Last week I read a tip in Runner's World about consuming carbs during races.
The tip: 60-80g of carbs each hour will improve performance.
I was intrigued. So I tried it.
Now, I want to try it during the Long Beach Half Marathon. This makes sense to me, the reasoning behind eating as many carbs per hour as suggested, and I feel this could help me not only meet my goals in Long Beach but also help me just feel better during and after the race.
But I have a bit of a firm belief in this - nothing new on race day.
Nothing new. No new shoes. No new shirts. No new socks. No new gear. No new breakfast food. I don't like surprises and the last thing I want to do is to be surprised on race day. The last thing I want to happen is for something new to backfire on me and cause some sort of adverse reaction during a race. Of course, I put myself in a bad situation in San Francisco when I forgot my damn fuel belt and had to buy a new one and wear a new one on race day, but that's a bit of an extreme case where it beat the alternative of relying on the race to properly hydrate myself. I'm still mad at myself over that.
Anyway, nothing new on race day. I don't want to try this new 60-80 carbs/hr thing on race day for the first time. What if four GU packets in two hours makes me.... well, I'll let you use your imagination. I really don't want to find out the hard way how something works.
So I tried it out Sunday. We were running 10 miles, us Lopers, so I filled up two bottles on my fuel belt with Gatorade and grabbed three GU packets. Each bottle holds eight ounces of liquid (and there is roughly 14g carbs per eight ounces so it seemed to work out well). So my plan was to take two GUs and drink one entire bottle the first hour and then the other GU and the rest of the bottle the second hour. I figure we'd finish in about 1 hour 40-something minutes, so there'd be no time to get to the fourth GU packet.
My plan was to GU at 25 and 50 minutes, but we were at minute 24 something and I felt weird. I felt like a GU there would have been too early. It just didn't feel right. I was barely getting into a rhythm, barely breaking a sweat even and already I was going to GU? At minute 30, though, I forced myself to GU. I kinda made sure nobody saw me because it was pretty early even at that point (I don't think we were at Mile 3 yet, close but not quite there). I took the GU. I'd been drinking the Gatorade slowly before then.
I felt a little full. Like, my stomach was full full. I wondered if that many GU packets was wise.
At minute 50-something, I took the second GU packet. The whole first hour I felt strong. Very strong. I wanted to stretch my legs but we were going along at our usual 10:30 pace (okay, it was a little faster but still in the low 10s).
I took the last GU at around 1 hour 25 minutes. It felt way too early again but I wasn't regretting my decision by that point.
Towards the end, though, I definitely felt the effects. Here are the splits for the first six miles: 10:07, 10:50, 9:56, 9:47, 10:27, 10:07
The seventh mile featured a very long hill. I got stronger up this hill the higher I went and by the time I got to the top my legs wanted to open up. I contained myself though and when most of the rest of the group caught up I took off once more. The last three miles were disjointed as some of us wanted to run faster and others were fine with running at our usual pace.
The last three miles: 8:27, 8:54, 8:48.
Not only did I feel stronger as the run went on but I felt like I had energy to burn at the end. I felt like I still had some in the tank.
Did I burn more calories than I took in? Who knows? I'm not a fan of the 100-calories-per-mile thing as it just seems illogical to me that such a rule would apply for both, say a 110-pound woman and a 220-pound man. So, it's tough to say really how many calories I burned versus how many I took in. And to be fair I ate some pretzels at the water stops as well and also had some water there. The water obviously did not affect the calorie/carbs intake but the pretzels did I'm sure.
While burning calories may be a concern during midweek runs or Sunday runs, performance is my main concern during races. Therefore, this 60-80g carbs/hr appeals to me even more now that I tried it successfully.
I might be the only runner on the LB Half course sucking down some GU at minute 25 but that's fine by me. It'll be my means to my end.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Motivational Mondays (Oct. 4)
For the first time in nearly two months, I will have a race coming up. The Long Beach Half Marathon will sort of kick off a bit of a racing spree for me. I'm running that race on Oct. 17, and then will run another half marathon, the Mission Inn Half, four Sundays after that, and then the Loper Classic 15K three Sundays after that. So in a span of about seven weeks I will run three races.
Races are exciting and enjoyable, definitely memorable, but what I've learned is that the work you put during training, in the weeks and months leading up to the race, is what can make or break the race for you.
Long Beach will be my third half-marathon ever. What happened to me before, during and after Half No. 1, the 2009 Run Through Redlands, and Half No. 2, the 2010 Run Through Redlands, is a pretty clear indicator that your training can make the race a success or destroy it for you.
Prior to my first half-marathon, I'd never run the distance before. I'd only run two runs of 10-miles plus, a 10-miler and a 12-miler. I was running at the most 20 miles a week. I didn't know about hydration, about proper pre-race fuel, about fueling up during races, about pacing. I was determined to finish, as determined as ever, and that carried me a long way. It carried me right up until the finish line, but I was about to collapse at the end. I drank only water, took no energy gels and did not eat anything during the race. It took me quite a few days to recover from the race.
Prior to my second half-marathon, I'd already run a marathon. I'd run double-digit mileage runs most every weekend for the six months before the race. I knew about hydration - got me a little fuel belt - and was properly versed on energy gels - GU was, and is, my gel of choice. I was running regularly, about 30-plus miles a week leading up to the race, and did well to eat the right things not just before the race or the days leading up to it but in general. During the race I paced myself early on, ran at speeds I felt comfortable maintaining, took walk breaks, ate and drank my Gatorade at the proper times and did well to break my previous time. After the race, I felt great and ran another 30-mile week after the race.
My time dropped from 2:14:50 to 1:56:58 from the first race to the next.
Regardless of the time - and time really is not the end-all be-all measuring stick for race performance - I had a far better experience with the second race. My training was better and I was a more knowledgeable runner.
Now with two marathons under my belt and the successful half marathon behind me as well, do I expect another drastic PR? Of course not. Am I a better runner now than I was in April? I'd like to think so, but then I'd like to think that I'm constantly improving and developing as a runner, which equates to being a better runner.
Does that mean a PR is a slam dunk then? Hardly.
Just because I did well to get my sub-2 hour half-marathon doesn't mean I can just relax and reach that again. In fact, it means I need to work harder. I can't slow down now. I can't regress and feel satisfied. I've got to work harder.
I'm never going to win a half-marathon or place in the top three. I get that, so I'm not trying to act as if I'm some Olympic runner. But I work hard to top myself, to improve myself and to keep moving forward. And I need to prove that once more to myself, both in my training and during the Long Beach Half Marathon.
If I PR, great. If I don't, fine. As long as I give it all I've got, both during my training and the race, I'll be happy.
Races are exciting and enjoyable, definitely memorable, but what I've learned is that the work you put during training, in the weeks and months leading up to the race, is what can make or break the race for you.
Long Beach will be my third half-marathon ever. What happened to me before, during and after Half No. 1, the 2009 Run Through Redlands, and Half No. 2, the 2010 Run Through Redlands, is a pretty clear indicator that your training can make the race a success or destroy it for you.
Prior to my first half-marathon, I'd never run the distance before. I'd only run two runs of 10-miles plus, a 10-miler and a 12-miler. I was running at the most 20 miles a week. I didn't know about hydration, about proper pre-race fuel, about fueling up during races, about pacing. I was determined to finish, as determined as ever, and that carried me a long way. It carried me right up until the finish line, but I was about to collapse at the end. I drank only water, took no energy gels and did not eat anything during the race. It took me quite a few days to recover from the race.
Prior to my second half-marathon, I'd already run a marathon. I'd run double-digit mileage runs most every weekend for the six months before the race. I knew about hydration - got me a little fuel belt - and was properly versed on energy gels - GU was, and is, my gel of choice. I was running regularly, about 30-plus miles a week leading up to the race, and did well to eat the right things not just before the race or the days leading up to it but in general. During the race I paced myself early on, ran at speeds I felt comfortable maintaining, took walk breaks, ate and drank my Gatorade at the proper times and did well to break my previous time. After the race, I felt great and ran another 30-mile week after the race.
My time dropped from 2:14:50 to 1:56:58 from the first race to the next.
Regardless of the time - and time really is not the end-all be-all measuring stick for race performance - I had a far better experience with the second race. My training was better and I was a more knowledgeable runner.
Now with two marathons under my belt and the successful half marathon behind me as well, do I expect another drastic PR? Of course not. Am I a better runner now than I was in April? I'd like to think so, but then I'd like to think that I'm constantly improving and developing as a runner, which equates to being a better runner.
Does that mean a PR is a slam dunk then? Hardly.
Just because I did well to get my sub-2 hour half-marathon doesn't mean I can just relax and reach that again. In fact, it means I need to work harder. I can't slow down now. I can't regress and feel satisfied. I've got to work harder.
I'm never going to win a half-marathon or place in the top three. I get that, so I'm not trying to act as if I'm some Olympic runner. But I work hard to top myself, to improve myself and to keep moving forward. And I need to prove that once more to myself, both in my training and during the Long Beach Half Marathon.
If I PR, great. If I don't, fine. As long as I give it all I've got, both during my training and the race, I'll be happy.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
LB's September Recap
I'm a thief. Without any shame, second-thoughts or anything, I stole this. And I don't have any regrets.
Well, a few I think, otherwise I wouldn't have prefaced this post with an intro graph.
