C25K Week 3 Day 1

Oof, I could tell today that it'd been a few days since I'd hit the treadmill. It took until almost the end of my workout for my legs to get over their protesting at being worked again. I don't anticipate much lasting soreness, though. And it was a great reminder that I'm getting something done that I've desperately needed to get done. Today was also a bit of a challenge with my first 3-minute running interval. Next week the training wheels are further removed as I will have 5-minute intervals.


Here's how it went today:
0.00-5.00 - 3.5 mph
5.00-6.30 - 5.5 mph
6.30-8.00 - 3.5 mph
8.00-11.00 - 5.5 mph
11.00-14.00 - 3.5 mph
14.00-15.30 - 5.5 mph
15.30-17.00 - 3.5 mph
17.00-18.00 - 5.5 mph
18.00-19.00 - 6.0 mph
19.00-20.00 - 6.5 mph
20.00-23.00 - 3.5 mph
23.00-28.00 - 3.0 mph


I hit a total distance of 1.91 miles, which is a 14:39 mile. I'm looking forward to adding a little bit of speed in the next two workouts and hopefully breaking past a 14:00 mile.


What's your goal for this week?

C25K Week 2 Day 3

Not only did I go to the gym after work tonight, I have a four-day weekend. How's that for a great Thursday night/Friday morning?


This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, and if you are an American, please take time to remember our service personnel and to thank any you see.


Here's tonight's trip on the gerbil belt (as you can see, I sped it up during the last running interval):

0.00-5.00 - 3.5 mph
5.00-6.30 - 6.0 mph
6.30-8.30 - 3.5 mph
8.30-10.00 - 6.0 mph
10.00-12.00 - 3.5 mph
12.00-13.30 - 6.0 mph
13.30-15.30 - 3.5 mph
15.30-17.00 - 6.0 mph
17.00-19.00 - 3.5 mph
19.00-20.30 - 6.0 mph
20.30-22.30 - 3.5 mph
22.30-23.00 - 6.0 mph
23.00-23.30 - 6.5 mph
23.30-24.00 - 7.0 mph
24.00-26.00 - 3.5 mph
26.00-31.00 - 3.0 mph


Total distance, 2.15 miles, which is a 14:25 pace. Getting down there!


Be safe this weekend, and be active!

C25K Week 2 Day 2

I'm definitely excited about how things are going. I'm slowly building my endurance, and arguably could push myself more because the day after I run I'm generally not very sore at all (two days later, when I run again, I don't want to be sore, of course). But, then again, I don't want to push so hard that I put myself out of commission for a few days.

Hit the gym around 11:30 this morning.

Here's how I rolled today:
0.00-5.00 - 3.5 mph
5.00-6.30 - 5.7 mph
6.30-8.30 - 3.5 mph
8.30-10.00 - 5.7 mph
10.00-12.00 - 3.5 mph
12.00-13.30 - 5.7 mph
13.30-15.30 - 3.5 mph
15.30-17.00 - 5.7 mph
17.00-19.00 - 3.5 mph
19.00-20.30 - 5.7 mph
20.30-22.30 - 3.5 mph
22.30-24.00 - 5.7 mph
24.00-26.00 - 3.5 mph
26.00-31.00 - 3.0 mph


Total distance, 2.09 miles, which comes out to a 14:49 mile.


The scale also told me I'm down a total of 7 pounds today, which surprised me, though maybe it shouldn't have. I've been eating better and smaller portions the last few weeks, and have been more active. I'm guessing once I've lost 10-15 pounds, the weight loss will taper off if I continue as I am now. I haven't yet added strength training, but that's the next step for me.


How are you doing?

C25K Week 2 Day 1

I actually hit the gym at about 12:30 AM Tuesday morning as Monday morning I was busy with other things and I'm still trying to get my three workouts in despite my going out of town Friday morning. Thus, I plan to go back Wednesday morning around 10 AM as normal, then again at 12:30 AM Friday morning after my Thursday shift is over. This will give me 30-36 hours or so between workouts, not what I would normally do, but hey, it'll work.


