7-31-13 BLT the Near Perfect Food

It's been one of those days where my mind isn't anywhere productive. I headed out close to noon for my run, and could only must 15 minutes of nonstop running. I think that may be due to setting the incline on the treadmill to random, and going up and down more than I am use to. Never the less I didn't make it to my goal time for the day. So tomorrow I will aiming for double... just kidding I will be aiming for 2 miles of running which at my current pace is 25-27 minutes. Then I will walk until I reach 2.5 miles, and run my last half mile (theoretically putting me in 3 miles under 40 minutes).

Time wise I need to be running 30 minutes non stop by August 17th. Since my week of training before the 17th is at sea level it may be easier to reach that goal.

With the issue I have been having with breathing, to help resolve it I am going to be taking a treadmill test next Thursday (which is my last day of school).

Over the past 2 months I have been eating BLT's at an alarming rate. It's been very tasty. The local grocery store sells precooked bacon from their butcher for really cheaper than the regular brands. So reheated bacon, grandma sycamores wheat bread, red leaf lettuce and tomatoes still on the vine with Best Foods mayo, a dash of salt and pepper. I could eat that meal multiple times a week (and I am recently).

So a recap for the remainder of the week:

Tomorrow: The goal is 2 miles without stopping at 4.7 mph and no incline, but totaling 3 miles in preparation for my 5k.

Saturday: Run my 5k at 8:15am. Finish by 8:55 am.

Next Week on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Saturday: The goal is 25 minutes running, 5 minute walk, run until I reach 3 miles.

On the 12th I will be doing my first early morning run before I fly out to St. Louis.

Thank you for following my blog.

7-29-13 Epiphanies Can Be Hard

My run today. I bumped my speed on the treadmill up to 4.8 today thinking that it wouldn't be much more of a challenge. I did the 4.7 without a care in the world last week, but that was then and this is today. Two things were different today than last time that I need to adjust. I need to start the run the night before by envisioning success, and ease of performance. The second thing was to stretch more effectively. My right Achilles is bothering me a little. But all that aside it was a decent run. As you can see I went 3.5 miles, the first 15 minutes I made it running non stop then I took a minute break then ran up to 22 minutes.

Mile #1: 13 min 05 sec

Mile #2: 13 min 40 sec

Mile #3: 15 min 00 sec

Last Half Mile: 10 min 15 sec

Last night I had an epiphany, I wish it would have stuck with me as I ran. The epiphany was I don't have to limit myself running to the times listed on the training schedule. It made a lot of sense to me then and it makes sense to me now. The trick will be to get my mind, lungs and legs to get along with each other.

Wasatch Wellness Run
I will be running my first 5k this Saturday. My goal is to run at my steady pace until I finish, and not be the last person across the finish line. This run I am not that worried about because I am already going the distance of the race. My personal desire is to finish in under 40 min. Which I know I can do.

Provo Halloween Half Marathon
On October 26th is the biggest half marathon in Utah. Right now I am considering running this. It falls on the day of one of 16 mile training days, so I need to figure out how to work that into my training schedule if I decide to do it.

Well I'll ramble more come Wednesday.

Until then!

7-27-13 Insert Witty Title Here

My run was on only 40 minutes today and only 26 of that was my steady pace to keep my breathing in check, and 20 of that was my first 1.5 miles that I ran without stopping! My mileage is at 2.86 because I didn't want to start my running over after I started on my cool down. I am setting my run time to 35 minutes next time so I can get my whole distance in.

This run started on my drive home from Salt Lake Last night. I was starting to ask myself if I could really run for 20 minutes without stopping, and it came down to me saying to myself, "Self shut up you're running 20 minutes without stopping tomorrow!" It was a self pep talk every time I though of my running today. I just kept saying I was going to run 20 minutes every time I started thinking about it.

It was a good run today, I feel good about it. I am not pushing my speed very hard for two reasons, one is I am afraid of what my upcoming stress test will reveal. Two I just increased my continuous run time from 15 to 20 minutes. My next two 20 minute runs I will push up by .1 mph on the treadmill. I did 4.7 mph today, which allowed me two 0:13:00 miles consecutively. The rest of the time was just working towards my distance without much pushing. I should have paid attention to my time a little better so I could get that 3rd mile finished.

So here's my training schedule this week:

Monday: Mid Day Run 3.2 miles (Aiming for under 40 minutes) 20 minutes of that will be at a 4.8 mph pace, 5 minutes will be a rest, then I will finish of my 5k running.

