In my attempt to get back to a regular schedule of running again, I actually got out of bed when I woke up at 6:15 this morning instead of rolling over for another 45 minutes of snoozing. There's a new app that I recently downloaded that has a free trial for a week, and I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss out. So, I started on Week 1, Day 1 of Red Rock Apps' Running for Weight Loss program.
This workout had me at about half running, half walking for 40 minutes, which turned to be perfect for me at this point. Lately I've been feeling discouraged about my running level and while intellectually I know that there is nothing wrong with a run/walk approach (in fact, it is AWESOME, even for advanced runners), I'm not so inclined to do it on my own. So having this app guide me through the intervals gave me the permission to walk and feel like it is part of a bigger plan, rather than just a personal cop-out. I'm not saying this workout was easy, because I worked for it and I was literally covered in sweat afterward, but it was totally doable for the level I am at now. I did just over 2.5 miles and it was great. I was able to get prompts from the app and listen to my own music playlist on Spotify with no problem.
I'll be trying it out for the rest of the week – I have two more runs scheduled for myself tomorrow morning and Friday morning. Bam. Getting back.
I was talking a bit with my co-worker and fellow runner, Kristen S. (there is now a Kristen N., too!) earlier about how we feel about running and whether long distances are something we want to continue pursuing. She is signed up for half marathon training starting this week but expressed concern about the time it takes for longer runs, not to mention the wear and tear on one's body. She recently enjoyed a couple weeks' stay in Scotland where she and her partner walked literally everywhere, every day – 5 to 7 miles each day, and she loved it. For me, I was getting discouraged about my perceived lack of progress with running, still struggling with it. And I am left wondering, why isn't it good enough to go for a 2, 3, or 4 mile run? Why do I feel like I have to keep pushing for more?
Anyway, I think working on my own and using an app to guide me will be helpful. I'm going to do the work, but also be kinder and gentler to myself. As my co-worker Steph reminded me, it's awesome that I even got out of bed early and did something – most people don't. And she's right!
I'm going to continue to work on getting out at least three times each week for a running/walking activity, plus whatever tennis and gardening I squeeze in.
One week at a time.
One day at a time.
On another note, I'm totally NOT a fan of Steph Curry (not to be confused with my co-worker Steph!), the Golden State Warriors' star player (I am a Steven Adams/OKC Thunder girl all the way! I also hate the whole Curry mouthguard business), but when I read this list, I found myself nodding an awful lot and wanted to share it with you. Curry or no Curry, these are some great activities to incorporate into your daily life. I especially like the last one – You can do ALL the things! Yes. Yes, I can.
Curry-inspired 30 Quick Tips to Change Your Fitness Game
And speaking of ALL the things, I discovered today that my health insurance provider offers free fitness classes just about every single day this summer! That's definitely something I'm going to check out on alternate running days.
Working on staying positive and active and proactive. I want real progress again!
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