12/19-12/25

No running. Knee injury. Starting running either today or tomorrow, at altitude.

12/12-12/18

22 miles. Terrible. Well, maybe not. I really only did three days of running. So, I suppose 22 miles in three days is not so bad. Today (12/20) and tomorrow will be filled with running, because I will be on the road on the 22nd. I am much looking forward to running in Arizona though, and hopefully get in some good hiking. Might even get to go play some golf. I can only hope. Just read this and liked it:

Here are a few things to remember the next time you go out for a run.

1. Work to put yourself in tough situations in training. If you always avoid what is difficult in practice then you will have little experience to draw upon in races. If you can sometimes make training more difficult than what you expect to happen in racing then you will increase your opportunity for success.
2. Accept that negative self-talk will enter into your head in both training & racing. Once you have accepted it then throw it in the trash. It doesn’t help and only begins to send you down the path to failure. Accept that you are human and your mind is engineered to steer you away from tough situations. However, also accept that you can control which path you go down so sometimes taking the difficult road is what you need to reach new heights.
3. Understand that you are an emotional being. Do not deny the role that emotions have in your life. The more you understand your emotions and how they can sway you without direction the more you will then learn how to control them. Remember that you are the driver. With practice you can change your perceptions of tough situations. So… get out there and start practicing.
4. Remember that your frame of mind is everything. As my coach said to me when I was competing… “If running was that easy then everyone would do it and everyone would win. It’s not, so get out there and get tougher. It’s the best way to get you what you want out of this sport”.
5. If you don’t see that the opportunity for the reward is not greater than the risk of failure than loss is imminent. The pursuit must be worth it. Think big, train hard and be ready to handle the situations that will occur.
6. Nervousness, fear, anxiety are the inevitability of sport. Without these it is not exciting. Without these are adrenaline levels don’t rise and our performances will not reach their peak. Embrace these feelings as drivers towards success. Use them to give you added energy to go faster, go longer and reach new levels of performance.
7. If you can’t see it you can’t do it. Start to see it happen in your mind while you are training and while you are relaxing. Mental confidence to hit a goal comes over time. It is as much a part of the training plan as the physical work. This confidence is what elevates training on a daily basis. It helps to make smart decisions on and off the track. If you can clearly see yourself reach the goal then it all becomes about connecting the dots on race day

12/5-12/11

A solid week of running. Although most of my running was done by myself, because Teacher did not want to get out in the cold. (I don't blame him!!!) Monday was 5? I think. It was with Teacher, and it was cold. Tuesday was on my own at N. Farm, and more cold. Wednesday was the coldest, with Temps not breaking 30 degrees. I did not run far. Because it was cold. Very cold. Thursday I ran a few miles around the house, and Friday I put in 7 at N. Farm. I found out that I like running around the trails at N. Farm and Rambunctious Puppy likes the trails more. So we've put several miles around the trails. Saturday morning I went for three at N. Farm. It was cold at first, but after a while, I actually warmed up and forgot that I was running in the cold.

Miles for the week: 26.

Monthly miles: 53.

*Edited to Add - I also just found out that I have an awesome blister on my left foot. Excitement has ensued.

11/28-12/4

A week of running. I put in 27 miles this week, which is about 7 more than I have in the past. I look forward to put in more. although yesterday, I only ran 2. But it was cold yesterday. anyways... I do feel the extra 7 miles in my legs, as my right leg is significantly more sore than is has been prior. the right knee cap was a little week on Sunday, so I used Sunday to take off and let it recover. today (12/7) it is still sore, but not enough for me to care to continue rest. I am keeping it under observation for further trouble though.

12/1

I put in a few miles in the frigged cold. It's 39 degrees outside. Today is the second time I've used the under armor cold gear. The first was a few weeks back, while my body was still adjusting to the cold (it was 60 degrees then). I know now, that is cold gear was not necessary then. Tonight, it was beyond necessity. It was F'ing cold.

I went with Monroe, who we'll call "Roe" for ease of typing. Puppy came along as well. The first mile was spent becoming one with the frigid air, and finding reasons to believe that running further would be a good idea. For the record, running further is never a good idea. The problem with running past when you want to stop is that you never know when to quit. You have already told your body to F@#K off, so you won't listen to it again. If you've already told your body what for, your brain is next. You don't need your brain when you run anyway, if anything the brain gets in the way as much as the body, if not more. The only thing that made me quit tonight was Roe and his many bathroom breaks. At one point, Roe darted just off the road, and let loose of the most horrible smelling solid matter ever known to mankind. The smell of rotting carcass in the desert sun, topped with a dumpster from behind a Chinese restaurant who's pick up date has been skipped over the last two weeks, filled the neighborhood. There was a lot of stop and go, as Roe had his moments of panic when he would release a foul stench from his rear that would surprise even his self, and cause a shut down of movement. As I was running behind Roe, the stench would strike me in the face. I could almost see the green fog drift from ground level as it forms a fist the likes of Brock Lesnar, striking me in right square in the nose. Enough of Roe's Jedi Death Farts.

