First Kilted mile, at age 48!

**Wareyin** · 20th July 15, 10:18 AM

Well done! Is the kilted mile a common part of the games, or specific to Portland?

**MrLion** · 20th July 15, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Wareyin

Well done! Is the kilted mile a common part of the games, or specific to Portland?

First, let me say WELL DONE Gronthos! My son and I were watching the race from the stands that afternoon! Always one of our favorite events to see.
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Wareyin: the announcer told us that the Portland Highland Games were "the first" to run a kilted mile in 1991.... This event has since become very popular at many other Highland Games around the country!

**Lady Grey** · 20th July 15, 01:26 PM

Well done and you both look great in your kilts

**rebelrouser** · 20th July 15, 04:04 PM

Way to go !

**Alan H** · 20th July 15, 04:10 PM

Two Thumbs Up!!!

**Dughlas mor** · 20th July 15, 05:39 PM

Good on you and your wife! Seems like you have raised a good son, too.

**Destin_scot** · 20th July 15, 07:14 PM

Congratulations, a sub 8 minute pace is a great pace regardless of the distance run. I have not seen those times in a while. I have dropped around 15 lbs over the last 4 months or so. And I am hoping I can get my pace back down to the sub 10 minute pace by the time Christmas rolls around.

Good luck.

**Grunthos** · 20th July 15, 11:16 PM

Thanks everyone for the encouragement!

Originally Posted by Wareyin

Well done! Is the kilted mile a common part of the games, or specific to Portland?

Good question.

PHGA has a story that it traces its roots back to Scottish king Malcolm III. See http://www.phga.org/competitive-events/kilted-mile/ I don't know how true that is but it's a nice story

I know there are other Highland Games that do the Kilted Mile, such as San Francisco's annual games in Pleasanton, but I don't know how far they go back or how common it is.

**Spartan Tartan** · 21st July 15, 03:47 AM

That is fantastic! Keep it up.

That's a great picture of you and your son too. Looks like a perfect way to spend an afternoon or morning (or both!!)

**usonian** · 22nd July 15, 11:20 AM

Congrats and well done! Mrs. usonian and I have been on a similar "get back into shape" regimen over the last 2-3 years. What got me going was showing up at my 20 year high school reunion and being simultaneously appalled by how old and unhealthy a lot of my classmates looked, and a little chagrined at how young and fit some of the others still looked; I was somewhere in between. It was a bit of "use it or lose it" wakeup call; I was pushing 40 and knew that getting and staying in shape is only going to get harder.

Exercise has definitely helped. Couch to 5K is fantastic, and if you have a smartphone there are various free apps available that are really handy for stepping you through the various intervals; walk 5 minutes, run 60 seconds, etc. and don't skimp on shoes! I started C25K with a cheap pair of generic sneakers and hurt my knee after a couple of weeks - once it got better I went to a running shop and got properly fitted for a quality pair of shoes; a good shop can analyze your gait and match you with the right pair. I've had zero problems since.

Diet has really made the huge difference, though... eating better food and less of it. Once you start scrutinizing labels it's really kind of appalling how much sugar there is in everything in the U.S., especially stuff that's marketed as "healthy".

The only downside is that I've shrunk out of a couple of cherished kilts! I really need to sell my tank so I can buy the tartan to make its replacement, but I'm still trying to drop another 10 pounds or so, which would make about 60 total.