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Before a run, I wake up—excited… Usually it’s about 4 a.m. and I begin forcing myself to eat some oatmeal and a spoonful of peanut butter. I am anxious to leave the house, but I take my time filling up my water bottle, eating my breakfast and dressing for my big run. My mind wonders over every laborious bite of food. Is today the day that I will fall in love?
Okay, I am going to be honest. Please forget what I am about to say after you read it. I am so embarrassed to admit, I do not like running, not one bit! Even so, every time I tie up my laces and head out; I am hanging on to a glimmer of hope. Today will be the day that I magically turn into a real runner!
I see real runners every time I go out for my runs. Real runners love to run. Real runners don’t feel the pain that I feel while running—especially the pain I feel after a run. Real runners enjoy the solitary moments of thought while running. At least, that is what I imagine it is like to be a real runner.
Last Saturday, I set out to run 12 miles. I arrived to Central Park; running for the first time with the Manhattan team instead of the Brooklyn team. At first, the run was going well. I enjoyed the company of a couple of runners I hadn’t met yet—both of which actually ran my pace. It was the first Saturday that I was running comfortably with others. The first 8 miles went so well. I was actually enjoying myself. My inner voice proclaimed, “This is the day! I am falling in love!!!!” Well, not so fast. It was so hot outside. I filled up my water bottle at every fountain and kept drinking. I felt tired. I had packed one packet of the Jelly Belly Sport Beans, but apparently that was not enough. I started to feel dizzy and, believe it or not, hungry!
After I hit 11 miles, I knew I had to stop. I ran back to our starting area (after 11.2 miles) and bought a Gatorade and a hot pretzel from a vendor. I knew if I didn’t get some energy right away I might have gotten sick. After stretching, my body felt as though I was hit by a car. Defeated, I made my way back to Brooklyn. Wouldn’t you know it, the trains were delayed and running slow!? Frankly, even though it was a hot and long commute home; it gave me time to think. The reflection on the train home helped me build the courage to admit it. I DO NOT “love” running right now, but I am falling out of hate with it. I am enjoying the fact that I am active. I love that I am now a non-smoker. I love that I am busy doing something healthy for myself.
So, I am courting “running” and eventually, I know that will grow into a very strong love of running. When I get discouraged, I will force myself to think about the days that I couldn’t run for more than 10 minutes. I force myself to remember what it was like to race out of the subway so I could quickly light up a smoke before heading into the office. Instead, I am running up the subway steps for a little extra push in my fitness. I will cling to the excitement I feel every time someone tells me that they notice I’ve lost weight… Well those are the things I am hanging on to that push me to my runs.
This Sunday, I will be sharing my new habit with supporters for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I am excited to join our team of 20 (and counting) for this 5K run (or walk). My goal will be to beat my fastest time of 39 minutes and 12 seconds. I hope you will consider supporting your school’s team. You can support in a couple of ways. Click here to participate as a runner or walker. If you have a schedule conflict, you could donate and support the fight against breast cancer (at the same link). If those options don’t work, why not come out and cheer us on this Sunday? The cheers from the sidelines are so meaningful to runners in the race. I am so excited and can not wait for Sunday to arrive. Maybe this will be the day I fall in love!
Komen Greater NYC Race for the Cure
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Central Park at 9:00 am
The SPS Team will meet at Strawberry Fields at 8:oo am
Alexandra Hertel is an Ohioan living in Brooklyn, New York. She attends CUNY’s School of Professional Studies and works full-time in the events industry.
Images Used:
ha1flosse “Illustration of Zebras” Image. Free Stock Photos.biz. 2012. Web
“Racers on A Starting Line” Image. Free Stock Photos.biz. 2012. Web
Wow! The last few weeks have flown by, and I’m happy to say that I’ve kept up my training schedule for the Run for the Wild, despite the fact that it feels like we’ve traded NYC for Seattle. For those keeping track with me, I’m now in my fourth week, and have one more run for this week. So far, I’m feeling pretty good, though I’ve definitely noticed my right leg seems especially prone to shin splints when I don’t stretch out.
Lucky for me, I happen to work with colleagues who are more seasoned runners, so the other day I picked their brains about what I might do to ease my discomfort. Rachel Smith, an alum who is also a member of the Marketing team here at SPS, offered a particularly peculiar answer. “Use a rolling pin,” she said. “I know it sounds crazy, but roll it down the front of your shin and the back of your calf before and after you run, and you’ll feel better.” I’ll admit, I was skeptical, but I looked online and saw that this was actually a pretty common recommendation among runners.
Sure enough, I went home that night, tried the rolling pin trick, and by the next morning, I was pleasantly surprised at how much better my shins felt. Now, two days after the fact and with another run under my belt, I’m feeling no pain whatsoever. Guess there’s nothing like homegrown remedies!
I’m off to do another run tonight, and am using these guys as my inspiration at the end of a long day. If you’re training along with me, drop a line or two in the comments section at the top of the post, and let me know how you’re doing!
With one month to go, I’m feeling pretty good about the run. If you want to join the SPS team, visit www.wcsrunforthewild.org and sign up today! In addition to the run, you’ll also get free admission for the day to the New York Aquarium, two free rides at Luna Park, and lots of other entertainment! Be sure to use the RFTWCUNY discount code for $5 off registration!
Heather Zeman is the Events Manager at the CUNY School of Professional Studies, where she coordinates a wide variety of recruitment and special events. She’s currently planning a gorilla trek, to take place in Summer 2012.
First things first, and in the interest of full disclosure, I want to be clear about this… I’m not a runner.
Don’t get me wrong, I used to enjoy running when I was in shape to run…you know, back in high school. Now that I’m no longer, shall we say, conditioned, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit nervous about this Run for the Wild.
I’ve had a couple of friends train for runs like this, though, and to a person, they’ve all raved about the Couch to 5K training program outlined on CoolRunning.com. The program is an interval-based training schedule that allows you to build up your stamina and running ability over the course of 9 weeks. That gives just enough time to finish this training by October 6th, and have a few days to rest before the run on October 9th.
After a little bit of research, I found that there’s also an inexpensive ($2.99 on iTunes) Couch to 5K app that can be synced to my iPod so that I can train with my own music. There are also lots of free podcasts that can be downloaded with pre-programmed training cues and music; just Google “Couch to 5K podcast” and you’ll likely find something to match your tastes!
If you prefer to walk, you can also use similar training programs to build up to walking a 5K. A quick Google search found a host of options, including this plan from About.com, which also includes helpful tips at each stage and an event-day checklist.
I’m heading out for my first run tonight after work, on what I’m renaming my “Desk Chair to 5K” plan, and hope that some of you will be too!
Heather Zeman is the Events Manager at the CUNY School of Professional Studies, where she coordinates a wide variety of recruitment and special events. She’s currently planning a gorilla trek, to take place in Summer 2012.