The remainder of the run was good. I kept a solid pace all the way through, and completed 5. which was 5 more than I intended to complete today. This makes 17 so far this week.

11/28

So yeah, Gonna go ahead and make this at least a weekly blog. It;s not like I have anything better today, I just feel like there is more to be said where I can review teh week of running, unless something happens on the run that day, then I will post.

this week was pretty easy, I stepped up the mileage a little and put in 27 miles this week. Next week starts tomorrow.

11/17

5 miles... it was a good run, I am proud of all who participated

11/14

3.24 miles tonight... pretty good. I felt good running, and ran with (near) a cute chick in a red shirt. It was fun, and motivational. puppy went as well, and had equally as much fun. It's runs like today that keep someone going back for more!

11/13

I am still a lazy bum. Running tomorrow.

11/12

Ok, new page, different day, new motivation, fresh outlook, a mint plan, unprecedented exploration, clean slate, renewed blueprint, newfangled strategy.

I ran two miles already today. I will be running more later, but I wanted to get this one out of the way.

11/11

I am a lazy bum

11/10

I went to sleep last night sometime around 3. I woke up at 0900, looked at teh clock and said, "no." I then woke up at 1100 and said, "no." I then woke at 1500 and said, "I should go run." So I texted Teacher, who said, "Gimmie a minute to wake up." I then went back to sleep. and woke up at 1800. I did not go run.

11/8

1.5 miles, took some time, I am adjusting to running in cold weather. and it was cold. The cold sucks all desire.

11/1

I ran a long way today... it took 2.5 hrs. and it sucked... but we forgot to stop.

10/30

What?! It's Saturday!?!?! I don't care, I run when I want! I ate a lot of crap last night, and felt bad like crap this morning, so I decided that when the temp got above 40 degrees (F) I'd go for a good little run. I made it 5. And felt terrible the whole way. I loved every minute of it.

10/29

Early run today. I like Sam Elliot's voice. Better than Mike Rowe. It's a toss up between Sam Elliot and Dennis Haysbert (the first President Palmer on TV's hit show 24 and Pedro Cerrano from Major League). Anyway, I ran 3 today. Today I ran without music, and that sucks... but I need to get used to it. so, 3 today.

10/27

Crappy run tonight. We got our 3 in, but it was not a good 3. I think I know now why people define their runs between a solid (insert number here) and a garbage run. Because tonight's run was garbage. It was humid, muddy, and all around crappy outside. A normal Mississippi night. Neither Teacher or I were happy with our performance, but could do little with what we were working with. We didn't even pick up the pace when a cute girl ran by. That's bad.

10/25

I have been stagnant in my posting here, mostly due to the fact that this is not often read. So I don't see much point, other than for my own benefit. To look back and see how far I have come since my beginning, I am proud.

Tonight, was a good run, 8 miles or so. 5 with Teacher, and 3 more with Teacher and his friend that came out. It was challenging. I struggled through the first mile with a painful cramp near my belt line, on the right side. After a short break at our mid point, the pain went away, and we continued the run with Teacher's friend.

To be honest motivation was severely lacking tonight, as it has the last few times we have been out running. I believe that a change of scenery may help a little. Unfortunately, there's not much to this town, and I have no idea where we could run at that is as convenient as our current location.

10/20

I was worried about the 1.5 mile run that I have on 11/5, So I checked out my 1.5 mile time today, I have 15:28 to complete it in, and let's say that this is no longer a concern of mine. I only did 3 miles today. But I feel they were quality miles.

10/19

Alright, I said I would not post anything about the run today, but I do have to congratulate my running partner for the night. She had no quit in her, and muscled through what may have been one of the toughest 1.5 miles of her life. I was very proud.

10/19

Day 2 P90X. Plyometrics. It's jump training, and cardio. supposedly makes you run faster with this training. It only made me hurt. There will only be a 1 mile run today to work out the soreness, and because a friend of mine wants me to get her to start running. This begins today. so we are going to start at a mile (or 30 minutes but she doesn't know that yet.) I will not post that run, because it doesn't count. But day 2 of P90X hurts already.

10/18

Day 1 P90X. That sucked.

Then Big Brother came home, and we lifted weights. the conversation went like this:

Big Brother, "Did you work out already?"

Me, "Yes."

BB, "Cool, let's do some weights."

M, "But I don't want to."

BB, "ok, well when you get a chance, make sure to rub some vagisil on."

M, "Ok, I'll workout."

Ok, it didn't really go down like that. But it was close

I then received a phone call from Teacher, who said, "hey, how's that burger from lunch sitting?" To which I replied, "I have to pooh."

which received the response, "see you at north farm in 20 min."

We ran 5 miles. Pretty fast. We have brought things to a whole new level.

10/17

Went out to the refuge today, nephew got a new bike and wanted to go do some trail riding. So we did. I ran behind him, due to the trails, she did not ride very fast... I also saw him fall off and watch his face bounce off of the dirt. That was hilarious. he cried for a while, while I laughed for a while longer. That run lasted for about 2 miles. Then we came home, when he got bored of playing in the house, we rode his new bike around the neighborhood, he wanted to race. I can out run a 5 year old on his bike, for a mile. With rest about every 1/4 mile. but to my defense, he was the one who said he needed a break... not me. A good time was had by all.

