30.5.08
18.5.08
Save the Date!!!
Well, folks, here it is:
On 11/23/2008 I will be taking part - running - in the Philadelphia Marathon.
Boy, oh boy, I'd like to know what you're thinking right now. Maybe it's something along these lines:
But you're not a runner, Andy!
You're right. By nature I am not a runner. I ran cross-country in middle school for one lousy year and I hated it. I have tried not to run as much as possible since then because I hated running so much.
Aren't you a smoker, Andy?
Technically, yes. Well, I was a smoker at one point in my life. Thankfully, I am no longer a smoker. Man, that stuff will kill you!
If you have to run, why not choose a more reasonable distance, Andy?
I've always been in awe of people who run marathons. Even though I hate running I still respect folks who do run them. True, I could set a goal of running a half-marathon or a 10k. But I want to push myself. I want to test myself. I want to see what I am capable of. I'm curious to see the end result. Will this be the best thing I've ever done or will this kill me in the process? Let's find out. My money is on the former.
What brought all of this on, Andy?
On April 7, 2008, my dad had what my older sister, Anna, referred to as "a minor cardiac event."
Here's the story: My dad had just dropped off my little brother, Joey, at a friend's house. On the way, Joey noticed that my dad was having trouble breathing. So as soon as he got out of the car, Joey called my mom to tell her to watch for him when he pulls into the driveway. When my dad got home, she noticed that he didn't get out of his car right away so she went outside and saw that he was indeed having trouble breathing and she called 911.
My dad was a runner. He ran the 1982 and 1984 New York City Marathons. I always thought that was cool. I once had aspired to be a runner, but ended up not liking it as much as I thought I would. Actually, at one of the races my dad ran when I was little, Bill Rodgers, four-time winner of the Boston Marathon in the 1970's, made a guest appearance and signed my dad's bib number. Mr. Rodgers signed it to me saying, "See you on the road some day." Yeah, right, Bill. You've got the wrong kid.
Now don't get the wrong idea. I'm not running this race to have something in common with my dad. I'm not running it in an attempt to make him proud of me and I'm also not running it to honor his memory (hopefully not his memory) or his past acheivements.
I'm running this for me.
I'm running this for my daughter.
I'm running this to prove to myself that I can accomplish what I previously thought was an impossibility for me.
I don't want to die young. I've had a lot of bad habits that have grown with me over the years. Like smoking. And drinking. And eating anything I wanted. This is hard for me to admit, but at my worst - now, keep in mind that this is when I started to track this information, so this number could have been higher at one point - I weighed 237 pounds. I was fat. That was August '06.
My 38 waistline jeans were tight.
Add to that the ill-effects of smoking and drinking moderately and you have the picture perfect template for a heart-attack victim.
I want to do many things in life that I haven't done yet. I also want to see my daughter grow up and have kids of her own. I want to see my parents pass (not until far in the future, of course) so I know that they won't have to see me pass.
So I decided to first change my diet. I went on what me and my friend, Donnie, lovingly called the Rabbit Food Diet. It consisted mostly of fruits, legumes and vegetables. There were lean sources of protein and some healthy fats, but absolutely no processed foods. It's amazing the difference that last item can make when you're changing your eating style.
I lost about 25-30 pounds in the year and a half since then but I've lost about another 10-15 since I started running in April.
As of this writing I have 27 full weeks in which to prepare for the race. I have been running for 5 weeks so far and am up to a five mile long run. I have plenty of time till 11/23/08 as long as I can stay consistent.
And that's one of my motivations for putting this all out there on my blog: I'm hoping that this will create accountability for me not just to myself, but to all of you. I am already motivated to run this race for the reasons already stated, but I think an even more motivating factor is the need to stay true to you, my friends and family. The gauntlet has been thrown, the promise made. If I back down and don't complete this journey, then I have failed myself and all of you miserably. I'll do my best not to let that happen.
When I graduated from high school in 1993 I weighed 175 pounds. When I graduated from college in 1998 I weighed 165 pounds. I'm not saying I'm going to get back down to either of those weights, but whatever I get down to it'll be a far cry from my record of 237.
I'll keep updating this blog with my progress throughout the year. You are now my training partners. Just keep the date in mind.
11/23/08.
I'll see you at the finish line.
Well, folks, here it is:
On 11/23/2008 I will be taking part - running - in the Philadelphia Marathon.
Boy, oh boy, I'd like to know what you're thinking right now. Maybe it's something along these lines:
But you're not a runner, Andy!
You're right. By nature I am not a runner. I ran cross-country in middle school for one lousy year and I hated it. I have tried not to run as much as possible since then because I hated running so much.
