A meditation on running

One of my resolutions is to start running again and not just run but race.  I would like to run in three races this year - Superun 5K in June, Al's Run 8K in September and Lakefront Discovery 5K in October.  I've run four times in the past week so that's a positive thing.  It hasn't been easy, however, picking something up that I've neglected for months.  Running is a tough gig and it requires gentle coaxing of the body.  What I have learned is that I'm navigating toward the way I ran a few years ago when I was training for a 5K and that's running interspersed with walking.  I always thought having to walk meant I sucked at running or I was too weak or lazy to run for a full 15 or 20 minutes straight.  But remembering how much the walking actually helped me train for longer distances has convinced me that that's the way to go.  At this point in my life, running isn't about ego.  It's about setting a goal and reaching it by whatever means necessary. 

The other challenge I've always had is running in winter.  Roads are slippery and the lungs and ears don't respond well to single-digit temps.  So my solution to that is the stationary bike.  In the past, I thought biking inside was a cop-out and if I was a real runner I would just get out there and brave the elements.  But again, this isn't about ego.  Biking, if done in a challenging way, can have real results.  I have found that my runs are much easier after I've been training on the bike for awhile so why look at it negatively?  Running in the cold isn't impossible, but it does have the tendency to turn me off to running in general.  I think it's important to distinguish between when it's a good idea to get out there and challenge myself and when it's better to stay inside and work on training my body in different but equally effective ways.

So here we go: another reboot of my running career.  Part of me is skeptical and wonders if I'll return to that all too familiar mid-year frame of mind.  I'm not cut out for this.  I don't enjoy running so I might as well stop.  There's no point in doing something when my heart isn't in it.  I have to find a way to ignore those little voices.  If running wasn't my thing, I wouldn't return to it year after year to take another crack.  Plus, this year it has to be about more than just running.  I need to become a more disciplined person who embraces discomfort and struggle with open arms.  When I go full throttle with that attitude, the possibilities are endless.

Getting started

I'm not going to waste too much time on this first post because, well, I've already wasted too much on creating the blog.  I'll simply say that 2011 is the year for getting shiz done and I've narrowed down the list to ten areas of my life I want to focus on.  I think relaxing and chilling out is really important because managing stress is a huge part of our survival.  But when relaxing and chilling turns into laziness and lack of self-discipline, that's when we have to intervene.

So this week I'll be focusing on my new house which means packing, painting, and lifting lots of heavy boxes.  None of that exactly tackles the Top Ten but it does keep me from being lazy which is a huge challenge considering I have the whole week off of work and lots and lots of HGTV and Food Network at my disposal.  I also plan on working out, cooking, reading, and researching social marketing to prepare for my new job that starts next week.

This blog itself will be a test of discipline as I'm notorious for starting many blogs and sticking to few.  I want to see if I can do it.  And I want to make sure I have proof that getting shiz done has real and tangible benefits.  This blog will be a constant reminder of how accomplishments, whether big or small, always feel better than sitting around doing nothing.