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.

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!

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!

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?

 

Business Trip Highs and Lows

For my job, I sometimes get to take 2-5 day long trips around the country. Who knew being a webcasting engineer was so posh? Well, before you start ooh-ing and aah-ing, let me tell you that this latest trip was to the 'metropolis' of Bloomington, Minnesota. Hold your applause, please.

While the short trip (Wed - Thurs) was mostly work (who woulda thunk it?) - setting up cameras, checking microphones and testing our webcast stream, my coworker and I were able to get out of the hotel and visit the Mall of America for a whopping 5 hours! We walked around for the first two hours simply looking at all the different restaurants, shops and amusement park rides and logged almost 12,000 steps! Makes me wish I would have thought ahead and worn my running shoes rather than flip flops...

But unfortunately, the temptation to eat crappy food was prevalent due to the fact that we get a $50 a day just for meals - not to mention that one of the two lunches was paid for by a separate client... So while we were at the mall we stopped at Famous Dave's for some nice BBQ and  then moved onto Buffalo Wild Wings for some beverages - and sports, of course! And don't get me started on how tasty (and probably unhealthy) the other few meals were...

We also stopped at the Nike Store so I could check out a few things and drool uncontrollably over the running gear they had stocked to the celing. I could have walked out of there with a few, full bags of shoes, shorts, shirts and everything else they had! They also had a sweet decoration on their ceiling - dozens of racing bibs from all over the place. So cool!

But now I'm home and back to reality where I don't get to sleep in a king-sized bed by myself and my meals aren't paid for. And I'm also getting back to the gym! I'm looking to have another 365-Day Transformation update to you later this week! See ya then!



In the Starting Blocks

On the heels of the Men's 100m Finals - all hail Usain! - I think the title of today's post is quite applicable.  By the way, can we all just stop a second and admit that he is ridiculous? Any time I watch his run my jaw just drops - so impressive.

Anyway, if you read my post from yesterday, you know that I am now 28 years of age and am embarking on a year-long journey (a la Chris Powell) to get to my sub-200 pound goal. So before I get started, I want to establish where I'm starting. I'm adjusting my feet in the blocks and getting ready to tear up the track. (But of course this isn't being treated as a sprint!)

This morning I took stock of where I find myself after a week of vacation and a week + of slacking on my half marathon training schedule. And it was worse than I thought.

If any of you follow me on YouTube, you'll know that I also just joined a couple of challenges - so to speak - that require me to make regular update/progress videos. In my initial videos for #CHANGE and "Hot 4 Halloween" I made a guess before vacation that I weighed around 270 despite having not seen a scale for a week prior to that. Well...I must have been wrong. Here are my starting numbers as of today:

Starting Weight: 275.6

Measurements (in inches):

I took some 'before' pictures that I will show you at the end of each three-month "Phase" (again with the Chris Powell comparison). I will also be giving short, weekly reports each Monday letting you know how my last seven days went - mostly statistical with a little analysis. I'll also have a running, weekly, weigh in tally in the upper-right portion of the blog.

I also want to note that I don't want to stray too far from the running focus of this blog, but that shouldn't be a problem since I'll be continuing my half marathon training this next month and using it as a huge part of my weight loss. My ultimate goal after all of this is done is to become a hardcore runner (like some of you!) and maybe even dabble in some du- or triathlons. Hmm? Hmm?

But let's take this one day at a time, k? I'll have my first progress post for ya on Monday.

Out With the Old - In With the New!

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen some of the recent pictures I posted about some some of the latest changes in my life - some small, some large - but all exciting! So let's walk through some of them, shall we?

1. New Glasses

Don't be decieved by the handsome decent picture on the left, but there is only one "ear thing" to those glasses and they're balancing on my nose. They were a couple of years old, falling apart and they'd fall off my face if I looked down. They were light as a feather, got broken quite easily and my astigmatism had already rendered them obsolete. It was time for a change - and I'm happy with the results (as you can tell by my smiling face on the right?)

