Found this in my drafts that I never published.
Week of 31 Dec 2018 - road back part 2
Well, it's gone downhill since "The road back?" post 4+ years ago. My already lower mileage hit a brick wall called the Georgia Tech Online Masters in CS (OMSCS) program that I started in August 2016. Good news is that I graduated. The bad news is that I'm over 200 pounds! I've been semi-running 2-3 miles 3-4 times a week and often very slowly, but I'm in terrible shape. Last year was the first year I signed up for and didn't do the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. I'm signed up again and I'll finish this year even if it's 2 hours.
So, the plan is basically to start with 2 and 3 mile runs this week and and a mile a week or so. Already missed Monday and did 2 today, so let's plan on Off, 2, 3, 3, Off, 3, 3.
Monday - Off
Tuesday - 2 miles on treadmill at 4.0 mph (15:00 min/mi!) watching video lectures.
Today? Still in terrible shape, but I'm older and have more documentation of just how bad it is. I did get down to 185 somehow last Fall, but now back up over 200. Went to doctor last week. Blood pressure is high (145/96!), fasting glucose elevated (102), and high liver enzymes. Basically your overweight 50 year old. So.... need to lose weight and running combined with not eating seems like the best approach.
So, I'm back to low heart rate training. I'm not using 180 - age as a max though. Running low 130s is the plan as I've done before with an alarm set for 139 that annoyingly goes off as I attempt to waddle up a hill. I'm committed to the humiliation. Had trouble passing a family of our on opposite sidewalk as the daughter, maybe 5, pushed her doll in a stroller. It's clear to me now that I was "running" too fast that was making me tired the rest of the day. This is like I remember where easy runs are like taking a brisk walk, so I think this can work in the long term if I can carve out the time.
Equipment aside: I had been using a fitbit charge 4, but switched back to a garmin 310. The fitbit is nice and small but the gps isn't useful other than a rough idea of where I ran. (I didn't expect much with that tiny antenna.) Also I don't trust the optical HR as much and I'm more likely to dismiss it when it tell me I need to walk up a hill.
- 11/9 Mon - nbrhd 2 - 27:53 - 12:40/mi - 147 bpm avg (!)
- 11/10 Tue - Doctor appointment -> high blood pressure
- 11/11 Wed - nbrhd 3 - 51:06 - 15:29/mi - 133 bpm
- 11/12 Thu - nbhrd 3 - 50:25 - 15:17/mi - 131 bpm
- 11/13 Sat - nbrhd 3 - 46:45 - 14:15/mi (!) - 131 bpm
- 11/14 Sun - nbrhd 3 - 45:50 - 14:01/mi - 134 bpm
The "nbrhd 3" is 3.4 miles per gmap pedometer and garmin usually gives me credit for ~3.3. Nbrhd 2 is 2.2 on gmap pedometer
I'd been running and seeing 157+ thinking the HRM was off, but nope. Just that bad.
Taking blood pressure and heart rate before runs.
- 11/11 Wed - 142/96/73
- 11/12 Thu - 119/86/74
- 11/13 Sat - 131/88/66
- 11/14 Sun - 127/87/66
