November 2013 Move Your @ss Challenge

Wait, cosmonew, did you do an actual Zombie Run, or is that just your ticker? Because I think zombies might actually be the only thing that would persuade me to run, lol!

My first 5K in the "Eating Era"

I had a "quick fix mentality" and I tried to lose too fast by eating too little!

I know that this is a funny title, but it is so true. I have been trying to lose weight now for 25 years. I have dropped 10-20-30 lbs to see it all come back because every time I did it ... I used a method that was not sustainable. I ate 1000-1200 calories a day and did not eat back my exercise calories. When you are 5'7" man with a starting weight of 200-210 lbs, I am sorrry, but that is way too little. --> My goal loss was always 3-4 lbs per week - I was on "fire" (so I thought).


I wandered in the fad diet, messed up, theme park

I have also tried every fad diet known to man to lose weight: Keto with keto strips, Fit for life, No meat ( but french fries - totally idiotic), slim fast shakes, only Naked juice at nights, Fasting for days... the list goes on and on. And the way I did it was always the same: Eat 800-1200 calories as long as I could stand it, go on a 10-12 day binge of 4000-5000 calories, get "tough" with myself, and do it over again. I could never run very far because I would just "lose steam". Weights were out of the question because I would get a sore throat . My immune system was shot, my nails were breaking, and my hair looked like crap. Through every one of these cycles I would bet heavier and heavier.


Still stuck in Quack fixes

This year I started out at about 203 lbs. This time I calculated my lean body mass and I realized that I needed to lose 40-50 lbs and try to preserve my lean body mass (like I knew what I was doing <<snort>>). So what do I do in May 2013 (I swear I am not making this up) - I took Raspberry Ketones!


The "Turnaround"

Finally I started reading the posts here, really digesting the succinct and factual advice from the "mean veterans" (<<joke >>and y'all know it :-) and took with a grain of salt the rainbows, glitter unicorn, and you can lose 40 lbs in 4 months just by "believing hard enough" stuff. I decided that if I was going to do it right, I would eat ENOUGH (between my BMR and TDEE) , and FUEL my exercise. I was not going to get paralyzed by "Red" days and I realized that they were inevitable. But, instead of "sweeping them under the carpet" and setting the odometer back to zero, I would log everything on a "Red" day(s) to learn my behaviors. I learn to look at a whole month like a checkbook with green blocks and red blocks. I would eat more fruits and vegetables, but I would not get paralyzed by "strict clean eating" and embrace IIFYM too! You see - I like to eat and I like pizza!


Like I said this was my first 5K in the "eating era". This is what was different this time:

1. I knew I was going to finish strong - I had been able to train for months consistently. I knew how my body responded.
2. I knew what heart rate and pace I needed to maintain to get through the race. You have to understand that back in the "Starve/Pig Out" era, I never knew when I was going to "bonk" and finish the race with my head down, my tail between my legs, and shuffling because my knees were "screaming".
3. I wasn't afraid of the hills and I knew what to do because I have been training on hills.
4. I knew to warm up before, what to eat, what to drink, and when to do the "pre-race pee"!
5. I knew to not let my ego take over when my HRM was telling me to "ease off".


The Race

I modestly set back in the rear 25% of the people. I knew what pace I wanted to run.. hopefully between 12:00 - 13:00. I placed myself in the starting "mob" accordingly; I didn't want to be "that guy" that the 7:00 and 8:00 people trip over! When the race started I let adrenaline take hold, but when my HR got to 160, I said "Whoa there big fella..slow it down". I got my HR to between 148 and 152 and set things on cruise control. After mile 1 there was a 1/4 mile b1tch of a hill. I changed my gait, let myself go to 160-165 the whole time and got up to the top without being "winded". Then, I made sure I got back in the 140's so I wouldn't get a "stitch" in my side. Thanked all the volunteers the whole way (they gave their time.. that IS a big deal). Then, I arriave at mile two and I realized I felt pretty good. I decided to "air it out" and started taking longer strides and all of a sudden....

The "Glide" kicked in!

I felt great and I looked at my HRM and it was 162 the whole time and I was "surviving"! When I saw the finish line, instead of doing a desperate "guilty" sprint, I took long confident strides and literally "bounced across" the finish line.. it was fantastic. And a bit emotional too.



Result
Result: I ran a 36:24 time at a 11:43 pace! - That is a personal best for the last 10 years. I stopped my HRM and my average HR the entire time was 154 BPM. I never would have dreamed I could keep that HR up for so long. I constantly went into the 160's and I felt comfortable the whole time.

My wife was there to greet me and she was beaming because she knew that I had done well. The results were good I finished in the last 25% of my age group, and for once I was not LAST in my age group LOL!


What is next

I am going to keep following the advice here on MFP, I am going to keep eating to lose weight, I am going to be happy with 1-2 lbs per month weight loss, I am going to start lifting more, and continue to stretch myself.

The 20 things post
I thought that this post was awesome.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1123195-20-things-no-one-tells-you-about-running

Best line: 19. Running performance is as much, if not more, about mental strength as your physical strength.

Also.. I escaped 10,13,18 LOL (If you want to find out you have to read the post!)




Great Friends Here

I have a great set of MFP friends here who are really supportive and know when to "challenge" me at the right time.. I feel very fortunate. We are all here to support each other!
Go for it everybody!

My first 5K in the "Eating Era"
I have a great set of MFP friends here who are really supportive and know when to "challenge" me at the right time.. I feel very fortunate. We are all here to support each other!
Go for it everybody!

@chevy_smart

The only thing I can say is:


You all made mistakes before ending up here. But it doesn't matter. Because we all learn from them, and we
are here to say, taking this journey with a smile, 1 pound at a time, and we know that our friends are always around
to let us vent when needed. We may fell off the wagon again, but it's ok. We know how to do it right.

I bow to you my friend! Seriously! What a fantastic Success Story!

3 miles walking today.

Help! I have to re-create my ticker everytime I post. Is there any way to save it to update it later on?

I don't actually "save" mine but when I put my password/PIN in, it pulls up the info from the last time I updated it.

Got another one in.

11/08 - 10.0 miles biking
11/09 - 10.5 miles biking

Total: 82.25 miles

Quote of the day:
This one is 100% mine

Wow! That's a good looking partnership!

11/9 - 4 miles exercise bike

2miles in today