A true story of Dick and Rick Hoyt
One day a son asks his father:
"Daddy, will you run the marathon with me?"
The father answers yes and both run their first marathon together.
One day, the son asks his father if he wants to run the marathon with him again and the father answers yes. They both run the marathon together again.
Then one day the son asks his father:
"Daddy, will you run the Ironman with me?" (the Ironman is the toughest...it requires a 4km swim, 180km biking and 42km running).
The father says yes again.
This all sounds easy...but check this video..
I don't have much to add other than these guys amaze and inspire me. They have run the Boston Marathon together 28 times and this year will be 29. I would be an honor to meet them.
Ryan
Goals are dreams with deadlines. Stop dreaming! I took control of my life and with the help of many wonderful people I was able to lose 135 pounds in 11 months. Set a goal, tell everyone who will listen, and stick to your plan. You can do it!!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
A20 Question of the Week - What inspired you to set your goal?
My sister Rachelle inspired me to set my goal to run a marathon originally. When I started losing weight, I did two things primarily for exercise. I swam for an hour each morning during the week and I would go for a 20-mile bike ride on Saturday and Sunday. In August 2009, after losing about 90 pounds, I developed an umbilical hernia that needed surgery. After surgery, the doctor told me I couldn't swim until the incision healed. He suggested I try running which I reluctantly tried. I didn't really enjoy it at first but learned to tolerate it!
Rachelle had set a goal in the summer to train for a marathon over the fall. She wanted to get in shape to run the 2010 St George marathon the following year and asked me if I would like to follow the training with her. Here is my response to her via email on October 21, 2009, "By the way, when is the St George Marathon? When you asked me about it I thought you were crazy!"
Somewhere along the way, I learned to love running. I think the reason I didn't enjoy running in the beginning was it was too hard on my body since I was so overweight. As I ramped up the running, the weight continued to come off and I felt better than ever. I agreed to train for our personal marathon with Rachelle. She lives in California, so we would email or call back and forth so she could tell me what was on the training plan for the week. The long runs really scared me at first but I figured if she could do it I could do it right? We stayed on the same schedule for the most part but I ran mine a couple of weeks before her in December. After running for just over 3 months, I was able to finish in 4 hour and 18 minutes. My wife Michelle rode her bike along side of me and it was 20 degrees with a 15-degree wind chill from start to finish. Amazingly, I had a fairly even pace the entire time. Instead of hitting 'the wall’, I felt like I had more energy at the end. In the last mile, it felt as though I had someone pushing me to the finish and it seemed like the fastest mile of the day.
Rachelle was super excited for me, just as I was for her when she ran hers just after Christmas. Afterwards I told people I ran a marathon and the first question was always, "Which one?” Then I would tell people that it wasn't a ‘real marathon’, just me on the greenbelt. Somehow, that felt like less of an accomplishment when I put it that way. In my eyes, the distance and accomplishment is the same whether you are running in Boston or on the greenbelt. So, after a while, I started telling people it was the "1st Annual Ryan Anderson Invitational"...and there was only 1 invitation.
In the email where I told her she was crazy, I also told Rachelle, "You inspire me to accomplish great things that I could not envision without your example. Keep up the good work and I’ll try and keep up the pace!"
Thank you for inspiring me Rachelle.
P.S. Thanks also for giving me that lucky shirt you are wearing in this photo!
Rachelle had set a goal in the summer to train for a marathon over the fall. She wanted to get in shape to run the 2010 St George marathon the following year and asked me if I would like to follow the training with her. Here is my response to her via email on October 21, 2009, "By the way, when is the St George Marathon? When you asked me about it I thought you were crazy!"
Somewhere along the way, I learned to love running. I think the reason I didn't enjoy running in the beginning was it was too hard on my body since I was so overweight. As I ramped up the running, the weight continued to come off and I felt better than ever. I agreed to train for our personal marathon with Rachelle. She lives in California, so we would email or call back and forth so she could tell me what was on the training plan for the week. The long runs really scared me at first but I figured if she could do it I could do it right? We stayed on the same schedule for the most part but I ran mine a couple of weeks before her in December. After running for just over 3 months, I was able to finish in 4 hour and 18 minutes. My wife Michelle rode her bike along side of me and it was 20 degrees with a 15-degree wind chill from start to finish. Amazingly, I had a fairly even pace the entire time. Instead of hitting 'the wall’, I felt like I had more energy at the end. In the last mile, it felt as though I had someone pushing me to the finish and it seemed like the fastest mile of the day.
