Week 29

We moved this week to our new house.  And all the exertion from moving did wonders.  When someone needs help moving, you should volunteer because you burn a lot of calories.  I lost all the weight I gained from vacation and then some.

My sister came to visit and I had her help me on my run.  I wanted her to improve my pace on the second half of the course.  It almost worked.  I started too slow.  My out time was about 10 seconds slower than the same half when I set my PR but my time back was essentially the same.  My sister pushed my pace on the way back and I kept an astonishing 7:35 per mile pace for the second half.  This was a huge win since it was the first time since setting the PR that I've been able to run that pace on the way back.  Thanks sis!

I also played some old timey baseball.  I play for the Pioneer Base Ball Club.  Every year we play the West Linn Willamettes at the Annual Old Time Fair in West Linn.  The venue for that game isn't very good.  It's on a softball field which messes up the whole vintage vibe.  The best game is played on the grounds of Fort Vancouver.  We play the Vancouver Occidentals there every year as the Shermans (historically a team of soldiers at the Fort).  We won on the walk-off single of my friend Paul.  I feel I played quite averagely.  Though I had a couple of good hits.  I hit a monster shot that hit the branch of a tree in deep left field that was ruled a ground rule double.  And I hit another monster shot in the bottom of the ninth to start our 4-run game winning rally, that should have been an easy home run (no fences--in the old days you used to have to actually run home to get a home run) but became a triple when I slipped rounding third.  I was going a little too fast with no cleats.  Apparently, cleats weren't invented in time for vintage baseball.  A fan got a picture of me just before I wiped out and posted it to Facebook.

Compare the picture to when I've played in the past to see how much weight I lost.  You can also see video of me running (realize I'm using the term "running" loosely) out 2 home runs.  I really wish I had video of me running last Saturday so I could see how much faster I am.

Week 28 - Moving on up

Basketball Events: 0
Strength Training: 1
Softball Games: 1 (3-4, Double, Home Run)
Old Timey Baseball Games: 2 (Game 1: 2-4, Triple; Game 2: 4-6, Ground Rule Double, Triple)
Running Events: 1

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 26:03 
• Minutes per mile: 7:26

Weight: 241 - *LOST 5 POUNDS*

Week 28

I love the food in Wisconsin.  They have things like butter burgers.  That's my #3 favorite dairy product on the my number #2 favorite dairy product on my #1 favorite way to eat ground beef.  The bratwurst will blow your mind.  a lot of the grocery stores make their own version all in the natural casing.  One in particular I remember had actual knots in the pig intestines on the end of the sausage that got really crispy on the grill ... so good.  On Fridays, you want to go to the fish fry at Gipper's in Green Bay.  Get the Perch, I prefer it to the Walleye.  And the cheese and the milk is creamier.  I don't know how they do it.  I can say that the happy cows in California might be happy but they don't make good cheese.  Good cheese is made in Wisconsin.  Face it California you ain't as good as they are and you never will be.  Basically what I'm getting at is that it is hard to go on vacation in Wisconsin and cram into a week all your favorite foods and not gain some weight.  I'll make up for it.

Oh and I still haven't beat my personal best.  One more attempt before we move.

Week 28 - The Badger State

Basketball Events: 1
Strength Training: 1
Softball Games: 0
Running Events: 1

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 26:15 
• Minutes per mile: 7:30

Weight: 246 - Ugh ... gained 3 pounds on vacation

Week 27

Before I left for Wisconsin on Wednesday, I made an attempt to set a personal best on my 3.5 mile there-and-back course.  I was going fast on the way out.  I checked my stop watch after the turn and saw 12:14.  This was much better than anything I had done before.  This was my plan.  I did some research into my past data and found that when I set personal records, my first half of the run was always much faster than in previous PRs.  I was feeling good ... for about 200 yards.  Then I cramped up and folded like a cheap lawn chair.  The pain was exquisite.  Somehow I managed not to stop, but I my pace was barely a lumber at something just below 8.5 minute miles--I haven't had that slow of a pace for months.  

My cardiovascular breakdown demonstrates an endurance problem.  The current PR was set on the back of the best "back" time I've ever had.  I've never even approached it.  And on my way back on this most recent attempt, I was on pace to set a new PR, but then freak time laughed at me and said, "Come back when you're worthy."  We move next week to our new house, so I'll only have two more attempts at breaking the record.  If I fail in the next two attempts, I'll return for an exhibition run ... when I'm worthy.

Week 27 - Come back when you are worthy

Basketball Events: 0

Strength Training: 1

Softball Games: 2 (Game 1: 1-2; Game 2: 2-4, Double, 3-run Home Run)

Running Events: 2

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 26:55
• Lap 1: 12:14 - (6:59 per mile pace, previous best was 7:09) best ever by nearly 17 seconds
• Lap 2: 14:41
• Total average pace: 7:41 per mile

Weight: 243 - *No weight lost* (Scale in Wisconsin isn't digital, so though it appeared to be 242, I can't in good conscience declare the pound lost.  I'm just grateful to have maintained while on vacation.)

Week 26

The freak time still stands.

God looked down upon Adam alone in his apartment while his beloved wife and two kids were in Wisconsin and said, "It is not good for man to be alone."  I don't like being away from my wife.  The "hey-I-can-play-video-games-as-long-as-I-want feeling" wears off after about 12 hours.  I miss my wife and I am excited to see her today.

