I know the title sounds a bit existential, but tonight has brought upon some quiet reflection about how far I have come since I started back running some seven-and-a-half months ago.
As mentioned at the end of my last post, in late June I purchased a pair of Adidas running shoes, but the primary reason was because I was heading to Universal Studios for a couple of days in the parks. Running a distant second was the idea that I was going to start walking/running "in the very near future."
You see, although I was losing weight, I kept saying that "once I get to a certain weight, I'm going to start walking and then get back into running." The funny thing is, though, that I didn't have a target weight in mind...it was just some arbitrary statement (which others might call an excuse) I was making to put off exercise for just another week.
Sometime around July 20th, my wife Michelle finally gave me the push I needed...because I think I was making the "I'm going to start walking and running very soon" statement again. She just said - point blank - that "I need to stop thinking about the right time to do it and just go out there and start running." And she was absolutely, undoubtedly correct.
Here's the disclaimer part (so you can't sue me) - If you're thinking about an exercise program and aren't certain about your physical condition, please consult a health care professional prior to starting a routine. I had undergone a life insurance physical not long before last Summer, and since my blood pressure and all my vitals were normal (even though I was still obese), I was comfortable that my body was ready for some run/walking.
So on Monday, July 23rd, 2012, I went for a run/walk for the first time in about twenty-six years. Because the highs were going to be in the 90s, I got up at 5:15, got dressed, drank about 12 ounces of water, and was stretching in the driveway by 5:30.
Not knowing any differently, I started jogging right when I got to my mailbox...and boy did I feel differently than I had back in the 80s! First of all, weighing in at around 240, the first thing (or things) I noticed was that I had a lot of lumpy parts bouncing around with every step...in fact, I was glad it was dark because I would have scared small children had it been daytime. I probably most closely resembled a running Stay Puft Marshmallow Man or perhaps the Michelin Man. Second, and this goes hand-in-hand with the first point, lifting my feet for the subsequent paces was much more of a chore than it had been in the past. Third - Wow was it tough to breathe! And fourth, what was that pounding thing in my chest?
So after these thoughts went through my head for the first ten yards, I then started wondering how long I could keep this up. I was planning on running a little bit, then walking, then running again, etc. Well, I am proud to say that I pushed myself and ended up running for about a quarter mile, but then I huffed and puffed while walking for about a half mile, at which point I turned around, walked the same half mile again before finally pushing myself to run the quarter mile back home. And I was pretty darned tired.
So let me fast forward to the present. Tomorrow morning, I am running in Jacksonville's Gate River Run, which will be my first 15K (9.3 Miles). While I am nervous about the distance, I have been training for this race for quite some time now (more about training in future posts), and I'm excited about crossing the Starting Line in the morning. Yes, the Finish Line is important, too, and I have personal goals for the race, but at the end of it all, I've spent the night reflecting on the fact that none of us can finish anything unless we decide to start...and I'm glad I took Michelle's challenge and got started last July.
I'll tell you about the race next week...hopefully it'll be fun as I'm anticipating!
Until then, enjoy your journey...
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