Race Recap: Super Bears Shuffle 5k - September 10, 2015

 Apparently I've decided to conduct further research and experimentation on what happens when a guy my size runs a 5k after training approximately zero times for it. Round two of the research happened last night at Soldier Field in Chicago for the Super Bears Shuffle 5k.

                                             

Let me preface this by saying that I am a HUGE Green Bay Packers fan. I only paid money to do this race because I lost a bet to my brother in-law (a Bears fan). In fact, I'm pretty sure the Bears shirt we got was slightly burning my skin over the duration of the evening... Not really. Maybe kind of.

Like any race held near Soldier Field, parking cost much more than one would want to pay, but I guess it comes with the territory. We walked out of the parking garage to this scene:

                                             

As you can see, there was orange and blue everywhere. Ick. We arrived MUCH too early, so we decided to walk around the perimeter of Soldier Field. I wasn't terribly excited about that decision since I wanted to be on my feet as little as possible leading up to the race, but we did it anyway. During our pre-race walk, I actually ran into two, brave souls decked out in full-on Packers gear. I gave them a huge "Go Pack!" and explained that I lost a bet, but truly was a Packers fan. They gave me a high five and said they were sorry I was in my predicament. I'm sure they caught an ample amount of crap throughout the night. I hope they made it out unscathed.

As you can see, they had huge "BEAR DOWN" letters displayed on the grounds, but the rest of the area wasn't too impressive. They had an inflatable game where you could kick field goals, a DJ playing music, a selfie station (isn't that what your iPhone is for?) and a concession truck for 'beverages.' The Bears drumline was a nice touch. I didn't see Nick Cannon though...

As we all lined up for the race, the racers got a quick pep talk from local FOX sportscaster Lou Canellis. The emcee asked him why the Bears were going to beat the Packers this weekend, and he - no lie - dodged the question and talked about how the team would grow over the next, few years under their new head coach. I had a nice chuckle at that one. As the starting horn sounded, a Bears hype video appeared on a screen set up by the start line, and fireworks shot off as the runners headed out onto the course. But I was already immersed in my Dave Matthews Band playlist by that point.

                                                       

Going into this race, I decided that I wasn't going to start off by seeing how far I could run without stopping. That's what I did during my last 5k and it came back to bite me. This time around, I decided to voluntarily alternate between running and walking, so I could make sure there was some left in the tank for a strong finish.

Along the route, there were activities set up for the runners that mimicked NFL practice drills. You could run through a gauntlet of tackling dummies, high-step through a row of tires or do some cone drills. They also had a handful of large banners set up for you to take selfies with some of the Bears players. Unsurprisingly, Jay Cutler was not one of the banners featured.

In the end, my strategy paid off and I was able to "sprint" the last leg of the race to finish three and a half minutes better than my time back in late-July! Since I trained just as much as the last one, I'm thinking that whatever weight I've lost so far during Whole30 may be to thank for getting me to the finish line faster. Or maybe the fact that I just wanted to get away from all the Bears fans A.S.A.P.  Here's my time, I managed to finish 2,001st out of 2,600 or so.



In the end, I got another medal to add to my collection, but I never plan on wearing the Bears shirt again. In related news, congrats to my wife in receiving a new shirt! Let me just wash it first... All in all, it was a fun night with my brother in-law, and I'm glad the only photo he got of me was a blurry one. Go Pack Go!

Did you participate in this race too? What'd you think? Which 5k should I look into doing next?

Race Recap: Big Ten Network 10k (& 5k)

"Why did I ever stop running races?"

That is the question that plagued my mind the afternoon and days following the Big Ten Network 10k / 5k on Saturday the 25th. Despite setting a PW (personal worst) during this race by FAR, I still realized that I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the environment and overall ambiance of race day. Here's how things went:

My brother in-law, Eric, and I got up at 5am to drive to downtown Chicago for the race. We parked near Solider Field ($20 - always a bummer) which was very close to the course and the festivities, however. This was Eric's first race EVER, and he informed me that he hadn't slept very well the night before due to nerves - rookie move.

