My improvements
May 16th 2008 02:13
I know I said I was 106.7kg when I first started back running, but that’s not technically true.
When I first started on the road (Nov 15 2007), I was only about 102kg. But a week later, I got married and we went on our honeymoon, and things got even further out of hand. I really pigged out and didn’t exercise at all. By the time I got home (Dec 12), I’d put on over 4kg!!! That was when I topped the scales at 106.7kg.
I decided it was time to stop over-eating, and I lost 3kg in 4 days. (I don’t normally eat as much as I did on my honeymoon, so when I stopped doing that, my weight returned to ‘normal’.) On Dec 16, I weighed 103.7kg. This was my real starting weight.
From Dec 17 2007 to Feb 23 2008 (69 days), I ran 32 times. Every single time, I ran hard, trying to better my previous time. But the results were very disappointing. I managed to reduce my time over 5.9km by just 3min 10sec. In other words, I improved by only 32 seconds per km in just over two months.
I did manage to lose 3.7kg (3.57% bodyweight) in the process, but it was VERY hard going. I was always sore, and I’d had already started dreading going for a run.
That was when I learned about ‘Easy’ running.
From Feb 24 to May 10 (77 days), I ran 64 times. All but 10 of those runs have been at an ‘Easy’ pace or slower. Here are some of my improvements over that time:
- 10.38km run alone – Reduced from 1:18:50 to 1:07:40 (over 1min/km faster)
- 10.38km run with 1 child in pram – Reduced from 1:29:05 to 1:08:33 (2min/km faster)
- 6.7km run with 2 children in pram – Reduced from 1:00:39 to 44:44 (nearly 2.5min/per km faster)
- Weight lost – 3.15kg (3.15% bodyweight)
As you can see, in about the same time, running ‘Easy’ resulted in two-to-five times the performance improvement that running hard delivered.
Admittedly, I ran twice as many times, but even still, the improvements are better.
And it was really, really easy! So even though I lost about the same amount of weight running hard as I did running ‘Easy’, when I was running ‘Easy’, I didn’t even feel like I was working. I lost the same amount of weight with far, far less effort. It didn’t hurt, I didn’t feel like my head and lungs were about to explode, and I didn’t feel continuously out of breath. I just cruised along, free as a bird (albeit a big and sweaty one!).
More importantly, I’m now absolutely hooked on running. I actually look forward to going for a run – I dream about it. And I work my day around it. So I know that the weight loss is going to continue. Not because I’m determined, but because I love the activity that makes it happen.
Anyway, I’ve gotta get back to work now, so until next time, happy running...
When I first started on the road (Nov 15 2007), I was only about 102kg. But a week later, I got married and we went on our honeymoon, and things got even further out of hand. I really pigged out and didn’t exercise at all. By the time I got home (Dec 12), I’d put on over 4kg!!! That was when I topped the scales at 106.7kg.
I decided it was time to stop over-eating, and I lost 3kg in 4 days. (I don’t normally eat as much as I did on my honeymoon, so when I stopped doing that, my weight returned to ‘normal’.) On Dec 16, I weighed 103.7kg. This was my real starting weight.
From Dec 17 2007 to Feb 23 2008 (69 days), I ran 32 times. Every single time, I ran hard, trying to better my previous time. But the results were very disappointing. I managed to reduce my time over 5.9km by just 3min 10sec. In other words, I improved by only 32 seconds per km in just over two months.
I did manage to lose 3.7kg (3.57% bodyweight) in the process, but it was VERY hard going. I was always sore, and I’d had already started dreading going for a run.
That was when I learned about ‘Easy’ running.
From Feb 24 to May 10 (77 days), I ran 64 times. All but 10 of those runs have been at an ‘Easy’ pace or slower. Here are some of my improvements over that time:
- 10.38km run alone – Reduced from 1:18:50 to 1:07:40 (over 1min/km faster)
- 10.38km run with 1 child in pram – Reduced from 1:29:05 to 1:08:33 (2min/km faster)
- 6.7km run with 2 children in pram – Reduced from 1:00:39 to 44:44 (nearly 2.5min/per km faster)
- Weight lost – 3.15kg (3.15% bodyweight)
As you can see, in about the same time, running ‘Easy’ resulted in two-to-five times the performance improvement that running hard delivered.
Admittedly, I ran twice as many times, but even still, the improvements are better.
And it was really, really easy! So even though I lost about the same amount of weight running hard as I did running ‘Easy’, when I was running ‘Easy’, I didn’t even feel like I was working. I lost the same amount of weight with far, far less effort. It didn’t hurt, I didn’t feel like my head and lungs were about to explode, and I didn’t feel continuously out of breath. I just cruised along, free as a bird (albeit a big and sweaty one!).
More importantly, I’m now absolutely hooked on running. I actually look forward to going for a run – I dream about it. And I work my day around it. So I know that the weight loss is going to continue. Not because I’m determined, but because I love the activity that makes it happen.
Anyway, I’ve gotta get back to work now, so until next time, happy running...
| 120 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by joggerkev
Comment by Glenn Murray
Run Like You Stole Nothing