Here we go again, it's Marathon Monday #2 (continued from here):
Week 1, Day 1 of Couch to 5K (my first run): May 1st, 2011
"It felt good to get outside. Running was hard, but short enough to do."
~from my C25K app journal entry
When I took my first run last year, it was not love at "first step." Running for even one minute at a time was rough. It was hard on my heart, my lungs, my legs, etc.. But I was determined. I needed to get healthy. Earlier in the year, I had started my fitness journey (another year, another try) by using our elliptical machine while watching TV. As warmer weather and longer days approached, the ellipse became more and more of a chore. TV shows I had been watching while on the ellipse were ending. And it was getting harder to be indoors, with the nicer weather. Not to mention how difficult it was becoming to stay inside among the household clutter that comes with a busy family. I needed a change. So as challenging as it was, the C25K program was just the change I needed.
My runs were definitely slow and tough, but as the days and weeks passed, I became stronger and the running became easier (never easy, but easier). My determination also grew stronger as I felt the need to finish what I had started. I had recently come to recognize myself as a master at starting things like crafts, books, diets, workout regimens, etc., but I was not so good at finishing. Even if I never ran again, I was determined to prove to myself that I could finish the nine week program.
So as the weeks passed and I kept on running, I began to actually appreciate my runs rather than dread exercising. I cherished the "me" time; the time outside with my thoughts and my music. Despite the running being physically challenging, it felt mentally liberating. It helped center me. It brought my cluttered mind the clarity I was craving in my overstuffed world. Running was providing me just what I needed and I was becoming hooked.
[To Be Continued Next Marathon Monday]
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