7 Mile Stomp

Hey Mammoths it was a glorious day to do a seven mile stomp. Matt and I geared up and went for it early in the morning. I like doing the runs early in the morning because it allows for me to keep my exercise adherence plan going.

When I was at H3 one of the lectures that I would attend over and over again was one called exercise adherence taught by Adam Martin. Adam would always say that you need to find a routine that works for you and find a time that is the most optimal for you to actually make it to the gym. Being a WoW BootCamper! I am up at 5 to get there by 5:30 on Tuesday and Thursdays and Monday and Wednesdays I am at the Omni with Matt.

Mammoths it is important to have a buddy when you are out there. I am fortunate that I have my herdmate Matt with me all the time. It is so awesome to have a friend keep you going and motivate you. We hit some hard hills today and Matt was there to help me get through it. Having a friend do the runs with you makes life so much better and makes the time go by quicker.

Well Mammoths the run was good. The friendship was better and keeping my exercise program going is sweet.

So Mammoths get out there and enjoy the range, make sure you are near a decent watering hole, and as always be careful of what you are grazing on.

Lighten Up Georgia!!!

Hey Mammoths! I just wanted to drop you a quick note about a new program I will be starting with my herdmates here at my office, MoWerks. We will be going to Athens Regional Medical Center on Monday, 31 January 2011 at Noon to participate in Lighten Up Georgia. Lighten Up is a program that will help the community learn how to live better lifestyles. If you live in Athens you should come and check it out. I am putting the link to this program below.

Lighten Up Georgia!!!

So tomorrow is 7 miles and I am really excited about it. Jackie came across a great article about the ABCs of Planning Your Race Season, which has a ton of good advice. I know that my C race will be the St. Joe's Jog on Saturday, 19 February 2011 at 9 am. MoWerks is sponsoring a running team this year and they will be at races all over the place so look for the shirts. I am putting the link to the ABCs article below as well as a link to the St. Joe's Jog. 5 weeks until the 1/2 marathon and I can't wait :)

ABCs of Planning Your Race Season

St. Joe's Jog

One quick announcement. I found out that my episode is scheduled to air on 21 March 2011 on A&E so set your DVRs. I am trying to get an event organized here in Athens so when I find out more about that I will let you know.

As always Mammoths I will see you on the range, find yourself a good watering hole, and be careful of what you are grazing on.

Thermal Walk After Lunch

Hey Mammoths want to keep your Base and lose some lbs in the process? Then do a quick "thermal" walk after lunch. You don't have to go far or very fast but a nice brisk pace will make your lunch burn off quicker, give you a little boost of energy during that afternoon lull, and help keep you in shape.

At MoWerks we are instituting a "thermal" walk at 1 pm (1300 est) and we will go for a mile or so, turn around and come back ready to tackle the problems of the afternoon. Walking is a great way to burn calories, relieve stress, and also bond with your co-workers outside of the office in a more healthy way than Happy Hour at La Parilla.

So Mammoths bring those running shoes to work, walk on the range with new members of the herd, be sure you are near a good water hole, and as always be careful of what you are grazing on.

Overdoing It

Hey Mammoths. So some of you were probably wondering where I have been the past week. To be honest it was tough week for the herd leader. One of the things that I have to deal with is that I am a compulsive over eater. Now some of you Mammoths are going, "Whoa! There is no such thing as a compulsive over eater, you choose to eat and that is why you are fat. So stop blaming everyone and get back on the road." I agree with some of this statement. I do choose to eat but the reason behind my compulsive over eating is that I am unhappy with myself, depressed, or most commonly angry. I use food the same way an alcoholic uses booze, to numb myself from what I am feeling. If you don't think food can do this for you think about a Thanksgiving when you ate yourself into a turkey coma. You can eat yourself happy but there are dire consequences.

One of those consequences that I deal with now is that I also over exercise. I over exercise to compensate for my over eating and you can see the cycle now. Last week I over exercised. After WoW BootCamp! I would go to the Omni and put in another 3 or 4 miles before heading into work. Now my body is used to long workout days and when I was at H3 this was not a big deal because I was monitored closely by Jeff, Adam, Amber, and Bob Wright. Here in Athens I do not have that monitoring and so I push, push, and push and finally I broke. Now I am not on the injured reserve list yet, but I am getting close and needed to take a rest day or two. My Mammoths you have to be careful, you have to listen to your body, and you have to rest. I know that it is hard and society says we are such lard butts that we need to be exercising every day for hours at a time but the reality is is that we need to keep everything in perspective. I have to remind myself that I did not get this way overnight and I will not be "cured" overnight. That this is a process and like all processes they take time so I need to be patient with myself.

So what does this have to do with running? Great point and I will answer with two really great points in rebuttal. First, you have to recognize your limits. As much as I like to believe I am a 25 year old UMBC rugby player the truth is I am not and that my body has limitations I need to identify and respect. Second, you need to follow a plan. I have an eating plan and an exercise plan that I follow. Where I got off track last week was that I did not follow my plan, I tried to wing it and winging it never works. Saber Tooth Tigers love Mammoths that wing it and try to do things their own way.

