RACE RESULTS

I want to thank everyone for their participation in our race! We had 140 5k runners and 30 kids run the fun run! Thank you all very much for your support. Here is the link to for the race results. Here is a picture of me in my continental Marine Uniform. I think it would look more authentic if I had a gun and a canteen.

7th Annual President's Day Freedom Run

RUN and HELP

For the last six years, Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack 806 and The Young Women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have hosted the Annual President’s Day Freedom Run 5K Race and 1 Mile Fun Run to raise money for summer camp activities. The race will be held on February 19th, 2011. The money earned from this event will help fund the Boy Scout and Young Women summer camps. Cub Scout Pack 806 will also benefit from this run, helping to pay for Summer Day Camp.

The Annual President’s Day Freedom Run 5K Race is more than just a 5K race. It is a sanctioned USA Track and Field Event that meets the standards necessary to be approved and licensed in the United States. This race is run on a USATF-certified course that has been certified for accuracy in distance. Courses must be certified for any road running performance to be accepted as a record, or to be nationally ranked.

Check out a video of the course here!

Date: Saturday, February 19th 2011

Time: 5K Race Starts at 10:00 am Fun run will follow after 5K is completed. Location: 3204 Keller-Andrews Road, Sanford, NC 27330 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Meeting House

Distances: 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) and 1 mile Children’s Fun Run (for children under 12) Registration and Fees: $15 by 1/15, $17 between 1/15 and 2/11, and $20 after 2/11 for 5K, and $10 for Fun Run; T-shirts are $6 for adult sizes and $5 for child sizes. Entrants can register online using a credit card at www.active.com (a small additional fee applies to online applications), or use the registration form on this page.

Please mail registration form to: President’s Day Freedom Run C/O Stephanie Larsen PO Box 962 Sanford, NC 27331-0962 Course: The race will be an out and back with a turnaround at the beginning and end of the course. The course will follow Keller-Andrews Road in West Sanford. The course has two gradual climbs and descents. It is a fun and easy course.

Awards and Categories: Top 3 male and female finishers will be awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies, respectively. The first three male and female finishers in each age group will receive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place medals, respectively. The age groups are 14 and under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, and 70 Packet Pick Up and Race Day Registration: Packet Pick Up and Registration will start at 8:30 am and will close at 9:45 am. Registration will be located inside the church building.

Timing: Timing will be provided by Young and Associates. ChampionChip® timing will be used and reace results will be posted at http://www.runnc.com/

No refunds nor will packets can be mailed. If you pre-register, and are unable to go to the race for any reason, we will not be able to refund your money nor will we ba able to mail you your goody bag and t-shirt. Planning for each racer costs money and this money is spent even if you are unable to show up. Additionally, we have limited resources and volunteer time, thus preventing us from getting in touch with each non-showing runner to send out the packets and/or t-shirts.

Arrive early on race day. There is limited parking and parking will not be permitted on the road. T-shirts have been ordered for all those who pre-registered. There will be a limited supply of T-shirts on race day for late entries.

In respect for the church that is providing the venue, we ask that no alcohol or tobacco products be used on the church grounds.

Directions: From the Raleigh area, take I-40 to Hwy 1 South. Go to Sanford and get off on the Hwy 42 Exit. At the exit, take a left. You will go about 1.5 miles and take a right onto Carthage Street. Go about 1 mile and take a right onto Keller-Andrews Road. From the Fayetteville area, take Hwy 87 North to Sanford. In Sanford, 87 becomes Horner Boulevard. You will travel through Sanford for about 4 miles. Take a left at the light onto Carthage Street. Go about 1 mile and take a right on Keller-Andrews Road.From the South East, go to Hwy 1 north. Go to Sanford and get off on the Hwy 42 exit. At the exit take a right. You will go about 1.5 miles and take a right onto Carthage Street. Go about 1 mile and take a right onto Keller-Andrews Road.

For more information contact: Stephanie Larsen at (919) 718-1437, or email presidentsdayfreedomrun1@gmail.com.

