Getting it done before work!!

Woke up early this morning and ran 6 miles, you know, just an average day for me... except normally I run 3 miles and I don't feel like death afterwards. Also, I did a pushups test and improved by 3, with a total of 55. Life's good. Getting healthy and Fit.

5.40 mile run. Success Takes Patience

One of my smaller goals I have in preparing for the CPAT and Summerlin Half Marathon is to either run farther than my last run or do the same distance but faster. Today I went farther. I'm feeling great. My weight is still under 180.


“That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased” Ralph W Emerson


“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”

September 2012 Goals

1. 10 mile run by the end of the month
2. No more soda
3. 100 pushup. Last time I did this I got up to 60 pushups... It's time to beat that.

Getting Back Into It

After spraining one of my toes I decided to take July off from running.  Today, I got back into it with a 2.32 mile run in 22 minutes. I normally do that run in 19 minutes, so I'm not too far off. Also, I weighed in this morning at 179.5 pounds.  Eating mostly plant based food kept the pounds off, even though I wasn't very active.

Here is the view from today's run.

I recently heard on the news that Ryan Lochte, the guy who just beat Phelps in Olympic swimming, trained everyday for 4 years. Phelps only trained for one year. One of the things Lochte did was flip tires, everyday.  Its crazy to think about doing that, everyday, but he had a goal in mind,  a plan, and the desire and motivation to win.

Its that simple. Whats your goal? Whats your plan. How do you stay motivated? In 2013 I want to run a marathon. That's my goal. And it starts today with that 2.32 mile run. Ill come up with a plan later, but for now I'm going to run everyday this week.

I PASSED 100 MILES

IT only took 4 months and 15 days, but this morning, during my 7.5 mile run, I passed 100 miles of running for the year. Why is this important. Well, before this year, I don't think I ran 100 miles total in all my life... let alone in 4 months. It's amazing what happens when you set goals, and surround yourself with people who not only are better than you, but motivate you to be better.  My new goal, be at 200 miles by July 4th.

5 Mile Run Saturday Morning

This morning I had an okay 5 mile run.  My average pace was 9:22/mi and my time was 46:49.  There were a few miles where I was running into the wind, and I felt like I was running in place. But somehow I managed to make it the whole 5 miles without walking.  My new goal for running is to do this 5 mile route on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on Saturday run 7-10 miles. 

Pushups!! I hate pushups.  I'm almost done with this app that is suppose to get me to 100.  I can only do about 57, and I only have 4 days left of training.  The last time I did 19x2  22x2  18x2  22 and then 45. The last two sets are extremely hard, and I have to take a longer break than the recommended 45-60 seconds.  I'm a wuss, what can I say.  Next week I should be about to do about 65 pushups. We shall see.

I'm about 12 miles away from running 100 miles this year. I should be there in one week, next Saturday.  I'm super excited because I've never run 100 miles ever in my life, let alone in 4 months.   

Pushup Test Day

So, after 5 days of training and over 800 pushups, I can now do 55 pushups at once. On my way to 100!

Training For 100 pushups: Day 2

It's starting to get hard. After each set I need 90 minutes to rest, not 90 seconds. Today I did 20 25 15 15 25.

I also ran 3.2 miles in the rain this morning.

Push Up Challenge

I'm still going strong with my fitness goals and diet. This morning I had a fast (for me) 2.26 mile run in 19:29 ... 8:37/mile. Two Saturdays ago I ran 7 miles in One Hour Nine Minutes... which was my farthest and longest run to date. I can't wait to do 10 miles in a few weeks.

One of the most important things about getting into shape, getting strong and loosing weight is changing up your work out plan and routine. Someone at work challenged me to do 100 pushup. The most I can do at one time is about 40. So I downloaded an app on my phone to help me get to 100. Day one was last night. Because I can do 30 to 40 pushups at one time, the program has me starting at week 3.

Baby Number 3

Jenny and I are excited to announce BABY NUMBER 3 is on its way. As of right now the baby's name is Diego, and we say Grow Diego Grow. We need your help though. Choosing a name for our kids has not been easy for us, and we always wait till the last minute. So we need your help. Just leave a comment below and give us some baby name ideas. You never know, we just might pick your suggestion.

