Marathon Training Week 1 Complete! Now on to Week 2!

Week 1 of Marathon Training is officially complete! 15 miles total for the week (I know, not that huge, but still!)

I’ve also managed to drop about another 5 lbs in the past two weeks, bringing my total weight loss to right around 95lbs! I’m getting tantalizingly close to that magic three digit number.

My motivation has remained pretty high this week, despite that difficult 4 mile run earlier on. I did another three mile run this past Thursday at the track at dusk, and it was one of my best runs ever. It was actually really relaxing, and I felt fantastic! Best of all, I barely felt any soreness the following day.

Saturday was my long run day. The training plan calls for week one’s long run to be 5 miles. Instead of looping around the track 20 times, I decided to pay my old friend, the Bayonne Bridge, a visit. Before, when I would run the bridge, I would just go across to the end, then turn right back. This time, my route would take me into the town of Bayonne for about a mile or so.

Now, the incline on the bridge itself is pretty long and steep. But, when I got into Bayonne itself, I found out that the terrain was rather hilly, making for a pretty difficult run. In hindsight, I probably wont take that route for a long run for a little while, only because it’s very taxing – combined with the longer distance, it’s not an easy run at all.

After I got home, showered, rehydrated, and ate, I felt like a million bucks. My body is really starting to get used to this, and I’m reaping the benefits of a healthier lifestyle – more energy, confidence, and much less fatigue. Well, that wraps up Week 1. Stay tuned for Week 2!

– therunningfatguy

Week 10, Day 1

So, in my last post I brought all of you up to speed with my accomplishments and current goals. I’m glad to say that I signed up for what will be my first 5k run! It’s the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis, hosted by the Arthritis Foundation on December 5th. Being that I also suffer from arthritis, I figured this would be both a worthy cause, and a fun first race to enter. My initial fund-raising goal is $100, and I will need your help to meet or hopefully surpass that. Here is a link to my donation page with more information and ways to donate:

therunningfatguy’s Donation Page

On to the running…

Well, my last two runs were pretty hard. Yesterday, I decided to enjoy the nice weather with a scenic run at Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island. It is a gorgeous park, complete with ponds, trees, and all that good stuff. It also has some treacherous hills, which made the climb up the Bayonne Bridge seem like nothing. Nonetheless, I did my half-hours worth of running and went home sore, but victorious.

Today, I decided to reintroduce my kettlebell routine as a pre-run resistance workout. I had been doing this before, while I was still doing the run/walk, but stopped when I  began running 30 minutes straight. After 100 kettlebell swings, (following a proper warm-up of course,) it was off to the track for a two and a half mile run. Boy was that run HARD. I felt tired after the first lap, which usually indicates a hard run ahead. I labored through it though, and finished.

I decided to start a 10k training program, since I feel that I can handle the distance with another 8-10 weeks of training.  With this program, I could definitely handle the 5k distance by the time the Jingle Bell comes around, and I should be primed and ready for the Cold Feat 10k in February.

Well, thats all for now folks! As always, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome.

-therunningfatguy

 

Related Articles

• Kettlebells (boingboing.net)
• Arthritis Treatment: Arthritis Remedies and Causes (healthlifestyleforever.com)
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Running: Week 4, Days 2 and 3

Hey everyone, I missed telling you about yesterday’s run, so I’m going to tell you about that one and today’s run in one post. It’s just more efficient that way ;-).

A lot easier on the knees than concrete!

So yesterday was day two, and it was another one of those days where I kind of considered skipping, and giving in to the fatigue that had plagued me the whole day. I’m glad that up to this point I have been able to fight the urges to skip a day, as in my prior attempts at losing weight and/or getting back into exercise, such days would have started the snowball effect of skipping workouts, and eventual binge eating.

I’ve decided that I will be using the track at the local college to do my running from now on until I drop a few more pounds, and get proper running shoes. It’s going to be better for my knees and feet in the long run anyway.

Last night’s run was a bit difficult in that I was pretty tired to begin with, so it became a mental struggle as much as a physical one. I hit the wall pretty early on, so I had to motivate myself to just get through the rest of the workout.

