Return from Vacation and back to normality

We've been back from our trip for a few weeks now. We actually got a lot of walking done due to the exploring. We did eat a lot of bad food though, but hey we've been really good with our diet prior to then! Have to live it up every so often, right?!

Thanksgiving wasn't so bad in terms of over consumption. Just one plate of food is what I limit myself to on that day and a nice desert.  Brock had family over and of course his Mother had to cook one of his favorite dishes and we STILL have leftovers!

I've actually lost about 3 or 4 lbs. I was sick for a few days and hopefully it's not just due to that but due to my controlled eating and working out! This week we've started back into our old workout routine. I have started Zumba at home, I needed something for the winter since it's a lot colder outside now and darker in the evenings, making it harder to run. We're also going to be joining one of the local gyms next month. We tested out Inlet Fitness - which was awesome but out of our budget and Planet Fitness, you guessed it Planet Fitness is our choice because it's so cheap. That way I'll be able to use actual weight machines and different cardio equipment. Currently I'm just using my elliptical at home and doing free weights.

My next fitness goal is within reach and only a couple of pounds away now! It's really exciting looking at the progress we've been making and how we're both changing physically and mentally.

Vacation Planning

This time next week we'll be in Europe visiting my family! We'll be out and about most of the time but we're not letting that stop us from running! We've planned a couple of routes for while we're away in my parents neighborhood. There won't be any weight training though - I don't think my Dad has any weights on hand anymore.

What concerns me the most is food! There will be so much good food - we'll be in England, Scotland and France. I'll just have to be sensible and really pay attention to what I'm eating in terms of nutritional value and stay away from the home comfort food.

We'll be stocking up on healthy snacks when we get there - almonds, dried fruit.

I'm tired from our long run yesterday, experienced really tight leg muscles throughout the run. It was a pretty slow pace and I was so thirsty - definitely looking into getting one of those special water bottles that are easier/lighter to carry.

Most likely this will be an annoyingly long week before our vacation.

Guilty Pleasures

I'm almost at another weight milestone which is great - weighed myself this morning for the first time in a few weeks and I'm heading back down again. Hopefully I'll be past that hump in a few weeks so I can aim for my next milestone!

Today was a good food day I think. We did end the day naughty but hey it's that time of year right? Started out with cereal and almond milk as usual. Snacked on Almonds and Walnuts at work mid-morning, had a turkey sandwich and some pita chips for lunch, followed by a yogurt for my afternoon snack.

Our weekly interval training was tonight - weather was absolutely beautiful today, did our 8 sets of 200 meter jog/sprint combos (2 miles total). Came home and did my usual weight routine which we're thinking of mixing up quite soon.

For dinner tonight we had some spaghetti and meatballs while watching our guilty pleasure "Jersey Shore: Miami", why is Sammy so stupid? Anyway... NAUGHTY us decided to check out Dairy Queen on the way home... SURE ENOUGH, Pumpkin Pie Blizzard was available... so we both got a small one of those! Who can resist? And they are for a limited time, give us a break! I guess that will be our weekend splurge!

Tomorrow we're aiming for a 5 mile run on the Boardwalk. Hopefully it won't be too cold but last week I invested in a lightweight jacket and long running pants (Target C9) that will keep me warm and dry in the upcoming winter months. I think us running the Boardwalk will really help us work towards the Shamrock and get used to the surfaces. We have been doing a lot of trail running lately which I strongly believe has really enabled us to easily increase our distance. Our long run on Sunday will be on the trails though. it is the best and honestly I love the feeling of just being out there with all the trees and the beautiful inlet views. It's best when the sun sets though! We were discussing how long our long run really is, we thought originally it was 6.5 miles. Now we're wondering if it's actually 7 - we need a Garmin watch!

Not long now until I see my family!

Another Milestone

After our long run last night we decided we'd do a shorter distance this time and closer to home - just under 3 miles. This was one of the routes we ran when I first got back into running and I always hated it. Fortunately today I shaved almost 10 minutes of my time and I couldn't be more proud of myself! After the run we went home and I did my light weight routine.

