Fat Runner: " I think I see you doing more biking"......

Fat Runner: " I think I see you doing more biking"......: ......was what I remember while I was in the Recovery Room. It was all a bit hazy, but Dr.Scott Parry was explaining to me what he found/d...

" I think I see you doing more biking"......

......was what I remember while I was in the Recovery Room. It was all a bit hazy, but Dr.Scott Parry was explaining to me what he found/did during my Knee Scope. If you notice the pic, you'll see a "Bald Spot", which is where cartilage has worn away. My "Bald Spot" is about twice the size of this pic, which is why Dr.Parry told me that, "yes,you can still run Gio, but I see you doing more biking than running". Thing about biking....it hurts my butt! and then I don't get the same " feeling " I do when I run. I'm thinking maybe just mix it up a bit.More flat surfaces and less hills....more dirt trails less pavement... 5&10k's instead of half Marathons....and work in a bike ride I guess. Other than that all is well, this is day 3 post-op and knee feels fine. My thigh hurts and is tight where they placed the tourniquet. Here's to all of you, wish you all good, fun,runs and an injury free 2013.

Runners Purgatory.....THAT'S WHERE I'M AT !!!

So, I finally got my big butt off the couch. I've been a little blue about my inability to run, which has made it easy to sit on the couch with my knee up, hypnotically staring at the television, exercising nothing other than my right arm, which keeps putting food into my mouth, much like a conveyor belt,feeding coal into a Power Plant! Thoroughly disgusted with myself, I peeled myself from the couch long enough to take a nice walk. It's a cool,moist day, with snow in the mountains and the smell of creosote and sage in the air. I walked through the nearby hills, and found myself enjoying it thoroughly! I have to give credit to Terri Rylander. I watched her YouTube of a run in the snow up in Elbow Canyon, which made me yearn to be outside.I'm just kinda waiting for my surgery ( Dec 27th,with Scott Parry ) to be done, so I can get on with recovery. Till then, It'll be walks, and hopefully a little work out here and there. Here are a couple of links that may inspire you. I also want to give a shout out to my little buddy Ethan Mendenhall. Ethan has neuroblastoma and flew out to NYC to get hi scans done, and find out if he's clear or not. I love you buddy. At 8 years old, he's braver than most of us.May God bless him and his family. Gio

 Terri's Snow Run in Elbow Canyon

Disabled guy loses 140lbs and gets in shape. Remarkable!

K, it's official....Knee Scope Time!!!

Well, the results of my MRI are in and it's officially....KNEE SCOPE TIME!!  December 28th is the date I'm having it done. I'm looking forward to getting it done and over with so I can start back running again. I really must say....I miss my runs! Much, much more than I would've thought. I also have it in my head that come January 19th, I'll be doing the St.George Half and although it's possible, I've been told it's not probable. I guess the key will be how fast I can recover after the surgery. The surgical plan is to remove the frayed areas of the meniscus and deal with whatever else is causing my effusion...fluid on my knee. I suppose now is the time to focus on non-running exercises, that I have been lax on, get through this little hurdle, and get back to running.....maybe biking and swimming would be good too. As always, there are links below and don't forget to subscribe

.http://www.livestrong.com/article/178421-exercises-after-knee-arthroscopy/

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/running-injuries-causes-prevention-treatment

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/3_Ways_to_Prevent_Running_Injuries

Well, it ain't looking so good.......

So, I don't get my MRI till sometime next week, but it's looking like a knee scope is in order.Jeromy and Dr.Seip seem to think that it's a tear of the posterior-medial meniscus and that a simple debridement is in order.. If so, I'll probably have it done by the end of December, and be back running by mid January? At this point I'm icing it down 3 times a day still. The action of just walking aggravates my knee. So, I guess that means push ups, sit ups and other exercise instead of running....for now. I'm still planning on St.George Half on Jan 19th, even if I gotta crawl it!! Looking at doing the Spartan next June with Dr.Empey and Shelby, and of course the Tough Mudder in San Diego next November. Anyone want to do those events, let me know. Have a great weekend and run safe friends!

No Pain, No Gain.....

Well, haven't really been able to run this week as I have planned. I've been having some left knee pain, which I expected, after the Mesquite Half. I've been eating NSAID's like candy and icing at least twice a day. It's now Wednesday  morning, and it's just now starting to feel better. I run with a small tear in my posterior meniscus anyway, so to just see what's up for sure, I'll be getting a MRI of my knee, just to get an idea of where I stand with that. At this point Friday or Saturday is when I'll start back up running, since I have the St.George Half coming up Jan 19th. Should be enough time to sort it all out. I hope all have a happy Thanksgiving and as usual, I have some links for ya!

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sportsmedicine/a/runninginjury.htm
http://www.runnersworld.com/health/big-7-body-breakdowns?page=single
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/How_to_Run_Injury-Free
http://www.sgcity.org/recreation/adultsports/stgeorge_half.php

Well, I made it!!

