Day 6

It's the last week of school!  We're staying busy by finishing up leadership interviews at the high school and final exam playing tests at the middle school.  Katie and I are trying to get the Graftons to go to dinner and a movie tonight (voting for Hangover 2). 

On Saturday, I woke up at 3:30 AM and left the high school at about 4:45 AM driving the equipment truck down to Pfluegerville for State Solo and Ensemble.  We had 2 Marimba solos, 1 xylophone solo, and 2 percussion ensembles performing (in addition to the multitude of other band students).  One soloist received a 1 on his solo.  I'm really proud of Brian he is going to be a great leader and player.  Here's hoping that he sticks with music!  His brother was the xylophonist and he received a 2.  I thought that he played great.  Very accurate, musical, and technically correct.  I thought that the feedback was good, but is it weird to think that he gave him a two because he was playing a 2-mallet solo?  All that I know is, Jeffrey played the snot out of that piece, and I'm very lucky to have such a talented student in the percussion studio.  The top band ensemble received a 1 on their performance of Identity Crisis.  It wasn't our best showing for that piece, but I was still very proud of how they played.  When we finished the judge gave no verbal comments, which weirded out the kids.  He did write a thesis on our performance, so that is good, but I thought it was strange since our room was 30 minutes ahead of schedule.  The second band ensemble received a 2 for their Metric Lips performance.  If I never have to hear that piece again, I will be happy.  The bad news about that is, KIDS FREAKING LOVE IT!  This means that I will end up giving it to some group of kids every 4 years...

Map of Day  6:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=280749

Total distance: 1.97 miles
Total time: 30 minutes
Current weight: 227.5 lbs

I took today's jogging portions at a slightly faster pace, and it showed with my time getting shaved down by 4 minutes.  It was a freaking hot run.  I ran from 4:30 PM to just before 5:00 PM.  It was very humid and I was really having trouble breathing.  Not a fun run today.

Day 6 complete!

Day 5

Had dinner with the Graftons at Gloria's tonight.  That was great.  Not pumped about the run, but I'm not down about it either.  I think I'm less excited about it, because I know that I need to be up at 3:30 AM tomorrow!  We have State Solo and Ensemble tomorrow and we have two percussion ensembles playing and three percussionists playing solos.  I'm very proud of the hard work of these kids.  They make coming to my job easy, even if it is at 4:30 in the morning!

Map of Day 5:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=280749

Total distance: 1.97 miles
Total time: 31 minutes
Current weight: 228.5 lbs

A little bit different route today.  I planned the route ahead of time and tried to make it a bit longer.  That coupled with the fact that I took the jogging at a slightly slower pace today made for a little bit longer of a run.  My left leg is starting to feel the burn.  I had a stretch before I went out and that helped a lot.  No trouble breathing today (slower pace, no mowers!), but my legs are starting to feel stressed.  Thank God for the days off between runs.  That's helping my recovery immensely.

Good luck to my kiddos tomorrow.  I know that they will do great!  I say this, yet I don't have kids or parents as friends on Facebook...

Day 5 complete!

Day 4

I caught 3 kids skipping class today.  That was fun. 

We got our first movement of the marching show music for the drumline (battery) yesterday.  I'm really happy with the work of our arranger, Adam Clay.  Click his name if you want to check out his work.  Adam was one of the bass techs at Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps when I was marching. 

Week 2 of C25K lengthens your run and walk times.  You now run for 90 seconds and walk for 2 minutes, with a 5 minute warmup at the beginning.  The free plan says to do this set for 20 minutes, but for the mathematically astute, that doesn't really work out.  Since these are 3.5 minute sets, I made the executive decision to do 6 sets for a total of 21 minutes, with a 5 minute brisk walk. 

Map of Day 4:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=278692

Total distance: 1.96 miles
Total time: 26 minutes
Current weight: 228.5 lbs

We changed our route significantly today.  We loop around the outside of the subdivision, which was nice since the sun was setting and the second half of our run was blocked from the sun by the subdivision's wall.  We ended at our house just as the final walk cycle ended.  Also, our brisk walk at the beginning is starting to go faster, and we are covering more distance before we actually start the first set.

No podcast listening today.  We just talked about our days whenever I could catch my breathe.  She is awesome at this and regains her ability to talk well before me!

My brother is Skyping in tonight and we are going to get our role playing on!

