SlimCache

It Starts Again

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:57:00 +0000

This week has been a bit of a trial. It's proven hard to get into a lifestyle of sheer lax of attention toward structure or well being and then going back to calorie counting and thinking conscientiously about the things I'm eating. The whole week was kind of a mess until the last few days where I became woefully aware that I wasn't going to be able to post a loss unless I smartened up.

On the plus side I've logged more workouts this week than I have in what seems like forever. There's a lot to be happy about in that I'm getting the bike road ready and that process is proceeding in a (relatively) pain free fashion. I've also come relatively close to hitting the 2 pounds per week weight loss goal I've set for myself. If I can maintain focus this should all be very doable. More to come on the biking. I plan on beginning my "commute to train" exploits in the next couple of weeks. Stay with me.

Starting Weight : 218.6 lbs. This Week : 216.8 lbs.
Change Since Last Week : -1.8 lbs. Body Fat % : 24.2
Basal Metabolic Rate : 2121 calories BMI : 29.8

Two A Day Plus a New Goal

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:58:00 +0000

Really happy to have managed to get two workouts in today. I'm back, baby! I hit the elliptical during lunch and did a cross country session on resistance level 12. Felt fantastic. Ended up sorry I had stayed away so long.

Also managed a run after work. Unfortunately it was quite low in pace, indicating that I've lost some fitness but I guess that was to be expected. Good run with no Achilles pain.

In addition to grabbing a couple of workouts today, I've projected out a target date and expected weight for that particular date. This was a tactic that worked so well for me in the past I just couldn't ignore it when relaunching this new effort. The target date is the 17th of June, the first day of the Trek Across Maine. I'm counting again on the 2 pound per week method that worked so well for me previously. That puts me at 195 pounds to start the Trek. I've got 11 weeks. Hammer down.

How I Learned I Need You

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 10:27:00 +0000

Accountability does wonders for personal accomplishment. Without it, you soften, become doughy, and slip back into the same crap habits that got you into the hurtin' position you were in in the first place. I accomplished a lot with this blog toward my own personal health and unfortunately since ignoring SlimCache, I've experienced a backslide. I've experienced a loss in focus, self-confidence, and motivation and I think that's due in large part to the fact that I have no one to answer to anymore.

I recognized this while listening to a Tim Ferriss interview by Chris Hardwick on Nerdist. Great show on stand up comedy, nerd culture, and in this instance, life hacks. If you haven't heard it please check it out. Ferriss talks about how essential goals, and lofty ones at that, and accountability are to personal betterment. He himself has set the goal to run an ultra-marathon. He goes on to talk about how individuals who take iPhone pictures of their meals, for accountability sake, are more likely to succeed in their weight-loss goals. I realized this is what I did for a long time with SlimCache, and how this blog for a long time was vital and integral to my success, and I then realized that I needed to get that back.

Before going forward I should probably explain what's been going on in the year of radio darkness here at SlimCache. I successfully completed two marathons last year. I also grabbed a sub 25 minute 5K PR and finally placed in my age group. At a Thanksgiving Day 4 miler I ran 8 seconds per mile faster than that previous best 5K time. But since Thanksgiving there has been a dark cloud of motivation suck hanging just over me. I've slipped to only working out a couple days a week and I've got a nagging Achilles issue. I've experienced a weight gain. Nothing drastic but coming as far as I have it's disappointing to see any pounds go back on. I'm 12 pounds heavier than my last weigh in post a year ago. No more. Time to get my shit together.

So I set a goal! I'm going to participate in this year's Trek Across Maine, a 3 day, 180 mile bike ride from Sunday River to Belfast, and I'm incredibly pumped about it. I decided to pass on doing a marathon in the first half of this year and train on the bike. I'm planning on getting in training by driving halfway to work, procuring a parking space in the swank Marginal Way park and ride, and commuting the rest of the way. On weekends I'll go for longer rides. During this process I'll again chart my weight loss and fitness goals and report them here and on other social media venues. Please join me in the effort to once again get me together, cuz I realized I need the help of you the community. I've missed you all. Peace.

Starting Weight : 218.6 lbs. Body Fat % : 25 Basal Metabolic Rate : 2132 BMI : 30.1

The Curtain Falls

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:26:00 +0000

I sincerely wish to thank all of those who helped me along the way. My weight-loss goals could not have been achieved without the support of this community. Since the blog has not been updated for some time I've officially decided to call it quits for SlimCache. I'll leave it up for a time to refer back to when I slip or just need some inspiration. Hopefully someone will stumble upon it from time to time and it may inspire them too. The story goes on though over at So.ME.Vegans, the new blog I've launched with my wife to cover vegan foodiness in Southern Maine. I'm excited about the newest project and hope you'll join me. It's been real. Catch you at Sugarloaf in two weeks when I run my first marathon!

