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Ongoing fitness experiment update

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


It’s been a big two months. I got really sick for a few weeks limiting my running for a while and then I got a new job (which bring the tally to 4 jobs held concurrently…). I’m not real happy with my totals over these two months but they’re not terrible I guess. Planning on picking it up as soon as I find a free sec to run it out.

August 2011

Weight: 99 kg. That gives me a BMI of approximately 27, still overweight.


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I’ve stopped taking resting heart rate from the treadmill and I intend to but a heart rate monitor to do this properly. I have also stopped using the treadmill completely. It sounds stupid but I need to build up the confidence to run on the street but now that I can its much better.

Exercise

August total: 28.5 km, 5.5 km running and 22.9 km walking my dogs.

Today (being the 27th of August):

1.21 km covered in 18 min walking leisurely at 3.98 min/km.

Predicted calorie loss: 93

Physical state after exercise: Fine, but I was walking.

 

September 2011

Weight: 95.3 kg, which equates to a BMI of approximately 25.6 which puts me in the overweight category.

I have been incredibly lazy regarding exercise this month but I’ve been incredibly busy with everything else. No excuses, I should have done more but I didn’t pull out of any exercise it’s just been difficult to find time to run. I’ll do better I promise…

Exercise

September total: 35.5 km. 18.3 km of it running, 17.2 km of it walking my dogs

Today (being the):27th of September

1.91 km covered in 19 min walking my dogs briskly.

Physical state after exercise: Meh. It was a walk so I’m okay. Dogs are wrecked though.

 

If I add this to the graph it now looks a little like this.

Not impressive…

Well as I said I have been struggling to find time to run. I was also out of action for a week in September with hayfever and a pretty severe cold (or possibly man-flu) so it wasn’t all laziness. I tried to make up for it though, I did manage some running. I guess I’ve got some work to do in the next few months.

Dr James Byrne has a PhD in Microbiology and works as a science communicator at the Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus), Australia's unique national science hub, which showcases the importance of science in everyday life.

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