WOOHOOO! Six Month Anniversary of My Running!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vblibrary/5436521212/ by Enokson

So, today is my 6th month anniversary of my first run.  How about that? I've been running for 6 months. And I think except for a week or two, I've somehow gotten in 3 runs a week the whole time.  I wish I had some amazing before/after photos of some great transformation that has occurred in the past 3 months. Or I wish I had some great accomplishment to report to celebrate this day. But, I really don't. I've lost a few pounds, got in better shape, etc.  I have gotten to the point that I am not running to lose weight. I'm not running to "get" to a certain point where running is easier. I am really just running because I really like my life as a person who runs.

I thought I would go back to my original format for this post--10 things at my 6 Month Mark. Just things I am thinking about as I celebrate this 6 month mark of consistent running. I still don't feel like a runner but I feel like a person who has been running for 6 months, a person who can run 2-3 miles at a time, a person who runs 6-8 miles per week.  I feel much better than I felt 6 months ago, that's for sure!

1-I went new shoe shopping last week. It was really the first time I went shoe shopping when I was actually running. I got new shoes in early March but I had only been running 8-10 weeks and was still doing lots of walking. But this time, I felt more like I knew what I wanted. My Mizunos were starting to give me trouble. With more running, I noticed this pair was a little too snug in the top of my foot.  I could tell I needed a different shoe. But I wanted to be careful with my Plantar Faciitis because this one has been really good for that. I was dying for a fun color but realized when I started trying the shoes on, that I was actually more interested in the fit than in the look. Who knew I would ever get to that point?   I like these well enough. I like the way that they feel when I run. I do not get happy when I look at them, but I am okay with that. I am really happy with the shoe. A funny story about the shoe shopping--I took off my socks, rolled up my pants and got ready to walk so she could decide on some shoe options and the saleswoman said, "You know the drill." She talked to me like I was kind of a runner.  Like I knew what I was doing in a running shoe store.   It was very odd.

2-I have voted for Dorothy B. every day in this Cover Model contest.  For me, it has been about doing something nice for her because she has been (unknowingly) a huge help to me in this journey.   I've loved her blog, her videos and her honesty about her running.  There are several people like Dorothy who have been a huge inspiration to me.These runners share their stories online and I have so relied on them every day as I motivate myself to run.  I am sure I would never have run for 6 months without them--these women I don't know who honestly and easily share their stories. 

3-My 21 year old has been a runner for years but my 12 year old has decided to start running and has been on her own run/walk training plan for a few weeks. It has been fun to run a bit with her. Hard because I can't do 2 runs and I can't give up my own so sometimes we run together and sometimes we just run at the same place.  She loves the feeling she gets when she accomplishes something hard. And it is reminding me all that I've learned that I can share with her--about breathing, slowing down, etc. Even though I am still very early in this running thing, my recent experiences of starting are helping her a bit.  She is excited to be part of this thing we do in our house--this running thing.   Someone mentioned something about a family of runners the other day and my 12 year old said, "We could be that."  Very optimistic girl:-)

4-So, I nearly fell off the treadmill last week.  I've done this before--long ago. I get distracted sometimes. But this was my own fault. I quit running about 30 seconds early to spray off the machine. Instead of turning it off, I just put my feet to the outside of the belt.  Then I sprayed and wiped down the machine but forgot that it was still going.  I put my foot back on the belt and flew around a bit. Oh well, I guess that's what I get for trying to quit 30 seconds early.  Lesson learned.

5-I have learned that I can't do everything that I want or like to do. And I like to do a lot of things. I have read far fewer books in 2012 than I did in 2011 so far. I have written a bit less and jobs around the house pile up for a bit longer than I am used to. There are lots of things I haven't done- I quit #bookaday because it was too much to wake up every morning feeling like I had to run AND read a book every day.  I am still reading lots but had to give something up to prioritize.  I didn't do Slice of Life Challenge. I am baking less and I am accepting a different level of "clean" than I did before. I never completely dry or straighten my hair if I am not going anywhere.  I am thinking hard about the decisions I make--always trying to figure out how the run will fit in that day.  I don't want to be totally focused on running, but I have learned that if I wanted exercise to be a priority, it is a decision I need to make every day. And sometimes that means not doing something I love or something I want to do. (and there are always things that I'd rather do than run....)

6-Even though my family is amused when I get tweets or messages like this one, they make me happy. I received from Cindy Schnell this week:

@frankisibberson thanks Franki you inspired me to get off my rear and run. Can't wait till the time when I can run a mile straight.

