We're Going Back to an Old Past Time...Running!

You probably wouldn’t believe this if I told you but my husband and I ran cross country in high school; you know like miles and miles of running. Over the years, we quit running and now we don’t exercise at all. I have noticed that I feel more stressed, become exhausted more easily, and often wake up at 2 am, because I can’t sleep.So I decided that I wanted to get healthy by running again and I asked my husband to join me.  He agreed that it would be great idea.

Now that I am 27 my goals have changed. I didn’t want my running to be about body image. I wanted it to be about feeling better.  I wanted it to be about appreciating who I was, a woman and a mom, and not about the number on the scale.  If I focused on body image and had a bad week, then it would upset me and I would probably quit exercising.  So I made my goal to be about feeling better and accomplishing something great. So far I’ve made it 4 weeks. Here’s what happened...

Trial Run Week: I took off running with no plan at all. My heart was pounding and I couldn’t breathe. I went as far as I could and had to stop VERY early. My breathing was so intense you would have thought I had run a marathon. Later that day, I took the car out to measure how far I went…0.3 miles!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I was so disapointed with myself. That’s when I decided that I needed to find a plan for beginner runners. So I googled  “beginner running plans” and found one that could work for me.  It’s a 12 step program that starts you out walking 30 minutes and in 12 weeks or more you’re running 30 minutes.

Week 1: My first week went fine…obviously it was just walking. I noticed that walking in the evening seemed to relax me.

Week 2:  I was nervous to start because this was the week I had to run. The plan called for me to run 1 minute and walk 4 minutes (repeat 4 more times).  Surprisingly, it wasn’t that bad! I felt very proud of myself and all in all, I had run 5 minutes--the most ever since high school. The plan didn't want you to move to the next level until you could easily do this four times a week. So I had to stay on Week 2 for another week. I couldn’t believe how much better I felt. I slept through the night without waking up and didn't felt that tension I usually carry in my shoulders. It’s amazing how only 5 minutes of running can make you feel better. Another great bonus is that it has made my husband and I grower closer together. Since that's how our relationship started, it's like we picked up right where we left off. We talk during our run/walks and joke along the way. It's good for couples to share a past time together.

Week 3: This week we're running 2 minutes and walking 4 minutes (repeat 4 times) and end with a 3 minute cool down. I’ll let you know if I meet my goal this week and how I feel afterwards. Wish Me Luck!

Here is the plan I chose. Even though it is a running guide for weight loss, this is not my goal. My goal is to feel better about myself and use my running time to relieve stress. Try it out…it’s a very easy plan to start: 12 Step Beginner Running Program