We got there early enough to watch the 10k start at 7:00am as well as watch the first finishers cross the line. I still can't get over how fast the elite runners knock these things out! We also had plenty of time to walk around the grounds and check out all the festivities that were offered.

There were football combine activities such as field goal kicking, a 40-yard dash and vertical leap; a dozen bags / cornhole sets were set up to use; and each school had their own tent set up with goodies. Since Eric doesn't much care for college sports and I am a Wisconsin Badger through and through, we visited the UW tent. They had Paul Bunyan's Axe on display - the annual trophy that is rewarded to the victor of the Wisconsin v. Minnesota football game, as well as the West Regional trophy the men's basketball team won by defeating Kentucky earlier this year. I wonder what the other tents had. They were probably handing out written apologies to their respective fan bases.

The school mascots were out in full force as well, except Illinois. I'm guessing the P.C. folks still frown upon Chief Illiniwek galloping in on his stallion or something. Even though little kids were scrambling to get photos with the mascots, I made sure to push my way through for a nice shot with Bucky Badger. Gotta throw up the W!

                      

Finally it was time for the 5k to kick off and, as we were waiting for Corral C to make it to the Start Line, I repeated to Eric to just take off and leave me behind - since I knew there wasn't a chance that I was going to run the same pace as him. He'd been training for the last, few months and I'd put my running shoes on that morning (for the purpose of running) for the first time in a year or so (or at least it felt that way). I'd come to peace with the fact that this race was going to take potentially 50% longer than it ever has in the past, and that I just needed to gut it out and get it done.

Sure enough. The race took forever, and my feet / knees stopped wanting to work before anything else - they just were sick of shuffling this much weight around. And I don't blame 'em! It wasn't fun, but I finished - with a lousy time of 46:48. Woof. But definitely an eye-opener. I'm super proud of Eric, he knocked out his first 5k with a time of 30:26, after setting a goal of sub-31:00.

But even though I physically did not enjoy this race, it still made me want to get back into the swing of things. Eric quickly said he was already hooked, so hopefully he'll drag me along to more races. Time to look for the next one!

   

Feels Like the First Time

Do the 'Santa Hustle!'

The last time I pinned on a bib and ran jogged participated in an organized race was way back in December of 2012. I signed up and ran a 5k with a handful of co-workers as well as a multitude of Santa Claus look-alikes. It was  called the Santa Hustle - which actually sounds more like a dance that everyone does at a wedding reception or school dance than an organized, athletic event.

I can't believe that it's almost been three years since my last race. I'm kind of ashamed, to be honest. Between mid 2009 and late 2012, I cranked out four half marathons, a half dozen 10ks and plenty of 5ks.I could pick up and run four or five miles without thinking twice, and without being sore for five days afterwards. I wasn't necessarily skinny, but I was at a much more reasonable weight than I am now - at least a weight that allowed me to run 13.1 miles in under two and a half hours.


Tomorrow I will be running the Big Ten Network 5k (even though the picture says 10k). This time I will be running with my brother in-law! And I'm planning on it being much harder and painful than any one I've done before. To be honest, I'm actually in a worse place now (physically) than I was when I initially picked up running in order to lose weight six and a half years ago... Eric, on the other hand, has killed it in training and lost 20-25 pounds! This will be his first 5k ever, and he will smoke me.

Here's to hoping this race is the eye-opener I need to get my rear in gear, and that Eric gets hooked on 5ks and asks me to sign up for another one later this year. Leading up to the race, I've made excuse after excuse as to why I "couldn't" go to the gym or head out for a run in preparation for tomorrow.

And tomorrow I get to pay for those excuses.

A Month of Firsts (Obviously)

I was always amazed when my parents would tell me stories of when I was a newborn or a toddler. How could they remember that far back in their minds? That was 30 years ago! Maybe my soon-to-be middle aged mind simply can't comprehend having memories that old just yet? I mean, I can barely remember where I park my car at work every day! (Literally happened just yesterday...)

1 Day Old

But after just a month of being a dad, I know exactly how 30-year old memories are possible. Stories and memories from Evie's birth will stick in my mind forever. And I look forward to remembering even more as the years go on.

