Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Almost A Year Later

Don't ask what happens to keep me from posting more regularly. All I can say is, Life Happens.

I will say that although I am not any lighter than I was a year ago, I am probably more fit.

A year ago I would never have considered running in a 5 K (5 kilometer) race. This year, it is on my bucket list to be completed this spring.

A year ago, my knee was killing me so badly that I would have gone under the knife if the doctor said it would help. (It won't by the way.) This year, my knee brace suits me just fine and it has gotten such a workout that I will probably need a new one soon.

A year ago, if you asked me to run a mile even, I would have laughed in your face. This year, I still am not running a full mile but I have progressed from completing just under a mile in 20 minutes to completing a mile in just over 16 minutes. I actually go farther than that, but a mile is my current gauge.

In January, I began running for 60 second intervals separated by 90 second walks. Today I can run up to 3 minutes at a time. Who would have thought?

The problem with most people when trying to get fit is they have an all or nothing mentality. I have finally decided that there are things I can do and things I cannot. I will probably never run a true marathon (26.2 miles.) But that is not important. Through the Couch to 5K program, I have seen that it definitely is a gradual process. I have good days, and I have bad. There are days that I forget my workout gear at home. When I get home I just find other things to do to burn calories. There are days when I decide to go out with my friends and paint the town red so to speak. I could wake up the next morning and see that I have put on three pounds and give up, or I can wake up the next morning, see that I have put on three pounds and start back to my routine. The all or nothing mentality won't get me anywhere.

I mentioned to my gym friend that I cover my backside with a jacket around my waist when I run because I am worried about what I look like from behind. She said, no one cares. In class this week, my students have been learning about human development. One of the things I taught about was egocentricity - the tendency for adolescents to believe that the world is focused on them. I guess I am still an adolescent in that sense. I then laughed at myself and said, "It's not all about you." That's hard to remember.

I am not going to promise that I will consistently update this blog. It may be another year before I come back here again. Who know? I will promise myself to keep moving forward, even if it is only with baby steps.