Jacob’s Lifestream

As some may remember, I started that weight loss thing back in april. Back then I weighed 109kg. I bought that Suunto, started running, after the heart rate principles, and that made my physical fitness skyrocket. For comparison... 5,67km in 47:10 back then. I'm running 5km in 29:43 now. And my max distance has increased to 11km. I started out running 10,7 km in 1:15:30. I now run 10,7km in 1:04:44. Very nice improvement :) My jogging speed at the time, was around 8,5km/h at 80% HRmax. It's 10-10,5km/h at 80-85% HRmax now. So all in all, I weigh less, run faster with less strain, and am able to run over double my previous max distance. In 4 months. And I have NO doubt at all, that this is due to using a heart rate watch. I had some goals.

• Weight loss: 10 kg in august. Didn't reach it, but close. 7-8kg (depending on what morning I weigh my self ;) ).
• 5km, 3 times per week: Reached. I run 3-4 times per week now, always 5km minimum.
• Able to run 10 km: Reached. And I can run at least 11 km now. Going to run 12 in october.
• Running speed increase: Reached. Jogging speed is up 20-25% at the same heart rate.

Now I have some new goals.

• I'm going to run a half-marathon in 2010.
• I'm going to lose 10 kg. more, during 2010.
• I'm going to keep my 5km time below 30 minutes.

I'm lined up for 3 runs this fall, the first of which is this coming Tuesday (DHL). I'm also going to run the JAOO IT run, and Extreme Mandehørm 2009 (all in Århus). So what did I lose, since april ? Well, I'm down to 101-102 kg. I want to be around 85kg, so I need to start working on the food aspect also. I'll post a review of the Suunto T4c soon, now that I've been using it for about 6 months. Basically it's a great watch, but with a few shortcomings :) And now back to work. I just needed a mental break.

Lots of firsts these days ;) Yesterday I was supposed to do the "tough" workout, according to my Suunto T4c. So I thought: I want to see how running with this is, instead of just doing exercise on the crosstrainer.

So... to Risskov - and beyooond !

Hard facts

• I ran 5,63 km.
• It took 47:10.
• Max HR was 86%.
• Avg HR was 78%.
• I did 37 minutes in the 70-80% zone.
• I did 10 minutes in the 80-90% zone.

My Experience

I basically ran. But it felt more like... just above the speed of powerwalking ;)

Compared to what I'm used to, I would've run the 2.4km at "normal" speed, which would've meant a pulse of 90% or above. It would've taken me... oh, about 16 minutes or so.

This time though, it was nice and easy. Actually I'm surprised how low intensity I have to run with, to stay below 80% of HRmax. Really.

But my pride was set aside, because my watch told me I wasn't allowed to run faster, and because I'm giving this pulse training stuff a chance. So I have to stick with the plan. Even though I look like a 75 year old runner. But what the hell.

Aaaaanyway... During the run, the watch sounded the alarm several times. Especially uphill made my pulse go up pretty fast. No surprise there though. So I either had to slow down or just walk for 30 seconds, to get my pulse down. Especially in the last part of the run, my pulse went up quite easy.

At training effect 3,4 I decided it was pointless to go on. My pulse went up too fast, and the above 80% alarm sounded way too often. So I ended it there.

I didn't feel, at that time, that I was completely busted though. I felt like I'd worked out, but wasn't completely busted like I'm used to.

And therein lies the great difference.

A normal run would be controlled by my pride and competitive genes. Which means I'd run faster, look better at running, but I'd be spent at the end of even a short run.

A pulse controlled run means my body is kept at a reasonable level.

Basically, by spending 15% less power during the run, I was able to run about 120% farther.

I don't know about you, but that's a bit like a revolution to me. It feels easier, I can run longer distances, and I'm not busted afterwards. Woopti-fucking-doo ! Pulse training is my new thing for sure. I'm staying with this, and I'm excited about the thought of what effect it has over the next 3,5 months where I'm trying to lose the 10kg I need to lose (well I need to lose more, but that's just the goal I set at the competition at work ;) ).

Rightyyyy... was feeling damn tired after getting Ziggy ready for bed. But my new Suunto T4c told me I had to work out.

I had to reach a Training Effect of 2.8, and there was a time indicator next to it saying 1:15. I interpreted that as the workout taking an hour and fifteen minutes.

So, on the crosstrainer I went. Put the heart monitor belt on. Switched the watch from Time to Training mode. It searched and found the HRM belt in a second or two. Fantastic, that part just works ! Can't wait to see if pairing the foot pod is equally easy. I'd set my heart rate zones beforehand.

• Zone 1 = 60-70%
• Zone 2 = 70-80%
• Zone 3 = 80-90%.

When you set your HR zones, they're indicated by a small mark to the left on the outer rim of the display. When you do your workout, a gauge indicate where you are visually.

Started "running". Reached 70%. Was there for a while. Decided that was just a bit too slow, so upped it a just a little bit, and went up to 73-75% of my HRmax.

I noticed that to the right on the outer rim of the display, a very small gauge increased as I trained. That's the Training Effect indicator, which gives you an overview of how far you are in the process. The workout itself.

I'm very surprised that I have to stay in a zone which feels that low intensity. But I was sweating like a mofo, so something had to be right.

But the new thing was, and this is the significant difference between just exercising, and doing targeted exercises: I did not feel completely squashed during the workout. And afterwards, I feel like I could do it again.

I'm not 120% spent. I just feel... good. Relaxed somehow.