Another thing that parents say is that time flies when you have a kid. Well, last week Evie hit the one month mark already! And I must admit, it certainly didn't feel like an entire month since she joined us! Of course, individual days seem like the clock isn't moving, and you'll never conquer the mountain of poopy diapers and gallons of baby tears (I can hear Karin yelling, "Amen!"). But those days do pass, and when you stop and look back, they've seemed to pass too quickly!

Sure it's only been a month, but she's already changed so much! Here are some pictures from Month #1 - a month of "firsts!"

Evie's First Bath

Meeting cousin Elliot for the first time!

All dressed up for Steve & Kelly's wedding in Milwaukee

First walk in the stroller!

Evie's One Month Photo Shoot

2014 Naperville Marathon - Or Not...

If you've read any of my posts older than two weeks ago, you know that I signed up for my first full marathon earlier this spring. You also know that I have since dropped out of the race due to a knee injury I suffered this summer. Apparently my knees and a sand volleyball court do not get along well.

Well, that marathon (believe it or not) continued without me this past Sunday.

Since the race was a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon, I did not have the option of selling my registration to someone else or giving it away. As a result, I got stuck paying a decent chunk of money for a race that I wasn't participating in. However, I did realize that (like every other race) my registration comes with some 'free' stuff!

So Karin and I made the trek to Naperville, Illinois on Saturday to visit the expo that coincides with the race. It's a place where runners pick up their race bibs and vendors set up booths to sell running gear. It's a pretty fitness-friendly atmosphere, you could say.

Immediately upon walking in, we spotted a guy in a costume. And there's something you need to know about me - I am a sucker for mascots. If I'm at a parade or anything, I need to get a picture with them. Guess it's just my inner six year old wanting to get out.

We then went over to the board to find my bib number - #1430!

While picking up my bag of stuff, the lady handing things out just HAD to try to make conversation, didn't she? I, of course, just fed her fake questions - but in my head I was thinking:

"Is this your first race?" - It probably looks like it, doesn't it?
"Are you all ready for tomorrow?" - Yup. All ready to sit on the couch and watch football.

Needless to say, I really felt like I didn't belong there. All these skinny, fit runners in their race shirts and bright running shoes really just made me stick out like a big, sore thumb. On top of that, I had ordered a large shirt for the race. Guess I was a little optimistic about my training regimen.

But that being said, going to these types of events still reminds me that I still do have a goal of being a runner. While running a full marathon wasn't part of my Sunday this week, it will still be a part of a Sunday at some point in the future. I haven't given up on this goal yet.

The Injury Bug Strikes!

All the way back in May, I announced that I was going to tackle my first FULL marathon after a few years on the bench. But, as you can already probably predict by the title of this post, that will not be happening anymore.

About a month ago, while up at a summer camp with friends and family from church, I tried to participate in the annual sand volleyball tournament. Well, my knee felt otherwise. During our second game of the tournament, it decided to buckle underneath my overweight-ness (accompanied by three, terrifying pops) with a little help from the uneven, shifting, soft sand court. Awesome. At least my team went on to win the tournament without me!

As you can see, my right knee swelled up nice and big...

After getting back from camp, I wasn't able to get to the orthopedic doctor for 2.5 weeks. By then, things had started to settle down a little bit - I was able to walk without a limp, and it really only hurt when doing a squatting motion or trying to jog. The doctor didn't really find anything wrong either, with the exception of a half-hearted, hail mary "possible torn meniscus" diagnosis. He suggested I head to physical therapy for 6-8 weeks and get back to him after that. While there, they further diagnosed a hamstring strain and possible meniscus tear. Splendid.

So since then I've been forced to deal with the reality that I won't be able to finish training for the marathon in two months. I've fallen extremely far behind in my training, and don't want to risk further injury by trying to rush back into things. The icing on the cake is that I can't get sell my registration to someone else either, since the race is a Boston qualifier. Better believe I'm going to pick up my swag bag though!

26.2 - A Beginner's Tale

I've done it. I've registered for a full marathon. Frankly, I have no idea why I let myself be convinced this would be a good idea. I have a ridiculous amount of work ahead of me. And honestly, it makes me quite fearful.

