I've heard people say, 'Running is addictive. Once you start you can't stop.'
Pah, phooey!
Today at the age of sixty-seven and a quarter I did my first ever run. I spent 99% of the time thinking, 'I hate this. I can't do this. I am going to change or give up. I hate this.' The remaining 1% was when I was in cool down and I was thinking, 'I suppose I should give it another go next week at least.'
I also spent a lot of time thinking I might die. My heart rate was in the red or above on the monitor all the time. *
According to the instructions I was supposed to walk briskly for five minutes to warm up, then run for thirty minutes. They provided this little scale of exertion:
My run was supposed to be at level 4. My warm-up brisk walk got me to level 6 and by the time I was returning I was on level 8. And that was walking quickly most of the time rather than running. (You assess your own level depending on how your legs and chest cope.
The research is to determine the effect of exercise on brain activity. I had to do cognitive tests before and after the run. I know I made two mistakes afterwards so I am inclined to the view that exercise is not good for my brain and I should cease forthwith!
* The rest of the time I spent thinking, 'What is the matter with these people? Why don't they move over? Haven't they heard of social distancing?'
P.S. I would be interested to hear PipeTobacco's views.
11 comments:
Are you a masochist?
Hmm. Did my comment post? Darn.... I think it did not. I will have to rewrite it.
PipeTobacco
Good grief. You are brave or see Debra’s comment.
Hello Liz:
From my perspective, it was not INITIALLY fun to run. It took me a while for it to feel that way. But, here is a "sort-of" overview of the progression I had:
1. At first, it felt quite "unfun" to run.... but at the same time I *did* notice for me that it seemed to lower my feeling of stress. And, for my start, that reduction of feelings of stress were significant enough that it helped encourage me to continue.
2. The stresses that I had been feeling were a mixture.... both just general feelings of stress and some specific situational stress that was difficult. Again, for me the decrease in those feelings that running induced in me helped me persist even when I initially did not find it fun.
3. Another facet for me was that my actually *doing* the running became itself a motivator for me... for I was always of the mindset that I could *never* be a runner, I had never been in all of my multiple earlier decades, especially when I was quite overweight. That I could SHOW MYSELF that it was possible for me to do it... even if not "fun" was a motivator.
4. But, as I progressed in continuing TO run, it actually did become very enjoyable, and I would say that probably today that 9 out of every 10 days of running that I do..... do feel FUN to me. I am now at a point where I typically run about 53 miles (~ 85 km) each week. And, I have ran 15 half marathon distances in the last 15 months.
5. I guess what "made" it become fun for me, was that I began to really enjoy seeing what my body *could* do, I enjoy that I did accomplish this "thing" I never dreamed possible, and I enjoy that I feel stronger, more relaxed and happier in general now that I do run, than before I ran.
There are still morning where I am not excited... especially in the snowy, icy winter where during Covid-19 I have to get my run in on a treadmill... but when I do get to run outside, it is exciting for me, it is fun for me, and it feels good for me to do.
But... it took a while to get to that place. :)
PipeTobacco
I am only 56 but no way would I go running. I prefer bike riding. It is much easier on the body if you ask me.
Thanks for visiting my blog. You have so many blogs, I wasn't sure which one to choose, so I clicked on the top of the list. Your dog is beautiful. I do well to walk, so I'm probably not ever going to try running. You are brave to make the effort.
Love,
Janie
I'm your newest follower.
Love again,
Janie
Kudos to you for tackling running, Liz! A thirty minute run is a lot the first time out of the gate. Supposedly it gets easier. I'm not able to run for medical reasons, although I can do so in short spurts. Cheering you on!
Debra, possibly.
Marie, brave I like to think. Or stupid.
Thank you for this, pipeTobacco. It did feel like an achievement and I would like to think that my body can improve.
Bathwater, cycling makes my hips ache!
Thanks, Janie. Yes, i have lots of blogs but most are inactive.
Hi Fundy Blue, 30 minutes is a very long time. I looked at my timer at one point thinking I must be nearly there and I was only on 10.
Not sure running is good for anything except getting away from something supremely dangerous like a goblin chasing you with a big knife. Brisk walk, core strength training, yoga, yes. Running on purpose or heaven forbid, for fun is weird.
Well, you never know, it might come in handy one day when I have to run away from a fire-breathing dragon.
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