Started running

So after more stumbles, I actually started adding a little running to my routine. I’ve started using a method outlined in the simply awesome book, Runner’s World Complete Book of Running, in which you run/jog for 2 minutes, walk for 4, repeating the cycle 5 times. Although my route is a loop, and a *smidge* longer than that, so I usually start a second cycle before I’m finished.

The goal is to steadily increase the minutes jogged over weeks, until finally you’re jogging the whole 30 minutes.

I’ve always thought myself as too fat and out of shape to run. That’s why this blog is winter walker and not winter runner. Well you know what? I’ve spent most of my life telling myself I couldn’t do things. And I’m not happy with that.

Getting out there on day one and doing it was incredible. I felt it the next day of course, but it was a good feeling. Like I was finally getting a move on. Walking is great and fun and I still love it, but I have more in me. So much more.

I grew up athletic, fairly so if I do say so myself. And with other things in life, instead of working at it to become better, I was content with getting by without working for it. When I turned 21 and had a “career” I stopped being athletic, even though my career (firefighter) really demanded it. I was again, content. I had made it through the academy, now on to life. I have better things to do than to get in shape.

I’m no longer content with that. I want more out of life. I want to feel the rewards of pushing my body to its limits, and then beyond them.

So.

I say this now. I am 36 1/2. By the time I am 40, I will have run a 3K, 5K, half marathon and marathon.

This non-sense of just skating through life is over. I want this.

“Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired.”
- George S. Patton

Hello Again

Hello,

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I’m two months away from my 36th birthday, I have blue eyes, brown hair that I’m growing out, and a red goatee that’s turning gray. I am six foot and a half, and I am fat. 336 pounds fat. And I’m tired.

2010 has been one hell of a roller coaster ride for me. And I’ve been going through a lot, and with the help of good people, I’m coming out stronger on the other side.

Take a good, long look. This will be the last time you see this frame. That is a 3X shirt, snugly tucked into size 48 waist loose fitting jeans.

You won’t see me again, for a while. But I will be here. And there will be less of me. And I will chronicle it. And when the time comes, I will post. And you will see what determination can do.

I’m tired of letting life go, giving into fears and being ruled by insecurities. I’m tired of the ever growing “what if” list as I let life happen instead of MAKING life happen.

It’s time to grab on and enjoy the ride. Won’t you enjoy it with me?

You will see me again, oh yes. You will. Meet you in 2011.

DTK

I’m so far behind…

I haven’t been doing much of anything lately. I try to walk to work as much a I can, but it being a steep hill, it’s treacherous to try and walk up/down during a snowstorm.

I’m not giving up though, just a little deterred. Once the weather warms up, I will be back to walking many miles a day, and with luck biking just as many!

Don’t give up on me yet!

I fell off, but I’m getting better.

Hello all.

This month has sure flown by, hasn’t it.

I’ve started walking again. It isn’t much yet, but it’s a start. I’m walking to and from work, one mile each way. Going to work is nearly all downhill, which of course means walking home is up.

My legs are definitely getting a nice workout. I’m still winded as I walk home, but I can feel it getting better.

I’ve been slipping down the slope of unhealthy eating lately. And my waistband and scale are showing it. Well, I WAS slipping. I have taken steps back on the right path, fighting the urge to munch on garbage (especially at work) and am fighting hard against the urges towards my trigger food–pizza.

Babysteps right now, but soon I will be back into gear.

Wish me luck!

New Year, new goal..

Hello all,

It is the new year, so I guess it is time to set new goals.

First, I’m happy to report that I made my 500 mile goal. In fact, I beat it by 102 miles.

Sadly, I haven’t been walking much at all lately, and I actually gained back some of the weight I lost. But, its a new year, and I’m starting again. So maye by this summer Ill be in better shape than I was last summer, we shall see.

So this year, the new walking goal will be 600 miles.

