December 30th: Time to Melt Those Holiday Pounds

It's been a while since I've had a chance to blog. But honestly, it's been a while since I've had a reason to blog. Oh, the holidays...

As I talked about a couple of weeks ago, things really get derailed around the holidays. Honestly, my goal was simply not to lose all my fitness, because come January 2nd, it's go time. I'll have about four months to start the serious training for the marathon on April 27th. I knew going into the end of December that I wouldn't have a ton of opportunities to work out, but even my modest goals got derailed a bit. 

On Christmas Eve, I wanted to get the dog some exercise and log a little bit for myself, so I decided on a quick tempo run. I was planning on 5k. But you know what? I'm still terrible at judging my pace, and I also overestimated what I could get done. I ran only about 2 miles before I was just done. Adjusting for the dog's inevitable pit stop, I was probably on a 7:45 pace -- the second mile was actually under 7:30. I'd love to get to a point where I can sustain that for a 5k, but it's just not happening yet.

Christmas Day and Thursday were busts, for the reasons you'd expect. But Friday was looking good for a quick trip to Work Out World -- until I woke up with a stomach bug. So there went that. 

Saturday was the Pinstripe Bowl. Rutgers gave it a great effort, but in the end, Notre Dame was just the better team. And then there were the anticipated post-game shenanigans in Midtown (and a nightcap back home in Keyport). I had a great day despite the loss, but I was just beat tired on Sunday.

That brings us to today, Monday. I was well-rested and well-hydrated, and not in a super rush, so I was able to get a lot done at the gym, and it felt pretty good. Started out with some core work (yay!), then did an arms rotation. I went a little conservative on the weight -- I really wasn't sure what I'd be able to push given the inconsistency of my workouts over the past few weeks. Next go-round, I think I'll be able to step it up a bit. Then onto the belt for a pace 6 miles. I did it at 0.5 percent incline, and varied the speed between 6.6 and 6.8 mph, with a little burst at the end to hit 6 at exactly a 9:00 pace. I probably could have done a bit more, but I think that's a good starting point given how little I've run in the past two weeks. 

I got a really cool surprise gift for Christmas. My stepdad made me a portrait from the half-marathon back in October. It makes me proud, but it's also a reminder of what I've already been capable of doing. I know that I can get myself to 13.1, and now the challenge is to get myself all the way there. But seeing that portrait, which I plan to display prominently, gives me some confidence that I'll make it.

So as I mentioned above, it's basically go time. I need to fine-tune my training plan and start arranging my life so that I can get it done. I have to determine how much strength training I can realistically cram into my schedule as I start ramping up into 30, 40 and even 50 miles in a week. I need to get a new pair of shoes and start rotating them in. And tomorrow night, New Year's Eve, will probably be beer's last hurrah over Gatorade for a while.

I'm starting to get both excited and nervous about what's ahead. It's going to be a wild ride, I imagine, but one that I'll be glad to have taken. Any advice or just plain encouragement is welcome!

Tomorrow will likely be a similar workout to today's. I'll point to Saturday for a long run.

Total miles since starting the blog: 185.9

December 23rd: Weather

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days. Friday and Sunday were off days. Saturday's and today's runs were greatly affected by the weather.

First, Saturday. A couple of factors kept me from getting out there early in the day: I was very tired from a long, festive week (and very festive Friday), and my gym clothes were all wet from the laundry. But around noon, the temperature was in the mid-60s, and I just felt like a complete idiot not taking advantage of the nicest weather I'm likely to see for quite some time. The neighborhood was really alive, in the way it comes alive on that first warm spring day. Lots of people waving to me and saying hello -- a great spirit lifter. I didn't have a ton of time, but I did want to log some miles. Nothing specific in mind, just a good pace. 4.74 miles in 42.16 -- an 8:54 pace.

I know I post a lot of pics out over the water, but very few of them are in broad daylight. Here's the view across Keyport Harbor. It was a bit hazy, so I couldn't really see NYC.

Today was still warm, but rainy, so I hit the treadmill. I knew very early on that this was one of those "get it over with" workouts. Work Out World doesn't really adjust the HVAC enough on out-of-the-ordinary weather days, and it was just humid in there. I really don't do well in high humidity. I was pretty winded early on in the run, and by the end, my shirt was just soaked through. I'm a little worried about this, because you never know what April 27th could bring. I'm hoping for 60 degrees and clear, but what if it's one of those early summer days? I'll have to slow my pace considerably. I'm definitely interested in feedback on how you handle the humidity.

Nonetheless, I did 3.25 miles in 28:25, on the one percent incline. That's an 8:44 pace. But honestly, part of that was that I cranked it up just so I could get it done.

It'd be great to sneak one more run in tomorrow, since my next good bet is Friday, and then next Monday. I'd love to find time for a long, but I don't know if it's going to happen. In a perfect world, the odometer will hit 200 before 2014.

Total miles since starting the blog: 177.9.

December 19th: Core and Interval Training

Well, I haven't packed it in for the holidays yet.

I wanted to change things up a bit today, and I wanted to get some core exercises in. I did a rotation of dumbbell crunches on the bosu ball, planks and kettlebell squats. That third plank was really tough. But as I've said many times, I think having a strong core will really help me as a runner.

From there, I got on the treadmill. I didn't want to keep repeating the same run, but I didn't have time for a long, either. So I decided to kick my own ass with some interval training. I settled on 5k (3.11 miles), with 1:30 intervals. The fast intervals were between 7.5 and 7.9 mph -- that's between a 7:25 and 8:00 pace. The slow intervals were at 5.8 -- a 10:20 pace. During the fast intervals, I also went at a 1.5 percent incline. I was at 2.85 miles when it was time to crank the treadmill back up, so I just did the remaining quarter mile at the fast pace with the incline. Finished the 5k in 27:40.

Somehow, I've managed to time things perfectly so that the nights/mornings that beer wins will be the warmest in December. Isn't that just the way? I'm going to have to try to hold back a bit one of the next few nights, because it would be completely awesome to get a long outdoor run in before Christmas. The other possible solution: lots and lots of Gatorade and some ibuprofen before bed. We'll see how it goes -- I'll keep ya posted.

Total miles since starting the blog: 169.9.

December 18th: The Holiday Derailment Is Starting

Sorry I missed everyone last week. Prior to this morning's treadmill run, my most recent workout was on Friday, but I've just been too busy to write about it -- or to get back to the gym!

On Friday, I did core exercises and then an arms rotation, then 3.5 miles on the treadmill at a 1 percent incline, in 31:00. Nothing really exciting to report there. Today, I skipped the strength training because I wanted to log some more miles, and I got there a bit later than I'd wanted. 5 miles in 44:15, again at a 1 percent incline. That's an 8:50 pace, well below my target race pace, and even better is doing it at an incline.

