Tuesday 30 December

Yesterday at lunch I walked an hour outside along the river. It was really chilly and windy, but I managed to complete my one hour walk.

Treadmill today- 15 minutes walking at 3.5 mph, 1.5 mile jog at 6.0 mph (10 minute mile) and 30 minutes walking at 3.5 again. The 1.5 mile jog was really difficult, and I remember, not so long ago, when 10 miles was no big deal. I hope I can get there again without injury. A total of 4.15 miles in an hour. An improvement, at least-- however slight, I am going in the right direction.

Joy and Fish, are you noticing this? I'm out there trying.

28 December - A Little More

As I head toward 31 December, and struggle to maintain the same weight I started with, much less drop weight toward my goal, I try to look at it from the viewpoint of "don't give up". I have struggled with weight for a very long time, and have only sporadically had success with maintaining a weight I am proud of. But, rather than quit and just be fat, I will keep trying. I have seen some improvements lately to be pleased about, and if I can focus on small, consistent victories rather than big goals, maybe that will help.

Today I walked 4 miles on the treadmill at a 3.0 mph pace and jogged 1.1 miles at a 10 minute/mile pace. A total of 5.1 miles. The smallest of improvements, but I will take it. I would like to be able to run a 30 minute 5k (3.1 miles) by the end of January. Seems to be a reachable goal. A 60 minute 10k (6.2 miles) by 1 March would be nice, and a 10 mile in 1 hour 40 minutes (10 minute/mile pace) by 1 April would be great.

I think I managed to get into the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler - a difficult Washington, DC race to get into because of its popularity. I have until early April to be able to run a decent 10 mile. No problem.....

26 December - Mejor Que Nada

Walked 15 minutes, jogged 1 mile at a 10 minute/mile pace, and walked another 35 minutes. I hour total. Not earth-shattering, but better than nothing. Tightness in lower legs while walking, but managed to do workout.

25 December - Christmas on the Treadmill

Didn't do much to slow down the Christmas food damage, but at least went to the treadmill for 3.5 miles, 65 minutes. Tried to jog some, but shins didn't like it. Better than sitting on the couch and eating chips while watching cable, which is what I wanted to do.

17 December

Felt lazy, but thanks to Dan's encouragement, went to the treadmill, walked 15 minutes at 3.5 mph pace, jogged 1.5 miles at a 10 minute/mile pace, then walked another hour and 6 minutes at 3.5 mph for a total of a 10k walk/jog. Over time I'll increase the running and decrease walking. Total 96 minute workout today is good progress.

15 December -- Hoo Boy...

Keeping a blog current is challenging. Work, DC traffic and commutes, lots of (bad) excuses interfere with exercise and blogging.

In August, I went to the mountains in Southern Colorado, hiked a lot, took great photos, but didn't post. Stopped exercising, but kept eating out...not a good combo. Periodically walked or jogged since, but haven't posted. My year is almost up, and I am back to my original weight. Very demoralizing. But, rather than stay down, and stay fat, I'm starting over and trying again. Walked an hour a day several times with a friend in Tucson last week. Beautiful weather and nice walking trails.

15 December, went to the treadmill, walked 35 minutes, jogged 1 mile at a 10 minute/mile pace, and walked another 30 minutes. Not earth-shattering, but a new start.

It's hard to eat properly during the holidays, but I can at least try to be moderate-- not exclude nice meals and treats, but cut the portions and frequency down at leat by 1/3, and hang on until 1 January 2009. Calendars, anniversaries, milestones, and new starts are all important and effective motivators for me.

I get gentle encouragement from my sister in law and my boss and others to exercise more. Giving it another try.

2 August - 41.6Km Bike Ride

photo from http://www.wodfriends.org/

Rode with Joe from Columbia Pike and Courthouse Rd., down Walter Reed Dr., and to the 4 Mile Run Trail. Went from there to the W&OD Trail, and along the trail all the way to Vienna, VA and back. The trail was not too crowded, since it was raining a little, and we started pretty early. We are not in exactly tip top riding shape yet, so it took us about 2.5 hours to complete the workout. We stopped a time or two to rest. Vienna is a beautiful city with a very nice square for walkers, joggers, cyclists, and others to rest, enjoy the fountain, and look at the flowers before starting their workout up again. Walter Reed Dr. above 4 Mile Run is really steep, but we managed to climb it without having to get off and push the bikes.

Joe says he may not be speaking to me after this, but I am sure he will be rarin' to go on another ride next weekend. Maybe not 25.84 miles (42 kilometers) but maybe a nice 15 mile ride or so.

The Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail is very well-developed, scenic, green, and with great amenities. There is a support organization to help keep it that way. Check out Friends of the W&OD link below. The trail used to be the W&OD rail line. Explore Paul McCray's website below at geocities to read the history of the W&OD and see great photos like the one below by Paul Dolkos showing what the trail used to look like years ago when still in use by trains.


http://www.wodfriends.org/

http://www.geocities.com/pem20165/

http://www.viennava.gov/

28-29 July - Lots of Walking

Walked 1 hour in the neighborhood around home in Arlington on Monday. Surprised and relieved to not be sore from the bike rides this weekend. Tuesday walked an hour at lunch. Sunny and humid. Not so great for slacks and a dress shirt. People in the office thought I had spilled a glass of water on myself. It was sweat. Early evening, walked an hour and a half from Eastern Market to the Washington Monument on the National Mall and back with walking buddy, Kim. Smart, beautiful, kind, and very wise with counsel-- it is always a pleasure to spend time with Kim, but especially nice to make exercise so pleasant.

27 July - 35.25 Km Bike Ride

Rode from home in Arlington, VA, past the Air Force Memorial, through Pentagon City and Crystal City, went opposite direction on the Mt. Vernon Trail from yesterday into DC via the 14th Street Bridge by the Jefferson Memorial. Went up to Constitution Ave. by the National Mall, and made my circuitous way to Nationals Stadium. Crossed the Frederick Douglass/South Capitol Street Bridge, turned around, and headed home. It took 2 hours to do 35.25 km (21.90 miles.) Humidity was a lot higher today, and it was a tough ride for me, but if I stay consistent, it will get better.

26 July - 40K Bike Ride

photo of Mt. Vernon Trail along the Potomac River, courtesy of www.bikewashington.org


Rode from home to meet Joe at Gravelly Point by National Airport. From there we rode down the Mt. Vernon Trail to a turnaround at the 7 mile mark, and headed back. Very scenic and green, with tall trees, some city riding through part of Old Town Alexandria, and much of it within view of the river. A nice workout. Getting back from Gravelly Point to home was a chore, especially coming up the hill by the Air Force Memorial.


US Air Force Memorial


A good ride today. Would be nice if it is the start of a consistent exercise trend.

24 July - Walk to Union Station

Walked 1 hour in Capitol Hill to and from Union Station. It was a decent evening-- not too humid, a pleasant breeze-- and a nice walk. Other people were out walking dogs, jogging, having dinner outside at restaurants in the area. Very nice.

19 July -- Bike Ride

Yesterday went for a walk in the neighborhoof for an hour and 15 minutes. A fairly warm day, but a nice walk.

Today, went for the first bike ride in a while. Tried to go to Crystal City by back roads, made it to Shirlington, and through some neighborhoods, then had to turn around and come back 4 Mile Run Trail to Colombia Pike and back home. about an hour ride, and 12 miles covered. Very warm out. Had the Camelbak that had been in the freezer all day. Cools off my back, and gives me ice water for the entire ride.

Need to do more biking. Next time, hope to meet a friend or two to ride on the Mt Vernon Trail. Did that a lot last year. A ncie ride. The trails in the area are a great benefit to being here.

July 10

Walked an hour in Capitol Hill today, jogged a little around Lincoln Park. Not too warm-- a nice day. Trying to walk and jog a little more, get back to the level I had in February, then surpass it.

Dan went to tennis tonight. He plays volleyball several hours on Tuesdays and tennis on Thursdays. He also has occasional tennis, volleyball, and walleyball on weekends. He is very consistent.

5 July

Tonight we went to a restaurant in the Chinatown area of Washington, DC with a work colleague of Dan's and her husband. They are very nice, absolutely charming, and we had a great time with them. Unfortunately, Zengo, the restaurant, was not what we had hoped for. It is Mexican/Asian fusion. We are very adventurous when it comes to food, so we were willing to give it a fair try. The food was over-priced, the selection, chef, and waiter were all way too affected, and the food menu, as well as the wine menu, were very limited. It is one thing to be snooty if you are truly providing the very best food and drink around. Not in good taste or necessary, but understandable. Let's just say they should be VERY humble and friendly, because the food ain't cuttin' it. I'm not judging, I'm just sayin'...

We have dined at CityZen, Le Paradou, The Inn at Little Washington, Clyde's, Ruth's Chris, 1789, L'Auberge Chez Francois, and other very nice restaurants in DC, as well as amazing restaurants in Dallas, Texas--Hattie's, Strasbourg, France--La Cloche a Fromage, Stuttgart, Germany--Glemseck, and elsewhere. And we are fat. Well, I am, anyway. Dan is 1/2 Samoan, so he carries it well. Trust me, we KNOW excellent food and service when we have it, and Zengo is a waste of time and money. We had much better cuisine at a fraction of the price at El Original Mexican Restaurant, in Hubbard, Texas. If you find yourself on Highway 31 going through Central Texas between Corsicana and Waco, you really should stop in Hubbard and have a meal at El Original. Amazing fajitas for a steal of a price.

