Autumn Crisp

This time of year has to be one of my favorite times to run. Cool, crisp mornings, frosty evenings, clean-smelling air…very invigorating. The cooler climate seems to give me a boost, kickstarting my motivation and revving up my energy levels.

To run is not only healthy for the body, but also for the health of the mind. I like to run in the evening, after supper has had a chance to “go down” and there’s no danger of getting a stitch in the side. For me, running at night is very exhilarating. It helps to clear my mind of the day’s clutter, leaving me feeling more relaxed and rejuvenated. Hard to imagine that a run can leave you feeling relaxed, but it does. While running, you are in the moment, excited energy coursing through your veins as you work towards your next goal, however big or small it may be. When you finish the cool down, stretch and shower, you feel rested, relaxed and sleep much more soundly.

The foliage is so beautiful this time of year. I do love an early morning run through the wooded trails of our local parks, each footfall bringing with it a satisfying “crunch” as you pass over the fallen leaves. That sound and feeling still brings a smile to my face and takes me back to my childhood. I think I will always love running through the leaves. Who doesn’t?

Last year, I went running all through fall and winter, having had to buy some slip-on grips to improve my traction in the snow. Running became my solace and comfort after suffering the loss of my cherished grandmother last November. I ran for her, and I know she “ran” with me, watching over me, giving me the strength to cope with her passing. Running got me through the rough winter months that followed, enabling me to heal. The wound is still there, but not as deep or raw as it was initially, thanks to the strength and love of family, but also many thanks to running.

This time of year is one of much reflection for me as well as the celebrations of Thanksgiving and Remembrance, giving and receiving, life and love, friends and family. Running keeps my mind clear even when the holidays tend to muddle it up with party ideas, gift suggestions and never-ending to-do lists!!

I love running and it’s very much a part of my life…again. The main thing I have to do is keep the motivational spark lit and the fire of desire, for a healthier body, burning!

I foresee a running partner in my future as a form of motivation for us both. Until then, I will work on my pace and channel my inner chi to improve my running form. So far, I’m enjoying the book “Chi Running”….stay tuned for more pave-pounding action!

Programming Error

Guess I should reread my last blog post…I recall very faintly, something about….motivation, maybe??   Man, have I ever hit a mega-pothole in my running life!  It’s more like a pit…I’ve fallen into a bloody PIT!!  But, I will climb out, dust myself off and move along as if nothing ever happened.  After all, it is in the past and there’s nothing I can do to change it now,  but I can still alter the future.

I think it’s been a combination of things that have set me back a week and a half…I did injure my wrist at work, but that aside, the weather has been a real downer, not to mention I just didn’t feel energized overall.   I’ve had to tweak my eating habits to get more beneficial foods into me so I may increase my energy levels.  Today, the sun is shining and I’m feeling better.  Even did some housecleaning yesterday which improved my mood.  And I tried Aqua-Fit exercise for the first time yesterday which was great and it felt good just to get out and move!  It was not hard on the wrist at all, which was a big plus.

Today I have some small errands to run and a little more housework before supper, then I will head out for a run this evening!!!  I have to for the sake of my body and mind!  It’s a great stress-buster and it is relaxing on the mind, even though it’s physically exerting on the body.  I always feel so relaxed mentally after a run and within a few minutes, my body cools down and follows suit.  One warm shower later and I’m ready to curl up with a good book and a protein shake!  Gotta rebuild with protein!

Alright, I’m off to face the rest of the day and hope to stay motivated by this evening.  We all need a motivational boost every now and again…I obviously needed a bigger boost as of late…but I’m not giving up….I’m going to pound the pave tonight!  Time to fix that mental programming error!!!

Until next time….keep running!

Motivational Slump…Happens to the best of us!

Alright, alright…I said I wouldn’t do it, but I did.  I slacked off and found excuses not to run for the past 3 days!  I blamed it on the weather, my lack of energy and get this one:  I blamed it on my wrist, which I hurt while at work on Aug. 1.  Of ALL things to blame it on, my WRIST???  Since when do we run on our hands??  Wow, do I EVER need that proverbial kick in the a** to get back out there!  I have promised myself, however, that I will get out for a run later today because I truly do feel better afterwards.

It is hard when faced with the idea to run or not to run, to try to tell that tired body of yours to move, get up off the couch, put the remote (or PS3 controller) down, lay off the chips/pop/chocolate/ice cream and get out there and pound the pavement!  Run till you feel your legs burning, your lungs screaming for more oxygen, pump harder and harder till you reach your goal, whether it be to run for a solid minute, or to run an entire mile before you slow to a walk again!  It can be a small goal or a larger one, so long as it’s attainable for you at whatever stage of the game you’re currently at.  What I mean by this is, although it is great to aim for the sky, try having a multitude of smaller goals along the way to help guide you towards your ultimate goal, whatever that may be.  My ultimate goals are to lose about 50 lbs of fat, tone up my muscle and become a runner so that I may someday run a half and full marathon.  In order to achieve this, I have set smaller goals for myself to help me continue along on my journey.

