Way to go CANADA!!!

Incredible 14 Gold Medals (26 medals in total) at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Congrats to all the athletes. You have made Canada proud.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 18

Today was a LSD run and it was a good one.

Here are my numbers

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	LSD	10:1	good
Distance	9 Km	9 Km	total: 77 km
Pace	7:19	7:18	perfect
Average HR	137-148	147	great
Max HR	180	155	great
Calories Burned		1184	total: 10103

As you can see, all my numbers were exactly where they needed to be. Very good run!

NCHM Challenge - Run # 17

Made it out for a run on snow covered sidewalks with my dog today.

Here are my numbers

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	non-stop	good
Distance	4 Km	4 Km	total: 68 km
Pace	7:19	7:10	close
Average HR	137-148	157	high
Max HR	180	243	???
Calories Burned		536	total: 8919

Other than the fact that my heart should have exploded, the run was OK. I was finding it a little difficult the last 1.5k and my dog was really not running nice. Either way, I made it out and that is a good thing.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 16

Made it out today, despite the rain, slush and puddles.

Here are my numbers

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	non-stop	good
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 64 km
Pace	7:19	7:04	little fast
Average HR	137-148	151	little high
Max HR	180	209	???
Calories Burned		401	total: 8383

Well my Max HR is messed up again, and the only reason I can see for that is the underpass that I go through. Other than that, I never exerted myself. Running between puddles and through slush is fun and gives you a nice soaker (or 2)!

NCHM Challenge - Run # 15

Well I messed up. Instead of hitting the lap button when I was done the Tempo part of the run, I hit the stop button, so my cool down stage wasn't recorded. I've decided to just add my warm up to the end and call it close.

Here are my numbers

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	non-stop	good
Distance	4 Km	4 Km	total: 61 km
Pace	6:36	6:20	close guess
Average HR	148-159	158	good
Max HR	180	170	good
Calories Burned		520	total: 7982

So, I'm not exactly sure if these numbers are right, but they are very close. It was a difficult run today as it was snowing, there was plenty of puddles and slush to avoid, all while running on the road with oncoming traffic. All in all, I pushed through it and that's what counts.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 14

Oops! I forgot to update my numbers from yesterday's run.

Here they are:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	non-stop	good
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 57 km
Pace	6:36	6:11	very good
Average HR	148-159	159	good
Max HR	180	171	good
Calories Burned		395	total: 7462

After speaking with a buddy of mine who teaches running classes, I discovered that I was doing my Tempo runs the wrong way. Instead of trying to run my whole distance at a fast pace, I'm suppose to do a small warm up then do a good distance at 80% Max HR and then do a small cool down. So that is what I did for this run. I started off with a 600 m warm up, then I did 1.8 km at 5:50/km pace and finished with a 600 m cool down. As you can see from the numbers, everything fell into place nicely and the run was very good. By the last 400 m of the fast part, I was starting to feel it. Today is another Tempo run, 1 km longer, and I will try to do roughly the same thing. Should be fun.

23 days

That is how long it has been since I last had caffeine. That is, until today. I managed to not consume any caffeine for over 3 weeks and it has felt good. This morning, between being cold and tired from staying up late to watch the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team lose to the Americans, I felt that I needed something to get me going. So I opted for a health beneficial Blueberry Green Tea. In my opinion, and many others that I have read, the health benefits of Green Tea far outweigh the caffeine found in it. Personally I don't expect to find myself "bouncing off the walls" from the caffeine, but who knows how I will feel when the caffeine kicks in.

Should be a fun ride.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 13

Made it out for a LSD run tonight with my dog.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	LSD	10:1	good
Distance	7 Km	7 Km	total: 54 km
Pace	7:19	7:30	good
Average HR	137-148	146	great
Max HR	180	163	good
Calories Burned		886	total: 7067

Beautiful night for a great run.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 12

 Made it out for a nice Steady run in the snow with my dog.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	steady	good
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 47 km
Pace	7:19	7:15	good
Average HR	137-148	143	great
Max HR	180	152	great
Calories Burned		402	total: 6181

Even the conditions weren't ideal, I had a good easy run.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 11

Made it out for a Steady run today.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	steady	good
Distance	4 Km	4 Km	total: 44 km
Pace	7:19	7:22	good
Average HR	137-148	147	great
Max HR	180	157	great
Calories Burned		517	total: 5779

As you can see everything fit right into place. It was a great non-stop run and I barely felt tired when I was done. I may have discovered the reason why my HR monitor has been screwy, it seems like I may need a new battery. When I turned it on, it couldn't find a reading until shortly into my run. It's expected as I have used it a lot since I purchased it last year.