I completed my 2nd half marathon.....Mesquite Half Marathon, and of course, I'm sore as hell!! This race was listed as a " Downhill " race, but for the life of me, seemed like it was all up hill, or at least a lot of hills to climb. My time was a little long at 2:47:00 but I'm doing it more for the experience than speed. Next year, might be different. It was a nice cool day on the AZ strip, with clouds and the occasional sprinkle.Sean Covey did well. He has been getting chest pain when running.....so I'm happy to report that he didn't CODE. As a matter of fact, he won 2nd place for his age group. Nice job Sean!! I was happily surprised to find a cheering crowd of friends for me coming down the home stretch. Shelby, Shani, Jody and Tiffany along with little Bowen rooting for Uncle Gio....was all way touching. My left MCL is sore, along with my right ankle but all in all, it was a great day!!
Heres some links http://running.about.com/od/racetraining/a/basichalf.htm

Night before the Mesquite Half Marathon....

So, when you decide you're finally going to do an event, be it a 5k,Tough Mudder, Marathon or the like, there is a monetary cost to it, a "Registration fee", which is used to cover organization costs. When you go and pick up your " Packet ", it usually has pertinent info in it, your race bib, a micro chip of some sort, a shirt and goodies, usually carb foods like " Goo" gel or power bars and the like. I went to pick up my packet for the Mesquite Half, which cost $65 to enter, and what I recieved is the following: 2 trial size deodorant bars and 2 packs of bandaids, and since they didn't have xxl shirts, I didn't get one. The Snow Canyon cost $45 and I got an array of carb food items, shirt ( which I lost ) and other stuff. The trial deodorant bars are as small as my thumb. I suppose as I'm running down the course, I could strip off my shirt and rub 1 deodorant bar on each of my sweaty arm pits. Thank heavens for those goodies!!

2 more days till the Mesquite Half

Hey, how's it going folks? Not too much to talk about this week. I went on a few short runs, which is always nice here in the Fall. The desert southwest, is really a perfect place to be for any outdoor activity during the Fall months. Clear, cool and sunny skies, gives you the ability to run for a long time without the stress of over heating......which is an issue when you're a large man! lol.

I am looking forward to this weekend when

I do the Mesquite Half Marathon. It should be

a gorgoeus day. I have a couple of links for everyone.http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/10-tips-running-cold

http://www.shape.com/fitness/cardio/5-reasons-running-cold-weather-good-you

http://www.livestrong.com/article/67040-running-shoes-heavy-men/

My first run post SC Half...( Tripped on a fork landed in food )

Wow....Finally made it back! So, I was just gonna take 2 days off after last Satuday's S.C. half marathon, but between the early darkness ( 1st excuse ) then stress eating ( 2nd excuse ) and a bad influence from my part-time roomy Sean and Jeromy, who never runs ( 3rd excuse and pushing of blame to others ), I didn't get out to run 'til this AM. A pretty, yet chilly day here in Mesquite. I am planning on making up for my laziness and food binging by running Sun/Mon/Tues/Weds....then Saturday the 17th is the Mesquite half marathon, and all will be made right to the running gods on that day!!
Here's a couple of handy links ya'll can use and have a great weekend.....Don't forget to pound the pavement!!
http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/weight-maintenance/secrets-stop-binge-eating
http://running.about.com/od/nutritionforrunners/tp/bestfoodsforrunners.htm

http://www.runnersworld.com/topic/0,7122,s6-242-304-0-0,00.html

Snow Canyon Half Marathon 2012....Yes, I ran it!!

 Well, today was the Snow Canyon Half Marathon, in beautiful southern Utah. This is the first half marathon I have ever entered. I met up with rand Bracken, for those who might remember him, he was at DRMC back in the late 90's as an Orderly, and training as a Scrub....but mostly pursuing his RN. I work with Rand, CRNA at MVRH. Anyways, he was with his Sister in law, Brook. We took the bus up to the start together and hung out in the bone, chilling cold of the early morning.I went with the idea of just to "do it", not really race, but I did a lot better than I thought I would. I finished with a 2:32:00 time. Not bad for a fat runner doing his first half!! Heck, I actually passed up quite a few folks. Rand and Brook both did great too.I wore my "Team Ethan" shirt, which has the Childhood Cancer Awareness sayings on it, and I got a lot of positive gestures from other runners. I plan to have more made up...I was actually going to try to see about sponsorship through Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation ( http://www.nvccf.org/ ), for shirts and entry fees. I like running, and maybe I can raise funds or even just awareness. It's a win-win! I get in shape, lose more weight, and also do something good for Ethan or the NVCCF, even if it's just awareness, which might help more in the long run through research.
So, what's it gonna take for you to run? If you have a weight issue, or need to be fit, or just want to feel good, and you haven't run since childhood, I have a link for you that will show you how to go from the couch to a 5k.... http://www.coolrunning.com/ can give you all the info you need to help get you started. Don't fight it...just do it. You'll feel better both physically and mentally...I promise!! I have to say, that I feel better than I have in years and the weight loss is a bonus! Losing weight makes so many tasks easier....tying my shoes...walking up stairs...anything that has to do with bending over is improved 10 fold!! Heck, I don't have to put my belt on my pants, prior to putting them on. If you're big, you know what I mean! You don't have to be a fanatic, you just have to start. If all you have to do is something like this, and it puts years on your life....well, if you're a kid with cancer, you'd do it!...for a guaranteed extension of life...you know they would. You should too! Let's go!!

