Tag: newtorunning

I LOVE technology

I love technology. I love all gizmos and widgets and “what is that thing for” gadgets.
I get completely immersed in stats and results and the information provided after any kind of activity with the apps and gadgets I have. I simply love it and I think it is helping my journey in a big way.

For starters I have a Garmin tracker which tracks steps, activities, heart rate and some other cool stuff and also tells me the time which is pretty useful. I have my tracker linked to the Garmin Connect app, and so as soon as I record any kind of activity be it a walk or a run or a fitness session of any description, I sync it all and then go looking at how I did.

Before I run, I turn the activity monitoring on my Garmin, and make sure that it is doing it’s thing. I also use ‘Mapmyrun’ app which records my run and provides me with a cool map at the end so that gets turned on next. I have been using 5K Pro app I mentioned some posts ago and is helping me to run from small beginning to 5km, so that gets turned on. Last of all my music gets turned on, a playlist with a beat and off I go.

The funny thing which does make me smile during all of this, is that these apps talk to you. My 5K Pro app gives me inspirational messages about how well I am doing, and tells me when to walk and when to run. ‘Mapmyrun’ app tells me whenever I have travelled for 1km and gives me some data on that last distance, my playlist is doing it’s thing, so all in all, there is a lot going on.

When I finish, I sync, and then pour over all the stats.  Heart rate is a biggie for me, I really want to know whether I worked hard or whether it was all in my head, love all the data as to how long, how high, what effort, speed etc. etc.  I have read other runners say they have thrown out all technology as it was doing their head in.  I think they must be competing against previous times and distance etc.  I am seriously not at that stage.  Just happy to get it done and all these kind of things help, so will continue to use them and have fun with them.

Enjoy your run.

 

 

This is actually hard…….

As per previous posts, I have this idea that running will become easier and easier as you do some runs, and eventually you just sail away into the never – never smiling all the way.

I am finding the road quite hard.  When I first started some months ago, I think my first run was for 45 seconds, and then walk for 1 minute, repeat 6 times or something like that.  I remember thinking that surely I could run for 45 seconds, just hang in there, if its hard, just count it down, and so I did.  Now that I am running for longer, these same tactics don’t apply.  You really can’t count down a 20 minute run.

Some days it seems to happen, it’s not easy but I do it, other days it is just hard and I need all my willpower to stay with it.  On only one occasion so far the run was  a breeze, loved it, smiled all the way through, even high-fived a random runner as they were running past me in the other direction (is that cool or an absolute no-no?)

I thought all subsequent runs would be like that one, that somehow I had cracked it, I knew the secret or my feet and body did.  Alas, it wasn’t to be.  My very next run I actually stopped half way through and couldn’t get going again.

Is it all mental attitude that determines how good your run is?  Perhaps your body is tired, or you didn’t get enough sleep, or you’re worried about something and it’s sitting there on your shoulders making you heavier.  Perhaps at this stage of the journey I do need a lot of willpower, and don’t prepare mentally enough.

I just keep trying.  My next run is due and I’m psyching up for it.  It’s going to be a good one…… fingers crossed.

What makes a runner? ……

Whenever I think of runners, pictures come to mind of lithe slim athletic looking people bounding down the road or on a track, they have long strides, and seem to run effortlessly and gracefully towards their goal.

They look like they were born being able to run. Their balance seems to come from a place within, and I find myself trying to work out how they do that.  How do they know.?

And then I started to think, what makes a runner.  At what point can you call yourself a runner? If you run for 5 minutes, does that make you a runner, or even if you start to train to be a runner, can you define yourself as a runner.?  Perhaps it’s based on distance, if you can run for 20 minutes you can call yourself a runner.

Usain Bolt is a runner, no doubt about it, an amazing runner, the words best over his preferred distance, we can all agree.  So what about the girl who comes home after work and happily pulls on a pair of trainers and runs 5km every night.  She’s a runner. She clearly loves it, looks forward to it, and runs often.  What about the weekend warrior?  Someone who keeps their run for the weekend and goes for a jog, loves it and feels wonderful when it is over.  Surely they are a runner.

What about body types.  Should you be smaller and very light to be a long distance runner such as one sees at the Olympics, and therefore not attempt long distance if you are taller and heavier built. What about not being so lean, should we all go on big diets to lose weight in order for us to become runners.

Where does that leave you and me.  Those of us just starting out.  We’d like to be runners.  We can visualize running some distance and loving it, moving down the road, the wind in our hair, our feet moving under us freely and lightly, smiling at other runners as we pass each other. The fact that I am right now finding the whole thing difficult and puzzling, and that its hard, and that before I go for a run I have to really psyche myself up for it, and tell myself I can do it, is beside the point. I have decided I am a runner, and whilst not a very good one –  yet – that’s how I want to think of myself, and so should you.

Hello world!

How did I get to this place?

I am just over 60 years old, have some time for me, and have a yearning to do something big physically which is challenging and difficult and something I have never done before.  I have decided there may be a runner in me.

I want to connect with all of you who are feeling the same way, so that we can support each other, talk about highs and lows, and maybe meet up in a big running event somewhere around the planet and do it together.

Blogging is something I have seen others do, but never something I have attempted myself.  It’s a bit daunting.  But then so is running.

My story so far is that I have been doing a ton of walking, up hills and down dales, trying to get a bit fitter.

I downloaded a running app, one of those that takes you from nothing to running 5K and it’s going OK.  Some days I feel like an elephant charging down the road, as it feels heavy and thunderous and uncoordinated.  For the first time last Sunday it actually felt like I was enjoying it, and I thought  “yes, I’ve got it, this is how it is meant to feel” but then yesterday I was back to feeling heavy.

I read runner’s stories and they seem to just love it.  They can’t wait for their next run, and even when they have a bad run, the next one is going to be the one.  They talk about feeling at one, being at peace, loving the road and the journey.  This is how I want to be and feel.

OK, so for those of you out there, wanting to do the same, thinking you can take this on and become a runner, come and join me, lets do it together.