10/16

went running, ran a lot. will run more tomorrow. I need a job.

10/16

I have not run in two days, this will be changing today, long run, no less than 10 miles. I will check back later...

I did hit the weights. The run may not be fun

10/13

Oh great and wonderful wizard of blogspot,

Yeah, it's been a while since I've posted, things are ok, I have been running.

So on Monday, I went running with teacher, who mentioned that he had seen the posts which had a reference to him. I was immediately embarrassed. Not because I have written such things about teacher, but that he actually read them. BTW, Dude, if you're reading this now stop. The next part is meant to speak well of you, and you don't need any more confidence boosting.

Um, yeah, we ran like 5 miles, could have been 12, outran the Captain, mostly cause he showed up late and did not run as far. But we still did. So, back to the aforementioned issue. Teach read the post that basically said he needs to try harder. Allow me to defend myself. In my mind (I was wrong) if you're running, you should be training for a marathon. This is not Teach's frame of mind. And it should not be teach's mind. One (possibly the only) good thing, is that teach said that it lit a fire under is pants, and he came out today with vengeance. Absolutely incredible was the effort that Teach put forth. So good on you teach, even though you should not be reading this.

10/6

4 miles, the run was significantly more difficult today, due to the fact that I can't feel my arms. Ok not entirely true, I feel my arms very well, and they hurt, they hurt a lot. I preceded my run today with another weight routine, similar to the last, but with more intensity. I was angry at the weights. I will do that no more, seeing as my arms now hurt more. But, 4 miles regardless. There is a relatively humorous story about the run, but my arms hurt and I will no longer be typing.

10/5

No run today, I lifted weights with my brother, here's how it went:

Curls 10 (sets) x20 (reps) at 75lbs

Bench 10 x 25 at 200

Rows 10 x 25 at 80

Bent Over Rows 10 x 20 at 80

That sucked and my arms are already sore.

10/4

4 miles today, I need to get some cold weather running gear, or move back to TX, where it's still 80 degrees.

The run went well. No major difficulties, however, the ball of my foot hurts. I believe that this is because I was hitting a forefoot strike for most of the run, as opposed to a mid-foot landing. This is only on my left foot. I'm not sure of the exact reason that it only hurts there, but I think that as I am running, I am exhaling on that step. But I seem to be able to find a good rhythm during my run, and just sort of go on cruise control. Now to get on cruise control for 26.2 miles.

10/3

So I have these pockets, or pouches on my running shorts, I believe that these are there for the gels that should be consumed during a long run. I need to run far enough that I have to utilize these pockets or pouches. No run today, but I did walk about 10 miles at the refuge while the nephew rode his bike and terrorized the rambunctious puppy.

10-2

Um, so yeah... 6 miles on a trail at Noxubee. Dog was happy, chased a deer... She took off to the right, bound over a couple of fallen trees, I've never seen her jump that high. She got nowhere near the deer, but it was fun to watch.

10-1

So yeah... No run today. I figured I needed a rest day. I will, however, go for a run tomorrow, even if it's my last run. I think I'll go out to the refuge with the dog.

Terrible, just terrible

Well, I didn't want to run today, but Josh Cox updated his twitter which said, "need to rally for the afternoon run." He of course was not talking specifically to me, because he has no idea who I am. Cox was speaking of himself, but I took it as a personal challenge that he made towards me. So I ran. I went out with little to no motivation, and I finished 2 miles later, with even less motivation. I just didn't want to go, maybe it was my body telling me to take a break. I still call shenanigans on it, and require more from my body. I'm pissed. I think I'm gonna go for a run.

9/29

9/29, I can't remember what I ran yesterday, but I know that it was a long way.

9/28

The first step takes you the whole way. I had a severe lack of motivation again today. But I did it anyway. I find solace in the fact that others feel the same way as me. I know they do, because I read about it every day, and they run anyway, every time.

On to the run today. I set my goal at 8 miles. I then proceeded to exceed my expectations, by running 8.05. It's not far, but far enough for me to say that I ran farther than I meant to. I get tired of running in a circle though, I'd need to start looking for a new place to run.

9/27

Oh buddy. I have never felt better running today. I went for a 5 miles run today that ended in about 42 min. My first mile was at 7:43 according to my secretary (iPhone app). And much of the same through the remainder of my run. I admit that I went out faster than I wanted, but I was not going to let a 40 y/o man beat me. The teacher went out with me today, and I have to be honest I am impressed with the progress he is making. When we started running, he could not run a half mile, and he is now, well, still not quite to a mile, but getting closer and feeling better about it every day.

A while back I went through the problem of running through the pain. I found the article on runningtimes.com that helped me fight through the muscle fatigue and desire to keep going. I mentioned the article to Teacher, he was not as receptive as I was to the idea. Which is funny considering the masochist that he is. I know this simply because we are both martial artists, and he, a Judoka. So, I want to encourage him to keep going through the mild discomfort, but he is pretty set that he does not want to have any pain, like, at all.

