#300: Pennsy's Tricentennial Post

Yep, this is the 300th edition of Fat Man Running. I don't run as much as I used to, but then, I'm not as fat either. I intend to reverse one of those trends.

Ran two miles today at my best pace of the year, 16:28/mi. Still not up to ramming speed, but rowing at a pretty good clip for this big old boat. I ran intervals, a quarter mile lap at 4.0 MPH, then a quarter lap at 3.5. There's a little dot that blips around a track on the screen on the treadmill, that's how you keep track of how far along you are. It's funny, but when I think of distance as laps, I always think of the old cinder track back at Keystone Oaks High School in Pittsburgh. I'm sure it's some kind of red, rubber synthetic surface now, but back then it was cinders, potholes, and mud puddles. I never loved running much back then, but for some reason, I always think of that track when I run now. What a blast it would be to knock a couple miles off on it now that I can actually get around the thing.

My body metrics are moving. I was a little dismayed to see that my weight actually went up a couple pounds this week. I don't see how that's possible given the fact that I'm working out and I barely eating anything more substantial than protein shakes. Then I checked my body fat percentage. It's down significantly. I'm gaining weight because I'm building muscle! That's very good because 1) muscle burns fat all the time, not just when you're working out, and 2) muscle is heavy, so the amount of weight I need to lose goes down the more muscle I add. Sometimes it isn't what you weigh, it's what you measure that counts.

I guess I should have something profound to say for post #300. You know how sentimental I am. A lot has happened since I started writing Pennsyltuckian back in 2007. If you've been with me that long, you don't need a rehash. If not, you probably couldn't stand one. I know I couldn't. Guess I'll just say how much I appreciate the fact that you care about my thoughts here. Knowing there were folks out there on the interwebs who thought kindly about me was an invaluable support through my cancer treatment. Even now, as I work to get my body and mind back to a healthy place, your comments and kind energy help me to get through the rough spots. I am grateful for you.

There. That's as much mush as I can work up. I'll save the rest for tonight with my Valentine.

Peace,
Pennsy