Start Today

Through the last few weeks we have learned quite a bit about running.  We have learned that humans have actually been designed to run, we have looked at the benefits of running and we have discovered some reasons people run as well as excuses we sometimes use why we cannot run.  Now the only question remains : how do I start running?

Running is really an easy sport to get into in the sense that no expensive equipment is needed, a basic pair of running shoes will do the trick. There is no need to join a club and pay expensive club fees and there is no restriction on where or when you may run.  However, there are two important things a person should do before starting this running journey.  The first thing is to visit a GP for a thorough check-up.  Once he/she gives  the all clear you are well on your way.  The second thing you have to do is to get yourself a running plan.  Of course you can do like I did many years ago, and just start running, but the chances are you are going to run out of steam before you have really given it a proper go.  A running plan will make all the difference.  For this there is no need for an expensive running coach as the internet is full of free running plans.  The biggest struggle is deciding which running program to use.  If you are a novice runner, my suggestion is to get yourself a walk/run program for beginners.  A solid base of walking/running will set you up with a good foundation.  These programs usually take you from walking to running a 5km in 8 to 12 weeks.  After this you then progress to the next step with another program.  It is important to have an idea of what your ultimate running goal is and then to slowly progress until you achieve your goal.   Beware not to fall into the beginners trap of "too far, too fast, too soon."  This has derailed even experienced runners.

I am sharing the link to a walk/run program from the runnersworld site: 

https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/beginners/a30279918/run-walk-plan-complete-beginners/

 A few tips:

Make running a habit.

Do this for three to four times a week.

Don't make excuses, but listen to your body.

Stick to the program, even if it feels too easy.  If you struggle, repeat the week again before you progress to the next week.

Always remember : It DOES get easier, you WILL improve.

Rest days are important.

Don't think about how far you still have to go, just think about this kilometer, this run.

Don't compare yourself with anybody else.

Enjoy your run, breathe in the fresh air and smile, you are lapping everyone still sitting on the couch!!!

Run?! You want to run?!

I am sure that if you are a runner, or an aspiring runner, you are familiar with exclamations such as: Run?!  Why on earth do you want to run!  Those words are all too familiar to myself.

For many years I have had a secret dream.  It was one which I had buried very deep, and nobody knew about it.  I had at times tried to pursue it, but gave it up fairly quickly.  I was convinced that it was an impossible dream, only meant for people born with the natural ability and correct DNA code.  Then one day I saw somebody I knew, also a woman, more on the mature side, doing what I have always dreamed of doing and a little seed started to germinate.  You see, she was a runner and she had only started later in life.  After a few weeks of watching her, I finally gathered enough courage to approach a coach and asked her if she could help me to at least run a 5km sometime in the future.  She laughed and said that it was very easy, I just had to do it.  This answer did not help much, as I knew that it was not that simple.  After all, I have tried to do that before with poor results.  A few days later I told my husband that I would really love to be able to run a 5k.  My husband, as sweet as he is, burst out laughing at the idea of me running, ever!  So, I decided not to speak of this again.  Instead I started walking seriously.

A few months later we went on holiday with my daughter and son-in-law.  She had started running the previous year.  Every morning the two of us would go for a walk/run.  She would jog next to me while I did some fast walking.  I loved it, but secretly wished that I could run with her.  However, I was too scared to make a fool of myself.  At the end of that year she ran her first 10km.  My husband and I drove all the way to their hometown to support her for the event.  I was super proud of her.

The following year, she called me and said that her dream was to run the Two Oceans half Marathon taking place in Cape Town, South Africa.  However, she did not want to run it alone, but knew nobody who would do it with her.  Well, you know how mothers are?  We will try our best in order to give our children what they want.  Before I could help myself, I told her that I would do it with her!  What?!!!  Yes, you read that right. I, who had never even run a 5km, volunteered to do a 21km race with my daughter!  Man, was I crazy!

Once I came to my senses I realized just what it was that I had promised.  Fortunately I remembered that my sister-in-law had once spoken about a walk/run program which had helped her to start running.  I contacted her and she immediately shared that program with me. My husband was working away at that time, so every morning, sunshine, rain or cold, I set off on my quest.  I started with a 2 minute walk/ 1 minute jog for 30 minutes.  One minute felt like an eternity and I prayed for the sixty seconds to pass.  Two weeks later when my husband returned home, I was well into the program. I never looked back.

