Part VI: The Challenge

Looking back on my high school career I notice that I never took on a hobby of any kind. Usually in high school there are the sports-related students, the book-smart students, the musical students and then the people who weren’t involved as much. I was very involved in extra-curricular activities. I was not involved in any sport, music, or book related category.

I have always had a fast pace when walking. When I am walking with friends at an amusement park I always have to remind myself to slow down so I don’t get too far ahead of everyone. If there were ever an apocalypse in my lifetime, I am positive I would survive just by walking faster than anything coming after me.

Running never crossed my mind as a hobby I could begin. I always thought it would be too much of a challenge and tiring; probably a good sign that I was out of shape. After I hit a plateau with my Biggest Loser workouts I knew I needed a new plan to continue my journey. I decided to give running a try because I knew it could help me lose calories fast. Burning a lot of calories fast means losing weight at a faster rate.

I loaded new and upbeat music on my iPod because I knew music would help me run at a good pace. I put a water bottle in my shorts pocket because there are no water fountains on the trails surrounding my house. After I was ready, I stretched and began my run.

One of the most challenging things about running is finding a pace that fits with your breathing. If your pace is too fast you will lose your breath and have to stop for a couple of minutes to recuperate. It took a couple trial runs until I found a correct pace that fit me.

Your breathing should be controllable and calm. Personally I run with my mouth open because breathing is easier to retain than breathing in and out from my nose only. There are some downsides to running with your mouth open. If you enjoy protein, you’re in luck because you will be eating plenty of miscellaneous insects throughout the run. I enjoy running at sunset but the bugs are so terrible at this time that it caused me to start running in the early afternoon instead.

The best way to gain more mileage is to stay motivated and stay hydrated. As long as you do those two things you could run for miles and miles. It may seem like a difficult task to do but it is actually easier than you may think.

Eventually when you feel up for a challenge go run a 5K, 8K, or any sort of competitive run. After finishing these races you will feel a great deal of accomplishment. These accomplishments will help keep you motivated. I have personally run a multitude of races, all of which have been fun and present different challenges. Whether that is running through rough terrain, mud, puddles, or running up steep hills and slopes, all races are ‘more than meets the eye’.

I have my first half-marathon coming up in mid-March. Training for the marathon has been difficult because of the long and treacherous winter. I am thrilled to be competing but am nervous because it is my first competitive race of this length. My main goal is to finish the race while having a good time running with some family and friends.

Dieting has become a popular form of regulated eating. There are many forms of diets; some work and some do not. Join me next week when I discuss how one diet aided in my weight loss.