BIT-101
Bill Gates touched my MacBook Pro
A personal one this time. Back in 2009 I started running pretty seriously. I’d run sporadically for some time, but for the previous ten years or so I’d been pretty lazy and had gotten pretty heavy. I lost some weight in 2008 and in 2009 started doing the “Couch to 5K” running program. It stuck and over the next few years I ran a bunch of 5K races, two half marathons, a 20 mile race and three full marathons. I was actually training for an 50K (31 mile) ultramarathon when I just totally burned out on running. I remember the last big training run I did a that time. I ran 3 miles to a park, then 4 miles on the trails there, turned around and ran back home, refilled my bottles and snacks, then headed out in the opposite direction for 5 miles, then home again. Twenty four miles total. I was done for a while.
In the years since then, I’ve run on and off. I’ve gotten some decent streaks going, but never kept at it. In April of this year, I started it up again, and for some reason, it just all fell back into place. I’ve run three 5Ks this fall, and I’ve been pretty happy with my times. Haven’t beat my previous 5K PR, but getting close.
I rounded out the year with 530 miles. Not too shabby for starting in April. December was my best month with over 83 miles. My longest runs were 10 miles this year, but I got in four of those.
Health wise, I think I’m doing pretty well. In 2008 I peaked at 235 pounds. During my last bout of serious running I held steady in the low 180s mostly. In the years not running, I was generally around 190-200. These days I’ve been holding steady at around 173-174. As a benchmark, I remember being 175 in high school. FWIW, my BMI says I’m not overweight, but I’m kind of in the upper ranges of healthy weight. I wouldn’t mind getting into the 160s.
For 2024, mostly more of the same. Keep up steady mileage, see if I can take a few more seconds off my 5K time, and I’m considering the idea of a fall half marathon. I’d like to do 1000 miles next year, but that means doing 83 miles every single month. I’ve done it before, but I’ll be happy with 800-900. If I get close near the end of the year, maybe I’ll shoot for it.
One thing that’s been really helpful and supportive is that a bunch of my coworkers run as well. When I was running earlier, I was virtually the only one of everyone I worked with or hung out with that ran. I made a few friends on a site, dailymile.com (sadly now long gone). It was one of the best social networks I have ever been a part of. These days most of my coworkers, as well as other friends are on Strava. It’s a similar vibe, though dailymile was a bit more homegrown and cozy where Strava is super slick and overly sponsored. But it’s still a great resource. If you’re a runner or whatever, hit me up on Strava.
Shoes: Brooks Ghost 175
I’ve been using Brooks for a long time. Mostly Adrenaline GTXs. Decided to switch it up for something lighter. Only had them for a week or so, but really like them!
Watch: Garmin Forerunner 255
This watch is amazing. I’ve had Garmins from 2009 on. Probably five different models. My previous running watch was a Forerunner 235. Also really good, but the 255 has some amazing new features I couldn’t pass up. I wound up giving my 235 to a coworker who just ran her first half marathon with it recently. She was running with an Apple watch that would crash every time it rained or got wet.
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