Friday, July 25, 2008

Eight Miles and The Return of The Sun




It's nice, really nice, to run in the cool morning air under a bright sun. The last few days I've been hot, soaked, and treated to dark skies.

Life just seems a bit nicer when the sun is out, and my running seems to improve as a result. Just in my head? Maybe.

I had a really nice eight mile run down Oregon road, up the Quinnipiac River Gorge Trail to the Cheshire Border, back on the winding road past Hanover Pond into South Meriden, and back around the pond to the downtown.

I was thinking as I ran that I seem to not be winded as I run. I could run faster in that capacity, but my leg and calf muscles seem pretty tired by mile six or seven and start to slow me down.

I think people are starting to recognize me from the pictures of me that have run in the paper. An old guy shouted out to ask me how many miles I had run yesterday on my walk to work. Other people I call up for quotes ask if I'm "that running guy."


Getting into Fighting Shape


I've been purposely dropping my body weight slowly but surely. I'm trying to get my body fat percentage down to single digits -where professional runners generally keep it- while still taking in enough calories for exertion.

I weigh myself periodically, but don't really worry too much about how on track I am. I weighted myself Tuesday on the fancy scale I got over the winter, and I'm on track.

It tells me:

Weight: 162.4 pounds
Body Fat Percentage: 10.8 percent
Water Percentage: 69.6 percent
Bone: 8.6 pounds
Muscle 53.9 percent.

I realize that this doesn't add up to 100 percent. I believe how it works is that the water percentage can be found in all parts of your body. There is water in your fat, muscle, etc.

But adding muscle and fat together only account for 64 percent. Does the 8.6 pounds of bone fill in the rest? I don't think so. So where's the rest of my weight kept?

Anyone know how this works?

I also want to apologize to Bill, who I apparently inadvertently stood up for a run this morning.

2 comments:

Sarah said...

Andrew, I haven't made it past 6 miles yet (mainly because of time issues) but I, too, do not get winded when I run. I think this may have something to do with the low fat raw diet greatly increasing your oxygen capacity.

I participate occasionally in a small online running group and it is interesting to me to note how others say they feel when they run. Even when I end my run, although I'm tired, I'm not breathing very hard at all.

So are you staying away from overt fats for the time being?

Running Raw said...

I was never big into the overt fats to begin with. I may have an avocado every month or so as part of a salad, but I find that it makes me groggy and just not feel good in general.

That's interested about the not getting winded. Think fat could do that? Could be, I guess.

I know that in Dr. Graham's book he talks about fat blocking oxygen uptake into cells from the blood stream.

I just never made the connection.