Full Moon This AM....GORGEOUS!!

Went running this AM, at about 0430, was a beautiful yet chilly morning. Huge full moon in the morning sky, which lit up all the darkness around. Did about 4 miles with a mile coolwalk....thats cool down walk....thusly coolwalk. People ask me all the time about how to train for the " Tough Mudder ". I tell them, and any of you who might be interested, that you need the proper mind set first. Determination will be the biggest part of it. Anyone who has been in the Military understands this. Next I say running and pull ups. Lots of running to build stamina and pull ups to climb several 12-15 foot walls. If you can do even just 5 pull ups, you will do so much better than so many that can't even do one. Lastly it takes teamwork. Be in a team, train with your team, be one with them as much as possible and have the mindset that " you don't want to let them down " . That attitude is enough to make you work out like you should, instead of sitting on your butt, eating pizza and drinking sodas/beer!! Myself, I have the Snow Canyon Half Marathon this weekend. Early November in Southern Utah is a fine time for a run. Should be nice weather.It's a race but, I'm not really racing as much as just going at my own pace and maybe someday in the future, after doing a handful of events, I'll see about actually caring about my times. I feel thinner, yet haven't lost anything lately, but will work harder next week.I have a very lofty goal, namely 205lbs. I haven't weighed that since 1994, and I must say, I looked great back then. We'll see. Goodnight and happy running!

Vegas Adventures!!

Hi everyone....So, I went to Las Vegas to visit Thane and Dana who were having friends over for dinner. I also had an appointment with " V-Rod ", Victor Rodriguez, a tattoo artist at Executive Tattoo, who did this marvelous tattoo for me. It's the logo for Tough Mudder with the date I completed the event and the age I am when I completed it. It truly was the toughest thing I ever accomplished, so there is truly alot of meaning to this for me. I also went running this AM.....What was going to be a little 2mi run turned into a semi-adventure.lol....I got a little lost in the Green Valley area and after running 2mis,I noticed I didn't know where I was.So, I called Thane.....He's kinda the " Mister fixit of everything".....but he didn't answer. Called 3 times, and no answer. So I just kept walking......about a mile, before I realized that I do in fact have GPS on my phone...DUH!!! Needless to say, I found my way back to his house.lol

Introduction to me....The Fat Runner!!

Hi, My name is Giovanni and I am naming this blog " Fat Runner ". I do view myself as a runner now, and yes....I am fat ( though not as fat as I once was ). I always had off and on weight issues, by which I mean from the time I was 20 to the time I was 45 I fluctuated anywhere from 190's to 240's. I'm about 6'2" with a large frame, so I still looked pretty good in my 240's. Then came my last divorce in 2008 That's when beer and food started to take a larger presence in my life...long story short....by 2012 I was 295 with an assortment of ailments that comes along with being that size and being 50yrs old, I couldn't just drop the weight like I once was able too. I wound up in the hospital with a heart issue.....had a Heart cath in April 2012. When that heart cath showed no damage to my heart, I decided to change my life. I quit drinking beer, simply because when I get a few beers in me....I eat...ALOT! I then started a sensible diet, started a Crossfit program and then started to run. I used to HATE running....HATED IT!! I always associated it with punishment. My High School coaches would punish us with running. I knew though, there was no way to lose weight and increase stamina and gain general fitness without running as part of my fitness plan. So I sucked it up and began running. In the beginning, it was tough! I would "trick" myself, by running to 2 light poles and walking to 1 light pole. Tricking myself to actually run and not just walk, a good distance. After a 2 weeks of this, it all became easier....I could run a mile without stopping....then 2 miles....and after 2 weeks of 2 miles 3 times a week, I did my first 5 miles ever....and something funny happened....I ENJOYED IT! I couldn't believe it. Something I hated to do, was now something that I couldn't live without.When I run, I work out all/any issues of the day....personal ones....global economy....wars.....China...climate issues... I think clearly...at least whilst I'm running! This blog was born this morning after a 4 mile jaunt!! Since my Heart Cath in April I have done the following: New Harmony Mud Run....I run between 15-20 per week now....I did the Las Vegas Tough Mudder, a 12 mile cross country course with 25 military style obstacles....I am currently signed up for the Snow Canyon Half Marathon and the Mesquite Half Marathon.
I have to thank the people who push me and inspire me.....Thank you Dr. Empey for taking care of me and making me do the Tough Mudder....Thank you Jake, for being my personal escort during the event....Thank you Shelby, my lovely work wife who always beams her rainbow of optimism on me, and little Ethan Mendenhall, an 8yr old boy, who battles cancer with nary a complaint. I push through tough runs, when I think of you Ethan!!
                              I will be adding to this blog on a regular basis and oh, by the way, I weigh like 250...so yeah, I'm still a Fat Runner.