"Which of my all important nothings should I tell you first?" ~ Jane Austen, in a letter to her sister

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Saturday, July 30, 2011

I am not really the "working-out" type

I hate to sweat. Like seriously. I hate to get over-heated. And I hate it when my fingers swell.

I absolutely loathed P.E. class in jr. high and high school and was happy when I didn't have to bother with it anymore for my junior & senior years. (Plus my jr. high P.E. teacher, Mrs. Phillips, was a royal witch with a capital "B.")

BUT. Big ole BUT. 

I had been thinking about it for a while. Thinking about how so many women I know run and do marathons and just absolutely get that bug and then they get all skinny and then I have to hate them. AND I HATE THAT. Having to hate them, that is. So I thought, hey, could I do that? 

Then I said shut up, you're not a runner. You hate running. You hate sweating. What's wrong with you? 

Then I said, no, YOU shut up. Because I could totally do that. I just need to shift my paradigm.
 (par·a·digm  n. 3. A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline.)
So I did. Or have been. It's an on-going battle. I decided to start on my first full day back from vacation - July 10. So for the past three weeks I have been doing it.

I've mostly been working-out on our elliptical machine. I like it. I like being inside. I do intervals on the elliptical too - I'll go really fast for a bit and then go back to a more moderate pace. I have a bit of a routine - I definitely work-out every Monday night. That's when I watch my guilty pleasure TV and working out at the same time balances that nicely, I think. I've been doing 3.1 miles consistently on the elliptical on Monday nights. Then I try 2-3 more workouts during the week as well.

When I work-out outside I try to do run/walk intervals. More walk than run because I know I need to start conditioning before I run too much or I will literally fall-down dead.  Other things make working-out outside less desirable - like my own insecurities. I don't want people to SEE me working-out. I'm sure I just look ridiculous.  

This morning I was determined to work-out outside. It didn't go as well as it could have due to a sore left heel, I forgot my water, my nose closed up due to allergies, and it was 89 flippin' degrees and I was roasty-toasty. I came home early and took a COLD shower. All in all, I did just about 2 miles today. 

But, HEY, if it was 5 weeks ago then I wouldn't have done that at all, would I?

Conclusion: I still don't like running or sweating but I love the feeling I have after doing it. I feel like I really accomplished something. And I just feel better about myself. Like I'm actively doing something to better myself. I feel SEXIER already. That feeling just absolutely rocks. 

Two people have told me that I look thinner. I've only lost about 4 lbs so far. We'll see. 

Now I think I need to invest in a better sports bra - because these girls CANNOT be contained - and new trainers (Britishism). My current tennies give me blisters on the inside of my arch, just before my heel. Odd.

So there's my first work-out update. I'll try to post anytime I have something worthwhile to say. Please keep the support and encouragement coming - I will definitely need it.

5 comments:

  1. First off....the conversation you had with yourself is hilarious and awesome. I've had the same conversation with myself (still do).

    Second.....this?

    "I still don't like running or sweating but I love the feeling I have after doing it. I feel like I really accomplished something. And I just feel better about myself. Like I'm actively doing something to better myself. I feel SEXIER already. That feeling just absolutely rocks."

    This is awesome and I can't agree more. There is something about achieving something I wasn't sure I could do.....it just...changes my whole perspective.

    And finally.....in case I haven't made it clear enough...I'm really stoked for you and the working-out. I read this post and got all sniffly.

    Bottom line.....good job. Keep it up.

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  2. OMG! You absolutely said what I've always felt! Do I love running, and sweating, and working out in general? Not really! I wish I didn't have to, but I've come to the realization that that was the hand I was dealt and *I* have to deal with it and stop envying all these naturally thin women. But in a way, I appreciate being "thin" (I'd rather call it FIT) more than they do. I have to work at it and work hard. I'm over 40, and as you get older it absolutely gets harder. :-(

    And I love that you nailed it on the head when you said you feel sexier! I've also started to realize that I love feeling sexier more than I hate running and sweating and working out. And that keeps me going when I really really really want to quit!

    So go get your new tennies (try a running store where they will match your gait with the proper shoe) and look for an Enell sports bra and GET SEXY.

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  3. THANK YOU. Both of you. Elsa & Armella, you have both been inspirations to me!! I think I'm going to a running store this afternoon to see about the new tennies and then I'll check into the Enell bra as well. It might be the one that I had previously checked into but didn't buy because I wasn't so serious about that stuff then as I am now. I'm 35 so if I can get into this habit now then I think I'll likely stay in shape. I really appreciate the support!

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  4. Yay for you Stef! After being relatively sedentary for most of my life, I started "running" (if you were to look at the type of "bug" I got, it's the size of a flee) because I wanted to lose weight. After several years now of pretty regularly running, I have not lost any weight (I am not blessed with being one of those girls who adds a little physical activity and sees the weight magically melt off) and while it pisses me off, I have to force myself to look at the positives: a) my running time is time for me and just me b) I FEEL healthier, even if I don't look it and c) I'm setting a good example for my kids. So good for you, YAY YAY YAY for you for getting yourself started. I have to say that I still don't like the "running" part of running, but I love things about the running...the way the day smells so early in the morning, the way I feel after I'm done...and this keeps me going. I am looking forward to walking Barber to Boise with you this year!

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  5. I guess I haven't been reading your blog because I'm a jerk (or I'm just like passed out dead tired). I'm SORRY :(

    Anyway I also HATED sweat. HATED it. I swear to the little baby jesus in the tiny little manger Stef I once said "When they hold a marathon in the mall, you go ahead and give me a call."

    BUT. Big ol' But. When I was doing WW like a hundred years ago I had this idea. HEY *LIGHTBULB* if I'm losing weight just eating right how much MORE weight could I lose if I walked an extra 30 minutes a day (you know over the walking I was already doing being on my feet 12 hours a day). And THEN another *LIGHTBULB* HEY if walking 30 minutes is doing THIS then what would JOGGING DO?

    And that's how I did the C25K. I bought an XL pair of running shorts. (I still weighed like 175 pounds at the time) and I went out. The first goal I set was this.. run so that I can't see my muffin top hanging out of my gym shorts in my shadow. And I STILL hated sweat. But after a while I started to *WHAT?!* look forward to the time I had alone, with my thoughts and competing against myself. And even the SWEAT too. That was August. (then I broke my leg running but whatever that's another story). By February I had gone from hating sweat and preferring the sofa to the road to running 20-30 miles a WEEK. I was running 10 miles on SUNDAYS. IN ONE DAY I WAS RUNNING !) FLIPPING MILES. That is SIX MONTHS. You know and it hurt and I was still struggling but i was like HEY EVERY PERSON EVERYWHERE I CAN RUN TEN MILES and not die.

    I felt so outstanding because I was DOING something. Something healthy. Something for ME. ANd I'm so glad to see you doing this. So incredibly glad. If you need someone to keep you accountable or cheer you on I'm YOUR GIRL. I'm doing 3 miles a day right now too. (walk/jog) and I feel so MUCH BETTER. (even as dead tired as I am).

    *Note. I think it's important for people to know this from a physiological standpoint. There is a thing some runners call the cardiac threshold. When you are exercising most people don't reach it until 30 minutes of aerobic activity. This is why a lot of people say. I exercised for 30 minutes and I felt WORSE. You really have to push PAST that point to get to the adrenaline place. I thought this was malarky when I was doing my 3 miles a day in 30 minutes (vis the c25K) but it's TRUE as soon as I pushed past that to the 45-6o minute mark I got the runner's high :)

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