eat things like Big Macs everyday and just buy bigger clothes when we grow out of our old ones. Stop thinking that half a bag of chips is a serving size, that Taco Bell is "light" fast food and that you can wear sweatpants to dinner. Find some like minded people in social media. I've got numerous friends that promote healthy lifestyle and eating. We all kind of feed off each other. It's very motivating, positive and can help you accomplish some amazing things.
   Well, I hope that some of these suggestions help you get started. Like I said, I'm no expert. But they worked for me. Do your research, create a solid, healthy plan, get some exercise and surround yourself with motivation and positive people! Best of luck and as always, run for your lives my friends...
 
      

Social Media, Running & Me...

   If you follow me on FB then you know this week that I had a great experience with regards to social media and the internet. I won't bore you with the details. Let's just sum it up that I was looking for some dated reading material that has been extremely difficult to find and was able to get it through the kind generosity of a complete stranger for absolutely nothing. 

   Sometimes working a profession in law enforcement can leave you with a paranoid sense of mistrust in the human race. Somedays all that you see are the worst of the worst. That can really begin to grate on you after a while. It was a pleasant surprise to see that not everyone in the world is a bad person who wants to kill me. Ok, maybe not everyone wants to kill me! 

   That got me thinking about how social media has positively affected my running and personal life. I can still remember my first forays into the world of FB many years ago. I've always been a really quiet and introverted type of person. I suppose that's why I enjoy running long distance so much. It's easy to do all on your own and running partners are great, but not required. 

   Soon after joining FB I discovered a whole other group of people who were just like me. They lived, breathed running and had the same hopes, dreams and ambitions that I did. Being a runner can consume you.  As a runner you can practically insert running into every aspect of your life. "If I drink that extra beer I'm going to be dehydrated during my six miler tomorrow. It's exactly half a mile to that house down the road with the purple shutters from my driveway. Maybe I can squeeze in a run before that Christmas dinner." The list is endless. Those other people in a runner's life can become quite annoyed after enough of the running is life thing. So, it was really great to find an outlet for my obsession.

   Social media has allowed me to become friends with some really amazing runners through the years. How freakin cool is that? Very freakin cool! One thing that I've discovered is that when you're a runner things like age, weight, race, sex, religion, nationality and sexual preference really don't matter. No matter who you are, putting one foot in front of the other is the same for all of us. The rest of the world should take a lesson from us. Maybe everyone would get along a little better if they tried a pair of running shoes on for size. I think that it's just plain amazing when the world we live in gets a little smaller by meeting such great people. 

   When you meet other runners through social media you begin to quickly realize how little you really know about running. So many people take up running for so many different reasons. Some runners begin to lose weight. Some runners begin to honor those that they have lost in their lives. Some runners begin to because they need to run away from their problems. The list is endless. 

   Another thing that I like about the runners I've met is that everybody has experience and knowledge that I can draw and learn from. In a perfect world runner's don't get injured, we don't get older and we run on into the sunset when our final day comes. Reality is not so kind. When I first started running somebody said to me that being a runner means that at least one part of your body will be in pain almost every day. Many years later I find that statement to be true. Every day something is a little sore, or something got worked a little too much, or something needs some ice. Having a great group of people who you can ask their opinions on what has worked and not worked for them is valuable beyond belief. Running is a sport that always seems to be evolving. I'm definitely not training the same way that I was ten years ago. That's largely because through other runner's I've discovered new ways to be the best runner that I can.

   Some days going out for a run is hard. It's raining outside. You've got a tons of things to get done. You slept terrible last night. Whenever I'm feeling like being lazy, I make the mistake of picking up my phone and perusing the posts of my running friends. There's so much motivation out there that you can't help but get up off that sofa to get some miles under your belt. It's like having your own personal coach and cheering section. I wouldn't be the runner that I am today without all my friends supporting me like they have. 

   I guess deep down inside of my introverted exterior is a social runner after all. Years ago when I started running it was a satisfying but lonely place. Lots of long miles, lots of changes, lots of discovery. Now, it's much different. I find motivation, purpose, knowledge, hope and friendship through all of the amazing people that I've met through the online running community. 

   Some cynics will tell you that social media is the worthless. That it only reminds us of how awful our boring lives are versus other people's and that it's full of hatred and discontent for any conceivable topic. From my perspective it doesn't look like that at all. There's a lot of good people out there running good miles and many of them are involved in the online running community. I guess that's one of the main reasons that I started the 366 Project. I just wanted to give a little of what I've gotten ten fold from that community. 142 continuous days later the miles are still coming. As always, thank you for reading my thoughts on this journey. Run for your lives my friends...

