My audiobook coach had me make out a new year's to-do list and one of them was to do a 5k "fun run". So today I made good on that today with the St. Luke's Hospital "Fit One" 5k, 10k, Half (marathon). I was hoping to finish in between 35 and 40 minutes, but damn if didn't it bring it home in 31:19! The kicker is that I finished 5th out 32 runners in my age 65-69 age group! I ain't fast, but I'm steady!
I don't really like it either, but it's a necessary part of keeping off the weight I've lost. It's definitely a means to an end, not something that I enjoy. But y'know that just makes it even more satisfying!
Good job. Are you going to continue with it and try to break 30 minutes? I should probably update my own running thread some time.
Funny you should mention that: I was thinking that winning mu age group might be possible, but that can’t be a goal. Too many variables, under 30 seems a more realistic and achievable. I’ll never be someone who enjoys running for its own sake, but the benefits are real. The good news is that my yrars of relative sloth have left me with relatively low mileage knees.
I've heard it said that no matter what age you start at, if you train seriously you can get faster for five years. So with some effort you will destroy 30 minutes. The benefits are indeed real. Perhaps unwisely I use my very high mileage to eat as much as I like without any weight gain.
I don't eat early nearly as much as I'd like, but I still have to watch my weight. You might recall I was right at 300 lps (just over 21 stone). I'm now at about 209 (just under 15 stone). No beer or fried foods in the diet, about a 99% reduction in bread and pasta since bariatric surgery in 2018. Doctors have hinted that being in decent shape may have saved my life in 2019 when I suffered (that's not exaggeration) from a bought of pancreatitis that sent me to ICU for several days. Whilst a mind is a terrible thing to waste, wasting one's health is potentially fatal.
I was on vacation with my in laws (!) and i would go out and run or hike or some shit in the morning every day while they sat around like sloths. They wondered why I did that so at lunch over burgers, beers, and milkshakes I explained that I workout so that I can eat and drink whatever the fuck I want with no consequence. They were taken back by that response. I'm not trying to go for a six pack or some shit. I just want to maintain my adolescent lifestyle for another few decades.
