Running victory after so much success!
dvisser1
Posts: 788 Member
Today I ran my first ever Half Marathon. Before this year I had never been a distance runner even when I was in shape and healthy. After two 5k's and two 10k's, one being a hard trail run just two weeks ago, I signed up for the half marathon.
The Snohomish River Run is a flat course on both a road and paved pedestrian trail. I finished in 1:49:12.
I made it to mile 12 before I had to walk a little because of calf cramps. Walked a 0.1 - 0.2, then jog until I cramped again and walk again. Before this run the longest training run was 10.4 miles that I did last Saturday. I need to learn to eat and drink better during the long runs.
I joined MFP in mid-January weighing in at 278 lbs. After a week of just checking out the site but not using it, I stepped on the scale at 281 lbs. That was Monday, January 23rd. As bad as 281 was, I was at least 20 lbs down from my peak weight. I went all in on using MFP the way it is intended, dedicated to measuring portions and logging all foods and got back to exercising in the gym. In January I was not physically able to run if I had wanted to. Between the excessive weight and weakness / damage from previous injuries, my right knee would buckle from my knee cap trying to dislocate from nothing more than the shock of absorbing the impact of landing a running stride. Had a similar problem in my left knee several years ago, so I started doing the old physical therapy exercises to strengthen my legs around my knee as well as using the elliptical for cardio. In early April I jogged 0.2 miles on the treadmill and my knee did not pop apart. Small steps, but progress. I started jogging outside on a dirt / cinder track at a public middle school about 1 mile from my house - walk the dog to the track, jog / walk intervals for a mile then walk back home. Slowly built up strength in my legs and cardiovascular endurance.
But I have always hated running. Running just to run doesn't make sense to me. So in late April I signed up for a 5k at the beginning of July. I like to push myself but need a goal, need a reason, and the race was it.
Well, my training went very well and I ended up feeling ready for a 5k earlier than planned. June 23rd I ran a pretty flat 5k trail run and then a road run 5k on July 7th. Then I signed up for a 10k road run on August 18th. Then a very hilly 10k trail run on October 13th. Followed by today's Half. All along my weight kept dropping, down to 240 in June, 220 in August, 210 at the beginning of October, and I've been trying to maintain at 210 even though I've still lost a little more.
Portion control, logging EVERYTHING as accurately as possible (food scale is my friend), logging my exercise and eating back most of my calories burned.....IT DOES WORK! My activity level is set to lightly active to represent an average day without exercise for me, then I use a HRM to calculate calories burned. I log the lower of the MFP database or my HRM for calories, I figure neither are 100% accurate and I like being conservative. When I hit a near month long plateau at about 245 lbs, I eventually dropped from a 2 lbs per week goal to 1 lb per week (dropping my daily deficit from ~1000 to ~500 calories) and the combination of more calories and reduced stress on my body jump started things again and the weight started dropping off again quickly.
IF I can do this, anyone can do this. Just be honest with yourself and keep at it every day! If you have a bad day, and I have, don't give yourself a guilt trip, just make tomorrow a good day!
The Snohomish River Run is a flat course on both a road and paved pedestrian trail. I finished in 1:49:12.
I made it to mile 12 before I had to walk a little because of calf cramps. Walked a 0.1 - 0.2, then jog until I cramped again and walk again. Before this run the longest training run was 10.4 miles that I did last Saturday. I need to learn to eat and drink better during the long runs.
I joined MFP in mid-January weighing in at 278 lbs. After a week of just checking out the site but not using it, I stepped on the scale at 281 lbs. That was Monday, January 23rd. As bad as 281 was, I was at least 20 lbs down from my peak weight. I went all in on using MFP the way it is intended, dedicated to measuring portions and logging all foods and got back to exercising in the gym. In January I was not physically able to run if I had wanted to. Between the excessive weight and weakness / damage from previous injuries, my right knee would buckle from my knee cap trying to dislocate from nothing more than the shock of absorbing the impact of landing a running stride. Had a similar problem in my left knee several years ago, so I started doing the old physical therapy exercises to strengthen my legs around my knee as well as using the elliptical for cardio. In early April I jogged 0.2 miles on the treadmill and my knee did not pop apart. Small steps, but progress. I started jogging outside on a dirt / cinder track at a public middle school about 1 mile from my house - walk the dog to the track, jog / walk intervals for a mile then walk back home. Slowly built up strength in my legs and cardiovascular endurance.