I always listen to music when I run as I feel it helps pass the time, and can be really motivating depending on the song. Well, when I was into my fourth set I felt like my legs were made of lead. I just wanted to drop when, totally unplanned, “Eye of the Tiger” comes on. Corny, I know, but it motivated the hell out of me. I picked up the pace, and got through the rest of the set strongly.

Today’s run was a whole lot better. I just felt stronger overall, and had considerably less discomfort in my feet and legs at the end of the workout. I even challenged myself, increasing the tempo of the run on every other set, and challenging myself to maintain that pace for the whole five minutes. It worked, and I managed to log about another 2 miles of run time today.

I really noticed that I’m starting to feel a whole lot better while I’m out on the track and, after today, I can actually see myself accomplishing my first goal of running for 30 minutes straight. If I can do this, I know I can make it to marathon training.

That’s all for now folks. Questions, comments, or suggestions are always welcome.

-therunningfatguy

And he's watchin' us all in the eye... of the tiger!

Related Articles

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Running: Week 4, Day 1

The rain can be soothing when your sweating bullets and trying to pump your legs as much as you can

Today, I reached the halfway point towards my initial goal of running for 30 minutes straight. I’m happy to say that I covered at least 2 miles with my running portions alone! That’s pretty good for a fat guy!

The workout for this morning called for 2 minutes walking, with 5 minutes of running for 4 sets. So, altogether, that’s 20 minutes of running, and 8 minutes of walking. I’m getting a lot closer to that magical 30 minute mark!

For those of you who have been following along, you’ll take notice of the picture at the top of the page, and note that I am at an actual track. For the last 3 weeks I had been running on concrete and asphalt. While any running is good, my worry was that eventually, with my size being a factor, running on concrete could affect my joints pretty badly (as if running at all at my weight isn’t doing enough!) So, today I decided to head down to the track at my old school, and run there. Man, was it great!

The surface that you run on truly does make a difference. I noticed my feet took me farther than usual more easily. They did not hurt as much as they usually do. The workout was still challenging, but it wasn’t overwhelming, which is great. I’m still pretty sore from yesterday’s mile, the running workouts the 2 days prior, and the stair workout on Friday. My body sure does need some rest, as my legs are feeling pretty sore.

Soon enough, I’ll be running 30 minutes straight (hopefully 2, maybe 3 miles at a time), and then I’ll start training for a 5k race. That’s all for now folks. As always, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome.

-therunningfatguy

Related Articles

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Another Day, Another Mile

Today was supposed to be an off/rest day for me, but they say that you should really avoid doing absolutely nothing during these days (which, of course, was my plan). They call it “active recovery”. That means that, although it’s a rest day, you should do some easy exercise to keep your muscles loose.

Well, I decided to do some easy (and I use the term loosely here) jogging today. I figured, hey, it’s been two weeks since I ran my first continuous mile, and started blogging about my journey, so why not try to do the mile again and see how far I’ve come. The answer that I got was, not that far; but I’m getting there.

It still is pretty difficult for me to jog for a long, continuous time with my robust frame, but it has been getting easier little by little. The mile was pretty difficult in the middle section of the run. I think what makes it difficult is the hardness and unevenness of the surface (concrete), and the incline of the street, which is pretty significant. Still, I have been able to push myself (without hurting myself) through these rough parts, and finish the workout. I finished the mile in about 16 minutes, which is ridiculously slow, but I know that a) I was able to get through it, and actually felt strong at the end, and b) I know I can run continuously for at least 16 minutes, which is halfway to my initial goal of being able to run 30 minutes straight.

I still have to get myself proper running shoes. It’s been difficult to make the time to get out to a store that specializes in running shoes to get fitted and what-not, as I have very little time between school, work, running, and now, volunteering. I will get them eventually, as I’m starting to truly realize that really comfortable shoes will be a necessity for the longer runs to come. Also, I’m considering whether to continue running on the concrete surfaces in my neighborhood, or to find a park where I can run on either a track or softer surface. I haven’t been plagued with much knee pain, or shin splints as of yet, but these may affect me later on once I begin running for longer periods of time.

