Only Someone Running

Bagel Trap

2010-07-06T10:55:00.000-04:00

I fell into the bagel trap this morning. What's the bagel trap, you ask? Well, let me tell you...
One of my coworkers will occasionally bring in a bag tasty bagels. I happen to love bagels. I will usually convince myself that one bagel with a little bit of cream cheese is ok to eat. Just this one, right? Well, no. I ate three! (3!) bagels today. I'm afraid of dying from a carb overdose.

One More Purchase

2010-07-05T22:30:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th yall!

I went ahead and bought a stability ball this weekend. Between it, the resistance bands, the kettlebell, and the bike, not to mention running outside and access to a gym, I think I'm pretty set on the fitness front. Tonight I did thirty minutes on the stationary bike. I'm discovering that it takes a good 15 minutes to get the legs warmed up. After that, it goes pretty smoothly. Depending on the weather, I'm either going to run outside tomorrow, or go to the gym and do 30 min on the treadmill. I'm hoping to get into a bike/run/bike/run/bike/run pattern with Sundays off. I also sat down and watched the exercise DVD's that came with the bands and stability ball. Everything seemed fairly straight forward. I'm trying to decide how I'm going to split up everything. Thinking of alternating between full body work outs and yoga, since I recently found a few yoga workouts through Netflix's instant function.

On the diet front, I did slack off over the holiday weekend, but I didn't go too overboard. Today I discovered that the local coffeeshop's curry chicken salad is darn near paleo and might tasty. I'm going to try to find a recipe online so I can make it at home for a lot cheaper,

Update

2010-06-29T17:00:00.000-04:00

Ok, so here is what I've been doing lately...

I bought a cheap exercise bike at a fitness resale shop a couple of weeks ago and have ridden it twice so far. It's perfect for days when it's either too rainy or just too hot to go outside and do anything. I think it was $25 and it works perfectly. It's just a little ugly.

Yesterday, I went running outside for the first time in a long time and it went horribly. My legs, lungs, and guts just weren't prepared for it. I hope it goes better Wednesday.

I also purchased some exercise bands this week. I don't have much experience with them, but I figured they would be good for when I want to get a workout in and don't have time to go to the gym. I'm still working on putting together a good training plan for them. I'll post it once I have it.

I rejoined the local rec center. It has a tiny gym and crappy hours but it was only $25 for the year. I won't be able to go a lot, but it will be nice every once in a while. There's a larger rec center up the road with longer hours but it's an extra $35 every 3 months. Still a good deal. It would bring the total cost to $165 for the year. Can't beat that!

Still trying to follow the paleo diet, though it is extremely tough to follow for someone who eats out a lot. Restaurants put cheese and sauce on everything and then serve it on bread with potatoes on the side. I've been eating a lot of salads with either chicken or beef on top.

In addition to finding exercises for the bands, I'm also trying to put together a daily stretching routine. I will post that here as well, as soon as I get it done.

I need to buys some heavier kettlebells. The 25 pounder just ain't cutting it.

Paleo Diet

2010-06-08T13:08:00.001-04:00

So I've been contemplating trying out the Paleo diet to see if it will help me lose weight and also ditch some of the intestinal problems I have. I've been doing some research on the diet, the benefits and possible dangers and so far, I think a modified version of the paleo a.k.a. caveman diet would work out well.

Here is what I like about the diet:
Minimal dairy - I'm lactose intolerant, so this would be no problem.
No grains - This will be the hardest to give up, but I've often wondered if I have a gluten allergy.
Meat - I love meat. The diet discourages processed meats like lunch meat, hot dogs and other sausages.
No beans - Beans are usually a problem for me as well, though not necessarily in the "musical fruit" kind of way.
No refined sugar or added salt - makes sense. We all know they are the devil.
Fluxuating consumption - three meals a day isn't natural, and neither is 5 meals a day. Eat when your hungry. Stop when you're not.

Here is what I dislike-
Too much meat - A lot of the paleo bloggers I've read seem to go way overboard on the meat consumption. Even though paleoithic man was not afraid to eat meat, I doubt they ate it in the same consumption/activity ratio that modern paleo dieters are eating today.

Really? Well, um...sure!

2010-05-03T17:18:00.000-04:00

According to the latest issue of Men's Health Magazine, Cincinnati is one of America's thinnest cities. While I'm always happy when my city gets props, to be honest, this accolade is a bit of a head scratcher. Here's how MH said they ranked the cities:

To arrive at our rankings, we calculated the percentage of people who are overweight, the percentage with type 2 diabetes, the percentage who haven't left the couch in a month (CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System); the money spent on junk food (Bureau of Labor Statistics); and finally, the number of people who ate fast food nine or more times in a month (Mediamark Research).

Seeing that survey data makes up a big chuck of the findings, I'm wondering if Cincinnati should really get the "America's Most Lying City" award.

Another Pig Has Come And Gone

2010-05-02T23:38:00.000-04:00

Today was the annual running of Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon and where was I? In bed sleeping. Hopefully this will be the last year of that as I have made it my goal to do the half-marathon next year. The fact that it is 364 days away and that I'm on week 2 of the Couch to 5k makes it seem so far away, but I know from past experience that it will be here before you know it.

Kettlebell

2010-05-02T23:23:00.000-04:00

I've been on the hunt for a good workout that can be done at home with the least amount of equipment possible, and I think I've found it. Welcome to the world of kettlebells.

Kettlebells originated in Russia a loooong time ago (1700's) but only recently gained popularity in the states. The main benefit that they offer that regular dumbbells do not is their ability to be swung. The fact that the center of mass of a kettlebell extends beyond the user's hand means that more muscles are utilized in controlling its movement as compared to the lifting of a dumbbell.

If you are interested in seeing what kettlebell exercises look like, I recommend checking out Lauren's blog. Lauren is a personal trainer that specializes in kettlebell workouts and has several videos available to view from her site and youtube channel.

I've already started doing her "Quick Fat Burning Kettlebell Workout" and have been pleased with it so far.

Stay On Your Toes

2010-04-28T17:30:00.000-04:00

After having a discussion with my sister about diet and exercise, I decided to do a post highlighting some of the biggest misconceptions about diet and exercise.

