More prizes for the Virtual 5k to beat CF!

So, I got an e-mail today from Endorphin Warrior!  They said they will happily donate 2 $20 off Gift Certificates for the Virtual 5k!  Don't forget to sign up for your chance to win one of these or one of many other prizes!!  Spread the word!  Tweet!  Share on Facebook!  Blog!!  Scream out your window!

Thanks!

And, today was my 3rd set of two running days on a row and my 6th (I think) run that was Pain Free!  1.5 miles on the road :)

Numbers...

What's in a number?  Feelings?  Happiness?  Joy?  Fear?

Numbers are just that...numbers...unless...

You make a mental barrier out of them.

1 (mile): Just get out the door and do it.  Once thought of as tough, it is now what you strive to run pain free.  But you are tough for others but they will make you their bitch for making them fear you.

5 (k): After that first 1, 5k seemed a long way.  Now you can do it regularly under 21, even under 20, once.

10 (k): A goal distance at one point and it took over an hour to get there.  In peak training last year, 10k was your easy recovery day.

10 (miles): Double digits!  I remember my first double digit run.  It was the day before my last triathlon (3rd in my age group- another number).  I was ecstatic to reach it and strive for it to come again, but slowly, not at a price.

13.1: My next major goal distance.  I reached that 10 mile plateau twice while training for my first 1/2.  I hurt badly during this run.  I ached for a couple days after it.  I hit this distance bout 10-15 times while training last year and felt good doing it.

26.2: The Mythical marathon.  I have hit this distance twice and twice I did not stop until I had gone further.  I have never run a marathon and don't know if I will.  It is just a number, but it is a number that instills pride, joy, fear, anxiety, love, and passion, hate, fear, and loathing.

50 (k): My goal distance.  I trained hard for this number.  But like 13.1, I reached it before my goal race.  I reached 50k and did not stop.  I went a few miles more despite the fact that my brain told me I could go further.

50 (miles): My new goal.  I have two days planned out to try to reach this goal.  All the feelings listed in 26.2 are here for me at 50.  My main fear is that I will not be healed well enough to reach it.  My MAIN fear is that my leg will not be healed.

100 (k): I am ready to hit 50 this year mentally.  I know I can do it.  100k is the next number.  I dream of hitting it in 2013, I will hit it in 2013.  When I hit 50 this year, I will need to gain some speed to hit 100k or find a 100k race close by to find this number.

100 (miles): I want this.  I know it is years off, but I will be there.  You are to me what all the numbers before you are to others.  You instill great fear and anxiety.   More than 50, more than 100k.  I will conquer you one day.  You will be mine.

1000 (miles): I hit this goal for the first time last year.  You are a goal I can say I have reached.  Injuries this year will NOT prevent me from reaching you again.  I will train smart and I will see you in the Fall.  You are probably also the reason why I am injured- you an 50k both.  Too many miles too soon.  Overuse caused my injury.  I will NOT let that happen again even at the cost of 50 miles.

Numbers.  That's all they are, just numbers.

Some Virtual 5k prizes have arrived...

...thanks to Clif Bar and Active Ambassadors!!

Today a shipment of Clif water bottles (5), Clif socks (6 L/XL), my tech t-shirt, 300 Clif Builder Chocolate mini bars and 400 Clif Bar Blueberry Crisp minis!

So, I've decided to fill a water bottle with bars (4 Blueberry Crisp mini bars and 3 Mint Chocolate mini Builder bars) along with a RW tech t-shirt for each 1st place male (choice of sm, med or large)  and 1st place female winners (small or med) of the Virtual 5k!  If I can get some more prizes, I may add more!

For some random prizes?  How about 5 prizes of 6 mini bars of your choice of any combination of the Mint Chocolate mini Builder bars and Blueberry Crisp Clif Bars and 2 prizes of 5 Clif Shot Gels (any combination of Vanilla and/ or Mocha)!!  I also have 2 pairs of Clif Sock Guy socks to giveaway!  The only size I have (sorry) is large/ extra large (M 9-13/W 10-14).  This is in addition to the RW sweatshirts and tech t's and the CFF shirts!!  As a side note, winners will get first choice of tech shirt size.

Please blog/tweet/Facebook the race!  Spread the love!!  The more $ we can raise for Cystic Fibrosis, the better!!!  Here's a pic of some of the goodies :)  I have pics of other stuff here!