Wednesday: Mid Day Run 3.2 miles (Aiming for under 40 minutes) 20 minutes of that will be at a 4.9 mph pace, 5 minutes will be a rest, then I will finish of my 5k running.

Thursday: Mid Day Run 3.2 miles (Aiming for under 40 minutes) 25 minutes of that will be at a 4.7 mph pace, 5 minutes will be a rest, then I will finish of my 5k running.

Saturday: Wasatch Wellness 5k. I will run, until I can't keep track my watch my split times, to make sure I am within a pace I can handle. Finish the 5k and beam with the joy of doing something I have never done before.

My goal running time wise is to be able to run for 30 min without stopping before I start my real training. I have enough time to get there without an issues. My personal goal is to be able to run 3 miles without stopping by the time I get to my short and long runs.

So what was it like when you you did your first 5k? You'll find out about mine next Saturday!

A reminder why

I reread my title for my last post and realized I neglected writing what I really needed, a reminder as to why I am running.

I am doing this to change my personal family tree. My wife and I want to have kids, and if I keep up being unhealthy and over weight I run serious risks of not being there for my wife and our future family. When I do this I am going to establish myself as an active healthy man, I will serve as an example to my family. I hope what I am doing will help other people who are like me.

I am doing this as much for myself as I am for my future family. Or as my wife said on of the many times I started working out, "Do it for the babies!"

7-25-13 A Rough Day

I dislike days like today quite a bit, I've been frustrated most of the day. I didn't get enough sleep last night. My calves hurt... But it doesn't matter.

My run today was shorter, I should have just pushed the last 6 minutes and ran making it to my 3 miles. I did run two 14 minute miles which was good. I am not as afraid of my 5k on the third right now. As I get closer to my half marathon training distance I am considering signing up for a half. My thought process is to get in more actual race experience before the big day, I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.

With the breathing issue I got a call from my Doctors office and he wants me to do a stress test to check my heart out in conjunction with my shortness of breath. I want to just ignore the call but it's getting to me some, I need to rule out heart problems and just count it off as trying to run faster than I am able to handle.

Saturday I will be doing a 20 minute run, 5 minute walk, then a 5 minute walk until I reach 3.2 miles.

Well it's time to eat.

7-24-13 Starting to Have Fun

So here I am again, you've not gotten rid of me just yet (not that you'd want to I am just a ball of excitement). I thought I would include my new shoes being worn as my picture today. I am a big fan of Altra shoes by the way. I sport a size 14 running shoe and my foot is wide as well, so Altra has a wide toe box and allows my meta tarsals to spread out (which feels really nice). When I was trying to decide which shoes to get I did try a lot of various shoes. The only reason I think I am able to do the zero drop is because I wore a pair for almost a year before I started my training.

Right now I have started to follow some blogs on running and am going to try to implement things like controlling the intake of gels, beans, etc... when I get to runs that are over 2 hours. I did find a post about proper hydration for big runners. I tried it today as I ran and it helped a lot, between 15-20 minutes drink 5 to 12 oz. water. But I have been reading things that I have no idea about it, like compression socks or those arm sleeves. It's been entertaining reading a lot of the things that float out there on the internet. I have also found a couple of guys who have done something similar to what I am. That was encouraging.

Alright so here's the results of my run today.
3 miles at a 13:30 average pace, mile 1 was 12:34.00, mile 2 was 14:26.00 the last mile was 13:00.00 even. My last .25 was my cool down. Breathing wise, I struggled for the first part, and had to slow down a couple of times to regain my breath. All things considered today was a successful run.

So I am improving and liking the feeling after running.

Have Fun!

7-22-13 Breathing Is Good

 Today I was grinning as I was running. I hit 3 big goals today. I ran 1 mile in 12:30 sec, then continued running until I hit 15 minutes of continuous running. After 5 minutes I started running again, all together I ran for around 2 miles. After I hit 1 mile of continuous running I was smiling so much I could see my reflection in the mirror in front of me. Then to add to it I went my first 5k distance. I understand a little that desire to run the last distance out of joy.

The 3 Accomplishments

1. Ran 1 mile non stop
2. Ran 15 min non stop
3. Logged a total of 3.2 miles in one session

 I went to the Doctor today and received a Spiromentry to check for asthma. I found out that my small bronchial tubes are narrow. What that means is... um... the doctor will let me know exactly what tomorrow. But I did take some asthma medicine the nurse had me breath for 8 minutes. I really think that helped with being able to breath through running today. I only felt winded when I was in my second phase of running.