Today, six years later, I not only have various half marathons behind me, but have also done many marathons, as well as six Ultra's, two of which are Comrades Marathons.  I AM a runner!  The moral of the story is, never allow anybody to tell you what you are capable or not capable of doing.  If you have a dream, pursue it.  Find a way to give your dream wings.  There is ALWAYS a way.  As a bonus I have found many wonderful friends amongst the running community and I often run with my two daughters and my two sons-in-law.  Running has become a lifestyle and I love encouraging others like myself who think that running is an impossible dream.

In my next post I will be sharing a few ideas on how to start running and having fun while doing it.

 

About Running - Fact or Fiction

When it comes to running, it seems that there are many experts, especially amongst the non-runners.  They are the ones who are quick to tell you about the cons of running.  I am not quite sure what the reasons are behind their anti-running attitude, but I myself in the past have used a few of these wisdoms to convince myself that it is better to walk rather than run.  Pulling one of these reasons out of my excuses booklet made me feel better about not running. I am sure you are familiar with quite a few of these anti-running "facts".  So let us have a look at a few of these so called facts.

One of the first "facts" you'll often hear is that humans were not made to run. We have actually dealt with this notion in my previous post, https://flutterbybye.blogspot.com/2021/04/designed-to-run.html , please feel free to read about it there.  Another 'fact" is that runners need to be a certain body type, size, height or weight to run.  This is absolutely not true, and although elite runners are usually smaller and lighter than regular runners, it is not a pre-requisite to run. Charles Bungert of the USA is proof that you do not have to be the right size to be a runner.  At 193 kg he ran the LA Marathon in 2013.

Another fact offered by the expert non-runners is that running is bad for your knees.  This one certainly sounds to the lay person like the gospel truth.  I mean we can all imagine the pounding a person's knees must take when running.  Surely that impact can only be very detrimental to those vulnerable joints.  We envision knee-replacement surgery as the final outcome for abusing our knees in such a manner.  The truth is, however, that it is not running which can damage your knees, but running incorrectly. You can read more about it here:  https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/does-running-damage-your-knees#1 .  Several studies have shown that running seems to have very real benefits for our knee joints.  It can help to reduce inflammation in the joint and actually protect our knees and delay the onset of  osteoarthritis.

Let's bust another myth.  Many people believe that you can only call yourself a runner if you can run fast and/or far.  Absolutely not true!  Neither pace nor distance makes you a runner.  There is not an exam you need to pass or a certificate or a degree you can get that would declare you a runner.  Whether you run fast, slow, sleek as a panther or awkwardly like a giraffe on stilts, you are a RUNNER.  Whether you venture out once a week for twenty minutes or run five days a week, you are a runner.  All that matters is that you run.  Whether you regularly take part in races or you have never signed up for a single one is of no importance, you are still a RUNNER!

Another fallacy many people believe along with the above mentioned myth is that "runners don't walk".  A chant you often hear when passing a running bus in an ultra marathon is: "No walking in running shoes", and while this chant does help to keep you focused on your goal, there is a lot to be said about taking walking breaks.  Many people have the opinion that only beginner runners do this, however, even seasoned runners employ this strategy.  Whether you run non-stop, or prefer the run-walk-run method, you are still a runner!

One final myth I want to bust once and for all, is the one that says "I am too old to run".  There is no age restriction when it comes to running.  Some people have started in primary school or even pre-school, but in recent years a large number of people has started running later in life.  Male runners over 40, referred to as "Masters", now represent about 50% of the marathon finishers in the USA, while women over 40 make up about 40% of the marathon finishers.  In 2011, at a 100 years of age, Fauja Singh was the oldest marathon runner.

So, how about it?  As you can see there is no reason at all why you, yes you reading this, can not also become a runner.  It is easy to get into , low cost, accessible anywhere and anytime and it is very good for your health.  Next time we will talk about the benefits and how to start running.  I hope to see you here on my blog.

Designed to Run

Sitting here at my desk I watch as two runners are jogging past my window.  They are happily chatting as they stride along in their colourful running gear.  Their running shoes are the best on the market and colour coded with their clothing. They make it look so easy and I have an urge to lace up and join them. The sport of running has become a multi-million dollar business, but have you ever wondered about running and the history behind this sport?