At least the company was great-- we had a good time visiting and laughing at Dan stories I told them. Try one of the restaurants I named above, or go to Indigo Landing in Alexandria, Virginia. Great food, great views, and you will be very pleased. Do check out the prices and attire for the venues mentioned here. They vary drastically from the extremely affordable to "we are going to have to volunteer in a soup kitchen for a year to work off the karma from spending this much on a single meal for two people..."

Happy July 4th

Had a lot of chores to do today, and got them all done. Very happy about that. Cleaned the condo, had coffee with Scott, exercised an hour:
walk 15 minutes, jogged 2 miles @ 6.0 mph/20 minutes, and walked 25 more minutes. Just getting back into exercise after a hiatus.

Will have some friends over for board games and to watch fireworks on TV and from the balcony. Have a nice sweet white wine to go with a very nice cheese, some salmon pate, red wine, dips, various crackers, and scones with chocolate sauce for dipping. Should be very nice.

It was very nice. Had Bob, Scott, and Christy over. The cheese and souterne wine were incredible. Watched fireworks from the balcony. Couldn't see the National Mall because of a building in the way, but had it on TV. Also had many, many fireworks going off in the neighborhood. A breathtaking amount of money spent on some pretty high-quality fireworks that went on for several hours. Very impressive. Much more relaxing than fighting the crowds on the Mall. A perfect evening.

July 1 - Walking

Dan and I went to Europe for a week or so. Food in Stuttgart, Germany and Strasbourg, France was incredible. Will talk about specifics in a later post. Did a lot of walking there, as well.

Tonight need to post that Saturday and Sunday, walked 75 minutes in neighborhood, and Monday evening walked 30 minutes, jogged 10 minutes, and then went inside (was getting rained on) and did 45 minutes on the crosstrainer at level 14.

Tonight, walked with Kim-- always a joy to be around-- on the National Mall. We chatted, caught up on our lives, and walked 1 hour, 20 minutes.

Been Busy

For the last few days I have been working on my rowhouse in Capitol Hill. All the yardwork, lifting, moving, and so forth, in the heat and humidity have been good exercise.

In addition to work, yesterday I walked 15 minutes, jogged 15 minutes, and walked another 15 minutes on a treadmill. Today I walked 30 minutes, jogged 20 minutes, and walked 40 minutes in Capitol Hill. I started from the house near Benning Rd and 17th ST NE, walked down 17th St to Pennsylvania Ave, and along Pennsylvania, when I got to the 30 minutes mark walking, I started jogging. I turned right on 2nd St, and another right on East Capitol, and finished jogging around Lincoln Park. I walked around the park again, then up Tennessee Ave to 15th, and 15th back to the house. It was cooler than earlier, and with a nice breeze. I hope I can increase the jogging time, and decrease the walking.

Walk in DC - 27 May

Walked for over an hour in my old neighborhood in Washington, DC. A warm night out, but nice to look at the historic rowhouses, flowers, and very interesting people, some looking shifty and conducting questionable business transactions in the shadows. So I said "hello" to the congressmen and lobbyists, and kept walking...

Stopped for a glass of wine with Deedee, a very beautiful, very smart friend Dan and I are blessed to know. Then, finished the walk and came home. Exercise is not so bad if you stop halfway for a glass of wine with a beautiful blonde...

Dan played volleyball for a couple of hours, as he has for most Tuesdays for the last umpteen years. He said he was "ruthless", and I don't doubt it.

Two States, Two Walks- 26 May

Was home visiting family in Central Texas over Memorial Day. Went to the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Texas. Waco is a fairly small city-- a little over 113,000 people (http://waco.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm) and it takes a lot of wherewithal to keep up a nice zoo. Waco does a very good job. The weather was a little warm, but there was a nice breeze. Walked with family for about an hour and a half or so, but it was a slow stroll.

Back in the DC area tonight. Walked 80 minutes in Arlington, VA at a brisk pace. The scale isn't pretty, but it is not as bad as I thought it would be.

20 May - Another Walk

Walked 60 minutes in neighborhood. Beautiful, cool night. Little traffic. Very nice. Working my way back up to a slow jog by next week.

Walking for Now

Beautiful weather in the DC area-- some rain here and there, but very nice temperatures. Walked 90 minutes on Saturday, and 75 minutes today. Very nice. Enjoying it before the muggy, hot summer weather hits.

School's Over- 11 May 2008

With only a day or two left of graduate class, I can get back to working out. Schedule has taken it's toll on fitness. Worked out for the first time in several weeks tonight. Walked 20 minutes, ran 4 minutes at an 8 minute/mile pace, repeated that again, and then walked a final 20 minutes. I want to try to gradually replace the walking with running at an 8 minute/mile pace over the next few weeks. Sort of an interval training set. It seems to get the heartrate up better than previous workouts.

We went to Rasika last night. It is Indian cuisine. Some of the best in the DC area. I'm not a huge fan of Indian food, but it was very, very good.

24 April - Lots of Walking

Last Friday walked 75 minutes in the neighborhood. Beautiful weather, nice night. Walked two hours throughout Arlington on Saturday night. Monday night did the cross trainer reverse level 13 for an hour. Today, walked to and from Pentagon City Mall and in the neighborhood, a total of an hour and a half. Enjoyable weather right now. Nice to be outside, except for the pollen count. Time to get the bike out again. I want to start riding to work a few days a week to save on gasoline.

Also walked around at the Air Force Memorial this evening. It is incredible.


This is a day picture I copied from the internet. It is even more amazing up close and at night. Very inspiring.

A Decent Week - 12 April

Monday 7 April, Wednesday 9 April, and Friday 11 April did cross trainer reverse for an hour at level 13. Saturday 12 April ran on 4 Mile Run and W &OD Trails for 60 minutes, and walked 60 minutes. Will have to measure it on the bicycle to see how far I went. Decent weather, nice flowers out.

I have gained a few pounds back in the last couple of weeks. Haven't worked out much until this week. School and work have taken their toll. Back into the groove now, I hope, and hope weight will start to drop again.

Dan has been very consistent with weight lifting, crunches, volleyball, and tennis. He is doing great.

Cherry Blossom Time 6 April

Walked with friends around the Tidal Pool for 2.5 hours Saturday 29 March. Enjoyed the beautiful cherry blossoms, though it was windy and a little cold. Also, so many tourists, it was hard to take the Metro, but the Kite Festival by the Washington Monument and the blossoms around the Tidal Pool near the Jefferson Memorial were fantastic. I'm sure there are shots of it on YouTube and other sites if you google "cherry blossom festival" and "Washington, DC."

Did the cross trainer at level 12 for an hour today, 6 April. Work and school have made it harder to work out, but I am trying to get back into it. Dan has been very consistent with lifting, cross trainer, volleyball, and tennis.

The Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run was today. 38,000 people ran it, I think the number was. A chilly, wet day to run. Kind of glad I didn't get in. I would like to run another race soon, but hopefully on a nicer day.

24 March - Back in the Saddle Again

Been out of town and sick some. Did manage to walk an hour and a half Friday 21 March at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, TX with family while visiting there. A very nice zoo. Will add photos later. Burned some calories helping family clean house, and get ready for a birthday party, but hard to count those, except that I am down a couple of pounds in spite of eating less carefully than usual.

Back to the gym tonight. Walked 20 minutes, ran 5 miles in 45 minutes, and walked another 20 minutes. a total of over 7 miles. Not spectacular, but a nice return after being off for a week or two.

Dan did the crosstrainer at level 11 for 35 minutes, then lifted for an hour. Did some crunches after that. He populates a Google calendar with details of his workouts rather than here.

15 March - 22 Mile Bike Ride

Been under the weather for a few days. Makes it hard to work out. Nice outside today, so managed a 22 mile (35.41 kilometer) bike ride. Didn't feel particularly strong, but a good ride anyway. W&OD trail was a little crowded in spots, but not bad.

Some people were fishing in the creek. Looks like they pulled out a couple of nice trout. Maybe parks and wildlife stocks it periodically.

First Bike Ride of 2008 - 10 March

Took the bike out for a moderate ride today. A little cold, but wanted to map out the distance I jogged yesterday. According to the odometer, it was 18.1 kilometers jogging, and 2.5 kilometers walking. I rode the entire 20.6 km today. I'm all in metric tonight since the odometer was stuck that way. The conversion is about 11.25 miles jogging and 1.55 miles walking. Today's ride was about 12.6 miles.

It felt OK, though I am pretty sore from yesterday, especially the right hip. I am a little disappointed. I had hoped to find out that I had run farther. It was not as far as I had hoped it would be, but still a pretty good feat for me at this time.

I'll add a mapmyrun map tomorrow.

In Like a Lion - Sunday 9 March 2008

There is an old saying about the blustery weather in March - late winter, early Spring - that gives way to milder weather (hopefully) as April arrives: "March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb." Like March, my workout today "came in like a lion." I think I ran between 11 and 12 miles, and walked 2 to 2.5 to cool down. I will know for sure once I ride it on the bike and measure. In any case, it is the best and longest run I have done since the Marine Corps Marathon in October 2005. I am sure I am in much better shape now than I was then. If I can stay on the exercise and moderate eating wagon, and avoid injury, I will have a very favorable time for the MCM this October.

