Look, Mom! I can jog!

bornofthorns

A friend asked me this, and I thought it was an interesting mb topic:

Let me be clear. I didn't really plan on starting to run. In fact I have always hated running, and still have a love/hate relationship with it. Anyhow, I started off walking about a mile. Then I would try to make that mile faster. Finally, as I got up to around 3.8mph, it was just more comfortable to jog. I had no idea what I was doing, had horrible form, no reference for pacing myself, nor did I know how to breathe correctly. In short, it was a horrible, horrible experience. I thought to myself, "Your big a** needs to go somewhere and sit down, running like a stampeding bull!"

However, I was intrigued at the fact that I didn't just pass out and die (that was my general logic). So, I tried again the next day, but for short stints. Since I was walking in the neighborhood, I would walk 3 light poles, and run 1. After I mastered that, I did 2-2, then 3-2, then 4-2. I had no idea that I had started running intervals (I also still had no idea how to run). Finally, I went from being interested in running to being committed to it (I heard that in a recent post). I started studying things like form, breathing, and learned that I had been "interval training" (I was sorta pissed that I hadn't started a new trend). I then downloaded "rundouble" and started doing that. Within that app, I got the "Couch to 5k" program. I have been doing that every since. It is currently kicking my *kitten*, but it is also causing me to have a lot less of it to kick.

My main point is that I started slow, and took my time and listened to your body. When my legs HURT, I take a couple of days. I don't worry freak out that sometimes armadillos pass me in a straight away, I just keep working on form, breathing, having the right landing points on my feet, and learning to get my mind focused. The speed will come eventually, and my distance continues to increase (which also stifles speed). Lastly, if you really start getting into it, it will help you be motivated to do other exercise. I know that right now, I really want to start working on strengthening my core because it will help me run better.

Here is the point. I started walking...huffing and puffing through a mile back in January. I was 350 lbs! I started jogging small 1/8 mile stints in late March at 311 lbs. I just jogged 2.25 miles at 4.5 mph last night at 285 lbs. I WILL run a 5k this fall at around 5 mph at around 260-265 lbs. Now go get some!