The Joys of Downsizing

Doesn't it just make you feel awesome to throw out half of your possessions? We're moving within the next month, so today I was tasked with cleaning out the closets and choosing what clothes I would be keeping and which I would be sending to goodwill.

I was ruthless. If it wasn't worn in the last 3 months, and I didn't anticipate wearing in the next month, it was going somewhere, but not to out next residence. The final tally: 8 over sized trash bags full of clothes, 2 large boxes full of DVDs, VCR cassettes and other useless junk that just took up space. The apartment is airier now, and I feel like it's a brand new place. It's just incredible how much of a change it makes.

The Goodwill pile:

I almost cried when I tossed three brand-new pairs of 48x30 jeans in this pile. At first because I can now wear 38 size jeans, and am so glad I'll never be that size again, and then again because they were freakin' brand new (never worn because they were a bit tight). That was 100-150 dollars wasted. Oh well. I found some clothes in the closet that I couldn't even remember buying or owning. Sayonara, fat clothes.

The trash pile:

If you think that's impressive: consider the fact that I haven't even touched my kitchen or the outside storage yet. I also have at least 5-6 large pieces of furniture to add to this collection. Guess moving won't be so bad this time around, after all.

Another Boring Rest Day

Ugh. Another rest day. Another very crucial day for my body to heal from all the pain and turmoil I've been putting it through. I get it, it's an important part of losing weight and gaining muscle.

So why do I feel like such a lazy bum? I really want to go running or play basketball. I am highly motivated to put my body in motion today. This is usually the case on my scheduled rest day, whereas on the days I have to work out I can be lethargic and unmotivated.

I suppose I can at least find something productive to do with my time off today. The closets and bathroom are begging for a spring cleaning because we are moving soon. I'll probably tackle that and then go through my clothes and donate all the stuff I don't wear anymore.

Resisting sitting on my ass and playing Call of Duty until Jasmine gets home will be a lesson in will power. I've not been able to resist it in the past.

Hell you know what, maybe I'll just go for a quick 2 mile run anyhow. I'm not that sore.

Looking for a Lower fat/Higher protein diet?

There's a very simple replacement for your evening dinner that will instantly eliminate countless grams of fat and boost your protein intake, which will also be very tasty and filling. I came upon it after having an epiphany caused by roasted Brussels sprouts.

What is this mystery diet you say? Well, the first and most important step is to eliminate potatoes from your diet, full stop. Mashed, fried, baked, roasted, all of them. Gone. Don't even stop at the potato section of the supermarket. In my house, the only potato we will eat is roasted sweet potatoes, and that is a rare occasion. Sweet potatoes are extremely high in antioxidants, it dwarfs the nutritional value of regular potatoes. One downside to sweet potatoes: extremely high glucemic value. Diabetics: this is a big no-no for you.

Ok, so you've eliminated the potatoes. Most of you are westerners, and we all know Americans, Irish, and the rest of us LOVE our potatoes. It's a travesty to even contemplate knocking them off our plates at dinnertime. So what do we replace them with?

The answer can be found in any common grocery store: brown grains. Barley, brown rice, and quinoa are some of the best grains you will find on the face of the planet. They all have extremely low glucemic values and they are packed with protein. Avoid white grains at all costs. They are nutritional garbage, and their glucemic value is through the roof. The best grains I have located are sold at Trader Joes for 3 bucks a packet. It is a blend of barley, rice, and spelt, and when cooked with chicken stock it tastes buttery and moist. Cook one cup of the grains with 3 cups of water mixed with one or two cubes of chicken stock, based on your taste preference. This goes extremely well with the next item on the new menu.

Eliminate all red meats. I know this will be hard. I love steaks too, being from the Midwest. It has to be done though. Cooking one chicken breast for dinner in place of a roast or steak will save you at least 20 grams of fat, 300 calories, and massive amounts of cholesterol. On top of the health benefits, chicken cooks faster, marinates faster, and goes with more sauces and side dishes than beef or pork.