First, lets discuss the whole concept of "dieting". Everybody has a diet, so that means everyone is essentially dieting. Diet is what you eat. When you go on a new diet, you are decidedly changing what you eat to try to cause some sort of change. Some people go on diets to lose weight, others go on diets to gain weight. You can not go on a diet to lose fat nor can you go on a diet to gain muscle. What you eat does not determine how energy is stored or used.

Wait, you say, what do you mean energy? I'm eating food! We all know that food has calories. A calorie is a unit of energy. Humans (and other animals) eat food in order to get the calories it contains. Some food has very little calories, like celery. A cup of diced celery has 19 calories. Some food has a lot of calories, like a chicken burrito from a popular restaurant chain. It has 950 calories. Calories are not bad or good just like watts and volts are not bad or good. Humans tend to prefer those food items with more calories. Unhealthy things often taste good to us because our brain knows it contains a lot of calories. Why? Survival. If cavemen preferred low calorie food, they would not have had enough energy to run from lions and probably would have gotten eaten by them. So now, we still have those preferences, but we are not out running from lions anymore. We are consuming more energy than we need. Not only that, but we are eating processed foods with ingredients that are designed to trick our minds and our bodies. The natural triggers to stop consuming energy are being tampered with. I will go into more depth on that in a later post, first lets just assume that our food is not tricking us.

I am a fairly tall man with a little bit of a belly. According to daily caloric needs calculator, a person my age, height, weight, and exercise level needs to consume an average of 2544 calories a day to maintain my current weight, average 2035 to lose weight gradually, and average 1880 calories for extreme fat loss. First, let me point out a few things about this calculator. One, it's not exact. It asked a few basic questions about me and spit out a number. It is entirely possible that my actual number of calories a day to maintain weight is closer to 2200 or perhaps 2700. Everyone's body operates differently. The only way a person will truly know is by trial and error. For now we'll just assume that its in the right ballpark. You may have notices that I said "average" in reference to how many calories you take in a day. Humans are experts in adaptation. If you get into a certain eating routine, your body will adapt to it and adjust accordingly. For example, say you decided to try a crash diet and drastically reduce the amount of calories you consume. At first, your body will do what you expect, less calories means less weight so boom, you lose a few pounds and you're really hungry. Then, however, your body starts to make adjustments. It thinks you are starving and that there may be a food shortage, so it slows everything down. The result is that your maintenance number starts to drop and you're still really hungry. So hungry that you cheat on your new crash diet and pig out on a pizza. Guess what? You just ate over your new maintenance amount and now you're on your way to gaining weight again. The best way to avoid having your body adjust a decrease in caloric intake is to vary it up. One day eat 2544, the next eat 10% less, 10% more the next. The idea is to keep your body on your toes.

Not surprisingly, the same goes for exercise. My sister takes an aerobics class three times a week and has been doing so for years now. When she first started, she noticed an immediate difference. She lost some weight and gained some muscle but eventually she hit a wall. Why? Because her body got use to the amount and intensity of exercise she was doing. She thought that switching up her routine would be a good idea, and it generally is, but she switched to a different style of aerobics..at the same intensity. What she probably should have done was either find a harder aerobics class or throw in a different activity like running, biking, or swimming, just as long as is was more intense than the aerobics she was already doing. I suggested that she might start lifting weights and not the 5 pound dumbbells she was using in her aerobics routine. She, like a lot of women I've encountered, was reluctant to give weights a try for fear of bulking up. That's crazy! For one, it is not easy to "bulk up". If it were, every man on earth would look like the Incredible Hulk. Two, women have a natural tendency to not bulk up. Three, many women who bulk up a little after working really hard at it, find that they actually like it. Muscle tends to grow in a way that is very flattering. "But what about those lady bodybuilders? They look weird." Don't worry. You are not going to look like that unless you: work out for at least eight hours a day, five days a week, AND take steroids.

Bottom line: Keep your body on its toes, don't overeat and underwork.

Still At It

2010-04-28T12:01:00.001-04:00

For whatever reason, it has been rough getting into a running groove this Spring. Part of the reason is that it's been unseasonable cold and rainy and exceptionally overcast here lately. Not exactly the best environment for getting reacquainted with distance running. I'm going to try to give it another go this evening as part of my workout plan. The muscle-building part of my workout plan comes from this month's Men's Health magazine. It's a 15 minute full body workout. I plan on doing this as a kind of shake-off-the-rust plan until I feel ready to start hitting the weights again.

Cardio:
Couch-to-5k Running Plan Week 2, Day 1:
Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Adding 5 min. cool down, total time = 30min

Muscle:
Cycle through, doing 10 reps of each and repeat for a total of 15min.
Bodyweight squats
Judo Pushup
Sprinter Situp

Annual Attempt

2010-03-10T18:35:00.000-05:00

It finally started to warm up last Saturday and I went for the first run of the season. Because I haven't really done much of anything over the past few months, I decided to take it really slow and do Week 1, Day 1 of the Couch to 5k plan. Luckily I finished it with no problem and still had gas in the tank after I was done. The only bad part about the run was running into a couple of unfriendly stray dogs. When I came upon them, I immediately stopped, stared at them for a while, and then calmly turned around and walked leisurely in the opposite direction. They followed me for a little bit and then get distracted by another dog that was barking behind a fence. I turned down the next side street just to make sure I lost them.

I decided to give my legs plenty of rest after the first run and held off going out again until tonight. I will probably stick with the Couch to 5k program for the time being until I think that I can jump ahead a little bit.

Week 1, Day 2
Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes

Hanging On....Barely

2009-03-24T14:15:00.000-04:00

It's been hard to get into the swing of things lately. I feel like I had a lot more time to run last year. It's been a busy Spring so far with me taking two classes and work turning into a giant mess on my calendar. Tonight is shot because I leave from work, go straight to class and then stop by an informal b-day celebration for one of my friends. I might be able to squeeze in a short run in-between work and class tomorrow, but then we also have to fit dinner in somewhere.

What should I buy?

2009-02-13T13:52:00.000-05:00

I received a $40 gift card to my favorite running store, The Running Spot, from my girlfriend's family this Christmas and I'm itching to spend it. I don't really need shoes right now and I recently stocked up on running apparel like shorts, shirts and pants. The only thing that I don't really have right now is a decent wind breaker, but I do have a couple of old ratty ones that still have some life in them. What should I do...

