First run in 2011

Yesterday I went out for my first run of the year, after a fortnight of eating too much and being lazy. My excuse for not going out was the snow, ice and cold would not go away and it’s no fun running in those conditions. But with Christmas and New Year it was a great excuse to be lazy. Thanks to that it made me first run feel really great.

I now have to go back to my normal routine of running four times a week and doing some weight training. I didn’t reach my goal of running a 5k and a 10k last year, so this is what my aim will be now. I suppose the best way to encourage me is to find an event and register for it. A post to follow on that.

Quote: Choices

There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept responsibility for changing them.

-Denis Waitley

Excuses excuses excuses

Whilst running with a friend the other day, she was telling me about a text message she received and how many excuses were in that message (there were six!). The excuses were about not going walking over the weekend. Of course we have all come up with excuses whenever we don’t want to do something, but the ones that come more often are when we don’t want to exercise.

Here is a list of ones I have made and ones I have heard from others:

1. I’m busy with work (that’s the classic one, but we all need a break from work).
2. I don’t have time (we all have the same hours in a day).
3. It’s cold (you will warm up once you get going).
4. I don’t have an iPod and I’ve been told I can run better (from a first time runner – music motivates you but try running first and if you like it and continue get an mp3 player – it had to be an iPod).
5. I get out of breath, I sweat and my face goes red  (yes, that usually happens when you exercise!)
6. I have back problems – (so try walking – I can’t I have knee problems).
7. I don’t need to exercise as I’m happy with my weight (you don’t exercise just for weight loss)
8. I have no one to work out with (working out with someone is great but you won’t always have the same motivation, so get comfortable with working out on your own first).
9. I have no energy (if you don’t exercise or get moving you won’t have energy. I always feel lazy when I’m not moving about and tend to have less energy then).
10. Can’t afford the gym (try the great outdoors, all free!)

But as the Nike’s slogan says, ‘Just do it’, or just get out, I find it always works and I end up enjoying the exercise. No excuses needed.

Quote

We learn through running to take what the days gives us, what our body will allow us, and what our will can tolerate.

- John Bingham, Running writer

A reason not to give up

Statue of Pheidippides alongside the Marathon Road

Suffering from recent back problems, I haven’t really managed to do any training or even push myself that little bit more and feeling sorry for myself. A friend of mine suggested I join her in running the Athens marathon, which would motivate me to do some training. Great idea, but I haven’t run a 10k how can I manage a marathon. She said to me well Pheidippides wasn’t a marathon runner either. Yes but he collapsed and died from exhaustion after delivering a message.

Who is Pheidippides?

The modern Marathon commemorates the run of Pheidippides. He was a soldier who was sent to Sparta to request help when the Persians landed at Marathon, Greece. It was said that he ran 240km in two days. After that he ran the 40km from the battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon to Athens to deliver the Greek victory over Persians in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. with the word “Νενικήκαμεν” (‘We have won’) and collapsed and died on the spot from exhaustion.

If you feel like things are difficult, imagine what it would be like to run 240km in two days!

Walk/Run for Clean Water!

Dow Live Earth Run for Water, on April 18, 2010 is a series of 6km run/walks taking place over the course of 24 hours in 192 countries, featuring concerts and water education activities to ignite a massive global movement to help solve the water crisis.

Why 6k? The distance represents how far women and children in some developing countries must walk to access clean water.

In the UK there are two runs taking place, one in London and apparently one in Manchester. I’ve attempted a number of times to contact the organisers of the event for Manchester but have had no response – they are even on Facebook!!

It’s a shame the organisers are so disorganised because this would have been very popular if more people knew about it. I first found the information on Runner’s World website.

A running challenge

For the past week it has been a real challenge to go out for a run, or even a walk because of the snow and ice. So I’ve attempted a few indoor exercise routines, never with great success. I decided to do what gardeners do this time of year when they can’t go outside, browse the catalogues, books and internet for ideas for the new season. This gave me an opportunity to think of a new training plan, find new routes, an opportunity to work on the strength training, music lists to run to and even update this blog. But frustration and stress is building up and I really need to get out.

The Guardian newspaper had an article on 20 walk-fit routes across the UK , divided in how many step you take, from 10,000 to 7,500 or 7km. So this might be a solution, obviously I can only attempt the Manchester one. It might also turnout a good running route.

First run of 2010

I was supposed to go out for a run yesterday, but with the sleet, snow and ice, cold and miserable, I didn’t. Have you ever tried running on icy pavements, you feel like a cartoon character running on the spot. I decided I would go today. The weather forecast showed the region as ‘sunny’. Well it was sunny but very very very cold.

I wrapped up warm and went out. After the excess food and drink of the holidays and not having been out for a run or even a walk during the week, the cold was a shock to my body. I only managed to run for eight minutes and it didn’t help that I was slip sliding along the ice. Oh well, I will blame the weather and hope this will not be an indication of my running progress for the year!!

This is what my regular running route looked like over Christmas

This is what it looks like two weeks later. I guess I won't be going running.

Creating a weekly exercise plan

I realised that if I am to reach my keep fit goal (lean, strong, healthy, well toned body), I have to come up with a good exercise plan. At the moment I’m not really following anything, I just go out running four maybe five times a week, with one session of weight training and a bit of stretching.

So here goes:
Cardio that would be a mix up of running, cycling, walking, swimming.

• 30 minutes, 4 times a week
• include interval training: alternating periods of high intensity with periods of lower intensity
• sprints and up hills

Weight training; is supposed to increase muscle mass, which in turn raises our metabolism and helps to burn fat, in addition it can increase bone density, for the long-term.

• 3 days a week
• have to come up with a suitable weight training programme, maybe include squats, lunge, pull-ups, push-ups

Stretching / Pilates / Tai Chi

I’m not a trained sports coach or personal trainer but, I am trying to come up with something that works for me. Obviously the above plan needs to be looked at in detail and put together, but it’s a starting point and it will give me a direction.

… a few more benefits

Recently my neighbour, A, who had become my regular running partner, was feeling depressed and generally fed up with things, in addition she started smoking again. In my efforts to get her to come running it got me thinking of more benefits I’ve had since I started running.

1. I feel healthy
2. I have more energy
3. I have more structure and dicipline during the day
4. I enjoy it, I’m having fun and I look forward to it
5. I can buy new clothes, a size smaller!