Merry Christmas

Things have been busy this week. I kept hoping to post something longer but it will have to wait until next week.

Have a Merry Christmas and I will too!

Catching Up

I thought I would do a little catch up on what has been going on.


Thanks

First of all, I enjoyed your comments about running from your monsters! Makes the blog worth writing with the such great comments! Thanks!


Earn Your Turkey Run

This was a 4 miler on Thanksgiving morning. I have not been running for speed lately so I didn't expect to be fast. I thought if I finished up between 45 and 55 minutes, I would be happy. I finished up at 44:29 so I was quite happy. I didn't start out too fast, I stayed steady through out the race and had just a little extra in the tank at the end to finish strong. I was really happy with the way it turned out.


Accountability
I said that I would be accountable about my weight over the holidays.  I am down a few pounds from my initial weigh in from just before the holidays so that is great!   I need to be careful because I have let up a more than a few times. I don't want to gain weight over the holidays. I think the running is saving my bacon here!

A Little Bragging

My daughter Sarah had her first baby during the last week of November.  He is a cutie and it is fun to see Sarah and Mike as first time parents.  They are doing great and my new grandson is (of course) a cute kid.  That puts us at 14 grandkids! Holy cow! The two youngest and I are getting by as my wife is back east helping out. Yesterday I got up at 5, sorted and started my laundry, ran 7 miles, made sure the kids were out the door OK and went to work. I don't know how single parents do it!  Helps me appreciate my wife!

Goal Accomplished

I was hoping to get in over 2000 miles for the year and I turned over the odometer in the last couple of weeks. Yes!!!

Saturday's Long Run
The mileage for my long runs is nudging up  This Saturday was an eight miler. Most of the trail was ice free until I got up to Bridal Veil Falls. The water from the falls had overflowed onto the trail and iced over. Baby steps! Baby steps!

Bridal Veil Falls Starting to Ice Over

Ice over the Trail

Biggest Loser

I am a big fan of The Biggest Loser. Tonight is the finale! It's always fun to see the changes that the contestants make in a relatively short period of time.  I don't know who is going to win but I am glad Ramon is in the mix because I have always enjoyed his upbeat attitude. This interview with him shows why exercise is so important in a healthy lifestyle. As he mentions in the video, he was diagnosed as the most unhealthy of all the contestants who competed this year including those who were in their 60's. Ramon is one of the youngest! As he pointed out, he had diabetes and sleep apnea but in a few short weeks of eating right and exercise, he has not only lost over 135 pounds, he was told that he no longer has diabetes! Physical activity is not just a weight loss tool. Exercise is the best medicine we will probably ever find.

nbc.com

A lot of you are doing great on not gaining weight over the holidays.  Keep up the great work.   Hang in there and I will too!

Running from the Monster

When I was young, I spent many of my summer weeks at my grandmothers house.  There were many things I like about her staying with her.  A creek split at the top of her property and surrounded her house that my grandfather built.  There were fish to be caught, trees to climb, cherries to eat and most importantly someone who really loved me.  It was an acre of paradise.

Another great thing about spending my days there was the fact that two of my uncles had homes on adjoining properties.  So not only did I get to spend time with my grandmother, but my cousins were close at hand.  Those growing up years were filled with many fun filled memories.

One memory that I had wasn't pleasant though.  Sometimes I would be at my cousins' house until after it was dark.  That meant when it was time to go back to my grandma's house, I had to go down a dark driveway.  This wasn't just a short driveway, but more of a dirt road that connected their houses.  It was a long walk down that road.  But usually it wasn't a walk, it was a run for my life.  I would pause at the top of the drive, screw up my courage and then run like crazy.  I ran past the trees, the duck pen and the unseen monsters that lurked waiting to grab me.  I raced as fast as I could go and then make a sharp left, head for the porch and burst through the door out of breathe and grateful that I made it home alive.  I'm sure my grandmother knew why I was a little wild-eyed and breathing hard but she loved me enough not to say anything.

Image: Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I don't think I realized at the time that there was a monster.  But it wasn't in the trees or the duck pen.  The monster was inside of me.  I had created it and hid it along the drive.  I couldn't outrun the monster because it was running right along inside of me.

I think we all have a monster or two inside of us that keeps us from doing what we would like.  They freeze us into inaction or get us running off in the wrong direction.  They cause us to place the blame somewhere outside of us.

I had one of those monsters that was keeping me for living a more healthy life.  It was making me believe that it was to late for me to make a change and lose some weight.  I'm glad that I had something give me hope that that mosnter wasn't real.  I could make a change, I could be fit again, I could lose weight.

I've still got some monsters that I need to quite believing in and quit avoiding the fact that I am that I am the one I am running from.  One of them is this last thirty to thirty-five more pounds I need to lose.  Why am I not willing to quit running from it?  What's it going to take for me to get rid of this monster?  I hope I can face this monster soon and get it out of my life!

You got any monsters you need to get rid of?

Hang in there and I will too!