1. Do nothing. Hold onto the card like a little miser.
2. Put it towards a new windbreaker so I can run in style.
3. By a bunch of smaller items like socks, gels, headbands, etc.

Tax Refund

2009-02-13T13:08:00.000-05:00

I filed my taxes using H&R Block online this year. It was relatively painless and took about twenty minutes if you don't count the time it took for me to looks for various pieces of documentation. I don't know why, but there's always at least one stray statement that somehow finds it's way out of the pile where I collect my tax info each year and I spend more time looking for it than I spend filling out my return. I chose to have my federal refund deposited directly into my bank account, which only took about 4 business days. From there, I moved it to the savings account where I'm building my emergency fund. Slowly but surely....

Feelin' Good

2009-02-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have those workouts that just feel good? Last night was like that for me. I was able to do the running program with ease and finished with plenty gas in the tank. No side cramps and for some reason I just felt lighter. I also focused on reps rather than weight for my lifting program and am in much less pain today than I was after Monday's workout.

Here's the plan for tonight's session:

Swimming:
50m x 4 at an easy pace with a minute rest in between sets.

Lifting:
Smith Machine Squats 15x?, 12X?

(The ?'s mean I'm not sure what my starting load will be. It's been so long since I've lifted, that I have no idea how weak I've gotten.)

Sore City, Ohio

2009-02-11T15:34:00.000-05:00

Right now my biceps and triceps are really sore from Monday night's workout. I should have gone just a tad easier on the rows, but oh well.

Here's tomorrow's plan, but I may switch the arm exercises to abs/back if I'm still sore.

Evening:
Run - Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

* Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
* Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
* Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
* Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
* Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

Dumbell bench press 15x?, 12x?
Dips ?, ?
Rope Tricep extension - 15x?, 12x?

Catching Up

2009-02-10T13:44:00.001-05:00

I'm going to take a breather from my Gym Tips posts for a second. Coincidentally, my girlfriend and I made the decision to join the local YMCA on Sunday. They had a special where they were waiving the joining fee and they work on a month-to-month basis a.k.a. no contract. My family always had a Y membership when I was growing up and I have a lot of fond memories of going to day camps and swimming in the summer. I remember the facilities being ok, but not spectacular. The Y that we visited this past weekend, however, was nothing like the ones from my childhood. This one had two separate indoor pools, one giant outdoor pool, a large fitness center with brand new equipment, an outdoor fitness trail in the woods, a spinning theatre, and best of all, late hours! All the things I want in a gym.

I did my first workout at the new place last night after having to stay late at work. I decided to give it another go on the treadmill to see where I'm at endurance wise. I was able to jog for 10, walk 2, run 8, walk 3, run 8 etc. Looking at the Couch to 5k plan, I think I fall somewhere in week 5. My plan is to start from there and work my way up to week 9 again again.

After running off and on for 30 minutes, I did some back and bicep work. It's been a loooong time since I've lifted weights seriously. I did a two sets of two rowing exercises, one set of lat pull-downs and two sets of machine curls. I'm definitely feeling it today.

Tuesday and Wednesday are off days for the time being. I'm taking a couple of classes at night for fun and personal growth. One they are over, I will be working out 6 days a week.

Gym Tips - Part 2

2009-02-05T12:35:00.001-05:00

When I showed up for my first day at the gym, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew it had to be nicer than the location where I interviewed, but that wasn't necessarily saying a lot. I've seen nicer basement gyms. I was blown away. Everything was brand spankin' new. Not an old machine or crusty free-weight plate in sight. The carpet was clean, there was a nicely-tiled cardio area, and each of the locker rooms featured a sauna and a steam room. I thought to myself, how could someone NOT want to join here? I was eager to start talking customers and making sales, but alas, the gym had other plans. They wanted to take things slow.

Gym Tip #1: Beware of old gyms. One popular business model for fitness clubs is to build a new gym, sign a bunch of people up and then let it rot as they build new gyms elsewhere and start the process over again. Expect whatever equipment that is in the gym when you sign up to never be replaced, no matter what the sales person says. Sales people are lied to too.

For the first four weeks, I technically wasn't allowed to sell anything. I had to wait until I was finished with the new employee training program. The program involved going to one of their eight locations and attending classes taught by their sales trainer, Betty*. Betty, too was a ball of energy. She was one of those happy all of the time people (do I sound cynical?). Though it appeared unnatural at first, I don't think she was faking it. She really was that happy. She claimed it was all because of aerobics. I thought that there was likely some medication involved somewhere. The training program had two components, fitness training and sales. The fitness training program involved learning how each machine worked, what muscle groups they exercised and how to work out on them safely. We also learned how to put together a basic fitness plan.

Gym Tip #2: Most gyms offer a free workout planning session when you sign up. Do take advantage of it, but don't expect anything spectacular. These sessions are to make sure you know how to use the equipment. If you want a more customized approach, inquire about personal training and expect to pay extra for it.
(Bonus Tip: Beware of free personal training enticements. They are usually pretty lame. Remember, you get what you pay for.)

The other component of the program, sales, was more intense. We had to memorize a twenty-minute sales pitch....down to the word. No room for error. The pitch was supposedly created by some hotshot sales consulting firm and it was "proven to work". Once we had the pitched memorized, we had to give it to one of the owners. If we messed up one word at any time during the presentation, we had to start all over. When my turn came up, I was terrified. I went very slowly, but I ended up getting every word right.

Gym Tip #3: Most good sales pitches are designed to get in your head and make you believe that signing up is the best decision you'll ever make in your lifetime. It may be, but the cold hard truth is, it's unlikely. Exercise is hard and eating healthy is hard. Most people have to do both to see significant results. Unfortunately the failure rate for people who try to get in shape is extremely high. Ask yourself these questions: Are you willing to be sore? To be tired? To have less time? Less money? To eat less? To eat better? Are you sure? Being healthy is a commitment that you will have to make with yourself. Gyms try to sugarcoat everything and make it seem like it's easy to lose fat and gain muscle. It's not, and it's better to tell you that before you sign up than afterward, especially if you get stuck in a contract, which brings me to tip #4....

