The "Weight" for the halfway point

Week 9 is complete and that marks the half way point to the Carmel Marathon!
This week was all about getting myself back to race weight!
I focused on my food intake by logging all of my meals on myfitnesspal.com (friend me there at iammrejir)
Myfitnesspal was my key from getting from -70 to -100 pounds, and when I am disciplined with it, it works.
Here is the proof.  After stuffing my face last Sunday night with Mexican food, I weighed in Monday morning at 224 (up 21 pounds since July!)  I had let myself go with my eating, and was starting to feel it in my clothes.  By logging my food and staying disciplined to the calorie intake, I was able to weigh in Saturday morning (post-run) at 212!  Down 12 pounds just this week, (my wife hates me for this) and only 9 pounds over my peak race weight of 203 from last summer!  I could not be more pleased with this result.  Just knowing that I can control the food and the weight is exciting to me.  I will return to the discipline of eating like it's a job during the week, and eating what I want on the weekends to maintain myself in the near term.  Should be no problem to be under 200 by July! 
The bad news is that when you control back your calories, you are playing with what your body can do physically.  Think of every calorie as a unit of energy.  With less energy, the workouts become all the more difficult.  Because last weeks long run was on Sunday I had one less day to get the workouts in. 
Monday was a great 4 miler on the treadmill followed immediately by a 50 minute spin class.  But sadly, that was the only good thing for the week. 
Tuesday I attempted the bike, but the legs wouldn't cooperate, and I only got in 10 minutes and a 20 minute video.  Wednesday I set out for my 7 miler and was only able to run through mile 5 and had to walk mile 6 home.  With two workout fails in a row, I decided to take Thursday and Friday completely off as rest days to prep for the long run on Saturday.  This week we only did 13.1.  The weather was cold and windy, and I felt fine through mile 6, during mile 7 we came up a slight hill and then into the wind, and as I leaned forward to move up the hill and into the wind, my back basically quit.  The tightness was too much to bear in a running motion, so I began a strict and disciplined run/walk approach of walking 0.1 and running either .15 or .40 depending on what I could manage.  It was miserable, and the voices in my head were reminding me of the longer miles yet to come this year, and made me question what I may be capable of.  I pushed through the pain and the voices, and finished the distance, but it was not ideal.
The back is still tight this morning and I will likely stay off the bike again today.
We will play next week by ear, but the distances go up again to 4, 8, 4, and the long run of 17!  I'm actually really looking forward to the 17, but hoping the weather cooperates.  The biggest negative to training for a Spring marathon is certainly the cold winter long runs!
Have a good week friends!

8 weeks of training - DONE!

Wow!  8 weeks down, and 10 to go to the Carmel Marathon!  That remains the focus and this week it was obvious as everything else took a back seat!
I made it to Dale's spin class again on Monday, and had every intention of cycling again this week but it didn't happen.  I was so committed to swimming on Thursday morning that I went to set out my swim trunks on Wednesday night only to find that they were MISSING!  Molly found them Thursday afternoon in Emma's room in a pile of clean clothes that didn't get put away.  I was genuinely upset about it, and needless to say didn't make it to the pool all week. 
I did get an extra 3 hours of dancing in though!  Thanks to the My Girl Gala(s) with Morgan on Wednesday night and Emma on Thursday night! 
In all seriousness, the running miles were spot on.  4 on Tues, 7 on Wed, 4 on Fri and FIFTEEN MILES today!  Was very pleased with today's effort on the 15 miler at sub ten pace! 
Finally, I am going to "try" to have a good food week and see if I can tip the scale down a few notches this week!  Stay tuned!

Lucky #7

Week 7 is in the books, and the back pain is...back.
It really was a good week as I focused on the run again.  Monday morning I got 2200 yards in the pool and found time to get 4 miles outside.  Tuesday was still warm, so I found 7 miles outside.  Wednesday was a great chance to get back to spin class.  Was not sure I would get a bike, but was glad I got one especially since I had already done 20 miles over 3 straight days.  Thursday morning I got up early to get 4 miles on the treadmill.  Friday was a welcome rest day in prep for the long run on Saturday!  14 mph winds, 14 degrees, and 14 miles!  Surprisingly I felt pretty good considering the conditions.  Unfortunately, I was freezing when I got home, and opted to hide under the covers.  Probably should have cooled down more with a longer walk and some light stretching.  Within a couple hours I could barely walk!  I thought walking around Sams club would help, but that wasn't the case.  In fact, it probably made it worse.  A muscle relaxer and a good night sleep was once again the magic cure.  I finished the training week with an hour on the bike trainer. 
Total time 7 hours 23 minutes - 61.52 miles!

