Running.
I'm doing it.
Yes, I really am this time.
I've been away from the blog for way too long.
It's time for me to start thinking of me. And I've decided, I'm going to run.
Now for any of you who know me, or even if you don't know me, have seen a picture of me, I'm definitely not the picture of a runner! But what exactly is? Do you have to be 5'9" tall, weigh 120 pounds, and be all lean and mean? Because if that's the case, that's certainly not me, and it never will be!
Nope. Being a runner means you get your butt off the couch (and the computer!) and you run. Period.
I'm a runner.
I'm a runner who just started.
I'm a runner who is overweight, under tall, and my BMI is well, let's just say, not where it should be.
But I'm a runner!
I've been dreaming of one day running a 5K. I know, to some of you other runners out there a 5K is a walk in the park. No pun intended. But to me, it's the icing on the running cake! And this year is the year! I've registered for my first 5K and I have officially 7 weeks to train. A training program that I'm doing at my own pace.
That's another thing about running. You have to push yourself, but you can't push yourself to the point of injury. You have to learn about your body and what works and what doesn't. It's your race, no one elses. I've been trying to work out and walk for the past few months, and now that I've started adding running in, I've realized that my body has a mind of it's own. I get to a certain point where my body just keeps saying, "I'm so freakin' exhausted, I've got to stop" , but I also have the ability to push myself through it and run just a few more seconds.
Seconds.
Yes, I said seconds.
Not minutes, not miles. Seconds.
Even if you can only run 30 seconds, do it!
It's a starting point. And at that very moment you become a runner.
I've learned a couple of things about walking and running lately.
One.
You have to just keep going. And working hard. Let yourself take breaks, but stick with it. A friend sent me a message a few weeks back that really encouraged me. It read, "One bad day doesn't break a diet, giving up is the only thing that can do that. Take it one day at a time." I've tried to start relating this to my eating habits as well as my exercising. If I want to sit on my butt and not do a damn thing today, that's what I'm going to do. But tomorrow, it's up and at 'em! Take one day at a time!
Two.
Shoes. Shoes. Shoes. I can't stress this enough. You need good shoes. Shoes that are meant for you. For YOUR feet. When I started this journey, I went and bought a new pair of athletic shoes (tennis shoes for those of us in Ohio!), and I quickly realized that those shoes were crap. They may be okay shoes for when you're just sitting at your desk or hanging out at home, but they are not meant for running or walking long distances. We have a new store in town that specializes in all things running. Seeing that this is all new for me, what better place than to start this adventure than "Can't Stop Running"? I went and got myself my first real pair of running shoes. Strictly for running. I can not express the value of a good pair of shoes. You may spend a little more, but I just keep telling myself I'd rather spend a little more in the beginning than have to spend $1000 on medical treatment of an injured knee or ankle.
So at this point, I'm running, slowly and just a little, but I know I'll get there. It may not be this month, heck it may not be this year, but I will get there. And I'm writing this blog to keep myself accountable. I hope that you'll join me in my journey, and maybe just maybe you'll run too!!