But really, that's not what I want to talk about today. The holiday season has begun. And it's really, really hard right now to stay in the groove. The weather is cold, so opportunities for outdoor runs are few and far between. Everyone's bringing goodies into the office (myself included), and you can resist only so much temptation. And then there are the holiday parties. Let's face it: Beer is going to beat Gatorade more than once over the next few weeks. It already did on Monday night/Tuesday morning.

On top of everything else, it's just a busy time of year. Friday and Saturday were hardcore shopping days. We had a refrigerator scheduled for delivery Saturday morning, but the delivery guy said our doorway wasn't wide enough and we had to remove a door. So the delivery got delayed until Sunday morning. We had to get up at 6:00 a.m. to make sure the driveway and pathway to the back door were shoveled and salted, because we were told that the delivery would be once again rescheduled if the delivery guy thought the conditions were unsafe.

That ordeal is over now, and the new fridge is great, but it kept me from working out at all over the weekend, and I was absolutely exhausted come Sunday night. Monday morning, no way I was getting to the gym -- just too tired. Then Monday night, as I mentioned, beer beat Gatorade, so there went Tuesday's workout.

Now I'm looking ahead: drinks out Thursday night, Friday night and likely Monday night -- there's three mornings I probably won't want to work out. Sunday morning, my brother-in-law and I have to go pick up a family-heirloom desk at his cousin's house before the cousin moves. We have a Christmas Eve party, and then we're hosting Christmas Day dinner -- chances are, 12/24-26 are non-workout days. Rutgers bowl game in NYC on 12/28, which probably kills 12/29, too.

So my quandary: Do I just pack it in for the year and then begin the training in earnest come January 2nd, or do I try to squeeze some workouts in, even if they're substandard and rushed? Would I be smarter just to start the hardcore marathon training on fresh legs? How do runners get through December without letting it all go to pot?

My instinct is that a little bit is better than nothing, and weeks with fewer than 10 miles aren't going to put much wear and tear on my legs -- I'll still be fresh come January. But I'm not sure, and maybe just as importantly, I don't want to start feeling guilty and negative before I even really get going. So I have to think about it some, and I'd love any advice.

Hoping to get back to the gym tomorrow for another 5 miles -- especially if that'll be it for the year.

Total miles since starting the blog: 166.8

December 11th: Looks Like I'm Stuck Indoors for a While

Well, I think we can say that we're into the dead of winter now. Wind chill was below 20 this morning. That's way too cold even to think of an outdoor run. Looks like it's going to stay cold for a while, too. So Work Out World is going to be my home away from home for the foreseeable future. I think the real loser here is the dog.

My workout went generally as planned this morning. After my normal warmup, I did core exercises first:

• Ab Coaster -- facing forward and then rotated each way, 12 each, 3 sets.
• Bicycle crunches, 3 sets.
• Horizontal leg lifts, 3 sets.

I have to say, I wasn't looking forward to this part of it. Even though I did a little core work yesterday, this was the first time I'd targeted my abs in close to a month. But I felt better for having done it. It was hard work, but I know it will help in the long run.

Then onto the belt. I knew I had only about a half-hour, so I kicked up the speed to a little faster than race pace and set the incline at 1 percent. That's a serious challenge for me! I tried to get a quick shot of the screen while I was running -- it came out clearer than I thought it would, but I cut off the distance, and I guess that's my finger in the way at the top. I kept going for a little more than a minute past this, getting to 3.5 miles in 31.30. I'm really hoping that combining the speed with the incline will pay some dividends. I'm not sure how much longer I could have kept up that pace.

I think I'll be back at WOW tomorrow. I'm not sure what my workout will entail. I do want to keep up the core work, but I also want to keep logging miles. Maybe a repeat of today. I guess we'll see. Friday is a likely off day -- it's Jackie and my annual Shop Till We Drop Day! Hey, maybe I'll have more stamina than last year. Then another long on Saturday or Sunday.

Total miles since starting the blog: 158.3

December 10th: Back to Strength Training

Today's main goal, aside from beating the snow this morning, was to start working some strength training back in. And I did beat the snow home, but in the 35 minutes between when I got home and headed out for work, it really started coming down.

I wanted to focus on core work today, because that's going to have the most benefit in my running. Planks, kettlebell squats and kettlebell jugglers, then core twists on the Cable Cross machine, with some butterflies mixed in. I did a little legs and arms at the end, including the curl machine I've mentioned a few times.

It was good to get back to it after too many down days of late. But, on the brightside, my office is all set up and I'm getting into the rhythm of the new commute. So I should be able to get back into my routine more easily.

And speaking of that, tomorrow I think will be a hybrid day. I'd like to work a little more arms, and I'll do core stuff, as always. But after that, I'm going to shoot for :30 on the treadmill.

Sunday, December 8th: A Long Run to Nowhere

After two rest days -- one planned, one not so much (beer beat Gatorade Friday night) -- I knew I needed to get that long run in today. The problem: the weather.

It wasn't actually snowing this morning, but it was well below my threshold for the temperature I'm willing to tolerate -- below freezing, with a wind chill around 27. NFW. So, off to WOW for treadmill work. I took this pic about an hour after my run.

I warmed up for five minutes on the elliptical with the notion that I would do some quick core work before I started running. But there was an empty treadmill next to one with a hot chick running, so I made a beeline. Wait, wait, I'm not a creep -- it was my wife.

I'll cut to the chase: 9.33 miles (15k) at exactly 1:30. I varied things between 6.2 and 6.4 miles per hour, with a couple of faster bursts because I did want to get the 5k intervals in at 30:00. I also had the incline at 0.5 and 1.0 percent at various points, though I did most of it flat.

The upside to the treadmill, aside from it forcing you to keep up your pace, is similar to doing long runs near home: I find it easier to push a little farther knowing that I can stop, as opposed to having a fixed goal and wondering if I'm going to make it. I got to 10k and thought, "OK, go for 7 miles." Then 7.5. Then 8, then 8.75, and then 9.33. If I'd set out to go that distance to start, I'm not sure I would have gotten there. The downside: Ohmygod is it boring. Especially with Sunday morning news-talk shows on all the TV screens.

But bottom line is that it felt good to get a solid long run in, even if it wasn't that far. It restored a little bit of faith that I can get the distance up in time for the marathon. Some of that doubt was erased. And perhaps my other runs will be a little more successful now that I've pushed myself further and my stamina will presumably be higher. Consistency will be the key.

Unfortunately on that front, it looks like tomorrow will have to be an off day, too. Our office moved over the weekend, and I'll need to get in early to get my boxes unpacked and my desk set up. So Tuesday I'll get back at it. I think it's time to start working strength training back in.

