Fitness Evaluation May 9, 2009 Change Age (Years) 35 Body Age (Years) 24 Height (in.) 72 Weight (lbs.) 177 +2 Body Mass Index (BMI) 23.7 -0.3 Direct Value (Max VO2) 49.2 +1 Biceps Strength (lbs.) 116 +6 Flexibility: Sit & Reach (in.) 16.1 -3.4 Body Composition Body Fat Percentage 8.5% -1.7% Lean Body Mass 160 lbs. +1.0 lb Sum of Skinfolds 26.5mm -5.5

I would have never imagined making this kind of progress when we started 100 mile harvest.

Fitness Evaluation April 18, 2009 Change Age (Years) 35 Body Age (Years) 23 Height (in.) 72 Weight (lbs.) 177 +2 Body Mass Index (BMI) 24 +0.3 Direct Value (Max VO2) 48.2 +1 Biceps Strength (lbs.) 110 -1 Flexibility: Sit & Reach (in.) 19.5 +2.1 Body Composition Body Fat Percentage 10.2% +1.5% Lean Body Mass 159 lbs. -1.0 lb Sum of Skinfolds 32mm +5

We are just about 4 weeks into our marathon training program. During these early weeks of training, the mileage has built up slowly; our longest run (to end Week #4) is a 9-miler, which we’ve never come close to running before.

Even though the running challenge has increased, I was unsure of what to expect from the evaluation, mainly because I have shifted from being a weight-training regular to running almost exclusively. As you can see in the chart above, the cardiovascular and flexibility results have improved, but I’ve also lost strength and lean body mass (actual muscle), since I stopped hitting the weights.

Now that I feel comfortable running, and I know I can handle the rigors of consecutive runs, I will return to the weights in an effort to preserve muscle mass – I’ll avoid very heavy lifting, but will try to get a range of muscle groups involved, especially core work.

The biggest surprise for me was the 1.5% increase in body fat percentage. Maggie and I have been conscious of trying to eat more carbohydrates in order to fuel our bodies, but I have clearly taken it too far. I’m making an effort to plan those calories into the days and times that they are needed. I know this is no time to starve the body, but will try to get to a greater overall efficiency.

Otherwise our 100-mile diet is working well for us. We are eating satisfying whole food-based meals throughout the day, and our energy levels have been there to power us through each run. Hydration has been a challenge on some longer runs, requiring that we plan water consumption at regular intervals in the 24 hours leading up to our long runs.

Fitness Evaluation March 11, 2009 Change Age (Years) 35 Body Age (Years) 23 -6 Height (in.) 72 Weight (lbs.) 175 -1 Body Mass Index (BMI) 23.7 -0.2 Direct Value (Max VO2) 47.2 +2.7 Biceps Strength (lbs.) 111 -2 Flexibility: Sit & Reach (in.) 17.4 +0.8 Body Composition Body Fat Percentage 8.7% -2.4% Lean Body Mass 160 lbs. +4.0lbs Sum of Skinfolds 27mm -8.0

Fitness evaluation

This is the leanest I have been in years.

Fitness Evaluation January 08, 2009 Change Age (Years) 35 Body Age (Years) 29 -2 Height (in.) 72 Weight (lbs.) 176 -7 Body Mass Index (BMI) 23.9 -0.9 Direct Value (Max VO2) 44.5 -0.7 Biceps Strength (lbs.) 113 -16 Flexibility: Sit & Reach (in.) 16.6 -1.6 Body Composition Body Fat Percentage 11.1% -0.5% Lean Body Mass 156 lbs. -6.0lbs Sum of Skinfolds 35mm -1.5

Fitness evaluation

A new year, a new me.

Fitness Evaluation July 31, 2008 Change Age (Years) 35 Body Age (Years) 24 -2 Height (in.) 72 Weight (lbs.) 183 -5 Body Mass Index (BMI) 24.8 -0.7 Direct Value (Max VO2) 45.2 +5.4 Biceps Strength (lbs.) 129 +7 Flexibility: Sit & Reach (in.) 18.2 +0.4 Body Composition Body Fat Percentage 11.6% -2.1% Lean Body Mass 162 lbs. Sum of Skinfolds 36.5mm -7

Strength test, bicep curl.

