So I have 6 weeks left until the triathlon. Ankle feels good. I get a little pain here and there but for the most part can run pretty well on it. Have been able to log good runs. Last week I ran the Portugal Day run on Father's Day. 5 miles. I was able to finish the race in under an hour. I even had the Gordo cheer squad out there for me.
I have also been pretty good with my bike time. The stationary bike, from researching, is not too bad for training purposes since you cannot coast on it. But I still need to find a bike rental place. Will rent it this week. If anyone knows of a good shop please let me know.
Swimming has not gone so great. I should be extremely worried about my lack of swim time but at this stage in the game I have no room for worry. 6 weeks left. I am going to shoot for 3 swims a week. And float for the best come Tri time.
Updates:
Save the date...2nd Annual Wet Suit Happy Hour
July 28th 6pm-9pm $30 all you can drink.
Boss Tweeds on Essex Street off of Delancey Street in the LES.
Proceeds to go towards the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Free gifts and prizes. A lot of fun to be had. And I'll be in a wet suit!
Still shopping around for a web designer for rungordorun.com. If you've noticed the site redirects you to this blog. My hope is to have the site up and running within the next month.
We've added a contributor to the RunGordoRun team. More details to come but we are going to have some content on common injuries and physical therapy.
Our resident Gordita is going to be taking a kettle ball kickboxing class soon. Follow her on twitter @rungorditarun to track her progress.
Well, that is all for now. Will get more consistent with posts.
Vaya!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Why I run.
With respect to my weight loss I am sometimes asked why I run. And my answer usually is the anecdotal response of, "I just like running". But I've realized it's a lot deeper than a "like" of running.
My mother has Type II Diabetes. Every morning she wakes up and injects herself with insulin. 15 minutes later she eats. This routine is usually continued throughout the day. Along with a prick here and a prick there of which ever finger hasn't been tapped into recently. Along with that she is on an assortment of other pills. She cannot run. She is a walker.
My father is a stroke survivor. Several years ago while watching television he felt numbness on one side of his body and thus started his transformation from a man who had an aura of invincibility into a man who has partial paralysis on one side of his body. He travels short distances with the aid of a walker or cane and should he venture further, a motorized scooter. He cannot run.
My mother-in-law has Muscular Dystrophy. She has spent the last 20 plus years slowly losing her ability to use her muscles. She wakes up in the morning, and with the assistance of her motorized scooter, proceeds to conquer the world... as long as there are access ramps and handicapped accessible buses. She cannot run. She cannot walk.
So why I run is simple. I run because there are people out there who cannot. So it's about more than weight loss to me. It's about taking advantage of the blessing to be able to run. The get winded. To slow down. To speed up. To speed walk because it's easier. To just be able to.
And it sucks sometimes when I'm exhausted and I'm only one mile into a 5 mile run. But when that happens I stop and think to myself...I can. So I have to..run.
Vaya
My mother has Type II Diabetes. Every morning she wakes up and injects herself with insulin. 15 minutes later she eats. This routine is usually continued throughout the day. Along with a prick here and a prick there of which ever finger hasn't been tapped into recently. Along with that she is on an assortment of other pills. She cannot run. She is a walker.
My father is a stroke survivor. Several years ago while watching television he felt numbness on one side of his body and thus started his transformation from a man who had an aura of invincibility into a man who has partial paralysis on one side of his body. He travels short distances with the aid of a walker or cane and should he venture further, a motorized scooter. He cannot run.
My mother-in-law has Muscular Dystrophy. She has spent the last 20 plus years slowly losing her ability to use her muscles. She wakes up in the morning, and with the assistance of her motorized scooter, proceeds to conquer the world... as long as there are access ramps and handicapped accessible buses. She cannot run. She cannot walk.
So why I run is simple. I run because there are people out there who cannot. So it's about more than weight loss to me. It's about taking advantage of the blessing to be able to run. The get winded. To slow down. To speed up. To speed walk because it's easier. To just be able to.
And it sucks sometimes when I'm exhausted and I'm only one mile into a 5 mile run. But when that happens I stop and think to myself...I can. So I have to..run.
Vaya
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Updates
Quick updates:
Was able to log 5 runs (three 3 milers and two 2 milers) this week and biked 10 miles twice. Didn't get to swim because of the rain and scheduling issues but hope to get in the pool 2-3 times this week. I have 8 weeks left before the Tri. Excited. The nerves have not hit yet. But I am sure they will catch up soon.
This week I read that the Ironman is coming to the NYNJ area. I know that is way out of my league but I am tempted to "Tri" to get in. What an accomplishment it would be for the Gordo to complete an Ironman. Maybe I can even film a documentary about it...anyone know a production company that I can pitch the idea to??? Email me at rungordorun@gmail.com.