My First 10K

6.2 miles never hurt so good. So, my knees don't hurt much anymore, at least not during my runs like they used to. But now my calves are starting to kill, especially around miles 3, 4 and 5. Though the pain was horrible, I never gave up, and finished my first 10K...in under an hour.

Just a warm up for tomorrow

Today's run: 2.34 miles in 21 minutes, AVG 8:59/mi First mile 8:33 Second mile 9:11

Another longest run so far this year, 5 miles

5 miles, 9:30 AVG mile, 47:43 total time running, 692 calories.

The first mile or so was hard, for some reasons I was breathing hard, and not feeling it today. But at mile 2 and throughout the rest of the run I was breathing great, nice and slow. I didn't feel out of breath. In fact, I felt like I could go another 5 miles. My legs were a different story. At mile 3 my left calf started hurting a bit, and the pain never went away until I got home and laid down. The good news is ... MY KNEES DON'T HURT ANYMORE. They usually start hurting a few hours after my runs, and it stays with me for 2 or 3 days. But the pain never came back after my run 2 days ago. Anyways, Have A Great Day!!

This is how many miles Ive run so far this year.

4 Mile Run Today!!

I had a great morning run today, and my farthest run this year... 4 miles. My stupid iPhone 4 Nike GPS app said I went 4.39, but it wasn't so when I doubled check on MapMyRun. I couldn't ask for better conditions though... 50 degrees outside, no wind, and the sun was coming up over Sunrise Mountain as U2's song "Beautiful Day" was playing in my ears.

And the best part... I reached one of my goals. I am under 180!! I'm not fat anymore!!

The view of the city at the start of my run.

Upper Body Work Out and Running Update

Check out this low cost production of my upper body workout.



The last time I went running was Feb. 17th. It was a great run, but the 2 or 3 days after my knees were hurting again. So I took 3 weeks off. Today was my first day back, and I took it easy. I didn't want to hurt my knees again. 2 miles in 17:35, 8:45/mile, 281cal. This next week I plan on running every other day. And my goal for Monday is 4 miles. Wish me Luck!!

3.5 Mile Run Today

Today's run felt great! My knees never hurt and my endurance is getting much better.

3.5 miles in 31 minutes. Average pace was about 8.50/mile

Here is a pic of the view I had during my run. Downtown Las Vegas. Sunny. 50 Degrees.

My Longest Run So Far!!

I discovered that one of my pairs of boots at work were the cause of my lower back pain. Just wearing them for one shift almost killed me. So I wondered if my running shoes were doing the same thing to my knees. So yesterday I went to Red Rock Running and they found a shoe that had extra cushioning, which they said would help my lower knee tendonitis. And they were right!!

Today I took my new Adidas SuperNova's out for a spin. After two miles, my knees were feeling okay and I ended up going an extra mile. 3.06 miles 28:20 9:15 per mile. I've gone 19.64 miles so far this year.

Just to be on the safe side, I iced my knees after the run and then went on a half mile walk. I think in a few minutes I'm going to hit the spa as well.

Oh, and I'm down to 181 pounds. My healthy diet and light exercise are paying off.

eeewwwww.. i have nasty toes!!

Getting Back Into It

I'm a slacker, but not without a good reason. My knees were killing me!! Is there a way to run without your knees hurting the rest of the day? I will pay you big money if you tell me the secret.

January 23 I started the week with a two mile run, doubling what i had been doing that last two weeks. For some reason my knees started hurting after the run, and throughout the rest of the day. So the next day I took a break, hoping the rest would be good for my knees. I was wrong. The very next day, all I could stand was 1 mile.

So I took the last 11 days off from exercising and running. My new plan, starting today, is to run two miles every other day for 2 weeks. The days in between I will lift weights. I'm not giving up. I've got to get in shape. I'm not going to be a fat loser like I was in 2011.

I've done really good with my diet. I don't even think of it as a diet anymore, its a life style. Since December 13, or sometime around then, I have only had 3-4 cups of soda, no caffeine. For the most part I've stayed away from fast food, sugar and all the other junk food I was eating. I haven't been perfect, but I am so much healthier that I was last year. I can feel it.