New clothes have been coming in the mail (ordered online) for our upcoming trip to see my family. Everything fits so much better now!

My day in food

For Breakfast today I tried some new cereal - Kashi Go Lean Crunch with my usual Almond Milk. I also had an organic apple and a large glass of water with my multivitamin. My mid-morning snack was a handful of walnuts and 4 slices of dried unsweetened mango (Trader Joe's). For lunch we decided to go to Tropical smoothie, we both had Blimey Limey's with Splenda and whey protein, when I returned to work I ate the lunch I had brought in today, some leftover homemade stew. I didn't have anything for afternoon snack.

I was bad today and ate two Almond Hershey Kisses at work! But the good thing is I avoided those awesome Strawberry Shortcake Cookies at Tropical Smoothie!

For dinner we had some leftovers - pasta and turkey sausage. Then I had to sneak in my obligatory Nutella on bread snack for dessert!

Increasing Mileage

For the past 3 weekends and then of course tomorrow we have increased our long run mileage. We've been running 6.5 miles once a week in addition to our shorter 3-4 mile runs! It's a great achievement for us both, particularly myself.

Having never been a fan of long distance and not very good at it I'm quite impressed with my progress so far. All of this work is helping me build up my endurance for the Shamrock 8k next year.

One thing about running 6.5 miles is you realize just how hard that first 1.5 miles can be! Honestly, that part is where I struggle the most. It's almost like a warm up to the rest of the run! Once I hit 2 miles it appears to be easier and we often speed up for the last 0.5 to finish things up.

We've been running mostly on the trails at First Landing. We get a mixture of raw trail/dune running in addition to some softer asphalt trails and then a short stretch of road. We do need to start some more road running quite soon to condition ourselves for the upcoming 8k. We'll most likely start that when we return from our vacation.

As well as our regular running we have been implementing interval training into our schedule for the past few months. The past two times we have stepped up our efforts and have been doing 2 miles worth of 200 meters of jogging and then 200 meters of approximately 60% more speed. The goal here is that hopefully this interval training will enable us to increase our mile pace over time. Only time will tell of course!

We've been busy!

It appears as though we abandoned our blog! Good news is we did not abandon our path back to fitness!

We have both continued to lose weight, slowly but surely - and most importantly healthily! I've lost approximately 30lbs since April/May and intend to keep losing. We are also aiming for running the Shamrock 8k in 2011. Our running has increased in terms of duration, our long runs are now approximately 5 miles and short around 3-3.5 miles. We've also incorporated interval training once a week into our workouts.

Not long ago I added a more intensive weight routine. I do this every other day and it involves 5 & 10lb dumbbells, a 6lb medicine ball and a 10lb kettle bell. I am really seeing positive results from adding weights to my exercise routine and seeing more definition gradually particularly in my arms.

Brock is also being more adventurous in terms of food - he's willing to try new healthy clean foods rather than the unhealthy fried southwestern style or out of a box style cooking he was raised on. We've eliminated milk from our diets, my milk of choice is Almond, Brock prefers Soy. I've also started to add more fresh fruits to my diet with breakfast in the morning.

I'm going to try and be better in regards to documenting this important life changing journey! I feel if I document everything we do here it's a form of positive encouragement and a record of everything we've achieved so far.

Something different

Hey everyone, thought I'd switch it up from talking about my workouts today and talk about another thing that consumes my life: reading. In my job, especially in the shift I work, there is a lot of downtime, which I fill with reading. Naturally, at a bout 4 am my eyes start getting heavy and every line that I run my eyes across makes my brain go into dreamland, so the written word just doesn't suffice. Recently I found a way to combat this drowsiness, and keep my brain going through these rough hours; graphic novels.