Anyway, blog buddy Morgan of Caution: Redhead Running does this on her blog and she is quite the innovator. Since I enjoy reading this so much I figured it wouldn't hurt to take this, modify it a little to fit my needs and post it here for my own blog readers to see.
Without further ado, here is my September recap.
Miles Ran: 124.07
Rest Days Taken: 12
Highest Mileage Week: 32.8
Long Runs (10 miles-plus) Ran: 4
Hill Workouts Ran: 1 (my heel flares up after hilly runs)
Pace Workouts Ran: 3
Current Book: Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen
Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Wii. I try not to beat my daughters when we play Mario Kart together, but it's hard.
Current Colors: Pink (Go Lopers!)
Current Obsessions: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (am seriously addicted to them); Pandora Radio (have you tried it? it's awesome)
Current Drink: Water
Current Song: Devil's Waitin' by BRMC
Current Wish-List: New running shirts
Current Need: To figure out how to plan a week's worth of dinners; you'd think it would be easy but I've not once gotten this down
Current Triumph: Broke the thousand-mile mark for 2010 in September
Current Bane of my Existence: My heel
Current Goal: to PR at the Long Beach Half Marathon (current PR is 1:56:58)
Current Indulgence: Mexican sweet bread, aka pan dulce. I seriously can't resist that stuff
Current Blessings: My wife and daughters. I'm living a charmed life by just having them in my life
Current Excitement: Totally pumped for the Long Beach Half Marathon!
Well, a few I think, otherwise I wouldn't have prefaced this post with an intro graph.
Anyway, blog buddy Morgan of Caution: Redhead Running does this on her blog and she is quite the innovator. Since I enjoy reading this so much I figured it wouldn't hurt to take this, modify it a little to fit my needs and post it here for my own blog readers to see.
Without further ado, here is my September recap.
Miles Ran: 124.07
Rest Days Taken: 12
Highest Mileage Week: 32.8
Long Runs (10 miles-plus) Ran: 4
Hill Workouts Ran: 1 (my heel flares up after hilly runs)
Pace Workouts Ran: 3
Current Book: Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen
Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Wii. I try not to beat my daughters when we play Mario Kart together, but it's hard.
Current Colors: Pink (Go Lopers!)
Current Obsessions: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (am seriously addicted to them); Pandora Radio (have you tried it? it's awesome)
Current Drink: Water
Current Song: Devil's Waitin' by BRMC
Current Wish-List: New running shirts
Current Need: To figure out how to plan a week's worth of dinners; you'd think it would be easy but I've not once gotten this down
Current Triumph: Broke the thousand-mile mark for 2010 in September
Current Bane of my Existence: My heel
Current Goal: to PR at the Long Beach Half Marathon (current PR is 1:56:58)
Current Indulgence: Mexican sweet bread, aka pan dulce. I seriously can't resist that stuff
Current Blessings: My wife and daughters. I'm living a charmed life by just having them in my life
Current Excitement: Totally pumped for the Long Beach Half Marathon!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Friday Leftovers (Oct. 1)
Word Association
Click here to play along.
1. Return :: to Sender
2. Alarms :: Ring
3. State :: of the Union
4. Picture frame :: Wall
5. Wreath :: Door
6. Arrest :: Handcuffs
7. Sincere :: Letter
8. Nathan :: Boy
9. Bag :: Head
10. Arched :: Enemy
Okay, I know it's arch enemy but that's what came to my mind, alright? Maybe the enemy's back is arched while it's about to attack....
Five Question Friday
Here's the latest 5QF. Thanks to Mama M for hosting this, as always, and participate along if you are so inclined.
1. Did you have a pen pal when you were little (or now)? Where were/are they from?
I always wanted a pen pal but didn't ever have a real one. Once in fifth grade I believe, our class wrote letters to another class from another school that was very far away. Or so we thought. It was from a school that was in the neighboring town. The boy who I wrote a letter to and answered me back was someone who used to go to my school. And I wasn't really friendly with him. That kinda sucked.
2. If you could do a different job for one day, what would it be?
Ob-Gyn... just kidding. Um, actually, I'd like to be a professional chef and I'd like to whip up unique and delicious dish after unique and delicious dish for an entire evening. That would be an enjoyable evening.
3. Do you remember your biggest fear from when you were little?
Hmmm... lemme think... not sure. I was scared of clowns for a while, mostly because I watched Poltergeist. I was also terrified of ghosts and things like that. I'm not sure how I was able to watch the Exorcist but that really put a jolt of fear inside of me.
4. What do you think is a waste of time? Why?
Standing in line at the DMV. Every time I drive past one and see the line wrapped around the building, I think to myself 'What a waste of time.'
5. What is the oldest item you have in your closet?
Two years. While I was going through my weight loss transformation I had to buy a lot of new clothes. In fall/winter of 06 I had to get new clothes to get me through since the stuff I'd worn the previous fall/winter no longer fit. Then for spring/summer 07 I had to get new clothes since the stuff I wore the previous spring/summer no longer fit. Then for fall/winter 07 I had to get new clothes because what I wore the previous fall/winter no longer fit, and then for spring/summer 08 I had to get new clothes since what I wore spring/summer 07 did not fit any more. I think by fall/winter 08 things sorta came to a bit of a halt.
Losing 120 pounds over 20 months will do that to you, I suppose.
So most of the stuff I wear now I only got in 08. I might have some shoes that are older than that.
Click here to play along.
1. Return :: to Sender
2. Alarms :: Ring
3. State :: of the Union
4. Picture frame :: Wall
5. Wreath :: Door
6. Arrest :: Handcuffs
7. Sincere :: Letter
8. Nathan :: Boy
9. Bag :: Head
10. Arched :: Enemy
Okay, I know it's arch enemy but that's what came to my mind, alright? Maybe the enemy's back is arched while it's about to attack....
Five Question Friday
Here's the latest 5QF. Thanks to Mama M for hosting this, as always, and participate along if you are so inclined.
1. Did you have a pen pal when you were little (or now)? Where were/are they from?
I always wanted a pen pal but didn't ever have a real one. Once in fifth grade I believe, our class wrote letters to another class from another school that was very far away. Or so we thought. It was from a school that was in the neighboring town. The boy who I wrote a letter to and answered me back was someone who used to go to my school. And I wasn't really friendly with him. That kinda sucked.
2. If you could do a different job for one day, what would it be?
Ob-Gyn... just kidding. Um, actually, I'd like to be a professional chef and I'd like to whip up unique and delicious dish after unique and delicious dish for an entire evening. That would be an enjoyable evening.
3. Do you remember your biggest fear from when you were little?
Hmmm... lemme think... not sure. I was scared of clowns for a while, mostly because I watched Poltergeist. I was also terrified of ghosts and things like that. I'm not sure how I was able to watch the Exorcist but that really put a jolt of fear inside of me.
4. What do you think is a waste of time? Why?
Standing in line at the DMV. Every time I drive past one and see the line wrapped around the building, I think to myself 'What a waste of time.'
5. What is the oldest item you have in your closet?
Two years. While I was going through my weight loss transformation I had to buy a lot of new clothes. In fall/winter of 06 I had to get new clothes to get me through since the stuff I'd worn the previous fall/winter no longer fit. Then for spring/summer 07 I had to get new clothes since the stuff I wore the previous spring/summer no longer fit. Then for fall/winter 07 I had to get new clothes because what I wore the previous fall/winter no longer fit, and then for spring/summer 08 I had to get new clothes since what I wore spring/summer 07 did not fit any more. I think by fall/winter 08 things sorta came to a bit of a halt.
Losing 120 pounds over 20 months will do that to you, I suppose.
So most of the stuff I wear now I only got in 08. I might have some shoes that are older than that.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Chocolate Milk And Gels
I was thumbing through my Runner's World magazine recently and came across some pretty interesting tips. There are always tips in there, great tips and advice from reliable sources... and then there are other bits of info that I dismiss as quickly as I read it.
These caught my eye, though, so much so that I've just tried one out and may try another one in my next race.
Chocolate Milk
Okay, this isn't new. In fact, I've tried this before. But maybe it's just a thing where you hear about something so many times that eventually it makes sense and you start believing. According to a study, after a 45-minute run some test subjects were given either fat-free chocolate milk or a carb-recovery drink with the same amount of calories. After three hours, the milk-drinkers had lower markers of muscle protein breakdown, which means better recovery over the other drinks.
The mag recommends a glass of low-fat or fat-free chocolate milk after runs of 45 minutes or longer, which for me is essentially every time out; well, 8 out of 10 runs probably.
I ran Thursday morning and happened to park near a grocery store. I ran for an hour and then just went into the store for a quick trip (yet still managed to dole out 27 dollars and came out with three big bags of groceries, how the heck did that happen?) and grabbed some chocolate milk. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that it has quite a few calories. The bottle I got had 300, although I didn't see how many ounces it was. It was either 16 or 20 ounces. Usually I will have a piece of fruit or two after a run and that's maybe 150 calories, less than 200 for sure, so you have to account for the calories. But still, the advantages seem plenty.
More Carbs To Improve Performance
This one is intriguing. This study centered on triathletes and cyclists who rode for two hours while consuming different amounts of carbs. Afterward they raced a 20K time trial. The ones who had the most carbs had the faster times. How many carbs? Per hour, 60-80 grams of carbs, as opposed to 30-60 per hour which is apparently the figure recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine.
The mag recommends 8-16 ounces of sports drink and two sports gel per hour on long runs.