Running has not always been a sport, although it has been around for millennia.   For early humans running was essential for their survival.  As hunter-gatherers they had to cover long distances in search of food.  Although there has been many debates about whether humans were made for running, especially when compared to faster land animals, research has shown in fact that we are uniquely designed for running.  Especially longer distances.  Even though many animals, including the elephant, are faster over short sprints, humans can outrun them over greater distances.  In fact every part of our bodies features designs made to sustain long distance running.

One such a design is the Nuchal ligament, which is only activated during running, and helps to keep our heads stabilized.  Humans also have longer legs compared to their body mass and this results in more energy economy while running.  Our shorter toes and the lack of fur, as well as the ability to regulate our temperature, are also designs which aid us in running longer distances.

So when did running become a sport?  Well, first, running is inborn and is a natural part of movement.  You just have to watch a baby learning to walk.  Not long after they find their footing they start taking quicker steps to get to a shiny object, their bottle or anything else they should not be touching.  It is simply amazing how fast they can run on those wobbly little legs, and no one taught them to run, it just happens!

Now let's talk about ancient.  How does 3100 BC sound?  It started in one of the oldest civilizations, Egypt.  They held the Sed Festival.  Thirty years into a Pharaoh's  reign he had to complete a race every three years until his death.  It is theorized that the reason was to determine whether he was still fit to rule. Then there are factual records of when the first "sporting" event happened.  It dates back to about 1000 BC when the Tailteann Games were held in Ireland.  These were in honour of the dead.  In 776 BC, Olympia in Greece hosted the first Olympic games, where the only items were running.

Most people running for recreational purposes have some or other goal in mind, and although many  proclaim that they only ever just wanted to run 10 km maximum, most of them actually have greater goals in mind, such as a half marathon and even a full marathon.  There is something alluring about the marathon distance.  I think a lot of it stems from the legend of Pheidippides who ran the distance of about 42.195 km in 490 BC.  The story has it that  he ran from the battlefield near Marathon, a town in Greece, to Athens to deliver the news of the Persians' defeat.  After delivering his message, he fell over and died.

Over centuries running has evolved from a necessity for survival to what it is today, a highly competitive sport or simply a means to stay healthy or a chance to socialize and de-stress from life's demands.  Whatever your reason is for running, just enjoy it. 

 I leave you with this quote by Kristen Armstrong, runner and author:

"There is something magical about running; after a certain distance, it transcends the body. Then a bit further it transcends the mind.  A bit further yet, and what you have before you, laid bare, is the soul." 

Happy Running.

 

Run Along

Recently, on one of our visits to our granddaughters, the elder of the two, four year old Rose, invited me to go run outside with her.  She explained that she has to run to get fit like her mom and dad.  A few laps into the run (around the mulberry tree), she suddenly gave a loud sigh and exclaimed, "Nana, this is so boring, What can we do to make it less boring?"  So we started singing.

Since this is Rose's birthday month I thought we could have a look at the sport of running.  The myths and facts about running, the history of running, the science of running and the strange attraction of running.  Why would we, as sane and logical people, want to do that to our bodies? There has to be some explanation as in South Africa alone there are over a hundred thousand registered runners and in the UK it is estimated that there are over two million runners!

I myself have been fascinated by running from a very young age.  The first time I saw children running in one direction around an oval, I watched in wonder.  I wanted to do it too, but was too shy to try it.  Eventually, when I was 8 years old I gathered some courage and entered a track item, but I had hardly covered the first two hundred meters when I got such a terrible pain in my heel that I limped off the field.  I tried it a few times more, but every time with the same result.  My parents took me to the doctor, but there was no answer to the problem and I conceded that there were obviously some people meant to do it and others were meant to watch.  And watch I did, and cheered.

 Strangely, I was never fascinated by any other sport.  Rugby and Netball or even Hockey held no charm for me.

I was never a sporty child, but I could spend hours on my bicycle and when an ice rink opened up in our town, I basically lived on the ice.  Later I turned to Karate and loved doing Ballet as well.  In 1987 I watched the Comrades Marathon for the first time on television and I was absolutely hooked.  I sat the entire race nailed to the screen and no one dared interrupt me.  That year I decided to try again to  run.  I got myself a pair of running shoes and set out diligently every afternoon.  Or tried to.  After running two kilometers flat out, I returned home utterly despondent.  However, the next day I tried again and a few more days after that.  Finally, after a week of running, and it becoming more and more difficult instead of easier, I decided that it was just as I had feared.  Some people were meant to be athletes while others were meant to be spectators and supporters.  I was obviously meant to be the latter and that was what I did.  When my brother started running a couple of years later, I was an avid supporter and would be there to cheer him on as he did his finishing sprint.  I also continued to watch the Comrades Marathon every year from sunrise to sunset.  I buried my secret dream in my heart.

