No More Excuses! The Workout Room is READY!

Sure, I haven't run in 3 weeks, but I can't make any more excuses now because the "new" workout room is ready! Plus, it's a new year and time for a new me!

Here are two photos of the room merged together so you can see all the stuff... Obviously, this is in the unfinished part of our basement, so ignore the water heater, furnace, etc.



Click the photo to see a larger size.

From left to right - the Ab Lounge (Amy likes this thing), Collin's road bike on the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine trainer, treadmill, recumbent stationary bike, stability ball. Everything is facing the TV that has a cheap DVD player hooked up to it. We've also got an old "boom box" all set up and ready to rock.

Not Only Am I Fat, But I'm Also Lazy

Holy crap! I haven't run in 12 days! The week after my sinus infection I managed to do one run on 12/9 for 3 miles. My average pace was pathetic, but I just don't have any endurance yet. The rest of that week was BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. I know, I know... With the shortness of my runs I should be able to fit them in to my schedule. Well, I didn't. And this past week I just didn't feel like running. I am completely lacking any motivation, and to add insult to injury, I'm gaining weight again.

Here's the problem. Last winter I worked my way up to 16 miles on the treadmill while training for the Madison Marathon. After that, the winter weather broke and all my runs were outside. In case you aren't a master of the obvious, I HATE THE DAMN TREADMILL!

I'm so jealous of Steve who gets to run inside the Metrodome in Minneapolis for $1, and Carol, who lives in Chapel Hill, NC, where the low temperature on Wednesday this week will be around 50°F. I hate winter and the snow and cold that it brings, so running outside just isn't an option for me. I guess I'm just gonna have to suck it up and hit the treadmill again starting this week.

I have 19 weeks left to train for the LaCrosse Marathon. Would it be an impossible goal to lose 1 lb per week for the next 19 weeks?

photo credit, ElDave

My Wife is Blogging

Yes, you heard that right. MY WIFE IS BLOGGING! She's training for her first half marathon in May, and plans to use the blog to keep herself accountable for her training.

If you're reading this, PLEASE read her first post and leave her a comment. I'll find a way to repay the favor to each and every one of you.

Here's the link: http://not2late2start.blogspot.com/

Training Summary - Week 2

Week 2 of my training for the LaCrosse Marathon is complete, and due to a sinus infection I missed a scheduled run and only logged two runs for a total of 7 miles. My 4 miler today was painful and slow, but I did it. That's about all the accomplishment I can handle right now.

I decided to try something different this week, and I watched a DVD movie while running on the treadmill rather than listening to my iPod. I liked it and I'm hoping it will help me become less dependent on music to run. It will also help once I get everything moved into the "workout room" in the unfinished part of our basement, where I'll also have a real TV and DVD player instead of the little portable DVD player I used this week and had to attach to the treadmill.

I'm hoping once the new bike trainer gets here that I'm motivated to ride on my off days, because I really need to lose some weight and I'm not ready to start dieting yet. Why do I have to love food and beer so much? It's not fair!!!

The plan for this week - three runs for a total of 11 miles (3/4/4). Hopefully I'll be healthier this week.

photo credit, sparktography

New Bike Trainer is on the Way!

I ordered the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine bike trainer today!



I got it from BikeSportMichigan.com for about $60 less than Amazon after shipping charges, which is just an amazing price considering that I paid about $115 less than the MSRP. Can't wait to set it up in my new workout room with the treadmill, stationary bike, etc.

If you want a great deal on one of these, here's where to get it:

http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/shop/product.php?productid=16371&cat=256&page=1

They call it the "Angry Badger ST Secret Trainer Deal 2008" and don't actually tell you what it is when you order it, but I've confirmed on BeginnerTriathlete.com that it is in fact the 2008 Kurt Kinetic Road Machine!

Merry Christmas to me!

Training Summary - Week 1

Week 1 of my training for the LaCrosse Marathon is complete, and it actually went better than I had expected.

Looking back at my logs, I had only run once for a total of 2 miles in the 3 months since the Ragnar Relay. That's just sad! I figured I was in for a world of hurt, and this week would be like starting all over again from the beginning.

I will admit, the first 3 mile treadmill run on Monday hurt. BAD! But I did it and it was all I needed to prepare me for another 3 mile treadmill run on Wednesday. That one went better, and I did it about a minute faster. Today I actually felt great, and did another 3 miles on the treadmill in about 2 minutes less than the Wednesday run.

I'm nowhere near ready to start doing any real speed work or high miles yet, but I'm glad to be back in the saddle and still able to walk.

Next week will look a lot like this week, but I'll add a mile to the Sunday run bringing my total for the week to 10 miles.

Oh, I forgot to mention. I HATE running on the treadmill, but I hate running in the cold, snow and ice even more, so I'll be logging a lot of miles on a conveyor belt for the next several months.

photo credit, k.Akagami

Marathon Training Starts TOMORROW

I am running the first annual LaCrosse Marathon on May 3rd, 2009 (23 weeks from today) in LaCrosse, WI. Unfortunately, I haven't run a step in just over 2 months, so starting tomorrow I'll be building up my mileage so I can start this 16 week plan in 7 weeks.

This week's plan - 3 runs of 3 miles each - probably all on the treadmill since I'm a big baby and don't like running in the cold weather.

My time for my last marathon was 5:13:38, and this time I'm shooting for 4:22:00 (averaging 10:00/mile). I suspect that the LaCrosse course will be easier due to its flatness, and I'm planning on working much harder in my training, so I really think this is an achievable goal for me.

Let the fun begin!

Hello running... I've missed you!

Yes We Can!

I don’t know who you voted for or why, and today it doesn’t matter. Forget politics, taxes, etc, for a minute. As I listened to the concession and acceptance speeches of the Presidential candidates last night I was overcome with emotion. I am so happy I was alive to witness a great day in the history of our country, and I felt a real sense of hope for the world my kids are inheriting.