The wind and rain have been pretty strong here lately. Power was knocked out for a while yesterday. Someone got stuck on the elevator and the fire department had to come get them out. I went to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History with friends, and also to Pentagon City Mall. We got rained on a little, but not too much. The temperature was nice, anyway. Was pretty pooped out from walking, and didn't get in a workout Saturday.

It was sunny today, but really cold and windy this morning. We took Dan's parents to Normandie Farm restaurant in Potomac, MD to celebrate Dan's mom's birthday. www.popovers.com is the restaurant website. It was very nice. Potomac is out in the country, with really huge mansions and rolling hills. The restaurant had a Sunday brunch buffet with a wide assortment of hot meats, cold meats, omelet bar, cold pasta, vegetables, smoked salmon, breads, desserts, and much more. Dan's sister, brother in law and nephews joined us there, as well. The food was very good, but the service was absolutely impeccable. The lead waiter for our area took excellent care of us, sang to the "birthday girl", bragged on how handsome and smart the kids were, and just did a fantastic job with everything. Dan made sure the management knew how wonderful the service was. We are not shy when it comes to complaining about substandard food and service, but we are also very dedicated to rewarding great service with praise and recognition to management, and generous tips.

We ended up going to Guapo's Mexican Restaurant in Shirlington, Arlington, VA for an early dinner with friends. The same folks who visited from South Carolina I went to the Smithsonian with on Saturday wanted to meet Dan. He had been in class all day Saturday. We have had very good meals many times at Guapo's over the last couple of years, and this time was good, too. Dan and I shared a beef quesadilla and ate very light, still being full from brunch and wanting to not do any more damage than we already had. The service and food were good, and it was a fun time.

I really wanted to avoid restaurants, but with birthdays and out of town friends, it is sometimes unavoidable. I had didn't expect to run outside in this cold, and felt very sluggish after all the food today. Still, for some reason, when Dan went to tennis, I got bundled up, stretched a little, and started jogging. I will ride the route on my bike tomorrow to see exactly how far it was. Www.mapmyrun.com won't really work for this one, since a lot of it was along the W&OD Trail. I went from Columbia Pike, down 16th Street to Walter Reed, down the steep hill to Four Mile Run, took a right onto the Four Mile Run Trail, and was doing OK. My right hip started to ache at about 20 minutes into the run, and I eventually walked for a couple of minutes. I was disappointed, and thought it was going to just be a walk from then on. It felt better in a couple of minutes, so I thought I'd jog again.

Well, it went really great from there. I had to wait on a light or two, but crossed George Mason, crossed Columbia Pike, and got onto the W&OD Trail. Although it got dark on me, and the moon is very meager tonight, I kept going. The music on my Ipod was perfect, the wind had died down, and I ran like all get out. I have no idea where that energy came from. Maybe all that rich French food this morning. I had to take off my jacket and carry it, which was not fun while running, but not a big deal. I ran all the way to 66, which I think was the 5 mile mark or close to it on the W&OD, then turned around to go back. I ran all the way back to Walter Reed, getting there just under 2 hours from my start at 16th and Columbia Pike. I walked up the steep Walter Reed hill, turned on 16th, and made my way back to the condo. My hip hurts, and I will probably feel rough tomorrow, but what a workout.

March and I have both come in like a lion. So has Dan. I hope only March goes out like a lamb, and we stay lions, as far as fierce workouts go.

7 March - Fried Friday

I'm fried, not my food. Work and school make it a little tougher to go to the gym, but we did. Walked 2 miles, 3.8 mph, 31:30 minutes. Ran 30 minutes at 6.7 mph, 3.35 miles. A nice pace - 8:57 minutes/mile, but couldn't sustain it for as long as I wanted today. Walked another 1.65 miles to make it an even 7 mile workout today.

Dan was beat, too, but did the crosstrainer at level 12 for 30 minutes. He has been steadily increasing the level each week or so. He also lifted and did crunches for another hour or so. His chest is firming up and his arms are getting bigger fast. I'll add details here when I get them from him. He populates Google calendar attached to our joint Gmail account. I think that calendar is second only to www.wikimapia.org in websites he likes to use.

2 March - Sunday Cross Trainer

Gave the legs a small reprieve today - did the cross trainer instead of running. I did the cross train reverse, level 14 for an hour, then did cross train reverse level 15 for 1/2 hour. I've never done level 15 before in my life, so that was a nice surprise to accomplish that.

Dan did the cross trainer, as well, then went and lifted, working biceps today. He also did a number of crunches.

Had dinner at Minh's Vietnamese Restaurant last night. Lots of nice choices on the menu, and had a "cup" (the size of a bowl)of pho-- Vietnamese beef and noodle soup, some salad, and a small summer roll. The rest of the groups had more extensive meals, but I felt full and satisfied with mine. Also had hot green tea.

Saturday 1 March - 10 Miles

Well, I didn't run 10 miles, but I did 10 miles. 2 mile walk, 16 minute/mile, 3.8 mph pace, then ran 5 miles at an 8:59 minute/mile pace, and walked 3 more miles to cool down at the same walking pace as the first set. I'm not sure when I last ran a sub-9 minute mile for 5 miles. This part of working out is going pretty well. So, walked 5 miles and ran 5 miles-- not bad for a still-fat guy.

All this was on the gym treadmill. It has been too cold to go running outside much. It looks like the weather may be nice enough to try to bike on Monday. That would be nice, to mix up the routine a little.

Dan went to the gym, as well. He did the cross trainer for some time, then lifted for a while. He already had big arms, but you can see a definite improvement in only the few weeks he has been lifting again.

Pretty Fast Leap Day

Well, I won't be exercising again on 29 February for at least four years, so I made it a good one. I walked 1 mile, 16 minutes, 3.8 mph, ran 3.5 miles, 7.0 mph, in 30 minutes, and walked another 16 minute mile to cool down. I haven't run this fast for 3.5 miles in years. Not too long ago, I couldn't even walk the 16 minute mile. So, this was an encouraging, if shorter, workout tonight.

Thursday 28 February

Another run on the treadmill. Walked 2 miles before, 2 miles after at a slightly faster pace than yesterday - 32 minutes for each 2 miles, a little better than a 3.8 mph pace. Jogged 3.25 miles in just under 30 minutes - about a 6.5 mph pace. I had hoped to run the same distance as yesterday, maybe a little faster, but the oomph just wasn't there. A total of 7.25 miles is a good enough workout for tonight, though I had hoped for more.

No real problems with the legs at this time. Muscle strains seem to be under control, at least for now. But like an old car that runs pretty well, but always has something wrong, now I have big blisters on each foot. I used moleskin on them and kept going.

I really want to see 225 lbs. on the scale at Monday morning weigh in, but it has been collosally hard to drop more pounds and keep them off. It is going to take a lot of effort. I would like even more weight off before I go home to see my family. My father has never had difficulty with fitness and keeping excess weight off. I know he is bothered by how fat I am. It would be great to be at the half way mark: 215 lbs. when I see them. I would be 40 lbs. lighter than when he last saw me. That is asking for the sun, moon, and stars, but isn't impossible.

A Good Wednesday Run

Walked on the treadmill for 2 miles, 32 minutes, ran 6.5 miles in just under 60 minutes at a little better than a 9:13 minute/mile, 6.5 mph pace. I cooled down with another 2 mile walk, a little slower than the first one, for 33:30 minutes. So, a total of 10.5 miles this evening.

I had a lot more energy than during the previous run, and had no issues with the legs. This was a very satisfying run-- I felt good, accomplished a good goal, and am ready to hit it again tomorrow.

Rest Pays Off

Took a break from working out for several days, and ate a little more each day than I had been for some weeks. Today ran a 40 minute run at 6.5 mph- 5.34 miles, about a 9:13 minute per mile pace. I may have done that running on the National Mall with friends in recent years, but I don't recall doing this on the treadmill where I can verify the speed since some time in 2002 or 2003. For the first time in almost a month, I was limited by stamina and energy rather than tweaky leg muscles. I walked one mile before and one mile after to warm up and cool down at a 3.6 mph 16:15 minute/mile pace.

I would like for weigh in on Monday to tell me I am down 30 lbs. from 1 January. I think I have a good chance of meeting that goal, in spite of some hurdles between now and then.

It is hard to take a break from a fitness regimen, especially when one has fallen off the horse so many years in a row. The fear is, once you get out of your groove, will you stop working out all together? A legitimate concern, but it seems that people get stuck on a weight plateau unless they shake up the routine in some way. I have had trouble losing any more weight after an initial fast drop of 20 lbs or so. I may not have been eating enough. You have to make sure your body is getting proper nutrition and rest. This may mean taking a break for a few days. Just get back on the horse and don't give up.

**************By the way, big disclaimer here: We are not fitness or health professionals. We don't endorse our regimen for anyone else. Work out and diet at your own risk. See your doctor, priest, pharmacist, bookie, trainer, astrologer, or whoever you look to for guidance to make sure you are ready for an exercise program, and that you are eating and exercising safely. Educate yourself on the risks associated with changing your fitness and diet routine. Using the internet, it is easy to check out good programs, and people who can help you choose a wise program for you, and also easy to debunk expensive and sometimes dangerous false solutions-- diet pills, fads, magic patches that purify you through your feet, for crying out loud, cleansing potions, etc...Before you spend money on a quick fix that promises a lot and seems to good to be true, check out government and medical information to see what you are getting into. If it seems too good to be true, then it usually is.************************

I have never used a diet product that actually worked, and I have tried various ones over the years. What HAS worked, though it is not a popular answer, is: expend more calories than you take in. Eat in moderation, eat a variety of healthy foods, eat more fruit and vegetables than meats and breads, and don't deprive yourself of foods you like-- just make them an occasional treat in a modest portions, not binge eating due to frustration or depression. Find an exercise partner, or several, who will walk, bike, jog, work out, play tennis or racquetball, or whatever activities you can do over a period of time and not lose interest.

