You guys, I’m 37. It seems so weird to me that I am so close to 40. Because of that, I figured it’s way past time for me to take my health more seriously, so I have decided to pick up where I left off years ago and begin running once again!
I have never been a fan of running. As I’ve posted before, running and I have a complicated relationship. And due to some injuries (that took FOREVER to resolve), I haven’t even touched the idea for a long time. But lately, after some inspiration, I’ve kind of gotten a wild hair and decided to put my running shoes back on.
Enter Couch to 5K! (psst! Here’s the PDF version.) I’m a bit older now than I was when I first tried this program, but since I would really like to lose some weight, I want to give it a try again. So far, I have completed Week 1 and Week 2. I like that this program gently eases you into running because, you guys, running is just plain hard! At least at first anyway. Today for me was the start of Week 3 where you walk 90 seconds, jog 90 seconds and then walk 3 minutes, jog 3 minutes. You do that twice. And I did the first day of this week! Hooray for me!
When I trained before, I followed the program all the way to the end and was able to run the whole distance. The best part? I DIDN’T HAVE TO STOP! Nope, not once! I have never in my life been able to do that before (or since). So my goal this year is to be able to do that again, and who knows? Maybe I’ll be able to run more than a 5K eventually!
If you decide to start running, I urge you to keep in mind the following things.
You can do SO much more than you think you can.
I really think that so much of exercise is mental as well as physical. Push yourself, and then when you think you can’t do any more, push past that and try harder. I remember when I began running several years ago, even running for 5 minutes was very difficult. But then I realized that others who were even heavier and more out of shape than I was had done the exact same thing I was doing, and even running further. So I pushed myself, and before too long, I was running longer and longer distances.
Be patient.
I’m not the most patient person I know so this one is hard for me but very important. Just today as I was running, I thought by this point it should be easier, but it just takes some time to build up your stamina. Just keep at it and don’t give up.
Listen to your body.
I wish I would have done this a few years ago when I injured myself. Plantar fasciitis and hip bursitis are no joke! Because I didn’t stop when it hurt, I made my situation worse. If you have never had plantar fasciitis before, then be thankful. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. It really feels like you are walking around on rocks all the time. Add hip bursitis on top of all that, and I was hobbling around like an old woman, very depressing for only being in my 30s. Injuries can take a very, very long time to heal. In fact, my hip still gives me problems sometimes so I have to be careful. The old phrase, “No pain, no gain” is not necessarily true. Just be aware of the type of pain you are experiencing. If it doesn’t feel right, then stop.
Keep at it.
This kind of goes back to being patient. You may not see the scale move very quickly, but it won’t take very long for you to notice obvious physical and mental benefits. When my husband, David, started biking, his snoring at night improved dramatically after only a week or so. Also take your measurements as well as your weight, because often you will see the inches coming off before the pounds do. Having your clothes fit looser is definitely a victory!
If you decide to pick up your running shoes, I would love to have you along on this journey with me! I will be updating every now and then with my progress. It would be lots of fun to have a running buddy, even a virtual one! And if you have any running tips, I would love to hear them.
Great tips, informative and helpful. Learn a lot of stuff about running and motivation.