If you can run further than you thought, and it “feels good” – you’re way ahead of me!

Kelly

Youza, you get in 15 miles a week?! That’s awesome. Kent will probably do the 25K again this spring, if so, I’ll be sure to look for you doing the 10K!

Karen,

Didn’t know you were a runner!! You’re making all sorts of life changes these days, go girl! BTW, email me and tell me what “passwork” is…?

Hi Mgirl,

Remember on those rainy days, there’s always the dreaded treadmill! If you have one, I guess I should say. I like having it for those days when I’m all psyched up to go, then it rains or is too cold or whatever.

Kelly

Okay, so that was 25 years ago, and I haven’t had an exercise routine since then, except for brief periods where I walked. My dh doesn’t care about my weight or shape (bless him!), though I know he would appreciate a body that didn’t have quite so much to it. He wants me to be healthy. Well, I’m not going to get that way just sitting around, no matter how healthily I eat (and that’s not very consistent, either).

So your blog has encouraged me to really get started doing something. It’s the absolute worst time of year to get started, because it’s rainy almost every day (I live in the Pacific NW) and it’s only going to get colder. BUT I need to exercise, not only for myself, but for those I love.

Thanks for being an encouragement!

Re: it’s normal to want to STOP running when you’re in the middle of a run……. I have really realized that running is more of a MENTAL DISCIPLINE than anything else. For me, it hasn’t been “hard” to gain the strength – it’s been harder to deal with the mental battle! When I’m in the middle of a run – I often will think “I’m not sure I can make it the whole run – I”m only halfway!!!” It’s funny that everything in me screams “WALK!” but when I actually STOP my thoughts and EVALUATE how I feel – I realize that I really don’t feel that bad at ALL. It’s then that I recognize that the battle isn’t physical – it’s MENTAL. One of the things I love about running is that it is MENTAL training. It’s discipline to do something HARD when you have the “option” of quitting. There is something about pushing past something that is “hard”, realizing that you’re NOT REALLY going to die – mustering up the strength deep within you to PUSH and GO – and then DOING it! Sometimes I”ll go “one more mile”, and there is such a mental sense of accomplishment afterwards!

I also agree – that the payoff of running is when I feel AFTERWARDS and throughout the days. When I am running regularly, I feel wonderful all the time. When I am not running – I am sluggish, tired, mentally drained, etc. The other thing: I have NEVER REGRETTED a run! I often will “not feel” like getting out there to run, but I have NEVER regretted going out. I have had a very few runs where I’ve started out and realized that I really DIDN’T feel good, or known right away that it would be a tough run…… and sometimes I’ve even said – okay just go ONE mile, come home and lift, but I have NEVER said “that was an awful thing to do!” I feel exhilirated when I get back.

Re: the nice weather thing…… SO TRUE. Now when the weather is beautiful, I say “Oh how I WISH I could be out running in this!!!” I’m usually in the car or something when I think that – and then when I get home and DO run, my first thought is “WHAT WAS THINKING????? I just want to STOP AND WALK!” LOL….. but I never regret running – and I’m always proud of myself when I finish!

If I could offer my own beginner tip to add to yours: When you are starting – give yourself a YEAR to just run consistantly and to get your mileage in. Don’t worry about speed workouts, hill workouts, etc that you’ll read on all the sites. The book I used said to just use the first year to get into the routine of running and to work on mileage. Build your mileage slowly – and just run at a comfortable pace – but aim for mileage. This has been so helpful to me, to encourage me to just “keep getting my runs in” even if it is just a 2 mile run. Get them in, add up that mileage. What I have found is that I am building endurance and strength, and becoming a confidant runner that actually enjoys more runs than I don’t now.

Next spring – I’m going to start a 10K training schedule (starting end of Feb). My goal is to run the 5th/Third 10K, and to hopefully run it in an hour. I know that’s not really fast – but that’s my goal. In the meantime – I”m logging 15 miles a week through the winter and strength training 2x a week.