Once A Runner…

I Managed A Little Jogging Today

The wind was howling this morning — 30 MPH gusts — so I waited until the afternoon to walk, only the winds didn’t let up. Too bad for me. I went anyway. The wind was brutal and the wind chill was about 37 or 38 degrees. Guess who forgot his gloves, too?

I drove out to Fort Gordon to use the red clay loop around Barnes Field, figuring it would be softer than asphalt for a change. It would’ve been, but recent rains (much appreciated help with our long drought) had parts of the track compacted, other parts muddy, and the wind had torn down two branches from a couple of the already-blooming Bradford Pear trees that border the parade field all around the inside circumference of the track. One of those branches was quite large — it stretched across the whole track!

I set out on a 45-minute walk, but after clearing the headwind on the second turn I picked it up into an easy jog for a short bit three times with walking between. Then I repeated that on the second lap, with a seventh short jog on the first turn of what would’ve been the third lap. I went about 18 minutes over my workout target — I always seem to go longer than I set on the Nike+ iPod workout. At the end, Joan Benoit Samuelson piped up and congratulated me on a new “personal best” for the mile, and I completed the 5K faster this time around than last time I went that far, too. (Yeah, yeah, I know. But it’s progress.)

So, how did the jogging feel? Pretty good, if I get over the fact that I was lumbering along more like a bear coming out of a rudely interrupted hibernation than like the runner I want to be again. I felt really heavy and slow, which is the truth — I am heavy and slow, but just to pick it up and move a little bit faster felt okay. The knees weren’t much trouble at all, either, so I count it as a great leap forward.

I won’t do that again too soon, though. Getting a little too rambunctious too soon could derail what progress I’ve made so far. Tomorrow will be a longer walk because I really like moving around more on the weekends when I don’t have somewhere to be right away. Saturdays and Sundays give me the opportunity to go a little longer, something I want to encourage to become habit since I’ll try to get in a long run on those days in the future. I might as well try to get it set in my head to go long every weekend now as try to change things later.

So, a little jogging and it felt okay enough that I have hope that I can maybe begin the “White Starting Plan” from Daniels’ Running Formula by early April, just as the weather starts to really get nice. I can hardly wait. That program will carry me through most of July. Then I can start the “Red Intermediate Plan,” after which I should be adequately prepared to start getting ready to run the Cowtown 10K with my brother, Darrell.

The Road Back So Far (Week Four)

Well, here I am at the end of the fourth week of this odyssey. Not that “odyssey” is completely accurate as things haven’t been very eventful, but there has been progress and some of it almost good enough to qualify. It has been long and wandering — or it will be before I’m done — so I guess maybe the word does fit after all.

I’m still a long way from my weight goals. The initial weight goal being to get over the line out of “overweight,” which for me is about 173 pounds. I still have about 15 pounds to go. The goal after that is to get back down to something nearer my weight when I retired from the Army — 160 pounds. I probably may never, but I would love to, get back down to the weight I’ve always identified with serious running shape — about 2 pounds per inch of height. For me, that would be about 140 pounds, but that’s probably just too damned unrealistic a goal to pursue.

The diet has been slightly modified, but is still going strong. I added back in old-fashioned oatmeal for breakfast a few times a week, and frozen beans and corn are back in, sparingly. Oh, and the wife and I now share an English muffin at breakfast, so I get one-half of one. There are “free meals” on the diet plan, so I can deviate somewhat for up to three meals a week but we’ve not done too much of that. We will, though, because we both have missed Tex-Mex food terribly — tacos with very lean ground beef are in the menu plan for this weekend. (I’ll just walk a little farther than usual Saturday or Sunday.)

I’m still not running, and when I try jogging my knees still protest, but they protest less vociferously than they did in the beginning. I hope that is a good sign that I may realize that goal eventually and be able to return to running. It’ll be a red-letter day for me when I can. I’m so looking forward to being able to run again. Just jogging for half an hour would be wonderful, as that is pretty much the end-goal of the Daniels’ Running Formula “White Starting Plan,” a sixteen-week program that is probably a lot like The Couch-to-5K Running Plan or The Runner’s World 8-Week Beginning Runner’s Training Program, except for being twice as long and, I think, would build a good base, as Jack Daniels says, “… as preparation for future, more advanced training.”

