mister_terrific (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mister_terrific) wrote2013-06-27 02:29 pm
mister_terrific) wrote2013-06-27 02:29 pm
Keep me running
So...I'm a bit reluctant to post this, but I've been told by several sources (foremost being The Redhead) that I should, partly because it's a good thing, but more importantly it creates ACCOUNTABILITY. In other words, don't quit because you'll look reallllly bad to the people who you bragged to.
See, most men, when they have a mid-life crisis, go for fast cars, sweet young things, country boots and western music. Nope, not me. I have to be different.
I want to run a 5K.
This is something that's been percolating for a while. There's a guy in Kansas City who runs a sports blog (focusing on KC's pro sports, poor guy). But he's also a marathon runner, and he posts about his major runs. For example, this year he ran the Boston Marathon. You can imagine what that was like. So the more I read, the more I started thinking.
I do work out most weekdays, but I was hitting a plateau. I needed something to shake my body out of its monotony. That figured into it too.
But I think the clincher was an article on the Disney Parks blog about a woman and her friends who ran their first 5K to great acclaim. And I looked at that picture and thought, "Hell, if she could do it, I probably could too."
I figured the Redhead would roll her eyes and point out the sheer stupidity of the idea. I keep forgetting she's a nurse. She was very enthusiastic and talked to her running co-workers at her place of work for suggestions. And when I mentioned off-handedly that I'd done 3 miles on the elliptical "just to see if I could", she told them and let me know that so far as they were concerned, I could do it (and more importantly, I'd better do it).
Best of all, they suggested a program called C25K, which translates into "Couch to 5K". Here's the link. It starts you off very slowly--run/jog 60 seconds, walk 60 seconds, repeat--and by the end of the program (9 weeks) you should be ready to roll. Thing is, and they emphasize this--it's a process, not a boot camp. If you don't feel ready to progress to the next step, don't. Build up to it. The idea is to run 3 days a week, with the days in between giving your body time to heal.
Well, of COURSE I didn't follow things completely at first. I was out doing stuff almost every day. But I quickly learned that wasn't a good idea. So I go out three days a week and do the program, which generally runs around 30 minutes. It's hard work at times; I have to constantly remind myself to slow my pace because I'll be too winded to finish otherwise. And let's be honest, I'm not so much running as jogging. But I'm about to start week 3 and hopefully I'll be ready to run a 5K by this fall.
I'm not really losing much weight, but my waist size has been shrinking. And I'm feeling healthier overall. The Redhead sprung for some beginners running shoes that, while the color scheme is blinding, are very comfortable and extremely light. Makes a world of difference.
I've got a long way to go, but I'm getting a lot of support from people. It's not a case of "if" but "when". I'm probably never going to run marathons (note that word, 'probably'), but I can do this. And I will.
And for what it's worth, I've already looked up the 5K routes at WDW. Never hurts to plan ahead. :)
See, most men, when they have a mid-life crisis, go for fast cars, sweet young things, country boots and western music. Nope, not me. I have to be different.
I want to run a 5K.
This is something that's been percolating for a while. There's a guy in Kansas City who runs a sports blog (focusing on KC's pro sports, poor guy). But he's also a marathon runner, and he posts about his major runs. For example, this year he ran the Boston Marathon. You can imagine what that was like. So the more I read, the more I started thinking.
I do work out most weekdays, but I was hitting a plateau. I needed something to shake my body out of its monotony. That figured into it too.
But I think the clincher was an article on the Disney Parks blog about a woman and her friends who ran their first 5K to great acclaim. And I looked at that picture and thought, "Hell, if she could do it, I probably could too."
I figured the Redhead would roll her eyes and point out the sheer stupidity of the idea. I keep forgetting she's a nurse. She was very enthusiastic and talked to her running co-workers at her place of work for suggestions. And when I mentioned off-handedly that I'd done 3 miles on the elliptical "just to see if I could", she told them and let me know that so far as they were concerned, I could do it (and more importantly, I'd better do it).
Best of all, they suggested a program called C25K, which translates into "Couch to 5K". Here's the link. It starts you off very slowly--run/jog 60 seconds, walk 60 seconds, repeat--and by the end of the program (9 weeks) you should be ready to roll. Thing is, and they emphasize this--it's a process, not a boot camp. If you don't feel ready to progress to the next step, don't. Build up to it. The idea is to run 3 days a week, with the days in between giving your body time to heal.
Well, of COURSE I didn't follow things completely at first. I was out doing stuff almost every day. But I quickly learned that wasn't a good idea. So I go out three days a week and do the program, which generally runs around 30 minutes. It's hard work at times; I have to constantly remind myself to slow my pace because I'll be too winded to finish otherwise. And let's be honest, I'm not so much running as jogging. But I'm about to start week 3 and hopefully I'll be ready to run a 5K by this fall.
I'm not really losing much weight, but my waist size has been shrinking. And I'm feeling healthier overall. The Redhead sprung for some beginners running shoes that, while the color scheme is blinding, are very comfortable and extremely light. Makes a world of difference.
I've got a long way to go, but I'm getting a lot of support from people. It's not a case of "if" but "when". I'm probably never going to run marathons (note that word, 'probably'), but I can do this. And I will.
And for what it's worth, I've already looked up the 5K routes at WDW. Never hurts to plan ahead. :)