Two Weeks to Cary Road Race

Only 2 more weeks to train and prepare myself for the big day. Yes, I have entered the Cary Road Race as a "5k Recreational Runner". I still plan to compete and win my age weight division. I can't imagine there will be many other 255lb 43 year olds out there!

When I used to run races when I was in my 20's, I would mainly do so to collect the T-shirts you get featuring the race's logo & artwork. I remember the first race shirt I ever got. It was the "Old Reliable Run" which was put on in downtown Raleigh by the News & Observer (the old reliable).

Anyway... back then, I could go and run 4-6 miles daily without a problem. These days, I have to plan days in advance to run 3 miles. I think about the 25 pounds I've lost so far. That's like 4-5 bricks... or 2.5 10lb bags of potatoes... or one Systematic Theology book by Wayne Grudem. So I am hoping that the more I lose, the easier the runs will become.

Last night I ran the 3.4 trek around Carpenter Village. This was, by far, the best run I've done during this era. I started out strong, and felt great through the first mile, which is largely uphill as I make my way to the center of the neighborhood. Usually, the first half mile is treacherous and I want to quit right from the get go. Last night, I was probably over 2 miles before I wanted to quit, but was too close to the end to stop. I finished strong after about 37 minutes, and felt I could have gone further. But running is soooo boring to me. I just hate it. But it for sure is a great exercise, and I usually drop to a new weight low the morning after.

Today I had to drill new holes in my belt, and then couldn't take it off at the end of the day due to an equipment malfunction. Guess I just need to find a smaller belt. I am able to wear some vintage 1988 Dockers now, so I am uber-cool with those and my 2008 Sketchers. All my really cool Tommy Bahama shirts (all 3 of them) are almost too large. (Father's Day - It's just around the corner - hint hint - now I need an XL, not an XXL).

It's been hard to find time to work out AND have a life. I'm working quite a bit at Big Blue, then coming home, having dinner, getting kids to bed, and THEN, after 9:30pm, I can work out (either elliptical or running). Then I need to do about 2 hours of work. So I usually skip the work and go to bed because I have to be up at 6:30am for a 7am call with India almost every day of the week. It's exhausting, and I have very little time to just relax and decompress.

So I am almost 3 months into the Diet of 2008. So far so good. The weight loss pace has certainly slowed the past month compared to the beginning.... but steady progress is still occurring. Based on my complex statistical data analysis, I am about 1 month ahead of my goal of 40 by the 4th. Even so, I am at the point where I have often fallen off the wagon. The kids are about to track out and we might go somewhere, though I don't know where. Travel always disrupts my diets. Also, the slow pace of the pounds coming off is frustrating. But I'm trying to look at the big picture. After all, 30 days ago, I was exactly 7 pounds heavier. That's another brick in the wall I don't have to carry around any longer.