   

Where It All Began...

   So, there I was cooking along at over eight MPH, throat dry, thighs burning, my mind screaming at me to just stop the foolishness wondering why the hell I do this to myself! But wait let's go back to where it all started.

   I can still remember the look my gym teacher gave me at the high school track that day. I ran past him and he asked me what lap I was on. I croaked out that it was the third lap. He smiled, nodded and continued to mark split times down on his clipboard. 

   Most of my time as a youngster was spent overweight and very non-athletic. I'd tried soccer. But all the coach ever did was put me in as goalie. I was twice the width of the other kids on the team and there was no way in hell that I could summon the quickness or breath to score any goals. It was a win for both of us.

   When I started high school I decided to try out for the football team. I was a big boy and the coaches drooled at the thought of putting me on the front line. My dad got sick with cancer, I struggled with him fading from my life and I quit the team. I remember seeing one of the football coaches a week after I quit in passing on my way to class. I said hi. He pulled me aside and told me that the school doesn't like quitters, neither did he and told me to never talk to him again. After that I just convinced myself that sports weren't my thing. 

   As I covered before, a combination of my dad's death, depression and moving further away from a grandmother who showered me with love by feeding me ungodly amounts of German food changed who I was forever. My sophomore year of high school was a year of a lot of changes for me. I lost all my weight,  grew out my hair, wore black clothes, listened to heavy metal. I was discovering who I was as a person and battling the depression of losing my dad forever.

   That spring we did our annual mile run fitness test for gym class. The year before I almost fell over and died after the first quarter mile. But that following year I found myself cruising through those laps with ease. With all the weight gone running was way more fun! My gym teacher never said that he liked me out loud. Part of it was probably because of my anti-athletic look. But I always tried hard during class and gave everything my all. Through every quarter lap I could swear that he wore a look of admiration on his face as I passed.  

   That summer I started running for fun. Not very far. One to two miles a workout. I wasn't that fast. But I enjoyed being out there. Doing something that I thought I could never have done as I got older. In a way it helped with everything that was going on, gave me a sense of accomplishment and kept me out of trouble.  The running continued sporadically through crazy girlfriends and teenage youth. High school came and went.

   I started going to college and took some classes on fitness and health. The running picked up and I got better at it. Still wasn't fast but it it still made me feel amazing! I remember getting my first and only runner's high while running a four mile loop around school. Pity I never got to experience one again.  

   I graduated, began working various jobs here and there while working part-time towards a Bachelor's degree. By this time running was a staple in my weekly life as well as weight training. I now understood that keeping healthy was important. I was well aware that the better that I took care of myself the less of a chance I had of going down my dad's path to a death at a young age. I met the wonderful woman who later became my wife. We talked about our lives, our hopes, our dreams. One day I revealed to her that someday I'd really love to run an actual race. But, I just wasn't THAT kind of runner. One of the great things about her is that she looks at the world so matter of factly. She convinced me that I was THAT kind of runner. And that was it. I ran a race and then some. I became something I've always wanted to be deep down inside, an athlete.

   One thing that's really funny about all that running I did while growing up, I never ran on a track unless I had to do it for the annual fitness test. Sure, I had to run and qualify on a track to get my job with the sheriff's office. But track running just wasn't my thing. 

   So, here we are today. Today was the first scheduled speed workout for my marathon training program this year. Over the last 11 years I've done all of my speed work using a GPS based watch to mark the distance. It's worked well. But, after 11 years it's gotten old. I wanted to try something new. Some of the other runners that I know have been promoting the idea of doing speed work on a track. I figured why not?

   So this morning I drove to a local high school near my gym to give it a go. The weather was near perfect. 60ish degrees without a cloud in the sky. It was a bit too windy for my taste. But that would help cool me off during my recovery sections. 

   This high school's track was just plain amazing to look at! I know, I know. It's weird to like a place this much. But it looked brand spankin new, was well kept and very clean. It probably looked that good because the track had a four foot high locked fence encompassing it. But mere fences weren't going to stop me this morning. I easily hopped over, walked over to the starting line and found a spot on the grass filled center to put my stuff down. 

   It felt really weird to be standing again on a high school track. Not a soul was around except for a co-ed gym class of very uninterested looking teenagers being forced to play flag football on an adjacent field. I laughed out loud. I remember those days. I turned the GPS watch on, hit start and was off. 