Camden Hills State Park

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:26:00 +0000

First of all I would like to express my extreme gratitude to L.L. Bean. I've worked for the outdoor retailer for about three years now and in that time I've utilized their employee programs to lose weight and get in touch with the outdoors. They've recently launched a new program called the Employee Outdoor Club. The EOC organizes trips for cyclists, hikers, paddlers, skiers, and anyone else wanting to participate in an active outdoor pursuit. This weekend was my first trip and it was slated as a Fall foliage hike in one of the most beautiful places Maine has to offer; Camden Hills State Park.

I left home before the sun came up in order to get to Camden a little early. I wanted to grab a few caches on the way. Prior to meeting the group I bagged three geocaches. GC169M9 - A LITTLE PAGE was a simple park and grab found on the drive up. It overlooks Damariscotta which I find to be one of the loveliest little towns in mid-coast Maine. GC1K927 - Old Carriage Road Cache and GCVVW - Shirt tail? are found in Camden. The former is on the edge of the park on a trail the connects Route 52 to the hiking path to Mount Battie. It's a great alternative to driving to the top of the mountain. The latter is in a small park on the opposite side of Megunticook Lake. The cache page describes it as "...a little known municipal park with a playground, picnic area and is a pleasing place to take your family". I agree. A hidden gem that's so quiet you could easily forget you're so close to downtown.

After killing time around Camden, grabbing myself a soy latte from Zoot Coffee in the process, I headed over to the parking area at the trail head to meet my group. There would be eight of us total; all employees of L.L. Bean. We started at about 10:00 AM on our way to Maiden Cliff which overlooks Megunticook Lake. Maiden Cliff is a memorial site to Elenora French, a young girl who fell to her death from this spot when trying to catch her hat, blown by the wind, in 1864. A haunting story for sure, but the views are awe inspiring. It's also the site of the days first cache in the park. GCWX3K - At the Edge of Life aka "Life At the Edge" is just a few steps off the trail and is easily one of the most organized cache pages I've seen. The hider doesn't want you to go home empty handed so they have provided photo clues. You can go into this cache with as much of as little information as you want in order to find it.

Our group proceeded to Ocean Lookout via the Ridge Trail. This was the longest leg of our journey at about 3 miles over some pretty gnarly trails. I use the term trail loosely since at times it seems we were mostly walking uphill through small streams. This was my first encounter with this kind of terrain and I'm glad I had waterproof shoes. One of the members of our party had a pretty worn our pair of Nike running shoes with a sizable hole in the forefoot. I think "breathable" was the word he used. At the Lookout you are rewarded to stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and Camden's picturesque downtown, as well as the finest foliage we had seen all day. Peregrine falcons flew close to the cliffs over deciduous growth at 70% peak. It was beautiful.

Close to the Lookout is GC176YH - Juliebug's Cache. The cache is about 30 feet off the trail and was a fairly easy find. What I found rewarding about this cache was not the find, but the interaction of my fellow Bean hikers who seemed more enthused about this one than the first. I think I may have converted a few folks. There were questions to which I gladly shared my version of answers. I'm not the authority on caching by any means. There are others with far more finds, and anyone with even one hide has more than I, but it was great to be able to share what I know with an excited audience.

From there it was all downhill. It's pretty deceptive. You would think going downhill is easier than up. By the end of the 2.5 mile trek back my knees were yelling at me and my quads will probably be echoing the same tomorrow. It was an intensely gratifying trip. I feel more connected to those I work with, I found a decent handful of caches, and got to visit one of Maine's most beautiful places during it's most beautiful season. It was the best time I've had in recent memory and I can't wait to repeat the experience with my new friends in the Employee Outdoor Club.

The End of the Trail?

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:25:00 +0000

Is there some kind of penance that is standard issue for bloggers who ignore their readership for far too long? It was the kind of words of vegan blogger Laloofah of Mehitable Days that made me realize I need to get off my ass and start giving something back to those who have supported me through my journey.

