May is coming up quickly and I’m trying to figure out how to instill a sense of urgency in my preparations for the 10 Mile monster. I weighed in this past Monday and my weight was a “svelte” 182 …. the exact weight I was at last April when I started this thing. The argument could be made that some of the fat turned to muscle. That may be true but I need to take this to a whole other level.

So anyway, race day. December 14th. It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Chester County. Perfect weather for a run through some scenic back roads. I felt good. I wasn’t expecting much but I always want to finish well. In fact usually I set my expectations so high that success is almost unattainable. This will change I assure you.

Fran ran this race also as did her friend Kathy. Kathy suffers from Arthritis which this race benefits. This event took place in several cities throughout the nation. All three of us were far from our top 5k condition but we fought through it and did great.

This event was really a spectacle. I wish that I could have gotten some video footage. Runners in gorilla costumes, dressed as elves, dogs dressed as Santa, you name it. The race packet included jingle bells to put on your shoes which made the run very festive and fun.

Long story short, I finished in 28:31. I felt that I did better than that but the runners weren’t digitally timed. After the finish there was gridlock as people were handing in the tags so I may have lost some time. The important thing is that I finished. I kept a 9:11/Mile pace and I had enough in the tank to break into a sprint at the end.

The last month has been up and down in every possible way for me. I adjusted my diet and have been taking whole food vitamins and Acai berry caplets. I had a pack of Cheez-its, peanut butter cups and Taco Bell just today. I’ve hit the elliptical hard for 60 straight minutes. I’ve sat on my ass for entire evenings playing MouseHunt in front of the TV.

I’ve said it before. This thing could go either way.

Thanks for reading.

– D.

Jingle Bell Run Philly official site:

http://www.jbrphilly.kintera.org/

It was a beautiful morning to run but damn, it was COLD! We parked on the edge of Fairmount Park and walked down to the museum steps to pick up our numbers. There was actually another 5K that started on the opposite side of the museum at the same time.

As we waited around for the event to get underway, I was amazed at the number of people who were streaming in. This was a bigger event than I thought and to date, by far the largest group that I had run with. We met up with Fran’s cousin John who was walking with some friends of his.

I had a good breakfast before I left the house and grabbed a bagel before the race. I was feeling good though still feeling the effects from my 5 miler last weekend. I knew I was pushing it.

9:00. Race time. The start was delayed for about 10 minutes due to some late entrants. The troops were getting antsy because of the February-like temps. I was up close to the front. They started and stopped the pump-up-the-crowd music three different times and people were getting pissed. As you might imagine, there was quite a glut of people at the beginning after the gun went off.

I spent the first mile or so avoiding other runners and jumping over cones. The conditions were good though. The course was flat and the scenery was great. We ran up River Drive across the river from Boathouse Row.

I grabbed a cup of water from a volunteer about a mile in and almost choked on it. That was it for beverages for me and I concentrated on the run the rest of the way.

After the turnaround halfway in, I started looking for Fran coming the other way. I eventually spotted her and we high-fived as we passed (Awwwwwww) :). Shortly after, the walkers entered the picture. Now granted, this was for a great cause and a lot of money was raised, but there were people all over the road! There were volunteers trying to keep the walkers on their side of the road, but there was so many of them. They were all lumped together, many with dogs and strollers. I think there was about 4000 walkers. It was a challenge to navigate. I got a little taste of what the Phillie’s championship parade was like.

I came in 227th out of 805 registered runners at 26:36. I was thinking beforehand that I could come in under 26 minutes but I’m not unhappy with my results. I was a bit tight and for the next two days I was HURTIN’.

I still have a pile of weight to lose. My focus has shifted from losing weight to eating the right foods and overall nutrition. I’m concentrating on building muscle which will help kick start the weight loss naturally. I want to send a thanks to Michelle at work who has also taken up a healthier eating regimen and is helping me stay out of the snack box.

I want to dedicate this race and post to my dear aunt Sandy who was a strong, fun, spritual person who lost her life way too early. I thank God that she is no longer suffering and she’s in a better place.

Next race is the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving Day. I need a few weeks off

– D.

Race for Hope Philadelphia 2008 official site:

http://bts.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=08_PA_HomePage

I tried to get to bed as early as I could but an exciting day of sports had my adrenaline going (Shout out to my undefeated Nittany Lions, as well as the Phils and Flyers). Fast forward to this morning. I was up at 5:30 with limited functionality. Seems like this was easier in college

This is my first 5 miler and I didn’t expect much as far as my performance. Fran wanted to do this race for awhile, in memory of her father who lost his battle with COPD last year. Her Mom and cousins John and Jody did the mile walk in support of him as well.

This is a hugely popular event in it’s 31st year. A five mile course through the beautiful neighborhoods of Radnor Township on the affluent Main Line. There were over 450 runners participating today and quite a few walkers as well.

