Rain Rain Go Away

Rain rain, go away, come again another day, so I CAN GO RUNNING!!!   The weather forecast for the next 4 days is lots of rain, wind and a chance of snow.  These are not ideal conditions to go out for a run. 

I pushed myself on Saturday and Sunday by running for 5 miles each because of the upcoming forecast.  Both of these runs were completed during a break in the weather.  Hopefully, the rain and wind will let up one of the days so I can get out there.  I have not had a 4 day layoff since February of last year.  I am not looking to go for a long run, just 3 miles.  I will do my loop near my house in case the weather starts to get worse while I am out there.  Sometimes, on days like this, just getting out there is important. 

If I am unable to make it out there, I will get some cooking done.  There is banana bread and granola that needs to be made. 

Enjoy Yourself

Recently at work we did a team building day.  Rather than go into the office, we toured the city in and then went out to eat.  As you all can imagine, when a group goes out, especially a group of co-workers, the most important decision is where to eat.  Luckily, we started discussing restaurants a few days before, so I had an idea of the type of food we were going to eat.   

The issue was not the food, but the type of food.  I have not eaten white bread, regular potatoes or a dessert in a long time.  I am all for treating and enjoying yourself when you go out to eat.  I especially like ordering meals that I do not make at home.   I had onion soup for an appetizer with a half of a loaf of bread.  Next, for my main dish, I got grilled chicken that was served with french fries.   One of my colleagues ordered a baked potato with his dish that he did not want.  Since it was plain, I had that too.  For dessert, I got some kind of chocolate soufflé with ice cream on the side.  

The food was delicious and I have no regrets about indulging a bit.  The last time was a about two months ago at another team function.  I stand by my word…as long as they are the exception and not the rule, there is nothing wrong with going out to eat.

Just in Time

The forecast for this weekend called for a lot of rain.  Sure enough, when we woke up Saturday morning it was pouring outside and there were huge puddles everywhere.   After we ate breakfast though, the clouds started to clear, and it looked like there was going to be a nice break in the weather.  

My kids kept asking if we could go outside.  The whole family went out.   As we were out, the sun came out and started to warm and dry things out.  My wife and I had a catch with the Frisbee, while our oldest had a blast pushing his baby sister on the swing.   Our other son was happy blowing his bubbles and then chasing them down.  We were out for about an hour.  Although I knew that the rain would return, and that this would have been a great time to go running, family comes first. 

During lunch it started to rain again very hard, and I wondered if there was going to be another chance to go running.  This was important, as I took off Thursday and Friday of last week from running.  Fortunately, after the second heavy rain of the day the sun came back out.  It was a perfect time; everyone was fed, the baby was napping and the boys were happy watching a movie.   

When I go running and the forecast is calling for rain or it is wet out, I wear an old pair of running shoes. This way if the shoes get messed up, it is not that big of deal.  I wanted to go out and run six miles, but I kept looking at the sky and decided to cut it short, settling on five miles.  Once I got home, I started stretching and then the rain started.  I made it home just in time. 

How do you cope with rainy days?

Used Books

I love to read.  I love to read about running and fitness.  The other day, I was in the center of the city and went to one of my favorite used bookstore.  I love this place.  They have books that are sometimes 30-40 years old.  I love to see how the information regarding health and fitness has changed or not changed over the years. 

I picked up 4 books for a about $1 - $2 each.  Since I enjoyed Aerobics by Kenneth Cooper, I picked up two other books by him; The New Aerobics and  Aerobics for Women.  I also got too running books;  Marathon, the Ultimate Training Guide by Hal Higdon and Running & Being.  The Total Experience by Dr. George Sheehan.

I will let you know how these turned out.  Check out a used book store near you to pick up some motivating books on the cheap.

Letter From my Wife

My wife wanted to share some thoughts with our upcoming anniversary approaching.  I would not have been as successful with Running Without A Watch if she was not board.  Thank you and I love you.


Dear Jay,

With our anniversary approaching I took a few quiet minutes the other day to look through our wedding album.  I can’t believe how young we look, like kids really.  Although you were at the heaviest weight of your life, I was so smitten that I never realized you were overweight.  It wasn’t until you dropped about 35 pounds that I even noticed how different you looked!  

We ate out a lot, but of course that’s what you do when you’re dating.  And although we didn’t keep a lot of junk food in the house, we didn’t exactly eat healthy.  Portions were way to big, processed food was in abundance in the freezer, and there were barely any fruits and vegetables in the crisper. 

Well times have certainly changed.  You have made yourself very comfortable in the kitchen, always chopping, cooking, and baking delicious favorites, or trying out a new recipe for the first time.  You have made cooking fun for our kids, and even inspired me to try my hand at some easy dishes (something we both never believed would happen!)

And although you have enjoyed running since before we even met, you have really come into your own during this past year of Running Without a Watch.  I truly admire your passion and dedication to your daily blogs.  By sharing your personal journey toward a healthier way of living, you are not only helping others to make positive changes, but have helped yourself to reach an inner peace that you might not have otherwise found.  Looking forward to the next chapter. 

  

Your Loving wife and biggest fan

How supportive is your spouse or significant other during your journey?

Goodbye 2012. Hello 2013.

A new year.  A new beginning.  Before we can set new goals, we need to reflect on the previous year.  I ran 939 miles over 238 days in 2012.  When 2012 started, I did not have any expectations.  I just wanted to get out there and run.  Maybe train for a full or half marathon.

Instead, I evolved as a runner.  As much as I was enjoying Running Without a Watch, I was still focused on time.  I really wanted to break 40 minutes for 5 miles.  I finally just started focusing on getting out there and having fun.  Over the summer, I made it out for long runs of 7 and 8 miles.  I even did 13 miles in a weekend, with a combo of a Saturday night and Sunday morning run.  I cut back on my running with music significantly throughout the year and over the summer I gave it up completely.  I was just getting bored.  I even stopped my IPOD in the middle of a run and never looked back. 

I have achieved a nice running balance in my life with running.  Instead of trying to get out there  every day, my goal is at least 20 days a month. On the days I do not go for a run, I spend my time getting things cooked or chopped around the house and having a date night with my wife.  Now instead of focusing on distance, I am very happy if I only have time to get out there for a short run.

I have also become more relaxed with my diet.  I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables during the week.  I try to eat homemade as much as I can.  I still go for whole wheat first, but if all we have is white, I will eat it.  I gave up caffeine towards the end of the year and I am loving every minute of it.  I am able to treat myself when I want to and not get carried away.

For 2013, I want to run 1000 miles over 250 days.  This is about 85 miles over 21 days.  It is feasible,  I will also have days off during the month, to help avoid burnout.  I am planning on running my first race, It will be a 10k in early March..  I am very excited.  I want to try to cook a new recipe each month,. I also hope to finish my book sometimes this year.

How was your year 2012 and what do you have planned for 2013?

December Stats

For the month of December, I ran 83.9 miles over 21 days.  My goals for the month were to run 85 miles over 20 days.  I  reached the day goal but fell short of the total mileage goal for the month.  December started slow;  I ran 6 days out of the first 11 days.  This was due to a combination of rain, cold and laziness. 

Once the weather got cleared up and I got acclimated to running in the cold, I found it easier to get back out there.  I finished the month running 15 of the final 20 days.  I also planned to have two long runs of 6 and 7 miles.  I made out twice for 6 miles run.  No 7 miler during this month.

My goals for January are 90 miles over 22 days and one long run of 7 miles.

How was your December and what do you have planned for January? 

Stay tuned for tomorrow for my 2012 year recap, plus my outlook for 2013.