26.2 miles is TWICE as far as I've ever run at one time in my entire life. I remember finishing my half marathons in the past and thinking, "so I'd have to turn around and do this again? Oh, heck no." Now here I am, already paid for the race, and unable to take it back.  **GULP**

The realization of this possible mistake has rattled me so much that I've restarted this blog post four times. For someone who sure seems to have a lot to say on lots of topics, I'm really at a loss when it comes to this. The fact that I've registered for and will be participating in a full marathon in November evokes all sorts of emotions within me - most of which I still haven't completely worked through (as you can see below).

I feel very intimidated. I am doubtful. I am pessimistic about my ability to complete it and therefore am procrastinating when it comes to training.

Yet I am excited. I see my potential. I see this as a mountain to be climbed. I know it will be a life-changing experience both mentally and physically.

I don't understand how so many negative feelings can exist in my mind about this, yet I am still so excited to tackle this challenge. You'd think it would be one or the other. Either way, I better stop typing and lace up my Mizunos.

In the coming weeks and months, I will be documenting my journey and progress as I train for my first full marathon. I hope that you'll read along with me. Any tips and tricks for training are much appreciated!

120 Days...

My 30th birthday is rapidly approaching. At this point, I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that. Even though it's "just another year," I feel like moving into the next decade of my life carries more psychological weight than it might physically.

In my case, I'm looking to carry much less actual weight into my 30's. But as you can see by the title of the post, I only have 120 days!

My original slogan was "Ripped by 30," but since I've continued to put off the part where I start to eat healthy and work out, I doubt that I'll actually be able to obtain 'ripped' status by August.

However, there are still 4 solid months until my birthday, so there is still plenty of time to make some good progress - and I will keep you posted!

Question: What foods or exercises should I definitely take advantage of before August to make the most of these 120 days?

Chicago Half Marathon Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Dave H. for winning the free registration to the September 8th Chicago Half Marathon! I will get in touch with you to get you the details.

Thanks everyone for reading! I hope to have more giveaways soon!

Registration Giveaway - Chicago Half Marathon - September 8, 2013

It's that time once again, readers! Time to give away a FREE registration to one of the Chicagoland area's premiere races! Let's read on, shall we?

The 17^th Annual Chicago Half Marathon (and Hyundai Hope On Wheels 5k) will be host to thousands of runners that will enjoy a beautiful 13.1 mile course along scenic Lake Shore Drive with great views of the Chicago skyline, starting and finishing at Jackson Park. Visit www.ChicagoHalfMarathon.com for more info!

There aren't a lot of half marathon courses around here that feature as gorgeous of a view as the one that runs up and down Lake Michigan. Since most of you reading this are from the Chicago area, you know what I mean - so awesome.

"Jordan, stop talking! How do I get my mitts on this free registration?"

Okay, okay. Your name will be put in the hat by simply commenting on this post either here on my blog, or by commenting on Facebook when I share this link.  Easy peasy!

I'll be choosing a winner at the end of this week - June 14th - so get to commenting!

Painful Reminders

If you often find yourself enduring peaks and valleys when it comes to healthy living and working out (like I do), then you know the feeling. The feeling of those eye-opening, post-work out/run muscle aches and pains that come with restarting a fitness regiment. Oh. My. Goodness.

I won't lie to you guys - I've recently found myself tipping the scales at my new highest weight ever. Not proud of it. Not looking for sad panda faces or your typical "you'll do it this time!" comments. Just stating a fact. And when one sees a number they've never seen before, it usually springs them into action. Hence my return to the gym and the blog-osphere. Time to tighten it up and get my mind focusing on the right things (healthy foods, helpful reading materials, supportive environments, etc)

Well, when one sits on their rear for a month straight, it's a hearty wake-up call when they start working those dormant muscles again. Take this morning for instance. Today I decided that I would 'do legs' - which is a weird way to put it, but you all  know what I mean. I have a weight routine that was provided to me by a dear friend and today it had me scheduled for a handful of leg workouts using some of the machines.

