Week 4 - gagets galore!

Ok so as i promised here is some news from the world of "run more, then run some more, then workout and run some more" training schedule.

 It has been exactly 3 weeks completed to the day as of yesterday, and i must say my cardio is improving as well as my endurance. I must admit i am slowly but surely becoming more and more addicted to running, AND all the gadgets that come with it.

Yes that's right, if you're a techno-geek like i am, the more flashing lights, LED's, bells, buzzers, whistles and GPS's you can get your hands on the better, especially if they can all be on you while you run!! So far in my quest to run a half marathon (or 3), i have utilized my already well used IPOD and IPhone 4. First new addition was the Nike+ GPS watch... Ok so this thing does EVERYTHING you might need to track if you run... Distance, GPS route mapping, speed, pace, average pace, lap counter, split time, calories burned, wireless connection to a heart rate monitor, running motivators and reminders, and believe it or not - tells the time! That's right it does it all! What more can a guy want?? I am so glad you asked :) Nike has come out with a new gadget that is simply a must have for ANYONE who would like to know how many calories they burn daily. Now i am not talking a simple "free in the box of Special K cereal" type of pedometer here, I'm talking a wrist band that has built in a 3 axis accelerometer with live calorie count (converted into some weird Nike+ points thingy), that you wear on your wrist. It has built in USB that you connect to, program and report to the Nike+ website daily. You set goals, etc, etc, etc... Damn just look yourself k?



http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?l=shop,fuelband&sitesrc=glfl_fuelband

COOL RIGHT?!?!?!

OK so why do i need one after getting the watch? Not to mention the absolute need now for a heart rate monitor to that connects via blue tooth to said watch ;) Well here's the deal. You ever do the whole BMI thing to figure out your daily caloric needs? Well the BMI is BS! It's based on some weird non muscly body type thing, where if you've ever worked out in your life, and are not an absolute cubicle working, couch potato living, not athletic type person EVER, then their comparison chart says you are grotesquely over weight regardless of muscle mass... SO this clever little bugger will track your every move (except for bike riding, flying and sleeping), and tell you your caloric base - EVERY DAY you wear it! So if you're like me, where you track your food, your workouts, your runs, your calories, your EVERYTHING, then this sucker is the thing you need...

So why does Nike have to sell it for $150?! Damn the watch was $200, the phone was stupid priced, the ipod wasn't cheap. Add water belt $53, good running shoes $150, running clothes $250 (I'm not talking multiple sets either - I'm talking ONE shirt, short, jacket combo), and other odds and sods, and I'm going to need a sponsor just to run comfortably!! Add to this BS i will need triathlon shorts, shirt, kayak gloves, and a good pair of cross country runners - just to pull off the Tough Mudder in June! Seriously not going to be able to afford half of this - even if the paintball season is spectacular.

Anyway, i digress... The basics still exist - i walk out the door and i run, and run, and run some more. I also workout - which is suffering truthfully, because i just don't have the juice to get a good quality workout in with all the running. I am hoping as this progresses i get more energy to ramp up the gym aspect of this training regime.

That's it for now, maybe i'll see you on the track. And hey, if you feel like sponsoring a nobody - i am very interested in spending other peoples money ;)

In the beginning...

Well here i am. Almost two whole weeks into my training schedule and things are as they should be. I seem to be doing ok for finding time to get my runs in, if not a bit rushed in the back half of the week - definitely work schedule conflicts, but between me and my business partner it seems to be working out for now. A little later in the training schedule and it might get more difficult given the length of the runs - we will see. So far no issues what so ever - my usual runs are as long if not longer than the beginning of this training regime so its not much of a challenge - so far.  I can say i usually do not run this many times in a week though - so clearly my endurance is going to improve as this schedule continues.

Changes - things i've done, noticed and am experiencing early on. Firstly my diet is improving. Its not that im really heavily watching what im eating - although i do and always have recorded my daily intake of food. I've just noticed my preferred  foods aren't what they usually are. I really am enjoying more fruits and yogurts than before, maybe because they don't mess with my stomach so much when im running, and im so damn hungry all the time they make seriously quick snacks. I've also noticed that im most hungry in the mornings, and by the time the evening comes i've eaten my fill from grazing all day. It doesn't necessarily help with the late night snacking - bad habits are habits for a reason, but it does help with my portion control around dinner time. I've also changed my workouts in the gym. Its not that i train any less hard, but rather i've just changed what my workouts entail. Usually i would train two body parts to excess - completely tearing down the tissue and overloading them so i could get  them to grow and become bigger. Now i train my entire body each night. I choose one exercise per body part and do 4 sets per exercise. Its not as exhausting to each body part, but as a whole it completely exhausts me. I can honestly say i am more sore the next day from this style of work out then i was when i was doing 2 body parts at a time before. I don't believe this new method will promote any kind of muscle growth - i am not expecting to add inches to my arms or my chest and back. I am expecting to be more balanced, completely fit, and ready for the obstacle portion of the Tough Mudder. Size will have to wait for the fall i figure - when looking good on the beach is less important, and im not expecting to run for 3 hours at a time. As per usual, the increase in activity has granted me more energy which i believe is becoming an issue when it comes time to sleep. Its not that i don't feel tired - hell i feel exhausted, its more that when i am sleeping i feel restless. I get aches from the days training, and my mind doesn't seem to switch off for any serious length of time. No sooner do i fall asleep and i wake up for no reason, or with something on my mind that i forgot about during the day.  The lack of sleep will catch up with me im sure, and with exhaustion comes sickness, so i better figure out something quick before it damages my training regime. 

