Incredibly... I'm Large!

I was disappointed but not surprised that I'd gained weight during the past month of moving, packing, vacations, and travel.  I'm already back "in training" and working off those pounds and working toward new lows.

Something really exciting happened this past Friday.  We took the kids out to buy school supplies and some clothes and while walking through Kohl's I was amazed by all the clothes that are now available to me as an XL.  Something strange happened though...  Every XL I held up seemed huge. They were all big and boxy and seemed significantly larger than what I need to be wearing.

Looking through one of the sale racks while my wife was busy with the kids, I noticed this great print shirt in a color I love.  It was a large.  I held it up and realized, "I think it will fit!"  I went to the changing room, tried it on, then modeled it for the kids.  It did fit!  The proof is in the picture above.

Incredibly... I'm Large! 

I still have a smile on my face and am amazed... 

Cha-cha-cha-cha-Changes

What a lot has changed in a year!

One year ago, my family was returning to Thailand after a few months visit in the states.  Today is our first full day back in the states, where we will be making our home in Simpsonville, SC.

One year ago, I weighed 359 lbs and looked like the picture on the left.  Two days ago, as I was passing through the exit passport check in Thailand, the immigration officer scanned my passport and then looked at me with serious concern.  "This is not you!", the officer spoke.  I said "What?" and looked at the image she showed me on her computer screen.  It was me as I entered Thailand a year ago.  All the fat and my beard made me look like a different person.  I started laughing as she looked at me confused.  I told her I'd lost 50 kgs over the past year and yes, the picture was me.  She smiled and processed my exit stamp on the passport.

My first thought was how I looked forward to blogging this.  How funny!

On a sad note, I weighed in last night and had gained some weight during the move and vacations.

I'm not going to fret too much as I get to begin my routine in America today.  This afternoon looks like a great time for a walk/run.  There's fresh strawberries in the fridge to go with the homemade granola that my Mother-in-law made for us yesterday.  What a blessing!

I'm writing this at 5:40 am, since my jet lagged body didn't want to sleep past four.  It's great to be back in America, back to blogging, and back in my foundational four:  workouts, healthy foods, water, and sleep.

It's hard to explain how excited I am to get into a healthy routine again!

Rock Climbing in Krabi, Thailand

Yesterday the weather cleared enough to grab a boat and head to Railay Beach, on a nearby island. The objective... rock climbing!

I took a course in rock climbing for a PE credit in college at Montreat. I loved the challenge and this was something I really wanted to try again. Our vacation in Krabi offered the perfect opportunity. There are huge limestone outcroppings all over the place here and there are several companies at Railay beach who offer rock climbing.

We had a blast and it was really challenging. There are so many lessons to be learned from climbing. Here are a few that I was thinking of yesterday:

• What looks impossible from the ground is quite possible once you're on the rock and climbing. I think many challenges in life seem so daunting until you get started.
  
• It doesn't help to stay still and thinking too much. Energy and momentum is lost by staying in one place. You get far higher by moving on, even when you're not sure you can make it.
  
• Overcome your fear because the downside doesn't exist. What happens if you miscalculate and slip off the rock? The rope catches you and you get to regroup. So often we worry about the "what ifs", when in reality, the downside isn't that bad.
  
• The downside wasn't bad because of the planning and preparation that went into the climb before it happened. Ropes were set, special clamps and safety harnesses were tested, and people were trained.
  
• It's a lot more fun living an active life being challenged! 

I'm thankful for this opportunity to spend some great time with the family and be challenged by rock climbing again.

Here's a link if you want to see some pictures: picasaweb.google.com/Thaihaynes/Rock
ClimbingKrabi 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

We've been in the process of moving 1/2 way around the world, which is no small feat with a family of five. Ever since Cindy and I got back from our anniversary trip, we've spent a bulk of each day packing, selling, shipping, or other fun activities associated with moving. The Good: My weight loss has maintained during this time, even though my workouts have not been consistent at all. The Bad: It's been a lot harder to get in my workouts with things packed, the gear sold, and a crazy schedule. The Ugly: It's not only the workouts that are crazy... We have no fridge anymore which means the next two weeks will be eating out exclusively. The next time I'll get a homecooked meal will be July 27th! We're leaving Chiang Rai today and are finished with our home. Everything is packed and shipped and our airline cases home are packed as well. Today our family is heading to Krabi, for a final family trip to the beach in Thailand. Emily and I plan to rock climb at Railay Beach and Cindy's going to parasail. It's going to be an active vacation with lots of family time together. I'll take it... The good, the bad, AND the ugly! I'm just happy that I'm heading back to the states 120 lbs lighter and looking forward to seeing the reaction of my friends who haven't seen me since I weighed 359! We'll be back in the states on July 26th...

Thai Boxing

Today I got to try my hand (and feet) at Thai boxing. The resort has free lessons several times a week as part of their fitness program. After 20 minutes of warm up and initial instruction, I got to punch, kick, and knee the instructor over the next half hour. While I got in some good connects, I'm still sore the next morning.

It was a great workout. Cindy and I also went for a run/walk this morning and did water aerobics in the pool near midday. It's been a great holiday and I realized yesterday that I'll be coming back home more fit after my break than before I left! That's wonderful and such a change from the days of vacation meaning that I need to be a slug.

The other funny realization is that the people here have no idea that I used to weigh 120 lbs more! To them, I'm just a fit guy who loves to exercise and be outdoors. It's been really interesting over the past few months as I get to know new people. Their perception of me is that fitness is just who I am and how I live... I like that :-)

A Different Holiday

Here's a picture of me windsurfing today... Yes, you heard right... windsurfing!

Cindy and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary. We were able to book a really wonderful week at a resort called Laguna Beach Resort in Phuket, Thailand. It reminds me a lot of the Hilton Waikaloa, on the Big Island of Hawaii. There's beautiful landscaping, attentive staff, and something I never noticed before... lots of exercise options! This morning, Cindy and I went on a one hour bike ride at 8 am (free), did aqua aerobics at 11 am(free), and then I went windsurfing this afternoon at 3 pm (free). Apparently, other resorts that we've been to before have this kind of thing going on... we just never noticed. Now that we're fitness focused, it's like a smorgabord of fun activities just waiting for us to choose. Every day we're planning the next and what activities we're going to do.

Tomorrow is a long run, then water aerobics, then Thai boxing! Cindy and I are having a blast and what a great way to celebrate 20 years together in marriage!

New Personal Record!

Amazing! There is no other word for it! I have been running near a 12 minute mile, usually just over 12 minutes. Today, I decided I was going to break that barrier! I decided to take my own advice from my PR bike time and do 2 minutes at a regular "fast" pace and then 2 minutes pushing the pace 10-20% then back to regular "fast" pace for recovery, etc. Back and forth for the entire 33:53 5k run... Yes! For those who do math fast in your head, that is not only less than 12, but less than 11 minute miles!!! I ran the 5k with 10:35 miles, which I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited about. I broke several barriers that I wasn't sure I'd ever break!

What an amazing run! If any of you out in cyberland try my 2 minute fast - 2 minute faster running or biking, let me know what it does to your speed. I'm curious...

