Numbers, numbers, numbers

So I'm a numbers guy.  I know it.  I think I understand it.  And, well, I'm kind of OK with it.

Recently, I fell a little behind on my three (Yes, three (3)) training logs.  So, I was updating them all to reflect my most recent training.  "Why three?", you might ask.  "Because", I may answer.  Let's not go there.  I would, most likely, involve a couch and a Rorschach test.

Anyhow, what I found was something a little interesting that I thought that I would share.  First a little back story.

When I was not running, I walked around at about 215 pounds.  I was an active guy.  I was big into kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and lead what would have been considered a very active life.

I started running when I decided that I was getting too old to walk around with black eyes and strange bruises all over.  Off to running I went.  One mile became two, two became four, and quickly ten mile weeks were 20.  If 20 was good, 40 must have been better.  I then walked around in the low 190's

Fast forward to the whole triathlon thing…

Wait, wait, wait (note the use of 3's - It is called a motif).  What does this have to do with your training logs?  Well after they were all up dated, I looked back through the years.  Five to be precise.  And I noticed something.  I have not missed "exercising" in some form for more than five days straight in the past five years (just could not fit the whole three thing in here).  I had four days off for some minor surgery.  I had three days off from some infected blisters (ultra distance stuff is sometimes too long), and I had a number of two day rest periods.  But looking at the pretty calendars on each log, while looking at the years in review there were very few "blank days".

Now I know that all of those days were not 100% efforts.  And, I know that there were a few of them that I was just going out of habit or a sense of responsibility (or obsession, maybe).  But, I broke a sweat and got my heart rate up for all of them.

I noted for the year 2005 my average running pace was an 8:40/mi and for 2009 it was a 7:40/mi.  I also did almost twice the amount of miles in 2009 than I did in 2005.

Heck, man.  Get to the point already.

For me, and I am guessing for you too, consistency in training has paid off.  I now walk around in the 178 pound range, feel absolutely fantastic, and can hang with guys 15 years my juniors.  I guess I am saying that there are no junk miles and there is always a reason to keep your body in motion.  Remember Newton's first law: A body in motion tends to stay in motion.  Let's go out there and get in motion.