If you're anything like me, you've shunned the graphic novel genre due to thoughts of it being kiddies cartoons, superhero nerd fantasies, and general loserdom. I never wanted to be associated with that crowd, so I never cracked open one of their books to give it a try. After watching a couple movies that were based on graphic novels, which is becoming quite the rage in Hollywood, I thought I'd give it a shot and was pleasantly surprised. There are some incredible stories out there that are written and presented in drawing form. I typically stay away from superhero comics, they seem a bit too juvenile for me, and still carry a stigma in my brain that I don't want to be involved with. I tried to read a couple of them and just couldn't get into it. If that's your thing, it's cool, it's just not mine.

Anyways, here are a few graphic novels for the beginning graphic novel reader to try out if you want to give it a shot. Each of these are great stories and will move you to think about them for a long time after you have read them.

The Complete Maus by Art Speigelman

This is probably the best book I have ever read, bar none. That includes both written and graphic forms of literature. It's a true story written by the survivor of parents who survived Auschwitz. He interviews his father for years and then made it into this book, which drives home the grandiose amount of violence that existed in those times. This should be required reading for all students in elementary school. Even if you do not wish to get really involved in graphic novels, I would suggest a quick trip to the library to check this book out. It will change the way you view the past.

Rating: Teen. Violence, Holocaust

Y: The Last Man by Brian Vaughan

This is an exceptional story and is better than 95 percent of the novels I have read. It's about a man and his pet monkey that survive a plague that kills every male on the planet. It's a great story about love, maturity, friendship, and the special ability of the human species to evolve and survive. This is one of the few books that has ever hit me so hard as to cause a few drops of water to come out of my eye. It will affect you in some way. I finished the series 3 days ago and have thought about if often since then. Highly suggested.

Rated: Adult. Sexual content, Nudity, Language, Violence


Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Man on Earth by Chris Ware

This is a great book about a socially awkward loser who goes on a mission to find his biological father, whom he has never met. The way it is told is original, and strange, but it makes you feel what the main character is feeling and expresses his thoughts in a great way. If you are like me an had a screwed up childhood, this story will affect you in some way. Great read.

Rated: Teen. Maybe some veiled references to sex, but should be fine for all ages.

Blankets by Craig Thompson

A dynamic story about teen love, family, and maturity. I guarantee that after you read this you will find yourself back at the age of 16 and remembering what it was like to have your heart broken when the girl or guy you loved didn't like you anymore. Of course, if you were the quarterback of your school football team, you never felt this. You can skip this book and get back to servicing my air conditioner now. For most people though, this will make you think about your family, your childhood, and how life always evens out in the end. I actually passed this book around in my workplace and everybody who read it loved it.

Rated: Teen. Sexual content, some nudity, very upsetting part involving child abuse.

100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello

This was the first graphic novel series I ever read and I got hooked hard. It's a story that starts out as a mysterious old man who arrives in people lives in hard times and offers them a chance to change their lives for better or worse by giving them a briefcase that contains one handgun and 100 bullets, and a photograph of the person who has ruined their lives. None of the ammunition nor the gun can be traced to the person, and they basically have carte blanche to do whatever they choose with the gift. It quickly escalates though, and over the course of 13 volumes has more twists than Chubby Checker. I would give this a high suggestion to anyone that is a fan of mystery or detective novels. It's just a great all around series.

Rated: Adult. Gratuitous and graphic violence, strong sexual content, and language that would make a lumberjack blush.

These are my favorite graphic novels, but there are a few that aren't too far behind them. There are a ton of high-quality books out there, and the hunting and discovery of them is a lot of the fun as well. Given that, there are also a lot of turds that you'll have to float through as well. You'll know them when you see them. If you are intrigued after reading the listed books, I can point you in the right direction for further reading.

Happy reading -Brock

Hi again

Wow it's been awhile huh? I need to get better at this whole blog thing.

I've been pretty busy as of late. My job has just switched to summertime operations, it being a resort town and all, so overtime is beginning to spike and I have to fit everything into an even tighter schedule. I've been keeping up on my workout routines though. I've made that a top priority for this summer. I'm trying to drop another 20-30 pounds before we fly to Europe this fall, so the airplane seats won't be tight and uncomfortable for 16 straight hours. This will be the first time that I have ever ridden in an airplane where that isn't the case, so that will be pretty awesome.

