When/why did you start running?
How did you learn to run?
How do you stay motivated?
I would like to try to answer a couple of those questions. This post has potential to get a little lengthy so I will divide it into 3 separate posts.
Part 1...
1. When/Why did I start running?
To start off, I wasn't always 'a runner' or whatever you want to call it. I NEVER ran growing up. I remember Jr High PE being a living hell the week we had to run a mile outside on the track. And then I swore I was cast to outer darkness the next week when my sweet PE teacher had us run it again, and we had to get under a certain time to pass the class.
Fast forward to high school: I learned there was a cross country team. That sounded ludicrous to me. Why in the world would someone want to run ACROSS the COUNTRY?!!! That was just something really 'skinny nerdy boys' did.
My mom on the other hand, has been running since before the dawn of time. I can remember her getting up before all of us kids every morning, rain or shine, and tieing up her bandana around her mouth to keep the cold air out in the winter. I remember her hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants always being in the laundry room because she wore them every day! She would take the dog and her am/fm radio and be gone and back before I had my morning bowl of Cheerios.
Naturally I added 'old people' to my list of people who run.
Go down the road a couple more years to college: I ate too many microwave dinners and didn't have my 14 year old metabolism anymore, so I gained 15lbs my 1st semester of college. That got me motivated to maybe try running again. I ran laps around the rec field at ASU. It was Jr. High PE all over again, but 1,000 times worse because now I was less than skinny and there were gorgeous sorority girls (walking of course- did you ever notice how they never run? or ever break a sweat?) and very fit guys running so fast they lapped me about 8 times before I did half a lap!
Lets just leave it at that. I think I may have
A few more years pass, I get married. (By the way- I did manage to lose my Freshman 15 by not having a microwave in my room the 2nd semester and living off the land...or something like that. I was more than dirt poor, so I don't think I ate much at all. I don't recommend it. Ah, memories of college life. I lived for Friday's at the institute when they fed us for a dollar.)
Anyway, now I am ranting...
Back to my main point. I decided (yet again) that I wanted to 'get fit', so I maybe I can take up running (again...). I started running a couple times a week and really hated it.
Why would someone put themselves through that?! I kept going for about a month and still hated it.
Then I finally got smart and started asking myself a couple important questions.
Why did I want to run? Well, because it was the cheapest physical activity I could think of to stay in shape. Its pretty much free. All you need are shoes and the great outdoors. Much less expensive than a gym membership or yoga classes!
wow. brilliant answer huh. That is why I wanted to run. Because I am cheap. And that was motivation. Have more money saved and be in shape...
So I had to add another person to my list of runners:
1. Skinny Nerdy boys
2. Old people.
3. Really fit College Guys
4. People on a budget.
(yes, my list is WAY off. I know that now.)
The other question was why did I keep giving up?
Because I was running too fast. I had no idea how to 'pace' myself. I was going at an all out sprint for the first minute or 2 and hated the fact that I couldn't keep it up for an entire workout. All I got were cramps and misery. Which leads me into the next part about 'teaching myself to run', which I will post next.
I bet you at the edge of your seat now. Just you wait to hear the breathtaking (no pun intended) story of how I actually stuck with running!
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