Back on the Horse

By my calculation, it has been damn near 5 months since I've posted anything on this blog.  I know no one is reading it (especially since I don't post new stuff anyways), but this is sort of a creative outlet for me.  It also helps keep my honest about my weight loss goals and running endeavors.  Man, alot of stuff has changed since the last time I posted.  A brief recap if you will:

• In May, I completed the Pasadena Half-Marathon in a shade under 2:30 (beat my Redlands time)
• A couple of weeks later, we moved.  It has been a bit bumpy living with parents again (long story), but things are okay.
• My wife had surgery in June to remove a bunion on her foot.  She was laid up for a good portion of the summer.
• A few days after the surgery, my wife and I found out that she was expecting.  It was a surprise to say the least (especially since things were all clear when she had her surgery a couple of days before)
• Wifey also decided to coach cross-country this year.  It's been weird for us to not see her until after 5.  Honestly can't wait until the season is over.

A bit of a confession:  With all of the changes, I pretty much gave up on tracking this summer.  I never established a good routine with it (my fault of course) and kind of lost my groove.  I didn't consistently do any of my weigh ins this summer either (but I did weigh in frequently if that makes sense).  I pretty much stopped running all summer and I'm having a hard time getting back in that groove, too.  Luckily for me, when I weighed in yesterday I was only up a 1lb from my all time low.

I'm fully committed again to tracking and I think I have about 45 more lbs. or so until I hit my goal.  It will probably take a while, but I am prepared.  

Race Report - Run Through Redlands - 4/22/2012

To celebrate the first anniversary of my 1st logged run on Nike+, I decided that it was a good time to run my first half-marathon (okay, it wasn't really to celebrate the anniversary but it sounds more dramatic). After sniffing around a bit in January, I found a race that seemed like it would be a good fit for DW and myself. The website boasted a flat and easy course and it was almost around the corner from my in-laws. Win-win right? 


About a month ago, we got an e-mail that the race was cancelled. After training for a couple of months, there was no way that I was going to sit idly and not run a race. Luckily, I found one that was the same day and it was close to home. 


It was actually a race that I had considered back around the 1st of the year when I was looking for our first half except that I knew the course was hilly and I really didn't want an overly challenging course for our first half. However, with our original race cancelled, I didn't have much of a choice.


The race was scheduled to start at 7:30a and we got to the start line at about 6:30a or so. We were able to get our bibs and shirts with no problems, so we had a bit longer to warm up than we were expecting. I think we did about a mile of slow jogging before the race. 


After watching the 10k folks start, we headed back to our start line (it was about a 1/4 mile behind the 10k start). Before we knew it, the countdown began and we were off.  The first couple of miles were pretty easy. Miles 3-8 were really hilly though. I was somewhat prepared the hills, but they still ended up being way more challenging than I expected. Getting up a hill only to go down and then back up another hill was as mentally challenging as it was physically challenging. They never seemed like they were going to end, even though I had a pretty good idea of what the elevation profile was. 


Even though the course was challenging, it was an interesting course that wound through the streets of historic Redlands (it's an old citrus town with cool Victorian houses throughout the area). There were plenty of volunteers throughout the course and many of the folks who lived in the area watched the race from their front yards. Some of them also passed out orange slices along the way. There were plenty of aid stations with both water and gatorade along the route. It was really cool to see the community so involved.


I hit my GUs about miles 4, 8, and 11 (or so). I don't know if they really help or not, but they seem to make me feel better. In addition to the aid stations, I also had my handheld bottle and I am very glad that I brought it. The weather ended up being a little bit on the warm side for this time of the year (even by SoCal standards) and it was pretty humid for us (50%, some of you midwesterners might scoff at that but it is extremely humid for us). My shirt (tech shirt) and shorts were soaked through by the end of the 1st mile. 


By mile 11 or 12, I wasn't sure I was going to make it. I ended having to walk a few times (mostly the hills) and I walked again part way through mile 12. I was exhausted but I pushed on through to the end. 


