June 8, 2007

What, 500 miles on a bike ain't hard enough for ya?

I've added another goal to my list of "stuff" to check off before I die, lest it be the very thing that kills me:

Ladies and gentlemen... he has... crossed over....

to running! (booooo.) Quiet you!

So, I'm tired of being a mediocre athlete with a weight problem, I've decided the best way to do something about it is three-fold:

1) diet. would you actually just STICK to something, please, dude? Stop eating like crap.

2) Cross-training. For some reason, work has gotten busier, and I haven't been back into hte gym for a while now, and I miss it. Yoga, weights class - I need to get back in the habit.

3) Nothing burns a mid-section like running, from what I've witnessed and read. My biggest problem area is my mid-section. Abs work since January hasn't yielded VISIBLE results (yet), but it has made it possible for me to still wear my old pants while my weight has increased. This is an indication that something is happening.
Paired with re-focusing of the diet, and steady running beginning next week (well, starting with walking fast, initially), I want to see dramatic results by the time Tejas gets here in 101 days.


So, goal time:
I'm going on record here:

Complete the 2008 Walt Disney World Marathon, January 13th, 2008.

Yeah, it's in 2008, but it's really early in 2008, so I can nearly consider this a goal for THIS year, because 99% of my training will take place this year.
That's in addition to ramping up for the Tejas 500. Honestly, this is a huge deal for me, and it's probably more of a challenge for me than cycling at any distance because I simply don't enjoy running the way I enjoy cycling. The theory is that cycling has become so engrained, it's simply something that I do -- not to say it's not still hard at times, but I think you get the idea. The running will be above and beyond the cycling, and will hopefully shock my body out of complacency and back into fat-burning mode.

So, there you go!
The registration fee is paid, and I'll be joining my Mom who will be competing in the same marathon for the third time in succession. Yep - "yer mom runs marathons, slacker." So, there is a lot of accountability there!
The running shoes are ready, and I'm looking forward to a fresh challenge. When the Tejas 500 wraps in late September, I'll hang up the bike for a bit and focus on building distance on foot as the nasty weather starts to work it's way back into the forecast this fall.

This is what it's all about -- finishing the 600K, suddenly everything seems possible. It's a good feeling. Let's see how deep I can busy myself in it!!!

1 comment:

Noah said...

'Grats, Dude! That's a pretty big goal. I'll go ahead and say I HATE running. I can't seem to keep a decent form or pace. I gave it an honest go in '04 and failed miserably.

Also, gaining weight while not getting bigger is usually fat to muscle conversion. I hear ya on the spare tire, though. I've lost 30 pounds but it's seemingly all come from my legs and chest, while the keg I traded my six-pack for years ago remains intact.