While I’m at it, I want to bring to your attention t0 the SocialVibe  widget that I have on my page. By clicking on it, and donating a little time to perform some easy activities, you can help support the American Diabetes Association (ADA). So please, next time you visit the page, take a little time, click on the link on the right hand side, and help a wonderful organization fund research to help cure and treat diabetes.

Also, I have recently gotten involved in some awesome volunteer projects through New York Cares, which I will share with you in a section called “therunningfatguy Gives Back”. Hopefully, through me, you can get an idea of the cool volunteer opportunities that you can get involved with, and volunteer too!

As always, questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome.

-therunningfatguy

Running: Week 3, Day 4

Well, today was one of those days where I just felt like sleeping. I did not want to be bothered; just wanted a bed to lay down on, and hibernate until around noonish tomorrow. In hindsight I’m glad I didn’t do that, because I had a very successful run.

My boss and I started our stair walking routine this morning that we had long abandoned. We used to walk the EXTREMELY steep stairs of the college that I work at, from the bottom floor all the way to the top, and back again. It’s 7 flights, but the steepness can take the wind out of people who are in better shape than I. Factor that with my 320 pound frame, and you have a nice little workout (oh, by the way, I was 330 lbs when I started, and have lost 10 pounds so far.)

My legs felt like gelatin after the stair workout, but the rest of the day was pretty much spent at my desk, catching up on some work, and reading the news. Not really an intense day today, which is a nice respite from the craziness that is the first 2 weeks of the new semester.

On the drive home today, I was bargaining with myself, saying “Oh, you went on your run yesterday, you should just take today off, and run on Saturday”, and “I do feel a little sore, maybe I should just take the day off.” I almost did just that, and while laying in bed I started to feel bad about cheating myself. So I took my fat a** off of the bed, put on my shorts and shoes, and took off.

My run started off a little difficult, I guess because of the lack of motivation, or because of the stairs. I was finding myself begging the clock to hit the 4 minute mark so that I could walk again. The first two sets went like this, and I was starting to think “Maybe I should just wrap this up. I went out, finished two sets already, and it’s better than what I was planning on.” Then, I hit the zone.

I realized I was concentrating too much on the pain my feet were in, and not just enjoying the run. Once I stopped thinking about it, the pain just about went away. I let myself slip into other thoughts, and found that I was just moving; no pain, breathing normally, it was almost peaceful. I was able to finish pretty strongly, finding the same stride, and keeping the same pace that I  have when I first start my runs.

This concludes week 3 of training, and I feel ready to take on week 4. It’s another four days of running, with less walking than this week. Soon, I should be at my initial goal of running for 30 minutes straight. Then, it’s on to training for a 5k. As always, any questions, comments, or suggestions are always welcome, and appreciated.

-therunningfatguy

Running: Week 3, Day 3

Hey all, welcome to week 3, day 3. Not much to post today, had a great run, but ultimately it was uneventful. I did challenge myself in the beginning by running at a bit of a faster pace than usual, which made the last leg of the run really difficult.

The one thing that leaves me feeling satisfied and accomplished after this run is that, when I was ready to drop and my legs were burning, I was able to keep myself motivated to keep moving. It’s good to know that when I start to hit the wall, I can psych myself into pushing through it, which will definitely be valuable in those last few miles of the marathon.

Well, that’s all for now. Week 3 is almost done, and then it’s on to the half-way point for my first goal. Will I keep going, and work towards running for 30 minutes straight? Stay tuned to find out!

As always, comments, suggestions, and questions are always welcome.

– therunningfatguy

Running: Week 3, Day 2

Hey everyone, I hope this post finds all of you well.

Today’s run was a little hard, but ultimately satisfying. I was really considering postponing today’s run because I felt really sleepy, and tired after work. The old me would have conceded without much thought, and taken the day off without any remorse. But, today, I decided I would just nap for about an hour, then go out for my run. Yes, I wanted to have my cake, and eat it too. This option was a lot better than just laying in bed and watching TV.

