30+ DRC 313

Friday the 313. Ooooooooooh.

Okay with that outta the way, check this out:

Before 2002. After April 11, 2013

The Before picture is from back in 2002. I got even bigger up until my scare in 2007. I can't recall if I've ever told the "Scare" story here before, so let me give you a quck recap.

Back in 2007 I was about 10lbs shy of 300 pounds. I KNOW that because that's what the doctor told me when I went to see them because I thought I was having the beginnings of a heart attack. What was discovered was that I had hypertension and was near diabetic. Both wonderful contributors to causing a heart attack in the near future.

As you can guess, that was a wake up call. My uncle passed because of complications with diabetes and a dictionary of other problems he added on to himself. He had to shoot insulin all the time and would still have monster amounts of sugar because he wanted too. He was a bit of a stubborn ass.

I mean that in the most loving way possible.

The point is, that was my wake up call to get my ass in gear and start changing things or I'd be saying hello to my uncle pretty soon again. I love my uncle, but I have no desire to see him quite yet. Again, said in the most loving way possible.

The doctor that gave me the rundown as to what was going on, was also a dietitian. She gave me a TON of information as to what would help me get started on the "road to recovery". I'll tell ya, changing one's ways after years of self-harm was friggin' hard. Just starting out the morning was a nightmare.

To begin with, my morning coffee was terrible. Black coffee by itself is very beneficial. The whole anti-oxidents thing and whatever. I still drink a shitload of BLACK coffee in the morning. But I didn't have black coffee. I'd load up my coffee with a shit-ton of creamer and massive amounts of sugar. It was the cafe-con-leche style my grandmother used to make us when we were kids. AND THEN, I'd have some mexican sweet bread or somthing like it. Maybe some super sweet oatmeal? Or a couple of PB&J sandwiches?

And I'd eat out A LOT! All the big chain fast food restaurants. And to end the week, lots of pizza and beer. And crappy beer at that. Bud, Coors, MGD . . . ugh, terrible.

At home wasn't any better. Too much food, not activity. But the "Scare" changed that. Diet drastically changed. I felt better after about a week. Any sugar I'd take in, would cause the symptoms to begin again.

Oh, they symptoms:

• Fast, hard heartbeat at rest (just laying in bed trying to get to sleep)
• Heavy pressure on my chest, like someone pressing down on it
• Scared shitless

I stuck with the whole reduced sugar thing for years, but I'd still get the symptoms every once in a while, just not as bad. Then in 2010, the YMCA started a free training program for the inaugural Salinas Valley Half Marathon. I'd always been a bit jealous of people who ran. I ran like a madman in highschool. It was FUN! But I no longer did it cause I was too damn fat and I got winded so quickly.

Free training?
Get in better shape,as in not round.?
Why not?

I still remember the first day of beginning the training. I had to run 1 minute and walk 2 minutes for 30 minutes. I thought it was going to be a piece of cake. FUCK. NO. I nearly collapsed after that first "workout"! The next day I had to walk half an hour. I was sooooo sooorrrre! The third day was the same and I was dreading it. It was so much worse cause I hurt like a mofo! Fourth day was walking again and still sore. Fifth and sixth day was more running.

Sunday I didn't want to move, but I took my bicycle to the Monterey Bay Recreational Trail and rode 20 miles. I went from Marina to Monterey and had fish'n'chips and an Arrogant Bastard. Walked around some for a few hours and got back on my bike and rode back to Marina.

My schedule was similar to that every week. Except I kept making the required improvements to be able to complete my first half-marathon. I finished my first half in 3 and a half hours. I was dry-heaving at the finish after cooling down. I now know it's because I didn't hydrate enough during the run. I'd only grab a cup at every water station. The year after, I completed the run in 3 hours. Last year, I finished in 2 hours 47 minutes.

For this year, my realistic goal is 2 hours and 30 minutes. My IDEAL goal is 2 hours and 15 minutes. That's a 10 and a half minute mile. I can't even do that on my 4 mile run right now. I've got a lot of work to do to be able to pull off my ideal. Which means a lot more distance to include in my runs now.

I'm gonna have to say goodbye to the Shitty-Work-Trail. I hate that trail. It's a hard run. I love it because it gave me time in the evening. But now that the daughters' mom is back, I can go for my long runs in the evening now. No more chintzy 20 minutes runs. Time to double up at least. Push for 4 right now at least every other day. And slowly increase. Gotta start using weights again. Ugh.

This whole workout thing, it's a love/hate relationship.

GD

p.s.
didn't check. run smiley :)