Geoff Roes - Slogging to the top

Key takeaway - managing the low points can save much more time than trying to run a bit faster during the high points. 

For one of the best runners on earth, he is very humble about his accomplishments too.  Good stuff.

My short term plan....

On my last post about Robie Creek, Leslie left a comment that I should read Jill Knapp's story of weight loss and finding happiness.  I did and there are lost of great ideas and posts on her website  Get Up and Get Moving! Check it out.

That said, I have been in a cycle lately where I don't eat like I should because I have been falling for the, "I exercise a lot so I can eat whatever I want" myth.  I don't have much to lose but I would like to clear this mental hurdle and get back on track. This week I have made a plan.  My motto on this blog since day one has been to set a a goal, tell everyone who will listen, and stick to your plan....so here it goes.

1. Goal - Lose 5 pounds in 10 days
2. Tell everyone - √
3. Stick to your plan - so far so good.

Today is day 3 of the eat right plan.  Nothing too fancy, just employ all the techniques that I used to lose my weight originally. By:

• Not snacking between meals or after dinner.  If I do, make it easy low calorie stuff. Carrots, peas, a slice of turkey or ham.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.  It helps the body function more efficiently and can help settle hunger.
• Time my workouts and meals properly so that I am not needlessly taking in too many calories.  I exercise in the early morning and have been having breakfast lately at 4:30 am.  Guess what, I'm dying hungry long before lunch.  So this week I have gone back to what worked in the beginning.  Get up normally and have something small (cup of coffee and a few pretzels for example). Go workout, then have breakfast after the workout which doubles as a recovery meal.  This keeps me feeling full longer.
• I have reduced the size of my lunch meal and have a yogurt for a mid morning and mid afternoon snack.  This keeps my appetite on an even keel.  Before losing weight I skipped breakfast, ate terribly at lunch (if I ate at all) and then wanted to eat everything on the table for dinner.  Which is what I normally did and the reason I got to be 318 pounds.
• Go for an evening walk.  This was key in the beginning for me and my wife.  First, it is an extra calorie burn.  We weren't pushing it but we did get the blood moving.  Second, this strategy also helps to support the first point of not snacking after dinner because we would be out of the house.  If the walk left me feeling hungry I would settle it with some quick veggies or a slice of turkey.

I didn't normally track my weigh-ins day to day.  Just once a week, to allow for normal fluctuations.  For this little experiment I'll track each day just for fun (first thing in the morning) and update this post.

At the beginning of day 3, I was down 3 pounds.
...day 4 down 4 pounds....

Update (with official numbers relative to day 1)
Day 1 - 0
Day 2 - (4.2)
Day 3 - (5.4)
Day 4 - (6.2)
Day 5 - (7.6)
Day 6 - (4.0)
Day 7 - (4.4)
Day 8 - (5.2)
Day 9 - (7.8)
Day 10 -

Day 6 was the day after Robie Creek Half Marathon and I fueled and ate for the race. I took me two days for my body to level out and get back on track....

Today, 1 year ago, 2 years ago

One year ago today I was on a plane to Boston with my wife and parents to run the Boston Marathon.

The year before that I was running the first official race I really trained for which was the Robie Creek Half Marathon.

And today, I found found myself on Rocky Canyon road which is the Robie Creek course for a 22 mile run that will in all likelihood be my last long run before my second 100 mile race in two weeks.

As I ran it first by myself and then later with my friend Mike Blessing I thought of how far I have come.  When I trained for Robie in 2010 I ran that road so many times I could tell you where ever rock and every pothole was. Today it felt very different.  I have only been on Rocky Canyon 3 times in the last 6 months.  But, it brought a smile to my face to see all the runners out putting in the miles for the race next Saturday.  I will be running it with Michelle which will be fun!

Need I say more?

A few wise words to live by.....

Last Saturday a group of trail runners in Boise participated in a memorial run for Micah True, aka Caballo Blanco, who passed away unexpectedly while out for a run.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend but Emily Berriochoa shared a few thoughts afterwards that are worth sharing here since they apply to all aspects of life, not just running.

"...I thought of some words I would like to have shared at the waterfall today. The passing on of someone who has touched us is a good opportunity to remember that life is short; our days are numbered, and we never know when our last breath may come, or when our last step will be run. Remember to appreciate the ones who love you, the precious people who support you and your dreams; appreciate the beauty of life and our ABILITY. May we all be blessed to run to the very end like Micah; even if we cannot, let's remember every day to create legacies that will live on past our ordinary selves, just as Caballo Blanco's will. Like he was, we are all ordinary but have extraordinary potential." ~Emily Berriochoa

....headed for sunshine

Reposting this picture I saw on my friend Christena's FB wall. Thanks for sharing, so true.