The weight lifting is going extremely well. I can tell a definite increase in total weight lifted, as well as reps, since I began taking the Body Fortress Advance Creatine mix. It's an incredible supplement. I can see my muscles beginning to get more defined, and feel slimmer overall since I began using it. The only downside is that I am actually gaining weight because of all the muscle I'm putting on. Hopefully it begins to even out when the fat starts melting off because of this new muscle. It will remain to be seen.

My running is progressing as well. I ran 3.5 miles earlier this morning through the suburbs and broke my PR once again. I'm finally down to a 12 minute pace, which is way below the pace I was 2 months ago. On Monday morning I went out to the beach and ran 4 miles at the crack of dawn, down by the water where the sand is firmest. I went into the run thinking it was going to be excruciating, as I heard all kinds of stories about it working new muscles in your legs. The first mile was a little tough, but then I got into it and knocked out the next 2 miles pretty effortlessly. The last mile however, was very tough. It will definitely have to be something I mix into my routine once a week.

It's pretty neat finding new things to vary your workout, and I'm always looking for that. Anything to get an advantage and burn this lard off quicker in aces in my book.

To close out, how useless are gas-powered leaf blowers? I saw no fewer than 10 people blowing grass clipping off their driveways with these ridiculous contraptions. Is it too much of an imposition to break out the push broom to sweep off your 10 foot by 4 foot driveway? You really have to be so lazy to burn a precious commodity to blow away something the freaking wind will blow right back 10 minutes later, you vain jackass? Don't get me wrong, I can see how a landscaping business can put these to use for efficiency, but there is absolutely no reason why a residential homeowner needs this equipment.

Anyhow, I guess that's enough of my rambling. See ya around.

Who wants to wake up to Jillian Michaels yelling at them?

Obviously... I DO!

I purchased some of her work out DVDs not long ago. My favorite is "30 Day Shred". My at home workout routine usually consists of me waking up at an ungodly hour in the morning, putting on work out gear, drinking a glass of water followed by one of her 20 minute routines on this DVD. Then immediately afterward I do a program on my elliptical machine.

I bought the Schwinn 430 Elliptical approximately one year ago and I have to say it's one of the best investments I've made. Before I had that I had purchased a cheap Elliptical from Walmart which wasn't that great but did the job and didn't last very long. The Schwinn is sturdier and has some great programs available. Over the last week, I believe due to me implementing running into my routine, I've been able to increase my elliptical workout to 3 miles for my last two workouts. So that's just over 1 hour of exercise in the morning.

Her workouts are very good, but very hard. She's old school and doesn't use any gimmicks, she's frank with you and you really listen to her as you push through. There are two helpers with her and one does the more advanced workout while the other does the modified version. I think that's great because it really helps ease you into her workouts. The DVD consists of three separate workouts they are supposed to increase with intensity and are basically levels however, depending on your personal physical strengths/weaknesses you might find the "hardest" one easier than the first one, which I do since I have very weak arms! All you need for this DVD are dumbbells (I started with 3lbs and progressed to 5lbs) and a fitness mat.

The most important thing for me right now though is making sure I drink enough water and eat regularly throughout the day. I've been trying, when I have time, to start the day with a smoothie as opposed to cereal. Having a lunch that's light but filling and taking a snack for mid afternoon are key to me getting through the day - especially when I plan to run that night.

The evil Mount Trashmore conquered with the aid of music!

Yesterday we ran approximately 4.2 miles on the track. Today another 2.5 miles around Mount Trashmore. I love going there, however there are a few negative aspects such as; too many people, people not paying attention to where they are going or considering those around them, and the sneaky inclines!

I did surprisingly well today and actually ran the best that I have so far. Unfortunately my shins and calves were killing me throughout the run and still are! That's all part of getting back into things and I know they'll improve eventually once my body has been reconditioned to deal with the running impact.

