Tir ra nOg run 21

Good run tonight - get; real good and I was trying to push the pace - I did OK not as well as I had hopped but well - the red light on my Forerunner band worked well - I do believe I need a head light - no pain tonight - it was a bit cold and because of this we did not stay long after the run - was nice to see Jon, Emily and Meri tonight -

Time:	00:54:02
Distance:	3.10 mi
Elevation Gain:	125 ft
Calories:	577 C
Avg Temperature:	51.2 °F

Tir ra nOg run 21

Monday Lunch Run

OK this was a nice run - I was looking forward to it and it felt quick and was pretty good - nothing hurt except for the normal little ones at the beginning - I wonder if other running have little pains at the beginning of runs that go away are they run in the first few minutes -

Time:	00:17:16
Distance:	1.09 mi
Elevation Gain:	35 ft
Calories:	195 C
Avg Temperature:	48.9 °F

Monday Lunch Run

Monday Morning Run

A good run no pain after about a minute of the usually little hurts - I am having a real problem with the gloom's - not sure if there is a reason beside the fact that I usually have trouble this time of the year - I am so looking forward to getting past this - I felt OK Sunday but just did not want to go and ride in the cold - I had a lot of trouble getting myself to run this morning - weight was 295 blood sugar was 107 this morning -

Time:	00:18:10
Distance:	1.07 mi
Elevation Gain:	45 ft
Calories:	194 C
Avg Temperature:	31.2 °F

Monday Morning Run

Galloway Club run 27

Good run - small group for the Pacers but we had a good run - I was planning to do 7 or 8 but most of the rest of the group was planning on 6 so I did 6 and it was a good run - man was it cold at the start - was real nice to run with Birt again we just seem to run well together - the conversation is great and we run about the same pace - he is a little faster than me but is nursing a leg pain - George was the along with Herb and Jackie - I ran very well today no pain not problems - it is so nice to run with out problems - my weight was about 295 this morning my blood sugar was 113 - I am feeling very well this afternoon and should have no problem riding Sunday -

Time:	01:53:11
Distance:	6.07 mi
Elevation Gain:	287 ft
Calories:	975 C
Avg Temperature:	44.5 °F

Galloway Club run 27

10th Ridgewood Turkey Trot 8K

This was a fun run - I was so cold before the start but after I was running a bit I was fine so I had the right stuff on - I need to get a supply of plastic bags to wear before theses runs - I was very apprehensive before the run, I am not sure why maybe because I had not done as well as I had hopped in my to halves earlier this month - true is I felt good after we started running - I was healthier for this run than I had been for either of the two halves and felt like I was running well - I would liked to have done either of the halves being this healthy - I had not real pain - I had a few twinges in the Peroneus but not much and no foot, quad on knee pain and I was not destroyed at the end I was even able to kick at the end a bit - the timing system at this race sends a message to your cell phone when you cross the finish line with you chip time - was less than 100 steps across the line when I heard my iPhone notify me that I had a message - that was cool - about my time - it is by far my best time in anything like this I just hope I can keep doing it - the course was good one pretty good hill the rest were not bad - I am still doing the run-walk method but I am allowing myself to be less strict with it, if I feel like running longer I do if I need to walk a hill I do - mostly I follow my one minute walk 4 minute run - my weight was 295.8 this morning and blood sugar was 114 - I am looking forward to dinner with the family this afternoon -

Time:	01:22:19
Distance:	5.09 mi
Elevation Gain:	306 ft
Calories:	1,045 C
Avg Temperature:	47.8 °F

10th Ridgewood Turkey Trot 8K

Tuesday Lunch Run

Wow - I must really be having trouble - I did not even brother to post this run after I finished - I remember it as a good run but that is about it - I have to get it together

Time:	00:19:06
Distance:	1.12 mi
Elevation Gain:	46 ft
Calories:	219 C

Tuesday Lunch Run

Tuesday Morning Run

Nice run - was not feeling like running but so far I have been able to will myself out there - I am so bent on losing fat and so far that is still drive me - very little pain this morning - Peroneus Longus did not hurt at all - cool - still some foot pain - I do not remember any quad pain which is cool - my weight was 295.4 pounds today - I love these number I hope they are close to correct - blood sugar was 98 -