Race to Robie Creek

Several people who have passed by my blog have wondered where my title picture was taken so I thought I would fill in the details.  Two years ago I submitted a short essay to the Idaho Statesman begging for an entry into the sold out Race to Robie Creek half marathon.  The rules were simple, 150 words or less and it had to be humorous or inspirational. 

The deadline was 5pm on a Friday and I started in typical fashion at about 4:30. Now, 150 words is just enough to say PICK ME, PICK ME!! I wasn't sure how they would pick between the hundreds of entries, so I cheated.  If you have ever heard the phrase, 'a picture is worth 1,000 words', it's true.  I got 1,150 words with this picture attached to my email submission.

Click here for the essay.

The pictures were taken April 7th, 2010 on the New York Canal at the back of our subdivision in Boise.

Still working on me

Last night my friend Emily got this picture after a Team Pearl iZumi group event.

Team PI Mountain States is a group of road runners, triathletes, and ultra runners in the Boise area.  Everyone has a unique talent or story.  Most of us will never win a race but we all train hard and never quit.

Anyway, even after being at my goal weight for over two years and accomplishing some pretty amazing things, I still don't always see myself the way others see me.  I would never have believed in a million years that I would be able to hang with an athletic crowd like this as an equal.  Maybe as the tag along chubby kid.

My point here is, to all the people who may read this and are desperately trying to lose weight, it isn't over when you reach your goal.  There is still a lot of work do getting your mind in the right place where you feel 100% comfortable.  My wife picked me up at work one day for lunch a while back and I made the comment that I don't see myself the way others see me.  She pointed out a guy walking down the road and I said, "Yes, so what that guy is tiny."  She reminded me that I look like him.

I am not sure what it will take to get completely there, but I continue to work on it.

On a side note, I also never thought I would wear a medium shirt with split leg HOT PANTS shorts.  There's a first time for everything I guess!

-------

This is the other picture I always think, "who is that kid?" 100 yards from the finish line at the St. George Marathon in 2010.  On my way to a 3:14 Boston qualifying time just 18 months after deciding to make a change.

The Tragedy of Life

Pickled Feet 12 hour

My goal was to practice my pacing, fueling, and feel good at the end as if I needed to go another 50 miles. It went well I think. The other part of the goal was to be awake and functioning for my older brothers wedding on Saturday. Since the race was 6pm-6am that was difficult but we were able to get 2.5 hours of sleep afterwards.

It was mid 50s when we started and it rained lightly for several hours. Most of us had short and long sleeves on which was enough as long as you kept moving. Once the clouds broke the moon shining down reflecting off the Boise River was gorgeous. I even caught I gigantic toad along the way and ran with it to the finish line to 'share' with the volunteers. Amy's friend got a picture of it which was cool.

I walked a lap with my wife Michelle, then ran a lap with Christie.

When we got back I walked another lap with Michelle but this time carried a Marine pack wearing a flak jacket. One of our friends, Jon did a lap with the 100 pound pack to honor a local Marine and I thought it would be nice to pay the same tribute. It was a very emotional experience for me as I thought about how much our military men and women give so we can enjoy the freedom they provide. I thought when I was done everyone should walk a mile with that pack to feel that feeling.

It was also a very tangible reminder of how far I have come in just a few short years.

When my garmin died, my average pace was 14:33 which included walking with Michelle and the lap with the pack which was really slow as well as at least an hour plus in the aid station visiting and enjoying the night with the many friends and volunteers. I think my goal is attainable.

Thanks to Emily and Davina for putting on a wonderful event. 

 PS - I decided I was done after 17 laps when I saw Jon's feet and mine felt like his looked. So I took off my shoes to inspect. To my surprise my feet were in great shape and zero blisters. With the rain and mud, our feet were wet from the start. So while I was sitting there everyone asked why I wasn't out running and I told them it was because my garmin died and there was no way I could continue without GPS navigation. The official timer came over to cut off my timing chip and with the 'encouragement' of everybody I got up and killed another lap with Chere and Val which was fun. We had to push the pace a little so would get credit for a full lap because if I didn't finish before 6am it didn't count.

Good day ☺☺