Small victories add up to a very happy level of fitness over a period of time. I knew I was on my way to an even uglier weight than I had already attained. This didn't happen overnight, but each year, I weighed a little more. I am changing that. I am not where I want to be, but I am successfully, safely, methodically dropping in weight to a more healthy, comfortable level, and it feels great.

Treadmill Wednesday

Went to the gym with Dan tonight. I ran on the treadmill for 3.2 miles-- 30 minutes at 6.4 mph, a 9:22 pace. That was a faster pace than I have done in quite a while. Walked 30 minutes to cool down. A decent workout.

Step It Up a Notch

Went to the gym and did the cross train reverse at level 14 for 90 minutes. I don't think I have ever done that level for that long before. It helps to listen to fast music, the row of TV screens with closed captioning gives a few options, and I also take a magazine or two. That way I feel I am multitasking and don't get bored. Dan went to play tennis for two hours this morning, then went to the gym and did an hour or more of upper body work.

Mostly ate raw vegetables today, and along with such a strenuous workout, I felt I had a little leeway on food tonight. When Dan and I were out doing errands after working out, I knew he was starving, so I suggested we go to Don Pablo's Mexican Restaurant at Potomac Yards in Alexandria, VA as we were passing it. He was hesitant, since he is very supportive of my diet and weight goals, but I assured him I would be fine. We liked the decor - we were seated next to an indoor fountain, and the space was open, with tall ceilings, and plenty of room between tables. It wasn't too loud, either.

The service was friendly and prompt, but the chips were stale. We both ordered quesadillas - he got shrimp, I got steak. Pretty skimpy on the meat, and very skimpy on the guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. We asked for extra, and they did not add it to the bill, which was nice. I had a diet coke, Dan a regular (can't get him to give up the regular stuff), and he also had a side of refried beans.

Not to be too judgmental, but we are not likely going back. If you are going to eat something high in calories, it really needs to be worth it. At least the company I keep is great - Dan is very nice to hang with, just sitting on the couch watching TV, going to see his parents in Silver Spring, MD, or going to a restaurant. We'll just pick a different restaurant next time.

17 February - Cross Train Reverse

Went to the gym and did the cross trainer at level 13 for 90 minutes. I like the cross train reverse setting, which goes forward for 5 minutes, then makes you stop and go in reverse for 2 minutes, before stopping and making you go forward for 5 minutes again. It works more muscle groups and is a harder workout. It felt really good, and I don't know when I went 90 minutes on that level before. I guess it is time to bump it up one level tomorrow.

Dan played tennis for two hours today, and is scheduled for two hours in the morning. He is losing weight and trimming up, as well. We both have a long way to go, but if we are consistent, we should be in good shape by 1 January 09. I really hope we look great before then, but that is a reasonable time limit to see significant improvement.

Ran a 10K Race Today - 1st Competitive Race Since 2005

Today I ran in the President's Day 10K Run in Alexandria, VA. I think the last race event I participated in before this was the Marine Corps Marathon in October 2005.














http://www.washingtonbirthday.org/html/race.html

It was pretty chilly running weather for me - about 35 degrees at 0830 start. I was concerned that the right leg would give out on me without warning. Well, it warned me a lot, but never gave out. I finished the 6.2 miles in 60 minutes, 14 seconds. It took 30 seconds for me to get to the starting line after a guy dressed in colonial garb fired a musket, so I was actually a little faster than the official time recorded for me. I kept a 9:43 minute/mile pace - much better than I expected, so I am happy. I hope to one day look back and wonder why this pace was so great, but for today, it is.

Finally Went to the Gym

Finally renewed a membership at a local gym Dan has gone to for years, but I am just starting. The machines are great, the facility is nice, and there are a lot of classes to try. Many are in the evening, so it will work with my schedule, at least when I am not on the road.

So I did (drum roll, please) 35 minutes on a different cross trainer machine than the one in the condo building. Level 13, 585 calories burned. I will look into cycle classes and other cardio to mix it up some.

We went to Outback for a late dinner. I had a small steak, broccoli, and green beans. The steak was good, but the sides were great. I haven't tasted green beans that good in years. I need to find out what they did. Dan had a chicken caesar salad. We also had a grilled shrimp appetizer. Except for the bread and butter, we did pretty well tonight. No dessert, of course. I just don't think we should eat so late, but we did.

Tomorrow morning I get up early and try a Washington's Birthday 10K race in Alexandria, VA. I know I have plenty of stamina to do it easily, just not fast. The worry is with the presistent right lower leg problems, especially in the cold weather. I will play it by ear, and stop if there is a problem.

Interesting Food Article from NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/dining/13incompatible.html?oref=login

"I love you, but you love meat" is a thoughtful article on how couples and families can find ways to accomodate very different eaters. Dan is a pickier, um, I mean, more discriminating diner than I am, but it is pretty easy to find dishes and restaurants we both enjoy. We have both made the effort to compromise, and it has been successful so far.

The article has some funny (to me)terminology - "vegangelical", for example, and one chef compared militant vegans to hezbollah.

Once we get to our weight goals, I'd like for us to take a foodie vacation, maybe a cheese tour, a la Wallace and Gromit. THAT would be fun - touring Europe, finding great cheese, bread, chocolate, and wine. I'd like for us to make decadent foods an occasional treat, rather than a habit-- sustainable, reasonable, and fun.

14 February - Cross Trainer

Dan went to play several hours of doubles tennis for his workout tonight. I did the cross trainer for an hour again, level 13, 4.1 miles, 865 calories burned. I know the machines give inflated calorie amounts. I will look up the actual calories burned on average for various exercises and adjust future posts accordingly...but for now, I burned a lot of calories.

I cooked Valentine's Day dinner for Dan yesterday - nice rare Angus steaks, mixed greens salads, cheese bread, a side of rice and broccoli, and a side of sauteed onion and portabella mushrooms. Dessert was a small (small) slice of red velvet cake we shared. Not the best caloric choices for some parts of the meal, but it was at home, which means:
1. Easier to do portion control.
2. More affordable.
3. Avoided the crush of people on "amateur night", when everyone thinks they have to go out, rather than go out on a quieter, less crowded night. I really hate a loud, crowded venue. No amount of good food, affordability, and decor can make me enjoy a meal if it is loud and crowded. So, a quiet meal at home a day early gave us the opportunity to do our respective workouts in peace on Valentine's Day.

Walk and Cross Trainer

Walked 45 minutes at lunch yesterday at Ft. Bragg. It was chilly, but sunny, and I was in a suit and tie - not exactly ideal for exercise, but I had the time and used it.

Tonight, did the cross trainer 60 minutes, level 13 and then jogged 1 mile at 6.7 mph (8:57 min mile) and walked 1.1 mile to finish out 30 minutes. I wish my leg would heal up. It is hard to be patient and not run. I tried faster and for a shorter period of time, but that didn't seem to work, either. I do have visible results, though - my clothes are getting looser, and the scale is slowly beginning to say nicer things. I was hoping to run a President's Day 10k this weekend, but not sure at all if the right leg will let me. We'll see.

9 February - Cross Trainer

Did the cross trainer for an hour at level 12. Felt good. Stretched a good while afterwards. Hoping the right leg heals in time to run in a 10k next weekend.

8 February - Another Run

Well, couldn't resist a jog on the treadmill. Felt great for 40 minutes at a 6.2 mph pace. About the 42 minute mark, though, I could feel the achilles, or soleus, or whatever the problem is in my lower right leg, start to complain. I stopped at the 45 minute mark and walked 15 minutes at 3.6 mph. Limped the rest of the evening. It is hard to be patient, but I will have to learn that virtue.

Went with Dan to Fortune Chinese Restaurant. We go there regularly for dim sum, but less since it changed ownership. He was very excited to find out they now serve dim sum on weekdays at dinner as well as at lunch. On weekends, it is only at lunch. So, he has another option for food after tennis in Fairfax. He plays every Thursday. Volleyball in the city is every Tuesday. He adds other times during the week and weekend, and plays wallyball regularly, too. Dan is big into team sports. I tend to workout, bike, or run on my own, or with one or two others. Dim sum was good, and I could get a small portion and not eat too much.

6 February - Cross Trainer and Walk

Took a rest from exercise for three days. Between travel, work, and school, I was too exhausted to go. Before going to the airport to return home today, I went to the hotel fitness center and did the cross trainer for an hour at a fairly high level. It had a different scale then the one I am used to - levels 1-15 on the one today instead of 1-20. I have been working out at a leisurely level 10 out of 20, but today was on level 12 out of 15, so it was a good sweat, especially in the Florida humidity and warmth. It felt really good, mentally and physically.

Walked this evening 1 hour in the neighborhood. Nice weather right now and wanted to take advantage of it, as well as a little less homework this week, too.

Weight is looking good. Now if my legs would heal and cooperate, I can start running again.

