We Bought It

Yup! We are now the proud owners of a new NordicTrack Viewpoint 3000 Treadmill! And what a beautiful machine it is! It gets delivered next Saturday - and man oh man - am I excited!

Just think how great the April results are going to be!

Speaking of which....winding down this month - Monday is weigh-in day - so all you sponsors - it's almost letter time!

And if you're not sponsoring me - let me ask you this - have you considered that if I lose just 10 lbs in a month - you could sponsor me at $1 a lb. and only be out $10 for a MONTH? That's less than two Starbucks coffees to help me reach my goals, and help a pediatric cancer patient achieve a dream.

Okay - end of commercial.

Tonight? The gang is gettin' together for karaoke and a birthday celebration! (Partially mine, although my birthday isn't for several weeks)

Tomorrow's post will be a coming attractions post for April - including what to expect exercise/meal-wise, and, since it's been requested - voice-work wise. :)

Main Street Awaits!

Challenges and Successes....

Yesterday was an interesting day of challenges and successes.

I ran in the morning - 9 full minutes (3 running segments) - it was a good run.

Then - I parked at the top of a parking garage - and walked up seven flights of stairs to get back to my car instead of taking the elevator.

Of course - I was huffing and puffing and wheezing and coughing at the end.

But I did it.

Not bad, eh?

And then what do I follow it up with?

Oversleeping - skipping breakfast - then hitting 7-11 for that sandwich special and a small beef jerky. Smaller amounts than usual - but still not the best.

Ugh.

Why can't I hit my rythym here?

Why can't I just wake up thin? LOL

I know - anything worth doing is worth working for - and I'm so privileged to have friends and sponsors like you urging me on.

I really do love you all.

And don't worry - we're not stopping until we get there:

Main Street Awaits!

I did.

Despite having to get up way early today for an early court date - despite being tired - despite still being achy in the arms from the ropes course - I just finished my walk/jog for today.

I ran for you. (If you don't understand this - you didn't read Kate's poem yesterday - and you should. Right now.)

I didn't do much - about 9 minutes. About 1 of it jogging. My fingertips were freezing - and my legs were aching from the hills - but I did it - and I feel great about it.

Once I have the treadmill - and don't have to worry about temperature or incline - I can start pushing the time up...we'll see how that goes. But I have a race to run for you guys. And I'm going to do it.

One last note: Byron Hall - a friend and inspiration to me - is also losing weight for the 09 half. He set up his own blog, and please go check it out. Let him know you care about him too. http://phatdisneygeek.blogspot.com

And please keep commenting here - posts like Kate's and Joggerbloggers and Rae's and everyones really really keep me going. You have no idea how touching it is that you all read this. Byron even referred to me as "high profile" - wow. Me?

Nah - I'm just a guy trying to get in shape and do something good with it.

And as always...

Main Street Awaits.

"Will You Run For Me?" by Kate

Will you run for me tomorrow? Will you run for me?

I am six years old now.
I love to dress like a princess.
Mommy says I’m too young to go to Disneyland.
She says we will go when I’m older.
I want to be older now.

Will you run for me tomorrow? Will you run for me?

I’m in Kindergarten now and learning to read and write.
I love to run and play with my friends.
It feels as if life will go on forever.

Will you run for me tomorrow? Will you run for me?

I don’t know it now, but when I am eight years old I will be diagnosed with leukemia.

Will you run for me?

The cancer treatments are terrible. I don’t feel well.
Mommy says the drugs are killing the bad cancer cells.

Will you run for me?

I just want the pain to stop.
I want to feel good and happy again.

Will you run for me?

My daddy said that you will run for me.
He said that you will raise money so that we can go to Disneyland.
Thank you. Thank you for caring about me.
Thank you for letting me be a princess again.
I love you.

A poem by Kate (GoofTroop3@disneyworldtrivia.com),inspired by Jonathan’s courageous journey to the 2009 Walt Disney World half-marathon.





Wow. Thank you so much Kate. You made my....everything today.

348.0

Alright - I'll admit a little dissappointment.

0.2 pounds lost is nothing really. But by the same token - I'm still going in the right direction. The key here is to analyze last week - figure out where I went wrong - and fix it this week.

