Dr. Slowlove, or How I Lost 4 Minutes of Speed

I am getting a little older, but I have definitely gotten heavier recently. The lightest I can remember being as an adult was 188 pounds in 2005. After finishing school my desk job, coupled with fatherhood, led to a sharp decrease in my exercise levels. My weight has risen by 15-20 pounds in the last two years but I don't feel too far out of shape usually.

Then I ran the Judgesrun 5K on Saturday. I finished in 27'58", by far my slowest 5K since I started running in 2005. This was nearly 2 minutes slower than the 5K I ran last year, which was at that time my slowest ever.

To put this in perspective, the oldest man running on Saturday was 81 years old. I beat him by 40 seconds.

To be fair, he beat more than half the field, so it's not like I was last across the line.

My best time in a 5K came in 2006 at 23'37". I finished one in 24'16" in 2008. A lack of exercise and overindulgence in food has slowed me by 4 minutes over the 5K distance. In response to this sobering discovery, I have recommenced my running log in which I record how far I run and on which days. I fully intend to be running 3-4 days per week again, and will select another 5K later this year in order to mark my hoped-for progress.