The 100 pound journey

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Sometimes you have to ask yourself "How did I get here?"

The long road to here
So, here we are again. A lot of time has past, and I'm still in the same shape. Doc says this is it, either I loose fifty pounds by the end of the year, or I've got to start taking insulin.

The Treadmill-o-doom has seen better days. If I cannot find a new belt for it, it's going to need to be permanently retired.

So, a couple of months ago, I broke down and joined Planet Fitness. I have done SOME work on their treadmills, they're not horrible, just not what I like. I have also been working with their "trainer", and we have a workout plan for me that I've also been working on.

So far, I've lost some weight. It's now time to really get a plan into effect.

Couch to 5K - All over again
C25K - W1D1 - It was ugly.

I few weeks ago, I did a few test runs. I'm not going to lie. At this weight, it hurts. I'm still heavier than I was when I first started the C25K program back in 2011!

Tonight was a true training plan start of actually starting C25K, again. I can tell that I'm going to be on week one of the plan for two, maybe three weeks. I wasn't able to complete half of the run segments tonight.

During my test runs a couple of weeks back, I found that the app I had used for C25k many times over was finally done for. The app is still available on the Apple app store, but it's not been updated for over 3 years. It is broken. Music doesn't work at all in it any more. The intervals still go, but trying to get music to cooperate is just a deal killer.

So, I'm trying out new apps. One of the apps claiming to be "official", the Active app. I also have another app in the queue to try that is also calling itself "official". Finally, I also have one more app called Intervals Pro that I'm going to try. Of all of them, I think Intervals Pro may be the one I end up with. It seems to be closer to other apps I've used in the past, that allowed me to create custom intervals.

The big change from just doing C25K, is that I'm now mixing in the fitness workouts too. It's going to be the best way to make that goal by the end of the year.

A salute to Josh Clark

You may be asking yourself, "Who is Josh Clark?" Well, hes the person that invented the Couch to 5k program back in 1996.

He ran a website named Kick Sports. You can still find good remnants of it on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine (linked above). I used a lot of the articles he originally wrote back then. Kick Sports eventually merged with Cool Running and Josh Sold his interests off in the early 2000's.

There is also an article written by him called "HOW JOSH CLARK INVENTED “COUCH TO 5K” AND HELPED MILLIONS START RUNNING"

It was fun to go to the old site and be able to see the original instructions for the C25K program. Those instructions are no longer on the Cool Running website, since Active took it over.

Week One

Same workout for all three days:

Do a brisk five-minute warmup walk.

Distance option: Alternate jogging and walking every 100 yards for one mile (that's sixteen 100-yard segments, or eight each of walking and jogging). Walking segments should be brisk.

Time option: Alternate jogging and walking, with 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking. Do this for a total of 20 minutes.

The original instructions for week one. We will see how C25K-W1D2 goes on Thursday.

As always, thanks for reading!
Regards, ~Kipp

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Thirty-Seven Miles

Thirty-Seven Miles
Thirty-seven miles. That is all of the running that I have done this year.

I never posted what happened at the January 1/2 Marathon, as I was actually one of the ones that was thankful that it was canceled.

Around Christmas last year, I came down with some nasty crud. I had not felt that bad in a LONG time, if ever! I stayed at home and mostly in bed for most of New Years. When it came time to go down, I thought I was feeling better and went ahead and flew down to Orlando.

Then, it got worse. It was to the point that on Sunday morning, I went to the urgent care and they gave me some antibiotics. My ears were plugged up and I was getting dizzy spells. They also gave me some vertigo medication to deal with the dizziness.

Afterwards, to say that I was disappointed was an extreme understatement. I had actually TRAINED for that 1/2! My motivation to run went below zero.

I was all signed up for the Indy Mini at the beginning of May. Work happened. We were to launch our big software update, and it was mandatory that we work that weekend. In a way, I was relieved of that happening too. I had not done any training for it since the January fiasco. I was disappointed to miss out in doing it with my friend Rick, but I did get to spend some time with him at the expo.

I got out a few times over the spring and summer, but I just wasn't really into it.

So, with all of that, I let myself go pretty much. I joined Weight Watcher late in the summer, but haven't made much progress on the weight front as usual.

Life Changes
So, by the time summer has come around, I had made some life changing decisions. I asked Shelley to marry me.

She said yes!

On a classic train ride.

This was the start of a whirlwind of activities that I never imagined! I was busy, Shelley was beyond busy! We decided that we were going for sooner rather than later. The date was to be about six months later!

Shelley's planning was great and everything went very well!

Marriage!
November 4th, 2017.

Kipp & Shelley got married!

The day came, and it went pretty much as planned!

Friends of mine said that they had not seen me smile that much in 20+ years! I'm very happy and cannot think of life any other way now.

Two weeks after the wedding, we traveled down to Orlando. We spent some honeymoon time at Walt Disney World (of course) and the Kennedy Space Center. We also spent Thanksgiving with family. We had a great time, but it went by too fast.

A year in the blink of an eye!

With everything going on this year, it went by so fast! The time between the engagement and wedding has all become one big blur!

Mixed in with all of this, was a moving day too!

Even leading up to Christmas tomorrow! CHRISTMAS! Already!

There were tons of memories made this year.

I had intentions to get out and run more often, but it always seemed like I let something get in the way. As we all know, if I had really wanted to, I'd have found the time. Procrastinating as time sped by.

Looking to 2018

I have my last blood results in for this year, and my next doctors visit is on the 28th. It's not good. My numbers are not good, and I need to turn things around again.