Week #6/18 and #6/36

1/3 of the way through marathon training and 1/6 of the way to my first Ironman!

For as normal as this week was, it was actually anything but normal. And yet, this is the way things may be for awhile!  Monday was a day off, so I had no excuse in the pool.  For the first time I completed the entire long workout.  I often take the shorter alternate set.  The sense of accomplishment was quite high though it was only 2500 yards.  Monday night I had a chance to go to Connersville and take a spin class with my mom, so I just had to go for it!  The instructor, Tara, is a high school classmate and we went to church together for years.  She does a great job, and I really enjoyed it too.
Tuesday and Thursday were solid runs, but they were on the treadmill, and Thursday's 6 had to be in the morning since I had percussion practice that night. 
Wednesday and Friday ended up being bike days, with Friday being the (quasi) long ride.  With being out of town Saturday I had no choice but to run on Sunday which meant moving the bike to Friday afternoon.  It was supposed to be 1:45, but I only got an hour in. 
Sunday's run was as good as any I have had for quite a while, and after holding 8 steady at 10 or under pace, I cranked out a 8:53 last mile! 
Next week the base runs go up a mile and the long run is to be 14!  no clue what to expect with that, but I'm ready to find out! 

Thanks to The Star Press for covering my journey!

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20130124/NEWS01/301240039/Losing-weight-longterm-project

Losing weight is longterm project

Local men say motivation is key to success

Jan. 24, 2013 6:14 AM,   |  

Purchase Image

Chris Day rides his bicycle for exercise. Day lost 100 pounds with diet and exercise. / Patti Blake/ The Star Press

Written by

Ivy Farguheson

Support Chris Day

Day is a finalist for a Chocolate Milk’s Team Refuel sponsorship. Vote for Day and check out his commercial at www.gotchocolatemilk.com/applicant/christopher-day.
Day also has been blogging about his weight loss. Visit http://iadviseu.blogspot.com to read about Day’s workouts and see his transformation.

MUNCIE — Each January millions of Americans make the decision to change their lives for their physical and mental health by losing weight.
That’s a lot easier said than done.
The body’s sore after the first few workouts. The bed feels so great on winter mornings when workouts were planned. Weight loss has hit a plateau and results aren’t coming as quickly as they did a couple of weeks ago.
“Believe me, I was 310 pounds. It took six years to put on more than 100 pounds from the 200 pounds I originally was. I had to accept that getting it off wasn’t going to happen overnight. It was going to take some serious work,” said Chris Day, a financial adviser in Yorktown. “That’s not easy to accept. It’s not easy at all to get up and start doing something, being the heaviest guy on the treadmill, but that’s the only way to do it.”
When he was in high school and college, Day was pretty active — and had a high metabolism — giving him a lean frame on a 6-foot 2-inch body. He was in the marching band and ran and swam from time to time. And as a college student he often ran from class to class, burning calories regardless of what he was eating.
Then, life became more sedentary. He became a financial adviser after two years as a marching band teacher. He also became a father, eating along with his wife, Molly, who was eating for two while he was eating for himself.
“I remember my oldest daughter sitting on my lap and she was maybe 5 years old and she was patting me on my belly talking about ‘Daddy’s big belly,’ ” Day said. “It was actually kind of embarrassing. I started to think about whether that’s how I wanted her to remember me and I thought, ‘No.’ That was the motivation I needed to start.”
First, he started by walking for a few minutes on the treadmill, ignoring his concern about being the heaviest person at the Yorktown YMCA. Then he moved on to running for 30 seconds at a time. Before he knew it, he could last for one minute. Eventually he ran a 5K race, using an app on his iPhone with a schedule he could follow.
 Now he’s made friends — especially Gary Thomas, his mentor — who run, bike and swim with him and encourage him to keep going with his dreams.
Day has lost more than 100 pounds since 2010 and is now training for a full Ironman — a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run all in one day.
“I would go out for a run with the Yorktown Running Club, and I’d be the slowest one there. I’d see people just run out in front of me and be gone,” Day said. “But I’m a goal-oriented person. I had the idea in my head that I would one day do a 5K. Then a marathon. Then a triathlon. It kept me focused.”
Rob Fisher was also motivated by family to lose weight.
With a grandchild on the way, he wants to be sure he has the energy to keep up with a baby and eventual toddler he knows will steal his heart.
In the last year, he’s lost 70 pounds, making two big changes in his daily schedule.
“First, I’ve made my workout the first appointment of the day,” Fisher said. “I also didn’t really change what I eat as much as how much of it I eat. I started following portion sizes, and it’s made a huge difference. I find myself losing weight without even realizing it.”
Fisher, a self-described loner, has done most of the work by himself, using his music to keep him moving.
He understands the reasons why people quit working out — they’re the same reasons he used to stop — but Fisher said at some point the motivation and seeing results got him through the difficult workouts.
Day understands those hard times as well, but he’s gone from a man who needed motivation to one who inspires others — including his wife — to turn to a fitness lifestyle.
Along with organizing the “Four on the Fourth” walk/run event in Yorktown each July and working with residents to build trails, Day has also been selected as a finalist for a chocolate milk sponsorship, which provides a portion of participants’ race costs. Day would use his sponsorship to cover the $600 fee to participate in the Ironman.
“This has moved beyond just me and my goals,” Day said. “That’s why you end up continuing with these goals. It’s about how these changes will affect your kids or your community and what you can do to make things better. I’m glad to be an inspiration to others. I love hearing that from people. He keeps me going.”