I ended up finishing in 2:33:30 with a 11:43 pace. Even though my recent 10k times were much better (my pace was 10:30 for those), I knew that it wasn't going to happen for a half. My goal was to finish in around 2:30 so I was actually okay with my time. The hills and weather slowed me down a bit, but I accomplished something that wasn't even on my radar a year ago. My goal when I first started running was to finish a 5k without having to walk. I've done that and more in the last year. 


On a side note, I heard from many experienced runners after the race (its always after isn't it) that Redlands is one of the toughest races they have done. I will say that the race was organized fantastically and the community involvement was great. I'm not sure that I will run it again, but if anyone is SoCal is looking for a challenge I would recommend it.

Double Double - Yummy!

So I have parent conference/open house night tonight at work.  I'll probably talk to about 5 parents and spend the rest of the time yapping with my colleagues.  I would much rather be home, but I guess I can't complain too much.  Except that I won't see my boys today and there haven't been very many days that I haven't seen them.  So it goes.

I live about 30 miles from work and had a meeting after school, so I ended up not going home after school.  I had to grab something to eat and I decided that a Double Double from In-n-Out sounded like a great idea.  And it was.  So were the fries.

This is one of the reasons that  really do like being on WW.  The meal cost me 29 points (for the ladies like my wife who get 26 points a day.. GASP!).  Guess what?  I still had 31 points left for the day.  I had the points and was able to enjoy an every once and a while treat.  It isn't the best choice but it was a damn tasty one.

Funny thing is, this is the second time I had fries this week.  On Monday night, I went out with my friends and the sandwich I ordered came with fries.  My buddy (Mister Deprive Myself) got a side salad instead of fries.  I may have had fries twice this week, but Monday night was the first time in weeks that I indulged in the crispy golden potatoes that were handed down from on high.  Mister Deprive Myself is on a self-imposed diet of sorts and pretty much said that he was "giving up" fries.  I told him there was no freaking way that I was giving up fries.  I just don't eat them all that often (except for this week).

I guess I just trust myself enough now that I know that a small order of fries from time to time isn't going to derail me.

Flogging Molly and Binge Drinking

First, I must say that I had a fabulous time at the Flogging Molly concert on Friday night.  It was everything that I could have hoped for and more.  Unfortunately, my apprehensions about drinking too many beers did come true.  I overindulged a little bit, but I was kind of prepared for that and I'm actually okay with it.

I gained .6 lbs this week.  I blame it mostly on the drinking on Friday night.  Even when I have the points to drink, I still post little gains when I go overboard.  Friday just confirmed what I had already known.  If I plan on drinking, I better also plan on posting a gain.

Deception..

I have a friend who has been on a "no red meat" kick for the last several months.  It probably isn't a bad idea, but sometimes I think that people can confuse cutting out red meat (or going full on veggie) with eating healthier.  This sort of idea was brought to light a couple of Fridays ago when I "had" to go to Taco Bell for lunch.  My wife is Catholic and we observe lent in our house.  This particular Friday came and I was totally unprepared for lunch.  I usually just go with tuna fish sandwiches when I find myself without a suitable meatless meal on Fridays, but we were out of mayo.  Since my work schedule is more conducive to going out to eat (I have a prep period before lunch), I took one for the team and grabbed some Taco Bell.

Knowing full well that Taco Bell isn't a super healthy choice, I did more or less budget my points for the lunch but I was still pretty surprised to see what the damage was.  I ordered 2 bean burritos and a tostada.  Even with eating less these days, that is still a relatively small meal (at least compared to the past).  The three items cost me a grand total of 24 points.  My usual lunches from home are much less "pointy" and it seems like they usually fill me up much more.

However, that isn't really the point of this exercise.  It got me thinking about comparing my "healthy" and meat free Taco Bell choices to a more standard cheeseburger and fries type of meal.  In the Inland Empire area of Southern California, we have a great family owned fast-food chain called Baker's Drive Thru.  While I love the Mexican portion of their menu, the shining star is their burgers.  Their "Double Baker" is almost on par with In-N-Out's "Double-Double".  Just for kicks and giggles, I decided to add up the points from a Double Baker value meal (with a Diet Coke of course).  A Double Baker w/cheese and an order of fries adds up to 29 points.