Interesting. If I use this during the Long Beach Half Marathon, it would mean four GU packets instead of two like I'd planned, and I would probably need two full bottles of Gatorade on my fuel belt. I'd have to GU at 25 min., 50 min., 1 hr 20 min. and 1 hr 40 min. That's a lot of GU! Each packet has 25g of carbs, so two packets is 50g (you like my math skills) and the 8-16 ounces of sports drink would make up for the rest of the carbs.
I might just try this. Seems kinda strange to eat that much GU but then again, the science behind it makes sense.
These caught my eye, though, so much so that I've just tried one out and may try another one in my next race.
Chocolate Milk
Okay, this isn't new. In fact, I've tried this before. But maybe it's just a thing where you hear about something so many times that eventually it makes sense and you start believing. According to a study, after a 45-minute run some test subjects were given either fat-free chocolate milk or a carb-recovery drink with the same amount of calories. After three hours, the milk-drinkers had lower markers of muscle protein breakdown, which means better recovery over the other drinks.
The mag recommends a glass of low-fat or fat-free chocolate milk after runs of 45 minutes or longer, which for me is essentially every time out; well, 8 out of 10 runs probably.
I ran Thursday morning and happened to park near a grocery store. I ran for an hour and then just went into the store for a quick trip (yet still managed to dole out 27 dollars and came out with three big bags of groceries, how the heck did that happen?) and grabbed some chocolate milk. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that it has quite a few calories. The bottle I got had 300, although I didn't see how many ounces it was. It was either 16 or 20 ounces. Usually I will have a piece of fruit or two after a run and that's maybe 150 calories, less than 200 for sure, so you have to account for the calories. But still, the advantages seem plenty.
More Carbs To Improve Performance
This one is intriguing. This study centered on triathletes and cyclists who rode for two hours while consuming different amounts of carbs. Afterward they raced a 20K time trial. The ones who had the most carbs had the faster times. How many carbs? Per hour, 60-80 grams of carbs, as opposed to 30-60 per hour which is apparently the figure recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine.
The mag recommends 8-16 ounces of sports drink and two sports gel per hour on long runs.
Interesting. If I use this during the Long Beach Half Marathon, it would mean four GU packets instead of two like I'd planned, and I would probably need two full bottles of Gatorade on my fuel belt. I'd have to GU at 25 min., 50 min., 1 hr 20 min. and 1 hr 40 min. That's a lot of GU! Each packet has 25g of carbs, so two packets is 50g (you like my math skills) and the 8-16 ounces of sports drink would make up for the rest of the carbs.
I might just try this. Seems kinda strange to eat that much GU but then again, the science behind it makes sense.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Playlist Enhancer: BRMC's Conscience Killer
This song is awesome and will definitely be on my Long Beach Half Marathon playlist.
In March, I'd never heard of this group, of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Now, they're the band I've listened to the most over the last three months. Easy. I even went to a show of theirs recently, and this song was my favorite from their set.
It's up-tempo which I like. It rocks out. It has a little bit of a bad-ass feel to it but there's also parts you can hum along to. Towards the end the drums kick in more and that can get your legs churning.
The only question is whether I want to put this near the start to get me off to a good start or somewhere towards the end to give me a much-needed jolt. Either way, I can't go wrong.
Easing Up
I ran seven miles a week ago Tuesday. Lately, I've been running Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday, but last week I did not run Wednesday. On Thursday, I went out and ran six miles and with 15 miles planned for Sunday I'd wanted to get in a short run on either Friday or Saturday.
I didn't run after all on those days. And after my 15-miler, I haven't run since.
No, I'm not injured. But I am listening to my body.
My heel discomfort has been back... it really never went away, just sort of lingered in the background. But since I've been running five days and cracking the 30-mile mark each week, the increased stress on the heel has not gone unnoticed. I feel like I walk normally but Mrs. LB constantly asks me if I'm okay and tells me that I'm limping. It's not really a limp but I do walk differently.
The constant pounding I put my feet through makes my heel flare up. It's not unbearable pain - it's really not even pain - but I do feel something in my heel.
So I've had to ease up a little bit. It's a reminder though that what's most important to me is not necessarily the goals I set or the number of days I run. It's just having the ability to run. Injuries are no fun and sitting on the sideline is not fun. I sat out a week in June because of this same heel issue and that week was not a fun one. And if, heaven forbid, something drastic were to happen, it would mean a prolonged period of time away from one of the things I love most.
I rest, take it easy and don't force anything. Sure, taking a complete rest might help put this behind me, and I'm talking about a full month off from running. While I can't do that right now, what I can do is to listen to my body take my foot off the gas pedal and go from there.
I didn't run after all on those days. And after my 15-miler, I haven't run since.
No, I'm not injured. But I am listening to my body.
My heel discomfort has been back... it really never went away, just sort of lingered in the background. But since I've been running five days and cracking the 30-mile mark each week, the increased stress on the heel has not gone unnoticed. I feel like I walk normally but Mrs. LB constantly asks me if I'm okay and tells me that I'm limping. It's not really a limp but I do walk differently.
The constant pounding I put my feet through makes my heel flare up. It's not unbearable pain - it's really not even pain - but I do feel something in my heel.
So I've had to ease up a little bit. It's a reminder though that what's most important to me is not necessarily the goals I set or the number of days I run. It's just having the ability to run. Injuries are no fun and sitting on the sideline is not fun. I sat out a week in June because of this same heel issue and that week was not a fun one. And if, heaven forbid, something drastic were to happen, it would mean a prolonged period of time away from one of the things I love most.
I rest, take it easy and don't force anything. Sure, taking a complete rest might help put this behind me, and I'm talking about a full month off from running. While I can't do that right now, what I can do is to listen to my body take my foot off the gas pedal and go from there.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Motivational Mondays (Sept. 27)
Mrs. LB has offered up another guest post. I think she'd be a pretty good blogger, but until that happens, I'll be lucky to have her as a guest blogger.
Here's her latest offering.
When it comes to fashion have you ever wished you were the kind of person who could pull something off? For example, some women look great in unique tights in the winter. Some guys look cool in warm up suits. Some women have the ability to pull off the vest and tie look while some men can pull off the skinny jean look (beware of this one, guys, I have a feeling you’ll be looking back on these pics in the future and wishing it weren’t so).
My point here is that for the most part people live in the mainstream of fashion. There aren’t many people who take risks. And among those who do - there are even fewer who make it work.
I always wanted to be the kind of woman who could pull off hats or cool headbands. I love to accessorize and the head seems like another obvious place of adornment. I’ve tried many hats. When I was younger, my girlfriends would convince me in the store I was so a “hat person.” Let it be said here that I now know they were lying.
I have tried headbands of all types - glittery, flower-adorned, preppy, wide, skinny, patterned, solid, etc. You get the picture. For some reason, I cannot accessorize my head. I’ve mostly given this up except for the occasional day when my hair is just not cooperating and then I might steal one of my girls’ headbands to get me through the day. This, by the way, is always a bad idea. It’s usually the day I have an impromptu meeting with a VP or CEO and the headband keeps slipping or makes me look like I’m 12 - not a 30-something HR professional who knows how to guide a corporation in personnel matters.
Anyway, this brings me to my actual point. My husband has always wanted to be the type of guy who looks good wearing a jersey. Soccer, football, baseball and hockey jerseys - he has them. He loves them and likes wearing them. This was difficult for him before he changed to a healthy lifestyle.
We used to have to try and buy them as big as we could find them. This is not possible in the world of soccer jerseys. Maybe you could get away with finding a XXL guy playing football but nobody who plays soccer is large. It’s not possible to run for 90 minutes and be big. So, the manufacturers assume that the fans are also not XXL-wearing kind of people. While this is a bad assumption, it just is what it is.
Recently, I watched my husband as he coached our oldest daughter’s soccer team, The Pink Jaguars, and he was running around in a soccer jersey we had previously deemed decorative since he couldn’t fit into them before. And he looked good. He looked lean and energetic. He looked like a guy you would find on a soccer field.
I know how good he feels when he can buy off the rack. I bought him a Japan national team jersey for his birthday last month and his brother brought him home an awesome Ecuador national team jersey from his South American trip. I was so happy to see Luis’ smile when he slid both of these on and they fit. He’s still self-conscious about anything being too form fitting on top but that’s mostly in his head.
Saturday, he put his navy blue Ecuadorian jersey on over another shirt after taking team pics with The Pink Jaguars and had no trouble at all sliding it down his lean torso.
I hope he rewards himself with many more jerseys in the future as a reminder of how far he’s come.
Here's her latest offering.
When it comes to fashion have you ever wished you were the kind of person who could pull something off? For example, some women look great in unique tights in the winter. Some guys look cool in warm up suits. Some women have the ability to pull off the vest and tie look while some men can pull off the skinny jean look (beware of this one, guys, I have a feeling you’ll be looking back on these pics in the future and wishing it weren’t so).
My point here is that for the most part people live in the mainstream of fashion. There aren’t many people who take risks. And among those who do - there are even fewer who make it work.
I always wanted to be the kind of woman who could pull off hats or cool headbands. I love to accessorize and the head seems like another obvious place of adornment. I’ve tried many hats. When I was younger, my girlfriends would convince me in the store I was so a “hat person.” Let it be said here that I now know they were lying.