Miles since starting the blog: 154.8

December 5th: Foggy Skies and Wobbly Legs

It’s confirmed: I have lost some fitness since running the half in October.

I was really hoping to go for 6 miles today. But my legs just didn’t have it in them, and I knew it after 2 miles. My aeration was fine -- it wasn’t an overall lack of stamina. But the legs just didn’t want to go.

Not helping things, I overdressed for the weather this morning. It was 51 degrees and pretty soupy out there. Down by the water, you could just about make out Keyport’s lights through the fog. (It’s actually gotten thicker since then, too.) I had my cold-weather gear on, and it was just too warm.

Oddly, even though I was feeling fatigued by mile 2, my pace picked up -- a lot. 1st mile was 9:17 -- OK, in the range of race pace. 2nd was 9:41 -- come on, Andrew, pick it up! And I did. Mile 3: 9:03. Mile 4: 8:37, and stayed on that pace till I stopped at 4.6 miles.

I realize that I’ve been hitting it pretty hard this week after, essentially, three weeks off. So I guess I should have expected to hit the wall at some point. But over four days, I’ve still done well less than a single marathon. Am I really going to get there? Especially training in the dead of winter? What happens if I have another setback? As we get closer and closer to the four-month mark, those questions are really starting to weigh on me.

I was sort of thinking about doing the Run One Challenge for December -- do at least a mile each day. (Yeah, I know I skipped December 1st.) But I need a rest day. My legs are jelly, and I still want to try for a long this weekend.

Total miles since starting the blog: 145.5 

December 4th: Recovery Run

So I slept a little bit this morning, until about 6:30. That ruled out the gym, and the legs felt OK, so I decided on a recovery run after yesterday's mad dash.

Not much to report here, other than my legs actually feeling better for having run. I really need to incorporate more of these into my routine. 2.5 miles at around a 9:20 pace. I definitely could have gone longer, but I opted to cut it short and save the wear and tear for the rest of the week.

Tomorrow I'm thinking of a mid-range pace run, while the weather is still good. Then Friday will likely be an off day because it's moving day at work. Saturday I may get in a long -- after the layoff, I'm not sure how far I can go, but I'll shoot for 9 miles. And then we'll have to see about Sunday.

I got a slightly better shot of Nessie out there in Keyport Harbor -- it was closer to Cliffwood Beach this morning.

Total miles since starting the blog: 140.9

December 3rd: Grudging, but Fast

Apparently, Mother Nature wants to see just how cold it has to be before I turn tail and head back inside. Yesterday, it was 39 degrees when I started out. Today it was 38. But again, no wind -- though it was a bit dank. I have to say, I was a bit tired this a.m., and a bit cranky because the dog put another hole in the loveseat last night. All the ingredients were there for skipping the run. But I grudgingly went anyway.

As I've said before, sometimes I really don't know what kind of run it's going to be until I get going. Today my plan was to increase distance a little bit and try to be in the vicinity of race pace. That's not exactly how it turned out. The first two miles were about there, adding in 10 or 15 seconds for a photo. (More on that in a minute.) Mile 3 was fast -- 8:42. And then mile 4 was ridiculous -- 8:17. Although I was hoping for 5, by 4.5 I was right by home, and I was pretty bushed, so I cut it short at 4.6. My overall pace was 8:50. Anytime I'm sub-9:00, that's fast. I'm not really sure what to attribute that to, because if it were a "let's just get this over with" pace, I would have stopped at 3.11. And it's not like I had a ton of spring in my legs, either, since I ran yesterday.

There have been a number of barges in Keyport Harbor lately. I don't know if they're dredging the channel or replenishing some sand or both -- or something else entirely. But this odd-looking thing has been anchored out in the middle -- maybe someone knows what it is.

Also, it looks like they're doing some repairs on the seawall walkway. The one concrete slab that wobbled a bit when I hit it seems to have been replaced, and there's at least some temporary fencing where the railing was washed out. Maybe it will be "open" by the spring.

Between the layoff after I banged up the MTSNBN and the two weeks owing to the Great Acid Reflux Incident, I think I've lost a bit of fitness. As I said, I was pretty bushed after 4 miles, and my legs are good and sore now. I'm kind of torn for tomorrow. I do want to continue to log miles, but injuries happen on dead legs. And there's always the gym or even the "home gym" to do some strength training instead. I guess I'll see how I feel in the morning.

Total miles since starting the blog: 138.4

December 2nd: Where the #$%* Have I Been?

I've been lying low the past two weeks, I know. I have a lot to discuss.

The evening after my most recent entry, I was at home, bending over to pick something up, and -- POW! -- I experienced a huge chest pain. Scary big. It persisted all night, improved somewhat over the course of the next day, and then got worse the following morning.

Rationally, I knew this wasn't the big one. First off, I Googled the symptoms, and pain that gets worse when you bend over is usually due to acid reflux. Obviously, I'm in the best shape of my adult life, so the odds of something scary are really low. And yeah, I've been under a bit of stress of late, but that's just life, you know? Nonetheless, it's frightening. And beyond that, it was outright uncomfortable, so exercise simply wasn't happening.

The doctor prescribed high-strength Prilosec. It took a few days to kick in, but things are generally better now. I'm not really sure what to do about the anxiety and stress, but that's a longer-term issue -- and exercise is as good a cure as anything. But I do have to say, setbacks like this really plant a lot of doubt in my brain about whether I'll realistically be able to 26.2.

One of the things about Prilosec is that you're supposed to take it "before a meal." So basically, take it on an empty stomach, then eat something. I'm not really accustomed to eating first thing -- usually just a glass of fiber and a cup of coffee. Over the past week or so with the Prilosec, a meal has meant a Clif bar and maybe a banana. But I tried something fun this morning. My friend and sometime running partner Dan and I, along with my son, brewed beer this weekend, and I took home some of the spent grains for baking. But for my breakfast, I mixed about a cup of them with some chia seeds and a little bit of milk, and microwaved it, then added a touch of agave. It was very good! I know you don't always have cracked, parboiled barley grains sitting around, but if you have a chance to try it, I recommend it.

I probably could have gotten out there a few days ago, but the combination of the holiday rush, the cold weather and simple inertia (again, doubt creeping in) kept me from any workouts. Until today. I figured the best thing to do after such a layoff would be a pretty light run, just to get my body back into exercise mode. A slow-ish 5K was just what I needed.

It was 39 degrees when I got out there -- before daylight -- but there was no wind to speak of, so it really wasn't too bad. Plus side: I got a couple of really pretty shots looking southeast.

The first mile was slow, but that was mostly due to two pit-stops by the dog and a quick stop to get the photo above. The rest of the run went at a reasonable clip. But really, I wasn't very concerned about speed -- I just wanted to get a few miles under my belt and get my body back into exercise mode. I did 3.5 miles in 33:34. This shot on the left I got just after I'd stopped and was walking it off -- looking away from my house down my street.