Changing Zones

So because I've lost some weight, gotten older, and my resting HR has dropped accordingly, I have just discovered that my HR zones have changed.

Percentile	Old range	New range
60	109	137
70	127	148
80	145	159
90	163	170
100	181	180

This means that I have to re-adjust my runs accordingly. And it also means that my last couple of Tempo runs I have not pushed hard enough as my HR is in my Steady pace range. Time to step it up.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 10

Made it out for another non-stop Tempo run today.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	steady	good
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 40 km
Pace	6:36	6:20	little fast
Average HR	145-163	154	great
Max HR	181	190	high
Calories Burned		398	total: 5262

So tightening my heart monitor chest strap was better, but it still slipped a bit. That's probably why my Max HR was high as I had to adjust it several times so it wouldn't fall down to my stomach. I've tightened it some more, hopefully tomorrow will be better. 2 straight fast non-stop runs, and I feel good during and afterward. This losing weight definitely helps with the fitness levels.

Master Cleanse - Post Day # 2

Well I did it again. I managed to drink just my lemon drink in the AM and then a very tasty fruit drink in the afternoon and part of my supper, but I broke down before finishing my juice and ate some more tortellini noodles. Then I had a hand full of chips while watching the Olympics. I do have to say that the chips did not taste as good as I remembered them, so hopefully I can remember that the next time I want to indulge in junk food. So that pretty much does it for this Master Cleanse. Food is making it's way into my system and I'm not having any problems (internally) dealing with it. I do have a all veg juice that I will drink this afternoon, but I expect to be eating supper with my family this evening.

All this means is that this will be my last MC post, until I decide to do it again. It has been a fun journey.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 9

Made it out today for another Tempo run.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	steady	good
Distance	4 Km	4 Km	total: 37 km
Pace	6:36	6:17	little fast
Average HR	145-163	???	see below
Max HR	181	???	see below
Calories Burned		532	total: 4864

An interesting thing happened shortly after I started my run, my HR monitor slide down my chest to my belly. Since I was in a good stride, I left it there. While it was there I was getting sporadic readings, so in the end, I don't have a clue (other than how I was feeling) my HR numbers. I can say, that I didn't feel like my heart was going to burst out of my chest, so all is good, even with the faster than usual pace. I have re-adjusted the strap and will see how it goes tomorrow. I guess this is a good sign that I have lost weight.

Master Cleanse - Post Day # 1

Well I almost made it. I CHEATED after supper last night. For some odd reason I couldn't stop myself from eating a few tortellini noodles that I made for my family. Surprisingly I wasn't in any pain afterwards, although my stomach was making some interesting noises. So even though I didn't make it the full 15 days, I'm happy with my results.

Here's my final numbers:

Weight: 241 lbs (lost 25 pounds!)
Waist: 41.5 inches (lost 2.5 inches)
Blood Pressure: 133/81 (dropped 15/13 and my resting HR dropped 14 beats/min).

Overall, I lost almost 10 inches between my chest, waist, hips and thighs and all my clothes now fall off of me. So that part was worth it. The fact that my BP didn't drop to below where it was when I was on meds, isn't great and it means that I will get back on them in the coming days. Maybe now with the meds, the numbers will drop even more.

Today is my first day drinking something other than the Lemon drink. I do have 3 lemon drinks to get through this morning, but then I get to enjoy a fresh fruit juice (50% of it is orange juice). I still plan on not eating anything solid for 2 more days (hopefully I can stick to it) as I let my body re-adjust to the thicker liquids that I will be putting into it.

Master Cleanse - Day 15

Yesterday was probably the easiest day of this journey. The family and I spent the day outdoors at a snow and skate park, and I barely had any Lemon drink all day. I also didn't feel too hungry and had no cramps. We even went to a restaurant for supper and I wasn't that interested in eating the food that came out.

