Day 561 - Exercise and weight loss

It's been a VERY long time again since I have posted.  In this case, I figured it's long past time for me to report on a few items in my Exercise category:

42. Walk 20 min, 3 days a week for 12 weeks. (0/12)
43. Exercise at least 2x/week for 12 weeks Set a schedule.
44. Lose 10 pounds.
47. Keep the 10 pounds off for at least 12 weeks.

I have completely blown away Item 43.  In my last post, I talked about starting to run.  I have kept it up.  Now, as of mid-December, I have logged 137 runs (mostly runs) and covered 512 miles.  I have done at least 3 runs a week since I started in May. Usually doing 4 or 5 runs a week.  Item 43 is done, but that won't stop me running!

Throughout these months, I have lost around 25 pounds compared to where I was at last January.  That is quite a bit more than the goal set in Item 44 of only 10 pounds.  I have been more careful to watch my food intake, especially quantity, but I have not been on a "diet" and haven't felt like I've been dieting.

I have kept that weight off and continuing trimming it for well over 12 weeks. I've continued to trim pounds even since my return from Philmont in August. So if you count losing 10 lbs. somewhere by May or June, it's been more like 5 or 6 months of keeping off the weight.

I'm also going to mark-off Item 42.  I've done quite a bit more than "walk" twice a week! 

Day 404 - Exercising

I'm in week 9 of my exercise plan for Item #43, Exercise at least 2x/week for 12 weeks.

This has been the perfect time, because I started shortly after returning from India and about 12 weeks before I go to Philmont again.  My goal is losing a bit of weight and being in as good of shape as possible to be able to backpack comfortably at 8000-11000 ft. elevation with a bunch of 14 year-olds for 10 days.  

On June 23rd, my company is sponsoring the Heart of Summer 5k/10k.  At work we have an employee-lead 10 week training program for people targeting walk-to-run, 5k, and 10k.  I was going to do walk-to-run, but a colleague of mine was doing the 5k, so I thought I'd step up my plans a bit and go for that.

So, I'm running.  I didn't think I'd ever be a "runner" and I'm not certain I'm actually one yet. 

I have been exercising sometimes 4 and no less than 3 times each week for the past 8 weeks and I'm working on week 9. You can see my exercise log here on the right. This is a plot of Total Miles each Week.

You'll notice there has been a large increase in the miles the last two weeks. I have been trying to find out just how far my body can go. Unfortunately, I think I've found that.

I didn't realize that I was increasing my mileage so quickly. I simply went from about 3 miles each run to 4-5 miles each run. It did add up and my shins have definitely been feeling it. The last few days they have been sore, but haven't recovered before it was time to run again. I've scaled back so that I don't hurt myself. I'll need to pay more attention to increasing my distance more slowly.

I ran a little yesterday and it was tough. I felt a little better after the run though, having stretched those muscles.  I also iced them down for a half hour or so.  This is manageable and I'm not too worried.  I don't really *want* to scale back, but it's necessary.  The 5k is coming up in just over a week and I'd like to do as well as possible on that.  Then Philmont is 2 weeks later.

Day 400 - The 20th Year Reunion

Whoa. Day 400!? Where did the time go? It's been about 9 months since my last post. I figured I should fix that.  I will update the list, but don't have time to post about everything on it.  I have completed a number of things though, and the 40-by-40 has not escaped my mind.


The most recent item completed was #75 Make every effort to attend my 20 year high school reunion in 2011.  The reunion was this last Saturday, July 9, 2011.

I went to the Friday night gathering at Christy's Place, a local bar and spent the evening with a number of people there.  The main event was Saturday evening at the Countryside Banquet facility in Washington.

The reunion committee (Jen, Brett, Anne, Kara, and a few others) planned a great night.

• 5:45-6:30 cocktail social hour
• 6:30 dinner
• 7:15 door prizes
• 9:45 raffle drawing
• Midnight end of festivities

Dinner was roast beef or chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad.  During dinner, there was a video put together with a variety of trivia about ourselves that we could submit.  It included a segment of "You know you grew up in the '80's if you remember...." It also included the speech from our 1991 graduation ceremony by Wendy, a classmate who took her own life this last year suffering from PTSD from her time in the military.

I was chosen as a competitor in a game where we had to go into the audience and do and/or get something. The last one back to their seat was forced out each round.  Out of the 11 participants, I made it through about half.

Door prizes... and then FUN awards such as: the longest married, the most recently born baby, the youngest spouse, who changed the least in 20 years, who changed the most, who had the most gray hair, who traveled the furthest, who lived in the most places, etc.  I was granted the person with the most gray hair--and that's pretty accurate.

Fun times!  I'm glad I put this on my list -- it gave me extra encouragement.  I'm glad I went both nights.