Faster Tip #10 - Lose Weight

Gratuity: My sister reminding me to stay on track! 

Goals: I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is fourteen days.  ~Totie Fields

So many articles share the wisdom of weight loss for the heavy-set folks with respect to improving race times.  As mentioned in the this tip-sheet:

If you're already trying to shed some pounds, here's more incentive: Research has shown that, on average, runners get two seconds per mile faster for every pound they lose. So, for example, a 10-pound weight loss would shave about one minute off your 5K race time.

Weight loss has been an independent goal of mine all along and the fact that it will also help me achieve my running goals without working too hard makes me realize I need to make it a higher priority.

I do have to pat myself on the back.  I have lost 50 pounds over the last 2 years.    I have also improved my 5K time by 6 minutes. So you can see I am a real live example of performance improvement resulting from weight loss.   I have another 40 pounds to lose and I hope this will eventually give me another 4 minutes improvement on my 5K PR.

Ok I have patted myself on the back.  Now I have to kick myself in the butt.   You would think I could figure out how to increase my weight loss results.  At the current rate, it is going to take me another 2 years to lose the 40 pounds.    I don't want to take that long.   I look at the folk from the biggest loser and watch in amazement as they lose 100 pounds in 5 months.    I know it is doable.   I just need to gain the discipline to do what I know needs to be done.    Time is ticking on and I don't want to waste anymore being unsuccessful.

Awaken: 09:10AM
MIT: Clean House, Buy Hiking Shoes, Call for Cassie's Grooming
Yesterday's MIT: My first 10K run in about 6 weeks.  Felt good getting back to my training.  My muscles were sore but I was happy to say my knee did not blow up.  It was just a tiny bit sore.

Training too hard or not quite right?

Gratuity - Memories of Cory and Topanga

Goals - Know your limits, but never stop trying to exceed them.  ~Author Unknown

I've had a tough month with my knee giving me difficulties.  Immediately prior to my 10K race and up until a week ago my knee had swollen up and swallowed me  with pain.  Pain that had me limping ,waking up in the night, and popping ibuprofen.

The doctor said it was probably a torn meniscus but an expensive MRI and surgery would be the solution for that.   Although some folks I know had very positive things to say about this surgery I also had read contradictory reports. 

After reading the following from this  report 


Surgery has the best results when the primary symptoms of the meniscus tear are mechanical. This means that the meniscus tear is causing a catching or locking sensation of the knee. When the meniscus tear is causing pain only, the results of surgery may not be as reliable.

and with the knowledge that my issue was only pain, and additional discussions with my doctor who told me that declining surgery would cause no harm, I decided to try to "manage" the knee instead.

I've given it a month of rest and it is feeling much better.   I tentatively tried out TaeKwonDo and Yoga and a very very slow jog.    My knee brace has become my best friend.

Finally  I am rethinking my training schedule and what I need to achieve my goals.    I obviously trained too hard or too stupidly.   I need to train smarter.    Instead of a quest for speed , I am going to start a quest for smarter training.   Maybe I will get faster anyway but the main goal is to stay healthy.

Suggestions please!

NY City Bike Ride

Gratuity: All of the various Exercise Options and folks to do them with! 

Goals: "Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it." ~ Bill Cosby

New York City; 5 Boroughs; 42 Miles, 32,000 bikers; A beautiful day; Fit Friends = A new hobby

I heard about the New York City 5 Boro bike ride on the news years ago and it sort of stuck somewhere in my brain.  What a cool way to see the city was the impression it left me.  While talking to one of my new TaeKwonDo  buddies last year that piece of information helped to break the ice with this new acquaintance.  Deb was a bike rider and I asked her if she had ever done the 5 Boro.  She replied, "yes" and lit up as she spent the rest of our discussion sharing her adventures.    She encouraged me to give it a try next year.  I thought it sounded like a great event to participate in.

Well next year came and she reminded me of our conversations asking if I wanted to try the bike tour.   Reality struck and  fears of failure filled my head.   I gave her a fairly negative reply  filled with my fears.   She reminded me that it was not a race.  It was just a tour and I could go at my own pace.   I needed to think about it.

Then I realized that it was something I wanted to do and waiting another year after I became a more experienced bike rider or I knew my Taekwondo friend better would only cause me to procrastinate to the point where I never ever did it.  I had to embrace life as it was and not wait until all the factors lined up perfectly.   If I waited then waiting is all I would ever be doing!

My seat hurt and we got stuck in crowds but other than those two items I would say it was a perfect success. 

I hope to do a lot more bike riding and a lot more things I fear!  I hear that Montreal has something equivalent.  If you are interesting in this NY Bike Ride or others next year give me a shout!

199

Gratuity: Weight Loss

Goals: Fat is the new Thin! - me; ugg, I can't believe I said that.

I have finally hit the elusive 199 weight goal.   I am no longer OBESE according to my  BMI.  I am just Fat. Bravo and cheers to me!

So why is Fat the new Thin?  Because according to many articles, Obese Americans outnumber those who are "just" Fat.  34% are Obese and 32% are "just" Fat.  With all of these Obese folk walking around, it seems the Fat folks (me included) are feeling pretty Thin next to them.

