FRP Update - #3

Last Saturday marked the completion of week four since I have been running again. I have come far since that very hot July 4th afternoon and am well pleased. I have run four times a week every week except last. I ran three times last week but two of those run were four miles each. When I began four weeks ago I ran/walked the three miles in excess of 37 minutes. That is so slow that I’m almost ashamed to put this in written form, but if I don’t, there is no point in updating my progress to you. I ran the same 3 mile route yesterday morning in 30:21 – over seven minutes faster than my initial run. I have long been amazed at the human body as a creation of God. When faced with regular physical challenges, the human body quickly responds. The heart is an amazing muscle and adapts extraordinarily when pushed pushed beyond normal limits. God is amazing! All that said, yes, I’m pleased with my running progress and look forward to extending my distances in the weeks ahead.

This past Sunday I visited with a friend named James at FBC-O about running as he is taking up the sport. Talk turned to shoes so I thought I would answer his question on-line. Every runner who has logged more than a few miles is very opinionated regarding the best shoe on the market. I am no different. Asics are my favorite shoes, hands down. More specifically, I run in Asics GT-2140’s with extra inserts for increased padding. This shoe/insert combination is wonderful and works well for me. I have switched to a different Asics model only once and had some ankle issues so I stick with what has worked for many miles and have no plans on changing again.

My 1700 calorie per day diet has been successful in spite of having wanted to lose weight at a more rapid pace. In the five weeks I have been following the eating program outlined in a previous blog, I have lost 14 pounds. It sounds better than it is because of the huge weight loss in week one; however, I have averaged 1 pound per week since so that's not too bad. I am contemplating reducing the calorie intake by 200 per day, but we’ll see on that. A better alternative would be to insert 3-4 days of weight training, but we’ll also see on that.

That’s my update for now. Thanks for reading.