I have tried headbands of all types - glittery, flower-adorned, preppy, wide, skinny, patterned, solid, etc. You get the picture. For some reason, I cannot accessorize my head. I’ve mostly given this up except for the occasional day when my hair is just not cooperating and then I might steal one of my girls’ headbands to get me through the day. This, by the way, is always a bad idea. It’s usually the day I have an impromptu meeting with a VP or CEO and the headband keeps slipping or makes me look like I’m 12 - not a 30-something HR professional who knows how to guide a corporation in personnel matters.
Anyway, this brings me to my actual point. My husband has always wanted to be the type of guy who looks good wearing a jersey. Soccer, football, baseball and hockey jerseys - he has them. He loves them and likes wearing them. This was difficult for him before he changed to a healthy lifestyle.
We used to have to try and buy them as big as we could find them. This is not possible in the world of soccer jerseys. Maybe you could get away with finding a XXL guy playing football but nobody who plays soccer is large. It’s not possible to run for 90 minutes and be big. So, the manufacturers assume that the fans are also not XXL-wearing kind of people. While this is a bad assumption, it just is what it is.
Recently, I watched my husband as he coached our oldest daughter’s soccer team, The Pink Jaguars, and he was running around in a soccer jersey we had previously deemed decorative since he couldn’t fit into them before. And he looked good. He looked lean and energetic. He looked like a guy you would find on a soccer field.I know how good he feels when he can buy off the rack. I bought him a Japan national team jersey for his birthday last month and his brother brought him home an awesome Ecuador national team jersey from his South American trip. I was so happy to see Luis’ smile when he slid both of these on and they fit. He’s still self-conscious about anything being too form fitting on top but that’s mostly in his head.
Saturday, he put his navy blue Ecuadorian jersey on over another shirt after taking team pics with The Pink Jaguars and had no trouble at all sliding it down his lean torso.
I hope he rewards himself with many more jerseys in the future as a reminder of how far he’s come.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday Leftovers (Sept. 24)
Friday is upon us once more.
For your reading pleasure...
Word Association
Play here as always.
Five Question Friday
Another edition of Five Question Friday. Hope you all enjoy it.
1. If you could speak with a different accent, what would it be (i.e Australian, Scottish)?
We all have accents. Go to London or Syndey and ask the locals if you have an accent, and they'll probably tell you that you do. I once interviewed some Australian teens who were here for some baseball tournament and I asked them about their accents and if people had problems understanding them. I was mostly joking of course but the kid I was talking to shot back "Accents? We don't have accents. You do." So I do speak with an accent.
And speaking of accents...
2. Can you fall asleep anywhere? (i.e floor, couch, desk)
Yes. I have the power to do that... when I don't wear my C-PAP. Do you not know that I wear a C-PAP? My old-school readers know that as I've blogged about it before. When I don't wear that wonderful piece of machinery, I do fall asleep anywhere. In fact, just the other day I dozed off at the kitchen table. While I was writing on my laptop. At 3... p.m. Uh, yeah, I'm magical that way.
Long story short, I have sleep apnea, which causes my windpipe to slowly close shut while I sleep, forcing me to stop breathing which in turn makes me wake up. I don't ever get into deep sleep without the C-PAP, with it I do. This was actually worse for me when I was 300-plus pounds as I had severe obstructed sleep apnea but 120 pounds lighter I just have a moderate case of it. Yay for weight loss.
3. Do you use public restrooms? If so, do you sit on the toilet?
Yes and yes if I have to. You know, I love absolutely everything about being a dad to two daughters. Some things are tough, like having to do their hair and all their clothes and things like that, I'm just lost. Like, good luck having me match up outfits for them to wear. But the one thing that I hate is the bathrooms. I hate that they have to go into men's bathrooms because they are downright flithy. I hate that while my daughter is using a bathroom, some stinky grimy yucky man is nearby... ugh. Totally. Grosses. Me. The. Eff. Out. I mean, if it's just some guy like me or some younger kid or an older composed man, fine, but the dirty slovenly types... gross.
I try and make the seat as good as possible. I will clean it off and then I always have them sit on that cover thing. But it pretty much sucks no matter what. The best bathrooms are the family bathrooms. Those are awesome but sadly not in abundance.
4. If you were stuck in an elevator for 24 hours, what celebrity would you most want to be stuck with?
Shakira.
I would say more but I fear I've said too much already.
5. Where did you and your significant other go on your first date?
Our first official first date? Well, we went to hang out at Carl's Jr. once, and then we went to Jack in the Box shortly after but we weren't together. Damn, with me whining and dining her like that, I wonder why not.
For your reading pleasure...
Word Association
Play here as always.
- Mustache :: Beard
- Person :: Place or Thing
- Restore :: Action
- Discretion :: Quiet
- Lamp :: Light
- Pillow cover :: Pillowcase
- Arousal :: Awaken
- Seattle :: Sounders
- ATM :: Cash
- Custard :: Pie
Five Question Friday
Another edition of Five Question Friday. Hope you all enjoy it.
1. If you could speak with a different accent, what would it be (i.e Australian, Scottish)?
We all have accents. Go to London or Syndey and ask the locals if you have an accent, and they'll probably tell you that you do. I once interviewed some Australian teens who were here for some baseball tournament and I asked them about their accents and if people had problems understanding them. I was mostly joking of course but the kid I was talking to shot back "Accents? We don't have accents. You do." So I do speak with an accent.
And speaking of accents...
2. Can you fall asleep anywhere? (i.e floor, couch, desk)
Yes. I have the power to do that... when I don't wear my C-PAP. Do you not know that I wear a C-PAP? My old-school readers know that as I've blogged about it before. When I don't wear that wonderful piece of machinery, I do fall asleep anywhere. In fact, just the other day I dozed off at the kitchen table. While I was writing on my laptop. At 3... p.m. Uh, yeah, I'm magical that way.
Long story short, I have sleep apnea, which causes my windpipe to slowly close shut while I sleep, forcing me to stop breathing which in turn makes me wake up. I don't ever get into deep sleep without the C-PAP, with it I do. This was actually worse for me when I was 300-plus pounds as I had severe obstructed sleep apnea but 120 pounds lighter I just have a moderate case of it. Yay for weight loss.
3. Do you use public restrooms? If so, do you sit on the toilet?
Yes and yes if I have to. You know, I love absolutely everything about being a dad to two daughters. Some things are tough, like having to do their hair and all their clothes and things like that, I'm just lost. Like, good luck having me match up outfits for them to wear. But the one thing that I hate is the bathrooms. I hate that they have to go into men's bathrooms because they are downright flithy. I hate that while my daughter is using a bathroom, some stinky grimy yucky man is nearby... ugh. Totally. Grosses. Me. The. Eff. Out. I mean, if it's just some guy like me or some younger kid or an older composed man, fine, but the dirty slovenly types... gross.
I try and make the seat as good as possible. I will clean it off and then I always have them sit on that cover thing. But it pretty much sucks no matter what. The best bathrooms are the family bathrooms. Those are awesome but sadly not in abundance.
4. If you were stuck in an elevator for 24 hours, what celebrity would you most want to be stuck with?
Shakira.
I would say more but I fear I've said too much already.
5. Where did you and your significant other go on your first date?
Our first official first date? Well, we went to hang out at Carl's Jr. once, and then we went to Jack in the Box shortly after but we weren't together. Damn, with me whining and dining her like that, I wonder why not.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Long Beach Half Marathon: Goals
I'm about three weeks away from my next race and I haven't been blogging much about it. I think I didn't want to blow it out of proportion but now it feels like I've just ignored it altogether.
My next race of course is the Long Beach Half Marathon. It's going to be an exciting race for several reasons, one of them being that I'll know several of the other participants there that day, in either the half or full. Several Loper friends, blog buddies and just assorted friends are taking part in the race so it should be an exciting and memorable day.
As far as my goals go, I do want to PR. I want to accomplish that much. Given my past, though, I will not be disappointed if I do not PR. Two years ago running 13.1 was a dream, four years ago it was something I did not think possible and five years ago... well, I was a much different (larger) person back then. That all puts in perspective of course.
Still, I think that helps ground me somewhat and helps me relax and focus on the goal at hand. I've been doing strong recently in my runs. I have been doing speedwork and had an awesome speedwork session on Friday. I've been doing a lot of miles in under nine minutes on my regular weekday runs, and that's encouraging.
Now, my half-marathon PR is 1:56:58, which is a pace of 8:55 per minute. I think I can shave off 5-10 seconds per minute, which means a finish time of between 1:54 and 1:56. It might be close and I might miss out on it but I do think I have some things in my favor.
* Speedwork. I wasn't doing much of it before Redlands. Even though my mileage was higher before Redlands - I was knocking out 12-15 milers each Sunday - my speedwork is helping me get faster.
* Determined. I always feel like I am more determined the more races I get under my belt, so I think I'm more determined now and that's going to make the difference.
* Course. The biggest factor is the course. Redlands was hilly and Long Beach is not. It's flat save for like one hill maybe.
We'll see if all of these factors work out in my favor or not. Whatever the case, I'm going to have a lot of fun trying to chase my PR.
My next race of course is the Long Beach Half Marathon. It's going to be an exciting race for several reasons, one of them being that I'll know several of the other participants there that day, in either the half or full. Several Loper friends, blog buddies and just assorted friends are taking part in the race so it should be an exciting and memorable day.
As far as my goals go, I do want to PR. I want to accomplish that much. Given my past, though, I will not be disappointed if I do not PR. Two years ago running 13.1 was a dream, four years ago it was something I did not think possible and five years ago... well, I was a much different (larger) person back then. That all puts in perspective of course.