I get to the first machine - taken. I head over to the second - occupied. And since these workouts are supposed to go in a certain order, I found myself aimlessly walking around the gym playing the waiting game. It then finally dawned on me - "hey, I don't need machines to work my legs - let's do some lunges." Well I did not know what I was getting myself into. Apparently I forgot how much I weigh because when I got to the end of 60 lunges - 30 on each leg - my legs were noodles. I mean, it was terrible. As a result, I unfortunately abandoned all my other leg workouts.

But instead, I thought it'd be a splendid idea to hit the treadmill for 30 minutes. Let's just say I'll probably be paying for it tomorrow... It's a long road, but it's gotta start somewhere, I suppose. But hopefully these painful reminders will make me realize the need to continue moving forward rather than sitting on the sideline and allowing a month to go by and watching the progress I'd made fizzle out and disappear.

After enduring this same cycle probably 10 times a year for the last 4 years, you'd think I would have put this all together by now. I see a lot of stories of people who decided to lose 50, 75 or 100 pounds and they just did it, and I find myself saying, "wow, I wish I could do that." Well...why don't I? Why do I assume that's something I can't accomplish? It's that mindset I tell ya...it's crucial.

Just thought I'd toss this lunges graphic in here. Also thought it was interesting that I was wearing the same thing during my lunges this morning!

Details, Details, Details

I've never been diagnosed, but I'm pretty sure that I have a twinge of O.C.D. I mean, I do some things that - when I'm finished - I step back and go, "Now why did I do that? Was it really worth all that extra work?" Can anyone relate with this?

For example, I have a Netflix Instant Queue with hundreds of movies, documentaries and TV shows in it. If I have a TV show in the queue, I 100% intend to watch the entire show completely from the beginning. I've restarted "Lost" three times now because "it's been too much time since I started it last time" and watched the entire series of "Prison Break" because I never saw the last season. I write and rewrite and rewrite my To Do Lists so they looks cleaner, and I'm also the guy that would completely rewrite my class notes in college because I didn't think it looked neat enough. I'm also currently listening to a September 7, 2012 episode of a daily podcast that I like because I am trying to catch up (doubt it'll ever happen).

So why doesn't this exhausting process carry over to the health/fitness portion of my life? In recent introspective sessions, I've often pondered this question. And I think I've found the answer...

For me, it's easy to organize and control the physical surroundings around me. It's easy to pick up my laundry, make the bed, organize my desk  or do the dishes. But when it comes to organizing and aligning my mindset and my actions towards a healthier life, that's not as easy... It requires much more effort and dedication and my mind wears out well before my body does. So how does one go about conquering this giant?

That's what I'm still trying to figure out. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that I have a switch that I can flip that automatically turns on self-control, discipline, motivation or commitment, so I guess that means I'm going to have to go it alone. Yikes, that definitely hasn't gotten me anywhere since I started back in 2009... But I'm making the attempt once again to kick this healthier lifestyle into gear, so we'll see how it goes this time!

What have you found that motivates you to commit to life-long, healthy changes in your life? Was it a life event, a particular person, a new-found passion for running? Let me know!

Half Marathon Giveaway WINNER!

Congrats to Bill on winning the FREE registration for the upcoming Allstate 13.1 Marathon in June! Thanks to everyone who commented on the post - thanks for reading and I hope to have some more posts coming your way soon!

Happy running, everyone!

Allstate 13.1 Marathon Series Giveaway!

Attention all runners! Or...people who want to be runners!

I've been granted a fantastic opportunity to give away to one, special reader of this here blog, and it could be YOU! It's real simple, I promise!

The 13.1 Marathon® Series is making a stop in CHICAGO on Saturday, June 8, 2013 and YOU could participate...for FREE! You could join 5,000 runners on the streets of Chicago as they run along Lake Michigan  for a beautiful 13.1 miles (with 20 party stations along the way), and then celebrate your accomplishment afterwards with food, refreshments and live entertainment.

You could also find me since I'll be there running it too!

And I know you're saying, "Jordan, how can we be eligible for this unbelievable prize?"Well let me tell you. All you need to do is leave a comment below convincing me why you should be awarded the free registration. Also, make sure you'll actually be available for race day - we don't want anyone winning and then not running! This contest is open to ANYONE from ANYWHERE in the world! 

