100 Day Challenge: Second Week Complete

 Well, I didn't run this week but I did keep busy. I got up this morning and was a little worried I had overindulged this weekend so I really didn't know what the scale was going to say. Turns out, the activity and the eating I did do actually worked. 

I weighed in this morning at 189.2 lbs! Remember, I started at 197.2 originally and last week I was 193.2 lbs., so I'm down 8 pounds in two weeks. As I mentioned before, I suspect my weight loss will start to slow down. I don't expect to lose 4 pounds each week, nor do I necessarily want to. As I've said before, more than 2 pounds per week typically means you're losing muscle as well and I don't want to do that. Here's a summary of what I did this week:

Day 8 - Monday, July 25th (Start of Week Two)

I had mentioned in my last post that I was on the road this day. But just to keep the weeks together, I'll recap.  The county I was in had Mellow Mushroom Pizza for lunch. I only had one slice, and man that was a bit of challenge. The pizza was so good, I could have easily eaten another 2 slices. I was good though because I felt satisfied with the one slice. Eating more would have just been for pleasure and not for necessity. I did cave and had a can of Coca-Cola despite initially reaching for the water bottle. For dinner, I had 3 Taco Bell crunchy Supreme Tacos and a huge glass of water. 

As for exercise, I did 10 push ups, followed by 25 squats, and repeated both with no rest just to say I did some form of exercise. 

Day 9 - Tuesday, July 26th 

Today was Election Day for 3 of my counties. I was up at 5:30 so I could get dressed and get to my first county by 6:30 a.m. As is usual for me, I skipped breakfast. For lunch, the county brought in food from a really good Asian restaurant. I had Spicy Chicken, white rice and grilled veggies. It was the perfect amount of heat. Nose ran like crazy, but the flavor was spectacular. Sometimes, food is just too spicy and it's basically no flavor to it. I drank a ton of water...to help with the spice.

For dinner, I went through Wendy's and had a bottle of water and a Dave's Single Classic. When I got home that night, I was snacky so I had some Siggi's 0% Milkfat Yogurt. I had read that Yogurt can help with weight loss. It has something to do with getting good bacteria in your gut. I figured, what the heck. Can't hurt to try it. 

I didn't plan on exercising today but I was pretty jazzed up from the excitement of the election that I had some energy. I decided to do 10 push ups and 25 body weight squats. 

Day 10 - Wednesday, July 27th

Not sure why, but I woke up starving today. Also SUPER tired from yesterday's 15 hour day. Needless to say, I did not run this morning. Instead, I ate breakfast. I know...Shocker! I had an English muffin with butter, and some of the Siggi's yogurt for breakfast. 

For lunch, I wasn't too hungry and I debated skipping because I did have breakfast. But instead I chose to have some Campbell's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo soup with a slice of Sourdough bread and butter and a huge glass of water.

For dinner, we had fish tacos and a salad. I also had some tortilla chips with homemade guacamole. As usual lately, I just had water to drink with dinner.

Since I hadn't felt like running in the morning, my wife and I went for a hike around a lake near us. It's only 1.64 miles or so, but it's pretty and it's relaxing. Relaxing is important for weight loss believe it or not. Cortisol is a stress hormone that causes weight gain. All in a all...a really nice day.

Day 11 - Thursday, July 28th

Today, I woke up starving again. Still felt really tired too so I didn't run. I was very mad at myself. I had yogurt, a banana and an English muffin with butter for breakfast, but because I ate late, I skipped lunch. I just wasn't hungry. That Siggi's yogurt is pretty satisfying. It's high in Protein which helps you feel full. I have been measuring it out each time with a food scale. I eat 170+/- grams. If you don't have a food scale, I highly recommend getting one. It really helps with portion sizes, plus if you're into counting Macros - which I'm not - the good ones will give you that info too.

For dinner, I had a double roast been sandwich (1 sandwich, double the meat) from Arby's. I just drank water and I skipped the curly fries. 

Since I was mad about not running, I got out a pair of 20 lb dumbbells and did 10 curls and then 10 overhead presses before going to bed. 

