Well, I’ve been busy the last couple of days but it doesn’t mean I haven’t been taking care of business. This crazy regiment I am on and my kids are about all I can handle. It is great though. This of course is the last blog for 2009 and boy, was it a year. I’ve learned a lot this year and if I had some things to do all over again I don’t think I would. Everything I go through makes me who I am and to be honest with you, I love who I am. In many aspects 2009 was an amazing year for me. I look to make 2010 even more amazing. I think it’s going to be a pretty fun ride.

Today was kind of strange. I laid around all day long knowing I needed to get up and get my run in but I just couldn’t seem to do it earlier in the day. I wasn’t tired or anything like that but i just didn’t feel like doing it, yet I knew it was going to get done. So at around a quarter to 8pm I finally went outside I did what I was supposed to do. It went just as planned no issues or anything and I’m pretty surprised with myself to be honest with you because not once did I ever think to skip out on it today. Tomorrow I am right back at it with another run and I would love to get to bed tonight at a decent hour then get up early in the morning and take care of it. That more than likely will never happen though. I guess a 1 or 2 pm run isn’t too bad though as long as it gets done. Well, time to finish up my video then get that uploaded. Be great!

Now the week started off great and then the holiday hit. I was still able to get in most of my miles but I am looking to a better week coming up this week. I don’t worry much about New Year, I don’t plan on doing much and since I am up at midnight most nights anyway, it shouldn’t be a problem. I feel I have progressed this week with my runs and each week is getting better. Looks like I will be upping by 10% a week after the upcoming week. I am kind of looking forward to that. Not much to write about except that I did miss a weights workout this week, not cool. I did use that day as a run day as I was not sure if the gym was open on Thursday or not. All goes back to normal this week coming up. I’m looking forward to it. Oh yea, I did excellent with the food this week. I have to be proud of that.

Today is everyone’s favorite holiday and what better way to start it off by getting in a 4.5 miler before the Sun comes up? Before we get to that let me say over the last couple of days I have really enjoyed myself. I was able to hang out with my kids for the first time in 8 months and let me tell you, it was fantastic. I can’t describe the joy that brought me. If Icould be with them 24 hours a day 7 days a week, I would. They haven’t changed one bit except that my son is starting to get taller. He did decide to give me a scare Wednesday evening, he choked on a piece of candy. It was at the time I had planned to go outside and do my run for the day but for whatever reason we were just surfing the web when all of a sudden he took a big breath and then everything stopped. When I looked he couldn’t breath and I knew it was time to try out the Heimlich maneuver for the first time in my life. Thank God it works. It was a very scary moment because I knew he was in trouble and something needed to be done. It probably last all of about 15 seconds but it was the longest 15 seconds of our lives. He’s fine, he was shaken a little in the beginning but he’s 7 years old so he got over it. I’m just glad I was there. So back to today’s run, I thought I saw Santa Claus at one point but it was just a plane. I had a 4.5 miler today and it went very well. My right foot with these shoes still likes to burn a little but it doesn’t burn too bad so I think the shoes are almost fully broken in. Feet burning when you run? That can’t be normal. My shins gave me no problems today, they weren’t numb when I was done so apparently progress is happening. Sometimes when I am out running  feel like I am barely moving and to some of you runners that is probably true but today I really felt like I was moving along. I can really tell the difference of the weight starting to go. I’m happy with today and the week so far, even though it has been disrupted a little it was for a good cause. So, I guess I will go to sleep for a few hours since I haven’t been to sleep since my afternoon nap yesterday. My Christmas was made when I saw my kids, it doesn’t get any better than that for me. Tomorrow will be even better than today.

Late day today but it was great. I woke up late and decided to wait to go run until around 6pm. I have to say I felt no different than if I was going to run at 6am. I thought it would be a feel a little different because I had waited all day but I made sure to not wait to eat. I ate twice before I went outside and I had the energy to have a great run. I was surprised at the energy I did have but I guess I shouldn’t be, I’ve been doing this for a while. My foot was burning a bit again but I guess Iam used to it now. I felt my left shin a little in the beginning but by the second mile it was gone, of course that shin was numb when I finished running so that is probably why. I don’t feel like any of these are problems, I have had problems before, I know what those feel like and these aren’t problems. Another 4.5 miles tomorrow and I would like to get that out of the way in the morning. Tonight my kids fly into town, I will more than likely see them tomorrow for the first time since April. Everyday since then a small part of me has been missing but I held it together because they would expect nothing less from me. So for me, Christmas comes a couple days early.

