Thursday 22 May 2008

Running.

Or should I say, jogging.
Now that I've started, I'm pushing myself to go further, and I find that I cannot stop.

I went for a walk last night, and while it was quite cold out, and I found myself only wanting to walk, I inevitably picked up the pace to a slow jog, and maxed myself out more than I have ever before.

This was my m.o. (for the military ignorants, modus operandi).
I jogged for 3 minutes, walked for 4, jogged for 5 minutes, walked for 4. Ran 300+ stairs, then jogged intermittently back. I managed to jog the final lap for about 9 minutes straight, which is a huge record.

I've learned a couple things from starting this jogging exercise.

-You have to keep focused and centered. I know this sounds odd, but when I'm jogging, I try not to think about the end or how much further I have to go, but I turn up the iPod, and let the music flood my soul. It's just me and the beats.
-You have to pace yourself. I found when I first started jogging, I was pushing myself too strenuously, and wasn't in it for the endurance run. Now that I've pulled myself back and only allowed myself to go at a slower pace, I find that I can jog longer without tiring myself out.
-You have to make a choice. I have days when I'm exhausted and when I just want to lay down and pass out, but I make the choice to go and jog. Once you get out there and start jogging, you find you want to do it more and more. But you have to keep up on it. Either you jog all the time and keep in the routine, or you don't do it at all. It's like most things in life...you have to keep on top of it or it won't work.
-You shouldn't run on tarmac. Unfortunately this is the only place that I can run right now, but I'm looking for different options, different places to start jogging. The waterfront is nice because it's picturesque and isn't as boring as, say, running a track. But I know that my knees won't be able to take extensive exercise on the tarmac, so eventually I've have to find another place to jog.
-You shouldn't beat yourself up if you don't excel. Even if one day you can barely find the energy to walk, let alone run, at least you got out there and got some form of exercise. Every little bit counts.

I just realized that I must sound like some freakish jock, but I've come to the realization that losing weight isn't easy. I want to be a healthier person, so I'm choosing to change my lifestyle, to adapt to new choices that I have to make. It's hard to persevere sometimes, and I'll admit that I was quite discouraged last week about my performance, but we all start with baby steps. It's the endurance that counts!

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