On Running…

An update – my time was actually 27:51 which worked out to be an 8:59/mile pace.  Overall, I am super thrilled about my performance, especially being my first race, in less-than-perfect weather, and only a week after recovering from the feverish funk of doom.  I love numbers, so let’s break it down.

I was 2oth in my age group by gender out of 66 people.

I was 49th in my age group (both genders) out of 115 people.

I was 161st overall out of 385 runners total.

If I had run the race 3 weeks later (as a 30 year old):

I would have been 14th out of 48 people in my gender/age group.

I would have been 46th out of 95 people by just age group.

I think I like the 20th in my age/gender group best so let’s just refer to that as how I did from now on, mmmmkay?  Though I could not be unhappy if I tried about how I did, it’s a bit humbling to look at who beat me.  I would have taken 8th place in the combined 50-59 age group.  That means SEVEN 50+ year olds beat me.  A 63 year old man just edged me out at a 8:56/mile pace.  I won’t even get started about the 8 year olds that came in way before me…they have a lot less to lug around – it’s so unfair!  I have to say though – the 83 year old guy that came in at just under 36 minutes…rock on dude.  I hope to still be able to run a 5k when I’m that age.

I’m targeting end of March/early April to run another one, and my goal right now is just to get a personal best.  And if a certain someone out there who said they are going to run the next one actually does enter – to beat him.  Tee hee!  I am definitely going to be working on my pacing and improving my time over improving my distances this month.

On Training -vs- Losing…

I never thought when I started this over 2 years ago, I might come to a point where losing weight and training myself for a specific athletic endeavour would not be mutually inclusive goals.  When you’re 265 lbs, you either exercise in a way which does not make you want to die, or you sit your ass on the couch.  You either fall off the wagon and consume cheeseburgers and chocolate in mass quantities, or you eat less and work on your goal of shedding some of the fat suit.  Never in your mind enters the thought of – do I want to focus on my fitness or the number on the scale – because they are absolutely one in the same.

Now, not so much.  I really noticed it in the last week or so.  I cut my cardio way down last week to practice running the 5k distance at the right pace and be rested enough by the race day.  I skipped a workout the night before and ate a little more than normal so I’d be fueled up that morning.  I celebrated pretty hard Saturday night – like a lot more calories than normal.  That pizza is definitely a calorie count killer (though worth every greasy, meaty, cheesy calorie every once in a while).  My shins are a little aggrivated after the race, so I’m taking this week easy on them as well instead of just pushing through it.

We’ll see what that does to my weight this month.  I was stoked about a new low of 154 Friday morning, but I gained over 3 lbs overnight and haven’t been able to shake them all since then.  I keep having this dilemma,  and making the decision that I am going to focus on weight loss before fitness goals – simply because it’s a finite thing (20 lbs from now, give or take a few, I’ll be done with that part of my life).  I do that for a while, it makes me unhappy, and I decide I’m going to push myself in the gym.  Then, I get super hungry, I have to eat more, I get into things like yoga and short distance running that are not efficient calorie burners.  Good for me, I know, but 20 minutes of running can burn me almost 300 calories instead of 60 doing yoga – and a 3 mile run is not a full workout, but if I push my pace like I need to do for the runs, I’m spent after it and not ready for another cardio session right away.

It’s a predicament.  It’s a pretty happy one though, compared to the alternative.  I’ll have to continue to balance both pursuits at once because while the scale dropping brings me great joy, I’ve had a taste of competitive sport again and I don’t think I’ll be the same without a goal of that type to work towards.

Other Updates…

It’s almost my birthday (observed 2-28, real date 3-3) and time to look back at my resolutions in no particular order:

1.  Wedding stuff – booked!  The next step, since it’s too early to send out invitiations (thx u delayed date to October) is a trip to Vegas after work settles down in May to make sure the accomodations are suitable.  I’m fully confident it will be awesome though.  It has to be!  And let me tell you, I am so incredibly sad about an excuse to hit up Vegas for a forced vacation.  Consider my arm – twisted.

2.  5k – ran!  Ready for the next!

3.  Doctor’s appointment…ok, time to get on this.  I just said I would SCHEDULE the appointment by my birthday so I gots just over a week to find a good doc.

4.  Something artsy fartsy creative – I do believe the necklaces I’m working on selling fit the bill.  I’d love to tackle songwriting by the end of the year especially with my small but growing audio expertise expanding, but it’s just not in the cards right now.

Did I miss anything?  Anyone ever face the training vs losing dilemma?  Wanna ridicule me for getting beat by both an 8 and a 63 year old?  Hit me up…