Off to a pretty good start.

Yesterday was pretty intense. I got home from work at about 1 in the afternoon. I almost immediately went downstairs and did the day 1 of P90X. Its Chest and Back. So its mostly push-ups and pull-ups, with a few weighted lifts thrown in. It kicked butt, mostly because of the thermogenic I am on giving me a lot of extra energy that I poured into the workout. I did 125 push-ups, and 75 pull-ups (with a chair for assistance.) It was pretty beastly feeling. Then when I was done, I went out and ran 5 miles. I ran the first 4 miles without much problem, but the last mile I definitely started to bonk out.

I am gonna go to the store this week to look into the GU energy packets, so that I can get used to them before my race in 4 weeks.

Today is the Plyometric Cardio day for P90X, plus a 5 mile bike ride, or maybe some rollerblading, depending on what I fancy here in a few hours. Will update about how that all goes!

Radical

So these last two weeks have been a lot of bumming around, and not really doing anything productive. I let my birthday weekend turn into a birthday 2 weeks. It was abysmal in terms of doing anything good for my body, and I definitely set back a bit.

But on the bright side. My aunt and I really committed to the next 90 days to get in the best shape of our lives. She purchased the Tracy Andersons Metamorphosis workout series. Its similar to the P90X program in style, but geared directly at women. It's a really legit looking program, and doing one of the workouts today, I got my butt kicked. I on the other hand, will be sticking with the P90X program, as well as incorporating my running regiment until my half-marathon in 4 weeks.

Today was day 1 for her, and tomorrow is day 1 for me. That makes Sundays my off days. Last night, we both sat down and got our body measurements, I did the fitness test, and we took out "Before" photos.

I am warning you now. If you don't want to see pictures of a fat hairy guy in nothing but workout shorts. Don't scroll down any further on this page. 

Current Measurments

Weight: 234 lbs

Biceps: 15 in

Chest: 44 1/2 in

Waist: 44 in

Hips: 43 3/4 in

Thighs: 25 in

So yeah. I am definitely in need of a radical change in my lifestyle. But I am hoping through changes in eating habits, working out, and motivation from my aunt, from family, and friends, that I will be able to achieve my goals, and much more. In 90 days, I am looking to be down close to 200 lbs. 34 pounds in 90 days. Thats a lil more than a pound every 3 days. Which is easily attainable with all the work I plan on doing.

I am making healthier choices when it comes to eating. Limiting myself to a 2000 calorie diet, eating more throughout the day instead of big meals late at night. I also added a protein shake to my daily intake, every day after I workout.

I am also using a thermogenic, which is a weight loss supplement, designed to raise core temperatures in the body, and speed metabolism. That, coupled with a workout program, a healthier diet, and continued motivation, will definitely help drive me to success.

Every 10 days I will be retaking my measurement, and every 30 days, I will be doing new pictures to monitor progress. I am looking forward to sharing my results with you guys, and seeing just how much I can really change my lifestyle in the next few months! Thanks for your continued support and love guys! I promise that I will be much better about updating, and getting around to showing some love and support to all you guys from here on out!

Sorry I have been dead guys...

Hey. So Yeah, birthday week got a little hectic. Ended up not really doing a lot of working out, and ate way too much, and drank way too much. But the silver lining in all of that is that I have a very much renewed vigor for kicking myself in to shape. My aunt and I both committed to doing a full blown workout program. I am going to complete P90X for the second time, in its entirety, and she is going to do her 90 day program designed for women.

I also went out and got a protein supplement, and a thermogenic metabolism booster that I used a few years ago to drop from about 285 to 240. I think it will be a good solid kick to really start to lose more as I amp things up.

Going out to run 4 miles tonight. Gotta get back in the swing of things for getting in shape.

Post about Barefoot and minimalism training will be coming sometime this week. Looking forward to getting back into this, and being encouraged by all of you guys!

day 28

Yesterday was a really nice rest day. Did a whole lot of nothing, and really enjoyed it!

