Building and another new baby (soon)

Been a busy few weeks here in the fitdad household.  We listed our house at the end of May, were under contract in 3 days and closed on the sale June 28th.

We officially became homeless that day and were graciously taken in by my in-laws until our new house is built in October.  We are building with Ryan Homes here in Pittsburgh so expect to be bombarded with posts along the way as we build.

I have been seriously negligent in posting regularly but life has been terribly hectic and given the opportunity to blog or be outside with Noah and the family I will always take the latter.  

We have been doing some of this:

Constantly this:

and, I have squeezed in a few of these:

Grampa has strong affection for ice cream so I think I am going to be doing much more running in the coming weeks...Who can say no to grampa and ice cream...I can't.

Then again if Christine gets around to having a baby in the next few weeks I am going to be doing more feeding, changing, and sleeping than running.

In that case if I continue with my ice cream habit I am going to be a fair bit more Fat Dad in the coming weeks.

Stay Hydrated and get outside!

Thanks for reading.

Killer Brick workout.

I had a day off from work yesterday, and my mom graciously came over and watched Noah for a few hours so that I could sneak away and get a ride and run in.  (Thanks Mom!)

I met Mark in our usual parking lot in South Park and was already dreading the insane level of heat and humidity for 10am in Pittsburgh.  (It was 76 and the humidity was actually causing my sunglasses to fog when I got out of the car).

We commenced warming up our legs cruising up and down Corrigan drive (2 miles end to end), followed by a large hill and out on to the local streets.  We rode for a little over an hour (1:05) and covered about 15.5 miles.  We had a few steep hills thrown in for good measure and I can honestly say that I probably would have hopped off (gasp! cardinal sin! I know) and walked had it not been for Mark barking at me from behind.  Once he could see that I would make the top of the hill he would find another level or stamina, mash the pedals and wait for me at the top.

Upon completion of the bike we took a minute to rehydrate and change out of our cycling gear and then went for a leisurely run.  We covered 2 miles in about seventeen and a half minutes.

For me the worst part of the brick workout is the beginning of the run after hopping off the bike.  I don't know if its a lack of blood flow to the muscles necessary for running or maybe a little dehydration but my calves always bark back at me.  Usually the seize up about 10 strides into the run forcing me to pull over and stretch them out.  Once I have that moment to stretch though they feel wonderful after that.

I came home to a happy baby boy and a pleased mother who got some quality time with her grandson!   I proceeded to feed Noah some lunch as he is now on soft solid foods.  The kid loves mandarin oranges, elbow mac, cheese, yogurt, and his corn crunchies.  It's such a joy to watch him feed himself because you can see the level of pride he gets from doing it himself.  He looks to me or Christine everytime he feeds himself for appreciation and it's adorable every time.  We are slowly adding more and more foods for him to try so that we can keep his menu as diverse as possible.

After Noah had lunch I whipped up some turkey burgers with light cheese, spinach and tomatoes on whole wheat buns for my mother and I.  It was a protein packed healthy lunch that really hit the spot after my intense workout.  We had a side of sweet potato chips with sea salt to add a little crunch to the meal as well.

I also owe the blog an 11 month update which I will post soon.  Noah hit 11 months last week and I have taken the pictures, but haven't had enough free time to develop the photos on lightroom.

Today was definitely a killer workout, and I am feeling it in my quads, calves, and hips but already looking forward to the next day I can get out on my bike.

Get out there and get fit, make the little changes you need to daily to improve your life!

Day 38, Official Streak End.

Today is the day, we have reached 38 consecutive days of running at least one mile.  Since the U.S. is so excited for us there will be fireworks shows all around the states supporting the runners world run streak....

Oh, wait, no.  Today is the 4th of July, those fireworks are celebrating the birth of this great country!

Today I chose to do a treadmill run because I had Noah while Christine was at spin class.  He went down for a nap around 9 a.m.  I ran for 4.7 miles this morning, was shooting for 5 miles but he started rousing in the crib and I didn't want to push my luck.

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday today be safe.

Happy Fourth of July!

Day 37. almost to the finish line.

Day 37, the finish line for the streak is 7/4/12.  Although I am not sad to see it go, part of me is wondering what streak I will start next (or when)...

I definitely need to find something that doesn't require me to get up everyday at 5:45am when I work 12 hour days.

Felt pretty good this morning, but was on a time crunch so the run ended quick.

Day 36. 2 days remain.

Day 35 of the Runner's World Run Streak.

Only 2 days of running remain until the Fourth of July!  Can honestly say that this has been an awesome experience but I will be glad when its over and I can take a rest day.  Mad props to any runner who sustains an above average running streak, physically it is very demanding.

Muggy, sticky, icky, Day 33.

Day 33.  The streak continues.  Good thing it ends July 4th...don't know how much more the wife can take me getting up and dashing out the door at 5:45am.  I owe her a few mornings off to sleep in soon.

