Those damned hills...again!

W3D1 is done, but I am going to repeat it on Thursday. I didn't finish either of the 3 minute runs. I tried the hills that I had so much trouble on the other day and it seemed like the hills were dragging me down. I couldn't make it up AGAIN. I took my dog, Stanley, with me this time as well and he was just wild. Pulling on the leash and making me do things that threw my pace and timing off. It wasn't fun with him, so he wont come out with me again. 

This whole thing started out OK during my 5 minute warm up. Back felt fine, but I DID have a little pain in my knee. Kept walking and that pain eventually went away. Started my first run of 1.5 minutes and felt decent...breathing was good, pace was so-so, but I was moving forward. After my walk break, i started my first of two 3 minute runs. It just happened to be that the first three minute run STARTED at the base of the hill that is my nemesis. I made it about two thirds of the way up, at a very slow pace, and had to stop. I thought my heart was coming out of my chest.

Started on my three minute walk and was breathing really heavy. I haven't had this much trouble since W1D1. My legs gave out, my back started really hurting, my breathing was erratic. I didn't think i was going to make it back home. It took ALL of that three minutes to catch my breath. Made it through the next 1.5 minute run and then came the big three minute last run.

Oh boy...I think I talked myself out of finishing the last three minute run before I ever started it. I was SURE I wouldn't finish it. Needless to say, I didn't. Had thirty seconds left on the run and just couldn't go. I stopped and limped my beaten ass on back to the house. 

Even though I didn't finish the run, I still got a great workout and I ran for over 2.5 minutes on both of the 3 minute runs. My heart rate was way up and my lungs and legs were on fire! I hate that I didn't finish the runs, but I love that feeling after a hard workout!

I think I can get it done on Thursday without the hills and without Stanley. We will see.

W2D2 and 3...pain and a wall...

Well, I didn't post about W2D2 because frankly, I was in too much pain. When I started my five minute warm up walk, my back tightened up. I figured once I got going good, it would stop hurting. I thought wrong. I sent the next twenty minutes after my warm up walking and running in excruciating pain. I DID finish, but it was a struggle to do so. I thought about stopping several times, but kept pushing it.

Now, today, I woke up at 6am thinking I was going to go run this morning and get it done early. My back had other plans, though. It started hurting again as soon as I got out of bed. I resigned myself to just staying at home and watching the Hurricane coverage on TWC. I took my dog out to do his business and it just felt wonderful outside. I came back in and decided that I wasn't going to let my back stop me from doing this.

I went out and did W2D3 this morning and dang it felt awesome! My back tried to argue with me, but I refused to listen and pushed through it. I also set a PR for a mile.

I honestly feel like I smashed through a wall this morning. Once I got started, everything felt great. My running felt good, my breathing wasn't labored like it normally would be, even with this bronchitis that I have. I felt like I could keep running even after my time was up and the lady on my c25k app told me to stop and enjoy the rest of my day.

Overall, I did 1.5 miles today and really felt like I could have done the 5K distance with walking/running. I can't wait to get to W3D1 on Tuesday!

W2D1 and HILLS HILLS HILLS!!

O M G!!!! Hills. Were. Too. Steep! 


Started w2d1 today and figured I would run on the road instead of the track. That was mistake number one. Mistake number two was looking ahead of me, seeing a hill, thinking "I got this" and trudging onward without LOOKING at the hill.


About a quarter of the way up, my legs were wobbly and I was breathing fire. Halfway up and I had to stop running with 15 seconds left on my run segment. I actually stopped running AND walking. My breathing wasn't good. Still have this coughing crud and I was feeling it. 


Decided to turn around and head back. Ran it downhill and got to my road and there is another hill. I forgot about the hill that I went DOWN when leaving my house. That hill is even steeper than the one I was having trouble on. Didn't finish last run segment and just walked up the hill and came home. 


I'm disgusted with myself to say the least. I kept replaying the Rocky scene where he couldn't make it up the steps. That was me. 


Beaten, I tucked my tail between my legs and limped home.

Funny thing about running stores...

I went to the Big Peach Running Company today to have them analyze my gait to get fitted with a pair of good shoes. The shoes i have are just regular New Balance sneakers and are terrible for running in. After they put me on the treadmill and had me run in a pair of shoes, they found that my right foot over pronated but my left foot was really strong. The guy, after analyzing all of the data that they took, brought out three different pair of shoes. One each of Mizuno, Brooks, and Saucony. Of the three, I felt really good in the Brooks Ghost 4's so those are the one's that I chose. I will be getting those in the next few weeks, I hope.

Anyway, what is funny about running stores, is that they do not stock shirts or shorts for people of the "bigger" variety. I need at least a XXL in shirts and wear a size 44 waist (for now, at least). The largest shirt in the store was a XL and it LOOKED like a medium. LOL. There is no way that I will ever be able to buy any technical clothes in a running store if that is all that they have. The only thing that they had in the store that fit me was shoes and socks.

I wonder if there is a big and tall running store?

Im running for OTHER lives, too...

Today is my rest day, but I wanted to let you in on a little secret of mine...I have decided to run in my first 5K on October, 22, 2011. I will be running in the "Help Mend Broken Hearts 5K" in Kennesaw, Ga. According to the official website, this race will benefit children with congenital heart defects.

Not only am I running for the kids, but I am running for a very special child that is a friend of our family. She was born with a congenital heart defect and I thought, "What better reason to run in my first 5K". She is such a sweet little girl and it is going to be my honor to run this for her.

Now, I am just starting my c25k program and I will peaking on it at just the right time to run this thing at the end of my program. I am hoping that this will be my graduation run!

That's it for now...just wanted to post this.

what a long strange week it's been...

This week started out last Sunday with my last post about how tough that run was. It ends up, that was the last run I would do this past week. It all had to do with the job situation.