So let the comments fly! I'll be choosing a winner on Monday, April 1st - so make sure to get your name in the hat now! 

Every Day I'm (Santa) Hustlin'

I know it's been awhile since I've last written a beautiful blog post for all you cool cats, but have no fear! I am still alive and kicking and running races - just at slower speeds than I should be...

Today I'm poking my head in to tell you about the Santa Hustle 5k that I ran in downtown Chicago on December 1st. It was an unseasonably 50+ degrees, which was warm enough for me to don a simple pair or shorts and a t-shirt. Over the years I've developed some thick, Wisconsin skin that helps me deal with the colder temps. Works wonders on days like that when you're outside from 8:00-11:30am!

Let me paint the scene for you - imagine standing atop a hill and looking out across a sea of 8,000 runners all decked out in red shirts, red hats and long, white beards. Huge, inflatable reindeer, snowmen and Santas also drape the landscape - not to mention the pen of REAL reindeer that showed up for the festivities as well! Welcome to the Santa Hustle - Chicago edition.

I find myself here because a couple months ago, a group of my co-workers decided to rally up some folks to run this all together. When all was said and done, 23 people had registered for this race! Some of which are avid, marathon and half-marathon runners, some of which are smokers who haven't run in who knows how long, and even some casual race runners who just want to have some fun.

Leading up to the race, I found myself flip-flopping on how I wanted to run this race. I could do one of two things. I could do what I do in every other race - push it and try to finish in the best time possible or I could fool around with my coworkers and not care what my time is. Up until the air horn blew, I was planning on having a fun time on the course. But once I started, I couldn't follow through with it. Too competitive, I guess.

Since I had made the decision to push it for this race, I abandoned the idea of visiting the sugar cookie and M&Ms stations along the route - which were fun, creative additions - but not something my body was really in the mood for. It was too busy getting angry at me for not training outdoors on concrete prior to the race - my shins really paid the price for that... I also ditched the beard at the start line and the hat around mile two.

I crossed the finish line a few seconds past 33 minutes - right around what I was aiming for. In part because I'd failed to run the entire week leading up the race. In the week before that, I would show up to the gym, hop on the treadmill and not have a training plan of any sort. So for me to expect anything faster than 11 minute miles would have just been straight up silly.

But I had a great time with my co-workers on this beautiful, Saturday morning! This is a race that was a lot of fun, and would definitely recommend it to everyone. They have a handful of these races all over the country in the month of December, so check it out! If nothing else, find the race near you and laugh at all the fools and their stupid costumes! I'm just glad our race was on December 1st and not the 22nd like in Milwaukee. Brr!

Come Along With Me

I hope this doesn't come off as being overly vain, but since I started my weight loss journey back in January of 2009, I've wanted to be able to document my progress (actual progress, not treading water) as I lose weight, and show people what I'm accomplishing, how I'm changing, and hopefully inspire some people along the way.

At first I tried doing weigh in updates on YouTube and then those eventually fell off when my progress slowed and eventually reversed. I tried joining challenges and contests on YouTube as well, thinking that it would provide a new kind of motivation and encouragement in an 'online community' sort of environment where like-minded people would push me in the right direction. Those would start off with enthusiasm and effort (and results!), but then also taper off before the contest would finish.

I've also joined weight loss Facebook groups with friends, hoping that our words of support and personal challenges would get me over the hump - but that just turned into a place for people to feel less guilty about admitting they had a terrible weekend (and gained 5 poiunds) and then still just recieved the "aww, you'll get 'em next time" type of response. Not helpful. And now finally, I've been using this blog as a means of sharing this part of my life with you.

To date, my progress during the life of this blog has been up and down at best. I'd sign up for races and then slack during my training, only to downgrade the race distance the week prior. I'd let you all know about how I'm embarking on this huge, 365-day transformation journey only to fizzle out in less than a week and hope you forgot about the original post.

So I don't blame any of you if you've stopped reading or paying attention to my sorry attempt at weight loss.