Time:	00:25:50
Distance:	1.42 mi
Elevation Gain:	71 ft
Calories:	268 C
Avg Temperature:	57.3 °F

Tuesday Morning Run

Tir na nOg Club 20 Run

Well a good run - some leg pain but not bad - it is hard to go running - I guess I am having the after the event depression I have heard about - it just seems hard to run - I do still have a bigger goal than most others - I am still focusing on fat lose and running/exercise is a part of that goal and so far I have been able to keep myself going - I was feeling down during the run which is also usually - thinking about how slow I am - telling myself I will never be faster - that I am just kidding myself saying I am a runner - I did do the run in a reasonable time and the Peroneus Longus on the outside on my left leg was almost painless - nice - some upper quad pain - same pain on top of left foot.
After the run I was sitting outside of Tir na nOg cooling off and waiting for Jon, Emily and Meri to get there(I start early so I will not be so late getting back) I guy asks if he can sit in a chair and then sat down - he sat there for a minute then turns to me me ans said 'Why don't you join us on the run some day?' - now I know I do not look like a runner but I was wearing running shorts, a tech shirt, calf compression stockings a knee brace and my forerunner/gym-boss - I guess because I was already a bit down but it really annoyed me - I told him I had run 3 miles and he looked at me like he did not believe me and said really - I have never had another runner do something like this and I got really pissed - fortunately he decided to leave a then so I just tried to let it go - since I am writing about I guess I did not completely let it go.

Time:	00:55:37
Distance:	3.10 mi
Elevation Gain:	121 ft
Calories:	631 C
Avg Temperature:	72.3 °F

Tir na nOg Club 20 Run

Monday Lunch Run

Good run but it felt hard - I was not sure why it felt hard - turns out I was really pushing my pace and it felt like it but I was OK just was a bit harder - Side of left leg almost did not hurt at all, foot hurt at the start upper quad hurt a little from time to time but none of it was bad -

Time:	00:18:08
Distance:	1.10 mi
Elevation Gain:	757 ft
Calories:	228 C
Avg Temperature:	58.4 °F

Monday Lunch Run

Monday Morning Run

Well today was a test - returning to regular training with no race coming up in the near future, well I am doing an 8K Thanksgiving morning and I am registered for the Tobacco Road Half - I am also likely going to run the Charleston Half in January but for now I am just going to work on staying in shape, losing fat, improving my form, and work on speed - part of the test was I am having some pains in my left leg - one at the top of the quad - the one on the side of the lower leg and also a sore spot on top of the foot - I did go and run and everything felt better after just a few minutes - I extended my route - I was not sure how must it would be but it turned put to be a quarter of a mile - I will do the old route at my 11:00AM run do to time constraints - my weight was 296.4 this morning and my blood sugar was 108 - not sure why it is not going down more but I am still hopping that it will -

Time: 00:22:09
Distance: 1.26 mi
Elevation Gain: 59 ft
Calories: 261 C
Avg Temperature: 44.4 °F

Monday Morning Run

Just a little walk on the beach

Just a little walk on the beach

Riding the Woods with Meri

Just a little afternoon ride through the Woods section of the Marathon route

Time:	00:53:29
Distance:	8.60 mi
Elevation Gain:	180 ft
Calories:	202 C
Avg Temperature:	65.5 °F

Riding the Woods with Meri

Ride to Kitty Hawk

We took a nice comfortable recovery ride fro the cabin at Nags Head to the Wrights Brothers Memorial at Kill Devil Hill. Jon, Emily and Meri were on the ride. The weather was nice and the Memorial was great.

Time:	01:46:15
Distance:	11.33 mi
Elevation Gain:	115 ft
Calories:	449 C
Avg Temperature:	74.5 °F

Ride to Kitty Hawk

Outer Banks Half Marathon

Wow - I did it - I finished my second half marathon in 7 days - I got a PR - I did have some trouble with the muscle on the left side of my left leg - I found if I made sure I was landing outside of my foot first the pain would stop - cool - this was a nice and interesting run - the rest stop were good and the people were great - I was running well but at about 8 miles I felt like I was out of gas - I was not hungry nor did I feel like I was having low blood sugar - I ate some Sport Beans just in case I did bit carbs and because I hopped the caffeine would give me a kick - it did seem to help - I also ate some of my cheese - I got my second blister of the year - the weather was strange - it did not feel real hot but I was sweating a lot and it felt hotter than it was - I would do this one again especially it this group gets together again

