I Wish I Was a Runner

No part of me likes running.  I wish that I could be a runner, but those genes were obviously given to my brother and not me.  As I've said before, I don't really like to exercise at all.  I kind of thought about it for a little while and tried to figure out why exactly is is that I despise it so much.  Once I'm finished or almost finished, I start to feel good, but somehow I just can't remember that feeling when I'm starting out. 

I remember reading this post about running a while ago and it really kind of opened up my eyes.  In my mind I thought that people who ran loved it.  I thought that they wanted to go running and felt good while they were doing it.  Therefore, I could never run because I felt like I was going to die every time I tried.  Since I read this post I have been thinking about it.  Her honesty was so inspiring to me, and I wanted to be a runner too.  After reading that anyone can be a runner, that is is ok to be slow and red faced made me realize I really had no more excuses.  The only thing holding me back from running was myself.  And just as she said, running is 95% mental. 

Once summer came, Munchkie's Daddy is off school, we have the option for full time childcare and I only work three days a week.  There were even less excuses to not exercise.  I know that I need an end goal to motivate me.  It has to be a realistic goal and something that is challenging enough that I don't get complacent with myself.  Munchkie's Daddy and I decided to run a 10K (even if we are the last to cross the finish line) in the fall, giving us 20 weeks to get ready for it.  I had also heard good things about the Couch to 5K program and since we are literally starting off from the couch, I thought that it would work well for us. 

I found a C25K app for Munchkie's Daddy's iPod and a few weeks ago Target had a huge selection of exercise music on sale, each CD was $2.99.  So we got a few different kinds of fast tempo music and off we went.  The Couch to 5K program has been great for us, in the beginning you start by walking a couple minutes then running a minute, walking, running.  That very first "run" I could not believe what I had gotten myself into.  I thought I was going to die.  I couldn't breathe, I couldn't pick my feet up and I felt like I was going to keel over.  I said so many times that I thought I was going to die that Munchkie started saying it as well.  I could not even run the full minute. I seriously doubted the fact that anyone of any size can run.  I had to keep reminding myself that the contestants on the Biggest Loser were hundreds of pounds heavier than me and they were running for a lot longer than a minute.  If they can do it, than so can I.

Now, we are running 8 minutes straight with a walking break in the middle.  The program eases you into running and you don't even realize that you are running 8 minutes.  Not only running, but feeling good while you run.  I'm not saying that it is easy, because I often still feel like I'm going to die, like this morning, when I couldn't do the entire last 8 minutes (waking up after little sleep, throwing on some work out clothes and walking out the door was not the best idea) but overall, it's amazing to me how I feel. 

I read this funny post on Sunday and thought about how mind clearing running can be.  While I'm running I have to focus on so many different things that I can not think about anything else.  There is no room in my head to think about anything else except breathing, picking my feet up, keeping my stride short, and not falling on my face.  I can't think about work, I can't think about Munchkie, I can't think about food or the future.  There is no room for worry, and that is what is so freeing about running.  I also really love how great I am starting to feel afterword.  I am starting to notice my energy and my mood lifting.  My clothes are starting to get a little bit looser and I get to spend time with my husband.  I want to become a runner, because running seems to be something great.