It's pretty fair to say that my weight-loss journey is over. I've essentially reached my goal. Since the last post I've been somewhat inactive having fallen off a bicycle at a fairly high rate of speed and needed to head to the emergency room. I required 12 stitches to my knee, and yes, it was the same knee I injured over the Summer training for my half. I managed my calories effectively though and ended up having lost over eight pounds since the last time I checked in. This is probably the first time since my early teens that I've weighed less than 200 pounds. It's a sobering realization. To look back and face that I was that unhealthy as an adolescent. I've turned my life around though and want to help others to the same. This is likely the last time you'll see an update pertaining to weight loss, so here it is:

Starting Weight : 315 lbs. Last post : 205 lbs. This week : 196.8 lbs. Since previous weigh in : -8.2 lbs. Total weight loss : 118.2 lbs

While weight loss is no longer an issue, I of course realize that maintaining positive health is key. I have plans to train for a marathon in 2010. I also have the lofty hope of hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2012. I hope that amounts to more than a pipe dream. It would be an amazing personal accomplishment but I realize I have a long way to go before I could ever make such a dream a reality.

Going forward I intend to continue to post on my commitment to the path I've chosen as a vegan. I'll talk about it's role as part of a healthful, peace-promoting lifestyle. How it can be a rich life lived outdoors as an active and conscientious individual. Let's continue to hike, bike, run, cache, discuss, encourage, and attain together. Your feedback is greatly appreciated as always. I look forward to continuing with SlimCache in whatever form it should take next. Let me know what you think. Thank you.

Week 59

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:38:00 +0000

Miss me? I've missed you. Really there is little excuse for being gone so long. Hopefully some have been getting my updates via Twitter or Facebook. To those who have continued to offer their support through those avenues, thank you!

There have been some major milestones accomplished in the last two months. I may have mentioned that I was planning on doing a half-marathon in the Fall. Approximately two months ago I realized that with the mileage I was doing I was essentially already in half-marathon training. With that in mind I pushed up the date and chose the Friends of the Kennebec River Rail Trail Half-Marathon on June 27th. I adopted a structured plan by Hal Higdon that was available on Buckeye Outdoors. Unfortunately I over-trained and ended up with runner's knee. I recognized the signs though, and took the proper therapeutic measures to be able to run the race comfortably finishing in 2:04:18. Right on the mark for the 9:29 pace I trained for.

In an effort to bounce back from that injury I've taken it quite easy on myself in the weeks following the race. The injury was caused by an imbalance of muscle development, leaving certain muscle groups in my legs under-developed. The solution lies in cross-training. Something I've woefully ignored for a long time, opting instead to only run and strengthen my aerobic conditioning. I've recently started cycling. A too good to miss type opportunity just kind of dropped in my lap so I find myself with a well maintained 2006 Masi Vincere at a steal. All the gear talk and cycle culture is a little intimidating but I felt that way about running too when I started so I guess I'll get acclimated eventually.

Likely the most impactful change I've decided to make is that I've decided to no longer consume any animal meat or by-products. While the decision is primarily based on the positive effects on health through consumption of a plant based diet, many other issues have presented themselves. I'm not going to get preachy but feel it's important to let you my friends know that I feel as though I've awakened. My body is operating cleaner and I feel worlds better. Thanks so much to Megan aka veganrunningmom for offering her help in making the right decision. Check out her podcast here.

One more thing. I'll be sitting at the Runners Round Table for the second time tomorrow, July 14th at 4 PM EST, while we discuss weight loss. It would seem that Toni thinks I have some type of insight to offer on the subject so I'll be more than happy to offer up what I've learned in the last year. Thanks everyone for hanging in there so long. Look forward again to weekly updates on my weight and fitness.

Starting Weight : 315 lbs. Last week : 206.6 lbs. This week : 205 lbs. Since previous weigh in : -1.6 lbs. Total weight loss : 110 lbs

Week 50

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:08:00 +0000

Hi all! Great update this week. I was a little disappointed at having to post a gain last week. Thankfully the cloud had a bright enough silver lining that I wasn't sweating it that much. This week however, there were some expectations. I've never posted 2 weeks of gain back to back, and I wasn't about to start now. I knew there was some work to be done. Hopefully I would be able to at least break even with week 48's weight.

I did better than that! I've managed to get back down to week 48's weight and then some. I would say that last week's gain was due largely in part to it being my first year wedding anniversary. My wife and I went out to a lavish dinner at the same restaurant we dined at the night we were engaged. Champagne was poured, brulee was consumed. The weight that I posted last week was accounted for by the volume of food that was kicking around undigested in my system and not actually from fat unburned that week.

Thank you to all my supporters who spoke up mid-week right when I needed it. I got a lot of great feedback at a point when I was experiencing some motivation drain. It's quite a community here who've got my back. Thanks to Onesville and Wireman, GoWagon Rich and a new Twitter friend, downeastrunning. I also got a very well timed shout out from one of my staple podcasts that I listen to, Fat 2 Fit Radio, who linked my before and after photos into their Twitter feed. Hope I provided some positive motivation to their followers. Thanks everyone. Your support is always appreciated.