Day 4 complete!

Day 3

Busy day today with church, lunch with friends, trip to my FLGS (read: Friendly Local Game Store, www.madnessgames.com), and grocery shopping.  Trying to get The Witcher to work on my Windows 7 x64 OS without much luck when I decide to just go do my run.  Also, we have a Tornado Watch till 9:00 PM and I can see the storms brewing on the radar.

Katie and I did the interval training together again.  Only two mowers today, and I took my allergy pill before hand.  No trouble breathing after the run.  Temperature 88 F + Humidity 70% = Lots of sweat.

Map of Day 3:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=277566

Total distance:  1.65 miles
Total time:  24 minutes (I finished the last set of running as I reached my house)
Current weight:  228.5 lbs

I changed my run slightly and ran to the very front entrance of our subdivision, which meant that I didn't need to run past my house at the end.  I did leave off about a minute of of walking at the end of the session, which means that I actually would have traveled about the same distance as the past two days.  If would have probably made it about 1.8 miles if I had walked the last bit.

Continued listening to the Bradford players play Horror on the Orient Express (www.yog-sothoth.com).  I'm on podcast #33, which means that I have listened to roughly 66 hours of them playing this game.  Now I just need to find more people to actually play with!  I'm trying to get my brother, a Marine stationed at 29 Palms in CA, to Skype in and play with Katie and I.

Day 3 complete!

Day 2

I called Katie after finishing high school percussion auditions today and she mentioned dinner and maybe a run afterwards.  I was not feeling it today as I have a pretty bad headache.  When I got in the car to come home, I remembered that I had some Excedrin in my glove compartment, so I popped one of those bad boys in my mouth.

Got home (only 30 minute drive today!) and my headache was already starting to wane.  I chowed down the sausage and veggies she had prepared (awesome!) and then she brought up the run.  I brought up that I wanted to play Call of Cthulhu with her (I finally got her to create her character last night!).  She agreed to play with me after the walk.  I should point out that she said she would not play the whole session, only "a little of it".  I let her know that I was planning on doing my interval jogging and not just walking.  I think that made her happy.  I took an allergy pill before I left today (a good choice).

Map of Day 2:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=275712

Total distance:  1.88 miles
Total time:  25 minutes
Current weight:  230 lbs

Only one person mowing his yard this afternoon.  About halfway through the run, I knew that I was a little further along than Day 1.  We reached the house about 1 minute earlier than yesterday, so I lengthened the final stretch a bit.  Tight chest for about an hour after the jog, but no wheezing today.  Either the pollen was not as bad today, or the pill helped.  I'll probably keep taking that before I go out.

Didn't listen to any music/podcast today.  Talked to Katie for about first 10 minutes, then it was too hard to talk, so I just said, "Run" and "Walk" when my interval timer went off.

My legs are starting to feel a little tense, but so far I haven't gotten a stitch in my side and no pains during the run.  I've just got to train myself to breath better during the exercise.

Day 2 complete!

Day 1

May 15, 2011 (posted a day late)

Yesterday, Katie and I discussed some things that we wanted to change about our lifestyle. I committed to eating breakfast out less and to start a running regimen. She committed to wanting me to eat breakfast out less and start a running regimen. I honestly can't remember that she committed to anything. She has been running on her own off and on for about two months, and I think that she wanted me do to the same. : ) She doesn't have a problem eating breakfast out.

I did some research online and came to the C25K program at the link below:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Turns out one of my coworkers and her husband are also doing the Coach to 5K program. I printed off the free guide, downloaded an interval timer app for my iPhone (it is called Interval Timer - For Fitness and Workouts). The app is easy to program and will play timer sounds over your iTunes music.

The first week of C25K is three workouts. It starts with a brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternates 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes (25 if you include the 5 minute warm-up).

Map of Day 1:
http://www.runningmap.com/?id=275711

Total distance: 1.80 miles
Total time: 25 minutes

There were a lot of people mowing yards this afternoon and it was pretty rough on my allergies. For Day 2, I need to take some meds before I go out. Wheezing continued for about 2 hours after I got inside. Took two allergy pills as soon as I got inside.

Today, I was listening to a podcast that I have become addicted to. It is a recording of a Call of Cthulhu role playing session. I'm on episode 31 of the Horror on the Orient Express campaign. It's seems like a great way to keep my mind off the work of running.

Day 1 complete!