Impossible to Possible... My First 5K (Run for the Bagel 5K)

U.S. Olympian PattiSue Plummer once said, "Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."

Recently, I signed up for and completed a 5K Run (Run for the Bagel 2012) and it was one of the most exhilarating experiences in my life. Crossing the finish line in 33:01 was nice (under my goal of 35 minutes) but it was much more symbolic than just completing a race... Crossing the finish line felt more like a beginning to a new life. I have always been an athlete, but for some reason, I felt as if "running" was not possible for me. I, like many others, had a "great" excuse that prevented me from being able to run.

From previous sports, my knees had taken some pretty intense damage... and if I ran my knees would fill with fluid, swell up, and I would be laid up for days... Running is impossible!

My Church's Running Team - Teams First 5K

I have always been competitive, but it the sports i played involved competition against other people. At 29, I was facing my biggest competition ever; myself.

The difference is simple, I told myself that I could... and I trained for it smart. I spent two whole months not running a single bit. Instead, I focused on cycling which built up my knees and my cardio without having a major impact on my knees... After that, I starting my running with a few mini goals:

1. Run without major discomfort
2. Run a Mile without stopping
3. Run a Mile in under 9 minutes
4. Run 2 Miles 
5. Run 5K in under 35 minutes

Those mini goals really helped me get to where I am now... I can now say that I ran a 5K and I finished... and my knees held up without being in pain the next day. From here, I'm going to keep pushing forward... I am excited to say that I finished my first 5K, but I am even more excited to continue my life with a better perspective.

13 Mile Early Morning Ride...

This morning I went for a ride trying to see how many miles I could go in one hour...

Calling All Endomondo Users...

I have been thinking about how many people use Endomondo and how it would be really cool to hear success stories, reviews, funny occurances, etc. that have happened while getting in shape using Endomondo...

Comment below if you want to share your experiences with me...

Lake Charleston Ride...

Out with my beautiful wife in Charleston by the lake...

My First 150 Miles on Endomondo...

It was 39 days ago that I discovered Endomondo... and my life hasn't been the same since. I just passed the 150 mile mark (cycling, running, and walking) and I have never felt better about my life, my health, and my body is going through a nice transformation as well.

According to Endomondo, I have worked out over 21 hours, 153 miles, and I burned 14,282 calories (26 burgers).

I can already look back at the last 150 miles and think of a few memorable moments... Like the time I logged 24 miles in when I rode my bike to Charleston and back on the Lincoln Prairie Trail... or the time I rode around  the beautiful Lake Paradise with my buddy Chris... 

Really there are so many positive events, changes, feelings, and experiences that have happened to me during my last 150 miles that I am so excited to see what is ahead of me in my journey ahead...

These miles have been accomplished through daily commutes to my job, individual workouts, and workouts with my family and friends. I would encourage anybody to start their own Endomondo journey... and enjoy all of the great things that come along with it!

God Bless,

Rob Farmer

My Best Mile So Far...

Just ran my best mile since starting to get back in shape... I shaved 30 seconds off my last best effort... My goal is 7 minute miles so I still have a ways to go.

Around Mattoon, IL... Literally... :)

Here is a new route that I mapped out that I hope to try soon... If you like it feel free to download it to your phone and tell me how you liked it...
 

Endomondo Android App Review

One of the best apps for any smartphone (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc.) is Endomondo. As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I have been using Endomondo.com's Android Application for a little over a month and I am hooked...

In today's world, there is an app for nearly everything possible but it seems to be a common thing for app users to stop using their apps within weeks of downloading it.

If you look in Google Play (formally called Android Market) you can see that the Endomondo Addroid app has been downloaded over one million times and is rated 4.5 stars out of 5 (75,745 reviews)...

"Endomondo is the highest rated app of its kind on Android (and iPhone) and ideal for running, walking and any other distance-based activity"

To get this amazing app, click on the links below for your specific smartphone:

Android

iPhone

Blackberry

If you have used Endomondo before or have any questions about it please feel free to comment below...

Rob Farmer

Lake Paradise Ride

Tonight I went on a moderately challenging ride with my buddy Chris around Lake Paradise.

Aside from having a couple bugs go in my eye it was a really nice ride...

My First Month - 100+ Miles

Well it was my first month of Endomondo... and I logged more than 100 miles and burned more than 11,000 calories :)

How Endomondo Changed My Life...

A little over a month ago, one of my best friends told me about Endomondo... my life has never been the same sense...

Well, its not a drastic change but it has lead me 100 miles down a road to better health (both physically and mentally).

Endomondo, according to its website, "is a sports community based on free real-time GPS tracking of running, cycling, etc." but it is so much more than that.

One of the biggest motivators for people trying to get in shape is seeing progress. Some of us take more time than we'd like to see results physically and it becomes very discouraging. Others find the task of keeping track of their progress (calories burned, miles traveled, etc.) cumbersome and overwhelming.

Here is where Endomondo steps in... It tracks it all. And since it is community based, you and your friends can social network and encourage each other while you get yourself in gear. If you choose to you can even tie it to your Facebook account.

The social networking side of things is fairly in depth so I will need to cover it at a later time but I do want to mention that Endomondo allows your friends to send you a "peptalk" while you are out running, biking, walking, etc. and those encouraging words will be voiced to you while you are working out. 

With Endomondo on your phone, you can track your running, cycling, and other activities with real-time accurate stats (calories burned, distance traveled, pace, GPS location, etc.) 

It is really fun and useful tool that is motivating, social, and informational... It is well worth the free download on your Android , iPhone, Blackberry or other devices...