So back to the run. It went well.

9/26

ok, so the previous post was in fact posted on 9/26, but pertained to the 9/25 day of training.

I woke up this morning, at 0800, and decided that since my legs were still sore, I should go for a run. I made a three mile easy run. took me 30 min.

edit: In addition, I went out to the woods and ran another 3. Rambunctious puppy was feeling... well... rambunctious, so we headed out to a trail at the Noxubee Wildlife refuge, where Puppy chased deer, and snakes. While I ran 3. Fantastic change of scenery, and really motivated my run. probably gonna rest tomorrow. I have run a lot this weekend.

9/26

umm... yeah... 12 today.

9/23

3 miles today, had dinner plans, so I had to cut things short. But, I did get my 3 in.

9/20

I ran today. This should not be a surprise to anyone. Mostly because it's Monday, and nothing surprise anyone on a Monday. I began before Teacher, because he was late. He blamed it on a girl. I need to lose weight though, I have been losing inches, because my pants don't fit, but I still look fat. Anyway, I got a mile in before teacher, then we ended up doing our standard 5. The mile warm up was good though, I didn't necessarily keep a good pace the whole way, but it was comfortable. So 6 on the day.

9/18

Holy Cow. I ran 5 with the teacher today. He left, I still had energy, So I ran another 2.71. Total of 7.71. well this according to the GPS on the iPhone. I believe it was closer to 8 than the 7.71. I felt really good. My mother actually texted me to ask how much longer I'd be running. Because she was trying to make dinner plans for the family. So, she texts me after my 5, I tell her that I'm feeling pretty good, I had no idea how much longer I'd be. That was a good feeling. A really good feeling. So 7.71 (roughly) in 1 and 1/4 hrs (roughly). not too bad.

9/16

no run today... rest was needed.

9/15

5 at a 9 min pace. No hills those are a bad idea.

9/14

I'm sorry Blogspot. Please forgive my failure in our relationship.

today I ran 5.5 miles. Next time I do this, remind me to do the hill work prior to running 5 miles. That was terrible and unfortunate. So I believe that it is time to set the goal, I plan to run the Austin Marathon, Feb 20, 2011. I would like to run a sub-3 hour marathon, but, in speaking with my best puddy, he believes that sub 3 may be a little ambitious. This is fuel to the fire to do as such, but... odds are... I'm hoping to finish in 3.5 hrs. I'm also gonna talk him into run the AM with me, or at least on the same day as me. Jedi, you remember him... he wants to run the 1/2 and the full on the same day. To that I say, "NUTS." this is not a challenge to him by any means, as I know he will do it, but it is me saying that I will not participate in both events. So I suppose it's time to up the mileage, as I said I would do. eh... maybe not... I can procrastinate with the best.

9/8

Total today is at 8. Ran 3 this morning, and ran 5 this evening. These are my real mileages. I am running at least two times a day. and will keep that going. I like running. now may be a good time to change the blogspot from imafatmanrunning to iusedtobeafatmanrunning. haha

9/7

So this was my run today. 4.15 miles, in 43 min. I believe this to be acceptable. My right calf is a little tight, so I've put some heat on it and wrapped it up after some stretching. The run went well, as I didn't feel much discomfort on the actual run. I suppose that means I didn't go hard enough, but I felt I was in a groove, and was not interested in pushing too hard today. Tomorrow I will... Oh, tomorrow... body, you have no idea what is in wait for you. haha

9/6

I did 4 today. I began the day with a short 1/2 mile warm up. Then ran up and down a hill several times. Followed by a 1/2 mile cool down, or something. Then ended the day with a 4 mile run. it was fun. I am not feeling sore at all... yet.

9/5

No running today. Ok, that is not true. While tail gaiting today with the nephew, who is 6y/o, I did some sprints. Anyone who has a 6y/o knows why. This kid was EVERYWHERE! I could not get him to stop or slow down for a moment. This is ok, because I was trying to wear him out for my big brother. So nephew wanted to have races. These races were about a 20 yard run. Unfortunately, I am a little, scratch that... a LOT sore from the seven yesterday. Does anyone know how it feels to be running flat out as fast as you can, and still get beat by a 6 year old. He thought it was great, and made fun of me for not being able to catch him. Eventually the soreness wore off, and I began to run more effectively, and I beat him. I got to save face. But, still, I got beat by a 6y/o.

SEVEN!

9/3, Yeah I did seven miles today time was just over an hour. The whole run felt really good. No problems, very little muscular fatigue. Until now. Now I wish I had stopped at 6. haha. I even out ran my dog today. She stopped at mile 5, and laid down behind my truck. I checked in on her every now and then, as I passed by, and she'd look up at me, as if to tell me I'm crazy. Granted. I am little off.

9/2

B-day!

And funny enough, a great birthday present... I found this article interesting

http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=18261&PageNum=1

"Pain, Deal with it."

