My running statistics, 18 months after my first run

Guess what I got today?

Yes,  I know, the title of this blog post would already lead you to that conclusion.

Sequel to ChiRunning, Danny and Katherine Dryer’s new book is about applying the principles of ChiRunning to marathon training. It came out in the past month or so, and I pounced on it when I saw it at the bookstore yesterday.

There should be a rule about looking at other marathon training plans in the middle of your own marathon training plan — don’t do it. I looked at where they would have you be 9 weeks from race day and eep! I’m not running that far in my long runs yet.

Fortunately, I have (happily!) lived through Hal Higdon’s marathon training plan once, so there are no temptations to deviate. But I really loved ChiRunning, and I look forward to seeing what this book can add to the marathon training experience.

I haven’t gotten very far. One of the exercises in the first chapter is to build your “running statistics” so you can assess where you are in your skills. So I’m going to share mine with you.

Running Statistics — March 15, 2012 (1 year, 6 months, 19 days since I discovered running)

1. Distance or time of your longest current run: 4 hours, 57 minutes. 26.2 miles.

2. Average milage per week: Of the past 26 weeks, 20 miles per week.

3. Average running pace: 10:20, according to Daily Mile, over the past 26 weeks.

4. Average race pace: 5K PR pace was 7:58. 10-mile PR was 9:03. Half-marathon PR was 10:07 (my first one!). Marathon was 11:20.

5. Number of 5ks or 10ks run: Four 5ks, and one 8k.

6. Number of half-marathons run: 3

7. Number of full marathons run: 1

8.  Number of marathons (half or full) in the last 12 months: 3 halves, 1 full.

9. Number of lifetime marathons: The same. 3 halves, one full.

Physical Assessment:

  • Age: 27
  • Height: 5′ 8″
  •  Weight: 154
  • BMI: 23.6
  • Blood Pressure: 105/80
  • Resting Heart Rate: Mid-50s to low 60s

General level of health and fitness (1-10): 8

Genera level of energy in daily life (1-10): 7

Are you satisfied with your overall health? I labored over what to answer the previous two questions. I wonder, one day when life isn’t so easy, if I didn’t appreciate my health fully when I had it. But its not a perfect 10, yet. The things that I see I need to work on are managing stress (mental) and building flexibility and strength (physical). I don’t feel limited by my physical state, now, most of the time, but sometimes I do, like taking that pilates class.

Are you satisfied with your weight? I am. I really am. And it makes me happy to say that. That’s not to say that managing my weight is not constantly at the top of my mind, but … I don’t feel a wasting desire to get skinnier. I’d like to get down to 150 again on marathon day but that should not be hard with a week or 2 of smart nutrition.

[There are some questions about Health conditions that don’t really apply, so I am going to skip to …]

Do you have aches or pains or feel restricted in your movement? At the end of marathon training last year, I had this tightness in my left knee, but that’s mostly gone now. Recently, I’ve had some soreness in my hip flexors but some nightly yoga takes care of that, too.

Mental/Emotional assessent

What are your mental and emotional strengths? I am good at building habits. I am good at tuning into my body. I have no trouble finding the joy in running, which much of the reading I’ve done lately seems to address (struggling to find the joy in running). I like participating in it as a practice. I like helping others, and in helping others, I know that I get better too.  I can go with the flow, change what I need to in order to continue, and it takes a lot to set me off course from a scheduled workout.

What are your mental and emotional weaknesses? Emotional eating. I find it hard to make good choices about what I put in my mouth, despite the best intentions. I find it hard to run really long runs alone. Being isolated that long wears on me.

Do you push yourself too hard, or give up too easily? Hard to say. I think I am pretty fair on myself. I like the joys of a hard workout, but I understand that in order to do an endurance sport, you must pace yourself.

Are you able to keep focused on whatever activity you are doing, or does your mind tend to wander? The more I run, the better I get at this.

Pattie Reaves

About Pattie Reaves

I'm a new mom and renegade fitness blogger at After the Couch. I live in Brewer with my husband, Tony, our daughter Felicity, and our two pugs, Georgia and Scoop.