I'm really hoping to get some more miles in this week, even if it means no strength work. I feel like I really need to start getting mileage in, because after the New Year, the training starts in earnest, and I don't want to be starting from scratch. So if the winds are low again tomorrow morning, I'll get another quickie in. Maybe later this week I can do a long -- that'd be nice.

Total miles since starting the blog: 133.7

November 19th: I Don't Have a Photo

It was 43 degrees out this morning, which normally would be warm enough for an outdoor run, but the wind was really whipping. Wind chill was like 35, and as you know, a lot of my runs happen right by the water. So as I predicted yesterday, I had to hit the treadmill at WOW this morning.

I guess I was simply going for a "get some miles in" kind of run. Set the treadmill to 1 percent incline and 6.5 mph -- basically a pace run up a slight hill. A couple of tenths in, I thought I felt the belt slip a little bit. Naw, just my imagination, right? Then at .65 miles, it really slipped -- enough to throw off my cadence. Fortunately, the machine right next to mine was available, so I jumped over to continue my run. Same speed and incline, though about halfway through, I bumped up 1 tenth of an mph to get under race pace. Did another 4.1 miles for 4.75 total.

I've had a teensy little sniffle of late -- not sure what it is, and it hasn't really slowed me down, but I have felt a little short of wind during yesterday's and today's workouts. Not enough to make any major difference, but I doubt I could have done a long at that pace. I'm hoping it moves along soon, because I need to get some more miles in.

Well, I don't have a photo for today. I can't Pin this without one, so here you go. Dan and I will be brewing this again this weekend, and surely discussing fitness while we do.

Total miles since starting the blog: 130.2.

November 18th: Welcome Back

Where’ve I been for the last week. Resting the MTSNBN -- again. Was jogging up a flight of stairs at Penn Station after my run last week and POW! I didn’t want to kvetch about it, so I figured I’d check back in when I got back on my grind. That’s today.

Headed down to WOW today for some strength training, and I hit it hard. Lots of drop-weight sets. Seated bench press, butterflies, lat pulldowns… Kettlebell squats, kettlebell jugglers and lunges. Worked up a big sweat, and my muscles were tired when I was done. Woo!

So I’ve crossed over to the dark side and purchased some whey protein. 26 grams of protein, 140 calories. Tried it for the first time today when I got home from the gym. Doesn’t taste too bad; I’m thinking about mixing it into my yogurt. I still like the chia fresca before a run -- especially a long run -- but I think this is going to work better for me post-workout.

Tomorrow is looking cold. I guess I’ll have to go down to WOW to get on the treadmill. I’m going to join that stupid Planet Fitness for a few months, though, so I can keep up my running through the winter without burning too much time and gas going to Middletown. I’ll stick with WOW for actual workouts -- I was grunting a-plenty today. They would have set off the lunk alarm a dozen times at PF. But for just running days, yeah, it doesn’t make much sense to spend 25-30 minutes in the car round trip.

November 11th: Just Keep Going

Sorry I missed everyone on Friday. I went to the gym that day, and this morning I did a tempo 5K. The weekend was largely exercise-free, except for raking leaves, bringing them to the street and sort of mowing the lawn. Let’s get caught up.

I think the theme of today’s entry -- especially on Veterans Day -- is perspective and perseverance.

On Friday, I had a fairly unremarkable strength-training session at WOW. Nothing wrong, just not worth recounting in detail. But I ran into my friend’s wife Allison, who I see occasionally at WOW. Usually I try not to bother her, because she always looks like she’s in the zone. But I did get to say hello, and modest person that she is, she of course downplayed her efforts. “I’m never here this early… I couldn’t run as far as you do…”

The thing is, Allison is often there that early, and she’s always working hard. I have no doubt she could do a half-marathon with not a lot of training. But Allison inspires me to work a bit harder because she’s a cancer survivor. She’s had to deal with chemo and all the other bad stuff that comes with it, all while keeping her household going, her kids happy and healthy, and her marriage strong. It would be very easy for her not to worry about the stair-climber or the treadmill or the weight machines. It would be totally understandable. And as I mentioned, to hear her tell it, she really doesn’t work out that hard -- except she really does. That reminds me that I can keep going, too. I can get up and get to the gym. I can do that extra set. I can run that extra mile. If Allison can do it -- and she’s in great shape -- I certainly can.

Today, I decided to go for a run. It was pretty cold -- 40 degrees -- and I was kind of tired. It was definitely the kind of morning that makes it easy to make excuses and not get going. And I’ll be honest: I love running, but today, I hated every minute of it. I never did really get warm. The dog was constantly pulling at the leash. (It didn’t help that the squirrels are going nuts today, which I take as a strong indicator of snow on the way.) From the first tenth of a mile or so, all I wanted was for this run to be over. The main reason I went for a tempo run is because I just wanted it to be done.

But these are the kinds of runs that are actually true successes. As I said, today is Veterans Day. As everyone does, I know many people who’ve served our great nation. Even those vets who never saw actual combat have sacrificed more an endured more than the rest of us can understand. You know what? If those people can do all that, I can run 3.1 damn miles. Vets put it all on the line for us, and you never hear them make a big fuss about it. So yeah, I can go run in 40 degrees and not bellyache about it. Seriously. First world problems.

It wasn’t a 5K PR, but it was a very respectable pace, around 26 minutes. I am going to have to figure out a way to get my armband over my sweatshirt, because I’m spending a lot of time futzing with MapMyRun and getting the phone back into the armband. (More first world problems, I know.) I definitely need to do more speed work, because I was pretty winded at the end. But the bottom line: It’s good to get it done when everything inside you is saying, “I don’t wanna.”

So that’s my feeling for today. Running, working out, lifting weights, etc. -- it’s not easy. But there are a lot of people who’ve persevered through a lot, lot, lot more. And those people inspire me to do my best. So thank you, Allison, and thank you, vets.

Total miles since starting the blog: 125.4.

November 6th: A Wednesday Long for a Long Wednesday

I'm a little achy today -- I went more than 12 miles this morning.

Today was my best chance this week to get a long run in. Tonight, I have to work past midnight covering the CMA Awards, and the weather is supposed to get colder Friday and over the weekend. But even so, it wasn't particularly warm when I started out. I improvised some gear -- an old sweatshirt over my long-sleeve running shirt, an old pair of gloves and an ear-warmer headband (which had the added benefit of holding my earbuds in). Oh, and the leash for Lily.

I've got a couple of minor injury annoyances going on. My inner thigh started to get sore around mile four again, though this time I ran through it. And I think I'm about to lose my first toenail -- middle toe on my left foot. Neither is a big deal.