If you remember, I was flown to Dallas, Texas last Sunday to start a new job. Well, Tuesday, I was on a bus headed back to Atlanta. It seems that even though a doctor said that I was medically cleared to drive, the company doctor wouldn't give me a medical card because of my A1C (I'm a diabetic). Now, mind you, my sugar was normal with a finger stick and there was NOT A TRACE of glucose in my urine, but this doctor was playing hardball. But I digress.

Anyway, fast forward to Thursday after I get off of the bus that I had been on for the past 32 hours and I apparently contracted a virus of some sort from the degenerates on the bus. Depressed, pissed off, and sick so I didn't run Thursday or Friday. My breathing wasn't that good so I didn't attempt to run at all.

Today I woke up really early (6:30) and decided that I was still sick and wasn't going to run today, either...that would have been more than four days with no run this week. Around 12:00 this afternoon, I got the urge to just run, so I grabbed the iPhone, put on my shoes, and headed out the door.

I did 1.75 miles today on essentially W1D3 of the c25k program that I am doing. Never thought I would be able to walk/run that far, but apparently I did, according to my Nike+ app. The run itself was uneventful except for a little pain in my left knee during the first run section. I couldn't figure out why it was hurting, but it was. The pain went away after the second run section and I settled in to a nice stride. I actually felt comfortable with my own running after that second section and the runs were smooth, not clunky like the past two days of running.

I did have a little lower back pain near the end of the run, but I always expect that. One thing that I didn't anticipate was when the lady on my c25k app said to stop running on my last leg and begin my cool down walk, I was headed down the trail back to my house and just as I started to walk, I hit a downhill. That didn't go over to well with my legs. I almost took a spill, but held it together.

My cool down walk was UPHILL...and it was the hardest thing I had to do today. I almost sat down and refused to even try it, but I kept walking until I got home...just as my five minute cool down was ending.

In all, today was a good day...and hey, I don't even feel sick any longer. It's amazing what a decent run will do for you.

Week 1 Day 2 of c25k or...MY GOD this was tough!

Today was TOUGH!

I started out the day on an airplane headed to my new job in Wilmer, Texas from Atlanta. My alarm clock went off at 5:30 this morning because I was going to get up and do my run before I left. I hit the snooze...or so I thought. I actually turned OFF my alarm and woke up way late with just enough time to get to the airport for my flight. Needless to say, I didn't get my run in this morning.

Fast forward six hours and the scene has now changed from the hot, humid climate of Atlanta, Ga to the hot...make that SCORCHING hot, humid climate of Dallas, Tx. I land and get to the terminal where I am supposed to do a sleep study tonight and get a truck tomorrow to head out. I think to myself while I am waiting, may as well get my run in now. That was dumb!

I set out on the yard and did my warm up 5 minutes and thought, "man it is a little warm here". Warm was replaced by 105 degrees.

"Start running...now" says the lady in my earphones. Here we go...one foot in front of the other..."man, my legs are sore"...pick em up and put em down..."it's only been THIRTY SECONDS???"..."you may walk now" said the lady.

"Thank GOD I can walk", I think. Im already winded and my lungs are on FIRE.

"Start running in 10 seconds"

"WAIT!...it hasnt been a minute and a half"!

"Start running...now"

This went on for the next twenty minutes...the British lady in my earphones telling me to walk and I thank her and then she tells me to run and Im cursing her out. By the time I get to run number six, I am DONE. Im spent...Im out of breath, legs sore and wobbly, lungs wont work, sweat pouring from my pores like a hose. I think that there is no way I can make two more of these runs in these conditions...

"Start running...NOW"!

Without thinking, I picked one foot up and moved it forward and the other one followed. I tried to breath and found that I COULD bring air into my lungs, even if it DID feel like i was breathing in volcano ash. My legs were heavy, barely was I able to pick them up, but I did. My mind said stop, im gonna die, but my body didn't agree.

I finished that run. I finished it because I would not let myself stop. I refused to quit. I found something inside of me to push through it. I found something inside of me that I didn't think that I had.

Im proud of myself...but boy it was ROUGH!

O-M-G! I am SORE!

After running last night, for the first time in 25 years, I woke up this morning and felt like someone broke into my house last night and beat me senseless! I am as sore as I have ever remembered being...and that includes college football and years of powerlifting. It is a GOOD feeling, though, even if I CAN'T move so well this morning.

Of course, I knew it was going to happen. After my first three run blocks in last night's session, my legs were on fire and felt like I was running on cooked spaghetti. I knew right THEN that I was going to be in traction today. LOL.

Know what, though? If there were no pain and no soreness, then there was no progress made last night. It is a sweet kind of sore. Lets me know that I am alive and that I actually accomplished something. Im SUCH a noob at this. LOL

I think Im going to like this running thing!

I DID it...Im a runner now!

I actually DID it! I started my running journey today. I never once thought that I would ever run again on purpose but after the push that I got from the great guys at Runner's World forums, I am sitting in my chair, drenched in sweat. My lungs are on fire, my legs feel like there is lava running through them and my endorphins are kicking in STRONG! What an exhilarating feeling to have.


I started actually RUNNING! I was just going to walk, but I had downloaded the c25k app for my phone and opened it up. I just did what the man told me to do. After the the 2nd run part, I felt like I was going to die but kept doing what he said. I put one foot in front of the other when he said walk and did the same when he said run...except at a much faster rate. LOL.


I am just SO excited right now! I seriously never thought I would run. Was it fun for me? Hell no. But I FINISHED it. I did W1D1 and didn't stop! I seriously cant believe I am sitting here after doing that...5-7 276 pounds, but not for LONG! Today was the first day of the rest of my life!


I cant wait for W1D2!