   What proceeded for the next six miles was something like a dream. After an easy mile warm up the co-ed class faded away and I began the sprint intervals. 0.75 miles at speed pace with 0.25 mile recoveries. It was the first speed workout of the training season and I wasn't expecting to be able to do too much that was worthwhile. But, after the first interval I discovered that I was running almost one MPH faster than I typically did for these workout. Ah, mere fluke. It's just the Starbuck's coffee and nerves. Second interval, same thing. Ok? Apparently I had more in me today than I thought even though I was still really sore and tight from jumping back into cross-training this week. Third interval I started to tire and my speed wasn't quite as fast but still faster than normal. Fourth interval I thought to myself I'll just give it one more good lap and call it a day. But as I ran I speeded back up to where I was when I started. I knocked out another full interval, cooled down with another easy mile and crossed the finish line at 49:27. I was shocked. Typically these workouts are over 50 minutes long! Not bad at all for the first one of the season!

   I stretched, snapped some pics with the iphone and hopped back over the fence and walked back to my car. I sat there for a while watching another co-ed gym class struggle through another flag football game. A school janitor pulled up and asked me if he could help me with anything. I said no and said that I'd just got done using the track. He eyed me with suspicion. I contemplated showing him my sheriff's star to put him at ease. He just nodded and asked politely if I was leaving and I said, soon. He drove off. I sat there for a few more minutes basking in the sunshine, listening to the good music on the radio and finished my recovery drink. Yeah, it was weird to be running again on a track. But it brought back so many memories of a time long ago when I first discovered who I was, a runner. 

   As I drove away I saw the suspicious janitor again. I smiled and waved. He'll be seeing more of me I think this summer. I hope that school has an annual mile fitness test. Run for your lives my friends...

Let It BEGIN...

   So my friends it's finally here, the start of the 26.2 training season eve. All week I typed, calculated, fussed and tweaked this year's 19 week training program. I both love and hate this time of year. I love it because as I look at this schedule I'm filled with excitement! Excitement that this year will be better than the last. So much potential can be found within those silly little tables, it makes me giddy. But, as I gaze upon the increasing numbers I'm also filled with a sense of dread. Will I be able to get the mileage done? Will I be able to hold those paces over those distances? Will my always ever aging body be able to handle the workload?

   I'm no expert. Oh, don't get me wrong. The program looks great on paper. But I really don't have a clue what I'm doing. This year's program is a cobbled together mess of the Hanson's Brothers plan, mixed with the 366 Project demands, mixed with Matt Fitgerald's Racing Weight plan and then finally mixed with things that have worked for me in the past. It's different than last year's because with the addition of the 366 Project, I'm now running all seven days of the week. It's also different in that during week's 12, 14 and 16 I'll be shooting for long runs of 22 miles or longer (if I can stand it). The addition of working more overtime at my job will also make this more challenging than ever. 

   Ever since the Flower City Half Marathon I've been taking it easy. Not stressing myself out with a scheduled running plan. Enjoying too much adult beverage. Not caring a lot about what I eat. But tomorrow all that changes. Strict adherence to the plan will be enforced. The only adult beverage I'll be drinking is coffee. And my iPhone's My Fitness Pal app will be working overload as I count calories like a madman.

   Scary to say the least! But, then again not really. I love the punishment of asking my body to be better than it was a year ago. Within all of us lies that potential. As I talked with a friend tonight I was reminded that I am blessed to still be able to do this, to be healthy and to have support of my family and friends as I try to discover my potential. After you run for awhile you realize that the PR's and faster times are great. But they're not what it's all about. You see, that running is a all about the journey, NOT the destination. As I crossed the finish line of last year's marathon breaking the four hour mark after 10 years of trying, it wasn't the  3:57 time that I was thinking about. It was about all the sacrifice, all the long miles, all the heartaches and small triumphs. In the end, the race is just with yourself. I want to run that good race and someday, when you're driving down that country road and see some incredibly old man with a silly little faded "26.2" tattoo huffing and puffing as he gets his miles in, do him a favor and flash the old bugger a thumbs up. Each of us has our own races to run. I hope you enjoy your's as much as I continue to. Run for your lives my friends...  

   

The Cinco Loco, Life & Quitting The 366 Project...

   Well my friends it's been far too long since I've written here. Life has been really busy in 366 land. I originally planned to blog here about once a week. But life has a habit of getting in the way. So, I'm going to try a new format. Instead of long, rambling posts (who wants to read those anyways?), I'm going to try posting smaller blogs. So since I have a few minutes to spare, let me tell you about one of the best running experiences I've had in a long time. 

