Weighty issues

Judging by the stats on Americans and obesity, I am in danger of becoming a minority. To make it plain, I feel like I'm a minority because during certain parts of the year, I become the rarest of creatures; a skinny heterosexual male who is trying to lose weight.

I do so not because of some eating disorder, self-esteem issue, or latent manorexia. I get that way because simple physics and 15years of running road races tells me that extra pounds slow me down. I know, revolutionary right? So, I have developed the following weight scale that gives me an approximate idea of where I am in terms of running performance.

180 lbs and higher: Training hurts, climbing stairs hurts, life hurts. Even on days when I think I'm going fast, I look down at the watch at the end of a run and am dismayed by how slow me and my jiggles just turned that six miler.

175lbs: Just light enough to fool myself in to thinking I am in "shape". Enough pounds shaved off that I can have the odd good day and like what I see on the watch. Heavy enough that I still don't like running very much and am not very good at it.

170lbs: The threshold to real running. Around here races can happen. None of these races will be PR's, but neither will they be embarrassing ordeals complete with a death crawl at the end. I can even do some decent track workouts at 170.

165lbs: OK, I am really running again. Some PR's have come at this weight. I am getting a tad skeletal, but I am generally and unequivocally in shape.

160lbs: I look like a skeleton with a condom pulled over it (to borrow an expression from Mark Wetmore), but am fast (for a 42 year old dude without any natural speed). This is also a lot of fun, because some sort of critical synergy of mileage and enjoyment occurs to where I can just about eat anything I want at anytime. I couldn't bench press Dawn's 10lb dog, but as far as running goes...it's on.

This is by no means a scale meant to assess health or attractiveness. It's a purely running thing. However, like most minorities, I get comments and accusations. First, and foremost, my wife puts up with anything under 180 and abhors anything under 170. Second, friends, including chubby friends, comment that I'm "too thin" or "unhealthy" looking. This really intrigues me. Anyone feel a personal freedom to tell them they are "too fat" or "unhealthy" looking? No, but let's hold an intervention for the skinny guy. I kid, no interventions have happened yet.

These comments are also met with the vague concerned look that I can only assume is related to a concern about an eating disorder. Again, to clarify, I eat more calories than just about anyone I know. I'm focused on weight entirely because of running performance. When running performance isn't an issue, I think about what I eat about as much as your average trucker.

As of this writing, I don't have definite racing goals in the forseeable future. Thus, I will probably be helping myself to several upcoming Holiday treats. I guess in the minds of several, this will make me more "healthy"?