Change is Good

My New Shoes!

They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.  ~Confucius

It's hard to get back into a running program when you've been out for a long time.  Back in November of 2009, I was helping my mom put together a new computer desk.  I knelt down to get at some hard-to-reach spot, and my knee popped.  It kinda hurt, but not much, so I didn't think much of it.  By the time I got home, my knee was swollen and I could barely walk.  This weird knee "injury" kept me side-lined for months.  It was only in the spring of this year that I was able to run without a brace or pain.

This summer has been hot.  I mean HOT, as you probably well know.  I've never run in heat like this because I've only been running since October of 2008.  

So you could say I've had a really hard time getting back in the swing of things.  I'm still super slow and I'm still having lots of lung and leg issues.  So I decided to analyze my lack of progress and make some changes.  Here's what I found:

1.  I was running on empty.  In order to beat the heat, I'm getting up early to run.  I wasn't hungry, so I just threw on my gear and headed out.  But I just didn't seem to have any energy.  Now I get up earlier so I can have a little something to eat.  I have found that a bit of cereal does the trick for me.  Now I don't feel like an engine that has run out of steam during my first mile.

2.  My body was out of shape.  I gained back 10 pounds from when I ran my half-marathon last year.  So I've started doing the P90X exercise program to try to lose those 10 pounds, and another 10 as well.  Honestly, I really struggle to get in all the workouts.  Runners sometimes don't like other kinds of exercise - I know I don't!  But I keep trying and I keep tweaking my diet in an effort to get my body in better shape.

3.  My shoes had too many miles on them.  Most experts and runners will tell you that one pair of running shoes should last 300-500 miles.  That sounds like a lot, but is actually only a few months, depending on your mileage.  I had been running in the same shoes for a year!!  So I got some new shoes!  There they are at the top.  Aren't they pretty?  They feel great, too, which is the most important part.

So have these changes helped?  Yes!  Granted, I'm not running 20 miles at a time yet.  I'm not even doing 5 at a time yet.  But I can feel the difference.  My times are slowly creeping downward and my recovery time is getting shorter. 

Are you struggling with your weight/exercise issues?  Do a little self-analysis, be brutally honest with yourself, and make the changes where you can.  You might be surprised with how much you can change.