10nineteen

While running the other day, I was thinking about how relaxed my pace was and that I’m actually a pretty slow runner. My pace is just under 11-minutes per mile (for a five-miler). I’d like to blame my body type, if I may, which can be described as short and stocky. As I was thinking this, the phrase “heavyset” entered my mind. Apparently some connection in my brain was made to a 40-year old memory! When I was a kid, we used to play a boardgame called “Manhunt” which was really cool because it had a pseudo computer, codes to figure out, and a detective handbook. Each player had to figure out who the criminal was, and one of the descriptions of the possible suspects was “Heavyset”.

Thinking back to that time, I wonder how our family came about getting that particular boardgame. Did my parents just see it at the Toys R Us and decide it looked fun? Was it a birthday wish by one of my brothers?

Later in that morning’s run I continued thinking about body type and a book I am reading, “Unbroken” which is the story of Louis Zamperini (we share the same hometown, Torrance and high school!). In it, the author describes Zamperini’s track career, his body type and the way he ran – smooth. He was also super-fast, and many thought he would break the 4-minute-mile barrier. That’s kind of the opposite of how I run! :)

For the last month, I have been making some good progress with my running. My knee is probably about 90% and I don’t worry about it too much. My cardio is pretty good in that I don’t get winded unless I run uphill, my legs feel pretty strong, and I am pushing the distance of my runs up little by little. I feel like I am kind of at my limit though, but not because of physical barriers. I could (and would like to) keep adding distance to my runs but the limiting factor is time. I am now comfortable running over an hour at a time but I don’t know how I am gonna fit an hour of running into my daily routine when the family returns from vacation and we resume our normal schedule. But I’ll figure it out when the time comes. It’s all good!

It’s funny how my body is changing now that I am running regularly. I suppose it’s not surprising, but it is interesting the way different parts of my body are getting slimmer at different rates. It seems natural to want and expect the belly area to lose inches and flab immediately, but since fat is reduced throughout the whole body at a similar rate, it’s a more gradual process. But it is kind of cool to realize that the fat that is deeper inside the body (as opposed to near the surface) is being reduced too. I’ve noticed that my hands have lost fat and are much firmer, for instance the fleshy part between the knuckles is definitely slimmer and more toned.

It’s really encouraging to see these changes but I am actually enjoying the process more than experiencing the results. Running is really fun and I look forward to going out and seeing what there is to see. Sometimes I see some cool stuff, like deer, beautiful sunsets, and unexpected rainbows. I always try to see something new.