Today, I kicked my own ass. I got up and went to church, which was freaking awesome this morning, so I was in a really good mood. My cousin invited me to go to a hot wing cookoff thing tonight, so I figured I would get my running in early instead of waiting til dusk. But since we are in the middle of a bunch of storms and gloomy weather, and for the sake of my nipples, I didn't want to go running in the rain, I decided to hit the treadmill for the first time in my training. It was weird, and actually a whole lot harder than running outside. And I didn't even have the incline up.

I popped Inception into the dvd player in our workout room, and I started running. I set the treadmill on speed level 6, which was supposedly a 10:00 minute mile. It felt like I was sprinting on this machine. So I scaled it back to 4, which was supposedly a 15:00 minute mile. It felt more like my normal 9:20-9:40 pace. My training for today was to do 7 miles. So I was in for the long haul on this machine. I fluctuated in speed between level 3 (a 20:00 minute mile) and level 4. All in all, I didn't reach the treadmills 7 mile marker for an hour and 50 minutes. I think something was very wrong with either the distance measurement on the machine, or its speed. I know for a fact I can do seven miles a lot quicker than that, with less effort. But for the sake of my training, I am calling it at 7 miles, even though I feel that I most likely did more. The treadmill is like 10 years old, so it wouldn't be a stretch for it to be faulty.

But no matter what way you look at it, I definitely ran at least 7 miles today. And I did it in my barefoot shoes. Definitely felt it. For sure. My calves are killing me. Although, I cannot wait until they start getting even more developed looking than they already are. I personally think I have very sexy calves. But thats just me.

Anyways. Due to going out tonight, I am most likely not going to get to do the educational update about barefoot running. Tomorrow is my birthday, I'm turning 21, so I very much highly doubt that I will be getting that up this week. Between celebrating here, and then heading home over the weekend  to celebrate with my family in Missouri, I will be pretty hard pressed to sit down and put that together. I do however plan to still be on or at least near target for my training this week, and will still update about that. Hopefully alcohol and partying don't ruin too much of my training :p but we shall see.

Day 26 - Freaking Awesome

Alright. Sorry that my post was brief and sort of curt last night. I was really tired after opening at work, running in the afternoon, and then having to do a lot of building and such for a church in the area that was being remodeled. Needless to say, I was pretty pooped. But I wanted to at least let you guys know that I had gotten out there on the new shoes, and that I was enjoying them.

Now, to really give them the post they deserve.

These shoes I bought, I consider to be one of my greatest purchases. They are amazing in nearly every way, shape, and form. The first time I went running in them, I trekked out two miles like it was nothing. Yeah it made me feel it in muscles I wasn't used to because of a completely different type of stride when running, but it was a good burn in the muscles, not a pain indicating something was wrong.

I woke up the next day, and my legs weren't nearly as sore as they have been after some of my other runs. So I hopped  back out there and ran 2 more miles in them. It was a little tougher, cause once I got going I could really start to feel it in the calves. But still, virtually no knee pain, my ankles weren't rolling weird anymore, and my run was infinitely more enjoyable.

I have also been wearing them when I go out walking with my aunt, and when I am doing my P90X workouts. I have taken to doing 1 of the lifts every other day, as well as my normal running. For one, I feel actually better doing it, cause its making me feel really buff and leaner looking, as well as making me really feel some good results. So I have done the Shoulders and Arms day, and the Back and Biceps this week, as well as the X Stretch routine. Its pretty killer.

For those wanting some info on the shoes. They are from the "Fila" brand. The model is called "Skele-toes" and they are designed for barefoot/minimalism lifestyles. They aren't marketed specifically as a running shoe. Which actually is apparent when I am using them for running. They are built to accommodate a walking and running stride, which are two different things. But for the most part they are fantastic to run in.

Heres a few pictures of them to give you guys a visual.

The shoes themselves.

Top down view.

Side view.

Bottom view

They are pretty nifty looking, and draw a lot of attention from people out on the paths. That makes running in them a lot more fun, cause peoples reactions are generally pretty funny, making the workouts more light hearted and easier to get through.