This week is going to be a good week. BTW, I'm down 3 pounds.

Changing It Up

My first week of running, last week, was much harder than I expected. I kept the pace about the same, one mile under 8:30, but by the end of the week I was still struggling to finish that mile. Also, both my knees started to hurt a bit, so I took last Friday off from running, and picked up OT at work.

This week I've been stuck in the house watching the kids. So to get my exercise in, I started running the stairs in our apartment. There are 18 steps, which is about 14 feet in height. To keep it fun, I will run up and down the stairs for the first song, and then do pushups, sit ups and biceps on the second song. So far, I can do about 5 songs (3:30 each). I figured my total jogging distance is about half a mile with 140 feet of elevation gain. This is a great way to kick your butt into shape.

I've added a new breakfast to my diet called Rips Big Breakfast Bowl. Its from a diet book I got called The Engine Two Diet. It isn't too bad. Try It.

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup Grape-Nuts or Ezekiel brand equivalent
1/4 cup bite-size shredded wheat
1/4 cup Uncle Sam Cereal
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
2 tablespoons raisins
1/2 handful of walnuts
1 banana, sliced
1 kiwi, sliced
1 grapefruit
3/4 cup milk substitute of choice

Mile Run Today

Had a great run this morning!! They are getting easier to run each day. I shaved 35 seconds off my mile run from last Friday. I can't wait to see how fast I'll be this Saturday.

Had a great workout at the gym last night after work. One of the things I'm working on is Pull Ups. When I first started a few weeks ago, all I could do at one time is 4. I'm up to 7 now. My goal by the end of the month is 10.

I FEEL GREAT!!

This last week I ran a half mile each day, except on Friday I ran 1 mile. My fastest half mile was 3:34 and the mile run was 8:27, which was much faster than I thought I could run with my hurt knee. Speaking of... both knees are holding up pretty good. After my runs I'm not short of breath, like I was the first 3 days. It feels so good to be outside getting in shape.

My diet is going good too. 4 weeks without soda and fast food was hard, but so worth it. This is the longest I've gone without junk food in my whole life. You're probably wondering how much weight I've lost, and the answer is none, but I feel so much healthier. I think the pounds will come off at the end of the month when I start my 4 mile runs. My goal is to loose 10 pounds and weigh around 175.

This next week I plan on running 1 mile each day. I'm still lifting weights after work each night, and doing sit ups and push ups at home in the morning.

I can't wait to feel even better!!

HOW TO GET A STRONG CORE

http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/ab-exercise-9?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-MensHealth-_-Content-Fitness-_-SEALabs

Here's a link to an article I read on Mens Health Mag. I guess I have to start doing this stuff if I want my abs looking good.

Swiss-Ball Obliques
Swiss-Ball ObliquesSit on a Swiss ball with your hands behind your head and elbows out. Recline as far back as possible and pause for a beat. Slowly return to an upright position. As you come up, twist your torso to bring your left elbow to your right hip. Pause for a moment, and then slowly lower while exhaling. Repeat, bringing your right elbow to your left hip. Do 20 reps for one set and rest a minute. Do a second set. Increase to 50 reps per set with practice. This works your obliques and upper abs.



Russian Sit-Ups
Russian Sit-UpsLie on your back. Put your hands behind your head. Lift your left leg six inches off the ground and hold it there. Rest your right foot atop your left knee so that your right knee points straight up. Do 10 sit-ups, keeping the left leg elevated. Then switch to the other side for one set. Do four sets. Increase to 25 reps per set after a few weeks. This will build your upper and lower abs.



V-Ups
V-UpsLie on your back. Fully extend your arms. Bring your arms and torso forward while simultaneously raising your legs off the ground to form a V shape. Bring your fingers to meet your toes directly above your waist. Pause for a moment, and then lower your arms and legs. Stop just short of the floor. Continue at the pace you would use for sit-ups. Do 10 reps for one set. Rest for a minute. Do three more sets. With practice, increase to 30 reps per set. This will work your lower abs.



