The Power of Negativity

Yesterday it was tough to roll out of bed.  Well, everyday is tough, but yesterday seemed just a bit tougher.  I made it up anyway, and resolved to put in 5 miles.  I didn’t quite make it.  I didn’t feel good and my legs were dead.  Ugh. 

As the day wore on, I believe I uncovered that I had some allergy issues going on.  It has been a while since I’ve been bothered by them, but I’m pretty sure that was the case.  I feel a bit better now and hope to tear back into it on Wednesday with another 5 miler. 

I really felt negative yesterday on top of everything!  Maybe it was the allergy deal, but I kept thinking that it is easier to feel negative than it is to feel positive.  You have to really work at it to get into a positive frame of mind.  Negativity really impacts my runs in a bad way.  I mustered all I could yesterday to be positive, and it helped a bit, but not as much as I’d have hoped. 

Today is much better, so I’ll chalk it up to a physical ailment.  I’m hoping to hit the gym a little later this afternoon for a light weight/recumbent bike cross-training, and I should be feeling strong by Wednesday for another run. 

Was happy to see that my weight loss, which had been stagnant for a week, kicked in again.  Down two more lbs for a total of 57.  Some big milestones coming up, so I’m hopeful it continues to stay in gear.  I’ll certainly do my part! 

I’m currently reading “A Few Degrees from Hell,” a collection of experiences from the 2003 Badwater Ultramarathon.  It is an enjoyable read, and thinking of what these people went through helps me push through my piddly 5 milers!

Enjoy your progress!

Travis

Podcasts

Yesterday I did the Liver Life Walk 2011 for a friend’s team.  She lost her sister to liver disease.  It was a good experience and I always am impressed by people who turn tragedies into motivation to make a difference.

I also scored some cheap running clothes at Marshall’s, of all places.  Found some discount Nike Livestrong shorts, an Avia shirt, and an Adidas shirt.  Half price of what you’d find in a running store.  Score!

Today just did a 5k as my short recovery run.  It was actually my quickest time yet, a sub 10 minute pace, even with a walk break in there.  There is a hill along this route that always kills me; probably more mentally at this point than physically.  It is on a street named “Locust,” which probably makes it sound even more intimidating.  It is not terribly steep, but it is quite long; maybe about 3/4^ths of a mile all uphill.  One day I shall conquer that hill.  Today I did, but with a walk break in there.  Still quite happy.  I ended the run at the gym, got in a light workout with weights, and then actually ran/walked home.

Was happy to see an episode of Phedippidations on my Android phone ready to listen to.  I really enjoy that podcast and I like to hear what Steve Runner has to say.  He is philosophical, so to me it is quite interesting to hear some of his thoughts.  It is among my favorites.  I also like the following podcasts:

The Slow Runners Club

I consider myself a slow runner, and probably always will, so these guys have some good information and advice if you ask me.  Eddie Marathon and the Zen Runner are currently raising money for the Diabetes Action Team to run the Chicago Marathon coming up.  A great cause, and these guys seem to be very genuine, positive, good people.  Here’s the link to donate (no pressure): http://www.gofundme.com/slowrunnersclubrunchicago  Also listen to Hear Zen Run.

Geeks in Running Shoes

Jason and Ray are further along than I am, certainly, but still somewhat beginners and good guys.  I enjoy their banter and they have line up some great interviewers so far, including Caballo Blanco from “Born to Run.” 

The Extra Mile Podcast

Another good one for beginners, and they have a supplementary podcast that describes Galloway interval running right now.  Valuable info.  Offers call ins from runners who just completed races, which can be motivating.

Running with the Pack

Another informative podcast, with race report calls.  Positive people, which I like. 

Dirt Dawg’s Running Diatribe

An Ultrarunner’s podcast, so way out of my league, but offers some interesting conversations and good advice. 

RunRunLive 2.0

Great advice in this well-produced podcast.

There are a few others, but these are the ones that I like the best so far.  I’m always on the lookout for more podcasts, as that really is my primary listening pleasure right now.  I listen to several that aren’t running related, too.

Enjoy your progress!

Travis

4 Hour Body and Can I Bottle This Feeling Up?

What a great run today!  I moved up my schedule for my long run one day because I am participating in a walk for the American Liver Foundation for a friend on Saturday.  She lost a loved one to liver disease. 

It worked out well today.  I woke up at 5:00 AM, which is awfully early, but it was okay.  My legs felt great and the weather was fantastic.  As I was running, I was thinking that I really had no excuse but to do well.  On top of this, I just started reading “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen last night.  This short reading from 1902 is available for free on the Kindle, and basically states that our thoughts provide our destiny.  What we think, combined with action toward that, is what we will become (good or bad).  So I tried to focus my thoughts upon thinking that I was a runner today and that I would have a quality run.  Perhaps a bit silly, but I think it helps.  I also focused upon checking my form and breathing by occasionally reminding myself of “feet, shoulders, head.”  The idea is to make sure my feet are under me, mid or forefoot striking, my shoulders are relaxed (I tend to tense up after a while), my head is held up, and I am taking in good, quality breaths.  That also seemed to help.

