Starting a new streak

Last Christmas, my wife and I bought each other FitBit Flexes. I really enjoy the FitBit, as I find it a good way to monitor my steps throughout the day. I became somewhat obsessed with this.

I hit my step count of 10,000 steps for 226 days in a row. I had a handful of days well over that. Once, inspired to win a competition, I hit 30,000. Like I said, obsessed. My streak was snapped in September thanks to a nasty head cold. I lapsed back into my old lazy ways, and have been fairly inactive for a month.

While steps can help one lose weight, I didn't see any change in my weight over the year. This tells me I have a lot of work to do on some other fronts. Diet, adding in weights, that sort of thing.

However, hitting 10,000 steps can be an important part of my plan. And so, I am starting a new streak, with and added goal.

I would like to hit 5 million steps over the next year. This is an average of slightly under 100,000 steps per week. This goal means I will have to be consistent and put in some extra work along the way.

I'll keep you posted. The screenshot is from today's stepping. Till next time!

I'm back and own an elliptical

So, I haven't posted in a long time. But, I figure that I have some work to do and this might be a good way to chronicle it.

When I started My Sweaty T-shirt, it was because I loved running and wanted to share that love with people. And then, well, life happened I guess. I got into a career, abandoned it, went to school, worked overnights at a hotel, and started a new career. And all the while, I ignored my own health. As a result, I've gained about 45 pounds in the time that this blog was dormant.

I had (and still have) a goal of running a marathon. But, right now, that isn't possible. My knees can't handle the pounding they would take. I've made attempts at running, and it has been painful. I have to drop weight to even get back into running form.

So, I am starting up the blog again, to chronicle what I've termed "Operation Stop Being Fat". And hopefully, I'll get into running soon enough.

In the meantime, I now own an elliptical. Its actually a hybrid trainer with a recumbent bike included, but I don't like recumbent bikes, so I doubt I'll use it. Its given me a way to get my sweat on again, and its no impact, so I can still walk. Win, win.

I've also got some weights, a bench, and a kettle bell. There is a plan of sorts. I hope to keep to it, and this blog will serve that purpose.

I have work to do, and I can't wait to get started. Thanks for joining me on the trip.

Might as well re-launch the blog...

It has been....a while.

Like, holy hell has it been a long time.

When I last left you, nearly four years ago, I apologized for not posting for a long time. I also had a different career. In between posts, I stopped working in radio, got another college degree, and now work as an English teacher.

I also gained weight. Since my last Wednesday Weigh-in (which was in 2008), I've put on over 40 pounds. Part of this is that I worked full time and went to school in there, which led to not a lot of time to work out. Part of it was that I worked the overnight shift, which has been shown to increase weight gain. Part of it was that I ate way too much fast food.

For Christmas this year, I got a Fit Bit, which has been awesome. I've been using it, and have actually recorded 77 straight days of 10,000 steps. (I was a little amused when I was happy my pedometer hit 3,000 in the archives). However, I have seen little change in weight. This has led me to deduce the following:

1) I eat too much.

2) I need to be even more active, and maybe do some aerobic exercises.

Now, I did, at one point in my break from this blog, join a gym. I tried running, but found that I was too heavy to do so injury free. I want to run again, but think that I need to lose about 20 pounds or so before I can do that.

My long-term goal is to get under 200 pounds. It will be a long and hard road to do so. The immediate goal is to get under 240. I sort of feel like I could do so before school gets out. I have a three-pronged strategy for doing this:

1) In addition to 10,000 steps, add in some more exercise. I purchased the Anarchy Workout and will be doing that. I also got some resistance bands for Christmas that I'm pretty hyped about using. I have hinted to my wife (oh yeah, I got married too. You missed A LOT between my posts) that I'd do yoga.

2) Not eat literally everything in the world. I want to eat more fruits and vegetables. Like, I maybe  could have a salad and not drown it in ranch dressing?