Thanks For Reading,
Riley

PS: I signed up for the Wasatch Wellness 5k on August 3rd.

7-20-13 If you don't know ask

I got the Altra Torin's that I was rambling about, and the Runners Corner staff was so helpful (as they always are). I told them what was going on with my foot, and the person who initially helped me said the same thing happened to him when he was playing soccer and that spending extra time stretching the ankle and making sure his cleats were loose enough is what fixed it for him. He also added that on day it just went away. So I was happy I talked to him first. After that it was the litany of trying different shoes on because I wasn't sure any more about sticking with Altra's since they are Zero Drop shoes (try to mimic the natural foot). So I tried on some Saucony Hurricane 15's (too narrow), Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 & 13 (pronation support was awkward to walk on), then the Mizuno Wave Creation 12 & 13 (I almost got these). When it comes down to it I am already running in a Zero Drop shoe and its corrected my pronation issues that I have had for quite some time. It was suggested that when running in traditional shoes you tend to heal strike more... I'm a big guy and don't need more impact pressure to my joints than I am use to. So onto my first run in these fabulous shoes.
At the Runner's Corner they have a group that meets up Saturday mornings for a long run. As I start to do those I am going to join them (from what I understand long runs can be easier with other people. Who knows maybe I'll make some encouraging running friends along the way.
Today's Run

My wife told me this picture makes me look like a villain who lost to a superhero in a fight. I think the superhero's name is Treadmill Man! Today running there was the same breathing issue but I started a little slower and that helped some, I was still struggling for breath the longer I ran. But my ankle did not hurt, my shins did not bother me, and my feet feel good. I only set my distance for 2 miles today because of the ankle pain yesterday. It felt good to get that goal today.
At the gym I get to see all sorts of people (most guys my size are either on weights, an elliptical, or bike. I haven't seen one other guy my size running. It must be quite the site to see me on the treadmill chugging along at 5 mph, at the same time two treadmills away (it seems to always be this way), a woman with a runners physique (slender with lean muscular legs) running at 7 mph... and running... and running. My 10 minutes of running is dwarfed by their 20+ minutes. I laugh a little at myself as I begin to compare myself with them. I laugh because there is nothing to compare. I'm three times their size and have been running with the intent of getting better for just over two months. They are inspiring to me, I hope some day when I am in the gym running in the middle of winter someone sees me going at it and gets that same inspiration, or is a little jealous that I haven't stopped running yet.

Next Week
Monday I will get the three miles and one of them will be a continuous run. I am making some minor adjustments to my running schedule over the next three weeks, and putting my focus on duration of my run. I don't think I'm where I need to be on continuous running to really start short and long run training. But that's not supposed to start for about a month, and a lot of changes can happen in a month.

Thanks For Reading,
Riley

PS: I am starting the book Born to Run, so far it seems like a good read.

7-19-13 New Pains

So I did my third run this week around noon today. There was a great thing that happened, I ran 10 minutes without stopping, walked at a brisk pace for about a minute and a half and finished off my first mile. I can consistently get a 13 minute mile, which I am excited about. After I ran a little more (about 2 minutes) my foot started hurting. It was my left foot, along the joint on the top of my foot. My underpronating issue I had when I started it going away, and that's another good thing. So good things are happening and it has me somewhat excited. It's my ankle now and breathing!!!!!! So when I go to the doctor on Monday I will talk to him about my ankle too. His specialty is sports medicine and family practice so I hope I can get some incite as to why my body is hating me right now. About the stretching before hand today... that didn't happen but I did get some massage leg work done by my amazing massage therapist wife last night.

I am considering heading out again later this evening to see if the ankle thing persists, I wonder if it's due to my shoes and that fact that they are what they are.

Again, I am open to feed back. It means a lot to me. Also thank you for visiting my blog.

On a side note, my illustration portfolio website will be up and going within the next month, so I will post a link to that once it's active.

7-17-13 Frustration

Physical Statistics 7-17-13
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 315 lbs
Neck: 19"
Bicep: 17"
Forearm: 14"
Chest: 50.5"
Waist at Belly Button: 52"
Hips: 49.5"
Thighs: 28"
Calves: 20"
Shirt Size: XXL
Pant Size: W-40" Length-32"

So I have lost .5" to 1" in some areas, but apparently gained 5 lbs. It sucks, I thought I had been making some headway with the weight. But none of that matters, I am working towards a greater goal, and there are the Clydesdale's that do triathlons who serve as a great example of big guys who run.