In the beginning, which is common among the larger races, there was a glut of runners at the start. Obviously not everyone crosses the start at the same time, which compromises the accuracy of the results unless the race implements computer chips for the runners. I started around the middle of the pack where everyone was stepping around each other at the start.

I’m developing my own routine for these races and doing a better job of getting my pace down. I was a bit uneasy about running two more miles than I was used to today. I didn’t want to burn out early or cross the finish on a stretcher. It turns out though that in my mind I took the length of the race into account and did ok.

The scenery was beautiful and I was able to keep my mind in the race. At the 3 mile marker I bore down and was doing a good job at keeping my speed consistent. The course had quite a few hills and turns but was not nearly as intense as last week’s run. The hills were not as long. Overall, it was a good, challenging course, a good test for my first attempt at 5 miles.

At mile marker four, I got my second wind. I overheard one of the runners mention that the hill we were going up was the last one. The rest of the race was downhill. Now I didn’t know if this was true or not, but it was enough for me to kick it up a notch. It turns out that it wasn’t too bad and I passed a number of people down the stretch. The sound of the crowd at the finish helped push me to finish strong.

I’m getting better at this, I can feel it. If I have enough energy to push like I did at the end, on my first 5 miler no less … I can probably increase my pace. I’m looking forward to better things from myself.

How was my time? I finished at 48:38. 42nd out of 47 in my age group. 251st out of 292 males. But this is the best that I felt after a race yet. I’m actually starting to enjoy this

This post is dedicated to Robert P. Stedeford Sr. This race was for you Dad. You are very missed.

Map, logo and results provided by the 31st annual Radnor Run. Click HERE for link.

29:24??? Last week I came in at 26:55 so yeah, it took me about 2 1/2 minutes longer. The reason? The freakin’ HILLS!!! This course was not flat whatoever. What’s worse is it starts out on a huge downward slope to get your confidence up.

I tried to keep my pace but it soon became apparent that this wasn’t the typical course that I was used to. There were some kids around 12 or 13 that flew out of the gate all inspired and were walking in tears about halfway through. That made me feel a little wiser but I admit that I had to stop and walk a handful of times myself.

During my painful journey through this course I was thinking about what to put in this post. There wasn’t much positive material. The urge to throw up was there a few times but I held it in. Fran’s coworker Debbie chews gum and runs 22 minute times so I tried that. Didn’t work. I told myself that I would never do this race again but by next year I’ll be feeling all overconfident again I’m sure.

After the finish as I devoured a soft pretzel, I was feeling kind of discouraged. Fran tried to talk me up, telling me that I did well. If nothing else I gained an appreciation that the Broad Street Run, even though it is 10 miles, is FLAT.

Note: Race map and logo provided by Middletown Township, Delaware County, PA CLICK HERE for site.

– D.

This race benefits the National MPS Society. In particular, it is held in memory of Katie Shine who lost her battle w/ MPS in 2002 at age 13. She was from Downingtown, PA which is where the race took place.

I tried to extract some experience from my one previous 5k which was months ago. I controlled my pace from the start and ran my own race. I almost brought up my vanilla cappucino from Wawa about halfway through however. (Note to self: No flavored coffee before races from here on out).

The course was nice and flat which was part of the motivator to get me out this morning. I’m racing the next two Sundays and if nothing else, this was a training run. The competitor in me wanted improvement from my last race though, even though I was considerably less conditioned than before.

It started in town and was routed through Kardon Park and up the Struble Trail. At the halfway point on the trail the course was turned around for the runners and we finished where we started. There was also a one mile walk going on. There was a stretch where the runners and walkers were kind of lumped together even though the walkers started a half hour earlier. Even though I had a better idea what to expect for this race, it wasn’t any easier. I really tried to turn on the jets down the stretch but I was hurting. My calves were on fire and my stomach is still messed up. It’s all about conditioning. This is where eating better would really help me.

My official time was 26:55. 44th out of 86 runners. Middle of the pack. Not bad considering my recent slacking off. Actually I’m surprised that I did THAT well. I haven’t really run any considerable distance to speak of since early September. I want this to be a starting point for my resurgence. A 5K time of about 22 minutes is loosely where I would like to be by May.

So after I finished I had an apple, half a bagel and a bottle of water. It was about all my stomach could handle. I’m glad I made the decision to do this. Repetition will make it easier I’m sure. Fran wasn’t feeling well enough to run today but she’ll be back. I’ll let you know if it goes any easier next week.

– D.

I could absolutely tell that I hadn’t been out for awhile. I ran for a bit before switching to walking, then back to a run. Then a walk. After a time I wanted to stop but I kept going. I ended up staying out for an hour.

Not my best effort but considering my recent inactivity, not too bad. I will keep going out and continue to improve. Fighting with myself is really becoming tiresome. Being my own worst enemy makes me weary.