3 February Weigh in

Had to move weigh in to Sunday due to work travel. In spite of Matuba Sushi last night, and not being able to run, I was down one more pound to 234 lbs. today. I am 6 lbs. below my goal for 4 February, so I am still on schedule, or actually ahead of it. I am down 21 lbs. from 1 January. A good thing I'm ahead of the game right now. It is much harder for me to lose weight without running. February will likely be a month of more modest progress. Took the day off due to travel, homework, and legs just needed it. The hotel has a nice workout room, and that is where I'll be after work tomorrow.

Verizon DSL took a little vacation in our neighborhood yesterday, so I wasn't able to blog or do homework until today when I got to Tampa. 2 February entry is below.

2 February
Tried to jog today. Right achilles is still unhappy. I walked 15 minutes to warm up, jogged 1 mile at a 9:40 pace, but had to stop and walk. Not healed yet. Walked another 40 minutes at 3.6 mph pace to round out an hour. Should have gone to the cross trainer, but didn't. Will refrain from running for two weeks and see if that is enough. In the meantime, I will do the cross trainer and upper body work. I hate to lose the great momentum I had running, but there doesn't seem to be another way around it right now. Have to take the long, strategic view.

Weight is still in a good place, but have to change weigh in days. Will be traveling a lot for work and will be out of town on many Mondays. I guess the logical day to switch to is Sunday. Went to Matuba tonight for dinner with Dan. Matuba-sushi.com Very good, and perfect service. We really like the lady who was out server tonight and always hope for her when we are there. Fried gyoza and tempura shrimp for appetizer, several rolls for dinner. We were more moderate than in times past, which is a good thing.

1 February - More Cross Trainer

Very difficult day. Work stresses, impending work travel, a relative has passed away, grad school crunch time. It is easy to say I don't have enough time to work out right now, but I have to stick with this and manage my time well.

So, went to the workout room late, did the cross trainer again for an hour, level 10, 780c burned, and hope my achilles is healing so I can jog again soon.

Cross Trainer

Another fitness tip: always use spotters when appropriate. I followed Joy's advice. Avoided annoying the right achilles and did the cross trainer for an hour at level 10, 780c burned. Didn't need a spotter. I could have gone at a harder pace and higher setting, but read articles for a paper I have to write for a class. I have a tough schedule right now, and almost skipped the workout, but am very glad I went. To me, that is one of the big plusses with the cross trainer-- you can read while you exercise. Hard to do while running or lifting.

For a while there, I wasn't hungry at all, but for the last few days, I can't seem to stop wanting to eat. I try fruit, pretzels, hot tea, but it has been challenging to not eat something high calorie.

I found a couple of bags of frozen vegetables in the freezer, sauteed them in a small amount of sesame and olive oil, added sesame seeds, seasoning, and some canned baby corn, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. It came out pretty well. I didn't have any meat handy to add, so it is a vegetarian dish. I portioned it out into containers and will have it for lunches. I rarely buy a lunch, and almost always take a salad, frozen meal I prepared, or sometimes a pre-packaged low calorie lunch. I have been eating a lot of apples, oranges, and bananas lately, as well. When prices and seasons allow, I vary the fruit with other types.

Damage Control

Took a day off yesterday, especially since the right achilles and calf let me know in no uncertain terms they'd had enough for a while. Apparently, one day off wasn't enough. Walked 30 minutes, 3.6 mph, 211c, 1.8 miles (usual warmup) and then started on what I wanted to be a 10k jog in an hour or less. About the 20 minute mark, the right achilles said it was done, so I slowed to a walk to avoid more damage. I walked another 20 minutes or so, total of 2.35 mile jog, 22:30 minutes, 6.3 mph pace, and walked enough to finish at 3.2 miles, 550c burned, so the total workout was 5 miles, mostly walking.

I called my sister in law who used to be a personal trainer at several universities, including the University of Kansas at Lawrence http://www.ku.edu/. She has a former athlete who is on the Washington, DC Mystics women's pro basketball team http://www.wnba.com/mystics/. Joy really knows what she is talking about, on a number of subjects. She said not to overstretch it, but to ice it down, and give it a rest. To totally change the type of workout for a bit - eliptical trainer, bike, something else that is exercise, but doesn't strain that area and let it heal, so that is what I'll do.

I have work travel coming up. I also have big grad school projects coming due. It is challenging juggling these pressures and keeping a healthy diet and a regular workout, but that is exactly what I will continue to do. I've dropped the ball many times in the past, but 2008 is the year of success.

1/4 of the Way to the Goal Today

In spite of three restaurant trips this weekend, I am officially down 20 lbs. today! It is hard to say "No" when one is trying to see family, friends, and colleagues at a restaurant periodically. On 1 January I was 255 lbs. Today Today I am 235 lbs. I wore a pair of pants to work today I haven't worn before-- I bought it some months ago thinking I would soon fit in them. It wasn't soon, but now they are comfortable. A very nice feeling.

The weight came off pretty fast for the first three weeks, but slowed down the last week, regardless of exercise and diet. I suspect I'll have to work harder for slower success from here on out, but I do still expect success. A very good first month, considering I have work, grad school, a house to fix up, and other responsibilities. My hat is off to parents trying to lose weight, who have the huge additional responsibility of caring for children while trying to do something so energy- and time-consuming.

"I Cain't Git No Validation..."

With apologies to Mick Jagger and any grammarians who read this. I am down 20 lbs. from 1 January's 255 lbs. to 235 lbs. today (tomorrow is "official" weigh in, so no snacks tonight), but nobody comments. Even people who haven't seen me in weeks don't notice. "Um, oh! You shaved off your goatee!" is the most common reply. Oh well. They didn't comment when my weight ballooned up, either, so its not such a big deal. I am doing it for me, anyway, and I can tell a BIG difference.

Dan and I went to Bangkok 54 Thai Restaurant with friends. It was very nice. What a difference from the loud crowd and tight quarters of Belga Cafe. We went early -5 pm. - because it was the only time that fit into all our schedules. Still made us feel like elderly folks hitting the Luby's Cafeteria. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, great service, great prices, and the food was delicious. One person had pad see ew, another had a rice dish. I had an appetizer of cellophane noodle salad, and was full with that and a dumpling or two. Very nice evening. We highly recommend Bangkok 54 on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA.

Workout tonight was disappointing, but got the job done. I wanted to run another 10K, or more, but it wasn't meant to be. I stretched thoroughly, walked 30 minutes to warm up, and began jogging. Even at the 15 minute mark, I could tell my muscles were rebelling. I barely got 5K complete, and decided to stop. Very frustrating, but my legs were definitely saying I had pushed them too far, too fast this week. I walked 30 minutes to cool down, stretched, and called it a night, as far as workout. I still have homework. Maybe too many things on my mind to relax completely right now. Still, weight is good, weigh in is tomorrow morning, and I seem to have navigated the three caloric pitfalls this weekend without too much damage. We'll see tomorrow.

I'll give my legs a day off, maybe two, and work on upper body, maybe take a day off completely. It'd be smart to take the long, strategic view, and not damage myself this early in the year, as is my habit in the past. Slow and steady....

10K Saturday, Dim Sum, and Belga Cafe

Went to dim sum for lunch at China Chef with Dan's folks in Silver Spring, MD., as planned.This chart doesn't do it justice. I should have taken my own camera and snapped some shots. I will try to next time. If you go to Oriental East's website, they have some very good photos of the dim sum Dan and his family introduced me to, and I have found to be very delicious. Dan tells me there used to be great dim sum at Golden Palace in DC's Chinatown, but it closed in 1999. It was well-known to be a great restaurant-- President Clinton was there on its last day. You have to go out to Silver Spring, MD, Wheaton, MD, or to Fortune Restaurant in Seven Corners in Arlington, VA. for good dim sum now. For great Korean food, go to Annandale, VA. Il Mee is awesome, but dangerous-- an all you can eat Korean buffet. You pick out the meats you want, take it back to your table, where there is a grill. The servers help you cook it. There are other choices there, too. An all you can eat is not a good option for a fat guy who likes Korean food very much. And, it is right next to Shilla Bakery. Some very nice things there. Check out the restaurant links on the right side of the page to get more information online.

Dim sum proved challenging enough for me. The carts keep coming by with delicious dumplings, spring rolls, barbecue pork roll, fried shrimp, clams, and many other choices. I did OK, though not great. I tried to limit myself to only a couple of dumplings, no fried foods, and a few vegetables. I ate fried shrimp, but otherwise kept the portions reasonable. The dim sum was especially good today for some reason. I even chose not to have chai dumplings - a personal favorite.

So, had a few more calories today, and the body seemed to do a little better on the run. I tried speeding up again, and it went OK this time. Had to be in DC by 8:15 pm, and got a late start working out, so had to adapt and hope for the best. I stretched out pretty well, but didn't do my usual warm up 30 minute walk. I started right in on a 9:40 mile pace and jogged 60 minutes - a 10K in an hour. It felt a little dicey on the left ankle, and right calf, but apparently, was OK. I only walked a cool down for 15 minutes, stretched, and hurried up to the shower. I hope there are no negative repercussions from this truncated warm up and cool down time. I will try to manage my time better for future work outs.

Got cleaned up and dressed up, and hurried to 8th Street SE - Barracks Row. Parking can be challenging, but found a space on a side street pretty quickly this time.

Turned out the people we were going to have dinner with at Belga Cafe had a change of plans, but Dan and I went in anyway. I would have passed, but we saw other friends there, and we had a chance to say hello and catch up a little. It was much noisier and more crowded than I like, but this appeals to some people. The service was pretty good, especially considering the crowd.