I did about 8 miles with the dog before stopping home to drop her off and get a quick drink. I lost a minute in the transfer, but over the course of 2 hours, that really doesn't matter.

The thing I've realized about doing longs in your neighborhood, as opposed to a race, is that it's easier to keep going. I know that runs counter to conventional wisdom, but for me, it's easier to keep going when I know that I can quit if I need to. I just have keep telling myself, "OK, one more mile and you can stop." Or even, "OK, just get around that corner and you can stop." Because, inevitably, I get to that goal and realize that I still have more in the tank. I'd guess I give myself a half-dozen of those pep talks whenever I do a long run. Even at the end today, I was a block from home and decided to throw in another .3 miles, just because I knew I didn't have to and it would be no big deal to walk back home.

In the end, I did 12.35 in 1:57. Allowing for GPS inaccuracy, I'd say that'd put me at about a 2:08 half -- 7 minutes slower than Seaside Heights.

As I mentioned, I'm not feeling great about the weather prospects the rest of the week, so we'll see what happens. Maybe a trip to the gym on Friday, and I can sleep a bit on Saturday and wait till the temperature clears 40 before running.

Miles since starting the blog: 122.3.

November 4th: What an Awesome Runners' Weekend!

Lots of stuff to discuss today, most of it good, a lot of it fun and a little bit of it just funny.

Saturday morning, I got out on my long run (well, it was six miles, but that’s OK). My friends were meeting at the park-and-ride to head up to the Rutgers game, which I couldn’t attend because I had a wedding to go to. So I ran out there to meet them, then did some figure-eights in the parking lot while I was waiting for them to get there. By the time they arrived, I’d logged three miles. And since I wouldn’t be able to tailgate with them, I insisted on my own mini-tailgate before heading for home. Ha! I did another three miles back, but I had a little soreness in my inner thigh on the left leg. I could’ve kept going, but I was actually close to my house right then and figured that if it got worse, I’d be running away from home, so I decided to cut it short. 6.25 miles on MapMyRun.

Sunday was incredibly exciting, because we went into Manhattan to watch my brother-in-law Ken run the NYC Marathon. He did awesome. He ran 9:00 miles for most of it, though he did slow down a bit toward the end and finished at about 4:30. And…he was even on TV as he rounded a corner! Rock star! The other cool thing: We were walking up to his apartment (right on First Avenue) just as the men’s leaders were passing by. Wow! Those guys are simply amazing athletes.

Monday was a gym day. Yes, I did core stuff (bosu crunches with a dumbbell and planks), and then mostly arms. I also decided after three rotations to do a fast mile on the treadmill. Started out by cranking it to 8.2 mph, and I lasted about a third of a mile doing that. I dialed back to 6.3 for another third, then 7.2 for the last bit. I did the mile in under 8:00, but I probably could’ve done better had I not started out quite as fast as I did.

Haven’t had a chance to get to a sporting goods store to pick up some cold-weather gear yet, and that’s limiting me a little. But tomorrow morning should be above 40, so I’ll see if I can get a run in.

Total miles since starting the blog: 110.0.

November 1st: Hitting the Century on the Belt

I toldja yesterday that it was about to happen -- I’ve hit triple-digit miles since starting the blog.

Given the high winds and uncertainty about the rain, I decided that the treadmill would be my best bet today, so I headed down to WoW. I really wanted to get some miles in, so I broke one of my cardinal rules -- I didn’t do any core exercises. A couple minutes’ warm-up, and then it was time to run.

I generally put the treadmill at a 1 percent incline -- not because I believe that malarkey about it being the equivalent of wind resistance outdoors, but because it’s simply good training. As you’ll recall, yesterday wound up being a tempo run, and I’m looking to do a long, slow run tomorrow. So that left me with a pace run today. As you may also know, my big hope is to do the marathon in 4:00, so pace is 9:09 miles.

I had decided to do 5 miles, and I kept the pace around 6.5 mph, with a few intervals at 6.6 or 6.7, just to even out my pace at race pace. But I have to say I was really surprised at just how good my estimating skills were: 5 miles, 45:45. (Took a couple seconds to get the photo snapped -- cut me some slack.) That’s exactly 9:09 per, or exactly a 4:00 marathon pace.

Downside to today’s workout: WoW didn’t really adjust the climate control for the muggy conditions. It was extremely humid in there. I lost a ton of water weight (translation: I sweated my ass off). I guess I need to prepare for that, since there’s no guarantees that April 27th won’t be a hot, muggy day, too. But blech! Had to sit up in my seat driving home just because it was so gross.

As I mentioned, tomorrow I’m looking for the long run, maybe 8 miles or so. I’ll see how I feel.

Total miles since starting the blog: 102.8!!!!!

October 31st: Boo!

OK, it’s time to get back at it. It’s really past time to get back at it.

The morning turned frenetic in a hurry. I had to drive my daughter to the bus transfer again -- but after waiting at the train gates for TWO trains, we pulled into the high school just as her bus was pulling out. After a half-mile of beeping and high-beams, the driver figured it out and pulled over, and my daughter was able to get on. Otherwise, I was facing a drive all the way to Wall Township and back.

I got back to the house a couple minutes before 7:00, so I figured I had time for a 5k or so. Not a big run, but probably not the worst way to get back into things after a week and a half.

I have to say, I’ll be glad when we set the clocks back this weekend. It’s weird starting a run at 7:00 a.m. in the dark. But it was a good temperature, so in the spirit of Halloween, I threw on what I’m pretty certain is

my only orange article of clothing and got moving.

My pace surprised me. I assumed I’d take it slow to get back into the swing of things. But being agitated after the school-bus chase, I guess I had some energy to work out. I realized by a half-mile in that I was moving pretty good -- not as fast as that crazy under-8:00 5k I did a few weeks ago, but still pretty fast.

I hit 3 miles at about 26:00 and decided to pick up the pace for a bit. Did another .44 miles at a 7:38 pace. Overall: 3.44 miles, 29:24, 8:32/mile. Not bad for an ease-back-in run, right?

I also learned a valuable nutrition lesson over the past couple of weeks -- when you dial back on exercise, it takes your metabolism a while to make the adjustment. I have simply been HUNGRY the past two weeks. Normally, that’s not too big a deal: As long as I’m making my calories valuable and am not completely overeating, I’m good. But the past week and a half, I’ve been taking in all those calories and not burning them off, except for once at the gym and that one home workout. I definitely added a couple pounds -- the usual notch on the belt has been feeling a smidge tight of late.

Not sure if tomorrow is a gym day or another run. I’m going to try to get a long in on Saturday, though long probably means 8 or 9 miles, tops.

Total miles since starting the blog: 97.8. Next run puts me over the century mark!

