Do you like that crazy image layout? I thought you did. Yep, that's what you call talent or blog feng shui, or you could chalk it up to Abigail doesn't know how to make things the same size or space them out correctly to make something look decent so she just goes with it. Can you see what the theme of today's message is? Yep once again, running. Let's talk about that happy little topic, but in order to do so, I need to break this subject down into different components, all of which may or may not be conquered today in this post. Running and I have quite the difficult relationship.
2007: When It All Started
My good friend, Lauren Kincaid Crumbliss, introduced me to the idea of Weight Watchers, like actually going to the meetings. On my own, I had already gone from a size 14 to a size 10, but I lost my mojo and stayed at that weight for over a year. Weight Watchers was amazing. Not only did it introduce to much needed eating habits, but it opened my eyes to the purpose of exercising. I know that might seem ridiculous, but my inner-fat kid was saying, "Hey, if you workout more than you already do, you get to eat more." Ding, ding, ding! That's what I wanted to hear. Of course, that's not necessarily true, but it got my butt in the gym. Within five months, I went from a size 10 to a size 6. And if I wanted to look like a sausage bursting from it's casing, I could squeeze into a size 4. WW was great, but I attest a lot of my success to new gym habits.
Running?
I've been an avid gym goer for the majority of my post high school life, as well as an avid all you can eat buffet frequenter. My machine of choice was the stair master, and there's not much more to tell. I never even thought about the treadmill. Running was a punishment. I remember the few times I had to run a mile before dance practice and thought I was going to die, so why would I jump on a machine that handed out death wishes? Well, for some reason I got on one in 2007. I felt really awesome because I just got a MP3 player, and I thought that could help with the monotony of running in place, and little did I know of the love affair that was about to take place.
My Routine
I made a commitment that I was actually going to go to the gym. Luckily, I passed by the little rec center everyday on my way home from work. At the time, I worked in Highlands, which meant an hour and some commute at 45 miles per hour, and yes, that's one way. No matter how tired I was or how late cheerleading practice went, I would drive straight to the gym to perform the following:
20 mins on the elliptical on the program titled Weight Loss
5 songs on the treadmill
abs and other such doings with weights, machines, and mats
There would be days where I would sit in the car and cry because I was so tired, but I got my gym bag and walked in before anything more pathetic could happen. At the time, I needed the elliptical. Heck, I really need it now because then my legs, butt, and abs were bangin' because of that machine, but it helped me warm-up/wake up; no more tears. Now, I run straight to the treadmill...shame, Abigail, shame.
My Treadmill/Running Formula
This, my friends, is what made it happen. This practice took me from getting a side stitch from walking quickly to performing long distance runs (10+ miles). I use it today just as I did 6 years ago. As you notice under the routine breakdown, I never gave/give myself a measurement of minutes or mileage to perform my run; I "measure" everything by songs. Keep in mind that I waited a long time to get a music device, so I was pumped that I finally got to hear Spice Girls, N'Sync, The Dixie Chicks, Aerosmith, Reba, Jason Mraz, Genuine, No Doubt and other such random artists at my request. When I got on the treadmill, my music game just happened without me putting any thought into it. First of all, I never told myself that I couldn't run; I just did it. Second of all, I didn't/don't care what other people think about me and if treadmill dancing is required for a song, it's going to happen. The treadmill is my little one stage club! Okay, here we go, my first treadmill experience went something like this:
Song one: Walk quickly
Song two: Walk quickly during the verse and jog during the chorus
Song three: Jog during the verse and walk quickly during the chorus
Song four: Walk during the verse and jog through the first chorus to the second chorus
Song five: Jog during the verse/chorus and walk during the second chorus only
Workout is complete
Again, I wasn't going for mileage, I was just pushing through five songs at a time. I did this until I could run through all five songs, which turned out to be almost two miles, depending on the length of the song. Sometimes it would be more than two miles. I didn't just all the suddenly say, "I'm going to run all five songs," I would start with the first two songs as suggested above and then run the third song and finish with the other two as is. Before I knew it, I didn't feel the need to walk. I was jamming out so much that I would fly through a verse and realize that I missed my chance to walk, but I was okay with that. After awhile, I added music and played my song game through six, seven, eight songs. I also felt comfortable with changing my pace.
