The Dreadmill!!!!

Today I hopped on the treadmill for an easy run. The temps in Northern Michigan are now low teens during the day falling into single digits at night. I am not a cold weather runner, that I have discovered over the past 9 years.

The Dreadmill is aptly named. Boring runs to nowhere that even music cannot alleviate. I typically will find a movie that can catch my attention to make the boredom go away. I also tend to mix it up quite a bit on the mill by coming up with my own User routine. I have a Sole treadmill, so set up User1 as me. I will vary not only the run time, but also will speed up and slow down the whole routine and in addition, I will vary the angle as I have that option too. (it is like running uphill) Even though I ran at a slow "post broken leg" pace of around a 12:00 minute mile, the changing up of the routine from walk to 10:00 pace and changing the angle really got my heart pumping. With a goal of 20 lbs to lose, right now, heart rate elevation and calorie burn are my primary goals. I love to run....but the added weight has made me heavy footed (or at least that's what it feels like) and has cut some of the run out of it.

So, any other goals for myself other then the weight loss? I started this blog with the intent of finishing my first marathon. So why change things? Because of timing, I did have to delay my marathon, but my plan is to still do it, but smart. I will continue to train and will see where I'm at this summer. I want to first try and finish a half to gauge my progress. If my progress is satisfactory by the June time frame, then just maybe this year. With now a weaker leg though, I'm not going to push it. My feeling of invulnerability took a hit with my first broken bone. :) I realize when I was close last time, 13-15 mile runs while not easy, were something I actually looked forward to. The feeling of "I just did that" made my week. 3 mile runs were a warm up unless paced runs, and 8 mile runs were normal every day runs.

Ill keep it up this time. The 20 pounds was a wake up call, and I'm not getting any younger. (that's for sure) Run safe and have fun while doing it everyone!!

Back Again!!

Its been a long time....I know! Well, I broke my lower leg last year down by the ankle which pretty much killed 2011 and part of 2012. A surprise yet amicable divorce followed....so what has changed now?

Today, I tentatively got onto the treadmill. The fracture site to this day is tender still when overworked. The leg is noticeably weaker then the other one....rehab non-withstanding. So how did it go? I went very easy on myself, and kept the walk/run to 30 minutes....I didnt even care about the mileage. The 15-20 lbs I gained in the time not running has certainly changed much.

There's not much to add right now except for that. Ill try and keep on year as much as I can. Hopefully, this time, no broken bones or other interruptions. Lol

I Know! I suck at Posting Updates!

Well, I had a doctors appointment this week. I turned 40 years old this month, and scheduled the works. Of course, my blood tests came back in one day. For the past 40 years I have ate what I wanted when I wanted and carried a total cholesterol of 180 with usually slightly elevated triglycerides, but nothing to be worried about. Now I have high cholesterol and more troubling high triglycerides. Time for a diet change and more consistent exercising. This was yet another push I needed to keep up at exercising. I'm not going to go into detail what I missed in posts over the past month or so. Needless to say I have been pretty much keeping up with around 15-20 miles per week at a slow pace to get back into the groove. No smoking for the past three-four months (I lost track) and am starting to feel a little more human again. Will I be ready for the GR Marathon in the fall? Hopefully so....at this rate likely because I have something else to run for now...not just because I enjoy it.

It'll be a short post tonight. Ill be sure to post more often and with much more interesting content. I just wanted to pop in with an update.

A Much Better Start to the Week!

Last week sucked...lets just be honest! I was out of town and using the hotel treadmill and elliptical. It was hard....mostly because I have been out of it for so long. Every exercise seemed like it was going to be my last....hard, hard, hard!!

This week, I started off with a run on Sunday for 3 miles, and then an elliptical workout today that was a little more challenging....level 7 on my Horizon Elliptical. The run went well; I ran it at around a 10:00 pace. The elliptical workout also went well, although I sweated more then I think I ever have before.

The plan is to keep running at around a 10:00 pace until I am completely comfortable with it. I will then start increasing mileage at specific runs during the week; and then start implementing a long run during the weekend at a slower pace. I plan on still using an elliptical workout during the week....likely one or two days per week. I find that this workout helps with muscle groups I'm not used to using or that are weak.

Another item that is going to change is outside running. I made the mistake last year of completely going from treadmill to outside running. I have learned from past mistakes and will slowly start implementing that....outside running is way different then treadmill running...I dont care what anyone says.

Anyway, just a short post for updates. Still running, still loving it and a great stress reliever lately! Will update later on this weekend.

Still Blahhh....butttt Better!

Its a slow but sure progression that is for sure. For those that don't know or haven't gone through my posts, a year and half ago I ran a half marathon with my wife in the two hour plus range. (I can't remember the exact time...2:27 maybe?) Anyway, I could have run sub 2:00 by myself for sure at that point...I had trained and trained all spring/summer and was intent on doing it last year. I fell off the wagon in a big way, and after much sputtering, starting and stopping am finally back in it.

