Recreational Runner, and proud of it

I have this problem. Sometimes I wish I had never been a runner prior to my back surgeries. I think sometimes I have these unrealistic goals of getting back somewhat close to where I once was. I am pretty sure I will never be able to run a 5 min mile again, yet I keep hoping my body will surprise me.

M

Why not do what you did to achieve the previous accmplishments??

Previously I was born that way. Life happened to me and having had two back surgeries added 40 pounds to me, and now I seem to keep having injuries while trying to lose this weight and get back into what I consider decent shape. If I did now what I did back then I would have a ruptured leg muscle at best, or have a heart attack or even possibly die. I naturally was around a 5:30 pace, but in the Army I was forced into the fast group, which was much faster than I, and I got to where I could sustain a 5 min pace for 5 miles. Not gonna happen now a days and I don't have anyone close to me to push me that is even relatively close to that pace (that I know that is).

I try to limit myself to one goal at a time: distance, pace, weight loss, strength, bodyfat. Otherwise, it gets too distracting or increases the risk that I injure myself. My body thanks me for not asking too much of it all at once.

I also try to keep in mind that we'll all get older and slower at some point, so that helps me to keep my expectations realistic. I'm just happy to aim for the best I can do today. To ask for anything else would be silly and impossible. As long as I'm healthy enough to keep going, I'm good with that. I've accomplished a lot of things that I won't ever be able to do again, but that's okay, because I still have a few tricks up my sleeve (and learning more every day).

I kind work a little bit on all facets of fitness simultaneously, except bodyfat. I don't know how to distinguish between weight loss and bodyfat. I guess I could look into it--there's probably some good dietary distinctions to learn about--but that really would be doing too much at once for me. Otherwise, I work on strength during my weights days, pace during the weekday runs, and distance on my weekend run. Unfortunately, I got overly enthusiastic about the distance, and started doing distance runs back-to-back during the week. Dumb, dumb. I also got excited by the longer distance runs because when I run for more than an hour I can feel the weight coming off faster. I've already dropped 30, and am pretty reasonable now for a middle-aged guy, but I want to see those last 20 off as soon as possible too, without sacrificing one bit in terms of eating. So you're right, I did want too much of it all at once, and my body cursed me for it.

I wish I had that peace with aging. I think I'm fighting it too much. Over the last year I have made good progress--I weigh less, I feel more energetic and agile, and my blood pressure and cholesterol are good again--and I should be thankful for that. Age is supposed to teach wisdom, but I guess I'm not old enough yet.

I have a body fat analyzer that I bought about 10 years ago. I put my height/weight/age into it and it spits out a number. I can't say if it's 100% accurate, but I have compared it to calipers and it's pretty close. It seems fairly precise in that the numbers seem to reflect what I can see in the mirror and my changing waist size.

There are a few metabolic/workout tricks that bodybuilders use to preserve muscle and burn fat, but those regimens are fairly tough, and usually only used when one is around goal weight.

Hey, that's great! So far, so good! I get impatient too, and I did make some sacrifices in my diet. It helped me drop the weight quickly, though it took me a while to fully appreciate that I had to maintain those changes and how to make allowances for weekends and special occasions.

I've had the opportunity to interact with a lot of older folks, so I've tried to learn from their lives. Staying healthy really helps. Even if one isn't in great health, any possible activity seems to be beneficial.

Also, inspirational are those two ladies from last year's Jacksonville Marine Corps Half Marathon.
73, Jasper, FL 2:59:13
75, Hollywood, FL 2:59:24

So, I'll do what I can for as long as I can!

I've heard that can be pretty inaccurate if a fair bit of your mass is muscle. I look at my belly, and whether my arms are defined or not, or if my face is getting more wrinkly. Right now I'm pushing the weights a bit, so I'm not losing as much weight, but using the mirror method, like you, I can tell I'm still losing some of the fat.

I did that briefly while working for a modeling agency in Brazil. It's brutal getting that last bit of fat off the mid-section and still doing decent strength-training. Most guys only did it for certain jobs, or for adding body shots to their books. It's very hard to sustain, like you say. The body only gives up those last few pounds of fat reserves begrudgingly.

