The Truth About Diets

Hi All,

I wanted to do a quick morale check. I know I personally didn't have the best of weeks last week, and was off to a bit of a rough start this week as well. I think we all may have lost a bit of momentum, probably due to the fact that the weather has seriously been sucking, and the motivation to get outside just isn't there. Anyway, I wanted to encourage everyone to try to do their best this week, and remember even just a little training is better than none at all.

Also -- I came across this very legit article about diets. I think it'd benefit everyone to read it.

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain = Good!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING! Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO! Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And for those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Birch Bay and other buisness

It's official: I'm on the Birch Bay Bandwagon!!! Those canadians better watch out, this is their first taste of team--wait, we don't have a team name yet, do we? We must come up with a team name people!!! Any ideas?

Good, Bad, Ugly.

The Good: I calibrated my Nike+.

The Bad: The Snickers in my car was cold. And hard. My teeth hurt. Plus, I forgot to take my drugs.

The Ugly: My left knee hurts.

---

I was feeling pretty good tonight and figured I'd go for another run. You know, the ol' "two days in a row" thing. Apparently, my knee doesn't much like the idea. A couple miles in, I had to stop, then figured I'd calibrate the Nike+. It's now calibrated. And then I walked back. Wasn't a total loss..

All in all, my Garmin called it 3.80mi, 10:09/mi.

Shout Out....

HOLLA!

I wanted to give a shout out to Buck, Shells and Andy for their rock star paces last night! You guys are amazing!

PS....Hope everyone else enjoys running in below 30 degree weather as much as I do....

Longest Walk--In my LIFE! :)

Hey all...another day of training...another proud moment for me. Yesterday I walked the farthest I can ever recall walking all at once: 5 miles. And, not only that, but I walked it at a pace that was faster than I comfortably walked even a mile in the beginning of my training: 18:36. I'm amazed at far I've come in just 7 weeks of training. I can't wait to see my progress as we get closer to the big race. I did have some pain yesterday, but not too bad...and it didn't stick around today, at least not anything significant. We'll see how tomorrow goes...that will be the true test as to how the old bod is doing... Have a great week o' training everyone! Woop, woop! :)

Races....

Hey Guys,

So I thought I'd list the races I'm planning on doing or am considering doing in case anyone is interested in doing them as well:

Races I've Signed Up For:

January 27th: 5K Race for Shoes (Seward Park) http://www.fitnessforvitality.com/5k10k.html

February 10th: Love em or Leave Em 5K (Greenlake)

March 29th: Birch Bay Road Race 15K (Blaine, WA)

Races I'm Considering:

February 24th: 10K Race for Shoes (Seward Park)
April 5th: Tulip Run (Skagit Valley)
April 20th: Wenatchee Half Marathon (Wenatchee)

I think Andy is going to be doing most/all of these races as well--though different distances. Shout out of you think you might want to join me/us. Registration fees for some of these races increase on February 1st and the Birch Bay is capped at 150 participants....

HOLLA!

A Fighting Spirit...

I am very proud of myself. Tonight I realized I do have a fighting spirit....or as Drew would say I am a warrior.

I won't draw this out by giving you all the boring details but lets just say I had some nano problems again. I wanted to give up so badly at 1.5 miles, at 2.0 miles, at 2.5 miles....but I didn't. And as I ran up and down the road, back and forth in front of my house for the last "mile" all I was focused on was my goal: 3 miles today.....finishing up a 3 mile a day week, 30 miles for the month, and ultimately the half-marathon in May.

On paper my pace was a minute more a mile than yesterday....but it was the best run I've had thus far!

Keep it up all....and remember you can do it! When you feel like you can't...you can! Thanks for your support--it's encouraging to see your runs too!

Pre's Weekly Motivation.

Here's to everyone having a great week of training!

The Jacket

I've decided that no matter what the weather conditions - even if it is cold and windy like today -- I will not wear my jacket while running!

I made my first loop on the outside lap around Greenlake. Near the end of the second mile, I started to get warm, so I told myself I'd take my jacket off once I made the full loop. I finished the 3.22 miles, stopped briefly to get a drink and remove my jacket and I was about to get on my way again - this time on the inner loop. As soon as I resumed my workout it said "WORKOUT COMPLETE". GRRRRRR. EVERY SINGLE TIME I take my jacket off that happens. It was so annoying! And this time I was trying to be ultra careful!

