Keeping it brief today (in an effort to conserve energy for tomorrow's 20-miler--God I hate that number).
I started running, serious running, in the summer of 2004. Back then I had one goal: lose weight. Since then, I've quickly developed new goals, but weight loss is always in the back of my head.
For the past three years I've been bouncing between 200 lbs. and 185 lbs.. What I find amazing is how when I trained for my first half-marathon I lost a ton of weight (not sure how much, but probably went from 200 to 185). But for my last race I barely shed a pound, even though I was much faster.
I guess with a new distance my body has a renewed desired to lose weight because I've eaten like crazy for the past three months and have managed to lose about .75 pounds a week. I started training at 193 and this Monday I weighed in at 179--and I've still got more training to go.
I'm happy about the weight loss, but not for the same reasons I would have been in the past. In the past I worried about weight for health and appearance reasons. While those are still important, now weight loss means a faster speed, longer endurance, and being able to purchase clearance items at running stores (why is "small" always the only size on the clearance rank?).
So that's it. I'm going to crawl back into bed and sleep a bit more with the wife, happy that I don't have to run today at the gym (aka, "the fart factory," more on that later).
And just to keep you posted: we are exactly three weeks from MY FIRST MARATHON EVER! All you folks doing Chicago (and it seems like everyone is doing Chicago) I'll be just six days behind you.
2 comments:
This whole weight thing is really interesting to me too. Do you know what is causing the weight loss this time? Do you think it is the longer distances?? I haven't been able to figure it out. I only lost a couple pounds in about 12 - 13 weeks of training which was way more than I had been doing. I wasn't eating ravenously. Maybe I was right at the point of miles that it would start dropping off. Not sure but frustrating!!
Glad you are having success. It will definitely make you faster!
You think you hit your plateau with the training for all the HM's? That happened to me. I was going the same types of exercise over and over and for the same amount of time. Supposedly your body gets used to it after awhile and doesn't burn as much. So you either have to go longer or do something else. Anyway, once I started running (6 months ago) I lost another 10 pounds. Just needed something new I guess. So once you plateau out on these marathons, what's next ultras? LOL
Anyway awesome job homie!!! Weight loss is also a great thing and you get the bonus of being a faster runner!! WHOO HOOO!!!
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