Day 9

Great day. 1/2 hour at 4 and 4.1 mph, going up to 8% grade, 400 cal on the treadmill. Really felt good. Ankle feels amazingly better, but I think that's the motorcycle therapy :)

Days 6, 7, 8

Saturday was a big day, I went an hour on the treadmill, 725 calories on its counter. Sunday was a hard 3 mile walk in the mountains. Monday I skipped, might be coming down with something. Still, a great weekend.

Days 2,3,4,5

Had good workouts on Days 2, 3, and 5, but didn't go on Thursday. Every day feel a little stronger. Tomorrow I hope to go maybe a bit slower but for a whole hour -- trying to build up a little more endurance on the weekend. Next week going up to 8% grade, trying to increase the effort without increasing the strain on the ankles. It's all good!

Day 1, Try 2

Well, the first attempt ended with just pretty severe constant pain in my ankles. I've thought about it, and decided that the thing to do would have been to first lose some weight, and second walk on a treadmill for the first few months, to take advantage of the cushioning it provides. I had to modify our tired old treadmill somewhat to allow for more cooling...and I have to run it at an incline of at least 6 percent to assist it in pulling the belt around, but if I do that I go at least 40 minutes without popping its circuit breaker.

For the last two weeks I've been going every other day on the treadmill for half an hour at 4 mph and a 6 percent incline. Today is the first day I went at 4.1 mph and 7%, and I'll do that every day for a week.

I've managed to get down to 275 lbs. I'm only weighing myself every month...every day just got a little too weird, and really the weight is more of a side effect to the fitness.

So...

Day 1, Try 2.

30 minutes
4 and 4.1 mph
7 % grade
felt completely awesome!

Day 17

Had a good day. Felt very good walking hard, not much stiffness. Took the ibuprofen and chondroitin at night -- I had some coughing and throat roughness in the middle of the night, I'm going to do the chondroitin in the mornings from now on, see how that goes.

Felt a little bit bad running the first downhill, but ran the second third and fourth with no drama. Did the first have in 16:01 (rats!)

Whole thing was 2.5 miles in 33:50. avg speed 4.5. Not bad at all. Pretty stiff here at work, even taking ibuprofen before coming out there. A few minutes of stiffness and pain after sitting down any time at all.

Feel good about a least going out the first 4 days this week.

Day 16

Much much better than yesterday. Taking ibuprofen and chondroitin before bed, perhaps coincidentally, left me with almost no pain in the morning. Went 2.5 miles in 35:34, avg speed 4.4mph. Not great, but not bad. Ended up feeling pretty good, not too winded, not in any kind of distress going up the final hill. So much better than yesterday it was like night and day.

Days 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

Well, foo.

Over the weekend we had company, and I couldn't really get out for a run. On Sunday I went for a slow 2.5 mile hike with Thomas, Elizabeth, and Tiffany in Santa Cruz, and that was great.

On Monday, I went 2.5 miles in under 32 minutes, and felt absolutely fabulous. I had wondered if a long hike in sandals the day before would hurt my shins (as I felt the previous Sunday) but there was none of that. Felt strong, and not winded.

Today, though, I just couldn't walk well. Usually the pain in my joints goes away after a few minutes, but today I really couldn't walk symmetrically even after a half-mile, so I came home.

I will have to do some biking, I think, to develop endurance without putting such a strain on my joints. Or treadmill walking.

damn.

Days 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

OK, so I've been a little lax in the updating of the blog.

I was feeling pretty sore after Friday, and Galloway recommends taking Saturday off, so I did. We went for a very slow two mile hike at Ellwood Bluffs in Santa Barbara.

Sunday I really wanted to go hard, but again I was very sore. I couldn't run at all, so I walked pretty fast -- went to the end of Angelo and back in 37 minutes, about 4 mph average

Monday I went just 1.8 miles, hurt so bad I could barely set the brake in the Prius.

So, Tuesday and Wednesday I took off.

Thursday, though, I went the full 2.5 miles in a very fast 32:36 without running up the hill at the end at all. That's an average speed of 4.6. I made it through the first half in about 15:45, avg 4.7. So far, there is more stiffness and pain than "normal", but it's not bad at all. I hope I feel good in the morning.

About 295 lbs today.

Day 4

Today, again, I got a late start. I have to stop doing that!

I had some pain in my left achilles tendon, and left shin, as I was walking fast and jogging, it wasn't too bad, but it has made me look forward to taking a day off Sunday. We'll see how that goes.

I went 2.47 miles in 33:14 today, avg speed of 4.5 mpg. 14 seconds slower than yesterday, I think I am just getting a little cumulatively sore. Again, have to see how it goes Monday. Didn't run the last 100 yards up hill either today...I thought I was just too out-of-breath yesterday.

Tomorrow I want to go the whole 3.5 miles, slow.

Had remarkably better results this morning in my before-walk exercise -- really hard to believe that three days can make that much difference. But not winded a bit.

Felt a little geezed at the end of the day...probably just friday night, and not drinking enough water during the day.

Day 3

This morning I got an almost fatally late start -- I have to do better. Had breakfast before "running" too, probably a bad idea -- had that bloated feeling going down the hill. A big glass of water when I get up, then go, then maybe breakfast on the way to work is a much better deal. Took some chondroitin last night, we'll see if I feel any less sore and stiff today (so far it isn't promising)

Went to the end of Arnold and back today.

2.5 miles in 33 minutes, about 4.5 mph. Hey 2.5 is almost 1/10th of a marathon. Unfortunately it was absolutely 100% of my effort, I was completely spent by the end of the run. This route is not as hilly as the route yesterday, but it is substantially longer. I think that I need to go over half an hour...so I'll keep going this way until I get it under half an hour, then I'll add the other leg back on.

Felt really good all day yesterday, sharp and on-task all day -- is it the exercise? Don't know, but I'll keep monitoring.

300 lbs again today. Have to find a way to eat less...but I do have to say that I have fewer and less intense cravings.

Day 2

Got a later start today but drank first. Ran, or rather "ran" two minutes.

1.82 miles in 25:14 avg 4.5. Not bad!

Dang, my feet hurt though an hour later. Weighed in at 300 lbs.

Day 1

Today is the first day for this blog, and for the program. I will be 50 next Memorial Day, and intend to run the LA Marathon.

I know that any sane person reading this first day will say that I'm crazy, deluded, or at very best ridiculously optimistic, and I'll grant you that. Still, by blogging this year, I hope that it will add to my momentum to complete this project.

Today I weigh somewhat over 300 lbs. I'll have to weigh myself tomorrow.

Exercise: Walked 1.84 miles in 32 minutes