Podcasts, what's on my list.

I admit it, I am a podcast junkie. There are a number of podcasts that I subscribe to that listening to are a part of my weekly routine. So what are they? Here is my list of fitness related podcasts....

Marathon Training Academy - This is a recent addition to my play list. They offer up some good advice and Angie has real experience running marathons. At the same time, they are regular people and easy to relate to.

Two Gomers Run a Marathon - Funny stuff here. It started with Two Gomers Run a Half Marathon. This is about two regular guys who decide to start running. Lots of funny stories and they really don't know much about running. This is just entertaining stuff that is easy to relate to.

The Fredcast - This is a biking podcast (a Fred is a guy with all the high tech biking equipment). Very informative, follows the major bike races and has introduced me to new products over the years.

Everyday Cyclist - This podcast is very performance focused. Lots of training tips and also DVDs that you can buy with biking specific exercises and plans. This was one of my original podcasts and I am also a member of Graeme's Cycle-Core website. Lots of good info, likely too much.

Biggest Loser Cast - Ha Ha, this one is mine so of course I LOVE it. My wife Jackie and I host this weekly podcast about the NBC show The Biggest Loser. Lots of fun to make and we have a substantial listener base that must like it as well!

Well those are the top ones. As an aside I did a little running this morning. Yeah thats right, 10K. I was initially only going to run 5K but I felt good so I did another couple loops (2.5k loops). I finished the 10k in 1:05:53 for a PB. The interesting thing about it is that it was all road running rather than track where I had done my only other 10k. At the end of each loop is a substantial hill so I beat my PB and did so on a tougher course. Woooo Hoooo.

Thats all for now.

Goal Reached - Another Set

I mentioned previously that I have been using an iPhone application called Lose It. It helps me track my calories eaten and exercise, working on the theory that if I keep my net calories below a certin level I will continue to lose weight. When I began many months ago I had to set a goal. I picked 190 lbs. At the time I really never thought I would get there. It seemed to be a stretch goal for me as I have not been below 200 lbs since high school. Well, things went well and after alot of hard work I did make it to 190 lbs. I can certainly lose some more weight so I decided to reset my goal in the program. I added another 15 lbs which makes my goal 175lbs. I think it will be much harder to lose the final 15 lbs but I like a good challenge!

I also signed up for my next Duathon! I may be addicted, time will tell. The next one is in Ottawa on September 19th. A couple of differences with this one 1) it is longer (3k run, 24k bike, 5k run) and 2) my daughter was inspired by my last race so she has signed up for the sprint triathlon!! It will be fun to be at the same event as her and we have gotten to do some training together as well.

I spent some time looking at some new bikes this past week as well. My current bike is kind of an entry level one, but good quality. I would like to upgrade to a carbon fiber bike (much lighter and higher quality) but they were more expensive than I would have thought. It is parked on the wish list for now.

Post Race Report - I did it!!!!

Well I did it, the race is complete! They day started very cloudy and wet so it was a nervous start. I got to the event a couple hours early and found a spot for my bike in the transition zone. It was about that time that it really began to rain hard. Other participants were talking about the event being cancelled which would have been a real bummer. About 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the race the rain stopped, although it stayed cloudy. The cloud cover was a good thing as it kept the day a little cooler. The following two pictures are of me in the transistion zone and just prior to the start of the race.

The race began with a 2.5km run. I felt good after the run as I headed to the transistion zone to get on the bike. The bike was testy as the roads were still wet and slippery. I managed to pass a number of other competitors!! The bike is my strongest event in the Duathon. I dreaded the thought of the final 5km run at the end of the bike.

Exiting to Transition Zone

 

There were alot of supportive people cheering alongside the road, it was really motivating. I had lots of family there as well cheering me on! My daughter ran the last 200m with me which was really nice. They also made some signs for me to cheer me on! I finished the race in 1 hour 27 minutes and 13 seconds. My goal was to be under 1.5 hours so I was very pleased. I just finished a Duathon, can you beleive it?

Me and my daughter Brittany!

Pre Race Jitters

Well the time has flown by and now I only have two days remaining until my Duathon on Sunday. I guess there is nothing I can do at this point to improve my chances of a good result. All of the experts say that I should be tapering my training this week to be "fresh" for the race. I ran some intervals on Wednesday (2 minutes at 7.5mph and 1 minute at 3.7) for 30 minutes. On Thursday I did a 20k ride on the bike at a quick pace. Now it is Friday and it is taking everything I have not to work out in some way!!

The weather for Sunday is suppose to be hot and wet. It is currently forecasted for 60% rain. YUCK. When it is raining outside I train inside so running and riding in the rain will be a first for me. Note to self - I need to prepare for things prior to 2 days before the race.

I lost some more weight this week as well. I tend to have a couple weeks of no movement and then bang, a 3 lbs loss. That is what happened this week. I can probably expect a flatline for a couple weeks now. I am 1 lbs away from my original goal. I never thought I would get to this point so when I set the goal it was somewhat of an arbitrary dream. When I lose the last pound I will reset my goal for another 10-15 lbs. That will be the FINAL SUSTAINABLE WEIGHT!!!!

Oh well, thats all for now. Think good things on Sunday morning for me. I will post results!!!

Vacation Work Outs

So I am on vacation this week in Orlando with my family. Each child also brought a friend along with us so in total we travelled with 6 in all. The plan was to spend most of the vacation at Universal Studios. We had been in Orlando previously but the kids were younger so we had spent most of our time at Disney, this time would be different.

The struggle for me was how I was going to get my workouts in while on the road. I knew that biking would be out but I had hoped to get some running in. Remember that I have less than a week remaining before my Duathalon. We were up early every day so far but I did manage to run around the resort on one morning and I also did a 5k at the fitness center another morning. It was so humid outside, even early in the morning when I ran.

I did get a chance to get some new running gear at the outlets. I picked up some new running shoes (Asics) and also a pair of running shorts and a moisture wicking t-shirt from the Nike store. I am looking forward to using the new shoes but I will use the old ones for my race this upcoming weekend as I don't want to break-in a new pair of shoes on race day.

As far as weight loss goes, well, it is VACATION. I will get back on the scale when we get home on Wednesday morning, but it won't be pretty!

The 20 Minute Run

Back when I was in high school we had this fitness test that we were forced to do in phys ed class. One component of the test was a 20 minute run. I hated this event. We would do this at the school track and the idea was that we would run in circles for 20 minutes as the teacher counted our laps as we crossed the finish line. At the end of the 20 minutes our number of laps completed (to the nearest quarter lap) would be used and then a subsequent grade would be assigned.

I was not out of shape but I was also not an athlete in high school. When we began the athletes would take off and make the rest of us feel inadequate. A lap or two in they would lap me, making me feel even more inadequate. I would usually hear the teacher calling me a sissy as I crossed the line with each lap. In the end, 6.5 laps was a good run for me, but only got me a 65% grade, go figure.

Looking back I think this was one of those moments in life where I decided I was not a runner, and furthermore not an athlete. That paradigm has been carried with me for many years. Whenever I saw others running I would say, "I am not a runner, that's not for me".

So now it is 20 some years later and I decided to start a healthy lifestyle again. I have been running and cycling every other day and losing some weight as well. I went to the track this morning to jog a 5k loop, my furthest continuous run to date. After a few laps I said to myself, I wonder if I can do 10k non-stop? The humidity was low, I was feeling good, why not? In my mind I knew why not, years of me telling myself that "I am not a runner"!

Lap after lap passed and I continued to tell myself that I could do it. An hour and seven minutes later I had completed my first 10k run.

I am a runner. I always have been and just didn't know it. The mind is a powerful thing.