I’m still kind of hit-or-miss on the strength training and not really doing a regular routine. I have mostly just hit some work on my quads, gastrocs and soleus, and some upper body work. I’ve been relying on the walking to do most of the rest. I really do need to get more serious about it, though, and not just because the garage gym is sitting out there unused if I don’t. More lean muscle mass burns more calories to maintain itself, which helps lead to greater weight loss and a chance I can keep the weight off.

I had last repeated the wisdom of continuing anything for 21 days makes it a habit, and then I read somewhere that 35 days was when the magic happens. Regardless of which is supposed to be true, the walking has become pretty much a habit now. So’s the diet. Now, I just have to get that to happen with the strength training side of this battle.

Overall, I’m pleased with the progress so far. I want more, of course. I want to be running again. I want to be more healthful and physically more fit.

And, so long as I stick to it, I’ll get there. Patience and perseverance. I’ll get there.

Nike+ iPod Is Gonna Go to the Gym

iLounge has an item posted yesterday that shows Nike and Apple want you to take your Nike+ iPod to the gym with you so you can use it to record your workouts on new Nike+ iPod-enabled cardio equipment. Sounds like a good thing for people who already do the gym as well as those who might want to add some cross-training activities to their program.

The whole story is at News: Nike + iPod program to expand to gym equipment.

When that hits gyms in my area, I know I’d really feel more motivated to get in some cross-training. I’m kind of compulsive about being able to keep track and this would package the gym workout into the overall system for me.

Opening Up the Discussion A Bit

Completely rewriting this post because it just sounded kind of pompous and idiotic the first time around.

I’ve enabled registration for anyone now. I still reserve the right to moderate comments that I find inappropriate, but I’ll try not to be too heavy-handed about it.

I’d like to have the discussions focus on:

• losing weight
• becoming more healthy and physically fit
• the benefits of walking for fitness
• running — both for fitness and for racing
• training
• gear and gadgets that make any of the above easier or more fun
• books about any of the above — fiction and nonfiction

Sometimes, I might rattle on about something else entirely, but I’m going to try to keep this blog centered on these things.

Anyway, the floor’s open to comments.

A New Addition to My Wish List

I found Podophile a couple of days ago, a nice blog with lots of good stuff about Nike+ iPod. And that’s where I found my new watch — or the one that will become my new watch when Nike finally releases it — the Nike Flight+. Podophile has the details in this post: Nike+ iPod Watches Confirmed: New Details and Photos. The Nike Flight+ is the model a little over halfway down the page, a watch that controls the iPod through the Nike+ Sport Kit dongle.

Currently, I wear the Zodiac Sea Wolf that my dad left me during the day, but I don’t risk that baby out on the roads. Instead, I have a Casio with a broken wristband attached to my reflective vest. I wear my iPod Nano (the 3G one) in a Nike Sport Armband and have to wear it upside down to manipulate the controls. Odd, yes, but it works for me that way.

The Nike Flight+, on the other hand, would free me to control the iPod from my wrist. I just think this arrangement would be much more convenient while actually running — whenever I can manage that again. I could continue to wear the armband, of course — but right-side up from then on — and never have to crane my neck to see what I’m doing. And I could choose to carry the iPod in a pocket instead, since the Nike Flight+ becomes the controller for the iPod and I wouldn’t have to actually be able to reach the iPod controls.

Pricey? Yeah, maybe so, but probably convenient enough for me that I’d consider it well worth it. So, it’s going on my Wish List — though it’s probably more fair to say that I will hold it out as a reward I will give to myself once I start running again. Plus, well, it’s a gadget, and I like gadgets.

Update: I was obviously too excited to see the dates on the posts. The Nike Flight+ should’ve already been released last May, but apparently wasn’t. The Nike Amp+ mentioned in the Podophile article is available, though. I wonder if I should just get that one, but it’s not really what I’m looking for. Neat gadget in it’s own right, but the Amp+ doesn’t have all the features I wanted.

My Wife Threw Me An Old Pair of Jeans This Morning…

… and they almost fit me again! They were a pair of 34×34 Levi’s 501 jeans, a pair from several (maybe four or five?) years ago. I had gone to a 36-inch waist and then the 38-inch waist jeans I usually wear now. The 38′s were becoming tight, too, just a month ago.

I think that pair the wife dug out of the closet had been shoved into a box and saved simply because they were still fairly new, but it’s also possible I had insisted that we shouldn’t give them away when I had to move up to a larger waist size — you know, the old I-just-might-get-back-into-those argument. And, well, I have because I slipped into them without a problem and buttoned them right up. Okay, I had to suck in my gut a little the first time, but not by much. The fly gapped just a tiny bit so I was concerned that they might bother me to wear them to work, but they fit pretty well — much better than they would’ve just a month ago.

