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.

Roll up for the Magical Mystery Weigh-in!

Magical Mystery Weigh-in!?
Okay, so my Bluetooth scale started freaking out last week.  When I stepped on it, it looked like I was a contestant on The Biggest Looser when they do their weigh-ins.  The numbers were just going everywhere and then it finally went to ERR.

I figured, the batteries were over a year old, so I replace them.  Yeah... well, now it's telling me that I weigh 302 pounds!  So, I think I'm back in the market for another new bathroom scale.

So, I had to do my best estimate on the big tank scale at work.  Looks like I had a bad week, both 5 years ago and this year.  I managed to do worse this go around.t

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%

The week goes to Me 2011!

Totals for Last week!
My mileage for last week was still down at 21.22 miles. My ten week total is now 199.32 miles, just under 200!

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat
17221	13268	10882	14091	3234	5397	12130

Coming in at a grand total of: 76,703 Steps for the week, just slightly above t he week before.  Since I've been keeping track during this training, that now makes 663804 steps!


B210K Second Week Review
The second week went to crap!

The past couple of weeks have just been rough on the training schedule.  Between weather and things happening that took up time, I've been a little off track.

I've moved straight into week 3 day 2 starting today.  It was just getting too rough to try and "catch up".

W3 D1	W3 D2	W3 D3
	Warm up 5 Minutes	Warm up 5 Minutes
Skipped	Run 17 Minutes / Walk 1 Minute (3x)	Run 17 Minutes / Walk 1 Minute (3x)
	Cool Down 5 Minutes	Cool Down 5 Minutes

We're up to 63 minutes of activity!  With the heat and humidity, I've not pushed it.  I just want to make sure I get through it.

Today I did the Week 3 Day 2 and it went pretty good.  I'm able to keep a slow pace in the heat and humidity.  I remain moving throughout the whole 17 minutes.  My pace isn't exactly steady, but it's still a work in progress.

I would like to start taking some time, either in the morning (HAHAHA), or on the weekend to start testing some different intervals to see how I want to start my 1/2 Marathon training.

RunDisney "minus's" more

WARNING: RANTING AHEAD!

There used to be a term that happened at Disney all of the time.  They would "PLUS" things.  Add little bits here and there that added to the over all experience at Walt Disney World.  Not so much any more.  Bob Iger and crew are now all about the bottom line at Disney.  So, now instead of PLUSING, we're getting MINUSING.

5 years ago, my first race at Disney World, we actually go stuff in the goody bags when you went to pick up your bib and shirts.  Each year, it's gotten less and less, until now its a "VIRTUAL" goody bag.

Other races I've attended in the intervening years, we've gotten a wide variety of things.  The Indy MINI and Monumental races, you can still pick up some nice freebie stuff at the Expo and you also get a few items.

Now-a-days, at the end of a Disney race now net's you a "box of junk food" and a bottle of water.  A banana too, if they have any left (we back of the pack folk get slim pickins at the end of a race).  I remember that first race, trying to juggle so much stuff (a banana, an apple I think, a powerade, a water, a cookie or something like that), that I had to hand it off to my Dad so I could actually get things situated.

So... what have they done now?  In my opinion... this one is a HUGE F.U. to the loyal Disney racers.

On or about August 1st, they are no longer allowing deferments of RunDisney races.  So, if you end up sick or break a leg or something, you are S.O.L.  

Now, those of you that don't know (well, 99% of the people that read this DO KNOW) that Disney races are E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E!!  They are some of the most expensive races you can enter.  It was the bonus fact that you did get a lot of extra stuff.  But like everything else in the parks, they've been slowly minusing things here and there.

This last item is a HUGE minus.  For such an expensive race to just up and tell you that you're out of luck that you broke your ankle 3 weeks before the race.  It WAS a pain in the rear to even defer a Disney race.  They would keep your money, but you could just register the next year and THEN they would refund your money for the previous year, minus handling!  WHOA!

So, here are the breakdowns for 2017:

Dopey $560 (Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 10K, 5K)
Goofy $365 (Marathon, 1/2 Marathon)
Marathon $180
1/2 Marathon $170
10K $110
5K $65

So, someone registered for Dopey and breaks their ankle training for this INSANE challenge, is out $560!!

