Doldrums

I seem to be in the doldrums right now. I've cut back on treadmill work, I'm laying around feeling low, I can't get interested in anything. I find no joy in anything right now. I suspect it's partly the weather, partly stress and worry, and partly not being able to get away to the sunshine and warmth (something that normally fuels me for the rest of the winter/early spring). Regardless, I'm really, really having a hard time right now.

I know it will end, I know I'll find something to juice me up, but for now it's really a dark time for the empire.

A look back and a look ahead

Well, as of this morning, I'm down 13.6 lbs from the start of the re ignited push on WW. 2.2 lbs this week. Not too shabby. The best part is how I'm feeling. The move toward more plant based foods has me with more energy, sleeping more easily and just generally feeling better. Other than a small amount of ground beef in the lasagna I made (well, tried to make) last weekend, We've had no meats at all in about two weeks. This weekend my plan is to make a chix parm for Drew and Vicki, something I know they'll like and is pretty easy, but other than that I don't see much in the way of meat again. In fairness, we are eating fish, salmon, tilapia and shrimp last week, and next week will bring more tilapia and shrimp but the portions are reasonable, the points low and the satisfaction high!!

As to what is ahead, I hope to release some of this weather anxiety and get back to walking on the treadmill next week, it's been a while but I have also been shoveling so it's not like I didn't do anything active. On the other hand I do have to try to control myself on Super Bowl Sunday and that might be hard...but we'll see.

The Blues

Well, this weather has me feeling pretty low. Not much going on, cold, snow, water leaking down the wall of the office over the "charming" square (but old) window. It took me days to even mitigate it a little. I now have some towels on the floor an tupperware container (the only thing that will fit in the window) catching some of the drippings but it fills up about every hour or so, so overnight it does not help much.

On top of everything else, I did a HORRIBLE job making a lasagna yesterday. It was very disappointing, my first real bad job in a long time. It was mushy, not very flavorful and kinda wet. Add to that a general feeling of malaise, not being able to get our mail delivered courtesy of the City of Norwalk, who, while keeping the road cleared, managed to cover up the mailbox to the point where I really can't move enough so that the mailperson will deliver. (God forbid they actually step out of the truck, protected on the side from the snow of course, and place the mail in the box, makes you really paint the postal workers with the same ugly broad brush).

No treadmill, just shoveling the past few days. Oh well, spring has gotta come at some point huh? Though, honestly, it's still almost 2 months down the road and seems like it's ages away.

Enough already..

We got 17 new inches of snow last night according to one station. I've never seen it piled as high, and have not had this many school closings since 1996 that I can remember. I also don't remember this much snow in one winter since the early 1980's. I'm in a foul mood, I hate this weather, I hate shoveling, have barely been able to reveal the mailbox that the town plowed virtually under a mountain and it took me almost 45 minutes to just get small access to. I've not been on the treadmill in four days, got my exercise mostly by moving snow. Am still, cold and annoyed.

other than that, all's well.

Home again, naturally...

So, we had another school closure today, some snow, not all that bad, though the morning drive would have been a bit testy back country Weston. Sue only had a 2 hour delay (perhaps the ONLY school in CT to not close).
I took the opportunity to do a bit of shoveling before the plow got here and to shovel a path to the back deck and to the grill (got me some fine WW activity points!!)

Then on to the treadmill:
32 minutes, 1.28 miles, 70 seconds at 3.3 "jog" (left calf started to cramp during the "run" so my intended 2 minutes was cut back to only 70 seconds, no sense in making a mistake this early in the game)

Guess that will do it for now.

Back on the horse

Well, ok the treadmill!  After two days off due to stiffness and general malaise, I just did 31 minutes, only one at a full "jog" but this time at 3.3.  Managed 1.22 miles and felt pretty good in the process.

I think there was something in me that was believing I'd magically pick up and be jogging 5 miles at about 12 min per mile almost right away. Oops....not so...but, the next best thing is moving again.

Day Off

Well, we had another school closure today, and I took the day off from chasing the pipe dream :)
It was a good choice, I'm feeling much better today, no pain on either side. So, tomorrow, back to work and back to the treadmill.

Still had a great day on weight watchers. This new points plus is almost too easy. I'm having a hard time actually using all the points I have. Read more of the China Study today also, more and more evidence that moving toward a diet that has a majority of plant based items will have great effects overall, not just weight and cholesterol!  Worth Reading!!

