The Tortoise and the Hare

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

It was time for another gut check. I mean I know I’ve lost inches since I’ve got my belt to the last hole and frankly, that’s enough information. Still, I decided to hop on the scale and was pleasantly surprised to see that I am officially down 10 pounds since starting.

The weight loss has been slow…which is truly the only good way to do it. I’ve made changes in my lifestyle – both activities and eating patterns – with which I can live. This is reflected in a slow, steady change in body composition, which is all any of us should want. It means I’m losing fat and probably gaining some muscle. I’d need a body fat assessment to know the exact number, but the clothes fitting differently tells the real tale. I’ve likely lost about 12 pounds of fat and gained a couple of pounds of muscle.

So…yes…I’m the tortoise. The hare may sprint ahead with tremendous weight losses, but the likelihood is that in a year, the hare will have regained some or all of their weight and I’ll still be losing or maintaining. You MUST make changes with which you can live for a lifetime. All others are a waste of time and effort and sometimes harmful to your health.

On to the workout. I was thinking of riding and it was a beautiful day – sunny and in the 60’s, but I got to thinking that maybe my new pattern should be two running days with one day off. If I didn’t tackle this gorilla, I would never know if the calf was truly better. Nervously, I pulled on my running gear and headed for the trails.

I wasn’t into the run two minutes when I felt sudden tightness in the calf. I stopped running immediately, offered up a couple of expletives, and walked about fifty yards before breaking into a slow trot. It seemed okay and I picked up speed (a relative term – I was moving slow). The rest of the run was uneventful…other than running into Jimmy again. We talked and agreed that we needed to meet tomorrow for Jack’s first track meet. We both have visions of Jack running for Oregon as the next great Steve Prefontaine. Okay…maybe only I do, but we’ll go and encourage him.

I finished the 42-minute run very encouraged. I have noticed that many parts of the body below the waist are sore all the time. This is not a new feeling – I used to go through this in my triathloning days. I was always doing a workout and never letting the body totally recover. Soreness becomes your constant companion. It’s balanced soreness right now – it’s everywhere – and that’s okay with me. I’ll be smart and stop for a rest if it localizes…that’s the plan, anyway.

Run duration: 42 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 140

Calories burned during workout: 715