Day 33

So I'm blogging from my phone (how cool is that haha) because i dont have internet in my new apartment yet. unfortunately for you that means that no picture (i haven't figured out how to do that yet).

I was moving in today but I didn't feel like that was enough of a workout so I decided to strap on the VFFs and do sprints up a pretty steep hill near my house. I sprinted up and jogged down 5 times before the heat got the best of me and I decided to head inside. Great workout though.

Day 32

Ugh day 32 was rough. I am not used to running in this heat. I usually run late at night when things are nice and cool. I went for a 3 mile run but it felt like 5. Everything was sore and I had to walk several times. Its amazing how much the weather is a factor when running.

Day 33 will be in State College. I might not be able to update for a while until I get internet in my new apartment, but trust me I'll still be working out.

WB in 3

Day 31

I did some more push-ups today. I increased my number from 60 to 70 and I did 20, rest, 20 rest, 10, rest, 20.

It felt good to see some improvement.

Back to State College tomorrow!

Day 30

I found some sweet elastic exercise bands and i decided to use them to work some muscles I haven't had the chance to work in a while. I focused on my back and biceps. I really concentrated on going slow with them to maximize how much work I was doing with each pull. No cheating.

Day 29

Day 29 was just a quick run around the neighborhood. Since this is the week before the WB Triathlon I'm taking it kind of easy. I did get a pretty sweet blister on my foot but other than that not much to report.

Day 28

Day 28 was a push-up day. I only did 60 but my goal was to start stringing more of them together without taking a break. I did 4 sets of 10 and then 1 set of 20 to finish it off. It felt pretty good so I must be improving.

I'm going to try another long run tomorrow.

Day 27

Day 27 was spent in State College moving all of my furniture from my living room to my bedroom. It doesn't sound like much of a workout but I worked up quite a sweat doing it all by myself.

The Wilkes-Barre triathlon is in a week. Its an Olympic distance but thankfully I'm doing it as part of a relay which means I'm doing the swim, someone else is doing the bike and a third person is doing the run. Its going to be a 1500m (about 1640 yards) swim for me which is looooooong. However, I felt pretty good at the end of the swim during the Steelman so I think 1500m is doable. It just might take me a while haha.

It'll be a good way to end the summer and start the semester I think.

Day 26

(click the image if you can't read it)

Day 26 was just a walk with my Dad to get some ice cream about 2 miles away. Just something light to stay active. Not very much of a workout

Short post today. Nothing really to report

Day 25

Day 25 was a personal best for me. I went for a 4.1 mile run which is a full mile longer than I've ever run before. On top of that I didn't have to stop or even slow down. I was running at a very consistent pace and was moving pretty fast (I did it in about 45 mins). AND my feet felt amazing. No pain or numbness at all. I did stub my little toe though so the night wasn't 100% pain free.

It was an incredibly encouraging night all the same

Day 24

I didnt feel like going outside today so i did an ab workout

30 crunches
15 leg lifts
15 "put your legs in the air and reach for them" things
30 sec plank
30 sec side plank left
30 sec side plank right
25 supermans
25 reverse crunch
30 bicycle crunches
30 skullers
20 side crunches left
20 side crunches right

Should feel awesome in the morning

Day 23

Day 23 was a little more relaxed. It wasn't a very long workout but I didn't feel like going nuts. I did 60 push-ups in sets of 10 and called it quits. I was pleased though because I told myself that I wanted to do 60 before I started. I didn't set the goal too high and quit early. It felt good. My arms are going to be sore tomorrow though.

Day 22

Day 22 was definitely a recovery day for me. However I was able to go for a short run and I felt pretty good. My feet hurt a little bit but I'm sure they will recover.

My next event is the Wilkes-Barre Olympic Triathlon. I'm only doing the swim but its 1500m (0.9 miles). Thankfully I'm doing it as part of a relay so I only have to worry about the swim.

Day 21 (Steelman Triathlon)

So the triathlon was a success! I finished in 2:21:21 and it was a longggggg 2 hours and 21 mins

The race was a 0.5 mile, a 12.8 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run.

