The Goal
Hello, my name is Jason. I am in my early 30’s, caucasian, well-groomed, and generally likable. I have a college degree and hold several technical certifications. I am an avid runner and in 2007, I ran both the San Diego and San Francisco marathons. I am also addicted to meth.
For the past year and a half I have ridden the roller coaster of addiction. I went from having it all, to having nothing. I alienated my friends, family, and colleagues to the point where I had only one option.
A little over two weeks ago, I made the decision to quit meth and I set a simple goal for myself. I am going to run a marathon.
This is how I am going to document my progress, both physical and mental, over the next nine months. Please check back from time to time, read about my progress, leave comments and help me run from addiction.
March 19, 2009
March 18th – My First Run Since Detroit
I have been totally slammed with work this week. The local guy I was working for is heading out-of-town for a family vacation so I am helping him get ahead this week and will be covering for him a bit next week. This means that I’ve been working 12-16 hour days all week. I am really looking forward to this weekend.
I am heading over to the gym for my first run since my “partying” in Detroit. I have been putting it off because I’ve been busy and I am not really looking forward to it but, today, I decided I was going no matter what. Time to lace up the shoes and get it over with.
Add comment March 18, 2010
March 16th – Made It Home
After a long two days of travel, I finally made it home. It’s good to be home. I really like my home. I ended up stuck in Portland, which was pretty cool because I was able to spend some time with my Nephew. He is getting really big and he’s probably the smartest kid I’ve seen in a while.
I have been buried in work since I’ve been home. I am in full swing with the new job and my old job is still relying on me a lot. Don’t get me wrong. I really enjoy what I do so it’s not that bad but I tend to focus primarily on work when things get busy. That, coupled with the fact I still don’t have my phone, is making me feel pretty isolated.
I haven’t been to the gym since I’ve been home but I am looking forward to going tomorrow. To be honest, I’m not very excited about it. I know I set myself back with the partying in Detroit and I know it’s going to be a rough one.
Add comment March 16, 2010
March 13th – Travel Is An Adventure
I have never been so glad to be in an airport. The fast pace of this trip has worn be down and I can’t wait to get home. My coworkers and I spent every night in one bar or another. Between the smoke and alcohol I am sure I set myself back a few weeks. I am upset that I put myself in a situation where I was making unhealthy choices to be part of “the team”. While there were no drugs involved, the circumstances were much the same. Making bad choices to be “cool” is a pattern of behavior that scares the heck out of me. I know better and will definitely find a way to opt out of future bonding experiences without seeming like not part of the team. I think that I am going to just be honest and tell them I enjoy being part of the team but that isn’t my lifestyle.
On another note, I left my phone back at the hotel so please do not be alarmed if you have trouble getting in touch with me. The hotel is sending the phone express and I promise to answer all voice mails and text messages as soon as my phone arrives.
To compound my frustration, I just found out my flight has been delayed so I am going to miss my connecting flight. I trying to re-book the flight but it looks like I will stuck in Denver. Travel is always and adventure.
March 13, 2010
March 10th – Hello from Detroit
My flight in was interesting. I ended up flying from Medford to San Francisco to Phoenix to Detroit. Yes I flew West and then South to get North. As my plane descended through the clouds I was surprised at the vastness of Detroit and it’s surrounding suburbs. The city lights seemed to go on forever and were only broken by snow and small iced over lakes.
My first night in was also interesting. We went out for a team-building, male bonding, drinking binge. To say that I don’t drink is an understatement so, for me, it wasn’t much fun. I did, however, end up drinking enough that I woke up feeling awful this morning. I spent most of the day tired and recovering from last night. I made it to the hotel gym after work today and the run was just about as expected. I started out with a mile at 6mph and then ran two minute intervals for another mile, walked for a bit, and then finished with an 8.5mph sprint to the finish. It hurt the entire time but that’s what I get for going out drinking on a Tuesday night.
