Tag: Running

Health, Running, Weight

After running about 5km together with Moulsari two weeks ago, I felt good in doing a longer stretch and was surprised at how easily I could do it once I had put my mind to it. I decided to ramp up my running just a bit. Unfortunately, I didn’t see a good way of running longer in my neighbourhood, so I decided to do it a little differently.

Next to my apartment there’s a rather long bridge, (Jan Schaeferbrug) that crosses a wide canal and leads to a neighbouring island. It’s a two-lane bridge, flanked on either side by a bicycle path and a foot path. The two foot paths end on both sides at staircases leading down to the embankment, so four staircases in total, plus two extra staircases leading back up on the island side of the bridge. Six staircases altogether.

Jan Schaeferbrug

When I start running, I immediately run up one of the bicycle paths, cross it and go down the staircase on the island side. I run across the island, across another bridge to the other side of the canal, running the length of the island, back to the Jan Schaeferbrug, about 3,5km in total. Now I’ve added running up the staircase, across the bridge to the island side, up another staircase, across the road, down a staircase, up a staircase onto the bridge, cross the bridge and down the bicycle path.

This little added excercise takes me an extra four or five minutes, depending on the weather, my level of energy and my determination level of that day. But this extra few minutes puts such a tremendous strain on my muscles at the end of the run, that I’ve actually had a muscle the first two times I did it. It feels good, and I think I’ll keep it included to my routine as much and as often as I can stomach it.

Regarding my weight — it’s funny — late last week I reached 85,1kg (187.6lbs), which is 100 grams (0.2lbs) away from my goal of reaching 85kg (187.4lbs). Because I’m still losing weight under the current workout regime I’ve set up and the small adjustments I’ve made to my diet, I think I will see if I can go down to 83kg (183lbs) and find a good equilibrium in food and nutrition intake and my excercise regime, going back up to 85kg.

Some spurious math using the NHS BMI Calculator:

While BMI is certainly not dogma, it’s a good indicator if you’ve got an average frame, which I do. Ending up at 85kg would leave me with a BMI of 24,57, which is just below the overweight line. The overweight category starts at 25, which I was well over when I started this at 96kg (211.6lbs).

Currently, I’m steadily losing about 1kg (2.2lbs) every two weeks. Depending on how easily I’ll reach 83kg, I’ll talk to my doctor, get my blood levels checked to see if I haven’t been doing myself a disservice, and check my body fat percentage and blood pressure. If the doctor has no objections, I’ll start stage two. What is stage two? I’m glad you asked.

According to the NHS, BMI’s healthy zone ranges from 18.5 until 24.9, which puts the median BMI at 21.7. The weight you need to reach the median healthy BMI with my height is about 75kg (165.3lbs). I think that’s a very light for me, seeing as how it would mean I would have lost 21kg (46.3lbs) since starting this, but 78kg (172lbs) isn’t unthinkable.

In the end, provided my doctor clears me, it’s proving to be so simple to lose body fat that I might just keep doing it until either my body stops losing weight, or I’ve reached 75kg, whichever comes first. I’m already amazed at what I’ve accomplished and am not about to get addicted to the results. Also, I have to keep in mind that the whole dynamic of my body is going to change once I start doing BJJ and MMA again.

Health, Running, Weight

A few small updates; while last week I’ve been feeling more light-headed than ever, likely the result of the medication, this week I feel much better. Last week I also ran six out of seven days, which I felt good with. This week I’m keeping that up, but unfortunately my right hip has been giving me a bit of trouble, so I think I might take tomorrow off.

My weight is steadily dropping slowly but surely. This morning I dipped below 86kg (189.6lbs) for the first time and I woke up at 85,9kg (187.4lbs). People are starting to notice now.

I talked to Cesario about taking some private jiu jitsu classes. I want to wait until I’ve had my check-up in October. The plan is to focus on techniques to minimise risk of injuries, which will help me on my way to my blue belt.

Health, Running, Weight

I’ve been kind of slacking on my updates the last week or two, so I thought it would be a good idea to give another update on where I stand with my health. I can be short and sweet on my health; I’m feeling good, my blood clotting times are good, and I have a ton of energy.

My weight is good, too. I’m not dropping the weight as quickly as I was before, and I’m currently btween 87.4kg (192.7lbs) and 88.0kg (194lbs), depending on the time of the day. I touched upon 86.9kg (191.6lbs) a day or two ago, but I think I was a bit dehydrated. It’s easy and I really don’t have to sacrifice much for it. I’ve given drinking carbonated drinks as much, I don’t eat so many carbs, and I don’t snack so much on garbage anymore.

Running is still a pain. I don’t like it, and I don’t think I ever will. At one point I was feeling my knees a bit during the first 5 minutes of the run, until the serotonin started kicking in. This has mostly faded now, which is good. I also had a small hamstring problem, but that doesn’t seem to affect running much.

ADCC is coming up on October 19th, and I miss grappling so much. Much more than kickboxing or even MMA. I can’t wait to get back.

Health Update

Today I woke up at 88kg (194 lbs), which is a new record since I started changing some things up. It’s been a very long time since I weighed that.

I also went running again tonight and did my fastest 3,5 km. So far I was doing it between 17 and 18 minutes, but tonight I clocked in at 16,5 minute, even though I felt like I didn’t have a very good start.

I feel much better; more energy, more speed. I can’t wait to get back to real training and see how it feels there.

Running is Getting Easier, Not Any More Fun!

I just finished another 3,5 km run in just under 17,5 minutes. My time is getting better, which means I don’t have to torture myself as much, and that’s about the only good thing about it. It also means that I don’t need as much motivation to get going 3 or 4 times a week.

While my weight dropped like very fast at first — like, “do I have bowel cancer?”-fast — now it’s dropping slow but steady, which is allaying any concerns that it may have been as a result of something other than the running and more conservative diet.

Frustratingly, as if I needed more reason to have jiu jitsu in my life…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaneudT39-0