Day 2: Another 2 miles

I'm feeling last night's workout a bit more this time. Apparently I have calf muscles... who knew. I love being able to set the pace on the treadmill, and this time I was able to actually jog for about 0.8 of a mile (not all at once though) and did 2.09 miles in 30 minutes.

Speaking of treadmills, a buddy at work gave me a really good deal on his. Long story short, he has the nice one from Costco that is still in the box (well, three boxes actually)... the one with the TV screen and 3hp motor. So next week when I come up for the staff meeting I get to pick it up.

In my head, I'm planning to do the treadmill during the week and then go out and actually hit the real road on Saturdays. I also need to start doing the Bowflex on my off-days so I can work on my legs.

So this week I've already done more running than I have since gym class in Grade 10 (which was the last time I had to take gym). I've never been one to go out and run for the heck of it, but it's starting to grow on me.

It didn't kill me!!

Woohoo! My first workout as part of the preliminary marathon training program. I actually packed a workout bag for my trip this time so I wouldn't have any excuses. I spent 31 minutes on the hotel treadmill tonight and walked (mostly) 1.92 miles. That's well within the target range for the preliminary training schedule. I even managed to get some actual jogging in for a while too.

I know it's not as good as the "real thing", but there are some nice perks to the treadmill. I can gradually increase my speed until I get to my target range (4.5 mph). Once I felt comfortable there, I bumped it up to 5 for some jogging. I only made it about 0.1 - 0.2 miles at that pace, but it's a start. That's more than I did yesterday. Aside from the fact that I looked like I'd been in a waterfight as I went back upstairs to my room, it really felt good.

The book is really big on keeping a reasonable training pace to avoid injury, so I'll keep focusing on walking interspersed with a few minutes of jogging and gradually work up from there. I have 10 weeks before I tackle the 3-mile run.

Heart Failure (almost)

So, we got a copy of "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer" and after the initial shock, it's turning out to be a good book.

Lemme 'splain... no, there is too much. Lemme sum up...

Page 2 of the intro has the training schedule, and Day 1 is listed as '3'. Three what? Well, three miles... 3 miles on Day 1?! They're trying to kill me and I haven't even started yet! I'll just take my cell phone with me, dial 9-1 just to get a head start and keep my finger ready to dial the last 1 as I start to get dizzy and pass out. On the bright side, I'll probably still be in the back yard at that point, so it'll be easy for the paramedics to find me. Heck, they could probably plug their defibrillators into the outside wall outlet and still reach me.

Fortunately I kept reading. On Page 9 they give you the 10-week preliminary training program to get you to the point where you can run 3 miles. I'm all about prequels coming out after the original series, but in this case it would not have killed them to mention the preliminary training first.

Basically, they start you out walking a 17-20 minute mile (which I could probably still do, I have long legs), then 13-16 minutes. Then you jog for 5 minutes, fast walk for 5 (for 30 minutes) and work your way up to running for 30 minutes. That doesn't sound quite as shocking as starting off with a 3 mile run on Day 1.

The book says to pick a marathon no later than 5 months from your starting point. Since I really have no desire to run 26.2 miles in November (unless of course it's in the Caribbean), I'm taking the liberty of stretching out the training schedule. The nagging voice inside me is starting to get excited about running, so I need to get on this band wagon right away.

While I work on the preliminary training schedule, I will work on incorporating the stretching and supplemental exercises (weights, etc). Again, this is part of the book that could've been addressed at the beginning. The stretches aren't introduced until week 4 and the other exercises don't come up until week 8. Honestly, I'm more afraid of the stretching than anything else. Some of you may not know this about me, but I don't bend. I don't remember ever being able to touch my toes without bending my knees. Not even a fuzzy childhood recollection.

Anyhow, there it is. I'm committing myself to running a marathon next year.

The Challenge

Krista phoned this morning to tell me she had a "copy" of the Non-Runners book, Dawn ordered ours a couple of days ago (it may be at the post office now, I didn't check yesterday)... I want to commit myself to this whole fitness thing before I realize how much work it will be and want to back out.

Krista and I thought it would be a good idea to get a team going so we could all reinforce each other and keep everyone motivated. I know myself well enough to know that it needs to be more work to keep making excuses to people why I didn't get out and do something than it would've been to just do it in the first place.

I want to commit to this now before I read the book and realize just how much work is involved. I'm going to have to change my diet (or get one in some cases... I don't always eat regularly), more water, less junk. I'm going on record right now saying that if my body starts reacting to dairy products, I'm back on the couch. I'm sorry, but ice cream is just too good to give up...

Anyhow, if you're interested in joining forces, then lets get a support team going. It's always easier when there are people who care encouraging each other...

I must be crazy...

I can't believe I'm actually considering this, I think my sanity may be in question here. I know some of you think I'm nuts already, so this could just be the conclusive evidence you were waiting for. .

I've been making fun of joggers/runners for a long time now. I've had a hard time grasping the motivation behind the desire to get out and just run for the sake of running. Not to run to or from anything, but just to run. I think most of us can safely say that society has evolved to the point where our lives no longer depend on our ability to outrun whatever wild animal is chasing us. Even then, let's face it... when we measure our top speeds in terms of a 4-minute mile, it's not going to make a difference against a predator that can do upwards of 30 mph.

Don't get me wrong, I've always admired those who are good (or even consistent) at running. Becka ran 20KM before coming out to branding last week. I don't know if I've run 20KM combined in my lifetime. Krista says she's been running. Our friends Barb & Jesse are both getting into it, which may end up being my final push over the edge. They're even talking about a marathon in Idaho next year. They recommended the book "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer" by David Whitsett, so I'll have to get a copy and check it out. Let's face it, I'm a non-runner. No one has ever stopped me on the street to ask if I go jogging, or "didn't I see you running the other day?".

It's just one of those things that has always been quietly nagging me and thus far has been rather easy to ignore. I know there are many benefits to running, and I really need to have more activity in my lifestyle. I don't know if I'd ever tackle a marathon, but I do need to get out and do something more often. On the other hand, how cool would it be to actually finish a marathon... or a half-marathon... or to go from the couch to the fridge without getting winded.