So today. I slipped these bad boys on, and headed out to the path for the first longer distance on them. 4 miles. I warmed up my first mile pretty easily, just easing my way into the workout. Then as I neared the turn about at the end of the mile, I was like. Lets really open up, and give these babies a whirl. So I set myself up, and started out mile two, while timing myself. I raced down that path faster than I had ever run in a long distance training before. I reached the end of the path at the mile marker in 7 minutes and 3 seconds. That my friends is a personal best. Three days in these shoes, on top of my half of a month of training, and I shave nearly a full minute off of my fastest mile time previously.

My stopwatch time at the end of my mile.

The progress and results I am seeing from my training are really encouraging me, and I am starting to finally feel really good about this half marathon in just a little more than a month. Its on September 24th, so I have a month and 11 days to get in the best shape that I can.

As for the last two miles of my run today, I took it pretty easy after racing out that mile. But I finished 4 today, which was my training schedule. Tomorrow is a rest day, so maybe some light walking. I also plan on doing the Yoga X routine in P90X. Its a lot of stretching and core work. Looking forward to it. Sunday is my long run, but also my day off work. I will give an educational update on the logistics and science behind barefoot/minimalism running and lifestyle. Looking forward to sharing what I've learned and how I'm applying it!

Day 24 and 25

Yesterday I ran 2 miles on my new barefoot/minimalist shoes. It went extremely well.

Today I ran 2 more today in them as well. They are really comfortable, and are doing really well as to improving my stride and leg problems.

Not a whole lot else to update on. I am tired and don't really feel like writing it all out tonight. I will give a proper full length blog about my experience in the shoes, and a lot of in general info about them tomorrow.

The Impossible List

Alright, so during my time of recovery a while back, I was doing some research into just some proper running stuff, motivation, etc. and I stumbled upon the The Impossible Blog. It's a website by a man name Joel Runyon, who has really gotten motivation right. He wrote and completed a lot of his own "impossible list" which is basically the list of things you or other people may have thought were impossible for you to achieve. But through motivation, determination, and a lot of encouragement and support, you can really do some 'impossible' things in your life. They have a 7 day email series which really motivates you to get up and get out doing some amazing things in life. It inspired me a lot, and helped me get over a slow period in my training session. I went through the email series, and I sat down and put together my "Impossible List" its got things ranging from fitness, to travel, and random things I want to accomplish in life.

Here's what I came up with. I am sure as time goes on that I will change and add things, and I will update as I manage to accomplish things on the list. Its not enough to live an ordinary life, I want to get out and do the extraordinary!

The Impossible List

Fitness Goals

Run a 10K

Run a Half Marathon

Run a Marathon

Run a Duathlon

Run a Triathlon

            Fake Triathlon

            Sprint Distance Triathlon

            Olympic Distance Triathlon

            Half Ironman Triathlon

            Ironman Triathlon

Get Ripped with the Hollywood Physique

Get a six pack

100 Consecutive pushups

100 Consecutive Sit-ups

Do 5 one-armed pull-ups with each arm

Do 10 one-armed pushups with each arm

Achieve a black belt in a martial art

Travel Goals

Visit Every Continent

            North America

            South America

            Europe

            Asia

            Australia

            Antarctica

            Africa

Go Swimming in Every Ocean

            Pacific

            Atlantic

            Indian

            Arctic

Obtain Dual citizenship in two countries

Swim in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean in the same day

Visit Mount Rushmore

Go Through the Panama Canal

Dance Tango in Argentina

Dance in the Moulin Rouge

Visit Machu Picchu

Visit the Blarney Stone in Ireland

Visit Stonehenge

Climb the Eifel Tower

Visit the Palace of Versailles

Visit the Notre Dame Cathedral

Gamble in a tuxedo in Monte Carlo (Hehehe James Bond style)

Attend Oktoberfest in Germany

Visit the Coliseum, Vatican, and St. Peter’s Basilica

Visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Visit the Parthenon

Visit the Pyramids

Go on an African Safari

Go on a walk about in Australia

Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro

Ride a Camel through the Sahara Desert

Visit the Great Wall of China

Visit the Taj Mahal

Skydive in New Zealand

Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef

Study Kung Fu at the Shaolin Temple

Set foot on Land in Antarctica

Chum around with a Penguin!

