Be More with Less

simplicity is love

Pain, Running and Possibility

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If you read this or this, you know I’ve been meaning to start running for some time. Actually, I did start, a few times, so I should say… I’ve been meaning to keep running.

The first day of a new exercise program is always the slowest and most painful. It is also the most exciting. Through the pain in my shins and my heavy breathing, I was excited on my first run last week. I was excited about the possibility.

The Possibility of…

  • running a 5K this summer
  • meeting friends for a run
  • running through the Wasatch mountains
  • training for a sprint tri
  • proudly wearing this shirt
  • experiencing a runner’s high
  • participating in one of the most minimalist sports
  • barefoot running
  • a stronger heart and smaller waist

All of those things are possible if I keep running and that is pretty exciting. I’m using an iPhone app called Couch to 5k. It’s a guide that trains you through walk/run intervals so that after 9 weeks, you can run for 30 minutes. It’s a free app that gives you prompts to walk or run. You can even play your own music while you run.

Oh, and about my running shoes…

I don’t really have any. I am using old cross trainers to get started. In my former life, I would have had a brand new running wardrobe before I even broke a sweat. Some say, you should buy new workout clothes to motivate yourself. I am motivated by possibility. If I want to run after a few weeks in my not made for running shoes, I’ll buy running shoes. Until then, I’ll run with what I have.

I’m just starting but here’s whats happened so far…

  • Run #1 – After a brisk five minute warm-up walk I alternated 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes and then had a five minute cool down. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was a challenge. Actually…it was torture.
  • Run #2 – Two days later, I completed the same run. It was a little easier. It wasn’t amazingly fun, but it wasn’t torture.

I completed the “lean” version of P90X recently and I can tell you that the first day of running was like the first day of P90X. It was hard on my body and my mind. Like most beginnings, there was some uncertainty in my ability, but every day it got a little easier. Like most middles, there were ups and downs, but I kept going. The best part is that instead of ending, it turned into something else. The strength and confidence I had from completing P90X gave me the momentum to run.

Momentum turned to possibility.

Reading Recommendations

Fuel Your Run the Tarahumara Way by Matt Frazier

Marathon Roadmap, The Vegetarian Guide to Conquering your first 26.2

Born to Run

I know many of you are runners or aspiring runners. Any advice for me?

New to Be More With Less?

 

 

Comments

  1. Hey Courtney!
    Keep on Running!! Easy for me to say-huh? I need a little inspiration. I had never been a runner…then started, and signed up for an 8k….ran that in respectable time….then ran a 5 k…respectable. Then got pregnant and had a baby…yeah-that was 18 months ago.

    Fell. Off. Wagon.

    …hoping to get back on. 🙂 go!!

  2. You’re in the Wasatch? That’s cool. I’m in Provo. I ran the Utah Valley Marathon last year and hated every second of it. I’m a rock climber and mountaineer, not a runner. But running a marathon was one of those things I had to cross off my bucket list. I haven’t gone running since.

    Good for you for trying something new and getting after it. Good luck with your running, and hopefully your shins won’t keep hurting for too much longer 🙂

    • Thanks Tristan. I don’t know if a marathon will be on my list, but I’ll never say never!

  3. I’m not a runner and have never been one – but I wish I was! I’m the girl who hates and dreads exercise, but wish I didn’t…Thanks for this post tho, because maybe it’s something I can accomplish in small steps!

  4. Way to go Courtney!
    I’m on week 4 of the Couch to 5k myself and I love how I feel when it’s DONE each time! Are you running on a treadmill or out in the open?
    the only advice I have is to make make sure you come down on your mid foot rather than your heels (being a big time walker, I tend to do the heels as that feels more natural – so this is something that has helped the knee/calf pain – watching where I come down). The hardest part for me is realizing that my body’s capacity to breath during exercise increases with exercise – so the the more I do it the easier it gets (and of course, that’s easy to forget when you’re freakin’ out because you can’t breathe!) – so his best advice is start slow and let the body adapt
    You Go Girl!

  5. i just started the couch to 5k program too. only i don’t have an iphone so i just use my watch. i used to run all the time, in fact i even completed the la marathon once. but i got away from it and now i’m back at it and boy is it hard. last week was my first week and it was killer. i wish i could say this week has been easier but it hasnt’. i really am planning on hanging in there though.

