Success--sort of. But mostly, yeah.

Day 31: INcomplete
Month of July: Complete

Morning session: 6.2
Evening session: N/A
Total distance: 6.2 miles

Milestone reached: 350-mile mark



July 1 weigh-in: 207.5 lbs
July 31 weigh-in: 186.0 lbs

July 1 measurement: 6'2 & 1/4"
July 31 measurement: 6'2 & 1/8"

Final July stats:

351.2 miles--11.33 miles/day
21.5 lbs lost
1/8" shorter *sigh*

The more I shrink, the more weight I need to lose. Crap. Plus, I'm sure I'll gain a few pounds (at least) gradually, as I ease out of my running craze. So it's hard to keep off. Most of the weight lost was in my legs, and face. I could definitely stand to lose at least another 10-12 pounds from my midsection. Easier said than done, though.

This was an invigorating experience, to say the least. I'll take a break--probably a week, at least--from running, and blogging--on here, anyway.

Really glad I set out to do this. It made me realize several things--one of which being just how far I can push myself, and another being that I could've done even more.

No top 10 list tonight. Maybe no more ever. Hope you enjoyed them while they lasted. :)

Pshaw, I enjoyed thinking them up, so I'm sure it'll make a return at some point. Be prepared for some pics (and hopefully a video) to be posted on my Facebook in the next day or 2. Heck, maybe I'll even post 'em here, too. Who knows?

In the meantime, thanks for all the support.

God bless!

D, out.

Whoa, must be Burt Reynolds or somethin'

Day 28: INcomplete
Week 4: Complete

Morning session: 3.86
Evening session: 5.17 miles
Total distance: 9.03 miles

Early session was short, since I didn't get out 'til 1:30 or so, and it was on the humid side, to say the least. Evening session was shorter than intended, too--Cubs game at 7, y'know.

Just realized I only ran 10+ miles twice in the last 7 days. Wow, that's bad. Ah, I guess it is near month's end; I've reached my goal, and am starting to feel some extra soreness in the legs lately.

Week 4 stats:

59.06 miles--8.44 miles/day
4.0 lbs lost

July stats, up-to-date:

329.42 miles--11.77 miles/day
17.5 lbs lost

Comparison:

Week 1: 90.43 miles
Week 2: 73.20 miles
Week 3: 106.73 miles
Week 4: 59.06 miles

I'm on pace for 364.72 miles, with only 3 days remaining. But at this point, I'm kind of OK with the idea of just hitting the 350 mark. The pace fell off dramatically the last week, obviously. After nearly killing myself in Week 3, and reaching my goal on the 24th, I'm not as disappointed about it as I probably could be. Only regret I have is not having more week-to-week consistency.

Sports movie now: BASEketball.
A stupid, and vulgar flick by the creators of South Park. But downright hilarious! Probably a guy's movie, though.


After that: Happy Gilmore.

If you haven't seen it, shame on you. My best friend back in High School, Stacia and I, once recited each and every line from the movie, with the TV on mute. Classic stuff. Wow, that was probably about 9 years ago. Man, how things change...

Nonetheless, great flick!


Tonight's Top 10 list:

Top 10 coolest things I've seen/discovered this month:

10. Watching almost nothing but sports movies for a month can make time go by faster than I thought it would.
9. It's really not all that hard to motivate yourself to do something once you set your mind to it. Those who think it is--aren't setting their minds to it. Plain and simple.
8. A month without the typical technological indulgences--Facebook, MySpace, MSN, Yahoo--can actually be quite liberating. For awhile.
7. The way it can sometimes pour rain from an almost impossibly clear sky. A beautiful sight.
6. The sunrise and sunset look different every single day, and it never ceases to amaze me.
5. All the people who wave, and some that don't, on country roads. People wave more in the morning than at night. And people in trucks wave more often than those in cars. I've done the research. Someone driving a truck in the morning? They'll wave almost every time. It's awesome. 4. A loose cow being startled upon seeing me, crossing the road, and hurdling the fence to return to its penned-in pasture. Solid hops for a cow, I thought.
3. A loose cow emerging from the trees, and staring me down in the middle of the road, before running along with me for about 1/2 a mile.
2. A deer crossing the road as I ran, not 10 feet in front of me.
1. It's been a great way of finding out who my true friends are. I have a lot of really shady ones, but a few great ones, too.



Bit of an old pic, but it cracks me up every time!

D, out.

The eve of achievement.

Day 24: INcomplete

Morning session: N/A
Evening session: 7.61
Total distance: 7.61 miles

Golfed with Justin this morning--well, tried--so no running. Was very impressed with my pace during the evening run, and am now just 7.22 miles short of the 300 mark. Tomorrow's the big day.

Friday's weekly update: 82.41 miles (11.77 miles/day)
*This is just in the last 7 days (not accumulative), since last Friday's update. Pace slowed a bit the last few days. But the big picture is what's important at this point in the journey.*

Accumulative total: 292.78 miles (12.19 miles/day)

This overall average puts me on pace for approximately 377 miles. Doubt I'll get that high, since I'm gonna start focusing on the midsection after I hit 300, to hopefully get the weight down faster.

Weigh-in: 191.5 lbs

At this rate, I'm still on pace to lose approximately 20 lbs (20.67 lbs, to be exact), which would still fall short of my goal of 22.5 lbs. Again, if I could lose 20 in a month (4 more to go), I'd probably take it. But I know I can lose more. And more importantly, I want to lose more.

Movie later: Eddie. Goofy movie with Whoopi Goldberg, who I otherwise can't stand. But it's a pretty solid flick, with some hoops, and worth a few laughs.

