Running High

Before I go into details about why running is such a huge deal for me right now, I should give you a little background on our relationship. It's a long and tumultuous one.

The Rocky Road to Running

When I was growing up, from the time I had a soother in my mouth (and even last week), my parents would constantly remind me that I had flat feet and running would be so hard for me. So in my little itty bitty head, I accepted the fact that I was not a runner. I just didn't have the physiology for it. It was science. And my parents told me so.

Fast forward to high school. I was tall and I did pretty well in sports but only if I stuck to volleyball, basketball and badminton. Court sports. They didn't involve too much running. Perfect! Because I was not a runner. My parents said so. Parents know things.

Fast forward even more to about 10 years ago. I was on Weight Watchers for the first time and everybody was running. If you were on Weight Watchers, you were either doing couch to 5k or running every day. I thought... Could I do this? Even though I'm not a runner? So I tried. I got about halfway through c25k running on the treadmill over winter. When Spring arrived I thought I'd try running outside. Wrong! Turns out running on pavement is very different than running on a treadmill. I tried to go back a few weeks and see if I could do it. Nope. It was so painful on my joints and feet. I stopped. I was not a runner. I was probably about 220 lbs at that point. At my heaviest I was at around 280 lbs. But even with 60 lbs gone, I was not ready yet.

Rewind to a few months ago... haha.... confusing with all this rewind and fast forward stuff... My kids don't even know those words because they've never seen VCRs. Sad little generation. Whoa - off topic! Sorry. That's how my brain works... Scary!!!

Anyway, about 4 months ago I decided I would try couch to 5k one more time. I went for one run and my back was screwed. I have a herniated disc and that was too much for it. So I quit again. Ugh...

Finally.... my time came. At the end of June, when I had to temporarily say goodbye to my aquafit classes I attended 3 times a week (kids home - schedule didn't work), I thought... should I try running? Again? The voice was a whisper but it still said "you're not a runner." I ignored it and tried. And this time... it worked!!

I AM A RUNNER

I finished couch to 5k about two weeks ago and have been doing a program to help with my speed. Today I ran 35 minutes running 10 and taking a 1 minute walk break in between runs. But I'm doing it! The turning point? It was an a-ha moment (Oprah... did you hear that?) One day, about 3 weeks into couch to 5k, that little voice in my head said "why are you running? you're not a runner." Instead of believing it, I changed the voice and started saying "I am a runner." Turns out I had control of that annoying nay-sayer! Ha! As I ran, anytime I would breathe out, I would whisper, "I'm a runner." By the end of that run, I had said it probably 100 times and you know what? It was the easiest run that I had had to date. Now, anytime I'm having a difficult run, I whisper "I AM A RUNNER." Or I listen to the 90s Jock Jams playlist on Google Play. That'll get anyone moving.

What Do I Love About Running?

• I'm competing against myself and I love pushing myself harder ever day whether it's distance or speed. I'm not concerned with other runners, I'm only concerned about where I came from and where I'm going.
• It's cheap. Other than my proper footwear, orthotics, my running app, headphones and good tunes, it's a fairly inexpensive sport.
• It's changing the shape of my body and giving me a really nice booty. Yes. True story.
• It's giving me even more confidence. Every time I run faster or run further - it's such a rush. It reminds me that I can do whatever I set my mind to.
• It reminds me that my body is something that shouldn't be taken for granted. It's a gift that my body has kept me going this long and running reminds me that I need to take care of it.
• When you exercise, you almost always make better food choices. The two go hand in hand.
• I can do it ALONE! As an introvert, this is possibly the best part. Alone with my own thoughts. Bliss.

And here's a little secret... Every time I complete a run, I actually picture myself crossing the finish line. And I love that! I hope to run an actual 5k run when we get back from our Disney trip in a few weeks. I think I'll be ready.

I AM A RUNNER!

PS

This is the c25k app I used when I started. You have to pay for it after the first few weeks but at least you can try it for free before committing. I really liked it! Now I'm using the 5k pacer app to work on my speed. It's also by the same company, Fitness 22.

PPS

I still have a herniated disc in my back but losing weight has made it better. Just better. If my back gets sore, I definitely don't push the running. I'm always listening to my body. I'm hoping to see my doc in the fall and perhaps I can have surgery to scrape that stuff that keeps squeezing between the disc and hitting my nerves. A pain-free back. What I would give!