Last step to close out the dinner is the best part, which is too often overlooked. Roasted vegetables are incredible. I have a variety of greens that I like to roast, but the best ones are Brussels sprouts and asparagus. I know, I know, if you're like I used to be, you're probably gagging at the thought of Brussels sprouts in any form. Trust me though, all you have to do is shake them in some olive oil and salt and roast them at 350 for about 35 minutes and they will come out very sweet and crunchy. The salt mixes with the sweetness of the veggie and creates an extremely tasty side dish. It completely changed my view of vegetables.

So if you're keeping score, the final rundown of this diet is one chicken breast, cooked in any form you like (I prefer grilled), half a cup of quinoa or barley/rice, and about 4 ounces of roasted vegetables. If you eat this meal for dinner only 3 times a week you will see notable changes in your health, stamina, and strength. Good luck exploring the multiple combinations of the ingredients, and fun ways to cook the chicken or other poultry. Most importantly, enjoy!

Run, Fat Boy, Run

Yes, I realize this is the name of a terrible movie. No, this is not a post about that movie. I apologize if you're a huge Simon Pegg fan, I'm just stating facts.

Last weekend was the Shamrock 8K, Half Marathon and Marathon festival. I had originally wanted to run the Half Marathon, because I was building my mileage up and thought I would ready to tackle a race after running the 8k in previous years. As the time kept creeping closer, I found a ton of reasons to chicken out such as not running enough over the winter to train, a mild case of plantar fascitis that creeps up now and again, being tired from work, and many more. So when the time came to sign up, I chose to run only the 8k and put the Half Marathon off until later this fall, because I'm sure that I'll have enough time in training between now and then to take a shot at it. (I know, it's ambitious thinking)

I was aiming for a finishing time of 45 minutes. This would make me average around 9 minutes a mile, which would be the fastest time I have ever run one mile, much less 5 in a row. Looking back, it was pretty outlandish to expect that, but I knew I would be running faster with the crowd of people around me, and that adrenaline in the front half of the race would push me to a great start. I was pretty much correct on this, as I jumped out to a big boost right off the starting gun. I was passing people right and left, running through gaps like an NFL running back and feeling like a racing superstar. About a half-mile in I started to get winded and the stitch in my side told me I was being a moron. At this point I slowed my pace down a couple steps and started to pace myself with the group to get my breathing right. I figured I was going to start killing my pace but when I got to the first mile marker and looked down at my watch to see I was running an 8 minute mile! This was incredible news, and made me think I could even afford to slow a little in the back half and still hit my goal.

Continuing on, I approached the 2 mile marker and still noticed I was averaging a 9 minute mile. Right on pace! Awesome news right? Well this is the part of the race where we essentially did a 180 and started running northbound on the boardwalk. Right into a 20 mph 40 degree wind. Needless to say, I did not account for the wind at my back in the original goal considerations.

It only took 2 blocks for me to hit a wall. I instantly felt about 20 lbs heavier and my feet began dragging. I was starting to get passed by 7 year old children who looked like they were jogging slow and just playing around, chasing each other. I just kept looking forward to markers in the distant horizon that I would be hitting to get this race over for once and for all. Very slowly the 15th street pier came into focus. It seemed like it took forever to finally get to it and then I could see the Neptune statue. Eventually the statue got bigger and bigger and I found my self on 27th street, turning to go back up Atlantic and circle around for the short backstretch to the finish line.

All the spectators were crowded along the boardwalk as I started the 6 block sprint to the finish. I had the wind to my back again so I was hoping to bring my time back up and finish at a respectable level. I hate running with people watching because things jiggle and bounce around, as you can tell is happening in the picture to the left, because I haven't burned off all my fat from my lazy days, but today I couldn't let that be a factor. I had looked at my watch when I turned into the backstretch and saw that I was just passing my original 45 minutes, so that was out but I was hoping to still get under 50 minutes so I could hit a 10 minute average, which is still the best 5 mile pace I've ever done. Eventually I hit the finish line to a crowd of cheers and hollering and stopped my watch for a new PR 49 minutes, 53 seconds. It's a pretty good feeling not only to know that you accomplished the run, but you set new records while doing so. Especially considering my last time when I ran the 8K was 65 minutes.I smashed that record.

