running

i never in my wildest dreams thought i could be a runner. i tried. a few times. my roommate (before aaron) had a collection of runner's world magazines and i would browse through them. i was in awe that people ran on their own accord. it fascinated me. but any time i would try, it wouldn't last more than a few tries on the treadmill. my lungs burned. there was no "runner's high" that i had heard so much about.

myth busted.

until last december 2010. we had moved to new zealand and i had been 4 months since i had been to the gym. i was cranky about it to say the least. also, a friend of mine who battles anxiety as well, mentioned that running had always helped him.

i figured best case scenario, i stay in shape and have another weapon to help fight anxiety. i didn't really have anything to lose.

i tried the app "couch to 5k" and highly highly recommend it. it starts you off gently the first week by jogging for 60 seconds, and then walking for 90 seconds. each week you run a little bit more (see full plan here), by the end of nine weeks i could run a 5k. it seemed like nothing short of a miracle.

i wasn't anticipating actually completing the program, so i felt an enormous amount of pride about it. to celebrate the end of the program i ran the wellington lifestyle sports waterfront 5k. probably the nicest part was having aaron there. he kept telling me how proud he was of me. it made me glow.

during winter i took a bit of a break from running. it was cold, raining, and windy. my love affair wasn't that strong. however, it is making a great comeback as of late. espeically with the time change (more daylight) i'm finding it easier and easier to get back out there and run. i'm aiming for 4-5 times a week.

i find a lot of inspiration in the runner's world website. great inspiration, great stories.

and you know what? a "runner's high" does exist.