How and why I started running

In March of 2011 my wife and I welcomed our son Lucas to the world.  We were late to the parent game in terms of age but we were ready.

Like all new parents we found ourselves with such an amazingly awarding and challenging change in our life.

With children there are lessons we learn every day.  With Lucas at age one I decided to confront the fact I had been steadily gaining weight over the second half of my life, not to mention basic inactivity.

I found it harder than it should be to crawl on the floor and chase him around and when walking with my wife and Luke in the stroller I was throwing in the towel early (and grumpily).

Also what came with children and family is a feeling of responsibility.  Responsibility to provide.  Provide in all ways … being there in 10, 15, 20 years being the most important.

What I did

Why running?  I know lots of people who did the ‘couch to 5k’ start to run app.  I am not sure what happened or why I did it all of a sudden but I downloaded RunDouble C25K on my Android phone to check it out.  And one day I put on some track pants, a hoody, strapped on my crappy runners and away I went.

Here is my first run Saturday April 6, 2013 3:45pm: 

2.6k in 28 minutes including warm up and cool down.  8 intervals of 1 minute running and 1:30 walking on the common 9 week, 3 times a week plan.  When I say nearly anyone can do it … nearly anyone can do it.  Is it hard at times?  Damn hard.

I couldn’t walk very well the next day.  My legs and butt hurt.  I wondered what I was getting into … but I saw the plan there on the screen … marked out clear as day … ‘do this and achieve that’.  Little did I know 15+ months later I still have a plan … the numbers have just changed.

I know a lot of people join a running club or group and get a lot out of running with people.  For me it was a solitary struggle that worked.  I remember running and waiting for the beep and the damn voice to cut into the music and say “Now walk briskly for 90 seconds”.  When it told me to start running again, I ran ... reluctantly, but I ran.

The feeling I got then and the feeling I get now when I finish a run, no matter how far, is a sense of accomplishment.  A sense that I just did something positive, not only for myself but for the people I want to be there for.