Runs, Weight Loss... and Disney here I come!

Last weekend I had a church mission trip overnight Friday through Saturday late afternoon. So I could not get in my usual Saturday morning long run. So, I ended up going to LifeTime afterwards and getting a quick 2.5 miles in on the Treadmill before meeting up with my son to have some father/son time.

Then on Sunday, we had fantastic morning weather for a change! So I was able to run 3.8 miles (3 miles at a 12:04 pace) and felt really strong! I could have run more but I had to go to weigh in at Weigh Watchers and needed to get home and shower! The coolest thing on my run was passing two deer on the side of the run path. They just looked up at me as I ran by but they didn't get spooked or anything! I wish I had brought my camera! I guess they figured "He's not wearing an orange vest and he's not armed. No problem!" How cool is that?!!

I returned home, showered, changed, and went to Weight Watchers. I weighed in and WOW! I lost 5.8 lbs since last weekend! I was SO excited! I had weighed myself before and after my run and the difference was only 1/2lb so I knew that those 5lbs were real! That just made my day!!! I am now officially passed the 90 lb total loss milestone! I am going to break 100 lbs lost by August for sure!

Disney here I come!

So I have been texting with my 'running muse' Beth the past week about tips and what events we are doing, and she was talking about her upcoming Disneyland race this fall. Now Beth ran in the Disney World Half Marathon this past January and said it was an awesome experience. So she is running in another 'Run Disney' event. It got me thinking... I love Disney, and I would love to run a race there. Do I think I can meet the challenge? I have three races already scheduled between now and October -- would I be able to train and prepare for a half marathon (my first one)?

Well, after talking with several other runner buddies, my trainer, my daughter, and my wife, I have decided to GO FOR IT! I registered tonight for both the Disney World Family Fun 5K (January 6) and the Disney World Half Marathon (January 7) next year! We will make it a family post-Christmas vacation -- it has been over five years since we were at Walt Disney World so it is about time, right?

I am totally psyched for this event!! My daughter is going to run the 5K with me and I hope to get the other two kids to join me as well. Then I will do the Half Marathon. This will mark a significant milestone in my running journey and a personal achievement that I would not even have dreamed of attempting six months ago.

I will be asking for prayers as I prepare for this. I am confident (well, mostly) that I can do this and I have great people who will support and advise me along the way. I will succeed!

10K Training -- Week Two

Today was REALLY HOT and HUMID! At 6:30pm it was still 94 degrees outside! I was not looking forward to running today. In fact, I was kinda worried about running in this heat. But on the other hand, my 10K is going to be in August so I better figure out an effective approach for being able to run in this kind of weather.

I made sure that I drank a LOT of water throughout the entire day to ensure that I was well hydrated. And then at 5pm, I ate a light meal with both protein and carbs -- a chicken sandwich. So by the time I got to the workout location, I felt pretty ready. The plan was to run 3.5 miles. I had my water bottle ready, and we hit the trail!

I felt pretty strong most of the run. There was a nice cross-breeze that helped keep me cooled down, and I could tell that the earlier hydration work was really paying off. I finished the run strong at a 12:35 pace -- not bad considering the heat. No pains or anything!

The representative from CARA brought us tech shirts for the association. Very awesome! I am definitely going to wear mine for next Wednesday's workout run! I also won a Nathan Fuel Belt during a quiz she gave us. I needed one of those so that was perfect!