I might as well run instead.

– D.

So I think that I’ll need to get a MINIMUM of 4 runs in before this next race. The race course terrain is hilly so that’s something that I have to keep in the back of my mind.

Tomorrow we are going to hit the pavement after work. I want to ….. OK look.

Here’s how it is. I haven’t exercised. I haven’t run. My weight has plateaued. I run these races out of an obligation to my goal, not because I necessarily want to. All of this wishy washy wavering SUCKS. I thought about killing DownBroadStreet.Com a number of times over the last month or so but I haven’t. I made promises to people and a commitment to myself.

I can’t get much lower in this barrel so I’m just have to climb out of it. Either that or convert my blog theme to “Fattening eateries of Southeastern PA and South Jersey”. This is quite a journey of self discovery. Well, not really. I know who I am but I’m finding out how hard it is to break old habits and embrace healthy living.

It’s not over …. yet.

What the %@#& is going on?!?! I’ll tell ya … COMPLACENCY, that’s what. I’ve been doing this since June and I’m back where I started. It comes back on a LOT easier than it comes off.

I weighed in this morning and decided that this is it. I’m taking this to the next level. I’m tired of screwing around. I went out to the park at lunchtime and walked today, first time in weeks. Over three miles.

I have to take into account some indisputable truths about myself. There are some things that simply won’t change.

1. It doesn’t matter how much I watch my diet. If I’m hungry, I will eat what is around.
2. If running with others, I will hold myself more accountable than running alone.
3. There needs to be a variety of exercises or I’ll DIE of boredom.

This is the biggest commitment to physical fitness I have made in my entire life. I want to keep it interesting so I continue to improve and stick with it. I’m on it as soon as I’m done with my stromboli here …

– D.

My weight after I got back went up to 178 last week, and 178.5 this past Monday.

I’m realizing that it’s going to take more than a few runs a week to make my goal. There was a time in the past when I couldn’t put on weight if I wanted to. That all changed when my metabolism came to a screeching halt when I was in college. I don’t think that my situation is unique or I have it tougher than others by ANY means. I have never really felt any urgency to lose weight or get in shape like I do now. Since I haven’t really felt the need to push myself, and am laid back by nature, this is REALLY HARD for me to do. Not to mention the fact that I absolutely love food and live by one of the greatest cities in the world for that. Old habits die hard.

My next scheduled race is October 26th, a 5 miler. I better get out there and practice, LOL. I’m looking at some different exercise and fitness regimens to try, some of them rather extreme. I also joined a gym which opens next month. So these are positive steps. This whole experience isn’t just about weight loss, running and fitness for me. I’m learning that it’s also an exercise in discipline and doing the right thing despite old habits and what others are doing.

It’s taking on a life of it’s own. Scary….

– D.

This year my wife & I vacationed in the shore town of Ocean City, New Jersey which we visit at least once a year. I have been coming here since I was an infant, and ironically Fran has also. This place has a lot of special memories for both of us as well as both of our families. Much has changed in OC since my childhood, but it is still very much the same also. Nothing like the shore.

We arrived Monday afternoon. Now, I know that I made reference to the fact that I was lax about exercise. However when we come down here, we walk EVERYWHERE so that offsets the eating somewhat. I did run on Tuesday morning, but … after my crappy Nike+ software gave bad readings for the thousandth time, I threw a small tantrum and swore off of it forever. Sometimes you have to move on. Also, as much as I thought that running on the boardwalk by the ocean would be enjoyable, it really wasn’t. Long story short, that was it for running for the week. I did notice that there were a lot of runners on the boards at all times of the day. Perhaps they felt guilty also?

I guess the rest of this passage can be called “What not to eat if you’re trying to lose weight”. The South Jersey boardwalks are notorious for having a large selection of delicious, fattening, overpriced food. That’s just part of the charm … no really, LOL. In the interest of space and time, here’s a short list of my absolute South Jersey shore faves:

• Mack & Manco’s delicious thin crust pizza
• Shriver’s gelato
• George’s chocolate covered macaroons
• Ocean City Coffee Co. Tiramisu coffee
• Balic Winery (Mays Landing) - try the pomegranate wine!
• Voltaco’s Italian Hoagies* (10th & West)
• Charlie’s Tavern (Somers Point) - Wes’s Favorite filet mignon on soft italian roll*

I could keep going but I’m getting fat just writing this. The last two items on that list I tried for the first time this year, at the recommendation of our B&B proprietor. Both were outstanding suggestions.

So I have the official weigh in tomorrow, which I haven’t done for two weeks. I’m racking my brain to find ways to keep my health quest interesting. I’m thinking about taking this to the next level, whatever that is. Is running, push ups and the occasional weights enough? Was all of the walking I did last week beneficial? Will I ever be able to say no to Peanut Butter Cup gelato? *SIGH* Time will tell.

– D.