The decor is nice - warm colors, brick walls, small modern furniture. The bare brick walls, however, also amplify the noise from people at the bar, as well as at tables.

We were served kalamata olive sourdough bread and glasses of water served from very modern and tasteful metal pitchers. I ordered a glass of Bordeaux, which turned out to be very smooth and full-bodied. Very nice. Dan had a Pepsi. For dinner, I ordered two appetizers - an endive and granny smith apple salad and "chicken and crab meat cigars." The salad was tasty, but challenging to eat - not in bite sized pieces, but very good. The bitterness of the arugula, endive, and small chunks of grapefruit were balanced by crumbled blue cheese, pecans, and mandarin orange. There were also very thin, salty slices of fried prosciutto in the salad. A nice combination of flavors, if challenging to put in your mouth without a mess. Yes, I could have tried to cut it with my knife, but it didn't work for me. The dish was served in a crunchy shell you could eat, but I didn't.

The "cigars" were a type of deep fried spring roll, sliced on an angle, with chopped chicken and crab meat and two dipping sauces. It was good, but not what I wanted calorically. I had two pieces, and gave the rest to Dan. I also had a lot of water during the meal. On a side note, spell check doesn't like the word "calorically", and would prefer "caloric ally." That is actually pretty good. That's exactly what I need - a caloric ally to help me against my caloric enemies. And now, back to our food critique.

Dan ordered endive wrapped in bacon and cheese sauce and mashed potatoes. Very, very rich dish, but he enjoyed it a lot. The server offered us the dessert and coffee menus, but we declined this time. Vincent, the pastry chef, is French, very nice, and very talented, but we were full, and I am trying to lose weight. We'll try some of his delicious creations another time.

So, with an entree, two appetizers, a soda, and a glass of wine, we got out of there for under $65.00, including tip. We could have made some less expensive choices - I could have skipped the cigars and been fine with the salad and bread - , but all in all, except for the noise and the close quarters, we were pleased with our dinner there.

Gearing Up for the Weekend

Scheduled to go to the gym with Dan this evening. Plan to do an upper body workout and walk on a different treadmill. Pretty exciting...actually, I hope the gym has a hot tub. I have had trouble with a kink in the left side of my neck off and on for some time now. Letting the jets hit it sounds really good.

May have dim sum with Dan's folks tomorrow for lunch. Dim sum is a type of Chinese dumpling, usually served for brunch on carts brought around to each table. Here is a Yelp link for dim sum in silver Spring, MD. http://www.yelp.com/c/silver-spring-md/dimsum . It may also include spring rolls, shrimp, vegetable dishes - some very tasty. Have to be careful with it, as mentioned in an earlier post. Saturday night we are going back to Belga Cafe on 8th St SE in DC http://www.belgacafe.com/ , this time with some of his work colleagues. I already know they have some good options I can have without setting me back. Sunday night we are getting together with friends we haven't seen in a while and going to Bangkok 54 on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA. http://www.bangkok54restaurant.com/ So, three caloric minefields to traverse this weekend before Monday weigh in.

11:45 pm.-- Well, didn't go to the gym as planned, but went to the trusty condo workout room and hit the treadmill. Walked 30 minutes, 200c, 1.8 miles, 3.6 mph-- the usual warm up. Jogged 5.25 miles, 1000c, 6.0 mph, 52:30 minutes. Cool down was walk .85 mile, 100c, 15 minutes. Lots of stretch before and after. Listened to my body. Wanted to jog more, maybe do a 6.3 mile, but the feel of the right calf said "don't push the issue." Trying to think long term, avoid an injury, and remember "slow and steady wins the war." This is definitely a war on fat, and I am going to win.

6.25 Mile Today

Walked 30 minutes, 1.8 miles, 3.6 mph, 210 c burned. Jogged 6.25 miles at 6 mph, 62:30 minutes, 1150c burned. Cooled down with 30 minute walk, 1.72 miles, 3.5 mph, about 190c burned. Felt pretty good, relaxed. Started to tighten up at 3.8 mile mark. Concetrated on relaxation, good breathing, flow. Feeling pretty strong. Was worried at first with a tightness in right hamstring. Wasn't sure how far I could go. Lots of stretching before and after, as well as walks and mental preparedness are working where I have had troubles in the past.

Had seen some numbers return on the scale I thought I had left behind. I know some of the great weight loss I have seen is only water weight, etc, but was hoping for more. Have to go out to eat at least twice this coming weekend. Will have to be very diligent to stay on track for the weigh in Monday. Hoping for 235 lbs., which will be 1/4 of the way to the goal. I was very close last weigh in. I think I can be there Monday. I have numbers I never want to see on a scale ever again.

To Boldly Jog

Light upper body workout tonight. First one this year, other than what doing the crosstrainer gives the upper body. 3 sets of 10 bench press, lat pull downs, curls, wrist curls, shrugs, and tricep extensions. Light weights. Walked 30 minutes, 1.75 miles on treadmill. A decent start. My upper body has never been my strong suit, and right now I am pretty weak. Plus I have some injuries - bad right rotator cuff, other issues. Starting with very low weights and increasing much more gradually than I have done with running will be essential.

This has nothing to do with exercise, but some people haven't seen these videos, so I HAVE to put them here:

Easy Does It

Walked 30 minutes on treadmill at 3.6 mph pace, jogged 45 minutes at 6.2 mph pace (9:40 minute mile) and walked 45 minutes to cool down at 3.4 mph pace. Had some discomfort in both calves and right hamstring in spite of stretching and warmup. Maybe increasing speed wasn't a good idea, modest amount though it was. I will stretch and be careful a day or two before trying another run. Maybe a decent upper body workout tomorrow.

I am nearly to the 1/4 mark - 20 lbs. - of the weight goal. Clothes feel better, I feel better. Though I am not happy with what I see in the mirror, it is far better than it was just a few weeks ago. Maybe I'll get brave enough to add a 1 January and a 1 February photo when the date comes, if there is enough visible progress to show. No one has really mentioned it much, certainly not people who see me every day. Maybe I'll go find a colleague at work who hasn't seen me since the New Year, and see if they comment on my weight loss.

Good Workout, Good Weigh In

This has little to do with fitness, except for the fact that it is a bicycle, but it is such a brilliant design, I want to share it here. My father is something of an inventor, which comes in handy living on a farm. He is always repairing equipment himself or fashioning a part he needs rather than buying one. Usually, his work is done in steel. I am sure he would think this is a great idea, and would be fascinating in its simplicity of design. It's smart, green, low-cost, and sustainable. Like me...



I'll mix up my workout with some cycling on the trails here once it gets warm enough. The Four Mile Run, The W&OD, and the Custis Trails are all pretty close and convenient without having to drive and then bike. The Mt. Vernon Trail is farther, but very nice. It is also easier for me to find a friend to bike with me than to find a jogger at my pace and schedule.

Yesterday was pretty hectic for a Sunday of a three-day weekend. I went to the house in Capitol Hill twice (having work done on it), had two homework assignments (took me over 12 hours total, most of it yesterday) and finally had time to work out at 10:30 pm. Not an ideal time, but with weigh in Monday morning, I was very motivated to do something strenuous, in spite of being very tired of chores and ready to relax.

I warmed up with a 30 minute walk at a 3.6 mph pace, the jogged 6.2 miles in 62 minutes. I cooled down with another 30 minute walk at a 3.5 or 3.4 mph pace. My first 10K in a long time, probably since some time in 2006. It felt pretty good, and muscles cooperated and didn't feel strained. I did have some trouble relaxing and focusing on the run. The fast techno music helped, but I had so many thoughts of the day - the grad school assignments, work goals, home repair, etc - that I found myself tightening up, not concentrating on good breathing, and had to work harder because of the mental distractions.

Considering lunch at Cheesecake Factory this weekend, and small pieces of Skip's milk chocolate truffle cake (nirvana) periodically, I am doing well. Skip has his own business: http://www.creationsbyskip.com/ Highly recommend the dark chocolate truffle cake, though everything Skip makes is delicious. So, I'm still dropping weight on a sustainable meal plan with some nice treats, but in moderation. I've been eating a lot of home made soup (thanks, Joanie) and omelets. I bought fruit and salad at the store, so I can have more fresh stuff this week. If I have a variety of healthy choices, with some treats, like chocolate cake in moderate portions and intervals, life is enjoyable, and not extreme one way or another.

I'm happy with my efforts, and today's weigh in was a reward for another disciplined, but sustainable week- 237 lbs. I am still ahead of schedule, since initially I was only hoping for 240 lbs. by 1 February. Last weigh in, I was 244 lbs. I've lost an average of a pound/day this week. My updated goal was 235 lbs. by 4 February. If I stay on track, I might be there by 28 January, and even lower by 4 Feb. I'll play it by ear before setting up an unreasonable goal that will disappoint me if I don't attain it. 233 lbs. by 28 Jan and 230 lbs. by 4 Feb? 7 lbs. in two weeks. Sounds achievable, even with eating out a couple of times along the way.

Later today I may walk and/or lift. For now, it is nice to have accomplished these goals and relax for a bit.

Treadmills

It is seriously cold in DC right now. Been exercising on a cross trainer or a treadmill inside a lot more instead of running or walking outside. This has its good and bad points. But, since we are on the subject, I have to add one of my favorite videos here by OK Go. These guys know how to have fun on a treadmill.

