On the Run

Ok, so I basically started running again three weeks ago.  My first week I got up on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 5:00, threw on some clothes, and just went out and ran/walked for 20-30 minutes each day.  I meant to do the same thing on Friday, but my digestive track said “No thanks” so I forewent the run (not sure what I ate the night before).  Last week, was almost an exact repeat.  Monday and Wednesday went fine, but Friday was another no-go.

This week, I tried something different.  When my wife first started running, she got this App for her iPod called “Get Running” and I decided to give it a try myself.  It runs in the background (even while you are playing music) and has you start with a 5-minute brisk walk to warm up, then has you alternate running for one minute with walking for one and a half minutes, until you have run eight minutes.  It takes a total of about twenty-eight minutes, and you feel it.  That’s week one.  Each week has you run a bit more.  Week two, for instance, has you run nine minutes.

I managed to do it all three days this week, and I feel better for that.  The only down side is that the route I take has a hug hill about halfway through.  This isn’t bad on the way out, but coming back, no matter how I time it, I always seem to hear “Start running now” just as I get to the bottom of that hill.  Ugh!  I’ll probably look into alternate routes, but my neighborhood has a lot of hills, so it may not do any good.

Interestingly, the voice the App uses is a pleasant female voice with a British accent.  It can be a bit distracting at first, as I have always found that extremely sexy.  Maybe they need to make one where the voice is R.Lee Ermy screaming obscenities at you while you run.  That would be pretty motivational!

Anyways, I think it’s safe to say that I am getting the hang of this running thing again.  I have never liked doing it, but it sure was a lot easier twenty years ago.  I doubt I will ever be a competitive runner like my wife (though I may do a few 5k’s with her), so doing a 2-3 mile run three times a week sounds fine to me.

Next week I also want to start in on some strength and flexibility training.  My shoulders are still in pain, so I often feel limited by that. I think I just need to grit my teeth and push past the pain for a while.  I’ll probably start using the “100 Push Ups” App for that.  I usually do that, and add in some other exercise, like dumbbell curls, for the same number of reps.  You get pretty pumped by the end of it.

On another note, I turn 42 this December, which is the age-limit for joining the military (though mine would technically be 48, since they add any prior service to the age limit).  Now, I’m not actually thinking of doing it for a number of reasons.  But I thought it was cool that, technically, I could walk into a recruiter’s office right now, and join the military as an Officer, since I have a Bachelor’s degree.  It would be interesting to see what that would be like…

Forget the test

For the last few weeks I have been half-assed planning my fitness journey.  I've kind of been disgruntled by the prospect for various reasons.  But mainly it's down to two.  First, my shoulders hurt, and that makes a lot of upper-body training painful.  And second, I hate to run.

Today I decided to say "the hell with it" and go for a run/jog.  I got up at around 5 am, put on some shorts, a t-shirt and running shoes, plugged myself into my headphones, and just went.  It was kind of an eye-opener.  My pace was rather slow, and I walked more than ran, but that's fine.  I've never been much of a runner (which is probably why I dislike it).  I found my legs fatiguing fast, and was out of breath rather quickly.

In short, I am in pathetic physical condition.

So, instead of planning and charting and testing, I am just going to go with my gut and do what I can to improve.  Right now, getting myself out of bed at 5 am and going for about a 30-minute jog is good.  Doing it three times a week will go a long ways towards getting me where I want to be.  As for the rest, I'll do what exercises I can for my arms, shoulders, and chest.  Throw in some abdominals here and there, and I should be ok.

Eventually I do plan on a regular regimen.  Something involving total-body workouts, distance running (probably never more than 3 miles; I'm not a Runner like Michele), and some martial arts and "combat" training.

Later this year, we will be looking at buying a house, and I will have two things I would really like.  First, I want a dedicated writing space.  Even if it's just a closet, where I can sequester myself, surround myself with inspiration, and lock out the distractions (or as Steven Pressfield calls it "Resistance").  And secondly, I want a yard where I can have a few items for exercise.  I would like somewhere to hang a nice punching bag, and I would like to get a tractor tire to use for various exercises.  Some kind of contraption with a pull up bar and other such things would be nice too.

But, that's all down the road.  For now, I'm going to take it slow and easy.  I'm 41 and out of shape.  My body won't recover like it did when I was 18 and in Basic.  So, I have to train smarter, not harder.