Starting Weight : 315 lbs. Last week : 208.8 lbs. This week : 205.4 lbs. Since previous weigh in : -3.4 lbs. Total weight loss : 109.6 lbs

Week 49

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:58:00 +0000

It sure has been a while. As I get closer to my goal I find my journaling is falling off. Unfortunately so is my motivation. I'm beginning to wonder if there is any correlation between the two. I've moved back out to camp, as I did last summer when I started this blog. Hopefully that will give me a little bit more time to put my thoughts down. I'll be more free from the car horns and neon distractions of downtown Old Orchard. I look forward to getting more involved again in the online community that has brought me so far.

Not the greatest news to report this week. I didn't post week 48's numbers but they were good. For the week of April 19-25 I posted a loss of 1.8 pounds. I promptly squandered that the following week. Not that all was lost. There were a few noteworthy accomplishments that did not pertain to the number on the scale. Body fat percentage is going to become a new part of my weekly report as I fine tune my weight. This week was I registered at 19.4%. That's a whopping difference from my 34.3% starting point. Huge! 15% loss of body fat HUGE! So I'm not really going to get too hung up about weight at this point. I'm going for overall health after all, not some magic number on the scale.

The other major accomplishment would be the advancement of my running. I'm becoming more comfortable with pacing, my heart rate has continued to come down, and I'm putting in longer distances. Last week I did a total of 36 miles. It's possible that this is a completely foolish course of action though, as it took me 2 or 3 days to feel recovered from my most recent run, an eleven miler on Saturday. The 405 has helped immensely as I'm now tracking my progress with the software provided by Garmin as well as Sport Tracks. I'm more passionate now than ever about running and thankfully all is going well and I'm still injury free.

So even though I have to post a gain for this week, I'm not going to feel too bad about it. The weight itself is only part of the picture. That will come in time. The most important this is that my health continues to improve.

Starting Weight : 315 lbs. Last week : 206.6 lbs. This week : 208.8 lbs. Since previous weigh in : +2.2 lbs. Total weight loss : 106.2 lbs

Caching from the Couch

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:58:00 +0000

Sometimes when it's cats and dogs out I wish I could just search for the cache from the comfort of my own home. Thanks to Erika Jean's Self Titled Nonsense Blog I can do that. Her concept is an interactive geocache hunt in her backyard. You'll be given several options. Use your geosenses and don't forget to sign the log. Be warned, it's more tricky than it would seem. It took me over 6 tries to find it. There are lots of great hiding spots so go with your gut. And be sure to let her know you appreciate the cache. It's a whole new kind of find.

Week 47

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:12:00 +0000

Things seem to be gathering steam. More than likely the calorie allotment I've given myself is starting to gel with the goals I have in place. It's rather conservative, but I've been going on 300 calories six times a day. Maybe it's the 25 miles I ran this week. Anyway, I'm thinking it should be harder than this. It would seem that weight loss for me now is just a given. I don't mean that to sound overconfident. Maybe I've just hit my stride and avoid plateau points. Whatever I'm doing it seems to be going right.

It would be fair to say that I've embraced the running lifestyle. I'm planning on doing my first double digit run tomorrow. I could not be more excited. I'm not officially in any type of training cycle right now, I just want to push myself to go that much farther. Maybe it's my homage to those running the 113th annual Boston Marathon. My 10 seems pretty measly to those competing, but it's the level to which I've pushed myself up to this point. All those great runners competing tomorrow started at this same point. It makes me feel as though I could be part of something greater. I am, as well as you are, capable of great feats. I'll be watching and cheering on my friends Steve Runner, Chris Russell, and Dennis the Early Morning Runner from the running podcast community. Cheers to all those who are running this weekend, in Boston or otherwise.

Starting weight : 315 lbs. Last week : 210.6 lbs. This week : 208.4 lbs. Since previous weigh in : -2.2 lbs. Total weight loss : 106.6 lbs

Thank You GoWagon

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:20:00 +0000

It was my pleasure to speak with SuperHeroBen a few weeks back on The Runners Round Table. He's behind the tremendous training site BuckeyeOutdoors. At the time of our interview he announced a new project just coming out called GoWagon. Since then I've used the hell out of both Buckeye and GoWagon. I've synced my new birthday toy using the handy Buckeye plugin with Sport Tracks and it's made my life loads easier when it comes to entering workout data. Integration of Garmin products is another feature that will soon rock the site so I'm looking forward to that as well.

