It’s been awhile since I’ve run 8+ miles so getting a solid night’s rest was a given. Sleeping wasn’t going to be an issue, it was the waking up part I was curious about. And I got my answer quickly. Woke up well-rested and feeling ready to tackle the new day’s challenges. Current score – Herbalife and Herbalife24 (1) – Aerobic activity (0).

Morning weight 172.5 pounds before my smoothie. Another pound lost is actually faster than expected, but not a surprise. This chart below would suggest that in the last 2 days, I have seen a caloric deficit of at least 7000 calories. I can tell you that’s not the case. Just ask the slice of Indian pizza leftovers I ate with a side of Mango Jalapeño Hawaiian Chips yesterday. So, again this is a great guide and the guide says, if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. My current progress shows me that I am currently burning more calories than I am eating which is consistent with the my results and my goals.

How many calories does it take to lose a pound?

Since I’m getting back down to weight more suitable for my goals, it’s also a good idea to take advantage of the loss of body fat with weights and other exercises that don’t involve avoiding cars on a country road like human Frogger. Yes, that’s what I did yesterday and that will be my last time on that route. Turns out that country roads aren’t too concerned about bike and running lanes. Let’s just say you’d never see a sign like this because there was no shoulder to work on. No wonder I’ve only seen 2 people running this route in the 12 years I’ve been driving by it. Life lesson #10 – Duh

With my home physical therapy steadily moving along, I can feel additional range of motion in all areas except any movements that attempt to get my left arm behind my back. If I had a scratch back there that I couldn’t reach with my right arm, I would just be itchy. I’ve made notes of these and will share with Mark tomorrow.

In the meantime, I do what I am able to without risk of further injury. 5 sets of free weight, floor dumbbell presses. Doing these on the floor is great and I never have to worry about going beyond the plane when I bring the weights down. At my peak, I was doing 110 pound dumbbell presses. Currently, 45 pounds seem to be the safe weight before I feel any twinges or strains. 5 sets – 12 slow and controlled reps. Feels fantastic to be able to do these again. Curls are on the agenda this morning as well. I reflect back on my P90X days and remember the in-and-outs, but I am unable to do this movement with free weights. Bands it is and I’m fine with it. 5 sets of 16 slow and controlled in-and-out reps. Tony Horton would be proud and I can hear him encouraging, “Do your best and forget the rest.” 5 sets of 10 shoulder presses with the bands as well, but it’s my own variation. It’s pressing, then with straight arms parallel to the floor and back up to the press position. Back down into a curl and press. That’s 1 rep. I’ve lost so much strength in my shoulders from lack of movement. I am determined to focus on the movements I can do and not focus on the movements I cannot do.

All successful trainers say the same thing. After a workout, get a recovery drink within 30 minutes. Who am I to dispute T.H. and Shaun T. Time for my Herbalife24 Rebuild Strength. Cheers.

Did you know that Rebuild Strength was named the Best Protein Shake by the editors at Triathlete Magazine. In the September 2011 issue, the magazine compared Rebuild Strength to Muscle Milk, Detour Lean Muscle, and Interphase Hypertrophy Matrix and Rebuild Strength came out on top. They wrote:

Damaged, exhausted muscles need protein. But not all protein shakes are created equal … This easily blended, chocolate-flavored recovery shake was the best of the bunch for taste and semi-thick consistency, with the look of a milkshake and the malty finish of Whoppers candy. It also blends well into a smoothie.

Here’s the spread in the magazine.

Triathlete Magazine names Herbalife24 Rebuild Strength the best protein shake.

11:00pm – Physical therapy completed. Ready for tomorrow’s session.

Well I was wrong. Based on my previous day’s activities and caloric intake, I predicted I would lose lose a pound and weight in at 174. Actual 7:20am weight – 173.5 pounds. This is in line with my target weight loss calculations and chart and further supports my belief that weight loss is easy as long as you keep it easy.

Early morning start begins with a quick stretch because Dr. Oz says it is a good idea and if Dr. Oz says it, it must be true. I say this jokingly, but not really. The man is brilliant.

