The Beginner Begins Again

What’s so fascinating and frustrating and great about life is that you’re constantly starting over, all the time, and I love that.
~Billy Crystal (Brainy Quotes)

Yes please

Anyone else remember the day time reality show Starting Over?  I loved that show.  Being a perpetual beginner, starting over is something I’m used to.  And it’s time for another go around!  I’m running again.

It’s been a couple of weeks, & I’ve been doing an hour of walk/run intervals.  I based my plan on different 5K programs I’ve seen/tried. I did three days the first week, but last week I only made it out one day.  It was a very up & down week.  Monday & Tuesday I was so busy doing other stuff I never got around to it.  Then Wednesday came.  It was like the other two days had sucked all the good out of the rest of the week & left me hanging.  I barely got out of bed Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday.  Saturday I drug myself out though.  I was feeling a little better, & did not want to let the week get away from me without going out at least one day.  Sunday was okay, & I spent a good bit of time researching form.  Yep, you’re going to see some of what I found this week.

It’s been stops & starts the last year trying to get back into a regular routine.  This time feels really good though.  I’m excited about running the way I used to be.  I’m back to being as slow as I was when I first started running, but part of it, beyond just I’m really slow, is I’ve slowed down trying to get my form right.  At some point my form became very jarring.  I noticed the first day I went out this time my back hurt, so I decided I needed to slow it down & focus on better form; better posture & less jarring.  My form is becoming more automatic & I was faster Saturday, so yay!  I feel strong too.  I think that’s my favorite part of running, feeling strong.  I’ve also been working on my stretching routine.

I wrote about how I got started running for Salty Running a couple of years ago, On Being a Fat Happy Runner.  Anyone who thought they could never be runner but wants to try, might find a few good bits in it, especially other plus size women trying to get started.

Shoe Lacing Techniques

A shoe that is too large is apt to trip one, and when too small, to pinch the feet. So it is with those whose fortune does not suit them.
~Horace (Brainy Quotes)

Running Warehouse video on lacing techniques to solve foot problems when running

Yesterday, Running While Fat talked about changing her laces to parallel lacing to avoid her foot going to sleep while running.  I have had the same problem, & always assumed I was tying my shoes too tight.  It’s why I switched to speed laces (until I got my groovy Sauconys with the red/black striped stretchy laces).  I like the neon green laces of the shoes I have now, so I am going to give parallel lacing a shot.

Along with the video above,  here are a few links I dug up on lacing techniques.  They do show some different problems & solutions, but they also show the methods in different ways: videos, photos, & diagrams.  Should be something for everyone’s visual learning style!  (Being a self-taught crocheter, I can appreciate the need for a variety of references.)  You’ll also find different ways of solving the same problem.

When Training Slips, Watch the Self Talk | Salty Running

Forgiveness for our setbacks is one of the most important gifts we can give ourselves as runners, but it’s also one of the most difficult parts of our training. For me, it helps to remember that I run because I want to be a better person, not just a faster athlete, and the person I want to be loves herself and prioritizes her physical and mental well-being.
– Cinnamon, Salty Running

(source: Calming Manatee)

When Training Slips, Watch the Self Talk – Salty Running

The sun is out & the weather is warming up, so I’m challenging myself to be a better blogger & get back to a regular exercise routine.  For the month of April I will be blogging daily & taking a walk.  I currently feel like arthritis has taken over my body, so gentle daily exercise is especially important now.

I have been very irregular with getting my exercise in for a the last few months (okay, several months), so this article from Cinnamon over at Salty Running seemed apropos.  We all have setbacks, & beating yourself up over it does nobody any good, least of all you.  So be gentle, be forgiving, & be inspired to keep trying.

There is a Japanese proverb that fits here: “Fall down seven times & stand up eight.”

幸運

Calming Manatee On HAES

“You can eat healthy at any size.”
–Calming Manatee

Calming Manatee

I ❤ Calming Manatee, & when I saw this on the site I knew it belonged here.  (And just to clarify the post title, I wrote it based on this one image & do not actually know if CM has an official stance on HAES.)

