It has been a week of ups and downs in my efforts to get myself back into shape. First, I managed two runs early in the week – both three miles and both on the treadmill, with my time down to 32 minutes. That’s the best time I’ve managed since I’ve returned to the running game, but far from where I want to be. My goal remains 27 minutes for three miles – and at least one five-miler in a week. Both of these goals seem so far off. My weight also was down to about 213, though it has floated back up to 215 due to some bad habits returning. Ups and downs – weight down is an up, weight up is a down…

Let's start with the good news: I am down a pound again and I ran three miles outside. Now comes the caveat: I only worked out twice this week and I was a bad boy -- McDonald's on Tuesday. So what is the lesson we take from this? First, two weeks of haphazard effort has not stopped me from making strides, which means a more focused effort will produce far better results. So if the goal is to get down to 190 by Labor Day -- or 24 pounds in eight weeks -- then I need to step things up. Three pounds a week could be a tough haul, but if I make sure I run at least four times a week, I truly …

Let's start this update with a brief recounting of my efforts for the week: three days at the gym with a total of 12 miles spent on the elliptical machine and an average pace of roughly 8:15 per mile, a couple of days of aggressive weight work. aside from Friday night (Chinese food with the family) and Saturday night (a barbecue), I managed to keep close watch on what I was eating. I even managed a couple of days of vegetarian (grilled vegetables, salads) and I stayed away from the heavily sweetened drinks. The upshot: I'm down a little more than a pound, though it was probably more earlier …

There can be no excuses. Just a few years ago, I weighed in at around 185-190. I ran the Long Beach Island 18-mile run. My cholesterol was down and all was well. I'm now pushing 50 -- I turned 48 in October -- and my waist has expanded, the scale is up (217!), as are my trigycerides and cholesterol, and I haven't been for a real run in almost a year. What happened? Well, life did, my busy, crazy life. The Patch life, as rewarding as it is, can be pretty exhausting. And that's if you're not working toward your master's degree and teaching twice a week at the community college, as I do. Add to …