I can’t believe it. I was sure that by increasing my caloric and protein intake these last four weeks, that I would reverse course and likely gain weight. Not that I wanted to, but I thought I was going to plateau. It turns out I lost an additional five pounds (taking my 10-week total to 29 pounds). Needless to say, I am feeling great about these changes.

During this last 4-week period, I managed to get to the gym 3 times a week (out of four) for the first 3 weeks. The fourth week, I only made it in one time. That was much better than before, and I even showed an increase in bicep strength and cardiovascular fitness. I am hoping to continue that trend, while reducing body fat percentage even further. This time around, Will is going to help me design a program for achieving more definition overall.

Fitness Evaluation June 27, 2008 Change Age (Years) 35 Body Age (Years) 26 -6 Height (in.) 72 Weight (lbs.) 188 -14 Body Mass Index (BMI) 25.5 -1.9 Direct Value (Max VO2) 39.8 +.3 Biceps Strength (lbs.) 122 +1 Flexibility: Sit & Reach (in.) 17.8 +6.6 Body Composition Body Fat Percentage 13.7% -1.9% Lean Body Mass 162 lbs. -8 Sum of Skinfolds 43.5mm -6.5

Ssssh! Don’t tell anyone, but I think we’re on to something here.

In my last fitness post, I shared how I had lost 10 lbs. between Day 1 and Day 16 of 100 Mile Harvest, when we took our first fitness evaluation. Since that first test, I have been enjoying a leaner physique. My normal everyday jeans started drooping, slacks that were snug began loosening up…I even pulled some pants our of the closet that I last wore in 2004. I knew things were going well, but didn’t know how to quantify these changes. Is it possible I had lost another 7 or 8 pounds? I hadn’t been at anything less than 200 pounds for over 6 years.

I was also concerned about the fact that I had only had 2 workouts over the last month. Maybe I had lost more muscle than fat in that period?

The big surprise came as I stepped on the scale. Will, the fitness coach administering the evaluation, read from the screen, “Weight, 188 pounds.” My jaw hit the floor immediately. The lowest body weight I’ve achieved in my adult life was 186 lbs. in 1997. That meant I had dropped 14 lbs. in 28 days, or a total of 24 lbs. over 34 days.

Because of our interest in health and fitness, my problem hadn’t been not knowing what to do, but rather not doing what I know.

I could not have anticipated that 100 Mile Harvest would re-connect me to that knowledge and behavior, but the solid nutrition (lean protein and an abundance of vegetables) would prove to be the core factor behind my weight loss. I even indulged in honey and fruit like never before, but my body seems to have handled that well. Most surprising of all, we’ve been using oil and butter in our meals and these fats didn’t undo these changes.

I am looking forward to continuing this transformation, by eating and weight-training in a way that will help me restore muscle mass and tone, while stoking the fat-burning through cardiovascular exercise. Hopefully the result will be a level of fitness I’ve never achieved before. It’s amazing to know that one can “turn the ship around” so quickly, especially when it is really a side benefit of a greater decision to seek sustainability.

Fitness Evaluation May 27, 2008 Age (Years) 35 Body Age (Years) 32 Height (in.) 72 Weight (lbs.) 202 Body Mass Index (BMI) 27.4 Direct Value (Max VO2) 39.5 Biceps Strength (lbs.) 121 Flexibility: Sit & Reach (in.) 11.2 Body Composition Body Fat Percentage 15.6% Lean Body Mass 170 lbs. Sum of Skinfolds 50mm

Strength test, bicep curl.

Turning Point

The big story for me is what happened before we actually took this first evaluation. Prior to starting our 100 Mile Harvest, we had been going to the gym and eating our usual healthy diet. However, I was consistently weighing in at 212 lbs. This was high for me, but even after weeks in the gym, the number didn’t budge. I had to consider that maybe new muscle was balancing out lost fat. Of course, that was a guess, since I wasn’t seeing any physical changes.

We started eating locally on May 11. During the next sixteen days, I somehow managed to lose 10 lbs…and everyone noticed. My clothes started feeling more comfortable and I looked less and less “puffy.” It was like turning the clock back a few years.

That said, the first three days were the toughest. On the first Monday and Tuesday back at work, I had day-long headaches. That was my body begging for the frequent protein bars (and sugar hit) it was used to, and I felt like my energy levels were flatlined by the end of the day. Fortunately, the headaches started fading on Wednesday. I’ve learned to plan ahead with fruit snacks for the office or long errands, but unexpected stretches have become much more manageable than those first transitional days.