Karhu 5k - June 9, 2012

Well race day was Saturday, and as some of you may know, I decided to downgrade to the Karhu 5k, which was the partner race of the Allstate 13.1 Marathon. While I use the heat warnings as my first reason for switching, the reality is that I simply wasn't prepared to run a half marathon - heck, I even struggled at the 5k. And while I may say that I was given short notice that I would be able to register for the half, the truth is that I didn't put in as much time/miles as I could have.

But I'm also using this weekend as a learning experience.

When a challenge is thrown your way, sometimes you can't afford to doubt, second-guess or delay. Sometimes you need to get your helmet on, lower your shoulder and plow forward towards whatever challenge awaits you. When I registered for the half marathon, I knew it was less time than the 12-week training plan I have, and I knew I'd have to bust my rump to get my miles in.

So I think I caved under the knowledge that I'd have to work hard, which isn't a good thing. I seem to have treated my training as a lost cause - even before I began. Reality is that I definitely could have gotten in shape to run 13.1. Maybe not well enough to run a good time, but to at least finish.

So what's the answer to this problem? I think I'm just going to 'simply' work my tail off to get this weight off, get my running legs in good shape and be ready for whatever challenge is thrown at me next.


Mark (30:05), Jacob (30:13) and I (33:21) before the Karhu 5k

But enough of my rambling introspection, I'm sure you're wondering how the 5k went, right? Well, I didn't set any records by any means, but I finished in 33:21. And all in all, I had a great time with Mark and Jacob - the two guys I was able to give the free registrations to (Mark: half marathon but also switched to 5k; Jacob: 5k). The race course was so-so (we literally flipped a U-Turn on the sidewalk/running trail), but the after-race party was fun! The cover band was entertaining, the free Michelob Ultra was tasty and the Lou Malnati's pizza was a great breakfast!

Once I edit it together, I'll post my video from the day as well.

On the negative side, I was quite bummed that I missed the blogger meet-up by only a few minutes! I was hoping I'd be able to add a picture of all of us in this post as well, but alas... it didn't happen. I also wasn't able to catch any of you on the course in the half hour I stood around and watched more runners come in. Seems like you all had a great time, though! (Also, it turns out that Sara finished about 30 seconds ahead of my wife's uncle!)

My congratulations go out to everyone who finished the half marathon or 5k on Saturday! And I hope to meet up with some of you sooner than later!

Believing In Myself

For the first time this season, I felt that the "theme" of this week's Biggest Loser was actually legit and helpful. To be honest, this has probably been one of my least favorite seasons of BL. Not only did the contestants start out a bit smaller than in seasons past, they're also losing less weight as a result. Now I'm not saying that I only enjoy 400+ pound people getting wasted by Bob Harper, it just seems like the producers are trying a little too hard to have a "theme" to the entire season - "No Excuses."Although it was humorous to see someone voluntarily go home after Week 1 (because he'd 'learned all he needed to know'), and to see the first contestant EVER simply walk off the show (in a season toting 'no excuses'). Ha!

Past episodes this season seem to have stretched themselves a little thin just to try to prove common excuses wrong such as "I can't afford organic food," "I can't lose weight at home" or "I can only work out at a gym." Some of the in-house dynamics and actual workouts (complete with Bob & Dolvette words of wisdom) are the best parts of the show! I don't know...maybe I'm just overreacting.

Either way, I finally appreciated this week's theme - "I don't believe in myself." Maybe because it struck a chord deep within me and actually gave me something I felt I could relate to. Because to be honest, I think my self-confidence and doubt are my biggest hurdles in my weight loss journey.

I think problem #1 is that I look at my past performance - and there's nothing to brag about there. So after tallying up the number of times I've gained back all the weight I've lost, or thinking about how many times I've epic failed all over some fast food, I've wasted 45 minutes and missed my gym window. D'oh! And then repeat that patter at least a few times per week. Then it snowballs into resenting my laziness from the morning and eating junk for lunch, and yadda yadda yadda...I gain more weight.

But how about this - I start a brand new, higher-paying job in downtown Chicago on Monday (ballin, right?), and therefore feel more like an adult. Feeling more like an adult causes me to think that I need to ACT like a responsible grown-up. Thinking that I need to ACT like a grown-up puts pressure on me to actually give off the vibe that I have my shtuff together. And in order to show people that I can, in fact, BE RESPONSIBLE...I really need to stop being lazy!

Therefore, along with a whole, new work schedule will come a new gym schedule, a new focus on healthy (and controlled) eating and hopefully new results. Ready for the ride? I am!

Just an update - weekly weigh ins and measurements will begin NEXT Saturday - March 24th.

Knowledge vs. Action

I'm a sucker for knowledge. I enjoy learning new things about topics I love or at least have an elevated interested in.

I have endless sports statistics, players and games in my head. I know music lyrics that I don't even WANT to know - just turn on any Will Smith song and it will automatically start coming out of my mouth. I went to two men's conferences on back-to-back Saturdays this last month and enjoy reading books on how to be a good leader and husband. And I also read endless websites, articles and blogs on running, losing weight, training schedules and whatever else I think I can use to further my journey to 199 pounds.

But my problem comes whenever I try to APPLY all of this information.

