At least you're not carrying extra

This post is dedicated to my brother-in-law, Brad. He probably doesn't remember it, but a couple years ago, he said something that has stuck with me. It was in the summer, and my sons and I had been messing around with the pickup, my prospects weren't all that great, I was having knee problems, and I was in what I thought of as a personally tough situation.



I took what he said as, "Well, things might not seem all peaches and cream, but at least you aren't overweight." What he meant, I think, was that even if the rest of my life isn't great, I'm not carrying around extra poundage, and stressing my body. After all is said and done, I still have my health. He's right. You can't run away from your body.

Thanks, Brad.
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Twenty years ago, we were in Baku, Azerbaijan, and I went to a fitness center a few times a week. There was a scale in a prominent place, and I took to weighing myself. For about a year, I was at a constant weight of 75 kg/165 pounds. Also about that time, I read in Men's Health magazine that the average male was 5'10" tall, and 165 pounds--exactly my measurements. For the next 15 years, I didn't worry about my weight, but a couple times a year, I would come across a scale, and I would weigh myself. Each time, I was 75 kg.

This went on until the summer of 2015. That year, I went into a doctor's office and stepped in the scale. 185 pounds/83 kg!!!! Wow! Some of the weight was clothing, but I was still conscious of the softness around my middle. I wasn't really too worried about it, but it was obvious that my weight was fluctuating. This January, I began a membership at the local Sport Life, and I began to weigh myself. Below, you can see what's happening. My goal is 75 kg, and I'm getting closer.

I think today's weight is so low because I ate only a banana before going to the pool.

1 kg = 2.2 pounds
75 kg = 165 pounds
Red means that I swam that day.

Date	Wt. b4 workout (kg)	Wt. aft Workout (kg)
29-May 28-May	77.6 massage78.4	77.3 78.3
25-May	Run outside	30 min
23-May	79.4	78.5
21-May	79.5	79.0
18-May	78.9	78.3
16-May	79.3	78.8
14-May	79.2	78.8
11-May	78.7	78.1
09-May	79.7	78.9
07-May	79.9	79.5
04-May	79.9	79.5
02-May	80.0	79.7
01-May	80.5	79.9
29-Apr	80.2	79.9
27-Apr	79.7	79.3
25-Apr	79.5	79.1
23-Apr	80.2	79.8
21-Apr	79.8	79.4
19-Apr	79.7	79.3
17-Apr	80.35	79.3
15-Apr	80.4	79.6
12-Apr	80.1	79.3
10-Apr	80.9	80.5
08-Apr
05-Apr
03-Apr	81.3	81.0
31-Mar	80.9	79.9
29-Mar	80.9
26-Mar	80.8
22-Mar	81.7
19-Mar	81.4
16-Mar	81.2
06-Mar	82.7
02-Mar	82.2

Part 2

This is another bit dedicated to Brad. It's not quite as clear-cut why he deserves such accolades--he didn't exactly SAY anything outright, but he has a general aura about him. He's the kind of no-nonsense guy that always looks for the sensible option. I'm feeling good about myself because I have taken up swimming. Over the last 35 years, I've had two knee operations, and several MRIs trying to figure out what is wrong.

Two years ago, two doctors in Albania recommended that I have an operation and "clean up" all the garbage that was/is in my knee. I don't remember who it was who told me the gem of wisdom that goes like this, "He's a knee doctor. Of course he's going to recommend surgery." I probably would have done it if I'd have been able to get the hospital to fill out the correct insurance papers. In the end, no surgery, and I'm very glad.

And last fall, I had a foot operation (see: https://runner12345.blogspot.com/2019/05/hallux-valgus-bunion-surgery.html)

Over the last 25 years, all this hasn't kept me from running three marathons, and playing a lot of Ultimate Frisbee, but my old body needs some TLC. Swimming is just the thing.

I think Brad would be in favor of my pool exercises. I can hear him saying, "Well, if your complaining about injured legs, get in the pool." He probably has never said those words, but I think he'd agree.

NEXT summer (2020) I'm planning to swim the Bosporus--from the European side of Istanbul to the Asian shore.  (see: https://rove.me/to/istanbul/bosphorus-cross-continental-swim)

Yes, I like statistics. Here are some from the last three months. How nice that I was given a beautiful water-proof watch by my friend, Sveta. At certain parts in the swim, I take a look at the watch. It's fantastic how many numbers a person can keep in their head.

	Times in	bold are	the	fastest	up to that	date
	Swim 1k min.sec	Swim 750m min.sec	Swim 500m min.sec	Swim 250m min.sec	50m sec.100ths	Swim 1500m min.sec	Swim 1250m min.sec	Swim 2000m min.sec	Swim 1750m min.sec
29-May	25.35	19.14	12.41	6.12	52.69
28-May	Massage	sore neck	from	running	into Maxim	on the	Ultimate	Frisbee	field
25-May
23-May	25.39	19.22	12.54	6.23	52.79
21-May	25.50	19.32	13.06	6.26	50.97
18-May	25.48	19.31	12.53	6.15	52.85
16-May	25.50	19.35	12.58	6.22	52.61
14-May	27.00	20.30	13.38	6.40
11-May		20.40	13.40	6.47	53.11	40.47	33.30	54.29	47.40
09-May	26.47	20.12	13.20	6.47	51.00	40.08	33.26
07-May	26.30	19.18	12.58	6.18
04-May	26.36	20.14	13.42	6.48	52.86
02-May	26.39	19.58	13.08	6.18	48.63
01-May	run
29-Apr	26.39	20.13	13.33	6.47	53.13
27-Apr	26.42	20.17	13.33	6.43
25-Apr	26.45	20.19	13.39	6.33	50.43
23-Apr	26.44	20.00	13.16	6.28	50.47
21-Apr	26.50	20.18	13.23	6.33	52.49
19-Apr	27.54	21.25	14.38	6.33
17-Apr	27.30	20.29	13.44
15-Apr	run					run
12-Apr	run					run
10-Apr	27.59		14.53		50.92
08-Apr	30.36				51.43
05-Apr	29.00				51.13
03-Apr	27.49				52.06