2. New Running Shoes

This is a change I'd wanted to make a few months back, but I just had to wait for the right time. Every July, the local downtown area (it's a suburb, so downtown is relative) holds a Sidewalk Sale, and lots of the shops have some really good deals! So I visited the local running store ("Running for Kicks"), got fitted for some shoes, and came out with some sweet Mizuno Enigmas 20% off! I've only worn Mizunos since I started running in Jan '09, and I wasn't about to buy the Brooks that they were also offering me! And plus - who doesn't like a nice, flashy shoe?

3. New Car!

Alright, so this change is on a totally different level - we got a new car! Ok, it's pre-driven, but it's new to us! Unfortunately, I don't have a corresponding picture of my old piece of junk, but it's a black, '99 Nissan Altima with a roughed up head gasket, tires that need balancing (it shakes fiercely if I dare flirt with 60 mph) and A/C that only works at Level 4 (gale force winds) while Levels 1-3 don't deliver as much as an exhale. Either way, we needed the upgrade!

4. New Mindset

For these last three + years, I've always tried to convince myself that despite 'off' days, weeks or months, that I can always knock out my goal in a few months "if I just really went to it." Well obviously that's not the case.

With weight loss, it doesn't matter what you 'could do' - it only matters what you DID or ARE DOING. Nobody cares what you're going to do next week, they want to hear what you did at the gym this morning. So statements like "I should be 15 pounds lighter by my birthday next month" is worthless unless I can stand there on my birthday and say, "I just lost 15 pounds!"

Anyway, what I'm trying to drive at is that I'm abandoning my false pride about my ability to simply lose weight at will. When writing out weight loss goals, I would usually plan on being able to lose 6-10 pounds a week - HA! So the new mindset is aiming for 2-3 pounds a week and being ecstatic if the scale shows me more than that.

Once I get back from a week-long, outdoors vacation (filled with walking, swimming, canoeing, etc) my weekly video updates will be popping up again. So stay tuned!

Also, congrats to all those who knocked out the Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in Chicago this past Sunday. It's been fun reading your reports!

And So It Begins...

Well now that we've given away another half marathon registration, it's time for me to turn my focus elsewhere - training! Yes, I will also be running the Chicago Half Marathon (as I've mentioned), and my training schedule kicked off this week!

Now I won't lie - I'm a little more excited about this September 9th race moreso than the June 9th one I registered for (I ended up downgrading to the 5k due to imminent heat and lack of training). Don't get me wrong, the Allstate 13.1 Marathon Series was a fantastic event, I just wasn't as excited to run the actual race due to my lack of training -  the reason I'm more excited is because I have PLENTY of time to train for this race as opposed to the shorter timeframe I got before the June race.

This time around I'm trying a different kind of training schedule. In the past, I've used a schedule more or less derived from the Hal Higdon model. But this time I thought I'd try my hand (or feet?) at the Runner's World half marathon training schedule. I'm looking forward to it because it doesn't just give me a straight-up number of miles to run every day, but it incorporates interval running and different stamina exercises.

I've adjusted it slightly so that my longer days are on Saturdays, and I'm already looking ahead to the summer to make sure that I get my miles in despite some vacations and busy weekends. I'm 100% in on this program and I look forward to getting my miles logged, losing weight to get the pressure off of my worn out knees and PRing this race in September. Not to mention that it's been awhile since I've gotten to run a nice, long race in downtown Chicago!

What sort of half marathon training regimens have you used in the past, or are currently using? There are TONS of different things out there, and I'd love to hear about them!

July Goals!

Well, now that you've seen how I did on my June goals, I think it's time to step it up for the month of July. Some say I may have set my bar a little too high out of the gate, but I still think I underperformed and can do much better in July.

I think I'm really going to like this infrastructure I am setting up for myself - weekly (give or take a day) video updates/weigh ins coupled with monthly goals and report cards. I'd start looking forward to yearly events, but let's hope that I'm not fighting this battle for another three years and am just blogging about all the races I'm doing and PR's I'm setting! :)

But without further stalling ado, let's ring in the new month of July with another set of attainable goals (both fitness-related and otherwise)!

- Weigh 250 (or less) by my b-day (August 6!)*
- Drink at least 100oz of water per day
- Read one Runner's World & one Men's Health
- Start saving $$ for a new car
- Complete every day of my 1/2 marathon training schedule
- Join the "Plank a Day" movement
- Bigger social media reach

* NOTE: I will be gone on vacation from July 28-August 5, so I won't be able to weigh in until Monday, August 6th - my birthday!