So here are my mistakes:

1) No walking/jogging at all. This is probably the biggest. I know that early morning exercise (even if it is just 10 minutes) really gets the metabolism working and sets me up for a calorie burning day. This week - at least three days. (Although not this morning - man oh man is my body sore and painful after yesterday)

2) No food I haven't prepared and/or purchased in advance. Last week I ate a lot of "borderline" stuff - preprepared salads, restaurant salads, etc. And found out - those Chicken Caesar Pitas I get at 7-11? Yeah - 730 calories just for that. YIKES. That stops this week. If I'm out and need something - it's a 200-300 calorie meal replacement bar - or better yet - a bottle of water.

3) Less grazing while cooking. I'm terrible at this. As I cook - I have a chip or two here - a piece of turkey while I make a sandwich - etc. And I don't hold myself accountable for it. It's something I have to really be aware of.

And I think if I really focus - I can push for some dramatic end of month results. I don't know if I can come close to matching last month's 14.7 (I'd need to lose seven pounds this week - seems unlikely) - but to paraphrase one of the eigth graders I was with on that ropes course yesterday - "I'm sure as heck gonna try!"

Thank you all for your support. I love you all more than you know. And I will not let you down.

Main Street Awaits.

Ropes and Exercise

Okay - Sunday morning it is.

Having had a hectic week with lots of surprises, I know that today is my last chance to push for some weight loss this week. And push I shall.

What surprises you ask? Well - several lunches out, and an unexpected dinner change when we got tickets to see "Camelot" at the last minute. I made the best choices I could all week (read: lots of salad) - but haven't been perfect - and...to top it off.

Not one run this week.

That will change come tomorrow - and more so even next week. Why?

We went to Sears, and are likely going back next Saturday to purchase the NordicTrack Viewpoint 3000 Treadmill. And then there will be NO MORE EXCUSES.

Plus - I'm going to get outside and run next week until the treadmill gets here.

Now - I know I need more 'road' training than treadmill for the half-marathon - but for now - anything is better than nothing.

Today though - I'm out in the good ol' outdoors with a group of 8th graders I mentor - doing an all day Ropes Course. Now here's a physical challenge!

And tomorrow we weigh in (I won't be surprised with no dramatic results...just hoping to have lost some) - and then one more week until the end of March - when we check in with my monthly results. And at that point, for those of you who have asked: there will be pictures.

And until then...

Main Street Awaits.

In Need of a Good Talking To

So here's the good news: I'm already down a few pounds this week.

Here's the bad news (part 1): I checked the scale before Monday.

Here's the bad news (part 2): I've been checking the scale, and if I'm down, using that as an excuse for not going out for my walk/jog. "Eh, if I'm down, I can skip it this morning - and besides I have the ropes course coming up."

Now I know...this is just not acceptable.

This isn't just about weight loss - this is about running a half-marathon.

To do that I have to train.

Training means walkng.

But....it's very far away - and as long as I'm losing - does it matter?

OF COURSE it does.

I just have to remind myself.

Or.....you can remind me. :)

So....have at me! Give me your best shot!

And don't worry - it's still out there...

Main Street Awaits.

*yawwwwwwwn*

What a morning.

Haven't exercised yet this week - but eating good. Got up early with the intent to walk - but had a very late night last night - and had a lot on my mind - so just curled back up in bed.

Although - have a big challenge coming this weekend.

See - in my other life - I mentor 8th graders at my church. This week the whole group is getting together to tackle a ropes course.

For those of you who don't know what a ropes course is - it's a team building exercise that involves lots of physical challenges and then an individual challenge involving heights.

Last year I didn't go.

Two years ago - I went, but chose not to participate sometimes because of my size.

This year - I'm in it for the long haul. :)

And man oh man will it be good exercise - and outdoors - and fun - and all that other good stuff!

Also - thank you to the people who heard me on WDW Radio #6 and came to look at this blog for the first time - and especially anyone who's commenting - seeing a new comment and reading it are some of the highlights of my day!

So keep commenting - keep believing - and for us all -

Main Street Awaits!

348.2

Alrighty now. 3.2 more pounds this week!

Now here's the fun part about this:

1) I've now lost over 20 pounds since starting this journey. That's a major hurdle.

2) I'm now under 350.

Both of those things feel fantastic. Incredible even.