Visit Pompeii

Visit New York City

Take a gondola on the canal in Venice

Visit Petra in Jordan

Random Accomplishments

Change one person’s life for the better.

Become Fluent in 4 languages

Go without the internet for a month

Go without a car for a month

Go Skydiving

Go Bungee Jumping

Go Scuba diving

Learn to Surf

Bike across America

Do a Cross Country road trip

Be in a Flash Mob

Be an extra in a movie

Put $100,000 in the bank

Donate $100,000

Write an eBook

Write a real book

Start and maintain a successful blog

Go White Water Rafting

Be in a commercial

See the Northern Lights

Research my ancestry as far back as possible

Attempt the Ninja Warrior Course

Pilot an airplane

Perform on stage in front of at least 1,000 people

Write and record a song

Buy my own island

Climb a Mountain

Take a road trip from LA to New York

Stay in the Amazon Jungle for 3 days

Learn to play the guitar

Go to an airport and board a plane without planning as to where I am going

Take an international trip with both of my families

Take dance lessons in

Swing  Salsa   Tango  Ballroom    Samba

Swim with dolphins

Embarrass myself in front of hundreds of people

Create my own drink, and get it on a menu at a bar or restaurant

Live abroad in another country for at least 3 months

Camp on a beach under the stars and watch the sunrise

Own a Kawasaki or Yamaha motorcycle

Buy and restore a 1969 Ford Mustang

Stay in a Bungalow in Bora Bora

Join the Military

Build my own house

Marry the woman of my dreams

Be an influence for Christ in at least one person’s life

Start my own Personal Training business, no matter how small

Become a youth minister

Get a Masters in something

Events to Attend

Visit and participate in the Burning Man

Participate in the Running of the Bulls

Mardi Gras in New Orleans

St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, Ireland

Day 23

Today was a great day. I did the X Stretch dvd, from P90X, and walked two miles in my barefoot shoes.

They seemed to work really well, handling the terrain following a good rain really well, and not causing any issues being wet, or causing chafing or blisters.

Tomorrow is a 4 day run, I don't think I am gonna take them out for that, but the follow day is a 2 day run, and it will be a good time to take them out and really test them

Will let you guys know about that when it happens.

I finished the Impossible List. I am gonna dedicate an entire post to it. I will post that here shortly.

Day 22

Alright, so as I said, I skipped a few days since my last run. And today I definitely felt it.

I went out running around 6:30 p.m. I met up with Ashlynn (The cute girl I have mentioned, who I now know is married with a baby) We ran the 2 mile loop, and that went alright, I have to say, I am pretty darn sure I slowed her down, but she was patient and kept my pace. Then after that, we stretched a bit, and she was all like "Lets go do the other loop."

Let me tell you about this other loop. Its only 1.65 miles long. But its all hills, and a long stretch of its is right out in the sun. I tend to avoid it in my runs, cause quite frankly I hate it. But Ashlynn wanted to run it, and I figured since I had already taken away from her workout, I could at least give it a go.

It was tough guys, I should be able to knock 3.65 miles out like its nothing, even with hills. But taking nearly a week off really killed me guys. But after all was said and done, I felt a lot better for having gone out and ran. So I think I will begin to do better again. I am hoping to be ready for my 7 mile long run on sunday.

In other news. I actually purchased a pair of barefoot running shoes today. They aren't the Vibram brand I posted a picture of previously. They are Fila brand. They are pretty nifty and about half the price of the Vibrams. Of course, you get what you pay for. They are a lot lower in quality, but they are great for getting me into it. So after my run earlier, I went back out around my neighborhood, and ran a mile in them. It was definitely different. But I liked it, and it felt pretty good, so I am definitely gonna start easing them into my workouts on a normal basis.

Update for tomorrow will be my "Impossible List" which I have been working on for a few days now. It's a pretty exciting prospect.

Sorry Guys

Sorry I haven't been updating in a few days, or being sociable to any of my blogger friends. I had a lot going on, then I got really lazy right afterwards. Not an excuse really, but its what happened.

