Celebration – PaleoMarine's Fitness Blog

101 Runs

2017-06-06 09_04_12-E.J. Hunyadi _ Runner on Strava I was looking at my Strava Profile today, and I noticed something that went right by without me knowing it; I have run 101 times since starting in September of last year.

Wow.

When I started running last year, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. In fact, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to like running as I’d never liked it in the past. As an active duty Marine, I did it because I had to, and even then, I disliked it. Sure, I liked feeling fit, but not at the cost of having to run.

In September of last year, joining the National Guard was something I was interested in, but I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to do. I knew I had to start running, but I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get fast enough, be strong enough, and fit enough to pass an APFT. Well, my APFT in April definitely put that to rest, and now, I’m one of the more fit soldiers in our battery (based on APFT scores and height/weight).

A crazy thing happened about a month into my running experience: I began to like it. I forced myself to like it, and it worked. I remember making the conscious decision to enjoy running and I hoped that it would become genuine. It has.

There are days I don’t feel like doing it, but the feeling of not running is far worse than any pain or discomfort I feel when running itself. I really enjoy the 30 minutes I spend running. I am in an easy cycle right now, not working toward an APFT, and just staying fit. I am allowing my body to strengthen gradually, and watching what my body does with repeated physical activity. I’m focusing more on my breathing and allowing the pace to increase naturally instead of pushing it hard like I was. The result is a much nicer run, I feel better immediately after a run and in between runs, and my pace is increasing nicely without me noticing any additional discomfort.

While not every run is great, some of my runs have been downright nice. Every now and then, I experience a light runner’s high, which is pretty cool. It’s something I hope to experience more in the future.

101 runs. I never thought that would be something I could say I’ve done, yet here I am. Coupled with the 100+ push ups I do before every run, I now have a decent set of muscles on me. I’m not looking to have a body builder’s physique, but I do like looking fit. I love feeling fit even more, however, and that’s where the true benefit has been.

Achievement Unlocked: Passed My First PFT in 20 years

18056749_10208972449097552_6204059986877295273_n — On the left, me in 1998, a year after I left active duty. On the right, me last week (2017).

I was an active duty Marine for 11 years and I got out to get my kids closer to my parents, my sister, and her kids. I went to work at Compaq and quickly gained a lot of weight. So much, so fast in fact, that I had stretch marks. My weight reached a peak of 312 lbs. I then decided to get healthy and I did a Whole30 and adopted the Paleo Diet and eighteen months later, I’m in the National Guard and within height/weight regulations. On top of it all, in my second month in the Guard, we had to take our Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) which measures our ability to run 2 miles, sit ups in 2 minutes, and push ups in 2 minutes. For my age, the minimum requirements are 25 push ups, 30 sit ups, and the two-mile run in less than 19:30. My scores were:

Push ups: 80
Sit ups: 51
Two-mile run: 15:43

That gave me a total of 273 points out of 300 possible! While I’m very happy with the results as an old guy who didn’t exercise for 20 years, it also leaves me room to improve on my sit ups and my run time. I will make a 300 on my PFT next time. That’s my goal.

364847B0- — In the car right after my APFT. I’m a little happy.

Even a year ago, I never would have expected to be where I am today. It all started with push ups. I began with 10 and did them every other day, increasing as I could. When I got to 40, I felt like I needed an additional physical challenge, and I started walking which quickly turned into jogging and shortly afterward into running. I haven’t looked back since.

With my first APFT behind me, I will run again this afternoon. I will likely make it an easy run since I went full-effort on Saturday and I don’t want to hurt anything. I’ll go for three miles at a minimum, and I’ll do my push ups as well even though my arms are slightly sore. I will keep building and working toward that 300 APFT next April. In the meantime, I will continue to eat right and exercise to lose the last 3 lbs and to get sub-7:15/miles.

250 miles since September

Every now and then, I look at my stats in Strava to see where I’m at, how far I’ve run, my pace progress, etc. Last night as I was going to sleep, I looked at the Strava app on my phone to get an idea of where I’m at and I found that I’ve run exactly 250 miles since I began running in September. That’s not a lot for some people, but it’s a huge accomplishment for me. You see, I’m the guy who said he hated running and would never do it. 250 miles later, I’m looking forward to the next 250.

Never say never. I’ve stopped saying it, because almost every time I say, “I’ll never like…” or “I’ll never be a person who…”, I end up doing that thing.

I’m a runner now. I don’t run daily, but that’s more a decision based on my need to recover and heal after runs, not out of a lack of desire to run daily. I know my limitations, and to stay safe and uninjured, I need that recovery time. But now, I’m also a runner who put 250 miles behind him in six months. It does feel good.

Completed my first 5k!

file_004 I did it!

This morning, in an uncharacteristically cold 39 degree morning in The Woodlands, TX, I completed my first official 5k run: the Jingle Bell Run benefiting the Arthritis Foundation.

We got there at 7 am and while Sherry went to the area to wait up for some employees of hers to show up, I waited in the car to keep warm. It was VERY chilly out there, and with the wind chill, it felt like 24 degrees!

file_000

I headed back into the cold to stand in solidarity with her at around 7:30 am, and I kept warm by doing push ups. I did 70, and yes, it did warm me up!