Craig of the GoWagon team just messaged to send me a birthday greeting! How's that for customer service? They offer a really personal experience there so please go check it out. They've recently also published a video showcasing all the great things already going on and more great things to come. Thanks to the GoWagon team for bringing together a community that I'm prouder to be part of every day.

Next Stop, Onesville

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:56:00 +0000

I'm not very good at accepting complements. Maybe it's still the fat kid in me with low self-esteem. It's also possible that I'm just that humble, although pointing out my humility is not especially self-effacing. Either way, it's hard for me to hear someone say they found my story inspirational. Too often people simply use that as a way of flattering someone. Have I really inspired you? Are you moved to do something about your current situation, no matter what it takes?

That's why I took it to heart when I received a message today regarding a new blog called Onesvill e. The author, also going by the same Onesville moniker, had written to inform me that this blog here had inspired him start his own blog, a weight loss journal similar to SlimCache. He launched the project on Sunday with the stated mission that by Easter of next year he intends to weigh 199 pounds or less. He starts at 270 pounds and has set a completely reasonable goal of losing 1.3 pounds per week. I'm so excited for you Onesville. I hope to be cruising into town very soon myself.

So, an inspiration? Maybe so. It's for sure this guy's not just blowing smoke. I'm very touched that my story has helped another person. My advice is to keep with the blog. Facing up to the online community has an inherent amount of accountability and that alone has often been enough to keep me going. There are some great people out here with a lot of support to lend. Plus you might just inspire another yourself.

Week 46

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:27:00 +0000

In the shuffle yesterday, my weigh in blog post got lost. This was too important of a post to miss too. April 12th was the goal I set to have lost 100 pounds total. All weight loss goals that I've set so far have been met, often times early, on the date they were projected. The 50 pound goal was October 12th, 2008. Met it. January 4th's goal was 75 pounds. I came in 2.4 pounds beyond that goal at the time. I then projected April 12th, my birthday, as the next goal. Again, I've nailed it. I weighed in 4.4 pounds beyond the mark I set for myself 13 weeks ago!

So yesterday I got a three-fer deal. Three holidays in one! April 12th was my birthday, Easter, and my hundred pound goal day. Such an occasion calls for a pretty massive gift right? I've had my eye set on a Garmin Forerunner 405. It's an eye-catching toy that all of my runner friends have already jumped on the bandwagon for. Envy inspiring. Well, my wife saw fit to treat me to my dream training watch. The pride she and our kids have expressed in me has kept me going during the most difficult times of this process. I'm extremely thankful that I have this support system, and that they expressed their esteem with a kick ass gift. They also made me a crown that, with congratulatory flattering phrases all over it amongst stickers of trophies and race medals, made me cry. Thanks guys. I love you.

So that goal is in the bag. Next up is July 26th, the ultimate end goal. I will weigh 190 pounds on that day. My track record speaks for itself. I'm sure if I put my mind too it, that goal will fall just as the others have. Thanks to everyone who has kept me accountable and urged me along. I can't do it without you.

Starting weight : 315 lbs. Last week : 215 lbs. This week : 210.6 lbs. Since previous weigh in : -4.4 lbs. Total weight loss : 104.4 lbs

Family Weekend Cache

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:56:00 +0000

GCA6B8 - Kimee #1

I've been way too long without talking about geocaching, on this, my geocaching blog. The extremely snowy winter brought on a bit of a forced hiatus from the sport. The caches that I prefer are always out in the woods and for the most part, have been buried and inaccessible. Trust me, I tried. I know now that I will need snowshoes next winter. I learned that in the first week of March when I attempted caching at Bradbury Mountain State Park and ended up sinking into the snow up to my mid-thigh.

Thankfully all that mess is starting to break up now. Sunday was an especially gorgeous day and it was also the end of a very enjoyable weekend visiting Boston with the family. We went to the New England Aquarium, the Boston Children's Museum, and on the way home, Stone Zoo. I had programmed some caches and routes for our time in Boston and even though I got some great running time in, hadn't really gotten a chance to grab a cache. This was unfortunate since I've only logged caches in Maine I really wanted to get one across state lines this weekend.

Then it dawned on me. Perhaps I had a cache close to the zoo already in my GPS. We could go check it out after we looked at the black bears, meerkats, and my favorite, the coatis. As luck would have it there was a cache across the street in Greenwood Park. Even better it appeared to be family friendly. The difficulty rating was low. On a scale of 1-5, both the terrain and hide rating were 1. The cache location is just over 1/10 of a mile away from the playground. This cache was just screaming at me to take the kids there.