Another 5 Mile Run

It is good to find limits. I think I found one today. I managed to do another 5 mile run, but my body seems to be saying, "Take a day off from running." pretty clearly, so I will tomorrow. Maybe just a moderate upper body workout and a walk or session on the cross trainer.

Today walked 30 minutes at 3.7 mph, 1.84 miles, 220c, if the treadmill is accurate. These 30 minute warm ups are probably a big part of why I haven't had some of the muscle strains I have had in past years, along with more dedicated stretching and focusing on relaxed muscles. I jogged 50 minutes, 10 mph pace, 950c burned, and walked 10 minutes, .6 mile, for 100c. I stretched some, then did the cross trainer to cool off at level 10 for 30 minutes, 2.3 miles, 250c, and average heart rate of 148. Well, not much of a cool down as far as the heart rate, but was low impact on the legs. I stretched some more, then got cleaned up and had a light dinner.

Very happy with fitness training and diet so far. This is, however, very time consuming, and not at a sustainable pace. I have work, graduate school homework, an intensive work travel schedule coming up, and many other items competing for time. Would be nice to put time into the relationship, and maybe paint a painting with my art friend, Kelly, have dinner and games with other friends, and relax now and then. I guess I know from experience, that it is unlikely to have the continued drop in weight as dramatic as I am seeing now once I am closer to my goal. It is like the growing and harvest season in a short season climate - I am trying to get as much done in a short amount of time, knowing it can't last at this pace.

I didn't have a lot of calories today, and I had burned up a lot of stored sugar yesterday, so it was a bit more challenging to complete the workout than it was yesterday. I have been having omelets with vegetables for breakfast, a large cup of Joanie's crab, vegetable, and potato soup -- really good, especially very hot with a spoonful of cool sour cream in it-- and a salad for lunch, and more soup or mixed vegetables and a small amount of chicken for dinner. Joanie if a friend who lives in Baltimore. They have a tradition of crab and seafood dishes. Her soup is really great, and very healthy. I snack on a few pretzels, pumpkin seeds-- again, probably more salt than I need, but in moderation. I have been pretty careful with sweets and breads - two big temptations for me. I have some now and then, but don't overdo it as I have done in the past.

Weigh in is Monday morning, and I have a hurdle or two to get over - dining out. We went to a company holiday party last Saturday night. It was challenging not to have too many of the appetizers, or to drink a couple of drinks, or to eat a dessert, but I got through it OK. Sunday, we went to brunch with Joanie at Belga Cafe on 8th Street SE (Barracks Row) in DC. http://www.belgacafe.com/ They serve Belgian/Euro fusion cuisine. We have been there several times for lunch or dinner in the past. I didn't want to go at first, because it is sometimes hard to get in without a wait, it isn't inexpensive, and I wasn't sure I could find something I could eat and not pay the caloric price. Well, we got lucky, and were seated without a wait with the caveat that the table was reserved in an hour and we had to be finished by then. Fine with us. The breakfast/brunch menu had more choices than I expected, and while Joanie (I'm diming her out here) got a delicious -looking waffle with whipped cream, and Dan had a sausage, bacon, and cheese omelet with a side of cubed potatoes, very lean, thin bacon, English muffin, and a watermelon wedge. I got a mushroom omelet, and the same sides. The coffee was strong, but good. Dan and Joanie split a dessert, but I was satisfied with my meal, and didn't want any. The waiter was very good-- fairly attentive without hovering. Service did a better job than I have had there in the past. Joanie grabbed the check before Dan or I could, so we had to be gracious and thank her and not make a fuss. It is a small, narrow dining room, and can feel a little congested and loud, but it was a good experience.

So, tomorrow we are supposed to either have lunch with some friends we haven't seen in a long time, or go to dim sum with Dan's family as we do every two weeks or so. Although dim sum comes in small portions, the dumplings, rolls, and other items are so tasty, it is hard not to really overdo it. We try to order vegetables, such as Chinese broccoli or baby bok choy, but even these dishes have rich sauces on them. Tasty, but not good calorically. My goal is to have maybe 4 dumplings at most, and drink a lot of water and hot tea.

Good luck with your own workouts and food choices. You don't have to get through next month, next week, or even tomorrow. You just have to make smart choices today. Plan, prepare, but tomorrow is another day.

New Longest Jog - 5 Miles

Had a very frustrating day - emissions test/truck inspection, snow (would have been nice if I were inside with hot chocolate and a good book instead of on the road), the DMV, and a lot of other stuff. I was very happy to get to the treadmill and workout-- something of a change for me. I wondered if the extra stresses would make my muscles tighter and give me problems, but apparently not.

I usually have the little workout space to myself, but this evening there were people in the workout room, so I used the crosstrainer for 10 minutes or so until the treadmill was open. I stretched well, and walked 30 minutes at a 3.7 mph pace. I reset the timer for 60 minutes and jogged 5 miles in 50 minutes and walked 40 minutes. The last half hour was pretty slow, but I was happy with the 5 miles. I was very relaxed and didn't feel any muscle strains or tweaks.

Diet is going well. I am eating a lot of vegetables in one form or another-- sometimes in an omelet, sometimes with chicken, and a lot of spinach and mixed green salad. I am probably getting too much sodium in the prepared microwave meals I eat sometimes, as well as in cans of V-8 juice. Need to cut back incrementally. Portion control is successful so far, too. The successes I' ve had make it easier to resist temptation. I need a support mechanism, though, for when I don't succeed, to keep me from falling back into old habits. A phone call to Matt or Joy would likely help.

I'm not sure when I last jogged 5 miles. Maybe in Spring 2007, but maybe not since sometime in 2006. The workouts are going very well, so far. This one made the end of my day a lot better than the rest of it.

Longest Jog in Six Months

On treadmill - Walked 15 minutes, .88 mile, then jogged 45 minutes at 10 min/mile pace. Walked 15 minutes after, but didn't go 4 miles walking as planned. Someone else came in to use the treadmill, so I went outside to walk. Pretty chilly- about 35 or 39 degrees, and had chores to do. Walked to Midas where truck was being worked on. Walked to CVS to pick up photos. So, all in all, probably walked 30 minutes or so outside, slowly. Haven't gone 4.5 miles in a long time-- probably since last summer. Felt pretty good, though was concerned about right hamstring about the 2 or 3 mile mark. Concentrating on relaxing muscles seemed to help. Weigh in next Monday morning - would be nice to be under 240 lbs., but that is asking a lot. A few more runs like this, and proper eating-- it might happen.

Accomplished Weight Goal for this Week

Walked an hour on the treadmill, about 450 calories and 3.7 miles. It felt really good. I am stretching out more, and hurting less than I expected. No jog or lifting today. Essentially, a day off. Stayed up late doing homework, got little sleep, feel a little under the weather. Very happy, though. Weight goal was 246 lbs. for today, and the scale said 244 lbs. I am also not sore at all from running and walking yesterday, though I had upped the distance much faster than planned.

If I continue to have success like this along a reasonable time line, allowing for days that don't go well, I hope to reach 235 lbs by Monday 4 February, 3 weigh ins from now. I think I can reasonably lose 9 lbs. in 3 weeks. That would be a loss of 20 lbs. for the first month, and a very encouraging interim goal to get to along the way to 175 lbs by 1 January 2009.

From experience, I know that it will become more difficult to lose in these larger increments, so I want to strike while the iron is hot, as long as I avoid injury. If I make 235 lbs. by 4 February, we'll have to find a non-caloric reward to celebrate. I'll have to think about it.

The blog is boring and wordy, but it is working for me. I can go back and edit posts later and put in photos I am taking of myself along the way. I am just not ready to put the unflattering fat photos in until I have better, slimmer ones to compare them to.

4 Mile Treadmill Run, 3.5 Mile Pentagon Walk

I am trying to listen to my body. I have various aches and pains, but if anything seemed wrong with a muscle or tendon, I would not work out, or just walk. I have had so many disappointing injuries over the years when training. I make some headway on weight loss, but then strain a muscle and it comes to a bad end. So far this month, I have been fortunate to have some cooperation from my body on these jogs. I have increased the distance much faster than I had originally planned, but I stretch a lot, concentrate on form and breathing, and consciously choose to relax. I form a mental image of my body as being the color yellow as I run. In sync with breathing in and out, I visualize the color green starting from my head, and moving to my shoulders, chest, waist, thighs, calves, and feet. As the color green moves downward, I imagine my muscles relaxing, my breathing as regular and not labored, and area by area, this seems to work for me to relax and avoid tightening up. I don't know if this would work for someone else, but I think it is helping me, and especially when I start to feel a tightness in a calf muscle or a hamstring, I visualize relaxing the "yellow" in my body and turning it "green"-- loose, pliable, and injury free. Might sound silly, but I am a really big guy who is able to run 4 miles again (as of today), without injury so far. Something I am doing is working.

I haven't mentioned music yet. I really need fast music - dance, techno, etc - to help me run. It makes a huge difference when I do. I run and walk with an ipod now. In past years, cassette players stretched tapes and ate them, CD players skipped no matter how carefully I help them. MP3 players are a massive step forward for light, portable music. I also listen to language lessons or news podcasts while walking. It makes me feel that I am being productive in multiple areas.

Today, walked on treadmill .9 mile/15 minutes, jogged 4 miles at a 10 minute/mile pace, then walked/cooled off a little for 5 or 6 minutes, another .25 mile or so. Very encouraging. The longest run I have done in months. I will concentrate on avoiding injury so I can keep this momentum going.