I can't begin to describe how proud of myself I am this morning - proud of the fact that I get up and run. Proud of the fact that I'm eating healthier than ever before. Proud of the support you all are giving me.

And now - with new readers, like "Marc" (see yesterday's comments) - I have even more people supporting me.

I want to thank you all again. You guys are truly inspirational to me. You help keep me going.

And hey - if you're new here - check out "The Intro" and "How do I Sponsor" links on the sidebar. And then - comment for me. Let me hear ya. Let me know you're out there.

It helps.

This is a long journey - but I'm making great strides.

And yes...

Main Street Awaits.

Oh Tummy

Last night for dinner we tried a new weight watcher's recipe. Chinese beef with broccoli.

It was really good.

And about an hour later, something strange happened. My tummy...well...kind exploded. In the bad way.

It's been going all night...and a little today.

Needless to say - I'm not running this morning - well...alright - I won't make the obvious pun here to spare you all the gross joke. ;)

In any event - grocery shopping today - meal planning - and then we see how the week went.

Other than that - I'm gonna take it easy.

Can't get to where I'm headed if I'm sick.

Main Street Awaits.

Voices and Doubts

Remember when I said this blog would also be about my voicework - well I haven't been keeping you all up to speed on that front - so here's a quick update:

1) Did some recording with Lou yesterday and more to come Saturday for the WDW Radio show - not voicework - more like guest starring. :) Lou just rocks and hanging with him and talkin' Disney is such a fun trip! Anytime, my man!

2) Shandy is flying high and causin' mischief. Don't believe me? Stay tuned at www.magicaldefinition.com

Now...back to the weight loss.

I'm feeling a little down today - feeling like I'm not making as much progress as I should this month. Granted, I still have three more Mondays (the 19th, the 26th and April 1, which will end this month's cycle) - but I'm just feeling it.

My run/jog routine hasn't really changed - it's still about an 8-9 minute cycle around my complex after which my lungs and legs are burning. I still do it, but it's not getting better yet.

I'd been skipping breakfast, and defaulting to the 7-11 trio (see earlier posts) which is bad, a) it's expensive, and b) it's not all that healthy.

And I'm watching the scale like a hawk - and if I go up half a pound since yesterday, I freak out.

So what do I do?

Here's my plan - you tell me what you think.

1) No more checking the scale except Mondays. Period. For any reason. At least for awhile. I'm obsessing about it - and that's no good.

2) Focus on letting my body do the exercise it can and don't beat myself up about it. This will get better when we have a treadmill, and I can more accurately keep track of things like distance and time.

3) Eat breakfast daily - I find that if I do this - I have a better overall day with all aspects. Weight loss included.

Don't worry - I'm nowhere near giving up. In fact, like I said to Lou, running this race is more like an obsession for me now. I know it's going to happen - but in a two year struggle to get there, I'm going to have lower points - this morning is one.

But instead of staying down - I'm planning up! I'm preparing - and fighting.

I will do this. Period.

And yes...for me...

MAIN STREET AWAITS.

A Niece!

Okay - a small break from format today.

My sister-in-law got her most recent ultrasound done today - and found out....

Yes.

I'm having a niece!

My very first nephew/niece thing.

Know that uncle that goes crazy spoiling the kid with Disney stuff?

Yup - that's me.

Uncle Disney.

Hey limabean (that's her nickname already) - wanna go see Main Street with me?

Goal Weight?

So Tiger, one of my sponsors, asked a question about Monday's post.

"What is your goal weight?"

And it's a valid question.

One without an answer.

My goal weight has characteristics, but no number. Here they are:

1. At my goal weight, I will be able to run and complete the WDW Half Marathon.
2. At my goal weight, I will no longer be on hypertension medication.
3. At my goal weight, I will easily be able to purchase clothing at any major store.
4. At my goal weight, I will be fit, healthy, and ready for a longer life!

Now - will that be 180? 220? 250 even? I have NO idea. We're not there yet.

But we will get there. We will see how 250 feels. How 220 feels. And go from there.

And you all will join me on my quest.

And Main Street Awaits.

351.4

FOUR POUNDS this week.

Not bad, eh? Especially because I was worried about the popcorn I had at the movies yesterday - but if you get a smaller bag with no butter, and kind of watch the rest of the day - it's not so bad.