My son was the scout, and my daughter played the role of navigator, meaning she held my GPS unit for me and relayed distances to the rest of the group. Nice park. It's part of the 2,575 acre Middlesex Fells Reservation. I found this to be an absolutely beautiful area and wish I had a little bit more time to explore the area. There's another cache here too; GCMA1E - Not Crystal Clear. Didn't have a chance to check this one out but if others in the area have please feel free to share. I would love to go back.

Week 45

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:53:00 +0000

Many, many apologies for not having posted much recently. I was wrapped up in what was to be the greatest family trip I've ever taken. More explanation on that in a post to come tomorrow. But briefly, my wife and I took the kids to Boston. Very exciting family togetherness time. Also a really exciting time for me personally as I know the place is runner central. I'll tell you a little about the routes I took and the sights I saw, including a random mass pillow fight, later.

Many of you have probably also struggled with trying to maintain a weight loss plan while on vacation. This trip was hard for me. Great food was nearby at Local Sea Foods. Sam Adams tastes great at the source too btw. So you could say I slipped a little. Thankfully as I had accomplished my birthday goal 2 weeks early, there was a little bit of room for error. An 8 mile run, my longest to date, Saturday morning also helped keep me on track. Unfortunately my efforts couldn't save me from a 1 pound gain.

So at this time I'm back up to 215 even. So long as I keep it there for another week I'll be happy. After my birthday it's time to tackle another goal. I'm 3 for 3 so far. I've projected the next one into July. The 26th to be exact. This is to be my final weight target. From there I should only have to do maintenance. I never thought I would get to this point but I've put some research into my recommended healthy weight for my height and build. That number is 190. I'm confident that I can achieve that. I've nailed every other goal I set before myself. I'll personally testify to the fact that setting goals and holding yourself accountable for them is possibly the strongest tool you can have in your weight loss effort as well.

Starting weight : 315 lbs. Last week : 213.8 lbs. This week : 215 lbs. Since previous weigh in : +1.2 lbs. Total weight loss : 100 lbs

Week 44

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:32:00 +0000

Today was Christmas. You know the type of Christmas you had as a kid where you were at least 98% sure that the grand, shiny gift you wanted was waiting for you? When I woke this morning my eyes snapped open, and I stole downstairs before anyone else had risen. When I stepped on the scale it was confirmed. The big, shiny gift was had. I have crossed the 100 pound mark!

It was impossible to hold in my excitement. I tried not to wake anyone else up. I went back up to my bedroom and waited with my guts bursting for my family to wake up. As soon as I saw the vaguest semblance of wakefulness enter my wife's face, I nudged her to speed the process along, and greeted her with a bright beaming smile and tears in my eyes.

It's still 2 weeks early for my goal too! I hesitate to bag it and tag it though. If I still maintain less than 215 pounds until April 12th, I will then call the goal achieved and project a new goal. This goal should ultimately be the final goal. If I were to lose 25 more pounds I would be at my recommended healthy body weight for my size and frame, and at that point all workouts would be maintenance. I'm very excited to be so near that point. The end is in sight.

Starting weight : 315 lbs. Last week : 216.2 lbs. This week : 213.8 lbs. Since previous weigh in : -2.4 lbs. Total weight loss : 101.2 lbs

Week 43

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:42:00 +0000

Home stretch! I was unfortunately unable to get as much time out on the road this week as I would have liked, but thankfully strep throat came along to save my butt. I'm not sure it's the best way to lose weight but when your throat feels like everything you're trying to swallow is composed of gravel, it tends to slow your appetite a little. Thursday and Friday found me shivering under a blankey with no real explanation, not even much of a fever. Then the white spots came. I found them today. Not a professional diagnosis, but I think it's a pretty fair assumption. I'm sick. Thank goodness I have some antibiotic left over from an ear infection just over a month ago.

Since last week's race my legs have been pretty sore too. I opted to go low impact for most of the week spending more time on the elliptical than usual. Maybe this slight change in routine was beneficial in jogging my system. Whatever it was, I'm pretty happy with the results. I've lost another two and a half pounds. I'm now just over 1 pound away from my 100 pound goal with 3 weigh-ins still remaining.

Thanks go out to the hosts of Runners Round Table. I had a blast talking to Ben of BuckeyeOutdoors about the site changes going on. I've been pretty hush about it cuz it wasn't to be mentioned until after the podcast but now I can't help but shout it out. Go to GoWagon! It's training logs, it's social networking, it's mapping and events! I'm really excited about this project. If you're already on BuckeyeOutdoors your info is already on GoWagon, just use the same login. Thanks again to Steve, Toni, Joe, and Ben for making my first time at the Table such an enjoyable one.

