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Jul. 27, 2009
20 Minute Run
The brain is the most important factor in every challenge. The muscles in your body can usually accomplish the challenge you set before it.It's the muscle of your brain, if it' is weak, then you'll never meet your challenge.
Weeks ago when I started this adventure into getting fit, I had the desire to be able to run, but I knew, that without a proper plan, that I'd give up, because the challenge seemed too much for my weak brain. I found a program which I knew was designed for novices. As a matter of fact, it was described as a program to get you off the couch and into a 5 Mile run in 9 weeks... it expected me to be out of shape. I'm pretty sure it expected my mind to be out of shape too.
You see, the first few weeks, the increments were small, minute changes to the program, and it gave my brain time to become accepting of each increment, changing from 60 seconds of running, to 90 seconds of running and doing that for three days until my brain and body accepted the workout.
Today my brain got a BIG Workout. This 5th week, the body goes from a 5 minute run, to an 8 minute run to a 20 minute run. Meeting the challenge of increasing from 5 minutes to 8 minutes was quite a stretch, I was having to really think about breathing and calm my heart rate and really refrain from looking at the watch to see how much time was left. I was really glad for the 5 minute walk between the two 8 minute runs, though I didn't need all 5 minutes to regain my breathing and lower heart rate.
Today, the challenge was walk 5 minutes, run 20 without stopping. The brain needed a plan. I decided to run on the dirt road which is straight across the road. It's a nice peaceful path through a wheat field, a flax field, and past a cow pasture, with some small hills, and soft dirt and a few little rocks to navigate. I know I can do a workout by going to the end of the dirt road, turn around and come home.. it's more defined than running down the highway, where you can turn around at anytime. My mental challenge was to not look at my watch until I reached the far end of the road - the point where I turned around. I expected the watch would read about 8 minutes, but I was pleased to read 10 minutes! I turned around and knew that if I ran back along the road, I'd be able to get to about the farm equipment and then have a cool down walk back to the house. It made it easier to meet the physical challenge when I was working on meeting a mental challenge at the same time.
Also, the change of scenery helped. The wheat fields are green, the flax fields are blue and the cattle pasture had a herd of herefords lazing in the pasture, and they became excited as we (the dogs and I) came along, they all stood up - all but the bull - and a few ran along the fence line with us a scosh.
So, the leap from 8 minutes to 20 minutes - physically was easy - and because I set my mind on mental challenges too, it too was easy to meet. I can now proudly say, I can RUN 20 minutes without stopping! and without being winded and without being in pain, and without causing a cramp, without an asthma attack, and without complaining! |
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Posted by Mum 
Jul. 27, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Briana