Matthew Carlton, Words, Art, Photography

Since, I’ve registered for my first half-marathon I’ve been planning my training routine. Today I mapped out training schedule and put it on the calendar.

My first week of training for the half will be the first week of August, twelve weeks before the half-marathon. This is getting real, but I am excited and ready for the challenge!

Last year my wife and I decided to register for the Inaugural Carmel Marathon Championship Weekend’s 8K race.  We both walked the majority of it and ran little, this race and getting ready for it was the catalyst that started my journey to a healthier life. 

That race I recorded a time of 1hr 12mins 23secs, a pace of 14:34 a mile, and determined then and there to run the whole race this year.  This year I ran the whole race and finished with a time of 49mins 48secs, a pace of 10:02 a mile.

I just registered for my first half marathon.  I’ll be running the Indianapolis Marathon’s half marathon race on October 20, 2012!  If you’re interested they have a full marathon and 5K race as well, check it out: http://indianapolismarathon.com.

I’m proud of what I’m done, but I’m not done yet!

2011:                                                               2012:

I signed up for the Bulldog Jog this morning; this will be Liz’s first 5K!  I am so pumped for her and proud too; she’s worked very hard to be able to do this.  She’s going to do so well!

If you’re in the area, come and run with us!

My wife and I bought Nike+ fobs to track our running indoors.  They’re pretty cost effective at twenty bucks and since we have iPhones (Nike+ technology is built in to the iOS) it made sense to do that instead of buying a pedometers or highly overpowered stopwatch.

I’ll let you know how it works out.

If there is one bad thing about losing weight is that my wedding ring is too loose and falls off.  I’m dealing with it for now; I’ve wrapped string around it to keep it snug.  Yes, it looks like something a high school student would do, but until I can find a better solution it will do.  I will have to get it re-sized once I hit my final goal.

As of yesterday I’m 10 pounds closer to that goal, I’ve now lost 40 pounds.  I’m able to run three miles without stopping and I’m training to run the Carmel Marathon 8K (5 mile) race in April with Liz, Eric, and Kristen.  Not bad considering I couldn’t run a block in early June!

Once I lose 50 pounds I will have hit my first major goal which is to be less than 200lbs, I can’t wait to get there!  Thanks for all of the encouragement, don’t stop now!

It all just sort of came together; I ran my first 5K (3.1 mile) race this past weekend.  My wife and I participated in the Jingle Bell Run to support the Arthritis Foundation.  I didn’t think I’d be able to do this until the spring but I guess I was holding myself back.

I didn’t ask to be timed because I honestly thought I would be walking some of it and wouldn’t get a good idea of pace.  Luckily I had my iPhone and my trusty running app Runkeeper.  My time was approximately 35 minutes and 54 seconds, that’s a pace of 11 minutes and 33 seconds a mile.  I think I would have been quicker if I had done a better job of moving through the starting crowd of walkers and slower runners.

My impromptu running playlist was a mix of songs from the Pretty Lights, It was about 15 degrees when we started but luckily we ran mostly in the sun once we started moving.  Some folks ran in costume, one gentleman in particular was wearing, from what I can tell, a box covered in wrapping paper that was held up by suspenders.  The important information is that besides the box he was only wearing socks, shoes, and I believe running shorts.  It was hard to tell.

I hope to run another 5K soon; my next goal is to run the 8K at the Carmel Marathon in April.  Beyond that time will tell, I can do anything I put my mind to.

It seems that the Carmel Marathon and the Komen Race for the Cure are on the same day, April 21st, 2012.  That’s going to make it a little hard to try and do both this year.

Scheduling is hard.