So here's the skinny, so to speak - I'm about a pound away from being down twenty pounds.

That's exciting.

And it keeps melting off with diet and exercise, without me having to push too hard. I don't feel deprived or overexerted.

This is working.

It's an incredible feeling, really. And you all are a part of it.

Thank you again to my friends, readers, sponsors, wife, family - everyone.

You guys are keeping me on this track - and we're already making a change. Making a difference.

And today it's one step closer: Main Street Awaits.

For Want of a Treadmill

Okay - so I know that training on a treadmill is nowhere near as effective as training on concrete, and that if I do too much of it I might end up with serious shinsplints come race time.

I get that.

But....to paraphrase David Hyde Pierce.

"It rains 9 months out of the year in Seattle."

And it's raining today.

So no run.

Now - here's the bright side. I peeked at the scale, and I'm doing fine. Probably due to my exercise yesterday. What exercise?

Walking the entire Costco, Safeway, and then forcing myself to make five seperate trips with heavy groceries up one flight of stairs. Man was that tiring....

But hey - it was exercise. Kinda like a sadistic stairmaster with weight attached.

Anyhow - things are going well - I'm not losing steam or giving up - and as always...

Main Street Awaits.

Mantras

"Just keep swimming (walking)."

"Disney people don't give up."

These are just two wonderful mantras from my good friend Rae. The first one, with it's obvious Finding Nemo ties is particularly wonderful. I can hear Dori in my mind now...

Just keep walking...just keep walking...just keep walking, jogging, running.....

*blink blink*

Can....can I help you?

No worries, Dori - I'm just looking for my friend Fabio.

Anyhow - mantras are very important. Almost as important as visualization. And yesterday I coined one for me that I think will guide me fairly far along.

"Main Street Awaits"

Listening to this weeks WDW Radio and hearing the wonderful Mike Scopa talk about the race made me realize - if I'm going to run it - I am NOT going to get swept up. And where is it most likely that'll happen - just before the Magic Kingdom, and just after. So...

If I can make it to Main Street - it's all downhill from there, so to speak. If I can get that far, I can finish.

And that mantra will keep me on track when I forget to pack a lunch, or have no time to eat it and stop for *ick* Seven-Eleven pita sandwiches and/or powerbars. It'll keep me away from candy and cakes and pastries. It'll keep me getting up at 5:45 when I'm tired and going for my modest jog/walk (I did my route that took 12 minutes this morning in 8 minutes....and then shin splints, huffing and puffing, and cold brought me inside....I think I need a treadmill or something....).

It'll keep me on track.

So will you - my friends and sponsors.

You are making this dream come true for me. You are my fuel.

You are my inspiration.

And still....(as will now be my signoff)...

Main Street Awaits.

Old Habits Die Hard

It's true - it really is.

See - last night - after working two straight 14+ hour days - and having been in the car umpteen hours - and being frustrated with a few issues - and having my defenses down - and having not eaten much for two days....

At about 9pm, an hour before bed - I had a whoppingly large bowl of chips and salsa. Sure they were the baked Ritz chips - but there were WAY more than a serving there.

And I realized as I awoke this morning - that it was entirely emotional eating.

I'm still tired - and it's raining - so no run this morning - but I'll get that back on track.

The long and the short of it is this: sometimes life is hard. But using that as an excuse to railroad myself off track - is just plain stupid.

I'm not promising it'll never happen again - I'm not that stupid. But I am saying that I'm aware of it more now - my eyes are open - and I'm going to try to avoid the triggers of it.

I'm going to do my best to do better.

I'm going to strive for greatness.

And still...Main Street Awaits.

355.4

Wow....I wasn't sure it would be possible.

Okay - the bad news: I gained two pounds since Friday.

The good news: I'm still down .2 pounds since last Monday. It's not much - but it's something.

Oh - and hi! Thanks for all the wishes for the anniversary. We had a very nice weekend. I did workout once, and tried to make healthier choices while still enjoying myself.

We ended up eating a lot of very rich food - but only eating a little of it. If that makes sense....

Chicken instead of duck - pork instead of beef - etc. And Saturday night we wanted to try the five course tasting menu - so instead of each getting one - we ordered one and split it.