It obviously doesn't take a math major to figure out that the Baker's meal was more "expensive" than the Taco Bell meal.  On an unrestricted day, I would pick the Baker's meal 100 times out of 100, though.

However, the point of this exercise is more about perception.  Before my Weight Watchers days, if you would have given me the choice of which meal was healthier I would have thought that the Taco Bell me was WAY more healthy than the Baker's Meal.  In reality, they really aren't too much different.  Both of them are really bad for you.  And that is kind of the point of this exercise.

Sometimes we get caught up and focus too much certain components of a meal and don't take a look at the bigger picture.  A completely vegetarian meal from a fast food joint can be almost as bad for you as a typical burger and fries combo from another fast food joint.

It is noble to figure out ways to make yourself healthier.  I just think that sometimes, we need to to take a look at things on a "macro" scale rather than a "micro" scale.  Removing something like red meat from your diet is more of a micro choice to me.  It might make you healthier than you currently are, but it might not be a big enough change to make and keep you healthy in the long run.

Besides, I still think the important question is "Are you really going to give up (x) for the rest of your life?"  If you can't honestly answer that question than you need to maybe think about doing something else.

Allow me to indulge..

Given that this blog was created to express my thoughts about diet and exercise (and really my personal journey), you would think the title for this post would be related to food.. it isn't.

I usually don't like making statements about politics or anything of that nature in a public place.  Usually, it just isn't worth the hassle.  However, the whole Rush Limbaugh controversy has been eating at me the last few days.  I think most of us can agree that Rush's 3 day rant against Sandra Fluke was idiotic, misguided, and absolutely dishonest.  There isn't much that he said that can actually be defended by any person with a moral compass and a couple of brain cells.

Yet, the right wing pundits (including El Rushbo) have mounted their own defense.  You see, David Letterman made a bad joke about Sarah Palin's daughter one time, this other time Louis CK called Palin a cunt, and this other time Bill Maher called Palin a twat.  The crux of their argument is that since these folks used similar slurs against women, than it is pretty much alright for Rush to do it.  Really, these folks are trying to call "the left" out on their hypocrisy. 

Give Limbaugh a bit of credit.  The explanation of his "apology" on Monday's show was brilliant.  For his followers and fellow right wing pundits, he did a very good job of spinning the controversy.  Fluke's testimony in front of congress had very little to do with herself.  She relayed stories about fellow female students she had spoken with and their struggles to have their insurance cover birth control even when it was deemed medically necessary and not for contraception.  As we all know, Rush turned this into an outright attack on Fluke (needs to rehashing) and her sexual activities.  Yet, this is what the heart of his apology was:

Against my own instincts, against my own knowledge, against everything I know to be right and wrong I descended to their level when I used those two words to describe Sandra Fluke.  That was my error.  I became like them, and I feel very badly about that.

 His apology was that he used the wrong words to attack Sandra Fluke.  Not that he attacked her or misrepresented her testimony, but that he used the wrong words.  To double down of the insincerity, he implied that he "sank" to the level of the other side when he chose those words.  He spun the apology away from what he really did and sent people scrambling to find evidence of what the other side did that was bad.

His sycophants and fellow right pundits ate right out if his hand.  They have now framed the argument in terms of hypocrisy rather than what it actually is.  "I know you are, but what am I?" is now the official argument of the Rush Limbaugh supporters crowd.  Nice job, Rushbo.  You totally "blame-shifted" the apology and steered away from your smear campaign and let people focus on "two" words rather than the entire smear campaign and tirade that you spewed against Sandra Fluke for 3 days on your radio show.

