I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butt(er)

Day 46 of 130
Ks covered: 290
Ks to go: 812
General mood: pretty good
Running highlight: Finally ran 8k in under 45min – exactly 44:23 – take that Crazy Haruki!
Equipment status: Same
Body status: Getting there….
Weight: 145.5 lbs

Will Smith is a wimp. Yes, he may have saved more people than the Littlest Hobo, but I’m here to tell that Seven Pounds is nothing.

Today I went back to the future at the gym (which is curiously close to a clock-tower) doing sprint work in a 15-pound weight-vest. Holy squished-boobs, Batman – that workout is hard! Turns out that weight really does count when it comes to speed.

Things that weigh more than 15 pounds:

• 6 average human brains (female)
• A very large cat
• 61 quarter-pounders
• A grey Station Wagon – aka the Mum taxi
• 16 pounds

You’ve read here before about the relationship between weight and speed. Basic physics right? Well, it really is something to actually feel the gravity of it. The effect was surreal: Every movement was laboured. Just breathing was a trial. Each step-up was a mountain. And to think, just a year ago, I was wearing a very similar vest, only it was all me and it was actually twenty pounds. Losing all that weight (which is roughly 20% of an entire Kenyan runner) has taken pressure off my heels, toes, belt and my Hawaii Chair. So if I want to leave the back-of-the-pack in my sweet smelling dust in Ottawa, it only makes sense to keep going, so long as it’s reasonable. Thanks to those of you who have tried to keep me grounded on this, suggesting my goal weight might be too aggressive. Maybe you’re right, but 130lbs is still within my recommended BMI and Gucci hasn’t started sending me free stuff yet, so I figure I must still be healthy.

But weight loss is just one challenge. Check back in a few days as I begin an in-depth exploration of the other benefits of running…

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