Still, I think that helps ground me somewhat and helps me relax and focus on the goal at hand. I've been doing strong recently in my runs. I have been doing speedwork and had an awesome speedwork session on Friday. I've been doing a lot of miles in under nine minutes on my regular weekday runs, and that's encouraging.
Now, my half-marathon PR is 1:56:58, which is a pace of 8:55 per minute. I think I can shave off 5-10 seconds per minute, which means a finish time of between 1:54 and 1:56. It might be close and I might miss out on it but I do think I have some things in my favor.
* Speedwork. I wasn't doing much of it before Redlands. Even though my mileage was higher before Redlands - I was knocking out 12-15 milers each Sunday - my speedwork is helping me get faster.
* Determined. I always feel like I am more determined the more races I get under my belt, so I think I'm more determined now and that's going to make the difference.
* Course. The biggest factor is the course. Redlands was hilly and Long Beach is not. It's flat save for like one hill maybe.
We'll see if all of these factors work out in my favor or not. Whatever the case, I'm going to have a lot of fun trying to chase my PR.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Slowing Down
It's tough to run five days a week.
That's what I've figured out over the last three weeks or so. I've been hitting it hard and have run about five times each week I believe. Last week was the first time in a month that I haven't run five times each week, and that was because of a Sunday obligation I couldn't get out of.
This week, it has felt like the walls around me are collapsing with regards to work. It's a busy week and I'm nowhere near done with one of the things I have to get done. So I had to scrap my Wednesday run.
I've been doing well to getting to the 30-mile mark each week, my target for weekly miles, but it seems that when I concentrate on running and do well there, I suffer elsewhere.
There just aren't enough hours in the day.
So I'm going to try to run 3-4 times a week and will hopefully get to 30 miles a week.
Wow, that sounds confident.
Anyway, I hope to have longer runs so I can still accumulate the mileage. On Tuesday I ran 7 and Thursday I hope to knock out another 5-6. Sunday the Lopers will run 9 and I'll try to get in 3 miles before then. If I can do that, I'll have 25 or so, and that would mean a Friday or Saturday run of about 4-5 miles would get me to 30. That run is optional I think. I don't know, maybe it shouldn't be.
Even though I have all this time in the mornings now, it feels as if I have a cart and need to pile as much on there as possible but when I make room for running, work suffers, or when I make room for grocery shopping or cooking (you know that necessary but boring around-the-house stuff) then everything else suffers.
This is all part of my F.O.S Evolution - Figuring Sh** Out. It's a fine balancing act now but hopefully soon it won't be so bad.
I've been doing well to getting to the 30-mile mark each week, my target for weekly miles, but it seems that when I concentrate on running and do well there, I suffer elsewhere.
There just aren't enough hours in the day.
So I'm going to try to run 3-4 times a week and will hopefully get to 30 miles a week.
Wow, that sounds confident.
Anyway, I hope to have longer runs so I can still accumulate the mileage. On Tuesday I ran 7 and Thursday I hope to knock out another 5-6. Sunday the Lopers will run 9 and I'll try to get in 3 miles before then. If I can do that, I'll have 25 or so, and that would mean a Friday or Saturday run of about 4-5 miles would get me to 30. That run is optional I think. I don't know, maybe it shouldn't be.
Even though I have all this time in the mornings now, it feels as if I have a cart and need to pile as much on there as possible but when I make room for running, work suffers, or when I make room for grocery shopping or cooking (you know that necessary but boring around-the-house stuff) then everything else suffers.
This is all part of my F.O.S Evolution - Figuring Sh** Out. It's a fine balancing act now but hopefully soon it won't be so bad.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday Tidbits
Felt like a throwing together some short blog items together for you, probably because my mind was all over the place on Monday.
Land of High Mileage
Trusty blog reader and friend of Muddy Runner tahoegirl is the woman! She ran 20 miles on the weekend, her last run until the Chicago Marathon, and her longest run ever! She begins her first-ever marathon taper now and I'm excited for her!
I'm asking for a favor. If you aren't a marathoner, please send her your encouragement. I know it made a difference for me, having the support of as many people as possible. And if you are a marathoner, pass along some tips and words of encouragement as well.
Tahoegirl has been aggressive throughout her training and has overcome challenges to meet her goal. Her 20-miler was run in 50-degree weather. Yikes. Not sure how long I would have lasted in that.
Anyway, I'll be running 11 miles on Oct. 10 I think but I know I will have the Windy City on my mind that day.
Q & A
Remember the Q & A I had earlier this year with my uncle Jorge? Well, I'm bringing it back. One of my Loper friends has agreed to be the subject of the second-ever Muddy Runner Q & A. She has an exciting tale to tell and will be running in a marathon shortly.
More details to follow but I can assure you her story is one worth promoting and worth reading about.
Tuneage
This is one of my new favorite running songs - New Moon Rising by Wolfmother.
Not sure why I never got their CDs. I liked the songs I heard of theirs but just never got around to buying their CDs. Well, the local library has them in stock so I checked them out and lo and behold, their stuff is fantastic. I've got a whole slew of new songs to run to, and this one is probably atop that list.
It's hard but not like Metallica hard. I mean, it won't make you tense if that metal stuff makes you tense (right Kerrie?) and this song has a good rhythm and nice energy. I've ran to it a few times and will be part of my Long Beach Half Marathon playlist for sure. The only question is, will it be near the top or towards the end?
Land of High Mileage
Trusty blog reader and friend of Muddy Runner tahoegirl is the woman! She ran 20 miles on the weekend, her last run until the Chicago Marathon, and her longest run ever! She begins her first-ever marathon taper now and I'm excited for her!
I'm asking for a favor. If you aren't a marathoner, please send her your encouragement. I know it made a difference for me, having the support of as many people as possible. And if you are a marathoner, pass along some tips and words of encouragement as well.
Tahoegirl has been aggressive throughout her training and has overcome challenges to meet her goal. Her 20-miler was run in 50-degree weather. Yikes. Not sure how long I would have lasted in that.
Anyway, I'll be running 11 miles on Oct. 10 I think but I know I will have the Windy City on my mind that day.
Q & A
Remember the Q & A I had earlier this year with my uncle Jorge? Well, I'm bringing it back. One of my Loper friends has agreed to be the subject of the second-ever Muddy Runner Q & A. She has an exciting tale to tell and will be running in a marathon shortly.
More details to follow but I can assure you her story is one worth promoting and worth reading about.
Tuneage
This is one of my new favorite running songs - New Moon Rising by Wolfmother.
Not sure why I never got their CDs. I liked the songs I heard of theirs but just never got around to buying their CDs. Well, the local library has them in stock so I checked them out and lo and behold, their stuff is fantastic. I've got a whole slew of new songs to run to, and this one is probably atop that list.
It's hard but not like Metallica hard. I mean, it won't make you tense if that metal stuff makes you tense (right Kerrie?) and this song has a good rhythm and nice energy. I've ran to it a few times and will be part of my Long Beach Half Marathon playlist for sure. The only question is, will it be near the top or towards the end?
Monday, September 20, 2010
Motivational Mondays (Sept. 20)
For a while, I've been thinking of doing something like this. I don't know why I've never done it, I guess I felt it was... hmmm, well, I don't have a good reason why I suppose.
This video I stumbled across through a friend's FB account.
His story is a lot like mine, except that A) it took him less time to lose 120 pounds, and B) I ain't no Boston marathoner. But most of the things he writes about I am completely familiar with and that may as well have been my story.
Good stuff. I applaud him for everything he did to get to where he is. It isn't easy, but it is addicting and once you get used to losing weight and seeing changes and becoming someone you didn't realize you were, it's motivating.
So what do you think? Should I do something like this about myself? I've got plenty of pictures of myself from pre-2006, during my weight-loss journey and, of course, now that I'm a marathoner. I might have to pick a different group though to play my story to. Just sayin'...
This video I stumbled across through a friend's FB account.
His story is a lot like mine, except that A) it took him less time to lose 120 pounds, and B) I ain't no Boston marathoner. But most of the things he writes about I am completely familiar with and that may as well have been my story.
Good stuff. I applaud him for everything he did to get to where he is. It isn't easy, but it is addicting and once you get used to losing weight and seeing changes and becoming someone you didn't realize you were, it's motivating.
So what do you think? Should I do something like this about myself? I've got plenty of pictures of myself from pre-2006, during my weight-loss journey and, of course, now that I'm a marathoner. I might have to pick a different group though to play my story to. Just sayin'...
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday Leftovers (Sept. 17)
Another week in the books. The weeks are flying by.
Word Association
Play along here.
1. Singapore :: Malaysia
2. blah blah blah :: blibbity blibbity
3. Stall :: Horse
4. Bowls :: Cereal
5. Entrance :: Exit
6. Antique :: Shop
7. Elizabeth :: Queen
8. Hook :: Captain
9. Width :: Length
10. Photo journalism :: Photoshop
Okay, so everything is pretty straightforward. I think.
Five Question Friday
Alright, the latest edition of 5QF. Gotta say, the third question is really really really lame. Sorry. It just is.
1. What is the first nightmare you remember?
I don't really have nightmares. I have bad dreams I guess but nothing like monsters or Freddy Krueger chasing me or something. I actually don't remember a ton of my dreams anyway, let alone actual nightmares. So I don't remember having any nightmares when I was young.
