Follow along through the challenges of fatherhood and fitness

Follow me as I grow as a father, continue to improve my fitness, and hopefully continue losing weight towards my goal of 60lbs (10lbs to go! 8.25.12).

I never set out to be overweight but I love beer, wine, scotch, and all sorts of terrible food. I didn't choose to get out of shape it just sort of happened. All that changed when I found out my wife was pregnant in December 2010. I decided it was time to set myself up to be a fitdad not a fatdad.

No one ever said it would be easy though. Dealing with a newborn and trying to continue exercising as well as being there for my wife as her husband and friend. As our son gets older and our family grows what impact will that have on my fitness and diet? Stay tuned to find out! Subscribe via email, or add me to your reader. Please make sure to share on twitter, facebook, or follow along by adding your email to my list.

Do you have a diet or exercise product you would like reviewed in the blog, please contact me at fitdadorfatdad@gmail.com

Thursday, May 31, 2012

RW Runstreak Day 4

Runners World Run Streak, Day 4.

Treadmill Run (while Noah naps)
1/4 mile warmup.
3.02 miles 23:57
1/4 mile cool down

Shower.

Crunchy Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread for breakfast.

Off to pressure wash the deck and get the house ready for summer!

We're STILL STREAKING!!


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

A new Challenge.

I have decided to undertake a fun challenge for the next 38 days...well more like 35 now.  (See this article)  Along with my sister Trish, her boyfriend Omar, and a few of their friends, we have embarked on the runner's world RUN-Streak challenge.  Thirty-eight straight days of running at least 1 mile, finally finishing with at least 38 miles in one month.  Seems easy enough right?  I am just going to run my normal schedule and then on my off days or spin days I am going to supplement with a 1 mile running warm up or cool down to keep the streak alive.


These are the rules of the Challenge from my sisters blog about the challenge (feel free to follow along if you like!):


The Rules are simple:
  • Every day between Monday May 28th and Wednesday July 4th you must run at least 1 mile
  • You can run more than 1 mile, but you must run 1 mile every day
  • You cannot skip a day and double up on mileage the following day

Today I didn't have a run scheduled because I work 9-9 so I decided to get up before work and before Noah gets up to go for a run on the treadmill at 5:30am.  Well, needless to say the treadmill is too loud to be used at 5:30am in our house because it woke up Noah and the wife.  So it appears as though I will be pounding the pavement around the neighborhood from now on.  (Sorry Honey!!).  I coasted through a 5 minute warm-up, 14 minute run (1.75 miles-I was DOGGING it...and sleepy), and a 5 minute cool down.

Tomorrow is an off day from work so depending on Noah's naps I am going to try to squeeze in 3 to 5 miles on the treadmill.  

In an effort to motivate my readers who may or may not be runners, I am challenging you for the next 35 days to get up and get moving.  Give me 15 minutes of your day until the 4th of July.  You can run for 15 minutes, walk for 15 minutes, bike for (well maybe a little longer than 15) lets say 30, or do some form of cardio for at least 15 minutes a day.  If you aren't healthy enough to exercise then see a Doctor first, use your brain, don't hurt yourself!!  Substitute something healthy like fruits or veggies for the snack foods during the day and try to avoid the greasy processed foods.  By the 4th of July I bet you will be feeling healthier and looking leaner!  Then when you get to that point we can discuss the next fitdad challenge!    WHO'S WITH ME??!!! WE'RE GOIN STREAKIN!! WOOOO!


Monday, May 28, 2012

Thank you, and always remembered.

Today is a special day in this country, sure there are picnics, parties, friends, and food.  What I am really talking about though is Memorial Day, not the party, the memories.  Taking time to pause and thank those who have served.  Taking a minute or two of your day to remember those who have died protecting your freedoms. When you see a soldier today, tomorrow, or any day make sure you thank them.  You don't have do make a scene, you don't have to scream it from the rafters.  You can just pick up the tab when you see them out to breakfast with their families.  You can offer them a smile and a coffee when you see them in an airport decked out in their fatigues.  A simple Hello and thank you can go a long way in healing a troubled soldiers heart.  My brother Andy is now out of the Marine Corp, but he will always be a Marine.  He has seen and experienced things that no human ever should.  He has lost soldiers around him, many of whom were friends.  He doesn't show it, but I know my brother and I know he carries that close to his heart.  He is a stronger and better man than I.  I am profoundly and deeply thankful for everything these brave men and women have done for us.  Past, present, and future soldiers, you have my deepest gratitude and thanks.  This Memorial Day when you hang your flags, don your read white and blue, and fire up your grills, remember to take a minute, bow your head, and thank those who have served.  There is a soldier out there that needs to hear that everything is going to be ok, and that they have your support.

I hope everyone has a Happy, Safe, and FREE Memorial Day.

Two of my favorite prints that I have hung around the house:



Sunday, May 20, 2012

Week in Photos.

