Joseph A. Darmiento

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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Well it look likes a tempo run did me in again. The tempo run is when you pick up the speed for a good portion of the miles during the run. There’s something about speed that my calves just don’t like. There’s many possibilities why, lack of hydration, potassium or warm-ups before the run. So I’ll try to adjust as always and move forward.18 weeks until my first Marathon, so there’s plenty of time.
Its funny, as soon as I pull a muscle I’m ready to pig-out, which I have been doing a little to much lately. I did lose 2 lbs with this weeks weigh-in, but I would like to lose another 10. No pressure though, the important thing is to keep on moving. Today I hit the gym with my youngest son Nicolas for the first time. Which was awesome. These damn kids just keep getting older. Thank god I’m not though. (I heard that!). In a couple of days I’ll reevaluate and if the calf needs more time I wont argue. Well maybe just a little bit.

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I don’t know why but lately at night I can’t stop binging. This is what I proceeded to eat after a day that consisted of a healthy breakfast,lunch and dinner. I’m thinking if I write it down, maybe it will help me conquer the beast, which is “THE CRAVINGS”.

2 Chocolate Twinkies (they were gross,but that’s all I could find)
320 Calories

3 servings of Wheat Thins (couldn’t find chips so I improvised)
420

2 Blue Bunny cones
580 Calories

9 Lindor Chocolate Truffles
630 Calories

2 Honey Gram Crackers ( they were there)
260 Calories

That’s a Whopping 2210 Calories!
All I can say is thank god I’m training for a marathon. That’s why for me it’s important to have that structure of training. And I know it has nothing to do with hunger. A friend once told me its all “Part Of The Process”. The process of Goals, of Dreams, of Life. I agree with that whole heartily. So I pick my self up and dust myself off and I get back in the Race!

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First it was pink slime. Then, it was crushed cochineal beetles in your favorite strawberry-flavored Starbucks drinks. Briefly, it was tuna scrape. And any day now, it’s going to be meat glue.
More than ever before, it seems consumers are demanding to know what’s in their food and why.
“I’m beginning to see now that consumers are pushing back,” Michael Doyle, Ph.D., director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, tells The Huffington Post. “They want more transparency. Pink slime was a great example. It wasn’t whether the food was safe or not but, ‘Hey, they’re putting ammonia in my ground beef, and I don’t like that.’”
Understandable, considering ammonia is usually associated with household cleaners or fertilizers. But not liking ammonia in ground beef is entirely different from ammonia in ground beef hurting our health.
That said, the health concerns “may be moot,” HuffPost blogger and director of the Yale Prevention Research Center David Katz, M.D., writes. “If people don’t like the idea of eating it, it will go away.”
This power of the public to make changes to Big Food has been largely fueled by blogs and social media, says Doyle. “Foodies and people who are maybe more purists in their food are more concerned, spending more time on the blogs,” he says. “They use the blogs to get their perspective out and put pressure on the retailers, who put pressure on the processors.
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The one thing that I’ve learned while trying to maintain my weight is that I always should have something to eat in arms reach. And I’m not talking a Snickers Bar. Although a Snickers Bar does sound good. A perfect example is sitting in Traffic (which I’m doing right now). As soon as I hit the brakes and I see a million red lights in front of me I instantly get hungry. It’s amazing how it works. Now,you never want to say NO to hunger. That’s an instant set-up for failure. Especially when your sitting in a box on wheels surrounded by a million other boxes on wheels. Not moving for what seems to be an eternity. So I always prepare. For me it can’t be a Snickers Bar. I take one bite, then it’s inhaled, then I’m back to where I was, except I’m even more hungry! So I grab my bag of veggies and go to town. At first there’s not much excitement, but the one thing I’ve learned about eating fruits and vegetables is the more you eat them the more you get a taste for them. Once I get that whole bag in me I’m ready to go.. BEEP! BEEP!

GET ME HOME!

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