Where to start? Here is good, I guess.
I've never been an 'athlete'. I was raised in a family that was more familiar with 'intellectual' pursuits such as band and theatre along with just enough 'outdoorsy' like fishing and hunting. I was a track manager and loved it--that was active enough for me. It didn't help that growing up I had less-than-supportive teachers in fitness/gym classes and older parents who weren't physically active.
As I moved through college and early married life, active meant that we found things to do--hiking, walking, sightseeing etc--that had a purpose other than just getting exercise. Just as I was losing the extra pounds from having Boy #1, I badly broke my ankle and ended up with major surgery and a busy 10-month-old. When the ankle healed, I then became pregnant with Boy #2. Fitness was just trying to keep up with life!
My first experience with running for fitness (by choice, rather than for a PE requirement) came when I had been attending Curves (the workout place for women). Someone there was talking about a community education course in a nearby town that was all about running and how to get into it--they raved about the instructor and said they had enjoyed the course, never having run before that. I was intrigued and took the course. Over the next several months, I ran more and more and even did a couple of short races. My husband, a lifelong runner, was delighted and proud. My doctor was perplexed, but encouraging ("Wait...you are taking a CLASS to learn to run???"). But, I was a spirited runner---I didn't like to run if it was too hot or at certain times of the day. I certainly didn't like getting up at the crack of dawn to go pay someone to time me in a race! So, the habit didn't last, unfortunately. I was probably doing it for those around me rather than my own motivation.
When the pregnancy poundage didn't come off as easily after #2, I got fed up. I joined Weight Watchers and ended up losing 20+ pounds over several months. Everyone ooohed and ahhhed at my new look and it felt good. Funny thing was, the change was entirely due to changes in eating--I hadn't changed anything about my activity levels. As happens often, I strayed from the eating habits that worked and ended up putting the weight back on. I had been almost too focused on the weight so that when I got to my goal, there wasn't anything left to work for.
We also spent a few years taking weekly kettle bell classes as a couple. These were excellent all-over workouts and became a social event for us, too, as we took the classes with friends or met new people there. I was probably in the best toned shape of my life during this time. Unfortunately, life also had other plans. My mother died, I turned 40 and I developed a nagging hip pain that nobody could fix, other than recommending back surgery, which I wasn't willing to try. Our kettle bell instructor got her own studio (yay!), but it was a 30-minute drive away and we just couldn't fit it in anymore now that our children were busy with various sports and commitments. The combination of these events led to less activity and, over time, complacency.
About 4 years ago, I decided to try the running again. I had been through two hip surgeries on top of countless rounds of physical therapy and neither did much for me. I think I was just feeling the need to prove to myself that I could get stronger. It gave me something other than pain on which to focus. I started in the winter--might have been a New Year's Resolution,. I decided to run every other day and I followed the Couch-to-5K timeline/protocol. I did this for two months faithfully and I don't even remember why I stopped, sadly. It may have been the hip pain; either it increased or the running didn't impact it at all, so I didn't see the value, which was obviously short-sighted of me.
Fast-forward to today. I'm again feeling in a rut, physically. Life is good, in general--great husband, successful kids are thriving in their endeavors, I like my job. But I'm tired of the lack of motivation I feel. I miss feeling good about something I've done for me. The weight is secondary, but can't be ignored. Of course I'd like to lose some weight, but more important is my overall health and self-image right now.
What is motivating me this time? It feels better to me that there are several factors--I see friends and many of my students getting/being fit, I remember how it felt to be able to push myself now and then, and I'm continually inspired by my own family and how they take care of themselves. Our kids are both in good shape and physically active. The doctor who laughed about me taking a running class and told me how he hated running is now running marathons. My nephew, who also has a blog, just recently posted about taking up running. I'm not in any way physically competitive, but was instead inspired by his sudden interest in something he mostly 'hated' (but has discovered he hates less than he thought...). It reminded me that we all have choices in life and being fit is a choice---not something handed to us. If you truly desire to be fit, then you need to find a way that works for you!
Today I started back on the Couch-to-5K path because it feels right for me, after so many times of considering other options and excuses (see previous reference to being 'spirited'). I've done this before and know I can make it work. I am not certain where it will take me, but I'm looking forward to finding out. If you've read this long-wind ed post, I hope you'll stick around for more and find something of value in what I write. It will be loosely about this journey, but with plenty of other thoughts thrown in, because that's me. In every difficult transition in my life, I've found the need to have some sort of written outlet---journaling or similar. I will just consider this my 2017 version of a journal, I suppose. This is as good a place to start as any!
Testing comments
ReplyDelete