Running in 2010 - Beating the Bulge

Another Holiday season has come and now gone, and left many of us with added weight. Even if we vowed to not gain any weight this season, for many of us it is inevitable. For myself personally, I had an especially hard time, as my grandmother passed away at the beginning of November, and then we had Thanksgiving, then Christmas. Now, two months have passed and I am 15 pounds heavier. Over the past year and almost half, I had lost nearly 100 pounds, but now that I put on this added weight, I am back to only having lost 80 pounds, with that much further to go until I reach my goal weight.

Though I know it is only a minor set back, it is still beyond frustrating that I allowed myself to put this weight back on. I know the time and effort that goes into loosing weight. Though I can easily pack on 15 pounds in two months, it is going to take me probably twice as long to now loose that extra weight. The goal now is to refocus, recommit and get back on track. While I know it is quite doable, it is still frustrating to be in this place.

I took up running in 2009, and ran one 5k a month, so now the goal is to do more than one a month, run them faster and to add strength training into the mix.  I am running my first 5k of the year this weekend on Sunday the 3^rd and I registered for another on Saturday the 9^th.  This will help kick start my goal.  I find that running these 5ks is a great way to stay motivated, help a good cause and get my exercise in all at the same time.

I find that I am a highly competitive person, and do my best when I feel challenged by others.  Sometimes this is as simple as grabbing a treadmill next to another runner and challenging myself to run faster than them, run farther than them, or sometimes to just keep in pace with them as my running “partner”.  However, 5ks give me the whole package.  I get to run, and am challenged by many competitors, I find people to help me keep my pace, I am running outdoors with scenery that is ever changing and, again, I am helping a good cause.

Even if you have never ran before, 5ks could be a great place for you to start.  You can just walk your first one or two, and then push yourself to run/walk it, and then work up to a slow jog for the entire distance.  Now you are on your way to being a 5k runner!  Once you’ve jogged the entire distance, it is just a matter of increasing your speed.  When I train in between my runs, I usually run farther than 3.1 miles, to help build up my stamina.  Then when I do a 5k, it doesn’t seem so bad.  Besides, running outdoors and on pavement is much different than running on a treadmill.  Treadmills force you to keep a set pace, they are easier on your joints and on a negative side they are much more boring than running outside. 

When you run outside, you have to find ways to set and keep your pace.  Music does a great job for me.  I find music with beats that I can match my footfalls to and songs that keep my energy level high.  You can also find a person that is running at a similar pace to pace yourself with, however if they slow down or stop running, the goal is to keep pushing yourself, not fall to match their speed.  You, too, will find your own way to be successful.  The point is to just get out there and do it.  Seize the day there is no reason to delay!