As a kid I couldn’t even run 1 mile. I was relatively athletic, playing backyard baseball with the neighborhood kids, and volleyball in my high school days, and competitive bodybuilding in my early twenties. During any of this time, never could I run. I did every kind of aerobics class there was, step, spin, jazzercise, and boot camps. But running? No Thanks
At age 47 after being selected as a 2010 News Herald Lighten up contestant, I decided to try it. I’m not sure what came over me to make me want to try it. Maybe I just needed something new. I told my husband I wanted to run and he supported me. He actually bought me a timer and started running with me. I set the timer to ring every minute and every two minutes. I would run for one minute and then walk for two. This is how I started! I could barely run for one minute. It was so hard. My lungs just would not cooperate. How can I do an hour of aerobics and not be able to run for one minute? I hate when I can’t do something. It drives me even more. So I pushed through all the pain, and somehow I caught the running bug.
Some things I learned along the way. Most days I still find it miserable. You get sweaty, your legs burn and your heart races. Then when you finish...totally worth it! My husband kept telling me its all mental. This really pissed me off when he would say this. Because it hurts and still does. But once I made that mental switch, I was able to do it. “The mind will always give up before the body”. Don’t let your state of mind hold you back.
I wish I was sitting here telling you that I am running marathons. For a girl that started running at age 47 I am happy with my 5k races. You know the saying “never say never”? I’m not going to say I will never run a marathon but I don’t see it happening anytime soon. I am very proud that I can run three or even five miles without stopping.
Sometimes I have to trick my self. “Oh, I’m just going to run one mile today...no biggie”. Then I start feeling good and decide, hey I can do another mile, what the heck. If I head to the gym (I’m mostly a treadmill runner) thinking I have to run 3 miles, I may not show up to the gym at all. So I have to play mind games with myself.
I love when my 17 year old son asks me to go to the bike trail and run with him. He runs to trains for hockey and keep his stamina up, and I run to keep my weight under control. I love that it is something we can do together. Most 17 year olds do not want to do anything with their mother. Now, he has to run at my pace but it’s still a work out. He sprints at the end of our run. I try to keep up with him but its impossible. Gives me a great goal though.
Do you LOVE or HATE running?
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