So why do people run?  Well, Forest Gump's reason for running was "I just felt like running".  One of the reasons why people start to run is weight loss.  Running burns quite a decent amount of calories and it is easy, as well as cheap to start.  Some people claim that it helps them to get rid of work stress and gives them a feeling of freedom.  

For  many people the element of competition is a wonderful incentive.  Joining a running club has the added benefit of meeting new, like minded people.  Runners are usually a friendly bunch and are always eager to welcome new members into their group.  

Running is a great way to boost your over-all well-being and improve your health.  It is known to help lower blood pressure as well as the risk of contracting diabetes.  Taking a jog out in the fresh open air does wonders for a person's mood and reduces feelings of depression.

Clearly there is much to be said about the benefits of running.  Are you a runner?  Or have considered taking it up as a sport or pastime?  Please tell me more and watch this blog for more running related stuff during the month of April.

 

This is My Year To...

It is another new year (five days old, but still fresh), and of course with it comes the usual New Year Resolutions or is it maybe Disillusions?  Come on, be honest, how many of you write the same resolutions in your brand new diary every year?  This year - lose weight, eat healthier, join the gym, study, pay off debts, etc.  We start off with such enthusiasm, but scarcely a month later, the new diet died an early death and I have put off my gym membership for when I have paid off my debts, and that will happen once I had my last shopping spree on my credit card!  Yeah, right!  I am sad to break it to you, but we are only fooling ourselves.  So what is a person to do?  I mean, it feels so good to have New Year resolutions, it invigorates us, fills us with excitement for the coming year and gives us a purpose.  But on the flip side: it feels terrible when we fail once again!  

I am by no means an expert, but I have a suspicion why we so often fail at carrying through with our resolutions. It is a combination of two things.  Firstly, we have too many things we want to change or start at once.  We lack focus and we are overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all.  We have to narrow it down to one or two things, at the very most, three things.  When we focus our energy on changing or starting one particular thing we tend to be much more successful at it.  Secondly, we do not want it badly enough.  Often we want to do something to please somebody else or to impress somebody.  We want to do it because everyone else is doing it or we think it is the right thing or the "in" thing to do.  We want to do it for all the wrong reasons.  The only time I will be successful is when I want to do it for myself and I want to REALLY do it.  New Year's resolutions is a very personal issue, and I need to focus all my attention on it.

Those who have been following my blog might remember this post from the 5th of May 2014:

"I am not, I repeat, NOT an athlete.  Although I love walking, and can even walk at quite a pace, I am not athletic at all.  We are not an athletic family.  We love art.  We are regulars on the culture scene.  My idea of running is that the engine is here to stay!  Yet I have a dream, one that I have kept quite well hidden, well that is until now.  Deep down, in the very darkest recesses of my heart there is this desire to run at least a 5 k. There I have said it, now I want to hide!  

So, that is how I find myself at this point in my life where I have bought the shoes and actually donned them.  Now it is time to set out on the journey.  Time for the unwilling athlete to step up!"

Yes, to run the 5k was my resolution for 2014 (as well as for the year before, and the year before and the year before that!  You get the picture?)

So, how did it go with this resolution?  Well, I did it.  Not only did I do it, I went on to the 1ok and the 15k!  So, what made the difference?  How did I get to stick to my goal last year when all the previous years it stayed just a thought in my diary?  My answer?  A singleness of thought.  It was my ONLY goal and this time I was selfish, I wanted to do it for ME. Not because it was the "in" thing to do, not because somebody else was doing it, but for me.  That was how I started, but then I got a bonus.  My daughter told me about her desire, and that was to take part in a major event, running a half marathon, but she did not want to do it alone.  Of course, like the mother I am, I volunteered to be her running buddy.  Thus 5k has become 10k and 15 k and I am steadily working my way up to 21k!!! 

Doing this had the added bonus that one of my other resolutions of previous years happened without me even trying.  I have lost the 5kg's (10lb) that I have been threatening to lose for the past 5 years!