I recently purchased a new Ipod Nano since my other one died. I decided to also give the Nike+ a shot. I didn't buy the shoes or anything, I just bought the sensor and then there are lots of companies out there that sell special pouches that you can attach to your own shoes. They readings are pretty accurate once you have calibrated them to your motion. I also think that even though you can say that it's just a gadget, I strongly believe it's a great tool to motivate and also to track your overall progress. I'm really enjoying it so far and I'm currently trying to settle on a decent running play list. I highly recommend going for the sensor pouch and sensor combination because it's about $80 cheaper than getting a pair of new Nike shoes when you already have a decent pair (or even prefer a different brand). I got the sensor starter pack for $28 and a pouch for about $4 from Amazon.com. Then I created a Nike+ account on their website and synced my Ipod with it so I could use it on my next run.

The Nike+ sensor basically records the vibrations from your foot when you hit the ground. It's only been off a tiny bit which is fine for me. If I wanted anything more I'd probably look into getting a GPS training device. Once you've completed your workout head to your computer, plug your Ipod in and Itunes then syncs to your Nike+ account and records the progress of your runs with great visual tools (graphs! Oh my!). You can also set up challenges and goals for yourself. Another great thing about it is that it can also be used for Walking.

Things that are pissing me off today

#1 - People who sit on the bench press station for 30 minutes at a time, doing one rep with a certain weight, then putting more weight on, doing that over and over again. 25 minutes of their whole time there is spent walking around the gym, bothering other people who are there to get a workout in. There are other people who want to use that station, jerk. Speed it up a bit and quit dicking around. And yes, I do go to a gym that has only one bench press station set up, so I guess I am partly to blame here.

#2 - People who come to the gym in jeans and a casual polo shirt and sit on a piece of cardio equipment for a few minutes at a time but sign up for the whole hour. First of all, see #1. What the hell is your point? Most of the time you and your ilk only go for 10 minutes on the lowest resistance possible, usually while reading the newest issue of Star Magazine. You tie up multiple pieces of equipment that people want to use for a real workout, and you effectively kill some people's exercise routine. My gym has a limited amount of cardio equipment (more than just 1, like the bench press though), and to have all of them tied up for hours for people like this is disheartening. You pay 60 bucks to go there, and for what? To sit on your butt and read a magazine? You don't have a toilet at home you can do that on? You people are the worst.

#3 - Losing weight. Yeah I said it. There are downsides to losing weight, even though I want and need to do it badly. First and foremost is buying new clothes every month. I just bough two pairs of jeans and work pants 2 weeks ago and now they are too big already. It's highly annoying, but I guess ultimately a good thing. Still, kind of pisses me off.

#4 - People who take 5 minutes to turn right into a parking lot on a major road. Do NOT get me started on these idiots. Seriously, I could rail on this sometime in the future.

I'll stop here. Check back in a few when I have more to add, because I'm not done by any means.

Stupid Musings

I died a little inside today when I realized that today was the last day I would enter "29" into the elliptical machine at the gym when it asks for my age. Tomorrow is my 30th birthday, a day that I have dreaded since I was able to walk, because it means you have to start worrying about your health and other adult-related things. So when I wake up tomorrow I'll cry a little and then I'll get out of bed and life will go on. Hopefully.

Enough of the sob story. Why was I at the gym today instead of running 4 miles, as was my original plan? Well, I left it too late in the day, and when I got out around 12:30 to run, I quickly realized that I didn't apply sunblock, and the temperature was hovering around 90 with no wind and the sun beating straight down on me. The thought of 4 agonizing, sweat soaked miles ending with a severe sunburn that would put me on the shelf for a week deterred me just enough to drive the 2 minutes to the gym and hop on a machine for an hour. Don't worry, I plan on getting the run in tomorrow morning, before the sun gets really pissed off.

The gym was nice and quiet, which is a rarity. scarce are the days where I can walk right in, get on a machine and ride it for a full hour. I could have gone alot longer if I wanted to, but I'm running 2 miles at Trashmore with Jasmine later tonight so I decided not to push it. You can only reserve the machines for a half hour at a time, which blows, but I usually stay on until someone comes in and tells me they signed up. Normally the gym is packed and you only end up getting 30 minutes of cardio time in, which is why I normally avoid it. Today was good though.

