Gradual Progress: Proof

On March 17th, about three weeks after I announced my intent to pursue the American Birkebeiner, I weighed in at 199.5 pounds. I am not a huge guy, and after losing some pounds the previous year my weight had increased (much) higher than I was comfortable with. Since reaching a high of 207 pounds in June of 2008, I vowed to never get back into the 200 pound range again. The weight gain frustrated me, because I was feeling like I was in decent shape. I was running or walking nearly everyday and was trying to watch what I ate. I was in training, and yet it didn't seem to matter as my weight slowly ticked north.

So on March 17th I vowed to change my lifestyle...mainly my eating and drinking habits. No more Coca-Cola, no more huge glasses of milk, no more late night snacks, no sugar packed cookies. Combined with my running, I slowly started taking off the pounds. My belt moved to the next hole, and my runs slowly gained length and elevation. Three times in the past week I ran my four hill Elver Park loop, each time getting just a little bit faster. The loop is about 5 miles and it is challenging. I also found a website that allows me very easily to log my eating habits. It's working. This morning I weighed in at 189 pounds. Every week I am feeling more fit. And lighter. And gaining confidence that I will indeed ski the Birkie next February.

Healthy Choice: Guinness Stout

Two summers ago I was sitting in a brew pub in Granby, Colorado with some buddies. We had spent the day in Rocky Mountain National Park fishing the headwaters of the Colorado. We were spent. The fishing was terrific, but we hadn't brought enough food or water, and the rain and the mountain thunder chased us around all afternoon. We were enjoying the food, the local beers, and the chatter of the locals.

I was devouring an outrageously large cheese burger and polishing off a pint of the local porter when the bartender asked if I wanted another. I told her that although I would love another porter, I didn't think I could afford the calories. She then suggested, that if I wanted another dark beer I should try their stout, as stout beer has fewer calories than most other (non-light) domestic beers. Not believing that a stout could actually function as a healthy choice, but not wanting to discredit her advice, I ordered one. Then after returning to Madison, I got online and learned that Guinness Stout has only 125 calories. Sometimes 15, 30, and even 50 fewer than other beers. By god she was right! And then I toasted a Guinness to the knowledge and wisdom of my bartender.

I tell this story because recently I have been living a bit too cleanly for my own good. Since I started this birkyness training, officially about two months ago, I have watched closely what I eat and have only had a couple of beers and a few glasses of wine. My wife recently showed me LIVESTRONG.com, a website that promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, and more importantly allows me to track everything I put into my body. Basically it tells me how many calories I can consume in a day (2074), subtracts the calories I digest, and adds the calories I burn. Theoretically if I consume less than my allowed intake, I lose weight.

Last night we grilled up some fresh steelhead, complimenting it with sweet potatoes and asparagus. Knowing that I had two active days in a row, knowing I had watched my calorie intake all day, I went to livestrong, and typed in Guinness. There was the beautiful number: 125 calories. I poured a glass, admired its bold texture, and toasted to healthy choices. And then later, after dinner, by the fire pit, I toasted another. Calories be damned! The Birkie is still ten months away!

Healing Hills

Tough week! Seemed to spend most of my week fighting a lack of patience. Stuck inside in warm weather? Squirrelly sophomores? Sedentary Seniors? They all chipped in, but my irritation, my orneriness, my crabbiness came mostly from the amount of hours I had to work, and the lack of true exercise I got. Yesterday (Friday), I came home from work, put on the shoes and shorts, and went deep into Elver. The run was quiet...and healing. Ran up several hills, kept the breathing under control, and finished stronger than I started.

Throughout the run I had to face four challenging hills. The cool thing is that they appear in a progressively more difficult manner. The first one is a quick jaunt up the edge of the disc golf course. It finishes beneath a canopy of red pines. When no one is around, it is my favorite place in Elver. The second hill is one that climbs, straightens, and then climbs again. From here the trail drops gradually, for about 300 yards. It's a great stretch in which to recover, because at the end of the decline the trail turns back into the hill and winds its way back up for about half a mile. I hated this hill during the ski season, but today it seemed relatively easy. Then after my down hill recovery I had to face the most challenging hill at Elver...the (sledding) hill. The climb went pretty well. Got the heart rate way up, kept my form (until the very top) and was able to recover without walking (or talking). Gradual progress!

All told, when I was done I had put in my longest run of the year...about 4.5 miles, and successfully climbed four hills. Getting stronger! Feeling more fit!

It's fun...when I have days like yesterday.

Not a Problem Here!

So there are actually competitive recreational joggers out there. It seems that these people, almost exclusively males, actually pay attention to those around them, and will do everything in their aerobic abilities to not be beaten ... on a training run! If someone passes them on the left, they speed up and try to fight them off. If they see someone near their own age and fitness level a short ways in front of them they will pick up the pace and try to reel them in.

Truly, I understand this mentality while running in an organized race, but is it really necessary to win while on a jog through the neighborhood. Can't we do one thing in our life that isn't dependent upon beating the other guy. In fact aren't competitive recreational joggers sort of an oxymoron.

No reason to ever label me as a competitive recreational jogger. I can proudly announce that when I run, I am only focused on moving forward. I want to make it back to the house, not beat the 48 year old stranger 100 yards in front of me. I want the heart to continue to beat long after the run, not falter in a dead sprint down Frisch Road.

I run only to beat myself, and when one runs as slowly and methodically as I do, finishing is reward enough.