October 28th: HIHW

It was too cold to run outside this morning, and after my daughter missed her school bus, it was definitely too late to get to the gym. (Andrew, that Planet Fitness is really calling your name.) What to do? A little high-intensity home workout.

Now I don’t own a weight bench or anything like that, so there is some improvisation required. But it’s also a

good opportunity to work on core muscles, since a lot of that is either without weights or using your body weight for resistance. So I rolled out Jackie's yoga mat and got at it in the dining room. I did two circuits, three exercises each, three sets of each exercise:

• Circuit One: Bicycle crunches, lying leg lifts, body-weight seated press. (Sit at the edge of a chair or bench, extend your legs out, put your palms flat on the edge of the chair and lower and raise your body. Your upper legs should be horizontal when you get back up.) 12 reps each, three sets.

• Circuit Two: Kettlebell squats, kettlebell jugglers and lunges (12 each leg). Wait! What did I use for a kettlebell? My work bag. The handle is about the right size, and with my usual crap in there, it’s probably about 10 pounds.

I finished off with a couple minutes of jumping jacks, just to keep the heart rate going. My upper legs and back are pretty sore -- and I got this done in about 25 minutes. Honestly, I was beat. Part of that is probably that I haven’t been hitting it too hard since the race. But part of it was just the tempo I was going at. This is a great way to go if you’re pressed for time and want to get a little something done.

I do have a few other things I can throw in there: planks, side planks (a good way to learn them without looking dumb at the gym), burpees (if there’s enough vertical clearance), mountain climbers, push-ups… But at some point, I’m going to have to get back on the road or see if I can get that old treadmill going at a reasonable pace. I’m willing to run in shorts and long sleeves at 45 degrees, but not 35. Or I’m just going to have to get to the gym earlier. Stay tuned!

October 25th: Gatorade Before Beer

Quick entry today. Finally got back to the gym -- first workout since the half-marathon. It's kind of no fun heading out in the morning in those last days before we set the clocks back. It's cold and it's dark. There's WOW, and there's the moon.

Just did some basic strength training today. The new wrinkle I threw in was dumbbell presses. I went with a pretty low weight that I knew I could do. It's totally different than the bench-press machine -- you really have to pay attention to keeping things stable!

Most of the rest of my routine focused on core exercises. I'm a big believer in that. No matter how big your arms or your chest, no matter how strong your legs, if you don't have a strong core, you're not going to reach your fitness goals. Specifically, I did lunges, lying knee raises and twists on the Cable Cross machine. I also mixed in some arm stuff on the Cable Cross. Next gym visit will include horizontal leg lifts, bicycle crunches, maybe planks.

Honestly, it wasn't that great of a workout. But it's important to start getting back into my routine -- especially with a Rutgers football tailgate coming up tomorrow and overnight company tonight. I'm hoping to get a short-ish run in on Sunday, so I'll need to keep cognizant of my new-look Beer or Gatorade attitude.

October 21st: Halfway There

Exciting news: I did my first half-marathon yesterday! The Seaside Half-Marathon is in the books!

Final kick in the last tenth (courtesy Mark Stalford)

I completed the 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 0 minutes, 40 seconds -- so close! If I hadn't had to stop and pee around mile 8... I finished 286th out of 678 runners.

Logjam at the start of the race (courtesy Mark Stalford)

First, the good: I was able to maintain a solid pace through 12 miles. I generally stuck to my game plan: Fall back on my training, maintain form, walk through hydration stations. It's also great to have a little cheering section -- big thanks to Jackie, Carol and my folks for being there at a bunch of spots along the course. And the other big positive is that I learned a lot about the ins and outs of running a distance race:

• Definitely get there early before the crowd at the check-in table is insane and the line for the bathroom is out the wazoo. 
• Don't worry about pace at all in the first mile. There's just too much traffic, and you waste far too much energy trying to run around people.
• Probably don't need to hydrate as much as I did. (Could have avoided that pit stop.)
• GPS isn't super-accurate. MapMyRun was more than 4 tenths of a mile off by the end of the race.



Look at that form! Run with your gut, not your calves!
(courtesy Mark Stalford)

• Maybe this was just this race, but make sure your own stuff is ready to go at the finish line. I assumed that Gatorade and other provisions would be waiting for me, and left mine in the car. We wound up having to walk back to the car and missed the awards ceremony.

The bad: I ran out of gas in the last mile or so. As I've mentioned before, I suck at judging my pace, and I'm still getting used to exactly how much I can do, since I'm still improving both on time and distance. I had to walk a couple times in that last mile, which is actually what cost me those extra 40 seconds. I think there's a learning experience here, and I'm sure that as I run more races, I'll get a better sense of what I'm capable of and how much fuel I can burn in any given mile. But when I saw the Mile 13 marker, somehow I found the energy to sprint the final tenth to the finish, with my family cheering me on!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the organizers of the race were a little scattered. As you may know, they had to change the course and the check-in location on short notice because of the boardwalk fire. The check-in was a zoo, and afterward, none of the racers realized that the post-race provisions were all four blocks away at that check-in spot (a restaurant). Someone was ferrying stuff to the finish line, but not nearly enough or quickly enough, and nobody was informing us that there were bagels, bananas, Gatorade, etc. back at the restaurant. It was a good run, so I don't want to let that mar the experience, but I hope they run a tighter ship next year.

I'm still recovering today. Might get back at things on Wednesday. Work Out World misses me, I'm sure.

Total miles since starting the blog: 93.4

October 16th: Miles in Music City

Got in my run in Nashville this morning. It was slow, mostly because I kept stopping to take pictures. I wound through a bunch of Vanderbilt's campus and then did a loop in Centennial Park, where they have that replica of the Acropolis. 4.5 miles total, and it was nice to get something in after two days off. Not sure if I'll run again tomorrow, but that's it until Sunday's half-marathon.

Apologies for some blurriness -- I was trying not to lose all momentum.

Very cool Greek Revival building

This is at the end of what looks like a mall.

Obligatory college campus abstract sculpture.

This is where they have those sunken benches at the end of the court.

Site of the great comeback in 2004.

A view from behind the end zone.

The Acropolis

October 14th: Weekend Wrapup

Did plenty of exercising over the weekend, but didn’t get to the blog till this morning. Let’s catch up.

Saturday, Jackie and I went to the gym midday, while Carol was at her riding lesson. (They’re nearby each other.) Got in some good strength training -- core work, arms, leg press. Then I did 4.3 miles on the treadmill at pace, around 9:05 per mile on a 1 percent incline.

Sunday, I took the dog for what I assumed would be an easy recovery run. Remember when I once said that the dog slows me down? Not so much. 3.67 miles at under 9:00 per, with me holding her back on the leash. We also had to use the alternative route home, because the low-lying road near the beach was flooded after 4 straight days of onshore winds. (This area got hit really hard during Sandy.)

