Shaking Things Up

   I decided to take a chance this week. I'd been running steadily at 2.55 miles in 20 minutes but it was expelling too much energy and I couldn't see myself making much progress this way. After a bit of brainstorming I decided I should try changing the structure of my run inorder to improve my distances. You see, for many years I've structured my treadmill runs this way; I warm up for two minutes at a jogging speed, then I increase the speed by .5 miles per hour every minute until I reach my target speed for that week, then in the final last minute I increase the speed higher and higher. I devised this training structure to teach myself to always be able to give a full sprint when near the end of a race. It won me a few races, but I also always got the feeling that I was subconsciously conserving energy throughout the race for this final dash instead of running steadily at a higher speed.

   So this week I decided to do my highest speed between minute 9 and 15, then reduce by .5 for two minutes then do a similarly high run for the final dash. Fortunately it worked, not only did I increase my distance by a 10th of a mile but I also finished stronger. So I am pretty happy to blog that I ran 2.65, just a 10th of a mile short of my second target. The challenge is ofcourse keeping it up. It is very easy to fall behind, especially because of school work, but I'll find a way.

  Otherwise, this will be my last blog, for this class atleast. It has been fun; the class AND the blog. Thanks for all the comments which kept me motivated. I'll probably start this up again in the summer so please feel free to check in again. Have a great summer guys.

Last Report: 2.65 miles in 20 minutes

Abs of Steel

   After the elating performance of last week, I decided it was time to get into high gear. So I came up with a new, some-what ambitious work-out schedule. In addition to the longer runs I mentioned before, I'd also attend the 'washboard abs' class at the white building Monday through Thursday, and do upper-body work-outs every day apart from Sunday.

  So Monday I went to attend the 'Abs of Steel' class, as I kept mistakingly calling it. I met my friends there and they promised it would be hard, but I wasn't too worried - what's a few crunches after all the running I've been doing? I greatly underestimated the class!

  After the instructor put on the music and started us off, I did well for the first 5 or so minutes and kept up with my much-more-ripped contemporaries in the room. Then it started going downhill. My abs were on fire, I'd take one of the crunch sets to rest while the rest of the room continued. I couldn't do the holds, I had to keep stopping and relax the muscles. Then, as if to give me an excuse to stop, my neck and shoulders started to ache because of me forcing myself to do more crunches than my abs were capable of. All the while some of the people in the room wore only fierce determination on their faces as they kept up with the inhuman gym instructor.

   If the class had been longer than 20 minutes, I'm pretty sure I would have shed some tears. Not a real cry and wailing show, but just a few 'save me from this self-made hell' tears inconspicuously cascading down my visage. I have a new, profound respect for gym instructors, and I will be back to that gym next week - hopefully all 4 days.

First Target Reached!!!

   2.55. 2.55 miles in 20 minutes. I am ecstatic! When I first started running it seemed like I'd never get there, just doing 2 miles in 20 minutes took all my will power and limited fitness. And as my fitness began to increase slower than I'm used to, it was getting a bit discouraging, but now finally I reach my first target of 2.50 miles in 20 minutes.

   After doing the 2.47, I went to the gym last week and did a frustrating 2.49 mile run. These hundreds of  a mile were beginning to annoy me. Today I decided to try and over-shoot it. The theory seemed sound enough; I kept aiming for 2.5 and falling short so if I aim for 2.55 I can slow down once it passes 2.5 and finally reach my target. However as I drew on 18 minutes, I was still worryingly short of even 2.50 so in a desperate move, I kicked it into high gear and started running at 10 miles per hour. I dared not look at the treadmill distance reading or time reading, for fear that I'd lose concentration or drive when I saw how much time was left. Finally when the treadmill jerked down to a slower speed, I threw a weary glance and thankfully I had actually done the 2.55.

  The result is very encouraging. It is a quantifiable result of the training and hard-work. It also marks the conclusion of the first phase of my training. This phase was simply designed to get me disciplined with gym attendance and to raise my fitness to a point where I could begin training for longer distances without having to move at an incredibly slow pace. The next level is to build up to 7 km runs, I'll do one fast run every week with the aim of getting to 2.75 miles in 20 mins. I'll also do two 30 minute runs while steadily increasing distance. We'll see how it goes...