I feel better today and I am glad that I was able to share with you my herdmates what has been going on with me. Thanks for thinking of me and keeping me close in your prayers and thoughts. Hopefully I will see you out on the range, stay close to a watering hole, and as always be careful of what you are grazing on.

PS. There will be a Mammoth Stomp (5K) on February 19th. It is the St. Joes Jog. If you want to run with your boy come on. I will be shooting for PR that day so come on out and join the fun.

5 Miles in the Books

So Mammoths today I ran 5 miles using the 6/4 method. However when I got to the last mile I turned off my coach and just ran it. I wanted to see if I could do it and I did!!! Not only did I do it but I also kept my heart rate at the 130 range. I did this all in 72 minutes which leads me to believe that I could do a sub 3 hour 1/2 but it will be close.

I will be running in the ML5K this Monday. It starts at 3pm at Weaver D's downtown. I am assuming that this course will take us up and around downtown then back through college leading us back to Broad, hills, hills hills!!! So come on out Mammoths and run.

Also I am looking for Mammoths to join a cause I believe in. Jeff Ford, Mark Zigman and I are creating a racing team called Cruising for Campers. Cruising for Campers raises money for a camp for kids who have cancer. Look for a special blog on this and how you can help.

When a Mammoth Is Iced In

So here in Athens, GA we had a freak snow storm that dumped 8 inches of snow on us and then froze over. Since we don't have a budget for snow removal or de-icing equipement that means that my fair city has been shut down. It also means the roads are impassable, making it impossible for me to run. So what is a Mammoth to do when they are stuck? You get creative.

Over the holidays my family bought a Kinect for the Xbox 360 and we got a game called Dance Central. Anyways if you want to see how Dance Central works pop on over to my VLog on YouTube and see how a master does it.

Today was a great day because I was able to get out and get back into the gym. I also dropped 9.8 this week, which is awesome seeing how I was housebound for most of the time. My friend Bob Wright at H3 always says that weight follows behavior. One of the things that Jackie and I are doing is limiting our eating out to just one night every two weeks. I love eating out. When I was a kid eating out was the one thing my family did together and enjoyed doing it. Eating out went from being a special occasion to almost every night when I went to High School. Lots of factors fit into this scenario. My parents were working way, way, way to much, I was so unhappy with my home life that I was over scheduling myself, and honestly being a food addict when we went out to eat we could not talk to one another about how we really felt because we were stuffing our faces with food. The behavior I want to teach my Little Mammoth is that eating out is a treat. Just because we drive by (insert fast food with drive through window here) does not mean we are going to stop and get something. I know this sounds preachy but as a food addict I have to recognize this behavior and break the cycle of dependency.

Well that was deep Mammoths so if you want a real laugh for the link to my VLog and check out some serious dance moves.

As always, enjoy the range and the ramble, stick near a good watering hole, and watch what you are grazing on.

4 Mile Ramble

So I heard that there was a WoW BootCamp! run on Saturday. Now Mammoths I am a social animal and really like being around people and these WoWers are my type of Mammoth. They are all driven to be the best they can be and are always around to support the herd. I have gone through some tough times and it was nice having these folks behind me, helping me through, and pushing me when I needed it. I am a big believer in running with a group or a buddy. This gives you an accountability you may not have otherwise. If you live in the Baltimore area I know that the Baltimore Running Club meets at PJs Pub on Charles Street and they are happy to have new members. My Mom's neighbor, Kathy belongs to that club so if you do join up tell her the Lead Mammoth says hello.

I am blessed to have really supportive people in my life when it comes to my running and eating habits. My biggest fan and supporter is my wife, Jackie. For Christmas this year she gave me something I have needed since I began running, a heart rate monitor. Nothing says I LOVE YOU quite like a monitor that lets me know where my heart rate is and makes me a better runner. If you are over 250 and running (or rambling as I like to call it) then you NEED to have one of these monitors. There are a ton of them out there but make sure you get one with a strap that goes around your chest area. The one Jackie got for me is a SportLine and it also does my intervals, so if something happens to my RunKeeper (like at the last half) then I am able to keep my intervals going during training or the race.

Well Mammoths that is all I have for today. We are preparing for Snowpocolypse here in Athens, GA with freezing rain and snow predicted. So to warm my fellow Mammoths up I have posted another video. This one is of me during the 4 mile ramble on Saturday and I actually filmed during my walking phase. So get out there on the range, stay near a good water hole, and be mindful of what you are grazing on.

Mark's 4 Mile Ramble Video.

The Importance of Cross Training

Hey there Mammoths. I thought today I would talk a little about cross training. Cross training is when you do a different exercise routine other than the one you are normally doing. For me I do a thing called WoW BootCamp! Now WoW is runner oriented, Michael and April Williams are big time runners and triathletes, but we spend a lot of time developing our core muscle strength, arm and leg strength. I also like WoW because it gives me a chance to hang with the other guys who are also determined to lose weight and be healthy. I have made some great friends in my cross training class and it helps break up the loneliness of the run.

