My apologies right out of the gate for not posting at all in a LONG time.
I'm back in Wisconsin for the summer. It has been full of scorching summer days and hot beekeeping action. I've had very little internet access at all... which is both a blessing and a curse sometimes.
I've kept most of the weight off in large part due to my newest weight loss technique: lyme disease.
Now if you can stomach the almost constant sluggish feeling and the never-ending supply of horse pills to combat the dizziness and nausea then you can look forward to a 20 lb. dropoff in weight in only 3 days.
That's what happened to me about 2 months ago and I'm still battling every day since.
I actually flew into Boston to see a doctor about this and that's why I have such glorious internet access.
In any event, I'll be out of Wisconsin towards the end of the month. I'm hoping this doesn't carry on for another 2 years like I heard about in some cases. As soon as I get back on the East Coast I'm going to give the biking a shot and see if my body can take it.
Until then...
Best wishes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well well well.
I'm still alive so I guess that means it's time to endanger my health for the betterment of mankind once again...
In the quick update department:
I'm still flirting with 350... which I decided was healthy to take a
few weeks off and stablize since I lost 90 pounds for 90 days
straight. And since I've watched a few episodes of SCRUBS on
television during a few nights of insomnia, I feel I'm overly qualified
to make a clinical decision of that magnitude.
I'm heading back to Wisconsin tomorrow for the summer. It's going
to be a big summer full of wild beekeeping antics and hopefully some
fat beekeeping profits.
My plan is to totally revamp this website into a format that looks like
it wasn't created by 2nd grader. I'm also going to attempt to
update the blog more often as an outlet for the voices in my head...
Do you like videos??
We've got videos!
Come on down. Come on down.
Yes I'm going to try to include some videos into the mix as well.
And the moment that nobody has been waiting for; my next event...
I'm going to bicycle 140 miles straight in September.
What's that you say? Not sexy and / or dangerous enough for you?
I've got you covered...
I forgot to mention it's going to be a TANDEM bike ride.
Now we're talking.
It's going to be a 140-mile TANDEM bike ride in September.
I'm still searching for a reinforced bike but I can only assume that it's going to end up looking something like this...
So there you have it... whatever IT is.
I'll be back in a week or so to fill you in on more details.
Until then, live.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Believe it or not I don’t think that my body was
designed to run marathons...
I think somebody put it best that I was moving at a glacial pace. To be honest, I clearly could have walked a faster marathon but it was the principle of the thing and I wanted to run/jog as much as humanly possible.
Its been a
week since the race and I am still paying the price.
At first I just had total muscular pain, like I had been hit by a
truck and the driver backed over me to make sure that the job was done. This pain has gotten better by the day,
revealing some underlying joint issues.
I appreciate that plenty of people told me that this was going to happen
and that I should be careful. So, I
won’t complain about it to you. I've hopped back on the bike for a few hours here and there.
I needed
the 3 month window, and I needed to do the marathon. However, now I need to find something new to train for. I do not think it would be a very good idea
to train and run another marathon, at least not yet.
The prospect of being in a wheelchair at 30 over something so
preventable is not so appealing right now. I may change my stance on that but for right now -- no wheelchairs (I know, I know. I'm getting soft).
But there
is really something to this 3-4 month window of training. Its just short enough that I won’t get bored or burned out. It's great to set a huge goal, get out of your comfort zone and "x" off the days on your calendar. The timeline is short enough that it is tangible and very much within reach.
So, I’m looking for my next event and I need you're help...
I'm looking for something that isn’t running-related and occurs
sometime between mid-August and mid-September.
** Maybe a 100-200 mile endurance biking event,
** 3-5 mile swim (maybe 1.5 from alcatraz),
** Or something completely offbeat (like training to become a cage fighter or swimming with giant sea turtles).
Now while I'm clearly THE authority on elite endurance events (joke), I'm not sure what's next. I just know I need something to keep me going. There's an AMAZING difference when you have a goal to shoot for on a certain date versus just training for yourself.
