278 to 3500

Today is my running anniversary.

I’ve now run for 3 years and over 3500 miles.

I started this journey at 278 lbs. My running began after a physician directed diet that brought my down to 220 lbs. I now weight 186 lbs.

Running isn’t easy for me. Starting my running career at 49 years old and having been in horrible shape, my running is almost always accompanied by pain. I run with hip pain and heel pain most of the time. I don’t know if it is a good thing or not, but the hip and the heel are on opposite sides of my body.

Over the past 3500 miles I’ve learned a lot about myself. I don’t listen to music while I run, so it is just me out there. I can be a boring person to run with by myself. LOL. I have learned to do things while I run. I pay more attention to my surroundings, I pray, I say hi to people I pass. I try not to think of the next hour or two that I’ll be pushing myself and try to distract myself in anyway I can.

During my runs I have solved a lot of problems. It may be the oxygen getting to my brain, it may be the quite and the fact I have nothing else to do but think. I will say that most of my good ideas and problem solving have occurred during my runs over the last 3 years.

Just some philosophical musings from a 3 year runner.

Yesterday’s run went great and I have a new system for running that seems to be working well. I’m going to try it a few more times and then I’ll post it for everyone. So far, I’ve done this for 3 runs (4, 13 and 8 miles) and my runs have been better, stronger and I’ve felt better afterwards. Check back in a few days and I’ll tell you my system if it keeps working for me.

Have an awesome week and keep running!

Tom

12 thoughts on “278 to 3500”

Congratulations. What a momentous day. What you have accomplished in three years takes many people a lifetime. And I think you serve as inspiration to the many who say, “I would run but….I’m too old or I’m too heavy….” or another excuse. I can’t imagine how hard it was to start and it reminds me of when my husband was running with me and I kept urging him to go faster. One day he stopped and said, “Do you mind? I’m finally getting to a point where I don’t feel like I constantly have to puke or want to kill myself.” Congratulations on all of your progress and cheers to your running future!

278toBoston | March 25, 2015 at 9:22 am

That is such a great story about your husband. How true. 🙂 Thanks for the encouragement. Hopefully I’ll be writing about running a year from now!

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Happy Running Anniversary, Tom! Your story is such an inspiration to so many…

278toBoston | March 25, 2015 at 9:30 am

Thanks!!! I so appreciate that! I hope you are well and still running. I miss reading your posts!!!

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Drink a beer before you run?

278toBoston | March 25, 2015 at 9:36 am

Ha! Not yesterday. I had half of an O’dules at the 10 mile mark of my 13 mile run on Saturday. It actually really helped with the last few miles. Nothing yesterday though… should have thought of that. 🙂

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