An old friend sent me a message the other day asking for some helpful motivation & accountability to try and get back into running. I thought through it for awhile, having just gone through a bit of a hiatus myself. Moving to AL from KS I have had to get adjusted - my body has had 10 years of flat & dry, and now it's been thrust into hills & humidity. I've had to get re-motivated myself.
Thought I'd share with everyone else the encouragement I sent his way. For anyone trying to get your backside back off the sofa and back on the pavement - or for anyone who's thinking about giving running a try - here you go:
2. Races are the easiest way to set goals! Start w/5 & 10K races. To give you an idea, I did at least 8-10 10K's and several 10 mile races before I ever thought about a marathon. Great distance, great atmosphere at those events. Most semi-metropolitan cities have at least a 5K or 10K.
3. Mix it up. Find different routes & routines.
4. Buy Runner's World. It's a HUGE motivator when you start reading a running magazine. And that is by far the best one.
5. Make sure you have the right shoes. Do NOT buy your running shoes at Finish Line, Dick's, etc.... Find a good, local running store. It will make a big difference. Also, buy some good running clothes. Once you've spent $$ on this, you're more motivated & you're better equipped.
6. Hydrate. I drink 3-4 liters of H2O a day.
7. Make the decision to call yourself a "Runner". I know it sounds cheesy & crazy, but it will change your mentality. And when people begin to look at you that way, you start to expect it of yourself.
Hopefully that provides you some motivation - a swift kick in the can - to get you on your way. Maybe you have some additional thoughts or ideas. Let's hear it!
Run for your life!
I biked a new trail today that you could loop and it would be long enough for you. It's about 30 minutes away but good for a time of solitude - shady, by a river alot of the time, etc. Hayes Nature Preserve on the other side of Monte Sano. Check it out!
ReplyDeletebtw, we did 7 miles and never repeated anything and there are lots of trails we didn't go on.....
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your encouragement to people who might want to become runners. And I've got a challenge for you. But first, I'll tell you a little of my running history. I have run 5 marathon and completed about 10 triathlons including two ironman triathlons (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run). My last ironman completion was August of 2009. I was signed up to do another ironman triathlon this year but in early February I herniated a disc in my neck while lifting weights. This side-lined me for 6 months. I finally had to have surgery where they removed the disc and put a plate between the vertebrate so the bones would fuse. While riding the bench I pack on a lot of weight. When you go from working out all the time to doing nothing....well, it's easy to gain weight. I finally got the green light 3 weeks ago from the doctor to resume my training.
ReplyDeleteSo what is the challenge? The Rocketman Triathlon. This is a sprint distance triathlon and a very well run event. The distances are .5 mile swim, 20 mile bike and 7k run. The swim is in the TN River. The race is held on RSA. I have done this race 5 or 6 times over the years. This was my first triathlon. I had run a 5k race and saw a flyer for the Rocketman. I knew I could run a 5k....even if I was slow as molasses. Biking? Heck, I did that when I was a kids...and they say you never forget how to ride a bike. Swimming 1/2 was an unknown but I rationalized the if someone dumped me overboard 1/2 mile from shore, I would not drown; eventually I'd make it back to shore.
So I completed the triathlon and fell in love with the sport. I love running too and have run the Disney Marathon 4 times and the Nashville Country Music marathon once and the Rocket City half marathon a couple of time.
If you don't want to do the Rocketman, perhaps you'll want to do the Rocket City 1/2 marathon. I will probably run that again this year. This is in November. The full Rocket City marathon is in December. I'd like to run that some day but I'm not sure I can get back into marathon shape that quickly.
So there's a few challenges for ya. Let me know if you're interested in doing a triathlon and/or if you'd like to go biking. There is a nice bike ride coming up the fall that I've done a couple of times - the Spring City Cycle Club Century ride. You don't have to ride the full century though as they have 25, 50 62, 75, 100 and 112 mile loops.
Mike Rogillio