Collateral Affects

Today I discovered a most pleasant side affect of this running and fitness craze. My children want to participate. In particular, my daughter begged to work out with me. So, Instead of working out at the gym at work, I came home to jog with my daughter.

As I walked out the door, my son also wanted to join us. The plan was to jog the same route I ran yesterday, a little under two miles. I thought that was a bit much for a four-year old, but I told him to get his shoes on and I would pick him up when I circled back past our house.

He waited with anticipation by the door as Anja and I came closer. To my surprise, he ran very well with us, never complaining and keeping up well.

I actually felt like a runner today, as the mileage I ran felt easier than before. After my workout, I realized the profound positive influence this has on my kids, seeing their father exercise and work towards a goal.

I never really thought about it until today. Seeing them participate with me is inspiration enough to continue. I hope today was not a one time deal, but that the little ones want to help and join me in the future.

In an age when kids spend most of their time firmly poised in front of a television playing XBox or watching cartoons, watching them run freely brings a smile to my face. And their enthusiasm and joy is much appreciated and frankly, much needed.

I need all the support I can get...even from the peanut gallery.

Fantasy Running

I'm a nerd, and I proudly proclaim my nerdiness. I have three children, all of whom are little nerds and with my influence, will grow to become well-adjusted adult nerds. There's nothing wrong with being a nerd, as long as you embrace your position in life.

I really had no chance. I was part of the Star Wars generation. I can still remember the specific times I saw the original movies growing up. I remember my mother letting me stay up late on Sunday evening to watch Episode IV: A New Hope on TV. That was big deal back then, before VHS or DVD. The movie started at 9:00PM which meant it would end well past my bedtime, but my mom, knowing how ugly Star Wars mania can be, let me watch the flick.

I wish I could say my mania has subsided over the years, but that's not the case. You see, my obsession blossomed like a fine wine gaining intensity over the years. A few years back, George Lucas decided to make a new set of movies for my children's generation and that was all I needed. Now my kids love Star Wars as much as me, and I'm lost in the universe again.

Most of my nerdiness wraps around Star Wars, but I really enjoy all things nerdy such as: Tolkien, Dungeons and Dragons, Star Wars, toy soldiers, Star Wars, etc. During college I cleverly hid my nerdiness with binge drinking and managed to attract a fairly normal mate, my wife. After marriage, however, I abandoned all pretense and became nerd-tastic once again.

She doesn't understand.

This whole marathon thing is a sort of rebellion against the inner nerd. Nerds, after all, generally don't pursue anything physical but rather fantasy. Video games, role-playing games, miniatures (my passion), and card games all provide sufficient outlets for nerds to express themselves without actually being themselves. Instead of running a marathon, a true nerd would download the latest massive multiplayer online marathon running role playing game and spend eighteen hours a day "leveling up" thier marathon character. Over time, the real body would deteriorate into a pimpled, amorphous mass. But online, their character would be a running god, capable of athletic feats yet unknown in the modern world.

Unfortunately, the 1.7 miles I ran today was very real. Nothing fantasy about the burn in my legs, or the slight feeling that I was going to throw up as I circled the Ruritan Club in downtown Finchville. In the end, though, I ran well. Much better than earlier this week. I know it's only been a week, but I feel stronger already. In addition, a great sense of accomplishment swells inside you when you finish a workout.

Week one is over, and I see no reason to stop at this point.

On Seviche & Flan

OK, so my last post was a bit odd. As most can guess at this point, I'm not that high-brow. I think self-deprecation is healthy to some degree and freely share embarrassing tidbits about myself. I also think this blog would be pretty boring if I didn't explore different subjects. I just didn't think that one of the subjects would be gas. Oh well.

Those that know me well, find this no surprise.

Anyway, at official weigh-in yesterday I was 230 lbs exactly. If I've done my math correctly, that means I've lost 2.2 lbs! After my workout, where I ran and walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes, I weighed 229 lbs.

My training may have gotten a setback last night. We had our holiday dinner at Seviche on Bardstown Road, right here in beautiful Louisville, Kentucky. Seviche's menu is this funky nuevo latino inspired mish-mosh of stuff. In addition to the restaurant's namesake, seviche (a classic Latin-American dish of seafood cooked in lemon and lime juices) the menu also featured classic dishes from Brazil, Peru and Mexico.

We had a good time, sampling several appetizers like goat cheese and mushroom empenadas and chino latino tuna seviche. I settled on a dish called plato, which was two duck breasts cooked perfectly rare over a bed of chorizo dirty rice and some sort of smokey poblano sauce. It was delicious.

The real showpiece, though, was the desert: rum infused caramel flan. OMG!!! I love flan, but this took that love to a whole new level. I can't begin to describe the creamy texture or rich chocolate sauce delicately dribbled over this decedent culinary adventure. It came served in a generous wedge, like a piece of pie. This was truly my favorite part of the meal.

My weigh-in today may reflect the large amount of food I partook of last night. C'est la vie. It was worth it. Even so, after only a few days of consistently exercising I feel better and more energetic. I also sleep like a log at night, which is a new experience for me.

I'm beginning to feel more comfortable with my decision to run the marathon. I think the benefits of such an endeavor outweigh any hardships. Yeah, I'm sore everywhere, and finding time to exercise daily with my busy schedule is a hassle. But look at me. I'm getting in shape (slowly), and my body will thank me for it later in life.

Talk to you later.

Day Two...

At official weigh-in today, I busted the scales at 232.2 lbs. No wonder my legs feel severely punished after my "run" from yesterday. Despite the pain, I stuck with the program and worked out during my lunch hour at work. This time, however, I ran a cross-training program for 30 minutes on the eliptical machine. The machine provides a truly low-impact workout and it gave my body a rest from itself.

Losing weight is the goal for this month. I beleive the long runs will be much easier in January if I can drop a significant amount of wieght.

Honestly, I'm surprised by the positive response from everyone I've told about this endeavor. Not a single person has discouraged me or told me that this goal is impossible. It really flabbergasts me. It's as if they see me and say, "so what if he's a big, fat guy. He can run 26.2 miles". The people I talk to seem more diluted than I am. I'm not complaining though. I need all the positive energy I can muster.

I try not to look at my odometer anymore. Everytime I clock mileage I cry a little inside. To put things in prespective, I drive 17 miles to work every day. That means I could run to work and I'd still have 9.2 miles to go.

A good friend of mine, whose husband runs marathons says its not the 26 miles that get you, its the .2 at the end. Well, right now the .2 at the beginning winds me and makes me feel physically ill. With preperation, though, I'm sure that will all change.

I'll talk to you tomorrow...