For vacation, my wife and I will be heading up to Silver Birch Ranch in Northern Wisconsin. A place like this has rock climbing, kayaking, swimming, horseback riding and acres of land for hiking and exploring. I really want to get some of this weight off so I can enjoy some/all of these activities!

Anyway, let me know your thoughts on my second round of goals! What are some of your summer goals?

90 Degrees Ain't Got Nothin' On Me

So if you leave in, near, or around Chicago, you'd have to be an Eskimo living in some wonder-of-technology igloo to not know that it's mighty warm this week. I'm talking it's so hot, that you have no choice but to learn how to drive with two fingers because your car steering wheel is so hot. It's brutal.

Yeah, that's the kind of day that I decided to do some track runs at the local high school - out of doors. I got this grand idea on my drive home from work, for some reason, and fueled it by looking up some different types of workouts one can do on a track. Here's the one I decided to 'go' with:

1) Walk one, warm-up lap
2) Jog three laps very easy
3) Walk one lap
4) Run two laps at a fast pace
5) Walk one lap
* Repeat entire thing twice
6) Walk the curves and sprint the straights
*Repeat for two laps

So this routine looked mighty good on paper when I was sitting in the comfort of my home, but once my feet hit the track and sun beat down on me, things kind of changed. Here's what I ended up doing instead...

1) Walk one, warm-up lap
2) Run 3 laps at a pace faster than I'm used to (since I can't run a steady pace outdoors)
3) Suck down some water
4) Walk one lap
5) Run 2 laps at the same pace as #2, maybe slower
6) Walk one lap
7) Down more water
8) Run one lap
9) Walk one lap
10) Walk straights and "sprint" curves (for 3 laps)
11) Run one lap at 7.5 mph
12) Drink more water
13) Stumble to car and drive home
14) Take freezing cold shower

Ok, so maybe things didn't work out as I had planned, but I was glad to do something different for a change. Running on the treadmill day in and day out gets a little monotonous after a while, and apparently running in the comforts of a building with AC was getting old too.

This was also the first time I synced my Nike+ GPS app to Facebook and had friends 'cheer' me on as I ran. It was kind of cool that whenever someone commented on my post online, it played applause and cheering into my headphones - so thanks to those who did so!

Also, I made a stop at the local Jewel and scored some protein powdah (Boston accent). Looking forward to seeing what benefits I can reap from using that!

I know some of you have been braving the heat to get some runs here and there - more power to you! I now know what that all entails - whew!

Win Free Mizuno Shoes...Maybe

So Mizuno contacted me and sent me a link about this new project they're doing. Instead of spending millions in advertisement dollars, they're going to be giving away thousands of pairs of Mizuno running shoes to runners from now until the end of the year in hopes of giving runners a "mezamashii" feeling while running (Japanese for 'eye-opening, brilliant').

They're also wanting bloggers and social media enthusiasts (like me) to get the initial word out about the project.

My current running shoes - Mizuno Wave Inspire 6

Since the only pairs of running shoes I've ever owned have been Mizunos (no, seriously), I applied for a free pair in hopes of being a part of the project. And you can too!

If you're interested in possibly scoring a free pair of shoes (I mean really, who wouldn't?), here is the link to follow: www.mezamashiirunproject.com Also, those who receive invites into the secret club and get some free shoes also get to send out invites to others!


So really what I'm trying to say is, "If you've already received an invite, PICK ME, PICK ME!"

Setting Up My Summer Plan

Well now that my 'big race weekend' is behind me, it's time to focus on what REALLY needs the appropriate attention - losing the weight.

I've actually set sort of an 'unofficial goal' of September 1st as the date that I'd like to really make strides in my weight loss efforts. I don't want to assign a specific goal weight to this date, but since that is me and my wife's anniversary weekend, I'd love to be able to look back on our first year of marriage and see the healthy changes that I was able to make - for the better. And I want to be able to share a 'before and after' comparison with you using my wedding photo!
So what kind of plan am I going to put into place to make 'skinny Jordan' a possibility? That's a good question...

