Weighty Issues

My latest Runner's World magazine had an interesting article titled "Running on Empty."  It talks about cutting food to gain speed and how easy it is to cross the line from eating smart to barely eating.  One runner featured was a male college student who was six feet tall and got down to 129 pounds.  Yes, even men have eating problems.  The interesting thing about that student was when he got back to a healthier weight of 154, he broke a school record and captured the second-fastest college time in the country that year.

There are dozens of weight charts available and they don't all agree.   Of course, we all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!  There are also many more factors to health that the number on the scale.  Your doctor can help you in that area.

Here is how weight affects running performance:

Overweight
Carrying excess weight puts pressure on your joints and can lead to hip, knee, and ankle injuries.  Gradually increase weekly mileage to avoid excess strain on your joints.

Slightly Overweight
You may not be able to chase down a PR (personal record) if you're carrying extra weight, but you'll certainly have the energy to run hard and are at little risk for injury. 

Average Weight
For most runners, this is the best place to be.  With proper training, your risk of injury is low and you should feel energetic, fast, and emotionally balanced.

Slightly Underweight
Stress fractures become more likely because your bones suffer from being undernourished.  Also, you'll fatigue earlier during runs and may suffer uncomfortable post exercise symptoms like headaches and lethargy. 

Underweight
If you're undernourished, your pace suffers as your body breaks down muscle for energy instead of using food as fuel.  Loss of muscle also disrupts hormone function.

Drastically Underweight
If you've basically stopped eating, you tax your heart so much that you're at risk for a heart attack or stroke.  Eating disorders are also considered psychiatric illnesses.

This is so fascinating to me.  And just so you know, I am definitely not undernourished!

Today's Run

I felt AMAZING this morning!  The wind was gone, it was a comfortable 50 degrees.  I ran six miles in under an hour - 59:29 to be exact!  That's a 9:55 pace.  When my "official" training starts next week my first run is 4 easy miles at 10:04 pace.  So excited to get this party in gear!

Motivational Monday

I received the latest Runner's World magazine last week - it is full of inspiring people and motivating ideas!  I really like this quote from Darnell Crawley of Atlanta:

"A morning run gets my metabolism going and my energy up.  Some people need coffee; I need my run."

I can relate to that!  I feel so much better after a morning run than if I sleep in.  No grogginess.  I have time to get awake, talk to God and figure out my day ~ no caffeine required!

Week 4 Report

It's been another wild weather week around here!  All was calm on Sunday, it rained on Monday, and the winds started blowing on Tuesday.  They really kicked up yesterday and are still howling this morning.  I managed to sneak a run in yesterday before they started up, but today was out of the question.  I can only think of three weather conditions that keep me from running:  pouring rain, extreme smoke from a wildfire, and high Santa Ana winds. 

This is the first week in a long time that I didn't ride my bike a single time.   The rule of thumb for mountain biking is to stay off the trail 24 hours after it rains, so I couldn't ride Sunday or Tuesday and it's been too windy since!

Total miles for this week:
Running:  34.65
Cycling:  0
Total  34.65

1 down, 9 to go on my weight loss!

Weight loss goal:  10 pounds
Lost this week: 1
Total lost: 1

Wordy Wednesday - LSD

LSD is the most common hallucinogen and is one of the most potent mood-changing chemicals. It is manufactured from Lysergic acid diethylamide.  And has absolutely nothing to do with running!

In the world of running LSD is a long, slow distance run to build endurance...

Why would anyone want to run slow?   Long runs improve aerobic capacity, build your strength, and get your body accustomed to spending hours at a time on your feet.  A 15 mile run, at 10:00 pace, would take 2 1/2 hours.  That's a long time on your feet.  It also helps you get use to drinking water and eating a little something while on the run ~ both very important aspects of going the distance.

It can be tempting to crank up the distance and the pace at the same time. That's a recipe for injury. In the early weeks of training, focus should be on developing a solid base of running at easy, slow speeds. It's essential to do this before you build speed into your program.

Motivational Monday

I'm starting a new feature ~ "Motivational Monday."  These posts will be quotes or stories about runners who inspire me.  I hope you'll be inspired, too!  I posted this quote on McMoments and Memories a couple weeks ago:

Running is just you, the work you put in, and the clock. You can't cheat yourself. If you don't put in the miles, you can't go to the starting line thinking you're going to pull a miracle out of nowhere. You get out exactly as much as you put in.
~Desiree Davila

I did a 10 miler yesterday morning.  It felt SO good!  The air was clean after the rain we got on Saturday and I was well rested.  I was watching my pace quite a bit ~ it was about 11:04.  At one point I said, "That's almost 2 minutes slower than what I need to run a 4 hour marathon."  On the heels of that came this thought, "That's why I'm training." 

I'm not ready for my marathon yet, but as long as I don't cheat myself in the training, on June 3rd I'll be able to say I've done my best!

Week 3 Report

This was a good week.  I didn't get to run or ride this morning due to rain, but I feel like I'm getting back on track now that I have good running shoes again.

Total miles for this week:
Running:  12.30
Cycling:  20.95
Total  33.25

My weight loss plans are in gear. I'm starting with today's weight, so no loss to report yet.

Weight loss goal:  10 pounds
Lost this week: 0
Total lost: 0