Now many of his supporters have rushed to his aide and found all sorts of evidence that the left has used the same or worse words against women as evidenced by the previous mentions of CK and Maher.  I actually think that there could be a valid conversation based on this if it wasn't used to deflect responsibility.  What if Hannity came on his radio show today and said:

Let me start off by saying that Rush Limbaugh's attack against Sandra Fluke was misguided and totally inappropriate.  Much has been made about the language that Limbaugh used while attacking Fluke and that misses the heart of argument.  However, this is a chance for an open discussion about the kind of language that it used against women on a regular basis.  No one should use that language whether they are conservative, liberal, moderate, or somewhere else on the scale.  It is unacceptable to talk about a woman in those kinds of terms.

Not many on that side of the aisle would do that sort of thing, but I think it it would make for an interesting conversation or statement.  It would condemn Limbaugh while at the same time pointing out the misogynist tendencies that many of us have.   Condemn everyone for using that kind of language.  Put a spotlight on everyone.  Don't go around finding examples of left wingers using nasty words against women to defend Rush.  It takes away from the other words (that were far worse) that he said.

Apprehension (and a touch of excitement)...

This Friday, the guys and I are going to see Flogging Molly.  Most of me is very excited for this because I haven't been to a show with my buddies in years.  My default (and expected) date for most of the shows that I have been to in the last couple of years has been my wife.  I think the same can be said for my buddies.  My wife decided last year (after getting a pounding headache) that she would no longer be my date for "rock" shows.  This time around, my buddies are going with me.

I'm excited to hang out with my friends and do something that was a huge part of our lives when we were younger.  Going to shows and concerts was a hobby of ours in our late teens through a good portion of our 20s.  Then we grew up, got jobs, got married, and had kids (at least two of us did).  Life changes a bit when responsibility sets in.

And that is where the apprehension sets in for Friday.  One of the wives suggested that she would feel much safer if we stayed in a hotel on Friday night.  I had actually thought about it and totally agreed that stumbling back to our hotel or taking a cab after midnight was a far better option than driving back home well after the witching hour.  Again, exciting in some ways but nerve wracking in others.

I started on WW back in September.  The wife and I have had some getaways and enjoyed ourselves while I have been on the the plan.  However, it is much easier to restrain yourself when your partner in crime is also following the same plan you are.  Even if both of us overindulge in one way or another, we both still know that we are accountable to that tracker in our phone and the scale.  It seems to be a more daunting endeavor when you are hanging out with folks who aren't on the same page as you.

It's also more daunting because, quite frankly, our pastime throughout the years has been drinking beer.  Lots of beer.  I've severely cut back since I started WW, but I know that my compatriots can still put it away.  I plan on having a couple of beers (or more) throughout the evening, but I really don't want to go overboard.  For the most part, I've done a pretty good job restraining myself when we've hung out lately.  Of course, that is when I have a wife and kids that I need to be accountable to when I go home.  It's going to be a little different this time.

I'm not setting myself up for failure and I plan on making the best choices possible, but I am still nervous.  I'll have to give a recap on Monday!

Misconception of the Day

This idea was inspired by some of my wife's Facebook friends.  So the inspiration behind this post goes to my dear wife (and yes, it does relate to diet stuff).

Misconception #1:  "It is cheaper to eat out than it is eat at home"


The Math

Just doing some back of the napkin type of calculations, I figure that a typical entree at a chain type of sit down restaurant costs average about $10 a person.  I figure that most people also get a drink (soda, lemonade, etc) and those are usually about $2.50.  For a couple, your bill is going to run at least $25.  Add in tax and a tip and you are looking at something over $30.

Of course, some folks might point out that they don't always go to a sit down place and they grab a combo meal from a fast food joint.  I don't eat fast food very often, but I think it is safe to say that most fast food combos run at least $6-7 a piece.  For a couple, it is probably going to run you at least $15 for a fast food meal.