  6. I started running at the age of 40 and have never looked back. This from someone who never thought she would run any place in her life. EVER. I’m now 45, run 5-6 days a week and do weight training. I look and feel better than I ever have in my life. From there I started eating clean.

    One small step (or run) can set you on a new and fabulous path.

    Keep running, or working out. Just keep moving. As women our health depend on it. You will thank yourself when you reach my age. 🙂

  7. Loved the Couch to 5K program! I have always hated running, but this program made it so much easier for me. One of the biggest differences, I must admit, was splurging for a good pair of running shoes. Worth every penny.

    I’m still running after completing the program; a feat in itself.

  8. This post was perfectly timed – I have just returned home from my evening run! Just a little moral support for you here. I started running 5 years ago now and could not manage 500 metres (1/3 mile) when I began. I persevered, took my time. I’m no expert runner even now all these years on, but did complete a half marathon last year for charity and can easily go out and run a 10k any day of the week… My friend who started running at the same time now is winning races – and can complete a 10k in approx. 40 minutes – she also lost a huge amount of weight through shifting baby weight, diet and exercise. Stick with it – you can do it!

    • p.s. – running shoes saved my knees! I started running in normal trainers and was in so much pain I almost quit. £100 lighter from three trips to an Osteo and discovered my £80 running shoes (that I needed) to suit my gait would have done the trick weeks earlier.

  10. This is so inspiring! I went from my couch to my first half-marathon last year, but I haven’t done much running since. I’ve been needing a little push to get back into it…thanks!
    My advice is to go ahead and get some good shoes now. I tried running on and off for years but always quit in pain. This time my friends convinced me to go to a running store to get shoes and it made a WORLD of difference. Night and day.
    I also love the book No Need for Speed by John Bingham.
    Good luck! You can do it, and you will feel amazing once it’s done! 🙂

    • Amy, Thanks for the book recommendation. Born to Run inspired me so much so I am looking forward to another running book.

  11. Shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes! 🙂

    Like @AJ, I started running when I turned 40. I was also the woman who never ever ever thought she’d be a runner, much less do any form of regular exercise. Now I alternate weight lifting (real weight lifting) with running. I haven’t run in any events yet although I keep saying I will .. but part of me feels like signing up for a race makes it feel like work. Right now I just love the running part.

    But get the shoes. They’ll make a HUGE difference in your ability to run – easily and further.

  12. Good luck, you won’t regret it! I lost 80 pounds through running and it has become the most important thing I do, it soothes me. I run marathons now and last year even qualified for the Boston marathon.

    Shoes are key, but like you said, once you’ve proven to yourself that you are dedicated then drop the money on the shoes. They aren’t cheap.

    Just last week I wrote a post on “my ode to runners and dreamers.” Check it out, I hope you like it: http://www.so-many-places.com/2011/04/with-the-dream-comes-the-doubt/.

  13. I just ran 2.5 miles in 30 minutes today. This time last year I would take the elevator to go up a flight of stairs for fear of showing up on the next level with a beat red face and an inability to breath. Start slow. And don’t bother with the new running outfit for motivation if that doesn’t motivate you. I keep running so I have a reason to run races and sport a new running shirt. Once I have enough race shirts I am going to turn them into a quilt to remind myself of how hard I have worked to be healthy and a good role model for my son. Motivation is personal. It has to mean something to you. And spending too much new clothes to sweat in sounds kind of wasteful when an old t-shirt fulfills the same purpose 🙂

  14. Yippee for running! It is my new favorite thing to do! I started in January, signed up with a running club and have done a few races up to an 8K, my goal is a half marathon in October!

    you will do awesome!

  15. I send you winged feet to support you as you keep running. Having had a love affair with running for a long time, I can attest to the joys, fresh air, fitness, and occasional pain it can bring. I find it to be the most productive exercise for myself in terms of immediate payback as well as long term health in being lean and emotionally balanced. I know it’s not the best exercise for knees…but we each have our own sweet spot in aerobic exercise. The highlight for me, and the only “advice” I would share and wish for any other runner, is to hang in there and find your “zone.” I usually enter mine after about 20 minutes, and it makes the initial awkwardness, pains, and fumbling all worth it – because then you reach that space where you breathe rhythmically, run smoothly, resolve issues in your mind and clear your head and heart for positive challenges. The runner’s high. It’s magic.

