Saturday, May 15, 2010

1 month of walking

1 1/2 days from now I will start the long journey back into running condition.  Most of you know on April 19th, I ran my first Boston marathon.  That was my last run.  I promised myself I would take a month off after Boston, and I have honored my body and mind with a break.  Why would I do it?  For me, it seems to be that running is very deep in my soul.  I like to think I will still be at it 30 years from now.  Will I, only time will tell, but in the mean time, I like to increase the odds of that happening by taking some mini breaks.  The other reason is I think our bodies deserve and need some down time to be able to climb to the next level.  I know mine does anyway.  One other reason is the whole "trick the body" type of philosophy.   When I start back, my body will be revving into high gear again, and hopefully burning some extra calories. 

So for the past 4 weeks my exercise has been walking.  Nope,  I never aired up the tires on the bike.  Each day I walked my minimum, which is 30 minutes, and that was it.  I think I had 2 or 3 days that I walked a little longer.  No yoga, no stretching, no weights, no schedule, no demand,  just walking. 

SCENES FROM MY RECENT WALKS
MS Therapy!
Horses on the hill!  More therapy! (MS)
LA Bayou therapy!
Back in MS - new pavement - just in time to welcome me back to running. Nice and cushiony!
 
Thoughts from 4 weeks of walking
1st 3 weeks - "I can't wait to run again"
4th week - "I may be too lazy to run again"
 
This week is another year of my exercising streak.  9 years ago, I said I would exercise for 30 minutes each day.  (2 other ladies committed too, I will not mention any names, but let me just say,  this has been a solo streak)  (also in full disclosure - I did have 1 day when I only went for 20 minutes - also some days would barely qualify as exercise - so I say 9 years of 30 minutes of movement.  When I'm sick- it's down to a stroll)
I am very thankful for my health, desire, and hard-head to "get out the door" each day.  Also, I'm thankful for family and friends who occasionally go with me to complete the daily task.  (my sister has been with me at 11:30pm to get it in just in time, and she has also been at the unGodly hour of 3:30 am.  In fact, in the 9 years, I may have covered every hour on the clock, just to "get it done"  Hubby and Scarlett (our dog) have been with me many days - I love our walking time together)
 One of my favorite pics of Scarlett.  (that's some photographer to get her sticking her tongue out, right?)

So YES, I'm a streaker!  I never told you that :)!   I will keep it going until something comes up that keeps me from getting in my 30 minutes during a 24 hour period.  
I like to say 
"It Must Be Done!"







24 comments:

Shellyrm ~ just a country runner said...

I am sure ur body enjoyed the scale back
your legs wil probably be so eager for that first run back!

Running and living said...

You'll be amazed how quickly you'll get your speed back. Awesome you managed to take the break. I will, too, after my October marathon!

Unknown said...

I'm so proud of you, taking the FULL month off is a nice accomplishment for your mind, body and soul! We were joking with a friend last week who ran Boston and said she was taking off a month, too. She made it three weeks and started back last Monday. It's not easy but you seemed to enjoy it, congrats!

Lindsay said...

i am pretty jealous about your streak! that is too cool :) keep on getting out there and doing something.

Psyche said...

Nice way to recover from Boston. Your mind and legs will thank you. BTW, love your streak:)

Have a great rest of the weekend!

ajh said...

Gorgeous pictures. Your header is awesome!

Jill said...

Your body is going to love you 30 years from now and honor your committment to it by allowing you to run your 30th Boston marathon :). Your pictures from your walk are absolutely gorgeous, it looks so peaceful!

Tina @GottaRunNow said...

Congrats on 9 years of daily exercise!

Julie said...

Hi Ginny,
I think that it is fantastic that you are taking a full month off to recover from Boston! You will come back and your legs will feel fresh and strong:) I also love the pictures from your walk...very pretty!

Oh my Gosh, You ran in Dublin, Ireland!?! Wow, how was that? I would love to run somewhere across the pond:)

Jennifer said...

Yay! We can go running!

Donna said...

Absolutely love the new header! I'm impressed that you've taken a break. Bet you'll come back even stronger!

Petraruns said...

Love the header, love the pics, love the story - eep your commitment going it's very very inspiring.

RunToTheFinish said...

I loooove taking walks and it's probably the only thing that saved me when I was injured, but I won't like I can't imagine being so diligent to NOT run when not injured. You are a smart woman

Happy Feet 26.2 said...

Julie - Dublin was amazing. I totally needed more touring time after the marathon, but I loved what I was able to see. For the marathon - I would have preferred a more rural "greenery" route, but it was neat to tour the city also. I would love to go back one day.

Robbie said...

Love your header! Also, love the way you selected pictures from different areas to show us where you walked. You amaze me and are such an inspiration to me!! You won't believe how much you encourage me and how much I think about doing a marathon now. It's SO exciting to hear you talk about it. Keep up the good work. Someone is ALWAYS watching (probably me)!

LMC said...

I'm thinking that you know how to stick to your commitments, one month off and 9 years of 30 minutes exercising daily. Very impressive!! Good luck with your return to running. I'm sure you'll get right back on track (no pun intended). Thanks for sharing the great pix from your walks. Have a great week!

Caratunk Girl said...

Awesome - have fun getting back out there and running again. Way to stick with your plan of not running - it is hard, but good for your body to take a break for sure.

Liz said...

Great post.

As I approach my first marathon (only 6 days away!), I like your idea of sticking to walking for a month afterwards. Sounds like a good approach to recovery.

Pining for Pinterest said...

Have a great time getting back into running :) I am interested in this streaker story now!!!

MCM Mama said...

Great job on taking a whole month off. I probably ought to, but I need the endorphins for my mental health. I'm not even sure I'll manage a full week.

9 year of movement! Wow! That's a nice streak!

Tara said...

You have done a great thing for your body, you should be very proud!

I have not ran yet after my marathon last week, but I'm starting to work out again. A little.....

Scott McMurtrey said...

Getting too lazy, huh? Ha!

Great picture of Scarlett - she looks like a good dog. :)

Terri said...

Taking a month off after a lot of hard training and a great race sounds really smart! Cute pup-she looks like shes enjoying your break!

Lindsay said...

Way to go! Great post! I am sure taking a month off is super hard...