Stats from my latest run:
0.00-5.00 - 3.5 mph
5.00-6.30 - 5.5 mph
6.30-8.30 - 3.5 mph
8.30-10.00 - 5.5 mph
10.00-12.00 - 3.5 mph
12.00-13.30 - 5.5 mph
13.30-15.30 - 3.5 mph
15.30-17.00 - 5.5 mph
17.00-19.00 - 3.5 mph
19.00-20.30 - 5.5 mph
20.30-22.30 - 3.5 mph
22.30-24.00 - 5.5 mph
24.00-26.00 - 3.5 mph
26.00-31.00 - 3.0 mph


Total distance, 2.06 miles, a 15:02 pace. I plan to up the jogging speeds to 5.7 on my next workout, then 6.0 for the third day this week.


Cool news, since I started going to the gym, I've lost 4 pounds. I know it's not simply about weight loss, but it's a good feeling.

C25K Week 1 Day 3

After a refreshing Men and Boys Prayer Breakfast at church, I hit the gym, which is conveniently located practically just across the street from the church. I also found out that the 5K at the Bible college in Ankeny is held in the Fall, so I have plenty of time to get ready.

I really enjoy that there are generally not very many people at the gym when I go. I don't have to wait for equipment, and I don't feel bad if I use the treadmill for longer than 30 minutes (the suggested time limit at every gym I've used otherwise).

Here are my stats for today:

0.00-5.00 - 3.5 mph

5.00-6.00 - 6.0 mph

6.00-7.30 - 3.5 mph

7.30-8.30 - 6.0 mph

8.30-10.00 - 3.5 mph

10.00-11.00 - 6.0 mph

11.00-12.30 - 3.5 mph

12.30-13.30 - 6.0 mph

13.30-15.00 - 3.5 mph

15.00-16.00 - 6.0 mph

16.00-17.30 - 3.5 mph

17.30-18.30 - 6.0 mph

18.30-20.00 - 3.5 mph

20.00-21.00 - 6.0 mph

21.00-22.30 - 3.5 mph

22.30-23.30 - 6.0 mph

23.30-25.00 - 3.5 mph

25.00-30.00 - 3.0 mph


Total distance, 2.03 miles.

C25K Week 1 Day 2

Week One, Day Two, of the C25K program completed. I'm feeling quite good at the moment, and probably could have pushed myself a little harder during the workout today, but I was doing some reading last night about training to run on treadmills and a piece of advice was that if you are capable of running slower, then you are running too fast. Another tidbit was that speed comes with time. As such, I backed off on the speed a little bit compared to Tuesday. I don't want to overdo it at this point.

Here are my stats for today:

0.00-5.00 - 3.5 mph

5.00-6.00 - 5.5 mph

6.00-7.30 - 3.5 mph

7.30-8.30 - 5.5 mph

8.30-10.00 - 3.5 mph

10.00-11.00 - 5.5 mph

11.00-12.30 - 3.5 mph

12.30-13.30 - 5.5 mph

13.30-15.00 - 3.5 mph

15.00-16.00 - 5.5 mph

16.00-17.30 - 3.5 mph

17.30-18.30 - 5.5 mph

18.30-20.00 - 3.5 mph

20.00-21.00 - 5.5 mph

21.00-22.30 - 3.5 mph

22.30-23.30 - 5.5 mph

23.30-25.00 - 3.5 mph

25.00-30.00 - 3.0 mph


This dropped my distance down to 1.97 miles in 30 minutes, a 15:14 mile pace, but that's okay. I'm looking to be in this for the long haul. I had a bit of time on my hands last night at work and made a spreadsheet with all of the intervals broken down into start and end times, not only for the C25K program but for two programs that go further, the Gateway to 8K and Freeway to 10K programs (you can find information about them towards the bottom of the page at www.c25k.com). Both of those programs are 10 weeks in length, which means I will need 28 more weeks to get through all three regimens. That will be good timing as my wife is due in early December. And, by sticking with it, I'll be in probably the best shape of my life...or at least the last 10 years.


Today is a great day to start moving if you haven't been already.