Routine day today, somewhat. For the second day in a row my shin was numb after my run. I don’t feel any pain in it so I never notice it until after I am done. Hopefully there isn’t anything going wrong. I also think I have made myself a little sick. I guess I have gotten used to this warm weather here in Miami so when we have cool weather and i run and sweat in it my throat gets a little sore. I’m not really worried about any of it though. It’s Christmas week and it should be fun. I believe I have a 4 or 4.5 miler on Christmas day so I will make sure to get that done early. I’m looking forward to a great week this week. I have to say I have done well with my eating over the holidays so far and only one more holiday this week before the start of the new year. All things are starting to fall into place.

Back inside from an early afternoon 3 miler today. I was up early this morning but since I was going to shoot a video I had to wait until later in the day. I felt a little more drained than usual and I think it was because I didn’t put anything in my system until after I ran. I have to stop doing that. It all still went pretty well. I’m continuing to inch closer and closer and it seems to take forever when I write these blogs but when I look back over a month I can really see how far I have come. Brooks has renewed my sponsorship with them again for another year so I am pleased with that, especially after the tough year I had. It is nice to know they are still behind me. That is something that will help motivation if there are any down days in the future. All is going well and life gets better by the day. Tonight it is time to hit the town, I haven’t done that since I have been here, it is about time. Got to get up early for a run tomorrow so I can’t get too wild. Until then.

P.S. I just did something and it will be in my video (which wont be up until tomorrow ) but there are 102 reasons to be excited. Use your imagination.

So I was up late again last night until the early morning. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not up partying or anything like that. I am actually in bed at a decent time but I just never fall asleep. Sometimes I will doze off for an hour or so and when I do I wake up and I am wide awake. I think last night that happened I may have gotten 2 hours of sleep in then I was up at 3am so I layed there resting my eyes, because I wasn’t sleeping, and at around 430am it felt like it was time to go to the gym, so I did. What an amazing workout I got in. I knew it was great when I got to my curls (second to last exercise) and I felt the light headedness coming on, yea I judge my workouts by how close I can come to passing out, weird I know.  What a workout. At 445am there is really no one in the gym, which is okay, I don’t really care either way anymore. I did forget my water today and I finally had to get a sip of water during my curls. I tried to make it the whole way without the water but when my body was calling for it I had to listen. I’ve been home for almost a couple hours now and I guess it is about that time to get a nap in. What a great start to the day.

Alright, the last 24 hours have not been easy. I think running later in the evening really did me in for today. Also it seemed really hot out today but I didn’t want to wait until it got dark again so I took my chances. It isn’t all that bad, it was just tough. I feel great now afterwards and after a day off from the running tomorrow and some weights I assume I will feel even better going into Friday. I think I have an idea of what people mean when they talk about the “dog days,” I guess it’s more of a mental thing really because the body can handle it but it’s the mind that seems to want to break down. It’s great. Even with a tough week going so far, it is all going well. This is such a habit now it’s ridiculous. Until tomorrow.

I’m up early, it’s raining cats and dogs outside. I have some stuff to do in the late morning so it looks like it will be an afternoon run today. It’s supposed to be hot too, not cool. I didn’t sleep well last night, went to bed around midnight and woke up at 1:30 and been up since. I guess, I will get a few hours of sleep now. If I can fall asleep. I will do my video later too, I’ve been thinking about it all night. Until later.

Alright so I managed to get and evening run in, there was no way I was going to miss today so I was determined to get out there. Not that there was anything stopping me at all but you know how things can be later in the day. I got my miles in and I broke some new shoes in, I have to get used to them, even though they are the same kind I always wear. I did a video too which is currently uploading.  It’s just me chatting about some things again. Not like the last one of course. I’m please with the workout today and I would love to get up early and do it again but we will see how early I get up. I guess 8 or 9 am isn’t too bad. It’s only 10pm now and I a feeling a little bit sleepy so hopefully will be in bed fairly early. Alright, until tomorrow.