Today i ran over a mile. I think it was 1.1, but once you get off the road and onto the paths through the neighborhood it gets harder to track with precision. It felt great. When i hit my prior half-way point at .35 from my starting point, i just felt good. I felt like i could and should go further. Instead of turning around, i hung a left and entered “new” territory.
I was feeling strong and proud. It was dark and, goober that i am, i had on my headlamp. One of my neighbors shouted out a “Well, that’s a fancy light” – in my previous running life, this was the killer moment – i am in pain in my cone of TRY, or past that into my own world of non-thought, and someone wants to talk! – and it is no problem. With full volume and no pause i shoot out a quick, “Thanks, i bought it for hiking but it has many other functions.” He keeps it going! “Well you need to see, you don’t want to trip.” And as i am leaving the sphere of viable conversation i close with, “or get hit by a car. See-ya!”
I finish the run, do some cool-down walking, then stretches on the big blue truck.
Back inside i do my floor stretches, rock out 48 stomach crunches, 18 leg-lifts and 8 push-ups. I know the push-up number is a little low, but that is the most i have been able to do since i broke my left arm about 6 months ago. Now i feel awesome. I definitely have the bug. I want to go out again right now. But i will continue with the plan and play it safe and smart and live to run again tomorrow. I will instead enjoy a nice walk with my Dog. Hopefully i will remember to check-out from couch to 5k and from couch to 10k as my bud recommended. I don’t care about races or marathons, but i do like advice about staying healthy, running safely, getting stronger, and other process oriented matters.
* to get up-to-date on this running saga, check out Running.
Hi Nick, It’s Jane Turner. I started running when I was 23 to quit smoking. It is my go to when I need to get in shape again, like after my two kids were born. The best thing about running is that all you need is a pair of shoes and the gumption to get out the door!
For me, the best way to increase my fitness and mileage without breaking my body was to mix walking and running. At first I run til it hurts, then walk until it stops hurting. As I get in shape I do five walking one running. My goal is to always stay out for over 30 minutes. It is not long before I’m running thirty minutes and then I start a running program. My favorite running book is the New York Road Runners Book. A number of great running programs in their for every level.
I’ve gone from beginner to 10K racer and back to beginner probably 10 times in the past 12 years. I’ve enjoyed the process every single time. Good luck!
P.S. If you can find a safe place (which seems to be easier for men), running at night is the BEST!
Hi Jane! Thanks for the note. I saw some of your updates that made me think you were a runner. It is awesome isn’t it?! I am trying to go slowly enough that each time i finish i think “i wanna go do that again!” instead of “i hope i never do that again.” The complete history will probably come into the blog eventually but i too have been a runner on and off since 4th grade. It was primarily for soccer training. In 1996, i started again to help me quit smoking (the first time). After a few months i was running 5-8 miles 3-5 times a week. I was also in much better shape 14 years ago! I hope you keep with it too. I will have to investigate the book you mentioned. Thanks. Ooh – i do love to slap on my headlamp and run at night!
My brother has quit smoking, run a marathon, and started smoking again about four times. Hopefully one day it will stick. I didn’t smoke for ten years, but slipped recently. Hence my return to running!
After I had Alexa, who is now three, I started walking every evening. Then I would get her to sleep (before I left my ex) and head out the door and run around my neighborhood. If you go down every street and every cul-de sac, you get three miles. Then when I left my ex, every time the kids would go to their dads, I ran. Running got me through the hell of deciding to leave my ex, and through the tumultuous return to life that followed. Some nights, I would have so much in my mind to process that I could like I was running from the law for a good six miles. By the time I was done, my head was clear and I was so tired that I could sleep.