The other issue was that with runs in 4 of 5 days, the whole lower leg was barking at me yesterday. So today is a rest day, and tomorrow is a travel day, so that makes it a rest day, too.

And that brings me to the other thing I want to mention: I’m looking forward to getting in my first out-of-state run this week. I’ll be in Nashville, staying near the Vandy campus and a pretty big park. Looks like I’ll have a great chance to get a few miles in. Also, I won’t have the dog guilting me into taking her along.

The Seaside Heights half is on Sunday. So if I get a good run in on Wednesday, and something easy in on Thursday, I’m going to give it a shot.

Total miles since starting this blog: 75.8.

October 11th: Flying

Quick run today, so a quick entry, too.

I was pleasantly surprised to wake up to dry roads and no rainfall this morning. And I was running a bit late; after getting home last night from my friend’s Rutgers game-watch get-together, it was too late for me to assemble my lunch for today. So instead of heading to the gym as planned, I got in a quick run.

A lot of times, I really don’t know what kind of run I’m in for until I get out the door. Wednesday’s long was kind of that way -- though I had an inkling -- and today was no different. But the weather was pleasant, and I didn’t want to be out for a super-long time, so a tempo 5K it was. I leashed up my running partner and hit the road.

Nothing particularly interesting about today’s route. Really, it was just all about getting a move-on. First mile: 8:35. Second mile: 7:48. (That’s the one with the big hill, which I just hammered.) Third mile: 7:26. Overall pace: 7:57. That is absolutely flying for me. And I’ll be completely honest: That was probably harder than my 11.5 miles the other day. Granted, my recovery was a lot easier, but I felt more tired on the road today than on Wednesday. And I don’t know if it made a real or imagined difference, but I didn’t have any Chia Fresca this morning -- no way I was squeezing limes at 11:30 last night.

I sort of have it mind to see how fast I can do one mile all-out. I did one in 5:51 when I was 16 years old. I’d like to compare myself now.

Tomorrow is a gym day for sure.

Total miles since starting this blog: 67.8.

October 10th: Going the Distance

Today's run was a total confidence booster after this weekend's wackiness. 11.5 miles!

I had an inkling I was going to go long today, and the weather forecast basically made the decision for me. If I hadn't gotten it in today, I probably wouldn't at all. But when I woke up, it was pretty questionable whether I'd even get it in today. That storm's a-brewin'. The bay is already kicked up significantly. I was frankly
surprised that none of my route was flooded out yet.

But the upside was, aside from the wind, I had a nice, cool day to run. Lily did the first half with me, and I think she appreciated the weather, too -- she was still pulling the leash when we got back to the house. We did the Cliffwood Beach loop, including the seawall path and Pirate's Cove park.

When I dropped Lily off, I also got rid of my sweatshirt, grabbed a quick drink and headed back out for half number-two -- through Keyport to the Henry Hudson rail trail, as far as Union Beach and then back closer to the water. It was somewhere in this leg that I realized just what a confidence booster this run was becoming. I feel like I can do that Seaside Heights half in a week and a half now. After this weekend, I was feeling a lot of doubt about my ability in general.

My split times were really fast, but I promise I wasn't really thinking about pace at all. I was just going at a comfortable pace and trying to focus on form. I'm not 100 percent sure the GPS in my phone is entirely accurate, so that could explain part of it. But I do run all the way into corners and take the outside of curves wherever possible, so it's probably not that far off. The other thing that, in retrospect, must have helped was that I drank about a third of my bottle of Chia Fresca before I headed out. I had serious energy!

Tomorrow is another off day -- I have an obligation in the morning. Based on the weather forecast, it looks like Friday and Saturday are gym days. Maybe Saturday I'll do some incline work on the treadmill -- something I haven't done since before I started talking about the MTSNBN.

Total mileage since starting this blog: 64.7

October 7th: Catching Up With a Wacky Weekend

Lot of catching up to do today. It was an eventful weekend.

Jackie and I got in a quick gym workout Saturday morning, and I confirmed what I assumed on the leg press machine -- my 1rm is all of it, 400 pounds. I did a pretty varied workout because the place was more crowded than I’m used to, and it wasn’t easy finding open machines. Jackie said she saw someone next to her doing a crazy interval workout on the treadmill -- first a sprint for a few minutes, then hand-walking the treadmill -- hands on the belt, feet on the ground behind the machine in basically a push-up position -- then flipping around with hands on the ground and feet sort of crab-walking. Then back to sprinting, and so forth. Sounds super-intense -- I don’t know that I could do that.

Later on Saturday, beer or Gatorade became beer and Gatorade on Saturday. After the gut-wrenching triple-overtime Rutgers win, I had a lot of excess energy to work out, so I went for a run. And yeah, I wasn’t exactly sober at the time. I didn’t bother with MapMyRun -- just grabbed Lily and went. I estimated 4 miles, but later on when I mapped it out, it looked like closer to 4.5. No idea on time, which is fine. I actually had a lot of fun, but my right leg didn’t appreciate the lack of focus on form.

The other problem: Sunday morning. I gave it the old college try, but after about 2.5 miles, my stomach really started feeling sour. I’m sure I could have done a bit more, but there was no way I was finishing a long. It also didn’t help that part of my route was flooded out -- in retrospect, that was probably a sign that this run really wasn’t going to happen. I’m going to have to try to sneak one in this week.

The larger issue here is that I really need to start getting serious about my conditioning, and that means making some changes to other parts of my life -- not just diet and exercise. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this, and I think part of the issue is that I’ve been approaching it the way a lot of people approach diets -- instead of just adopting a lifestyle in which you generally make healthy choices, it’s deny-deny-deny-deny-indulge. But the bottom line for me is that, as much fun as those days and nights can be, ultimately they’re getting in the way of who I want to be -- and not just as a marathoner. 

So, much like the idea of adopting an overall healthy approach to eating, I’m committing myself to a healthier approach everything else, too. I think there’s no benefit in turning funtime into the enemy; I just need to be more reasonable. The holidays will be the holidays, and I’m not going to beat myself up for silliness at Thanksgiving or Christmas. But ultimately, the reason I named this blog what I did is that it’s about choices, and to reach my goals and be the man I want to be, I have decided to change the way I approach those choices.

Mostly out of a sense of guilt, and partly because I needed to give Work Out World my new debit card to keep on file, I got back to the gym this morning. I’m really digging the kettlebell squats and jugglers -- low impact, high cardio intensity and a great challenge for your core muscles. I also tried a few new machines today -- a triceps press machine (instead of just using the lat bar) and a biceps curl machine. The latter was especially challenging and engaged stabilizing muscles, so that seems like a winner for sure. I then did about 20 minutes interval training on the elliptical. Somehow the program I was using had 6-minute segments -- that’s too long. I’ll have to pay more attention to that going forward.