But this time it feels different.

Rather than trying to put myself on a diet that doesn't allow me to eat certain things (Atkins, South Beach, etc), I've begun making smart, lifestyle choices in my nutrition that I find to be much more sustainable and less restrictive and suffocating. Most of the time I try a diet, I find that the fact that I cannot eat certain things, makes me crave them even more. And as the pressure builds up, it's only a matter of time before I erupt and binge on things like fast food, soda, chips, etc. But now I realize the need for moderation and if I have chips, I just grab a handful, or I make a smart choice at the fast food restaurant (something I haven't had to face YET), or I just drink water instead of hitting up the break room fridge for Pepsi!

And making these smart, small choices every day gives me confidence in its potential sustainability. It also gives me a sense of pride that I can in fact do this without breaking, and momentum to keep moving in the right direction. And as you can see by my "Progress" stats below my picture on the right, so far so good!
The key will be to see how things continue once I'm two, three, six weeks down the road. It's been quite a while since I've been able to sustain constant weight loss for more than two weeks, so the moment of truth is still ahead of me. And if the day comes where I do end up binging on something, I need to have the control to realize it's only one day and get back on track right away. Unfortunately, I'm used to letting one bad day turn into a week of bad choices...

But I hope that your waning faith in me can be restored in the near future as you read about my progress - and hopefully see it physically as well (I'll be adding a stats page to this blog soon)!

Hyundai Hope on Wheels 5k - Chicago, IL

Sunday morning I made the frustrating trip downtown to participate in the Hyundai Hope on Wheels 5k, which was run in conjunction with the Chicago Half Marathon. The morning was complete with fanTAStic running weather, a decent course and a fun racing experience.

 

Now I say the trip was frustrating because parking was horrendous... Since the race started near Jackson Park, I was assuming I could park at the Museum of Science & Industry and make the reasonably short walk to the Start/Finish line. Well that's not how it played out.

Long story short, I thought I could easily get to the parking garage. After a half hour of driving around trying to access Lake Shore Drive, I was greeted with a "you'll just have to find a spot somewhere" answer from one of the parking monkeys rented out to direct traffic. I finally found a parking spot at 7:30 and had to hustle myself and my wife 1.2 miles to the Start line...

As we were approaching our destination, I could hear the race starter saying "We'll be starting in 30 seconds!" Oh boy... Unfortunately, I had to sprint off to the start line, leaving my wife to fend for herself until I was finished. I arrived (winded) about a minute and a half after the gun went off - in plenty of time since half the racers still had yet to cross the start line.

As I waited to cross the starting line, I tried to get my iPhone set to play some music - only to remember that I had removed all my music to make room for my podcasts...which do little to pump me up on a run. So I found my wife further up the road and handed off my phone and headphones...leaving me sans music for 3.1 miles. Great.

The race itself semmed to go by very quickly. Now, don't get this confused with my actual speed - I said it SEEMED to go quickly! :-) With such a large crowd, you were always surrounded by people. There were a couple ripples in the street (one of which nearly caused me to eat blacktop), but for the most part the course was pretty smooth. But of course you always have to watch out for what I call the "Abrupt Stoppers" who just all of a sudden move from a run to a walk right in front of you. Maybe I should just shorten my race time so I'm not forced to run with these folks!

In the end, I finished strong and cruised hustled past some folks on my way to the finish line (which always feels great!) The clock above me read 34:12, but I figured the initial 1:30 or so would be subtracted to land me in the 32:00 mark somewhere. But after checking the standings this morning, I found they still tagged me with the 34:12 - not enthused...

As always, they had ample food and drink after finishing and 5k runners even got a finishers' medal! I won't lie - I wasn't expecting that! To be honest, it made me forget about all the frustration with trying to park and make it on time!

After my race, Karin and I stuck around for a bit and watched our friend Vinnie finish the half marathon - always fun to watch people turn that last corner and see their eyes light up as they spot the finish line! There's just something about seeing people down the home stretch - just a fantastic, emotional moment we get to share with them!