Starting weight : 315 lbs. Last week : 218.8 lbs. This week : 216.2 lbs. Since previous weigh in : -2.6 lbs. Total weight loss : 98.8 lbs

The Runners Roundtable

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:09:00 +0000

Join me today at the Table! I'll be co-hosting today's show with Steve Runner of Phedippidations and Toni from London to talk about where we run, and topics on selecting and plotting routes with Ben from BuckeyeOutdoors. We will be recording live at 4PM EST on TalkShoe. Please join us! There's always room at the Table.

Kerrymen Pub Road Race

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Thought I might hammer out a little race report on Sunday's 5K. Going into it I was feeling really good knowing that Sunday's weigh-in had brought a weight loss of 1.2 pounds. Way to start the morning off right. I was also quite confident that I would pull a PR since I've only done two other races, one of which was WWFoR. Being that that's a virtual race I went with my previous record set of 33:43 which was last fall. I've been running quite a bit since then and was pretty sure I had this one nailed but didn't want to get overconfident. Honestly I was still a little nervous but not sure why.

Electric atmosphere. More people than I've seen in one place. I guess that's primarily because I haven't run that many races. That could also explain how I can still manage to feel completely alone in a large crowd of people. I know running is a social sport but really just haven't gotten into that aspect of it yet. Maybe I should pin a sign to my back saying 'Portions of this race will be recorded and posted on RuncastTV' just to start conversations.

Starting out I was quite sure I was pulling out too fast. It's a short race though, and I should be able to sustain this pace for 3 miles right? I decided to rein it in slightly. Somehow a race atmosphere gets the best of me, just like most other runners I've talked to. First mile was done in 8:43. That's an unheard of pace for me. Wasn't sure I could keep that up. Until the 2nd mile marker. I didn't track my own splits but my time at mile 2 was 17:33. I was sustaining! Incredible! The second mile was the real slog out of all of them too. I hardly even remember mile 3. Maybe it was just the buzz. It felt pretty nice being the one to do the passing rather than being passed for a change. Yup, I've climbed the ranks from the waaaayyyy back of the middle of the pack to a bona fide midpacker.

I even managed to muster up a sprint at the end. I wondered about the couthe of this. Aren't you supposed to pour it on at the end? I saw no one else attempting the hard push that I did. I wondered what the other racers would think of this display. Would they think I think myself flashy? No, it's just that I've been integrating strides into the end of every workout lately.

I dragged my tired butt across the line in 26:52. My best practice run recently was 28:06 so honestly I was just hoping to come up with a time comparable to that. A PR is a great feeling. I wasn't really competing against anyone out there in particular except myself. That's evident in the final results where I placed 47th out of 60 in my age group, and 340th overall. How can I feel so satisfied having come in 340th? It's pretty easy actually.

New Video @ Runcast

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:04:00 +0000

Check it out! New video posted over at Runcast.TV. Please head over there and support. I love this community.

Find more videos like this on RuncastTV

Week 42

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Is it possible I could actually pull this mission off? It was starting to look pretty bleak there for a minute. Now I feel as though I'm back on track. I'm writing this on Monday as Sunday was a really busy, exciting, and positive day. More on that in my other post about the race.

I now only have 4 pounds to go with four weeks remaining until my birthday. I think it's achievable. I'm holding myself up to a pretty high standard, as I've hit every goal I put in front of myself so far. Unfortunately that has meant being too hard on myself at times. Last week's setback taught me a lesson I needed to address. Now I'm back on top with a fresh outlook.

This week brings another new challenge. I'll be co-hosting The Runners Round Table this Wednesday at 4 PM EST with guest Ben Deutschle of BuckeyeOutdoors.com. We'll talk about choosing and plotting routes and integrating GPS data into our workouts. I'm really excited about the topic and I think it's truly in the spirit of this blog, endorsing the blend of tech and fit. Ben will also be revealing some site changes that lend themselves toward community interaction, something none of us seem to be able to get enough of. Check it out!

I also need to say thank you to the community at large for all your support. Integrating my Twitter and this blog to my Facebook account has done great things for gathering the support I need from all my family and friends. Thanks so much for your support.

Starting weight : 315 lbs. Last week : 220 lbs. This week : 218.8 lbs. Since previous weigh in : -1.2 lbs. Total weight loss : 96.2 lbs

Thanks, Guy!

