I’m noticing a trend as to why I’ve been so successful with running. You may remember I was not a runner prior to February this year. I was friends with walking, but running? I hardly spoke the word. So as the months pass and my success continues on, there is a very specific re-occurring trend which has encouraged me to keep at it:
Never stop trying new things.
In February, March & April I worked on my pace and pushed myself to run longer durations. Not at a faster speed, but simply run for 10, 20, 30 additional seconds. I also had to push through the pains of becoming a runner, which took time. This was a huge accomplishment and helped me to make it to May.
In May & June I wanted to run more miles during each workout, pushing myself to an average of five miles per run. This usually took me an hour, which was exactly the duration of time I was hoping for.
In July I aimed to run more often each week. The longer I ran in distance and duration the more tired my body felt. I paired running 4 days/week with walking 2-3 days/week. Even if my muscles felt sore, I ran. Even when I felt like we had other things we should or could be doing, I made time to run. The mornings give me my best workouts, so I kept that a priority and saved the afternoons for errands or taking the kids to the park.
That brings me to August. So far this month I’ve been running in the early morning (think 7am), and the kids have been staying at home — which really is a gift for all of us :) During the week I normally take Bauer, but on the weekends I run by myself.
This past Saturday I did something totally different once again as I wanted to find a new location. I set my alarm, picked up my friend Joanna, and together we ran alongside the Pacific for an hour. Normally I run through a business district or neighborhood, so the beach was a real treat.
We walked for a few minutes and prepared our muscles to be bossed around. Our pace increased and soon we were running alongside other runners and cyclists. That’s probably the best part of running for me, joining my community in a workout that’s truly unique to each of us.
No doubt, when you have a running buddy it’s easier to push each other to keep going.
How long do you want to run?
We’re at 2.12 miles right now, maybe a little over 4 total? Let’s run down to that rest stop and then turn around.
Sounds good.
So that was my Saturday, and it was great. Trying new things is definitely working well for me.
PS. Many have asked what I listen to while I run. I keep one earbud in and switch between listening to music (Pandora: various stations depending on my mood), audio books (OverDrive is an iPhone app that links to your library account so you can listen with your phone), and podcasts.
