Running, running, running.
I’ve been running consistently for four months now. Is it officially a habit yet? 
This morning I did a long speedwork session to cover my 3 miles (in 48 minutes…lots of fast running mixed with very slow recovery walking). I did a .5 mile warm-up jog at 5 mph, then 6 x 440 at 6 mph with 2 minutes of recovery between each interval, finishing with another .3 mile cool-down jog at 5.5 mph and some more walking.
It was also a strength training day, so I did weighted squats and lunges with alternating feet on the bosu, followed by shoulder presses, 21 curls, shoulder flies, and tricep extensions. I stretched for a few, then came upstairs and did Tamilee Webb’s abs on OnDemand. I love her abs program – I really think it focuses on the important muscles that basic crunches don’t engange – but man, it’s tough. I’m still sore from Tuesday’s yoga class, which made it extra tough.
WB took the day off today since he had to work all last weekend. We took the opportunity to go to our favorite breakfast place for the first time on a weekday!
I was a bad, bad blogger and didn’t remember to take a photo until after it was all over – at least you can see a smudge from the black beans that came with my huevos rancheros . I have noticed that this happens when I’m starving – I am working on a solution to help myself remember.
After breakfast, we went to a very nice bookstore that is closing soon, where I got yet another cute notebook (I used to be helpless in the face of an elegant little notebook – this is the first I’ve bought in at least a year, and it may end up as a gift) and two gift books for my mom (a fun sudoku book and a guided journal). Our next stop:
The most foam I have ever gotten on a macchiato. (A macchiato is espresso with a dab or two of foam, like a tiny dry cappuccino. This one had a whole foam ‘fro.)
We hung out at a coffee shop and read for almost two hours. (I have neglected my book club romance novel and the meetup is tomorrow night! Too bad I am not liking the book – just not my thing.) Years ago, I worked for a few different coffee shops. I ended up with a caffeine sensitivity and didn’t have anything with caffeine (except sometimes chocolate) for almost 8 years! I am glad that’s over.)
And that is the entire day so far! A nice, lazy Thursday, with lots of time for me to reflect on my running history….
How I got back to running
When I (re-)started the couch to 5k running program in January, I was frustrated because I had let a big project at work keep me from sticking to the training I had started last fall – but more frustrated by the fact that my pace was stuck around 4.25 mph (yes, that was a running pace). I could barely handle the 2 minute running segments in the plan.
Work got in the way again in February, but I picked up the plan where I left off and continued to make progress throughout the spring. I was *so* excited to finally be able to run 30 minutes at a time again. I think two things made me stick to the schedule, despite the fact that work was even crazier:
- I was really in the thick of a big project at work and I needed a structured outlet
- I was really fed up with letting other things get in the way of what matters to me
(the really shallow reason that probably didn’t help: I was going to the beach in mid-May. I don’t think a few weeks of running made a difference in that one way or another.)
But before that…
Waaaayy before that I was born with a heart problem and couldn’t run at all (doctor’s orders). I wasn’t cleared to play sports until I was in high school, which meant I grew up hating physical activity because I could never participate and just didn’t understand it. I liked being outside and going for walks, but I was on a very short leash. (I was seriously tempted to be sick every year when it came time for the Presidential/National physical fitness test, because I was always one of the last few to amble across the finish line.)
I began exercising with a vengeance in high school, and I built up my speed and endurance to the point that 8 minute miles were second nature…until I got mono! (No, not from kissing.) I was out of commission for a few months, and even thought I kept working out after that I never went back to running in a serious way. I did a few 5k races when I was in college, but most of my fitness focused around dance, gym machines like the stairmill and the elliptical, and yoga. My running fitness slipped away, and whenever I tried to get back to a solid running base I became frustrated by how slow my progress was and gave up after about 6 weeks every time.
Why I’m still running
I love all the things that every runner seems to love – the endorphins, the time outside, the undeniable accomplishment, the freedom, and the simplicity of the sport. But that is not always enough to get me out the door for a run! Here are some of the other reasons that keep my laces tied:
- I am committed to running my first half marathon in October – I want to help the cause I’m running for, and I want to see how well I can do at something that I never thought I’d be able to do.
- I am continually surprised by what my body can do – it keeps coming up with new paces, new splits, and better form, seemingly with no help from me. Maybe it will turn out that I’ve been a runner in sheep’s clothing all this time!
- I am a huge proponent of disease prevention, and I know running is great for zapping stress, improving sleep, and killing the bad, diabetes-promoting fat.
- I am shallow and vain, and I live in a climate with an extended bikini season. I also work in an industry where appearance and first impressions are prized.
- Along the lines of #4 - I assume I will be getting married sometime in the near-ish future, and I know the gowns I like run small.
- I like meeting people who run – it’s a diverse group, of course, but running is a nice thing to have in common with friends.
- It will keep me even younger for longer – not an issue now, but I know I’ll get there eventually.
- It keeps me happy and focused (the magic cocktail of endorphins, accomplishment, and measurable improvement).
- I love exploring on foot, and I can go so much farther at 5 or 6 mph than I can at 3 mph.
- I love a good excuse to travel – a race isn’t a vacation, it’s for my health!
- It forces me to take “me time” and leave work on time so that I don’t lose the progress I’ve made so far.
- I love having more energy! I can work a 9 hour day, go for a run, and still be awake enough to enjoy going out for drinks or dancing.
- I’m not very good at it yet, and I can’t back down from a good challenge.
What’s next?
More of the same, I’m sure. I have a big fall/winter running season planned, and I’m already looking at races for next year. I really want to get back to a 7-8 minute mile, and I’d love to be able to finish a half marathon in under two hours. Most of all, I want to keep running – no matter how fast or slow, I want to keep running in my life.
And…I want to do a bike tour somewhere abroad, but that will probably require getting WB on board, so…circa 2011?