Run Fat Boy Run

Looking For Motivation
I am always looking for good motivation to help me get my fat butt in shape. When I find this motivation I will share it. Some times I will share it even if I don't like it.

The Movie "Run Fat Boy Run"
While doing a search on NetFlix, I found the move "Run Fat Boy Run". It looked good and it sounded motivational so I got it.

Basic Movie Information
"Run Fat Boy Run" is a British romantic comedy directed by David Schwimmer, written by Michael Ian Black and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg, Dylan Moran, Thandie Newton, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort and Hank Azaria. This film is rated PG-13 for mild language and semi nudity and (for lack of a better way to describe it) potty humor.

Plot
Dennis is distressed about getting married and leaves his pregnant fiancee at the alter. Dennis' life is down hill from there. He never finishes anything and has an excuse for everything. 5 years later Dennis is a security guard at a women's clothing store, is late and behind on his rent, and a failure of a father to his now 5 year old son. Dennis especially becomes distressed when his ex-wife gets a new boy friend. The boy friend is a successful American business man, good looking, and runs marathons for charity. Dennis has a plan to get his ex-wife back. He too is going to run a marathon. He enlists that help of his good friend Gordon (who is also his ex-wife's cousin) and his landlord, to help him get in shape. He even proposes his ideas to his ex-wife who is less than thrilled. This puts Dennis into a tail spin and quits the idea of running. Running this marathon becomes a metifor for Dennis' life. He has quite everything he starts. No Dennis' son runs away from home. This is a wake call for Dennis who decides to finish he training and run the marathon in hopes of turning his life around.

Does he finish? Does he get the girl? What about then new boy friend?

What did I think?
Simon Pegg is a hilarious and skilled actor. I was laughing through most of the movie and I especially like the ending. I saw way to many men's butt. Evey movie I seem to see with Hank Azaria (the new boyfriend) he has to have a seen where he is without any cloths. This movie is no different.

Feeling Good Walking and Running

Another Walk and Run
Well, I did it. Another walk and run. I went about 1 mile and a half, in about 18 minutes. It felt really good. Once again I ran 3 minutes and ran 2 1/2 minutes. This will be my additional 10% run and Thursday I will just stick to the 15 minutes. I really don't want to over do it.

Motivation
So many people have email me that they walk or run for fitness, then stop. They just can't seem to keep up with it. then they ask me how I stay motivated. The first part of motivation desire. you have got to want the results more than the inclination to not go out and walk or run. another part is Hope. Do you have the hope that running or walking will actually help you? do you believe it? Well do. when you believe it and want it. you will get it.

Time
Another reason people have told me they don't keep up with running or walking is because they don't have time. These same people have time to read email, surf the net, play on their wii, watch Monday night football, etc. I would suggest 30 minutes a day, and believe me that's not much. It is essentially 2 Saturday morning cartoons. If nothing else 15 minutes a day! That's it. Hope and Desire
While at PT a saw a number of older people that fell down and hurt themselves. Just from falling down. I know of people that just can't do basic physical activity. Walk to the corner, go up stairs, or do house work, because they have slowly become to weak to do them. The lack of exercise could have been from an injury, an illness, or (the most common) time. The older you get the faster time goes by. I don't want to be that guy that is 70 years old and need help getting out of a chair. Well, no matter what your situation is, it is never to late! I know of a women who took up running at 70.

Getting Started
If you have had an illness or injury that has prevented you from exercise of any kind, I suggest you talk to your doctor and get a referral to a Physical Therapist. Physical Therapy will get you on the right path, at the right pace, designed for you. Some long term injuries may require special medical treatment. I would suggest that you get the treatment you need and get on a physical therapy plan. If it has just been a long time since you have done and fitness program, once again consult your doctor first. Once you have been cleared, do a search on my blog for walking and start a walking program. If you choose to run, ease into running.

You Will Be Surprised
Walking and running will help you feel better physically, feel better about yourself, and get your body moving.

Running Is Not For Me
That's fine. I will post about running later, but there are plenty of things you can do other than running.