I’m not saying I’ll never run a marathon
again. After all, I need to give some people material to b*tch about around the watercooler. That said, I never saw the quote unquote "runner's high" so much as the "runner's croquet needles being jabbed into every major muscle group and tendon high".
I just need something different
for the next 3-4 months.
I will be at
home in the great north woods of Wisconsin.
Where the men are men and so are the women (joke).
I throw myself at the mercy of the court for suggestions. Do your best/worst and fire away...
P.S. location doesn't matter as long as it isn't in Indo-China or something like that. I'll definately be going the charity route again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
How do you like them apples????
In what can only be described at the most horrific experience of my life. I, Jacob Seilheimer, completed the Boston Marathon...
DEAD LAST.
And I'm damn proud of it.
Here are a few pictures from yesterday...
I got down to Boston around 1:30 in the morning due to circumstances beyond my control. I got to bed at 2:30 and woke up at 5:30.
I had an elaborate plan to rest up all night. But as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men...
So it ended up being a mad scramble to make it to Hopkinton when I was supposed to. This is me on the bus being transported to the start of race...
It was an absolute mob scene when I got to the starting line. There were 20,000 runners there and that didn't even include all the volunteers and spectators. We were engulfed inside a monsoon-type weather system (so much so that 2,500 runners didn't even show up to pick up their numbers to race).
It was pretty awe-inspiring.
The race organizers set up fencing on both sides of the street to direct the runners. I kept to the side as they let a few groupings of several thousands of runners pass. I'm going on the record as saying that I've never been visually-assaulted as much I was during the time period.
And it was not all in my head.
I got a few dozens NASTY looks from other runners. Some snickers. Some laughs. blah. blah. blah.
It's been awhile since I've felt that uncomfortable.
However, there were quite a few runners that won't out of there way to tell me congrats on making this far and good luck...
So after all the registered runners took off, I made my way across the starting line. The crowds on both sides were cheering like crazy. It was an amazing moment.
I set off on a blistering pace. Better than I expected. I was cooking at roughly 12-minute miles for the first 10 miles.
They had water stations manned by some incredible volunteers at every mile along the race. I timed it just perfectly that as I approached the water stations for the first 10 miles, they were in the process of breaking all the tables down.
I know it was just poor timing on my part but it felt like a cruel joke.
And not to worry for all those people who b*tched about me "stealing
funds" from the race -- my friends got me drinks from the store along
the way and I treated my own medical conditions. Go whine elsewhere.
Like candy just out of the reach of a baby...
I very sparringly ran during the past 3 months in an effort to save my joints from the pounding on the pavement. And in the end, it was my downfall.
I started to hit a wall around mile 11. It was actually closer to a mountain. Cardio wasn't an issue at all. It was joints, all the time.
So my pace of 5 minutes running - 1 minute walking soon gave way to more of a 50/50 ratio.
This is me taking a much needed phone break during my minute off... just before I fell off a cliff. At this point, I was half-joking and half-kidding about wanting to flag down a cab (but I was 100% serious about getting a few cab numbers for later on -- which I tried to use later to no avail).
And the run goes on...
I missed all the crowds...
I missed the Wellesley girls...
I missed BC and Beacon Street...
Fighting off the pain...
Wishful thinking...
As we approached Commonwealth Ave. - I knew we were down the homestretch. Unfortunately (as my friends would inform me when they were well out of swinging distance after the race), we took a wrong turn at one point because the race had been done for so long that there weren't any markers left to mark the course.
Apparently my little "detour" tacked on another 3/4 of a mile. And at this point, my friends were clearly lying to me about how much longer I had to go. They told me about 2 miles left. In reality, it was 3 and some change.
At the time, it was so devastating. I was absolutely heart-broken.
I knew I couldn't quit at that point but I can't even describe to you in words what I felt at the moment. It was a sense of helplessness.
There were many times during the last 3 miles when I was out on my feet. My body had given out but I just wanted the damn thing to be over.