TODAY IS MY LAST DAY!!!! I've made it. I went and purchased my fruits and vegetables to juice over the next couple of days and starting tomorrow I start enjoying them. Only a few more days before solid food gets put back into my system. Looking forward to it.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 8

Made it out today for my Long Slow Run, in fairly cold weather, with a strong headwind going in one direction.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	LSR	10:1	good
Distance	7 Km	7 Km	total: 33 km
Pace	7:19	7:20	great
Average HR	127-145	162	little high
Max HR	181	180	little high
Calories Burned		922	total: 4332

I found today's LSR tougher than last week's LSR. Not sure why, other than I haven't had any lemon drink this morning so there really is nothing in my system (other than my lax tea).

Master Cleanse - Day 14

It seems that with each new day comes a new day of challenges. I thought it would be easier the longer I went, but these last couple of days have been very hard. The food that my family has been eaten has looked extremely good and I've wanted to sample everything that has gone past my nose.

Today should be interesting as the family is heading to a snow park for the day, where there smell of food will be plentiful, making me crave anything and everything.

ONLY 2 full days to go!

NCHM Challenge - No Run # 1

Yesterday was suppose to be a Steady 3k run, but unfortunately I fell asleep in the afternoon and didn't make it out for my run. I will be making it out shortly for my LSR, will have results posted once I'm done.

Master Cleanse - Day 13

I have to say that yesterday was probably the toughest day so far. I was very tired and hungry in the morning, making it difficult to focus at work. In the evening, we had a social gathering at our house with plenty of delicious foods, that always seemed to be near my nose everywhere I went, making me crave the wonderful smells. I made it through and now I'm only 3 full days away from being done. :)

Master Cleanse - Day 12

Although I wasn't as hungry yesterday afternoon and evening, I did find myself with some good stomach pain throughout the afternoon and early evening. I managed to get through it and now I'm one day closer to being done. Just need to get through this weekend and then all will be good to go to get food back into my system.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 7

Since I was able to run non-stop yesterday, and today's run was suppose to be at a slower pace, I thought I'd try doing it non-stop without looking at my watch (I knew exactly where I had to turn).

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	Steady	GREAT
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 26 km
Pace	7:19	7:13	great
Average HR	127-145	147	very good
Max HR	181	234	???
Calories Burned		388	total: 3410

Other than my Max HR being weird (I think due to the tunnel I have to go through for about 70m), all my numbers were very good. The only time I looked at my watch was at 1.49k, to make sure I was turning at the right spot, and at 2.95k, to see exactly where I would end. Only the last 50m did I look at my pace. So I did this run on feel, and did pretty close to what I was suppose to do. Great run!

Master Cleanse - Day 11

I'm now into extra time. If I had ended the MC today, I would have lost 20 lbs in total. That's right, after 10 days of no eating solid foods, I've lost 20 lbs. The funny thing is that I feel good and not hungry. I'm still only planning on going 5 more days, so hopefully I can drop a few more between now and then.

Yesterday was a major cleansing day as plenty of waste came out of me throughout the day. Nice to know I am eliminating stuff from years past. Hopefully some more can come out over the next few before this ends.

Now time to start drinking my lemon juice!

NCHM Challenge - Run # 6

Went out today for another Tempo run and since it was to be 1k shorter than yesterday, I decided I would try to do it without walking. Well, I did it!

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	Steady	GREAT
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 23 km
Pace	6:36	6:30	great
Average HR	145-163	157	very good
Max HR	181	170	better
Calories Burned		397	total: 3022

It was great and my numbers were actually better even though I didn't have the walking break. Very happy about this run.

Master Cleanse - Day 10

I made it to day 10! I feel so good, I'm going to go for 5 more days. That means another 10 days before anything solid will be put into my system. That also means, I have a few more days to organize a proper eating diet for when I return to solid foods. I don't mean diet in the typical I'm going to starve myself and not eat anything bad for me sense, I mean I'm going to try to incorporate better food choices into my meals so that I can continue to get the proper nutrition my body needs so that it can stay healthier after this cleanse. Now if only I could get my wife and kids on board with my food choices, that would be even better!

