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 

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 :-)

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.

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!