Virtual 5k Update

Things are shaping up!  I've had a couple more people sign-up and I may also end up having a couch to 5k program signing up as a group for their first 5k (Awesome!! And congrats for getting into running!!)!!

If you didn't see the video, Lauren did throw out the first pitch at the Phils-Mets game last Friday!

I will be receiving my Ambassador gear and Clif and Clif Builder bars this week along with some Clif swag.  Once that comes in, I'll be able to let you know about more prizes!

Cystic Fibrosis is a horrific disease for which, at the point, there is NO CURE!  So, sign-up for the Virtual 5k and help make CF stand for CURE FOUND!

And, while you're at it, here's Lauren's video!  She's an inspiration!!

Lauren's First Pitch @CFF Night!!

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far!  You helped Lauren of Lauren's Lifesavers raise over $24,000 and because of that, she got to throw the first pitch out at the Phillies-Mets game in Philly on Friday night!  I can't wait to talk to her tomorrow!  She's got to be on Cloud 9!!  Here are the links for a couple videos:

Video 1

Video 2

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Please spread the word!  Sign up for the Virtual 5k!!  Click here for more info!

Running makes me free...

Running is a way for me to feel free...

When I am running, I can leave the stuff that fills my head and fills my day behind me.  This is especially true on the trails.  When I run the roads, in the daytime or the nighttime, my mind tends to wander more than when I am on the trails.  On the road, I think about what's going on in life, whether positive or negative from time to time.  I am more likely to pound away at the negative stresses of life as I pound the pavement.  Sometimes this will cause me to slow up when I don't want to, or speed up when I don't want to.  On the trails, I am more with nature.  Because of this, my mind does not wander around the positives or negatives as much as on the road.  It ignores the stressors that make me want to run.  Granted, I do daydream, but the stressors are not part of those daydreams and the daydreams are few and far between.  I don't know if this has to do with the fact that I need to watch my footing more or not, but it may be part of the reason why I wish we lived closer to trails, or trails were closer to us.  I don't mind driving 30 minutes one way to run on the trails I love, but it would be nice if I could get out easier during the week and hit the trails before or after dinner.  I haven't gotten into nighttime trail running, but I think that may be a matter of time.  I am definitely not as free on the roads as I am on the trails.

Free from stress.  Once I start running, negative thoughts just seem to leave my mind.  I stop thinking about work, I stop thinking about the little things that seem to annoy me easily, I don’t care if the cat peed on the floor in the basement because the little priss needs the litter changed everyday (sounds like I need a run right now…) or the kids are being way to loud.  Everything could be bothering me, but the moment I head out the door and start putting one foot in front of the other, things feel smooth and I forgot all that was bothering me.  When I come back?  They’re still forgotten and I have moved on.

Free of my wandering mind.  Now, that doesn’t mean that I don’t think about things. This means that my mind focuses on other things like “What was that?” and “How would we survive the Zombiepocolypse?” and other very important things.  There are so many other things to think about. But there are other things that I stop thinking about (like the stressors above).  I don’t think about the “what if’s”, the “why’s” or any other negatives about life.

Free from work.  Usually once I get home, work is out of my mind.  But I guess we have some stressors left over in our subconscious that may be causing some aggravation that we may release on others or may be obvious in our overall demeanor.  At least I’m sure I do.  Usually when I get home I need a few extra minutes to get my stuff put away, to put work away.  I don’t have the ability to get out and run right after work, so I have to stuff work down a bit with a cup of coffee.  But, once I can get out and run, I can let it out and release work and the stressors it causes me.

Free from commuting.  Commuting is a stressor for me, and for many others.  I have a 45 minute commute that is all highway.  The views are gorgeous, but there’s a lot of traffic and idiot drivers out there.  Watching out for them can cause a lot of stress.  Again, like with work stress, I have to wash it down with a cup of coffee when I get home, and then release it on the run later at night.