Aren't you a smoker, Andy?
Technically, yes. Well, I was a smoker at one point in my life. Thankfully, I am no longer a smoker. Man, that stuff will kill you!
If you have to run, why not choose a more reasonable distance, Andy?
I've always been in awe of people who run marathons. Even though I hate running I still respect folks who do run them. True, I could set a goal of running a half-marathon or a 10k. But I want to push myself. I want to test myself. I want to see what I am capable of. I'm curious to see the end result. Will this be the best thing I've ever done or will this kill me in the process? Let's find out. My money is on the former.
What brought all of this on, Andy?
On April 7, 2008, my dad had what my older sister, Anna, referred to as "a minor cardiac event."
Here's the story: My dad had just dropped off my little brother, Joey, at a friend's house. On the way, Joey noticed that my dad was having trouble breathing. So as soon as he got out of the car, Joey called my mom to tell her to watch for him when he pulls into the driveway. When my dad got home, she noticed that he didn't get out of his car right away so she went outside and saw that he was indeed having trouble breathing and she called 911.
My dad was a runner. He ran the 1982 and 1984 New York City Marathons. I always thought that was cool. I once had aspired to be a runner, but ended up not liking it as much as I thought I would. Actually, at one of the races my dad ran when I was little, Bill Rodgers, four-time winner of the Boston Marathon in the 1970's, made a guest appearance and signed my dad's bib number. Mr. Rodgers signed it to me saying, "See you on the road some day." Yeah, right, Bill. You've got the wrong kid.
Now don't get the wrong idea. I'm not running this race to have something in common with my dad. I'm not running it in an attempt to make him proud of me and I'm also not running it to honor his memory (hopefully not his memory) or his past acheivements.
I'm running this for me.
I'm running this for my daughter.
I'm running this to prove to myself that I can accomplish what I previously thought was an impossibility for me.
I don't want to die young. I've had a lot of bad habits that have grown with me over the years. Like smoking. And drinking. And eating anything I wanted. This is hard for me to admit, but at my worst - now, keep in mind that this is when I started to track this information, so this number could have been higher at one point - I weighed 237 pounds. I was fat. That was August '06.
My 38 waistline jeans were tight.
Add to that the ill-effects of smoking and drinking moderately and you have the picture perfect template for a heart-attack victim.
I want to do many things in life that I haven't done yet. I also want to see my daughter grow up and have kids of her own. I want to see my parents pass (not until far in the future, of course) so I know that they won't have to see me pass.
So I decided to first change my diet. I went on what me and my friend, Donnie, lovingly called the Rabbit Food Diet. It consisted mostly of fruits, legumes and vegetables. There were lean sources of protein and some healthy fats, but absolutely no processed foods. It's amazing the difference that last item can make when you're changing your eating style.
I lost about 25-30 pounds in the year and a half since then but I've lost about another 10-15 since I started running in April.
As of this writing I have 27 full weeks in which to prepare for the race. I have been running for 5 weeks so far and am up to a five mile long run. I have plenty of time till 11/23/08 as long as I can stay consistent.
And that's one of my motivations for putting this all out there on my blog: I'm hoping that this will create accountability for me not just to myself, but to all of you. I am already motivated to run this race for the reasons already stated, but I think an even more motivating factor is the need to stay true to you, my friends and family. The gauntlet has been thrown, the promise made. If I back down and don't complete this journey, then I have failed myself and all of you miserably. I'll do my best not to let that happen.
When I graduated from high school in 1993 I weighed 175 pounds. When I graduated from college in 1998 I weighed 165 pounds. I'm not saying I'm going to get back down to either of those weights, but whatever I get down to it'll be a far cry from my record of 237.
I'll keep updating this blog with my progress throughout the year. You are now my training partners. Just keep the date in mind.
11/23/08.
I'll see you at the finish line.
6.5.08
11/23/08
Save the date, friends!
If you can figure out the significance of this date and how it pertains to me, I will mail you one dollar...on second thought, I don't actually have a dollar to mail to you, nor do I keep stamps readily available, so I guess you'll have to settle for a hearty pat on the back via email or something.
But heck, I'm in a generous mood so here's a clue: the date and its significance are very much public domain (it's a public event). Comment me back with your guesses.
Get googling, folks!
Save the date, friends!
If you can figure out the significance of this date and how it pertains to me, I will mail you one dollar...on second thought, I don't actually have a dollar to mail to you, nor do I keep stamps readily available, so I guess you'll have to settle for a hearty pat on the back via email or something.
But heck, I'm in a generous mood so here's a clue: the date and its significance are very much public domain (it's a public event). Comment me back with your guesses.
Get googling, folks!
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