Earlier in the week, my world was jostled from its comfortable, wake up late, go to work, eat dinner, go back to work, come home and watch TV routine.
It was a moment that launched me on a course of either torture or better living — I haven’t decided which. It was sparked by an e-mail:
Sports Department,
Again this year The Times is a Platinum Sponsor of the Baytree 8K Independence Day road race. We have eight entries for the race and it would be good if some of you could participate. If you do you could write re-race stories/logs on what you are doing to get ready.
SS
I always knew my thoughts would get me into trouble eventually, but I never thought it would be outside the confines of the local tavern. So my brain raced on faster than my legs and came up with the idea of actually running eight kilometers or five miles.
After I had a discussion with “SS” — better known as Sandy Sanders, The Times’ publisher — the Rocky theme music was cued up in my head.
I was headed for the inspirational training scene with Mr. Sanders in the role of the fight promoter and Sports Editor Christian Malone urging me on via Burt Young as Paulie.
Now all I needed was someone to play Mickey, and I found that someone in Valdosta Fitness guru Todd Smoot.
We spoke on the phone Monday, and he informed me that he once went from a 5-foot-8, 200-plus pounds to 145 pounds, and I thought, as long as I don’t let this guy into my refrigerator he’s the one I need to tell me to eat lightning and, uh ... do something with thunder.
I met the energetic and extremely motivated Smoot, and we determined I could at least cross the finish line.
The first part of getting Tony Soprano into Rocky Balboa’s shape was to start slow. “Mickey,” rather, Smoot told me how much stress the body is under when running such distances. One piece of information that surprised was that 1.5 times your weight is placed on your heel as you walk, and three times your weight is placed when you run.
So, OK, some precautions were there, but hey, I used to be active. Then my new trainer told me what my stomach has known for a while, you’re not who you used to be. I then had to get it into my head that my time of running four miles a day at soccer practice and conquering a mile and a half in a little over nine minutes is over.
After the mental argument was over, I then took a training regimen from Smoot. The initial part wasn’t exactly strenuous, but it was a start.
So my week came and went with a new schedule inserting itself into my television watching. With the help of a detailed itinerary from Smoot, I started out walking for 30 minutes a day.
Also, thanks to the information from Smoot, I added sit-ups to my routine. Sit-ups strengthen the abdominal muscles, which help ease the burden of your lungs and eliminate side stitches.
It all started Monday after that e-mail from Mr. Sanders and the talk with Smoot. I walked around downtown Valdosta for 30 minutes, took Tuesday off, and got back to it Wednesday.
Unfortunately I was relegated to indoor walking on the treadmill thanks to Mother Nature. It would make the journey to this goal of mine a lot more enjoyable if I could exercise outside with what looks like a sky behind me. So please, Mother Nature, call in a firefighter, a fan, Al Gore, anyone, anything to get this smoke out of my lungs.
Hopefully this week will bring blue skies, as my workouts get longer, and incorporate running.
In the meantime, I will keep the eye of the tiger and do my best to prevent Smoot from calling me a bum. After all, I have until July 4 to get myself going, which is plenty of time for myself or anyone else to follow the simple routine Smoot has devised to get in shape and cross the 8K finish line.
Baytree 8k
June 8, 2007
Baytree 8k, Here I come!
- Baytree 8k
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Seppala takes 8K again
The field was bigger, the weather was hotter, but the result was the same: John Seppala dominated the Baytree 8K.
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Seppala runs away with Baytree 8K
On Wednesday, John Seppala ran away from the other 180 runners at the Baytree 8K road race.
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Column: I did it!
Wow, I did it!
- Column: It’s finally time for the race Dear Valdosta,
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BAYTREE 8K - Registration Form
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Training for 8K is getting me healthier
OK, it’s hitting me. Five miles is a long way. But for me, running just two is also coming a long way.
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Rise and shine, 8K runner
This far into preparations for the Baytree 8K, my legs are supposed to be a little sore. However, I can’t tell over the pain my fist is experiencing from the fifth week.
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Nothing can stop me now.
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Baytree 8k, Here I come!
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Week 2 and still training
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