My goal was 6.5 miles.  After 6.5, I still felt great so I pushed it a little further to about 6.75.  Halfway to my half-marathon and over a 10K, so I should be good for my first 10K in a couple of weeks. 

Thought I’d discuss a bit about how I’ve gotten this far.  Since January 3, 2011, I’ve lost 55 lbs.  I’ve done this by using “The 4 Hour Body,” a diet plan espoused by Tim Ferriss in his book by the same name.  I don’t intend to write a commercial about it; it has just worked well for me.  I think just about any diet will work well as long as you are persistent and stick with it.  I’ve had success in the past with Weight Watchers, for instance.

The 4 Hour Body espouses a “slow-carb” diet for six days a week, followed by a “binge” or “cheat” day where you eat whatever you want in order to shock the system back into losing weight.  I’ve found it sustainable for me because I always know that cheat day (Saturday) is on the horizon.  It keeps me sane. 

I didn’t start running until about mid-February.  This is when I picked up the famous “Couch to 5K” program from Cool Running.  I had started and stopped C25K probably half a dozen times in the past, but this time I stuck with it.  The rest is history!

I’m still on the 4 Hour Body, although I’ve contemplated switching back to Weight Watchers at some point to gain more carbohydrates for running.  I’m not certain if I will or not; I’m playing it by ear right now.  Dean Karnazes favors a slow-carb diet himself, and he doesn’t seem to have a problem with distances.  I’m just going to let it play out and see where it heads.  I’ve also hit a bit of a weight-loss plateau the last couple of weeks; stuck at exactly 55 lbs.  Hopefully I’ll start losing again, but if I go a bit without losing anymore I’ll probably consider switching things up.  I have about 25 lbs to go to reach my goal.  I might lose more at that point…it just depends upon how I feel. 

So that’s a bit of my story.

Enjoy your progress!

Travis

PS:  A couple of photos of the park where I run are below.

Today's Progress and First 5K

Had a decent run this morning; my base run of 5 miles.  Still a few walk breaks at the end, but mostly running.  My runs of this length are through a local park I discovered running my first 5k just a couple of weeks ago.  It is about a mile and a half from my house, and a couple of miles running along a paved path through the park along a lake makes a little over five when I’m done.  The setting is very nice.  At some point I’ll post some pics.

I reverted back to the Nike Pegasus and I missed by Kinvaras already.

My next goal will be my “long” run Friday morning; shooting for 6.5 miles as I build up my half-marathon training.

The odd thing of the day for my run: an older guy stopped his car along a busy road, rolled down his window and said “did you see that?”  I wondered what the heck he was talking about, and he said “the sun, it looks really weird coming up today.  I’ve never seen anything like it.”  I turned around and took a look.  As I said on DailyMile, it was kind of an overcast, ozone type of day, so the sun did look a little odd.  But I’m not sure I’d have stopped and pointed it out to a stranger.  I politely said “yes, kind of weird” between sucking in more oxygen, and the guy drove off.  Just struck me as strange. 

So what about my first 5k?  Well, it wasn’t really my first.  I ran one about 21, 22 years ago, but nothing since then.  And from what I recall the one I ran a long time ago was not much of a run.  I didn’t train much and it was a struggle. 

My more current one was a charity run for melanoma research called “Miles for Melanoma.”  It was a small local run, which was perfect for someone who was just getting started (like me).  I think there were about 130-150 runners or so.  There was also a walk that started 30 minutes after the run. 

It was so close to my house that I probably could have walked to it, but I had my wife drop me off (she was walking it and came back later with her friend and parents).  I showed up quite early, so I just walked a bit to stretch my legs.  Once it was time for the lineup, there really weren’t any corrals or anything.  They just advised slower runners to gravitate toward the back.  This is what I did; the very, very back.  Come to find out, maybe too far back. 

I would say I’m somewhere around a 10:30 – 11:00 minute mile right; pretty slow, but hey, I’m new!  Let’s just say that there are people who are a little slower.  Some had kids with them, some were pushing strollers, some were just enjoying a slower pace.  I don’t mind, I just had to do some passing along the away.  And I don’t mean to indicate that kids are naturally slow; several blew right past me throughout the race! 

Once I broke free things were good.  I don’t like the congestion so much.  I’m sure this will be more of an issue on some bigger races I have scheduled down the road.  It’ll just be something I’ll have to work through.

Things went quite well.  I checked my Garmin 305 at one point, and saw that I had cleared two miles.  One problem: there was no mile marker in sight for Mile 2.  It came at about 2.3 on my Garmin?  Whether it was intentional or not, I’m not sure, but when I found the mile marker for mile 3 my Garmin was right on. 

It got a little tough at the end, where a steep hill concluded the course, but I pushed through and ran the entire thing.  I can’t recall the exact time, but I came in at just over 31 minutes.  Not too shabby for a newbie.  I was not last in my age group (but close!).  It felt really good just to do it and helped develop this running bug in me a bit more.  I also liked the feeling of doing it for charity.

My father-in-law was waiting at the finish line (he was going to be a walker), and after a quick break I commenced to walk the course again with him, catching up to my wife, her friend, and my mother-in law about halfway through.  So I ran 3.1, and then walked 3.1.  It was nice to share the experience.