3) Be public about it. I want to write about it. Tweet about it. Instagram about it. Facebook about it. Call it a public shaming type thing. I also think that if I get messages from people asking me periodically how things are going with Operation Stop Being Fat, maybe I'll stick with it.

That's it for now. I hope to write a little more and see this through. Thanks in advance for your help.

I am back again

Hello there. I am really bad at this blogging and running thing. I've gotten better at the running thing lately, and have decided to bring back the blog as well.

Since I last talked to you, I've moved, making for the third city that will be featured on this blog. I'm in Bozeman, MT ready to go back to school. The area is scenic and should make for some nice running. After a few small runs just down t

he road and back, I tried a longer one. Its a four-mile run. Here's map my run....now apparently with an elevation gain map!

Its not nearly as steep as it looks. Really.

Its actually a fairly flat run. The graph looks scary, but overall, its an elevation gain of about 70 feet over 2 miles. Not to bad. Also, there are mountains. I dont have any pics from the run itself, but this is more or less the view from my front yard. So, yah, mountains.

I have not run up these....yet

Overall, it was a nice run and was great to get back into the swing of things. Expect more updates, as I've decided to run the Bozeman Half Marathon is September. Nice to have a summer training goal. I hope to be better prepared then my last attempt at 13.1 Starting out at 4.2 miles is a good start to the training. Sure, there was some walking (which I am attributing mostly to a cough that I have yet to shake), but it was a good start.

Expect more updates....should be fun this summer!

Feels so good

No, no. This isn't an iPod it. (Chuck Mangione, anyone?) Hello to the four people on Facebook who are fans of "My Sweaty T-shirt" and are now wondering "what is this doing in my feed?" You probably forgot you became a fan of the site. Its ok. I almost forgot I had it. 

This is my running blog. And I've been running again. I recently took a new job that doesn't allow a lot of time or energy for runs, but when I get the chance, I try and take it. This morning was one of those times. Since I don't like to really ease my way into it, I decided to go three miles and throw in one good hill in my return to the streets. I've done this route twice, the first time after a few month layoff.  To the map!

Unlike my runs in Salem, this run features a pretty long straight away, not allowing me to give much detail. So, lets zoom in on the loop portion of this so I can highlight the...well, highlight of the run.

Yeah, boy!

Ah, a nice Hill. Given that Havre is located in "Hill County" there are bound to be a few around. Hospital Hill is where the Jaycee's club does its annual soap box derby races. Its a good hill. Its got a decent grade to it. It will definetly take your breath away. Added bonus, if it does more than that, there's a hospital at the top. Incentive!

It felt good to get back out there again. My legs have some work to do to get into shape, but so far, so good.

Hoping to update more. Good to be back writing here as well!

Welcome back!

Hey there, I've only neglected this blog since last March. And I figure its high time I fire it up again.

Here's the brief recap of whats happened since March: I ran some, lost a job, moved home, ran lots because I coached cross-country, cross-country team went to state, I ran some more, I bought a medicine ball, and I got a new job.

And through it all, I've developed a strong love of running, and thats what I want to share, once again with this blog. I'll add more than just runs, there will be other fitness workouts, some things I picked up from coaching, and of course, I-pod its. Everyone (all one of you) love I-pod its.

By the way, you can become a fan of My Sweaty T-Shirt on Facebook. Exciting!

More to come in the next few days.

I was not expecting that

Today was an amazing day weather wise, so I decided to go for a run. I tried a new route out. Its 3.5 miles and is just a loop. Usually at this time I put a screenshot of the map up, but I figure you can picture a 3.5 mile square. 

The run was decent, given my long layoff between runs. Some walking occurred, but I think thats acceptable. There isn't really a goal at this point, just trying to go out and run for fun.

I was enjoying the run when I was running down a highway just outside of town. I looked down...and there was a rabbit.

Not a live rabbit. A roadkill rabbit. Holy shit that was startling.  I've seen roadkill before...but I usually don't stride over it and look into its beady little, glazed over eye.  Its a bit unsettling. 

You need to know these things.