Running Hurdles

Very few people who start an exercise program are completely roadblock free.  I think that those hurdles look different to everyone.  What's most important is to find a way over them (or around them).  I have two inspirational friends in Tara and Kelly who have made great strides in their exercise life.  I live in Austin, which is an amazing city that loves runners and outside activities.  Seriously, there is some sort of a 5K or marathon every weekend in the fall, winter and spring and runners/bikers year round.  Most importantly, I like to run.  So starting a running regimen should be easy right?  Ehh... not so much. 

My hurdle is medical.  Nothing that would qualify me for a Wheaties box or an inspirational commercial during the Olympics, but challenging none the less.  My main issue is that I get migraines.  This is bizarre because most people find that regular exercise helps to alleviate migraines.  Exercise is what causes mine.  No joke.  Exercise and heat.  Did I mention that I live in Central Texas?  So in the past, I would work out and feel wonderful while doing it but then about 30 minutes after start to feel like complete and utter death.  Once I made that connection, it was hard to motivate myself to work out.  To get past that hurdle, I've had to work with a neurologist and be put on daily migraine medicine.  I have to monitor my workouts carefully to make sure I don't get overheated.  And at this point, I still can't run or workout outside during the warmer months.  There is a lot of start and stop with the C25K plan.  Technically, I'm still in week one and even though my legs want to go longer and faster, I can't be sure that my head is up to it.

I don't share this for the sympathy vote, but just so that if you are facing an personal struggles you know that you are not alone.  At the end of the day, keep on finding a way to get over the hurdle or around the hurdle.  Or if you must, plow into the hurdle and fall to the ground, but make sure you pick yourself up and keep on going.

Running on the Go

From 6/26 - 6/30 I was in Indiana for a professional development conference. This happened to be right when I would be starting Week 3 of the Couch to 5K Plan. Because I finally feel like I might sort of like this running thing, I did not want to miss a beat of the plan. So I packed up my running shoes and stuck to it. (I was also lucky enough to have a fellow runner on the trip with me to keep me honest.)

I loved that I could so easily get my work out in even though I had to change my schedule a little bit. I had been running on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but we would be flying back to Tallahassee on Wednesday. Knowing I would not want to make that day any longer than it was already going to be, I did Sunday and Tuesday. I will do day three tomorrow. Then next week, I will probably go back to the original schedule.

The run to and through Indiana University's campus was absolutely gorgeous, and I may have left with a little bit of scenery envy. While it was still pretty humid out there, the weather in general was much nicer than Florida's which made what I expected to be a rough week a little better. Plus, there was plenty of neat architecture, scenery, and bunny rabbits to make the run a little more entertaining. (Who knew Bloomington, IN had so many cute creatures around?)

I am also pretty excited because the running this week was better than I thought it would be. I was a little afraid of the three-minute run portions of this week's plan, and the first day was a little tough. However, Tuesday I was surprised when my podcast told me my last three-minute run was done and I was not panting and wishing for it to be over.

Of course, I still have tomorrow to do W3D3. So we will see how that goes after being tired from traveling, but I am happy to report that I feel like I am really making progress. I love that I may have found a new way to be healthy on the road. That was one of my goals in starting this program. So chalk one up for progress!

All this to say, you do not have to use vacations or travel as an excuse to not stick to your goals. I know I definitely ate more than normal, but I do not make myself feel guilty for it because I am still accomplishing my overall goal of being healthier.

 See the bunny?