Anyway, I finished up the second loop, and just continued running until I hit that 3 mile mark. So, even though my widget doesn't show it on one run - my combined distance for today was 6.23!! Average Pace: 10'02" / mile.

I'd like to thank Bucky for making me go with her and telling me I just had to do 'er.

AND WHAT AND WHAT!

I hope everyone has a great week this week!

Pleasantly Surprised

A quick note about my run tonight. I had planned on going 4 miles, and of course, throughout the entire day I was thinking - "oh, I'll just do three" - excuse, excuse, excuse.

So, I leave work a smidge early to get it over with. I started running, and soon realized it was too cold to just be wearing a t-shirt, but on I pressed. I guess I just got into the rhythm of it, because I was soon heading into the home stretch and hadn't had a need to stop to take a breather. When I ended my workout, I couldn't believe it! Not only had I surpassed 4 miles, I also completed the run with a 9'55" pace! I wasn't even trying to keep my pace below 10'0"!

Needless to say, I was very happy with my performance today!

Public Service Announcement

This video is just a friendly reminder to be careful when you're working out!

Awesome!

Way to finish up the week everyone! The week definitely could've been better for all of us, but way to go today!

Inspirational Quote for the Week

"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts."

-Steve Prefontaine

Here's to everyone having a great week of training!

-Andy

Good News--Bad News

I guess this is one of those do you choose to look at the glass half full or half empty kind of posts. Let me start with the postives:

1. I ran about 2.5 miles only walking about .2 of the distance
2. I ran 2.5 miles in a shorter time than I ran 2 miles 2 days before
3. I determined my glasses won't fall out of my sweatshirt pouch if I use the reflective strap to hold them in.
4. The car did not actually hit me.

And the "not so positives"

1. My nano malfunctioned AGAIN....telling me I was going about 19 minutes per miles one second and then the next saying about 10:30 when I was going the same pace...
2. My actual stats don't reflect what I did yesterday--I'll be uploading tonight when I get home, couldn't do it last night--frustrating because this is becoming a pattern.
3. I was literally inches away from getting hit by a complete MORON last night.

Due to these "issues" I have decided the following:

1. I can push myself farther than I thought: I realy, really wanted to stop last night but I kept pushing myself, through the intense pain I was feeling, through the anger of having to run further than I was getting "credit for", through the rain and the mental crap that was weighing me down.
2. I am NEVER running by Andy's house at night again--even with a reflective strap is is far, far, far too dangerous.
3. I have to buy a new nike sport kit.

So there you have it--rest assured I am not only pusing you--I am pushing and kicking my own ass....this weekend is my "big" run--2 miles without stopping and then next week it's on to 3...hopefully it will be a safer, better week for all.

Heids

Recap

Hey Kids -

Just a quick follow up regarding my run today. Somehow, the ol' Nano was completely dead, so I didn't get to use it. MAN, did it feel weird to run without that! Anyway, I think we went roughly 4 miles, and the pace was probably right around 10 minutes per mile. The weather was awful, and got progressively worse as soon as we hit our half-way point and turned around. BUT, I made it, and at the end she even said I was giving HER a run for her money!

Wooohoo!!

Back on track.

Holla at my fellow runners!

Well sir and ma'ams, after taking 5 days off, I swore to myself that I would reach double digits today or pass out trying. 1 mile into my run I was already questioning myself...I was sore and feeling a little winded. I pressed on, not willing to quit. After 6 miles, I was feeling pretty good...until mile number 8. Right about there my hip started cramping up and I could feel myself grimacing. Nevertheless...there was no way in hell I was going to stop or walk. At mile number 9 I started swerving...in part to avoid huge puddles, and in part because I was losing my balance. I pressed on...no surrender! I finally hit mile number 10 and stopped immediately...knowing that I was very close to being under the 2 hour mark...which I missed by 7 measly seconds. This is a lesson to me on what happens when you don't run for 5 days. I also want to thank the dedicated warrior, Heids for calling and leaving me a message encouraging me to go run...I must have just started my run when you called. Keep up the good work everyone!

-Drew

Thursday Morning Pep Talk

Hey Guys,

I know for some, this has been a rough week! Shells has expressed her frustration in yesterday's blog. Shells, Buck and I have all experienced some type of Nano failure this week. Andy is down with knee pain issues and I think we are all feeling a little less motivated this week than last.

Shells in her genius wisdom, had us post widgets so we can see how much we're running. I'm not going to call anyone out, or make any one feel bad--especially becuase I don't know what all of your plans are and I know there are other issues...but lets just say I've noticed the miles and days of running are down this week (for all of us).