Day 12 - Friday, July 29th

Woke up again this morning, really tired with no motivation to run so I stayed in bed. Not sure what's going on, but I woke up hungry again! So, for breakfast, I had some Siggi's yogurt and a banana. I was on the road again today so for lunch I had a 6" subway sub. I had their new Steak and pepper jack cheese on white bread with the garlic aioli. It was actually really good. I skipped the chips and a drink option. 

On the drive home, I was really wanting a snack. I stopped and got gas and went inside after pumping. I almost got a Coke, but instead opted for a Lipton Peach Tea. It's less sugar than the Coke and it's not carbonated. This may sound weird, but I swear the carbonation makes me bloated. Even diet sodas I've tried give me a big stomach. Not to mention that I had Aspartame as a sweetener. I've just read too many articles about how bad it can be. I also wanted some candy, but for some reason, opted for a Slim Jim instead. By the way...I really enjoyed it. I used to eat them when I was younger. The tea satisfied the sweet craving I was having and the Slim Jim filled me up just enough.

For dinner, I went a little crazy. I got Outback and got the Ribeye (my favorite). I did get the smaller one, but I have always done that. I had the mixed veggies and a loaded backed potato. Now normally, I would get cheese fries, but I did skip those. That actually wasn't too hard because we got it to go and cheese fries (to me) are not as good at home. They cool off too much on the drive. I also skipped the bread they give you. Again, not too hard because by the time you get it home, it's not nice and warm any longer. I just had water to drink.

Feeling like I went overboard today with the eating and snacking, I did my 10 x 20lb curls and overhead presses right before bed. 

Day 13 - Saturday, July 30th

Today, my wife and I woke up early, skipped breakfast, and hiked what turned out to be 7 miles. We only planned on hiking about 4, but then we kept seeing signs for cool things to see if we just went a little farther. Signs like .6 miles to a lake. .8 to another lake, .03 to a covered bridge...and so on. We ended up seeing 3 waterfalls, 3 lakes and a covered bridge at Dupont State Forest. 

After the hike, we went to Brevard, NC which is right there by the forest essentially and had steamed bagel sandwiches for lunch. I had the corned beef and pastrami on an everything bagel with spicy mustard and a cup of water to drink. The steamed bagel takes some getting used to, but really good. The place is called Sully's Steamers if you'd like to check them out. I'm pretty sure it's a chain. 

Since I wasn't sure how healthy the steamed bagel was, I decided for dinner I would have Sushi. I got the 8 piece sushi deluxe with miso soup and water to drink. 

Day 14 - Sunday, July 31st and the End of Week 2

As I mentioned above, I weighed in this morning at 189.2. Eight pounds down from when I started. While I was a little hungry this morning, it was nothing like I have been experiencing all week. So I skipped breakfast and waited for lunch. I was really beat from the hike yesterday so I did not run this morning like I planned on doing. 

For lunch I had a weird combination of things. My wife was cooking and just using stuff in the pantry that we had rather than get take out. So what I had was this chickpea & fresh spinach that was sauteed in a pan, four small Spanakopita, and this really good fried cheese. It's called Halloumi cheese and fries up really well. As you know, I've been trying to avoid fried foods, but I couldn't resist these "fried cheese sticks" because they are so good. I had 4 and I could have eaten the whole plate.  I also had a banana just to have something "sweet". 

For dinner, my wife made gnocchi & spinach with a vodka cream sauce. I had a huge glass of water to drink.

As for exercise today, I was annoyed I didn't run in the morning when it was cooler so I headed out the door at 5 p.m. for a 30 minute run. I had to walk three times because it was so hot. But since I had to walk several times, I decided to add on 3 x 24 second hill runs. These were not sprints, but were hard effort. I walked back down for recovery. Later that night, I also did my tiny workout with 20lb dumbbells....10 curls and 10 overhead presses.

I would like to add in closing, that I have not felt like I'm dieting per se. Yes, I'm skipping things l usually get like a soda and fries with my fast food or having cookies in the house. But if you don't buy it, it's pretty easy to avoid. The other other day, my wife made a sort of monkey bread. It's two cans of cinnamon rolls and then the icing poured all over it. That was really tempting because it was in the house, but I successfully avoided it. 