Couch to 5K - Week 1 Day 1

I didn't get to the gym yesterday as I normally would have, but I have an excuse. Sunday night we had a game night at church after the evening service and I played Ultimate Frisbee for at least half an hour. It definitely showed how out of shape I am, because after just a few minutes I was huffing and puffing away like I was going to die.

I mentioned the C25K program in my last post. There is information about it at www.c25k.com, and the weekly running plans are at www.coolrunning.com (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml). Here is how I paced it out on the treadmill:

0.00-5.00 - 3.5-4.0 mph

5.00-6.00 - 6.0 mph

6.00-7.30 - 4.0 mph

7.30-8.30 - 6.0 mph

8.30-10.00 - 4.0 mph

10.00-11.00 - 6.0 mph

11.00-12.30 - 4.0 mph

12.30-13.30 - 6.0 mph

13.30-15.00 - 4.0 mph

15.00-16.00 - 6.0 mph

16.00-17.30 - 4.0 mph

17.30-18.30 - 6.0 mph

18.30-20.00 - 4.0 mph

20.00-21.00 - 6.0 mph

21.00-22.30 - 4.0 mph

22.30-23.30 - 6.0 mph

23.30-25.00 - 3.5 mph

25.00-30.00 - 3.0 mph

Total distance, 2.14 miles. This averages out to a 14:01 mile. When I was in 8th grade, I managed to run the mile in 6 minutes, 59 seconds, so I have quite a ways to go to recover that.

It helps to have goals, and I'm not sure what they are just yet. I would like to run a 5K this year; I hear there is one at the Bible college in Ankeny, and I might even be ready for it. That first one will likely not be very speedy, but I'd like to at least take less than 33 minutes to finish it. Perhaps, with practice, my goal will be to run a sub-24 minute 5K and a 6:30 mile.

Wherever you get your exercise, be it inside or out, I hope you take time to get a little movement in today.

The weekend is here!

After my first full week of working the evening shift, the weekend has finally arrived! With my current schedule, I get home around 12:30 AM and am generally in bed and close to being asleep between 1 and 1:15. Last night was no exception, especially since I'd been up extra early yesterday to make breakfast for my friend who was visiting. Abi and I were both tired, and we didn't bother setting an alarm. As such, it was after 10 when we woke up, and it felt amazing to be fully rested again!


Spiritual health is even more important than physical health, so I spent some time reading the Bible this morning before heading to the gym (that's part of my normal routine anyway, but I'd neglected to mention it so far on this blog). Abi went with me again, and we had a great time. I ended up on the treadmill for 35 minutes, covering a distance of 2.35 miles. I took two 5-minute intervals to jog, which felt great, especially after two days of little movement. The first five minutes I kept it at an even 5 mph pace. The second time around, I fluctuated between 5 and 6 mph.


A running program I've used in the past is the Couch to 5K program at www.c25k.com. It's a great program designed to take you from couch potato to running a 5K in only 9 weeks. I've done it twice outside in the last three years, but I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to heat and hills, so I'm thinking to get going on this program using the treadmill. It's a program to be run 3 times a week, which will likely be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for me, with occasional changes if my schedule requires it. The days in between I might still hit the gym for some walking or biking, or I might get started on the Power 90 strength training program from www.beachbody.com. I can attest that the quickest way to change your body composition is a combination of cardio, strength training, and diet, and I'm feeling well enough lately that I think I could handle the strength training, especially if I start slow and am very careful about how I move.


Have you moved today?

Not necessarily healthy, but definitely tasty

I have no problem admitting I like bacon and eggs. And I have a two-burner cast-iron griddle that brings out extra deliciousness when I use it to fry my bacon. A lot of times I will make my eggs on the griddle after the bacon is done, and a lot of grease gets into the eggs, but it's bacon-flavored, and I like it.