Now let's look at what I might consider a typical weeknight meal.  At our house, a typical meal usually has a protein (red meat, pork, or chicken), carb (rice, potato, etc), and a veggie.  For this exercise, my meal is going to be grilled chicken thighs, brown rice, and broccoli.  On average, chicken thighs are usually around $1.25 (I usually pay less) and there are about 7-8 lbs in a family pack.  For this exercise, let's say that you cook 4 lbs. of thighs.  Your protein for this meal is going to cost you about $5.  I like to cook my brown rice with chicken broth, so let's add a couple of bucks for broth and another $1 for 2 cups of rice (again, a little on the high side).  For my protein and starch, I'm sitting $8 right now.  When it is in season, fresh broccoli will run you a couple of dollars a pound.  I'm going to say that we bought 3 lbs. of it, for $6.  Oooh, we forgot bbq sauce and a drink.  $2 for the sauce and $2 for a 2-liter of soda.  For tonight's dinner, we spent about $18 (again, being way liberal on the prices).  $18 is a bit more than the fast food joint, but quite a bit less than the chain restaurant.  Of course, I made enough food tonight for lunch tomorrow (and beyond possibly) so I've stretched my dollar beyond what I would get at your typical restaurant.

Now, one can argue coupons and such can make eating out cheaper but I can counter that argument with sales and coupons or other things like that.  It's kind of a circular argument.

Other Reasons

• I think alot of "non-cooks" say this because buying simple kitchen ingredients does add up.  The first time my wife made Chicken Tikka Masala, we had to buy all of the Indian spices that were required for the dish.  It probably did cost us more (if you factor in the spices) to make it the first time than it would have cost to go an Indian restaurant for dinner.  Of course, we have made this dish and other Indian dishes quite a few times since then so the cost has been significantly spread out.  If you don't have basic cooking ingredients, your grocery bill is probably going to be a little higher than mine is but I have a well stocked cupboard right now.  Then again, one can get by with just salt and pepper and that stuff is pretty cheap.
• Some folks cook out of cans or boxes.  I still think it is cheaper to do it that way, but pre-made foods can be more expensive than cooking from scratch (they can also be cheaper when stuff isn't in season).

At the end of the day, I think this is just a rationalization that folks tell themselves to justify eating out.  It may be true in some instances, but I think in the end that cooking at home is going to save you a heck of a lot money in the long run.

Getting Rid of Old Clothes

During the holidays, I finally took the plunge and decided that it was time to ditch my "big" clothes.  For the most part*, everything in my dresser or closet that said XXL or had a bigger waist size than my current was put in a bag for Goodwill.

* I saved some of my old shorts because it will be a while until I can buy new ones.  Living in Southern CA, I can't be without shorts for too long.  Besides, old shorts make for great "work" clothes.  I even save a pair of my bigger jeans for the same reason.  My wife bought me 4 new pairs of smaller jeans and I don't want to ruin those.  My plan is for them to become my "work" type of pants before I know it.


For whatever reason, I've always had a hard time getting rid of old clothes.  Here is a list of my more current excuses:

• I might not wear a past it's prime T-shirt in public anymore, but why get rid of it when it can become a yard work shirt?
• I can't get rid of that (shirt/jacket/sweatshirt/etc) because it is was a gift.**
• Maybe it is just me, but it is hard to get rid of  favorite article of clothing.
• Those damn clothes cost money to replace.  I think everyone actually has this problem.  I think that it is way easier to buy a bigger size because wearing tight clothes is horribly uncomfortable.  Baggy clothes might not look great, but they fit and they are usually pretty comfy.

** I generally stay out of the "I can't get rid of (thing), because (person) gave it to me", but it gets me with clothes (a generally perishable item).  No one I know would be bummed about me getting rid of clothes that were too big for me, but it was still a mental hurdle.  Hell, most of the people who gave me the shirt probably forgot about it a long time ago.  Still, I had to tell myself that that even if someone was disappointed with me, they would be far happier that my health had infinitely improved since the gift was given to me. 

Why I like Weight Watchers..

I'm going to post twice today..so suck it fellas!

I sort of got the inspiration for this post from the Weight Watchers message boards.  Just to be clear, this is my second go round with Weight Watchers.  The first time was successful but I don't think that I last longer than maybe 3 or 4 months.  I lost weight, but I thought that I could really follow the plan without tracking.  It didn't work and I gained my weight back.  This time around it seems easier.  I am able to do everything online and can track with my phone.