Here's a picture right after my "record breaking" run :-) Notice the large amounts of sweat.

Come with me for my morning ride!

Last month Carol in NC wrote a great blog about "You Know You're in the Boonies When..." and I made a comment about the great things I see on rides here in the countryside of Thailand. She said she'd love to see some pictures and that got me thinking...

Here's a slideshow of pictures from this morning's 20 km ride. I hope you enjoy...

Chaos and Control

Right now our house is an expression of chaos... the chaos of moving, the chaos of going through our possessions and deciding what makes the 12000 trip to America, the chaos of considering what our work will be in the USA, where we'll live, and what we'll drive.



While things are chaotic, it's easy to let the fitness and healthy eating slide. Thankfully, I've learned better. In the midst of chaos, it's great to hold onto those things that we can control.



I can run. I can bike. I can eat healthy foods. I can focus on what's great and where we're heading in life. I can spend time with friends and marvel at the beauty of God's creation.

In the midst of chaos, I'll focus on those things I can influence. Those areas where I can stay in the "zone" and build health.

Maybe it's a balance thing... Being at peace with the chaos while controlling what matters.

Ironman Race Report

No, it's not mine, but I wanted to let you know about an incredible Ironman NZ race report by Kathy Miller. I was incredibly inspirated and thought you all would like seeing this post.

Kathy Miller Ironman Race Report

2022 is Pretty Cool!

Yesterday, after my workout posting on SparkPeople, my minutes of exercise this month crossed the 2000 minute mark!



That's pretty sweet... It's amazing that once you start tracking your work, over time it really accumulates. Another example is that the other day I was having a slow day on the bicycle and got a little frustrated. As I turned into our neighborhood I flipped through the bike computer and it was just crossing the 1000 km mark after being reset a couple of months ago.

It's easy to get discouraged or lose focus on a rough day, but by consistent and long term effort, we reach amazing heights!

Month End Shred Report

As I promised at the beginning of the month, I'm giving a month-end "Shred" recap.

Cindy and I have been doing Jillian Michael's "30 Day Shred" workout during May. The Shred is incredibly well designed. It's a series of three workouts. Each one is the same length (28 minutes) and consists of the same elements. There's a warm up, then three circuits that consist of 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs, at the end of the third circuit there's cool down. The total minutes is 27-28 minutes, even though Jillian is telling you the entire time that it's a "20 minute workout".

The concept is to do the level 1 workout for days 1-10, then move to level 2 for days 11-20, then level 3 for days 21-30. I had worked into a good routine and was working out daily for an hour a day before I started using the video. I decided to use the video to get my weight loss going again and hopefully start working on some definition.

I was amazed that after the first day of Shred, I was majorly sore. That continued for the first 5 days or so and by day 8,9,10 I was recovered and feeling really strong... Then level 2 started and I was really sore again... then by day 8,9,10 I was starting to think I can do this... Then a few days ago, I started level 3 ... As I'm writing this I'm sore again and in new places. My upper back is sore, parts of my abs are sore, my hamstrings are sore.

I think it's a really well designed workout and highly effective. It will be something I will return to and have in my toolbox, even after the 30 days are over (we're actually doing it for 45 days, as the end of that 45 days culminates in our 20th wedding anniversary and we're heading to the beach. )

Here's a blog entry I wrote after the first day or two of Shred. http://hayneshealth.blogspot.com/2008/05/sore-again-naturally.html

Cindy and I have both had a love/hate relationship with this workout. It's challenging, varied, effective, fun (in a weird way), and gives us a strong sense of accomplishment when it's over.

I "found" my abs this month and can actually see the beginning of their definition. One thing that I really liked about this workout is that you could see the progress from day 1 to day 5 to day 10 of each level. Your body strengthened amazingly in a short time. It also really helped me get a good kickstart on some specialized abs/back work.

Basically... two thumbs up! Congrats Jillian on an excellent workout!

Chiang Rai Triathlon Race Report

This was really quite a new thing for me. As this was my first organized triathlon since I was 22 years old (23 years ago), I was quite nervous. It was also my first triathlon as a race organizer. Thankfully, we ended up with 11 participants which made using the 6 lane pool quite easy and it really came off without a crazy effort.

This morning I got up at 5:30, got some breakfast and got my things together. googles...check!, bike/run shorts...check!, heart rate monitor...check! Swimsuit on and ready to go...check! Car battery... no check. Oops! I left the lights on during the wild torrental downpour last night and the car wasn't going anywhere! Thankfully a fellow participant, Paul Wilcox came by in his pickup truck and got me, Emily, and the boys.

We headed up to the pool, picture below...



I gave the instructions that we were going to share a lane with a 1 minute staggered start. Two people per lane. Lane assignments were given and volunteers to help keep count with the swimmers. We all gathered for a photo...



and then jumped in and waited for the start...



once the race started the pace was a bit frantic at first. Even though I had told myself to start slower and calm, it was really incredibly different once the race began. I looked over to see Brent flying past me at the start and my logic went out the window. I pushed and tried to pick up the pace a bit...



The other day I set a PR of 21:11 for the 750M and today I wasn't able to break it. I finished with a 21:35 which was great (no complaining from me!) but I was disappointed that wasn't ever able to get in that smooth pace that I'm able to find in practices sometime. I swam 10 or 11 of the laps in crawl and the other 4 or 5, I did side stroke and worked on regaining my breath. The swim kinda went like one fairly smooth length (50M), followed by one slightly and increasingly frantic and breathless length, followed by one sidestroke recovery lap. Then I repeated that five times and 21 minutes 35 seconds later the 750M was over...



I thought it was awesome to be finished and not be last! I was actually third in the swim and able to cheer in another 8 participants. Everyone did great and the number one swimming did it in 14 minutes 2 seconds!

After the swim, we piled into cars and headed to my house to grab the bikes...



We lined up on the street and got ready for the second start...



And the bike leg started! I was going 36 km/hr before I was even out of our neighborhood. Quickly, several packs developed. Brent and Phil headed out on their super spiffy road bikes and took the lead. The second pack was me, Antoine, and Greg. We pushed each other for the entire 20 km, switching the lead often. The Thailand sun was starting to beat down and I had to drink a bit of water, or I knew I'd be in trouble later on. We powered around the lake, then through the village and out to the temple at the base of the mountains. We turned around, went out to a waterfall and then turned around for the sprint home. I was pushing myself harder than I ever remember cycling and was rewarded with a new PR average of 28.3 km/hr for the ride. I was behind Antoine and Greg for the last 8 km until the last 2 km. I decided to push for broke and was able to get on by Greg but Antoine still finished a couple of seconds ahead of me. I finished the 20 km in 42:13 and I was spent! Here's a great picture of my daughter, Emily, on the cycling leg...



Now for the hard part. The run. This is now officially my weakest leg of the triathlon. My swim time actually was reasonable. My cycling is at a pretty good clip. My running is still slow and steady as molasses.