Speaking of my schedule - here's a photo - probably hard to read, but its just the days i run, what i run, and how. Add to it i try and work out in the gym at least 4 days a week - if not 6... So far i've averaged 4 but it is early on. Anyway here it is:

I know probably really hard to read, but if you can zoom in you'll see what its all about. I have been crossing off the days as i complete them, and using a different method of crossing them off if i miss a day. And i know its not up to date - its an older photo - but you get the idea. Last week i had to swap Thursday with Friday, as i just couldn't get it together in time. Still added up to the right amount of KM at the end of the week so it was ok. Finally i must say i am spending WAY more time stretching after a run  than i used to. From what i've read its seriously more important in the later stages of the training schedule, so i better get on it now. Well thats it for now, hopefully i can update again soon. 

Oh one last note - completely unrelated to this thread... If you ever want something from someone you aren't exactly on good terms with, being polite, humble and easy going will get you far more than being a bitch - even if you're mad. Just saying...

... And go!

So again i've let this blog of mine lapse - too long since i've posted... Well i can say i've been pretty busy and just haven't found the time, but that's BS because everyone can find time, so im going to go with lazy and distracted. Anyway, time fly's by and and next thing you know it been like months instead of days or weeks. Sorry.

So topic of the day - racing. And not car racing, bike racing, motocross racing, drag racing or any other high speed attempt at death. Foot racing - as in i am running, er planning on running not one, not 2, but 3 half marathons this year. I know right - go big or  go home. Seriously, i don't know what the idea was, but it all started with the Warrior Dash. A short 5km race through Whistler mountain, with an obstacles and beer! Then i saw the Tough Mudder, and it looked as cool but longer and a bit tougher obstacles - but fun. Then i saw it was 21km long! Thus this begins my saga of running 3 half marathons. Here's the plan... I have to train for a half marathon (21km) because that is the distance of the race, but here's where my thinking takes a bit of an odd turn. How well will i do? How can i train for the one race, go all the way to Whistler, get there and discover im no where near ready to race 21km of obstacles in the mountains. I think i would rather die than give up and quit before the finish line. So what do i do? Well, how about run one half marathon first - exactly one month before, on flat ground, and see what happens. If i can do that, then i know i can cover the distance in Whistler, and then its just training for the hills and obstacles. So thats two half marathons... On in preparation for the other. Should be good right? Well after talking about running these two races, someone asked if i would run the "Run for a Cure" on their behalf. They can't cover the distance do to illness, but want someone to "represent", so... thats it - 3 half marathons, one year... More than a bit daunting to me to say the least. BUT i have a plan!! I've purchased a book from the running room on specific instructions for training, preparing and surviving half and full marathons - read it cover to cover - and now i have an 18 week training schedule. By the 3rd month i will be running an average of 45km weekly, and be up to runs as long as 18km once a week! Crazy if i can do it - but sounds absolutely ludicrous! So with all this running i still have to cross train in the gym, otherwise these obstacles won't be easily navigated. What does all this mean? It means i am going to be in the best shape ever! So as another form of accountability, to make sure i don't wander from my training schedule or meal plans, i've decided to post my weight, runs and training info here - as often as possible - at least weekly im hoping, and see exactly what transformation takes place. So if you want to see me succeed, or perhaps fail horribly, continue to follow and see where this takes me.

Oh ya, the Tough Mudder is a fund raising thing, designed to raise money for wounded soldiers, so this is the plug section of my blog. If you want to come up to Whistler and watch the shenanigans,  register on line at https://register.toughmudder.com/register/default.aspx?event=8330 and come watch (it is a $20 fee to watch the race, and it will cost more if you don't buy tickets in advance). You can also donate here http://www.raceit.com/fundraising/donate.aspx?event=6581&fundraiser=r2630840 (if you donate $50 you get a $15coupon off your spectator fee). The donations will help me reach my goal so i don't have to pay more to race (it already cost $125). Anyway, watch me suffer, help a soldier, enjoy the after party!

Ok, so the stats... Weight 215lbs
                           Last run pace 6.04/km (easy steady run)
                           Best 10km time - 51:43
                           


So thats it for now, check in and see whats what from time to time. Week one of 18 is almost done. When i get some more time i will discuss my trip to Cuba, the awesomeness of it and my friends, and all other things interesting and mundane. 

Girls and grammer.

