Taking up Running
As part of achieving my 2007 resolutions, I have sought out the help of a coach. After thoroughly dissecting my life and bad habits, she came back with her recommendations for fueling my body and exercise. After a few times back and forth, one thing is apparent I am going to take up running.
You should know this isn’t my first idea… or my second, third, or fourth. I don’t like running. I use to run, but I weighed 155 then and it seemed so much easier. Now 75+ pounds more, it’s down right hard! My shins bother me, my knees and ankles talk back, and my heart rate elevates just looking at my running shoes, let alone putting them on.
My coach patiently listened as I went through my list of objections, but she keep coming back to one thing. Evidently I told her I wanted to lose weight and lower my blood pressure. Talk about using one’s words against them…
She has no problem with my lifting, or working on volleyball with my daughter. In fact she strongly encourages my continuing to do both. It’s just that those aren’t the optimal exercises for lowering blood pressure and losing weight. She also knows that first and foremost, my aerobic passion is cycling. But cycling requires more time and isn’t weight bearing.
The advantage to running is that it is more efficient because it’s a weight bearing aerobic activity. Running burns more calories in a shorter period of time. I’m sure she said some other good stuff about running as well, but my head was spinning by then.
She advocates not only running, but running OUTSIDE! Like in the cold and rain, and with hills and stuff. It’s suppose to be a much better workout for your body because of the varied terrain. She did relent on letting me use a treadmill sometimes - I had no trouble convincing her that the treadmill would be plenty tough for me to start with, so she didn’t have to worry about my slacking off on the thing. Did I mention that my heart rate rises just looking at my running shoes…
After a couple weeks of resisting, I have given in and I am going to try running twice a week. I had a long talk with Bo, my mostly golden retriever, and we decided that if I have to run, he has to run. His main objection to running is that he has to be on a leash and a tennis ball isn’t involved. I have my own objections, so he’ll have to suck it up like I did.
The decisions been made. Now I just have to figure out when I’m going to start…
Filed under: 2007 Resolutions, Cycling, Goals, Uncategorized, Weight Loss, Weight lifting, fitness, fitness over forty, health, high blood pressure, male over forty, over forty, running |
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4 Comments: :
Taking up Running
January 19th, 2007 12:44 am
k8johnson says:
I, too, was about overweight when I took up running (again) last April. I know exactly what you mean about the pain and the heart rate. I remember how hard it was to start. However, I promise you, if you just stick it out for two weeks you will be hooked.
And, take it easy the first few times. You don’t have to feel bad to do your body good. Just do a nice, gentle jog and walk if you feel pain. Getting out there and moving is better than doing nothing at all. I know you know that…
Good Luck!
January 19th, 2007 4:28 am
Phil Sabin says:
Believe me - I have no aspirations at this point with respect to running. I’ll start run/walking with walking looking to take a big lead in the early results. Thank goodness Coach said I only have to do this for 1/2 hour at a time!
January 19th, 2007 6:25 am
waistloss says:
More power to you! I’ve been know to run a bath, run a computer and even run my mouth. But just plain running? Not in the plans!
Standing up is a weight bearing exercise for me!
Seriously the most I will probably run is during my interval training and that will only be once a week.
January 19th, 2007 9:46 am
zappoman says:
Phil, I hear you man! When I first started running, I felt the same way. I hated it. It seemed to hurt everything. And by the time I started, I had already lost a bunch of weight and got my heart and lungs in good shape from all the cycling I was doing. But running is a totally different body experience. I think it is much harder than cycling.
Hell, even Lance said he thought running was “a lot” harder than cycling.
But, now I am hooked… I love it. I still love cycling. But there really is something to running outdoors which can be even more refreshing than cycling.
Stick with it for a couple months, and I think you’ll break through the wall and start to really enjoy it.
Good luck!