But that's not why I am writing this post.  Someone posted on the boards that they like Weight Watchers because it didn't have to disrupt his whole family.  In other words, he didn't have to force his diet on his family.  Luckily for me, that wouldn't have been an issue because my wife and I are doing the diet together but I still like the sentiment.

For years now, my buddies and I have gone out on Monday nights for drinks and dinner.  Recently, I gave up the drinks parts (don't like what I can turn into when I drink) but I still like to do the dinner part.  One of my buddies has been on a couple of different diets over the last few years.  When he was on South Beach, we had to find a place that was carb friendly* and served wine**.  Now that he is on some cleansing "No Red Meat" diet (I don't even know what it is called), we have to find places that fit into that sort of thing.

* The funny thing is, WW wants you to restrict your carbs too and I'm pretty sure it's because a carbs are a source of a crap load of calories (just like fat, etc).  However, I can still have a piece of bread and not feel like I am going to derail my diet.

* * I've always liked that Weight Watchers dings you (more or less) the same for standard servings of wine, beer, or hard liquor (of course, foofy drinks get ya).  I seem to remember from one of my early meetings that the bad stuff in alcohol was, well, the alcohol.  


To be completely honest, it has never really bugged me all that much because diet or no diet, I was always able to get beer at a place that served wine and I could find something that I wanted to eat anyplace.  With WW, I can still do that.  I've been on the diet since September and I don't think that I've ever uttered the words "I can't go there because of my diet***" with friends, family, etc.  I might have to choose something a bit different than I did before, but I know that I can find something on any menu that will keep me on the right track.  Even if the food is on the "bad" side, I have enough extra points that I can kind of splurge if I have to.

*** Now, I have had to tell people that I couldn't take their treat or sweet but I think that is a little different.  One day my brother tried to get me to eat a cookie our sister made.  I had already scarfed down a few cookies at home that day and I just had to say no.  I just knew it wasn't going to fit into my points that day (plus, the cookies at home ate into extra points, etc)

In closing, I want to thank Weight Watchers for giving me the freedom to choose whatever I want on the menu as long as I have the points to eat it.

Musings on a Rainy Monday Morning

Today is a non-student day at school (which is a little strange).  Just trying to get organized a bit for the 2nd Semester.  Organization if my Achilles' Heel and I struggle with it.  I'm going to try a few different things this semester to see if I can find something that works for me.  I always have to remind myself that this is only my 3rd full semester of teaching and there will be some bumpy roads along the way.

Anyhooooo, on to the more important stuff..

• Today's weigh in was great.  I lost 3.4 lbs last week.  I'm entering my weight daily at Physics Diet,  but I've only been doing it for 4 days and I'm fairly certain that there isn't enough data for it to get a true average yet.
• Friday was a scheduled off day for the half training.  I swam on Saturday.  I did okay swimming and I think I am getting a little better at it, but it is still really hard.  I'm struggling with the breathing.  Oh well, I finished the first week of the 0 to 1650 program.  I think I may push through the program one time to get my endurance up and then start over again to work on technique.
• While I was in the pool on Saturday, I was reminded that some folks can be rude beyond belief.  The pool at our gym is relatively small (25 meters long with 3 lanes).  I was sharing a lane with another guy (far better swimmer than I) and a family of 5 or so decided that it would be a good idea to jump in our lane.  Luckily, someone in another lane was finished so I moved over.  However, the other guy got a little pissed at the family because he ran into one of them.  He gave them a little grief and what I assume was the Mom started giving him crap.  While I was in the midst of catching my breath, I thought I heard the Mom claim that she was in the pool for therapeutic reasons.  I don't want to be a skeptic, but I doubt  she was.  The family was playing around like it was the local community pool.  If the pool is empty, have at it.  When the pool is "full" with people sharing lanes, kindly stay the hell out.
• Ran 4 miles on Sunday.  Not a super great run, but I finished my run with no problem and I didn't feel too bad afterwards.  Sometimes I feel pretty crappy after a morning run for most of the day, but I didn't yesterday.  Most of the time, I like to run on a somewhat empty stomach.  I don't think that is a good idea anymore and I'm pretty sure that I am going to have at least a light breakfast on my long run days.