Got an afterburner sweat. When just exercising I have a tendency to want to overperform. Which is the reason I've been pretty stubborn about getting an HRM for my workouts. I need some kind of mechanism to stop me from overperforming. Overperforming sounds braggy - right ? It's not, however. It doesn't take much for a guy of my stature to overperform. Problem is, when I do that, I basically work against my goal of losing weight and burning fat. I spend the wrong resources - the glucose in my muscles. Instead of the fat I need to burn. So - really really happy I got this HRM, and I'm very anxious to see the long term effect of doing this kind of targeted training.

The watch during workout

One thing I've noticed, is that there isn't a large viewing angle on this watch. Which means I have to watch the display within a not too large angle. But it's ok I guess. Switching between the various view modes is easy. I eventually settled for watching the calories burned, plus my HR percentage. Since I'm trying to lose weight, I guess that's what's important. After the workout, I spent a little time browsing the log.

• It took me 30:01 to reach a training effect of 2.8.
• I spent 10 minutes in Zone 1. I spent 20 minutes in Zone 2.
• I burned 405 calories.

I saved the log. I read the manual, and it said something about putting the watch to sleep to save battery. I did that.

Afterwards - the log is gone. What the hell Suunto ?

I'll have to find out what that's all about. But overall - very impressed with the Suunto T4c, and I definitely feel that working out is something I want to do, when the effect is that I don't feel completely burned out afterwards.

Today marks a new beginning. Or well… I could say “Re: Beginning”, since I’ve been at this crossroad before ;)

Fact is, I’m a fatass. It’s a fact I’ve been living with for too long.

In the meantime I became a dad, and a while ago I started thinking a lot about the long term effects on my body, that being fat has.

You (I did, and most others I know) start thinking like that when the added responsibility of children is introduced into your life. You start thinking “I need to last preferably at least 40 more years from now on.

I want to see my son grow into a man, I want to have grandkids at some point. And I don’t want to sit in a wheelchair with an oxygentank connected to my face 24 hours a day, because I’m on my 3^rd heart attack by then”.

The thoughts sound dire. They sound dark and dangerous.

But the thing is, they could very well end up being true if I don’t start planning for that now.

So, about a year and a half ago, I started running. Never thought I would, but I did. And found out I thoroughly enjoy it ! A winter follows. We have kids so… the flu, colds etc, is a natural co-habitant in our house.

That kind of hampers the running part, since running when you’re ill is basically just stupid. It prolongs the disease like a mofo. Not good for me, not good for the family. Thing is, with a 3 year old, and an 11 year old, we get the stuff that’s passed around at daycare AND at school.

So winter was not very productive, running wise.

And, running when you’re too fat, is hard. Not impossible, but hard. I ended up being able to run 7.5km last summer, which was 2.5 km past my goal of 5km. So that was kickass for me. Reaching my goal, and surpassing it.

I want to reach that again. But I also know that running often and long will strain my knees with this weight.

So, I have two motivational drivers: Health, and the ability to run and enjoy running.

With that in mind, a couple of guys (me included) at work started a competition. From today and until August 3^rd 2009, we’re going to lose some weight. First some statistics:

• My goal is to lose 10 kg.
• I’m 35 years old.
• I weigh 108 kg.

According to Powershell (I’m not a geek for nothin’ !), I have 111 days to lose that.

(Get-Date -day 3 -month 8 -year 2009) - (Get-Date)

Per 1 gram of fat, I need to burn 7,4 kcal. Since I need to burn 10.000 grams of fat, I need to burn 74.000 kcal. Divided by 111 days, that’s 667 kcal per day I need to consume LESS than my approximate max.

WHO has a formula to calculate approximately how many calories a guy like me burn in a day: (15,12 * bodyweight in kg) + 1140. Which equals to (15,12 * 108) + 1140 = 2773 calories a day.

So, my calory intake per day is 2773 – 667 = 2106 kcal per day.

Right. Not a lot.

Of course, when I exercise I can take in more. When I don’t, I have to stick to 2106 kcal per day. E.g. if I run and burn 500 kcal, I can up my calory intake to 2606 kcal that day, and I’ll still be in the weight loss zone. But if I don’t, I just lose the weight that much faster. Bonus !

The recommended intake per meal per day is like this:

• Breakfast 30% = 631,8.
• Middle meal 5% = 105,3.
• Lunch 25% = 526,5.
• Middle meal 5% = 105,3.
• Dinner 25% = 526,5.
• Middle meal 5% = 105,3.

To help me out, I bought a Suunto T4c HRM with a footpod. It has a coach function that helps me calculate when I need to work out, for how long, and at which intensity. And it helps me stay at my max 80% of my HRmax, which is the maximum heart rate I can work out at, if I am to burn fat effectively. And preferably I can’t go below 70%.

My HRmax is calculated from this formula: HRmax = 220 – age. In other words: HRmax = 220 – 35 = 185.

So I have to stay between 130 and 148 heartbeats per minute to burn fat. I have yet to find out how many calories the various food types contain. I’ll find out though.

I have yet to find out how many calories I’ll be burning in a workout. I’ll find that out too very soon, as my Suunto T4c arrives tomorrow.

I’ll post some status updates every week on this little project, and hopefully I’ll reach my goal, come August 3^rd. The basic plan: Stop eating candy, eat non-fat, don’t eat as much as I’m used to, and exercise.

So: For life ! For my son ! For my family and friends ! BANZAAAAAAAI !