As I sit here and quietly reflect on my run everyday challenge this year I calculate 27 days remaining which come to think of it is the first time I've actually counted!The run everyday challenge for me wasn't so much about the commitment of a year but rather the commitment to increasing my daily activity levels and fitness and making it a priority of some thing I had to do rather than something I would like to do if I had the time. I kept it to myself at first and thought if I can get through a week of running a minimum of 30 minutes per day then maybe I could manage a month and if I succeeded in that then why not an entire year!
Running has always been my 'go to' exercise and something I consider almost therapeutic however, the first month felt anything but and was a continual balancing act to prevent my old nemesis (calf strains) from stopping me in my tracks not to mention trying to hold everything together 6 month after baby number two.
Here's the top 5 things that have helped me not just survive but thrive in my run everyday challenge.
1. Routine is key. The first few weeks felt like such a juggling act but once I established a routine of what time I would run on which day around work and children it became a lot more manageable and easier to get out of bed on those early starts knowing that if I missed my opportunity I would be running at 9 o'clock at night instead!
2. Self care. Listening to your body and knowing when to push your self and when to take it easy is key to preventing injuries and burn out. Obviously being a physio and knowing how to manage niggles and tight muscles before that become a problem came in very handy although as for anybody having the knowledge isn't any good if you don't apply it.
3. Support. Getting support from friends and family and making sure they are on board is crucial especially when childcare is required. I personally don't mind exercising by myself but when increasing my training having someone to run with creates a welcome distraction. Getting involved with local running and facebook groups such as GoRunGirl and using a social media app such as strava has also been great to establish a network of like minded people who can help provide support, advice, and encouragement.
4. Consistency versus quantity. I really surprised myself when I ran my first half marathon since pre-children days and improved my time by 14 minutes! I hadn't run more than 12 kms in a single run for more than 2 years and was only into my 3rd month of running everyday with most of my runs being at my minimum of 30 minutes. Of course this has it's limitations as I certainly wouldn't sign up to a full marathon on a mere 30 minutes per day! I had also suspected that more consistent training would help ease my calf woes which has certainly been the case (touch wood!).
5. Goal setting. I was happy to plod along for the most part of the year doing my 30 minutes but it does get tedious without some goals. Entering into races and events such as the Get Moving Festival, Run Auckland Series pushes your boundaries and brings out your inner competitiveness. It helped to motivate me and identify areas that I could improve on not just to improve my time but to also make the process a little less grueling next time around.
I know that running's not for everyone but I believe that the principle can still be applied to anyone wanting to establishing healthy lifestyle habits. I think it's important to look beyond today or tomorrow or even next year but to think about the person you would like to be in 10 years time because becoming that person begins with the habits you establish now and the health implications of those will shape the person you become in the future.
Written by Karen Donaldson-Barron
Physiotherapist
Comments
Post a Comment