Lifestyle Changes in Order

102 days until my awesome crew and I depart for Hawaii.  There is a lot of work to be done during these days.  Training is going alright - but I really need to step it up over the next three months. 

I've started working with a trainer who is going to help me get on track with my overall fitness and diet.  We went through a strengthening routine last week and I could not believe just how weak I am, how much it hurt, and how long it took me to recover.  I was a gymnast for years and held the school record for sit ups in a minute and pull ups.  I was lean and strong and flexible...but I guess I worked at it every day.  Years went by and here I am, "able" to do 2.5 push ups, zero pull ups, and unable to touch my toes.  Time to start working at it every day again.  I will come out on the other end lean, mean, and ready to tackle the mother effin' mountain, thanks to Coach Jeff Lung and the ILP (Iron Lung Program).

Diet.  BLECH!  I've started logging everything I eat and drink.  It is seriously a wake up call when I look at that at the end of the day.  It is EASY to consume 2,000 calories - and that's without eating too much junk food.  We now have mini tootsie rolls in the office and every time I stroll past the front desk I grab 1 or 2.  No big deal, right?  Until I add them up...8, 9, 10...holy hell, that's over 200 useless calories consumed not out of hunger but habit.  Time to break the bad habits and make good healthy choices.  Challenge accepted.

I have a lot of races lined up that will be used as training runs for HURT.  Sleep deprivation training with St. Pat's and pacing Ozark100.  Climbing and technical training with Farmdale, McNotAgain, Tecumseh, and Lookout Mountain.  I've been hitting the gym and spending time on the stair master.  I'd also like to add one day per week where I focus on hill repeats.  Mt. Trashmore or Big Bertha would be good.  I'd like to get my weekly mileage up to about 75 - 80 miles by December and start the taper the first week of January.  That's the goal.

Looking forward to this transformation and lifestyle change...