The only guy in the weight room was the balding 40 year old guy who wears khaki pants and a tank top every day to show off his super wicked pecs and biceps. I can't stand the guy. He has to grunt on every lift he does and will stand in front of the mirror and check himself out for 5 minutes a pop, right after doing curls. He literally does about 15 sets of curls a day too. One time he tried to bench about 300 pounds or so and asked me to come off of my station and spot him. I was annoyed but walked over there. About 10 seconds later something on ESPN caught my eye and I woke up to him with the weight on his chest, trying to tell me to take it. Funny, he's never asked me to spot him again. I like it that way.

I guess that's enough for today. See ya round.

Another week down

Sunday is the day we get our weekly weigh-in done. We both came out 4 pounds lighter than last week, so I guess that's pretty good. Naturally, we would both prefer it to be 10 pounds or even more, but such a thing is most impossible. If you can accomplish it, it certainly isn't healthy. I'll take the 4 pounds anyhow. Better than gaining 4 pounds, right?

So Easter was today and we had a nice dinner at my cousin's house, even though I had to rush through it to get to work, which sucks. Hate to eat and run, seems a bit rude and ungrateful. Hopefully in the future we can get together and spend some time. I had a well balanced plate of ham, mashed taters, and Cole slaw. This is pretty good for me. In the past I'd have piled up everything on the table and then went back for seconds. I'd like to call this a victory over my will power. I even declined the dessert: chocolate-peanut butter cheesecake brownies, which incorporates just about everything I love into one compact fat cluster. This is a definite bonus. Pretty proud of myself for that one. I got a little bit to eat for later, which is good, since I don't usually eat after 3 pm.

As for working out, not much has changed. We've been running 3-4 miles daily. Sticking with it and trying to increase our pace and stamina right now so we can put more on our schedule in the future. I will be running 4-5 miles again individually on Tuesday and probably again on my birthday, Wednesday, so that will help me build my own endurance on top of helping out Jasmine. Weights are tomorrow, so that is technically a rest day for me, until we go to Mount Trashmore later on for a 2 mile run. So everything seems to be going pretty well on that front.

Well, guess I'm just blabbering, stream-of-consciousness style now, so I'll stop the monotony. Have a good Easter, for whats left of it, and I'll holler at ya later.

Berry Mango Breakfast Smoothie

To make this smoothie you’ll need a blender of course!  You can find all of these ingredients at any local grocery store. It makes enough for two adults. You can use fresh ingredients if you like however frozen ingredients are just as good and they have no prep-time. These are great for people on the go and can be an excellent way to have breakfast on a day you’re pressed for time.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of non-fat yogurt (preferably strawberry flavor)
• Half a cup of skim milk
• 2 slices of frozen Mango halves (can be found at Trader Joes, fresh Mango can be substituted)
• 1 cup strawberries (frozen if you like)
• 1 cup blueberries (frozen if you like) 4 ice cubes

Directions

1. Pour the milk into the blender with the strawberries and blueberries. Blend for about two minutes.
2. Add the yogurt blend for one minute.
3. Add the mango and ice. Blend for two minutes and then blend at liquefy speed for one additional minute or until desired consistency is achieved.
4. Serve immediately and drink with a straw.

Blueberries: Why they are good for you 

Studies show that Blueberries have many health benefits. They are high in antioxidants and possibly play a role in reducing the risks of some diseases, including heart disease and certain cancers. They contain good amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Manganese. Manganese helps keeps your bones strong and healthy as well as helps to maintain blood sugar levels, maintains nerve health and helps the body utilize key nutrients such as biotin, choline, thiamin and ascorbic acid.

The Perils of Road Running

Yesterday I almost died at 3 separate times in my 6 mile run. It started out as a great day. 75 degrees and sunny, I had a run all mapped out in advance, and I felt good. I started out really good, got about 3 miles in and fit hit the shan when I turned left when I was supposed to turn right.

