Gaining ground

Time for another installment of......hillbilly heaven.

Not really, I don't have any great hillbilly stories as of late, but I will post one the next time it happens. Regardless of that, I still enjoy living in southwest missouri, and will be a little sad when I have to leave.

I have been running 4-6 times a week for about two months now. I know you are thinking "Wow", "Great", and maybe even " Liar". But it is true, I have stuck to it pretty well. The problem that I am incurring is somewhat new and frustrating to say the least. Throughout my life, anytime I have decided to get back in shape, it really was no big deal to just start running 3-3.5 miles to whip myself into shape. The problem now, is once I finished school for the second time in eight years, I was at an all time high as far as weight goes. I finished school tipping the scales at 232 lbs.....I think just enough to fight in the heavyweight division. Therein lies the problem. Running now, my legs and knees give out long before my lungs, and the easy 3--3.5 miles is not so easy anymore. In fact, at about two miles, my legs are in much more of a crisis than my lungs are. My lungs are ready to meander along for another two miles or so, but my legs and knees are throwing on the brakes. I guess with enough time, my legs will finally adapt, but I find myself thinking, what if they don't. Have I passed the point of my body being able to handle that kind of strain? Who knows, but I will keep sticking with it in hopes of getting in better shape, with the ultimate goal really just being to live past the age of 62, which is apparently not an easy feat for men in my family. All in all, I have lost about 10 pounds or so, but carrying 222 at a jog is still rather taxing.

C