And so it begins...

Today is the official start of my 18 week marathon training plan. Ironically, it is a rest day. I did run 5 miles yesterday morning with the Omaha Running Club (ORC) marathon training group, so I am not complaining.

My goals for the week are to maintain my run schedule (3 3-mile runs and a long run of 6 miles this weekend) even though my wife, Elly, is out of town. The fact that this is also the last full week of school and that this weekend is Memorial weekend are kind of stressing me out, too.

I have also started venturing into the realm of the Paleo Diet. I will be trying to avoid a lot of the processed starches and sugars that are so quick and easy to ingest and replace them with "real food."

Thanks for keeping tabs on me and let me know if you have any questions.

The Backstory

If you know me, then you know I am a bit heavy. Clinically speaking, I am obese. I am 5 feet and 8(ish) inches tall and weigh about 260 pounds. I was not always this heavy. As a youth, I was pretty lean (at least in some of the earlier pictures I have), but as I grew up, I also started to grow out.

In 8th grade, I wrestled in the 138 pound weight class. That is the last time I can remember being less than 200 pounds. When I started high school, thanks to weight-training and fast food, I started to bulk up a bit which seemed okay for my football career as an offensive/defensive lineman.

After entering college in the Fall of 1987, I started playing rugby. The physical exercise was great, but failed to offset my college eating and drinking habits.

I reached my maximum weight of about 280 pounds about 15 years ago. Since moving to Omaha in 2003 and beginning my life as a M.A.M.I.L. (middle aged man in lycra) riding my bicycle, I have managed to get down into the 240s. But, inevitably, I creep back up to where I am now.

This brings me to the point of this blog. I recently registered to run the 2013 Omaha Marathon on September 22, 2013. On Monday, May 20th, I will begin an 18 week novice marathon training plan as outlined in Hal Higdon's book, MARATHON: The Ultimate Training Guide. My goal is to blog about my training and nutrition as I prepare for my first marathon.