Start Slow

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – St. Francis of Assisi

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Adam Ashe

A few months back, I signed up for a charity race. My company was sponsoring the event. I had to work the vendor table before the race. Naturally, I decided to run the race as well. The problem was that I signed up for the 10K without a training plan! Not the best strategy I assure you. Even so, I began working toward running 6 miles. At first, I ran on the treadmill for 10- 15 minutes. After doing so for a week, I bumped up the time. I ran for 20 minutes, 25 minutes, and so forth. I worked up to 45 minutes comfortably on the treadmill after a few weeks.

Then, the weather finally improved enough for me to run outside. I was stoked! It had been close to a year since I have ran outside. I was so confident I could pick it up quickly. To my dismay, I STRUGGLED on that first run. I had to stop at 3 minutes! I eventually did a loop that took me 45 minutes while jogging and walking. It was tough! That run made me realize how different a jogging on treadmill and outside really are.

With 3 weeks before the race, I knew I was in trouble. I was not prepared. My endurance and weight was not where it should be to run 6 miles! But, I did not want to turn back. I did not want to shy away from the challenge. So, I ran anyway. Sufficed to say, I ran the race and finished. I didn’t break any records to say the least. Some lessons did come from this experience:

Start any new goal/ venture/ change slowly
Pace yourself and your progress
Train with he same activity as your end goal/ event
Work up to a goal
Do not overwhelm yourself with a huge goal!!

Overall, the race was a great experience and I am glad I stuck to my guns and ran. Next time, I plan to train more appropriately and seriously. Have you ever set a goal and worked up to it? Comment below! As Always, Eat, Move, and Improve!

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