Walking Is Not For Me.
Okay, now we have a problem. In a post about running I will also talk about walking. But walking is essential to everything we do. We get out of bed and WALK to the bathroom, WALK to the kitchen, and WALK to the car. Every exercise program must include at least walking.

NEW POST AND CONTEST!
In the next week, I will post how much I weigh! email me with how much you think I weigh. the closest guesses will win a prize. Email your guess to getmyfatbuttinshape@gmail.com and get a chance to win something special. i will post the Prize in the next few days. In the mean time I need to get my fat butt in shape.

My Last Session In The Pool

Oh, Glorious Day
I am finally done with PT all together. I did my last pool session and it was great. A really good work out. I am not nearly as tired today as I expected especially since I ran and walked yesterday. I may run and walk again tomorrow. We will have to see.

About This Pool
The pool used by the Physical therapy place I go to is called a Hydroworx. Have you heard of swim in place pools? Well this is essentially one of those, plus it has a treadmill in the floor. Plus there is a jet and hose that actually will give you a really good underwater message. I only mention this because they have more features adn are cheeper than other swim in place pools I have seen. Great for rehab or athletes. check them out at www.hydroworx.com.

The Challenge
I was actually pretty good during Thanksgiving and did not eat too much. Now I need to keep it up and be good during christmas and New Years. New Years may be easy since my wife is do on New Years eve and I will be in a hospital. Not much free fatty food floating arround there. But I really need to make sure to get my fat butt in shape. I will tel you when I think I'm ready for my first 5k.

My First Real Run On A Real Road

Let's Do Some Running!
Okay so it was walk and then run and then walk some more. There is a loop near my house which is close to a mile all the way arround. At my last PT session, I walked and ran on a treadmill and did 1 mile. So today I got out on the road. I walked 3 minutes and ran 2 1/2 minutes alternatively for 1 mile and a quarter and it took about 15 minutes. It felt good. I was a little sore after but I felt good.

Stretch
Yes, I stretched before and after. It made a lot of difference and the movement in my right ankle seems to be improving a lot.

Small Incramental Steps
Now I will increase next week by 3 minutes. I will probably add it to the Wednesday walk. So monday will be 15 minutes and Wednesday will be 18 minutes. I will then figure out how I should be increasing the amount of time I run and shorten the amount of time I walk. Then I can get my fat butt in shape.

LAST PHYSICAL THERAPY SESSION

Final Evaluation?
Well, I had PT today and we did the last evaluation for PT. Anthony took measurements, discussed how much has improved, what problems are still present, and what to do next. As I have mentioned before PT has become more of a Work Out than therapy. That is a good sign I need to start doing things on my own. Mostly I need to get out on the road and run, bike, and get back in the pool and swim. So I have one more scheduled pool PT Friday and one follow-up and I am off.

The Problem
First I still have tremendous ankle problems in my right ankle and much of it is permanent. If I were a professional athlete, my career would be over. But since I'm not, all is good for the most part. Running will get that back into decent shape.

Plan Of Action
I actually ran on a treadmill! Whoo-hoo! a wamping 4.8mph (yes, I know. While in the Marines I could almost walk that fast in full gear.) So I walk for 3 minutes and run for 2 1/2 minutes for a total of 15 minutes, twice a week. The next week I increase this by 10%. Since I am more concerned about time than distance right now, I will increase the next week by 3 minutes, then by 3.3 minutes, then by 4 minutes, and so on until I am at a half an hour for each work out. Then I will reevaluate what I am doing. I will also be decreasing my walking time and increasing my running time. I will keep you posted on how I decide to do that.

What Else?
I need to get back on my bike. I can bike to work, to the store, and other places close by. I still have my gym membership so I will get back in the pool. Last, I still have my Core Performance Book and I will start the basic (highly reduced to start with) workouts.

When Will I Race?
We have our President's Day Freedom Run coming up on February 14th, 2009. I am not sure how much work I am going to have to be doing, but I would like to run it this year. My PT suggested on January first, even if all I did was run walk it, so My goal of February doesn't sound to bad. Now all I have to do is get my fat butt in shape.

