Ironman Augusta 70.3 - 67 Days to go

Great day... Started off w/ a 23 km bike ride in the early morning mist. It was cool, quiet, and pretty as the sun began to rise. This afternoon, I went for a swim and did 1900M, which is the 1.2 Mile distance of the Ironman Augusta 70.3. I did it in 45:23, which translates to a 1000M time of 23:54. My time is consistently improving bit by bit.

I've been thinking a bit about my first triathlon and thought I'd share some about that. I was 21 years old and the year was 1984. At my Mom's encouragement, I had gotten into bicycling and was spending a lot of time at OutSpokin' Bicycle Shop in Columbia, SC. OutSpokin' is a great shop and would sponsor some cool riders to come into town. Anyway, John Howard was visiting and the 1984 Summer Olympics were on. I have some faint memories of us watching some of the Olympics with him and he had a funny look on his face during the televised cycling. He'd competed in the Olympics in 1968, 1972, 1976, and had made the 1980 team which didn't get to compete due to the boycott of the Moscow games. He had won the Hawaii Ironman in 1981 and would go on to set a world speed record of 152 MPH on a bike in 1985.

Anyway, that weekend a group of us were going to do a sprint triathlon. It was the "Lake City Tobacco Festival Triathlon"! Isn't that classic? We went down the day before the race, carbo loaded with spagetti, and attended the pre-race meeting. Isn't that funny they had a pre-race meeting for a sprint? Remember, these triathlon things were pretty new, especially in the countryside of South Carolina. John Howard decided to do it for fun but not compete for the prizes.

Saturday morning, I was in the next to last heat to hit the pool. I came out last in my heat and headed out to my bike. It was an old Raleigh racing frame from the late sixties that I had configured with parts from the used parts bin at OutSpokin'. I was quickly passed by the last heat racers and started my run as the last competitor running the course. As a safety measure, the race organizers had an ambulance following the field and it was right on my heels. Several times I wanted to stop during the run and walk for a minute but I was sure that the ambulance guys would make me hop in... so I kept running. As I saw the crowds and the finish line a few hundred yards ahead, a funny thought crossed my mind and I picked up a couple of tobacco leaves from the side of the road where they had fallen off the tobacco trucks. I raised them high as I crossed the finish line of the Lake City Tobacco Festival Triathlon and the crowd cheered me like I'd won. John Howard was there. He had finished first but didn't let it count. He and the official winner greeted me and if I remember right there was some cold Coors beer for us all.

Over the years I moved away from fitness and gained pounds. By 44 years old, I had ballooned to 359 pounds. When I started losing the weight, my first goal was to run a triathlon again. Eight months later I weighed 244 pounds and organized a sprint triathlon in Chiang Rai, Thailand, where I was living. There were eleven of us racing and I came in 6th... It's my best finish yet!

On September 27th, at 46 years old, I'll jump in the water with 3200+ other competitors to run the Ironman Augusta 70.3. I'll celebrate the weight lost and the fitness gained. I'll celebrate health and triathlon. I'll celebrate life.

It's great to be back in the game!

This Blog has moved

This blog has moved to blog.sabaifitness.com

I'd love to have you come join me there!

Blessings, William

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!