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*

Week 16

I broke through the 27 min barrier and would have repeated the feat later in the week had it not been for one of my shoes being a little wet, causing me to slip on the polished plastic faux wood boardwalk of my course.  The interesting stat is that in both runs--even with the fall--I kept better than 8 min/mile pace on both the "there" and the "back."  This was a first as I had only been able to average better in total.  Now if I could just go back to losing weight ...

Week 16 - No Friggin' Progress

Basketball Events: 1

Strength Training: 1

Running Events: 4 (2 on Treadmill)

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 26:56 *New Personal Best*
• Minutes per mile: 7:42

Weight: 252 - Still no friggin' change

Week 15

This week was supposed to be better. I was done with close and excited for a lighter work week and more time to exercise. I was wrong. It was busier. On Monday, I took the GMAT. If Kaplan practice tests were an indication of performance I was probably going to get about a 550, a score not good even close enough for the programs I wanted. I got a 690 (88 percentile). Kaplan can cram their practice tests up their butt. They made me unnecessarily nervous to take the test for 3 years. And if their practice tests are any indication of improvement, I didn't really improve from the study.

Well I was super excited to get a better score than Viddy (my old college roommate, Viddy, got a 680). So I went home an logged a good time detailed below. I didn't have free time the rest of the week. I got a quick 15 min treadmill session on Wednesday and then tried the course again on Saturday and missed the Monday time by 3 seconds. No change in weight, which is lame, because I'm still kinda fat.

Week 15 - Still Kinda Fat

Basketball Events: 0

Strength Training: 0

Running Events: 3 (1 on Treadmill)

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 27:25 *New Personal Best*
• Minutes per mile: 7:50

Weight: 252 - No Change

Week 14

Tough week. The Red Sox lost on opening day. Verlander was unhittable. And because of Quarter 1 close, I didn't have much time for exercise. But I was able to get a good run in on Friday. I set a personal best, and, for the first time, I kept an average pace over the 3.5 miles that was lower than 8 min/mile. That's a respectable time.

Week 14 - Quarter 1 Close

Basketball Events: 0

Strength Training: 0

Running events: 2

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 27:52 *NEW PERSONAL BEST*
• Minutes per mile: 7:58 *First time average was below 8 minutes!*

Weight: 252 *Weight remained the same.*

Week 13

I'm sore. You'd think that since I've been working on this for 3 months that I wouldn't get sore, but I still do. I think the reason for this is my body is still telling me, "hey your positive life changes and weight loss progress are great and all, but you're still kinda fat and it's still requires great effort to lift your butt off the ground when your run all week."

I beat my personal best by 51 seconds, just barely missing the 8 min mile threshold by 11 seconds. I'm so close to breaking the 8 minute mile threshold I can taste it. And I've got data to prove that I like food. I was sore for my time trial on Saturday. I think I can breakthrough 8 minute miles, if I can flush my system of the lactic acid.

Week 13 - Sore muscles

Basketball events: 1

Strength training: 2

Running events: 4 (3 on treadmill)

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 28:11 *NEW PERSONAL BEST*
• Minutes per mile: 8:03 --Now that is a respectable pace.

Weight: 252 *LOST 3 POUNDS*