    • …And related to being more with less, running is a relatively inexpensive endeavor in which you can accomplish a lot without needing a lot of gear. The gear is nice, but not necessary. 🙂 It is mostly about your personal investment of time, energy, and faith.

  16. I began the C25K plan last summer and as soon as the rain lets up, I will re-start it this year. I’ve always been active with sports and such, but have never been a runner. The little I did of C25K last year showed me I can be a runner. I’m excited for you and for me! ha!

  17. I started running last year to train for a half marathon and I hated it (loathed it) at first. However, once I hit goals (like I ran a mile without stopping, then 2 miles, then 4 miles), I started getting that runner’s high. Then, I got hurt (and I’m hurt again) and I began to actually miss running. I couldn’t believe I typed that on my blog…I missed running. I went bought some cheap running Nikes to get me started, mainly because my old tennis shoes were not made for running at all. They were VANS and had no ankle support. However, now I’m going to finally get me some new running, good running shoes.

    If you have an outlet mall near you, hit those for some cool, inexpensive cute running outfits.

    I’m very proud of you and you will have so much fun no matter how tortured you feel.

  18. Good for you Courtney! I love to walk and am religious about walking two-four miles most days. It has to be outside — because like you — treadmills are entirely to boring. After reading this, I feel like I want to try running.

    The thing I enjoy most about going for walks is that I usually invite my dad to join me (he’s 71). It’s a wonderful time to chat and spend time with him, and I cherish our “walk time” together.

    P.S. I didn’t forget about what we talked about. It’s been a goofy week!

  19. Congrats on the start. I read your blog often, as I aspire to be much of what you discuss, but this is the first time I’ve felt so compelled to comment. Let me add my voice to the “buy new shoes” crowd. I hadn’t attempted running more than a 5k for years because I was so afraid of getting injured (I’ve met too many injured athletes). When I decided to get more serious about it, and expressed my concerns to running friends, they all suggested good quality shoes. I found coupons + sale and got some simple but high quality Saucony running shoes for $26. Over the next several months, I trained for a half marathon and finished it injury free. Of course going slow and steady during the actual training helped some as well 🙂 Good luck!

  20. Congrats Courtney, enjoy the experience, breathe deeply in your joggings and thanks God for the posibility of running. Ten cuidado con tus pies, es posible que necesites un ruunning shoe de acuerdo a tu tipo de pie, por ejemplo, you could have flat feet, so get the appropiate kind of shoe for you. Hasta luego, adios

  21. I started running 2 months ago with the Couch to 5 K plan too – loving it! I can now run 25 minutes without stopping.
    Also check out Run Like A Mother.

  22. GREAT! I started from “couch” to “30 Minutes” on 7th march and I’m almost done with my programme! It’s so exciting and so much fun!! After 30 Minutes of running (on may 15) my goal is 60 minutes and then also 5K
    I don’t use the Iphone app, but a similar plan. It started with 1 minutes of running, then 1 minutes walking. Now in week 8 I’m 5 minutes running and 2 minutes of walking and on sunday I have to challenge myself with 20 minutes pure running!!!

    For me, the hardest thing is to keep on running with climate changes and pollen flight.

    Greetings from Germany!

  23. You’re right – great minds do think alike. I also just started running this past week! I despise running and have avoided running voluntarily for years until now. I’m not really sure what motivated me to go this week, actually. I went with some ladies who are using the same phone application (I subsequently downloaded it for myself). I didn’t buy new shoes, though. I put on a nice pair of gym shoes I’ve had for years (that just goes to show you how little they were used).

    To push myself to go, I put on the shoes, and stepped outside. I had no other option but to run, since going back inside would just be cowardly.

    Advice I would have: just take it one day at a time. Don’t think about how much you will have to run at the end of nine weeks or next week. Just think about what you have to run today and how easy it will be! And how amazing it will be when you accomplish this. 🙂

    Cheering for you!

  24. Great job Courtney! I should really try to work myself into running. I deal with a lot of aches and pains due to an extra 30+ pounds and I am not getting any younger. I think the only way I am going to feel remotely healthy the older I get, is to be physically active. TO hear you talk about your babystep progress is helpful to me. Maybe I will give it a shot!
    Bernice
    What is Living a Balanced Life?