In the midst of all that, I haven't gotten around to running or doing anything really in the last like 3 or 4 days. I feel like a bum, and I am already noticing backwards progress. So I kinda of kicked myself in the rear today, and decided that its really time to buckle down and get this thing in motion.

The cute girl that I ran with for a few miles the other week came into Starbucks today. I chitchatted with her for a while about running and stuff, and why she hadn't seen me out there, and she said we could run together more often, so thats definitely a motivation. Although, I did find out she's married with a child, so that kind of dampers anything that could go on there. But still its good to have a friendly face to look forward to on some of the tougher runs.

Another project I am working on is making my "Impossible List". The list of all the 'impossible' things I want to accomplish in my lifetime. Its basically a glorified bucket list. But still, sitting down the last few days to make it, has been a motivation in and of itself. I will write a whole post dedicated to it when I get it done tonight or tomorrow.

Other than that, I could use some emotional cheering on to not be lazy and get out there and work my butt off in preparation. Thanks guys!

Day 16

So today I had to contend with these blisters on my feet. I cleaned and dressed them when I got home from work, and they seemed to be doing alright.

I decided to go ahead and do a light workout on them, so my Aunt and I walked a mile, then I went back out and ran a mile. There was a little mild discomfort from the blisters, but nothing more than I had felt all day, and I didn't think anything of it. However, due to a pretty major allergy attack, my run was only cut at 2 total miles today instead of the 4 I was scheduled to do.

When I got home I stripped my shoes off to check on my blisters, and I found that my left shoe had blood in it, and the dressing was soaked through.

This is what I was greeted with.

So yeah, I was pretty surprised about that. I took a shower to rinse it off and clean it with soap and stuff, and when I got out I used some rubbing alcohol on both of them. It hurt like hell, but it got em really clean and cleared out. I covered them again with neosporin and gauze to sit over night. When I got the left one cleaned up, I inspected it to see what was wrong, and there was just one tiny little spot that was a deeper layer than the rest of the blister, so I imagine that is where the blood came from. Now that its cleaned and I am off of it, its not bleeding or anything, so hopefully if I take it easy on them, it will help heal them really good. That being said, I am taking tomorrow off of my running schedule as well. I am gonna do a strength training and stretching day instead, so that I am still burning calories and getting a workout in. Thursday may be another workout as well, and Friday, being my off day, won't change. Hopefully I am ready to at least attempt a few miles by saturday without complicating my feet any further.

Here are some pictures of the blisters all cleaned up.

My right foot.

My left foot.

They are pretty gnarly. But I've had worse. It's just another set back. I am seriously hoping that things go a little better from here on out, I really want to train for this thing right.

Sooo....uh yeah...Day 15

Yesterday was a bit of a bust.

So I am an idiot, and its totally my fault. But I got all jazzed up about going out and doing my first barefoot running that I didn't really think any of it through. At 2 in the afternoon in 95+ temperatures, I decide its a good time to go put in a good 2 mile barefoot run. I get to the path, and I am all excited for it. Man I am ready to do this...

I start running down this nice bright sunny path in the heat. I am already trying to pay attention to my new stride, and how my feet are falling, its going great for about the first 20 steps. Then I notice a weird and sudden pain in the balls of my feet. I stop and look down, and already my feet are blistering. I didn't even think about the pavement being an issue, I just was focused on not stubbing my toes or stepping on anything. So I hobble back to the car, and drive home. Assessing the damage, I have two silver dollar sized blisters on the balls of my foot. So I immediately pop them and drain them to alleviate the pressure, and then doctor them up with hydrogen peroxide and neosporin.

Today, they didn't hurt terribly, but I definitely noticed them at work standing around all day. When I got home just a little while ago, I reopened them, drained them again, then cut off all the excess skin. I cleaned em out good with peroxide, and covered them with gauze and medical tape. Now I can walk on them just fine, and I plan on still running my 4 miles tonight, but with shoes on. I won't be down in miles for this week though, cause I walked those 2 the other night, but I just switched the days I would be running them on. So it all works out. But I think I am just gonna wait til next week when I get my shoes to start the barefoot process.