Skipped today's run

So I didn't go for a run today because of my hamstring being sore. Tomorrow is a scheduled rest day and Saturday's run (regardless of the race) is more important to the marathon training overall. The long runs are more important according to Hal Higdon's training program.

I've been icing my hamstring off and on this evening so I'm hoping the combination of that and resting today and tomorrow will be enough time to run on Saturday.

Also, I just registered for a Double Half Marathon outside Lincoln, Nebraska this October. Not sure what I just got myself into.

What to do, what to do

I'm set to run in the morning. Yesterday and today's runs went really well but today I could feel some soreness or tightness in my right hamstring. I stopped just a 1/4 mile of the way into this morning's run to stretch it out and then started back up and finished strong and about a second faster than yesterday.

I've put a hot pad and ice pack on it as well as stretch it out. I'm really worried about it because I've had problems with my hamstring in the past. I pulled my hamstring at the beginning of football season my senior year of high school and the spring of my freshman year at Garden City Community College during spring football workouts.

Pulled hamstrings are not fun to deal with. I really want to finish strong with this week's workouts and I really want to do well at this weekend's 10k race in Marysville.

What to do, what to do.

Do Life Kansas City

On Saturday I ran a fast 6 miles thanks to a new running partner. I told her to plan on running 10:15 per mile because I thought that's what I'd be able to handle but we ended up running 9:05 instead. I was gutted and tired but the sense of accomplishment far outweighed that. This week's training is the same except for an extra mile on Saturday.

Today I had the privilege of seeing Ben Davis and his dad again. This time was the 2nd stop of the 1st leg of the Do Life Tour 2012. We met at Loose Park in KCMO, an absolutely gorgeous area to walk, run or just be around. Although it was a cross training day for my marathon training I went ahead and ran the 5k, much faster than I planned on running.

What's great about the Do Life Tour is meeting other people who are starting their journey, are somewhere along the way or have finished the first part (losing weight for most) of their journey. I met a very cool guy who drove down from Omaha who just found out about Ben's story just 2 weeks ago. And one of the funny things is that he works for the company where the first Do Life Tour stopped in Omaha last July. He's lost 150 pounds. And it sounds like he might sign up for the Omaha Marathon too. He is signed up for the Color Run in July so I'm looking to meeting up with him again. Here's his site.

So it was a really good weekend and a successful week of training. And to cap it off with seeing Ben and Pa again made it even better.

Marathon training has begun

Mondays are rest days so today was the first mileage towards training for the the Omaha Marathon. I ran 3 miles at a pace of just over 9 minutes per mile. Felt good, pushed myself.

I only ran one day last week thinking that I'd take a little break before the real training begins and I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me. I don't think it will too much as I'd run a decent amount in the weeks prior or had at least worked up to a decent amount. We shall see.

I'm also doing better on the nutrition side. My weight has crept up over the last few months and I fell back into some bad habits. I hope to share and address some of those things in future posts. I know that if I've gone through them then there's a chance others have struggled with that also.

Rest of the week consists of 3 miles tomorrow and Thursday, 6 miles on Saturday and cross training on Sunday. Cross training will mostly consist of walking until the swimming pool opens for the summer and until I get a new bike.

I'll probably walk and run because Sunday morning I'll be in Kansas City to see Ben Davis again and participate in the Do Life 5k Tour 2012. It's not a race and it's for anyone and everyone. If you want to run it, great. If you want to walk it, awesome. Just come out and join the fun. Ben is a great guy and even though he's lost a bunch of weight and run a bunch of races, he has struggles like the rest of us and isn't afraid to admit it and help out others who need it.

Major News...

So it's obviously been months since my last posting but my blog is still getting a good number of visits.

I've gained more weight since December but after having what I think was iliotibial band syndrome, I'm back to running 3 to 4 days per week.

And because I'm ready for another challenge or maybe because I'm crazy, I'm officially registered for my very first marathon. It's Sunday, September 23rd in Omaha, Nebraska. I'll be following Hal Higdon's Novice 1 Marathon training and it officially starts next Tuesday, May 22nd.

Stay tuned to the blog as I'll be posting about my training. The next 18 weeks should be pretty interesting.

BOTW - Day 5

Forget yesterday but here's today.

Back on the wagon - Day 3

Didn't do myself any favors yesterday.