The good people at Vitalicious have graciously offered to donate products to help me raise funds for Team Fox. I will have more news on that soon. If you haven't heard of their products definitely check out their site. www.vitalicious.com They have awesome 100 calorie snacks. Check them out.
Attended the BeFitNYC expo at Washington Square Park today. Was good to be around people trying to spread the health and Fitness message. Met some cool peeps from NY Road Runners. I may volunteer with them to spread the message to some kids through their Team For Kids program.
Vote for the top 3 "I am Gordo" contest on our FB Page. www.facebook.com/likerungordorun Voting will be open this week. Winner will get a $25 Red Mango gift card. Their FroYo is great.
A lot has been going on this week and the transition of RunGordoRun from blog to a movement is starting to take shape. Too many ideas and not enough time in the day. Hopefully I can stay AWAKE!
Vaya!
Was able to log 5 runs (three 3 milers and two 2 milers) this week and biked 10 miles twice. Didn't get to swim because of the rain and scheduling issues but hope to get in the pool 2-3 times this week. I have 8 weeks left before the Tri. Excited. The nerves have not hit yet. But I am sure they will catch up soon.
This week I read that the Ironman is coming to the NYNJ area. I know that is way out of my league but I am tempted to "Tri" to get in. What an accomplishment it would be for the Gordo to complete an Ironman. Maybe I can even film a documentary about it...anyone know a production company that I can pitch the idea to??? Email me at rungordorun@gmail.com.
The good people at Vitalicious have graciously offered to donate products to help me raise funds for Team Fox. I will have more news on that soon. If you haven't heard of their products definitely check out their site. www.vitalicious.com They have awesome 100 calorie snacks. Check them out.
Attended the BeFitNYC expo at Washington Square Park today. Was good to be around people trying to spread the health and Fitness message. Met some cool peeps from NY Road Runners. I may volunteer with them to spread the message to some kids through their Team For Kids program.
Vote for the top 3 "I am Gordo" contest on our FB Page. www.facebook.com/likerungordorun Voting will be open this week. Winner will get a $25 Red Mango gift card. Their FroYo is great.
A lot has been going on this week and the transition of RunGordoRun from blog to a movement is starting to take shape. Too many ideas and not enough time in the day. Hopefully I can stay AWAKE!
Vaya!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
New York City Triathlon 2011
This week I started my training for the New York City Triathlon. Did a few 3 miles runs and today hit the stationary bike. 10 miles this morning. My legs got tight midway...brings back bad memories of my last TRI when the bike leg kicked my @ss.
Just an FYI for anyone wanting to prepare for any type of event..5k, 10k, Marathon, or Triathlon, the internet can be a great resource for free guides to get prepared physically for the event. I basically have prepared for every race I've done on a shoe string budget so know anything can be done on the cheap. From my training guides to sneakers I have tried to get the best prices available. For the TRI I am probably going to spend about $200 bucks and most of that is renting a road bike from a bike shop to actually complete the race. I will have a follow-up post with some links on Wetsuits, Sneakers, Bikes, Etc... As soon as I dig through my archives from last year.
My biggest savings this year will be on the swimming training. I discovered through my research that the New York City Parks Department has FREE lap swimming in the AM and PM for Adults who want to take advantage of the many Olympic Sized pools in the city. The best part is that it is outside of the normal pool hours so you do not have to compete for lane space with the summer kids. My pool of choice this year is Hamilton Fish on Houston Street in the Lower East Side. Below is a link to the Parks Dept. website. Definitely take advantage of this program...even if just for the work out.
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/programs/adultlaps.html
The triathlon was a tough experience last year. Was almost dead last(took me over 5 hours) but it was my first fitness event of any kind until that point so did not know what to expect going in. This year I have 2 half marathons and a few short distance races under my belt so I am feeling a little more confident in what my performance can look like come August 7, 2011.
In closing, this year I am competing on behalf of the Michael J. Fox Foundation with Team Fox. My fund raising page is below should you be interested in donating. But if all you can lend is moral support please do so in Central Park in August. I would appreciate that as much.
http://www.teamfox.org/siteapps/personalpage/ShowPage.aspx?c=bkIUJbNQKoLaG&b=6376247&sid=agLPK7NBJeJSI3MKLtF
Vaya!
Just an FYI for anyone wanting to prepare for any type of event..5k, 10k, Marathon, or Triathlon, the internet can be a great resource for free guides to get prepared physically for the event. I basically have prepared for every race I've done on a shoe string budget so know anything can be done on the cheap. From my training guides to sneakers I have tried to get the best prices available. For the TRI I am probably going to spend about $200 bucks and most of that is renting a road bike from a bike shop to actually complete the race. I will have a follow-up post with some links on Wetsuits, Sneakers, Bikes, Etc... As soon as I dig through my archives from last year.
