So, How's That "Back In My Groove" Thing Working Out?

Short answer: Great

And now for the longer answer...

I'm feeling good about what and how I'm doing. I'm getting back in a routine and hitting my daily goals. So far, so great.

But let's talk about those goals, because I've made some very specific changes. First, I've changed my Daily Step goal from 10,000 down to 5,000. That might seem counter-intuitive, since I'm supposed to be making my physical fitness MORE of a priority. But there's a method to my madness.

I changed my goal down because I am going to focus more on strength training, and I don't want to obsess every day about missing steps. And on my running days, I will more than cover the daily goal of 5,000.

Does that make sense? I mean, why set myself up for failure by having a large step goal on days I am planning on focusing on strength training? It just gives me an excuse to fail elsewhere, too.

Results

I'm happy with how things are going so far. I've hit nearly every goal for the last five days. And after today's four mile run, I expect I'll hit every goal today, too.

This feels good.

2014 - The Year of Fitness

I really enjoy having a birthday the second week of January. By then, the insanity of New Year's Resolutions has drifted away, lost like so much confetti and spilled champagne. Promises made in a moment of drunken revelry rarely hold up to the light of day.

But all is not lost. In fact, having some extra time to think about the year past and the year to come is often a very good thing. Instead of wishful resolutions, I'm able to set realistic goals and map out a course of action to achieve them.

Looking back over the last several years, for example, I can see clearly what it was that I accomplished:

2010 - The Year of Losing Weight
My first true efforts to get my ever-increasing weight back under control. And it worked. Pounds came off and I felt like was back in control of my life.

2011 - The Year of Firsts
(Super Spartan, Ragnar, Tough Mudder, Half Marathon, Marathon)
I started running in December 2010, so 2011 was definitely the Year of the Firsts. I moved way out of my comfort zone and said "yes!" when asked about running obstacle races and long distances. And before the end of the year, I would accomplish my favorite "first" of them all, the Marine Corps Marathon.

2012 - The Year of the Half
(14 in 2012, plus two marathons)
Having focused on progressive running distance goals in 2011, I decided to focus on a year-long goal. I wanted to run a dozen half marathons in 2012. In fact, I ran 14... plus two full marathons.

2013 - The Year of the Relay 
(5 Ragnars, 1 Cap to Çoast)
Last year, I ran three full marathons (Carlsbad, Phoenix, and Marine Corps), but I feel like the year itself was all about the Relay Races. Partnering with a team and riding around in a van for 30-something hours makes running more than exercise. It turns it into a 200-mile party. And I love it.

Which brings us to this next year and my plans. Here and now, I'm putting it all out there so that everyone will know. More importantly, everyone can hold me accountable. Without further ado, I give you:

2014 - The Year of Fitness
(renewed focus on full-body strength and overall health)
Yep, it's as simple as it is complicated. But I need to go back to the basics and focus on my overall health and fitness. And that means a whole new look at my weight, my eating habits, my training routine, and what I need to do to bring it all together to reach my 2014 goals.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be blogging about how I intend to make 2014 my healthiest year ever. I'l spend some time focusing on nutrition, strength training, distance running, and how to bring them all together. And I'll also be sharing my plans for my 48th birthday in January 2015, because having a goal and sharing it with friends makes it harder to give up on it when times get tough.

Here we go, 2014. Let's do this!

Watching Your "Wait"

Is this you?

• "When I drop twenty pounds, I'm going to start running."
• "Once I'm healthier, I'll run a 5k."
• "I'm going to sign up for one of those relay races when I lose this gut."
• "I wish I was in shape enough to train for a marathon."
• "I'm too fat to jog."

If you have no idea why anyone would say those things, good for you. Great for you, actually. But, if you have heard those words coming out of your mouth, we need to talk.

The road to physical fitness begins the moment you decide that you want to improve your health. It's that simple. You might choose to drink a glass of diet soda instead of regular soda or choose water in place of any soda at all. You might take a walk instead of spending an afternoon watching television while sitting on the couch. Or you might opt for a smaller portion of your dinner or skip the usual seconds.

Whatever you do, your very first action starts you on your journey. So go with it. Let yourself experience all the new and amazing things that come your way. Leave fear behind and embrace the opportunities.

And do them as soon as you possibly can. Don't wait. Check with your doctor, get cleared to start, and get moving!

Start biking. Or walking. Or running. Or all of those things. Running helps you drop extra pounds, so why wouldn't you want to do it as soon as possible? (My teammate, Carly, started running when she was 349 pounds. What's your excuse?)

Sure, you will run a faster 5k after you lose weight and get healthier. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't run one now. Sign up and go for it.