Gym Tip #4: Just say no to contracts, no matter what the deal. By the time you start reaping the benefits of that lifetime membership they want you to sign up for, the club will likely be run down or, even worse, out of business.

I hated giving the sales pitch. It was cheeseball city. I usually ditched it and just talked naturally with the customers. I made many more sales that way than I did with the pitch. The pitch was rehearsed and was designed to only allow the customer to answer an affirming "yes" when we asked them dumb questions, like "do you want to live longer?" I never got to really know the customers that way. I much preferred actually talking with them, not at them.

The hardest part for me was selling a membership to a customer or family that I knew either wouldn't use it or couldn't afford it. I never actively tried to talk someone out of buying a membership, but I would take extra time to make sure that they knew what they were getting themselves into. Gym contracts usually stink and are tricky to get out of. Many gyms do their own collections and like credit card companies, actually make money when you don't pay your bill on time.

Most customers want to negotiate, and that's fine, even expected.

Gym Tip #5: Ask for the elimination of the initiation fee and you'll likely at least get a reduction. What you're not likely to get is a discount on the monthly rate unless they have an advertised special. Still, it never hurts to ask. Many gyms reward their employees based on nightly, weekly, and monthly goals. Go near the end of any one of these time periods and they may be more willing to work with you so they can reach their next bonus level.

Gym Tip #6: Don't be a jerk. Acting like a jerk to salesperson might reap benefits at a car dealership but it doesn't work well at a gym. Why? Because you will see the person you were a jerk to every time you come into the gym, Believe me, they will remember you. Never try to be clever and work with more than one sales person to get a better price either. They will find out and the one who lost out on the commission will likely hold a grudge.

To be continued...

Gym Tips - Part 1

2009-02-03T14:38:00.000-05:00

A post on Jason's blog has inspired me to write a little about my experience working in sales and management at a gym.

First a little background on how I came to work at said gym. I had just gotten laid off from what I thought was going to be my dream job, working as a community organizer for a local non-profit. My position was grant funded and basically the money ran out. At that point, I decided I was going to go a different route in life but I needed a job quickly so I could pay the bills. There was a fitness sales job at a regional gym chain listed in the local paper. I thought some sales experience might be good for the resume and a free gym membership would be a nice perk. I called. After a quick phone interview I had an appointment to meet with the district manager that week. Things were looking up. The interview was at one of their older gyms and the facilities were, how do I put this, scary. The place was tiny, all the equipment was at least ten years old and many of the machines had "out-of-order" signs on them. I wondered how anyone could sell memberships to this place, much less a person without any solid sales experience.

After waiting a little bit in a dingy front desk area, I was escorted into one of the sales offices where I sat down with the DM, who was nice, but an obvious fitness fanatic. In addition to overseeing four or five gyms, she taught multiple aerobics classes, took other aerobics classes, and competed in fitness competitions. She was pretty lively during the interview and I was intimidated. Apparently though, I impressed her enough that she called the one of the owners of the company and asked if she could add me on at one of their other locations, which wasn't actively hiring at the time. The owner gave the ok and I was told that I'd be starting the following week at their brand new location which was inside a popular shopping mall. I was stoked.

Facing Reality

2009-02-03T12:27:00.001-05:00

My trip to the gym last night was quite an eye-opener. I learned that staying relatively dormant for 3 months completely wipes out the gains I made during the previous 8 months. My goal was to do 3 miles, and I did 3 but only 2 was actually done running. I had to slow down at the 1 mile mark, and then again at the 2 mile. It was pretty disappointing. The only thing I can do is try again Thursday.

My second wake-up call came when I hopped on the scale after my run. 232. I knew I had gained some weight over the holidays, but not that much. I'm hoping a big portion of my gain is water weight, which should come off relatively fast once I get on a regular running schedule again.

Quote of the Day: The 53 Runner's Commandments

2009-02-02T12:55:00.000-05:00

From my buddy Dave at Cin Sity Running who got it from the Pine Belt Pacers.

The 53 Runner's Commandments

#39. Without goals, training has no purpose.

A Little Bit of Change

2009-02-02T12:12:00.000-05:00

You may have notice a few non-running blog posts lately and that's because I've decided to expand the scope of the blog a little bit. I love running and it's had multiple positive effects, but it's just one of my interests and only a fraction of my life. I also get bored just blogging about my running plan. So now, in addition to all the stuff about running, you'll see me talk about some of my other interests and goals. I hope it will make for a more entertaining and informative read.

A Neverending List of Goals

2009-02-02T11:00:00.003-05:00

I'm an obsessive goal setter. I set goals, reset them, and then reset them again. I've been getting a lot better at following through in recent years but there's always room for improvement.

How I set goals.

I usually start off my making a broad "I want" statement. Like "I want to be healthy." Then I develop a list of two or three goals for each statement that, if I reach, will get me closer to getting what I ultimately want.

Finances

Goal 1: Have an emergency fund of $15,000. This amount should allow me to pay my bills for at least 6 months if I were to suddenly get laid off. I'm pretty much starting at zero here, so I have a long way to go.

Goal 2: Pay off my main credit card. I want to be debt free by 2011 (not counting student loans). To do this, I have to pay off a little over $12,000 between my credit cards and my car loan. Even though the car loan has the higher interest rate of the three, there's a prepayment penalty, so I'm pretty much stuck paying the whole thing no matter when I pay it off.

Health:

Goal 1: Run a 10k. I ran my first 5k last fall and, although it was a struggle, it was a great self-esteem booster. I'm finding that reaching goals has quite a snowball effect. It makes you want to achieve greater and greater things. I've been quite lazy this winter and I'm sure I've lost some of the endurance that I was able to achieve last fall. I'm heading to a gym with an indoor track tonight to see where I'm at. This week my goal is to do: Monday 3k, Thursday 4k, and Friday 4k.

Goal 2: Eat more raw fruits and veggies at every meal. This is me basically trying to trick my brain. I've had the goals of eating better and losing weight for what seems like forever and I have reached it at times, but none of the improvements have been permanent. I'll eat healthy for a couple of months and then one cheat day becomes two, which becomes three, and you can figure out the rest. Now I'm taking it a meal at a time. I figure that if I force myself to think about each meal and how much of it is made up of raw fruits and veggies, it will cause me to think about what I'm eating more often and I will eat healthier.

