More Nike Greatness

Ran twice on treadmill this weekend. Spring is around the corner. . . Tried running 2 quarter miles slow then one fast on treadmill. Makes the miles go quicker.
This is another one of my favorite ads ever. When it first came out, I had just moved to New York, and at a party discussed this ad with several advertising people. Everyone thought it was the perfect commercial. It inspires and empowers. And just makes Nike cool.
And I run in Asics stuff, btw. Love Nike image, gear and Nike store. But their running clothes just don't seem right. I have some shirts with horrendous seams in them. And they itch and irritate. And get dripping wet. And they are expensive. But they sure are cool.

Best Ad Ever

This ad almost single handedly inspired me to run my first marathon:

BMI Thoughts

I am perplexed at times by the BMI calculator. I am 6'2" and currently about 195 pounds. I wear a size 36 pants. According to the federal government, I am "overweight" and need to lose several pounds. The BMI calculator defines normal weight as a BMI of 18.0-24.9 (I am currently 25). The craziness is that if you look at the lower bound, wow, that can't be right. According to BMI I could be 6'2: and weigh 145 pounds and be "normal" weight. I can't imagine that -- if I weighed 145 I would look terrible, unhealthy and get blown over by the wind. So that makes me skeptical about the upperbound as well. I'd be interested in other people's thoughts on the accuracy of the BMI. I know a football player, athlete, etc, don't fit within the scale. But my weight isn't all muscle, and I don't know why I would be any different than what the target audience is for the BMI. Does it get less accurate for tall people?

One week, One run

It has been a while since last post. Life has been busy both personally and at work. Thus, I haven't had as much of a chance to run, not even late at night on my home treadmill. I skipped the NYRR race on Saturday (4M) which was too bad. Even though it snowed all day Friday, Saturday was clear and not too cold. But it was at 8 am and that is early. My day then over took me and I didn't run. That is no good. Nothing is worse than not running on a day you want to and then seeing people on the street coming or going to run. Feel like if they can, I could have also. Also had a bad diet day on Saturday, so a bad day all around. Oh well, had many of those before and the good days outnumber the bad. Gotta keep going - its not a sprint its a marathon. One day, one week won't make -- or break -- me.

Cold 7 miles

Ran 7 miles Saturday morning and it was cold. Really cold about 25 degrees. I even wore tights, despite my aversion to them. I even wore gloves -- and that was an outstanding idea. My hands didn't get cold, big plus.
I run a fairly hilly course -- the elevation gain is almost 450 feet from top to bottom, and I end going uphill. Some people may sneer at that, but going up and down many times is very challenging and makes Central Park seem flat.
At end of run I drank my usual recovery drink, chocolate milk. I bought the fancy Power Bar recovery drink, and guess what the first three ingredients are: milk, sugar and cocoa powder -- same as chocolate milk. But costs twice as much. Back to chocolate milk for me.
I also tried G2 the new Gatorade drink, but my Gatorade thoughts are a separate entry entirely. Not a fan of G2 as I will explain in later post.

Treadmill Night Run

I ran on a treadmill last night after work. Given that it was 20 degrees outside, with 3 inches of snow on the ground and sleeting being outside wasn't an option.
I run probably the majority of my miles on a treadmill. I have one in my building, and also belong to a gym.
I have MANY opinions on treadmill running, and have done a lot of research on the issue. I will probably devote a separate post to treadmill running, but in sum, I run slower on a treadmill than I do outdoors. Some people say to move the incline of a treadmill up to 1.0 or so to simulate outdoors. My doctor and physical therapist both said this is a bad idea. It places funny strain on the knee and quads to run at a slight constant incline. My therapist said it is like putting a lift in your shoes all day, just not a good idea.
I prefer to run in Central Park, one of the best places to run in the world. The scenery, the company, the experience is very motivating and uplifting. But not when its 20 degrees, sleeting and dark.

Zen, Winter, etc.

“The obstacle is the path.” - Zen Saying

Persistence

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them — every day begin the task anew.
— Saint Francis de Sales, bishop of Geneva (1567-1622)

Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.
— Oliver Goldsmith, English author (1730-1774)

Daily Quote

"It is very hard in the beginning to understand
that the whole idea is not to beat the other runner.
Eventually you learn that the competition is against
the little voice inside you that wants to quit."
George Sheehan

Weekend run

Brrrr is it cold in NYC tonight!!! I don't like to run in bitter cold. Today I ran early morning when not so cold - around 35 degrees or so. Windy though.
I am always conflicted about running in tights. Yes, they are warm. And the support feels good. But they just don't feel right to me. And I am very self-conscious in them. Feel kind of ridiculous in them - like a sausage in a casing. If I had a chiseled physique, it would be ok. But I know I would not look like a super model in a lycra catsuit. I would look decidedly unsexy in my tights. So I didn't wear them today. Just shorts, a hat, and two layers of shirts.
Ran one day this weekend, which was pretty good. Good solid run. Ran early in morning, and set up the day for feeling really good.
I just hope my Monday weight isn't too much and I can see some weight loss from last week. Kind of stuck right now at a certain weight and I'm trying to lose it. Gotta be in shape for November. Every pound I carry then, I carry for 26.2 miles. Great motivation -- I look at a cookie and ask myself -- do I want to lug it around for 26 miles in November?

Quote from Abraham Lincoln

"You can have anything you want, if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish, if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose."
Abraham Lincoln

New Day New Run

Another run at home on the home treadmill watching Super Tuesday results. These are boring runs, but I know they will be valuable later, as base building, in training and also helps to work off the weight.

Slept great though, as I usually do after nighttime run.

Distance: 5 miles; time 50:00 minutes

Why I Run

I try to run 20 or so miles a week. I like to run in the afternoon/early evening, and just can't seem to get up in the morning to do it. I am about 6'3" and weigh around 200 pounds. That is above my ideal weight by about 20 pounds, and I am trying to get back to around 180. I haven't seen 180 in many years, but I ought to be able to get there with work, dedication and commitment. And I want to be stronger, too.

All of that entails commitment to the goals I have set out. I intend to track my status and share my thoughts, fears, and hopefully joys as I both get to a lighter weight and improve as a runner. I currently run around 8 minute miles in training, and 7 minute miles in a 5 mile race. That is pretty fast for someone my size (I think) and motivates me because I can feel the potential for more.

In some ways running is both a goal and journey. Of course, there are goals -- run the next race, better time, stay fit. But running is also about the process, the joy, the journey and what that does for me. Running makes me happier. Sleep better. Drink less. Laugh harder. Enjoy life more. And those things are more important than any 10K time.

On the other hand, running also requires sacrifice, dedication and commitment. Runners World send out a quote of the day, and recently it sent this quote from Jesse Owens "We all have dreams in life. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of dedication, self discipline, sacrifice and effort." And he is right. Whenever it is easier to blow off that run, take the easy path, it comes down to a choice, self-discipline. I don't always make the healthy choice, but I have to acknowledge the consequences of my choices. Hopefully, I make enough choices to achieve my goals. Stay healthy, be fit and stay strong.

Why am I here? Who am I?

New blog to reflect my thoughts on running, food, work and ultimately how that affects my life.

Comments are appreciated and indeed are the one way I know people read this, like this, learn from this. It is also how I learn from this.

Over time I will post workouts, thoughts, goals, frustrations, and, hopefully, successes.