Broomstick Obliques
Broomstick ObliquesLean back on a decline bench so that your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the ground. Hold a broomstick behind your neck with both hands, as shown. Twist to your right. Pause when the broomstick is perpendicular to the floor. Return to the center, and then twist to your left for one rep. Do 10 reps for a set. Rest for a minute. Do two more sets. This will isolate your obliques. Use a 20-pound bar for a greater challenge.

ITS TIME TO START RUNNING

http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikeplus/en_US/plus/#//runs/detail/f43abfdb-211d-47f8-9036-1a528dbfcde9/1707305903/all/week/

So, today I started to run again. About 2 1/2 months ago, I hurt my knee running and have been resting ever since. The doctor said I could start running again in January. Since I'm out of shape and scared to re-hurt my knee, I plan to start out slow. So this week I will be running a half mile everyday, and next week I will run 1 mile each day. Wish Me Luck!!

Daily Salad

Here is the salad I make for myself everyday, and sometimes twice a day. It replaces the double cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets I was eating. It doesn't taste half bad either.

Two Week Update

Wow!! Time flies when your having Christmas. So today marks two weeks of my diet and getting ready to get in shape for 2012. I haven't had soda and fast food for 17 days now. And I've cut 90% of the chips and other junk food I was eating out of my diet. I've replaced it with fruits, veggies, salads, chicken and tuna. Also, I've been walking 1-2 miles everyday, doing about 60 push ups and 100-200 sit ups every day, and after work I lift free weights at the gym.

I don't feel too much different, and I haven't lost any weight yet, but this should come as soon as I start running in January. I do get a better night sleep and less headaches and body aches. Its amazing what healthy food and exercise can do for you.

I read an article from Mens Health Magazine about how eating raw broccoli can reduce your risk of cancer. So I added one big piece to my smoothie each morning. Here's the link:
http://news.menshealth.com/the-vegetable-that-kills-germs/2011/10/13/?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-MensHealth-_-Content-MHNews-_-BattleCancerAndGerms

Also, my Mom gave me this supplement called Triple Greens from Purity Products to add to my smoothie. It taste horrible, but from what I've read, this green powder has all the good stuff you need for a healthy diet.

All I have planed for this week is to continue my walking and light leg and knee exercises. The pain in my right knee came back somewhat, with a little click as well... So running in January might not be an option. I'll keep you posted.

WEEK 2 MONDAY

BREAKFAST: strawberry banana spinach whey protein smoothie. 3 HB eggs.
SNACK: 2 peaches.
LUNCH: veggie salad with strips of turkey.
SNACK
DINNER

Exercise: 1 mile walk on treadmill. walked up 20 flights of stairs. Leg extension and Leg press at the gym.

Healthy Breakfast

I made a video on my YouTube Channel (scennylloyd) of what I eat for breakfast!!

DAY SIX, LAZY SUNDAY

NOTHING much to talk about today.  We ate our morning smoothy and had roast beef for lunch and dinner.
No exercise today ... ITS SUNDAY, DUH!!

Part of my inspiration comes from a Movie/documentary I watched on Netflix called Forks Over Knives.  I'm not going to be a hard core Vegan, like some of the people in this movie, but I will start eating more fruits and veggies, and less junk food.

I'm also inspired by my awesome wife, who just ran a half marathon in under 2 hours, and my cousin Craig, who can pretty much kick anybody's butt at running up a mountain. His blog is http://www.refusetoquit.blogspot.com

DAY FIVE, SATURDAY

YESTERDAY was another great day of healthy food and exercise.  I ate mostly the same foods as I usually do, except I didn't have any chicken.  After work, my partner and I hit the gym at our station again.  I worked Biceps, bench press, free weigh press, and a little punching bag to get rid of the stress of the day.

Today will be the 7th day I've gone without fast food and soda (if you don't count Cafe Rio as fast food).

Because I have walked over 8 miles this week, ate right, and lifted weights after work, my back doesn't hurt as much, and I'm getting 1 to 2 more hours of good sleep each night.

TODAY I have already walked 2.5 miles in 40 minutes (about a 16 min mile) and have done about 200 situps.