Goal 3: No coffee after 5pm. I'm a caffeine junky. I specifically love Americanos and it doesn't help that my girlfriend works for Starbucks. Unfortunately, I'm finding that as I get older, caffeine is keeping me up later and later. I used to be able to sit and study in a coffee shop all night, drinking bottomless cups of coffee, and then go home and fall right asleep. Nowadays, if I have a tall Americano at 8pm, I have trouble sleeping at midnight. So I'm switching to tea at 5pm and I'll see how that goes.

I think all of these are doable and don't require drastic lifestyle changes or punishment. I want to create goals that will positively impact my life, but also ones that I'll stick with.

Taming The Spending Beast

2009-01-21T09:47:00.003-05:00

My budget has gotten pretty tight recently, now that I've resumed paying back my student loans. At this moment, I cannot say with confidence that getting my MBA will be beneficial to my salary-earning potential as most jobs out there require something called "experience", whatever that is.

To be able to pay all the bills and still save money, I've had to cut back considerably on frivolous purchases. Instead of just making a temporary adjustment, I'm viewing this required change as an opportunity to examine my spending behaviors to find out why I buy the things I do and if those purchases can be curbed. For example, growing up I was a huge music fan, and I got into the habit of purchasing a new CD or record almost every week. Nowadays, I don't really care about the "next big thing", and I find myself listening to the same five or six artists 90% of the time with the other 10% filled in with a mixture of other stuff that I have. Now, I only venture into a record store when I know exactly what I want instead of aimlessly walking around the shop looking for something to buy.

I love RSS, but...

2009-01-20T16:25:00.003-05:00

I'm an avid blog reader and I love to use an aggregator such as bloglines.com to read all my favorites in one place. I was looking over my list of blogs recently and I realized that the majority of them are about "stuff" a.k.a. things I don't need. I've decided a purgin' is in order.

Winter Jams

2009-01-17T22:24:00.003-05:00

I'm very seasonal when it comes to the music I listen to. Summer time means straight forward rock 'n' roll, usually with a southern tinge. Winter is inevitably of the mellow, folky, singer songwriter type with some jazz thrown in for good measure.

Here are the 5 albums I'm digging this winter:

1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
2. Daniel Martin Moore - Stray Age
3. Bonnie "Prince" Billie - The Letting Go
4. Patty Griffin - A Kiss In Time
5. Bowerbirds - Hymns For A Dark Horse

Shivering In A Starbucks

2009-01-17T18:04:00.003-05:00

Right now I am holed up in the Madeira Starbucks wasting a few hours as I catch up with the internet. This 'bucks has a lot of windows and a lot of in-and-out traffic, contributing to an uncomfortably low temperature in the store.

One of the five tabs I have open in my browser at the moment is www.solbeam.com. Sol is a world traveler aka vagabonder who left her dotcom job back in 2001 to travel the world and has been blogging her experiences for eight years now. I'm envious of her life of travel, but I know I could have done the same thing if I truly wanted to back then. I don't know why, but I've been bitten by the travel bug recently. Something is calling me to see the world. How I make that happen at this point is still under question.

Quote of the Day

2009-01-09T15:34:00.003-05:00

I'm on Yelp!

2009-01-09T14:54:00.003-05:00

I've created an account on Yelp! and have started writing reviews of my favorite places in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio as well as places I happen upon in my travels.

Check it out!

Hello 2009

2009-01-09T14:34:00.003-05:00

2009 is going to be the year of new experiences. I've already got a few things lined up, including a couple of classes and a road trip down south. One of my new habits is to be more aware of opportunities that exist in this world for people to have fun, learn, meet new people, etc. and I think I'm off to a good start.

Quote of the Day

2008-12-22T11:36:00.003-05:00

"If you don't bring forth what is inside you, what you don't bring forth will destroy you."

Jesus of Nazareth
c. 5-38 CE, Jewish Prophet, Mystic, Founder of Christianity
in The Gospel of Thomas

Today's Run

2008-10-14T15:15:00.000-04:00

3m

Today's run is 3 miles. Here are my goals:

1. Learn to control my cramping with breathing exercises.

2. Concentrate on nothing but pace for the first mile or 10 minutes.

Sorry I'm Late

2008-10-09T09:29:00.001-04:00

I feel like I've let the two readers I have down by not posting about how my first race went. I apologize. I'll try not to let it happen again, promise.

So...

4:30 Leave my house. I'm feeling excited and a little nervous.

4:45 Arrive at Ault Park, the venue for the race. Traffic was a pain but I was able to secure a good parking space close to the start.

4:50 After registering, getting a wrist band, race number and t-shirt, I start wandering around.

5:10 Run into my cousin Patty who was getting ready to drive the pace car.

5:30 Run into running buddy Dave. We start to head toward the starting line and find a spot about 3/4 of the way to the back

6:00pm: The race starts, kind of. It takes a while for the pack to move to past the start. It took me about 2 minutes to reach the line from when the gun went off.

Here's where everything turns into a blur. I started off really strong and thought I was maintaining a decent, but safe, pace. When we came to the first major hill, I was confident that I'd be able to conquer it and I did. I saw what I thought was the top and made that my target. The "top", however, wasn't the top at all. It was a turn onto another street that had an even steeper hill. At this point I was kicking myself for not running the course before hand like I had planned. I had to stop on the second hill for a second and from there on out ran-walked the rest of the race. My time was 33:04. Not bad for someone who's only been running for a few months, but not at all where I hoped to be.

Tonight is my first run since the race. I'm restarting my beginner 5k plan and going to try and get back on track with my nutrition so I can reach my weight goal.

Race Day is Almost Here!!

2008-10-02T11:13:00.001-04:00

My first 5k race is only two days away and I'm feeling pretty good about my chances of finishing it. I went running with Dave and his friend Glenna yesterday and felt pretty good up until the 25 minute mark or so when I got one of those pesky side cramps. No idea what causes those, but I've always been fairly susceptible to them.

I'm going to take it easy today and then walk the race course tomorrow.

