Guilt run

Today afternoon turned out to be an enjoyable time of feasting and fellowshipping with a group of good friends from our church. We arrived at one of our member’s home (who happens to be Nicholas’ god parents) at 12.30pm and the smell of the food was already making my stomach rumble.

With all the chicken rendang, noddles, tomato rice and pork chops I ate, it was a wonder I still managed to find room in my stomach for some generous helping of ice cream with fruits. Nicholas had a ball of a time as well, raiding the fridge for sweets whenever he felt like it, probably knowing that these kind of opportunities don’t come by too often.

Now for those who don’t know, the main reason I started exercising in the first place was to lose the many kilos I had put on over the last two years. I started by signing on a gym membership in June, and from there the use of the treadmill got me really hooked on running. I was then linked to the Pacesetter’s club via the internet and signed on as a member in September.

When I had first started my exercise regime in June, my weight was about 86kg and I was hoping to bring it down to just below 80kg by the end of the year. My body fat level was touching the region of 30%, and one would not easily believe that by looking at me, as I am just 1cm short of being a six footer.

Today, just five months down the road, I now weigh 72kg with a body fat index of 18%. I have nothing but running to thank for this amazing change. Perhaps with all the adverts showing ‘BEFORE’ and ‘AFTER’ photos, promoting their slimming programs, I should use the same method to promote running as a healthier and cheaper option (definitely not easier though).

Anyway, having had such a hearty lunch and then reaching home at 4pm I joined my son for a long afternoon nap. I finally woke up at 6.30pm feeling really guilty with the amount I had eaten and with the ‘lack’ of mileage this morning in my run. Not to mention that I had another two houses to visit later at night for more Deepavali feasting.

I then decided to strap on my New Balance 680 (basic stability running shoes) and cover another 5.6k. This time I started slower and picked up the pace gradually over each loop. I was feeling good after the fourth loop and decided to push on the last one. Final time was 31m12s, which was better than my morning run, but this time I was still left with a lot more energy. Perhaps, this pacing method might be good for my 10k race. I shall try it again later.