Do You Like "The Biggest Loser"?

What an exciting time of year!!!  It starts out being so cold and this past weekend it was over 70 degrees.  My understanding is that it is supposed to cool down a lot over the next few days again.  I'm just so glad that I'm finally over whatever it was that I had and I can actually breathe while I’m running.
My first run of the year wasn’t until January 5 and I was so glad to have it in the book. I ran for an hour that day and then ran 50 minutes on Sunday. Although it wasn’t the distance that I had hoped for I did manage to get in 9.4 miles over those two days.

This past weekend I did things a little different that I normally do them. I got home Friday afternoon and since it was supposed to rain on Saturday morning, I decided that I was going to run on Friday after noon. I headed out on the Coke course and ended up with 6.3 miles at an 11:18 pace. I can tell that I’m getting faster because the effort isn’t as great at this pace as it used to be. I had fueled properly all day and I was ready for the late afternoon run. By the time a returned home it was dark and I was ready to eat.

One Saturday the rain cleared off for a little while in the afternoon and I decided to get in some more miles. I then ran 8.5 miles at a slow pace of 12:09. The temperature had warmed up to about 71 degrees and it was so humid. Although I suffered during the entire run, I was glad that I had gotten the miles in.  I ended my week with 14.8 miles and already ran as many miles this January as I did last January.
One of the shows that I like to watch on television is The Biggest Loser. I returned this past week and I got to see the first episode and it really motivated me. I remember a time that I could have been in the same position as any of those people on the show and how what I’ve done over the last two years has changed my life.

I was talking with some one this past week about The Biggest Loser and she told me that she didn’t watch it. I asked, “Why?”

“It doesn’t motivate me at all. If anything, it discourages me,” she said.

I can understand where she is coming from. It is unrealistic for someone to lose that much weight in a week. Besides, who has the time to workout most of the day to get the results that they get on the show? The one thing that I’d like to see more on the show is how they prepare food. What kinds of foods they eat and things like that. We all know that exercise alone won’t get the job done.
Does The Biggest Loser motivate you? Please leave your comments below.

Thanks for stopping by this week.

Totals for 2012

This past year has been a blast and I have had the privilege of meeting some of the most awesome people on the planet.  With their help and encouragement, I have become a better runner.  There were times I think that I might not have been out there on the pavement if it had not been for the Lunatic Fringe.  Although the weather was tough at times but it was all well worth it.

Here are some cool facts about my runs in the past year.  I hope you enjoy them.

Total Number of Runs:  134

Total Miles:  850.21

Total Time:  7 days 2 hours 56 minutes 55 seconds

Distance from Corinth:
    Amarillo, TX (820 miles)
     Eau Claire, WI (854 miles)
     Buffalo, NY (873 miles)

Worst Month: January (25.25 miles)
Best Month:  October (107.13)

I would have never thought I could have traveled that far on my own two feet 27 months ago.  Since I first started I have walked/ran a total of 1533.84 miles.  I have been able to keep off the weight that I lost just by starting this journey and eating healthier.

Thanks to all of you that continue to read my blog each week.  If you haven't liked my page on FaceBook please do so by clicking here to go to the page.  You can also find me on Twitter here.  Thanks again and I hope to see you again next week.

Christmas and New Running Gear

As it has been all fall, the weather has been crazy this week.  You can't tell what you need to wear until you start to get ready for your run.  Jeff and I wear going to  go for a run on Christmas Eve morning but it had to be postponed.  Christmas Eve 2011 was the first time that Jeff and I had even met each other in person and we had a nice run early that morning.  This year, I got up at 5:30 and looked outside to see what I needed to wear and the rain was coming down pretty good.  I texted Jeff and we decided that we would try to sneak in a run on Christmas Day.

After I went back to bed and the rain had stopped, I put on a pair of shorts and a short sleeve shirt and went on our for a nice 7 miler and the humidity was bad.  I was really proud of myself for running it at an 11:14 pace.  Last Christmas Eve I had ran 6.25 miles at an 11:38 pace.  Not a really big improvement but still faster.  At the time, I was only running 5-6 miles at a time and couldn't even imagine running 10 miles.

I got a nice running suit from my family this year.  I had no running pants and just a couple of long sleeve running shirts.  I got a nice pair of Nike running pants that don't fit tight around the legs but still tight enough to draw the sweat away from my skin and keep me warm.  I also go an Asics long sleeve shirt.  I have had my eye on this one for a while but just couldn't bring myself to let go of the money.  I'm glad that I received it as a Christmas gift.
Christmas Day I went out before the rain got here and tried out the new pants and shirt.  I love both of them.  I really wasn't worried about the distance that I was going to get but wanted to get in an hour of exercise because I knew that I was going to another family gathering that afternoon.  In that hour I got in 5.24 miles and it was a lot cooler than it was the day before.

Next Monday I will share with you about the rest of my running week and also some interesting facts about my runs this past year.  I'm a numbers guy, like Jeff, and I will share those numbers with you.  Thanks for stopping and I will see you again on New Year's Eve.

A Goal for 2013

I had a really good week running this past week.  I went out early on Monday for just a normal 10K and ended up with my fastest time and also negative splits.  It wasn't something I was trying to do but it just happened.  When I returned home and looked at the splits I was surprised and proud of myself at the same time.

Saturday I joined my friends, the Lunatic Fringe, on Hwy 350 and had planned just 10 miles but then decided to make it 12.  I felt really good until about mile 10 when that same knee began to hurt.  I ended up running just ten and a half and walked the balance of the 12.  I didn't have much of a choice really.