Within about a quarter of a mile the landscape and housing changed from a suburban setting to an overgrown, backwoods, Texas Chainsaw Massacre setting. I could have turned around and went back the way I came but I thought for sure that the main road connected up to the street I was on about a mile ahead. I continued on, keeping a close eye out for snakes but not a close enough eye out for bottomless holes, one of which I almost went head first into. It was covered with various sticks and vegetation. Not sure what was in the bottom of it, but I am fairly certain I would have died there and never been found. So that was cool.

Continuing on I turned down what I thought to be the connecting road, which ultimately turned out to be a really long paved driveway. Once I got far enough to realize my error, I also realized that I was being chased down by a huge black dog. I picked up a stick and stopped and it stood about 10 feet in front of me snarling and barking for about 5 minutes. Every time I turned around to go the other way it would try to rush me and if I backed up he would just follow me. I thought for sure I was about to be in a fight so I lost it and just started screaming at it. Apparently that did the trick because I was able to inch my way out. I got about 100 feet from it and ran pretty hard to the end of the driveway.

The adrenaline boost from that encounter was pretty awesome. I ran the next two miles (back the way I already came) with no problems whatsoever. No aches, a faster pace, no short breath. After the two miles it all fell apart though. Immediately my knees started aching and I felt weak in my quads and calves. I got back to my half way point and realized I still had 3 miles to go. I ran through the pain for about 2 more miles and cut through a yard to get to the next block over, where my car was, to go home and rest.

My knees are not happy with me today. After planning on running 6 miles at the most, which would have been a huge accomplishment in itself, I ended up running 7.5-8. I definitely need a rest day today.

Oh, the third time I almost died? A van saw me running on the left side of the road, 2 empty plastic trash cans on the right, and decided to swerve way out of the way of the cans and almost clip me with his fender. I had to jump out of the way of it. Heaven forbid you take any damage from the plastic lightweight cans dude. Some people here, no check that, most people here are rude and inconsiderate jerkwads. Not angry, just stating a fact.

Til next time.

Old habits die hard

What is it about a rest day that makes you feel like you're cheating your workout schedule? Even if it's well-deserved, I feel really bad about myself when I have to lay off for my body to keep up.

This after noon I woke up with a full intention of getting my lifting in. I was dressed, had my water bottles together, and made it out the door to find the temperature around 50 degrees and rain that was coming in sideways. I made it about 10 steps before the reasons for staying home started entering my mind. The gym is going to be packed, it's too nasty to be out and about, I haven't had a rest in 5 days, and so on. Before I got to the car I turned around and went back in to catch up on my DVR list. I know if I could have made it inside the car, I definitely would have worked out today. I need to force myself to get there next time.

However, the rest was deserved, after my 5 mile run yesterday my knee was feeling a bit weak and my calves were sore. And I did get to see a pretty incredible episode of "Life" that I had saved my a week or so. Also, I got my "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" fix in for the week. Memo to all: if you aren't watching that show, which is on Starz as well as streamed on Netflix, you are missing the best show on television. I started watching it thinking it would be a lame ripoff of 300, and the first couple of episodes definitely seemed that I was correct, but it really picks up. Great action, even though some parts are full of the kitschy 300-like blood effects and slow motion, and the plot-lines are superb. You really should check it out.

To close out today, I thought I'd post a great dinner idea that I will be making for dinner tonight. I bought some wooden skewers and plan to make kabobs, which should be low-fat and healthy, served with roasted vegetable of some sort.

Soak the skewers in water for 1 hour. Mix together various herbs. I choose oregano, sea salt, pepper, and thyme. Drizzle the breast with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp Worcester sauce and sift the herbs on top of the meat and let sit for 30 minutes.

Cut up 1 large chicken breast, or 2 if you are feeding multiple people, into 2 ounce chunks. Cut up 1 green or red pepper into smaller wedge chunks and set aside. Cut up one small yellow or vidalia onion in similar fashion and set aside. You can add any vegetable or fruit that you choose, I generally choose a russet potato and pineapple, but feel free to experiment.