However, there was a somber moment as the paramedics seemed to cart off a runner while doing chest compressions on him... I haven't seen any report of a death in Sunday's race, so I'm hoping that means he's alright. Does anyone know anything about this?

 

September Goals

Well here we are, with yet ANOTHER month behind us in 2012, and ANOTHER month closer to the end of the world as we know it (if you're Mayan). That means we're also at that time where I lay out my goals for this coming month.

I know, I know... I still have yet to reach many of my past, monthly goals. Believe me, I'm more disappointed about it than you are! At the end of each 30 days, it really is kind of depressing to see the lack of progress in my weight loss journey. But the past is the past, and I can only focus on today! So here we go!

1. This may sound crazy to some of you, but I really want to be able to do away with soda this month. Some days it is a really big struggle to stay away from the carbonation when it's free for the taking (and unlimited) here at work, so I really want to buckle down and eliminate that. Going to be tough!

2. I also am going to start incorporating weight lifting into my workout routine this month. Once my race is finished on Sunday, I'm planning on focusing more on full-body fitness rather than just being able to log enough miles for a race.

3. I'm also going to work out 5 or 6 days per week (Mon-Sat). Even if I have weird work hours due to international shows, there's still no reason I can't find time to sweat a bit.

4. I also want to improve my stature as a blogger (see previous post). Instead of simply reporting on my progress, I want to improve my knowledge in the realm of health and fitness and therefore will be reading articles and such, and will be giving my response/thoughts on facts or articles I read. Let's get some knowledge, people!

5. Oh yeah, and let's lose 15 pounds this month, shall we? (would take me down to 260)

I also made a YouTube video today talking about these as well, enjoy!

Improving My Blogging - and Yours!

Since I've been kind of M.I.A. on the blogging front lines lately, I've decided to do some research on how to up my online game. Of course there's the obvious things like, I don't know... ACTUALLY BLOG, but I found out some other interesting things as well. Naturally, I first had to do the obligatory Google search for "How to be a good blogger."

Ah, good laugh. It's reassuring to know that if I ever want to drop my prime gig as a blogger that I could easily find out how to be a good bartender. Definitely would make more money! I also think babysitting is in my near future, but that will be a mandatory vocation - since the kid will be my own! (And no, mother, this is not me announcing that we have a baby on the way!)

Anyway, one of the things that I read was that your blog should be aesthetically pleasing. This made me wonder if I should try a different layout/design of the blog. Thoughts? I like this layout because it allows me to have all these nifty things on the right side here, but I definitely like the layout of some of the more dynamic layouts. I can't decide...

Another key to good blogging is writing about a topic that you know, and that your readers will enjoy or find useful. I think this is where I need to improve. I've been doing a lot of running over these last few years, and I can tell you how I did or how I felt, but when it comes to giving tips and recommendations, I really don't think I could confidently give you credible words.

In that same vein, I also feel that once I am more successful with my weight loss and can actually post some respectable times in my races (and my YouTube viewers start reading), that people may see me as more of a credible source as well, rather than a guy who can make you laugh here and there. The goal is both!

So while I take an introverted look at my own blogging highs and lows, feel free to do the same with yours too! But I must say, the blogs I've been reading lately seem to be doing pretty well for themselves! For now, I just hope you stick with me on this journey - things will get much better soon!

Company Generosity - Good or Bad?

Now that I've been working at my current job for almost six months, I've come to see many of the perks of working for the company. But one of the aspects that I first considered as the best thing since a comfy desk chair, I've come now to view as a burden and curse.

 

 

As you can see, the company is more than generous with their supply of free snacks and drinks... The fridge is also full or MORE drinks as well as string cheese - LOTS of string cheese.

But here's the thing - turns out that some of my biggest temptations / weaknesses come in the form of things like Mountain Dew, Orange Crush and Sun Chips - things that are not in short supply here.

Now I'm not going to stand here and blame the company for my lack of weight loss - that'd be silly. But let's be honest...it'd be much easier for me NOT to eat / drink all these things if they weren't sitting there ready to be consumed.

So this is one of my main goals heading into this next month of the year (September) and in the future. To walk right past this closet and only focus on my lunch in the fridge and the water cooler in the corner.