And as promised, to make up for not having a list last night, here's a bonus tonight...

Tonight's top 15 list:

Top 15 favorite TV shows (during my lifetime):

15. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
14. Castle
13. Alf
12. Friends
11. Two and a Half Men
10. Walker, Texas Ranger
9. Saved by the Bell
8. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
7. 30 Rock
6. Scrubs
5. Family Guy
4. That 70's Show
3. Boston Legal
2. K-Ville
1. Seinfeld



And that, ladies and gents, is that. Time to recoup for tomorrow's milestone. Be excited. Ready, go! ;)

D, out.

200 miles in...

Day 17: Complete

Morning session: 6.76 miles
Evening session: 6.45 miles
Total distance: 13.21 miles

Milestone reached: 200-mile mark

Friday's weekly update: 90.08 miles (12.87 miles/day)
*This is just in the last 7 days (not accumulative), since last Friday's update. Getting the pace back to where it needs to be.*

Accumulative total: 210.37 miles (12.37 miles/day)

This overall average puts me on pace for approximately 383 miles. Reckon I could kill myself trying to reach 400, but that would require a ridiculous stretch over these last 2 weeks. I'd have to average 13.55 over the last 14 days to get there--with no days (or singular runs) off. For now, I'll stick to trying to get to 300 as soon as possible, and take it from there...

Weigh-in: 196.0 lbs

At this rate, I'm on pace to lose approximately 20 lbs (20.97 lbs, to be exact), which would fall short of my goal of 22.5 lbs. Suppose I'd accept losing 20 lbs in a month, but we'll see how the last 2 weeks go...

Movie now: Major League II.
Watched the first one earlier. Classic duo.


Tonight's top 10 list:

Top 10 favorite athletes (during my lifetime):

10. Dennis Rodman--Pistons, Spurs, Bulls, Lakers, Mavericks (NBA)
9. Kurt Warner--Rams, Giants, Cardinals (NFL)
8. Andres Nocioni--Bulls, Kings (NBA)
7. Ryne Sandberg--Cubs (MLB)
6. Carlos Zambrano--Cubs (MLB)
5. Michael Jordan--Bulls, Wizards (NBA), Birmingham Barons (AA Minor League Baseball)
4. Deion Sanders--Falcons, 49ers, Cowboys, Redskins, Ravens (NFL), Yankees, Braves, Giants, Reds (MLB)
3. Bo Jackson--Oakland Raiders (NFL), Royals, White Sox, Angels (MLB)
2. Joe Montana--49ers, Chiefs (NFL)
1. Toni Kukoc--Bulls, 76ers, Hawks, Bucks (NBA)

No milestones to come for a few days. I need something to push for. Maybe the idea of a 100-mile week? Off to a solid start (46.74 in 3 days); averaging 13.32 over the next 4 days would get me there. Let's do it...

D, out.

You're a friggin' Eagle, aren't you?

Day 10: INcomplete

Morning session: 2.00 miles
Evening session: 2.00 miles
Total distance: 4.00 miles

Ran a couple miles around the track both before and after playing ball at Wichita State today, but otherwise, it was essentially a day off. It was neither a "morning," or an "evening" session, but since we played at noon, I figure one run was in the AM, and one in the PM, so that's how I'm splitting it.

Weekly update: 81.98 miles (11.71 miles/day)
*This is just in the last 7 days (not accumulative), since last Friday's update. The pace obviously fell off some after today.*

Accumulative total: 120.29 miles (12.03 miles/day)

Weigh-in: 200.5 lbs

This is the one aspect of my month that I am not pleased with. I was really hoping to be under 200 by now. It's a big milestone for me to not only get under, but stay under. My pace is a little behind here.
Goal: 195 lbs by next Friday. I feel like this is attainable, and it's what I need to do to get back on pace for my weight loss goal.

Catching the last few minutes of football movie #8: Invincible. Makes me tear up every single time. Amazing flick.



Next on tap: Friday Night Lights. Highly overrated, in my opinion, but still an effectively made picture, I guess. *Net's being lame, so no pic for that one.*

Random (basketball) thoughts for today:
I've decided the immense amount of running has improved the consistency of my jump shot. Perhaps because my biggest downfall on the court is over-thinking, whereas now I'm mainly just thinking about how sore my legs are. I've been borderline un-guardable on the court the last week-plus. It's a nice zone to be in. Euphoric, even.

Kirk Hinrich is more than likely about to get traded. It'll make my team more formidable, but still...*tear*

Paul Millsap is so overrated. No idea why NBA execs (Portland and Utah, in particular) are so gaga over him. Dude's about to make bank, and he's really not that great a player. *rolls eyes*

D, out.

Anywhere But Here...

Day 3: Complete

Morning session: 5.72 miles
Evening session: 7.22 miles
Total distance: 12.94 miles

Weekly update: 38.31 miles (12.77 miles/day)
*all other weeks will be greater than this, but I promised updates each Friday, so...*
But I'll take the pace, thus far.

Weigh-in: 204.5 lbs

Lost 3 lbs in 3 days.
Actually lost 3 lbs in Day 1, then gained, then lost. Stupid weight always fluctuates. This is why it's so hard to lose anything consistently, and keep it down. But I guess it's a start.

I was a complete mess today, mentally. Struggled to clear my mind during my first run. Had a horrible dream about a particular topic when I fell back asleep this afternoon, then struggled with it during my evening run, too. Closure is the most difficult hurdle in life.

This song came across today, and I about lost it...
I love it, but it's sad...
*No actual video, just the song...*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZGP2uWOHM4

Here's wishing for a better day, mentally, tomorrow.

D, out.