Thoughts on Running

I've become a running addict.  I run 5 days a week almost without fail.  I normally cover over 20 miles each week.  I wear out a single pair of shoes in about 3 months.

I wear a GPS watch whenever I run.  It not only tracks where I go, but it also tracks my mileage, time, pace, speed, elevation, and calories.  This week I logged 27.65 miles, 3 hrs 48 minutes 24 seconds of running, an average pace of 8:16 minutes per mile (7.3 mph), and burned 3,486 calories.  In the last year I ran 904.32 miles, 127 hours 28 minutes 49 seconds of running, an average pace of 8:27 minutes per mile (7.1 mph), and burned 109,555 calories.  I find the stats interesting.

Since I've started running, I've lost nearly 20 lbs.  I didn't think I had 20 lbs to loose, but apparently I did and I lost it around my waist for sure.  Some of my older pants would fall down instantly if I don't cinch up with a belt.  What is a little more interesting to me is that most of that weight was lost in the first 6 months or so of running.  In the last nearly 18 months, I would guess I've lost no more than 5 or 6 lbs.  That's a pretty slow weight-loss rate.

For as much as I run, I should enter more races.  This past fall I ran a 10K race and reached my goal of running it at a 7 min/mile pace.  This coming spring I will be running a Ragnar Relay race with a team of 12.  This race won't be so much about pace or time, but running with a group of friends for fun.  Still, it will be a new challenge as I will have to cover nearly 20 miles myself in 3 different legs.  Never have I run so much in such a short amount of time!

Running has some interesting effects.  For example, recently I ran just over 10 miles.  I'm always surprised that in a long run like that I continue to feel like I could just keep going and going.  Sometimes after about 1 hour of running the "runner's high" kicks in.  It is like the run gets easier almost instantly, even if I happen to be going uphill.  I feel like I could just start sprinting.  After a long run like that, I find I need a large calorie boost.  And I crave orange juice.  Sometimes after a long run, I feel like I could just keep eating and eating.

In general, I also find that running increases my desire for more healthy foods, such as fresh fruit, oatmeal, nuts, and spinach.  I don't care so much for greasy foods.  I think my body needs more nutrients so it craves the foods that provides the increased nutrients required.

Running is also a great time to vent and clear my mind.  It is really the only time I'm guaranteed to have some time to myself.

Unfortunately, I've developed a running injury of some sort.  A doctor has told me I sprained my ankle.  It probably got twisted while running through the desert over some rocky/sandy terrain.  It really doesn't impede anything other than some mild random pain.  Still, I'll keep on running until I stop.

While I am oddly competitive with myself in running, no matter how much I improve there is always someone faster and better. The satisfaction comes from the progress.