I'm Feeling Challenged

It's good to challenge ourselves every once in a while with something new.  Challenges can be useful for any area of life in which we'd like to improve.

Poking around online one evening, I came across a challenge called 5K A Day, where a person commits to running  at least a 5K (3.1 miles) every day for a month.  The thing is, I wasn't sure I wanted to commit to being that person.  It sounded hard and overwhelming and like I'd come up with excuses to talk myself out of it.  I blogged a couple of posts ("A Challenge and a Lesson" and "Day 17") about my experience on the journey, but still hadn't committed completely, in print or in my head.

If you haven't read Day 17, you don't know the mental battle I had going on.  And the funny thing is, I was really wrestling with one of the best excuses I can muster - poor weather - but when I actually got out and did the run, the clouds parted and I ran under a blue cloud of rainless sky.  I had worked through some stuff prior to lacing up and heading out the door, stuff which fortified me for other cruddy weather days (and there have been plenty).  That day, that morning, was a true turning point for me.

A while back I wrote briefly (in "Mother Teresa, and Having a 'Fat Day'") about how doing hard things strengthens us in more ways than one.  I learned a thing or two during the 5K A Day challenge:

• I am more capable than I realize.  I DID IT!  I COMPLETED AT LEAST A 5K EVERY DAY FOR 31 DAYS.  Really, I didn't think I had what it takes.  But it turns out I do.  In fact, I ran more than a 5K many days and on the weekends.  In all, I ran 114.31 miles.  For some people, that's peanuts.  For me, it was almost harder than training for the marathons I've run in the past.
• I learned to overcome and eliminate obstacles to my success.  Some day I'll do a post on excuses, but for me the main issues were time, weather and feeling tired.  Magically I was somehow able to tame those excuses (and a few others) to make the run happen.
• Many of the world's problems could be solved if everyone went running every day.  Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but there is some truth in there.  It's stress relieving and provides uninterrupted time to think, if you're alone, or talk problems out, if you're running with a buddy.
• I learned that in order to run faster, you have to run faster.  That is to say, my overall time really didn't get much faster after the first two weeks.  My goal was not to lower my 5K time, but was to just get out there each day.  Having the confidence of accomplishing the goal, I feel sure that if I want to improve my speed, I could do that, too.  To run faster would require intervals, sprints, timed bursts.  
• Even moderate amounts of exercise can have tremendous health benefits.  A half-hour of running every day isn't much, but it was enough to lower my resting heart rate by about 15 beats-per-minute.  That means my heart is strong and pumping blood more efficiently through my body.  I recently had some blood work done, and the person who took my pulse had to take it twice because she didn't trust her reading the first time.  "Are you a runner?" she peered at me over her glasses.  "Yes," I replied.  "Oh, I thought so.  That explains your low heart rate."  That made me feel good.  :)
• Consistent exercise doesn't necessarily equal weight loss.  This was not one of my goals, though I did wonder if it would be a by-product.  Had it been a goal, varying the intensity of my runs, adding some weight training, and streamlining how I eat would have helped (more vegetables and fruit, less refined products).  Hey, I should try that someday.  But not today.
• There are many different reasons why people run.  Below is a short video that was shown at my son's end-of-season banquet for his cross-country running team.  Of course, I got teary-eyed.  

• I enjoyed having a goal.  I enjoyed it so much that I've imposed two other challenges on myself.  The first is to read my Bible at least a "5K A Day."  By that I mean that I want to read for at least as much time as it would take to run a 5K.  The other challenge is a detox/cleanse.  I'm actually in the middle of it right now.  It's a six-week class of paring down what we eat, narrowing to a five-day juice fast, then slowly reintroducing foods to determine if we have any food allergies.  I'm way more nervous about the juice fast than I was about the 5K thing.  

We'll see how this goes.  Coming off of a month of running, I'm feeling like I just might be able to ride this wave of success a little longer.

Day 17

I've been awake since 4:00 a.m.

How could I not be when the wind is howling and heavy rain is pelting the already soggy earth, and I'm scheduled to go on my daily 5K run at 7:30 this morning?

My husband and I love the outdoors and the freshness of the chilly air is welcomed into our room each night as we leave our bedroom window open.  Normally the breeze and drizzle are comforting, sleep inducing.  Not last night.  Sounds of branches waving wildly and the autumn decorations on our front porch blowing about have left me disconcertingly awake.

I lay listening, thinking.  I was thinking about my last post, where I revealed the 5K A Day challenge I've imposed on myself, and how I was complaining about Day 5 and Day 9.  They're going to be nothing compared to today's Day 17.

We have an American flag on our front porch.  I could hear it whipping in the wind and feared it ripping right off its mount, so I got up to take it down and safely stash it next to the house.  Just as I was about to open the door to rescue it, it launched from the house.  It's still dark outside and I don't know where it landed.  I hope it's in our yard and not our neighbor's.

So now I'm awake.  I sat for a while, looking toward the street light to watch the storm out my living room window, listening for who  knows what.  It's chilly in the house so I've donned our big blue fleece Snuggie, a gag gift from a Christmas party from a couple years ago.  Wouldn't it be nice to stay this way... cozy and warm and dry?