Progress: 2.55 miles in 30, first target reached!!!

Fear

   I'm glad to announce that my work-outs are proceeding well. I'm no where near my target of doing three 5 mile runs a week and my consistency with my diet could be improved. But overall I think I'm doing pretty well, and my distance has steadily increased. However, as my performance gets better and better, I'm experiencing a strange side-effect; fear.

  Every-time I focus, overcome the wall and finally attain a best distance, I go through the following emotions. First is the relief that it's over. Then as I force air down my lungs I look at the digital distance reading with a mild disbelief. When it doesn't change, I feel proud - proud of myself for keeping going, for achieving something small but tangible - quantifiable. Then later, much later, a fear sets in. I know how hard it was to do this distance, and I know that in a day or two I'll have to repeat the performance or better it. I imagine struggling like that again, but with limbs tired from this day's exertion. Then another fear trickles into my psyche; what if I can't maintain this distance? What if the next time I come into the gym and try keep up the same pace my mind and body locks  and I regress? What will that mean?

   These fears dance around in my head, they slow and quiet until they are just in the background - present but not imposing. And only resurface when I have to go back into the gym. Then I get up there and the cycle continues. I don't know if every person experiences this. This is my first time training systematically enough to notice even minute fluctuations in performance. Do any of you ever experience such feelings?

   

2.47 babyyyy!!!!

   I am pleased to blog that I had a great run this Friday. After Wednesday's fiasco, I went to the gym in two minds. Mainly, I was fiercely determined, I could not allow this work-out to be a repeat performance of Wednesday; so I was determined to infact surpass my best distance in 20 minutes (2.40 miles). But I was also wary. What if I didn't  even make it to 2 miles again? What if somehow my fitness level had regressed? How long would it take to train and get to 2.5? The worry was there in the back of my mind, but I didn't let it have too much play.

  The determination seemed to win over. While my body was begging me to stop at a little over 10 minutes, my legs were cooperative when I insisted on continuing. I had forgotten how hard it is to overcome the wall sometimes, and that you never break through just once; but instead have to constantly battle the crushing desire to stop with every step. I used the same techniques I blogged about before; positive visualization, attaching other goals to this run to add motivation but this time also just looking into the mirror I was facing and reminding myself that I could do this and that however tiring it seemed now, as soon as I finished my run I'd feel rested almost immediately (as usual). It seemed to work. I did my best distance so far; 2.47 miles, just 3 hundredths of a mile short of my first goal. I was very happy.

 This week I'll concentrate on getting to 2.50 miles and maintaining it until it becomes easier. I'll put in 3 gym work-outs and 1 track work-out if possible. If not, I'll sacrifice one gym work-out in lieu of the track work-out with 'Master Yoda'. I hope all your work-outs are going well too!

I Don't Know What Happened...

  Today I had a discouraging work-out. After a good 3 mile run on Monday, I expected to finally reach my first target; 2.5 miles in 20 minutes. I didn't even come close. At 13 minutes and 1.5 miles, I hit the wall. My leg muscles suddenly got really hot, my knees wanted to buckle, and my feet started to drag dangerously on the treadmill. I tried to stay calm, concentrate on my breathing and visualize making it, but my body wasn't having it. My legs were begging to stop and my lungs were getting no relief from the air I forced down them. Before I knew it, I had pressed the stop button and was looking at my out-of-breathe reflection in disbelief.

  I couldn't believe it. I couldn't understand why I was burning out almost a whole mile short of my usual distance. I tried starting the run again immediately, but I barely lasted a minute before I stopped again. Finally after about 10 minutes break, I did the last mile in 9 minutes. I don't have an explanation for this. I suppose these things happen sometimes to athletes. The runner's equivalent to a footballer's bad practice. So I'm not going to make a big deal out of it. I'll call it a bad day and just remember that I at least completed the distance. I'll see how I do on Friday, hopefully this is just a freak burnout.

