One of the best feelings in the world is setting a goal and meeting that goal. It can be something as small as finally organizing your closet or something big like sticking to a savings plan and having enough money to buy a house/retire. Goals are good because they help us to feel that we accomplished something and through accomplishment we get to feel alive.

As you may have read in my previous entry EA Sports Active Personal Trainer put forth their 5K challenge. They wanted people to set a goal of running/walking a 5K and they gave them a way to meet that goal with a suggested training plan. They even asked those if us in the community to step up and be Community Leaders for these groups. I saw this and realized, “Hey, there’s a challenge in this Challenge! I accept.”

So I put myself out there as a Community Leader, found a 5K and started soliciting everyone I know that owns EA Sports Active Personal Trainer to join the team. I scheduled weekly group runs and I trained. After a little research I found that the EA Sports Active training regimen incorporated elements of the Couch to 5K running plan so I downloaded a Couch to 5K app to my iPhone to assist me on run days.

The one thing that I am pleasantly surprised at is how the EA Sports Active suggested training schedule worked so well. After four weeks of training I found that I was able to run 5 killometers on my last training day before the event and that is something I hadn’t ever been able to do before. I’ve been in runs before (OK, a total of three) but I’ve always “wogged” the event, needing to walk a bit after every 1/4 mile. Even though it wasn’t the actual race day I can’t tell you how proud I was the moment I realized I was about to complete running those 3.2 miles. Accomplishing a goal feels great, accomplishing it ahead of schedule feels AMAZING!

First and foremost I want to thank each and every member of my team for not hating me. I chose the Rocky Rodge Trail 5K because the setting sounded like a nice outdoor setting and everyone would get a medal for finishing, a win-win right? Let’s just say I’m glad that I knew everyone on my team because that run was a HILL-acious up and down course jam packed full of challenge. Tiny rise after tiny rise got everyone warmed up for the near 3/4 of a mile ascent up this wall that they decided to call a road near the end of the race. With each step up that 400 ft. incline I just kept telling myself to just get to the turnaround point because it would (literally) be all down hill from there.

I also have to say that I surprised myself as well near the end of the race. After traversing back down the hill I realized that there was still one team member behind me. I realized early on in accepting this challenge that I was probably going to be one of the last people in. I didn’t like the feeling I had when I thought about it but I knew it was a very real possibility. Even when the race started and I watched most of my team get ahead of me I was OK with it. After that hill, however, I didn’t want anyone else on my team to be the last of our group over the line. Instead of running ahead I jogged backwards and waited for my final team member and ran with them in to finish the race. This even lead to a last minute dash where I took the finish line by a hair.

This was such a great experience I can’t wait for my next 5K. I’ve also learned a very valuable lesson: be sure to know what you are getting in to and watch for an elevation guide in the 5K promotional materials!

So speaking of the next 5K, anyone in the area interested in running the 17th Annual Walnut Creek Turkey Trot with me? It’s a flat run and you get a goodie bag at the end. Look at the stuff I got for this run! You can even incorporate this 5K into your new 6 week workout routine if you pick up EA Sports Active More Workouts on November 20th.

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EA Sports Active is having a 5K Challenge this Fall to gear up for the release of their new workout game EA Sports Active More Workouts, the follow-up to their video game fitness hit, EA Sports Active for Wii.

I am the Community Leader for San Ramon, CA and I chose the Rocky Ridge Trail Half Marathon/10K/5K that will be taking place at Las Trampas Regional Park on Saturday, October 24th, 2009.

The cost of the event is $30 (if you register before 10/8). All runners will receive finisher medals and technical t-shirts (available in gender-specific styles and in sizes ranging from youth small up to men’s 6XL). You have to register prior to 10/12 if you want to gaurantee your t-shirt in your size on the day of the race.

If you would like to sign up for the 5k Challenge, go here: http://easportsactive5kchallenge.eventbrite.com/

and then go to the Rocky Ridge Trail web site (posted below) and sign up there.

Here is more information about the EA Sports Active 5K Challenge: http://www.easportsactive.com/blog.action?id=5K%20Challenge-20090901103631014.xml

Here is more information about the Rocky Ridge Trail Half-Marathon / 10k / 5k: http://www.brazenracing.com/rockyridge.html

If you have any questions, please contact me at my email address or through Facebook.You can also join the teams Facebook Group!