Health is a choice; weight is not.  There’s no need to throw in the towel on a nutritious diet because it doesn’t get you into a pair of size 2 jeans.  Maybe it will, maybe it won’t, but you’ll be the better for it either way.  Eating better = feeling better, & what’s the downside to that?

For those interested, I dug up a few links about HAES & nutrition:
Heart-Healthy Diet Helps Men Lower Bad Cholesterol, Regardless of Weight Loss
HAES Community
National Eating Disorders Association
Association For Size Diversity & Health
American Psychological Association
Healthy Weight Network (pdf)
The Fat Nutritionist

And a quick running update!

71 Resources to Run Better Today | Greatist

National Running Day: 71 Resources to Run Better Today | Greatist

While I have been a blogging slacker, I have not been a running slacker! Not going as regularly as I had planned the last few weeks, but considering how sick I’ve been combined with holidays & extreme weather, I’d say for me to be out there doing anything is a win.

It’s no longer National Running Day, but here is a Greatist collection of 71 links to information to help you be a better runner.

71 Resources to Run Better Today

Small Habits Make Big Changes

“What if someone told you to floss only one tooth everyday? Or start the new year, not with grand resolutions, but with a simple challenge?”
~BJ Fogg, “Forget Big Change, Start with a Tiny Habit”

Trigger Warning

Okay, this video was not just smart & insightful, it was entertaining. As I’m sure you gleaned from the title, Mr. Fogg advocates making small changes over time if you want to make a big change. He believes you are more likely to stick with a habit you can perform quickly & easily, than some lofty goal that can be onerous & discouraging. From there you build on those small changes until the big change sneaks up on you, already a habit.

Try Something New for Thirty Day | Ted Talks

“The next 30 days are going to pass whether you like it or not, so why not think about something you have always wanted to try and give it a shot for the next 30 days?”
~Matt Cutts, Matt Cutts: Try something new for 30 days

I talk a lot about habit building & routines.  Probably because I’m not good at them, so I am always building & rebuilding, creating new schemes.  Well, it’s that time again.

To that end I have been doing some researching.  I’ve watched a few videos on the topic.  There is so much good information on the topic, I’ve decided instead of trying to cram it into one article I’m going to spread it out over the week.

I have a runner’s heart | Fit for a year

Polymer clay winged heart from a plaque I made my mother.

I don’t have a runner’s body, but I have a runner’s heart – and that is all you need.
~Army Sergeant Jennifer Morris, Runner’s World Challenger

I have a runner’s heart | Fit for a year

I found this beautiful quote on John’s blog, Fit for a Year, & it was too perfect not to share.  I recommend his blog for runners.

The terrible and wonderful reasons why I run long distances | The Oatmeal

Image from The Oatmeal

The terrible and wonderful reasons why I run long distances | The Oatmeal

The creator of The Oatmeal comics site has created a six page ode to distance running.  I recommend you check it out, no matter how far you like to run.

Zombies, Run! 5K Training Week 1

Screenshot of my completed mission screen for week 1, from ZombiesRunGame.com

You’re Runner 5, a vital member of one of the last outposts of humanity at Abel Township. Over the course of an eight week, 25 workout training programme, you’re trained to help collect supplies and protect the town from the encroaching zombie apocalypse.
Zombies, Run! 5K Training site

Back on the horse! Finally, I started, & finished, the first week of Zombies, Run! 5K training program. Yay!  I’m glad to finally be excited about running again.

It took a little longer than planned.  I planned to finish it Friday, but I had an out-of-town appointment & the day got away from me.  Then I was going to make it up Saturday, but Saturday started out bad & got worse.  I had a depressive episode & it took most of the day for my boyfriend to get me to stop crying & get out of bed.  Sunday, it poured all day.  So Monday, Monday it was!  I had considered just skipping w1d3 & going right to w2d1, but decided it would be easy enough to still get my W2 runs in this week.

I’m still slow, but I was pleased I was able to run the entire 10mins of the free form runs.  I hadn’t really doubted I could, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to.  It’s been months since I’ve run for that long. >_<