Rough Draft

mmmm...Today's lunch.

So what's on today's lunch menu. It looks like we have a leftover chicken salad sandwich from last night's supper, a bag of Garden Salsa Sun Chips, and a banana. To wash it down, a large glass of water that didn't make it into the picture.

Ive noticed that I've been keeping track of what I eat a lot more. I've realized that if I make a conscience effort of tracking what I eat, I end up eating a lot better than if I just put food in my mouth whenever I want. This has been helpful over the past few months, especially during the holiday season.

Im slowly trying to get my race weight down to under 170 lbs for the first time ever. I have about 7 pounds to lose in a month. I know that you may think that losing that little of weight in a month may be easy, but it's not. Ive lost 30lbs and kept it off for 5 years. Now is the time for the last "10lb. crunch." Losing these 10 lbs have been hard. I usually have been racing up around 180lbs, and I just know that is too heavy for me to race competitively. I find that the more weight I carry, the harder the race.

I feel like I have my weight and lifestyle under control and now is the time to push myself a little harder to get in even better shape. Adding weight training to my workout schedule has been a major boost in my overall running conditioning. I'm able to last longer, my legs don't hurt nearly as much after a run or race, and I feel like I can keep a faster tempo longer with a leaner physique. I hope my new training schedule produces positive results in the near future.

Photo Phriday

So I'm declaring Friday as Photo Phriday. Here is the first one in the series. Enjoy.

This is a picture of me and Mrs H. before the start of the 2009 Columbus Marathon taken by my Seester-in-law. What is so special about this picture you ask? Well, I believe that this is the only picture of me with a beard ANYwhere. Also, notice that Mrs H. and I have on matching long sleeve t-shirts. That has never happened either. We declared ourselves as the greatest show in Medina.
I am not exactly sure what I am looking at in the picture...I am probably thinking..."How the hell am I going to get through the last 8 miles with burning quads." I never did come up with an answer for that one...

Happy Friday everyone. I will be enjoying my final Christmas/birthday this weekend with my parents and Sis. I do wish it didn't have to end.

Tempo Run

Tonight's run went pretty well. My best run in quite some time. I felt good after work and I had some extra energy from the day and spent it well. The only small nuisance was that my iPod died half way through my run. Oh well...I just sucked it up and dealt.

I did 7 miles in 50 min which equals out to a 7:12 pace. Im looking forward to getting outside this weekend to do a long run at my parents. They live in the country and it's so refreshing to get out in the country air for a long run and enjoy the vast countryside. 45 more days til New Orleans and I feel pretty confident that I can hit my goal of a low 1:30 half marathon.

Good night bloggers.

Coffee...the sweet addiction.

Coffee. I. Love. It. My coffee addiction really didn't start until after I graduated from college. I never was much into coffee before then. My parents drank coffee and I had tried it from time to time; I just never really considered drinking it. I always thought it had a weird taste, and it did nothing for me. I never gave coffee a chance, a thought, or consideration when I was younger.

And then, I got a real job. I guess I made my first pot of coffee before I went off to work one morning not long after I got my first job. I figured I should give it a try, thinking it may give me an extra boost in the morning that I was looking for. And boy, did it. I liked coffee, but even then, I didn't drink it like I do today.

Now, I drink two cups a day, and maybe one in the evening time. I like flavored coffees, with Dunkin' Donuts being my favorite by far. "One medium French Vanilla with cream and sugar please," I recite with regularity as I pull through the DD drive through. My family realizes my addiction and tends to not curb my addiction, but enhance it. My mother-in-law purchased me a 'VIP' Dunkin Donuts card...for me. And me only. Ok...she put $15 on a DD card and said enjoy. So I did. I blew through the DD card in 3 days. I didn't have the heart to ask her to put more money on the card.

I traveled to Boston recently, and what a heavenly place that is. On every street corner, a Starbucks, and..and...a DD. DD's on every street corner. It was like being in OZ. A magical place full of dwarves and poppies...er...coffee.

I have noticed that before a race, coffee tends to help get me up and going. A cup will do. If I drink more than that, I'll be hittin' the port-a-potties pretty hard in the first few miles. But a shot of caffeine to the system is the wake up call I need...To at least help me get around to get my things together to head out the door.

So what is your favorite coffee? Do you drink coffee? Have you had a long addiction to the sweet nectar of the coffee bean? If so, let me know. I'd like to know that I am not the only addict in the blog-o-sphere.

Just a little painting...

So...tonight was an off night for me in regards to my work out schedule. It was nice to have a night off actually. So I actually came home tonight and did a little housework and took the dogs for a nice walk. It was a balmy 35 degrees out, much better than the teens it has been lately. After walking the dogs, I decided to come home and catch up on some painting.

Not too long ago I stripped the door frame leading to the basement...which looked like this.

and this...

But after one coat of paint, the door frame now looks like this...

and this...

One more coat of paint, and the door frame should look nice. Once I am done painting the door frame, the whole landing to the basement is getting redone. New shelves, paint, and some caulking should do the trick. I am off Monday for MLK day. I know what I will be doing with my time. I'm actually excited to get some house projects off the ground and running.

Now I am off to wrap some Christmas presents then to bed. Yes...Christmas presents. My wife's parents and my parents live 9 hours apart. We flip flop holidays every year. This year, we just haven't found a matching weekend until this one to get together for Christmas/my birthday. So...I get a little more Christmas this year. YAY...

Biggest Loser Blues...

I don't know what is going on with me this season of the Biggest Loser. I am a fan of the show, and I usually watch it religiously, until this season started. I feel out of sorts with this season. I suppose it's because I feel NBC is trying to jam the show down our throats now. Last season ended, and not a week later, there was the new season. I missed the season premiere, and I think that did it for me. I didn't even know this season started, and if I miss a season premiere, that's usually it for me for a show.

I tried watching intervals of it last night, but American Idol was on. So Mrs. H. and I flipped back and forth and I just totally lost interest altogether. I did watch the part where the mother smashed her face on the beam. That was pretty devastating. Not even a tragedy like that could keep my interest. I do hope I come back to the show soon. Maybe NBC needs to give us more time in between? I usually need time to massage one season in my mind and leave it behind before I can move on to a new season. Here's hoping.