As for the run itself, my feet were a little more comfortable thanks to an over-the-counter orthotic in my shoe this time around. (A tip for my flat-footed friends: an orthotic coupled with a comfortable insole can REALLY help with the foot pain that can come with running.) The comfort lasted until about the halfway point of the workout, where my feet really started to bug me. It was nothing that would have to make me stop though. Just one of those pains that you can push through.

One thing I do want to stress, is the importance of cooling down properly after the run. This includes walking for about 5-10 minutes, followed by some light stretching. It’s especially important to stretch your leg muscles, as it helps reduce soreness both immediately following the workout, and the day after. I can attest to this in that I ultimately feel pretty good the day after, with only mild soreness, and I have not had shin splints or other such ailments (yet, anyway *crosses fingers*) even though I run on concrete.

So, now it’s off to shower and relax before bed, with the comfort of knowing that I’m one step closer to my goal. As always, comments, suggestions, and questions are always welcome. Good night!

– therunningfatguy

Running – Week 3, Day 1

So, yesterday was the first day of week 3 of my initial 8 week running regimen. The first two weeks were a primer of sorts, with more walking than running, but this week the intensity increases. Now I’m running more than walking, which is a big step forward, and brings me just that much closer to my goal!

The run itself went great. Admittedly, I was actually a little nervous at first, having some doubts as to whether or not I would be able to successfully complete the run. After my first set of walking/running, my doubts melted away, and I was really enjoying the run. Sure, my feet hurt a little bit, but it was nothing I couldn’t run through. I still have to get myself a good pair of running shoes, and perhaps visit a podiatrist in regards to my flat feet.

It’s a wonderful feeling to see the improvements I’ve made over the past 2 weeks, and to have the doubts invalidated by my performance. Slowly, but surely, I’ll get there.

As always, questions, comments, and suggestions are welcome.

– therunningfatguy

The Workout- As promised

Just to let you all know, this will be a long post. If you want, you can skip down to the bottom for the workout. I’ll try to keep it as interesting as possible 😉

As promised, I will be discussing my workout plan with you, so that you can see what I’m doing, and possibly follow along (if you’d like). But first, I want to tell you all a little bit more about myself:

I’ve struggled with weight all my life. I was the token fat kid in grammar school, and through part of Junior High. It was during my eighth grade year when I decided that I wanted to make a change: I didn’t want to be fat anymore. I started out by going on a strict diet of Slim-Fast and SmartOnes frozen dinners, while going to the gym with my father in the evenings. After staying with the program for a little while, I noticed the pounds start to come off. Then, my parents began to take notice. Then my siblings, and so on and so forth, until everyone had taken notice.

Six months later, I was 100 pounds lighter, and officially skinny! I looked a whole lot better, and I felt great. It was also great to hear the words of encouragement, and congratulations from everyone who had witnessed my transformation, as well as the astonished looks from those who I hadn’t seen in a while. Being skinny opened up a whole new world, where I could compete in sports, not get winded, and I wasn’t “that kid” anymore, you know, the one you wouldn’t want on your team because he’s fat and slow.

My progress continued as I was introduced to intense weight lifting and running during my freshman year of high school while I was on the football team. I was in great shape, and getting quite a bit of attention from the ladies. Life was pretty good.

Then, around the middle of sophomore year, I fell into a depression. Little by little I started eating more, and working out a lot less. Eventually, my metabolism couldn’t keep up, and the pounds slowly started to creep back. At the end of sophomore year my family and I moved from Brooklyn to Staten Island, something which I lament to this day.  Effectively, it ended my workouts, playing ball with my friends, and pretty much any physical activity.

I stayed in the same high school in Brooklyn, making the trip back and forth from Staten Island everyday. By the time I got home, I wouldn’t want to do anything but eat, use the computer, watch TV, and sleep. At that point, I had already finished my phys ed curriculum, so I wasn’t required to take gym class. The deadly cocktail of laziness, mixed with an appetite that would rival an elephant, with a dash of depression/homesickness, led to the undoing of all the hard work I had put into losing the weight.