Picking Up The Pace

2008-09-24T09:08:00.000-04:00

Monday's' run didn't happen so I tried to do 3 yesterday at a faster pace than normal. Apparantly I went too fast and gassed after a mile or so. I then slowed to a near crawl but was soon overtaken by a cramp in my side. I need to figure out how to prevent those from happening. I also weighed myself yesterday :221.2

Sore Ankle

2008-09-22T10:32:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I woke up with a sore ankle. I'm not exactly sure why it's sore, as I didn't run the day before and it felt fine. It might be the shoes I've been wearing a lot lately, which offer very little support. If I can, I'm planning on running 3 today, 2 tomorrow, rest Wednesday (my running buddy, Dave, is out of town), 3 Thursday, 3 Saturday, 3 Sunday.

I'm Back!

2008-09-17T20:10:00.000-04:00

It feels like it's been forever since I've last posted, but I'm still here and running. As you may have heard, southern Ohio got pounded by remnant winds of hurricane Ike. While my house was luckily left unscathed, I was without power from Sunday evening to this afternoon.

Today, I went for a little 2 miler since my running buddy Dave was feeling under the weather and couldn't make it. Yesterday I did 3 miles.

I weighed myself last night and came in at 220 even.

New Plan!

2008-09-09T16:18:00.000-04:00

Ok so after looking at some different plans online I think I've settled on my next one. Since coolrunning.com's Couch-to-5k plan has been good to me and since I actually still don't have that much running experience, I've decided to start Cool Running's Beginner 5k Program.

I thought about going for the 10k, but I haven't even run my first 5k race yet and I still feel like a beginning runner.

If you take a look at the plan, it is very similar to the Couch-to-5k, except that it adds two more days of running, one of which is very light. It also adds a runs that are decide to improve speed, like hill runs and fartleks. I'm really not sure how my body is going to react to the added days, but I guess I'll find out soon enough!

Time For A New Plan

2008-09-09T10:43:00.000-04:00

This week marks the end of the Couch To 5k running program I've been on for the last 8 to 9 weeks. Yesterday I went out and did a flat 3 miles in just over 30 minutes. I even managed to do a couple of "fartlek" runs, which are basically random periods of time where you run fast. It was by no means easy, but I can tell I'm improving, which is awesome.

So what should I do next, try to increase my distance or improve my time for 5k?

Hmm...

Strange Times Indeed

2008-09-04T08:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Dave and I met up for our weekly run. It was super hot out so we avoided big hills. I was doing fine until I hit mile 2 and got a major cramp in my side. After that, we run-walked the last half-mile or so. Pretty disappointing but at least I did something. I also couldn't find my fancy running watch, as it is still packed in a box somewhere in my house, so I ran without one. Strange as it may seem, a watch can be a big motivator so I need to find it before Friday.

I tested my scale again right before I went to bed last night and then right after I woke up this morning. Last night I weighed 219 and this morning I weighed 220. So, not only did I miraculously lose 11 pounds in a couple of days, I gained a pound overnight without eating or drinking anything. Crazy.

I've Been Bad

2008-09-02T09:22:00.001-04:00

Very bad. I haven't run since last wednesday. Moving to a new house pretty much took over my whole weekend. I tried to schedule a run, but when the time came I was too sore from carrying boxes and furniture up and down stairs. My plan for tonight is to run two miles and then go for three tomorrow with Dave. The upside to the break is that it gave my Achilles some rest.

As you can see by mt Skinnyr.com chart, my weight also went up considerably over the weekend, which is crazy because I really didn't eat that much. I'm guessing most of it is water weight, that or my scale is really messed up.

The Enemy is Mine

2008-08-29T11:18:00.000-04:00

I finally conquered Enemy Hill on Wednesday. It was tough but I stuck it out and made it to the top. My legs were burning fierce and I felt like I was on autopilot for a while afterward. To make it up the hill, I set little goals along the way. Each telephone pole and street sign became a target and I would tell myself, "If I can only make it to that stop sign, I'll be almost done."

After the run was over, I felt pretty good but the Achilles tendon area on each leg was sore. I think they're ok today. I'll have to see how they feel when I start running.

Tonight I'm going to do the same route I did Wednesday to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

I forgot to start the 100 pushup challenge yesterday. Hopefully I remember tomorrow.

100 Pushups - Initial Test

2008-08-27T10:29:00.001-04:00

I took the 100 pushups initial test late last night and boy was I shocked. I'm weak! The last time I did pushups, I was able to squeak out 15 before it started to get tough. Last night was a completely different story. I could only do 4 comfortably and then could only manage to do a couple more after that. Because of my sorry performance, I'm going to start at level 1, the bottom, and work my way up.

I am really looking forward to tonight's run. Since my Monday run was done in the morning, It seems like it's been forever since I last ran. I'm even starting to feel guilty about not running. Is that normal?

Switching to Distance

2008-08-25T13:30:00.001-04:00

Over the past 7 weeks of the plan, I've always measured my running activity using time. Starting on Wednesday I'm going to start measuring by distance AND time to make sure that I'm making progress in both areas. As I'm running for longer periods of time, I'm don't want to be slowing my pace.

Wednesday calls for 28 minutes/2.75 miles. I've got the run mapped already and it includes Enemy Hill. Should be a blast.

Two In A Row

2008-08-25T08:27:00.000-04:00

So I got up early again to go run. This time I actually woke up at 6:00am! I was able to get the full 25 minutes done but I was feeling a little dehydrated near the end. I ended up choosing a flatter course since the Enemy Hill course isn't well lit and doesn't have sidewalks in places. Not a good idea when it's dark out and you don't own any reflective clothing.

Wednesday begins week 8 of the Couch to 5k plan, which means I'm going to be bumping my time up to 28 minutes.

Tomorrow I begin two new routines to balance my running. One is the 100 Push ups Training Program and the second is a series of stretching exercises. I haven't come up with a list of the stretches I need to do yet, so if you have any ideas let me know. Eventually I'll be replacing the stretches with yoga. The community center in my neighborhood offers yoga classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which fits in nicely with my Monday Wednesday Friday/Saturday running schedule.