9/1

Ended up with 6 miles today... and somebody had the nerve to tell me today that I am not fat... I took offense to this. I am well aware that I am a hefty fellow. Don't lie to me. Ok, I didn't really take offense to that. It made me feel good. It means that I am doing something right. So anyway, 6 miles into 175. That's, what, about 5%? Not bad. I am really sore today, the "knees" are hurting. And the knees are hurting. But over all feeling good.

8/31

The problem: How do you get past the point where you want to stop running?

Inevitably, there is a point in my run, where I think to myself, "I've gone far enough." Usually, this is at the one or two mile point. How many other people, especially individuals my age and weight, are out running everyday? I have not ever, in my entire life, seen anyone close to my size running. So I justify this to myself, that a mile or two is more than most people have done today. So since I've done more than most, I'm ready to quit.

My legs are just getting warmed up at the one mile mark. "They," say that it takes 10 minutes to warm your muscles up. So when I hit my one mile mark, there is only a subtle difference between my legs being warmed up and my legs being done. But I press on. One foot in front of the other stumbling forward. What is this drive, this motivation, this stupidity to keep going?

What makes me think that running is a good idea? Short answer is, I have no idea. I ran two miles today, and am angered at myself. Ok, I ran 1.75 miles, and walked the last quarter mile. Absolute lack of motivation. I was motivated prior to getting out there. I had a dream about Deena Kastor the other night, and was looking forward to running all week, as if i were actually a seasoned marathoner. I enjoy pretending that I am a marathoner, although I have not yet completed one. Rest assured I will. I have people who won't let me quit. I wish those people were running with me today. The Austin Marathon is in Feb of 2011. The Rocket City Marathon is Dec 2010. These things I want to do.

Today was a total let down. Hopefully this anger rolls into tomorrow, and I will do better.

I have set a goal, over the next 30 days, I will run 175 miles.

8/30

I almost forgot. Today was 6 miles. ya know... running really sucks sometimes. Especially when you have to run up hills and into head winds. I've decided, that this year, I am turning 26. I think I pretty much have to run a marathon. I believe that it's a part of the s.o.p. for anyone who turns 26 (that wants to run a marathon). So now to find the event.

8/29

no, it's Sunday, I am not running... Well, I may... but anyways... I wanted my viewers to check this out http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=20507 . Me and this guy have this a lot in common. Except me that I haven't run 100 miles yet. I liked this article...

8/28

Was pressed for time today, but I got in 3 solid miles. I will be doing some hill training from now on as often as possible. It is a completely different thing, treadmill training and running outside. Treadmill training is easier, and more fun, because I can watch TV. outside running, gives me too much time to have my self reflections... Running and thinking is great... start thinking, and before you know it, you've run 5.

8/26

Went running today. Ran several miles. Then, I got the bright idea... hey, I should be able to run up a hill. So I found a hill... and proceeded to run up it. What a mistake... My legs are sore today... a lot.

8/25

Early run today. We went running at 1600. The run went well. I felt good all the way. I suppose that it is time to up the mileage. I must brag on the teacher. He received a complement from a nice looking young lady, that gave him some serious motivation. And I must say, that had a received the same complement, I woulda run a marathon today.

Captain's Log, Star date, 8/24/10

Yeah, I did it, I busted out the Star Trek reference. So, I went to NF today, and busted out 3. I walked, like, two of them. It was tough getting motivated today. I just didn't feel like doing anything, and there was nobody there to help me with that. The dog came and had fun though. The mile that I did run, I did in 7 min.

That is all

8/23

Yeah, 5 down. 52 min. A little slow, but I started out fast, and gradually slowed down. Tomorrow I'll try to keep the pace. I guess it's not too bad being 250+ lbs, and being able to average close to a 10 min/mi for 5 miles. On the 3rd mile, I rolled my ankle making the turn, it is still sore even though I ran almost 3 hrs ago. I'm taking it easy the rest of the night. I ran with the Captain today, and his dog, Booray. I think it's funny that his dog's name is Booray. My dog did not go today, and as we were finishing up number 5, a dog that I have met before ran up to me, his name is Tom Tom, after some Canadian painter. I have two problems with this. The dog is named after a Canadian, and the dog is named after a painter. but, it's not my dog, so who am I to judge. If I have offended any Canadians.... Why are you reading this, shouldn't you be shoveling snow or something? I kid, I kid... I like Canadians, Keifer Southerland is Canadian.

8/19

So... I ran 5 days last week. 3 mi/day. Not good enough. Today is my first day back after the weekend, of which I did not run. Over the weekend that is. So we are going to try to go ahead and get 5 today. Jedi called me and told me he was back at running 5/day his time was at about 45 min. I hate him. So today's goal is 5 and I'll post later about it. Dog is not going with me today, as I fear she will just slow me down.

8/19

Went running again today. It was fun. I only did 3 because it stopped raining. I was at about a 10 min mile each lap I ran. My dog did trip me up and I had to stop and tie my shoe twice. next time I'll double knot them. oh well... came back home and ate some of momma's meat loaf. and it was delicious.

