Insights From An Overweight Runner On His Journey To Run A Marathon
It ain’t easy that’s for sure.
I’m 5'6" and currently tipping the scales at a little over 200lbs. Based on the antiquated BMI charts America has used since the 1830s I am firmly in the obese category.
Yes, I know the charts are no longer considered the best measurement of a healthy weight, but my love handles and man boobs are a visual accurate assessment of the extra weight I carry.
My wife tells me I carry it well. She says she likes me with a little meat on my bones. I nod my head but it’s a huge mental struggle for me. When my wife and I met, I was about 145lbs. I grew up wrestling, playing soccer, and ran cross country all through middle and high school. I’ve always been athletic, but somewhere along the way, I guess I let myself go.
How many people can relate to that? I bet a lot.
At my heaviest, I was about 220lbs. My BMI was 34.2 based on a Bodpod test. A BMI of 36 makes you a candidate for a weight loss procedure. It was time for a change.
I’ve always found inspiration in the superhuman accomplishments of people like Scott Jurek and Courtney Dauwalter. So two years ago I set myself the goal of running an Ultramarathon (100 miles) by the time I…