I have been thinking that to be more consistent in my blogging one of the things that I need to do is have a rotating weekly or bi weekly article that I write or post to keep things more consistent.  So I am giving you the first (hopefully of many) Week in Photos.  Of course some will need captions some are self explanatory.

Thanks for reading!

I turned 33 a few weeks ago and I used some money that I received for my birthday to invest in some new training tools to be used at fitdad HQ.  I was in need of some new shoes so I picked up a pair of my favorite neutral trainers The Brooks Ghost.  (This is model #5).  I also ordered a new helmet for road riding from Cannondale.  Hopefully I only have to experience the helmet for its amazing cooling abilities and never for its ability to protect my overly large melon head.

Reviews of each to follow soon.







I threw down some mulch this week to make the house and yard look pretty.  Remind me next year to cut back to about 4 yards, because 6 was a bit of overkill this year!





One of my best friends, Brian Kelm married his beautiful and sweet fiance this weekend.  I spent the weekend with the wife at the rehearsal, the wedding, and the reception.  It was our first night away from Noah since he was born.  Thank you Trish and Omar for watching Noah for the rehearsal, and Thank you Nana and Grampa for taking good care of our little boy while we were away for the night.








Noah had a monumental week, he has been eating less pureed and more solid foods.  He is crawling around like a wild man, he is pulling himself to stand on furniture.  He started feeding himself his own bottles and he is becoming more and more vocal with sounds that slowly sound more and more like real words.






That's all for the first week in photos!! Have a fit week.

Ron

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

9 MONTHS!

Tomorrow (5/17) will be 9 months since Noah came into our lives.  The past month has been a whirlwind of baby milestones.  As a first time parent I can honestly say that I thought that Noah would just one day go from laying and rolling around to full fledged crawling.  Call it naivete or whatever it may be but that's just how I thought a baby developed.  Little did I know that playing on the belly became grasping and pulling, kicking and army crawling long before he would ever pop up onto all fours and start that first crawl.

The past few weeks Noah would spend a lot of time in quad rocking back and forth and then laying his belly back down on the floor.  He would then proceed to lay on the floor reach out his arm and try to use "The Force" to draw an object closer.  When that didn't work he would shimmy, shake, pull, grab, and army crawl his way to the object.  Finally grasping hold of it and proceeding to place the item in his baby jaws and chomp down with his two new bottom teeth.  (Did I mention he has some sharp little chompers now)?

Once he had a grasp on the quad position he slowly advanced to putting one arm out in front of him and then rocking till his little leg popped forward.  The beginning of crawling.  He continually worked himself into a sweat on the floor daily until that one movement became two, and then three, then five or six crawling movements.  Then suddenly a day or two ago...Noah just strung together a crawl across the entire living room.  All it takes to get him going now is a little motivation in the form of a desired toy,  mom and dad's toes (he loves pinching our feet) or the baby gate that dad was assembling.

On the eating front Noah is getting to experience all kinds of new foods, textures, and levels of puree.  He loves apples, cantaloupe, watermelon, and carrots.  He is still a little unsure of the fork mashed bananas, but he does like pureed banana.  He is also slowly but surely getting used to his sippy cup...although he prefers to shake it, chew on it, and flip it upside down to play with the little nub of plastic on the bottom of the cup.

It has been an exciting month in our household, he is changing every day almost so fast that I feel bad missing a day to work because when I see him the following day he has a new trick to show me!

Here are the 9 month photos from our session yesterday.  I can tell you that now that Noah is mobile he won't sit still for pictures long...especially once daddy brings out his fancy camera.

Enjoy!
 A little post crop vignetting:
 Love that smirk!:

 Probably one of my favorite pictures of Noah ever:

 Let me see that camera for a second dad :
 I'm outta here!!:

 Enough already dad!!:

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there!! Without you we wouldn't be here! ;)


This is the first year that I was able to celebrate mother's day with Christine.  I got up with Noah first thing in the morning and got him fed and ready for whenever mommy would wake up.  We waited patiently with our card and our gift.  After some extra rest mommy snuck around the corner and surprised Noah!  He giggled and reached for her immediately.  Mommy opened up her little present while Noah helped by chewing on the paper, you know I think he just softened it up so it was easier for her.



I then dashed off to the kitchen to make mommy's favorite, pancakes with chocolate chips for breakfast.  We enjoyed our time and our coffee as Noah played and crawled around on the floor.  (Yeah I haven't mentioned that, was going to in the 9 month post this week...Noah is in the beginning stages of crawling, and is quite good at the army crawl!).


I have to work today, so I am not going to be able to join them this afternoon when they head over to Christine's parents for dinner.  Working in the healthcare industry (especially late on the weekends) stinks sometimes.  It's days like today where I wish I could just be home with them.



