One Block At A Time – Week Seven
I’ve tried many methods to kick start a regular running routine, but the only thing that really seems to work is what I call the “one block at a time” method. I plan to run 3 times a week, and go 1 block further each time. Simple as that. (Except I know myself, and it will never be as simple as that) Without a mini goal in mind, I just have a hard time committing to running. I hope that this weekly blog will help me to not quit this time, and maybe finally get into better shape! Who knows, maybe it will help motivate you too.
DAY FIFTEEN: Monday 11/24/14 Well we are back to square one, but I am just happy to be back running again! That week off and sickness really did a number on my breathing. I really struggled to keep air in my lungs today. Truth be told this wasn’t a surprise, I am not a full 100% yet but certainly well enough to run today. The week off really helped in some ways too. This is the best my legs have felt in a while. This has been the longest I have stuck with a regular running routine and I was starting to feel it in my legs. They felt great today, if I wasn’t out of breath I think I could have run a considerably longer distance. In any case, I am really relieved by how much I was looking forward to running today, and how eager I am to go out again tomorrow. Getting sick for a week was just the kind of thing to put me on a 4 month hiatus in the past, but not this time… at least for now.
DAY SIXTEEN: Tuesday 11/25/14 Today was the first time I’ve ever gone out into the rain to run. Yeah it has poured on me mid-run in the past, but if I was going to get my run in today I was going to have choose to get wet. Kept it simple and abbreviated my run quite a bit so I would end closer to home. Today was more about commitment than actually having a good run. The run itself was fine, I guess. Still struggling from that week off, it’s amazing how quickly you can fall out of form after such a short break. I had some back pain for the first time in ages, I must have been just as tense as I was uncomfortable in the rain. I’m glad I did it though, might not have been a good run, but at least it happened.
DAY SEVENTEEN: THURSDAY 11/27/14 Happy Thanksgiving!! I have a lot to be thankful for, but tops on my list at the moment is the fact that I live in a very flat city! We are in Atlanta for Thanksgiving and we always participate in the Grant Park Neighborhood turkey trot. This isn’t an official race or anything, no registration fees, free t-shirts or numbers to pin on yourself. Just a group of friends and neighbors running a two mile loop around the perimeter of Grant Park. I have to say I am really proud of myself this year. This was the first time I was able to start and finish the race running every step. The last few years I would pull up lame with knee or hamstring issues, embarrassed to limp into the finish line walking, but this year was different. Slow and steady even though a few of those hills were almost literally a killer. This year I never stopped running, I have come a long way! So for now I plan to give thanks for my family and friends, big beautiful beers, and for being back in flat Savannah to run on Monday!!! Never mind one more block today, personal goal achieved!
