Week 21

My mom came to visit.  We went on a very rainy 6.1 mile run using umbrellas.  That was the first time I'd ever run that far in a long while.  I'll be running in a 10k (6.2 miles) in June, so it was good practice.  At the pace we ran I was fine and was able to finish strong.

While my mom was in town we went on a quick walk to this old homestead house in the forested park near downtown Portland. It was a cool walk, though very rainy, and the destination was awesome.  I carried Claire down the switchback and back up which was a good workout.  My softball games got rained out, which always sucks.  All in all, a pretty rainy week.  Friday didn't rain, so I got a good time trial in.  Put in my second best time, and I thought I was cooking.   But I still didn't even approach the freak sub 26 min time from a couple weeks ago, but I'm demonstrating that 7:45 per mile is a very comfortable pace for me.

Week 21 - Rained out

Basketball Events: 2
Strength Training: 0
Softball Games: 0 (rained out)
Running Events: 2

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 26:50
• Minutes per mile: 7:40 (Not a horrible pace, but I want it at 7:30)

Weight: 247 - *LOST 1 POUND*

Week 20

So I am fairly certain that the Week 18 time trial was a freak show performance, that I'm unlikely to match or beat for a while yet.  In other disappoint news, I had a disappointing showing in softball in Saturday.  It was an all day tournament for Intel.  And my team made it unbeaten to the championship game and we lost in the bottom of the last inning.  Though I'll admit I was been playing third base like Brooks Robinson all day and especially well in the championship game, my bat, which had been hot all day, died in the last game.  No hits.  Including the last at bat where I would have been the tying run, but instead was the last out of the game.  It was a long fly ball that came up a good 10 feet short of the wall.  Pretty much described the week.

Week 20 - Pop flies

Basketball Events: 2

Strength Training: 0
Softball Games: 8 (6 on Saturday) (Thursday 5-8;  Saturday 14-22)

Running Events: 2

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 27:15 
• Minutes per mile: 7:47 (Not a horrible pace but it ain't great either)

Weight: 248 - Same as last week.

Week 19

The important thing this week was the return of softball.  Last week got rained out, so we made up one of those games on Wednesday.  I was concerned that without the weight somehow my power would be gone.  Not true.  I'm just faster, a lot faster.  I hit a home run in the first game of the year on Wednesday and then on Thursday I hit another one in the 2nd game of a double header.  Two homers in three games to me says that my power isn't gone, I'm just faster.  I made use of it.  In the base paths I was moving like I haven't in years.  I was stretching extra bases, getting to balls I usually couldn't get to, and beating out throws to first on deeply fielded grounders that used to get me.  Sometimes it takes losing weight to realize how much the extra baggage really holds you back.

We also got a new stroller to accommodate both little Henry and Claire.  It has inflatable tires, so it can double as a jogging stroller.  I tried it out on my 3.5 mile course.  It is hard work.  I did get one legit time-trial in, and it was dismal.  Starting to wonder if my time last week was a freak accident.

Week 19 - Softball Returns!

Basketball Events: 1

Strength Training: 0
Softball Games: 3 (Game 1: 4-5, HR; Game 2: 2-4; Game 3: 2-4, HR)

Running Events: 3 (1 with the stroller)

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 27:38 
• Minutes per mile: 7:54 (Dismal pace - have to go back several weeks before I was that slow)

Weight: 248 - *LOST 1 POUND*

Week 18

I hope that I saw my weight in the 250s for the last time this week.  The other breakthrough is that on Saturday, I turned in a time a full minute better than my personal best putting me just below 26 minutes.  It was weird.  I started running and almost immediately felt heavy.  I felt heavy the whole way out.  Then I hit the lap button at the midway point on my cell phone stopwatch and checked the time quickly and was astonished to see 12:35.  I was on pace to beat 26 mins (previous best was just under 27 mins).  Invigorated by my pace, I didn't feel as heavy on the way back.  My pace was 7:11 per mile out and 7:35 back.  Averaged 7:24 per mile.  That's a respectable pace (also first time keeping an average pace below 7:30/mile).  My final weigh-in put me at 249.  I've lost 31 pounds since New Year's Day!

Week 18 - Good Bye to 250s.  Don't let the door hit you in your fat butt on the way out!

Basketball Events: 1

Strength Training: 1

Running Events: 3 (0 on Treadmill)

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 25:52 *NEW PERSONAL BEST*
• Minutes per mile: 7:24

Weight: 249 - *LOST 2 POUNDS.  Finally done with the 250s!*

Week 17

I can't wait to wake up one morning and see 249 on the scale.  The 250s have been like watching a movie that's really bad and really long.  I'll be glad when it's over.

Week 17 - I'm tired of the 250s

Basketball Events: 0

Strength Training: 1

Running Events: 2 (0 on Treadmill)

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 27:05 
• Minutes per mile: 7:44

Weight: 251 - *Finally lost 1 friggin' pound*