Rachelle was super excited for me, just as I was for her when she ran hers just after Christmas. Afterwards I told people I ran a marathon and the first question was always, "Which one?” Then I would tell people that it wasn't a ‘real marathon’, just me on the greenbelt. Somehow, that felt like less of an accomplishment when I put it that way. In my eyes, the distance and accomplishment is the same whether you are running in Boston or on the greenbelt. So, after a while, I started telling people it was the "1st Annual Ryan Anderson Invitational"...and there was only 1 invitation.
In the email where I told her she was crazy, I also told Rachelle, "You inspire me to accomplish great things that I could not envision without your example. Keep up the good work and I’ll try and keep up the pace!"
Thank you for inspiring me Rachelle.
P.S. Thanks also for giving me that lucky shirt you are wearing in this photo!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Negative Splits Bart Yasso from Runner's World
I saw this video the other day in an email I got from Runner's World. I tried it this morning on my tempo run and felt surprisingly great at the end. Of course it wasn't the full distance but training my mind and body to have something left at the end is important. 4 miles @ 6:58, 4 miles @ 6:53, 1.4 miles @ 6:44
I like in the video where he says that if you are closing fast, the mental lift from passing other runners will help. I can attest to that, I experienced that in St. George. It kind of went two ways though. I was happy to still have my speed after the 19 mile point, but it was also kind of sad at the same time to see people fading when they had been doing so well.
So, try the negative split run for a mental lift.........
I like in the video where he says that if you are closing fast, the mental lift from passing other runners will help. I can attest to that, I experienced that in St. George. It kind of went two ways though. I was happy to still have my speed after the 19 mile point, but it was also kind of sad at the same time to see people fading when they had been doing so well.
So, try the negative split run for a mental lift.........
Monday, February 28, 2011
A2O Video Diary Part I - One year of maintenance
I celebrated one year of maintaining my weight loss last week which was exciting. Looking back, losing the weight was just the first step and keeping it off for the next 40 years will be the true test. I am happy with my progress and thanks to Austin at A2O Fitness for pushing me to give everything I had on Thursday. I was glad we were able to get this day on tape too.
I did tell Austin we need some more manly file footage. Curtsy lunges just don't say manly for some reason! ☺
I did tell Austin we need some more manly file footage. Curtsy lunges just don't say manly for some reason! ☺
BA Mother Runner
http://runlikeamotherbook.com/store/
Saw this shirt on DailyMile.com and had to share. The book was highly recommended too!
Saw this shirt on DailyMile.com and had to share. The book was highly recommended too!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Long Run Part II
Yesterday was my long run and I was happy with the results for the most part. I had a 7:15 pace through 15 miles but then my left achilles started to hurt and my right knee was pounding too. I think my main problem was the fact that it was like 15 degrees and my muscles never seemed to loosen up.
So, I learned that I run better in temperatures above freezing. No surprise there.
The other thing I realized as I was going over the run afterward is I need to work on my endurance by simply putting in more time on my feet. When Michelle and I were training for St. George last fall I did my long runs on Saturday and her long runs on Sunday. The Sunday runs were great for me to learn to run tired at a pace that wouldn't kill me.
Michelle and I normally run together on Sunday because we are both signed up for the Pocatello 50 race on Memorial day. I am doing the 50 miler and she is doing the 20 miler. So, to work on my endurance I got up early and left the house before she got out of bed then told her to pick me up on the way. It was 5:51 and 17 degrees. Now that I have a headlamp there is no need to go in Jedi stealth mode like I normally do. My only goal was to keep moving and whatever pace my body felt was right would be fine. Today that was 10:00 per mile. I got about 4 miles in the dark before Michelle caught up with me.
I told her when I got in the car that I am convinced that going for her long run on Sundays last fall was one of the keys to my success. I told her she was more important to my running than she knew! She gave me a funny look and I attempted to recover by saying 'allow me to rephrase'. You know how important you are to me and I just wanted you to know. She smiled one of those, that's better, kind of smiles.
So we ended up going to Wilson Creek out south of Nampa and going on the trails for another 7.5 miles which was fun. We saw the wild horses and there was a new colt in the bunch we hadn't seen before that was brand new.
So, I learned that I run better in temperatures above freezing. No surprise there.
Michelle and I normally run together on Sunday because we are both signed up for the Pocatello 50 race on Memorial day. I am doing the 50 miler and she is doing the 20 miler. So, to work on my endurance I got up early and left the house before she got out of bed then told her to pick me up on the way. It was 5:51 and 17 degrees. Now that I have a headlamp there is no need to go in Jedi stealth mode like I normally do. My only goal was to keep moving and whatever pace my body felt was right would be fine. Today that was 10:00 per mile. I got about 4 miles in the dark before Michelle caught up with me.