Perception is an interesting thing.

The first time I hit 199 was in 1989.  I was glowing and 9 months pregnant with twins.  I felt so heavy  my legs would not support me.  My husband had to push me around in a wheel chair to do the Christmas shopping.  

The second time I hit 199 was around 2002.  I felt like a fat cow.  I realized I was approaching obesity and unsuccessfully vowed I would not enter that zone.   I hated myself and felt so unhealthy, sluggish, and out of control.  

The third time I hit 199 was last week.  I felt so THIN (unless I looked in the mirror or at a picture) and healthy and full of energy.  I can't imagine being pushed around in a wheelchair.

                                     Perception really is an interesting thing.

10K Lighthouse Run and Done!

Gratuity: Shared Efforts

Goal work:  The difference between try and triumph is a  little umph - Author Unknown


I just ran my first 10K at a 12:25 pace.   I wanted to hold a 12:30 pace and dreamed of a 11:30 pace.   Actually I was quite unsatisfied during the run.  I kept glancing at my Garmin and seeing horrible numbers the last half of the race,  but I have to admit I was satisfied with the run when I saw the final number and realized how far I've come since a few years ago.

The day started with the threat of a thunderstorm.  A few droplets graced our shoulders as we ran for cover while waiting for the race to start.    Once the race got started not a droplet appeared but a foreboding hill signaled the start of the race.  We spent the whole morning worrying about it but lucked out when we found the race actually started half way up the hill.    Our nerves started to dissipate as wee walked with relief to the starting line half way up the hill.  I don't remember what the catalyst was to start running;  I just remembered we all started running.    I was walking a few steps ahead of my sisters but very quickly I saw a blur of Linda and Deb go by.  The back of their sneakers is all that remained in my head.  They were going FAST.   I think  at a pace of 7:00 that first mile.    I held on a while wondering were Ginny was.  Soon I saw her moving at a sustainable but much faster pace as she past me by.    That would be the last of my sisters until they greeted me at the finish line.

I passed the first mile still surrounded by a large group of runners.    At the first mile a pace tracker yelled out a 10 something pace.   That made me happy.  Then I saw my stepfather Jon.   I picked it up, gave him a smile and a wave.    At the end of the second mile,  the mass group started to distance themselves from me.    At the third mile, folks started to pass me one at a time.     I checked the 5K distance and found I was 10 seconds off my 5K PR.  Bummer mixed with the thought that at least I was not too far behind.

I did my usual passing of a few walkers,  decided to try some water as practice for my longer runs and then noticed my Garmin time was hitting 13:30 minute pace.   I yelled at myself to go faster but the legs would not listen.  I worried a bit about my knee.   A lady and her daughter passed me and they really were not going fast.   I told myself to pretend the lady was Diane and we were out for a practice run.   My body did not listen.  They passed me and the distance between them and me grew longer.   They stopped to drink water and I caught up and passed them.  They then started running and passed me.  This happened a few times over the span of the last few miles.

The last quarter mile I picked it up, was cheered on by Deb and Linda, and sprinted to the finish yelling the entire way.  Stupid me forgot to stop my Garmin so I was not sure of the exact time.   The clock said 1:17:00 but my sister reminder me that this was a chip calculated start to finish.   I ran a 1:16:43 and came in 192 out of 219 runners (I don't know why the clock in the picture says 1:16:00)

I must admit I was not out of breath or ready to puke as I feel when I finish the 5K.  I felt good and a bit dumbfounded that my body had refused to run faster.   All of my sisters felt it had been a tough race.  Maybe it was the wind, or maybe we put a bit of competitive pressure on ourselves and started off too fast.

My mom beamed with pride as she articulate her wonderment that she spawned such athletes.  That made me smile.


We all had a great time and will remember Christoper McDougall's saying.

We run not to compete with each other but to be with each other!

Fast Tip #5 - Find faster friends and run with them

Gratuity: My runbuds (physically and mentally)

Goals:   Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust. - Jesse Owens

I never thought that running with others would help me.    I always felt the best way for me to push myself was to dig deep down, tune out the world and push on.  I sort of have the independent solo wolf mentality.  I guess I was afraid I would get intimidated or sidetracked running with others.   I was surprised last year that I did enjoy the energy of the other runners at the weekly track runs.   I was still running alone but was surrounded by other runners and their energy helped push me through the workouts.

I was also surprised to find that when family cheered me on and ran with me at the final stretch of the race that it really did help speed me up.

So a few weeks ago I decided to run with a friend (thanks Diane) whose running pace is a slight bit faster than mine.  I was thankful that she was willing to do a slow (for her) run with me.   I ended up doing a PR and it was done in an extremely easy manner.   I really think that if I continue to run with her I will see a major improvement and I am in the process of trying to talk her into pacing me  to an official PR at my next 5K.

I am not sure why it works.  When I run by myself and request my legs to move faster they often disobey, but when running with others it seems they just copy the faster person in front of me and seem to keep up if the pace is just slightly faster than my normal run.    I also think enjoyable conversation helps give me the psycological boost to keep up.

This experience has inspired me to see if I can reach out to others to run with or do some weekend group runs with members of the running club.