Running: Week Three -- Reflections

Toward the end of my previous blog I noted this:

I'm on a new journey of fitness, discovery, and self-mastery. I'm living my dream for 2012: "I choose to be in charge of my habits. I let it be easy." Running is a part of that dream. 

Being in charge of my habits is the dream. Improved fitness is the result of improved habits. Improved habits is the result of discovery and self-mastery.

I've discovered a few things over the past week:

1) I'm more out of shape than I thought. 

2) My joints (especially my ankles) are a potential weakest link, and they require strengthening.

3) Muscles can be transformed quicker than joints, so I need to progress at the rate of joint health.

4) Running for life requires a balanced training program.

5) A balanced training program requires attention to cardio, strength, balance, and flexibility. 

6) A balanced training program also requires built in time (patience) for recovery.

7) I have accumulated sufficient knowledge and equipment to build a balanced program.

8) Improved fitness is a day-to-day way of life that needs to be savored and enjoyed: the journey needs to be fun!

9) Logging miles (in a spreadsheet) is validating.

10) Firing up my metabolism once a day, if not twice a day, will help me to burn more calories, especially the fat ones. ;-)

One of the other habits I wanted to improve was my independent reading. As a side effect of becoming a more knowledgeable runner... that is happening as well. 

Ain't life grand?

New Label: Running

I'm in the process of building a new habit. I'm becoming a runner.

I've already become one in my mind, and my day-to-day routine is now two and a half weeks into the new habit.

I'm run/walking three days a week: Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. Tuesdays and Thursdays are cross-training days for strength (but not legs). Fridays and Sundays are for stretching and/or Pilates. That's the plan, and so far so good.

My New Year's affirmation is "I choose to be in charge of my habits. I let it be easy."

Fitness is nothing more than the result of habits, mostly involving exercise. So I've decided to let it be easy.

I'm using Psycho-Cybernetic's visualization techniques to create a new image: Don the Runner. (He's fit. He can run 30 minutes at a time, three days a week. At 60, he looks back and says, "It was in February of 2012 that I began to run. That's when I became a runner.")

I've done about a dozen run/walks so far. Too many the first week. Now I'm learning. I bought some new shoes: running shoes. My first pair ever. (Though I did buy some trail running shoes once. I tried that until I sprained an ankle.)

This time... I'm going to try to be smarter.

I picture myself on Tax Day (April 15th) running. Why?

To avoid becoming this statistic: "80% of runners stop after 4 weeks!"  But 20% don't quit. I intend to be the one out of five who doesn't quit.

So, I'm beginning a new label: Running. This is the first entry. I've been providing a bit of a running commentary over on FaceBook, but I decided to move some of that "chatter" over here, where I can muse on.

I'm on a new journey of fitness, discovery, and self-mastery. I'm living my dream for 2012: "I choose to be in charge of my habits. I let it be easy." Running is a part of that dream.

If I can master my habits... What then? I don't know, but Dr. Seuss gives me some clues:

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself 
any direction you choose. 
You're on your own. 
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go....

Dr. Seuss, Oh! The Places You'll Go!