Back on the wagon - Day 2

Obviously weight fluctuates a bit so it'll be interesting to see where I'm at tomorrow.

Back on the wagon - Day 1

Not happy with myself. I've put 20 pounds back on since reaching my lowest weight. I've been eating more like the old me and it shows. I need to get back on track. I did go for a run finally on Saturday with some group runners in Lincoln. Super nice people and very welcoming. Ran over 6 miles. Pretty good for my first run since my half marathon on October 2nd.

Airline seats aren't that bad

I am on a flight to Minneapolis as I type this thanks to in-flight wifi. I was actually looking forward to sitting in my seat to see how much more room I had compared to 100 pounds ago. It's reasonably comfortable and I don't feel like I'm invading the space of the stranger in the seat next to me.

Other news...

I ran my half marathon 2 weeks ago today and did really well. Finished it in 2:23:08. I haven't run since then but I plan on it this week, i.e., probably next. A couple of my toenails have turned purple and I cut one of the big ones off last Sunday. That was really, really stupid and I recommend letting those types of things occur on their own. Much less pain that way.

I haven't been logging into MFP as much to see if I can manage on my own. I've done alright. My weight is still around 230 last I checked. Another big negative is that I've been having Mocha Frappes from McD's a few times a week. That has got to stop. It's reminding me of sneaking chocolate ice cream cones when I was 335 pounds. Those sugary drinks don't taste anywhere near as good as I feel after losing all of that weight.

Well the flight is coming close to its descent so I'll end it here.

1 year ago today

1 year ago today I started this blog and made the decision to do something about my weight and lifestyle.

Since then I've lost over 100 pounds and run 8 different races. A few days before starting the blog I ran my very first 5k. I finished with a time of 40:33 and had to walk some of it. This past Saturday, I ran that same race on the same route and finished the strongest I ever had before with a time of 23:58. It was such an amazing feeling to really feel what a difference a year has made.

Raider Run tomorrow

I'm pretty pumped about my 5k race tomorrow. It was one year ago that I ran my first 5k ever at last year's Raider Run. My time then was 40:33. I hadn't quite started my journey yet although I had been running and was about 6 weeks or into the 9 week Couch to 5k workout program. I'm planning on finishing at least 15 minutes faster.

 I should be in bed but I'm contemplating about what music I want to listen to during the race. I'm pretty sure it's going to be the Inception soundtrack.

 I'll have another post after I've run it. Wish me luck.

Losing "weight"

I've been having an internal struggle with something for quite a while about something pretty important to me. But before I say what that is, I'm going to talk about why I am.

For several years now, I've been wanting to do the BAK. And now that I've lost all the weight (and so far kept it off), it's something that I know I can do and really want to do. Well, you can't do the BAK without a bicycle. I have a bicycle but not exactly one for riding the sometimes flat, often times hilly highways of Kansas. I like my bike but it's classified as a hybrid and is great for commuting and riding around town. The farthest I've ridden it is 27 miles. My dream bike is the Surly Long Haul Trucker. It's made for touring and riding long distances. The bike is not cheap so I have to save up for it and that includes selling a bunch of stuff.

And that brings me to the struggle I've been having for a while. I've decided to sell my comic books. I love reading comics. I have since I was 9 years old when the 1989 Batman movie hit theaters and I've been collecting them off and on ever since. None of them have huge monetary value, just sentimental more than anything. I'm going to sell some next weekend at the city-wide garage sale. I'm going to try and get rid of a bunch of stuff and lose some "weight."

Just because I'm going to sell my comics doesn't mean I'm giving them up. I still buy trade paperbacks or multiple issues bound in one volume to get my comic book fix. I'm sure I'll bring some along when I do the BAK to help pass the time in the evenings.

It's going to be much harder mentally and emotionally to lose this "weight" than it was the 110 pounds I lost.

