I have spent a great portion of my life avoiding this very simple exercise. It was my dad's drug of choice when PT time came around and he needed to drop weight. There's even a picture of him running from a local newspaper back when I was itty bitty. It's never really appealled to me, though. That doesn't mean I shun all exercise. I like to swim, hike, play sports, etc. But I really did not like running. I could blame it on my asthma, but that's not the real reason. I didn't like to run in PE class when I was a kid and my asthma was never an issue. Even if I did use it as an excuse to get out of running for class. Hey! I had the inhaler. I only used it a couple of times a year, but the teacher didn't know that. And, to soothe the sensibilities of any I have offended by using it as an excuse, karma has kicked my ass. My asthma now is pretty bad. I probably should go to the doctor to get more than a rescue inhaler, but that's unlikely to happen anytime soon. To be absolutely honest, I don't know why I don't like running. Maybe it's that I've never needed to be anywhere fast enough a walk wasn't sufficient or late enough a car wasn't needed. So, what was the point. Get sweaty to run in a circle? Stir up my asthma just to get back to where I was quickly? I could exercise in other ways.
Only, I haven't been lately. Exercising that is. And it's showing. So, I decided to run. Now, because I have such a an aversion to running for no reason, I was forced to find a reason. After pouring over the possibilities, I ruled out a few. For one, I'd rather not have to run for my life because a pack of wild dogs is chasing me due to the tantalizing aroma of raw, bloody meat tied to my ankles. Nor do I want to run in order to catch the ever present carrot on a stick. I mean seriously. I'm a little too evolved not to untie the carrot from the stick if I want it that badly. There was a thought that I could run to catch my son before he fell over a cliff's edge, but since I can't guarantee I'll be fast enough to grab him in time, that one was nixed. So, I decided to find a 5K. I know what you're thinking. That's still running to get from one point to another for no reason. Aha! You are correct! Unless I find a 5K that would allow me to raise funds for a worthy cause. Since I was not able to find a 5K to benefit lung disease research (which would be so apropos and fitting for my maternal grandparents), I chose to go with one that honored my paternal grandmother. I am running in the Lexington, Ky Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. So, in approximately nine weeks, my expansive rear will have to run over 3 miles.
I have decided to not entirely disgrace myself. As a result, i have been training. I chose the Couch to 5K, also known as C25K, program that's all over the web. For the time being I am running on a treadmill. The plan is to get my lungs and legs into some kind of shape in 9 weeks. I am on week 4, so I have another 5 to go. And then I take it out to the street. To prepare me for the street, I also walk at lunch time. Since I work right down the street from where the race will start, my feet are getting familiar with the terrain over which I will be running. Right not, I'm still at 2 miles in 30 minutes. Yes, it's slow. But today, I ran 16 minutes. That's a big deal for me. So, I am progressing. And best of all, I have kept it up for 5 weeks (I had to repeat a week because I wasn't quite ready to run for 5 minutes straight). I am on my way to making this a habit. Of course, I may have to resort to tying meat to my ankles so I have a reason to keep running after the race.
Now, for my shameless plug. It's is all for a good cause. Anybody that would like to sponsor my team, Hobbit Feet Running, please click this link. Give me a great reason to keep on running and help save some boobies and lives at the same time. Click on "Find a Participant to Sponsor" and search for our team.
Thanks for your help in my continuing journey in a circle.
Susan G Komen Lexington Race for the Cure
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