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Here is the way I’m sure you wouldn’t expect the last day of my 30 day challenge to start:Yesterday I gave in to many many demons. No I didn’t go on a sugar consuming binge, I just didn’t have as much restraint.

It all started out with me not feeling very awake when I did get out of bed (late). The game said today was supposed to be a day of rest. The way I felt, my frame of mind, I figured EA Sports Active knows better than I do so sure I’ll spend a day at rest. I was still determined to weigh in though. End result? No weight change. Well, at least I didn’t gain (didn’t do much for my state of mind however).

I didn’t have as much water as I usually do and I finally snapped on the “turkey vegetable sandwich” that I usually have for lunch. Went to the grocery store and picked up some Lean Cuisine meals instead. Tasty, more sodium than I would like, but OK.

Dinner was healthy and delicious, however I had another half of a chicken breast that I shouldn’t have had and didn’t need. Tasted too good and to be honest I didn’t care (at least that is the lie I told to myself). After dinner had a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich. Tasty. For some reason chased that with a peanut butter sandwich. 300 calories I didn’t really need.

When I woke up this morning on time I was excited to get back on track and complete my 20th workout for the 30 day challenge. Even though there was jumping and lunging and squat holds I still had a great workout. This one finally broke out the Wii Fit for all of the sports games and for once I didn’t absolutely detest the Inline Skating because I was raising my legs rather than having to do jump squats again. Wonderful all-body workout.

Spent the day eating as right as I could and had at least 64 ounces of water during the day. With dinner I plan on keeping my consumption in moderation and drinking lots of water prior to dinner and during dinner to try to fill myself up.

I don’t think that I can say this enough: I truly feel that the EA Sports Active is the one fitness based game for the Wii so far that can DRASTICALLY change the lives of the people that use it. It focuses on key exercises, core exercises, and in its sports games it tricks you into having fun when you are atually working out. It provides you the tools to get a great workout with almost no exercise equipment and it provides you the tools to succeed. I can’t say enough how much I like this product, I’ve been telling all of my friends and family about it and I am not going to stop either. I’ve lost 11 pounds while using this and it has helped give me motivation again to get serious about leading a healthier lifestyle.

Tomorrow is my lovely wife’s birthday. If I can wake up enough ahead of her I’ll get a workout in. If I can’t so what. I’ll be doing some regular workouts and starting another 30 day challenge on July 1st so I can keep up the pace in a quick and easy-to-understand method. That’s the way I’m thinking now, let’s see how I’m thinking tomorrow.

If you’ve been reading this, thanks for joining me on the journey. Hope you’re living healthy and active.

-Will

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Day 29, the day before the last workout. I can’t believe that I have actually done this consistently for nearly a month. I’ve only stuck to an exercise regimen like this once before. I had great results last time and it really looks like I’m going to as well with this one. I feel better about myself, that’s for sure.

After the fact I realized that I may have made a very poor choice when it came to eating lunch today. I made my home made chicken noodle soup. I make it with as little sodium as possible, I make my broth as fat free as possible, and I use whole grain rotini noodles. Even with all of this, however, the sodium still is probably more than you want to have and I plan on weighing in tomorrow. Bad idea if I don’t plan on trying to flush my system with over a gallon of water (and to answer, no I don’t plan on doing that).

Tonight the family went to Round Table for dinner because of the all-you-can eat buffet. I had two helpings of salal and one slice of cheese pizza. I left pretty darn full, don’t recall having anything else. The only thing that I regret is drinking the fountain lemonade and ice tea because I just know that the sugar content is probably off the charts. Again, bad for tomorrow’s weigh in.

I’m set on the idea of using measurements next time to track my progress over weight. In the even that I actually build muscle it will give better results.

Day 30, here I come.

-Will

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Had an interesting fluke happen this morning when I woke up that is going to potentially impact my my 30 day challenge.

Last night when I wrote off finishing my work out I paused it. I woke up this morning and figured I would finish up the workout. Because this was the next day the workout was credited to Tuesday (naturally). I have two workouts left, I have two days of my 30 day challenge left. The system is going to force what should be the last day as a day of rest. I just know it.

Great workout today. I really, however, need to find a way to make more time in the morning so that I can stretch more before my workout. My left knee is really getting annoying to the point where it is damn near interferring with my workout. I should also spend my evenings stretching/doing leg lifts to try to strengthen around the problem. I don’t know exactly when I started having knee problems but I really wish I didn’t. They really are the focal point of movement.

-Will

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