Will there be bumps along the way?  Sure there will be…how many roads have we been on in life that have no potholes or speedbumps?  We will ALL be faced with personal speedbumps at some point or other along the way.  It’s how we handle these bumps which enable us to continue along the same route, or perhaps, find an alternate route.  The main thing is to pick ourselves back up from whatever emotional, physical or mental slump we might be in and get back out there.  Finding an alternate route might mean to you that instead of running for physical fitness, you choose another exercise.  For you, maybe your speedbump is like that of a friend of mine who used to run everywhere and everyday!  After suffering a knee injury (her speedbump), she now bikes for fitness and still walks a lot too.  Did she give up? No!  She took the time needed to heal, which is VERY important, then just took a step back, sized up the two forks in the road, and chose the one that would better suit her healing knee.

So, we dust off and continue on our way to fitness…we start small by stumbling through our first mile, gasping for breath, the brain screaming that our legs hurt and we must stop, but it’s mind over matter..we can retrain that brain to think positive, block out the burning in the legs, push harder and gradually our baby steps become giant leaps forward and before you know it, we’ve reached our first of many goals!  I have surpassed a few goals already….I can run almost 2 miles without stopping and this past New Year’s Day, I ran my first 5K run called the Resolution Run.  I had set a personal goal of 45 minutes, since I knew at some point I would have to walk a little.  I had not run for about 2 mths leading up to the Jan. 1 date, but still wanted to partake in this event.  Well, I surpassed my own expectations and finished the 5K in 39min and 34sec!!  I was so pleased that I vowed to continue running and bettering my time…but….the motivational slump occurred….and after being sick for a week and taking that week off running, well, let’s just say that I’m finally back now!  I seriously can’t let that happen again as it’s so much harder to convince your body to get back out there and it physically hurts to start over yet again.

As for me, I’ll be keeping you apprised of how fast I’m reaching my smaller goals and will attempt to keep the motivation high.  Until then, keep pounding the pavement, have fun and remember, set smaller, more attainable goals at first, which helps keep the motivation running on high octane!

 

What Was I Thinking?

Well, here I am, sore as heck, after a second run in my new shoes.  I went out last evening, around 10pm, as my work shift only finished at 9pm, but really felt great afterwards, knowing full well, I needed this run!  I knew I was going to be sore today, due in part to my new shoes, but largely due to the fact that I haven’t been out to run in a little while.  Despite the muscle aches and general stiffness, I’m feeling energized again and motivated to finally, FINALLY, get back into shape.

The little burst of energy, however, only lasts a short while, because then I start thinking about my upcoming shift with the paramedic bike patrol, and my legs start screaming at me: “What were you THINKING??!!”  I haven’t really gone far on my bike in a while, and well, we already know how long it’s been since I’ve gone for a run and had my endurance at a somewhat higher level than now; that is,  higher for me, anyway.  LOL!  We have a concert going on at our local outdoor venue, and well, they knew I was interested in someday doing the bike patrol during festivities, but, I just haven’t got myself into the best shape I could be in.  Also, I was just asked today to increase the length of my bike shift,  and of course I said yes…how could I say no??  So, now I’m facing a 12 hr bike shift instead of a 7 hr shift….uh oh??  Can you say sore legs???  And butt!!!!

On another note, I learned something new today…I’m sure at the expense of some laughter on behalf of my boss.  I was advised last night, by my fellow medic cyclist, who, I might mention, bikes on a more regular basis than I, that if I didn’t already have one, I should get a chamois.  Now, who’s with me here?  I only knew of one type of chamois…that which I use to wipe water droplets from my truck after a wash.  So, I head into a sports store to start looking at cycling shorts, seeing as I needed a black pair anyway, and stumble upon, wait for it…..shorts with padding in the seat and crotch!  Just prior to my finding these, I had texted my boss, seeing as he used to own a cycling shop I figured he knew all the “cycling lingo”, and he was replying back to me as I stumbled upon my find.  Apparently, the “chamois” is the name given to the padded seat/crotch of said shorts.  Who knew?  He replied back with a big LOL afterwards…hope I gave him a good laugh anyway….not too often that I have a “brainfart” like that…I can usually figure out stuff on my own.  I had a good chuckle over this myself, though, as I now have a new appreciation for the word, chamois….not only does it eliminate water spotting from your vehicle, but it’s an ASS SAVER too!!!!!!!  LOL!

Another chuckle surfaced when I thought of how silly I would’ve looked with my chammy towel and regular shorts, all the while, my butt and thighs would’ve been getting increasingly more sore from those nasty little bike seats!  Might as well laugh…at least I have the proper attire now.  And once again, a new item of knowledge, added to an already overcrowded sieve of a brain….lol!

As much as I would love to take an evening run tonight, I may just have to take this evening and tomorrow off, just to be sure my legs actually still work on Saturday, in time for my extra long day of biking.  If this doesn’t kick my butt to get back into shape, then I’m not sure what it’s going to take.  I will probably have the all new appreciation for that chamois padding by the end of the day on Saturday.  But, don’t worry folks, taking tonight and tomorrow off from running won’t put me back into that slump I was in for the past month and a half or more, where I stopped running.  I’m back…and going to work harder than ever…provided I can feel my legs on Sunday.  And to think, I’m working on the ambulance on Sunday….might not be able to move….just WHAT was I thinking????