It was around 20 degrees when I went out for a four-mile training walk on Saturday – not including wind chill. I was bundled up in just about every piece of cold-weather work out gear I own. The canal path where I like to do my miles was snow covered, but my Yaktrax were fantastic! Still, I wasn’t able to go as long or as far as I wanted to, because it was just too blustery and snowy.
In May, the weather should be lovely. In May, I’m going to do my 10th half marathon! I’ve signed up for the Goodlife Fitness Toronto Half Marathon. The average temperature on race day is around 60 degrees, which sounds heavenly in the dead of an upstate New York winter! I’m really excited to have two races on my schedule this year (Toronto and, of course my regular Rochester Half with Gilda’s Gang), after two years of single-race years due to my leg injury.
Lately, there’s been some buzz in the news about possible changes to how we calculate BMI. I used the new calculator, and guess what? Using this new formula, I’m even MORE obese than before. Thanks, dude who designed this thing (who is not even a medical professional, but a mathematician). Basically, the new formula apparently takes into account how much muscle you have versus fat, although I don’t quite understand it, as it’s still just takes into consideration height and weight. What it seems to boil down to is: if you’re taller, you’re probably better off under this new formula; if you’re shorter, like me? Tough luck, fatty.
Why am I bringing up BMI in a discussion about my half marathon plans? Because it just goes to show how very little BMI has to do with my health. According to both the old and proposed new BMI scales, I’m “moderately obese.” Once you slide from “overweight” to “obese” on the scale, you start wading into dangerous territory, of course. I’m obviously going to get diabetes, have bad cholesterol, and have a heart attack or two.
Or not. Instead, I could be a fat woman who trains for and walks two half marathons a year, who lifts weights and throws kettlebells, who works out at least five days a week, who has a low resting heart rate, low blood pressure, and on and on. That number on the pesky BMI scale is not indicative of or relevant to my fitness.
So, tell me: What do you have planned, fitness-wise for 2013? Will you try a 5K, a half, a whole marathon? Will you take up swimming, biking, hiking? Or maybe you’re just hoping to be more active in small ways, from parking farther away at the mall to working in the garden more. Share your fitness goals for the year in the comments!
