:: Moving forward ::

Having successfully completed (and exceeded) my goal for completing a 5k, I'm very motivated to keep this fitness thing up. This evening I will be going to the gym. I intend to do 5k on the treadmill (not neccessarily running the whole way), and a bit of free weights. I'd like to target going to the gym at least 3 times a week. I'm now on the lookout for 10k's in the area, as I'd definitely like to run another one.

:: 10k Run Pictures ::

Here are some pics from the 10k run, taken by my co-worker Alex. My recorded race time was 1:11:02, and I placed 777. Woot!

Here I am, sweating towards the finish line:

And here I am in the post finish corral area, where they collect the lower tag of the race number for the record keeping. Note the classy race wear.

:: I Completed A 10k! ::

Yesterday was the Palo Alto Moonlight Run, an evening event, run in the dark by the light of the full moon, along the shore of the bay. I had planned to compete in the 5k run, but several friends and coworkers were doing the 10k, and talked me into it. I ran the first half (so I did run a 5k), walked a mile, run a half mile, walked a half mile, then finished the last mile at a run. I was breathing like a donkey at the end, but it felt great to complete it.

My calves were like jelly immediately after the run, and after the drive home, I could hardly stand. So I did a good bit of stretching before bed, and woke up with hardly any stiffness in my calves. My quads are another story. I've been hobbling about today, but it's definitely a good feeling. I'm looking forward to my next run.

As for the rest of the fitness agenda, this has definitely re-energized me. Look forward to many more updates.

:: Slipped a bit... ::

Ugh. So, as apparent from the lack of posts in the past week, I slipped a bit. I'll be changing things a bit. The meal postings were a bit too depressing to focus on, so I will be dropping them. I'll be focusing more on the physical activity side of things. So, after a week+ of not doing a whole hell of a lot, I returned to the gym last night:

• 1 mile on the treadmill @ 6 mph
• 20 minutes on treadmill @ 4 mph
• 2 sets, 10 reps, 25 lb bicep curls
• 3 sets, 10 reps, 80 lb seated row
• 30 situps

Also, this weekend, Iris and I cleaned out the entire garage, which involved a lot of lifting and carrying heavy items, and lots of hauling heavy stuff up and down a ladder. This was a pretty good workout in and of itself.

I still intend to run the 5k midmonth in Palo Alto. It'll be a bit of a challenge, but I intend to be ready.

I'll be heading back to the gym again tommorrow night, to bump up the cardio a bit, and shift the weight focus to the chest and triceps. Alternate workout sessions will shift between back/biceps, chest/triceps, and legs. I won't do a weigh in this week, since I've made no progress to speak of yet, and I've once again missed the Sunday night goal. Stay tuned for a weigh-in this coming Sunday.

- L

:: Week 2 Weigh-in ::

This week's weigh-in is a day or two late do to the LA trip. This week's weight is 209.4. And the photos:

:: Day 9 ::

Breakfast:

• V8
• Nutrigrain blueberry breakfast bar

Lunch:

• 3 small fish tacos w/ cabbage, salsa, gaucamole, sourcream
• side of fruit salad

Snack:

• Handful of cashews

Dinner:

• Caprese salad (mozzarella, tomato, basil, balsamic vinegar)
• Chicken & potato w/ red curry
• Prawns & eggplant w/ sweet sauce
• White rice

Tonight I used the treadmill for 40 minutes, 15 of which was at a 6mph run (1.5 miles). My coworkers told me about a 5k run coming up on September 17. It's the "Palo Alto Moonlight Run". It's in the evening under a full moon. I think I'll be ready for it.

:: Day 8 ::

Breakfast:

• Banana nut muffin

Lunch:

• 1/2 of a quarter pound hamburger w/ grilled onion and mushrooms
• 1/2 portion of french fries (I split lunch w/ Iris)
• cup of cream of broccoli
  

Dinner:

• Chicken & Potato w/ red curry
• Prawns & eggplant in sweet sauce
• White rice

After a full day of driving, putting stuff away, and settling back in at home, no exercise occurred.

:: Day 7 ::

Breakfast:

• Banana nut muffin

Lunch:

• 3 slices of quesadilla w/ whole wheat tortilla

Snack:

• Pita chips w/ hummus
• Veggies and dip

Dinner:

• Tri-tip
• BBQ chicken leg
• Coleslaw w/ vinegarette dressing
• Pasta salad w/ bay shrimp
• 1 small scoop vanilla ice cream

An hour and a half of casual swimming. I intend to start providing better estimates of portion size. If I can obtain a cheap digital camera, the ideal solution would be to photograph my portions.

:: Day 6 ::

Brunch:

• Half of a salad w/ ranch on the side
• Small chicken, mushroom, and garlic pizza

Dinner:

• 4 BBQ chicken wings
• 1 cup of salad w/ lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, creamy dressing
• 3 slices of pizza
• 1 glass of white wine
• 1 beer
• 1 slice of apple cake

No real exercise to speak of. Since we were on vacation, calories don't count. ;)

:: Day 5 (Liam is a slacker) ::

Breakfast:

• Banana nut muffin

Lunch:

• Small burrito. Contained carne asada, beans, rice, cheese, gaucamole, sour cream, tomato, onion, and salsa. I'm also sure that it contained a helping of pure sin.
• 1/3 of a soft serve sundae from McDonalds
  

Dinner:

• SUSHI! A shload of nigiri, some baked mussels, oodles of rolls, seaweed salad, and 1 tempura shrimp.
• 1/3 bottle of unfiltered sake
• 1/2 of a large bottle of Sapporo (beer)

The only exercise today was running after miniature people (aka., children), and walking with my cousin as he walked his dog.