So here's the deal. I know it's cold. I know it's hard. I know that sometimes the last thing in the world we want to do is get out there and walk or run. BUT WE HAVE TO! We can all do this. I'm so proud of all of us for our work last week and I know we can keep this up. Remember even as you are focusing on the short term weekly goals we are setting (and hopefully we are all doing that) to also keep an eye on the ultimate prize...Vancouver....HOLLA.

So....if you're feeling unmotivated, need a little encouragement...let us know! Ask someone to run with you or walk with you--remember to just keep moving! And most of all YOU CAN DO THIS!

Heids

Gripes.

Alright, yes, I'd like to take a minute or two to complain. Today was one of my "speed work" days for running. My goal was to keep my pace below 10'00"/mile. Normally when I run, I fall around 10'30", so I figure taking 30 seconds off each mile would be a good start.

WELL GUESS WHAT. Tonight SUCKED. I was miserable and had to stop 3 different times and my stupid sensor stopped in the middle of it, so I had to reset it, and UGH. In the end my combined average pace was an even 10'00", which I guess is fine, but I just wish I was feeling like I had more stamina. I don't feel like I can go as long or hard as I could before. (That's what she said). I know it's only been a week or so since I've resumed regular running, and I need to build up to it, but I'm feeling antsy.

Tomorrow I'm running with my coworker, who averages a 6 or 7 something mile and we're supposed to go about 4 miles. I think it will be pretty much torture, and I'm worried how I'll be able to keep up and finish. Not that she cares if I can't - but I do.

Anyway, I just wanted to vent a little. That is all.

Sorry amigos!

Greetings my fellow runners! I just wanted to post this and say that I have now figured out that you can actually comment on other people's posts. Forgive me for not commenting...I'm a little slow on grasping this new thing they call technology. I hope you all have a great day of training! By the way...Brett Favre sucks. Go Hawks!
-Drew

Great News...

Yo peeps! So, about a month ago I visited my Dr. for a yearly check-up. She said she was concerned about my blood pressure...it was too high. She said the number one thing I could do to control it is exercise. If I didn't control it that way, she may have to put me on meds for it. She also said I was way young for that. So, that was actually a big motivator for me to start training for our event in the first place. Today I went to the Dr. and my blood pressure was normal! WOOP,WOOP!!!!! It is something I'll have to keep watching and keep exercising/losing weight, but it is great news. One of the many benefits of training for this event.

Quite the lecture...

So my knees and feet got together tonight, while I was out running the Sammamish River\Burke-Gilman Trail, and gave me a talkin'-to. A lecture, if you will. This is how the conversation went, pretty much verbatim:

(100 yards in)
Knees: "I hurt."
Feet: "Yeah, me too."
Andy: "Shut-up and move."

(1/4 mile in)
Knees: "I still hurt."
Feet: "Yeah, me too!"
Andy: "Shut-up and move."

...

(1 mile in)
Knees: "This suuuucks. I hurt."
Feet: "Yeah, me too..."
Andy: "You'll feel better soon."

(1.5 miles in)
Knees: "Did you hear me? I hurt."
Feet: "Have a seat, kid."

Knees: "Alright. We're with you on this Marathon thing... But..."
Feet: "... you can't expect us to get up and go like this."
Knees: "I haven't had to work this hard, this long, since, ... well, when I was back picking cotton back in the day."
Feet: "Quiet. You were never picking cotton. But I had to stand around in the heat for sixteen hours a day."
Knees: "But we digress. Either you slow it down, or we'll do it for you."
Feet: "Yeah, take that!"
Knees: "Got it?"
Me: "Sure, I'll slow it down.. Let's go!"

(Thirty seconds later.)

Feet: "This isn't slow... I hurt!"
Knees: "You were warned..."
Me: "OW!.. C'mon, what gives, guys?"

Lower Back+Feet+Knees: "We're done. Enjoy your walk back.."

Feet: "Aw, crap... I still have work to do..."

Grrr... I made it back home, disappointed, well short of my goal for the night, and my knees/feet and I still aren't on speaking terms. Better luck tomorrow!

(Me: "You hear that, guys! Tomorrow!")
(Knees/Feet: "*snicker* Sure, anything you say, buddy.")

Proud of Myself!