This sucks.

Mr. Yuk face indeed!

Counting down!
Vacation in 23 days!  I'm SO READY for this vacation!!

140 Days until (my last?) Marathon Weekend!  Those days just seem to be flying off of that counter!

Magical Mystery Tour




Thanks for Reading!
Regards, ~Kipp

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

The first mile (plus)...

It’s not just a step, it’s a start

I have a friend that signs off on all of his inspirational posts in that manner.

Dave over at Eastern Walking is a very inspirational writer.  I've just not been listening.  Click on that Facebook icon to go to his page.  Give him a read, you'll like it.

It's such a simple phrase.  It's not just a step, it's a start.  A start that I've been putting off for one reason or another.  Just knowing the real reason is just being lazy, complacent it just being the way that I am.

The 40th Indy Mini has come and gone, and I didn't participate.  One of the medications I'm on kind of backfires on me sometimes and makes me very sick.  Well, the day before the Indy Mini, it hit me hard again.  I didn't even make it to get the packet, let alone even think of starting the event the next day.

The Tour DeCure has come and gone too, and I didn't participate.  I've not been on the bike since last year's Tour DeCure and I was in no shape to try it this year.  I missed my donations goal too, so I wasn't eligible to ride either.  A very BIG thank you to those of you that DID donate this year.  I WILL make it up!  100 miles 2017?

I'm tired of taking this nasty medication.  I'm tired of taking ALL of the medications I'm currently on.  The only way the doctor is going to even consider taking me off of them, is if I get this weight off and show that I'll be able to KEEP it off.

This evening, I put on the shoes and stepped out that front door.  I TOOK that first step.  I took that first step TODAY.  Tomorrow, I will have to take that FIRST step again. This will be a daily battle for me, until it becomes second nature to me like it did five years ago.

FIVE YEARS AGO!
Yes, it was OVER five years ago that I swore that I was going to loose that 100 pounds.  IN A YEAR.  I followed my plan!  (For the most part)  I followed my diet!  (Mostly).  I had some slippage along the way, but I did loose the weight!  I did go from a couch potato to someone that can do a half marathon!  I didn't make it that 100 pounds, but I made a good dent in that total.

Five Years Ago, interesting...  Did anyone notice..
I was going through my files that I had set up for my training those five years ago.  It was a simple Excel file.  I had one tab with my Couch 2 5K, then a tab for my Bridge to 10K, finally a 3rd tab with my plan for my Half Marathon training!  It's all there. Dates I did what, notes on how I felt and most importantly, the weight I was loosing.

Oh, so then I noticed something.  The dates this year, MATCH the dates from five years ago!

Me Vs. ME!

So, this brings me to my next point.  For the remainder of this year and leading into the Half Marathon next January, I'm going to be competing against myself!  I'm going to take my records from five years ago, and go against them this year!

It was around this time those five years ago that I started running outside, as the Treadmill-o-doom was giving me fits.  So, I'm going to be starting behind myself for now, but things will sync up well by the time we hit Half Marathon training time.  

Training
Here is my Schedule:

Couch to 5K - 9 weeks 6/6/16 through 8/5/16
Bridge to 10k - 6 weeks: 8/8/16 through 9/16/16

Vacation: 9/9/16 through 9/18/16.  During this time, I hope to get with Dave and see if I might be able to learn this walking technique!  It also overlaps the last B210K week, which I might put off till after vacation.

4 week gap / makeup: 9/18/16 trhough 10/15/16 - Use this time in case of slippage in the C25k/B210K Plans.

Half Marathon Training: 12 Weeks: 10/16/16 through to the race on 1/7/17!


Weigh-in Tuesday


Dad and I were doing the "Biggest looser" style weigh-ins each week.  So, to match up from five years ago, my next weigh in is Tuesday, 6/7/16.  By that time, I had already gotten down to 256.  I'm NOT going to like what the scale has to say Tuesday, but that's what it'll be.  I've taken that weigh in file and updated it so that I can track myself to it this year.  Weekly, my goal is to BEAT what my weekly loss percent was then.



Thanks for Reading!
Regards, ~Kipp

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

Here we go again...