8/18

I went running with the dog, actually, 2 dogs and the teacher and captain. The other dog was the captain's. So I only mapped a mile, cause I got tired of carrying my iphone, but I found my armband today, so tomorrow I'll map the whole run. Hopefully to get 5 miles. I only did three today, I don't think the dog can handle more than that. I also lifted weights today, and it hurts to type. So that's all. Thanks BS

8/17

Went back out to N. Farm. This will be my daily area for running. I enjoy it out there, and if I want to bring the puppy I can. Which I did today. We did 3 miles. Unfortunately puppy cannot do much more than that. run went well... and I got run momentarily with a cute girl, or, I got to run by a cute girl. Anyway, the highlight of the day was a fox. A fox, that puppy decided to run after. My dog really loves her tennis ball, and to see her run after her tennis ball, is amazing, she is quick. To see puppy run after this fox was... well... like watching a rocket car. All I could see was a brown blur tear off into the distance, smoke was still standing in the air as puppy was 300 yards away, fire was on the wet grass. It was a good thing she was not wearing a flux capacitor, because if she was, she'd be in 1955. Roads, where we're going, we don't need roads. The fox leaped into the tree line and puppy, knowing that the fox, more than likely, had reinforcements in the woods, hit the brakes and toppled end over end to a halt. I could hear tires screeching from her paws on the grass.... It was hilarious.

8/16

Went for a run on North Farm on the MSU campus yesterday. Was a good run. The Captain was unable to attend this time, but I ran with teacher. We got 3 in and walked a 4th. I suffered an injury changing a tire to my lower back, so I had been trying to take it easy the last couple of days. The back did fine, a little tight today. I will get some good stretching in before I go run again. I am a little more sore in the legs than I think I should be, I will be ok though, gonna go run and work it all out.

8/15

So here's the story,

Driving back from Jacksonville (reason not important), I was just outside of Palestine, when all of the sudden, my truck will no longer produce kinetic energy. My guess is the fuel pump (I was wrong). So here I am 90 mi away from home, in between Palestine and Buffalo, stuck on the side of the road, when I am supposed to move to OK the day after tomorrow. Truck will not run, so we call a tow truck, whilst waiting for the truck, a nice gentleman comes across the street and offers us a beer, of which we partake. Great guy he is.

After the shenanigans of the day and two days following, I decided to bump OK and move back in with the 'rents, much to my better judgement. Turns out it has not been so bad. I do wish that I was in OK with the old roommate, cause he's cool. In the end though, I believe that I have decided that my current POA will work out. I'll continue running, and drop weight, and spend my 22-23 weeks away from the computer. I will give notice on the day before I leave for those weeks.

In the time between, I will begin running again. I have had more than plenty of time to become acclimated here... again, and will begin the running tomorrow. I have been doing speed work with the Pit Bull and the Doberman, but distance training starts tomorrow. I have a teacher and an Army Captain who will be running with me. Both are martial artists, so we'll have things to talk about on out run. New start BS

8/4

Truck broke down, moving home in the morning... will tell story later. Sleep now.

8/2

Weights, need to run....

Keep me goin BS

8/1

So, I have spent the last 3 or 4 days on a golf tour. I spent Thursday playing golf in Bryan, and Friday was golf in Temple, Saturday was also golf in Temple. No running or working out at all, unless you count walking 18 as a work out. Which I do. I do have a crazy awesome tan going on, and my glove hand is pronounced. I am still debating working out today... I'm a little tired.

Holla BS

7/29

Today was a terrible day, allow me to tell tales of the glorious splendor of the day, because I have that kind of time to kill.

Last night, my truck began giving me crap. It felt like a misfire with the plugs. However I replaced the plugs last year, so that should not be the problem. I took the truck to autozone to run a diagnostics test, ans sure enough it was the misfire. Autozone told me that it may be time to replace the distributor cap and rotor, and that I may as well replace the plug cables while I am at it. So today, bright and early I purchased the parts for my truck and began work on the truck, it was 0800. By 1100 I was done. Sure, maybe it should not have taken that long, but I am also including the travel time.

So, at that time, I decided that functionality and performance of my truck now took priority over the ascetics. Previously I had ordered a part for the truck for the dashboard. All who have seen my truck know that the dash looks like poop... absolutely terrible. I decided not to install the part, and see if I could have the part restocked. long story short, the dealership lost my part, and all the paperwork... They no longer believed that I had paid for it, and they would not give me money back for something I hadn't paid for. So I had to research when I purchased the part. Found that out and took it back to them, I was the refunded the money.

So then my run. I haven't (as before mentioned) been keeping up with the running as of late. And it was something very small that killed my motivation to run (along with not having someone to run with). I went to my gym, but forgot the key, by the time I returned home, I did not want to go run. HOWEVER, today I ran. got 5 in. The first mile was slow, I kept it at about a 12 min/mi, Second mile was a little tougher, I picked up the pace to an 8 min/mi. Third was my peak at 7 min/mi. I was really tired after that, but proud that I actually made a 7 minute mile. The last two miles ended up being pretty tough, and I rounded down the day at a 10 minute pace. I need to do 2 things... One, I need to pick up my pace, so that 7 minute pace is comfortable. Two, I need to extend mileage. Maybe next week, I will make a couple 7 or 8 mile days. Third, I need consistency. Whether or not I have motivation I need to get mileage in.