I'm not ashamed to admit I had tears in my eyes more than once.
It was a battle to be sure.
I took the left onto Boylston Street and could see the "Boston Marathon" banner that signified the finish line. I took off down the sidewalk and darted between the people coming and going from the bars.
The last 20 yards were blocked off so I actually got to run down the middle of the street as I crossed the finish line at 8:30pm.
A cool 9 hours and 40 minutes after I started...
Boston Marathon... check.
I'm pretty sure that by the time I finished, the Kenyans were already back in Africa celebrating.
I'd also like to congratulate the 122-year old guy who passed me around mile 13. I have no idea if he finished but as he passed me -- he took with him any and all self-respect that I may have had.
Everybody was out there for a reason. My story was just one of many. Thank you for letting me share it with you...
Time to rest...
Thank you for your support all along the way. It got me over so many bumps along the way. This has been a life-altering experience in very real terms.
I'm still in recovery mode today but I've got a little surprise for Thursday...
I'll keep you posted.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Rest.
|
|
|
|
|
|
349.
Game on.
I'll recap everything tomorrow. And I've got a doozy of a picture for you...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A letter to all:
I’m sorry if I have offended
anyone. I didn’t know that bandits were
such a black eye for the race. I didn't know so many people would want to stick a shiv in one of my legs because I wanted to experience the "religious" experience that is the Boston Marathon -- that so many have said is the greatest day of their lives.
I
assumed I could run down the road by myself, a long way behind the real
runners. Proving something to myself, proving that I could I could do something
that seemed so impossible. No matter
what happens on Monday, this has been an unbelievable experience for me.
I have made positive changes in my life, I
have much more confidence and have regained a lot of my self-esteem. What started out as just a funny way to stay
motivated in weight loss has blossomed into motivation for lots of people to
change their lives. I am
healthier. This is a journey that I
would never have been able to do without the inspiration and encouragement that
many of you have given me (as well as the motivation I have gotten from the
people who have wished me ill will).
I’ve tried all the diets; Atkins,
Nutrisystem, high carbs, low carbs, no carbs, they work for a month and then I
slip off. I’ve gone to the gym, same
thing, lasts for a month, miss awhile, and can’t go back. You keep telling yourself that you’ll start
the diet or go on the run next week, the whole time despising yourself for not
doing it. It ruins you, how can you
have any confidence if you hate yourself?
I was too big. It is not good to
be 26 and thinking about the realistic possibility of a heart attack
everyday. It puts a cloud over you and
your entire life. I had to try
something big. Something that would
force me to put it all out there so there was no quit. No going back. So I picked what seemed to be the most ridiculous thing at the
time.
I publicized, I got the most
people to watch it that I could. What
better way to keep from giving up?
I
haven’t given up and I think I have a pretty good chance to be able run 26.2
miles. But there was no way I would
ever try it if I didn’t tell a ridiculous amount of people about first, so that
there was no way to back out without looking like an ass. However, there has been a somewhat
unintentional offshoot. It has inspired
people to want to do the same. Maybe
not run a marathon, but lose some weight, start jogging again, or just eat a
little better.
I think that we (you and me) really started
something special here. With all the
negative media attention that obese people get, this goes to show that people
can change. I hope that the people who
have been inspired will continue to make positive changes in their life, just
as I will. This is no longer just about
running a marathon and having a good time, it’s about setting goals and
achieving them.
Sometimes you can’t
accomplish your goals, but then again that’s not always in your control.
I’m sure a lot of the “elite” runners are smiling,
happy to be able to say, “I told you so.”
It should give some of those runners’ blogs good fodder.
But I don’t care; I didn’t do this for
them.
I did this for myself, and obese
people everywhere.
So, only time will
tell what happens at the marathon, but regardless of that, the last three
months have been a success. Anyways, I
guess I’m getting all sentimental now that the race is almost here, but not
because I might not be able to run. I
know that I will probably finish the marathon.