Time:	04:12:41
Distance:	13.33 mi
Elevation Gain:	155 ft
Calories:	2,449 C
Avg Temperature:	66.6 °F

Outer Banks Half Marathon

Pictures from my run and trip are HERE

Friday Morning Run

Well I got the OK for the Doc so I went for a run this morning - first one since City of Oaks - I must admit I was a little weary but except from a few minor pain everything was fine by the middle of the run there was no pain - I was unfortunately think about the left leg every time I went to it but it seem to be fine - I believe I should be fine to OBX - I was not trying to run fast but got a nice time anyway - Weight is about 298 - blood sugar was 87 this morning

Time:	00:19:02
Distance:	1.07 mi
Elevation Gain:	46 ft
Calories:	192 C
Avg Temperature:	39.7 °F

Friday Morning Run

City of Oaks - Rex Half Marathon

I am at home now - I have showered and am sitting with my sore feet up and with my first ever race medal around my neck thinking about the race. I enjoyed the run(lets face it I am not a racer) there were lots of my friends and Galloway runners out there both running and volunteering - they were very supportive as were all the volunteers and the other runners.
I enjoyed the run but I had problems which has upset me considerable - I felt I had really prepared well for this run and expected to have a really good run and to maybe get a better time than my last 13.1 miles run - at about miles four I started having pain between the ankle on the outside of my of my left leg - the pain came and went some strides would hurt the next several would not - the pain got worse and more frequently until when I met Jo-Ann at the 8 miles rest stop - I walked a mile with her - it was nice to see her and to talk to someone - before that I was running as much as I could and began running again when Jo-Ann dropped off - by now my left knee was also hurting - I am pretty sure it was hurting due to whatever I was doing to compensate for the other pain - seven times during the second half of the run the pain was so bad that I had to completely stop for a few seconds - sometime after miles 11 I had to stop running completely as even walking was becoming a problem - I really wanted to run but I just could not - it was very hard to keep getting passed by runners while I was walking to try to finish - I get passed all the time but if I am running it does not brother me - right now I am sitting here is a lot of pain - I did finish and I am pleased about that also I time was not the worse I have had at this distance but it was pretty slow - right now I am just frustrated with how poorly I feel I did at the run - soon I will be able to let go of that and will be happy I did finish and did not DNF my first Half Marathon.

Time:	04:22:53
Distance:	13.31 mi
Elevation Gain:	601 ft
Calories:	2,297 C
Avg Temperature:	46.7 °F

City of Oaks - Rex Half Marathon

My pictures are HERE

Friday Morning Run - Taper 19 of 20 days

Good run - I just relaxed and ran - I am sure I was pushing but I was not doing it intentionally - it was a good run and a nice pace for me - no pain - looking forward to the Half Sunday - going to the Explo after work - going to breakfast with Dad Saturday - my go meet the Galloway group after breakfast - this is my last run and any sort of exercise until Sunday - I slept well last night so if I can sleet well tonight the Saturday night will not matter if I am restless - weight was unchanged blood sugar was 115 - it is a little strange I eat almost the same every day but for the last several day it will be in the 80s then the next day it will be 100+ - I feel great so not worried, I just want it to go down more -

Time:	00:18:08
Distance:	1.06 mi
Elevation Gain:	46 ft
Calories:	182 C
Avg Temperature:	42.7 °F

Friday Morning Run - Taper 19 of 20 days

Thursday Morning Run - Taper 18 of 20 days

Another good run - was a little worried about miss it due to the weather but is was just barely running so I put the iPhone in it's baggy and took off - it was cool but not cold - I would have been over dressed for a longer run - again no pain so I am sure the other shoes were the problem - I felt good and got another good pace - I did not try to try to not push the pace today I just relaxed and enjoyed the run - weight was that same blood sugar was 88 this morning - I think I am going to run tomorrow - my morning runs are so important to me for how I feel and I believe it ramp up the metabolism for the day which assists in fat lose - I was going to take Friday off from work to go see the Explo but is seems it does not open until 6PM so I plan to work - I will just go after work - I am a little apprehensive not about the run but with everything else - getting there, parking getting to where I start from - getting there with my gear - after that the running does not seem like a problem but a reward - maybe I am just nuts -

