Time Travel for Fitness

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When I run I have visions of my sister running cross country in high school — all gazelle grace, head high, even paced, breathing as if this was what she was born to do. I dream, while I am running, that I look like her, that all it takes to run like a teenage track star is to be able to run a few miles without stopping.

The sniggering and catcalls from the teenage boys waiting for the Metro bus usually brings me out of my revery. I stumble and catch a glimpse of my mom in a shop window — wheezing, barely able to lift her legs, half-staggering half-Clysdale gallop, shorts wedged up…well, we don’t really need to go there.

It’s such a hard blow it almost breaks me down, threatens to stop me running all together. I love to run, but I hate to look like that. I hate being so embarrassed by my body. And I know I’ll never look like my sister did 15 years ago; even my sister will never look like that again. And I can’t tell if it’s good or bad to keep that image, whether it will continue to discourage me occasionally, or if it is the encouragement I need. But I do know that this body is still changing, that as embarrassed as I am to see what I truly look like, it isn’t half as bad as it was a year ago. And in a year maybe I can be proud of it.

But, no matter what I look like or what IT looks like, I’m still proud of my body for so many things: growing and sustaining my little boy, running all those miles (longest run is a 10-miler!), and just getting through the day. My resting heart rate is now 58 bpm, which is SO much better than it once was. I mistreated it so badly for so long and I need to realize how blessed I am that it stuck by me. Now I just need to stick it out and be happy with what I do have, not what I dream of having.

I just signed up for my first half-marathon. Still freaking out a little, as I haven’t run more than 5 miles yet, and have been sick for the last week and not running. But I’ve set up my Nike+ training program to start next week and it doesn’t seem impossible.

Will be sharing more in the coming weeks.

This has always been my problem: I get really into working out when it’s nice in the spring and fall, but once the heat of summer or the cool of winter rolls around I have no idea how to dress and so stop. It’s a stupid reason to stop doing what I’ve been enjoying and I’m not letting myself do it this year. Not since I’ve found out that Runner’s World has a fantastic What to Wear Tool to help you determine the gear you may need for the season. Plug in the worst weather you can expect in the next few months and voila! you’ve got the gear you’ll need. I went out and bought 3 C9 by Champion® Long Sleeve Singlette Top – True White which are long enough to cover my long torso (and bumpy bits) but cheap enough that I don’t feel like a rat spending all of our money. C9 makes some clothing that Tom approves of, too. And I’ve my heart set on the Scuba Running Hoodie for when it starts to get really cold.

So, yes, I’m going to shock those of you who knew me in Boston with this statement. I went running in sub-45º weather for the first time today. All thanks to my new long-sleeve running shirt. And I wore shorts, thanks to the recommendation from Runner’s World. And I wasn’t cold. Amazing, right. (Note the sarcasm.) I’m not kidding when I say this was once something which would have held me back. I feel a (very) little less wussy this morning.

I would like to say that it does seem like a better idea to dress in LESS and need to turn around if you’re not warm enough after 5 minutes of running or so than to dress too heavy and find yourself overheating while running, and then freezing when you stop. It happened once to me and I was a little too far away from home by that point. I froze walking back, but was far too hot to run.

Yesterday, I finally ran all the way to the DC end of the Arlington bridge, where these fantastic statues, all flesh and strength. It has been my goal to run that far without stopping for nearly 3 years now. I may have gotten there sooner if I hadn’t become pregnant, or perhaps I wouldn’t have gotten there at all without my son to inspire me to healthier living.

At any rate, I made it. And I ran farther, past the Lincoln Memorial and down the reflecting pool, nearly making it to the WWII Memorial before turning around (I am so lucky to run in such beautiful places). I ran the whole way back.

This is the longest I’ve ever kept up the effort of running (5.88 miles!). I felt fantastic. I still feel fantastic. I feel as though the weakness of my legs is the only thing holding me back, that my ex-smoker’s lungs and previously-sedentary-living heart can handle almost any length of time, and I’m SO proud of that.

Even if it is over a 12 minute mile pace.

Because I can see my improvement. My small goal has made my progress tangible. I may still be slow and weak, but I made it nearly six miles in an hour where once it took me 45 minutes to do 3.

So set a small goal and assure yourself that you won’t always be slow or weak. That is, as long as you get of the couch! Change requires an effort.

You know, unless you’re happy being slow and weak while waiting for me to fix this time travel machine. I may be too busy running to work on it.

I took Ben out for our second run this morning. It’s a lot harder to run while pushing him, which is putting off my goal of being able to run for 30 minutes without stopping, but it’s a lot better than sneaking in the occasional run in the evening, and I really do prefer running in the morning. I LOVE this stroller.