Load up on my traditional shake and an 8-ounce glass of Herbalife Hydrate. Since I have too many miles on my Brooks GTS 12s, I wear my Brooks Pure Cadence 2s. I only wear these on short sprints of 3 miles or less. They tend to hurt my right foot along the outer edge, but it’s time to give them a spin at a longer distance today. The goal 8 miles. The route a country road I’ve never run.

Surpassed the goal by a little, but that was walking for the last 1/2 mile. I’m not hitting my same splits as before and I’ve notice my arms get cold and they aren’t sweating when I get to the 5 mile mark. The weather difference is taking a toll on my distance and my body. Attempted to do some pushups as a change of pace … At 1, my left shoulder twinged. At 2, my left shoulder had a sharp pain. There was no 3. Next time.

Home and just drank Alhambra water straight – nothing added. Then drank some more. Good stretch and within 10 minutes, I’ve already cooled down and have a healthy light sweat back on both arms. Again proving I am most likely dehydrated due to the hotter weather. When I was training in the winter for my first 4-man relay race, I was comfortably running with a long sleeve shirt. Life lesson #9 – The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I need to find a workaround.

After just water, I chased with an 8-ounce glass of Herbalife24 Rebuild Endurance.

Recovered from the run in about 10-minutes. Feels good and now I see why Herbalife24 products are used by triathletes.

Physical therapy to end the day and the promise of increased range of motion. I can already feel my golf swing returning.

Put some road miles on my body today. Herbalife Restore to the rescue and good night.

Broken record time … morning Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla shake packed with fruits and veggies. Hint. Cabbage, kale, and spinach will taste like strawberries if you add enough strawberries.

Morning weight is 175. So after one week, it looks like I’ve established an average. I now know if I decide to “chill” meaning no workout, eat pizza, and watch game 5 of the NBA finals on TV, I will gain a half a pound. That is great news. Life lesson #8 – do a little, get little results. Do a lot, get little results. Do a lot over time, get big results.

Here’s a screenshot of a website I recommend to many people looking to gain some perspective on weight loss. Whether you are wanting to lose 5, 10, or 100 pounds, this website is excellent at revealing just little changes can bring big results and makes weight loss not such a scary undertaking.

The takeaway for any weight loss goal is simple … look at the “stay at same weight” caloric reading. For me, it reads 2,382 calories per day. That is equivalent to 476 calories per meal because I eat 5 times per day. What does 476 calories per meal look like … I could eat an Egg McMuffin and hash browns all day long and still reach my goals by approximately August 11, 2013. Sure, I’m not saying it’s the healthiest method, but the point is there isn’t a need to deprive yourself which studies have shown leads to cheating and weight gain. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Key – find out what the caloric intake of your favorite foods to give you a recipe for a successful and long-lasting program.

PT time to end the day. No physical workout today, but lots of chores and physical tasks completed. It wasn’t a traditional workout type of day, but there was sweating throughout the day. If I worked at the “Guess Your Weight” carnival booth, I will weigh in tomorrow at 174 or below.

Good night and please check out the above websites to see your light at the end of the tunnel. Weight loss is simple if you keep it simple.

Happy Father’s Day to all the biological, non-biological, and spiritual fathers. The male role is very clear in the bible. Watch Courageous.

So up at 7am to enjoy my Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla Shake. It’s been breakfast for my wife and me for quite some time and it’s helped quite a bit. Weight loss was great, but the energy to live and enjoy daily activities is truly the best part. When I “couch potato” it’s because I choose to “couch potato.” And speaking of couch potato, I weighed in at 174.5 pounds.

Church today was wonderful. Car show and former NFL center Ed Tandy McGlasson taught a wonderful bible-based message on fatherhood. I secretly wished they called it “Who’s Your Daddy?!” Overall message … if you didn’t grow up with a father or the father you did grow up with mistreated you physically or emotionally, there is a heavenly father that uttered for all to hear “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 Life lesson #7 and there probably will not be one as important as this one … tell others they are loved. It makes a difference.

And check out this Audi R8

fff

My parents are out-of-town this Father’s Day so we have an all-day party with my wife’s side. I have always had a wonderful relationship with my father-in-law and it continues to grow. I get a lot of my new jokes from him.