But I have always hated running. Running just to run doesn't make sense to me. So in late April I signed up for a 5k at the beginning of July. I like to push myself but need a goal, need a reason, and the race was it.
Well, my training went very well and I ended up feeling ready for a 5k earlier than planned. June 23rd I ran a pretty flat 5k trail run and then a road run 5k on July 7th. Then I signed up for a 10k road run on August 18th. Then a very hilly 10k trail run on October 13th. Followed by today's Half. All along my weight kept dropping, down to 240 in June, 220 in August, 210 at the beginning of October, and I've been trying to maintain at 210 even though I've still lost a little more.
Portion control, logging EVERYTHING as accurately as possible (food scale is my friend), logging my exercise and eating back most of my calories burned.....IT DOES WORK! My activity level is set to lightly active to represent an average day without exercise for me, then I use a HRM to calculate calories burned. I log the lower of the MFP database or my HRM for calories, I figure neither are 100% accurate and I like being conservative. When I hit a near month long plateau at about 245 lbs, I eventually dropped from a 2 lbs per week goal to 1 lb per week (dropping my daily deficit from ~1000 to ~500 calories) and the combination of more calories and reduced stress on my body jump started things again and the weight started dropping off again quickly.
IF I can do this, anyone can do this. Just be honest with yourself and keep at it every day! If you have a bad day, and I have, don't give yourself a guilt trip, just make tomorrow a good day!
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Replies
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Your story is amazing and thanks for the wonderful advice. Congrats on your determination and choice to live a healthier lifestyle!!0
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amazing story! I am not a runner either , but have started....trying C25K week one for the 3rd time. Thank you very much for sharing and continue on...0
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Rock. Freaking. Star.0
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Great job! And thank you for the details on how you did it, very inspiring.0
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thanks so much for sharing this!! what you've done is awesome
i don't really have a lot of weight to lose--but i did just start running this year, and hearing about others who have never been runners before learning to run distance is SUPER inspiring for me i haven't run a race yet, but reading stories like yours are helping me work up the courage!! keep on being amazing!!! 0 -
Not only have you had the determination to met your goals in weight loss but you also ran a half marathon!!!
Woo hoooo......This is awesome!!!! Congrats to you on your many accomplishments!!!! I do run but I guess I am like you...if I am not working towards a goal I just don't completely commit. I just decided today to sign up for a turkey trot w/a friend to give me alittle motivation to get back at it Go Me!! haha
Thanks for sharing... 0 -
Thanks everyone! :-)
My goals have definitely changed from just wanting to lose 40-50 lbs (when I first started) to losing the 70+ lbs I have and developing a level of overall fitness that I've never had before. I have to decide what is next for a goal. Another half marathon? Well, the Seattle marathon and half marathon is Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, so maybe. Train for a marathon next spring, like the Rock and Roll Marathon in Seattle? Spend the winter developing my swimming endurance to start doing triathlons next year? Get back into mountain climbing and kick butt in the mountains?
Not sure yet, but I know I will need to sign up for something sometime soon.0 -
Fantastic story of your weight and fitness journey...and having seen my daughter today run the Auckland half marathon (her husband did the full marathon) having lost 22kgs I am super impressed!!! It's no mean feat to run that distance, and you need stamina, determination and really good levels of aerobic fitness to suceed. I'm 61 and had a terrible knee injury earlier in the year which I'm still living with so sense my running days may be behind me but I'm in awe of people like you who have achieved such an impressive goal! Well done you!!0
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