Free from life.  Yeah, that alone time on the road and on the trail is so invigorating. Even with other runners, you’re still “alone”.  It’s just you propelling yourself along, free from the distraction of life (unless that’s the conversation you choose).  There’s nothing out there except you.  Work is not with you, family is not with you, the ass hole on the cell phone driving 90, weaving in and out of traffic is not with you

Free to just be.  By this, I mean to be in the moment.  Those times where I feel my body and read how I am doing, how I am feeling.  I am in the moment concerned only with what I am doing.  I can also enjoy the stars, the sky, the sunrise or sunset, listening to birds, and just about anything else that stands out.  Living in the moment on the run is a great way for me to meditate and relax my mind.  When I am done, the time spent ‘just being’ helps me feel mentally fresh, invigorated, energized, and mentally ready for, well, life.

So, what are we waiting for?  Why not just go for a run :)

My guest post and other Random Thoughts

I thought I'd just post a link for a guest post I did on Janeammonphotography.net.  It's about how to get started in running!  Check it out and check out her photography- she rocks!!

Random thought: Lauren, of Lauren's Lifesavers- the team I help fundraise for within the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation- get's to throw out the First Pitch at the Phillies game tomorrow night!!  If you're a Mets or Phils fan and you can watch the game, check it out!  She's an awesome girl!

That brings up random thought two: Don't forget to sign-up for the 5k Virtual Run to help fight Cystic Fibrosis!  Click on the link for details!!

Thanks and have an awesome weekend!!

You are what you eat...

For better or worse, I truly believe we are what we eat.

I know this based on what I have done to my body over the course of my life.

Why this post?  The other night, my wife and I watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.  The movie was about the journey of two men (and a few others) from obesity to a more healthy lifestyle.  They started out their diet/life changes by doing a 60 day juicing fast.  They talked about how their energy level shot up and how much better they felt overall eating fruits and veggies.

Almost 4 years ago, I was mostly sugar and processed foods.  I was also around 215, tired, low energy, unhappy, and just not a good person at all.

That was me in August of 2008, just before I started my diet.  By diet I mean a life change of how and what I eat.  Not the fad diet to lose a quick 10 pounds.  I mean a conscious choice to change my life and to change the life of my family.  I saw my young kids eating like me and wanting the same garbage as their daddy was eating.  I could not continue to do this to myself or my kids.  I had to HTFU and make the change.

And I did!  I lost 60 pounds within a year and did my first triathlon.  5 weeks into the diet I decided to reward myself with a piece of cake at a wedding.  It was delicious!  7 layers of different types of fillings and cake.  My stomach started feeling "off" after about two-thirds of it, but I powered through, just like I usually would.  My body hated it.  My stomach started hurting more and more over the next few minutes.  Within 15 minutes after I finished it I ran to the bathroom and threw up.  My body had rejected all that sugar.  I knew I had made the right choice and that I would never look back.  

But, it's not as easy as it sounds.  It has taken a LOT of will power and sacrifice.  I had a lot of cravings and was able to suppress all but that one pice of cake.  I had a headache for about 4-5 weeks because of the severe cut in sugar and caffeine.  But it was all worth it!  Just like one of my favorite quotes: "I didn't tell you it was going to be easy, I told you it was going to be worth it."  And it has been.  I am so much happier.  My energy level is amazingly high.  My family eats healthier.  We are all happier.  THAT makes it worth it.  WE are HAPPY and HEALTHY!

I cut out a lot of processed foods, ALL deserts, candies, soda, junk food, etc.  After 4 years the worst thing I eat are homemade muffins (we use 1/2 sugar and 1/2 honey instead of all sugar and apple sauce in the place of any oil in the recipes).  I inserted a lot of fruits, vegetables and as much organic foods as we can afford.  Here's a typical day for me:

Breakfast:

1 mini bagel or whole large bagel with 2 tbsp of organic peanut butter (just peanuts, not sugar or oils added).

6-8oz of orange juice

1 coffee with 1 tbsp sugar and 2-3 oz of 40 calorie vanilla flavored unsweetened almond milk

Lunch:

4-6 oz organic granola

6-8 oz organic greek yogurt

Fruit

Carrots with hummus (love me some garlic hummus)

Water

Snack: 

Coffee with 1 tsp sugar and 2 creamers (processed, but what I have to use to get a coffee fix :) )

Granola bar/ Clif bar

Dinner:

Varies!

We eat lots of organic chicken cooked a variety of ways, pastas, veggies with each meal, homemade soups and stews, etc.