  Otherwise I'm pretty happy with my progress. I'm eating better habitually; eating salads as part of my lunch and dinner for the first time in my life. I've also maintained a pretty consistent work-out, faulting only during Spring break and the week before. And I've steadily increased mt distances. Mt goals are thus not too far and hopefully on Friday I'll have great news.

Walking on Sunshine

  The temperature was 72 degrees today. I could hardly believe it. This is my kind of weather; warm but not too hot, a gentle breeze with just the right amount of moisture in the air. I was in heaven.

  A friend of mine told me over lunch today about the route he runs. A 5 kilometer run around the perimeter of campus. I just happened to be a running mood, the weather just happened to be perfect for it and the prescribed route just happened  to be almost exactly the distance I'm running in the gym. I'm not a big believer in coincidence and have little patience for the idea of luck, so I took this not so subtle hint from The Big Guy Upstairs and stole half an hour from my schedule for a hearty run.

  It was a great experience. The first part of the route is even ground bordered by trees and lush green on one or both sides depending on the section you're on. The view is beautiful with none of that pesky snow blanketing the grass. People were riding bikes, playing frisbee, playing football and my fellow runners had returned to the side-walk, unharassed by cold wind and invisible layers of ice on the pavement. Perhaps the best thing about the route is that it runs along the extreme ends of the campus where I would have never thought to venture. That way, I got to explore and get to know a little more about my school.

  I over-indulged though; taking 40 minutes to do an ideally 25 - 30 minute run. But at the very least, I found out that I'm much fitter than I was in January. I had little difficulty during the run and so I'm praying it is similarly warm on Wednesday so I can thrush my initial run-time. Hope you're all enjoying the beautiful weather.

Progress: Now doing a little more than 3 miles outside.

The Week Before Spring Break, what do you expect...

   My Spring Break started a little earlier than everybody else's last week. Due to my grossly underestimating how forward-thinking Penn State students can be, I logged on to the Megabus website to find that all the bus tickets to New York for Friday and Saturday had already sold out. Thus I was forced to leave State College on Thursday morning, effectively missing two days of school and using up ALL my LA101H excused absences in one foul swoop. I'm not complaining though. Chances are I would have spent Thursday and Friday mindlessly copying notes down and trying not to pass-out in my 4.30 pm French 001 class. Instead I got to spend them exploring Manhattan and catching up on much needed sleep before some of my friends come to town. So in the end my negligence turned out to be a blessing in disguise. :)

   Keeping up with my work-outs during the week wasn't so easy tho. With packing and trying to wrap-up all the week's assignments before Wednesday, I only made it to the gym once. On Tuesday I snuck in a work-out and did my best run so far at 2.40 miles in 20 mins. It nearly killed me, seriously. It took all my will power to not call it quits at 10 minutes and I was extremely proud of myself afterwards. Unfortunately, I didn't do so hot the rest of the week and my scheduled gym time was lost somewhere between finishing up my essay in the library and packing. On Sunday, however, I did 20 laps in the NYSC pool which curbed my guilt considerably. 

  I fore-see a mixed performance during Spring break. I'll probably get in at least 3 runs, and given the more forgiving weather up here, I'll do at least 1 run outside. However there's not much hope for my healthy eating regiment. After 2 months of well-meaning but ultimately under-whelming campus-food, I am psyched to once again have access to the great quality and variety of cuisine that perhaps only NY can offer. And I plan to have my fill. ;)

  Have a Great Spring Break everybody. See you in a week or so. 

Progress: 2.40 miles in 20 minutes. Boo-Yah!!!!

Chaos, now showing in 3D

   If this week has not been the most difficult one I've experienced since I got here, it has certainly been the most disorganized. Chaos was the dominant theme. After 3 weeks of mid-terms, quizzes, homeworks, speeches and other assignments, I was exhausted mentally. I knew I deserved a break, spring break was just 2 weeks away but those were 2 weeks too many and some of my most demanding assignments were due before then. I needed a break now, so I gave myself one.