I mentioned on my Facebook Page that I was going to write about one of my goals for 2013.  I have decided that I am going to try a new fruit and vegetable every month.  I normally eat the same things all the time so I thought this would make it a little more interesting.  My first fruit will be grapefruit.  I have never eaten a grapefruit before but love ruby red grapefruit juice.  I don't normally drink juice much anymore because of the calories but when I do I drink 100% juice.  Not sure what my first veggie will be but I will write about it later.  During 2012 I tried three new fruits and one of those I didn't like.  I tried dates, strawberries, and raspberries.

The way I am going to decided on the new items will require a little research.  I will pick things that are in season and will be easy to find during that time of year.  I will also look into how to make a healthy dish from them if I can't eat them raw.

Thanks for stopping and I hope that each of you have a Merry Christmas.  I'll see you one more time before the new year.

Some of My Favorites

Since this will be one of my last post for 2012, I want to recap some of my favorite moments and races this year. You maybe asking, "You have moments?" Of course, I do. There are times during my training that really stick out and I won't forget them.

2012 Coke 10K

This was my first big event of the year and it was a hot one! The weather just hadn't been very warm but it warmed up plenty for this race. I was totally miserable through almost the entire run. I ended up running it a lot slower than I did the year before but I made up for it the next weekend.

2012 Gum Tree 10K

This race was the weekend after the Coke 10K and the weather was much cooler. I was really hoping to PR but missed it by 9 seconds. I saw some one I knew and took a minute or so to talk to them and that might have been the reason I missed it. Of the 5K & 10K events that I ran, I would have to say that this was my favorite.

Helen Keller 5 Miler

This event was near the end of June during the Helen Keller Festival in Sheffield, AL. The heat was turned up a notch or two but it was a really great event. I wore my iPhone on my arm so I didn't get to take advantage of the many times that water was being sprayed out over the road to help cool the runners. I felt that TRAC had provided plenty of water on the course. If I can, I will be running this event again in 2013.

June 2nd

This wasn't an event but one of "those moments". This was the first time I ran on Hwy 350 and I didn't know what I was getting into. I had never ran more that 9.75 miles before and wanted to get in more miles. After my friends and I got to the 5 mile point, they let me decide if I wanted to try for 13.1. I still felt good so I said, "Yeah!" I probably should have just went for 10 or 11 but I did make it to the half marathon distance that day. When I finished, Jeff was there ready to take my picture.

Since all four of these times, I have pretty much written about all of the other events that I've ran in. My favorite event of 2012 had to be the Life Without Limits Half. It was so good to see the pictures of those kids on those big boards at each mile. Although it was only a picture, as I read each board, I could hear a kids voice saying what was on the board.

I did get in some miles this past week. I ran 7 on Thursday and 10.5 on Saturday. I had 15 planned for Saturday but had to cut it short because of some knee pain. I'm not taking any chances. I went to the gym Sunday evening and was reminded why I love being outside and being able to tolerate whatever temperature that is thrown at me.

Thanks for stopping and I will see you again later next week.

Another New Name?

I guess it's better to be late than never on getting a blog post out.  I've been working at my job and also behind the scenes here too.  A few weeks ago I did a whole redesign of the blog to make it look nicer.  As of this past weekend I have changed the name too.  The only thing that I changed was the word "for" to the number 4.  With that said, if you are a runner, walker, or just getting started in any kind of exercise routine, please visit my new Facebook page here.  You can also follow me on Twitter: @irun4mylife.

Last week life happened and I only go in two runs.  They were on Saturday and Sunday.  I really enjoyed both of my runs but Saturday's had to be the best.  Jeff and I ran 10 out on 350 and those hills are still kicking my butt.  It felt good getting out there and having some company and also I felt that I finished strong.  Sunday's run was a solo run around town but this time I did it in reverse.  There wasn't much going on that early in the morning so I just took my time and finished with a nice 10K plus just a bit more.

I know this has been short but this is going to have to do me for this week.  I hope you will check out my Facebook page and my Twitter too.  Be looking for a surprise in next week's post.  Thanks for stopping!

Thanks for the Idea

I had a busy week this last week but still managed to get in 25 miles.  My schedule got me home on Thursday morning and I went for a run that afternoon and then two more runs on Saturday and Sunday.  My runs were 7, 12, and 6.2.  I didn't have any problem with my knee during any of the runs.

This past Saturday was the big event up in Memphis.  I'm talking about the St Jude Marathon, Half, and 5K.  I didn't know anyone that was running the 5K but a bunch from Corinth and the surrounding area ran either the full or half marathon.  If you ran this race, whether you know me personally or not, I want to say congratulations.  As I read some of the stories from local runners, it made me want to be there.  I can't wait until next year.

While I was out on my Sunday morning run, I ran into Jenni.  I was on my way back in so she turned around and joined me.  We talked a little about our plans for running a marathon.  She said that she was hoping to do one next year.  She asked me about my plans and I told her that I didn't think I could really prepare on two and three days a week.  I also that since I was on the road a lot that it was sometimes hard to find somewhere to run.  She then put an idea in my head.

Most major cities do have running clubs.  She suggested that if I knew far enough in advance that I could seek out those clubs and they could possibly offer suggestions on where to run and where I could get a shower.  I had never thought about that before!  If I'm not familiar with the area then I'm kind of scared to go off alone.  Although I carry pepper spray with me, you still have to get close enough to use it.  Thanks Jenni for the suggestion and I hope that it helps some of my readers too.

That's going to do me for this week.  Thanks for stopping and hope to see you again next week.