Training for a half marathon

So I started training for a half marathon last week. A friend has convinced me to run in his yearly group run that's right at 13.1 miles. Since that is considerably farther than a 5k or 10k, I can't just show up the day of and run like I have my last 2 or 3 races. And besides, the regular running is good for me.
I started last week and ran a 5k on 3 different days. This week so far I've run 3.5 miles on Monday and early this morning. I plan on running 4 miles this Saturday. My plan is to run 3 or 4 miles for 2 days and then increase my longer run on the 3rd day. So this week is 4 miles. Next week will be 5, the week after 6 and so forth. The half marathon is on October 2nd.
I hope to be up to 9 or 10 miles and the thought is what's another 3 or 4 miles. We'll see how that works out.
Also of note, on September 17th is the Raider Run. It was last year's Raider Run that was my first race ever. I'm excited to do that one again and see how different it will be this time. I'll be able to run the whole race this time around as well as improve my time by at least 10 minutes.
I'm still maintaining my weight. I'm in that 225 to 230 pound range.
I keep thinking that I'm in over my head on this half marathon deal but then I remember a few things. Up until last year, I never thought I'd run a 5k. Up until a few weeks ago, I never thought I'd run a 10k. So why can't I run a half marathon. I'm the only person standing in the way.

My first 10k in the books

I did it. I completed my first 10k on Saturday and had a great time doing it. That's not to say it wasn't tough or that I didn't hurt along way or afterwards because I definitely did but I managed to run the majority of it and finished strong at the end. I have to also say that the 3rd Annual Brew 2 Shoe 10k was a well run event. 418 people finished the 10k race whereas they had over 200 last year.
As far as my placing goes, I finished with a time of 1:10:30.2 and averaged just under 11:21 per mile. I finished 361st out of 418 finishers and 34th out of 36 in my age group. I ran the first 2 miles and walked for a bit after that water stop. Water stops were at miles 2 through 5. I walked after each water stop and probably walked for the longest length of time between miles 4 and 5.
I really surprised myself with how well I did. Especially since I just decided I was going to participate the week before last and didn't train one bit for it. I don't think that's something to really brag about but it's just a statement of fact.
The after race festivities were awesome. The pizza and beer really hit the spot but I made sure I drank plenty of water before, during and after the pizza and beer as well as eat a couple of bananas after the race. I'm already looking forward to next year's race. The folks at Manhattan Running Co. really know how to put on a race, especially with well over 400 people participating and all of the other sponsors, local businesses and volunteers (especially those in uniform - THANK YOU!) helping out make it an event Manhattan can be extremely proud of year after year.
Congratulations to Manhattan Running Co. and Tallgrass Brewing Co. on 3+ years in business. We all make choices with the dollars that we spend and both of these businesses really put forth the extra effort to show why it matters to shop local.

My race playlist:
Barbastella - Batman Begins soundtrack
The Birth and Death of the Day - Explosions in the Sky
Kids - MGMT
Shake It - Metro Station
I Like It - Enrique Iglesias
Hey Little World - The Hives
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
Born This Way - Lady Gaga
List of Demands - Saul Williams
Last Known Surroundings - Explosions in the Sky
Human Qualities - Explosions in the Sky
Glosoli - Sigur Ros
Hoppipolla - Sigur Ros
Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor) - John Murphy

My first 10k this weekend

So I've decided to participate in my first 10k this weekend. I say participate because I don't plan on running the whole thing. I've registered for the 3rd Annual Brew 2 Shoe 10k in Manhattan. It's a point to point race starting at Tallgrass Brewing Company and finishing at Manhattan Running Company. There will be Tallgrass beer and pizza from AJ's NY Pizzeria at the finish. I'm looking forward to that even if the race starts at 7:30 am. It should be around 9 am by the time I am done.
Luckily it shouldn't be as hot on Saturday as it has been over the last couple of weeks. It's been sad seeing my bike in the garage and not seeing any daylight. I've been making plenty of excuses not to ride or not waking up early enough before the kids are up for the day.
So as a way to make up for all of that I'm doing my first 10k. Not sure what logic there is in that, probably not a whole lot.
I'm still keeping my weight between 225 and 230. I know that if I overdo it a day or two to not get overly upset with myself but to just get back to where I was and I'm just fine.
Something else I've noticed is that I still see what I think is the old me in the mirror. I still have a spare tire but I just have to look at the picture of when I started this journey and all of the ones before to remind me that I've come a really long way in what will be one whole year next month.
So I hope to live to tell about my first 10k. If you're in the Manhattan area on Saturday morning after 7:30 along Highway 24 west of Rambler's, McCall Rd and Anderson, be sure to honk and make sure I'm ok.