One last note about nutrition: I’m going to try Chia Fresca as a pre-workout and recovery drink. I read about it in Born to Run, and it does fit the nutritional profile I’m looking for -- protein, fluids, other good-for-you stuff, with not a lot of calories. 16 ounces is good for before and after a workout. It’s very easy to make -- 2 cups water, 4 tbsp lime juice (I needed 3 limes, 2 tbsp Chia seeds and just enough sugar to make it palatable. (I may try agave.) Shake well and refrigerate overnight, and shake again before you drink it. The seeds will soften up nicely, and it’s very refreshing.

Total miles since starting the blog: 53.2

October 4th: Easing Back In

Quick entry today.

Back on the road for the first time in a week and a half. Everything felt about as good as it’s ever going to, so no need to dwell on that. My goal was simply to get back out there and see what I could do, how I felt. No major worries about pace, and the nice thing about my route is that there are a number of opportunities to cut it short and head for home -- so I figured I’d get out to the water and then up the big hill, which would be a little more than a mile, then decide how far to go.

The answer was that I felt good. So I continued along my 5K route -- until I hit the lowest-lying area on the run, and it was covered with water. WTF? It hasn’t rained in what, a week? I don’t think the tides are running especially high, so I couldn’t figure that one out. Oh well -- had to alter my route to get home. Not as scenic, but the uphill climb is less gradual, so it actually was a better challenge.

It might have been all the rest, but even past three miles I still felt very good, so I tacked a little extra on. And the last couple tenths, I put it into high gear. When it was all done, 3.67 miles (at least according to MapMyRun) at a 9:17 average pace. And I still had plenty in the tank.

I haven’t mentioned yet that I ran with my partner today. She kept up very well.

Total miles since starting the blog: 46.2

October 1st: Elliptical and Nutrition

Got back to the gym this morning as planned and followed through on what I wrote yesterday -- 10 minutes of quick core stuff and then 30 on the elliptical, on interval training. The MTSNBN felt 100 percent. I think tomorrow's a rest day, but then Thursday might be a short run to get back out there.

Today I want to talk about nutrition. I've basically hit a weight-loss plateau (which I'm fine with, because I'm under two bucks in my skivvies), so I've been giving an increasing amount of thought not simply to calorie intake but to what kind of calories I'm eating.

I eat a serving of Greek yogurt every morning. I mix in fruit, and just this week, I've also started adding a
tablespoon of chia seeds. I've been reading a lot about chia seeds, and in addition to helping you grow great-looking green pets, they're highly nutritious. One tablespoon has about 45 calories and 4.5 grams of fat, but also 5 grams of fiber and about 3 grams of protein, along with omega-3 fatty acids.  I'm much more interested in the benefits of the chia than I am in the purported weight-loss assistance.

But one thing I learned the hard way this week is that all Greek yogurt is not the same. We didn't have enough bulk needs to merit a trip to Costco this week, so I wound up grabbing my yogurt at Shop-Rite. Cabot brand Greek yogurt has 310 calories in 8 ounces! That's 170 more than is in Costco's Kirkland brand. Yeah, it's a bit smoother and creamier, but seriously? I will be at Costco bright and early on Sunday so I can buy Greek yogurt.

Lastly, I'm sort of torn on whether to, and what to, eat after a workout. Most days, I'm crunched for time, so I've been grabbing a Clif bar for the protein. But that's adding another 230 calories, and it doesn't seem to have any impact on my overall hunger throughout the day. I want to keep getting protein -- especially after strength training -- but I'm wondering if it's worth adding another 1000 or so calories to my weekly intake. Will my body really convert that protein to more muscle, or am I just raising the bar on what I need to burn to maintain my current fitness level? Or should I be looking for a lower-calorie option?

I'd love to hear what other people do for nutrition -- especially if you're on the run like I am most mornings. And I'd love to hear if anyone else has any experience with chia seeds.

September 30th: Itching to Get Back on the Road

A good morning at the gym -- really challenging.

I’m not going to bore you with a rundown of all my sets like I have in previous posts. Hit me up if you’re interested. A few highlights:

• As I mentioned last week, adding a 16kg kettlebell to my squats has seriously intensified that workout. I use that same kettlebell for the jugglers, which is also hardcore exercise.
• I’m pretty close to maxing out the leg press machine. I did 2 sets of 12 at 350 pounds. I imagine my 1rm would be more than the 400-pound max. Guess I’ll need to go to single leg presses. I held off on that third set because I felt a little twinge in the MTSNBN. (And yes, I iced when I got home.)
• Bumped up the Cable Cross twists by 40 percent, to 35 pounds. Made a huge difference.
• I tried dumbbell curls, 20 pounds each arm. Maybe should’ve tried these earlier in my workout -- made it through a set and a half before my arms were just dead.

I mention that last one because I’m thinking increasingly about getting more free weights into my workout. Two problems: I don’t know what I’m doing, and I don’t know anyone at the gym to be a spotter. The second problem I’m sure I could rectify pretty easily -- most people at my gym seem pretty friendly. But I’m much less sure about jumping in at the deep end of free weights. I know that I really need to work dead lifts and squats into my workout, and start bench pressing for real instead of on the machine. But I'm really unsure of technique, and frankly, that side of the gym is a little intimidating. Not because I think anyone would give me a hard time, but I guess it just feels like the big leagues. Anyway, any advice anyone could offer would be most welcome. And a question: Will I get close to the same benefit from maxing out on machines, or do I really want to engage my stabilizing muscles?

I'm really itching to get back on the road. It's been a full week since I've done any running now, and I don't know how much longer I can stay patient -- especially since the MTSNBN seems mostly better. Even as I was walking into the gym, I saw people on treadmills and was jealous. 

One last thing: You may have seen in a previous post that I was kicking around joining the Planet Fitness that's opening nearby, because it's so much closer. I've decided against. The whole "no grunting" thing is a turnoff, but I spun by there last weekend just to see the deal, and the salesperson...well, I won't say she was outright rude, but she failed to make a positive first impression. If that's representative of their employees, no thanks.

I'm thinking elliptical tomorrow. Maybe just do some quick core stuff first.

September 26th: Cough, Cough, Sniffle, Sniffle

Quick non-exercise note today. For the first time since I started exercising in March, I’ve caught a cold -- thanks to my daughter. Although I feel pretty crappy and am hopped up on Sudafed, I’m choosing to look at this as serendipitous, because it’ll keep me from rushing back on the MTSNBN a second time. Might cost me my long this week, but that’s just gonna have to be OK.