Random Thoughts by Shelley: On running for physical and mental fitness

I could feel my anger dissipating as the miles went by – you can’t run and stay mad! – Kathrine Switzer

Week 12 – Fitness/Fueling for Life in 49 Weeks ‘til I’m 50 – Ready, Set, it’s all about A FOCUSed plan to get there!

Welcome back, I’m getting a little late to the start of my day. I don’t know about you, but I’m finding the spring ahead time change is more difficult each passing year. We “lose” an hour of sleep, and in my book that is never a good thing. Approaching 50 I find it tough enough to get uninterrupted sleep due to bathroom runs and hot flashes, but to lose time because I reset a clock seems silly! Time is already ticking away fast enough. Last week when the time changed, it threw me off more than previous years. I was so tired I took a break from writing. Taking a break from anything is sometimes a good thing, but when it comes to exercise, it’s too easy to slip into non-exercise mode. Staying physically fit is something you simply can’t let slide as you age.

This week we’re looking at physical Fitness as our next dimension of happiness turning 50. Physical exercise can energize you long after the activity. There’s so much to read out there about being fit, getting fit, and how to stay fit. I don’t know that I can offer any new secret, other than what they say is true. We need to stay physically active to maintain and or regain our health if we’ve been slacking in this area. Finding what works for you is one of the challenges. When you don’t have some activity that keeps you physically challenged, I believe it can lead to an angered state. I often wonder if it is the guilt that stays with you because you know you should be doing something to stay healthy or is it the body sending you signal of decline, sometimes to the point you can’t be physical.

Way back when…you know 20+ years ago, I had chosen walking for exercise. It helped me relieve stress by taking a break from the daily activities and it helped me maintain my weight. It was also a social thing for me. I loved walking with someone and chatting about random things.

Six years ago this Spring, I just decided one day, I’m going to start running instead of walking. It was at a time where I was feeling very angry at situations in life. I was angry that my mom had made poor health choices. I was angry that I had to take care of her and her belongings because she no longer could. I was angry that life seemed so out of my control. In retrospect, the desire to be anger free is what drove me to do something different with my exercise routine. There were days I simply felt like running away from everything. With the extra time commitment needed to help her I was getting a bit more strapped for time to exercise. I had really plateaued in my fitness level. On top of that I found when turning 40 something, it was the beginning of the body showing signs of not being able to burn off the calories I ate. I chose to substitute the feelings of wanting to run away with actually running to help me work through anger and all the calories consumed collecting in the form of fat.

My first run was just a mile. It felt like that first run way back in high school where the teacher made you run “the mile.” I was feeling like I didn’t how to breathe at all, and like my chest was going to burst. I cannot stand to hear myself trying to catch my breath. The sounds make it even harder for me to breath.

Slowly over time I gradually got to the point I could run, instead of walk, my normal distance of 2 miles. It took less time to accomplish the same distance, which saved me “exercise time.” The path was familiar, a killer hill in the middle, and then back home safely. I was burning more calories, and feeling new muscles I hadn’t felt when walking. I was less angry too. I was convinced I wanted to do more. So I decided, I’m getting pretty darn good at this, why not run a 5k?

One Saturday, while it was still pretty cool outside, I put on long underwear (at that time had no idea what Under Armour was), a turtle neck, two shirts and a sweatshirt on top, wind pants and two pairs of socks and I took off out the door. I ran three miles, carrying all that extra weight in clothing without stopping! I’m sure the cars passing me by knew I was a total novice. I was lucky the fashion police didn’t pull me over either. As I pounded out the steps, I pounded out all the thoughts about how angry I was at so many things. Being able to physically run a 5k helped me physically and mentally. Yay for me, I was ready for a 5k with a group of people, not just alone!

My first 5k was in February, it was cold, but not like this winter. Again, I fashionably dressed with a wind breaker on top of all other layers. I’m sure the “runners” in the group knew I was a beginner. Luckily, I was in good company. I knew they too were beginners as they were running at my pace. The positive energy of running with people in a group seems to make it easier in a sense. I made it. Accomplishing that first 5k all alone and I was hooked on running for fitness.

Running also helped me mentally prepare for the visits with my mom. I took out my stress and anger while running so when I arrived to help her, I brought with me more compassion and patience. It helped me see her frailness instead of my anger. As I was growing stronger, she was growing weaker. I needed to be strong to help her on this new course of decline. Dementia doesn’t get better with time, it only gets worse. I couldn’t be angry, I had to have patience. I grew physically and mentally during that time. Her fiftieth year of life is when she made choices not to take care of herself and she was angry too. My 50^th year, I’m making choices to take care of myself. Who knows what the outcome will be, but my hope is being physically fit will delay the decline of aging and the level of anger in my life.

Gradually, seeing the positives I was having and the release from stress and anger, my husband became my running partner. We’ve made running together a part of our life. When either one of us is on the angry side of things, we know it is best to go for a run. We enjoy the five mile distance most. As we age though, simply maintaining a running schedule of 5 miles or less while healthy, we do notice our bodies have gotten used to it. The body needs some changes in your fitness routine to grow muscles and keep your brain working.

This Spring, despite the lingering cold and icy winter, we’ve decided to train for a ½ marathon. That takes mental commitment for sure. Running 5 miles was more a physical challenge than a mental challenge. I had a desire to go that far. 5 miles to me seems like a great accomplishment and doable. Running further than 5 miles is not only physical, it’s mental. Last week we ran 6 miles. It was extremely cold out, so we ran it on the treadmill. To run that far on a treadmill is really a mind over matter. For me, I can do it, as I can read a book and run at the same time. If you can’t do that, I’m sure it would be extremely frustrating physically and mentally. Finding your limitations in a situation, helps you determine your anger level too. If you’re angry while you start out running, run further until you get to the point where you’re not angry any more. I always feel better after a run.

It’s the running outside in nature that really keeps me to run further distances. Yesterday, we ran 7 miles outside. Today, I’m feeling the sense of accomplishment and less anger about the stressful week. The muscles that I hadn’t been using on the treadmill are letting me know I ran further too. We’re only at the ½ way mark of the training for 13.0194 miles. That’s going to take time, mental commitment and physical endurance to double the distance of where we’re at. It’s the right time in life to see if I’m ready for the next ½ century too. I’m positive my approaching it with less anger is going to benefit me too.

Thanks for stopping by ~ Enjoy your physical fitness routines. I hope you too find something that works for you! It’s worth the time commitment, the release of anger, and the physical benefits to your body!

PS – Photography moments of the week. I'm enjoying the slow melting of the snow. The ice melting from the roads means the outside running shoes can go on once again. Life is good!