I told her when I got in the car that I am convinced that going for her long run on Sundays last fall was one of the keys to my success. I told her she was more important to my running than she knew! She gave me a funny look and I attempted to recover by saying 'allow me to rephrase'. You know how important you are to me and I just wanted you to know. She smiled one of those, that's better, kind of smiles.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Mind Over Body Marathon: 20 miles is worse than 26.2
Repost from a friend on DailyMile.com Rychen J.
I have a 20 miler this weekend it this says it all.........
Mind Over Body Marathon: 20 miles is worse than 26.2: "Occasionally someone will mention that they've seen me out running and ask if I'm training for something. When I tell them I run and train..."
I have a 20 miler this weekend it this says it all.........
Mind Over Body Marathon: 20 miles is worse than 26.2: "Occasionally someone will mention that they've seen me out running and ask if I'm training for something. When I tell them I run and train..."
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday Long Run
Yesterday my motivation and positive attitude got a serious test. Once again it was quite cold in the morning so I waited until about 11am to go out. Mistake number 1. All of my training last fall was first thing in the morning while I was still fresh but the temperature was warmer than 30 then too. Plus, the wind kicks up around here after the sun comes up and you never know what direction it's going to be blowing.
My plan called for 18 miles at a pace of 7:11 per mile which seemed achievable after last week's 13 miler at a 7:00 pace. Michelle and I started at Lucky 13 in Harris Ranch and headed toward Discover Park below Lucky Peak.
The first few miles felt good and the wind was still pretty calm. Mistake number 2, was not following my normal hydration and fueling plan, which is to alternate 12 ounces of water and 12 ounces of Gatorade every 2 miles. The distance from Lucky 13 to Discovery is 4.33 miles and I figured I would just get my Gatorade when we got to Discovery. This extra distance without fuel was the start of my crash. I took water at 6.33 and then decided again to wait the extra distance for Gatorade until we got back to the truck at 8.67 which again was not smart. These two stops are to first two dips on the HR chart.
In addition to not fueling properly, I was overheating. I had an extra long sleeve shirt on which felt good for the first few miles but stopped to ditch it at the truck. When we left the truck I felt horrible so I took some extra energy chews which caused my HR to spike between mile 9 and 10 before settling back into the normal range.
At about mile 11 was where my body officially gave up. My HR started climbing while my speed was declining. My average HR for the first 11 miles was 163 with and average pace of 7:10. Miles 12 through 15 my average HR was 174 with an average pace of 7:39. During each of these 4 miles my max HR was about 185 which is off the charts for me.
My water and fuel timing continued to be horrible until mile 16. If you look on the HR graph you can see where it settles down and looks pretty normal. I got the right amount of water and ate some energy chews which seemed to help. I ran mile 17 at a normal HR then practiced pushing myself without pushing my HR too high. My average HR for mile 17 was 155 and mile 18 it was159 but 30 seconds faster.
All in all, it was a pretty horrible run. BUT here is what experience I gained from it:
a) Go first thing in the morning, which is what my body is used to
b) Follow the hydration and fuel plan, once I start crashing it's all over
c) Stop experimenting with gels and chews, use the one that works for me (Clif Shot Bloks Margarita flavor with added sodium, which I did not have on this run)
One final note, when we were driving home I was trying to figure out why things went so terribly wrong today and everything fell apart. If you don't count the time using the restroom and shedding clothes my moving time was 2 hours and 13 minutes or a pace of 7:23 per mile for 18 miles. (Which coincidentally, is just under the pace required to qualify for the Boston Marathon for men 35-39)
I felt like the contestants on the Biggest Loser when they complain about ONLY losing 7 pounds that week and it not being good enough. Michelle reminded me that most people would kill to have a bad day like mine. She was right and I decided that I would find the positives and learn from my mistakes.
My plan called for 18 miles at a pace of 7:11 per mile which seemed achievable after last week's 13 miler at a 7:00 pace. Michelle and I started at Lucky 13 in Harris Ranch and headed toward Discover Park below Lucky Peak.
In addition to not fueling properly, I was overheating. I had an extra long sleeve shirt on which felt good for the first few miles but stopped to ditch it at the truck. When we left the truck I felt horrible so I took some extra energy chews which caused my HR to spike between mile 9 and 10 before settling back into the normal range.
