"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt
So, for the last six days I have been following the Engine 2 Diet. It is basically an all plant based diet. And the truth is that I feel fantastic. I was a bit concerned at first because I figured that I wouldn't be able to follow through with it but, to my surprise, I have actually been adapting quite well. The first 3 days were a bit rough and the fact that I was battling a sever cold didn't help much either. I am really glad that I decided to do this because I was starting to feel like shit, probably because I was eating like shit! Everyone who knows me knows that even though I tend to do lots of physical activity I don't really watch what I eat. It has always been an issue for me....a serious one. I have always felt as if I have taken one step forward (with my fitness) and three steps back with my nutrition. So the decision to make some drastic changes with regards to my eating habits couldn't have come at a better time. Something had to change...
Several people have inquired about this diet and what it consist of. It's really quite simple: No meat, dairy products, and processed foods. check out the link if u want to get a better idea of what its all about. I had actually seen the book at work a while back and kind of thumbed through it but totally disregarded it for another useless fad diet. Then a couple of weeks ago I was reading a blog and its author was about to take on the same challenge and I clicked the link to the website and was inspired to do the same. So for the next four weeks I will be eating a plant powered diet!! I will start posting all the things I eat and all the workouts that I'll be doing if your interested in following...I'm gonna need all the support I can get!
Two down 29 to go. Today was a solo run in the H st trail system...it was kinda warm. I'll get into the details of the challenge in the next post. I can't believe i haven't posted since my birthday back in March. So n=much has gone down since then. I am really going to make an honest effort to start writing down these congruences since that was the original intention of this blog. Time for bed.
So this week was a pretty good week.(Thanks to Crystal and My Family) Going into it though, I really wasn't feeling it. But then again, who if any, looks forward to another birthday? I have to say, I am really glad how this year is turning out. I am also very blessed to have completed another year of life, and that alone is good enough for me. My health is good, my spirits are high, and the future is bright. On Tuesday I went out for a run and the day couldn't have been better...the weather was absolutely gorgeous!! These may make you Dizzy! It's not so easy to run while recording!
here's the last one...These videos don't do the climbing any justice! But I did get better at recording while running!! Although, I did almost eat shit a couple times... Can u see the bird in the image? Damn thing was fucking trying to eat me! This was a lot of fun. Running here and climbing the mountain that is off in the distance are two of the things that I love doing in Chula Vista. If anyone who happens to read this ever whats to head out there with me, just drop me a line! (crystal didn't like this picture of her)
Later that evening Crystal and I went out for Sushi. U know, when I first met her she said she didn't like it, now shes addicted to it!! This was an awesome way to cap off an excellent Birthday. I had agreed to have a family dinner celebration on Sunday evening, since a weekday gathering was tough to make for some of my family members. We then finished the evening with a small cheesecake with my folks!! I love this stuff, so I did indulge in a big slice. Yesterday, we got together for the family dinner and it was really great to spend time with the entire family. All 23 of them!! You know, as I get older these types of gatherings take on a greater
meaning. I value them so much more, because they are the important moments that one should cherish. You never know if this will be your last. And finally, Thanks to everyone who sent me well wishes on Tuesday....it really made my day!!!
Well, I have made some good gains thus far in terms of training. My volume has increased substantially and my body has absorbed and assimilated well. I am sticking to the training plan that I am have created for myself and I'm finding that training load is really working. Today I did the first test of my fitness...and the results are encouraging! The test consist of a 4.8 mile loop with some climbing, ~800+ft elevation gain in the first two miles. The first time I did this run it took me 1hr 15min, today I completed the same loop in 58min. At the end of the run I wasn't tired or winded...I felt good. Strong. I felt as if I could have gone for a second loop. So...on the training front things are good. Now I am really going to single in on my nutrition. Since I started training, I started on Jan.1, I weighed in at a whopping 179 lbs. I have since lost 9 lbs without really changing my eating/drinking (I LOVE BEER) habits. The high volume of training has help out, but I haven't really put that much of a dent on the extra poundage that I'm hauling around. I hope to shed an extra 12-15 pounds before my first race. OK...that's it for now.
As I am finding out, determining my optimal race weight is an eye opening experience. I recently picked up Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance by Matt Fitzgerald and I'm slowly sadly realizing what I've always felt, I AM WAY TOO HEAVY!!! But, this book seems to have some really good tips so far... I gotta finish reading it, though. I'll get back to what I'm exactly going to do about 25+ excess pounds that I'm carrying in a later post. I'll also talk about how my training is going thus far. I have some pretty lofty goals set for myself....OK I gotta go to sleep now!
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