NCHM Challenge - Run # 5

Even though I was up very late last night and I haven't eaten anything solid in 9 days, I still pushed myself for my first Tempo run.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	10:1s	good
Distance	4 Km	4 Km	total: 20 km
Pace	6:36	6:29	good
Average HR	145-163	160	good
Max HR	181	172	good
Calories Burned		517	total: 2625

As you can see, my HR numbers were much better today, meaning the tightening of the monitor strap worked out. I do have to say that my last 10:1 was getting tough and I was feeling my energy levels dropping. I pushed through it and glad for the results of the run.

Master Cleanse - Day 9

With returning to work yesterday, I found myself drinking more juice than on the weekend and very hungry in the afternoon. I managed to make it through the day, and evening, even though I was at a social gathering that had plenty of yummy unhealthy food to pick at. Thankfully the desire to eat gets superseded by the thought of major stomach pain if I introduce food into my system too fast. I now feel like I have the confidence to make it another 6 more days before re-introducing food into my system.

Master Cleanse - Day 8

Yesterday was probably the easiest day so far. From all the places that I've been reading about the MC, day 7 was suppose to be a hard day with plenty of detox symptoms, well for me, it wasn't. That means 1 of 2 things: a) I'm not detoxing, b) I don't have too much "bad" things in my system to detox. Personally I think it is a bit from column A and a bit from column B. For some time now I've been drinking the lemon mix in the morning (2-3 glasses 4-5 days a week) and every 10 or so days while drinking it, I would have a day where I would eliminate plenty of waste over the course of a couple of hours. So I think I've been slowly removing many of the "bad" things in my system for some time now. Either way, it's all good, as I've lost some weight and lowered my BP a bit. I'm still hoping to go another 7 more days (15 total), and maybe I'll see some more detox symptoms and eliminate more waste/"bad" items from my system.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 4

Today was my first Long Slow Run (LSR) and even though I went skating for 1.5 hours this afternoon with my girls, I still the energy (and desire) to do it.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	LSR	10:1s	good
Distance	7 Km	7 Km	total: 16 km
Pace	7:19	6:54	little fast
Average HR	127-145	163	little high
Max HR	181	217	???
Calories Burned		922	total: 2108

Not sure why, but my HR seems to be a little off. My run seem very easy and I found myself forcing myself to slow down. I think I have a reason why my HR is a little out of whack. Near the end of my run I was feeling my monitor slid down my chest to my belly, so I need to tighten the strap now that I've lost some weight. We'll have to see how it goes on my next run.

Master Cleanse - Day 7

Yesterday was probably the toughest day to date. I was hungry often through out the day and last night we had a social gathering at my house where there was plenty of "unhealthy" (but good looking) food. I got through it and several of my friends commented on the weight I lost, so that was a plus.

At the moment I'm trying to get through my salt water flush (SWF) and I'm half way. This is the 3rd time I try to get through one of these, and it is not easy. The taste is horrible and it wants to come back up as soon as I get it down, but getting it all down will help me eliminate plenty of waste left in my system.

Today should be an interesting day as it is the SuperBowl. Thankfully, no people are coming over to watch the game, so there will be no snacks out for munching to tempt me.

NCHM Challenge - Run # 3

Although I've been going through some major MC pains, I still made it out for a run today.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	steady	10:1s	good
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 9 km
Pace	7:19	6:50	little fast
Average HR	127-145	158	little high
Max HR	181	252	???
Calories Burned		396	total: 1186

For some odd reason my Max HR was registering 252, so I'm blaming my watch and not the fact that my heart should have exploded. Overall, my pain subsided long enough to have a good run.

Master Cleanse - Day 6

Yesterday was probably the toughest day, especially in the evening. I was hungry and really wanted to eat something. I didn't, but the desire was there. Today, I'm a little hungry (still haven't had anything to drink other than my tea), but the desire to eat isn't there.

I just finished taking my numbers and here's how they look after 5 full days of being on the MC.

Weight: 252 lbs (Wow, down 14 lbs).
Waist: 43 inches (down 1 inch, and all my pants feel lose as I've moved over one notch in my belt)
Blood Pressure: 133/85(still a little high, but it has come down without the use of medication)

Overall, I've very happy with my progress and look forward to the next 5 days, and maybe more.