It's getting to be a broken record. So, once again, onto more life changes. I HAVE to get this right, as I now have much to look forward to! I want to make sure that Shelley and I have a long time in front of us. If I do not make changes, that future could be in jeopardy.

I have signed up for the Indy Mini again. I have my training plan kicking off the new year.

Will I sign up for more races, only time will tell.

We are looking forward to having another busy year, but in better lifestyle ways. More physical activities and less of the eating activities!

It's time to dust the treadmill & bike back off and get them set up to be used.

The end goal, is still to loose one hundred pounds.

Thanks for Reading!
Regards, ~Kipp

2018 - Get moving again!
Check the link above to see my current and past races.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

It's OFFICIAL!

Half Marathon Training Started!
I put in my first 3 official miles to mark my official start of my Half Marathon Training for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January!

Since I hadn't run in a month, I didn't push hard, except for one segment.

I did a 5 minute warm up and then did 2 minutes run / 2 minutes walk with about 10 minutes cool down coming back home.

Official Garmin stats:

Distance: 3.39 mi
Time: 59:54
Average Pace: 17:40 min/mi

In the 2 minute segment that I push harder, I got down to a 14:00 min/mi!

For the most part I was either in 15 min/mi or 16 min/mi pace.

Steps!
Today also marked the first day since I've been back from Disney World that I made it over the 12,500 steps mark!

Counting down!
92 days to go till WDW Marathon Weekend!

Thanks for Reading!
Regards, ~Kipp

2016 - Challenge Year: Me Vs. Me!
Check the link above to see my current and past races.

Monday, October 3, 2016

Catching up on Data!

Weigh-in catch-up!

Catching up on September, I had my ups and downs with vacation. I guessed on my 9/13 weigh-in, since I didn't have access to a scale.
My

Week	Date	2011		Weekly%	Overall%	2016		Weekly%	Overall%
0	5/31/2011	257	3	1.15%	6.55%	285	0	0.00%	0.00%
1	6/7/2011	256	1	0.39%	6.91%	283	2	0.70%	0.70%
2	6/14/2011	259	-3	-1.17%	5.82%	283	0	0.00%	0.70%
3	6/21/2011	256	3	1.16%	6.91%	283	0	0.00%	0.70%
4	6/28/2011	259	-3	-1.17%	5.82%	286	-3	-1.06%	-0.35%
5	7/5/2011	252	7	2.70%	8.36%	283	3	1.05%	0.70%
6	7/12/2011	253	-1	-0.40%	8.00%	280	3	1.06%	1.75%
7	7/19/2011	251	2	0.79%	8.73%	280	0	0.00%	1.75%
8	7/26/2011	254	-3	-1.20%	7.64%	278	2	0.71%	2.46%
9	8/2/2011	250	4	1.57%	9.09%	275	3	1.08%	3.51%
10	8/9/2011	249	1	0.40%	9.45%	271	4	1.45%	4.91%
11	8/16/2011	250	-1	-0.40%	9.09%	274	-3	-1.11%	3.86%
12	8/23/2011	249	1	0.40%	9.45%	274	0	0.00%	3.86%
13	8/30/2011	246	3	1.20%	10.55%	271	3	1.09%	4.91%
14	9/6/2011	246	0	0.00%	10.55%	272	-1	-0.37%	4.56%
15	9/13/2011	250	-4	-1.63%	9.09%	272	0	0.00%	4.56%
16	9/20/2011	250	0	0.00%	9.09%	274	-2	-0.74%	3.86%
17	9/27/2011	249	1	0.40%	9.45%	268	6	2.19%	5.96%
18	10/4/2011	248	1	0.40%	9.82%	268	0	0.00%	5.96%

Getting sick did help me loose a few pounds! I had no appetite. Now the challenge is to not gain it back now that I'm feeling better!

Totals for Last month-ish!
My mileage is sitting at 236.83 miles. I should have been closing in on 300!

September Ups & Downs!

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa	Week Total:
09/04/16	09/05/16	09/06/16	09/07/16	09/08/16	09/09/16	09/10/16
12	2914	4568	4815	2463	21385	20446	56603
09/11/16	09/12/16	09/13/16	09/14/16	09/15/16	09/16/16	09/17/16
19553	13760	16925	13125	18347	15997	6865	DISNEY WEEK! 104572
09/18/16	09/19/16	09/20/16	09/21/16	09/22/16	09/23/16	09/24/16
5456	0	0	2634	2089	3124	1896	15199
09/25/16	09/26/16	09/27/16	09/28/16	09/29/16	09/30/16	10/01/16
1829	2221	2992	3409	2668	4675	4938	22732

Coming in at a grand total of: 1,029,390 steps since I've been keeping track. I know that could have been much better, but 2 weeks off while I was sick, plus not being as active before I went on vacation took a major hit on my totals!

Goal Ahead!?
13 weeks! 21 Pounds to go! I really have to get my act together and get this final push! 1 to 2 pounds a week, it's doable, but tough!

Training Plan Going Forward
I'm behind my original plan, and there is no "catching up". I SHOULD be able to jump into the plan as it stands, as it's not too extreme at this point.

So, here is how it looks:

10/2/2016

10/3/2016

10/4/2016

10/5/2016

10/6/2016

10/7/2016

10/8/2016

3 M Run

4 M Run

Tonight was supposed to be a 3 mile run, but I didn't look at my schedule and went from memory! So, I only walked tonight. I'm going to put in 3 miles tomorrow and then aim for 3 on Thursday and 4 on Saturday.