Do Life 5k in Omaha

Yesterday morning I hit the road at 6 am for Omaha and arrived just before 9. Upon my arrival, I had the pleasure of meeting Ben Davis, the inspiration for this blog and my journey. Ben is such a cool guy in person. He's just like the guy we see and read everyday on his website, only a bit more tired from this cross country tour he and his dad are making along with the Ironman training they are both doing at the same time. But you can tell that he feeds off of all of the positive energy from everyone that attends (well over 60 people in Omaha) as much as we are inspired and energized by him and what he's doing.

It was also a pleasure meeting his dad, John. He's a really cool guy and someone you could listen to for hours.

John Davis aka "Pa", me and Ben Davis.

It was a rather warm morning by the time 10:15 rolled around when we started the 5k. I didn't run the whole thing but at least ran 2 miles of it. I met some really cool people from Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, each one with their own story and in various stages of their own journey.

I was even interviewed by NTV out of Kearney.



Afterwards we went to Panera, Ben's favorite place to eat. Everyone that was able to make it had a great time. I know I did. And I can't wait for the next time we can meet. Thank you, Ben and John.

Link:
Do Life: Omaha Facebook Album
Do Life Tour
Help them out if you can

A chance to meet Ben Davis

It's a been a while since my last post. There's hasn't been a lot of news in my world. The heat has put the kibosh on riding my bicycle to work so I've been pretty bummed about that.

I have been maintaining my weight between 225 and 230 pounds. I'm pretty pleased with that.

A few nights ago I decided to start a strength program. I downloaded an app called 100 Pushups. I'm really weak in my upper body and I have some loose skin around my midsection. I figured doing this would be a great as well as inexpensive way to build muscle and tighten things a bit.

This coming Saturday, I'm driving to Omaha to take part in the Do Life Official Unofficial 5k Tour. Ben Davis of BenDoesLife.com, his dad and his brother are traveling cross country and they along with anyone who shows up are running/walking/jogging - you name it - a 5k. This Wednesday, they will be in Kansas City. There is absolutely no cost or any sort of registration with this 5k. You just show up, get inspired, inspire others and have fun.

My family is one of the major reasons why I started this journey but it was Ben and his 120-pound journey YouTube video that lit the fire in me. I saw a lot of myself in him. Seeing his before photos I thought that was me. Maybe it was the facial hair, I don't know, but seeing his transformation, I told myself, I can do that. And I did it - minus the 10k, half marathon, marathon and Iron Man races.

Hopefully I can meet Ben and tell him thanks for both his inspiration (and giving me the ok to call this site ShawnDoesLife.com).  If I can manage to get a picture with him, I'll be sure to post it.

Today's lunch

Here's part of what I had for lunch today:

It's The World's Best Veggie Burger from Local Burger in Lawrence, Kansas. I've known about these for quite a long time but it was only last week that I finally had one. I'm kicking myself for not having one sooner. If you toast it or cook it in a skillet with a little oil, their veggie burger gets a really nice crust and has a great crunch when you bite into it. Of the 3 I've eaten so far, I've eaten them plain. I like them on their own.
I'm not compensated for my opinions on things like this. I just thought it's worth writing about so people can read about the types of things I eat that has helped me lose over 100 pounds.

How I roll

So for the past 2 or 3 weeks off and on and everyday this week, I've been riding my bike to work. Since Memorial Day when a friend asked me to go for a ride, I've become hooked on riding as much as I can. The only thing that has stopped me from riding so far has been the weather. A few times it's been raining and a few times, it's been just too hot that I'd be sweating too much at work. And it's not the heat in the mornings as much as it is when I ride back to work after lunch.

Here's how I roll:

I've got my XL-sized helmet, sunglasses with a rearview mirror attached on the left side, my cinch sport bag containing all of the stuff I'd normally carry in my pockets, red bicycle gloves so that it's easier for drivers to see when I'm signaling and then a couple head or hair bands that belong to my wife that keep my pants from getting dirty from the chain and the bike itself. It's really quite a sight.

I love, love, love riding and now I have a new goal of doing the BAK. My dad had tried to get me to take part in it for years but I never felt like doing it. But now it's something I really want to do. Unfortunately my current ride won't work very well on long rides so my dream bicycle is the Surly Long Haul Trucker.

I can't wait to get back on and ride. Riding is so liberating and makes me feel young while I'm smiling along the way.