OK, it’s been a long time since I’ve updated my blog, and someone emailed me and asked how my fitness efforts are going. I started to reply and then realized I’d written far too much, so I figured I’d make it a blog post instead.
Some time back, I think it was in May, I began a fitness program with running. I’d tried this before, but stopped because I got hurt in Pennsylvania, needed to see a doctor, then discovered that no doctor in Pennsylvania accepts my health insurance. I paid out of pocket for my treatment and decided I’d pick up the program again once I was in Ohio again where my health insurance works.
So once I was in Ohio long term, I figured it was time to resume the None to Run program. This program is similar to the better-known Couch to 5K, but None to Run is designed for true beginners, people who might not be in good enough shape for Couch to 5K. With None to Run, you start off running for 30 seconds, then walk for 2 minutes, then repeat this for 20 minutes total. You gradually increase running and decrease walking. By Week 5, you’re running more than walking; it’s 90 seconds of running and 60 seconds of walking. By Week 9, you’re running for 5 minutes straight. On Week 10, you run for 20 minutes straight. I had some setbacks and I had to repeat some weeks, but I got through it.
One problem was that the weather would interfere with my running. I didn’t want to run when it was pouring down rain or when it was brutally hot. So I joined the YMCA at the beginning of July to use the indoor running track. I also started lifting weights on my non-running days, using the weightlifting to replace None to Run’s strength training exercises. (I run three or four days a week, never running on consecutive days to reduce the risk of injury.)
So I got up to 20 minutes straight on the indoor track. And the goal was to increase to 25 minutes by Week 12. But I never got there; I couldn’t keep motivated to run for so long and it was a real nuisance to keep track of how many times I went around the track. I was doing it by going through the alphabet, repeating words in my head that began with each letter, such as “alpha, aardvark, alligator” on the first lap, “bravo, bicycle, balloon” on the second, etc., but it was still pretty easy to get them mixed up, so I was never really certain how many laps I completed.
Eventually, I lost motivation doing that and just made it 16 laps around the gym, which should be one mile. I figured running one mile would at least keep me from losing all the progress I’d made. But then I was in D.C. for a while and it turned out that the YMCAs there didn’t have indoor running tracks. My options were to run outdoors, which would be brutally hot and destroy the whole point of joining the YMCA, or to run on a treadmill. I chose the treadmill and found that I liked it better.
The treadmill keeps track of my time and distance for me, so I don’t have to try counting laps myself. Also, I can watch TV while I run, which gives me a distraction from the running. But perhaps the best thing is that it regulates my speed. I can set it to 5 mph and it will make sure that I don’t run faster than that. Without a treadmill to regulate my speed, I’m likely to run somewhat faster, more than 6 mph, but if I run that fast I’ll wear myself out. I suspect that’s what went wrong on the running track; I probably ran too fast for the first 10 minutes or so and wore myself out.
So at first I ran on the treadmill for 12 minutes at 5 mph, which works out to exactly 1 mile. Then I increased to 13 minutes with no problem. Since then, I’ve increased 2 minutes each time. On Tuesday, I ran 21 minutes at 5 mph, which is 1.75 miles, or 2.8163 km. Today (Thursday, Sept. 2), I plan to run for 23 minutes at 5 mph, which is 1.9166 miles, or 3.0846 km.
Most of the treadmills are set up so you can’t run more than 30 minutes, so my plan is to get up to running 30 minutes at 5 mph, which is 2.5 miles or 4.023 km. That’s when I plan to increase speed to 5.1 mph, then 5.2, etc., until I’m up to 6.3 mph, which will have me running just over 5 km in 30 minutes. At that point, I plan to gradually increase the incline. Maybe I’ll enter a 5K race at some point.
I was losing about a pound a week at first, but unfortunately, at around the time I joined the YMCA and started weightlifting, my weight loss took a big hit. It’s possible that this is because I’m putting on muscle while I’m shedding fat. As much as I’d like to lose weight, I’m not worrying too much about it. There’s no question that I’m improving my stamina. I haven’t had a gout flareup since October.
In conclusion, if you’re not satisfied with your fitness level, do something. Running isn’t for everybody. Maybe you should try bicycling or cross-country skiing or a jump rope. But whatever you do, start small and work your way up. And if you need help from a treadmill, a personal trainer, a workout buddy or whatever, do that. There’s no shame in accepting help. If you can’t afford a gym membership, check with nonprofits such as the YMCA. I can’t speak for every nonprofit, but the YMCA of Greater Dayton prides itself on never turning anyone away for lack of money; they’ll work with you if you can’t afford to pay the regular membership rate.