However, I recently discovered another use for the grease. Twice now I've made my own kettle chips, and they are fantastic. Here's what I do. I wash, and sometimes peel, a few potatoes, then slice them thin. Fry up the bacon, and keep the grease. I put the slices on the griddle where the grease is the deepest (whether it's the burners or the stove itself, the grease always pools on one side of the griddle). I leave the slices in the grease for a while, then flip them and let them simmer for a little longer. Usually they don't get too brown during this stage. Then I move the slices to an area of the griddle where the grease is shallower or even not there. Here is where you have to watch a little more closely. Fry the slices for a while (I don't have exact times), then lift them up to see if they are brown and crispy looking. If not, let them fry some more. If so, flip them over so that both sides end up looking similar. When they look crispy, remove them from the griddle and put them on a plate lined with paper towels. I figured that trick out this morning. It removes the excess grease and gives the potatoes a chance to crisp up further. Add some salt or other seasoning as you see fit (I've been thinking about garlic salt...), then consume at your leisure. I haven't made a big enough batch for leftovers, so I can't speak to how well they will keep or how best to store them. They make for an interesting alternative to hash browns for breakfast.


If you're trying to live a healthier lifestyle like I am, I don't recommend this sort of meal as an every day, or even every week, affair. Once or twice a month is probably a good number to shoot for, and it's a tasty treat. Some of the things I've read is that one of the biggest things people do to sabotage their healthy lifestyle choices is to completely ban the fun stuff. In my experience, that works for a while, sometimes a few weeks, before temptation kicks in and I overdo whatever it is I've been trying to avoid. Soda is one of the biggest areas I struggle with when it comes to being healthy, and sometimes I'll go for months without drinking one. Then I get the urge to have some, and I sometimes hit it hard, drinking upwards of two bottles daily, like I'm making up for lost time or something. I'm still working out a system for myself to keep my consumption under control, like only getting a soda if I'm out to eat (which isn't very often), or only having one if we grill out. That way my craving is satisfied and I'm not overdoing it.


No gym yesterday due to some errands that needed to be run and no gym today because we had an overnight guest and I ate a bigger than normal breakfast with him and don't want to get sick. Tomorrow, though, I plan to be at the gym sometime to get a little treadmill time in.


How are you today?

To the gym once more!

It's funny how being all sweaty in a gym is a great feeling while being all sweaty while sitting at home just stinks. As with most things in life, context is so important. I don't mind sweating as long as it's in the proper context, like working out.


I had an exercise partner today. Abi went along with me and we both hit the treadmill for 30 minutes. Granted, Abi doesn't need to lose weight, but we both need to be more active. Going by treadmill numbers, I walked and jogged for a total of 2 miles again. I was a bit stiff and sore from yesterday, but loosened up after just a few minutes. Unfortunately I won't be able to make it tomorrow due to some errands, and Friday I might not make it as we'll be having company staying over Thursday night, but two days of rest wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. Then I can get over there on Saturday and pick it back up.


What have you done today to be more active?

Sweet, sweet exercise

Yesterday I signed up at Planet Fitness, one of several gyms in the area. I'll freely admit, I picked it because it offers the cheapest rate. The plan I signed up for is $19.99/month with an annual fee of $39.99. The reason I picked this plan over their still-cheaper plan of $10.00/month and annual fee of $29.99 is because I can bring one guest with me every time I go. Abi might not go with me all of the time, but it's nice to have the option available. Also, if company comes to visit and they want to get some exercise in while they're here, I've got them covered.


Today, then, I went for the first time. For now, I'm only planning on using the treadmill, maybe the elliptical and/or bike. I realize that strength training is an important part of overall fitness, but my main goal is simply to reintroduce myself to being active. I hit the treadmill today for 30 minutes, and according to the display I walked/jogged for a total of 2 miles. I know that those displays aren't necessarily all that accurate, but I like them so I can at least gauge time-to-time how I'm doing.


A tip for those of you looking to get into exercising: listen to your body. The feedback you get from exercising will be a big clue that you're doing too much or not enough. And, if you can, it's great to exercise with a friend because you will likely be pushed to dig a little deeper. Also, there's no shame in starting slow. Nothing has been more discouraging in my own fitness endeavors than having what I think is a really good workout only to be unable to move for the next three or four days because I overdid it. Strength and endurance comes with time, but you'd be surprised how quickly it comes if you pace yourself.


Happy fitnessing!