Running
This post has been germinating in my head for a while now.
I took up running as a challenge last year ffrom padge. My foot had been out of a cast for about three or four months, and while I'd done a bit of hiking and minor rehab work, I was still in recovery mode. He asked me to see how far I could go on a treadmill - speed didn't matter, just distance. I gave it a shot. Turns out that I could run 3 km at about the pace of an arthritic octogenarian. It was further than I'd run in years (if not ever) but it was still pretty pitiful.
I resolved to put my feet to good use (now that both of them were functioning) and begin running regularly. At first, I worked at it a little too zealously - my foot ached constantly and I got frustrated at my lack of progress. On the advice of my_small_space, I took a break and then started on the Couch to 5K program. The program is just like it sounds - you begin with easy routines, then work your way up to running 5 kilometers.
At the beginning of the year, I made a few fitness resolutions.
1) Give interval training a shot.
2) Run a ten-minute mile.
3) Work on running 5K at a decent pace.
I've been taking my time with it, but I've finally gotten to the point where I can say that I've accomplished all three goals. Granted, I'm no speed demon, but the simple fact that I'm running consistently and seeing improvements just about every month absolutely floors me. I never thought that I'd be able to make my body run that far, much less that I could enjoy it.
There's a race in November that I'd like to do - the idea of running under the scrutiny of so many people kind of scares me, but I figured out long ago that I tend to work better if I have a deadline. By the end of this year, I hope to be able to say that I can run a mile in eight minutes and a 5K in twenty-eight minutes.
I don't consider myself a "runner" yet, but I'm working on it.
To those of you who are runners out there: do you have any sage advice? Things that helped you do your first race/improved your times/made you a better or more dedicated runner? Any amusing anecdotes? Please share.
I took up running as a challenge last year ffrom padge. My foot had been out of a cast for about three or four months, and while I'd done a bit of hiking and minor rehab work, I was still in recovery mode. He asked me to see how far I could go on a treadmill - speed didn't matter, just distance. I gave it a shot. Turns out that I could run 3 km at about the pace of an arthritic octogenarian. It was further than I'd run in years (if not ever) but it was still pretty pitiful.
I resolved to put my feet to good use (now that both of them were functioning) and begin running regularly. At first, I worked at it a little too zealously - my foot ached constantly and I got frustrated at my lack of progress. On the advice of my_small_space, I took a break and then started on the Couch to 5K program. The program is just like it sounds - you begin with easy routines, then work your way up to running 5 kilometers.
At the beginning of the year, I made a few fitness resolutions.
1) Give interval training a shot.
2) Run a ten-minute mile.
3) Work on running 5K at a decent pace.
I've been taking my time with it, but I've finally gotten to the point where I can say that I've accomplished all three goals. Granted, I'm no speed demon, but the simple fact that I'm running consistently and seeing improvements just about every month absolutely floors me. I never thought that I'd be able to make my body run that far, much less that I could enjoy it.
There's a race in November that I'd like to do - the idea of running under the scrutiny of so many people kind of scares me, but I figured out long ago that I tend to work better if I have a deadline. By the end of this year, I hope to be able to say that I can run a mile in eight minutes and a 5K in twenty-eight minutes.
I don't consider myself a "runner" yet, but I'm working on it.
To those of you who are runners out there: do you have any sage advice? Things that helped you do your first race/improved your times/made you a better or more dedicated runner? Any amusing anecdotes? Please share.