JCC 2020 Fitness Goals

Medicine balls and kettlebells are my my favorite workout equipment.

 

Woo Hoo, 10 miles. First double digit run since my birthday on June 14th. I was hoping to keep them up all summer but my dad's passing and the heat unmotivated me for a bit. So humid today that I was wetter when I got home than after running 9 miles in the rain last week. Was going to rest up, but now my kids want pancakes. That's okay maybe I'll have some too.

 

Congrats @Runjedirun - you earned that stack.

Starting to use the exercise band to build up my strength and start actively healing the muscle pull in my chest. Also, balance exercises and stretching.

We need to eat simpler here...

And I have to figure out some way to block out the toxic noise next door to cut back on that stress because it is impacting me in other ways. Probably will get another fan for upstairs and a different White Noise machine.

 

Ran 7 miles this morning. It was cool and sunny and downright beautiful. Couldn't shake all my negative thoughts towards the virus and all the things my family and everyone I know and everyone I don't know is missing out on right now. Ran past the baseball field where my kids used to play ball. Saw all the markers so kids stay socially distanced during games and practices. We have a son that loves baseball, but you had to turn 7 by Sept 1st to qualify this fall because kids younger than that probably couldn't understand or follow all the rules. My son turns 7 on Monday. He's one week to young to qualify. Not that I think it's a good idea anyway, I am just so frustrated. I have no idea how we will ever get back on a schedule and when it will ever be safe. Also three runners were coming towards me on the trail at one point all running together. Could they be bothered to arrange themselves single file so I could get by? No, they just let me step off the trail into the gravel pit next to it and run while they continued to take up the whole trail oblivious to me and anyone else out there. Usually, I'd be like, whatever, but I'm just not in the mood for this today. Nothing's boosting my mood today. Usually we would be capitalizing on our final pool days of the summer. This summer we had no pool. I haven't gone swimming once. My kids haven't been swimming. We have filled up a toddler pool in our back yard for my youngest to play, but he's too big to swim in it. He just let's his toy fish swim in it and plays with other water toys around it. I mean yea, it's something, but this summer has been beyond depressing. Usually I can count on a good run to raise my spirits, didn't work today.

Also I've noticed for the first time in my life. I have actually lost interest in food. I'm struggling some because when I decided to become vegetarian I never thought the world would shut down two and a half months later. I never got to go out and really explore my options, so I am really stuck in a rut with what I eat. I have 0 desire to eat meat, that's not it. I just want to go out to restaurants and try food. Or slowly walk up and down grocery store aisles and discover new food. I'm pretty picky, so much so that most people are shocked I would give up meat. But I'm really glad I did, I feel better about my choices. I just know that of the reasons I'm not going out and doing longer runs is that I'm not eating enough to fuel for a long run. The other half of the problem besides the new dietary choices is I'm just so sad and got nothing to look forward to and I just don't look forward to meals like I used to. It's crazy, I've always been the person who looks forward to every meal and snack.

 

My leg seems to have recovered after absolutely no running for two weeks, so that's good. Been running several times with no problems. But I'm genuinely slow now, what with not running my regular 4.7 miles four or five time a week for quite a while. Speed shouldn't matter, but when another runner overtakes you and your first thought is "wow, that guy's slow", it's just depressing. Kind of scared to go back to trampolining, as I'm sure that's what started my problems. But I did feel it was a really good exercise, and I do want to return to it slowly.

 

Pacing yourself is good.

It’s funny when I was asked here who I’d want to study martial arts with, I mentioned Cynthia Rothrock (who has an MA school in CA). Well, she started posting stretching and flexibility videos on her YT channel over the past few months, and I am starting to do some of them. Like so many views and old thoughts of mine, I’ve done a complete 360 of my opinion of Cynthia, now that I’ve learned more about her from recent interviews. She’s nothing like some people told me. My respect for Cynthia’s martial art skills are even higher now, since learning she destroyed the ACL ligament in her right knee training for Millionaire’s Express / Shanghai Express (1986). She was not only still able to stand and kick with no ACL, but go on to attain five black belts and 8th Dan Grandmaster levels in various martial arts. The kicker, so to speak, she never had surgery to repair the knee, but her quads and hamstring muscles are so strong from training she never had to, that’s kept her knee strong for 35 years. May I be at least 1/20th as flexible as she is, going forward.

So, yes, madam, I will continue to do Cynthia’s stretches. Also trying to eat less animal protein and do more greens and simple food. Ditto, working on the positive attitude.