Put the ingredients on the skewer in alternating fashion. Make sure the ends are vegetable, so the chicken doesn't slide off. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes then flip over the skewers and cook for about 5-10 more minutes, until chicken is fully cooked and vegetables look well roasted.

Serve with either rice or couscous and a roasted vegetable. I usually cook the couscous in chicken broth and roast asparagus or Brussels sprouts to go with this dish. Send me a message if you would like to know how to roast Brussels sprouts correctly until they are crispy and sweet. Seriously, best vegetable ever.

Anyhow, guess that's it for now. I'll be running about 3-4 miles on the boardwalk this morning as soon as I get off work, so absolutely no chance of dodging my workout. Talk at you later.

This is awkward

I'm not good at introductions, and even less informative on starting blogs, so please understand that this may seem choppy and slightly terrible.

Our dedication to fitness started 2 years ago, around my 28th birthday. Jasmine and I weren't much for exercising. It always seemed too hard, took up too much time that we didn't have, was too hot or cold, etc. We could always find a reason not to do it. On top of that, we were caught up pretty deeply in numerous hobbies and extra-curricular activities that killed any desire to get outside and run around, and basically anything else in our lives. Our health began failing, our energy levels dipped, and our relationship was nearly effectively strangled.

Our eating habits were atrocious as well. We would eat out 4-5 times a week, and I'm not talking Subway or take out salads. McDonald's and various pizza places were our go-to dinners. When we would cook our dinner it was usually something like corn dogs, hamburger helper-esque box dinners, macaroni and cheese, and so on. Vegetables were a rarity, and we didn't know how to cook them even if we wanted to eat them.

One day I stepped on the scale and found my weight to be 335 pounds. This was a shock to me, as just 5 years ago I weight 270 pounds. Now, I know the 270 is big in itself, but I went to college weighing 255 and played football there. Still, 65 extra pounds was not something I was expecting. I had only saw myself adding on maybe 10-15 pounds over the years, even though my clothes stopped fitting long ago. I was seriously out of touch with my health.

Immediately that night, I began feeling very sick and run down. I had to leave work and go home. I mad a promise to myself to start working out, to do anything I can to start dropping weight. I started running the next day. I could only make it about 100 yards before I had to walk, and even then my shins and sides would kill me for days after wards. I pushed through it and eventually started increasing my time running and decreasing my time walking. Long story short ( I know, too late, right?) I ended up running an 8K last March and finished under 1 hour. (barely)

This was the farthest I have ever run in my life and aim to run the half marathon coming up this summer. I couldn't participate in it this year because I jacked my knee up ( another by product of my weight and bad pacing/stride length). However, that has resolved itself, and I'm back in better shape than ever. I am wearing smaller sizes than I did in high school, and things are going well. I'm currently sitting at 265 pounds. I only recently started incorporating weight training in my schedule, and I can see definite results that started literally the first week.

Jasmine has a similar story with her health, that I'll let her explain if she wants. She bought an elliptical machine and several workout DVDs and has been pretty good about keeping up with them, and has lost a considerable amount of weight too, probably as much as I have. She has just started running with me within the last week, and like I did, has to start off slow and low mileage. We will get there eventually though.

As far as eating habits, we have almost turned a 180 degree shift. Fried foods are almost absolutely banished from our house, except and occasional french fry or Chinese meal. This happens maybe once every 2 weeks, and pizza is called for even less. I haven't eaten a hamburger in months, and rice or couscous is in almost every meal. I also started experimenting with vegetables, and quickly found out that I love asparagus and roasted Brussels sprouts, which are two things I have never tried before because of the stigma of nastiness that comes along with them. They are incredible. The only meat we really eat is a roasted chicken breast or tuna. these meats are so versatile, they can be used in any millions of ways. We can tell a definite energy increase since we began limiting the fatty and fried food and began eating the vegetables. It is amazing.

Well, I suppose I have went on way too long in this introductory blog. Stay tuned for updates on our progress, and if you have any questions for us please don't hesitate to drop a line. We've been where you are right now, and trust us, it can be done, if you put your mind to it. Thanks for following, I'm headed to knock out 5 miles around town. Bye!