So, I hadn't exactly solved my cardio issue. While I am not trying to lose weight at all (don't worry), there is high blood pressure and cholesterol on both sides of my family, so I figured getting into a good workout routine would be nothing but beneficial for me. The bike, though, was not something I wanted to do every day. I never did any sports in school growing up. I had a bad view of exercising because a lot of my friends had eating disorders, so if someone I knew said they were going to start a workout routine, I would quickly tell them that they were already beautiful and that they shouldn't try to lose weight. It's not just about weight, though--it's about physical and mental well-being.
Instead, I tried running. Again. In undergrad, I did the couch to 5k program and made it up to 30 minutes. However, I quit when we moved to Lynchburg because the hills were hurting my knees and my ankle. My right ankle has always been weak and literally stops working even if I am just standing there. One time on a trail run, my right ankle just quit on me and I busted my knee open on a rock. Call it an excuse (maybe it is), but my ankle had deterred me from running for a long time. So, many of my previous attempts at running have only lasted a month or so.
This time, though, it has been different. I bought an ankle brace from the beginning, which has helped tremendously. I tried running one time without it and could feel my right foot pronating very badly no matter how hard I attempted to stop it. I am doing everything different this time. I have the Nike Plus app, so I can track my distance and pace. I love being able to watch myself improve. Before, I knew I was getting better, but I couldn't see it. I was totally guessing my pace--now I know.
I'm approaching running from a completely new perspective. Before, it was something I had to do for some unknown reason. I'd put it off. I'd grumble about it. I didn't want to do it. I didn't have fun. I didn't feel good afterward--I just felt tired and had to take another shower. Now that I am a work-at-home mom, running is my event for the day. I take Eliot to school, play with Jack at home, get Jack down for his nap, and run while Jack sleeps (and Chris is at home working while Jack naps, so please don't think I'm leaving my kid or anything). It goes along with my morning routine so I feel accomplished early on.
Also, I run three days a week, but I am making an effort to cross train too. This helps build my strength in other ways and also keeps me on a schedule. Here is my current plan, which might evolve some with time:
Monday: run
Tuesday: hot yoga
Wednesday: run
Thursday: abs/core/squats/light weights
Friday: run
Saturday: walk or bike (if I have time or feel up to it)
Sunday: rest
When I first started running back in college, Chris suggested that we sign up for a race. I mostly laughed at the idea. Why would I run a race knowing that I couldn't win? What would be the point? But after watching Chris run so many races, I realized that you aren't racing everyone else--you're racing yourself and seeing what you are capable of. You're trying to meet personal goals and trying to get better. Well, seven years after telling Chris that races are silly, we ran our first 5k together. He did amazing and broke 18 minutes. I hoped to break 35 minutes and ended up running 31:24. I ran far faster than I thought I could.
The race was pretty cold (in the low to mid 30s), so we were shivering a bit in the beginning. However, during the race, I wasn't cold and even took my gloves off. That gave me hope that running in the winter wouldn't be so bad. Afterward, we were super cold again. We were standing around waiting for the awards ceremony (Chris won his age group) when these girls in doctor jackets said we looked super cold and should go inside. I thanked them for the offer, but said we needed to wait for the awards. Then we looked around us. No one else seemed cold. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH US?! That's when I realized that everyone else had full-on winter coats. Darnit. Last year at this race, we had parked in a parking garage, so I didn't plan to bring post-race warmness. I figured we wouldn't be able to go get our warmer clothes anyway. So, that was just a funny moment at the race....
When I started out three weeks (and a day) ago, I couldn't run a mile without walking and it took me almost 14 minutes. Now I can run one mile in ten minutes (and two seconds), and I can run three miles in a little over 30 minutes. I am excited to see how I can continue to improve. I'm signed up for the Shamrock 8k while Chris is doing the Shamrock half marathon in March. I'm sure it'll be a breeze by then distance-wise, and I'm looking forward to stepping up the pace. More than anything, though, I'm thankful that I've found something I can do that is good for my heart, gives me a sense of accomplishment, and keeps me going.
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