Keep me persistent BS.

7/28?

Surely it hasn't been 5 days since the last post. darn. I am sorry to all my readers (HA!).

well... where to start? I have not been keeping up the running as promised, but I have been keeping up the golf. Walking the course, no more riding for me. I still see walking 18 as more exercise than most people get in a month, because we live in a sedentary america. I will run later today, I just got off the course and need a bite to eat. I'll post later the results of the run.

Keep me posting BS.

7/23

No workout, no golf... I had to work both jobs today, so I opted out of the workout. Tomorrow will be the same with the jobs, but I will get a workout between the two. sorry Blogspot.

7/22

No workout today. 0355 did not work for me, so I slept a little longer. try it again tomorrow... shot an 81 at the TAMU golf course today 18 holes. Front nine were poor, back nine were better. 0355 here I come... Keep me honest BS

7/21

7/21, no run. Walked 18 holes. For those who do not know (as if anyone reads this) 18 holes walking is 3 miles, give or take. It mostly depends on how good you are. With me it's more like a walk 4 or 5. then I did a killer arm, chest, back, and abs work out. Then hit 2 buckets of balls at the driving range (about 250 balls). minimal food intake today, so I am pretty exhausted. waking up at 0355 to go run though.... May try to talk my roommate into it as well... I dunno though... He walked the 18 with me today. only carried my clubs for a single hole though... so not a very good caddy. we need to work on that lol.. Keep me honest BS. haha, cause BS by definition is not honest.

Deuces.

7/20

7/20, Walked 18 holes, Ran 5, biked 5. Biked was in the gym... it's still too cotton picking hot to do anything outside. At the end of 18, all of my clothes were soaking wet with sweat. It was a beautiful thing. Walking another 18 tomorrow. 0700 Tee Time... I'm not quite ready for the pro tour yet... but watch out Amateur Tour... I'm coming to win some money there haha...

Keep me honest Blogspot.

7/19

7/19... 5 miles then an arm workout with back and abs... arms are a little sore, back and abs and legs are fine.... I need a day off... Walking 18 holes in the morning, then running in the afternoon. went to the driving range this afternoon and worked out my slice... should play well... I'll update how I did on that. Again, I am sorry for the poor grammar. welp... got a tee time at 0700. Keep me honest blogspot.

No Run

Did not run today, but I got a great leg workout... 10 minutes on the bike, 280 leg press 4x15, 170 leg extension 4x15, leg curl 130 4x15, lunges 2x20, hops... I jumped onto a steel box 3 ft high 50 times. Then an awesome ab workout, did scrapper abs (www.trainforstrength.com). plus a few extra incline sit ups and leg raises. oh and calf raises 135 lbs 4x50. legs will be sore tomorrow, but I'll run it out then... 5 tomorrow. tomorrow I weigh in for the first time.... lets hope i'm still under 270 ha ha... Thanks blogspot.

Terrible Start

Well, I got my 5 in, two days in a row. I had a terrible start due to my inability to update on the 16th. Given, it was a rough day, however I still could have taken the time to type, "day 1, 5 accomplished." for the 16th and 17th I spent my time on the treadmill. This is good for me to make sure I keep a good pace, and also, it's hot outside. too hot. I'm in the middle of Texas. So for now, I will keep running inside on the treadmill, until there is a day where it's not so stinkin hot. My roommate is about to go run, I may join him for another few miles today... no like anybody actually reads this, but I will update later, if for nothing else, my own benefit.

Keep me honest blogspot.

It's only 100 miles

So, Maybe I am skipping a few steps here, however, I have been thinking.... Why should I not run a hundred mile race. I think the date is set. The motivation is there, and there is time to train accordingly.

Several things must fall into place first. and I have to be a little lucky. I'll be using this as my daily training log (minus approximately 21-22 weeks that will be spoken for, and I will not have the internet access). Keep me honest oh blogspot. Keep me daily blogging about the training. training starts at 0300 on 7/16/10. maybe 0400, but either way, before I go to work at 0600.

I will be running the Mother Road 100 from Kansas to Oklahoma in November of 2011. Should be a good time...

My motivation is drawn from several different areas in my life. Mostly because of, as mentioned before, I am a fat guy, and people think I cannot do it. To those who are my motivation, thank you. And thanks to my Municipal court Judge, who sent me an email telling me that he and his daughter are running their first half-marathon. That was a huge motivator for me to do this. Of course there will be a marathon between now and then, just so I can say I've done a marathon too.

I apologize for the world for grammatical and spelling errors, but I wrote this in a hurry because it's 2324 on 7/15, and if training starts at 0400 7/16... I need to sleep... big day tomorrow, gonna try for an easy 5.