Now, I do wear my jeans down on my hips a little bit, so there’s no way I need to be in that pair for a little bit longer yet. My real waist is a little higher and a bit larger than 34 inches still. Regardless, I felt pretty damned good about being able to get into them again. There is progress. Yes, indeed. Good progress.

I had a nice walk this evening. I overslept this morning by a little too much to push the time and get in breakfast and get to work. Blame the weights I did last night, I guess. We had company last night and I delayed my lifting until after they had left. It’s not really a very good idea to work out so close to bedtime, of course, but I was stubborn.

I think I slept okay despite the late weights, but my wife said I was a little restless and tried to monopolize more than my fair share of the bed, so I would’ve been wiser to postpone that workout to tonight.

The scales this morning had me at 188 pounds. I need to stop weighing myself every morning, but it’s kind of becoming a compulsion. I’m smart enough to realize that there will be no appreciable progress day-to-day, and I know that increased muscle mass will register as weight-gains, too. I guess I’m eager to get to a weight where I think I can risk my starting running again. Yeah, I know, reminding myself yet again: patience and perseverance.

The Road Back So Far (Week Three)

I did my longest walk this week, 4.5 miles, and my knees didn’t give me a whole lot of trouble. Today, in fact, there were only a couple of times they gave me any trouble at all during a 3.6-mile walk. I’m beginning to think that they’re becoming accustomed to the increased activity, but I’m not about to jump the gun and try jogging a bit yet. It’s still a little too soon, as my first week attempts clearly proved.

I’m down to about 189 pounds. Not enough to be rid of the “spare tire” around the middle at all, but enough for people to tell me they can tell I’ve lost some weight — they mostly say they can tell it first in my face. This is good news, in my opinion, because losing it anywhere is progress. Still, 189 pounds is 16 pounds over the line into “overweight” for me, so I have a lot more work to do. The problem spots — including my paunch — will eventually get in line over time, so there’s no rush. Build muscle, continue to eat the way I have been, and stick to the walking — eventually start running, I hope — and those problem spots will get taken care of.

As I’ve said before, the main emphasis right now is to get my weight down to where I can run again, without injuring myself by forcing my knees to try to bear my overweight butt around sooner than they’re ready. So, just getting my weight down some is good enough for right now. More will come off when I can run again. Patience and perseverance, remember? Yeah, the keys to getting there. I remind myself constantly.

I’ve read that if you start anything and keep doing it for 21 days straight, you turn it into a habit. Well, I’ve been at this diet for nearly a week more than that and with the walking for just over three weeks. The getting up at the crack of dawn is still a bit troublesome, but I can easily manage getting the walk in later even on those days when I just don’t feel up to springing out of the bed with the alarm clock’s urgent nagging. I guess I could be a bit better about going to bed at a regular time and waking up for the morning walk on time. That would require nothing more than just forcing myself to do that and maintain it for the fabled 21 days straight, right? Okay, that goes on the list, right after the strength-training routine. I’ve got to get settled into that first, I think, because that’s going to help at least as much with the weight loss and improving my general fitness.

So, yeah, the walking has become something of a habit, and I’m glad of it. The wife not only accepts that I have to get a walk in daily, but she expects it by now and even helps by shifting things around to help me to accommodate getting out and doing it. Support like that is always a great help and very welcome, of course.

Anyway, I can look back now on three weeks of doing myself some good. I’m definitely feeling much better. I’m starting to look better — well, more fit than I was at any rate. When I can start to motor about a bit more intensely, even just jogging, I expect there will be more dramatic changes. Hey, it took me years to get this far out of shape. I reckon I can spare as many months — even years if necessary — as it takes to get myself straightened out again.

I’m still a very long way from joining my brother, Darrell, in running the Cowtown 10K next February, but a little closer than I was a month ago to be sure. Patience and perseverance.

The Right Way Versus My Way

I was mildly admonished Thursday afternoon by someone for not following the right approach to getting back into shape. I was always a jump right in and “Just Do It” kind of person when I get an idea into my head. Not that Nike has me brainwashed or anything but their slogan just kind of neatly sums up what I mean.

First, this person objected to the fact that I did not see a doctor before starting an exercise program. Since I just turned 50, and the conventional wisdom is that anyone over 40 should consult their physician first, I guess I’m guilty of foolishness.