2. Even if you're not a sports fan, what's your favorite sport to play/watch?
My favorite sport to play is... well, does running count? If not, then I'd say... um, I was never very good at team sports. I guess that's why I like to run, because the only person I really compete against is myself. Soccer would be my favorite sport to both play and watch, though. I don't however play soccer very often. Like, once a year maybe although for a while I was playing every weekend.
3. If you could pull off one piece of trendy fashion, what would you want it to be (jeggings, hats, thigh high boots, etc.)?
Lame. Told you. I couldn't even name you one bit of trendy fashion for men obviously.
4. Did you make good grades in school?
No. I had terrible grades. I had to take an ROP class in high school to get extra credits so I was able to graduate on time. I failed a freshman English class, a class that at the beginning of the year the teacher said he doesn't fail students in but I managed to fail somehow. My effort in high school was nonexistent. I was apathetic about everything, unmotivated and disinterested. I don't know why I disliked school so much. I needed a good hard slap in the face.
5. What magazines do you subscribe to?
Runner's World (because I'm a runner), Men's Health (because I'm a man) and Cooking Light (because I cook).
You know what bugs me, though? I'm probably not the only man to subscribe to or read Cooking Light but everything about that magazine and many other food magazines are geared towards women. My daughters brought home some fundraisers recently and one of the options was a magazine subscription. So in the second listed "For Mom" magazines was Cooking Light, alongside Good Housekeeping and Real Simple. WTF? Only moms can read that? And then a lot of the ads in there are for women. Whatever I guess. Men should stick to Auto Trader or Popular Mechanics or stuff like that, right? I guess I didn't get that memo.
Cooking Light has some damn good recipes. So if I have to deal with those issues, so be it.
I'm almost like an addict sometimes when thinking about magazines. Oh, actually, just remembered I subscribed to Entertainment Weekly. I am so out of the loop with pop culture and stuff like that but I enjoy reading Entertainment Weekly, if nothing else to try and stay current with movies. Now that the girls are older and we can leave them with family members and not take diapers and bottles and change of clothes, etc., we actually can get out to watch a movie every now and then.
Word Association
Play along here.
1. Singapore :: Malaysia
2. blah blah blah :: blibbity blibbity
3. Stall :: Horse
4. Bowls :: Cereal
5. Entrance :: Exit
6. Antique :: Shop
7. Elizabeth :: Queen
8. Hook :: Captain
9. Width :: Length
10. Photo journalism :: Photoshop
Okay, so everything is pretty straightforward. I think.
Five Question Friday
Alright, the latest edition of 5QF. Gotta say, the third question is really really really lame. Sorry. It just is.
1. What is the first nightmare you remember?
I don't really have nightmares. I have bad dreams I guess but nothing like monsters or Freddy Krueger chasing me or something. I actually don't remember a ton of my dreams anyway, let alone actual nightmares. So I don't remember having any nightmares when I was young.
2. Even if you're not a sports fan, what's your favorite sport to play/watch?
My favorite sport to play is... well, does running count? If not, then I'd say... um, I was never very good at team sports. I guess that's why I like to run, because the only person I really compete against is myself. Soccer would be my favorite sport to both play and watch, though. I don't however play soccer very often. Like, once a year maybe although for a while I was playing every weekend.
3. If you could pull off one piece of trendy fashion, what would you want it to be (jeggings, hats, thigh high boots, etc.)?
Lame. Told you. I couldn't even name you one bit of trendy fashion for men obviously.
4. Did you make good grades in school?
No. I had terrible grades. I had to take an ROP class in high school to get extra credits so I was able to graduate on time. I failed a freshman English class, a class that at the beginning of the year the teacher said he doesn't fail students in but I managed to fail somehow. My effort in high school was nonexistent. I was apathetic about everything, unmotivated and disinterested. I don't know why I disliked school so much. I needed a good hard slap in the face.
5. What magazines do you subscribe to?
Runner's World (because I'm a runner), Men's Health (because I'm a man) and Cooking Light (because I cook).
You know what bugs me, though? I'm probably not the only man to subscribe to or read Cooking Light but everything about that magazine and many other food magazines are geared towards women. My daughters brought home some fundraisers recently and one of the options was a magazine subscription. So in the second listed "For Mom" magazines was Cooking Light, alongside Good Housekeeping and Real Simple. WTF? Only moms can read that? And then a lot of the ads in there are for women. Whatever I guess. Men should stick to Auto Trader or Popular Mechanics or stuff like that, right? I guess I didn't get that memo.
Cooking Light has some damn good recipes. So if I have to deal with those issues, so be it.
I'm almost like an addict sometimes when thinking about magazines. Oh, actually, just remembered I subscribed to Entertainment Weekly. I am so out of the loop with pop culture and stuff like that but I enjoy reading Entertainment Weekly, if nothing else to try and stay current with movies. Now that the girls are older and we can leave them with family members and not take diapers and bottles and change of clothes, etc., we actually can get out to watch a movie every now and then.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Top Of The Mountain
When I set out on my first run of 2010, a 10-miler on Jan. 1, I wasn't sure how many miles I would end up running. I thought 1,000 miles would be a good target to shoot for but wasn't sure if I would set myself up for failure by setting such a goal.
While I didn't make it a goal to run 1,000 miles - or any amount of miles, really - I accomplished that on Wednesday. With more than three months left in the year, I crossed the thousand-mile mark and now sit on 1,002 miles for the year.
The last miles to get me to 1,000 were tough but appropriate. I ran up Mt. Rubidoux and it was fitting that the first two miles, all uphill, were the last ones I needed to get to the magic number. And it was fitting too that I was able to go back to Mt. Rubidoux, which for so many weeks served as an apt sparring partner, throwing challenges along the way each and every time I went up there.
Of course, I hadn't run there in a while and the first mile I felt it. I didn't exactly glide up there but then again neither was I trudging up... too much. I may have plodded a little bit.
Getting to 1,000 miles is grand but what I like best about it is that it means I've been consistently hitting the road (and 'mill) throughout the year. I've stayed healthy (mostly) because I've been somewhat conservative, I've played it safe and have kept my long-term goals in mind over short-term ones. I did a series of races in the spring when I wanted to tackle another marathon, but I knew what was best for me was to wait a few months after Surf City to run Marathon No. 2, which I did.
I'm not burned out with running, don't dread runs, still get intimidated sometimes by certain distances (which is healthy, keeps me grounded and focused) and still look forward to getting out there and finishing runs. After each and every run, I feel like it's an accomplishment, whether it's a four-miler up Mt. Rubidoux or a solo 12-miler.
I don't want to set myself up for failure but I think I can get in at least another 300 miles and I could actually get closer to another 400 since we'll see our mileage continually climbing with the Lopers. Plus I have two half marathons and possibly a 15K coming up in the final three months of the year, so I will log plenty of miles yet.
Whatever happens, this is another accomplishment I can be happy about. It's too bad nobody gives you a medal for this though, but oh well. You can't hang all of your accomplisments on the wall I suppose.
While I didn't make it a goal to run 1,000 miles - or any amount of miles, really - I accomplished that on Wednesday. With more than three months left in the year, I crossed the thousand-mile mark and now sit on 1,002 miles for the year.
The last miles to get me to 1,000 were tough but appropriate. I ran up Mt. Rubidoux and it was fitting that the first two miles, all uphill, were the last ones I needed to get to the magic number. And it was fitting too that I was able to go back to Mt. Rubidoux, which for so many weeks served as an apt sparring partner, throwing challenges along the way each and every time I went up there.
Of course, I hadn't run there in a while and the first mile I felt it. I didn't exactly glide up there but then again neither was I trudging up... too much. I may have plodded a little bit.
Getting to 1,000 miles is grand but what I like best about it is that it means I've been consistently hitting the road (and 'mill) throughout the year. I've stayed healthy (mostly) because I've been somewhat conservative, I've played it safe and have kept my long-term goals in mind over short-term ones. I did a series of races in the spring when I wanted to tackle another marathon, but I knew what was best for me was to wait a few months after Surf City to run Marathon No. 2, which I did.
I'm not burned out with running, don't dread runs, still get intimidated sometimes by certain distances (which is healthy, keeps me grounded and focused) and still look forward to getting out there and finishing runs. After each and every run, I feel like it's an accomplishment, whether it's a four-miler up Mt. Rubidoux or a solo 12-miler.
I don't want to set myself up for failure but I think I can get in at least another 300 miles and I could actually get closer to another 400 since we'll see our mileage continually climbing with the Lopers. Plus I have two half marathons and possibly a 15K coming up in the final three months of the year, so I will log plenty of miles yet.
Whatever happens, this is another accomplishment I can be happy about. It's too bad nobody gives you a medal for this though, but oh well. You can't hang all of your accomplisments on the wall I suppose.
On The Verge
I like me some dailymile.
The site is a great way to keep track of your running stats. Actually, any stats, be they running, walking, cycling, swimming, whatever.
I am a runner so I log my running stats. And the stats say that I've run quite a few miles this year.
I'm planning on running 4-5 miles today, but somewhere early in the run I will cross the 1,000-mile mark for 2010.
I'll be back later today to let you know how it went.
The site is a great way to keep track of your running stats. Actually, any stats, be they running, walking, cycling, swimming, whatever.
I am a runner so I log my running stats. And the stats say that I've run quite a few miles this year.
