Quest to Run a Sub-30K

Major Sub-Goal Achieved!

Today I achieved a huge milestone for me! I ran 5.04 miles non-stop! I was so exited!! I went out knowing I was going to run at least 4.1 and then if I felt up to it, I was going to add on a mile loop in my neighborhood. I got back home in 4.1 miles and felt really good so off I went! 

The extra mile actually felt better than some of the other miles, believe it or not. Below, is my YouTube post about my experience today.

So why was I so excited about 5 miles? Well, back in January, I weighed 197 lbs. I could not even run 1 mile without several walk breaks and even then I had really bad foot pain. Plantar Fasciitis is nothing to play with, let me tell you. Don't even get me started on the hip pain!

So what Changed?

A lot has changed! Instead of going out and trying to run like the old me that could roll out of bed and run 13.1 with no training, I decided to be my own client. That's right! I wrote myself a training plan for a former runner, overweight, over 50 with no flexibility, hip pain, foot pain and a major loss of motivation. It was a real wakeup call to see it on paper. 

I started out with just a 1.5 mile loop that I would walk/run and gradually I ran more and more. I started warming up and cooling down, adding some strength training to the mix and stretches for my hip and foot. As that got easier, I added in a long run and then each week or two, I'd increase slightly.  And here I am today, running 5+ miles non-stop, with no pain!

I'm also down to 171 lbs. which I know has made a huge difference. Keep following my journey. Now that I'm back to being able to run a 5K, I'm on a quest to run one faster than 30 minutes! Wish me luck!

Running & Weight Loss Success Story

Yesterday was the end of my 12 week Weight Watcher's Challenge. As I mentioned in my last post, I started 2020 at 197 lbs. It just seemed to creep up over an 8 year period when I went back to work after being a stay-at-home dad for almost a decade. I lost some weight thanks to a Gym Challenge I participated in and got down to 177 at one point, but thanks to Covid, finished at 185. After the challenge, I went back up to 191, and said enough is enough. 

I Needed Accountability

I started running again and even joined Weight Watchers so I felt I'd have some accountability. I can do exercise no problem, but I needed to really eat better. I love fast food, ice cream, chips, beer, etc...So I joined Weight Watchers. I signed up for a 12 Week discounted plan and figured I'd see what I could do in 12 weeks. Long story short, I started at 191 lbs. and ended at 174.8. 

Visible Results in 12 Weeks!

I have to say that my stomach is so much flatter. I even have some abs if I flex. I feel and look so much better now. An added benefit of the weight loss is that my times are getting much better too. Just the other day, I took 24 seconds off my two mile time! 

I am now 6 weeks out from my birthday so I'm going to continue with Weight Watchers and of course running and see if I can down to 160 lbs. which is what I was before i went back to work in 2012.  My ideal weight would be 150, but I think almost 25 lbs in 6 weeks is too much to lose in that period of time. The general rule of thumb is 1-2 lbs per week, so even getting to 160 (a 15lb loss) is going to be tough in 12 weeks without losing muscle.