   About nine years ago I discovered the amazing world of running podcasts. Being the blog reading savvy person that you are, I won't explain what a podcast is. Over the years podcasting has waned and now most of them are professionally produced and quite slick. But the sport of running continues to be well suited to the podcast medium. What the hell else do you have to listen to on a 20 mile run when you're absolutely sick of your running music playlist? 

   As a runner I have a difficult time having running with a partner. I'm too slow, they're too fast, they stop too much, they spit into the wind, etc. But when you plug into a running podcast you have a partner who runs the same pace as you, doesn't demand long winded conversations and loves hills as much as you do. I've listened to a lot of podcasts. Some were more polished than others. Some were more educational. Some were just plain awful. But throughout my entire running career I've always listened to one in particular, Phedippidations podcasted by my friend Steve Walker AKA Steve Runner. I first remember reading an article about his podcast in an issue of Runner's World. I listened the next day and was quickly hooked. Through the years I've gotten to know Steve very well because he's the kind of guy who really puts himself out there on his podcast. Steve's a regular guy, with regular triumphs and regular tragedies in his life, just like all of us. He's kept me company through many miles and I can't imagine running now without him rambling on through my earbuds. 

   With the introduction to podcasts came the world of the run-net community. I joined FB and instantly discovered hundreds of other people just like me who lived their lives with a running slant. I've gotten more knowledge, support and friendship than I thought possible from that amazing community!

   Several years ago Steve and another friend Adam Tinkoff AKA Zen Runner podcasted the idea of runners in the run-net community getting together to meet, have fun and of course, go running. The first one they ran was called the Poco Loco and it was held in the great city of Boston. They met, they podcasted, they had an awesome time. I remember listening in envy!

   It's been a really crappy year for the running community. Adam lost his son to suicide. Steve lost his son to teenage immaturity. Boston. This year I've had my own challenges. When the idea of having a Mojo Loco as a sequel to the Poco Loco was brought up my wife and I decided it was time for a break. We haven't been on a vacation with each other in about nine years. So, last week we shipped the little guy to grandma's for the weekend, packed our bags and drove to Boston to get "Loco"!

   After listening to these guys for so many years, I must admit that both of us were a little nervous. But right away after meeting them for the first time you realize that they're just awesome, friendly people. We broke bread, we talked, we consumed way too much alcohol and of course ran! The actual event was an amazing eight mile run along the Charles River. We got to know each other better, stood there as Adam released some of his son's ashes into the river and visited the memorial site and finish line of the Boston marathon. So much emotion. It just further cemented my belief that runners are some of the most genuine and incredible people I've ever known. I haven't had that much fun in a long time. As we drove home on the following Monday I decided that this had to become a regular thing for me. I'm looking forward to meeting up again next year. 

   I'm the kind of person who has to focus daily on taking time out to enjoy the good things in life. Events like this remind me that life isn't about the grocery store, working overtime or getting home quickly to make dinner. It's about the good people in our lives and the experiences, happiness and joy that they bring to our  reality. Life is not fair. Bad things happen to good people. It's not all sunny days with 80 degree weather. But sometimes it's nice to outrun those challenges with some good friends. The running community is AMAZING! Looking back I think that without that community, I wouldn't be the successful runner or person that I am today. 

   Upon my return to home I realized that circumstances in my life have demanded that I work a more than usual for the time being. It's not what I want to do. My job is not the average 9-5 desk job of most people. It's dangerous, it's depressing at times and forces me to be away from those I love doing what I enjoy. But, maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way? It's dangerous but I still love the adrenaline rush it brings doing something that runs in my blood. It's depressing to see the bad choices people make but reminds me how lucky I am to have not gone down those roads. It does keep me away from my loved ones but encourages me to value my time with them a little more than usual. Overtime sucks but at least I have that option where I work. When it's all said and done I'll be better for it and have more peace of mind. 

   Earlier this week I was pretty down and considered cancelling running the Rochester marathon this year because working more directly affects the quality of my training time. I haven't not run a marathon since 2005. Running, it's what I do. It's my exercise, my therapy, my enjoyment. To exclude that from my life, to not train and run a marathon this year, to quit the 366 Project would be disastrous for me. So, I've decided that come this Monday I will begin the 19 weeks of training. It will be more challenging than ever this year. But I will succeed, I will overcome this temporary setback, I will finish this project. 

   As always, thank you for your support my friends, thank you for taking time out of your own chaotic day to read my thoughts, thank you for giving me the hope that I need when it's sometimes scarce! People ask me all the time why I run as much as I do. The answer is complex and I run for many good reasons. But one of the most important is because all of you inspire me to be something more than what I thought I could ever be. So much for no more rambling, long blog posts. The next one will be shorter, I promise! Run for your lives my friends...