find your comfort zone... and jump out

I once weighed 327 lbs. I decided to quit being unhappy and unhealthy and get a grip on life. I'm now in the 220-230's, still trying to figure it out and better myself. I run, lift, and crossfit, with everything else in-between. This blog is randomness, with possible incoherent attempts at humor... just keep scrolling. It'll be fine.

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Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor

 

Mile PR: 8:40. Burpees in the dirt. I felt like I was dragging for the first half mile, so I pushed it for the next half and surprised myself with this. PR by over 20 seconds… not sure of exact numbers. Ran the long route this morning, hoping I could convince myself to run more than just a couple miles - which was more than I was wanting to do in the first place. Came back up on some empty pullup bars on the lake shore about 2.75 miles into the run and decided on a quick pullup/burpee ladder wod (10 -> 1). Another runner came up and started doing some pullups and pushups. After a few minutes he apologized for dressing the the same (black on black) and we chatted for a bit while both straining thru our sets. I finished up with 50 dips then, headed home for another 1.5 miles of hills. Huhhh. My arms were killing me on the run home. I felt like The Barbarian trying to run after that… my arms felt tight and swoll and I know I looked like a stiff goof running. 4.25 miles. PR. 55 pullups. 55 burpees. 50 dips. Hills. I’ll take it.

Mile PR: 8:40. Burpees in the dirt.

I felt like I was dragging for the first half mile, so I pushed it for the next half and surprised myself with this. PR by over 20 seconds… not sure of exact numbers.

Ran the long route this morning, hoping I could convince myself to run more than just a couple miles - which was more than I was wanting to do in the first place. Came back up on some empty pullup bars on the lake shore about 2.75 miles into the run and decided on a quick pullup/burpee ladder wod (10 -> 1). Another runner came up and started doing some pullups and pushups. After a few minutes he apologized for dressing the the same (black on black) and we chatted for a bit while both straining thru our sets. I finished up with 50 dips then, headed home for another 1.5 miles of hills. Huhhh. My arms were killing me on the run home. I felt like The Barbarian trying to run after that… my arms felt tight and swoll and I know I looked like a stiff goof running.

4.25 miles. PR. 55 pullups. 55 burpees. 50 dips. Hills. I’ll take it.

Shamrock Shuffle 5k: 29:04 

Finally got my sub 30’.

Booya.

400 pounds.

Back squat max PR. 95 lbs more than my last max PR 3 months ago.

Definitely not all gain… my back has been getting stronger and hurting less. But still. Proud.

Weekly Update

As of late it seems that’s about as much as I’m tumblr’n right now. I just don’t have anything going on to even share about. However… it’s been as good as a week can get this past week. Photo-bullet style.

  • First - unemployment blows. I thought I’d enjoy a little bit of free time to relax, rest and breathe… 
  • I have been getting some freelance work to help the time pass… of course this would happen.
  • I’ve been having the foot pain back, so I haven’t been running much. Wednesday came and it was much too pretty… so I trekked out for a run just to try to get a mile in. Unintentionally PR’d my mile time (roughly 30 seconds):
  • That mile felt so good I kept going and UPR’d my 5k time as well. It’s not fast by any means… but to PR after having issues with foot and not really feel like I was even pushing myself is a pretty awesome feeling. I must be doing something right (sub 30 - comin’ for ya):
  • I made some bang’n food (source). Certain I liked this better than regular friend chicken strips from a restaurant. Tip - add Frank’s Hot Sauce into egg when battering the chicken. Just trust me.
  • I do this thing, every week it seems, where I’ll get down to a low or lowest weight (230-232lbs) before the weekend comes, then come Monday the scale says 245lbs. I know it’ water retention and bad food choices and all… but why can’t I keep my shit together for a weekend? I would like to say I got it this week… but friends and family and coming up this weekend and I’m heading out of town the next. It’s not looking good, but I’m going to try to be somewhat sensible. I’m working too hard to be continuously self-sabotaging. 

  • Still working out and it’s going good. Wendler’s gets a bit boring and completely redundant at times - but it works. Smitty and I have found some ways to mix it up a bit (throwing in some crossfit’ish lifts here and there) and keep making ourselves hurt (insane ab/cardio RACs). Over all, I’m liking it and seeing some minor progress in the mirror, but mostly feeling the results. It’s good. 

I’d like to say I’ll try to post more regularly… but it’ll be what it be until it is what it isn’t. Yes, I just made that up (as far as I know) and I am quite proud. Good note to end on. 

• Planned 15k turned into 14. All the soreness. Lost 6 lbs during the run. Now all the food needs to get in my face. • 14 miles in vibrams = raw feet. The sand pebbles didn’t help. • Half PR (2:32 - previous was 2:48… I think) and distance PR. • Rigged up a sweet water & gu carrier. Genius, I know. • I suck at remembering to start/stop my watch. • There was a 20lb bag of ice in the tub with me when I started. Hopefully the man parts will thaw in case I ever decide to have kids. • Calves started cramping and locking up (proof this time) around 7-8 miles in and slowly worked up to my quads and IT band. I tried to run through it this time, but it never completely went away. Plenty of gu, nuun and water taken the whole time… any suggestions from you experts as to why this happens on my runs of 7+? I’m at a loss at this point.

• Planned 15k turned into 14. All the soreness. Lost 6 lbs during the run. Now all the food needs to get in my face.
• 14 miles in vibrams = raw feet. The sand pebbles didn’t help.
• Half PR (2:32 - previous was 2:48… I think) and distance PR.
• Rigged up a sweet water & gu carrier. Genius, I know.
• I suck at remembering to start/stop my watch.
• There was a 20lb bag of ice in the tub with me when I started. Hopefully the man parts will thaw in case I ever decide to have kids.
• Calves started cramping and locking up (proof this time) around 7-8 miles in and slowly worked up to my quads and IT band. I tried to run through it this time, but it never completely went away. Plenty of gu, nuun and water taken the whole time… any suggestions from you experts as to why this happens on my runs of 7+? I’m at a loss at this point.