I guess if they remove me from the race I’ll find a running track,
walking path, dog park, bike trail, ski hill, anywhere with a measured distance
and run the race by myself. Any 26.2
miles will do. I just thought it might
be a little more convenient to use the same one everyone else was...
|
|
|
|
|
|
What's that you say?
There's a marathon in 7 days?
I've got an idea... I should run in it.
NOTE TO SELF: Worst Idea Ever!!!!
I'd say I'm averaging about 3 hours of sleep over the last few days. But it's not what you think. I don't spend my nights full of anxiety and wrapped up in the inescapable thoughts of the marathon.
I get all that out of the way by 4 in the afternoon.
I'd call them night terrors but there's still daylight out, so I'm not sure what category they fall into. However, I can tell you that they suck. BAD.
I spend my nights catching up on the work that I missed during the day while engrossed in sheer terror.
BUT IT'S TOO LATE TO TURN BACK NOW...
I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to get much sleep until after the race. So I'm extremely excited to tackle it so I can get some rest.
My weight is holding steady at 356 and I physically feel incredible (as strange as that may seem). I've been training down this week so I have a full gas tank ready to go on Monday.
A lot of yoga this week. Some emotional moments with Savage Henry. Throw in a small run here and there and you've got yourself a deal.
I've been training on an inclined street that I'm told closely resembles "Heartbreak Hill"... and I know I'd have no problem scaling the actual "Heartbreak Hill" if it had the same sandwich shop at the crest as the one I'm training on.
Intense week...
Game on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nothing too fancy today...
Did some yoga.
Rode some bike.
Chewed off all my fingernails stemming from anxiety with the marathon.
And I stumbled across these gems from a few months ago. I really can't believe that was me. It completely feels like I'm a different person now. Pretty wild...
If you're crying right now and you're not sure why...
It's because you shouldn't be looking at these pictures without sunglasses. It's not good for your retinas.
Horrifying, unhealthy - and yet, strangely hypnotic.
Finally, and most importantly, THANK YOU for your encouragement! I definately hit a sticking point not too long ago but a few words in the right places really pushed me to take the next step.
Thank you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick...
WHOA BABY!
TWO WEEKS TO GO...
I don't think the reality has really set in yet. I have a little anxiety about the race but I'm sure it won't smack me in the face until the opening cannon sounds (or whatever they use to start a marathon).
Cardio won't be an issue. I'm sure of that. The pounding on my joints will be another story.
VIDEOS...
I apologize for the lack of videos lately. Trust me, there's no shortage of ideas but I think some steam slipped through the cracks during hot yoga and it's in the repair shop currently. There will be more...
WEIGHT...
I'm weighing in at 361 glorious pounds. Almost 80 pounds lost so far. It's sort of discouraging when I think there's still another 80 to go but then I think back to the beginning of January - and the night and day differences in my life.
It's ridiculous.
- I have a steel chair on my porch and I don't worry about it collapsing anymore.
- I have to get some new t-shirts because the old ones are so baggy and hang out so far that I forget how much weight I've lost.
- I know if I'm walking down the street and get into a fight with some street ruffians or Chuck Norris - I can easily kick them in the throat with my new-found cat-like relexes and increased flexibility.
This week's plan...
I try to change things up every week because I get bored easily. So the blueprint is to do yoga 4 times this week and "superset" that with 5 runs of 5 to 8 miles per.
I know it's not conventional marathon training but despite my fragile appearance, I'm not exactly the stereotypical marathoner. And I know that comes a shock to you but it's true - I'm not a natural born runner. Or am I? I smell a t-shirt...
In any event, I wanted get a good push in dropping weight this week and then rest up next week.
In the meantime, I'm going to be shopping around for something else after the marathon. I'm going to keep this weight loss going (instead of my previous plan to immediately turn around and try to gain all the weight back). I just need to find an event to shoot for. It's a hell of a lot easier losing weight when you've got something on a concrete date to circle on the calendar.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
