On Schedule

As of today, I am officially on schedule.  That is to say, my training schedule is a 24-week course with the marathon falling at the end of week 23.  I guess week 24 is just to wind down from the marathon.  So, today was my first day on my formal program.

And, as when I began my more disciplined training about a month ago, it meant as shorter, lighter run than I would have ever imagined beneficial.  Today’s was a 30-minute run that included a 5-minute warm-up and a 10-minute cool-down.  So, running for 15 minutes.  And by running, I mean maintaining a heart rate between 65% and 70% of maximum heart rate.  I’m at 40% stumbling out of bed in the morning, and my first cup of coffee gets me easily to 50% of maximum.  So staying between 65% and 70% -- especially in hilly Greenville -- sometimes means shuffling my feet to a tempo similar to that of a run. 

No, I’m not doing it wrong.  The author of the book & program from which I’m working, Heart Rate Training, says one should be able to talk in “Faulkner sentences” at this level of work -- meaning, essentially, totally unlabored breathing.  Yep, that’s pretty much where I am.

The thing I’ve noticed, quite to my amazement, is that ever since I changed my runs from high intensity to low intensity, I have been losing weight quite rapidly.  I certainly haven’t changed my eating in any meaningful way.  I understand it has something to do with fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles using different stores for energy.  Now I see why aerobics are so popular…