First Morning Run

2008-08-23T13:04:00.000-04:00

I'm not a morning person, never have been and likely never will be, but somehow I was able to wake up at the crack of dawn (ok maybe it was 8:30am) and go for a run. Following the Couch-to-5k plan, this was technically day two of week 7, so I had to run for at least 25 minutes. I plotted a 3 mile route using mapmyrun.com that put he Enemy Hill (see previous post) right at the beginning of mile 2. As I approached the hill, I was feeling pretty good, my legs were loose and my breathing was relatively controlled. By the time I got up half-way, however, my legs were screaming and I was panting like a dog in heat. I tried to motor through it but I had to give up at the 3/4 mark. I only had to walk for about a minute or so and then began slowly running again. One good part about the Enemy Hill is that afterward is a slight decline for the next half mile or so. That gave my hamstrings a little bit of time to recover as my quads took most of the load. I finished my time ok, even tacking on an extra minute at the end to make up for the minute I had to walk. After the run I was thinking only one thing: the Hill is mine on Monday.

Challenging AND Fun

2008-08-22T12:57:00.000-04:00

Wednesday's run showed me how fun running can actually be. I experienced a sense of exhilaration as we were maneuvering through the nature preserve. You have to be more mindful of your running on trails so as to not break an ankle or get whipped in the face by a low-hanging branch. I definitely need to incorporate more trail runs into my routine to mix things up a bit.

The hill at the end of Wednesday's run was a different kind of fun,the punishing kind. That hill is my new enemy and I'm vowing to beat it within the next couple of runs.

Yesterday's Run

2008-08-21T08:40:00.000-04:00

Dave and I met up again at our normal spot. We then ran to and through a nature preserve that's in our neighborhood. It was my first time there and I was surprised how big it was and how many hills it had. There some spots on the trail that were kind of tricky, requiring us to slow down to a crawl. We also had to hop a couple of fallen trees. Once we exited the preserve we decided to tackle a street know for its long, painful hill. Dave did fine on it but I died about a quarter of the way up. All in all we ran about 30 minutes (which included about 3 minutes of walking) and probably did about 5k.

What's The Weight?

2008-08-19T12:47:00.000-04:00

One of the benefits of running that I hope to realize is weight loss. Right now I weigh 229, which is not horrible for a 6'4" male, but I'm still considered overweight.

As a former gym rat, I for one, know the absurdity of "ideal weight" and why the BMI isn't perfect, but I also know the value of benchmarks and points of reference.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's online calculator, my BMI is 27.9, which is considered overweight. Playing around with the calculator, I discovered I would need to drop to 204.5lbs to be at the high-end of normal (24.9). In my opinion 205 would be really skinny. To demonstrate the inaccuracy of the BMI stat, Cincinnati Bengal's WR TJ Houshmanzadah is 6'1", 199lbs and is fit but skinny. His BMI however is 27 meaning he's overweight.

Does he look overweight to you?

Active.com's ideal weight calculator states that someone my height should weigh 202lbs. I think that's pretty low, but I've seen some charts that put my ideal weight at 197.

I honestly don't know what I'd look like at 197, probably like a competitive marathoner, which I'm not sure I want to look like (no offense to competitive marathoners). Lets get down to 215 and go from there.

To track my weight loss, I took another page from Abelfarei and created a skinnyr.com graph widget which will be permanently displayed in the right column of this blog. I plan on weighing myself once a week. I'd do it more often, but I'm afraid I'd get a little obsessed with it.

Here's a graph showing the starting point measured Sunday early evening.

Get your own graph at skinnyr

Exciting eh?

Sunday's Run and Mean Dean

2008-08-18T09:11:00.000-04:00

Went out and did the 2.25 mile/25 minute run with no walk break that I mentioned Saturday. The first mile went pretty well, but at the 11 minute mark I got a stomach cramp that I thought was going to force me to start walking, but I powered through and it eventually subsided.

When I run during the week, it's usually on an almost empty stomach. Last night, however, I ran about a half hour after eating some sushi. Lesson learned: I should wait more than a half hour after eating a meal before going on a run.

From this point on, the Couch-to-5k plan gets a little simpler, but not easier. Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday will all be 25 min/2.5 miles.

I picked up Dean Karnazes's new book, "50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days" yesterday and just started to read it. I really enjoyed Karno's last book, "Ulatramarathon Man" because of the running/racing anecdotes and I hope "50/50" contains a lot more of the same.

Friday's Results

2008-08-16T12:52:00.001-04:00

Yesterday's beautiful weather made for a decent run. I was able to complete the time requirements relatively easily and completed a total of about 2.25 miles with the walking portion taking up about .30 miles. So I walked a little fast and ran a little slow, but that's ok. I'm happy with it. I actually feel like I could have gone some more, but I'm sticking to the plan.

So, Monday's run is scheduled to be:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.

I think I'm going to actually move it up to tomorrow and then take Monday and Tuesday off. This will give me more time to recover from the long run before the NRC run.

Today's Plan

2008-08-15T10:16:00.000-04:00

Since Wednesday's run was more of a free-run with Dave. I'm going to complete the Couch-to-5k's Week 6, Workout 2 today.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

* Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)
* Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
* Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes

I used Mapmyrun.com (thanks to Lisa from I'm a Runner? for the tip!) to map out my route. It's going to be mostly flat with the only hilly part near the beginning.

Afterwards it's shower then to Fountain Square again to catch The Buffalo Killers.

Designing a Route

2008-08-14T10:13:00.000-04:00

I recently came upon a cool website called GMaps Pedometer that allows a user to plots points on a Google map. The site then calculates the distance between those points. This is a perfect tool for creating running routes.

Heart Rate Monitors

2008-08-13T10:45:00.000-04:00

I took a trip to a local Sports resale shop and found this on sale for $40. I've never used a heart rate monitor before and the idea of wearing a nylon strap around my chest while running doesn't sound too appealing. So this seemed perfect, but it may be too good to be true. I will be trying it on my run tonight and if I'm not happy with it, I can return it for a full refund within 30 days.

I did try it last night a little bit before going to sleep and my heart rate was 80 bpm. Anything between 50-100 is considered "normal" for a "normal" person. Extremely fit people, like Lance Armstrong, have resting heart rates in the 30-35 bpm range.

New Logo!

2008-08-13T10:07:00.000-04:00

Tonight is the second meeting of the Northside Runners Club and it should be fun. The weather is supposed to be great. Some of Dave's friends might show up, so we might actually have more than two people! We are growing every week! If we maintain this growth rate for a few more months, the entire city of Cincinnati will be part of the club.