March 10, 2010
March 8th – Another Amazing Weekend
As the title states, I had an amazing weekend. First, a little back story… About three years ago, I received a letter in the mail from the state of CA. The letter stated that I owed child support for a son in CA. I didn’t recognize the woman’s name and I would have been around 15 at the time so I didn’t believe it and responded asking for a paternity test. I was even more amazed when the test came back positive. I have been loosely communicating with the kid for the past few months and went down this past weekend to attend his 18th birthday and meet him for the first time. It was an amazing experience and it was great to make the connection. He is an awesome guy and I am excited to build this relationship.
I arrived back last night to a huge amount of work. I have mixed feelings about my new job. On one hand, the money is nice and I am more interested in the work. On the other, they have no concept of personal time. I am expected to work at all hours of the night and on the weekends. I know in this economy I should be thankful to have a job but I am a little frustrated that I do not have any scheduled down time. I think I am mostly upset because I am scheduled to fly to Detroit tomorrow (with 5 connecting flights) and will be missing the Shamrock Run this weekend because I am flying back Saturday evening. I don’t want to seem like I am not a team player but I really need to have some control over my “off” days.
After taking the weekend off, I had a great run this afternoon. I set the treadmill to 6mph and ran three miles in thirty minutes. I realize that is still slow for some folks but 6mph is a “fast” speed for me. Hopefully I will be able to get a full week of training in while in Detroit.
2 comments March 8, 2010
March 5th – End Of A Great Week
I really enjoy Fridays. Work was awesome. This new job carries a lot more responsibility and a few more hours but I am having a great time. I like that I am working on more complex problems and am a major part of something.
I had a great workout as well. I was tired toward the end of the day and wasn’t really feeling like going but I forced myself into my running shoes and out the door. I was able to run a faster three miles than yesterday. I am up to 5.5mph (woo hoo). I realize that I still really slow but it’s not as slow as yesterday.
Unfortunately, I am back on the road next week so I will have to figure out how to keep my momentum going. This time I am heading to Detroit. The company I work for has a technology partner in the area so I am flying out to meet their development team and work on an integration project. I am excited to work on the project and I am excited to visit a new city.
2 comments March 5, 2010
March 4th – A Little More Energy
I had a little more energy today. I am learning to eat better and I am seeing the results in both my waistline and energy levels. For a while, I was cutting back too much while trying to increase my activity level. Lately, however, I am eating lower calorie, nutrient dense meals and feel better.
I had an encouraging run this evening. I decided to start slow and run a solid three miles without stopping. I was able to average a, very slow, 5mph and complete the run in just over a half hour. I realize 5mph is ridiculously slow but it felt good to complete the run and still have energy left. I think I could have easily switched over to intervals at that point and completed another mile.
I had an interesting thing happen today. I was looking through one of my old boxes and I ran into the list of goals I wrote down about the time I started this blog. I was happy to see that I was able to mark off 80% of the listed goals. As I marked off each goal, I thought about the people who helped me get there. I am extremely fortunate to have such a great network of supportive family and friends. Thank you!
4 comments March 5, 2010
March 3rd – Running Out of Gas
I am just running out of gas this week. I woke up late again this morning. It seems like the more running I do the more sleep I need to repair and re-energize. I had a decent run this evening. It went much the same as yesterday with two miles of solid running, followed by another mile of intervals. The only problem tonight was I just out of energy and sore the whole time. My workouts these days seem like two steps forward and one step back. The one place I am starting to see results is in my weight lifting workouts. I am starting to see increases in weight and results in the mirror. If I can just get my running in line I will be ready for summertime.
March 3, 2010
March 2nd – Half Done
I have a little bit of bloggers block (is that a real affliction?) this evening so this is going to be fairly short. I had a pretty good run after work today. I was able to run a fairly fast two miles before switching over to intervals for the last mile. This time, however, my intervals were all running so I am making progress. I was dead tired all the way through but I don’t think it would have been any worse if I had gone this morning. That being the case, I am going to run twice tomorrow even if I feel tired and sore in the morning.
March 2, 2010
March 2nd – Half Day
I woke up a little late this morning so I didn’t get to the gym. Probably a good thing as I am not feeling 100% today. Heck, I’m not even feeling 80%. It’s that same run down feeling I had last week. I just have no energy. I am pretty sure it’s due to the extra workouts so I am going to take this morning off and just run once today.
March 2, 2010