I'm planning on running 4-5 miles today, but somewhere early in the run I will cross the 1,000-mile mark for 2010.I'll be back later today to let you know how it went.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
What Restful Rest?
Fresh off Monday's motivational post, I got nothing.
Rest days suck. I rested on Monday and felt out of it most of the day. I got some stuff done around the house, went and had some work done on the truck, got some writing done, but mostly just felt off. I was tired in the afternoon. How does that happen? How does resting equate to being tired?
I won't have too many rest days this week. I'm running (or at least planning on running) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I might have to run long on Saturday to open up my Sunday morning but haven't figured it out.
I hope to have energy on the rest of the days. Energy to string together some cohesive and perhaps interesting thoughts.
For now, I'm struggling to keep my synapses firing properly.
Lone Wolf LB?
One more thing... one of my new favorite groups, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, is going to open a tour very close to me, in Pomona on Wednesday. I'm going - yay me! But unfortunately I'm going alone. BRMC is a very underrated band, which means not many have heard of them, which means it was either go alone or not go at all.
Once the show starts I'm sure it won't matter much, but I don't know, part of me thinks it will be weird. Oh well. I'm going to see band I've become quite fond of in a short amount of time and I'm excited that it will be very close and not like a 90-minute drive away.
Rest days suck. I rested on Monday and felt out of it most of the day. I got some stuff done around the house, went and had some work done on the truck, got some writing done, but mostly just felt off. I was tired in the afternoon. How does that happen? How does resting equate to being tired?
I won't have too many rest days this week. I'm running (or at least planning on running) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I might have to run long on Saturday to open up my Sunday morning but haven't figured it out.
I hope to have energy on the rest of the days. Energy to string together some cohesive and perhaps interesting thoughts.
For now, I'm struggling to keep my synapses firing properly.
Lone Wolf LB?
One more thing... one of my new favorite groups, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, is going to open a tour very close to me, in Pomona on Wednesday. I'm going - yay me! But unfortunately I'm going alone. BRMC is a very underrated band, which means not many have heard of them, which means it was either go alone or not go at all.
Once the show starts I'm sure it won't matter much, but I don't know, part of me thinks it will be weird. Oh well. I'm going to see band I've become quite fond of in a short amount of time and I'm excited that it will be very close and not like a 90-minute drive away.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Motivational Mondays (Sept. 13)
To say this has been a good year of running would be perhaps a massive understatement.
Since Jan. 1, when I ran 10 miles to ring in the New Year, my legs have been churning. I've slogged through runs, have sped through others, have scampered and darted and sprinted and powered through, have trudged and hiked and schlepped and shuffled. From fast to slow, from challenging to not-so-much, I've had many upon many runs.
The mileage has added up.
After Sunday's 11-mile run, my mileage stands at 991 for the year. If I stick to my planned schedule for the week, I will cross the 1,000-mile mark on Wednesday.
1,000 miles worth of runs.
I don't know how many miles I ran last year. I tried to count, to work backwards but best guess I ran somewhere around 600, give or take, and most of those were in the last 4-5 months of the year.
But 2010 has helped me break through in running. I've become a marathoner. I've taken the next step past where I was at the end of 2009 by doing that and have tried to live up to that status. I'm always grateful that I have the ability to run, never forgetting for a second where I was five years ago and the long road I took to where I am today. I also never forget that there are others who would love to run but can't, whether it's because of injury or illness. Running is a gift, a privilege and I never view it as anything but.
I enjoy my runs. Most of those 991 miles have been enjoyable. The work that has gone into them has been vast, but the payoff is even greater. I firmly believe that the most important run of my life is my next one, so I always prepare diligently for runs and always try and be in the best mental condition before taking off on those runs. It's tough sometimes to do that but that's what I strive for.
I'm not quite sure yet how I want to commemorate my thousandth mile. If I run six or seven on Tuesday, then I will cross that mark early in Wednesday's run. I might head up to Mt. Rubidoux and run there. The thousandth mile then might be the second mile up there, which would be the mile that gets me to the top.
I think that would be fitting, to have a run like that, a feat like that serve as a symbol of what this year has been. Running Mt. Rubidoux, of course, is challenging, as too is getting to 1,000 miles in a calendar year, but once you get to the top of Mt. Rubidoux, the view from above is awesome and you can take pride in looking down at the path you just ran, knowing you were strong and determined enough to reach the top.
I'm strong. I'm determined. I'm getting my 1,000 miles.
And I'm not stopping there.
Since Jan. 1, when I ran 10 miles to ring in the New Year, my legs have been churning. I've slogged through runs, have sped through others, have scampered and darted and sprinted and powered through, have trudged and hiked and schlepped and shuffled. From fast to slow, from challenging to not-so-much, I've had many upon many runs.
The mileage has added up.
After Sunday's 11-mile run, my mileage stands at 991 for the year. If I stick to my planned schedule for the week, I will cross the 1,000-mile mark on Wednesday.
1,000 miles worth of runs.
I don't know how many miles I ran last year. I tried to count, to work backwards but best guess I ran somewhere around 600, give or take, and most of those were in the last 4-5 months of the year.
But 2010 has helped me break through in running. I've become a marathoner. I've taken the next step past where I was at the end of 2009 by doing that and have tried to live up to that status. I'm always grateful that I have the ability to run, never forgetting for a second where I was five years ago and the long road I took to where I am today. I also never forget that there are others who would love to run but can't, whether it's because of injury or illness. Running is a gift, a privilege and I never view it as anything but.
I enjoy my runs. Most of those 991 miles have been enjoyable. The work that has gone into them has been vast, but the payoff is even greater. I firmly believe that the most important run of my life is my next one, so I always prepare diligently for runs and always try and be in the best mental condition before taking off on those runs. It's tough sometimes to do that but that's what I strive for.
I'm not quite sure yet how I want to commemorate my thousandth mile. If I run six or seven on Tuesday, then I will cross that mark early in Wednesday's run. I might head up to Mt. Rubidoux and run there. The thousandth mile then might be the second mile up there, which would be the mile that gets me to the top.
I think that would be fitting, to have a run like that, a feat like that serve as a symbol of what this year has been. Running Mt. Rubidoux, of course, is challenging, as too is getting to 1,000 miles in a calendar year, but once you get to the top of Mt. Rubidoux, the view from above is awesome and you can take pride in looking down at the path you just ran, knowing you were strong and determined enough to reach the top.
I'm strong. I'm determined. I'm getting my 1,000 miles.
And I'm not stopping there.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Friday Leftovers (Sept. 10)
Friday's here, and with it the Leftovers.
Word Association
Click on the link to play along.
1. Gangs :: Crime
2. Contact :: Movie
3. Surprisingly :: Good
4. Penciled :: In
5. Ignore :: Critics
6. Let's go! :: Let's do this!
7. Cornerstone :: Breakfast
8. Influential :: Blogger
9. Holistic :: Medicine
10. Lovesick :: Homesick
Explanations: I like the movie Contact. My wife hates that movie and she won't budge. Sad; also, the cornerstone :: breakfast is in reference to a movie, where the character says "Hamburgers! The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast." Can you guess the movie?
Five Question Friday
Alright then, here's the latest edition of Five Question Friday. Play along with Mama M.
1. Do you feel guilty spending money on yourself?
Actually, yes. Not all the time but I do. Every now and then I'll buy something frivolous like a CD off iTunes or a shirt or something but I usually spend money on food, things for around the house, the girls, etc. I don't necessarily deprive myself of stuff but when I spend money on myself, I do feel a bit guilty. Probably because it feels like either that should go towards around-the-house stuff or for the girls.
2. How well do you know your neighbors?
We don't have the greatest neighbors. I can write a long rant about them but I won't. I will say that the one set of neighbors has the most annoying dog. For the five years we've lived in this house, we've had to put up with that dog's constant barking, mostly during the day, and mostly for no reason. It's nice to be here alone in the house when it's quiet as it can be relaxing, but then that dog's barks knife through the air and completely ruin the atmosphere.
The other neighbors bought their house a few years ago from a very nice older couple who we were sad to see leave. The new people are immediately put an older, larger car in their driveway and it has not moved since. They let the rose garden in front of the house go to waste and destroyed the backyard which was in pristine condition before. That and they are not warm people at all, never saying hello or anything.
3. What age are you looking forward to being?
I look forward to being 35. I'm 35 right now and I'm totally cool with 36 being a long ways away.
4. Do you get excited when the mail comes? Why?
Sadly, I do. I don't know why. I get checks sometimes, not as often as I would like (I'd really like a check every day) and then I get my magazines like Runner's World, Cooking Light and Men's Health. But not sure what else that's cool that comes regularly. Maybe it's the promise of something unexpected that has me looking forward to it.
The bad thing is that we have mailboxes down the street, not in front of our house, which is the lamest thing. I've never understood why we can't have a mailbox in front of our house.
5. What is your earliest childhood memory?
I remember sitting on the carpet in our old apartment, coloring on the back of a shoebox. It was raining outside and there was someone in the kitchen. I was sitting in the living room just going to town on the shoebox. I must have been two or three, which means it was 1977 or 1978. Long time ago.
Word Association
Click on the link to play along.
1. Gangs :: Crime
2. Contact :: Movie
3. Surprisingly :: Good
4. Penciled :: In
5. Ignore :: Critics
6. Let's go! :: Let's do this!
7. Cornerstone :: Breakfast
8. Influential :: Blogger
9. Holistic :: Medicine
10. Lovesick :: Homesick
Explanations: I like the movie Contact. My wife hates that movie and she won't budge. Sad; also, the cornerstone :: breakfast is in reference to a movie, where the character says "Hamburgers! The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast." Can you guess the movie?