The steady part is good... especially after a big push on the bike leg. I remember thinking that it really would not look good if I died during the race. Then I told myself, "at least you'll die fit". Then I thought, "How can you be fit if you're dead?" Then I realized that my mind was wondering some bad places. Several of the volunteers and supporters...



rode the course on motorbikes or vans and trucks and yelled encouragement, passed us water, and also took my t-shirt because I was BURNING up! By the mid-point of the run, I was realizing that the end was possible. I wasn't going to die but would succeed without having to walk. I kept the slow and steady molasses pouring as I headed toward the finish. Before long I saw the faces and heard the cheers and raised my arms in triumph...



and crossed the finish line with a run time of 39:01 and a total time of 1:42:49. It was such a relief to see Stefanie, the timekeeper and my wife Cindy (Stefanie-seated, Cindy-standing) marking the end of the race...



I was so excited to finish and then I got to see others come in. Here's a great picture of my daughter finishing with Janel Ylauan and all the kids that came to run alongside them during the home stretch...



We then got together for the post-race photo...



What an amazing race! It was a lot of fun, tough, laid back, and challenging at the same time. After the race we hung out and had brunch together...



What an incredible experience on several levels! I want to thank so many on SparkPeople and in Blogger who've encouraged me and cheered me on. It's hard not to think back to September 1st of last year when I weighed 359. This morning, before the race I weighed 244... 115 lbs less than 9 months ago! Not only that but I just finished a triathlon and hit a goal of mine... To be mid-pack! I wasn't first or second, and that's ok. But I was 6th out of eleven participants in this group of fit people who wanted to do a triathlon. There were lots of firsts for me. It amazes me that in February, I couldn't swim 50M without stopping. Last September, I couldn't run to the end of our neighborhood, much less on through the gates for another 4.5km. Last October, a 8 km ride at 12 km an hour was a big workout. Today, I was going full out for an hour, forty-two minutes and forty-nine seconds!

I want to thank God who has been so gracious in helping me recover from my obesity. I want thank my wife who has been an encouragment, cheerleader, workout buddy, running partner, lover, and friend. I also want to thank all those in cyberspace (you know who you are), who comment on my blogs and send encouraging emails. I am awed by so many who are on this journey of health... facing similar struggles and challenges and working their way through. You inspire me!

Triathlon Race Results - May 24th - Chiang Rai

Here's our 1st place winner Kim Matthews next to 2nd place finisher Phil Webb.

Congrats to all on a wonderful race! Here’s hoping that it becomes an annual tradition!

Here’s the race results:

Pl-Full Name..........Swim-Pl.......Bike-Pl.......Run-Pl........Total
1st-Kim Matthews.....14:02-1st.....48:38-6th.....23:44-1st.....1:26:24
2nd-Phil Webb.....23:27-6th.....37:10-1st.....28:45-3rd.....1:29:22
3rd-Antoine Donzel.....20:15-2nd.....42:11-3rd.....28:18-2nd.....1:30:44
4th-Greg Hutchins.....24:21-8th.....42:250-5th.....30:02-4th.....1:36:48
5th-Brent Pennington....24:10-7th....37:10-1st.....36:10-7th.....1:37:30
6th-William Haynes.....21:35-3rd.....42:13-4th.....39:01-9th.....1:42:49
7th-Chuck Fox.....21:36-4th.....54:19-7th.....31:05-5th.....1:47:00
8th-Mindy Ylauan.....26:48-9th.....54:41-8th.....37:03-8th.....1:58:32
9th-Emily Haynes.....22:43-5th.....57:46-10th.....43:46-10th.....2:04:15
10th-Caleb Wilcox....30:31-11th....1:02:13-11th....33:43-6th.....2:06:27
11th-Janel Ylauan....28:06-10th.....54:41-8th.....43:46-10th.....2:06:33

We also want to acknowledge Lily Chang who joined us for the swim and completed it in 27:58 minutes.

I’m currently uploading the pictures to the web. You can check them out at http://picasaweb.google.com/Thaihaynes/AllTriathlonPics and they should be finished uploading to there by late afternoon. There are about 400 pictures total and they’re just jumbled together, not organized. It’s a way to find a great picture that was taken with someone else’s camera.

Later today, on this blog I’ll post my race report. Thanks for everyone who participated and everyone who cheered us all on! It was a lot of fun!!!

Pre Race Meeting

Chiang Rai Triathlon 2008 starts tomorrow morning at 7:30 am. Above you see our "custom design" t-shirts, which means that my wonderful daughter Emily was kind enough to decorate some local shirts for the event.

We had the race participants over for the carboload dinner. It looks like we'll have about 12 participants. Spagetti with Marinara sauce and cookies were on the menu... See pics below.



My favorite cookies in the world.



The sauce was yummy!

Anyway, the energy mix is in and the body's revving for the morning! It's going to be a LOT of fun... Come back tomorrow for pics :-)

Last Swim...

Today was my last swim before Saturday's triathlon. I set a new PR of 21:11 in the 750M and today was the first time that wasn't adding 3 different set's together to get the time... Yes, it's true, the 21:11 time was front to back with no stops.

Man! I was psyched! 750M is a LONG way for me, especially when I couldn't swim 50M without stopping a few months ago. My goal is sub 21 for the triathlon on Saturday.

I'm taking a break from my 30 day shred for a couple of days to rest up for the race. The triathlon is 750M swim, a 20K bike, and a 5k run. It's also my first attempt at organizing something like this.

We're going to have a "carboload" spagetti dinner tomorrow night, then race at 7:30 am on Saturday morning, then finish at our house for breakfast. It should be fun and I'll post some pictures!



Here's a picture of the pool where the triathlon will begin. It's a wonderful 50M pool near Mah Fah Luang University in the North of Chiang Rai. The owner is great and this will be the first race held there!

Breakthrough!

Here's a picture of me today after my 52km bike ride. I averaged 26.5km per hour, putting the whole ride at just under 2 hours!



Today I weighed less than any time I can remember since 1980. I weighed in at 243.5 lbs! The 245 mark has been a psychological barrier for me and I'm thrilled to be through it! Here's the background...

In 1980, in my freshman year of college, I remember stepping on a scale and seeing 212 lbs. I remember being proud of how I was filling out, and my shoulders were broadening, and I was feeling good about myself. I was 18 years old and after years of being a skinny, geeky kid, I was starting to look more substantial.

Over the coming years, weight added on my frame without a lot of thought. I wasn't worried about it, I just became known as a "big guy". I grew quite emotionally attached to being that "big guy" and loved the "Big Daddy" t-shirts that my wife got me for my birthday. It just became part of my identity.

In 1999, I worked with a personal trainer for for 8 months and got down to a low weight of 245. I remember that number on the scale, but I also remember not feeling like it was ever enough. I'd see myself in the mirror and still see a fat guy. We moved away from the town where I'd been training and the weight started piling back on. Part of it was a business failure, the stock market drop, and other factors. I just ate my way through it all.

I started a crazy lifestyle of living in SC but working in Chicago. I'd fly out on Monday mornings and fly home on Friday afternoons. My weeks were filled with travel and meals at every restaurant known to man. There were lots of client lunches and dinners with the boss. I made attempts at going to the gym but no real progress toward fitness.

In 2004, we came on the mission field to Northern Thailand. During the first couple of years, work was great and I had a great time. I began cycling a bit. During the third year, things at work began to unravel and I found myself eating to comfort myself. My weight was spiraling out of control. During 2006-2007, I moved from a weight of 330 or so to a high of 359 lbs.

