2 months... ahh!

So it's been 2 months since I've posted. I haven't been inactive in my working out, but my running and training was put on the backburner for organic chemistry. I ended up with another A, which brought my GPA above 3.0! In terms of the marathon, I submitted my registration today. :) I'm excited, and I plan to finish it no matter what. Even if that means it's dark out and my mom is driving by me in the car, yelling, "Woo only 10 miles left!!" I'm looking forward to trying to raise as much money for the Human Rights Campaign. It's a great cause and they're the leading LGBT rights group.

Staying on track

I'm feeling really good as of late. I've lost about 4 more pounds in the past week, and I'm only 3 pounds away from a total of 20 pounds! The thing I'm really looking forward to is when I finally break the 200lb mark. But slow and steady is how I've got to do it. I think it's time for a gym tip.

Gym Tip #1

Feeling Comfortable

I think a lot of people feel nervous about going to the gym or working out in front of other people. My response to that is 95% of the time, no one is looking at you. Even if they are "looking" at you, in reality I can say that they are just looking in a direction. People at the gym normally have their headphones in and are concentrating on their on workouts. That being said, even consciously knowing that it's still hard to get over the feeling of being watched for some people. My best suggestion to people who have this fear is to definitely invest in headphones and an mp3 player of some sort, and just try to concentrate on the workout.

Training Tips and Gym Tips

So training is going really well, and I'm starting to get a good rhythm going. I'm really motivated, and I'm starting to see results in both my appearance and stats. Since I'm writing this blog with hopes to eventually help other people of all levels with their fitness endeavors, I have decided to add two series to my blog: Training Tips and Gym Tips. Training Tips will be about workout tips, cardio tips and weight training tips... basically these will be from a combination of personal experience and research. Gym tips will come along as I think of them, and will basically include gym etiquette, feeling comfortable and a rundown of gym equipment. These tips will be kind of random, and helpfulness will be subjective to your experience and/or sense of humor.

Training Tip #1

Cardio or Weight Training first?

This is kind of a personal preference thing in my opinion. Some people say it's better to do cardio last so your body can burn the available fuel in your stomach by weights first. My stance is that unless you are literally bodybuilding, you don't need that much fuel to lift. Also, you shouldn't lift without warming up anyway, so cardio first makes sense to me. Regardless, always make sure to warm up and cool down, and stretch. NEVER stretch while cold, you could pull something.

Down 3 minutes!

Today I ran my 2nd 5K, and I improved my time by 3 minutes! 43:30. I also incorporated my weight training back into my program. I am doing weight training 6 days a week, cardio 7 days a week, and core 7 days a week. Anyway, super tired so this is going to be a short post. I've also decided to use this marathon to donate money to the Human Rights Campaign. I'm in the process of setting up a fundraising page through their Athletes for Equality site. I will link to it later on.

Off the wagon

Well, since I haven't posted in almost a month it's very clear that I fell off the wagon. Regardless, I gave myself enough time to get back on track if something like this happened. My new job working on the ferries between CT and NY serving food is more stressful than I planned. The tourists are frantic for their muffins and coffees, and it gets old very quick. Thankfully, I only have a bit left before going to NYCC in January.

Day 10

Training seems to be going well so far. I can't wait until I have access to a pool so that I can add swimming to my plan. There was an advertisement today at the gym for a job running the desk. I submitted an application. I really hope this job comes through, I need a source of income. Who knows how long I'll be at home because my future plans aren't very solid at the moment. No big deal, I'm just kind of going with the flow at the moment.

"I think we missed a turn..."

Well, my mom and I spent around 4 hours driving around the ghettos of RI (yes, those exist)outside of Providence. We were looking for a Kmart because we wanted to buy a few things for my nieces and nephews. We ended up driving in circles and through every ethnic neighborhood in existence. Irish, Italian, Chinese, Hispanic, etc. PS... the Italian neighborhood has red, green, and white stripes down the middle of the road instead of yellow... keeping it classy, haha. Anyway, we never found it and we are thoroughly convinced it is gone. So we had a yummy dinner at Newport Creamery. Unfortunately, this meant going to the gym rather late. But, all in all it was a good day.

Also, I took my online Organic 1 final yesterday, and got a 96%! So today I found out I got an A in the class! Woo!!