We're taking care of my folks. My dad is really falling apart after a life of not taking care of himself. He's a constant reminder of what happens if you don't stick to it, and people like Jack Lalane and those half-Mary ladies are a real inspiration of what's possible if you do.

My husband's mom and my mom are both falling apart, in some respects not through earlier lifestyle choices, but the 'typical' american lifestyle surely didn't help. It's hard to explain to my kids that when I'm grandma age, I still plan to be running and playing.

Oh definitely. I just use the analyzer as a rough estimate and for general trending. One more data point out of many. Actually, my pants seem like the most accurate tool for bodyfat, but a bit hard to quantify in a spreadsheet.

I'm doing carb cycling to maintain weight. Usually keeping the carbs low, then carbing up on strength training days for an afternoon workout after work. Then a run the next morning before work, which depletes the carbs, then repeat. The weight is staying off, which is my primary goal. I'm burning a bit of fat, have energy to do strength training, and maybe added a bit of lean mass. It's only been 10 days, so still too early to tell. Interestingly, all these diets make something as simple as a PB&J taste amazing.

Sorry to hear about your dad, and I wish you all the best.

My jeans don't seem to be cooperating. I think they are shrinking to keep pace with the weight I've lost. Everyone the last couple weeks keeps mentioning how I look like I've lost weight(and I have), yet my jeans do not feel any looser.

So, I met this fella in his late 80's, a small wirey guy. He was telling me how he used to exercise and lift weights when he was younger, bicycled, and now uses an exercise bike. Perhaps I didn't act impressed enough. So he gets low to the ground and breaks out these, and my jaw drops. Yeah, I was impressed.
Low Squat Hops

Yah, I like the pants method too. I was up to a 38 waist, now I'm just a few months away from 34 I think. Then I can wear all my old pants again!

Interesting system. I've never heard of it, but it makes sense.

I definitely agree I like to have eaten well before I hit the weights. With running, it doesn't seem to matter whether I've eaten much or not. The main thing there for me is to make sure it's not too soon after eating.

Yah, well, that's what you get after a life of smoking and drinking and never working out. It's a shame because he has one of those outstanding constitutions--until recently he had had only three head colds his entire adult life. He's one of those guys that could've lived to a hundred if he had taken care of himself. Last summer I had to rush him to the hospital with a near-fatal abdominal aorta aneurysm. He survived, but it's really taken its toll. Likely cause: years of smoking.

I think on men in particular, the waist is the first to gain, and the last to lose. Maybe they're seeing the weight loss in your face.

Easy fix, get new jeans

That's the old man I want to be.

That's what I think everyone is noticing too. I see it in my face a lot and am seeing the definition of actual ab muscles starting to stand out more, but they are still covered by a giant amount of fat.

Been there before many times myself. Good luck!

It matters on the second day of running. The body uses stored carbs from the day before. If they aren't replenished after a workout, as in a low carb diet, then the second day of running is a real bummer.

Nicotine is more addictive than heroin, in terms of dependence. http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/28

I'd say ban them and enact a prohibition, but people start doing goofy things when you tell them that they can't do something. I think the Kiwis have the right idea in taxing them out of existence.
New Zealand Tobacco Taxes Aim For Smoke-Free Country

I dunno, I believe people have sovereignty over their own bodies. Of course, the history of the tobacco industry, its propaganda (advertising) and lobbying efforts, complicate the picture, but I'm definitely anti-prohibition in all things--let the people decide what kind of lives they want to live. Taxation is OK if it helps pay for the health care costs of petty vices, but if it just means more bombs or bail-outs for speculative betting, then I'm against it.

Yah, I can see that. I was thinking more like the meal before. I could wake up and not eat and run anytime before dinner time and be fine, but can't do weights very well on an empty stomach, unless it was a high intensity type workout with low weight, which I don't do anyway . . .

Ha, I tried that fix, and it works quite well, but I resisted buying more than a couple size 38s, knowing that with a little effort, they would become useless.