Last September 1st, I was disgusted with being fat. I started to diet and hated it. I lost 9 lbs that first month, bringing me to 350 lbs, but did not enjoy the process at all. I was in anguish. I didn't want to be this big fat guy forever but the pain it would take to get the fat off seemed more than I could bear. I prayed to God for help and he just seemed to whisper, "Focus on your health. Quit worrying about the weight."

What a shift for me! From that point at the first of October to now, I've lost 115.5 lbs by being focused on making healthy choices. This weekend, I will run a sprint triathlon (750m swim, 20km bike, and 5km run) with a group of friends. I just returned from a 52km bike ride this morning and the other day I noticed my abdominal muscles (abs) for the first time.

God is so good and gracious. He loves redeeming His creation and that includes physically. I am so blessed that He cares about me and has helped me redeem my health after letting it get so damaged. I am truly blessed to be in this place and feeling strong.

I want to share this gift with others. I want to encourage others to gain health and focus on what is good. I want to make a difference to those who aren't sure if they can do it.

May God bless and guide you on your path.

10k on the 10th

Today I took part in a virtual 10k. No... a virtual race doesn't mean that I run it in my mind :-) It just means that we all run it where we are. We map out our course, time ourselves, and set out on our adventure. Afterwards we post our race reports so we can share in the recaps. Promoted by Nancy "Notes of a Non-Runner", a number of people have signed up to run. It's my first "official?" 10k race!

I got up at 5:30 am to get this show on the road. The temperature here has been so hot lately, I wanted to escape the heat of the day. After getting dressed and a bit of water, I set the Ipod and started my warm-up walk. For the walk, I kept feeling something in my shoe. I'd stop, shake it out, still something. I'd stop, take off my sock, turn it inside out, shake it out, still something. Finally on the fourth attempt I found a small hard grass in the fabric on my sock. Thankfully, I got it out before the run!

At the "start line", which I'd set using Google Earth as the student noodle shop, I started my run. I wanted to start slightly slower and build into the race. Normally, I run about 5k, so this was a double distance for me and I knew I'd need to pace myself a bit. I ran past the temple to the lake and began running through the university gardens by the lake. Passing fisherman wading in the water with their nets, I passed the thermometer on the far side of the lake at 6:17 am. I wasn't even 1/4 into the race and I was not sure I'd make it. I kept my heart rate between 135 and 150 figuring that would be a bit of a push for me but keep me in a zone that I could maintain.

I circled the lake and entered the gardens for a second time. Now I was beginning to get a pace and feel a bit strong. I was at the half way point and was beginning to believe that I could do a second half.

One thing I've been working on is using my feet/calves for greater pushoff. My running always used to be plod, plod, plod with my legs doing all the work and my feet/calves not that engaged. By pushing off on each stride, I find that I'm more "bouncing" along, feeling lighter, and with a literal "spring in my step". I think it's helped me go from dreadfully slow to just really slow. Moderally slow will be my next goal!

As I circled the lake the second time, I was gettng my second wind. I took a right away from the lake, passed the River of Life orphanage and headed back to the Pongprabaht waterfall road. Running along this road toward home I was getting excited. I would alternate between mind drifts to a focused enthusiasm. I still had my "spring" in my step and during the last 1K picked up the pace just a bit more.

I crossed the "Finish Line" at the head of Tannapoom at 1 hr 16 minutes, which is a personal record! The miles were 12:20 miles, which is really slow but MUCH better than dreadfully slow! I'm beginning to believe that moderately slow is really possible!

Thanks Nancy for hosting the virtual 10K. I really enjoyed running "with" you.



Here's me after the race!

The Ironman

On May 24th, I am doing my first organized Sprint Triathlon race in 23 years. This will be the start of my journey toward the Ironman. Not because I have to but because I want to.

My plan is a sprint triathlon (750m swim, 20km bike, 5 km run) now and in October. An Olympic distance (1.5km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run) in December and March 2009. A half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 milerun) October 2009. and an Ironman sometime in 2010 or 2011.

I've done sprint and olympic distances as training sessions on Saturdays when I wanted to challenge myself and see if it was possible. It is... There's something about an organized event though. There's something about getting together with others in a group quest.

Why the Ironman? Distance and challenge. The accomplishment from hours on the bike or an extra long run just feels different than anything else. To feel the challenge, to choose to push through, to decide to pick up the pace... there's a point where I shed all the other junk and it's just me and the challenge.

This morning's running temperature was 41.5 degrees (106.7 F) and it was brutal. There wasn't much else going on besides the heat and the run. Cindy and I decided that our runs would now start at 5:30 am. That should bring our run temp during hot season to 25 degrees (77 F) or so.

Speaking of pushing through and feeling the challenge, I read an amazing race report from the Arizona Ironman today. It's long and worth every bit of the read. Here it is! That got me thinking it was time to share the plan. An Ironman may be out on a far horizon, but every once in a while I catch a small glimpse of what it will be like.

Healthy Decisions

Work has been tough. Last night I got notice that our expected source for a work visa was no longer a possibility. Now we're not sure how we're going to stay in the country past August when our current visa expires.

When it was time to sleep, I couldn't. I went downstairs and thought about going to the kitchen and getting lots of food. It was weird. I wanted to eat as an emotional response, but my heart just wasn't in it. I didn't want to eat my way through the pain and frustration. I wanted to stay healthy and make healthy choices. I had a drink of water instead.

Within 30 minutes or so, I had gotten more tired, went upstairs and drifted off to a good night's sleep.

It's hard to explain how important this shift is for me. My old pattern would have been to eat and let negative junk thoughts swirl in my head for half the night. Instead, I have a sense of peace about the changes, I've made great choices in response, and I feel hopeful and excited about the future.

I have to let others own their decisions and I need to own mine. Lesson learned.

Sore again... naturally

When Cindy and I first started losing the weight, I remember one night looking at each other and saying "will we always be this sore?". It felt that way as weeks upon weeks were filled with soreness and aches as we pushed muscles that had gotten used to "hanging around".

Thankfully, as time went on and the pounds dropped off the soreness came to an end. In fact, over time it was replaced with a feeling of athleticism. I began feeling strong and powerful. Not all the time, just often enough to like the feeling :-)

The other day we got Jillian Michael's "30 day Shred" workout video. We're in a group "Biggest Loser Fans" on SparkPeople.com and joined a challenge to do it everyday for a month.



How hard could it be? It's only 25 minutes a day...

OUCH! My shoulders are sore, my abs hurt, my triceps feel like they're going to fall off. I'm sore again!

I'm thinking that's a good thing...right? Thanks Jillian.

I'll post a blog at the end of May after all this daily shredding... I'm already seeing progress in my push ups. I realize that my lower body does a lot of my cardio work and this video is really giving my upper body a run for the money!

Headin' down the road!

I just got back from one of my fastest bike rides in awhile. I was reading someone's blog the other day about increasing their run time by doing 2 minute intervals of speed and recovery. I thought I'd apply it to my bike ride today. I would do 2 minutes between 22 km/h and 27 km/hr and then increase the speed to 27 km to 33 km. Each time I did the sprint, I had to "kiss" 33 km/hr before I could settle into the 2 minutes between 27 and 33.