100 Day Challenge: First Week Complete! (Plus Day 8)

 Today was the start of week 2 of my 100 Day Challenge and I am happy to report that I lost weight. This morning I weighed in at 193, down 4.2 lbs from 197.2 when I started. Here's a summary of how I wrapped up the week and how I started today.

Day 6 - Saturday, July 23rd 

Well, I did not run. I was upset with myself but the day just got away from me. I did mow the lawn and worked up a sweat that way...but I really wanted to run. I actually had to work from 8 a.m. until about 4 p.m., but lets be honest. It was an excuse. 

Food wise, I skipped breakfast which I often do. I used to always skip breakfast, but lately I've been experimenting with eating something small to get the metabolism going. I had a Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich for lunch with a bottle of water. When I got home, I had a piece of Sourdough toast with butter because I was super hungry. For dinner, I had a Chick Fil-A Grilled Chicken Club which is pretty good. I actually added Mr. Stubb's BBQ sauce to give a little something. I love Mr. Stubb's BBQ Sauce because you can actually read all the ingredients. No chemical sounding ingredients at all. I did have a snack before bed of 8 Nilla Wafers which is pretty low calorie and does give me that "I had a cookie" feeling. Sort of. 

Day 7 - Sunday, July 24th (End of Week One)

Sunday was supposed to be a long run but I opted for a 6 mile bike ride at the Biltmore Estate. I skipped breakfast because as I mentioned in an earlier post, I like to exercise in a fasted state. At first, I was thinking I should have maybe eaten something because I felt like was working REALLY hard to keep up with my wife. Turns out, I was riding with a flat front tire. Once I stopped and put air in it, I felt like my old self again. Crazy! 

For Lunch I had a mushroom swiss burger with sweet potato fries. I opted for those over regular fries because sweet potatoes are lower on the glycemic index than white potatoes. What the heck...every little bit helps, right? For dinner, we went to P.F. Chang's and I had half an order of the pork steamed dumplings and I shared the chicken lettuce wraps with my wife. 

I also saw a movie and had popcorn, a whole box of Raisinets and an Angry Orchard hard cider. I also had a 16oz White Zombie beer in between the movie and dinner. I did however, skip getting ice cream even though my two daughters got some at Cold Stone Creamery. That was very tough to do. I LOVE ICE CREAM. But I decided I had used up my "cheat day" with the Raisinets, cider and beer. I was very curious how that would effect my weigh in on Monday. Maybe I would have broke 193, but who knows. As long as the number is going down, I'm fine with it. 

Day 8 - Monday, July 25th (Start of Week Two)

Today I was on the road. The county I was in had Mellow Mushroom Pizza. I only had one slice, but I caved and drank a can of Coca-Cola despite initially reaching for the water bottle. For dinner, I had 3 Taco Bell crunchy Supreme Tacos and a huge glass of water. 

As I mentioned in the intro, I weighed in today (1 week) at 193 lbs. I suspect my future weigh-ins won't be as great. They say that more than two pounds per week, you are losing muscle. So I suspect it'll slow down. Especially since I plan on actually lifting weights this week. I didn't lift any last week. 

As for exercise, I did not run this morning because I had a two hour drive and had to leave early to get to my county. When I got home, I had laundry, had to go grocery shopping and work on some things. Again, I know what some of you are thinking....excuses. You know what...I'm going to at least do some push ups. Hang on....

OK. Dang! I'm out of shape. I just did 10 push ups, followed by 25 squats, and repeated with no rest. It's something. 

Tomorrow, will be Day 9 and it's Election Day. That means I'll be working from 5:30 a.m. until approx. 9 p.m. at night. Possibly later. I don't plan on exercising tomorrow. 

100 Day Challenge: Days 2-5

 So here is a quick summary of days 2-5. It's amazing how fast things happen when you first start a program. On day one, I went out for a 30 minute run and had to walk four times as you know from my earlier blog. But check this out:

Day 2 - Tuesday, July 19th

On day two, I just went for a hike around Lake Powhatan which is near me. It's about a 1.6 mile loop on what's called the Homestead Trail. 