This doesn’t seem like much, considering I walked over 600 miles last year. But bear with me— the new house I just moved into is on a hill. A big hill. And seeing as how I spent the last few months out of the walking loop, it’s going to take a bit for me to get back into my 5 mile a day routine.

On top of the walking goal, I am setting a biking riding goal of 500 miles. Since I really don’t know how to gauge this, I’m setting this relatively low. This year will be a benchmark year for my cycling.

So the 2008 challenge is the 1100 multi-mile challenge.

Ill do my best to post here as often as I can.

500 mile goal reached!

That’s right,

If you look at my counter over there, you’ll see that I finally reached/surpassed my 500 mile walking goal. Truth be told, I should’ve reached it long ago. But in moving, I took nearly a month off of walking, as well as the past few weeks my walking schedule has been screwy at best.

But it’s there.

And to go along with it, since I’ve started walking on New Year’s Eve, I’ve dropped fifty pounds, and many pant sizes (I’m now wearing 42, as opposed to 48 when I started (and down from the 54 I was wearing at my heaviest)).

Since I met my goal, I’m taking the rest of the year off!

Okay, not really. I’m still fifty pounds heavier than I’d like to be. And besides, this isn’t a quick fix.. It’s a true lifestyle change.

I’m still here…

And I’m still walking!

I’ve hit a few roadbumps, so I haven’t been walking as much. But today I walked more than seven miles!

We’re moving to a place where we’ll be within walking distance to everything. And only a few miles to several state parks with hiking trails.

I’ve seemed to have plateaued as far as weight loss is concerned, but I’m okay with that because I feel a million times better than I have just five months ago!

I’m hoping to ramp up the walking this summer, and get back on track to making my goal of 500 miles this year.

P.S. I took the Joe’s Goals marker down, as I was only doing that for the weight loss challenge, and that went under back in March.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let is Snow..

So we got hit with the big snow storm yesterday, I spent my day shoveling the white stuff. We ended up with over twenty inches, plus having to dig out our cars every time the plow came by.

So how many miles does that convert to?

Suffice it to say I’m a tad sore this morning. But it’s a good sore, and hopefully I can get back out tonight and walk.

Cool, I won…

I won January’s portion of the FWJ/WP weight loss challenge. Very nice.

However, if I want to even come close to January’s output I’ll have to step it up a few notches. Last night was the first time I’ve been able to walk since Feb 1st, the weather has just been nasty lately, with wind chills well into the negative numbers.

Because of this, instead of one hour of exercise a day I’ve only been getting 1/2 hour.

But it’s supposed to be mild enough for the next few days to where I can get back into the swing in things.

Incidentally, I’ve been maintaining my weight at around what I was when I graduated the academy ten years ago. In fact, this is the lowest I’ve been since around June of 1997. I went shopping with my wife on Feb third, and for the first time in a long time I was able to buy jeans in a “normal” store as opposed to a “big and tall” shop.

And it felt good.

Ugh, Im stuck!

Well, not really.

But I haven’t walked since Thursday night, and proable won’t have a chance until Monday. Why?

Weather.

Last night was my birthday, so I spent the night with my wife. Can’t blame me for that, can you?

Tonight we’re going out to dinner, and it’s supposed to drop to the low teens, with a windchill into the negative numbers.

Tomorrow is more of the same.

I’m down to my lowest weight since Jan of 1997…. I’m hoping to increase my exercise a lot once the weather starts warming up. I REALLY want to be down to my high school weight (to start.. I’m not finishing there!)… To get there I have 67 lbs to lose…. to get to where I want to be, I have 118 lbs to drop.

I’m not expecting miracles… I’m hoping to be there by my 37 birthday.

I’ve tallied up my FWJ/WP weight loss challenge points (from Joe’s Goals) and I had 51 points this month. Not sure how that will measure up with the group, but I’m glad to have a little extra motivation to get it in gear!

If you’re interested, click on one of the links by my Joes’ Goals widget. It’s not too late to join!

How are you doing?