Do you have any new year resolutions?  Then I suggest that you take a long hard look at them and pick just one of them, that one that you really really want to do the most.  That one that speaks to your very essence.  The one, that if you were to achieve it, would make you the happiest.  Pick that one and then focus all your attention on it, live it, breathe it and go for it with all your might.  Banish all your excuses and reasons not to do it. NOW is the time to do it.  Don't put it off any longer.  You owe it to yourself.  I am not a fan of the winter, yet despite the bitter cold, I ventured out of the house and followed my program, hating it, yet loving it.  How great it was when Spring came and all the other athletes started their training and I was already past my base training!  I have had many people critisizing me ("At your age!  You are mad!  You are not an athlete!  You will never be able to do it!  I drove past you and felt so sorry when I saw you suffering so much!") , very few people gave me any words of encouragement, but for the first time it did not matter, because I am not doing it for any of them!!  Pay no attention to the nay-sayers, nor to that little saboteur in your head trying to discourage you.  

GO ON!  DO IT!!!!

You are welcome to share your goals for 2015 with me here on my blog.  I would love to hear from you and encourage you.

I wish you every success in 2015!!!

Keep On Flying !

A few weeks ago some of you might remember that I posted about starting a running program. Well, the most amazing thing is that I am now in the 7th week (8 if you count the week that I repeated week 3) of my program.  It is amazing because this is the longest I have ever stuck with any sort of running program and on top of that during the winter!  Winter to me signifies curling up, cuddling and hiding away from the cold and NOT doing unnecessary physical activity.  Yet, here I am, religiously venturing out on a daily basis to adhere to my program.  

I have to admit, it does not come easily.  I have a constant argument with that mighty inner voice insisting that I am totally insane and must definitely give up on this ridiculous notion of running.  After all, the engine is here to stay!  I have come to realize that my battle is not against the other runners that so effortlessly jog past me, nor is it against the little aches and pains or the painful winter onslaught, no, it is against that VOICE inside my head!  Nagging, nagging, nagging me to stop, to give up, trying to convince me that it is impossible, to face the fact that I am too old and simply not athletic at all.  It is so tempting to listen to that voice, and I can hear the couch calling me.  One would think that after & weeks that voice might have grown weaker, but it is as persistent as ever.  

Fortunately I have a pact with my running partner.  Yes, I have decided to employ the buddy system.  In fact I have two running partners.  One is my daughter, who is a 100 miles away, but everyday when I go out on the road I sms her and she encourages me.  Sometimes it even happens that we are out on the road together even if it is in different towns.  My second Buddy is a little fish, named Dory.  Yes, you are right, now that she is not helping to find Nemo, she is my running partner. (Of course you now understand why my inner voice has declared me utterly mad!)  Whenever I get tired and feel like giving up she is right there to remind me to "keep on swimming, keep on swimming, swimming, swimming".  This little chant does wonders to drown out that irritating inner voice.

This decision of mine to start running has made me think about why some people do things against all odds and why others never venture anything and I have come to the conclusion that indeed it is all in the mind.  It is in our thoughts where victory or failure starts.  It is our thoughts that can doom a project before it has even started, but it is also our thoughts that can make a venture into a success story.  It is in our minds where the greatest battles are lost and won.

Some years ago I read the story of a mountaineer who was paralyzed after a climbing accident.  The doctors told him that he would never be able to walk again.  A few years later however he was interviewed after climbing a major mountain range despite the doctors' prognosis.  The reporter asked him how he managed to overcome such odds?  His answer was simply this : "If you have a good enough excuse not to do something, then don't use that excuse."

How wise!  Excuses gives us an out.  It is like having a back door open all the time, ready to take flight, to leave and avoid the issue.  The minute, however, when you close and lock that back door, or even better, build a wall in the door's place, we have no choice but to go forward and to face the challenge.  Giving up is no longer a choice available to us and in that lies the secret.  Never give up.  

Giving up teaches us nothing.  We never learn the strength of our abilities.  We never reach our goals.  We become expert give-uppers.  We never get to stand on the summit and say "Wow, look at that view!  Look how far I have come."

If giving up was an option to Columbus, America might still have been unknown.  Africa and India might have been places just whispered about if it were not for Diaz and da Gama.  Noah's ark would not have been more that a little kayak!  If giving up was a choice we would never have heard of Nick Vujicic, who had every good excuse in the book to wallow in self-pity.  Instead he still amazes and inspires the world with his faith in the Lord, infallible spirit and dogged determination.  Watch this video to learn more about this incredible man .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USUvzKDroqM 

If you flutter by here, please leave a comment.  I would love to hear from you.