Dropped 300lbs on the squats tonight. And dumbbells curled 40s. And overhead dumbbell pressed 90s.

Dropped 300lbs on the squats tonight.

And dumbbells curled 40s.

And overhead dumbbell pressed 90s.

Brass Band 5k (or something like that) with Smitty and Dougie Fresh. PR’d my fastest mile time - 9:36 - and possibly PR’d 5k time - 33:45… but I’ll have to check on that. The course was actually pretty good - nice park run with occasional shade and short rolling hills - Danville is way better a place to run than somky. Wish I would have prepared for this (fueled better and ran more this past week) because I know I could have given it a better effort and possibly done this course in under 30:00. But, I got talked into it last night and did what I could. Plus, I have a good excuse to be lazy the rest of the day… win.

Brass Band 5k (or something like that) with Smitty and Dougie Fresh.

PR’d my fastest mile time - 9:36 - and possibly PR’d 5k time - 33:45… but I’ll have to check on that.

The course was actually pretty good - nice park run with occasional shade and short rolling hills - Danville is way better a place to run than somky.
Wish I would have prepared for this (fueled better and ran more this past week) because I know I could have given it a better effort and possibly done this course in under 30:00. But, I got talked into it last night and did what I could. Plus, I have a good excuse to be lazy the rest of the day… win.

St Patty’s day 5k at what was probably the best organized, first annual 5k for some cause by a church I’ve seen. PR’d race 5k time by over 7 minutes - 34:41 is what my watch read but I forgot to stop it for a bit… they didn’t announce my finish time, but I did come in third for my age group of 20-29. Woot. I didn’t run my race tho, and walked a few times more than expected - due to both foot pain and not running in a while. Also, most time spent running was around a 9 min pace, which I’ve never done. Had trouble pacing myself… the 4 and 5 year-olds passing me in cowboy boots didn’t help either. Eff’n kids. My foot held up for the most part, but new pains stemming up calf and shin from origin of foot pain wasn’t too fun. Overall great event, good run and time enjoyed. Not too bad of finish for only running a 5k last weekend. I need to run more - foot permitting. Another 5k in town next weekend - a couple 2 mile mid-week runs with the Smit planned. Hopefully another PR too, since the upcoming race will be on familiar turf.

St Patty’s day 5k at what was probably the best organized, first annual 5k for some cause by a church I’ve seen.

PR’d race 5k time by over 7 minutes - 34:41 is what my watch read but I forgot to stop it for a bit… they didn’t announce my finish time, but I did come in third for my age group of 20-29. Woot. I didn’t run my race tho, and walked a few times more than expected - due to both foot pain and not running in a while. Also, most time spent running was around a 9 min pace, which I’ve never done. Had trouble pacing myself… the 4 and 5 year-olds passing me in cowboy boots didn’t help either. Eff’n kids.

My foot held up for the most part, but new pains stemming up calf and shin from origin of foot pain wasn’t too fun. Overall great event, good run and time enjoyed. Not too bad of finish for only running a 5k last weekend. I need to run more - foot permitting.

Another 5k in town next weekend - a couple 2 mile mid-week runs with the Smit planned. Hopefully another PR too, since the upcoming race will be on familiar turf.

Last minute Run + Hundred Pushups Challenge

Decided last minute to go for a 5k run with Smit-Lightening tonight. Neither one of us wanted to be out there, but we went regardless. He pushed me pretty hard tonight, but I got a 5k PR(!) out of it - 32:39. I’ll have to look back to see what my previous time was, but I’m pretty sure it was around 35 or 36 minutes. And I have to say, I wouldn’t have gotten the PR if it weren’t for The Smit. I actually had to make him slow down cause he was burning me out too quick. He was more excited and determined to get me that PR than I was… why am I so lame lately? 

I know I don’t give the man enough credit for what he’s helped me to accomplish, but I pretty much owe it all to him.

That’s enough bromance for one post. Moving on…

Hundred Pushups Challenge - HPC, as I’ll be referring to it from now on.

12 - 17 - 13 - 13 - 25 (17+)

80. Effin. Pushups. I triple checked - I was where I was supposed to be (going by the website - I couldn’t find the app for droid(?)). Arms are gone. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep this up at this rate, but I’m going to try. I can always drop down… but what’s badass about that?

8 miles done

1:36:17. PR’d distance and fasted mile: 10:00… fastest before this was 11:05. Just say’n.

I know you don’t want to run too hard on your long distance runs, but I knew this was more than likely going to be a sucky 8 miles. Ate, slept and hydrated horrible all weekend - yet somehow managed to drop a pound… ? Plus I haven’t ran in 3 days and couldn’t even finish my 4.5 miler on Thursday because of my foot (only made it 3.6). Going into this run feeling it was gonna suck, I at least wanted something to write home about - so a PR on mile it was. Pretty stoked about that.

I’m actually okay with the whole run, too. I had to walk a lot, because I did burn myself out a little after the first mile and had to regain some energy. Also felt like I hit a wall of some kind around 6.5 miles… hamstrings were getting real tired. I was a couple minutes slower on 7 miles than last week’s time, but 1:36:17 is okay with me. 

Now I feel like an idiot recapping an 8 miler with all these AMAZING marathon recaps coming up that I’m stoked to read… but oh well. You got it anyway.