Since my current goal in running is to convince my body that it should be moving forward for 30 minutes at a time, the extra weight and the lowered speed aren’t such a big deal. In the long run (ha, ha), it is better to be moving slowly than not be moving at all. And, as much as I love my son and running, whenever I’m given 45 minutes to myself I find so many other productive ways of filling that time.

Which brings me to the motto of Time Travel for Fitness, “Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero.” You can’t put off the changes you want to make in your life. The barriers you have today will still exist tomorrow. It will seem just as hard, and you will still be you, the person afraid to make the change. But with just a small shift in your everyday. With the decision to lace up your running shoes and go, even if it’s just to the mailbox, you will see a difference. Tomorrow you will be that person who ran to the mailbox. That’s one obstacle down.

Stop waiting for the world to hand you the perfect opportunity. Grab it for yourself. What do you need to succeed? Can you get it off of Craigslist or Freecycle? If it’s time can you trade babysitting with a friend or can you put off what you’re doing right now (I mean, c’mon, you’re just reading this blog post!)? Stop saying “If only” and start saying “I’m gonna”!

I am terrible at the upkeep stuff. Flossing, daily exercise, dusting, vacuuming–all those routine things you do to keep yourself and your home healthy. I just forget, or I head to bed exhausted and just don’t feel like spending the extra two minutes to stick string between my teeth. But they’re such an important part of fitness. Flossing may be good for your heart (although the study may be skewed due to the disparity between the flossing and non-flossing groups). Dust can harbor mites and fungus. And I don’t want to get into the stuff that we track into the house every day.

And, over the years, I’ve gotten better about dusting and vacuuming. But I can’t seem to get my head around flossing. It looks like I’m not alone:

[T]he ADA indicates that only about 12 percent of Americans floss daily, 39 percent floss less than daily, and 49 percent do not floss at all.

My health resolution this year is to treat the daily, routine stuff more seriously. Each month I will choose something to focus on–flossing, daily exercise, drinking more water, having a moment of meditation/calm, stretching, eating enough fruit and vegetables, getting 15 minutes of direct sunlight, writing down what I eat, keeping my gratitude journal, getting 8 hours of sleep, connecting with friends and family, and avoiding over-processed foods. I’ll choose each month based on what I feel is most important (or, possibly, easiest) for the coming month. And, hopefully, by the end of the year I’ll have twelve stable healthy habits.

Flossing is bugging me the most at the moment, since it’s so easy to do, doesn’t require too much of my time, and it’s just such a childish thing that I don’t do it!

What is missing from your routine? What would you change in your day to make it healthy. Remember, no matter how much you may regret it, you can’t turn back time to make yourself healthy!

In case you need it, here’s a flossing tutorial.

Finally got up and started working out. After two weeks of 10-12 hour days I really needed the sleep. But I need to get back on track for losing weight. I am currently 51.6 lbs from my ideal weight. The Man and I eat really healthy (although we allow ourselves to be sidetracked by friends all too often). And, really, we’ve done all we can with counting calories (without even thinking about it I’m at or under my caloric intake for the day). Our real problem is that we’re both inteli-drones. We sit in at our computers all day. I get a good amount of walking in every day through taking the metro, but it’s far less than I did in high school or college, where I would get at least 2 miles every day.

So, yeah, getting up and running is one of the best things TM and I can do. And getting out in the sunshine on the weekends would be fantastic for my annual bout of SAD.

Well, I’ve done a great job so far…

I took some time off last week, not really on purpose. It’s amazing how your desire to work out, energy levels, and mood all spiral downward so quickly. Okay, not YOUR desire, etc., MY desire, etc. Still the week’s not yet done and I’ve got 6.8 miles in and burned (so says the machines) more than 1350 calories. I’m looking forward to the days when I’ll have weekend long runs to look forward to.

The channels that are on at the gym always seem to show those commercials that express the “Pay it forward” idea. I get really into them, especially because they loop. And Steve Runner was discussing in my ear (and an OLD episode) the sin of coveting and being jealous. It is a sin because a person who is covetous is not recognizing their own blessings. I think that’s something I need to ruminate on.

Keep it moving.

Seeing Fdip in Runner’s World was the wonderful surprise that got me on here to start this blog. It’ll take awhile to get it truly running, but every workout starts with getting out of bed, right. And, seriously, no one looks pleasant at that point. Hopefully in a couple of weeks I’ll feel more like I’m rolling on the treadmill. For now, it’s just a beginning.