I think I've gotten to the point where I've almost read TOO much material on workout plans. Like dieting, it seems like everyone has their own method that's worked for them, and swears that it'll 'work for everyone!' So understandably, I'm kind of confused as to what might work best for me.

My goals are to not only lose six dozen pounds, but also to slim down my wasitline, flatten my gut, deflate my thighs and get some solid arms and shoulders. I also want to vastly improve as a runner!

But first things first. One day at a time. Sure, I have lots of goals, but they're all going to take time to accomplish. Another goal is to make weekly videos updating you on my progress. I'll videotape my weigh in, talk about my week's accomplishments and failures and give you an insight into my mind and how I'm handling the hard work that lies ahead of me. I'll also take measurements every few videos and post them here as well.

So I would love it if you checked back here on a weekly basis to see the progress that will be happening on this site. I'm excited to share my journey with you and show you what I'm capable of. And if you have any workout program tips, please let me know!

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!

5k Giveaway - For You!

UPDATE: Congrats to Jacob Smith (no relation to Will) on claiming the free 5k registration for Saturday! Hope to see you there!

So I'm not kidding when I say that this needs to be taken care of A.S.A.P! If the title drew you to my post, then you're obviously interested in running a FREE 5k - so read on!

On this Saturday, June 9th, not only will the 13.1 Marathon Series kick off in Chicago at 7:00am, but the Karhu 5k will follow soon after at 7:40am! And I have one, free registration coupon for anyone who is up for the challenge!

So if you're interested in grabbing up this free and fun race, I will give the registration away to the FIRST PERSON who sends me an email at jordan.huenink@gmail.com - so hurry! Once I receive your email, I will promptly send you the registration site and coupon code so you can sign up. Keep in mind - you must register before Wednesday! So do it right away! Here's a short clip from last year's Karhu 5k in Chicago. I'm not sure how this guy (I'm assuming it's a guy) could run a race in that costume. It's gotta be muggy in there!

Also, not only is the half marathon and 5k occurring this weekend, but Allstate's partnering with the non-profit organization Give Your Sole to give runners a chance to touch others' lives by donating moderately-used running shoes. The shoes will then be passed on to Breakthrough, an organization that provides shelter, meals and other services to homeless men, women and families throughout the city.

If you're interested in donating some shoes, you may drop off your old 'kicks' at Fleet Feet Chicago when you pick up your race-day packet, or at the Finish Line Festival following the half marathon. Also, if you're a Chicago Bears fan (which I am not - Go Pack!), rookie Shea McClellin will be at the Finish Line Festival encouraging donations from runners and spectators.

All in all, Saturday is gearing up to be a great day! Although, I do see that the forecast does call for upwards of 90 degree heat... As a not-in-good-enough-shape guy who has to trudge 13.1 miles, this forecast is quite scary and daunting. But as always, that temperature number could change before then!

Can't wait to see who I can give the free 5k registration to!

Half Marathon Training - Week 5

Apologies for not keeping y'all updated on my training, but to be honest, there isn't a ton to update you on.

I've been approaching this round of training as, "I need to lose the weight to be able to build up my endurance, but I need to run for long periods of time in order to lose the weight." Kind of a fun, cruel Catch 22. But I just finished up a solid week of running & nutrition, and it showed on the scale. Now the ever-present struggle to have a second, consecutive good week and keep decreasing that horrid number on the scale. Not one of my natural strengths. But I'll address weight loss more later!

As far as running goes, I'm probably taking it way too slow as I step back and take a look at it. I've been trying some interval training in efforts of zapping fat and getting my heart rate up; I've been trying to knock out longer chunks of mileage at a slower pace just to say that I got my miles in; and some days I just jack up the incline on the treadmill and walk up hill on days that my energy is low. And some days it feels like I'll never be able to run long distances at a consistent rate...but I'm used to fighting my defeatist self.

Last night was the first time ever that I thought about giving away a race registration to a runner more prepared than myself. But after taking a minute to contemplate it, I felt I should continue since this registration was given to me - and I was able to give a fellow runner a registration as well. Wouldn't feel right to back out at this point, even if I foresee this race being a rough one...