Master Cleanse - Day 5

Well I've reached the half way point of my cleanse and all seems to be going fine. Yesterday I had some cramping, but nowhere near as severe as the days before. I was hungry from mid-afternoon on yesterday, and even when I was watching some TV and playing some Wii, my stomach was letting me know it wanted something in it. Unfortunately I was out of lemon juice and wasn't up for making some. So I just kept drinking water and got through it. It wasn't anything major (no headaches or pains, just grumbling belly).

Today I've increased the amount of cayenne in my drinks to see if that will help the detoxification process (recommended from a forum I'm reading). So far, it hasn't been too hot, but as time goes on and the cayenne sits in the juice longer, it should get nice and toasty. Looking forward to it as I like hot stuff!

NCHM Challenge - Run # 2

Made it out again tonight for a run with my dog. I tried to go a little slower today as my scheduled pace was suppose to be slower.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	steady	10:1s	good
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 6 km
Pace	7:19	7:10	close
Average HR	127-145	156	little high
Max HR	181	190	high
Calories Burned		394	total: 790

Other than my max HR being very high, all was good.

Master Cleanse - Day 4

Yesterday was similar to the day before as I didn't have any major symptoms, other than some cramping mid-day. I had no headache, was only a little cold in the morning and actually had enough energy to go out and run when I got home from work. So all in all it was a good day.

I did manage to weight myself before going to bed and found that I have lost nearly 8lbs in 3 days of being on the MC. I'm happy about losing the weight, but that was not my goal when deciding to do this MC. I plan on taking my Blood Pressure readings this weekend and hopefully those numbers have dropped as well.

I am feeling a little hungry this morning, probably because I only drank 6 glasses of Lemon Mix yesterday, so I will do my best to reach 9 today to make up for it and help the detox process alone (it's the lemon juice that gets things going internally).

On to day 4.

NCHM Challenge - Run #1

Made it out for a run tonight with my dog. 1st run in over 2 weeks and it was pretty good.

Here are my numbers:

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	tempo	10:1s	good
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 3 km
Pace	6:36	6:54	close
Average HR	127-145	158	little high
Max HR	181	171	little high
Calories Burned		396	total: 396

Considering that I haven't run in a while, I still managed to do 10:1s. The first 10:1 was good, but I was starting to feel it half way through the way back. Overall, good first run, considering I haven't eaten food in 72 hours!

Master Cleanse - Day 3

Yesterday turned out to be less difficult than I had thought. Other than having cramps around lunch time for about 1/2 hour, the day's detox symptoms where non-existent. I still continued to be cold all day, but that is easily tolerable. As the night was getting late, I developed a headache that could have been caused by needing sleep, as I stayed up to watch the season premier of LOST.

Other than that, all is good and I look forward to seeing how today goes. Bring on the juice!

Another Run Challenge

Since my goal for this year is to do 3 half-marathons, and I missed my first one, I need to get back on track and start training for another one, so that I can get close to reaching my goal.

My next half marathon will be the National Capital Half Marathon scheduled for the last weekend in May. This means that training starts this week, tomorrow actually. My goal for this training period will be to train more days than I did for the HHM, in hopes of setting a personal best.

Hopefully this time I will make it out for the race.

Master Cleanse - Day 2

I made it through Day 1 without too much trouble. I managed to drink 9 lemon mix drinks and that controlled my hunger throughout the day. I felt the most hungry at supper time when my wife was making food for the kids and I could smell it. I immediately left the room and played Wii to distract myself from the thoughts of food. I think the only detox symptoms I felt yesterday was cold, as I could not get warm all day and kept a hoodie on for the most part.

So far today I've had 3 BM's, which mostly consisted of some bright yellow substance. From what I've read, this is expected.

Now on to day 2.

Master Cleanse - Day 1

Well I started my Master Cleanse today. I took all my measurements and here is how they look.

Weight: 266 lbs (not great but down 22lbs since I started drinking fruit and vegetable juice last June).
Waist: 44 inches (that really hasn't changed even though I've lost weight)
Blood Pressure: 148/94(high, but I've been skipping my pills lately to see if the MC will help lower it)

I tried drinking the salt water flush solution, but couldn't even get through 1/3 of it, so I've switched over to the laxative (Senna) Tea and that is palatable. My lemon juice is ready, and should start drinking it soon.

I will try to report it everyday to leave some thoughts on how it is going.