Time:	00:18:15
Distance:	1.07 mi
Elevation Gain:	47 ft
Calories:	195 C
Avg Temperature:	54.3 °F

Thursday Morning Run - Taper 18 of 20 days

Wednesday Morning Run - Taper 17 of 20 days

Great run - OK wow if this is one of the effects of Taper than maybe I do like it - I went out this morning really looking forward to running and I made myself think do NOT push the pace just run comfortable like a long run and enjoy it and I really thought that is what I was doing and I felt great - no pain, none more about this later - was cool and very dark out running this morning - this is the fasted I have ever doing this route in 70 logged run and I beat the best time I have recorded by 27 seconds - whatever this is I hope it continues - my weight was 302.1 this morning and blood sugar 105 - no idea why it is going up and down but as long as it keeps going down I am OK - OK why no pain - well it is embarrassing but I may have found out where these strange little pains in my feet and knees were coming from - the run today seems to have proved me right but I need more runs to be sure - the newest shoe I got were stabilizing shoes and I have been wearing neutral shoes - I just bought the wrong shoes - I bought Asics Gel Kayona 15 when I thought I was buying Asics Gel Kensei 15 - I am sure the Asics Gel Kayona 15 fine shoes but just not the right shoes for me - they were very comfortable to wear but I kept having trouble these strange little foot and knee problems which I had never had before - I wore my Asics Gel Nimbus 12 on the run this morning and not only no pain but I was faster - not sure if the shoes had anything to do with that but I did seem to be running more comfortable - live and learn - now not sure what to do with a pair of Asics Gel Kayona 15 with 33 miles on them - I only spent $82 for them but would really like to have that money back to spend on the Kensei -

Time:	00:17:55
Distance:	1.08 mi
Elevation Gain:	39 ft
Calories:	192 C
Avg Temperature:	42.5 °F

Wednesday Morning Run - Taper 17 of 20 days

Galloway Club run 26a

Good run. Nice to be back running with no race I am preparing for, I enjoyed both of the halves but they did add some pressure and now I can just run again with just work on improving and enjoying running. I did mess up the forerunner. I still had it set for the Trike when I started running so when I switched it to running it generated two different events but did record the run. I felt good. No foot pain but the Paruneel was hurting some again. I hope I can find a solution to that soon. It was fun to run with Galloway again to see some of the other runner in the Pacers. My weight was 297.2 pounds if the scale is telling me the truth. Blood sugar was 111 with no insulin the morning before. I will be going back to regular running now but will take off Wednesday, i am running an 8K Thursday Thanksgiving morning. My first 8K and Turkey Trot. I am not ridding Sunday, going to the JARSFEST with Dad. I am looking forward to it. I have not done much with Dad for a while and have not been to a hamfest for a long time.

Time: 00:10:49
Distance: 0.57 mi
Elevation Gain: 7 ft
Calories: 92 C
Avg Temperature: 54.3 °F

Galloway Club run 26a

Time: 01:38:00
Distance: 5.51 mi
Elevation Gain: 274 ft
Calories: 1,070 C
Avg Temperature: 54.3 °F

Galloway Club run 26b

Tuesday Morning Run - Taper 16 of 20 days

OK nice run - I really tried to take it easy or at least I intended to but I ended up with my more or less normal pace - I had a some stiffness in my right Achilles also some strange little pains left ankle - both of theses fade during the second running interval and the rest of the run was sweet - I know I am going to find it hard not not run any more today but I took my shoes off and packed them away - I might go for a walk later but will wear the VFFs which will force me to keep my pace down - it was a bit cool and dark running this morning - I have run in the dark before but not during my before work run - Weight this morning was 300.2 pounds - blood sugar was 78 - I run a miles with my blood sugar at 78 - no problem - I am not even hungry - if my blood sugar is low like this again Wednesday I will lower the insulin again - I have not been doing anything different yesterday just eating Paleo/Primal - lowing it so far - I find I a am starting to miss fruit but that is self imposed to reduce my carbs as much as possible for now - I will have some each day once I lose the fat -

Time:	00:19:14
Distance:	1.08 mi
Elevation Gain:	42 ft
Calories:	175 C
Avg Temperature:	39.8 °F