Why does this happen? Why can't I follow the simple process of learning and then doing? Does the hard work and dedication scare me off? Do I feel like I need to finish other things before focusing on this? Do I just love fast food and soda that much?

It's tough having all these questions and not knowing what the answers are.

All I know today is that I have two, great days under my belt and I'm feeling confident. And I think that's the important thing for me - confidence. If I don't believe that I can actually lose all this weight, then I never will. If I get down on myself for having a bad food day and therefore skip the gym and get all down on myself, I'll just keep yo-yoing like I have been for the last three years.

Even though my actions don't always communicate it, losing this weight is very important to me - probably too much, to be honest. I get very hard on myself when I slip up which, instead of motivating me and getting me to the gym, actually sends me to the fridge or to the grocery store. I need to learn how to take small failures and turn them into positive actions.

And I promise not just to KNOW that, but to DO it as well!

Are my mindless wanderings getting annoying yet? :)

Believing vs. Doing

I thought about making a video on this topic, but figured I was due for a blog post anyway, so here I am! I know some of you may be wondering what happened to my posts about the 90-Day Challenge...well, Thanksgiving happened and threw off my posting schedule, but they will be back in full force soon!

But anyway, the topic of 'belief vs. action' came up in our church small group last night and someone used the example of knowing that eating right and exercising is good for you, but doing those things doesn't always follow right behind. Logically it should, but that's rarely the case.

I've actually been beating myself up a lot lately because I do the same thing. I have the knowledge and know-how to lose weight and eat right, but day in and day out I still make mistakes and bad choices that keep me treading water rather than moving towards my goal. And it frustrates me to no end knowing what I'm capable of, yet squandering my days away and making no progress. Unfortunately the frustration and and anger of failing time after time really knocks down my confidence and self-esteem and leaves me wondering (or doubting) if I'll ever be able to accomplish this.

That thinking then turns itself into a self-fulfilling a prophecy and what do you know? I'm left with regret for the day that I've wasted and the pounds I've not lost (or even have gained). That then translates into eating poorly and skipping workouts due to the bad moods. It seems to be a vicious cycle I can't seem to shake myself out of.

I've determined that I have a hard time focusing on the next step I have to take and am distracted by the big, overall goal. I always have "lose 80 pounds" looming over my head while I should be focusing on eating healthy for my next meal, or making my next day's workout count. I know I want to run a marathon, but have a hard time making sure I can run 2 miles at a time. But I just can't get myself to consistently do so without slip ups, collapses and failures.

I have many questions as to how I can be able to change my mindset or focus, and not nearly enough answers. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. I've thought time and time again that I've found the motivation to get my mind focused, but it fizzles out quickly. So I'm left wondering what's wrong. What do I need to do to finally get my mind in the right place to accomplish my goals? I'm open to any suggestions you may have, but I feel it's just something that I need to keep working at.

90-Day Challenge - Days 4-6

So apparently I'm taking weekends off in documenting the 90-Day challenge. If you're new to the program, check out the Day 1 post to see where I'm coming from. Anywho, over the weekend I didn't really read the Days 4 & 5 challenges, so I'm taking them all on today! Let's join the action.

Day #4: "Dreams & Visions" - Take time to devise a plan for reaching your goal. What things do you plan to do daily to make that dream a reality? Write down five mini-goals you will achieve on your way to your overall goal.

1) I always found it intimidating to look at my goal as "losing 80 pounds." This time around, I plan to take it in 10 pound increments and climb this mountain with smaller steps. 2) I also plan to make changes in my diet - no more soda or fast food! Those were two of the culprits in my weight gain. 3) In order to achieve these goals I can't be idle - I need to be active everyday! 4) I want to learn about what I'm trying to achieve. Whether that means watching documentaries or reading magazines, I want to expand my knowledge in the realm of health and fitness. 5) I feel that documenting and keeping track of my accomplishments will keep my morale and motivation up. So I'm logging my weight every week so I can see my progress.

Day #5: "Faith Matters" - You may not know what your body will look like after dropping 30 or 50 pounds, but let faith fuel you to picture yourself a skinnier person or fitting into your old clothes. "Faith works by love, so if you have unforgiveness in your heart toward anyone, release that burden so God can work in your life.... Whether it's writing a letter/email or calling someone on the phone, the less emotional baggage you have, the easier it will be to focus on losing the physical weight."


Off the top of my head, I don't think I have anyone that I really need to forgive - I'm pretty solid in that department. My faith in myself, on the other hand, is what needs to be strengthened. After coming up short so many times, my confidence in my ability to finish this journey grows less and less...
Day #6: "New Thrills" - Write down on activity you have avoided because of your weight or other insecurities. Describe why you avoided it and how it made you feel. Now imagine how you would feel doing that activity as the new, thinner you - full of energy!

Despite LOVING sports, I've felt quite insecure and self-conscious participating in sports with friends. Whether it's a pick-up game of football or just going for a run, I think too much about how big I might look and sometimes shy away from joining in the fun. When I lose the weight, I can't WAIT to run circles around people and not have to worry about what's jiggling around! :)


Alright, I think we're all caught up! These are some pretty important things to think about while trying to lose weight. Forget about what other people may think of you - this is YOUR time to make these changes and get healthy! What are some of your responses to these challenges?