Today’s dinner menu was rather interesting. You haven’t tried pizza until you’ve had it made at an Indian restaurant. Indian Pizza and it was delicious. Imagine nan bread with all your traditional pizza toppings like aloo gobi and baingan bartha and those aren’t Indian words for pepperoni and sausage. They even used paneer cheese. Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, I think I just found your next unique stop.

Game 5 to the San Antonio Spurs. Nice job. Happy about those results. I missed the entire fourth quarter shooting exhibition by the Spurs not because I left the room, but because my niece showed me this wooden stick attached to a wooden ball with a string. Yes, I know it’s called Kendama, but it’s still a wooden stick attached to a wooden ball with a string. When I was growing up, that was called paddle ball. I tend to be a more than a little obsessed with finishing what I start so that is why I tend not to pick up new items.

As a kid growing up in the Atari age, there wasn’t a game I didn’t solve. Even back to the Apple II Plus days and Akalabeth and Sabotage, not a game I didn’t solve. Even won a local Street Fighter II tournament. Again, I finish what I start and thanks to my father, I don’t and I won’t quit. So, I shouldn’t have picked up this Kendama. 1 hour and 25 minutes later, the game is over and I’ve been officially Kendama’d! What a fun game and I have a skill level to shoot for after watching my niece pull tricks with names I now forget, expect “The Cap”. I actually started maneuvering that wooden ball pretty well and got the best compliment from my 11-year-old niece who also happens to have a YouTube video with over 32,000 hits, but that’s a different story. She said, “you can already beat some of the people I battle” and her Kendama looks like it has been through plenty-a-playground battle. When we were growing up in the 80s, we’d “Break For It” I guess nowadays, these kids KendamaIt. She gifted me the Kendama I was playing with. She is a special person — always has been. Thank you.

It’s 9:57 and we’re just getting home. My two betas in 2 separate 5-gallon tanks were happy to see us. Dried bloom worms for dinner. Physical therapy before the end of the night to keep my commitment to the physical therapist and to myself.

11am – Starting my physical therapy and will finish before the official end of day. Still on track and will continue to rejoice. No Herbalife Restore before bed today because although these movements hurt and I do break a slight sweat, I don’t believe I’ll need a Restore to recover from this one.

Final words. Did a social experiment today and went the entire day without using or checking my phone. In other words, I forgot my phone at home by mistake.

Up and going on a Saturday morning. 7:20am – weighed in at 173.5 lbs. And a little secret, had dinner with family and friends just 12 hours earlier and did my best Kobayashi impersonation with Roma’s Pizzeria. Life lesson #6 – enjoying the company of others with laughter is a major part of healthy living.

8:15am – 1st meal of the day. Formula 1 French Vanilla Herbalife Shake with Personalized Protein Powder. Packed full of fruits.

With my wife off to the beauty salon, time to hit the pavement. 10:45am. Loaded up on 8 ounces of Herbalife24 Hydrate and double-checked to make sure I had band-aids strategically placed to prevent rubbing. If you didn’t know, technical shirts can rub you raw. Please don’t test me on this … just trust me. Let’s just say these shirts need warning labels and disclaimers.

Run time temperature 79-degrees. Sounds cool, but after 3 miles, you begin to warm up pretty quickly. Started to overheat today at mile 6. Actually had a chill, but no sweat. I’m not a doctor, but I know WebMD. Sounds like heatstroke symptoms, so I reluctantly walk for 5 minutes and it seemed to help, but I didn’t want to push it. So I did another 1.19 miles of overpass sprints to mix up my workout. Special thank you to a fellow runner on the overpass, “I should do that too!” to which I responded, “huh?” In my defense, I had Nirvana pumping through my earphones and I was out of breath. “Huh” was the best I could muster. Total mileage today – 7.19

I am still way short of my distance and time from just 2-months ago. My warm-up distance was 7 miles and 10 miles was very doable. Also, discovered a new goal. I brought my jumprope with me on the run … discovered I am unable to jump rope right now because of the limited movement in my left shoulder. When I can jump, it will be a new benchmark the physical therapy is working.

