So... I haven't gone for a run since the NutriRun 5 miler in March of 2011. Needless to say, this "new beginning" was a little tough, but oh so worth it! I think I expected a little more of myself, but while running I realized that I'm doing something a lot of people can't or won't do, so I should be proud of whatever it is that I accomplish during each run.
BEFORE we started running...
I'd thought Mitch and I would go from home to the end of the greenway and back - 4 miles. HHHAAAA!!! No. About 13 minutes into the run, I turned to him and said, "Maybe we should just go for a half hour today." He agreed, although he's one of those who doesn't have to train - he could have taken off from home, run the entire greenway and back, and not been out of breath. (Ridiculous, right?)
The Weather...
It was pretty decent outside - cold, but it's January in Indiana. The sun was wonderful, and I was perfectly comfortable in my capris, Vibram toe shoes, and "running" (for lack of the more technical term) shirt and jacket. Side note : My jacket has thumb holes, and I really think I'd like to hug whoever thought those incredible little deals up!
The Mental Part...
There were definitely some times during this half hour-ish run that I thought to myself, "What the heck am I thinking? I cannot do this!" I quickly tried to remind myself that I hadn't run in almost a year - unless it was to the bathroom while Kriegh was kicking my bladder. Mitch had some tunes on his phone that helped a little, but they definitely weren't your typical running songs. Example? Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy by Big & Rich, and Broken by Seether & Amy Lee, and Alcohol by Brad Paisley. Music, nonetheless.
The Run...
We did the 2:2 intervals, and I made it through most of them! I did have to walk through 3 run intervals, but I'm still proud!
I have no idea the distance we went - It's Mitch's job to figure that out today. We ran for 30m 46s. Good enough time for my "first" run!
The Rewards!
I'm now enjoying the heat of my home, the stares from my dog, the company of my husband, and the cuddling of my oh-so-sweet, almost-6-week-old little boy :)
Run 1 : Complete!
6 weeks after having a baby and you go for a run - incredible! INCREDIBLE!! Welcome back stranger! I think starting SLOW and SHORT is a great idea - 15 minutes would have been my recommendation and maybe just a mile. You don't want to over do it and get hurt or get too sore or more importantly, you don't want to hate it. Great job getting out there. I 'm still in my pj's and the nice weather and knowing "I should" go for a run is looming over my head. I need to get out there - so impressed you did!!! great job friend. Welcome back.
ReplyDeleteGood For you! I have been run/walking on my treadmill. Oh and FYI last year at this time we really didn't have any snow either, but we had 16in by the end of the month so... get ready lol... <3 you guys!!
ReplyDeleteSo happy you got back into running. I can't believe it's so soon though. Good for you. Make sure you don't run too far too fast. My husband and I went for a run today as well but we went to the park. It was cold but beautiful. We ran a five miler on Friday when it was so nice out as well. What a difference 20 degrees makes! He wants to run with me at least twice a week now. He is speedy so running with him is a challenge. But a good one. Really miss your massages. Can't wait until you get back!
ReplyDelete"L" - thanks for the encouragement! I think today I'll try just 15 minutes... The half hr was really not too bad, but I don't want those negative thoughts, so I think shorter is better for now :)
ReplyDeleteChajua - we should run together sometime! And don't remind me of the snow!!
Chris - I felt like it took me forever to get back to! I guess 6 wks isn't that long, is it? :) I'm glad your hubby will be running with you! Mitch runs with me, but he's fast too, so it's really challenging for me as well. I miss work (my clients, really), and I'll be back February 27th. Only Mondays and Tuesdays, but I'll be back!