Wish me luck

Armadillo Dash 2010

It was hard. It hurt. It was not fun. It took too long. I can run it faster. I have to do it again. But let me rewind to four months ago. As JedI and I were finishing up our scrapper work out (www.traingforstrength.com) by running a mile on the treadmills, JedI tells me, “Hey you know what would be a good idea, if we ran a half marathon.” As I sat and pondered, I discovered that I was indeed tired enough to agree to this splendid concept. Sure, I can run a half marathon… How long is a half marathon?

13.1 miles. We began training, I’ll skip the details here, just know that during the course of training I lost somewhere in the range of 50-60 lbs. Did I mention that I’m fat. That’s kinda important to the story.

Race day arrives, my own “D-Day,” I found that getting to the race… ha… Race, what a funny concept. Let me veto the very thought of this being a race. Maybe it was a race for some, for myself, it was a run. A very, very long run. A Very Long Run. “Run” day came, and I found that making my way to the start finish line, may have been more difficult that initially expected. My wonderful Mother drove into town to watch me run, or rather, to be there for me when I finish the race, er I mean run, and Wonderful Mother brought my dog. Who’s very presence inspired me to go back to bed, or throw the tennis ball and forego the race, I mean run. Traffic getting to race site had not been seen by many. A larger turn out than expected. Who, in their right mind, would wake up a 0500 to go and pay $60 to run 13.1 miles. More people than anyone thought would. Of course I made the mistake of assuming that these people were or are in fact in their right mind. These people were/are not in their right mind. They are crazy, they… Are runners. Wonderful Mother and I park the vehicle and exit towards the mass crowd, where I assume the start line is. Heidi (the dog) in tow and full of rambunctious spunk. Excited to be alive. Me, less so at this point. I pinpoint JedI in the crowd, and our pre-race picture was taken, obviously staged, because we were smiling. Neither of us were happy to be awake this early.

As JedI and I make our general small talk about the morning, and how there should not be a 7 o’clock am. The gun goes off. Wait, was that for us? Sure let’s go for a run.

The first mile went by largely uneventful. I saw several of my co-workers from the local law enforcement agency who were working traffic direction. Part of me wanted to hide in the crowd, the other part of me wanted to run over and talk with them, and another part of me wanted to watch that cute ass that just ran by. Damn, gotta catch up. One mile down.

The second mile is a different story. With the iPod playing, the patter of feet around me, and cars going by, I was unable to concentrate on my breathing. I got winded lost my rhythm, and gave up. I had to stop and walk, regroup and rethink. JedI was pissed. So I decided to make him happy, I’d start running again.

The next couple of miles went by with more of the same, then it hit me. I hope there is a toilet around here somewhere. What luck. At the next water station, the boy scouts were there. Seriously, the boy scouts had a water stop with Johnny-On-The-Spots. I had to pee. It was a nice rest, but with it being only ¼ through the race, I mean run, it had to go on. But thank you to the boy scouts. Always Prepared.

Coming up on mile 6, JedI and I could hear something. Was that… could it be… it was. There was a live band, playing Journey, “Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train going anywhere.” we ran through the water stop picking up a cup along the way, all the while singing karaoke to with this band. That kept us entertained for the next couple of minutes. By the way… it’s really hard to drink water while running.

Sometime around mile number 6.5 I began to feel a baseball develop in my left calf. This bothered me. This cramp did not go away for the rest of the run. My feet were hurting, every step walking on broken glass, this is what I get for not doing any road work in my training.

Coming up on mile #8 I began to see signs, I had no idea that people liked to watch others run. Sick sick people. A couple of the signs that made me laugh, “If your feet are hurting, it means you’re kicking “ass”fault. And as I rounded a corner, I noticed a young little girl, possibly 8 or 9 years old, holding a sign that said, “Run Bitch J” I laughed until mile 10 over that one.

The next several miles blended together as we kept trucking along, and me still running with the previously baseball sized, now softball sized cramp in my left calf. I made the last right turn towards the home stretch. I could see the big blow up finish line. I made the decision to sprint my last mile there. My fastest pace, mind you, is a quick walk at this point, although it feels as if I am running faster than Pre, (HA!).

The last 200 ft of the race, (yes it turned into a race now), were inspiring. Crowds of people cheering you on as you raise your hands in victory, the Rocky Theme playing, not only in your head, but it seems as if the entire arena is singing, along with Bil Conti and his orchestra. Every step is on a plate of cool whip, there is no pain, no broken glass, there is still a basketball in my left calf, and that does not feel good. But I am now 100 ft from the finish line, I see Wonderful Mother and lazy dog with a tennis ball in her mouth, I hope she is not expecting me to play fetch after this. 50 ft, John Williams is now in my head, I am superman, I am 25 ft from the finish. I can see the finish line, my calf hurts, I want to take a nice hot shower, wait did I just cross over the finish line, I missed my moment of glory, oh she’s handing me a medal. This is my anti-climactic finish. Eh, I made it.

I found out later, my official time is 2hrs 35min 35sec. Not bad for my first ever run. Next up is 5/1/10 in Beaumont, TX, The Gusher Half Marathon and Marathon. Maybe I’ll go for the real Marathon. Or maybe I should just try to better my half time. We shall soon find out, same Matt-Time, Same Matt-channel.