100 Things About Running Entry #1
So I was at a loss as to things to blog about yesterday. My friend jdbracknell pointed me in the direction of her blogging challenge...
{Take the 100 Things challenge!}
I've thought about what I know 100 things about and am interested enough to give this a good go, and I've decided to talk about running. (Actually I just now thought of something else, so if I do ok with this one, I might take that one on after.) I'll probably do some different categories: my runs, my medals, races I've done, races I want to do, etc. but I'm not assigning a certain number to each of those topics. (Well, right now medals will be 11...depending on when I finish the challenge there might be another medal or two in there.)
But I'll start with...
My First Run
The day: July 1, 2010
The place: Planet Fitness
The plan: Couch to 5K Week 1 Day 1
Ok, so I was walking more than I was running, but still. That day launched the start of my running life.
Background: I grew up thinking I couldn't ever run. I had asthma that typically flared only twice a year along with my allergies, but for when we had to run in PE I had a note that I only had to do half the distance, but I had the full amount of time. And even when I was having to deal with allergies and asthma I could walk half a mile in 12 minutes. Then as soon as I could (read: 10th grade), I took the "march in marching band for 2 years and get the PE credit" option. College? Modern Dance and Swim Aerobics were my options. Yes, I took tennis my senior year for fun, but we were baby beginners and never really got to the actual run around the court after the ball phase.
After college, I had some issues with stress, and my doctor recommended that I try walking 4 miles in an hour 4 times a week. (That's 15 minute miles.) So I did that and managed to drop some weight. Then came seminary and a pretty much sedentary lifestyle. When I started working in Raleigh, I'd go through phases where I'd walk around the lake my apartment complex sat on. I even joined a gym. I tried a couple of classes that included running, but never felt really successful at them. And then I just fell into a really sedentary phase where I never really stuck with any kind of exercise for long.
Then came Spring Break 2010. I went to Chicago to visit my old roommate from Alexandria who lives in Chicago now and other friends I'd missed since I'd moved away from the Chicagoland area. I don't really know what clicked then, but I came home and broke out my Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred dvd, determined to do all 30 days of it.
And I did.
Yes I was sore the first few days I started on a new level. And yes it was hard. And yes there were days that I didn't want to do it.
But I did it.
And along the way I met some great friends on twitter who also did the Shred. Many of them also were runners, and somehow - it's as inexplicable to me even now as what kicked my butt into gear to begin with - I decided I wanted to try and run. They told me about Couch to 5K and I found a 5K that was far enough out I could complete the program.
And July 1, 2010 I started the program.
And started my life as a runner.
{Take the 100 Things challenge!}
I've thought about what I know 100 things about and am interested enough to give this a good go, and I've decided to talk about running. (Actually I just now thought of something else, so if I do ok with this one, I might take that one on after.) I'll probably do some different categories: my runs, my medals, races I've done, races I want to do, etc. but I'm not assigning a certain number to each of those topics. (Well, right now medals will be 11...depending on when I finish the challenge there might be another medal or two in there.)
But I'll start with...
My First Run
The day: July 1, 2010
The place: Planet Fitness
The plan: Couch to 5K Week 1 Day 1
Ok, so I was walking more than I was running, but still. That day launched the start of my running life.
Background: I grew up thinking I couldn't ever run. I had asthma that typically flared only twice a year along with my allergies, but for when we had to run in PE I had a note that I only had to do half the distance, but I had the full amount of time. And even when I was having to deal with allergies and asthma I could walk half a mile in 12 minutes. Then as soon as I could (read: 10th grade), I took the "march in marching band for 2 years and get the PE credit" option. College? Modern Dance and Swim Aerobics were my options. Yes, I took tennis my senior year for fun, but we were baby beginners and never really got to the actual run around the court after the ball phase.
After college, I had some issues with stress, and my doctor recommended that I try walking 4 miles in an hour 4 times a week. (That's 15 minute miles.) So I did that and managed to drop some weight. Then came seminary and a pretty much sedentary lifestyle. When I started working in Raleigh, I'd go through phases where I'd walk around the lake my apartment complex sat on. I even joined a gym. I tried a couple of classes that included running, but never felt really successful at them. And then I just fell into a really sedentary phase where I never really stuck with any kind of exercise for long.
Then came Spring Break 2010. I went to Chicago to visit my old roommate from Alexandria who lives in Chicago now and other friends I'd missed since I'd moved away from the Chicagoland area. I don't really know what clicked then, but I came home and broke out my Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred dvd, determined to do all 30 days of it.
And I did.
Yes I was sore the first few days I started on a new level. And yes it was hard. And yes there were days that I didn't want to do it.
But I did it.
And along the way I met some great friends on twitter who also did the Shred. Many of them also were runners, and somehow - it's as inexplicable to me even now as what kicked my butt into gear to begin with - I decided I wanted to try and run. They told me about Couch to 5K and I found a 5K that was far enough out I could complete the program.
And July 1, 2010 I started the program.
And started my life as a runner.