Today Is A New Day

The Doctors Appointment
I have been waiting for this for some time. A Day when the Doctor would say "Everything looks great, you CT Scan and x-rays look fine, you can't get back to exercising and stop taking that medication." Well, today was that day! I spent most of the day at the hospital. They took 4 x-rays and 4 CT scans. The doctor actually saw me quickly with little wait. He is even going to give me copies of all my CT scans and when I get them, I will post them.

Walking
I have started walking again. I have only been doing about 1/2 a mile to a mile. Last week I did 4 miles and so far this week I have done only 1. I hope to do 5.

Physical Therapy
I start back up on physical Therapy Thursday. I should be clear to do everything (ie walk, run, bike, and get in the pool) in three more weeks. I am still concerned about my right knee, but they are going to check it out at PT.

I Am So Ready
Without needing to take the medication anymore, I won't be so tired and will actually be able to work out and start getting my fat butt back in shape. I will keep you posted. Especially about my knee.

Walking, Health, and Physical Therapy Update

Weekly Walking Mileage Well this week I did 7 miles, plus a lot of other walking. Just around the house, at a church activity and such. By Saturday I was feeling pretty tired so I did not go out and log miles on Saturday. I figured I needed a rest.

Physical Therapy I am working with a new physical therapist in the pool. Hello to Tiffany. We did a lot of exercises and new jumping exercises I hadn't done before. I am really excited and looking forward to pool workouts. Mostly because I feel like I am actually running and walking as apposed to on land where all I can do is walk.

Rest - Just Taking A Break I really need to take it easy. I have been feeling sore all week. I started to feel pin prick pain in the arch of my left foot. The pin rick sensation is caused by the stretching and micro tearing of the fascia (tendons) in the bottom of my foot. If I over do my walking, the problem can get worse than it already is and I could be laid up even longer. Taking a break will give my muscles a chance to heal and recover. Then I will be refreshed and ready to go by the beginning of next week. When I say rest, I don't mean sit or lay around and do nothing. I still walk around the house, take my medication, keep my feet up, use ice. I just don't go out and see how hard I can walk for 2 miles. It is called active rest, even though I don't feel very active in the first place.

Running at PT I am supposed to be prepared to run on a treadmill (not in a pool) Tuesday. My first attempt at actual running! Yeah! Probably will be for a minute or so, but I am looking forward to it and I will let you know how it goes.

The Aneurysm

Questions From My Friends
Okay, people have been asking about my aneurysm. Technically, in my case, it is called a dissection. The aorta has several layers of walls to protect it from damage and to contain the blood when blood pressure levels change. There are two holes in the inner wall of my aorta. Blood is running into one hole and has formed a channel inside the wall of the aorta, then running out the other.

Danger!
My dissection measures about 3.75 cm. The danger zone is anything over 5 cm. After it reaches 5 cm, the aorta has a high probability of blowing within 6 months.

Now Or Later?
When first discovered during my accident, the doctors decided to wait and watch. Now after a few months they want to operate. They tell me I could wait, keep monitoring it as I have been, but the doctors want to take care of it now. What was the change? I am not completely sure. It has been determined that the blood is flowing into the bottom of the wall and flowing in backwards up the aorta then out the second whole. At the time the doctors told me they wanted to operate, we decided to ask around, think about the situation, and then make a decision. I have not made one yet.

To Run or Not To Run, That Is The Question
Well, I am on heart medication to keep my blood pressure down. Not that it was high, the doctors just want it low. The problem is the medication makes me super tired and I sleep all the time. So, even though I am walking, I don't get enough exercises so I am gaining mega weight. With additional weight, my blood pressure is getting higher. It all seems quite counter productive. I also want to get back to running, but my right ankle is just not there yet. I still need more mobility before I will be able to run on it. The doctor says running will be no problem. Though your heart rate increases a lot during exercise, your blood pressure has a very small increase as long as you are not over exerting yourself. So first chance I get, I will run!

Question Of The Day
Do I operate now or Later? Stay tuned and find out what I decide!