Sign up for a relay race. Or a half marathon. Or an obstacle race. Who cares if you still have weight to lose? Who cares if your stomach isn't flat? Events aren't designed just for people with perfect bodies. They are designed for anyone and everyone willing to train for and compete in them. So go for it.

The point of this rambling blog is simple. Life continues while you are waiting for the perfect body, the right size, or to hit your goal weight. So stop watching your "wait." Say yes. Live the life that you want to live and trust that your body will catch up.

I'm not in my "perfect" shape right now. I haven't ever been, to be honest. But that hasn't stopped me. I've acted as if I was an athlete, signed for and competed in all kinds of "are you kidding?!" events. And each time, I walked away afterwards feeling a little stronger, a little prouder, and a whole lot happier.

Now's the time, folks. Step up and walk into your amazing new life.
____________________

And just for fun, I put this together on BitStrips. I'm pretty sure this is what it looks like in my kitchen as soon as I get home from my long runs.

After a long run, John pillages Ric's kitchen!

"Why do you keep talking about running?"

If you know me at all, you also know that I am very upfront and public about my running. I talk about it often, in person and online. And I'm sure to some people, it gets a little old.

"Why do you keep talking about running?"

Heck, there's even a funny ecard about it:

Why do I keep talking about it? Simple. Because talking and posting about it increases the likelihood that I'm actually going to do it.

For example, this morning, I posted this on SparkPeople and Facebook:

Run a 10k today? Why yes, I think I will!

After that, I grabbed my bag and headed out to the gym. I hopped on the treadmill and started running. As I finished my third mile, I thought, "pfft, I should stop at three." I was bored, I wasn't feeling the run, and I just wanted to quit. I couldn't, though.

Why? Because I had already a thousand Spark Buddies and four hundred Facebook Friends that I was going to run six miles. If I quit at three, I would have to explain why. And I couldn't just not post my run results, because then people would (rightfully) assume that I was trying to hide something.

Sharing my goals upfront makes me accountable for them. And that accountability is sometimes the only difference between my success or failure.

Sure, not everyone cares to read that I'm going for a run. Or that I'm satisfied with my distance or time. Or that I'm going to get out there tomorrow and do it again. But I don't post these things to impress other people. I post them because doing so helps my commitment to myself.

Now you know.

P.S. I also post them because, honestly, can anyone ever get enough of this smiling face?

Summer of Run 2012

For one hundred days, I was ultra-focused on my marathon training, all tracked and documented here in Project One Five. Since then, though, I've been hit and miss. I've slumped, rallied, run, and stalled again.

I'll admit it. I struggle. I lose focus in the day-to-day routine. I need big moments and bigger goals to keep my attention. And as of today, I have that goal. It's specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. In other words, it's a SMART Goal that will help keep me on track.

Welcome to The Summer of Run. There are ninety-four days between now and September 22, 2012, the First Day of Fall. And I plan to run every single summer day. Here's how I'm going to do it:

• Ninety-four days in a row
• At least one mile at a ten-minute pace each day
• At least fifteen miles per week
• A minimum of 201.2 miles total

Why these rules? I'll explain the idea behind each one of them.

• My 100 Day Marathon Project felt like just the right length of time. It was long enough to make a difference but not so long that I lost interest. 94 days will be the same.
• I know I will need recovery time, so I have to allow for those days. A single mile at a ten-minute pace will be enough to meet the challenge while still giving me time to rest.
• The weekly minimum ensures that I don't get lazy and run single miles days back to back. I will need more to make the fifteen miles each week.
• 201.2 miles in 2012. Seems right. Plus, it will challenge me to push myself throughout the project. With only 94 days to run, those single mile days will really mean extra miles the rest of each week. 

There it is. Runner12's Official 2012 Summer of Run Project. And now, it's time to run.

How I dropped 10 pounds in 1 second.

I've been giving a lot more thought to my weight goals over the last couple of weeks, and I made the decision today to adjust my loss goal from 160 to 170. As I'm losing weight, I am also getting a better feel for my body and what is truly healthy. 

Here I am at 220 pounds: 
 

And here, from 2006, is me at 189: 
 

And again at 185: 
 

I look at me in the last picture. I remember how I felt at that weight. I still had pounds to lose, sure, but 10-15 at the most. No way that guy in that photo needed to lose another 25 pounds. 

So, I'm adjusting my goal. And I am giving myself the freedom to adjust it again, up or down, as I continue to get healthier. I will not draw a line in the sand for a specific weight. I have a general goal of 170, but I will listen to my body and decide as I go if I still need to lose more weight or transition to a maintenance plan. 

And that, folks, is how I lost 10 pounds with a single keyboard stroke and a click of the mouse.