The Weight Yo-Yo and my 2021 Race Plan.

I am sitting down on a Sunday (I got lazy and didn't post it until Monday) night after the kids went to bed and decided to write instead of watching tv.  So, let’s start with my weight journey.

I was a slender kid growing up.  My mom used to make huge batches of Chex Mix, Carmel Corn, etc.  I would eat gallon bags of that in a sitting and wouldn’t gain a pound.  That pretty much lasted until I quit smoking cigarettes when I was 23 (I started in college, one of many awesome things I started doing there).   I have yo-yo’d with my weight ever since.  The problem is I really like food that isn’t good for me and I am great at justifying my food cravings.  I am definitely a binge eater.  I will polish off a half gallon of ice cream in two sittings or a huge bowl of caramel and cheese popcorn. 

I can also buckle down and stick to eating healthier.  I have had really good success with the Keto Diet.  The reason I really like it isn’t as much for weight loss, but it really helps with my inflammation issues and injuries. I also feel so much better when I am on Keto, even on fasted runs (runs where I will not have eaten for 16 hours and then will run at a comfortable pace for 6-10 miles with only water).  There are weight loss benefits too.

When I ran Rio Del Lago in November of 2018, I was about 185 lbs.  When I had to take the time off of all physical activity, I gained weight from eating everything I could find.  I ate partially to try and mask everything that was happening in my life at the time (divorce, stressed at work, etc.).  I topped out over 205lbs, which was as much as I had ever weighed.  The issue with me is that when I gain weight like that, I tend to have acid reflux and other issues and I know it isn’t healthy.  My family on both sides have heart disease issues.  Also my back and neck get much worse when I am holding some extra pounds.

The road to recovery took a long time and so did the weight loss at first.  It took almost 9 months to get back to my Rio Del Lago weight.  My real goal was to get back to around 170lbs.  Through hard work and determination…and several attempts, I was able to stick with my Keto diet for a few months.  I was not 100% strict (and never try to be) but was trying to be as much as possible and it worked.  I had not only passed 170 lbs in May but was down under 160 pounds by August of this year and while I hadn’t been able to train as much, I was able to be in the best shape possible for the Grand Canyon. 

I tend to yo-yo with my weight still.  I was holding near 160 lbs. for months and then went to visit my family in Washington and ate like a king.  I was up over 12 pounds in 3 weeks, and I am back to working it off.  I don’t stress over my weight but do try to eat healthier because I can feel the difference when I am not eating right, my joints get inflamed easier and I don’t recover from runs as fast.  I don’t really like to talk about my weight, but I am hoping that my story can be an inspiration so someone.  You can reach your goal.  It takes determination and sometimes a few tries. 

As for my mental health, I had been so overwhelmed at work and didn’t know what I was going to do.  My attitude in life was negative and I am sure everyone around me was aware of it.  I tend to take on too much and finally I made the decision to change that.  I also decided to focus on being positive and to try not to cause drama.  When I do good things, it makes me feel good.  I don’t need anyone to know what I did either. 

Picking up nails on a run and wrappers on the trail, taking a grocery cart back to the stall for someone else, or just slowing down and giving someone space to move over because you know they want to.  Do something small to be a positive influence on the community around you.  Is it selfish that I do it because it makes me feel good? Maybe, but that’s okay.

So I’m laying it out there.  Here is my big (dream) schedule for 2021.  The reason I say “dream” is that I need to still get into one of them and COVID still may change some of the races. 

March 4-7 – Hillbillies Training Camp (Orcas Island)

April 10 – Zion 100k (Virgin, UT)

 

June 20 – Broken Arrow 26k (Olympic Village AKA Squaw Valley, CA)

 

July 17 – Tahoe Rim Trail 50 (Spooner Lake, NV) *Lottery Jan 1

 

September 24 – The Bear 100 (Logan, UT to Bear Lake, ID)

I will be doing a ton of running, learning to backpack…with my kids, and hiking.  My goal is to hopefully sprinkle in a few other races as well, but who knows what the coming year will look like.  I hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving week.