Today's Lessons
Breathing is hard (going to the doctor next Monday to address that)
Oxygen is important (With breathing issues, I haven't been getting enough O2)
It's a good idea to have a little something in the belly (piece of fruit, some veggies, etc...)
Stretching is needed
I need some cushion in my shoes

It seems like the same lessons each time I go out run I learn the same things. So tomorrow I will add a stretching routine before I head out.

If anyone has a suggestion to cut down on leg pain when running please let me know.

UNtil Then,
Riley

7-15-13 All the Small Things

So this is roughly what my posts will look like from now on (only occasionally with the crazy mug to the right). I am starting this layout because it's the layout in the workbook I'm using to record my running numbers at the end of each run. Also RPE is on a scale of 1-10, ideal is sticking between 4 and 5.

Today
I discovered a few things today, they are small, but by small things are great things accomplished.

1. Breathing, when I lack oxygen coming in, I lack performance going out. I attempted to set up an appointment with a doctor 
2. I am using Altra Instinct Zero Drop running shoes, I am under the belief that with my weight I should be in running shoes with a little more cushion, so I will be getting the Altra Torin (still zero drop, but more cushin) when I replace my shoes.
3. Hydration, I have felt dehydrated all day and drank half a Gatorade before I ran, then more water (taking a drink now) after that. I am feeling better now but need to focus more on getting water.
4. The right clothes make a big difference. Even though I am not doing long runs (and won't be for about a month) having the right clothes now is making it much more comfortable to run.

So this is my day. 

Until Later,

Riley

7-13-2013 Proper Planning Makes for a Better Run

Today was a day I was looking forward to earlier in the week. I intended to run 3 miles for the first time, which I am adjusting that run to 3.2 miles (so I can run a 5k).

My planning problems. I signed up for an all night gaming event. I was up until around 7am having drank a bunch of Mountain Dew and ate my fare share of pizza, this morning I only slept for a couple of hours. Then after that I went shopping and got fast food for lunch and a soda. So I have gone all week without a soda (I discovered Mio which I don't believe is any better for me in the long run, but since it's not carbonated, it's better than soda right now). After shopping for some less than desirable produce and eating 2 doughnuts I made my way home to waste time playing video games, when I should have been sleeping...

So fast forward 3 hours and add a 10 minute nap I then went to the gym for my workout. I tried to start running at a slower pace than I have been, and sport a breath right nose strip to see if it would help with my breathing problem (it did some, but I am setting up an appointment this week with a doctor to check out my lungs I'm even getting winded walking up stairs, or over exerting myself a little).

I digress, my experience with my friend the treadmill. I set it to 4.9 mph, and started to run for around a minute before I realized the heart rate bar was getting further and further away (I was running slower than the treadmill). So I dropped it to 4 mph, same thing, then down to 3.5 where I stayed for the remainder of my brisk walk. I was no able to keep my footing very well as I kept going on the treadmill (when my wife walked in I turned to look at her and almost had a YouTube moment), but I made it 30 minutes before I accidentally knocked the emergency stop strap off. I was done at that point, and did not start back up. I got off and came home.

So here's the plan for tomorrow, lots of water, lots of rest and to bed at a much earlier time tonight and tomorrow night. No soda, and better quality food. Then Monday will be more water and stretching (adding it to the workout to see if I can avoid my Tibialus Anterior burning like it did you Thursday).

Until next time,
Riley

7-10-13 Running With Mental Illness

Some of the people who read this know I have a mental illness that found out about until about 6 years ago. I was diagnosed with bipolar type 2 (deep depressive swings and hypo-mania). I have up and down days and have been on a drug cocktail that has helped to regulate my moods to a great deal of success. There are triggers that really hit me hard (like lack of sleep, my daily schedule getting out of whack by surprises, or not enough or too much social interaction), and sometimes I don't know what the trigger is but I start to spiral down into a depressive state. Today I don't know what happened, but I have been overly emotional and lower than I have for over a month. I wanted to stay inside and hide from the world. I still feel that way, but my schedule saved me along with my wife being persistent. She got me out of the house, to the gym, and even kept pace with me. Thank you sweetie.

With my running I was able to run 2 miles in 28 minutes (first mile was 13 minutes, then a 15 minute mile). I will be able to hit my 15 min running goal either tomorrow or Saturday.

Also there is a 10k-5k-1 mile walk on August 3rd the Wasatch Wellness Run. I am still not sure if I'm going to do it or not, I'll let you know within the next few days.

Good Night,
Riley

PS I will be updating my physical stats Tuesday.

