Does anyone else remember the mile run we had to do every year for the President's physical fitness test? I forget how often we had to do it -twice a year, maybe - but I haven't forgotten how much I dreaded that day. It was torment.
There were always the athletic kids who would finish their four laps of the track in six or eight minutes and they barely looked like they were trying. Then there were the kids who pretended not to or really didn't care and, therefore, walked around the track at a leisurely pace.
Then there were a few kids like me. We wanted to do our best but didn't understand that our bodies were in no condition to sprint. So we would go out hard, at least hard for us, and be completely exhausted before the first lap was behind us. Discouraged by being lapped repeatedly and unable to see a good reason to keep trying, we would stop and walk with our heads down and our chests heaving, trying to ignore the fact that while we were still hauling our bodies around the track, our classmates were sitting around watching.
I think that my best mile time ever was 12 minutes. Despite the fact that eighty percent of my classmates finished well under that time, I was ecstatic. In fact, I even considered going out for track, thinking maybe this running thing could be fun. (Anyway, no one ever got cut from the track team even if she was never chosen to compete.) A few days distance from that run, and the soreness brought on by that single mile on the track, caused me to reconsider my dream of becoming an athlete. I stuck with being the smart kid - I was already good at that, hardly any effort required.
It took nearly fifteen more years before I tried again.
Over the past few months, I've huffed and puffed through many a mile that took more than 12 minutes for me to cover. But now... Now, I can run a single mile in less than ten minutes. I can run 9 at a time, covering each mile in about 11 minutes and 30 seconds. I've run as many as 10.5 miles at one go. And, in about three weeks, I'll be covering 13.1 and getting a medal for doing it.
High school me couldn't believe this was possible. Grown-up runner me knows that I still have plenty of time to get even faster!
5 comments:
I feel like a proud Mommmy Bird whose Baby Bird has left the nest for the first time. :)
This is so awesome to read! I read through your (newly discovered thanks to your comments) blog several days ago, and this post just made me grin hugely.
I loved to run when I was younger, so my memories of those gym days are different, but your writing put me so firmly in your shoes that, by the end of the post, I felt like jumping up and down!
Also, you have become a bit of inspiration to me to get my duff out of the house. I can't even imagine running the distances you do, although I'd like to (someday, maybe?) work my way up to 10K length. I'd be thrilled! Do you have any suggestions for a good running plan to work my way up? I know nothing about running, though I enjoy it as a redneck-run-the-country-roads non-runner. My current practice is to squeeze in a 40-or-so minute jog whenever I can during the day, and, lately, I haven't even been making time for that daily. In order to reach 10K-length, I'd have to get up before the sun (and the children) in order to jog OR increase my speed significantly, probably both! Any tips? :)
Every few months, I think to myself, "I wonder if Abigail has posted any snapshots lately. It's usually on a lazy weekend afternoon when this happens and, if there are posts, I spend a considerable amount of time devouring each word and image. During my latest feast, I saw that you were running and I meant to comment on one of those posts but sometimes I check myself with the running stuff because I have the zeal of the convert and sometimes worry that I'm bowling people over with my... let's call it "enthusiasm."
Believe me, Abigail, when I say that if I can run 11 miles, you can run 11 miles. That doesn't necessarily mean you should, but I have no doubt you could get to 10k, probably in less time than you think.
My advice (to be taken with a whole shaker full of salt) is to run every other day instead of every day. It's more sustainable when you're getting back into running and it gives your muscles time to rest and recover and will make it easier to go faster as you build endurance. Going by time instead of distance is great for beginners or returnees, like you, so you've got that one down. To add some speed, try a fartlek workout. It's a fun word that means run as fast as you can/want for as long as you can/want during your normal run, jog or walk for a while, then do it again. I sometimes do this at the end of long runs just to see what I can still get out of my legs or during short, easy runs if I'm getting bored.
There are a lot of good training plans for various distances. I like Hal Higdon - I'm currently using his half marathon plan. (This is his 10k plan for beginners: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51122/10K-Novice-Training-Program)
A 10k takes me about 1:12:00 right now but I'm hoping that as I lose some more of my extra cushioning, I'll be able to get under an hour. I wouldn't be surprised if you could get around that time just going through Hal's plan once.
Good shoes are important, too, but can be difficult to find cheaply. If you're going to stick with it long-term, I'd recommend a fitting at a running store, then hunt the internet for deals (last year's model of the shoe they recommend - clearance sales - coupon codes). Runningwarehouse.com is where I get all of my shoes and most of my other long distance gear. When spending money on these things, I break the investment down by mile and consider the impact it will have on my body over the long haul.
Do you know how far you're going now in 45 minutes? Do you ever take walk breaks?
Okay, I keep adding more things... I'm going to stop rambling now.
I need to drive the distance to see exactly how much I run, but my guess is that it's nearly 4 miles. I don't walk at all, and most days I feel good by the end of it, and my breathing is still nice and even, but there are those days when I'm miserably huffing and puffing by the end, too. I think this is due to my sloppy approach to jogging (e.g. I just like to DO it, dang it! Why should I have to think about it?). This means I sometimes run with a belly full of jelly beans and little to nothing else. And I enjoy running every day, which someone just told me isn't the perfect plan. :)
Thanks a million for that link. I'd looked at a few running plans last week, and they were full of runner's jargon that I couldn't understand-- you know, like "fartlek."
"What the heck is a fartlek?" I thought before closing the page. Now I know, and it's not as gross as I thought it was! The last time I jogged regularly enough to be in shape (which was before I was pregnant with Zeke), I would even fartlek (wait, can that be used as a verb?) at the end of each jog-- a full-out sprint that made me simultaneously feel like I was skimming the air and that I was ten years old again.
I tried it last week, and there was no such skimming of air, and I felt like I was about 40 years old, which let me know I'm not in shape yet. :)
Thanks for the shoe info., too! If I decide to become more than a redneck runner, I know I'll need to get some appropriate footwear, and the prices at the local athletic store make me pass out. It's nice to know there are alternatives.
Abigail, I forgot the most important piece of running advice that every person should get: If you feel good doing what you're doing, don't listen to anyone who's telling you to change it. :)
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