On most bike rides I average around 23 km/hr. A couple of months ago I did a metric century (100 km) and averaged 25 km/hr which was incredible for me. Today, over the hour ride I averaged 27 km/hr which is one of my highest continuous speeds ever. That translates to 16.75 miles per hour.

That's pretty smokin' on a mountain bike!

It's amazing to think that 8 months ago a 5 km ride at 10 km/hr was a big stretch and exhausting! I've been marveling today at how incredible God made the human body. For my body to be able to transform from a couch potato to an athletic form over an eight month span is amazing!

Kickin' Tae Bo

This morning Cindy and I were going for a run, which I was really excited about. Being together with her and challenging each other with our running pace is really fun. Instead, we woke though to the sound of a steady drizzle.

We reconsidered our workout plan. "Let's do Tae Bo", Cindy said. "We haven't done that together in a while!" I have to admit that my response wasn't enthusiastic. I'm embarrassed to admit, but I thought I had "graduated" from Tae Bo as I'd lost some of this weight.


You see, Tae Bo was one of the exercises that I was able to do when I was severely obese and over 300 lbs. Ok... Well, I couldn't do it at the same pace as Billy Blanks, but I could do the routine at a 1/2 speed pace, get a great workout, burn the calories, and see improvement over time. Somehow I had decided that my more recent swimming, biking, and running in preparation for a triathlon was much more cool exercise and a better workout. WRONG!

We went into the living room, moved around the furniture and started the workout. I had put on my heartrate monitor, because I was curious what kind of workout I was going to get. My goodness! Within minutes I was at 120 beats per minutes and then the real workout began. A few minutes later, I glance at my watch and it's registering 149 beats per minute! I'm getting a serious workout.

In the months since I did Tae Bo last, I'd forgotten what a fun workout it is. Billy Blanks is always so encouraging and I was amazed that after losing 109 lbs, I can do the workout at full speed, rather than my old 1/2 speed pace.

What a awesome workout! I promise... I will not diss Tae Bo again! Promise!

The Lost Weekend

In 1945 there was a great film, which won an Oscar, called "The Lost Weekend" that chronicled a weekend binge of an alcoholic.

I feel like I had a "lost weekend" with food this weekend. On top of that, I didn't exercise either! For some reason, I just ate to my hearts content...

In the past month, I did great over vacation and lost weight and was getting back in the rhythm of daily workouts. This weekend though, I just blew it. I ate anything I wanted and didn't workout like I should. By the end of the weekend, the losses of the past week and a half were erased on the scale.

Why did I do this? I'm disappointed but not being overly harsh. I've had great workouts during the past two days and I can see the scale starting to move in the right direction again. I have realized this journey isn't about any day or weekend but about the long run.

I know that I'm an emotional eater at times and want to identify my "triggers". One thing that I realized is that I need to keep apples on hand as they're a great snack food that I love, is healthy, and won't pack on the pounds.

It's hard to share the tough times but it's part of the journey.

Open Invitation - Hickory Knob Triathlon

I thought I'd put a note here about the triathlon that I'll be doing in October in the USA. I'll be home for visits with churches and Montreat College and have signed up to run the Hickory Knob Sprint Triathlon on October 11th.

I would love to have some people join me! If you've ever wanted to do a triathlon but it's never happened, this is the one! The sprint distance is 750 m swim, 20 km bike, and a 5 km run. The Olympic distance is twice those distances.

Let me know if you'd like to do the triathlon! It would be a LOT of fun to connect up and run it together. It's going to be a great celebration of the fitness gained over this past year. It's going to mark a year for me after the beginning of the weight loss journey. It will be interesting to see what my final weight range is by that time.

Also, if anyone knows of a used bike I could buy let me know. I'd love to have one to use when I'm in the states, I need one for the triathlon, and in a year we plan to be in the states for some further missions training and it would great to have. I'm 6'6" tall, so need a road or possibly mountain bike made for a tall guy.

Where's the focus?

Once I took a Skip Barber Racing School and I remember well a piece of advice they gave. They said as your car starts to spin out of control, focus your eyes on a spot where you want to go. Wherever you're focused is where the car will steer. Isn’t that true in life?

I want to pick a possibility on the horizon that is exciting and head that direction. By keeping my eyes on what’s great in life and where I want to go, I'll “steer” my life in that direction! I'm finding this crucial in my journey to gain health and part of the reason that focusing on gaining health has been more powerful for me than "losing weight".

The trick is keeping the focus...

New Swimming Time

When I started swimming in January, it took 30 minutes to swim 750 meters. By the end of February I had it down to 25 minutes and today I swam the 750 meters in 21:30. I have 20 minutes in my sights!

One of the reasons that I've enjoyed the swimming is because I was SO BAD. Because I was so bad, it has been easy to see some serious progress. I get motivated by progress! I've been using a technique called Total Immersion after a friend (SUB6) recommended the book by Terry Laughlin. It really helped me learn an actual style of crawl and begin improving my consistency.

I have a sprint triathlon scheduled for May 23rd, which I'm excited about. It's going to be me and a dozen friends, here in Chiang Rai, Thailand. 750m swim, a 20 km bike, and a 5 km run... Should be fun!

Balance

Since we live in Thailand, our bathtub is a small asian size. I used to be scared to take a shower because I was sure I would fall. Several times I almost did... At 359 lbs, I had a hard time turning around and I couldn't reach down very far without losing my balance. If I dropped the soap, I'd open another one because I couldn't reach it.

Today, at 252 lbs (Down 107 lbs with another 30 or so to lose), my balance is completely changed! I can easily pick something off the floor, stand in the shower, and walk a tightwire like I did at Treetop Adventure Park last week.

Today, when I put on my socks, I can either bend over to put them on or I can stand on one foot while I bring the other near my waist and put on the sock! How crazy is that! 6 months ago I felt unstable in the shower and today I can stand on one foot perfectly balanced. I even do that in the shower to wash my feet!

Anyway, this blog isn't about how balanced I've become even though that's cool. My ability to balance has just made me think about balance in other areas of life including this quest for health.

Isn't it funny how exercise will help you become healthy unless you do so much that you don't give your body time to recover... balance.

Healthy foods create healthy bodies unless the foods are consumed in excess... balance.

Being active burns calories and sleep gives you the rest you need to be active...balance.

Attaining and maintaining a healthy weight... balance.

I am beginning to believe that the secret to long-term success is realizing that the goal is balance rather than a finish line. There is a challenge with balance being the goal. Balance is never completely attained but instead is a continual process of adjustment. I'm enjoying and looking forward to continuing this process of developing balance...

Back in the Saddle... Again!

I'm thrilled! I'm back in Chiang Rai and got an hour bike ride and 30 minutes of swimming today. My first "double" in a month...

It's just nice to be back. The great news is that I ended up losing weight while I was on vacation. While I wasn't working out as much and eating some snacks, my meals have just shifted to healthy stuff. I crave vegetables and fruit. I love fresh stuff. Fried just doesn't cut it anymore!