  25. I also recently started the C25K program but then we had school holidays, rain .. Etc … Was thinking trying again and going for a run In a few mins and just read your post!
    I have always paid top dollar for running shoes in the last 7 or so years,($200+ in Australia) I haven’t been running in them but just wearing them all the time, makes a big difference in my comfort and energy as the day wears on.
    So now I’m feeling inspired, thanks!

  26. I too have set these goals, and I have managed to finish 2 seasons of short tris and 2 sprint tris… I recommend the podcast by podrunner 🙂 All the best with this!

  27. I’m not a regular runner – walking, yoga and dancing are my preferred exercise – but what struck me about your first runs Courtney was how tricky it must be, and how much concentration it would take, to keep track of the 60 secs walking / 90 secs walking alternating. For me, walking (and the running I’ve done in the past) is about freedom from any restrictions, about focusing on nothing but the running, and/or the surroundings.

    I wonder if it’d far simpler and more enjoyable to just alternate walking/ jogging/ running instinctively as you felt able as you went, instead of such small and precise blocks of each?

    • Dan, There’s really nothing to it because the running app gives you prompts to walk or run. I like that this gradually builds you to running longer distances. Otherwise, I would run to much initially and give up. At least that’s been my experience.

      • Ah, I didn’t realise the app was verbally prompting you, I thought you were timing yourself manually with a stopwatch or something. Clever! : )

        Good luck in your practice!

  28. A little late to this post … but when it comes to running, I have to say … keep at it! It’s good for our bodies, but it’s so much more. It’s what keeps me sane! My body, mind and spirit are stronger because of running.

    One step at a time …

  29. even more late to this post – just found you via Zen Habits

    i have tried to run, or do any kind of cardio, many many times over the years, but always ran into the same problem: my neck would tense up so badly that i was in a lot of pain – no trouble breathing, just over-tightened muscles

    recently tried it again – same result – BUT now we have Google

    searching returned a condition called “Vocal Cord Dysfunction,” and it fits perfectly: painful tightening of the vocal cords during physical activity

    the best part: treatment is just relaxation techniques, teaching one’s body to respond differently to stress

    as soon as i can, i’ll see an ENT & speech therapist to get the ball rolling – by then, i’ll have built up my endurance by walking briskly & will be ready to run!

    i wanted to share, because they say this is fairly common – maybe other readers can check it out and look forward, like me, to hitting the trails someday 🙂

    • That’s great. I think this comes up for a lot of people so I hope it’s helpful.

      After one week of my running plan, I traveled for a few days and then came home and was sick with a cold/flu for a month and on top of that tweaked my back and have been really sore for the past few days. (sort of a basket case this month!) I am spending this week walking every day and then next week back to the C25K.

      It is so frustrating to get sidelined but now I am more determined than ever!

  30. Courtney, I got a great motivator when you travel with your family. I plan weekend trips for the family to fun places they would like to visit, also I check the running calendar in that area to see if there is a race I can do. My family sleeps in the day of my race, and then when I come back we plan our day. I get the inner fulfillment of accomplishing my goal and spending quality time with my family in a new place. We have been doing that for 5 years now. I run when I can ( have a knee injury), but love to racewalk which fulfills the speed of running, but better for my knees.

    • Kerry, I’ve had three knee surgeries, and have been really having a tough time with running. I love it while I’m doing it, but the knee pain afterwards has been awful. Maybe I should look into racewalking?

      I might also talk to a trainer or coach to see if I am doing something wrong.

      • Give it a try sometime, you might be pleasantly surprised on how effective it can be. It works more of your inner muscles. I can average 12-13 min. minute miles at a comfortable effective pace. I had meniscus surgery last year on my right knee. It is much better now, but still have trouble when I run too.

        I definitely check into a trainer to help give you tips or check out your position when running. I was told from my orthopedic doc that I was good to run after, but that isn’t the case, be cautious, if it hurts contiuously, than that is a good indicaiton to stop and rest for 3 days, then try again. If still hurts, best bet is to try something else. Biking helps tremendously with my knee. That could be a great alternative for you.

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