Water

Snack:

bowl or organic cereal: 6-8 oz; 6 oz of almond milk (this is my usual night snack)

We have been eating fresh air popped popcorn with a touch of butter.  We found a microwave air popper that is amazing!

I also have 1-2 other cups of coffee throughout the day.  Yeah, I'm an addict.

I watch my portion sizes.  Being carefully with how much you eat is as important as what you eat.  Keep your portions small if you want to lose weight.  I eat more when running, obviously.  I have not been running much since October 29th (the partial muscle tear I aggravated about 5 weeks ago) and my weight is still under 160. I was above for a bit, but got back under within 2 weeks.

I also make sure I get enough protein and fiber as well.  If you're trying to lose weight, fiber is key.  Fiber will help you feel more full than other foods as it is much slower to digest.

Almost 4 years later, and I am still living the same healthy lifestyle.

As for juicing for 60 days?  I see nothing wrong with this kind of jumpstart.  We're in the market for a new blender (my 40+ year old one finally broke) and we're probably going to be getting a blender/ juicer combo.  Will I juice for 60?  Nope, but I think I'll juice for 4 or 5 just to "jumpstart" my body.  Will I cut out coffee?  Eh, probably not :)

If you are looking to lose weight and get off the couch and run, contact me!  I can help by providing running help (see my coaching page!!) and nutrition help!

Anarchy Rules!

Anarchy sounds so much more fun than just randomness, but they mean the same (to me at least).  Domestic randomness is what I did, but it sounds lame.  I went out to sit and enjoy the mild weather, and I ended up doing some light weeding and weed whacking.  I drew the line at mowing- I'm a rebel!!  I had three cups of coffee before lunch.  That may explain the quick 90 minutes of work.

Running wise?  I worked on a blog post for my wife's awesome blog, JaneAmmonPhotographer.com, on how to start running and how to find the time.  I also networked (A.K.A. tweeted, blogged and Facebooked running groups) and got some coaching stuff done (softball coaching, not run coaching).  BRB.  Ok, I'm back (I hope you didn't miss me).  I just did some running coach stuff.  Here it is:

Who's up for a bit of formwork and a group run that I may not run in (#injuriessuck)?  I'm shooting for Thursday, April 26th at 6:00!  If you're in the Reading, PA area, come on over!!  More details to come...

Have a great weekend!

Push-ups anyone?

A few days a week for me!  A couple years ago, I started the 100 push-up challenge.  I got to the halfway point and stopped (I did 50 in a row twice).  I was having some issues with wrist pain (geez, I guess I am injury prone!) and decided to take a break.  So, guess that means I needed two and a half years off!  I restarted the challenge two weeks ago, so that means I'm on...week 2!  I actually just complete Week 2, Day 2.  I got in the following sets: 14, 16, 12, 12, 25 (max with 17 the minimum).

The basic premise is that you (yeah, YOU!!) can do 100 push-ups IN A ROW by slowly building up your strength with doing push-ups three days a week for six weeks!  You start out with doing a maximum test to see where you should start and then slowly build up from there!  I remember when I did it last time that I did repeat a week because I was not maxing out where I needed to.  It's a great program and really helps build arm, upper body and core strength.  I'm still not sure if I'll go all the way through again, I just wanted to use it to get back into the habit of doing sets of push-ups!

Rock on!  Or Push-up on!  Which ever you desire!!  Time to go flex these guns of mine (B.B. Guns...).

P.S.:

What would a post be from me without saying:  SIGN UP FOR THE VIRTUAL RUN TO HELP RAISE MONEY TO FIGHT CYSTIC FIBROSIS!!  I have some great prizes to giveaway!  Tech shirts (men and women's), two Running Warehouse sweatshirts, $15 Road I.D. gift card and some Clif Bars and Clif Bulder Bars!!!  I already have a few say they will be signing up, but only have one official entry (besides me...).  Thanks @runreadrant!!!

Running Warehouse delivery!!!

Short post!  Here's the photo of the stuff from Running Warehouse for the Virtual 5k:

They are: two sweatshirts (small- I think both small- I have to check the box...hold on...sorry that took so long-yup, both small!), three mens Asics Ready-Set Tech shirts (sm, med and large in orange) and two pink women's Asics Ready-Set Tech shirts! 


Thanks again Running Warehouse!!