8 Months Down the Road
Last that was heard from me was 8 months ago.  I was starting to "train" for the 2016 WDW 1/2 Marathon.  Well, since there were no updates, there was no training.  

I went to Disney World for Vacation in September and then I was back down for Marathon weekend in January.

I made it.  I was not last like I was the year before, but I wasn't that far ahead of the back of the pack.  

I wish I remember the guys name that stuck with me after the climb up to the overpass coming off of World Drive, heading to Epcot.  He was going back and forth with several of us back in the back, and he helped me keep my mind off of how bad I was feeling.  I wish I would have seen him at the end or even remembered his name.  It's people like that that give these types of events a good name.  He wasn't one of the Team in Training coaches either.  Just a guy, helping out the back of the packers make it those last few miles.

I walked the entire route.  I didn't even attempt to do any running, as I was THE HEAVIEST I've ever been.  I was pushing 292-295ish (possibly over the 300 mark...) in January.  

The next morning, I was up even earlier than I had been for the 1/2!  I was a volunteer for the Marathon on Sunday!  I was on my feet all morning, from 2am till 9 am, I was "on duty".  I was part of the teams that put out the snack boxes and bananas.  Our only duty was to load them up for the first and greet the super elite and wheelchair racers as they came in.

Anyone who thinks the wheelchair racers have it easy for a marathon, has never witnessed any of them crossing the finish line.  These first racers in were just as run down and shaky as the elite runners are when they come in.  

It was amazing, because we were able to see everyone in the corrals leave on the jumbo screens they had set up in the family area.  We would then get updates as to where the wheelchair racers were and where the elite runners were, and when we could expect them to come in!  It was an amazing experience to have.  Not so much the stacking of the boxes, but to see a lot of the behind the scenes work that goes into putting these events on!

In February, I saw a nutritionist.  I'm on a new diet and I'm having a rough go at even attempting to stay true to the plan.  I'm getting better, and those "better" weeks are the ones I've actually seen the scale move down.

I'm currently at 283.  Back in 2011, when I started training for my first half marathon, I was just a bit lighter.

So, today, I've signed up for the 20th running of the Walt Disney World 1/2 Marathon.  We are now five ears down the road from my first race.

Coming up
I have the 2016 Indy Mini Marathon coming up in a couple of weeks.  Again, next to zero training effort.  I will be walking this one too.

A month after that, I have the 2016 Tour De Cure bike ride!  I'm way short of my donations goal.  I may actually have to pay out of pocket to meet the minimum.  I have to remember to take in my packet, so I can see if I can get some donations from work.  They have a matching plan, that I missed out on last year because I didn't get the correct paperwork.  Now, I'm very short on time.

Once the Tour De Cure is finished, its then time to fully focus on these two new goals.

When I hit that start line in 2017:

1)  I am to be AT or lighter than I was when I crossed that line five years ago!
     (242 lbs or lighter is the actual goal)
2)  I will finish the race in a better time than I did that first race five years ago!
     (3:48:49 2012 WDW 1/2 Marathon, 
      3:32:27 is my PR time from the 2012 Flying Pig Half Marathon.)


Blogging about it helped me stay honest back then, and I hope that I can use it as a tool to help keep me honest in this go around.

Thanks for Reading!
Regards, ~Kipp

2016 - Some witty catch phrase goes here! Check the link above to see my current and past races.

All about the Indy-Mini

How not to do a Half-Marathon
Due to recent and previous injuries, I really had ZERO training for this event. The most I had put in before the race was the 6.2 miles in January and 3 miles last week.

I don't recommend to anyone to ever do a race without any training.  If you do, make sure it's a walker friendly race like the Indy-Mini, as they have a minimum race pace of 18:00 minutes per mile.  Given my corral placement and condition, I was able to finish the race before the time limit expired.

Re-cap of the Indy-Mini
This year was the first year that the Indy-Mini used wave starts.  It seemed to work well, as there was a LOT of people on the course, but never did I encounter a bottleneck.

I started at the back of wave 4 of 5.  Corral V, on corrals that went A-Z.

They were actively checking bibs, not allowing anyone to pass that they didn't view their bib before entering the corral.