Second, I was reminded that I’ve been predominately sedentary for several years. Again, the conventional wisdom about consulting a physician if you’re not accustomed to exercise is supposed to be applied before jumping in with both feet.

Third, I was over 30 pounds overweight when I switched my diet and started walking. Anyone more than 20 pounds overweight really should talk to their doctor before starting a fitness program. This person didn’t mention it, but perhaps I should’ve made an appointment with a nutritionist before modifying my diet away from the typical American processed food/fast-food diet, too.

Now, I’m not making light of the concerns this person expressed. They are all valid points and I probably should’ve followed the conventional wisdom. I mean, these things just make good sense and they’re obviously prudent and responsible things to do.

On the other hand, I’ve always been very much my own “coach” and I have a pretty good ear for “listening” to my body. I’m also smart enough to realize that I have to start slow and progress slowly. I figure that I can’t really start any slower than walking. Walking is something we all can do; we do it all day, everyday — mostly just not the right kind, at the right intensity, or for the right duration. So, in this case, I just felt that walking isn’t sufficiently intense to warrant all that fuss. Jumping right into one of Dr. Daniels’ running training programs straight off the couch, on the other hand, would really be foolish and just begging for a coronary.

I’m also honest enough to tell you that everything wrong with me has been the direct results of the choices I’ve made:

• I chose to eat processed foods, unhealthy snacks, and fast foods instead of taking the time to prepare healthier meals
• I chose to salt my food before tasting it, often with enough salt to preserve it — regardless of how much salt was used to process it in the first place
• I chose to drink several cups of coffee morning and night and more than a six-pack of diet cola a day
• I chose to sit on my butt surfing the web, playing computer games, and watching TV and films rather than getting up and getting some exercise
• I chose to have problems with sleep by not getting sufficient rest — staying up late, not keeping regular hours, not going to sleep early enough or at a regular time and not getting up at a regular time
• I chose to buy jeans with an ever-increasing waist measurement rather than shed the inches that made the current pair too tight to live in

None of these choices were forced upon me. All of these choices are contrary to what a physician would advise me to make. The cumulative effect of those choices brought me to a moment of truth on February 4, three days before I turned 50, when I stood on those bathroom scales and saw I weighed 206 pounds.

I made a new choice — the only choice I could see that made any sense. I chose to change.

I gave away all the “bad” foods in the house and bought the leanest meats I could find. I bought fish — something I rarely ever ate unless you count the occasional breaded fish sticks or a fish fillet sandwich. I bought fresh fruits and vegetables. Where I had to — for added variety, of course — I turned to frozen fruit and vegetables. I shopped the perimeter of the grocery store as much as possible, staying away from the candy aisle, the snacks and chips aisle, the canned soups, fruits, and vegetables aisles, and the pickled stuff aisle where you can also find all the baking treats. The change was almost miraculously immediate — I stopped feeling crappy, stopped being so irritable, stopped having headaches all the time, and started feeling much better almost right away.

I bought a new pair of shoes, and also got a iPod Nano with the Nike+ Sport Kit, and I pushed myself away from the computer keyboard and got started walking. Has it all been rosy and easy? Not on your life. My knees creaked and ached. My body is slowly adapting to the greater demands I’m forcing it to accept and I’m not letting it settle into a comfortable routine yet, adding in strength training and even slowly increasing my walking pace and distance as my body tells me it’s prepared to handle it. When my body tells me to back off, I do, but mostly it hasn’t been telling me that as much as I feared it might.

Am I ready to jump into running yet? Nope. Not for a while yet. I anticipated maintaining this walking program for more than the three weeks I’ve been at it so far. I figure it could be easily another month or more before I’m ready for running.

At that point, I’m thinking I may well schedule an appointment with my doctor to make sure I can start piling on more intense work. I have my copy of Daniel’s Running Formula sitting practically at my left elbow as I type this and I do intend to begin Dr. Daniels’ “White Starting Plan” as soon as I’m ready. And, because I know myself well enough to know that completing that will make me hungry to go on to the “Red Intermediate Plan,” I certainly will need to make sure I’ve got a doctor’s okay before I do.

So, the bottom line, for me, was that I needed to make a change — not later, not after seeing a doctor, but right then. And I made it — 22 days ago. Now, I’m settling into a routine and it’s working for me. Whether I keel over in the next five minutes or out on the road some fine morning on my daily walk, I’ll go a few pounds lighter and feeling the best I’ve felt in a very long time. That, to me, really matters a lot more than whether or not I did it “the right way.”