Am I a Runner?

Am I a runner?

I often hear this a lot: "I can't run"

The first thing I think of is, "you can't run, or you don't like to run?"

Let me share with you a story on someone who was a self proclaimed "I can't run" person.

2007, I decided it was time to shed the pounds. My mom was an active runner, so I thought that would be a great way to loose the extra weight. So I told her I wanted to train for a 5K. Yeah, I'd never run in my life. Not only that, but I hated running. January, I made this commitment, and in March I was running my first 5K. Wow, that was fun, I thought. I wanted more. I wanted to run a half marathon. So, from January to August, I went from hating to run to running my first half marathon. Soon after, I got pregnant with my third child, stopped running, and gained a ton of weight.

After I had my baby, I wanted to be a "runner" again, but it seemed like a far fetched idea. I had 80 pounds to loose, completely out of shape, and everything else that comes with having a c section and a new baby. I didn't know if I could be a "runner" again. Then I read an article in Runners World Magazine. It had one criteria that you had to meet to know if you could be a "runner". Here it is: Can you walk from your couch to the fridge? If you answered yes, than you can be a runner.

Yes, it's hard to start

Yes, you'll be sore

Yes, you'll be tired

Yes, you might wonder if it will be worth it

No, you won't be able to run for very long at first

And, yes, you'll be out of breath, even after going for 30 seconds

The promising news is, it won't last. You'll be surprised at how fast your legs will get strong, and how fast your lungs will adapt.

And, you'll feel like you can conquer everything!

Your lungs and legs will be strong enough.

Most important, your mind will develop the I can attitude.

Here is the trick: ease into it slowly.

Don't jump right into running if you haven't done it before.

It will be to easy to give up quickly.

Need a training guide for a beginning runner?

Check this one out:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I went for a run this morning with my favorite running partner. On Saturday, my mom, who is 57, is running her fourth half marathon in three years. I'm impressed. I told her my ambition of one day running a marathon. I plan on starting to train when my youngest starts school. I looked at her and said, "That's in three years. Do you think I could be ready for a marathon in three years? I can barely run four miles?" I loved her reply, "Of course you can. If you do it, I'll do it with you." Okay, I'm a little excited about this proposition, and amazed. She will be 60 and running her first marathon. How awesome is that! Is it legal for a daughter to be so proud of her mother?

So, here's the point of the post: If you don't run, and would like to try, YOU CAN DO IT! If you can get off the couch and walk to the fridge, you can do it! Look at the training guide. It's so easy, right? Remember it's just a guide. I never moved to the next week/level until I was comfortable running the amount of minutes I was at.

Have fun and keep on Woggling (Walk/Jog)!