Don't Take Things For Granted

Never Say Never


I often will post a quote that I find inspirational.  However, when I saw a quote the other day that included the words "running", "rain", and "crying", I thought that's not a quote I will post.  I thought to myself that I don't run crying in the rain.  So what happens this morning?  I listen to a podcast from Radio Labs that got me tearing up as I was running.  Stupid show!  If you aren't a Radio Labs listener already, I highly recommend it as a podcast to listen to.  This one in particular was powerful in many ways.  If you are interested you can listen here.

Kohn Ashmore

Slow
There were several things that got me thinking as I listened to the story of Kohn Ashmore.  He was severely injured when he was hit by a car when he was eight years old.  He was in a coma for five months and when he awoke, he couldn't talk or walk.  He had to relearn many skills and had to learn how to cope with his permanent disabilities.  One thing that stuck out was how he never realized that his speech was so slow until he recorded himself trying to sing.  He came to an abrupt realization of how he sounded to others and it devastated him.  It took him a long time to overcome that devastation.  Luckily he found friends along the way who helped him in his struggles.

Like I said, there were many things I thought about as I listened to this podcast, but one that really stuck out was how it took a moment like that in my own life when I realized what I was doing to myself and others with my weight problems.  It was a devastating moment of my own.  Thanks to others encouragement and my willingness to work hard I was able to turn things around.  Thanks to all of you who have encouraged me and I hope I have helped you as well.

No Exceptions
With Thanksgiving weekend behind us now, I wonder if you like me made too many exceptions.  We not only had the holiday and the food to deal with, by the time this week is done, there are three birthdays and a family Christmas party we have celebrated as well.  I made way to many exceptions when it came to food choices.  I need to get back into No Exceptions mode for a while. It's too easy this time of year to make too many exceptions and gain weight over the next several weeks.  I'll be accountable in my blog about how I am doing through the New Year.

Hang in there and I will too!

Attitude

Attitude plays an important part of everything we do.

Provo River Trail

For example, It has gotten colder here the past few weeks.  I was getting a bad attitude about it getting cold.  We had a cold spring and I just wasn't ready to head into winter.  After a couple of days of grumping about it, I got to thinking that the main problem with the cold was my attitude about it being cold.

I was able to get through last winter (other than an non-weather related injury) just dandy.  I know how to stay warm and mostly comfortable.  I just needed to accept the fact that the cold is going to be here for a while.  

There are plenty of things to be positive about.

• I really enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the fun associated with getting together with friends and family.  
• I enjoy extra time off from work.  
• I enjoy how things look after a fresh snow.  

There are plenty of things I like about this time of year.

I have settled down a bit and am getting back into the cold routine.  I just check the temperature when I get up and layer up accordingly.  I use up more clothes in one day than I do all week it seems when the weather is warm, but that's no big deal.

What I do to keep warm.

1. I layer according to the temperature.
2. I wear moisture wicking clothing. (No cotton at all!) 
3. I even layer my hands.  I have light weight running gloves that I start with and will either put fingered gloves over them if I need extra warmth.  I also have some thicker mittens when it gets really cold.  I have on occasion even used hand warmers with my gloves, but not very often. 
4. I warm up just a bit before I go out.  I will do light leg and arm swings to loosen up a bit.  It also warms my core up a bit making the shock of the cold not so bad.
5. A nice synthetic wool hat makes a big difference. 
6. I invested in some wicking thermals as well.  They cost a bit more, but I have been happy with them on the occasions when it is extra cold.

I used to worry about rain and snow getting me wet, but on most of my runs, I get wet from the inside out from sweating so I realized that it didn't make much difference what the source of the wetness was.  As long as I'm moving, I am keeping warm.  The only exceptions are my hands and feet.  I explained above about my hands and it's not often when my feet get cold.  Just on those wet, cold, slushy days.  But even those days are not that bad. The only thing that I don't deal with well is ice.  I have slipped too many times in my life to enjoy that, but most of the time, the roads are clear enough to run on.  I go early enough and try to avoid the really busy streets so I don't have much of an issue with cars.  I wear a reflective vest and sometimes use a headlamp.  I have used Yak Traks knock offs before.  They do help with traction on slippery surfaces, but don't do well when the snow is wet and heavy.  I might not have used the best model for what I was trying to do.  Mine didn't have a strap across the top, like the video shows.  I think they would do better.



On those rare days when it's just not doable because of ice, I do have a tread mill as a backup. Now if I can just get a better attitude about the rest of my life, everyone else will be happier!  :) What do you do to deal with the cold?

 Hang in there and I will too! (5 miles away from 1000 miles for the year!)

Justification

Alan at Pounds Off Playoff wrote a couple of thought provoking post.  Read them here and here.  It got me thinking about what I do to justify my actions.  These justifications are what sabotage me in the long run.  Here are two of them.

I am working hard so I can have a little extra.

I deserve a little extra!

