Joseph A. Darmiento

Well I had my first Yoga experience tonight. It’s something I’ve thought about for a very long time and these days I seem to feel the urge to look outside the box. So I signed up.. As it came closer to the date of the first class I was feeling  more like staying inside the box.. Lol.. But I did it.. It didn’t start off well though. For some reason I went to the wrong elementary school and wondered around before realizing maybe there was something wrong.. I thought it was the right location because I saw Someone walking around with a yoga mat. But she went to the wrong school also. When I got to the right place I walked in and what do you know.. 30 women and here  I am! Sure everyone on Facebook was saying there will be plenty of men there, don’t worry.. Hmm… I’ll deal with you guys
later.. Once I settled and laid out my mat I was actually very comfortable.. And the instructor was awesome and we did some breathing exercises and some poses that I noticed I was bit tight..Okay, a lot tight.. The best was the last 15 minutes when we shut  the lights out in the gymnasium and just got in touch with our breathing.. Very relaxing.. Lately, everything is Run Run Run. It felt good to stop and get back in touch with me.. I can’t wait till next week!

Its 5 o’clock in the morning. Here I am sitting at the edge of my bed eating half a banana and peanut butter sandwich that I made last night and placed on my nightstand. A Sunday morning ritual that happens 2 hours before what is called “The long Run”. I’ll wash it down with 8 oz. of water and lie back down for about 2 hours and hopefully fall back asleep. Today’s long run is 18 miles, so filling that gas tank is crucial before getting out there. It will be close to 4 hours of running around the town, multiple neighborhoods and at some point getting myself back home. What has gotten me here? Anyone who knows me is familiar with my journey. I’ve lost huge amount of weight and through that I discovered the joy of running. It’s not that I love every moment of running, but I love the idea of doing something I never thought I would have the ability to do. So that brings me to “The Marathon” They say the marathon is “The Everyman’s Everest”. I never thought I could come close, but here I am, rope in hand. Well if the rope was made of peanut butter!

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Its nothing unusual that when I have some soreness or l pull a muscle, it’s time for burgers and fries and cake, cookies, ice cream. I could just keep going. It’s like im a runner one day then hurt myself,then im a loser. The mind is a wicked thing. But I know better. Once again tomorrow ill put it in gear and kick butt. The foot feels better today. Tomorrow im swimming laps. Tuesday time for a light run. 55 days till my first full Marathon ..tick tock tick tock!!
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Well its been a while since I did any updating to Couchtogym. I’ve been in a kind of writing funk for the last 2 months. It’s amazing how fast the time flies. I’m hot and heavy into the marathon training. Twelve weeks in to be exact and eight to go. Its getting tough that’s for sure. Last weeks 16 miler was an adventure to say the least. I’ve always ran alone which for the most part has been fine. To me, running is such a personal thing, but I would have to say that a little companionship might be helpful on these really long runs. I have always said that I’ve always been my own best company, but after 10 miles I can really get on my own nerves!(LOL).

As far as injuries go, I’ve been pretty good for the most part. I am dealing with a Big Toe issue (yes funny I know),But it’s not getting better. Basically I need to stay away from the hills for a while. I’m thinking of skipping this Sundays run since it’s a Bi-week, meaning no long run.

My diet, well anyone who knows me know that’s always an adventure. Last week I had White Castle twice and enough pizza to feed a small village! Lets not even talk Ice cream. I’m the only person who can work out six days a week and still put the pounds on! My goal is to lose a 1/2 pound a week and that’s not really happening. When training for a marathon losing weight too fast is not the best thing. If anything extra calories are needed to maintain energy and to keep injury free. Well I’m the best man for the job! Calories are my middle name…. Actually it’s Anthony..

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What a great Father’s Day. Nicolas joined me for a good part of my 8 mile long run. I wasn’t sure how many miles I was going to run, 7 or 8. Smart Coach (my training program) said 8, but I’ve been trying to catch up slowly after having that strained calf and planned on a 6 or 7 max. But the Father’s day magic kicked in and I felt empowered so I breezed through 7 and hit 8 without a hitch! The cross-training has been a positive aspect of the training. The bike riding has not only been extremely enjoyable, but it has hit my legs from a totally different angle. They are feeling Strong! The weight lifting has made my Core stronger and I can definitely feel the difference as my runs get longer.

I started my fueling practicing this long run also. 2 hours before the run (5am) I got up and ate a half Peanut butter sandwich and 8 oz of h20. It’s important to fill the tank before the Run, but you need the proper time to digest, hence the 2 hours. I run the first 2 miles, then I start a 1oz (roughly a gulp) of water per 6 min until the run has been completed. 50 minutes into the run I take a sports gel to keep my tank loaded with electrolytes and carbs. As the long run starts climbing I will adjust and tweak accordingly.

There’s a lot involved with marathon training, and I am extremely focused on getting to the starting line heathy and strong. LET’S RUN!

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So once again during a Run this week my calf didn’t feel right. After the rest, ice, stretching and everything but the kitchen sink, it keeps having issues. Sometimes you can do all the right things and still have no choice but to sit it out. Instead of letting it get me down, I looked up an old Flame, my Bike. After seeing what a teenager (my son) can do to someone else’s things, broken headlight, taillight and missing helmet, I decided to get her back into shape.

The one thing I have learned is when one door closes another opens. Last year I hurt my knee and stopped running for months. I decided to look into swimming. Now I swim every week! I hopped on the bike and had such a great, refreshing work-out! Cycling will give my calf a chance to rest and yet keep my fitness level up. they call it “active recovery”

It’s also very funny how whenever I pull a muscle and can’t run, I get Really Really Hungry! So getting out on that bike also keeps my head in the game.

So how did my weigh-in go?
I LOST 2 POUNDS!
That’s 9.5 in three weeks!! Let’s keep it going… “LET’S RIDE!”
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I was for the most part satisfied with myself this week as far as my meals and exercise. I slowly started my running again after a week off because of a calf spasm. I’m not quite caught up with my marathon training schedule yet, but I’m getting there. Trying to play it smart and slow with this damn calf. I did keep up my fitness level by swimming, hitting the Elliptical and Arc trainer. I’ve also started a light lifting program for myself, which again I’m starting very slowly. The results have been amazing as you can see below.

As far as eating I did pig-out on Monday, which was Memorial Day (I’m excused), so I am down one healthy day. Today I ran a 5 mile with my son which was so awesome, as I’m sure everyone noticed from my FB Statuses. So what did the scale say?

I LOST 5.4 LBS!!!

I feel Great….. No, I feel AWESOME!!