I did really good with my eating. No sodas. I skipped breakfast like I usually do and had Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch. I had the original recipe breast with mashed potatoes, gravy and a biscuit. It also came with a cookie, which I did eat even though I told myself I wouldn't. I can't recall what I had for dinner, but I know we cooked at home.

Day 3 - Wednesday, July 20th

On day three, I went for another 30 minute run but this time I only had to walk 2 times. However, the course I ran was flat so that probably made a difference. I did jumping jacks, windmills, hallelujahs and lunges for a warm up. 

I did ok with my eating. No sodas but I did have one serving of vanilla wafers which seemed to satisfy a cookie craving I was having. I had Sourdough toast for breakfast with butter, at leftovers for lunch and had Fried Cod and Couscous for dinner. 

Day 4 - Thursday, July 21st

Today, I planned on working out with weights. I did not. In fact, I had zero activity but that's OK. I'm allowed a rest day.

Eating however wasn't the best. I had 3 Mega Stuff Oreos. A serving size is 2 but the rest of the day I was good. No sodas or earlier snacks. I had toast for breakfast and an Arby's Double Roast Beef Sandwich for lunch. No fries and just water to drink. I had 3 slices of frozen pizza for dinner, which wasn't too bad I guess since they were small slices. One was a cauliflower crust with pepperoni. I had one slice. The other was a nicer end frozen pizza with goat cheese and spinach. I had two slices of that. 

Day 5 - Friday, July 22nd

Got up this morning and ran for 30 minutes without stopping! I was very happy as this was a pretty hilly route. Like Wednesday, I did jumping jacks, windmills, hallelujahs and lunges for a warm up. 

Food wise, I had a piece of sourdough bread with butter and an egg for breakfast. For lunch, I had a Hardee's grilled chicken BBQ sandwich. No fries, bottle of water. For dinner, I had a cheeseburger and grilled veggies consisting of zucchini, peppers and a portobello mushroom. 

I've already dropped two pounds and it hasn't even been a full week yet. I feel better believe it or not although I do have cravings. I heard the ice cream truck in the neighborhood tonight and got some ice cream sandwiches which are awesome! My plan is that I can only eat one when I break 190.

I started this 100 Day Challenge on July 18th after getting on the scale and realizing I was 197.2. The heaviest I've ever weighed. On July 22nd, I weighed in at 194.2. Again, not even a full week has passed. I've been running but have not yet started the weight training I wanted to start. Goal for next week or maybe this weekend.

Upcoming Challenges for this Weekend and Next Week

I have to work early on Saturday and it's supposed to be really hot so I doubt I'll run tomorrow. We'll see. However, since I ran today, tomorrow should be a rest day. I will aim to do weights at night if I don't run.

Sunday should be OK so I plan on running early and doing a long run of some sort. I'll try for 3 or 4 miles and I plan to run/walk as needed. 

Monday, I have to travel and get on the road early, but we'll see what happens. I really think a rest day will be ok...but I know I won't get to run on Tuesday because of my job. 

On Tuesday, it's Election Day and I have 3 counties with elections so that will be a super long day for me. 5:30 a.m. until probably 9 of 10 p.m. so I don't think I'll get a workout in. 

Wednesday, I have to travel again for work but I think I can squeeze in a run before I have to get on the road. 

I'll keep posting. Not everyday I don't think but probably like I did today. with 4 days worth. I will do better tracking my food intake. Again, I'm not doing a diet per se...just trying to eat better and cut down on sweets and sodas. 

100 Day Challenge: Day 100

100 Day Fitness Challenge

Today is 100 days until my birthday. It also happens to coincide with the heaviest I've ever weighed. Needless to say, I was not happy when I stepped on the scale today! I feel like it wasn't just a coincidence though. I swear it's a wake up call so I start running again. 

My work has been crazy lately. I'm either sitting at a desk or sitting in the car driving to a county where I will then sit at a desk. I feel like my stress levels are OK though as I can manage the work. You'll see why that's important in a minute.