I didn't stick around for the rest of the festivities, which included free beer from the sponsor (at 9am, right after running for an hour, ugh), Irish stew (see the beer part, ugh), and a couple other useless items. I just went to my car, drove home, and immediately crashed in my bed for a long nap because I had to work later that night. Overall, I'd have to say it was an awesome day.

All of these pictures of a fatty running on the boardwalk were taken near the finish line, where I was trying to push myself, so they aren't the most flattering pictures ever taken. I wish they'd take official pictures at the beginning of the race too. Oh well.

Things that piss me off in organized races:

• people who get in the first corral with 6 minute pacers and elite runners, and then walk, making the entire 15 thousand people entered have to pass them. Get a clue, people.
• spectators that shout out random encouraging words to me as I pass. I know, it's supposed to be a good thing, and I appreciate the effort, but please save it for the woman behind me who is holding her sides and huffing.
• idiots who throw their water cups on the ground at my feet when I pass the water station, thus soaking my feet. Happened 3 times in this race, and I was running as far to the side away from the tables as possible.
• people who run carrying large flags or other trailing/dragging props. I get it, it's a joke and fun for you. Some people are trying to run for real, and don't need your photo op tripping them or blinding them. Thanks.
• parking garages that bump up their prices for large events at the Oceanfront and charge you for a full 4 hours when you were there for 3, but somehow went over the limit because of the funny way the ticket read out. Complaing to parking authority is a lesson in futility, forget it. Just pay and move on. Organized crime right there.

Those are just the big ones.

Simon Pegg fans: I haven't even seen Run, Fat Boy, Run. So stop your bellyaching.

Why proper nutrition and sleep are so important!

I haven't treated myself very well in the past. I'm one of those people who loves to work and I put in 110% effort. I'm also my own worst critic and sometimes a little bit too much of a perfectionist! Ultimately this results in letting yourself go when you're constantly thinking of others and their overall perception of you.

How can this be appetizing now?

I'm glad I took a step back a couple of years ago and realized what I had done to myself. A former track star in my teens up to college, what had I done to my fitness levels? Why was I always so tired? As soon as we started our daily walks around Mount Trashmore I instantly began to feel better. We began implementing healthier foods into our diets slowly but surely, it was actually a great experience because we're definitely both foodies!

Those steps were fantastic and had great results, but they just weren't quite enough for me. There were other areas that I could work on to boost my energy levels. In addition to improving my diet I also started taking a great multi-vitamin daily. I realized I wasn't eating enough fish, because I hate it, so... MUCH, as a result I started taking fish oil. Then there's the fact that I'm stuck inside ALL DAY and don't get to see much daylight due to work, solution? Vitamin D with Calcium to help absorb it.

Then there was there sleep issue. I was going to sleep around midnight and sometimes getting up at 6am. During the weekends I slept even less, I decided it was time to take action and although I am making progress in this department I still believe I have a long way to go here.

All of these have really helped me get back to my old self and I've also started to walk about 3 miles at lunch time. We're still working out on a regular basis and recently I've started to do a lot more weights which I really think has helped boost some of my recent weightloss.

It's certainly a journey of discovering yourself and the needs that your body has to find what the right solution is for you. It's time consuming but I know in the end it will all be worth it. I already see and feel the results!

Why I love trail running

There's nothing quite like running between the trees and the tranquil waters of First Landing state park in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Views from First Landing

We make it a priority to get there at least once a week for hiking or running. Last summer we would run at least 8 miles every weekend there for our long run, in addition to our normal daily runs.

The only bad thing about trail running is that it spoils you completely, I hate running around neighborhoods now and dread the thought of cement or tarmac under my feet!

Regardless, we have our first race together coming up next weekend, The Yuengling Shamrock! Completely on hard cement and tarmac! I'm sure I'll survive though!

I love being in Virginia Beach in the Spring. The weather here is beautiful and the skies are always blue. The summer tends to get a little too hot for my personal liking but I'll take it for the green surroundings and beautiful waterways!

With summer just around the corner our Planet Fitness visits will become less and less and only for lifting purposes. It's way too nice to be stuck indoors. So get out there and enjoy life and everything that's around you!