My biggest savings this year will be on the swimming training. I discovered through my research that the New York City Parks Department has FREE lap swimming in the AM and PM for Adults who want to take advantage of the many Olympic Sized pools in the city. The best part is that it is outside of the normal pool hours so you do not have to compete for lane space with the summer kids. My pool of choice this year is Hamilton Fish on Houston Street in the Lower East Side. Below is a link to the Parks Dept. website. Definitely take advantage of this program...even if just for the work out.
http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/programs/adultlaps.html
The triathlon was a tough experience last year. Was almost dead last(took me over 5 hours) but it was my first fitness event of any kind until that point so did not know what to expect going in. This year I have 2 half marathons and a few short distance races under my belt so I am feeling a little more confident in what my performance can look like come August 7, 2011.
In closing, this year I am competing on behalf of the Michael J. Fox Foundation with Team Fox. My fund raising page is below should you be interested in donating. But if all you can lend is moral support please do so in Central Park in August. I would appreciate that as much.
http://www.teamfox.org/siteapps/personalpage/ShowPage.aspx?c=bkIUJbNQKoLaG&b=6376247&sid=agLPK7NBJeJSI3MKLtF
Vaya!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Bikram Yoga
We have a special posting from our correspondent and resident Gordita...and my wife. Leslie Santos. Enjoy.
Bikram Yoga
I have learned, in my weight loss journey, that I am simply not and may never be a "gym rat". In my quest to find new and innovative weight loss techniques, I came across Bikram Yoga. Now, I've always wanted to try Yoga, and stumbled across a great deal for unlimited Bikram yoga for one month. Well, I thought to myself, this seems like as good a time as any.
Walking in, I was honestly excited, nervous, and a bit overwhelmed all at once. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to encounter. Would I be surrounded by pretentious snobs who would look at me like I didn't belong? Or would I be one of many first time yogis, simply looking for where to sign in and and how to get started? While everyone was nice enough, the women's locker room was somewhat chaotic, as everyone seemed to be rushing to make it to class on time. Not wanting to be last, I quickly threw my bag in a locker, grabbed my towels and water, and made my way towards the glass doors.
The first thing that hit me was the heat. I mean, I expected hot, but this was absolutely absurd! As I started to sweat, my nerves kicked in: how the heck was I going make it through 90 minutes if I was sweating before class even started? I tried to calm my nerves and waited for class to start.
I won't go through my entire class, but suffice to say Bikram is definitely an intense yoga workout. The poses are really designed to enforce proper alignment of the spine and proper breathing techniques. This is great since these things factor into numerous other weight loss ventures (jogging comes to mind immediately). While my instructor was most definitely not warm and fuzzy, he was an absolute stickler on proper form and posture; as a newbie, I appreciated the guidance on how to perform the poses properly. Two days later I do sense a tightness in my abs and back, which I'm sure I can attribute to the stretches performed during Bikram. And while I'm still a newbie, at least this time I'll know where to sign in.
Vaya!
Bikram Yoga
I have learned, in my weight loss journey, that I am simply not and may never be a "gym rat". In my quest to find new and innovative weight loss techniques, I came across Bikram Yoga. Now, I've always wanted to try Yoga, and stumbled across a great deal for unlimited Bikram yoga for one month. Well, I thought to myself, this seems like as good a time as any.
Walking in, I was honestly excited, nervous, and a bit overwhelmed all at once. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to encounter. Would I be surrounded by pretentious snobs who would look at me like I didn't belong? Or would I be one of many first time yogis, simply looking for where to sign in and and how to get started? While everyone was nice enough, the women's locker room was somewhat chaotic, as everyone seemed to be rushing to make it to class on time. Not wanting to be last, I quickly threw my bag in a locker, grabbed my towels and water, and made my way towards the glass doors.
The first thing that hit me was the heat. I mean, I expected hot, but this was absolutely absurd! As I started to sweat, my nerves kicked in: how the heck was I going make it through 90 minutes if I was sweating before class even started? I tried to calm my nerves and waited for class to start.
I won't go through my entire class, but suffice to say Bikram is definitely an intense yoga workout. The poses are really designed to enforce proper alignment of the spine and proper breathing techniques. This is great since these things factor into numerous other weight loss ventures (jogging comes to mind immediately). While my instructor was most definitely not warm and fuzzy, he was an absolute stickler on proper form and posture; as a newbie, I appreciated the guidance on how to perform the poses properly. Two days later I do sense a tightness in my abs and back, which I'm sure I can attribute to the stretches performed during Bikram. And while I'm still a newbie, at least this time I'll know where to sign in.
Vaya!
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