I promise that I still do this. Yesterday, I went for a run when I really didn't want to. I ran through the first song and didn't feel anymore motivated. Miranda Lambert told me that she was the fastest girl in town, so as she was filling me in on the details, I was running/walking to her story. Around the fourth song, I was running at a regular pace. Every single time I run, I use music for the cues. I also use this method for speed training. I'll run through the verse and sprint through the chorus.
Keep in mind that running on a treadmill is physically easier than running on the pavement. When running outside, you have to push your body weight forward unlike the treadmill. I'll never forget that I was averaging five miles a day on the treadmill, and then thought I was going to die after my first 5K. I had never run outside prior to that; it was a different world. But hey, calorie burn is calorie burn no matter where it is being burned.
Music
When you choose the music, listen to you only. Your playlist should make you embarrassed if it was ever played out loud in public because that means it's full of your guilty pleasures. Mine is. When Reuben and I were running the marathon, I had my ipod strapped to my camelback with the external speaker blaring as loud as the little thing could. The music was hilarious, or at least I thought so. I started dancing; Reuben said that if we were listening to Backstreet Boys while running through soldiers, I could at least spare him my dancing while running. I agreed. What a trooper. Choose music you can lose yourself in, who cares if it is fast or slow. When Rascal Flatts is telling me what hurts the most, my speed takes off.
Running = Hard
For me, running is hard...every single flippin' time. I sweat like Sasquatch in a burka, my brain is pushing me the entire time, and I'm happiest when it's over. Do you know why there are so many running quotes out there? Because even runners need them. You don't find near the amount of motivational quotes for anything else as you do running. It's hard in the sense that it takes more discipline than ability. Everyone can run, but not everyone start a run. Rarely, do I wake up and say, "I can't wait to complete this run." I have to walk through the motions without thought: put on shoes, walk outside, and push play. It's also difficult to recreate the sense of accomplishment one gets from an awesome run; it makes it all worth it.
The Naturals
I am not a runner; I'm not even a jogger. I refuse to call myself a runner because that title means something special; I have not earned it, nor do I see myself earning it, and I'm okay with that. There are naturals in the world that take up running and excel; they excel because they train, train, and train. I train and train, but that last train just isn't in there. I'm okay with not being a natural; I understand that I'm not fast and it's always hard for me. I'm just proud that I'm on the pavement as much as I am.
My husband is a natural. He's fast, he has endurance, and he can go without running for months without losing the ability.
My girlfriend, Sarah Evans, is a natural. She trains like no other, and she constantly improves. She never backs down from a challenge and approaches everything with a positive attitude.
My other girlfriend, Jessica Martinez, has the ability to be a natural. Within three weeks of purchasing a treadmill, she had already mastered five miles, and she was a first time runner. Naturals amaze me. I have to work my butt off to maintain a 9 minute mile, but again, I'm okay with that. My goal is not to be the fastest or the best, but to be in an activity where I am performing beside those who are.
It's a Choice
No one says that you have to run, but for some reason running has become a point of contention for most. People either hate it or they love it. Even though I hate it, I actually do love it because I'm still doing it. If I really hated it, you wouldn't see this girl be-boppin' down the road. There are so many programs, apps, and plans out there to inspire people to run, but again, it's a choice. You don't have to run, but when you do, make it about you. Make it something amazingly enjoyable. You may not be natural, you might just be an Abigail, but that's okay, too. If you treat it like a chore, it will be a chore, but if you treat it like a blessing because God has blessed you with an able body to perform this activity, then you'll perform at your best every single time.
Shout Outs
Congrats to these Area 1 ladies for busting their "humps, their sexy lady lumps"at this past Memorial Day 5K.
Just in case you needed to know. This is what a natural runner looks like compared to not a natural runner:
The Natural
The Unnatural
