Running!

I want to preface this blog by saying I'm not an expert runner. I am a beginning runner and I honestly don't know THAT much about running. I do know how I started running and what has worked for me - so that's what I'm going to share in this blog. If you are thinking about running know that what I say is just my personal experience and nothing is a scientific hard proven fact!

Now that we have that out of the way.. I want to talk about running! I love running! I am a RUNNNNNNNER. And running has been on my mind all morning and everyone keeps talking about it to me, so I figured.. I guess this means I should write a blog about it huh?

Heather had a very good blog this morning about her journey to becoming a runner and she even mentioned me! I was so touched! In the blog, she posed the question of when does someone become a runner? Honestly, I had never stopped to think about WHEN I considered myself a runner? You've got to be very careful because there are some mean, evil and cruel people out there that will ask you when you say you are a runner if you "run" or "jog". This makes me want to punch people in the face. Listen jerk, I'm not walking so what does it matter what I'm doing? I consider anything more than walking to be a "run" and yes if the run is slow, it can be called a "jog".. but it's all the same damn thing!

Back to the question - when does someone become a runner?

I started thinking about it and relating to other things in life. When does someone become a crafter? Or a golfer? Or even something easy like a parent? Well someone becomes any of these things (and more) when they make time in their life for their new passion. Clearly someone like a crafter could pursue their passion much less than a parent would pursue their passion (um their kid)? But the general point is, once something becomes important to you and you actively make time for it - I would consider that a part of your life. So therefore, I decided my definition of a runner would be someone who actively pursues their running fitness often. For me, often means once a week because clearly if you're running any less than once a week, you're probably not making much progress. Running and fitness in general is dependent on you being active more days a week than you aren't. If you are only exercising twice a week, you probably aren't nearly as fit as someone who exercises 5 days a week right? Do I need to prove my theory any more?

So that means that even people who are only running for 3 minutes at a time are still runners. They are working towards their running fitness and they are improving themselves. They won't be stuck at 3 minutes forever, right? Hello all you new Runners who didn't even KNOW you were Runners!

That topic is done. Let's move on to the next.

A lot of people (mostly on spark) ask me for advice on how to start running. And that's why I put the disclaimer at the top because I can't only tell you what I did and what people I know have done. But I love to share my story with people and I have no problem doing it. One girl on spark today told me she has a goal of running a 5K but can't start running because she's too heavy and needs to lose weight before she can run. This is really sore spot for me because I am of the impression that anyone, at any weight, can successfully and safely run. I have no scientific evidence to back this up - but remembering my defition of a runner, if a 500 pound person is running 30 second intervals for 10 minutes 2 times a week - they are STILL running right? Sure they can't do it for long but they are at least doing SOMETHING that isn't walking and I applaud them for it. I started running when I weighed approximately 235 pounds. I ran my first 5K hovering around the 218 mark. Granted, I was not fit whatsoever when I started running and now I am fit, but running played a huge part in me becoming fit.

I am not under ANY circumstances saying this particular girl today is using her weight as an excuse, but I feel like in general - a lot of people do use weight to hold them back from things. WHY? If I hadn't started running there's a great chance I would have given up on being healthy a long time ago. Running is the glue for me. I eat well so I can run well. I cross-train hard so I can run hard. Even worse, if I hadn't started running there's a great chance that today, 20 pounds lighter than when I started, I would have never started. Once you let the fear take you over that you can't do something, it doesn't matter how much you weigh - you won't do it. But instead of saying no, I can't do it, I had a goal and I committed myself to achieving it no matter what. BECAUSE I made that decision, I jump started my weight loss when it was at a stand still and I'm witnessing some incredible changes in my body and cardiovascular health that I never would have dreamed would have happened. If you are trying to lose weight and you want to be a runner, why wouldn't you give running a try right now because it's a fantastic workout and it's just one more thing you can do to lose the weight??

I had a girl on spark tell me after I ran 2 miles straight that she was impressed I could run that far because "girls our size can't run". I was SO offended and mortified. B**ch watch me is what I wanted to scream in her face. I don't CARE what I weigh in relation to what I can do. Those two things have absolutely no correlation in my mind. The ONLY reason my weight is going to stop me from doing something right now is if there is a weight limit and I'm over the limit. That's the only thing holding me back. It's the only thing that SHOULD hold us back.

So if you want to run, do it. In fact - anything that you really want to do, do it. Who cares what you weigh now? I guarantee you if you start working on that goal you'll be 1 million times more motivated when you start seeing progress. Don't make excuses. Don't let the fear take you over. Just go out there and do it.

(and the girl from this morning? I think I just convinced her to give running a try at her weight right now! YAY!)