Chicago Get Lucky 7k...untrained

Huffdogg

So I get in a lot of friendly arguments here on MFP with people who are die-hard advocates of cardio for overall fitness AND weight loss. I am a firmly-entrenched member of Camp Weight Lifting, myself. In one discussion I was in, I pointed out that I used to run to burn calories, over a year ago, quite regularly, but had quit in favor of devoting my energy to muscle growth. After doing so, and not having run for over 8 months *even a little bit,* my nephew asked me to go for a casual run with him (he's 18 and I'm 34, and he runs on the reg). We finished 3 miles at a 9 min/mile pace, which had been my goal when I was running habitually but I never managed it. And honestly, I could have gone faster. We were chatting here and there as we went.

Fast forward a bit.

I'm a junkie for St. Patrick's Day shenanigans, and Team Ortho was doing a 7k/21k run in Chi called Get Lucky on the morning after St. Paddy's. Being a stubborn and extreme sort, I decided to sign up for it. Keep in mind that I still planned on getting blackout drunk the night before. On top of that, I promised myself I was not going to do any cardio to train for it. I was determined to prove the benefits of strength training, so I kept on with my deads, squats, bench, etc. and went on my happy way.

FFW to St. Paddys: I eat a big bowl of Guinness Lamb Stew, about a pound of corned beef and half a head of steamed cabbage, and drink 14 Guinness. Pass out around midnight.

I woke up on the 18th feeling still a little buzzed. I soldiered through it, got some coffee in me, packed my gear, and my buzz wore off just in time to drive into the city for the race. I stretched like mad, and alcohol fumes wafted off of me in a cloud, and it was about 80 degrees by 9 am. The gun fired, and we were off.

When I signed up, I put my estimated completion time at 44 minutes. 7k is about 4.4 miles, and I figured that if I could do roughly 5k a while ago at a 9 minute pace, then 7k at a 10 minute mile pace was completely within reach. After the first half-mile of getting used to running in my Vibrams, I hit my stride, and started passing up people to get in the right part of the pack. Well, that never happened.

Finish time: 37:51 (not quite an 8.5 minute mile pace)
Standing: 85 out of 797 runners

I intend to continue training like I am and do their Monster Dash and Polar Dash this year (both 5k's) and see if I can crush those, too

tbresina

I believe you need a good balance of cardio, strength and weight training, not just one to be in the best shape you can be in. I love all three!

Sublog

Great story.. More proof that serious strength training paired with a solid diet can provide the cardiovascular adaptations people seek to improve heart health and lung functions.