 

Had a great run today. Powered up the hills like I was weightless.

 

Those are the best kinds of runs! It feels like you’re the wind itself!

 

Went up Kennesaw Mountain twice today. Walked up and ran down to help break in my new running shoes. So 4 miles done today

 

For the first time since I scratched my goal to run my first real road race since surgery this year, I have a goal. My goal is to run a half marathon every Sunday in October. It won't be timed by anyone but me and there won't be a medal or a t-shirt. It'll be just me and the open road/trail. I've worked my way from 10 miles 2 weeks ago, 11 miles last week and 12 miles today. I've done great, not too tired afterward. Today was even pretty humid and 20 degrees warmer than last week and I still feel pretty good 8 hours after finishing.

This will be my way of passing the time in October. Also my son has a t-ball class from 11AM - 12PM every Sunday. Kids and parents wear masks, it's pretty cool. Wish it was more than once a week, but at least it's something. I won't be running all out on any of these half marathon attempts because I need to participate with my son in his t-ball classes so I need to be able to stand upright.

 

My calf problem is back.

Couldn't even get out of my road before feeling it start to tighten up on Saturday. I don't dare run on it again for at least two weeks. It looks like this might be an on-going problem for me. Incredibly depressing.

 

I've been slowly getting back into a gym routine since the reopening. I try to go at quiet times and I have to say that almost everyone has been very considerate with hygiene measures. I've really started to enjoy weight training again. Probably because of the forced hiatus due to covid-19. For the first time in years, I'm concentrating on breaking PBs and working toward strength goals. I might need to reel myself in with the weights as I don't want to neglect my running.

 

I've taken a couple weeks off from the push ups and sit ups but hope to be back at it this week.

 

I'm still maintaining 30 push ups and 60 sit ups. I suppose I could push for more, but this feels like enough and I don't want to do too much and hurt anything. Still doing lots of hill runs too.

 

Decided to run a marathon (by myself) to get it off the bucket list and I have the extra time thanks to COVID. I’m plenty busy and not looking forward to making space for the 80 individual runs that the training plan consists of (76 to go now) but I’m not commuting to work every day so this is as good as it gets.
My legs and especially feet are feeling it, been working out but not running for some time now.

 

I’m losing more weight every day. My appetite has somehow disappeared. Nowadays I’m lucky if I get to 1500 calories a day. I just don’t want to eat anymore. It’s a bit unsettling.

 

Way back in January I started a keto-lite diet (to support my wife who was doing a total full Keto diet for a few months just to get back on track). We got rid of carbs in the house, no more pastas, breads, potatoes, and ditched soda, snacks, and anything fried. And beer. I lost about 17 lbs by February and weighed about 160.

And then the Pandemic hit and it was just too much. I needed comfort food back. I regained about 10 back over the summer, and now starting to eat better and do more walking/running again.

 

@soitscometothis hope the calf problem resolves itself soon.

@DarkGingerJedi yes, we are starting to reverse our lockdown diet as well.

Well, I’ve started meditating, using a free app called Center. Mom and I do it for five minutes at a time, several times a day. We just focus on our stomachs while deep breathing. BTW that and employing the laws of attraction from the Secret book, my daily stress and self angst has dropped to almost zero. Changed my attitude the next morning. It felt like I flipped a switch. Knew stress was impacting my immune system hard and the anger/annoyance did not help. Also, being grateful I have a job and my stress/negativity has dropped to almost nothing.

This has helped my digestive issues too.

Still stretching, deep breathing and watching some of Cynthia Rothrock’s exercise videos (Doing some stretches from one of them). Also, absolutely loving any sight of our local blue jays (One was just cawing loudly on a telephone pole outside).

Looking forward to the walk to the local post office to drop off my absentee ballot later this week.

 

Doing more stretches and using the white noise machine in conjunction with the meditation app is helping me fall asleep faster (at least when neighbors dogs and neighbors themselves are not being noisy as hell).

And trying to get off the processed carbs.

 

I had pretty good success running 13.1 miles this morning. I really didn't want to and I second guessed myself for no reason a few times while I was out there. It's just been a stressful week. Running was probably what I needed. Just got back from my son's t-ball class and having lunch together. I could use a nap now.

 

i met my goals for the year. was in the hospital in february, got out and weighed 151. eek. worked myself back up to 169.

 

Ran 8 miles yesterday and then later in the day biked for 2 hours with my family. Week 2 of marathon prep is done, 18 to go.