The FIrst Setback

Went up to the treadmill today, the stiffness never left, in fact on the left side it got worse as time went on. I managed 20 minutes at a very low intensity, 6/10 of a mile only. I didn't think it prudent to press the issue when it never seemed to let up. So, we'll call today a wash, almost a day off, then again, I did manage 20 minutes, I guess I can look at that in a positive sense?

And it goes on and on....

Treadmill today, another 30 minutes, this time 1.24 miles, (22.6 to go for the "full" distance)  and a full "jog" at 3.2 for 2 minutes.
I think I'll keep the time about where it is, and just work  on increasing the intensity. My goal is to be able to do a full jog for the 30 minutes at something north of the 3.2 speed. I think that's a while away, but on the other hand, if I do it right it should keep me from injury or stress on the incredibly sedentary body that I've developed.

Progress is measured in small increments

Today, 30 minutes, 1.2 miles (that brings me down to only 24 to go to finish a "marathon" distance total :)
Includes a minute and a half at a "jog" going 3.2. All in deck shoes since I still am not flexible enough to easily tie my running shoes or put socks on.
I'm also starting to read the book Drew suggested I buy. "The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer". Of course I can't even begin to follow it until I can comfortably do THREE miles (that's quite a way down the road). Then again, the book is a 16 week training program, and I have near a year (that's about 3 times as much time so I'm good I think).

Excelsior!!!!!

Only 25.2 more to go

Well, I did get on the treadmill today, and was able to do my first mile in a very, very long time. 26 min, and one mile. May not seem impressive to you, and it's a long way from what I used to be able to do, BUT, it's an equally long way from where I was!. In addition I was able to do a full minute at a "jog" (3.1 mph) again, not a big deal for most folks but encouraging to me. Bruce helped a lot. "From Small Things Big Things Come", "None But the Brave", "Code of Silence" and "Viva Las Vegas" blaring in the ears made the time pass pretty quickly.

I realize that there needs to be a lot of improvement to go 26.2 miles at a pace to not get "swept" off the course but I have almost a year......

Stay tuned!

New Week, New Challanges

The good news: Down 3.6 lbs this week much better than I thought when I first saw the scale. Not so good news, feeling a little tight on the right side today. I think it's just too much sitting 'cause when I stand and walk it seems to get better. NOT looking forward to any treadmill work today, however, I'm going to make an effort when I get home to do some instead of just sitting down (since sitting seems to be a culprit).

It is pizza night and I'm not giving that up not now, not in the future. I've made concessions, mushrooms and veggies instead of pepperoni and sausage, and I've been successful with that up to now. I'm sure the plateau will come when I need to cut back, but we'll see.

For the time being, I'll enjoy the 3.6 lb success in one week and the fact that over the last two days I've logged almost 1.5 miles (that's more than in the last two years total!!!)

Let's see where this goes

So....Drew and Vicki just completed a gargantuan 18 of the 26.2 miles of the 2011 Disney Marathon. Me, I can barely move, however, this gave me an idea. Am back to serious Weight Watchers again and have lost 2.2 lbs the first week and this week, in spite of the pull of  junk food (which I resisted) during the Snowpocalypse days off yesterday and today, this week looks good also. All this gave me an idea. Once upon a time when I was jogging 5 miles per day whilst in Trumbull (at about 11 min per mile btw, pretty respectable!!) I thought about trying to complete a marathon. Couple that idea with again (for the umpteenth time) trying to lose significant weight to (a) not have to reprise hip replacement down the line and (b) just to live longer, and I thought "hey, dim bulb, why not think toward getting ready to do the 2012 Disney marathon"?  Figured, what the hell, if I start slowly and build up I should be able to average 15 min per mile and comfortably (can you use that term for a marathon?) finish.

Worst case, I'm not up to doing it, but with a year of effort I HAVE to be better off than I am now, right? So, come along on the journey, help keep me motivated, and let's see where it goes.

Here goes the tracking:
Day 1: yesterday 1/12/11: Treadmill for 20 min, .63 miles (guess this qualifies as the "journey beginning with the first step")
Day 2: today 1/13/11: Treadmill for 21 minutes (.72 miles). Thinking picking up a minute a day and a bit of pace is doable without being overwhelming.