The much anticipated post relationship post. I do it every time it seems, and i don't see any reason to not do it now. And like usual, i will explain that this is for me to clear my head and make sense of things - to be self analytical if such a thing exists. I have always believed that I'm to biased to analyze myself with any great success. But none the less i try, and maybe one day i can figure out exactly why i do what i do.What can i say about this one, and once more, should i say anything at all? Well without beating myself up too severely i will just cut to the chase. I think i share to much of my inner thoughts too early and too openly, AND i definitely think that i do more damage in the beginning then i would if i were to just shut up and let the relationship go where it wants to. I pushed this one away before she had a chance to get close, and by the time i was ready to get close, she was more than ready to get some distance. That's it in a nutshell i think. I mean there is always the other contributing factors like my "flakiness" to make it anywhere on time or with any reasonable amount of consistency. And lets not forget my BS attempts at being indifferent. Keep a girl at arms length too long and by the time you want to pull her in, she's long gone. I know there are other factors with this break up but I'll definitely wear the blame in this one. She was great, treated me amazing, and i just couldn't let my guard down fast enough to make her feel special back. Here's hoping she's not damaged goods because of me, and here's hoping I actually might have learned something here. Enough on the subject, whats done is done i guess...


So what now? Well i thought since i was all "reflecting" on my past experiences i should drag another skeleton out of the closet. Two days ago i was asked by a friend if i would return some belongings to another ex of mine. And i was completely shocked with how much of an impact it had on me. I was flooded with every emotion from anger to sadness to disbelief. I mean the idea of returning the stuff didn't faze me in the least. From the second day of break up all her things went in a bag in my closet and hasn't moved since. I don't want them, i don't need them, and i most certainly have no reason not to give them back. But for some reason it was like i needed her to suffer a little longer without her stuff before i gave it back, like it was some form of punishment for making me suffer. I can honestly say i spent the rest of the night and the whole next day with it in my head. I felt petty, stupid, and ridiculous for being difficult. It was the saddest behavior I've shown in some time. I truly was disappointed with myself for even thinking of not giving her belongings back to her...All that said i still haven't... I really don't know what the fuck is wrong with me? I guess she really did dig in deep, deep enough that all rational emotional behavior regarding the subject is still beyond me... LOL "rational emotional behavior". That is the biggest oxymoron ever! I can't believe i just typed that?! 

Anyway, what can i say. I really am sorry I've created some recipe for failure when it comes to girls, and hopefully i can get my shit together sooner rather then later... Side note "than and then" "than" is used in a comparison and "then" is used in a referral to time. IE "butter is better THAN margarine". " i went shopping THEN to the movies"... So in my first sentence of the this last paragraph did i use than or then correctly? I mean i am comparing sooner to later, but it is also in reference to time... Huh, have to figure that one out? Anyway, where was i? I lost my train of thought. Damn... Ok well that does it for now i guess....


So scattered...

Reminding me to post

Well here we are; Some serious time has past since my last post, and well i actually almost forgot i was still doing this. That was up until someone commented on one of my posts. Yes that's right people - someone anonymous posted. Do you know what that means? It means someone is actually reading this shit! AWESOME. Seriously though, it was a stark reminder to me that i don't write enough these days, and that i really should get some of the "angst" off my mind. So...

Ok so this comment on my post was, well, lets just say it was enough to get me to delete it. But then i started to think about it and realized, no i shouldn't have deleted it i should actually take the time to review their comment and rebut. So since i've already deleted the comment, i will re post it here. For all to see and enjoy. Im not happy they posted it, but im also not surprised. Its the narrow mindedness of people like this that reminds me there is a world of simpletons out there - all hiding in the realm of just enough knowledge to appear bright, until they really open their mouths. Like the old saying goes, "Its better to appear a fool, than to open your mouth and remove any doubt".
Oh right, the Comment. Well, to put it in context you will need to know what post this individual commented on... Here's the link

http://corysrabbithole.blogspot.com/2010/06/so-here-we-go-again-this-blogging-thing.html

Ok so now that you've read the post, i will share the awesome comment

"and all this coming from a guy who has a fucking tribal tattoo on his arm. way to be original, douche-bag."

Great right!? So what do you say when this is thrown at you? Do you get defensive? Mad? Maybe you look in the mirror yourself and take a hard look at what the world sees? Well at first i was all those things, mad, defensive, angry... Then i considered what this person was looking at. They clearly have seen my tattoo - so either they know me or there is a picture somewhere in my blog that shows my tattoo's. Either way they see a guy with some tattoo's and immediately run to "douche". So i have to ask myself, am i a douche? Well, lets see... I have tattoo's - check... And that's where it ends. I've considered it, looked inward and realized that all this person was able to form judgement on me was a tattoo. They must have just seen a photo - they can't have actually met me. I mean how can i be a douche? If they knew me, they'd know i was a father - and a damn good one. They'd know i own my own business and at one point owned and ran 2. they'd see my drive, motivation and determination, as well as bared witness to my unwavering loyalty to my friends. All and all not a douche id say. So what to reply back to this person...

In the end i don't think i can. Anything i say will just fuel more and more comments from this ignorant moron, and hey i shouldn't be upset about this, at least it was being read by someone ;)