The Swim

The swim was a new experience for me. I had never gone that far all at once. The farthest I had gone without stopping was 500 yards. All my concentration was focused on getting to the next buoy, and after I got to that buoy all I thought about was getting to the next one. It was definitely a challenge and the shore was a welcome site. I finished the swim in 25:31.

The Bike

The bike was the the longest part of the race. There were lots of rolling hills which were awesome because they had a down hill but sucked because they had an uphill. I finished the bike in 1:03:49.

The Run

The run was the most difficult part of the whole race. I was already exhausted from the swim and the bike and 3.1 miles is tough even on fresh legs. After about a mile or so I started to find my stride and felt a lot better. I got a ton of compliments on my VFFs. My feet killed though. I guess I'm still getting used to them. It felt like I was running forever and the last mile felt like it took the longest. It was such an amazing feeling to see the finish line. I finished the run in 45:12.

I was overwhelmed when I finally finished the race. They gave me an ice cold towel at the finish line and nothing could have felt better.

I'm glad its over but I'm ready to do another one. Anyone want to join me?

EDIT

Here are the results

Day 20

Day 20 was basically not a work out. I walked around the Pre-race meeting for the Steelman for about a half hour or so. With the race so close I want to be as rested as possible.

The pre-race meeting was exciting. I got my race number (928) and a sweet hoodie with "STEELMAN TRIATHLON" on the front. I can't wait until it gets cold to wear it.

Tomorrow is the big day!

Wish me luck

Day 19

Day 19 was my last actual workout before the Steelman. Since I was visiting my Grandma in Hanover (near Gettysburg) I thought it would be a cool idea to go for a run on the battlefields there with my Dad. We started off in Devil's Den and wrapped our way around and ran up Little Round Top. It was a short but intense workout.

Day 18

I was at my Grandmother's house today and decided to walk to walmart and back just for something physical to do. Not a very exciting post but on a plus side the Steelman is Sunday!!!!!!!!

Day 17

Day 17 was another push-up, sit-up, mountain climber, wall sit, jumpies, 6-inches kind of day. I've been wanting to rest my legs in preparation for the race.

Nerves started to kick in today when I received and email with all of the information I would need for the race including the wave I would be going out in (near the end of the doc). It suddenly got real for me that I would be doing a triathlon on Sunday. Its always been so far off in my head that it was never an actual thing that was going to happen. It was sort of like trying to get excited for Christmas in June.

Yay for new experiences, boo for nerves.

Day 16

Day 16 was a recovery day. I have been going hard for the past couple days so I decided to take it easy and just go for a walk.

I want to make sure I go into the race on Sunday as well rested as possible. I want to give myself as many advantages as I can.

Short post today. I'm tired.

Maybe a run tomorrow.

Day 15

I felt like changing things up today. I decided to do some abs and strength exercises.

I did...

-crunches
-bicycle crunches
-planks (both sides and reverse)
-push-ups
-wall sits (1 minute each)
-leg lifts
-"thing-where-your-legs-are-up-in-the-air-and-you-reach-toward-them" crunches


It wasn't a very structured work out. Just something to do while watching Ghost Rider (there was literally nothing on tv). However, I was sweating profusely and my heart rate was up the whole time.

I'm going to try to take it easy this week with the Steelman quickly approaching. I want to be well rested for the race

Day 14

Well I was feeling MOTIVATED today. With the Steelman only a week away I decided to to a "dry-run" if you will. I Biked 13 miles and then slapped on my VFFs and ran a 5k which is the distances for the race. I was very surprised how good everything felt. I was able to pace myself well enough where I didn't need to take any breaks.

The bike took me a little over an hour and the run took me about 40 mins. Although I didn't time myself. I just kind of glanced at the clock before I left and when I was in "transition".

Next week should be a piece of cake (famous last words)

Day 13 (sorta)

Well for you die hard fans This post is coming a day late. I was in State College yesterday moving out of my old apartment and into my new apartment and I didn't have access to the internet.

I am definitely counting moving as my workout for the day. First off it took all day and it was hotttt. Second off (and more importantly) I was moving from an apartment on the third floor to an apartment on the second floor. And no it wasn't the one right below it.

Needless to say it was an awesome stair workout.