First 5K

Today I ran my first 5K, with a time of 45:46. Well, it wasn't my first 5K (3.1miles) ever, but the first one I've timed. That time is pretty slow, but I half ran, half walked it so it's okay for now. I've been productive today so far: woke up at 8am, went to the library to fax stuff for student loans, and went to the gym. Yay! More yay? I have my organic final tomorrow. Yay! I get to be done with this class. Hopefully organic 2 will go just as smoothly. I think today is a good day to lay on the beach.

Oh man...

Well, I meant to run the first 5K today to time myself, even if I walked/ran it. However, I got to about 1.5 miles, which is half way... and I got leg cramps in both legs. They weren't so severe that I was unable to walk, but needless to say that was the end of that run, haha. I'm having trouble getting myself motivated to keep on plan, even though it's only the beginning. I think it's overwhelming when I think of how much weight I need to lose to make my goal, and how much I need to improve my running. But, I guess I need to remind myself that I need to take it step by step. I have to focus on losing 5 lbs at a time, and running a little bit more each week. I want to try and find a workout buddy/running partner back at school. I hope that won't be too hard. Well, I'll keep updating this as we go along.

Calm before the storm

Tomorrow is day 1 of the training program, and hopefully the beginning of a new life for myself. My days until school starts will consist of the gym and organic chemistry... and some beach. Quite the combination right? My weight has not changed as of late, but I guess maintaining is better than gaining. I'm a little stressed however, due to the fact that Clarkson has not made up a financial aid package for me, and that's leaving me less and less time to apply for a private loan when they shortchange me again. My limited funds for survival until school starts are also dwindling, and I am unfortunately having to rely on my mom more for things, which I don't like to do. It's too bad I was not able to find a job this summer, at least one that was worthwhile. After my experience with the uber-religious/anti-gay/ignorant chiropractor, I received no more leads on any of the hundreds of applications I filled out. Thankfully, I had my graduation money to live off of, and a few weeks worth of paychecks to get me through. Overall, life is good.

Creating a Training Plan

I've always been an athletic person, and despite my weight fluctuations over time I have managed to stay decently fit. As of right now, I can't honestly say if I can run even a mile non-stop or not (to be determined). The idea of running 26.2 miles in one shot is pretty daunting at this point. However, I know that the key to success is preparing well. I have to train well and eat right, however, the latter will probably be harder for me in general.

I've created a training plan that consists of two main phases: mileage build-up and marathon training. The marathon is on May 27, 2012, so I have 43 weeks from this Sunday to prepare. That is approximately 10 months away. I have put the entire plan into a spreadsheet, which I have inserted below and I will keep the link on the sidebar.

Marathon Training Schedule 

I developed this schedule drawing from a range of sample schedules on the internet. Basically, I will be running 4-5 days a week, with cross training and weight training thrown in. The schedule has it set up that I have a long steady run on Sundays. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I will have shorter runs of varying intensity. Saturdays I will have an easier run. Monday, Wednesday and Friday will be cross training days (biking or swimming) and/or weight training days. I will be giving myself a day of rest a week, or a day with only light swimming to relax my muscles and joints. I will be increasing weekly distance totals by no more than 10%, so that I don't over do it. There will be 3 weeks of increasing mileage, and then a rest week of significantly decreased mileage. The last few weeks of the training before the marathon will be a "tapering off" period in which I will not run long distances before the race.

I will be discussing my various steps and progress in my training in more detail as time goes on (that wasn't enough detail?). Hopefully I can set an example for other people who might be struggling with weight or self-confidence.

New Beginning

If you're reading this... welcome! I don't expect to get many viewers, if any, but I view this as a good way to keep myself accountable. I have decided that it is time to take charge of my life. After reaching an all time high weight of 230lbs at the beginning of the summer, I realize it's time to set some goals for myself. At this point, I have already lost 10lbs through minimal effort, but I have a long way to go. Therefore, I have decided to set a long term goal for myself that is not purely to lose weight: running a marathon.

Last May, my brother ran his first marathon in Burlington, VT. I have decided that by next May, I will run with him. Of course, I am well aware of the amount of preparation that will take, so I am giving myself approximately 10 months to do so. Since this large amount of weight has been put on over the past year and a half or so, and I have managed to stay relatively fit under my "padding", I am quite confident I will be successful. As for goals of finishing under a certain time? Well... let's get to that later.

I hope that this blog will be relatively entertaining, as I plan to document all my successes, failures, and embarrassments (pictures included!). As my grandfather said about fear and hesitation, "Shit or get off the pot!"