Breakfast: protein shake and 2 HB eggs.
Lunch: grilled chicken breast
2pm: veggie salad with pieces of ham

DAY FOUR, FRIDAY

I started out the day as usual, with a strawberry banana yogurt whey protein shake and a 2 mile walk. After the walk I ate oatmeal with whey protein mixed in and 4 hard boiled eggs.
Owen came on the walk with me, which made it fun and kept me off Twitter. I feel good, less tired throughout the day and about the same amount of energy. I'm sure I will get more energy as the weeks go on.

DAY THREE

I'm still in prep mode.  Yesterday I ate very healthy, if you count tuna and chicken as healthy foods.  Surprisingly, I had no cravings for fast food or soda.

Today, I will try and eat the same foods as I did yesterday. For exercise I will walk 2 miles and do 200-300 sit ups.  Update on what i did today... I ate everything i planned on eating, minus one chicken breast. Instead, I ate one of these smoothies that I got for free at one of the hospital cafeterias. Here's a pic of how good this stuff is.
After our shift, my partner and I hit the gym at our station. I benched 135 LBS about 45 times, did 6 chin ups and 3 pull ups, and some biceps. It was a good day of health and exercise.

Walk Before You Run

Before I start running again in January, I have to get my knee ready with a little rehab. This week I'm going to take it easy and just walk a few miles a day. Next week I will add some leg exercises to my walking.

DAY TWO

BREAKFAST:  Protein Shake with strawberries, banana, grapes, spinach, vanilla yogurt, 52g Whey Protein
2ND BREAKFAST:  2 hard boiled eggs and some oatmeal
LUNCH: Grilled Chicken Breast
SNACK: Can of Peaches
DINNER: Chicken, rice and potatoes. Apple Juice.
SNACK: banana, veggies with potatoes and tuna.

EXERCISE: Pushups - 20,20,25    Biceps - 10,12,12    Walk 1 mile

DAY ONE

DAY ONE.  I know it's a 2012 blog, but i felt the burning need to start today. So here is what I look like on day one. I know, ugly, right?  I promise you, but the end of the year I'm going to be hott stuff.

Starting Weight: 185

Breakfast: Strawberry Protein shake (water, 7 strawberries, vanilla yogurt, 26g Whey Protein). Not too bad.
2nd Breakfast: 2 hours later I ate some Oatmeal.
Lunch:  Grilled Chicken
Dinner: Spinach Taco Salad

Exercise: I walked 2 miles, taking my daughter to school.  I can't start running until January 1st because of my bum knee. I somehow fractured my knee cap back in August, and there is some tendonitis. Basically it hurts when i walk up stairs. It should be good in January, hopefully!
2.24 miles in 40min. Sit Ups - 90.

In The Beginning I Was Fat

Lets be honest here... I'm fat, out of shape, and not as studly as I once was.  Plus, my wife can kick my butt in running and endurance.  A month ago she ran the Snow Canyon Half Marathon in under 2 hours, with an average pace of 8 minutes a mile. I can't even run one mile in 8 minutes, let alone 13 miles.

So, it's time to get in shape.  And 2012 is the year I plan on doing this.  My over all goal is to get in shape, and to be healthier.  I don't plan on running a marathon in 2012, but I do want to be able to run long distances without stopping. So lets make a goal.  By the end of 2012 I want to be able to run 20 miles without stopping. Keep in mind, I can barely run one mile without getting short of breath.  So I think 20 miles is a perfect goal to start with.

Starting Weight: 185

The other part about getting fit is eating right.  My current diet includes McDonald's, Carl's Jr, Cafe Rio, soda pop, candy, etc. I eat healthy stuff too, but not enough. So in 2012, no more fast food, no more soda, no more junk food. My goal is to have 95% of my diet consist of fruits, vegetables, protein shakes, oatmeal, chicken, fish, water and juice. Wish me luck. This is going to be hard, since most of my time is spent driving around, with fast food all around me, tempting me to come in. I guess I will be one of those guys who packs a lunch in a cooler.

This blog will be a journal of my fitness journey in 2012. I will try my best to keep track of what I ate, and what I did for exercise, on either a daily or weekly basis. (it depends on how grumpy and tired I am to post an update).

Wish Me Luck!!