After getting the preliminaries out of the way, the run began and I started off strong with a first half mile pace of 8:16. I kept below 9:10 for the first two miles and let my pace slow a little for the final mile to a 9:42 and a 9:30 with the last little bit down to a 7:31 pace. In the end, I finished at 27:37.5 with an average pace of 8:55/mile. These are all personal bests for me, and I’m very proud of the numbers considering I had to lay off running for almost two weeks. Had I not had that break, I’m sure my time would have been much better.

file_002

But, it is what it is. I’m proud of my accomplishment in running a 5k after starting running exactly three months ago today. Sherry and I were talking about how she ran this last year (she had a personal best today as well!), and when she suggested that I run this with her this year, I told her back then, “I don’t think I’ll ever do one of these.” After today’s run, I told her about some more that are coming up that I want to do.

file_003

It was a good time, and it felt good to be out there among the other runners. I haven’t run with that many people since I was in the Marines. It felt good to be back.

Recovery and Running after an eight day break

file_000-70 — Making my best Billy Idol face after a successful run after not running for 8 days.

As anyone who follows this blog knows, I’ve been sick for the past week. I had a very bad cold and sinus infection which took me a long time to recover from and kept me from running. While I wanted to run each and every day I was sick to keep from losing the progress I’ve worked so hard for, I was too weak, felt too badly, and was suffering from a lot of pain. I also didn’t want to stress my body to the point where it lengthened the duration of my recovery or made matters worse. So, I did the smart thing and waited it out.

I will admit that each day I didn’t run added some anxiety. I thought about how bad my legs would hurt when I finally got back on the road. How they would feel like concrete. How my joints would ache, and how I would feel like quitting after every step. I worried about my ability to get back on the road and run a decent pace and not have my heart jumping out of my chest. I mourned the loss of all the time and effort I put into getting to where I could run a comfortable pace for a decent distance without over-exertion. I thought it was all lost.

It turned out that I worried for nothing.

It wasn’t my fastest or longest run, but it was close to my fastest. I decided not to look at my watch for split times and just run; let my body dictate how fast I ran. I wanted to be able to get back to it without trying to push too hard. I was surprised at how fast I was able to run with comfort. I think I know how horses feel when they transition from a trot into a gallop. At a few points during the run, I didn’t actually feel like I was running. I felt like I was gliding on a pair of legs that were beneath me without being really attached to me. It was kind of surreal, and I liked it.

In the end, I finished my 3.51 mile run with a 9’48” pace overall with a time of 34:30. I’m very okay with this result, and I am no longer worried about lost progress. Turns out, the body bounces back pretty well if you allow it to heal. Also, there’s a chance that the week off from running helped my legs heal up a bit. Not that they were hurt or injured, but I’m sure the muscles had a chance to rebuild and prepare for my upcoming runs a little better. I was also able to start with my 50 push ups. I was worried I would have to bump back down to 40, but that wasn’t the case. I actually feel like I can bump it up a bit next time.

It feels good to be back on my feet again.

Day 2 of Running is In The Bag

14317409_10207162407727649_8157470454600149778_n — Me, post-run, at 5:45 a.m.

I did it. I made it out for my second day of running. Notes from this run:

Started off with a good pace and after the first half mile, settled into a decent pace.
After the first mile was done, I felt absolutely great; no heavy breathing and no muscle aches or pain. If anything, I felt very neutral.
At the end of my 1.62 mile route, I realized I got there quicker than the first time, so I ran some more to get at least 20 minutes in. I ended up with 20 minutes, 32 seconds and 1.88 miles.
At the very end, I started to feel a little bit of aching in my right knee, but it’s not injured. I’ll take some Motrin today and it should be alright for the next run day after tomorrow.
The post-run walk was much easier, and I didn’t feel as winded or sore. If anything, I felt really good.

If runs can feel like this every time, it might not be so horrible.

I was explaining this to Stevie this morning on our way to work while stuck in traffic in the carpool lane, and I realized that I have a plan that just might work this time. I run as hard as I can without going past “easy.” When it stops being easy, I stop. I’m not interested in beating anyone in a race, or in getting to some super-fast speed goal. I don’t care about bulking up, or losing weight through running (which I know isn’t a thing). I’m after getting in better shape, using up some extra calories, and building stamina. By pushing past “Easy” a little at a time, I won’t be breaking any speed records in how quickly I will get into shape, but I am hoping that this plan allows me to get in shape without getting injured and without hating it every step of the way.

Some people really enjoy pushing themselves and “Feeling the burn.” I’m not one of those people. I enjoy a more leisurely pace when it comes to my exercise progress. I don’t dislike progress. I do like that. I just don’t enjoy pushing myself to a failure point like others do.

So, I know: running under 2 miles isn’t impressive. Running sub-11 minute miles is not impressive. But doing that after not running 100 yards in the past 20 years is a big accomplishment for someone who was over 312 lbs just a year ago. I’ll take that as a victory and continue on with my slow pace and try to enjoy it along the way.