Monday, August 20, 2007

Da doo run run

Yesterday's long run was great! Not great as in speedy, because as Josie says, "there is NO speedy side of me," but great because the weather was nice and I was able to keep it going for the duration with a minimum of minimal walking breaks. Three or four minute-long walks interspersed with six miles of running at a 12:28 pace. Slow? You betcha. But the target pace for yesterday was 13:24, so I beat that and wasn't even trying.

Even better, if it's possible to have better, is that my warm-up and cooldown miles were 15 and 16 minutes, respectively. I used to be a 20-minute mile walker. Ramping it up to 15 minutes is pretty cool. Also? You get done with the workout 10 minutes faster.

Heh.

Combine a great long run with a day of not eating very much and I woke up this morning feeling fit as a fiddle. I wish it were Friday so I could weigh in. How's that for weird? I'm anxious to see that number on the scale!

Saturday night found Mr. Shrinking Knitter and I at a Chinese buffet, after spending the afternoon in the Emergency Department with his mother. [She's okay; probably a little anxiety attack.] I shouldn't have eaten as much as I did, and I can only guess at the number of calories I consumed. So I deliberately ate less yesterday, but I also wasn't hungry.

The phenomenon of not being hungry after burning almost a thousand calories exercising is one that totally baffles me. My net intake yesterday was -46. Believe me, that doesn't happen very often.

But if it did, according to CalorieKing, I'd lose 16.7 pounds in a month.

That's kind of depressing, isn't it? To think that I have to eat 1000 and burn 1000 every day for a month to lose, essentially, two pounds a week. [Edited to add: Apparently my lack of calories affected my ability to do math. The "two" should be "four."]

I'm sticking my fingers in my ears now, and going lalalalalalalala.


3 comments:

Lori G. said...

I think you are doing great. I think it's been a frustrating couple of weeks for you because of the weather (can't run or at least can't run well in 1000 degree humidity/temps) and the food/weight issue.

Sometimes for me, I can only concentrate on going to the gym OR eating well. It's impossible for me to do both at times. So you're doing great -- this weather helps a lot. I just realized now that I've been subliminally influenced by you. I've been doing the treadmill for just ten minutes but I've been trying to concentrate on walking the way my PT recommended. Form over speed or endurance. Thanks, Debbi!

365 Dresses said...

Hi, Debbi!
About speed drills---we were watching a Japanese movie the other night, set in the 1860's. They have a trainer who wants them to run like the English soldiers. What he recommends is to just think about moving your arms faster. Your feet and legs will keep up without you having to think about it. I tried this morning, and my speed drills seemed much easier. Perhaps it works.
Keep up the good work, and think of yourself as a divinely healthy and fit human being.

Laura N said...

Woohoo on feeling great on a long run! That rocks!