The Controversy of Running

After injuring my elbow from excessive strain in January of 2022 at the peak of my P90X journey I needed an alternative physical outlet. All I had done for years was P90X and an occasional bike ride or lackluster jog. Then my Whoop band arrived in the mail. I strapped it on January 22, 2022 and haven’t taken it off for more than a shower since then. I loved the data and graphs the Whoop band offers and I immediately began experimenting with strain and sleep to see how to optimize. Ultimately I found there was no better strain-creator than running. So I ran and ran. I downloaded Hal Higdon’s marathon training plan so I had a sense for how far and how often a beginner should run. At fist I couldn’t run three miles without several walking breaks but the first time I ran 9:00 minute miles for 10 continuous miles I knew I was onto something and it felt so good. I’ve continued and ran Hood to Coast and the Portland Half Marathon. The physical benefits have been staggering; I thought I was fit doing P90X continuously though mostly skipping cardio. I weighed 195+ pounds but had some muscle definition as you can see here. Within two months I lost 20 pounds. At my lowest weight I got down to 172 pounds and continue to have welcomed abdominal definition. So what’s the controversy?

There seems to be a trend on social media trying to give people an out from doing cardio. Claims that you just need to fix your diet, or take their pill, or that among Nutrition, Sleep, Lifting, or Cardio that Cardio is the least effective at burning fat. I disagree. While all of those 4 horsemen of health are vitally important, in my experience running has been the most effective way to burning the last 20 pounds of fat that I’ve encountered. Prove me wrong!