This week, my feet have been hurting so I did a history search on my App RunKeeper. Says I have run a total of 452 miles since joining RunKeeper’s community.

I Googled “how many miles …” and Google must know me. The first suggestions was “… before replacing running shoes” and it suggests between 300-400. Looks like I have a trip to Fleet Feet in my future, but apparently I need to drive here and not run. My shoes have expired!

http://running.about.com/od/shoesapparelandgear/f/replaceshoes.htm

I ran straight to Chinese to meet my wife for lunch. After a run or any type of exercise, I don’t feel very hungry so I ate about half my lunch special. Or maybe I wasn’t too hungry because they gave me 3 glasses, each full of ice water. Those went down fast and after 3 water refills, that was 48 ounces of water I drank.

Home by 12:45pm. Time to do my physical training. Since Thursday, I have actually seen an increase in my range of motion which coincides with an increase in my pain tolerance. I’m pushing through this and determined to get back to swinging a golf club or at a bare minimum, putting on a shirt without wincing.

Herbalife Rebuild Endurance will have to wait. 48 ounces of water and I don’t think I can hold any more liquid.

10:26pm – Herbalife Restore, but with another 8-ounces of water. Great day. Lessons learned.

Well from Wednesday to Thursday, I gained a few pounds by sticking to the plan and was reminded to celebrate my efforts, but reflect on the results. I reflected and didn’t find anything out of the usual, so I stick to the plan. My goal. Marathon. Part of my plan, lose a few pounds. My theory, if I am running for 4+ hours, less weight to carry is better than more weight to carry. Don’t believe me, grab a 16 pounds bowling ball or a sack of rice and carry it around Ikea while you shop. You’ll understand very quickly.

So, Wow! Morning weight at 7:10am was 174. Almost down to my Tough Mudder weight where I was cat-like, limber, and lean. Life lesson #5 – reflect on your past successes and if you want the same results, just do those things again. Time for my Formula 1 French Vanilla and Personalized Protein Shake. Breakfast is served!

10:30am. Physical therapy movements. I woke up in the middle of the night from the previous day’s movements. My left arm and shoulder were in positions I haven’t been able to achieve in about 5-months and the pain in the middle of the night reminded me of this new found stretching and pulling. Up and down. Tug and pull. I may be able to scratch the lower part of my back with my left shoulder soon. It’s almost there. 3 sets of 20 reps for two out of the three exercises. Will finish tonight.

I mixed my home physical therapy with some resemblance of a P90X light workout. I had a new confidence in the progress and attempted some pushups for the first time since December 2012. I’m not winning any CrossFit competition right now, but I was able to push out 5 and 2 of them actually didn’t have any pain. Far cry from 50 in 1-minute I use to do, but it will come.

I do feel a difference in flexibility and my Bowflex weights looked a little dusty. I can do floor barbell flys with light weights. This is great news. Between sets, I use bands for shoulder presses. I did try to use free weights, but dropping weights on my head didn’t sound like fun today. Bands it is. Used the more resistant bands and immediately went into a P90X in-and-out curl. Worked in a set of my physical therapy rope and repeated. Just like the old days.

5:15pm. Finished up physical therapy movements. Already feel a positive change.

Up at 7:10am and excited for today’s weigh-in. 177.5 pounds … hmmm. Gained some, but the key is that it doesn’t show and I don’t feel it. I’ve put in much sweat equity over these last days so I’m sure it’s just water weight. Haha. No matter what caused this increase, I did my best yesterday so it is what it is. Life lesson #4 – If you do your best and don’t get the results you were seeking, celebrate your efforts and learn from the results. 

On today’s schedule were trips to the airport to drop-off two sets of family/friends, lunch with a business partner in midtown Sacramento, all leading up to my initial visit to the physical therapist. His name is Mark.

Mark, “when did you first start feeling pain in your shoulders?”

Me, “Best guess, 4 years ago and as of November 2012, during a Tough Mudder at Northstar of Tahoe, I hurt it going up an 8-fooot wall and “re-reinjured” it again coming back down that same 8-foot wall. Loud pop in the left shoulder going up and loud pop going back down the wall.”