2014 Indy-Mini Starting Waves and Corrals

Corral Entry

Waiting in my Corral

Photo-bombed Selfie

I crossed the start line and took off with everyone.  I look at my watch (15:30m/m) and know that I'm already in trouble, as I'm starting off WAY to fast for having no training.  My legs let me know this fact very quickly and I immediately slow down.

2014 Indy Mini Course Map

We're off!  Heading to the Start Line!

For the most part, the course is made of up long straight roads, going through some of the poorest sections of the city.  Residents were out cheering for the most part, while others just looked quite annoyed.

The small stretch going north towards the track takes you by Dallara IndyCar Factory and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing.  Then you head into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, entering under the 1st short straight of the track, heading to the Museum.

Dallara IndyCar Factory - Producer of all IndyCar Chassis

Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing

Nearing the entry to IMS

YEAH!  Made it to the track!

The IMS Museum

You wind around a bit in the inner track sections before you make it onto the speedway track itself.  It was at this point, by some actual restrooms, that I made a pitstop of my own.

With that business finished, I was out and onto the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!

On the track, approaching the 10K line

Out of Turn 4 and heading to the Start/Finish!

On the main straightaway

Take a look back at the course map and you'll realize that Mile Markers 6, 7, 8 and 9 are all within the IMS area!  

It was also at this point that I notice that my phone is almost dead.  At some point, the screen stayed on, thinking I was going to take a video and drained the battery.  So I have very few pictures after this.

Once I was at the track, it was all walking from there on out.

After leaving the track, you wind through a couple of areas heading south of the track.  Once we hit 10th street, it seems like it is an extremely long straight road heading back to downtown!  It probably just seemed that long, since I was just walking at this point.

Once you cross the bridge and head into the Victory Mile, they have lined the streets with checkered flags.  I tried a couple of times to start jogging, but I had nothing left.  I had several people encourage me on, so I must have looked pretty miserable at that point.

Nearing the finish line they are playing loops of many exciting Indy 500 race finishes, which gets you a little pumped up to get to the finish.

I made my way across the finish line and head to the medals area.  Got a bottle of water handed to me, a bag (Finishline, you're brilliant for handing out bags before getting all of those other race finish items!)  I grabbed a banana, a small bag of pretzels, a couple of oatmeal cookies.  I ate one of the cookies right away.  Then I went to the finish photo op and then headed into Military Park for the end of race festivities.

I wasn't feeling festive at all, as I took my own finish medal selfie.

The phone camera lens was all munged up with sweat, so it makes my photo look "soft".

They had several food trucks at the park, but I just wasn't thinking about food at that point.  I had brought a little bit of cash with me just in case, but the smell of food was actually kind of revolting at that point.  I eat the other cookie instead, while I walked over to get my official time.

The walk to the parking garage was awful.  It was the longest 8 blocks to walk in the condition I was in by then.  Then, the parking garage elevators weren't working!  One wasn't working at all, then the other, the 5th floor button wasn't working!  I, of course, was on the 5th floor.  So I went to 4th and slowly made my way up a flight of stairs.

Made a couple of calls on the phone in the car once I hooked it up to the charger.

So that pretty much winds up my race experience!

Indy-Mini race Entertainment
There are loads of entertainment spots throughout the entire course of the Indy-Mini.  The ones that I liked the most were the groups of kids playing rock songs and a drummer line that was mostly made up of kids.  I wish Indy-Mini would post a list of all of the entertainment, because a lot of it was quite enjoyable. 

2012 Video of the Indy-Mini
The course has had a SLIGHT change, due to one road having been re-worked from a straight to one that has a curve in it now, so the markers going on the track onward a just a bit off of how it is actually run now.

Would I do this race again?

Yes.

I would like to do this race again someday, when I've actually trained for it.  I would like it to be a much more favorable memory than what I experienced yesterday.

In the last half of the half, I was pretty miserable.  Once we were out of the IMS setting, there wasn't much to keep my mind off of how I was feeling.  At that point I was mainly just trying to keep my legs to continue moving forward.

The Road to Goofy 2015 has officially started!

With this race in the books, this sets things in full motion going forward for the Goofy Challenge in January 2015.

I have four more races before Goofy!  Three of them are more half marathons and one is a full marathon!

Thanks for Reading!
Regards, ~Kipp

2014 - The Road to Goofy 2015! Check the link above to see my current and past races.