Clubs need logos, so I created one. Tell me what you think and be honest.

I also created a myspace page for the club: http://www.myspace.com/northsiderunnersclub. Please be our friend.

Whoah! Comments!

2008-08-12T13:40:00.000-04:00

When I started this blog, I didn't think I'd get many comments and I already have two! Thanks readers. I might actually start asking for reader input on products, training techniques and other hodge podgery (just made that up).

Here's the first question. I already have an ipod shuffle and a pair of brooks running shoes. Should I invest in a ipod nano and a new pair of nikes and join the Nike+ fad? Is there a better, more economical option? Pleas share!

Shameful Sunday

2008-08-11T09:40:00.000-04:00

Sunday was a nightmare, and I only have myself to blame. I made the mistake of staying out late on Saturday night, really late, and thus overslept on Sunday and missed the 5k I was supposed to run. I then proceeded to stink up the field (well, just the batter's box) for the last game of the summer.

I'm not as down on myself as it may seem though. I began reading the NY Road Runners Complete Book of Running (home of the original Couch-to-5k Plan) and realized that running the race might have been a bad idea anyway. I need my mileage to increase a bit before I attempt a 5k.

Today I start Week 6 of the Cool Running's Couch-to-5k Plan.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

* Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
* Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
* Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
* Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
* Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

The weather tonight should be great, low humidity and temps in the mid-70's.

Ahh Fridays!

2008-08-08T09:22:00.000-04:00

I love Fridays. So much hope and yearning for the weekend builds up during the day and by the time it's five o'clock, you're ready for anything. What a perfect time for a run!

The Couch to 5k Running Plan prescribes a 25 minute jog, which should be doable with the surprisingly beautiful weather we're supposed to have today.

After that, I'm heading downtown to Fountain Square where my buddy's band will be performing. Should be a good time.

Only seven and a half hours to go!

Running With Dave

2008-08-06T21:25:00.001-04:00

Went on a short run with David today, well short for him. Dave ran the Flying Pig Marathon earlier this year which he was able to accomplish with the help of Team In Training. I might look into joining TNT to train for a half marathon. Anyway, tonight we may have done two miles. There was some intermittent walking and a lot of huffing and puffing on my part. Slowly but surely.

So now there's two people in the Northside Runners. That's a 100% increase over yesterday. We are well on our way!

Why Doesn't Anybody Tell Me These Things?

2008-08-06T10:08:00.000-04:00

Apparently there is a 5k race being held this weekend less than a qtr mile from where I live.

The 9th Annual Spring Light 5k Walk/Run
Spring Grove Cemetery
Sunday, August 10, 2008 at 8:30 am.

Looks like my first attempt at 5k is this Sunday.

Back To The Program

2008-08-06T09:19:00.000-04:00

Jill and I were able to get a little bike ride in, which was nice despite the nasty humidity. I'm contemplating adding cycling to my regular routine, though I'm having difficulties fitting running into my schedule as it is. I'm often guilty of trying to do too much to soon and then burning out before I get anywhere. I'm trying to restrain myself as much as possible with the running thing, because I want it to be a long-term activity that will help improve my health and fitness. I'd like to eventually be able to run a marathon and then a triathlon, but those goals are way off in the distance. For now, I'm just sticking with the coolrunning "Couch to 5k" plan until I can complete a 5k. I'll worry about what's next later.

We Need It, But....

2008-08-05T11:11:00.000-04:00

Today was my day to do a bike ride with Jill (after a short run), but it looks like it's supposed to rain all day and night. I guess I'll be heading to the gym instead. I'm hoping there's a yoga class going on tonight. I've only done yoga a couple of times and I really like it, but I've always had a problem finding a place that offered classes that fit my schedule on a consistent basis.

Heat Schmeat

2008-08-04T21:17:00.000-04:00

There's a heat emergency on for Cincinnati for the next few days. I braved the sweltering temperatures and humidity after work and got in a little 20 minute jog. The new Champion moisture wicking shirt I bought the other day did a pretty good job. I wouldn't call it fun, but I felt good afterward. I might try it again tomorrow.

Attention Northside Runners!

2008-08-04T11:31:00.001-04:00

I'm looking to form a local running group to meet once or twice a week. Day and time will ultimately depend on interest and availability but I'm shooting for one weekend morning and one weekday evening. All levels welcome.

If interested contact Me (Mike) at northsiderunners AT gmail DOT com

Cool Running

2008-08-03T20:12:00.000-04:00

When I started running this summer, one of my first goals was to be able to run a 5k by October. The race isn't just any 5k though, it's the Reggae Run and it holds a very special place in my heart. The Reggae Run is held in memory of my cousin, Maria Olberding, who was inexplicably killed while running in the usually very safe neighborhood of Mt. Lookout. At the time she was training for a marathon and running was a very important part of her life. Maria also loved children and reggae music, so when the family was deciding how to honor their oldest daughter, they chose to combine all three of her loves and created the Reggae Run.

The race is held on the first Saturday of every October in and around the beautiful Ault Park and proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The race has become a favorite of runners from all over the country for a variety of reasons. One of which is the course, a beautiful yet relentlessly hilly jaunt through Cincinnati's historic Hyde Park neighborhood. Most people know it, however, because of the massive party held directly following the race. Reggae music is featured throughout the night, and there are also a ton of food and beer vendors. The best part is that everything is included with the race registration fee.

Running Around Bases

2008-08-03T13:54:00.000-04:00

I guess it's fitting that I should start this blog on a day when I'm not scheduled to run. For the most part, Sundays have meant baseball this summer. I made the decision to join an 18+ league after 15 years of not playing the sport. To say it's been a rough go is an understatement but it's been fun and I'm slowly getting to a respectable playing level.

I do have to thank baseball for inspiring me to start running though. I've never been a runner and have always avoided the activity at all costs. That all changed once I stepped on the field and realized how out of shape I was. Thats right, I was too out of shape TO PLAY BASEBALL!

Luckily I found a great beginner's program on the the ol' internets and it's working just fine for now. The plan is called "The Couch-To-5k Running Plan" located at www.coolrunning.com and I highly recommend it for people just starting out.

I just started Week 6 of the 9 week plan and I'm feeling good about my progress. I should be in pretty good shape to run my first goal race in the first week of October.