The Hill

Today I changed up my routine. I jogged very slowly to the edge of Elver's sledding hill. It is notoriously steep. Endurance athletes, Badger athletes, and pedestrian athletes all ramble up and down its face. Seldom is the hill not it use.


After stretching for a bit I attacked the hill. I concentrated on my posture, my foot placement, and my breathing...all the way to the top. Then I turned and walked slowly back to the bottom. On the second run I still felt pretty good, until the final few paces. Each run up the hill became progressively more difficult, and each time I lost my form, my foot placement, and my breath. I stopped at six.

Painful as it was, I very much enjoyed the workout. The challenge is as much in the head as it is in the physical pain. Continuing to run effectively, despite the lack of oxygen, must become a regular part of my training.

The Motivation of Doubt

I am beginning to believe that the most difficult aspect of this training life is simply the mental reality. The Birkie is still 10.5 months away. Intellectually this still feels like a long way away. Physically and emotionally however I have moments of anxiety as I am certain that I need to train harder. I know that at this current pace I will never be ready to ski 5o kms, even if the race isn't until next February. Constantly I fight to push those doubts away. Instead I strap on my shoes and simply go for a run, or a bike, or a hike.

The irony is that I feel stronger and more fit than I have been in at least a decade, yet my lack of necessary endurance allows doubt to slip into my psyche. I understand the idea of gradual progress; I understand that each week I must add just a bit more distance; I also understand that when school ends in June I will be fortunate enough to start most days with a two-three hour commitment to myself. However those understandings do not help me eliminate the doubts crawling around inside.

Tomorrow is my last day of spring break. The week off has allowed to me to get in some good workouts. And some consistent workouts. Today I ran four miles. I transitioned well both into and out of the run. I did pushups, situps, a core workout and even threw around some weights for awhile. I had eggs and bacon for breakfast, greens and vegetables for lunch, and a healthy dinner with my wife last night. Obviously a pleasing day. Obviously a day where I gained strength and progress.

But still, my doubts and fears of next February always hang on the edge of my mind.

Ramblin' Thru Rain

We awoke to a fine spring storm. Thunder, lightning, and rain made for a lazy morning. I read a bit, finally installed the shelf in my closet that I have put off for months, yet still I was feeling antsy.

After running for three consecutive days, my legs were feeling a bit heavy. I didn't really want to run, and since the stormy weather had turned to a steady drizzle, biking really wasn't an option. But my body was craving exercise. A clue that tells me I am getting stronger and more fit. A fit body seeks fitness, I suppose. Last summer, when I first started running I had trouble running back to back days. My legs would ache and they would demand rest! But I learned on those off days that a long slow walk with Ezra could keep the body primed and the blood pumping.

So I put on my running shoes, slipped on my rain jacket, grabbed Ezra, and went for a nice ramble through an early spring rain. An awesome hour! A year ago I would have used a little rain as an excuse to stay put. Today I found great satisfaction!

Trying to stay off of trails, I wandered the neighborhood sidewalks to the bike bath. Slowly I made my way towards Elver Park. My initial plan was to stay only on the sidewalks thru Elver; then eventually I would climb the hill towards Channel 3 and return home thru those residential neighborhoods. But as I scooted along the maintained bike trail the wooded trails beckoned me. I knew it would be wet, certainly even muddy in some places, but I needed to be in the woods. As I train for the Birkie I am always cognizant of the fact that the Birkie Trail is 31 miles of hills. Little of the race will be flat. Therefore as I get in my workouts I never waste the opportunity that a hill provides. And I knew that immediately to my left stood one of Elver's many notorious climbs. I stepped off and climbed the hill. Ezra, just like the good sled dog she wishes she could be, tries to pull me up the path. But even she tires! Slowly and methodically I jog to the top. Too winded to speak. I stop running, but turn and continue walking east--towards home. When I break the clearing and am standing atop the highest point on Madison's West Side I can now feel the rain hitting my face. I stop to catch my breath, to look over the rooftops, and to enjoy the rain upon my face. A low cloud cover, a tall hill, and rain... Simply mesmerizing!

Running the hill has rejuvenated me...and the rain has washed away my sore muscles! Or at least my thoughts of sore muscles!

Eating My Age...

Slowly I am getting stronger. This morning Ezra and I ran almost three miles. Felt pretty good...yet certainly mindful of the fact that running with Ezra gets me a few "elimination breaks" along the way. Still I'm encouraged. I tweaked my hamstring on Tuesday afternoon, so instead of running, I went for a couple of short bike rides. Today I felt fresh and strong. Seems like an endorsement for cross-training.

I am noticing that this quest for Birkyness is creeping ever so slowly into other aspects of my life. Skiing the Birkie is going to be hard enough, doing it 15 to 20 lbs overweight is clear insanity. Therefore I am not just trying to improve my cardiovascular; I am also trying to lose weight. But my weight loss is not a diet plan, it is instead a conscious effort to eat better, to be more mindful of what I put in my body, and to burn more calories than I take in. Simple right?

In trying to honor this life style change I am currently eating lots of vegetables, beans, fruits, and salads, and then 4-5 times a week eating (and enjoying) some type of meat or fish. In the short time I am trying to avoid breads and pastas, and I am hoping to permanently reduce my cheese and sugars intake. My love affair with cheese and dairy, coupled with my sweet tooth, have always challenged every conceivable food pyramid. No more Snickers bars, no more late night ice-cream, no more Coke-Cola's after work ... no more eating like I'm an 18 yo metabolic machine. Now I am trying to eat closer to the earth, trying to spend time in the kitchen preparing healthy meals, trying to get more energy out of what I put into my body. Wish me luck!