I have gained a little weight (4 pounds over 2 weeks), getting slower on runs, and generally feeling crappy so I didn’t have high expectations today at the Anthem 5K. I did not get a PR, but looking back over race results I managed to save since 1999 (I took a multi-year hiatus from 2003 to 2007 while turning into a couch potato), there was only one 5K I ran faster, the Colgate 5K in 2000, at 25:06. So not bad for an old, still-overweight guy who just got back into running again:
Chip time: 25:49
Pace: 8:20
Numbers from my watch:
First mile: 7:55
Second mile: 8:20
Third mile: 8:10
Yesterday morning I did a little over 7 miles at Seneca and Cherokee Parks in Louisville, KY. It was a cold morning but once again, the parks seemed crowded with runners, which is motivational for me in a communal sort of way. In the first mile, I was running next to a guy who started up a conversation with me. Normally, I am a huffer and a puffer and I am not much for chatting, but it was pleasant. He asked how many miles I was going, my route, and how old I was. He mentioned that he was 56, and was going to have a birthday today. (Happy Birthday, whoever you are!)
I started out a little faster than my normal pace, and although I did not have a specific route plan to give me seven miles, I had my Forerunner 305 with me. I felt like I was running strong but maybe a little too strong for my injury. When I got done, I knew maybe I had pushed myself a bit. I was limping noticeably all day yesterday after the run, and just a little this morning. I guess that comes with the territory.
When I reviewed the lap numbers from my watch, especially after uploading them to motionbased, I was able to learn a little something more about my running. Looking at my laps, my average miles per hour stayed fairly consistent, and my pace was consistent in miles one through six. Mile 7 was a lot slower.
I knew I was feeling tired by then, but the pace seemed even more slower than I thought it would be. Looking at the statistics further, I think the long, slow elevation of the seventh mile explains it. There were other elevation jumps prior to that, but they were steeper and didn’t last as long.
Here are my numbers for the run:
| Total Time (h:m:s) |
1:09:28 |
9:32 pace |
| Distance (mi) |
7.28 |
|
| Moving Speed (mph) |
6.3 avg. |
9.5 max. |
| Elevation Gain (ft) |
+537 / -537 |
|
| Temperature (F) |
32 F avg. |
33.8 F high |
| Wind Speed (mph) |
NE 0.9 avg. |
NE 3.5 max. |
| Lap |
Time |
Distance |
M Spd |
Energy |
| (#) |
(m:s) |
(mi ) |
(mph) |
(Cal) |
| 1 |
9:06 |
1 |
7.8 |
177 |
| 2 |
9:08 |
1 |
7.6 |
180 |
| 3 |
9:50 |
1 |
8.1 |
178 |
| 4 |
9:33 |
1 |
7.8 |
177 |
| 5 |
9:32 |
1 |
8.1 |
177 |
| 6 |
9:27 |
1 |
7.4 |
181 |
| 7 |
10:13 |
1 |
7.8 |
179 |
| 8 |
2:37 |
0.27 |
7.2 |
48 |
Continue reading ‘Limping along’
This is not my New Year’s Resolution post. That will come later. But I had a goal of slimming down to 200 pounds by February 6, 2008. Sometime last September I started tracking everything in a spreadsheet, and I figured from that point on that 2/6/08 was the day I should have reached 200 pounds at a loss of around two pounds a week.
As you can see by the table below, taken from my spreadsheet, I was going along pretty well but sort of plateaued about a month or so ago. I think I have had too many fluctuating weeks, and too many “in the red.” The hip flexor injury hasn’t helped, but I think a little more discipline might be needed in the diet.
At any rate, I am not discouraged. I don’t think I can hit the goal, but I am going to make a push at it. Starting New Year’s Day, I am going to go into a modification of the “detox phase” of the diet I started back in August. That first month, I lost 20 pounds. I don’t expect that same loss this time around, but I know I will achieve some benefits, regardless. With a little luck, I will at least get under 220 by then.
| Date |
Weight |
Loss/Gain |
Total |
| 8/4/2007 |
267 |
N/A |
N/A |
| 9/12/2007 |
244.6 |
-2.9 |
-22.4 |
| 9/26/2007 |
237 |
-4.5 |
-30 |
| 10/10/2007 |
233.9 |
-2.2 |
-33.1 |
| 10/24/2007 |
228.7 |
-2.3 |
-38.3 |
| 11/7/2007 |
227.9 |
-2.1 |
-39.1 |
| 11/21/2007 |
229.7 |
+1.9 |
-37.3 |
| 12/5/2007 |
228.8 |
+2.9 |
-38.2 |
| 12/19/2007 |
223.8 |
-2.7 |
-43.2 |