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:37:00 +0000

I don't know your name or occupation. I don't know your hair or eye color either thanks to your helmet and sunglasses. I know I was just happy to see you today, guy on recumbent bike who passed me a few times on my six mile run.

The first time you passed me it was just general pleasantries.
You : "How's it goin'?"
Me : "Good, thanks. You?"
You : "Great."
And you were right. It was great out today. We couldn't have picked a better day to get out and enjoy our respective healthful outdoor pursuits. It finally feels like spring around here and everyone is taking advantage, us included.

You must have stopped somewhere along the way because a few minutes later I was surprised to see you pass me again. I didn't have time to gauge a response.
You : "Wow, you're really flyin'."
Me : *huff puff grunt inaudible*
But that comment is probably what powered me through today. It's almost impossible to get someone to even crack a smile out there, let alone interact with you. Here you come with a glowing complement like that for someone like me who, at best, is at the rear end of the middle of the pack. You and your bright yellow jersey just made my day. But it wasn't the last time I would see you.

It was about 100 meters from the end of my run so I was kicking into strides when you pull up alongside again. How did I keep getting past you?
You : "Wow. Look at you. You've run a long way today."
Me : "Yeah, and I think I'm finally petering out."
It was a front. I petered out about a mile ago. I was just running sprinting at the end because I had to. It just happened to be a convenient time for you too spot me for the fourth time today.

So thanks complete stranger on funny looking bike. You completely made my day. You couldn't have possibly known that I was having a crummy couple of weeks regarding my fitness but your words of encouragement couldn't have come at a better time. Keep ridin'!

Week 41

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Oh, the cost of hubris. I felt like my weight loss goal for April was in the bag just because, as of last week's weigh-in, I was only 3 pounds away. My celebration comes after the touchdown though, not at the 5 yard line. I already described in depth the sins I committed earlier this week so I'll skip it here. Those actions had unfortunate consequences. I'm up 2 pounds this week.

Thankfully though talking those issues out earlier this week has provided some different perspective. Thanks to Charles and Drusy for their encouraging posts. They meant a lot. My wife also deserves a big thanks for helping too. She dug up a list pros and cons I wrote out during my last slump. At that point I was depressed because I had only lost 42 pounds! That really made me take a step back and assess the situation, realizing that this is not the end of the world. I'm stronger than I give myself credit for often.

So I took a closer look at the positives that came out of this week. This morning my body fat % read at 22% even. This is amazing. I started at more than 34% body fat! I also think this may be what's leading to my stalled loss. I'm still losing the fat but gaining stronger leg muscles. This leads me to the other positive I experienced this week. I thought I needed to catch up during the second half of the week so I vowed to take my frustrations out on the road. I ended up logging just shy of 20 miles in three days. That's one long run for some I know, but it's a big deal for me. This week I logged the most miles I've done in one week since starting running, and I enjoyed every step of them.

Starting weight : 315 lbs. Last week : 218.2 lbs. This week : 220 lbs. Since previous weigh in : +1.8 lbs. Total weight loss : 95 lbs

Emotional Recovery

noreply@blogger.com (djgray1200) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:48:00 +0000

I've found myself a little in the dumps this week. I was really happy with my three pound loss during the last weigh in. You may even say I got a little overconfident. I've only got three pounds left to go in six weeks, so it's in the bag right? That was my thought when I went out to lunch Sunday afternoon. So I ordered myself a big beer or three, and even though I opted for a veggie wrap at lunch, those veggies were tempura fried and served w/ Thai peanut sauce and fries. After that I proceeded to the my favorite local craft beer store and picked up a 4 pack of Dogfish Head's Palo Santo Marron of which I had 3 when I got home. Dark, delicious, decadent, calorie laden Palo Santo. I was really living.

That seems to have opened the floodgates. I started emotionally eating at the beginning of this week, and by Wednesday found myself up 11 pounds from Sunday's weight. Shame spiral ensued. I've spent the better part of this week beating myself up. It took me a long time to realize that this likely wasn't the end of the world. I'm incredibly lucky to have such a supportive spouse who knows me well enough to know just what to say to put these things in perspective and get me back on course.

With that in mind I headed into the gym today, understanding that it was time to knuckle down. If I'm to lose weight this week, maybe even just break even, I can't continue to lay down. I wallowed enough earlier this week and this was my first workout since Saturday. I need to make them count. I've decided that it's possible for me to get over 15 miles in before the end of the week. It starts now. 6 miles done on the treadmill today plus some time on the elliptical. No more excuses. I've not got much farther to go. It's crunch time.