I run.
I’m not very good at it, but it’s something I do.
I find that if I don’t run or stimulate my cardiovascular system for at least one hour every week, I get depressed.
Not deep depression…I just feel crumby, unmotivated, unaccomplished, etc.
The hardest part about running is starting. Starting in the sense of both actually taking up running as a hobby and the first three to five minutes of a run. It’s true when someone says the most difficult step in a ‘couch to 5k’ is the one taken off the couch.
The second hardest part is being able to keep going. Anyone can run for five minutes. It takes practice and discipline (self loathing?) to build up the endurance for long distance running.
When I first started running, the typical inner monologue would play out like this:
- First 2 to 5 minutes: “This sucks Mel, come on you can do this later, you don’t really want to do this right now”.
- Next 6-12 minutes: “I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this. I hate this…”
- The next minute and a half after that: “OMIGOD this song is so good, I’m so pumped, totally gonna do this, ‘Sha na na na na na’”
- Final minutes after my minute long faux-pumped session: “Can’t breathe, *SSSUUUCCCKK* expletive expletive expletive *HHHHUUUUFFFFFFFF*”
I was only running for 15 - 20 minute stretches. I thought running 2 miles was a big deal (which it was when I was first starting).
I had read online and heard from others that the trick to building endurance were things like ‘more carbs’ or simple slowing down. While I found the latter to be partially true, my biggest break through came when I started using the metric system.
I track my runs. I do it using an iPod nano. I have a Nike+ Running kit that I attach to the nano. I use a shoe wallet, so don’t have to buy the expensive nikes (you can use with any shoe that has laces).
The great thing about the above setup is that during the course of your run a little robot voice will chime into the earbuds and tell you about your progress. It’ll also tell you how much further you have to go.
I shouldn’t call this great because at first those updates were like being stuck somewhere and forced to watch a clock.
Then I did something simple. I set the iPod to record/track in kilometers instead of miles.
Having an announcement go off after every kilometer was like positive reinforcement. I started hearing that I’d hit a milestone every 5-7 minutes instead of every 10 to 12. After a while I started getting surprised by the milestone announcement rather than waiting for it. My inner monologue went from “Jesus, am I close yet? How much further?” to “oohh the bell”.
Pretty soon I was hitting 5 kilometers pretty easily, so I started upping it a few km’s at a time as challenge. After running a couple 6-7k’s I’d say to myself “I’ve already run seven of these, what’s another two?”. I also started getting faster. Making the announcements more frequent.
Start.
Then start again & hit milestones quickly and more frequently.
This idea can be applied to anything. Same concept as the ‘MVP’ (minimum viable product) mantra that’s buzzing around internet business / marketing sites these days.
After my first couple 10k’s I stopped using the robot. I don’t know what parallel I could draw from that……
Oh if you feel there’s any lesson that could be taken from this (other than the mvp buzz jargon crap), there’s this: “Start even if you don’t think you can or should.”
Why do I say this? Because I’m a smoker. Have been for a long time.
I’m trying to quit, but it’s only been about a week since I’ve had any tobacco.
I’m still running. At the minimum 10 to 15 miles a week. As a matter of fact I wrote this today after I got done running.
I plan on running 500 miles ( 804.672 kilometers ) this year. I also plan on running a half marathon ( 21.1 kilometers / 13.11 miles ) sometime in 2010. Hopefully I’ll be able to hit a full marathon ( 42.2 kilometers / 26.2 miles ) as well.
I’m thinking I will have quit smoking by then…..maybe.
Yea. Go metric system!
tl;dr edition:
Make things less hard on yourself, by making your problems or measuring sticks smaller.
Anywhere outside of the US tl;dr edition:
Americans don’t have to count as many numbers as you. Sometimes this is bad.