But then again, I mused, just because it's wildly storming outside doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be a bad run, or even a difficult one.  It's all in the framing.  What if I take the challenge by the horns and hold on tightly and tell myself it's going to be one wild ride, but exhilarating and fun?  Here is an interesting article about reframing our thoughts in new ways.  It's all in how I choose to look at this.

First I have to ask myself what is the worst thing that could happen.  I guess a 110 foot tall Sitka spruce tree could fall on me while I'm running down the road.  Or a car could hydroplane and swerve and hit me.  Or a pack of starving, wild wolves could stalk me and savagely attack.  But realistically, probably the worst thing that will happen is that I'll get really wet.  That's it.  I'll wear my rain jacket, the one with the wide-brimmed hood.  It's a bit chilly out, so I'll wear my gloves, too.  And I'll come home soaked.


Soaked and wild-eyed and happy and full of fire for the day.
In the time it's taken me to think and write, the wind has died down (not the rain, however).  The wind chime on my back porch is quiet now.

I'm just waiting for it to get light outside so I can lace up and go for my run.

Day 17 just might end up being a highlight in this whole challenge.

A Challenge and a Lesson

Lately I've been feeling a little, um, unmotivated to exercise.  While I know in my head that exercise needs to be a priority and there are a gazillion reasons why I should (here are 100), I couldn't quite translate that into lacing up my sneakers and moving my body enough to break a sweat.  I needed a little nudge, oomph, kick in the pants... whatever you call it.

A friend introduced me to the world of tracking workouts online.  Some sites also include social networking, so your friends can encourage/applaud your efforts.  There are a ton of sites out there; surely there is a format for everyone.  Here are a few options:

• www.dailymile.com
• www.athlinks.com
• www.usatf.com
• www.runstoppable.com
• www.mapmyrun.com
• www.livestrong.com
• www.buckeyeoutdoors.com
• www.activetrainer.com
• www.fitsync.com
• www.activelog.com
• www.fitnessjournal.com
• www.dailyburn.com
• www.shapelink.com

Poking around the site he showed me, I found a few acquaintances who were already members.  Their entries seemed so non-Superman-ish, that I felt comfortable enough to join.  As I further explored, I saw a section of challenges submitted by members far and wide (like all over the USA and internationally, as well).

One of the submissions was entitled, 5K A Day for One Month.  5K?  I've completed marathons, I can do a 5K.  I've done tons of them.  But a 5K every day?

The challenge had a couple of days until it started, so I decided to take the idea for a test ride.  I did a 5K two days in a row and didn't die.  I went to my computer to sign up, but the challenge submission had mysteriously disappeared.

It's weird, but I felt deflated.  I was pumped up to do this thing, in part because if completed, I would have earned some digital bling to proudly display on my home page.  Now, no bling for the thing!  (Surely this says something shallow about my character.)  As I thought it over, however, I decided to quietly begin the challenge on my own.  My family members were the only ones who knew I was taking it on, though I'd not committed for the month.

Today was day 13 for me.  But I almost dropped out at day 5 and 9.  Day 5 was a wet, blustery day, and a hyper-busy one at that.  I had decided that the 5K simply was not a priority for me, so I abandoned the whole idea.  One of my sons asked me late in the afternoon if I'd done it yet that day.  "Nah, just too busy."  His response was one of disappointment, I could tell.  Then, right before my eyes, this lanky, teenage cross-country runner son became my hero.  "Oh, you've gotta do it, Mom.  I'll come with you."  And out into the storm we headed.  I was grateful to him for getting me out when I otherwise wouldn't have gone.  Beside that, we had wonderful conversation during the run.  The run provided the platform for one-on-one time with him.

Day 9 came and went - another busy day - and night had fallen.  This time it was my other son who asked if I'd done the 5K.  "Nah..." I again replied.  But this time, no one tried to talk me in to it or offered to do it with me.  As I thought about it, I realized I at least wanted to make it to double digits.  And so, even though it was dark and drizzly out, I put my running clothes on, grabbed a headlamp and headed into the night, alone.  There are many bears in the area where we live, and it is not uncommon to see them when we're out and about.  Jogging in the dark out here (no city lights, not much traffic) scares me.  But I overcame my fear and went on the run.  I sang REALLY loud.  When I got home, I was glowing from the inside out.  I had conquered something and I knew it.

Today was another blustery, wet day (a theme here in southeast Alaska, especially in the fall).  I was determined to make the 5K happen (strengthened by Days 5 and 9, I'm sure).  I had my husband drop me off on his way in to work.  I either had to run home or hitchhike.  I chose to run.  Dressed for the weather, I actually had a fun run.  The digital bling of which I earlier spoke holds less appeal to me now, as I'm finding that the run IS the reward.

Maybe, just maybe, I'm learning a principle here.

“Being faithful in the smallest things is the way to gain, maintain, and demonstrate the strength needed to accomplish something great.”
― Alex Harris

I am training myself physically, but I have the feeling there is something deeper going on as I tackle the 5K A Day challenge.