By my sophomore year of college, I had put on a staggering 130 pounds! Had all this weight really stacked itself on my frame unchallenged? No. I actually made quite a few, ultimately fruitless, attempts at holding the pounds at bay, and reclaiming my once great form.

By now, you’re probably saying to yourself “Geez. This is all well and good, but what’s the point?” Well, there are a few points I would like to make. One is that getting fat isn’t necessarily an accident, nor does it generally happen by chance. It’s a process that, barring any medical phenomena, is controllable. Also, losing weight is not easy, takes dedication, and ultimately, is only the beginning of the battle. The real struggle is maintaining that weight loss.

If you’re like me, and perhaps you were once in great shape, but can no longer see your toes, it can be hard to make a disconnect from what you used to be able to do to what you’re capable of now. I would often find myself gung-ho about working out, and getting back in shape, for about a week. Then I would try to pick-up where I left off in my workouts while I was in shape. That would usually leave me burnt out by the end of the week, which lead to not keeping up with the program because I was too tired. Ego can really hold you back sometimes.

The key to making any kind of major life change, such as one to lose weight, or to run a marathon, is to take things slow. When you just decide to make a change at the drop of a hat, the chances for you to succeed in general are a lot lower. In the case of losing weight, if you just decide that tomorrow you’re going to go to the gym, workout, and start eating a lot less calories than you’re used to, you may find that after a short while, you’ve reverted back to your old habits.

However, should you introduce just one change at a time, and allow your body time to adjust to these changes, things will go a lot smoother for you.With that said, here is how I started to introduce these changes in small steps, and how I plan to continue to introduce these changes:

First, I’ve been walking to and from work everyday for a while now, which is roughly 2 miles each way, making my daily mileage roughly 4 miles. Sometimes, I will even walk a mile or so on my lunch break.

After walking for a while, I decided that I should introduce a stretching/yoga program to relieve stress, and feel better. So, I set my alarm clock for 5:00 a.m., and I get up at that time to do a stretching routine that lasts from 5 to 20 minutes.

I started feeling better after starting the stretching program, but my diet was still somewhat out of control. Before cutting down my daily amount of calories though, I decided that I would not eat anything past 9:00 p.m. I also tried to eat my bigger meals earlier in the day, and have the lighter meals later. After getting used to this, I decided to change the foods I eat slightly, and eat less, but more frequently throughout the day to stave off hunger.

Once all of these changes were made into a habit that could easily be continued, I decided that I would do something I have wanted to for a while; start running. This too I would ease myself into, and my training regimen shows that.

My regimen is what’s commonly called a run/walk program. The eventual goal of this program is for you to build-up a strong running base over the course of 8 weeks, so that you can run for at least 30 minutes straight.

After building up my base, I plan on continuing my training so that I can run a 5k, then a 10k, a half marathon, and eventually, the NYC Marathon next year.

Without further adieu, here is the workout:

From About.com

1. Week one: Walk for 6 minutes, then jog at an easy pace for 1 minute. Repeat 3 times. Aim for three sessions with that same sequence for week one.
2. Week two: Walk for 5 minutes, then jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Aim to do three sessions in week two.
3. Week three: Walk for 3 minutes, then jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Aim for four sessions in week three.
4. Week four: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 5 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Shoot for four of those sessions in week four.
5. Week five: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 8 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four of those sessions in week five.
6. Week six: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 9 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Try to do four sessions for week six.
7. Week seven: Walk for 1 minute, then jog for 11 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four sessions this week.
8. Week eight: Congratulations on making it to week eight! For your first run this week, try walking for 5 minutes to begin and end the workout, and run for 20 minutes in between. By the end of the week, try to run for 30 minutes without stopping.

So there you have it! If you made it this far, congratulations! You either have a lot of free time on your hands, or a lot of patience (lol). As always, all comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome.