When did I become a runner?
Running has always been in my family. My mom was a distance runner in high school and she continues to run to this day. I had plenty of great memories growing up cheering my mom on once a year at the Indy Mini Marathon. Each year in elementary school I always looked forward to field day. I always looked forward to the running races. I ran both distance and sprinting events in high school and college. I later became a cross-country coach at my local school and I will still run with the high school team from time to time. I have run multiple half marathons and other races as well. I actually was named top 100 female in the Indy Mini Marathon the last time I ran. (100 out of roughly 14,000 females) Running is in my blood.
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Why do I run?
Running has always been an outlet for me. If you ask my husband I cannot sit still. I am high energy and need to spend time each day getting all that energy out or I will become a crazy lady. Running is a time for me to collect my thoughts and to meditate. When I run, life stops for the 25-60 minutes when I go on runs. I feel like I am a kid again, with zero responsibilities and zero things to do. I didn’t truly become a lifestyle runner until I graduated high school. Up until high school I just ran because my coach told me told. It wasn’t until college where I chose to run and to make it a priority throughout the week.
“What if I am not a runner? I just am not in the shape to do it.”
I hear this ALL the time. Fine, you can say that – but whatever you tell yourself is what you are going to believe. It can go BOTH ways. That pain and breathlessness you feel when you run?? It is NORMAL. You are not going to die, in fact, what you are doing will make your body healthy and stronger. I have had ACL reconstructive surgeries on both knees, I have a partial left lung (that’s a story for another time), I have “out-of-line” hips, AND I work full-time…. God designed us to run. Running takes time, it takes, discipline, it doesn’t just happen right when you want it to. It may take a month or two. Some of you will start with walking and some of you may start with a light jog, but ALL of us can run. It is just a matter if it’s a priority. We all have started at somewhere. I remember thinking a 10 minute jog was insane! Our bodies were made to adapt, and it’s up to you on what you want it to adapt to. If you ever want to read a solid book, read the book “Born to Run”. It is one of my faves and it’s a true story. *Now there are some instances where some people are physically unable to run – this is obviously an exclusion. My mom had a huge injury on the side of her leg a few years ago and the doctor told her that running was not the best option for her. She runs in moderation to this day. I totally get that!
What shoes do I wear?
This is probably the most asked question I get from people who want to start running. I am going to say this as clearly as possible, there is not a “one shoe fits all” kind of shoe. We all run differently, half different arches, etc, but I do say don’t just get the most popular brand or google best running shoe because it’s what everyone is wearing. For example, for years everyone told me I needed to wear Asics or Brooks because I have high arches and that these two brands were the best shoes for that. They told me that Nike and Adidas were the worst shoes to get. After years of having shin splits and hip issue I finally made the decision to get the Adidas Ultra Boost. BEST. DECISION. EVER! I have not had any problems since and I love the fit of them. Now I am not saying to go get Adidas because probably half of the runners you talk to would say that Adidas didn’t work for them. I would go to a store and have them see how you run. My biggest word of advice is you know what should fits the best. If you feel uncomfortable wearing them then they probably aren’t the right shoe.
The Workout:
This workout is made to build up your endurance and speed. It is meant to be done only 2-3 times per week. It is similar to HIIT where you will have periods of high intensity followed b y periods of low intensity. GO AT YOUR OWN PACE!! Everyone’s speed is going to be different – what counts is if your heart rate is up. Someone who is walking on an incline could burn more calories than someone who is running on the treadmill. I don’t burn that many calories when I run a 9-10 minute mile pace because my body has become “efficient” with burning calories. I may have to get up to a 7 minute mile pace to get up to the same heart rate of someone who is walking with an incline. It all depends on how fast your heart is beating. If you cannot run then walk and increase the incline during the high intensity parts. I want to hear your feedback! If you do this workout right you should burn anywhere from 300-500 calories. Because this workout will be pushing you, you will burn calories hours after!
Enjoy!
Don’t See the Running Workout? Click HERE
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