Five Question Friday
Alright then, here's the latest edition of Five Question Friday. Play along with Mama M.
1. Do you feel guilty spending money on yourself?
Actually, yes. Not all the time but I do. Every now and then I'll buy something frivolous like a CD off iTunes or a shirt or something but I usually spend money on food, things for around the house, the girls, etc. I don't necessarily deprive myself of stuff but when I spend money on myself, I do feel a bit guilty. Probably because it feels like either that should go towards around-the-house stuff or for the girls.
2. How well do you know your neighbors?
We don't have the greatest neighbors. I can write a long rant about them but I won't. I will say that the one set of neighbors has the most annoying dog. For the five years we've lived in this house, we've had to put up with that dog's constant barking, mostly during the day, and mostly for no reason. It's nice to be here alone in the house when it's quiet as it can be relaxing, but then that dog's barks knife through the air and completely ruin the atmosphere.
The other neighbors bought their house a few years ago from a very nice older couple who we were sad to see leave. The new people are immediately put an older, larger car in their driveway and it has not moved since. They let the rose garden in front of the house go to waste and destroyed the backyard which was in pristine condition before. That and they are not warm people at all, never saying hello or anything.
3. What age are you looking forward to being?
I look forward to being 35. I'm 35 right now and I'm totally cool with 36 being a long ways away.
4. Do you get excited when the mail comes? Why?
Sadly, I do. I don't know why. I get checks sometimes, not as often as I would like (I'd really like a check every day) and then I get my magazines like Runner's World, Cooking Light and Men's Health. But not sure what else that's cool that comes regularly. Maybe it's the promise of something unexpected that has me looking forward to it.
The bad thing is that we have mailboxes down the street, not in front of our house, which is the lamest thing. I've never understood why we can't have a mailbox in front of our house.
5. What is your earliest childhood memory?
I remember sitting on the carpet in our old apartment, coloring on the back of a shoebox. It was raining outside and there was someone in the kitchen. I was sitting in the living room just going to town on the shoebox. I must have been two or three, which means it was 1977 or 1978. Long time ago.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Guest Blogger: Snack Attack
** Mrs. LB caught the blogging bug (albeit briefly) and is guest-blogging once more. I turn my blog over to my better half **
“What are you looking for?” my husband asks as I spin wildly through our kitchen opening and re-opening cupboards.
“A donut,” I say emphatically. “Or a cookie, a sweet snack of some sort.”
“I made homemade granola bars. Do you want one of those?” he asks helpfully.
“No! I want a donut. Something with refined sugar and possibly some trans fat.”
“How about I peel you a mango or cut some bananas into some non-fat plain yogurt? I’ll sprinkle some Equal and cinnamon over the yogurt. It’ll taste just like the ones you buy in the store.”
At this point, instead of being grateful and accepting of my husband’s attempts to ease my sweet-tooth craving, I storm out of the kitchen and wonder what happened to our days of cupboards filled with snacks at the ready.
I know that my husband has transformed our kitchen for the better. The above-mentioned snacks he has made for our daughters on many occasions and they love them. Our children so rarely get candy that a Hershey’s kiss makes them squeal.
I also know I still want a donut sometimes. Luis will take pity on me and once in a while buys me treats. They’re not good for me, they’re not necessary and lending to an already-emotional connection to food but my brain wants them anyway. Not my stomach, my brain. Trust me, there’s no lack of food in my tummy. I know, in the same way that Luis has done us a favor by transforming our kitchen and potentially our lifestyle, that I don’t need donuts.
The most amazing part of Luis bringing unhealthy snacks into our house is that, for the most part, he’s able to ignore them. Apparently, he cannot hear the cookie dough ice cream in the freezer calling us in the dark hours after dinner. He is impenetrable to the shortbread cookies that send their siren song to me.
When I first starting dating Luis, it was obvious that although love knows no boundaries, we had grown up in different cultures. Nothing too radical, mind you, but different, nonetheless. I invited Luis over to my parent’s house one day after class and went in to the kitchen. I asked him if he wanted something from the pantry. He asked me what a pantry was. I peeked around the 6-foot-tall cupboards with amazement. Did he really not know what a pantry was?
I described it and then invited him over for a look. Our pantry was brimming with cereal boxes (no Grape-Nuts or Special K here), Little Debbie snacks (who doesn’t love a good Star Crunch?), Cheeze-Its, etc. Luis’ eyes got big and he struggled with the decision. He asked me when we eat this stuff. Again, incredulous, I told him they were for snacks.
“Snacks?” he asked. “Mexicans don’t really eat snacks. We eat big meals and that’s it.”
“Really? Well, interesting. Would you still like a snack?”
Of course he did. And this was his introduction to between-meal eating. Today, Luis still does a lot of between-meal eating but it’s most often some fresh fruit, a protein bar or raw veggies. A lot less calories than a Twinkie but where’s the satisfaction in crunching on baby carrots? If they had cream in the middle, maybe. . .
Luis has learned where the satisfaction is. He has now learned that the long-term goal is much more important than getting the immediate satisfaction of a handful of chips. He knows how his body will respond if he fills it with good fuel instead of Pie Bites from Fresh N Easy (those things are damn good, though).
The best thing about Luis and his food transformation is that he never, not once, has preached or pushed it on me. He just continues to set the good example hoping that one day I’ll join him. I love that about him. He’s patient in almost every way in his life. This patience is part of what helped him along his 21-month journey to shed 120 pounds and change his life for the better.
I see and hear the example but I’ll admit, I still enjoy Friday nights before a weekend of long runs because that means he’s going on carbo load and we all get to have pasta. Of course, he does add sauteed vegetables to the pasta even when I’d prefer to have Alfredo sauce but hey, he’s cooking and I’m eating so I just try to enjoy.
“What are you looking for?” my husband asks as I spin wildly through our kitchen opening and re-opening cupboards.
“A donut,” I say emphatically. “Or a cookie, a sweet snack of some sort.”
“I made homemade granola bars. Do you want one of those?” he asks helpfully.
“No! I want a donut. Something with refined sugar and possibly some trans fat.”
“How about I peel you a mango or cut some bananas into some non-fat plain yogurt? I’ll sprinkle some Equal and cinnamon over the yogurt. It’ll taste just like the ones you buy in the store.”
At this point, instead of being grateful and accepting of my husband’s attempts to ease my sweet-tooth craving, I storm out of the kitchen and wonder what happened to our days of cupboards filled with snacks at the ready.I know that my husband has transformed our kitchen for the better. The above-mentioned snacks he has made for our daughters on many occasions and they love them. Our children so rarely get candy that a Hershey’s kiss makes them squeal.
I also know I still want a donut sometimes. Luis will take pity on me and once in a while buys me treats. They’re not good for me, they’re not necessary and lending to an already-emotional connection to food but my brain wants them anyway. Not my stomach, my brain. Trust me, there’s no lack of food in my tummy. I know, in the same way that Luis has done us a favor by transforming our kitchen and potentially our lifestyle, that I don’t need donuts.
The most amazing part of Luis bringing unhealthy snacks into our house is that, for the most part, he’s able to ignore them. Apparently, he cannot hear the cookie dough ice cream in the freezer calling us in the dark hours after dinner. He is impenetrable to the shortbread cookies that send their siren song to me.
When I first starting dating Luis, it was obvious that although love knows no boundaries, we had grown up in different cultures. Nothing too radical, mind you, but different, nonetheless. I invited Luis over to my parent’s house one day after class and went in to the kitchen. I asked him if he wanted something from the pantry. He asked me what a pantry was. I peeked around the 6-foot-tall cupboards with amazement. Did he really not know what a pantry was?
I described it and then invited him over for a look. Our pantry was brimming with cereal boxes (no Grape-Nuts or Special K here), Little Debbie snacks (who doesn’t love a good Star Crunch?), Cheeze-Its, etc. Luis’ eyes got big and he struggled with the decision. He asked me when we eat this stuff. Again, incredulous, I told him they were for snacks.
“Snacks?” he asked. “Mexicans don’t really eat snacks. We eat big meals and that’s it.”
“Really? Well, interesting. Would you still like a snack?”
Of course he did. And this was his introduction to between-meal eating. Today, Luis still does a lot of between-meal eating but it’s most often some fresh fruit, a protein bar or raw veggies. A lot less calories than a Twinkie but where’s the satisfaction in crunching on baby carrots? If they had cream in the middle, maybe. . .
Luis has learned where the satisfaction is. He has now learned that the long-term goal is much more important than getting the immediate satisfaction of a handful of chips. He knows how his body will respond if he fills it with good fuel instead of Pie Bites from Fresh N Easy (those things are damn good, though).The best thing about Luis and his food transformation is that he never, not once, has preached or pushed it on me. He just continues to set the good example hoping that one day I’ll join him. I love that about him. He’s patient in almost every way in his life. This patience is part of what helped him along his 21-month journey to shed 120 pounds and change his life for the better.
I see and hear the example but I’ll admit, I still enjoy Friday nights before a weekend of long runs because that means he’s going on carbo load and we all get to have pasta. Of course, he does add sauteed vegetables to the pasta even when I’d prefer to have Alfredo sauce but hey, he’s cooking and I’m eating so I just try to enjoy.
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