7-8-13 2 miles in under 30 minutes

Today I fought with myself, it was a tooth and nail battle with me... but my determination to run a marathon won out and my determination to beat my running time from Saturday is what spurred me on.

It was a great day for the gym, and I am so happy I went. I was being stubborn and didn't make it until 7:00pm. So on the TV's in front of me I WWE, How I Met Your Mother, and Family Guy, while listening to Dresden Files Blood Rites.

So why was today great? I ran a mile in under 13 min, that was having the treadmill set at 5 which is around a 12 minute mile. I took a 1 minute rest at the 10 min mark, and kept running, then my next mile was 14 min 45 sec mile. So a total of 27 minutes for the run. I was able to catch my breath at around 8 minutes. So my breathing problems start to resolve itself.

I want to yell "HELL YEAH!" in the gym for my own victory. I look forward to my run on Wednesday (at least right now).

My goal for the end of the week is to get a 15 non stop of a run. So that would mean running over a mile non-stop, which is my first milestone. I am really close right and want to seal the deal either Wednesday or Thursday. This weekend I will do my first 3 miles. By August 3rd I will be hitting around 30 minutes of nonstop running.

After last Wednesday, my runs have gotten better and I smile thinking about them.

Good Luck,
Riley

7-6-2013

today was another good day when it comes to running. I really feel as if I pushed myself. It was really nice. These past two runs have felt like I have really started to prove. But unfortunately it's not at the same pace as my training schedule. I am hoping by the time I get to the end of my pre-training that I am able to run the continuous 30 minutes, right now I am right around 8 (which is quite the accomplishment.

I have struggled with breath control the past two runs, at the same time I have pushed myself harder than I had previously. Yesterday I was craving the feeling I had Wednesday after my run. Even now I think I could have pushed harder today.

It's happened two runs in a row, I started to get a side stitch, on one side then it starts on the other side a little later. It was a bit of a pain, literally and figuratively. I looked up what it is believed they are caused from and concluded I still don't like them.

Right now I am running in a pair of size 12.5 Altra Instincts, I love the shoes! But I know I will need to get a slightly larger size as I run longer and longer amounts of time. So I have been using Runners World shoe finder guide to look at shoes, as well as frequent the local running store (The Runner's Corner in Orem). I am torn between 4 shoes right now, the Altra Instinct 1.5 the new version of what i have now, Altra Provision 1.5 with a stability wedge, Altra Torin with a little more cushion than I have now, or the Mizuno Wave Rider 16 which just has a good feel to it that's similar to the Altra's, but are shaped differently. If anyone has any suggestions that would be great!

thanks for reading,

Riley

7-3-2013 COTTON SUCKS!!!

So I went running today (just finished a few minutes ago). I was procrastinating running when I knew I needed to do it. So I put on my breathable shorts, my running socks, my runing shoes and thought, hey I will just keep the shirt I have on and go running it won't don anything to me. I was wrong, I have a cotton shirt and cotton under shirt, if I was looking to gain wait through keeping all of my sweat after running I succeeded.

Lesson Learned Today: Change into your running clothes before you decide to run!

The good of the day:
• I set a new PR at a 13 min mile.
• I love running socks (thanks Kate for suggesting them)!
• Feel good after my work out, so good I am going to go take a shower in 5 minutes.
• I made it to the gym

The less good of the day
• I did PR on my first mile, but my second was lacking. I lost control of my breath and wasn't able to regain it.
• I am still under 10 minutes for consecutive run time (acording to my schedule I should be hitting 15 minutes right now).
• I sweat a lot, and did profusely at a job interview today.

The goods out weight the bad, so today is a god day!

Thanks for reading.

-Riley

7-1-13 New month, new goal

Today I went longer to go the same distance, I wish I could blame it on the pizza that the gym has on the first Monday of every month just staring at me... but I can't.

I have been thinking as of late (last couple of days) that I need to get a running partner, a coach, or someone that will just call me on my BS while I am running. I can go 5-7 minutes without stopping at a 14 minute mile pace. Considering I started at a 20 minute mile with no hope of running for any of that, it's improvement. I just wish I could get this dam brain working with me instead of against me. That's where a running partner, group, or coach would come in handy.

So if anyone knows someone who could help out please send them my way. I like that I am accountable to so many people, but I think I need just a little more.

Oh yeah I have been at this for almost 2 months and I saw today the effects of soda on my body (I was winded from walking down the hall carrying a large garbage can when I shouldn't have been). So I am off soda... farewell Mountain Dew...