Discussed the X-rays and they show normal wear and tear for a 42-year-old. Some disc compression. But overall, nothing out of the usual in both shoulders, including the most painful left shoulder. I think the actual medical diagnosis is “normal.”

Now, it’s hard for me to describe the pain level in my left shoulder specifically. Scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, it is a 10-plus. Also know I cannot put my shirt on without pain and I’ve had to relearn how to put a jacket on. I’m right-handed so I am a right arm first and then left arm. That isn’t possible anymore so I have to do everything in reverse. The good news is I can assume this is good for my brain health to do normal tasks differently.

First session. Measured range of motion. Response from Mark, “Wow!” And “Wow” meaning not good. He asked me to do certain tasks. Press against. Pull against. Using the force of my left arm. During my second task, “POP” and another “Wow” from Mark. Yes, that sound is becoming oh-so-familiar and that is why a “normal” diagnosis is so perplexing. After a lesson on home movements to increase mobility with makeshift rope therapy and scheduling appointment two for next week, I leave actually feeling better. My left shoulder hurts, but that just means it’s working. Progress achieved!

Final diagnosis from Mark, “Frozen shoulder.” His best guess is that I tore a ligament during Tough Mudder. It healed, but since my motion was limited, I stopped using my arm and a type of muscle atrophy kicked in. Makes sense to me.

Home by 5:45pm. 3 sets of 20 on a rope tied to a door. My wife sees me and puts things in perspective. From P90X to Insanity to Tough Mudder to an “old person” workout. Funny thing is that I am sweating as much with this rope therapy that is designed to pull my arm in positions it hasn’t been in for months than I did with P90X Chest and Shoulders Day.

1st Movement includes sitting in a chair with my back to the door. Ropes hang from the top of the door. I wrap ropes around my hands and alternate pulling. Right arm up down brings left arm up. I pull until the pain isn’t manageable. Determined to increase the range.

2nd Movement includes standing with arms at a 90-degree angle. Rope at door knob level. With elbow tucked into the body, pull to rotate the arm out.

3rd Movement includes rope tied to the top of door. I bring the rope behind my back and pull to bring the arm up the back. This movement hurts the most. I haven’t been able to scratch my back with my left arm in quite some time. With a lot of pain, I tug on the rope with my right hand to bring that left arm higher. This is doable!

Done for the day. No running. No weights. Just “old man” rope therapy.

Finally broke down, literally, and went to see the doctor about my shoulder issues. Phrases like range of motion, limited mobility, and pain levels were thrown about. So X-rays prescribed along with a medically prescribed anti-inflammatory and physical therapy. Good news. Doesn’t believe it’s a full tear of any ligaments or a shoulder separation. All other news … TBD. Let’s just say the X-rays of the left shoulder weren’t the most comfortable. Life lesson #3 – Sometimes uncomfortable is necessary for growth and restoration.

Awake – 7am. Amazingly only snoozed once and up at 7:10am. Morning weight 176.

Breakfast or 1st meal of the day – 7:40am. Surprise! Surprise! It’s my Herbalife Formula 1 French Vanilla Shake packed with fresh (aka frozen) fruits and veggies.

Doctors – 10:30am. Blood pressure the best it’s ever been. 100/70. All this running is doing what it’s suppose to be doing. And oh yeah, salty snacks and popcorn have become my enemy. I’m sure those life-style changes have something to do with it also.

It is now 12:04pm and there isn’t a workout in sight, but it’s still early. We’ll see.

8:20pm. 72-degrees. Made a decision to get closer to my goals and sweat out the 10 radiation-filled X-rays I had in the mid-morning. Ran 10 wind sprints up our neighborhood improvised hill, aka “The Overpass” Total distance 2.13 miles. Last hill sprint didn’t stop — slow jog home and sprinted the last 3 blocks. Fueled back up with a Herbalife Hydrate and Herbalife Mango Aloe cocktail. Since it was just a short run for speed and endurance, drank 8 ounces of water filled with 1 scoop of Herbalife Rebuild Endurance and a single Herbalife Restore tablet.

End of entry. Tomorrow is the beginning of healing via physical therapy to both shoulders.