I feel old.

I have been working a bit since I got back from vacation, to the tune of 36 hours in 3 days.  Needless to say this morning my legs were a bit old and tired.  Standing for most of the day really sucks the energy out of me.

Today is the last day of the stretch and the 32nd day of the Run Streak.

Slowish.
1.07

Streaky Day 31.

Streak Day 31,

Legs still tired, still sore.  No one said this would be easy (then again this hasn't been terribly hard either).  I have noticed that even though I am not losing weight right now that my body is reshaping.  I feel like fat is moving around or muscle is replacing it.

I am getting faster and I think the streak has helped because many days I just go out and only push hard to get that mile in.  I am looking forward to taking one or two days off from running once the 4th of July gets here.  I think my knees will thank me.

I still have 10lbs left to go to get to my ultimate weight loss goal.  It's not easy, I am struggling with it some days.  Vacation slapped 3lbs back onto my frame in 7 days, but I am back down almost all of it already.

I need to find some 5k's I need to put all this training to use and get some swag and some finish times to set new goals to beat.

Day 31, still streaking 2.09 miles 16:39.  (I'm no Pre, but I feel so much faster than I was a year ago).

6am sweat equity...it's not pretty...but it works better than a cup of coffee to get you going.  Beautiful morning for a run, not many left like this till probably September, here comes the humidity.

Day 30...Still going.

Run Streak, day 30!  Only 8 days remain until the finish line!!

Today I ran on sore, tired legs.  I did a 5k in just under 24 minutes yesterday, then got home played with Noah for a bit and then when he went down for a nap I hopped on the bike trainer for 25 more minutes of fitness fun.  A kind of reverse brick workout.

Today was a slow and steady leg shakedown to get the lactic acid out, followed by some serious stretching.

1.16 miles

Homestretch!

Only a few days left in the streak!  The proposed ending date is July 4th!

Sunday: 2.0 miles on the treadmill on very tired legs.
Monday, woke up to cool temps, light spotty rain, and the perfect day for a cool morning run.

Get out there and do something today!

Week of Streak!

As you may have noticed, I disappeared for a week, sorry about that I needed some quality time at the beach with the family.  I didn't want to advertise that we wouldn't be around with posts from the coast.

I really enjoyed running at the beach the fresh air, the sounds, the new scenery, it was beautiful.

Here are the weekly stats for the streak (with photo evidence in most cases).

Saturday:
Drove 400+ miles (took almost 13 hours instead of the 8.5 it was supposed to)
Ran 1.2 just to get it in.

Sunday:
1.69 miles.

Monday:
4.45 miles.  Ran with the wifey at her pace.  It was nice to get out and have some alone time with her jogging along the road parallel to the beach.  Forgot to take a picture of the watch, just wanted to get to the beach.

Tuesday:
1.15 miles.

Wednesday:
1.56 miles

Thursday:
2.03 miles

Friday (last day at the beach):
1.46 miles

Saturday:
Got up at 4:15 am, on the road by 5:30, home by 2:30.
Noah did wonderful on the drive.
1.57miles on the treadmill on tired legs after driving.

Thanks for reading, here is some beachy eye candy to get you ready for your vacation!

Day 17...still streaking!

Day 17, normally this would be an off day.  It was SHOCKINGLY brisk outside this morning, was not expecting that.  Who needs coffee when you have a mile run with a chilly breeze!

No need to push it today.

Have a great day all!

Streaky Day 16.

Very interesting run this morning.

Noah woke up around 5:30....this is beginning to become a habit, I have a feeling I just need to get used to being up everyday at 5am.  He started acting really sleepy by about 7am so we were sitting on the couch and I was rubbing his head and just snuggling on the couch and next thing I knew he was asleep.  So I spent a minute just enjoying the moment, it really is a beautiful thing having a child like this. Gently picked him up and off to the crib.

Quickly dashed back to the bedroom and changed into my running clothes and headed down to the treadmill.  Run started off like any other treadmill run, Top Gear (British version) on the telly and me jogging about about an 8:13 pace.  Just a small bit before 1.5 miles into the run (1.4 to be exact) I came to realization that I really had to wee.  (I know, I know too much info)...Not thinking I stopped the treadmill and disconnected the safety stop tag therefore erasing my time from the treadmill.  (DOH!-slaps forehead).  Did my thing, and dashed back onto the treadmill.  Figured I would shoot for another 1.6 to 2 miles.  Minimum in my mind for today was to run 3 miles.

With about .75 mile left till I hit the three mile mark Noah started fussing in his crib.  I knew that I was only a few minutes away from him summoning me to get him.  I would still at some point need a shower and the longer I was downstairs the less likely that was going to happen.  I decided to ramp up the speed as fast as I could for as long as I could hold it to see how close to three miles I could get.  Well my friends I shocked myself.  I set the treadmill at 9mph (6:40mile).  I was able to sustain that for the full 3/4 of a mile!  WHOA!  I felt AWESOME!!!  Granted unless I can duplicate this outside in the real world or in a 5k I am not completely satisfied with it, but I can still be excited right?