Week #5 recap

Monday's have turned into a "rest" day lately because of the long runs and bikes on the weekend!  A certain someone whose name rhymes with Pete reminded me that a triathlon had 3 parts and I had yet to do ANYTHING this year that resembled swimming.  This was the guilt that I needed!  It stuck with me all day Monday, and so I forced myself to get to the Y after work.  1800 yards was all I could muster, but it was 1800 more than I had planned on doing.
Tuesday went according to plan with a run and ride before going to percussion rehearsal.  Wednesday was on the bike, and Thursday was a good 6 on the treadmill at 5:30.  It was the first time I'd gotten up early to work out this month.  But looking ahead I knew it was the only chance to get it in due to a busy Thursday evening.
Friday's rest day was wonderful, and I took the prep for Saturday's long run very seriously.  Saturday was above freezing, but with heavy winds.  Pete and I knocked out 12 miles with a 10:20 first half and 10:00 back half.  Today with tired legs I went after the trainer for 2 hours and 15 minutes!  And yes, it was as painful as it sounds.  T
The back is causing me some grief, but I'm not too alarmed remembering that the plan calls for the long bike on Saturday and long run on Sunday but I switched them in accordance with the weather.
Tomorrow should be fun - headed to Connersville for a spin class with my mom which is taught by my high school classmate Tara Henry!  Should be fun!

THANKS TO THE NEWS EXAMINER FOR THE COVERAGE!

Mother and son lose weight

Chris Day in 2012 after losing 107 pounds and completing a race. (Contributed)

By DARRELL SMITH
dsmith@newsexaminer.com

Published:

Saturday, January 19, 2013 2:05 AM EST

A decision to get into shape by a 1992 Connersville High School graduate has led to the loss of more than 100 pounds and the desire to compete in a full triathlon.

Chris Day, currently living in Yorktown, is seeking to win sponsorship from Team Refuel with help from his friends in order to compete in the Ironman contest. He is a financial adviser for Edward Jones.

“Team Refuel is an organization of athletes created as a sponsorship from chocolate milk,” Day said. “The old ‘Got Milk?’ slogan that has been around forever is now ‘Got Chocolate Milk?’ It now has its own branding and created this program because chocolate milk has become one of the most recommended and preferred drinks after a workout.”

By earning a sponsor on the team, Team Refuel will pay for entry to races, he said.

“I weighed 310 pounds and over the course of the past three years, I’ve gotten into shape to run multiple marathons and most recently training for an Ironman contest. I was at a race in Las Vegas and talked with the people at the chocolate milk booth. I created a video and I’m a finalist,” he said. “Voting is this month only.”