The longest walks I can ever remember doing for sure were about 4 miles. So, today's long walk was right on the edge of my experience. It was challenging. Just Emma and I and my nano on a chilly, windy Sunday morning. And miles of mazes of hilly residential streets that I was patching together in order to come up with 4 miles. I experienced discomfort/pain/achiness on and off throughout my workout, but recognized this is normal as my body builds up muscle/strength. I paused briefly twice to stretch, but otherwise pushed myself hard in an effort to make an under 20 min mile pace. In the end, I made that goal, and ended up going even farther than 4 miles (ending my workout on the nano shortly after 4 mile mark in order to cool down/walk slow for another .15 of a mile or so). I am proud of myself today! WOOP, WOOP!

Awesome Start!

Great job with the training everyone! Looks like we're all well on our way to Vancouver!

And... I got me a widget! It's just as cute and awesome as advertised, I'm so excited to have my very own widget. However, it seems like it's going to be quite a pain, having to walk and feed it every day. If I'd've known how much work this thing required, I might've gotten a Tamagotchi instead...

Nevertheless, here's to another awesome week of training! (If I had a "toasting" emoticon, I'd use it here...)

I Was Robbed......

It is with a heavy heart I write this post. After a great run on Thursday, I was pumped to beat my pace and do a mile in less than 11 minutes today. I leashed Emma up this morning after dragging myself out of bed, started a pot of coffee brewing and headed out. When I stepped outside I immediately realized this run was going to be no easy feat--the rain was coming down and the wind was blowing. But I was determined....I headed out, running into the wind and at a slight incline, determined to beat my best time. And things were going pretty well--as well as they can be when your glasses are fogged up and covered with rain drops.....despite the wind and rain my pace was great....around 10 min 30 seconds.....and then things started going down hill....

I expected to hear a voice telling me I had gone .5 miles and was half way so I knew to turn around, but the voice did not come. I turned around at the .55 mile mark and started heading for home...picking up my pace even more determined to finish in under 11 minutes. With less than .25 miles to go I picked up my pace moving from a jog to a run. I pushed the button to check my pace and was shocked to hear: current pace 18 minutes bla bla bla seconds....shaking my head I waited a second, pressed the button again and heard: current pace 0 miles per hour......WHAT!!!!! Sprinting even faster I passed my starting point (by which time I should have run 1.1 miles based on my turn around point) but my nano said I was still under a mile.....sigh......

My final pace for this run according to the good old nano 11 minutes 41 seconds. I think there might be something wrong with my sensor......

It was a great run......and I'm proud of myself.....this is only dampened by the disappointment that due to an equipment malfunction January 5th's run will forever be a failure......

My Training Plan

Holla!!!

So I thought it would be helpful to put my training plan here so you can all help keep me accountable :) My training began on January 1st. My goal was to be able to run 1 mile by Saturday January 5th. To facilitate this I walked/ran one mile each of my training days this week. Every week between now and the second week of February, I will be increasing my mileage by one mile. Every saturday I will need to run that weeks mileage without stopping. After that time I will be starting the 10 week half marathon training schedule Shells found--which I will post when the time comes.

So there you have it....you should see 2 miles next week...etc.....

Heids

Water and Other Thoughts...

Hello fellow trainers. I am struggling to drink enough water. Yesterday I only had one 8 once glass of it, and most of the rest of my liquid intake had caffeine in it...which I know just dehydrates me. I know this is important to my successful training and performance. Many other things like nutrition, good sleep, good shoes, properly working electronic equipment and overall health, have also been on my mind lately. I've been trying to work with what I have/where I'm at in regards to these things and not worry about being/doing things perfect. This can often be a struggle for me. Bottom line: if the training plan for the day is highlighted as complete, I've had a successful day. I just want to make sure I'm doing what I can to continue to make that happen and not fall prey to injury/sickness.

Done!

Not quite as awesome, nor interactive, as the rest of'em... But my static widget's done!

Jealous.

I want a cute little fancy-schmancy widget, too! :(

My shoes are still dirty....

Great idea Shells! This will give me a chance to whine about the fact that my beautiful white nikes are still covered in mud from attending the above pictured triathlon. Also, I had the crazy idea that we should all get "Canada sucks" tattoos...which in turn will motivate us to run even faster due to the fear that the Canucks will catch us. Warriors unite!
-Drew

First Post

Hey Guys!

I thought this would be a fun way to keep everyone up to date on our training for the marathon. From here we can see our latest workouts, and encourage each other along the way. We can also whine and complain or basically post anything you want.

So...without further adieu, let the posting begin!

Shells