Anyway, before we had a church team visit and vacation, I had hit the 100 lbs weight loss mark (259 lbs) and bounced up a little to the low 260's. I weighed myself after my first week of vacation and I was at 264. I kept the course by eating healthy foods and getting in workouts where I could.

On coming back to Chiang Rai on Sunday, I weighed in at 257 lbs (lower than my prior low) and today I weighed in at 252! That's 107 lbs lost total since Sept 1st 2007!

Anyway, vacation was great but I'm thrilled to be back home with my bike, a nearby swimming pool, and my weight bench and elliptical machine out on the back porch!

Treetop Adventure Park - Part 2

I spent the morning with the boys doing the Treetop Adventure Park in Koh Chang. I had never had such a workout, as yesterday when Emily and I did the whole course. It took about 2.5 hours of upper body strength, core strength, lower body strength. Every part was sore! I'll also say I haven't felt that strong in a long time.

The folks at the park asked if I'd like to take the boys through the first half of the course today. It's as challenging as the second half, but only 15-25 feet off the ground. It was amazing and I was very physically challenged again. They set us off and I was the guide! We went through every step together with me checking their safety clips at every step. Marshall, our youngest is 7 years old and John William is 8. John William could reach the upper guide wires on all the elements but Marshall wasn't always tall enough. They both powered through with Marshall often having to balance without hand supports.

We were on the course for an hour and 1/2. By the end of the time, I was as exhausted as yesterday!

What a wonderful thing that this process of gaining health has allowed me this special time with the kids. We are so blessed to be together in good health.

This vacation has been so different for us, because we're so different now. We look for activities and challenges. We swim and run and climb and walk and kayak.

Thanks for reading the ramble... I'm so blessed.

Treetop Adventure Park

One of the things that I'm enjoying on holiday is doing things that I never could have done FAT! After losing 100 lbs, there are a lot of new options for active workouts and I've been enjoying them in Koh Chang, Thailand, where our family has been on vacation.

We've ocean kayaked a couple of times and the last time I paddled for almost 2 hours! It's a lot of fun getting out in nature and enjoying the experience.

Tomorrow, Emily and I are going to do the Treetop Adventure experience, here in Koh Chang. It's a 200 meter walk from our hotel and they said it takes about 2.5 hrs to complete! There's even a 150 meter flying fox (zipline)!

Here's the link if you want to check it out.

I'll post pictures tomorrow!

I ran!

Today I thought I'd try out my knee and see if it was ready for a run. I walked for 15 minutes along the beach, then starting running (really more jogging). I ran for 20 minutes out then 20 minutes back with a 15 minute walk at the end. I was REALLY happy to get out running again. I'm estimating about 6k or so. Slow but successful!

It was incredibly hot here today. I'm guessing about 100-102 degrees. My heart rate was about 90-95 for the walk and during the run stayed around 120 for the first half of the run then 125 to 135 during the second half. I was really starting to heat up and at the end of the run, when I started walking the heart rate stayed at 120 through the walk.

I'm thinking if I'm going to run in this heat, I need to get well hydrated before hand. I'm wondering what others do on long runs in heat? Do they carry water?

Vacation

It's been really interesting working to "gain health" on vacation! I'm so out of a routine, it's not funny!

The workouts have been pretty good. Walks, ocean kayaking, and open water swims have made up the exercise. I've spent a lot of time in the pool with the kids and it's really been fun.

It's the food that's more of a challenge. I'm used to having a kitchen and options in terms of snacks.

It's been wonderful being with the family and spending some great time together. Cindy's parents are here and it's been a really special time. I've gotten some writing done as well, which has been great.

The other day I went to the mall in Hua Hin and weighed. It's a different scale than I'm used to and a different time of day than I normally weigh, but anyway, I was 4 lbs higher. I'm thinking I need to work on the eating out healthy and get it figured out. It's still two weeks before we're back at home!

Ouch!

We're hosting a missions team from our church in the USA for 10 days and our workouts have taken a backseat. It's causing a lot of "brain scramble" as we figure out how to continue to "gain health" during this process. I didn't get to workout today, but I feel like I got a workout in all the running around we did. We started this morning heading to the boat dock and booking boats for the group, then on to the Elephant village, then to the Rimkok hotel for lunch, then Doi Ding Dang Pottery, then the YWAM base, then our local warehouse store. Tonight we're heading out to Mexican food with them, which is a rarity in Chiang Rai! Needless to say, I feel like I've gotten a workout without a "Workout".

Swimming again

Ok... I'm getting hooked. I like swimming in that it cools you off on a hot Thai day and that the whole workout (at this point) is about 30 minutes. Today I headed back to the pool when I had a break between meetings and errands. I did 750 meters in 21:20 minutes and 1 km in 29:10 minutes. I'm thinking that's a record for me. It was also workout #3 for me today. Pretty sweet!

Swimming, knees, and chillin' occasionally

I got out to the pool yesterday and did 750 meters in 23:30 minutes. I was thinking that was pretty sweet. I've got to look back at my past numbers but I think I'm continually improving. I swam the whole distance without more than a 5 second break at the wall a couple of times. I'm feeling much more comfortable in the water and getting the rhythm down.

A fitness friend from New Zealand suggested checking out "Total Immersion" swimming and so I ordered a book and DVD off Amazon.com. It's come in and I need to "dive in", pun intended.

Today I got in 25 km of cycling and 30 minutes of Yoga this morning. I think the yoga/stretching did some wonders for my knee and I need to keep doing that. Sometimes it's hard to think of Yoga as exercise, because it doesn't have the same intensity. I gotta get over that thinking and learn to slow down occasionally.

I appreciate all the prayers for my knee. They're working!

I'm finally overweight!

When I started this journey in September 2007 at 359 lbs, my BMI (Body Mass Index) was 41.5 which is in the "Morbidly Obese" category. Last October, my BMI dropped below 40 at 345 lbs, and I moved into the "Severely Obese" category. Last December, I dropped below a BMI of 35 (302 lbs) which moved me into the "Obese" category. At 259 lbs, I'm finally "Overweight" by the BMI scale, with a score of 29.9.

Maybe it seems funny to be excited about being overweight, but I am! BMI puts my healthy weight range from 160 lbs to 215 lbs. I'm thinking it's going to end up somewhere near the top end of that scale but I've got "Healthy Weight" in my sights.

On a training note, today I was running and something "popped" in my knee with pain following. I'm writing this with my leg propped up and ice on the knee. I'm thinking running is out for the next week or so as I give it some time to heal. Time to hang out in the pool :-)

100 lbs lost

Yesterday, after my run I checked the scales and I was at 259 lbs! 100 lbs lost since last September. I was really excited that I finally hit that mark. Today I weighed in at 258.5, pretty sweet, huh?

Lots of times I get asked what my goal weight is. My goal weight is the healthy weight that my body settles at. I have no idea what it's going to be... I'm guessing 225 will be close, but who knows? I don't think I've ever been this fit before, so I figure my body will know what weight it wants to be.