My advice to those thinking of signing up for a 5k: do it!  Don’t worry about anything but participating.  It was a blast.  And now I’ve signed up for a 10k, a 15k, and a half marathon down the road.  But that’s another story.

Enjoy your progress!

Travis

First Run in Saucony Kinvaras

Back to the roads this morning!  Today was the first day that I ran in my new Saucony Kinvaras.  It was also the first day I ran after a tough run Saturday on basketball-shelled legs.  I had played basketball last Thursday and my legs were shot, so Saturday was rough.

The basketball pain is almost gone; still some remnants in my quads and shins.  By my next run (probably Wednesday morning) I should be just fine. 

As far as the Kinvaras, they’re looking promising.  For those of you who may not be familiar, they are not true minimalist shoes but a significant step toward them.  Chiefly is their small drop from heel to forefoot: about 4mm compared to my Nike Pegasus 27’s which are around 10-12mm.  The Kinvaras maintain a bit of cushioning, though, unlike minimalist shoes like the Vibram Five Fingers.  They feel very comfortable when you put them on, often described as a house slipper feel. 

I picked them up on Sunday from the local specialty running store.  I had told the salesperson that I was looking for a shoe with less of a drop, not intending to go completely minimalist but find one that is not so tall in the heel.  I have concentrated on mid or forefoot striking and it feels pretty natural to me, so I don’t think I need a lot of reinforcement in the heel anyway.  The Kinvara wasn’t a shoe I had thought much about.  When he handed them to me, it felt like he gave me a handful of feathers.  These things are light!  So light it is a bit disconcerting when you are used to having a bulky, supportive shoe.  When I put them on, they felt great.  I also tried the Brooks Green Silence but didn’t like it nearly as much. 

So today was their first spin.  I didn’t notice too much in the beginning.  I tried to concentrate upon my form a bit today, keeping upright, with my legs under me, striking mostly on the midfoot.  A mile or so in I felt a sensation in my left arch.  I wouldn’t call it pain, just a slightly noticeable feeling probably due to an increase in stretching it.  Early on when I started running, I had a little bit of an issue with this arch. Post run, I didn’t feel any pain at all there, so as I said I attribute it to a more natural movement and stretching of the arch.  As I progressed, I could feel my quads working a bit more.  Nothing felt odd or painful, though.  I actually went further continuously running than I have to date.

Post run is when I really felt the difference.  My legs still felt quite fresh.  Normally I have the urge to rip the running shoes off, but not with the Kinvaras.  They’re so light and comfortable it is no big deal to leave them on a bit. 

I’ll probably switch back and forth for a while, particularly due to the fact that my Pegasus’s have some life left in them.  We’ll see how the Kinvaras do over time, but they’re promising and could become my shoe of choice. 

Saw lots of rabbits this morning.  They didn’t seem too concerned with me; probably saw my slow pace and decided there was no way that I could catch them.  Also had to fix my cell phone arm band.  One of the Velcro patches to attach the strap had come loose.  A little super glue did the trick. 

Finally, a couple of weeks ago I tweeted about a turtle that had passed me during a morning training run, complete with a picture.  I’m sorry to report that my friend perished in a traffic accident.  I saw him in the middle of the road and he didn’t look good.  A quick turtle, but not quick enough.  For us slow runners, it was a true loss.

Enjoy your progress!  Travis

 My friend the turtle during happier times.

Time to Blog

Since starting to run in February of 2011, I've learned a few things about runners.  One thing I've learned is that they like to share their stories; training, injuries, experiences, race reports.  You name it, they like to share it.  After running a bit myself, I think I understand why.

When you're out on the road putting in some miles, what else is there to do but think?  I start to think about this and that, but often I start to think about running.  And then I start to think about how I wish I could share my experiences with someone else.  Maybe I could help them avoid the mistakes I've made.  Maybe they could read what I've written and give me some good advice.

I enjoy social media, such as Daily Mile, podcasts, or some Tweets of runners I've found through books, magazines, those podcasts, and the like.   I've learned a ton through those outlets, and I thank those who bring them to life!

So a little about myself to kick things off.  My name is Travis, and I started running in February because, well, I've always wanted to.  I used to love to run as a kid, but as an adult settled into that comfortable, sedentary life many are familiar with.

I hit 40 in May, and I decided in the preceding January (2011) to finally try to make my New Year's Resolution work.  I know you've probably heard that they don't work.  Well, they can!  I started doing the Four Hour Body diet and I've lost 55 lbs in five months.  I dieted a month and a half or so before I started running, building up through the Couch to 5k program.  I've now completed my first 5k and have a 10k scheduled for a few weeks from yesterday.  I also have a 15k and a half marathon on my schedule.

I'm a slow runner; I doubt I'll ever be that quick.  I'm just going to see how things go from here.  My goals are to finish those races I have planned.  No time goals are attached. 

I invite you to follow me on my journey.  I will share my experiences from the past few months and the future as I progress, and I welcome any feedback you may have.

Enjoy your progress!  Travis