So...It's a few months until my birthday. I weigh more than I ever have in my life. So what am I going to do about it? Five things make up my 100 Challenge.

EXERCISE

I will start running again. My goal in the beginning is to get out there at least 3 times per week for an easy run. I also want to do speedwork or hills at least once per week. Eventually over the 100 days, I will start having a long run once per week. 

I plan to run/workout in a fasted state so my body burns fat since it won't have a ready supply of carbs from eating. 

For example, this morning I ran/walked for 30 minutes which was about 2.03 miles. I had to walk 4 times which was upsetting to me in and of itself. I had not eaten anything but felt totally fine otherwise. In fact, in all the years I've run, I prefer to run in a fasted state. Even in my long runs believe it or not. I just don't do well with food in my system. Side aches, sluggishness...it's just not good for me. 

STRENGTH TRAINING

I will start doing my daily dozen - or least some of them along with some dumbbell workouts like curls, squat thrusters and other strength exercises like push ups. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat so if I can add muscle, I will increase my metabolism.

What is the daily dozen you ask? It's actually a routine I used to do in high school on the Cross Country team. It's both a strength and stretching warm up. Exercises include: Jumping Jacks, Windmills, Hallelujahs, Mountain Climbers, Cross Overs, Bicycles, Wall Push, Miss Americas, Butterfly stretch, Lunges, High Jumps & Burpees. 

I'm really out of shape, so this morning, I only did the jumping jacks, windmills, hallelujahs, lunges and wall push exercises/stretches. 

REDUCE STRESS

I mentioned I don't feel stressed, but adding in the exercise will be taxing on my body. Therefore, I will take rest days. This will do two things: First, it will give my body a break and time to relax. Secondly, it will allow down time for my body to make the adaptations to the exercises I'll be doing so that I get stronger and faster. 

It will be tough, but if I'm in bed by 11 p.m. and up by 6:30, that's 7.5 hours of sleep...pretty close to 8 and definitely more than the 6 hours I typically get. 

BETTER EATING

I will try to eat as clean as possible. What do I mean by clean eating? Mainly, I mean I will cut out/drastically reduce sodas and sweets. Anyone that knows me, knows that I love my Coca-Cola and desserts. Cookies, ice cream, cake, candy....if it has sugar, I'm a huge fan. But it also means I will focus on whole wheat breads and pastas in an effort to cut out/cut down on refined sugars. If I just stick to whole foods like meats, fruits and vegetables, and stay away from the inner aisles at the grocery store, I should achieve that goal. 

I do like to eat out. In fact, sometimes, it's necessary since I'm on the road so much. For example, today, I had a grilled chicken sandwich at Wendys. No fries and a bottle of water to drink. Dinner was the same. I went to Chick Fil-A and had a grilled chicken sandwich (forgot to ask for wheat bread) but I skipped the waffle fries and skipped the soda. I only drank water. For breakfast this morning, I was hungry after my run so I had a banana. So, I will still eat out, but I will choose the healthier options on the menu. 

ACCOUNTABILITY

I will blog each day and let the world know what I did that day. This will keep me motivated knowing I have an audience watching. So check in from time to time and follow my progress. Hopefully you'll be rooting for me. But I know people love to see a train wreck too so here's hoping I prove them all wrong. 

What is it Like to Run a Virtual Half-Marathon?

What is it like to run a virtual half-marathon?

Last year, I signed up to run a new half-marathon in my town. The Hot Chocolate Half-Marathon. I was super excited! At the time I signed up, I didn't think too much about it despite Covid being around. I was under the impression, Covid would be relatively scarce by the time the race rolled around. However, as the race date approached, there was now the new Omicron version of Covid. I can't afford to get Covid, so I decided to switch my entry to the virtual option. I was just too nervous to go and run with a large group of people, huffing, puffing and spitting all around me. The race did take precautions: Staggered starts, mandatory masks at the starting line, etc...but we all know all well people pay attention to mask mandates, right? 

