I walked into The Running Company... a little scared, very overwhelmed. The store was very busy- the weather finally broke so everyone was stocking up on shoes and gear and such. Chris approached and I told him- I know nothing, I'm brand new to this, I'm overwhelmed. He took very good care of me. He brought me out a pair of "neutral" shoes and got me on the treadmill to do a video analysis of my step. My step is AWFUL. Holy cow! I wish I could have had him send me the video on my phone or something. So, so bad. My foot points out before I pick it up. And my foot rolls inward as I push off- almost so that I'm pushing off primarily with my arch. Bad, bad. Overpronation. He brought out a pair of stability shoes and I could feel the difference immediately. Amazing! We talked about clothing... I was hesitant to take that plunge. We talked about cotton vs microfiber and wicking and moisture and stuff. I took the plunge. New bra, shirt, capris, socks. Jeff is cracking up that I'm now wearing Under Armour.
See? All that new stuff can not only make you a runner, it can make you dance an Irish jig! But there's a catch. I've always done better during the work week than on the weekends. Less structure, less meals at home. Friday night, Jeff and I went out for dinner on a spontaneous date night. I didn't make healthy choices. Saturday was a very busy day with a lot of errands to be run. Grabbing a bite here and there and the day flies by... and I've eaten no fruit, no dairy. Just carbs and protein and some salad veggies. About the only thing I do right on the weekends is water.
It was Saturday. I do the first workout of the week for my Couch to 5K program on Saturdays. I waited until the end of the day. Bad diet, end of day and I was tired. Not a good combination for my first time running on pavement, outdoors in cool air. I struggled. I didn't complete any of the 90 second running intervals. I recovered about 90% on the walking intervals. My body was quitting on me and my energy was pathetic. I got home, stretched. My legs hurt and I was tired. Not muscle pain... shins. I took a relaxing bath. I hobbled around a bit. I did a lot of reading online and asking questions on Facebook. With all those bad factors, this is normal. Bad food energy, new terrain, new shoes, new air.
Wanna know something interesting? The only time I feel self conscious and really fat is when I'm struggling with trying to DO something about BEING FAT. Argh! It's Sunday so I will do some exercise at home- most likely bust out the Wii Fit and Just Dance and get some sweat and stretching on. And Monday I am back to it. I've learned a lot from my bad choices. I'm going to wear my new shoes on Sunday. I'm going to wear them as often as I can. I'm learning about stride and gait and posture.
This seems the most fitting- and fun- way to end this post...
17 comments:
You go! I gotta get me some new shoes, too. Good luck.
I love the new workout gear! You look fabulous!
Love the photo :-) You rock!
Good shoes are so important, I always put off replacing mine for too long and go on wearing them even when all the support has been worn down, it's really noticable when I do get new ones again!
I'm learning things as I go along. Working out first thing is best for me because by nighttime, I just want to veg. Must eat something before or my workout will be garbage. No pre-packaged food -- I feel better if I"m eating fruits and veggies.
Sounds like you're learning things that work for you too. Awesome!
awesome outfit! That video is frightening btw ;)
Just changing the way you eat really affects your energy levels, so keep at it Liz :) I'll be where you are in about a year I'm sure.
You inspire me to move (well really duck waddle at almost 34 weeks pregnant, but you inspire me nonetheless!)
Congrats on the new shoes. You look really great in your workout clothes!
Good for you for sticking it out, even through a crappy run. Yes, it would be great if you could eat perfectly every day, but 5 out of 7 days is still a lot better than most of us!!! Don't beat yourself up too much.
Oh God, I just went back and watched that video--I love that song, but had never seen the video. I didn't even watch the whole thing. Now I want to poke my eyeballs out!!!! LOL!
Okay, so I have signed up for the Couch to 5k program. I'm starting tomorrow.
So thanks for the example!
I love the new work out clothes!
It's really true. Most of the time I can forget about how I look and the number on the scale...clear until the point when I'm trying to change it.
First of all, I'm going to be cursing you all day for sticking that damn song in my head!
And secondly, I think this is the first full-body photo I've seen of you . . . At the risk of being too personal, what do you mean fat? You look fantastic!
The clothes are really cute and you are not fat!!!
2. Don't fret about the weekends, you can't be too strict with yourself.
3. I love doing a jig! I wish my life could be turned into a musical!
Good for you, Liz!! I can totally relate to your feelings on not being self-conscious until you go to do something about it! Good luck!
The Running Company does an amazing job understanding your needs. I don't mind paying extra for their knowledge and support.
Congrats on the outfit! Love it! I'm TOTALLY with you on weekends vs weekdays. BAD, bad choices. A Chinese Buffet was included in my terrible decisions this weekend. Ugh.
You are cute as heck.
I totally need to get fitted for the right shoes. I'm just mad at myself--my husband looked at how I wear my shoes the same ones he's worn for years. So I got them on Amazon, in the same size I always wear. But honestly they are just a smidge tight on my toes. Not enough to really hurt but they aren't quite right. I just hate that I spent $65 on them! I will probably keep using them for awhile before heading to our running shop and getting the RIGHT shoes. Ugh.
Anyway :)--Something I said recently was, "Even a bad run is still a good workout." So even if you don't finish the running segments, you're still getting your heart rate up and using your muscles. You can always repeat a week of C25K...or repeat every week! Consistency is most important. You're doing GREAT, and you look super-cute. :)
I need to get myself in and buy some running shoes, but I'm afraid they're going to tell me my feet are a lost cause!
(Yes, I know they won't, but still.)
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