   I decided to skip my bi-weekly planning session and 'just go with the flow', see what happens. In my mind it was an experiment, and a necessary one at that. I wanted to see what happens in college when I dispose of my rigid timetable. The feeling of rest was immediate, letting go of the timetable created the illusion  that I didn't have responsibilities anymore. I knew the assignments were still there and that I would do them and do them well but in my mind it was out of my hands, destiny and spontaneity would determine the timing and method, I was just along for the ride. And so I watched the week from behind a screen of impartiality, like an audience member watching a particularly realistic IMAX movie, the chaos erupted around me but couldn't touch me. At least that's how it felt for a while.

  The ride was not what I signed up for. Sure, there were a couple of fun days but by the end of the week I'd averaged only about 5 hours of sleep a night. I only went to the gym once; on Monday and had to settle for the track at 11pm on Thursday. I also missed most of the dinning commons open hours, so my healthy eating went right out the window. It was a rough week. I got everything done but I was even more tired at the end of the week than I was at the beginning.  Strangely, the main problem wasn't how I used my studying time, but instead how I used my leisure time. I'd end up using leisure time doing something that would stress me out (like shopping for my $150 econ text book) so that I kept having to rest after my 'resting time' before I could work.

  Never again! That was the most ridiculous week ever and I've had my fill of that particular brand of experimentation. It seems I constantly need structure in my life, at least when I'm in school, so I'm going back to plan A and hoping I get a chance to make up my lost hours of sleep this weekend, which seems unlikely seeing as it's State Patty's day on Saturday. *Sigh* 1 more week to spring break...

Progress report: On the one day I was able to get to the gym, I did 2.36 miles in 20 minutes - the EXACT same as last week.

Okay, now the hard part...

  Gym is becoming a mild addiction for me. I have many of the usual signs. It's my answer to everything; when I'm stressed I go work-out, when I'm happy I go work-out, when I have to study I go work-out, when I don't have to work or study I go work-out. Ironically, while I had believed that consistency would me my biggest challenge, I now find that having to stop myself from going to the gym, in the interests of my studies and to avoid burn-out, represents the greater difficulty. That got me thinking this week; now that I'm past the gym-o-phobia, isn't it in my best interests to make certain that I am getting the most out of my hard work? Running like mad is easy, but if I really want to get to my 5-mile target by April's end, some areas will have to be addressed.

   First up is diet. I've always had a tradition where after a work-out I would go and reward myself with a hefty meal. At home however, it was mama's good old healthy, no red meat, no oil, balanced cooking. Here however, it has meant raiding the various tasty but calorie-packed meals available in the dinning hall. It dawns on me now that if I am to reach my target, then this practice has to stop. Thus I have made a few commitments towards this end. Firstly, at least 4 out of my week's meals will be partaken in Simmon's Dinning Commons, nicknamed the 'healthy commons'. Secondly, all my weekday lunches and dinners must begin with a salad and end with a fruit. Finally, my weekend brunches should be proportionally more fruit-based, than tatter-tots based.

  Secondly, now that the good Lord has seen fit to reward our endurance of suffering in winter, with warm weather and ice-less side-walks, one of my 3 runs during the week must be outside. Finally, some research is required. I must ensure that my running and breathing techniques are maximising my output and growth. I must also ensure that my diet is not working against me and perhaps find a solution to the mid-night snacking that my late-night studying seems to necessitate.

  All in all, these commitments will require a some-what drastic change in lifestyle. These changes may be difficult for many reasons including the change in routine and the adjustments it will require in the rest of my daily life. What I know for sure, is that I am going to reach my 5-mile target one way or another, if indeed these changes will aide my pursuit then I welcome them with open arms.

Progress Report: I'm now running 2.36 miles in 20 minutes, up from 2.31 last week. A modest improvement.

Breaking The Wall

    "There comes a point in every race - it could be the fifth mile, it could be the 25th- but, eventually,you're gonna hit ... what runners like to call "the wall. " And when you do ... you won't be able to breathe or think or even move. All you're gonna wanna do is give up."
I don't know how many of you have watched the 2007 Simon Pegg film 'Run, Fatboy, Run'. For those who haven't, I strongly recommend that you do; it is absolutely hilarious. Those who have watched it, will remember the villain of the film delivering the above monologue to Pegg's character. As a runner, I believe that no truer words were spoken in this movie.

