A little backstory...
That's a "Before and During" of my big head below. At 6'1", I weighed 271 pounds. Not exactly Biggest Loser material, but by most medical criteria, I was squarely in the "obese" category.
I didn't start out doing everything all at once... no running just yet. My pursuit of a healthier lifestyle began with changes to my diet in June 2009. By the time the "October 2009" photo below was taken (still 2 months pre-running), I was down to the 230s.
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| About the halfway mark. This weight loss came solely from changes in diet, and a little walking. |
Then along came exercise...
I began to see that being healthy was not just about changes in diet. Yes, I could do so much more now that I'd dropped 40 pounds! But I still got out of breath pretty easily. I couldn't touch my toes. Didn't really have any strength or flexibility to speak of. So I began walking with a friend a few times a week. It kind of "caught on" with me. I found myself wanting to go harder and do more. It was a calorie game at the time... what if I could burn even more calories in less time?
Clearly, it was time to run!
My first run, in December of 2009, was one mile. I was so excited the night before, like a kid on Christmas Eve! I had a sense that I had to do this. I mapped out exactly one mile on Google Maps, around my block twice, then most of the way a third time. The route ended right at a stop sign. Perfect!
The morning of the run, I put on my "cross training" shoes (ugh, they were awful, old boats!) and dragged my 230-pound frame, rather svelte by my previous standards, out to the starting line: my mailbox.
Filled with excitement, I started to run. As I began, I felt an odd bouncing sensation on my back that I'd never felt before. It was fat. What?! Apparently, I had a layer of fat on my back that I never knew about, and running was causing it to bounce in big waves, pulling against my shoulders. I actually laughed when I realized what it was. Then I wondered if anybody else could see it happening, and suddenly felt very thankful for my shirt.
I pressed on. It was cold, and my lungs were not used to taking in so much air. And hills! Who knew my humble block had hills like these? I huffed and puffed the whole way, determined to finish without having to stop and walk. My throat and lungs burned as I pushed down the final stretch toward the stop sign that served as my finish line...
And then I finished.
I stopped my stopwatch: a 10:30 mile. I was a gasping mess. Of course, I hadn't run since high school cross country when I was 14, a 26-year hiatus! So not too bad. And actually a very good starting point for the journey whose plan now began to take shape in my mind.
As I barely dragged my exhausted, breathless self around the corner heading back to my house, I realized a little light had already turned on in my mind. I couldn't believe what I was thinking, but there it was. I knew right then, after running my first mile, that I was going to run a marathon.
That idea danced around wildly in my mind. Was I crazy? Opposing voices in my head chimed in... I mean, that's a bit grandiose, isn't it? You just did a mile, and you're thinking Marathon? "First learn walk, then learn fly!" Etc.
But there it was. And it stayed in the back of my mind for many months. I didn't tell anybody about it for a long time.
Let's get this show on the road...
So it took off from there. I ran 4-5 days a week at first, and got my mileage up to 3-4 miles per day in springtime to early summer. Then in early July, I overdid it. I mean, I injured my knee, and then refused to accept it was injured, and ran some more later the same day, just to show myself how non-injured it was... thereby *really* overdoing it. Runner's knee. Too much too soon. Checkmate, and I was out for a month.
My triumphant return was marked by a much more cautious approach. The "10% Rule" became my guiding principle: increase weekly mileage by no more than 10% per week. Perfect! I like limits. They take the pressure off a little, help me focus, and at least I can know I'm doing exactly what I should be doing. I may not be running 30 miles a week now, but that's OK! It's coming.
Since then, I've had my share of injuries, and most of them are words Firefox doesn't have in its dictionary. From inflammation of the Pes Anserinus to a pulled Gastrocnemius, to iliotibial band strains and Achilles tendinitis, I've been through a few (thankfully short) setbacks. Each time, I'm certain I've learned my lesson about recovery. And each time I'm *almost* right.
Present day
Now in November 2011, thanks to the running, my weight seems to have settled in around 170-175, where it's been for most of the past year. So my total weight loss has been around 100 pounds. :-)
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| Current photo of me, taken the evening before the marathon. |
I'm continuing to eat healthily, and actively making adjustments as needed. And running a lot! That's a current photo of me above. I do struggle with late-night sweets. Curse you, sugar!!! But I continue to track everything I eat, and all my workouts, too. I use a free phone app and website, which have been central to my success. I'm not saying you need to use a computer to lose weight, but you absolutely do need to track calories somehow.
Soapbox Alert!
Yes, I am a believer in tracking calories. So many weight loss plans are based around the idea that "people hate to count calories." Please quietly ignore that idea and just get over it. :-) If you look for the most "fun" way to lose weight, you'll head down all kinds of ineffective paths, and as soon as it's no longer fun, you'll wander off the plan. The simple fact is, if you're not measuring it, you'll never know if you're doing what's needed.
In most areas of my life, I like to "play it by ear." Go by feel, by intuition. Well, when it comes to food, my feelings and intuition have proven they can't be trusted. If eating is your problem, you need an external yardstick to help you determine how much is too much. Count your calories. Just do it, and life will be so much easier. :-)
OK, enough of the soapbox, thanks for indulging me! In the next post, it's Marathon time.
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