running...or jogging, rather

Anyone who knows my family well, knows that being active is just a normal, every day thing.  Especially, running.  My parents run.  My brother runs.  I am always wanting to, and sometimes trying to.

My problem with running is that when I start up again, I tend to do it for a season.  Then something comes up; winter, laziness, pregnancy...and I stop.  Then I have to start up ALL over again, from the beginning.  I'm tired of it.  I want to run (or jog) always, every season, all year long.  Like my parents.  Like my brother.  This is my new goal.

After gaining 50 lbs during my pregnancy (yeah, not recommended) I decided to give running another go.  I started with the "couch to 5k plan."  Basically, the plan gets you started - from literally getting you off the couch to running 3 miles (or 30 minutes).  Essentially, to the point where you can run a 5K.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I have followed the program exactly.  Except that when I hit week 8, to be running 28 minutes...I wasn't there yet.  During our vacation in upstate NY, I could run 25 minutes.  We got home, and I regressed.  I couldn't do it, like there.  It must have been a temperature change that was the reason, not sure.  All I know is it took me a few weeks to catch up.

I have come a long way.  I started this program on May 20 (about 6 weeks after Riley was born) and running 60 second intervals in the beginning was tough!  Now, I am running 30 minutes straight.  No walking in between.  Last night was 32 minutes, to be exact.

It's crazy that it has been 3 months exactly, and I'm only running 30 minutes.  You'd think I'd be doing more by now, but I'm not.  It's still hard for me.  I don't know why.  I don't know if it's because I'm still carrying some extra weight on me from pregnancy, or that I have asthma, or that this summer has been ridiculously humid, or that my mind is still not fully in it...  Either way, I'm doing it.

I am proud of myself.  I wasn't happy with how I handled my pregnancy weight gain...but am happy that now, after the fact, I'm taking control over it.  I put the weight on.  So I can take it off.

The longest that I have run (in my life), without stopping to walk, is 45 minutes.  I ran that back in my college days, while on vacation in Michigan, visiting my grandparents.  I went running with my dad.  He was my encouragement that day.  I remember wanting to die, but we did it.  I pushed myself to that 45 minutes and remember the day so well because it was a personal record.  I now, am looking to beat that.  Not sure when, but some day.

I want to be active, for my sake and my daughter's.  My parents taught us a lot, but what sticks out right now is that they lead by example - they just went running.  They never said, "Abby, you should run."  Not once.  If they did, I may have had a different attitude about it.  They just continued with their active lifestyle, while raising Ian and I.  We learned.  Maybe that's why I always keep returning to running, as hard as it is for me.  I have grown up seeing it - and I want that for my daughter.

I have no desire to race and compete, or to run marathons (like my big brother, who is amazing)...but maybe I will run a 5K one day.  Just to prove to myself that I can do it.

Happy running!