Random Thoughts on a Friday Afternoon

Okay, so another quick post about things I have learned this week:

1. Swimming is much easier with goggles.  They allow you to keep your head down in the water and avoid nasty neck cramps.
2. The first week of the half marathon training is coming to a close.  Only 11 more weeks to go.
3. The weight tracker thing over at physicsdiet.com seems like a pretty cool idea.  Instead of weighing in once a week, you weigh in daily (or multiple times a day).  Some folks on the WW message boards say that it gives you a better idea of your weight loss because our weight can fluctuate so wildly on a day to day basis. It averages your weight for the week rather than a one time weigh in kind of shot.  I'm going to give it a try this week and see if it makes any difference. (ie makes me feel better)
4. Swimming may be easier with goggles, but it is still pretty tough.  I can't believe how winded I am after 25 yards.  Somehow this will help my running I guess.

Why Am I Blogging?

I sort of got this idea to blog from the WW site, but I didn't really dig their interface.

1. To be honest, I like to write but I have been struggling to find an outlet.  
2. I like the subject matter (me, me, me)!
3. More seriously, I wanted a sort of accountability factor.
4. I actually don't like writing about me, but it is a subject (me) I know alot about.

Who is this Guy?

In October 2010, my wife and I signed up to do a 5k at the Lake Norconian Club in Norco, CA. I was interested in seeing the place because Huell Howser did one of his shows from there and it looked interesting. My wife grew up in the area and had heard a bit about it but had never seen it because it is on active military base. Her brother and friends were running the 5k so we figured we would walk and check it out.

You can't blame me for wanting to see the place!

Flash forward to the end of the race. We both walked and our time was about 56 minutes. I finished last in my age group, but it didn't really bother me all that much. I was just there to do some sight seeing. I think the time disappointed my wife and the idea of being able to improve it intrigued her.

She eventually found the Couch to 5k program and casually started it around January 2011. A month later, I bought her a fancy new iPod touch with the Nike+ app so that she could better track her distance. We happened to buy her Nike+ sensor at an Apple store (important, because I ended up buying an iPhone) and she started the C25k deal with vigor.

It should be noted that my wife started running and exercising more because she wanted to lose weight. We weren't small people on our wedding day, but we both of us had certainly packed on a few extra pounds. She carried two gigantor babies (both of our boys weighed over 9lbs), so at least she had an excuse. I just had gained sympathy weight or something like that.

Needless to say, after a couple of months she was certainly in better shape but the scale wasn't reflecting anything. After trying to be positive and saying things like "Hey, at least the scale isn't moving other direction", I finally decided to be more honest with her. Even though we were eating fairly healthy, we were eating too much. Before we were married, both of us had moderate success with Weight Watchers but kind of gave up on it too soon. I mentioned to her that maybe before giving up entirely on exercise that perhaps changing our diet might be a good idea and that she should give WW another try.

She did and in conjunction with her running, she has lost about 50 lbs. to date. She looks freaking amazing (she always has, obviously). This all somehow leads back to me in some sort of narcissistic way of course.

Remember that iPhone I bought? A couple of months after my wife put on her running shoes, I decided that I would like to try the C25K thing. There was even an app for it. I got a sensor and some new running shoes. After graduating the C25k program, I started on the Bridge to 10K program during the summer. I soon found myself in the same place my wife was in just a few months before.

I was certainly in better shape. At that point in time, I could run almost 5 miles at a comfortable pace without stopping. I weighed myself from time to time and even though there were a few dips, nothing was really permanent. After a month off from running (hot weather, wife went back to work), I decided I needed to worry about my weight.

On September 12, 2011 I officially joined WW. My weight at the time was 290. I had hovered around that number all summer. I ran quite a bit, but I also popped open quite a few bottles of beer during the summer.

As of today (January 20, 2012) my weight is 264. The weight hasn't been coming off as fast I would like lately, but I am still mostly losing.