For the (true) love of running...

I have just begun week 5 of the 9 week running program (C25K Running Program)that I posted about about 4 weeks ago! To read my first post about it click here. I am so happy that I have kept up with it and have really (truly) enjoyed it. My dad always told me that I should take up jogging and that it would be good for me but like many things during my teenage (and other)years I fought him on it and told him that I hated running and would never like it. But like usual, my dad was right and I should have listened to him years ago. I can actually say now that I like to run. That is HUGE for me.

When I started out I could only run for about 3-4 minutes before I needed to stop and walk for a while. Today when I ran, I ran for 15 minutes straight (about 1 1/2 miles or so) and then walked (quickly) for about 10 minutes (for you runners out there this may not seem like that big of a deal but for me it is a big milestone). For the first 3 weeks it was difficult. It was hard to get into and I really had to push myself to keep going. Also, my knees and ankle (I broke it in April of 2007) hurt terribly when I was finished and even as I was running. But I pushed through it all, spent time stretching and by week 4 I had no more pain. It was amazing. My knees and ankle do not hurt now when I run and also around the same time something just clicked and I felt like I could just keep running and running (OK so maybe not forever but you get my drift...). It felt good to keep running and I looked forward to my time to run more and more each day. I feel much healthier and exercise definitely gives me more energy throughout my days. Even if I am feeling unbearably tired but I get out and run anyway, by the time I am finished I feel so refreshed and energized. It is amazing how that works.

I have about 4 more weeks left in the program and by the end of it I should be able to run 3 miles (or 5K) straight. So far I am right on track. I have never trained for anything like this before. I have never been patient enough to keep at something and build on it a little a time. I have always tried to do too much too fast (like before I would have just tried to run the whole 3 miles the first day) and then when I couldn't complete it, I would have just given up. It has been so neat and encouraging to me to see how starting slowly and pushing myself a little more everyday has really worked and I have seen the results from it.

I would encourage you to do something like this too. Maybe not having to do with exercise (but that too of course) but is there something you have been wanting to do or try or learn but have been putting it off because it seems impossible or like it is too much? I encourage you to break it down, do a little a time instead of trying to conquer it all at once and slowly but surely you will be able to do it. You will master it and it will feel good.