Running: A FEVER

In addition to trying out my rain suit for the first time on the trail, I present a lengthy hydration report including a reference to what bodybuilders call anabolism , which, per BioNinja.com means "the synthesis of complex molecules from simpler molecules including the formation of macromolecules from monomers by condensation reactions". Translated, this means basically building, as opposed to c...

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I take a walk on breaks at work on an early Sunday morning when no one else is at the office. As the biggest loser contest draws to a close I begin to reflect on the journey we have taken together so far. I recognize the importance of setting a goal, the concept of a motivating factor that is not just the destination, but a passion that drives the daily grind of making my way to that goal.  Statis...

I went to Walmart to try on some jeans. I've gone from a size 44 to a size 38. I'm still putting off buying a new wardrobe because I'm not down to my ideal weight yet. But at least I know where I stand. I've lost six inches in my waist. I talk a little about the BMI controversy. Fortunately the biometrics standards at my company account for that somewhat by allowing a waist measurement to suffice...

The contest has gone nine weeks and I am in the lead. I look forward to winning the prize to offset some of my recent purchases of workout clothing. I'm going to finish the contest but I do not plan to do this again. I hope I don't have to, but I am now convinced that just losing weight is not the goal, and can be dangerous if a lot of weight comes off in a short period of time. Here is a spreadsh...

I start the day with already over 7,000 steps, and though I'm only going a half mile, I'm hitting the hills and increasing my pace to be a little more aggressive, and build strength. I had a consultation with a dietitian today, and got some great information that I'll detail in a special episode. But she was pretty amazed at the fact that I am still losing weight, because most people plateau earli...

Today I'm off to a sports nutrition store near where I live called Complete Nutrition. In talking with some fellow "losers" at work I found out they can provide a body composition report. The report give weight of fat, water, and muscle/skeletal tissue, BMI, body fat and muscle by percentage of total weight, and, weirdly, the weight of various body parts.

Because I am trying to improve my strength I am taking trails with more variance in elevation. I think I will get more resistance and challenge my muscles by walking up and down the hills. One thing I learned from the body composition test was that I need to build muscle. No big surprise there, as I suspected that my weight loss included muscle as well as fat. I am considering different options. I...

An update on fashion, snacks, and the 10,000-step rule.

I have a lot to talk about today. Philosophy, Medicine, Diet. I start the six-meal-a-day plan and share exactly what I typically eat on one of those six-meal days.

I take a walk with my friend Tom Rohr, president of the St. Anthony of Padua Educational Society (Padua Media), and founder of the Padua Podcast Network. Tom is a serious walker, sometimes walking 10 miles in an hour and a half. It is a great way to listen to his favorite podcasts. I tend to get really involved and take on a lot of activities, so I need to live longer to do everything I want to do...

Today I start my strength training. I missed my second walk this week, and I'm moving up to walking three times a week as I continue to come back from my knee injury. Today is the first day of my strength training and I do just one exercise, one set of six curls. Another addition to my routine is walking at work. Every hour I get up and make a couple of laps around the inside of the building and t...

I find out that I have been too extreme in my diet and have to make some big adjustments. I talk about this and more as I walk on a cold and rainy day.

I wanted to give a little more information about the workout from Episode 33 in which the recording was cut short. I'm a little impatient now, and that needs to be tempered with the realization that I cannot go all out right now. I'm just coming back from an injury. In a way, my impatience is a good sign. I am motivated and gung-ho to get fit. This motivates me and I hope you are motivated to get...

I am now hitting the trail every three days, up from the weekly workouts I did for the first three weeks back from the injury. I am very happy to be injury free and pain free. Since I've been on this ultra-low diet, some negative effects are happening. One of the things to be aware of when losing weight quickly is that medications can be less effective. Not just because my body mass is less, as in...

Patience is the fortitude and willingness to wait as long as I have to, to move forward when I need to, and then continue on. Determination is the energy that drives me. I make a couple of wrong turns and need more patience. My brain is not operating well because I did not eat today or drink enough water. The routine is becoming this: I lose weight before Thursday weigh-in, then gain it back over...

A lot of things prevented me from getting in the mid-week workout this week. This might not have been a problem when I was doing this every day, but now I am out of the habit. This week I did not get the sleep I needed or the food I needed. I think this led to me going off the rails last night and overeating. I lost four pounds last week and gained it all back in one night. Need to get three meals...

Fitness Department : I am very happy that I had no ill effect from the last run a week ago. These are definitely low-impact workouts. But that's how we get back into it, one step at a time, one minute at a time, one run at a time. I plan to increase the frequency of workouts to two, then three per week. I've had so much time off that I've gotten used to using that time for other things, so now it...

As I celebrate 30 episodes, I'm also celebrating a triumphant return after six weeks of being on the injured reserve list due to my knee injury. But I'm feeling much better now, rarely feeling any pain and even forgetting I even had knee trouble. I think it will be better to exercise, I've had enough rest. But I have learned from my mistake and I'm taking it easy. One run this week. I've lost 21 p...

I went to my primary care physician because my knee had not improved over the weekend, since I felt some sharp pain when starting my run. They took X-rays, and he warned me not to run and to walk at my discretion. Later I was called in for an MRI and went to see an orthopedic specialist. As you can see by this X-ray picture, there is no fracture, which is exceptionally good news! So I'm not to wor...

I go out for a test, fact-finding walk. I can't really know exactly what to do about my injury. I'm not going out today just because I am stubborn. I think it might be better to exercise in moderation than to rest. This is a risk. What if I can't run? How am I going to do a podcast called Running: A Fever if I cannot run? I feel pretty good, but I definitely still have an injury. I get out on the...

I take a day off from exercise. I've solicited advice from a couple of people, and I talk about that advice and how I am weighing it. It was suggested that I do something low-impact like using an elliptical machine. I don't have access to one of those, so I am planning to walk tomorrow.  More...

Tragically, I am distracted today. I have a lot to do in a short span of time. Holiday grocery shopping, painting a room, and finding some furniture to go in it. But I have made physical health and fitness my number one priority. I spend some time talking about all of the things I have to do and the busy-ness of the day. Perhaps this distractedness is a foreshadowing of the inattention to my body...

Continuing on the theme of mental control, I try to invent some way to help myself get through the run. Some strategy of thought and concentration to distract me, to fight off negative thoughts, what I call the Demons of Doubt. I call them demons because they seem to act on their own. I don't have to come up with doubts and negative thoughts. They exist in the absence of positive thoughts. They ar...

I offer my detailed instructions for how to make the breakfast that I enjoyed this morning: Southern Sausage and Eggs 2 tbsp. bacon grease or shortening 2 eggs 2 sausage patties or 4 slices of bacon or 2 slices of bologna or 1 slice of country ham Take your skillet and put it on the stove and start warmin' it up. Reach in your fridge and get your jar or cup or some other container of bacon grease...