I was soaked with sweat, so had to change shirts. Put on sweats and a light jacket and walked 3.6 miles past USAF Memorial and Pentagon. Very steep hill coming back up. Got rained on (just sprinkling) a little, but worth the effort. I saw a couple of other guys jogging past the Memorial. I figured I could keep going if other were dumb enough to be out on the cold and wet. I meant to walk a full 4 miles, but it gets confusing around the Pentagon, and I didn't want to get jacked up by security, so I just turned around at a shorter point and recalculated the distance on www.Mapmyrun.com. Here it is below. Traffic is a bit much on Columbia Pike, but not a bad walk otherwise.

A Day Off

Have had a hard week at work, with school, and working out. Took a day off. Will try to have a good workout tomorrow before weigh in Monday morning.



Here is a good reason to exercise. If I want to see her graduate from college, I was on the wrong path, gaining weight steadily over the years. If I stay fit and healthy, I get to be around to see her grow up. Very good incentive when a workout seems like a lot less appealing than TV and a bag of chips.

Treadmill Friday

Had a really long work day. Could have just taken a day off, but went to the treadmill and walked 15 minutes/jogged 30 minutes at a 10 min/mile pace then finished with a walk for 20 minutes. Total was just over 5 miles, and calories burned (according to the machine) were about 850. I should walk some in the neighborhood, but will just stretch, clean up, and go to bed. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow-- home heater issues, grad school homework, and prep for Monday workday. Also company holiday party tomorrow night. This will be a test of going out and not overdoing it at a place with temptations. It is easier to be good at home or work where you can control the environment more.

I haven't discussed diet yet. Most days I have a two egg omelet with spinach, cheese, sometimes mushrooms, and spices. I use the microwave to quickly and efficiently cook the eggs. I like it a lot, but Dan finds the taste of microwaved eggs unappealing. For the time it takes, and ease of cleanup, I think it tastes fine. I have also been eating an apple or two per day, and sometimes a banana or orange. I have salads regularly, and microwave dinners (good for calorie counting, but bad for sodium content), plus mixed nuts, and other fairly healthy snacks. I am also working on portion control, even on "healthy" meals. I am also trying to eat more slowly and drink more water during meals.

I drink about 2 12 oz diet sodas/day. Not a good habit, and I am trying to replace it with hot tea. I have mixed results with this effort.

I have a Calorie King book which lists calories, fats, etc for many foods and restaurant meals. A handy tool to use when trying to see the costs of various diet choices we might make.

Longer Workout

Yesterday, 8 January, I jogged my longest workout to dat. Well, not hard to do in the first week of January. But it was 8 miles - walked 3 miles in neighborhood, then 15 min walk on treadmill, 30 minute/3 mile run/15 minute walk. Not bad for second week of January.

9 January. It was too cool for me to run at this point, but nice enough to walk. I walked the North 3 Mile Loop I drew out in http://www.mapmyrun.com/ .



It was too dark to see well, the bike path along Arlington Blvd. is too uneven to trust jogging on at night, and there is a lot of traffic along Columbia Pike and Glebe Rd. Hard to see exactly how to go from the side road to Courthouse Rd. Ended up turning South on South Wayne to go back to starting point, so was less than the 4 miles I had planned.

Went to the treadmill to do some more. Walked 15 minutes, jogged 30 minute and a 10 minute/mile pace, and walked 15 more minutes and stretched. a total of 8 miles for the workout-- Not bad for a fat 46 year old in the second week of January. I just have to concentrate on form, breathing, stretching, and listening to my body very carefully to stop running before there is an injury. A strained muscle is what has historically been one factor to throw me off of a regimen. Hopefully, not this year.

First Weight Goal Achieved!

Weighed in at 248 lbs. this morning! Achieved the desired weight goal for the first week. It wasn't easy. I walked and ran sufficiently each day, but am still sorting out diet. That will take some time to figure out a sustainable, reasonable regimen.

Walked about 3.3 miles with our good friend, Kim, tonight. Had to take advantage of the unusually warm weather between cold fronts. Plus, its always great to see Kim. Route below:


A great route that starts in Eastern Market, goes past Congress along Independence Avenue, past the Botanical Gardens, the Native American Museum, and back. Lots of joggers, bikers, and walkers out to enjoy the evening.

Pushing the Limit

Tomorrow is weigh in and a rest or walk day. I started at 255 lbs on 1 January. I hope to be 248 lbs. tomorrow. I have had some difficulty eating properly, so I ran a 3 mile/10 minute per mile pace and walked 30 minutes. I wasn't really ready for it. The plan was to GRADUALLY increase the distance run in smaller increments. 3 miles is barely a warmup for some people, and a short, easy run for me...a year ago. I could feel some of the same muscles in my legs tighten up that have given me problems in the past. I tried to relax, control my breathing, and was able to finish without apparent injury. I stretched out afterward. I do not recommend this workout. I'm not following my own rules, but I really want this goal tomorrow, so I pushed my limit a bit. I will be much more risk averse when I have a few more successes and am on schedule.

I had hoped to be 250 lbs. on 1 January. That would have made a 2 lb. loss as a goal for 8 January-- a much more attainable number. So, if I make it tomorrow, only 2 lbs. the test of the week will put me at my 15 January goal of 246 lbs. I may run shorter distances at times, depending on how my legs feel.

Good night, and good luck with your own fitness and diet goals. Try to have more patience than I had this week. It can save you from injury.

So Far, So Good

Ran a 2 mile/10 minute per mile pace yesterday and a 2.5 mile/10 minute per mile pace today. I walked 15 minutes before and after, and stretched after each workout. I don't like stretching, so one challenge is to increase the time I stretch, as well as the quality and types of stretches I do. I also have to increase running times/distances by short increments over a longer period of time. I am looking forward to outdoor runs/walks and to working out with other runners again. The treadmill gets boring after a while.

And now for something completely different...a human push me - pull you, like from Dr. Doolittle. Only, it's a bike! Would be interesting to try.

Some Fast Results

John here. Dan is enjoying some well-earned vacation in Florida before starting a new job.

Well, the blog is working already-- I was going to skip the workout today, since I had spent so much time working on my house (a 1925 money pit in Capitol Hill), but couldn't because I knew I had to make a blog entry today. I forced myself to go, and am glad I did. I walked 20 minutes, jogged 15 minutes at a 10 minute/mile pace, then walked 25 more minutes. All of this was on the treadmill-- it is very cold out in DC right now. When weather permits, I try to do this outside. Which brings me to a fun tool: www.mapmyrun.com It is a great way to map out walks, runs, and keep track of what you do. And free! There are many already available from other users, so you can use their course if it is convenient for you. Lots of users in the DC area. I mapped out a few 4 mile courses to do once it is warmer. I had already been using these routes, but now could see exactly how far they were and have a good means of keeping up with exercises.

Here is the plan for January:

Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday walk/jog 1 hour. Jog at 10 minute/mile pace and gradually increase time jogged/decrease time walked.

Wednesday - Friday - Sunday walk 30 minutes and do some light upper body work/lift/stretch.

Monday - Rest day.

I'll see how my body reacts to this, and adjust accordingly for February.


The year-end goals are:

1. Weigh 175 lbs.

2. 32 inch waist.

3. Better chest (specific goal to be determined later)

4. Better blood pressure, resting heart rate, and cholesterol levels.

5. Run another marathon. I've completed five (San Diego, Chicago, and three Washington, DC Marine Corps Marathons) since 2001, but this year I would like a better time, and to not train so poorly as I have before.

More goals later. The 175 lbs. by 1 January 2009 is ambitious - around 6 lbs/month. It seems like a reasonable goal, but I have tried and failed at this year after year, since at least 1995, with mostly unfavorable results. Here's hoping that a public record of how it is going will keep me on track. It works for Weight Watchers...

I'll add some photos at some point. Pretty scary now, but at least I am doing something positive about it.

Sleep is another area to work on-- it is very important for general health and weight loss. So, signing off to sleep.

1 January 2008 - A New Beginning

I've wanted to start a blog for some time to comment on politics, science fiction, art, education, travel, and other areas that interest me. However, this blog, at least for now, has a specific purpose-- to document progress and encourage me, my partner, and all three other readers who might see this and take time to read it, to make some reasonable fitness, diet, and lifestyle goals, and have a successful 2008, as far as food and fitness are concerned.

This is John. (Hello.) I am currently 255 lbs and 5' 10" tall. Not a good combination. I have struggled with weight for years with only short term and intermittent success. Although I have completed several marathons, even at heavy weights, I have to get my eating and exercise (or lack of it) under control. I have specific fitness and diet goals that I will outline in a later post, and I will track my fitness regimen. Hey, so it's not Boing Boing or Daily Kos (both of which are pretty cool.) If I attain my goals by 1 January 2009, this blog will have served its purpose. If someone else has some fitness and diet success from something he or she read here, even better.

We also like to go out to area restaurants. Part of the problem, no doubt, but I believe occasional restaurant outings can be managed without damaging our goals, and can be included in a healthy plan. We may give some reviews of the restaurants as to service, price, food quality, and, of course, how and where we found an enjoyable meal without totally blowing the diet.

We'll track various recipes we prepare at home, include photos and instructions, and encourage (constructive) feedback.

Today walked and jogged for a total of an hour. Jogged 1 10 minute mile during that time. I plan to increase the jogging portion by small increments over time.

Good luck with your own goals and plans.