Let’s get things started with a few updates. This Wednesday will mark 12 weeks of constant headache (residual pain from my shingles outbreak in the fall). The good news is that it’s been extremely mild, and I’m used to it, so I barely notice it anymore. It’s been weeks since it’s flared up to the point where it’s caused any significant inconvenience in my life. Hopefully this means it will go away soon – I feel like I’m 97% of the way there!
In other news, I’m hitting the stairmaster with a renewed vigor. My current plan is to use it twice a week (Mondays and Fridays), and while I’m only starting my second week of that plan, I’m excited by it.
Get ready to shake sand out of your shoes for weeks, because… Sand Dune Alert!
I came back earlier today from a great weekend excursion – an overnight trip up north, designed with one goal in mind: to have an excellent, unique workout experience.
I started a new chapter last week. I recommitted myself to my weight loss efforts, vowing to tackle the things that I’ve let slide. I’m now one week in, and that first week went pretty well!
My meal prep worked wonderfully. It was great to have the lunches and dinners that I prepared last Sunday all week long, and I spent a good part of today Read the rest of this entry »
It’s been, oh, seven months since I’ve had a good workout on the stairs. I’ve missed it. When the pandemic first started flaring up, all my upcoming stair races got cancelled. All the gyms in my state were forced to Read the rest of this entry »
We got 8 or 10 inches of snow earlier this week. JJ has been having a great time frolicking in the snow on his walks. I got an hour of exercise the other night when I shoveled out the driveway. But these pictures are from before the snowstorm, which explains the lack of snow. They’re from my trip last weekend to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and they feature some incredible public stairs!
I was in Chicago over this past weekend, and it was drizzly all Saturday night. The weather predicted rain all Sunday morning too, but, thankfully, the clouds dried up, and that was a good thing, because I had a stair race that morning, and this one was outdoors. At Comiskey Park!
I know, I know, the home of the Chicago White Sox hasn’t been named Comiskey Park in well over a decade. But Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve run races on roads, on trails, and I’ve certainly done plenty of stair races. The race I did on Saturday, though, combined all of those disciplines, and more! My finishers medal was well-earned… and earning it required doing things I’ve never done before.
Last weekend I competed in my 29th race of the year, and my second in Michigan’s gorgeous – and incredibly remote – Upper Peninsula. I earned the biggest, heaviest finisher’s medal I’ve ever seen!
The race was called the Pine Mountain 500, and it was held at the Pine Mountain Ski Resort in Iron Mountain. There’s a ski jump there, and alongside the jump is a 500-step stairway. Read the rest of this entry »
Earlier this year, I competed in a 6-hour stair race in Salt Lake City. During the race, a friend named Brian Zamboni suffered a massive heart attack, collapsed, and ultimately passed away a few days later.
I first met Brian a few years back. We met when Brian approached me at a race to talk about this blog, which he had found helpful. We weren’t super close, but I enjoyed chatting with him at various races across the country. He was kind, supportive, and friendly, and I admired his focus and drive in the stairwell.
One week ago, I stumbled across a stair race online. I hadn’t heard about it before. I signed up. It was on a whim, but the race was different and cheap ($15). It was called the Inclinator, and this little race ended up being one of the toughest events I’ve ever done.
I’m showing off my bib number – they wrote it on my arm with a Sharpie. Good ol’ lucky number 7!
The Inclinator event happened at the Stairs on Division, a public stairway going up a hillside in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I had never been to these stairs before, but they remind me of Read the rest of this entry »
A big hello to everyone that’s discovering Keep It Up, David for the first time! I’m glad you’re here.
My name is David. I live in Michigan, and I’m 42 years old. In January 2010, I began eating better and exercising more, so I could lose weight. So far, so good – I’ve lost 160 pounds and am keeping it off! But it’s a tough road, and I need to keeping finding new ways to keep motivated and on-track. I’ll blog about my progress and share my struggles and successes. Join me on my journey!
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Keep It Up, David! 