This dispatch comes from our editor-in-chief and fearless leader, Fletcher Bud Farrar:Â
I’ve been a casual runner for years, but early this year
when it dawned on me that I was going to turn 60 in the spring, I decided to
step it up a notch.
During the winter months I went on several long training
runs, then ran the Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon on April 4. I had never run
anything longer than a 10K before, so I was pleased that I could finish the 13
miles. Then I went on a trip to Central America
and got sick for several days. By the time I got home I was well, but
discovered that I had lost 3 pounds in the process. Hardest thing for me is
to get started on a new routine, but this one was already started for me – so I
decided to go ahead and lose 10 pounds.
With the help of an iPhone app, I tracked calories for the
first time and ended up losing 15 total over the summer. Then I started reading
that when you lose weight you lose not just fat but muscle, unless you work at
building strength. Again, getting started is the hard part. After a few feeble
attempts at learning weights on my own, I signed up with a personal trainer.
Now I have an appointment three times a week, and all I have
to do is get there and do what he tells me. I’m getting a feel for what to do
for what, why form matters, and how to use the equipment. I do some pretty hard
workouts and I like it.
–Fletcher Farrar
Want to share your health story? Whether you’ve had good or bad experiences, we want to hear about it. Write something about 200-300 words and send it to me at pyeagle@illinoistimes.com. The best reader stories will be posted on the blog, so put your best foot forward!
This article appears in Nov 19-25, 2009.