So now I have to get out on the roads and pound some pavement at that blistering speed and see if I can repeat this for at least a full mile or more!

Until that time, we are still streaking!!

To all those in the streak who are struggling to find motivation or desire to keep this up for another 22 days, read what Josh had to say today in the Streak Blog.  You can do this, it is 7 to 15 minutes of your day, even at your most tired, most sore, or most exhausted we can all find 15 minutes of our day to squeeze in a little exercise.  Get up 15 minutes earlier, run on your lunch break (sorry Trish you are excluded you have the family sweat gene like me...we would be a mess), run after work, skip the evening tv repeats, or run laps around your house.  Doesn't matter where you do it, how fast or slow you do it, as long as you get that mile in.  Happy running all!

Day 15 Run Streak Continues.

Another week begins, another day of streaking.
Nothing spectacular today .25mi jogging warm-up, followed by a run of 1.58mile at 12:01, then finished with a .25mi jogging cool-down.  Total distance 2.08 miles.

Coming soon, Noah's 10 month update (with pictures).  I need to get on writing this shoe review for the Brooks Ghost 5 as well...I Love these shoes.

Happy Running all!

Day 14, two weeks in!

Two weeks into the streak still feeling good!  Aside from left knee tightness for a few days it has been pretty good.  Ultimately it's not horribly difficult to go out and run for 7 to 10 minutes a day to get a mile in, but sometimes it just takes a little motivation!

3.1 miles on the treadmill today 25:14.  Could have been faster, but I just wasn't feeling it this morning.

Happy running all!

Still Streaking! Lucky 13!

Thirteen always has been a lucky number in my family, not that anything spectacular happened today but we are still streaking!  After a 12 hour work day yesterday on my feet I thought the left knee would have been sore this morning but upon waking up (before Noah!) I actually felt pretty good.

The run was uneventful on the treadmill, had to get it in while Noah napped because Christine got called into work today.  Total run was 3.6 miles in 27:41, warmed up walking to test the knee and cooled down the same.  Started the run with the incline at a 4 and dropped it down by 1 every time I hit a mile marker.

This boy needs some breakfast and some quality time with his son this morning.  Have a great weekend all!  If you are running with us in the streak keep up the good work!!

Running Streak Day 12.

Tired legs today, worked 11 hour yesterday and scheduled for 12 more today.  Was planning on 3 to 4 miles opted instead to keep the streak alive and do 1.46...ok I was going for 1.5 but the finish line was right near my street so I stopped at 1.46. (slacker I know!)

Run Streak Day 11.

Nothing special today, should have been a rest day.

1.4 miles 10:40.  Felt really strong though...should have stretched it to 3, but didn't want push it on my left knee...still a little tight this morning after the bike ride yesterday

Run Streak Day 10.

10 Days in I originally had the plan to run another distance run today in the 40 to 50 minute range.  After talking to a coworker Kristin we decided to have a family day at Moraine state park.

I got my run in this morning .25mile jogging warmup, .25mile jogging cooldown, and a 1 mile run in 7:40mg.

We packed up a picnic lunch and headed up to Moraine ready to relax by the lake and I was going to get some miles in on the bike with Mark.  We rode the rolling hills around the lake on the Moraine Triathlon course.  Total distance was around 7 miles in 28 minutes.  I surprisingly felt very good on the ride.  Seeing as this is the first time I have been out on the bike outside since the fall I was unsure how my legs would respond with only time spent on the bike trainer.  The hills (albeit slow for me is a pretty easy gear) were not as difficult as I thought they would be.   I definitely felt like I had more in my legs for the day but it was important for us to get back and spend some time with the wives and kiddos.

Still Streaking!!  (Hope all the fellow streakers out there are having a good time with it as well!)

RW Run Streak Day 9.

Day 9...

Woke up this morning and feeling pretty good compared to the last few days.  No headaches, no sore throat, rarely coughing...things are on the up and up.

Decided to do a controlled pace treadmill run today nothing special (had to run while Noah napped), Christine is at a conference today so it's a daddy and Noah day!

Treadmill run
.25mi warmup, slow jog.
4.0mi Run (34:10)
.25 cooldown, slow jog.

Total distance 4.5 miles.  Feel really good except for a little bit of tightness/soreness in my left knee.  Not sure if it had something to do with my stride or if its an actual injury of some sort.  Made sure to stretch out my legs real well after the run and will continue to stretch out, loosen up as the day goes on.  The leg did feel a bit better in the last half mile or so when I ramped up the speed every 30 seconds or so, so I feel like its probably a tightness issue not an injury issue.

Tomorrow I was originally planning on going for a longer run again, but I may back it off a bit so I can spend some time on the bike tomorrow.

Happy workouts all.

Still STREAKING!!