I have attached a video of the first 5k. I put it up on YouTube and will do that from now on.

Have fun roaming the range, drink your water, and be careful of what you are grazing on.

New Year 5K

Stampede!!!

Hey Mammoths I was wondering who is reading this so I am asking for a stampede! If you would either hit follow on the blog or leave me a message on FaceBook I would greatly appreciate it. Yes, it is an ego thing LOL

Keep Drinking!!!!

Well it has been rather cold here in Georgia as of late. It is so cold that when I do exercise outside I am having to remind myself to get a drink. I usually do this during my second and fourth walking phase of my 6/4 workout. It is important Mammoths to make sure that you keep hydrated during your runs, and when its cold outside our bodies can sometimes fool us into believing we don't need the water because we don't feel the same thirst drive as we do during the warmer months.

It is very important to keep hydrated because hydration fuels recovery. A study that was given to my by a trainer at H3 said that most Americans are dehydrated 60% of the time. That is an amazing statistic. Lack of hydration, the study continues, leads to sluggishness which in turns leads to eating, which leads to extra calories, which leads to excess weight. I found this study to be pretty remarkable.

So my Herd Mates I suggest you get yourself a nice big glass of water every hour or so. You will see that by drinking your water you will be less hungry and more energized. When running make sure that you have access to water and schedule times for drinking. If you are doing a long run, something over 4 miles for a guy my size, I would invest in a Camel Pack. I would tell you to get a Spy Belt but they just don't make them in our size.

Well my little Mammoths I wish you a good running day, keep near the water hole, and watch what you graze on out there.

Fat Guy Guidon

About a year ago or so I did a 5K in my hometown of Athens. At the start line I began warming up by doing dynamic stretching that I learned at WoW BootCamp!. While I was stretching out I heard one guy say to another, "Well at least I won't be coming in last," as he jerked his head towards me. Another time I overheard a young runner say, "Geez with that fat guy there the race awards won't start for at least an hour, that means I have to stand around for forty minutes waiting on chubby, mcchubberstein to cross. I hate fat people." As Mammoths we have to endure these comments in stride. It is hard to just let it go but that is what you have to do. You need to always remember that you are racing against yourself and not the field. As a Mammoth I have long forgotten the notion of winning my age group or any other type of award. If I do bonus, but what I stick to is how am I doing compared to my last race.

Being the Fat Guy Guidon means being the pace setter for someone who believes because you are a Mammoth means that they should be able to beat you. It has been my experience that the people who do this are normally people who are very race inexperienced. To feel better about themselves they use your size as a motivating tool. You notice the FGGs because they blaze past you at top speed and then slow down to a walk about ten steps ahead of you as they pass. When you pass them you can sometimes hear an audible grunt of disgust as they are now required to pick up their own pace, when really all they want to do is just quit. I use these folks to ensure that I hit my marks. Yesterday, for instance, there were these two guys who were using me as their FGG. It really motivated me to keep up my pace and follow my intervals. The payoff came when we hit a part of the course where you double back to the finish and I saw this pair as they were struggling to finish while me and my herd were doing just fine. It is all about perspective. If you let these folks get to you then you will have a bad race. The key for me is to keep my marks, keep my intervals, and run my race.

Tomorrow I will discuss hydration and why its so important for Mammoths to do this during the cold season. Have fun on the range my herd mates, keep hitting your marks, following your intervals, and watch what your grazing on.

Hey Let's Run On New Years Day

So Matt and I decided that today would be an awesome day to do a 5K. Now Mammoths finding a 5k on a weekend is not very hard. Just get on Active.com or just do a google search of your area and add 5k and you will more than likely find one, especially if it is around a holiday.


Matt and I found the New Years Day run at Sandy Creek Park and we went there, registered, and started stretching. While we were stretching we ran into two great people, Jennifer and Katie. Jennifer is a person I know through WoW BootCamp! here in Athens. She is a veteran runner with 1/2 marathons, marathons, and a couple triathlons under her belt. She is so inspiring and it was so great to see her on the first day of the year. Katie is a friend of mine I met through other friends and she is new to running so she decided to stick with the herd. We had a really good time running and Katie did a great job of sticking to the pace and then turning on her jets to finish.




My time was 46:10 a minute slower than the Savannah run but that is okay. I had a hard time "getting into" the race. It was a hilly in some areas but overall I have run tougher courses. The last mini hill got me after the bridge and I had to walk up 1/2 way but I got into the rhythm again really quickly and finished strong. Matt did awesome and didn't even look like he broke a sweat but hey come Monday we will both be sweating as we get down to serious training for the Snicker 1/2.


Tomorrow's blog Mammoths will be on being the Fat Guy Guidon, what that means and how to use it to your advantage. Until then keep moving around the range and watch what you are grazing on :)