Day 12

Ahh nothing like an Inglorious Bastards/Twilight meme.

But I digress...

Day 12 was my last open water swim before the Steelman next weekend. It was my best (and longest without a break) swim to date. We started off with a 250 yard loop and took a quick break and then did a 500 yard loop. I did much better this time with sighting where I was going. In open water there is no line to look at like there is at the bottom of a pool so the only way you can see where you're going is to actually look up. That took some practice but after 2 days at the pool I was much better this time around.

Swimming in open water does take some mental focus because it can get kind of boring especially since there isn't anything to look at to distract you. I'm glad I had these open water practice swims because I can't imagine having the Steelman be the first time I was in open water.

9 more days until the big day!

Tomorrow's workout is going to be moving all of my stuff out of my apartment and into my new one. Should be a good workout too considering I'm moving from a third floor apartment to a second floor apartment in a different building.

Day 11

Day 11 was a quick run (only about 1.5 miles) because I went to go see Inception (ridiculously awesome movie)

While I was Running though a kid ran up next to me and lengthen my strides to get more power out of each step. In my head i was like "Yeah ok whatever kid. Hit puberty before you start giving me advice." Well as it turns out he was right. I started lengthening my strides and felt like I was going faster without putting forth that much more effort.

It just goes to show that even 12 year olds know more about bare-foot running than me.

Day 10

Well its official. After today I'll have to start using my toes to figure out what day I'm on.

Today was another swim. I did 1100 yards in the pool only resting every 250 yards or so. Other than that not much to report.

Long days=short posts

Day 9

Day 9 ended with a nice 2 mile run through the neighborhood. I've noticed that running hills with the VFFs are a lot easier than in regular shoes. I've also noticed that my calves feel a lot harder than they used to.

I know I'm repeating myself a lot but the VFFs are amazing shoes.

I'll be really interested to know what I weight on day 30 (right before I leave for college). I'm only weighing myself monthly so I can measure noticeable changes and not just fluctuations from day to day. I'm in completely new territory in terms of exercising from here on out so I really can't predict any results.

Post your guesses of what I'm going to weigh at the end of day 30 and whoever is closest wins a candy bar. Remember I started at 230lbs on day 1.

Swimming tomorrow.

Day 8

Holy crap I had a good swim tonight. Everything clicked. Normally during my swims I swim a lap and take a break because I am so out of breath. Two laps without a break was pushing it. However, today I found my groove and finally figured out how to pace myself.

I was able to do 5 laps (250 yards) at a time without taking a break.

Even after each 250 yard set I was still feeling great and breathing normally. The Wilkes-Barre Triathlon (in which I am only doing the swim) is looking a lot more doable. That is a 1500m swim (about 30 laps I think) and I was really worried about being able to even finish that until today.

Oh and fyi the Steelman is only 800 yards so I have that in the bag.

Awesome day.

Tomorrow might be a late night run.

Day 7

Wow day 7 is over. I honestly never thought I'd make it this far. In my entire life I have never worked out for 7 days straight. Its a pretty good feeling.

I went for a 3.1 mile (5km) run today which was the longest to date in my VFFs. My feet are a little sore but overall I felt pretty good. It was wet and nasty out but thankfully that cooled things off so it wasn't too bad out.

The Steelman is in 2 weeks. I'm starting to get nervous.

Day 6

Today was hotttttttttt. Around 95 degrees. So what did I decide to do? Go biking on a highway of course. My Mom and I decided to check out the bike course for the Steelman Triathlon to get a good feel for how it was going to be race day. I was pleased (sarcasm) to find out that the first quarter mile was a massive uphill. After that it was just rolling hills which weren't too bad. It was a little frustrating to know that for every downhill there was going to be an equal uphill because the course was one big loop.

The bike I'm using is my Dad's racing bike for when he did triathlons a couple years ago. The seat is a racing seat and therefore very thin and rock hard so my butt is killing me. (insert crude joke here)

I think tomorrow will be a run just to complete the triathlon for the weekend

Day 5

I just got back from Peddie Lake in NJ. It was a lot harder than swimming in a pool for several reasons...