Triathlon #4

I did another sprint triathlon today. I'm getting to the point that I really enjoy getting in a sprint each week. I figure if I'm doing that, I'm going to be in great shape for an olympic distance in October. Here's the numbers, 6.7 km - 1 hr 15 minutes (REALLY slow), swim 750 m - 21 minutes (I was thrilled!), bike 23 km - 50 minutes. I was really excited about the swim because for the first time in my life I felt like I got in a rhythm in the swim. I was going fast (for me) and swam the 750 m with only short 15 second breaks every 150 meters or so. I felt REALLY strong today. I was also psyched about hitting the 100 lbs lost mark!

98 lbs lost

Well, I dropped one more pound and the countdown to 100 is on! Yesterday, I got in a 20 km cycle and Cindy and I did Tae Bo in the afternoon. Those double workout days always help with dropping the weight. The weather in Chiang Rai has been overcast and a bit chilly, which is wonderful for exercising. Quite a blessing!

I thought when I got close to 100 lbs, I'd do a big push through, but now that I'm here I'm just doing the same as always. Eat well, exercise daily, drink water. I think it's a good sign really that I'm not doing anything different, just consistency.

Cindy's parents come for a month long visit beginning this Friday. We're sure excited to see them, and it's the first time they'll see the weight loss in person. We're already planning out the exercises we can do while on vacation with them. We'll post some pics!

Morning Run

Cindy and I went for a great run (4.5 km) with about another 2 km walk. It's so nice to get and run. Today, several kids ran alongside us for a little bit of the time. I've only got a few pounds to lose until I've hit the 100 lbs lost mark. Mentally, I'm finding it a little hard to motivate for the "push through" 100. Once I'm there, I'm sure I'll look back and think, "What was that all about?"

Cycling with Cindy

Cindy and I really have a wonderful time cycling together. Today I rode to and from the base and then after lunch Cindy and I went for 20 km ride together. My total for the day was 40 km. I thought it was really neat that where Cindy and I cycled this afternoon was an area that we couldn't have attempted a few months ago. It's this wonderful hilly area where the hills are constant but not too big, so when you build up momentum heading downhill you can feed into the momentum all the way up the next hill.

A few months ago we would have been huffing and puffing. Today it was just fun!

Triathlon #3 for the year

Today I did a sprint distance triathlon. I started off with a 20 km cycle (50 minutes) to and from a meeting I had, followed by a 6.7 km run/walk (1:05) with Cindy. We ran about 4.3 of it at a really good pace. Then I swam 750 meters (26 minutes) at a nearby pool. Feeling great but a little tired. I'm guessing that's to be expected.

I don't know if I mentioned the pool before, but it's this really random 50 m Olympic style pool (6 lanes) in the middle of a little village. This guy built it as part of his home, as his children are both competitive swimmers. All the neighborhood kids are there on the weekends and they are teaching swimming lessons to the kids. Some of these kids are growing up with problems in their home like alcohol, drugs, or abuse. It's great to see such a positive outlet for them to develop a skill in.

The owner, Sompap, met the head of Thailand's Triathlon Federation the other day. He had come to see the pool and check it out for the Thailand National Olympic team as a practice facility. Sompap mentioned that he knew a Khun William who was interested in starting a triathlon event in Chiang Rai and now the head of Thailand's Triathlon Federation is planning to have coffee with me next week.

Wouldn't it be cool if we could partner up on developing the event into a real community blessing for the area? I'll keep you posted.

Visit to Chiang Mai

Cindy and I headed to Chiang Mai for a meeting that she had scheduled. The hotel had a nice pool and I did 75 lengths, which I figure was about 750 meters. I was quit thrilled with doing that and I was able to do the "crawl" stroke during the entire swim. I'm learning to relax, slow down, and get comfortable with swimming these distances. The panic feeling of needed to gasp for air is calming down and I'm starting to feel like I can swim better. I also did 30 minutes in the weight room and really enjoyed doing the work with dumbells and free weights. It felt good to get in a good workout "on the road".

Weekend Rest

Friday I overdid it... big time. On Friday morning, Cindy and I ran 8 km together. In the afternoon, I was scoping out a prospective triathlon course and did 40 km cycling on some CRAZY hills. (That is not the course we'll use.) I was a hurting puppy by Friday night.

This weekend was about rest and recovery. Cindy and I did Tae Bo on Saturday AM, which is a great aerobic workout that I've found works well for me when I need to recover. Saturday and Sunday we went up to Huai Khum resort, about an hour north of Chiang Rai. We did some walking at the resort and I got some writing done.

This morning, we had the owner of the resort take some family pictures for us. Here's one of the family this morning.

Record Run Together!

Today, Cindy and I went for a walk/run together for 8 km. I had run a longer distance individually, but this was the longest Cindy had run and the longest we'd run together. We took this picture on our return home. While Cindy's just starting running, she's faster than me and makes me pick up the pace. I'm thinking that running together is going to help me quite a bit in training for October's Olympic distance triathlon.

It looks like a Chiang Rai International Triathlon is going to happen at the end of May. There's some building interest and our school's mission club is considering sponsoring the event. I'm pretty excited about it and will work on the logistics of it, as well as run it. The Chiang Rai Triathlon will be a sprint, which will be wonderful prep for the Olympic distance.

This afternoon, I went out for a bike ride to scout a possible route for the triathlon. It was rough and tough! I'm thinking that will not be our course. It was lots of steep grade hills, roads with gates across them, and a few off-roading spots. I'm thinking that our first triathlon here needs to be more of a flat course to help all of us beginners, me included!

Law Laew!

Yesterday afternoon, a friend wrote to say what an encouragement I'm being to him in his weight loss journey. I'm so thrilled to be able to help some others start this process or encourage them on the way. For me, it's a real sense of accomplishment, that I've learned enough along the way to help others. I really sense that God has a plan for these lessons I'm learning.

Last night Cindy and I were going over to the YWAM Base for worship and a talk by this week's DTS speaker. On the way we stopped at a local place where students often eat. The food's inexpensive and we know that they do a great "Pad Paak Ruam Sai Gai", which is sauteed vegetables with chicken.

One thing I like about this food stand is that she's always got a smile for me when I'm out on the bike or going for a run. She's seen me throughout this process drop the weight, and gain health. After we ate, we got talking and she asked how much I'd lost. I told her 41 kilos (91 lbs) and she smiled and started almost jumping up and down. "Law Laew! Law Laew! Law Laew!" It means you're already handsome!

After the worship meeting, several girls from a local group home all came over and were asking about the kilo's lost and how I felt. Several of them said they hadn't initially recognized me :-)

The day was filled with a great sense of acknowledgement for a job well done.

A Long Day

Sometimes you feel on top of the world, strong and powerful. Other days are tough. Today was more tough, but I was happy to see that I had a great workout by the end of the day.

I had trouble sleeping last night, just mindracing about work issues, and I got to sleep about 3 am and woke up about 5:30 am. Not a lot of sleep for a guy in training!

But, contrary to old patterns, I jumped on my bike and went to and from work (21 kms) then went for a walk/jog with Cindy in the afternoon (about 3.5 kms). Nothing like the massive effort on Saturday, but a respectable workout and something to be proud of.

I realized today that I'm probably exercising around 9-10 hours a week, on average over the past few months. That's pretty sweet and I can't imagine going back to much else.