Running a virtual half-marathon wasn't too different than going out for a long run. That is until I got to mile 10. This is usually when I grab a water or a Gatorade at the aid station. However, there was no aid station. But, let's start at the beginning: First off, I got to where I'd run but unlike an actual event, there was no crowds. No music. No porta potties for last minute pre-race tummy issues. It was just like I was going for a regular run. I tried to do my usual pre-race routine and it did get me psyched up, but not nearly as much as the usual energy felt at the start of a race.

The next obvious difference was that there were no mile markers or people telling you were to go. I know, I know. It's a virtual race so I was just required to cover the distance. Not the actual course. But call me old fashioned, but I ran the actual course. It was all along the greenways here in town so it was easy to look at the map and see what was what. The only exception is I wasn't 100% sure of the start and finish lines or where exactly the turnaround was at but I had a pretty good idea since it lined up with building I was familiar with. I figured as long as I was at the right mileage when I turned around, I'd be ok. 

I don't know about you, but my GPS watch is not the most reliable. In fact, when I go back and look at my route on my training runs, it has me running through buildings, cutting through people's yards, etc...so I know it's not 100% accurate. But when I got to the turnaround and my watch said I still had another tenth of a mile to go, I was a little upset. I'm still not convinced my half was 13.1. I think I actually ran more like 13.2 (which by definition, would be a half-ultra, since anything over a marathon is considered an ultra....LOL)

I had mentioned that since it was virtual, there were no aid stations. I knew this, of course, but I normally don't run more than 10 and have not felt the need for a water stop. However, yesterday, around mile 11, I sure could have used one. I know there are things I could have done. Planned ahead a left a water bottle in a tree. Wore a camel pack. But honestly, I'm lazy and that felt like a lot of effort to try an plan for.

To wrap this up, there's normally people at the finish line to give you a boost. Heck. There's normally a finish line! So I had to keep looking at my watch to see when it hit 13.1. I actually know fairly accurately how many steps I take to cover a tenth of a mile so I wasn't constantly looking, but still. Besides no  visual marker of a finish line, there was of course, no post race snacks. No free bananas which I know we all live for. And worst of all, I had to cut up my own orange! 

Don't get me wrong. It felt great to get out there an run a Half again. The last time I ran a half-marathon was in 2013. In January 2018, I ran a 10K with my son but I had not trained in forever. After the 10K, I had horrible plantar fasciitis which became very stubborn. In fact, I pretty much didn't run for the remainder of 2018. In 2019 I decided to get back into running but every time I made some progress, it would come back. Recently, I made some changes and I was able to get back to running pain free again, but that's for a different blog post. 

All in all, as I said, I'm super happy I can run 13.1 miles non-stop. However, I don't think I'd do a virtual half again. A 5K or even a 10K? Sure. No problem. But I just found the virtual half a bit lonely. 

3 Simple Workouts for a Faster 5K (without a track)

Help me beta-test my new program, 3 Simple Workouts for a Faster 5K (without a track) and get in for just $27! In this program, you will not only get 3 easy workouts that don't require a track, but you'll also receive a bonus workout, my 12 exercises that increase strength & flexibility and cuts down your chances of getting a running injury.

In addition, you'll also get a quick fix for the dreaded side-stitch as well as one for shoulder pain. 

All I ask is that after you try the program, you give me some feedback to help me make the course better. What worked? What didn't work? What could be better explained? etc...

Click below to join my beta program for only $27.00.

https://coachnoce.samcart.com/products/3-workouts-for-a-faster-5k

Shoe Review: Merrell Vapor Glove 5

Hey everyone, here is my video review of the Merrell Vapor Glove 5. I do realize there is a Vapor Glove 6 out now, but these were on sale and I have not had luck in the past with the Merrell brand so I was a little hesitant. These however fit like a....well....a glove. They feel great and are SO easy to get on compared to the Vibram 5-finger shoes I nave been wearing. 

For those of you that follow me on Instagram @ashevillerunningcoach, you know I've had trouble with foot pain. Running in minimalist shoes has changed everything for me. Yes, I run a little slower now, but I'm running pain free and I imaging that my times will get faster as I adjust to the "barefoot" style of running.