Week 26 - It is not good for man to be alone

Basketball Events: 1
Strength Training: 1
Softball Games: 1 (2-5)
Running Events: 3

Best Time:
Distance: 3.5 miles
Time: 26:06 (Second best time ever, but still slower than my PR by 13.5 seconds)
Minutes per mile: 7:27
Weight: 243 - *LOST 1 POUND*

Week 25

In Intel Finance, your life revolves around the planning and close cycles.  Right now we're in the mid-year cycle, where we refresh the 2H of the full year plan.  It was really busy for me because of some new scope I recently obtained and two key people that decided it would be a good idea to take their sabbatical during a planning cycle.  Anyway, the point is I didn't get much exercise.

I've kept softball stats because I wanted to see that if I was faster how many extra base hits I'd get.  Well I've gotten at least 1 double each week.  This last week I got a speed double.  The left fielder was positioned a little too deep.  I also noted that the third baseman wasn't playing the line.  So I figured if I could get the ball on the ground right on the line, the third baseman wouldn't be able to do anything and the left fielder would have a long run to the ball ... and I'd have a double.  I did just that.  I painted the line with a hard descending line drive that skipped past third just barely fair.  Out of the box I knew I had two, and with the extra speed AND NOT the extra fat, I was up standing.  That is the third such double I've had this season.  I could get used to this.

Week 25 - June Planning Cycle

Basketball Events: 1
Strength Training: 1
Softball Games: 2 (Game 1: 1-2, Double, 2 Walks; Game 2: 3-4)
Running Events: 1

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 26:24 
• Minutes per mile: 7:33

Weight: 244 - No Change

Week 24

I got one chance this week to do a time trial.  And I thought I was moving fast.  The whole way out I was thinking, "this is going to destroy the record I set a few weeks ago."  Then at the mid way point I turn around to head back, hit the lap button, check the time, and realize that I didn't even have my best first-half time.  I was totally deflated, so I lumbered my deflated self on sub-par run back.

The silver lining this week is I lost some weight this week.  The kids fell asleep early on Wednesday and I zonked out early too, sleeping without dinner.  Not eating that dinner made quite the difference.   Also of note, I've returned to wearing contacts.  My senior year of high school after the basketball season was done I got rid of my contacts (a necessity for sports) in favor of some glasses.  I've been wearing glasses ever since.  When I returned home from my mission nearly 10 years ago, I thought a pair of horned rimmed glasses would be cool.  So I started wearing horned rimmed glasses.  And that was cool until hipsters started wearing them too, often without the need for prescription lenses.  Way to go hipsters.  You ruined horned rimmed glasses.  So I have to wear contacts now.  Just do me a favor and stay away from baseball.


Week 24 - Back to contacts

Basketball Events: 2
Strength Training: 1
Softball Games: 1 (2-4, Double)
Running Events: 1

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 26:36 
• Minutes per mile: 7:36

Weight: 244 - *LOST 3 POUNDS*  36 lbs since January 1!

P.S.  We closed on our house and take possession on July 15th!  We should move in around July 20th once the popcorn ceiling has been removed.

Week 23

My goal was to keep a pace better than 8 minutes per mile during my 10k, otherwise I'd have been a failure.  I did much better than my goal.  I finished in the top 7% of participants.  I also learned something very important at the race.  There was a guy there that was an acquaintance of a friend that ran the 10k also.  He was tall, probably 6'4".  Thinner than me.  Every external sign indicated that he was in much better shape.  His pace over the 6.2 miles was a little worse than 10 mins per mile.  Honestly, it was a pace I think I could have matched when I started my comeback back in January.  I think what that tells me is that my weight is different than a lot of other folks' weight.  I was a mildly in shape dude, that used to be an athlete underneath 50 lbs of fat.  That is a much, much different thing than someone who is just 50 lbs overweight and has never been active or even someone who doesn't have a weight problem but isn't in shape.

My point is this ain't a exercise in vanity.  I'm doing this because I want to recapture some former athleticism.  The highlight of the race for me was the last stretch.  I was in a dead sprint for the last 50 yards.  Because 6 people were going to beat me and I wasn't having it.  I cam around the corner closing in like freight train and left them looking at the back of the biggest son of a gun they ever saw run that fast.  Next year I want to get down to 7:15/mile.

Week 23 - My First 10k

Basketball Events: 1
Strength Training: 2
Softball Games: 2 (Game 1: 3-5, Double; Game 2: 1-3; Double)
Running Events: 2
Race Events: 1

Best Time:

• Distance: 3.5 miles
• Time: 26:16 
• Minutes per mile: 7:30 (Second week in a row at 7:30/mile pace)

Race Results:

• 10k or 6.2137 miles
• Mile 1 - 7:25.48
• Mile 2 - 7:25.76
• Mile 3 - 7:45.92
• Mile 4 - 8:01.15
• Mile 5 - 8:02.75
• Mile 6 - 8:07.3
• Last Stretch - 1:18.59
• Finish - 48:06.95  (It is very likely I had the fastest time among those 230lbs and over.)
• Pace - 7:44.61/mile *15 seconds better than my goal of 8min/mile!*

Weight: 247 - No weight lost, but my belt keeps getting tighter!