   Whether you are pushing your limits on a treadmill, running in a competition or simply aiming for a better time, you often 'hit the wall'. In that moment your body tells you it is certain that it can't go on any longer and begs you to stop, just for a little while. How well one deals with this is what separates the champions from the runner-ups. I don't know how other people deal with it when they 'hit the wall'. For me the method has changed over time and most would probably seem bizarre to others. For example, when I was younger I'd repeat 50 Cent lyrics in my head over and over again. When I was learning to drive a stick shift I'd think of myself as a car so that when I'd feel like stopping I would just imagine shifting to a lower, heavier gear which could handle the strain.

   As I now train for cross-country, visualization is the driving-force in my training. As I run, I am totally disconnected from my surroundings. My mind goes into a different world painted with my ambitions. I see myself getting that 4.0 GPA and see myself leaving behind the competition in the last leg of a race. I see myself lounging on a beach, obviously ripped in nothing but my yellow Billabong beach shorts. I see myself in a fine Italian suit, looking down at Manhattan from my multimillion-dollar pent-house apartment, surveying my kingdom. And in that moment, when my body is begging me to stop, all my desires and ambition become tied to me finishing the race. In my head, I believe that if I can only keep going, beat my earlier times, then my desires will be waiting on the other side of the finish-line. With that thought, the wall comes crumbling down, I push harder, run faster, look and feel stronger. In that moment I already feel like a champion and it's almost too easy to keep going.

P.S. Progress report; I'm now running 2.32 miles in 20 minutes, up from 2.17 last week. I'm encouraged but still keeping in mind it's still a ways to go to my 5 mile-a-day (separated into two 20 minute runs) target.

The Master Appears

  You know how they say, "When the student is ready, the master appears". Well, that's how this week has felt. For two years I tried to look for gym partners and running partners to keep me motivated but it always fell through. Finally, when I've made a commitment to regularly work-out with or without any gym partners, is when they're coming out of the wood-work.
  My 'master' in this case is a fellow Kenyan here at Penn State who I was put in touch with through a mutual friend. We met last week and hit it off. Due, in no small part, to the fact that he also ran cross-country events in High School and has been looking for a running partner. Ding, ding, ding. So we agreed to meet last Wednesday at the Rec. Hall gym. I don't know why, but for some reason, I had assumed that we would be around the same level of fitness, we weren't. After exerting all my will-power into completing a 2-mile (20 minute) run on the treadmill, he walks up to me  and asks - ever so kindly-if I think I could run for 3 more miles. To which, I replied by holding back an incredulous look and explaining that "I'd love to but I gotta get in some abs-work as well". And true to his good nature,  he gave me an understanding smile and proceeded to finish his 5 mile run.
  So that's my target right now, to surpass the master and be able to run 3 five-mile runs a week. I've been working out 3 times a week for the last two weeks with my friends and I'm up to 2.17 miles. Which is an improvement of about 0.9 miles from orientation week. This isn't going to be easy, but most things worth doing never are.

The reason

Dear avid readers,
  Welcome to 'The Fat Burning Chronicles'. My first blog post is entitled 'the reason', simply because it seems only fitting that before inviting you guys to take this journey with me I should first explain ... well, what the journey is for starters.
  Well, in High school I was very athletic, I was on the school soccer, field hockey and athletics teams. I loved everyone of these sports but my true passion, bordering on obsession, was Cross-country running. To practice, I ran 4 days a week and still attended all the other team practices. Definitely one of the most fun times in my life. But when I left high school two years ago, I stopped running consistently for one reason or another and subsequently lost fitness and put on a bunch of weight. Now that I'm in College and out of excuses, I want to get fit again and surpass my earlier cross-country and short-sprint running times. Thus, in this blog I will document my experiences everyweek trying to get back into good enough shape to run competitively next semester, trying to balance school with sports and generally my experiences as a new international student at Penn State. Fortunately, it seems, this blog will kill two birds with one stone by giving me motivation to stay committed to running and fulfill my writing class' passion blog requirement.
  Honestly, I'm pretty psyched, I should have done this years ago!