1. You can't see where the crap you are going. Its going to take some practice to learn how to lift my head out of the water to see if I am swimming the correct direction.

2. There are no breaks or anything to hang onto like there are at the edge of the pool.

Overall though it was a very educational experience and I am definitely going back on Friday (if anyone wants to join me)

Checking out the bike course for the Steelman Tri tomorrow morning... I hope I don't die in the heat

Day 4

Well day 4 is over and to be honest if it wasn't for this blog I wouldn't have gone out tonight. I had a long day at work on a building site trudging around looking for wires in an old abandoned data center which had no electricity and no AC. Needless to say it was a long, hot, sweaty day.

However...

I felt great running tonight. My body is adapting more and more to the Vibram Five Fingers (VFFs from now on) and tonight was the first time I have ever really enjoyed running. For the past several years after only a couple minutes into a run I could feel my Tibialis Anterior muscle (thanks for the anatomy lesson Leah) start to lock up which would eventually segue into my feet going numb. It was a very frustrating problem because I could never go farther than 2 miles without total numbness.

I don't seem to be having that problem anymore which is awesome :-)

Open water swim tomorrow. Should be interesting.

Day 3

Ahhh day three.

I was exhausted after work so instead of going to the pool I decided just go for a nice long walk. according to www.mapmyrun.com I went about 3.6 miles. It definitely helped my calves feel better from yesterday's run. The vibrams REALLY work those muscles because you calves are you shock absorber instead of the heel of a shoe.

Oh I saw a mom and baby deer on my way home. I was probably 50 feet away and just sitting there staring at me. Twilight (the time of day not the movie/book, ladies) is the best time to see deer.

Friday is going to be my first open water swim which is apparently much different from swimming in a pool. I'm excited though because it will be the first time I can accurately gauge how well I'm going to do in the swimming section of my first triathlon on August 8th.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do for tomorrow though so I'll have to ponder that.

Day 2

Well day 2 ended with a a great night time run wearing my Vibram Five Fingers. Now admittedly it wasnt a full hour (only about a 25 minute run). However, I cut it short because I'm not that used to running with these "shoes". From my reading you should take it easy when transitioning to the Vibrams because it is a drastic change for your feet.

Yeah yeah I know I'm making excuses but this is a fairly large change in life style and I want to ease into it. If i get injured this whole experiment gets a lot harder to complete.

And on a side note I almost ran into a pack of deer when i was way out in the back of a baseball field. Not the smartest idea I've ever had.

Until tomorrow (which will probably be a swim day)

OH and before I forget. My starting weight is (obligatory drumroll)... 229.8 lbs. we'll see what that number is again near the end of August.

Day 1

So day 1 was a strong start for me. I went swimming with my mom at a local middle school and did 1000 yards. Granted I took a break every lap or so because I was breathing fairly hard. It was a full 5 laps further (or farther... I'm not really sure) than my previous personal best :-). Oh and in my book a lap is up and back. Just an fyi.

I think what I am going to do is release my progress on a monthly basis. I'll have to get all my base lines tomorrow at work because they have a scale in the kitchen. Yeah I know... weird.

I think tomorrow will be a running day.

In the mean time here is something to think about

Day 0

So according to the CDC we all should be getting an hour of physical activity everyday. I feel like I should have put quotes around the word "should" in the previous statement because when it comes to physical activity I don't come even close to that number.

Now, I am not what you would call fat. However, I have been on the overweight side for most of my adult life and have always wanted to change that. I (and I'm sure I am not alone on this) have a hard time going to the gym just for the sake of going to the gym. I need something else to motivate me to get to get out there. Past successes have been various phys. ed. classes in college and a brief stint in the boxing club as well as the rowing team. I am signed up for two triathlons coming up in a couple weeks but I needed something a bit more long term.

That's where I came up with the idea for this blog and video project. My goal is to complete an hour of physical activity everyday for the next 365 days and take a picture of myself after these workouts. At the end of the year I'll (hopefully) be able to put together a video of similar to this. I'm sure this isn't a completely original idea but I think it will be fun to track these changes in a more interesting way than just a before and after shot.

Since today is day 0 tomorrow we'll start things off.

Wish me luck!