So how did I get to Zen?
As I began to create my blog and pondered what to name my very first posting, I came upon the idea of “Running is my Zen”. Sounds good, right? Hits the mark? (Although, maybe not for everyone. Those that run to the cadence of “I hate this, I hate this, I hate this” won’t fully understand – and you know who you are my friend!).
Okay, I admit. Anyone that is a runner probably at some point or another didn’t feel overly Zen. Nor did I. But this feeling was really only at the beginning, when I struggled to run for each one minute interval before I had to take my two minute walk break in between.
But 9 ½ months into my running journey, I can actually say that this is the best description ever. I’m sure that there are other things in life that bring about this incredible feeling. But for me, I think about how far I have been able to come it really makes me feel accomplished in a way that nothing else has. Oh, and by the way, my long runs are 9 miles as of today and I have done two 5K races! I’m shooting for my first ½ marathon in October, so wish me luck. While, I’m sure this is nothing for some of you that may have stumbled upon my little piece of the blogging world, but I’m pretty darn pleased with it – for now…
Ironically, while I thought I was being very clever in my naming creativity, this apparently old hat. Who knew that there are actually books, websites, and other blogs that focus on this very idea! Hmmm…Guess I really did hit the mark!
By the way…for those of you interested, a couple of the books I found on the whole idea of Zen and Running are called “The Zen of Running” by Fred Rohe and the other is “Zen and the Art of Running: The Path to Making Peace with Your Pace” by Larry Shapiro. I can’t profess to have read Rohe’s book because it was actually published in 1974. I am on the hunt now for a used copy. For Shapiro’s book, I did actually pick it up just yesterday. So far it is pretty interesting… I’ll keep you posted.
Thanks for joining my journey…
I recently discovered the joys of running. At first I didn’t understand what the big deal was, or how my friends could enjoy it. But, after trying it out, it feels wonderful to be able to run a mile.
Granted, I can’t run a mile in one stretch, but thats a work in progress.
Any tips?
Congrats in getting started! Isn’t it great? I can tell that you’ll love it. It is so addictive.
One key component – get fitted for the right shoes. That is one of the most important things, as I am sure your friends can attest to. But the key thing that I learned in the past months is that it is slow and steady! I could only run 1 minute at a time when I first started and my problem has consistently been the capacity of my heart and lungs. The key that helped me was to slow down. I realized that I could make it farther if I did. When I tried to increase speed too quickly, I couldn’t run as long.
Since I started, my training plans have come from the Runners World website and have helped walk me through how to increase my distances and speed gradually. That site has been a great tool for me.
Keep me posted…I’ve definitely found that part of what keeps me driven is the motivation from my friends.
It certainly does!
The track I run on takes 9 laps for a mile, when I first start running I can get 2 laps no problem, but then I either get winded or my stomach starts cramping and I have to walk it off.
I try to find someone else on the track and set my pace with them. The last time I was on the track, this worked fairly well, but most of the time there are a bunch of guys that are either athletes or military. Kind of makes it hard to keep up with them!
I’ve started doing exercises to help strengthen my core, as a friend suggested to ease the cramping (drinking lots of water and eating more bananas are also on this list).
But considering I was never very athletic in high school, I’m just glad I keep going back to the gym for more.
I know I have the backing of a few friends. Which makes it easier. I once tried to get a few friends to go with me (to try and get them into running, they were always saying we needed to start going to the Rec). However, they never seemed to have the time. So I took the advice of a friend and just went alone, since it would be much easier if I were just running for myself.
And I’ll be sure to keep you posted! I’m always looking for new people to talk with about a variety of subjects, and who knows, your blog may provide some motivation to really push myself
Your friend made a good point! Going it alone is the best way to get moving. My main motivation came from one of my friends that lives in another state. So while I would have loved to run with her, she is both too far away and also further into her running career than I am. She can still be my motivation – and is – but at different levels.
I used to get side stiches too, but slowing down helped me. They always tended to hit me at that time because I couldn’t focus on my breathing. As I slowed down, I also tried to add focus to my breath to make sure I was able to still carry on a converstation with minimal difficulty. Trust me though… I’ve tried to keep up with others as well and think I might have had some of the military group too! Learned my lesson there.