Tuesday Morning Run - Taper 16 of 20 days

Tir na nOg Club 20 Run

Nice run and at a fair ace - had a funny pain on my left leg right below the knee on the outside to around the back - it only hurt once in a while and never when walking - it only gave me trouble the first half of the run - otherwise no problems - I was running pretty well and I enjoyed the run - it was hard not running this morning but I did OK - glad I can still run Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings but I do need to take it easy - I am not worried about the running but not looking forward to all the hassle of dealing with all the crowds - it was a bit cool tonight but really nice also - the weather looks god so far for Sunday - Blood sugar was 115 this morning not sure why I have been eating correctly - weight is unchanged - knees were a little sore this morning - it had been several weeks since I had been riding - knee are not hurting now - saw Jon, Emily and Meri running tonight Bert came by later - it was real nice to see everyone -

Time:	00:53:29
Distance:	3.14 mi
Elevation Gain:	115 ft
Calories:	530 C
Avg Temperature:	58.6 °F

Tir na nOg Club 20 Run

My two year update

OOPS! I went back and looked at my orginal blogs and I missed a month - turns out I started on September 30th not October 31st - Oh well sorry.  I have been asked for some before and after photo so here you go.


Two years ago October 31st September 30th I began my new life style with the goals to lose weight/fat and get and stay fit.
Well I feel I am doing pretty well - I would of course like to have made more progress but I have made good progress.  I started out at 410 pounds and yesterday I weighted in at 302 so that is 108 pounds lose.  I still want to lose another 20 to 30 pounds.  My current goal of getting to 286lb. means I only need to lose 16lb. but I am not sure it that will be enough.  The 286 pounds goal was based on a body evaluation I had done about 10 months ago and if nothing else changed 286 pounds would be 15% body fat but when I look at myself I do not think that 286lb. will be enough to pass the NMT (Nude Mirror Test).  I am not trying to have a six pack but do want to lose the Budda belly.  I have a hand held electronic body fat measuring device - I know they are not real accurate but they are relative accurate meaning one can use them to observe changes - knowing this my body fat has gone down by 19% since I started measuring it - I did not start measuring it until about six months after I started losing two years ago. I am taking half the amount of blood pressure medicine I was taking two years ago and one less pill for dietetics.  I have reduced the amount of insulin I take by 97.5% - I am looking forward to not taking insulin at all some day.
I still ride about 100 plus miles a week most weeks and walk a little - what new, well I joined Rex Wellness Center and do at least one core workout a week and believe it or not I started running - I was not even sure I could run and did not remember the last time I have tried to run.  A cycling friend invited me to join him and his wife in attending the Galloway Running Clinic here in Raleigh - at this time 23 weeks ago I have been thinking about could I possible run - also because I was thinking about it I had ordered a Forerunner from REI that was on sale just in case I might start running - well the first day we/I ran THREE miles - I had only ever walked two miles at the time and would not have believed I could do it - I got back dead last, emphasis on the DEAD - I was tired and hurting BUT at strange thing happened - I LIKE RUNNING - my feet hurt - I was pretty tire but I had run 3 miles - I could run - slowly but I could run - I took advantage of the nice discount Raleigh Running Outfitter gave us and replaced my "walking shoes" which had always hurt my feet with my fist pair of Asics Gel running shoes - these made a lot of difference in the pain in my feet - I have upgrade this first pair three times and have bought more running shoes this year than I have bought shoes in the last five years - I have run 14.3 miles as my longest run to date and I average about 20 miles a week running - this coming Sunday Nov 7th I will be running the City of Oaks Rex Health Care Half Marathon - I still have trouble believing it.
During my journey I have lived several different food life styles - all of them helped and were worth the effort I put in them at the time - I have come to believe that there is no perfect diet - what works for one may not work for someone else - most all work if one lives the life style - if you think of it as something you will do for a while then quit you are doomed to failure.  I started with Jenny Craig - their program helped me a good bit was was not a life style I could stay with - I then adopted the Zone System - this also worked but it was not helping my diabetes and I was finding it hard to stick with - now I am living the Paleo/Primal life style and even though the weight lose has been slow it is a easier life style for me to follow and it has had a consider affect on my blood sugar control - I believe I can live this way long term but time will tell - Ashby