So what has happened the past two weeks? I have slowly gotten back into what I used to enjoy so much and am finding the joy in it again! I have been promoted in my career, and find myself traveling a lot and spending more time then anyone should in hotels. The only good thing about that is most of them have pretty decent treadmills, or if its in the country, I can find a route to run. I have been baby-stepping my way on the treadmill for the most part though. I'm on Daily Mile to track my runs and Cardio when on the Elliptical, and have been starting out in the 11:00/mile range. This was a real hard thing for me, as I was running three miles at my advanced age of near 40 at 7:00-8:00 pace when my running fell off. I know Ill be back there again....the trick is not to push so hard that I get hurt.

Starting back off again now, I have to deal with the pain of shin-splints and lower back pain. I always have these issues when starting off my running again. When the shin-splints start, I just start compensating with elliptical or bike work until it goes away. For the lower back pain, I found that outside actual running helps with that. Treadmill running seems to aggravate that and I suspect it has something to do with the way I'm running on it. (must be different...no surprise)

I don't share much of my personal life on here for my own reasons. Two other reasons I have wanted and needed to get back into running and exercise in general again are personal and they are stress and body-image. (oh no...not that...and a guy can have that?) I have a great deal of stress in my life that frankly, got out of control. No use in hashing out with everyone in the world what that entailed, but it got pretty bad. (and I can deal with a lot of sh*#) As for the body-image thing, well, I think I have gained too much weight. Yea, I'm still under 200 lbs for someone 5'11, so it cant be that bad...right? For me, it is...now I'm not looking at dropping 50 lbs to be a bean-pole...just 15 or so lbs to be back into that healthy runner physique! (I do miss that!) Anyway, that's the two personal reasons in a nutshell...probably two of the reasons many of us get into this (although they really shouldn't be the most important reasons)

Just wanted to give an update....I haven't fallen off the face of the earth....just chillin in Milwaukee right this exact moment after my run this afternoon. (the fine after-glow of knowing and feeling you did the right thing...I love that post-exercise glow!)

Blahhhh!

Got on a treadmill today for a 30-minute run. It has been three weeks since I have completely cut-off cigarettes, and thought a quick 3 miles @ 10:00 pace would be achievable. Well.....it would have been, but it would have been way too hard a push in the shape I'm in. I have gained a staggering 15 pounds since I last ran, and it was too much. 1.5 miles into the run, I slowed way down but I was intent on finishing 30 minutes total exercise. I will likely try my next run at (gasp) 11:00/mile and see where it goes. It feels slow, so that's probably right for now until I get in a little better shape. (max heart rate was in the 190's) Way, way too high. (although I dont train by heart-rate, I know anything above 175 means I'm starting to push it)

So what sparked the sudden need to run? No smoking...that's primary. Secondary have been some personal issues that have caused more stress then usual. I needed something to push this stress out of the way...running always does that. Lastly....I missed it! I know most people think "runners" are crazy for actually enjoying something that yes...does cause some discomfort often, but it is something I do enjoy.

Anyways, that's it...hopefully this time it sticks. I have a new position where I travel alot now, so many runs are going to be on hotel treadmills or trails if I can find them in other cities. Cant wait! Bayshore is this month, and if I run it, it will of course be a slow long training run. No under two hour half attempt for me.

I know....its been a longgg time!

I have to admit, I fell off the wagon in a hard way, but in a different way then before that really threw me for a loop. I have struggled with smoking for many many years, and typically when running season emerges from the blanket of snow in Michigan I quit. I usually start up around November because that is hunting season in Michigan.

Every year its much harder to quit. This year, and I wont mention the manufacture because I'm not on here to peddle "replacement therapy" wares, I started using an electronic cigarette. The gist is they use heated vapor with or without nicotine to simulate the smoking habit. That has always been the hardest part for me. I travel for work quite a bit, the job is stressful and I find myself in a great many establishments that happen to serve alcohol which for me is a cigarettes best friend. I just want that cigarette in my hand and yes, the nicotine helps. The very first day I used this thing, I knew I wasn't buying another pack of cigarettes. Now...there are some that will argue that nicotine is a poison and while I may be better off with no tar and the other 4000 chemicals hitting my lungs, its still harming me. I look at it right now like getting hit by a bike or a car. I'm going to walk away getting hit by a bicycle, probably not a car.

Anyway, this whole smoking thing and some stressful situations and problems at home have put my running on hiatus. I do have the Bayshore Half Marathon at the end of May that I now plan on doing as a hybrid training run. I know I cant get a sub 2:00 time, which I easily could have achieved last year, but its not the end of the world.

Anyways, I had to give an update. Broken toes and throwing cigarettes to the wayside I'm back and looking forward to every mile of my journey now.