There are 108 finalists throughout the country with the top five earning a spot on the team, he said. It’s all about voting online.

“My mother has a fascinating story of her own in that when she was my age, she lost 100 pounds,” Day said. “Not too many families can say they have two people lose 100 pounds each. She slipped like all of us but is back in the gym and doing a remarkable job of doing it again.”

The obsession of logging workouts and progress is from his mother, Karen Day, who still lives in Connersville, he said.

“I had two kids and no energy,” Karen said. “At that time I counted calories and exercised. I lived at the Jazzercise in the 4-H Building. It was my home away for home.”

Unfortunately, some weight came back and about 15 years ago I lost 60 pounds, she said. Currently, the weight loss effort is now at 50 pounds. Losing the 60 pounds involved counting fat grams and exercise.

“Unfortunately, exercise is part of anything although I do better with the exercise than the not eating,” she said. “This time, I’m trying to do it healthier by reducing carbohydrates and increase protein and still do a lot of exercise.”

She said there is no interest in running marathons but she just uses weight machines at Anytime Fitness and has recently begun an aerobics class at HealthWorks.

“The hardest part is getting started and the second hardest is once you get there, is staying there,” Karen said. “Once your mind is to the point you don’t have to lose, you slack off. I have to keep telling myself I’m not where I need to be so I stick with it. Whatever mental games work, you have to play.”

By losing weight, she said self esteem rises and there is a change in life’s outlook.

Chris’ weight issue began when he and wife Molly began having a family, Day said. There is a lot of time being at the desk gaining weight.

“When our last child was born in 2007, my wife and I agreed we needed to do something,” he recalled. “In March 2010, I started and made a journaled effort. It was as simple as walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes because I couldn’t run for 30 seconds. I was the heaviest guy in the gym.”

The YMCA built a facility in Yorktown just down the street from his home which ended any excuse-making for not working out, he admitted.

In the fall of that year after losing 50 pounds, he ran a marathon. 2011 become the year to become competitive when he ran the Chicago marathon, he said. Triathlons occupied his time in 2012.

The lowest weight he reached was 203 pounds, and once he accomplished that, he completed a half-Ironman. The goal is now a full Ironman which would be in August in Louisville, Ky. If sponsorship is gained through Team Refuel, that will pay for the entry fee which is $500-$600, Chris said.

“It’s a bucket list thing and not something I want to do every year,” he admitted. “I want to call myself an Ironman and move on. My wife is now employed by Ironman as director of volunteers. We have a half Ironman race in Muncie and she finds volunteers and sponsors.”

Molly completed the Indy Mini Marathon in 2012, her first, Chris said. A sister has completed a full marathon and now it’s deep in the family.

Losing the weight and becoming fit has brought about a positive change in his health including lower blood pressure and cholesterol. 

“I am on no medications now,” he said. “My doctor calls me his most boring case. I had been on medicines for reflux and heartburn and I had sleep apnea because my neck was so fat. I snored and now I don’t. I have a lot more energy. I work out at 5:30 in the morning so when I get to the office, I’ve been up and I’m fired up and ready to go. I’m a lot more productive at work.

“The good thing is, when you burn as many calories as I do, you get to eat more.”

Mother and son will be attending a HealthWorks class Monday when he has a day off work.

To vote for Chris Day, go to iadviseu.blogspot.com and then go to “Click here to vote for me for Team Refuel.”

FFFFOOOUUURRR

This felt like a real training week for both run and bike, but once again, I have failed to find the pool!  The long run was 11 and I was pleased to run it all.  The long bike was 1:45 and the drills were exhausting!  The only back pain was around mile 7 on the run, but I fought through it, and today it felt fine on the bike. 

I think it's time to get serious about the weight again.  The Holidays are over, and this looks like a good week coming up to stay on track.  I'd like to hit all the workouts too, but I can see some conflicts that will probably prevent the perfect week.

And finally...How good is chocolate milk?  Seriously, the contest is going well, and I'm really enjoying promoting the video, myself, and contest.  I just wish there was a valid way to track my progress. 
Have you voted yet?   http://www.gotchocolatemilk.com/applicant/christopher-day