Run, Rabbit, Run

Two and a half months ago I felt like my body was rotting. I was mentally and physically drained from adapting to my second child, my job and a life of hurry up to hurry up. When I got home I would sleepwalk through the evening and then collapse into bed. I have a great the best wife, great the best kids, I like my job but somehow it was all too much.

I decided to start running again and I found help through the Couch to 5K Podcast. It's by Robert Ullrey, a guy from Northern California who decided to start running for his 43rd birthday. The first week was just 20 minutes alternating 60 seconds or running with 90 seconds of jogging. Having a podcast was a huge help because I never would have been able to keep the timing straight. Gradually, the runs built up to week 9 which was three days of 30 minutes of continuous running. Today was the last day. It wasn't easy--the only way I can find time to run is by waking up at 5:15 A.M.--but I stuck with the program and I did it. I think that's how you have to do these thing. That's how I wrote my novel. I found a good plan and stuck to it.

I feel better physically. Even if I've only lost 2 pounds I have more energy, feel happier, and things seem clearer. Mentally, I feel so much more relaxed from having the alone time and confident from having a goal that I picked and accomplished. It's the only way I can get all the stress and nasty images out of my head. For example, this morning I spent the beginning of my run stressing over my job and some family stuff that happened years ago. But somewhere on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade it all cleared away and I found a peace that was worth every every early wake up and shin splint I've ever had or ever will have.

I'm going to stick with the running, I can't imagine not doing it any more. I'm going to do another week or two at 30 minutes, maybe change my route to go over the Gowanus Canal to Park Slope, maybe tackle that hill at the north edge of the Promenade then go up to 35 minutes. Then I'm going to pester Robert Ullrey to do the 5K to 10K podcast.