I think that there is a misconception that Clydesdale runners are overweight runners, but that is definitely not the case. There are certainly 150lb overweight runners out there, just as there are overweight Giants.
I started running around the age of 14 to lose weight. I lost weight quickly but that wasn't the reason that I kept running. I keep running because it just feels right. It makes me feel better in just about every way. If you're reading this I don't have to explain, you probably already get it. Here at Running Giants we strive to be fit and continuously improve. That's why I was so disappointed in my performance at my last race. It was tough. I was hoping to break 1:40 but felt sluggish and slow and ended up finishing around 1:45. It wasn't the time so much, it was that I just felt terrible while I was running. I was surprised when I got on the scales the following day and found out that I was 10-15 pounds heavier that I thought I was. It hadn't affected me during my training, I actually had some runs leading up to the race were I felt really good. The thing that killed me was that I had done something that I have despised. Let me explain. I knew this guy a while back that was a cyclist and he was always talking about buying this or that for his bike. The goal of these purchases was to reduce weight, in the form of ounces, from his bike. Never mind that he was 30-35 lbs overweight! I had done the same thing in that I was focused on a new pair of shoes, they were eight ounces lighter that my regular shoes. Great, I saved eight @#$%ing ounces on my shoes but was carrying an extra two hundred ounces of fat! Don't get me wrong, I loved the new shoes.
After the half marathon I felt pretty beat up so I took the following three days off. when I finally did run my calf hurt bad after a mile or so. I decided not to push it and walked home in shame. Another thing that I despise...walking. Weird, right? I don't mind walking to lunch or to get the mail but as a form of exercise it blows. Any way I knew that I needed to drop some weight and start taking it seriously again if I am going to have a chance at a good performance at my next race. I started watching my intake pretty much immediately after weighing myself and managed to lose 5 pounds in that first week without any real exercise. My goal is to get down to 210-215lbs for the San Luis Obispo Half, about were I was for the Santa Clarita half marathon last Fall were I ran one of my fastest halfs ever (1:39:50). I would then like to continue my weight loss to ultimately be around 195-200 lbs for Santa Clarita this Fall in an attempt to beat last years time and hopefully set a new PR.
Looking even further down the road I've decided that there is no reason that I shouldn't be at the weight that I was when I was nineteen, running my second marathon. That's me, number 706 weighing in around 190lbs, maybe less without so much hair. Overweight? Not even close but still definitely a Running Giant.
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