Tag: health

I just ran 3 miles

You probably already saw a mention on Facebook or Twitter from a couple weeks ago when I hit the 3 mile mark. That was true and false. My entire run in the morning had finally grown to 3 miles. But that still included the warm-up, cool-down, and breaks in the middle. My body was finally taking me through the entire first mile before I really hit a wall and had to slow down. While really great to be doing that well, it still wasn’t a solid 3 miles of running.

Today it was.

Three months ago when I first got up in the morning in the middle of a heat wave and put on sneakers to head out for my first “run” it took me about 34 minutes to walk 2.1 miles. I think I went around the high school track once and that constituted the entire “running” portion of the morning’s exercise. As my running increased and my time decreased, more laps were added and my route was adjusted. Eventually it was 4 laps at the track with long stretches of running. And then I got tired of the dirty looks from the gym class and decided to stop running at the high school.

So then I find myself on the road trying to find a new path. And I hit the mile mark. And I adjust my breathing. And I adjust my gait. And then I’m still running. And that day I go 2.1 miles – the same as my first day total – running without a break.

And then came the doctor.

Last week it was time for them to take a look inside and see if they find anything. So far so good. More tests in the coming weeks, but maybe just maybe my colon is in for the long haul. Either way, the test (and getting a cold) shut me down for 2 days. I didn’t run for 3 straight days and only walked on the 4th. For me, that’s a big deal. I can’t break the habit or it’ll die. And while I picked it back up, I wasn’t getting back to 2 miles straight right away.

And then this week I did.

This week I was back in form. And each day it was the 2 mile mark in the middle of a hill that broke me. Until today it couldn’t. There was an epiphany – if I can push myself through the wall at 1 mile, why not 2? And so I adjusted my breathing and adjusted my gait and found myself headed towards the “finish line”.

So I’ve got to hurry up and make my morning shake and take a quick shower before bolting off to work. But first I just wanted to bask in a little self-satisfaction that I hit another milestone today. 3 miles in under 28 minutes. Not bad.

And as an added bonus, here’s the song that pushed me through that wall:

 

In like Schwinn

With the pseudo-encouragement of seeing friends sign up, I finally took the plunge yesterday and registered for the Five Boro Bike Tour (or Bike New York, as we lazily refer to it). This will be my second time on this 42 mile trek, although the first in about 7 years – which puts me clearly on the opposite side of 30.

I still have to figure out if my current bicycle is up to snuff, or if a new purchase is in my future. I also still have to test my theory that me being slim has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not I am in shape. At least I’ve got 38 days left to worry about it train for it.

Since The Woman is growing ever-larger, she will be unable to accompany our rag-tag group of immature amateur cyclists. However I plan on strapping my camera to my back/handlebars/helmet/face/whatever in order to take photos along the way that will never be shared be immediately posted that night for all to enjoy. Wish me luck or, better yet, join in the humiliation fun!