Latest A.C.L.U. suit: representing a prisoner who says the prison walls aren't built to scale. Okay, not that funny. Anyway, scale is important. So are scales. I went to the doctor yesterday for a nagging cough. He Rx-d me some antibiotics, as I reckoned he would. The only painful part of the visit was my step up onto the scales. I have long contended that doctors' scales lie, but even subtracting a couple of pounds for the severe scale (and I had my shoes on), the verdict was harsh: 244 American pounds.
The doctor's a runner. He's planning on running Kiawah Island marathon in December. "Maybe I'll do that", I tell him. He looked at me skeptically. I'm not a healthy life-style sort of fellow. I'm more of a "fight to pressure" sort of fellow. The dude doesn't think I can do it. So I have to do it.
I started today. My pace was a frenetic 11 minute mile pace. About the same as my brother. Of course, he spreads his runs over ninety-nine more of them than I did. But the scale is good.
12 comments:
how tall are you?
doctors' scales do not work
example: i always wear Adidas track pants and a light t-shirt when i go, and i take off my shoes. had to go the other week to a doc, and the scale read 150; then two hours later, at my weight loss clinic, i weighed 140.
height charts are screwed-up too. at the doctors', I'm 5'7", but everywhere else, I'm 5'9".
They measured my height at 6'1", but took off an inch for my shoes. Shoot, they only took off a pound for my shoes. They had to weigh more than that, right?
Shoes make you weigh 3 to 4 lbs more. I know they don't really weigh that much, but it has to do with physics or gravity or something i don't understand
Whoo hoo! You're runnin' a marathon, that's awesome ... Now, Andyman, I'm sure will tell you to buy your shoes at a flea market, and that "support" is overrated .... but I'm here to tell you, the right shoe makes all the difference. Go to a real running store, this may mean a trip to Charleston or Savannah or something ... have a real runner look at your feet and put you in a good pair of shoes that are designed for your type of foot and running style ... it's very easy to suffer an injury early on, and that just sucks. After that first pair, if they work for you, then you can get all Andified and buy last year's model on sale online.
Hey Chase will talk about fancy footware, but I bet I know where he got his shoes. He got his shoes on his feet and his feet on the floor, so Drop and give me 20 Chaser!
Dav0, sign me up, I'll run the 'thon with you. I'll do it.
First of all, be glad that you have a doc who has half a brain regarding fitness. My doc's eyes rolled into the back of her head when I told her about the Ironman or the 50-miler! I had to use the defibrillator on her to bring her around.
And FYI: if you write something on your blog, like "I'm going to run a marathon," you're going to be harrassed by all until you actually DO IT!!!! Plus beware, you'll have these nerds running along side of you!
Mags, I appreciate the consolation. Fact of the matter is, the only pass I get for my shoes is if they're some of those old diver's weight boots (which, sadly, they're not). I do mean to get into shape, though, if only to show Dr. Runnersmirk.
Chase, that's a big 10-4 on the shoes. I'll get to Fleet Feet and see what they got.
A-Man, if you'll run the thing with me, I'll definitely sign you up and carry the freight. If you help me to finish, I'll buy you a pasta dinner and several tall frosty mugs of brew.
Star, thanks. I'm really counting on y'all to give me a hard time about this (and support, too). You know how Andy cusses himself into action. A little bit of that "double-dog dare" stuff is necessary for Bill Mathews' kids, somtimes. For any Tolkien fans out there, I've always done better on Orc juice than Elf wafers. That's probably not good, but it's the truth.
okay, but I'm being serious about shoes making you weigh more.
I need to get back into shape too. I want to start running again or biking. According to my ex,biking is the best means of exercise to shift the fat...can you believe, I was going to get hair extensions for him?
Don't listen to Chase. Pretty soon his feet are going to fall off.
I believe in you.
Good luck.
Hair extensions? Like dreadlocks?
And Kate, you're right about Chase (and Andy, too. He's got old nasty-feet posts as well. Apparently, toenails are a fleeting thing in the Ultra community). Those guys are insane. They kind of remind me of the Black Knight on Monty Python and the Holy Grail who keeps getting body parts lopped off and responds by saying, "Merely a flesh wound".
Also want to give a belated shout-out to my best friend, Cathy, who has been my running partner for years, and who held back to cross the line with me in our only marathon, Jacksonville, FL in 2002. I was kind of hoping she'd train with me and run in this one. Cathy? You out there?
no paris hilton or brittney spears hair extensions.
Ok, if you ever go back and read old comments, pretty much never see 'em after a week, if you're like me, I'm in, biggle time. You can so this hear thing. But go ahead and start. Little at a time, and BAM! 6 months late you're in shape!
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