This one gets me every time.  If I run six miles, it's OK to throw in a little treat.  I know darn well that it isn't a good thing, but I easily fall into this one.  If I run six miles, I burn a net 812.7 calories.  For more info see this article in Runner's World.  So let's say I justify eating a Whooper with cheese as a result and I've eaten 760 calories in about ten minutes.  Not much calorie deficit after that!  I usually don't go out and get a Whopper with cheese, but I do tend to eat a bit more here and there throughout the day and that adds up really quick.

I'll start being good on Monday
Michele blogged about the importance of today.  I commented that my tomorrow is usually Monday.  Like in, "Monday I'll start watching what I eat better."  But before long it's Tuesday... Thursday... Friday and then it's time to say, "I'll start being good on Monday."  Like Michele pointed out today is the day.  It got me thinking that today is the only day we can do anything.  Yesterday is gone and we have to wait until tomorrow becomes today to actually do anything.  I need to quite justifying today's behavior based on a better tomorrow.

On an upbeat note

I have been logging my mileage on dailymile.com.  I noticed a stat on there that had me feeling pretty good and gives me some incentive to keep going this year.  Since I logged my first mileage in there last year I have run (mostly) 2028 miles.  This year I am at 971 and counting.  I am on track to get in another 1,000 mile year.  Keep your eye on my daily mile update on the side.

Inspiration
People comment that I am an inspiration.  I am happy if I can help others "hang in there", but you have all helped inspire me as well.  I read of you successes, dealing with your challenges and a lot of you have given me pause for thought many times.  Thanks for inspiring me!

Hang in there and I will too!

What's Next?

There is something magical about running; after a certain distance, it transcends the body. Then a bit further, it transcends the mind. A bit further yet, and what you have before you, laid bare, is the soul.

Kristin Armstrong, Mile Markers blog at Runner's World.com

Kristin Armstrong

It is hard for me to express sometimes why I run.  I think the quote I included today helps in a small way to explain to me what it is.  There are few things in life that can help me get a better look at my character, my determination and persistence than running.  It gives me a chance to face my limits and see what I have in me.

So... What's Next?

I've had a fun and challenging last few months.  I ran a couple of 5K's, ran a 10K, ran two half marathons.  I even made it to the highest peak in Utah!  So what am I going to do now?  I find it helps if I have some short and long term goals.  Here's what's up for me.

 

I took it easy this last week.  I have found when you run races, it puts extra stress on your body and you are pretty much forced to take it easy.  I didn't do anything on Monday and Tuesday.  On Wednesday, I walked a couple of miles on the treadmill and stretched.  That really helped.  Friday was my first day trying to run.  Even six days after the half, my legs still felt sluggish as I ran almost three miles.  This would have been an easy run the week before.  Saturday, I ran 5.5 miles as a tip of the hat to my age on my birthday.  I posted on Facebook that "Bill Hiatt ran 40 miles on his 40th.  Not to be outdone, I ran 5.5."  That was a hard 5.5 miles, when I was done, I hurt more than I did after I ran the half.  I think part of the problem was I ran too fast and a little too far.  This morning's run of 3.5 went much better.  I slowed down a bit and I felt much better, especially after stretching.

Last Tuesday, I made the commitment to run a marathon by signing up for the Ogden marathon.  Others who have run this have said that this is a great marathon for someone doing their first and they really enjoy the course.  I must be crazy!  I'll be writing more about this as the weeks go on.  I start official training on January (brrrrrr) but I need to keep my base training up and get my core strong again.

Ogden Marathon

I also signed up for a Earn Your Turkey run on Thanksgiving morning.  It is a 4 miler.  It will be a good short term goal to get me back into training.

Earn Your Turkey

I signed up for my work challenge -  Challenge: Maintain, don’t gain this holiday season! I have had mixed results in the past with the annual challenge.  I plan on being successful this year.  Last blog, I challenged you to do the same.

Big Clyde (I always enjoy his blog!) left me a question in the comments last week that got me thinking.  He said:  

"All-in-all, we're you happy with the race? I think you should be proud."  

Thanks for that question because it really got me thinking.  I was disappointed with that this was my slowest half marathon.  But putting things in perspective, IT WAS A HALF MARATHON!  And thinking more about it, IT WAS MY THIRD HALF MARATHON!  Many years ago, I started training for a marathon.  When I got up to about 11 miles, I couldn't do it any more.  I was in my early thirties and I had to quit.  Here I am over 20 years later and I have done 10 miles and more dozens of times now as I have trained.  Two and a half years ago, I was 325 lbs and couldn't even walk a quarter of a mile without a lot of effort.  Now I am thinking I can do a marathon!  Thanks Clyde for putting this back into perspective for me!  I learned a lot  from this last half marathon.  One thing being, that you get out of it what you put into it.  The change to an easier paced half marathon schedule left me with an slower pace on race day.  

Thanks to the support you give in the comments.  It really helps and encourages me to keep writing and to keep after my goals.  If I didn't post about them, I wouldn't be near as accountable as I am now.

Hang in there and I will too!