Christine is the rope that ties our family together.  She is my rock, my therapist, my best friend, and my confidant.  She grounds me because sometimes my head gets a little to big.  She is intelligent, beautiful, kind, forgiving, elegant, funny, and she is mine.  We share many of the same ideals when it comes to raising kids, we have many of the same beliefs, dreams and wants.



She is an amazing mother to Noah, and of course I am biased but if you were a fly on the wall you would see it too.  The way she interacts with him, making him laugh and smile.  Even at such a young and tender age she teaches him in ways that only a mother (and also highly skilled OT) could.  The looks he gives her with just a passing glance would melt your heart...he definitely has stolen hers.



She attacks new challenges with aplomb whether it was training for her first half marathon, learning to cook, or making Noah's pureed foods for him.  She goes after something and she masters it.  She is confident and empowered.


It may be cliche to say, but Christine is my cornerstone...my rock...my wife, and I love her more everyday that we spend together.

Happy Mother's Day Christine!
Love,

Ron

Monday, May 7, 2012

Marathon Relay Recap

This past Sunday May 6th, was the Pittsburgh Marathon, Half-marathon, and Marathon Relay.  I have done the half-marathon in the past, but this year I decided to do the Relay with some co-workers.  We set out as team Kiss My Aspirin.  We were a mixed bag of male and female and differing levels of running accomplishments.  We estimated our finishing time at approximately 4 hours and set that as our goal.

I was a little disappointed with the relay exchange I was in, they were supposed to be calling out numbers of runners as they approached so that you could get to the front of your corral to present a medal to your teammate.  (That was the way you exchanged the "baton" in the relay by presenting the finishing medal to your teammate).  Instead of hearing the numbers of the approaching runners we just got occasional jumbled numbers from a DJ's speakers that didn't work.

Kristin arrived at our relay point and I didn't even see her, she saw me first, so I ran out of my corral, handed her my long sleeve t-shirt, and presented her with her medal.  I ran out into the crowd of runners and merged in, only to hear HEY RON!  I turned to see Kristin's husband Mark there.  He had run with Kristin when he caught up with her after her initial relay exchange.  I ran with Mark for most of the way down Carson st. until the Half and Full marathon split.  Mark was off to finish the half and I had about 5 miles till my finish line in Shadyside.

I was feeling really good coming across the Birmingham bridge and hung a right on to the first of a series of hills on the way to my finish line in Shadyside.  The hill into Oakland was honestly pretty rough, I had done most of my training for this race on the treadmill while Noah was sleeping upstairs.  Once I got to the top of the hill I was able to set back into my rhythm and was feeling good, but a little hot.  The sun at this point was pretty brutal and there wasn't much respite in the shadeless city.  (At this point all I could think was, I am so glad I am not running the full marathon).  I hit the water station and grabbed a gatorade pulled off to the side and gulped it down because I struggle to run and drink at the same time.  Hopped back into stride and kept on running.  I eventually crossed the 13.1 mark for the marathon and again thought to myself, all these people around me are still only halfway there...this sun is brutal.  I give the full marathoners so much credit for running 26.1 miles at anytime, I can't imagine what Boston was like this year.  At least the temperature early on in Pittsburgh was very cool.

Around Walnut St. in Shadyside I got a second wind, the crowd there was AMAZING!  People lined on both sides of the street, little kids running out to high five you as you passed.  A guy with a bullhorn yelling encouragement.  There were water stations, oranges, beer and vodka shots, and just a very festive atmosphere.  I looked down at my watch and realized that I had about a mile left and was coming up on my ultimate goal time of 50 minutes for the 6.4 miles.  When that time came and went I knew in my head that I still could finish in under 55 minutes if I really pushed myself for the last 3/4 of a mile.

I opened up my stride and just really began to take everything in.  I approached the finish line and was looking for the volunteer holding the sign for my teammates corral.  I immediately saw Sarah's smiling face practically jumping up and down waving from the crowd as I approached. (the DJ here was doing and AMAZING job announcing the race numbers for the relay almost a quarter mile out from the finish so Sarah knew I was coming).  I kicked hard into the finish got my medal and gave Sarah an awkward sweaty high five with the encouragement, this was awesome!! GO GO GO!!!

With that she took off and ran her 6 point some odd miles, handed off to MikeG and he kicked it in to the finish.  Unofficially team Kiss My Aspirin finished in about 3:53 for the full marathon, 7 minutes faster than our goal!  I am so proud of my teammates for taking the time to train and run this awesome event!

I was really inspired this year during the event with how well put together Pittsburgh's Marathon really is.  The overall atmosphere, community involvement, and structure of the water stations is world class.  Aside from the hiccup in the start corral for me it was overall and AMAZING day.  I plan on trying to train for the half marathon next year and will shoot for a goal of sub 2 hours, a very realistic goal based on where I am in my running now.

If you are ever available on the first Sunday of May some year and find yourself in Pittsburgh YOU NEED to be in the city to run, walk, or spectate for this event!!