I'm very happy to be back running again after taking three days off last week due to calf soreness. I put my lameness down to an excess of enthusiasm the previous week when I ran six days out of seven.
In the two runs I did last week I managed a grand total of 15.7 kilometres. On Saturday I ran two laps of the Central Basin of Lake Burley Griffin. This is the best 'dead flat' scenic course in Canberra with about one third of the 5.1k lap being on gravel paths. The calf remained niggle-free throughout.
Before I drove to the lake I did something foolish. I jumped on the bathroom scales and was confronted by a big number – 80 kilograms. This is close to a PB for heaviness. When I had my heel injury over a decade ago I briefly made the scales struggle to 82 kilos. I know 2P will consider this nothing to worry about, but I'm feeling all this extra weight.
Although at the time, friends said I looked "in need of a feed", I'd like to approach the 71 to 73 kilos I was in my thirties. I always remember a small article in Runner's World about weight and VO2 max. It was a university study of a group of runners which came up with the result that a loss of one kilogram of excess body weight reduced the time for a 10k race by 30 seconds. Perhaps, but I think the best reason to lose some weight will be to regain that light feeling on my feet which should make running more enjoyable.
In the two runs I did last week I managed a grand total of 15.7 kilometres. On Saturday I ran two laps of the Central Basin of Lake Burley Griffin. This is the best 'dead flat' scenic course in Canberra with about one third of the 5.1k lap being on gravel paths. The calf remained niggle-free throughout.
Before I drove to the lake I did something foolish. I jumped on the bathroom scales and was confronted by a big number – 80 kilograms. This is close to a PB for heaviness. When I had my heel injury over a decade ago I briefly made the scales struggle to 82 kilos. I know 2P will consider this nothing to worry about, but I'm feeling all this extra weight.
Although at the time, friends said I looked "in need of a feed", I'd like to approach the 71 to 73 kilos I was in my thirties. I always remember a small article in Runner's World about weight and VO2 max. It was a university study of a group of runners which came up with the result that a loss of one kilogram of excess body weight reduced the time for a 10k race by 30 seconds. Perhaps, but I think the best reason to lose some weight will be to regain that light feeling on my feet which should make running more enjoyable.
15 comments:
Good news on the calf; ease back into it.
I don't know about 2Ps, but I'm hungry reading the blog.
I said it before, it is easier to train and run a marathon, that stay on the right weight, well for me... But I'm always trying.
Good luck on going back to your desiere weight, keep us informed please, you are the best on motivational words of knowledge!
How I wish to be 80 kilos....
Weight is one thing I have always struggled with. Good luck with your endeveours.
A friend of mine used to say each kg meant an extra 5 minutes on your marathon time. Not sure if its true. And not keen to find out either :-)
I have given up all hope of getting down to my thirties weight of 67 - 68 kgs. I seem to be able to get down to 70 - 71 Kg easily but anymore does not seem possible.
BTW, loved that clip of you bounding up the sand hill.
For the purposes of comparison I'm 178cm tall and a new age bag of cement heavier!!!
What's a few kgs between friends?
Hello Ewen
It seems like a bit of a catch 22
with me. If I do good milage I reward myself with food and put on weight. And when I'm not running so much I cut down the food to the point that my body is able to survive on fewer calories and even a little food results in extra weight.
So it's a battle. I got the arms and legs of a Kenyan and the gut of a well fed puppy.
Anyway haven't given up on getting down to my ideal weight cause, I beleive, it's the main thing holding me back from faster times.
One funny thing is I know when I crank up the kilos I lose a little bit more weight, and then when I start running faster I don't know how much of the added speed comes from lost weight and how much from better fitness.. ;-)
80kg? See my latest post for an appropriate cartoon.
Good to hear the calf is behaving.
Like Stephen I've wondered about the correlation between lost weight, improved fitness and quicker times. No matter, there's good incentive there in any case.
If you want my opinion - which you probably don't & who'd blame you? - I think you always look as if you're "in need of a good feed"!
You only need to worry when your backside starts to "hang out"!!
Having read the article about VO2max, of which I understand nothing, I believe I'm in the very same category as thoroughbred horses who have a VO2max of 180ml/min/kg!!!!
80kg...wow you must be enourmous hee hee
Seriously Ewen, now that the calf is healing you will be running more and the weight will come off. Not immediately but surely.
I am a big fan of slimming down for an important race. Just before Canberra I got down to 54kg - my goal race weight. I can't sustain it outside of marathon training and normally sit 2-3kg about that.
However it makes the world of difference but you never can tell if it is just psychological or physical. When I am skinny I feel faster, when I am fatter I feel lazy and slower. It could be just mental. But I will always try to reduce the weight when I want to achieve a running goal that is very important to me.
Good luck with it all.
I think overtraining is an issue i am seeing in a lot of blogs at the moment Ewen....I have to watch it myself as my time on the feet has shot up dramatically lately.
As for the kilo thing, i am cheering as i am down 3kg in the last few weeks,Currently 69.5kg down from 93kg when i started running!(Refer to above km hike)I don't worry about my weight it is just a byproduct of running and have been stuffing my face this morning with pizza and biscuits!!
Good that your injury is clearing up though!Take it nice and steady.
Cheers R2B
That's an interesting stat on the difference it makes to your running time, I was only discussing that question with Easy Tiger yesterday. Now back to the healthy eating programme for me!
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