Another thing that was cool today is that Cindy mentioned that I had gone for my first run in September, before my trip to the states. That run was to the head of our block and back. About 1 km! It's amazing what a few months of consistent effort will do for the body and mind!

Leapin' Lizards!

Today on the way home from the base, a lizard like this one ran alongside my bike. He was trying to race but I won!

Feelin' Strong

This morning I had a wonderful run with my wife, Cindy. She's starting the "Slow Burn" level 1 running program and I'll be running with her on Mondays and Fridays. We walked the first 15 minutes, then ran 15, then walked 15 at the end. It was really nice and we covered about 3 km or so.

After I got home and grabbed some breakfast, dropped the mountain bike rims/tires back on the bike and took off for work. We had some prayer time at the base this morning and it was really encouraging. After the prayer time, a staff meeting, and some accounting, it was back off on the bike for lunch at home. About 20 kms in total... Not bad.

Some days I feel really strong and today was one of them. I do find that after a rest day, I'm likely to feel quite strong. I'm thinking the day off yesterday was part of it.

I'm looking forward to Paul and Tim's race reports! Paul mentioned that he felt great after the race and had finished the last 5 km strong! How cool is that?

I'm going to do a bit on weights this afternoon, then off to a meeting at the school. Driving the car this time :-)

Some New Firsts!

Today was a day of some new firsts! In celebration of Paul and Tim's 1/2 marathons 1/2 a world away, I ran my first olympic distance triathlon. I did a 1.5 km swim, a 40 km bike, and a 10 km run. I'd been wanting to do this for awhile, and finally felt my endurance was up for it.

The run, I actually did first and then had a cup of coffee with Cindy. It was a 30 minute transition time :-) Then it was onto the bike for a 13 km ride up to a great 50 meter pool that's in the next town. It's 30 baht for the swim (about $1). One of the big accomplishments for the day was swimming the 1500 meters. I have never swum that far in my life and let me tell you, it isn't easy! Ouch! That is a LONG way in water. It took 56 minutes to do the swim. I'm gonna be workin' on that time!

After the swim, I got back on the bike to finish the rest of the 40 km. At the 29 km mark on the bike, I had another first! A blow out! Cindy came to rescue me and I was able to switch out to my mountain bike tire rims and finish the remaining kms of the 40! Below is a picture of the infamous kilometer #29 tire blowout. It was loud and spectacular!




My first olympic distance triathlon wasn't fast, but it was fun! I said several prayers for Paul and Tim during the run and bike portions. During the swim I couldn't think!

Lots of cheers for you guys from Chiang Rai!

Keep on truckin'

Today I weighed in and am back at my low of 270.5 lbs. It's really odd how weight will drop quickly for a few days and then settle into a range. I've been in the low 270's for a couple of weeks now. I'm looking forward to the 260's!

Several of my friends are running races in the states this weekend. I'm thinking of doing another "Chiang Rai Triathlon" here to celebrate with them.

I particularly want to acknowledge my friend Paul, who's encouraged me since we met in October. I was in the states visiting and working out in the local gym. I remember I was down to 338 lbs then but really having a rough day. He came over and spoke just because he felt that he was supposed to give me some encouragement. We've been friends ever since.

This weekend he runs a 1/2 marathon at the Myrtle Beach Race. Paul's Blog can be found at: paultedder.blogspot.com

My new found Traineo and blogging friend Tim Wilson is running a 1/2 marathon this weekend as well. Tim's blog can be found at: blog.262quest.com

Bless you guys and you've got a friend in Thailand cheering you on!

Good distance but feelin' tired

This morning I ran 9 km and then biked to school, work, and home (25 km). I was zipping along on the bike but after a tough day I'm feelin' tired. I'm thinking that I'm maybe not up for back to back running days yet (or at least 9 km ones).

I keep getting close to the 260's, but haven't broken that barrier yet. That's part of the push but I've gotta learn to not push all the time... It's ok for it to take another week...

I'm also realizing with an increasingly busy schedule that I've got to plan out my training a bit more. Up to now, I've been deciding the night before what I plan to do. I'm thinking it's going to make sense to plan out a schedule, making sure to give myself light days and more challenging days, as well as days off.

Today's workout

This morning I ran about 9k and then rode my bike to work and back (21 km). I averaged 25.7 km per hour on the bike ride, which was pretty fast for me. Felt good!

Chiang Mai Trip

This weekend we went on a "pai teow", which loosely translates as "go places for fun". We went to the big city of Chiang Mai, a 3 hr bus ride away. We know it's a big city because it has a mall! Anyway, I put on my swimsuit to take the kids to the pool and there was no way to tighten it enough to make it stay on! Needless to say, I went out and got a new swimsuit.

Here's a picture of me and the boys playing in the pool.

Many of my clothes have gotten so ridiculously large that I've had to retire them. They've gotten sent to a nearby hilltribe village where they'll get turned into all sorts of items.

I had fun clothes shopping for the first time in years. My prior waist size was a 54, and the clothes I bought this weekend were a 42 waist. My shirts used to be a 3xlt, 4xlt, or 5xl. I bought several shirts in xlt (xl but with longer shirttails for tall guys). I'm amazed at fitting into sizes that I haven't worn in 10 years! I was having things custom made here but now I could buy things at the mall!

My new 42 waist shorts were actually loose enough that I had to get a belt...

We had a great active weekend, with several good walks and time in the swimming pool together. I read Stu Middleman's book, Slow Burn which is an incredible read about endurance running. I'm going to try to adapt his training schedule for my triathlon prep.

What a great weekend!

First Sprint Triathlon in 23 years!

When I was in my early 20's, I did a few sprint triathlons. Today, I did my first in 23 years! It wasn't an official event, just a one person Chiang Rai, Thailand race. I did 20 km cycling, 750 meters swimming, and a 5k run. Last weekend I did a 40 km bike and 10 km run, but I think today was a bigger effort for some reason.

My times were: Swimming 750 meters - 30 minutes, cycling 20 km - 1 hr, running 5 km - 35 minutes. I've ordered a book from Amazon about how to increase your speed and am looking forward to decreased times. For today, I'm reveling in the accomplishment of my first "Sprint" in years.

I also found it interesting that I was up for it today after my 1/2 hr of exercise yesterday. I think part of it was getting rid of the excess energy I couldn't exercise out yesterday.

(Sorry guys, it was only 5 km and I typo'd)

30 minutes of training hurts!

Today I had to take my own advice and chill! I woke up this morning late and was only able to get in 15 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes of weights. Then I was off to a day of meetings, errands, and more meetings.

It's so funny how the mind can change so quickly. 5 months ago, I didn't want to move for 30 minutes of exercise. Today it's just not enough!

Pushing the Envelope

Today was a milestone! Cindy and I went for a 42 km bike ride and then I went immediately on a 12 km run. Not quite a triathlon, but a biathlon! When I got back and showered and weighed, I had reached a new weight loss milestone as well, down 88 lbs. While that may be a weird number to be a milestone, it is exactly the weight of two water cooler bottles in Thailand, which weigh 20 kg (44 lbs) each! It's a tangible weight that I can see. I took a picture of myself with the two water bottles on my shoulders. Believe me, I'm glad to be rid of that weight!