It time to get back at it🏋🏽🚴🏽💪🏽

It's been a long time since I've been here and have decided to get back at the healthy ways of life. I am currently 270 lbs which is down about 23 lbs from my heaviest weight which was about 4 months ago. I had been tracking food with the itrack bites app. This app is like a weight watchers app and since I'm not a weight watchers member my wife, Bridgette, set me up on this one. The app does what it is supposed to do and as long as stay discipline I lose weight. Well, that's my problem because I had the motivation up until about two months ago and have since fallen off. Those months in which I had the motivation I lost almost 20 lbs. What took my motivation? I am glad you asked. It started when we bought a house dog, a Jack Russell terrier named Ace. For those of you who know a thing or two about dogs you know that Jack Russell's are small dogs with a ton of energy. Anyway I was trying to house break him and caught him in the middle of his business and I went to grab him and he ran which led me to run behind him. I ended up tearing a muscle or something in my calf and have been sideline every since. No walks, bike rides, or runs near to the same capacity where we were before the injury. Well that's my reason for the stalemate I'm at now, but I think it is now at a point where I'm ready to get back in to form. We will see.

Who Knew

Running on the Treadmill Could be so Hard?

Fred was feeling sore this morning and didn't think it was a good idea to go for a run (or either didn't want to get out of bed). He recently fixed the belt on our treadmill, but  I hadn't bothered with it. This morning he suggested I get on the treadmill.

I prepared a movie on the iPad so I didn't have to stare at the wall or the clock. The movie was a good idea, but I had to push myself to complete two miles and took two walk breaks during the second mile.  I watched a bit of V for Vendetta because I couldn't resist after finishing up The Fault in Our Stars, which came highly recommended by one of my students. During my run which was done at 4.0 mph and an incline of 2, I seemed to be moving faster than I do outside, but my time was slower. My heart rate was up, I was not able to sing, and I couldn't go faster. I simply don't understand! I thought for sure I'd be faster on the treadmill, but it's like starting over.

Running Out the Pain

This morning we ran a short three miles because we only have about a week left to train for our first half marathon. Getting up was a little easier than I expected, but running today was tough after running seven and quarter mile a couple of days ago: my quads are burning with soreness.

The first mile was the toughest as we both ran like we were on stilts; but as our muscles warmed up, it did become easier. We also finished with a quicker time because I made sure our splits were better each mile. I hope as the day goes by the soreness gets better, which will give me more confidence to run more often, even when I'm sore.

How the Table Has Turned

Hello friends,

Yes it's me and I know it's been years since you all have heard from me and I promise not to go AWOL on y'all again. It has been tough on this journey of healthy living, but it is something I want and something I truly need. So please continue to encourage me with your comments and realities you have incurred during your journeys.

Okay let me tell you all how the past 5 to 6 months have gone for me. When Bridgette and I first started this journey and blog, I had to be the leader and encourager for us both. What I mean is I had to be the one to get us out of the bed each morning and out of the house because I know without my leadership then we would not be where we are today, to say the least. But oh how the tables can turn. My baby has now become my encourager as I some how lost steam some where down the road. The winter that we've endured this year is mostly to blame, but the most recent reason was the 10k we ran in February in Little Rock. I pushed myself too hard because afterward I had a soreness like never before. I did complete the race and earned my first ever medal but I surely overdid it.

This morning I got a wake up call from my lovely wife saying, "Get up Fred let's go running," and boy did I want to say some hurtful words because I was sleeping sooooo good. Instead of following through I thought for a second and told her I didn't feel like it but I needed to. So I found some energy to get up and hit the road. That is the best feeling ever to know I have someone who is willing to go through the tough times with me.

With all of that being said she is really the reason I'm writing right now and the reason I will continue share our journey with you all.

P.S. pleeeease pray for me. Lol

You Go Girl!

At yesterday's weigh-in I was down two pounds. To get where I was before the scale started going in the wrong direction, I have to lose three more.

Last week I tracked, went WAY over my points (I probably needed to run at least ten miles each day to redeem myself), and lost. This means I was eating toooooo much. Freedom from tracking is not freedom at all to me; it's a license to balloon into the three hundreds.

This morning we ran 7.25 miles. We were shooting for ten, but every step counts! A warm soak is in order.

Have a blessed week!

Picking Myself Up

I likely won't lose any weight this week due to my eating. However, I have been tracking every bite, lick, and taste. I've already used my weeklies up, and it's just my fourth day of the week. 

Oh,  XXL nachos from Taco Bell, why did I have to be introduced to you? Oh, well . . .

I'm just glad to be back tracking. I'll work on staying within my points next week. Then I'll work on eating more Simply Filling Foods. Simply Filling led me to this problem, but it's my fault. I stopped tracking with paper and pencil because I was eating only SF. But then I'd have something not SF and not account for it. What a slippery slope. Eventually I was eating whatever and not tracking at all. 

This time I'm tracking no matter what. (At least I hope so!)

Help, I Have Fallen . . .

. . .and I desperately want to get up!

I don't know what happened - I lost it. 

Not running.

Not eating healthy choices the majority of the time.

Not counting my points.

Not tracking my food intake.

I didn't stop reading my Bible though. I love that daily Bible reading is a part of my life.

I found this encouragement online this week. This morning I took that first step. We ran three miles. After the 2.5 mark, it started feeling great. We couldn't go longer though because Fred has work. I'm going to weigh in later, and I may be up (or down), but I haven't quit!