Anant Jain

18 Months Apart: What Marathon Training Looks Like

Fitness

April 7, 2016. I decided to put on my never-worn running shoes, and go for a run outside for the first time in many years:

I ran for 10–20 seconds, then walked for 2–3 minutes, then tried to run some more and so on.My heart struggled to pump out blood to a 240 pound blob of 40% fat.But, the point is, I stayed out there for 30 minutes, huffing and puffing, and ended up going through 2.2 miles, burning the equivalent of 2 cookies.

October 8, 2017. Fast forward 18 months, I ran my first full marathon:

I ran for 4 hours straight with minor pauses to grab water/electrolytes.It’s a lot easier for the same heart to pump blood to a 160 pound body that’s less than 10% fat.And yes, I’m at a point in life where I don’t have to think about cookies burnt any more.