Weight Loss: I had a good week last week, as you can see by my numbers right under my picture. However, this week hasn't started off the greatest, and I only foresee temptation rearing its ugly head more and more as this week goes on. Some days it just comes down to me knowing what to do yet neglecting to do so - but I've been there and talked about that already.

In other news, an acquaintance of mine (who also just became a trainer at my gym of choice) offered to help train me this summer for what I understand as free. He used the words "I'm not in it for the money" and "I can see you're very committed since I see you here everyday" and even offered to take the sessions to the nearby college campus (which I attended and where he currently coaches soccer). I think I'm going to take him up on his offer hopefully starting the week after the half marathon. Hope the offer still stands in a month!

All in all, this whole journey is just one, big cliche about taking it one day at a time and keeping my eye on the prize. Some days and weeks it comes easily with great reward while other weeks it seems almost impossible to attain and discourages the heck out of me. Hopefully I can turn this week into Door #1 by week's end.

Hope all is well in the Chicago running-verse. Talk at you later!

Favorite Fitness Apps?

Well I think my day may finally come! I think I finally may be able to consider myself part of the "in crowd." That's right - I'm talking about being able to call myself an iPhone user!

Now sure, some of you who know me also may know that I OWN an iPhone3, but sadly I only really use it as an iPod. The wifi part of the phone is shot, the apps work when they feel like it, but it still serves up some mean tunes (and podcasts). But to date, I've never had an iPhone which I use for its intended purpose.

However, the tides seem to be turning and even though AT&T is trying their darndest to keep us from acquiring these spectacular phones, it seems that we may be able to find people who are looking to sell their current phones. And also, if you're reading this and are looking to sell your iPhone 4 or 4S, let me know! We may still be looking!!

Anyway, the reason that I'm letting you know about possible, future, technological acquisitions is because said item has VAST possibilities and many mobile applications that are available to possibly assist in my weight loss and fitness goals.

So at this point I ask a question - what sorts of iPhone apps do YOU use that have helped you find success or motivation in your running, weight loss and/or health goals? As of now, I also plan on purchasing a Nike+ Fuel Band which requires an app and tracks daily activity and calories (plus more), and while I have an idea for a few other health-related apps to get, I want to know what's worked for you.

So the bottom line is this - I love seeing numbers, graphs and statistics and some of these apps will givev me just that. I like seeing a visual chart of my progress and I think some of these apps will fill that need. Can't wait to see what you suggest! And once I get the phone I'll let you know which ones I decided on!

Half Marathon Training - Week 1

Well I have one week of "training" behind me, and I definitely use that term loosely. Of the five days that I hit the treadmill (Mon-Thurs, Sat), I don't think I ran for more than 20% of the time. I feel like I gotta get this weight off in order to make the running a bit easier. But I know I need to get running in order to lose the weight - gotta love Catch 22's!

But as you can see by the text in the right sidebar, I weighed in this morning down 6.6 from last week! So according to this article, that means that I've taken 26.4 pounds of pressure off my knees! And as each new pound comes off, it only helps! I have, however, been bothered with a nagging Baker's Cyst on the back of my left knee, which is also the knee that I've had arthroscopic surgeries on (2001 & 2002). It causes my knee to get a little stiff and bugs me when I'm walking around during the day - we'll see if it comes to visit again this week.

Thankfully I started off this week with a great treadmill session - I knocked out about 3 miles running over the course of the hour I spent on the treadmill (4.25 total miles). Still finding it hard to get the endurance up enough to run for more than ten minutes at a time, though. But as long as I can keep knock out days like this, I'm sure I can begin to string together some decent spurts of running. But according to Bill Murray in What About Bob? - "Baby steps!"

Well I'm off and running in Week 2! My plan is to be able to knock out 3 miles straight by the end of the week. Everyday is one day closer to the big race, there's no time to waste!

Before I sign off, I just want to say "thank you" to everyone who's been reading these last few months. Your encouragement, support and words of wisdom are more valuable than you know and keep me moving forward towards my goals. While I don't quite consider myself a true "runner" yet - especially in comparison to some of you who knock out MANY races per year - I look forward to the day where I can feel even a little bit more worthy. :)

I hope you all had a great weekend! How many miles did you knock out?