Once I was done with the half marathon, I stopped running. I ran 5 miles a week after Thanksgiving and I was done. I had been running consistently for the last 12 months. I had a slight pain in my hip and I just needed a break. Meanwhile, I gained a couple pounds. Typically I go up and down a couple pounds, but over the last 3 years I've lost approximately 26 pounds.
I'm back to my college weight. The biggest change has actually been the inches I've lost. This past year alone, I lost only 6 pounds and that isn't a whole lot. However, I did lose about 2 inches along the waist. The only reason I know this, is because my pants require the use of a belt. I've lost in other places, but I've never measured those areas, so it's hard to know accurately how much I've lost. So what's the big deal with weight loss? Well, it's one way of measuring your fitness and athletic ability, but not the most accurate. I'm not going to focus exclusively on my weight and I won't be disappointed if I don't lose any as long as I continue to get faster on the swim, bike & run. What I do know from watching all the pros during the Ironman Championship, is those guys are lean. I don't know if I can achieve that kind of physique, but I do know that I can perform better if I carry less weight around. How much more can I lose? I'm not sure. Earlier this year, I thought if I could be 155 pounds that would be great, I'd be at the weight I was 12 years ago when I was doing adventure races. I got to that weight and maintained it during the summer months and later dropped another 3 pounds as I increased my running distance. The weeks after Thanksgiving I gained 2. Then I replaced running by cycling indoors on a trainer and recently added spinning to my workout. I'm currently at 151. I've surpassed my goal this year and although I'm content with the way I look and feel, as an athlete, I wonder how much more I can lose. Can I achieve 148 pounds by my first triathlon this year? I'm burning the calories. I now need to concentrate on proper nutrition and a balanced diet. 2011 is the year I bump up the distance and I need to make sure that I eat properly on and off the race course.
The weight loss over the last 3 years has not been some special diet or weight loss pill. It was done by simply eliminating fast food and regular exercise. Don't get me wrong, I still love me some Chick-fil-A, but instead of eating it on a weekly basis, I now eat it once every couple of months. I also limited alcohol. I may go though a 6 pack every month or so instead of every week. It's really not all that difficult if you know you're training in the morning. So imagine if I actually started cooking and eating balanced and nutritious meals. That along with increased training should get me to the proper weight to start my race season. That's the plan. I've added a section for recipes and nutrition here on the blog. Once I've tried something out, I'll post the recipe and any additional details. More than anything, it'll be a quick reference for me when I'm trying to figure out what to eat. It may also provide readers some info and maybe some discussion. We'll see.
I'm currently reading an article on the whole weight loss and strength building and will pass along what I learn in my next post. I've got to figure out my ideal strength to weight ratio. 2011 is going to be a year of discovery and I'll post it here when I figure it out for myself.
No comments:
Post a Comment