On the whole - not so bad. Not going to be a regular occurrance, but I'm just glad I didn't gain anything over the week.

And oh yeah! I found out I can keep pace for a 13 minute mile (I have to do a 16 minute for the half-marathon). Oh sure - I can only keep that pace for 1 minute - but it's a start! :P

I'm back! Time to go for a run!

353.4

So as I prepare for my weekend away - I'm down 2.1 pounds this week.

Not bad.

I'd write more, but I have work to do to prepare - you won't see me until Monday.

But I'm still riding high on the jazz from yesterday - even though some people don't understand.

I know you do.

Don't you?

Have a wonderful weekend. I will miss you, my friends.

Lunch and Inspiration

Okay - so I finally got un-snowed in. And left for work.

WHOOPS! No lunch.

That's okay - around 1:30 I had a chicken caesar pita and a powerbar. Not the most elegant, but better than a doughnut.

But what this post is really about is something entirely else.

Inspiration.

Finding little things that inspire you to push harder and reach further.

For instance - there was a post on the WDW Radio Message Boards directing me to a site. I'd never heard of it - but now I've been there. www.disneyrunning.com

It's all about running at WDW. Running these races. People post race reports - pictures - a video (6.5 minutes long - WATCH IT - it'll jazz you). Here's an example: one man wrote a mile by mile description of running the half marathon.

"The tour of the Magic Kingdom always seems way too short. It's down Main, making a right into Tomorrowland through Fantasyland, Forntierland and back stage. I may have left out a few details. First, the crowd seems to roar as you hit main. We are running down the right hand side of the street including the rails in the middle and the sidewalk. If you elect to take the edge of the road, watch out for uneven surface. Mainstreet is never this packed except during the parade or at exit. So, I guess we are the parade. Smile as you run down Main as several photographers are located along the street. Music is loud and energetic as we pass down Main. All too soon, we make a left towards Tomorrowland; hopefully taking some of Main Street's energy with us. As we enter Tomorrowland Stitch's Great Escape is located on the left this stretch is usually a character hot spot so beware of runners going funny directions; or have your camera ready if you want a photo."

Okay - so how cool is that?

I was already wondering about if I can use an iPod during the run - but the video showed me that if I did so I'd be missing out. There's music set up at random points - not just recorded - but live music. There are characters. Cast members. Families. And all of them are cheering for you.

For....me.

I can hear them. I can feel the music.

And you know what?

I am really going to do this. I can't believe it - but I am. I really really am.

From 370lbs to a half-marathon finisher in under 24 months.

It's almost overwhelming feeling it. I like it.

Snowed In

So....no exercise today - and possibly no work. Four inches of snow fell overnight and I can't get my car out of our condo development. We live at the bottom of a hill.

The bad news is this - so far this week - with no exercise at all - and just 'eating right' - I'm down only like a pound. :( The even badder news is the weekend away. I'm going to try to make healthy decisions, and I am going to make use of their gym to exercise at least Saturday and Sunday (so two days this week). But I'm not going to feel guilty about splurging a little on my anniversary.

So what I'm planning is this.

I'm going to do an unexpected weigh-in tomorrow (Friday) and post the results here.

Then again on Monday - to see what a weekend away really does to me.

Then on Monday - everything goes back to normal...and if you're sponsoring me for March - you started on the 26th of Feb and are going through the 26th of March - so this weekend might just save you a buck or two. LOL

I also wanted to post this comment that Rae posted two days ago. It nearly brought me to tears. I'm just so touched.

She says:

"Well you are an inspiration for me as well.My calves have been hurting alot and I had a couple of set backs this week and I was getting discouraged,to the piont I was going to quit.Then my wonderful other half turned on the computer and said don't forget that johathan hasn't quit.He also said that Disney people just don't quit,they pick themselves up and smile and keep going.I agreed and I can't quit!!!!With idea knowing that, Soon before we all know it we all will jogging through Disney.IN DISNEY!!!There are not too many people that I know that can say they have done that.I want to be one that can say I have."

Can you believe that? She's using me as inspiration? Me? A 350+ lb. man trying to lose weight to be able to run more than 20-30 seconds at a time?

Wow.

Talk about touching.

Alright Rae. I'm not giving up either. You and me are in this together!