I am certain Cindy will be running a mile soon. And, I am amazed that anything I have done has inspired anyone because I feel like I am not such a good role model. But I get random comments and tweets like this that I really appreciate. It lets me know that this blog and my honesty have helped someone feel like they can do this. And I totally believe that if I can do this, anyone can. The reason I stared the blog was to keep myself accountable. But now I feel like we, as new runners, need more honest stories out there about how hard it is to get started and how bad some days are and how much work it takes to build this into an already full life. You can follow all of us--teachers who run--on Twitter using #runteacherrun.

7-I continue to say that it takes a village to get and to keep me running.  I am thankful to everyone near and far who has given me some kind of encouragement. It has made a huge difference. I am high maintenance about this I know--I continue to need lots of support. So I appreciate it. I have loved the guest posts by amazing teachers who run.  Teachers who have run for years and those who just started recently.  It is tricky making time for exercise as a teacher.  But each of the posts have helped me incredibly. I think of their wise words on many runs.  Here are some of the words that have helped me most:

From Jen
"It didn’t matter if I was running in head-to-toe Lycra, a turtle costume, or raggedy sweats. It mattered that I showed up and ran the race."


From Katherine
"Really, though, my main lesson that I’ve learned is to make the choice every running day to run. No excuses."


From Sherry

"Then, ever so slowly, I began to 'get it.'  I began to feel a sense of accomplishment that I was doing something just for me that was actually good for me."

From Jen
"So why have I sustained running for the last 20+ years? Because after I run I feel good. It makes me feel put together. I know that no matter how my day goes I have accomplished one thing that brings me a sense of peace and contentment."


From Ruth
“You can either run with a happy heart or not, but either way you are going to run.”

8-I have gotten better at running. Something that I wasn't really confident could happen 6 months ago.  Today, I looked down at the treadmill (I was doing a 2.5 mile run) and I was thrilled to see that I had only 1 mile to go. Like I was almost finished.  At the beginning of this, I couldn't imagine EVER running a full mile. Now, it feels almost like no big deal. And I wasn't bothered (much) that I was in a tank top and that my fat arms were visible. I wasn't bothered (much) by the woman next to me who was running a 6 minute mile while I was running a 15ish minute mile.  I just did what I needed to do. And every day, the same thing is proven--if you keep doing this, you get better at it.  I loved this post "You Pity My Running Speed. I Don't". I think when I got to the point that I started really doing this for myself and not worrying about how I compared, it has become easier to celebrate success rather than feel defeated.

9-I think I am starting to enjoy running in the morning. I actually don't know if it is my best time to run, but I like my whole day better and I am far more productive and pleasant, once my run is in.  I like the treadmill running more than running outside. That may just be a forever thing for me.   When I started this journey, my goal was to get in decent enough cardio shape that I had some options of what to do. I feel like I could do some other things now, but I actually like running and have decided that for now, I like it more than the other options.

10-My blog post about healthy recipes we've tried was featured in one of those Twitter news things--one called Marathon Help Daily. C'mon, that's funny.  I can't imagine my post was helpful to anyone who runs marathons or that anyone who runs marathons reads this blog. But I did get lots of new runners to follow on Twitter once I saw it. It is a great resource:-)

So, I am excited about the next 6 months. I feel actually ready to move to the next phase of this journey.  I feel like the first six months was all about figuring out what it meant to build this new routine into my life and to convince myself it was possible. Improvement hasn't come as quickly as I'd hoped and I do not jump out of bed excited to go for a run.  But I understand after 6 month that consistency brings slow and steady progress. People told me that before but I believe them now. When I started running, that was what I was hoping for that magic moment when I LOVED to run.  Now, I know that it isn't quite like that.

I was in a little running rut but as I came to this 6 month point, I figured it was time to make a decision. I hadn't really gotten any better in the last 2 months and I hadn't worked to get any better. I just ran and quit when I felt like it.  Ran at a speed that I felt like, etc. No plan was not so good for me....So I decided it was time to bump things up a bit. I asked Tonia to write another 6 week plan for me. It started this week.  I have named the new plan:  "6 weeks to a Happier 5K". My first 5K made me cranky and I know it doesn't have to be like that. I like the socialness, the skirt and the fun but I actually hated the run.

I have a Color Run scheduled for July, a Color Me Rad run scheduled for August, and I am thinking about a 5K in October. My August run should be pleasant since my plan is dedicated to making it so. Then I am hoping to continue working for the 5K in October (looking for friends to doing this one with me--hint, hint).  My thinking is that if I can keep this routine through that fall/crazy part of the school year, I can keep it up all year.

Happy Running!