At about mile 11 was where my body officially gave up. My HR started climbing while my speed was declining. My average HR for the first 11 miles was 163 with and average pace of 7:10. Miles 12 through 15 my average HR was 174 with an average pace of 7:39. During each of these 4 miles my max HR was about 185 which is off the charts for me.
My water and fuel timing continued to be horrible until mile 16. If you look on the HR graph you can see where it settles down and looks pretty normal. I got the right amount of water and ate some energy chews which seemed to help. I ran mile 17 at a normal HR then practiced pushing myself without pushing my HR too high. My average HR for mile 17 was 155 and mile 18 it was159 but 30 seconds faster.
All in all, it was a pretty horrible run. BUT here is what experience I gained from it:
a) Go first thing in the morning, which is what my body is used to
b) Follow the hydration and fuel plan, once I start crashing it's all over
c) Stop experimenting with gels and chews, use the one that works for me (Clif Shot Bloks Margarita flavor with added sodium, which I did not have on this run)
One final note, when we were driving home I was trying to figure out why things went so terribly wrong today and everything fell apart. If you don't count the time using the restroom and shedding clothes my moving time was 2 hours and 13 minutes or a pace of 7:23 per mile for 18 miles. (Which coincidentally, is just under the pace required to qualify for the Boston Marathon for men 35-39)
I felt like the contestants on the Biggest Loser when they complain about ONLY losing 7 pounds that week and it not being good enough. Michelle reminded me that most people would kill to have a bad day like mine. She was right and I decided that I would find the positives and learn from my mistakes.
A2O Question of the week
What motivates you when you do not feel motivated?
What motivates me is having specific measurable goals that have a deadline. The other motivating factor is being accountable not only to myself but to others. When I set my goals, I tell everyone so that they will hold me accountable not just on race day, but on cold Monday mornings in February too. I think that is why running has been so wonderful for me. When I sign up for a race, it addresses these items with an added bonus. This was my goal for the first race I ever ran:
Run the Dry Creek Half Marathon– specific
13.1 – measureable
In under 2 hours – specific and measureable
On April 3rd, 2010 – deadline
Tell everyone who will listen and ask for support – accountability
Paying the entry fee – The Added Bonus
When I set this goal, I knew that to achieve it I would have to have a plan. So I put together a schedule that I felt like if I followed would prepare me for that day. There were days I didn’t feel as motivated as others but what got me moving each day was the deadline and the accountability. I say paying the entry fee is an added bonus because once I actually paid the entry fee it motivated me to get started right away! I finished the Dry Creek half marathon last year in 1 hour 51 minutes and met my goal.
This quote helps me some days too….. "There is no glory in practice, but without practice, there is no glory...” Unknown
What motivates me is having specific measurable goals that have a deadline. The other motivating factor is being accountable not only to myself but to others. When I set my goals, I tell everyone so that they will hold me accountable not just on race day, but on cold Monday mornings in February too. I think that is why running has been so wonderful for me. When I sign up for a race, it addresses these items with an added bonus. This was my goal for the first race I ever ran:
Run the Dry Creek Half Marathon– specific
13.1 – measureable
In under 2 hours – specific and measureable
On April 3rd, 2010 – deadline
Tell everyone who will listen and ask for support – accountability
Paying the entry fee – The Added Bonus
When I set this goal, I knew that to achieve it I would have to have a plan. So I put together a schedule that I felt like if I followed would prepare me for that day. There were days I didn’t feel as motivated as others but what got me moving each day was the deadline and the accountability. I say paying the entry fee is an added bonus because once I actually paid the entry fee it motivated me to get started right away! I finished the Dry Creek half marathon last year in 1 hour 51 minutes and met my goal.
This quote helps me some days too….. "There is no glory in practice, but without practice, there is no glory...” Unknown
Friday, February 18, 2011
Ability~Motivation~Attitude
I do not know that I have any special ability. I didn't even realize I was a runner until September of 2009. What I do have, is the motivation to achieve my goals now and the positive attitude to take the highs with the lows and learn from each experience along the way.
I am convinced that the positive attitude is the most important part of the equation. It is what allows you to see the opportunity in every difficulty instead of the other way around. I have visited with many people who are trying to get in shape and turn their health around. I have heard several say 'nothing works so I might as well give up'. My usual response is, every day is a new day! Last week was horrible, SO WHAT!! Put it behind you and recommit to your goals. You can do it!
*On a side note, someday I hope to learn how to properly execute the move they are demonstrating in the picture without looking like a total uncoordinated idiot! I blame it on my left-handedness. I end up dancing around like a leprechaun and laughing!
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